#ii Across The Stars AU | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

ellecdc · 1 month ago

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part II - Pretty Woman

slow burn poly!wolfstar Pretty Woman (1990) au: established wolfstar, escort!reader, side jegulily, eventual dorlene, political heist-type situation, depictions and descriptions of sex-work

I // II

CW: financial insecurity, Sirius money-is-no-object Black, sugar babe vibes, brief mention of Black family [3.1k words]

link to series masterlist

The words on the page before you began to blur and melt as you watched the way the shadows of the leaves danced across them; the canopy of trees above your fire-escape-turned-balcony swaying in the gentle breeze and providing you with broken bits of shade.

You almost laughed that out of the two documents Sirius had sent you home with, the legal NDA was rather easy to read through and already signed, sitting safely on your bedside table for your next meeting.

You were having a harder time with the second document; one that you were supposed to replicate for him.

‘About Me’ it read. And it was - about Sirius, that is. Everything that a long-term girlfriend soon-to-be fiance hopefully one day wife should know.

His favourite colour is black, but there was someone else's font beside it that read “this doesn’t count, Sirius”, to which what you could only assume was Sirius’ scrawl wrote “bloody hell, fine, blue then.” His birthday is November 3rd. He’s a dog person, but Remus likes cats so he thinks he’ll likely have to cave one day and get him a cat. That note made you smile. He wanted to study art history (someone wrote the word ‘nerd’ beside that) but his parents didn’t approve, so he studied architectural design instead. He listed the Godfather as his favourite movie, but when someone wrote ‘liar’ he wrote ‘FINE. It's the 1999 made for TV version of Annie with Kathy Bates’. He’s afraid of spiders, he drinks both his coffee and tea sickly sweet - his favourite drink being a salted caramel latte, he played rugby with James growing up but quit when he decided he didn’t actually like being beaten about for sport. He left out the ‘when I was already being beaten about at home’, but you read it for what it was anyway. He can play piano but hates it, he can play the guitar less well but loves it. He’s littered in tattoos, most can be hidden under dress shirts and such, but there’s one that trails just a little too high up on his neck and a few on his hands. His favourite meal is Remus’ mum’s shepherd's pie, but the Ritz room service always made a really good baked mac and cheese.

You snorted as you threw your head back against the railing behind you - your bum growing numb from sitting on the wrought-iron bars of the fire escape - at the thought of Sirius Black sitting in a premium suite in one of the world’s poshest hotels and ordering macaroni and cheese to his room from a michelin star restaurant.

What the fuck have I gotten myself into? You wondered wryly as you stood and forced the jammed window to your bedroom back open and crawled through.

Sirius had offered to pick you up, but you had insisted you would meet him at the mall. Well, actually, Sirius had first offered to transfer you some money to buy a cocktail dress for dinner at his Uncle Alphard’s tomorrow night, but when you’d gone so quiet on the phone that Sirius actually pulled it away from his face to ensure the two of you were still connected, he’d offered to take you instead.

The dinner at Alphard’s would be a good segway into the Black family nonsense; Alphard’s house would be neutral territory, his parents and other aunts and uncles would be there, but it wouldn’t be their domain. And there would also be Andromeda, her husband Ted, and of course Uncle Alphard to act as buffers.

But that’s not what had Sirius feeling so uncharacteristically nervous right now. He felt silly, sitting here at the Starbucks with sweaty hands as he considered buying a second latte.

Yeah, he thought wryly, that’s exactly what you need - more caffeine, as if you aren’t already shaky enough.

Sirius hadn’t felt this anxious since he’d asked Remus out on an actual date back in school. He supposed in many ways, this was a first date of sorts. A first date with the woman who was going to help him bring down his family and all the hate they stood for, with the woman who was going to be accompanying him to events with some of the worst people he knew, the woman who he was going to propose to, who he’d have to bloody marry at some point; blimey what did he get himself into?

Thankfully you chose that moment to show up, saving Sirius from any further spiralling as he stood so quickly that he almost knocked the small bistro table clean over.

“Hullo! Fuckin’ hell. Hi!” He stuttered awkwardly as he caught the table and righted his nearly finished coffee.

“Hi.” You murmured softly with a matching smile.

“Hi.” Sirius said again, wiping his hands on his trousers and smiling back at you.

“Hi.” You repeated; smile growing into a cheekier smirk as you watched him botch this.

“Great, awesome.” Sirius said with a smile. “You’re laughing at me.”

“I’m not laughing at you.” You laughed.

“Oh, and now you’re lying to me.”

You shook your head and looked down at your feet. Sirius wasn’t quite sure what he was expecting when he hired an escort, but he found he was surprised by how plain a lot of your wardrobe seemed to be. Granted he had only met you twice, but from those two times it had become clear to him that when you weren’t working, you preferred to be nondescript. Classic tees, shirts, and blouses, and denim or, in today’s case, corduroys; you looked vintage and casual, put together in a way without looking like you tried too hard. Though, once again, you were only as nondescript as any pretty woman could be, and he was sure that anyone even remotely attracted to women would absolutely spare you a second glance - corduroys or otherwise.

But he couldn’t help but admit - at least to himself - that he was a little bit excited at the prospect of getting to dress you up.

“Are you- do you want a drink?” Sirius asked as he gestured towards the Starbucks behind him, nearly taking out an errant shopper with his hand causing him to have to call out a hasty apology.

“Oh, uhm, no, no. I’m good, thank you though.” You declined quickly as you hiked your purse further up on your shoulder, though you were eyeing the store with intrigue.

Ah, Sirius thought to himself, allergic to spending money - I know a thing or two about your type.

“Listen, gorgeous, we’re going to be spending a lot of money today, so you’d be better to start with something small to ease yourself into it.” He quipped.

He’d been going for light and breezy - even shooting you a cheeky wink - but you seemed to blanche at that.

“I’m… I don’t have much on me, Sirius…” You started, and Sirius fought the urge to wince at his faux pas.

“My money, doll; we’re going to be spending a lot of my money.”

“I-”

“It’s number six.”

You turned away from the coffee shop to look at him in bemusement. “What?”

“Number six, how you take your tea and coffee; your favourite drink.” He explained. “Mine’s a salted caramel latte. What’s yours?”

You took a deep breath as you searched his eyes for a few moments before turning back towards the drink menu. “Are you getting something?”

“I was considering getting a second.” Sirius allowed as he nodded towards his forgotten cup.

“I’ll get it, then.” You offered, and made your way into the shop before Sirius could even respond, returning a few moments later with a salted caramel latte for Sirius and some kind of sweet looking cold brew for yourself.

“Thank you.” He offered as he accepted the drink from your grasp; your name scrawled prettily on the side of the cup.

“Don’t mention it.” You whispered back as you took a sip of your own.

*ೃ༄.ೃ࿐

“What about this one?” Sirius asked for what had to have been the thirteenth time in this store alone as he held up a garment for you to consider.

You barely spared the dress a half a glance before you were reaching to the sleeve - not coincidentally where the price tag was.

“Would you stop checking the price?” He hissed as he gently swatted your hand away. “Do you like this dress?”

You made a helpless sound in the back of your throat as you looked between him and the dress again. “I don’t know, Sirius, I- it’s not something I’d ever buy for myself.”

Sirius sighed as he returned the dress to the rack and gave you a Look™. “I do not mean any offence, doll, but I think that’s sort of the point.” He offered softly.

You groaned miserably and cradled your face in your hands. “I’m sorry - I’m being terribly difficult.”

“You’re not being terribly difficult.” Sirius appeased, waiting for you to peek at him through your fingers. “Only mildly.”

You groaned again but allowed your hands to fall away from your face to land on your hips as you considered the rack in front of you. Your bottom lip dimpled as if you were chewing on the inside of your lip as you turned to a rack behind you that the two of you (read: Sirius) had been looking through moments ago and sifted through it again.

“That would be a nice colour on you.” He offered as you paused on a dress. You kept your face pointed towards the dress but looked up at him through your eyelashes before pulling the dress out and holding it up against him.

“Now, I don’t know what you think you know about my family, but generally, I save my dress wearing for when I’m in the privacy of my own home or at a very specific bar.”

Sirius watched as your nose crinkled before you were dropping the garment and lowering your chin to your chest in an attempt to hide your snickering; Sirius momentarily wished you wouldn’t.

“I didn’t mean for you,” you chided through a giggle as you held the dress back up against him; he didn’t argue this time, “I was checking to see if the colour looks good on you as well.”

Sirius found his cheeks flaming hot as the question ‘and does it?’ settled on the tip of his tongue. But, like the fucking prat he is, all he managed to spit out was “of course it does, I look good in everything.”

You rolled your eyes good naturedly and muttered something that sounded an awful lot like ‘git’ under your breath before nodding once. “I think I’ll get this one, then.”

“Great job.” He said as he swiped the dress from you and folded it over his arm. “Now pick three more and then we can head to the next store.”

“Thre- next store? Sirius, I-”

“I told you we were spending a lot of money today, Y/N, I meant it.” He said simply as he encouraged you forward by the small of your back. You sounded as though you were going to say something but acquiesced when he patted your hip twice before pulling his hand away from you.

“You don’t wear a lot of colour, I’ve noticed.” Sirius offered, swinging the bags he was carrying casually in his hands as the two of you slowly made your way through the mall after purchasing shoes ‘to go with the dresses, doll’ and even some sodding bags ‘think of it as an investment, gorgeous; you’re an employee, and working for me comes with a uniform. I’m providing you with a uniform’.

You looked at him sideways as you continued walking, trying to ignore the feeling of everyone doing double takes to see a girl looking so plain with designer bags in her hands and a certified adonis by her side. If he hadn’t told you his favourite colour was black, you would have guessed as much just from the sheer amount of it he wore. But whereas you wore a fair amount of black in an attempt to disappear - to blend in - he seemed to do it to make his own statement; it stood out in stark contrast against his fair skin, and depending on what he was wearing, complimented his many (visible) tattoos nicely. It also left his eyes - a grey blue - appearing that much more brilliantly bright and striking.

All this to say, he wasn’t one to talk.

“No…” You allowed. “Neither do you, though.”

“Touche.” He offered you with a wink - or, what you were sure was a wink - behind his sunglasses as the window-pane roof let in an unusual amount of sunlight for this time of year in the UK. “Why don’t you, though?”

You sighed as you stepped onto the escalator going down and redistributed your bags in your hands instead of answering right away. “I get looked at more than I’d like to already.” You admitted quietly. “I… I get enough attention, I don’t need to garner any more.”

You weren’t looking at Sirius but you could feel his gaze on you before he nodded his head in your periphery. “I get that, I think. Growing up in a political family came with a lot of attention. Then being the runaway, then playing the poster child again.”

You hummed an acknowledgement. “You seem to lean into it, though?” You hadn’t meant it to be offensive, but when Sirius’ mouth opened in a disbelieving laugh, your stomach dropped. “Not- no, I’m- that’s not what I-”

“Relax, babe. I get it.” He waved you off as the two of you stepped off the escalator. “It’s true; I always sort of figured, they’re looking at me anyways, you know? Might as well give them something to talk about.”

The two of you fell into a comfortable silence after that, only breaking it to apologise when one of you brushed against the other with one of the many bags adorning your hands.

“Where’d you park?” Sirius asked as the two of you stepped out into the daylight. Fuck, you hadn’t thought this through.

You were expecting to shop for maybe one dress for tomorrow’s dinner, and you were planning to shove the garment into your purse for the train ride back home. There was simply no way you could manage public transport with this many bags, and the chances of you being mugged on your way increased significantly for every designer bag you had.

You wondered if the clothes would even be safe in your flat at all, knowing the only locks that you trusted were the chain bolted to the front door that you installed yourself, and the piece of wood you jammed in your window at the fire escape so no one could open it from the outside.

“Y/N?”

“No. Uhm, sorry.” You started, looking towards Sirius but not necessarily at him. “Actually, I’m- well, do you think I could keep them at your place? I…I don’t- I don’t necessarily want my neighbours knowing I have this kind of stuff in my flat.”

Sirius’ eyes softened and you felt a little guilty at the half truth, but soldiered on. “I’d just hate to come home from work one day to find it all missing, you know?” You tried to joke.

You swore Sirius’ mouth pinched slightly before he schooled his expression and redistributed the bags he was currently holding into one hand and held out his free one to take yours.

“Oh! I could help-”

“That’s alright, doll, I’ve got it.” He said as he relinquished your bags from you. “Tomorrow, then? I assume you’ll be getting ready at my place? Do you want a ride?”

“No! No, that’s alright, I’ll meet you there if you just want to send me your address.”

The two of you said goodbye and you watched Sirius walk through the car park until he disappeared behind a row of vehicles, and you stepped back into the mall to wait for the next train that didn’t come for another 45 minutes.

Sirius let out a breath as he closed the door to his and Remus’ townhouse behind him; the sounds of the London streets melting away to the odd honk or occasional car door closing as he began searching their home.

He needn’t search long, however, finding Remus exactly where he knew he would be.

”Did’ya have a good day?” Remus asked without looking up from the potatoes he was peeling, though he did turn his face slightly to reciprocate the kiss Sirius pressed to his cheek.

“Yeah, not bad.” Sirius agreed in an exhale as he disposed of the many shopping bags onto the kitchen island.

Remus opened his mouth as he turned - no doubt about to scold Sirius for messing up his clean kitchen - when his face pinched in confusion.

”I thought you were going shopping for Y/N?”

“We did.”

”Sirius!”

”Remus.” Sirius shot back as he made himself comfortable on one of the high stools.

”You’re going to scare her away.” Remus muttered as he washed and dried his hands before coming over to peek inside of the bags, pulling the documents you had returned to Sirius out of one of them.

“She was much more tolerable than you were when I first took you shopping.”

Remus shot him an unimpressed glare though he didn’t bother gracing him with a response as he leaned back against the counter and flipped through the pages in his hands. “Why didn’t she take any of this with her?” He asked as he motioned to the bags now littering his kitchen island.

Sirius felt his own mouth pinch in displeasure as he recounted your reasoning. “She said she was worried her neighbours would see - didn’t want anyone to know she had anything of value in her flat.”

Remus made a sympathetic hum as Sirius pondered what it was exactly about that sentiment that left such a bad taste in his mouth.

“Sounds like my flat back on 31st.”

Sirius groaned at the memory of Remus’ flat he had back in university. Sirius had spent the first eight months of his and Remus’ relationship begging him to move in with him and James; he’d already spent most nights there in Sirius’ bed anyways! But Remus was proud and argued with Sirius when he said as much.

”I hated when you lived there.” He grumbled, and Sirius pretended not to notice Remus’ eyebrow lift as he considered him.

“Yeah?” He asked as he turned back towards his potatoes with a muted grin. “So did I.”

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estellan0vella · 29 days ago

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More Than Enough Time: L. Mh Lee Minho x fem!reader (College AU)

WC: 11.6K

CW: Anxiety, Menace Jisung, Secret Simp Minho

General Masterlist SKZ Masterlist Part II

The room is alive with the sound of clinking glasses, murmured conversations, and the occasional burst of laughter that slices through the warm air of the grand banquet hall. The dim, golden glow of chandeliers drips overhead, casting a soft light across the elegantly dressed guests.

You sit at the round table, nervously smoothing your hands over the silk of your champagne-coloured gown. Every so often, your fingers toy with the sapphire-encrusted hairpin holding your hair in place, a gift from your grandmother. It's more than a piece of jewellery; it's a talisman tonight, something to cling to.

Beside you, Jisung, your best friend, fidgets in his seat, drumming his fingers on the table. He's dressed in a sleek black suit that contrasts nicely with his hair, but despite the confident exterior, you know he's just as anxious as you are. But for once, it feels like your nerves are trying to outdo his.

"Fuck, why did I agree to this?" Jisung mutters under his breath, glancing at you with wide eyes. "I swear to God, Y/N, if I have to stand up there and give a speech, I might just throw up all over the stage."

You force a chuckle, though it feels weak in your throat. "Join the club. I feel like my stomach's doing backflips. What if I trip in these shoes? What if I can't say anything at all and I just stand there like a fucking idiot?"

Jisung snorts, giving you a sympathetic look. "We're both fucked."

Across from you, Bang Chan, the Alpha Phi fraternity president, leans back in his chair, sipping on a glass of whiskey. His black hair is slicked back, giving him a polished, suave look that almost distracts from the fact that he's one of the rowdiest guys you know. He gives you both a grin that's way too confident for your liking.

"Relax," Chan says. "You guys are gonna crush it. You wrote that article like badasses, now just get up there and take the damn award."

Jisung glares at him. "Easy for you to say, Mr. Football Star. You literally thrive on people staring at you."

"Exactly," Chan grins wider. "Which is why you should listen to me."

You shift in your seat, glancing around the table. You're surrounded by Alpha Phi members tonight, all of whom seem a lot more comfortable in their skin than you feel in yours.

Hyunjin sits next to Chan, looking ridiculously perfect as always. His long black hair falls just past his shoulders, and he's tapping his fingers rhythmically on the table while staring off into the distance. He's receiving an award tonight too, for something in the arts, and though he looks calm, you can see his jaw clenching every few seconds.

"Stop staring at the program," Hyunjin mutters to you without even glancing your way. "It's not gonna change."

You blink, realizing that you've been staring at the folded piece of paper in front of you, the one listing all the awards for the night. Yours and Jisung's, The Innovative Journalism Award, is still about fifteen minutes away, and the waiting is fucking killing you.

"Fuck," you whisper under your breath, more to yourself than anyone else.

Felix, sitting on the other side of Jisung, notices your stress. He gives you a soft, warm smile, his freckles standing out against his fair skin. "You'll do fine, Y/N. We all believe in you."

"Yeah," Jeongin chimes in from the end of the table. His hair falls slightly into his eyes as he leans forward, resting his chin in his hand. He's getting an award too, something for fashion design. "We all know you're the smartest one here, so just relax, okay?"

You nod, but the knot in your stomach refuses to untangle. It's not just about the award. Sure, winning an award for the article you and Jisung wrote, a deep dive into the theory that Jack the Ripper might have been a woman, is huge.

It's the culmination of months of research, late nights, and too many cups of coffee. But the idea of standing in front of a room full of people, having all eyes on you, waiting for you to say something intelligent... it's suffocating.

Minho, who's been quiet up until now, finally speaks. He's seated directly across from you, his deep cherry red hair gleaming under the soft light of the chandeliers. "You'll be fine," he says simply, his voice calm and steady. "Just breathe."

You meet his gaze for a second longer than you intend to, feeling the weight of his words. Minho is always like this. Quietly confident, never too loud or overbearing. He's the type who can make you feel like everything's going to be okay, even when you're pretty fucking sure it's not.

"You make it sound so easy," you mutter, breaking the eye contact and taking a quick sip of your drink, trying to focus on something else. Anything else.

Hyunjin shifts beside you, his gaze flickering to the stage. "It's easy for Minho because he's never nervous. Must be nice to be so fucking chill all the time."

Minho shrugs, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly in a half-smile. "Just a talent, I guess."

Jisung rolls his eyes. "Well, share some of that talent with us because I feel like I'm about to shit myself."

There's a round of laughter at the table, but you can't join in. The knot in your stomach tightens as the minutes tick by. Your hands, now resting on the table, feel clammy. The silk of your gown is suddenly too heavy, clinging to your skin in a way that makes you feel trapped. You know no one else can hear your heart pounding, but it feels deafening in your own ears.

You glance at the stage again, watching as the current award is being presented to some group for their contributions to environmental science. You're not even paying attention to the speech, just counting down the minutes, waiting for your turn. You can feel it creeping up on you. The anxiety. The tightness in your chest, the shallow breaths, the overwhelming need to get the fuck out of this room.

Suddenly, it's too much. The noise, the lights, the heat. You need air. Now.

"I—uh—I need to use the restroom," you stammer, pushing your chair back.

Jisung glances at you, concern flashing in his eyes, but he nods. "You good?"

You nod quickly, too quickly. "Yeah. Just nerves."

Before anyone can stop you, you're on your feet, weaving through the tables and out of the banquet hall. The moment you step into the hallway, the cool air hits your skin, and it's a relief, but only for a second. Your heels click against the marble floor as you make your way down the corridor, your breath coming in shallow gasps now.

You find a small side room and slip inside, closing the door behind you. The silence is almost jarring after the noise of the banquet hall, but you're grateful for it. You lean against the door, pressing one hand to your stomach and the other to your forehead. The room feels like it's spinning, and you squeeze your eyes shut, trying to focus, trying to breathe.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," you whisper to yourself, feeling the panic rising in your chest.

You yank the sapphire hairpin out of your hair, letting your carefully pinned-up style fall apart, the soft strands brushing against your bare shoulders. The pin feels cold in your hand, a grounding sensation, but it's not enough to stop the wave of anxiety crashing over you.

Your stomach twists painfully, and you press harder against it, as if that will somehow make it stop. But it's not working. Nothing's working.

You lean over slightly, bracing yourself on your knees, trying to remember what the hell you're supposed to do in moments like this. Breathe. You're supposed to breathe. In through your nose, out through your mouth. Simple. Easy. Except it's not.

Back in the hall, the crowd shifts with anticipation as the MC steps up to the podium, smiling widely at the gathered guests.

"And now, the recipients of this year's Innovative Journalism Award. For their brilliant work on the investigative article delving into the theory that Jack the Ripper may have been a woman, please welcome Han Jisung and Y/N L/N!"

There's a pause. Jisung's heart nearly jumps out of his chest as he hears your name. He looks over to the seat you left empty minutes ago, feeling the weight of everyone's eyes turning to him.

"Fuck," Jisung mutters under his breath, pushing his chair back and standing up.

The nerves that were already gnawing at him double in intensity. His best friend isn't there to share the load, and now, he's completely on the spot. He glances over at Minho, who's been silently watching him.

Minho, though still seated, leans over slightly. "Where the hell is Y/N?"

Jisung runs a hand through his hair, his heart racing. "She, uh... she went to the restroom or something. She's been freaking out all night. I think she might be having one of her moments, man."

Minho's expression darkens slightly with concern, and he pushes his chair back. "I'll go find her."

"Wait, wait," Jisung hisses, grabbing Minho's wrist as he's about to stand. "What the fuck do I say to them up there?"

Minho glances toward the stage where the MC is starting to look a little confused, waiting for someone to approach. "Make up some bullshit. Tell them she had to take a phone call or something, just so they don't start asking too many fucking questions."

Jisung frowns, his anxiety doubling. "Dude, I can't do this shit on my own."

Minho's eyes soften for a second, something almost rare to see from him. "I know. But you've got this. Just give her the credit she deserves, take the award, and make sure someone films it so she can see it later. Chan will do that. I'll make sure she's okay."

Jisung clenches his fists for a moment, feeling the pressure crushing him. The thought of going up there alone, without you, makes him feel like he's about to pass out. But when he looks into Minho's eyes, he knows he's right. You're the priority right now.

"Alright," Jisung says finally, his voice tight with nerves. "Just... just make sure Y/N's okay, alright? You know how she gets with this kind of shit."

"I'll handle it," Minho nods, his voice low but firm. He claps Jisung on the shoulder. "Now go get the fucking award."

Jisung exhales sharply, watching as Minho slips away from the table, moving swiftly through the hall. He takes a deep breath, feeling the weight of what he has to do next.

"Chan," Jisung mutters to his friend, who is still seated at the table, looking between him and the stage.

"Yeah?"

"Film this for Y/N, alright? Minho's going to find her."

Chan raises an eyebrow but nods, pulling out his phone without a word. Jisung swallows down the rising panic and heads toward the stage, his steps feeling heavy as the crowd watches him.

Minho doesn't waste time as he leaves the banquet hall, moving swiftly down the corridor. His steps echo softly in the quiet hallway, the muffled sounds of the award ceremony still filtering through the door behind him.

He's seen you spiral like this before, and his heart tightens in his chest. You're tough as hell most of the time, but when the anxiety hits, it hits hard. Minho knows that look in your eyes all too well. The panic, the overwhelming urge to escape. He's watched you, time and again, try to fight it, to shove it down, but sometimes, it's just too much.

You're not the type to cry during these moments; that's not how your panic works. Instead, you go silent, withdraw, pull yourself in so tight that it's like you're trying to disappear. Minho's learned to recognize the signs, the little tells. Like how you start fidgeting with your hair or that sapphire hairpin you always wear when you're stressed. The one that belonged to your grandmother. It's your good luck charm, though tonight it seems like it's doing little to stave off the rising storm inside you.

As Minho searches for you, he opens door after door, moving quickly but not frantically. His mind stays focused, methodical. He doesn't need to be panicked; that won't help you. He knows you well enough to know where you'd go in moments like this. Somewhere quiet, somewhere empty.

Finally, he reaches a small room at the end of the hallway, and when he pushes the door open, he sees you.

You're pacing back and forth, your gown swishing gently as you move. One hand is pressed to your forehead, the other to your stomach, like you're trying to physically hold yourself together. Your breathing is shallow, quick, and your eyes are wide with that familiar look of dread.

Minho's heart breaks a little as he watches you. You look so vulnerable, so unlike the confident woman you usually are. Yet, at the same time, there's something undeniably beautiful about you, even now. Even in the middle of your anxiety, you manage to carry a grace that makes his chest tighten for entirely different reasons. But now's not the time for that.

He steps into the doorway and knocks gently on the frame. "Hey, sweetheart," he says softly, using the nickname he's reserved just for you.

You look up, startled at first, but then you see it's Minho. A small, shaky breath leaves your lips. "Hey, Minho," you murmur, your voice quieter than usual.

Minho takes a few steps into the room, closing the door behind him, sealing off the rest of the world. "You doing alright?" he asks, though he already knows the answer.

"Yeah... I'm fine," you lie, but the strain in your voice gives you away. "I just... I don't want to go up there."

He nods, stepping closer to you, not crowding your space but just enough to make sure you know he's there. "I know," he says quietly.

He reaches out, gently placing his hand on the back of your neck, his fingers lightly brushing the soft skin there. His thumb traces over your pulse point, and he can feel how fast your heart is racing.

"It's okay. Jisung's up there right now, telling them you had to step out for an important phone call. No one's gonna make a big deal about it."

You blink at him, processing his words. "He did?"

"Yeah," Minho confirms, his voice soothing. "Chan's filming it too, so you'll still get to see the moment you're credited for the work. Don't worry about it. You don't need to put yourself through that shit."

You let out a small breath, your shoulders sagging with relief. The pressure in your chest eases slightly, though the tightness in your stomach remains. Minho's thumb continues its gentle rhythm on your neck, grounding you, pulling you back to the present.

Suddenly, Minho pulls you into a hug. His arms wrap around you, firm but gentle, and he presses his cheek against yours. The warmth of his body, the solidness of his embrace, catches you off guard for a second, but then you relax into him. He smells like something warm and comforting, and you breathe it in, your arms coming up to grip his shoulders as you rest your head against his.

He holds you tightly, his cheek still pressed against yours, and rocks you slightly, back and forth. It's the same thing he does for Jisung when he's panicking, the pressure of the hug helping to suppress the nervous system, calming everything down.

Minho doesn't say anything for a while, just keeps holding you, his cheek brushing yours, his thumb still moving gently on the back of your neck. His breathing is calm, steady, and before long, you find your own breathing starting to match his.

The scent of your mango and passionfruit body spray lingers in the air, and Minho can't help but smile a little to himself. He's always adored that scent on you. It's light and sweet, just like you, and being this close to you, holding you like this, it makes his heart pound in his chest. But he pushes those feelings aside. Right now, it's about you, not him.

"You're crashing with Jisung at the frat tonight, right?" Minho asks after a moment, his voice low and calm.

You nod against him. "Yeah, that was the plan."

Minho pulls back just enough to look at you, his hands still resting on your shoulders. "Let's get you back then. Fuck these fancy assholes. You earned your award, you don't need to torture yourself by staying here. Take those torture devices off your feet, too. They're not doing you any favours."

You glance down at your stilettos, your brows furrowing. "I should've worn wedges. I hate these fucking shoes."

Minho chuckles softly, shaking his head. He crouches down in front of you, his fingers already working on the small buckles of your stilettos. "Next time, wear the wedges. I know you prefer them."

You watch as he carefully unbuckles your shoes, slipping them off your feet one at a time. His movements are gentle, and something about the simple act of him helping you out of your heels brings another wave of calm. He stands back up, holding your shoes in one hand, giving you a small smirk. "Better?"

"Yeah," you murmur, wiggling your toes against the cool floor. "Better."

Minho slips his suit jacket off and hands it to you. "Here, put this on. It'll help with the cold when we head back."

You take the jacket, pulling it over your shoulders. It's too big, but the weight of it is comforting, and the scent of his cologne clings to the fabric, making you feel a little more secure.

Before you can say anything else, Minho pulls out his phone and quickly dials a number. He holds the phone up to his ear, waiting for the other line to pick up.

"Yo, Felix," he says when the call connects. "I'm taking Y/N back to the frat. She's okay, but she needs to get out of here. You guys good?"

There's a muffled response on the other end of the line, and Minho nods. "Cool. Tell Jisung I found her, and we'll meet you all back at the house later." Another pause and Minho chuckles softly. "Yeah, I know you were planning on ditching after Hyunjin and Jeongin get their awards. We'll see you guys then."

He hangs up the phone and tucks it back into his pocket, turning his attention back to you. "Alright, let's get the hell out of here."

Without waiting for you to argue, Minho crouches down, turning his back toward you. "Get on."

You blink in surprise. "What?"

"Get on," he repeats, glancing over his shoulder at you. "I'm giving you a piggyback. Your feet are gonna hurt like hell if you walk back barefoot."

You hesitate for a second, feeling a little self-conscious, but the look in Minho's eyes is so earnest, so full of quiet understanding, that you don't argue. You slip your arms around his neck, and he hooks his hands under your thighs, lifting you up with ease. The weight of the world seems to fall away as you rest your chin on his shoulder, your arms wrapped loosely around him.

As he starts walking, you close your eyes for a moment, letting the cool night air hit your face as you exit the building. The campus is quiet at this time of night, only the sound of Minho's footsteps echoing softly on the pavement.

"Feel better?" he asks after a few moments, his voice soft.

"Yeah," you whisper, resting your head against his shoulder. "Thank you, Minho. I just... I couldn't handle it in there."

"I know," he replies gently. "And that's fine. There's no point in torturing yourself for an award you already earned. You don't need to prove anything to anyone."

You nod against him, feeling a little lighter with every step. The anxiety that had been clawing at your chest earlier is slowly dissipating, and you can focus on the steady rhythm of Minho's breathing, the warmth of his back against your chest. He carries you across campus with ease, his hands never faltering as he supports you.

"You know," Minho says after a while, his voice cutting through the quiet, "next time you feel like this, don't wait until it gets so bad, alright? Just grab me, or Jisung, or any of us. We've got you."

You smile slightly, your fingers curling a little tighter around his shoulders. "I'll try."

"You better," he says, a teasing note in his voice, though there's still that underlying sincerity that makes your heart warm. "Because if I have to chase you down in the middle of every fancy event, I'm gonna start charging you for these piggyback rides."

You laugh softly, the sound feeling good in your chest. "Deal. I'll make sure to pay you in pizza."

"Now we're talking."

The rest of the walk is quiet, comfortable. You can feel the weight of the night lifting off your shoulders as you approach the Alpha Phi house. By the time you reach the front door, you feel almost like yourself again, thanks to Minho and his steady presence.

When he finally sets you down in front of the house, he gives you a small smile. "See? Not so bad, right?"

You nod, smiling back at him, feeling more grateful than you can express. "Not so bad at all."

Minho grins at you as he unlocks the door to the Alpha Phi house, holding it open for you to step inside. The familiar warmth of the frat house surrounds you, a stark contrast to the cold, fancy banquet hall you'd just escaped from. The moment you cross the threshold, some of the leftover tension in your body melts away.

"Come on," Minho says, his voice low and relaxed, the same voice that had been grounding you since he found you spiralling. "Let's get you something to drink."

You follow him down the hall toward the kitchen, the soft glow of the house's lights making the space feel cosy, almost like home. The tension from the evening still clings to you a little, but Minho's presence beside you is like a steady anchor, keeping you from drifting back into panic.

When you enter the kitchen, Minho heads straight for the fridge, glancing over his shoulder at you. "What's your poison tonight? You look like you could use something strong."

You laugh softly, settling onto one of the barstools at the island, adjusting your floor-length gown so it drapes neatly around you. "Surprise me."

Minho pulls out a bottle of pineapple juice and a bottle of vodka from the fridge, giving you a wink before he grabs a couple of glasses from the cupboard. He makes quick work of mixing your drink, pouring a generous amount of vodka into the glass before topping it off with juice.

He slides your drink across the counter, the clink of the glass against the marble catching your attention. "Vodka pineapple for the lady," he says, raising his own glass. "And a double JD for me because, fuck, we've earned it."

You chuckle, taking the glass and sipping it. The sweetness of the pineapple juice mixed with the vodka goes down smoothly, and you feel some of the remaining tension in your chest loosen. Minho takes a sip of his own drink, watching you with a soft smile.

"You know," he says after a moment, leaning against the counter, "if it helps at all, you were definitely the most beautiful girl in attendance tonight."

You feel heat rise to your cheeks at his words, and you can't help but smile. "You're full of shit, Minho."

"I'm serious," he insists, his eyes twinkling with amusement but also sincerity. "The moment you walked into the hall in that dress, I'm pretty sure every guy there forgot why the fuck they were even attending. It was all eyes on you."

You shake your head, sipping your drink again to hide the fact that his words make you feel more flustered than you care to admit. "Well, I'm not so sure about that, but thanks."

Minho smirks, taking another sip of his drink before his gaze softens again. "It was also pretty fucking sweet how Jisung's pocket square and tie matched your dress."

You grin, finally letting out a genuine laugh at that. "Yeah, he insisted. Said best friends and co-journalists have to match, so everyone knows we're the shit."

Minho chuckles, shaking his head in that fond, almost exasperated way he always does when he talks about Jisung. "Of course he did."

You're about to take another sip of your drink when you suddenly remember something, and your smile falters. "Shit... I forgot my hairpin in the room."

Minho doesn't hesitate. "Don't worry about it. I'll text Chan, and he'll grab it for you before they leave."

You nod, a little relieved. "Thanks. I'd hate to lose it. It was my grandmother's."

Minho pulls out his phone, already typing a message to Chan. As he sends it, he leans against the counter again, taking another long sip of his drink. "So," he says, his voice casual, "to be completely honest, I was supposed to read your article, but I never got around to it. You know, being a veterinary science major kind of takes up all my fucking time."

He's lying, and you have no idea. Minho read that article the moment it was published, studied every word like it was the most important thing he'd ever laid eyes on.

He remembers the excitement in your voice when you first started talking about the project with Jisung, and he couldn't help but get curious. So, yeah, he read it, but he doesn't want to give that away. He wants you to light up and tell him about it yourself, to see the passion in your eyes as you explain your work.

Your face brightens at his interest, and you lean forward slightly, resting your elbow on the counter as you take another sip of your drink.

"Oh my God, you're missing out," you say, your voice already more animated. "Jisung and I have this theory that Jack the Ripper was actually a woman. A midwife, to be specific."

Minho raises an eyebrow, feigning curiosity. "A midwife? That's a hell of a theory. Go on."

You nod, excited now, the exhaustion from the evening momentarily forgotten. "Right? Think about it. A midwife would have had access to all the knowledge needed to perform those surgical cuts on the victims. And during that time, no one would've questioned a woman walking around in blood-covered clothes. She could've been out at all hours, and people would've just assumed she was delivering a baby or something."

Minho swirls the drink in his glass, watching you intently as you explain. "That actually makes a lot of fucking sense. Victorian sexism would've worked in her favour."

"Exactly!" you exclaim, your eyes lighting up. "Back then, no one would've suspected a woman. They were too focused on looking for some deranged man, and the police reports were all written from a male perspective. They overlooked so many possibilities simply because they didn't think a woman could be capable of something so gruesome."

Minho takes another sip of his drink, his gaze fixed on you. "That's pretty fucking brilliant. What about the eyewitness reports, though? There was at least one person who claimed to see a man near one of the crime scenes, right?"

You nod, already ready to dive into that part of the discussion. "Yeah, but Jisung and I argued that just because someone was in the area doesn't mean they were guilty. There are always people wandering around in cities, especially in a place like Whitechapel during that time. Plus, eyewitness testimony is notoriously unreliable, especially in the dark, in a chaotic place like that."

Minho's lips curl into a small smile as he watches you. You're practically glowing now, completely immersed in the subject matter. This is exactly why he brought it up.

Seeing you like this, seeing you so passionate, it's what he loves most about you. Though he'd never admit that out loud. He sets his glass down and leans in a little closer.

"So, basically," he says, keeping his tone light and teasing, "you're saying Jack the Ripper might've just been an extremely intelligent, sadistic woman who knew how to avoid suspicion by playing into society's sexist expectations."

"Exactly!" you say again, nodding enthusiastically. "It's just a theory, of course, but it fits so many of the facts. And honestly, it makes a lot more sense than half the other theories out there."

Minho chuckles, shaking his head. "I'm impressed. That's some seriously clever shit. I'm pissed I didn't read the article now."

You smirk, taking another sip of your drink. "Well, you can still read it. It's not going anywhere."

"I will," Minho says, though he already knows it word for word. "You and Jisung killed it."

Your smile softens at the compliment, and you feel that warmth in your chest again. The same one that always seems to appear when Minho says things like this. He has a way of making you feel proud of your work, of reminding you that you're capable, even when you don't always believe it yourself.

You glance down at your glass, twirling it in your hands. "Thanks, Minho. It means a lot, really. It was... it was a tough project, but we're both really proud of how it turned out."

"As you should be," he says, his voice soft but firm. "You've always been fucking brilliant. That's why it pisses me off when you get in your head about shit."

You laugh softly, though there's a note of vulnerability in your voice. "Yeah, well, getting in my head is kind of my speciality."

Minho's expression softens, and for a moment, the teasing drops. He steps around the island, standing in front of you as he leans on the counter, his hands resting on the marble surface.

"Listen," he says, his voice lower now, more serious. "I know tonight was rough, but don't let it get to you. You've already proven yourself, not just with the award, but with everything you've done. And you've got people who have your back, alright?"

You blink, a little surprised by the sudden shift in his tone. Minho's always been good at saying the right thing, but this feels different. You meet his gaze, and there's something there, something you can't quite place. It's intense but not overwhelming, grounding in a way that makes your chest feel warm.

"I... yeah," you murmur, your voice softer. "Thanks, Minho. Really."

He doesn't say anything for a moment, just holds your gaze, and then he breaks the moment with a small grin. "Now, how about we ditch this heavy shit and enjoy the rest of the night? We've got the whole house to ourselves for a bit."

You laugh, nodding. "Yeah, sounds like a plan."

Minho taps the counter. "I'll top up your drink."

The door to the Alpha Phi house swings open, and the sound of footsteps fills the hallway as the rest of the guys file in after the awards ceremony. You hear Jisung before you see him, his voice cutting through the noise with its usual mixture of excitement and concern.

"Y/N!"

The moment he spots you sitting calmly at the counter, his eyes soften with relief, but his feet don't slow down. He rushes over, crossing the room in a few long strides, and immediately starts fussing over you like a mother hen.

"Shit, are you okay? You should've texted me or something. I would've ditched and come with you."

You can't help but smile at the sight of him. Jisung's still wearing the matching pocket square and tie that he insisted on wearing to match your champagne-coloured gown, though his suit jacket is a little rumpled now from the event. His hair sticks up in odd directions, no doubt from running his fingers through it a thousand times since you left the hall. He looks stressed, but the sight is comforting in its familiarity. You let him fuss, knowing that this is just what he does. What you do for each other.

"I'm fine, Ji," you assure him, though your voice is soft. "Promise."

Jisung's eyes narrow slightly, his hands gently squeezing your shoulders as he bends down to wrap his arms around you from behind, resting his chin on top of your head. "No, you're not," he mumbles, his voice quieter now, almost like he's talking to himself. "It felt wrong up there without you. I fucking hated it."

You reach up and pat his arms, which are still wrapped around you, a small smile playing on your lips. "I'm sorry."

Jisung shakes his head, pressing his cheek to your hair. "No, I should've ditched with you. You know I hate leaving you alone when you're feeling like that. I shouldn't have left you with Minho, that stinky prick."

"Oi!" Minho's voice cuts in from across the kitchen, where he's leaning casually against the counter, drink in hand. He looks amused rather than offended, a teasing grin on his face. "Who do you think you're talking about, you cheeky fucker?"

You giggle at the exchange, and Jisung, ever the dramatic one, tightens his hold on you as if Minho's words have personally wounded him. "I'm talking about you, you smelly asshole," he says, sticking his tongue out at Minho while burying his face further into your hair, clearly unbothered by his friend's retort.

Minho rolls his eyes but says nothing else, instead taking another sip of his drink and shaking his head in mock disbelief. He watches the two of you with a small smile on his lips, though there's something else lingering in his eyes. Something softer, more careful. He doesn't push the banter further, choosing to stay quiet for now.

The door opens again, and Chan enters the kitchen, looking as polished as ever despite the long night. He's still got his suit jacket on, though it's clear he's ready to relax as he pulls out his phone, glancing around at the group.

"Oi, Y/N," he says, catching your attention. "You left something behind."

Chan reaches into his blazer pocket and pulls out your grandmother's sapphire-encrusted hairpin. Relief floods through you as you realize you'd completely forgotten about it being in a bubble of comfort with Minho. You reach out to take it, but before you can, Minho steps forward and gently takes it from Chan's hand.

"Here," Minho says softly, his voice lacking the usual teasing tone as he approaches you. "Let me."

Jisung watches the exchange with narrowed eyes, his arms still wrapped around you. He doesn't say anything, but you can feel the tension in the way his body stiffens slightly as Minho steps in closer.

Minho's touch is gentle as he slides the hairpin back into your hair, taking care to make sure it's secure. His fingers brush against your scalp, sending a soft shiver down your spine, but you ignore the feeling. When he's done, he gives you a small smile, his eyes lingering on yours for just a moment longer than usual.

"Perfect," Minho says softly, stepping back.

Before you can thank him, Jisung immediately shoos him away, his hands fluttering in the air as if to physically push Minho aside. "Alright, alright, back off, Romeo. I've got it from here."

Minho rolls his eyes again, but there's an amused smirk on his face as he steps back toward the counter, grabbing his drink. "You're so fucking possessive, Ji."

Jisung doesn't bother responding to that, instead wrapping his arms more securely around your shoulders as he glares at Minho's back. You don't miss the way Jisung's grip tightens slightly, though he's still careful not to make you uncomfortable. He's always been overprotective when it comes to you, but lately, it's been more intense. Especially when it comes to Minho.

"Chan, have we got anything to drink?" Hyunjin's voice cuts through the tension as he and Jeongin finally make their way into the kitchen, both of them looking ready to relax after the long night.

Chan nods, already pulling out glasses from the cupboard. "Yeah, yeah. What do you want? We've got plenty left from the last party."

As the group starts grabbing drinks and chatting amongst themselves, Minho silently pours you another drink, setting it in front of you with a small smile. You notice that he doesn't say anything, just gives you a look that says he's checking in without being too obvious about it.

Jisung, meanwhile, is still fussing over you, his arms around your shoulders like a security blanket. He doesn't let go, not even when you shift slightly in your seat to take a sip of your drink. He stays close, watching you with worried eyes as if he's waiting for you to show any sign of distress.

"Ji, I'm okay," you assure him again, though your voice is soft. "Really."

He huffs, not fully convinced. "Yeah, well, I'll be the judge of that."

Chan finishes pouring drinks for everyone and turns to the group with a grin, raising his glass. "Alright, before we get too fucked up, let's do a toast. To Jeongin and Hyunjin for their awards, and of course, to Y/N and Jisung for killing it with that award-winning article."

The group raises their glasses in agreement, and Minho tilts his glass toward you, a grin tugging at his lips. "Cheers to Y/N," he says softly, his eyes meeting yours.

You smile back at him, feeling the warmth of his gaze settle over you like a comforting blanket. It's moments like this, when he's not teasing or throwing sarcastic comments, that you feel a strange connection to him, something that you can't quite put your finger on. But before you can dwell on it, Jisung pulls you closer, pressing a quick kiss to the top of your head.

"To us," Jisung mutters, his voice soft in your ear. "But mostly to you."

You chuckle, clinking your glass against his. "To us."

The rest of the night passes in a blur of laughter, drinks, and the comfortable warmth of being around friends.

Eventually, Jisung drags you up the stairs, leading you through the dimly lit hallway toward his room. After the long, chaotic night of the awards ceremony, and the endless rounds of small talk and congratulations, this is the sanctuary you need. Being around Jisung, your best friend, feels like hitting reset on a night that left your emotions tangled.

"Come on, let's chill," he says as he pushes open his door. His room is just as messy as always. Clothes scattered on the floor, textbooks stacked haphazardly on his desk, and the faint glow of those stars you stuck to his ceiling two months ago.

You flop onto his bed beside him, both of you lying side by side, staring up at the ceiling. The stars glow faintly in the dark, their soft light casting a surreal calm over the room.

"Remember when you made me put these fucking stars up?" Jisung says, his voice half-teasing, half-nostalgic. "I thought they were gonna look stupid, but..."

"They're kind of nice, right?" you finish for him, smirking. "See? You should listen to me more often."

Jisung snorts. "Yeah, well, don't get used to it. This is like, a one-time thing."

The comfortable silence that follows is filled with the distant hum of voices from downstairs, but up here, it's just the two of you. It's moments like this, with Jisung, that you appreciate the ease of your friendship. There's no need to fill every second with conversation. Just being here, next to each other, is enough.

You close your eyes for a second, letting the tension from the night melt away. But then, Jisung, ever the one to break a peaceful moment with something unexpected, speaks up again.

"You know," he starts, and you immediately know there's something coming. His tone is a little too casual. "I was thinking... maybe I should set you up with Felix or Chan."

Your eyes snap open, turning your head toward him, caught completely off guard. "What?"

He's lying there next to you, staring up at the ceiling like he didn't just drop a bombshell on you.

"I'm serious," he continues, his voice still annoyingly nonchalant. "They both think you're amazing and beautiful. Felix especially, he's been crushing on you for ages."

You blink at him, unsure whether to laugh or be genuinely surprised. "Uh... I don't know, Ji. I mean, maybe, but I'd have to think about it."

Jisung shrugs, still staring at the ceiling like this is no big deal. "No pressure. I just think you and Felix could be really good together. He's sweet, thoughtful. Plus, he thinks you're like, Aphrodite-level beautiful."

You snort. "Aphrodite? Really?"

"I'm dead fucking serious," Jisung says, turning his head to look at you. "I've heard him talk about you. The dude practically melts when you're around."

You can't help but smile a little at the thought. Felix has always been a close friend, but you never really thought about him in that way. He's easy to talk to, kind, and funny in that understated way of his.

"I don't know," you say, rolling onto your back again, staring at the stars. "Felix is really sweet, but has he ever actually said anything? Like, to me?"

Jisung shakes his head, waving the question away like it's a minor detail. "No, but come on, he's shy. Attraction is the start, right? You two have good chemistry, and he's definitely into you."

You bite your lip, unsure of how to respond. You've always been close with Felix, and while the idea of a date with him doesn't sound bad, it feels unexpected. Like something you hadn't even considered before tonight.

"And Chan?" you ask, more to fill the silence than because you're seriously considering it.

Jisung shrugs again. "Chan's great too, but he's more focused on school and music right now. I think Felix is the better choice if you're looking for something real, you know?"

You can't help but laugh at how serious Jisung sounds. "Since when are you the expert on my love life?"

"Hey," he protests, sitting up on the bed and crossing his arms. "I'm your best friend. I know you better than anyone, and I know what's good for you."

You roll your eyes. "Right. Of course, you do."

"I'm just saying," Jisung continues, grinning now, "one date with Felix won't hurt. See where things go. If it works out, great. If not, no big deal."

You sigh, leaning back on your elbows. He's persistent, you'll give him that. But there's something about the way he's pushing this that makes you wonder if there's more to it than just wanting to set you up with Felix.

"Okay," you say finally, letting out a deep breath. "Fine. One date won't hurt."

Jisung beams at you, clearly pleased with himself. "Fuck yeah. I'll talk to him tomorrow and make sure everything's set for tomorrow night."

You raise an eyebrow, sitting up fully now. "Wait, tomorrow night? You're already planning this?"

"Yup," Jisung says, completely unbothered by your incredulity. "I'll talk to Felix in the morning. He's probably just waiting for an excuse to ask you out anyway."

"You're ridiculous, you know that?"

Jisung just grins, leaning back on his hands. "You love me."

You roll your eyes but smile despite yourself. "Yeah, yeah."

The room falls into another comfortable silence, the distant sounds of the guys downstairs still faintly audible. You stare up at the stars again, wondering what tomorrow will bring. Felix is sweet, and he's always been a good friend. Maybe this date could be something more.

But before you can think too much about it, Jisung speaks up again.

"Felix is seriously into you, you know," he says, his voice softer now. "He hasn't said it outright, but I can tell. You're the kind of person he'd fall hard for."

You glance over at Jisung, wondering where this sudden emotional shift is coming from. "You're really sure about this, huh?"

Jisung nods, his expression more serious now. "Yeah. I just want you to be with someone who sees how fucking amazing you are. And Felix is one of the few guys I know who would treat you the way you deserve."

There's something about the way he says it that makes your chest tighten. Jisung has always been protective of you, sometimes to the point of being overbearing, but it comes from a place of genuine care. You know he just wants the best for you.

"Okay," you say quietly, more to reassure him than anything else. "If you're that sure, I'll give it a shot."

Jisung breaks into a grin again, clearly relieved. "Good. Trust me, you won't regret it."

What neither of you knows is that Minho is standing just outside the door, his jaw clenched, fists curled at his sides. He's heard every word of the conversation, and it's taking everything in him to not burst into the room right now.

Minho knows exactly what Jisung is doing. He's pushing Felix toward you because he doesn't trust Minho. And it pisses him off more than he can even articulate. Jisung thinks Minho is going to break your heart, that he's just some player who doesn't care. But Jisung has no idea how hard Minho's fallen for you, how much he's been holding back because he's been waiting for the right moment to tell you.

And now, hearing Jisung practically set you up with Felix? It's infuriating.

Minho grits his teeth, leaning against the wall as he listens to your conversation. He could go in there, stop this whole thing, and tell you how he really feels. But he knows Jisung won't make that easy. Jisung will fight him every step of the way because he doesn't think Minho is good enough for you.

But Jisung is wrong. Minho knows he is.

He'll prove it. One way or another.

The restaurant is buzzing with the soft hum of conversations and the clinking of cutlery. You and Felix walk through the dimly lit space, a hostess guiding you to a table near the window. The atmosphere is intimate, maybe a little too intimate. The soft glow of the candles on the table reflects off the wine glasses, making the whole thing feel like the date Jisung had envisioned.

Except, it's not.

You tug at the edge of your black mid-thigh blazer dress, adjusting it slightly as you sit down, your thigh-high stiletto boots brushing against the leg of the chair. The sapphire-encrusted hairpin in your hair catches the light, just like the sapphire necklace resting against your collarbone.

Your grandmother's heirlooms feel like a protective layer tonight, a way to steady your nerves even though Felix has never been the type to make you feel anxious.

Felix slides into the seat across from you, and for a second, you take in his outfit: black slacks and a half-buttoned white shirt, his hands adorned with chunky silver rings. He looks good. And that, combined with the fact that you're both dressed like you're on the cover of a fashion magazine, only adds to the absurdity of the situation.

"Okay," Felix starts, his eyebrows raising as he takes a long look around the room. "This is fucking weird, right?"

You breathe out a laugh, feeling the tension melt slightly. "So fucking weird. What the fuck was Jisung thinking?"

Felix leans back, shaking his head. "I honestly don't know. He cornered me, said something about how I think you're beautiful, and then put two and two together and somehow got ten."

"He's been pushing this since last night. Something about how we'd be 'perfect' together. I guess he thought your opinion on my looks was enough for a love story."

Felix laughs, and the sound is warm and genuine. "Well, to be fair, I do think you're beautiful. I have eyes, don't I? But that doesn't mean I've been harbouring some secret crush on you."

"Thank God," you sigh, leaning back in your chair with relief. "So we can just treat this like a regular friends' dinner?"

Felix raises his glass of wine, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "To a friends' dinner."

You clink glasses, the soft ting sounding like an agreement between the two of you. Already, the night feels lighter. The weirdness of it all slowly dissipates as you both sip your wine and settle into familiar conversation.

"So," you say, gesturing around the restaurant, "if this is supposed to be a 'friends' dinner,' let's make the most of it. What's new with you? Still managing to ace all your classes while simultaneously being everyone's favourite stress baker?"

Felix grins, his eyes sparkling as he leans forward. "Of course. My cookies are keeping half the campus sane, honestly. The other half's still in denial."

You laugh, knowing all too well how Felix's baked goods have gained a sort of cult following around school. He's practically famous for them.

"Speaking of which," he continues, "I made those macadamia nut ones you like the other day. Jisung stole half of them before I could bring them over."

"Typical," you say, shaking your head. "I'll have to fight him for the rest. You know how much I love those."

The conversation flows naturally as you both dive into your usual back-and-forth. The wine loosens you up a bit, and soon enough, you're laughing loudly with Felix, completely relaxed. It feels like any other hangout, the weird pretence of a date"falling away.

The waiter comes by to check on you, refilling your wine glasses as you both finish the first bottle. Felix eyes the bottle in the waiter's hands, then glances at you, a mischievous smile spreading across his face.

"You know," he says, his voice lowering as if he's letting you in on some grand secret. "We could get a free bottle of wine right now."

You raise an eyebrow, intrigued. "Go on."

Felix grins like he's thought of the most brilliant plan. He slides one of the many rings off his fingers, stands up, and before you can even process what's happening, he gets down on one knee in front of you.

The people at nearby tables glance over, curious, but Felix ignores them, focusing entirely on you.

"Y/N," he says in an exaggeratedly serious voice, holding up the ring like it's some priceless artefact. "Will you make me the happiest guy in this restaurant and marry me?"

The wine has quelled any anxiety you might've felt earlier, so instead of feeling awkward, you decide to play along.

"Yes!" you exclaim dramatically, sticking out your hand for him to slide the ring onto your finger. "Of course, I'll marry you!"

The tables around you erupt into applause, people clapping and cheering as if they just witnessed the most romantic proposal of the century. Felix stands up, a smirk on his face, and the waiter, looking entirely caught up in the moment, hurries over to offer congratulations.

"Congrats!" the waiter says, looking genuinely excited. "Let me get you two a complimentary bottle of our finest wine to celebrate."

You barely hold back your laughter as the waiter rushes off. Felix slides back into his chair, grinning from ear to ear.

"I can't believe that worked," you say, shaking your head in disbelief.

Felix raises his glass again, this time with a proud look in his eyes. "To my fake fiancée and free wine."

You clink glasses again, still giggling as you drink to your ridiculous plan. Just when you think it couldn't get better, a couple from a nearby table leans over and says, "We've got your bill tonight. Congrats again!"

You and Felix exchange wide-eyed looks, barely managing to hold back more laughter. "Holy shit," Felix mutters under his breath. "We just hit the jackpot."

As you drink your newly acquired bottle of wine, the night only becomes more fun. The awkwardness that had hung over the evening at the start is long gone, replaced by pure enjoyment. You and Felix settle back into conversation as the restaurant continues to buzz around you.

"So," Felix says after a sip of wine, his gaze drifting toward the sapphire and diamond necklace around your neck. "Tell me about the heirlooms. That necklace and the pin. They've gotta be worth something, right?"

You nod, tracing the edge of your necklace absentmindedly. "Yeah, they are. My grandmother left them to me. She had a lot of money."

Felix leans forward, intrigued. "I had no idea. So, like, how much are we talking?"

You smile, not bothered by his curiosity. Felix has always been straightforward, and you appreciate that about him. "Well, she was a CEO. She raised me after my parents died, so I inherited pretty much everything. I've got shares in her company and in the other businesses she invested in."

Felix's eyes widen slightly. "So you're rich."

You shrug, sipping your wine. "I guess I am."

"Damn," Felix says, leaning back in his chair with a grin. "Jisung never mentioned that part."

You laugh softly. "Yeah, I don't go around announcing it. I'm not really the 'rich heiress' type, you know?"

Felix nods, understanding. "Makes sense. Still, that's kind of badass. You've got all this wealth and power, and you're still just you."

You smile, feeling the sincerity behind his words. "Thanks, Lix."

The conversation drifts after that, touching on light topics as you both finish the second bottle of wine. The restaurant is still bustling, but it feels like you and Felix are in your own little world, enjoying the absurdity of the evening.

After a while, Felix leans back in his chair, stretching his arms above his head. "You know why Jisung set us up, right?"

You raise an eyebrow, your mind still pleasantly buzzed from the wine. "Because he's an idiot who can't read people at all?"

Felix snorts, shaking his head. "Besides that."

You tilt your head, genuinely curious. "No, enlighten me."

Felix grins, but there's something knowing in his eyes. "Well, I'll let you figure that out for yourself. I won't ruin the fun."

You roll your eyes, playfully smacking his arm. "You're such a dick."

Felix just laughs, finishing the last of his wine before setting the glass down with a satisfied sigh. "Hey, I'm just saying, Jisung had his reasons. You'll figure it out eventually."

You shake your head, still smiling as you lean back in your chair. The night has been a whirlwind of laughter, fake proposals, and more wine than you expected. Whatever Jisung's reasons were, you're just glad the evening turned into something fun instead of the awkward mess it could have been.

Felix pulls the car up to your apartment complex, the quiet hum of the engine filling the comfortable silence between the two of you. . It had turned into a night you didn't expect, but somehow, it felt exactly right.

Felix glances at you as you unbuckle your seatbelt. "Well, that was fun."

You chuckle, shaking your head as you gather your bag and open the door. "So much fun. I don't know how we pulled that off."

Felix's grin is playful, his silver rings catching the dim light. "What can I say? We make a pretty good fake couple."

You laugh again, stepping out of the car and leaning back in through the open window. "Goodnight, Felix. Thanks for the... whatever that was."

Felix smirks. "It was an unforgettable friends' dinner. You know, one for the history books."

"Goodnight, Lix," you repeat, still grinning as you wave.

"Goodnight, Y/N," he replies, watching you head toward the building.

As you walk to your apartment, you feel lighter than you have in days. Felix always has that effect on you. He makes everything seem easier, less complicated. The night could've been weird and awkward, but it turned out to be exactly what you needed: fun, simple, and completely free of stress. Jisung's matchmaking might've been misguided, but at least it had resulted in a memorable night with one of your closest friends.

You unlock your door and step inside, immediately kicking off your boots with a sigh of relief. Your apartment is quiet, a stark contrast to the lively restaurant you just left. It feels good to be home, and you head straight to the kitchen, still feeling the buzz of the wine as you pour yourself another glass. The cool liquid slides down your throat, grounding you after such a surreal evening.

As you set the glass down on the counter, you reach up to take off your sapphire necklace, your fingers brushing against the cool metal. You remove the matching hairpin, carefully setting it down next to the necklace before turning your attention to the silver rings on your fingers. You begin slipping them off one by one, the rhythmic movement soothing after such an eventful night.

But then, there's a knock at your door.

You pause, glancing toward the front door with a furrowed brow. It's late, and you're not expecting anyone. Curiosity piqued, you set down the last of your rings and walk toward the door, glass of wine still in hand.

When you open it, you're greeted by a sight you weren't expecting: Minho, standing in the hallway, his expression unreadable, but there's something intense in his eyes.

"Minho?" you say, your voice a little surprised. "What are you doing here?"

He looks at you, his eyes scanning your face, then down to your lips. "Did you kiss him?"

You blink, confused. "What?"

Minho takes a step closer, his voice more insistent. "Did you kiss Felix?"

The question catches you off guard. You feel your heart skip a beat, and suddenly, you're not sure what to say. "No," you answer honestly, "I didn't kiss Felix."

Minho exhales sharply, like he's been holding his breath. "Okay... okay, good."

You raise an eyebrow, still confused by his sudden appearance and his line of questioning. "Minho, what the hell is this about? Why are you asking me about Felix?"

Minho meets your eyes, his gaze unwavering. "Because I still have a chance."

"A chance?" you repeat, feeling even more lost in this conversation. "What are you talking about?"

Minho runs a hand through his hair, clearly agitated, but not at you—more like at the situation. His voice softens when he speaks again, though there's still that intensity behind it. "I lied."

You tilt your head, frowning slightly. "What do you mean, you lied?"

Minho lets out a frustrated breath, looking almost embarrassed for a moment. "About your article. I said I didn't read it, remember? When we were in the kitchen last night, after the awards thing? I told you I didn't get around to reading it."

You nod slowly, still not sure where this is going. "Yeah...?"

"I lied," Minho says, meeting your gaze again. "I read it the second it was published. I've read it more than once, actually. Like an embarrassing amount of times. I said I hadn't read it because I saw how stressed you were about everything, and we were alone, and I knew if I asked you about it, you'd light up. And I wanted to be the one responsible for that."

You stare at him, the weight of his confession sinking in slowly. Minho, always so cocky and teasing, is suddenly standing in front of you, admitting that he'd lied just to see you happy. The realization hits you harder than you expected.

For a moment, you're at a loss for words. "Minho..."

He takes a step forward, closing the space between you, and his voice is quieter now. "Can I come in?"

You nod, stepping aside to let him in. Minho walks into your apartment, the atmosphere between you shifting. He turns to face you, his expression serious, more vulnerable than you've ever seen him.

"I like you," he says, his voice steady. "Like, I really like you. And Jisung knows that. He hates it because he thinks I'm going to break your heart, but I'm not. I swear, I wouldn't do that."

You feel your pulse quicken at his words, your mind racing to catch up. "Minho, I..."

He holds up a hand, cutting you off gently. "You look so fucking beautiful right now, and it's really distracting me. So I'm going to kiss you, if that's okay."

Your breath catches in your throat, but the answer comes easily. "Yeah, that's okay."

Minho doesn't waste any more time. He steps forward, closing the distance between you, his hands gently cupping your face. His lips meet yours in a kiss that's soft at first, tentative, as if he's waiting for some kind of permission. But then you kiss him back, your arms wrapping around his neck, and the kiss deepens.

Minho's hands slide down to your waist, pulling you closer until there's no space left between your bodies. The kiss is slow but intense, each movement deliberate, like he's savouring the moment. You can feel the heat radiating off him, his grip tightening slightly as his hands roam over your back.

You break the kiss for just a second, gasping for air, but Minho doesn't let you go far. His forehead rests against yours, his breath warm against your lips as he speaks.

Minho's forehead rests gently against yours, and the air between you is thick with tension. Your heart is racing, every nerve on edge, and just when you think the silence will swallow the moment, you feel a giggle bubbling up from your chest.

It's ridiculous, the whole situation. The intensity of the kiss, the way Minho's hands feel so warm and grounding on your waist. You pull back just slightly, enough to catch your breath and give him a mischievous look.

"Oh, by the way," you say, trying to keep a straight face, "Felix and I got engaged."

Minho blinks, clearly caught off guard. "Huh?" He stares at you, confusion clear in his eyes, as if trying to piece together whether you're serious or not.

You can't help the laugh that escapes. "Yep," you nod, keeping up the act. "I'm set to marry Felix. So, congratulations, we're now having an affair."

Minho's brow furrows for a second, and then realization dawns on his face. A grin spreads across his lips. "Oh, so that's how it is, huh? I'm the dirty little secret now?"

You smirk, feeling a little more daring. "Exactly. I'm cheating on my fiancé with you. How scandalous."

He hums, his thumb tracing slow circles on your hip. "I don't mind being the side guy. Adds some spice, don't you think?" He leans in again, his breath ghosting over your lips. "Just keep this between us, yeah? Don't want Felix to find out."

The playfulness between you two eases the tension, and you laugh softly, completely forgetting about everything else for a moment. You're about to respond when, out of nowhere, the door to your apartment swings open with a loud bang, making you both freeze.

"No! This is exactly what I was trying to prevent!"

You and Minho quickly step apart, your heart racing for a different reason now. Jisung looks at the two of you with wide, panicked eyes, like he's just walked into his worst nightmare. His hands fly up in the air as he groans dramatically, pacing a few steps.

"This is exactly why I set you up with Felix!" Jisung exclaims, pointing an accusing finger at Minho. "I knew this would happen! And now he's got his STD-riddled claws into you!"

Minho's jaw drops in disbelief. "Okay, hold the fuck up," he says, hands raised in defence. "I have no STDs, and I'd really like to clear that up before we go any further with this conversation."

You take a slow, deep breath, pressing your lips together to hold back a laugh. Jisung, however, is far from amused. He looks like he's about to have a full-on breakdown as he turns to you, his face full of concern.

"Listen to me," he says, his voice urgent. "He's going to break your heart! Minho doesn't do relationships—he just flirts and messes around. He's like a... a... heartbreaker! A professional one!"

Minho rolls his eyes, stepping closer to Jisung, clearly fed up. "Oh, for fuck's sake, Jisung, I've liked her this entire time, and you know that!" His voice is sharp, filled with frustration. "You're the one who set her up with Felix, knowing damn well how I feel!"

Jisung glares right back, crossing his arms over his chest like a protective barrier. "I did it because I know you, Minho. You're all charming and smooth when you want something, but then you bail as soon as it gets serious. I'm not letting that happen to Y/N."

You shake your head, walking over to grab your glass of wine from the counter. The tension between Minho and Jisung has been building, and now it's finally spilling over. You sip your wine, deciding that the best course of action is to stay out of it and let them bicker it out.

Minho takes a deep breath, his frustration visible. "You think I'm going to hurt her? Jisung, you've got no idea how hard it's been trying to be patient with this shit. You set her up with Felix like some overprotective dad, and now you walk in here acting like you're the fucking saviour of the day."

Jisung's face turns redder, and he steps forward, eyes blazing. "You're my best friend, and so is Y/N! I've seen what you do to girls, and I'm not letting you do that to her."

Minho doesn't back down, stepping forward as well, the space between them shrinking fast. "You think I'm like that with her? Do you even know how long I've been waiting to make a move, only for you to play matchmaker with Felix?"

Jisung's mouth opens and closes like a fish, clearly lost for words.

You, on the other hand, take another slow sip of your wine. The back-and-forth between them is almost entertaining. They're like two kids fighting over a toy, except this time, you're the toy, which is both ridiculous and hilarious.

"Look," Minho says, his voice a little calmer now but still firm, "I'm not playing around with her. I've been serious about this, and the fact that you think I'm just going to fuck her over pisses me off."

Jisung throws his hands in the air again, clearly exasperated. "Of course I think that! You're Minho! You don't do relationships!"

Minho rubs a hand over his face, clearly trying to stay calm. "God, you're an idiot sometimes. This isn't just some hookup, okay?"

Jisung doesn't seem convinced. "You expect me to believe that? After everything?"

At this point, you've had enough. You walk over to Jisung, wine glass still in hand, and without a word, you pour the rest of the wine into his mouth. He tries to protest, but you give him no choice. He swallows the wine, sputtering slightly as he looks at you in surprise.

"Go sit in the living room," you say, pushing him toward the door with more force than you probably should. "We'll deal with you later."

Jisung stumbles into the living room, still flustered and clearly not done with the argument. But before he can say anything else, you shut the door and lock it, effectively trapping him inside.

Minho watches the whole thing unfold with an amused smile. "You know it's going to take him about an hour to realize he can unlock that from the inside, right?"

You shrug, turning back to face him with a grin. "That gives us about an hour of peace."

Minho's smirk widens as he steps forward, his hands sliding around your waist again. He pulls you close, and the heat between you reignites instantly. "There's a lot I can do in an hour," he murmurs against your lips, his breath hot and teasing.

Your heart skips a beat as you wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him even closer. "Oh yeah?" you whisper, your voice daring.

He kisses you again, this time with more urgency, and you melt into it, your body pressing against his. His hands slide down to your thighs, and in one swift motion, he lifts you off the ground. You instinctively wrap your legs around his waist, holding onto him as he carries you through the apartment.

"Bedroom?" he asks between kisses, his voice low and filled with need.

"Second door," you manage to say, your voice breathless.

Minho kicks open the door to your bedroom, not bothering to turn on the lights as he carries you inside. The door swings shut behind you with a satisfying thud, and with that, the world outside ceases to exist.

All that matters now is the heat between you, the feel of his hands on your skin, and the promise of what's to come in the next hour.

Minho kicks the bedroom door shut behind him, and in that moment, you know that an hour is more than enough time.

202 notes · View notes

wonlovie · 1 year ago

Text

— RACING, BEATING PART II read part i here

Months after your fateful night with Heeseung, you ask him to teach you how to race. Instead, he asks you to cheer him on at his next race.

— starring. illegal-racer!heeseung x model!reader, very brief cameo of mingyu from seventeen

— tags. arranged-marriage!au, pre-established relationship, minor angst (if u squint??), reader gets objectified, smut [unprotected sex (be safe!!), public sex, hint of pussy drunk heeseung, oral (m. receiving), face fucking, vaginal fingering, degrading (use of whore, slut; another man is mentioned during sex, kind of mean-dom!heeseung, car sex [MINORS DNI])

— word count. 6.2k (oops this was meant to be like 4k)

— notes. writing hee smut to songs like blossom and off your face is such a weird vibe PAHAHAH // reading part i isn't really necessary for this one, but it gives u context :)

“Teach me how to race.”

Heeseung blinked at you slowly, squinting his eyes as he put down the rag. You tried your best not to eye the way his muscles looked under his black tank top. He stood to his full height, leaving you breathless at the way the fabric lined his toned chest so damn well under the poor lighting. A pair of baggy jeans hung low on his hips, letting you see a sliver of his stomach.

With his car half polished, Heeseung stepped toward you. “Do you even have your license?”

You stared at him, offended. “Of course I do!” you snapped, huffing in indignation. “I got it as soon as it was legal for me to.”

“Baby,” he chuckled, raising a brow at you. “You don’t drive, though. Your driver takes you everywhere. And if not him, it’s me.” Wiping his hands on his dirtied jeans, Heeseung walked closer. You let out a noise of surprise when he suddenly tugged your arm, bringing you chest to chest. You gulped, looking deeply into those eyes that stared just as intensely as they did when you first met him.

His hand splayed across the small of your back as he pressed you flat against him. “What brought this up?” he asked, leaning in and leaving behind fleeting kisses on your cheek. Your knees felt weak as he gently nibbled on your earlobe, tongue swiping across your sensitive skin as he whispered in your ear. “Is my driving not good enough for you, princess?”

Heeseung lips pulled up into a smirk when your breath hitched, only parting to leave open-mouthed kisses down your neck. “No,” you stammered. “Just…”

“Just what?” he mumbled against your skin before suckling at your neck. You mentally groaned at the thought of going into your next shoot, all marked up for the umpteenth time.

“Just wanted to try,” you murmured, gasping when he nipped at your jugular, his hand tightening on your waist. “That’s all.”

You could feel his stiffness pressing against your tummy, your fingers itching to take care of him. But when you moved to remove his belt, he smacked your hand away. You whined as he bit down on your shoulder, his hands actively groping your ass now. You sighed out his name, throwing your head back to give him more room.

The garage suddenly felt hotter than it was five minutes ago as Heeseung turned you around, pressing you against the front bumper of the cherry red car. He easily made room for himself, slotting his hips neatly between your thighs. He moved to kiss you, groaning into your mouth as you shifted your clothed cunt against his hardening length.

“Fuck,” he sighed out, kissing you again with fervour. A ringed hand wrapped itself around your neck, squeezing lightly as he pushed you to sit atop the car’s hood. Heeseung tugged at your shirt, pushing it up and over your breasts. He cupped you harshly, circling your nipples over the thin material of your sports bra.

You whimpered his name, arching your back into his palm. “So needy for me,” he moaned against your lips as he brought his hips to yours. You felt the roughness of his jeans easily through your thin leggings, whining as the material rubbed against your clothed clit. You had no doubt that if he were to cup your sex, Heeseung would be able to feel just how soaked you were without even stripping you. “You want me, baby?”

“Yes,” you gasped in pleasure as he ducked his head to suck on the tops of your breasts, angry red kisses scattered over your skin. “Yes, please, Hee. Need you so badly,” you cried out his name in a broken moan when he pulled your bra down and brought your nipple to his hot mouth. His tongue circled the sensitive bud, his teeth scraping against it sinfully.

As he toyed with you, his tongue sending your brain into a frenzied state of pure want, his hands busied themselves with the hem of your pants. He dipped his fingers beneath the waistband, slipping the offending material down the expanse of your legs. The flimsy fabric fell to the dirtied ground, something you would have complained about if you were in a sane state of mind. But the way Heeseung’s deft fingers danced across your thighs before stroking up your cunt left you speechless.

“Shit,” he breathed out, dropping his head on your shoulder as he pushed your legs open wider. You had no doubt that your slick was dripping onto the hood of his newly polished car. “‘S good for me,” hissing, he inserted two fingers into your heat, giving you no time to prepare. A wide grin stretched over his face when you sobbed out his name; his gaze trained on the slope of your neck as you threw your head back in pleasure. “So wet, all from a few kisses?”

You whined, hips twitching. “Shut up,” you mumbled behind shaking hands, covering your flushed cheeks in embarrassment. “It’s not like you’re any better…”

Heeseung clicked his tongue, though he didn’t deny your claim. His cock was weeping with need inside his boxers, the hard length pulsing with every thrust of his fingers into your sopping cunt. “If you keep giving me that attitude, I’ll stop right now.” It was an empty threat, one that made you clench around his fingers pathetically nonetheless. He chuckled a low sound that sent shivers down your back. “Do you want me to stop?”

When his fingers halted, you cried out his name in desperation. You snapped your head up, feeling your eyes swell with tears. “You’re so mean,” you pouted, shuddering when the cool air of the garage suddenly brushed against your bare skin. “Heeseung, come on—”

He sighed, pulling his fingers out of you. He avoided your begging gaze, instead opting to stare at the wetness that coated his fingers. Finally looking up at you, he kept eye contact as he slowly licked his digits clean, his tongue sliding over his knuckles. “You know that’s not what I want to hear from you, princess.”

You looked away, humiliated, as you felt your ears heat up. “Please,” you whispered into the silent room. “Please fuck me, Hee.”

He grinned at you, tugging you closer by hooking his hands underneath your knees. He pressed a soft kiss against your knee before moving to unbuckle his pants. “Good girl,” Heeseung sighed as he released his length from the confines of his boxers. “Just keep being good for me, yeah? You’re gonna take it all, right baby?”

He wasn’t expecting an answer as he pressed his tip against your folds, the two of you moaning in unison. He slid his length over your pussy, spreading your juices over his hard cock. Heeseung’s jaw was agape as he fucked against your clit, chest heaving from the sensitivity. You watched closely as he slowly stroked himself, using your slick as a lubricant, enchanted with the way his eyes seemed to glaze over in pleasure, brows pinched tightly as he sighed out a few curses.

“This is all mine,” he mumbled, leaning forward to latch his lips to yours in a messy kiss. Drool dribbled from the side of your mouth as you moaned into his mouth when he started easing himself into you. Despite how many times you’d had sex, his size never failed to leave you breathless.

Once he bottomed out, Heeseung murmured your name against your neck as he left behind more love bites. His cock twitched inside you as he urged himself not to fuck you relentlessly. The way your pussy clenched around him sporadically had his mouth parting in high moans. He bit down on your shoulder again as he shallowly thrusted, his arms wrapping around your middle tightly.

You moaned at the weight of his upper body pressing you against the hood of the car, the cool aluminum contrasting with his burning touch. Wrapping your legs around his slim waist, you silently urged him to go harder, faster.

Using his hold on you to keep you in place, he picked up his pace, pulling out until just the tip was left inside before harshly thrusting back into you. The sound of skin against skin echoed in the empty garage. If anyone were to come down to the parking garage, the unmistakable sound of your wet cunt being plowed into would have tipped them off right away.

“Hee,” you sobbed as he went faster, feeling every vein and curve of his dick rub against your gummy walls. “Fu-ck, baby, I’m so close,” your words slurred together as you clutched onto Heeseung’s wide shoulders, clawing down the fabric of his shirt.

“Already?” he panted, looking up at you through his bangs. He reached up, pushing your hair out of your face. His fingers grasped your chin, forcing you to hold your head up. He groaned, eyes fluttering shut when you clamped around him. “C’mon, babe,” he whispered, looking into your eyes as he went deeper. “I’m not done with you yet.”

His words didn’t match his actions as he reached down to thumb at your swollen clit, your hips instantly jutting upwards in overstimulation. You all but screamed his name, tears flowing down your cheeks. He let go of your face, only to push one of your legs up against your torso. The change in position lets him reach a spot deeper within you. Your name left his throat in a broken whisper, his eyes shutting tightly as he tried not to cum earlier than he wanted to.

When you heard the sound of a roaring engine coming closer, your eyes opened wide as you tried to find the source. However, when you turned your head, Heeseung made you look back at him. “What is it?” he asked breathlessly, raising a brow at you as he slowed his hips, grinding into you at a snail’s pace. “Don’t wanna get caught, huh? Don’t want my neighbours to see how much of a whore you are?”

With each word, he delivered a particularly harsh thrust. You bit your hand in a futile attempt to keep quiet, but the sound of his hips slamming against yours did little to hide the naughty position you were in.

Heeseung smiled almost sadistically as he watched you try to keep quiet, his ego inflating from the way you were utterly failing. You glared at him through teary eyes as you heard someone park and exit their car, the loud beep of the locking mechanism making you jump. Heeseung’s car was parked in the far corner, somewhere not many of the other residents liked to park due to the distance they’d have to walk. Though, if the person looked in your direction, there would be no hiding what you were doing.

As the steps got closer to the elevator and closer to you, Heeseung started to move faster, his hips just shy of slapping against yours. “Lee Heeseung,” you hissed, trying to push his hips away as you tried looking over his shoulder warily.

You heard the elevator doors open and close, the whirring noise of it moving upstairs making your heart race in anticipation. Once it was quiet for a few seconds, Heeseung abruptly continued fucking you relentlessly. His eyes were narrowed as he watched your face contort in pleasure, a frown tugging at his lips from your previous attempt at stopping him.

“Just try to stop me like that next time,” he spat, leaning back as he brought your legs over his shoulders. “See where it gets you.” Despite his cruel words, his thumbs rubbed gentle circles over your thighs, greatly contrasting his bruising thrusts.

He eyed you like a predator with his prey, gaze darting from your fucked out expression to the bounce of your breasts. He gripped your waist, groping at your sides as he felt his orgasm near. Heeseung’s head dropped, his hair sticking to his forehead from exertion. You blindly reached for him, eyes screwed closed in rapture.

He moved to take your hand in his, interlacing your fingers as he pressed them against the car, next to your head. His other hand dropped from your thigh back down to your clit as he rubbed circles again. “Cum,” Heeseung gasped, the drag of his cock against your tight core making him see stars. “Come on, baby. Want you to cum around my cock. You’ll do that for me, right? Be good,” he moaned.

You clenched around him, nails digging into the back of his hand that enclosed yours. “Close,” you whimpered.

Heeseung moved faster, causing incoherent babbles to fall from his hips as he neared overstimulation. His cock twitched, the first syllable of your name barely sounding from his pretty pink lips before he came. He moaned loudly, his hips faltering for only a second before he kept going. “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” he whined, eyes tightly closed. His thumb moved faster over your clit, desperate to push you over the edge.

You came almost violently, your back arching as your thighs trembled. Your mouth fell open in a silent scream as you felt white hot lust wash over you, your gummy walls hugging him tightly as you milked him dry. Heeseung held the back of your head as he brought you in for a kiss, the both of you struggling to keep your lips locked as his hips stuttered into you.

He helped you ride through your orgasm, only stopping when you began to whine from the overstimulation, pushing his chest away weakly. Heeseung watched himself as he pulled out of you, sighing in ecstasy at the sight of his cum messily pooling out of you and onto the car.

You stayed there, breathless as Heeseung pulled his pants back up and quickly moved around to get something from the front seat. He returned with a few tissues, gently wiping at your sensitive cunt until you were mostly clean. Picking up your pants, he quickly shook off any dirt before helping you put them on.

“Let’s go up to my apartment,” he mumbled as he pressed a soft kiss against your temple. “We can take a bath together.” He held you tenderly as he eased you off the car, holding you up when your knees shook. He hurriedly put his supplies into the trunk before taking your hand and guiding you to the elevator, the loud beep of his car letting you know it was locked behind you.

“So?”’

He looked at you over his shoulder. “So, what?”

“Will you teach me?”

He looked at you in disbelief before laughing, turning his head from you to hide his wide grin. “Come watch me race first,” he proposed. “Then we’ll see about getting you behind the wheel.

Although you’ve known Heeseung for almost a year, you’ve never actually seen him race. Not if you excluded the first time he’d brought you to the race track, but that was nothing compared to the street race you found yourself at.

There were dozens of people gathered, bystanders excited to watch the long-awaited race. When Heeseung pulled up, you shivered at just how cold it was, the night air nipping at the skin beneath your short skirt. “Here,” Heeseung said quietly, handing you one of his hoodies from the back seat.

You took it gratefully, pulling it over your thin top and sighing when his smell invaded your senses. He smiled at the sight of you settling into his clothing, ruffling his hair before he walked off, telling you that he had to go prepare with the other drivers. “The guys are here somewhere,” he told you before he left. “I think Jungwon said he’d be waiting near the start line for you so you guys can watch together.”

You waved at his back, even though he couldn’t see you. Scanning the crowd, you spotted Jungwon rather quickly. His newly dyed red hair stood out like a sore thumb, something you silently thanked him for as you moved to rush closer. As you neared, you opened your mouth to call his name, but before you could, someone blocked your vision of him.

Pausing, you looked up at the person. He was tall, taller than Heeseung, and his eyes pierced into your soul uncomfortably. “Sorry,” you mumbled, dropping your gaze as you tried to move around him. The man, however, had no plans to let you leave as he side-stepped in front of you.

You looked back up at him with a slightly peeved look in your eye, a frown tugging at your lips impatiently. He paid no mind to your expression, instead smiling at you. “I’ve never seen you at a race,” he said, his deep voice making you feel uneasy. “Think you have the wrong place, princess.”

Hearing the nickname that you loved, only when it came from Heeseung, made you grimace. “I definitely don’t. Now, if you’ll excuse me…” You tried to move around him again, only for him to stand in front of you. “What is your problem?” you hissed, trying to keep your voice low.

He only laughed at you, raising his hands up in mock surrender. “Relax, princess. I just wanted to get to know you better.” He stepped closer to you, reaching out to grab your wrist before you could back up. “C’mon. After the race, I can show you back to my place and—”

“If you don’t get your hands off of her, I will run you over.”

Both you and the man snapped your heads in the direction of the voice, your eyes widening when you saw Heeseung standing there. He stood up straight, a glower overtaking his usually soft features. Ripping your hand out of the strange man’s grasp, you quickly moved to Heeseung’s side.

The man looked back and forth between you and Heeseung, realization coming to him when Heeseung grasped your hand and pulled you behind him. “I see,” he laughed loudly, though there was nothing jovial in his tone. “Didn’t know she was yours, Lee. You brought a hot girl for once.”

You could’ve sworn you heard Heeseung growl as his grip on you tightened. “What do you want, Mingyu? Shouldn’t you be getting ready for the race?” He clearly didn’t expect an answer as he turned to you. His mouth opened to say something, but before he could voice his thoughts, the man, Mingyu, interrupted him.

“If I beat you tonight, I want her.”

You felt your blood run cold as you tensed, Heeseung’s eyes flitting over to you in concern before he glared at Mingyu. Taking hold of both of your shoulders, Heeseung pushed you further away from him to block you from Mingyu’s sight. “What?” he spat, glaring at the taller male with hatred pouring from his tongue. “Fuck off, Mingyu.”

He turned to you. “The race is starting soon. Jungwon’s waiting over there, so—”

Mingyu scoffed before gesturing to the crowd. “Hey, everyone!” he cupped his mouth as he spoke. In an instant, the chatter around you ceased, and people turned to look at the commotion. You made eye contact with Jungwon, who quickly assessed the situation and tried squeezing his way toward you. If it weren’t for the tense atmosphere, you would have laughed at the way his eyes bulged, his lips clearly mouthing an oh shit as he hurried.

Mingyu continued once he had everyone’s attention. “Your dear Heeseung here,” Mingyu pointed to Heeseung, who stood rigidly in front of you. “The one you all love to cheer for, he’s nothing but a coward—” Mingyu smirked, looking directly at you, “—who doesn’t think he can race well enough to keep his bitch.”

Heeseung seethed, fists clenching at his sides as he mentally willed himself to ignore Mingyu. He turned to you, pushing you toward Jungwon, who had finally reached you. “Go with him.”

You balked at him, eyes rounding in incredulity. “Uh, no, not until you fight for me?” You raised a brow at him, taking in his shocked expression. “Like, right now, Heeseung. I know you’ll win against that loser, so just…” you paused, looking over Heeseung’s shoulder at Mingyu, who stared in wait. “So just bet for his car or something. Ruin him for me, yeah?”

Heeseung gaped at you for a moment before his usual confidence seeped back into his expression. “You’re fucking crazy,” he mumbled, pulling you in for a deep kiss. His arm wrapped around your waist, tugging you impossibly close. “I like how you think.”

You heard the announcer calling for all drivers to meet at the start line with their vehicles and grinned at Heeseung as he kissed you one more time before walking off. You watched his back as he caught up to Mingyu, no doubt telling him about the bet. You could tell from the way Mingyu’s shoulders tensed, and he glanced over at you and then to his car.

Jungwon looked at you with an amused grin on his face. “You know, you and Heeseung are so right for each other sometimes.”

You rolled your eyes at him, tugging him back to where he waited for you before. “Come on, Wonnie. I don’t want to miss the race.”

The race was just as exhilarating as the race at the track, if not more. Your eyes trained on Heeseung’s red car as the five drivers lined up next to each other. It was deafening; between the loud cries of the souped-up cars and the cheering crowd, you knew your ears would be buzzing by the end of the night.

You barely registered that Mingyu was seated in the black car next to Heeseung’s, catching the way they glared at each other through their windows. You held your breath as the flag girl stood in front of the awaiting racers, both hands gripping onto a green flag. In a split second, she waved them, the green fabric fluttering in the cool night air; all five cars had zoomed away.

From where you stood, you couldn’t tell if any car had a lead on the others, the screech of tires against asphalt slowly quieting as they drove further and further away. Beside you, Jungwon tugged on your—Heeseung’s—hoodie sleeve. “Let’s go watch by the screens.”

You followed aimlessly, reaching an area where a few large screens had been set up. On them, you could see footage of the race as the cars were followed by what you presumed was a drone. Easily spotting Heeseung’s red vehicle, you watched attentively. You chewed on the inside of your cheek nervously as Heeseung and Mingyu’s cars easily overtook the other three.

“He’s going too fast,” Jungwon mumbled beside you in worry. “The route’s full of sharp turns. If he keeps that speed, he’s going to spin out really quickly.” You looked at Jungwon with concern before looking back at the screen.

Though you knew virtually nothing about racing, even you could tell that what Jungwon was saying was true. A map of the whole route was displayed alongside the drone footage, showing several turns before the racers would make their way back to the starting line. “Don’t be stupid, Hee,” you whispered into your palm, hugging the fabric of the hoodie closer.

At the first sharp turn, you winced as Heeseung’s car spun slightly, leaving angry black lines on the road before he zoomed off again. Mingyu wasn’t far behind, though he took the turn slower than Heeseung had. Heeseung’s drift halted his momentum, allowing Mingyu to pull ahead. Beside you, you heard Jungwon breathe in deeply, but you paid no heed to it.

By the second turn, Heeseung had caught up but was still slightly behind. As Mingyu turned, his back tire bumped against the curb, slowing him down ever so slightly. You didn’t let yourself relax, even when Heeseung drove ahead. It looked like he was going even faster than before, evident by the numerous track marks he was leaving at each turn.

The race went on similarly, with Heeseung pulling ahead only for Mingyu to overtake him and vice versa. As they neared the last turn, you were able to hear the sound of shifting gears and engines that roared impossibly louder. Suddenly, the crowd around you began dispersing, the people filtering through the nearby alleyways like rats.

You turned to Jungwon, who looked panicked. “Cops,” he ushered, turning to leave. “If they catch us here, we’re done for.” He grabbed at your arm. You hesitated, looking back at the screen just in time to see Heeseung spin out. Just then, you saw the flashing lights of a cop car near them.

“But, what about—”

Jungwon shook his head. “Heeseung knows what to do, don’t worry. But he will kill me if he finds out I let you get nabbed by the police, so let’s go.” You spared one last glance at the screen, relieved to see Heeseung get back onto the track. Biting your lip in worry, you allowed Jungwon to drag you away.

You hid in his car, parked a few blocks away. Jungwon was quick to pull up the drone feed onto his phone—how, you weren’t sure—but by the time he had it on, both Heeseung’s car and Mingyu’s car were nowhere to be seen. After a minute, the drone footage turned off completely, leaving you and Jungwon in the silence of his car. You could still hear the blaring police sirens in the distance.

“You think he’s okay?” you spoke, your voice barely above a whisper.

Jungwon offered you a kind smile, though it did nothing to ease your nerves. “Don’t worry about Heeseung. He’s been doing this longer than any of us have. If anyone knows how to win a race while evading the cops, it’s him.”

“But don’t you think he would’ve said something by now if he got away?” you asked, the results of the race far in the back of your mind. “What if they actually caught him and arrested him?”

Jungwon shrugged. He was worried about his friend, of course, but his worry seemed minute compared to yours. “You have money, don’t you? Bail him out.”

You resisted the urge to lunge at Jungwon with closed fists. “Won, if he goes to jail, his father will find out, and he—”

A knock at the passenger side window made you jump. You turned quickly, relief washing over your body as you met eyes with a smug-looking Heeseung. You quickly got out of the car, wrapping your arms around Heeseung’s neck as you hugged him tightly. “Never do that to me again,” you gasped, burying your face into his shirt.

Heeseung chuckled, pressing a kiss against your forehead. He looked at Jungwon through the windshield, smiling at him in quiet thanks. You ignored the sound of Jungwon’s car pulling away from the curb, never taking your face out from the nook of his neck.

“Were you worried about me or something?”

You finally moved back, glaring weakly at Heeseung. “Or something?” you echoed, scoffing. “Or something—the absolute gall of men. Of course, I was worried!” You smacked his shoulder, frowning at him as he held the area, pretending as though you had mortally wounded him. “Jungwon pulled me away just as you spun out near the end, and the cops were right behind you and—”

Heeseung interrupted you with a kiss, cupping your jaw tenderly as he moved closer. He rested on hand on your hip, rubbing shapes into your skin under the hoodie as he kissed you gently. You sighed, all the tension escaping your body as you kissed back, relishing in the way his lips caressed yours.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, resting his forehead against yours. “I should have told you that happens sometimes. The guys and I have a protocol in case the cops show up, but with everything that happened before the show, I guess I forgot.”

You hummed. That must have been how he found you and Jungwon so quickly. “It’s fine. Just don’t… don’t ever scare me like that.”

Heeseung smiled at you, kissing your forehead lightly. “It’s like you love me or something,” he said jokingly. Something in his eyes said he cared more than he was letting on, his dark brown hues flitting back and forth as he tried to read your expression.

When you said nothing in response, only looking away bashfully, a wide grin overtook Heeseung’s features. Capturing you in one more deep kiss, he pulled away with a giddy expression. “I love you too, baby,” he whispered hoarsely. You felt like your heart was going to beat out of your chest, his intense yet loving gaze making you feel weak to the knees.

Pulling away, much to your displeasure, Heeseung straightened out your hoodie and flattened your tousled hair. “Come on, I have a surprise for you.”

You frowned, but you let him tug you along the empty streets. “Hee, I don’t know how many surprises I can stomach tonight.”

Heeseung only laughed, not replying to you as he pulled you down an alleyway. You were wary but trusted him enough that you didn’t say anything about the sketchy route he was taking you down. Once you emerged on the other side of the alley, you were shocked to see his red car. Behind it was Mingyu’s black Cadillac.

It took a second for you to process what you were seeing, but when you turned to look at Heeseeung, he held up a pair of keys that you knew didn’t belong to his car. “You won?” you gasped, grinning with pride as you inspected the keys closer.

Heeseung scoffed, pressing a button on the fob. Immediately, the headlights of Mingyu’s car flashed, confirming your thoughts. You squealed in excitement, hugging him tightly. “What,” he laughed, holding you with one arm. “You didn’t believe me?”

You stuck your tongue out at him, scrunching your nose. “Of course I did, but I was a little preoccupied.”

His gaze softened as he leaned in to peck your lips. You chased him as he pulled away, cheeks flushing warmly when Heeseung grinned shamelessly at you. “Get in the backseat.”

You paused. “The backseat? Why—”

Heeseung urged you backwards toward the car, taking your lips once more. “Just get in,” he rasped, opening the door for you. You were quick to follow his words, quickly bombarded with Heeseung’s deep and slow kisses as he closed the door behind him.

He crawled over you, moaning your name lowly as you dragged a nail down his front. Once you reached the belt buckle, you ran a finger over the cold metal slowly. “Stop teasing,” he gasped when you lightly traced over the outline in his pants.

For once, you listened, and quickly unbuckled the belt, flicking the button of his pants open and pushing them down enough for you to grab at his hardening length. He hissed, the vague sound of your name spilling from his lips as he lurched forward.

Gently, you pushed him back until he was sitting and got on your knees between his thick thighs. It wasn’t comfortable by any means, the back of the car left very little room for you to sit comfortably, but you couldn’t find it in yourself to care with the way Heeseung’s cock twitched needily in your hand or the way his angry red tip oozed precum.

You looked up at him through your lashes as you leaned forward, licking at the mushroom tip lightly. He groaned, throwing his head back against the seat. Relishing in his reaction, you took his length between your lips, sucking him gently. His hips twitched, forcing his dick further into your mouth and making you gag.

“Shit, sorry,” he rushed, straightening to take himself out of your mouth. You quickly pushed his worrying hands away, taking him deeper in your mouth defiantly. His mouth fell as he let out a loud groan, your name on the tip of his tongue. He watched closely as you bobbed your head up and down, slowly thrusting to meet your movements.

You reached down to grab at his balls, massaging them in tandem with your head movements. The way you swirled your tongue around his length had Heeseung gasping for air. His thrusts grew more aggressive; a hand reached to cup the back of your head, keeping you in place as he fucked into your wet cavern relentlessly.

Heeseung caressed his knuckles against the length of your hollowed cheeks with a gentleness that contrasted his thrusts. Tears burned your eyes, the back of your throat sore from his abuse. The sound of wet slick and choking gasps almost rivalled your heartbeat as you stared up at the man.

“Fuck,” he breathed out in a whine, head thrown back against the leather seats as he groaned loudly. “Fuck, fuck, baby, you’re taking me so fucking well.” His lips parted, and ruby red lipstick smudged over his visage, staining the silver lip ring. Heeseung’s jaw dropped as you swallowed around his cock, a series of long, winded whines coming from the back of his throat.

“Shit, princess. Gonna make me cum,” he warned you, dropping his head down to look at you through hooded eyes. His newly dyed black hair fell over his irises, obscuring them from view. His face pinched in pleasure as he lifted his hips against your plush lips. “You’ll take it for me, yeah? Swallow every last drop like the good little whore you are.” His nails dug into your scalp.

You pressed your thighs together, the carpet floor of the backseat rubbing harshly against your bare knees. The dress you’d worn, a little black number that you picked out just for Heeseung, had ridden up to your waist. The fabric bunched prettily around your hips, showing off that you had forgone undergarments.

He watched you breathlessly, eyes darting from your teary eyes to the way your little mouth took him so well. He didn't miss the way you tried to covertly rub yourself, thighs moving slowly—a futile attempt to feel something against your aching clit.

His cock twitched against your tongue as you licked at a jutting vein, a perfectly manicured hand coming up to cup his aching balls. He watched tenderly as you switched from suckling on his angry red tip to taking his length fully, your nose tickling against his happy trail. His thrusts grew wild, a loss in rhythm suggesting he was close.

“Gonna paint your mouth white, baby,” he hissed, tugging at your matted strands. “God, you look so pretty covered in my cum. Wanna make a mess out of you so bad. You want that, don’t you? Want me to make you look messy, baby—fuck! You like getting fucked like this in another man’s car?” An almost pornographic moan escaped his throat as his grip on your hair tightened. “Such a little slut. Getting on your knees for me like this. I bet Mingyu couldn’t fuck you this well,” he thrust harshly into your mouth as he uttered the other man’s name, anger pulling his brows together tightly.

You whined, your muffled tone vibrating against his dick. He cried out your name, low moans tumbling from his pretty lips as he came, shooting hot and thick ropes of cum down your throat. You blinked away tears, a burning sensation left behind as he pulled his length out from your mouth. Spurts of cum spilled from his tip, and you lolled your tongue out as Heeseung dragged it over your face.

His chest heaved as he stared at you, adoringly as though he was admiring his art. “Fucking hell,” he hushed, tugging you impatiently onto his lap. You fell clumsily against him, legs bumbling to straddle his small waist. You moaned in unison when your dripping core rubbed against his cum and saliva-coated cock, your hips twitching in anticipation.

Heeseung sighed out your name against your lips as he cupped your cheek with a large hand, not caring that his release was getting everywhere. The coolness of his rings made you shiver as he pulled you in for a kiss. His mouth moved against yours slowly, his tongue flicking out against your lip. His kiss was hot and wet, his tongue caressing yours in a way that made you crumble atop his lap.

“Fuck, baby,” he spoke against your lips, a dazed look in his eyes as he bore into you. Heeseung’s hips weakly thrust upward, pressing his wet cock against your core. “I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you.”

At his confession, not the first of the night, you teared up. He wiped away your tears, bringing you in for another kiss as he guided his sensitive length to your entrance. He cried out in a whimper against your lips as he felt your hot walls clench around him.

“I love you,” he whispered again drunkenly as you fully bottomed out, the stickiness of his previous orgasm coating the underside of your thighs. You kissed him desperately, uttering those three words back to him as he held your waist tightly.

Your night had just started, and with the way Heeseung wasted no time in fucking into you roughly, you knew it’d be a long one.

taglist ! @beomgyusonlywife @rbf-aceu @enhastolemyheart @jaeyunsleftnostril @deobitifull @jenowhere @moonchus @1-800shutthefuckup @lilriswife4life @ni-kisgf @fakeuwus @tya0 @chickenscoups @in-somnias-world

©WONLOVIE please do not plagiarize, repost, translate, or copy any of my works.

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giorno-plays-piano · 10 months ago

Text

Binary Star

Part II

Pairing: academic rival!Satoru Gojo x reader

Warnings: yandere, obsession, power play, hurt/comfort, no curse au, this series will get darker as the story progresses.

Words: 1.2k

Summary: It has to pay off, he thinks as he waits for the headmaster to finally announce the valedictorian, knowing she is there too, shifting from one foot to the other impatiently. What face is she going to make when his name will be called? Is she going to cry? To yell at him and publicly demand a re-evaluation? Or will she, perhaps, finally admit he’s done a fantastic job and won fair and square?

Part I

P.S. Academic rival -> CEO!Gojo

_____________

When he spots her name in the stack of papers his HR left on her desk, Satoru gets a brain freeze for a second. Couldn't be the girl he had once studied together with, no. It's been what, more than ten years since he had last seen her? It must be some other woman wearing the same name.

But he can't just leave the paper be, immediately taking it in his hands while the manager makes a confused face: Satoru only looks at the candidates' profiles when they are aiming for the high management positions in his company, nothing less. This woman, however, applied for the middle-level position, only recently becoming a senior at her old job. Why is the CEO looking at her CV so intently?

All Gojo sees is the name of the school they both graduated what feels like a hundred years ago, and he knows it's her. It's the girl who was his one and only rival, someone he had finally considered his equal when they both were fighting for the position of a valedictorian. It's her. He can finally understand what has happened.

Not that he wasn't searching for answers right after graduation. Knowing Shoko sometimes hung out with her, he was showering the girl with questions until she groaned something about the family of his classmate moving and that it's likely he would never see her again. She didn't tell why. Said she had no idea.

It's true, Satoru sees now: his old rival did move god knows where, nearly half across the country to a place he didn't even know existed. Some tiny city, he thinks as he googles the college she attended only to realize that it is, in fact, a community college. Community college? For someone as talented as her? Was she out of her goddamn mind? Even if she, for some unfathomable reason, didn't want to go to Harvard like him, despite her scholarchip, she could have chosen any other decent place with her marks. How could she do this to herself?

He continues reading the resume, the memories of her annoyingly pretty face fresh in his mind as if it all happened just yesterday. Internships at some tiny companies, assistant positions, and other entry-level jobs she should have never taken in places he has never heard of either... Until she finally moved here about two years ago and started slowly climbing the career ladder. Unfortunately, her CV leaves Gojo with more questions than answers he expected.

"I want you to interview her," he finally says to his HR manager, who's been shifting in her seat impatiently ever since he had taken the printed papers from her desk. "And if she says yes, I want to know when she'll come."

He isn't sure why he's doing it. It's been far too long to be holding any grudges, and, honestly speaking, he isn't angry at his old school rival. Curious, perhaps? This must be it. He just wants a closure of sorts. He wants to know why she has abandoned everything she believed in, even if it's selfish of him to be prying into her past. Clearly, something had happened. Something horrible.

Did she get pregnant, maybe? Gave birth? Remembering her father, he wouldn't be surprised if it was the reason they had to move. And yet, she didn't seem the type to do something like that... Not when he had never seen her speaking to boys outside of school, and even then, she would only be talking to them about lessons and future college or university prospects.

He has to have some patience, Satoru thinks. Surely, she'll accept the interview and come in person.

And she does, walking in the building - Gojo watches her from above, peering down from his fancy cabinet with enormous windows - just two days later. She looks somewhat different - not that he didn’t expect her to change after all these years - but there's the same air about her, he can feel it in his bones. It makes him strangely nostalgic, and he starts to itch to go down and talk to her the second she waltzes into the office of his HR. He needs to know why she left. Her secrets are making him restless like a child.

He needs to see her face when she realizes he's both the owner and the CEO of the company she wants to work for.

After giving her about 10 minutes, Gojo runs down the building as if he's a boy chasing an ice cream truck. He needs to see her. The itch that has been dormant for almost ten years is almost unbearable now, and he has no time to waste before she disappears again from his life.

"Yuki, I have a question..." he starts as if he has no idea she's conducting an interview at this very moment, making a surprised face and almost shouting the name of the woman he once called his equal. "Woah, I can't believe it! Is it really you?!"

Satoru knows it's not right to be that happy about her baffled - if not fearful - expression, but he can't help himself. Here she is, the girl who could never shut up in class whenever a teacher asked them a question, sitting in the office he built with the money he earned, not borrowed from his father. He is where she has always wanted to be, Gojo is sure. Geto would probably smack him for being a smug bastard in front of a woman who surely has nothing against him, but Satoru feels ecstatic.

Until he sees she is not only scared: she is terrified. Why? Is it because her old rival ended up doing much better than her? She must be feeling upset and jealous, but she shouldn't be horrified. There's nothing to be scared of. Is she worried she won't get this job because she thinks Satoru is a manchild who can't forgive her for their silly school competition?

Or is she scared of him?

He doesn't like the thought.

"I'm so happy to see you!" He adds with a too-wide smile. "What are you doing here?"

It's concerning how she bites down on her lower lip, nearly ripping the thin skin covered in lipstick.

Thankfully, Yuki finally acknowledges his presence with an awkward smile, "Mr. Gojo, good morning. I apologize, but we are in the middle of a job interview. If it's alright with you, I'll come see you a little later."

The woman in front of him still doesn't utter a single word, and he feels like she'll escape him again if he lets her. With a dramatic sigh and a smile so wide it's a wonder how his face hasn't cracked yet, he announces to her, "Oh dear, I'm so sorry for interrupting! But you'll wait for me after your interview, alright? We can go grab a coffee together! It's not like it's against our company policy, right, Yuki?"

If eyes could kill, he would definitely be dead by now because his HR is ready to stab him with a fork she once stole from a cafeteria and is now keeping in one of her drawers. Satoru isn't that suicidal yet, so he quietly leaves her office before his old rival can utter a single word.

Now, this is about to get interesting.

_________

Tags: @minshookie29 @mononlogue @whore-for-hawks @theoriginaluzisimp @khatte @brooke-gvf @nimuelis

#satoru gojo x reader #satoru gojo #yandere #gojo satoru x reader #gojo x reader #jjk #jjk satoru #jujutsu kaisen #jjk x reader

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astxrope · 3 months ago

Text

Here's a basic rundown of the species found within the Yggdrasil System. Unfortunately due to the rule of the Aesir under the Allmother, much of the information has been destroyed, censored, or erased, making researching these species particularly difficult. However, I have managed to collect a general consensus on what each of the species look like.

Helheim is impossible to know, any first inhabitants of the planet are long dead or in hiding. No one on Helheim are born there, and few leave alive.

Here's what I gathered:

Jotun: Tall, Digitigrade legs, Pointed ears, Tail, Some have horns

- Examples: Loki, Logi, Fenrir (Heimdall: Hybrid; Jotun/Asgardian)

Vanir: Pointed ears, often blond or ginger, Ungulated legs (hooves)

- Examples: Frey, Freya, (Kvasir, Hybrid; Vanir/Asgardian)

Midgardian: Plantigrade legs (human legs), tails with fur on the end, rarely (but not unheard of) winged. Winged Midgardians often have feathers at the end of their tails and feathered ears.

- Examples: Ottar, Vidfinn, (Lyfrassir Edda (Winged)

Helheim: There are no known natives of the planet. Prison Colony.

- Examples: CLASSIFIED

Asgardian: Plantigrade legs, pointed ears, often with blond or silver hair, occasionally other colours, hair is often braided, and braid patterns are passed down through families. a tradition shared with Midgardians. often blue, grey or dark skinned. They also appear to have extended lifespans, living upwards of 200 years.

- Examples: Odin, Thor, (Heimdall: Hybrid; Asgardian/Jotun), Sigyn

Muspelheim: Able to withstand extreme heat, often lizard-like, digitigrade scaled legs, draconic tail, horns, slitted pupils

- Examples: !!ERROR!! RELOADING

Niflheim: Able to withstand extreme cold, short, covered in fuzzy fur, digitigrade pawed legs, short furred, long furry ears,

- Examples: !!ERROR!! RELOADING

Alfheim: Similar to Vanir, plantigrade legs. golden hair, pointed ears, often have blue or silver eyes, many have symbolic tattoos. rich golden skin, clawed nails.

- Examples: !!ERROR!! RELOADING

Svartalfheim: Similar to Vanir, digitigrade legs, black hair, long pointed ears, often have blue or purple eyes, many have symbolic tattoos. dark skin, often purple-ish, dark clawed nails. pointed tail.

- Examples: !!ERROR!! RELOADING

The train has yet to arrive. It would be a shame if the cultures were to dissapear.

And yet…

————

Other bits of lore here:

III

VII

VIII

————

Celest - A star borne researcher and investigator.

Born from the collision of two stars, Celest has dedicated his life to learning all they can about different life forms across the universe, one solar system at a time.

They have a lot of time on their hands, as stars can live for millions of years, and Celest is only a mere 200 years old.

ART

___________

THE FINAL VEIL

A Magnus Archives AU

See Below Cut

___________

lore for the final veil, a work in progress magnus archives au surrounding the entities and what happened to their remains after the change was reversed.

THE CHARACTERS

___________

alan frost - an avatar of the dark

lee davies - an avatar of the hunt

lore also includes prerequisite stories about their life before and during the change, and how they managed to survive the apocalypse.

THE ENTITIES

___________

the extinction - deceased

the lonely - unknown status, likely deceased

the dark - alive

the flesh - unknown status

the eye - unknown status, possibly deceased

the slaughter - unknown status

the stranger - unknown status

the spiral - unknown status, likely deceased

the hunt - alive

the vast - unknown status

the buried - unknown status

the corruption - unknown status

the web - alive

the end - status unknown, possibly alive

the desolation - status unknown

THE LORE

___________

the final veil is still a work in progress and may take a while for more lore to be released as the story is still being smoothed out along with characters individual backstories and character arcs.

i am one person, and while i doubt anyone will be invested or care about this au, for whoever may be, please be patient.

also, i will say, the lore of the final veil isn't really based off much, just an idea i had that may nit be possible in actual magnus archives lore. it's kind of hard to tell, i don't know what's happening half the time.

if i get anything wrong, please tell me, i'll see what i can do, but if something integral to the story is impossible in the magnus archives lore that is okay as it's an au. i don't particularly care what is and isn't possible i'm having fun okay.

this section of the post will update as lore continues to be added, with links to core posts being added in THE LORE section to make it easier for quickly accessing posts.

also much of this au will ignore the magnus protocol, simply because i haven't listened to it yet. i will, trust me. i just haven't gotten around to it.

may the entities spare you, for they are not quite dead, and they live on in their strongest.

their remnants, their holders, may be unpredictable, and they are in most every way just like regular people.

however some may be violent, and left unchecked and unaccounted for, may cause significant problems.

this is asterope signing off.

#the mechanisms #the mechs #the bifrost incident #tma #the magnus archives #tma au

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justdarklr · 3 months ago

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In Stars And Time: Providence

An In Stars And Time x Persona AU

Created and Written by JustDarklr, Co-Created by mizzle-moths

Card I – Providential

Spoilers for In Stars And Time below the cut! Go play the game before reading!

Table Of Contents —

Card I — Providential ( Reading Now )

Card II — Awake

You… have trouble believing this is the end of your journey. You should recap everything in your head real quick. Just to make sure you remember everything, mostly. Your memory’s never been that good, after all.

It was almost a year ago now that The King appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. Possessing immense Craft Power, he did something never heard of before— he spread his Curse across the country of Vaugarde, freezing in time everything in its path. With Dormont’s House of Change under his control, he patiently waits, for he knows his Curse can only be undone if he is defeated.

His victory would be all but determined, if not for The Housemaiden, Mirabelle. She is the only survivor of the House of Dormont, in which the King froze everyone inside in time and locked the gates. Everyone says she was blessed by the Change God themselves with the power to fight back the King’s Curse… which makes her the only one able to save Vaugarde, bound by her destiny.

When you met her, she had already been traveling with The Fighter, Isabeau, and The Researcher, Odile. They were trying to get the orbs necessary to open the House’s gates and defeat the King. You helped them defeat a rather strong Shadow, and, seeing your strength, they asked for your help. You… had nothing better to do, so you decided to accompany them!

Shadows are… a manifestation of grief, or something. You never researched them, but Odile seemed to know a bit about them, so you just took what she’s said at face value. They usually take the shape of figures from old Mythology or works of Fiction, though how they know of those forms is unknown. Some speculate that these Shadows had once been people, and they take the form of whatever they had the most attachment to in life upon their turning, but that theory has never been proven, supposedly. Either way, they’re a bit of a nuisance.

Anyways— a few weeks later, you met The Kid, Bonnie. Meeting them completed your little ragtag team of heroes. Though, Bonnie is mostly just your snack master. That doesn’t make them any less important, however!

You saw a lot of Vaugardian cities during your travels. Some frozen, some not, and you’ve done your best to sidestep the slowly encroaching Curse. Even still, though… you all kept going.

Mirabelle kept going to honor the Change God’s blessing, save her beloved house, and save Vaugarde. She didn’t have any other choice, after all— she is the only one who can.

Isabeau came with her after Vaugarde’s Defenders themselves refused to help. A bunch of cowards, probably.

Odile came to satisfy her curiosity about Vaugarde. She’s from another country, which makes sense, and she’s supposedly here to research… whatever she’s researching. … and because, in her words, “leaving the fate of a country to a bunch of young ones would give me an ulcer”.

Bonnie came to save their sister, frozen by the Curse. You worry about them, sometimes.

… you’re here because there’s nothing else for you to do. What else are you supposed to do except travel with them?

Once… Mirabelle asked if you were okay, following them on a journey to save the country. She felt guilty, like she was forcing everyone to follow her on a hopeless quest.

You wanted to put her at ease, so you said easily and truthfully that traveling with everyone was the happiest you could remember being. She… looked upset.

You cringe just thinking about it, honestly. Probably not the most considerate thing you could’ve said to someone with her problems at that moment!

But… tomorrow, one way or another, your journey will come to an end.

You tell everyone as you arrive that you’re tired, and you’re going to go find someplace to nap. They nod, and you’re off.

But… before you do, you have a stop to make. Just for some peace of mind. So, you head towards the favor tree on the west side of town.

… this tree is said to grant wishes. You’re not too sure about that, but… you may as well, right? You heard everyone else was going to, anyways. And, who knows, maybe it’ll come true?

You try to rack your brain for something to wish for. After a moment, something pops into your head. You’ve heard Isabeau mention something in passing before, haven’t you? That he wants to be a clothing designer, you think. That seems like a good wish to make. And, who knows, maybe it’ll help his dream come true, too.

You take a leaf from the favor tree, and whisper your desire into it three times.

“… I wish to be able to wear clothes Isabeau has made.”

… you pause, for a moment. And then whisper something else into the leaf, in addition to your first wish.

“I want to stay with them.”

This journey has been the most fun you can ever remember having. You… you love them. Your party. You’ve made such good friends on this journey, and you want to stay with them. Who wouldn’t? They’re your friends, after all…

You then fold the leaf over, and let it drift back into the shadow of the tree. You have a good feeling about that!

Afterwards, you get a move on. You find a clearing near the south side of town, slowly crouching down and splaying yourself across the soft grass. Feels just like a soft bed, you think. You haven’t slept in one for who knows how long. It’s just been sleeping bags, mostly. As you close your eyes, you feel yourself drifting off to sleep nearly instantly. You didn’t realize how tired you were…

… you dream of a strange room, covered in strange shades, with a strange man sitting in the middle of it. What is this place? You feel yourself walking forward, standing in front of the strange man’s desk, as he opens his mouth to speak.

“Well, isn’t this surprising? A brand new guest, and one with quite an intriguing fate at that. I wasn’t expecting anyone for some time now.”

You open your mouth to respond, but he cuts you off.

“Ah-ah. I apologize, but I will have to make this quick. Your nap is going to be rather short, after all.”

The man clears his throat, then places his hands on his desk, interlocking his fingers. You want to ask what he means about attendants, but you can’t get any words in before he starts speaking once more.

“Welcome to the Velvet Room. My name is Igor… I am delighted to make your acquaintance. This is the space between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a space only those who are bound by a ‘contract’ may enter. And it seems that such a fate has already befallen you, even without your knowledge.”

What? But you don’t remember signing any contract. You… you could have, though. Maybe you’ve just forgotten. Maybe it was that insignificant in your mind.

“Now then… why don’t you introduce yourself?”

Finally, a chance to speak. You open your mouth once again, ready to belt out all the questions you have— but instead, all you’re able to say is your name. “Siffrin.”

“… Siffrin. No middle name, no last name. Is that correct?”

You nod. Stars, that’s annoying. Why can’t you talk? Dream logic, or something?? Ugh, this dream sucks.

“I see. An interesting name, but I suppose it is one befitting of one surrounded by as much mystery as you. Now then… why don’t we take a look into your future?”

A set of tarot cards appear on the man’s desk. He flips one over, and examines it closely.

“Ah… I see. The tower, in the reversed position. This card represents resistance to change, and the delaying of the inevitable…”

He flips another card over. You already don’t like this.

“The star, in the reversed position. A card representative of despair… I see.”

He flips one last card over. This has to be fake, right? It’s just a dream, without any meaning. You’re sure of it.

“… Judgement, in the upright position, representing reflection, and rebirth.”

The tarot cards disappear, and the man smiles at you. Like he has been, this entire time. Stars, you haven’t really gotten a good look at this guy— you’ve been kind of out of it, but something is off about him. His skin isn’t lightless or darkless, nor a shade inbetween, his smile never seems to falter, and his nose is far too long to be normal. Who is this man? … Well, you suppose you know the answer. ‘Igor’. A strange man, in a strange room, in a strange dream. That sums up this situation rather well, you suppose.

“It seems you will face a great trial in the near future. One in which you resist oncoming time, and face despair and hopelessness because of it.

But fear not. You will overcome this trial through reflection, and in the end, you will face rebirth. A new day to come. Yet, if you fail to overcome this trial, you may be forever lost. My duty is to provide assistance to our guests to ensure that does not happen.”

Your head hurts. This is a lot to take in at once.

“I would like to introduce my assistant to you, but it seems they’re not here as of yet. They’re late. But they will be here soon enough to accompany you throughout this perilous journey.

We shall attend to the finer details another time. Until then, farewell…”

Your vision faces to black, and…

You reawaken in the field to someone calling your name. Your head hurts from that dream. Too many weird shades to take in… but at least you’re back in your lightless and darkless world, now. Normalcy. That’s what you need right now.

… who’s calling your name?

CARD I — END

Next Card ~ Awake

#in stars and time #isat siffrin #isat #isat fanart #ISAT fanfic #ISAT fic #persona #persona series #persona AU #ISAT AU #in stars and time providence #in stars and time: Providence #providence #ISATP

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ginafumbless · 2 months ago

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Arson's matches - k.th

Some matches ignite more than just flames

── ⋅ ⋅ ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ✩

Genre: Dystopian au , Childhood friends to lovers, Forbidden love, Angst

Prologue: Love is supposed to fade, but not with him it never did. It clung to you like the smoke from a long dead fire lingering in every quiet moment, every breath you took. Even after all these years the warmth of him still burned beneath the surface of your heart refusing to extinguish. Your love was like the matches that were meant to burn everything in their path.

Note: hillo hillo you guyssss. This is probably my favorite fic that I've written. And lemme know your thoughts after Reading!!! Have a great timeee :)))

Playlist

↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺

"The Night We Met" – Lord Huron

"I Found" – Amber Run

"Breathe Me" – Sia

"Cherry Wine (Live)" – Hozier

"All I Want" – Kodaline

"Skinny Love" – Bon Iver

"Unsteady (Erich Lee Gravity Remix)" – X Ambassadors

"Silhouette" – Aquilo

"Poison & Wine" – The Civil Wars

"To Build A Home" – The Cinematic Orchestra

"Wait" – M83

"Youth" – Daughter

"As The World Caves In" – Matt Maltese

"Almost Lover" – A Fine Frenzy

"I Will Follow You Into the Dark" – Death Cab for Cutie

── ⋅ ⋅ ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ✩ ── ⋅ ⋅ ✩

Sylvarian kingdom despite the scars of war, retained a haunting beauty that lingered beneath the surface of its landscapes. The northern territories once adorned with snow capped peaks and crystalline lakes still held remnants of their former majesty. The icy expanses now untouched by human presence gleamed like diamonds in the sunlight reflecting a serene yet melancholic beauty.

In the southern realms where the warmth of cultural heritage once flourished ancient architecture and vibrant landscapes told tales of rich history. Citadel walls weathered by time and conflict stood as silent, reflecting the beauty of the southern cities. The scent of exotic spices once carried by the breeze in bustling marketplaces lingered as a nostalgic reminder of the vibrant trade that had defined these lands.

The night sky above adorned with constellations that had witnessed both joy and sorrow retained its beauty. The stars undiminished by the ravages of war sparkled like diamonds against the dark offering a glimmer of hope to those who dared to look up. It reminded its inhabitants that even in the darkest moments beauty could endure.

The war in Sylvaria was a relentless and devastating conflict leaving scars on both the land and its people. The once thriving lands became battlegrounds with the echoes of gunfire and the result of destruction haunting every corner. Families were torn apart, homes reduced to rubble and the air thick with the scent of despair. The reason for war was longstanding political tensions and territorial disputes between two major factions Monfort of the Northern Territories and the Dominion of the Southern Realms. These factions had a history of simmering animosities fueled by resource conflicts, ideological differences and past grievances.

The Monfort located in the colder northern regions of Sylvaria was characterized by its industrial prowess and a desire for territorial expansion to secure resources. It was Led by a coalition of ambitious leaders and it was believed to hold key advantages in trade and military strength.

On the other hand the Dominion, situated in the warmer southern realms prided itself on cultural heritage and traditions. The Dominion resisted encroachment by the Monfort viewing their expansionist goals as a threat to the identity of their territories. The clash of values and the desire to maintain sovereignty became rallying points for the Dominion's leaders.

The war erupted when diplomatic efforts to resolve these deep rooted issues failed. Both sides mobilized their forces, leading to a devastating conflict that swept across Sylvaria.

The Sylvarian kingdom was once whole and unbroken it was a playground for two children who saw no divide between the north and the south. Back then, Monfort and the Dominion were merely names spoken by adults, distant titles that had little to do with their small world.

You and Taehyung had grown up together in the borderlands of Sylvaria, where fields of wildflowers stretched out under the warm sun and the soft winds carried the scent of a peaceful melodies. The border between Monfort and the Dominion had been little more than a line on a map. But to you both, it was nothing but a line to cross for the sake of play and adventure.

"Catch me if you can!" Taehyung's voice had echoed across the flower-filled meadow, his laughter ringing out as he sprinted ahead of you his dark hair wild in the wind.

You grinned determined to catch up, "You’re not that fast Taehyung!" you yelled, your feet kicking up dirt and petals as you chased after him.

He stopped at the edge of the field just before the treeline turning to face you with a wide teasing grin. "Maybe you’re just slow!"

You finally caught up to him, out of breath but laughing. " I’m slow only because you’re always running away!"

Taehyung’s smile softened, and for a moment the world was paused in that perfect golden afternoon. "I’ll never run away from you" he promised, his voice quieter more sincere than his usual playful tone.

And he had meant it back then. When war and borders were still just distant ideas, when the only thing that mattered was the freedom to be together, to explore, to dream of the future. The two of you spent your days chasing those dreams whether it was hunting for secret hiding places in the woods or imagining what life would be like as adults.

"Do you think Sylvaria will always be like this?" you had asked him one day, as the two of you lay on your backs in the tall grass, staring up at the endless blue sky.

Taehyung had turned his head to look at you his dark eyes thoughtful. "I hope so. Maybe one day, we’ll live in a city where Monfort and the Dominion don’t matter It’ll just be us."

"Just us" you had repeated smiling at the thought. "That sounds perfect."

But as you both grew older, the world began to change. The war crept closer inch by inch, and with it the innocence of your childhood began to slip away. Borders were no longer invisible lines but heavily guarded walls. The fields that had once been your playgrounds became battlefield and the laughter that had once filled the air was replaced by the sound of marching soldiers and whispered fears of what was to come.

Taehyung’s visits became less frequent, though he never stopped coming. Even as the tensions between Monfort and the Dominion escalated, even as it became dangerous for him to cross into your territory, he would find a way.

One night, long after curfew you heard the familiar tap on your window. You rushed to open it, finding Taehyung crouched on the windowsill his dark cloak blending into the night. His face was covered but you could see the weariness in his eyes.

"You’re crazy for coming here" you whispered though you couldn’t hide the relief in your voice.

He smiled though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. "I’d be crazier if I stayed away."

You stepped aside to let him in, your heart racing. It had been weeks since you had last seen him and each time he visited, you feared it would be the last.

"How are things on your side?" you asked as you handed him a glass of water sitting beside him on your bed.

Taehyung’s expression darkened. "Worse. The Monfort leaders are pushing for full control over the borderlands. They’ve started recruiting… boys our age. They want soldiers."

Your stomach twisted at the thought. "But you’re not a soldier" you said your voice tight. "You don’t want this war."

He looked down at his hands the weight of the world settling on his shoulders. "It doesn’t matter what I want anymore."

You reached out taking his hand in yours. "You don’t have to do what they say. You can stay here with me. We can leave Sylvaria go somewhere they can’t find us."

Taehyung shook his head a sad smile pulling at the corners of his lips. "I wish it were that simple. But they’re not giving us a choice. My family… they need me. And if I don’t fight they’ll be marked as traitors. I won’t let that happen."

The realization hit you like a punch to the chest. "They’re forcing you into this."you say

"I thought I could stay out of it, that I could protect my family without getting involved. But the more I resist the harder they push. I’ve started training Y/N. They’re grooming me to be something worse than a soldier." His voice was strained and for the first time you saw the fear in those eyes

"What do you mean?" you asked dread pooling in your stomach.

Taehyung’s gaze met yours and his next words sent a chill down your spine. "An assassin. They want me to be their assassin."

You stared at him disbelief flooding your mind. "No... they can't make you do this."

His hand gripped yours tighter desperation flickering in his eyes. "I have no choice. If I don’t become what they want, they’ll destroy my family Y/N. My father, my mother... they'll pay for my disobedience."

Tears welled in your eyes, your throat tightening. "Taehyung, there has to be another way. You can’t... you can’t become what they want you to be."

"I don’t want this" he whispered, his voice breaking. "But if it’s the only way to keep them alove... I’ll do it. I’ll become what they need me to be."

You couldn’t breathe the weight of his words crushing your chest. The boy you had grown up with the one who had promised you forever was slipping away, replaced by the assassin Monfort was molding him into.

"But you’ll lose yourself, Taehyung" you choked out. "The person I know the person who’s always cared about others... you’ll lose him."

He looked away his jaw clenched. "Maybe I already have."

From that day on the visits became fewer and far between. Each time he came there was more distance in his eyes more weariness in his movements. The boy you had known was disappearing consumed by the war and the expectations placed on him.

He became Monfort’s weapon, a shadow in the night carrying out orders that left him hollow. And yet, he always returned to you no matter the danger, no matter how deep he sank into the darkness.

"I still see you"

You whispered to him that night, as he sat on your windowsill "You’re still Taehyung. You’re still the boy I grew up with."

He had turned to you his eyes filled with a sadness that broke your heart. "Maybe to you, y/n. But to the rest of the world I’m just a monster."

And even then, you couldn’t bring yourself to believe it. To you, Taehyung would always be the boy who chased fireflies with you, the boy who promised you forever even when the world tore itself apart around you.

But you both knew that forever was slipping through your fingers, like sand in an hourglass running out too fast.

The cold wind swept through the abandoned streets, bringing with it the scent of ash and iron. In the distance you could hear the steady march of soldiers boots pounding against the broken cobblestones. And you knew. You knew before anyone said a word.

He had been captured.

Your feet moved on their own, carrying you toward the source of the growing crowd. The air buzzed with tension Dominion swelling like a storm. They had him. They had Taehyung. You pushed through the crowd, people shouting with anger and the venom in their voices blending into a blur. None of it mattered. Nothing mattered but him.

And there he was standing in the center of the square, hands tied in front of him, his once sharp calculating gaze now weary and resigned. He didn’t fight. There was no escape left for him.

The crowd surged and cries of hatred filled the air. “Murderer!” they screamed. “Assassin!”

But you couldn’t see what they saw. You saw him Taehyung the one who had been forced into a life of death, the one who had once told you that his heart still ached for the Sylvaria you both used to dream of. And he found you in the crowd, his eyes searching until they met yours.

In that moment everything else disappeared. The hatred, the violence, the bloodlust it all vanished. There was only him and the memories of what could have been.

“You shouldn’t be here” Taehyung’s voice was rough, but there was no anger in it. Only sadness.

You stepped forward, the crowd too focused on their chants to notice you slip between them. “And neither should you” you whispered your heart breaking as you took in the state of him. His once proud stance had crumbled, his clothes torn and stained his face battered and bruised. Yet, he was still Taehyung, even now.

“I told you this isn’t over” he murmured his gaze never leaving yours, though his words were as hollow as the promises he had once made.

Tears blurred your vision and you shook your head, unable to find the words to express the pain clawing at your heart. "I can’t lose you" you whispered though you knew it was already too late.

“They’ll never stop, Y/N. Not until the blood they crave is spilled” he said, but you saw the fear in his eyes fear not for himself, but for you.

You wanted to argue you wanted to to tell him that you would save him, that there had to be another way. But when you looked at the executioner standing nearby their hands gripping the sword with practiced ease your words failed you. The crowd was baying for his blood and no amount of pleading could change what was about to happen.

“Please…” Your voice cracked and you stepped forward until the soldiers blocked your path. “He’s not ...he’s not just an assassin. You don’t understand.”

Taehyung’s gaze softened and he shook his head gently. “Let it go, Y/N. It’s better this way.”

“No!” you cried your hands fisting at your sides as you fought against the soldiers who held you back. “I can’t let you go, Taehyung. I can’t watch them—”

His eyes were glassy as he smiled that small broken smile. “You’re the only thing I’ll remember, even in the end.”

The crowd grew louder, the jeering became unbearable. You could see the fury in their faces, the desire for revenge against a man they didn’t even know. To them Taehyung wasn’t a person. He was a symbol of everything they hated.

And yet, to you… he was everything.

The executioner stepped forward and time seemed to slow. The metallic gleam of the blade reflected the setting sun and your heart clenched painfully as the distance between it and Taehyung closed.

“No, no, no,” you sobbed, fighting harder against the soldiers your body trembling as the weight of what was about to happen crushed you.

Taehyung’s gaze never wavered from yours even as the blade was raised above his head.

“I love you” he mouthed, though the words were swallowed by the roar of the crowd.

And then the sword fell.

It was swift merciless. The sickening sound of metal meeting flesh echoed through the square and the world around you seemed to shatter.

The crowd cheered.

But you didn’t hear them.

You didn’t see the faces of those who celebrated the death of the man you loved. All you saw was Taehyung, his body crumpling to the ground in a lifeless heap his blood staining the earth beneath him.

You screamed the sound ripped from your throat as you broke free from the soldiers’ grasp and ran toward him. Your knees hit the ground and your hands trembled as you cradled his face, tears streaming down your cheeks.

“Taehyung” you whispered, your voice broken and raw. “Please… please come back.”

But he didn’t. He couldn’t. His once bright eyes were dull the life that had burned so fiercely in them now extinguished.

You pressed your forehead to his your sobs shaking your entire body as the weight of the loss settled deep into your soul.

“I love you” you whispered through your tears, though you knew he would never hear it.

Around you, the crowd dispersed, their bloodlust sated. To them, the war had claimed another victim. But to you, it had taken everything.

You stayed there holding his lifeless body as the sun set on the broken kingdom. The stars began to appear in the sky, glimmering like distant promises of hope but for you there was no light left.

All that remained was the silence, the cold and the memory of the him who had once loved you since forever.

#bts #bts fanfic #bts imagines #bts smut #namjoon #park jimin #kim seokjin #min yoongi #jung hoseok #kim taehyung #jeon jungkook #taehyung #bts bangtan boys #dystopian #angst #forbidden love

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brooklynislandgirl · 2 years ago

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@kylo-wrecked {{I couldn’t get submit to work...sorry.}}

Prompt: [ 2 ], reversed: — SENDER, young and alone, is going to be spending the holidays on their own. RECEIVER, unwilling to let that happen, continually invites SENDER to join them, including them in their activities. bonding together, RECEIVER becomes the found family SENDER didn’t have.

Some worlds rejoice in winter, holidays to ward off the dark and the cold and use what stores were saved up during the harvest. Coruscant and most of the Inner Core did not, but in certain places of the mid-rim, and almost all of the outer rim, community feasts and the like could mean the difference between life and death. When the Force pulled her from her self-imposed exile, she did not expect to be raising children or training apprentices. Her disdain for both had been widely known back when she herself had been a padawan. Things change though. Anakin is now only her comfort through the Force, and the Empire too has passed away. The Little One had been reluctant to give her the one thing she’d come to claim, but she’d left peaceful and appeased. The boy appeared sullen, quiet the entire way. Towers over her all awkward and gangly limbs, a face he’d yet to grow into… but those eyes. Dark as they were, she knew them as she knew her own soul. She could easily see his grandfather peering out through them, and there is still a trace of wonder in them. Something she wishes to stoke to life. The morning of the solstice dawns late, slivers of three of the four moons visible near the horizon. It is the shortest day of the year, and one of the coldest she’s known. She engages the heat via the master console, and brings up the lights. She waits for him in the lodge’s dining area for him to make his appearance. When he finally does, she flutters a delicate hand toward a steaming warm mug, a plate of sliced fried bread drizzled with honey and berries. “I should like you to eat, then return to your room. The most formal of the clothes in your closet, the polished boots. We are taking a trip. I have a surprise for you.” For the first time since she’d laid eyes on him perhaps, Melakeni Ivers’ mouth twitches into a smile, showing the points of her teeth, and there is a hint of actual warmth and pleasure in her timeless visage. “I do not assume your former Master allowed winter celebrations?”

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strawberrystepmom · 1 year ago

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THE BALLAD OF LOVE AND HATE - PART I

jedi padawan!geto suguru x princess!f reader. part of the jjk star wars au. wc 2.1k. divider thanks to @/saradika!

PT. II

The one thing they never taught you during your lessons growing up is how dull the life of a Princess can become.

You attend meetings alongside your father, all glistening teeth and foamy gowns hoping to woo the senators into standing by your side should conflict ever occur. They don’t include you in their conversations but you always sit on the fringes of where they do, eyes averted elsewhere hoping they won’t catch on. It has always suited you to remember that not all delegates from their respective planets view women in politics as kindly as your father does, demurring away from questions about your future posed by those who may find it distasteful for you to admit your ambitions to become senator someday.

So you sit. Elbow resting on the table in front of you, the smooth cool marble grounding to your wandering mind, chin in your palm. Boredom begins to creep into the edges of your mind as you swing your feet beneath the table but you turn upon hearing your name from behind.

Approaching, your father. In tow? The most handsome man you’ve ever seen draped in gray robes.

Dark hair tied back in a tidy half bun off of his face is the first thing you notice, shining like an onyx figurine that sits on your dresser, a gift from the home planet of one of your closest allies. His eyes are sharp, astute, and his nose is elegant in a way you aren’t sure you’ve seen before. Your breath sticks in your throat and you try to make sense of your surroundings, adjusting your posture and smoothing down the skirt of your dress as you stand to greet them.

You wonder if he isn’t a figment of your imagination. A young man sprung into life thanks to the romantic fantasies you’re only allowed to entertain as you listen to your handmaidens speak of their dalliances after you’ve been tucked safely into your bed and left to dream. They kiss, they hug, they feel fingers across places on their body you can only imagine being touched in.

You smile kindly but you seethe with jealousy beneath the surface upon hearing about these situations, dozing off beneath your soft covers with a scowl.

As someone would, you tend to dream of love. The kind that soothes the loneliness that comes with being perceived as unapproachable. People bow to you but never look you in the eye, a fact that makes you shrink in on yourself where you stand. Posture slumping, undoing the work you just put in to appear regal, you look less a princess and potential future senator and more the child recently turned woman that you are.

“My dear,” your father’s disapproving voice drags you from the recesses of your mind and you are dropped cruelly back into a reality where a dark haired dream stands in front of you, padawan braid cascading down his shoulder. Your heart stops at the sight. It doesn’t matter how handsome you find him, that braid means one thing and one thing only.

Off limits, you remind yourself so many times in a second it becomes a swarm inside of your head. Off limits. Off limits. Off limits.

Bowing, you put on your best smile and give the young Jedi your name. He smiles back, warmth emanating from the look and you wish you had never seen it. You wish he’d avert his gaze like everyone else does but amber eyes meet your own, locked in place.

“I’m Suguru Geto, it’s a pleasure to meet you, your highness.”

Nervously, you extend your hand in his direction and he takes it with a bow. Chivalrous as you’d expect a man of his station to be, it gives you chills when he stands back up to his full height, much taller than you are. Breath catches again but you keep the awareness of being watched by a room full of party goers prickling at your senses to keep yourself somewhat calm.

“The pleasure is mine,” you return kindly while dropping your hand back at your side when his fingers release their hold on it. The rest of the room falls away, your focus locked on him as you wonder how this could happen to you.

“I’ll let the two of you speak.”

Suddenly, your nerves flare and you struggle to find the words to even appear diplomatic in his presence.

It’s not that you haven’t been around young men before - dozens of them are your contemporaries and you socialize with them regularly - but you’ve never been around someone who has made you feel like this before. Sweat slicked palms with a dry mouth, thoughts racing and stomach turning. Before you can think about it too deeply, he offers relief by starting the conversation himself.

“Lively bunch tonight, isn’t it?”

You laugh, looking around the room to see the stoic faces of many grumpy old men all too pleased to sit around and complain while swilling the sweet wine made from berries your planet is known for. They’ll drink their fill, discuss their politics, and be gone in the morning. It has been the same all your life, since you were only knee high to your father and looking up at the faces of the delegates that now use canes to get around the grand banquet hall.

“Livelier now that you’re here.” Your remark is honest, noticing the guests casting their eyes in the direction of the two of you and muttering amongst themselves. “It’s rare we are visited by Jedi unless something bad is happening.”

He chuckles and you want to sigh at the sound. It’s velvety, deep. Rich like the cake you had on your recently celebrated birthday that welcomed you into adulthood and you wonder if it would be greedy of you to make him laugh more just to commit the sound to memory.

“Master Yaga was invited tonight and allowed me to accompany him. He said it would be good to get to know the people we work closest with.”

Smiling, you nod. You know Master Yaga very well, someone who has been your protector on more than one trip you’ve taken alongside your family or on your own outreach missions, and you cannot be happier for Suguru that he is being taught by a man you consider one of the best you’ve ever met. Kind without trying too hard, brave without seeming arrogant - he’s the perfect Master for the young man at your side and it fills your gut with butterflies to imagine him growing into a man similar to his mentor.

“He’s right. We tend to like you more if we have the chance to know you first,” you joke and he laughs again. Internally, you pat yourself on the back for entertaining him although you know it’s unbecoming and the delegates are certainly going to whisper.

The two of you have started to walk through the hall and toward the open balcony doors, taking small unhurried steps toward your destination to ensure that the conversation is not interrupted. You take a cursory glance around the crowd and spot Master Yaga standing in the opposite corner but he does not glance back, focused on the enthusiastic conversation between himself and the delegate from Coruscant.

“Are you enjoying yourself?”

The young man considers your question for a moment before nodding, hands resting on either side of his belt with his thumbs hooked in the loops. He seems so casual and it makes you feel more anxious, eagerly darting your eyes around the room to look at anything but him.

“I am, the hosts have been gracious and wonderful.”

The hosts being yourself and your father, of course. Your cheeks heat at the compliment and you welcome the cool evening breeze over your warm face as the two of you finally cross the threshold between inside and out. Thinking back, you imagine all of the times prior you’ve stood on this very balcony and looked out over the city below you. You’re familiar with every corner and alley yet you feel as though you have never experienced any of it at all.

Choosing to sit rather than stand, you settle on a stone bench and he follows suit, sitting beside you. The two of you do not touch but you still feel electric, being this close to a man you just met sending your head spinning. The silence isn’t awkward but you can tell he’s beginning to feel uncomfortable, perhaps being this close and alone with a young woman, so he speaks.

“It’s very late, Princess. I’m surprised they let you party into the dawn with the rest of them.”

Laughing, you shake your head and realize that you do feel a bit tired. You’ve been at this for hours, listening and waiting and watching and perhaps it is past your usual bedtime. Despite being an adult, your schedule remains structured in case you’re needed to tend to your regular duties and you’re surprised that your attendant has not come to find you yet to usher you away.

You’re glad she hasn’t, looking to your left to admire Suguru’s profile. If she had you would have missed this, the way the stars shine behind him and the gentle dark of the night makes you feel as if everyone else has fully disappeared.

“I suppose I’m a little worn,” you mumble. Head feeling heavier than it did just a minute ago, you blink slowly to try and encourage yourself to wake up, hoping you can will a cool breeze to blow once again and revive you but it doesn’t. You just feel comfortable and safe and before you know it, your eyes start to shut and you struggle to open them back up, your neck relaxing as your head leans to your left.

As you fall asleep, your cheek resting gently on his shoulder and your lips puffed out in a sweet pout, he looks over your face, he knows in his gut that it’s trouble. The two of you shouldn’t even be this close but he has a responsibility, given orders by your father to keep you out of trouble tonight and who is he to deny a sleepy princess a comfortable place to rest her head?

Looking down, his eyes dance over your face. You look like a delicate doll, something he knows is intentional to keep you non threatening, but your spirit shines so brightly it almost makes your eyes sparkle when they’re open.

Off limits, Suguru’s thoughts echo your own and he looks away from you, lifting his face and searching the party for your guards and father to escort you home.

He feels it too, the gravitational pull, but this was not meant for the two of you and something like this is only bound to end in heartache for both of you.

Anxiously, he looks around and spots a worried looking young woman who appears to be a little younger than you approaching, rubbing her hands against the fabric of her skirt that looks identical to the one you’re wearing. You must be with her, he reasons quickly and he offers a smile in return.

“I think she had a little too much fun,” he jokes and the young woman laughs, reaching out to gently place her hand on your shoulder and shake you. Your lashes flutter open and you squint to get used to your surroundings, jumping slightly as you look up and see dark eyes staring back down at you.

“Oh, I’m so sorry.”

He shakes his head, the same smile he has cast in your direction all night across his lips.

“Nothing to apologize for but promise me you’ll let her take you to bed.”

Giggling, feeling awkward and uncertain of what else to do, you nod in agreement. Your advisor reaches her hand out and helps you up and you fight the urge to whine at the loss of the warmth of Suguru’s body against your shoulder. He remains seated, frozen in place as he watches you rise, and you cast a glance over your shoulder as you’re hurried away. Your lashes flutter as you blink, still groggy, but you smile so warmly it’s all he can look at.

“I hope we see each other again soon, Suguru.”

He bows his head, clasping his hands together in his lap.

“I hope the same, Princess.”

Off limits, he reminds himself one final time as he watches you work your way back into the throng of people standing in the banquet room. Despite his kind words he hopes he does not see you again.

If he does, he knows you’ll become the one thing a Jedi is not to have - an attachment.

#kendall writes #geto x reader #geto suguru x reader #jjk star wars au #it takes a galaxy collab

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helloanthy · 7 months ago

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🗒️ 24.04.2024 ⋅⋅⋅ 🥀

some notes for 20.09.2023 post and a separate cut out for utena because i spent a very long time rendering her ... the original concept i had in my head for this art was very different. it was just supposed to be a style study of this an official anime prop design art, and i'd thought to draw anthy in a similar pose across from her like in the shown version, but with her wearing her prince outfit from the manga. something something another form of female competition under the patriarchyyy stop pitting 2 girlprinces against each other omg etc (side note, how sick would it have been in an AU where akio made anthy fight against utena in the ring? like i dont think it would hav added more to the story or made it better really ... probably would've diluted the message to be honest ... but everytime i see that manga art of prince anthy i imagine some convoluted black rose arc AU where utenas dodging anthy getting her hair hacked off left and right like himemiyaaa nooo snap out of it this isnt uuu while anthys silent and dead eyed hahaha) but then after i drew prince anthy, the picture looked rather empty ... so i thought to add a few decals or borders in the style of the show & official arts but aaahh ... there was still too much negative space. i had to scrap anthy's prince outfit and put her back in her rose bride dress 😭 man !!! he cant keep getting away this !!! [blames akio the figurehead of patriarchy instead of taking responsibility of my own actions] which made me sad because i was pretty satisfied with the way i drew her pose and legs ! but i had to cover it up 🥲 ... the composition overall looked better though. and then after that it kept spiraling. i just kept adding more and more things until i lost control of this drawing and it plagued my WIP folder for months ... i dont want to try and connect all of it in words so ill just lay out all the pieces for you so you can connect them yourself. and you can experience my art thought process in fraction of erraticity and frustration as i experience it myself. this is a lot neater than what happened in my head though because i bothered to put it in order. honestly if i can make you feel a little bit insane trying to scroll through and read all this than i can make you understand how annoying my brain is when all i wanted to draw was utenanthy girlprinces fighting starting references & inspiration: utena prop reference sheet & manga prince!anthy

the tower & the lovers tarot

above: the lovers as depicted in the tarot of marseilles deck, tarocco bolognese deck, & tarocco piemontese deck the lovers (tarot card) wikipedia: The Lovers is associated with the star sign Gemini, and indeed is also known as The Twins in some decks. Other associations are with Air, Mercury, and the Hebrew letter ז (Zayin). In the Rider Waite deck, the imagery for this card is changed significantly from the traditional depiction. Instead of a couple receiving a blessing from a noble or cleric, the Rider–Waite deck depicts Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

a.e. waite, the pictorial key to the tarot, part III, section 3, no.6: UPRIGHT: Attraction, love, beauty, trials overcome REVERSED: Failure, foolish designs. Another account speaks of marriage frustrated and contrarieties of all kinds a.e. waite, the pictorial key to tarot, part II, VI. the lovers: In the foreground are two human figures, male and female, unveiled before each other, as if Adam and Eve when they first occupied the paradise of the earthly body. Behind the man is the Tree of Life, bearing twelve fruits, and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is behind the woman; the serpent is twining round it. The figures suggest youth, virginity, innocence and love before it is contaminated by gross material desire. This is in all simplicity the card of human love, here exhibited as part of the way, the truth and the life. It replaces, by recourse to first principles, the old card of marriage, which I have described previously, and the later follies which depicted man between vice and virtue. In a very high sense, the card is a mystery of the Covenant and Sabbath. The suggestion in respect of the woman is that she signifies that attraction towards the sensitive life which carries within it the idea of the Fall of Man, but she is rather the working of a Secret Law of Providence than a willing and conscious temptress. It is through her imputed lapse that man shall arise ultimately, and only by her can he complete himself. The card is therefore in its way another intimation concerning the great mystery of womanhood. going off of the rider-waite tarot deck: the pictorial key to the tarot—biddytarot's interpretation of the lovers: UPRIGHT: Love, harmony, relationships, values alignment, choices REVERSED: Self-love, disharmony, imbalance, misalignment of values In its purest form, The Lovers card represents conscious connections and meaningful relationships. The arrival of this card in a Tarot reading shows that you have a beautiful, soul-honoring connection with a loved one. [...] The Lovers is a card of open communication and raw honesty. Given that the man and woman are naked, they are both willing to be in their most vulnerable states and have learned to open their hearts to one another and share their truest feelings. [...] On a more personal level, The Lovers card represents getting clear about your values and beliefs. You are figuring out what you stand for and your philosophy. Having gone through the indoctrination of The Hierophant, you are now ready to establish your belief system and decide what is and what is not essential to you. It’s time to go into the big wide world and make choices for yourself, staying true to who you are and being authentic and genuine in all your endeavors. At its heart, The Lovers is about choice. The choice about who you want to be in this lifetime, how you connect with others and on what level, and about what you will and won’t stand for. To make good choices, you need to be clear about your personal beliefs and values – and stay true to them. Not all decisions will be easy either. The Lovers card is often a sign that you are facing a moral dilemma and must consider all consequences before acting. Your values system is being challenged, and you are being called to take the higher path, even if it is difficult. Do not carry out a decision based on fear or worry or guilt or shame. Now, more than ever, you must choose love – love for yourself, love for others and love for the Universe. Choose the best version of yourself. Finally, The Lovers card encourages you to unify dual forces. You can bring together two parts that are seemingly in opposition to one another and create something that is ‘whole’, unified and harmonious. In every choice, there is an equal amount of advantage and disadvantage, opportunity and challenge, positive and negative. When you accept these dualities, you build the unity from which love flows.

the tower (tarot card) wikipedia: The Tower is widely associated to danger, crisis, sudden change, destruction, higher learning, and liberation. In the Rider–Waite deck, the top of The Tower is a crown, which symbolizes materialistic thought being bought cheap, downcast. a.e. waite, the pictorial key to the tarot, part III, section 3, no.16: UPRIGHT: Misery, distress, indigence, adversity, calamity, disgrace, deception, ruin. It is a card in particular of unforeseen catastrophe REVERSED: According to one account, the same in a lesser degree also oppression, imprisonment, tyranny (the wikipedia included a.e. waite's upright meanings, but i have no idea where they got the reversed meanings) going off of the rider-waite tarot deck: the pictorial key to the tarot—biddytarot's interpretation of the tower: UPRIGHT: Sudden change, upheaval, chaos, revelation, awakening REVERSED: Personal transformation, fear of change, averting disaster The Tower shows a tall tower perched on the top of a rocky mountain. Lightning strikes set the building alight, and two people leap from the windows, head first and arms outstretched. It is a scene of chaos and destruction. The Tower itself is a solid structure, but because it has been built on shaky foundations, it only takes one bolt of lightning to bring it down. It represents ambitions and goals made on false premises. The lightning represents a sudden surge of energy and insight that leads to a break-through or revelation. It enters via the top of the building and knocks off the crown, symbolizing energy flowing down from the Universe, through the crown chakra. The people are desperate to escape from the burning building, not knowing what awaits them as they fall. [...] The best way forward is to let this structure self-destruct so you can re-build and re-focus. [...] with a card like The Tower, you have no choice but to surrender to the destruction and chaos, no matter how unwanted or painful [...] After a Tower experience, you will grow stronger, wiser and more resilient as you develop a new perspective on life you did not even know existed.

infant stars taken by NASA hubble used in the background overlay of akio's tower star birth | cool cosmos: Stars form from the simplest of building blocks - huge clouds of gas and dust that permeate the Galaxy. [...] While these big clouds of dust and gas lay dormant for many millions and perhaps billions of years, eventually some of them are disturbed. This can happen gradually, maybe caused by the approach of one of the Milky Way's spiral arms as it slowly sweeps around the center of the galaxy, or it can be a sudden event, like a nearby supernova explosion that blasts a shockwave through the cloud. Either way, a small increase in the pressure and density of the cloud forms knots in the gas and dust that eventually collapse under their own gravity, pulling more and more of the surrounding material in, and forming the stellar "seeds" known as protostars. From Protostar to Star: As the clouds collapse, they start to rotate, and, like a spinning skater pulling in her arms, each of these seed protostars begins to spin faster the more it collapses. The material falling towards the protostar flattens out into a rotating disk of dust and gas encircling the central core. The protostar warms up, as the potential energy of the material falling in is converted into kinetic energy, but it has not yet ignited to form a fully-fledged star. For the next few million years, the protostar's gravity pulls in more material from the surrounding cloud into its disk. That disk transports the gas and dust onto the protostar, causing the protostar to grow. The increase in mass causes the gravitational field of the protostar to increase and so even more material is pulled into the disk. The addition of more material, in turn, increases the gravitational field even further, pulling in more material, and so on, creating a feedback loop that keeps the whole process going. [...] The density and temperature of the protostar keep climbing higher and higher, until eventually the core grows to about one tenth the size of our Sun, and becomes hot and dense enough for hydrogen nuclei to spontaneously stick together to form helium, in a process called nuclear fusion. At that instant, the core ignites, and the new star is born. Meanwhile, in the disk, clumps of material have been forming, which are the seeds of new planets. These seeds sweep up material in the disk in a process called accretion, forming the planets of a new solar system. Once the star has started nuclear fusion, the heat and wind from the infant star begin to blast the gas and dust away, creating a cavity in the cloud. As more and more matter gets funneled onto the star from the disk, the star gets larger and larger, causing it to push harder and harder against the cloud and the disk, enlarging the cavity, vaporizing the disk, and halting the growth of planets.

deadheading (flowers) wikipedia: Deadheading is the horticultural practice of removing spent flowers from ornamental plants. Deadheading is a widespread form of pruning, since fading flowers are not as appealing and direct a lot of energy into seed development if pollinated. The goal of deadheading is thus to preserve the attractiveness of the plants in beds, borders, containers and hanging baskets, as well as to encourage further blooming. Deadheading flowers with many petals, such as roses, peonies, and camellias prevents them from littering.

[...] Ornamental plants that do not require deadheading are those that do not produce a lot of seed or tend to deadhead themselves [...] if the plant bears attractive seeds or fruits, deadheading is normally avoided

ladybird, ladybug, lady beetle: scientific name "coccinellidae" wikipedia: Etymology: [...] The common English name ladybird originated in Britain where the insects became known as "Our Lady's birds". Mary ("Our Lady") was often depicted wearing a red cloak in early art, and the seven spots of the species Coccinella septempunctata (the most common in Europe) were said to represent her seven joys and seven sorrows. Trophic Roles: Coccinellids act both as predators, prey and parasitic hosts in food webs. The majority of coccinellids are carnivorous and predatory. [...] Cannibalism has been recorded in several species; which includes larvae eating eggs or other larvae, and adults feeding on individuals of any life stage.

Defense: The bright warning colouration of many coccinellids discourage potential predators, warning of their toxicity [...] Species with more contrast with the background environment tended to be more toxic. Coccinellid haemolymph (blood) contains toxic alkaloids, azamacrolides and polyamines, as well as foul-smelling pyrazines. Coccinellids can produce at least 50 types of alkaloids. When disturbed, ladybirds further defend themselves with reflex bleeding, exuding drops from their tibio-femoral (knee) joints, effectively presenting predators with a sample of their toxic and bitter body fluid.

despite said being named after the lady virgin mary they are known to be promiscuous breeders, who's habits have been documented to result in epidemics of sexually transmitted infection in large populations, subject to various academic studies

lyric from lady oscar's theme song "the rose perishes beautifully"

youtube

ok there was more but its been like 8 hours it turns out trying to put my thoughts into words even if its just a bunch of copy pasting is even more annoying than just thinking them im ending this post 😭

#🗒️#📜

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yaniiiiism · 2 months ago

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stars and raindrops. -k.sm ✬ // 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 two.

chapter two ^^

☆┆pairing : kim seungmin x fem!reader ͏ ☆┆ info : sadfic , fluff , melancholy , unrequited love (cough cough) , feelings , mature themes , suggestive , bsfs , one sided , uni au , happy ending (?) ͏ ☆┆ personas + bg : uni students ; best friends ; trio of jisung, seungmin and reader. music students! ☆┆ word count : 1.5k ☆┆warnings : sad, seungmo's a sweetheart but just clueless. notes at the end !!

𓍯 ִֶָ ! ❀,

ii ) ❀ think i like you, best when you’re just with me, and no one else.

"I think I’ll head out," she said quietly, pushing back her chair.

Jisung’s eyes shot up. "Already? You’ve barely touched your food," he pointed out, his tone surprised. "Class doesn’t start for another hour."

She grabbed her bag, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Yeah, but I've got some work to catch up on before class. You know how it is."

Jisung’s gaze lingered on her for a moment, as if he wanted to say something more. But in the end, he simply nodded, offering her an understanding smile. "Okay..? Min and I’ll see you after class then,"

The blonde beside them looked up at her, noticing the dimness in her eyes. He decided not to comment on it, as he brushed up a little wave of his hand, “I’ll see ‘ya ‘round,”

She nodded, "Yeah, I’ll uh.. see you guys later."

With that, she slung her bag over her shoulder and made her way out of the canteen. The pair that had sat across, were too busy in their own little world, chatting away to notice the girl leave.

Her footsteps echoed lightly in the hallway as she moved away from the lively chatter behind her. Once outside, the cool air hit her, and she took a deep breath, trying to ease the weight that seemed to be pressing on her chest.

She didn’t want to be around anyone right now—not Jisung , and definitely not Seungmin. All she wanted was to be alone.

With her thoughts and herself.

Even though she knew that solitude would only intensify the ache she was trying to suppress.

Her steps quickened as she made her way toward her classroom, but she wasn’t really thinking about the lecture ahead, in an hour. Her mind idly wandered back to the scene earlier, as she shook her head as if the simple motion would erase the feelings she had no control over.

But the truth was, no matter how hard she tried, Seungmin would always be the centre of her thoughts.

It wasn’t fair. It was like she was trapped in this cycle, forever watching him from a distance, forever hoping for something that was never going to happen.

In the quiet of the moment, she allowed herself to feel the full weight of her emotions, the heartache she had tried so hard to hide as she entered the classroom, empty, and sat at one of the back benches. The classroom was still and silent when the girl had stepped inside, her converses tapping softly against the polished floor as if the room itself was holding its breath

There was no one here to witness her vulnerability, no one to judge her for the tears that now slipped silently down her cheeks. She wiped them away quickly, angry at herself for caring so much, for letting it hurt this deeply.

And yet, despite the pain, she couldn’t stop herself from caring. That was the cruellest part of it all.

The rows of empty desks sat like quiet sentinels, and the air was thick with the scent of lingering chalk and faded echoes from the lessons of the day before. It was the sort of peace that felt fragile, the kind that would break with the slightest shift of noise or movement.

The light filtered through the glass window beside her, in soft beams that painted the edges of her notebook with warm, golden hues. Pulling out the well-worn journal from her bag, she ran her fingers along the cover, feeling the familiar texture of the leather-bound pages beneath her fingertips.

The familiar pages were her sanctuary, her place for scribbling down fragments of thoughts, half-written poems, unfinished lyrics that flickered through her mind like fireflies, elusive yet persistent.

She opened it to a blank page and let her pen drift across the paper, not thinking, just feeling. Words flowed from her hand, unformed and raw, like the mist of a dream just before dawn.

She wasn’t sure what she was writing—maybe a verse, maybe a melody that only her heart knew the rhythm to. It didn’t matter. This was the one place where her thoughts could spill out unfiltered, unjudged.

The world outside the window was muted, distant, and the gentle sound of her pen scratching against the page became a kind of music, a rhythm that matched the slow and steady beat of her pulse.

The words fell like autumn leaves, drifting lazily down, one by one, never in a rush, yet always finding their place.

When soon, the door creaked open, and a few students wandered in, their laughter breaking the fragile stillness like stones dropped into a still pond. They didn’t notice her, too wrapped up in their own jokes, their own conversations that danced like threads in the air.

She barely glanced up, letting the sounds fade into the background, like the murmur of wind through trees.

And soon, the professor arrived not long after, shuffling to the front of the room with a weary air, his voice a monotone hum as he began the lecture.

She closed her journal softly, pressing the pen between its pages, her heart still lingering on the thought of him. The class dragged on, words from the front of the room becoming a muffled echo, distant and unimportant compared to the storm inside her. Seungmin had become an inescapable thought, one she couldn’t untangle herself from, no matter how hard she tried.

Her hand moved almost on its own, lazily copying down the notes that appeared on the board, her writing as absentminded as the thoughts that wandered through her head.

The words on the board didn’t mean much, just symbols and shapes that barely registered. But still, her hand continued its steady march across the page, filling line after line with neat, indifferent script.

Outside, the clouds were thick and grey, as if the sky itself was preparing to weep. She glanced out the window, feeling a strange kinship with the clouds, their heaviness, their quiet resolve to hold back the storm just a little longer.

She let out a soft breath, turning her attention back to her notebook, where the half-full page waited, still unfinished, still raw.

And the final bell tolled, a distant chime that seemed to echo with the relief of freedom, and everyone rushed out.

As she left the classroom, a familiar voice called her name, drawing her from the haze of her thoughts. She turned, spotting the duo of the puppy and squirrel, waiting near the exit.

Jisung grinned widely, waving her over with exaggerated energy, while Seungmin stood beside him, hands tucked casually into his pockets, his quiet presence enough to pull her focus in an instant.

“Y/n!” Jisung’s voice was bright, breaking through the cloud of her mood like sunlight as she ran to them. “Are your classes done? We were planning on going to the park again,”

She gave him a faint smile, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder. “Yeah, I'm done, let’s go!”

Jisung threw an arm around her shoulders with a laugh as the three left the premises.

Seungmin’s eyes rolled up in annoyance, as he watched the two of them, his gaze lingering on her a moment longer than usual. “Ji just wanted an excuse to leave campus,” he stated, glancing at the guy in question.

“Okay, so what?” Jisung huffed, his tone defensive. “Plus, I'm being a good friend too. Going to the park is way better than sitting in that stuffy classroom.”

They crossed the campus, the sun now hiding completely behind the clouds. The air was thick with the promise of rain, though the storm still held off, waiting just on the edge of the horizon. Jisung chatted animatedly about either his on-going song, or nothing in particular, filling the silence as they walked toward the small garden just opposite the university.

It was a quiet spot, usually empty except for a few students taking a break between classes. The three of them had been there countless times before, and somehow, it always felt like a place untouched by the chaos of their everyday lives.

“Ice cream?”

“Race you.”

That was all he said to the cheeky guy, before he practically sprinted away, only to be followed by him whining.

She glanced at the two, idiotic, guys, eyes only blinking as she was left alone dumbfounded, while they ran like maniacs to the small van.

There was something about him as continued to run, laughing ecstatically at the loud complaining by the guy behind him.

The way his broad smile made her feel as if all her worries had simply been brushed away by that alone. The way his eyes twinkled, even despite the dull evening, clouds shading the sunshine away. As if instead, he was the sun.

Radiating warmth, even if he didn’t realise it himself.

Her hands quickly fiddled through the chain of her bag, hurriedly grabbing her phone. As she pulled it out, she put it up, opening the camera app quickly.

Snap!

Probably, more than 15 shots were taken, each a witness to the moment as it lulled away slowly, each snap being a canvas to his smile, his precious, wide, smile.

Oh, how he didn’t even realise how he made her heart skip a beat, a quiet kind of warmth that spread through her chest, a low chuckle leaving her lips.

Oh, how she would’ve stopped the time right there, if she could.

“Hey, wait up for me!”

_ 　｡　　　⊹　　　.　　　✦⁺

a/n ♡︎

HELLO HELLO HELLO LATE UPDATE IM SORRY💔 IVE BEEN SO BUSY W STUDYING SHSHSH lmk if u liked this chp <33 tysm made another spam acc for skz @loveforseung ALSO I HAVE AO3 NOW !! user's same as @loveforseung go follow !! also making a masterlist for all of my posts, plz lmk if u wanna be a part of it ! <3 have a good day ~ – love, yani ♥︎

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princessbubblegumsstuff · 4 months ago

Text

Make up and Melodies

chapter 1

II series masterlist II next // previously II

genre(s) ➤ angst, fluff, smut, idol au, love triangle, make up artist x musician

pairing(s) ➤ han jisung x fem.character, hwang hyunjin x fem.character

warning(s) ➤ explicit language

words ➤ 4,3k

summary ➤ The first day at the new job in a foreign country is scary for everyone. Amelia is nervous, but Felix helps her through it. Han is annoyed with Felix's secrets and meeting the new girl leaves him stunned and confused...

Chapter 1

*Amelia*

I wonder if I’ll ever get used to the busy streets in Seoul. Everyone rushing somewhere, hundreds of people at one place and somehow everything still functions just fine. I thought I would be able to get used to it quickly, but every time I step out of my apartment, it still surprises me.

The cherry blossoms are the most beautiful at this time of the year. Spring. The time of love and change. That is what I said to myself when my childhood best friend Felix offered me a job here, in Korea. Yes, the Lee Felix of Stray Kids. It was time for a change. I would’ve never even thought of changing my life this drastically, but the opportunity was impossible to refuse.

I’ve known Felix since we were little. We met thanks to his younger sister Olivia. We went to school together and on one of our play dates, her annoying older brother showed up and we became inseparable ever since. We stayed in touch even when he left Australia, calling each other as much as we could and meeting up each time he came back home. I thought of him as my platonic soulmate. His career took off and he became my little superstar. Felix was one of the few people that couldn’t care less about the fame. It hasn’t changed him at all. He was still the same boy that I played hide and seek with.

So imagine my shock when he told me to move to Seoul and work for his entertainment company. He had just found out that I’ve finished my training as a make up artist and he was more excited than I. Maybe it was fate. That’s what ran through my head when he told me that one of their make up artists just quit. I told him I had to think about it but there wasn’t really much to think about. I had no excuse to not go. Actually, I had every reason to leave at that exact day. He couldn’t have picked a better time for me. I needed a change.

So that’s exactly what I did. I moved across the world, into a strange country, into a huge city where everyone speaks a language that I don’t understand fully, to work for one of the biggest k-pop bands in the world when I’ve just received my license. Is that enough of a change? I think it’s plenty.

Felix, like the angel that he is, found me an apartment near his dorm and the company. He arranged a first class flight for me while they were in the USA for a week, said I would have some time to settle in. And that’s exactly what I did. I unpacked my things, got as cozy as I could in my new apartment and I explored the beauty of Soul. I went sightseeing, tried some traditional food, went to see Han river and started casually visiting a nearby 7-eleven at two o’clock in the morning. I also practiced a lot, trying to recreate some of their looks on myself just so that I wouldn’t embarrass myself or Felix. It felt good, refreshing. I could finally breath again. I think this was just what I needed.

****

,,Melly!” Felix yells as he wraps his arms around me and squeezes me in a tight hug. I hug him back, squeezing him just as much if not a little bit more and breathing in his comforting scent. ,,Hi, Lixie!” I say against his chest. He pulls away, keeping his hands on my waist as he looks down at me with a smile so bright that the sun would be jealous. His eyes are wide and sparkly just like little stars and the freckles on his face make him the cutest person in this whole universe.

,,God, I’ve missed you. It’s been too long!” he sighs and hugs me again. I giggle and allow him to pull me back in. ,,It’s been ages, I’ve missed you too.” I whisper as I rub his shoulders. It felt so incredible to see him. It made me feel young and free again, made me feel hope for this new life I was starting. Felix gave the best hugs in the world. I found such comfort in them, always feeling safe and sound whenever he held me.

We sit down on the new couch in my small living room, our lips permanently curled up into honest smiles as we face each other and keep our fingers interlocked. ,,How have you been? How was America?” I ask him sincerely. ,,It was amazing, Mel. We got to see STAY and New York City is incredible, truly unreal. But I couldn’t wait to come back and see you” he basically squeals and I giggle at his adorable antics. ,,How have you been? Did you like it here so far? I hope you’re not having second thoughts.” he says quickly and I smile at his deep voice.

Puberty really hit him hard with that one. The contrast between his angelic features and his voice still confuses me to this day.

,,No second thoughts, no looking back. I really like it here so far. I’ve visited the most famous places, tried some food and settled in just like you said. I’m honestly so grateful for this, Lix. You have no idea how thankful I am.” he squeezes my hand and shakes his head. ,,No reason to be. I am happy that I get to see you everyday from now on. No stupid facetime and texts. I get the amazing real life Amelia.”

We continue talking for some while, discussing our latest news and what had happened since our last proper visit. ,,I can’t wait to introduce you to the guys. They’re all very excited to meet you.” Felix snickers.

Oh. That is the only thing I’ve been dreading. The only fear that followed me here. I have met Chris on a few occasions and I talked to Hyunjin briefly on a few of our phone calls but that was it. I have never seen or talked to the rest of the guys and I was anxious just thinking about it.

I wasn’t a particularly shy or reserved person, but meeting seven of the hottest and most famous men in the world would make anyone nervous. I was afraid they wouldn’t like me. That I wouldn’t make a good first impression and that their disenjoyment of my company could endanger my job or even worse, my friendship with Felix. It was a scary thought. But I knew Lix was excited to introduce me to his closest people and I would try my best to make him happy. ,,Yeah, I can’t wait to meet them either.” I smile softly, trying to hide my fear from the blonde angel sitting next to me.

****

The annoying beeping of my alarm wakes me up. It’s been some time since I had to wake up to it and I’ve gotten quite used to my free schedule. It felt nice not having to be somewhere on time and just deciding what I want to do on the spot. But that was all over now. Today was my first day at my new job. Today was the day that I’d get to meet the rest of Stray Kids, their manager and my new coworkers. I’ve been anxious since yesterday, waking up with an uneasy stomach and an uncomfortable feeling in my chest. I had to play it cool. I had to be perfect. I couldn’t fuck this up, no way. This had to work out. I would do everything in my power to make them like me.

I prepared my outfit beforehand and I was honestly really glad I did with how much time it took me. It didn’t really matter what the make up artists wear. It just had to be appropriate and preferably neutral colors. But I still opted for some of my better pieces of clothing. Because you just never know what they mean by ‘casual’ in Korea. I put on my dark grey dress pants with a black belt and a sleeveless black top with white lining. I did my make up naturally, trying to incorporate some of the Korean trends that I’ve seen and curled my hair for more volume. I checked myself in the floor length mirror in my bedroom probably a thousand times, reassuring myself. I looked good, professional, work-appropriate. I took a few deep breaths before I grabbed my bag and walked out of the apartment.

All of my calmness fell down the moment I actually found myself in front of the JYP building. A lot of people were coming in, making their way into their own jobs. I wonder in which department each of these people works in. The building was huge, seemed to be almost touching the sky as I watched it from bellow. It was also very scary. The first step I would take through the door would be like an official start of my new life. It would be sealing my decision of starting fresh, starting again. You can do this, Amelia. You need to do this! My inner voice was practically yelling at me. I took one last deep breath before I finally walked through the door.

****

,,This will be your space. All of the supplies are provided and whenever you need something, just write down a list and bring it to me and I’ll take care of it. The other make up artists should be here shortly as well as the boys. They’re also younger women such as yourself so I’m sure you’ll get along just fine and they’ll help you with whatever you might need.” Mr. Shin, the manager of the boys, says with a sincere smile as he shows me where everything is. I was grateful for the nice lady at the reception who helped me contact Mr. Shin because I’d totally get lost in this huge building. He introduced me to some other staff people that I’d probably see often, gave me an entry card, a name tag and showed me where I’d be working. He also explained a lot of things that were unclear to me. I was surprised what a kind man he was that he made the time of the day for me.

,,Thank you, Mr. Shin” I smile warmly with a little bow to which I’m still trying to get to used to doing. He bows a little too. ,,I hope you’ll feel welcome as a new part of our team and I’m sure that you will fit right in.” his words make me smile again. His encouragement and kindness is just what I needed to regain my courage. ,,Oh and one last thing before I leave you to it, you are the personal make up artist of Han Jisung. That means that you will be doing only his make up and just focused on him.” he adds right before he leaves.

Han Jisung. I was kind of hoping for Felix or Chris or even Hyunjin, because he was so handsome that there wasn’t a way you could make him look bad. I did my research before coming here, of course I did. I wanted to at least know who is who and remember their names. But then I dug little bit deeper and found myself watching sensual tiktok edits made by their fans and I got a little more familiar with their visuals than I planned to.

Felix mentioned Han before, of course he has. He talked about all of the members. I knew they were close. I followed them on instagram and saw some of their content so I wasn’t oblivious to their flirty friendship. But I’ve never seen nor spoken to Han. Felix always said he was the comedian among them. Maybe he will make me laugh while I’m doing his make up.

*****

*Han*

,,Are you guys ready to meet my girl?” Felix squeals once again and I’m so close to hitting him. He hasn’t stopped talking about this girl since she agreed to come here. I found the whole thing weird. Why would anyone move across the world and leave their whole life behind just because of a one phone call from your old friend? I was sure that she must be in love with Felix. There was no other explanation. I felt quite indifferent about this whole thing. Well that was at least until Felix started running his mouth about this mysterious girl, pulling out childhood stories and old inside jokes that none of us understood. Now I felt annoyed. I know she hasn’t done anything to make me dislike her yet, but when you have to constantly hear about someone, you just become annoyed.

,,Your girl? Thought you were just best friends.” Changbin snickers and Felix nudges his shoulder. ,,She is, but she is still my girl. My Mellyyy!” he squeals again and I have to physically hold my hands together so that I don’t slap his stupid face. I just hope that he will stop talking about her this much once we actually meet her. I planned on introducing myself and then just ignoring her after that. But then Mr. Shin informed us that she is going to be my make up artist. That meant that I would have to actually talk to her and interact with her, even more than the others.

„Does she know who’s she replacing?” I say bitterly, not holding myself back from the stupid remark. Felix’s smile fades. “Han-ah!” Chris scowls at me and I just shrug in defense. “What? I just thought she should know that she’s replacing Felix’s other girl.” I snicker again and Chris smacks my arm. Felix stays silent and picks up his pace, catching up to the younger members. “Not cool, Hannie” Minho says with a shake of his head.

It was a forbidden topic between us. I didn’t understand why. Felix should be able to self reflect and think about his actions as a grown ass adult. It wasn’t anyone else’s fault that he decided to hook up with my make up artist and get caught doing it. Of course she got fired. It was strictly forbidden to engage in any sort of relationships among the people at work. Everyone knew that, even he did and yet he still went on and fucked her in the woman’s bathroom and got her fired. And then he had the urge to call his old friend to make her move here and replace his old fling.

We never got along, her and I. She always had the hots for Felix, that was clear as day and his little crush wasn’t hard to miss either. I never talked to her more than I needed to. When I caught them in a hotel room together I knew that it would go south. And I told Felix what a selfish prick he was for it. Because of course it wouldn’t affect him in any way, but the poor girl would lose her job and her reputation for the lack of professionalism. And that’s exactly what happened. In my opinion she thought they were more than hook up buddies. She probably thought he would take care of her and actually fall in love with her or whatever. But once she got fired, Felix never spoke to her again and started plotting on this Amelia from Australia.

,,He should take responsibility for his own actions. He can’t do this again. She moved here from across the world for him. If he does the same thing he did to Ning, it will have much bigger consequences on the girl.” I sigh and everyone stays silent. They know I’m right. Of course they know that. But Felix has always been the cute one, the one everyone just wanted to take care of and none of us wanted to see that he fucked up. Real bad might I add. Don’t get me wrong, I love the guy. He’s my brother and best friend, but I’m not gonna play along with this shit. We all have urges, but we know how to keep it in our pants. He has to learn that too.

We split into the elevators and Chris faces me. ,,I know you mean well, but stop teasing him about it. It’s been hard on him too.” he says to me and I scoff. ,,Hard on him? What about Ning? She got fucking fired because of him and he doesn’t give a shit.” He sighs and runs a hand over his face. Chris always tries to keep us in line, always fixing the disagreements and fights between us. It’s good that he cares but sometimes he should let us be. ,,He cares, he feels bad about what happened. But there’s nothing he can do now. Ning is gone and she’s not coming back either way. So let him be.” I roll my eyes. “And be nice to Amelia, Han. She didn’t do anything wrong.” I scoff again. He’s scolding me like my father.

Amelia, Amelia, Amelia. That’s all that I’ve been hearing these past two weeks. I kind of hope she’s a bitch so that I can have a reason to dislike her. Or Felix could fuck her too and she would be gone for good. I don’t know if I can watch another girl drool over him. Ning was desperate for his attention. Everyday she came in wearing inappropriate outfits, her breasts spilling out and her legs on display even in winter. It was quite pathetic to me. She would do anything to get his attention. And I’m sure that this Amelia will be no different. Hell, she already topped Ning by moving here.

****

Felix rushes through the door first. We all follow behind him and I walk in last. All of the other stylists are already in the room as well as some of the other staff members. I don’t notice her at first until I hear Felix’s squeal and watch him run off to the right corner. My eyes follows his blonde hair as he rushes through the room and hugs a small figure tightly. All of us follow after him, Chris leading the way and Hyunjin following closely behind him, excited to finally meet the girl in real life. I stand further away, letting them all go before me.

Felix finally lets her go and she giggles. ,,Hi, bestie!” he says with a huge smile plastered across his face. I scoff under my breath before I hear it. The prettiest voice I’ve heard reaches my ears and I can feel my eyes widen. It increases my focus to the max and I listen intently, trying to find out if I’ve heard correctly. ,,Hi, Lixie!” she says and it’s like the sweetest melody I’ve ever heard in my life. I feel the urge to listen to her speak about her interests. The urge to hear her sing to me. The urge to feature her in every one of my songs.

I stand taller, trying to see what she looks like over Hyunjin’s big head. I need to know if she looks as sweet as she sounds. “Hey, Chris” I hear her giggle as he pulls her into one of his bear hugs, hiding her from me again. I’m annoyed at myself for standing so far, for choosing to be the last one to see her. ,,Hey, Melly” I hear Hyunjin exclaim and hug her as well. I roll my eyes, wanting them all to rush a bit and let me get my eyes on the girl.

She introduces herself to all of the guys in Korean with a thick Australian accent. It’s even more adorable than her English voice. She sounds a bit unsure about her choice of words so her voice has a bit of a confused edge to it and I feel myself getting addicted to it.

Finally it’s my turn. Changbin steps away and clears my view of the girl. I feel my body freeze the second my eyes lend on her. She stands there with an innocent smile on her plump lips with her brown eyes, framed by her long eyelashes, opened widely. Her skin is tanned, just like you would expect people from Australia to be. Her hair reaches her waist, curling and framing her face beautifully. It reminds me of my favorite chocolate pastry, the color just as warm. My eyes trace her whole figure. She’s dressed professionally, elegant and it makes my dick twitch in my pants.

Her figure makes my breath hitch. It is obvious that she isn’t from around here. She doesn’t look like any of the girls I’ve seen. Her breasts stand out, stretching the fabric of her top, making them noticeable even when they’re covered fully. Her waist is slim, exaggerated by her wider hips. He thighs are thicker, no gap between them and they look so soft, so plush even with the skin fully hidden from my hungry eyes. She’s just a couple inches shorter than me. And she’s so so pretty.

She’s prettier than half of the idols working here. She shouldn’t be doing their make up but dancing on the stage herself. Hell, she could just stand there and people would admire her. I know I’d be her number one fan.

She holds out one of her delicate hands to me and smiles widely, baring her perfect teeth and I notice as she looks over my figure exactly three times. ,,Hi, I’m Amelia. It’s nice to meet you.” her voice melts my brain into a putty and I am lost for words. I feel like she took my breath away and my words with it. I search her face before I look down at her hand and realize that she’s waiting for me to shake it. I gulp before I look up at her and take her hand. It’s warm and so incredibly soft. I feel electricity rush through me and warmth filling my stomach. ,,I’m Jisung, nice to meet you too.” I say as kindly as I can and let a smile take over my features.

We have some time before we all have to get ready so Felix has an amazing idea for us all to sit in one of the ‘chill rooms’ as we call it. There are tables with drinks and snacks and big comfortable couches. He walks us into our usual one, lets Amelia pick out her seat and then proceeds to squeeze in next to her. I choose the seat with the best view which means that I’m sitting directly across her. That gives me an opportunity to study her features without seeming creepy.

Hyunjin slips in on her other side, his eyes sparkling as they never leave her face and smile so big, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile like that. Jeongin sits next to me. The rest of the guys talk to her, asking her about Seoul and Australia. I turn to Jeongin, trying to figure out his reaction to Amelia. ,,What do you think about her so far?” I whisper to him in Korean after giving up on guessing anything from his neutral face expressions.

He turns to me and raises his eyebrows mischievously. ,,I don’t know. She’s very pretty though.” he smirks and I nod. She is very pretty. Beautiful actually. Mesmerizing. Ethereal. Gorgeous. Adorable. And so much more. Next to her even Felix loses his angelic aura and Hyunjin doesn’t look handsome enough to breath her air. She’s like a goddess. A goddess sent on earth to test me. To tempt me.

She talks to the other guys, answering all of their questions and politely asking too. She seems nervous though, her body tense and stiff as she sits on the corner of the couch and leaning away from Felix’s touchy arms. She laughs at their jokes and smiles back occasionally at Hyunjin who keeps staring at her like a hawk.

I also notice her taking little glances my way. It always lasts just a little moment, just a few seconds. But she looks right into my eyes, drags her sight down my body and then immediately away.

She’s been here for a few minutes and I already know it’s going to be hard. It’s going to be so difficult for me to be around this sweet sweet girl. My pants were tight from the moment my eyes landed on her. How am I supposed to see her every single day, let her touch me, speak to her and probably see her at our dorms too and not do anything stupid? Fuck, I really do hate Amelia already.

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