#johnny comes in and starts asking questions but upon receiving no answers he grabs a metal bat and breaks the paramedics knee

[muchmossymess]

I need to stop sleeping all day its giving me wild as fuck dreams

[just-come-baek]

body rhythm

Pairing: Taeyong x reader | mentions of Seulgi x Irene | mentions of Johnny x almost everybody

Themes: smut | fluff | dance!au 

Word count: 14.8k

Summary: Taeyong and Seulgi participate in a nationwide dance competition. However, due to unfortunate scheduling, she has to drop out of it, suggesting you, out of all people, fill in. Taeyong isn't pleased with how things manage to fall out of place, but he is in no position to be whiny about it. For him, it's either learn to work with you or lose yet another time to his arch-enemy.

Warnings: a moderate amount of fluff | Johnny flirting with everybody in plain sight | Johnny stalks people out on social media | cursing | Doyoung being a huge dick | Doyoung flexing his hips | reader has inappropriate thoughts about Taeil | Taeyong being very demanding dance teacher | stressfull situations | drinking | reader is kind of bratty and Taeyong finds it really frustrating | frustrated/angry making out | as per smut | oral!female receiving | unprotected sex (never try it at home or else Imma tell your parents) | they kinda fuck in the open and kinda check our their refection in the mirror |

A/N it's my entry for song association event, I hope you like it, and also don't forget to check out other entries ^^ they must be all out by now lol

“Are you ready?” Johnny inquired as he set his fourth coffee of the day on his desk and plopped onto the swivel chair in a cubicle next to mine. It was a really long day at work, and we both had trouble sitting through the end of it. Heaving a deep sigh, I looked at the pile of documents that required my attention, groaning before I sprawled across my workspace.

“I thought it’s canceled tonight,” I spoke as I looked at my wristwatch, wincing when I realized there was still one more hour until Johnny and I could finally clock out.

A few months ago, our lovely firm, instead of giving us a well-deserved raise, had decided to provide us with a variety of extra activities. Though I’d rather get some monetary benefits, together with Johnny, we chose dance classes. Our company was paying for it, so we might’ve as well attended.

Ever since then, every Thursday, we would go to a dance class to sweat out all of the pent-up frustration. I didn’t have plenty of expectations, still bitter after the company’s decision, but the dance class turned out amazing. Seulgi was our teacher, and although she was a bit demanding, she was patient enough to teach us some sick moves. If that didn’t scream talent™, I had no idea what did.

“Well… last week, she said she might be absent today, but I got a text from school that someone will fill in,” Johnny spoke matter-of-factly. I sighed, checking my phone, reading the same text message from the studio. I really didn’t have energy for dance classes, but there was no way Johnny would let me skip.

“Do you want to grab a drink after? I think I need one, or a few,” I proposed as I sat back in my chair, trying to let my eyes rest from the computer’s screen.

“Does a bear shit in the woods?” Johnny asked rhetorically, smiling at me as if I just read his mind. It was almost Friday at this point, and we deserved a little treat.

Though it felt like an eternity, the clock finally struck 5 p.m., letting us leave our claustrophobic cubicles. Tomorrow we would come back for another dose of torture, but right now, we were free. Only for a few hours, though.

Quickly, I returned home to get my gym bag. Thankfully, I lived within walking distance from both – my office and the dance studio, so it wasn’t as troublesome to commute as it was for Johnny, who got stuck in traffic almost every day.

A few minutes before the dance class, I was already changed into my gym attire, waiting for Johnny. Though no one was texting me, I stared at my phone, furiously typing away. Moon Taeil, also known as my secret crush, was leaning against the wall on the other side of the corridor, and I tried every single trick my mind could come up with not to look desperate.

“At this point, he must think you hate him,” Johnny commented as he conjured in front of me out of nowhere. “You should hit on him instead of trying to bolt every time he approaches you,” he added, and I rolled my eyes at his yet another one shitty advice.

“Can you remind me why I don’t take dating advice from you?”

“Why are you attacking me? I just wanted to help. There’s no need to get so aggressive,” Johnny defended his case, not really answering my question. Johnny was a self-proclaimed love expert, but to me, he was more of a pathological playboy. Either way, he seemed to understand the secrets of flirtation to pick up girls whenever he set his mind to it.

“I am just trying not to be obvious,” I commented, stealing a glance at Taeil. It was a silly crush, and though Johnny encouraged me to go for it, I never decided to act on my feelings. Taeil probably didn’t feel this way about me, so remaining idle actually saved me embarrassment after an inevitable rejection.

“Speaking of which, I figured out why Seulgi is so resistant to my charms,” Johnny announced proudly, and I raised my eyebrow, waiting for the big reveal. Everybody in our group knew that Johnny was attracted to Seulgi, but every time he tried to approach her, she would brush him off.

“By figured out, you mean you stalked her, right?” I commented when Johnny handed me his phone, showing me Seulgi’s profile. According to what Johnny dug out in social media, Seulgi was getting married to Irene – her girlfriend of five years. “Huh,” I mused as I gave him back his phone, trying not to laugh at him. Seulgi was already madly in love with someone else, no wonder she could resist his charm.

“Call it whatever you want,” Johnny started, putting his phone away. “Just don’t hold me down when FBI finally recruits me for my impeccable detective skills,” he argued, and I laughed as I imagined him leaving our lovely company. That would be a shame; I couldn’t imagine anyone else sitting in the cubicle next to mine.

“The room should be open,” someone hollered, mentioning for us to open the doors and get inside. I had seen him a few times around the school, so I deduced he must’ve been our substitute teacher today.

Once everybody took their spot on the dance floor, the man cleared his throat. “Hello everybody, my name is Taeyong. Together with Seulgi, we run this school, and I hope we will have a lot of fun today with new choreography,” he announced politely with a practiced professionalism. Perhaps Taeyong didn’t seem as cool as Seulgi, but we had to give him a chance to prove us wrong.

Taeyong was intimidating. I wouldn’t want to be left alone with him. When he showed us a few moves, he was immensely focused on delivering one hundred percent. It was impressive and admirable, but at the same, Taeyong gave off a scary fierce aura. Though he was a great dancer and teacher, Seulgi was just better.

“I think I have a heart attack,” I panted, gasping for air. The new choreography required lots of jumping, and I didn’t expect so much cardio today. I wasn’t out of shape; however, after dancing to Taeyong’s choreography, I had some doubts.

“We should’ve skipped,” Johnny commented, bending over with his palms on his knees, supporting his huge body. Taeyong’s dance routine was too much for us, and we weren’t the only people struggling to breathe. Thankfully, next week Seulgi would be back.

***

“You’re not gonna believe this,” Johnny announced, craning his neck to look inside my cubicle. Heaving a sigh, I put my pen down, giving him my full attention.

This better be good.

“What is it? Who are you stalking this time?” I inquired, giving him the attitude. Johnny was spending too much time on his phone during working hours, but I couldn’t really frown upon it because I often caught myself doing the same thing.

“First of all, I thought we agreed to call it researching, not stalking,” Johnny clarified, and I rolled my eyes. “And second of all, it’s Seulgi. She and the other guy from the dance studio qualified for some dance competition. Check this out,” Johnny explained, handing me his phone.

Seulgi and Taeyong rocked the stage. Though I had nothing to compare their performance to, they just oozed charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent. Without any shred of doubt, they would make it to the grand finale.

“Wow,” I mused, not sure how to appropriately respond. I was happy for their success; after all, their performance was broadcasted during prime time on national television. At this point, Seulgi and Taeyong were celebrities.

“I can’t wait for today’s class,” Johnny added in excitement, hiding his phone away inside the pocket of his jacket. “I have to congratulate her.”

“Them. You have to congratulate them,” I corrected Johnny as he seemed to forget about Seulgi’s dance partner. It wasn’t a solo competition, so both Seulgi and Taeyong deserved praise. “And as if you’ve forgotten, Seulgi is not and will never be interested in you. You gotta let this one go, man,” I added, hoping Johnny would stop his relentless flirting with Seulgi. Though it was funny at the beginning, it was evident Seulgi would appreciate it if he stopped.

“I am all over her. Trust me,” Johnny reassured me, and I let out a shallow sigh, wanting to believe him. “Do you know Wendy from the HR department? I think I’m gonna ask her out. I am all over Seulgi,” he added, and it actually convinced me. Although Johnny didn’t seek anything serious at this point in his life, and when something didn’t go according to his plan, he would shake it off and forget all about it.

“Ok, I believe you,” I said, giving him a genuine smile. “Oh, and I was thinking… how about some beer and chicken after dance classes today? I’ve been craving them the whole day,” I offered, and Johnny enthusiastically nodded. It did sound like a solid plan.

Thankfully, this week Seulgi was back, and everybody appreciated it. Taeyong was a great teacher, but we were a group of beginners, and it was difficult for us to follow his routine. We just weren’t ready for such complex choreography.

Everybody had so much fun today. At first, we practiced some old routines, working on synchronization. Later on, Seulgi taught us a few new moves, which I recognized from her television performance. Admittedly, they weren’t as difficult as they looked. Maybe it was a little bold of me, but I was thinking I was doing a pretty good job today.

At the very end of the class, Johnny delivered a dramatic congratulatory speech, making people laugh out of utter cringe. It was a nice gesture, and Seulgi’s embarrassment was adorable. She would cover her blushed cheeks and turn around, hoping the ground could swallow her up. In all honesty, it seemed to be the only way to shut up Johnny.

Just when we were about to be dismissed, I heard someone calling my name. Surprisingly, it was Seulgi. She must’ve wanted to discuss something with me. Damn it, was she going to scold me for not improving? Or was it because I sat half of the song out? I just needed a short break; I had no idea it would get me in trouble.

“I am sorry,” I apologized even though I wasn’t sure what for yet. Seulgi would enlighten me in a second, so I cleared my throat to apologize to her once again. However, when she giggled instead of yelling at me, I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

“I’ll wait for you outside,” Johnny hollered before he strolled out of the practice room.

“Am I in trouble?” I asked, and Seulgi smiled, shaking her head.

Great, it was a relief.

“Actually, I may sound crazy to you,” she started, fidgeting a little. It was strange, Seulgi was a strong and confident woman, but right now, she seemed rather bashful. “Would you like to participate in a dance competition?”

Her question took me aback.

“What?” I asked, trying to wrap my head around the topic.

“Let me explain,” she offered, and I reluctantly nodded.

By the look on her face, I could tell it wasn’t going to be a quick chit-chat. Seulgi had a lot of things to explain, so we decided to sit on the floor before she began her speech.

Patiently, I listened to everything she wanted to tell me.

Seulgi and Taeyong wanted to participate in a dance competition ever since they had decided to open up a dance school together. Last week they really thought they were going to achieve their dream. Unfortunately, as soon as they qualified and received the schedule, complications started to follow.

Maybe it was a little bit overconfident of them to think they’d make it to the finals, but it still made them anxious. Regardless of their talent, they wouldn’t be able to perform in the grand finale. Apparently, on the very same day, Seulgi was getting married.

At first, I wanted to interject that they could reschedule, but Seulgi beat me to it.

“It would be the third time we reschedule it, and I just can’t let that happen. I don’t want Irene to think I prioritize dancing over her. She means the world to me, and I’d quit a thousand times to get married to her,” Seulgi confessed, and I tried my best to contain my feels. There was something raw and pure about Seulgi’s love, and it moved me.

Seulgi’s proposition was genius in its simplicity. Together with Taeyong, she would perform, climbing up the rankings. And if by any chance, they would make it to the final round; she wanted me to fill in. Given I had been dancing at their studio for about four months I couldn’t comprehend why she chose me.

I was a rookie, for crying out loud!

Finding a substitute dancer made a lot of sense, actually. Instead of dropping out, they could find a replacement. This way, Taeyong could still make his dream come true. And next year, together with Seulgi, they could try to defend the title.

However, once again, Seulgi read my mind and answered my question before I voiced my doubts. She must’ve really thought this through before approaching me. It seemed she had rehearsed all possible inquires and came up with perfect answers.

“All of our dancer friends either compete against us or failed during qualifications,” she declared, and I hummed in response. “Unfortunately, people who already attempted joining can’t fill in for other dancers.”

“That sucks,” I commented, and Seulgi dryly chuckled.

“I think you would be a perfect fit,” she started, and I held my breath, wanting to hear what made her think I’d be able to rise to the challenge. “Everybody can memorize moves, but you have a natural passion for dancing. I can see it in class. Maybe you can’t see it yet because dancing is a hobby to you more than anything else, but I can tell you have the it™ factor.”

I was speechless. Seulgi, the dance prodigy, was praising my dancing skills. I couldn’t believe my ears. What kind of self-indulgent dream was it? Why couldn’t I dream like a normal person? I had tendency to toot my own horn sometimes, but it was just too much.

“I bet with proper training, you and Taeyong could win.”

“Let me think about it, okay?”

“Sure, of course! No pressure!” Seulgi replied enthusiastically, giving me enough space to clear my mind and think about it.

“See you next week.” I waved at her, exiting the dance room. Absentmindedly, I changed out of the gym clothes and walked out of the building, almost walking past Johnny.

“Hey, what did Seulgi want?” Johnny asked, grabbing my wrist, pulling me out of trance.

“She wants me to dance in her place if she and Taeyong ever make it to the finals.”

“What?!”

 ***

At first, I was hesitant about this whole thing. I wasn’t a professional dancer, and I really didn’t want to contribute to them losing the competition. However, Seulgi really made a point that they would have to drop out anyway, so in some twisted way, my participation gave them a slimmer of hope for victory.

Once I explained everything to Johnny, he really insisted I should help them out, spitting nonsense about fame and recognition and how I couldn’t doubt myself and just go with the flow. Opportunities like this rarely occurred, and I ought to welcome them with excitement.

So I did.

Every Saturday and Sunday, I dropped by the dance studio for practice. Taeyong still intimidated me, but I could deal with it. Seulgi was always around me to nag him whenever he demanded too much from me. They balanced each other very well, and it was fun working with them. Even though each practice left me with sore muscled, I was still excited. It was tangible proof I was improving.

Seulgi and Taeyong smoothly went through the contest, winning each battle with ease, slowly climbing in the ranking. There was still plenty of work until the grand finale, but everything looked they were to make it to the very top.

Unfortunately, the closer to the D-day, the less time Seulgi had to help us during practice. With her wedding coming up, she had a lot of preparations to deal with. As a result, Taeyong and I had to practice the dance routine on our own.

“No, you’re doing it all wrong,” Taeyong yelled in irritation when for the nth time, I turned to my right instead of my left. “Do it again; five, six, seven, eight,” he added, playing the song from the very beginning.

To say I was frustrated was an understatement of the century. I was aware that Taeyong really wanted to win the competition, but he didn’t have to be a dick about it. With no Seulgi to supervise him, he was unbearable.

“I think I need a break,” I declared once I turned to the wrong side again before Taeyong managed to scold me for it. Even though he shouted something again, I ignored it. With a deep sigh, I walked over to my gym bag to get my water bottle.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Taeyong asked, staring down at me with his arms folded across his chest, his demeanor dominant. His eyes were drilling holes in my head, his jaw was tightened – it was evident I was driving him up the wall. It was just a matter of seconds before Taeyong would snap, lashing out at me.

“I am taking a break,” I answered quickly, ignoring his angry stare. I was at my limit. If Taeyong didn’t back off, it would be the end of the practice for today. One more mean word and I’d storm out of the studio. I was here voluntarily. I was doing him a favor, and I didn’t deserve this type of treatment.

“Is it a joke to you?” Taeyong carried on, and I rolled my eyes. Of course, it wasn’t a joke to me. But at the same time, I was sick and tired of his shenanigans. I wanted him to win, but not when my mental health was on the line. He was pissing me off, and I wouldn’t let him walk all over me. “I thought you decided to help us out, but you’re not trying at all.”

He did not just say that.

“What?” I rhetorically asked, standing up, poking his chest with my forefinger. “I am trying my best here. You’re the one who makes it impossible to have fun dancing. You’re making it a chore, sucking all the fun out it.”

“Then tell me what I should do for you to finally make some progress? We’ve been stuck at this part for two weeks, and you still haven’t learned how to turn right!”

“Then go ahead and find someone else who can put up with your shit. I’m out,” I spoke, bending down to pick up my stuff, ready to leave the studio. Unfortunately, before I managed to exit the practice room, the doors opened, and Seulgi walked in with a confused expression on her face.

“Hey, what’s going on here?” She asked in worry, trying to put two and two together. It wouldn’t be the first time Taeyong and I argued, but it seemed to be the most intense one so far. It didn’t sit right with her. “Please don’t tell me you fought again.”

Briefly, I summarized what happened, and Seulgi looked down at Taeyong disapprovingly. I was glad Seulgi took my side; after all, she knew Taeyong could be too demanding.

“I am a dancer, but why does it feel I am a couple counselor? You two really have to learn how to work together when I’m not around,” she scolded us, making her point. If this whole arrangement was to work out, we both needed to establish some ground rules and learn how to put our differences aside. “I have an idea.”

Oh, no.

There was something mischievous in her tone, and I didn’t particularly like it.

“Let’s finish for today,” she proposed, and I smiled, thinking it was a great idea. Taeyong and I needed some time to chill, and calling it a day seemed like an appropriate way to do it. “Let’s go out clubbing instead!” Seulgi added cheerfully, clapping her hands in excitement.

“What?” Taeyong and I asked in unison, a bit surprised by Seulgi’s statement.

“That’s my prescription for the two of you,” she started, and I rolled my eyes. Taeyong and I didn’t get along as well as she wished for us to, but it wasn’t that bad. We didn’t need to bond over a few drinks in a crowded club. We would do just fine if Taeyong learned to go easy on me. “I believe we all can benefit from clubbing.”

“How come?”

“First of all, it will remind Taeyong that dancing is about fun, not overworking oneself,” Seulgi spoke, and I hummed, agreeing with her. “Second of all, it’ll give you a chance to loosen up. Your moves are still a bit stiff during intimate parts of the choreography,” she added, and Taeyong nodded in agreement. “And I really need something to drink because wedding planning is stressful as fuck.”

Not even thirty minutes later, we were inside the club.

“It’s a very sensual song. And you two really have to work hard to convey emotions through your dance,” Seulgi started as she sipped her tropical cocktail. “You must feel comfortable around each other and just ooze longing and sexual attraction,” she added, and I almost choked on my drink.

Performing with Taeyong was going to be more difficult than I had anticipated. When Seulgi and Taeyong showed me the choreography, I was amazed. Absolutely blown away. The way their bodies moved in synchronization left me speechless, but at the same time, I was a little bit nervous because I didn’t see myself living up to their level.

I wouldn’t consider myself particularly sexy. It made me feel awkward when I thought how seductive the dance routine actually was. I wasn’t sure I could pull this off, but Taeyong still had a lot of time to teach me.

“Take her to the dance floor,” Seulgi elbowed Taeyong, almost spilling his drink. Unenthusiastically, Taeyong looked at me before standing up and extending his arm.

Drunken people were jumping around us to the rhythm, and I awkwardly swayed from side to side, staring at Taeyong. With godlike precision, he moved, getting lost in the music. One could tell straight away Taeyong was a professional dancer.

Upon noticing how stiff I was, Taeyong shook his head, yanking me against his lean body. “How about you take a five-minute break to get that stick out of your ass? You look like you have no joints,” he yelled into my ear, his breath tickling my sensitive skin.

“I’ve had too little alcohol,” I replied, but Taeyong wasn’t having it.

“When we perform on the stage, will you need alcohol to let loose too?” Taeyong challenged with a playful smirk, and I rolled my eyes, too prideful to admit he was right. I couldn’t participate in that competition drunk. We wouldn’t win if I wasn’t able to come out of my shell and show everybody I had a sensual bone in my body.

“No,” I yelled into Taeyong’s ear. “How do I let loose?” I asked, hoping to hear some words of wisdom from him.

“Mirror what I’m doing,” Taeyong guided, and I nodded, focused on my new task. I could do that. I had been mirroring Seulgi’s movements during our classes, and I was pretty good at doing it. I could copy Taeyong’s moves.

At first, Taeyong danced a few classic moves we usually did during our warm-up routine. It was easy, and I think I nailed it. Later, he wiggled his upper body, feeling the rhythm. With envy, I observed how his body executed every single move, owning it. I wish I was half as good as Taeyong. Next to him, I probably looked like a crippled kid.

Upon noticing my struggle, Taeyong began jumping around, throwing his hands in the air. He looked ridiculous, but I remained focused on my task, dancing as if I was his shadow. Our bizarre moves earned some attention from other people, but our eyes were trained on each other, slowly getting lost in our own bubble.

I was sober, and I was on my way to owning the dance floor. I couldn’t believe it was happening. Maybe Taeyong’s charisma overshadowed my poor attempts of showcasing mine; however, I was sure I made a big step in the right direction. Slowly, I was improving.

“How about we spice it up a little bit?” Taeyong shouted into my ear, and I cocked up my eyebrow, thinking what he meant by that. “Don’t be shy,” he added, yanking me against his body. Taeyong was so close I could feel his legs rub against mine. “Come on, sweetheart. Touch me, tease me, feel me up,” Taeyong snickered, getting on my nerves. Not only Taeyong was smug for no reason, but he also quoted the song, which I was slowly growing to hate.

Taeyong must’ve assumed I’d back out. Surely, he didn’t expect me to follow his instructions and actually run my hands across his chest, shoulders, and back while simultaneously swaying my hips, earning approving stares from impressed men on the dance floor. At first, he was surprised he talked me into it, but a second later, he smirked, resting his palms on my sides, slowly exploring the valley of my butt.

I had no idea I had it in me, but Taeyong helped me discover it. We were basically grinding against each other, and it somehow didn’t feel awkward at all. We were just two people having fun.

“I’m sorry I was so harsh on you,” Taeyong apologized, shouting in my ear. “I’m just stressful all the time, and I think I may sometimes take it out on you,” he added, and I looked at his face, which was dangerously close to mine.

“It’s understandable,” I replied as I wrapped my arms around Taeyong’s neck, finding it much more comfortable. Now with our bodies pressed together, it was easier to have a conversation. “I know how much you want to win this competition. I’ll try harder,” I promised, and Taeyong released a relieved chuckle.

Who would’ve thought an adult conversation would work better than shouting at each other?

“Thank you,” Taeyong spoke genuinely, and I pulled away, staring at his face. His eyes were trained on mine. No matter how many hours we had spent at the dance studio, his gaze still intimidated me sometimes.

“Ekhm, I need a break,” I said in a desperate need to break eye contact with him. The dance floor was crowded, and it was making me dizzy. I was getting dangerously hot, and it seemed like heaven to get back to our booth and finish our drinks.

“Of course, you need a break,” Taeyong teased, sending me a lopsided smirk. “It’s okay, though. We still have plenty of time to work on your stamina,” he added as he grabbed my hand, leading me out of the crowd. Carefully, we zigzagged around drunken people, trying to make it safely to Seulgi.

Unfortunately, by the bar counter, someone walked into Taeyong, almost knocking him down.

“I’m very sorry,” a man shouted, but I could sense the words weren’t genuine.

“Doyoung,” Taeyong spoke, gritting his teeth, staring at the other man. Taeyong’s grip tightened around my hand. I figured he didn’t particularly like Doyoung.

“Taeyong,” Doyoung sighed, checking Taeyong out from head to toe before his gaze shifted to me. There was something spiteful about his lingering eyes, but I couldn’t pinpoint it. For sure, there was some bad blood between two men, and I suddenly felt an urge to know more. Inquisitiveness got the best of me.

Taeyong and Doyoung kept glaring at each other almost as if it was a competition. The tension was so intense one could cut it with a knife. I cleared my throat in a poor attempt to break their stare contest, but they didn’t even acknowledge my presence.

“I saw your last performance,” Doyoung finally spoke, scoffing. “You’re getting out of it, and here I expected to kick your ass in the finale. I wouldn’t be surprised if you and your partner got eliminated next week.”

I thought I had seen Taeyong furious, but right now, I was proven wrong. The way he looked at me whenever I was a handful during our practice was nothing compared to the way he glared at Doyoung. Taeyong was scary, and I decided to not get on his wrong side ever again.

“I’d gladly kick your ass here, but I’d rather wait for the finale. You know what people say about prolonged gratification,” Taeyong talked back, and I gasped, trying to comprehend what I just heard. Taeyong was getting cocky, and it made me nervous. I was already stressed about the possibility of performing, and he just added more pressure on my shoulders.

“We’ll see about that,” Doyoung replied, focusing his scrutinizing gaze on me. “But I have to say I kinda look forward to seeing you cry again. The way I beat you the last time was spectacular.”

“Let’s go, Taeyong. Don’t waste your breath on him. He’s not worth it,” I exclaimed, pulling Taeyong’s hand, reminding him I was there the whole time. I couldn’t listen to Doyoung talk trash about Taeyong. If Taeyong wasn’t going to walk away by himself, I had to intervene and pull him aside. Doyoung was provoking him.

“And who is that?” Doyoung asked in a mocking tone, displeased by the way I looked at him. Though I didn’t know the back story, I took Taeyong’s side. At least, Taeyong didn’t try to humiliate his rival, while Doyoung had already tried a few tricks to tick Taeyong off.

“You’re right,” Taeyong said, looking at me. It was evident he was holding himself back, trying his best not to take the bait. “Let’s go,” he added, pulling me away from Doyoung.

“Who was that?” I asked as we approached our booth. Unfortunately, I didn’t get my response. Upon arrival, we noticed that Seulgi was sprawled on the table, giggling to herself.

“Is she always like this?” I inquired, concerned about how drunk Seulgi got in such a short amount of time. We were gone for thirty minutes tops, and she was barely conscious after drinking her and our drinks.

“Aww… there you are… my dear friends,” she cooed cutely, trying to attack Taeyong with cuddles. She was adorable, but it was kind of irresponsible to drink by herself when we were on the dance floor. Thankfully, nothing happened. We returned just in time to collect her and escort her home.

“I can’t believe my plan worked,” Seulgi grinned, pointing her finger at Taeyong. “You no longer have a stick up your ass,” she exclaimed at Taeyong, too drunk to realize she should be talking to me. “And look at you! You were having fun!” Seulgi yelled, extending her arms to hug me. “I am so proud of you!”

“I should take her home,” Taeyong reasoned, considering it the safest option. He could call an Uber for Seulgi or just phone her fiancée to pick her up but bringing her home himself seemed to be the most rational solution. “Will you be alright by yourself?” He inquired, and I nodded right away. It was sweet of him to look after me too. Thankfully, I barely touched my cocktail; I could get home safely on my own.

“Don’t worry about me,” I replied casually, sending him a reassuring smile. “Just make sure Seulgi makes it home safe,” I added, warming up at the way Taeyong hauled up Seulgi, carefully leading her out of the club. It made me wonder if Johnny did the same to me. Probably. He wouldn’t be that gentle, though. If anything, he’d throw me over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes. Or just drag me out like a corpse.

“Give me a call once you get back home,” Taeyong demanded before we parted ways.

 ***

“You went clubbing without me?” Johnny dramatically asked after I told him everything that happened on the weekend. Despite my detailed narration, it seemed as if that was the only thing he caught on to. “How could you?”

“Relax, dude,” I rolled my eyes, shuffling around my desk, getting ready for work. It was Monday morning – it was about time we start our gossip routine.

“And I was wondering… would you mind helping me researching this shady dude? There’s some conflict between him and Taeyong. And I need to know what happened,” I started, wondering if Johnny would cooperate with me and put his stalking abilities to good use.

I was too embarrassed to ask Taeyong about Doyoung. Besides, I had a hunch he would either brush me off or scold me.

“Do you know anything about this dude besides his name?” Johnny pulled out his phone, no questions asked. “Please, don’t tell me that’s the only thing you know.”

“I mean… he’s probably a dancer,” I added with a sheepish smile, making Johnny heave a deep sigh. “He must be a big deal, though. Apparently, Taeyong lost a competition to him.”

“I’ll try to find some dirt, but it may be difficult given how little info you gave me,” Johnny declared as he began his thorough research.

It took Johnny five minutes to find the correct Doyoung. It was remarkable. If it wasn’t enough for the FBI to hire him, I’d gladly present them a recommendation letter. Quickly, I opened Doyoung’s profile on my phone, scrolling through his feed.

At first glance, Doyoung seemed to be a regular bratty internet star with an overgrown ego. His follower count was impressive. Studying his profile, I learned a lot about him. Unfortunately, it had no value. There was nothing specific about his conflict with Taeyong.

“How was your date with Wendy?” I asked Johnny as I gave up on my research. Whatever was the root of their bad blood would have to remain a mystery.

“It was fine,” Johnny started, but I could tell he wasn’t entirely honest. His disappointed tone betrayed him. “She left before the waiter brought the dessert. Apparently, she didn’t particularly like when I kept calling her Wanda.”

“Ouch.”

“No hard feelings, though,” Johnny shrugged it off, trying to focus on the positive aspect of their terrible date. “At least, I’ve had two slices of cheesecake. Besides, I’m kind of into Sooyoung from the creative team now. I think she is the one.”

“Every girl you’re into is the one,” I interjected, rolling my eyes, done with his antics.

“Oh, by the way, I’ve forgotten,” Johnny chimed in, staring at me in excitement. “Taeil asked me about you,” he revealed, and I almost spat out my morning coffee.

“What?”

“Are you still into him, though?” Johnny inquired, rubbing his temple in deep thought. “I haven’t heard you gush about him these days,” he pinpointed, and I wondered if my crush on Taeil was still as intense as it was a few months ago.

Taeil was insanely hot. I kept drooling whenever I saw him operate the printer. It was inappropriate to check him out whenever he bent down to change the ink, but I couldn’t help myself. Or whenever we met by the vending machine.

Good old times.

Right now, though, I rarely caught myself thinking about him. At first, I thought it was due to a hectic schedule. I was either at work or at the dance studio or getting shit-faced with Johnny on another wild adventure with him and his friends.

It was difficult to comprehend how easily my crush faded into thin air. Taeil was still sexy as fuck, but while I appreciate his looks, I wasn’t daydreaming how to get into his pants. At this point, I was just admiring his attributes in the most nonsexual way imaginable.

Apparently, the lack of response on my part was everything Johnny needed to confirm his suspicion.

“So what? Are you into Taeyong now?” Johnny asked boldly, and now, I actually choked on my coffee, thinking I heard him wrong. How did he jump to that conclusion?

“What?”

“Don’t get me wrong, but it kinda looks like you’re into him,” Johnny commented, playing with a pen. “You talk about him all the time with lots of passion. I think there’s something going on between you two. Is he single?”

“I talk about him all the time because I live to complain, and recently he’s the sole reason why I gotta vent,” I defended, but Johnny didn’t seem convinced. “And I don’t know if he’s single. I don’t really care,” quickly, I rejected all accusations, but in all honesty, his words got me wondering.

Was I attracted to Taeyong?

Surely, Taeyong was ridiculously attractive. He danced well, too. Unfortunately, we didn’t click much. There was passion between us, but it wasn’t romantically stemmed. We just kept annoying each other. I wouldn’t consider it sexual. We were just getting on each other’s nerves often, unable to properly solve our differences.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, honey,” Johnny teased, and I fought the urge to throw the stapler at him. “I bet fifty bucks you’ve imagined him naked, fucking you dumb.”

What the fuck, John???

I did not imagine Taeyong naked!

Not until now, at least.

“I seriously hate you right now,” I complained, deciding it’s about time I focus on work.

 ***

After Johnny had planted naughty thoughts in my mind, each dance practice was unbearable. My mind was running wild, coming up with different scenarios involving Taeyong and me in intimate situations. It was wrong on so many levels, but I couldn’t bring myself to stop.

After months of practicing the dance routine, we decided it would be best to make some changes to the choreography. Though it was still sensual as hell, with our hands roaming each other’s bodies, we found it crucial to accentuate Taeyong’s talents.

It was a strategic plan. While typically male dancers helped the female dancers shine, we put a little twist to it. Though our performance was still pretty balanced, Taeyong had a few crucial parts of choreography, in which he would snatch everybody’s hearts.

Seulgi didn’t object to our strategy. Well… she was never there, to begin with. Seulgi was a ghost, never present during our practice, always busy doing some last-minute wedding prep.

“Let’s take a five,” Taeyong hollered as he turned off the music, sending us off to a short break. It sounded weird when it came out of his mouth, but I didn’t complain. We’ve been practicing nonstop for the past hour. At this point, I was panting.

Lying down onto the floor, I rested my head on my towel, reaching for my phone. Quickly, I unlocked it to see a series of notifications from Johnny. He had sent me a link to a video, telling me in all caps to watch it.

Having left the earphones in the locker room, I played the video quietly through my phone’s speaker. It was a short film with Doyoung. It must’ve been his performance from last year’s competition. Jamming to the music, I studied his moves.

Doyoung was really good. I mean… it wasn’t professional expertise, but I could tell he had talent. His body control was impeccable, his hip thrusts must’ve impregnated plenty of women in the audience, but his shoulder rolls were just otherworldly. Along with the female dancer, they showcased quite the performance. From the beginning to the very end, I couldn’t look away, failing to notice Taeyong approach me.

“What the hell are you doing?” Taeyong shouted, tearing my phone from my hand, double-checking what I was watching. “Why are you watching this?” He angrily asked, locking the device, wishing for it to stop playing music.

It was difficult to explain.

I couldn’t exactly tell Taeyong that I asked my best friend to do research on Doyoung in hopes of finding out what was the root of their conflict. Though we had never found anything substantial, Johnny would send me more footage to check out. However, regardless of how much stuff Johnny had provided me with, I was still clueless.

“Why are you shouting at me?” I spoke, biting on my bottom lip. I was in big trouble, so it was only logical to play dumb.

Taeyong stared down at me, demanding a genuine answer. His jaw was tensed, his knuckles around my phone turned white. It was just a meaningless clip, but it got him fuming at me. Regardless of what I’d tell him, he wouldn’t like the answer. I figured this much.

“Why were you watching that?” Taeyong yelled, raising his hand, almost smashing my phone against the floor. Thankfully, he held back and gently put it on my bag.

It was incredible how much the video affected Taeyong. The movie worked on Taeyong like a red rag to a bull. One moment he seemed fine, but once he figured out what I was watching, he snapped.

“You really want to know?” I challenged as I rose to my feet, staring at him. It was my turn to raise my voice. If he kept shouting at me, I was going to give him the same treatment. “Ever since that night at the club, I was curious. You were basically throwing daggers at each other, and I really wanted to know what happened between you two. You never bothered to explain it, and I didn’t want to push you.”

“Do you have your answers now?” Taeyong exclaimed, and I rolled my eyes, agitating him even more with my fed-up behavior. He was scary right now, but I refused to let him intimidate me. “Or do you want to read my diary too?!”

I resisted the temptation of saying yes to his offering. Taeyong wasn’t the type of person to write a dairy. He was exaggerating, but I didn’t want to provoke him further. At any mention of Doyoung’s name, wrath took control over Taeyong, turning him into his destructive self.

“If it makes you feel any better, I know shit about him,” I confessed, throwing my hands in the air. “I wanted to know what he did to you, but I came up with nothing. And believe it or not, the way he treated you that night made me worry. You’re my dance partner, and I care about you a lot, and it really hurt me seeing you in distress,” I spat, not thinking about consequences. I was talking without filter, probably spilling too much information.

My verbal diarrhea confused Taeyong. His huge eyes were staring at me in astonishment. He was studying my expression, wondering if everything I said was true. Oh, no! My reckless words made him uncomfortable. He must’ve grown to hate now.

In embarrassment, I looked down at my shoes. I felt terrible, and I needed to come up with something clever to say to save my dignity and ease the tension. However, before I managed to voice my sincere apology, I felt Taeyong’s hands cup my cheeks as he surged forward and kissed my breath away. It was sudden, but I reciprocated the kiss in an instant.

Stress, anxiety, anger, sexual frustration, and probably many other factors led us to this very moment. I had been daydreaming about Taeyong’s mouth on mine for a while now. And when it finally happened, I eagerly swept my tongue across his lips, deepening the kiss. Though I had tried my best to withstand the tension between us, I wasn’t oblivious to it.

Taeyong already knew almost every inch of my body, so his hands naturally began roaming across my skin. Moaning into the kiss, he held me closer, keeping me pressed against him.

“Taeyong,” I breathed out as I pulled away, only for Taeyong to smash his lips against mine again, successfully shushing me. This time around, the kiss was even more passionate, making my knees weak. In a rush, Taeyong pushed me against the wall, pushing his thigh between my legs. “We shouldn’t,” I spoke, but my tone wasn’t convincing at all. I wasn’t even sure who I was trying to convince that it was a bad idea.

“Shut up,” Taeyong demanded as he tilted his face, sucking on my bottom lip. His hands were on my butt, kneading my flesh, trying to make me moan into his mouth. In all honesty, it worked. Maybe, I whimpered incoherent sounds, but it’s was just a poor attempt to encourage him to keep kissing me.

Regardless of how much he was to gift me, I needed more. I wasn’t going to stop until I’d take everything Taeyong was willing to give.

I craned my neck to the side, and Taeyong quickly caught on, leaving a wet trail down my neck. His lips were delicate, careful not to leave a mark, while his hips were grinding against me, letting me feel how stiff he already was.

“Legs,” Taeyong ordered, gently slapping my thigh. Obediently, I spread my legs apart, letting his hand cup my sex. It was ridiculous how horny he was making me. Once his raspy voice echoed in my ears, I fulfilled his wish, waiting for another command in excitement.

“Please,” I begged, needing more of him. Whatever he planned on doing to me, I needed it now. Whether he was to tease me with his beautiful fingers or fuck me raw with his cock, he better do it now.

“Patience, sweetheart,” he whispered against my skin, pressing feather-like kisses along my collarbone. His touch was driving me insane. His hands were everywhere but where I wanted them the most. This type of teasing should be illegal.

It was more than I could take, so I took matters into my own hands. I could play this game, too. With a mischievous smirk upon my face, I hooked my forefinger under the band of his tracksuit bottoms. Unfortunately, Taeyong quickly swept my hand away.

“You’re such a bad girl,” Taeyong commented before he captured my lips again, sliding his tongue into my mouth, knowing I’d talk back to him. “You have to do everything your way. Would it kill you if you listened to me at least once?” Taeyong muttered, staring into my eyes.

Yes, I was a brat. Taeyong wanted me to submit to him, and I would do it eventually, but not before I’d tease him first. What was fun in that?

“Don’t answer that,” he added, and I rolled my eyes. Though we barely hung out outside the dance studio, Taeyong learned a lot about me. Having an answer to everything was one of those things he had the pleasure of discovering.

“Just fuck me, please,” I said nicely, staring into his eyes, hoping it would be enough to make him cave. “I can’t take it any longer,” I added, rubbing my loins against his restrained cock, making him let out a guttural moan.

My plan was working. Slowly, Taeyong was giving in, probably taking his time to think about the consequences of letting me experience instant gratification. Orgasm would’ve been sweeter if he made me wait a bit more, but it was difficult for him to control his urges.

Without any doubt, Taeyong wanted to bury his cock inside of me as much as I wanted him to fuck me dumb. We withstood so many practices without jumping at each other – I should consider it foreplay.

“Fine, but I’m gonna eat you out first,” Taeyong spoke, and I almost lost it by just imagining his jaw going between my thighs. Swiftly, he knelt in front of me, pulling my leggings down to my ankles in one fluid motion. Having kicked off my gym shoes, I wiggled the fabric off my feet, sending it flying across the dance studio.

Taeyong ran his fingers across my panties, inspecting how soaked they already were. With a smirk upon Taeyong’s face, he pressed a chaste kiss against my skin above the waistband before he yanked the undergarment down.

“Beautiful,” he said under his breath before he surged his face, taking my clit between his gorgeous lips, making me tilt my head in pleasure. Frustration got me sensitive. Even the slightest touch got me purring in delight.

Taeyong licked and nipped at my entrance, and I run my hands through his hair, encouraging him to keep going. He flicked his tongue, and I buckled my hips, wanting more.

“I need your fingers,” I pleaded, looking down at him. Taeyong looked breathtaking, with my juices were dripping down his sharp jaw, with his lips turned into a satisfied smirk. He was proud of how he was making me feel. His glistening skin was the very evidence of his skillful moves. “Taeyong, please, I am so close.”

Though I didn’t expect him to, Taeyong listened to my humble request. His middle finger slid right it, making me purr in satisfaction. I could finally feel him inside of me, and it was heavenly. His palm moved quickly, working me up.

The first orgasm was building up. Taeyong was fucking me now with two fingers while his mouth was fiddling with my clit. If it wasn’t for Taeyong’s palm, holding me still, I’d buckle right into his face for more friction.

“I’m about to come,” I declared, shutting my eyes close. As tempting as it was to peek at the mirror on the other wall and check out the view of Taeyong eating me out, it was more than I could take. My instinct to squeeze my eyes shut and welcome the orgasm was too much.

Unfortunately, it didn’t happen.

Before tiny tingles of electricity could unite and explode, shooting through me like a lightning strike, Taeyong pulled away, denying me of my orgasm. It physically hurt when instead of a blissful peak, I felt nothing.

“What the fuck?” I barked angrily, ready to pull him by his hair against my sex and press him against me, so he could finish the job.

“We’re coming together, or we’re not coming at all,” Taeyong sternly replied, standing up. His lips were swollen from all the work he was doing, and they looked even more kissable.

“I’ve never pegged you for such a teaser,” I stated matter-of-factly, still a little bit butt-hurt over the way how smug he was about not letting me come first. Maybe I was a handful most of the time, but I didn’t do anything wrong to deserve such treatment.

“I’m not,” Taeyong chimed in, biting down on his lip. “There’s just something about you that makes me want to punish for your misbehavior,” he explained, and I got it where it came from. I wasn’t the best student he could work with. “Isn’t it the sweetest torture?” Taeyong challenged before he surged forward, smashing his lips against mine again, raising my thigh and giving it a gentle rub.

“Please, Taeyong, I need you inside of me,” I begged as I ground my sex against his rock-hard cock. I couldn’t comprehend how self-disciplined and patient he was; his budge was throbbing underneath his pants. It must’ve been painful for him, and he did all of that to teach me a lesson. “Fuck me, already.”

“Relax, sweetheart. I got you,” he softly spoke as he hoisted me up, pressing me tightly against the wall. “To be honest, I expected you to lose it sooner,” Taeyong added, and I hoped he was talking about my sanity. I endured more than enough; his teasing was too much.

“How should I fuck you?” Taeyong asked, looking around the practice room, seeking a perfect spot to stuff his cock inside of me. We didn’t have a lot of options, but I didn’t care. He could fuck me in the middle of the room, and I’d eagerly spread my legs for him. “Screw it,” he cursed, gently lowering me down onto the floor. “Do you mind?” Taeyong inquired, and I shook my head as I wrapped my legs around his hips, pressing him against me.

“Strip,” I ordered, and Taeyong smirked before he pulled his T-shirt over his head, revealing his lean physique. My eyes marveled at his beautiful shoulders and toned muscles. I had touched him more than I could count, but I never saw him bare, and when I finally did, I gawked.

“What about you, sweetheart? Come on, I am waiting,” Taeyong teased, and I took off my T-shirt. I was only in my sports bra, and Taeyong bit his lip, staring down at me, admiring my simple beauty. With no further comment, Taeyong leaned in, attacking my collarbone. It was hot how attentive he was, but right now, all I needed was his cock buried deep down my cunt.

Desperately, I reached to his sweatpants, palming his erection through the fabric. As soon as I touched him, Taeyong released a needy growl, rolling his hips into my hand, finally giving in to the pleasure. He lost his self-restraint, and now, he seriously needed to fill me up with his throbbing length.

“Take them off,” I breathed out, pulling by the hem of his pants. With a lowered head, Taeyong tsked before he yanked them down to his knees, wriggling out of them. Just as I expected, his cock urgently entailed my attention.

Though the thought of blowing him crossed my mind, I eventually decided not to entertain this idea too much. It was apparent Taeyong wanted to him inside of my pussy. I’d suck him dry on a different occasion. Hopefully, it would happen soon.

“Fuck me, Taeyong,” I moaned as I trembled when the tip of his cock brushed against my folds. I was embarrassingly sensitive after his ministrations, and he dared to tease me again. “Please,” I begged as I gave his length a few gentle strokes, aligning it with my entrance.

“Aaahh…” Taeyong growled, slowly pushing his dick inside of me. Inch by inch, he filled me up, stretching my walls. A lot of different sinful noises came out of his mouth as he began steadily thrusting his hips.

Taeyong’s stamina was no joke. It was hard to believe how long he could snap his hips without messing up his rhythm. His low voice mixed with my desperate moans echoed inside the room, creating a wicked symphony along with the sound of our sweaty bodies smashing against each other.

He was fucking me hard, and I was in seventh heaven. Taeyong was filling me up so good; I could come undone on his cock anytime.

“Taeyong,” I moaned his name as I watched him fuck me. Though it was hot to look at his cock disappear in my pussy, it was even sweeter to stare in the mirror. With my head turned to the side, I studied the whole picture how Taeyong was fucking me.

“I am coming,” I screamed as I felt the bliss approach. Taeyong was panting, struggling to maintain his tempo with the way my walls tightened around his sensitive cock. Once he hit my sweet spot, I was a goner. After a few thrusts, I came, digging my nails in his back.

“Fuck,” Taeyong cursed, shouting my name as he shot his load inside of me, collapsing on top of me. We were a breathless mess, our bodies sticking together, but neither of us minded. At this point, we were too spent to care. “You were incredible,” Taeyong whispered as he pulled out, rolling to the side.

“You weren’t that bad yourself,” I panted, giggling, still recovering from the mind-blowing orgasm. Thankfully, Taeyong didn’t pay much attention to my playful jab. “I meant it what I said,” I added, turning around to look at him.

“I’m sorry for yelling at you,” Taeyong started, staring into my eyes, showing me his sincerity. “I just can’t help myself but get angry when I see him or hear about him,” he continued, and I nodded my head, letting him know I was willing to listen.

I didn’t expect that Taeyong would agree to vent to me, but when he did, I patiently heard him out. After all, I was pretty sure we were at least friends now.

“It all happened about a year ago. We were competing in the same contest, and he made my dance partner quit. Doyoung seduced her, toyed with her, and once the trophy was his, he dumped her. Because of him, I was disqualified, and she quit dance altogether.”

Listen to his story made me both sad and angry. Doyoung had been a dick to interfere like that – he must’ve known he hadn’t stood a chance against them in a fair fight. My blood was boiling in my veins as I put all the pieces together.

Sadness took over next. The way Doyoung had manipulated Taeyong’s dance partner was upsetting. The wound had been cut so deep, she couldn’t have forced herself to keep going. Doyoung had wrecked two lives, and it made my blood boil, too.

“We’re gonna beat him. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure we do,” I spoke, reassuring him. It was impossible to tend the wounds, but the least I could do is help Taeyong win. For what he had done, Doyoung deserved punishment. If I were Taeyong, I’d not hesitate to beat him up.

“I hope so,” Taeyong muttered, reaching for my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “It’s still fine if we don’t. I’m pretty sure karma will get to him eventually,” he added with a sigh.

“I’ll work harder,” I declared, feeling an extra wave of determination wash through me. “I’ll try my best,” I said, and Taeyong smiled fondly, content to hear me say it.

“Thanks. It means a lot to me.”

For a while, we were staring at each other. It felt nice and somehow more intimate than all the fucking we had done. If we were in bed, I could do it all night. Unfortunately, we were still lying on the uncomfortable floor.

“Let’s get washed up before we get too sappy,” I added, trying to ease the tension. I really enjoyed it, but it was getting a little too much.

“I hope you don’t mind sharing the shower with me. You know… water bills are a bitch,” Taeyong spoke, and I giggled at his bullshit excuse, finding it incredibly cute, considering what we had been doing a few minutes ago.

“Of course they are,” I deadpanned, chuckling. Though his excuse was lame, I liked Taeyong enough to go with it. “Come on. Let’s go. I don’t want anyone to catch me naked.”

 ***

After that one time at the dance studio, Taeyong and I made it a regular thing. However, we kept it civilized. We wouldn’t jump each other’s bones in the open like animals like we had done the first time. Usually, we would go on small kind-of-dates, which consisted of picking up food, going to my or his place, and then rolling in the sheets.

We were having lots of fun. It was a perfect way to de-stress. After all, the finale was this Saturday, and we were nervous as hell. In all honesty, I was still scared, but these orgasms were numbing my anxiety.

“I think that’s it,” Taeyong spoke, and I smiled brightly, unable to contain my joy. It was the first time Taeyong ever approved of our performance. Most of the time, he was nitpicking, complaining about the slightest mistake, but finally, he was satisfied with it.

I was ecstatic; I never expected to live up to Taeyong’s approval. Through hard work and persistence, I managed to earn his eulogy.

“What should we do now? How about we order some food?” I asked, feeling in a celebratory mood. Maybe it was a little bit too early to drink to this small success, but it’s still worth a shot.

“We should do it again. We should dance it flawlessly at least a couple of hundred consecutive times before celebrating,” Taeyong seriously replied, and I rolled my eyes. Despite his painstaking nature, a couple of hundred times, it was a bit too much. Even for him. “Don’t give me that look. Let’s start again; five, six, seven, eight.”

Though usually, I’d complain and try to force him into a five-minute break, right now, I was oddly energized. We were dancing for the past two hours, and I was panting out of exhaustion. Nevertheless, the thoughts of finally mastering the choreography kept me going.

“I’m pretty good at this,” I confidently commented while roaming my hands across Taeyong’s shoulders before he twirled me around to the rhythm. I could tell that Taeyong was just waiting for an excuse to pause the music and scold me for making a mistake. However, much to his dismay, I executed every move impeccably. “I had a pretty good teacher,” I added, stroking his ego. The D-day was approaching, and Taeyong obviously needed an extra boost of confidence.

“I must admit you were a piece of work. I have no idea what kind of sorcery is this,” Taeyong teased, staring into my eyes. We had practiced the routine plenty of times; we could probably perform it in blindfolds and not make a single mistake. “I must be a magician or something.”

“Don’t push it,” I warned him in a very non-threatening tone, making him smirk. “But it’s only partially your success. Seulgi told me I have the it™ factor,” I proudly said, cracking Taeyong up, messing the choreography. “Is it a student-has-become-the-master kind of moment?” I asked, laughing at Taeyong. For the dance prodigy, he was getting distracted way too easily. It was suspicious.

With a broad smile upon his face, Taeyong grabbed my wrists, making me look at him.

“How about we finish up for today? I have a surprise for you,” Taeyong said, and I cocked my eyebrows, biting my bottom lip. “Not that kind of surprise,” he added, rolling his eyes at me. “We might get it on later, though.”

“What kind of surprise then?”

“Wait a second,” Taeyong spoke, quickly jogging out of the practice room. In a minute, he was back with a garment bag in his hands. “Here, that’s for you. Seulgi came in the morning to drop it off for you,” he explained, and I pulled down the zipper. It was going to be my costume for the contest, and I was curious how it looked.

I was speechless. At first, I thought it was a joke. I wouldn’t be able to perform in that. However, the more I looked at it, the more sense it made. It was a simple white suit shirt, but when mixed with a leather body harness, high-waisted shorts, and boots, it fitted the concept beautifully.

“Do you like it? I thought it was too revealing, but Seulgi insisted you would look amazing in it. I mean… it fits the mood, but if you’re not comfortable with it, we still have some time to find something else,” Taeyong blabbered, and my heart swelled. It was very sweet of him to consider my comfort above anything else.

“It’s skimpy, but it’s fine. I like it,” I replied, having no idea where my confidence was coming from. A few months ago, I’d be anxious to even try it on in the confines of my bedroom. However, now I was planning on showing a lot of skin on national television during prime hours on the weekend. I must’ve gone insane.

“Do you want to try it on?” Taeyong challenged, pulling the hangers out of the bag.

“You mean… here?!”

“Come on, it wouldn’t be the first time you took off your clothes in the middle of the practice room,” Taeyong concluded, smiling at me mischievously.

“Pass,” I firmly rejected his dare, even though it felt tempting. “It’s not fun when I’m doing it alone,” I added, and Taeyong grabbed the hem of his T-shirt, more than ready to discard his clothes in a blink of an eye. “Don’t fool around,” I warned him, placing my hand over his before he managed to take his T-shirt off.

“You’re right. Let’s go to my place first,” Taeyong agreed, zipping the bag before he grabbed my hand, leading me out of the practice room.

 ***

 On the day of the performance, I woke up with a terrible stomach ache. No matter how much fantastic sex Taeyong and I had, I was not mentally prepared to perform in front of the whole nation. I felt sick, almost as if my body was telling me to quit before I’d embarrass myself on national television. Stress was eating me from the inside.

“What are you doing up so early? Let’s go back to bed,” Taeyong purred in his raspy morning voice as he sneaked his arm around my waist, pulling me against him. “You need to be rested before the performance. Trust me, you don’t want a camera to catch you yawning,” he added, nuzzling his nose in the crook of my neck, breathing hot air against my skin.

“Thanks for giving me one more thing to stress about,” I deadpanned, heaving a deep sigh, staring at the ceiling. It was a mistake. I should have never agreed to Seulgi’s proposition in the first place. What the hell was I thinking? “I think it’s a bad idea. We should quit.”

Taeyong wasn’t in the mood for my nagging so early in the morning; he was having none of it. “You’re being ridiculous. We’ve practiced so much. We’re gonna win it with ease,” he declared, pressing a featherlike kiss against my jaw. “But for real,” he added, climbing on top of me, trapping me between his thighs, “we’re going to win. And even if we don’t, it’s fine. Really, if somehow we lose to Doyoung and his partner, I’ll just punch him backstage.”

“How can you say that?” I said with a sigh, running my hands across his thighs, finding it rather calming. “I know you said we should rest, but how about…” I trailed, and Taeyong smiled before eagerly capturing my lips, reading me like an open book.

“Say no more,” Taeyong whispered before his hands traveled under my shirt.

Unfortunately, Taeyong’s phone started buzzing on the nightstand before he managed to pull my panties down. With a groan, he extended his arm, staring at the screen.

“It’s Seulgi.”

“What are you waiting for? It’s her wedding day. Pick it up,” I yelled at him as I fell on the pillow, admiring his handsome face when he was talking to Seulgi.

“Please, not you, too,” he barked, rubbing his face in annoyance. Though I barely could make out what she was saying, I figured this much Seulgi and I were suffering from the same stress-fuelled illness. It was her wedding day, after all. Even if it was obvious she loved Irene with a burning passion, she wasn’t immune to pre-wedding anxiety.

Seulgi was talking her stress away, and Taeyong just hummed and nodded his head, registering her words. For some reason, the pressure didn’t seem to bother Taeyong at all. It was weird, but at least he was the voice of reason, which could help me and Seulgi cope.

“Breath in, breath out,” Taeyong spoke when Seulgi made a pause long enough for him to interject. “I know it’s a big deal, but there’s nothing to worry about. You’re getting married to Irene. You love her so much,” Taeyong reminded her, winking at me, expecting Seulgi to end the call soon. “Everybody’s a little nervous; it’s completely normal.”

It was beautiful how close Taeyong and Seulgi were. They had each other’s backs in all types of situations.

About ten minutes later, Seulgi finally calmed down. Taeyong’s reassuring words swept the anxiety away, and she was more than ready to get married to the love of her life.

Once Seulgi hung up, Taeyong threw his phone on the bed and secured my legs around his hips before he leaned forward, giving me a quick kiss. “Seulgi says hi, by the way,” he added, sneaking his hand under the hem of my panties.

“What?”

“What do you mean what?” Taeyong looked down at me, creasing his eyebrows in confusion.

“She knows?” I yelled, unable to comprehend how, on Earth, Seulgi figured out I was in Taeyong’s bed. She couldn’t know. She wasn’t even there when our romance bloomed. “How?”

“Yeah, is it a bad thing, though? You didn’t want to fuck me in secret, did you?” Taeyong challenged, not really answering my inquiry. Did Seulgi figure it out on her own? Or did Taeyong told her about us? And, the biggest question mark was: what were we to begin with? “Seulgi must have some sort of sixth sense. She was bothering me about the sexual tension between us since day one of your training.”

“I wouldn’t call it sexual tension per se, but there was something going on,” I replied, reminiscing how rocky our beginning was. “But I think we were interrupted…” I reminded him, and Taeyong with a playful smirk on his face dived right between my thighs.

 ***

 The streaming should begin at 8 p.m., but we had to arrive before 5 p.m., so the make-up artists and stylists could prepare us for the performance. Sitting in that chair and waiting for all pampering to be over with was stressful as fuck. I tried to preoccupy myself with an idea of Taeyong, but whenever someone threw a question in my direction, I was being pulled out of my train of happy thoughts.

I wanted to get on the stage and be done with it. Unfortunately, whoever funded that contest didn’t think of the mental health of its participants when making today’s schedule.

Punctually, the show began its transmission at 8 o’clock. However, at the very beginning, the MC had to introduce all sponsors. Going through them took him about twenty minutes. Then, they interviewed some of the eliminated dancers, asking them questions either about their experience in the competition or simply who they thought would win.

Later, they decided to rewind the contestants’ moments in the show. At first, they showed Doyoung and his partner, and a few experts analyzed their performance, wondering what the odds of them winning were.

When the host announced the rewind of Taeyong’s and Seulgi’s stages, the jury only talked about the sudden switch up, confirming it was the first time it ever happened in the grand finale. It startled a lot of people why would Seulgi drop out, but Taeyong explained it in a brief interview.

“It was a crazy coincidence, but Seulgi couldn’t participate today because she is getting married today,” Taeyong revealed, and the audience cooed loudly, obviously supporting her choice. “I was stressed at first, but Seulgi found an amazing dancer to take her spot. She really chose well,” he added, and I looked at him, trying not to cry in front of everyone.

It was almost impossible to fish out a compliment from Taeyong during practice, but right now, he did it on his own accord, melting my heart with his words.

“Everybody is dying to know more about your partner,” the MC started, shifting his attention to me. I didn’t particularly like to be put in the spotlight, but before I managed to spit some nonsense, Taeyong butt in, rescuing the day.

“Although she doesn’t have much experience in dance competitions, I think she’s a great dancer. To think of it, she is my secret weapon,” Taeyong added, and I almost ran into his arms, feeling too overwhelmed by his speech.

“Alright then, let’s see what you got after a short commercial break,” the MC cheerfully announced before I bolted out of the stage as I felt the stress crept into my head.

“Calm down,” Taeyong softly spoke as he approached me, holding my hand, drawing circles with his thumb. “You’ve got this. Just focus on me,” he added, flashing me a reassuring smile before kissing my knuckles.

“Awww… isn’t it adorable?” Someone snickered, and I didn’t need to turn my head around to know it was Doyoung. He was like a venomous snake, trying to sneak into our subconscious and make us even more anxious. It couldn’t be fair play.

“Buzz off,” I barked as I didn’t want to let him tick Taeyong off. Taeyong was my safety pin, and I didn’t want him to go full rage on Doyoung. Their backstage battle would make it to the news, but I’d rather prevent it from happening.

“With Seulgi on your arm, I was giving you a five percent chance of winning,” Doyoung started, ignoring my warning. “Now, when she’s gone, I won’t even have fun beating you on the stage,” he added, and I almost surged forward to punch him. If it wasn’t for Taeyong, who held me in my place, I’d definitely rearranged Doyoung’s face.

“Don’t let him get into your head,” Taeyong whispered into my ear, and I nodded my head, sighing. Then, it struck me. Doyoung’s motive wasn’t to mess with Taeyong but with me. He knew I was the weakest link, and he wanted to guarantee his victory by making me doubt myself. His words rung in my head, but one look at Taeyong helped me relax. We had practiced it a thousand times; there was not a chance I would make a mistake.

“Come on. Let’s go. They’re calling us out,” Taeyong mused, pulling me towards the stage.

The silence filled the auditorium when we got on the stage, taking our respective places. I stole a glance at Taeyong – he was mouthing words of encouragement seconds before the MC announced our performance.

I can hear it callin'

Loving the way you wanna talk

Touch me, tease me, feel me up

Callin', something in the way you wanna talk

On two sides of the stage, we moved to the rhythm, telling the story of two strangers lusting over each other from afar. With hunger in our eyes, we tried to seduce each other with sharp movements, showcasing our attributes.

You got me sayin', you got me sayin'

How you doing? Tell me what's your name (Ey, tell me what's your name?)

What's your sign? Feeling like you are into me

Taeyong ran up to me like a man enchanted by the siren’s voice, rolling his body against mine. It was his moment to shine; everybody’s eyes were on him as he owned the stage with his overflowing charisma.

Baby, we're two distant strangers

I know you don't speak my language

But I love the way she's talking to me (Talking to me)

I can hear it callin' from where you are

Loving the way you wanna talk

Touch me, tease me, feel me up

Touch me, tease me, feel me up

It was a classic game of cat and mouse. Though our bodies were so close to each other, we moved in perfect synchronization, careful not to brush against each other. The chemistry between us was undeniable, and the feeling of yearning was visible from the very last row.

Max, max, max, we can have it all (To the max)

If you back, back, back, back, back it up (Back it, back it)I'll take you where you wanna, got the gas in the tank (Wow)

If you really wanna make it last (Git, git, git)

Finally, as the song slowly progressed to the end, we were showing intense frustration. We were portraying two individuals, yearning for intimate contact, who were hastily losing their minds over uncontrollable passion.

I can hear it callin' from where you are (Callin', woo)

Loving the way you wanna talk (Love the way you talk)

Touch me, tease me, feel me up (Yeah, yeah)

Touch me, tease me, feel me up

The song was to end soon. The last chorus rolled in – it was our cue. After all teasing, we finally made the connection, ready to combust out of raw craze. After three minutes of painful longing, we were to reach completion.

I can hear it callin' from where you are (Callin', woo)

Loving the way you wanna talk (Love the way you talk)

Touch me, tease me, feel me up (Yeah, yeah)

Touch me, tease me, feel me up

It was all or nothing. We were finally together, touching each other with fervor.  The audience was eating our performance up – particularly when Taeyong showcased his flexibility and body control.

Tell me how you like it babe (How you)

I don't even know your name (How you, ey)

I love the way you're talking to me

It was finally time to finish our performance with a bang; we needed to show something spectacular, something Doyoung wouldn’t ever think about. As the singer began the last verse, it was my cue to run into Taeyong’s embrace. The second the last syllable rolled of the singer’s tongue, Taeyong caught me in his arms, and the lights went out to add a dramatic twist to our performance.

For a while, the audience was silent. However, a few seconds later, they roared in excitement, clapping loudly, showing how much they enjoyed our stage.

The MC was congratulating us, but I was too thrilled to register his words. I still couldn’t believe I performed on national television and didn’t trip and smash my face.

I had no idea how I found myself backstage, but there was a high chance Taeyong led me off the stage. I was too overwhelmed to do it on my own.

I even forgot that Johnny, together with Yeri – the love of his week, had backstage passes. I only remembered that when he wrapped his arms around me in a bear hug, congratulating me.

“You gotta quit that office job and start dancing professionally,” Johnny ordered, and I smiled, glad that he enjoyed my performance. “We both gotta quit. You’ll be dancing, and I’ll be a badass FBI agent.”

“You two were great,” Yeri politely said when Johnny let me go. “Thank you so much for letting me backstage.”

“No problem,” Taeyong replied as he grabbed my shaking hands. “Are you okay?” He asked, cupping my face, making me look at him. “You rocked the stage,” he added before he leaned forward to peck my lips.

Ignoring Johnny’s perplexed expression, I wrapped my arms around Taeyong in a comfortable hug. I hadn’t suitably introduced Johnny to the concept of me dating Taeyong, but hopefully, our interaction got the message across.

Emotions were slowly fading away, but I still needed Taeyong’s support. I was a rookie, and I had no experience with this type of stress. Something was calming about Taeyong’s aura; I couldn’t pinpoint what exactly, but I wasn’t going to question it.

“Anticipation is killing me,” I muttered against his skin. “Can he already go on that fucking stage?” I yelled, wondering why Doyoung’s performance didn’t start yet. I knew the MC was building up tension, but it was too much for me to handle.

“We could always skip,” Taeyong casually spoke, and I pulled away to look at him. What the hell was he talking about? I hadn’t agreed to help him out, so we didn’t wait until the end. “If we lose, we lose. If we win, your friend can accept the prize, can’t he?”

“Are you insane?”

“Maybe a little bit,” he answered with a bright smile, brushing stray hair off my forehead. “I just want to know the result already so we can go to Seulgi’s wedding and congratulate them,” he added, and I nodded my head. Though we couldn’t participate during the ceremony, the least we could do was to show up ridiculously late to the reception.

“Can they hurry the fuck up now?” I craned my neck, trying to find Doyoung and his partner. They were arguing about something right behind the curtain. Everything seemed they weren’t in the right headspace.

“I don’t think I want to see their performance,” Taeyong whispered, tightening his grasp on my waist. “How about a quickie in the dressing room? What do you say?” He proposed, and I smacked him, telling him to behave. It was tempting, but we really shouldn’t. I wouldn’t walk up that stage with messed-up post-sex hair.

“Get a grip,” I added, gently elbowing him. “Let’s just hit the snack table. I am hungry,” I spoke, pulling him away when the MC invited Doyoung and his dance partner onto the stage.

While munching on snacks, we stared at each other fondly. In some weird way, we were helping each other cope with anticipation and stress. Though it was tempting to check out their performance, we decided it was for the better if we didn’t.

They performed to “Hips Don’t Lie,” and it was almost impossible to turn my head around to check out Doyoung’s sick moves. Having considered all the videos I had seen of him, I was sure he looked gorgeous.

“What about a little peek?” Taeyong questioned, unable to control his urge to see his rival’s performance. “I thought I could endure it, but I can’t,” he added, and I nodded, giving in. Instantly, we ran to the nearest screen to watch their stage.

It was everything I imagined. Their moves were executed with precision and grace, but entertainment-wise, I was bored. They had the skills, but something about the general concept didn’t fulfill my expectations.

No matter how great of a dancer Doyoung was, he just could not pull this song off as the original artist did. Regardless of how hard he swayed his hips, it just didn’t live up to its potential. Though I wasn’t educated enough to give an honest review, it felt meh.

The audience in the studio whistled and shouted once they finished their performance, giving them a round of applause. With genuine smiles, Doyoung and his partner bowed before they ran off the stage.

Now, only thirty minutes of aggressive advertising, and we would know the winner.

“Is it too late to agree to that quickie?”

“You should’ve said so earlier,” Taeyong answered with an innocent smile as he reached to hold my hand. “The best I can do is cuddles,” he added, leading me to the couch, letting me rest my head on his shoulder. “It feels nice.”

“It does, but it doesn’t take my mind off things like a quickie would.”

“Don’t even try. I am not going on that stage with a boner in my pants,” Taeyong warned, peeling my hand off his thigh, pressing a delicate kiss against my knuckles.

Though it wasn’t as preoccupying as sex, it was still nice. And most importantly, it took our minds off the unbearable anticipation. A staff member actually needed to gently shake Taeyong’s shoulder to remind us that the MC was calling us to the stage.

Taeyong’s hand didn’t leave mine once we were waiting for the big reveal. It was fine if we lost. Next year, Seulgi and Taeyong would definitely make it to the top.

When the MC announced the winner, a few confetti bombs exploded. The audience roared in excitement, but I had no clue what was going on. Uncertainty was over – one of us won.

Stress, anticipation, and anxiety slowed down my reactions. However, I figured it would be weird if Taeyong picked me up and spun me around in his arms if we lost. It could only mean one thing – we did it.

We won.

Taeyong’s acceptance speech was short and simple. He thanked everyone who succored him discover his passion for dancing, who supported him throughout his dream, who directly helped him get this far, and me.

When I was handed the microphone for the first time that evening, I basically rephrased Taeyong words. Maybe it wasn’t my dream, but it felt damn good to assist Taeyong in achieving his. It was a bumpy road, but overall, it was all worth it.

The MC handed me a statue after shaking my hand, congratulating me once more. Taeyong, on the other hand, was gifted a huge check for 20 thousand dollars.

“Let’s go,” Taeyong whispered to me, running off the stage with me.

 ***

It was shortly before midnight when the Uber parked in front of the hotel where Seulgi’s and Irene’s reception took place. It was beautifully decorated with lights and flowers, making it look like a magical castle.

Though the security didn’t want to grant entrance, one of Seulgi’s aunts recognized Taeyong and told the man to let us in. She was nice enough to help us out, but she still found some time to glance disapprovingly at my stage costume. I wouldn’t be surprised if she gossiped to her entire family I was a prostitute.

As soon as we walked into the ballroom, Seulgi noticed us. She was sitting by the table, eating the wedding cake with Irene. In an instant, she rose from her chair and ran up to us, throwing herself on Taeyong’s neck.

“You won! I knew it!” She shouted as she gave Taeyong a bone-crushing hug. “Irene and I sneaked out for a while to watch your performance. You smashed them,” Seulgi added before she turned to me, congratulating me too.

“You were amazing,” Irene approached us, sending a polite smile. Unlike Seulgi, Irene was much calmer and collected.

“You are finally married,” Taeyong spoke, beaming. “You better have everything recorded. I gotta know every embarrassing thing that I missed,” he added in a teasing manner, earning a playful jab from Seulgi. “I bet you cried during your vows.”

“Congratulations,” I chimed in, breaking their friendly banter before it properly started. It was Seulgi’s wedding day, after all.

After we caught up, Seulgi and Irene walked off to the dance floor, leaving us by the table alone. For a while, we admired them. They looked absolutely stunning in their white suits, dancing, basking in happiness.

“Do you know where the gifts are held?” I inquired suddenly, looking around.

“Why? Did you have time to get them anything?” Taeyong asked before he stuffed his mouth with a chocolate glazed strawberry. “Or are you thinking of stealing some?”

“I just want to give them my part of the prize,” I started, making Taeyong choke on the fruit. “Seulgi’s the rightful winner, and I think it’s only right.”

“Are you sure? It’s a lot of money.”

“Yeah, I know, but I really want to do that,” I replied, fiddling with my fingers. “I don’t need this money, so I want to give it to her.”

“You’re so hot right now,” Taeyong said, making me turn my head in embarrassment. “If that’s what you really want to do, do it. But remember, you earned it.”

“I am sure.”

“Then let me spoil you with my prize,” Taeyong offered, staring into my eyes. At first, I thought he was joking, but when his gaze didn’t even falter, I understood how serious he was. “Well… look at that. What are the odds?” Taeyong spoke as a familiar melody echoed within the walls of the grand ballroom. “It’s our song. Shall we dance?”

Having glanced at Seulgi, who whispered something to the DJ, I smiled at Taeyong. Though I was sick and tired of Love Talk already, it was kind of our song. We had been listening to this song too much, and regardless of how good it was, the prospect of it being our anthem terrified me.

“One last time,” I gave in, accepting Taeyong’s invitation, letting him lead me to the dance floor. Despite having mastered the choreography to it, I just wrapped my arms around his neck, slowly waltzing to it.

“That’s nothing like we practiced,” Taeyong pinpointed, and I chuckled, shaking my head. “I don’t mind, though. It’s comfy,” he added as his hands found purchase on my hips.

“Seulgi doesn’t look pleased. She didn’t expect us to perform, did she?” I whispered into Taeyong’s ear, hugging him closer. “Also, it can’t be our song. We have to change it; the sooner, the better,” I complained, but Taeyong just chuckled into my ear, humming softly.

Instead of giving me an actual answer, Taeyong decided to sing it.

“I love the way you're talking to me.”

[otptings]

Oops

Idol; Mark

Genre; Smut

Warnings; slight exhibitionism, raw sex, nipple sucking, blow jobs, head (f receiving), choking, daddy kink (mentioned once), praise kink (implied)

Synopsis; You spill water down your shirt, accidentally making it see through and flustering your poor fwb, Mark

requested by anon I hope it is too your liking, thank you for requesting it means a lot to meet is 3 am where I am so I apologize for any grammar or spelling mistakes ill edit it in the morning

Fuck. Looking down at my top I saw that it was absolutely soaked in water. Playfully glaring at Jisung I saw him look at me with an apologetic smile, the least he can do considering he made me spill most of my water bottle all over myself. Standing up I walked to Mark's dorm room. Looking around for a hoodie to through on over it I was interrupted by the door shutting. Glancing over my shoulder I saw Mark standing in front of it, his face a pale red.

"Are you okay?" Sighing I nodded my head before turning around to show him the full damage.

"Yea, my shirt is just absolutely soaked though. I'm borrowing a hoodie."

"Shouldn't you take the shirt off?" Raising my eyebrow I watched as Mark started to stumble over his words. Giving him a once over I realized that his eyes kept getting drawn to my chest. Looking down I saw that my lacy pink bra was completely on display.

"I mean it like you might get sick dude. Not that I want you to take your shirt off, not that that's a bad thing dude I just want you to be comfortable." Walking over to Mark I pressed myself fully against his chest, forcing him to lean back into the door.

"Do you like what you see?" At my words, Mark swallowed hard not knowing what to say. Smirking I leaned off of him and quickly pulled my shirt off of my head, throwing it behind me.

"If you wanted to see me without my shirt you only had to ask." Mark's mouth dropped open upon seeing me, we've been dating for a couple months but we haven't done anything more than make out due to the boys always being around.

Putting my hand under his shirt I rubbed down his chest, feeling his abs. Mark's breathing slowly started getting faster the lower I went. By the time I got to his belt I thought that he would pass out, his face almost completely red and him letting his awkward laugh. Undoing his belt, I quickly pulled his pants down, leaving his boxers in the way.

Rubbing along his cock I could feel that we was already fully hard just by my little bit of teasing. Looking up at him I rubbed my face against his cock, hearing his breath catch, whether at the sensation or the visual. Mouthing over his cock through his boxers, causing him to let out breathy moans, quiet enough so that the boys wouldn't hear us.

Pulling away I saw the wet spot at the tip, that I had purposefully avoided, was bigger. Playing with the elastic of his boxers I looked up at him again, seeing his head through back against the door. Tugging his boxer's down I felt myself get wetter at the sight of his cock.

He wasn't too big, but he was a perfect size with a curve to is. The tip was a light pink due to all of the teasing, and a precum was leaking from the tip. Not taking any more time to tease I wrapped my mouth around the tip, causing his first moan of the night.

Slowly going down I looked up at him through my eyelashes, surprised to see him looking back at me. I felt his dick twitch in my mouth, before I pulled back off. Licking all around the tip I flicked my tongue over the bundle of nerves under the head, causing him to let out a louder moan than the first.

"Sh you don't want the boys to hear us do you?" Quickly shaking his head Mark bit his lip. Turning my attention back to putting it down my throat, making my nose touch the little bit of stubble at the base of his cock. Moving my hand down I softly grabbed his balls, rolling them and lightly squeezing them as I sucked him off. His moans got increasingly louder the more I did.

Taking turns from sucking on the tip, to licking over his ball sack making him into a moaning mess. I felt his dick twitch again, along with a particularly loud moan and pulled off causing him to let out a little cry.

"I don't want you to come until youre in me? Okay?" Standing up I pulled Mark towards his heads, telling him to sit on it. Quickly taking off my shorts I straddled his thighs, leaning in to kiss him.

Our make out sessions normally were calm. Our lips move smoothly against each other, sometimes when it got more intense they would move faster. They were nothing like this kiss.

This kiss was full of list, him sucking my lower lip into his mouth causing me to moan. Licking into each other's mouth, feeling our tongues glide over each other, constantly fighting for dominance.

Suddenly Mark flipped our position so that I was on my back and he was in between my legs. Pulling away from the kiss, Mark pulled my bra. Placing both of his hands on my breasts, he slowly started to play with them, rolling his thumbs over my nipples until they were hard. Leaning down he placed my left nipple in his mouth, sucking on it hard causing me to let a moan at the sensation. His warm tongue swirled around my nipple, while his other hand continued to play with the other one, pinching and twisting it. Switching his attention to the other one I whined at my pussy getting neglected, I could feel the way my underwear was sticking to my soaked cunt.

"Ma-Mark please." I tried to speak but it ended up being a high pitched whine. Looking up at me I swear if I wasn't already horny I would've been soaked.

Mark looked at me with almost pitch black eyes, blown out pupils. He looked as if he wanted to eat alive, and I wouldn't put it past him. I felt a little like prey just waiting to be devoured.

"You were so vocal before what happened?" He sucked a bruise on both of my breasts before moving his kisses down my body. Stopping when he reached my underwear, glancing up at me again before he took them off and tossed them. I felt exposed by the way that he was looking pussy that I knew was dripping at all of the foreplay he had already done. "You look so pretty. Why haven't we done this before?"

Before I could answer Mark licked a wide strip up my pussy, before flicking my clit with his tongue. I felt my mind going fuzzy at the intense pressure in my stomach. Reaching my hand down I ran my finger's through Mark's hair, trying to catch my breath from the intense way he was eating me. I felt him slip in two fingers, and my mind truly went blank. I tried to warn him before I came but the way that his fingers were massaging my g spot, and rubbing against my walls all I could do was release a moan before cumming.

Pulling Mark licked his lips, before letting a growl leave his mouth. I've never seen Mark look more feral than he did in that moment. Coming back up he smashed our lips together, shoving his tongue back into my mouth. I could taste my essence, and moaned into his. I hadn't even realized that he had taken his boxers off until I felt his cock pushing into my entrance.

Separating our lips I watched as he pushed into me, bottoming out in one fast thrust. Biting my lip I felt a little bit of discomfort because of the stretch but the pleasure from the foreplay helped.

"You can move." Mark lifted my chin up forcing me to look in his eyes as he slowly thrust out of me. Biting my lip I tried to hold back my moans, finally remembering that the boys were in the other room. But Mark had different plans.

Without warning Mark started thrusting into me quickly, his hips meeting mine causing the sound of my wetness, and skin on skin to echo throughout the room. His thrusts were powerful that if it weren't for him holding me in place I would've been up by the head board.

"You don't know how I long I've been waiting for this baby." His hand went from my chin, to holding my cheek rubbing his thumb across it. The moment becoming more intimate.

"You're so gorgeous, I wish you could see how you look right now. So needy. Your pussy is sucking me in, you're so tight." Leaning down so he was beside my ear, I could feel his breath hitting my neck. Felt myself squeeze around him when he let out a groan directly beside my ear.

"You're doing so good for me. So pretty, my pretty girl. All mine." His thrusts slowed but never lost any of their power.

"All mine, your pussy is mine. Your heart is mine, all of you." His words combined with how he was thrusting into me, caused my eyes to roll back. I felt a shiver through my body, I never thought sex with Mark would be this good.

Sitting up Mark grabbed my thighs, pushing them further back. Leaning forward he started his fast thrusts again, grinding against me when his dick was bottomed out. I felt my orgasm coming again faster than before. The way his dick was massaging my walls, and the sensitivity from the previous orgasm. Sliding my hand down I rubbed my clit in time with his thrusts.

"Daddy I-im cumming." I didn't even realize what I let slip, until Mark's thrust got impossibly faster. He pushed my legs farther back, causing his dick to hit deeper.

"Cum for me." After two more thrusts I felt my thighs start to shake, as my orgasm hit. A couple more thrusts, and then Mark pulled out, jerking himself quickly before cumming on my stomach.

Closing my eyes I took a deep breath, opening them when I felt something warm and wet against my stomach. Opening them I saw that Mark was cleaning me up with a wash rag. Tossing the wash rag on the floor Mark slid into bed with me, tugging a clean blanket over us. Pulling me into his chest, I felt myself instantly pass out.

-

Little did I know the Dreamies had left for their dorm, after hearing the first moan. Jaehyun, Johnny, Taeyong, and Yuta had come back to the 10th floor, and had actually heard the whole thing.

Johnny and Jaehyun were proud of him.

Yuta was turned on.

Taeyong was disappointed in everybody, and questions his life.

[bl--ankhaeji]

Johnny (timestamp)

Pairing - Johnny x Reader

Genre - Smut 

Warning - Oral sex Fem! receiving, basically making love, unprotected sex, kinda poop ending because I did not have the mental capacity to come up with more rn and I wanted to get it posted today

W.count - WOop WOop Lookie I looked at it today so you get one after forever 2.1k exactly 

AN - also kinda semi edited look at me go,, Yea that post I made like two day ago in the middle of the night about the idea well....I picked Johnny

12:30 a.m.

The sound of the front door shutting softly echoed throughout the connected room as the tall male stepped into the house; the low thump of his footsteps against the floor and the jingling of his keys were the only thing to be heard in the deathly silent house. Hanging his jacket on the rack beside the door and putting his bag in the closet he leisurely makes his way to the hallway bathroom, figuring you must be asleep already he didn’t want to wake you by using the en suite bathroom in your room.

After showering he walks inside your shared room clad in a single towel wrapped around his waist only to see you sound asleep with the blanket pulled over you. A gentle smile filled with a radiant warmth appears on his face as he stands silently watching you sleep peacefully. You always take on somewhat of a childlike innocence whenever you sleep. Shaking his head he steps into the closet changing his clothes as quickly as humanly possible so he can jump right in bed next to you. 

He walks out of the closet, eyes immediately darting to look at you as he walks over to the bed and cradles your cheek in his hand. His soft lips land on your forehead giving you a lingering kiss before you start to squirm under the covers. Fearing he has awakened you he steps back as he watches you throw the covers off of your body revealing your bare lower half as you let out a needy whimper. 

You had been wearing nothing but a big t-shirt that had ridden up exponentially under the cover. It’s then that he notices you cuddling the teddy bear plushie he had gotten you a few anniversaries ago. Memories of him handing it to you telling you to use it whenever you missed him flashed through his mind. The happiness in your eyes once you saw it was something he would never forget. 

The rustling of the bedspread filled the room again as you let out another wanton whimper, your legs slightly opening. He could see the wetness from where he stood. How dare you dream something so filthy whilst looking so innocent. He could feel himself twitch in his sweats as he watched you open yourself for the whole world to see so lewdly. 

“Johnny,” dripped from your lips like honey in a breathless moan. Said male whipped his head to look at you upon his name being said. If he wasn’t hard before then he was as hard as gemstone now. His name acted as the straw that had broken the camel's back because as soon as it was spoken it made way for a series of sultry moans to leave your lips like water flowing from a stream. 

Your hips rolled as you opened your legs wider for the dream him. A rough “Fuck” left his mouth as he watched you grind your hips lightly into the air. With all traces or thoughts of sleep gone from his mind Johnny makes his way in between your spread legs. His hands land on your thighs gripping them for dear life as he lowers his head to your wet core. His lips touch your lower ones as he takes in your scent. 

Tongue slithering out to have a taste he feels your body convulse upon contact and seeing your hole clenching on air so ready and waiting for him causes the man to break. 

Awakening from your more than sweet dream about your boyfriend you feel something moving in between your legs. Raising your head slightly you see the same view that you just woke up from, “Oh shit- Johnny yes right there.” You let out when you feel his tongue enter you. At the sound of your voice the man in question raises his eyes to look into your now open ones. 

Disconnecting his head from your private parts he crawls up the span of your body. Eyes meeting yours as he hovers directly over you. “You had a nice sleep princess?” He asks with a tilt in his voice, his lips lightly grazing yours, as you angle your head just the tiniest bit so that your lips can connect, before he moves away, not giving you what you so desperately need. You let out a deprived cry at the now amused man as you feel just about ready to beg. Your dream had left you extremely horny and very wet and all you wanted was for Johnny to fuck the life out of you, but you couldn’t even seem to get a measly kiss.  

“You’re such a needy baby. First having a wet dream about me, spreading your legs for anyone’s viewing pleasure and now you’re so desperate just for a kiss.” He works his hand back down to your dripping heat running his fingers up and down your slit, gathering your wetness and spreading it around. “You feel how soaked you are baby, all that just from a dream If I wanted I could fuck you right now with no prep.” At that he quickly sticks two fingers into you with no hesitation at all, moving his fingers at a brisk pace. A low moan resonates through the air as you instantly try closing your legs, the feeling of the wound up band in your stomach becoming tighter. 

“Always so responsive for me baby.” He leans down and finally gives you what you want by melding his lips with yours. A shaky breath leaves your mouth as you feel his tongue that still tastes of you invade your mouth. He curls his fingers up, rubbing them against the roof of your insides. 

Pulling away from your lips he starts to make his way to your neck using it as a landscape for his own creative use. His teeth on your skin mixed with his hot breath feels euphoric as your breath gets caught in your throat. His lips and tongue work as one leaving a burning trail of hickies on your body. 

His hands move to lift your shirt just enough so that his lips can latch onto your breasts leaving his mark on the expanse of your boob. His teeth nip at your areolas causing your nipples to itch with want. Looking up at you he lets his wet tongue lick the area of one of your nipples as slow as he possibly could enclosing his mouth around the bud until he lets go with a pop. Working his way back in between your legs, “I want you to be as still as possible for me princess.” He places his mouth back onto your wet core as he dives in like a man starved. 

The sounds of Johnny taking the soul out of your body reverberates throughout the room as his tongue and fingers work your insides. “S-shIT.” you squeal out stuttering on the ‘s’ “Johnny I-I’m close please baby.”  You put your hands on his head, the bed sheets rustling as he tightens his grip on your thighs roughly pulling you closer to his working mouth. Your hips move uncontrollably, forgetting about what he said and just trying to reach that peak that inches closer each second, then he stops. 

Looking up at you, his head moving to nibble at your thighs,“Babygirl I thought I asked you to be still for me, huh?” Your eyes start watering as you feel the impending orgasm slowly die down. You’re just about ready to throw a tantrum at the missed chance as you mewl out an I’m sorry Johnny. “Now will you be a good girl for me and stay still like I told you?” 

“I promise I’ll be a good girl. I’ll be the best girl ever just please keep going.” You rush out ending with a breathless moan. Instead of going back to the place you needed him, his lips continued to lay heated kisses on your thighs slowly moving closer to the center of your thighs. Groaning you look the teasing male in the eyes silently begging him to stop playing. A deep chuckle resonates from his chest as he finally gives you what you want.

Fingers entering you once again his tongue lays flat on your clit licking it so that you can feel every single taste bud rub against you as he speeds up answering your prayers. Shakes wrack your body as the orgasm hits you suddenly, unexpectedly. But he doesn’t stop, his mouth works harder as he forces another smaller orgasm out of you. 

His grip on your thighs only gets tighter, so tight that you know for sure that there’ll be handprints as he feels you try to close your legs on his head. ”Johnny, I want you in me.” You whine out as your hips squirm trying to get away from his mouth.

He stands up,”Okay baby.” Pulling his pants down he makes his way up the bed. His brown eyes make contact with yours as he shifts his body against you. Your hand grabs his hard shaft the weight of it weighing on your hand as you feel the heat radiating from it. Slowly sliding it in you can feel his dick opening you the stretch feeling otherworldly. “Fuck,” you breathed out in a sigh.

Johnny sat there reveling in the warmth, “Shit, so fucking tight baby.” His hips start rotating moving in and out of you slowly. He can feel you clenching and unclenching on his engulfed cock. Your legs wrap themselves around his waist, heels digging into his ass you roll your hips in time with his. Lowering his head down to kiss your lips Johnny starts to lazily kiss you, his soft lips caress yours as his tongue invades your mouth gliding against yours. One of his hands makes its way from the bed onto your body as he slowly fondles your breast.  

His hands and mouth pose a stark contrast to his hips as he slams himself deeper into your entrance. Johnny’s pace is gentle yet brutal, loving yet animalistic, but he somehow manages to still kiss you softly as if he wasn’t fucking into you like a beast. You finally break the kiss for air only to realize there is none. All of it has left your lungs, you can barely breathe yet somehow you’re able to let out screams and moans of nothing but Johnny’s name. He has invaded you so much so that you can’t seem to think of anything other than the man who is balls deep in everything you have. Incomprehensible words flow out of your mouth as Johnny starts to pound your G-spot head on. 

Your hands palmed at his broad shoulders looking for something to ground yourself. Anything to keep you on this earth because Johnny was trying to take you to outer space. His moans didn’t go unnoticed as he stuck his head in the crook of your neck attempting to mute the sound of them. “Johnny, baby.” You move one of your hands to grab the side of his face positioning it so that he is staring directly into your soul. 

“Baby-” you violently fling your head back onto the pillow as a rough groan spills from your moist lips, “Oh-O I’m about to cum Johnny please cum with me Ohmygod please.” His hips stutter as you unknowingly clench around him. He spits out a shit as his hips start to piston inside of you. His forehead lays against yours as his hips stutter once again, “Oh shit oh fuckkk” he almost whines out as the most violent orgasm he’s ever had in his life zips through his body. You arch your back so far that you almost resemble a contortionist as a silent scream leaves your mouth. 

You don’t come back down until what felt like hours but was only a few minutes later. You lay immobile fading in and out of consciousness as mini orgasms still fly through your body. Johnny lays next to you chest heaving as he still tries to catch his breath. His arms encircle your body as he pulls you closer landing a kiss to your forehead cuddling up to you. You don’t even want to think about moving as you think about the mess you’ll have to clean up later on when you wake up, so you don’t. You lay in post orgasmic bliss glad that you have the real thing to cuddle instead of the bear version as you let yourself slip into unconsciousness. 

[jaehyun-eclipsed]

Before I Met You | Twenty-Two: Part One

Next Update: ~February 15, 2021 **2/13/21 update: The next update may be delayed until the second week of March. I apologize for the delay -- school has been quite busy this semester, so I’m working a lot slower than anticipated. Thanks for your patience! **3/27/21 Update: My sincerest apologies. I didn’t plan very well with scheduling... I’m finishing up a big project with school and am hoping to release the next chapter next weekend!

Pairing: NCT (Jaehyun, Lucas, Mark, Jaemin, Johnny) X Reader/OC

Genre: Romance, Angst, Coming of Age

Summary: Four. There were four people before I fell in love with you… Here are their stories.

Author’s Note: Hello! This is a slightly shorter update. Things are getting busy for me again, so I’m going to try to do updates once a month or so rather than going MIA for a few months. Thanks for being patient and don’t be afraid to say hello or send any feedback!

Before I Met You Masterlist

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My eyes slowly open and I blink a few times to adjust to the stream of light coming through the blinds. Sitting up, I look around. This is my room. This is my bed. My blanket. My dog. I give the plush a squeeze. Everything is here and I’m okay.

My breath hitches upon seeing the packages of pistachios and cookies on my desk. Johnny left them here and now everything is more clear as to why I feel so dreary upon waking up. I was hoping last night didn’t play out the way it actually had, but I’m a bit too smart for my own good to trick myself.

I imagine he probably won’t miss them if I didn’t return them to him, but I don’t want them to go stale in my room. Plus, I would like to say goodbye.

Slowly, I place my feet into my slippers and wash up in the bathroom. My grandma wanted to take my dad and me out to lunch to celebrate the end of the semester. I’m looking forward to the meal, but I seem to have lost my appetite. There’s sort of this nerve wracking feeling inside me despite my calm demeanor. Like an overwhelming amount of cortisol is being pumped through my body and I’m working on autopilot to move around and pack up my belongings without feeling any depletion of energy.

Is this what it’s like to have a crush on a boy and to know he returns your affections?

I thought I’d be happier. More giddy.

But really, I’m just nervous. And perhaps it’s because I know there’s a bit of a complication: Johnny still needs to break up with his girlfriend. 

All of those corny movie plots with the assholes are brought to my head. The guy never breaks up with his old girlfriend before he gets with the new one. Even in real life, it’s always messy.

“I’ll do it soon,” he says.

“When the time is right,” he says.

But then he never does.

I wanted to hope that this wouldn’t be the case. Which is why I didn’t want anything to go too far last night. And so, I firmly decide that I’m not getting together with him until things are cleared up.

But I really want this to work out. I really do.

Everything will be fine.

I take a deep breath. Smile to myself.

Everything will be just fine.

I receive a text that my dad will be here to pick me up in a half hour. So I grab the snack bags and run upstairs. When Johnny answers the door, he looks surprised to see me, almost as if he had been afraid he scared me off last night and I wouldn’t want anything to do with him ever again.

My gaze falls. “Um, you left these in my room,” I say and hold out the snacks.

It takes him a moment before he takes the packages from me, apparently careful not to brush his hands against mine.

“You don’t want any?” he asks.

I shake my head. “No, thanks. I’m going to lunch soon.”

We linger in the doorway for several more moments in silence. I’m gnawing on my lip and shifting my gaze to different points on the floor. I think Johnny’s watching me, but I still can’t bring myself to look at him.

“Have a good break,” he says, his statement coming out as more of a question due to an uncertainty of what to say.

“Yeah, you too.” I smile lightly and as if out of reflex, I perch up onto my tiptoes and throw my right arm around Johnny’s neck, pulling him close for a hug goodbye. He jumps slightly at my sudden contact, but wraps one arm around my waist. Quickly, I release him, take one last glance, offer a smile, and turn around to walk back to my room.

When I return to my room, I check my phone and see a text from Johnny.

J: do u need help carrying your bags downstairs?

Me: No, that’s okay. I only have a couple bags. I can get them myself

Me: Thanks though

J: np

There’s a pause.

J: I’ll call u tonite?

I nod to myself before typing back a response.

Me: Yeah

Me: Talk to you later

J: :3

 “You’re not eating very much,” Dad remarks.

I push a dumpling around on my plate with my chopsticks. “I don’t feel that hungry… even though I do want to eat this.”

“What happened last night?”

I proceed to tell my dad all of the events of last night—Hendery’s unawareness, lunch, the bookstore, the movie, Minji, the confession.  I really liked Johnny, but I had no idea how this was going to work out—or even if it would work out.  

“Don’t worry too much about it. Things always work themselves out,” he says.

I know what this means. Implicitly, he’s saying that if it’s meant to work out, it will. And if not… then I guess that’s just the way it is and I’ll have to accept that too. It’s just hard when feelings are messy. You want it to work out, but you expect the worse as a defense mechanism in case it doesn’t end up working out.

That evening, Johnny calls me just before he’s about to go to sleep.

“Hii,” he sings into the phone. “How was your day?”

I smile upon hearing his voice. “Hey, it was all right. How was yours?”

“It was good,” he responds. “Was thinking about you a lot.”

“Aww,” I coo. “Really?”

“Yeah, I know I saw you earlier, but I miss you.” He sighs. “And now I have to wait an entire month before I get to see you again.”

I press my lips together. I let out a sigh of disappointment. “Yeah, a whole month. But we can still talk on the phone!”

“Yeah!”

There’s a brief silence as I deliberate over whether or not I want to ask my next question. The answer is of no real consequence, but I’m curious.

“Hey, I wanna ask you something,” I say. “When did you start to like me?”

Johnny chuckles. “I knew you were gonna ask that,” he says. “I don’t know. Sometime during dead week.”

“Did you know that I liked you?”

“Yeah, I kinda figured you did. That’s why I decided to tell you.” I hear him let out a breath and picture him shrugging. “You kept wanting to hang out with me so I thought you had to have some feelings for me.”

Nodding to myself, I bite my lip in thinking about last night. “You know,” I begin. “I did want you to hold me last night…”

“I know,” he says simply. “We’ll just have to wait until after break. And then we can have sleepovers!”

“How are we going to have sleepovers if Jia is in my room and Hendery is in your room?”

“Hendery never sleeps in his room. He’s always with Yeeun and sleeps in her room.”

My face scrunches into an expression of confusion. “Are they… are they dating?”

“Yeah.”

Despite the fact that I’m looking forward to going home and telling Hana and Hyojin everything that’s happened, I really want to skip over a month to be back with Johnny.

Hopefully by that time, he’ll be single.

“Hey, so,” he begins hesitantly. I hear him shifting around in bed, the shuffling of his blankets echoes through the phone. “I probably won’t be able to talk to you much tomorrow.”

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow is the day he’s meeting Minji.

Tomorrow is the day he’s supposed to break up with Minji.

Johnny is supposed to go into the city, meet Minji, break up with her, and then go home in the evening. There are a ton of questions running through my head. Is Johnny going to meet up with her and break up with her right then and there? Why doesn’t he just call her to tell her it’s off? Isn’t it kind of inconsiderate to go out with your girlfriend the entire day, knowing in the back of your head that you’re going to break up with her, but go about the day like nothing’s wrong?

It’s not really any of my business and the more I think about it, the more unsettled I become.

“Okay…” I say finally.

“I’ll send you pictures throughout the day though! To let you know what I’m doing!” he says cheerfully.

It’s clearly an attempt to make me feel better about the situation. Though, I find it strange that he’s so casual about the whole thing. Like sending pictures to me while on an outing with his soon-to-be ex-girlfriend is totally fine. Wouldn’t she get suspicious? And won’t I feel… envious? Why do I want to know what he’s doing on a date?

Like Dad said: everything will work itself out.

“You okay?” he suddenly asks.

It takes me a few moments to respond, but I say, “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Okay, I’m going to go to bed now. Goodnight! I miss you!”

“Goodnight.”

“He’s really cute, Y/N,” Hana says excitedly.

“I know, right?!” I respond with an equal amount of enthusiasm. “I’m just wondering what’s going on today with him. He may not break up with her.” I sigh. “In which case, I’ll just have to let it go… and continue to be single. Almost twenty-one years strong!”

I pump my fist into the air even though Hana can’t see it over the phone. She chuckles lightly and murmurs some general words of encouragement for me not to give up yet.

“I’d just be careful, Y/N,” she says hesitantly. “He sounds like a nice guy, but you never know.”

The weight on my shoulders returns as I take her words to heart. I know she’s right… even before this I was weary of the whole thing. But I think it should work out. I really like him and I enjoy talking to him. Just take it slow and things will be fine.

“So what about your love life, Hana? Did you meet anyone during the semester?”

There’s a silence before I finally hear Hana release the breath she’s been holding followed by a click of her tongue. “I want to ask your opinion on something, but I’m afraid you’ll judge me for it.”

I frown, slightly upset that she would be so afraid of my opinion. “What’s up?”

“Well, I kinda like one of my housemates…”

I blink several times. “Okay. There’s nothing wrong with that. We’re in the same boat—”

“No, we’re not,” she says quickly. “See, so, his name is Jinhyung… we had a class together and he asked if I wanted to study with him in his room. We have another roommate named Joon and I think Joon has had a crush on me and he gets upset whenever he sees me hanging out with Jinhyung. Joon has a whiteboard and he wrote some house rules on it. The first was ‘clean your own dishes’ and the second is ‘no fucking your housemates.’”

I begin laughing. “Wait, so obviously he doesn’t want you and Jinhyung getting together… but what if you said you would sleep with him?”

“I—I don’t know! I guess it doesn’t apply to him!”

“That’s hypocritical. Anyway, continue…”

“Well, Jinhyung made a joke that he and I already broke one of those rules and Joon got really upset. But uh, one day, I texted him to ask if he wanted to study and he actually thought I meant real studying and then realized what I meant. So we talked about it and—oh my gosh I’m so scared to tell you.”

I remain silent, patiently waiting for her to continue. Though, I think I know where this is going.

“I slept with him,” she finally admits.

“So… what? Was it good?”

“Uh—I—I, yeah, I guess so.” She sounds shocked. “You don’t—you don’t think it’s bad?”

I shrug. “No, you guys talked about it, right? Like you discussed what both of you wanted out of this?”

“Yeah, basically. Like we’re just doing this for fun. No strings attached.”

“So you’re basically friends with benefits,” I say more as a statement than a question.  

“Yeah,” she confirms. “Gosh, I was so scared you would disapprove.”

“You two talked about it and it was consensual. So as long as both of you are on the same page, I don’t see anything wrong with it. I think you need to be careful because feelings can get complicated, but right now it seems fine.”

Right then, my phone vibrates and I see a text from Johnny.

J: Hey! I hope ur day went well!

J: Uh I can’t really talk right now, but long story short it got late so Minji is spending the night

J: I’m going home in the morning I’ll talk to u tmrw! 😘

I guess I unknowingly let out a sound of disappointment because Hana proceeds to ask me what’s wrong.

“His girlfriend is spending the night and he’s going to go home tomorrow.”

“What?!” she exclaims in disbelief.

“I mean”—I bite my lip and then frown— “I didn’t ask how this was going to go down, but I didn’t think it would lead to this.”

Hana and I are both quiet for a minute. There’s something I’m wondering about and my guess is that Hana’s silence means she’s thinking the same thing. Neither of us want to ask it though because I think we both know the answer. What else would you do if your long distance girlfriend came to visit and she ended up spending the night with you and both of you are alone since your roommate has gone home for break?

But if you’re going to break up, would you still do it?

Or is it a simple decision because you’d view it as a “last pleasure goodbye”?

“Are you okay?” she asks, her tone full of concern.

I bite my lip as I stare at the message, responding a quick “Okay” and leaving it at that.

“Not really,” I say honestly.

“I think you should just go to sleep and wait and see what happens tomorrow.”

And this is what I was afraid of… that Johnny would go meet his girlfriend and tell me he was going to break up with her and then just… not be able to go through with it. Which is exactly why I wanted to be careful about getting my hopes up.

“Yeah, you’re right,” I say. “No good overthinking the whole thing. Thanks.”

“Of course. Goodnight, friend!”

“Goodnight.”

I clutch my phone in both of my hands and let them rest on top of the blankets as I lie staring at the ceiling. I know I need to be careful. I usually am. Just take it slow. See what happens tomorrow.

“Do you want oatmeal with pumpkin?” my grandma asks.

“Okay.”

It’s nearly noon as I watch my grandma spoon some oatmeal into a bowl and then bring over a jar of cane sugar for me to sprinkle on top. We’re staying here for a few days before driving back to Oregon. Normally, I’d have distractions because I’d have to study, but since I’m on break, I slept in and there isn’t much to do besides watch movies and wait.

Surprisingly, scrolling through today’s headlines is rather boring. I answer a few messages from Chaeyoung and feel my heart leap as soon as I see a text from Johnny.  

J: Everything’s all good!

I purse my lips. Everything’s all good? What does that mean? He broke up with her? Things are good?

“Dad?” I call as he walks into the living room.

“Yes?”

“Johnny just texted me saying, ‘Everything’s all good,’” I say. “What does that mean?”

“I guess… Everything’s been cleared up?” There’s a tone of slight uncertainty in his answer.

I look down at my phone again and read a second message.

J: Do u want to call soon? Im almost home

“He wants to call soon,” I say aloud. “You think he’ll tell me what happened?”

“Probably.”

Me: Okay!

Slowly, I eat my oatmeal. The ticking of the clock makes me anxious and impatient. What happened? He told her and it was all good? Did he sleep with her last night and then dump her—that’s kinda rough. Wouldn’t it have been better to dump her before going out?

His voice is like warm honey when he greets me, like there’s a renewed happiness and joy in his tone. It almost sounds like there was nothing ever wrong to begin with. Like today is just a normal day and he’s calling his girlfriend like usual.

“How has your day been?” he asks.

“Uh, well, I woke up at like eleven and had some oatmeal.” I hold my phone between my ear and shoulder and place my laptop onto the nightstand next to the bed. Gripping the phone to my ear again, I continue. “I was just browsing through YouTube, but I couldn’t find anything to watch.”

“Well, you can talk to me now!”

“How’s your day been?” I ask immediately.

“Oh, it was fine. I got home like an hour ago and my mom made me lunch,” he says. “And now I’m talking to you!”

His lack of disclosure is quite evident. He’s keeping it to a minimum and only directly answering what he’s asked.

“So how’d everything go?”

“Oh.” He says it like he wasn’t expecting me to ask. “It was okay.”

I wait a few moments before asking him what happened.

“She spent the night and in the morning we took BART back and got off and I told her at the last stop,” he says.

“What—what did you tell her?”

“I told her that there was someone else and she said she sort of figured that’s what happened,” he responds. “It also turns out that she was sort of cheating on me with someone at school.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, so, whatever.” I catch him let out a sharp breath before his voice changes to a more positive tone. “But everything is all clear and good now!”

Assuming this is all true, it’s interesting that Minji was also being unfaithful. I don’t ask for the details, but at the very least, it seems like both of them were emotionally cheating. Seems a bit sad though that they’d rather keep the other person around rather than break up with them. Clearly they had both lost interest in each other. Why continue? Complacency? Security? Fear of being alone? All of the above?

“I’m kinda sad that we have to wait until break before we can see each other again,” he says.

“Yeah, but it’s only a month!” I respond, attempting to be optimistic.

“But aren’t you graduating in a year?”

“Yes.”

I can tell he’s pouting a bit from his tone. “That’s not very long. We’ll have to have lots of sleepovers!”

“Johnny, we have school and studying.”

“Be prepared not to sleep!”

My face grows hot as I realize the implications. There was nothing preventing us from becoming a couple other than my own hesitance. And then there were things like holding hands, first kiss, and all that—things I’ve never done with anyone before and I wasn’t quite sure if he knew or suspected.

Sex. I’ve never had sex.

I didn’t want to give the impression that I had never experienced it before, but when it came down to it, he’d figure it out pretty quickly.

“But I have morning classes!” I argue.

“Hmph. Weekends then!”

I’m at a loss of what to say when he continues.

“Don’t worry. I’m responsible! We support each other!”

A smile makes its way onto my lips. “Yes,” I reply simply.  

“I’ll keep you safe.”

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Before I Met You Masterlist

Masterlist

[justice4harwin]

#12 for Johnny Lawrence x Noellia

Ask and you shall receive, anon. Hope you like it 😊

This didn't turn out nearly as depressing as I wanted, but I like it.

#12: "I want to know you" or "why won't you let me know you?"

Mid January, 1983

John's fingers drummed against the wheel while he waited for Noelia to come out the school.

They were going to the beach, despite the dropping temperatures, upon her request. He would've preferred to catch a movie or go to Golf 'n Stuff, but it was her turn to choose he supposed.

The music stopped, so he took the cassette out and turned it around, inserting it back in. 

He saw her walking out with Susan. He watched her for a moment, loose hair blowing in the wind, skirt slapping against her legs, his red cobra jacket around her shoulders, partly because she had forgotten her own and the morning air had been chilly, partly so other punks would know better than to try and make a move on her again.

She didn't need to know the story behind he second reason.

She waved her friend goodbye and walked towards his car just as he was about to honk.

"What took you so long?" He asked.

She opened the door of his firebird and got in, placing her backpack and books underneath the seat.

"I had some questions for Mr.Wilson." she was talking about the chimestry teacher. It was one of the few subjects she liked. "About the assignment, you know?"

He knew there was an assignment, but he hadn't bothered to listen to what it was.

"Yeah, totally, right."

She giggled and rolled her eyes, putting on her seatbelt. She always did that, but he had yet to make a comment on it. He was just a bit offended though; he was an excellent driver.

He pulled out of the parking lot (maybe over the speed limit) and set them on the way down to the coast.

"So," she said, extending the vowel. "My mom's been asking when you're coming over."

He felt his throat starting to close up. He shrugged.

"Soon, I guess."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her pulling her hair up into a ponytail.

He half expected her to finally explode, but instead, she just stared at him. It made Johnny feel uneasy.

Stopping at a red light, he turned to her. She had a blank look on her face, and he could've sworn the green of her eyes shone like a neon light. Her eyes gave him the creep sometimes; they were so...shiny.

"What?"

"I didn't say anything." Her voice reflected the look on her face.

Shit.

"You look all,..."

"I look what?"

"You know," he gestured over his face with his hand. "Like that."

"Like what, Johnny?"

Good god. Was she related to Sensei Kreese or something?

"Nothing, nothing."

"Ah."

She turned back front with her arms crossed, a sour look on her face. Johnny sighed, knowing he had ruined it yet again. 

He held excepted her to-

"I don't wanna go to the beach anymore." There it was. "Take me home, please."

"No."

"Johnny…"

"Shut it."

"Take. Me. Home."

"Can you just shit it for five minutes?!" She didn't look any happier when he raise his voice. He shrunk back a little. "Just, just let me find a place to park, okay? Somewhere quiet, so we can talk."

Noelia almost said something back, but instead she went back to her previous position.

He had an idea, so he took a turn and drove them towards the mall.

Johnny could practically feel the questions swimming in that head of hers, but was thankful when she remained silent.

He parked the car on the inside lot and turned to her. Maybe it wasn't the best place, he realized, but it'd have to do.

Noe seemed to be thinking the same, if her arched eyebrow was any indication.

Making himself as comfortable as possible, he placed a hand on the back of her seat, fingers brushing against the nape of her neck.

"You know, the first few times you didn't want to meet my parents I thought you were just scared." She said, tone low.

Oh, he was. 

"I've met them before. What's the big deal?"

Those haunting eyes settled on him, and now he had no option but to look back.

"That doesn't count." She sighed, her cold fury turning into near exhaustion. "I meant an official meeting, so you can talk for more than five minutes, and you can meet my brother. He's been dying to since I told him about the karate." She looked away. "Is there a reason why you don't wanna come home?"

Her tone left plenty of implications hanging in the air, none of which Johnny liked.

The truth was, he had run into Noe's parents once before. Her dad one time when she felt sick and the school called her home. Johnny had taken her to the nurse and stayed by her side. Her mom when they bumped into each other on that very same mall once; he had been on his way to the food court where Dutch and Jimmy were waiting for him. They hadn't been dating for long at the time, so he got introduced as a friend rather than her potential boyfriend.

They scared her, Noe's parents. They were nice, both of them; very gentle in their mannerisms and kinda quiet. Noe had said they weren't perfect, but to him they were, especially her dad.

If he went over to have dinner with the Dávalos, it meant he'd have to take her to his own home soon after, right?

He really liked Noe, and he wanted her to meet his mom for sure (especially since Laura had finally realized that it was a girl that had her son so distracted lately), but there was the imminent risk of Sid. His closest friends had met the bastard only a few times; Johnny preferred to have them over on days he was absolutely sure Sid would be back home late or not at all. If he were to take Noe home, his mom, always the hopeful kind, would want Sid to be there.

He would scare her away. Despite her occasional outbursts, Noelia had a pretty soft personality. Sid would walk over her like an old, ragged carpet and send her running away from Johnny.

He couldn't stand meeting her normal, nice parents knowing it meant he'd also have to take her to that hellhole he called home. 

Also, Noe was his first serious girlfriend; he didn't really know what he was doing.

He wanted to tell her all that, but he wasn't a pansy loser, so he kept it in as best as he could.

"I-"

"Do you-?" 

They spoke at the same time. He gestured for her to go first.

"Are you, um, serious about us?" She asked, her hesitance making him feel further like shit. "Because if you're not, I wanna know now,...please."

He smiled briefly at the last part.

"Of course I am." He hadn't at first. But after that first day he wanted to talk with her again, and after that first date he wanted another, and after their first kiss he wanted another. Soon, he forgot all about his plan to woo Ali Mills, and found himself wanting to do everything and go everywhere with Noelia Dávalos by his side.

She tilted her head to the side, giving him an encouraging look.

"I want to know you." He blurted out before he could fully process it. "It's just...new...to me." He looked away and cleared his throat. "I don't think your parents will like me." He mumbled the last part. It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth. At least he gave her one of the real reasons he had been stalling for so long.

He felt her soft lips on his cheek. When he didn't turn to look at her, Noe pressed her forehead to his temple and grabbed one of his hands in hers, lacing their fingers.

"I know they're gonna love you." She kissed his cheek again.

His heart sped up, her warmth just too inviting to even consider pulling away.

He grabbed her and turned her around easily, sitting her on his lap. It was a thight fit on the driver's seat, but she didn't seem to mind.

"And you know everything?" 

"I know more than you." She faked smugness. 

"That's setting the bar real low."

Noe rolled her eyes.

"You're smarter than you think Johnny."

She said it with nonchalance, like it was old news, but it lifted his spirits so much it was pathetic.

"There's more to it, isn't there?" She asked him then, settling into his arms. Johnny didn't answer. She placed her hand on his cheek. "I wanna know you too, but I can't always guess what's on your mind." She leaned forward a bit. "But whatever it is, you can tell me."

"I know." He did, but he still had a lock on his throat and chains holding his feet down.

He closed the distance between them and kissed her deeply. One of her hands rested against his chest, the other on the back of his neck. His own hands longed to wander over her body, but stayed at her waist. He did press her up against him. She sighed and opened her mouth. 

A knock against his window made them jump. With his heart on his throat, he looked to find a middle aged woman glaring at them.

He rolled his eyes. Noelia giggled.

"Sorry, we only do private shows on the weekends." He said, loud enough for the hag to hear.

She seemed more appalled by that, and walked away with a hand to her heart and a loud huff towards her sheepish looking husband.

Noelia pressed her face into his chest, shaking.

Smirking, he kissed the top of her head.

"Well, I guess the mood's ruined now."

"You think?" She looked up, face red and full of mischief. "Why are we here anyways?"

His face softened.

"My mom's birthday is coming up; I was wondering if you'd help me with her present. You did say you didn't want to go to the beach anymore, right?"

She lit up like a Christmas tree and kissed him again, squirming her way out of the car, her bony elbow digging into his side. A quick 'sorry' was all he got.

He'd still stall going to her home to the best of his ability, and he'd certainly keep her away from his home for as long as possible, but maybe this was a step in the right direction.

Her smile was contagious, so with one to match, he got out of the car, took her hand, and led her inside.

[jenoptimist]

you go back in time to try and make things right

Arguments between the two of you wasn’t anything new. There has always been petty arguments which would inevitably end with the offer of tea–black tea for him from you if you were in the wrong or a fruit tea for you if he was. Except this time the argument is bad. Worse than ever before and you don’t even know what started it. No, that isn’t fair. You know that it’s because of the stunt that you pulled earlier. But Doyoung is overreacting!

There was no way you were going to just stand there and watch him get torn down by the monster of the week. So what if you were been hurt? It wasn’t your fault that you couldn’t heal your own wounds with magic. Plus lifelong silver scars are better than a future without him. And besides, did he really think you were just going to stand there and do nothing? Even if it wasn’t him that was going to get maimed, you would have done it regardless. At this point the rest of your friends have bets regarding on whether or not you would pull some sort of stunt whenever it’s time to face the big bad.

“You’re always doing shit like this!”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” you retort sarcastically with a roll of your eyes, “I didn’t realize I was supposed to stand back and watch you die!”

“I would’ve handled it.”

You scoff loudly. “Handled it? You call standing there and waiting for it to hit you handling it?”

None of your friends intervene as Doyoung continues his rant furiously. They stand surrounding the two of you, ready to react if the situation were to escalate but doing nothing to diffuse the situation. However the more he speaks, the angrier you get. Is it so hard to accept that you saved his life? That, hey, maybe you actually like him being alive and that it’s okay to need help every once in a while. You guys are a team, a family, for crying out loud. Or is it only okay when he’s the one doing the life saving acts?

“You know what?” He spits, tone taking on finality, and you’re sure that for as long as you’ve known him, you have never seen him this mad. “This is all your fault. We’re running around risking our lives all because of you!”

The fire in his eyes and the way he says it is enough to make you take a step back. Surely he doesn’t mean it. The reason why he said it is because he is in the heat of the moment–but no matter how much you try to make up excuses for him, you know that it’s was true. Everything is all your fault. It doesn’t matter that they have never said anything to you. There has always been suspicion lurking in your mind that they all blamed you for getting them involved in the supernatural world. Of course Doyoung is the one who ends up confirming your hunch–he’s always been good at that.

“Doyoung.” Taeyong warns, his tone firm, as he takes a step forward.

The said man redirects his gaze sharply towards him. “No, Taeyong. You all know it’s true. Don’t even try to deny it.”

The moment you see Yuta about to speak, you know you have to end the gruesome argument. “You’re right,” you say quietly, looking Doyoung directly in the eye. “It is all my fault and I’m really sorry.” And with that, you spin around and head straight for the exit, making sure to avoid everyone’s eyes. Fortunately Johnny, Yuta and Taeyong’s apartment isn’t too far from the one that you share with Jaehyun and Doyoung. After the night you’ve had, you figure that the walk back would do you some good.

“Hey, wait up!” Jaehyun’s beside you in a few seconds, quick to match your pace.

“Alright, spit it out.” The silence was comfortable but you know with the way he keeps glancing at you from the side of his eye that he’s bursting with want to say something to you.

“Nobody blames you, you know.” You purse your lips in response, knowing that it’s untrue. “No, really. Doyoung was just tired and worried.” All of you are tired. It’s hard trying to keep your community safe while you all juggle college, part time jobs and maintain hobbies. You don’t bother saying it to Jaehyun, though, just keep silent as he continues to speak. “I’m sure everything will be fine! Before you know it, you and him will be doing that weird tea exchange you guys always do.”

That statement is enough to pull a small huff of laughter from you accompanied by an eye roll. “I hope so.” You reply, opening up your apartment door.

“It will. Just you wait and see.”

*

Doyoung doesn’t go home that night. 

In fact, he doesn’t come home for the rest of the week at all. When he eventually does, however, everything is different. The two of you avoid each other and when that isn’t possible neither of you spoke to one another. It constantly makes you feel horrible that the rest of your friends have to divide their time between the two of you and you want to apologize to Doyoung but his words hurt. No matter how true they were.

“Hey Mark,” you call out as he’s aimlessly highlighting a paragraph on his very expensive college textbook. When he hums in reply without looking up from what he’s doing, you continue. “If you could take back being involved, would you?” That has him dropping his highlighter, head snapping up towards you with a clear look of confusion.

Despite his confusion, he still gives your question some thought. “Well I mean it can be inconvenient; my grades tanked for a while and it sucks knowing that I might die whenever we go hunting whatever it is that we’re facing,” you nod empathically, “but no. I don’t think I do.” Mark eyes you suspiciously. “Why’re you asking?”

Shutting your book closed, you shake your head at him. Mark is the last person you have asked this question and all the answers you have received are variations of the same thing he said. Twisting your mouth, you say a goodbye and leave the room determinedly. You are going to fix this. It won’t be easy but there is a spell you found that could help you reverse this whole situation. The risks involved aren’t too big, nothing you aren’t used to already, and if this is what it takes for the bone deep exhaustion and unnatural haunted look to disappear from your friends then it will be worth it.

So, yeah. Everything is not fine. But you’re going to make sure that it will be.

*

It takes a week before you decide to put your plan into action but only because of the new situation that popped up. The wendigo is taken care of immediately and then all of you go out for some celebratory pizza like you almost always did. It stings that Doyoung takes the furthest seat away from you, refusing to meet your eyes ever since that night, but you assure yourself that by the end of the night everything would be sorted. They will never have to deal with this type of stuff again.

“What’s with that look?” Johnny asks as he nudges your side with his elbow.

“Nothing, I’m just gonna miss this.” You reply absentmindedly. After tonight, there would be no more late night meals to celebrate surviving. No more group research and planning sessions. Would you guys even hang out at all? Whatever the outcome, you hope that somehow you guys will find each other again.

“What? The pizza?” Mark’s tone is full of confusion, his brows furrowed. “Why would you miss it?”

You wave your hand dismissively at him, “Don’t mind me. I’m just being stupid.”

Mark shrugs in response and continues to devour his pizza, clearly more interested in food than your wistful behavior. The rest of the night is full of laughter and you relish it, holding back any tears that threaten to show. Unfortunately, you’re aware of Jaehyun’s eyes on you and you aren’t surprised when, after he paid for the meal since he was the one who stumbled upon the wendigo, he is quick to make sure he walks beside you. You purposefully placed yourself behind the group, watching from a small distance as they continued their antics.

“Whatever it is that you’re thinking of doing,” Jaehyun says lowly as to not gain the attention of your other friends, “please don’t.”

You arch a brow. “What makes you think I’m about to do something?” This time, he’s the one who arches his brow–as if challenging you to prove him wrong. Of course he would figure out that you were planning to do something. Jaehyun was always smarter than he liked to let on, said it always gave him an advantage. But it’s also probably because he’s known you the longest. “Alright, so maybe I am. It’ll be okay, though, promise.”

“And you’ll be safe?”

There was no way to be sure you would be but for his sake, you lied. “Of course.”

“Okay.”

It’s easy to refuse their offer to grab some boba, a flimsy excuse leaving your lips. Normally it wouldn’t work, they would plead and plead with you until you caved, but you make sure to stand your ground. They all know what it’s like to have a professor speak with them privately, so they let you go with a promise of next time. Before you leave, Jaehyun catches your eye knowingly and you do nothing but incline your head slightly at him.

Time travel is something you think about every now and again. It’s an immensely intriguing topic and from all research you have done, no other being like yourself has managed to do it successfully. For all you know there could have been a successful attempt that wasn’t documented. But then again it could just be you comforting yourself in case it doesn’t work.

You hold onto a small photo album that you wanted to take along with you, for memories sake, and prepare yourself to say the incantation. When you finish, you wait it out. Nothing happens.

It’s strange because you know that you said everything correctly and that there is no way that a spell book that had been around for centuries (at least according to the witch that gave it to you) would contain wrong information. You frown but have to pause your train of thought because of the knocking on your bedroom door.

It’s a surprise to find Doyoung standing on the other side when you open it, holding a bag that you just know has your favorite fruit tea. Before any of you can utter a sound, there’s a strange feeling that starts to stir in your gut. In a flash it’s as if you travel through the stars at an unforgiving speed, your head spinning, before you come to a halt and feel weightless–as if you are being suspended high up in the air. Then nothingness.

*

When you come to, you find yourself in one of your favorite cafés. Your old windows laptop is sitting in front of you, notes and papers full of calculations spewn carelessly around the table.

The spell worked, you’re sure of it, but you have to confirm it just in case. A quick glance at the date on the corner of your laptop assures you that it’s the year when it all started. Not only is it the year actually, it’s also the day before you discover the magic that you possess. This time, however, you aren’t going to involve any of your friends. Curiously, after glancing around to make sure nobody is paying attention to you, you peer inside your t-shirt to check if you were still you or if you had taken ownership of your body from this timeline. There are no scabbed scratches in sight. You frown. What happened to the you in the future then? Did you just disappear? Or were you replaced by a different version of you?

Deciding that you don’t want to give yourself a headache, you focus on the screen of your laptop instead. Oh, you remember this assignment. You ended up submitting it late because you got ambushed by a kelpie. That damn kelpie lost you fifteen percent and you still haven’t let it go. Maybe you can submit it in early this time. Placing the photo album on the table, you decide to continue your assignment, searching your brain for any information you remember.

It’s an hour later when Jaehyun barges into the café, frantically making his way over to your table. “There you are! I’ve been looking for you for ages,” he tells you breathlessly, giving you a once over. “Why aren’t you dressed yet?”

Dressed? Is there a function you need to attend? You wrack your brain for a memory. Obviously it’s the day before you come into your powers but there has to be something else for Jaehyun to eye you like he is. But what is it? What’s so special about April fifteenth? April fifteenth. April fifteenth.

“Mark’s recital.” Christ, how could you forget. “Today’s Mark’s recital, right?” It’s also the day you meet Doyoung, dressed to the nines in a black pinstripe suit with his hair perfectly slicked back.

“Yes you idiot, now lets get going ‘cause I don’t want to have to fight any moms for good seats.”

Without allowing you to reply, he whisks you back to your apartment. There is a lack of extra shoes by the door and the huge, ugly ceramic vase that Doyoung insisted he buy for his plant to dress up the place is missing from the corner of the room. Your grip on the photo album tightens as you soak in the difference, unused to how empty the place looks. Evidently there’s no time for you to be caught in your feelings if the way Jaehyun practically shoves you into your room as he yells at you to change is an indication.

Mark looks dapper and you tell him as much. There’s an ache in your chest when you notice the youthfulness in his face. This is him before he becomes jaded. His appearance (the lack of dark circles, the roundness of his cheeks, the brightness in his eyes) is enough to assure you that you’ve made the correct decision.

“Don’t cry now,” Jaehyun teases, “he hasn’t even started.” They chuckle at your expense but you can’t even respond with anything witty. Not with the way they look so careless–like they don’t have anything to worry about other than upcoming assignment due dates and what movie the three of you should watch during your next movie night.

Doyoung has always been easy to spot in a crowd. Well, at least for you. So you aren’t surprised when you scan the large mass of people and find him in record time. The breath is knocked out of you when your eyes land on him even though you already know what he’d be donning. But he’s wearing those cute horn rimmed glasses that he eventually had to stop using because there were too many close calls. Every fibre of your being demands you to run over and tease him about them again like you used to. But you don’t, obviously, averting your eyes the second he turns his head. There’s no way you’re going to take away his peaceful life either, you promise yourself, eyes devouring the way he tips his head backward as his mouth falls wide open in a laugh.

*

The feral omega howls, loud and clear in the night. The beating of your heart is racing in your ears which you know it can hear from far away no matter what tricks you use to distract it. Foolishly, you forgot your wolfsbane in your apartment so you’re left to your own devices. You know this forest like the back of your hand, have run in it enough to know that there should be a small area of the flower in the east. Picking up your pace, you move in the right direction.

When you first encountered this creature, you were with Doyoung, Jaehyun and Mark. The four of you weren’t as skilled yet; Mark thought that silver would protect all of you, Jaehyun’s aim wasn’t on par, Doyoung wasn’t as good at keeping up with the pace you all had to run, and you were too headstrong to follow any directions Doyoung barked at you. Now, however, it’s easy for you to eliminate the omega after you sloppily rub wolfsbane on your weapon and aim. There are no relieved sighs or eruption of cheers that follow when it drops to the ground. Instead there’s only silence as you wave your hand, willing a hole to appear in the ground so that you can bury it.

Once you’ve magicked your clothes clean, you sluggishly head over to the pizza place without a second thought. The place is packed but considering it’s Saturday night, you aren’t shocked. As you look around, waiting patiently for your to-go order at the designated spot near the counter, there’s a familiar mess of mud brown hair capping a broad figure you know all too well. But if Johnny’s here, that means–

Taeyong and Doyoung are bickering. You can’t hear them but you’re sure it’s about something silly like it always is. Yuta is watching them amusedly, sipping on his soda as his eyes swing back and forth. You allow yourself to watch them because you miss them so, so much. It’s been a week and you’re run down by all the creatures that keep popping up in your small town. As you are about to tear your gaze away from them, Yuta catches your eye. You spot the small quirk of his brow and prepare yourself for his oncoming smirk. When he doesn’t fail to deliver, you wink saucily at him, knowing that he turns into a shy baby the minute his target flirts back. The others peer at your direction, lacking subtlety as usual, when he sinks into his chair slightly.

Fortunately your order is called out but you manage to shoot them a hesitant smile anyway, figuring that it won’t hurt anybody. They’ll probably forget about you tomorrow anyway, so it doesn’t matter.

*

Since your small celebratory pizza, you have accumulated more injuries but they’re tiny and therefore nothing to worry about. What does have you worrying, though, is the fact that you and Doyoung have crossed paths more than you’d like. At first, it seems like a coincidence; you see him a few times in the campus library or you’re both in the line for food in the canteen. But then you start seeing him outside of campus and you can’t help but find it strange.

“Hey,” Jaehyun greets over the phone. The two of you scheduled a lunch date with Mark but neither of them have shown up yet so it’s just you waiting for them boredly at your table. “Is it alright if I bring someone? We were working on a project together and we’re both famished.”

“Sure. The more the merrier, I guess. I’ll ask for an extra setting, just one extra person right?” Jaehyun gives you an affirmative then ends the call after promising to be at the diner in fifteen minutes.

“About time you got”-your voice hitches at the sight of Doyoung standing beside Jaehyun-“here.” What type of bullshit is the universe pulling? Is it purposely dangling your friends in front of you knowing that you refuse to interact with them? Aren’t you allowed to keep them as far away from you as possible, where they’ll be safe? Christ Almighty. Only Jaehyun would somehow manage to be Doyoung’s partner for his project while you were actively trying not to befriend him.

“Hi I’m Mark, nice to meet you!” The blond says cheerily, easily gesturing at the seats in front of you.

Clearing your throat, you introduce yourself. It’s just your luck that Doyoung sits in front of you, recognition settling in his eyes once you are face to face. The conversation runs smoothly once he’s introduced himself and although you know you shouldn’t, you can’t help but prattle on about various topics that you know will get him heated–you’ve always loved debating with Doyoung. There is just something about the way he words his points, bringing up necessary facts and even searching them up in order to prove you wrong. Mark and Jaehyun’s heads swing back and forth between the two of you as if they are watching a pendulum.

You didn’t realize how much you have missed his intense eyes until now. They are locked on you like you are his target and it reminds you of when you would go monster hunting, just the two of you and nobody else because both of you were stupidly confident in your plan. The debate ends when Mark diverts the conversation by mentioning dessert. Doyoung smirks smugly at the fact that he got the last word but you don’t even care about your loss, you are just content that he took the bait. The lunch ends with you trading numbers with him, passing your phones to one another over the table. Doyoung hates the picture you take of him but when you tell him to suck it up because you think he looks cute in it, he is adorably flustered.

*

On nights when you can’t drag yourself to your usual pizza spot, too lonely and aching with pain, you quietly slip into the spare room that should be occupied by Doyoung. You like to lay on the bed and imagine that you never traveled back in time, that he’s reading aloud to you like he regularly does. Instead of reading out loud while imagining the warmth that he radiates, you flip through your photo album. They are all your favorites; Yuta squishing Mark in a hug, Taeyong feeding Jaehyun a dish he cooked, Johnny staring at the sunset. But you like the ones with Doyoung the best, mostly because you are a tiny bit biased.

Sometimes you wish you could tell them. All of them. You are bursting with need to do so. But then one of them does something, like Mark smiling brightly when you visited the aquarium a few days ago or Taeyong’s proud smile because he managed to learn to strum a song on his ukelele, and it’s enough to remind you that you can’t burden them. There has been one or two incidents where you almost blurt it out but then you vividly remember their faces crumpled in pain and you can’t.

Other times you think about whether or not the future is being rewritten. Maybe you won’t even be present in the future because even though the injuries you have sustained so far have been small, it doesn’t mean that they won’t become serious in the future. Or maybe you do survive, somehow obtain your degree and find a job then start a family or something.

This time, however, you find yourself muffling your sobs in the dark as you stare at a group picture because yeah, your friends with them again somehow and you’re thankful, but you are so, so lonely. Shouldering the protection of your small town on your own is extremely difficult without anybody to lean on. Even with the knowledge you possess, executing a plan is a big obstacle considering any move that you make could end up very badly since you don’t have any back up.

Tomorrow you will shove down these feelings but tonight you allow yourself to cry until you fall asleep.

*

The pain in your arm is excruciating but you don’t stop–can’t stop. You are running as fast as you can, taking sharp turns here and there as you silently plead with your legs to keep going. You need to find a small place to rest so that you can build up some energy to use your magic but you know there isn’t anywhere to hide.

The time you have recently spent rebuilding your friendships has led you to forget about one of the worst ever monsters you have had to defeat–the pilgasari. The first time you had to execute it, you failed miserably and everyone was horribly injured. Taeyong and Mark had nightmares for weeks, Johnny and Jaehyun grew paranoid, Yuta never let any of you out of his sight and Doyoung stuck by your side for months. It is basically immortal and the only reason you managed to defeat it on your second attempt is because you were about to witness your friends die. Magical exhaustion took over you afterwards and when you woke up, you were greeted by teary eyes, pizza and a smack on the head accompanied by a lecture.

A loud roar shakes the trees, causing you to move faster out of sheer desperation. But when you swing left, you come to a screeching halt. The creature is a few feet ahead of you, it’s large eyes boring into your own as it stomps its way towards you. The spells that you yell desperately are futile, it keeps moving towards you without a hitch in its step. Christ. You are going to die. You are going to die and miss movie night tomorrow and your friends are going to mourn you forever, wondering what happened to you for the rest of their lives.

You flinch when it takes a swipe at you, dangerously close to ripping off your arm. The second your back hits a tree, you know it’s over. You don’t have enough energy anymore to even attempt a spell so all you can do is watch in fear as it towers over you, raising it’s long claws. The sound of your heart pounding isn’t loud enough to eliminate your scream as it slashes at your direction.

It manages to make an incision on your good arm and just as it raises it’s claws again, you squeeze your eyes close. And then you feel like you are traveling through the stars, speed so fast that it’s dizzying. You know this feeling. You do. You have been acquainted with it before only once and you have never been more glad to be feeling it again.

It shouldn’t be possible but when the weightlessness disappears, you find yourself staring into Taeyong’s large, moist eyes and you can’t help but huff out a weak laugh.

“Missed you.” You manage to mumble, body now painfully aware of just how many injuries you have endured. You want to reach out to him, to smooth the lines away from his forehead and assure him that you are okay but you’re arms feel like jelly, the cuts screeching in agony, so you resist tamp down the urge. Someone, Mark maybe, cries loudly and that is the last sound you hear before you succumb to your exhaustion.

*

You wake up with a start, eyes wildly scanning the room. A garbled sound escaping your lips when you notice that one of your paintings is hung up on the wall–you aren’t very good and Doyoung said as much when you presented it to him but he still framed it and hung it up in his room. If painting is up, along with the books overflowing on the shelf, that has to mean-

Your eyes dart towards the door as it opens. Jaehyun hasn’t taken notice of you yet since he is rubbing his eyes but when he does, his eyes widen and he bellows at the others. Immediately, everyone tramples in. Weakly, you raise your arm a fraction and that’s enough for them to flock towards you. They speak over each other and you can’t help but tear up at their expressions. They all look so torn up except Doyoung who stands at the door with his arms crossed, head down as he creates holes in the carpet with his burning stare.

“How did you guys bring me back?” None of them are magically inclined–just a bunch of extraordinarily brave humans who are reckless enough to join you to keep the town safe.

“We had to ask three witches for help.” Mark admits, staring at you like you might disappear if he doesn’t keep his eyes on you.

“Don’t do that to us again,” Yuta says as he takes your hand in his. “We thought we lost you forever.”

“Yeah! If we all lost our memories of you, you would have been gone forever!” Johnny exclaims.

“What do you mean?”

“Every one of us started losing our memories of you,” Taeyong answers, “except for Doyoung.” At his response, your gaze snap towards Doyoung who still refuses to meet your eyes.

“Alright, we are going to get boxes of pizza and snacks while the two of you sort everything out.” Jaehyun states, clapping his hands together, his eyes directed at Doyoung pointedly before returning to yours. “I’ve missed you so much dummy, never do that again.”

“I’ll try.” Mark squawks at your reply, eyes widening in terror as he begins to list out the reasons why you should never do it again. “I was kidding. I won’t.” The collective sagging of shoulders doesn’t escape your notice which makes you feel horrible.

Before shuffling out they touch you in different manners; Yuta lightly clutches your hand before letting go, Johnny pats your head, Jaehyun softly flicks your forehead, Mark places a heavy hand on your shoulder and Taeyong strokes your forearm.

The silence is overbearing once they leave the room. You feel like holding your breath as you wait for Doyoung to say something. Anything. But he still won’t meet your eyes. Instead he walks over to his bed and kneels at your side, crossing his arms on the mattress and resting his head on top. He is close enough for you to place your hand on his head, so you do. Your fingers card through his hair, making sure that you scrape your nails delicately on his scalp. When you notice the small tremors of his shoulders, you move your hand from his scalp to the nape of his neck then in between his shoulder blades.

“It’s okay,” you soothe quietly, wincing at the sight of the bandages that cover your arms as you rub your hand up and down his back in a constant motion. “I’m here.” You continue to murmur what you hope is enough assurance for him so that he can talk to you.

“How could you do that you absolute idiot.” Is the first thing he says, his tone harsh, when he looks up at you. “You just disappeared right in front of me and never came back! And then everybody started to forget about you!” You wince guiltily at his words. “And I- And I-” You wait patiently for him to continue. Your heart hurts at the sight of him softening as he examines your injuries. “I thought I’d lost you forever and it would be all my fault.” He continues quietly, shaking his head at you when you open your mouth to say something. “Didn’t mean what I said back then. I was just mad because you always take the hits for us, for me, and it was so bad. Almost as bad as the time we fought the chimera. You didn’t see how much blood you lost.”

“Hey, it isn’t your fault,” disbelief is written in his eyes at your statement. “It isn’t! It was all me, okay? I thought you would all be better off without knowing, so I tried to fix it.”

“But you wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t say what I did!” The exclamation is followed by a fresh wave of tears.

“Alright, how about this: it was both of our faults because we were being idiots. Sound good?”

“Only if you don’t do it again.” It’s supposed to come out as demanding, you know it is with how he has squared his shoulders and faced you determinedly, but all you see in his eyes are pleading.

“I promise I won’t.” You pledge, placing your hand on his cheek. He moves it so that it covers his eyes and something inside you breaks when you feel hot tears building up a wall against your palm and fingers. “Doyoung,” you whisper. “I’m sorry.”

“No. I’m sorry.”

“Hey,” you call gently to gain his attention when he removes your hands from his red rimmed eyes, “read to me?”

“Of course.”

You fall asleep to the sound of his voice, snuggling into his side with his arm around your shoulders. And the next morning when the others tease the two of you and show off the pictures they took, trying their damn hardest to make sure that everything feels normal and you didn’t disappear for almost three weeks, Doyoung kicks them out of the apartment so he can spend some quality time with you.

[suhoexcollector]

Rivals pt 3

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4..

Pairing: CEO/Lawyer!Jaehyun x fem reader

Genre: Smut, angst, fluff, the holy trinity

Word Count: 5.9k

Warnings: Unprotected sex, uhhhhh its pre vanilla, babygirl??? 

Author: Admin Yugyeom

A/N: ejfnrjwfn this took forever i’m so sorry and also i’m trash at editing so if there’s any mistakes, that’s my fault sorry 

Taeyong’s lips molded with yours and you froze, you wanted to enjoy it, but you couldn’t. Not when you felt Jaehyun’s gaze pierce you from the gap in the door.

Your hands snaked around his neck and you tried to act like nothing was wrong, even though everything was wrong.

Taeyong pulled away, slightly breathless, his warm hands running up and down your sides.

His lips found your jaw, where he placed a light kiss.

You weren’t sure what to do or what to say as Taeyong’s hands snaked around your waist, pulling your bodies closer together.

“Who gave you all the hickeys?” He mumbled into your skin, his lips ghosting over the marks Jaehyun gave you.

You felt like tearing away from Taeyong, your whole body reeling at his unfamiliar and unwanted touch.

How the fuck did you get yourself in this much of a mess.

“No one,” you mumbled.

At your words you felt Jaehyun’s gaze become more ablaze, you could feel him fermenting in anger and rage through the door.

It scared you, giving you flashbacks to what he did to the guy who hit on you at the bar. And you hoped, you fucking prayed, that he wouldn’t burst out of your room and beat the shit out of Taeyong.

“You don’t have to tell me,” he hummed, still trailing light kisses over the marks.

His lips started to trail dangerously low, until they were planting kisses just above the hem of your blouse. “What if I left my own mark?” he asked, his breath fanning over your skin.

He was too warm, his fingers like scorching embers and you felt them wherever he touched. It was such a contrast to Jaehyun’s inviting embrace that made you long for his arms around you, to pull you into his body.

Taeyong’s hand travelled to the collar of your shirt, popping the first button and skimming your boob in the process, his fingers lightly pulling the fabric back to expose your unmarked collar bone.

You felt a light nip at the skin, making you bite your lip trying to hide your surprised gasp.

Taeyong lightly sucked at the flesh, slowly building up to a purple mark.

You hated how gentle he was, how his touch was so light on your hips and his lips were tentative, as if he could break you.

A tight squeeze on your hip brought your attention back to his grasp on you.

Taeyong pulled away, admiring the purple mark he left behind on your collar bone.

His eyes met yours, sparkling with arousal as he surveyed your disheveled form.

It caused a wave of disgust to flow through your body, every cell seeming repulsed by his hungry gaze.

“Are you-” Taeyong was cut off by a ding sounding from his pocket, indicating he got a notification, which he was quick to act upon, pulling out his phone and reading the message he received.

“I have something to do at the office,” he breathed, his lips swollen from kissing your neck.

“Alright,” you said with no emotion, wanting nothing more than for him to leave.

He brought his lips to your cheek lightly “See you Monday,” Taeyong whispered to you before getting up and officially leaving.

The door closed behind him softly and you let out a sigh of relief.

The door of your room banged open to reveal a fuming Jaehyun bringing your attention to his angry form

“Taeyong marked you,” he growled, anger sparking in his eyes as he surveyed your partially unbuttoned blouse.

Your head hung low as you got up and walked over toward him, close enough to see his tanned chest rise and fall angrily under the burgundy silk that adorned his upper body.

His hand reached for your collarbone, fingers lightly grazing the mark. A scowl crossed Jaehyun’s features and you could feel the jealousy radiating off of him like a toxin.

“Bukhansan scum,” He mumbled before pushing past your shocked form.

The words burnt and you could feel them already resenating in the back of your mind.

“No, Jaehyun,” you grabbed his wrist, halting his retreating form, causing him to look back to you. You weren’t sure why you stopped him, you just didn’t want him to leave.

The look of utter betrayal and anger on his face pained you, especially since you were the source of it all.

“What do you want me to say?” he asked, rage lacing his words.

“I just don’t want you to leave me,” tears welled in your eyes as you spoke your fear.

“Well I’m leaving,” Jaehyun spat before he pulled his wrist out of your grasp with ease and headed for the front door, leaving you behind.

Something in you was not surprised, not shocked that he dropped you so quickly. You felt stupid more than anything. Stupid that you fell for him, yet he obviously just felt like you were a hook up. It was dumb, but you let a stray tear fall down your cheek as you watched him leave.

Guilt washed over you, the feeling making your chest cave into a wretched wound that fueled your sensation of sadness.

You lasted like that for 2 whole days.

A zombie took over your form, making you go through your weekend numbly. Not bothering to look at the case you had been assigned, barely having the energy to do anything but mope.

It was an effort to do anything. Getting out of bed was harder than it was on the freezing winter mornings. Eating only became necessary when your stomach grumbled, begging you for food and the only time you used the bathroom was to use the toilet. A worn out, grey sweatshirt and matching sweatpants seemed to be the only items of clothing you owned as you moped around the whole 2 days.

And it made you feel pathetic.

The pathetic feeling building up until you snapped.

Snap and decide to do something about the situation.

It was the most rash plan you’d ever come up with in your life, but you weren’t about to lose Jaehyun because of Taeyong.

Confidence ran through your veins instead of the leaded guilt that had weighed you down these past few days.

The lipstick lid came off with a pop as you painted your lips a glossy red.

It was Monday morning and you were ready to execute your plan, the butterflies fluttering around your stomach reminding you of the anxiety coursing through body.

The make up you wore accentuated your features subtly and your skirt and shirt, while business like, still made you look sexy, the white silk clinging to your breasts and curves and the skirt barely long enough to be considered appropriate.

It was scandalous, but it was part of your plan to get Jaehyun back and not let him slip through your fingers.

And that’s how you found yourself pulling up to the Seoul law firm in a cab.

A muttered thanks fell off your painted lips as you handed the cab driver the money and got out.

The skyscraper loomed before you, even more glorious as the sun light reflected off the silver tinted windows, contrast to the darkness they enveloped in the covert of night.

A breath of fresh air rushed into your lungs, trying to soothe the nerves that run through your body.

Every possible way your plan could go wrong ran through your head, every ‘what if’ running a circuit of anxiety in your mind. The only way to ease the roaring of your thoughts and the thud of your heart was to breathe. The fresh oxygen hopefully providing some remote relief.

The click of your heels on the pavement rung through your ears and you used the noise as a distraction, focusing your thoughts on keeping a confident posture and putting one leg in front of the other to lead you to the entrance of the menacing law firm.

You walked through the doors with ease into a large, open plan foyer with marble flaws. Modern architecture and marble finishes added to the luxury of the expensive building.

Your entrance caught the attention of a tall young man with an expensive suit and combed back hair. He was behind the desk with the receptionist who was typing furiously away at her computer, too engulfed on her work to notice you walk through the doors.

“Hello ma’am,” The man said, his chocolate eyes taking in your figure and clothes, “Can I help you?” A smirk fell across his features as his wandering gaze worked its way up to your eyes.

You smiled sweetly, your confidence fueled by his lingering stares. “Yes, actually, I’m looking for one of your associates, Jung Jaehyun,” Despite your erratic heart beat, your voice was steady.

The man quirked an eyebrow, obviously intrigued by the seemingly bold statement.

“May I ask your business with him?” His voice was smooth as honey as he spoke the words, seemingly lured by your boldness.

“I believe it’s regarding a case,” You tried to keep your voice clipped and professional, as if you had to be somewhere else.

A spark lit in his eye at your words, “I’ll take you to see him,” he said before gesturing for you to follow him, which you did, walking behind his tall frame toward the elevators.

“I’m Johnny,” The man said, breaking the silence between you as he pressed the elevator button.

“My name’s y/n,” Your tone was steely as you tried to keep this professional facade going.

The elevator arrived with a soft ding, the doors sliding open smoothly indicating for you both to enter.

“That’s a pretty name” Johnny said flirtatiously, his relaxed demeanour walking into the elevator, you once again following him.

You felt your eyes roll as he hit the floor of Jaehyun’s office, causing the doors to close and the carriage to begin its ascent.

“Are you talking to Jaehyun about the most recent… case?” His tone turned harder and less light hearted as he asked you the question.

“I’m not too sure what you mean by that,” you answered honestly, not quite grasping the serious undertone to his voice.

Johnny scowled at your words. “Don’t worry about it then.”

Something was off about the case between Seoul and Bukhansan, though you hadn’t looked at the files yet, so you were completely oblivious.

The doors opened with a ding as you arrived at the top floor, Jaehyun’s office.

And there he was, sitting at his desk, invested in paperwork sprawled across the surface.

A white cotton button up adorned his chest, rolled up at the sleeves with the first few buttons undone at the chest, revealing some of his honey skin. His hair was mussed as if he had been running his hands through it too much and his bottom lip was tugged between his teeth. It made your breath hitch lightly, not prepared for his presence, especially when he looked so effortlessly handsome.

Jaehyun looked up when the doors open, a scowl forming on his features when he noticed you and Johnny.

You felt the warmth of a hand on your lower back as Johnny led you alongside him into the office.

It shocked you how confidently and absent mindedly he touched you, though you went with it, your deafening heart beat blocking out anything else but the nerves that coursed through your body.

“She said-”

“Leave us,” Jaehyun interrupted Johnny, his eyes trained on you, his gaze taking in every curve and dip accentuated by your clothes.

Johnny nodded, turning back toward the elevator and leaving you both.

“Why are you here?” He spoke, his tone gravelly and annoyed.

“I’m here to talk about Saturday,” You replied blandly, as if it were an obvious statement.

“There’s nothing to talk about, it's obvious you’re whoring around with your boss-” “Jaehyun! I’m not whoring around with anybody.” Anger laced your tone lightly.

“Then what would you call what happened?” He stood up from his chair, slightly angry.

“I don’t know, but I do not have the same feelings for Taeyong.” Jaehyun scowled at your words slightly.

“You let him use you like a little puppet, and you knew I was watching,” His eyes narrowed and turned dark lightly, like he was reliving watching you through the door crack.

“I didn’t know he was going to do that! I just-” “Don’t know how to stand up for yourself, or maybe tell him you were with someone. Or maybe Taeyong is just an ass that forces himself on his employees. He saw those marks on your neck and he didn’t think for one second that maybe you had a boyfriend?” Jaehyun spat the words, clearly angry.

“You’re not my boyfriend!” You spat back.

“Well maybe I want to be!” His response was not one you were expecting and your eyes widened as the 6 words processed through your brain. Your body wasn’t sure how to react, opting on just staying frozen to the spot, like some invisible force held you there under Jaehyun’s gaze.

He didn’t move, instead just watching you from behind his desk.

He sighed, the sound filling the silence between the both of you.

“I think you should leave,” His tone was clipped, his eyes turning to steel and expression unreadable.

This time you didn't argue, turning on your heel wordlessly, exiting the lavish office.

You felt slightly at ease, though it was hard, impossible almost, to shake him from your mind, from your very self. It took a tiring amount of effort to divert your thoughts from him, the way his touches would linger and his breath would fan over your bare skin. All it took was a night and you were under Jaehyun’s spell, like he was a drug, and you needed your dose. Though you couldn’t have him, because like a drug, he was off limits. Illegal. Taboo. So you tried your hardest to stop, cease your thoughts of him.

It took you in an effortless spiral, your mind wandering as you went about your way home, thankful you called in ‘sick’ to work.

In some sense you believed you were sick, love sick. So effortlessly doped up on your experience of Jaehyun, it was hard to not get sick with his contagious love fever.

Finally, you had somehow ended up back at your apartment, walking in through the front door to sprawl out on your couch.

And you did it again, your thoughts spinning into an ocean of Jung Jaehyun, his very existence consuming you like a wave of emotion.

It wasn’t necessarily bad, just your last bit of hope holding onto him before reality sets in and you have to face the fact that you and Jaehyun couldn’t be together due to some dumb rivalry.

The feelings made you feel like a teenager desperately falling for their crush. Everything you do reminding yourself of the person you’ve fallen down a wormhole of emotion for.

It could have been hours you sat there mulling Jaehyun over in your head before a light knock on the door startled you out of the doze you’d settled into.

The clock hanging on your wall displayed you had dazed off for about 5 hours.

A sigh fell off your lips and you shuffled over to the door, pulling open the heavy wood to reveal Jaehyun standing in front of it.

A surge of emotion rose in your throat, bringing with it a tidal wave of shock that caused your muscles to involuntarily lock up and freeze.

“Jaehyun?” You finally managed to speak, confused at his presence.

“I need to, uh, apologise,” Guilt washed over his features and you could tell he felt bad.

You cocked your eyebrow looking at him quizzically.

“Well go ahead,” You spoke, leaning on the door frame.

Jaehyun breathed in a shaky breath through his mouth and exhaled through his nose.

“Look, it's not lie I’m into you and I shouldn’t have treated you like I did when I found out about you being from Bukhansan, I just, snapped.” He reached out, lightly taking your hand in his, “I’m so fucking sorry, I really shouldn’t have called you scum when you’re anything but.”

His sincere tone hit you, making you look to him, his face bearing all the guilt that leaked out with his words.

“I thought I lost you,” Jaehyun’s eyes portrayed all the anguish he must have felt, his facade crumbling away in front of you, leaving him vulnerable, for you. “I don’t care anymore, I’m over the stupid rivalry, I’m done with it.”

You went to open your mouth to respond, but you were interrupted by Jaehyun.

“I just can’t stop thinking about your heart beat,” His voice trailed as his hand travelled up to rest over your heart, like you showed him on Saturday.

The warmth of his hand seeping through the thin silk, sending your nerves on fire, your senses honing in on his touch, causing your breath to hitch in your throat.

His palm flattened against your erratic heart beat, the pulses reaching his warm skin.

“I can’t stop thinking about you, you drive me mad, you’re all I can think about, how your heartbeat mimics mine,” Jaehyun was somehow almost pressed up against you, closing the gap as he spoke.

His hand moved from your chest to grab your own hand, guiding it up to rest over his own heart.

Your palm flattened against the cotton of his shirt, feeling his warmth seep on to your skin.

“Do you feel it?” Jaehyun asked, his breath tickling the skin of your cheek lightly.

And you did, his pulse coursing through his bronzed chest to your palm, the erratic thundering shocking you.

Jaehyun was just as nervous, just as love sick and you felt it in the way his heartbeat banged against his chest.

“I-” You tried to speak but he interrupted you.

“You don’t have to say anything,” He whispered into the small space between you both.

And you didn’t, not when actions said things words never could.

You leant up, catching Jaehyun’s lips in a light kiss, his lips tentative to push back.

“You don’t need to be sorry-” Once again you started to speak but he cut you off.

“Yes I do. You fucking walked into my office, looking like a hot piece of ass to get me back. Even after I had been a complete asshole to you,” His mouth was incredibly close to your own as he spoke, the warmth of his breath tickling the flesh of your lips.

A choked gasp escaped your lips as he started placing tentative kisses down your jaw, his hands running up your sides, displacing the silk blouse you wore. Your hands were already instinctively running up his clothed chest, entwining in his hair, the muscles tightening to bring you in closer to his warm body. His own muscles responded to you, arms wrapping around your waist, pulling you into him.

The smell, the touch, the sheer feeling of him shook your body, taking your breath away, making you gasp in his ear lightly. It was like you were finally getting your fix and Jaehyun was the drug, his being overwhelming your senses. The way his hands melted into your body, his perfect lips placing perfect kisses on your neck, his breath coming out of his nose to brush against your skin.

It excited you, being so close to him, feeling him, touching him, getting your fix, soothing the addiction that filled your entire body.

You stumbled back a bit, Jaehyun still glued to you.

“Jae,” You whispered the nickname in his ear lightly. “The door is still open.”

In response Jaehyun kicked out his foot, making the door close behind him.

“No its not.” He mumbled into your neck with a smirk, one hand travelling to grip the curve of your ass and the other coming up to cup your cheek.

Jaehyun’s lips left your neck, only to come crashing into your own passionately.

“I need you,” He muttered into your lips, “I like you, I want you and I need you.”

A smile formed on your lips and you kissed him lightly.

“Then be my boyfriend,” You said smiling and looking into his eyes.

His face softened and he smiled brightly.

“Gladly,” Jaehyun whispered before kissing you again passionately.

His tongue swiped out of his lips lightly, urging for you to open, which you did, inviting him in and deepening the kiss.

All you could taste was him, feeling him brush your tongue lightly sent you mad.

Jaehyun’s grip tightened on your ass and you could feel him grinding you into his hardening bulge.

Your senses anticipated him pushing you, urging you to your bedroom, the weight of him causing your feet to stumble toward the already open door of your room.

His body pressed against you, causing the back of your knees to buckle against the edge of the bed and you to land on the soft quilt.

A gasp escaped your lips as you felt Jaehyun plant needy kisses down your neck, caging you to the mattress, hands roaming your body.

It was hot and fast as his lips travelled lower, hands moving up to rip your silk blouse open, exposing a lace bra.

Jaehyun’s lips curled into a smirk as he surveyed your lingerie.

“What’s this?” He asked, the question rolling off his swollen lips.

A smirk tugged at your own lips as you met his eyes.

“Just something to boost my confidence,” You replied, cocking your head and looking at him innocently.

Goosebumps arose on your skin as Jaehyun ran his fingertips lightly over the skin above your breasts.

“You should wear lingerie more often, I like it,” He said before placing a featherlight kiss above the light pink lace adorning your breasts.  

“Noted,” You replied, a smirk once again tugging at your lips.

Jaehyun replaced his wandering fingers with his mouth, placing light kisses over the skin above your boobs, his hands moving to tug at your skirt.

His hair was soft as you tightened your fingers in the brown locks, eliciting a gasp as he pulled down your skirt, leaving you in your panties and bra.

A shiver went up your spine as you felt his fingers trace circles into the skin of your hips, inching impossibly closer to the hem of your panties.

Your lips parted slightly to let out a gasp when you felt Jaehyun’s fingers hook the sides of your underwear.

“Can I?” He said tentatively, lips brushing your neck slightly.

It took you no time at all to decide on your answer, a simple syllable that had him pulling the fabric down to expose your soaked pussy.

Jaehyun traced a finger along your inner thigh, teasing you, making anticipation claw at your nerves, your whole body focusing on the slight touch of his digit on the sensitive skin.

You wanted to whine, to plead for him to touch you, to ravish you but you didn’t, even though all you desired was him. The feeling was taking over you, blurring the line between need and want as his finger lazily teased the skin of your thigh.

A smirk formed on his lips as he felt your muscles tense, sending your hips upwards in desperation lightly.

He stopped eventually, caving to your desires, sending his finger straight for your clit, rubbing lazy circles into the sensitive nub.

You choked out a gasp, the anticipated stimulation sending your thoughts to mush, your focus entirely on his finger tracing your clit lightly and his lips sucking gently at your neck still.

“Jaehyun,” You practically moaned, his name rolling off your lips as a lewd sound.

“Let me please you,” He said in response, his own lips fixed in a smirk as his kisses trailed south.

Anticipation was back again, filling your body with a sensitivity that never seemed to appear around anyone else, almost becoming too much to bear as you watched his mouth trail down your stomach.

You felt a comforting warmth under his touch, fighting back the neediness that clouded you, his hand reaching up to intertwine your fingers together while his other still traced your clit.

A blush fell across your cheeks lightly and you squeezed Jaehyun’s hand back lazily.

His lips placed delicate kisses on your inner thighs, though not in a teasing manner, as if he was worshipping the skin, living to satisfy you.  

Even though you knew it was going to happen, the pleasure still surprised you as Jaehyun brought his lips down onto your clit, moving his finger to prod at your entrance tenderly.

You moaned lightly, the noise coming from deep in your throat as you felt him suck serenely at the nub.

As you let out the moan, he plunged his finger into you, pumping it easily through the wetness, soon adding another to scissor you, stretching you out.

Another moan fell off your lips, lewder than the initial one, only fuelling Jaehyun to go faster at the pornographic noise.

Your muscles tensed lightly as you ground into his face, sending streams of pleasure to shoot through your body. He caught on and took his hand out of your own to grasp your hip and bring you into his face harder.

You could tell he was enjoying it, his eyes were closed and his tongue was messily licking through your folds, alternating between kitten licking and sucking on your clit.

The pleasure was beginning to intensify as you felt yourself inch toward the edge, so close to plummeting into the abyss of an orgasm.

“Jae,” You moaned the nickname, tugging on his hair lightly, indicating your impending release.

Though, instead of continuing, like you expected him to, he stopped, pulling his face and hand away.

Confusion laced your words as you spoke, “What are you-” “I want you to cum on my cock,” Arousal darkened in his eyes as he looked at your partially naked form laid out before him.

“Please,” You replied, the want that you had been bottling up spilled out in the tone you used.

Jaehyun was still clothed, kneeling between your spread legs to tug his suit pants and briefs down, pulling out his hardened cock, precum already leaking off the tip.

You felt a drip down your thigh, your clit throbbing in anticipation for his cock, your eyes taking him in greedily.

He noticed, his own eyes meeting yours, half closed and blissed out as he moved his hand lightly over his shaft, pumping himself.

Your tongue darted out, moistening your lips at the sight, lust and want clouding your thoughts as you saw him in front of you, though you soon snapped out of it as he stopped pumping, maneuvering himself to line up with you.

Jaehyun’s lips met yours for a passionate kiss before pulling away.

“Ready?” He mumbled, already teasing your folds with the head of his cock.

“Yes,” You gasped out, too focused on the feeling off his dick prodding your entrance.

At your words, he thrusted into you slowly, relishing in the feeling of you encasing him, inserting himself all the way.

Your moans mixed with Jaehyun’s, the lewd sounds echoing off the walls of your room as he continued to thrust, hitting deeper and increasing his pace with each pound into you.

His increased pace brought back the rush of pleasure, the stimulation from earlier, his cock already causing a coil of bliss to form in your abdomen. You raked your nails down his clothed back, letting out a particular loud moan as the tip of his cock brushed your spot, pushing you closer to the edge.

Jaehyun thrust faster and harder, placing sloppy kisses down your exposed neck, the raw sound of his hips slapping into yours replacing his moans.

“I’m close,” He mumbled into your skin, breathless and panting, the warmth from his breath fanning over your neck.

You felt yourself involuntarily clench around him, getting impossibly closer to the edge. Jaehyun groaned at the unexpected clenching, thrusts stuttering lightly.

“Same,” You managed to gasp out, fingers digging into his back harder, clinging to him as your body tensed, preparing for your orgasm.

“Can I cum inside of you?” Jaehyun asked, breathing in your ear lightly, letting out small moans occasionally.

“Yes, please,” You whispered breathlessly, arching into him, lost in the feeling.

At your words his thrusts sped up slightly, getting engulfed in the feeling of almost-release, until his cock twitched and he came in you, burying to the hilt, and letting his seed pour out.

The feeling off him filling you up was amazing, your fingers digging into his back and arching into his tensed stomach as you felt the sticky cum coat your walls.

He kept thrusting though, reaching a hand down to rub at your clit, urging you to orgasm, not wanting to finish without you.

“C’mon baby girl,” He whispered in your ear, moaning lightly at the sensitivity.

The pet name sent arousal shooting down your spine, your back instinctively arching into him again as you clenched and plummeted into the abyss, letting the pleasurable black engulf you as your orgasm took over.

Jaehyun stopped thrusting, pulling out to flop next to you, making the mattress shift lightly.

Only after he had pulled out did you realise the sweat coating your skin, hair sticking to your face and neck from the moisture, your breath coming out in deep pants.

You felt him go to roll off the bed, the mattress once again shifting to accompany Jaehyun’s movement, the soft sheets rubbing your sweaty skin.

“I should go,” He said, tugging up his pants and tugging his cock back in.Your eyes widened at his statement and you sat up suddenly.

“No!” It came out more forceful than you intended, making a blush litter your cheeks as he looked to you with an eyebrow raised.

“No?” Jaehyun repeated, his signature smirk plastered in his face.

The redness in your cheeks deepened lightly. “I just thought you’d want to stay the night,” You spoke shyly, nervous for his answer.

Jaehyun’s smirk turned into a smile as he looked at you on the bed. “Of course, though we’ll have to get cleaned up,” He spoke, extending his hand toward you for you to take.

And you did, slipping your palm in his to help you off the bed and stand.

“Bathroom?” He breathed, pulling your body into him lightly, his lips meeting your cheek in a soft kiss.

You pointed toward the ensuite door on the other side of your room, which he led you too, opening the door to your bathroom.

Being a lawyer did come with its perks, meaning you could afford a high end apartment, which reflected in the marble finishes and pristine porcelain accentuating your bathroom. The tub being more than large enough for two people and the shower also being quite big. Your makeup still littered the counter from this morning and you had some dirty laundry thrown into a basket in the corner, the only things looking out of place in the immaculacy of the bathroom.

Jaehyun sat you down on the toilet seat gently as he walked over to bathtub, turning the knobs, causing a stream of warm water to flow into the porcelain tub. You walked over to him, unclipping your bra and chucking it in the direction of the basket vaguely before grabbing your favorite body wash.

The bath mat shifted slightly as you kneeled down next to Jaehyun, squeezing some of the soapy liquid into the water, causing the sweet smelling suds to arise. He casted a glance at you as you settled next to him to pour soap into the water.

“You need your clothes off for a bath,” You giggled, looking back at him, still in his mussed up suit.

“Probably,” He smirked back at you, hands moving to unbutton the fine cotton that adorned his chest and once again tug his suit pants down, this time all the way, undressing himself fully. As he was doing so, you slipped a leg into the water, letting the silky suds lap at your skin soothingly before settling into the perfumed liquid, resting your back against the wall of the tub. Jaehyun followed you in soon enough, settling in opposite of you, letting your legs tangle under the soapy bubbles covering the surface.

A content sigh fell off his lips as he leant back into the tub. “This is possibly the best bath I’ve ever had,” He breathed lightly, relaxing further into the water.

You chuckled lightly, reclining and letting your muscles relax. “I agree,” You breathed, letting the relaxed state you both shared fill the need for conversation.

Jaehyun’s hand lightly traced shapes into your knee, soothing you further. “Can I come over?” He asked tentatively, looking at you innocently through the bubbles. “I wanna cuddle,” This time he had a slight whine to his voice, making you breathe out a mock sigh of frustration and maneuver yourself to rest against his toned chest. Jaehyun wrapped his arms around you with a wide smile, placing a small kiss on the crown of your head.

“I’m glad I got this night with you,” He whispered into the silence, his comforting embrace lulling you to sleep. You smiled up at him sleepily, leaning up to plant a light kiss on his lips.

“Then let’s do it again sometime,” You mumbled into his lips, smiling the whole time.

“Definitely,” Jaehyun replied, squeezing you tighter against him.

You both lazed in the tub, lightly dozing against each other until each bubble caused by the scented soap popped and the water became cold. Once it did, you both got out, barely having the energy required to dry yourselves off with a towel, let alone to find something to wear to bed. So you both curled up in the sheets naked, Jaehyun once again pulling you into his chest to cuddle, leaving you with a brief kiss on your forehead and a muttered ‘good night’ before falling asleep.

It was only the sharp ringtone of your phone in the morning that roused you both, your hand groping the bedside table to pull it over to your ear, answering it.

“Hello?” Your voice was groggy and heavy with sleep. Jaehyun groaned lightly in protest, half asleep snuggling into your side lightly.

“Y/N!? Where have you been!?” Taeyong’s annoyed voice blasted through the receiver.

Your eyes shot open at his voice, shooting straight up in bed, knocking Jaehyun off you, making him let go of you and sit up beside you.

“Oh, I had an appointment,” You lied, panic spreading through your veins like ice.

“Well, you need to come in today we got some… interesting news on the case.” Taeyong sounded constricted, as if he had gossip to spill but he needed to be professional.

“I’m sorry Mr Lee, it won’t happen again, but what’s the news?” You asked curiously, dismissing your mistake, though hoping the question wouldn’t expose you for not reading the case files just yet.

Taeyong sighed on the other side of the phone. “Jaehyun’s the main suspect of the murder,”

[lambroseforlife]

Rick and Lilly going to the fair please :)

I hope you dont mind, anon, but since this ask didnt specify for this to occur in canonverse or a particular time period, Im going to use this prompt as the FINAL installment for one of my previous prompts. To be more specific, the detective AU one (part 1 here; part 2 here). By popular demand, readers wished for a continuation so here it is.

— — —

“That one! I want to go on that one next…”

“…that’s my cotton floss! I’m telling Mum!”

“Johnny! Come back here right this instant! I knew we shouldn’t have come here…”

The two individuals weaved through the crowd of people in the park, narrowly avoiding the gaggles of screaming children. It was only when they had reached a quieter section in the area did the taller person decide to speak.

“Miss Linton, this was not what I had in mind for a professional meeting.”

The person in question grinned back. “But Mr Ambrose, this is an unprofessional location! Just right for an unprofessional discussion as you wanted, don’t you think?”

He did not deign to reply, simply choosing to glare ahead.

“Plus,” she insisted, “it’s so noisy people won’t hear our conversation. They’re too busy paying attention to everything else in the fun fair.”

She glanced around, her focus on the various striped booths and their brightly painted signs.

“With the noise, we can barely hear each other.” Her employer dryly remarked.

“If that’s the case…then maybe we should stay closer together for efficiency.” She murmured, sidling right next to him until their arms were touching. She looked up at him with a pair of warm eyes. “Wouldn’t you agree, Mr Ambrose?”

His sea-coloured gaze bored into hers, suddenly intense. They flickered lower on her face for the briefest of seconds and then back.

“Perhaps so, Miss Linton.”

It was most likely her imagination but did his voice sound slightly hoarse?

“But first things first.” She broke off eye contact, looking back towards one of the booths from earlier. “Let’s get some food, I’m starving.”

— — —

While Miss Linton stood in line for food, she asked her boss to find a place for them to sit. She had just received her food and started to look for him when she spotted him standing against an empty booth not too far away. With his significant height, he towered over the crowd. The same could not be said for her, however, as he did not notice her approaching until she was closer.

“There is no place to sit.” He informed her.

“Then we’ll just stand and eat.” She looked around the empty booth. “We’re not in anyone’s way here so this is fine.”

She unwrapped the lengthy package and carefully broke off half of it, holding it out to him. “Here, you have half.”

“I told you before, Miss Linton. I’m not hungry—”

She scoffed. “Knowing you, you probably didn’t eat much today. And this entire sandwich is too much for me to finish. If you don’t want it, then it’s going to waste.”

She raised an eyebrow and he took the half-sandwich, only starting to eat after she did.

They ate in comfortable silence, save for the distinct crunching noises each time they bit into the stuffed baguette.

Miss Linton took longer to eat, taking slower bites. She was halfway through her sandwich when she glanced up and saw that her companion had finished his meal.

“Wow,” she exclaimed, her mouth full of food. “Yer alrery rone earing?”

“Yes, I don’t like to waste time.” Mr Ambrose shot her a disapproving look. “Don’t speak with your mouth full, Miss Linton.”

She swallowed, gulping loudly. “I prefer to savour my food when I get the chance to, thank you very much.”

“Less talking, more eating.”

She glared at him but complied, nonetheless.

Once she had finished, she promptly threw the empty wrapper in a trash bin nearby. “Ahhh, that was good, wasn’t it?”

“It was adequate.”

“Let’s go and explore the rest of the fair.” She started to head towards the direction of the other booths.

“Wait.” A voice called behind her. She turned to see her boss regarding her with an unreadable expression.

“Yes, Mr Ambrose?”

“Miss Linton, you seem to have forgotten the original purpose of our meeting. You said you had some questions for me. Aren’t you going to ask them?”

A hint of a smile tugged at her lips. “No.”

“No?”

“No, I haven’t forgotten. But I think you have. I already asked you what I wanted to know yesterday, Mr Ambrose. I’m just waiting for you to answer.”

Silence. She continued.

“But I don’t think you’re ready to quite yet. So I will wait until you are.”

“And what if I’m not ready today?” His eyes glinted in the dim lighting.

She smiled and shrugged. “Then I suppose we’ll just have to hold more ‘professional meetings’ until you are. Don’t you agree?”

She didn’t wait for him to answer as she grabbed his hand. He stared at her, frozen. Her smile only grew wider.

“But for today, like you, I don’t intend to waste time. So we’re going to see the rest of the fair since we’re already here.” She began to tug him back through the crowd, leading the way.

Others around them stared as they passed by, small children in confusion and young couples in amusement.

She could feel the disapproval radiating behind her from him and she chuckled. Her head turned back towards him with a smirk.

“Live a little, Mr Ambrose!”

In response, he pulled his hand out of her grasp, letting go, and he grumbled in a tone too low for her to hear. However, she barely registered his actions as her eyes fell upon something. They widened and in the next moment, she was sprinting through the throng of people.

“Excuse me! Oops! I’m sorry! Sorry, really! Pardon me, coming through!”

She squeezed through the small openings in the crowd, attempting to navigate to her destination as fast as possible. She ignored the gasps of outrage, definitely not hearing Mr Ambrose’s protests in the distance.

She stared up at the object on display hung up at the corner of the booth. Facing the man inside the booth, she called out to him.

“Excuse me! How much does this cost?” She pointed to the object hanging over her.

“‘Tis not fer sale, Miss.”

She frowned. “What do you mean ‘not for sale’?”

“‘Tis a prize, Miss. Shoot the balls off the bottles to win.”

Confused, she slowly looked up at the sign above the booth. ‘Shooting Gallery’, the letters read in bold, red paint.

“Oh.” Her gaze flickered the air rifle beside the man and the two shelves beside him— both evenly lined with five empty alcohol bottles and a ball sitting on each bottle opening. “How much to participate?”

“One ticket gives ye three tries, Miss.”

“Tickets? But I don’t have any.”

“Ye can buy them. See that big booth over there?” He pointed over in the distance.

“Yes.”

“That’s where they sell them. Come back when ye have them.”

“But how do I know this won’t be gone by then?” She glanced upwards at the object.

“It won’t, Miss. No one’s wanted it the whole day. Kinda surprised ye wants it, actually.”

“I see.”

“Why do you want that?” The deep voice came from behind her. Closer than she expected. Close enough for her stomach to flutter in recognition.

She whirled on her toes towards him. “Because I like it. Took you long enough to show up.”

“Well, a certain apprentice just ran into the crowd without warning.”

She leaned forward, her neck craning up to look at him directly. “Well, if a certain detective hadn’t let go of my hand, then there wouldn’t have been a problem.”

He cocked his head. “Indeed, Miss Linton?”

“Oh, yes.” She breathed out. “Indeed, Mr Ambrose.”

They stared at each other, their faces merely inches away from one another as they both said nothing, just merely studying the other pers—

The sound of someone clearing their throat was as effective as a bucket of cold water, causing Miss Linton to spring away from the person in front of her. She was internally grateful that her hair was loose, safely covering the currently reddening tips of her ears. Her eyes met the man inside the booth, who was watching them both warily. 

She nodded at him. “I’ll be back then.”

Miss Linton took off towards the ticket booth. She paused, inclining her head to the side.

“Let’s go, Mr Ambrose. I wouldn’t want you to become lost again.”

— — —

Twenty minutes later, they returned back to the shooting gallery booth. A small line had formed in the meantime and thus, they waited again. When her turn came, Miss Linton held out one small printed piece of paper and the man took it, handing her an air rifle.

“How many targets for what I want?”

“Ye have to hit knock over all ten balls, Miss.” He handed her the air rifle. “The corks are in this basket here. So you push the cork in like this at the muzzle, turn the rifle over and pull this lever here to load it. You do this for each shot.”

Clink. Clank. The lever locked back into place. He handed the loaded rifle to her and she hesitantly took it.

“Do you even know how to shoot?” Questioned the person watching behind her.

“Of course I do! I’ve seen it on the telly many times. How hard could it possibly be?”

Silence.

“Now for the first ball…” Her finger curled around the trigger and pushed down.

The cork flew out and hit the shelf.

“Hmm, that didn’t go so well.”

She struggled to load the rifle again but finally managed to before the man came over to do it again.

“Let’s try again.”

The second cork sailed through the air and into the back of the booth before disappearing out of sight.

“Maybe it’s just a matter of practice.”

For this case, it seemed to work with only loading the corks but not for shooting them. The other eight corks never made contact with the desired target. The closest Miss Linton had gotten was when one of them hit the base of the bottle.

“Two more tries, Miss.”

She wiped sweat from her brow. “Blast! The movies make it look so easy! Why isn’t this working? Is this game rigged?”

“It is not, Miss Linton. The fault lies on your end entirely.” Again, that infuriatingly cool voice spoke up again behind her.

She turned to glare at him. “My fault? How so?”

He stepped forward until he was directly behind her. Her heartbeat sped up.

“To begin with,” the murmur of his voice was nearer than she expected, “your stance is off.”

His arms grasped her shoulders as if he were handling something delicate, but still firmly manoeuvred her until she stood sideways.

“Legs wider apart.” The toe of his shoe nudged at the heel of hers until she complied. Warmth rushed to her cheeks as she tried to not think about how it made her press more into him. Which was just about as effective as trying to ignore his presence.

“Now,” his hand reached forward, pulling the rifle back.”The butt of the rifle should be resting against your shoulder. This hand is already positioned where it should be, next to the trigger. As for the other…”

His opposite hand covered the one curled around the forestock and slid it further away. Miss Linton could hear her heart pounding in her ears.

“There. Now it should be easier to aim for the target. Relax your shoulders, they’re too tense.”

His hands settled on there, pushing down until she dropped them. They still stayed there, keeping them in place.

“Focus. Aim for ball using the barrel’s end as your guide.”

She took breaths to steady herself and pulled the trigger.

Bam!

The first ball fell off the bottle. 

“Yippee!”

She jumped and squealed in happiness. “I did it! I did it, Mr Ambrose!”

“I saw. I wouldn’t be too excited if I were you. You still have nine left.”

“Oh, right.”

Unfortunately, her luck was not as consistent for the following shots. To her immense disappointment, she only managed to knock two more balls over.

“One more try, Miss.”

After a moment of contemplation, she sighed and gave the rifle back to the man.

“Thank you, but even with a hundred more attempts, I don’t think I will be able to knock all the balls over. It was fun though.”

“So you’re giving up?” Mr Ambrose asked.

“What’s the point? I don’t have the experience to win anyway.”

“Regardless of experience, you’re throwing away an opportunity. Don’t forget it was me who bought the five tickets.”

“Because I ran out of money from the sandwich!” She protested. “Plus, you said you would deduct the cost of the tickets from my wages anyway.”

He gave her a look. “I appreciate the reminder, Miss Linton. But until then, these are still my tickets. I refuse to let you waste them.”

Stepping forward, he held his hand out to the man. “Rifle.”

The man immediately obeyed, looking at them both with widened eyes.

“Wait, Mr Ambrose. I forgot to load the cork—”

“No need.” He cut off the objections from his employee. “I know how to do it after watching you.”

Clink. Clank.

Bam!

Clink. Clank.

Bam!

Clink. Clank.

Bam!

This repeated in rapid succession as each ball was knocked off a glass bottle. Miss Linton gaped at her employer the entire time as he fired the corks and reloaded with mechanical precision.

Bang!

The ninth ball flew clean off and collided with the last remaining ball which in turn, bounced onto the booth owner’s shoes. He, along with the people waiting in line watched in shock. Mr Ambrose promptly handed the rifle back to him.

“I’ll be damned. Ye hit them all, Mister. Pick any prize.”

“Whatever the lady wants.” He responded, spinning on his heel and marching off.

Miss Linton quickly grabbed the big stuffed animal and said goodbye before following her employer. She had to run to catch up before she lost sight of him.

“How…” Pant. Huff. “…is that…” Pant. Wheeze. “possible?”

He glanced at her but did not slow his pace. “It is. You just saw.”

“That’s not—” Gasp! “ — what I asked!” Her breathing steadied after much effort.

“I…” His jaw tightened. “I used to be a part of the police force, Miss Linton.”

“I haven’t forgotten. But even the other officers I’ve seen in action don’t have your aim and speed.”

He said nothing and her irritation grew.

“Tell me! Where did you learn to shoot like that?”

He opened his mouth but she interrupted.

“Don’t you dare use your police background as an explanation again! It’s something more, isn’t it?”

“Why did you want that ridiculous stuffed animal anyway?” He fired back. “It’s not worth the trouble.”

“But you got it for me anyway. Why won’t you give me an answer?” She tugged at his sleeve.

Abruptly, he halted. She almost crashed into him and so did the people walking behind them. They glared at them both but she could care less. Her eyes were focused solely on him and the storm roiling in his own as he glared at the ground.

His pinky began to twitch and after a very long moment of silence, he looked up at her.

“My father.” He finally answered. “He taught me.”

— — —

“You used to live in the country?”

They were sitting beside each other on a park bench in more secluded area save for the occasional passersby.

“My parents own an estate up in Northumberland. It was where I was born and raised.”

“So you come from a wealthy family?”

“I suppose so. I don’t know if that applies now.”

“When was the last time you saw them?”

“Nearly ten years ago.”

“A decade! Why such a long time?”

“I didn’t part from them on…the most favourable of terms.” His tone hardened at the end.

“What happened?” She pointedly looked ahead into the distance, afraid to see his expression.

Silence. A cautious glance downwards at his clenched fist told her that this was was a difficult topic for him.

She was about to move on to another question when he spoke.

“My father and I had our differences. Differences that only became obvious once I was older. As a child, I looked up to him very much. I wanted to be a son he was proud of. The things he liked— hunting, fishing and horseback riding became my pastimes. All to please him. Even though I held more interest in other activities such as fencing or reading.”

He sighed. “Over time, his expectations grew increasingly unreasonable. He wanted me to go into medicine or politics. But while attending Eton, I found that I wanted to pursue a career in law enforcement. Shortly after I graduated, I told him what I wanted to do. He was furious. He said that I would only bring disgrace to the family. He gave me two choices: obey him or get out. I chose the latter.”

“Wow.” She whispered. “That’s so…”

“Foolish? Rash?”

“I was about to say unfair. What your father did.”

“Ah, then yes. I’m inclined to agree.”

“What about the rest of your family? How did they take it?”

“My mother…” A dark edge crept into his tone and Miss Linton had to suppress a shiver. “She witnessed the argument. But she never said a single word the entire time. As for my sister, she was too young to understand what was happening then.”

“How old was she?”

“Around eight or nine. She was a child. I’m ten years older than her.”

“So five years younger than me.” She muttered to herself. “She must be graduating school later this year.”

“Most likely.”

“Hasn’t your family tried to contact you since you left? Not even once?”

“Much more than that. Back when I used to work in Scotland Yard, my mother would send letters every month to my office.”

“And?”

“I never opened them. There was no point.”

“How so?”

“It was too late for her to say anything by then. She should have done so that night.”

“So what happened after you left your home?”

“I came here to London. I was a naive boy then. Foolishly optimistic.” He scoffed. “I went directly to Scotland Yard and told them I wanted to work for them. Preferably as an officer but I would take any available position. Unimpressed, they had me fill out some forms and answer a couple verbal questions. They told me if they were interested, they would contact me.”

He paused in recollection.

“Nearly a month passed and no news. The money I had secretly saved up from working on weekends in school was almost gone. I was ready to give up and return home. In my desperation, I would have pathetically grovelled at my father’s feet to take me back. But it turns out I didn’t have to. The night before I was planning to leave London, I received a call from one of the officers. He told me that there was no availability for new officers but there was high demand for detectives due to a shortage. I accepted the offer and was immediately started training.”

“Did you consider working as a detective before then?”

“Not really, no. From the detective novels I read, I thought the situations were exaggerated. And I was right. When I was under training, I found the reality to be more mundane and repetitive. But what I didn’t realise until that point was how taxing the process was. Especially the paperwork. To save time, I forced myself to become ambidextrous for writing.”

“Huh. This whole time I thought you could naturally do that.”

“As a trainee, I met many of the staff at Scotland Yard. However, one person I was already acquainted with. Constable Daniel Dalgliesh. He graduated from Eton too. He was a few years my senior so we didn’t know each other that well. But he still recognised me. I told him about my situation and he offered me his place to stay. For the time being, I was living at a rundown motel. The salary of a trainee was not much and finances were tight.”

“So you lived with him?”

“For a while, yes. When my training was complete, he convinced the Chief Inspector to assign me to his unit so we could work together. I saved up for a few months after becoming a Detective Constable. From the salary increase, I had enough to move out to my own place.”

“How close are you with Dalgliesh?”

“From everything he had done for me, he was the person I trusted the most in the entire police force. Perhaps even in the entirety of London.”

Miss Linton raised an eyebrow but said nothing. It did not escape her notice that he had used past tense.

“Most of our cases were assigned to the East End. The war had just ended, so there was an increase in gang activity  Our unit was made of newer hires so we were scrapped with brunt work. But we didn’t mind so much. Like fools, we were more eager to prove ourselves above anything else. I suppose it worked. Within the year, Dalgliesh was promoted to Sergeant.”

“What about you?”

“I wasn’t promoted until two years later. As Detective Sergeant, my duties became more administrative like Dalgliesh’s. We saw each other less at work and more outside of it. Usually on the weekends for a meal while we discussed cases. Fast forward to four years later and by then, he was already Inspector Dalgliesh. My rank increased to Detective Inspector that year. I had assumed that my record of solving cases was what had earned me the promotion.”

“It wasn’t that, was it?”

“It was part of it. But not the only reason. Six months later, I was assigned to a certain case. It was wide-scale regarding the disappearance of numerous young ladies in multiple cities. I had assumed that they were all separate incidents initially until further investigation. I discovered that not only were they connected, but also all committed by the same person. I was so close to tracking the culprit when I was suddenly instructed to drop the case by the Chief Inspector.”

“Why?”

“That’s what I wanted to know. I asked him but he would give me no explanation. He told me to not ask any more questions about it. There was something he was hiding and I wanted to find out what it was. When I told Dalgliesh about it, he was acting…suspicious. Like there was something he didn’t want to tell me. When I kept asking him about it, he finally admitted that the same thing had happened before to him and other officers too.”

“How come?”

“He never said it directly but he implied that the higher ups were…persuaded to drop the investigations for certain cases.”

She stared at him in horror.

“No. No! You can’t possibly mean…”

He turned to look at her and she let out a defeated sigh. “I see.”

“Indeed, Miss Linton. I was furious when I found out. But like Dalgliesh, my hands were tied. I tried to move on to the other cases. However, my anger grew over the next few months. At that point, I could not handle it any longer. I submitted my letter of resignation to the Chief Inspector.”

“How did he react?”

“With disappointment. He told me that he expected better from me. Especially given how Dalgliesh had all but begged him to promote me.”

“He did what?”

“I didn’t want to believe it either. I couldn’t. Accepting it meant that I had to accept that Dalgliesh was no different from the higher ups that bent the law to their own will. Without telling him or anyone else, I quietly took my things from my former office and left.”

“And then?”

“A week later, he banged on my apartment door demanding to talk to me. I let him in and he yelled at me for leaving. He asked me why but I couldn’t tell him. Not after what he did. I knew he didn’t have bad intentions but…”

“It went against your principles?”

“Yes. His anger at my silence resulted in him telling me that I had thrown away my only chance to make a name for myself. Then he stormed out. The next time I saw him after that was when you first met him.”

“When he stopped by the office?”

“Yes. Anyway, his parting words on our previous meeting made me think. I wanted to prove him wrong. So I decided to open my own private investigation agency. Where I was the one in charge. No one could tell me what to do but myself.”

“I see. What about the case you had to drop? Did you ever find out who was behind it?”

A muscle began to twitch in his jaw and a dark emotion crossed his eyes. “I did. It was the first thing I secretly investigated after I opened the agency.”

“So who was the culprit?”

Silence.

After a minute passed, Miss Linton took a more direct approach.

“It wasn’t Dalgliesh, was it?”

“No.”

“Do you think he knew who it was?”

“I do not know, Miss Linton. Nor do I wish to.”

“If you knew who it was, then why didn’t you go after them?”

“Because,” he ground out through gritted teeth, “all the evidence I compiled earlier had been incinerated. Even though I was working by memory, it wasn’t enough to convict the person. Not to mention, the disappearances had stopped by then. If I continued to pursue the case, then I would only face trouble from the police.”

By the arctic tone of his voice, Miss Linton knew to not push him further on the subject. He was not going tell her more about it.

For now.

She changed the topic. “So, um…earlier you asked me why I wanted this so badly.”

She held up the big stuffed animal sitting in her lap. “Do you still wish to know why?”

Silence. She decided to take that as a confirmation.

“A few months ago, I decided to celebrate when I moved into my new apartment. I bought myself several bottles of alcohol and chocolate bars. I ended up drinking too much and well…”

Still silence. She continued.

“When I was in a drunken state, I saw yellow piggies. They looked very much like this fellow here.”

She squeezed the plush cheeks of the grinning yellow pig.

“I just wanted a memento of that night. I was so happy, the happiest I had ever been in years. But because you won this for me, it means even more to me now.”

He still said nothing but at her words she could see his fists unclench and some of the tension leave his jaw.

She scooted closer. Cautiously leaning over, she slowly rested her head against his shoulder, trying to provide comfort.

For the rest of the hour, they stayed together like that, unmoving.

— — —

They had decided to use the remainder of the four tickets on the Ferris Wheel. Otherwise, Miss Linton had argued, it would be a complete waste since the tickets couldn’t be used elsewhere or refunded. Her employer had conceded and thus, they sat across each other in a passenger car. The transparent windows allowed for a full view across the park and it was where the two passengers’ gazes currently lay, both appearing to be lost in their own thoughts since their previous conversation.

“Mr Ambrose?”

“Yes, Miss Linton?”

She turned to look at him, his posture tense but his facial expression betraying nothing in the slightest as he still gazed down at the park.

“Do you know why I was so insistent on working for you when you first offered me the job?”

His head turned slowly to meet her earnest eyes, his own slightly narrowed.

“Enlighten me.”

“How much do you know about my family?”

“More than you think.”

“So you know that my younger sister and I live together, but separately from our other sisters and our aunt and uncle?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know why we live separately?”

Silence.

“I’m going to take that as a ‘no’. For the past few years, my aunt staunchly believed that for taking care of me and my sisters since our parents died, our payment to her was marrying rich husbands. That way, she could have social connections and potentially money.”

She glanced out the window, uncrossing her arms. “My older sisters had no problems finding husbands. But I refused from the start. I never wanted a life like that. For my aunt, I was always the troublemaker. We never got along well to begin with. That only doubled her determination to marry me off to some man at first chance.”

His expression was still blank as he stared at her wordlessly. She gulped and her voice grew softer. “Then you offered me a job. I saw that as my ticket to freedom and I took it. I moved out from my uncle’s house shortly after saving up for a bit. I brought my younger sister along as well. She and her beau have been in love for a while now.  But she knew that my aunt would never accept him and that after my departure, she would be next in line for an arranged marriage.”

Miss Linton grimaced. “Of course, my aunt threw a fit. But what else could she do? We were both of legal age already. Me getting a job inspired my younger sister to pursue a career too. She’s now attending beauty school to be a hairdresser so she can save up and marry her beau.”

“I don’t know why I’m telling you all of this. I just…” She trailed off, sighing. A moment of silence reigned as she looked out the window. She turned back to meet his unwavering gaze again.

“Yesterday’s case, with Mrs Caroline Fitzgerald.”

“What of it?” He asked.

“Once I went home yesterday, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I wanted to stop but my mind wouldn’t let me. I think I know why now.”

“Why?”

“Because…” She swallowed hard. Her fingers gripped the front edge of the metal bench, knuckles whitening. “Because if I hadn’t met you, would Mrs Fitzgerald have been me? If I hadn’t been able to leave my uncle’s place and was forced into a marriage by my aunt, would I have been the same as her? As selfish as she was, I know that if I was in her situation I would have done the same.”

“I don’t believe that.”

She blinked. “You…don’t?”

“No. Miss Linton, given your tendency for stubbornness, I think that you would have found another way to avoid marriage by your aunt, regardless. Mrs Fitzgerald tried to use money to cope with not being able to decide for herself. But you— you would never let others decide for you no matter the benefit. Otherwise, you still wouldn’t be here working for me. Otherwise…tonight would have never happened.”

She stared at him for a moment, completely taken off-guard. She exhaled a shaky laugh. “I suppose you’re right. Thank you, Mr Ambrose.”

He nodded.

The ride came to an end and they were guided out of the passenger car by an attendant. After descending the platform back onto the grass, Miss Linton checked her wristwatch.

“Oh my, it’s gotten pretty late. I suppose we should leave now.”

“It appears that others are.”

He was correct. The crowd had dwindled and many of the remaining guests were beginning to leave, with some of the booths already shutting down and packing up. The evening at the fair was slowly, but surely coming to an end.

— — —

They were walking back to her place side by side at a brisk pace. Their breaths appeared in tandem from the chilly winter air. This time, there was no conversation as they felt comfortable, but strangely somewhat anxious at the same time to speak. The evening had been…eventful to put it mildly and both could sense that something had changed. As for what it was, they were unsure.

Their steps slowed when the familiar faded brown apartment came into sight. They stopped in front of the entrance, both glancing at each other. She hugged the stuffed yellow pig tighter to her and she turned to face him.

“Well, I suppose this is farewell.”

“It is.”

“I’ll see you at work tomorrow then?”

“You will.”

She shook her head and smiled. Her boss had certainly mastered the art of not mincing words.

“I had fun tonight, Mr Ambrose.”

“Did you now?”

“I did.” Her expression reflected nothing less than sincerity.

His mouth said nothing but his eyes conveyed more than enough emotion as they intently gazed into hers. Miss Linton felt something tug at her chest.

Reaching forward with her arm, she laced her fingers with his, gently squeezing his hand.

“Good night…Rikkard.” She whispered. For some reason, her mouth had suddenly become dry.

He stiffened. Then…

His fingers slowly curled over hers, squeezing back.

“Good night, Lillian.”

— — —

And that’s it for the detective AU! I hope you all enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it. I’m a sucker for fluffy moments if you couldn’t tell by now.

Merry Christmas to all that celebrate it! Regardless if you do or dont, I hope that you have a wonderful day and week! I hope you liked reading my holiday gift to you.

[mirsfa]

dangerously (ii)

Genre: Uhm. Kinda everything, from angst through fluff to smut Word count: 5k Pairing: Prince!Jaehyun x Mafia!Reader Warning: Cursing, underage smoking, drinking, use of drugs, even more cursing, smut in upcoming chapters. There’s a lot and I might have left some out oops. Summary: You were polar opposites. He was royalty, you were a criminal. You hated him, he hated you. This mission was the last thing any of you wanted, but you had to make it work. But could you?

Kun spoke most of the time. As his calm, soothing voice echoed in the room, it didn’t only cool the rising tension, but it also gave you time to comprehend what the princes came for, what the royal family wanted help with.

Your lips pressed into a thin line as you recalled Prince Johnny’s words.

“Our family has been receiving continuous threats from a group of terrorists,” his voice was emotionless, but you saw the way his eyes twinkled with plea. You read him like a book. “We don’t know which group, but several attempts were made on each and every one of our public outings with the Royal Family. We want protection and help to find out who is sending us threats and who are the ones who keep sabotaging our lives. We want help with stopping them.”

You forced down your irritation upon hearing the word want.

“Why do you think we are suitable for this?” asked Taeyong, his face tight with attention.

“You are one of the best, are you not?”

Another prince spoke up, his voice deep and velvety, and you swore you could feel the touch of silky sheets on your skin upon hearing his words. He was sitting next to the rude one, Yuta, with legs crossed and hands delicately folded in his lap. Strands of honey brown hair hung into his eyes, crossing over his exposed forehead.

You hated to admit it, but he was one of the most beautiful things you have ever seen.

And they way he held his high up, his composure straight and face filled with thunderous confidence, he was aware of that.

“How do we know it’s not an ambush of some sort against us?” Kun asked. Johnny nodded and reached for his bag, as if he expected that those kind questions were going to be asked.

But as soon as his hands disappeared in the bag, Doyoung was on his feet, body placed in front of Taeyong. You felt yourself tense too as rapid thoughts flew through your head. He’s going to reach for a weapon. A gun? Or a knife? Mustard gas?

Ten followed Doyoung’s movements as he swiftly stood up and drew out a knife, pointing straight to the middle of Johnny’s forehead.

The princes froze immediately, and Johnny shot his hands up high in the air in front of himself. Fear glinted in his delicate brown eyes.  

“Careful, boys.” Taeyong purred, the only one in the room who didn’t move an inch. “Your Highnesses, there are hitman and trained fighters in this room. Drawing blood is like taking a breath for them – they do it without a second thought and without regrets.”

The princes nodded slowly, their eyes glued on Doyoung and Ten who had weapons in their hands and the promise of death on their features. Even Kun and Taeil were ready to pounce. Your body shook with adrenalin and you had to concentrate extremely hard not to reveal yourself.

“Sit.” Taeyong ordered, and the two men hesitantly followed his order, their eyes not leaving the princes.

“I don’t trust you yet,” the leader continued, “and I want time to think. I want to talk with my men, ask them…”

“Aren’t you the leader?” Yuta cut in his words and hearing his mocking tone, you felt the renewed force of anger washing through you. “Aren’t you supposed to give orders what they can follow?” turning to Johnny he shook his head. “I thought we came to an actual mafia, not some group of buddies who do whatever they please.”

Yuta turned back to Taeyong, whose expression turned distant as he placed the remnants of his cigarette on the ashtray. His expression was stone cold, and even though every fibre of your body instructed you to do so, you weren’t sure if someone needed to step in or not.

“Are you sure you are the leader of the group, and it isn’t the group that leads you?” Yuta asked him again, his eyes glued on Taeyong’s expression.

“Are you sure, Lee, that you’re suitable for something like this?”

That was it.

You needed no more.

Your heels clicked on the filth covered ground of the floor as you made your way to their table, stepping out of the shadows. Your vision was swimming in red, and your heart thundered in your chest with every breath you took. You kept your composure straight, eyes dead set on the princes. You felt the sharp sting on your palm as your nails dug deep into it, but the feeling left as fast as it came. They turned silent, their bewildered eyes watching your every move, as if you were a locked away predator that had just escaped the deepest pits of Hell. The Snakes that were sitting around the table didn’t move, it was only the princes that kept looking at you with faces dangerously pale. Making sure your face held no emotions, except that slicing glint in your eyes, you stopped in front of them and pressing your ring covered fingers on the table in-between Kun and Ten, leaned towards them. They didn’t move. Didn’t breathe. Didn’t dare to do so. “Who do you think you are?” Your honey like voice was now a snake’s hiss in the noiseless room. “Who do you think you are, coming into our territory not only to order us to help, but to criticize what we do, how we do it and who we are?” The room was so quiet, the dropping sound of a needle would’ve been equal to an explosion. The one with the honey brown hair and breath taking features stirred and hissed back, his gaze not tearing away from yours. “We are royals, and your territory is in our kingdom, under our rule so we get to do and say whatever the hell we want, whether you want it or not.” The tall one grabbed his expensive suit tightly, making him choke back on his words. Squinting your eyes, you stared deeply in his, forcing yourself not to be affected by their mesmerizing colour. “You might be rulers on earth, prince,” your voice was dripping with venom as you ignored Taeyong’s warning stir. “But your power doesn’t reach down to Hell.” Straightening back up, you looked into each one of their eyes. “Do not forget who you are talking to, princes. No one likes to realize that they are not as powerful as they think they are.”

“Z.” Taeyong murmured. It wasn’t an order, no. The worry and hesitation glinting in his eyes promised something else. You shouldn’t lose yourself in a situation like this.

Your vision swam in red, silently fuming at the princes who were disrespecting your leader, the person who meant so much not only to you, but to the whole of the Diamond Snake.

“Z, they know nothing. Don’t lose it.” Doyoung breathed, his words icy but his eyes aware, watching your every move.

You didn’t listen to them. You didn’t move an inch, your gaze still locked with the honey-brown haired prince. His eyes held the same pride and fury, one like yours, the swirling chaos of emotions drowning any soul that dared gazing into them for longer. Tearing your eyes away from his, you turned with a straight back and stalked back next to Taeyong’s chair, perching on the armrest.

The tension in the room was suffocating. Again.  

“We will discuss the matters with the rest of the Diamond Snake’s inner circle. Hopefully that is an acceptable decision for Your Highnesses. We will send an answer in five days’ time.” Kun said as he braced his arms on the table, trying his best the ease the tension you caused. Yet you couldn’t feel an inch of sorry in your body as Yuta’s hissed words kept replaying themselves in your head. Johnny chewed on his lips for a second, hesitation evident in his eyes.

“Don’t send a letter,” he said, “come to the palace.”

For a second there was silence.

Then Taeyong broke out laughing.

Leaning forward, he steadied himself on the table, his shoulders shaking violently.

Doyoung and you squirmed and exchanged an uncomfortable glance. Did you miss the joke? Were the princes joking? You saw multiple flaws with going to the palace, but you found none of them funny. There were just way too many risks.

And you couldn’t stand posh and gaudy places.

Taeyong let out a shaky breath as he attempted to contain himself.

“You must be really foolish, Your Highnesses, to think that we,” he motioned at you, Ten, Doyoung, Taeil and Kun, “and the rest of the inner circle would step inside the castle. Your castle.”

“I don’t see the problem with it,” the honey haired deadpanned, “we have also come to this place. There shouldn’t be a major difference. If you don’t count the amount of dirt and other…things.” The thinly veiled disgust was evident in his voice, but you weren’t surprised.

Spoiled brats. That’s what they were.

“Jaehyun. Enough.” Johnny hissed, his face scrunched up in an irritated frown.

Jaehyun.

You repeated the name in your head. It had a royal sound for sure, and you imagined saying it out loud. It must have rolled off your tongue like a phantom wind, ruffling up his emotions.

You were so done.

The walls of the curtained room started closing in on you, making the hairs on your arms and neck stand. Stiffening uncomfortably, you glanced at the clock, hung up above the door.

Ten noticed your posture and he made eye contact with you. Shaking his head slightly, he motioned towards the scattered documents on the table and the royals.

You need to stay, even if it takes time. They might be a bunch of decorated fools, but we won’t sink down onto their levels.

You let out a low sigh and leaned back on the armrest of Taeyong’s chair. This was going to take long.

The tension subsided eventually, and you let Kun speak with the princes, and it did seem like you were going to the palace, whether you wanted or not, in case you accepted the offer.

“There was just as much threat to us as there is for you,” reasoned Johnny, “you might have set a trap for us. But it seems like you didn’t. So just accept our words, that nothing will harm you during your visit to the palace.”

Taeyong glanced up at you, while Kun chewed on his lips, and when you saw his eyes moving around rapidly, you knew his mind was frantically looking for a way out. He didn’t want to go either.

“It sounds like you are giving us no choice but to go to the palace and accept your…offer.” Ten mused. He remained unmoving, his raven eyes observing the prince’s features. Johnny squirmed but then nodded his head.

“Your help is needed. It’s vital for security – “

“We will consider your offer.” You tried your best to conceal the smirk that crept on your lips as Taeyong interrupted the prince. You saw Yuta open his mouth, anger and irritation glinting in his eyes. Letting out a silent cough you made eye-contact with him.

And he shut his mouth.

“In case you accept, pay us a visit in the castle. If not, the letter will do.” Johnny offered. “However, make sure that this conversation stays within this room.”

He stared each and everyone of you in the eyes, making sure you understood his message.

Wow, degrading much.

You stared back with an unimpressed expression.

“Deal.” said Taeyong, and you rolled your eyes. Of course, he was in that. Your gripped the arms of his sofa, seething quietly. They didn’t deserve protection. They didn’t deserve help. They didn’t deserve eternal praise and statues raised in honour of them.

They didn’t deserve Taeyong’s mercy.

    “You shouldn’t have agreed to that.” You said as you plopped into one of the chairs by the table as the door shut closed behind the princes’ backs. Doyoung exhaled and repeatedly hit his forehead into the dark wooden table.

“They were so fucking awful.” He murmured. Taeyong pursed his lips and threw a pack of cigarettes at you. You caught it with one hand, and taking one out, passed it right back.

Aiming at Doyoung’s head.

The pack reached its target with a light thud and it took you a lot not to burst out laughing as he whipped his head up.

You lit your cigarette with a smirk, and he didn’t fail to notice it.

“You little sh – “

“Kun, would you please get the rest of the guys.” Taeyong interrupted, cutting a glance at Doyoung.

It took ten whole minutes to get the inner circle together. You exhaled a delicate swirl of smoke as you watched your family entering after each other. All clad in black leather, the printed diamond with a snake curled around it on their backs.

First entered Jeno, strands of jet black hair hanging into his eyes. His steps were silent, movements smooth like a shadow sliding across a wall. His slit, cat-like eyes didn’t miss a movement, dangerously similar to Ten’s. They were a deadly pair, and you loved them to bits for it. Jeno lowered himself between you and Ten, and he cast you a side glance as he leaned back.

“So how did the meeting go?” he asked, voice amused but face blank. One look of yours in his direction was enough for him.

“…Oh.”

“I don’t know how the others will react,” you murmured, puffing out a thin cloud of smoke. Your painted black nails clicked against the table as you lowered the cigarette placed in-between them. “I feel like we will be too split over this.”

Jeno hissed, then glanced at the opening door and the entering figure.

The tallest figure in the inner circle, to be specific.

Yukhei strutted in, his hands deep in his pockets, steps long and lazy. His silky, light brown hair ruffled as he threw himself into a chair.

“So, I heard shit went down.” He said, a shit eating grin appearing on his face.

You had to admit, it was nearly impossible not to be drawn to him, to his charismatic appearance and unique personality. Yes, you have tried making him the Honeypot, the Charmer of the gang but surprisingly he wasn’t as flirty with the clients as with his gang members. It was after that one failed mission when you and the Diamond Snake realized he had the passion and the talents for things that burned. His long, lithe fingers created the most destructive and effective explosives, bombs and different weapons almost mindlessly. It was his second nature, creating dangerous things was like breathing for him.

You admired this trait.

You admired his endless devotion and passion towards things that made him happy, and sometimes, just for a spare second you wished he had a normal, civil life. He had a chance, and you envied him for not taking it.

“How’s your ass, Z?” Yukhei’s question snapped you out of your thoughts and lifting your head you looked at him.

“You were this close to actually burning it, asshat.”

A cheeky grin appeared on his face, the skin under his eyes wrinkling.

“Seems like my theory worked,” he chuckled.

“Yeah wow, I’m so fucking happy for you, but don’t test it on me.” Rolling your eyes, you placed the cigarette back between your lips.

“Are we gonna be able to use it?” Doyoung asked, joining in. Yukhei shrugged.

“I think so. I still need to make it light and small enough for you to be able to hide it in places and such. But it’s gonna be a blast, I promise.”

The door reopened, revealing the remaining inner circle members. Jisung was the first to walk in, his tall, bony figure walking lazily towards the chair next to Doyoung. He kept his eyes on the ground, only letting out a small smile in greeting. He was the youngest one out of the members, and even though he was a Spy, silent and lethal like the darkest hours of the night, you felt your motherly instincts kick in every time you saw him in a dangerous situation.

And even though he could protect himself at all costs, if anyone ever touched him with the wrong intension or if you ever felt like he was in a life and death situation, you wouldn’t hesitate to kill.

Jisung was young. Young and wild and surrounded by the wrong people. But he didn’t have a choice. None of you did. He ran his bony fingers through his ruffled blond hair and looked around hesitantly.

“Winwin and Kun are coming,” he said, his voice just over its changing phrase. “Miyeon wanted to talk to Y/N – “

“Jisung.” Taeyong’s eyes snapped over at the youngest, who quickly corrected himself.

“Z. Sorry. I need to get used to it.” his voice was low and apologetic, and you smiled at him through the smoke you blew out.

“Don’t worry, Sung. You’ll get used to it.”

You squished the remnants of your cigarette in the silver ashtray.

“Remember, even the walls have ears.” You added, voice barely more than the shadow gliding between trees in a forest. Jisung glanced at you for a split second, and you flashed a small smile towards him. Quickly averting his eyes, he looked at his fumbling fingers on the table.

The door slammed out, and you thanked whatever was up above that you just had a smoke. If you hadn’t, you would’ve already been at the intruder’s throat – Winwin’s, to be specific.

“Sorry I’m late,” he said, the actual resentment missing from his deadpanned voice. “Kun wasn’t fast enough.”

His long, slender legs brought him to the chair next to Taeil’s and he plopped into it, fixing his black, thick rimmed glasses with the back of his hand.

Just as Kun entered the room at last, his breath ragged, chest heaving, you didn’t miss the death glare he threw in Winwin’s direction, who just stared back at him nonchalantly. You stifled a laugh.

“Okay perfect, well done inner circle it only took you…ten minutes to get yourselves here.” Taeyong drew out, voice exhausted as he stared at his wrist watch. “You guys need to work on this shit.”

You and the others just stared at him.

“We have serious matters that need to be discussed,” he continued, looking each of you in the eyes, “The princes just left, but I’m pretty sure you already know that. I’m gonna cut it short, they asked, or more like gently ordered us to help and keep them safe from the increasing attacks they have been receiving the past weeks. Any ideas on who might be attacking them?”

“The Boys say it’s the Black Spade,” Ten spoke up, not glancing up from his phone, on which he was typing in a furious pace. “The ones that keep eyes on them say that they witnessed members sneaking out into the High Society areas the same time the attacks happened.”

Black Spade.

The name sent shivers down along your spine and a sour taste in your mouth. Your rival gang group, who never missed a chance to kick into your family. Hatred and lethal calm filled your veins, pumping throughout your system as you remembered the encounter you had with them when you were out on patrol with Doyoung and a young member of the Snakes. The group that ambushed you had no mercy neither on you or the youngster.

He had way too much bruises and cuts by the time you sorted out the mess, and you clearly remembered his ragged, heavy breaths as you carried him on your back all the way home, with Doyoung covering your back.

Yes, the Diamond Snake was ruthless, and you had your ways with clients.

But you would have never, ever, attacked innocent women and children, unlike the Spades, who killed everything and everyone who was in their way.

“Yeah, I thoughts so,” nodded Taeyong, agreeing with Ten. “The Royals have asked for our help, guys. That must mean something.”

“Yeah, they don’t want to get themselves killed,” murmured Jeno, “seems like they can’t trust their guards anymore. But then how can they trust us?”  

“Yeah I was thinking about that too,” Taeil said, “that’s a bit controversial I’d say. Getting attacked continuously by a gang and asking help from another one? Doesn’t seem right.”

A wave of murmur went through the table, and you couldn’t help but agree. No, you didn’t trust them, but if it came to an ambush you could protect yourself and the ones around you. What you hated is the thought of being under someone – being under actual control, people telling you what to do and how to do it. You won’t take that. Your pride didn’t let you.

“I think we should do it.”

Taeyong’s midnight voice made the whole room grow quiet, with everyone’s attention on him.

Then all hell broke loose.

“No FUCKING way I’m not getting my head cut off!”

“Hell no dude, count me out.”

“I mean they are hot…”

“Bro maybe we could get some shit while we are at it.”

“If there’s free food I’m in.”

“The whole thing is sketchy as fuck.”

“Oh god I wanted to lose my virginity before getting killed.”

Silence.

Everyone looked at Yukhei simultaneously.

“I’m sorry to be the one to break it down to you but you’re the farthest away from being a virgin out of all of us,” grimaced Ten. Yukhei just rolled his eyes.

“I know that I just wanted y’all to shut up. Taeyong’s not done.”

The mentioned inclined his head.

“I think we should accept it. Not only because it brings us an unholy amount of money but because by this, we might be able to get into their graces – “

“Yong, are you hearing yourself right now?” you hissed. His eyes darted to your features which were filled with silent fury, again.

“Yes I am, and I hate to be the one to say it. But think about it. If we get this job done, we can spread. We could spread our influence, we could get new clients, we could be untouchable, because they will know that the Royals are with us.”

Silence.

“If we get this done,” he continued, “we can get away with anything.”

You chewed on your lower lip as you processed his words. You hated swallowing your pride, but you had to admit that he was right.

Taeyong leaned forward, his obsidian dark eyes glinting in the faint lights of the room.

“I say we do it. We help those spoiled brats survive for some time, and we will make them pay us properly. In gold, rights or land, don’t matter. We will get out of this shit unharmed, you get it? Unharmed.”

Light murmurs of agreement waved through the inner circle, sitting around the table.

“So, who’s with me?” asked Taeyong, his voice harsh, but not demanding.

Everyone put their hands up. Everyone, except you.

Chewing on your lower lip, you eyed Taeyong, his gaze boring into yours, as yours bored into his. The tension between the two of you made the others squirm lightly in their seats. But no matter how piercing his gaze was, his expression remained calm, almost soft, as he continued to look at you. I know, he seemed so say, I know why you don’t want to do this. But we have to. And we won’t be able to do it without you.

“Please.”

His voice was light as a feather, dissolving in one breeze. It made your heart ache.

So, you lowered your gaze and nodded.

  It’s been five days. Five days, and they still haven’t heard anything from the Diamond Snake.

Jaehyun scratched the back of his neck as he looked at Mark, eyes filled with exhaustion. The younger prince was laying on his bed, balancing an Encyclopaedia on his nose. His attire was casual, an oversized hoodie with sweatpants, his hair a mess with a pair of spectacles on the bridge of his nose.

Jaehyun could only hope that the thick book won’t fall on it.

“I’m sure they will come,” the younger one muttered incoherently, his attention somewhere else. “Just give them time, think how it is for them.”

Jaehyun shook his head.

“You should have seen them. All of them had this…violence glinting in their eyes and their movements screamed bloody murder, I’m telling you. And they were just so arrogant. Especially that stupid girl.” His voice came out in a gruff, and Mark rolled his eyes.

“How many times are you going to talk about her?”

“As many as I can so you will understand how much her fucking attitude annoyed me.”

“I understand, you don’t need to keep repeating, Jesus. Do you have a crush on her, or what?”

Upon hearing his brothers’ words, Jaehyun snapped his head towards the bed, anger thundering in the depth of his chocolate eyes. He was the farthest away from having a crush on that bitch. He still remembered the colour of her eyes as she stared him down, a long glance that promised nothing but death and torture. No, he did not have a crush on her, and even if they accept their offer, he will try to be as far as possible from her.

He couldn’t get the fading, lingering thought in his head that she was much more than what they allowed her to show. Just the way her eyes were glinting with sheer emotions in contrast to the deadpanned expression she wore…

Fuck.

He was thinking about her eyes again.

“I don’t have a crush on her, Mark. She’s a criminal. I thought you knew me.”

Mark’s lips pressed into a thin line as he tried to conceal his smirk.

“That’s exactly the reason why I asked you, brother.”

Jaehyun’s nose scrunched up in confusion.

“You live for danger, Jaehyun. It’s like you want to know every single thing about people and you don’t notice how invested you become into figuring them out. And this time, you need to understand how dangerously it can escalate into something really bad if you let yourself being drawn into their world. They are killers, brother. Outcasts, illegal…”

“Okay okay I get your point, calm down.”

Even though Jaehyun’s words were no more than a whisper, Mark shut his mouth tightly. He lifted the Encyclopaedia off his nose and sat up. His words kept repeating themselves in Jaehyun’s mind, like a carousel that won’t stop spinning.

Just before he could get lost in his own sea of thoughts, his bedroom door swung open, revealing an out-of-breath, dishevelled Chenle.

The young prince’s arms clung to the doorframe as he leaned forward, strands of blond hair fell into his eyes, swinging from his laboured breath.

“Dad wants to see us.”

Jaehyun and Mark exchanged a quick glance, the exact same thought crossing their minds.

They were here.

 It could be said that the Throne Room in the palace was the main attraction. It’s golden edges and polished marble floor broke the sunshine coming through the enormous windows on each side. The three huge diamond chandeliers hung somewhat low enough for people to see that they held actual values. At the end of the hall were two thrones, their sizes equal, edges rimmed with gold and bronze.

Maids hurried along the walls, either cleaning or decorating for the galla that was going to take place in a couple of hours. However, their postures were stiffer and more upheld more than usually. Their faces held no emotions just how they were trained to do so, the only flicker was the faint gleam of respect when Chenle, Jaehyun and Mark walked past them.

One of the thrones was occupied by their father, his aging face grim.

In front of him stood the rest of the royal princes. Johnny and Yuta were the only ones who were suits, most likely because they came back from a meeting with governors. Jungwoo sat on one of the small steps that lead up to the thrones, his head in his hands, but his gaze was somewhere else, lost in his own thoughts. Donghyuck was looking at his phone, his body moving discreetly to some kind of choreography, eyes locked onto the screen. Jaemin and Renjun whipped their heads towards the three entering princes, eyes wide open like deer caught in the headlight.

They are coming now, Jaemin mouthed, his usually delicately curled mouth was tightly pressed together, his dark bronze gaze jumping from corner to corner, as if searching for something that was not there. His usually well-kept hair was slightly tussled from the repeated action of him combing it backwards.

But Jaehyun wasn’t anxious, no.

His steps were fierce and confident, the royal blood thundering through his veins solid and powerful, like storms of ice and ashes and shadows.

And princes gathered in front of their father, and facing the double-winged door, waited for the arrival of their protectors.

part i  part iii

Heyy

So It’s been a pretty long time and I’m so sorry for that. But i really do hope you liked this part and let me know what you thought of this chapter <3 ( @jxnoswife thx for putting up with me HAH) 

[jo6hny]

Interview - J.S. [M]

Word Count: 1.7k +

Genre: Smut, CEO! Johnny au x Reader, Sugar Daddy! Johnny Au

Warnings: Some swearing, mentioning of kinks which other people might be sensitive to. Read at your own risk.

A/N: I wrote this smut because I really did not feel satisfied with the sub johnny one I wrote so, yeah. enjoy.

The crackling of the fire could be heard inside of Mr. Suh’s office. Y/N’s hands were sweaty as she was anxious of what he and her were about to do. She needed the extra money and she was comfortable enough with her body that she was alright with having a so called “sugar daddy”. Now, she found herself seated in a wooden chair across from the one and only Johnny Suh. The only thing between them was his surprisingly empty polished wooden table.

Y/N fidgeted on her seat, avoiding Johnny’s gaze, afraid of it melting her. Johnny was staring at the smaller girl with such a sultry look that it made a pool of wetness appear on her lace panties. Johnny Suh’s looks was beyond than words, that’s for sure. His gaze could make people melt and his voice would make people submit to him upon hearing it. His hair was as dark as night and it was styled perfectly. Y/N wanted nothing more than to feel them in her own to hands.

In front of Y/N, Johnny started to lean forward towards his table. He interlocked his fingers together and rested them on top of the table.

“So, Ms. L/N, I’d like to start off with interviewing you before we start our relation, would that be appropriate?” Johnny asked, breaking the tension between the two.

The smaller girl only nodded, avoiding his gaze.

Johnny leaned back onto his large leather chair and rested his two arms on the sides.

“I believe that we can only have a successful relationship if we are open about one another’s likes and dislikes.” He trailed off.

Y/N only nodded in understanding, scared to talk.

“So tell me, what are your kinks and interests when it comes to intercourse, Ms. L/N?”

Y/N stared at Johnny with wide eyes and shock. He was so blunt with his words that it took her breath away. She replied with much hesitation.

“What?”

A look of annoyance washed over johnny’s features, he took a sigh and rephrased his question.

“Tell me what gets you aroused when having sexual intercourse, Y/N. It can not only be me who receives pleasure in what we’re going to do. I want you to feel the same as I do. I want to see you be a writhing mess underneath or on top of me as you moan my name. Now, tell me, what are your kinks?” He answered seriously, eyes boring into the girl’s.

Y/N looked down nervously and took a deep breath. She had to do this if she wanted to earn her money.

“I-I’m interested in d-daddy kinks,dom and sub relationships, denial, overstimulation,  and degradation only sometimes.” She said, focusing her attention on her freshly painted nails.

“Tell me more.” Johnny commanded. He knew that a girl like Y/N wouldn’t have so few interests. That’s why he chose her, because he knew she’d be the type of person open for anything.

“I also like light bondage, and restraints, spanking, maybe. It-it’s weird but I like consensual non consent sometimes. Rough sex is also alright with me, appreciation is okay too. Choking would be fine, blindfolds too.”

Johnny smirked, he could feel his pants get tighter by Y/N’s words. Just the one I was looking for, he thought.

Y/N took a deep breath and looked at Johnny with anxiousness. She slid her tongue between her lips to moisten them.

“That’s it, I guess. Can I ask why you asked again?” She said, fidgeting with the hem of her baby pink tennis skirt.

Johnny shook his head with a smirk on his face.

“I told you, because I didn’t want to be the only one who receives pleasure. Also, because we might be doing some of those things today.” He explained, standing up from his chair and towards the side of the table.

Y/N looked at him with confusion written on her face. What did he mean by doing those things? Would they be having sex right now?

“Stand up from there and get your ass over here.” Johnny said in a frighteningly commanding tone. It was as if his cool demeanor earlier had vanished and was replaced by someone else. Y/N followed suite and was in front of Johnny quickly.

“Get on your knees.”

The smaller girl did what he said despite her anxiousness. She thinks she already knows where this is going. A part of her was scared and nervous while the other part was craving it. Having said all of her interests made her worked up only by thinking about it and made her panties dampen.

In front of Y/N, Johnny was discarding his under garments along with his briefs revealing his long, thick, angry cock. He pumped it a few times before putting the tip in front of Y/N’s plump lips. Y/N obediently put his dick in her mouth and started to suck. She bobbed her head up and down at a moderate pace but was abruptly stopped by Johnny. He took fistfuls of her hair and started to thrust inside of Y/N’s slick mouth. She started to gag and tears were on the brim of her eyes. The mascara she was wearing seemed to spread to the vicinity of her eyes as Johnny roughly fucked her mouth. His moans were heard around the office room and Y/N worried that someone might hear him and come in.

“Fuck, your mouth feels so good.” He grunted, his eyes closed as he was receiving an immense amount of pleasure.

Underneath him, Y/N found herself to be growing more and more aroused as Johnny used her mouth. She could feel the veins of his cock twitching in her small mouth and she figured that he was close to climaxing. But Johnny quickly pulled out of her mouth, he then dragged her towards the table and pushed her front side towards the desk. He unbuttoned his coat and dress shirt and took the black necktie he was wearing earlier and wrapped them tightly around Y/N’s small wrists. He then continued to rip the girl’s lace panties apart. Y/N gasped at his actions, that was the only pair of extravagant underwear that she owned as of now, but her thoughts was quickly cut off when Johnny dipped a finger between her wet folds. She rested her head on the table and moaned in pleasure, she was waiting for this, to be touched.

“You’re wet already, you little slut. I bet that little talk of kinks and shit made you horny, didn’t it, slut?” Johnny asked with much anticipation.

Y/N nodded her head in response followed by a small “yes”, afraid of the consequences of disobeying Johnny.

“That’s yes daddy, to you now. From now on you will do as I say. You cannot come without my permission. Do you understand?” He said as he slapped her bare ass hard, leaving a hand print.

Y/N hissed at the pain but she was excited for the pleasure that was about to come.

“Yes, daddy.” she answered, waiting obediently for what Johnny was to do.

Satisfied, Johnny then started to put his finger inside of Y/N’s wet walls. He grunted at the feeling, she was more wet than he thought. In his vision, he could see Y/N grasp the loose fabric from the neck tie on her loose hands. Was she already feeling pleasure from this? He decided to test her limits even more as he entered a second, and then a third finger. He then proceeded to move his fingers in and out of the smaller girl’s cunt all the while lowering himself to taste her clit.

Y/N moaned in pleasure. Johnny sure knew what to do with his fingers and tongue as he pleasured her to the point of climax.

Johnny looked at Y/N with disappointment and clicked his tongue. Y/N’s heart started to beat faster and faster.

“I-I’m sorry–” A slap was delivered on her ass again, but harder this time.

“Did I tell you to come, Y/N?” Johnny asked in a menacing tone.

“No, daddy, you didn’t. I’m sorry.” She replied, scared of what else is to come. Another slap came, and then another. But Y/N endured it.

Johnny stepped back to look at his work. Y/N’s left ass cheek was red and full of his hand prints.

“You need to learn your lesson.” he stated. Johnny took his hard dick and put the tip of it onto Y/N’s still wet cunt. He then started to push it inside of the smaller girl.

“Fuck, you’re so tight.” He grunted once he managed to put it all in.

Johnny wasted no time in fucking Y/N and started to thrust in her pussy at a fast and rough pace, making Y/N writhe in pleasure beneath him.

“Shit, you fucking slut, oh my god, so good.” He moaned in between thrusts. He leaned down so that he was close to Y/N’s back and then started to suck on the supple skin on her neck. He then kissed her on the lips despite the difficulty and tasted strawberries on Y/N’s lips. Johnny unclasped his lips from Y/N’s and started to fuck in a harder but sloppier pace.

“Daddy, I’m close. Please let me come.” Y/N pleaded. But Johnny answered her no. The pleasure was starting to build up in her stomach and she couldn’t take it any more. She doesn’t know how much longer she could hold it in.

“You can’t fucking cum until I tell you, you slut.” He said, grabbing at Y/N’s hair and pounding in her at a rough pace, one might even hear the slapping of skin to skin around the room.

Y/N only whined in response. Johnny, on the other hand, was close to his release. He wanted nothing more than to fill up Y/N’s sweet cunt with his sticky white release and see it oozing out of her.

“Ah fuck.” He cursed, releasing his cum into Y/N.

Y/N shuddered beneath Johnny, relieved to finally be able to have release of her own. By the time she was done, she was a shaking, panting mess. She could feel Johnny release her hands from its restraints and kiss her shoulder.

“I’m sorry, was I too rough?” He asked, massaging Y/N’s still red and sore ass.

Y/N only shook her head in disagreement.

“Not at all.”

[bunyoul-blog]

title: a dream within a dream  summary:  Mark can still visit them- but only in dreams length: 4k extra info: the product of the nctmentary videos and being snowed in for 2 days straight ao3 link

Our truest life is when we are in dreams awake. - Henry David Thoreau

3 weeks after

“I’ve been studying dreams.” Johnny turns to speak to Mark as the numbers on the digital panel above the elevator doors count downwards. One of the lights in the corner flickers, a brief interruption in the dull yellow tones that wash out of them.

“Alright.” Mark’s response is noncommittal and the elevator halts, the doors sliding open and the view of Johnny’s lab opening up in front of them. The room is lit badly- shedding an air of deliberate ambience upon it, despite it most likely being due to poor planning and decoration.

It emphasises the glow of the machine in the corner; a haphazard mix-and-match of tv screens, keyboards and wires, buzzing with static.

“It’s a work in progress.” Johnny clarifies as he steps up to the machine and flips a switch on the wall behind it. One of the screens jumps to life, displaying a sweep of green code. Mark looks down at his feet. “Do you have the camera?” Johnny asks.

Mark hesitates, hand hovering above his bag, before reaching in. “Yeah, it’s here.”

He feels Johnny’s hand come to rest on his shoulder, comforting. His voice is unsure as he speaks, as if working quietly through a dilemma. The static from the screens casts unfamiliar shadows on the floor. “You don’t have to do this, you know.”

“I want to.” Mark affirms. As he puts the camera into Johnny’s hands, it’s the most certain he’s felt in a while.

2 weeks after

A song that Mark doesn’t know the words to plays on the radio as he rests his head against the passenger-side window of Johnny’s car. Houses roll by outside and the sky is dull and grey. Lifeless. Mark bites at his fingernails and closes his eyes.

He feels like the sky.

“Oh.” The car slows, and Johnny speaks up from the driver’s seat. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize-”

Mark opens his eyes and glances out the window again. It’s right in front of him- the hill and the house and the tree. Burned to the ground. It’s the first time he’s seen it since. Johnny holds onto the steering wheel too tightly, blood draining from his hands.

Undoing his seatbelt, Mark climbs out of the car and walks towards the hill. He hears Johnny shut his own door behind him, footsteps following him across the worn asphalt. The grass is brittle and dry under his feet as he walks up the familiar pathway. The air still smells like smoke- burning at the back of his throat. If Johnny calls after him, it doesn’t register.

There’s no house any more- just piles upon piles of blackened timber and dirty green roof slates; a scattering of dull colour amongst the wreckage. The tree is gone too- branches no longer a place to sit and reminisce, twisted and scorched, stretching up into the sky as if asking for help.

The sky gives no answer.

The timber cracks and disintegrates under his feet as he begins to climb onto the remains of the building, hands and clothes smudged with charcoal. He recalls back to science lessons. ‘all living things are made up of carbon’ .

So how can a place with so much of it be so dead.

He feels Johnny watching him, ready to intervene- ever the attentive one. Mark watches wood and dust crumble under his hands as he pulls back beams and floorboards and smoke-damaged tiles.

He finds it wrapped in a shred of half-scorched curtain fabric- the outer casing a little warped from heat damage but relatively unharmed.

Donghyuck’s camera.

The air feels heavy with electricity, no longer lifeless.

5 weeks before

“Come on, put it away.” Renjun laughs and swats at the camera in Donghyuck’s hands, threatening to make him drop it. Sunlight streams in through the broken glass of the window, catching on the edges of shards and casting shimmering patterns on the opposite wall. Donghyuck jumps out of Renjun’s reach, nearly kicking over Chenle’s bottle of lemonade as he does so.

Mark watches from across the room.

“Just do it one more time and then I’ll put it away. I promise.” The grin on Donghyuck’s face says clearly that he has no intention of sticking to his promises. Renjun’s expression is reluctant.

“Your voice is good- don’t worry about it.” Jeno calls out encouragement from where he’s sitting on the windowsill, struggling to remove the lid from his lemonade bottle.

“I’ve heard better.” A teasing response from Jisung; sitting cross-legged on the ground drinking his lemonade through a straw. Jaemin moves as if to throw his shoe across the room at him.

Renjun pauses, apprehensive, then sings, a short section of a song Donghyuck kept hearing on the radio and wouldn’t stop humming between classes. He takes a sip of his lemonade as soon as he’s finished, ears turning red from both embarrassment and the late summer heat.

Donghyuck pauses, looking up from the camera viewfinder with a grin. “Sorry- I didn’t start filming fast enough. Can you do it again?”

4 weeks after

The lighting in the lab is still bad as Johnny pulls out a stack of VHS tapes and places them on the worksurface in front of Mark. Each of them is labelled in messy handwriting, the pen ink smudged and blotted as if written hurriedly.

“I’m sorry it took me a while to convert it all- there was a lot of footage.” Johnny looks apprehensive as Mark picks up the tapes, turning them over in his hands slowly. “Again; if you don’t want to do this it’s fine. I’ll ask Ten to help me out instead.”

Mark hands over one of the tapes to Johnny. The static on the TV screen hums; background noise. “I want to.”

“I set up a place for you to sleep here.” Johnny motions towards a couch, faded fabric covered with pillows and a blanket, next to the machine. He smiles, attempting to provide comfort. He looks nervous- VHS tape in hand as the static glow of the screens catches on its edges. “If things don’t go to plan, you can just wake up.”

He plugs the tape into the machine, and Mark sleeps.

Dream

The house is in front of him, and the sky is filled with stars that feel close enough to touch.

They’re all there too- Chenle and Renjun sitting in the branches of the tree with crystals and glass pendants hanging all around them, suspended in the air as if frozen mid-fall; prisms that catch the starlight and throw it back in full colour. They’re talking- Mark can’t hear them but he smiles as they do.

Jisung is sitting on the doorstep with a games console in hand, the buttons he taps causing flowers to bloom around his feet. Jaemin picks one of the flowers as he walks past and drops it onto Jeno’s head as he leans out of the kitchen window.

“You’re late.” Donghyuck remarks from where he’s standing beside Mark, camera in hand and the legs of his trousers rolled up to his knees to create makeshift shorts. He grins- bright as the stars that hang overhead, and grabs hold of Mark’s hand, pulling him up the path impatiently.

Mark smiles back and follows.

1 year before

“They removed all the fences and hazard signs from the abandoned house on the hill.” Donghyuck drops his lunch tray down on the table, elbowing his way in to sit between Mark and Jaemin. He takes a bite of his sandwich and looks expectantly around the rest of the group.

“I’m assuming this is you suggesting that we should go and explore it?” Jeno questions.

“You bet it is.” Donghyuck speaks with his mouth full, and Mark kicks his ankles under the table.

“Do you think there’ll be ghosts?” Chenle speaks up first, sliding his tray away from Jisung as the younger attempts to steal pieces of his cake.

The response is a simultaneous chorus of “Ghosts don’t exist.” from Renjun and “I hope so.” from Jisung. Mark looks at the two of them, watching each other across the cafeteria table with the noise of other students pushing past in the background.

While the idea of exploring an abandoned house doesn’t fully appeal- Mark has long since given up on resisting Donghyuck’s plans. “We do need a new place to meet at over the summer- this could be it.”

The smile he receives from Donghyuck could rival the sun.

Summer air fills their senses as they walk in a line to the hill after school, dust and heat and wisps of cloud surrounding them. Mark walks next to Renjun, who talks about his project for art class as they go, detailing the finishing touches he needs to make to his final piece before school ends to give way for summer.

They stop to get ice cream, and it melts over their hands as they walk up the hill, the grass dry under their feet and the dirt path baked solid by the sun above. Donghyuck has his camera in hand and he swings it around to face them, walking backwards up the hill to keep them in frame. Mark waves to the camera, nearly dropping his ice cream.

The house isn’t in as bad of a condition as they expected- the windows are shattered and the door is hanging at an odd angle, the paintwork peeling off, however it seems stable,the roof all in one piece and the exterior unmarked. There’s a tree in the garden outside, branches close to the ground and easy to climb, wide enough to create a good place to sit.

When they head inside, it’s surprisingly light, the sun streaming in through the windows and catching on the dust spiralling in the air. There’s furniture- a sofa with a worn-down fabric cover, a table, a bed in one of the upstairs room with a mattress that has seen better days. Curtains with faded fabric and torn edges hang by the windows and across some of the doorframes. They settle in one of the rooms upstairs, empty of furniture save a broken wooden chair, the wallpaper faded and the shattered window looking out over the garden and the summer-heavy skies.

“I think it’s perfect.” Renjun speaks up first, passing a bottle of water from his school bag around the group. Jaemin nods in agreement.

“No ghosts though.” Chenle almost sounds disappointed at the news.

“Not for now at least.” Donghyuck sweeps his camera across the room, falling on mark first. He waves it away with a smile and a shake of his head.

“Film Jaemin instead.”

5 weeks after

Returning to school is hard.

The empty seats in his classrooms, the empty table at lunch, people asking Mark if he wants to sit with them instead, pitying looks thrown across the cafeteria.

It’s hard to forget when there’s reminders everywhere.

The dreams help though.

Dream

Renjun is sitting in the tree again, the crystals and flowers swinging back and forth in the nonexistent breeze. The sky stretches up into clouds and galaxies, stars scattered like dust in the sky as fog shifts across the ground below.

He looks up from his sketchpad as Mark climbs up to join him in the tree, the prisms amongst its branches shifting to accommodate his footsteps. “What are you drawing?” Mark asks as he sits down, leaning in to take a peek at the pages of the sketchpad.

Renjun puts his pen down and angles the book towards Mark. It’s a sketch of the house, faded at the edges and in some places unfinished, flowers blossoming out of the windows and doorframes. He has a smudge of pen on his cheek- right under the place where the frames of his glasses rest.

“I feel like we’re all connected in some way.” Renjun speaks, closing his sketchpad and dropping it over the edge of the tree branch. It doesn’t fall, hanging still along with the rest of the crystals and prisms. “Like we’re sharing the same dream.”

Mark wakes up.

2 weeks before

Jeno is doing magic tricks.

He brought a pack of cards to the house with him, along with a declaration that he’d been taught how to do magic by a family friend. They all sit cross-legged on the wooden floor in one of the bedrooms, the colours on the quilt behind them faded and weather-worn. The light breeze that sweeps in through the window does little to quell the summer heat.

Donghyuck has his camera rolling as Jeno spreads the cards out on the floor in front of them.

“Mark, choose a card,” Jeno gestures towards them, and Mark chooses hesitantly, handing his choice back to Jeno. “the six of hearts.” Jeno announces. A card representing regret; Mark had once been told.

Concentrating, Jeno re-stacks the cards and inserts the six of hearts into the middle. “This is a teleportation trick,” He states. “I’m going to make the card rise to the top.” There’s the sound of shuffling papers as Jeno flicks the cards, sending the dust around them cartwheeling in the sunlight. He takes the card off the top. Six of hearts.

Mark laughs, impressed. “That was really good.”

A shrug from Jeno. “I just started working on it yesterday- I’ll get even better at it soon.”

7 weeks after

It’s raining when Mark leaves the lab.

He doesn’t have an umbrella so he runs home, shoes scattering up spray and mud. He holds his hands above his head to shield himself from the sky, the arms of his clothes soaked within minutes. Cars drive past with their windscreen wipers throwing droplets to the side and their tyres turning the water on the road to mud.

He finds himself outside of the house again, slipping on the muddied path, through the rusted gates and up to the pile of rain-soaked timber and rubble. He sits and the rain rolls down his face, in his hair and clinging to his eyelashes. The sky shivers with thunder and electricity.

Mark waits, unsure of how long he sits for, under the rain and the sky and the blackened tree branches. It’s there that he spots it, hanging from the tree where leaves once resided. Faded and waterlogged, a sketch of the house- the windows and doors overflowing with flowers.

He takes it and runs.

1 week before

It’s only him and Donghyuck this time. Summer draws to a close, the air hazy with the season’s dying breaths, heavy with dust and birdsong. They sit on the doorstep to the house, Donghyuck’s camera trained on the dying flowers that lace through the brittle grass and dry ground.

His head rests against Mark’s shoulder, faded-red hair catching the sunlight.

Their knees are close enough to touch and Mark’s fingers are tangled in between Donghyuck’s, the air between them comfortably quiet.

“I wish summer would go on forever.” Donghyuck muses, his voice sleepy despite the fact that it’s only just late afternoon. He lowers his camera.

“Well that’s just too bad.” Mark returns, no bite in his words.

It’s always summer when you’re here with me goes unsaid.

Dream

They all lie on the grass outside, hand in hand, spread out under the stars as galaxies and nebulas shift in tones of purple and pink. Clouds of stardust lace between the trees and Chenle complains as Jisung accidentally elbows him in the stomach.

“How do we know what’s a dream and what isn’t.” Jaemin speaks up.

“Now isn’t the time for philosophy.” Donghyuck shoots back, his voice somewhere close to Mark’s ear.

“Think about it though. What we think are dreams could be real life and we’d never be able to tell.” The statement is quiet but for Mark it rings out far too loudly. He sighs and looks back up at the stars hanging above them; larger-than-life.

10 minutes before

Donghyuck is playing with matches.

He sits in the corner of the room with a box of them that he found in one of the old kitchen drawers of the house, marvelling at the fact that they still work. Mark watches quietly as he strikes them, a flame jumping to life, then puts them out to watch the smoke curl up and mix with the dust in the air. There’s a small pile of used matches discarded beside him, lying on the floorboards.

Donghyuck waves a lit match in Chenle’s direction, teasing. The younger lets out a high-pitched yell and stumbles backwards, tripping over Jeno and Renjun playing cat’s cradle on the floor. With a laugh, Donghyuck blows out the match and drops it onto the pile.

Mark doesn’t know what happens or when it happens, but within a heartbeat Donghyuck is shouting and the curtain draped over the doorframe is in flames.

8 weeks after

“Do you think dreams can affect real life?” Mark asks Johnny as he sits in the lab, glancing across to where the older sorts through reels of tape and slides, tangled up in a battered cardboard box.

“I don’t know. We haven’t got far enough to study that yet,” Johnny looks up from the box- filled with recordings of dreams and memories. “But if real life can influence dreams, then I don’t see why it can’t be the other way around.”

1 day after

Mark knows he’s the only one left before anyone can even tell him.

The pitying glances are proof enough.

Dream

Jisung is dancing in one of the upstairs rooms. Mark can hear his footsteps, falling heavy against the floorboards and echoing down into the room below. Donghyuck and Chenle are up there with him, as told by their voices- Chenle’s encouraging shouts and Donghyuck’s calls for Jisung to stop moving out of frame.

The sky outside the windows is still filled with stars.

“I’m going to walk around outside of the house for a bit.” Mark announces to Renjun and Jaemin, who sit opposite Jeno as he performs card tricks on the scuffed wooden table.

“I’ll come.” Renjun stands up first, followed by the other two who also nod in agreement.

The world outside is filled with mist and fog, cars parked down the middle of the street with no drivers and no sign that they had ever worked at all. Frozen in time. The fog makes it difficult to see, settling around their heads like clouds in orbit. They’re quiet as they walk, the thought of breaking the silence feeling immeasurably wrong.

The flat expanse of wall outside of the empty convenience store is ideal. Mark pulls a stick of chalk out of his bag that he didn’t remember putting there, and writes- large sweeping letters that scratch against the rough surface of the brickwork. He nods, satisfied, and walks back through the fog.

9 weeks after

When Mark wakes up and walks home from the lab, it’s still there- a word in pale pink chalk swept across the brickwork outside of the convenience store.

DREAM.

10 weeks after

“Can you show me how the machine works?” Mark glances at the static filled screens while Johnny types codes on one of its many keyboards. He looks up, surprised.

“Sure. Come over here and I’ll show you.” the lab still has bad lighting, one of the fluorescent tubes sunk into the ceiling starting to flicker in the same way as the one in the elevator. Johnny motions to the screens of the machine. “These let me watch what’s going on in a person’s dreams. The one with the code shows the statistics- the participant name, the tape number, the length of the dream, and the ones with the graphs let me monitor the state of the dream as it’s happening,” He motions again to the keyboards. “These let me set things up so that nothing goes wrong inside the dreams.”

“What about this one?” Mark points to the smallest screen, tucked among the flickering static. It looks small enough to have been pulled from a games console rather than being made up of old computer monitors and televisions like the rest of them.

“That one controls the time of the dream. It’s supposed to make sure that the dreams happen in the present and don’t run over. We’ve never really tested it before though- Taeyong is still researching the possible consequences of altering dream times.”

Mark nods. “Alright.”

“You can watch me use it if you want- I have recordings of some of my own dreams that I could play through.” Johnny waits for Mark’s confirmation, then reaches into one of the boxes, pulling out a tape with his own name scribbled on the front. He talks Mark through the steps of turning on the machine, placing the tape in and typing out variables. The graphs begin to plot out sections of the dream, detailing REM sleep and levels of activity. Playing out on the screen like a video recording is the dream- a room and the ocean and an old piano, nothing that makes any sense- then Johnny flips the switch on the back wall and the screens fade back to static.

“And that’s how it works.” Johnny concludes, reaching across to mess up Mark’s hair as he speaks.

9 weeks before

Although it’s raining, they all still arrive at the house after the school day ends, walking up the hill to the rusted gates through the late Spring showers. Donghyuck sings as he walks- songs about Summer and sunlight, as if the rain will go away if he wishes it hard enough.

Only Renjun has an umbrella, and Chenle and Jeno have pushed their way under it to shelter from the rain. Jaemin holds his school bag over his head, doing nothing but getting his files wet. They’ve given up on keeping dry by the time they reach the house, throwing their bags down in the kitchen and heading straight back outside.

They play basketball out in the rain, slipping in the mud and barely able to see through the water that clings to their hair and eyelashes. As they play, the sky cracks open, a splinter of sunlight shining down and halting the rain. Mark stops to watch it- the first breath of summer shattering through the clouds- and is quickly hit in the knees with the basketball, thrown along with a shout from Donghyuck.

“I thought you were the one that’s good at basketball?” Mark picks up the ball and starts playing again.

The clouds remain open, and it feels like the sun is shining just for the seven of them.

Dream

Mark avoids the house and runs straight into the fog beyond it.

The stars are brighter than ever, the only thing visible beyond the mist that settles on the ground, giving the landscape an eerie sort of ambience- cars and litter and tree branches frozen in time as he runs the familiar path towards the lab. There’s nobody there when he arrives; there’s nobody anywhere aside from the house; and he takes the staircase, the upside-down numbers on the elevator panel indicating that it won’t work for him. There’s fog even on the staircase, and his footsteps feel far too loud, shattering the silence.

The lab is empty of mist, completely clear.

The lighting is still bad- worse than in real life- dull blues and greens from the ceiling and the glow of the machine. Objects float above the tables, pens and notes and VHS tapes all hanging mid-motion, rotating slowly in place. Walking closer to the machine, Mark can see himself, asleep on the sofa of the lab with Johnny sitting opposite him, preoccupied with something on the screen of his phone.

He gets to work.

Flipping the switch on the back of the machine, he goes through the steps Johnny had taught him, the steps he had written down and relayed to himself over and over, lest he forget them. The other screens flicker to life. Focusing on the smallest, tucked between the graph of heart rate and the timer of REM sleep, Mark slides the keyboard onto his lap and adjusts the time.

He sets it back- 9 weeks, 10 weeks, 11 weeks- then replaces the keyboard. The screens flicker, a motion that would show confusion if the machine was sentient. Nothing seems to change, but Mark still holds his breath.

“If real life can influence dreams, then I don’t see why it can’t be the other way around.”

30 minutes before

Mark wakes up in his own room and starts running.

20 minutes before

His feet kick up dust as he runs up the hill towards the house.

The house which is still there, still intact, still with broken windows and faded roof tiles, still with the tree standing tall outside; its branches filled with leaves and sunlight. Jisung is leaning out of the top floor window as he approaches, chin propped up in his hands.

“You’re late.” He calls down at Mark as he approaches, voice teasing. “Donghyuck found some matches in the kitchen drawer and we’re going to see if they still work.” Jisung disappears from the window, and Mark starts running again.

He doesn’t think he’s ever made it up the stairs so fast before.

10 minutes before

Donghyuck is playing with matches, before Mark runs into the room and takes them out of his hands.

Renjun and Jeno look up from their game of cat’s cradle as Donghyuck protests. Mark drops the matches into his bag, out of reach, and tries to calm his breathing.

“You’re going to set fire to something if you do that.” Mark cautions, then sits down heavily on the wooden floor. Donghyuck pouts for a while, unamused, then takes his camera and goes to film the spider Chenle found on the floor instead.

Mark throws the matches away when he gets home.

Later

He’s scared to fall asleep, scared of dreams within dreams and things going wrong all over again. When he looks outside, the stars fill the sky, but they look so far away.

Awake

Upon waking, Mark runs for a second time.

Johnny tries to stop him in the kitchen as he pulls his shoes on, touching his arm to catch his attention and speaking in a voice that makes it clear he’s just woken up. “I’ve been studying-”

Mark cuts him off. “Dreams; I know.” Shrugging Johnny’s hand off his shoulder, Mark ties his shoes and runs out of the door, down the road and through the early morning fog, the sunlight weak overhead and fading from Summer into Autumn. He doesn’t stop- not when he trips over an uneven edge in the pavement and not when he’s nearly bowled off his feet by a cyclist who shouts for him to slow down. He only stops when he reaches the hill.

The house is still whole, and there, standing in front of the gates, Donghyuck is waiting for him.

There’s no stars in sight, and this time Mark knows he’s not dreaming.

[xofanfics]

Choices - Part 1

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Genre: angst, fluff

Pairing: Mark x Reader, Johnny x Reader

*REQUESTED* Can you do a scenario where you are Mark’s classmate in college and he likes you, whilst Johnny who happens to be an upperclassman but was your tutor back in high school likes you too? And you are kinda torn between them and don’t know who to choose. You can put her up with anyone toward the end, your wish. I just want romance with both of them being into her and confusion on her part. TIA ❤

“Y/N?”

You turned to see a familiar face, but you weren't sure where you knew him from. For some reason, you couldn't think. You smiled as you walked toward the booth that he was sitting in.

He said, “Remember me?”

Upon hearing his voice and seeing him close up, you remembered exactly where you knew him from. “Ah, I remember now. Johnny.”

He nodded. “Yep. Your old chemistry tutor.”

You laughed. “You made my life hell.”

He put his hand over his heart as if he'd been shot. “Ouch, Y/N. That hurt.”

“So what are you doing at freshman orientation?” you asked. “Aren't you a junior? Or are you behind a few credits?”

“Very funny…” He nodded. “I’ll have you know that I am a junior and I'm here because I'm volunteering to help out with the ‘Academic Success’ table because I'm a tutor.”

“Aren't you charitable…”

He raised his eyebrow. “Is that sarcasm I hear?”

“Maybe…”

Your new friend Mark came up behind you. “I got a bunch of brochures.” He held out his handful of papers and brochures to show you.

“Hey, Mark. This is Johnny. I knew him in high school. He tutored me in chemistry.”

Mark smiled and said, “Nice to meet you. I'm Mark.”

You met Mark on orientation morning, when your parents dropped off the rest of your things. He lived on the same floor as you, on the boys’ side of the hallway. You recalled struggling with a box that you convinced your parents you were fine carrying by yourself. You had got it on the elevator just fine but you were concerned about the trek down the hall. When the elevator doors opened, your eyes met with Mark’s. Before you could even ask, he said, “That looks heavy. I could help you carry it if you want...”

Shyly, you said, “That'd be great, actually.”

And he helped you. Your mother was thrilled that you made a friend in the dorms already. She even went as far as suggesting that the two of you get each others’ phone numbers. So Mark took your number and he ended up helping you move the rest of your things into your room. You'd been friends since then and you decided to go to orientation together.

Johnny returned his smile. “Nice to meet you, too, Mark. If you guys need help with anything, let me know. Actually, take my number.” He grabbed a piece of paper from his notepad and ripped a piece off, jotting down his number. You took the piece of paper and stuffed it in your pocket. “Hey, don't lose it now…”

You rolled your eyes. “If I lose it, I can message you on Facebook or something.”

He laughed at that. “You're right. I'll see you later? We should catch up.”

“Sure. I'll message you later on.”

He winked at you before organizing the brochures at his table. As you walked way with your Mark, he looked at you sideways.

“What's that face for?”

Mark just smirked. “He was definitely flirting with you.”

“Johnny is just flirty.”

“Do you guys have a history?”

You shook your head. “I had a crush on him while he was my tutor but I never told him anything. I was a sophomore and he was a senior. I didn't stand a chance.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Well, you can't look that good and be interested in someone as boring as I am.”

“I don't think you're boring…”

At that, you had to chuckle. “You've only known me for a couple hours.”

Mark joined in on your laughter. “Good point.”

“Let's go to the cafeteria. Maybe the food isn't that bad here.”

“I hope not. I'm starving and I don't wanna have to survive off rice and ramen…”

You laughed as you left the campus center and headed toward the cafeteria. By the time you got there, the line was starting to get longer. You had about an hour of free time left before you had to sit through yet another lecture about something or another.

Mark said, “We already have our schedules. I say we eat lunch here then go off campus and see what's around here.”

You nodded. “Yeah, let's do it,” you said as the line started moving. “I'm over this stupid orientation.”

Your first day of classes was okay. You had three of them–college writing, biology, and history. By one, you were finished with classes for the day. You were even lucky enough to have your English class with Mark. And you saw Johnny in the cafeteria when you went to have lunch with Mark and your roommate, Melissa.

So far, Melissa was cool. She stayed on her side of the room and she kept her things fairly clean. You weren't used to having to share a room, so this was weird for you. But she was nice. So far, you were getting along. And you often invited her to the cafeteria with you and Mark. You figured that the two of you might even become friends as the year went by.

You brought Mark over to your dorm room after you ate lunch. Melissa had gone to meet her friends somewhere so it ended up being just the two of you. You sat up on the bed, with Mark sitting at your desk with his laptop.

“I can't believe that guy gave us a writing assignment already,” Mark said, tossing his book onto the desk.

You pulled out the packet you had received earlier, in class. “I know. How does he expect us to read this and not fall asleep?”

Mark sighed. “Do you have any other work to do tonight?”

“I have some reading to do. I'll probably just skim it.”

“Same. I can sleep in a little tomorrow. I don't have class until eleven.”

“Don't even talk about tomorrow. I'm not excited to do the whole introduce-yourselves-to-the-class thing that teachers love so much. I did it three times already.”

Mark chuckled. “I have an idea.”

You opened up your laptop and turned it on. “What's your idea?”

Mark turned in the chair, scraping it on the floor. “How about we take turns reading it out loud and then answer the questions after?”

You nodded. “I'll read the first page. It's only four pages so it shouldn't take too long.”

Mark opened his notebook to a clean page, clicking his pen. “I'll take a few notes.”

You opened up the packet and started reading it aloud. But by the time you got to the bottom of the page, you noticed that Mark had his head on the desk. Your voice, apparently, had been enough to put him to sleep. You just shook your head and kept reading, to yourself this time.

The weekend came more quickly than you expected. Did time always go by this fast in college? In high school, time always seemed to crawl by. As you walked back toward your dorm, you saw Johnny sitting by himself at the fountain. You decided to approach him, as you had nothing else better to do. Mark said that he was hanging out with some boys from your dorm after class, so you couldn't hang out with him.

Johnny smiled as you walked toward him. “Hey Y/N. You done for the day?”

You plopped down in a chair next to him. “Yeah. I just got out of my Japanese class. What about you?”

“I'm done for the day. I just got out of my statistics class. My only class today.”

You rolled your eyes. “Must be nice.”

“Did you eat yet?”

You shook your head. “I was just gonna grab a sandwich and go back to my room…”

“Wanna go to the caf with me?”

“Sure.”

Johnny stood up and slung his backpack over his shoulder. You did the same and walked side by side to the cafeteria. He said something about them usually serving wings on Fridays as you headed inside. You swiped your ID cards and snaked through groups of freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors, commuter students, and faculty members to find a table.

The table you found was one of the high ones, with chairs that you, quite literally, had to climb onto. Johnny, being the giant that he was, didn't have that problem.

“So you chose a table with chairs I have to jump up on, huh?”

Johnny smirked. “What? It's funny to see you struggle. Especially in chemistry…”

You smacked him on the arm. “Shut. Up.”

He put his bag down onto the chair. “Let's get some food, shall we?”

With another roll of your eyes, you followed him to find the wings that he'd mentioned earlier. Of course, the station with the wings had the longest line. So you waited with your old acquaintance.

“What are you doing tonight?” he asked.

“I don't know,” you said. “I didn't really make any plans or anything like that. Are you doing something tonight?”

“Everyone is going to the club. You're eighteen by now, right?”

You nodded. “Yeah. I turned eighteen in May.”

“Perfect. You should come out to the club. Tell your friends, too.”

“Sounds like fun. I didn't really take you for a guy that parties…”

“I like to have fun, too.” He paused for a moment, moving up in line. “If you want something to drink, I have connections.”

You shifted your weight to the other leg. “I'll think about it, Johnny…”

He smiled and so did you.

You did think about it. And by eight o’clock, you decided you'd go to the party. And Melissa’s friend’s older sister was able to get you some alcohol. But apparently, alcohol included cans of 4lokos, the drinks in a can that everyone seemed to have a horror story associated with. Melissa said that it was the best she could do on such short notice. She said, “Next time, we should at least get some tequila or something better…”

You nodded in agreement. “Definitely.”

You weren't much of a drinker, not like some of these kids were, but you wanted to be tipsy tonight. You never really got the feeling of being drunk before. You'd seen plenty of people slurring and stumbling and doing dumb things that they probably wouldn't do sober, but that person had never been you. Maybe tonight it would. You wanted to be drunk but you just had to make sure that you didn't drink enough to end up with you over a toilet at the end of the night.

The two of you started getting ready, eager to go to your first party at college, even if it was at the club. You had been to a couple house parties in high school, but they weren't anything that memorable. Most of them had taken place in someone's house or backyard while parents were away. Either that or the parents just didn't care enough to to complain about a bunch of teenagers in their home, even if there was alcohol involved.

You weren't much of a drinker, not like some of these kids were, but you wanted to be tipsy tonight. You never really got the feeling of being drunk before. You'd seen plenty of people slurring and stumbling and doing dumb things that they probably wouldn't do sober, but that person had never been you. Maybe tonight it would. You wanted to be drunk but you just had to make sure that you didn't drink enough to end up with you over a toilet at the end of the night.

Your phone vibrated on the desk while Melissa curled your hair. “Ooh,” she sang, “who's Johnny?”

You smiled. “I went to high school with him. He goes here now.”

“Wait, is it that really cute guy you said hi to in the caf the other day? The really tall one?”

You nodded. “Yeah. That's him.”

You opened the message, which read, You coming out tonight?

You replied, Yeah. I'll be there

Great, he wrote. See you soon :)

You smiled. Who would've ever thought that Johnny would invite you to a party? In high school, you would've died if something like this happened. You would've been thrilled at just the thought of spending time with him outside of school. Now, it was actually happening.

You started getting butterflies in your stomach. Maybe something would happen between the two of you. But you had to remember that it was the club. Yes, he invited you but that didn't mean that he was going to be hanging out with you all night. You were sure he had plenty of other friends. There were plenty of other girls that he'd probably be flirting with instead of you. After all, you were a freshman. You had a little experience with guys but you lacked the confidence to talk to them without a little help.

There was a knock on your door as Melissa finished up one of your curls. As she headed toward the door to open it, you said, “It's probably Mark.” When she opened the door, it was Mark. He stood in the hallway, a huge, stupid grin plastered onto his face. He wore a simple button down shirt and jeans, but he managed to look good in it. Mark wasn't the type to go all out just for college night at the club near campus.

You raised your eyebrows. “What's with you?”

Mark giggled, walking into the room, as Melissa returned to finish your hair. He leaned against the wall. “Well, my roommate gave me a shot. He's going out tonight too.”

“You should've brought us a shot, too,” Melissa said with a pout. “All we have are 4lokos…”

“I dunno,” he said, sliding down to the floor to sit. “I only had one shot but I think I might be drunk…”

You laughed. “Have you ever drank before?”

He shook his head, then placed his finger on his chin. “Well, does champagne at my aunt’s New Years Eve party count?”

Melissa said, “Nah. That doesn't count. You have to have hard liquor. What'd your roommate give you?”

“Something that was a hundred proof…Maybe more than that. I dunno.”

Your eyes widened. “Jesus. No wonder you're drunk already. I've had drinks here and there but I've never been drunk.”

He clapped his hands together, like a child. “Yay, we can have our first time being drunk together.”

“Well,” said Melissa, popping open her 4loko, “I guess we have to catch up to Mark.”

You popped open your own, taking a huge gulp. “I guess we do, my friend. Cheers...”

[meenasmoon]

Singing in the Moonlight Ch 8: Something Beautiful and Lost

Tragedy happened so quickly, and he wasn't even there when it hit.

As soon as Johnny had arrived at the theatre that morning he was intent on finding Meena and apologizing for how he ruined their date. He wanted to tell her that he thought she was amazing, and beautiful and perfect. He wanted to ask her on another date... if she forgave him. He was completely ready after the straight hour that he had spent staring at himself in the mirror and giving himself the pep talk to end all pep talks. He never got the chance to do any of that. He didn't even get fully inside the theatre.

As soon a he stepped into the lobby Ash had coming run up to him with an annoyed look on her face. "Pretty Boy!" She called out he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Wot's up Ash?" he asked when he came to a stop in front of him, panting slightly.

"Meena forgot her guitar at Rosita's place the other night when we were practicing there and I want to work with her some more today. Can you go get it for me?" She asked, giving him a pleading look that looked uncomfortably foreign on her face. Johnny was decidedly thrown of guard by her request and the look on her face. Rosita's place was across town and it would take him at least twenty minutes to get there.

"Uh yeah sure. I just need ter talk ter Meena really quick." He tried to push past her but Ash staid standing in his way, the pleading look long gone. It was replaced by a commanding look that kind of scared him.

"You can do that when you get back Lover Boy but I need that guitar right now." She raised an eyebrow at him, daring him to argue with her again.

"But-" He tried bravely but Ash raised her other eyebrow and suddenly he was rushing out of the theatre, fumbling with his keys as he ran. When he got in the truck he sped away, glancing in his rearview mirror at the theatre. Ash was standing on the sidewalk watching him drive away with a smug look on her face.

And just like that his tentative good mood was shattered and he grumpily drove across town to Rosita's house. He got there just as Norman was leaving for work and the pig was all too glad to let him into the house to grab the big black guitar case sitting in his living room. For some odd reason Norman was uncharacteristically chatty that day and even thouh Johnny was in a rush he couldn’t just interrupt the usually silent pig. He was too much of a gentleman for that.

As they were chatting his phone lay forgotten on the leather seat of his truck. The screen lit up  and the phone vibrated against the seat as he received call after call from Ash's cell phone. After the fourth time that she was sent to voicemail his screen lit up one last time with a text and then it went dark. When Johnny got back into the truck his urgency to talk to Meena grabbed his focus once again and he sped through the streets of their little city, hurrying back to the theatre where he hoped he would find her waiting for him. He had so much to talk to her about, so many thoughts running through his head, he wasn't even sure he would make sense he just knew that he needed to get it out or he might explode from the pressure.

When he arrived at the theatre Ash wasn't waiting for him in the lobby like he expected. Puzzled, he ventured deeper into the theatre, looking more for Meena than anyone else. That quickly changed when he saw that the stage was still lit up like it had been recently used, but the building was no longer echoing with familiar voices. This wasn't the comforting silence of the theatre shutting down after a day or rehearsals, it was the kind of silence that was filled with tension and some other emotion that he couldn't quite place. He felt a strong pull in his chest telling him that something was wrong and he belonged somewhere else in this moment. Johnny grappled with his phone as he yanked it out of his pocket, hoping against hope that someone had texted him, telling them where they were going, where he was supposed to be.

When he looked down at the phone screen and saw all of the missed calls from Ash,his stomach flipped uncomfortably and his heart began to pound nervously. But when he finally saw the text message his blood ran cold in his veins and the breath he had just taken flew out of his lungs. He stood frozen for a second before tightening his grip on the guitar case and sprinting out of the theatre towards his truck. The text was still open on his phone as he drove like a madman, the chilling words glaring out at him.

'Going to the Hospital. Emergency. Meena needs you. Get here. NOW.'

I can't believe it's over

I watched the whole thing fall

And I never saw the writing that was on the wall

He drove faster than he ever had before, his heart leaping in his throat as a million thoughts raced through his panicked mind. What was wrong that Meena needed him? Was she hurt? Was she dying? He couldn't bear to think about her on a hospital bed, scared and hurt. He had to be there.

If I'd only knew

The days were slipping past

That the good things never last

That you were crying

He should have known, he berated himself as he glared up at the red light that was currently halting his mad dash. He should have known that things were going too well in his life. Everytime he was happy the world lashed out and took that away. Well he wouldn't let it take Meena away he vowed to himself as the light finally turned to green and his tires screeched as he took off.

Summer turned to winter

And the snow it turned to rain

And the rain turned into tears upon your face

As if on cue, dark clouds began to roll in as he neared the hospital and once he grew close to the huge medical building they let loose and torrents of rain poured down on him.

His day had been so bright when it started out and now it felt like the world spontaneously decided to fall apart.

I hardly recognized the girl you are today

And, God, I hope it's not too late

Johnny pulled into the hospital parking lot and when he saw the crowded space he considered leaving his truck in the fire lane if it meant that he could get to Meena faster. But the universe gifted him with a little luck as a spot opened up right near the front entrance. Johnny whipped into it and leapt out of the car without any regard for the hard rain as it soaked him through.

Hmmm... It's not too late

He stopped for a second, frozen by some unknown source, and looked back in the truck where Meena's guitar case leaned innocently against the passenger window. In a split second decision he reached in and grabbed the case, cradling it to his chest as he locked the car and then ran through the rain towards the waiting room.

'Cause you are not alone

I'm always there with you

And we'll get lost together

'Til the light comes pouring through

He burst through the front doors, startling a few of the animals in the waiting room as well as the desk attendant. He sped over to the desk attendant, his soaked converse squeaking and squishing with every step.

"I'm lookin' for Meena. Where is she? Is she ok?" He rapidly fired questions at the confused antelope.

"I'm sorry sir I don't have a Meena Jones in my computer." He tried to comfort Johnny but the confused, worried gorilla just gritted his teeth and clinched his fist in frustration.

"Well find 'er!" He bit out, trying frantically to keep his roiling emotions at bay. In that moment he wanted to cry and scream in fury at the same time. He just needed to see Meena. She had to be ok.

'Cause when you feel like you're done

And the darkness has won

Babe, you're not lost

"Johnny!" A familiar voice called out and he whipped around to find Ash waiting by the doors that led deeper into the hospital. He abandoned his post at the desk and rushed over to her as she pulled him into a big hug. He was thoroughly shocked by the embrace but at the same time it helped calm the angry sea of emotions that battered at his control, trying to break free.

Ash pulled back and grabbed his arm, leading him through the endless maze of halls to an unknown destination.

When your world's crashing down

And you can't bear the thought

I said, babe, you're not lost

"Ash. Wot 'appened? 'A is meena? Is she 'urt? Is she ok? Say summit!" He didnt give her a chance to answer as his panic mounted once more. Ash squeezed his hand painfully until he came back down to earth, staring at her with an endless string of questions in his eyes.

"Meena is....she's ok considering." Ash started and Johnny grew more confused. If she was ok why were they in a hospital? Why did Ash look so sad?

"Meena isn't in the hospital Johnny." She stopped his thoughts and a wave of relief mixed with confusion washed over him with such force that his knees went weak. But her next words sent another wave of worry for Meena hit him like a truck.

"Her grandfather is."

"Wot 'appened?" He asked quietly as he collected himself, realizing that Meena needed his strength and his comfort right now.

"Heart attack." Ash sighed and shook her head, her faced creased with worry lines, "It was a pretty serious one. The doctors should be bringing him back into the room at any moment."

Johnny increased their pace and soon they arrived at a corner room designed for larger animals. Inside, Meena's family and the theatre family were standing around a bed where Meena's grandfather lay comfortably while various machines monitored his vitals.

Life can show no mercy

It can tear your soul apart

It can make you feel like you've gone crazy

But you're not

His heartbeat was weak and he looked rather pale and sickly, but his grey eyes glinted with a familiar stubborn gleam. Johnny looked around the room for the subject of his worries but he couldn't find her among the familiar faces in the room.

"Where's Meena?" He wondered aloud and all attention turned to him. Meena's mother rushed over and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug, not even giving his soaked form a second thought.

"Oh honey you made it. I knew you would come." She said, her voice slightly hoarse and her eyes red from crying.

"Of course Missus Jones." He patted her back comfortingly as she pulled back from the hug, "Na where is Meena?"

Leslie looked out the door worriedly as tears sprang up in her eyes once more. Rosita appeared out of nowhere and led Leslie over to a chair next to Mr. Jones's bed.

"She ran out crying when they brought him in. She hasn't come back yet." She offered up as an explanation as Johnny set Meena's guitar down against the wall. Johnny frowned and glanced out the door, hoping that Meena would appear in that moment so he could sweep her up into his comforting embrace.

"Boy..." Mr. Jones said weakly, reaching out to grab Johnny's arm. He kneeled next to the elderly elephant's bedside and leaned in so he could hear what he was trying to say.

"Go get my granddaughter boy." He looked like speaking hurt him and Johnny felt a sympathetic pang in his chest for the old man, "I need you to bring her back to me. It has to be you. She needs you."

He gave Johnny a pleasing look and then collapsed back into his pillows, his eyes closing slightly as exhaustion tried to take him over. However, the old elephant was too stubborn to succumb.

Things have seemed to change

There's one thing that's still the same

In my heart you have remained

And we can fly fly fly away

Johnny stood up and headed towards the door, nodding to Ash when she looked at him questioningly.

"I'll be wite back. I'm garn ter find Meena." He whispered and then headed out into the halls.

'Cause you are not alone

And I am there with you

And we'll get lost together

He wandered aimlessly for a bit, hoping that he would catch a glimpse of her or he would somehow stumble upon her. When his search was fruitless after twenty minutes he decided to change tactics and began to ask nurses and passing hospital staff if they saw her.

After a few noncommittal answers an elderly bison directed him to the sky bridge where she had seen a young elephant heading a little bit ago. Johnny thanked her and took off towards the skybridge, every part of him urging him to go faster, to find her, to make sure she knew that she wasn't alone.

'Til the light comes pouring through

'Cause when you feel like you're done

And the darkness has won

Babe, you're not lost

He turned the corner and pushed through the heavy doors into the deserted skybridge. He scanned the big glass tube quickly and found Meena sitting on the floor hugging her knees to her chest as her sobs wracked her entire frame.

When the world's crashing down

And you can not bear the cross

I said, baby, you're not lost

Johnny approached her slowly, trying not to startle her, but Meena didn't hear him or wasn't paying attention to who it was. When he got close to her he kneeled down in front of her and tentatively stroked her arm.

"Go away." She whispered morosely but Johnny could tell that she didn't mean it. She was in desperate need of his comfort.

I said, baby, you're not lost

Johnny slid his hand up to her cheek and gently lifted her head so he could gaze down at her tear-streaked face. Before she could look away to hide the broken, lost look in her eyes he tilted her chin up to look at him. She was captured in his concerned gaze almost immediately.

I said, baby, you're not lost

He slowly helped her stand, her limbs shaken and weak from the draining sadness that overcame her. He wrapped his arms around her slowly and she buried her face in his chest, gradually soaking his damp t-shirt with more of her tears. He stroked her head comfortingly and kept her secure in his embrace.

I said, baby, you're not lost "I've got ya Meena." He whispered comfortingly, rocking her back and forth slightly, "It's ok. I've got ya. I'm 'ere."

Slowly her sobs subsided and her shaking faded until she was still in his embrace. Her breathing was still shallow and when she looked up at him there was a whirlwind of confusing and upsetting emotions consuming her. But she had stopped crying, that was what was important. He was helping her, even in some small way.

The only sound that filled the sky bridge was  the pattering of the rain drops on the glass as Meena rested her head on Johnny's chest and closed her eyes. He didn't need to say a word as he held her and stroked her form. She wasn't alone anymore and she knew that. They stood in silence for an unknown amount of time before Johnny finally spoke up, his original mission coming to mind.

"Yer grandpa was askin' for ya." He said quietly and Meena stiffened against him but didn't pull away.

"Johnny I-" she sounded beaten down and broken, in a way that Johnny had never heard or seen before, "I can't g-go back in there....seeing him like th-that. I can't.... I can't..." she trailed off as she held her breath and gritted her teeth, trying desperately to keep a fresh round of tears at bay.

"Shhh it's ok Meena. Let it aht." He tried placating her but it wasn't enough this time as she brokenly whispered 'I can't' into his chest, still holding back the tears with all of her might.

It was time for a different approach. When in doubt he depended on his voice and in that moment one song wouldn't get out of his head. So he began to sing, still embracing her, hoping that it would work.

Beautiful

You are stronger than you know

Oh, you're something beautiful

Meena looked up at him in surprise when his comforting voice echoed through the enclosed space, punctuated by the count of raindrops on the glass.

Know you're hurting and you feel like all is lost

Heart is burning from the love that's been cut off

But day light comes in and time for you is all I got

The lyrics hit Meena hard and she tried to hide in his chest but Johnny pulled back until they were in more of a slow dancing position rather than an embrace. She was forced to look up at him as he began to move them in a simple dance. She felt so confused and full of conflicting emotions. She savored Johnny's sweet embrace but at the same time she just wanted to take out her emotions on him. But again she didn't want to be weak in front of him, she wanted him to see her as a strong animal, like he was.

And I promise you'll get through this, you can do this

He looked down at her as he sang to her and Meena realized that his face was devoid of any kind of judgement. He was here to help and maybe she didn't need to keep her walls up, maybe she could really be how she felt.

Because all that you need

Is a little room to breathe

To her own surprise Meena breathed in deeply and let out a deep shuddering breath, accompanied by a stream of worried tears.

Breathe in and let it go, oh

Your tears are not for nothing

Let them fall off

In every tear drop there is something beautiful, oh

Johnny reached up and wiped away a stream of tears and then his hand returned to cup her cheek and stroke her face softly. Meena took another deep breath as he tears started to slow and she stared at Johnny, trust and pleading in her eyes.

She couldn't do this alone, it was too much. But if he helped her maybe she could learn to handle the crippling fear that had struck her as soon as her mother said the word heart attack.

You are stronger than you know, oh

Oh you're something beautiful

With him she could find her strength. He definitely saw it hidden in her somewhere and he would help her find it. Meena relaxed into the makeshift dance that they were doing, instinctively moving as Johnny directed her.

Fighting shadows, in a game that you can't win

Losing battles, in a war under your skin

Meena felt her inner turmoil calm under the influence of Johnny's song as each emotion stirred up began to calm and her heart beat normally for the first time since her nightmare started. It felt good to calm the inner fight her emotions had been engaged in. She hadn't known how to feel since it began and now the most important emotion began to surface, concern, accompanied by and intense love for her grandfather.

It's just a blessing in disguise

Without darkness, there is no light

Of course that darkness still waited for her but Johnny's song was like a white knight that instead of rescuing the princess from her demons, gave her armor and a sword and backed her up in battle.

Just hold on a little longer, and I promise you'll get through this

The darkness she battled was the spillover from her mixed emotions about the father she never knew because of death and the father figure that had almost been taken from her today. She was intensely afraid of death but in this moment she had beaten it back. She couldn't be afraid. She needed to be strong for her family. And Johnny could help with that.

Because all that you need

Is a little room to breathe

She lifted her head off of Johnny's chest as the weight that had been pushing her down faded with each word that he sang in her ear.

Breathe in and let it go, oh

Your tears are not for nothing

Let them fall off

In every tear drop there is something beautiful, oh

The tears started to fade into the occasional drop and Johnny's arm around her waist squeezed her encouragingly. She took a shakeup breath, trying to release the tension in her body with each breath. It felt good to listen and feel his support, to just escape and take a deep breath.

You are stronger than you know, oh

Oh you're something beautiful

For the first time Meena's cheeks colored when he called her beautiful. It was encouraging in so many ways. He thought she was strong and beautiful so maybe she could be strong and beautiful.

Can't feel the love without the pain

The sun wouldn't matter without the rain

You're not required to carry the weigh

tSo let it go, here's my hand to hold

At the end of it all, there's a smile for you waiting

The rain finally gave up at the background noise ceased as the clouds started to move away and sunbeams lit up their refuge. Johhny's breath disappeared for a second when he saw her form illuminated by the bright light of the sun. He squeezed her hand that remained clasped in his own and shot the charming, crooked smile he knew she loved at her.

He was rewarded with a tentative, sweet smile and a feeble squeeze of his hand as her strength returned in more ways than one.

So...

Breathe in and let it go, oh

Your tears are not for nothing

Let them fall off

In every tear drop there is something beautiful, oh

This time Meena joined him for the chorus, her voice still shaken from her sobs but the emotion and blooming confidence behind it were enough to make Johnny's smile grow. They breathed in and out together and suddenly Meena's breathing was normal and calming and had a rhythm of its own. It was a release not a desperate clamp ring for oxygen.

You are stronger than you know, oh

Oh you're something beautiful

Johnny spun the around to Meena's surprise and she tightened grip on his hand as she tried to keep up with him.

Let it go, let it go

You're something beautiful

You're something beautiful

You're something beautiful

You're something beautiful

You're something beautiful

Johnny slowed their movements until they came to a stop and resumed their embrace. He whispered the lyrics in her ear as he hugged her tight and kissed her forehead.

You're something beautiful

You're something beautiful

You're something beautiful

You're something beautiful

You're something beautiful

You're something beautiful

Meena pushed away the fluttering feeling in her stomach when he kissed her forehead and slowly pulled back from his embrace. He released her and watched as she stood on her own. She seemed to be handling it well but when she reached over for his hand he gave it willingly. She may be strong but she still needed a little support.

You're something beautiful

You're something beautiful baby, and you better believe that

They began the slow walk back to the room, exiting the tunnel and weaving through the maze-like hallways. The whole way Meena kept taking deep breaths and Johnny watched her in amazement. He had meant every word that he sang to her and she was beautiful, especially in this moment, with her reddened eyes bright with determination, her tear streaked cheeks rosy and her grip tight on his hand.

You're something beautiful

You're something beautiful

You deserve it all

As they got closer to the room her grip tightened and she stopped halfway down the hall to take a deep breath and look at Johnny, the fear surfacing for a moment until he beat it down with an encouraging smile and a gentle squeeze of her hand.

You're something beautiful

You're something beautiful

Don't let them tell you you're not

Just give it all that you got

Cause you are more than enough

You're something beautiful

When they got to the doorway he released her hand as she ran over to her grandfather's bedside and envelopes him in a gentle hug. Her mother rubbed her back and her grandmother kissed her cheek. Johnny stood back and watched as the little family drew strength from each other.

After a few minutes they separated and Meena sat back in a chair, holding her grandfather's hand as she stroked it comfortingly.

"Meena?" Her grandfather suddenly spoke up and she leaned in so she could hear him.

"Yeah grandpa?" She prompted and he weakly pointed at her guitar.

"Could you play me a song? I want you to take me to that celestial place sweet girl." He asked with a smile and Meena broke out into a grin as she reached for her guitar.

"Anything for you Grandpa."

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[isntthisenoughwhatwouldbeenough]

A/N: Hello! I hope whomever is reading this is having a wonderful day. This is the first thing I’m posting that I’ve written and I hope you all enjoy it. This was inspired by Ed Sheerans song How Would You Feel (Paean) from his album Divide (obviously (if you haven’t listened to it, you really should it’s amazing!!)) I’m sure there’s a million little fics like this but I wanted to share mine and I hope you enjoy reading it. (All the lyrics will be in bold italics) . . . . You are the one girl, you know that it’s true…..

You and John had been married for ten years. You were the only girl he ever loved, the only girl he wanted. This was something you couldn’t deny, you had known each other since you were sixteen and you were each other’s first everything. You still made John feel like he was still sixteen when you were alone together, he could still remember the first time he told you he loved you…….

We were sitting a parked car, stealing kisses in a front yard, we got questions we should not ask…

You were both kissing in his car in front of house, and he couldn’t help the overwhelming feeling to tell you how he felt about you, he had been holding it in for a while now. He finally decided this was the time to tell you. As you broke apart to take a breath, your foreheads touching he asked

“How would you feel if I told you I loved you?”

Your breath hitched, and he continued,

“it’s just something that I want to do, I’ll be taking my time, spending my life falling deeper in love with you.”

As he opened his eyes he could see tears glistening in yours, he grew panicked for a second, before you smiled and said “John Laurens I am so madly in love with you, what took you so long?”, he could not contain his smile or his joy as he grabbed your face and placed kisses all over your face as you giggled, he pulled away and looked at you.

Tell me that you love me too…

“You love me?”, he asks.

“I love you,” you reply before placing another kiss on his lips……. . . . In the summer as the lilacs bloom, love flows deeper than a river every moment that I spend with you….

You loved John more than anything in this world. You were watching him play with your two children, Lila and Johnny. He was chasing them around the backyard and you couldn’t help the smile on your face or the small chuckle you gave when you saw your three year old son run into your husbands legs, as he dramatically fell to the ground. Both Lila and Johnny giggling, while your husband feigned hurt before grabbing both of them in his arms and giving them a bunch of kisses before sending them inside. You turn your attention to your children running into the house.

“Go wash up kiddos, it’s time for lunch,” you say. You receive an okay Momma! Followed by a series of giggles. You smile and feel a tap on your shoulder, you turn to see your husband, offering a small bouquet of lilacs (from your backyard), with a big smile on his face and bowing to you before saying, “for my lovely lady.” You smile and curtsy, before taking the flowers. “Why how kind of you good sir, I shall put them where I can see them always.”

His smile grows as he wraps his arms around your waist, and you place your arms around his neck, and he gives you a sweet kiss. You’re pulled into a memory of the night he proposed…..

We were sat upon our best friends roof, I had both my arms around you, watching the sunlight replace the moon…

You were sitting on Alex and Eliza’s roof, watching the sun come up and looking at the ring on your finger and smiling. You leaned against John, sitting behind you, and sighed in pure happiness and an idea popped into your head. You turn to look at him, before reciting words from when you first professed your love to each other…

“How would you feel?”

You ask, he looks confused at first, but soon realizes as you continue,

“If I told you I loved you, it’s just something that I want to do, I’ll be taking my time, spending my life falling deeper in love with you.”

You give him a big smile, and he gives you one in return, before grabbing your face and kissing you sweet and slow before resting his forehead on yours saying,

“(Y/N) (L/N), I am so madly in love with you, what took you so long?” you smile.

Tell me that you love me too.

“You love me?” you ask continuing the memory. He chuckles before responding, “I love you.” . . . We were sitting in a parked car, stealing kisses in a front yard, we got questions we should not ask.. .

It was the night of your twelve year wedding anniversary. John had taken you out to a fancy dinner and some dancing , it was a wonderful night for the both of you, and now you were picking up the kids from Alex and Eliza’s. You were about to get out of the car before John pulled you back, and gave you a searing kiss. You kiss him back with just a much fervor. You both pull away, slightly panting before going in for another kiss. Before you get too carried away, Johns phone starts ringing. It’s Alex, John answers it, “You two better quit making out in front of my house, I love you guys and your kids but I’ve got four of my own you know,” you both laugh, as he seems to grow frustrated with both of you.

Your laughter grows as you hear Eliza in the background, “it’s their anniversary Alex, let them have their fun.” You hear Alex give a sigh before telling them you were on your way to the door.

As you both put the kids to bed, and got ready for bed yourselves, you couldn’t help but think about how happy you were and how much you loved John. You had to admit there were times when you became worried John may not love you as much as he used to, but he would always reassure you. So, when you got into bed and cuddled up to him, nuzzling your face in his neck, as he pulled you into his chest, and he said, “Hey, Babe?”

“Yeah?”

“How would you feel? If I told you I loved you , it’s just something that I want to do, I’ll be taking my time, spending my life falling deeper in love with you.”

You couldn’t help the smile on your face. “You still love me darling?” you say feigning doubt as you look up at him, “even after all these years?”He smiles down at you with nothing but love in his eyes.

Tell me that you love me too.

“I love you more with each passing day, my love. It grows everyday.” You give him a small, sweet kiss before replying, “John Laurens, I am so madly in love you, my love for you is boundless.” He gives you a long, slow, burning kiss, and places kiss on your forehead, before you both drift off to sleep, wrapped up in the love you both share….

A/N: I hope you enjoyed!