#just gonna post some thoughts down here real quick

[heegyukeluv]

a hundred sunsets (sjy)

pairing: jake x afab!reader

synopsis: Using a dating app in order to find a lover rarely worked properly to you, which was the reason you never planned to do so. But bumping into someone so charming as you texted your possible future love interest wasn’t on your plans either. 

my's note: hello!!! it's not only my first time writing in english but also my first time using tumblr to post a story  i’m honestly kinda nervoussjdjdjs. a few things I want to say before anything: those are fictional characters, also i know almost nothing when it comes to other country’s educational systems sooo i’m sorry if something is off, and mostly important: enjoy!!! 

i wasn't planning to write this much but i think i got a little carried away lol

warnings: quick mention of alcohol (all characters are of age!), slow burn kinda?, at least one ‘kms’ joke srry, strangers to friends to lovers, pet names (sweetheart, pretty, sugar, etc..), lot of language, jake is downnn baddd, there’s a slightly jay x y/n moment (they go on a date lol) but not too much dw!!!, reader blushing/turning red! eventual smut (MINORS DO NOT INTERACT) - jake is kinda a sub, oral sex (both), unprotected sex (don’t do it!!!), j. cums inside (consensual), overstimulation (m), slight dacryphilia. enha’s jay, sunghoon and heeseung + lesserafim’s yunjin and chaewon as side characters. LMK IF I FORGOT SOMETHING.

wc: 22k

NOT PROOFREAD.

EXTRA (epilogue kinda?)

As comfortable as your couch was and even though you very much loved watching “Pitch Perfect”, that wasn't the fun weekend you had planned, actually you didn't plan anything at all. But there you were, licking your fingertips in order to clean up the salt flakes of the chips you devoured during the last minutes.

It wasn't like you really cared about what your lifestyle was turning into during the few months that passed by, opting to stay at home doing your little things here and there, taking a fair break from the crazy parties at suspicious places alongside a lame try to hang out with very random people... 

The initial excuse of "I'll focus more on my studies" was holding a bit, however you couldn't help but feel bored at your choices at this point. 

You sighed, opening the message app on your phone and re-reading the last texts you received in your friend group.

Jinnie 💘: my sweet little y/n i’ve been here watching you ROT down in your apartment and i’m tired!!! sure you don’t wanna party anymore or wtv BUT FOR GOD’S SAKE i love you but truth be said YOU NEED TO GET LAID!!!! download the app pleeeeasseeee it’s not like you’re gonna match with a weirdo (i guess Chaebae 💖: Worst case scenario you just call me and I go to rescue you with my very muscly arms Best case scenario you win a good fuck !

You laughed again at the texts, picturing Chaewon with her baby face and a very packed body. Would she be able to really punch someone on the face in order to protect you? For sure she would. And she didn't even need muscly arms or whatever. 

Being friends for God knows how long you thought about trusting them. They wouldn’t try to mislead you, right? 

You always had little to no interest in dating apps. The few times you tried you constantly felt like you were practically selling yourself as some product with specific traits, where the buyer doesn't have enough chance to get to know more parts of you before anything, chasing for the next step so eagerly.

Although your heart beats fast for people you just met seemingly outwardly interesting, the real feeling of wanting to be with them, to go out on dates, to trust enough to let parts of yourself to be shown comfortably needs time and usually grows slowly.

You never really dated anyone in order to fulfill momentary desires, your own body wouldn't let it happen as you lose interest as soon as you feel too pressured by the other part or when the connection wasn’t clicking right.

Chaewon and Yunjin were different though. They had the free spirit to just hit that one night stand and be happy about it. You were happy about it, loving to listen to their crazy dates and nights out, sharing the most terrific stories about it while drinking some wine on your balcony.

Nevertheless, you were kinda desperate. Your last relationship ended one year ago, the one you rooted for a very long time – two years and five months, to be exact, until one day you caught him cheating on you with one of his "best friends that you don’t have to worry, baby". Very much cliché but also a big trauma in your life, leading you to this very moment of neediness but not enough courage to trust someone again.

Since then you have been hooking up once and a while with random people you met at parties, but never felt right or enough especially because you tried so hard to either not get attached – and with that lose the brief sexual interest – or on the very other side of the hand, to build up some kind of relationship.

Every single one turning into a big failure. 

Sighing again, your fingers typed on the screen keyboard.

You: Can you send me the name again?  Chaebae 💖: OH??? YUNJIN Jinnie 💘: I KNOW [LFS] hope you enjoy!! hihi You: What's with the acronym lol Chaebae 💖: "Love at First Sight"  You: Oh god And you rly think it’s a good idea? Chaebae 💖: ..yeah? Jinnie 💘: a great idea actually! You chuckled. What could go wrong?

Everything went wrong.

Not every single thing, but a bunch for sure. 

You didn’t know if your taste was too specific or if overall men were just that boring. You had good features, your pics weren’t that bad either and your personality… Liking video games, some astronomical stuff, movies and dogs couldn’t be a big red flag, right? 

But every match got you thinking “what happened to the old ‘hi, how are you?’”. Maybe because of those exact traits you put on display made the weird nerds attracted to you as a potential match, thinking their fantasies would be fulfilled by you. 

Of course you understand people on those kinds of apps sometimes have very clear goals setted, but how frustrating is it to try to have a good conversation and the least creepy answer be “is it weird that i want you sucking me while i play league of legends? lmao”?

No matter how defeated you were feeling you weren’t one to give up. And that leads to this very moment as you type fast on your phone with your current attempt. 

Park Jongseong, or just Jay, was hot. Like, very hot. And his talking wasn’t going to weird places so far, which at this point was a big win. He was funny and somewhat endearing, sharing avidaly about his travels and his music interests with so much passion that you started to rethink your own life choices thus far – was the ongoing college degree a good choice? Should you give up everything and start to live as an artist? 

Lost in your train of thoughts about maybe having found somebody worthy of your time as you walked down the hallway heading to your next lecture of the day, you didn’t expect to hit your face straight into someone’s chest. A very strong and hard chest by the way, you thought briefly, scented with some woody essence that got straight into your senses. The sweet voice of the owner wasn’t expected either.

“Oh shit, I’m so sorry!”, the boy uttered with a worried tone looking down at you trying to see if he had hurt you in some way. You almost didn’t catch his thick accent. “Are you okay?” he questioned softly, still concerned. You blinked a few times before coming back to reality, looking up confused at his face and answering hurriedly with slightly widened eyes.

“I’m the one who should be sorry! God, I’m so stupid, I should be more careful,” you started to blather as you lost yourself in that pretty face you just hit into. The whole combo was breathtaking. Plump glossy red lips and puppy eyes full of worry; the silky brown hair was just as normal as any other brown hair but what the fuck was that face? “I was looking down at my phone and I didn’t see y–”, you were interrupted by the honeyed voice again “I mean, I was also using my phone and didn’t see you either,” he chuckled. “You’re fine, sweetheart.”

Your eyes widened even more at the same time as a smirk decorated his beautiful lips. You don’t know what got you more flustered, the pet name or the double meaning of that simple phrase. You could feel your cheeks burning hard and your first instinct was to look down to the floor and wonder if hiding yourself beneath the tile was a good option.

“Well, sorry again,” he said and you forced yourself to swallow down the saliva that got stuck on your throat and to look up again, facing now a cute small and shy smile that made your heart beat fast. Too fast. “See ya!” and just like that he went his own way, not even waiting for your response.

You were sure someone had glued the sole of your shoes on the ground while you two had that small and awkward talk, because there’s no way your legs stopped working properly just because of him.

You looked over your shoulder in order to see his back going away but it was already too late, since he wasn’t around anymore. You thought to yourself he was certainly a new student, because you would have noticed him sooner. How could you not?

His chocolate eyes and sweet voice were the only things on your mind as you picked up your phone to text back Jay, trembling a bit from the encounter still.

You: of course we can see each other this friday!! :) 

You tried your best to fully focus on your upcoming assignments, but your library time has reduced quite a bit and even in your house your attention was wandering constantly. For the last three days you walked around your whole campus trying so hard to bump into that good-looking visage one more time, going back and forth that hallway hoping to see that guy.

Describing his appearance to Chaewon and Yunjin didn’t help a bit, especially because everything you could remember was his sweet voice, his silky brown hair and his very beautiful smile. Just like any other guy. 

But he wasn’t. 

He looked smooth, confident and whatever other compliment you could build to him – like, you never really met him to know more than just the appearance, and his looks exuded that so you just guessed. The fucking “sweetheart” coming from his mouth sounded too good for your own heart. And that was everything you got from him. Not even a glimpse of something else like what classes he got or anything like that.

“I don’t know, I’m starting to worry you are seeing ghosts or making people up, girl”, Yunjin said as her hands unwrapped her sandwich right before she took a big bite.

“I’m not!” you whined with a pout. “I swear to god he exists. I need him to exist. He’s too fine,” you whispered the last part, even though they both heard you.

“This is definitely something someone who is starting to see things would say, y’know that, right?” Chaewon said with a laugh, making you chuckle a bit because, well, it’s true. How does one prove a person exists given that no one but you saw him?

The campus was big enough for you not to see him ever again, however after the quick encounter you noticed he walked towards the end of the hallway, to classes that only someone with an area of study similar to yours would go to.

“This is frustrating,” you stated, looking at the people wandering around still hoping to see him. Your lunch already forgotten in front of you.

“Don’t you have a date in like a few hours?” Chaewon questioned with a raised eyebrow. “Shouldn’t we be worrying about you and that hot Jay guy instead of you and the we-don’t-even-know-if-he-exists guy?”

“She’s right, baby,” Yunjin added. “Jay looks adorable. You should focus on him.”

You nodded defeated, sighing and forcing yourself to re-read your texts with the said guy. “You’re right”, you smiled a bit.

Jay: Looking forward to our date tonight! <3

You: yeah, me too :) 

And just like that the afternoon has arrived and you got yourself in a dilemma of clothing and accessories and shoes and makeup and even between your perfumes! Everything seemed terrible together, nothing was right, no cloth piece looked good enough to match Jay’s insane visuals and taste in style. Through his photos you noticed the way he fashioned himself, wearing fancy brands with a generous constancy, looking too good for yourself.

You were on the verge of crying when Yunjin called you, as if she felt in her guts you needed her.

“Hey,” you answered the call, quickly accepting the change to a video call and propping your phone on your desk. “How we doin’, baby?” She asked curiously with a big excited smile. “Why aren’t you ready yet?” You noticed she had makeup on and was doing her hair while talking to you.

“Not doing well, Jinnie…” you pouted, looking at the mess around you. You were dealing with a lot of emotions at the same time and felt so lost. “I don’t know what to wear,” you said sincerely. “I feel like nothing I have here is enough to match Jay’s.”

In your defense, it’s been a long time since you ever went on a date, especially a dinner date and with someone so elegant like Jay.

You weren’t expecting Yunjin almost screaming at you. “Don’t you dare to say anything like that ever again!” You startled. “Y/N, you will look good in any clothing you decide to wear, because you are hot. Not your clothes or accessories or anything. They just complement your own beauty!”

While Chaewon normally was the one who would speak up for the whole group in terms of defending her girls, Yunjin worked on the other part of bringing the mood and the self esteem up. And both of them always did a great job.

“You are so fucking right, Yunjin,” she smiled proudly after you spoke, continuing her job on doing her hair.

You looked around one more time, getting out of the frame just to change yourself in a simple black dress long enough to cover half of your tights and the exact amount of tightness that hugged your curves with close perfection. “Thoughts?” You appeared again in front of the camera after a few minutes of trying some accessories.

“Sexy. And pretty. You are so getting laid tonight!” You chuckled. “I think I’m not the only one, though?” You wiggled your eyebrows playfully and she just giggled, before saying a quick goodbye and ending the call.

Just like you, she had things to get done. 

Putting on some lip gloss as a final touch, you were ready. And just in time as you felt your phone vibrating inside your purse with Jay's text.

Jay: I’m here :) You: Coming!

The big car greeting the door of your building was expected at some point, nonetheless your shocking expression was hardly disguised with a nervous smile. As Jay stepped out of his car, you quickly analyzed his outfit and had to take a breath because his white button up shirt with the sophisticated black trousers was getting yourself out of orbit. You felt a little dizzy when his hand positioned on your waist as he leaned to greet you with a little kiss on the cheek and a pretty smile.

He opened the door for you and when you both had settled down on the car seat, he said “You look great, Y/N”. With his help, you put on the seatbelt and thanked with a kind smile. "You look good yourself too, Jay."

The drive to the restaurant was quite normal, a few words being exchanged here and there, the conversation was pretty ordinary. You were a pile of nerves and you had to almost physically stop yourself from moving your legs up and down due to the feeling of anxiety. It’s not like Jay was making you uncomfortable, but you didn’t felt too comfortable either. The whole fancy type of thing was getting you too hesitant for a first date. You were more like a cafe date girly, stargazing at some open air park or maybe a picnic. Now you were blaming yourself for not letting that out beforehand.

Jay parked the car at the parking lot. “We’re here”, his voice broke you out of your mind and when you glanced up at the restaurant you felt like dying inside.

Too fancy.

“It’s… amazing,” was everything that slipped out your mouth as you got out of the car with Jay’s help. “I’m glad you liked it, princess.”

The pet name didn’t get you the much you hoped it would, actually it made you think about the fucking hallway guy and his smooth “sweetheart” saying, sending shivers down your spine.

When both of you reached the table reserved under the name Park Jongseong and you looked through the menu, you knew you were fucked up. With no shame, though, you asked “Could you order for me? I know little to no ingredients on this paper.”

Jay let a small breathy laugh and nodded ordering for both of you. He picked a wine impressively saying the name and the year and whatever other things wines have in its description trying to impress you. However, your focus was on the view that you finally noticed on your right side that faced a big window. The night sky was impressive and the moon was shining prettily. 

“Enjoying the view?” he asked after sipping a bit of his wine. “Yeah, it’s incredible. I love the moon, actually I–” you didn’t had the chance to even start on your probably long talk about how much interested you are in the moon, being cutted of by Jay.

“Did you know that once I almost had the chance to go to the moon?” Your head snapped so fast towards his direction that you thought you would break your neck. “What?” The discredited and doubtful expression adorning your face was so clear still you were not afraid of showing it off.

With that, you discovered a not so good part of Jay: his somewhat annoying and exaggerated personality of trying to impress you with exorbitant things, too different from the texts you guys had exchanged. You had no interest knowing that his first birthday present was diamonds or that his dad bought him a car even before he turned eighteen. Let alone that he traveled to every single place you said during the conversation.

The way he would blurt out interrupting you in order to say "It's so amazing there! You would love the beaches and the museums, and the..." so it goes, every single time was really angering you.

Feeling left out in a duo talk was a new experience to you. How could someone be so full of himself and act like his life is the only one that matters? His gentlemanly aura was falling down very fast.

“You don’t seem to be enjoying our date,” he pointed with elegance when you went full quiet, looking directly at you. You sipped a bit of the wine that actually tasted too bad for your palate, noticing how half of your food was left out on your plate. You forced yourself to eat as much as you could handle, but the aftertaste of that food was worse than the taste itself. 

“Oh, now you noticed me,” you artificially smiled.

“What do you mean by that?” he asked, a bit offended. You got nervous, but didn’t let that get on you. “I mean that for the past two hours all you talk about is yourself. At first I was like ‘okay, this is how we know each other!’, but since then I haven’t had the chance to talk about anything related to myself, like my likings or whatever,” you vented, having to take a deep breath and drink some more wine afterwards. 

“I’m sorry, but I don’t get it,” Jay seemed honestly confused.

“Are you stupid?” the question slipped your tongue a bit too fast for your own thinking. You widened your eyes and covered your mouth with your hand. “I’m sorry I–” 

“I don’t think I’m stupid, but I really don’t get it. It’s my first date in a while and I don’t really remember having to listen to the girls at all…”

Squinting, you questioned genuinely, “What do you mean? Like, the girls you took out on dates just… listened to you bragging about diamonds and travels?” He kinda mimicked your expression and replied as if it was obvious “...Yeah…” 

After you blinked a few times you recomposed yourself and drank the whole wine on your glass at one go wishing you could just get drunk enough to forget that night. Jay watched you with a fazed expression as you got up from your chair. “I’m sure you’ll find someone that likes you the way you are. But with all due respect, to me, you kinda… Y’know. So I’m leaving.” You pointed with your thumb to your back, not even knowing if the exit was that way. “It was… an experience, I think.” You forced a smile. “Do I have to pay for something?” 

“No, don’t worry about that,” he was quick in his response, feeling a bit ashamed and soon adding “But I can get you home, you just have to wait for me to p–”

“Nah, I’m fine. I’ll call a cab or whatever,” you interrupted him as soon as you could, not wanting to spend any more second with him. Being in a closed space with him for more than a few seconds would be too embarrassing. 

“Y/N, come on. It’s the least I can do for you. You don’t have to walk alone at night, it can be dangerous.” You sighed, tapping his shoulder softly when you got closer to him. “Jay, it’s fine. It was not meant to be,” you tried to sound certain but what left your mouth was a mix of sneering with a doubtful tone. When he said nothing more, you left.

You were free. And also hungry. And a bit tipsy.

Maybe it was not the best idea to walk alone at that time of the night, but somehow you managed to feel better outside than with Jay. He was great, but definitely not for you.

You questioned yourself if calling Yunjin or Chaewon or maybe both could be a good idea, but knowing them they would show up in no time and try to beat the crap out of Jay and you weren’t in the mood to witness a murder. Actually all you needed was food. And maybe a cozy place. Nevertheless you typed on your phone just to update your girls.

You: Date went down the hole Guy’s kinda suck ngl Chaebae 💖: WDYM ARE YOU OKAY  DO YOU NEED ME TO GET THAT BASTARD OR WHAT WHAT DID HE DO WHERE ARE YOU Jinnie 💘: i’m very much drunk rn but tell me his address and i'll kick his ass and get you home or are you home already?

You laughed at the quick replies you received and typed some reassurance to them while continuing your walking process. Your goal at that point was to find a convenience store where you could get some lamen and perhaps a soda.

While you wrote down your last message walking slowly not to trip, you bumped into someone, face straight to their chest.

Firm and cunning hands held you by the waist since you lost balance because of your heels, preventing you from falling. Before you could even say anything, that fucking woody essence went directly through your senses and it was as if history was reescribing itself, like a gift from fate. This time, you were fully in his arms.

You looked up. “I’m so– Oh, you again?” He showed his charming smile. Because of the proximity you noticed how the corner of his lips were a bit curvy. So attractive and for what? 

Just like the last time, you blinked twice before realizing what really was happening, feet fixed on the ground. “I’m starting to consider that you like bumping into my chest, sweetheart,” he said with a grin, his mentoled breath hitting straight on your face.

Thank god his hands still held your waist, otherwise you would definitely fall. Your baffled expression had him chuckling a bit. “Did I hurt you?” he asked with care, looking directly at your eyes. His pretty chocolate eyes were hidden behind black specs this time.

You kept gazing stupidly at him like he was a distinct specie, an alien or something, not being able to say a word. Your throat was dry, you were sure you had lost the ability of talking. “Have you forgotten how to talk, pretty one?” He sniggered and bold but gently placed a strand of your hair behind your ear with his free hand. You shivered and almost leaned into the touch. “I remember you having such an endearing voice,” and just like that you finally let your body respond and blushed, taking a deep breath while starting to move away from him “I’m sorry, I didn’t see yo–”

“Cut that off, sweetheart," he let you go, making sure you were stable on your feet. You missed the warmth of his body on yours right away. Also you took your time to appreciate his clothing. The deep red shirt with white stripes covered with a black jacket looked too good on him. "I’m worried our encounters will keep happening like this. You might end up getting hurt for real,” the concerned tone did not go unnoticed, even mixed with the teasing-flirtatious one.

Your eyes wandered his face quickly before you let out a chuckle and diverted your attention away. You decided to ignore the buzzing sound of your phone as you put it inside your purse. “That wouldn’t be fun, would it?”, you said.

“Definitely not,” you looked back at him, caughting the shining eyes staring at you already like all he had down his sight was you. “A beautiful face like yours cannot be hurt, am I right?” And again there was that too attractive sly smile adorning his lips. You decided to smile back but shyly yet unable to hold the visual contact for more than a few seconds, cheeks still reddened. 

“I don’t know you enough to say that but you seem a bit… off”, he was now looking at you with his gleaming puppy eyes, head slightly tilted to the side. “Yeah, I might be a little bit tipsy.”

Normally you would be mad at the fact the small amount of wine was hitting that hard, blaming your weakness towards alcohol for making you feel kinda dizzy and too bold for your own good – you internally debated if that dizzines came from the alcohol or from other sources, like the very good looking man standing in front of you.

Still you thanked the fearless feeling running through your veins at that very moment, otherwise where would you find enough courage to say what you said next?

“Are you down to get some lamen at some random convenience store with me?”, you had no idea what your words could mean to him and honestly weren’t expecting much, but as soon as his face lit up like you told him he won a good amount of money, you felt victorious. “Is this your way of flirting? Because if it is, it’s working on me.” 

“That’s good to know, nameless boy”, you scoffed with a seductively undertone, the little smirk on your lips and your now boldness to maintain eye contact making him laugh as a failed attempt to hide his flustered self. The next moment you both were greeting each other with a quick handshake after he offered his hand to you. “I’m Jake”.

The hallway boy finally got a name, and not only that, you were now sure of his existence.

Sitting on a bench at the little shop you managed to find, the angry owner’s expression facing you two was as clear as crystal water and got you thinking if you were being too loud. Without caring much you just let it be, since being with Jake apparently meant you will be noisy eventually. It was not necessarily his fault, the both of you just shared too many common interests that made it difficult not to get overly excited during the conversation. 

It all began with just a normal “no way you like this flavor!” – with a very strong Australian accent from his side – and since then the flow went smoothly. His company had been greatly enjoyable so far and you let yourself be more and more comfortable about sharing some self information.

For example at some point you discovered he was a physics student, and with that you instantly shared about your love for the moon – also the lack of acknowledgement about it. You explained that you were affectionate to the moon because of its beauty, shining brightly in the sky even when behind heavy clouds. Looking at it always made you feel somehow free, especially when some breeze hits your body simultaneously. 

Jake carefully listened to you with fond eyes and after you finished, he started to explain a bit of theory to you, sounding too smart. He looked very attractive saying words you didn’t even know the meaning behind and you noticed you were paying way too much attention to the way his charming lips were moving as he did so. 

And just like that you traveled around many subjects. You being more emotional and Jake more rational, respectfully giving each other the chance to speak, constantly but easily finding ways to match one’s energy. You finally felt heard that night. And one of the topics being, of course, the whole date situation.

“Ok, so what you’re telling me is that this Jay guy told you about his whole financial status, which I admit makes me kinda envious, and you still managed to end up here with me at some very random convenience store eating cheap lamen?”, he shook off the empty package of said lamen, staring at you with an amusement look.

“Yep,” you nodded, slurping the last bite of your food. “And also I called him stupid.” 

“At his face,” he completed the very important piece of information, finishing his food as well. Jake licking his lips to clean it up didn’t go unnoticed by you. “I swear if I was Jay I would be crying right now,” he stated as a fact and you groaned.

“Don’t make me feel bad for him, please,” you uttered with a whine and he laughed at you, his eyes turning into little crescents as he did so. “I swear he was nice and prolly had good intentions, but y’know…” you left unfinished, but Jake concluded for you. “He bragged about diamonds hoping you would fall for him or something.”

You furrowed your eyebrows and shook your head before drinking the last sip of your soda, “yeah, definitely not my type.”

Jake decided to restrain the urge of asking what your type would be, a little afraid he was off league. “Well, at least you got on a date with me,” he sneered. You chuckled. 

“I knew I would hit my pretty face directly on your so toned chest when I walked out that date,” you said sarcastically and then added “that’s why I decided to go in the first place.”

You were feeling way better now, belly full of good food that really pleased your taste buds and not drunk anymore, although you still let the boldness command your words through the talking once and while. You found out that behind Jake’s flirtatious and teasing way of speaking to you, there was also a very sheepish boy that would get flustered from time to time, like right now. He laughed off and drank the rest of his soda in order to run away from your very sharp but playful eyes.

Jake was so entertained by you. The way you expressed yourself so cheerfully and vibrantly. Whenever some topic of your liking was on the track your eyes would instantly get an almost childish sparkle as your hands motioned in a very exciting way and your detailed explanations would be voiced out.

Also he discovered you were a lot more confident than he thought you could be. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t liking this side of yours, audaciously flirting with him whenever you got the chance to do so, without holding back your bold responses. The feeling of the top of his ears burning knowing they were very much red was starting to become common for him. He did not had to know that you not only noticed his reactions, but was loving every minute.

Despite that, he tried to keep his cool.

“What are you up to after here, sugar?”, Jake asked forcing a nonchalantly tone while playing with the rings adorning his fingers, and yet again you were forced to remember the fucking cute pet names that got you flushed everytime he dared to say them. You looked away for a bit before answering.

“I don’t know, maybe go home… Watch some videos until I fall asleep”, you shrugged. Early on that day you weren’t expecting to find yourself in a situation like that, actually the whole program was to get “dicked down” – as Chaewon worded. However, you weren't disappointed either with how the evening turned out to be.

“Come on, Y/N,” your name went out too smoothly on Jake’s plumpy lips, his honeyed voice never failing to make you flutter slightly. Still you tried to keep your composure. “It’s friday and you’re wearing such a beautiful dress to what? To go home, watch videos and sleep?” He mocked the last part and you chuckled before lazily smiling in his direction, fully facing him. You recognized the tiredness starting to consume your body slowly which did not go unnoticed by Jake. Your tinted cheeks from the compliment also did not go unnoticed by him.

“And what would you recommend me to do, Jakey?”

“Jakey?” He raised an eyebrow, liking the way you pronounced the nickname a bit too much, thinking it was definitely something he could grow used to.

You just kept smiling, looking up at him through your eyelashes. You perceived how close on the seat you both were as if a magnet pulled you two together through that night, your bare shoulder slightly brushing against his clothed one from time to time.

“To be honest I just wanted an excuse to point out how gorgeous you are in this dress,” he licked his bottom lip as a habit while you didn’t even have the chance to properly receive the compliment, Jake being too smooth with it. “I don’t have any good recommendations, but if you’re down we c–”

The sound of your phone ringing interrupted Jake’s possible plans, making both of you startle. You saw Yunjin’s name on the screen and wondered whether to answer or not.

“Aren’t you gonna pick up?” Jake asked with curiosity. 

“Actually, yes I will,” you remembered you left your friends hanging on your texts and have been unintentionally ignoring them, so it was only fair to give a quick update just to make them sure you are still alive. 

“Hi baby”, you picked up the call with a smile, hearing a very drunk Yunjin on the other side. “No, I’m not home yet”, Jake watched as you talked on your phone with a neutral expression. He himself feeling a bit worried with the usage of nicknames and with your cute tone towards the person.

He knew you just went out on a date, assuming that you were at least looking to have some fun, however that fact should not be enough to stop you from being unavailable. Jake thought that a pretty girl like you probably already had a love interest in line.

“Don’t worry, Jinnie. You don’t have to come pick me up”, you glanced over at Jake who was now paying too much attention to the table in front of him, lost in his own mind and also trying to give you some privacy. You grinned, “I’m not alone.” Jake accidentally heard a very loud “WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU’RE NOT ALONE?” through your phone and had to hold back a laugh. “I’m with… Someone,” you kept your eyes on him as you spoke to Yunjin, grabbing his attention when you indirectly mentioned his presence. “I’ll talk to you later, yeah?” and then you ended the call with a “Love you, bye.”

“I didn’t mean to hear it, but I’m intrigued…” you knew where Jake was going with that, so you just kept your smile. “‘Someone’, huh?” He said with a smirk, clearly messing with you. 

You turned your head to someplace else because no matter how bold you can be sometimes, the following line that you let out made you hesitate a bit beforehand.

“Well, in my defense I don’t plan to introduce you to my friends through my phone, let alone as a mere guy I just met,” although you tried to keep your cheekily tone, it was obvious how shy you were feeling, gazing briefly at Jake’s direction as you said.

Jake hadn’t noticed until now that he was holding his breath a little, relievedly letting it out as he watched your pretty face and expressions. Regardless, the whole phrase made his head spin, replacing previous thoughts with new, more intense ones, all at once. What do you mean by that?

“Then how are you planning to introduce me?” he boldly questioned leaning towards you a little in order to find a way to look you in the eye again, finding adorable your demeanor right now breaking every little eye contact way too quickly. 

You giggled.

Jake thought he had just found his favorite sound in the world.

“We’ll see, Jakey.” 

Jake rode you home.

He noticed how lazy your hooded eyes started to look and decided to end the “date” instead of taking you to somewhere else, which you particularly found endearing. The bar was low, you admitted to yourself, but a cute guy being considerate for your entertainment other than just leading you anywhere else for his own amusement made your heart flutter. 

However, the moment he offered to take you home you immediately refused, emphasizing that he didn't need to worry and that you would not let him waste gas for nothing. The reply he gave was a not so subtle “I don’t care”, alongside with “I’ll not let you freeze outside waiting for a cab and I don’t trust you enough to let you borrow my jacket for tonight,” making you laugh at his little mischievous tone, especially because as soon as you both were in his car he put his black jacket on your shoulders.

“I thought you don’t trust me enough to have it?” You referred to the jacket, feeling too inebriated by its smell. 

“There's a big difference between leaving it to you alone without knowing if you'll ever hand me back and letting you have it under my watch, sweetheart.” His smug face looked too charming as he spoke and the damn sweetheart again got to you with ease. You chuckled while watching the street lights passing by. 

The ride was calmer than you expected. The radio played on some random station working as a beautiful background to the soft words exchanged between you two. You noticed Jake’s attractive side profile as he focused on the road rambling some physics thing in a very excited way. Your body felt too tired to keep any thoughts on track, leading you to just listen to his sweet voice embracing you mildly until you both arrived in front of your apartment building.

Of course he didn’t let you open the door and also helped you to get out. The touch of his warm hand under yours sended a shiver down your spine. 

“Thank you for the ride, Jake,” you said with a gentle smile.

“My pleasure, sugar,” your cheeks reddened hard as you started to take off his jacket. “You don’t have to,” he shook his hand in front of him, refusing to get the clothing piece back. You looked at him with a stunned-confused expression, lips parted a bit. Before you could even protest he interrupted you. “I need an excuse to see you again, right?” And send you a wink.

As if he said just a normal thing, he confidently got back to his car, letting behind a very flustered you. 

Little did you know how shaky his hands rested on the wheel as he drove off, looking forward to meeting you again.

Of course you had to spend your whole weekend waiting for Monday to come – a peculiar behavior you admitted to yourself. But neither you nor Jake got each other's phone number so all you could do was to wait and hope for the best. You didn’t even know if you would meet him again at the campus because you searched for him nonstop the last few days and never got the chance to do so, making you regret even more about not getting any information about where to find him.

His jacket rested on your desk chair as you deeply stared at the little stars adorning your bedroom ceiling. Stars that remembered how shiny Jake’s eyes looked when he started to talk about Theory of relativity or anything like that. You also remember paying just enough attention to understand and to keep the talking flow, focusing more on the way his lips moved as doing so.

You groaned, rolling on your bed sheets. How long a weekend can be? You were acting like a teenager for having a crush on a stranger! You knew little to no things about Jake. You knew his age – one year older than you, you knew his majoring and you also found out the reason behind him being at your campus block – he had to deliver some paperwork to a friend of his. But other than some common interests and his music taste, that was it. 

Was him a good person? He showed you a good personality for sure, to the point your heart sank with the idea of losing all that excitement to see him again just because he’s good looking and has a great talk. Still you kept questioning yourself. What if he was the player type? Just hitting for one night stand and that’s it?

Monday morning arrived but you did not had enough time to develop any more thoughts when you got to the university. As soon as you reached it, Chaewon and Yunjin flooded you with a very long investigation about what the hell happened that friday.

Talking in person was always an option for the three of you, the feeling of looking eye to eye and reading each other's expressions was more interesting than having to guess it over a phone or video call. Normally you three would pick a place to go and have a little "friends date" and talk about the stuff that happened for hours. However this time you choose to use the excuse you were busy studying, having too many assignments left behind which neither of them bought it from you.

“So Jay sucks?” Chaewon asked. “I don’t like putting it like that,” you murmured. “But yeah, we just didn’t hit it off, y’know?” You just shrugged.

You three were walking towards the class you shared that morning, not caring much about being a little late. 

“Baby, you’re too nice,” Yunjin hugged you sideways and smiled at you. “You can say a man is stupid.”

“Actually I did,” you smiled mischievously and they both looked at you with shocked expressions. “Not my proudest moment, but I said it to his face. Unintentionally, I swear!”  

Chaewon and Yunjin broke down the shocked expressions to laugh out loud with the idea of you calling your failed date a stupid right to his face.

 “And what’s with the jacket?” Yunjin questioned when you stopped to grab your things from your locker.

She knew every clothing piece you had as if it was hers because of your constant need for help in terms of putting together what you like, and even though the jacket looked good on you, definitely wasn't part of your wardrobe. 

“It’s Jake’s, I’m planning to send it back to him today.” 

They already knew about Jake, but not too much. You shared a little through texts not wanting to fill too much of their expectations. Knowing your two best friends, they would go crazy if you detailed your night out.

They both exchanged glances before Chaewon spoke “If he really exists.”

You rolled your eyes playfully, picking up all you needed from your locker before answering. “He does. And he’s… pretty nice.” You tried your best not to sound too whipped at that time, especially because you were still worrying if he would be loyal to his words or if the whole talk about meeting you again was just a big bluff. 

But apparently one thing about Jake it’s that he can counter you with ease. As if you summoned his presence, the honeyed voice that you didn’t realize until now you missed hearing, said from behind you. 

“Hey, pretty one.” your head snapped to the direction faster than you would like to admit, meeting the beautiful plump lips turned into a little smile. He looked you up and down, checking on you. “I don’t think I’ll need the jacket back. You look better on it anyway.” His eyes were locked at you, and only you. You had to remind yourself to breathe, because, God Jake was so hot. 

That day he opted to wear just a normal white shirt with dark jeans and black shoes. At first he thought about really getting his jacket back, because you didn’t know that but that jacket was his favorite. But as soon as he put his eyes on you and noticed how cute you looked with his clothing piece seeming too big like an oversized one, he gave up.

“H-hi,” you damned yourself for stuttering, being fully aware that your friends looked as astonished as you at that moment, but for different reasons. You started to get the jacket off your body by saying “Of course I have to give it bac–”, he shushed you with his index finger before you could finish and your eyes widened, making you stop all your movements.

“Don’t worry, I meant it when I say you look good on it,” you gulped as you nodded speechless. “Here,” he handed you a little paper and your shaky hands took it, you saw numbers written. “It’s my number, you can text me whenever, yeah?” He licked his lips suddenly feeling nervous.

Apparently being around you was an easy break of his flirtatious self. However, he forced himself on this one and said “I gotta go now, I’m kinda late,” he ruffled your hair gently before leaning close to whispering on your left ear, lips lightly touching your skin “See you around, sugar.”

You immediately choked on your own saliva, your cheeks burning like hell, fully unable to say a word. “And bye to you both as well!” Jake referred to the girls as he started to run down the corridor to his own campus building. 

“Bye!” both Yunjin and Chaewon said in unison. You had to blink twice before realizing what just happened. “Girl!!!” Yunjin screamed and you noticed Chaewon covering her mouth as well. “What the fuck?!?!” 

“I–” you tried saying anything but you couldn’t, not only because of your own brain turning into mush, but because your friends were way too hyped and interrupted you. 

“The way he looked at you?”

“THE PET NAMES!!!”

“‘Pretty one’!? He so down bad, what the actual fuck?”

“And he’s cute as hell!!!”

You were overwhelmed with all of that, walking just because the two girls were forcing you to move forward while keeping squealing about Jake's actions. 

“I know that nose can do wonders,” Yunjin said cheekily as soon as you sat in your class seats and you immediately turned to look at her with a terrified expression.

“Huh Yunjin!!!”, you smacked her shoulder with wide eyes and she just laughed together with Chaewon. 

As your ordinary Monday normally would go, you were now sitting under a tree reading the latest book your teacher assigned for an assignment. You always loved to take a break from the library and to literally touch some grass, using your free time to catch up with all the paperwork you needed.

A shadow approached you, blocking the sunlight and catching your attention. You didn’t expect to see Jake hovering over you. With a raised eyebrow, you asked. “Are you following me?”

“No, I just missed you.” He ironized, taking a seat near you and looking at your book. “You’re such a nerd,” he mimicked your position, so his head was also resting on the tree behind you two but he was facing you. Too close. 

You nervously gulped before saying, “Yeah, cuz I’m the one who likes to show myself off to a girl talking about Theory of relativity and other physical terms”, you sounded too sarcastic and instantly felt bad. “I’m not complaining, by the way,” you whispered looking away, part of you hoping for him not to hear but due to the proximity he obviously heard. And smiled.

Jake was afraid you could hear his heartbeats at that moment. Your side profile enchanted him in ways he could not describe. Your shy little smile got him thinking if it would be too weird to take a picture to have it with him forever.

He looked away, enjoying the silence.

“It’s very calm over here,” he said in a deep low voice, resting his chin on his knee. You took advantage of him not facing you anymore and watched him as he watched other people wander around, almost forgetting to say something back.

“Yeah, I like it here because it’s always calm like this,” he looked back at you when you talked. You forced yourself to keep eye contact for as long as you could, trying your best to ignore your burning cheeks. 

Jake looked away. You noticed he was flustered too. 

“And what about you, Jakey?” The little nickname spilling out your mouth like sugar, he almost melted. “Isn’t your campus like a few blocks from here?”

He chuckled, “Yeah, but I’ve got like an hour to spare before my next class.” You hummed. “So I decided to come over and thought I could maybe bump into you again,” he slyly smiled at you. You laughed at the term he used. 

“But I can go away if you want me to, sweetheart.”

You instantly shook off your head and almost grabbed his arm as if trying to stop him from getting up. “You can stay.”

“Okay.”

And he did. 

There was a brief silence moment before you plucked up the courage to ask. “What’s with the pet names?”

“You don’t like them?”

The worried puppy eyes he gave you almost broke your heart. “It’s not that… It’s just, y'know…”, you shrugged, trying to find the right way to put it. “Do you use them with everyone?”

You needed to know. You noticed Jake shuffling on his seat a bit, as if he was uncomfortable. And well, he wasn't fully comfortable either. There was no good explanation to why he called you all of that, and no, he didn’t use pet names with no other people but you. He dated two other girls before and of course called them cute pet names while being with them, but now you were the only one on his mind since the first encounter and he could not help it.

Jake was a believer of “love at first sight”, however he understood the necessity of getting to know the other person if he wanted to build something with them and never really got carried away with the primary delusional feeling.

With you he was kinda different. He let his flirtatious side shine way more easily than he would normally do. When he noticed how cute the girl who bumped on his chest that day was, he just let it all out. Little did you know that his first instinct of flirting with you was due to his nervousness. 

Now he would be down to a one night stand type of thing if you wanted to, but didn’t sound right to do so. You looked too precious to him. He wanted to be close to you and get to know every single piece of you before anything. He wanted to know your likings, interests and overall personality.

He could let himself fall in love with you.

Immersed in his own thoughts, he didn’t even realize he had become quiet and left you hanging kinda in a compromised position.

“You know what? Forget it,” you shook it off, feeling embarrassed. It wasn't like he owes you any explanation about his life or what he does with it. If he decided to play with your feelings, then you should know your position of not falling for it. “Tell me something very nerdy about your area,” you asked brightly. “I’ve got a few minutes still.”

You noticed how bold you became around Jake. Apparently that's how it worked between you two. 

He would be the one starting the whole thing, making you get too flustered for your own good with the cute names and shameless flirting, until he breaks out the character for a few seconds, enough for you to be the audacious one and make him blush.

At some point you started to get used to Jake’s presence in your everyday life. Both of you would constantly reach for the other during free time just to hang out, and sometimes to grab some food together. Yet you never let him get too close, fearing that you would let yourself get too attached to the feeling. You made it a rule not to fall for him and you’ve been holding on so far, even with Jake making it way too difficult. 

Jake was sweet, caring and not afraid to express his feelings when he needed to. Not only that but he also would remember little details about you, like your favorite coffee order or the fact that you can only listen to the first half of a song because you think the rest sucks – Jake always skips it when playing on his car radio. 

He got along with your friends easily as he’s a well spoken person as well, and even introduced you to his own friends. You met Heeseung and Sunghoon, the last one being a classmate of Jake while Heeseung studied music, both older than you. You found out that Heeseung was the said friend who made Jake wander around your campus causing the whole bumping-into-each-other situation and it became an inside joke among all of you.

Jake made it normal to ask you out from time to time within the excuse that both of you were overwhelmed with the university duties and deserved to see the outside world.

So after today’s classes you walked down the parking lot after receiving a text from him saying he would take you to a place – he refused to tell you where you were going. 

He was already waiting for you, being too attractive as he leaned against his car while looking at something on his phone. Your heart started to pump fast in your chest, making you take a few deep breaths beforehand. 

“Hey,” you greeted when you got closer and he glanced over at you, immediately opening a big smile and embracing you in a hug.

“Hi, gorgeous,” you took your sweet time to feel the warmth of his body and perfume. “Ready to go?” 

You moved back from the hug and watched as he opened the door car for you.

“Mhm, but you got me extra curious, so I’m having high expectations,” you tried to exaggerate in your words in order to get a little hint, but of course Jake was already getting immune to your tricks at this point so he just laughed.

“I’m sure you’ll like it, sweetheart.”

You settled yourself in his car, feeling way too comfortable with the amount of time you already spended there with him as you threw your bag on the backseats and chose the song for the trip. 

Jake dared you to show him your favorite songs every time you two drove together, but you wanted to get to know his music taste as well so you two decided to alternate who chose the songs for that day. And it was your turn.

“Paramore for today, huh?” He pointed out with a small smile.

“Yeah, you don’t like it?” 

“I love it.”

One of the reasons your heart beat fast when around Jake was the freedom to be yourself and just do whatever you wanted to do, without even noticing you caused the same to him with your charming behavior. Every time he stopped at a red light he would look at you bobbing your head and lip syncing to the lyrics excitedly while doing a little dance. 

He tried his best to not show how dearing he was looking at you, but you caught the cute brown eyes facing your side from time to time and the only reaction from both of you was to look away and blush. 

As the conversation flowed, he shared a bit of his day to you, telling about how stressed he has been because of his study partner being a pain in his ass, and the only hint of where you were going he let out was “And because of that, I need to de-stress and that’s why we goin’ where we goin’”. 

You pouted and forced the best puppy eye you could while looking at his direction. He almost broke out. “You’re mean. You don’t make a girl curious like that.”

“Don’t worry, we are almost there.”

You gave up trying to figure out where you were going and hoped for the best. You knew that with Jake nothing could be bad, because his presence alone was enough. 

Jake felt similar to you, not admitting out loud that just the fact that you were with him already reduced a lot of his stress. You may not know that but everyday he was eagerly waiting for the moment you both would meet during the day, and when you couldn't find time to do so, he was thrilled to receive a simple text from you.

Your presence was enough to make him happy.

It didn't take longer than a few songs for you to arrive at the place you instantly recognized as a beach.

“A beach?” You sounded excited, but also a bit confused. You don’t think you have clothes to enter the water and the sun was already starting to set, so you didn’t get much of his idea at first.

Jake parked the car and as usual, he opened the door for you. “Yep. I know it’s kinda late for a swim or anything like that, but it wasn’t planning to do anyways,” he helped you to get out.

Normally he would let your hand go as soon as you felt stable on your feet after leaving the car, but that day he decided to hold your hand as he gently pulled you in the direction he wanted to take you.

You said nothing. How could you? The slender fingers holding yours had broken you down. The air felt thick in your airways as you walked alongside him, heart beating louder and louder while you watched the beautiful view of the sun finding its way down the horizon. The cold breeze hit your face and brought so much peace to your inner self. You could live forever like that.

Jake suddenly stopped walking and since you were a bit behind him, you bumped slightly at his back, hands still together. You looked over his shoulder and gasped. The place you two were now had a better view of the sunsetting and the waves calmly hitting the rocks sounded way too heavenly.

You blinked slowly, reluctantly letting Jake hand go as you walked a bit forward. Behind you, he watched as your hair flew due the breeze.

"It's so pretty..." you uttered under your breath, mesmerized by the look of the orange and pinkish colored sky. You felt like crying. 

He took a few steps and glanced at your serene expression. 

While you enjoyed the view, Jake enjoyed you.

"Yeah, very pretty."

You had no clue of how fast Jake’s heart was beating right now. He was hypnotized by you, a sudden urge to kiss you building up his mind right away. 

“I now understand why you come here to de-stress”, you said after a while, the sound of your sweet voice bringing him back to reality. He had literally lost himself on you at that very moment. 

You lazily smiled, feeling extra calm and glanced at Jake, who was already looking at you with soft eyes.

“Thank you, Jakey,” you hugged him sincerely. “For bringing me here and for being here with me. I needed that.”

Jake sighed, hugging you tightly. At this point there was no way he could hide the thump-thump in his chest, and honestly? He stopped caring if you noticed or not. 

He stopped caring if you noticed he was – not so slowly – falling for you. 

It was a stressful week for you, not only were you on your period but also dealing with a bunch of deadlines. You considered throwing yourself in front of a bus when you realized how left behind you were in your assignments. Your finals getting closer and closer didn’t help either.

For good and long days you almost locked yourself at the library in order to catch up with everything, because even with the help of some friends that shared the classes with you you were barely holding on.

Jake would appear out of nowhere and give you a cup of warm coffee, some muffins and a little kiss on your forehead before heading out and letting you do your thing.

“I just wanna make sure you’re eating well, princess,” he would say every time. And no matter how lovingly his actions would be, you couldn't allow yourself to feel them because of your anxiety of failure.

And yes, ever since you asked about the nicknames and stuff he started to use them more often than your heart could handle, especially after he discovered that you liked them, even if you didn't admit it out loud.

Friday arrived. You wished you could get excited about going out to the little party Jake said Heeseung would be throwing that evening, but you needed a good night of sleep and your whole body was aching due to your period. You just wanted to sink on your bed sheets after taking a hot shower.

One thing that became normal in your life was getting a ride with Jake some days of the week, unfortunately he didn’t have any classes on fridays so you just had to walk your way home. You took your sweet time to feel the cold autumn breeze hit you on the face hoping it would take away all your stress. The buzzling sound of your phone caught your attention as you saw Jake’s text on its display.

Jakey 🐶:  Hey there princess It’s been three days since I last saw you and I’m ngl, I kinda miss your pretty face lol I hope you’re doing well I left you a little smth at your apartment.  At the door, ofc Don’t freak out, I didn’t stole your keys or broke into your house or smth Please, don’t stress yourself too much <3 And dw, I’m not mad you’re not going to the party Have a good rest, pretty girl. AND PLEASE don’t forget to eat!!!!

You almost cried reading all of that and blamed your hormones for being a mess of feelings. 

You: Hi Jakey!!  Kinda miss you too you left something to me? i’m kinda scared I’m dealing with cramps rn so I’m not so fine, but I’ll eventually, dw! And yeah, I’ll make sure to eat and rest well enjoy your night, pretty boy <3

You noticed you felt much braver through texts than in person, but this was the first time you were the one using a nickname so you were shaking a bit.

Jakey 🐶: AJDKSSJDJS SORRy I Yeah, uhm No need to be scared, princess, I’m sure you’ll like it  Cramps? Take on some medicine, please!! Do u want me to come over? Are u home yet?

He sounded so desperate and nervous that genuinely made you laugh out loud. But with a simple text back saying “no, you go enjoy your night out and I’ll enjoy my bed” you finished the conversation as you finally arrived home. 

Near your apartment’s doormat, there was a pretty bouquet of daisies alongside a little box of chocolates. You noticed a little hand note inside the bouquet. 

“I remember you saying you like these flowers and everyday I pass by a flower shop and always think about buying it for you, so today I finally did. There’s chocolate too. Hope you like it.

Have a good rest, princess.

Jake”

You took a deep breath in order to hold back the tears trying to escape. Not falling for Jake was a difficult rule to follow, and you didn’t know if you wanted to keep doing it anymore.

“So what you're telling me is that Jake left his house on a fucking Sunday morning and brought you ice cream because you... were feeling too lazy to go buy it yourself?”

“When you put it like that…” 

Chaewon, Yunjin and you were sitting at one of the furthest tables in the cafeteria that you usually went to when the three of you wanted to gossip or just meet to catch things up. It was a late afternoon on a Tuesday and you barely had time to see them in the last few days, mainly because you had missed a few classes to finish reading other teachers' required books.

“The real question is: why aren’t both of you dating already?” 

Yunjin was flabbergasted by what you were describing about Jake. There’s no way that guy wasn’t in love with you at this point. She didn't understand what was taking you so long to ask him out already, especially because she noticed that Jake was kinda holding himself back.

“Yeah! He follows you like a little puppy and looks at you like you are a goddess or something!” Chaewon added. “I mean, you are a goddess, but to get someone to look at you like that?!”

“Girl, you gotta bag him ASAP!” Yunjin playfully pushed your shoulder, but you weren't feeling that happy about all of it.

You sighed. “But what if I’m just a fun little game to him?”

“What?!” It was funny the way both of them said in unison, but instead of laughing you just continued with a sad voice tone.

“Y’know, he’s been flirting with me since the very beginning. I don’t know. Part of me believes his words and actions, they seem genuine. But the other part is way too afraid of trusting too much,” a single tear ran down your cheek as you frowned. “I don’t want to be hurt again.” You whispered as you looked down. 

“Baby,” Yunjin, who was sitting next to you, hugged you sideways and planted a sweet little kiss on top of your head. “We know you’ve been through a lot of shit because of your stupid ex, but I don’t think Jake’s like that.”

Chaewon, who was in front of you, took your hand in hers as she spoke. “Yeah, and you know, If he tries something or if he dares to break your heart, you’ll always have me to make his life a living hell.”

You smiled through the tears running down all over your face. With a reassuring look, Yunjin asked. 

“Give it a try, yeah?”

Jake knew what he was getting himself into. He would be fine if you put him in the friendship side, but the thought of having you to himself pleased him way too much. The idea of other guys touching you the ways he wanted to, knowing that none of them would treat you right, consumed his mind as much as the vision of your pretty smile. 

The urge of getting physically closer to you was itching him incessantly. 

Ever since he discovered that he was in fact falling in love with you, he became unable to get you out of his head. It was like a kind of mantra that chanted your name every time he saw something that reminded him of you, and almost everything reminded him of you.

He didn't had the courage to ask you out on a proper date so far, because even though the both of you had developed an incredibly nice friendship, he was too afraid that he was seeing beyond reality because of his delusional self, and more than that he was scared as hell of losing you. 

You probably only thought of him as a friend who you could playfully flirt with, he would say to himself. At the same time, the way he sometimes caught you looking at him seemed much more loving than it should.

There seemed to be more love than friendship in that relationship of yours. 

He was also having to deal with the hard job of avoiding kissing you. Recently he found himself getting lost on your lips too often. A dangerous play. Still he kept you as close as he could, hugging you or having at least one of his arms around your shoulder or waist in order to fulfill a bit of his neediness. 

Thinking about you and only you, he sighed, finishing his business at his locker, finally reaching the book he was looking for and placing it in his backpack. 

"Ok, quick question", Jake almost screamed at your sudden appearance when he closed the metal door, widening his eyes and dramatically putting a hand on his chest. You laughed. 

"Firstly, what are you doing here?” He said after catching his breath. “Secondly, why do you like to scare me so much?", he kinda whined and you laughed.

"I just wanted to know if your name is really Jake or if it's a nickname", you smiled innocently. Jake on the other side of the hand didn't buy your "pure" expression, glancing at you with a raised eyebrow.

"Why would you run all the way through here just to ask about my full name, which I’m pretty sure you already know?" He wasn't buying any of that.

"Because I wanna manifest you in my life," you answered like it was obvious and you both began to walk side by side. You were going to be very late to your class but your professor has to understand that sometimes you have more important things to do other than attend classes.

"I thought I was already in your life...?" Jake was trully confused.

"Yeah, but I kinda wanna you in my life more than just what you are right now.”

"What are you talking about, Y/N?" Saying your name was an indicator that either he was serious or very confused, either way you didn't care much so you just carried on with your talking. 

“Go on a date with me.” He stopped walking and so did you. Jake looked at you, blinking without saying a word. "On a date, you know,” you motioned with your hands, losing a bit of the courage you had to build up to do all of that. “We go to someplace, grab some food, wait for the night to fall down and boom, stargazing while we talk about our amazing theories of life or whatever.”

Jake gulped, scratching the back of his neck nervously. Normally he would be the one programming the whole thing and just saying you are both heading to somewhere, but to have you asking like that… If he understood it right, you were asking him to go on a real date.

"Sounds like something we already do." He let out a breathy and nervous laugh, still trying to thoroughly understand what you were saying, looking if there was some kind of joke hidden behind your eyes. 

You looked extra attractive today, as if you dressed yourself up just for this moment. Just for him. He noticed you were wearing his jacket as well.

"It pretty much is, but at the end of this one I want to be able to kiss you,” you said in one go. “On the lips, if it's not clear."

Jake now was more speechless and completely baffled than ever. He was sure he was dreaming. It became normal routine for him to dream of you lately so of course this was all a trick of his own mind trying to compensate for his neediness of you. 

He was so fucking dreaming.

With the lack of response, you thought you fucked up. 

“I-I’m sorry, I–”, you started as you felt your confidence running away from you immediately. “Just forget about what I just said, I should not have said anything to begin with. I’m so sorry, ok?” You noticed your hands trembling. Due to your nervousness, everything you had on the back of your mind just went out. “I don't know what I was thinking when I decided to come here and try to take our relationship to a next level or something. But it's been so hard to be around you without wanting you even closer,” you whined. “And I finally got the courage to ask you out on a proper date, but you clearly don't see us like that so forget about it. I’m sor–”

No one. Not a single soul could prepare you to be silenced by Jake’s lips on yours. His hand automatically grabbed your waist as yours went to rest on his chest.

Kissing in the middle of the university hallway wasn’t the ideal way of tasting each other's for the first time so Jake decided to not take too long on holding the contact, breaking it to say “I’m sorry, I needed you to shut up.” His lips brushed on yours as he spoke. You blinked twice and breathed heavily, feeling the touch of his warm hand on your skin as he cupped one of your cheeks. You looked for his brown honeyed orbs, catching them exchanging glances between your lips and your eyes. 

 “We can go out on a date,” he brushed his thumb softly on your bottom lip. “The one where we go to some place, grab some food, do whatever you want and I can properly kiss you.”

Jake was fighting demons not to kiss you again. He was absolutely certain he would go crazy, just a little taste of you and he already felt like he was starving, his body totally dependent and reactive because of you. 

“Okay,” your voice was barely a whisper and you had to use all your strength to stop yourself from leaning in to feel his touch again. Instead, you reluctantly pulled away, immediately missing all of his touches; you felt your skin tingle in every place he had touched you. Still his hand rested on your waist, unable to let you go. “I gotta go,” you noticed how his eyes wandered all over your face, like he was taking a picture with it in order to save it from the rest of the day.

You smiled, hesitantly sliding your hands away from his chest. 

“Alright, sweetheart,” before you could let him go, he grabbed one of your hands and planted a gentle kiss at the back of it. “I’ll text you later then?”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

You had to hold a scream when you heard your doorbell ringing. Chaewon and Yunjin who were in a shared video call squealed for you.

They looked more excited than yourself and you really appreciated the effort they took to help you out even with their busy schedule for the day, deciding to call you not only because they knew you would be nervous as fuck but also because Yunjin was willing to help you with your outfit choice.

You ended up wearing something cute, but cozy and warm: a matching pair of a top and long loose skirt, patterned with a black background and some stars and moons, a black boot and as a final touch: Jake’s big jacket. You also did a little hairstyle with two small braids at the front and the rest of your hair loose. 

Yunjin noticed how confident you were in choosing the clothing and even doing your hair, showing that you didn’t need much of her help – which normally she would dramatically react to, but today she just felt proud and happy for you.

Jake made you comfortable enough to be yourself whenever you were with him.

And you were going on a date with him.

A fucking proper date.

You said a quick ‘goodbye’ to your girls who replied with a very high pitched ‘good luck!’ and then hung up, walking towards the door and needing to take a few deep breaths before opening it.

As you did, you greeted a very smiley – and hot – Jake.

He was glowing. 

Not only was his face glowing but he seemed overall confident. He was wearing a reddish flannel jacket that covered an oversized black shirt together with his everyday silver necklace, jeans and black boots. A perfect combo, especially to you who loved to see a man in red – you once told him about this preference of yours and was questioning if he did it on purpose.

The silky brown strands fell perfectly in place again when Jake ran his hand through it and licked his lips after shamelessly checking you out.

“Hi b– Oh my god, you look stunning.”

Early the day through your texts you decided to go simple but special on the planning due lack of time. The whole idea was kinda in a hurry, but after getting to taste a little of how it is to kiss Jake, you needed the action of kissing him to become an everyday routine as soon as possible, so the initial plan – the date will be happening on a chill day for both of you, mostly likely Friday – was replaced by a very eagerly “Ok, I’m taking you to a place” said by you.

“And you look hot,” the wording flew out your mouth faster than you expected and instantly your eyes went wide.

Jake smirked as he leaned into the door frame. “Appreciate it, baby.”

Baby.

You were so fucked up. There’s no way your heart could handle this the whole night. 

Jake noticed the way you just blinked at him without saying a word and he just knew you were absorbing the whole situation before becoming confident over him. It was the way you worked and he loved that. 

So he decided to take his sweet time and take a bit of advantage over your flustered self as he walked closer to you. “I brought what you asked,” he sounded a bit too sexy saying such simple words and little did you know that he deepened his voice a bit just for fun.

Due to the closeness, Jake scented your perfume and swore he was getting drunk, too intoxicated by your sweet smell.

You looked at the bag he lifted and nodded, fully in a trance. You forced yourself to snap out of it as you reminded yourself you have a fucking date and finally spoke “Oh, right. I’ll go pick up what I’ve prepared for us!” You walked towards the kitchen. “Do you want anything? Water maybe?”

“Just you.”

You choked on your own saliva as your cheeks started to burn. You foolishly thought that at least Jake wasn’t aware of your reaction, but as soon as you got back from the kitchen after picking up the picnic basket with the sandwiches you made, you realized he was very much aware and messing with you with the flirting as usual. You could see in his eyes a strange mix of false innocence and mischievousness. And of course, in that little game of yours you would always win.

“Well, you already have me,” you winked at him as you pulled yourself together and now was time for Jake to lose his composure, blushing. “Let's go?”

“Y-yeah.”

You gave him an address and he drove you both to the place, fully trusting you. You wanted to surprise Jake since he was usually the one who surprised you, but you hadn't gotten your driver's license yet so you needed him to do the driving in order to achieve your goal. That's why you decided to give him an address a little further away from your final destination, so both of you could walk there without him suspecting anything.

Jake was feeling like a happy puppy, very excited about what was going to happen tonight.

He was curious about your plans, especially after you asked for a picnic blanket and some beverages – “a night picnic?” he asked as you two texted. He remembers you just replying with “lol don’t fool yourself”.

He didn’t know what to expect about the place really, and not only that, he couldn’t stand the urge to kiss you properly. God, he was so in need of you it hurted. Having you next to him, your scent all over him, your sweet and lively presence, and not being able to touch you was driving him insane.

“I don’t wanna you to get high on expectations, Jakey,” you said softly after a while with a concerned voice. Jake had stopped at a red light and the silence wasn’t awkward, but it was undeniable that you were worried about the outcome of that night. 

What if Jake doesn’t like what you’ve prepared? What if he thinks you’re too dumb and leaves you? What if he doesn’t really wanna be with you? 

“I’ll like whatever you’ve planned, sweetheart,” just like Jake was reading how anxious was your mind, he uttered. “You are my company for tonight. That’s all I need,” he reassured you, holding your hand and resting it on your thigh. 

You glanced over at him to see his lips turned into such a gorgeous smile you almost cried. Jake was perfect.

“Okay,” you brought his hand to your lips and planted a small kiss. You tried to let it go after, but he refused.

Jake drove the rest of the way holding you, only letting it go when needed, but catching it again as soon as he could.

The warmth and softness of his touch took all the worry out of your head in a minute, and just like you arrived. Jake parked where you told him to do so and opened the car door and helped you to get out as usual. This time though he intertwined your fingers as he let you guide him through the way. 

“Don’t we need to bring the things?” 

“Nah, we have something to do before,” you tried to sound enigmatic, forcing an expression which made Jake laugh, totally endeared by you.

“Ooh, so mysterious.”

You both walked for a bit rambling about the surroundings. It was kinda in the middle of nowhere, with nothing much around and plenty of open space. Jake noticed there was a big building and before he could say a thing, you began to explain.

“So I know we both like astronomical stuff, right?” He nodded, looking at you. So pretty. “May I say you especially in a very nerdy way,” you softly pushed his shoulder with yours and he playfully rolled his shining eyes while failing to hold back a smile, full of adoration for you. “I thought about this when I realized I wanted to be more than just friends with you,” you stopped walking to completely face him, holding both of his hands. “Behind you at this exact moment there’s a stellar observatory,” you stopped him from turning around wanting to finish your speech first. “Apparently fate had worked through this, since today they don’t normally open to everyone. Only for reservations or something like that.”

You finally let Jake turn around and take a proper look at the place. You watched as his eyes began to shine even brighter, it looked like he was about to cry. You also noticed how his hand tightened around yours, as if he was nonverbally thanking you.

Jake was genuinely flabbergasted. How the fuck did he managed to find someone that amazing? 

“I’m not gonna ask how you managed to get a reservation here,” he joked.

You raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean by that?” He just laughed it off. “Well, I kinda didn’t,” you suddenly felt small, even tried to restrain your hand from his but he refused to let you go.

You ran away from his intense gazing, not wanting to see the disappointment on it as you kept talking “We’re not going into the observatory. We’re gonna use the telescopes they have open for use down here,” you explained. “Since today it’s a reservation only or whatever day, we get to use it freely. It’s definitely not the same thing, but I’m sure it can be cool.” you forced a smile still afraid to look at Jake’s direction. “I tried to book it for us I swear I did, but it was too expensive,” you uttered apologetically and again you were rambling due to your nervousness.

Jake not saying a thing helped nothing either. Little did you know he was as speechless as amazed with your witty self for figuring out a way of making that night special in such a short amount of time. He knew how hard it is to come up with ideas like that and to make it work. And you did it. Flawlessly. 

He was so falling in love with you.

“...I’m so sorry if I raised your expectations too high. I wanted to do something nice since you’re always doing nice things to me, you deserve bett–” 

Jake once more interrupted your nonsense speech by pressing his lips on yours and you instantly melted in his arms, your hands moving up to find comfort on his shoulders as his own went down your back until they rested on your waist, squeezing lightly. 

You moved your head to the side wishing to deepen the kiss, the whole fantasy of waiting for the special moment to finally kiss him was already blown apart as both of your bodies searched for the other’s. 

Your heart was beating fast and all your senses were heightened and sensitive, as if Jake had awakened a new sensation in you. A genuine sense of desperation for closeness. You needed more. Like reading your mind, Jake’s tongue touched your bottom lip at the same time your fingers scratched the back of his head, getting lost through his soft strands as you pulled him closer.

Jake touched you with care, he was kissing you so tenderly yet you could still feel his hunger for you. You weren’t different either. One of his hands came up to hold your face to help with the movement of your heads. You quickly found a pace, like two puzzle pieces being a perfect fit.

Neither of you wanted to part away, feeling too addicted to the contact. So whenever one broke down to breathe the other would reach over and start again, until your lips were a little bit sore. You pulled away unwilling, leaving little pecks on his plump lips as he did the same on yours.

Jake was unable to hold back his smile and didn’t even tried to, too happy about finally kissing you. “We have a little problem, baby,” he whispered as his dazzling eyes wandered all over your features. You looked even more stunning under the moonlight. “What?” You quietly asked back. “I don’t think I can or want to stop kissing you.”

You giggled, feeling shy under his intense but gentle gaze. He was adoring you and you could feel every piece of it.

“You don’t have to stop.”

And just like that you kissed again. And again. And again. 

You felt like a drug to Jake, so addictive, so intense, so you. He had the impression that all his problems would be solved instantly if you just kissed him. He decided that from now on at the end of a stressful day, he would search for your touch and your touch only.

“But I kinda want you to stop for a bit, so we can go see the stars,” Jake chuckled when you broke the kiss to say. 

“You love stars, don’t you, pretty girl?” He gave you a final cute little smooch while hugging you tightly. 

“Yeah.”

And even though you had observed dozens of stars that night, none of them shone brighter than your eyes together. 

You were dating. 

Actually there was no big difference from what you and Jake acted before, other than the fact that everyday that he went to pick you up to the university, you got to kiss him, which made you two develop the routine of waking a bit early just to get enough moments together. 

Also you started to feel comfortable to call him cute names, your favorite being pretty boy, very effectively when you wanted to fluster Jake and see him giggling.

The dynamic was similar, but way better.

When you told your friends about the night, they literally screamed. Of course you kept as a secret how romantic it was to lay down under the moon and starlight with Jake as you cuddled and shared kisses. But everything about Jake sounded dreamy. 

He was so cute and you were not so slowly falling in love. He would leave you at your classes everyday and kiss you good luck. Due to his recent research project his time was getting tighter, nevertheless he would squeeze his whole schedule just to see you for a minute or two. And of course, to steal a kiss from you. 

Most of your lunch time was with him, either when you had time to grab some food and eat in peace or when some of you two were in a hurry. On days like that, you normally would find him in the library, leaving him some snacks, water and a sweet kiss. He would do something similar to you. 

Gradually your relationship was growing stronger, however you still hadn’t done anything on the bed yet other than kiss and sleep together. You weren’t complaining! You loved to kiss Jake and to feel his warm body embracing yours.

He was very respectful towards you and you really appreciated that. He would initiate the kisses sessions most of the time, but rarely deepen it waiting for you to do it. His hands would never go further down your hips, even when you tried to force him to do it by putting it on your ass he relocated them back up.

But you were a woman after all. A woman with desires and needs. Strong desires and needs.

Even though you had a long-term relationship, it was only after the breakup that you discovered that your ex didn't give you any pleasure – or gave you anything at all. Your previous relationship was a mess, to be honest. Talking to people and listening to their experiences made you realize how shitty you were being treated back then – in every aspect!

You knew how to please yourself and most of the time was enough. However, it’s been a while since you last had sex and you could live without it normally, but there was Jake, all over you.

His smell, his pretty face, his touches, his lips, his fucking nose and his slender fingers… The way his veiny hands would hold the steering wheel drove you insane. You needed him.

It was a cold Saturday and you were watching him play your video game. Yeah, apparently Jake liked your video game more than you – this was you being dramatic every single time he stopped to pay all of his attention to you and decided to play something, but as soon as he starts to celebrate for defeating a boss, you just smile and forget about the drama.

Today was a bit different though. Normally you would pay attention to either the screen or to his pretty face and reactions, loving how expressive he was, always thinking Jake was a sculpture or something. But on this very specific day you paid more attention to his hand movements. 

The way his grip was strong on the controller and how his fingers moved on it was making you mad. He was biting his lip more than usual as well in order to concentrate and, God, you could feel your panties get wet just by watching him like that. 

Part of you felt like a perverted. 

At some point he groaned. Apparently something bad happened to him on the game, but you didn’t gave a fuck. The sound he left woken a strong feeling inside you.

“Why is this so difficult?” Jake asked frustrated, throwing the controller away on the couch in defeat and looking at you.

He wasn't expecting to meet your intense gaze on him, eyes darkened as your tongue traveled through your lips to wet it. 

His confused puppy eyes and parted lips were your last straw. 

You straddled over his lap, hungrily kissing him. You almost instantly sucked his bottom lip, looking for a more intense contact. You could feel he was a bit confused, hesitantly resting his big hands on your hips, not knowing what to do.

When you bite his lip you heard a whimper and that alone made you grunt against Jake’s mouth in response, pulling him even closer. You pulled a few strands of his hair and again he let out a sound for you, feeling him getting hard beneath your body.

Before you could continue doing your job, he said in an urge, his breath heavy. “I gotta go.”

You shook off your head whispering “No,” and pulled him again to keep making out with him, lewd kissing sounds filling the room, a total mess happening in your living room.

The feeling of his hardened bulge hitting directly on your covered wet cunt was making you rub yourself against it, hoping to get more friction. At this exact moment Jake forced you to move away from him, gripping your hips to stop your movements. 

“I really gotta go, I have some uni stuff to do,” he was breathless. You noticed how his eyes were different from ever, face red and skin hot. You blinked a few times as you just watched him put you back on the couch and stand up, trying to cover his obvious boner with his oversized jacket. He gave you a little kiss on the cheek and said goodbye to you before rushing out of your apartment. 

You had to satisfy yourself alone that night. And after that, you cried.

You started to question yourself. 

Yeah, Jake looked at you like you were the only one in his life. But was it enough? Does he find you attractive? Or better: does he find you desirable? Sexy? Hot? Sensual?

Since that day Jake started to run away from your more passionate touches like he was running from death. 

At first you thought he could be a virgin, and no problem with that. You would let him feel comfortable enough with you to try to do something more, however you knew he had other relationships and weren’t inexperienced either. 

Actually you even went to Sunghoon and Heeseung to ask them about it, to which they answered that Jake may be “boyfriend material” and only have intimate moments with people he somehow trusts, but he definitely wasn't inexperienced in that field.

So doubting yourself was your only option. You could also ask directly why he never did more than just kisses with you, but that option needed more courage from you than you had. 

“What’s with the frown, baby?” Yunjin asked you one day as you both decided to lunch together. You were giving excuses to Jake during the whole day in order not to talk to him, saying you were too busy and that maybe today you wouldn’t be able to meet him.

You sighed, playing with the food on your plate. “I don’t think Jake likes me.”

“What? There’s no way. He almost licks the floor you walk on. What did he do?” She was ready to throw hands.

“The real problem it’s the opposite. He don’t do it.”

“Do what, baby?”

“We’ve been dating for weeks and we haven't had sex yet. I’m almost crawling on my bedroom walls.”

“Wow,” Yunjin was shocked, eyes widened. For the way you two acted together, she thought that every single room of your house was blessed already. “Well, have you asked him why? Because that’s pretty much a ‘he’ problem as it seems.”

“I’m afraid,” you stated sincerely. 

“Of what, baby?”

“Of him saying something I don’t wanna hear. I don’t wanna lose him, Jinnie,” you uttered with sorrow. 

“Y/N, my pretty baby, remember we are talking about Jake. The man who woke up in the middle of the night and went to your house to kill a cockroach because you called him. The man who has a photo of you in his wallet. The man who had literally skipped classes just to spend some time with you because apparently he can’t live without you,” you started sobbing. “He likes you very much, Y/N. And he has shown to be someone who listens to you with adoration. Anything you say or ask him he would do his best to listen and talk about it, you yourself said that to me once when we were ranking green flags, remember?” You nodded. 

It was the truth. He was Jake. The man who demonstrates so much affection in every action. 

“I’ll talk to him. Thank you, Jinnie.”

“You don’t need to thank me, sweetie.” She kissed the top of your head. “You know I’m always here for you and just want you to be happy. You deserve it.”

You decided to talk to Jake on the next day. You weren't planning to “arrange a sex meeting with him” or anything similar, but to talk about it. So you invited him over that day, knowing he would be completely free because it was a Friday. You did a test early that day and were free as well.

Since he was going to your apartment quite often you gave him a key to make things easier for both of you, so when you heard the front door opening as you drank some water your heart started to beat fast in advance.

His scent followed all the way through your house directly to you. You felt his arms hugging you from behind and for a few seconds you let yourself get lost in his warmth. “Hey, gorgeous. How are you?” He whispered close to your ear, kissing your neck. You turned around to face him. “You look sad. What happened? Are you ok?” He flooded you with questions as his eyes worriedly wandered over your face. You just pecked him quickly before taking his hand on yours and leading him to the couch. 

Jake felt his heart sinking.

He maybe was going crazy, but he felt that you had purposely ignored him the day before, constantly finding a rather lame excuse for every solution he gave. He preferred to believe that you were not having a good day and respected your decision. But when you invited him over, it became undeniable how anxious he was feeling.

And the way you welcomed him at that moment made him even more worried, especially when you said the cursed phrase.

“I wanna talk to you about something.”

He swallowed, trying to keep it cool by saying gently “What is it, sugar?” as he reached for your hands to mildly squeeze it in reassurance. 

Even though Jake was quite tense, he would always prioritize you and the fact that you had some difficulty verbalizing what normally was bothering you, so he knew it was consuming you just as much.

“I– Actually I don’t even know how to say it,” you started shyly with a low voice, avoiding Jake’s gaze. “But I’m…”

“Y’know you can say anything to me, right?” Jake tried to encourage you as he gently pulled you closer and just like that you moved to sit on his lap, each of your knees on either side of his legs as you trapped him underneath you.

Without saying a thing, you hugged him to hide your face on his neck. Jake wasn’t fully aware of what was happening, but he wanted to give you some comfort so his hands caressed your back slowly.

After a while you muffled his skin with your breath while asking “Do you think I’m unattractive?”

Oh?

Jake had a delayed reaction to your question. “Baby, what?”

You drew apart from him enough to see his confused expression before looking away. “I don’t know if you aren’t sexually attracted to me or what, but you can always tell me y’know. I’m sure we can figure something out,” your voice was almost a whisper due your worried self about confrontations. 

“Baby, I’m so confused right now. What are you talking about?”

“I– I’d prefer you saying to my face you don’t wanna have sex with me instead of pulling me away from you every time we go further with our kisses,” as you finished saying, you felt your cheeks burning. 

Jake frowned, completely baffled.

Little did you know that Jake lost track of how many times he woke up with a painful boner after dreaming of you. Or how fast he would run away from you after a makeout session with you because of his body response to it.

He would first try to cool down with a shower, but everytime he ended up jerking himself off to get some relief, you being the only one in his mind, always moaning your name when cumming.

But, God, every single time he felt nasty, disgusted with himself. You deserved better. You're like a divinity to him, a beautiful and sweet woman, you needed to be handled with care and love and he was so afraid of hurting you.

The day you told him about your ex and how badly he treated you, especially in the sexual field  by not caring about anything but his own pleasure, Jake got mad. Really mad. 

How could one in their right mind leave you hanging, when your expressions of pleasure alone were enough to drive any man crazy? He could treat you way better. 

Sometimes Jake would get carried away while kissing you, going down to your neck to trail his lips over there biting and sucking slightly. And when he backed a bit to look at your face, he always met you with closed eyes nibbling your bottom lip, a ridiculously lustful view. 

Too hard to handle.

He had to almost physically hold himself back every time. He was afraid of scaring you with how much he needed you, with how much he wanted to get lost between your legs, making you scream nothing but his name, with how much he was willing to make you feel good.

And now he got to know that his actions were the ones making you doubt yourself, making you doubt his feelings and needs for you… He was feeling so dumb.

“I– I’m sorry, Y/N.” 

You froze. No nicknames, just your regular name.

“I never wanted to make you feel like this. I’m really sorry.”

You gulped the guilty feeling down your throat. “It’s okay, Jakey, I get it,” you smiled awkwardly, not knowing what to do next. That meant that Jake didn't want you in that way, right?

You were about to start rambling as usual and before you did so, Jake shut you up with his mouth on yours. You startled before reacting, moving your tongue with his and dipping your fingers into his silky strands, both of your bodies starting to get hotter.

Jake squeezed your ass while pulling you closer. “I want you, Y/N,” he was serious when you drew apart to catch your breath. “I want you so bad, my darling,” he was so desperate, your panties dampening just by how his voice sounded.

“Yeah?” You smirked, breathing heavy. “How bad, Jakey?” You noticed his eyes darkening. “Show me.” 

Getting back to work with his mouth in yours, kissing you very messily, Jake impulsed to stand up with you in his arms. You surrounded your legs around him to keep yourself steady as he stumbled a little on the way to your room. You giggled against his lips when he dropped you softly on the mattress and hovered over you, not breaking the kiss for a second.

Jake’s mouth tasted so sweet and hot on yours, you couldn't help but scratch his back and neck with your fingernails thinking how good he would be doing all that job down your cunt. His dick was getting harder and you could feel it, your mouth watering at the thought of sucking him off. You wanted so bad.

He parted away from your lips just to trail his own plump ones to your neck and collarbone, kissing, sucking and nibbling all the area before finally whispering against your skin, sending chills throughout your body.

“I really wanna eat you out,” Jake sounded determined. “I wanna taste you before anything, sweetheart,” your only reaction was a sigh mixed with a “please” that you were unsure if he heard.

But Jake was catching all of your sounds, from the quietest little whimpers to the slightly more intense ones, like the one you released when he removed your shirt and bra to work on your tits, his mouth sucking your left one while his hand cupped the other before he switched to do the opposite.

Before he continued to get down on you, you quietly asked him to remove his shirt and as he did, he revealed to you part of his perfect body. By the superficial touches over his clothes and of course the preview bumps, you knew he had a toned chest, but to see it all on display to you… You literally moaned at the view.

You promised yourself that later on you would give every bit of that skin the attention it deserved.

You watched him smile shyly before kissing your inner thigh, without breaking eye contact. Jake was absolutely certain he would cum in his pants at any given moment. The mix of your little sounds with the way you were looking at him like you were about to eat him alive triggered a strangely pleasant feeling. 

“Can I remove these?” He asked between kisses on your skin, pointing to your shorts. You nodded. “And these?” He pointed now to your panties and you nodded again, head resting on your pillow. “Yes, please. I want you.”

Jake noticed how wet you were through your last clothing piece and he literally had to hold himself back to not just dive right into you. He was getting dizzy by your smell, eyes hooded as he removed the only thing that stopped him from touching you like you deserved.

Jake salivated admiring your pussy, breathing heavily as he swallowed nothing.

At this point you were on the verge of crying due to your desperation and his unnecessary slowness, so you spread your legs even more and pleaded. “Please Jakey, I really want you,” you whined, grabbing his hair with your hand and forcing it down your cunt. “I don’t want you to hold yourself on me, pretty boy.”

And as if you casted a spell, Jake looked at you one more time before burying his face in you.

You gasped. 

He felt you dripping on his mouth and grunted, collecting some arousal with his tongue to spread all over your area before flicking it on your clit, sometimes sucking just the right amount and sometimes doing big licks. His tongue worked so damn well, you just rolled your hips in order to get more. You were so sensitive and so needy. His grip on each side of your body got stronger as he pulled you closer.

You moaned Jake’s name when he decided to use one of his fingers together with his mouth, pressing it on your entrance with care, just to familiarize you with the sensation before adding one more. After all, he just wanted you to feel good and not to be hurt. 

You kept rubbing yourself on his face and now grinding on the two fingers inside you. Jake was doing such an amazing job on you, curling his fingers the moment he needed to like he knew you from inside out, using the tip of his nose to rub your clit as his tongue and mouth worked in the rest.

“You’re doing such a good job, pretty boy,” you praised between moans and heard Jake groaning between your legs and intensifying his movements, eating you out as his life depended on it. 

“I wanna you to cum all over my face, princess,” he said, muffled. His skilful fingers moved at a steady pace. “I need that, give it to me, babe, please.”

Your orgasm was already building up inside your core. You felt the familiar sensation growing bigger and bigger until you let it out the loudest moan of the night as your back arched. Jake’s words and all the combo of his warm mouth and fingers inside you were enough to make you achieve your climax, trembling beneath his touches, grabbing his hair tightly.

Jake drank you like it was his favorite drink, licking every single drop of you with pleasure, his dick now painfully compressed in his boxers. He could get himself off just by eating you out.

He drove you through your high, movements slowing as he felt your grasp on his hair softening and your body less shaky. He kissed your pussy a few times and then crawled over you to kiss you on the lips. You watched your juices decorating his chin, nose and a bit on his cheeks before you felt your own taste in your mouth. 

Jake's hard, covered bulge rubbed against your bare cunt and you whined, breaking the kiss to down your hands all the way to his cock and to utter “Babe, you’re so hard.” Jake whimpered against your mouth and you flipped over to be on top of him. “Let me help you with that.”

And as you promised yourself, you trailed kisses all the way down his chest, putting your mouth and tongue to work through his soft skin, making him squirm a bit underneath you. 

You stopped once you got to the waistband of his pants, taking it off with Jake’s help and removing his boxers as well. You sighed, mouth salivating at the view of his veiny dick right in front of you.

However, you needed to feel him inside you, so you let your other desires for later, starting to move in a way you could sit on him.

“I wanna ride you,” you announced as if it was your only goal in life. “Like, really bad.” 

“Fuck, babe,” Jake groaned, watching you positioned yourself comfortably on top of him, quickly moving his hands to hold your hips. “Go on. Use me,” he threw his head back to just enjoy the sensation of finally feeling your walls around him, before realizing something was off. “But wait– Sugar,” he said with widened eyes, sitting up to hold you before you did anything. “You’re going in raw?” Jake questioned in disbelief. 

You blinked at him, confused. “You’re clean, right?”

“Yeah, but–”

“So am I. And on birth control, don’t worry.” 

Since you were still wet due your orgasm and because Jake’s little sounds aroused you enough, you pushed him back to bed, giving him a little peck before holding his dick and placing it on your sensitive area.

Jake knew he wasn't getting out of there alive. There was no way. How would he survive you? God, you were insane. And the way you slowly slid down on his length, using its precum to lubricate, sent him out of orbit in an instant.

He did nothing but open his mouth and moan, eyes rolling back to his head with the amazing feeling of your pussy coating him so tight and warm. He could feel you everywhere. He almost cummed just because of that alone, having to close his eyes tightly in order to concentrate enough to not let it happen.

“Oh, fuck,” Jake bit his bottom lip the moment you moved a bit, adjusting yourself. “You feel so fucking good already, fuck.”

You watched every reaction of his, enjoying it as a show. The frowned face in pure pleasure, the red wet lips, face all flustered and glowing, not to mention the dim light of your room working to make the view even more gorgeous and pleasant. 

Jake felt you staring and how you stayed still for a while, finding support on his chest with your hands. He opened his eyes to glance at you. You gave him a little smile and he reciprocated, caressing the skin of your body under his touch as he waited for you to feel comfortable enough to move by yourself. Jake watched as you started to move back and forth slowly on his cock, your eyes closing with how good he was filling you up. 

Although Jake's hands rested on your hips, he didn't force a single movement, letting you find your pace. He admired you for a moment, “you look so, so pretty right now, baby,” he praised sincerely, watching the way your expressions changed to pure pleasure as you moved faster.

You leaned forward to find his mouth with yours, kissing him, missing those pretty lips of his on yours. Your moans got lost between your mouths as you continued to move faster until you found the pace of your liking, Jake now helping you to keep it going. 

Lewd sounds of your bodies shocking against each other filled the room, mixed with whimpers as well as the wet kissing sounds.

Jake reached down with one of his hands to rub your clit, and by the way his cock twitched inside of you, you deduced that he was close to cum and didn't want to do it alone.

You drew apart from the kiss to rest your head on the curve of his neck, sucking the skin as well as whimpering against it. The position leaded Jake to have his mouth directly on your ear, and with all the stimulus happening at the same time, his dick hitting your g-spot, his finger rubbing your sensitive nerve and his voice moaning your name in your ear, you started to clench furiously on Jake’s length.

“Wait–”, you barely heard him saying, too lost in your pleasure already. “Where do I c–”

“Inside,” you answered quickly before he tried to pull off.

“Fuck.” Jake’s head was spinning, he was seeing stars. “Be my girlfriend,” he let it out in one breath.

“What?” You asked back under your breath, questioning if you were hearing things due pleasure.

“Let me be your boyfriend,” he said panting. “Officially. Be my girl, please. Be mine,” he begged with a groan, cumming inside of you. 

You openly moaned his name, rolling your eyes back as your orgasm also hit you. You thought that alone could answer his question, keeping on the movement to ride you two through your highs, his strong hands gripping you tightly and your whole body shaking.

You stood over Jake's body for a while after you stopped your movements, catching your breath and feeling his liquid leaking from inside of you. 

He helped you to lay back on the bed, both still panting, both so happy about what just happened. You forced yourself to stand up just enough to kiss him before you said, looking deep into his eyes. 

“I’m already yours, pretty boy.”

That weekend was intense. Still, you just couldn't get enough of Jake. And he wasn't too different. 

Now your routine had changed a little more. He was still the sweet and kind Jake, worrying about you, asking about your day, listening to you rambling about random things, and always bringing you food on your busiest days. But it seemed like you had awakened a monster inside him.

Of course you didn't complain, especially because the one who was getting the benefits was you, who wasn't that different either, never getting enough of him.

Whenever Jake was stressed, he would usually take you somewhere to watch the sunset or to stargazing while talking about life and theories and obviously, kissing you.

Now he started eating you out. Almost every time. And sometimes he would mix these two, taking you somewhere beautiful and eating you out inside his car.

Jake had eaten you out in every room of your apartment, saying that him eating you out got him off more anything else, and you actually witnessed him cum untouched a few times, looking so fucking hot while doing it.

Nevertheless you still couldn't had the chance to give him a proper head. Jake would be saying you didn't have to do it, like you felt obligated. Little did he know that you wanted to feel his dick filling up your mouth and his cum going directly down your throat. Oh, you wanted so badly.

At this exact moment, you were sitting on your kitchen counter with your legs spreaded being supported on Jake’s shoulders as was getting lost between them, diving in your juices, making you cum with his tongue deep inside you. You reached for his hair with your hands, grabbing to bring him up and kiss him fervorous. 

“Take me to the bedroom,” you demanded with an urge. 

And how would Jake deny such a sweet request?

The moment you got into your bedroom, you tossed him on the bed. You were hungry for him, and him only. 

You saw his already hardened cock marking his sweatpants and without giving Jake time to complain, you removed all his clothing pieces – he was already shirtless – and had him naked underneath you. 

As usual, he thought you would ride him. Out of all the positions you’ve tried so far, this was a favorite of his – to look at you while you use him for your own pleasure felt too insanely good, so he got excited in advance. But you decided to surprise him this time, contradicting his expectations as you bend over to be at the same height of his pulsing cock, head pretty close to it.

He panicked.

“What are you doing, sweetheart?” He asked and tried to sit, but as soon as he did you pushed him back to the bed. 

“Imma suck you off,” you said like it was obvious. You wrapped your hand around his length and started to pump it.

“Y–you don’t have to, princess,” he stuttered, feeling hot under your soft touches. “Let me fuck you, mhm? You deserve to feel good.” He tried to sit again and you pushed him back one more time.

“Sucking you off will make me feel good too, Jakey,” you blew a bit of air on his shaft, he shivered. “Don’t you get that?” Your hands worked slowly on his dick, moving up and down, smearing the precum out of his slit with your thumb. He bit his lip to hold back a whimper. “Or do you think you're the only one who gets horny by giving pleasure to others?”

You ran your tongue all over his shaft, closing your eyes as you felt the salty precum taste spreading through your mouth, playing a bit with his tip.

Jake kept hiding his sounds from you.

His hands were squeezing the duvet under his body to the point his knuckles started to get white when you gave a little more attention to his head, realizing that this was his sensitive area. You took advantage of that.

Without a warning, you put his whole cock in your mouth in one go, feeling it hitting on your throat.

“Mhm,” he tried to contain his grunt, hips thrusting forward slightly and his left hand smacking the bed one time before grabbing the sheets again.

You held your position for a few seconds, making sure to breathe through your nose, before moving back and forth twice. Jake squirmed under you, still quiet.

“Why are you hiding from me, pretty boy?” You asked with a low voice when you backed off to breathe, hands replacing your mouth as you did so. Jake finally let it out a little whimper and you smiled. “I wanna hear you, baby.”

“I’m sorry,” he said apologetically, once more biting his lip in order to contain himself. 

The reason behind his choice of behavior under your touches was literally due his fear of scaring you off. He would be a total mess if he let it all go as he really felt. Your hot mouth around his dick sent him to hell and heaven all at once, you didn’t had to do much for him to start seeing foggy and being a whimper mess.

Jake felt your lips coating him again and groaned, back slightly arching.

“So gorgeous, Jakey,” you backed off only to encourage with a smile, jerking him off before going back to suck him. He couldn’t hold back his loud moan, eyes rolling when you sucked his sensitive tip. You quivered. You wanted more of him. “Keep on making these pretty noises for me, yeah?”

Although he was afraid of scaring you off, one thing he loved to do was to obey you, to fulfill all of your requests. Whatever you told him to do, he would do it. So when you told him to be vocal, he started to be vocal. 

Your mouth swallowed all his throbbing cock, his tip going deep in your throat, precum going down on it. Jake threw his head back, open mouthed, spilling all the little noises you loved. “Fuck, mhm, that’s it, babe,” he breathed out between groans and put one of his hands on your head without forcing you down or anything, just resting there.

The way your throat was pressing his sensitive tip as you swallowed around it, God, he was getting stupidly close. Jake dared to look down at you, meeting your strong gaze as you devoured him like a last piece of meal. “Fuck, you’re doing so good,” he gasped, rolling his eyes. Jake felt a familiar burning wave all the way through his body. “Fuck, I’mgonnacum”. 

You kept your movements steady, lightly scratching his thighs before you felt Jake’s body start to shake, his moans intensify and his cum hitting down your throat. You swallowed every drop of it before letting his dick with a pop and using your thumb to clean up the corners of your lips as you crawled back to kiss him passionately. 

At this point you were already horny again, so as you kissed him, feeling his shaky hands all over your body, you pressed your bare cunt on his softened shaft and moved a bit. He parted the kiss, trying to push you away.

“I– I don’t think–”, he tried saying. “I’m sensitive, baby– Ahh...”

“Yeah?” You rubbed your bare cunt on his dick with a sly smile. “So you don’t want me to ride you, Jakey?” You kept waving your body on him, forcing a disappointed face with a fake pout.

Jake trembled, feeling his eyes water in a painful pleasure. “Of c–course I– I do, fuck.”, his voice cracked, eyelids closing. He was fully unable to stop you at this point, and he didn’t wanted to anyway, so he just started to sob as you kept sliding on him, back and forth, slowly, painfully slowly.

You were sending him into overstimulation, loving his reactions, loving how desperate he looked. Legs squirming beneath you, eyes tearing up, hands messily trying to figure out what to do, facial expression switching in a mix of pain and delight.

“Please…” He begged. He didn’t even knew for what. Neither did you, so you asked. “Please what, Jakey?” You stopped moving. “You want me to stop?” 

He hurried to answer “No! Please, don’t– Don’t stop.” Definitely his begging wasn't about stopping. His breath was short as you started to move again, still slow. Too slow.  “Go faster, please darling.”

And how could you deny such a sweet request?

The wet sound of your pussy rubbing against his cock was too lewd. You leaned to kiss Jake, who wasn’t able to kiss you back properly due his undergoing situation. His was dick hardening again against your folds and that was your last straw.

Yeah, he was desperate because of overstimulation, but you were desperate to feel him inside you. So you repositioned yourself to slide him deep on you in one go, making both of you scream.

You threw your head back and instantly started to grind on him, making circle movements, sending both of you to cloud nine. 

“Babe I– I’ll not last long– damn.” Jake said breathlessly, hands helping your hips to move.

“Make me cum with you, please,” you begged and of course he would never leave you hanging, so he did his work, rubbing your clit at the same pace as you bounced on him.

You felt your climax building up rapidly, breath getting heavier and heavier, body shaking as you heard Jake saying under breath "I'm cumming", while throwing his head back and filling you up with his warm liquid. You shivered, moaning louder and achieving your peak right after.

Your body fell over Jake’s, who immediately hugged you, panting, all sweaty. “This was…” He started to say after a while, still inside you. 

“Good?” He analyzed your expectant eyes when you got up to look at him and chuckled at the difference of the demon eyes you were giving him earlier.  “Incredible,” he kissed your forehead. “You are always incredible, my love.”

It was a weirdly sunny day when Jake seated you on his car hood, fitting himself between your legs while his hands rested on your hips, drawing little circles there. 

You both decided to go out that day to celebrate your new job. But instead of going for a fancy dinner or anything similar, you decided to follow the roots of your relationship and asked Jake to take you to see the sunset. 

And he would never deny anything to you. So here you were, looking at the pretty sky behind Jake’s back when he himself was sunk on your neck. 

"Why does the sky turn orange during sunsets?" You asked nonchalantly, feeling Jake's kisses on your skin. He was inebriated by your scent and acting as if he was getting drunk on you. 

He loved that. 

He loved you.

"It has something to do with the light traveling through the atmosphere. Don't make me do my homework right now, baby," he said muffled, unable to leave your warm embrace. You chuckled.

You loved that. 

You loved him.

"Sorry," your fingers slid through his hair, scratching slightly. He hummed in response. 

It’s been two weeks since you started to call him your boyfriend and he started to call you girlfriend, the honeyed voice always making you melt. 

Nevertheless none of you said I love you yet. Not that you two needed to. You felt Jake’s love on every action of his. The way he would look at you so dreamily at any point of the day, how he would embrace you so tightly at the end of a stressful one. Or how he would always clean you up after the sex, even when he was tired as hell. He treated you like a goddess. You felt it. 

It was as clear as crystal water that you loved him too, at least you thought. 

You would purposely ask questions about astronomy just to have him speaking animatedly in technical terms that you often didn't understand very well, but loved to see him sparkle in joy. Or when you cooked his favorite meal just to see his puppy eyes widening in surprise and thank you with a sweet kiss. Or even when you watched him play video games for hours without complaining, actually enjoying and hyping him up, sometimes playing together when he asked you to. 

Jake, actually, noticed every bit of it. 

He himself making sure to love you every moment of his day, making sure you were safe, fed, warm, and most important: happy.

Jake loved your smile. He loved to see you ramble about your favorite songs and flowers and chocolates and movies and everything. 

He loved everything about you.

You exhaled. The feeling was consuming you, you had to let it out. The ache of holding it to only your actions wasn't enough. You needed to say it.

And you did. In one go.

“I love you.”

Jake lifted his face off your neck to look you in the eyes, kind of shocked by your sudden statement. “I don’t care if you don’t love me back, but I love you. More than stargazing, more than feeling a cold breeze under the moonlight, more than listening to my favorite artist. None of those feelings overcomes the feeling of having you around,” you caressed his cheek. Jake listened to you with attention. 

“You color my world by just being around. Every part I go I look out for you,” you could see Jake’s eyes watering. “And I do find you in everything, because, Jake, you became my everything. It’s scary how much I need you. It's scary how much I can love you,” you rested your forehead on his, closing your eyes. “So yeah, I love you,” you whispered at the end.

Jake's breath got heavy as he assimilated all your words.

God, he loved you as much as you did. Lately he had to deal with the urge of telling you the three words, afraid of scaring you off as always. But now he knows you are as much in love with him as he is with you, and he felt so damn lucky.

"You wanna know something that has nothing to do with physics?" Jake spoke softly after a while in silence trying to find the right words. You weren't expecting that question after your confession. "What?" you asked in a whisper.

He looked so gorgeous under the golden light. 

"I can watch a hundred sunsets with you," he said softly, loving eyes at you. He gently put a strand of hair behind your ear, as usual, and continued, "And you’d still be the prettiest view."

Jake didn’t had to verbalize “I love you” after that, but he did. 

He did it continuously. He did it before you went to sleep and when you woke up. He did it before leaving you at your classes and as soon as he picked you up. He did it out of the blue, while you were vacuuming your apartment and he was dusting the furniture. Because no matter how much he said, it didn't seem enough.

It was love at first sight, blessed by the moonlight keeping their love secrets and under the sunset light, keeping their sweet passion burning.

[withlovemark]

“...is that my hoodie?”

synopsis -> “the reader and mark are roommates and mark finds the reader masturbating in his room while wearing one of his hoodies then fucks her” [requested]

an: this ended up longer than i intended so im posting it separately

warnings: smut! mutual masturbation (both male and female), rough sex

-

your roommate mark! has just left for the weekend, excited to finally go on a trip with his group of friends which meant you had the whole apartment to yourself — which also meant, you could masturbate in peace and be as loud as you needed, not having to bite down on your pillows, hiding under the covers as you fingered yourself to oblivion.

so when mark walked back into the apartment, the sound of spongebob playing on the tv hitting his ears, nothing out of the ordinary, he never expected to burst into your room and see you seated perfectly in the middle of your bedsheets, legs wide open, a perfect view of your fingers going in and out of your pussy. 

“hey dude, have you seen my hood-”

“oh my god!,” you yell crossing your legs together and grabbing the nearest pillow in an attempt to cover yourself up as mark turned into a mumbling mess, frozen in place, staring at you  with wide eyes “i uhm -i -uhh s-sorry i didn’t know i-,”

“mark!,” you snap him out of his daze, cheeks bright pink as you assess what just happened, “can you please leave?,” you ask, the embarrassment eating you up alive. you were so lost in trying to chase your own high that you didn’t even hear him enter your shared apartment. maybe you shouldn’t have blasted spongebob on max volume.

“i-uh yeah, sorry,” he smiles sheepishly getting ready to turn around and leave when he remembered why he was even in here in the first place, “wait...is that my hoodie?”

still clutching the pillow between your legs, you were now very aware of the hoodie that clung way too big on your body, “i-uhm yeah, must’ve gotten mixed in the laundry,” you wince, the awkwardness taking over you as you refused to meet his eyes, looking everywhere but him. 

mark’s eyes narrow, his pupils darkening at the thought of you touching yourself in nothing but his hoodie, all his blood rushing to his cock. he takes a step towards you, catching your attention, “what are you doing?,” but the words seem to catch in your throat, leaving you unable to speak.

“i came back here for my hoodie,” his voice an octave deeper than you’re used to. 

“oh i-um, can you wait outside? i’ll change real quick,” you mumble, but instead of stepping away, mark takes another step closer.

“no its okay, you can keep it…if you let me watch,” he smirks, casually heading toward the chair across from your bed. it almost feels like you’ve set the stage for an audience – for him. 

“what?,” you ask, eyes wide, not sure if you heard him properly. 

“-or would you like it better if i finished what you started,” he teases, a smirk curling at the corners of his lips. 

"i-mark, what? we don’t have to do anything just give me a sec-,”

he lets out a low, dark chuckle, cutting you off mid-sentence, “touching yourself in my hoodie and you don’t expect me to care?”

"you’re gonna be late for your trip,” you say, words lacking conviction. 

"fuck that, they can wait…c’mon pretty girl, show me what you were doing,” he taunts and you can feel your arousal leaking onto your pillow. you have never seen this side of mark before and it’s turning you on more than you would like to admit. you had no control when your fingers slipped back down to your core finally giving in to his request, body hitting the headboard behind you, pillow being tossed to the side like you were in some sort of trance. 

“just like that baby, you’re so sexy,” mark hisses, settling into the chair, making himself comfortable. the pet name makes your pussy twitch as you stare right into his eyes, lust completely taking over, "say my name," he orders.

“mark-,” his jeans feeling more and more restricting as your moans hit his ears.

“that’s right baby, you can be as loud as you want,” he orders, reveling in your moans, “you don’t think i hear you at night, muffling your moans against your pillow?,” he continues earning another moan of his name from you, lips falling in an exasperated sigh. 

“you don’t think i don’t touch myself to the sounds you make?,” he groans, the sound of his zipper echoing throughout your room, cool air hitting mark’s hard cock,  “we have thin walls, y/n, i hear every whimper...every sigh,” he grunts, pumping his member as he watches you fuck yourself, fingers slipping in and out of your hole, your juices glistening under the lights, inviting him, “you don't think i hear you moan my name?,” he growled, grip on his member tightening, "always pictured how you'd look like pretty girl, but it really doesn't beat the real thing," he compliments, eyes gazing all over your figure, drinking you in.

mark’s pretty pink cock makes you salivate, frustrated whines slipping from your lips, fingers not reaching where you want it to, “fucking yourself on vibrators and dildos when you could’ve just knocked,” he chuckles, teasing you, “i could’ve helped you any time you wanted, pretty girl,” he continues and you’re not entirely sure what possessed your roommate to act like this but you needed to feel him. 

“mark, please come here,” you beg, “please help me now,” you whine, his cock twitching in his hold.

mark wastes no time, immediately making his way over to you, hands wrapping around your thighs as he pulled you to the edge of the bed, making you yelp at his dominant behavior. he takes hold of your chin, tilting your face up to make you meet his gaze, “im gonna fuck the shit out of you, baby,” a devilish grin on his lips, “gonna make sure i make you moan myself,” he grunts by your ear before sucking on your neck, wet and red, tongue marking you.

the vulgarity in his words and actions makes your stomach jump as you grab his shirt, pulling it over his head before pulling him down for a messy kiss, mark quick to respond, teeth clashing as his hip grinds into you, cock swiping at your wet folds, collecting your juices, moans spilling into the kiss. 

your hands find its way to the bottom of mark’s hoodie, ready to remove it off of your body when his large hands stopped you, “keep it on,” he grunts against your lips as he aligned himself within your core, entering you with no warning, “—fuck!,” you cry out at the stretch, back arching. mark doesn’t give you any time to adjust as he starts pounding into you. 

“god, you’re so fucking tight,” he says, clutching your hips so tightly you were sure it’s going to leave bruises, “so fucking warm,” your moans fueling him to go faster as your hips started rutting against his, matching his tempo. 

“you look so fucking sexy in my hoodie,” he grunts, one of his hands making it’s way to your stomach, making sure the hoodie doesn’t ride up as he pushed down on the fabric, cock hitting you deeper making you cry out in pleasure, the bed frantically squeaking below you, hands gripping your bedsheets trying to hold on to something. 

“d-dont stop mark, fuck, f-feels so good,” your praises go straight to his head as he lifts one of your legs up to his shoulders and you swore you could feel him in your guts, the tension in your stomach feeling intense, "holy fuck, mark!,” you cry out, every thrust hitting you exactly where your fingers couldn't. 

"yeah baby, scream my name,” his name the only thing you can mutter out, feeling your orgasm coming to a close. 

“only i can make you feel this good, huh baby,” the sound of skin slapping against each other bounces off the walls, your eyes rolling back, back arching, hands finding their way to his shoulders, nails coming in contact with his skin as you tried to last.

mark kisses you again, hiding his hisses in your moans as your pussy tightened around his cock, the tension in your stomach breaking, heavy breaths slipping past your lips as your orgasm completely washed over you, “yeah that’s it baby, so good for me,” he coaxes you through it, continuing his brutal pace, desperate to reach his own high.

pleasure quickly turning into pain as he continued chasing his own orgasm, “h-hurts mark,” you whine under him, tears brimming in the corner of your eyes, hands gripping his bicep.

“you can take it baby, i know you can,” he charges, hands grabbing your ass as he brought you further into your bed, raising both of your legs above his shoulders, cock jamming right into your cervix, muffled, unintelligible sounds escape your lips, tears falling down your cheeks but you don’t stop him, falling in love with the pain, your stomach coiling once again, heat traveling throughout your entire body down to your toes.

“mm-gonna come,” mark groans above you, cock twitching inside you, as his fingers squeezed your clit immediately sending you over the edge, making you see stars, toes curling, pussy sucking in his cock so tight. mark struggles to not come right inside you. he quickly pulls out before finally reaching his own high, body landing on top of yours, cum messily landing all over his hoodie, down to your sheets. guess he can't use that hoodie now.

it takes him a while to catch his breath, looking at your fucked out state under him, hoodie still hugging your body, tear-stained cheeks, lips flushed, juices leaking out of your cunt and he can’t help but land another tongue filled kiss on your lips, bringing you back to reality.

“god, we should’ve done that a long time ago,” he says, breaking the kiss, making you giggle.

"yeah, we really should’ve,” you sigh happily, fingers tracing the outlines of his cheekbones. 

he smiles at you sweetly, your own features mirroring his, “you okay pretty girl, it wasn’t too much?,” his voice much gentler from his previous actions as he softly wiped away your tear stains.

“i'm okay, mark, that was perfect,” you nod quickly, kissing him again, feeling him smile through the kiss. before it could go any further, his phone rings from his jeans on the floor, making the two of you jump.

he picks it up, flashing you a sheepish grin before answering, putting it on speaker, “bro, where the fuck are you? we’ve been waiting for 30 minutes now, if you’re not here in 15 we’re leaving without you!,” chenle yells through the phone, hanging up right away.

“chenle’s kind of scary,” you laugh, making him smile.

“yeah, he really is,” he responds, chuckling.

“go,” you say with a grin, your eyes flicking to the door. 

“do i have to?,” he pouts, making his way back to you, head settling on your stomach, arms wrapping around your waist, making you giggle. 

"mark, you’ve been planning this trip for a month…just go,” you say sternly, fingers running through his hair, attempting to make him look presentable. 

he sighs before leaning up, chasing your lips and kissing you deeply, "we’ll talk about this when i get home." 

"ill be here…watching spongebob," you giggle, pointing to the t.v. that was still playing.

he rolls his eyes, a small grin on his lips, “no playing with yourself until i get back,” he whispers, earning a playful slap on the chest from you. 

once he finished getting dressed and you slipped on your shorts, you walked him to the door, hands lingering around the other, the sweetness of the moment hanging in the air, completely opposite from the crude behavior that was happening in your bedroom, until his fingers pinch the cheeks of your ass making you yelp in surprise. 

“hey!,”

"what? i don’t think you realize how insane it drives me every time you walk around in this tiny thing," he groans cheekily, pulling you against him, his head resting in the space between your neck, laugh vibrating through his chest, making you squirm in his embrace, a smile tugging at your lips.

it takes all of mark’s willpower to pull away from you, you practically had to push him out the door. 

“oh and feel free to wear all of my hoodies from now on, roomie,” he says before kissing you goodbye and leaving the apartment, your giggles ringing in his ear. 

[tammyjackson50-blog]

No so secret anymore || G.C

George x reader

<- 2/2

Summary: You and George have been dating for a few months, but you weren't as careful as you thought, and fans started to suspect, and your friends weren't helping either...

(There are a little steamy moments here and there. )

___________________________

George’s grin widened, clearly enjoying teasing you. He propped himself up on one elbow, glancing down at you with a mischievous glint in his eye. “You know” he started casually, as if it wasn’t the biggest bombshell he could drop, “I don’t really care if we share our relationship with the fans right now.”

You raised an eyebrow, glancing at him in surprise. “Really?”

He shrugged. “Yeah, why not? It’s not like we’re doing anything crazy. I was thinking, maybe we should just post a photo dump of us, y’know, keep it chill. Like a little behind the scenes of us being a normal couple.

You sat up a little, your hesitation clear. “I don’t know, George... I mean, what if some of the fans hate me for it?” You laughed nervously.

He chuckled, his tone softening as he reached out to take your hand. “Trust me, love. If they’re real fans, they’re gonna be happy for us. Besides, there’s always gonna be a few people who don’t like something. But who cares?”

You hesitated for a moment, a faint smile tugging at your lips. "I guess you're right..."

He gave your hand a reassuring squeeze. “And if anyone does get weird about it, we’ll just delete their comments or just ignore it”

You thought about it for a second. You had to admit, the idea of just sharing your relationship felt... nice, even if it meant dealing with a few haters. You looked at him, “Alright. Maybe a little photo dump wouldn’t be so bad after all.”

George grinned widely, leaning in for a quick kiss. “That’s my girl.” He pulled back, clearly proud of himself.

You laughed, feeling a bit more at ease now. “Okay, okay. But if anyone comes for me, I’m blaming you.”

“Fair enough,” he said, already pulling his phone out of his pocket.

You both flopped back onto the bed, now lying on your elbows next to each other.

George unlocked his phone, and you leaned over, curious about what photos he’d picked.

“Alright, love,” he said with a cheeky grin, scrolling through his gallery. “Let’s see your reaction to this one.”

He swiped to a picture, holding it out for you to see. It was a candid shot of you, clearly half-asleep, your hair a mess, and your eyes barely open. But what made your cheeks instantly flush was the fact that the angle caught you in just the right way your shirt had shifted, and your cleavage was visible.

You let out a small laugh, swatting the phone away. “Hey, come on! Can you pick a much uglier picture of me?"

George’s grin only grew wider. “Mate, you look hot, don’t even try to deny it.”

You turned to face him, pretending to be offended. “If you’re showing that, I’m showing something back.”

He raised an eyebrow, clearly interested. “Oh? I’m all for it.”

With a smirk, you grabbed your phone quickly and scrolled through your photos.

You found one, just the right amount of steamy, and turned the screen towards him. It was a picture you’d taken of him during one of your late night hangouts, he looks like he just woke up, his hair is messy, his shirt slightly pulled up, the light catching his body in a way that made him look...well, ridiculously good.

You leaned back, watching his reaction as he took in the photo. His eyes flickered with something more intense than amusement, and for a brief moment, his smile faltered.

“Damn,” he muttered under his breath. “You know what? I think I’m getting a little too into this game.”

You laughed, enjoying the playful teasing. “Yeah? Maybe I should just show you the one that I took when we were on a vacation last y-

“Oh, that’s a dangerous move, love.” George raised his eyebrows, clearly intrigued. “You’re trying to make me lose my mind now.”

You both chuckled, but there was an undeniable shift in the energy. Something about these pictures, these little moments of teasing, made everything feel... charged?

George leaned in just slightly, his eyes flickering between your face and the phone still in your hand. The corner of his lips tugged up, but there was something behind his usual cocky grin something darker, something knowing.

"Alright, if we’re playing that game,” he murmured, swiping on his phone again, “let’s see how bold you really are.”

He turned the screen toward you, and your stomach did a little flip. It was a picture one you didn’t even realize he’d taken.

You, sprawled across his bed, barely covered by the sheets, one strap of your top slipped off your shoulder. The angle made it look more suggestive than it actually was, but it was still enough to make your breath hitch.

Your eyes snapped to him. “George—”

He bit his lip to hold back a laugh, clearly loving your reaction. “What?” he said, feigning innocence. “It’s a great picture.”

You scoffed, grabbing his phone and flipping through his camera roll. “You’re actually insane. How many of these do you—”

And then you saw it. Another photo. This one? Much worse.

It wasn’t explicit, but it was borderline scandalous. You are on top of him, mid movement, your hand braced on his chest, his fingers gripping your waist. The lighting was dim, and it was slightly blurred like it was taken by accident, but the implication was there. Your mouth fell open.

“GEORGE!”

He was already laughing, head thrown back. "Nah, nah, that one’s art, babe"

You turned to him, half shocked, half amused. “You can not have this in your camera roll.”

He smirked, grabbing his phone before you could do any more damage. “Relax, it’s just for me.” His voice dropped just slightly at the end, a playful kind of teasing that sent a shiver up your spine.

You narrowed your eyes, deciding to push back. “Okay then” you said casually, grabbing your own phone. “If you get to play dirty, I have something for you too.”

George raised an eyebrow as you scrolled, finally stopping on a picture you knew would get to him. You turned the screen toward him, watching his face closely.

It was him,his head tilted back, eyes closed, mouth barely parting his lips against your neck.

His reaction was instant. His fingers twitched where they rested on your thigh, his playful smirk disappeared just a bit.

“Oh,” he said, his voice slightly lower than before. He blinked, looking from the picture to you. “Oh, you’re evil for that.”

You grinned. “What? It’s a great picture.”

He let out a breathy laugh, shaking his head. “Yeah, nah, you’re trying to kill me.”

You leaned in just slightly, voice dropping to a whisper. “You started it.”

For a second, he just looked at you. Then, without warning, he moved, rolling over you, pressing you into the mattress with a teasing grin. His arms caged you in, his weight just barely hovering above you.

“You really wanna test me, love?” he murmured.

You laughed, not backing down. “Maybe.”

His eyes looked down to your lips for a moment before he kissed you, slow and deep, like he had all the time in the world. His hand trailed down your side, fingers brushing against the hem of your shirt.

Before you could even process it, he grabbed your legs and pulled you down the bed with him, making you let out a surprised gasp. He just grinned, acting like it was nothing, like he didn’t just drag you into him so effortlessly.

Now, with you lying down, he shifted, resting his head against your stomach while lazily scrolling through his phone. His other hand stayed on your hip, fingers tracing random patterns against your skin.

You played with his hair absentmindedly, twirling the strands between your fingers. “You comfortable there?” he hummed, still scrolling. “Mhm. Feels nice.”

He was acting so casual, but the way his thumb occasionally brushed over your skin, the way his grip tightened ever so slightly when you moved..yeah, nothing about this was innocent.

Then, as if proving your point, his hand started drifting lower.

“George,” you warned, voice light but laced with amusement.

He finally glanced up at you, all innocent. “Hmm?”

You gave him a look, and he just grinned, like he wasn’t up to anything at all. But then, before you could react, your phone buzzed, breaking the moment.

You sighed, reaching for it, but George didn’t stop what he was doing. If anything, he took it as a challenge.

You answered, trying to keep your voice steady, but as you spoke, George’s hands wandered higher, slowly tracing up your stomach until his fingers ghosted over your chest.

“Mhm,” you said into the phone, barely processing what the person was saying.

George, still acting like nothing was going on, tapped his fingers lightly against the fabric of your shirt before slipping his hand underneath, his touch warm against your skin. He pressed his lips against your shoulder, completely ignoring the fact that you were in the middle of a call.

You shot him a glare, mouthing " stop it "

He smirked, but his hands didn’t move away. If anything, he gave a slow, teasing squeeze, his eyes flicking up to yours like he was enjoying this way too much.

You ended the call as quickly as possible, dropping your phone onto the bed. “You’re so annoying,” you muttered.

George just grinned. “Yeah, but you love it.”

Before you could fire back, there was a knock on the door.

"Oi, George, you in there?”

It was Chris.

George immediately tried to sound normal, but it did not work. “Uh...yeah?”

There was a pause. Then, a knowing laugh from the other side of the door. “We’re heading out, mate. just letting you guys know.”

George exhaled, dragging a hand down his face. “Yeah, cool, have fun.”

You could hear the smirk in Chris’s voice. “Don’t do anything too stupid.”

“Bye, Chris.”

Footsteps faded down the hall.

He flopped onto his back with a groan. “I swear, it’s like they have a radar for ruining my fun.”

You laughed, rolling over to grab his phone. “C’mon,you love them. let’s continue with the phone dump "

George sighed dramatically but sat up, resting his chin on your shoulder as you scrolled. “Fine. But you have to pick at least one questionable photo of yourself.”

-

You ended up picking a mix of cute, funny, and actually decent pictures, nothing too questionable despite George’s protests. He still slipped in a few cheeky ones, but you let it slide.

As you hit "post" George wrapped an arm around you, pulling you closer against his chest. He glanced at the screen, then at you, a smug smile on his lips. “There, now the world knows I’m completely obsessed with you.”

You laughed, “Oh yeah? Think they’ll survive the heartbreak?”

~~~~~~

Hope that you enjoyed it even though it turned out a bit longer than i expected, I didn't know how to end it🙃

Feel free to leave any requests:)

[on-my-vigilante-sht]

Wrong Person (College AU!)

Hockey player!Cregan Stark x Reader, Aemond Targaryen x Reader

Summary: Aemond's girlfriend has a group project with the man he hates the most, Cregan Stark.

Warning: abuse, domestic violence, alcohol consumption, implied smut, implied fighting, smoking, angst; characters generations/ages don't quite make sense but basically everyone is 20 in this

Word Count: 4.7k

Masterlist

A/N Hey guys, I know its been a while. Some of you may have figured out I stop posting as much when school picks up but here’s something I’ve been slowly piecing together

Taking a deep breath, I knocked on Aemond’s door. Softly, but not so soft he would miss it. Immediately the door swung open and I was met with Aemond’s eternally neutral expression. I felt my own heart sink as he yet again didn’t greet me with a smile. “Hey,” I greeted shyly, feeling my lips quirk up into a smile despite how disappointed I repeatedly found myself.

“Hey,” he greeted in return, stepping aside to let me through. I walked past him, finding his dorm just as I always did. It was surprisingly clean for a guy’s college dorm but Aemond was pretty tidy. Coming up behind me, he gently lifted my bag off my shoulder, placing it on the desk chair before moving me towards his bed.

I suddenly found myself wishing Criston, his roommate, was here. “Oh I actually need my-”

“What?” Aemond snapped, cutting me off.

I stared up at him for a second, trying to register just how angry he was. Finding no real, threatening anger I decided to answer him. “It’s just, I, uh I have to wrap up something quick for that project. Cregan just-”

Aemond scoffed, rolling his eyes. He walked around me, flopping onto his bed with an annoyed expression. “All I fucking hear is about Cregan fucking Stark and your project. You’ve been doing this project for like two months.”

I found my arms wrapping around myself but stopped. Aemond hated when I did that. “Stop acting like I’m gonna hurt you!” he’d say. “I’m sorry but it’s a semester long project,” I explained for the hundredth time.

“I don’t see why you had to partner with him,” Aemond grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest petulantly.

“I know, but there were no other seats.” We repeated the same conversation we’ve had dozens of times throughout this semester.

Walking into Tyrell Hall, I checked my phone. One minute until class started. Cursing, I rushed up to the second floor, quickly locating classroom 221B. Entering the room, I let out a huff seeing that every seat was filled. Scanning the room for a glimpse of an open seat, I observed my classmates. I waved to the few I knew, girls from my freshman year residence hall, some people who ran in Aemond’s circle, a few I didn’t know, and then the hockey team. They all sat in the rear corner of the room, with the only seat left being right next to their captain, Cregan Stark. Glancing at the professor, I found her looking at me expectantly so I reluctantly headed to the back of the room, trying to disappear into my hair as I walked past the hockey team.

“Now that we’re all here,” the professor started, “make sure to get to know your desk partner. You’ll be working with them all semester.” Shit.

I looked to my left, finding Cregan already giving me a shit eating grin. “Oh this is gonna be fun,” he smiled, knowing how much Aemond hated the athletes.

Aemond just got quiet, biting his lip as he looked down at his crossed arms. “C’mon, don’t be mad,” I begged, getting up on the bed. I no longer thought about it. We had been through this routine so many times I just acted. I laid on his bed, practically on top of him as I wrapped my arms around his waist, resting my head on his chest. “I hate it too but it’s only for one semester.”

Aemond huffed, uncrossing his arms so he could lay one across my shoulder, nestling me further into his chest. He didn’t say a word, rather he just looked at me. His expression wasn’t expectant but I knew what he wanted. Pushing my body up, I connected my lips to his. He immediately escalated it, turning so he could place one hand on my jaw, the other on my waist as he moved to be on top of me.

Managing to pull away slightly, I looked up at him, his lips still so close I could feel his labored breath. “Aemond, I want to, I really do,” I tried to keep him from getting mad, “but I have-”

“Is this about your project?” he interrupted me, still so close I could feel the sharpness of his breath as he got angrier.

“No,” I assured quickly. “I have a history assignment. Besides, doesn’t Criston get back from class soon?”

“I don’t care,” he said, brushing his nose against mine. “Here,” he said, leaning over me to his bedside table to grab his phone. He typed out a quick message, only briefly showing it to me before tossing it back onto his bedside table. “You can do your work tomorrow morning before class.” His words phrased as a suggestion but holding the weight of a command. He connected his lips to mine again, wasting no time slipping his hand up my shirt.

~

Sitting in class, I tried my best to ignore Cregan. The first half of class was always dedicated to lecture, with the second half going to working on our project. I was keenly aware of Cregan’s eyes flickering toward me every few moments as well as Aemond’s friends a few rows ahead. I just kept my gaze firmly on my notes and the professor’s slides.

Finally, the professor reached the end of her slides. “Okay, that wraps up today’s lecture. Turn to your partner and continue working on your projects. Remember: you should be submitting an outline to me by Monday.”

As I turned towards Cregan, making sure to keep my hair covering my neck, I caught a glimpse of Aegon’s watchful eye. Remembering Aemond, I turned to Cregan’s wolfish grin, refusing to return it. Undeterred, he leaned closer to me. “Hey, I saw you were working on the doc at five a.m. What were you doing up at that hour?” he asked good-naturedly.

“Oh, I couldn’t get to it last night so I woke up early to work on it,” I shrugged. I tried my best not to dwell on the fact that he had noticed that. And judging by his furrowed brows, I tried to ignore the fact that he was concerned about me. “Why were you up at that hour?” I returned, immediately feeling guilty for engaging him.

Cregan’s smile widened. “I was up for hockey practice and got the notifications. Speaking of which, are you coming to the game tonight?”

I sent him a look. “I think you know the answer to that.”

Cregan’s lips fell into a pout. He actually pouted at me like a dog. “C’mon, I want the girl who’s carrying me through this project there.” I just let out a breathy laugh, trying to dismiss his insistence, but thoughtlessly moved my hair, exposing the hickies Aemond had made a point to leave. Beside me, Cregan’s eyes widened. “Woah,” he exclaimed. I felt embarrassment consume me and I wanted the ground to swallow me whole in that moment as I quickly replaced my hair back where it was. “Wow, someone wants everyone to know you have a boyfriend,” Cregan chuckled.

“Cregan,” I began, ready to tell him off. The mortification must have been written all over my face because his expression morphed into silent sympathy as I looked at him.

He cleared his throat, looking down at his notes for a second before turning his attention to my laptop screen. “So where are we on the outline?” he asked. He looked back up, meeting my gaze and I gave him a soft smile of thanks before returning to the project.

~~

Cregan looked up at the stands full of students. Peering in the student section, he was disappointed but unsurprised to find the stands void of his health sciences partner.

“C’mon man, you had to know she wasn’t coming,” Benjicot Blackwood, Cregan’s best friend, interrupted his thoughts. “You know Aemond would never let her come.”

Cregan shrugged. “He’s not in charge of her. She could come.”

“Cregan,” Benji stopped his best friend, becoming very serious for once. “You know he basically controls her every move right? You had to have noticed. She basically hasn’t talked to anyone except Aemond and his friends since like October last year.”

Cregan stopped to think. Now that he thought about it, he realized that she had used to be one of the most well liked people at the university. But now, she really only had a reputation for being Aemond fucking Targaryen's girlfriend. He couldn’t believe that she of all people even looked at that silver haired prick twice.

Seeing his best friend’s dismay, Benji felt bad knowing that Cregan had had a crush on the girl since he first saw her freshman year. “Hey,” he caught his friend’s attention. “Larys told me Aemond and his little cult are going to Phi Gamma Delta tonight. Even if she isn’t there you could ‘accidentally’ spill some beer on Aemond.”

Cregan sent a mischievous look to his friend, a small smile quirking on his lips.

~

“So where are we going?” I asked Alicent as she curls my hair.

“Phi Gamma Delta,” she explained, putting down the hot wand and spraying hair spray all over me.

“Are the guys coming with us?” I asked, turning to her as she took the curling wand to her own hair.

“Yeah, Harwin is going to let the guys in,” Alicent explained, flawlessly curling her brown locks.

I stood up from her bed, going to my bag to grab my outfit. But as soon as I pulled it out, Alicent turned toward me with wide eyes. “Oh no, I already have something for you to wear so we can match,” she came up with on the spot.

“Thanks but I haven’t gotten to wear this since like first semester sophomore year,” I said, holding up the backless top. I didn’t say the quiet part out loud, I hadn’t worn it since Aemond and I got together.

“Yeah but I’m wearing a long sleeve,” Alicent said, standing up from her desk and holding up her sheer top.

“Another time,” I promised her. Grabbing my clothes, I headed for her bathroom, quickly changing into the top and my black jeans that I had cleaned beer off of so many times.

Entering the room again, Alicent had a slightly sour attitude as she finished off her hair. But I just ignored it, determined to have a good night as I got started on my makeup. Once the both of us were ready, we headed to Aemond’s room where all the guys were waiting for us.

I knocked, being louder this time so as to overcome the music that was already blasting. The door swung open, revealing Criston. “Hey!” he greeted the two of us excitedly. “The girls are here,” he announced to the very crowded dorm room.

Aemond pushed his way to the front of the room, a beer fueled smile on his face. But it dropped as soon as he saw me. My heart immediately sunk seeing his expression but he just grabbed my arm, dragging me into the dorm somewhat harshly. Before I could even speak, he was already barking orders at me. “Go grab a drink, I’ll talk to you in a second,” he spat. Disheartened and slightly scared, I went over to Criston’s desk which was lined with booze.

Aemond turned his attention to Alicent, seething. “I thought she was wearing that one long sleeve top,” he growled.

“I’m sorry, I tried to make her take it but she wouldn’t,” she defended. “I could’ve told her it was you insisting she wear it,” she threw back with a quirked brow.

Aemond just sent her a glare before going back to his girlfriend. “Hey,” he greeted, an arm slipping around my waist to bring me to face him. “Look, I’m sorry I got mad earlier its just… this top,” he said, tugging at the fabric, “is… well its basically a rectangle of fabric held together by one string,” he explained. His fingers now finding the back of my top, tugging at the string to where it almost came untied to make his point.

I averted my eyes, gaze flickered down, shame coursing through me. “I’m sorry, it’s just, I loved this top.”

“I know, baby. And I’m not trying to control what you wear just, keep close to me tonight. Not all the guys there will respect you,” he said, giving another tug to the string of my top before stepping away towards his friends.

Feeling slightly disoriented and embarrassed, I headed to the bathroom in order to fix the top before returning to the pregame, trying to forget the earlier conversation with cheap booze.

After a few more moments, Aemond had declared that it was time for us to all go to the frat. As we all headed over, Aemond had his arm slung across my shoulder. By the time we reached the house, I was shivering thanks to all my exposed skin, and slightly wishing I had listened to Alicent.

As soon as we entered, Alicent grabbed my hand, dragging me to the dance floor as the DJ started to play Super Bass. It wasn’t long after we had been jumping around on the dance floor that Aemond found me again, moving to stand behind me with one hand around my waist and the other holding a beer.

After a couple songs, I felt Aemond’s fingers tap on my hip before his lips came up behind my ear. “I’m gonna go out back for a smoke. Be safe,” he advised before taking his leave, a few of the guys following him upstairs out of the basement.

I just turned back to Alicent who seemed to relieved to not have anyone hovering around her so she could let loose. I laughed as her dancing became more wild and sloppy. That was until her eyes went wide and she was looking at the staircase leading out of the basement. Confused, I turned to find the entire hockey team filling the stairway, with Cregan Stark standing at the top of the staircase.

He looked around for a moment as he descended the stairs, before his eyes settled on me and a smile broke across his face. It was as if Aemond’s training kicked in or something because I had the sudden urge to go find him but something in me kept me firmly rooted to the ground. Maybe it was the beer and god knows what other sticky substances keeping my shoes on the floor of this frat basement.

Either way, it was too late to leave because Cregan was pushing his way through the crowd towards me until he towered over me. The dancing bodies of other students being no match for his hulking frame. He stooped down, bringing his lips closer to my ear. “Hi,” he greeted, pulling away with a bright smile.

“Hi,” I returned, not even bothering to try to reach up to reach his ear.

“Where’s your owner?” he asked sarcastically.

I sent him a look when he pulled away. He just laughed, bringing his lips to my ear again. “I kid. But seriously, I’m surprised he’s not attached to your hip making sure someone like me isn’t talking to you,” he teased.

This time he didn’t immediately stand up, allowing me to talk in his ear to answer. “He’s in the backyard. He’ll be out soon,” I answered.

“Well then I guess I have to make due with the time I have,” Cregan smiled. Before I could protest, his hand found mine, tugging me towards him. His grip was tight enough to move me, but not so tight that I couldn’t slip out if I wanted to.

I knew I shouldn’t, but I couldn’t help but move with Cregan, finding laughs building in my chest as I watched him dance. We were having a good time until all of a sudden Cregan got a serious expression on his face, standing straight up and looking toward the staircase. I didn’t even have time to follow his gaze before he grabbed my arm tugging me behind him.

“Hey! Wha-” I began to protest as I was whirled around but the words died in my throat as I realized why Cregan had gotten serious.

Currently pushing through the crowd was a murderous looking Aemond. Rather than rush to calm him like I probably should, I found myself cowering behind the hockey captain, clinging to his arm. “Stark!” Aemond barked across the crowded room, so loud everyone managed to hear it. “What the hell are you doing with my girlfriend?” he spat, getting in Cregan’s face.

“Nothing, we were just dancing,” he answered coolly. “Then you came down here looking like you wanted to murder someone.”

Aemond rolled his eyes. “Yeah, well, maybe don’t dance with another guy’s girlfriend next time.” He turned his gaze to me, holding out his hand expectantly. “Come on, we’re leaving.”

The fear coursing through me was screaming at me to take his hand but something wouldn’t let my body move. Cregan sent a glance back towards me before turning to Aemond. “She doesn’t wanna go with you.”

“Stay out of this,” Aemond seethed. “This is none of your business.” He then looked at me expectantly again. “We’re going,” he spat.

By now the music had died down and everyone was looking at us. Glancing around, I saw both the hockey team and Aemond’s friends coming towards us, prepared to back up their guys. “Nah, I’m not letting her go with you,” Cregan declared. “Not until you calm down.”

That just seemed to ignite a fury in Aemond. “She’s my girlfriend, Stark,” he spat through gritted teeth. “She’s perfectly fine with me and I sure as hell am not leaving my girlfriend with any of you,” he nodded to the hockey team.

“Then why does she look terrified of you right now?” Benji interjected.

“Shut up, Blackwood,” Criston spat.

All of the guys started arguing, yelling at the others to shut up. Still behind Cregan, I snapped my head behind me as I felt a gentle hand brush against mine. Turning, I found Rhaenyra looking at me with a concerned, gentle look. I just stared at her for a moment before Alicent’s voice brought me back to the conflict.

“Enough!” she got in between Cregan and Aemond. “I’m taking her back to her dorm unless all of you,” she pointed at the guys on both sides, “want to leave.”

There were some grumbles but no one protested. “I’ll go with her too,” Rhaenyra offered.

Not letting the boys fight it out even more, I spoke up. “Yeah, we’re going home,” I agreed. Stepping away from Cregan, I shakily approached Aemond. He was looking at me like I had committed some serious sin against him. “I’m sorry,” I whispered softly. I tried to move past him but he grabbed my waist, pulling me into an aggressive kiss. I could taste the beer and smoke on his lips as he forced his lips into mine. And I had a sneaking suspicion his eyes were locked onto Cregan’s.

When he released me, I let out a shuddered breath as his hand rested on my hip. “We’ll discuss this tomorrow,” his voice was grave. But his hand came off my waist, as if giving me permission to walk away.

Nothing was really said as I left the frat with Alicent and Rhaenyra on my heels. They both tried to ask me multiple times if I was okay, to which I just nodded in agreement. My mind was too consumed playing out what had just happened. But as soon as we were within ten minutes of my dorm, I stopped walking and turned to the two girls behind me. “I’m good here if you guys wanna head home or back to the party. I appreciate you coming with me but I think I just need to be alone right now.”

They both sent each other a glance. “We’re not letting you walk alone at night,” Rhaenyra protested.

“I’ll be fine,” I insisted.

They both looked at each other reluctantly before looking toward me. “Okay but, call someone if you start to feel freaked out,” Alicent said.

“I will,” I agreed, before turning on my heel and walking away.

Immediately, I pulled out my phone, afraid to see what was on there. Opening it, I was first confronted with a text from Cregan.

Hey sorry about tn If he tries anything with you let me know and I’ll handle it

My heart melted reading his messages. I wanted to cry at how sweet he had been lately, mostly because Aemond had been anything but.

Going to our messages, I found nothing. I didn’t know if that was a good or a bad thing. I’m sure my refusal to move would come up some way or another.

I swiped out of my messages with Aemond, going back to Cregan. Reluctantly, I held down on the message until the option to delete it popped up. My finger hesitated over the delete button before I hit it. Just like I had deleted all his flirty texts. Leaving nothing but the texts about our project.

~

The next morning, I was woken up by incessant banging on my door. Glancing quickly at the clock, I saw that it read eight a.m. Rushing to the door, I opened it without checking who it was because deep down, I already knew.

As the door flew open I immediately took a step back, finding Aemond practically glowing with fury. “What the hell was that last night?” he spat, storming into my room.

I backed up as he entered, the door slamming shut behind him. For the first time, I cursed the fact that my roommate went home every weekend. “Aemond, I’m-”

My words were cut off as he lunged forward, his hand coming to close around my throat. “You’re what?” he spat. “Sorry? Sorry for humiliating me? Making me look like an awful person?” But I hardly heard a word, too busy trying to process the fact that he had actually grabbed me by the throat and was choking me. But it seemed my silence angered him more as his fist became tighter and he pressed me up against the wall. My vision was beginning to fade as he crushed my windpipe even tighter. “You cowered away from your boyfriend behind Cregan fucking Stark! Do you know how that makes me look? This,” he said, referring to his hand around my throat, “is because of you. You make me out to be some abuser, fine. It can be that way,” he spat before dragging me to the floor.

I coughed and sputtered as I hit the ground. Hard. “I’m sorry,” I managed to gasp out through tears and desperate gulps of air. “I wasn’t thinking straight.”

Aemond stood over me, bending down to get in my face. “You’re damn right you weren’t thinking straight. I’ll see you Monday and you better have fixed this attitude by then,” he said before marching out of my room.

~

That entire weekend I just flipped between numbly trying to wrap my head around what happened and sobbing violently. Every time I caught a glimpse of my bruised neck in the mirror—Aemond’s fingers clearly marked in my skin—or thought about the feeling of his hand around my throat.

I stood in the bathroom, my skin blotchy from the tears and black and blue covering my neck. I had only just managed to start being able to look at myself without immediately dissolving into sobs when my phone rang. Hesitantly, I picked it up, finding Cregan’s name scrawled across my screen. After another moment of hesitation, I answered the call. “Hello?” I answered, immediately cringing at the hoarseness of my voice.

“Hey,” Cregan’s voice came over the phone, his concern apparent. “Are you okay?” His heart was racing as he heard the scratchiness in her voice.

I hesitated for a moment, trying to clear my throat but it was no use. Between the choking and nearly two days worth of sobbing, my voice was fried. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“No you’re not, I’m coming over,” Cregan informed, already getting up from his bed.

“Cregan,” I began to protest.

“You’re still in Benjen Hall 514, right?” Cregan asked.

I opened my mouth to protest but the words wouldn’t fall. So instead, I gave a reluctant confirmation.

“I’ll be over in five.”

I hung up the phone, going over to my bed and slinking onto it. I didn’t know what to do. I felt like I should try to clean myself up and hide the hand print on my neck. But if I hod it, what life was I resigning myself to?

I didn’t have much time to act because there was a knock at my door. I found myself rushing to open the door, despite my resistance to being seen by anyone. But either way, I opened the door, quickly ushering Cregan inside before letting it shut again, once again hiding Aemond’s act from the world.

After observing my room for a moment, Cregan turned to me. “So what’s wrong?” he asked.

I realized I was looking at the ground, effectively hiding my face and neck. After a second of hesitation, I looked up, letting him see the bruises and tear stains. His eyes widened, his jaw even dropping as he saw my state. He just stared at me for a moment before he spoke hesitantly. “Did- did Aemond do that?” he asked, horror lacing his voice. I only nodded reluctantly.

I watched the shock turn to sympathy, to hurt, to finally anger. His jaw locked and his fists curled as he took a step away from me. “That little-” he couldn’t even finish his insult he was so angry. “Did you get my text? Why didn’t you call?”

“I-” I began but I was cut off my my cringe at the sound of my own voice. “I don’t know. The past few days have just been a blur.”

Cregan stepped towards me. I flinched as he came towards me to which he immediately stopped. “I’m not gonna hurt you,” he swore. He took another hesitant step forward until he was gently grasping my shoulders. “I am however, gonna beat the shit out of that deadbeat boyfriend of yours. Or should I say, ex-boyfriend.”

“Cregan,” I began, my hands finding his chest. “I-” I didn’t even know what I wanted to say. I just broke down into sobs as I fell into his chest. In response, he just hugged me tightly, running his fingers through my hair.

“Hey, it’ll be okay,” he hushed me. “I swear I’ll be right back.”

~~

Cregan cringed as he knocked on room 514. His knuckles were bloody but he didn’t care. Immediately the door swung open, revealing his health sciences partner. She immediately threw herself into his arms, much to the hockey player’s joy. He hugged her tighter as her legs came to wrap around his hips. Entering the threshold of the room, he let the door fall shut behind him as her feet fell back down onto the ground. “No one’s ever gonna hurt you again,” Cregan swore, his forehead resting against hers. “I promise you.”

Masterlist

[azulpitlane]

boss' daughter I ln4

pairing: lando norris x brown!daughter reader summary: lando is down bad for zak brown's daughter but shes a little hard to get notes: I know this isn't pt 3 of my other mini series BUT i thought of this idea and had to do it immediately hehe, I really like this one masterlist

y/nbrown

liked by landonorris, zbrownceo and 21,492 others

y/nbrown nyc living

view all comments

user i wanna see her at races shes so cute😭🫶

y/nbrown vegas! ill be there🤭 liked by landonorris

user help why's lando in his boss' daughter's likes

landonorris 🤩

user norizzzzz user is this him shooting his shot AHAHHA user NO LANDO SHES MINE

user IT GIRL

user landooo👀

y/bff/n pretty girl

y/nbrown love u babes

posted september 2023

y/nbrown

liked by danielricciardo, landonorris and 19,384 others

y/nbrown college student by day, dj by night😝

view all comments

y/bff/n ur so unserious babe

y/nbrown i ate, the people loved me

landonorris as a retired dj maybe you can give me some inspiration to start again

user LANDO??? user he's crushing so hard OMFFFF user zak brown reading this: 🤨🤨

zbrownceo dont have too much fun!

y/nbrown 🫣 user such a dad reply lol

user y/n brown slaying once again

user so excited to see you back in the paddock soon🫶 liked by y/nbrown

danielricciardo you're perfect for him

y/nbrown who???

posted october 2023

y/nbrown

liked by landonorris, danielricciardo and 30,341 others

y/nbrown vegas babyyy

tagged zbrownceo, danielricciardo, y/bff/n

view all comments

user gorgeous girl

danielricciardo finally reunited with my favorite brown

y/nbrown was too busy girlbossing sorry danielricciardo what a shame, there's someone who's been waiting to meet you... y/nbrown hm, i didn't meet anyone new🤷‍♀️ danielricciardo next race then user is daniel hinting that lando didn't meet his crush sjsjkskks user wait he hasn't EVEN MET HER?!?! user im guessing not, shes been pictured with other drivers but never lando

user here for landos comments

landonorris maybe you should come to a race where I'm not crashing😅

user norizz strikes again user its the fact that she never even replies and he's still trying HAHA user hes fr out here risking his seat for her just not to respond back

mclaren 🧡

user shes finally back in the paddock!!!

user im surprised she doesn't go to more gp's, her dad's literally the ceo of mclaren😭 user i think she's mentioned shes very busy with uni so her schedule usually never aligns with the races

posted november 2023

y/nbrown abu dhabi, UAE

liked by landonorris, zbrownceo and 25,482 others

y/nbrown escaping cold new york weather

view all comments

user OMG shes gonna be at the gp again this weekend!!

user landos got one more chance to shoot his shot before the season ends😭

landonorris hope to see you at the paddock!

danielricciardo thanks for letting me borrow that $10 mil bro I owe you🤝 maxverstappen1 thanks for saving my cats out of that burning building, you're a true hero🤝 alex_albon thanks for paying off my whole family's debt mate🤝 carlossainz55 thanks for gifting me that mclaren, i love it mate🤝

user ALL THE DRIVERS IN HER COMMENTS IMDEAD

user his rizz was so bad they had to step in omg. user and she still hasn't acknowledged lando AHAH user a true girlboss, I love her

user i need to know what zak brown thinks off all of this😭

user next season of dts gonna be craZy

user everybodys focused on the comments and not at the fact that these lyrics sound a little sus...

posted november 2023

landonorris posted a story

dannyyyy🤠 y/n wyaaa im in the mclaren garage rn

y/n aren't you suppose to be in umm idk YOUR OWN GARAGE?

dannyyyy🤠 yeah but I need to do something real quick so come

y/n does this have anything to do with lando?

dannyyyy🤠 maybe...

y/n im sorry but he's exactly why im not in the garage rn

dannyyyy🤠 WHAT WHY pls dont tell me I hyped him up just for you not be interested...

y/n im not NOT interested but he's my dad's driver danny this can get messy so fast and what if he doesn't approve

dannyyyy🤠 oh you americans and your dramatics hes already talked to your dad dummy

y/n wait really?

dannyyyy🤠 you really think he would PUBLICLY hit on his boss' daughter without asking first?

y/n idk never really thought about it

dannyyyy🤠 JUST COME DOWN HERE YOU MUPPET

landonorris

liked by y/nbrown, danielricciardo and 830,391 others

landonorris didn't win the race, but i won her heart

tagged y/nbrown

view all comments

user FINALLY

y/nbrown cheeseball liked by landonorris

user HE ACTUALLY GOT HER

danielricciardo youre welcome

y/nbrown you pushed me in front of him then ran away...not the best wingman danielricciardo its not like landos rizz was gonna get you together🤷‍♂️ y/nbrown true landonorris hey! I wasn't that bad... y/nbrown whatever helps you sleep at night hun!

user y/n blink twice if you need help

y/nbrown blink blink landonorris 😔

user obsessed with y/n bullying lando in the comments

user I know I love them already

zbrownceo better take good care of her lando

landonorris sir yes sir🫡

user we can no longer make norizz jokes. sigh.

notes: what did y'all think of this one? I loved making it🤸‍♀️

[burningcheese-merchant]

YOU!!! YOU GOT ME INTO HAVING BEAST X ANCIENT AS MY GUILTY COMFORT SHIPS!!! HOW DARE YOU!!!

Guilty? Of what? Guilt implies wrongdoing, which I have not committed and neither have you :) I am but a humble merchant, peddling my humble wares. Caveat emptor, my anon friend. Beast x Ancient is a highly addictive substance, it says so on the tin. Maybe you should've thought it through better :)

"How dare you". Lol. Lmao, even. How dare I? I dare like THIS

Oh nooooooo Mystic Flour stopped being an emotion-denying pussy and finally popped the question!!! Dark Cacao said yes!!! Look at them gooooooo I hope their honeymoon is nice

Can it be? Is it... them? Is it Shadow Milk with his other half? His most treasured marionette? His dear Silly Vanilly? Are they enjoying a nice, romantic lunch together in the cute little date area I designed previously? Is Shadow Milk laying the flirting on extra thick? Is Pure Vanilla laughing and playing along? Are they trying to feed each other? Is Shadow Milk making kissy faces? Are they happy? Are they in love? Can they live without each other?

Whoooooaaaaaa what's that? What's that special, admittedly haphazardly constructed Valentine's Day area? What's it for? WHO is it for???

NO WAY!!!!!! BURNINGCHEESE IS REAL!!!!! THEY GOT CAUGHT IN 4K!!!! QUICK GET THE TABLOIDS!!!! GET THE PAPARAZZI!!!

Look at them together on the swan boat 🥹 so happy! So smitten with each other! Burning Spice and his precious thief, his beautiful little bird, his delicious prey; Golden Cheese and her love, her darling, her handsome brute, her ruby 🥹🥹🥹

And the LOVE BOX! Ice cream date in the love box! The lighthearted bickering! The banter, that amusing little back-and-forth they always love to have with each other! Her confidence and wit, his straightforward passion! Neither ever backing down from each other! Neither repent or have any regrets! Nothing here but joy and fun and affection!

And... the chocolate tent 👀 wonder what they're up to in there, huh? What are those looks they're giving each other? What's that seductive pose Burning Spice is striking? Are they just relaxing after a lovely day together? Maybe having some more dessert? Having each other for dessert? Are they conceiving Pepper Jack in there 👀👀👀 (that place better be soundproof, man)

You will join me in the Beast x Ancient abyss!!! You will love the complex dynamic that exists between the 5 pairs!!! You will analyze them incessantly to the point that you can make 10k word posts about them and their relationships!!! You will start imagining fanchildren!!! You will want to explore them in all aspects: standard toxicity, Beast redemption, Ancient corruption, forbidden love, and everything in between!!! IN THE END, YOU WILL BECOME ME! AND IT'S GONNA FEEL GOOD

Ok I'm done being stupid now lol. Welcome to the dark side, Anon, we have cookies with psychological issues and hero/villain codependent romances

[dearwhs]

an art gallery had never looked this pretty ⋆ kwh

۶ৎ genre: fluff, crack (?) wc: 1.4k warnings: none, other than mentions of woonhak's lil food and video game obsession !

۶ৎ notes: first post + first time writing ! mostly in woonhak's pov. lmk if i missed anything. aaa the intro is too chaotic i love it :p feel free to share your thoughts! <3

۶ৎ now playing: an art gallery could never be as unique as you

۶ৎ

woonhak's the type of guy to just spend all his free time playing video games, especially with his leehan and jaehyun hyung. trust me, they're also sick of this silly obsession of his. the only way to get him out of this rabbit hole? food.

leehan and jaehyun enters the room, sighing as they tried to drain their energies for some reason... which obviously didn't work. and of course, they're greeted with this typical sight to see: woonhak's *unsurprisingly* playing video games, as usual.

"hey, can't we do something fun today? i'm bored as hell." jaehyun said as he flops down the floor, lightly banging his head at the floor. leehan gave it a thought. a light bulb pops up just right above his head– "ooo, what about the art gallery nearby? i've never been to one, and i think it'll be fun to visit with you guys!" leehan's face lit up, pulling a puppy fish...? face hoping it works. literally a "pretty please?" can be seen in his face, i mean who can resist this cutie?... well, woonhak can.

sure, the two can just leave him here. but come on, as the nice guys they are, they aren't just gonna leave their baby to rot in this room, playing games for the rest of his life, right?

jaehyun uses both of his hands to rub his temple, even closing his eyes just for an idea to spark in– aha! jaehyun's lips forms a little smirk just right at the corner, obviously receiving a great idea. leehan stares at him weirdly with all these extra stuff he did, but come on, that's jaehyun, that's the most normal he had ever been... today.

leehan watches jaehyun as he creeps up behind woonhak. woonhak is too focused on the game, but he can surely feel his hyung's presence. he sighs, putting the controler down, "hyung, what do you want?" now woonhak's focus completely shifted at him, he immediately sits down next to him, "hey, woonhak. what about we go get food just right around the corner?" leehan who was silently watching them raises his eyesbrows, giving a "when did our plan go from going to the art gallery to... eating!?" face. jaehyun hushes him, replying back with a "just trust me."

of course, woonhak hears the word "food," it's an immediate yes for him. "pft, hyung, why didn't you just say so? i'll go change real quick." he said as he stands up to finally leave the living room.

jaehyun flops down right next to leehan, throwing him a smirk, pointing that this is all part of his plan. leehan thinks hard, wah. this guy's pretty smart despite being weird. he gives jaehyun a "🫵👍🫵👍" which made jaehyun let out a small chuckle.

۶ৎ

the three arrived right at the front of the art gallery. woonhak had obviously been tricked. he glares at jaehyun for fooling him. leehan insisted it'll be fun... as he scooches over at the middle to prevent a snowman and puppy fight to happen!

woonhak's mouth keeps shifting left to right, clearly bored as he would rather play games than stare at paintings he wasn't even into in the first place. despite being uninterested, he still roamed around the gallery without his hyungs.

"that one's colors are too bright." ooh, that one looks like something i'd put in my minecraft house for sure." "is this what they call abstract?-" snap! with just like that, it seemed that the world had stopped for woonhak. how can someone be prettier than these paintings that surrounds them? how can someone outshine a room full of art? how is someone art themselves? how- snap! his world started to spin again as leehan snaps his fingers to get woonhak's attention, "are you enjoying the art gallery?" wrong timing, leehan. he might've just lost a walking art because of you!

woonhak just shakes his head, avoiding leehan's question. he starts walking around again trying to shrug off the thought about the girl he had just seen. they probably won't see each other again... forever and ever... and EVER!

"do you like this painting?" someone said. before shaking his head a no, he slowly looked at the person. it was the girl he had admired. is she really talking to me!? woonhak tries to compose himself as he's talking to the girl he took interest upon on. "o-oh, yeah. it's interesting." did that sound cool? did i sound alright? gah! he hides his hands behind his back, trying to give off a reserved and calm gentleman, which is the complete opposite of him as his thoughts are running wild, thinking what he was gonna say next.

"well, would you like to know a little history about it?" you can see how eager and excited she is to share facts about this painting knowing no one probably wanted to hear these little facts she prepared. he found himself admiring her more, what can stop him from saying yes to her? – "yeah, that'd be nice."

the two spent a good amount of time chit-chatting about the piece you were barely interested on which definitely changed now. sadly, you two were cut off by jaehyun and leehan signaling you to come back as you were most likely about to leave. she thanks you for taking the time to listen to her. at this point you knew her name, "y/n." and she knew yours.

you didn't know whether you hated how short the time you two had or how your hyungs just cut off your talk with y/n just like that. nevertheless, woonhak found his new interest, for sure.

۶ৎ

these past few days, woonhak has been going outside. of course, his hyungs are glad he finally graduated from his little (huge.) video game obsession. but where has he been going to? they didn't care, as long as they can finally solo the living room and the video game itself, and of course as long as their woonhak comes back home safe and sound.

۶ৎ

as for you, this guy keeps coming back to the art gallery. you find him... quite odd. he'd go back everyday just to ask facts about 4 paintings a day and leave. why won't he just ask for all of them at once? but it didn't really matter, you get to FINALLY share the facts that had been stored in your brain since well... you started this job. weirdly, you also found him cute. i mean he keeps smiling at you, plus he genuinely seemed to listen to your silly history other people wouldn't even bother to.

۶ৎ

you secretly wished there were more paintings in this gallery... as you two head over to the last painting to talk about.

"that's about it. you're all updated with your art knowledge now!" you joked, hoping it'd at least cheer you up, i mean who wouldn't be upset? you bet you might never see this guy again.

he gives out a smile, lightly biting his lips. he looks down and scratches the back of his neck.

"ah, will this weird her out..." woonhak thought to himself, but he was ready to take this risk. at least if he gets rejected, he can just go cry and play video games again, swearing to never visit another art gallery, especially this one– okay, maybe he's overthinking this too much. but why not take the risk, right?

his lips curled, his eyes shifted all around the gallery, trying not to lock any eye contact with her. he then sighs, scratching his head this time, "actually there's an art piece i don't know anything yet..." you tilted your head in confusion, huh? you swore you showed him everything already.

"it's... you." gosh, this is embarrassing, he murmured to himself. he wanted to show her how sincere he is. he finally locks eye contact with you. your breath stops, this guy you've been crushing on... he's oddly dumb? (y/n's dumb.)

"huh, pfft, i'm no art piece, woonhak. but i swear, i already told you all the history about all the paintings here. are you sure?" he- he couldn't hold his laugh, his hands try to pull the air, trying to stop his laughter. "no- no- i meant that i also wanted to know more about you, y/n. i'm interested in you, silly."

to your surprise, he also liked you?? i mean, it was pretty obvious, why would a guy come back everyday just to learn facts about paintings, right...?

"i've never seen someone as pretty as you in an art gallery, y/n. wait- is this weird??" his words cracked you up as he realizes he had probably been spouting nonsense at you. though, it was pretty adorable of him. you couldn't help but smile, "nope, no it's not. i like you too, woonhak." the two couldn't but to chuckle at each other's cheesy lines. who knew you'd be able to find love in an art gallery?

۶ৎ

if you liked this, a like, reblog, or comment is highly appreciated, thank you! ><

[enidtendo64]

Hi!

I just wanted to let you know that I think your art style is beautiful, and it always makes my day better when I see you post something because it's just so unique!

May I ask you about your thoughts on Dipcificia (I hope I'm spelling that right), and their relationship and what their favorite things might be about each other? By the way, have you heard of Over the Garden Wall? (cuz smoetimes people make otgw and gravity falls related posts). I didn't really want to waste your time and I apologise if I did, that was not my intention :) and I hope you have a wonderful day/night!

Hi! Aw man thank you so much!

Oh I have too many thoughts about them—I’m on like a lunch break rn so I might not have much time to speak how much I want on them buuuuut I do have a relationship meme I did a while back that I can post here and explain a bit!

So, here’s the thing, I think depending on the situation/AU/whatever they might have some different things in their dynamic, but I think overall a key feature to their relationship in any setting is that there needs to be banter!

Pacifica likes that Dipper is just as sassy as she is and isn’t afraid to call her out while still having that support system she needs, and just being someone she knows likes her for her and not her money or status.

Dipper likes that Pacifica despite the haughty toity stuff and bratty exterior is a real and witty person who can be brave and cares about people (even if it’s deep down) and bc she has these nuances and isn’t an ideal like he’d made for Wendy in his head, he can actually talk to her and have a good relationship.

Ok now this one is gonna veer more into headcanons but these first two are supported by canon so! I think Dipper enjoyed heavily the fact Pacifica is secretly nerdy, or at least nerdy without realizing. Canonically Pacifica is like, level 100 at some overwatch/warcraft hybrid that I’m convinced is the GF equivalent of League of Legends, and I have a heavy headcanon that Pacifica is so naturally good at numbers and shit like the reason she’s so good at minigolf is just like she sees the angles. Which is funny to be good at geometry when your series’ big evil dude is a triangle. Also Abigale Northwest reference of her being a tinkerer/engineer. I think Pacifica would decimate him in video games or any games in general and Dipper would be both parts competitively upset and genuinely impressed.

And theeennnn this is also backed by canon: I think Dipper is secretly a huuuuge romantic, liek does all the sweet shit type of romantic. I mean we’ve seen his elaborate Wendy plots, and I think it just makes sense for a guy who likes to plan to plan romantic stuff. And maybe he’d also like for someone to do stuff like that for him in return! He might not admit it but everyone picks up on it real quick I think. Pacifica is both surprised and endeared, if not used to it since she comes from a home that doesn’t really express affection. I don’t think she’s ever had anyone actually say they love her, and then here comes Mr. 12 step date plan. I think it just makes her fall even more!

Let’s see, I also think Pacifica falls first, Dipper falls harder. Paz got a crush at the end of NWMM, Dipper would finally realize he liked her like maybe the next summer or so, but by that point Pacifica has resigned herself to having a crush she will never speak of ever bc it’s embarrassing and also she has no clue how to give and receive affection. She’s still learning! I think it differs based on the situation but for post series canon, I’d like to think they started dating/long distancing like first or second year of high school and ended up being high school sweethearts. Bc I think it’s cute!

Let’s see what else…uh Dipper confesses first, Pacifica was his first kiss but Pacifica’s first kiss was when she was younger with some snooty boy and it was unwanted and she cried bc he was being an asshole who took it from her, and her parents didn’t give af. Typical. They both start arguments, though Dipper apologizes first only BARELY. They’re both equally stubborn. Pacifica will apologize if she knows it’s her in the wrong (like idk saying please thank you and sorry) but if it’s a real, both sides hurt and got hurt, type of argument, Pacifica edges out in the “how stubborn can I be” race. And then Paz brings up the past more bc it’s the most she can reference with her sheltered upbringing, and Dipper talks more bc Pacifica is genuinely interested in his interests even if she doesn’t outright admit it sometimes but also I think Pacifica tends to have gotten used to not talking as much unless it’s to judge so she’s got a lot of shit to unlearn, so she just reacts to being spoken to more than starting the convo, if that makes sense. And then Pacifica is more sacrificial bc I do think Dipper is super giving and definitely protective (they both are but Dipper more so since he’s just canonically like that) but I think Pacifica is more the type to sacrifice way more than she can give if it means doing what’s right. Even if she hates it lol. (The bell, idk wtf happened with her there but she’s genuinely scared out of her mind about that bell and yet she’s willing to risk it all!)

Ok and then lastly! I have seen OTGW! I love that show! It’s really well animated and the storyline is sweet!

And thank you, I hope you have a wonderful night too!

[ljxlj48]

My Duty As Princess

Chapter 1

Lee Jeno x fem reader

01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, epilogue

Genre: arranged marriage au! royalty au!

Warnings: none

Word Count: 15K

Author's Note: Is it stupid to be posting this again? I have already done a rewrite of this story once and now i'm posting another rewrite? idk if this doesn't go well I guess i can always delete it. I also have started taking down some other stories, mainly because they horrifically bad, like it was just bad writing lol. I also want to redo all my work posted on here, but that's gonna take time. So we'll start with this story again lol. hugs and kisses to anyone reading <3

-----------------

The journey from the northern airstrip to the Northcy palace was grueling: a ten-hour flight followed by an hour-long car ride. By the time Princess (Y/n) arrived at Norhall Palace, it was the middle of the night. The grand halls of the palace were eerily quiet, and the only ones there to greet her were queen Jaeyeon and four maids. The lack of fanfare was a stark reminder of the tension that still lingered between the two kingdoms.

“My dear, you must be exhausted,” the queen said warmly, though her tone carried a regal authority. “Please, come inside.” The queen was a striking figure—tall, slim, and impeccably dressed in a navy blue jumpsuit paired with a flowing white coat that brushed the floor. A delicate silver crown rested atop her head, but her presence alone would have been enough to command respect. She carried herself with the grace and poise of someone born to rule, her posture perfect and her gaze steady. With a gentle wave of her hand, she led the princess and her entourage inside.

The queen and her maids escorted (Y/n) to her chambers. “You may freshen up,” the queen said, her voice calm but firm. “When you’re ready, one of the handmaids will inform me. I’ll ensure you’re served a proper meal before you rest.” Her words were polite, but there was an underlying formality that reminded (Y/n) of the delicate situation she was in.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” (Y/n) replied with a respectful bow, masking her unease. As the queen left, (Y/n)’s two maids helped her undress and prepared the bath, while two of the queen’s maids stayed to assist. Outside the chamber doors, two guards stood watch, their presence a silent reminder that, until the marriage was finalized, she was still in enemy territory.

After her bath, the princess stood before an ornate mirror, her reflection staring back at her with a hollow expression. Her thoughts drifted to home as her maids, Fei and Mei, moved quietly around her, helping her dress. The twins had been by her side for as long as she could remember. Though they looked nearly identical—with the same sharp features, dark hair, and graceful movements—their personalities couldn’t have been more different. Fei was practical and no-nonsense, her hands steady and her words few, while Mei was warm and talkative, always quick with a reassuring smile or a gentle joke. Both were only a few years older than the princess, and they had become her maids when she was just ten years old. Over the years, they had grown into more than just servants; they were her confidantes, her protectors, and the closest thing she had to real friends. They had been there for her through every triumph and every hardship, and now, even in this foreign palace, their presence was a small comfort in an otherwise unbearable situation.

The queen herself escorted the princess to the dining hall, her steps measured and deliberate, as though every movement was calculated to remind the princess of her place. The hall was vast and cold, its high ceilings and ornate decorations doing little to dispel the suffocating sense of isolation that clung to the air. A single long table dominated the room, but only one place was set—a stark, unspoken reminder that the princess was alone in this foreign palace, surrounded by strangers who saw her as little more than a political tool.

“Please, enjoy this meal before you retire for the evening,” the queen said, her voice smooth but carrying an edge of authority. The meal before (Y/n) was lavish: roasted meats glistening with glaze, steaming vegetables arranged like works of art, and freshly baked bread still warm from the oven, all served on fine bone china plates. Yet, the opulence felt like a cruel joke, a blatant display of excess that only highlighted the suffering of her people. How could she sit here and eat while her kingdom starved?

“I shall have meals prepared for your maids and guards in the servants’ hall,” the queen added, her tone dismissive, as though the matter were already settled.

The princess turned sharply to face the queen, her voice firm despite the knot of anger tightening in her chest. “They can dine with me.”

The queen’s eyes narrowed, her expression hardening. “It is not proper, Princess (Y/n).”

The princess opened her mouth to argue, to fire back with another sharp retort, but a subtle movement caught her eye. Fei, standing silently nearby, gave the slightest shake of her head. Her eyes, steady and unwavering, reminded the princess of the delicate balance she had to maintain. Listen. Follow. Obey. The words echoed in (Y/n)’s mind, a bitter pill she had no choice but to swallow.

“You are right, Your Majesty,” the princess said, lowering her head slightly in a gesture of respect that felt like a betrayal of her own pride. “I apologize.”

The queen watched her carefully, her gaze sharp and assessing, as though she were weighing the princess’s every word and gesture. “I have made arrangements for your maids in the servants’ quarters,” she continued, her tone leaving no room for negotiation. “And your guards will stay with the other soldiers in the dormitory.”

(Y/n) forced a polite smile, though it felt like a mask cracking under the strain. “I thank you, Your Majesty, for your hospitality,” she said, bowing again, the motion stiff and unnatural.

“I hope you rest well, Princess,” the queen replied, her voice firm and final. With that, she turned and left, her entourage trailing behind her like shadows. The princess stood frozen for a moment, watching them go, before finally sinking into the chair at the head of the table.

Alone in the cavernous hall, (Y/n) picked at her meal, her stomach churning with a mix of hunger and dread. The silence pressed in on her, broken only by the occasional clink of silverware against the bone china, a sound that seemed to echo endlessly in the empty room. Her mind raced, torn between anger and fear. Anger at her parents for forcing her into this arrangement, anger at Northcy for its role in her people’s suffering, and anger at herself for feeling so powerless. Fear, too, gnawed at her, fraying her nerves. Fear of what the future held, fear of the man she was being forced to marry, and fear that all of this—her sacrifice, her pain—would ultimately be in vain.

She stared at the food before her, her appetite gone. The flickering candlelight cast long shadows across the table, mirroring the darkness creeping into her thoughts. She clenched her fists under the table, her nails digging into her palms as she fought to keep her composure. This isn’t fair, she thought, the words burning in her mind like a mantra. But fairness had no place in this world, and she knew it. All she could do was endure—for her people, for her kingdom, for the slim hope that this marriage might bring them peace.

-

As the queen made her way to her chambers, she found her son pacing restlessly outside her doors. His hands were clenched into fists, and his expression was a mix of frustration and defiance. “My boy,” she said, her voice calm but firm, “it’s very late. You should be asleep.”

“Mother,” Jeno said, stopping abruptly. He turned to her maids, his tone sharp. “Leave us.” The maids hesitated, glancing at the queen for permission. With a slight nod, the queen dismissed them, and they retreated down the hall.

Once they were alone, Jeno followed his mother into her room, his agitation palpable. He moved to the tea set on the side table, pouring a cup for his mother with practiced ease, though his movements were stiff with tension. The queen sat gracefully, watching him with a knowing gaze as he began to speak.

“Do you truly expect me to marry that girl, Mother?” Jeno asked, his voice rising slightly. “An alliance could be negotiated without marriage. She offers nothing of value to our kingdom or our family. There are plenty of women within the council—women of influence, women who understand our ways—who would make far better brides.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I barely want to marry at all, let alone to a stranger. You can’t seriously think this is good for anyone.”

The queen sipped her tea, her expression unreadable. Jeno’s complaints were not unexpected, but they still grated on her patience. She remembered Princess (Y/n) well—a sharp, observant child she had met years ago during a summit to discuss the war. The girl had been no older than nine or ten at the time, but even then, she had carried herself with a quiet dignity and wisdom far beyond her years. The queen had seen something in her then, something that had stayed with her ever since. (Y/n) was only three years younger than Jeno, and the queen had no doubt that she would grow into a formidable leader. Marrying her was not just a political move; it was an opportunity to unite two kingdoms under a shared vision.

“I do expect you to marry her,” the queen said, her voice steady but firm. “And I do believe she will be great—not only for our family but for Northcy as well. So, I expect you to be up early tomorrow, eager to meet the princess and make a good impression.”

Jeno stared at her, disbelief etched across his face. “Mother, you can’t be serious. You want me to wine and dine Princess (Y/n)? The stubborn, headstrong princess who doesn’t even care about her own title? She’s not exactly the type to play along with your plans.”

The queen set her teacup down with deliberate precision, her gaze sharpening. “I am entirely serious, Crown Prince Lee Jeno,” she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. “And I expect you to be at breakfast tomorrow, prepared to meet your future bride. There will be no complaints, no resistance, and no disrespect. Do I make myself clear?”

Jeno flinched at the use of his full title. He knew what it meant when his mother addressed him so formally—he had crossed a line, and there was no room for negotiation. He clenched his jaw, his pride warring with his sense of duty. Finally, he exhaled sharply, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “Yes, Mother,” he said grudgingly. “You’ve made yourself clear.”

“Very well,” the queen said, standing to signal the end of the conversation. “Good night, my son.”

Jeno bowed slightly, his movements stiff with suppressed frustration, before turning to leave. As he walked out, the queen watched him go, her expression softening for a moment. She knew this was not easy for him, but she also knew it was necessary. Jeno was young and impulsive, but he would learn in time. And Princess (Y/n)—well, she was exactly the kind of woman who could challenge him, temper him, and help him grow into the king he was meant to be. The queen only hoped Jeno would see that before it was too late.

-

The sun rose bright and early, casting a golden glow over the Northcy palace courtyard. The air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of flowers and freshly cut grass. Princess (Y/n) made her way to the pavilion where breakfast was set, her small entourage trailing behind her. Fei and Mei, her twin maids, walked a few steps behind, their movements synchronized and unobtrusive. Though identical in appearance—both with sharp features, dark hair pinned neatly back, and hands clasped respectfully in front of them—their personalities were worlds apart. Fei’s expression was calm and composed, her sharp eyes scanning their surroundings for any potential threat, while Mei’s softer demeanor showed in the way she occasionally glanced at the princess with quiet concern.

Leading the way were the princess’s two personal guards, Chan and Hyunjin. Chan, the older of the two, walked with a confident stride, his broad shoulders and steady gaze making it clear he took his duty seriously. His uniform, though immaculate, bore subtle signs of wear—a testament to the years he’d spent protecting the princess. Hyunjin, taller and more lithe, moved with a graceful precision, his sharp eyes darting around as if expecting danger at every turn. Both guards refused to leave the princess’s side, their loyalty unwavering even in this foreign palace. Despite the alliance between the kingdoms, old grudges and lingering tensions made them wary. They knew better than to let their guard down.

“People will gossip if you two don’t leave me be,” the princess said, her voice light but tinged with exasperation as they approached the pavilion. Her lips curving into a faint smile, as Chan glanced back at her over his shoulder. “I’m perfectly capable of walking to breakfast without an armed escort.”

Chan’s expression remained serious, though there was a flicker of warmth in his eyes as he met her gaze. “My princess,” he said, his voice low but firm, turning to face forward again, “we’d be executed if anything happened to you. Following you wherever you go is the best way to ensure that doesn’t happen.” His tone left no room for argument, though the princess knew it came from a place of deep loyalty—and something more. Chan had joined the army at 18, risen to become her personal guard by 20, and somewhere along the way, his devotion had deepened into something unspoken. At 24, he was as much her protector as he was her friend, though neither of them dared to acknowledge the unspoken tension between them.

Hyunjin, ever the pragmatist, added with a smirk as he too glanced back at the princess, “Besides, who else is going to make sure you don’t trip over your own feet?” The princess shot him a mock glare, though the corners of her lips twitched upward. The banter was familiar, a small comfort in an otherwise unfamiliar place.

Fei and Mei exchanged a knowing glance but said nothing, their loyalty to the princess evident in the way they adjusted her shawl or smoothed a stray strand of hair without being asked. The five of them—princess, maids, and guards—had spent the past three years practically inseparable. They were more than an entourage; they were a family, bound by duty and shared experiences. The princess was rarely alone, save for the quiet moments in the dead of night when sleep finally claimed her.

As they reached the pavilion, the queen rose gracefully from her seat, her presence commanding immediate attention. Dressed in a flowing gown of deep emerald green, her silver crown catching the morning light, she exuded an air of regal authority. Her sharp eyes softened slightly as they landed on the princess.

“Princess (Y/n),” the queen called, her voice warm but carrying an undercurrent of formality. “Come, dear. Take a seat.” She gestured to the chair beside her, then glanced at the princess’s entourage. “You may dismiss your guards and handmaids. They can take their meal in the servants’ hall.”

The princess hesitated, her gaze flickering to Chan and Hyunjin, who stood like statues at her sides. She opened her mouth to protest, but Fei’s subtle shake of her head stopped her. The queen’s tone, though polite, left no room for negotiation. With a small nod, the princess turned to her guards and maids. “Thank you,” she said quietly, her voice carrying a note of gratitude and reassurance. “I’ll be fine.”

Chan’s jaw tightened, but he bowed slightly. “As you wish, Your Highness.” Hyunjin gave a curt nod, his sharp eyes lingering on the queen for a moment before he turned to follow Fei and Mei as they retreated.

The princess took her seat, her posture straight and her expression composed, though her hands clenched subtly in her lap. The queen’s gaze lingered on her for a moment, assessing, before she smiled and gestured to the lavish spread before them. “I hope you’re hungry, my dear. We have much to discuss.”

Breakfast passed in a blur for the princess. She spoke only when spoken to, and even then, her answers were brief and measured. The king, seated at the head of the table, was a striking figure—tall and broad-shouldered, with a face that bore the weight of years of ruling. His silver-streaked hair and sharp, calculating eyes gave him an air of authority, but his demeanor was reserved, almost distant. Though he was polite, his kindness felt formal, lacking the warmth of true welcome. The end of the war had not erased decades of tension, and the king had more pressing concerns than making small talk with his future daughter-in-law. Between planning the wedding and solidifying the fragile alliance between the two kingdoms, his mind was clearly elsewhere.

Jeno, seated across from the princess, was uncharacteristically quiet. He picked at his food, his usual confidence replaced by a tense silence. It was clear he didn’t want to risk angering his mother, whose sharp glances in his direction were enough to keep him in line. An outburst from Jeno would only provoke his father, and no one at the table wanted to witness the king’s temper. The queen, ever the diplomat, tried to steer the conversation, her voice light and encouraging as she asked questions and made comments to fill the awkward silences. But her efforts fell flat, met with stiff replies and forced smiles. The meal dragged on, the clink of silverware against porcelain echoing in the heavy air, a stark reminder of the unresolved tensions simmering beneath the surface.

When the king finished his meal, he stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. The sudden movement prompted everyone else at the table to rise as well. “I have pressing matters to attend to,” the king said, his voice clipped and formal. He turned to the princess, his expression softening slightly, though his tone remained distant. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Princess (Y/n). I look forward to getting to know you better.” He gave a brief nod in her direction, a gesture of respect that felt more obligatory than genuine.

The princess responded with a graceful, deep bow, her movements precise and regal. The queen and Jeno followed suit, bowing their heads as the king strode out of the room, his presence lingering like a shadow even after he was gone.

As soon as the door closed behind his father, Jeno seized the opportunity to escape. “I also have matters to attend to,” he said curtly, already turning to leave. His tone was dismissive, his body language tense, as if he couldn’t wait to put distance between himself and the awkwardness of the breakfast table.

But before he could take more than a step, the queen’s voice stopped him in his tracks. “Jeno,” she called, her tone firm but not unkind. She paused, letting the weight of her words settle, before adding, “You should show the princess around.” Her voice softened slightly, though the underlying expectation was clear. This wasn’t a suggestion—it was a command.

Jeno froze, his back still turned to the table. For a moment, it seemed like he might argue, but then he exhaled sharply and turned back around, his expression carefully neutral. “Of course, Mother,” he said, though the reluctance in his voice was unmistakable.

“Jeno can show you around the palace,” the queen said, wearing a tight smile.  Silently hoping that none of this will be in vain.  “It will help you become more familiar with the palace and with the prince.”  

“Yes, your Majesty,” the princess said in the most neutral tone.  The princess bowed again this time to the queen, before she turned to follow after Jeno.  

The princess followed a few steps behind Prince Jeno as he led her through the palace, his gestures half-hearted as he pointed out random objects and rooms. “That’s a vase from the southern region,” he said, barely glancing at the ornate piece. “And over there’s a painting of some ancestor no one remembers.” His tone was dismissive, his words clipped, as if he were going through the motions of a chore he deeply resented.

Jeno’s appearance didn’t help the awkwardness. He wore a simple pair of black dress pants and a light blue button-up shirt, the sleeves haphazardly rolled up to his elbows. His black hair was tousled, as though he’d just rolled out of bed, and his overall demeanor suggested he’d rather be anywhere else. The princess, in contrast, walked with her usual poise, her hands clasped neatly in front of her, her expression calm but guarded.

They eventually entered a room that could only be the palace library. It was breathtaking, like something out of a storybook—walls lined with books from floor to ceiling, their spines a patchwork of colors and languages. The air smelled faintly of aged paper and wood polish, and the quiet hum of the space felt almost sacred. The princess couldn’t help but drift toward the shelves, her fingers lightly tracing the spines of the books. Some were written in an ancient Modian script, a language so old it was nearly forgotten. The sight of it stirred something in her, a connection to her homeland that felt both comforting and painful.

Jeno leaned against a nearby table, watching her with a mix of curiosity and irritation. “You don’t talk much, do you?” he asked, breaking the silence. His tone was casual, but there was an edge to it, as if he were testing her.

The princess paused, her hand still resting on a book. “I was raised to only speak when spoken to,” she replied evenly, her voice calm but firm. “My father was… keen on traditions.”

Jeno raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Traditions?” he echoed, his tone laced with mockery. “Something like women are only meant to be child-bearers?”

The princess stiffened, her hand dropping from the shelf. She turned to face him, her expression unreadable but her eyes sharp. It was no secret that the Modia royals were deeply traditional, but the way Jeno said it—with that casual, almost mocking tone—felt like a deliberate jab. She held his gaze for a moment, the tension between them thickening, before she replied, her voice steady but carrying a quiet challenge. “Traditions can be… complicated. But they don’t define everyone who follows them.”

Jeno’s smirk faltered, and for a moment, he looked almost surprised. The awkward silence returned, heavier than before, as the two of them stood there, the weight of their roles and the expectations placed upon them hanging in the air like a storm waiting to break.

The rest of the tour was met with silence; Jeno continued to point out things to the princess, though she didn’t respond nor show any interest.  Jeno led her back to her chambers and bid her a farewell until the evening meal.  

The prince wanted to smack himself for his comment.  His mouth was moving faster than his brain at that moment.  He didn’t want to make such a horrible first impression, but it seems the damage has already been done.  

After the doors closed, separating the princess and prince.  The princess couldn’t help but let out the most exasperated sigh, the usual regal composure slipping away.  As she sunk down onto the couch that laid out in the front room.  Fei and Mei had already been in the room, preparing clothing for the evening meal. They exchanged a quick glance, noticing the tension in their mistress.  

“How was the tour, Your Highness?” Mei asked cautiously as she set down the tea tray in front of the princess on the coffee table.  

The princess groaned, sitting up to face her maids.  “Awkward.  Infuriating.  Take your pick.”  The princess picked up the cup, sipping the tea as her brows furrowed.  She thought back to the prince’s comments.  “Prince Jeno is truly…insufferable.  He made no effort to give a proper tour.”  The princess set down her cup, her posture straightening, “which was fine, I did not want to be with him either.”  She huffed, “but then he decides to speak to me and to what?  To mock me.” 

Fei, who had been folding a shawl, paused and turned to face the princess, her sharp eyes narrowing.  “Mock you, Your Highness?” 

The princess sighed, “he made a comment about Modian traditions–asking if women were only meant to bear children.”  The princess looked down at her lap for a moment, before returning Fei’s gaze.  “Could you imagine, me, reduced to nothing more than someone that bears children.” 

The princess stood up from her seat, her face harding with resolve.  “I will not be reduced to just his bride.” 

“Of course not, Your Highness,” Fei spoke with the same resolve clear in her tone.  “You are far more than just his bride.  Your strength, Your intelligence, your dedication to your people… these are things he cannot take from you.” 

“I know,”  the princess said, as she felt a tear slide down her cheek.  How she desperately missed home.  How she desperately wanted out of this marriage, this alliance, this palace, this country.  Only a day here and she could feel it building up in her.  Her disdain would drown her, if she didn’t find a way to win.  “But I feel so alone.  I feel so helpless.” 

“You’re not alone your highness,” Mei spoke softly, moving to stand with the princess. “We are right here and we’ll be right here, always.” Both girls looked at the princess, as they stood with her.  Silent reminders that the princess is not alone.  

“Thank you both,” the princess said with a smile.  “You two will be the only people to ensure I remain sane.”  

“Who says you’re sane now?” Mei asked, with a smirk, causing the princess to scoff.  Her smile growing as the tension begins to ease.  

“You best bathe before dinner,” Fei spoke up.  The princess simply nodded her head, a bath at this time sounded nice.  As the maids helped her prepare for the evening meal, the princess felt a flicker of reassurance.  No matter what challenges lay ahead, she knew she wouldn’t face them alone. And that night as she lay in bed, staring at the ornate ceiling above, she made a silent vow: she would not let Jeno—or anyone—define her worth. She was a princess, a future queen, and she would rise above this, no matter how difficult the path might be.

-

After her arrival the days began to blur together as winter approached, its icy grip tightening on the Northcy Kingdom. A month had already passed since the princess arrived, and the once-mild chill in the air had deepened into a biting cold. Being so far north, the kingdom was no stranger to harsh winters, and soon the landscape would be blanketed in snow—a phenomenon the princess had never experienced. Coming from Modia, a tropical paradise where the sun kissed the earth year-round, she had initially been excited at the prospect of seeing snow for the first time. But now, as the temperature dropped, she found herself shivering under layers of wool and fur, unprepared for the relentless cold that seeped into her bones.

The princess’s days were filled with a whirlwind of duties, as were Jeno’s. As Crown Prince, Jeno was already an active member of the council, immersed in the intricacies of governance and statecraft. His role required him to understand every facet of ruling before he could ascend the throne, and his days were a relentless cycle of meetings, debates, and paperwork. The princess, meanwhile, was tasked with familiarizing herself with her new home. She spent hours with the queen, learning about the kingdom’s departments, its noble families, and the labyrinthine politics of the Northcy court. It was a stark contrast to the Modian system she had grown up with.

In Modia, the council consisted of ten high houses, though only three held real power. The other seven were little more than figureheads, their influence symbolic at best. Northcy, however, was a different beast entirely. Jeno’s future council would include eighteen noble families, a royal advisor, two “special members” whose roles were unclear, and a general who held two votes—a detail that baffled the princess. The terminology alone was overwhelming. What Modia called “high houses,” Northcy referred to as “noble families.” The sheer volume of information was staggering, and the princess found herself buried under endless stacks of papers, trying to memorize names, titles, and alliances. The queen, ever gracious, guided her through it all, explaining that it was her duty as queen to oversee the budgets and entertain the noble families—a responsibility the princess would soon inherit.

Despite their shared obligations, the princess and Jeno rarely crossed paths. Their interactions were limited to formal evening meals with the king and queen, where conversation was polite but strained. Jeno was often quiet, his attention divided between his food and his thoughts, while the princess maintained her composure, speaking only when addressed. The tension between them was palpable, a silent reminder of the forced nature of their union.  The princess began to wonder if this is all her life in Northcy would amount to. Endless studies and forced meals with the man that was supposed to be her husband. 

One evening, as the family gathered for dinner, the queen broke the silence with a surprising suggestion. “Jeno,” she said, her tone light but deliberate, “why don’t you introduce (Y/n) to your brothers tomorrow?”

Jeno nearly choked on his drink, his eyes widening in surprise. The princess, too, was taken aback. In all her years of studying Northcy’s history and politics, she had never heard mention of Jeno having brothers. The official records stated clearly that King Lee Donghae and Queen Lee Jaeyeon had only one child: Crown Prince Lee Jeno. The queen’s words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken implications.

“Very well, Mother,” Jeno replied after a moment, his voice carefully neutral. He avoided the princess’s gaze, his expression unreadable.

The princess’s mind raced. Brothers? How was it possible that Jeno had siblings, and why had they never been mentioned before? The Northcy court was already a maze of secrets and power struggles, and this revelation only added to the mystery. She glanced at the queen, who was calmly sipping her tea, her face betraying nothing. The king, seated at the head of the table, remained silent, his sharp eyes fixed on his plate.

As the meal continued, the princess found herself unable to focus on the conversation. Her thoughts were consumed by questions about Jeno’s brothers—who they were, why they had been kept hidden, and what their existence meant for her future. The differences between Modia and Northcy had never felt more pronounced. In Modia, transparency was valued, and the royal family’s lineage was a matter of public record. Here, in Northcy, it seemed that even the most basic truths could be shrouded in secrecy.

The princess’s unease grew as she realized just how little she truly knew about the kingdom she was about to call home—and the family she was about to marry into.

When dinner ended, Jeno rose abruptly from his seat, the legs of his chair scraping against the marble floor. The sound cut through the lingering silence like a blade. “Princess,” he said, his voice firm and carrying an edge that demanded attention, “allow me to escort you back to your chambers.” His face was a mask of neutrality, carefully composed, but his eyes betrayed him. They burned with something unspoken—anger, regret, or perhaps a flicker of vulnerability. If only the princess could decipher the storm behind those dark, piercing eyes.

“Of course,” the princess replied, her tone calm and measured as she stood, offering a graceful bow to the queen before following Jeno. She kept a few steps behind him, her hands clasped neatly in front of her, her posture regal even in the face of his abruptness.

The queen watched them leave, her gaze lingering on the doorway long after they had disappeared. A small, hopeful smile touched her lips. Perhaps this was the beginning of something real. Perhaps her son was finally starting to accept the weight of this alliance, this union that would bind their kingdoms together. She dared to hope that he was growing up, even if just a little.

As the princess followed Jeno through the labyrinthine halls of the palace, she noticed something was amiss. He had taken a wrong turn—one that led away from her chambers. “Your Highness,” she said softly, her voice tinged with uncertainty. “This isn’t the way to my quarters.”

“Indulge me,” Jeno replied curtly, not bothering to look back. His tone left no room for argument, and though the princess’s instincts warned her to tread carefully, she followed him nonetheless. She had learned to pick her battles, and this was not one worth fighting—yet.

Finally, Jeno stopped in front of a heavy wooden door, its surface carved with intricate patterns of vines and crests. He pushed it open and stepped aside, gesturing for her to enter first. The princess hesitated for a moment before stepping through the threshold, her breath catching as she took in the sight before her.

The grand hallway stretched endlessly, its polished marble floors gleaming under the soft glow of crystal chandeliers that hung like frozen stars from the vaulted ceiling. The walls were lined with towering portraits, each framed in ornate gilded wood that shimmered like liquid gold in the warm light. The air was thick with the scent of aged wood and the faintest hint of oil paint, a testament to the centuries of history preserved within these walls. It was a gallery of power, of legacy, of secrets.

The princess’s eyes were drawn to the portrait closest to the door. It was a stunning piece, the brushstrokes capturing every detail with breathtaking precision. The subject was a young boy, no older than eleven or twelve, with dark black hair that contrasted sharply against his pale skin. His eyes, though painted, seemed to hold a depth of emotion that transcended the canvas. The princess stared at the portrait, her heart skipping a beat as she realized who it depicted. It was Jeno—Jeno as a child.

She turned to look at him, but his gaze remained fixed on the portrait, his expression unreadable. For a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of remorse in his eyes, but it was gone before she could be sure. The silence between them was heavy, charged with unspoken words.

“My brother’s portrait used to hang here,” Jeno said finally, his voice low and tinged with bitterness. He still didn’t look at her, his eyes locked on the painting of his younger self. “It was a portrait of his mother holding him as a baby. It hung here for years, a reminder of his place in this family. Until the council decided he wasn’t good enough to be the heir.” He paused, his jaw tightening. “They decided I should be Crown Prince instead. Not because I was the oldest son of the king. No, because I was the only son of the queen—the true queen.”

The princess’s breath caught in her throat, but she remained silent, her eyes fixed on Jeno as he continued.

“Do you want to know how old my brother was when they stripped him of his future?” Jeno’s voice cracked with anger, though he kept it tightly controlled. “Fifteen. Fifteen years old, and they told him he would never be king—not because of anything he did, but because of who his mother was.”

“Your Highness,” the princess began, her voice soft but steady, though she wasn’t sure what to say. How could she respond to such raw pain, such anger?

Jeno finally turned to look at her, his eyes blazing. “You’re probably wondering why I’m telling you this,” he said, his tone sharp but not unkind. “Tomorrow, we’ll have lunch with my brothers. And then, Princess, you’ll understand why I can’t forgive the council for what they did.”

The princess nodded slowly, her mind racing. She didn’t know what to expect, but one thing was clear: the Northcy court was far more complicated—and far more dangerous—than she had ever imagined.

-

The next morning, the princess’s thoughts were consumed by Jeno’s revelation. Three brothers. How could she have spent an entire month in the palace without ever seeing or hearing about them? They had never joined the family for meals, never appeared in the halls, never been mentioned in passing. It was as if they didn’t exist—and yet, Jeno had spoken of them with such raw emotion. The mystery gnawed at her, making it impossible to focus as her maids helped her prepare for lunch.

“The prince said he has three brothers,” the princess murmured, her eyes fixed on her reflection in the mirror. Fei knelt at her feet, lacing up her boots, while Mei stood behind her, tying the delicate bow at the back of her dress. “Three. And I’ve never even seen them.”

“You mentioned this last night, Your Highness,” Mei said gently, her fingers deftly securing the bow. “And again this morning.”

“And early this afternoon,” Fei added, glancing up briefly before returning to her task. “You’ve been… preoccupied.”

The princess sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. “I know. But he didn’t say much—just that there are three of them. He only talked about his oldest brother, how he was stripped of his title at fifteen by the council. Can you imagine?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Mei said softly, her tone tinged with sympathy. “You’ve told us.”

The princess blinked, turning to look at her maids. “Have I really talked about it that much?”

Fei nodded, her expression kind but firm. “You have, Your Highness. It’s all you’ve been able to think about since last night.”

The princess turned back to the mirror, her reflection staring back at her with a furrowed brow. “It’s just… it’s been a month. How could something like this not have come up sooner? How could I not have known?”

Fei stood, brushing off her skirts as she met the princess’s gaze squarely. “Perhaps there’s a reason for that, Your Highness.”

“A reason?” the princess echoed, her voice tinged with frustration. “What reason could there be?”

Fei hesitated, choosing her words carefully. “You’ve said it yourself. In all your studies of Northcy, there was no mention of any brothers. Clearly, they were meant to be kept a secret—not from everyone, but from you.”

The princess’s breath caught, the realization hitting her like a cold wave. “Because I’m still the enemy to them,” she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’ll always be the enemy to them.”

“We’ve been enemies for nearly a century, Your Highness,” Mei said gently, stepping forward to adjust the princess’s sleeve. “It’s going to take more than learning their ways to move forward. Trust isn’t built overnight.”

Before the princess could respond, a sharp knock echoed through the room, cutting through the heavy silence. All three women turned toward the door, their movements freezing for a moment. The princess’s heart quickened. It had to be Jeno, coming to escort her to lunch. The moment she had been both dreading and anticipating had arrived.

Fei and Mei exchanged a quick glance before Mei stepped forward to open the door. The princess straightened her posture, smoothing her dress and lifting her chin. Whatever awaited her at lunch, she would face it with the grace and poise expected of a princess. But as the door creaked open, revealing Jeno’s tall, imposing figure, she couldn’t shake the unease that coiled in her stomach. The secrets of the Northcy court were beginning to unravel, and she had a feeling that lunch would only bring more questions than answers.

The prince stood on the other side of the door, his expression unreadable, his posture stiff. He wore a crisp white button-down shirt tucked into black tailored pants, his attire simple yet commanding. His thoughts churned, a storm of doubt and reluctance. Is this the right time? he wondered. Should she really meet them now?  He understood the necessity of the princess becoming acquainted with his family, but this felt too soon, too personal. It was as if she were stepping into a part of his life he wasn’t ready to share—a part he had kept guarded for years.

“Shall we, Princess?” Jeno’s voice was cool, detached. He didn’t step into the room, didn’t cross the threshold. Instead, he remained in the hallway, maintaining a deliberate distance, as if to remind her—and himself—that this was merely duty, not choice.

The princess didn’t bother with a verbal response. Instead, she offered a graceful bow, her movements fluid and regal, before stepping out of the room. Her maids lingered behind, their eyes following her with quiet concern. As she joined Jeno in the hallway, Chan and Hyunjin fell into step behind her, their presence a silent but unwavering reminder of their loyalty.

Jeno noticed them immediately. He turned, his sharp gaze flickering to the guards trailing the princess. “You can dismiss your guards, Princess,” he said, his tone casual but firm. “They don’t need to escort you to lunch. I can handle that.”

The princess stopped,  the heels of her boots clicking softly against the marble floor. She turned to look at Chan and Hyunjin, her protectors. Chan’s jaw was clenched, his hands flexing at his sides as if ready to draw a weapon at a moment’s notice. Hyunjin’s eyes narrowed, his sharp gaze locked on Jeno, assessing him like a threat. The princess had to suppress a smirk. Her guards didn’t trust easily, and they certainly didn’t trust Jeno.

“I think it gives them peace of mind to follow, Your Highness,” the princess said, her voice calm but laced with steel. She tipped her head slightly, a gesture of respect that wasn’t quite genuine. “If you don’t mind, I would like them to stay.”

Jeno studied her for a moment, his expression unreadable. Then he nodded, though the tension in his shoulders betrayed his irritation. “It is your decision, Princess,” he said, his tone clipped.

The words stung, though Jeno hadn’t intended them to. Her decision? When had anything ever been her decision? From the moment this alliance was proposed, her life had been dictated by others—her parents, the council, the queen. Even now, as she stood in this foreign palace, she was a pawn in a game she hadn’t chosen to play. The bitterness of it burned in her chest, but she kept her face composed, her posture regal. She couldn’t afford to show weakness, not here, not now.

“Shall we?” Jeno repeated, gesturing down the hall with a sweep of his hand. His tone was polite, but the edge in his voice was unmistakable. He was as uncomfortable with this as she was, and that knowledge gave her a small, grim satisfaction.

The princess nodded, falling into step beside him. Chan and Hyunjin followed a few paces behind, their presence a silent but potent reminder that she wasn’t entirely alone in this. As they walked, the weight of Jeno’s words lingered in the air, heavy and unspoken. Her decision. The irony of it was almost too much to bear. But for now, she would play her part, even if it meant stepping further into a world that seemed determined to keep her at arm’s length.

When they arrived at the dining hall, Jeno placed a hand lightly on the small of the princess’s back, guiding her toward the table with a formality that felt performative and distant. Chan and Hyunjin remained at the entrance, their sharp eyes scanning the room as they took up their positions. They were close enough to watch but too far to hear much, a deliberate arrangement that left the princess feeling both guarded and exposed.

As they approached the table, Jeno began the introductions, his tone clipped but polite. The first to rise was the oldest brother, Taeyong. He was tall and lean, with a striking handsomeness that commanded attention. His sharp jawline and piercing eyes gave him an air of authority, but his smile—wide and almost childlike—softened his presence, making him seem approachable despite his imposing stature. “This is Taeyong,” Jeno said, his voice neutral, though the princess noticed the faintest flicker of respect in his eyes.

Next was Mark, the second brother. He was closer in age to Jeno, with pitch-black hair that fell slightly into his round, expressive eyes. His features were softer than Taeyong’s, with small lips that curved into a shy smile as he nodded in greeting. There was a quiet intensity about him, a sharpness in his gaze that suggested he missed very little, even if he chose not to speak much.

Finally, Jeno gestured to the youngest of the three, Donghyuck—or Haechan, as he was often called. His tan skin and round, cherubic face set him apart from his brothers, his puffy cheeks giving him a youthful, almost mischievous appearance. But it was his energy that truly stood out; he radiated a brightness that seemed to light up the room, his smile as warm and inviting as the sun itself. “We call him Haechan,” Jeno explained, his tone softening slightly, “because his personality is as bright as the sun.”

The princess studied each brother in turn, her mind racing to piece together the dynamics of this family. They were so different—in appearance, in demeanor, in the way they carried themselves—and yet there was an undeniable bond that tied them together. She could feel the weight of their shared history, the unspoken tensions and loyalties that shaped their interactions. This was more than just a family; it was a puzzle, one she was only beginning to unravel.

“It is a pleasure to meet you,” the princess, repeating her bow as always.  She could hear the faintest chuckles as she moved. 

“Jeno,” Haechan whined, “don’t make her perform such formal greetings.” 

The prince could feel the heat of irritation rise through him. He was not making the princess perform anything. 

“Princess (y/n), you don’t need to be so formal. It’s just lunch with family,” Taeyong spoke, his tone light and breezy.  His suggestion felt like a trap to the princess. Something to make her show her cards. A way to get her to prove she isn’t good enough. The princess was all too cautious. “Let’s sit.” 

The prince pulled out the chair for the princess. Although some would think his action was kind, the princess felt the action inauthentic. The prince had just been raised to be a gentleman regardless of feelings. 

The meal carried on with an unexpected ease, the conversation light and filled with stories of their youth. There was no talk of weddings or alliances, no probing questions about the princess’s knowledge of her kingdom or theirs. For the first time since her arrival, the atmosphere felt almost… normal. Like a simple lunch between brothers, free from the weight of politics and expectations.

The princess watched Jeno closely, struck by the change in him. In all the meals they had shared, she had never seen him smile—not truly. But here, surrounded by his brothers, his demeanor shifted entirely. His usual guardedness melted away, replaced by a warmth and ease she hadn’t thought him capable of. The difference was stark, almost jarring. It was as if she were seeing a completely different person.

“Princess,” Haechan’s voice cut through the laughter, pulling her from her thoughts. He leaned forward slightly, his bright eyes curious. “Do you have any siblings?”

The question hit her like a physical blow. Her utensils slipped from her fingers, clattering loudly against her plate. The sound echoed in the sudden silence that fell over the table. The princess felt the color drain from her face, her hands trembling as she struggled to maintain her composure. The memories rushed in unbidden—her sister’s laughter, her brother’s mischievous grin, the emptiness that had followed their loss.

“Haechan,” Taeyong’s voice was sharp, a low growl that carried the weight of authority. He didn’t need to say more; the name alone was a reprimand. Haechan immediately shrank back, his cheerful demeanor faltering under his brother’s stern gaze.

“I did,” the princess said finally, her voice soft but steady. She stared down at her plate, her fingers gripping the edge of the table as if it could anchor her. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to look up, meeting Haechan’s apologetic gaze. “They have passed.”

The silence that followed was heavy, the weight of her words settling over the table like a shroud. Taeyong was the first to speak, his tone measured and diplomatic, though his eyes held a flicker of genuine sympathy. “We are sorry for your loss, Princess.”

Jeno, who had been unusually quiet, spoke next, his voice barely above a whisper. “I had a sister,” he admitted, his words surprising even himself. It was a part of his past he rarely acknowledged, a wound he kept carefully hidden. “She too passed.” His eyes met the princess’s, and for a moment, there was something unspoken between them—a shared understanding of grief, of loss, of the scars that war leaves behind.

The princess held his gaze for a heartbeat longer before turning back to the table, forcing a small, fragile smile. “Please,” she said, her tone light but carrying an undercurrent of pleading, “let us discuss happier things.”

Taeyong nodded, his expression softening as he offered her a reassuring smile. But beneath his calm exterior, his thoughts churned. He knew about the princess’s siblings. He knew how they had died—during the war, likely as a result of his own campaigns. As the general of the Northcy army, he had overseen countless battles, each one leaving its mark on both sides. The irony wasn’t lost on him; here he sat, sharing a meal with the woman whose family he had helped tear apart, all in the name of an alliance that was supposed to bring peace.

The meal resumed, the conversation gradually returning to lighter topics, but the tension lingered, a silent reminder of the fragile threads holding this alliance together. The princess’s smile never quite reached her eyes, and Jeno’s laughter felt forced, the weight of their shared history pressing down on them both. For all the warmth and camaraderie at the table, the shadows of the past were never far away.

As the meal drew to a close, the brothers exchanged their final remarks, the warmth of their camaraderie filling the room. Taeyong stood abruptly when his phone buzzed, his expression tightening as he glanced at the screen. “Excuse me,” he said, stepping away to take the call. When he returned, his face was clouded with irritation. “I have to leave,” he announced, his tone clipped. “There’s an issue at the stables that needs my attention.”

“Let us come with you,” Haechan suggested eagerly, already on his feet. His eyes sparkled with excitement. “We can take a ride after you sort it out. It’s been ages since we’ve all ridden together.”

Mark nodded in agreement, a small smile playing on his lips. “The first snow is supposed to fall today,” he added. “It was our tradition to ride during the first snowfall.”

Jeno, who had been quietly observing, stood as well. “It would be nice, Taeyong,” he said softly, his voice carrying a rare note of vulnerability. The princess watched the exchange, struck by how much the brothers seemed to cherish these moments together. It was clear they didn’t get to spend much time as a family anymore.

Taeyong hesitated, his brow furrowed as he weighed the request. “I’m not sure…” he began, but Haechan cut him off, his voice tinged with playful whining.

“You never see us anymore,” Haechan said, pouting slightly. The princess noticed how Taeyong’s stern expression softened at his younger brother’s words.

Mark stepped closer, his head tilted in a gesture of quiet pleading. “It’s been a while since we’ve done something together, Taeyong,” he said, his tone gentle but insistent.

Taeyong sighed, the tension in his shoulders easing as he relented. “Fine,” he said, though his voice still carried a note of caution. “But no promises that this situation will be resolved quickly.”

The brothers��� faces lit up at his agreement, their smiles bright and genuine. The princess couldn’t help but feel a pang of warmth at the sight. It was a rare, heartwarming moment, one that reminded her of the family she had lost.

As the brothers began to gather their things, the princess stood, preparing to excuse herself. She dipped into a deep bow, her voice soft but formal. “It was a pleasure to dine with you all—”

“You’re not leaving now, are you?” Haechan interrupted, his tone incredulous as he turned to face her.

The princess felt a flush rise to her cheeks, caught off guard by his directness. “I… yes,” she stammered, unsure how to respond.

“You have to come with us,” Haechan insisted, his enthusiasm undimmed. “We’re going horseback riding. It’ll be fun!”

“I don’t know how to ride,” the princess admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Haechan waved off her concern with a grin. “It’s fine—you can ride with me,” he said, reaching out to take her arm. Before she could protest, he had linked her arm with his, pulling her gently but firmly toward the stables.

The princess stumbled slightly, caught off guard by his forwardness. She glanced at Haechan, searching for some explanation for his behavior, but he simply looked happy—genuinely, uncomplicatedly happy. It was a feeling she hadn’t experienced in a long time, and it left her momentarily speechless.

Jeno, however, was far from pleased. He watched the interaction with a growing sense of unease, his jaw tightening as Haechan led the princess away. He didn’t like the idea of her being dragged into this—into his life, his family’s traditions. It felt like an intrusion, a boundary being crossed too soon. And he especially didn’t like how Haechan had handled it, pulling her along without a thought for her comfort or consent. It was disrespectful, and it grated on him more than he cared to admit.

As the group made their way to the stables, Jeno lingered behind, his thoughts a tangled mess of frustration and resentment. He didn’t like any of it—not Haechan’s impulsiveness, not the princess’s presence, and certainly not the way this alliance was forcing him to open parts of his life he’d rather keep closed. But for now, he had no choice but to follow, his steps heavy with reluctance as he trailed behind the others.

Taeyong could see the frustration etched across Jeno’s face as they walked to the stables. It wasn’t hard to miss—the tightness in his jaw, the way his shoulders were stiff, the storm brewing in his eyes. Taeyong understood why Jeno felt this way. This wasn’t the life Jeno had envisioned for himself. He was angry—angry at the council for forcing this title on him, angry at his parents for forging this alliance, and, deep down, angry at himself for being born into this role. Taeyong wished he could ease his brother’s anger, but he knew Jeno would have to come to terms with his circumstances in his own time. Acceptance wasn’t something Taeyong could force on him, no matter how much he wanted to.

When they arrived at the stables, a man dressed in the crisp uniform of a palace guard approached Taeyong and pulled him aside. The princess watched, along with the other princes, as Taeyong listened intently to what the guard had to say. She didn’t mean to stare so openly, but her curiosity got the better of her. Prince Haechan noticed her focused gaze and leaned closer to her, a mischievous glint in his eye.

“Wondering who that is, Princess?” Haechan asked, his voice low but playful.

Before he could continue, Jeno cut in sharply, his tone firm. “Haechan.”

Haechan rolled his eyes, unfazed by his brother’s reprimand. “She’s going to find out eventually, Jeno. She’s your fiancée, after all.” He turned back to the princess, ignoring Jeno’s glare. “That’s Johnny,” he explained. “He’s the head palace guard. He oversees all the guards stationed here at the palace.”

The princess listened carefully, grateful for the information. It was rare for someone to offer her insights so freely, and she clung to every word. Still, she felt like she was being handed puzzle pieces without seeing the full picture. “I still don’t understand,” she admitted, her brow furrowing slightly. 

Haechan smirked, a hint of pride in his expression. “Taeyong is the General of the Army. He’s in charge of every guard, soldier, and officer in Northcy. They all report to him.” He paused, letting the information sink in. Slowly, the princess began to connect the dots, though many questions still lingered.

Jeno, however, wasn’t pleased. “Haechan,” he said again, his voice sharper this time. He knew the princess would eventually learn all of this—she was going to be part of the family, after all. But he wasn’t ready to share so much about Northcy, about their family, or about himself. Trust didn’t come easily to him, especially not with someone who still felt like a stranger.

Meanwhile, Taeyong finished his conversation with Johnny and glanced back at his brothers and the princess, who were waiting patiently. Johnny had informed him that some of the palace guards were unhappy about sharing their dormitory with the princess’s guards. Taeyong sighed, his tone firm but calm. “They’ll have to deal with it for now. There’s nowhere else to house them at the moment.”

“I’ll do my best to make them see reason, sir,” Johnny replied, though he knew any complaints would likely fall on deaf ears.

“Thank you,” Taeyong said, dismissing Johnny with a nod. He turned back to the group and gestured to the stable hands to prepare the horses. The princes’ faces lit up at the prospect of riding together, their excitement palpable.

“Princess,” Taeyong called, his voice cutting through the chatter. She looked up at him, her expression attentive. “Tell your guards that we’ll be riding up the trail about half a mile north,” he said, pointing toward a clearing in the distance. “The ride will take about an hour and a half. They can grab lunch while they wait for you.”

“Yes, thank you, Your Highness,” the princess replied, bowing slightly. A grateful smile touched her lips as she went to relay the message to Chan and Hyunjin.  Chan didn’t like leaving the princess alone with strangers.  However the princess argued that it was important to build relations with each of the princes and this was a good opportunity.  Chan’s eyes flickered with something unspoken, something the princess was all too aware of.  “I’ll be okay, I promise,” the princess said softly, her words meant to ease Chan’s mind.  

“I’ll kill anyone who hurts you,” Chan said, the sentiment tugging at the princess’s lips to form a smile.  

“I know.” 

“We’ll see you after the ride, your highness,” Hyunjin said, as he and Chan both bowed to the princess before turning to leave.  

The stable hands were busy preparing the horses for the princes. Taeyong’s horse was a majestic white stallion, strong and sturdy, with an air of calm elegance. The moment the horse saw Taeyong, its ears perked up, and it let out a soft whinny of recognition. It was clear the two shared a deep bond. Mark’s horse was a sleek black mare, its coat as dark as midnight, with a proud, regal bearing. Haechan’s horse was a chestnut brown, its coat gleaming in the pale winter sunlight, reflecting its rider’s lively energy.

Jeno’s horse, also white, stood out in a different way. While Taeyong’s horse exuded serenity, Jeno’s had a colder, more distant demeanor—much like Jeno himself. It was a beautiful animal, but there was something guarded about it, as if it mirrored its rider’s emotions.

 The brothers began mounting their horses with practiced ease, their movements smooth and confident. Haechan turned to the princess, a playful grin on his face as he reached out to help her onto his horse. “Ready?” he asked, his tone light and teasing.

But before the princess could respond, Jeno stepped between them, his presence sudden and commanding. “The princess will ride with me,” he said, his voice firm but calm. He didn’t look at Haechan as he spoke, his gaze fixed on the princess instead. There was no room for argument in his tone, though the tension in his shoulders suggested he wasn’t entirely comfortable with the decision himself.

Haechan blinked, surprised, “why? She doesn’t want to ride with you.” 

“People will talk,” Jeno huffed, “if they see her riding with someone who isn’t her fiance, they will talk and we don’t need anyone talking right now.” 

Haechan smirked, stepping back, “very well brother. Apologies princess.” 

The princess hesitated, her eyes flickering between Jeno and Haechan. She wasn’t sure what to make of Jeno’s sudden intervention, but she could feel the weight of his gaze on her. There was something in his expression—something she couldn’t quite place—that made her nod silently in agreement.

Jeno extended a hand to her, his movements deliberate but not unkind. “Come on,” he said, his voice softer now. “I’ll help you up.”

The princess took his hand, her fingers brushing against his as she stepped closer to the horse. For a moment, the world seemed to narrow to just the two of them, the cold air and the distant chatter of the others fading into the background. It was a small moment, but it carried a weight neither of them could fully understand—or perhaps didn’t want to.

“Hold onto this part of the saddle,” Jeno instructed, his voice steady as he guided the princess’s hands to the leather grip. He helped her onto the horse, his hands firm but careful as he gently pushed her into place. The princess settled on the horse, her breath catching as she realized just how high off the ground she was. The horse shifted beneath her, its powerful muscles rippling, and she instinctively tightened her grip on the saddle.

Jeno swung up behind her, his chest pressing lightly against her back as he adjusted his position. The closeness felt strange to the princess—intimate in a way that made her pulse quicken. She wasn’t used to being this near to him, and the warmth of his body against hers was both comforting and unnerving.

“Keep your hands here,” Jeno said, leaning over her shoulder to point to the reins. His voice was calm, but there was a hint of amusement in his tone as he noticed her tense posture. “Don’t tug on this part,” he warned, giving the strap a gentle pull. The horse responded immediately, taking a step forward, and the princess let out a small gasp, her body jolting slightly.

Jeno chuckled softly, the sound low and warm. It was rare to see the princess so unsettled. She was always so composed, so regal, that her reaction was almost refreshing. “You’ll get used to it,” he said, his tone lighter now.

“Are we ready?” Taeyong’s voice cut through the crisp air, commanding attention. He sat tall on his white stallion, his posture every bit the general he was. Without waiting for an answer, he gestured toward the trail. “Let’s go.” His horse moved forward with a graceful stride, leading the way.

Jeno glanced down at the princess. “Ready?” he asked, his voice softer now. She nodded, her grip tightening on the saddle as the horse began to move. The rhythmic clip-clop of hooves against the ground was soothing, but the princess still felt uneasy. Being this close to Jeno, feeling the rise and fall of his chest against her back, was unfamiliar territory. It felt like they were playing roles in a performance, one without an audience. She couldn’t help but wonder: if they weren’t royals, if they weren’t bound by duty and expectation, could they have been friends? Could they have laughed together like companolns without the weight of an alliance hanging over them?  If they weren’t born to opposite sides of a war, would things between them be different?

“Race to the top?” Haechan’s voice broke through her thoughts, his tone brimming with excitement as they began to climb the trail.

Mark shook his head, his expression a mix of exasperation and amusement. “We can’t. The princess is with us.”

Haechan grinned, undeterred. “You’re only saying that because you know you can’t beat me,” he teased, making exaggerated chicken noises. The absurdity of it caught the princess off guard, and a genuine laugh escaped her lips—a light, melodic sound that surprised even herself.

Jeno stiffened slightly behind her, caught off guard by the sound. He hadn’t heard her laugh before, and he hadn’t expected it to be so… enchanting. It was a small, fleeting moment, but it lingered in the air like the first notes of a song.  

“I would totally beat you to the top,” Mark shot back, his competitive side flaring up.

“We all know my horse is the fastest,” Jeno interjected, his voice carrying a lightness the princess hadn’t heard from him before. It was a side of him she didn’t know existed—playful, almost carefree.

“Prove it,” Haechan challenged, and with that, he urged his horse forward, darting up the trail with a burst of speed.

“Cheater!” Mark shouted, spurring his own horse into a gallop as he chased after Haechan.

Jeno leaned closer to the princess, his breath warm against her ear. “You better hang on,” he warned, a hint of mischief in his voice. Before she could respond, he flicked the reins, and the horse surged forward. The sudden acceleration made the princess gasp, her heart racing as the wind whipped past her face. The world blurred around her, the trees and sky becoming a streak of colors as they sped up the trail.

Taeyong brought up the rear, shaking his head at his brothers’ antics, though a small smirk tugged at his lips. He urged his horse forward, joining the chase with a steady, controlled pace.

The princess clung to the saddle, her breath hitching as the horse’s powerful strides carried them faster and faster. The wind was cold against her cheeks, but it felt exhilarating, freeing in a way she had never experienced before. For the first time in what felt like forever, she wasn’t thinking about alliances or duties or expectations. She was simply living in the moment, feeling the rush of speed and the warmth of Jeno’s presence behind her.

Jeno’s laughter rang out, deep and unrestrained, and the sound sent a shiver down her spine. It was a laugh she hadn’t heard before, one that felt rare and precious. Without thinking, she laughed too, the sound bubbling up from somewhere deep inside her. It was wild and unrestrained, a reflection of the freedom she felt in that moment.

The trail stretched ahead, the brothers’ shouts and laughter echoing through the trees as they raced toward the top. For the first time, the princess felt a flicker of something she hadn’t known she was missing—joy, pure and unburdened. And as the horse carried them forward, she couldn’t help but hope that this feeling, this fleeting sense of freedom, might last just a little longer.

As they neared the top, clearing up ahead, Taeyong seemed to move faster towards them.  He confidently maneuvered his horse around them all.  Pulling ahead just before they reached the top.  It was clear then speed didn’t matter nearly as much as strategy.  As the princess and prince Jeno reached the top, the horse slowing down as they reached the clearing, she could feel the cold seep deeper into her.  She could feel herself begin to shiver.  

“This isn’t fair,” Haechan huffed, as he reached the top last.  The other brothers chuckled watching the baby pout about not winning the race.  

“That’s what happens you cheat,” Mark retorts back. 

“Shouldn’t have challenged us, if you weren’t confident in your abilities,” Jeno teases, adding salt to the wound of Haechan's hurt ego.  

“Look at this view,” Taeyong said, his voice carrying a rare note of awe as he dismounted his horse and walked toward the edge of the overlook. The other brothers followed, their boots crunching against the frost-covered ground. The vista before them was breathtaking—rolling hills, dense forests, and the distant glimmer of the city, all bathed in the pale winter light. It was a sight that could make anyone pause and marvel.

Prince Jeno dismounted his horse, his movements deliberate as he glanced at the ground. His eyes traveled upward, taking in the princess’s boots—elegant but impractical for the muddy terrain. “Stay on the horse,” he said, his tone firm but not unkind. “The ground is muddy from the melted snow. I don’t want you to get dirty.” His words were casual, almost dismissive, but they sparked a flicker of irritation in the princess. She wasn’t some fragile doll to be coddled, and his assumption grated on her.

Jeno led the horse closer to the edge, positioning it so the princess could take in the view. The landscape stretched out before her, vast and beautiful, but her mind was elsewhere. The prince’s unexpected kindness felt… off. It didn’t align with the cold, distant man she had come to know. Was this a genuine gesture, or was there something more behind it? Her thoughts raced, replaying every interaction from lunch to this moment, searching for hidden meanings. She couldn’t afford to let her guard down, not even for a second.

Jeno noticed the way the princess stiffened at his suggestion, her posture rigid and her expression guarded. He hoped this ride might help soften the tension between them, might show her that his resistance to the alliance wasn’t personal. If they had met under different circumstances—if they hadn’t been forced into this union—he wondered if things might have been different. But those were thoughts he kept to himself, buried beneath layers of duty and pride.

The winter air bit at the princess’s skin, sharp and unrelenting. She shivered involuntarily, her arms wrapping around herself in a futile attempt to ward off the cold. Jeno’s gaze flickered to her, his brow furrowing slightly. “Are you cold, Princess?” he asked, his voice softer now.

Before she could respond, he was already shrugging off his riding jacket, the one he had worn since they left the stables. “It’s quite alright, Your Highness,” the princess said quickly, her tone polite but firm. She didn’t want his jacket, didn’t want this sudden closeness. The ride had already felt too personal, and this—this was crossing a line.

“You’re shivering,” Jeno said, his voice leaving no room for argument. He swung back onto the horse behind her, his movements smooth and practiced. Before she could protest further, he draped the jacket over her shoulders, his hands lingering for a moment longer than necessary. “It’s not thick, but it’ll help,” he added, his tone matter-of-fact.

The princess hesitated, then reluctantly pulled the jacket tighter around her. It did help, blocking the worst of the wind and trapping what little warmth her body could muster. She hated to admit it, but she was grateful—not just for the jacket, but for the way his body heat seeped into her back as he settled behind her. It was a small comfort, one she didn’t want to acknowledge.

“Let’s head back down,” Jeno called to his brothers, his voice cutting through the crisp air. The others nodded, mounting their horses and preparing for the descent. Jeno’s arms brushed against hers as he reached for the reins, his proximity sending a jolt of awareness through her. She told herself it was just the cold making her skin prickle, but deep down, she knew better.

As they began the slow ride back, the brothers fell into easy conversation, their voices carrying over the crunch of hooves against the frozen ground. They reminisced about past rides, their laughter ringing out in the quiet winter air. The princess listened intently, her mind working to piece together the fragments of their shared history. Every word, every anecdote, was another clue to understanding this family she was being forced to join.

But even as she focused on their stories, she couldn’t ignore the warmth of Jeno’s body behind her, the way his presence seemed to fill the space between them. It was a strange, unsettling feeling—one she wasn’t ready to confront. For now, she clung to the reins, her walls firmly in place, even as the lines between duty and something more began to blur.

As they approached the stables, the princess spotted her guards waiting in the distance. Her eyes immediately locked onto Chan, and her heart sank. The tension in his jaw was unmistakable, his posture rigid, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Even from afar, she could see the flicker of pain in his eyes, and it sent a shiver down her spine. She had never seen him look like this—so raw, so hurt.

When they reached the stables, the stable hands hurried out to take the horses. Prince Jeno dismounted first, then turned to help the princess down. As her feet touched the ground, she shrugged off his jacket, the fabric slipping from her shoulders like a barrier being removed.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” she said, her tone poised and regal, but distant—so distant it felt like a wall had been erected between them. She turned to face Jeno and his brothers, offering a graceful bow. “Thank you for the ride. I must be on my way.”

No one argued as she turned and walked away, her guards falling into step behind her. Jeno watched her go, his thoughts a tangled mess. He had expected to feel relief as the distance between them grew, but instead, he felt… unsettled. Confused. The sight of her walking away left an uneasy feeling, one he couldn’t quite explain.

The princess kept her head high as she walked, her steps measured and deliberate. But once they were far enough from the stables, she reached for Chan’s hand, her fingers brushing against his in a silent plea for comfort. To her dismay, he pulled his hand away, his expression unreadable but his eyes betraying the storm within him.

“Chan, please,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “Don’t punish me for that.”

Chan remained silent, his jaw clenched as he stared straight ahead. Hyunjin walked a few paces behind them, his presence a quiet reminder of the boundaries they couldn’t cross. The tension between Chan and the princess was palpable, a heavy weight that neither of them could bear to address—until now.

When they reached her chambers, Fei and Mei were already inside, preparing her evening attire for dinner. The princess, acting on impulse, grabbed Chan’s wrist and pulled him into the room. She ignored the startled looks from her maids, dragging him past them and into her bedroom. The door shut behind them with a soft click, sealing them off from the world.

“Chan,” she pleaded, her voice trembling as she turned to face him. “Please, I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“You didn’t think playing happy couple with the prince would hurt me?” Chan shot back, his words sharp and biting. He knew they were unfair, but the pain in his chest was too much to hold back. 

“This is what’s expected of me,” she said, her voice rising in desperation. “I have no choice!”

“No,” Chan growled, his voice low and strained. “You’re expected to marry him, not fall in love with him.”

The words hit her like a slap. Tears welled in her eyes, spilling over as she stared at him in disbelief. “Why would you say that?” she whispered, her voice cracking. “How could you think that? I’m in love with you.”

Chan’s resolve wavered, his chest tightening as he looked at her. He wanted to turn away, to leave before he said something he couldn’t take back. But she reached for him, her hands gripping his arms as if she could anchor him to her.

“Don’t do this,” she begged, her voice breaking. “Don’t leave me.”

“My princess,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper, “you know we can’t.”

“No, Chan, don’t do this to me,” she cried, her hands moving to cup his face. Her tears streaked down her cheeks, her breath coming in shallow gasps. “Don’t punish me for loving you.”

“Do you think me walking away is meant to punish you?” he asked, his voice raw with emotion. “Do you think this is easy for me?”

Before he could say more, she pulled him closer, her lips crashing into his in a kiss that was equal parts desperation and longing. It was a kiss that carried years of unspoken feelings, of stolen glances and hidden touches, of love that could never be. When she finally pulled away, her forehead rested against his, their breaths mingling in the quiet room.

“Stay with me tonight,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I’ll tell them the ride made me sick. Stay with me, here in this room, just for tonight. Let us pretend, just for one night.”

Chan closed his eyes, his heart breaking as he gently pulled her hands away from his face. “You know we can’t, my princess,” he said softly, his voice thick with regret. “We can’t.”

“Chan,” she whispered, her voice barely audible as she watched him step back, putting distance between them.

“I’m sorry, (Y/n),” he said, his voice breaking as he turned and walked toward the door. He paused for a moment, his hand resting on the doorknob, but he didn’t look back. “I’m sorry.”

And then he was gone, leaving her standing alone in the middle of the room, her heart shattered into pieces.

Back at the stables, the princes were ensuring their horses were properly cared for when a palace servant approached. The servant bowed deeply before addressing them. “Crown Prince Lee Jeno, General Lee, Prince Lee Mark, and Prince Lee Donghyuck, your presence is requested by the king.”

Mark’s face immediately showed panic. “Father wants to see all of us? This can’t be good.”

Haechan, ever the optimist, waved off his brother’s concern. “Oh, come on! We haven’t done anything wrong.”

Jeno raised an eyebrow, skeptical. “Really? You’ve caused no trouble in the past day or two?” Haechan was known for his pranks, and Jeno wasn’t about to let him off the hook.

Haechan grinned and gave an exaggerated bow. “I promise, my future king, I have caused no trouble within the palace walls.” He knew addressing Jeno like that would annoy him, and he wasn’t wrong. Jeno immediately chased after him, the two brothers tussling like children.

Taeyong sighed, stepping in to break it up. “Hey, quit fighting. Do you want to keep the actual king waiting?”

“No,” both Jeno and Haechan muttered, their heads hanging low as they reluctantly stopped. Together, the four brothers made their way to see the king.

When they arrived, they found their father and Jeno’s mother waiting in the king’s private drawing room. The room was simple and understated, more like a cozy lounge than a formal royal space. Behind a shelf of books was a hidden door that led to the king’s private office—a place no one but the king and his personal butler, Jung, were allowed to enter. Not even the queen or the princes had ever stepped foot inside.

“Your Majesties,” Taeyong greeted, bowing respectfully. The other brothers followed suit, staying silent as they waited for their father to speak.

“You requested our presence, Father?” Taeyong asked, standing tall and meeting the king’s gaze.

The king nodded, his expression serious. “Yes. I have an announcement to make. After Princess (Y/n) and Jeno’s marriage, I am considering stepping down as king.”

Jeno’s eyes widened in shock. “What, Father?!”

The king continued, his tone calm but firm. “Yes, I will step down from the throne after your marriage, Jeno, and you will be crowned king. But before that, I want to make Mark and Donghyuck full members of the council.”

Jeno was still reeling from the news. “Father, stepping down? No king in the history of our kingdom has ever done that. Is that even possible?”

The king’s expression didn’t waver. “If it’s not possible, I will make it possible.” He handed Jeno a stack of papers, which the other brothers peeked at curiously. “These are the accords of the alliance. The Kingdom of Modia will be transferred into our control as a territory of Northcy. However, this transfer will only happen once you ascend the throne.”

Jeno’s frustration was evident. “Father, you can’t be serious. You want me to take the throne early just to assume control of a kingdom that shouldn’t be ours?”

The king’s gaze hardened. “Jeno, this is reparations for the war. And let’s not forget—Modia will fall without this arrangement. This is as much for their sake as it is for ours.”

Jeno stood his ground, his voice firm. “Father, no. You can’t justify taking over another kingdom just because of the war.”

The king rose from his seat, his presence imposing as he placed both hands on Jeno’s shoulders. His grip tightened, a silent reminder of his authority. “My boy,” he said, his voice low and warning, “you’d do well to watch your tone with me.” He paused, then turned to Taeyong, changing the subject. “I’m sure you have much work to do, Taeyong?”

Taeyong nodded, stepping forward. “Yes, Father. The plans to withdraw soldiers from the front lines are underway. I leave in a few days to oversee it personally.” He gestured for Jeno to follow him, and the two left the drawing room together.  Mark and Haechan stayed to talk to the king further about their own assignment.  

Once they were out of earshot, Jeno turned to Taeyong, his face filled with worry. “Taeyong, I don’t want this. I don’t want to be king. I don’t want to get married.  This isn’t fair, nor is it right.”

Taeyong placed a reassuring hand on Jeno’s shoulder. “Jeno, you’ll make a fine king. Don’t worry so much and the arrangement will help Modia as well, if it didn’t they wouldn’t have agreed. And the princess is a beautiful girl. What’s the problem with marrying her?”

Jeno sighed, running a hand through his hair. “The problem isn’t her. The problem is marriage itself. I don’t want it—not now, at least. I want to marry someone I know, someone I love, not someone Father and Mother forced upon me.”

Taeyong understood his brother’s frustration, but there was little he could do. Jeno’s duty as the only male heir of the true king and queen was non-negotiable. Before Taeyong could respond, a maid approached, calling him away for another matter. Left alone, Jeno stood in the hallway, his thoughts swirling with doubt and dread.

That evening, during the quiet hum of the evening meal, Prince Jeno found himself watching the princess. His gaze lingered on her as she ate, her movements graceful and deliberate. He wondered if she knew the full extent of the accords binding their union. Did she understand what this alliance truly meant—not just for them, but for their kingdoms? For a fleeting moment, he even wondered how she felt about it all. Did the thought of Modia falling under his control pain her? Did she resent him for it? The questions gnawed at him, but he kept them locked away, his expression unreadable.

The princess, meanwhile, was lost in her own thoughts. Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions and questions—love and duty, politics and alliances, right and wrong, truth and lies. She was beginning to realize that this union would cost her far more than she had anticipated. It wasn’t just her freedom at stake; it was her identity, her people, her very sense of self. And if she wanted answers, she would have to fight for them.

When the meal ended and the princess returned to her chambers, her thoughts refused to quiet. As her maids helped her into her sleeping attire, she couldn’t shake the memory of something Jeno had mentioned during lunch. “Mei,” she called suddenly, stopping the maid mid-motion. “Fetch my robe. I want to go to the library.”

Fei frowned, her brow furrowing in concern. “Your Highness, it’s late. Surely this can wait until morning?”

“No,” the princess said firmly, her mind racing. “The prince mentioned something today—something I need to understand.”

“What was it, Your Highness?” Mei asked as she helped the princess into her robe.

“He mentioned a sister,” the princess said, her voice low. Both maids froze, their eyes widening in surprise. “And he said his older brother has a different mother. Who’s to say the others don’t as well?” Her expression was a mix of confusion and determination as she tried to piece together the fragments of information. “And the oldest brother, Taeyong—he’s the general. In my studies, I learned that the general holds two votes on the council. One as general, and one as prince.”  The last sentence she said softly as if it were more for herself than for her maids. 

The princess stopped abruptly in the middle of the dimly lit hallway, her thoughts clicking into place. “Your Highness?” Mei asked, her voice tinged with worry.

“Prince Taeyong,” the princess murmured, her eyes narrowing as the realization hit her. “He was stripped of his title as crown prince, so he became the general instead.”

Fei and Mei exchanged a glance, their concern growing. “Your Highness?” Fei prompted gently.

“I think,” the princess said slowly, turning to face her maids, “I think I’m beginning to understand Prince Jeno’s anger toward the council.” Without another word, she continued down the hall, her maids hurrying after her.

When they reached the library, the princess pushed open the heavy wooden doors and stepped inside. The room was vast, its towering shelves filled with books and scrolls that held the secrets of Northcy’s history. She moved quickly, scanning the titles for anything that might shed light on the royal family’s past.

“I’ll prepare some tea,” Fei said, knowing this would be a long night. “And I’ll inform Chan and Hyunjin of your whereabouts. They won’t be pleased to find you out of your chambers so late.”

Mei nodded, a hint of amusement in her voice. “They’ll want to stand guard, no doubt.”

The princess raised an eyebrow, a small smile tugging at her lips. “I’ll be fine. We’re still within the palace walls.”

Fei sighed softly, her own smile faint. “I’ll let them know.”

“Tell them not to come,” the princess added, her tone firm but kind. “They deserve a proper rest. Just inform them where I am so they’re not worried.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Fei said with a bow before slipping out of the library.

Hours passed as the princess pored over books and scrolls, her determination unwavering. The information she found was fragmented, never quite enough to answer all her questions. Mei and Fei, seated nearby, began to yawn as the night wore on. They exchanged tired glances, wondering how much longer their mistress would keep them up.

“Your Highness,” Fei said finally, breaking the silence. “It’s late. You should return to your chambers.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Mei agreed. “It’s not proper for you to be out like this.”

The princess smiled faintly, her eyes still scanning the pages before her. “Go, both of you. Get some rest. Tomorrow is another day. I’ll return to my chambers shortly.”

“Your Highness…” Fei began to protest.

“Don’t worry,” the princess said, her tone gentle but firm. “I’ll be fine. Go—that’s an order.”

Reluctantly, the maids bowed and left the library, their footsteps fading into the silence.

More time passed, the princess growing more engrossed in her search. She was so absorbed that she didn’t hear the library doors open or notice the soft footsteps approaching.

“It’s late, Princess,” a voice said, cutting through the quiet.

The princess jumped, her heart racing as she turned to see Prince Jeno leaning against a bookshelf. He was dressed casually in a white compression shirt that clung to his torso, accentuating his athletic build, and a pair of grey sweatpants. His hair was slightly disheveled, as if he, too, had been unable to sleep.

“Your Highness,” the princess said, standing quickly and bowing.

Jeno waved off the formality. “What are you doing here so late?” he asked, his gaze drifting to the books and scrolls scattered across the table. His expression softened as he realized what she had been studying—his family’s history, their lineage, their secrets.

“You won’t find her in these,” he said quietly, his voice tinged with something the princess couldn’t quite place.

“I don’t know what you mean, Your Highness,” she replied, though her heart was pounding.

Jeno sighed, running a hand through his hair. “My sister,” he said, his voice low. “She died young. She was born sick and passed away before she turned ten.” He looked down, his shoulders tense. “The council thought her existence was a weakness. They erased her from the records—no birth, no death. As if she never existed.”

The princess’s heart ached for him. The idea that the council could so callously erase a child’s life, all for the sake of maintaining an image of strength, was horrifying. “Your Highness…” she began, her voice barely above a whisper.

Jeno looked up, his eyes meeting hers. For a moment, the walls between them seemed to crumble. He took a seat at the table, his posture relaxed but his expression serious. “Ask me anything, Princess,” he said. “for Tonight, I’ll give you the truth.”

The princess was stunned. She searched his face for any hint of deception, but all she saw was sincerity. For tonight, at least, it seemed Jeno had decided to forget she was the enemy. And so, with a deep breath, she began to ask her questions.

[myhimbomingi]

Shower Ecstacy

✧ pairing: song mingi x afab!reader ✧ theme: established relationship, idol!au ✧ wc: ~1.6k ✧ warnings: smut (18+ mdni), reader is fem forward, fingering (f. receiving), unprotected sex (wrap up ya'll!), creampie, petnames (f. receiving - baby, babe, love), fluff and after care at the end ✧ a/n: this is my first time writing smut! Idk what took over me but I had to get this out of my brain. please be nice ;-; I'm very shy and nervous about posting this but I hope ya'll will like it! maybe even love it? please share your thoughts and any feedback would be amazing so I can write better in the future!

“Babe! I’m gonna shower real quick!” You yell from your boyfriend’s bedroom. You both have been together all day to catch up after a few weeks from being apart. Your boyfriend had many schedules with no breaks in between so today was the first day you both could hang out. He is in the kitchen making some dinner and you just really needed to clean up. 

“Sounds good!” He yells back.

His voice brings a small smile to your face. You just can’t help it!

You walk into his bathroom from his bedroom and get all of your things set up placing fresh clothes on the counter with all of your skin care and hair products. 

You love his bathroom. You wish he could just ask you to move in so you can use it everyday! It’s a master bath size with heated floors, jacuzzi, towel warmer, and a beautiful walk in shower big enough to probably fit 3 people. The amount of times you both had sex together in that shower was beyond the number you can count on your hands and feet combined. 

You take off your clothes, throwing them in a pile in the corner, and turn on the shower making it nice and hot. The best thing about this shower is that it has one of those shower heads that makes it feel like you are showering in the rain. It soothes you so much, releasing all the stress from your body and mind. As you turned it on, you noticed something different. Instead of it being a fixed shower head, it’s now one of those you can take off from the wall. You walk in feeling as if the water is the same but now the shower head has some new features. To your surprise, there is a jet option which does peak your interest.

You look down and bring the shower head between your legs. You jump a bit with sudden sensitivity and pleasure. You try again and hold the strong stream much longer, already feeling the ecstasy flow through your body. You start to whimper, holding on to the wall for balance and placing your foot up on the ledge to be in a better position. 

You try your hardest to stay quiet but the water pressure was beyond anything you have ever felt. Your whimpers turned into loud whines. The sound of the water kept drowning out the sound in your head so you thinking you were still being quiet was quite the opposite. You end up sitting on the ledge with your legs spread wide like you are wanting something more than just the water pressure itself.

As you were getting close to your climax, you heard a knock on the bathroom door.

“Babe, are you okay?” 

Since you’re so close to hitting your climax, you couldn’t muster up any type of reply. You stayed quiet, trying to hurry before he notices but then the door opens. “Babe?”

He walks over to the shower to check in on you only to see you sitting with your legs far apart, holding the water jet right on your heat. 

“Mingi…..” You managed to say, desperately looking into his eyes. You didn't even move the jet away from between your legs, even with being caught like this. 

He looks at you amazed, a growing smile on his face. “I can’t believe you’re playing with your present before I was able to show you” Mingi bites his bottom lip, getting turned on almost instantly seeing you so vulnerable like this. 

You peak down his body, seeing his bulge getting bigger and thicker. You deeply sigh, moving your eyes back to his. “Come here then and play with me” You managed to say, showing in your face the amount of pleasure you're still giving yourself. 

Without a second to spare, Mingi takes his clothes off and gets in the shower with you. He kneels down in front of you and takes the shower head out of your hands. You whine at him for taking away your orgasm that was truly just seconds away from happening. He just grins at you and immediately starts to play with you with his tongue. He runs his hands up your body, squeezing and pulling at your skin with the pleasure he has from just tasting you. 

You thrust your hips up, aching for more already and running your fingers through his hair, pulling and tugging to get him even closer. 

He sucks on your clit just the way you like it and quickly slides in two of his fingers hitting your g spot instantly. You scream in ecstasy, causing another sly grin to form on Mingi’s lips. He pulls off your clit with a pop and takes out his fingers though he of course continues to rub and tease the inside of your thighs to keep your high. “Why are you stopping?” You whine at him, tears streaming down your face with a desperate expression.

“I need you to turn around” Before you even have a chance to stand up and turn around, Mingi pulls you up and puts you in position. Legs spread apart with your hands on the ledge to balance you. Mingi pumps his dick a few times and teases your cunt with it, moving it back and forth with his hips. 

“Here baby, pleasure yourself again. I need you to scream for me and only me” Just by how Mingi says this to you with his deep raspy voice, you know how turned on he is. You know how this is gonna go and you are beyond excited. Out of all the relationships you have been in, Mingi is the only one that makes love to you the way you like it. It’s always fun and you never end up unsatisfied. 

You take the shower head from him and align it so it hits your clit just right. You whimper immediately feeling the ecstasy flow through you once again. 

Mingi quickly pushes his whole dick inside of you, slamming into your g spot without a moment to spare. “God baby, you feel so good…” He moans and tightens his grip on your hips, already leaving marks and bruises on your skin that you love. “You’re so beautiful like this. Taking in all of me with such ease…” He slides his right hand up your body and to your neck, choking you just enough to add into all the amazing sensations you are feeling. Mingi starts to thrust faster in you, gripping his large hand tighter around your neck, almost reaching his own climax. “Keep playing with yourself baby…don’t move that jet…” His breath his heavy.

Tears continue to fall down your face as you moan your boyfriend’s name. “Mingi…I’m so close…please…” Just as you say this, you hit your climax. You scream, whimper, and moan all at once, your body taking a mind of its own with pleasure as your walls pulsate all around Mingi. You keep the water jet pressure on your clit so you can ride out your climax as long as possible. 

“Fu-” Mingi couldn’t even finish the curse under his breath as he reached his climax as well. He removes his hand from your neck and balances himself on your hips, releasing inside of you with sloppy thrusts, trying to continue his feeling of ecstasy. 

“Keep going baby. Please keep going…” Mingi groans in desperation, still feeling your walls tighten around him. You push yourself more into him but you just can’t handle your orgasm anymore. 

“I can’t…” you drop the shower head and almost collapse with how weak your body is now. Mingi, out of breath, holds on to you before you fall. “It’s okay, love.” 

Mingi lifts you up and sits you back on the ledge to relax from your play. “Do you still need to wash up?” He brushes some hair from your face behind your ear as you look up at him and nod, looking totally beat. He smiles with a small chuckle and without hesitation, starts to wash your hair and lather you up.”Sorry if I was a little too rough. I couldn’t help myself seeing you so vulnerable like that” 

You giggle and reassure him “No, it was all perfect. I truly didn’t intend for this to happen but…curiosity got the best of me. I’m really glad you ended up walking in”

Mingi smiles at you shyly “You know, I really love you a lot” 

“I know you do!” You laugh

“Hey don't laugh! I really do love you. I’m so lucky to have you, y/n.”

You place both your hands on either side of his cheeks and pull him in for a smiley kiss. He kisses you back with a smile as well. “Thank you for being mine” You say quietly on his lips. He just responds with a deeper kiss, pulling away after a few seconds. “Okay, let’s get out of here.” He says happily. 

After finishing what you first intended to do in the shower, Mingi wraps your towel around you before getting his own. “I may need to reheat the dinner I made for us” He chuckles

“That’s okay! All part of our fun spontaneous day!” You exclaim as you playfully shake his cute face from his chin. He laughs with you and wraps his arms around your waist.

“So, can I help you do your skin care before we go eat?” He asks as he kisses the top of your head. You look up at him with the biggest smile on your face. “I thought you would never ask!”

[seungkwanniee]

MY TEACHER !

pairings : nonidol!seokmin x fem!reder

genre : fluff fluff fluff that i'm gonna cry , situationship

warnings : mention of a minor injury , calling the kids 'little creatures'

wc : 1k

synopsis : your (almost) boyfriend!seokmin is a kindergarten teacher

an: i have many ideas writted down but if you want to request, feel free to do so !! Latest post flopped soo hard omg 😭 I really thought it was going to be big and interesting...

〔masterlist〕

you just hop off your car, adjusting the long skirt that falls softly on your legs while a bag sitted comfortably on your shoulder. You look straight, smiling at the sound of the joyfull kids laughing that can be already heard from the outside. Butterflies full your stomach when your thoughts go to Seokmin, your long term situationship. You've met him right here, when you was doing one of your walks meanwhile he was running behind a kid that was... escaping? You just catched the kid in time and, to thank you, he decided to take you to a bar date. You never lost contact since then, around six months ago, and now it was pretty common that you wait for him outside the kindergarten where he works.

You can't say that it was love at frist sigh. At least, for you it was like that. Sure, he was really handsome, but his personality was the thing that made you fall for him. He was joyfull, like a sunshine, his smile was so contagious, his jokes were a little cheesy, but somehow they always made you laugh. Maybe because they were coming from him, and you were so in love of Seokmin. But above all, he was good with kids and you LOVED kids, how you can't fall for a man like this?

For him, it was surely love at frist sight. When you catched the kid for him so effortlessy, he raised his head to look who was the angel who helped him and it was an angel for real. He needed to be quick and think about a way to not lost contact with you, so he just proposed the most stupid thing that was passing in his mind. It worked to, so...

《do want to enter and see the kids?》

you stared at the text maybe for too long. Seokmin knows that you have a soft spot for kids, but he never asked you such a thing. You was so excited but at the same time a little nervous. It was embarassing just entering and passing by all the coworkers in a place where you don't belong to.

《if you don't want to it's okay, i'll be to you asap》

you could already see his pout or upset expressions behind the screen. You took a little too long to answer back, and he was really really sensitive, especially when talking about his little creatures.

《dw, i'll come in five》

you was already outside the school, yes but, come on, you needed some time to find the courage to do it.

after adjusting your straight brown hair looking at your reflection throught the car window, you make your way into the school and fortunately, the way into the garden was more easier than you thought.

A little giggle comes out of your mouth when you spot seokmin sitting on the grass, with little creatures wandering around him. They were sticking things, you were still too far to get what, on his hands while he alternate his bright smile to his cute fake pout. Your heart skip a beat at the vision, seokmin and kids? the most beautiful and cute thing you could ever seen.

His lips still curled into a pout while he says something to the little boy messing with his hand fulled of colorful plasters, and when he finally gets to notice you, his lips changes into a smile.

"i got hurt badly" he stands up from his place, showing you the hand a little to birght now. "oh, really?" you raise your eyebrow playing along his overdrammatic behavior. His nod makes you smile, eyeing the kids looking at you curiosly. After all, you were still a stranger to them.

"say hi to my friend kids" oh, friends really?, nothing stops you from giving him a confused look, but immediatly melting at the sound of the noisy children greeting and waving with their little and puffy hands. "aw~, how cute. Hi~" you wave at them too.

"wait, you have a scratch here too. Let me..." you look below his lips, slightly touching his pale skin, where there was actually nothing. He smiles at your touch, letting you almost touch his lips with your thumb. You grab from the package the remaining plasters, attacking one to his face, "cute" you humble under your breath. When he was right about to say something, kids starts to grab his sleeve, jumping up and down with plasters on their tiny hands, probably wanting to full his face too.

"is she your girlfriend, teacher Seokmin?" he was sitting again on the grass, while the kids where all over his face. The view made your heart flutter: the golden hour was hitting his face so perfectly, while his eyes where shutted and his head leaning back. "can you two kiss?" the kid didn't even let him answer.

"who told you we are togheter?" he smiles at the kid, discreetly laying his eyes to your figure. You looked so perfect in his eyes: the sun kissing your pale skin, your big brown eyes sparkling because of the sun while the slightly wind makes your hair wave togheter with your long skirt, hiding your long legs. He always think about how lucky he was, having such a woman wrappend around his finger, by his side but still too shy and coward to ask her officially. Just by landing his eyes on you, makes him want to love you forever, to the moon and back, giving all of himself. It's so big that there aren't right words to describe it, it was so overwhelming that his chest feels almost heavy. Saying a stupid 'I love you' wasn't describing how his feeling for you are.

"because you look at her how my dad does with my mum!"

[who-can-touch-my-boob]

<- Sanemi simp posts masterlist

Babbling brook and bickering

Sanemi x gn!reader

Gahhh, I just had this thought about Sanemi. Like we all know he’s a real toughy-tough guy whose immediate response to most is shouting or violence. A man so out of touch with his own emotions or how to act on them.

Now hear me out… when he accidentally catches you taking a quick dip in a stream while you’re on a mission together. He was gonna find some firewood and you some water to refill your canteens.

Okay, so there’s a little bit of history here. The two of you have been dancing around this tension that’s been brewing ever since you first met. Him being an ass, authoritative and aloof Hashira and you — the poor soul he’d picked up on his way to his mission.

He’d been told to bring someone, reluctantly Sanemi had agreed, not letting his annoyance truly come to surface until he’s outside. Fist clenched and veins popping on his forehead he looks around, eyes locked onto a poor, unassuming Demon Slayer lounging beneath a tree eating their lunch.

“You. Come with me, now.” Without bothering to wait for an answer, Sanemi chose the easiest way — grabbing your arm and pulling you with him. You’d been too startled to even process what’s going on.

After him briefing you on the mission, a days walks from here to a settlement in north, the two of you had set out.

But if Sanemi ever thought that you’d just come along without protests he’d been terribly wrong. Oh, how he wanted to just rip his hair out and scream up at the sky. Out of all the people, he had chosen the one who dared talking back to him. Him?

So, rewind. After traveling a whole day through the dense forest, bickering, arguing and almost ending up in a physical brawl you’d split up to find wood, food and shelter for the night.

When he had done his part, Sanemi (while scowling) stomp towards where you’d last been seen. He follows the sound of splashing water, not at all prepared for what he’s about to witness.

“What the hell?!”

The words come out as a yell, echoing throughout the forest. A flock of small birds hiding in a nearby bush immediately flutter away until it’s silent.

Sanemi, for once did not know what to do with himself. He unconsciously wet his lips with his tongue, his mouth moving as if he’s about to speak. But he’s unable to form a coherent sentence.

There you are, the most annoying creature in existence, bathing in a crystal clear stream, sunlight kissing your naked skin as it filters through the canopy above.

He’s staring. His brain disconnecting and eyes wide, roaming over your body. Water droplets trailing down, down and further down… until.

“Ahem.”

The sound of you clearing your throat pulls him back into reality. His bloodshot eyes widens even more, if that’s even possible when he realise what he’s doing.

For once his face is not read from anger, but embarrassment. Once your eyes meet, he sees your gaze flickering down and then a smirk spreading on your lips. Sanemi glance down to where you’d been looking.

He’s hard. So visibly hard. His loose hakama are tighter than ever.

“I-I… Y-You…”

“For fucks sake, just get in here and join me, Hashira.”

You bark out a laugh, the same laugh that makes his blood boil, but this time it’s a different kind… the kind that makes him fantasise about every possible way he could fuck you right now.

“Fucking hell…”

He grumbles, quickly undressing, tossing the clothes aside before closing the distance until your lips are only a breath away from his.

[frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe]

i literally have no idea what this is, or where it came from but here's a thing:

pairing: steddie | word count: 2,043 | rated: M (will be E in next part)

Eddie Munson was not Steve’s bi awakening, okay? He wasn’t.

He just happened to be standing in the middle of Family Video dressed like his bi awakening (and it didn’t help that he already had an embarrassingly huge crush on the guy).

Steve had come out of the back none the wiser to what he was about to see, glancing up from the tape he was carrying for someone who’d called earlier. His eyes met big, clunky, worn-in cowboy boots, long lean legs (and very nice ass–damn, they’ve got one of those stupid bandanas in their back pocket too) in classic Levis so tight they looked like they were painted on, the back of leather jacket (--hold on), and the back of a head of long, wild-looking, sun-kissed, yet still dark hair.

After his seconds-long oogling, Robin, who was chatting with Bon Jovi’s twin at the counter, glances behind him at Steve. 

Bon Jovi tries to turn and look back without taking himself off the counter, but when that insane hair of his gets in the way, he shoves up off the counter and spins on one heel.

“Munson? Where the hell’ve you been?” Steve thanks whatever it is up there that the surprise of seeing Eddie again temporarily suspends his frazzled ‘hothothothothot’ thoughts about his friend enough to respond normally.

“Damn, Stevie, been gone all summer and all I get is a ‘The hell’ve you been’?”

“Of course, asshole, you’ve been gone All. Summer.” Steve says, finally getting to the counter himself and dropping the tape on it. He scoops Eddie up in a tight hug, one long won from their month of recovery post-Vecna.

Everything went fine, Vecna was dead, the upside-down sealed away, but they hadn’t all left unscathed. Specifically Steve and Eddie, both of whom ended their spring break from hell nursing bat wounds, and closer than ever before. 

Then, after finally graduating, being hailed a hero for “saving” Max and Dustin from the real killer (thank you, suspicious government people), Eddie was hauled out of Hawkins by his Uncle, the former of whom got just enough time for a quick ‘Gotta go, Wayne wants me helping out at the farm this summer,’ before he was gone.

“I told you I would be, Harrington,” Eddie says once Steve sets him back down on his own two feet.

“So what happened? Where’ve you really been?”

Eddie raises a brow, “At the farm. Like I said.”

“Okay, well, excuse me for thinking it may have been the same 'farm' my parents said my childhood dog was sent off to.”

“You think my Uncle was gonna take me upstate to shoot me dead?”

“Obviously not, dumbass, but what other goddamn reason would you, Eddie Munson, have to be on a farm. Like with cows and stuff?”

“Though the sun did you some favors,” Robin cuts back in.

And isn’t that the truth. Up close now (and letting himself look), Steve could see how Eddie’s normally dark hair and pale complexion were now sun-kissed and so well be-freckled that it sent his stomach for another rollercoaster ride.

“Yeah, Munson, you planning on keeping the blond around?” Steve teases, picking up a strand of sun-lightened hair off Eddie’s shoulder and giving it a short tug.

“I don’t know, I’m not really used to how light…”

Whatever Eddie says after that is completely drowned out by ringing in Steve’s ears because Eddie stretches an arm up to paw at the top of his head and he’s wearing a crop top.

He’s wearing a goddamn crop top under his jacket, some band tee that looks like he’d hacked off himself..and are those abs?? God damn he is so fine. It’s not fucking fair. Who does he think he is running around like Steve’s own personal wet dre–

“Holy shit.”

He couldn’t help it. The words just fell out of his mouth.

“H-holy shit, you’ve got abs, Eddie!”

‘Thank you, Robin.’ Steve thinks at her absently since his brain is completely preoccupied..

“Wha–? Oh! Yeah! Check me out, huh?!” Eddie grins wide, lifting his shirt just a bit more to show off the toned expanse of stomach. 

Steve’s mouth goes bone dry.

“And that’s not all,” Eddie says. He drops his shirt and shucks the jacket off his shoulders.

His very well sculpted shoulders.

And arms.

And oh god those hands. Steve could hear the soft scrapes of rough callouses against the leather when Eddie threw the garment onto the counter beside him and his only thought was about how they might feel against his skin..

Still beaming, Eddie flexes one, then both arms, his biceps bunching under more tanned skin. “I got a lot of ‘lifting heavy things and putting them back down again’ in over the summer.” he continues, “I’m probably stronger than you now, Harrington.”

“Ha haha, right..yeah. Robin, can you excuse us for a second?”

Steve doesn’t wait for her response before he grabs Eddie around one of those absolutely delicious biceps and hauls him through the store and out the back door.

He lets a grinning Eddie go as soon as they’re through the back door, taking a couple steps away towards the woods behind their building, and trying to calm down with measured breaths.

When he does turn around, Eddie’s stood away from the door, one hip cocked out and his arms crossed across his chest.

The grin on his face has melted down into a smirk though, and the look in his eyes is less teasing and more cautious.

Steve steps back up close to the other man, and literally starts to circle him like a shark. Scanning his eyes up and down Eddie’s body as he does.

“What’s goin’ on Stevie? Looking for some style tips?” he jokes.

Steve doesn’t answer, and starts his second cycle around his friend.

“You know, maybe get rid of some of those polos?” Eddie sounds just a bit more unsure this time.

Steve’s behind Eddie’s right shoulder when he speaks again. “You think you can barge back in after all this time, looking like that,” Steve comes around to stand in front of Eddie again, “And not expect me to react?”

Eddie grins wickedly again, and steps back at the same time Steve steps forward.

“Expect me to not want to devour you whole?”

“You expect me to want that, big boy?” Eddie says as he’s pressed between Steve and the closed back door.

Steve rears back immediately, “Shit, Eddie, I’m sor–”

“‘Cause I do.” Eddie grabs hold of Steve and spins them around, pressing the younger man back against the door instead. “Ohhh boy, do I want that.”

Steve groans as Eddie slots their hips together, “You really are a big boy, aren’t you sunshine?”

“The things I’m gonna do to you..” Steve growls out, Eddie’s jaw snapping open with his words.

They’re both startled away from the back door when Robin bangs on it, “You’ve got five minutes to get back in here before I drag you back in! It’s Friday and we’re about to get busy!” she yells through the door.

He hears her converse squeak on the tile inside the door as she heads back to the front, then chances a look at Eddie.

He looks as red as Steve feels, from the bit of his face he can see from behind the hair he holds over it.

“Eddie–”

“It’s cool, Harrington,” he wheezes out a dry laugh, glancing over at him, “Better get in for the rush before Robin comes back.

He reaches for the handle again, but is stopped short by a hand on his wrist.

“Listen, Eddie.” Steve says, giving the other man’s arm a soft tug to get him to turn around. “I may have gotten a little…over enthusiastic…”

Eddie’s face scrunches up in a weird way.

“No! Not in a bad way, unless you weren’t as into it as I was–doesn’t matter! Point is, I may have gone a little crazy, but I wasn’t faking it.”

“I don’t think guys can fake it, Steve-o.” Eddie jokes softly, a small smile on his face.

Steve chuckles just as soft, “Shut up man, you know what I mean.”

“Do I?”

“I think you do.”

“I dunno Steve," Eddie shrugs sarcastically, "You’re quite an enigma.”

“Okay, fine, here’s it spelled out for you: I am super into you.” Steve puts up a finger to stop whatever it is Eddie was about to say, “Hold on– I am bisexual, have been for a while and would like to try this..with you. If you want.”

“You gotta be more specific on what ‘this’ is, sunshine.” Eddie steps close to him once again.

Steve smirks, walking Eddie backward to the door again with both hands on his waist. Once he’s got him pressed back against the warm metal, he scoops the hair away from Eddie’s ear and holds it out of the way with a hand on the back of his neck.

He leans in, whispering right into Eddie’s ear. “I want to take you apart, Eddie.”

Eddie sucks in a sharp breath and Steve can feel the man’s heart hammering against his own chest.

“I want to suck you down, eat you out, and fuck you into next Tuesday.” He states, nipping on his earlobe for good measure before pulling back. 

Steve takes in Eddie’s flushed face, his eyes blown out they’re almost completely black, his chest heaving.

“I’d also like to totally romance you and date the fuck out of you, but…” he shrugs, grinning as Eddie smacks his chest lightly with a laugh of his own.

“I’m serious though, Eddie. I want this.”

Eddie’s smile falls slightly. “You sure about the whole dating thing, Harrington? You know you can’t date me for real..like in public and shit.”

Steve shrugs, “I know, but… I don’t think I’d survive something casual with you, Eddie.”

Eddie lets out a breath like he’d been punched.

He takes back in a deep breath, then pulls Steve flush to him again.

“I think that sounds amend—-”

Eddie’s forehead smashes into Steve’s nose when Robin shoves the door open behind Eddie.

“Damn! I knew the door was a bad idea.” Steve says, his voice coming out nasally from where he’s pinching at the bridge of his nose.

“Time’s up, Dingus, get your fruity butt inside.”

Eddie chuckles after her, leading Steve inside. “You shouldn’t tip your head back, lean forward and let it drain out.”

“Ugh, you sure? I’ll get blood all over me,”

“I’m sure, sweetheart, I’ve had a few bloody noses in my time.”

“Here,” Robin says once they reach the counter.

Steve takes the offered tissues, and soaks up the small trickle of blood.

“You still wanna date me if my nose is crooked?” he asks Eddie, who’s (sadly) shrugging his coat back on.

He pretends to think for a moment. “Sorry Stevie, that’s a dealbreaker. Even if it was my forehead what done it.”

“Ugh you’re such a dweeb, I don’t know what you see in him, Steve.”

“He’s hot, okay? And he’s still hot even after he rejected me just now.” Steve states matter-of-factly while shoving a wad of tissue into the one nostril still bleeding.

“You think I’m hot?”

“Very.”

“No, you’re gross. You guys are both gross.”

“Oh Birdie, you should've heard the things he was saying to me outside; all ‘Ooh Eddie, your muscles are so big and so is your hair and also your di—’”

“OKAY! That’s enough of that!” Steve cuts him off, pushing the still grinning Eddie toward the door, then, a softer: “Yours or mine after I’m off?” once they’re at the door.

“Definitely yours, unless you want Wayne to be privy to our shenanigans.”

“Yeah, that’s a no. Also, shenanigans? Really? You’re a super dweeb.” Steve smirks, pushing his boyfr— frien— Eddie out the front door. “I’m off at four, see you at five?”

Eddie fumbles backward over the curb but manages to catch himself, “It’s a date, Steve.”

He watches Eddie climb up into his van, and follows its path down the road and out of sight with a dreamy sigh.

“You still have tissues in your nose, Dingus.”

part 2/2 here | and on AO3!

definitely inspired by this post from @sparrowtapes

[unholybacon355]

Everything stays in the family

Park Jihyo x G!P Huh Yunjin

Word Count: 6.8K

TW: Incest.

[PART 2] [PART 3] [PART 4] [PART 5]

DISCLAIMER: I'm adding this disclaimer because I think it's necessary.

This story have some taboo themes like incesto to name one. I need to say that obviously some of the things I wrote here aren't good and by any means I'm trying to make it look like good and normal things. Read at your own discretion.

Everything you see here is fiction and many things in this story are not really good. This is for fun and only for that. Also, all the characters you see here are adults and Jihyo is older, but I'm not specifying how old she is.

Another thing to say is that I have no clue about how human bodies actually work, so you can't expect me to be very accurate about some things. I'm not saying what because I want you to figure it out as you read.

Last thing to say is that I've been posting this story for a while on Ao3 and just now I'm doing it here. Because that I gonna post the two first chapters as one here, and this chapter gonna be full of sad things but this is necessary for the plot and background. So the smut really start on the next chapter, chapter that gonna be posted really soon here.

Summary: Things in Yunjin's life really turn upside down when someone unexpected returns from her past. After that everything becomes chaos in her life.

CHAPTER ONE

“Why is it so hard for you to call her like that? Just say it and that's it”

"Why? Maybe because she is not my mother… Not the real one at least.”

Chaewon stared at Yunjin before continuing, perhaps pondering her words or perhaps thinking of something completely different. One could never be sure with this girl. “You just admitted that you see her like a mother. It shouldn’t be that much of a problem just calling her that.”

Yunjin hugged her girlfriend around her waist and settled better next to her on the bed. “I know, it's just… It doesn't seem fair.” She pronounced the last part of that sentence lowering her voice, as if she thought she was saying something bad. “Yes, she has been very good to me and she helps me in everything she can without me even needing to ask. But I think I still owe something to my mother.” The redhead rested her head on her girlfriend's shoulder.

"Love. You don't owe that woman anything. She doesn't even talk to you anymore.” She gave the other girl a quick little kiss on the top of her nose before continuing. “It's like she has already forgotten that she is your mother, instead Jihyo has been taking care of you all this time. ”

“You make me look like the bad girl here.”

“None of that, I'm simply pointing out facts.”

“Well, I guess I'm avoiding calling her that because that would be accepting that my real mother doesn't love me anymore.”

Chaewon took her girlfriend's face with both hands and covered it with small kisses to try to change the sad expression that had taken over her. “If you lose a mother you will gain another fantastic one.” Another round of kisses on Yunjin's face and her expression began to change. “Plus I think it's a little bit hot.”

“EEEEEEEEWWWWWWW! It's my mother you're talking about.”

“Do you see how it is not so difficult? “You just need the right motivation.”

“My girlfriend trying to seduce my father's wife is not the kind of motivation I would expect.” As soon as she finished the sentence she couldn't contain her laughter, which quickly spread to her girlfriend. She kissed her back, laughing, and they both fell back on the bed. Yunjin had to admit that although sometimes the most random phrase one could expect could come out of Chaewon's mouth, or not, but when she was right she really was. “Her birthday is coming up, it would be a good gift. “I just hope she doesn't think I do so I don't feel displaced.”

“I'm sure she will understand and she will be happy. She's going to have two new daughters at the same time."

“Are you still with that idea? The truth is it is still too early to know that. There is still about a month left to know for sure.”

“It's just a feeling, but I want a younger sister.”

“Not only is it enough for you to want to steal my mother, you also plan to steal my new sister.”

“You really accepted the idea of calling her mother very quickly.”

“I do it partly to make you ashamed of making those horny jokes, even though I know it's no use.” Both girls laughed happily at Yunjin's words.

“Of course it's of no use. But you know I only find her hot because she looks a lot like you.” As soon as she finished the sentence, Chaewon blew a kiss to her girlfriend, which made the two of them burst into uncontrollable laughter.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hours later, Yunjin drives home later than she should have been. She had promised Jihyo that she would help her with some things around the house, but because of her girlfriend Yunjin had missed the time. Even though she knew Jihyo wouldn't be upset, she was still worried that she didn't get home on time.

Her father's wife had always been very good to her. From the moment they met she treated her well, even before they became a couple with her father they already got along well. The truth was that Jihyo was a kind and happy woman, hardworking and very brave; but from what Yunjin had heard she was also very strict at work. Jihyo was a boss who liked the company rules and the delivery times of reports, or other activities, to be respected.

Jihyo and Yunjin's father had known each other a long time before she was born. Jihyo had originally been friends with Yunjin’s biological mother, but she had moved away a couple of years after Yunjin was born and she disappeared from her family's life for many years. After a successful career abroad she had returned to the country and her destiny ended up reuniting her with Yunjin's father. This after her parents' marriage failed.

Some time after resuming their friendship, Jihyo and Yunjae (Yunjin's father) had formed a company together. Company that to this day continued to grow and allowed them to live well, not surrounded by luxury but comfortably. Parallel to their work relationship, their personal relationship became increasingly closer, to the point that it was impossible for them to continue denying what they felt and they began dating.

While they both talked to Yunjin about her relationship and Jihyo always respected that her daughter came first for Yunjae, she didn't really care. It's not that she was indifferent to the matter, but she had already accepted a long time ago that her mother was not going to return and that her family would never be together again. On the other hand, she was very happy to see her father happy with her again. She could see that Jihyo was good for her father and that could only mean that she was the one for him. So as far as Yunjin was concerned, as long as Jihyo didn't hurt Yunjae she had no reason to poke around in their relationship.

On top of all that was the fact that Jihyo had never tried to assert herself as Yunjin's mother. She knew that she wasn't and that it wasn't her place to take that role either, no matter how much she might love Yunjin; And the truth was that the girl was very grateful for that. By this point she had already spent many years without a mother, practically all of her adolescence, so she had to learn to live without a mother figure around her. You could say that the closest thing she had to that was Chaewon's mother who always took care of her, but it was still not the same.

Nowadays, Yunjin hardly thinks about her mother anymore. Not after putting up with her lies for so long, when she stood her up, when she didn't show up to her school presentations, or because one day she simply stopped texting back to her. Because some time before Jihyo entered her life, her mother had begun to distance herself definitively, and by the time her father began the new relationship, they practically no longer spoke. Now the only contact Yunjin had with her mother was when she sent her a text to congratulate her on Christmas or her birthday, but nothing more.

For all these reasons it bothered her that she had forgotten to help Jihyo, especially now that they knew the woman was pregnant. Although she was only a couple of months pregnant, her body had already begun to show signs of change, which was why she along with Yunjae had decided that Jihyo should rest more. She now worked from home and only did the essentials, no long meetings or staying up late filling out paperwork and putting everything in order. For that she had employees, and they even took care of her and tried to make sure she didn't overexert herself. Which is why Jihyo ended up scolding them, claiming that she was only carrying a baby inside her, and that she had not become incapacitated overnight.

Even more so, she resented not having arrived on time due to the fact that Yunjae had had to make an emergency trip and would be away from home for a few weeks, so now Yunjin and Jihyo were alone. And although she knew that nothing would happen also knew the woman well enough to assume that Jihyo would try to do everything by herself. So she hurried to drive home as fast as she could without breaking the law.

When she finally arrived at her destination, she was struck by the fact that there was an unknown car parked on the sidewalk in front of the house, but she thought it could be a company employee who came for something that couldn't wait. Or maybe it was an Jihyo's friend who came to help where Yunjin had failed. Trying to push the thoughts of her guilt out of her mind, she hurried to put her own vehicle in the garage and sneak into the house, trying not to interrupt if Jihyo was in an important meeting. Certainly Yunjin would have never imagined the true nature of the conversation that was taking place in the living room.

The first thing that caught her attention was seeing Jihyo and her companion in the living room. Well, from the posture and expression of her stepmother you could easily tell that she was not comfortable at all, which made Yunjin think that it was definitely something related to her work. But then why were they be here and not in the office? Jihyo had a fully equipped office in the house, where such a meeting would normally have taken place. It was not normal for her to use the room for such things.

Now somewhat intrigued, Yunjin tried to sneak to the stairs that will take her to the second floor and the safety of her room, but when she was already setting foot on the first step she heard a sob coming from the living room. Something strange was definitely going on there. Although Jihyo was strict at work, never to the point of making her employees cry, that was something that could never be expected of her. But apparently that sob hadn't come from her stepmother either. Yunjin froze for a second until her desire to know what was happening was stronger than her, then she slowly turned and approached the entrance of the living room.

With her back pressed against the hallway wall, Yunjin could now hear what was being said inside the room. Jihyo was talking to a woman, who had a strangely familiar voice, but Yunjin was not able to identify it among the employees she knew. Straining her ears she tried to better understand what both women were saying, perhaps she did understand what they were talking about and could know the reason for the sobs.

“How dare you after everything I did for you?” The stranger said.

"Sorry? Did I listen well? Because according to my memories I was the one who had to leave, or have you already forgotten?” Jihyo was definitely angry, even though she tried to hide it, Yunjin could tell. In her mind she could almost visualize Jihyo clenching her jaw to suppress her rage.

“If I hadn't intervened, things would have been much worse for you.”

Even being on the other side of the wall, Yunjin could clearly hear Jihyo snort through her nose, almost as if trying to release some pressure from a boiler that was about to explode. Anyone who knew the woman well knew that it took a lot to get her to this point.

“I saved your and your brother's asses and all I got was the company blaming me for what happened. You two were the cause of all the losses the company had, but nevertheless the one they ran into and ended up transferring to another country was me. It took me years of hard work to make a name for myself again. ”

“What did you want me to do? My family would have lost everything if it was known that it was our fault. I couldn't put my husband and daughter through that shame, no…”

“But yet you ended up abandoning them.” Jihyo cut her off abruptly, to which the woman let out a small sob. “And control those fake tears, you're not going to fool me again.”

Apparently the woman came from Jihyo's past, and in Yunjin's head an idea was forming of who this mysterious person could be; but she wanted with all her might to be wrong. Never before had she wished so much that she was making a mistake.

“That has nothing to do with you. But of course, you benefited from it anyway. “You couldn’t stay out of Yunjae’s bed and you tried to steal my daughter.” Yunjin's heart skipped a beat, what she was hearing couldn't be true.

“My relationship with Yunjae is none of your business, and as for Yunjin. You should take better care of your words. I was the one who was there for her on all those occasions when you failed her, I was the one who had to teach her things that her mother was supposed to show her. Regardless of how things ended between you and Yunjae, she wasn't the one to blame. Yunjin still loves you, she even keeps waiting for you to call her on important dates. She tries to hide it, but I can tell how she gets sad on her birthday or Christmas.”

“You're a bitch who stole my family, don't try to lecture me.” The tone of the woman, Yunjin's biological mother, had changed drastically. Now it could be clearly seen that she was also very angry.

“You abandoned them and they took me in. End of story." In the other room Yunjin heard someone stand up. “Now you should go. I have nothing more to talk to you about. Yunjae is away, I'll tell him to contact you when he gets back. Whether he does it or not depends entirely on him. And as for Yunjin, she should be arriving any minute, but I'm not going to let her see you like this. Not today. You no longer have the right to hurt her, much less in my house.”

“It's your house only because you stole my family. That you will not forget."

“The one that should remember is you. Remember how you left your family for an adventure that only lasted a couple of months. If you care so much about your daughter, you should have stayed with her instead of chasing an idiot.”

Yunjin couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her parents had never told her the real reason why her mother had left. Although they talked to her, she always suspected that there was something more behind the whole situation. Now that she was finding out everything, she would have liked it to happen differently.

“Damn bitch, don't tell me what to do!” Yunjin's mother was clearly losing her temper, and the girl, unable to take it anymore, quickly stood up and entered the room facing both women.

Sure enough standing in front of Jihyo, who looked like she was hurting herself because her jaw was so clenched, was the woman who had given birth to Yunjin. The same one that had dumped her, the same one that had forgotten about her and now burst into her life as if nothing had happened. Just now that everything seemed to be going well.

"Mother!" Was all Yunjin could say as she burst into the room. She could now see the two women standing in front of each other, both with unfriendly expressions. At the sudden appearance of the girl Jihyo changed her expression drastically. Going in a matter of seconds from having the sternest look Yunjin had ever seen on her, to an expression of deep concern.

The other woman on her part seemed to get even angrier. She had a vein in her temple that was about to burst, and she seemed to be blowing steam out of her nose from how angry she was. "Damned!" She yelled at Jihyo. “It was probably your idea for her to listen to our conversation. You can’t stop putting things in my daughter’s head.” With the most poisonous look she had she tried to pounce on Jihyo, but in a reflex action Yunjin put herself between both women.

“Mom, what are you doing?!” Yunjin couldn't believe what was happening. "Stop." She added, but her voice barely came out. From one moment to the next her throat had dried up to the point where it was difficult for her to speak.

“Yunjin… I… Get away from this bitch. Don't you see that she's trying to turn you against me?” While the woman spoke she changed her tone on more than one occasion. First surprise, then confusion, and finally impregnating her words with rage and venom.

“Mom, no…” Yunjin slowly lowered her arms that she had opened without realizing it, to prevent her own mother from reaching Jihyo. “Is everything I heard true?”

"Daughter. Don't believe this bitch, she just wants to play the victim. She is trying to turn you against me.”

"Mother. Is it true or not?" At some point Yunjin's eyes had started to water. “Is it true that you abandoned my father for an affair? Just for that?”

“Don't listen to her my love… All this woman wants is to destroy my family.”

“‘WE ARE NOT YOUR FAMILY ANYMORE!’” The scream escaped from Yunjin like a reflex, like an outlet for all the rage and pain she was suddenly feeling. “You abandoned us for nothing, you no longer have the right to call us family.”

“Daughter… I…”

“GO away, just go. I don't want to know about you anymore. And also leave my father alone, now we are happy with someone who loves us and cares about us.” Yunjin was really holding back her tears, and gathering all her strength so that her voice wouldn't end up breaking.

“Daughter, that woman…”

“You heard her,” Jihyo intervened, advancing and putting herself between Yunjin and her mother. “You have to leave, I won't repeat it again.” The expression on Jihyo's face was as stern as her muscles would allow her to express. At first glance you could see that the woman was not playing.

"Bitch. You’re going to find out who you’re messing with.” Despite the hatred printed in her words, the woman took her bag and headed for the exit.

“No, I'm not going to do it. I already know what kind of vermin you are, I learned it a long time ago. But if you still care about something, you are not going to come near this house again or everyone is going to find out what happened in that company.”

Both women held each other's gaze for a few seconds that seemed eternal, then letting out a cry of frustration, Yunjin's mother left the house, slamming the door loudly. Inside Jihyo and Yunjin stood as they were for a few minutes, listening as the woman started the car and collided with what seemed to be a flowerpot in the garden, to finally leave.

Suddenly Yunjin found herself surrounded by Jihyo's arms, in an attempt to comfort and contain her. But the demonstration of affection had the opposite effect and Yunjin could no longer hold back her tears. She burst into tears hugging the woman standing next to her as tightly as she could. The woman who had defended her from her own mother, which made her cry even more. And even though she could feel her tears falling onto Jihyo's expensive suit she couldn't help but continue crying.

Yunjin thought she was over her mother, but this sudden intrusion had clearly shown her that was not the case. Besides, now she didn't know what hurt her more, whether her mother's lies, how she had treated Jihyo, or that she was the one who had to defend her from her mother. Right now the only thing Yunjin was sure of was that she felt an emptiness in her heart and she didn't want to let go of Jihyo for any reason.

For her part, the woman said nothing. She just kept hugging Yunjin tightly and stroking her hair from time to time. Every once in a while she would kiss her on the head and try to clean the tears out a little, but she didn't try to say anything or stop Yunjin from crying. She knew it was better to let her release all her grief, but what Jihyo didn't know was that this spontaneous display of affection only made Yunjin cry more.

Yunjin had just kicked her mother out of her life, which she certainly deserved, and it was Jihyo who was supporting her in this strange situation. She couldn't believe that just a few hours ago she had doubted whether she should call Jihyo mother or not, and now the woman had earned it. It wasn't like she didn't deserve it before, but now she herself had shown that she loved Yunjin more than her own mother. It was incredible how life could turn upside down in just a second.

They stayed hugging like that for a long time, so long that they began to get tired, but Jihyo did nothing to move the girl from the spot. She just let her cry as much as she wanted, as much as she needed to. However, Yunjin suddenly realized that she was hugging a pregnant woman, that Jihyo had gone through a very difficult time, and that she couldn't force her to stand for so long. Yunjin slowly released her hug and turned her face away from the older woman's body, careful not to make any sudden movements.

“You should sit down” She whispered looking at the woman, but Jihyo just wiped the tears from Yunjin's face with her sleeve. “It's not good for you to be on your feet for so long.”

"Dear." Jihyo said with a kind smile on her face, showing how worried she was for the girl. “I'm fine, I'm more worried about you.” In a reflex action, Yunjin couldn't help but hug her again.

"Let's sit. I do not want anything to happen to you." Jihyo let herself be guided by the girl to the couch where they both sat one beside the other.

Yunjin didn't know what to say, and for her part Jihyo didn't want to force her to speak. So they stayed silent as Yunjin slowly leaned down and hugged Jihyo again. The older woman once again surrounded her with her arms, in a rather maternal attitude, which made Yunjin shed another tear. It was incredible how she had never noticed how Jihyo always treated her like her own daughter.

Yunjin was once again lost in her thoughts as she hugged Jihyo, so she didn't notice that she had started crying again. Now they were small tears that ran down her cheeks, which also ended up on Jihyo's suit. But the older woman again said nothing, Yunjin's well-being was still more important to her than a piece of clothing.

Again they stood there hugging for what seemed like an eternity, and again Jihyo let the girl cry in peace. Yunjin was really grateful for that gesture, all she needed right now was peace. A peace that it pained her to remember had been taken away by her mother.

"Dear." Jihyo whispered in Yunjin's ear when they had been like this for quite some time. “I know it hurts you and that you should let it all out, but it's too late. ”For a second Yunjin thought that she would be reprimanded for taking up the woman's time, but she was greatly surprised when Jihyo continued. “I guess you haven't had dinner yet. Do you want me to order something to eat? We can talk about what happened while the food arrives.”

Holding back tears, Yunjin separated from Jihyo and nodded. She was sure that now she herself couldn't speak, her throat hurt a little and she felt a little dizzy, but in fact she also suddenly felt very hungry.

"Very good. Give me a second." Then Jihyo in another maternal gesture kissed Yunjin forehead before taking her own phone and opening an application to order some dinner. After a few minutes she put the phone aside again and put her hands around Yunjin's. “Do you want to talk now?”

Again Yunjin nodded her head. “But I need to wash my face first.” She added with a small sigh, before getting up to go to the bathroom. She returned minutes later, a little clearer and with her face clean of all traces of tears. She still had red eyes though. “Is everything you said before true… About my mother?” Yunjin asked, finally sitting down next to the older woman.

“I don't know how much you heard, but everything I said is true. Many years ago I had to leave my life behind because of her and your uncle.”

“Is it also true that she left us to pursue another man?” Yunjin asked as she felt a knot forming in the pit of her stomach.

“That is also true. But you should ask your father about that, I have no authority and I shouldn't get involved in that matter. It's something you have to resolve between yourselves, however I'm going to say that Yunjae didn't tell you anything trying not to hurt you.”

Yunjin stifled a small sob that threatened to make her cry again, but gathering all her strength she managed to suppress the cry. “Okay, I'll wait for my father to come back to talk to him. But I have a couple more questions that I would like you to answer.”

“Shoot and we'll see if I'm in a position to respond.”

The conversation that followed was long and in many parts Yunjin was on the verge of crying again, but Jihyo always managed to comfort her in time. Some of the girl's questions were not answered, either because Jihyo believed it wasn't her thing or simply because she didn't want to delve into certain topics right now. Anyway, after two long hours and a dinner in between, Yunjin was visibly calmer.

The girl sent a couple of texts to her girlfriend telling Chaewon in general terms what had happened, and promising that the next day she would update her on everything that had happened. Then she and jihyo decided that it was late and they should rest, so they got ready to go to bed. The older woman said goodbye to Yunjin with a new kiss on her forehead and made her promise that if she needed anything from Jihyo she would not hesitate to go talk to her. Which planted a strange seed in the girl's head.

Minutes later, when Jihyo was ready to get into bed, she heard Yunjin knock on her bedroom door, with small, timid knocks. “Come in, you can come in,” the older woman said loudly so the girl could hear her. "What's wrong dear?" She asked when Yunjin was inside the room.

“Jihyo… Can I ask you a favor?” Yunjin asked the question by looking away and trying to hide her hands in the sleeves of her pajamas. “It's actually silly, so if you don't want to it's fine, but…” she swallowed and thought that she couldn't continue.

"Calm down. It doesn’t matter what it is, just ask.”

"Good." Yunjin swallowed again. “You already did a lot for me today, more than I would have been able to ask for. But I wanted to ask you… I wanted to know if I can sleep with you tonight.” Yunjin finally shoot.

For a small second Jihyo's face lit up with a wide smile. “Of course you can, no problem.” She gestured for Yunjin to close the door t, and join her on the bed. Shyly Yunjin walked slowly until she reached the edge of the large bed, thought about it for a few seconds and finally got into the place that her father would normally use.

"Thank you. For what happened before, and for letting me sleep with you.”

“No problem, it's the least I can do for you. I may not show it but I care about you. ”

"I know. I've always noticed it, and I'm grateful to you for that. I’m glad it’s not like in the movies.”

“Are you glad I’m not the evil stepmother trying to steal the father's fortune? Honey, you can’t claim victory yet.” It was obviously a joke and Yunjin knew it, so she couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. “Now that you are happier, we should sleep. We both need to rest.”

“Ok evil stepmother.” It was Jihyo who couldn't help but laugh this time, as she turned off the light.

“Be careful, maybe I have a hidden cauldron in the basement.” For the first time since they met, Jihyo allowed herself to tickle Yunjin, to which the girl responded with more laughter.

“What happened to sleeping?” Yunjin asked with a laugh. "The one who needs rest the most is you, I don't want anything to happen to my brother."

“Now you sound like your father. Killjoy." Yunjin wasn't able to see the small pout Jihyo made, but that only meant how comfortable the woman felt being around her. A strange connection had formed that night between the two of them. "Good night."

"Good night."

That time they did remain silent, trying to sleep, covered up to their necks next to each other. However, the minutes passed and Yunjin was unable to fall asleep, there were too many things in her head that did not let her rest. She felt a little tormented by everything that had happened just a few hours ago, so Yunjin instinctively approached Jihyo. It had been so many years since she had last slept with her mother that she wasn't even able to remember how she felt. There was nothing left of that familiar warmth that once existed between them. All she had right now was the woman who was lying next to her.

Without really knowing why she was doing it, Yunjin clung closer to Jihyo and tried to hug her from behind. She slowly circled her waist, until she froze when she felt the woman move. But far from scolding her or pushing her away, Jihyo intertwined her fingers with the girl's, while she herself clung a little closer to Yunjin's body. Without saying a word Jihyo took Yunjin's hand and raised it to her chest.

The girl had to hold back tears once again at Jihyo's gesture. She had already lost count of how many times something the woman did had almost brought her to tears that day. "Thank you." She whispered so quietly that it was impossible for Jihyo to have heard her, since she was saying it more to herself.

Again the minutes passed and again Yunjin couldn't sleep, but this time for a different reason. “Jihyo. Can I ask you another question?” Said in almost a whisper.

“The last one of the night. You have classes tomorrow, don't forget. You know your father gets angry if you miss school.”

Yunjin gave a small smile before speaking again. “Today I was discussing it with Chaewon, and the truth is… I was going to ask you at some point anyway, but I guess after what happened today I don't want to wait anymore… You still don't have to answer right away, and it's totally valid if you tell me no.”

“Yunjin, just ask the question. I promise to think carefully before answering.”

"Okay. I wanted to know if you are okay with me calling you… mother?” The girl could feel a knot forming again in the pit of her stomach, and she prepared to run away at any moment.

Jihyo, for her part, remained silent for a few long seconds, contemplating her response. Then she brought Yunjin's hand up to her face and placed a small kiss on the girl's fingers. “Of course you can, but only on one condition.”

Yunjin's heart stopped for a second upon hearing the answer, but all happiness escaped upon knowing that there was a condition. Without really knowing what to think, she felt Jihyo turn to face her, and although Yunjin couldn't see her because of the darkness, she knew that Jihyo was looking directly into her eyes.

“You can call me mother only if you let me call you daughter.” Now Yunjin was about to suffer cardiac arrest. At this moment that conversation she had had with Chawon the same afternoon seemed so far away, she couldn't believe that it had been on the same day.

With a huge smile Yunjin approached and kissed Jihyo on the cheek. “Then we have a deal… Mother” She felt strange the first time she said it, the first time Yunjin called this woman mother, but at the same time she felt warm. The mere mention of the word manifested a deep connection between the two of them, which although it already existed. Now she was strengthened from one moment to the next.

Jihyo kissed her back by gently pressing her lips against Yunjin's forehead, like she had done so many times that day. “Now you should sleep, or Yunjae is going to scold me for keeping you up late.”

“If you don't tell him, he won't find out.”

“Smart girl, come here.” Jihyo pulled Yunjin close to her, in a warm hug. “I don't want the first thing I have to do as your mother is scolds you.”

"Goodnight mother." Yunjin responded between giggles, while she also hugged her mother.

"Good night, daughter." With a new kiss on Yunjin's forehead, both women prepared to sleep, this time for good. One next to the other, hugging each other. Finally Yunjin's heart was calm, and the girl managed to fall asleep with her head resting on Jihyo's chest.

The next morning they had breakfast together, laughing and trying not to think too much about all the bad things that had happened the day before. They also did not abuse the status they had both earned, after all Jihyo already used to call Yunjin “Honey” or “Dear” in an affectionate way. For her part, the girl was used to calling the woman by her first name, not because she was disrespectful because it had been Jihyo herself who asked her to do so.

After the lively breakfast Yunjin got ready to go to university, and Jihyo sat at her desk next to a steaming cup of coffee. The woman was still wearing her pajamas, but since she worked from home and she was the boss, there was no problem with that. When Yunjin came to say goodbye to her and announce that she was leaving, Jihyo was already immersed in reports and client orders. Even so, she took a minute to wish her daughter a happy day and say goodbye to her.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

“You have the SD card with you, right?” Yunjin's eyes widened as her girlfriend opened the car’s door. It had been about half an hour since she left the house, and with all the hustle and bustle of the night before and the cheerful chatter of the morning Yunjin had completely forgotten about the SD card that contained their project. “You forgot itr!” Chaewon quickly accused her when she saw the expression on Yunjin’s face.

“A lot of things happened last night, don't scold me…” Yunjin pouted very sincerely, to which Chaewon responded by rolling her eyes.

“If you don't start the car now and we go back to your house to look for that memory, I'm going to accuse you of your father.”

“Why does everyone suddenly want to accuse me of my father?”

“Because you listen to him, and because you're a daddy's girl.” This time it was Yunjin who rolled her eyes at her girlfriend's words and the giggle that came after. But she ended up laughing with her.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Yunjin started the car and headed towards her home. The girl took advantage of the trip back home to update her girlfriend on the events of the previous night, or at least tell her everything as best she could considering that they were almost late for college. They were probably going to miss the first period of class, but that was better than arriving empty-handed at the project review.

Chaewon let her girlfriend talk while patting her thigh to try to comfort her. She would have liked to do more at that moment, but she was prevented by the fact that Yunjin was driving almost at excess speed and trying not to hit anyone. Fortunately they had the afternoon free, so she was sure that later she would have plenty of time to talk and comfort her properly.

“Do you at least remember where you put it?” Chaewon asked when they were outside the house.

“Yesssss, I already told you. It can only be in one place.” Yunjin almost ran out of the car and didn't even bother to turn off the engine, they wouldn't be there for more than a few minutes.

She was very sure that she had the damn memory with her before going to bed the night before, she was carrying it next to her phone. Which meant that Yunjin had most likely forgotten it on her father's nightstand, so it must still be there.

She quickly headed to Jihyo's office to let her know that she would go to the room to check if the memory was there, but Yunjin found the office empty. Maybe her mother had gotten up to use the bathroom, or she had had to go to the office for something important. Whatever the case Yunjin didn't have time for that now, so she abandoned the idea of telling Jihyo and preferred to just go see if she found the damn card.

Yunjin went up to the second floor and turning down the hallway she faced the door of the room where she had spent the previous night. Normally Yunjin didn't go in there if she didn't need to, but it was clear that this was an occasion where she did. So she opened the door and quickly entered her parents' room. So fast that she forgot to knock on the door in case Jihyo was in there. A mistake that Yunin instantly regretted, because what she saw left her frozen in the spot.

She saw Jihyo lying on the bed with her head hanging over the edge closest to the door, only this time the woman was completely naked. She didn't have any piece of clothing covering her body, and she certainly didn't need it for what she was doing. As Yunjin could tell.

Jihyo played with her heavy tits, which had certainly grown since she'd gotten pregnant, while her other hand held a wand vibrator to her crotch. The woman had her eyes tightly closed as she made small moans, which had surely been the reason why she did not hear Yunjin enter. Who was now gawking at her mother's naked body.

For some strange reason the sight of those huge tits, topped by large brown nipples, was triggering something in Yunjin. That added to the moans and as Jihyo's hips rose and her pussy lips opened in an attempt to engulf the head of the vibrator, all that together had begun to send a lot of blood to Yunjin crotch, where an erection was now forming. It was that or maybe it was the perfect mop of hair that hid Jihyo’s clitoris from Yunjin's view that was making her member throb. Maybe it was all of that combined or what had given the girl the fastest and most painful erection she had ever had in her life. Not even the many depraved things she had done with Chaewon had brought her to that point.

All of this happened in just a few seconds. In a fleeting moment that was interrupted when Jihyo massaged one of her nipples more than necessary, causing a stream of milk to fly that ended up right in Yunjin's face. The girl screamed out of pure instinct, thus interrupting her mother in that very private moment. Jihyo, for her part, opened her eyes wide and stared at Yunjin in shock, petrified in the mid of her movement. With her hips raised and the vibrator pressing against her vagina lips.

[colorfulwastelandvoid]

Quick Thoughts p2

I’ll make this quick but your hatred/dislike or lack of engagement with characters does not make you nuanced, correct or an activist. You’re just insufferable.

Hating every character from Piltover, is neither sticking it to the rich man nor the fight against real world classism. It’s a lack of engagement in the canon of a show yall claim to love. Wishing death or the indifference to it on the black female character because she is a politician is not progressive. Saying that she’s hot and nothing else or just tying to her socioeconomic status and manipulation( something of which she did like twice in the first part of season 1) is playing into racial tropes and is just ignorant, even when a black person does it. The lack of respect the fandom has to the man the created Hextech in his studio apartment is baffling. To remove his agency and autonomy just to stick in your ship and hate on his canon love interest is insulting. This shouldn’t be controversial but for some reason it is; he did what he did because he believed it to be the right choice. He’s impulsive, emotional and stubborn. He agreed with her(he also didn’t listen to her), and didn’t listen to his own mentor because he thought he knew best. He even apologizes for this to her at the end of season 1 and admits she was right.

Calling the wlw ship oppressed x oppressor is incredibly shallow in fandom and dangerous outside of it. People are allowed to/ do fall in love with whomever. We as humans will always exist outside the government/ political environment we are confined in and should be able to and do to find love regardless of race,class or creed. If you’re American you should be aware of the Loving v Virginia case. Calling one of them a class traitor for finally choosing her self and working with the best she got to take down her sister is counterproductive.

There is something insidious in the way the fandom only lets the female and POC characters exist in their lowest moments and tear them apart. Yall really are kin to the most stereotypical League of Legends player. What happened to character growth? Also if the story happened the way I see some of yall wanted to then there would be no story. Cause all these would not be doing anything or growing.

A lot of the fandom wants to sound like nuanced, progressive leftists, but in actuality yall look and sound like bigoted conservatives who have yet to do the emotional self reflection to have these conversations, but want to sound smart.The last thing I’m gonna say here is this:

Arcane is to white ( it’s not just white people, I will concede on that point) leftist the same way Handmaid’s Tale is to white feminists.

Ps so this wasn’t all that quick. Maybe cause I’ve had to create a new TikTok account to post my edits so I’m seeing a lot of the dumb bigoted takes again on my fyp. It’s irritating that I gotta go and reblock accounts and tags on TikTok now but anything to keep me from cussing people out.

PSs Also if yall come swinging in my notes or reblogs I will just block you. Hell if you disagree at this point you’re getting blocked cause yall playing on phone with the same dumbass reasons some of which yall been spewing for 4 years. This isn’t really meant to be a discussion but me just stating stuff, if that makes sense. Me and my rambling I guess.

[courtingchaos]

Nectarine

Eddie Munson x Fem Reader

Warnings: Talk of body parts in a sexy way. Comparison of the female body to fruit, implied white/light-skinned reader due to analogy/prose. I had this very particular phrase stuck in my head and it comes across as that. Uh, I just really like how it reads so that’s why I’m putting a warning here because I didn’t want to take it out.

A/N: I’ve hung on to this for like two months now because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to post it but I was rereading it tonight and I forgot how much I like writing from Eddie’s perspective. So also have this thing too.

18+ NSFW No Minors

He’s never been jealous of fruit before.

Never had the urge to rip a nectarine out of someone’s hand and huck it right into the pool for making him feel like this. He hasn’t taken his eyes off the spectacle since you bit into it, that first bite crunching through the mottled white and red flesh. You’d come out from the kitchen of Steve’s house with it already wedged between your teeth while you balanced pizzas in your hands and he’d shot right up to help. You’d laughed around the mouthful and when he’d taken the boxes you pulled the fruit away from your lips, the sound of you sucking up the spit that had dribbled against them making him almost burst.

There’s something suggestive in the way the colors meld on the skin. The deep red giving under your teeth to reveal the pale flesh, juices rushing your fingers and down your chin. He watches you laugh and jump when some of it drips down onto your chest and he watches you try to wipe it away while keeping your top in place.

He’d been stock still, leaned over the pizzas and it’s Dustin elbowing him that makes him realize he was for real staring, mouth agape and fingers clenched around greasy cardboard. You’ve been too busy laughing it up with Robin to notice him going absolutely insane.

“Dude get the fuck out of the way.” Dustin says under his breath and Eddie just slaps the back of his head.

“Language, asshole.” The ensuing shove and slap fight makes Eddie forget for a brief moment the erotic fruit imagery happening on one of Steve’s parents matching loungers. He lets Dustin win when he goes for Eddie’s hair and gets to run off with his pizza instead.

Eddie can hear the light edge of your laughter and another crunch when you bite through another not-so-ripe part of the nectarine and it sends him right into the pool. He knows he can hover by the edge and keep his interest hidden but also still remain conversational so he does a soft somersault into the deep end. Swims for the side you’re seated on and breaches the water as you decide to lean forward to dig through your big pool bag. Cleavage stares him down and he furiously rubs at his eyes and bitches about the chlorine content to cover the tears he’s sure are streaming down his face. There’s a rivulet of shine along the top of one breast, dipping right down the middle and he imagines running his tongue along it. Chasing that line of sweetness to the inside of your swim top to make you giggle like Robin does with her dumb jokes.

Another bite, more red disappearing to reveal pale pale pale. He wants to peel back that stupid coverup you have wrapped around your waist to reveal your pale thighs. He could rip it back with his teeth too, pull it clean off your body so he could revel in the softness of them. They’d give under his teeth and he’d be so careful leaving only the most perfect love bites.

“Eddie?”

His attention snaps to Robin where she stares at him with concern on her brow. “What?”

“I asked if you ate?”

“I will!” He whines at her and she catches his quick glance at you. Her mouth falls open slightly and he gives her a death glare, a warning to back off he’ll do it himself.

“Dustin’s gonna eat that whole pizza if you aren’t careful.” Robin sings at him and she gets up, tossing a wink his way.

“Not hungry?” You ask him through another bite and he catches a hint of deep pink under the pale. His thoughts race towards the unreachable, the warm pink hidden between your thighs and he wonders if the color is the same.

“Uh” his toes barely graze the bottom of the pool, his arms keeping him clutched to the side and floating “not for Pizza, no.”

Your giggle makes your nose scrunch under your big sunglasses and you hold your hand out, offending fruit held out at eye level for him. “Want a bite?”

The ever suffering sigh he suppresses rivals the eye roll he stops in its tracks. Of course he wants a bite. He wants to fit his teeth in the grooves you left there, taste your spit with the nectar and-

There’s no recovering from the show he’d give everyone if he got out of the water now so he just pulls himself even closer to the tiles. Squeezes his eyes shut tightly, tilts his head and shakes it quick. “I’m good, thanks.”

“Can I get you anything? Steve’s got a bunch of stuff in the house.” You scoot forward and that wrap inches up your legs and splits open to reveal one long calf.

“Could you get me another beer?” He says it a little too quick.

“Totally!”

He watches your hips sway the thin fabric around when you walk up towards the house and maybe he doesn’t hate it so much when it clings to your clammy skin. The swell of your hip holds the door open for Nancy and Eddie wishes it was his head pressed into your side.

He begins to wonder if it’s possible to be too horny.

There’s a jet of water at the back of his head suddenly and he turns to see Lucas holding a water gun.

“Quit sulking.” He jokes and Robin elbows him like she’s gotten him in on a secret.

You’ve obviously gotten distracted inside and he’s fine with that. Gave him time to calm down and roll his tongue back into his mouth after he obliterated Lucas and Robin in the water gun battle. He floats on his back under the midday sun, arms hooked over a float, positive he’s burning but too comfortable to care. The laughter at the other end of the pool is his white noise to drift off to until he feels a shift in the water and he’s being spun ever so slowly to face the steps in the shallow end.

“Sorry, I was talking to Max.” You come into view slowly, a smirk directed down at him while he blinks under his sunglasses.

“Thought you got lost in the mansion.”

You scoff and hold his beer up so he can see it. He lets out a small ‘oh!’ and holds out a hand for it. “Thank you.” He’s still spinning with lazy momentum so he only catches the tail end of your gaze before he takes a sip and almost gives himself a nosebleed. The rim of the bottle is sweet like a stone fruit and when he thrashes around to stand up in the water you’ve already made your way back to dry land.

The sky is painted in purples and blues and when the lightning bugs come out everyone wants the fire pit lit. Steve obliges, ever the host, and the ‘adults’ are left to yell at the ‘kids’ about not wasting all the marshmallows by throwing them at each other.

This close to fall the nights get cooler and you still haven’t put on anymore clothes. Eddie has been watching from his side of the pool, his safety barrier that Robin commented on.

“You’ll never get her from all the way over here, amigo.”

“I’m trying to not embarrass myself, hombre.”

From his post by the deep end he can see you shiver and try to wrap your thin coverup over your shoulders to no avail. Nancy offers her sweater and you roll your eyes and laugh, an obvious gesture between the two of you where you point out her tiny frame. Steve is in the middle of suggesting a blanket when Eddie jumps up from his lounge and yells about a flannel in his van.

“You don’t have to go all the way out front for me!” You holler after him and he waves you off. When he comes back he’s in his own hoodie, his old button up slung over his arm.

“See? No big deal.” He hands it over to you. “I needed my ho-oodie anyways.” He stutters hard when you stand to push your arms through and he can see your nipples pushing against your frankly too small swim top. The swell of your breast disappear from sight, along with the most important thing he’s seen all day when you tuck the flannel around you.

“Thank you so much, can’t believe I forgot real clothes.” You laugh and Eddie laughs and from behind him he can hear Robin laugh and his sandal covered foot reaches back and connects with her shin. You take the stack of graham crackers that Mike offers you before you pause and bury your nose into the crook of the elbow of his shirt. “Did you wear this recently?”

“M-me? Uh, I don’t-I mean-”

“It smells really good.”

Eddie laughs again and Robin yanks the back of his hoodie until he sits hard next to her in one of the plastic chairs.

“You sound like a moron.” She mimics his laugh while spearing a marshmallow.

“I don’t sound like that at all.” Eddie mirrors her movements. “I told you I didn’t want to embarrass myself.”

“Well you’re doing a stellar job.” She gives him a sarcastic thumbs up and Eddie decides to just sit and listen. He roasts his marshmallow to a crisp, the s’mores he makes turning into a runny mess that he shoves in his mouth too fast. He can see Robin and Steve share a look and before he can reach over to give Robin a shove, your gentle hand is in his face.

“You got a little….” Your index finger runs along the side of his cheek, puffed out with half chewed s’mores, to wipe off the smear of chocolate there. “There you go.” A smile while you hold your finger in front of him and surely you don’t expect him to lick your finger.

His eyes glance nervously between your face and your proffered finger and never once do you waver. Is that a hint of a dare he catches in your look? Could he inch his tongue out to lap at the pad of your finger? One long lick and he could suck the whole thing into his mouth and really cause a scene out here in the encroaching dark.

A yelp makes both of you jump, a tussle breaking out between the boys and Eddie breathes a sigh of relief knowing every eye was not on him taking the longest pause of his life. You wipe your finger off on a towel and he mourns the loss of an opportunity to taste you again. That brief flavor that lingered on his beer still branded into his mind, the idea of you stealing a sip on the way out to him to deliver it making him grin. Payment in the form of a kiss to glass, at least that’s how he was looking at it.

From his side he can feel two pairs of eyes burning into his skull but he refuses to look at the Wonder Twins and their big dopey eyes they’re probably giving him. Instead he grabs another handful of marshmallows and sets to roasting them, loftily avoiding any questions that might get directed his way.

The night ends late and it ends with the only other available ride being asleep on his couch, face smooshed into Robins shoulder.

“You can see if you can squeeze in with Nancy? But she’s got all the kids.” She whispers at you while Eddie lingers by the door. He’s already said his goodbyes but stopped when he heard you ask about a lift home.

“Uh, well…”

“You can see if you can still catch Eddie.” Robin’s voice sparkles with the ‘sudden’ idea. “I didn’t hear his van yet so he’s probably still out front.” There’s a light snore from Steve that you both giggle at and Eddie tries to open the door as quietly possible.

“Do you think he’d mind?”

“Who Eddie? No, he’d love to. Always trying to help out.”

Eddie rolls his eyes when he gets out in the front step. Could she lay it on thicker? He’s grateful for her slight meddling though when he hears the door open again and your quiet “oh!”

“You haven’t left yet!” You jog to his van where he’s just unlocked the door to lean in on his seat so he can act like he didn’t just hear your predicament.

“No, what’s up?”

“Would you mind dropping me off? I’m a little out of the way but I can pay you for gas.” You start to dig around in your big tote bag and he reaches over to still your hand.

“Don’t worry about it, I got you.”

“You sure?”

“Positive.” He hops in so he can reach over and unlock your door, and you run around the front of his van.

“I really appreciate it Eddie.” Your movement inside brushes up the smell of woodsmoke off of his borrowed flannel and your sunscreen and he hopes the scent stays in his van long after you leave.

“It’s really not a big deal.” He tries to be smooth with his exit, one hand on the back of your seat while he reverses into the road. “More than happy to help.” He flashes you a smile and his grip almost slips on his steering wheel when he catches the heavy stare aimed at him. He swallows thickly and averts his eyes to the road, the silence settling between you two not uncomfortable but certainly weighted.

“Eddie?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you gonna keep ignoring me now that I’m in your car?”

He’s happy there’s a red light he was already stopping for because he almost jams his foot through the firewall. “What?!”

Your laugh glitters in the dark cab and he can’t tear his eyes off you.

“You’ve been avoiding me all day.”

“No I haven’t. I helped you with the pizzas and I was talking to you in the pool.” He shakes his head at you. “You got me a beer!”

“Yeah and when I first showed you made a beeline for the kitchen.”

“I was…busy.”

“I’m sure.” Your smile is conspiratorial and he wishes he knew what you were thinking. “Do you know I went shopping for this bathing suit with Robin?” You tap his knee and point at the now green light before the cars behind him start honking.

“No.”

“Yeah, I went with her because we’d been talking you see.”

“As you girls are wont to do.”

“Hush, I’m not done. Anyways, we went shopping and she told me the funniest little thing. Really a coincidence.” The playful tone of your voice makes him vibrate with anticipation. “I’d already told her about my stupid little crush and she’s not very good a keeping secrets, not like that anyways.” He can see you leaning over to rifle through your bag, a scrap piece of paper and a pen held in your lap a moment later. “Really I thought she’d spill to you first but it seems I caught her on a good day.” You reach over and tuck the now folded piece of paper into his hoodie pocket and stay leaned in, face inches from his own. “But I picked it out for you. Did you like it?”

Did he like it.

Does he breathe? Does he blink? You’ve just uttered the words he’s been longing to hear for weeks now. For you. He wasn’t crazy and all of Robin and Steve’s elbowing was just bullying on their part. He tries to keep his breathing under control and spots your street sign in time to use as a distraction. “Uh, yeah it looks great.” He turns into your neighborhood and dials his music down and still can’t look over at your indulgent grin.

“Is that why you were hiding in the pool?”

“…maybe.”

“Oh that’s cute.” You’ve got a curl of his wrapped around your index finger, slowly spiraling it up till you brush his ear and he’s going to crumble to dust. Somehow he makes the turn onto your street while you’re breath tinted with beer and something sweet sweeps over his cheek. “Eddie?” Sugar could drip off of your words and he’d stick his tongue out for every last drop.

“Yeah?”

“I think you should look in your pocket.”

He jams his hand into his hoodie and pulls out the note now crumpled in his sweaty fist just as he pulls up to the front of your house. You don’t move while he unfolds it, his hair slowly unraveling from your finger. It’s your number and a little heart at the end, an ‘X O’ just under that.

“You wanna ask me out?”

It’s gum he realizes, that sweetness that floods his senses. So fruit and beer and gum and spit is what’ll kill him.

“Yeah I-I really do.” Later he’ll kick himself for how pathetic he sounds here but for now the deep smile you give him is all that matters. You let his hair go and grab your stuff to hop out of his van and he watches you walk around the front like it’s his own personal show.

“How’s Friday night sound? I get off work at 7.” When you lean on his rolled down window he gets a clear shot of cleavage between his flannel (that’s now yours, he’s never taking that back). His mouth waters and his eyes shoot back up to your face that tells him he’s been caught.

“I can do that.” He could also climb out of his window and maul you too if you wanted that.

“Cool.”

“I can pick you up at 8?”

You nod as you walk backwards towards the front steps of your house. “I’ll be ready.” The light flicks from the inside, someone keen to get you in. “You figure out dinner, I’ll just bring the legs again, deal?” You lift one behind you when you cross over the threshold, one last smile shot at him and it’s a bullseye right through his frontal lobe.