#like before he realized it was a crush crush
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across stardust - one (j.yh)
summary:Â you and yunho have worked together for years, idol and makeup artist, but until today you've never touched him skin to skin. when the world tilts on its head from just a brush of his cheek, you realize he's so much more than a crush, he's your soulmate. one | two | three | four
note:Â please enjoy this truly self indulgent romance. will be four parts total, and i'll post each as soon as they are ready to go. happy comeback week, and i hope everyone enjoys this đ
tags/warnings: idol!yunho, makeup artist!reader, fem!reader, soulmates au, soulmate identifying marks, soulmate tattoos, tattoed!reader, a lot of fluff and tenderness, love at first touch, shared feelings/emotions/physical sensations, anxiety/stress over what to do, reader's family isn't the best, kq is not the best company for the purposes of this fic!, light smut including - heavy makeouts/grinding, hand kink, size kink, phone sex, sexting, fingering, jacking off, dirty talk, praise, use of good girl, use of pet names like baby/jagiya/sweetheart. basically this fic is an excuse for me to write star-crossed desperate love so i would say it's the literal opposite of a slow burn lmao
pairings:Â yunho x reader
genre: fantasy, romance, smut || soulmates au
word count:Â 17.9k
Itâs eleven in the morning when your day starts, hiding in the green room of a concert venue in Berlin, and the day feels lost already. With Eunji and Dahan ill that only leaves you and Iseul to handle makeup for all eight members and with how exhausted you are from yet another night of little sleep, you donât know how youâll be able to keep up. Youâre trying to stay awake, but while the members are all out on stage learning their marks and rehearsing the improvisational moments for this tour stop, the green room is quiet and you keep nodding off.Â
âBad night?â Iseulâs voice startles you out of one of your dips into sleep and your body jerks up right.Â
âFuck,â You breathe, âhey,âÂ
âHere,â She pushes a bright can into your hands, an energy drink, âyou need this.âÂ
âI need to be sedated,â You grumble, taking it from her, âthe time difference is never this hard,âÂ
âMm,â She shrugs, âitâs unpredictable,âÂ
âYeah,â You sigh, âI guess.âÂ
The thumping music outside as they run through another track is starting to give you a migraine. You take a long sip of the drink and then leave the can on the table in front of you, choosing instead to hide your face in the sleeves of your sweatshirt and let out another long sigh.Â
âGirl,â Iseul nudges you, âyou look like shit. Your station looks like shit.âÂ
âThank you?âÂ
âIn thirty minutes weâre going to be busier than weâve been since that Inkigayo stage for Answer,â She points out and you grimace at the reference. Back then it really was just a skeleton staff and one of the makeup artists quit on the spot, too stressed to continue the work and walking out in the middle of doing Yeosangâs foundation.Â
What a mess those old days used to be. Nostalgia sometimes makes you forget how late those nights were and just how impossibly tired you had been. This feels too reminiscent of that for sure.Â
Iseul taps your shoulder to get you to lift your face as she continues, âI know youâre tired, but I canât do this shit on my own. I need you.âÂ
âOkay,â You breathe, scrubbing your hands over your face to jolt yourself awake as best you can, âyouâre right, Iâm sorry,âÂ
âDonât be sorry,â She gives you a sympathetic smile, âI get it.âÂ
This tiredness feels different though, so deeply ingrained in your body. Somethingâs been keeping your adrenaline running like a long, drawn out anxiety attack and you canât understand it. Youâve been on tour before, youâve been on planes, youâve had long days, and youâve worked with this exact group for years. Thereâs nothing on paper that should be making you so anxious, but the threads of it are humming in the deep back of your brain even now.Â
âCome on,â Iseul prompts again, pulling you to your feet, âletâs get you in gear.âÂ
âRight,â You take another long sip of your energy drink and pray it starts kicking in soon and that the effects wonât make you feel crazier, âletâs do this.âÂ
She helps you put your station together with ease and then pull yourself together. Within those precious thirty minutes of calm before the storm youâve downed two cans of pure caffeine, assembled your station and strapped on your brush belt, and tried to make yourself some form of presentable by slicking your hair back into a smooth knot and adding a coat of lip balm.Â
As always, the boys have used the ladder game to determine hair and makeup order which means those at the bottom of the list have more time to relax fresh-faced on the couches before getting poked and prodded and wrapped up like presents for thousands of screaming fans. With only you and Iseul available itâs about to be a race against the clock to get them ready.Â
Their managers hustle them from the stage to the back rooms where the rest of the staff waits, and the members gather around you and Iseul and your makeshift makeup stations.Â
âAlright,â Iseul says as the members quiet down, âweâre down some staff as you know,âÂ
They nod attentively and you trade a close lipped smile with Hongjoong.Â
âWeâre just going to do the best we can as quickly as we can,â She explains, looking down at their names on a slip of paper, âWooyoung, Yeosang, Jongho, San,â she recites, âyouâre with me in that order.âÂ
You run through the names on your slip, âHongjoong, Seonghwa, Mingi, Yunho, that leaves you with me.âÂ
Iseul nods as you finish your words, âPlease be ready to slot in when the person in front of you is finished, and then you can go directly to wardrobe for your soundcheck outfits,âÂ
âWeâve got it,â Hongjoong nods, âand if thereâs anything you both need,âÂ
âWeâll be fine,â Iseul assures him, âbut itâs definitely going to be cutting it close,âÂ
âWe should get started,â You cut in, âif youâre ready?âÂ
Hongjoong jumps to your chair immediately and Wooyoung steps to Iseulâs, and before you know it youâre off.Â
The room is alight with activity while you both work, only you donât have a relaxed pace and only two members to perfect. Youâre used to working with Wooyoung and Seonghwa, theyâve been your assigned members for as long as youâve worked with Ateez, but when staff shortages or timing gets tight, it can be a bit of a free for all.Â
You stay focused and execute each memberâs makeup like a well rehearsed dance, and you do your best to ignore the buzzing anxiety in your veins. For a little while, you handle it like a professional.Â
When Yunho finally settles into your chair, about a single second after Mingi leaves it, the exhaustion careens back into you sideways. It takes you a minute to prep your tools this time, and youâre pretty sure that without the artificial pick me up of the energy drinks youâd be passing out on the spot.Â
You steady your hands against the vanity in front of you and take a deep breath, and when you look up you catch Yunhoâs eyes in the mirror, a tiny crease of concern between his brows.Â
âYou okay?â He checks.Â
You give him a smile, albeit a tired one, âThe jet lag is really hitting this time,â you explain, âbut Iâm fine,âÂ
He looks sympathetic immediately, âSame for me, I feel like Iâm barely sleeping,âÂ
âThatâs not good,â You tell him as you prep your stainless steel palette, âyou have a long night ahead,âÂ
âIâll sleep tonight,â He says, âIâm sure,âÂ
âAfter dancing for three hours Iâd hope so,â You smile and pick up your first set of tools before turning towards him.Â
âDo you have anything you could take?â He asks, studying your face, âA sleep aid?âÂ
âI usually donât like to,â You admit, âI always feel groggy the next day,âÂ
âAnd we have another show,â He finishes for you, his lips coming together in a thin line as he thinks.Â
Thereâs nothing really for him to do, but itâs kind of him anyway to be so concerned. They always are, this rare group of eight idols who remember staff birthdays, bring coffee on the early morning schedules, and always, always take extra time to clean up after themselves so itâs not left to anyone else.Â
You take a step closer towards him and glance over his bare face and then it occurs to you, âYou know whatâs funny?âÂ
âHmm?â He tilts his face up to you.Â
âI donât think Iâve ever done your makeup before,â You smile, itâs a ridiculous thought.Â
âNo way,â He blinks, thinking back, âitâs been⊠forever, are you sure?âÂ
You nod, âYouâre usually with Eunji,â you tell him, âand even when weâve swapped around, I donât think so. I think youâre the only member Iâve never done,âÂ
âWow,â He laughs, eyes bright, âwell, I guess thereâs a first time for everything.âÂ
âIs there anything,â You start to ask him if thereâs anything he prefers, anything special about his makeup that he gets done with Eunji that he asks for, but Iseul catches you idle as she pats foundation onto Sanâs forehead and answers for you.Â
âHis skin gets dry,â She jumps in, âdonât use too much powder,âÂ
Yunho grins, a laugh on his lips at the directness of her words.Â
âAnd donât use that oil,â Iseul adds, âthat primer oil you like, heâll break out by tomorrow,âÂ
âThank you, Iseul,â Yunho says, and you watch Sanâs face as he stifles a chuckle.Â
âNoted,â You smile, and you swap out two of the products in your hands before taking up your position by his side again.Â
Youâve gotten used to working with idols, to working with Ateez and with Yunho specifically, and yet when you get this close a little flutter of nerves rocks through your belly. Heâs handsome, and if youâre being honest heâs just your type. Maybe itâs the exhaustion, or this weird feeling in your chest that youâve been dealing with all week, but for the first time in a long time you think about what it would be like to kiss his lips.Â
âHow do you want me?â He asks, breaking your thoughts, and you have to shake off the impending blush at the way his words make you feel. You have work to do, and you had gotten over your silly little crush on him years ago, you need to get a grip.Â
You recover fairly smoothly though with a quick smile, âRight,â heâs never worked with you before, and heâs looking to you for direction, âhead back a bit, please, and eyes closed,âÂ
âAlright,â He follows your instructions to the letter.Â
âOkay,â You tell him, âprimer first. Let me know if anything bothers you,âÂ
âMhm,â He hums and stays relaxed.Â
He has the loveliest eyelashes, thatâs the thought that echoes through your brain as you start working on him, and you wish it never occurred to you at all because you keep glancing up at his closed eyes. He lets you work, he knows youâre exhausted so he doesnât push you for conversation, and youâre strangely grateful. You know heâs chatty sometimes in the chair, an extrovert through and through and always keeping Eunji company or talking with the member beside him, but right now he keeps still and gives you respite on a hard day.Â
Youâre patting foundation into his skin with a large paddle brush when Iseul interrupts your thoughts, âDo you have that eggplant liner?âÂ
âCheck my table,â You offer, but with how sluggish your brain is feeling thereâs no way you remember a single thing on your station without looking.
âMm,â She pivots around and pokes through the products and tools behind you, and you glance over as San opens his eyes to watch Iseul rifle through things.Â
âDamn,â She mutters, âhow much time do we have?âÂ
âUm,â You glance down at your watch, âtwenty?âÂ
âPerfect,â She scoots behind you and disappears into the hall, no doubt to find your traveling makeup case and the liner.Â
You sigh, chewing the inside of your lip at the idea that you only have twenty more minutes, but you really donât want to rush and have his makeup melt off on-stage.Â
âYouâre fine,â San assures, his body angled towards you and Yunho now while he waits, âdonât worry about the clock,â
Yunho hums his agreement from below you, âPlenty of time,â
You refocus on Yunhoâs skin and notice a long black and white hair from the paddle brush affixed to his cheek, mixed in with the foundation. You take the brush again, wiping off any excess foundation and checking to see if more fibers are loose, and then you work the brush against his cheek in an attempt to free the loose hair but it isnât coming off easily. Every attempt you make just slides the hair into a different spot on his cheek and covers it with more foundation.Â
âUm,â You usually donât like to do this, but you might have to, âcan I justâŠâ
His eyes open but his expression stays smooth, âCan you?âÂ
âSorry,â You shake your head, âdo you mind if I touch you?âÂ
âYou already are,â He smiles, a small, amused crease between his brows youâll have to pat out momentarily.Â
You tuck your brush away and gesture with your hand, âYou just have a hair,âÂ
âOh,â He laughs, âof course, yeah,âÂ
Youâre just supposed to touch his cheek, brush away the hair with the pad of your finger and then get back to work, thatâs all it is, so youâre completely unprepared for the feeling that rockets through your chest when your skin finally touches his.Â
Yunho gasps softly as your fingers brush over his cheek, his eyes blowing wide and his expression blanking, and itâs the only indication you have that he feels something too. A tightness wrenches in your chest, like someone pressed something hot and hard directly into your breastbone and your stomach does a somersault. Your ears are ringing, and youâre pretty sure your heart is about to beat out of your chest now that itâs started up again.Â
The tattoo on your chest feels warm beneath your blouse.Â
âYou,â Yunho manages, his voice shaky and you know for sure he felt it too.Â
You rock back a step, âI donât understand,âÂ
âShit,â Someone else says, and then you realize that itâs San and youâre not alone with the only other person in the entire world, youâre in the middle of work in front of at least one other person and itâs only your existence that just got tilted on its axis. Yours and maybe Yunhoâs.Â
âOh,â You glance to the side, taking in Sanâs wide eyed expression, âoh my God,âÂ
âIâm not insane, am I?â Yunho smiles, his focus entirely on you, and you think you might just pass out, âYou felt that?âÂ
Thereâs a noise in the hall and San scrambles up to his feet, âIseul,â he says heading for the door, âdo you need help looking?âÂ
Heâs covering for you both, but thoughts are slow to form and all you can manage is blinking at the man in your chair.Â
âYou did, right?â He asks again, eyes soft and hopeful, and then his fingers brush over the center of his chest. Squarely over his breastbone.
Heâs yours.Â
You want to reach out and yank up his shirt, check the tattoo over his heart to see if itâs the same looping knot shape as yours, but you donât need to see it to know for sure. Itâs him.Â
San says something about forgetting the liner altogether, a little louder so you both know the room is going to get crowded again, and you shake your head to jolt yourself out of your paralyzed position.Â
âYou didnât?â His hand falls.Â
âI did,â You rush to correct, âIâm, I donât know,âÂ
He nods, wetting his lips and shifting in his chair. He moves to reach for you, but reason and sense click back into place immediately and you realize that no matter what your tattoo feels like and no matter what this means, youâre at work and about to have a very private moment in a very public place if youâre not careful.Â
You shake your head with a glance at his hand and jerk your head towards the door, âLater,âÂ
âRight,â He leans back from you, âof course, right,âÂ
Footsteps to your right draw your attention and Iseul is huffing, checking her own watch, âWeâll do brown,âÂ
âThatâll be fine,â San assures her, but his eyes are glued on the pair of you.Â
Iseul moves to step around you again and realizes youâre just standing there, âWhatâs with you?âÂ
âSorry,â You manage, blinking hard and refocusing, âI just got dizzy,âÂ
Itâs not entirely a lie, given that you felt the entire earth shift under your feet thirty seconds ago and your life is completely changed. Dizzy is the least of how youâre feeling.Â
Yunhoâs expression shifts immediately, concern across his face, and he curls his fingers into his palms to keep himself from reaching out again, from being too familiar.Â
âOh,â Her eyebrows raise high, âdo you need me to finish Yunho?â
âN-no,â You take a breath, âjust give me one second,âÂ
âAre you sure youâre alright?â Yunho asks, and in the back of your brain you wonder if his voice has always sounded this good.Â
âHere,â San cuts in smoothly, cracking the seal on a fresh water bottle and passing it over to you, âdo you need to sit a minute?âÂ
Sanâs hand rests on your upper back between your shoulders as you take a long sip of water, the cold shocking your brain back to reality in exactly the way you need.Â
âThank you,â You tell him honestly, âI think Iâm okay, just a headrush,âÂ
San nods, and when you refocus your eyes on Yunho, you almost laugh. His gaze is squarely on Sanâs hand where it sits on your back, and you watch the fast, silent exchange between the two men when San drops his hand and Yunho realizes his own reaction. He blushes, ears running red and he dips his head to avoid both your eyes.Â
âIseul,â San steps around you both and distracts your friend, âready to wrap?âÂ
âYeah,â She agrees, âletâs finish up. Youâre sure youâre okay, y/n?âÂ
âMhm,â You hardly trust your own voice, but you nod anyway, âIâm good now.âÂ
Yunho tilts his face back up as you step close, and the tension between you is so palpable and so familiar that you can hardly breathe. Your tattoo feels warm and heavy and something tells you that his does too, you can see it in the tenderness of his brown eyes.Â
âDizzy?â He asks quietly, keeping his words just for you.Â
You shake your head, âNo,â
âThatâs good,â He murmurs, but he lets whatever words he wants to say rest on his tongue.Â
Your tattoo throbs and you donât dare touch his bare skin again.Â
His makeup takes fifteen more minutes and his eyes donât stray from your face the entire time. You barely finish on time, and wardrobe is standing by to get them into their first outfits of the night, so when you put the final touches on heâs already being pulled out of the chair before you have a chance to say anything.Â
You want to corner him and ask him exactly when heâll have time to talk later, but despite working together for the last few years, you and Yunho arenât that close. Youâre friendly, but youâre not familiar enough to casually ask what heâs doing later and not have it seem strange. While friendships between staff members and idols are not discouraged, even between the opposite sex, being overly familiar or suggestive would certainly leave a question in everyoneâs minds, and you donât want to draw attention to yourself that quickly.Â
This is between you and Yunho, no one else. You donât want an audience for this.Â
So he goes, pulled away by wardrobe and his other members, fitted quickly into his Soundcheck outfit. He has his game face on, so do all the members, and you watch him disappear down the hall without a second glance back at you.Â
You collapse into the couch and press your eyes closed, focusing on the singular feeling of heat and soreness from your chest.
A soulmate.Â
The tattoo on your chest was one you barely looked at anymore, too focused on living your life to sit in the mirror and wonder about the person who would be your other half, the person that would slot into the gaps in your spirit with a simple brush of skin on skin. But now, it aches. It pulses to remind you that itâs real and that youâve found him.Â
Everything in your life is about to change. Has already changed.
On the couch you donât sleep as much as you disassociate, still stunned, your buzzing brain filtering out everything Iseul says as she cleans up around you and preps both of your brush belts for touch ups. Thereâs such a small amount of time between Soundcheck and the concert that you barely get to process, you just exist, playing the moment you touched him over again and again in your mind. Despite how utterly changed you feel, the world is just continuing on around you like a regular day.
Once again, you and Yunho miss each other for every brief moment between Soundcheck and stage.
The shift happens in the wings, in the underbelly of the stage where you and the other staff members for hair, makeup, and wardrobe wait for any last minute quick fixes. The eight of them are almost ready, pumping themselves up between rows of technical equipment and stage scaffolding.Â
Thereâs so much commotion around you and yet your eyes are drawn to him like a magnet, the feelings you once had for him coming back to you full force in a blurry torrent.Â
He shifts, stretches, swallows hard, and then looks up directly into your eyes. Thereâs a question in them that you canât read, but you manage to smile.Â
His shoulders relax just a little.Â
You raise your fist, giving him the gesture for âfightingâ and he returns it with a wide grin.Â
âAlright,â Hongjoongâs voice cuts through, the final step of their pre-show ritual as the concert hall starts to roar, âhuddle up.âÂ
The eight of them circle up with each other, one leg in and one out.Â
âWeâve practiced hard,â Hongjoong starts, patting his members on the back, âlet that practice pay off, and have fun out there,âÂ
âOkay!â San hypes them up, getting the tension high.Â
âLetâs give it our all,â Hongjoong continues, a wide smile on his face, âfighting!â
They echo it back, and a tense feeling starts to roll in your gut.Â
âAlright, one,â Hongjoong starts the count and you feel the tension in your own body rising, enough to make you take a soft step back from the group, âtwo,âÂ
On three they chorus it, moving their feet in a synchronized step, âEight makes one team! Fighting!âÂ
They break apart, clapping each other on the back, and your eyes meet Yunhoâs for one more fast second before heâs jogging after the rest of the members and finding his mark on the stage risers.Â
You feel the sensation of his eyes on you even after heâs gone. You have the length of four songs and their opening ments before members start swapping out on stage for makeup touch-ups and technical adjustments. The sound of the audience is intense, the start of the first song keying up, and you stumble back from your post to get a breath of air away from it all.Â
Thereâs a bathroom along the hallway two doors down from the green room thatâs meant for staff and you blissfully find it empty. With shaking hands you flip the lock and sink down into a crouch, your back braced against the wall as you breathe through the sudden wave of feelings filling your chest.Â
Adrenaline, thatâs what the bitter taste on your tongue is.Â
Your heart is thumping, double time like youâre running a marathon, and then you realize it. You can feel him, even now with the bond between you unfulfilled you can feel his emotions coming to you like a wave. Adrenaline, anxiety, euphoria, exhaustion, it all roils through you and you brace your hands on the wall to get your composure back.Â
They say the first time you feel your soulmate link it takes you by surprise, but this is an intensity you couldnât have imagined. Itâs all encompassing and honestly terrifying, and youâre struggling to understand which parts of you are you and which are him. You canât conceive of how an accepted bond would make this feeling stronger when it already feels like your emotions and his are knit together so tightly.Â
Anxiety strikes down the link and you realize itâs not stage fright, itâs for you. He can feel your panic and your fear just like you can feel every ounce of his performance and if you donât get yourself in check youâre going to be distracting him even more than you already are.Â
You yank yourself up off the floor and collapse against the sink, turning on the cold water tap and taking slow and steadying breaths. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Counting slowly, relaxing your body with every pulse of oxygen through your system. You hope he can feel it, but you have no idea how this all really works. Youâll have to call your sister when this is all said and done, find out what she felt when she met her wife, but right now in this bathroom in Berlin you have to do this by yourself.Â
You hear the pulse of another song thrumming through the stadium as they keep performing, and you feel the thundering beat of his heart in your chest, but you breathe into it this time and try to keep yourself calm for his sake. You splash cold water on your face, keep breathing low and slow, and eventually you pull yourself back up to standing tall to look at yourself in the mirror.Â
You look the same as you did a few hours ago, before him, but the warmth in your chest is still present and you wonder if that will ever go away or if thatâs just a permanent part of the link.Â
With shaky hands you unbutton your blouse and pull your bralette down in the center to reveal what you already know is there. Your breath catches in your throat at the sight.Â
The tattoo nestled at the base of your sternum is the only one you were born with. Every other line of ink on your body was put there with intention, but this one youâve had for as long as you can remember. The maedeup knot is small, but intricate, and until this moment it had always been colorless. Loops of black and gray twining together to make a rounded diamond, unbroken with no beginning or end to the threads.Â
Now the ink has changed, a deep red against your skin that makes the knotted josephin soulmark look even more traditional, but the skin is slightly inflamed, tender to the touch as you brush your fingertips along it. It feels like a fresh mark, not something youâve had since birth, but considering how itâs changed, maybe it is new. A soulmark shifting color is common, you know that, but it still stands out so starkly against your skin and your other black tattoos. You canât look away from it.Â
A pounding on the bathroom door makes you jump and you fix your shirt, covering the mark back up and buttoning it away. You wonder if Yunhoâs mark is the exact same like other couples you know and if it too turned red, if itâs warm to the touch, if he felt you brush against your mark through the link.Â
ây/n?â A voice comes through the door and you shut off the tap.Â
âComing!â You wipe the excess water on your hands onto your jeans and take one last, fast look to make sure your mark isnât visible, before opening the bathroom door.Â
Wonshik, one of their many managers, is waiting for you on the other side. His eyes narrow when he sees you, âAre you ill?âÂ
âNo,â You assure him.Â
âYouâre sure?â He presses, âWe canât afford to lose any more staff or risk getting the members sick if you are,âÂ
âI know, Wonshik,â You nod, âI promise Iâm just tired, jet-lagged. I was putting cold water on my face, thatâs all. Iâm not sick,âÂ
He exhales in relief, his expression softening, âThank God,â he says, âI can only take so many surprises.âÂ
A little sickness is nothing compared to a staff member and an idol under a dating ban being soulmarked, but you hold your tongue.Â
âTheyâre about to come off,â He says, âIseul was looking for you, she seems like she might start climbing the walls if you donât get back to help her,âÂ
âNo, of course,â You start back towards the side stage entrance, âI lost track of time, but it wonât happen again,âÂ
âMake sure you sleep tonight,â He adds, following you closely, âno sleep means no immune system, and no immune system means sick.âÂ
âDonât worry,â You promise, winding your way through the dark backstage, âyou wonât lose me,âÂ
âI better not,â He sighs, and then Iseul comes into sight.Â
âThere you are!â She hisses low under her breath, âI was about to have a panic attack,âÂ
âIâm sorry, Iâm here, Iâm good,â In the commotion, your brain starts to ease into normalcy. Youâre used to this pace, the speed of lightning fast makeup touch-ups and assisting wardrobe when things start to go awry with their quick changes. The audience feels none of this, they just see smooth change-outs on stage and cool idols in new clothes, but backstage is a wild flurry and it always puts you on an entirely different plane of focus.Â
âHere we go,â A stage director starts, gathering everyoneâs attention, âfour minutes⊠startingâŠâÂ
The stage goes dark and in the venue a video starts to play to the crowd to fill the space between costume changes. You prep your hands, making sure your kit is ready to go and you see the wardrobe specialists out of the corner of your eye readying themselves to help facilitate the quick change.Â
Suddenly theyâre here, and the stage director interrupts once more, âNow, four minutes people, letâs go.âÂ
âMingi,â He gets to you first and he crouches down to drop his face to your height, âstay still one second,âÂ
He says nothing, but he nods as you pat powder across his forehead and the bridge of his nose, checking him over for any other defects. He looks good and you nod, âGo, go,âÂ
Mingi peels off to the left of you and you hear the sound of fabric swishing as he and Wooyoung rip off the top layer of their outfits behind the privacy screens and trade garments with the wardrobe team. Itâs a fast shuffle, but you stay focused on whoâs in front of you.Â
âSeonghwa,â You wave to him, pulling blotting tissues out of the pack on your belt, âhere,âÂ
He knows this drill well, youâre used to working with him and you have a clean routine down. He blots the sweat off his brow himself and starts to unbutton his jacket while you shift focus to Yunho.Â
For a split second you almost forget what happened earlier in the buzz of backstage, but the minute your eyes hold on his awareness floods you.Â
âHey,â You say, but thereâs a time clock shout behind you and you beckon him down, âcome here, let me fix things,â
He drops down to your height just like Mingi did and stays steady while you work, but his eyes flick up, âYouâre okay?âÂ
âIâm good,â You nod, âdonât worry,âÂ
His expression clears a little and you guess you have your answer about the feeling of the link going both ways.Â
Hongjoong clears his throat behind you both, âWeâre short on time,âÂ
âAm I good?â Yunho checks.Â
Your eyes flick over him fast, âYep,âÂ
Heâs out of your eyeline a split second later, and youâre grateful for the distraction of both Hongjoong and Seonghwa, otherwise youâre sure youâd dwell a little bit too long on the fact that Yunhoâs half naked next to you, privacy screen or no.Â
âOne minute,â The stage director announces, âeveryoneâs doing great,âÂ
The boys are almost done, flying through the last of their zips and getting their hair smoothed down by that team as they finish. You put the last pat of powder on Seonghwaâs nose and give him a nod before heâs gone too, dropping his jacket as he goes and giving you all a quick flash of his bare back.Â
You turn back towards the group as they prepare and your eyes zero in on Yunho again. His expression is serious, itâs his game face before he gets back out on stage, and you watch as he corrects the placement of his in-ears and ensures that his mic pack is secured. He runs through his pre-stage ritual and you canât help but be a captive audience.Â
âGood work,â The stage director says as Seonghwa rejoins the eight, fully dressed and ready for stage, âfifteen seconds for act two,âÂ
The crowd heats up again as the video starts to fade, and the members do their final checks. Yunho doesnât look back at you once, his eyes forward and focused as he and the other members find their places on the rising platform that will take them back out to the main stage.Â
You can see him a little though, in the low light in his white trousers and blue satin shirt. He lifts his hand, adjusting his microphone once again, and then as he drops it back to his side he lets his fingers skim over the familiar hollow of his chest.Â
Your mark warms, you feel it as if it were your chest he brushed his fingers over, and your breath stops.Â
The platform rises, the crowd roars, and your heart starts beating to a new rhythm.Â
He really is yours.Â
It turns out that later means much later.Â
You manage to get out of dinner with some of the other staff members, but that just leaves you anxious and alone in a hotel room trying and failing to eat room service. Iseul would be back soon to take up her place in the other bed, and youâre starting to realize that you donât have Yunhoâs number.Â
Now that emotions are a little smoother, you canât feel him. Or maybe you can, but itâs so faint that youâre not sure. All you know is that heâs definitely in the hotel, but thatâs partially the solid feeling of your link with him and partially the YouTube live being broadcast from Seonghwaâs room where all of the members are.Â
You put the live on and watch, feeling strangely disconnected from the men on screen. Youâve known them for years, but suddenly with this new truth everything feels foreign and confusing.Â
You should call your sister, but itâs only six in the morning in Korea and even though this is an emergency of life altering and epic proportions, you canât bring yourself to wake her on a Saturday.Â
You try your best to eat the pasta you ordered and watch as the live eventually ends. Your phone dings and for a split second you think it will be him, but itâs just Iseul telling you sheâs heading back to the hotel.Â
A soft knock at the door makes your stomach lurch.Â
Youâre frozen.Â
Thereâs another knock, a little firmer this time but then you feel the warm touch against your mark and youâre on your feet, your hand on the door handle before you can think.Â
He looks tired, thatâs your first thought. His face is bare again, and his eyes are rimmed in a little bit of red like he just removed the dayâs stage makeup. Despite all that, he smiles when he sees you and sighs, leaning against the door frame, âYouâre awake,â he says.Â
âI waited,â You manage.Â
He grimaces, âIâm sorry, I didnât mean to,â his eyes flick behind you into the room and he swallows, âare you alone?âÂ
âYes,â You nod, âbut not for long, Iseulâs on her way,âÂ
He nods, âCome to my room?âÂ
âAre you sure?â Your eyes widen.Â
âWe need to talk,â He nods, âcan you get away for a little while?âÂ
Iseul will probably expect you to be asleep, but you canât let this go until morning. If youâre ever going to sleep you need to talk to him now.Â
âIâll think of something,â You tell him, âwhat room?âÂ
â2606,â He answers, reaching into his pockets and producing an envelope from the front desk, âtake this,âÂ
He passes you one of his room keys and you nod, âIâll be up in five minutes, but you should go,âÂ
âOkay,â He breathes and neither one of you makes a single move to step away from the door until a sound down the hallway pushes you into it.Â
â2606,â You repeat and he nods, swiftly moving down the hall before anyone can see him standing at your door.Â
You have no idea what youâre going to tell Iseul that would make sense, but you donât care. You stack up your room service for collection, kick on a pair of slippers, and give yourself the fastest look in the mirror ever on your way out the door. You want to be gone before she gets back, the idea of facing her and lying ten times more difficult than an empty text.Â
No problem - I canât sleep, Iâm just going to walk a bit. Donât wait up.
You donât stick around to see if sheâll believe it.Â
You try to seem casual when walking to Yunhoâs room, like it's yours. You donât want anyone to give you a second glance and wonder where youâre going, so you keep your head up, smile at anyone you pass, and when his door comes into view you scan the card like itâs any other day.Â
When the heavy door shuts behind you, you sigh.Â
âGod, finally,â His voice startles you, and you look up to see him pacing, âIâve been going insane all day,âÂ
Your shoulders drop, you arenât alone, âMe too,â
He runs a hand through his black hair and finally stops pacing, but doesnât come any closer, âSo, this is real?âÂ
âIt feels pretty real,âÂ
âHow did we never feel it?â He manages, âIâve known you for years,âÂ
âWeâve never touched until today,â You tell him, and that has to be the reason, itâs the only thing that makes sense. Youâve been turning it over in your mind all night, and with the exception of bumping into him last week in the hall, itâs all been polite bows and waves.Â
âHow is that even possible,â He breathes, âteam dinners? Holiday parties? Work?âÂ
âSkin to skin,â You murmur, âI think thatâs what it was,âÂ
âI had no idea,â He swallows, gesturing in the negative space between your bodies, âI always liked you, but I thought it was just, you know, a crush,âÂ
âYou what?â Your eyebrows raise.Â
âWell,â He backtracks, ânot like that, itâs not like Iâve been holding a candle.âÂ
Your face stays neutral, but he grimaces at his own words.Â
âIâm fucking this up,â He takes a deep breath, âIâm sorry, Iâm really nervous.âÂ
Your stomach warms, âYunho, itâs okay, honestly,âÂ
âI just meant Iâve always liked you, I thought about asking you out when our contracts loosened up if you were still single.â He clarifies and then you watch his face blanch, âYou are single, arenât you?âÂ
âYes,â You nod, âwe donât have to worry about that,âÂ
He nods and you see him searching for the next thing to say, the right thing.Â
âYour mark,â You cut in, taking a few steps further into the room, âdid it change?âÂ
âCompletely,â He nods, âdid yours?âÂ
âYeah,â You wonder the right way to ask him if you can see.Â
âDoes it feel,â He starts.
âWarm?âÂ
âYes,â He nods, âand tender?âÂ
âLike a fresh tattoo,â You take another step in.Â
âIâve never gotten a tattoo,â He confesses, âbut Iâll take your word for it,âÂ
âCan I,â The words are stuck on your tongue, âmaybe this is weird, but I mean, I guess weâre soulmates,âÂ
âYou want to see it?â He surmises.Â
âOnly if youâre comfortable,âÂ
His lips quirk, âIâm comfortable,â
Heat twists in your gut and you wonder if he can feel that too. If he does he doesnât say it, but you watch as he pulls the black t-shirt off over his head.Â
Youâve never seen his chest. Any inch of his skin except for his neck and arms really, and you guess that was part of keeping his soulmark covered. Idols always do, even when theyâre in the most inconvenient locations, thereâs always makeup or flesh colored tape or editing to take care of it. The idea that someone could replicate it and try to fake a connection is far too real for someone famous.Â
He drops his shirt onto the bed and pink tinges his cheeks as he gestures towards it, âWell,âÂ
Your mouth drops, itâs the exact same, down to the size and the placement and every little loop and you stumble forwards to get a better look, âYunho,âÂ
âYeah?âÂ
âHas yours always been red?â You reach out, your fingertips hovering just over it.Â
He shakes his head, âNot before today,âÂ
âMineâs the same,â You tell him, your eyes glued to his sternum, âjust the same,âÂ
You know every centimeter of this tattoo. Youâve studied it a thousand times in the mirror, tracing over every curve with your eyes, trying to find the place where the cord starts and ends. He sucks in a sharp breath as your fingers brush gently along his mark, and you feel the ghost of the sensation against your own.Â
âI canât believe we never knew,â You murmur, sliding your finger along each rounded edge.Â
âYou feel that?â He asks, âRight?âÂ
Youâre nodding and moving to tug off your sweater before you can even think it through. He starts to shake his head, to say that you donât have to, but youâre already tossing the sweater next to his discarded shirt and tugging down the front band of your bralette so he can see the whole mark.Â
His eyes flick over you fast, but with the matching mark in front of him he doesnât focus on anything else, âItâs exactly the same,âÂ
âI know,â You reach for his hand, but the minute more of your skin connects with his you feel your chest throb and you drop it like it burns you.Â
He winces, touching his chest again, âIs it supposed to hurt?âÂ
âIn the beginning,â You nod, âI think?âÂ
âDoes it always feel like that?âÂ
âIâm not sure,â You admit, âI was going to call my sister and ask, but itâs too early at home,âÂ
He smiles, âYour sister found her soulmate?âÂ
âIn highschool,â You smile back, âtheyâve been bonded together since they were eighteen,âÂ
âOlder or younger?â He asks, and you realize just how little you know about each other despite how long youâve worked alongside him.Â
âYounger,â You say. Â
âI have a little brother,â He replies, âbut heâs still in school,âÂ
You nod, painfully aware that this is such a strange conversation to have with your shirts off just standing in the middle of a hotel room, but somehow itâs easier than any date youâve ever had.Â
Your eyes flick from his eyes to his mark and he reaches out a hand again, âCan I?âÂ
Your heart quickens and you nod.Â
His fingertips graze over the edge of your mark, mimicking your touch from before, sliding along the edges of the tattoo. His eyes widen and you know heâs feeling the sensation in his own mark, a mirror image of each other.Â
âThis doesnât hurt,â He observes, letting his fingers linger.Â
âI think we have to get used to each other,â You remember that fact from somewhere, âthe link has been dormant for a long time, I think it takes a minute to get used to having it,âÂ
âMakes sense,â He murmurs, his eyes still squarely on your mark, âIâll be honest though, I still really want to touch you,âÂ
âYeah?â Your voice is thready.Â
His fingers fall away and he nods, âDonât you?âÂ
âYes,â You agree, painfully quickly.Â
He swallows tightly and takes the smallest step forwards, before offering out his hand, palm up and waiting for you.
Your eyes flick from his face down to his outstretched hand, and you reach for him slowly. You let your fingertips skate over the skin of his palm, down each digit, ghost the pads of your fingertips together. Itâs warm, sharp and dizzying even just to brush against each other.Â
You wonder what more will feel like.Â
âCan I try something?â He murmurs, his voice nearly a whisper even though youâre all alone.Â
You nod.Â
He wets his lips unconsciously and moves a little closer, your bodies now only inches apart. Anxiety, anticipation, thrill, it all runs through your gut like a whirling wind and you shiver at the torrent of his emotions, a grin breaking out over your face.Â
His smile mirrors yours, âYour heartâs beating a mile a minute,âÂ
âYou can feel that?âÂ
âYeah,â He breathes, grin widening, âthis is crazy,âÂ
You laugh, a little nervous, a little elated, and he finally reaches out his hands.Â
He takes a steadying breath, and then his fingertips brush along your jaw.Â
You suck in a sharp gasp at the sensation, electric and hot, the feeling rocketing through your entire body. You tilt your face up to his as he continues his gentle touches, your eyes watching him as he studies you. His plush lips are parted, brown eyes wide with awe as he grows a little bolder to brush over your cheeks, down your throat, and back up to your jawline.Â
âFeel alright?â He murmurs.Â
You nod into his touch and he starts to lift off but you reach for him, âDonât stop,âÂ
Your hands land safely on his hips, still covered by his sweatpants and you watch him swallow again at the sudden contact, his Adamâs apple bobbing in his throat. Warmth fills the bond, no doubt the first threads of his arousal, and you wonder if he can feel your own. If he can sense how much heâs affecting you with just his fingertips on your face.Â
His hands settle back on your skin, this time smoothing across you with his palms, one hand cupping your cheek and the other sliding over your shoulder and down your bare back.Â
You can barely breathe, the room so silent and around you, like the only thing in the universe that exists is the two of you orbiting each other, standing at the precipice of something so catastrophic and wonderful.Â
Your hands adjust, resting on his taut abdomen as you move a little closer together, and his eyes flutter shut as he breathes through the sensation of your hands on him properly for the first time.Â
âYouâre so warm,â You murmur, your hands softly tracing his abdominal muscles, instinct guiding you to touch more of him, seek out every inch of him as you unconsciously make a map of his body in your mind.Â
He hums pleasantly, eyes reopening, âSo are you,âÂ
He feels so right, so essential under your touch.Â
Yunho wets his lips softly with his tongue, and a nervous thrill passes through your belly. His eyes flick over you, the pad of his thumb sweeping a line over your lips. You suppress a needy sound, still trying to keep your head amidst the thrumming emotions and steady thumps of your heart.Â
He doesnât stop, just stroking your skin slowly, fingers on your back pressing just a little as he sighs.Â
âYunho,â You shiver.Â
âCold?â He gravitates a little closer.Â
âN-no,â Your body is all but pressed flush against him now, and you have to lean your face up even more just to see him as he stands tall over you.Â
âIâŠâ He starts to say something but lets the words die off, like heâs thinking something through, but then he sighs, âforget it,âÂ
His lips are on yours.Â
Yunho lifts you, wrapping his arms around your back and tugging you up into his embrace. You gasp against his mouth, finding his shoulders to hold onto as one of his arms bands around your lower back.Â
The kiss is shattering, the world tilting once again, a new frequency humming between your two bodies. Itâs hot, your skin buzzing from the contact, but the way you move together is fluid and easy. Your legs part naturally, settling around his hips and his free hand finds your plush thigh as he tugs you into place, slotting your bodies together like they were always meant to be.Â
âIâm sorry,â He mumbles against your lips when he draws in a quick breath, but he doesnât stop kissing you. His nose nuzzles against yours, and his lips part at the same moment yours do, tongues meeting in the space between your mouths to flick against each other.Â
âDonât,â You push closer to him, fingers knotting into the back of his hair as you kiss him back.Â
He hums, the hand on your thigh sliding up to cup your ass and you shiver as his wide hand stretches across your backside, squeezing your pillowy flesh.Â
A tiny whimper does leave you then, liquid heat spreading through your body, the combined sensation of both your arousals giving you a headrush.Â
âSo beautiful,â He sighs between kisses, âyouâre so beautiful,âÂ
âYunho,â Your voice is thready, his name a stretched out sound.Â
He holds you close, nearly stumbling as he moves. You blink your eyes open just as he spins you both, pushing you up against the hotel wall and pinning you in place with the weight of his body. You should slow things down, but nothing in your life has ever felt this good and you find yourself diving back to meet his kiss again.Â
 His arm slides out from behind your back as he pushes closer, your body fully supported by the flat of the wall behind you and his hips under yours and one hand firmly anchored on your ass. With his arm free he cups your cheek, a pleased sound on his lips as he dips you back into the wall and deepens the kiss.Â
Heat blooms through you, your kisses getting needier, artless and desperate just to get a little closer together. The kind of kissing that sounds as messy as it is, tiny pants and moans muffled between you, skin on skin, tongue on tongue.Â
âGod,â He shudders, his lips breaking away, but his eyes only flick over you for a second before he dives back in. This time his lips travel, hot kisses across your jaw and back to the hollow of your ear, down your throat as he holds you a little higher on the wall for the right access.Â
You grip his shoulders with one hand and lock your fingers in his mess of black hair with the other, your head falling back against the wall. He pants against your throat, a soft groan as he kisses, and your stomach tightens pleasantly.Â
âY-Yunho,â You gasp, arousal rolling through you, and unconsciously you rock your hips, desperately seeking some kind of friction.Â
He hums low in his throat, kissing back up your neck fast to get to your lips again and his hand slides off your cheek as he crowds you tighter, bracing himself against the wall above your head. His abdomen presses against your core, and even through layers of fabric you feel his heat. Hungrily, you roll your hips again and catch a little pressure, moaning in earnest against his mouth.Â
Yunho makes a tight sound and then he breaks the kiss, his forehead pressing hard against yours as he takes in slow breaths, his body all but trembling with need as he holds you.Â
âWe need to slow down,â He manages.Â
You canât find words, not yet, but you nod against him.Â
âYou deserve better,â He says, âdates, presents,âÂ
You laugh softly, your hand in his hair softening from a grip to a gentle hold, carding through the long locks at the base of his neck, âI donât need all that,â Â
He smiles wide, brushing off your words, âStill,â He sighs, still recovering from the heated make out, âI think I have more self control than fulfilling our bond by fucking you into the wall,âÂ
Reality bleeds back in at that. Soulmarks were just that, indicator marks. A way to find your person amidst a sea of thousands, if not millions. All the shared sensation and emotion a precursor to something more permanent and binding, something only sealed together by sex.Â
You lift your head up, and he leans back to mirror you.Â
âI lost my head there,â You admit, warm blush in your cheeks, âI didnât know it would feel like this,âÂ
He smiles, and you take in his expression. His hair is a mess, mussed and disheveled and his face is pink from his nose down to the dark, well-kissed curve of his lips. His bare chest is flushed bright pink and his eyes are bright and warm. You fight the urge to kiss him again.Â
âMe either,â He shakes his head, âitâs incredible,âÂ
âOverwhelming,â You nod, exhaling softly.Â
He makes a soft sound to agree and then starts to push back from the wall gingerly, letting you slowly unwrap your legs from his waist and ease down to the floor.Â
He lets you go when youâre steady on your feet and clears his throat, adjusting the waistband of his sweatpants and running a hand through his tangled locks. Heâs hard, that much is obvious from the distinct outline of his cock through the gray fabric, but you do your best to look away and not think about how thick and heavy it looked just from kissing you.Â
âJesus,â He adjusts his sweats again, âsorry,âÂ
âItâs fine,â You cup your own cheeks with cool fingers, âI promise youâre not the only one,âÂ
His eyes hold yours for a lengthy beat and then he swallows, taking a wide step back and nodding, âRight,â he shakes his head, âweâre supposed to be slowing down.âÂ
âSlow,â You lean against the wall behind you, crossing your arms over your chest and trying to steady your thumping heart.Â
âIâm going over here,â He grins and walks to the far wall by the door to the bathroom, leaning back and crossing his own arms, âwe really should talk,âÂ
A pulse of anxiety flickers through you, and you realize just how quickly you went from his hotel room door to nearly falling into bed. Heâs handsome, a kind man, your once upon a time crush, and certainly fated to be a good match for you, but that doesnât mean you should throw out good sense and rush things. No matter how much your impulses were screaming at you to do just that.
You try to ignore the fact that thereâs a bed between you, and you nod, âYouâre right,â you finally say, âwe barely know each other,âÂ
Yunhoâs smile fades just a bit, âI wouldnât say that,âÂ
âWeâre coworkers,â The words tumble out, âI know what weâre both feeling, but,âÂ
His brow furrows as he thinks through your words and he shakes his head, ây/n,â he cuts you off, âdo you believe in soulmates?âÂ
âYes, of course,â Even if you hadnât before, the way youâre feeling now would be enough to dispel any skeptic.Â
He takes in a quick breath, the sound sharp as he draws it through his teeth and he cocks his head slightly to the side, âYouâre scared,â he massages the top of his sternum with his fingers, and you recognize your own chest is tight with anxiety, âI can feel it, talk to me.âÂ
The instant vulnerability of the bond is startling, and you can feel your own expression crumble. Itâs suddenly a bit like being an ant caught under a magnifying glass, too much sharp attention all at once and you swallow tightly, eyes flicking away from his tender gaze.Â
ây/n,â He murmurs, âIâm not pushing for more, not tonight,âÂ
âYeah,â Your voice is soft, too quiet for your own liking. Something about the way he sees you so clearly and so quickly makes you feel exposed, nervous and strangely childlike.Â
âHey,â He breaks through your little thought spiral, âlook at me,â
You straighten up again, finding his eyes.Â
âIâm just happy I found you,â He tells you, and you feel the truth of it in your gut, âwe can figure everything else out together, and at our own pace, okay?âÂ
Relief spreads through you, the knot in your chest loosening, âPromise?âÂ
âPromise,â He nods, raising one hand with his pinky extended, âI just want us to try,âÂ
You nod, extending your own pinky to seal it, âMe too.âÂ
He smiles at that, âBarely know each other,â he scolds softly, âIâm offended.âÂ
âOh yeah?â Tension bleeds out of your shoulders.Â
âMhm,â His expression is full of cheek, âIâm the one with a crush, remember? I notice things,âÂ
Your stomach flips pleasantly and your arms relax from their tight position crossed over your chest, âWhat things?âÂ
âLetâs see,â He starts, and for a brief moment you think maybe heâs bluffing, but the moment he starts you melt and he holds your gaze as he warmly recites all the little things heâs noticed about you over the years.Â
âYou only wear silver jewelry,â he notes first, nodding towards you.Â
Your tight hands uncurl.Â
âYou have a ridiculous sweet tooth,â The more he talks the more he relaxes against the far wall, âand you start getting flushed after the second shot of soju, you really are a lightweight,âÂ
âYou always pick a Big Bang song for karaoke, and youâre late to work every Monday,â He laughs a little at that and keeps going, âyou donât wear a lot of color but when you do itâs red. Weâre both from Gwangju but you moved to Seoul when you were five,âÂ
Your heart starts to beat a little faster, warmth filling you again and you donât know if itâs your affection or his anymore, but it hardly matters.Â
âUm,â He takes a deep breath and glances away for a moment and then catches more threads from his memory, âyouâre a Sagittarius, youâre a runner, and the last book I saw you reading was Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982. I bought it, but I havenât had a chance to read it just yet,âÂ
âYunho,â You find yourself smiling, a hand over your surprised lips.Â
âIâm just saying,â He shrugs a little, âwe arenât strangers. I know this is scary and fast and going to change the rest of our lives,âÂ
Elation, pure joy, spills over unfettered from his side of your new emotional tether.Â
âBut I like you,â He confesses, âI have for a while, and this,â he brushes his fingers along his soulmark, âjust changes the timeline.âÂ
Heâs yours.Â
You push off the wall, crossing the room and all but leap back into his embrace, your arms looping around his shoulders again as you push up on tiptoe to kiss his lips.Â
âThis is real,â You murmur.Â
âYes,â He cups your cheeks, nodding as he pecks your lips again.Â
âYouâre mine,âÂ
âYes,â He grins.Â
âOh, this is crazy,â You laugh, forehead against his again.Â
âWeâll go slow,â He assures you again, âweâll figure it out together,âÂ
âTogether,â You nod.Â
He dips low once more, this kiss more tender, and he separates you both before things can heat up again. âHmm,â He glances across the bed and makes a small face at the time displayed on the digital clock, âdid you eat?âÂ
âI tried to,â You confess, âI was nervous,âÂ
âYou need to eat,â He snaps up his black shirt from the bed and slips it back on, and your chest warms. Itâs strangely domestic, strangely commonplace like youâve been in this position a thousand times before.Â
Yunho adjusts his shirt and then kisses your hair as he passes by you, padding over to the hotel microwave and searching through the assorted snacks and instant meals, âItâs too late for room service,âÂ
âIâm okay,â You pull your own sweater back on and sit on the edge of his bed.Â
ây/n,â He glances back, a softly scolding tone.Â
âReally, you need to sleep,â You offer.Â
He dismisses that thought, âBut Iâm hungry, eat with me?âÂ
You concede, and while he starts whipping up two servings of ramen, you wonder if this is what heâs going to be like. It makes sense, heâs always been a caretaking kind of person, but having it so tenderly directed at you feels right.Â
âWhen we get home,â He says as he pours in the spice packets, âIâll take you somewhere nice,âÂ
âThis is nice,â You smile.Â
ây/n,â He sets the ramen on a side table and sits next to you, âthis is cup noodle from a hotel microwave,â
âThe company is nice,â You take the ramen happily though, and tuck into the warm meal.
âIt is,â
âMm, you know,â You slurp back some noodles and softly clear your throat, âyou werenât the only one with a crush,âÂ
He freezes, letting his noodles drop back into his cup, âWhat?âÂ
âIâve always liked you,â Your own confession feels easier after his, âI put it aside since we work together, but I guess, I mean, what Iâm trying to say is that we both felt it before the mark, youâre not alone in that.âÂ
 âI had no idea,âÂ
âIâm very professional,â You tease him lightly.Â
He nudges you and tucks back into his noodles, âHow long?âÂ
âHmm,â You get more comfortable, crossing your legs and scooting back a little onto the mattress, âI thought you were cute when we first met,âÂ
âGod,â He groans, âwe were such kids,âÂ
You nod, swallowing another bite, âMhm, you had that blonde hair,âÂ
He laughs.Â
âI remember thinking, ïżœïżœthat oneâs troubleâ,â You confess.Â
âMe?â His eyebrows perk up, âIâm perfectly nice,âÂ
âTrouble as in youâre my type,â You roll your eyes, âbut I donât think the crush properly came until later. Youâve always made me laugh, and when I realized how I was feeling I just did my best to keep some distance,âÂ
He nods, face getting a little serious, âI know what you mean,âÂ
That knowledge leaves you both a little quiet. The late hour, the adrenaline come down, all of it barrels into you at the same moment as the next anxious thought. How in the world were you both going to navigate this with a contract as tight as theirs and the public eye always watching?Â
âYunho,â You murmur, the last of your noodles left to go cold as you sit with that thought, âAre we going to be able to figure this out?âÂ
âFigure what out?â He looks genuinely confused by your question, âUs?âÂ
âYouâre an idol,â You nod towards him, âIâm staff,âÂ
He rests a hand on your knee, âWeâll be fine,âÂ
âArenât your contracts,â You trail off, letting him fill in the blanks.Â
âTheyâre strict, yes,â He nods, âyear seven,âÂ
Dating, romance, even the perception of it was more than discouraged by companies in this industry, their artists contractually obligated to be single and available and dedicated only to their fans. Five years would have been the industry standard to prevent any idol from being caught out with a partner, let alone a potential soulmarked one, but seven is excessive.Â
You blanch, âThatâs almost two years away,âÂ
âWe will find a way,â He says, âweâre not the first people in the industry this has happened to,âÂ
âReally?â You perk up, âWho?âÂ
He falls short, âWell, I donât know exactly, but itâs bound to have happened.âÂ
âAnd then ruined their careers,â You groan, flopping back flat on the mattress and covering your face with a hand, âwhich is why weâve never heard of them,âÂ
Yunho laughs, earnestly laughs, and takes the half empty ramen cup out of your hand to discard, âMaybe, but for now, letâs just stay positive. Get to know eachother better,âÂ
You nod.Â
âNothing can change the fact that we found each other,â He points out, dropping down onto his side on the bed next to you, âand Iâm okay with that.âÂ
âSo we just lie to everyone?â You chew at the inside of your lip, staring up at the white ceiling.Â
âHey,â Yunhoâs fingers tuck under your chin and draw your eyes to him, âI know youâre anxious,âÂ
You sigh, letting his softness calm you again.Â
âI know,â He repeats, âI am too, but we donât have to decide anything tonight. Weâre both tired and itâs been an emotional day,âÂ
âOkay,â You nod, âokay, yes, youâre right,âÂ
His thumb strokes over your cheek again, and you watch him exhale and sink further into your touch, âWill you stay tonight?âÂ
That wakes you up.Â
Your eyebrows raise, âStay?âÂ
âJust to sleep,â He assures you, âI just⊠I donât want to be without you yet,âÂ
âI need to get back before Iseul wakes up if we do that,â You note with a grimace.Â
âWhat time?â He glances back to the clock.Â
âSeven,â You say, âher alarm is set for seven-thirty,âÂ
âWe can do that,â He grabs his phone off the side table and sets an alarm, âweâll get up,âÂ
The pull between your bodies is so strong youâre fairly sure you would have stayed no matter the consequences, but you nod, âThen Iâll stay,âÂ
He grins and pushes himself off the bed, âIâve got clothes, if you want to get comfortable,âÂ
âSure,â you sit up and wait for him to find things in his still packed suitcase.Â
âUm,â He pulls a pair of black sweatpants from the bag, âthese should work, and if you get cold,âÂ
You smile as he grabs a gray hoodie and comes back to you.Â
As you start to pull off your sweater again, he turns around and leaves his back to you, âSorry,âÂ
âThanks,â You chuckle, making short work of changing. Youâre swimming in his clothes, but his sweatshirt smells like him and you just want to bury your face into it, âyou can turn around now,âÂ
His shoulders relax as he turns back, and you watch his lips part as he takes you in.Â
âWhat?âÂ
âYou look cute,â He clears his throat, shrugging off his reaction.Â
You smile and ease back onto the bed, âOh, I get it,â you laugh, âis your guy brain on fire because Iâm wearing your clothes? Is this some kind of⊠you won the competition, ownership thing?âÂ
He scoffs and rolls his eyes, kneeling on the bed to shuffle closer, âNo competition when youâre literally fated for me,âÂ
âRight,â You let the word drag out on your tongue to tease him.Â
âBut I like taking care of you already, and now youâre warm and comfortable,â He collapses next to you onto the mattress with a sigh, âand I know I donât own you, but you are mine, just like Iâm yours now. I wonât apologize for liking you in my clothes or in my bed, for liking when you look like my girlfriend,âÂ
Warmth blooms in your cheeks and you duck your face into the sheets.Â
âNow come get under the covers,â He maneuvers the duvet, âitâs late, you were dead on your feet today,âÂ
His voice is so warm and familiar, and you slide into the covers beside him.Â
In bed you keep a little distance, and despite the number of times both of you say that you should go to sleep, your conversation is almost impossible to stop. Yunho holds your hand in the middle space of the mattress between your bodies, and in the dim lighting of the hotel room you whisper thought after thought back and forth. A million things coming to mind you need to tell each other so suddenly now that youâve found each other.Â
As you talk his fingers travel, restlessly stroking your skin, up and down your arm and tapping out patterns. When his palm slides back and forth over the sharp lines of the tattoos on your upper arm, and you feel the question slipping out of your lips and revealing more about yourself than you intended before you can catch it.Â
âYour parents,â You blurt out, âwill they be happy?â Heâs spoken about them so much over the past hour that you canât help but ask him that question point blank.Â
âSo happy,â He responds with ease, a laugh on his lips, âthey always worried me being an idol meant Iâd never be able to find the one and settle down, theyâre going to love this story,âÂ
You smile at the easy way he calls you âthe oneâ, but the question you really asked still remains unanswered and you exhale softly, âBut,â you manage, âwill they be happy with me?âÂ
Yunho stills, reaching across the bed to hook his finger under your chin and draw your eyes up to his again, âVery happy,â he says, âjust like I am.âÂ
Your muscles relax, his words a soothing balm, and you adjust your position on the pillow beneath you, âJust checking,âÂ
âMhm,â He studies your face, âjagi, why wouldnât they be happy with you?âÂ
The endearment slips off his lips with ease, and a burst of warmth spreads through you. Youâve never needed pet names and softness like this from a partner, but from him it makes your heart quicken.Â
The momentary elation fades though, and his question comes back into your mind. You take a deep breath, you owe it to him to tell him now, âMy family wonât be happy,âÂ
âWith me?â His eyebrows raise.Â
âItâs me,â You shake your head, âmy parents have difficult ideals, and Iâve never pleased them. It wouldnât matter who you were, they⊠theyâll find a way to not be happy for me.â
His eyes soften, and his thumb strokes along your jaw, âIâm sorry,âÂ
âIt is what it is,âÂ
âAre your parents soulmates?â He asks softly.Â
You shake your head, âNo, they donât really believe in soulmarks,âÂ
You watch his eyes widen in surprise.Â
âUnless,â You canât stop yourself from rolling your eyes, âthe match is âfortuitousâ,âÂ
âFor status?â He surmises.Â
âStatus, money,â You shrug, âconnection. But I think I could marry the next president and theyâd still find a way to be disappointed in me,âÂ
His jaw flexes tense for just a moment, before his expression smooths over again.Â
âAnyway,â You clear the bad thoughts away as quickly as they came, âmy sister and I never went along like they wanted, like my cousins and the rest of my family, so we are the great disappointments. Itâs not⊠itâs fine, but, I guess you should know before we, you know,âÂ
He smiles, a bit of amusement in his expression that you canât place, âDid you think having bad parents would scare me off?âÂ
âIt could,âÂ
âNo,â He slides a hand under your side and tugs you across the mattress to press a fast kiss to your lips, âit never could.âÂ
âBut Iâm,â You start, all the reasons why a partner might care ringing in your ears.Â
âBeautiful?â He cuts you off, âJust my type? If itâs anything else I donât want to hear you say it,âÂ
Your stomach flip flops hard and you push lightly against his chest to get him to stop.Â
âThe thing is,â He brushes your hair back from your cheek, âmy parents are soulmates. I grew up in a house full of a lot of love, even when they were being strict and scolding us.âÂ
Your smile at his warm expression.Â
âSo I know theyâll love you,â He explains, âthey know what this feels like, what it means. I have plenty of family for us both,âÂ
Your throat constricts, tears threatening for a moment.Â
âYour sister, though,â He grounds you out of the bad thoughts without even thinking, âyou two are close?âÂ
âVery,â
âIâd like to meet her,â He smiles.Â
âYou two would get along great, my sister and her wife both, actually,âÂ
Yunho nods, listening attentively, âDo they have kids?âÂ
âNot yet,â You groan, âbut Iâm dying to be an auntie,âÂ
His thumb drags a comforting line across your cheekbone, his expression warm and affectionate, âCute,âÂ
You sink into the pillows, a yawn creeping up to your lips, âSheâs going to lose her mind when I call her,â Â
âYeah?âÂ
âMm,â You huff a laugh, âshe thought that when I started working here I should have found an inconspicuous way to bump into all of you to test possible bonds. Sheâs going to be riding the âI told you soâ train.âÂ
âSheâs funny,â He smirks.Â
âVery,â You sigh, unconsciously cuddling into his warmth.Â
âHas it been a while since youâve seen her?â He asks softly, adjusting his arms around you so that youâre cradled against his chest with the pillows at your back.Â
âMhm,â You yawn again, the warmth of his body settling the last of the adrenaline inside you, âa while,âÂ
âLetâs find a day off after the tour,â He tucks the duvet around you.Â
âYeah?â Your eyes feel heavy.Â
âYeah,â He kisses your forehead.Â
âYunho,â You yawn again, dipping your forehead into his chest, âGod, Iâm so tired again,âÂ
âMhm,â He yawns too, âme too, jagi,âÂ
You hum softly, fingers slipping under the edge of his shirt just to feel a little skin, âI like that,â you murmur, âI like you,âÂ
âI like you too,â He chuckles, ânow go to sleep,âÂ
A piece of you wants to protest, wants more time cocooned in this day with him, but something about his body feels so right. After a week of sleeping poorly, your body tight and anxious and heart fluttering for no reason at all, when he touches you, your mind goes blissfully blank.Â
Your muscles relax, your breath dropping low and soft in your chest.Â
Nuzzled against his tattoo, you drift.
Youâre supposed to wake up to an alarm. Early enough that you could slip back into your hotel room and your own bed to yawn and stretch next to Iseul and make her believe you were there the whole night. Thatâs what was supposed to happen.Â
Instead, you wake to the heavy sound of a hotel door and Seonghwaâs voice, Yunho jolting awake beside you.Â
âOh my god,â Seonghwa says for what sounds like the third time to your fuzzy sleep-addled brain, âoh my god?âÂ
âHyung,â Yunho pushes himself up, his arms unwinding from around you, âhey, donât freak out,âÂ
âDonât freak out,â Seonghwaâs eyes blow wide, âare you fucking kidding me? Hongjoong is going to kill you,â
âYou donât understand,â Sleep is still heavy on him and he shakes his head to try to pull himself away.Â
âI understand plenty,â Seonghwa counters, âhow long have you been lying to us?âÂ
His reaction surprises you, and you ease yourself up to sit next to Yunho. Youâre not sure what to say or not say, you donât know what theyâve discussed in the past when it comes to dating and relationships, but by Seonghwaâs outburst you can guess itâs honesty at a minimum.Â
Yunhoâs face falls, âNo, itâs not that,âÂ
âI can tell you what it looks like,â Seonghwa lowers his voice to what amounts to a stage whisper.Â
âHyung,â Yunho rubs his eyes, running a hand through his mop of black hair.Â
âIt looks like youâve been sneaking around,â He continues, âhow long have you two been fucking?âÂ
âHey,â Yunhoâs voice sharpens, and his hand crosses your body to anchor on your opposite thigh.Â
Seonghwaâs eyes track it and he shakes his head, âThis is so stupid,â he steps back in surprise, âyouâre both being so, incredibly stupid.âÂ
Yunho gives you a squeeze and opens his mouth to reply but Seonghwa keeps going.Â
âNaive is what it is,âÂ
Irritation bubbles in your gut and you canât stop yourself, âSeonghwa, will you shut up for one second?âÂ
He stops in his tracks, mouth falling open, âWhat?âÂ
âCan you please,â You hold his gaze, âplease, just listen to Yunho for a minute before you jump to conclusions.âÂ
He shifts, taking a step back and crossing his arms, and then he looks to Yunho.Â
Yunho finds your eyes quickly, silently asking, and you give him a nod.Â
âOkay,â Yunho runs a hand through his hair again, âIâll just say it.âÂ
Seonghwa waits, his expression completely neutral except for the irritated corner of his lips.
ây/n is my soulmate,â Yunho squeezes your thigh again and you slip your hand into his to twine your fingers together, âwe didnât know, but now we do.âÂ
Seonghwaâs brows go high, shock filling his features.Â
âWeâre not hiding,â You add, âwe just⊠itâs just,âÂ
âHow long?â Seonghwa manages.Â
âSoundcheck yesterday,â Yunho says, âwe havenât known long enough to lie, hyung.âÂ
âYouâre sure?â He looks between you both, and you know what heâs thinking. How could it be possible to know each other for years and not know.Â
âWeâre sure,â You answer confidently, calmly, âI swear,âÂ
âItâs real,â Yunhoâs thumb strokes across knuckles, âitâs very real.âÂ
Seonghwa swallows, taking in the news and sinks back against the hotel dresser, âWell, fuck,âÂ
âYeah,â Yunho laughs.Â
âYou were off timing yesterday,â Seonghwa points out, âand distracted,âÂ
âIt wasnât that bad,â Yunho grimaces.Â
âNo, but,â He shrugs, âI know you and youâre never off time.âÂ
âIt wasnât easy to focus on the show yesterday,â Yunho admits.Â
âIâm sorry,â You nudge him with your shoulder, knowing a huge portion of that must have been the panic flooding his side of the link.Â
He shakes his head, âThereâs nothing to be sorry for,â
When you look back up, Seonghwa is smiling and he sighs, âOh, youâve both got it bad.âÂ
âObviously,â You hide your face in your sweatshirt sleeve.Â
âSo, whatâs the plan?â Seonghwa asks, âBecause you canât act like this around anyone else,âÂ
Your mouth feels dry.Â
âWe donât know,â Yunho answers, âwe have to figure that out, for now I think we just try to keep things normal.âÂ
Seonghwa nods and then leans forward, âListen, I know youâre not asking for my advice,âÂ
You both wait.Â
âBut you're my brother,â Seonghwa says unequivocally, âso Iâm going to give you some anyway.âÂ
Yunho nods.Â
âYou wear your heart on your sleeve,â Seonghwa points out, âand Iâm sure it will be hard to act like acquaintances in front of everyone, but you have to do it, at least until you make a plan.âÂ
âYeah,â Yunhoâs cheeks are a little pink and he squeezes your hand.Â
âNo one fires the idol for things like this,â He reminds you both, âso for her sake, put it away for today.âÂ
âHeâs right,â You nod, âtoday we go back to coworkers,âÂ
Yunho draws your clasped hands up and kisses your fingers, âOkay,âÂ
âYouâre lucky I offered to check on you,â Seonghwa sighs heavily, âif any of the managers came in,âÂ
âCheck on me?â Yunho perks up at that, âHwa, why,âÂ
Things come into focus for you at that moment, how bright the hotel room is with sunlight, how well rested you really feel. You twist in the bed and look at the digital clock, âOh no,âÂ
âYou were late,â Seonghwa explains, âwe figured you overslept, I offered to use the spare key to get you up.âÂ
âFuck,â Yunho curses.Â
You both slept straight through Yunhoâs alarm.Â
âIseul is going to fucking kill me,â You roll out of bed, your hands breaking apart as you scramble for you phone, âwhat the hell am I going to tell her?âÂ
Your phone reads nine-thirty. In thirty minutes youâre supposed to be packed into a van and on the way to the venue and when you look at the collection of notifications your stomach churns.Â
Three calls from Iseul, and a lengthy string of text messages.Â
Did you already get up and get ready?
Your work bag is still hereâŠ
Not funny, girl, where are you?
Did you make it back last night?Â
Can you answer me??Â
Iâm getting worried. I havenât heard anything - You havenât even read these?Â
You better not be dead in a ditch, Iâll kill you myself.Â
âFuck, fuck, fuck,â Your hands are trembling as you tap out the fastest reply - Alive, be right there.
Yunhoâs a whirlwind behind you, stripping out of his sleep clothes and yanking on whatever outfit is at the top of his suitcase, âItâs fine, itâs going to be fine,âÂ
âSure,â You search the floor for your jeans and dart into the bathroom, âmy best friend is going to murder me though,âÂ
You change at lightning speed, swapping his sweats for your jeans and then tying up your hair into a messy bun before pushing back out into the main room.Â
âEveryoneâs downstairs,â Seonghwa offers, âyou shouldnât run into anyone on the way back to your room.âÂ
âGood, okay, good,â Your heart is pounding, âwhereâs my room key?âÂ
âHere,â Yunho darts forwards and finds the little envelope, passing it to you, âtake a breath,âÂ
âI have to go,â You manage, âI have to think of something,âÂ
âDonât kiss and tell,â Seonghwa offers and heâs being funny but itâs vaguely helpful.Â
âWait,â Yunho grabs your hand and tugs you back, snapping your phone out of your hand.Â
âYunho, I donât,â You start to say but he waves you off.Â
He types fast, adding himself as a contact in Kakao Talk, âMy number,â he explains.Â
Seonghwa huffs a laugh.Â
You take the phone back and tuck it into your pocket, âIâll message you later,âÂ
âGood,â He dips forwards and presses one warm, tender kiss to your lips, ânow get out of here,âÂ
You kiss him back, just once and fast, a little shred of self indulgence before you have to act like heâs just another guy, and then youâre darting out of the room, shouting back a thank you at Seonghwa as you go.Â
You navigate the halls fast, and opt to take the stairs to get down one floor faster and more inconspicuously. You take a deep breath when you get to your hotel door, and then you dive.Â
âSo you are alive,â Iseulâs waiting, just like you thought she might be. Sheâs sitting on your still made bed, her phone in her hands and a tense expression on her face, âI was just about to tell the managers you were missing,âÂ
âIâm so sorry, seriously, I didnât mean to worry you,â You take a few steps into the room.Â
Her eyes flick over you, and you realize at the moment her eyes widen that youâre still wearing Yunhoâs hoodie, your sweater still discarded on his bedroom floor.Â
âYou hooked up with someone?â Her voice spikes, âAre you kidding me?âÂ
Thankfully the hoodie is plain, just a heather gray with no identifying attributes that scream his name, but youâre still swimming in it and itâs clear youâre rumpled from bed.Â
âListen,â You hold up your hands, âI didnât mean to not text you, I just fell asleep,âÂ
âWith some guy?â She stands.Â
âYes,â You settle on some version of the truth.Â
âWho?â She flounders, âWeâre supposed to text each other,âÂ
And you always did, when either one of you went home with someone there was always a little preemptive safety report. A name, an address, a shared location, something so that you werenât completely alone in the world with a strange guy.Â
âIâm sorry,â You say again.Â
She studies you, and itâs like sheâs looking through you.Â
âOh my god,â Her eyes widen, âwe know him.âÂ
âIseul,â Your cheeks heat.Â
She points at you, âIâm right!âÂ
âItâs not a big deal,â You skirt around her words.Â
âThe only reason you wouldnât text me is if you were with someone we both know,â She narrows her eyes, âso give it up.âÂ
âI canât,â You press, âleave it,âÂ
âWhy are you being so weird?âÂ
âIseul,â You sigh, avoiding her gaze, âI just woke up in a panic, and I have like fifteen minutes to get showered, can you give me the third degree later?âÂ
âIâm not letting this go,âÂ
âYeah,â You pull off Yunhoâs sweatshirt and head to the bathroom, âI know, but we have work.âÂ
âWork with a coworker you slept with,â She stands in the doorway while you start the shower, and you realize her tone isnât so much as angry anymore but probing.Â
âI didnât sleep with him,â You groan, âwell, I guess I did, but we didnât have sex, okay?âÂ
âThatâs awfully cozy for a one night stand,â She crosses her arms, âunless youâre seeing someone? Are you seeing someone?âÂ
âNo,â You test the water heat and unbutton your jeans, âI swear Iâll explain another time, but can you just drop it for today? Or do you want to stand here and watch me shower?âÂ
âFine,â She concedes, âyou will tell me?âÂ
âI swear,â You nod, âI want to tell you, but Iâm not ready yet, okay?âÂ
Her eyes soften up at that, âAre you okay?âÂ
âYeah,â You nod, âbut Iâm having big feelings about it and I need to work it out,â
âOh,â In all the years youâve known her, sheâs never seen you in love or even close, and she just blinks, âgot it,âÂ
âCan I shower now?â You gesture towards the running water.Â
âYeah,â She steps back, âyeah, but Iâm still mad you didnât text me.âÂ
âOkay,âÂ
âAnd Iâm still going to guess who it is,â She smirks.Â
âFine,âÂ
Her smile widens and she rolls her eyes, âI bet itâs one of the BB guys, isnât it? You always like a dancer,âÂ
She turns the corner before she can watch you blushing harder, so nearly on the money with her guess, but you put it all out of your mind for now and focus on your day. Youâre late, and itâs about to be another long one. Youâll have time for everything else later, if you can just keep your cool.Â
Work is bizarre to say the least. You and Yunho both do an excellent job of not looking at each other except for when heâs in your makeup chair, and youâre getting better and better at ignoring both Sanâs and Seonghwaâs nervous glances.Â
This time you start the makeup early, less time pressure with the schedule adjustments, and the night goes off without a hitch. Soundcheck to stage to VIP benefits, itâs a whirlwind and youâre grateful for the distractions everywhere you look.Â
You can still feel him, emotions from his side of the link ebbing and flowing throughout the day, but the sharp intensity of yesterday has dulled a bit after your night together. In quiet moments you find yourself thinking about his lips, or the way his hands held you as you tumbled into sleep, but you push it down and stay professional.Â
As the show ends, Iseul ropes you into team dinner, desperate to observe who you interact with and how, still on her quest to find your mystery bed partner, but the boys arenât there and so thereâs nothing for her to really see.Â
Later, with Iseul passed out from one too many shots of soju, you slip back into Yunhoâs hoodie and cuddle into the warmth of your own bed. You need more sleep, you know that, but your brain isnât cooperating. You toss and turn in the sheets, body feeling like a taut cord, and all you can think of is him.Â
You miss him.Â
Itâs not even two days of having him in your life like this and you feel nervous and achy without him. Thereâs no way youâll survive two years of this.Â
Over an hour passes as you sigh, changing positions again and again, and then your phone finally buzzes. You scramble to see if itâs a message from him, nearly dropping your phone in the process.Â
Canât sleep? - He must be feeling your restlessness.Â
Not at all - You reply, chest feeling warm at the contact.Â
Little bubbles pop up immediately to indicate heâs typing and then another message pops on your screen - Youâd think after last night weâd both be exhausted.
So youâre as awake as I am?Â
Just canât relax. I liked having you here last night. - He confesses.Â
You roll over in the bedding onto your front and push the pillow under your chest before you keep texting - I liked it too. Iâd come up except Iseul wouldnât lay off guessing who I was with this morning.Â
Oh? Did she guess correctly? - You can practically see the smirk on his face.Â
Nope - You tease back.Â
Was she upset? - He asks.Â
At first, but I told her I would tell her soon I just needed some time - You reply.Â
Thatâs good, honest. - His message makes you smile.Â
How was Seonghwa? - You tap out.Â
FineâŠ. stressing and acting like a hyung, you know - He says.Â
You smile and type out another message - Is he keeping this to himself for now?
Yes - Yunhoâs message comes in, and then another - For now, he knows we need to decide things first.Â
Thatâs good - You send back.Â
Things lull for a moment, and you try to think of something more to say, but Yunho swoops in with a question that makes you bite your lip to keep from laughing - Who did Iseul guess you were with? Was I even on the list?
I thought youâd be happy she didnât guess - You reply.Â
Bubbles appear immediately, then another message - Iâm a little offended, Iâm the obvious choice.
Whyâs that? - You tease him.Â
You feel something warm in your chest, and his next message flies back - I thought I was your type?Â
You stifle another laugh - You are, sheâs not very observant.
So who did she guess?Â
Your belly flip flops and you hide your face in the pillow for a moment. His obvious jealousy, even just to tease you, is making your heart quicken and you canât stop yourself from making it harder on him.Â
You take a breath and reply - About half the BB crew and a few of your managers.
The replies donât come for a moment, and you nervously refresh the chat.Â
Finally a message comes in - Iâm trying to think of something funny to say, but Iâm actually just irrationally jealous.Â
She was just teasing, no need to be jealous - You smile into your hand.Â
Doesnât matter - He says - Now Iâm just here alone wondering which of our coworkers Iseul thinks you have chemistry with
He is jealous. You swallow hard, trying to ignore the swooping sensation in your belly and press your legs a little tighter together. If you close your eyes you can feel the echo of his hands on you from last night, and all you want in the world is for him to come down here and kiss you hard like that again.Â
With a slow exhale you return to your phone - Donât be jealous, Yunho. We both know Iâm yours.
Yeah? - His reply comes after a beat - No need to be jealous then.
Exactly - You reply.Â
I bet you like it a little though - His message flies in as yours sends.
You feel warm all over and you run a nervous hand through your hair before replying - No, I donât.Â
Jagi, you forget I can feel how worked up youâre getting.Â
Your stomach clenches, drops and twists. Heâs going to be the death of you and youâre still just flirting. Â
You work up the courage and finally send your reply - Youâre the one that pinned me to the wall last night.Â
Iâve been thinking about that all day - The message reply is fast.Â
You smile and bite your lip, snuggling further into the mattress and trying to ignore the growing pulse between your thighs - You did seem distracted during rehearsals.
You feel warmth in your chest, and you know exactly how much your flirting is affecting him. Another text pings through and you shiver when you read it - How could I not be distracted with you there? All I could think about was the way you said my name last night.Â
Your thighs press together - Yunho?
Yes, jagi?
Or more whiny, was it? Yunho-ya? - You type it out fully, emphasizing the extended sound, knowing exactly what he wants to hear from the way he gripped you last night.Â
The room is suddenly hot, and your heart beats faster to sync with his.Â
It takes a moment for him to respond, bubbles popping up and then receding again and you wonder how heâs lying in bed. If heâs hard already, if heâs palming himself? You wonder if he sleeps naked when heâs alone and youre core clenches, arousal pooling in your gut and you know he can feel the threads of it. When he finally presses send on his message you have to cover your mouth to keep quiet.Â
Feeling needy? Are you squirming around in that hotel bed wishing for me, sweetheart?
You feel that message from your top to your toes and you steal a fast glance at the bed next to you. Iseul is sound asleep, turned away from you and snoring softly, and you let out a relieved, shuddering breath.Â
You could pump the brakes here, tease him and find a way to say goodnight, but you simply canât. Need and arousal overwhelms you and you tap back your reply fast - Iâve been aching all day.
Do you have headphones?Â
The question catches you off guard, but you write back - Yes, airpods.
Put them in - He says, and you swallow tightly, reaching for the little headphone case on your bedside table.Â
Your fingers are shaking as you take them out of the case and put them in, making sure theyâre connected before you reply - Done.Â
His call lights up your phone, ringing in your headphones and you swipe to answer with a panicked glance at the bed next to you, but Iseul sleeps on, none the wiser.Â
ây/n?â His voice is so rich and quiet, a little raspy edge after singing all night and you nearly moan.Â
âHi,â You whisper as soft as you can, âI canât,âÂ
âDonât talk,â He soothes you, âdonât wake Iseul up, Iâll talk to you and you can text me back, okay?âÂ
You minimize the call and open your chat back up, sending him a quick emoji to acknowledge his words.Â
âPerfect,â He laughs softly, âthis is way easier than texting. Listen, I know we said slow, but Iâd love to help you relax if you want that. If not, I can just say goodnight, itâs up to you.âÂ
You exhale softly, a needy thrill in your gut - Letâs relax together.Â
âOh,â He sighs pleasantly, âyes, Iâd love that.âÂ
You want me? - You ask.Â
âYou can feel how much I do,â He responds, âIâm sitting here convincing myself not to come downstairs and get my hands on you.âÂ
You hum softly, shifting in the sheets and relaxing deeper into the pillows.Â
You hear his own breath, the way he parts his lips with a wet sound, âCan you tell me what position youâre in?âÂ
You tap out the reply - Lying on my front, on my stomach.Â
âHmm,â He sounds pleased, âI bet you look so cute, all twisted up in the sheets and blushing,âÂ
I was tossing and turning.Â
âI bet you were,â He groans a little, âI tried everything. I hit the gym, cold shower, did some deep breathing, but you have me so keyed up I canât sleep,âÂ
You send him another emoji, the blushing face.Â
He laughs, the rumble of it too deep and warm in your ear with your headphones in.Â
You tap out another message - What position are you in? Trying to picture it.Â
You hear him shift around in the sheets, âIâm on my back,âÂ
Wearing?Â
He chuckles, âArenât I supposed to be the one asking what youâre wearing?âÂ
I asked you first.
âFair,â He shifts again, and you picture him restless on his back in the bed you shared the night before, âjust boxers,âÂ
A heavy sigh passes through your lips.Â
âAnd you?âÂ
You wish it were sexier all of a sudden, but that just wouldnât be practical in a room with your friend so you tell him honestly - Pajamas, the button down kind, theyâre gray.Â
âGod, youâre adorable,â The covers on his end shift again, âwish you were up here with me.âÂ
Me tooÂ
âThis is probably better,â He says though, âI donât think I could hold myself back for another night.âÂ
Me either - You confess.Â
ây/n,â His voice warms, low in his chest, âjagiya, can I help you? Can I tell you what I want you to do?âÂ
Your hands are shaking and you type the reply so fast thereâs a typo that you have to fix - Pfease - Please.
He chuckles, âAlright, get comfortable, just listen to my voice, okay?âÂ
You message him one last thought - What about you?
âIâm⊠Iâm, uh,â He lets out a shaky breath, âIâm already stroking for you,âÂ
You press your lips together to keep from making a sound, dropping your forehead to the pillow in front of you.Â
Thatâs so hot - You text him quickly when you hear him say your name, probably a little nervous he came on too strong.Â
He hums, âGood,â he says, âthen donât worry about me, just listen to my voice.âÂ
You set your phone to the side, snuggling into the mattress and the pillows just like he asked for, sparing one more glance at Iseul to confirm sheâs still completely out of it.Â
âComfy?â He asks when you stop shifting around.Â
âMhm,â You murmur in a whisper.Â
âGood,â He sighs, ânow slip one of your hands under your cute little pajamas, between your thighs.âÂ
You slide your arm down, tucking it under your body and into your sleep pants.Â
âUnder your panties too,â He says, his voice a little husky.Â
âMhm,â You murmur again, following his words.Â
âTease a little for me,â He instructs you, ânot too fast, just your fingertips on the outside,âÂ
You breathe low and slow, gently passing the pads of your fingers over your slit, just barely ghosting against the hard nub of your clit.Â
âI bet you look so pretty right now,â He groans a little and you hear the sound of sheets, âyou make the cutest faces when youâre feeling good,âÂ
You make the tiniest noise of acknowledgement, fingers still brushing your cunt.Â
âCanât wait to see you fall apart for real,â He confesses, a strain in his tone as he sighs, and you picture him. His long legs spread wide in the bed, stretching from corner to corner, his boxer briefs pushed down and his hand fisting his cock.Â
Youâre going to lose it when you finally get to touch him again.Â
âYou can touch now,â He murmurs, getting your attention back, âare you wet?âÂ
You push your fingers through your folds and sigh when you feel just how slick and swollen you are. With your other hand you find the phone nearby and tap out a quick message - So wet
âThatâs good, thatâs so good,âÂ
Your fingers start to circle on your oversensitive nub and thereâs no way he wonât have you coming in five minutes or less with it feeling this good and his heavy breath in your ear.Â
âR-rub your clit for me,â He pants and your eyes roll, you can hear the sounds of the sheets rhythmically swishing as he pumps his cock harder, âget your fingers nice and wet,âÂ
You whimper into the pillow, biting down hard on your cheek to keep yourself in check.Â
âOh, fuck,â He groans, âsound so pretty,âÂ
You rub harder, faster, your legs stretching wide under the downy comforter to give you better access.Â
âBaby,â He gets your attention with that, âpush two fingers inside yourself, imagine Iâm there with you,âÂ
You shift, hand slipping lower and body arching to slide your middle and ring finger as deep as theyâll go. You stay mostly quiet this time, but your breathing is heavy and youâre sure he can hear it.Â
âClose your eyes,â He murmurs, âpicture my fingers,âÂ
You gasp softly.Â
âGrind,â He tells you, âgrind your pussy on my palm and feel my fingers fucking you,âÂ
You bite back a moan, only the slip of a soft sound into the microphone as you start to rock, rolling your hips and working your clit against your hand as you sink into his fantasy. You always took him for soft, the romantic type whoâd blush at saying the word âpussyâ let alone talking you through whatâs bound to be the headiest orgasm of your life, but youâve never been so happy to be wrong.Â
âYes,â Yunho moans and you shudder, âI can hear you moving, youâre doing so good,âÂ
Pleasurable stars burst behind your eyes and you grind harder into your slick palm.Â
âSo good,â He groans and you hear him roll in the bedding, his voice changing to something lower and breathier, and then the rhythmic rock of sheets from his side of the phone tells you all you need to know. You can almost see it, Yunho braced on his forearms, hips thrusting to drive his cock in and out of his hot fist, his face buried in the pillow you slept on the night before.Â
Heat melts through you, your body alight, and you grapple to find the phone again - Close
âAlready?â He says in a flushed exhale, âYouâre so hot, thatâs so hot,âÂ
You need him to talk to you, you need him to tell you what to do, and you whimper into the bedding as you work your body faster up to the peak.Â
âYou gonna come for me?â He murmurs, âYeah? Hmm?âÂ
You drop the phone and press a hand over your lips, stifling the threat of a real moan.Â
âLet go,â His voice is so low in your ear you can practically feel the warmth of his breath on your skin, âcome for me,âÂ
Your legs are trembling, knees digging into the mattress and sweat gathered on your brow, and you feel the pressure start to crack open inside you, âComing,â you whimper into your fingers so he knows, and then it breaks.Â
âGod, good girl, yes,â He groans, âIâm coming with you, fuck,âÂ
Your body curls into itself as you release, locking up in pleasure as you feel wave after wave of heat. You bite down on your knuckle to keep from making a sound, silently falling apart, dimly aware somewhere in your gut that half the heat you felt was his, that part of that pleasure was his own.Â
Yunho moans in your ear as you ride the sensations, panting and cursing and you canât wait to feel him pulsing inside you while he sounds this good.Â
Youâre not sure how long it takes you to recover, but when your brain starts to connect again you realize youâre panting against the cool flat of the mattress and both your phone and pillow are nowhere to be found. You swallow hard and pop your head up, but Iseul hasnât moved an inch and you thank god for her liberal use of melatonin while traveling.Â
In your ear you register the sound of Yunhoâs breath and the end of a sentence, âstill there?âÂ
He must have been talking, and you try to focus in on the sound of him now as you slip your hand out from between your sticky thighs.Â
He exhales slowly and you hear him shifting around, ây/n, baby, are you there?âÂ
 âUh-huh,â You manage.Â
âSleepy?â He murmurs, misreading your sound, âThatâs okay,âÂ
You make a tiny noise of protest and search the bed for your phone.Â
âBaby?â Heâs confused and you grin at his sleepy sated tone.Â
Sliding off the bed onto nearly boneless legs, you find your pillow off to the side and your phone underneath. You snap it up and send a message quickly - Wait
âWait?â He breathes, âSure, Iâm not going anywhere, Iâm here,âÂ
You tiptoe to the bathroom as quietly as you can and then shut yourself behind the heavy door, flicking on the light and collapsing to sit on the closed toilet lid.Â
You disconnect your earbuds and bring your phone to your ear, âHey,âÂ
âHey,â He murmurs, âyou okay?âÂ
âYeah,â You smile, still a little breathless, âHiding in the bathroom for a sec so I could actually talk to you,âÂ
He hums, a quiet, lazy laugh, âAh,âÂ
âAre you okay?â You find yourself asking, a little nervous tumble in your gut.Â
âMe?â He says, âIâm incredible, youâre incredible,âÂ
âYeah?â You draw your knees up, wrapping your arms around yourself and smiling into the phone.Â
âThat wasnât too much, was it?â He checks, but you still hear the sound of him calling you âgood girlâ and you shiver.Â
âNot too much,â You sigh into the phone.Â
âGood,â He hums, âI thought so, I was trying to pay attention to how you were feeling, but it was a little,â
âHard to focus?â You offer and he laughs.Â
âYeah,â He sighs again, heavy and sated.Â
âI canât wait for this tour to be over,â You confess, âI just want to be with you,âÂ
You feel a pang in your chest and listen as Yunho rolls in the sheets, âI know, I want that too,âÂ
A little lump forms in your throat and you breathe through it, âYunho,âÂ
âYeah, baby?âÂ
âHave you ever felt like this before?â Your thundering heart has started to slow, and you let your eyes close as you murmur the question.Â
âNever,â He murmurs, âbut I felt this way before we touched,âÂ
You feel his tenderness wrap around your heart as if he were in the room with you, and with a small smile you whisper, âI thought you said you werenât holding a candle?âÂ
âI lied,â He says softly, âitâs been you for a long time,âÂ
He doesnât say it, not in so many words, but you feel the way he loves you through the link in a wave. Itâs as good as any confession to you, just as honest if not more so.Â
âI wish I could come upstairs,â You manage, tears pricking your eyes.Â
You hear him swallow and breathe a slow breath through his nose, âSoon, I promise. Weâre going to do this right,âÂ
âI know,âÂ
âAre your headphones still in?â He asks
âNo, but I can switch back,âÂ
âPut them back in and go get back in bed,â He softly instructs, âitâs late, but Iâll stay with you until you fall asleep, okay?âÂ
âOkay,â You swap back over to your earbuds and adjust them.Â
âGet back to bed,â You can hear the smile in his voice.Â
âYunho,â You interrupt him, âthank you for staying with me,âÂ
âAlways,â He says, and for the first time in your life when someone says theyâll be there, you believe it.Â
âIâm going back out,â Your voice drops to a whisper, âgood night,âÂ
âMhm,â He listens as you slip back into bed, âjust get comfortable, just breathe. Iâm right here with you, jagiya, Iâll be right here.âÂ
He murmurs to you softly until your mind is sinking into darkness, body finally unspooling and letting you drop off into sleep. Itâs not the same as his arms around you, but it settles you more than any meditation, his voice a steady whisper through your dreams.Â
In the morning when you wake the call is still connected and the first sound you hear is his slow breath and the steady beat of his heart.
#yunho#jeong yunho#honeyhotteoks fic#yunho x reader#yunho fic#yunho ff#yunho smut#yunho fluff#ateez#ateez fic#ateez ff
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HI MAE so i didnt send the shy remus x reader ask but i saw that u wanted ideas and i had one. what about reader who's very cocky and like confident and stuff and remus is intimidated by her usually but then theyre at a party or smth and shes all drunk and shes all over him telling him stuff like how shes got the biggest crush on him or like how hes genuinely one of the most attractive people shes ever met and shy remus is js like đł while also taking care of her bc shes so drunk and simultaneously trying not to combust
Hi my love, thank you so much for your request!
cw: alcohol
shy!Remus x fem!reader ⥠1.1k words
Really, it should be Siriusâ responsibility to look after you. It is his party, after all. But Sirius has a love for delegating unwanted tasks and also a love for meddling (which Remus theorizes he got at least partly from James). So, naturally, youâre in Remusâ lap.Â
âYou guys are so nice,â you croon, words strung together like cursive and fingers toying with a loose thread of Remusâ sweater. Heâs resigned himself to letting you unravel the whole thing without complaint. âAll of you, all your friends are the nicestâŠthe warmest people I ever knew. Howâd you do that?âÂ
Remus smiles down at you. âI think James has always been good at bringing out the best in people.âÂ
Heâs not entirely sure how you came to be lying on your back on the couch, your head on Remusâ thigh and your hands reaching for the dangling thread above you like a cat enjoying some lazy play. If he asked you, Remus doesnât think youâd know, either. It makes a lovely view for him, your eyes uptilted in his direction and features relaxed and unguarded as a result of the series of tequila shots Sirius had cajoled you into not realizing youâd already had a few drinks. Remus very much enjoys having you this close and being able to look at you so casually, even if your brassy, larger-than-life demeanor often terrifies as much as impresses him. Even if your head on his thigh makes his face feel like a fire hazard.Â
âDonât think he had to work very hard with you. Youâre such a sweetheart already.â You say it so simply, an obvious truth, and Remus finds himself staying perfectly still like a rabbit in the woods that thinks it might yet escape your notice. His heartbeat pitters in everywhere from his cheeks to his fingertips. He worries heâs going to have to make a response, but your eyes widen suddenly. âOh! Sit still.âÂ
No problems there. Remus moves only his eyes as you sit up from his lap, tucking your feet underneath you and reaching for him with your lip trapped between your teeth in concentration. You touch a fingertip to his cheek and smile victoriously.Â
âGot it.â You turn your finger, showing him. âYou had an eyelash.â You blow it off your fingertip and onto Siriusâ rug. Remus marvels at the unthinking loveliness of you. âHave I talked to you about your eyes before?â you ask conversationally.Â
Remus blinks, ceasing his tracking of the eyelash to look at you. âI donât think so,â he ventures, though he knows you havenât. He remembers most exchanges youâve had, and he definitely would have remembered that.Â
âOh.â Your brows purse softly. âMustâve been with someone else,â you murmur, almost to yourself. âAnyway, itâs important to me that you know, theyâre really beautiful.âÂ
Remus startles, partly at the compliment but mostly at the touch you lay on his cheek, your fingers cool and gentle, like youâre steadying his face for your perusal. You look into his eyes attentively.Â
âTheyâre brown,â Remus says in a soft voice.Â
Your lips tilt like heâs said something funny. âNobodyâs eyes are just brown, Remus. There are so many different kinds.â Your index finger draws a short line across his cheekbone. Remus canât tell you mean for it to or not. âYours are sort of like aâŠlike a gradient. They get lighter farther down.âÂ
Remus decides to study your eyes as you study his, and he sees what you mean. The shadow of your lashes makes your irises look darker at the tops. Itâs difficult to tell, though, with your pupils eclipsing so much of them.Â
âTheyâre, like, a warmish brown,â youâre saying, gaze unwavering. âLike the color you want your tea to be. You know, thereâs some fact or study or something that says brown eyes make people feel safe. Did you know that?âÂ
âI didnât,â Remus says. The weight of your attention is taking its toll on him, his body aching to sink into the couch cushions. He wants to ask if brown eyes have that effect on you, but he doesnât have the nerve. âIs that so?â he asks instead.
You shrug. âI dunno. Works on me.âÂ
The breath stalls in Remusâ lungs. Youâre looking at him like you havenât said anything out of the ordinary, expression wide open and somewhat unfocused.Â
You yawn, removing your hand from his face to half cover your mouth. Itâs an awfully endearing show, and over too fast. âI guess thatâs probably whyââ You cut yourself off with a hiccup. Your eyes flare like you werenât expecting it, hand jumping back up in front of your mouth. Remus grins before he can stop himself.Â
âOh.â Your smile is an afterthought, a response to his. âSorry.âÂ
âItâs okay.â Remus isnât even certain what youâre apologizing for.Â
Your eyes have that sweet, attentive look again. âI really like when you smile.âÂ
Remus feels heat spread up to the tips of his ears. Itâs official. Heâs got more in common with a live flame than a human anymore. âWhat were you saying?â he prompts.Â
You bite your lip as though youâve forgotten. âOh!â Your eyes light. âJust, I guess thatâs probably why I have such a giant crush on you.âÂ
Remusâ heart thuds. He breathes, âWhat?âÂ
âYeah.â You roll your eyes, grinning at yourself. âItâs relentless.â Hiccup. âSuper embarrassing. Butâbut youâve got those eyes, and your freckles, and that sweetheart faceâŠâ You shrug again, helpless. Ride out another hiccup. âWhat am I supposed to do?âÂ
Remus stares at you. It seems impossible. You have a crush on him? Itâs out of the natural order. The worldâs gone to chaos. Itâs supposed to be the other way around! Remus pines silently after you, you eventually find some big, cocksure bloke who can match you, and Remus continues to pine whilst you go on with your brilliant, dazzling life. Thatâs the way itâs meant to be.Â
âI wouldâŠâ Remus finds his mouth forming around words he doesnât recognize until they come out. âIâd know a thing or two about a crush like that.âÂ
Your lips part, but you donât look offended. âWell, yeah. Iâd hope you knew I fancied you, Iâve only been seeking you out ever since we met.âÂ
Not what he meant. Remus did not, in fact, know that.Â
âI didnât notice you were,â he admits.Â
Your head tilts. âReally?â Thereâs an obvious follow up questionâthen what did you mean just now?âbut for one reason or another, you donât ask it. You only lean onto his shoulder, your head slipping a few inches down his arm.
Remus channels all his bravery into an arm around your waist to keep you from slumping further. He vows to himself to tell you tomorrow.
#shy!remus#shy!remus lupin#remus lupin#remus lupin x reader#remus lupin x fem!reader#remus lupin x you#remus lupin x y/n#remus lupin x self insert#remus lupin fanfiction#remus lupin fanfic#remus lupin fic#remus lupin fluff#remus lupin imagine#remus lupin scenario#remus lupin drabble#remus lupin blurb#remus lupin one shot#remus lupin oneshot#marauders#marauders fanfiction#the marauders#marauders fandom#hp marauders#marauders era#marauders x reader
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The moon is pretty, isnât it? ⧠CS
âââ~đ©âĄđȘ~âââ
bsf!chris! Couldâve, wouldâve, shouldâveâall the possibilities kept eating at you, until he showed up knocking on your window unannounced. [angst, smut, fluff, a sprinkle of everything]
wc. 1.1k
note. English is not my first language!
You and Chris had a falling-out.
You had accidentally laid your feelings bare during a harmless game of 'Truth or Dare'. The look on his face alone made you feel that twist in your gut, but what he said after his silence made your stomach feel like it was dropping down 10-stories.
"Are you fucking serious with me right now?" The almost mad sounding tone made your heart beat faster as you tried to backpedal, "no, Chris, that wasâ" he cut you off, standing up, looking pissed. "Iâm going home, canât fucking believe this shit," he stormed out before you could utter another word.
The front door slammed shut after him and you sat in silence for a while, your brain unable to comprehend what had just happened. When the realization finally dawned over you, you couldnât help the tears from forming in your eyes nor the painful clump in your throat.
Not only did he reject you and get angry at you, he left as well. Was he that angry? Were your feelings such a bad thing? Questions swirled in your head like a broken record.
You didnât know what to do, what to think or what to say. All you could do was sit there and cry, completely shocked with the turn of events. Some people may call you oversensitive or dramatic, but they donât know how much it hurtsâhow much more painful it was than any physical injuries.
You curled up in bed, thinking about everything that you couldâve done differently, everything that wouldâve been if you didnât tell him about your stupid crush on him and everything that shouldâve been â in your selfish fantasies.
đ©âĄđȘ
You had fallen asleep on your bed after crying. Feeling slightly better but your sleep was plagued by memories of his face, the way he reacted to your feelings and the words he spoke.
You were jolted awake by the sound of knocking, looking around in confusion as you sat up on your bed, only to see Chris looking at you through your window.
You nearly had a heart attack, staring back at him with wide eyes and your hand on your chest. After all, your room was on the second floor, how the fuck did he climb up?
You scurried to the window, opening it to let him in, all the previous hurt gone, replaced by pure bewilderment. His expression turned pained when he saw the dried tear streaks and red puffy eyes, "donât look at me like that." You blinked, finally realising youâve been staring at him with wide eyes and a gaped mouth, quickly closing your mouth as you schooled your expression.
"What was that?" Chris sighed, "what was what?" He questioned back, "how the fuck did you climb up? Better yet, why the fuck are you climbing in through the window?" He rubbed his temple, looking frustrated, "look, I knocked on your front door but you didnât open it, just forget about me climbing in and letâs... letâs talk aboutâ"
You cut him off with a stubborn "no" , he blinked, surprised at what he was hearing, "what?" He asked confused, making you repeat yourself, louder this time, "no." He looked at you bewildered, like he couldnât believe he was hearing what he was hearing.
"Donât be a brat," Chris inhaled deeply before continuing, "listen, I know I reacted a bit too dramatically and Iâm sorry for that, but you have to understand how surprising it was for me," you scoffed at his words, eliciting a heavy sigh from him.
"Please, just..." His voice trailed off into another sigh, "I canât... I mean, we shouldnât," his voice was barely above a whisper, the uncertainty and vulnerability in his eyes caused your heart to race. "Why?" A simple question really, but the answer wasnât so simple.
"Because..." His voice trailed off, knowing he doesnât have a good excuse as to why they couldnât, "because weâre friends." That made your expression harden, "right, of course Sherlock, I know." Chris groaned, "youâre not making this easierâ" you cut him off, "and youâre being insensitive."
"Donât be like that, i just..." he trailed off again, biting the side of his bottom lip nervously, he was fighting a losing battle between what he wanted and what was the better choice in his opinion. "Please..." you looked at him, "please what? What do you want me to do Chris? You know what, never mindâ"
His eyes widened at your dismissive tone, realising he might lose you if he wasnât honest, "no, no, Iâllâ weâllâfuck, letâs do it." He stammered, making you pause, "what?" He quickly added, "letâs date." You looked at him for a good minute, "what?" You asked dumbly, "letâs date," he repeated himself.
"Are you serious? You were just saying you won't and can't when i asked you just now," you raised your eyebrows, completely taken aback, to which he let out a quiet chuckle to. "I know, I just realised something, forget about it and come here," he pulled you closer, and you eagerly complied.
He hugged you tightly, "I realised I couldnât fight it anymore, youâre too important to me, I canât lose you no matter what," you let yourself melt in his embrace. "You serious?" You whispered into his chest, nuzzling into it, making him laugh softly. "Yeah, dead serious." You sighed, in relief and contentment.
Suddenly, he walked backwards with you still in his embrace and plopped on the bed, taking you down with him. "Heyâ" he shut you up with a kiss, a soft chaste one, and you smiled into it, your heart feeling lighter and warmer.
As you deepened the kiss, his hands wandered over your body, inching down to squeeze your ass before smacking it gently. The sudden feeling made you squirm, causing you to grind on him, making him let out a small groan into the kiss.
You could feel the heat and hardness under you, the only barrier being your thin clothes, and the friction was almost too good to stop. Your hips rolled as you chased after that friction, only for Chris to hold your hips in place.
Groaning as you broke the kiss, "why?" you whined breathlessly, "I wanna feel you, can I?" He whispered, playing with the waistband of your sleep shorts. Nodding as you helped him take off your sleep shorts, followed by his sweatpants.
đ©âĄđȘ
Your world blurred as he fucked you senseless, you didnât even remember how or when you got into the doggy style position. Your orgasm crashed over you for the nth time tonight, gasping as you tried to control your loud moans, your wrists were pinned on the small of your back by Chris as he pounded into you. "Fuckâso beautiful, ma."
As you two lay in each otherâs embrace, content and relishing in the afterglow, you couldnât help but make a comment about the full moon glowing brightly in the darkness of the night.
"The moon is pretty, isnât it?" Chris chuckled softly, pulling you closer, nuzzling his face in your hair, "yeah, as pretty as my girl."
đ©âĄđȘ
wc. 1,183
Isa's notes. I know my fics always end with smut or something suggestive... I try to make it any other genre, i really do, but the voicesâ lmaoo I'm js fucking around, i just like me some smut đ
xoxo đ©âĄđȘ
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© sweetshuga
#chris sturniolo#smut#blurb#chris x reader#chris x you#fanfiction#chris sturniolo smut#christopher sturniolo#chris sturniolo blurb#christopher sturniolo oneshot#christopher sturniolo blurb#christopher sturniolo smut#chris sturniolo oneshot#chris sturniolo fanfic#christopher sturniolo fanfic#smut oneshot#oneshot#fanfic#chris x y/n#sturniolo triplets#nick sturniolo#matt sturniolo#sweetshugacs#đ©âĄđȘsweetshuga
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toji fushiguro x female reader; heavy, heart-crushing angst, not a lot of comfort. reader is toji's second wife, megumi's step-mom. concept inspired by @/yunymphs nsfw fic, off your shoulders â masterlist here â
marriage is supposed to be a blessing, a bond that seals two lives into one, a promise of belonging.
youâd always dreamed of it.
sharing every first moment with someone â the first kiss as newlyweds, the first lazy morning dance in the kitchen, the first time lying side by side, tangled in each other. youâd imagined a life full of firsts, a life that would feel like youâre writing a story together, each page a piece of both of you.
but with toji, the man you love and who loves you, it feels like stepping into the middle of a book already written.
heâs had his firsts, some so precious that traces of them linger like shadows in your home. and you try â god, you try â to let that be enough, to love him and his son, megumi, with all the warmth and devotion you can muster. yet some days, you feel like youâre just outside their world, looking in.
itâs in the everyday moments, these small interactions that remind you of everything they had before you came along. moments like this morning, when youâre up early making breakfast, hoping to surprise toji with something special. youâre chopping vegetables, humming softly to yourself, trying to imagine the look on his face when he comes in, maybe pulls you close and says you donât have to go through the trouble. youâve seen couples do that â little gestures to remind each other theyâre together.
you want that, too.
but as you start to crack an egg into the pan, you hear megumi calling from down the hall. âdad, where are my soccer cleats?â
your heart clenches. before you can even move to help, tojiâs already calling back, voice easy, like itâs a scene theyâve played out a hundred times. âtry under the stairs, where your mom used to keep âem.â
his mom. megumiâs mom.
the woman who came before you, whose shoes you will never be able to fill.
the words hang in the air, chilling. you place the egg down and pause, the silence settling heavy on your shoulders. you donât hate her, not in the slightest â youâve only ever heard lovely things about her. if anything, youâre grateful to her for the habits, routines, the sense of belonging she built with them, for raising megumi to be as kind as he is.
but still, thereâs a sting every time sheâs mentioned, a reminder that no matter how much you love toji, a part of him will always belong to her.
maybe thatâs normal, you tell yourself, shaking off the thought. you grab the spatula, focusing on the way the eggs sizzle in the pan, trying to calm the knot thatâs forming in your stomach.
âiâm⊠making breakfast, by the way,â you call out, trying to keep your voice light. maybe this will be the moment toji notices, realizes youâre trying to make him smile in your own way.
âyeah, thanks, babe,â he says from the hall. heâs already moved on, ruffling megumiâs hair as they laugh about something you canât quite hear.
right, you think, fighting the wave of hurt that sweeps over you.
maybe thatâs just the way it is.
you stare down at the breakfast you prepared, feeling a pang of something deeper than youâd care to admit. youâre doing your best to fit in, to add to the life heâs built, but sometimes, it feels like nothing more than an afterthought. itâs silly, really â you know they care about you, know toji chose you because he loves you.
but love doesnât always erase what came before.
and itâs not his fault that his past is so deeply woven into their present, into your present.
by the time they wander into the kitchen, youâve already set out the plates, adding a smile to mask the ache twisting inside you. megumi gives you a small nod, a muttered âthanks,â while toji walks over, planting a quick kiss on your cheek. âlooks good,â he says with that lazy smirk, and you feel the flutter of warmth, the one that always ignites when he shows even the smallest affection. but it quickly fades as he moves back to his son, launching into an old joke that you donât understand.
you sit down across from them, feeling the laughter spill around you, each chuckle a reminder of the bond they share. you know itâs unreasonable to feel left out; after all, youâve only been a part of their lives for a fraction of the time.
and they are good to you. they include you in most things, make an effort to make you feel like part of the family.
but there are these subtle moments, these glances, these familiar gestures, that you can never quite touch.
you watch as toji reaches over, ruffling megumiâs hair, that same fond smile lighting his face. and itâs like watching them dance to a song you canât hear. a piece of you aches to ask, where do i fit into this?
âyou two are adorable,â you say, almost to yourself, hoping they hear the love in your voice despite the sadness resting there.
you canât say the words that sit heavy in your chest, the longing to belong to them in a way that feels real and whole. instead, you keep your gaze on your plate, focusing on the small bite of eggs youâve managed to lift to your lips, the only sound in your head the quiet plea that maybe one day, this feeling will pass.
maybe one day, watching them from afar will stop hurting so much.
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#jjk x reader#jujutsu kaisen x fem!reader#jujutsu kaisen x reader#jjk x female reader#jjk x fem!reader#jujutsu kaisen x female reader#jjk x y/n#jujutsu kaisen x you#jjk angst#jujutsu kaisen angst#fushiguro toji x you#fushiguro toji x reader#toji x y/n#toji x you#toji x reader#toji x self insert#toji fushiguro x you#toji fushiguro x reader#toji angst#toji fushiguro angst#toji zenin x reader#toji zenin x you
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A Lucky Injury - Law
Summary: Your Captain, whom you've been crushing on since you joined the Heart Pirates, was injured in a fight, and his wound is in a place he just can't reach, forcing him to ask you for help bandaging it. Features pining (reader is down bad).
Pairing: Trafalgar Law x Gn!Reader
Genre: Angst, Eventual Fluff
CW: SFW // Slight Mention of Blood and Injury (no real gory details though)
Word Count: 643
âââ
It was a lucky injury. You were a bad person for thinking it, a horrible person for gleaning any amount of pleasure from your Captainâs pain, but it was a lucky injury. Somewhere between mild and moderate on the scale, closer to moderate though Law claimed it was mild, the gash on his shoulder blade was just out of reach. For him, at least. The gash was well within your reach. It was also serious enough to warrant medical attention, but not so serious that you had to worry about his future health.Â
It was a lucky injury.Â
âTake off your shirt,â you ordered him, doing your utmost to act normal as he sighed and went to pull his hoodie off. To your sick pleasure, he flinched a little when he did, allowing you to step in and pull it the rest of the way off. You caught the lingering scent of his soap and that special laundry detergent he used for his sensitive skin mixed with his sweat, and you had to stop yourself from pulling the garment to your face and inhaling like some sort of lunatic.Â
âY/n-ah, I can do it myself.â His voice sounded lower than usual, similar to when he was tired or battling a cold he insisted he didnât have. It was gravelly, like it might give out at any moment.Â
âJust like you could fight those guys yourself?â You set the hoodie beside him on the exam table and assessed his wound, drying some of the blood from his tanned skin. You took extra care not to look at his bare chest, knowing full well those heart tattoos and lithe muscles would make it too difficult to concentrate on your work.Â
âI did fight them myself,â he said. âAnd I beat them myself, too, so donât-â He hissed as you dabbed his wound with antiseptic.Â
âYeah, youâre a real tough guy.âÂ
âIâm a Warlord,â he reminded you.Â
âAnd the most terrifying one, to boot.â You continued cleaning his wound, a little bit too aware of the way his jaw clenched as you worked. Oh, and the sinewy line of his shoulder. You knew your captain was a nerd, but he certainly didnât have the body of a guy who spent much of his time hunched over a desk.Â
It was a lucky injury.Â
âWhy are you taking so long?â He asked. âItâs clean by now, just bandage me up.âÂ
âDoctors make the worst patients,â you tutted, giving his wound one more pass with the antiseptic. It was for his own good, not because you wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to touch him.Â
âIf youâre dragging this out to punish me for going in by myself-âÂ
âI would never prolong your suffering,â you interrupted, reaching for a bandage. âThat would be unethical.âÂ
âYeah,â he muttered, âa pirate would never do something unethical.âÂ
âIs the Warlord going to lecture me now on ethics?âÂ
âMaybe.â He cleared his throat, and you realized there was a slight pink flush to his cheeks, though you had no idea why. You could only imagine he was embarrassed to be caught in a position where he needed help.Â
You considered messing up the bandage so you had to redo it, now not even so enamored by his naked upper half as you were enjoying the way he squirmed, for once not in a position of power, but you couldnât bring yourself to do it. Of course, you regretted it as soon as he grabbed his dirty hoodie and tugged it back on.Â
âIâll need to change that in a few hours,â you told him as he stood up. âCome find me after dinner.âÂ
âThanks,â was all he said before slipping out, leaving you with the fresh memory of his shirtless form and warm skin.Â
It was a lucky injury.Â
âââ
Hope you enjoyed it! If you want more, you can check out my masterlist here!
#one piece#one piece fluff#one piece x reader#law x reader#law one piece#trafalgar law#law#trafalgar d water law#trafalgar law x reader#heart pirates
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Now I'm thinking about Dink realizing what's happening and holding Ravio hostage. The next time they see him he throws a tattered purple bunny hood at Legend and if the curse is still active the sudden emotional pain sends everyone to their knees
I love it when we hurt ravio guys, squeezing that lil guy in my hand like a stress ball
Anyway, ooooooh dark link (dink) doing a parallel to the one scene with ganondorf crushing midna's helmet in front of twilight đ
I think if like dink were to take advantage of the curse, the weakest link (lmao) IS ravio since like, he's alone and in one place always, sure has items to defend himself but his first reaction is to run or hide, so grabbing him and hurting him to hurt the others is the most logical conclusion lol
They would all realize the one hurting is rav and like they'd all be worried sick over him, especially legend, cause all that pain can't come from just ravio being a clumsy dumb bunny
Because of the soul bond ravio can't die without legend dying too (or vice versa) so at least legend has the small comfort that ravio is not dead, but seeing dink with ravio's bloody hood would probably make him go full emotional pain mode
Cause he's lost two loved ones before (his uncle and marin) he can't lose a third one :(
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An Unexpected Friendship pt 2
Master List
Characters: Jensen Ackles x Reader, Readerâs daughter, Jensenâs children
Warnings/Trigger Warnings: mention of domestic violence, mention of character death,Â
A/N: This is a short story written in collaboration with @cheekygirl2309. In this story the reader is a widow who has a 4 year old daughter. Sheâs dating a very abusive man, so she enrolls her daughter in preschool to keep her as shielded as possible. At the preschool we find her daughter has made friends with a set of twins. At pick up one day the reader realizes the parent of her daughterâs best friend is none other than Jensen Ackles. A friendship forms, and decisions are made after a particularly nasty fight with her boyfriend.Â
No disrespect to Jensen or his family. This is a work of fiction and does not depict real life.
This chapter got a bit longâŠ.sorry.
Minors DNI 18+
Jensen arrived home late. Jared was sleeping on the couch when he came inside. âHey Jar, wake up man.â Jensen said quietly. Jared stretched, âOh hey man. Howâs Y/N?âÂ
Jensenâs head hung slightly, âNot good man. He almost killed her. Sheâs in a medically induced coma because he beat her up so badly.â Jaredâs mouth fell open, âDamn man. Iâm sorry to hear that. Howâs her daughter?â âSheâs okay. Sheâs going to be staying with Y/Nâs best friend.â âThatâs good. At least she has someone she knows.â âYeah, sheâs friends with Arrow and Zep. They are in the same class, I just wish there was more I could do to help both of them. I know Arrow and Zep really like Jazmyne.â
âWell man, thanks for watching the kids for me, you should head home.â âYeah, of course, and Jensen, I do hope Y/Nâs gonna be okay. No one deserves what she went through.â Jensen just nodded in agreement, his words caught in his throat as he thought about how she looked in the bed. He had never understood how someone could do that to another person. It upset him, and made him so angry.
After Jared left, Jensen crawled into bed. He had to be up in a few hours to take the kids to school. He tossed and turned most of the night. His heart ached for Y/N and Jazmyne. The fear in her voice when she called him, the look on Jazmyneâs face and how she clung to him, and how bruised and battered you looked in the bed. All of it playing like a record in his head.Â
He finally fell asleep for what felt like ten minutes before his alarm went off. Jensen grumbled as he turned off the alarm and crawled out of bed. He jumped in the shower and got dressed.Â
Walking through the quiet house his mind drifted to his late wife. She was not only an amazing wife and mother, but an amazing person. She would volunteer at JJâs school, while juggling working at the brewery, other projects she worked on, and holding down the household while Jensen was away filming. When she got pregnant with the twins after years of trying, her and Jensen were ecstatic. She went to every appointment, asked every question she could think of and made sure they were ready to bring home not one, but two newborns.Â
When she died during their birth, Jensenâs soul was crushed. His arms full with their newborns, but empty at the same time. Family and friends rallied around him to help with all three children, but he was lost. His wife, his partner, the love of his life, was gone.Â
He didnât know why Jazmyneâs father wasnât in the picture, but he was sure it had to be something significant. Now you were dealing with Robert and his abusive nature. Jensen didnât understand why he felt so protective of you so quickly. He hardly knew you.Â
About an hour after he got up the kids were awake and ready for school. He took JJ to school first and then the twins to school. Walking towards the entrance he saw Jazmyne and Nichole. The twins ran to Jazmyne and Jensen chuckled.Â
âGood morning Jazzy and Nichole. How are you two today?â Jazmyneâs eyes went wide when she saw Jensen. Nichole offered a soft smile. âHey, can I talk to you after drop off?â Nichole asked Jensen. âOf course. I wanted to talk to you too.â They walked the kids in and agreed to meet at the coffee shop around the corner to talk.Â
Once at the coffee shop, Jensen got the coffees and Nichole grabbed a table. âHey, thanks for meeting with me. I just wanted to tell you thank you for everything last night. Iâm sure it wasnât how you expected to spend your evening. Iâm sure by now you know Y/N was in an abusive relationship with a guy named Robert. She ended it with him and he came back. I feel so guilty for not doing everything I could to get him away from her. He didnât start out hitting her. Then sheâd show up with bruises and marks. Her late husband, Josh, would never have laid his hands on her.âÂ
Jensen sat there listening and taking in everything she was saying. âSo how did Josh pass?â Jensen finally asked. âWhen Jazzy was almost 2 he got hurt in an accident at work and was killed. I didnât think Y/N would ever recover. He was the love of her life. She got so depressed and lonely we thought we were going to lose her too. Then one day we showed up and she was up and smiling. I know she was putting on a show for us, but I think eventually she got a little better. It took us forever to convince her to go out on a date, and then she ended up with this jackass.âÂ
âIâm so sorry to hear she lost her husband. I lost my wife when she gave birth to the twins. Iâm still not over it completely and I donât think I ever will be. Is there anything I can do to help Y/N, Jazzy or you?â
âHonestly, you being there for her and Jazzy is great. Iâd definitely like to plan that play date. Jazzy is going to need as much support as possible. Sheâs going to miss Y/N and she wonât understand why she canât see her.âÂ
âYeah, I get it. Hopefully she heals quickly enough and Jazzy can see her. I know they are very close.âÂ
After about thirty minutes, Jensen and Nichole parted ways. Nichole was headed to Y/Nâs house to get some things for Jazmyne, Jensen was headed to the hospital.Â
Walking down the cool hallway, the air thick with the unmistakable smell of a hospital, Jensenâs heart pounded in his chest. Since he lost his wife, hospitals always brought back some anxiety. So being here brought it all back.Â
Jensen stood outside your room for a minute. He took a steady breath and started to open the door when a nurse approached him. âUm excuse me, are you family?â Jensen turned and he saw a flash of recognition in the nurseâs face. âOh hi, yeah. Iâm her boyfriend.âÂ
The nurseâs face flashed with anger and panic. âI donât think I can let you in her room, sir.â She said looking up at Jensen. Jensen knew what she was thinking, âOh no maâam, Iâm not the one who did that to her. That was her ex, Robert.â âStill, I need to check with the police officer before I let you in.âÂ
âYes maâam, I understand that. Iâll wait here.â Jensen gestured towards the empty chair outside your room. She nodded and walked towards the desk.
Jensen saw her look over at him while she was on the phone. Then he saw her nod and hang up. She walked over, offered an apologetic smile, âThank you for waiting, Mr. Ackles. Youâre cleared to go in. Iâm sorry.â Jensen stood and smiled, âNo problem maâam. I appreciate you keeping her safe.â
She nodded and Jensen walked into your room. He took the chair closest to you and reached for your hand. Taking your hand in his, he rubbed soft circles on the back of your hand while he talked to you. âHey, Y/N. I just want you to know Jazzy is safe. Nichole is keeping her and Iâve told her if they need anything to let me know. They are still looking for Robert. Thereâs a warrant out for his arrest, so hopefully they catch him soon. I wish I could make all this go away and you and Jazzy were safe. Iâm so sorry, sweetheart.âÂ
Without thinking, Jensen stood, leaned over your bed and placed a kiss on your forehead. He felt a pull towards you and it scared him, because he hardly knew you.Â
You had been in the hospital for a little over a week. It was late at night and Jensen was getting ready for bed when his phone rang. âHello?â Jensen said cautiously. âOh hey, Jensen itâs Nichole. I really hate to ask you, but could you watch Jazzy. I just got an emergency phone call from my sister. I have to go out of town for a few days. Y/N has no other family here and I donât know what to do.âÂ
Jensen immediately said yes. âYeah, can you bring her over here? The kids are already in bed. I can get her set up in my guestroom for now.â âOh Jensen, youâre amazing. Thank you. I am so sorry for this. I know youâve been pulled into this whole situation and now Iâm dumping Jazzy off on you.â
âHey, Nichole, youâre not dumping her off on me. I offered and told you if you needed anything to let me know. Iâm fine with it as long as you think Y/N will be too.â âOh yeah, she would. Can you send me your address? We could be there in less than 30 minutes.â âYeah, sure. The gate code is 05301202. Just shoot me a text and Iâll make sure Iâm downstairs to help you bring her in.â âThanks, Jensen. See you soon.â
Jensen walked into the guest room and sighed. He had forgotten it was full of boxes and things he needed to donate but hadnât had time. He didnât want to wake the twins up so he decided to make a bed on the floor of his room.Â
A few minutes later he got a text from Nichole that she was there. He went downstairs and opened the door. She was carrying Jazzy, who was sleeping in her arms. âWant me to take her?â He asked. Nichole shook her head. Jensen carefully took the sleeping child out of Nicholeâs arms and carried her upstairs. He laid her down on the floor bed and covered her up.Â
Walking back downstairs he helped Nichole bring in Jazzyâs things.Â
âJensen, thank you again for helping. I wasnât sure what I was going to do. My flight leaves in about an hour so I canât stay long. Please keep me updated on everything with Y/N. Iâve already called the hospital and told them to contact you with any updates. Iâll be in and out of the hospital back home helping and dealing with my grandmother.â Jensen placed his hand on Nicholeâs arm, âItâs fine, you go take care of your family, Iâve got your girls. I promise.â She hugged Jensen and then left.Â
Jensen crept upstairs and checked on all the kids before crawling into bed. He heard Jazzyâs soft snores and occasional whimper. His heart hurt for her. He knew she missed her mom. His children would do the same thing in their sleep, especially around special days, like birthdays or Motherâs Day.
Jensen finally fell asleep after having his mind race for what felt like forever. When his alarm went off he carefully got up and looked over at Jazmyne. She was still sleeping, and curled into a ball. He grabbed his stuff and tiptoed to the bathroom to get ready.Â
As he came out he saw the little girl stir awake. Her eyes wide, taking in the room. âMommy?â Her little voice filled the quiet room. âHey Jazzy, Auntie Nichole had to bring you here. She had an emergency. Youâre going to stay with me, Arrow, Zeppy and JJ until your mommy is better.â She looked at Jensen and nodded. âLike a sleepover?â She asked. Jensen smiled softly, âYeah, sweetie, like a sleepover.â
A few hours later Jensen found himself back at the hospital sitting beside your bed. The nurses would come in and check on you and him. He would tell them he was fine and didnât need anything when they asked. Finally the doctor came in and Jensen was out of his chair. He extended his hand, âHello Dr. Fitzpatrick. Itâs good to see you this morning. Howâs she healing?â Jensen asked as he gestured to you. âGood morning Mr Ackles, she seems to be healing. We are going to draw some blood this morning and do some scans. See if sheâs healed enough to start taking her off the sedation medication.â âThat sounds perfect, thank you doctor.â
The nurse came in and drew some blood while Jensen watched on. He sent Nichole a text to check on her and let her know what the doctor said. She didnât respond yet, so he figured she was busy. He hoped the next time he sent her a text it was to let her know you were awake and okay.
Jensen waited in the room for you to return from the tests. A few hours had passed and they were finally bringing you back in. He had been talking to Jared off and on all day. Jensen even called Clif to get some advice on how to keep you and Jazzy protected.Â
He was on the phone with Jared when the technician was wheeling you back in. âYeah, sheâs back now. Hang on a sec, Jar.â The tech told Jensen the doctor would review all the tests and be in shortly to go over it. Jensen nodded and thanked him.Â
âWell that sounds promising, I hope sheâs going to be okay. Are you leaving soon to get the kids?â Jared asked. âYeah. Iâll leave in about an hour. I hope the doctor is here before then.â âHey, Jensen, why donât we bring the kids over and we can all eat dinner and the kids can play together. I think that would be good for Jazmyne and you wonât be alone.â âThat sounds great, Jar. What can I do or buy?â âNothing, Gen and I will take care of everything.â âOkay, thanks brother.â âYeah, no problem, and if you need us to grab the kids we can.â âOkay, thanks. Talk to you soon.âÂ
Jensen sat beside your bed, holding your hand. He watched your chest rise and fall, and listened to the steady beep of the machines. Jensen felt drawn to you. It confused but excited him. Heâd never felt an instant connection with someone, an instant need to protect them. Like he does with you. Even with his late wife it took him a while to open up.Â
There was a soft knock on the door that pulled Jensen out of his thoughts. It was Dr. Fitzpatrick. âGood afternoon Mr. Ackles. So Iâve reviewed her blood work and the scans we took. There isnât any internal bleeding, no injuries to her brain and her ribs and other broken bones are starting to heal. I donât see why we canât start bringing her out of sedation. We can start the process immediately. She still has a long road to recovery, and will need to stay here at least another day or two, but I believe sheâs going to be okay.â
Jensen smiled, stood and shook the doctorâs hand. He called Jared and told him what the doctor said, âJar, I really want to be here. Do you or Gen mind grabbing the kids from school. Iâll call the headmaster and let her know you can get Jazzy too. I really appreciate it man.â âHey, no problem. Iâm glad sheâs going to be coming back soon.â âMe too, thanks again Jared.âÂ
Jensen sent Nichole a text to let her know what the doctor said. She replied that she was excited and to give you her love.Â
Jensen sat right beside you as the sedation medication was removed. They told him it could take a few minutes or a few hours for you to start waking up. He nodded and kept watch.Â
When you began to stir about an hour later and your eyes started to flutter, Jensen was on the edge of the seat. âHey, Y/N. Thatâs right sweetheart, open those eyes for us.â Jensen encouraged.Â
Your eyes fluttered open and confusion began to fill you. Your voice was very weak, but you managed to speak. âJjjensen, what are you doing here?â He stepped closer to you and placed his hand on your shoulder, âHey, Y/N. Iâm so glad youâre awake. Youâve been missed.â âHow long have I been out?â âOver a week, but donât worry Jazzy has been well taken care of. Nichole had a family emergency so I offered to take her. The twins have loved having her at the house.âÂ
Tears filled your eyes, âWhy are you being so kind to us?â âBecause thatâs what you do when someone needs help.â Jensen smiled gently at you. âSo, Y/N, how are you feeling?â âIâm very sore, and just heartbroken. I canât believe I let him in our lives. My sweet girl had to see some of the abuse. Iâm so stupid and weak. I didnât want to be alone anymore, so I allowed this monster into our lives. How do I keep her safe when I canât keep myself safe?â
âYou tell her that some people are just mean and those people will try and find your weakness. You work like hell to protect yourself, and when you canât, you lean on those that can. You tell her that there are more kind people in this world than there are mean ones. Those are the people she needs to surround herself with. People like her mother. People who would do anything to keep her safe and protect her from evil. No matter what. Y/N, youâre not weak or stupid for letting someone like Robert in your life. Youâre human, and Jazzy will see that. Above all she will see your strength, the strength to make him leave and then fight like hell to survive and stay here for her.âÂ
Your tears were flowing down your face at Jensenâs words. When he took your hand in his, and wiped away your tears, you leaned into his touch. He was so kind and gentle. Everything youâd heard he was.Â
The next few days you had to stay in the hospital were brutal. Youâd asked Jensen not to bring Jazzy to see you there. You didnât want her to see you weak and hooked up to things. He kept her at his house and you got to FaceTime her at night.Â
The last night of your hospital stay you were feeling excited to leave, but even more nervous. Youâd be going home, and Robert was still out of jail. The police hadnât been able to track him down and that scared you. Jensen assured you that you and Jazzy would be safe.Â
After your FaceTime call with Jazzy, you settled in to try and sleep. Jensen was busy getting all four kids ready for bed. The twins and Jazzy were running around and playing, while JJ was picking out the book for the night.Â
After baths, brushed teeth, and pajamas, Jensen had all four kids pile in his bed so he could read.Â
After the story was over Zep asked when Y/N was coming home. âWell, she gets to go home tomorrow. I know sheâs really excited about it.â âDaddy, since Jazzy lives here now is her mommy coming here too?â Zeppelin asked with his big eyes twinkling. âNo, Zeppy. Jazzy doesnât live here. Sheâs just been staying here.â All four childrenâs faces hung in sadness. Jensen chuckled, âOh come on guys, you knew Jazzy was just staying here while her mommy was getting better.â âWe know daddy, but we want her to stay forever.â Arrow added to the conversation. Jensen sighed, âOkay guys, we will talk about this later. Itâs time for bed. Come on.âÂ
The kids got into their beds and fell asleep quickly. Jensen sent you a text.
Jensen: Hey, the kids are asleep, they were upset Jazzy isnât going to live here forever. đ
You: Hey, thatâs funny. Maybe we can schedule playdates and sleepovers if thatâs okay with you. I know Jazzy would love it.
Jensen: I was thinking the same thing. đ
You: Good. I owe you so much for taking care of her and being here for me.
Jensen: No you donât. If I was in the same situation I have no doubt you would do the same thing.Â
You: Oh absolutely. I adore your children. They are so sweet and kind to Jazzy.
Jensen: Iâve definitely tried. Itâs been hard, but Iâve had some great support.
You: Thatâs amazing. So can I ask you something?
Jensen: Sure
You: If Iâm out of line or youâre uncomfortable, just tell me, okay?
Jensen: Of course.Â
You: After your wife passed away how long was it until you started dating again?
Jensen: I went on a few dates, Iâd say about 2 years after she died. Nothing worked out, but that doesnât mean Iâm not open to it. My focus is on the kids, so if it happens it happens.Â
You: I understand that. Robert was the first guy I dated since Josh died. I was scared to let someone in, and now Iâm sitting in the hospital because of him.Â
Jensen: I get that, but you canât let him ruin your chance at happiness again. You and Jazzy deserve to be loved and taken care of.
You: Thank you, Jensen. So do you and your beautiful children.Â
Jensen: Thank you. Iâll come pick you up from the hospital tomorrow when you get released and take you home if you want me to.Â
You: I appreciate that, Jensen. I could always take an Uber to get home.
Jensen: Absolutely not. Iâll pick you up and drive you wherever you want to go.Â
You: Okay, well Iâll see you in the morning. Good night, Jensen.
Jensen: See you tomorrow, and good night, Y/N. Sweet dreams.
You: Sweet dreams, Jensen.Â
Jensen put his phone down and climbed into bed. He looked down at the little girl sleeping on the makeshift bed and smiled softly. His heart warmed thinking about her and her mother being in his and his childrenâs lives. The two of you were already starting to mean something to him. He couldnât shake the feeling, the need to protect both of you, to be with you.Â
Jensen laid down and sleep finally washed over him. About 3am he was startled awake by the sound of crying. He leaped out of bed and found Jazmyne crying in her sleep. She woke up, saw Jensen and leaped in his arms.Â
Jensen sat on the floor holding her and rubbing her head while he rocked her. âShhh, Jazzy. Itâs okay. Youâre safe.âÂ
Jazmyneâs hands clung to his shirt and her face was buried in his chest. She continued crying and whimpered out âmommyâ. Jensenâs heart broke.Â
âMommyâs okay, baby girl. Sheâs going to come home tomorrow and she canât wait to see you.â Jazmyne shook her head no. Jensen was a little confused, âWhatâs no, baby girl?â âI not go home. Mommy not go home. He hurt mommy there.â It made sense to Jensen. She was scared to go back home because thatâs where Robert had been when he hurt you.Â
âShh, baby. I promise you I will keep you and mommy safe.â Jensen said as he rocked the scared little girl. She clung to his shirt and wouldnât let go. He tried to lay her down on her bed and she cried and held on tighter. He stood, holding her close and laid her down on his bed. He grabbed her stuffy and handed it to her, and laid down. As he got comfortable, Jazmyne curled up beside him. Soon her soft snores filled the room. Jensen drifted back to sleep.
The next day after Jensen got the kids to school, he arrived at the hospital to wait for you to be released. âGood morning, sweetheart.â Jensen said as he walked into your room. You looked up, smiled and said, âGood morning to you too. Here to bust me out?â You chuckled. âAbsolutely.â Jensen flashed his killer smile.Â
The nurse came in not long after Jensen arrived. She unhooked your IV and the cardio machine. âGo ahead and get dressed, and Iâll get your discharge paperwork together.â You nodded and Jensen stepped to the side of the bed. âLet me help you up.â He said offering you his hand.
You took his hand and as you stood, you stumbled and he caught you. Looking up into his eyes your breath hitched and you bit your lip. Feeling your heart beat wildly in your chest. You steadied yourself and thanked him softly. He nodded as you walked into the bathroom.
You looked in the mirror and saw your battered and bruised face and body. Oh my god. Look at me. Get it together Y/N, there is no way that gorgeous man out there could ever look at you in any way other than a friend, especially now.Â
You tried to push the thoughts of wanting to kiss Jensen out of your head and get dressed. Your body was in so much pain and covered in bruises, it hurt to even breathe. You wondered how youâd be able to take care of Jazzy, especially with Nichole out of town. You took a deep breath, you knew youâd figure it out.Â
About an hour and half later you and Jensen were at your house. You had no idea what youâd find when you got there, but you were surprised to find out that after the police finished with their investigation Nichole came and cleaned up the house for you.Â
Jensen helped you to the couch and you sat down. He could tell something was bothering you, but didnât want to push. Then your tears started to fall.Â
Jensen pulled you in his arms, âShhh, itâs okay. Youâre okay. You and Jazzy are safe. I promise. Iâll keep you two safe.â You leaned back and looked at Jensen, his green eyes scanning you. He cupped your face and wiped your tears away. You leaned into his touch.Â
Without any thought you leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his lips. When your brain finally caught up to what you were doing you quickly pulled away. Flush filled your cheeks, âOh my god, Iâm so sorry Jensen. I donât know what came over me.âÂ
You started to get off the couch but he touched your hand, âNo, Y/N, please donât go. That was fine. You have nothing to be sorry about.â His hand on your arm felt so good. You looked at him, sat back down and apologized again.
âJensen, youâve been nothing but kind to me and Jazzy. Iâm sorry if I put you in an awkward position. I really donât know what came over me.â Jensen leaned forward, his eyes flicked between your lips and eyes. You leaned forward until your lips ghosted each otherâs. Jensen closed the rest of the distance and kissed you. His hand tangled into your hair as he deepened the kiss. Jensenâs tongue ran across your lips, asking for entrance. You parted your lips and your tongues began an intricate dance of dominance.Â
You moaned into the kiss and felt fire ignite in your body. You hadnât had a kiss like this since Josh. When the need for air became too much, the two of you pulled away. âWow.â Was all Jensen could say. You smiled and nodded. As he started to lean back in to kiss you there was a knock at the door.Â
Jensen groaned and stood to answer it. He looked back at you and smiled before he opened the door. You smiled back, but as soon as he opened the door your smile was replaced by a look of horror.Â
Jensen turned to look at the person at the door as you said, âRobert.â
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@nescaveckwriter @kr804573Â
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@suckitands33 @arcannaaÂ
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@reignsboy19 @monkey-d-hoshizora98
#hes gorgeous#so damn sexy#jensen ackles#jackles#jensen ackles x plus size reader#jensen ackles x reader
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[ Illicit Gazes ]
Pairings: Teacher! Gojo Satoru x Student! Reader
Summary: You wanted to scream that you werenât a kid, that you knew what you were doing and feeling. But he never gave you the chance. Nothing even started, yet everything had already ended.
[ WARING TAGS: hurt/comfort, angst, heartbreak, underage, age gap, teacher-student ]
Thinking about making more of this ones, let me know what you think.
ï
You never meant for it to happen.
It started with small, innocent things. Offering him snacks after a long day. Bringing him his favorite milk tea when you noticed he hadnât had time to eat. It was just... kindness. You didnât think anything of it at first. It wasnât like you were trying to get his attention. He was your teacher and you were his student. It was supposed to be simple.
But somewhere along the way, it stopped being simple.
You started noticing things. How his smile never quite reached his eyes when he was being playful, how the laughter he forced sounded just a little too strained. How, when everyone else was around, he would throw himself into his persona as the untouchable, invincible teacher, but the moment the door closed behind them, there was a crackâa tiny chink in his armor.
And that's when you started falling. Slowly. Imperceptibly.
The way heâd thank you for the snacks, his voice a little softer than usual. The way he you would feel him look at you under that blindfold when you handed him a cup of bubble tea, feeing his gaze lingering on you a beat too long. At first, you brushed it off. It was just how he was, right? Charismatic. Unbothered. Unaffected.
But the more you cared for him, the more you noticed how you were changing.
You found yourself looking forward to those small moments: when youâd bring him dinner after a long day and heâd act like it was the best thing that happened all week, or when youâd sit beside him in silence, just being there, and yet it felt more than enough.
And when you found yourself daydreaming, imagining what it would be like if heâd just look at you like he did everyone else... as if you werenât just his student. As if you were something more.
The first time you realized you had a crush on him, you were sitting in front of his desk, watching him work late into the night. He was hunched over, looking at something on his phone, tapping away with a focused intensity. The moonlight spilled through the window behind him, casting soft shadows across his face. For a fleeting moment, you allowed yourself to truly look at him. The way his white hair fell messily around his face. How his sharp, almost cruel eyes softened when he wasnât trying to be a teacher or the strongest. It was like seeing him for the first time.
You watched him for longer than you should have, and when he caught you staring, there was no teasing smile or sarcastic comment. He just stared at you with an unreadable expression, his eyes covered under his usual blindfold lingering on you for just a second too long. You couldnât breathe. You couldnât move. His covered gaze held you in place, a silent understanding passing between the two of you, and for the briefest of moments, it felt like the world outside didnât exist.
But then he smiledâgenuinely this timeâand your heart skipped in a way it never had before.
âWhat? Youâre looking at me like Iâm some kind of snack. Donât tell me youâre already craving my sweet treats, (Y/N)â
Youâd laughed, nervously, but deep inside, you knew. You knew that it wasnât just admiration anymore. It was something else. Something dangerous.
And from that moment on, it was harder and harder to ignore the way your heart fluttered when he smiled, when he teased you, or when you saw that flicker of something deeper behind his smile. He didnât always show it, but you could sense the vulnerability beneath the surface.
But you also knew this wasnât normal. This wasnât just a crushâit was something more. Something you shouldnât feel. Something you could never act on.
And yet, despite your better judgment, every interaction, every word, only made it worse. You were falling deeper, faster, with each passing day.
He didnât want to fall for you.
He couldnât.
Gojo Satoru was many thingsâpowerful, untouchable, the strongestâbut he wasnât immune to the temptations that came with being around someone as human as you. You, with your kindness, your gentle words, and the way you never treated him like some god. You always saw him. Truly saw him. Not as a teacher, not as the person who was expected to fix everything. But as a man. A broken one, sure, but still a man.
But Gojo knew better than to let himself get too close to you. It was the same reason he never let himself form real attachments, never let anyone get too close: after all, love was the worst curse of all.
He had seen it, time and time again. The people who cared about him, the ones he cared aboutânone of them ended up the way they wanted. Whether it was the weight of responsibility, the loss, or simply the pain of caring too much, he had watched it all unravel in the worst possible ways. The ones he loved, the ones who loved him, always ended up broken, lost, or worse. Love only created vulnerability, and vulnerability always led to destruction.
Just like he had.
And you? He couldnât let you be a part of that. He couldnât let you be the one he fell for. Because if he let you in, it would be like every other time, every other person. The same pain. The same destruction.
So he kept his distance. Played it off with jokes and light teasing. Kept you at armâs length, even when it hurt to see you wanting to come closer. You were too pure for that. Too pure to fall for someone like him.
But God, it was getting harder. Every smile you gave him, every little act of care, every time you offered him something as simple as homemade mochiâit broke through his defenses. And that terrified him.
The way you looked at him... the way you worried about him, as if he were anything but a weapon, anything but someone who had been molded by a life of expectations and heartbreakâit tore him apart in ways he couldnât explain.
It was late one evening when the shift happenedâthe moment where everything changed but nothing was said. You had been working late again, sitting on the windowsill of his office, idly tracing the edge of a notebook with your fingers as Gojo poured over mission reports.
It was quiet, too quiet. And the silence between the two of you felt too heavy, too thick. You could feel the tension in the air, the space between you expanding with every passing second. You couldnât stand it anymore.
âYou know, you donât always have to act like youâre invincibleâ, you said it softly, trying to sound casual.
But your words were laced with more emotion than you intended.
Gojo paused, glancing up from the papers in front of him. He turned to you, taking a second to really look at you, and for a moment, you saw something flicker in his face. It was like he was trying to decide whether to shut you down or admit the truth.
âI donât have a choice, (Y/N). Not reallyâ
His voice dropped, and you saw something raw in his expression. Something you werenât supposed to see. He wasnât just the teacher now. He was a man, broken and tired, someone who had been carrying too much for far too long.
âYou donât have to carry it all aloneâ
You didnât realize how much you meant it until the words were already out, the softness in your voice betraying the feelings you had buried so deeply.
Gojo looked at you, and this time, there was no teasing smile. No playful comment. His gaze was intense, even under the blindfold, almost painful to hold. His lips parted as if he were about to say something, but he stopped himself.
â(Y/N), Iââ
He paused again, struggling to find the right words, the right excuse to pull back. To keep his distance.
But you couldnât let him.
âI want to be here for you. I want to helpâ
There it was. You couldnât keep pretending anymore. You couldnât ignore it. You cared about him. More than just a crush. More than just admiration. It was everything, all-consuming, and you were terrified of it.
And Gojo, well, he felt it too. For a brief moment, you saw itâthe truth behind his usual mask. He wanted to say something, to make it clear that he couldnât let this happen. That it couldnât happen.
But he didnât.
Instead, his face softened, just slightly. And then he turned away, his voice barely above a whisper.
âYou donât know what youâre asking forâ
But you did.
The next day, Gojo made his decision. It wasnât dramatic. He didnât yell, didnât make a scene. He just... pushed you away. Subtly. Quietly.
You tried to close the distance, to let him know that you were still there, but every time you tried, he was just a little farther out of reach.
And it hurt. But you understood.
This was his curse. The curse of loving and being loved. It was the same reason heâd always kept his distance from othersâbecause love was dangerous. It always led to pain.
And maybe, just maybe, he was trying to protect you from that.
The understanding didnât make it hurt less.
#satoru gojo x reader#gojo x reader#gojo saturo#gojou satoru x reader#jujutsu kaisen gojo#gojo satoru#satoru gojo#gojo satoru x y/n#gojo satoru x you#jjk satoru#gojo satoru x reader#jjk gojo#jjk x reader#jjk#gojo x oc#jujutsu gojo#gojo x you#gojo x y/n
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In the Middle of the Night - Scott Miller
Summary: After a close encounter with a tornado, Scott comforts you through a nightmare.
Pairing: Scott Miller x F!Reader
Word Count: 2.7k
Warnings: Near-death experience, car accident (flashbacks, briefly explained), nightmare, mention of reckless driving
A/N: This might be the nicest I've ever written Scott. Hopefully you all still like him, even if it's a bit further from what we saw in the movie! Thank you to @famfan-1034 and @seeyalaterinnovator for beta reading this story.
The world was thundering around you as you desperately tried to will the truck to drive faster. Despite your foot being pressed flat against the floor, it was as if the vehicle was stuck in an inescapable loop. No matter what you did you could hear the rumbling of the tornado gaining on you, the noise reverberating in your chest.
"Come on, you've got to go faster," Scott yelled at you from the passenger seat.
You glanced over at him, seeing him twist around in his seat to watch the black funnel barreling behind you. You noticed that he didn't have his seat belt on as your foot desperately ground the pedal into the floor, having no effect on the speed of the vehicle. You needed to tell him to put his seat belt on, but it felt as though there was a physical barrier in your throat that prevented sound when you tried to open your mouth.
As the tornado gained on you, you felt as though you were back in your childhood. Standing too close to the train tracks, the freight train overwhelmed every sense. The sound deafened you as everything in your vicinity shook violently, vibrations numbing the feeling of the steering wheel in your hands. The swirling black wedge was all that was visible in your mirrors now, appearing as though to engulf all the light left in the world.
The frame of the truck groaned as you realized that your momentum had slowed even more, beginning to be slowly pulled back towards the spiral behind you. You grabbed at your seat belt in desperation, tugging on it uselessly as it jammed in its buckle. With wide eyes, you looked up at Scott, who was strangely calm. The words in your throat clawed at their cage, seeking any sort of escape.
You tried to get the truck back under control, despite the futility of the attempt, finally giving up just before you heard the crunch of metal. The roof crumpled violently, the frame snapping as the windows imploded. Your hands flew up to protect your face, not even taking notice of the possibility of pain as you wildly looked around.
Scott held your gaze for a brief moment, time seeming to bend around you, before being forcefully pulled from his seat. You were moving in slow motion again as you leaned forward in a desperate attempt to grab him, swearing you could feel the brush of his hand as your seatbelt choked you back in your seat and Scott was ripped from view. You were finally able to gather words from your throat, screaming his name in anguish as the truck's metal continued to collapse around you.
Just before you were crushed by the ever-shrinking vehicle, you bolted up in the pitch black. You looked around in terror for a few moments, eyes taking a few moments to adjust to the dimness. Slowly, you remembered where you were. The thin sheets of the motel scratched annoyingly at your skin, giving you a slight grip on reality. Jagged, acidic breaths burned your lungs, the feeling of fear continuing to crush your chest despite waking up.
You swung your legs over the side, relishing the rough feel of the motel carpet grounding you as you held your head. You fought the tears bubbling in your chest, a mix of slow and broken breaths escaping you.
After the events of the day, you supposed you shouldn't be surprised by the dream. Your encounter with the tornado hadn't been nearly as violent, though the terror in both scenarios had gripped you just the same.
Years of working with storms and you had never feared one, instead finding the thrill of their ferocity captivating, but now you questioned your place amongst them.
Your chasing partner, Jason, and you had been leading the charge in Lion, driving into the path of the tornado to drop your radar. Part of the reason for his assignment to Lion was that his driving allowed him to get ahead of tornadoes easily, though his love of adrenaline had often led him to poor choices.
This time, you had been caught up in it and the results had left the truck mangled and you and Jason barely surviving.
You massaged the stone of anxiety sinking deep into your chest as your body could still feel the reality of hiding in that culvert as the tornado passed nearby, rumbling everything around you like a runaway freight train. You had laid there curled into a ball and struggled to breathe until you heard the rushing sounds of vehicles quickly followed by your co-workers' voices calling your names.
The ringing in your ears had prevented you from hearing most of what went on, though you remember seeing the anxiety bleed out of Javi and Scott when they saw you climbing out of the ditch. Your body evidently had the same reaction to seeing the safety of your team, collapsing into the dirt as you came down from the adrenaline high.
You barely heard the soft knock at the door over your slowly steadying breathing. You steel yourself as you open the door, though there are immediate cracks in that resolve when you see who it is.
Scott stood outside your door with dark hair standing at odd angles, bare chest contrasting with the black sweats hanging low on his hips. He was a mess, by his standards, yet you couldn't help but admire him.
"Are you okay?" He asked, thick brows knitting together in concern. His voice was scratchy, sounding as though he had been in a deep sleep.
Your cheeks heated as you realized that he must have heard your nightmare from his room next to yours, the thin walls of the motel not doing much for privacy. You looked down slightly in a small bubble of embarrassment, noticing that the heels of his shoes were bent down as though he had felt that putting them on properly would slow him too much.
"Yeah," you confirmed, "sorry for bothering you."
This was the part of Scott that was often reserved for you, the part that had drawn you to him in the first place. Yours and Scott's attraction to each other was an open secret amongst the company, resulting in endless teasing after the night a few weeks ago when you two had stumbled into his room after too many drinks at the bar.
You knew that Scott had that meaner side, and had seen just how far he could go when he had practically shoved Jason against Scarecrow after the accident. You hadn't caught his words, the combination of ringing ears and Javi's fretting capturing most of your attention before Javi helped you to your feet. Then you looked at Scott and, noticing that he looked seconds away from punching Jason, called out to him.
The other employees had wondered how you, someone who was known for avoiding conflict at all costs, had captured and returned the attention of your hardass boss. The truth was simply that Scott was different around you, especially when it would just be the two of you working late. Underneath his rough exterior, Scott cared deeply for those close to him, though he hid it from them, and the reason for his demeanor was due to a difficult past with relationships that prevented him from easily trusting. He had confessed this to you one particularly late night at the bar when you two were inebriated to the point of senseless rambling, apologizing for all of the sarcastic jokes he had thrown since you entered the business.
Truth be told, that sarcasm was one of your favourite things about him.
Unfortunately, you had a similar past and this is what led to the stalemate in your relationship, as you both hesitated at the thought of the commitment and vulnerability of a relationship.
Scott nodded sharply, taking a small step back. "Well, if you want me... I'm there."
You were shocked at your body's reaction to his words, a lump forming slightly in your throat. Turns out that near-death experiences really do change you. Your hand moved to close the door, though your body pauses mid-motion. Your gaze returned to Scott, focusing on the earnest look in those blue eyes.
Fuck it.
"Scott, wait," you called as he started turning back to his own room. "Will you stay with me?"
Scott's lips quirked up in a small smile despite himself, nodding as he stepped into your room. You wordlessly shut the door, hearing him kick his shoes off behind you. You leaned back against it when you turned around, second-guessing your decision to invite him for a split second.
But then you turn around and see him standing there looking at you, the soft look in his eyes bringing you back to that night together when you had believed, for however brief of a second, that you could find a way to bypass your hesitations for him.
Before you can hesitate further you step into him, Scott immediately wrapping his strong arms around you without a second thought. His chin rested on the top of your head as you both stood there, a thumb rubbing soothingly at your hip as you relished in his heat.
Your breath shuddered at the gesture, still unused to allowing yourself to be held in this way again. You almost change your mind about letting him in, but then he's pulling you tighter into his body and you close your eyes and let your mind go blank.
You melted further into him, feeling his grip on you tighten in response. Being this close to him, all you could smell was him. All you could feel was the softness of his skin as he held you, patiently waiting for what you decided would be the next move. For the first time since you had gotten into the truck that morning, you felt the anxiety in you begin to dissipate. Your senses were enveloped by him, slowly backing you from the ledge of panic you had been balancing on.
Scott didn't loosen his grip on you until you leaned back in his arms to look up at him. "Thank you for checking on me."
He smiled at you softly, cupping your jaw as he pressed a feather-light kiss to your forehead. Despite your glimpses of the softer parts of himself that Scott kept hidden from the world, you were surprised at the gesture. It was so unlike him, outwardly showing as gentle an emotion as this, yet the affection that soared through your body for him rivaled that of the night that he had kissed you against his motel room door.
"C'mon," he whispered into your hair, "let's get you back to bed."
The last of the residual panic from your nightmare seeped away as you curled into Scott's body, the steady beat of his heart settling yours. "You're unnaturally warm."
Scott let out a short laugh at your comment, his hand cascading down the small of your back and over your curves to hook your knee over his hip. "Maybe you're just weirdly cold."
You hummed in response, pretending to consider that possibility for a moment. You looked up at him, the soft look in his eyes taking you aback. You had refused to ask him earlier, but the look in his eyes now compelled you to bring it up.
"Did you fire him?" You asked, looking down as you began tracing swirls into the soft skin of his chest.
"Of course," he answered, beginning to move his thumb in comforting circles on your hip. "I should have fired him sooner."
"Scott," you said, "there's no way you could have known what was going to happen."
"I did know, though." He interjected, the abruptness of his answer stalling your movement. "Javi and I had considered firing him a few weeks ago, but I fought for him to stay because he's the fastest driver on the team. I knew it was a ticking time bomb for him to cause an accident."
"If we..." Scott trailed off, swallowing nervously before he continued. "If I had lost you because I chose efficiency over safety, I don't think I could live with myself. Hearing the truck flip and not being able to do anything for you... All I could think of was all the wrong choices I'd made. Especially with you, I should have never let you walk out of my room after that night."
You slowly raised your head to look back at him. His blue eyes were steady in their gaze, showing no trace of deception behind his words as he finished. "I need you to know how much you mean to me."
Tears stung your eyes at his words, the years of not receiving this type of care and attention from other men catching up with you. You cupped the back of his head as you pulled him down to your lips, losing yourself in the taste of him. Your fingers curled in his hair as you both desperately grasped at each other, trying to get impossibly closer.
You let out a shaky breath when you finally separated. "You were in my dream." You said before you could lose your nerve. "I couldn't outrun the tornado and save you. That's what woke me up."
Scott grabbed your hand, placing it on top of his heart so you could feel the beat in his chest. "I'm right here, with you... I've got you, baby," he said, a small smile on his face. "Now that I've got you, you'd have to actually sacrifice me to a tornado to get rid of me."
You let out a soft laugh at his words, finally feeling your exhaustion catching up with you again. "I'll keep that in mind if you ever start annoying me." You told him, readjusting yourself to lay against his chest.
"You're riding with me if you want to come back, by the way. At least until we find someone I know I can trust with you." You smiled at him, placing a light kiss on his chest as you finally let peaceful sleep overtake you again.
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Kinda sorta sleeping beauty AU Part 3
Robin drops the rope into the boat & it is instantly floating away across the lake, cutting through the water on a direct path to the shore of the island. Eddie has no oars nor does he need them it seems. He is quickly entering the thick fog surrounding the island. He wants to panic, he wants to swim away, but when the breeze shifts his nose is tickled by baked apples.
When a strange dark tendril reaches up to wrap around the boat, to stop its progress, to crush the wood & drag him down, Eddie doesn't think. He rears back his hand & stabs it w the dagger. The tendril releases him & the boat seems to speed away to the island.
When it reaches the shore he hops out & pulls it onto the sand. The fog is unmistakably pouring out from behind the trees. Eddie takes a breath & as he relishes the hint of apple in the air he closes his eyes & sees hazel twinkling like stars. He hears bird song & sees the bird from his dreams hopping along a branch before flying further into the trees. Eddie swallows his nerves as best he can, and pushes forward into the treeline.
He walks for a time before he feels himself being stalked. The forest is unnatural in its silence so he hears the shuffle of leaves as something tht isn't him moves among the trees. He hears a strange shrill clicking & turns in time to avoid the claws of a beast with no face but a thousand teeth. Eddie never trained formally to fight but the dagger seems to know what to do as it arcs in the air & stabs into the neck of the creature. The shriek it emits hurts his head but he keeps his arm moving. Stabbing it over & over, injuring its arms, then managing to cut an obvious tendon in its leg, till finally he is stabbing the creature in a place he assumes is its heart.
When he is sure it is dead he stumbles away, the image of the entrance to the maze in his mind. The hedges move w a breeze & fog pours out from the maze. It has smelled of rot & ichor since he'd stabbed the tendril in the water, but as he catches his breath before entering the maze he breathes in warm baked apples. Just as in the dream he feels himself warm from within starting w his heart.
He moves through the maze not having to rely on the scent entirely as he'd walked the correct path in his dream. When he comes upon the clearing in the center he realizes he hadn't been hearing the singing for there is the man from his dream, but he is sleeping. There is no stone bed only a pool of water pouring out fog tht the man is floating in as he sleeps. His breathing is as if he truly is in a deep peaceful sleep. Eddie approached the pools edge & without thought only following an instinct he dropped the dagger into the pool & grasped the sleeping man's freezing cold hand.
The pool of water slowly begins to glow from beneath. Eddie pulls the man from the water, and drags him into his arms. The man is cold, still asleep, but now Eddie can see movement behind his closed eyelids. Following a scrap of knowledge his uncle had given him when Eddie had his first rut the bard knight tucks the mystery man's nose into his neck. He focuses on releasing calming pheromones.
There is an intake of breath deeper than before, then plush lips brushing against his mating gland where the scent is strongest, then the omega in his arms sighs as he awakes. Eddie pulls back to look at the most beautiful human he'd ever seen.
At the same time they each reached out to touch the others cheek.
"You are real?" The omegas voice was music to Eddie's heart.
"I am," Eddie assured, "I dreamed of you."
"I dreamed of you too. For over 100 years I dreamed of you."
"What is your name my beautiful dream?"
With eyes twinkling in happiness his love answered, "Stephen, but I wish for you to call me Steve."
"My Stevie." Eddie answers, and then they r meeting in the middle to share a kiss.
When Eddie leads them out to the shore where he'd moored the boat Robin was standing there. She ran to them & hugged Steve to her tightly as Steve clung to her in return.
The sun was beginning to fully rise as the enchanted boat took them to the docks of the town, as they approached ppl gaped in wonder. Nancy was there apparently rounding up ppl to form a search party for Eddie, but when she saw the boat moving without oars directly from the island as it carried 3 ppl upon it she began laughing w relief.
The island began sinking in the distance.
[Part 3 of 3, an epilogue is also on the way]
his Stevie!!!!!!đ€§đđ
***links to come later because tumblr is acting up and wonât let me add hyperlinks right now***
(link to part one, part two)
(link to epilogue when itâs posted)
#slick sunday#steddie#steddie omegaverse#omega steve harrington#alpha eddie munson#steve x eddie#a/b/o#omegaverse#my asks
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Bit of a fic idea (not necessarily a request). But what about a friends to lovers with Aaron Hotchner? Like they've been friends since childhood, she's a few years younger though. She was in the drama club with Hayley and is the reason the 2 met and she was the best woman at the wedding. But she's had a crush on Aaron for the longest time,t though always dismissed it as she valued the friendship more. She's Jack's godmother and is there for Aaron whenever he needs. She is a Sargent in the Marines, so gets the long hours Aaron does. She was deployed when she got the news about Hayley being killed by Foyet and rushed back as soon as possible. She didn't take another mission for a while after to be there for Aaron. Further down the line she considers maybe telling him her feelings but he starts dating Beth so she doesn't. Eventually she starts dating a guy in the army and Aaron is jealous though is in denial about why. It is only after Beth and him break up and he hears that readers bf might propose that he fully snaps out of his denial and confesses his feelings
That's such a good idea!!!! đ I don't know if I'll write the full thing one day but here's 1/2 and essay worth of thoughts I have about the concept!!
I imagine it would be even more heartbreaking and kind of a slow burn if you and Hotch knew each other before the drama club meeting with Haley. Like maybe you lived on the same street as kids and played together every day. And without realizing it back then, you were always meant to be together, because you just completed each other.
You would be a little jealous about Hotch starting to date Haley and eventually marrying her, as you had thought it would be the two of you one day. But since you value the friendship so much, you donât mention it to him, just wanting him to be happy in the end.
The wedding especially hurt to be part of for you, but you pull through, keeping a smile on your lips as you attend, give your toast, and do everything you can to help. Hotch is so thankful for your support during the wedding.
Youâre ecstatic when you learn about baby Hotchner, and when Jack comes into the world, youâre the first person he calls, seeing you as more like family than his blood relatives. And it might be the best day of your life (at the time) when Haley mentions theyâve been talking about godparents and then asks if you want to be Jackâs godmother.
When you start realizing that youâll never be truly happy as long as youâre around Hotch almost every day, you decide to join the Marines, throwing yourself into the work and quickly moving up the ranks. And when Haley dies, youâre, of course, sad for Hotch, but somehow you feel kind of desensitized to death and donât know what to say. Still, you drop everything and rush back to Quantico to be there for himânot so much emotionally, but at least to help him around the house and such.
Life eventually finds its rhythm again, and even though neither of you ever speaks about that time, you can feel something shift in him. But then Beth enters the picture. You see how his face softens when he talks about her, how he starts looking ahead instead of behind, and you canât bring yourself to disturb that happiness. You tell yourself this is what you wantâthat his happiness matters more than yours.
You didnât expect to meet someone else, but thatâs how life works. You didnât think much of it at first, but thereâs a comfort in his company. Aaron notices. He doesnât say anything, of course, but you feel the shift in the way his gaze lingers when you mention your boyfriend.
And when he hears rumors of an upcoming proposal, he canât ignore it any longer. He shows up at your door one night. For a moment, you think heâs come with good news, but he only stands there, jaw clenched, his fists tight. âI donât want you to marry him,â he says, and then, âIâGod, I should have said this a long time ago. Youâre more than just my friend. Youâve always been more,â he admits.
And then you kiss, and itâs really passionate.
#đ - you've got mail#anon <3#hoe4hotchner answers#aaron hotchner#criminal minds#aaron hotchner x reader#hotch#hotch thoughts#criminal minds x reader#hotch x you#hotchner
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because even then, i knew â l.sm { 2 }
genre: non idol! seokmin x reader, stanger to lovers / kdrama au
cw: female reader, petnames, cursing, seokmin is desperately down bad, slowburn, pining, so much fluff, mentions of alcohol, consuming alcohol, nsfw, oral (f recieving) protected sex, mentions of cheating, angst
wc: 23k
tracklist: {spotify} {apple music}
navigation: {one} {two}
note: play wonder - kyungsoo
âĄ;- ê° Â° twoê±
After that night, everything felt different to Seokmin. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was a quiet shift in the air, a change that felt as though the world was holding its breath, waiting for him to realize something new. The kiss had unlocked somethingâa door between him and you, and now, everything was moving in a direction he hadnât quite expected.
It wasn't overwhelming. Not in the way he'd feared. There was no rush, no need to hurry through the moment. Instead, he lingered in the afterglow, letting the warmth of your smile, your soft laughter, that had soon become his favorite sound, and the quiet moments you shared settle over him like a comfortable blanket. Every time he saw you, it felt a little easier, a little more natural, like this was where he was meant to be all along. But still, he couldn't help but feel nervous. Nervous in the worst and best way, the kind of nervous that made his heart flutter whenever his eyes met yours.
And he noticed, with a growing sense of quiet affection, how you started to pass by the flower shop more often. At first, it was just a passing thing, like the usual routine of grabbing him for coffee, but soon it became something more. The way your gaze lingered on the window, the way your eyes would light up when you saw him behind the counter, arranging flowers, or tidying up the shelves. It felt like a secret, even if it was simple, a little dance of shared glances and quiet moments. Sometimes youâd stop by, just for a few minutes, chatting about the most random thingsâweather, books, lifeâand he would savor those brief moments, like they meant the world to him.
It wasnât just those little interactions, though. There were messages nowâcasual at first, but with every day that passed, they became more frequent, more personal. Seokmin found himself looking forward to your texts, to hearing about your day, to seeing the little things youâd share with him when he wasnât around you. And when heâd send back something goofy or heartfelt, he couldnât help but smile at how easily the conversation flowed. It felt⊠effortless. Liking you was effortless.Â
After that night, he and you started going out more and more often. The beach, the museum, the karaoke, they had led to moreâa walk in the park, spontaneous visits to the bookstore, long talks that seemed to go on forever. It felt like the lines between friendship and something more were beginning to blur, but Seokmin didnât mind. He wanted it, in a way he couldnât entirely explain. Being near you felt right, felt easy in a way he hadnât realized was possible. There was laughter now, just as there was before, but it was different. There was more intimacy in it, a warmth that wasnât just about shared jokes or teasing. There were touches too. Small thingsâyour hands brushing as you walked together, the moments when your fingers would linger a little longer than necessary.Â
And then, when the picnic he owed you was mentioned, it felt like the perfect thing to do to complement the windy weather. As he packed the charcuterie board, overloading it with more food than either of you could possibly eat, he found himself looking forward to it as he usually does whenever he would get to spend time with you.
He finds himself constantly thinking of youâwondering what you were doing, what you were thinking, how you were feeling. And it wasnât just a fleeting thought. It lingered. It was more than just a crush or infatuation. It felt real. And though that made him apprehensive, there was something in him that wanted to take the chance, for what felt like the first time in forever.Â
He needed to see this through with you. You deserved that much, and more.Â
Maybe it was too soon to know for sure. Maybe it was too early to put a name to it. But Seokmin couldnât ignore the way you made him feel. And as much as his past made him hesitant to dive in too quickly, he knew that somehow, with you, he was willing to at the very least, try.Â
The park is bathed in warm afternoon light, filtering through the trees and casting dappled shadows on the grass. Seokmin arrives with an armful of supplies, a wide, proud grin plastered on his face as he reveals his self-made âcharcuterie board,â which, to your surprise, takes up nearly half the picnic blanket.
Heâs packed everything. From neatly arranged meats and cheeses to stacks of crackers, olives, fresh berries, and even a few jars of spreads. He beams at your astonished laugh, like heâs managed to pull off the ultimate surprise. âI may have gotten a little carried away,â he says, rubbing the back of his neck, feigning modesty, even as heâs clearly pleased with himself. He promised he would out-do your sandwiches, after all.Â
âA little?â you tease, biting back a smile as you watch him lay everything out with meticulous care. He hands you a cracker topped with some kind of creamy cheese and strawberry jam, watching for your reaction with a delighted anticipation. You take a bite, savoring it, and he grins wider, clearly satisfied.
âI also didnât know what kind of cheese you would like.âÂ
âRight,â You giggle, âand the logical solution was to bring seven different cheeses?âÂ
He nods, leaning forward to leave a kiss on your lips before fitting another cracker into his mouth. âCourse. You deserve nothing less,â he jokes.Â
Once youâve both had your fill of snacking, he pulls his guitar out of its case and pats the spot directly next to him on the blanket, urging you to get closer. âAlright, time for the next part of our date.â he says, guiding your fingers to the strings with a gentle, steady touch. His fingers rest over yours as he shows you a simple chord, his face close enough that you can feel his breath on your cheek.
âPress here,â he murmurs, guiding your fingers along the frets. âAnd then you strum, like this.â His hand covers yours as he shows you, his touch warm and steady, his eyes flicking to yours with a soft, slightly mischievous smile.
Your first attempt is clumsy, the sound far from perfect, but he only chuckles, his thumb tracing slow circles over the back of your hand. âYouâre doing great,â he assures you, squeezing your hand gently before he releases it. âWay better than I was when I first started.â
You try again, more focused this time, but his thumb starts tracing little patterns against your palm, thoroughly distracting you. Then, as if that wasnât enough, his lips ghost over your neck until you feel them land a kiss there. The feeling makes you roll your head back against his chest and you glance up to see him watching you with a soft look in his eyes, a hint of adoration that makes your heart want to burst.
After a few minutes, the lesson dissolves entirely as he leans in, pressing another light, playful kiss to your cheek, then your forehead, before brushing his lips against yours in a way that feels perfectly effortless and natural. He laughs softly, murmuring, âYouâre way better at this than you think,â before he kisses you again, longer this time, his hands resting on your waist, pulling you a little closer.
Thereâs a teasing edge to your voice he can clearly hear despite the fact that youâre nearly whispering. âYou mean kissing? Or playing guitar?âÂ
âBoth,â He hums against your lips and you whine.Â
He reluctantly pulls away, placing his hands over yours again. âAlright, this is a C chord,âÂ
Seokmin watches as you fumble with the guitar, fingers finding their place on the strings with uncertainty. His heart swells a littleâheâs never thought teaching someone guitar could feel so right. But with you, itâs different. Youâre here, looking up at him with wide, focused eyes, and he canât help but lean in closer to guide you.
âHere, like this,â he says softly, his voice warm as he brushes his fingers over yours to adjust your hand on the neck of the guitar. His breath is near your ear, and you can feel the closeness, but you focus on the instrument, trying to get the chord right.
You glance up at him, an eyebrow raised, half-challenging. âLike this?â
Seokminâs smile widens as he nods. âExactly. Thatâs it.â
He lets his hand linger for a second longer than necessary, but quickly pulls back as he instructs, âGood. Now, try strumming.â
You strum the strings, but the sound doesnât come out as clean as youâd hoped. Itâs messy. You sigh, sitting back against him slightly, fingers still pressing the strings, trying to fix it.
âThis is harder than it looks,â you mutter under your breath.
Seokmin laughs softly, his tone light and teasing as he leans in again. His shoulder nudges yours gently. âItâs okay, itâll come. And if it doesnât, thatâs okay, too. Honestly, I think you look pretty cute trying.â
You raise an eyebrow and shift just slightly. âYouâre just saying that to make me feel better.â
He grins, shrugging casually. âMaybe a little. But itâs true.â His voice drops, a little softer this time.
The words linger in the air for a second, but you just laugh, trying to distract yourself with the guitar. You focus again, pressing down the strings, trying to make the chord ring true. When it does, you look up at him, eyes wide.
âDid I do it?â
Seokminâs heart gives a little skip. The way your smile spreads, bright and genuine, makes him feel something warm settle in his chest. âYes. Exactly like that,â he says, a little breathless. He canât help but admire the way youâre so proud of yourself.Â
Youâre both quiet for a moment, his gaze lingering on you. Thereâs something about this moment, about the way youâre looking at him that feels different. Heâs not just teaching you guitar. Heâs simply⊠enjoying being with you. And before you can respond, his hand moves, his fingers brushing gently against the side of your face. Itâs a subtle touch, barely there, but it sends a little thrill through you.
Without thinking, you lean into his touch, your breath catching as his hand slides to the back of your neck, pulling you in just enough for him to kiss you softly. Itâs quick, but itâs sweet, and his lips linger against yours for a heartbeat longer than expected.
He pulls back just a little, and his smile softens, his eyes sparkling with something warmer, more familiar now. âThatâs for getting the chord right,â he murmurs, teasing but with a softness that melts your heart.
You smile, your fingers still resting on the guitar. âWell, Iâll need a lot more kisses to learn the rest of the song, then.â
Seokmin laughs, his gaze dropping to your lips for a second before he grins, shifting closer. âGuess youâll just have to keep playing then, huh?â
You roll your eyes playfully. âYouâre a tough teacher.â
His smile widens, and he shifts again, this time nudging you gently. âIâm just giving you a reason to keep trying,â he says, his voice low and a little more serious now. âBesides, I like being close to you.â
You meet his gaze, feeling the weight of his words more than you expected. âI like being close to you, too,â you reply quietly, your voice softer now, but with a truth that hangs between you.
Before you can think, you lean in, kissing him again, this time a little longer. Seokmin responds just as eagerly, his hand moving to your waist, pulling you closer. His heart is racing now, but in a way that feels goodâexciting, even. Itâs not just the kiss. Itâs everything that is you.
You sit there, tangled together on the blanket, the sound of his guitar a soft backdrop as the day drifts lazily by. With every touch and every stolen kiss, he pulls you further into the moment, into this lighthearted bubble where itâs just the two of you, completely caught up in each other. And as you sit together in the golden glow of the afternoon, Seokminâs hands gentle on your fingers, guiding you through the notes, until night begins to fall, and he offers to walk you home.Â
Ë àŒâĄ âïœĄËÂ
Seokmin isnât sure how long the two of you have been walking, but he doesnât mind. Every second feels easy, peaceful. As the sun dips lower and the leaves fall from the autumn gusts of wind, casting a honeyed glow over the street, he notices how the light falls on your face, softening every edge and detail. Heâs struck by how happy he feels in this momentâwandering aimlessly, your hand in his, with no real destination in mind.Â
Itâs when you stop abruptly, tugging at his arm, that he notices the small, worn sign hanging just above an old staircase. Hidden Treasures. The name, faded and a little tilted, somehow feels right in this quiet, tucked-away corner of the city.
âWanna go in?â you ask, and your eyes sparkle with curiosity.
He smiles, nodding without hesitation. âLead the way.â
Inside, the shop is a world unto itself, a warm, cluttered maze of forgotten, handed down things. The air carries a mix of dust and vinyl, with a faint undertone of leather. Seokminâs eyes drift over racks of vintage clothes, crates of records, and stacks of books and trinkets piled onto shelves. Youâre already making a beeline for a shelf at the back, and he follows, quietly amused by how naturally you seem to navigate the cramped space. Itâs funnyâheâs never given much thought to old records or thrift stores before. But here, watching you take it all in, it seems like heâs seeing it through a different lens.
When you stop in front of a display case filled with cassette tapes, Seokmin canât help but linger nearby, half-hidden behind a rack of jackets. He watches as you pick up a tape, studying it intently. A soft, faraway look settles on your face, and for a second, Seokmin can imagine how it might feel to be a part of that daydream. He inches closer, his curiosity getting the better of him.Â
âSomething good?â he asks casually, leaning over to look.
You glance up, and for a split second, he sees a shy, almost bashful smile. âI found one of my favorite albums.â You look down at the cassette like itâs a piece of history youâre holding in your hands.
His mind whirs as he notes the titles of the tapes you keep picking up, trying to commit them to memory without you noticing. When youâre distracted by another row of tapes, he snags a few of the ones you seemed especially drawn to and quietly slides them behind his back, out of your sight. A plan begins forming in his head, but he plays it cool, waiting for you to move on to a different section before he slips them to the cashier with a little nod.
As you wander through racks of clothes, he tries on hats for your amusement, pulling funny faces that make you laugh. He feels the warmth in his chest whenever he catches you glancing at him, your expression somewhere between amusement andâŠsomething softer.
He plucks a bowler hat from the stand, spins it dramatically in his hand, and places it atop his head. âWhat do you think?â he asks, striking a pose with a raised eyebrow.
You bite back a laugh, eyeing him with mock seriousness. âVery dashing, but maybe a little too serious for you.â
âFair point.â He grins and swaps it out for a wide-brimmed sun hat, pulling it low over his eyes with a grin. âBetter? Iâll wear it to our next park or beach date. And if youâre nice, I might let you borrow it sometime.â
You dissolve into laughter, nodding in approval, but he doesnât stop there. He reaches for a pair of heart-shaped sunglasses on a nearby display and perches them on his nose, winking at you over the top of the frames.
âNow?â he asks, a glint of playful confidence in his eyes.
You shake your head, your laughter filling the space around you. He leans in closer, heart-shaped lenses reflecting your amused expression, and kisses you once, quick and teasing.
You gasp out in surprise and heâs overcome with adoration for you and your reaction, unable to resist leaning in again. He starts peppering kisses on and near your lips, humming contently against your skin.Â
When he catches your sweet gaze, thereâs a small moment of stillness, a quiet shift in the air as he leans in again, slowly this time, brushing a tender kiss against your lips. The feel of your laughter against his mouth is enough to make his heart race, and heâs momentarily lost in how light and easy everything feels with you by his side.
You pull him back into the playful atmosphere, nudging him toward a rack of vintage shirts and jackets. âTry this one,â you insist, holding up a bomber jacket. He slips it on, giving a playful spin as you nod in approval.
âAlright, your turn,â he says, grabbing a leather jacket from the rack and holding it out to you. When you put it on, his eyes widen just a bit. âWait⊠It actually kind of suits you.âÂ
âReally?âÂ
âAbsolutely,â he laughs, watching as you adjust the jacket.
âYours doesnât look so bad either,â You step closer, pulling him in by the collar and planting a quick kiss on his lips before either of you has a chance to pull away.Â
The warmth of the kiss lingers as you both turn back to exploring the store, the silliness giving way to a gentler, more intimate mood. He trails behind you as you flip through stacks of old vinyl records, catching snippets of memories and favorite bands from you as you move down the aisle.Â
Eventually, you both make your way back out into the evening air, Seokmin carrying a paper bag that you assume is holding his own finds. You barely make it down the street before he stops you, looking as though he can barely contain his excitement.
âClose your eyes,â he says, his tone playful but just a little shy.
âWhat?â you laugh, eyebrows lifting.
âJust do it,â he insists, that familiar lopsided grin tugging at his lips.
With a bemused smile, you shut your eyes, and after a few seconds, you feel something light press into your hands. Opening your eyes, you see the cassette tapesâthe very ones youâd been admiring inside. Your gaze flickers up to him, and heâs watching you with a slightly nervous, almost childlike grin.
âYou didnâtââ
âI wanted to,â he shrugs, trying to act nonchalant but failing. âYou said they were some of your favorites. Wouldâve been rude not to let them come along.â
You canât stop smiling, looking between the tapes and him, a small laugh bubbling out. âI canât believe you did that.â
He shrugs again, scratching the back of his neck, his eyes sparkling with a mix of excitement and a touch of nerves. âWell, it seemed important to you,â he says softly, the confession hanging between you both.
Your shared laughter fades into a quiet moment, and heâs suddenly aware of just how close you are. Before he can second-guess himself, you lean in and press a soft kiss to his cheekâa thank-you without words. The warmth of your lips lingers long after youâve pulled away, and he canât hide the grin spreading across his face.
He finds himself leaning in, your laughter caught in a hushed space between you, and for a second, he wonders how itâs possible for something to feel both thrilling and completely natural at the same time. You kiss once, twice, and heâs laughing quietly against your mouth, one hand curling around your waist.
âThank you,â you emphasize when you part, and his eyes crinkling with a smile.
âAnytime,â he says, nudging your shoulder playfully, and his heart flips at the easiness between you both.
As you slip your hand back into his, he squeezes it gently, hoping youâll never let go.
Ë àŒâĄ âïœĄËÂ
Seokmin looks at you, eyebrows raised in mild skepticism as you pitch the idea of glamping on a Saturday morning at the shop.
âSo... itâs like camping, but not?â he asks, crossing his arms. His expression is somewhere between curious and slightly worried, as though heâs imagining himself fending off mosquitoes in the middle of nowhere.
You laugh, shaking your head. âNo, noâthere are no bugs. And no sleeping bags on the ground, I promise. Itâs more like a cozy, modern cabin with all the comforts of home. Think cute tents, soft beds, and fairy lights everywhere.â
His shoulders visibly relax, though thereâs still a hint of doubt in his eyes. âAnd... we wonât have to make a fire from scratch or eat out of cans, right?â
âNot unless you want to,â you say, grinning. âThereâll be proper meals, maybe even a fancy coffee machine for our coffee time. Itâs just like a mini vacation under the stars.â
He pauses, tilting his head as he considers it. âSo... itâs basically a staycation, but outdoors.â
âExactly!â you say excitedly, âAnd just imagine the view at night! Youâll love it, I promise.â
After a momentâs thought, he lets out a small sigh, the corners of his mouth lifting into a smile. âAlright, fine. Letâs do it. But if I see a single bugâŠâ
The flower shop is particularly alive today, and Seokmin is convinced it has something to do with your presence. Greenery fills the shelves around you while a sunbeam slips through the window, highlighting Seokminâs amused expression. He leans closer, grinning at your bug-handling confidence, the warmth in his gaze unmistakable. You nudge him playfully, feeling the cozy, sweet familiarity between you.
âDonât worry,â you tease, nudging his shoulder again. âIâll handle any bugs. All you have to do is enjoy the stars.â
He laughs, a soft, warm sound thatâs almost musical. âFine, but you owe me an extra cup of coffee if thereâs anything even resembling a mosquito.â He nods, already envisioning the drive together. âOnly if we can have a little barbecue. I havenât shown you my grilling skills yet.â
âIf your grilling skills are anything like your charcuterie-board-making skills, Iâm in for a treat.â
He chuckles, cheeks flushing slightly as he reaches to adjust a pot on the counter, keeping his hands busy.
And so, it was decided. The following week, the two of you would go glamping. You spend the week planning out the trip, selecting a location, and picking out a menu from all the dishes Seokmin has offered to make you during your mornings at the coffee shop. Now that he had a car, neither of you had to take the bus. Heâd pick you up after your time reading at the cafe and drop you off at yours with a lingering kiss and a promise to see you the next day.Â
The weekend came rather quickly, but suddenly, despite all the planning both of you had done, Seokmin felt completely unprepared.
He takes a deep breath, double-checking the bags in his trunk for what must be the fifth time. Snacks? Check. Extra blankets? Check. His guitarâof course, just in case thereâs a moment for a quiet tune under the stars. He runs through his list again in his head, but his mind keeps drifting to one thing: you both sharing the same bed tonight.
He laughs softly to himself, feeling that mix of nervousness and excitement tightening in his chest. Itâs not like he hasnât imagined being this close to you, but now that itâs real, it feels like his imagination would never come close, as it usually did with you. He hopes he packed everything to make the evening perfect, especially the surprise he thought youâd loveâa matching PJ set heâd picked out just for you, in the same soft fabric as his.
He shakes off his nerves, throwing himself one last look in the rearview mirror. âAlright, Seokmin, itâs just glamping,â he mutters to himself, trying to keep his cool. But even as he says it, he canât help the excitement building, hoping this night turns out to be as perfect as he hopes.Â
Seokmin pulls up to your place, heart beating just a little faster than usual as he catches sight of you waiting downstairs. You wave and jog over, and the smile that stretches across his face is immediate. âReady for our glamping adventure?â he asks, a playful edge to his voice as he leans over to unlock the passenger door.
âDefinitely ready,â you say, settling into the seat and tossing him a grin that instantly has him feeling that familiar warmth.Â
With you beside him and the car loaded with bags, he pulls onto the road, a playlist of carefully selected songs filling the space between you with a perfect, mellow vibe. The early moments of the drive are filled with laughter and conversation that flows as easily as the winding road ahead. Heâs already feeling more at ease; everything feels right, from the low hum of the engine to the late-afternoon sunlight spilling through the windshield, casting a glow over you.
At the first red light, he lets his hand drift over to yours, giving it a small squeeze. You look over at him, slightly surprised but smiling. âGetting bold, arenât you?â
He laughs, feigning nonchalance. âJust felt right.â He leans in, stealing a quick kissâsoft and gentle, but enough to make his pulse quicken just a little. Youâre barely pulling apart when the light turns green.
The next song that plays is one he remembers you mentioning once because you had the cassette in your collection, and as it fills the car, he sings along softly, sneaking a glance your way to see if youâll join in. You laugh, rolling your eyes, but then you join in on the chorus, and the two of you sing as the scenery outside rushes by.
When he sees a gas station up ahead, he slows down and nods toward it. âNeed anything?â he asks, pulling in.
âLetâs stock up,â you say, and he parks. Inside, the two of you pick out snacks, teasing each other over your choicesâhe insists that his preference for sweet and salty snacks is superior, while you counter with your taste for fruit and more ârefinedâ options. By the time youâre back in the car, thereâs a pile of snacks balanced between you, and youâre begging him to try something new.
âCome on, just one bite,â you say, holding a piece of dried mango up to him.
He rolls his eyes but relents, taking a small bite, pretending to make a face of disgust. âAlright, alright, itâs... decent,â he says, stifling a laugh. âBut these,â he says, lifting up a bag of his favorite chips, âare what make a real road trip snack.âÂ
Youâre halfway through a conversation about your favorite drink choices when another red light gives him another excuse to lean in for a kissâthis one a little longer, filled with the sweetness of your laughter and the warmth of the sun filtering through the windshield. He can taste the mango on your lips, deciding it tastes much better this way than on its own.Â
As you get closer to the glamping site, the landscape starts to change, giving way to more open fields and a deeper blue sky overhead. He glances over at you, noting the way youâre soaking in the view. Thereâs something so peaceful, so effortlessly beautiful about you right now, and he finds himself thinking that this might be one of his favorite memories with you alreadyâand you havenât even made it there yet.Â
As you step out of the car, youâre immediately greeted by the scent of fresh, earthy air and the wide-open stretch of the campsite with just a hint of mountains in the distance. The skies are painted with hues of blue and the golden edges of late afternoon. You take it all in, breathing deeply, almost losing yourself in the view when you hear the trunk pop open and catch sight of Seokmin, arms already filled with bags and supplies.
He shoots you a playful, determined look. âGuess I went a little overboard, huh?â
âA little?â you laugh, eyeing the sheer number of bags and supplies heâs brought along.
But Seokmin just grins, shrugging as he starts unpacking with vigor, unloading what seems to be enough to host a small party rather than a quiet date night. Heâs fully focused, setting up with precisionâcooler, blankets, grilling tools, and that glorious charcuterie board he promised, which he reveals with a flourish. âJust the essentials,â he jokes, flashing a proud smile.
While he organizes, you wander a little ways down the slope, mesmerized by the way the sun lights up the fields and the soft rustling of the leaves. Just as youâre getting lost in the tranquility, you feel his arms gently slide around you from behind. He pulls you close, resting his chin on your shoulder as he takes in the view with you. Itâs quiet, with only the sounds of nature around and the soft weight of his embrace.
He leaves a few kisses on your cheek that you lean into, smile breaking out into your face as he squeezes your waist tighter.
âPretty, huh?â you ask, smiling as you tilt your head back slightly to meet his gaze.
âYeah, it really is,â he murmurs, but heâs looking at you, not the scenery, and his voice has that familiar softness that makes your heart skip.
You stand there for a little while, content just to be in his arms, until your stomach gives a not-so-subtle reminder. You laugh, breaking the quiet moment, and admit shyly, âSorry, Iâm starving.â
âIâm on it, baby.â Seokmin releases you, rolling up his sleeves with a mock serious expression as he heads toward the grill.Â
You settle down at the little table heâs set up, watching as he works with surprising ease, flipping open the grill and setting up a few slices of pork belly, grilling each piece with careful attention. He even hums a little tune as he works, glancing over at you every now and then to catch your eye, flashing you a smile thatâs more than a little pleased.
You laugh, rolling your eyes but feeling the warmth of his thoughtfulness all the same. As you watch him tend to the food, the sun dipping lower in the sky, you feel a surge of gratitude for the moment, for his sweet, over-prepared heart.
When a piece looks just right, he grabs a little plate, places the pork belly on it, and uses his chopsticks to bring it up, blowing on it gently to cool it down. âCâmere,â he mumbles, a playful glint in his eyes.
You lean forward, opening your mouth as he feeds it to you, watching with a mix of nerves and pride as you chew. The flavors burst in your mouth, rich and perfectly grilled, and you let out an appreciative hum, nodding enthusiastically.
He beams, a slight blush creeping up his cheeks. âYeah?â He moves closer, his gaze lingering on you, and before you can respond, he leans in, brushing his lips against yours in a quick, soft kiss.
It leaves you smiling, and you canât help but laugh softly, giving him a playful nudge. âTrying to win over the food critic, huh?â
âAbsolutely,â he murmurs, leaning in to reconnect your lips for longer, until both of you are a little breathless, smiles lingering as he pulls back to check on the grill.Â
The two of you linger over the grill, savoring every bite of grilled pork belly and vegetables, laughing at how much food Seokmin managed to bring. Just when you think youâre too full, he pulls out the last surprise: a box of instant ramen heâd brought just in case. âI mean, whatâs camping without some ramen, right?â he says, grinning as he sets up the small camping stove.
âOf course,â you laugh, eyes wide with amusement. âAs if Iâd let you eat it all yourself.â
The ramen simmers quickly, filling the air with its savory scent. When itâs finally ready, you take turns slurping from the pot, laughing between bites, blowing on the noodles to cool them down. âThis is seriously perfect,â you say, giving him a playful nudge. âYou really thought of everything, didnât you?â
Seokmin blushes, looking sheepish but pleased as he scratches the back of his head. âI wanted to make it nice for us.â
âIt is,â you assure, giving him a soft, affectionate smile.Â
As you finish up the last of the ramen and start stacking up the dishes, you come up beside him, resting your head on his arm. âIâm gonna shower. I smell like pork belly.â Heâs rummaging through something in a bag, but you canât see what it is over his broad shoulders.
Thatâs when Seokmin clears his throat and turns around, looking down at his hands nervously, seemingly gathering his thoughts.
âActually, umâŠâ he starts, then holds up an item. You canât tell what it is just yet, but the soft blush on his cheeks lets you know that heâs been planning this moment, even if heâs a little shy about it. âI, uh⊠thought you might like these.â
You look at him, then down at the pajamas, recognizing that they match his. âWait, matching PJs?â you ask, eyes lighting up in surprise.
He nods, laughing awkwardly. âYeah⊠I just thought itâd be fun. But if itâs, you know, too much orââ
âNot at all,â you cut in, grinning. âItâs adorable.â
His face brightens, and he lets out a relieved breath, clearly pleased that you like the gesture. âGood. Thatâs⊠good,â he mumbles, finally meeting your gaze with a shy smile. He gestures toward the showers, still looking flustered but undeniably happy.
You head off to shower with the pajamas tucked under your arm, feeling the warmth of his thoughtfulness wrap around you as you go.Â
After both of you have showered and changed, the air between you shifts, becoming softer, closer, and undeniably more intimate. The small glamping cabin feels cozy with the lights dimmed, the sounds of the night drifting softly in through the open window. Sitting cross-legged across from each other, youâre in the matching pajamas he picked outâan idea that seemed cute and innocent just hours ago but now has become the bane of his existence. Your set is a top that matches his, but instead of long pants, yours comes with shorts.Â
Itâs not like he hadnât seen you in shorts or a skirt before, but he hadnât⊠felt your bare legs against him like he would tonight. Tonight, when heâd have to sleep next to you. God, he feels like a fucking virgin.Â
Seokminâs eyes keep drifting over to you, taking in the way your smooth skin glows under the dim light, how relaxed and comfortable you look. His gaze lingers on the delicate line of your collarbone, the soft rise of your shoulders, and the way a few stray strands of hair frame your face. He tries to focus on your conversation, on the way you keep checking that the chords youâre mindlessly playing on his guitar are correct, but every laugh, every casual touch, sends his heart racing a little faster.
âYou keep staring,â you tease, your voice light and playful as you stop playing, but thereâs a boldness behind it that sends a thrill down his spine.
He laughs, embarrassed but unable to deny it. âI canât help it,â he admits softly, giving you a sheepish smile. âYouâre⊠really beautiful.â
The words hang between you, soft but full of meaning. You reach over, gently placing a hand on his knee, your fingers lingering just a little longer than usual. âYouâre not so bad yourself,â you say, voice just above a whisper.
The warmth of your touch feels electric, and he doesnât resist the urge to lace your fingers with his. A small silence settles between you, but it feels anything but empty.Â
You tilt your head, leaning a little closer, and he follows your lead, heart pounding as he lets himself close the distance just a bit. The edges of your pajamas brush against each other as you inch closer, and before he realizes it, heâs right there, his hand reaching to tuck a stray strand of hair behind your ear.
As he leans in to kiss you, the guitar makes a foul sound, strings having been disturbed between your bodies and you laugh. âLet me move this, yeah?âÂ
He nods wordlessly, watching as you pick it up and carefully lay it inside the open case on the ground. His eyes trail after you as you rejoin him on the bed, watching the way you sit closer this time, your weight on your knees so that youâre hovering above him only slightly. Your palms come down to rest on his shoulders, and your lips, which heâd unknowingly been staring at for the last few seconds, finally meet his in a tender kiss. It's slow, careful, full of thought and feeling and tamed nervousness all at once as your hands wrap around his neck. It doesnât take long before his lips part and your tongue meets his, head tilting in order to better taste him, desperate to feel him closer in any way heâll let you have him.Â
He's kissed you before, heâs felt the closeness between you two before, but thisâthis feels like the part of the song where every instrument comes together in harmony. Thereâs an unexpected depth to the way his hands find the small of your back, in the way you whine and sigh out in utter need, in how you fit so easily against him.Â
A part of him panics, scrambling to put a name to what heâs feeling. Itâs something big, bigger than heâs been ready to admit even to himself. Every moment heâs spent with you flickers in his mind, and it feels like heâs been collecting pieces of a story that only now makes sense. He doesnât just care for you. He doesn't just like you. The feeling pressing in his chest, warm and weighty, is something else entirelyâpersistent, relentless, constant.
As your lips leave his to kiss down his jaw and neck, he wonders, dazed, if you can feel it too. This gravitational pull, heâs wrapped up in it. With each wet mark you leave behind on his neck, heâs free-falling further, and he realizes itâs too late to stop. He's already far beyond the point of no return.
Seokmin doesnât hesitate to respond to your body, the space between you becoming both smaller and warmer as he tugs you closer until youâre practically situated on his lap. You let out a small, surprised gasp as you settle onto his thighs, hands sliding back up until theyâre raking through his hair.Â
As Seokmin slowly lowers you onto the soft bedding, the world outside feels distant, muted, as though it's been replaced by the gentle rhythm of your breathing and the steady thrum of his heart. His hands tremble, just slightly, but itâs not from uncertainty.Â
He hovers above you for a second, eyes tracing your features, like he's trying to commit every detail to memory. There's a stillness between you, but itâs not awkwardâjust quiet, full of anticipation and softness. He touches your cheek gently, his thumb skimming over your skin.
"I..." he starts, words escaping him for a moment. He wasnât sure what heâd wanted to say, but now all thatâs left is the weight of the feelings heâs been holding back. He doesn't force it out, though, unsure if he can say anything that would encapsulate how he feels.
Instead, he leans down again, slowly, giving you the space to meet him halfway. His lips find yours once more, soft and tender, the kiss full of the things he canât yet bring himself to voice. With each press of his mouth to yours, his body hums with the need to be close, to be tangled up with you, to feel you so completely.
When he pulls back, he stays close, forehead resting against yours, sharing the same breath. His heart beats faster than usual, as you utter his name in a single breath. âSeokmin?âÂ
âYes?âÂ
âI⊠I need this off. Please.â You whisper, tugging at his shirt. He realizes immediately what youâre implyingâor better said, what him taking his shirt off implies; his heart rattles wildly as he nods quickly.
He wastes no time in giving you exactly what you want, only hesitating to offer you the chance to change your mind. When you don't, laying there with your hair fanned out across the pillow and your eyes dazed and your lips still wet and swollen from his kiss, he pulls it off in one motion. He carefully observes the way your eyes trail down and right back up to meet his, a warmth spreading across his cheeks.Â
âHelp me with mine?â You plead softly, and he has to physically force his eyes to not roll back at the sultriness and vulnerability laced in your tone. He canât help the low groan that escapes him, however, as he slides his slender fingers under the hem of your shirt and begins to lift it off of you.Â
And with this, he takes his sweet, sweet time, holding his breath as inch by inch, more of your smooth skin is exposed to him. Until the swell of your breasts appears under the fabric. You sit up a little to help him slip it over your head and when you lay back down, Seokmin swears he might die.Â
You can tell he needs a bit of a push, made obvious in the way heâs become gone completely still above you, jaw slack and chest heaving, so you grab his hand that sits at your hip and slide it up, molding it over your chest. Only then does he take some initiative to slide his thumb over your nipple and dip his head down to kiss your lips with a suppressed moan.Â
âDo you know how much you mean to me?â The words spill out before he can help them, though he feels no embarrassment, especially not when you smile lazily up at him, eyes flickering between his.Â
You nod without missing a beat, letting your fingertips brush back a few strands of hair that have fallen in front of his eyes.Â
âI feel the same way.â You reassure, and thatâs all it takes for him to kiss you again. This kiss is different from the last in just about every way; itâs desperate, wet, full of passion and you reciprocate it with just as much fervor, whining out when his hips roll into yours once, then twice, then as many times as it takes for the two of you to begin panting in each otherâs mouths from the friction.Â
Seokmin kisses your neck and down your sternum, using his hands to push both of your breasts together so he can alternate between licking and sucking at both of them with ease. He eats up every little whimper you let him have, returning the sound to you with no restraint as he rubs himself against your core.Â
You watch him carefully, the way his jaw tenses when he bites down on your skin, the way he glances up at you through his brows as he swirls his tongue on your abdomen.
He lives and breathes for each little hiccup you let out, the whimpered chants of his name and âmoreâ and âyesâ only encouraging him to absolutely ravish you.
âIâm gonna take this off, okay?âÂ
You nod, letting his fingers trail around the waistband of your shorts. He hooks his fingers on either side, watching your face as he slips them down your thighs to discover the prettiest little lacy panties. Theyâre a midnight blue to match the night sky, and somehow, even through the dark material he can spot a wet mark from your slick.Â
A sound rumbles from his chest, âYouâre so-â he starts, but heâs interrupted by your moan, one that he draws from you the moment he runs a single digit over your clothed core.Â
âSeokmin,â you pant, hips rolling up to meet his finger as it rubs you over and over again. Heâs focused, keen on catching every little shift of your breath so can conjure up a trend of what you enjoy most. When he leans in to kiss your cunt, you almost lose your mind. It has formed a heartbeat entirely separate from the one rattling in your chest, and your body, which responds so well and obediently to his every touch, has altered itself to flutter in time with each one of his kisses.Â
The material of your panties is so thin itâs almost easy to pretend itâs not there. Seokmin could have easily moved it aside, but he felt the need to create a pace, for your sake and his. If he had already tasted your slit, heâs sure he would have come untouched in his pants and this was the only sleepwear he brought, so it had to last him until tomorrow, too.Â
His concentration doesnât falter for a second, hands moving to cradle your thighs, rubbing them and squeezing your flesh as if he couldnât believe your bare skin was truly in his hold. Youâre becoming restless, he can tell, because youâre writhing, hands trembling as they reach for his hair.
âTake them off,â you beg. âI need to feel you.â You canât take it anymore, the way heâs making out with your folds without any direct contact. You need to feel the drag of his tongue, the softness of his lips, without any material in the way.Â
When he hums against you, the vibration feels wondrous. Being the great listener he is, he fulfills your request instantly. Your panties are dragged down your legs and tossed aside. Less than a second later, he leans his weight on his elbows, marveling at the sight before him.Â
With his pupils blown wide, he mumbles something in between a plea and a praise, but itâs indiscernible because heâs already started to kiss you, whatever heâs said getting lost against your skin. His lips attach to the innermost part of your thigh, teeth nibbling boldly as you squirm. He doesnât mean to be such a tease, but when all you want is to feel his mouth on you and heâs busied himself with marking the skin nearest to where you need him, you canât help but whine in protest.Â
âI canât take it anymore.â You whisper, and he looks up to meet your eyes.Â
Itâs in a soft, lust-dripped voice that he requests, âlet me take my time with you,â but you quickly shake your head.
âPlease,â you try to beg, and the silkiness of your voice makes his dick swell inside his pants. He leans up, face close to yours and observing the way your cheeks redden from the humiliation of begging so shamelessly. He cracks a small grin and brings a hand up to hold your jaw affectionately, but firmly, as he kisses you.
Seokmin's lips break away from yours, his breath hot against your skin as he gazes deeply into your eyes. "Are you sure?" he murmurs, his voice a low, gravelly whisper that sends shivers down your spine. His fingers trail down your side, and you nod, unable to speak past the lump in your throat.
"Seokmin," you moan, your voice ragged and desperate. "Please..."
He looks up at you, his expression one of such raw desire that it takes your breath away. "I need you so much," he admits, his voice thick with emotion. "But I want to make sure that you're okay... that this is what you want."
You nod again, more urgently this time, your body thrumming with need. "Yes, yes," you insist, your nails digging into his shoulders. "I want you."
With a growl of satisfaction, he shifts his weight. You feel his fingers press against you, tentative at first, but then firmer as he begins to explore your wetness. You gasp at the touch, your hips bucking involuntarily.
"You're so beautiful," he murmurs, his voice reverent as he continues to stroke you. "So perfect... I can't believe I get to be inside you."
His words send a thrill through you, making your heart race even faster. You watch as he removes his fingers, bringing them to his mouth to taste you. His eyes lock onto yours as he licks his fingers clean.
With a gentle yet firm grip, Seokmin lifts your legs, hands holding them to your chest. He leans in closer, his dark hair brushing against your inner thighs as he moves. Your skin tingles where it grazes you, and you bite your lower lip to stifle a moan. Seokmin's eyes never leave yours, his gaze intense and full of purpose. He lowers his head, his warm breath fanning over your sensitive core, sending shivers up your spine.
His tongue licks a stipe up your folds, tasting you for the first time. The sensation is electric, shock waves of pleasure radiating from the point of contact. You gasp, your back arching slightly as you try to ground yourself. Seokmin's hands on your thigh tightens momentarily, holding you steady as he continues his exploration.
With a groan at the feeling of you clenching against him, his tongue delves deeper, each stroke calculated, designed to elicit the most profound responses from your body. You can feel the heat pooling between your legs, your arousal growing with each passing second.Â
"God, Seokmin," you whisper, your voice barely audible over the sound of your racing heartbeat. His name sounds so unbelievably sweet on your lips, a mantra of trust and desire.Â
His mouth works feverishly now, his tongue flicking against your clit, occasionally pausing when he decides to wrap his lips around you or lay his tongue flat for friction. His teeth graze your clit lightly, a teasing nibble that sends sparks through your entire body. You cry out, your hips lifting involuntarily to roll against his face. He responds by increasing the intensity, his tongue now working in unison with his fingers, plunging into you as his mouth focuses on your bud.Â
You can feel your orgasm building, and Seokmin senses it too, his actions becoming more urgent, more frantic. Itâs obvious that he wants nothing more than to give you your release. The way he grinds himself down into the bedding shows that heâs just as affected as you are, and it only turns you on more. Every pant and moan he lets out against you is dizzying and overwhelming. As he leans back for a second to study your swollen, glistening cunt, you let out a whine.Â
His hand slides up to cup your breast, squeezing gently as his mouth devours you again, murmuring a quiet âSorry,â into your folds.
"Seokmin, I'm... I'm close," you manage to gasp, your voice strained with need.
He looks up at you, eyes half-lidded and glossed over. "Let go for me, baby." he murmurs against your slick skin, his words sending a fresh wave of sensation through you. He leans down enough to stick his tongue in you, and the moment he does, you feel his nose bump your clit.Â
That was itâall it took for you to fall apart. Your body convulses, your muscles tightening and releasing in a torrent of ecstasy. Seokmin, driven by your cries, continues his relentless assault as you gasp and tremble beneath him. It feels endless, a cascade of bliss that leaves you breathless.
You knew his big ass nose would come in handy.Â
When the waves of pleasure finally subside, you lay there, spent and sated. Seokmin remains between your legs, his gaze never leaving yours. He seems content, as if he had just accomplished something monumental, and at the same time, awe stuck by how absolutely fucked out you look.Â
"Seokmin," you whisper again, your voice soft and filled with wonder.
âI know,â he mutters, crawling back up your body to kiss your lips sweetly. With deliberate slowness, he drags his pants down and lines himself up, his tip nudging at your entrance.Â
Suddenly, he stops, burying his face into your chest as he realizes one thing.Â
âWhatâs wrong?â You run a hand through his hair and he looks up at you, trying not to look too disappointed. If all he got to do today was eat you out, he would die a happy man.Â
âI didnât bring condoms.â He sighs, âI mean⊠I wouldâve, but⊠I didnât want to assume we wouldâ I would never want you to feel likeââÂ
âAll that overpacking and you didnât think to bring a condom?â You giggle, letting your thumb caress his cheek.Â
He grumbles, huffing out with exasperation as he hides his face in your skin again.Â
After a moment, you hum contemplatively, and he canât help but notice how little this seems to be affecting you. He ignores the pang in his chest and contemplates excusing himself to finish in the bathroom when you whisper the last thing he thought he might hear right about now: âItâs a good thing I did.âÂ
Slowly, he cranes his head to look back up at your eyes with his own wide ones. You wink, and he lifts himself up a little too eagerly as you tell him âTheyâre in my backpack. Side pocket.â
The way he rolls out of the bed and jogs over makes you laugh, rushing to find the shiny packet in your bag. When he does, he holds it up to showcase it and runs back over to you, reassuming his position between your legs.Â
âYou brought so many.â He blushes and you laugh.Â
âJust in case. Youâre not the only one who came prepared.âÂ
The giggles from the short interruption dissolve into happy, contented sighs as he presses his lips to yours with want. He only breaks the kiss to lean back on his heels and tear the packet open, fully removing his pants this time and slipping on the pastel colored rubber.Â
You hold your breath as you feel him poking your thigh, every muscle in your body tense with anticipation. Then, with a deep sigh, he guides himself to your entrance and pushes inside, inch by inch. You gasp at the intrusion, your body stretching to accommodate him, and he freezes, waiting for you to adjust.
"Relax for me," he whispers, his voice soothing as he distracts you from any discomfort by dragging his lips from the corner of your mouth to your jaw.Â
When you nod and tug his hips closer, he begins to move, pulling out almost completely before thrusting back in, his actions slow and measured.
The sensation is overwhelming, being wrapped up in you, surrounded by your soft walls. Itâs so warm and so wet, better than he could ever have imagined. The way you squeeze him, the way your hands cling to himâthe way you let his name fall from your lips like it belongs there. His emotions are so heightened, he has to slow down to not finish already.Â
You moan, your hands clutching at the sheets beneath you, and he bends down to kiss you, his tongue licking at your bottom lip as he continues to thrust. The sound of your combined moans fills the tent, mingling with the rustle of fabric and the soft murmur of the night outside.Â
Seokmin's pace gradually increases, his movements becoming more forceful, more desperate. You can feel the strain in his muscles, the tension in his body as he tries to hold back, to savor every moment. But the need is too great, the connection between you too powerful, and soon he's lost in the rhythm, his thrusts hard and steady, each one driving you closer to the edge.
"I'm so close," you gasp, your voice breaking as a particularly deep thrust hits just the right spot. "Please, please, please..."
He responds by increasing his speed, his hips snapping against yours with brutal precision. You can feel the pressure building inside you, a coiling sensation that threatens to explode at any moment. Your body arches off the bed, your nails digging into his back as you chase after that elusive climax.
"Shit, baby,â he mumbles, his voice strained. "Let me feel you come around me." His hands come up to hold yours, fingers intertwining as you mumble incoherently, squeezing your eyes shut.
And then, with one final, shuddering thrust, you do. Your body seizes, the second wave of ecstasy crashing over you as your breath catches, your release washing over you in pulsing waves. Seokmin follows closely behind, burying his face in the crook of your neck as he spills inside the condom, his body shaking with the force of his orgasm.
For a long moment, neither of you move, simply basking in the afterglow of your shared release. Seokmin's breath is warm against your skin, his heartbeat slowly returning to normal as he nuzzles into you. âYouâre so pretty,â he whispers, his voice so soft you wonder if you imagined it.Â
But before you can respond, he lifts his head, his eyes searching yours, forever prioritizing your needs over his. âWas that okay?â
You smile, âMore than okay,â you say, your voice barely above a whisper.Â
A look of sheer joy spreads across his face, and he leans down to kiss you once more, his lips lingering against yours.Â
âYou tired, pretty girl?âÂ
âJust a little.âÂ
âLet me clean you up, yeah? Â
You hum as he gives you a one last kiss and slips out of you with a hiss, sensitive still. He tosses the condom in the trash and slips on a pair of briefs, still a little shy to be naked in front of you, despite what just went down. He goes over to the bathroom to grab some towelette wipes and a towel.Â
âLet me see, honey.â He spreads your legs again, leaving a kiss at your knee before wiping away the wetness that leaked out of you. He uses the wipe, then dries you off with the towel, tossing both things before going towards your bag.Â
âWhere do you have your panties?âÂ
âFront pocketâŠâ You mumble tiredly. A small grin forms on his face at how sweet you sound, tired, still caught up in your post orgasmic bliss. He picks out a pretty pair, white and lacy, and helps you slip it on. âYou cold? Want me to get you a shirt?âÂ
This time, you can only nod, eyelids heavy with sleep. To avoid bothering you again with the question of âWhere do you keep your shirts?â he grabs one of his own and gently lifts you off the mattress to slip it over your head. You hum softly, grabbing his hand to pull him to bed as he tries to pull away again. Seokmin thinks his heart might burst. He kisses your knuckles softly, cheeks glowing.âOne second, I promise,â he coos, âI just need to dim the lights.âÂ
As soon as he flips the switch and dims the fairy lights, he settles down beside you, feeling your arms instinctively reach for him, wrapping around his waist as you draw yourself closer.
Your face is buried against his shoulder, a soft, contented sigh escaping as you nestle in. Your breathing evens out almost immediately, eyelids fluttering closed as the last hints of wakefulness slip away. Seokmin can feel the gentle weight of your legs tangling with his, pulling him into your warmth and, for a moment, he just watchesâcompletely captivated by how you feel against him.
A small smile tugs at his lips as he brushes his fingers over your arm, savoring this closeness and the peaceful look on your face. Every bit of tension melts away as he breathes in your familiar, comforting scent. He knows youâre fast asleep now, fully trusting and at ease in his arms, and that thought alone is enough to make his heart swell.
For the first time in a long while, he feels completely at peace. So, he lets himself relax, tucking you close as he watches over you, basking in the soft quiet of the night.
Ë àŒâĄ âïœĄËÂ
The first time Seokmin wakes up next to you, he decides the world will never give him enough mornings by your side.Â
Itâs evident in everything that surrounds the two of you on that Sunday morningïżœïżœïżœitâs in the breeze blowing through the curtain of the window that you had left open the night before. Itâs in the blanket you had hogged in your slumber, exposing one of his legs to feel the warm welcome of the early sun peeking in through that very window. Itâs your breath that he can hear by his ear, light and shallow and calm, through soft parted lips he canât wait to feel on his again.Â
Itâs your skin, smooth and delicate. Itâs near him, on him, touching him in different places, across his legs and chest and arms and neck; he canât keep count, he just knows heâs enveloped in youâand itâs igniting the most intense adoration within his bones. The kind he might have felt long ago, the kind that grips his heart and thoughts with no means of slowing down.Â
Itâs you, beside him, and suddenly, he canât bear the thought of sleeping alone again.Â
Your rustling brings a smile to his face, simply because heâs eager to meet your eyes once more. And when they open, unfocused but searching for his face too, they crinkle into half moons and Seokmin swoons.Â
This moment, so simple and familiar, feels perfect. Itâs then, when heâs least prepared, caught off-guard in his sleepy haze and admiring your soft, tired features, that he hears you say it:Â
âI love you.â
From the moment the words leave your mouth, his own sit on the tip of his tongue, begging to be uttered back.Â
Instead, he offers you silence. Seconds of silence after a confession so vulnerable, so trueâa confession heâs needed and longed to hear from you since the moment he kissed you that first night under the flickering streetlight.Â
That wordâloveâfeels dangerous, almost cursed. The last time heâd said it to someone, the last time he felt love for someone and told them so with no hesitation in his mind, with no consideration for his fragile heart, he was humiliated. Itâs silly, he knows, but each time heâd said those words before, theyâd somehow signaled the beginning of the end. And he could not bear to see the end of things with you. And now, looking into your hopeful eyes, that same fear rears its head, cold and stubborn, whispering that to say it back is to invite heartbreak, to open himself up to being left behind again. Itâs irrational, maybe, but the thought is paralyzing.
He swallows, managing a soft smile, trying his best to keep his face composed as his mind raises and his voice threatens to shake. His fingers brush your cheek as he murmurs the same words he uttered to you last night, âYou have no idea how much you mean to me.â Itâs the best he can manage, the closest he can get to saying it without actually risking the word. He hopes itâs enough, hopes you can see the love in his eyes, even if he canât yet bring himself to say it out loud.Â
âItâs okay,â you say softly, offering him a small, understanding smile. âI didnât say it because I expected you to say it back. I said it because⊠well, because thatâs how I feel.â
You seem to understand, at least partially, your hand squeezing his, and he can see the glimmer of acceptance in your gaze. He knows it won't be enoughâmomentarily, perhaps, or for an unknown amount of time, but not forever.Â
You squeeze his hand again, letting out a quiet breath. âI know youâll tell me when youâre ready,â you say, voice warm and steady. âAnd until then⊠Iâm here.â
He feels the tension ease just a bit, his heart swelling with both relief and guilt. Youâre being so patient, so open, and it only makes him want to be brave for you. But he just nods for now, pressing his lips into a thin line as he manages, âThank you. For understanding.â
You give a faint nod, a smile that tries to hide the slight sadness in your eyes, and he feels his heart twist. He wishes he could tell you that he feels it tooâthat your confession wasnât one-sided. But for now, he stays silent, feeling the weight of what youâve given him settle in.
âDo you wanna get up?â He offers softly. You instantly shake your head, burying your face into his bare chest.
âFive more minutes?â you mumble. You peek up at him, your smile sleepily mischievous, and Seokmin chuckles, his hand brushing a stray hair from your face.
âFive minutes, tenâhowever long you want,â he whispers, leaning in to place a soft kiss on your lips. Itâs unhurried, as if the whole world could wait while the two of you are wrapped up like this, tangled in each other.
When you shift beside him, stretching your arms out lazily, you glance at him with a small, reassuring smile that eases his heartbeat just a bit. Heâs grateful for the way you make things easy, like even this moment doesnât have to be heavy if you donât want it to be. You run a hand over your face, yawning, before nudging him with your elbow.
âGuess we should get up,â you say, your tone light and natural. âDonât want to waste a good morning, right?â
He gives a half-smile, nodding as he follows you out of bed, and you throw him a playful look over your shoulder.
âUnless you were hoping Iâd stay and keep you company in bed all day?â you ask, a teasing lilt in your voice. His eyes widen slightly, a bit taken aback by your ease, but he canât help the shy grin that spreads across his face.
âI wouldnât complain,â he mumbles, rubbing the back of his neck.
And with that, you slip past him to get ready, leaving him with a sense of reliefâand an unmistakable, lingering warmth.
Seokmin manages to shake off some of his nerves, filling the air with his easy going laughter as he cooks breakfast and teases you over little things, falling back into the playful rhythm the two of you share so naturally.Â
Your voice echoes there, soft and steady, the simple weight of those words still settling over him. Every time he catches a glimpse of youâwhether itâs the gentle way you sip your coffee or the absent-minded way you tuck your hair behind your earâit stirs a quiet ache he canât ignore.
As Seokmin finishes up the breakfast, he watches you from the corner of his eye, letting the simple moments drift by like steady waves, lapping at the shore of his thoughts. Thereâs something calming about the way you settle into the space around him, fitting so easily into this quiet morning routine together, as if itâs something youâve done a hundred times before. He hands you a plate, his fingers brushing yours briefly, and the warmth that spreads through him feels steady, grounding.
You look up, catching his gaze with a small, grateful smile that makes his chest tighten. He watches as you take a bite, the way your eyes light up with approval, and he feels his nerves settle just a little more.
âGood?â he asks, half-laughing as you give a quick nod, cheeks full, and he finds himself grinning at the way you look.Â
Between bites, the two of you chat, slipping into your familiar rhythm. He makes a lighthearted comment about your hair sticking up in the back, and you laugh, nudging his arm. Somewhere in the banter, you catch his hand in yours, resting there naturally like it belongs.Â
Seokmin can't help but replay those three words you said over and over in his mind, thinking of the quiet certainty in your voice, the way your eyes held his as if no hesitation existed. And now, with you here beside him, he almost says it back, the words, the words itching to be let out. But he doesnâtâhe canât; not yet.
Instead, he gently squeezes your hand, hoping, in some way, that you can feel the depth of his affection in the simple, steady warmth of his touch. The way his gaze lingers on you speaks volumes he isnât yet brave enough to say. And you smile at him, as if you know.
The rest of the day drifts by like a dream, bathed in golden afternoon light that slowly deepens into the cool, quiet tones of evening. After breakfast, the two of you go for a short walk around the grounds, wandering past trees in full autumn colors, the air crisp and bracing. Occasionally, Seokminâs fingers find yours, his thumb brushing over your knuckles in a way that feels both grounding and unspokenly affectionate.Â
As it turns out, you and Seokmin have a knack for stumbling into thingsâquite literally. He catches his foot on a root hidden beneath the leaves, nearly pulling you down with him by your attached hands as he laughs, scrambling to regain balance with a sheepish grin. You poke fun at him, of course, only to nearly slip on a patch of damp grass a few steps later, and Seokminâs hand shoots out to steady you, laughing as he catches you in his arms.
âYou were saying?â he teases, eyebrows raised, his playful smirk softened by the affection in his gaze.
Later, as evening settles in, you sit together outside on the small porch, wrapped up in blankets and each other, watching the stars begin to pepper the sky. Seokmin pulls his guitar into his lap and plays a few soft, mellow chords, humming quietly, his voice blending with the evening calm. Occasionally, he looks up at you, his gaze tender and constantly admiring, as it always is.Â
By the time you head inside, thereâs an anticipation between you, growing steadily when the two of you embrace after your showers. The glow of the small lamp fills the room, casting soft shadows on the walls as you settle into the bed together. You both fall into an easy rhythm of conversation and laughter, whispers blending into quiet confessions and gentle touches, which eventually lose their innocence. Even then, thereâs no rush, no need for words, just a sense of closeness that feels like a second skin. As one kiss leads to another, the night takes on a similar course as it had the previous eveningâone that feels both familiar and thrilling in its newness. In the stillness of the campsite under the moon and stars, thereâs only the soft sound of breaths, kisses, and⊠Well.Â
The next morning arrives with a gentle sunlight spilling through the windows, casting everything in a warm glow. You wake slowly, savoring the feeling of lying next to him with the comfort of his presence still wrapped around you. You share soft smiles as you both get ready, packing up the last of your things in a comfortable, tired haze. Thereâs a sweetness in the routine, the way he hands you your jacket and steals a quick kiss on your cheek, as if he canât help himself.
The drive home feels just as perfect as the drive thereâfilled with little moments of laughter and teasing, fingers brushing over the console, songs you hum along to together. Seokmin stops for your staple coffee time halfway to home, passing you a cup with a small grin. You glance out the window occasionally, taking in the passing landscape, but every time you turn back to him, heâs already looking at you, a soft warmth in his eyes.
Itâs only when he pulls up to your place that a sense of reality settles in, a quiet reluctance to let the trip end. He helps you with your bags, walking you to your door with that familiar ease, and thereâs a bittersweetness in his goodbye kiss, lingering a moment longer as if to preemptively make up for the inevitable time apart.
âSee you soon?â he says softly, his hand still holding yours.
You nod, and the warmth in his gaze tells you everything you need to know, even as he steps back down the hall and out of sight.
Weeks after your first confession, you and Seokmin have fallen into an easy rhythm that feels like second nature. Heâs more open now, sharing silent looks across the table, catching you with a gaze that feels almost as sentimental as the words youâre longing for him to say. Heâs grown comfortable in so many ways, but in quiet moments, you still see itâthat flicker of hesitance, like something inside him just canât cross a line heâs drawn. And tonight, with the city lights casting a soft glow around his apartment, you feel ready to try again.
The two of you settle close on his couch, your legs brushing against each other as you both sink into the comfort of the evening. A movie flickers on the screen, but itâs more of a backdrop than the main event, something you both occasionally glance at in between kisses, light touches, and murmured exchanges.
Seokmin leans back slightly, his fingers brushing through your hair as you press closer, sharing soft, lingering kisses. Itâs slow, unhurried, and he lets himself forget everything else for a while, entirely caught up in the feeling of you next to him. His hand finds yours, fingers lacing together, giving a gentle squeeze. After a while of pretending to watch the screen, he pulls you a little closer, his gaze searching yours for a moment before he tilts his head, brushing another soft kiss to the corner of your mouth. And then another, slower and deeper this time.
His nose digs into your cheek and you smile, cradling his face in your hands, letting them wander around to the back of his neck, where you run your fingers through his hair.
The movie fades further into the background, replaced by warmth and soft laughter as you lose yourselves in each other, both of you letting the feeling settle deeper into your bones. Itâs simple, but for Seokmin, itâs the kind of night that reminds him why heâs feeling so swept up in you.
You turn toward him on the couch, reaching out to trace your fingers gently along his arm, and catch his gaze. He smiles, eyes softening as he leans into your touch. The moment feels right, and with a steadying breath, you let the words spill out again: âI love you.â
For a moment, he goes completely still. You see a rush of emotion in his eyes, something soft, vulnerable and unguarded, and you thinkâjust for a heartbeatâthat this might be the time he finally lets go of whateverâs holding him back. But the warmth fades, replaced by that familiar shadow of hesitation. His fingers curl around yours, gripping tight as if holding on could substitute for the words he canât bring himself to say. He presses his lips to the back of your hand and sighs.Â
âThank you,â he murmurs, voice thick with emotion, his gaze falling as though heâs searching for something on the floor.
Your gaze drops from his too, focusing somewhere off to the side, and your grip on his hand loosens, as if without thinking, like something in you is just pulling away.
A soft, reassuring smile comes to your lips, and you do your best to hold it there, but it doesnât quite reach your eyes. When he squeezes your hand, he feels you squeeze back, and youâre still right there beside him, warm and present. But Seokmin can feel the edges of somethingâuncertainty, maybeâhovering, just barely.
While your heart aches with a sting thatâs sharper than last time, you brush it aside, leaning closer to reassure him, trying to smooth the hurt in both of you. âItâs okay, Seokmin,â you whisper, thumb tracing over his knuckles softly. âI didnât say it to hear it back⊠I just wanted you to know.â
His eyes meet yours, full of regret and something elseâsomething deeper that canât be voiced. He gently lifts your hand, pressing it against his chest, over his heart, as if willing you to feel everything he wishes he could say. âIâm so sorry. Itâs⊠itâs not fair to you.â His voice trembles, the words catching in his throat. âItâs not that I donât feel it, I justâŠâ
You nod slowly, holding his gaze even though your own emotions are mixedâsomewhere between understanding and the ache of waiting. âI know you care about me, Seokmin. Iâm trying to be patient, really. IâŠâ You hesitate, searching for the right words. âI wish youâd let yourself believe in this too. I donât want you to be afraid of it.â
He tightens his grip on your hand, his eyes turning somber. âItâs not that I donât believe in it,â he says, his voice soft, almost pleading. âItâs that every time I say those words, it feels like⊠like saying it out loud will make it vanish. And I donât ever want to lose you.â
Your expression softens. âYou wonât lose me, Seokmin. Iâm right here.âÂ
Seokmin feels a knot in his chest, seeing the quiet disappointment in your eyes, a look he never wanted to be the cause of. He pulls you closer, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead as if trying to bridge the gap with touch instead of words. Heâs silent for a moment, caught between the instinct to protect himself and the fear that heâll push you away if he doesnât change. The tension melts, if only a little, as he wraps his arms around you, anchoring you to him with a fierce kind of tenderness.
You donât say anything, and neither does he. The warmth between your bodies fills the space where the silence lies, saying enough for the time being, and you feel your eyelids growing heavier as the quiet lulls you toward sleep. His hand drifts up to brush through your hair, a touch so gentle that it makes you smile, just barely, and you let yourself drift off, hoping, as his heartbeat thrums against your cheek, that itâs all for you.
Ë àŒâĄ âïœĄËÂ
âĄ;- ê° Â° threeê±
The night starts quietly, with the two of you curled up on his couch, the dim, golden glow from the living room lamp casting a warm hue around you. You talk about everything and nothingâwork, weekend plans, the idea of a trip he wants to take you on. Each topic drifts easily between you, filling the space with laughter, shared glances, and gentle touches.
Seokmin has his arm loosely draped around your shoulders, his fingers tracing light patterns on your arm as you lean into his warmth. Occasionally, he reaches over to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear, his thumb lingering softly against your cheek, giving you a gentle smile that makes your heart flutter. Itâs in these tiny, quiet moments that you feel his affection mostâunspoken, steady, as if no words are needed.
At one point, he leans down to kiss you, his lips warm and tender with a hand sitting at the base of your neck. You kiss him back a little slower, savoring the sweetness of it. When he pulls away, he nudges you playfully, his eyes crinkling with that familiar, affectionate look that never fails to make you feel giddy.
âYouâre going to stay the night, right?â he asks, his tone just a little shy, though his fingers are threaded through yours with a quiet confidence that feels both fragile and sure.
Smiling, you nestle closer, feeling that familiar spark in your chest. âIf youâll have me,â you tease, laughing as he tugs you even closer, your head settling comfortably against his chest as his hand traces slow circles along your back.
He nods, a quiet joy in his eyes as he presses a light kiss to your forehead. His hand finds yours again, fingers curling around yours in a small, reassuring squeeze. For a moment, he looks like he wants to say something, his gaze lingering on your face as if heâs searching for the right words.
Instead, you break the silence, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. âBaby,â you murmur softly, a little smile tugging at the corners of your lips, âI really⊠I care about you, a lot.â
His smile softens, his eyes warm as they meet yours. âMe too,â he replies quietly, his thumb brushing gently over your knuckles. His gaze holds something vulnerable beneath the surface, a weight to his affection that feels so real, even if he doesnât say it.
The conversation drifts on, flowing from one topic to another as the minutes slip by. Every now and then, he leans in to kiss you again, an affectionate touch of lips that lingers a little longer each time, filled with a quiet intensity that makes you feel wanted, cherished. As the evening wears on, you find yourself wrapped in his arms, half-drowsy and content, happy to simply exist there in his warmth. You leave a kiss on his throat and the words leave your mouth unexpectedly; soft, steady, unplanned, as if saying them was the most natural thing in the world, âSeokmin⊠I love you.â
The room grows still, and Seokminâs face shifts immediately, as though heâs braced himself for something he isnât sure he can accept. He looks away, lips pressing into a tight line. Thereâs a quiet between you, but it isnât the warm silence youâre used to; itâs the kind that leaves you feeling exposed.
After a beat, he exhales sharply. âI⊠I donât know what to say.â
You feel frustration stirring, a tightness forming in your chest. âSeokmin, itâs the third time Iâve told you in the last three months, and I still havenât heard anything back. Not even once.â
He rubs the back of his neck, avoiding your gaze. âItâs⊠itâs complicated. I told you that.â
You take a deep breath, nodding, trying to keep your voice even. âI understand. But donât you think itâs a little unfair? Iâm putting myself out there, and every time, you just⊠close up.â You glance down, the words catching in your throat as you add, âI donât even know if you want this to be anything serious, Seokmin.â
Your words hit him, and his brows furrow as he finally looks back at you. âOf course I do. Why do you think Iâm with you?â
You shake your head, exasperated. âThen why canât you say it? Why canât you just say you love me?â
He sighs, clearly struggling, and you can see the way heâs wrestling with the internal conflict heâs been carrying for so long. But before he can answer, your phone buzzes, drawing both your eyes to the screen as it lights up with a message. You barely look at it, just a quick glance, but Seokminâs expression shifts, his eyes narrowing as he catches sight of the heart emoji he had seen back when you left your phone on the bus.
âWhoâs texting you?â he asks, a hint of irritation in his voice.
You look down at the name, realizing with a sinking feeling that itâs from your ex. You hadnât changed the contact since meeting Seokmin, hadnât thought about it, really. But the moment feels heavy as you explain, âItâs just⊠someone from a while ago. We donât talk anymore.â
His mouth twitches in a half-bitter smile, half-scoff as he lifts himself up from under you, standing up to pace. âA heart emoji? Doesnât seem like âjust someone.ââ
You follow, reaching for his hand, but he pulls away, pain in his eyes harder than youâve ever seen. âSeokmin, itâs not what you think. I havenât talked to him since we started seeing each other.â
But he shakes his head, looking away. âYou say that, but how am I supposed to believe it? Iâve been here before, and I know what happens next.â
The accusation hits you like a slap, disbelief mingling with anger. âAre you serious? Seokmin, Iâve done nothing but give you every reason to trust me. Iâve waited, Iâve been patient with you. I told you how I feel because I thought youâd want to know, not so I could be questioned like this.â
His voice rises, defensiveness seeping in. âYou donât understand, okay? You donât know what itâs like to think everythingâs fine and then realize it was all a lie. I canât just give myself away like that. Iâm not ready.â
The frustration boils over, and your voice trembles as you retort, âThen maybe you shouldnât have been with me if you werenât ready for someone who actually loves you.â You take a step back, feeling a crack in the wall youâve been holding up. âAnd you know what? I donât even want to hear âI love youâ now, not like this. Not if I have to beg for it.â
Seokmin looks away, swallowing, and for a moment, neither of you says anything. The silence between you feels like a chasm, a point you canât return from. Finally, his voice softens, barely above a whisper. âMaybe I just⊠donât know how to love anyone right.â
The silence stretches uncomfortably, the weight of his words filling the space between you. Your heart twists, but instead of softening, it stirs your anger.
âYou know what, Seokmin?â You break the silence, voice sharper than you intend. âI donât think you really want this. And God, that fucking sucksâbecause every day with you felt like I finally got everything I ever wanted. But apparently the feeling isnât mutual. I mean, you say you care, but every time I take a step closer, youâre right there pushing me back.â
His expression hardens, and he crosses his arms defensively. âAnd maybe I donât want to get hurt again. You think itâs easy for me to just jump in like nothing happened?â
You shake your head, exasperated. âI get that you have baggage, but what about mine? You donât think it hurts every time I tell you how I feel, and you just stare at me like itâs some impossible thing for you to say back? Like Iâm asking too much from you?â You scoff, shaking your head. âMaybe thatâs on me for thinking I could mean more to you than just⊠this convenient relationship you can pull away from whenever you feel like it.â
He takes a step back, his eyes blazing with hurt and anger. âConvenient? You think this is convenient for me? You think everything we did means nothing to me? You think you mean nothing to me?â
Your voice breaks, hurt now outweighing the anger. âYou never even asked me to be your girlfriend, Seokmin!â He looks over, finding that tears have begun pooling in your eyes. âI feel like Iâm just waiting around for you to make up your mind.â
Seokmin freezes, his heart sinking at the sight of your tears. The words hit him harder than anything else youâve said. He hadnât realized how much heâd been taking for granted, how much heâd been leaving you to carry on your own. The look on your faceâraw, vulnerable, and heartbrokenâpierces him in a way nothing else has.
His breath catches in his throat, and for a moment, he canât move. His chest feels tight, like thereâs a weight pressing down on him. He had always thought he was doing enough, that his feelings for you would be enough to show how much you meant to him. But hearing you say those wordsâwaiting around for him to make up his mindâitâs like a gut punch. He never intended for you to feel this way.
âY/NâŠâ he starts, his voice strained and unsteady. His hand hovers in the air as if unsure whether to reach for you or not, the space between you seeming wider than ever. His lips tremble slightly, and he takes a step forward, but you donât move. The distance between you feels like an impenetrable wall, and he feels like heâs losing you with every passing second.
âIâI never meant for you to feel that way,â he says, his words faltering. His eyes flicker between you and the floor, unsure of how to fix the brokenness thatâs suddenly so palpable between you two. âI⊠I thought you knew how much I care about you. I thought I was doing enoughâŠâ
His voice trails off, and the realization dawns on him like a harsh slap. He didnât ask you to be his girlfriend. He didnât make it clear how serious he was. He just assumed you knew. And now, seeing the hurt in your eyes, he understands how wrong heâs been.
âIâI never wanted you to feel like you were waiting. I just⊠I donât know what Iâm doing,â he admits, his voice thick with regret. His chest feels tight, constricted by the weight of his own inaction. âI didnât realize how much I was asking of you.â
He takes another tentative step toward you, his hands trembling slightly as they reach for yours. This time, when he touches your hand, thereâs no hesitationâjust a desperate need to bridge the gap between you. His fingers wrap gently around yours, his thumb brushing over your knuckles, his gaze searching yours for any sign that thereâs still hope.
âI never wanted to hurt you. I just didnât know how to⊠how to make it right.â He shakes his head in disbelief, as if trying to make sense of it all. The weight of everything heâs left unsaid presses down on him, and the guilt gnaws at him, leaving him feeling smaller with each passing second. "Please, just tell me how to fix it," he says quietly, his voice barely audible. "I donât want to lose you. Butââ You roll your eyes before he even elaborates, already knowing where his point is going, âI canât. Not after what happened last time.âÂ
You take your hand out of his grip, clenching your fists. âDo you even hear yourself? Iâve been here, Seokmin. I stayed, I waited, I tried. But all youâre doing is punishing me for something that has nothing to do with me. And I canât keep trying to prove myself to you when youâre already convinced Iâm going to hurt you.â
Seokminâs expression twists with frustration, his voice dropping, âWell, maybe thatâs because people like you always do. You say youâre here now, but Iâve seen what happens next. Youâll find someone else, someone who can say all the right things, and youâll leave me just like everyone else has.â
Thereâs a sudden ache in your chest, a pang of betrayal, and itâs your turn to take a step back. âPeople like me?â you repeat, voice trembling. âYou think so little of me that youâd group me with whatever happened to you before? How could you possibly believe that after everything weâve been through?â
He glances away, unable to answer, but his silence only fuels your frustration.
âMaybe youâre right,â you say, voice barely above a whisper but seething. âMaybe youâre not the guy for me. Because I deserve someone who trusts me, who wants to be with me, and isnât stuck in this endless cycle of doubt and fear.â
The words hang in the air between you, and Seokminâs face instantly shifts from anger to something far more fragile. His eyes widen, and he looks as if youâve struck himâlike he hadnât considered, not for a second, that things could actually end this way.
âYou⊠you donât mean that,â he says, voice barely above a whisper. He takes a step toward you, desperation in his eyes. âYou canât just⊠walk away. We can work through this; Iâll try harder.â
You shake your head, the weight of disappointment settling heavily in your chest. âSeokmin, this isnât about trying harder. Itâs about trust, about feeling like you actually want me in your life. I canât keep pouring myself into this when youâre too afraid to meet me halfway.â
His voice cracks as he pleads, âBut I need you. I just⊠I didnât know how to say it before. Iâm sorry. I thought⊠I thought youâd understand. I thought youâd give me more time.â
You can feel your resolve start to waver, but you swallow hard, staying strong. âI thought I could, too. But itâs not fair to keep asking me to wait. Iâm not your past, Seokmin. Iâm here, right now, trying to build a future with you. And if thatâs not something you can give meâŠâ You take a shaky breath, the finality of it sinking in, ââŠthen maybe this isnât right.â
The devastation on his face is clear, and he takes another step toward you, reaching out hesitantly as if afraid youâll pull away. âNo, please⊠Iâll try to be better. I donât want to lose you.â
Your chest tightens at the rawness in his voice, and for a moment, you soften. But thereâs still an ache, a lingering feeling thatâs been growing with each unspoken âI love you,â each moment he couldnât bring himself to trust you.
âSeokmin, I didnât want it to come to this,â you murmur, voice breaking slightly. âBut I canât be the only one fighting for us. You need to want this, too. Not just because youâre afraid of being alone, but because youâre willing to love me.â
Heâs silent, his hands dropping as his gaze falls to the floor, visibly struggling with the weight of your words. Finally, he nods, a defeated look in his eyes. âI do want to⊠but I donât know how.â
You close your eyes, heart aching for himâfor what could have been, for the love thatâs still there between you but not enough to hold you together. You gently touch his arm, feeling the warmth of his skin one last time. âI hope you figure it out, Seokmin. For both of us.â
He looks up, a tear slipping down his cheek as he whispers, âIâm so sorry.â And you walk out the door, leaving him standing alone in his living room.Â
The silence presses in around him, heavy and suffocating, like an oppressive weight settling over his chest. His body feels frozen, like heâs still trying to catch up to the reality of what just happened, the weight of your words and the finality of your departure sinking into his bones.
He rubs his face with both hands, the frustration and guilt bubbling up in a way that feels suffocating. His mind spins, replaying the argument over and over again, each word cutting deeper than the last. You were right. He never asked you to be his girlfriend. He never gave you the security you needed, the assurance you deserved. And now, the one person he thought would always be there, the one person he couldnât afford to lose, was walking away.
He drags a hand through his hair, pacing across the room aimlessly, unsure of what to do with himself. His mind races, but everything feels so muddled, so unclear. He knows he messed up, but he doesnât know how to fix it. He didnât know how much heâd taken for granted until it was too late, until you were gone.
His breath comes in shallow bursts, and suddenly, the tears come, hot and stinging against his eyes.
He doesnât try to stop them. They fall freely, a mixture of frustration, guilt, and regret overwhelming him. The harshness of the argument fades into the quiet ache of realizing what heâs lost, and with it, the reality of how deeply heâs hurt you. His chest tightens with every tear that slips down his face, the lump in his throat growing impossibly heavier.
He slumps further into the couch, his face in his hands as he tries to catch his breath. The sobs come harder now, raw and uncontrollable. Heâd never imagined it would end like thisâheâd always believed things would somehow work out, that time would fix everything, that he could somehow get over his own fears and be the person you needed. But now, in the quiet aftermath, all he can feel is the void left by your absence, and the fear that maybe itâs too late for any of it.
Should he have followed you outside? Grabbed your arm, held you against his chest, begged you not to leave? Would it have made a difference?Â
He paces back and forth in the living room, his thoughts a jumbled mess. Every step feels like itâs dragging him deeper into a pit, each round of his feet against the floor only making him feel more isolated. The tears that had come earlier are dry now, but the hurt still lingers, gnawing at him. His mind is a whirlwind, replaying everything from the argument to the moment you walked out.
I didnât mean to hurt you. The thought runs over and over in his mind, but heâs not sure how to make it stop, how to undo whatâs been said. Heâs not sure whatâs scarier: the fact that he couldnât say the words you needed to hear or that now, in the aftermath, heâs terrified of losing you.
His eyes keep drifting to his phone, as though waiting for some kind of sign, a message from you, maybe, telling him youâve reconsidered. But thereâs nothing. Just the empty silence that presses down on him, the space between you growing further with each passing minute.
Hours slip by, and eventually, he canât stay awake any longer. He drags himself to his bedroom, his limbs heavy and uncoordinated, like everything is moving in slow motion. The bed feels too big, too empty without you beside him, where you were supposed to lie tonight, in his arms. He lays down but canât seem to settle, tossing and turning as thoughts of you invade his every attempt at rest.
His mind drifts back to the warmth of your laughter, the softness of your touch, how easily the two of you had fit together. And now, heâs left with this cold, aching emptiness. He canât stop thinking about youâhow he shouldâve told you everything you needed to hear, how he couldâve fixed it.
But all he can do now is lie awake, staring at the ceiling, hoping, wishing, that somehow, heâll find a way to make things right.
Ë àŒâĄ âïœĄË
The days since youâd left feel like an eternity. A month and a half.Â
The space between you and Seokmin has grown too wide to bridge, but every day, as he drives home from work, heâs haunted by the sight of you getting off the bus at your usual stop. Thereâs a painful rhythm to it now, a constant reminder of what once was and how easily it all slipped away. He canât help but notice the way your shoulders are hunched, the distance in your stride, as if you too are carrying a weight you hadnât expected.
Seokmin keeps his eyes on the road, trying not to look, but every day, itâs harder to ignore. His heart aches with the knowledge that youâre right thereâso close, yet untouchable.
Itâs a quiet torment, this space between you two. The conversations with his friends, the questions about you, all feel like another layer of pressure, a weight he canât seem to shrug off.
âHey, Seokmin,â Seungkwan says one evening, voice light but laced with concern as he wipes down his work station. âHave you heard from Y/N? I havenât seen her around lately. Did you guys have a fight or something?â
Seokmin stiffens, his grip on the rag heâs holding tightening. His best friendâs eyes are searching, but Seokmin doesnât know how to explain. How could he? The words still feel heavy in his mouth, and heâs not sure how much longer he can lie about it.
âI⊠uh⊠we just havenât talked in a while,â Seokmin says, his voice unsteady, the smile he tries to muster faltering. âI think sheâs been busy with schoolwork, you know?â
Seungkwan doesnât press, though the concern in his eyes doesnât go unnoticed. Itâs hard for Seokmin to explain whatâs going on, especially when it feels like everythingâs been left unsaid, hanging in the air like a storm that never quite hits.Â
Then, itâs Joshua at the coffee shop, always quick to greet Seokmin with his usual bright energy, but his tone shifts a little when he mentions you. âSo, whereâs your friend been? Havenât seen her in here lately. You two still hanging out?â
Seokminâs chest tightens, the words harder to push out than he expects. âYeah, sheâs just been busy with some stuff. You know how it is.â
Joshua looks at him for a moment, expression softening as though heâs trying to piece things together, but he says nothing. Instead, he just hands over Seokminâs coffee with a knowing smile, as if thatâs all he can offer for now.
Seokmin hates the question, the one he canât answer truthfully. Every time it comes up, it breaks something inside him. So, when Mr. Kim asks why you havenât been coming by to read his books, Seokmin smilesâhis smile that feels too heavy, too tiredâand gives the same response heâs been giving for weeks. âSheâs been busy, Mr. Kim. Iâm sure sheâll stop by again soon.â
Mr. Kim, not catching the underlying sadness, just nods and pats Seokminâs shoulder, his eyes warm with understanding. âI hope so. Itâs not the same without her.â
But the worst of it all is when Ms. Boo, Seungkwanâs grandmother, asks. Seokmin has always had a soft spot for the elderly woman, and her memory isnât what it used to be, so she asks about you oftenâsometimes multiple times in a week.
Each time, it feels like a new cut. She looks up at him with bright, hopeful eyes, always asking where youâve gone, if youâre coming to visit again soon.Â
Seokmin forces the smile to stay in place, masking the rawness he feels. âSheâs just been busy with school, Ms. Boo. Everythingâs alright, I promise. Sheâll be back soon.â
But thereâs always something about the way she looks at him that feels like she sees through the mask, as if she can tell something isnât right. She doesnât say it out loud, but the way she sighs, the way her face falls just a little, makes it clear that she can feel the change in the air. She sees it in the flowers, too. Despite how hard Seokmin tries to hide it, the displays at the window have begun to look lifeless and dull once more.Â
Seungkwan, who has overheard all these conversations, sees how his grandmotherâs face changes with each of these questions. He sees how Seokminâs eyes dim just a little bit more each time he lies. It breaks his heart to watch, and yet, he doesnât know how to fix it. He doesnât know how to make it better for his friend.
Seokmin is a shell of himself when heâs alone in his apartment, and Seungkwan knows it. Heâs seen it in the way Seokmin walks through the coffee shop doors, the way his shoulders slump more with each passing day. But thereâs nothing to say. Nothing Seungkwan can do except wait for Seokmin to find a way out of this quiet agony.
And Seokmin, for his part, is slowly suffocating in it. The silence between them stretches on, a cruel reminder of how things can slip away when the words left unsaid are too heavy to carry.
Ë àŒâĄ âïœĄË
Seokmin canât take it anymore. Every day, he drives past your stop, sees you walking away, and it feels like he's still chasing something he can't reach. He hasnât let go, not really. Itâs been two months, but the feeling of being cut off from you gnaws at him relentlessly. He doesnât know how to fix it, but he knows he canât keep waiting, not like this.
He picks up his phone, fingers trembling slightly as he stares at your name in his contacts. The screen is bright in the dimness of his apartment, a silent reminder of all the things left unsaid between you two. He hesitates for a moment, but itâs only a momentâhe doesnât want to regret this. Not this time.
He taps your name, the sound of the call connecting ringing in his ears. It rings and rings, each second stretching longer than the last. His heart beats louder in his chest, and as the voicemail prompt comes through, he lets out a shaky breath.
The words tumble out before he can stop them, a rush of everything heâs been holding back, the things he hasnât said and shouldâve said weeks ago.
âHey,â he starts, his voice quiet but steady. âI know we havenât talked in a while, but⊠I wanted you to know that I miss you, and I miss us. And⊠Iâm in love with you, if that means anything to you now.â
He swallows hard again, the confession hanging in the air, vulnerable and raw. âI justââ His voice cracks for a second before he regains himself. âI just need you to know that. Because I canât pretend I donât feel it anymore. And I canât keep pretending that I donât miss you. Even if this is too late. Even if youâre already moving on.â
The words weigh heavily on him, but thereâs something freeing about saying them out loud, even if itâs just into a voicemail.
He lets out a shaky breath, the lump in his throat tightening as he finishes, âI donât know what you want or how you feel anymore, but I hope, in some way, you know how much you mean to me. And maybeâjust maybeâyouâll understand that when I say Iâm sorry for everything that went wrong, I mean it. I really do.â
He pauses again, the finality of the message weighing on him, and he rubs the back of his neck, closing his eyes as if imagining you were hearing him now.
âI hope youâre doing okay. Whatever you decide, just⊠know that I miss you. Iâm sorry. And I love you. I always have.â
His hand falls to his side as the beep signaling the end of the message rings in his ears, leaving a silence that feels even heavier than the one before.
Seokmin stares at the phone in his hand, his breath shaky, heart pounding. The message is sent, but the weight of it doesnât lift. In fact, everything feels heavier, as if saying those words has only made the space between you feel even more real. He rubs his eyes, trying to hold back the tears that threaten to fall. His chest feels tight, a lump in his throat that wonât go away no matter how many times he exhales.
He stares at the phone, unable to look away. His mind is flooded with memories of youâthe way you used to laugh, how your eyes would light up when you'd talk about something you loved, how your hand felt in his, so warm and familiar. Heâd taken it all for granted. And now, with the message sent and no immediate response, the silence between you feels deafening.
His eyes water, his throat tightens with the kind of ache that no words can fix. Itâs strange how he can feel so empty yet so full of regret at the same time. He thought saying the words would somehow bring relief, some kind of release, but instead, it only makes him realize how much heâs lost. How much heâs hurt you. How he hasnât been the person he wanted to be for you, not the way he promised he would.
The thought of you not listening to the message, not responding, makes the knot in his stomach twist tighter. What if youâve already moved on? What if itâs too late for him to fix anything? He can barely bring himself to imagine it.
Seokmin blinks rapidly, trying to clear his vision, but it doesnât help. His tears spill over, and for the first time since the night you walked out, he lets himself really cry. He sits there, phone still in his hand, the emptiness of the room almost suffocating.Â
"Please listen," he whispers to the empty room, as though saying it out loud might somehow make it real. The words feel weak, pathetic even, but theyâre all he has left.
He sets the phone down on the couch beside him, a hollow ache settling in his chest. The message he left you was everything he needed to say, but it still doesnât feel like enough. His fingers twitch, almost instinctively, reaching for his phone again as if the act of texting or calling might undo the quiet thatâs consumed him. But he doesnât. His hand falls to his side, heavy and lifeless.
Seokmin feels the weight of it all in the stillness, like the air itself is pressing down on him. He pulls his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them in a loose embrace. His thoughts drift back to the fight, to the moment he knew things had cracked between the two of you. He could still hear your voice, the pain and frustration in it, the words you saidâIâm just waiting around for you to make up your mind. They replay over and over, no matter how hard he tries to shake them off.
The silence stretches on, suffocating. The clock ticks, each second heavier than the last. Seokminâs breath shudders as his mind replays every moment, every opportunity he had to say the words that could have made a difference. But he never did. He never allowed himself to take that step, always too afraid that heâd screw it up, that heâd let you down. And now, in the quiet aftermath of everything, he realizes how much he truly let you down.
His body feels tired, worn, but sleep doesnât come. Not tonight. He lies back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling as the minutes tick by. His eyes are red, his heart heavier than itâs ever been.Â
The next morning, Seokmin wakes up to the sound of his phone buzzing beside. He groans, blinking into the early light of the day, the ache in his chest still persistent. Heâs been lying on the couch for hours, unable to fall asleep, but exhausted all the same. When he finally brings himself to stand, his phone buzzes again with a text from Seungkwan.
âHey, weâre coming over. You okay?â
As much as he wants to curl up and shut out the world, he knows Seungkwan wonât let that happen. And Soonyoung, ever the optimistic force, wonât leave him alone until they can make him smile again.
He doesnât respond right away. Instead, he slowly trudges into the kitchen, staring blankly at the coffee maker as if it holds the secret to feeling better. He pours a cup, the warm liquid comforting in the way only caffeine can, but it doesnât do anything for the hollow ache thatâs settled into his ribs.
When the doorbell rings, heâs still holding the mug, his fingers cold around it. He doesnât even bother to put it down as he goes to open the door.
Seungkwan and Soonyoung are standing there, both grinning wide, but it doesnât take long for them to notice how Seokminâs smile doesnât quite reach his eyes. His hair is a mess, his clothes wrinkled, but itâs the way he carries himself that tells them everything.
âSeokmin,â Seungkwan says softly, stepping forward and clapping a hand on his shoulder. âWhatâs going on, man? Youâve been off lately. Itâs obvious.â
Seokmin doesnât say anything at first. He just gives a small shrug, trying to brush them off, but Soonyoung isnât having it.
âDonât give us that. Weâve been your friends for too long,â Soonyoung says, his voice light but with an edge of concern. âWeâre here to hang out, but if somethingâs bothering you, you know you can talk to us, right?â
Seokmin forces a laugh, but it sounds hollow. He rubs a hand over his face, suddenly feeling the weight of how truly alone he felt settling even deeper in his chest.
âI⊠I donât know, guys. I donât think itâll make a difference, butâŠâ His voice trails off, and for a moment, he wonders if he should just tell them. If he could just say the words, maybe it would make everything easier.
Seungkwan glances at Soonyoung, and the two of them silently agree. Soonyoung gestures toward the couch. âCome on, sit down. Weâre not leaving until you spill, man.â
With a heavy sigh, Seokmin sits down, his body slumping into the couch. He finally sets the mug down on the coffee table and stares at his hands. Itâs like the weight of everything is suddenly too much to bear, and he canât keep it bottled up anymore.
âI⊠I messed up,â Seokmin starts, his voice tight, a lump forming in his throat. âI messed up with her. Sheâshe told me she loved me, and I couldnât say it back.â
Both Seungkwan and Soonyoung freeze, exchanging a glance, then turning back to him. Seungkwan speaks first, his voice gentle. âWhat do you mean, you couldnât say it back? I thought things were going well.â
Seokmin runs his hands through his hair in frustration. âI donât know, I justâI was so scared. I couldnât let myself fall for her, not completely. I was afraid of getting hurt again. So when she told me she loved me, I froze. I couldnât say it. And sheâshe called me out on it. She asked me why I couldnât just say it, why I never even asked her to be my girlfriend. And thenâŠâ His voice breaks, and he wipes his eyes, embarrassed. âAnd then I let her go. I didnât fight for her. I didnât even try.â
The room falls silent, the weight of Seokminâs confession settling between them. Soonyoungâs voice is quiet when he finally speaks, but thereâs an edge of disbelief in it. âYou didnât ask her to be your girlfriend?â He shakes his head, as if trying to make sense of it. âWhat the hell?â
âI know,â Seokmin replies, his voice barely a whisper. âI was an idiot. I let the fear get in the way, and now⊠now sheâs gone. I havenât heard from her in weeks. And Iâve been⊠Iâve been torturing myself thinking I could fix it somehow, but I donât know if I can anymore.â
Seungkwan sits down beside him, his tone firm but understanding. âSo what, youâre just giving up? You canât expect to just let this go without trying to make it right. You love her, donât you?â
Seokmin nods without hesitation, his eyes full of regret. âYeah. I love her. I think I always have, but I was too afraid to admit it, to act on it. And now I think Iâve lost her for good.â
Soonyoung leans forward, his expression serious. âLook, you canât keep doing this to yourself. If she really means that much to you, you canât just walk away from it. You have to try, even if itâs scary.â
Seungkwan chimes in, his voice quieter but equally earnest. âWeâre here for you, okay? You donât have to do this alone.â
Seokmin nods, feeling the weight of their words sink in. The guilt is still there, gnawing at him, but for the first time in weeks, he doesnât feel so alone in it. Maybe thereâs still a chance to make things right.Â
âI... I called her,â he admits quietly, his voice hesitant, like heâs unsure if admitting it will make it real. He looks up at Seungkwan and Soonyoung, who are both watching him closely, waiting for him to continue. âI left her a voicemail last night.â
The room goes still, and Seungkwan leans forward, his brows furrowing in concern. âA voicemail? What did you say?â
Seokmin takes a deep breath, running a hand through his hair again. âI told her I miss her. I told her I miss us. And then... I told her I love her. I said it. I just⊠I donât know if it matters anymore. She hasnât responded.â
Soonyoungâs expression softens. âThatâs huge. But you canât just expect one voicemail to fix everything. Maybe⊠maybe she needs time too.â
âI know,â Seokmin says, his voice raw with emotion. âBut it doesnât feel like itâs enough. I justâI donât even know where to start.â
Seungkwan places a hand on his shoulder, offering a small, supportive squeeze. âYou did the right thing by reaching out, Seokmin. You told her how you felt, and now you have to give her the space to process it. You canât control how she responds, but you can control how you act. And the fact that youâre willing to tryâwell, that says a lot.â
Seokminâs gaze drifts to the window, the weight of the situation heavy on his chest. His voice cracks as he speaks again. âI just donât want to lose her. Not like this.â
âThen donât give up,â Soonyoung says firmly, a quiet determination in his words. âYouâve taken the first step. Now itâs time to show her that youâre serious about making things right. She might need to hear from you again. Maybe not right away, but eventually.â
Seungkwan adds quickly, âBut donât rush it. Youâve got to be patient with her, and with yourself. You canât undo whatâs happened, but you can start moving forward. And if sheâs meant to be with you, sheâll see that.â
Seokmin nods, the weight in his chest easing slightly. Heâs still unsure about what the future holds, but hearing his friendsâ words gives him a sense of hope he hasnât felt in weeks. Thereâs still a chance, even if it seems small. And for now, thatâs enough to hold onto.
âThanks,â Seokmin murmurs, his voice thick with gratitude. âYou guys really donât know how much this means to me.â
The day drags on as Seokmin tries to focus on what Seungkwan and Soonyoung have planned for him. Theyâve taken him out for some outdoor activityâsomething to get him out of the house and away from the constant, gnawing worry thatâs been eating at him since he left that voicemail.
Theyâre hiking up a trail, the air fresh and crisp around them, the sounds of birds calling and wind rustling through the trees. Seokmin knows theyâre trying to get him to focus on something else, but his mind keeps drifting back to his phone. He checks it every few minutes, his thumb hovering over the screen, but every time, thereâs still nothing. No missed call, no message, not even an unread notification.
Seungkwan and Soonyoung chat animatedly ahead, laughing and joking, but Seokmin falls behind, his thoughts lost in the stillness of his mind. His phone buzzes in his pocket, making his heart jump, and he pulls it out eagerly, hopingâjust hopingâitâs you. But when he unlocks the screen, his shoulders sag in disappointment. Itâs just a message from his mom, asking if heâs eating enough. He sighs and stuffs the phone back into his pocket, trying to shake off the feeling of defeat creeping in.
âYou okay, man?â Seungkwan calls back, his voice laced with concern as he notices Seokmin lagging behind.
âYeah, just tired,â Seokmin replies with a half-smile, forcing the words out even though they donât feel true. He stretches his legs to catch up, trying to hide the emptiness that seems to settle deeper with every minute heâs away from his phone.
Soonyoung turns around to check on him too, raising an eyebrow. âYouâre not still checking your phone every five seconds, are you? Letâs enjoy today, okay? You deserve a break from the stress.â
But even as Seokmin tries to convince himself, he canât shake the constant urge to check his phone. He tries to focus on the hike, listening to Seungkwan and Soonyoungâs conversation as they joke about how out of shape they are, but his mind keeps straying. He checks again when they stop to rest, and then again when they grab lunch at a small cafĂ© after the hike.
No message. No calls. No unread messages. Nothing.
The silence feels nauseating.
They sit down at a table outside, and Seungkwan gives him a light nudge, raising his eyebrows as a silent check-in. Seokmin replies with a weak, crooked smile. As much as he tries to focus on the present moment, he finds his every thought circulating back to you.Â
A month later, he hadnât heard from you, and it had eaten away at him, slowly, quietlyâlike a slow, insidious rust that creeps across the metal of his soul, gradually weakening his resolve and leaving him hollowed out.Â
He replayed the voicemail heâd left you a thousand times, but the silence that followed it felt like a cruel, final answer. He convinced himself that you were done with him, that you didnât want anything to do with him anymore. The distance between you had crushed him, and as the days passed, his hope dwindled until he was convinced this was the end.Â
Some days, he crashed out on his couch at night, consumed by guilt, regret, and doubt, unable to shake the feeling that he had lost you for good. Other days, he sat staring blankly at the TV, the familiar ache in his chest as a constant companion. Heâs learned to live with the silence that hangs between him and you, but itâs still unbearable. The thought of you is a constant, as persistent as the ticking of a clock in the room. Heâs replayed the voicemail over and over in his mind, the words you never responded to still echoing in his ears.
Itâs late at night, and just as heâs about to get up to go to bed, a knock on his door freezes him in place. His heart skips a beat. For a moment, he wonders if heâs imagining things. But noâthere it is again, more urgent this time.
He opens the door, his breath catching in his throat as he sees you standing there, the faint glow of hallway lights casting soft shadows across your face. You look hesitant, like youâre unsure of how to begin. The sight of you shakes him to his core, and for a moment, neither of you says anything.
He swallows hard, his voice barely above a whisper. âY/N?â
You nod, your eyes searching his face, torn between relief and uncertainty. "I⊠I saw your voicemail." Your voice trembles, as if every word is a weight on your chest. "The day it came in. I just⊠I needed time. I needed time to figure things out."
Seokmin stands there, frozen, the full weight of what youâre saying finally sinking in. You saw it. You heard it. And yet, you didnât respond.
âIââ He starts, but he canât seem to find the words. The tension in the air is thick, both of you still holding onto the remnants of everything thatâs gone unsaid.
"I know you were waiting for me to respond. But," you stop yourself, struggling to find the words. "You made me wait for so long, Seokmin. For 'I love you.' I needed to make you wait too. It wasnât fair, but⊠thatâs how I felt."
The truth stings. Heâs been waiting for you, aching with every unanswered day, but hearing thisâhe hadnât expected it. He hadnât expected you to have been just as torn up inside.
âIâm sorry,â Seokmin finally manages, his voice hoarse. âI never meant to hurt you, I just⊠I couldnâtââ He stops himself, shaking his head. âI was so scared, Y/N. I was scared of getting hurt again. I didnât know how to say it. But I was never trying to make you wait. I just⊠couldnât.â
You take a step closer, your eyes glistening with unshed tears. âI know,â you whisper. âI get it. I really do. But it hurt. It hurt, Seokmin. All I wanted was for you to let me in, to trust me like I trusted you. And when you couldnât say it, when you couldnât even ask me to be yours⊠it made me feel like maybe I wasnât enough. Like maybe I wasnât worth it.â
His breath hitches in his throat, a raw ache spreading through his chest. He feels the weight of your words like a heavy stone pressing down on him.
âIâm so sorry, Y/N,â he repeats, his voice cracking. The tears heâs been holding back finally spill over, streaking down his cheeks. He doesnât try to hide them; they just fall, one after another. âI never wanted you to feel that way. I never wanted to make you feel like you werenât worth it. You were always worth it. I justââ His voice falters as he swallows back a sob. âI just didnât know how to let myself love you. I was so scared of losing you that I pushed you away.â
You canât hold back your tears either, and they fall silently as you watch him break down. Everything youâve been holding inâevery ounce of pain, of frustration, of longingârushes to the surface, and all you can do is stand there, letting it all spill over, just like him.
âI was so angry at you, Seokmin,â you whisper, your voice breaking. âAngry because I loved you, and I wanted you to love me back so badly, but you couldnât say it. And I hated that I had to question whether I was enough for you.â
âI know, I know,â he says, wiping his eyes, his voice thick with emotion. He wants so badly to reach for your hand, but he wonât. Not until you make the first move. Instead, he swallows, continuing. âAnd Iâm sorry. I was selfish, and I hurt you. I was terrified of being vulnerable, and I never should have let it get this far.â
You take a deep breath, your chest tight. âI canât go back to how things were, Seokmin. I canât just pretend everything is okay. But I donât want to lose you. Iâve thought about this. A lot. And the thing is, I⊠I forgive you. I forgive you because I know you were just scared. I get that. I do. But we canât keep doing this, you know? We canât keep hurting each other, over and over.â
Seokmin nods, wiping his eyes again, his heart breaking with the realization that youâve been hurt just as much as he has. âIâm sorry. I know I donât deserve your forgiveness, but I⊠I canât imagine my life without you. I justââ He pauses, his voice catching in his throat. âI love you. I love you so much. And I should have said it. Iâve known it for so long. And fuck, you wouldâve though I was crazy, but I should have said it since the night we kissed because even then, I knew. I shouldâve told you Iâm in love with you. Then I wouldnât have been regretting right now.â
You suddenly laugh weakly, and heâs both so delighted at the sound he had missed, and confused, having just poured his heart out to you. Until your lips part to explain, hands swiping away at the tears on your cheeks. âSorryâItâs just⊠Those are the lyrics to your song.âÂ
"What?" he asks softly, his voice a little strained.
You let out a shaky breath, trying to keep your composure, but there's a hint of a smile tugging at your lips. "The song," you repeat, wiping your eyes as you try to gather your thoughts. "The one you wrote, the one you sang for me at the beach."
âOh.â At the time, the song had been just a way of sharing a piece of himself with you. But now, it felt like a mirror of everything that had gone wrong between you twoâthe love he couldnât say, the hesitation, the distance that had grown between you. He had no idea then that it would be ever so relevant now.Â
"IâI'm sorry," he whispers, almost afraid to speak too loud in case it shatters the fragile moment between you. "I should've said it. I shouldâve made it clearer."
You shake your head, your voice breaking just a little as you reach for and squeeze his hand. "I just needed to hear those three words, Seokmin. I needed to know you meant it."
âI love you.â He repeats. And itâs real, raw, and enough to mend the cracks in your heart.
You step forward, slowly, carefully, and you wrap your arms around him. Seokmin doesnât hesitate for a second; he pulls you close, burying his face in your hair, holding onto you like youâre the one thing that can keep him from falling apart.
âI love you too, Seokmin,â you whisper against his chest, your voice trembling. âI love you.â
And for the first time in what feels like forever, everything feels right.Â
"Y/N," he starts, his voice hoarse but steady. "I know youâve been through a lot waiting for me to figure everything out. And I want you to know... everyoneâs been asking about you."
You raise an eyebrow in confusion, unsure where heâs going with this. âWhat do you mean? Whoâs been asking?â
Seokmin gives a small laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Seungkwan and Soonyoung were both asking about you, about how youâre doing, how things have been. Theyâve noticed somethingâs... off with me. And, uh, Mr. Kim, too. He said he hasn't seen you at the coffee shop lately. I think he misses having you around to borrow books from him." He hesitates, his expression turning more serious as he looks down at his feet, voice almost cracking. "And... Ms. Boo. Sheâs been asking about you every time I go to work. She doesnât understand why we havenât been hanging out. She doesnât know what happened, and I didnât have the heart to tell her everything. So, I told her you were just busy."
A sad smile spreads across your face at the mention of Ms. Boo. "I didn't realize they were still thinking about me," you murmur softly, feeling a lump form in your throat. "Itâs been so long, I didnât want to keep bothering them."
Seokmin shakes his head, his hand gently reaching for yours again, this time holding it with more certainty. "You never bothered anyone. I just... I didnât know how to explain everything. And I didnât want to make it worse."
You let out a small sigh, your heart aching. âI shouldâve reached out sooner. I just... I was trying to give you space to figure things out, Seokmin.â
Seokminâs gaze softens, and he takes another step closer to you. âI donât want you to feel like that anymore. Youâre not alone in this, and I never shouldâve made you feel like you were. Iâve missed you so much. I just didnât know how to fix everything.â
âI know,â you reply quietly, squeezing his hand. âI understand now. I just needed to know I wasnât just... waiting around forever.â
Seokmin nods, his eyes brimming with sincerity. âIâm sorry it took so long for me to get it right. But Iâm here now. And Iâm not going anywhere.â
The words sink in, warm and comforting, and for the first time in months, you feel like a weight has lifted off your chest. Heâs here, truly here, and thatâs all you ever needed.
âYou should come in,â Seokmin says gently, realizing the two of you are still standing in the doorway. âItâs late, and I donât want you to be out here in the cold. Iâve been thinking about you every day, Y/N. I want to make up for everything I put you through.â
You glance up at him, a small but genuine smile tugging at your lips. âIâd like that.â
As you step over the threshold, Seokmin pulls the door shut behind you, his hand lingering on the knob for a second before he leads you to the living room, where you notice how much quieter it feels now that youâre back in it.
Seokmin sits next to you, close but not too close, as though still letting you take the lead. His eyes search your face for any sign of doubt, but all he finds is a quiet peace. He reaches for your hand again, intertwining your fingers with his.
The two of you sit together, talking for hours, the conversation flowing as you sift through the pain of the past months. The words youâve both held back, the misunderstandings, the regrets, all of it is finally laid out in the open, and with every confession, every apology, the weight between you seems to lift just a little more. You cry, both of you, but the tears donât feel heavy anymore. Theyâre cleansing, freeing.
Seokmin holds you close, his arms wrapping around you tightly as if to keep you there, to remind himself that this time, he wasnât going to let you go. You bury your face in his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart beneath your cheek, and you smile through the tears. Itâs a smile that says everything you couldnât say earlier: Iâm here. Iâm still here.
Seokmin reaches out slowly, almost hesitantly, as if testing the waters, before cupping your cheek in his palm. His touch is soft, tender, like heâs afraid youâll disappear if he holds on too tight. You lean into his touch instinctively, eyes fluttering closed as his thumb traces the curve of your jaw.
His lips brush against yours at first, a delicate press that sends a spark through your chest, and you melt into it, hands reaching up to gently pull him closer. The kiss deepens just slightly, as though the floodgates have opened, and suddenly all the words you didnât know how to say are there, in the way his lips move against yours, in the way you both cling to each other like this might be your last chance.
When you pull back, itâs almost reluctantly. Both of you are breathing a little heavier, but thereâs something infinitely reassuring in the way you look at each other now. No more words are needed.
The hours slip away as the two of you laugh, talk about memories, and share quiet moments. You rest your head on Seokminâs shoulder, your fingers gently tracing over his hand. You know the past isnât easily forgotten, but for tonight, it doesnât matter. Itâs the two of you, right here, right now, rebuilding what you lost.
Eventually, sleep starts to pull at you both, and with one final, lingering kiss, you settle into the couch together. Seokmin shifts, adjusting himself so youâre both comfortable, and without another word, you fall asleep, wrapped in each otherâs warmth.
The morning after, Seokmin wakes up with a start, blinking against the sunlight that streams through the window. His body aches from the position heâs been in, his neck sore from sleeping on the couch for what feels like the hundredth time in a row. He groans softly, stretching, and then pauses when he realizesâthis time, itâs different.
Itâs not the familiar emptiness that heâs grown used to, the loneliness that had made each morning feel longer than the last. Itâs you. Youâre still in his arms, tucked close against his side, your head resting on his chest. He feels the softness of your hair against his cheek, your warmth pressed against him, and for the first time in so long, he doesnât feel that cold, hollow ache in his chest.
His heart swells as he watches you sleep, your face peaceful, and heâs overwhelmed with gratitude. For the first time in months, the quiet of the morning doesnât feel like a reminder of everything heâs lost.
He breathes in slowly, savoring the moment, letting the calm wash over him. Youâre here. Youâre here with him, and he canât help but smile softly at the thought. His fingers gently run through your hair, brushing it away from your face, and he holds you a little closer, not wanting to ever forget this feeling.
He smiles, soft and content, as he slowly slips out from beneath you, careful not to wake you. His movements are slow, deliberate, and as stealthy as possible.
As he quietly stands and stretches, he feels the familiar ache in his body from having slept in the same position for too long, but itâs not uncomfortable. Itâs a reminder that heâs here with you. He heads into the kitchen, the soft hum of the morning settling around him as he begins preparing breakfast. Thereâs something soothing about the routine, the way the eggs sizzle in the pan and the faint aroma of bacon fills the air. But most of all, he takes extra care to make the coffee.
He grins as he prepares it, thinking back to those moments when youâd meet him at the shop. It was always a small moment in the day, but it felt special, like a secret between the two of you. That was when heâd get to steal a few minutes with you, to laugh, to catch up, to just be in each otherâs company.
The smell of the freshly brewed coffee drifts from the kitchen and into the living room, and without realizing it, Seokmin finds himself looking over his shoulder. He doesnât want to rush you, doesnât want to wake you up too soon, but the idea of sharing a quiet morning together makes him giddy. He takes the coffee mug, walking back toward the couch, smiling as he notices the way youâre still curled up, your face soft with sleep.
He kneels beside the couch, the weight of the mug warm in his hands, and gently places it on the table in front of you. Your eyelids flutter, and Seokminâs heart skips a beat when you slowly stir, your eyes opening just enough to meet his gaze. The first thing he sees is your sleepy, familiar smile, and itâs like the last few months never happened.
"Coffee time?" he asks, his voice low, teasing, but full of affection. The inside joke between you that always felt so special, so intimateâthose little moments where it was just the two of you, caught in a world all your own.
Your smile widens, your eyes still half-lidded from sleep, and you stretch slightly, rubbing at your eyes as you sit up. âCoffee time," you echo, a soft laugh in your voice, like youâve been waiting for this very moment to return.
Seokmin hands you the mug, feeling a warmth spread through him as you wrap your fingers around it, your eyes meeting his with a new sense of connectionâlike everything is coming back into place, slowly but surely.
And as you sip the coffee, the silence between you is filled with comfort, the kind that only comes after all the pain, all the uncertainty. Youâre here, together, sharing this simple morning with each other.Â
Love at first sight is undoubtedly the biggest fabrication that the media and modern culture has ever tried to push on society. It only happens in the movies and the books, and rarely is it even done right.Â
In the real world, people make mistakes. They hurt the people they love, and they hurt themselves. They donât talk for months on end, only to barely piece themselves together and try again.
Make no mistake; Lee Seokmin is not a pessimist, nor is he a bitter person. Heâs the kind of guy who likes playing guitar at the beach as the waves crash against the shore, and going on spontaneous museum trips where he pretends to fully read each placard. The kind that enjoys drinking with his friends at karaoke rooms, and stumbling home tipsy under the stars. The kind that flips over a penny on the street so itâs face upâIn hopes that the next stranger that finds it can have a bit of good luck. He likes picnics at the parks and vintage thrift stores full of cassette tapes and funny hats. And, as it turns out, he actually does like glamping (it really is nothing like camping).
Once upon a time, he used to be a hopeless romantic.Â
That was before.Â
Before you, the person who showed him that love is all of those scary things, but without them, it wouldnât be as special as it is. As real as it is. As raw and emotional and warm as it really, truly is.Â
Love is the coffee the two of you bonded over at the startâwarm and inviting at first, comforting with its rich aroma that fills the air. It starts slow, the first sip lingering on your lips as you savor the sweetness, the bitterness, the complexity all wrapped up in one. At times, it can be too hot, burning you with its intensity, leaving you a little singed, but itâs that very warmth that keeps you coming back for more. Over time, as it cools, you get to know its depth, its subtle flavors unfolding with each moment shared. Sometimes itâs a little bitter, and sometimes it contains an unfathomable amount of sweetness⊠and then some. Â
But in the end, itâs the kind of thing you canât imagine your daysâyour life without.
Love at first sightâtrue loveâIt was a flat out lie, and he refused to fall for its charm ever again.Â
So why, he thinks to himself, why did he so easily fall in love with you?Â
End.
#seokmin x reader#lee seokmin x reader#dokyeom x reader#dk x reader#seokmin imagines#dokyeom imagines#dk imagines#seokmin fluff#dokyeom fluff#dk fluff#svt x reader#seventeen x reader#svt fluff#seventeen fluff#seventeen#svt#seventeen scenarios#seventeen imagines#svt reactions#svt scenarios#svt imagines#dk#svt dk#seventeen dk#dokyeom#lee seokmin#svt dokyeom
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How about Gale in flight school slowly coming to realize his feelings, but heâs still repressed until he hears Bucky jerking off in his bed at night. There's no privacy and Bucky really needs some relief so heâs real quiet but Gale hears it and it turns him on so he freaks out internally
FUCK THIS IS SO GOOD ANON Gale hiding his gayness one thousand percent.
----
Gale didn't know when he started developing this embarrassing crush on John.
He had thought it was just friendly affection, John was one of the first people to show him kindness and interest, and he thought that he was just showing his gratitude for being one of his only friends.
But then Gale started to notice things that he really shouldn't be noticing, especially not on another man. He noticed the way that John had started to bulk up because of training, the way John's jaw clenched when he was thinking, the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled at Gale. Everything he noticed made his stomach twist, and he definitely knew that this wasn't friendly affection.
Gale shouldn't be thinking about his best friend this way, especially shouldn't be noticing the things he's noticing, and he definitely shouldn't be listening to him jerk off right now.
It was human nature, it was normal, he too often took himself in the hand in the showers for some relief, so he didn't hold it against John for trying to find some relief. God knows he needs it. But Gale can't help but flush red when he hears the sheets shift above him and he can hear the soft clink of John undoing his belt, definitely tries not to hear the sharp inhale of breath when John wraps a hand around himself.
Gale shifts so he's now looking up at the springs of Johns bed, pretending he doesn't hear the way John's breath hitches softly when he must start moving, but he can't bring himself to screw his eyes shut and throw a blanket over his head. He can tell John to shut up at any time, to take it into the showers or something, but Gale hates to admit to himself that he's starting to get hard too, just listening to John take himself in his hand.
But Gales also starting to get hard, feels his boxers get uncomfortably tight, and all of his blood must be running from brain to his cock because he shifts the blanket aside, sitting up and slowly, ever so slowly hooking his foot on the bed post and hoisting himself up into John's bed.
He doesn't know where he gets the confidence, feels his stomach screw up in terror and arousal when he can see John's face, eyes screwed shut and he drags his eyes down to where his hand is working up and down his cock, slick with arousal and pre cum. It makes Gales mouth fill with saliva, and there's just a final push before he's in John's bed, awkwardly straddling John's shins.
The dip of the mattress makes John stop, eyes flying open and he squirms to sit up, mouth moving to speak, but Gale just presses a finger to his lips, urging John to stay silent. He thinks if John spoke he might just jump out of the window. It would be a more graceful death than having to face John face to face and try to explain himself.
He bends down and presses his chin into John's thigh, keeping his eyes trained on John's, peeking his tongue out to lick the small bead of precum that buds at the tip of Johns cock. He's never done this before, but he knows what it should feel like, knows what to do to make John feel good, and his heart is pounding out of his chest as he gently wraps his lips around the head of him. John's eyes are lazer trained on him, hands clutching the sheets below him.
Gale doesn't break eye contact, slowly moving his lips down John's cock, slowing when he gags gently, making sure to keep his lips wrapped around the hot, velvety skin on his tongue. He can't believe he's doing this, can't believe he has John's cock in his throat.
He lets it sit in his throat for a moment, hot and heavy as he keeps his eyes on John's face, watches his eyebrows screw up when he starts to move his head up and down, tonguing the thick vein on the underside of John's cock. When Gale reaches the tip of him again, he circles it with his tongue, salvia dripping down his chin and down the rest of John's length. It's then that John finally allows a sound to break free from his lips, something quiet and breathy.
Gale continues his motions, swallowing and gagging on his cock as he watches Johns face screw up in pleasure, hands creasing the sheets as he clutches them again. Gale knows they have to wash them, but right now he only cares about getting John off.
At some point, when John's hips are bucking into his mouth, John lets go of the sheets and puts a hand in Gale's hair, not sure whether to push down or pull him off, so incredibly sensitive he's bucking into Gales mouth with every pass of his tongue.
"Close..." John chokes, and Gale pulls off of him, using his hand to stroke up and down John's cock to finish him off.
He comes with a buck of his hips and hot streaming rivulets of come drip over Gales fingers. It makes Gale heady and he brings them up to his mouth, sucking the come off of each of his fingers, keeping his eyes locked on John's the entire time. His breathing is labored, black curls plastered on his forehead from sweat.
"Gale... that was..." John begins and Gale shakes his head again.
"We'll talk in the morning, yeah?" Gale says, and it's only because his heart is pounding and he can't believe what he's just done.
John's lips are pressed together and he moves to grab for Gale's arm, or something, but Gale quickly shimmies down the bunk back into his bed, so wildly ashamed of what he has just done.
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may i request a romantic yandere concept for Lucifer with Fallen Angel! Darling? Maybe he used to have a crush on them before he fell, so seeing them again after such long time just makes his old feelings come back in the worst way possible..
Thank you so much for giving me a background, lol! It helped a lot when working on this ^^ Sorry for the long wait, hope it was worth it.
Yandere! Lucifer with Fallen Angel! Darling
Pairing: Romantic
Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Manipulation, Clingy behavior, Possessive behavior, Kidnapping, Delusional behavior, Forced relationship.
Before Lucifer fell? What a long time...
Yet he no doubt remembers his time up there.
I imagine Lucifer knew you before he seduced Eve and married Lilith.
He kinda has to, right?
You were probably his first companion... Possibly a crush he had no idea how to act on.
He was quite... naive? Young?
Either way, back then he was rather inexperienced, even as an angel.
He always asked too many questions and seemed to stick his nose where it doesn't belong.
You knew him well back then.
You were two close friends, Lucifer had always remembered you fondly.
Everything about you was, well, angelic.
Your smile, your gaze, your pretty pure wings.
Like many things in heaven, you were a beauty to behold.
Lucifer, in hindsight, wishes he spent more time with you.
Things were simple back then.
Just two angels, sharing some talk.
There was no Hell yet and Lucifer was still that beaming dreamer that many found troublesome.
But you never thought that.
You were just as curious.
You were curious about him, humankind, and all of creation.
Even before Lucifer met Lilith it seems he was corrupting you.
Lucifer often told you of the dealings he and Lilith did.
He wasn't sure why... but maybe it was because you'd always perk up with stars in your eyes when you listened.
Although... Once temptation was introduced to humankind...
You were forced to watch Lucifer fall from grace.
Lucifer still remembers the fear in your eyes when you watch your companion fall.
He had always remembered you since that day.
Yet he was also occupied with his new wife, Lilith, deep in this new kingdom created by their hands.
Hell.
Honestly, Lucifer didn't think he'd see you again.
Why would he?
Far as he knew, you were quite the pure angel.
You belonged up there... while he deserved to take his punishment.
Lucifer didn't start thinking about you again until Lilith disappeared.
It was then, when he was alone with his rubber ducks, that he began to realize how much you meant to him.
He's a king... yet he's a pitiful king in this state.
Even now he misses the companionship you two would share.
But then there's... news.
A fallen angel has entered Hell.
Lucifer would normally not care when another soul enters Hell.
But an angel?
That's already surprising enough.
He probably met you after helping Charlie rebuild the Hotel.
Which only seems to surprise him more.
At first, well, he thinks he's dreaming.
There's... There's no way you're here!
Yet when he gets a close look...
It is you.
This was really you.
You look different due to the fall... but you.
Lucifer probably tears up when he sees you, like seeing a long lost friend.
A long lost love...
He's been alone for so long.
I don't doubt him hugging you when he sees you, baffling you and the other demons for a moment.
Until Lucifer starts dumping info, saying you two were close in Heaven.
Lucifer is quite excited you came down here.
He isn't sure how you ended up here...
Yet he's happy you are!
It's for... selfish reasons, but that's expected of a demon.
With you here, he's no longer alone!
He has his fellow (fallen) angel friend to keep him company!
Not only that... but he wants to show you the world he's been thriving in for... who knows how long?
You're scared when you first arrive... Completely expected.
You fell due to following Lucifer's teachings and agreeing with Charlie's plan to reform sinners.
Which is how you end up falling into Lucifer's new home.
Knowing how delusional and alone Lucifer is at this point, even after reconciling with his daughter, he'd probably think this was destiny.
You two were meant to meet again!
You were meant to save him from being lonely like the angel you are! (were?)
You'd no doubt be Lucifer's next love interest, even if you were technically his first.
Sometimes he's sorry for being away for so long.
You two would've been cute together up there...
....
But that can still happen, right!?
Lucifer definitely shows you around his home and reminisces about your time together in Heaven.
To you, he's like a friend who simply hasn't seen another friend in a long time.
Yet that's such a naive view...
In reality, due to his fragile mental state, Lucifer is quickly falling in love all over again.
I imagine now, in Hell, his feelings get twisted.
After all, he's no angel anymore.
You aren't either.
He can be possessive, he can be manipulative...
He's clingy, desperate, and hopes you still enjoy his presence.
To him, everything about you is still beautiful.
He hopes you're still a dreamer.
He hopes you understand how he feels.
He's delusional, probably accidentally confessing within weeks.
Then when he realizes it, he begs you to stay.
He's a king now!
He'll give you everything and anything!
Please don't leave too!
If... If you do...
Maybe he needs to clip your wings?
Lucifer doesn't have many... morals in this state.
Again, King of Hell and all.
So keeping you with him by force, even if he doesn't fully realize it, doesn't register as wrong to him.
He'll manipulate you or straight up lock you away.
If he wanted to restrict your power, he probably could since you both are fallen angels.
He's desperate to not be alone again.
He clings to you, perhaps even in demonic form, pleading you don't leave.
When you try to pull away, try to reason, try to run from your corrupted friend...
He merely strokes your wings in a comforting touch, whispering sweet nothings...
Before locking you away, chaining your wings, just so he can keep his closest companion.
Your wings bleed with your attempts to flee... the glowing ichor staining your skin.
You're miserable... tortured by your delusional companion's obsession...
But to Lucifer...
It was torture losing you... torture being alone...
But now, you're in his territory, his domain...
Now? Well, now you'll never leave him!
He won't let it happen.
He's sick of being alone.
He just wants to hold you... kiss you... love you...
He wants you to be his.
He's waited a long time for this.
He knows you're scared... but... you'll grow used to your new home...
He'll take care of you, he'll love you until he sees that familiar sparkle of happiness in your eyes...
But just when he thinks he sees your eyes sparkle when you look at him...
He quickly realizes it's tears.
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Steddie đ
Steve sucks his thumb to focus or to calm down and self regulate
Steve is walking back and forth in his room and he sucks on his thumb he knows itâll mess up his teeth but he canât help it. Eddie is supposed to come over sometime soon, and Steve is worrying about it because he had Eddie come over so he confess to him, but he got so distracted by his worrying and thumb sucking that he did realize what time it was, the front door downstairs unlocks and opens (he gave Eddie a spare key), Steve doesnât realize it tho.
âHarrington~!â Eddie calls out in a sing song tone, the stairs creak as he comes up the stairs, Steveâs door is cracked open just enough to where Eddie can see Steve sucking his thumb and pacing around, Eddie finds it adorable. Eddie opens the door slowly, he clears his throat. Steve turns around and quickly takes his thumb out of his mouth.
âEd! HeyyâŠâ Steve says nervously
âStevie. What are you doing?â Eddie smirks
âNothing. Just waiting for you.â He wipes off his thumb on his pants
âYou suck your thumb?â Eddie says in a knowing tone
âNo! No I donâtâ Steve quickly answers he doesnât want Eddie to think heâs weirds or abnormal, even tho Eddie himself is weird and abnormal.
âSteve. Stevie. Steven. Youâre fine.â Eddie walks closer to him
ââŠitâs weird I know. Just forget you saw that, pleaseâ
âOh come on Harrington! Look at me, you seriously think I care that you do something weird? Itâs cute. â
âItâs embarrassing!â
âYou know what, I forget about it. You called me over here because you wanted to talk to me in person? Miss me that much Stevie?â
Steve sighs heavily. He runs his hands thru his hair.
âUh yeah. Before I say it, just promise me you wonât be mad or freaked outâŠ.pleaseâ
âWhat itâs not like you have a crush on me or something?â Eddie says, he doesnât mean it in a âI donât want Steve to like meâ he means it more like âPLEASE LIKE ME STEVE!â Way
Steve heart drops when he says that. He clears his throat. His breathing becomes heavy and his face becomes hot. He feels embarrassed, he knew he didnât have a chance with Eddie.
âOh⊠no! No⊠uhm I just. Uh.. was having problems with my carâŠyeah itâs making noises.â Steve blurts out, itâs the first thing that came to mind.
Eddie feels disappointed. âIâll fix your car right up stevie! But you look way too nice just to tell me about your car problems, you got a date or something?â
âUh no. Just what I put on today. So can you help me with my car? I need it for tomorrow because Iâm supposed to take shit head to the arcadeâ Without thinking steve puts him thumb in between his teeth. He lies even more, heâs doing nothing tomorrow, well now heâs going to sulk and wallow in sorrow.
They go downstairs and to the front where Steveâs car is parked. Eddie pops the hood and starts to get to work.
âSo uh what did you say was wrong with your car?â Eddie says, not in his usual happy cheerful tone but in a disappointed tone.
âThe engine is making funny noises, like itâs loud weird noises.â Steve says he catches on to Eddieâs disappointed tone âEddie are you alright?â
âYeah? Iâm fine Steve why?â He lies thru his teeth. They are both oblivious idiots.
Steve puts his thumb in mouth and shrugs.
âDunno. You just soundâŠuh disappointed?â Steve says he looks at worried
Eddie smiles at Steve sucking his thumb, the image warms his heart.
âStevie. I just donât know why you would call me over at such an hour and looks so nice just for me to help with your carâŠover the phone you sounded nervous andâŠ.â The realization hits Eddie.
âSteve.â
Steve shys away.
âOh Eddie I-. Iâm sorry, I justâŠEddie I really like you, like a lot. Uhm but I know now that you obviously donât-â Eddie cuts him off with a kiss.
âSteve I havenât never wanted anymore more then I want you! What I said back there was complete self doubt please ignore that!â He hugs Steve.
Steve puts his thumb in between his teeth.
âYou mean⊠you like me back!â
âI just kissed you Steve, of course I like you back!â
The end
#stranger things#steve harrington#stranger things 5#autistic steve harrington#trans steve harrington#eddie munson x steve harrington#eddie munson#steddie#ftm steve harrington#Steve Harrington x Eddie Munson
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âč chapter 03 âș OUR NAMES
âââ JUST YâUR ATTENTIâN â ïœĄ ° â©
WARNINGSââ wholesome yet again encounter, staring, nothing serious.
WCââ 2,201 words.
ââ JYA main list | previous | next
days had passed, and minji couldn't get you out of her mind. schoolwork, exam, club activitiesâ she had enough on her plate to keep everyone busy, yet her thoughts returned to that moment in the library when she first saw you.
bathed in that warm afternoon light by the window, dust particles drifting lazily around you like tiny sparks. it was an image that has taken root in her mind, one she couldn't shake, no matter how much she tried to push it away.
she caught herself replaying that scene more times than she could count.
at first, she tried to convince herself that it was just curiosityâ simple intrigue, nothing more. but as her mind wandered over these moments, she found herself lingering in your expression, the way you looked so absorbed, distant but at peace in your own world.
she realized, somewhat flustered, that it wasn't just about knowing your nameâ there was something about you, something she has drawn to, even if she couldn't fully understand why.
"maybe it's just a crush," she told herself in bed one night, staring at the ceiling with her cheeks heating up.
"just a passing thing... i mean, it's not like i really know her! it's probably just-" she paused momentarily.
"...i don't know, attraction...?" she whispered.
she covered her face with her hands, groaning quietly. this is so ridiculous, she thought, but somehow, admitting this to herself only made her more determined to learn your name.
she resolved that tomorrow, no matter what, she'd ask someone. she has to, or else this won't end.
âââââ
the next day, minji moved through her classes with renewed purpose, but when lunchtime came around, she decided against asking her friends, hanni and danielle, for help.
it wasn't that she didn't trust themâ she just didn't want to bother them with something that seemed so insignificant. besides, knowing hanni, she'd probably tease her about it relentlessly.
no, this was something she wanted to handle alone.
she went to the student council office after school, where she spotted seojin, one of the council members she knew. she was leafing through a pile of folders, so she approached him cautiously, trying to seem casual.
"hey, seojin," she calls out, keeping her tone light. "do you happen to know the full name of the girl who's always in the library? i think her last name is jeon."
seojin looked up, eyebrows raised in surprise. "oh, minji! yeah, i know herâ her name is jeon y/n. she's quiet, always seems to keep to herself."
minji felt a strange flutter in her chest at hearing your name for the first time.
"jeon y/n.." she repeated softly, tasting the sound of it. it felt... right, somehow, like it belonged to you perfectly. "thanks, seojin. that's all i need."
"no problem," he replied, giving her a knowing smile as she walked away.
throughout the rest of her classes, your name echoed in her mindâ jeon y/n. simple, yet it seemed to carry a certain weight, and minji found herself both relieved and oddly thrilled to finally know it, but along with that relief was a strange impatience.
an impulse to see you, to hear your unknown voice, maybe even catch a glimpse of that quiet expression you wore in the library. it was a desire that felt out of place, yet she couldn't ignore it.
âââââ
as soon as the final bell rang, minji gathered her things and made her way to the library. her pace quickened as she neared the familiar doors, though she couldn't quite explain why she was in such a hurry.
the library was quiet, as always, nearly empty save for a few students at scattered tables, but then she saw you.
you were on the floor by the window, tucked into your usual corner, your head resting against the table's edge. an open book lay across your lap, and you were fast asleep, your features softened and relaxed in a way she hadn't seen before.
a pang of something unfamiliar tugged at minji's heart as she watched you.
you looked so vulnerable, so unguarded, and something about it stirred a gentle protectiveness in her. she wondered what had driven you to isolate yourself like thisâ what kind of hurt or hardship might have shaped you into someone who found comfort in solitude.
she could almost relate to that feeling, the urge to hide away from the world, to keep yourself safe by keeping your distance.
feeling a quiet empathy, she moved closer, choosing to sit on the floor across from you but at a safe distance. she leaned her back against the wall, her gaze resting on you, her eyes soft with unspoken understanding.
she didn't want to disturb you; she only wanted to be near, to share this quiet space with you, even if you were completely unaware of her presence.
minji let her thoughts drift, the silence around her mingling with the steady rhythm of your breathing. she wasn't sure how long she stayed there, simply watching you, feeling an odd sense of peace.
your name whispered through her mind, lingering like a gentle choir.
slowly, her own eyelids grew heavy, the weight of the day catching up to her. the library was so warm and quiet, and in that stillness, she felt a rare sense of calm, as if sitting here with you brought her in comfort she hadn't realized she'd been missing.
and with one last thought of your name, minji drifted into sleep, resting in the quiet company of someone who understood the solace of solitude.
âââââ
as minji's eyes fluttered open, the soft light of the library greeted her, casting a warm glow over everything. she blinked, adjusting to the dimming light, when suddenly she noticed... you.
you were sitting right in front of her, between her legs, your face mere inches away.
she jolted slightly, her cheeks heating up in surprise as she took in the sight of you up closeâ your expression blank, yet there was a quiet curiosity in your eyes, almost like a child observing something new.
her heart quickened, caught off guard not just by your closeness but by the calm, inquisitive look you gave her.
"ohâuh... hi," minji managed, her voice coming out a little unsteady. she felt slightly dizzy, still waking up, but the sight of you looking at her like this seemed to ground her.
"i... i didn't realize you'd be... here." she stammered, feeling an odd mix of embarrassment and amazement.byou tilted your head, still watching her with that steady gaze, and for a moment she didn't know what to say.
finally, she let out a sheepish laugh, scratching the back of her neck. "i.. i must've fallen asleep here," she admitted, her cheeks burning. "sorry if.. i was in your way. i didn't mean to stare while you were asleep."
a soft, small chuckle escaped your lips. "you didn't bother me." you said, your voice quiet but warm, a sound that resonated with a soft, calming tone.
it was everything minji had imaginedâ your voice was beautiful, soothing, like a gentle melody that filled the silence between you two.
"it's been a while since anyone's stayed here," you added, your voice barely above a whisper, but there was a certain weight to your words, like they held a piece of something you weren't saying outright. minji couldn't help but feel more drawn in, her awe growing as she took in a quiet grace with which you spoke.
she couldn't stop herself from blushing deeper, flustered yet unable to look away.
"i.. really didn't mean to intrude," she mumbled, feeling oddly shy as she glanced down, catching sight of her skirt riding up slightly due to how she'd parted her legs. quickly, she adjusted, hoping you hadn't noticed.
but you didn't seem to care or even mind. instead, you simply looked at her, calm and unbothered. then, with a gentle smile that softened your expression, you shifted closer, closing the gap just a little more, as though inviting her further into this shared silence.
minji's heart thudded, feeling both nervous and thrilled by your warm gaze. she tried to compose herself, feeling her hands sweating and fidgeting in her lap.
"s-so... um, what.. what's your name?" she asked softly, even though she knew, yet she wanted to hear it from you, almost afraid to break the delicate atmosphere between you.
after a moment, you finally spoke. "jeon y/n." you said, your voice carrying a sense of openness, a calm invitation. there was no smile on your face now, but your eyes were gentle, almost as if you were quietly welcoming her into this new chapter of whatever might unfold between you two.
"jeon.. y/n.." minji echoed, letting your name roll off her tongue, savoring the sound of it.
it felt so surreal, like finally unlocking a mystery that had been hidden just out of reach. her eyes softened, a small, shy smile playing on her lips as she looked back at you. "i.. i'm kim minji."
you nodded, acknowledging her introduction, and in that moment, something seemed to shift between youâ something quiet but significant, as though you'd both taken a small step forward.
for a while, neither of you said anything, letting the silence speak for itself.
minji couldn't believe how much had changed in such a short span, how this simple encounter had bloomed into something that felt like the beginning of something special.
your name felt like a blessing.
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