#like give him someone interesting to talk to

[ordinary-barbie]

warm enough for you outside, baby (tell me if it's warm enough here for you)

summary: Rafe is sick of watching you hopelessly pine for another guy, so he decides to take matters into his own hands.

word count: 2.2k

tags: mean!rafe, rafe is lowkey jealous, unrequited love, enemies (sort of) to lovers, pet names (princess, baby, sweetheart), au where jj is a kook, jj x kiara mentions, everyone is about 21 here, unprotected p in v, oral (fem receiving), fingering, mention of reader having periods, insecure!reader, creampie

note: title comes from Drew Barrymore by SZA!

Smut incoming under the cut—18+ only! Minors DNI!

You honestly made Rafe sick.

Every party, it was the same shit: you'd follow Jackson Generette like a puppy, lapping up any crumbs of attention he gave you. Rafe thought things would be different once JJ started dating Kiara Carrera, but somehow, you got even worse. You'd show up to parties with friends but send him longing looks the entire time, as if Generette could read your mind and run into your arms.

Rafe clenched his jaw as he watched you watching JJ and Kiara. The two of them were cuddled on the couch, Kiara's head thrown back in laughter as JJ whispered something into her ear. Did you seriously not see how pathetic it was to pine over someone interested in somebody else?

Rafe got up, ignoring the eager looks other Kook girls were sending him, and sidled up to you. You had absconded to an abandoned living room corner, gripping a cup of punch in your hand as you stared longingly at your crush and his girlfriend.

"You know he's never gonna look at you like that, right?" Rafe blurted, startling you. You turned to Rafe, frowning.

"You don't know what you're talking about," you muttered, trying to keep your composure.

Rafe snorted. "Princess, come on. You've been giving him the same 'fuck me' puppy dog eyes since high school. Just face it—he's not into you."

You huffed, scowling at Rafe. "You're such an asshole."

"So I've been told," Rafe replied, smirking at you.

"I honestly don't know why I can't get over him," you admitted, your lip wobbling. "He's just so...nice. And funny. It hurts that he only sees me as a friend."

Rafe couldn't help but feel a little bad for you, but a bigger part of him was so done with the moping over fucking Generette of all people. Not like he was doing the same towards you, yearning from afar. That was totally different, obviously.

"Well, you know what they say—the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else," Rafe casually replied, his grin turning downright lecherous. You gulped, that smile sending a bolt of lightning straight to your core.

You rolled your eyes. "What are you even talking about, Cameron?"

Rafe chuckled. "I mean, why waste your time simping over Generette when you have other options?"

You froze, not knowing what to say. Was Rafe Cameron, of all people, offering to hook up with you?

"If this is some weird pity fuck, you can forget it," you snapped. "I don't need you feeling sorry for me."

Rafe's smile grew lopsided. "Is it really that unbelievable that I would want to hook up with you, princess?"

You shrugged, fixing Rafe with a deadpan stare. "A little bit, yeah."

Rafe tsked at you, shaking his head. "You've been spending so much time making goo-goo eyes at him that you can't even see what's right in front of you, huh?"

He moved closer to you, brushing his lips against your ear. "Let me make you feel good," he murmured.

Your heart was racing. You got a whiff of his scent—an earthy, musky scent that made you want to bury your head in the side of his neck and inhale. You thought Rafe was cute—he may be a bit of a prick, but you had eyes, after all—but never would've imagined talking to him, let alone being with him in that way.

Fuck it. The boy you'd been crushing on since ninth grade would never return your affections, and at least Rafe was showing you some interest. You quickly downed your punch, letting the red solo cup drop to the ground with a thud.

"Make me feel good then," you said breathily, staring deeply into Rafe's eyes.

Rafe let out a low groan. "You're fuckin' killing me, sweetheart," he mumbled, before grabbing your hand and quickly leading you up the stairs of whatever Kook's house this was.

-

Rafe found a random room and kicked the door open before quickly locking it behind you. You wanted to look at the decor, but Rafe's lips were on yours before you could scope out the place. You supposed it didn't matter anyway, since Rafe would have you buried into the mattress soon enough.

You looped your arms around Rafe's neck, timidly kissing him back. You hadn't had much kissing experience besides the odd game of Truth or Dare or Seven Minutes in Heaven at a party, so you were a tad nervous. But then Rafe lightly bit your lip, enjoying your soft moan before sliding his tongue inside, and you found yourself passionately kissing him back.

"Take this off. Now," Rafe commanded, tugging at the hem of your blue sundress. You readily obliged, stripping down to just your underwear.

Rafe looked at you hungrily, eyeing your chest. "Fuckin perfect," he rasped. "Can't believe you've been hiding these tits from me."

He easily picked you up and threw you on the bed, shedding himself of his clothes save for his Calvin Klein boxers. Rafe climbed on top of you, burying his face in your chest and nipping at your breasts. You whimpered, which seemed to spur him on more as he soothed the bites with kisses.

He continued leaving a trail of kisses down your body until he reached your thighs. "Open up for me, princess," he murmured, running his fingers down your legs.

You tried to protest. "Rafe, I haven't shaved—"

"I don't give a shit. Lemme eat you out," Rafe demanded, his pupils blown out with lust.

You complied, spreading your legs open for Rafe. He pushed your panties to the side easily settled into his new position between your thighs, diving into your cunt like a starved man. He wrapped his lips around your clit, sucking it with a fervor that made you loudly gasp, bucking your hips.

"You're not going anywhere, sweetheart—you taste too fuckin good," Rafe mumbled, pinning your hips down with both hands. He flattened his tongue, lapping at your folds before lazily licking your clit. You whined, feeling a white-hot pressure down in your gut.

You felt Rafe's smirk against your inner thighs. "Gonna cum for me already?"

"Uh huh," you mumbled, too caught up in your pleasure to form a coherent response.

Rafe slid one of his hands down to your clit, pressing down on it and rubbing circles on it with your thumb. You moaned, arching your back off the bed and clenching your thighs around Rafe's head as you came undone for him.

Rafe removed himself from your cunt and sat back, licking his lips. "Goddamn, baby. Generette is a fucking moron to miss out on this."

You looked up at Rafe, your eyes instantly drawn to the straining erection in his black briefs. "See something you like?" he asked cockily.

Your cheeks grew warm. "I mean—I guess so," you bashfully replied

Rafe chuckled lowly. "You're so shy, princess. It's adorable."

You rolled your eyes. "Just—are you gonna fuck me or what?" you grumbled, your core throbbing with pent-up frustration.

Rafe's grin was devilish. "All you had to do was ask, baby."

He tossed his briefs to the side, revealing his thick, throbbing cock, its tip flushed an angry red. Your mouth went dry as you gaped at Rafe, just in awe of how a dick could be so...pretty.

"Fuck, I gotta see where Chase keeps the condoms," Rafe said, dragging a hand over his face.

"No need—I'm on the pill," you said, smiling shyly.

"Oh shit, are you actually getting some? Maybe you're more of a freak than I thought," Rafe teased, his dick twitching at your confession.

"It's to help regulate my periods, you perv," you said sharply. "Unfortunately, I'm still a sad little virgin."

Rafe's cheeks turned pink. "'m sorry, I didn't mean to come off like an asshole," he mumbled, sounding contrite.

"I just always imagined he'd be my first. That's pathetic, I know," you admitted, laughing bitterly. "When we were, like, fifteen, he and I made this dumb pact that if we were both still virgins by the time we graduated, then we'd sleep together. Obviously, that didn't happen."

Rafe's jaw ticked. He'd never been Generette's biggest fan, but you'd given him even more reasons to dislike the guy. You were sweet and sarcastic and beautiful—how could he not see this? How could he casually offer to take your virginity, not realizing that you'd given your entire heart to him?

"Gonna fuck you so good, you forget his name," Rafe growled, pushing himself inside of you. You moaned, enjoying the feeling of his cock inside you, stretching you out.

Rafe began thrusting into you, brushing up against your clit with his tip and setting every nerve in your body alight. "Fuck, Rafe—feels so good," you gasped.

Rafe lifted up one of your legs and put it atop his shoulder, allowing himself to plow even deeper into you. You mewled, feeling his tip all the way in your cervix. Your body tingled, legs trembling, and you came apart for Rafe again, creaming all over his cock.

Rafe pulled out, panting, his eyes fiery with desire. "Turn around for me and show me that ass," he ordered. You rolled over on your stomach and he hummed appreciatively, smacking your butt. "Fuck. You're like a work of art."

Your cheeks grew warm again; you were still unused to being desired like this. In the past, JJ had told you you looked nice, and you'd held on to those casual comments like they were love letters. But Rafe? He gazed at you as if you were Aphrodite, ready and willing to worship at the goddess's altar. You knew you didn't need a guy's validation, but damn if Rafe didn't make you feel beautiful right now.

Rafe slid back into you, fucking you faster, and grunted when your pussy tightened around him. "You're so fuckin tight and wet for me, princess. i love this sweet little pussy."

Rafe gripped your hips, his cock throbbing inside of you. "Gonna cum," he warned. "You ready for me to fill you up, baby?"

You clenched around him again, and Rafe chuckled. "Oh, you like that, yeah? Such a good girl for me."

Rafe let out another grunt as he released inside of you, ropes of his hot cum filling your pussy. Rafe pulled out slowly, admiring the way his creampie was leaking out of you.

You and Rafe lay next to each other, your chests heaving as you recovered. "Hey—thanks," you shyly said to him.

"For what?" Rafe asked, wrapping an arm around your waist and pulling you to his chest.

"For the sex, of course," you joked, causing Rafe to snort. "But also for breaking that spell over me. I wasted so much time pining over someone who never saw me as more than someone to play Mario Kart with."

Rafe kissed your collarbone. "He's an idiot," he mumbled. "But I'm actually glad. Because it meant I finally got to do this."

You laughed, beaming at Rafe. "Rafe Cameron. Do you have a crush on me?"

Rafe lifted his head up, his ears flushing bright red. "Shut up. Maybe I do, alright? It's not a big deal."

You looked at Rafe fondly. "You're kinda cute. I guess I'll keep you around."

Rafe lazily smirked at you. "I'm all yours, baby."

You got up to clean yourself, but Rafe grabbed you by the waist. "Where d'ya think you're going, huh?"

"Gonna clean off all this cum, thanks to you," you quipped.

Rafe’s mouth curled into a smug grin. “Nah, put on your panties and keep it inside of you for the rest of the night. Want you to remember who you belong to.”

You shivered, weirdly loving his possessiveness right now. You got off the bed and pulled your underwear back on, moaning a little at his sticky cum in your panties. The thought of walking around all night, still stuffed with his load, made your pussy throb.

“Now, cmon,” Rafe said, jumping to his feet and putting his clothes back on. “Get dressed—there’s a whole party out there that we’re missing.”

[no-144444]

attending the met gala!

꩜ featuring: the entire grid, jenson button, mark webber, nico rosberg, sebastian vettel, daniel riccardo, logan sargeant

꩜ warnings: some 18+ references

mclaren

Oscar Piastri: nonchalant king 

He’s there for you, and you only. 

Boring black tux, but talks about how cool the concept is and has some cool takes so he makes up for it.

Asked Lewis for advice 

You two have a subtle coordination on your fits 

He’d stepping back so you can have your moment, but there’s about 500 photos of him looking at you lovingly as you pose for the photos 

Tries to act interested by just ends up talking to you and lewis all night 

HATES it when lewis tries to introduce him to someone famous and it CRACKS you up

Flops into bed in his suit and falls asleep as you take off your makeup. 

Again, CRACKS you up 

You climb into bed beside him and he’s wrapping his arms around you and whispering about how beautiful you looked/ look until yall fall asleep 

Lando Norris: STRESSED 

GRILLED lewis on what to wear. 

Was so stressed about it he missed his flight. 

Cue more stress 

Literally everything that could’ve gone wrong for him did and he was shitting himself because he didn’t want to ruin your big day (considering he was just coming as your guest) 

The airline loses his luggage 

He gets stopped by border security for a ages

gets the next flight and gets there in time to start getting ready with you, until you both realise the brand you’re going with brought the wrong suit for him. 

Both of you panic, him almost crying out of frustration for the past 20 hours, but you calm him down and thankfully it gets to the hotel in time

Once you’re all ready he is HANDSY 

I mean he won’t let you go girl 

You walk the stairs together, hand in hand, both beaming despite the luck of the past 24 hours

Again girl, hsi hands do not leave you and yall get some gorgeous shots together on the carpet and throughout the night 

He falls asleep at the table 

Lewis posts a picture on his insta and he gets violently grilled by the internet 

mercedes

George Russell: he’s been waiting for this 

Not that he’s a fashion man, but he likes looking good. 

Also grills Lewis about the theme and what he should wear 

Shows up and shows out tbf 

He knows what he wants when yall are going to fittings 

He’s not bothering with being boring because why would he?

he gets so into it he gives you the ick because he says shit like ‘chartreuse? No. not for you’ 

The night of the thing he’s shitting BRICKS 

He’s so scared to walk the carpet. 

But once yall get on and he’s holding your hand, he calms down. 

Serves face at the cameras 

FALLS UP THE STAIRS, AND YET ANOTHER MEME IS BORN 

You laugh so hard you almost fall down the stairs be he catches you and you get a real cute photo of the two of you laughing 

He sits by lewis all night, too scared to try and meet hollywood 

Kimi Antonelli: confused but supportive 

He barely knew what the met gala was when you first mentioned it, but it was happy to oblige you if that’s what you wanted 

He asked Lewis and Charles about it (the most fashionable people he knows)

Lewis sent him inspo and he just picked one and handed it to the brand you were going with 

During his fitting he kept dragging you into the changing room with him not realising he was in a Chanel store and almost got you two kicked out 

“So it’s like a fashion show?” 

“It’s a museum Kim-”

“BORING!”

Like Lando, he’s mr.grabby hands over here once you’re ready 

Tells reporters he’s just there for you and has no idea what he’s meant to do for the rest of the night 

“There’s an afterparty,” you tell him 

“Great! I can get drunk!” he smiled 

You shook your head. “Baby, we’re in america”

Sulks about that but Lewis sneaks you two some alcohol 

williams

Alex Albon: pop culture king 

He does a LOT of research and decides to tie in his Thai heritage with some patterns 

Genuinely gets into it and gets embarrassed when you say it’s cute that he’s getting into it 

Obviously has an obnoxious jokey pin on the inside of his jacket 

The weeks leading up it’s the only thing he and Lewis talk about 

Lewis came to one of his fittings and was genuinely so surprised at the thought he’d put into it 

Getting ready, he’s cracking so many jokes to calm both your nerves 

Once you’re on the carpet, he’s pointing out the influencers he knows and judging outfits 

He gets a great photo beside Lewis 

Gets incredible photos beside you 

Yall look adorable 

Carlos Sainz: he’s… he’s there! 

Bless him, he looks confused at the best of times but when you were explaining the met gala… you should’ve tried quantum physics first :( 

“It’s a fashion show?”

“It’s an exhibition?” 

“Which is it?!” 

He goes for a plain tux tbh, if he does anything else he’d be in information overload 

Jaw drops when he sees you in a suit 

Genuinely cannot stop kissing you 

The night of he is slightly terrified but you quell his nerves with your wonderful sense of humor 

Walking the carpet together is hilarious and fun because he has no idea what he’s doing there, and he can’t focus on anything but you, so you answer his questions for him 

Bathroom quickie 🤷

Asks Lewis if he approves of your outfit, which is all he cares about 

He loves you in a suit 

LOVES you in a suit 

I cannot stress enough how much he loves you in a suit 

redbull

Max Verstappen: he’s there for you bfr 

He’s allergic to anything but team kit, bffr 

Normally, nothing would get him to go to the met gala 

Not exactly his scene, plus it’s right after a race so he'd be exhausted 

You begged him though (and promised blow-jobs whenever he wanted for a month) 

So he agreed 

Plain black tux (BORING) 

Doesn’t give a singular shit about the questions he’s asked when he confirms that he’s going 

The day of, he’s just staring at you as you get ready 

He’s genuinely enchanted by you 

Cannot look away 

Very much let’s you have your moment on the stairs, but you pull him in for a kiss and it makes a great photo  

Reminds you the whole night he’s only there for you 

Ends up watching some form of racing on his phone like a fucking ipad kid 

Bj in the car after 

Yuki Tsunoda: fashion icon don’t play 

We ALL know he’s a fashionista 

Wouldn’t pass up the opportunity 

Sadly, is dressed by Boss, but we can get over that 

Subtle matching with you 

Gets Lewis’s approval on his suit 

It’s not totally out there but it’s not a boring black or navy tux 

Cannot keep his hand off you on the carpet 

Keeps whispering about how beautiful you look 

Gets sloshed at the after party 

Makes friends with a bunch of prominent hollywood people while he’s drunk 

‘Omg me gurlfrirnd is ssooooooooooooooooooooooooooo prewetty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’ he posts a photo of the floor with that as a caption 

Gets put in pr lessons for 3 weeks 

Still maintains it was worth it 

vcarb

Isack Hadjar: he’s such a little baby 

He’s terrified 

I mean frozen with fear when you ask him to be your plus one

Agrees, but needs your help the whole way 

HAS TO GET LEWIS’S APPROVAL ON HIS SUIT 

Actually, Lewis helps him understand the theme and helps him pick out his suit 

Cute bonding moment for them 

Insists you wear the same colour as him 

The day of, he goes full simp 

Getting you coffees and food, checking in on you every four second 

Watching you get ready with actually heart eyes 

Doesn’t understand how to pose on the carpet, but he’s just so happy and honoured to be there with you that he just blushes and stands beside you until you move him how you want 

Seriously enjoys it when you kiss his cheek on the carpet and the cameras go mad

Makes that photo his lockscreen 

Liam Lawson: there’s heart there 

He doesn’t fully get it and he’s too scared to ask Lewis, so he asks you to pick his suit 

He’ll wear anything 

he doesn’t care once he’s going with you 

Literally watches tiktoks on how to pose on carpets 

He doesn’t want to fuck this up for you so he is constantly asking for approval of things

Let’s you pick how his hair, facial hair, outfit, etc. looks 

He just wants you to be happy 

The whole time on the carpet he is sweating buckets and terrified

That eases once you take his hand 

He answers interview questions politely, but his eyes continuously drift to you 

You’re always distracting him 

Ends up meeting a bunch of hollywood people and enjoying his night 

Both of you get trashed at the after party 

Drunk sex in your hotel room 

ferrari

Charles LeClerc: matching 

He will actually refuse unless you’re matching 

It’s slightly annoying but whatever 

He’s so into the outfit planning you almost wonder the performance of the ferrari is due to their drivers being so into the met gala

Insists you both wear ferrari pins 

At your first fitting for your outfit, he actually lost his mind 

Fucked in the car after 

He’s so nervous the whole week before 

Accidentally gets kind of drunk before it to calm his nerves 

It’s hilarious 

Deeply enjoyable to watch him almost fall up the stairs as he sobers up and realises what he’s doing and where he is, then that easy smile is replaced with a sullen look of fear and terror all in one 

Wanted to bring Leo 

Cannot stop telling you (and others) how gorgeous you are 

Slaps your ass so hard on the carpet and so many people get photos of it 

He gets asked about it on the next race weekend and he just puts his head in his hands, not remembering doing that until someone shows him the video- it definitely explains the bruise he noticed on your ass that morning 

Lewis Hamilton: …oh girl

Babe, your boyfriend is on the committee, you’re showing up and showing OUT 

He helps you with every bit of your outfit, feeling touched by how into it you are

Matching colours and concepts 

You help him with his board duties 

You’re super nervous in the un up to it, but he calms it all down 

The day of he’s paying extra attention to you and making sure you’re alright 

Yall are a POWER COUPLE when walking the carpet 

I mean everyone stops and looks girl 

You two serve genuine CUNT it’s literally insane 

He GUSHES about you in interviews 

You brag about him in interviews 

In the bathroom selfie he has his arms around you and every loves it 

You lowkey soft launch your engagement at it… by accident tho

Dancing all night during the after party 

He’s so thankful to you for how much effort you put into something that mattered to him so much 

Zhou Guanyu: pookie ZHOU 

He’s ready 

He’s planning 

He’s got the pinterest boards up 

He’s serving 

He’s critiquing your fit 

He’s showing UP! 

Get’s Lewis’s advice 

We ALL know Zhou is a fashion diva, so he’s so serving 

On the carpet, he’s serving FACE beside you 

Shining on the carpet, GENUINELY 

Has sweetcorn embroidered onto the inside of his suit (he is your child, of course) 

Slightly matching with you 

Spends all his interviews gushing about you 

Him and Lewis hug when they meet on the carpet and IT IS SUCH A CUTE PHOTO 

Omg i love Zhou so much 

haas

Ollie Bearman: he’s got the spirit! 

He has NO idea what he’s doing 

Goes to CARLOS for help… doesn’t get any 

Freaks out over it because he has NO idea what he’s doing 

Genuinely loses sleep 

Also it’s your relationship debut os he’d DOUBLE scared 

Subtly matches you 

Needs constant reassurance that you actually like his suit 

The night of he freaks out 

Literally shaking in the car, knee bouncing, etc. 

You have no idea how to calm him down because you're also terrified, so you just kiss him the second you get out of the car 

HARD LAUNCH QUEEN! 

he’s shocked for a second, but then relaxes into it 

Cameras are FLASHING girl

Teases you about it all night 

You both end up enjoying yourselves 

Esteban Ocon: has no idea what he’s doing 

Like, he barely knows what the Met is so… yeah. You’re in for a treat! 

He’s supportive of you and genuinely wants you to enjoy yourself, just fashion is NOT his expertise if you get what i mean

Let’s you pick everything 

Doesn’t care what you put him in once he’s walking in on your arm 

The night of, he’s weirdly calm and noticed how anxious you are 

Is super reassuring all night and on the carpet 

Super sweet in general 

You both end up having a great night 

aston martin

Lance Stroll: anti-social butterfly! 

At first, he flat out said no 

He wasn’t interested in being stuck in a sweaty hall with all of Hollywood for a night while he just pretended not to be there so people wouldn’t speak to him

He then realised that it meant a lot to you so he agreed and apologised for not saying yes sooner

PLANNING BEGINS! He’s scared to ask about anything because he knows it’ll turn into a 30 minute long lecture where he’s taught various fashion terms, pop culture terms, or the names of celebrities he should probably know 

He just follows your lead the whole time 

Photobombs EVERYONE 

I mean he is EVERYWHERE AND IN EVERYONE’S PHOTOS 

Randomly, he becomes mates with jack harlow 

Ends up enjoying himself a lot 

Handsy with you on the carpet, but in a sweet way 

Fernando Alonso: he has a mission 

When you asked, he was definitely up for it 

Kind of scared but like, supportive boyfriend 

Is excited to meet all the celebrities 

But when he finds out taylor swift is going, a plan is hatched 

He wants to get a photo with her and makes it his mission for the night 

Obvi, spends the majority of the night with you 

Does in fact get a photo with her (furthering the rumours, of course), and posts it before his photos with you (smh)

Makes tiktoks in the bathroom with other met-goers 

Weirdly, befriends rhianna 

sauber

Nico Hulkenberg: dude he’s scared 

Didn’t want to go but is going for you 

BORING BLACK TUX but whatever 

Talks to Lewis about it 

Is more lost after their conversation 

“So it’s for famous people? Why am I there?”

“OH! Is it for influencers? Why are we going?!” 

Bro is giving old man 

Anyway, follows you like a confused and scared puppy the whole carpet, but then you lose him the second you’re inside 

Funnily enough, gets trashed with Colman Domingo

Gabriel Borteleto: has no idea what he’s doing there 

Man is allergic to anything but team kit and zara mens, FREE HIM 

You both help style the outfits, but it’s definitely veering towards your vision because his is… (STRANGE)

Ends up enjoying the creation process 

Shitting himself the day of 

Almost vomits with nerves 

Goes out to lunch with ollie to try and calm down 

OLLIE GETS HIM DRUNK! 

He’s sloshed before even getting to the carpet, but you sober him up a bit 

(you also want ollie dead but that’s for later xxx)

On the carpet, he trips

Everyone laughs at him and he’s so embarrassed (chose that moment to sober up fully) he doesn’t even want to get up 

You tell him he’s alright and he kisses you on the carpet (CAMERAS FLASH!) and thanks you for bringing him, even if he makes a complete fool of himself 

You tell him it’s alright because he already made the biggest fool of himself by signing for sauber xxx

(he deserved it he got sloshed)

alpine

Jack Doohan: terror!

He’s never been more terrified in his LIFE 

Like girl he’s having heart palpitations. Why are you scaring him like this????

Anyway, gets Pierre’s advice on red carpets because he’s a #cannesqueen 

Lets you pick everything and just shows up on the day pumped full of coffee and shaking from the fear 

Ends up EATING on the carpet 

Serves down tbh (all thanks to you)

Admits he’s terrified in every single interview but is being brave for you 

Everyone online is like ‘dude drives cars at 300 miles an hours but is shitting himself on the met carpet’

Enjoys his night clinging to your arm 

Pierre Gasly: icon!

He was born ready 

He’s so excited

Gets Lewis’s advice, and shows Yuki the whole process 

Gets yuki’s advice more than yours but whatever it totally doesn’t bother you at all (it does)

Like his suit is cute but like… we both know you’re the real star here so he very much isn’t going all out os you can have your moment

NOT A BORING TUX- something colourful 

The day of, he’s never keeping his hands off you, like it’s BAD 

Interviewers even tell him to calm down 

He really enjoys himself 

Ends up playing chess with Lewis online inside

Wants to go again

Franco Colapinto: freaky

He doesn’t really get it at the beginning, but deffo is happy to go for you 

Doesn’t know anything about fashion so he lets you pick everything, but has strong feelings about certain things 

“I’m not wearing gloves, mi vita.”

“That’s so uncomfortable mi amor!”

“Do you think Lewis will like this?” constantly. 

#dramaking 

In the end, he really likes his suit and thanks you for all the work you put in to planning it 

You’d think he’d be his fine and charming self the day of, but no. He’s even worse! 

He’s his horny, fine, and charming self 

Refuses to keep his hands to himself all damn day 

Says CRAZY things in front of the vogue cameras in spanish, so bad that you have to ask them to cut it out of the video 

DOWNRIGHT FREAKY ON THE CARPET 

Hands all over you girl 

admits insane things in interviews 

“Well, yes, she looks beautiful. I’m more looking forward to taking it off her tonight,” with an innocent smile as you watch your career die in front of your eyes 

He’s fucking you in the car on the way to the after-party, 🤷

Paul Aron: my icon and king paul aron 

He’s ready for his moment 

Is scared but like… doesn’t let it show, which in turn makes you more stressed because like, he should be scared but he's not so now you’re more scared but anyway

He’s involved in everything 

very much gets Lewis’s and Pierre’s advice 

Talks to Oscar about it too (shockingly, deeply unhelpful) 

NOT A BORING BLACK TUX!!!

Genuinely researches the theme and hits the nail straight on the head. 

He looks GOOD 

Gets embarrassed because you refused to keep your hands off him 

(he’s secretly enjoying every moment) 

Is extremely grateful when you’re seated at the same table as Lewis so he actually has someone to talk to 

You have to persuade him not to wear sneakers 😭

Retired Drivers: 

Jenson Button: LOVES IT 

He was born ready 

BORING WHITE TUX BUT WHATEVER 

Helps you plan out your outfit 

Compliments you in every single interview, and cannot keep his hands to himself 

Tbf, you can't keep your hands off him either 

You’re giving POWER COUPLE on the carpet 

Lewis and Jenson have a little reunion on the carpet and inside 

You spend the night chatting with hollywood's elites while Jenson and Lewis race each other on spinny chairs they found 

Mark Webber: icon (drags oscar along too)

If you invited Mark, Oscar is coming too, it’s just a rule

You three look like a family fr 

BORING BLACK TUXES FOR THE BOTH OF THEM (BOOOOOOO)

Oscar kind of complains but you shut that down REAL quick 

Mark is having a great time with trying to make Oscar teach him the names of celebrities when Oscar clearly doesn’t fucking know 

Mark is handsy on the carpet and Oscar complains like a teenager the whole time 

“Jesus guys, get a fucking room.” 

“Fuck’s sake Mark, keep it to yourselves.”

He ends up enjoying himself as your son for the day

Mark has fun too 

Nico Rosberg: brittany 

He was born to serve do NOT play 

He dedicates so much time and ends up really enjoying the design process 

NOT A BORING BLACK TUX!!!!

You bring back the ‘brittany’ nickname and he literally side-eyes you like crazy every time you do it 

You almost want him to grow out his hair again 

Subtle matching with you two 

On the carpet, he admits he’s only really there for you (LIE) 

Lewis comes with someone and there’s an incredible Paul Mescal, Daisy Edgar-Jones, and Phoebe Bridgers style photo where Lewis is looking at Nico as he has someone on his arm, and Nico is just posing on his own like a diva 

It goes viral on twitter 

They also end up adding so much more fuel to the flames because they post a selfie from the bathroom where Lewis has his arm around his shoulder and they’re both clearly violently drunk 

Sebastian Vettel: bored

He’s NOT wearing a tie ‼️

Wants to bring your kids along but you won’t let him

Very much sulks about that 

Anyway, spends a bunch of time on research, only to wear a black tux with little bits of bee embroidery because he’s just a diva 🙄

Talks with Lewis 

PRACTICALLY SPEED-RUNS THE CARPET 

You’re actually pissed at how fast he’s gone but he apologises and says he wanted you to have your moment 

Facetimes the kids 

Then gets shit-faced and convinces you to get shit-faced

Drunk sex in the hotel room 😀

Logan Sargeant: scared ✌️

I mean this man is basically only seen in team kit or frat boy fits so…. idk what you’re expecting 

Definitely following your lead on everything 

Talks to Lewis about it briefly but like… walks away more confused tbh

Baby he is scared for his life as he walks that carpet 

BORING BLACK SUIT WARRIOR (when will these men learn?)

He’s a cutie tho, barely lets go of your hand because he’s so scared 

You two get some cute candids on the carpet when you make him laugh to distract him from his (warranted) fear 

Daniel Ricciardo: girl he’s not getting stuck with anne hathaway again 

He has revenge to enact 

Bro’s showing up decked out 

he genuinely thinks about his suit for so long and pays a bunch of attention to the little details 

Has something to remind him of you in his suit 

The day of, he’s holding himself back from you 

Genuinely cannot and will not keep his hands to himself 

On the carpet, he kisses and dips you (drama king!), making you both laugh, and he almost drops you 😐

Spots anne hathaway inside and hides from her all night 

Ends up giving an interview with Lewis

navigation for my blog :) (masterlist)

mclaren masterlist (OP81 &LN4)

ferrari masterlist (CL16, LH44 & AL65 )

williams & mercedes masterlist (GR63, KA12, CS55 LS2 &AA23)

redbull & vcarb masterlist (MV1, DR3 & LL40)

alpine masterlist (JD7, PA17, FC43)

[morverenmaybewrites]

Iced Coffee (Jason Todd x Reader)

Summary:

In which Dick Grayson tries to give Jason some relationship advice. And ends up learning a few new things about his little brother.

Pairing:

Jason Todd x Reader

(AO3)

Imagine Dick Grayson wanting to talk to Jason about his new girlfriend. That is, you.

Imagine Dick Grayson, talkative Dick Grayson, whose laughter and words bubbled easily from his throat, like air released from an opened soda can.

Imagine Dick Grayson, who's used to going into any situation utterly confident in his ability to coax a smile and a story out of even the grumpiest civilians.

And now imagine him being utterly on the back foot ever since Jason came back.

The smile that's more reliable to him than his own mask now feels more like a grimace whenever Dick is around his little brother. His jokes and short little stories meant to put people at ease dry up on his tongue, and he's often left with his mouth hanging stupidly open like a fish washed-up on Gotham Bay.

For all of his hard-earned people skills, Dick Grayson simply couldn't find the right words to reach his little brother.

Perhaps it's because his last image of Jason Todd was that of a prepubescent boy, growing so fast that their father barely had enough time to put clothes on his back before he's outgrown them again.

And now, in his place was a hulking giant that Dick had to crane his neck to look in the eye.

Perhaps it's Jason's voice, and the fact that before his kidnapping, he hadn't come into adult voice yet. It was still high-pitched and bright and excited whenever they bent their heads to look over maps of Gotham. This new Jason, on the other hand, had the voice of a man, harsh and gritty, like stone grinding against stone.

One that often made him seem far too old than his actual age.

Or perhaps it's the simple fact that a decade ago, the Joker took away Dick Grayson's little brother.

And the man who came back was now a stranger.

Dick tried, of course.

He tried his best, like anyone would, given his position. After all, how many people were given a second chance to make their family whole again?

It's just that he didn't know how.

While the previous Robin had been talkative and curious and hung onto every word Dick said as if it was gospel, this new Jason was quiet, taciturn.

He spoke with a wince, as if every word hurt him, and Dick had to work hard not to wonder why this was.

He wasn't usually interested in drawing up battle plans, often choosing to do missions alone.

Now imagine Dick Grayson, crammed in what feels like the world's tiniest Jetta during a stakeout, quietly trying not to go insane. He had never done well with silence, even before Jason had been kidnapped. He hated the idea of sitting in it, stewing in his own thoughts until he could feel them scratching along the inside of his skull.

But try as he might, Dick just couldn't draw his little brother into conversation. His answers, when he bothered to give them, were short and irritated. As final as a door slammed shut.

"So, you know much about this guy we're staking out?" Dick tried.

"About as much as you. Wanted for human trafficking." Jason paused, massaged his throat as if speaking two whole sentences hurt him.

Someone's phone pinged. They both looked at theirs.

After a minute, Dick tried again.

"Barbara said he used to work out of Peru. I wonder what made him move to Gotham. Got any ideas?"

Another ping. Jason looked down at his burner phone. Caught Dick's expression out of the corner of his eye and mutely shook his head.

"Well," Dick pretended to stretch, more to have something to do than anything else.

He decided to try a third time.

"Seen the Bloodhounds’ game last night?"

Jason looked at him as if he was speaking in tongues, and Dick decided that it was high time he tried shutting up for a while. He tapped his fingers on the wheel, fidgeted with the radio, trying to decide which station was the least likely to drive him insane over the course of what seemed to be a very long, very boring stakeout.

Dick settled on easy R&B. Leaned back in his seat, or at least pretended to, as he watched Jason fiddle with his phone.

"Barbara got any updates for us?" he asked as Jason read over a text.

There was an awful moment when Jason startled, and the first thing he did was reach for his guns. It must have been instinct, his hands flowing smoothly from one location to the next. And it was only the quiet click of the safety turning off that seemed to bring Jason back to himself.

Dick could practically see his little brother forcing himself to relax: the visible unclenching of his jaw. The conscious decision to let go of his guns.

And Dick tried, very, very hard not to think about how he must have spent the past few years, if his first reaction to being surprised was violence.

If he could somehow revive the Joker just so he could kill him again, Dick would do it. He could have sworn he could hear his own teeth grinding. The air in the car suddenly felt thick, the silence suffocating, as both of them tried not to acknowledge what just happened.

And just as Dick was mentally rehearsing his speech to get coffee and stale donuts from the shop across the street, Jason spoke.

"It wasn't," he said.

Dick blinked. The number of times that Jason initiated conversation was few and far in between.

"Pardon?" Dick said, wondering if he heard it right.

"It wasn't Barbara on the phone," Jason clarified, this time slower, as if he was talking to a particularly dim child.

"Alfred, then," Dick guessed.

"No. And I didn't."

"Didn't what?'

"I didn't watch the Bloodhounds' game last night. I was on patrol and must have missed it."

"Oh."

Dick wasn't even sure if Jason watched baseball anymore. It was just another conversational Hail Mary he threw out there. But at least Jason seemed willing to talk, even if it was in broken fragments. But if Jason was on patrol the night before, and he was on stakeout tonight then he must not have gotten much sleep.

"Want to get some coffee?" Dick said, jerking a thumb at the corner store he was eyeing earlier. "My treat."

While Bludhaven didn't have the abundance of street vendors and overnight kiosks that Gotham City offered, it at least offered similar 24-hour joints that could offer the same overpriced, watered-down coffee that one could get in Gotham City.

And in its own small way, it was like Dick Grayson never left home.

Josiah Johannes Salazar was almost certainly the made-up name of the man they were staking out. A small-time thug, at least by their usual standards, he mostly dealt in human trafficking and came under Barbara's radar after a rash of missing person reports were linked back to him.

A gifted art student from the local college.

A stand-up comedian who often performed to packed bars on rowdy weekends.

A used-car salesman from the Burrows.

Nothing out of the ordinary, really. Just your usual run-of-the-mill scumbaggery. Kidnapping people to be bought and sold on the flesh market. Or so, that was Barbara's current theory. An easy enough case. Sure to be closed by the end of the week. In fact, Tim already had several hopeful leads on the victims' possible locations.

Which was why it was such a mystery that Jason insisted–insisted!–on accompanying Dick on this particular stakeout.

It wasn't like he was unwelcome–Dick would jump at any chance to bond with his little brother again–it was just unexpected. Certainly, when he had rounded the parking spot where he kept the second hand Jetta, he hadn't expected Jason to be there, a duffel bag slung across his shoulder and a scowl on his face.

And as soon as Dick unlocked the car, Jason opened the door and planted himself so firmly in the passenger's seat that for a moment, Dick wondered if they really did have a prior agreement he forgot about. But now in the garish yellow light of the donut shop, one fact was becoming increasingly obvious–his little brother was tired. The lighting made him look positively jaundiced, and the shadows under his eyes were as fat as bruises. His clothes were rumpled, and Dick found himself wondering if he had changed into them immediately after his patrol.

The scar on his face looked more terrible than ever.

There was a sudden tension in Jason's shoulders that made Dick realize he was staring.

He immediately dropped his gaze.

Only to find an even more incredible sight.

"Hey, Jason..."

Jason frowned at him, and glanced around the shop to see if anyone was listening. But apart from the cashier, a pimply teenager flicking through skin magazines, the place was empty.

Jason never did like hearing them use their real names while out on missions. And it was only after careful assessment of the area did he finally speak.

"What?"

His response was short and irritated, a clear sign that he was beginning to weary of conversation. But Dick couldn't help himself.

"Are you drinking iced coffee?"

The cups in their hands were nearly identical, condensation beading on the cheap plastic surface, although Dick was sure that Jason didn't have the same obscene amounts of caramel syrup pumps in his. But back when he lived in the manor, Dick was sure that Jason was strictly a hot coffee kind of guy.

A hot black coffee and cigarette type of guy. The result of spending most of his childhood in East End. Alfred despaired at the state of his diet, and Dick would often hear him lecturing Jason on the dangers of nicotine and caffeine addiction.

Jason glanced down at his drink, seemingly unbothered. "Yes."

He seemed content to leave it at that, despite the fact that this new information had hit Dick with the force of a bombshell.

Jason drank iced coffee now?

What else did he like?

Did he like matcha? Chai? Perhaps those overpriced flattened croissants dipped in chocolate? Did Jason still like soft tacos from food trucks? Or did he prefer burritos now?

For a moment, Dick envisioned inviting Jason to go shop-hopping with him and Barbara, the way they used to back when Jason was Robin. Maybe even invite Tim along, now that Jason was finally speaking to him.

Eat questionable street food until their stomachs roiled with grease. Or even better, haul it all back to the Clocktower and make a movie night out of it.

He could even imagine Alfred, somehow unchanged, hovering at the edges, making sarcastic comments about everyone's cholesterol level.

Maybe he could even convince him to try a fry or two.

Maybe Bruce–

The ping of Jason's phone broke Dick out of his thoughts.

"Not an update," Jason muttered at him, before opening his phone to take a look at it.

There was the barest flicker of emotion on his face before he was deleting the message and pocketing it. But not before Dick caught a glimpse of what was on the screen: a grainy image of the interior of a pizza parlor outfitted like it was from the 70s. A bottle of cheap beer and what looked like someone's Scrabble tiles were front and center.

Dick blinked. "Jason..."

The iced coffee. The constant texts from someone.

How could Dick Grayson, son of the world's greatest detective, had missed it?

"Jason, are you texting your girlfriend?"

It was like an explosion had gone off in Dick's chest, like someone had shaken a can of soda and pulled the tab to watch the glorious release of carbon dioxide and sugar. Finally, after struggling all night to find something that he and Jason could talk about, finally Dick found something that he could relate to his little brother about: women.

"Fuck off, Dick," Jason muttered, but he knew his little brother enough to realize there was no heat in it. "It's none of your business."

"Holy shit, you totally are. And while on a stakeout, too!"

Dick felt giddy.

It was unfamiliar, this ribbing. But it was welcome. It felt like the sort of thing that a big brother should do.

"You know Bruce wouldn't approve," he prodded.

He made his voice sound deep, mimicking their father, "Distractions on the field can be a fatal mistake."

"I don't give a rat's ass about what Bruce approves of," Jason said with a shrug, but he failed to hide the amusement in his voice.

"Besides,” he added. “He flirted with Selina Kyle all the time. In full costume, the hypocrite."

Dick laughed, partly because it was true, partly because he was actually bantering–bantering!–with his little brother again.

Jason's phone pinged again, and this time Dick couldn't resist another jab.

"She's got you over a barrel, huh?" Dick said.

"What?"

"Are you in the doghouse?"

Jason frowned at him, and Dick decided to elaborate. "Whenever I took missions one after the other, Barbara would let me have it. Especially if it made me miss date nights. She used to send me these walls of text..."

Jason shook his head. "She's not angry with me."

"Oh." It was nice of you to be such an understanding girlfriend. "It's good that she understands. How long has it been since you took her on a date anyway?"

Jason looked uneasy, shifting his weight from one foot to the next.

"Two weeks," he muttered.

"Two weeks?" Dick was flabbergasted. "Dude, Barbara would definitely have put me in the doghouse for that."

A night on the couch at the minimum.

"I've been busy," Jason said defensively. "We're nearly closing in on this case."

Right. Dick nearly forgot. Josiah Johannes something.

"Well, maybe you should do something nice for her, at least," Dick insisted

"You know, remind her that you care."

He thought of his father, who used to buy bouquets of flowers for his mother, to give to her after every successful performance. The night of her death, there had been a large bouquet of orchids left in front of her dressing room mirror that went unclaimed.

Dick shook his head, dusting away the mental cobwebs.

"Got any ideas?" he asked.

Jason shook his head mutely.

"Come on, give me something," Dick said. "You must have some idea growing up."

Bruce, he knew, was notoriously tight-lipped, so it was unlikely that Jason got any ideas from him. But maybe, once upon a time, Willis Todd did something nice for his wife.

"The men in East End would tip an extra five dollars to whores they like,” Jason snapped.

Dick felt his heart drop to his stomach. He could feel a flush rising to his cheeks.

"Yeah, don't...don't do that..." he muttered.

They grow quiet for several minutes, sipping their coffee and occasionally throwing glances at the building they were supposed to be staking out. It was Jason who eventually spoke first.

"She's not upset," he said quietly. "I just...feel like I should do something for her."

It struck Dick then, that Jason looked woefully young. It was likely that this was Jason's first real relationship. And he had nothing to go on except what he had seen men do to sex workers in East End.

And Bruce...wasn't exactly a model for healthy relationships.

"How about flowers?" Dick suggested gently. "Those are always a classic.

Do you know what kind of flowers she likes?"

A pause.

"No."

"I used to date a girl," Dick began. "Bit of a gardener. She loved roses. She'd snip the ends and put them in water to make them last longer. She loved white roses best of all, because she'd try all sorts of experiments with dyes."

Jason didn't answer, fiddling with the straw of his drink. And when he next spoke, it was in a painfully unsure voice.

"Is that...something I should know?" he asked quietly. "Her favorite flowers?"

Suddenly, Dick hoped–wished–violently that this wasn't Jason's first relationship. That sometime after the Joker and before the Arkham Knight, he carved some semblance of peace for himself. Maybe met a girl or a guy during those few sunlit months in Santa Prisca. Dated. Fooled around. The kind of things that he should have done growing up. The kind of things that Joker stole from him.

"Not necessarily," Dick said, his voice soft. "But it doesn't hurt to pay attention. Girls like that sort of thing. Well, people, really. If she ever mentions something like that, just make sure to take a note."

The nod Jason gave him was oddly solemn, and Dick realized, with heartbreaking clarity, how much his little brother wanted to make this work with you.

"What about chocolates?" Dick suggested again, not wanting to dwell on darker thoughts. "I'm sure we can find a confectionary here somewhere..."

Jason snorted. "Sure. In Bludhaven, the peak of romance."

He grew quiet again, before saying, in hesitant voice: "She likes old movies. There was that one about an urban legend..."

"There you have it," Dick said, trying not to let the relief show in his voice.

"You can have a movie night or something! Hell, you can even go now. Make a surprise out of it–”

But the contemplative expression on Jason's face–the one that made him look so young–suddenly fell away, and what was left now was pure Red Hood.

"Can't," he said, in a tone that brooked no argument. "We're on a mission."

"For some two-time smuggler? Please, I can solve this case with my eyes closed."

Jason looked at him as if he was insane.

"What?" Dick asked.

"Dick," Jason said slowly, with gravity. "What do you know about Salazar?"

"Hm?" Dick was still mentally going through the catalogue of nearby confectioneries the two of them could go to. "Some human trafficker...don't worry we got Tim tracking down his victims."

"A sculptor who's selling out entire galleries as a student because her work is so lifelike," Jason said, a bite of impatience in his voice. "A comedian who's always performing to packed crowds because everyone says his jokes make their entire week. A used-car salesman who never misses a sale."

Jason paused, waiting for Dick to put the pieces together.

Dick had never thought of the victims that way, and now that Jason was pointing it out, it all did sound rather strange. The realization came to him with slow dawning horror.

"Jason..." he said. "You think he's trafficking metas?"

Jason sighed, and there was something weary in it. Dick remembered that his little brother hadn't seen you in two weeks.

"You think he might target her," he concluded. "That's why you're working so hard on this case."

Jason didn't answer. He didn't have to.

"Does she know?"

"No." Jason's answer was immediate. "It's just...a working theory, anyway. I don't want her scared over a theory."

"It might make her a little more careful if you told her," Dick nudged Jason with his shoulder. "It wouldn't hurt. Plus...well, it's not nice to keep her in the dark, you know?"

Jason looked at him, and for a moment, Dick could see the boy from the manor. The one that used to hang on to his every word as if it was gospel.

He pulled out his phone.

And sent you a quick text.

"Thanks," Jason said quietly. "I'm still...getting used to...all this."

And he gave Dick a small, grateful smile. Just the barest quirk of the corners of his mouth.

But it was there.

Dick smiled back. "You're doing great. Besides, working for two weeks straight on a case to keep your little girlfriend safe? You're a regular romantic. She's going to think you're from one of those old movies she likes."

The smile was gone. The scowl back in place. Jason shoved him, with perhaps more force than he intended to, but Dick rolled with it, laughing.

Maybe getting to know his little brother all over again wouldn’t be as bad as he thought.

[thegoldencontracts]

Hi sorry to bother you, but can you please make a part 2 of the courting fic where the prefect realizes what they were trying to say and "un-rejects" them?

Love your writing, keep up the good work!!

So happy to see people on the same page as me here, because I wrote the fic right before going to bed and my immediate thoughts were (I feel so bad so themm... wait but they're also being kinda stupid shit GUYS LOCK IN)

Anyways Part Twooo to this fic let's gooo! Featuring them getting a taste of their own medicine because I thought they deserved it (affectionate)

Cultural Exchange

—"You could have just said you liked me."

Characters: Leona, Ruggie, Floyd, Azul (same as in the first fic)

Notes: Let me I tell you I had wayy too much fun writing the little intro for each section I thought I was sooo clever didn't I

Leona:

—Humans are known to give flowers to their objects of affection. Bouquets, particularly those containing roses, are a common gift given to someone a human wishes to date.

Your phone, you noticed, was already open. A google page laid in front of you. Did Leona try to look something up and forget to close it? No, as slothful as he seemed, being careless like this just wasn't in his character.

But the phone was opened to-

Lion beastman courtship rituals.

The page stared you in the face, daring you to read.

"Lion beastmen," it said. "Have extended courting rituals. They stake out their desired mate and spend time building relations."

Wait. Those weeks the two of you had spent together...

"When the time is right, beastmen will often roar to declare their intent. They show desire by pawing, nuzzling, and-"

He'd roared beforehand, hands all over you.

"Biting."

Goddamnit you just fumbled Leona Kingscholar.

You wanted to crawl into a hole. You wanted to apologize. And you kind of wanted to yell at him for not just saying that like a normal person when you asked what was going on.

But that would have to wait for another time.

For now, you'd have to find some way to make it clear you returned his interests.

Flowers. Everyone, boy or girl, old or young, broke prefect or genius lion prince, could probably appreciate a nice bouquet.

So you stopped by Heartslabyul and the Seven themselves or whatever the deities of this world were must have been smiling down upon you, because they had a bunch of extra roses from some growth spell mishap they needed to get rid of.

"Good luck with your boyfriend," Ace had said, snickering.

So here you were. Outside of the Savannaclaw common room, a bouquet of flowers in hand.

"You gonna eat that?" Ruggie, standing in front of you, looking at the flowers scrutinizingly. Noticing the expression on your face though, he just laughed. "Jeez, I'm just joking with ya! I can get my own food. Maan, you're so dense... shishishi, no wonder Leona-san's obvious signs went right over your head!"

Speaking of Leona-

"Can you take me to him?" You asked, and Ruggie nodded.

"'Bout time. Leona-san's been in a mood since you shot him down." You didn't shoot him down, you just asked what he was talking about! "He's been sulkin' all day."

You had a feeling Ruggie was just saying that to embarrass him.

"But anyways, come on! The sooner you lovebirds kiss and make up, the better."

The door to Leona's room was locked. But Ruggie just pulled a hairpin, fiddled with it, and-

Of course he picked the lock.

"Your mate, Leona-san!"

"The herbivore's not-"

And Ruggie was gone. Just you and him now.

Leona stared at you from where he was lounging in his bed, tail flicking expectantly.

"You saw it, right?" He asked, voice deceptively impassive. You nodded.

"This all would've been a lot easier if you just explained what you meant. "I mean..."

You pulled the small bouquet of roses from behind your back.

Leona just stared, confused.

"Are you- callin' me an herbivore or something?" He asked. "You tryin' to say I'm fragile like the flowers?"

What.

He had the gall to expect you to understand these lion mating rituals or whatever, and he couldn't even understand what flowers meant?

"Lighten up, herbivore, I'm just jokin' with you," he said, taking the bouquet. "I do my research."

Unlike you was left unsaid.

"I really am sorry Leona-san," you said. "But how was I supposed to know you biting me was a mating ritual?"

"Well, it's more obvious than flowers," he huffed. You had to disagree, but since he was following your, uh, 'courting rituals'...

"I guess I should return the favor," you said, grabbing his arm. His face flushed ever so slightly, barely noticeable on that tanned skin of his.

And then you bit. He stared, shocked. But not the good kind.

"That," he said. "Was the weakest bite I've ever seen?"

"Huh?"

"You really are an herbivore," he said, before putting his head on your lap. "I'm going to sleep."

His tail flickered contentedly, though.

Cute.

Ruggie Bucchi:

—Humans give food items to their prospective mate, particularly sweet items with either a heart-shape or a heart-shape container. To highlight their affections, the sweet items are often made by hand.

Ruggie had been avoiding you. It was clear as day.

The excited little "Morning, Kantokusei-kun!" whenever he saw you had turned into a chorus of excuses about Leona calling for him and whatnot. His constant visits to your room had all but vanished.

You were getting fed up with it. What did you do? Did you accidentally eat his donut or something?

It all came to a head when you bumped into Leona in the greenhouse.

"Hey, herbivore," he said. There was something almost unnerving about the calm in his voice, the way he scrutinized you like he was picking apart the very fiber of your being.

After a while, though, he laughed.

"Ruggie's got himself up in a twist over nothing," he said.

"Um, what?"

"You," he said. "Do you know," he trailed off. "What hyena beastmen do—"

"—When they find someone they want to mate?"

Where did this come from?

"The guys do this thing," he continued. "Step forward and step away. Then they cross their legs and present their scent."

Oh.

He'd crossed his legs, telling you to join him on the bed...

"Seem familiar?" Leona said, a languid grin. "Good. Now clear this whole thing up. Ruggie's being a pain."

You accidentally rejected him! Goddamnit!

Well, if he'd just been a little more clear, you wouldn't've-!

Whatever. You needed to make it clear you liked him back, you supposed.

And what did you do when you liked someone? Make them chocolates! Heart-shaped ones for good measure. Plus, Ruggie liked food gifts, so that seemed like something he'd appreciate.

So you got to it. Made your chocolates, and off to Savannaclaw you went.

You knocked on the door. Once. Twice. Thrice.

Maybe he wasn't there?

But no; you heard a muffled yelp, from none other than him.

He wanted to hide. Unfortunately for him, in the time of your friendship, you'd long since learned how to copy his lock-picking technique.

Hairpin in the lock. Another one to serve as a tension wrench. And with a little bit of fiddling...

The door was open. Ruggie was staring at you, eyes blown wide.

"Hey, uh, pal!" He said, opening the window. "It looks like Leona-san needs another tonkatsu sandwich, and-"

"I'm sorry," you said, rushing to block the window before he could jump out of it. Well, hopefully that wasn't actually what he was planning, but you could never be too sure. "I mean, you were being really really vague, so honestly it was kinda your fault, but I- you know-"

You sighed.

"Just take this," you said, shoving the box of chocolates in his hands. "This should tell you how I feel."

You didn't know how you expected Ruggie to respond, maybe eat the chocolates happily, maybe say something about the changed nature of your relationship—

But you didn't expect him to stare at the chocolate like it personally offended him.

"What's this supposed to mean?" He asked. "You tryin' to butter me up so I owe you later or somethin'?"

What. What was he talking about. What was going on in his head when he said that.

"They're- They're heart-shaped chocolates," you said. "Do you- not feel the same way anymore or something?"

Ruggie stared at you like you'd just said the sky was green.

"Heart-shaped-" he stared at the chocolates. "Wait, m so iss this like- uh- it could be- you givin' me your heart-"

You saw the moment the puzzle pieces clicked together in his head. He probably didn't have the completely right idea, but eh, good enough. His face went bright red.

"You, shishi, didn't have to- go all this way, y'know," he said. "Not that I'm conplainin'."

He popped one into his mouth, and you could tell he liked it from the way his face brightened.

"Good?" You asked, and he just shoved the uneaten half of the chocolate into your mouth in response, the imprint of his sharp canines clear as day.

You chewed for a few seconds. It really was good. But more importantly...

"That was an indirect kiss, y'know."

"Indi-what?"

"Indirect kiss. Your lips and my lips touched the same thing."

"Talk about weird," he said. "Sharin' food like that's completely normal!"

And then, popping another chocolate into his mouth, he continued:

"Can't you humans just sniff each other like any normal person?"

Floyd Leech:

—Humans will often use humorous expressions of desire with prospective mates in order to gauge interest. These are known as "pick-up lines".

Floyd had been avoiding you all week now. You had absolutely no clue what you did. Was he really that upset you'd told him to just be honest if he was bored with your rambling?

But still, the fact remained that he was avoidant, and just generally in an awful mood. Maybe something else had happened? Maybe it was just a mood?

Your question was answered when Jade cornered you after school, a toothy smile that most certainly didn't reach his eyes.

"I hear you've had quite the spat with my brother, Prefect," he said. "I understand that you may not return his feelings, but I would advise you to apologize for your harsh words. My brother is not, as you insinuate, the sort to court another so casually."

Wait.

Court?

"What do you mean, 'court'?" You asked. "I was talking, he started yawning, he asked me to dance out of nowhere, and then he got angry and left. Simple as that. Where do you see courting?"

The gear seemed to turn in his head for a while, before realization dawned upon him, mouth widening into a little 'o'.

"Prefect," he said. "Are you aware that moray eels open their mouths wide as a sign of desire?

"Huh?"

"When a moray eels sees a prospective mate," Jade re-iterated. "They open their mouths. And as a finalization, they perform a mating dance."

Mouth opened wide... Mating dance...

"Holy shit," you said. Jade just stared at you, still slightly threatening.

"You're telling me he was trying to tell me he liked me and I pretty much called him a fuckboy."

Jade nodded.

"Indeed, you did."

You could only sigh, long and low.

"Damnit."

"I do suggest you, ah, clear the air," Jade said, though his tone made it clear this was more of a demand. "Make it clear to him what I realized."

"Yeah, yeah." You still thought he should've just told you what he wanted.

Jade nodded, satisfied.

"Then I'll be leaving," he said. But before he left, he turned back, for just a split second.

"Prefect?"

"Yeah?"

"My brother and I both lack very little in terms of comfort," he said. "So I think you'll find that actions and words shall both speak louder than any bribes you attempt to bring."

And with that cryptically delivered piece of advice, Jade was gone.

You got to work. No point in making something, you recalled. Best to just bring yourself and your own sincerity.

Floyd was near impossible to track down. You really thought you deserved points just for doing that. He really put you through the wringer, after all.

"Floyd!" you said at last, trying your best to stay calm as he scowled. "I have something to say."

"I don't wanna hear it."

"You- You do!" You said. "Listen, I know you're annoyed because I called you a playboy, but have you ever considered-"

"Shut up."

"-That it was actually your fault for being really really vague while also managing to misunderstand me in the worst way possible?"

Floyd looked like he wanted to snap your neck. He also looked intrigued, though, which was a good sign.

"What're you saying?"

"I'm saying that I didn't know you were trying to tell me you liked me!" You said. "I mean, you looked like you were yawning, and I don't know jackshit about moray rituals, so what the hell was I supposed to think? All I know is—I'm talking, you're yawning, and suddenly you want to dance. Of course I'm going to think you're bored!"

Floyd stared at you for a few seconds.

And then he burst out laughing.

"F-Floyd?!"

"Eheh, you're so stupid sometimes, Koebi-chan!" Very nice. "But you've got some guts for a shrimpy. Maan, I remember why I like you so much now."

In an instant, he was back to his typical, lackadaisical mood.

"Use your head a little more next time, alright? I really thought you were trying to say I was some flaky little guppy," he said. You shook your head vehemently, pushing down your urge to tell him that he was the one being ridiculously vague.

"No, I know you're not like that, I mean- I like you too!" Now what. "Uh- Uh-"

"You know, Floyd," you said. "They say the tongue is the strongest muscle."

Now, he just looked confused.

"It's not. When it comes to strength by size, the masseter-"

"So," you said. "Wanna wrestle?"

He narrowed his eyes.

"Tongue-wrestling would be boring. Why're you even bringin' wrestling up right now? Lame."

Did- Did he seriously not get it?

"Our tongues should wrestle," you re-iterated. He shook his head.

"How'd you even do somethin' like that?" he asked. "Just, like, put your lips together-"

You didn't even have time to realize when it all clicked for him because he grabbed you.

"Changed my mind. I wanna tongue-wrestle with you, Koebi-Chan!"

"And you were calling me the oblivious one?"

Azul:

—Humans will often initiate contact between their lips and the lips of a prospective mate, a phenomenon known as "kissing". When done for an extended period of time, this is called "making out".

Azul did not act particularly different.

But you could tell he was upset. It was written all over the slight strain of his saccharine smile, the way he laid it on just a little bit too thick when he attempted to ingratiate himself to you, and the slight bags under his eyes—a sign he was overworking himself in an attempt to distract from his problems.

Yep. He was definitely upset.

And of course, inevitably, the twins cornered you.

"You did somethin' weird to Azul," Floyd said, glaring at you. "Fix it or I'll squeeze ya."

Jade snickered from behind him.

Of course. Welp, you had absolutely no clue what you did, sooo...

"Is this because I offered to take him to the Doctor's office when his arm kept changing color?" you asked. "Seriously, I knew he didn't like getting help, but- ugh, isn't that too far!"

"Why'd you do that?" Floyd said. "Man, Koebi-Chan really is mean, tellin' Azul he's sick for wantin' to make you his mate."

"What does changing color have to do with, uh, mates?"

Floyd looked like he didn't know whether to laugh or slap you.

"You do know a little octopus like Azul changes color because he wants to be your mate, right?"

...

That couldn't be. That just- it-

"Indeed," said Jade. "Octopi will also often grab their prospective mate from behind."

His arm was changing color. He'd grabbed you from behind.

"Goddamnit," you said. Couldn't he have been a little more specific?!

That was it. You were not dealing with this stupid misunderstanding any longer! This stupid, insanely intelligent, oblivious octopus was going to know you liked him!

You stomped away.

"Where're you going, Koebi-chan?"

"Oya, going somewhere, Perfect?"

"Clearing the air," you said. That seemed to be an answer they approved.

"Actions speak louder than wor-"

"I know."

You cut off Jade's attempt at delivering cryptic advice before storming over to the VIP Room. There was Azul, working on some contract or the like.

"Azul."

"You're not allowed to be in here, you know. There's quite a hefty fee."

"Azul."

"Yes?" He looked up, looking entirely unhappy to see you.

"I didn't realize that thing you were going last week was a part of octopus courtship, you know," you said. "You really should've told me."

"What are you-"

"Let me show you a human courtship ritual to set things straight."

And you kissed him. It was not the sort of kiss that I initiated fireworks, nor was it anything like the novels you'd read. In fact, it was an exceptionally awkward kiss, because Azul was an awful kisser. You didn't entirely mind, though, it was cute.

You both had to pull away because Azul was out of breath, gasping and wheezing like he'd been made to run a mile for P.E.

"Does that make my feelings clear?" You said. He just huffed, looking firmly at his contract.

"I- suppose we can work something out..." He muttered, gesturing to the chair across from him. "Why don't you take a seat?"

The offer seemed simple, but the truth of it was clear.

He was considering that relationship.

So you sat, enjoying the contented silence and the resolved misunderstanding. But there was one thing you had to get off your chest.

"You know, it's insane how bad you suck at kissing."

"Shut it."

[cxvii666]

“DOWN WITH THE TRUMPETS”

“when i get down, i get respect now”

feat. denki k.

wc: 780

mdni 😴

“don't talk with your mouth full, it's bad manners.”

denki kaminari is a yapper.

he can talk for japan.

about nothing, and everything. about his little hobbies and interests, like the time he got really into origami for two weeks and folded fifty paper cranes before getting distracted by baking videos. about a bug he saw one time that kind of looked like pikachu if you squinted. about an anime he watched five years ago that reminded him of a tiktok he saw yesterday—actually, no, it reminded him of two tiktoks, and he’ll pull them both up even though you’re in the middle of eating.

he doesn't even realize he's doing it. he just talks.

before you started dating, he once spent two full hours explaining the entire five nights at freddy’s lore to you. he even brought a whiteboard. he drew a timeline. there were arrows, names, color-coded events. he kept glancing at you nervously, like he was waiting for you to run. you thought he was fucking psychotic, but according to all his friends that was his weak attempt at flirting.

he talks in his sleep too. full conversations. one night, around 3 a.m., he whispered, “gregory… you have to hide.” and you just laid there, staring at the ceiling, wondering what choices in life had led you here. he was completely out. you even poked him and he just mumbled something about “security breach.”

you didn't sleep much that night. he did.

you hear him on the phone all the time. he’s loud. his voice carries. you don’t even need to be in the same room to catch half the story. in group calls, he’s that guy—never letting anyone finish a sentence, always jumping back in because he just remembered another detail, or because he needs to relate something someone said to a completely different topic.

he narrates everything he does. it’s like living with a one-man podcast. making a sandwich? you’re getting a full tutorial with sound effects. brushing his teeth? he gives ratings to the toothpaste flavor like he’s doing a mukbang. finding a sock under the bed? live drama, complete with shocked gasps and a full backstory on how the sock ended up there.

he doesn't mean to talk so much, honestly, he can't help himself. he just… gets excited. he thinks out loud. he loves sharing things. his brain moves fast, and his mouth just tries to keep up.

"s-so sorry baby, your pussy just tastes so—mmf."

so sometimes you have to shut him up. the only way you know how.

his long eyelashes flutter against flushed cheeks, those bambi eyes of his wide and glassy as he looks up at you from between your thighs.

his fingers gripping the fat of your thighs as he drags your pussy back down onto his mouth. tongue greedy, he mouths at you like you're divine. slow, wet, sloppy kisses, tongue flicking then flattening, dipping in and out like he’s tasting something sacred. he hums against you, needy and messy and so, so fucking eager.

but as he pauses to catch his breath, you realise, he's still running his mouth.

with eyes locked onto the sticky mess he's made, his mouth is still moving, lips slick and parted as he mumbles god knows what into your pussy. eyes fixed on the mess he's made, like he's hypnotized. and the worst part? you can feel it. the vibrations, the breathy whispers, the praise he's spilling straight into your cunt. you strain to make out the words, and between the rush of blood in your ears you catch bits and pieces. "t-thank youuu, so fu-ucking good for me, you’re perfect, so warm, so wet, love you, love you, love yo—"

you roll your eyes and cut his praises short with a forceful tug of his hair. not too hard. just enough. it makes him whine into you, the sound all breath and heat, and you feel his hips twitch against the mattress. he loves it when you take control. he melts for it.

"denki, sweetie, what have i told you?" you sigh contently when his tongue starts doing circles on your clit, "no talking while you're eating."

he doesn’t answer with words—he knows better. just moans, all obedient and desperate, nodding his head so fast his blonde locs shake. sweat glistens on his forehead, some strands of hair sticking to it. you brush them away gently, and his amber eyes snap up to meet yours.

they're wide. glassy. brimming with devotion.

he's docile, pliable. he listens, does what he's told.

and for now, he's quiet.

but you'll keep him here until he's learnt his lesson.

[georgeclarkeys]

tiktok trend series - george clarkey x reader

summary: you make george's friends be mean to you for a tiktok trend - 800 words

hi friends!! this is the first installment in my new tiktok trend series about your fav uk youtubers and your fav tiktok trends!! please please please send me any ideas you might have for this, especially a trend or a person you would like to see featured!!

~

Scrolling through TikTok was beginning to find a permanent spot in your nighttime routine. It had been several years since your account blew up, so you convinced yourself that you were doing research for new video ideas every time you spent an hour or so watching before bed. One recent trend was definitely piquing your interest, and with the help of your boyfriend's friends, you were confident that you could pull it off. Creators were staging a “who’s most likely to” game with someone close to their significant other, and asking the other person to be mean to them in order to catch their partner's reaction. You had the perfect idea, and were planning on getting a great reaction out of George.

~

It was an unusual evening at Casa Clarke-Dixon-Hill. All three roommates were home, and no one was streaming or working, so you managed to round them up and convince them to film a TikTok with you. You had talked to Arthur and Chris beforehand, letting them in on the prank and giving them permission to be as mean as they could, but George was clueless. 

You placed your phone on the tripod and sat in a row, with Chris and Arthur on either side of you, and George standing behind looking curious. 

Pressing record, you smiled, “Hey friends! Today I am joined by George, Arthur, and Chris, and we’re going to be playing a game of “who’s most likely to” where all of the answers are decided by George!” 

All three of the boys let out a small cheer.

“Alright, George, who has the best voice?”

“Oh wow, starting off with a difficult one are we?” he laughed, “Obviously my singer friend Arthur.” 

Arthur pumped his fist and cheered, “Yes! I’m just glad you didn’t say (Y/N), she sounds about like nails on a chalkboard.”

You saw George make a bit of a face in the camera before saying, “(Y/N) has a lovely voice.”

Ignoring the comment from Arthur, you continued, “Okay next, who is the smartest?”

George’s eyes bounced between the three of you in deep thought before calling out, “(Y/N).”

You turned around to smile at him, while Arthur and Chris shook their heads. George was suspiciously eyeing both of them as they looked at each other. Chris leaned past you to say to Arthur, “there is absolutely no way he actually thinks she’s smarter than either of us, right? She’s a TikToker for crying out loud.”

Arthur laughed and answered, “I thought he was joking to be honest.”

Your boyfriend was not laughing, he eyed the camera warily before putting on an exaggerated confused face in an attempt to ease the tension, “is this a who’s most likely to quiz, or an everyone bully George’s beautiful girlfriend quiz?”

You laughed awkwardly, doing your best to play into the uncomfortable atmosphere that was rapidly growing. 

“Anyways, who’s the meanest?”

George does not even hesitate before answering, “Chris.”

Chris’s head turns around, eyes wide with shock, “you’re actually joking.”

“I would have said (Y/N),” Arthur mumbled, loud enough to hear.

“I would have said (Y/N) too!” Chris exclaimed, “she’s so unnecessarily rude all the time!”

You sat back with wide eyes and listened to the chaos unfold, watching George’s face grow red as his flatmates continued ripping into you.

“What the hell is going on!” he snapped, looking back and forth between his two friends, “Why are both of you being such dickheads to (Y/N)? Don’t talk about her like that.” He grabbed your hand to pull you up from your seat, “C’mon babe, delete that video. Let’s go film something else for you to post.”

Before he could grab your phone you decided it was time to give yourself up, “it’s a joke! It’s a trend!” 

He turned back to look at you, “what?”

“I put them up to it. I told them to be mean to me.”

“Well that’s a fucking relief,” he laughed and put a hand over his heart, “I thought I was going to have to move out, oh my days.” 

~

By the end of the day the video had over a million views, and a comment section filled with women thirsting over your boyfriend.

comments

user1: okay but why is george so sexy when he’s mad…

georgeclarkeey: This is something I would expect from Chris, but Arthur threw me off

user2: yes george defend your gf 😫

arthurhill69: i am so sorry queen (y/n) i love you

user3: (y/n) where did you find this man he’s perfect

user4: where’s the green flag guy

[riqomi]

MECHANISM ────ㅤ심재윤

심재윤˖ 𝑓em!r .. g. fluff. university au! ──── BOOKSHELF ( 1334 ) tw: kissing. lmk if there's more.

you sit in the far corner of the campus library, same as always—near the window, back to the wall, headphones in but nothing playing. just enough to signal don’t talk to me. your notes are color-coded, margins lined with symbols only you understand, and there’s a half-empty coffee cup sweating rings onto the wood next to your laptop.

then there’s him.

jake sim. sunshine in human form. or at least, that’s what everyone seems to think.

you’re halfway through rewriting a lecture slide into something actually useful when he shows up again—hood up, backpack slung over one shoulder, that guilty puppy look in full effect. he doesn’t say anything at first, just stands there until you finally look up.

“you need the seat again.”

he nods. “please. just for a bit.”

you sigh but nudge your bag off the chair. he drops into it with a quiet groan, like even existing is exhausting. his knees knock against yours when he gets too comfortable, but you let it slide.

this is the third time this week.

he doesn’t talk much once he settles in. just opens his laptop, cracks open a biochem textbook, and starts highlighting like his life depends on it. you’ll give him that—he works hard. actually studies. doesn’t even look up when someone walks by giggling too loudly or “accidentally” drops a pen near his feet.

until they stop pretending.

“jake,” a voice says, high and sweet and not-so-innocent. “you’ve been in here for hours. want to grab coffee?”

you see the wince before he even turns. “i’m good, thanks.”

another voice joins in. “we could help you study. it might be more fun that way.”

you don’t mean to glance up, but you do. two girls, both clearly more interested in jake than mitochondria. you wait for him to shut it down.

he doesn’t. not hard enough, anyway.

you sigh and go back to your notes, but you feel the heat of his stare after a second. then—

his knee presses into yours. intentional this time.

he leans over, voice low, just for you. “help me out?”

you don’t say anything. just raise a brow.

he swallows, then does something bold.

his arm drapes across the back of your chair. not touching, but close enough to feel the static between you. when you still don’t react, he tilts closer, lets his chin hover just over your shoulder, and in a voice that sounds far too natural, says—

“babe, do you want to go over the quiz together now or after lunch?”

you go still. not because you’re shocked—but because he sounds like he means it.

the girls blink. shift on their feet. one of them forces a laugh.

“oh. sorry—didn’t realize…”

jake doesn’t even look at them anymore. just starts pointing at something in your notebook like it’s the most fascinating thing he’s ever seen. “this part—did you highlight it ‘cause of the mechanism thing or just vibes?”

you deadpan, “mechanism.”

“right. thought so.”

the girls linger for another second. then leave.

you wait until they’re gone before twisting to look at him properly.

he grins. not sheepish. proud.

“that was shameless,” you say.

“but effective.” he shrugs, that boyish charm kicking in. “besides, you looked like you were about to snap a pen in half. i figured i’d save everyone.”

you roll your eyes and push his arm off your chair. “don’t make a habit of it.”

his smile doesn’t dim. “just until midterms.”

you go back to your notes. he scoots half an inch closer. too close. you don’t stop him.

later, when someone else tries to approach, jake doesn’t wait. he slips his hand over yours under the table like it’s nothing. like it’s normal. you freeze for half a second—but you don’t pull away.

he keeps reading, calm as ever.

and when you finally look at him, there’s no smugness. just a quiet question in his eyes, unspoken but loud: is this okay?

you don’t answer out loud. you just shift your fingers to interlace with his.

his shoulders drop like he’s been holding something up too long. his thumb brushes yours once, twice. he doesn't say anything after that. just keeps studying, your hand in his, as if this was the plan all along.

it’s late by the time you both pack up—lamplight golden and soft against the library walls, your eyes sore from too many hours staring at the screen. you slide your laptop into your bag, jake doing the same beside you, quiet for once. not tense. just… thoughtful. the kind of quiet that follows something unspoken.

you sling your strap over your shoulder. he catches your eye, soft and warm. “let me walk you back.”

you hesitate, but only for a second. “alright.”

it’s cool outside, a whisper of wind tugging at your sleeves. the sidewalk is mostly empty, save for a few stragglers murmuring their way toward the dorms. you walk side by side, his shoulder brushing yours every now and then, and for once, he doesn’t fill the silence with jokes or random facts. just walks, hands in his pockets, lips parted like he wants to say something but isn’t sure how.

you glance over, catch the way his eyes linger on you when he thinks you won’t notice.

“what?” you ask, voice low.

he shrugs, but he’s not convincing. “nothing.”

you stop walking. so does he. the moment stretches—quiet, heavy, full of all the things you’ve refused to name.

“jake.”

he steps closer. his voice is low, rough at the edges. “i meant it, you know. earlier. when i called you babe.”

your breath catches. his eyes drop to your mouth, then back up like he’s waiting for you to flinch. you don’t.

“wasn’t just to get them to back off,” he adds. “i mean, yeah—it worked. but i wouldn’t have done it if i didn’t—”

you don’t let him finish.

you reach for him, fist curling into the front of his hoodie and pulling him in until your mouths meet—hard, certain, no hesitating now. he responds instantly, hands coming up to cradle your face like he’s afraid to break the moment. like he’s been waiting for this since the second he first sat across from you with a textbook and an excuse.

it’s not gentle. it’s built from days of stolen glances and brushed knees and shared coffee cups, from the heat of his thigh against yours and the way he says your name like it’s something worth holding. his mouth is hot against yours, open and wanting, and when your hand slips under his hoodie, skimming the curve of his waist, he makes a sound low in his throat that you feel everywhere.

he backs you into the nearest wall, barely breaking the kiss, his fingers threading into your hair, mouth trailing along your jaw like he’s memorizing you one touch at a time. you let him. let him feel the way your breath stutters, the way your body leans into his like gravity’s no longer optional.

when you finally pull apart, barely, your foreheads touch. his hands are still on your waist, yours fisted in the fabric at his chest.

“i’m not good at keeping things casual,” he murmurs, breath warm against your lips.

you nod. “good.”

his eyes search yours. “so this—”

“is real,” you finish for him. “yeah.”

he exhales, like that one word just took the weight off his shoulders. and then he kisses you again, slower this time. sweeter. the kind of kiss that says this isn’t a game anymore.

when he finally walks you the rest of the way, his fingers stay laced with yours the whole time. and when you reach your door and turn to look at him, he’s already watching you with a look that says i’m all in.

neither of you says goodnight.

you just tug him down for one last kiss, and he smiles against your mouth like he already knows he’s not sleeping alone tonight.

likes, feedback and reblogs much appreciated. remember requests are open !!

[dina-winchester]

Hands Off

Pairing: Husband!Dean x Wife!You

Summary: Someone crosses a boundary.. You don’t take it too well.

Warnings: Protective reader, fists get thrown, tiny bit of angst—but all ends well, no use of Y/N

A/N: Totally got this idea from Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage lol.

Dean’s been on a case in a small town for a few days. You wrapped up your own side hustle a day early and decide to surprise him.

The sun’s barely starting to set when you pull into the small gravel lot behind the bar. You spot the Impala right away, parked neatly under a flickering streetlamp, and something in you settles. Just seeing her—it’s like seeing him. Home. You smile, grabbing the takeout bag you brought from his favorite diner three towns over. You’re excited. Giddy, almost. He has no idea you’re coming.

You shoulder the door open and step inside the bar the locals say he’s been hanging around after hours. It’s a small-town dive, nothing fancy. You squint against the hazy orange glow and cigarette smoke. The place is small, worn down, the kind of dive Dean gravitates to. Locals laugh around pool tables, music crackling low from a dusty jukebox. Your eyes scan the room.

And then you see him.

He’s at the far end of the bar, leaning casually against the counter. Flannel sleeves rolled up, forearm flexed as he sips from a bottle of beer. He looks relaxed. Safe. Yours.

You take a step forward—and that’s when you see her.

Blonde. Tight jeans. She’s leaning in too close, pressing one manicured hand on the bar next to his. She’s saying something—flirty, bold—and Dean gives her that polite, lopsided half-smile. Nothing flirtatious, just the kind of small talk he’s always too kind to shut down cold.

But then.

She grabs his face.

And kisses him.

Everything inside you stops.

Dean stiffens instantly. His eyes fly wide. He jerks back a second later, hands rising, pushing her off. His voice echoes, rough and angry. “What the hell?!”

But you don’t hear the rest.

Your boots hit the floor hard, steady, and furious. The bag of food drops from your hand, forgotten, the smell of burgers and fries already fading as the fire in your chest overtakes everything.

Dean turns at the sound—just in time to see you coming.

“Sweetheart—wait—”

Crack.

Your fist slams into the blonde’s jaw before she can even blink. She stumbles backward with a yelp, crashing into a barstool. A few heads turn. The jukebox skips. And still, no one moves.

Except Dean.

“Sweetheart—”

You spin, rage flashing in your eyes. “Don’t.”

She’s on the floor now, hand over her mouth, wide-eyed and whimpering like the victim.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” you snarl, stepping toward her. “You think you can just touch someone who doesn’t belong to you? You think you can put your hands on a married man—my husband—and walk away with a damn smile?”

“I didn’t kiss her back,” Dean says from behind you, low, steady. Not defensive—just desperate to make sure you know the truth.

You don’t turn to look at him.

Your voice drops, sharp and lethal. “And that’s the only reason you’re still standing.”

Dean exhales like you just knocked the air out of him. And the blonde? She scrambles up, grabbing her bag off the floor, glaring like you’re the crazy one. “He didn’t say he was married—”

“I didn’t have to,” Dean snaps, finally losing his patience. “I told you I wasn’t interested. You didn’t listen.”

You step toward her once more, a smirk curling your lips. “You ever come near him again, I’ll break more than your pride.”

She flees.

Dean just stands there, watching you, chest rising and falling like he’s been holding his breath this whole damn time.

You finally turn to him. “You good?”

“I should be asking you that.”

You don’t answer right away. You just look at him. The way his brows are furrowed, how tense he is—not with guilt, but fear. Fear of what this looked like. Fear of what you might think. Fear of losing you.

“I knew you didn’t kiss her back,” you say softly. “You looked like you’d rather be shot.”

His mouth twitches, almost a smile—but it doesn’t make it. “I didn’t even see her coming.”

You sigh and shake your head, adrenaline still humming beneath your skin. “I swear to God, babe… next time some bitch throws herself at you, just duck. Or yell for backup.”

He huffs a laugh, stepping closer. “You always this protective, sweetheart?”

You arch a brow. “You wanna test me?”

He grabs your waist gently, tugging you against him. “Not unless it ends with you pinning me down somewhere.”

You don’t smile—but your lips brush his just barely, and your voice drops low, soft and dangerous.

“Later. Right now, we’re going back to your room—and you’re gonna make me forget the last ten minutes ever happened.”

Dean’s breath catches. His hands tense on your hips, jaw working like he’s fighting the urge to throw you over his shoulder and skip the walk.

He nods, breathless. “Yes, ma’am.”

And then he kisses you like he never wants another woman to breathe the same air as him again.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Let me know your thoughts. I’m actually working on my first series (different concept than this one shot), will be dropping part one soon—excited for you guys to read it!

[1thesewordsaremyown1]

I finally got around to actually seeing this, and I have to say, I think I agree with @azaharinflames in that it's not unreasonable to think he's talking about Tommy. For starters, he doesn't actually mention another love interest - the interviewer asks about Buck's love life, but rather than talking about the next ONE, he says, "however IT comes." Besides the fact that coming from a more considered place would make sense in that, after the more recent rash decisions, they actually take the time to talk and think about their relationship PROPERLY, but Oliver also said he would like Buck to be more settled. But the thing is, how is it more settled if he goes through the whole routine of meeting a new love interest, starting the whole dating process etc. AGAIN. You don't become more settled in a relationship unless you've been dating that person for a little while - it wasn't until S8 that we really saw Buck become truly comfortable with his and Tommy's relationship, with the brattiness and just EASE he exuded around Tommy, and unless they do a long dating arc (again 🙄) it would make more sense for Buck to to be able to settle quickly with someone he is already comfortable with (honestly sounds like Oliver is as sick of the hamster wheel as we are).

Then there's the fact that he and Tommy are still very much hung up on each other - unless they just "poof" make that dissappear straight away in the start of S9, (which, considering Buck hadn't been able to move on for over 6 months, would be jarring), Tommy will be a shadow over any future relationship. Hard to get "settled" with that in the way. Plus the way the show has been dropping hints that they still care about each other (hell, dare I say love each other) and making an effort to put Tommy into the story, it would feel like an unfinished thread if their story isn't resolved in SOME manner and Lou just "poof" disappears.

If what Oliver says is true and Lou isn't in the last episode, it doesn't mean they can't still dangle a thread that their might be some movement on the relationship front. I mean, there has been a recurring theme for the season where Buck keeps talking about calling Tommy, yet he never seems to get around to it - what if they finally decide to give him that chance? I wouldn't be surprised if, say in the final moments of the season, they show everyone gathered around for the "Welcome Back Eddie/Welcome Baby Han" party, and they cut to Buck looking around at how everyone looks so happy, before walking away to a quiet spot, pulling out his phone and the final words we hear from Buck for the season are "Hey Tommy, can we talk?"

Plus, there's also the chance that we just come back in S9 to find them together again already. I mean, let's face it, 911 are lazy and have a habit of trying to find the easy way out of resolving conflict (or creating it - see Tarlos, with their breakup between seasons) by solving/creating problems off screen. It would be narratively unsatisfying, sure, but hey, anything must be better than the mess we've had so far.

Right?!? 👀

“what are your hopes for buck’s love life next season”

[justchillgurl]

Chapter 2: Smoking Mirrors.

Summary: Geum Seong-je isn’t one to care about school politics, but something about her—the girl with the chessboard smile and debt-tracked hands—gets under his skin. From hallway glimpses to quiet observation, he begins to unthread her method. Not to expose her. Just to see if she ever slips.

He doesn’t think she will. That’s what makes it interesting.

Warnings: none (not yet at least.) just seongje smoking.

Author's note: I'm not really confident about those chapters, feel free to give your feedback. English is not my first language, please don't hesitate to point out any mistakes. Thank you🫶🏼

The lighter clicked once. Twice. Flame hissed, flickered, and died against the afternoon wind.

Seong-je exhaled through his teeth, dug the lighter deeper into his palm, and tried again. On the third attempt, it caught. The tip of the cigarette burned soft orange as he leaned back against the cracked brick wall outside the east stairwell, smoke curling lazily around his face.

He wasn’t supposed to be out here. Not technically.

But that was the whole point.

Classes were still in session. The school felt hollow in this part of the building—too far from the teachers’ offices, too quiet for anyone to bother checking. A graveyard for rusted lockers and long-forgotten announcements. Seong-je liked it here. It was predictable in its neglect.

His phone buzzed.

Seong-Mok: u gonna show up today or what?

He locked the screen without answering.

Seong-je didn’t skip class because he had better things to do. He skipped because nothing in that building made him feel awake. He’d already figured out which teachers didn’t bother calling names, which students kept their heads down, and which staff gave up trying to correct him.

He existed at the edge of Kanghak High’s awareness. Not low enough to worry about. Not loud enough to deal with.

Except now there was her.

He’d been watching her longer than he liked to admit.

It started in the convenience store. The way she measured every action, every word, like she was scoring a game only she understood. She didn’t seek attention, but it followed her anyway—hovering around her sharp shoulders and immovable stare.

He didn’t care about rumors, but even he’d heard things.

She was the one with the notes. The blog. The connections. She never raised her voice. Never smiled for no reason. And never helped without a trade.

A few days after their non-meeting, he saw her again.

She was sitting in the back corner of the library, laptop open, typing fast and without pause. Her phone buzzed three times—she ignored it. Her bag sat on the floor, half unzipped, with a folder of printed sheets sticking out like pressed wings.

He didn’t move. Didn’t interrupt.

He just watched.

The next day, she was walking across the courtyard, head tilted as someone tried desperately to gain her approval. Seong-je could tell. The body language was all there—hands fidgeting, voice too eager, laugh a little too loud. She listened with that same neutral expression, nodding only once before slipping a folded note into the person’s hand.

Transaction complete.

He lit another cigarette.

He didn’t want to interact. Not yet. That wasn’t how you watched people like her. You didn’t start by talking. You started by observing—finding the cracks. The inconsistencies. The rules she followed and when she bent them.

He already knew some of them.

She refused requests that weren’t worth her time. She wore earbuds in crowded spaces—not because she liked music, but because it gave her an excuse not to engage.

She smiled differently depending on who was talking.

To teachers: soft, respectful.

To classmates: polite, measured.

To those beneath her ranking system: almost invisible.

There was a system. He was sure of it.

And it intrigued the hell out of him.

One afternoon, he caught a sliver of her voice near the back staircase. Someone was begging—literally—for help on a scholarship essay. She didn’t yell. She didn’t even sound annoyed.

“Do you really think my notes are free?” she said calmly.

“No, no—I’ll pay. I’ll do anything, I swear.”

“I don’t want desperation. I want results. I want return.”

There was a long pause. Then:

“Make me a deal that makes sense. Otherwise, don’t waste my time.”

She walked off. Her steps echoed sharp and fast.

She didn’t glance at Seong-je as she passed.

But he noticed her thumb flick across her phone screen the moment she turned the corner. Probably logging the encounter. Updating a name. Moving pieces.

He tossed the cigarette butt into a gutter and kicked the edge of a bench.

The weird thing was, he didn’t want anything from her. Not really. He wasn’t looking for help, or notes, or connections. He wasn’t even looking for a fight.

He just wanted to know if she ever messed up.

If the game she was playing was as perfect as she made it look.

Because people like her didn’t run without cracks. No matter how polished. No matter how precise.

And Geum Seong-je had time. He had silence. And he had an unsettling talent for noticing what others ignored.

He could wait.

This is gonna be fucking fun.

So I decided to drop the chapter tonight, felt like it.

Hope you enjoy reading it🫂.

[softlysoul]

back to friends ☀︎ lee donghyuck x fem!reader

genre smut, angst, fwb to lovers

a/n first time writing smut kinda nervy

── .✦

You weren’t planning on showing up. Not to this kind of party, anyway.

But Ningning pulled you into her closet, Karina lined your lips with practiced precision, and someone put on music that made the idea seem interesting, at least. 

You figured it had been a while since you’d gone out with the girls, so, against your better judgement, you’d agreed to go with them.

Now you’re here, stepping through the front door of some overstuffed frat house that smells like sweat and cheap beer, and you already feel gross. This isn’t the kind of party you’d typically make an appearance at, there’s too many strangers drunk and stumbling around with sticky cups full of some drink that would probably make you hurl. You’ve always preferred the quieter parties, usually in a cramped kitchen with close friends, music low so you can actually hear yourself think, and people you actually liked being around.

Still, you look good tonight. You know that. You don’t need anyone to tell you, but they do anyway.

You walk through the crowd and you feel eyes trail after you. It doesn’t faze you. It never really has. You’re used to attention, even if you rarely care to return it. You’re looking for something that most people can’t offer, especially not in a place like this.

Karina’s already disappeared into the crowd. Ningning’s at the kitchen counter, mixing herself a drink. Giselle’s dancing. Minjeong’s flirting. You give them all a little wave, but don’t follow. Instead, you post up near the wall, one hand wrapped loosely around a red cup you don’t plan to finish, and you watch the night unfold around you.

And then you see him.

Of course you do. You always do.

Leaning against the doorway, head thrown back in laughter, his hair a little messy, rings flashing faintly in the light. He looks good—stupidly so—and he knows it. His sleeves are rolled up to the elbows, and he’s talking to Mark and Renjun, gesturing animatedly. 

You don’t let yourself look too long. Just long enough.

But he notices anyway.

His eyes find you through the crowd and there’s a flicker of surprise, quickly replaced by something smoother, more familiar. A smirk. A knowing tilt of the head. That look that makes your skin feel too tight, he’d always had a way of making you act and feel irrationally.

He starts walking toward you, slow and confident, and you fight the impulse to roll your eyes. You already know what this is going to be. The same teasing, the same game. And still, you don’t make any effort to get away from him.

"Didn’t think this was your scene," he says when he reaches you, voice warm and close. “Thought you were above this kind of thing.”

You sip your drink, shrug. “I contain multitudes.”

He grins. “You’re full of surprises tonight.”

“I’m always full of surprises,” you say. “You just don’t pay enough attention to notice.”

That makes his smile grow, somehow becoming even more cocky. He glances down at your legs, then back up, unapologetically checking you out. “Oh, I’m paying attention now.”

You raise a brow, unamused. “Try harder.”

He laughs, and for a second, it’s easy, talking to him always is. You’ve known Donghyuck since your first year. You’ve had countless late-night conversations, shared playlists and secrets and beds during those nights when parties ended too late and walking home felt too far. He’s always been a flirt, always been loud and reckless and half-hidden behind that grin, but you’ve seen more than that. You’ve caught glimpses of something quieter underneath. Something careful. 

And, fine — maybe you’ve always had a thing for him, but you would never tell anyone that. 

“Seriously,” he says, eyes drifting back to yours, a little less teasing now. “You look good.”

You don’t blush. You don’t look away. You know you look good, you made sure of it. But coming from him, the words settle in a strange place. 

“You say that to every girl at these things?” you ask, more curious than coy.

He shakes his head slowly. “No.”

You hold his gaze.

There’s a beat of silence, pressed thin between bodies and bass and the bitter taste of cheap alcohol. You’re aware of how close he’s standing, how warm the air feels now, like the room shrunk without warning.

“So why say it to me?”

He tilts his head slightly, the smirk softening into something you can’t quite name. “Maybe I say it to the ones I want to leave with.”

You almost laugh. Almost. Instead, you sip your drink again, let the drink coat your tongue, and answer with your eyes.

“You’re predictable.”

“You’re not.”

And somehow, that feels more dangerous than anything else.

Someone calls his name across the room, but he doesn’t turn. You don’t look either. You both stand there, holding something fragile and unnamed between you, both unwilling to break first.

You should walk away. You should rejoin your friends, find someone else to flirt with, keep pretending he doesn’t get under your skin. That’s what would be smart.

But smart isn’t what you’re feeling right now.

So when he leans in, eyes half-lidded and voice lower than before, asking, “Wanna get out of here?”

Stupidly, you nod, suddenly feeling reckless.

He grabs your hand and pulls you toward the door, the noise and chaos of the party already feeling like a distant storm behind you.

“Wanna Uber to mine?” he asks, voice low, eyes flickering with lust and a subtle touch of something softer.

You pause for a moment, considering it, but then shake your head with a small smile. “Actually... my place is close. We can go there.”

He blinks, surprised but amused. “Alright, lead the way.”

You push off of the wall, breaking the wall of tension between the two of you, and head outside, stepping out into the crisp night air. The city hums quietly around you, cooler than inside, less overwhelming. He falls into step beside you, his warmth a quiet promise against the chill.

── .✦

The walk is short, the streets almost empty, and the tension between you builds with every step, clouding your mind and making you sweat.

You barely get the door open before he’s pulling you inside, turning around and pressing you back against it, his body warm and unyielding. His hands find your waist, gripping just enough to ground you, while his lips land on your neck.

You catch your breath, eyes fluttering shut as his fingers grip your skin. The lock clicks behind you—he finally fumbles it shut, sealing the world out.

His mouth moves lower, trailing slow, heated kisses across your collarbone, and you can feel the sharp pulse of his breath against your skin. Your hands tangle in the fabric of his shirt, pulling him closer, trying to get him as close as possible.

There’s no hesitation now, just the rush of wanting and needing. His hands explore your hips, each touch igniting something deep inside you, something that’s been simmering under all the teasing and banter.

You pull away, attempting to catch your breath. He takes the hint and moves to your neck again, placing open-mouthed kisses on your skin. 

Your chest heaves as you gently push his head away from you, “Maybe… we should take this to the bedroom.” 

His gaze flicks up, eyes dark and burning. He doesn’t say anything—just nods once, a little breathless, like he’s trying, and struggling, to hold back.

You take his hand and turn toward the hallway. Behind you, you hear him quietly shut the door, the lock clicking into place like a final answer. Then he’s following close behind, steps quick, like the anticipation is too much to carry.

You don’t make it far. As soon as the door swings shut, his hands are back on your waist, tugging you close until you can feel the rise and fall of his chest, the thrum of his pulse beneath his skin.

His lips find yours again, though they’re hungrier this time, messier. There’s nothing restrained about the way he kisses you now. It’s all urgency and heat, a low noise caught in his throat when your fingers slide up under his shirt, grazing bare skin.

He pushes you backward, gently but insistent, until the backs of your knees hit the bed. One look, eyes dark, pupils blown, and he presses forward, guiding you down onto the mattress, positioning himself so he’s leaning over you.

Your body yields under him, soft and warm, and his hands are everywhere — tracing the curve of your waist, slipping under your shirt and dragging slowly up your ribs. He leans down, mouth at your ear, breath hot. “Is this okay?”

You nod, your hands insistently pulling at the hem of his shirt. “More than okay.”

He peels his shirt off, and your shirt and bra follow, tossed somewhere onto the floor. Skin against skin now — and you can feel heat blooming where he touches, where he kisses, where his fingers linger too long.

He kisses down your chest, slow and reverent like he’s trying to memorize every inch of you in real time, cataloging each breath you take, each little sound that escapes you. When his mouth closes around your nipple, your back arches without meaning to.

“Oh god,” you whisper, barely audible, and he hums in response, one hand sliding lower, sliding underneath the waistband of your pants.

You can feel the question in the way his fingers pause there, tentative. He removes his mouth from your chest and meets your eyes, searching for permission. “Please.”

You nod, and he grins, pulling your bottoms and panties off in one go. You shiver as you feel the cold air of your room on your core. His hands are warm as they travel down your skin, over your stomach and down to your thighs. 

You gasp as he softly runs his fingers along your folds, featherlight and teasing, taking his time exploring you. He exhales slowly, like the sight alone is unraveling him. “You’re so wet,” he murmurs, more to himself than to you, voice rough, thick with arousal. 

Then his finger presses in gently, and he watches the way your pussy reacts to the stimulation, slightly twitching. 

He slowly pushes in and out, enjoying the soft noises you let out as he teases you. He presses his bulge into the bed, seeking some sort of relief from how hard it was.

When his mouth replaces his fingers, it’s almost too much. He drags his tongue through you slowly, like he has all the time in the world. Your hands find his hair instantly, your hips lifting off the bed, chasing friction. But he pins you down gently, one arm flung across your stomach, holding you still. “Let me,” he whispers, breath hot against your skin. You try to force out a response, but are so consumed by the way he’s devouring you that the most you can muster is a loud whine.

He works you open with his tongue, slow and deliberate, as if he’s trying to burn himself into your memory. Every swipe of his tongue and brush of his fingers over your clit feels like it’s unraveling a tightly wound string inside of you, pulling and pulling until you’re frayed at the edges, trembling beneath him.

You can’t stop the sounds that fall from your lips, soft gasps and breathy moans that seem to spur him on. He hums again, pleased, and the vibration nearly sends you over the edge.

Your head tips back, eyes fluttering shut. “Hyuck—” you breathe, voice shaky.

His name in your mouth makes him groan. “Say that again.”

You do, over and over, like it’s the only word you remember, until your thighs start to shake and your hands grip his hair tighter, and you’re right there — on the edge of something dizzying.

You reach your climax, a long moan being pulled from your lungs, white hot pleasure searing its way through you. It’s messy, desperate, raw. 

You’re still trembling when he kisses your inner thigh, then your hip, then your stomach, slowly and deliberately making his way up to your mouth, His mouth brushes your lips tenderly, lips dragging over sensitive places, letting you come down soft.

The air between you crackles.

His weight shifts, body rising to meet yours, and he brings your hand up to his face, kissing the inside of your wrist before leaning in again. His eyes search yours, quiet and serious for once.

“You’re incredible,” he breathes, and the words send a pulse through your chest that has nothing to do with arousal and everything to do with the way you’ve always wanted him to look at you, exactly like that.

You reach up, curl your fingers into the waistband of his pants, voice barely audible. “Take these off.”

He smirks at you, a teasing glint suddenly forming in his eyes, “Say please.”

Normally, you’d get flustered at his teasing, but now, you’re too lost in your own pleasure to object. “Please, Hyuck…” You whine his name, and he swears he could’ve come in his pants just from the look on your face.

You trail your hands down the plane of his chest, to the waistband of his jeans. Your touch turns bolder, rougher, driven by the burn still lingering beneath your skin. He groans as your fingers brush over him through the denim.

“You’re really trying to kill me,” he mutters, forehead pressed to yours.

You smile, breathless. “I just wanna feel you.”

He doesn’t waste another second. The clumsy shuffle of jeans and a condom wrapper fills the quiet between kisses, hands moving too fast and not fast enough. When he finally settles between your legs, he pauses again — one hand resting on your face, thumb brushing under your eye.

“Still okay?” he murmurs.

You nod. “Yeah.”

When you feel the warmth of his cock on your folds, you whine, “Fuck, s’ too big.” He chuckles and brushes your hair out of your face, “You can take it for me, right?”

You hum in agreement, though it likely sounds more like a strangled moan, and squeeze your thighs together, trying to alleviate some of the pressure you feel in your core.

He smiles at your attempt at a response and kisses your forehead, “that’s my good girl.”

And then he’s pressing into you, slow and steady, the stretch sharp and stinging at first, until your body adjusts, until all you can feel is the deep burn of him filling you, inch by inch. You gasp as he bottoms out, his hips flush against yours, the air punched out of you in a shaky breath.

He groans, head dropping to your shoulder. His whole body is tense, clearly trying to give you time to adjust to his length.

Your back arches, hands gripping his shoulders, nails digging in as you try to ground yourself. He stills for a second, forehead pressed to your neck, letting you both catch up to the moment.

Then he starts to move.

Slow, deliberate thrusts at first, deep enough to make you see stars, then faster, more frantic, his control unraveling with each passing second. Your bodies find a rhythm — messy, breathless, greedy — and you cling to him as he thrusts in and out, his cock meeting that sensitive spot in your pussy with every inward movement.

His name tumbles out of you again and again, more prayer than plea, until your voice breaks and your walls clench tight around him.

“I’ve got you,” he pants, lips at your jaw, hand sliding between your bodies to rub rough circles against your clit. “Come for me.”

It crashes over you like a wave, your back moving off the mattress, a cry pulled from your lungs as your orgasm pulses through every inch of you. He follows moments after, groaning into your neck as he spills into the condom, thrusts turning sloppy before he finally stills.

For a long moment, there’s nothing but the sound of your breathing, tangled together in the quiet aftermath.

He moves first, not away, not out, but just enough to ease the weight off your body and press a kiss to your shoulder. His hand lingers at your waist, fingertips brushing lazy, featherlight circles into your skin.

“You okay?” he murmurs, voice rough from exertion and arousal.

You nod, a little dazed. “Yeah… I’m good.”

And you are. Bone-tired, muscles aching in ways that feel more satisfying than painful. 

He pulls out slowly, gently, and you wince at the shift. Without a word, he disappears down the hall and returns with a warm, damp towel, crouching between your knees with a quiet focus. He’s careful as he cleans you up, hands gentle, gaze flickering up now and then to check your face.

It’s silent, but not uncomfortable. The kind of quiet that feels comfortable, easy.

He tosses the towel into your laundry basket, climbs into bed beside you, and pulls you into his chest. His skin is warm against yours, his heartbeat steady where your cheek rests over it.

Neither of you says much. Just tangled limbs, slow breathing. You fall asleep like that, bare and wrapped around each other, his hand in your hair and yours pressed to his chest.

── .✦

When you wake, it’s to sunlight creeping through the curtains and the sound of your upstairs neighbor bustling around in their apartment.

Your bed is warm, but only on one side. His side is already cold.

You blink, still groggy, reaching out as if maybe he just shifted in the night. But there’s no weight beside you, no rustle in the apartment. No open bathroom door. No footsteps.

You sit up, heart in your throat.

No note on the nightstand.

No message on your phone.

Nothing.

You check the door, only to find it locked. Your apartment, still. Everything in place.

Everything except him.

And the only proof he was ever here is the soreness in your thighs and the lingering marks on your skin. The phantom of his hands. His voice in your ear.

You’re alone.

And you don’t know what stings more, the emptiness of the room, or the fact that you’re actually hurt that he left.

── .✦

You sit on the edge of your bed for a long time, phone in hand, thumb hovering over the screen. There’s a draft of a text in the box:

hey, did you make it back okay?

You stare at it. Backspace. Start again.

thanks for last night

No. That feels pathetic. You delete it.

The cursor blinks at you, waiting for you to type something, anything.

You finally type, you left super early this morning. everything okay?

You hit send before you can think it over, wanting nothing more than to crawl into a hole and die. The little bubble appears and then… nothing.

You set your phone down, check again a few minutes later.

Still nothing.

You tell yourself it’s early. He’s probably just asleep. Maybe he left for work, or class, or something important. Maybe his phone died. You try to believe it.

But by the time the sun has fully risen and the coffee in your mug has gone cold, you’ve checked your phone a dozen times. No answer. No typing bubble. No follow-up. Not even the courtesy of a “got home safe.”

He’s not just gone.

He’s disappeared.

You try not to let it eat at you, but it does. The silence presses in like fog, dense and confusing, and all the heat from the night before starts to feel like a hallucination. Like you made it up, or read it in a book and convinced yourself it happened to you.

You change your sheets. You shower. You put on clothes that aren’t the ones you wore to the party. You pretend that it didn’t matter, that it was casual, that you’re fine.

But when your phone buzzes, texts from your friends flooding in as they question where you went last night, your heart still stutters like it’s him.

And when it’s not, the pain appears again.

── .✦

You show up to brunch twenty minutes late, sunglasses on, hoodie up, and your hair in a braid that definitely looks like it was done by a toddler. The second you slide into the booth, four pairs of eyes land on you like a SWAT team.

“Oh my god,” Giselle blurts, mid-sip. “You look like you got hit by a truck.”

“Gigi’s right, you look like a mess, no offense” Minjeong says, lowering her sunglasses to squint at you. “Be honest, who’d you fuck last night?”

You blink. “What? What are you talking about?”

“Girl.” Ningning stares you down. “Don’t even start. You’re wearing last night’s lip gloss.”

Karina leans forward, resting her chin on her palm. “Was it Donghyuck?”

You freeze.

And that’s all they need.

“OH MY GOD,” Minjeong screeches.

“I KNEW IT,” Giselle hisses. “I knew something was up! You two disappeared like, an hour into the party.”

“I said I was getting air,” you mutter.

“You were getting railed,” Ningning says. “Don’t lie.”

You groan and cover your face. “Can we not do this here?”

“No. We have to do this here,” Karina says gently. “This is a safe space. We’ve all committed crimes at this table.”

“She’s walking funny,” Minjeong adds. “Confirmed.”

You drop your hands and sigh. “Fine. Yes. We hooked up.”

Four gasps. A collective sip of iced coffee. A shared eye contact moment of girl, finally.

“And?” Giselle prompts. “How was it?”

You hesitate.

And then you say, “Good. Like… really good.”

Another chorus of squeals.

But then you add, quietly: “But when I woke up, he was gone. No note. No text. Nothing.”

The vibe shifts instantly.

“Oh, hell no,” Minjeong snaps, sunglasses coming off entirely.

“He left?” Karina asks, tone flattening. “After sleeping with you?”

You nod slowly, wrapping your arms around yourself like you're trying to stay intact.

Ningning blinks. “Literally why would he do that?”

“I thought we had a connection,” you say, voice a little too quiet. “It felt… different.”

There’s a long pause, heavy with quiet fury and heartbreak.

Minjeong exhales through her nose like a bull about to charge. “I’m gonna kill him.”

“We’re going to ruin him,” Karina corrects calmly.

“Do we do it now or after pancakes?” Ningning asks.

Giselle is already opening Instagram. “I’m gonna text him”

“Please don’t,” you groan. You lean into Karina’s shoulder, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on you. Anger and disappointment swirl in your chest. But here, with your friends, you feel a little bit less alone.

Minjeong squeezes your hand tightly. “You deserve better than him anyways.”

Ningning leans forward, voice soft but firm. “He’s a bum, and you’re too hot to let him upset you.”

Karina brushes a stray hair behind your ear. “Let’s have a movie night tonight, try to forget about it.”

You manage a small, grateful smile. The pain is still there, simmering, but with them by your side, it feels less suffocating.

── .✦

Days pass, and you’re nowhere to be found around the usual places you and Hyuck’s friends used to hang out. Your absence doesn’t go unnoticed, especially by him. The guys had always been a good group of friends, close even without you, but your absence was a sharp reminder of how he’d royally fucked up.

Renjun, who shared the most classes with you and generally considered you to  be a good friend, especially notices. You’ve been avoiding him too, switching seats in class to put distance between you two.

Later that day, he brings it up to Donghyuck in Jeno and Jaemin’s living room, subtle anger underneath his words.

“Hyuck, what the hell did you do?” Renjun snaps, voice low but fierce. “Y/N moved seats away from me. Like, packed up her stuff and booked it across the room without a word. And she’s been ignoring my texts.”

Donghyuck rubs his neck nervously, trying to dodge the intensity but failing. “I didn’t mean for it to go this far…”

Before he can say more, Mark steps in, arms crossed. “You know how close she was with us. She’s not just some random girl.”

Jeno shakes his head, voice sharp. “And you left her hanging. You fucked her and then left?”

Dongyhuck winces, the harsh language of his friends putting everything into perspective for him. “Don’t be so harsh. It’s not like I told her we’d be a couple or anything.”

Jaemin clenches his fists. “That’s not the point. She’s pissed at all of us now. Just because you didn’t promise anything doesn’t mean you ghost her.”

Donghyuck swallows hard, guilt crashing down. “I messed up. I know. But I don’t know how to fix it.”

Renjun’s stare softens just a little, but the frustration remains. “Just be honest with her, don’t fuck it up again. You just need to talk to her.”

── .✦

A week slips by, seven long days of silence. No texts, no calls, no sign of you anywhere. Donghyuck’s phone lights up with other notifications, but none from you. Every time he opens your chat to check if you’ve at least read his texts, his heart races, only to fall when he sees no reply.

He’s tried everything, dozens of messages full of apologies, simple check-ins, even jokes to break the ice, but nothing breaks through the wall you’ve built. His thumbs hover nervously over the keyboard as he drafts yet another message, erases it, and starts again.

“I know I hurt you. I’m sorry. Please talk to me.”

Sent.

He waits, staring at the screen, willing his phone to buzz back, but the silence stretches on, heavier with each passing hour.

His friends have noticed his darkening mood. Renjun catches him staring blankly at his phone during class. Jeno and Jaemin exchange worried glances when he skips practice. Even Mark nudges him quietly, “Man, you gotta fix this before it’s too late.”

But every unanswered text chips away at his hope, and the regret grows like a flower in his chest.

── .✦

You sigh as you look in the mirror. The tired eyes staring back at you are heavy with exhaustion and something else, a dull ache that won’t fade. It’s been a week since that night, a week since you let yourself feel something real, and then had it ripped away without warning.

Every time your phone buzzes, your heart leaps, hoping it’s him, only to drop when it’s not. And when it is, your fingers freeze. You read his messages, the apologies, the desperate pleas, but you can’t bring yourself to respond. Not yet. Not while you still feel so raw and exposed.

You tell yourself you’re protecting yourself, that distance is the only way to keep your heart safe. But each day alone sharpens the ache, and you miss the laughter, the easy comfort of the group, the way Donghyuck’s smile made things feel okay, even if he didn’t feel the same, you convinced yourself you could be ok with just being his friend.

Still, the betrayal lingers, thick and heavy. You replay the night over and over, the way he left without a word, without anything. 

You bury yourself in your other friends’ company, their fierce loyalty a soothing bandage for the sting. But even they can’t fill the hollow spaces where your old friendships used to live.

You glance at your phone again, thumb hovering over his name. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe soon. You want to believe he’s worth the risk,  worth breaking down your walls. But for now, the silence stays, like a fragile dam holding back the flood inside you.

── .✦

It’s been nearly two weeks of silence. Your phone remains stubbornly quiet except for the occasional unanswered texts from Donghyuck. But what you don’t know is that behind the scenes, he’s been trying everything to get to you.

He finally gets a lead, one of your classmates and mutual friends, Minji, slips him information about a possible library session. She knows how much this means to both of you, and though she’s wary, she agrees to give him a heads-up about where you might be.

You’re sitting in a quiet corner of the library later that week, lost in your thoughts, when suddenly you see someone approaching you in your peripheral vision. Your heart sinks as the chair next to you is pulled out, Donghyuck sitting down and facing you.

He waits for you to look at him before speaking, his voice low but firm as he meets your eyes. “We need to talk.”

You look around. People are starting to notice. You bite your lip and sigh, not wanting a scene. “Fine,” you say quietly, standing up. “But somewhere private.”

He nods, relief flashing across his face. “There’s a park nearby. Let’s go.”

You grab your things and head out, leaving the library behind, stepping into the cool evening air, anxious to finally confront everything between you.

── .✦

The park is quiet, the only sounds are the soft rustle of leaves and distant city hum. You both find a bench tucked away under a streetlamp’s warm glow. The space feels intimate, away from prying eyes, but the tension between you is thick enough to fill the air around you.

Donghyuck sits down first, running a hand through his hair, clearly trying to organize his thoughts. He looks over at you, eyes earnest and raw.

 “I’m sorry,” he begins, voice low, almost a whisper. “I never meant to hurt you. Leaving like that… it was selfish, stupid. I was scared, and I didn’t know how to handle what happened between us.”

You keep your gaze fixed ahead, refusing to meet him. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”

He swallows hard, stepping closer until you can feel the heat radiating from his body. “I was scared. Scared because everything was moving too fast, scared because I didn’t want to mess things up with you, but instead, I did the worst thing possible. I left you hanging. And I… god, I can’t believe I was that selfish.”

Your throat tightens. “You left me with nothing, Hyuck. No explanation. No ‘I’m sorry.’ Just silence.”

He winces like you’ve slapped him with your words. “I know. I was a coward. I wanted to tell you so many times, but every time I tried, the words just got caught in my throat. I thought ignoring it would make it easier, for both of us, but I was wrong. I was so wrong.”

Tears prick the corners of your eyes, anger and hurt bubbling to the surface. “You think you can just come back after ghosting me like that and say ‘sorry’ and that’s it?”

Donghyuck’s voice cracks, raw and desperate. “No, no, I don’t expect that. I’m not asking for forgiveness just because I want it. I want to earn it. I want to fix this, even if it takes everything I have. Because losing you… that’s the last thing I want.”

You finally meet his eyes, and you see the sincerity there, the regret, the fear of losing you. For a moment, the anger softens into something else, something tender.

“I don’t know if I can trust you again, Hyuck,” you admit, voice shaking. “You left me feeling like I wasn’t worth sticking around for. Like I was just a quick fuck.”

He kneels down in front of you, taking both your hands in his. “You are so much more than that. You’re everything to me. I’m begging you, please. Let me show you that I’m better than how I acted.”

The tears spill free now, your body trembling with the release of weeks of pain and confusion. Donghyuck pulls you gently into his arms, holding you as if you’re the most fragile thing in the world.

“I’m here. I’m not going anywhere this time.”

You bury your face in his chest, heart pounding, and whisper, “I want to believe you.”

He kisses the top of your head, voice soft but certain. “Then let’s start again. No games. No running.”

Slowly, hesitantly, you look up at him, and your lips meet in a kiss. It’s tentative at first, then deeper, full of all the apologies and promises words could never capture.

When you finally pull away, breathless and trembling, you rest your forehead against his. “Maybe… maybe we can try.”

Donghyuck smiles, eyes shining. “Maybe we can.”

── .✦

softlysoul perm taglist - @markkiatocafe @theozia @hyeinsveil

[finelinevogue]

i’m happy

summary - the thought of bucky having a relationship with someone that’s not you is… horrible

pairing - bucky barnes x bff!reader

word count - ~1k

You slipped the straps of the red, satin, dress onto your shoulders, taking a breath as you looked at yourself in the mirror.

Your hands ran over the front of your dress to check for any creases.

You wanted to look perfect tonight.

Tonight, Bucky was hosting a fancy party to celebrate retiring as a congressman. He enjoyed it - kind of - whilst he had it but now he’s back to being an Avenger he hasn’t got the tome.

You, being Bucky’s best friend, obviously had an invite and you wanted to look fabulous for him. If not to show his colleagues that you’re worth something, then to attempt to tease Bucky into wanting something more than friendship with you.

Bucky cleared his throat behind you.

You didn’t have to turn around to know that it had been him, but you were still taken away by his beauty when you did.

He was wearing a two-piece suit with a bow tie. He looked clean and so smart. His hair, although he’d clearly styles it, was starting to gain little curls throughout from the heat of summer.

His smile though.

“Hey.” You smiled.

“Hey.”

“How do I look?” You looked down at your dress sheepishly.

“Like you’d rather be in your pyjamas watching a movie.” He chuckled, letting show those dimples you adore. Your heart stopped beating for a moment at the sight of him.

You chuckled back, “Well…” You weren’t quite sure what to say, so you wandered over to your bed to collect your purse instead. “Let’s get going shall we?”

You flicked off the bathroom light and turned on your bedside lamp for later. Your heels clicked on the floor as you walked over to where Bucky was standing in the doorway.

“Hey.” Bucky said softly, making you stop in your tracks just before him, “You look…” He smiled with those soft eyes, “You look beautiful.”

You blushed and bowed your head to regroup yourself, before looking at him again, “Thank you, Buck.” You leant up to kiss his cheek, “So do you.”

🎇

You were standing to the side as you watched Bucky walk down the red carpet and have his photo taken.

He looked a little uncomfortable with all the attention and flashing lights. More than once he had looked back to find you, only for you to give him a little smile of encouragement for him to keep going. He would always smile back and look ready to return to the craze after seeing you.

Unfortunately you weren’t having the greatest time as you were left with Bucky’s new boss, Valentina, and her assistant, Mel.

Valentina nudged you to get your attention.

“Sorry?” You missed what she had said.

“It’s interesting the way you look at him.”

“It is?” You swallowed your nerves.

You thought you were subtle about the way you looked at him with adoration, but maybe you weren’t as careful as you thought.

“It’s even more interesting that I didn’t need to tell you who I was talking about.” She gave you a tight lipped smile.

Fuck.

You smiled to play it off, before returning your gaze to the carpet.

“Mel.” Valentina called. You watched Mel hand Valentina an iPad with a page open on something. “You are Bucky’s “best friend” are you not?”

You looked at Valentina to see she was speaking to you.

“Yes.” You nodded.

“Good. Then you can help me decide who to have Bucky date next.” She smiled an evil smile, leaving you no time to decompress the information.

“I’m… s-sorry what?”

What?

Bucky… dating… Hm?

“Yeah. Bucky needs some arm candy now that he’s in the public eye. What do you think?”

Valentina showed you the iPad and the girl on the screen looked the opposite of you and she looked so beautiful. In fact she could be a goddess for all you know.

The thought of Bucky with some… goddess, though. You couldn’t fake a smile over that thought.

Bucky was your best friend but you wished he could be so much more than that. You craved something more with him. You craved him in a way you hadn’t yet known him. You wanted him in a way that meant he couldn’t be with anyone in the same way.

“Y/N?”

“Hmm?”

“Would she be a good fit?”

“I.. I don’t know.”

“Oh. I thought you were supposed to be his beat friend?” Valentina taunted you.

You knew what game she was playing, because she must have seen the way you were looking at Bucky.

You gave her a tight lipped smile and nodded a goodbye.

Trying not to be upset about the thought of Bucky with another woman was the nail in the coffin to you accepting that you like like him.

As you walked away from the red carpet, Valentina and even Bucky you couldn’t help but feel very small in one of the largest cities.

🎇

“Hey, I didn’t see you at the end of the red carpet.” Bucky weaved his hand around your arm.

“Yeah, sorry.”

“No need to be sorry, honey.” He furrowed his eyebrows like you’d just said the silliest thing ever.

“Okay.” You gave him a pretend smile.

“What’s wrong?” He asked you.

“I’m okay.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

You looked down at your feet, which were only a few centimetres apart from each other.

You felt Bucky’s hand slightly tighten in order to pull you into a small alcove that was out of sight from the rest of the room.

“Wha—.”

“Tell me what’s wrong, please.” He dipped his head to try and catch your eyes, because he knew that when he catches them he’ll have you hook, line and sinker.

You bravely looked up into his bluey eyes.

You bit your lip to keep you from spilling everything your heart wanted you to. Bucky’s eyes saddened at the sight of you struggling to talk to him.

“You can tell me anything.” He said quietly.

You nodded, not looking away from him.

“I’ll be worrying about you all night if you don’t tell me darling.” Bucky’s hand trails down your arm to your hand, never leaving your skin untouched. His hand clasped to yours and gave it a tight squeeze to silently let you know that he was right here.

“I… It’s…”

You groaned to yourself, turning away from his gaze only to feel the cool metal of Bucky’s fingers on your cheek pulling you back.

Ring.

Bucky’s phone decided to ring at that moment, but he didn’t pay it any attention. His whole gaze was on you and it wasn’t leaving until you told him you were okay or what was bothering you.

“C’mon honey.”

“It’s Valentina.” You sighed.

Bucky’s hand let go of your face but not your hand.

“Okay?”

“She is setting you up with a fake pr relationship going forward.”

“A fake… What?” Bucky let go of your hand to throw his arms in the air in protest. “Bullshit.”

“Bucky…” You sighed.

“No. This is… I mean… Relationship?” Bucky scoffed.

“You don’t even know who it might be yet. All you can do is give it a try.”

“I don’t want to try.”

“You don’t want to try and be in a relationship?” You tried to understand what he was saying.

“No! I don’t want to be in a relationship if it’s not with you!”

You gasped.

What?

Is your best friend saying what you think he’s saying?

“Buck…”

“Fuck… I didn’t mean to tell you like that..” He ran a stressed hand through his hair, looking less angry than he did moments before. “Y/N I…”

You crossed the distance between him and you within a second, cupping both of his cheeks with your hands and pulling him down until his lips met yours.

His lips were soft against yours but it was clear that he wasn’t at all prepared for you to pull that move.

Your lips left his after a couple seconds.

Fuck.

Did he not mean it?

You opened your lips to apologise profusely, but before you could speak Bucky’s lips were on yours. This time the kiss was much more. There was much more passion and lust pushed into every bit of it.

Bucky gripped your jaw on either side as if you might try and escape. He held you so close as he kissed you as if you were a mission he was dead set on completing.

He smelt intoxicating. He was wearing the perfume you’d bought him a few years ago and ever since then he’d restocked for himself.

His lips though…

The kiss was bruising and all-consuming. You couldn’t breathe but you didn’t care, especially when Bucky tilted your head to the side slightly to deepen his angle of the kiss.

You tried to pull back to gain a breath but Bucky whined and only pulled you closer. He breathed you in as his mouth encased yours once more, pressing his nose against yours and giving you everything he had.

Only then did he let you back an inch.

You breathed out a hearty laugh, making him laugh too and go back for another long kiss. Your lips smacked as they untouched.

You brought up a hand to touch his against your jaw, rubbing your thumbs carefully over his skin and metal. He moved to tilt his forehead against yours carefully.

“Tell Valentina to fuck herself, because I’m happy with my girl in front of me.” Bucky laughed.

“Okay.” You nodded acceptingly.

Bucky kissed you again just because he could.

“And for the record, I’m happy too.”

[everythingisamazing]

Viktor feeling like he is not good enough is the reason I see most often being given for him and Jayce not getting together romantically during their years developing Hextech (that and Jayce being oblivious). I think that's not quite correct. I believe, the true reason is Viktor deciding very early on (probably the first night of their partnership) that he is going to put Jayces happiness above his own desires. Especially because the first interaction he ever had with him, was saving Jayces life. There is enough visible yearning from Viktors side to make me believe he was definitely interested and would have given in if Jayce made the first move (which, as we canonically know Jayce does not make, even when put in clearly romantically charged situations) but I think in his mind, the risk of initiating was simply not worth it. Consider: Viktor knows that Jayce tried to kill himself, because he thought his dream was being destroyed. I am pretty sure that he would be very hesitant to do anything that could compromise said dream, because he knows how strongly it is tied to Jayces well-being (little does he know that he himself is the actual dream hehe) His sensitivity towards Jayce being the reason for keeping his distance, is also way more in character to me, than Viktor being insecure. There is no other character, that pays more attention to Jayces emotional needs in the show than Viktor (prime example in the next paragraph). Also, his whole thing is wanting to save people and easing the suffering of others. And while he might have insecurities, such as public speaking, Viktor is also shown to be sassy and confident in many other interactions. One of the best examples for him being very in tune with Jayces emotions, is the scene, where Jayce basically gets pushed into being a councilor. There is a small moment, where the camera is behind Viktor and you can hear him exhale slowly, as if to regulate his breathing. It reads clearly to me as a thing that someone who is feeling the stress of the person they care about would do. The scene also shows that Viktor is the only person in the room, who is noticing how Jayce is feeling, while everyone else is just talking at him. As time passes I think the reason Viktor holds back also changes. Firstly he probably gets kind of used to it, and secondly, when he realizes he does not have much longer to live, I imagine he doesn't see the point in giving into his feelings anymore. Interpreting Viktors emotional sensitivity as the reason for the unfulfilled romantic potential between him and Jayce, also makes the other interpretation, of Mage Viktor letting Jayce suffer in the ravine on purpose, even more tragic. Because it means that Viktor, who never wanted to hurt Jayce and who would put Jayces happiness above his own, had to create a loop where he would save him as a child, only to torture him as an adult. It means, that no matter how hard he tried to deny himself in consideration of Jayces well-being during their partnership, he would inevitably have to make him suffer FOR him, as the only way to save the world. Damn.

[kkochigomi]

the ultimate guide to f***ing nomin

part one | part two

PAIRING: reader x jeno + jaemin

GENRE: smut, angst

SERIES WC: 35k

PART ONE WC: 15k

SYNOPSIS: DJ Juliette is over just being a DJ. She misses being a producer and working with artists but no one is biting anymore. She's living from paycheck to paycheck, so when MC receives a pink business card from that company, she should take it. But her fellow SHAWOLs are screaming at her and she knows better. So they send in the heavy arsenal wrapped in head-to-toe Chanel. This woman, named Lindsay Liu, knows she can talk her into it.

WARNINGS: dom!Jeno, switch!Jaemin & mc, PIV, DVP, cunnilingus, thigh humping, pussyjob, lots of sloppy kissing, deepthroating, rough sex, large... sizes, bisex, very strong language, threesomes, one reference to slight racism/xenophobia (very small inclusion, that character sucks, doesn't go into detail), CONVOLUTED AND CONFUSING AS SHIT, slight language barriers, hella campy/maybe even bad, mc is described as American and having a midsized body, explicit language and descriptions of sex, working at SM Entertainment, mc has a "stage name", Juliette isn't her actual name, let me know what I missed! (had to split this into two parts or Tumblr wouldn't let me post it)

+ dialogue and text messages italicized in their entirety means MC is translating them from Korean!

PROLOGUEˋ°•*⁀➷

Since you discovered your first iPhone had garageband on it, you’ve been drawn to production. Combining your passion with your– at the time– niche interest of k-pop, you garnered a little following on Tumblr making demos for your favorite groups. But as you got older and grew out of k-pop, you associated producing with that childlike naivety. So you switched to what your parents wanted.

Thankfully, you decided to ditch computer science in 2019 and do what you truly wanted, sending you deep into the underground. You weren’t the best or the most well known producer, but you could produce and you weren’t super expensive. As you worked your way through your bachelor’s degree, you got better and better. You became a little more sought after. Unfortunately, the underground was highly competitive. And you were sick of feeling like you slapped someone’s mother for asking artists to sign a contract. But luckily for you, you were being classically trained unlike most of the other producers you’ve met who are self taught. Some of them play instruments and know a bit of music theory, but your degree gives you a slight leg up outside of the underground music industry. 

So you ditched the underground in 2022. With your knowledge, jumping into the overside of the music industry wasn’t impossible. But it wasn’t easy. At all. You barely got any bites. Unfortunately, in this day and age people have stopped chasing after being pop stars and realized how lucrative the production scene was. Most labels weren’t desperate for producers. In the states, that is. 

DJing is fun. It’s cool… but you’ve always thought of it as a side gig. Good to break up any sameness. But lately it’s been your only source of income. And there’s nothing fun about living paycheck to paycheck. Or admitting your parents were right. 

You default to an easy crowd pleaser as your mind drifts. A rapper you used to work with often hits you up every once and a while. His latest text being:

if you’re worried about Drex threatening to slash your tires, don’t even sweat it! you’re always welcome back

You couldn’t afford slashed tires then and you definitely can’t now. Plus, you’re hungry enough without competition. You just want to make art.

“Excuse me, Juliette?”

Right as you step off stage, someone calls out your alias. You’re thinking it’s management, so you turn around excitedly and await payment. Before you is a middle aged Asian man with thick-rimmed glasses. You don’t recognize him, but the smirk on his face reeks of upper management. A smile that can only come from someone about to pitch you something they’re confident you won’t refuse. More like cocky. 

“...Yes?”

The man immediately launches into his spiel.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but you worked with Flowra for a song on his new album, right? I’m Lee Sung-Soo, by the way. You can call me Chris.” He presents his hand to you. You did work with them, but they scrapped the songs you did together. Oh god, is this guy here on behalf of someone else?

“I’m not underground anymore.” You explain curtly, walking away. Chris awkwardly retracts his hand before jogging after you.

“Good! I’m actually an A&R director for a music label in South Korea.”

You freeze involuntarily. You hate to admit your younger self is squealing deep inside you. The you at the forefront, however, knows better.

“Which company?” You pose with severity. There is a wrong answer.

He does that annoying smirk again, feeling like he struck something. He speaks in Korean, but it’s simple enough for you to understand. When you started college, you were still heavy into K-pop and thought learning Korean would make engaging in Korean media much easier. So you took Korean 101, 102, and 103 before you realized how useless these skills were and slowly faded from the fandom. You still kick yourself for not studying Spanish instead. 

“Are you familiar with Korean music?” He says, his eyes brightening upon noticing your lack of confusion. However, you note how he doesn’t say the company name.

“I’m good, thanks.”

“Take this!” He presents you with a card that he must’ve had ready since he approached you. You notice the card is pink. You look up, plastering a big smile on your face as rage boils in your gut. 

“Absolutely not.”

🥀 𐮙 🐻ˋ°•*⁀➷

The week following your meeting with Chris, SM is all you could think about. You were having a battle with your inner naive fangirl and your reasonability. 

Think about how many times they’ve been sued for mistreatment! I mean come on! This is SM we’re talking about!

You could meet Key.

You slam your pillow over your face and scream. It is simply preposterous how much weight that one possibility has. It’s not even certain! You turn to what you always do when you need to shut your brain off and let it rot, social media. You opt for Instagram. Though you rarely post, you need to keep track of your DMs in case artists reach out. It’s also your favorite place to keep up with celebrities. You opt to check your DMs first. Immediately you’re stumped by a name. Not because you don’t recognize it, but because it sounds so damn familiar.

Lindsey Liu.

Your knee-jerk reaction is to assume you’re thinking of Lucy Liu, but when you look at her profile picture, she even looks familiar. 

lindsayliu Hey doll~ I’m looking for someone to produce a project I’m working on. I have my own professional studio, so you can just come to my place to work on it. I know it’s sudden, but how does tomorrow sound?

‘Hey doll?’ you think, scam detectors blaring. You click on her account, her number of followers dumbfounding you. Twenty-one MILLION? You don’t personally know of bot accounts that are that ballsy with their follower counts but you know exactly what to do to fact check. You scroll throughout her posts, checking all of them for their engagement. By the looks of it, her followers aren’t fake. You even spot celebrities like Jackson Wang and Bae Suzy in her comments. On that same train of thought you check which celebrities you follow are following her. You’re shocked to see you have to click on them to see them all. You check each of their accounts, too. Just in case. And also because you’re in disbelief. You realize then where you recognized her from. Pictures with East Asian celebrities you follow.

You don’t even want to get excited and share the news to your friends and family because they’ll just ask you who Jackson Wang is. You haven’t been in touch with a real life k-media fan since high school. No one in your contacts understands how cool this is.

You clasp your hand over your mouth, unsure what to do with this information. From your research, she’s the only daughter of a Chinese billionaire. As for what she does? You’re not entirely sure. Just a vague rich influencer. Half of her pictures are her dressed to the nines in some sort of low lit venue. She’s either accompanied by her girlfriends or a drink or both. This backs up what you googled about her being a party girl. A controversial aspect as it seems. As if most of the people criticizing her wouldn’t do the same with that amount of money. Scrolling through her pictures, you could tell you would be susceptible to a parasocial relationship. You find yourself trusting her, but you know better than to be a victim to another Anna Delvey.

Hey! I don’t mean any disrespect when I say this, but I want to be upfront about a few safety measures. A friend of mine will know my location at all times and who I’m meeting with. I also have a producer’s agreement for you to sign to protect both of us. If you need to arrange for a lawyer to look over the contract, we can push the session back. Or you can have the contract signing and studio session on different days.

As you typed out the message, your excitement dwindled. The possibility of this being a scam and her being scared away now seems more plausible after letting everything simmer. Of course you’re happy you’re not going to get scammed, but you’re also pondering the possibility she’s legit and is offended by the message. Still, you don’t leave the message thread.

She doesn’t respond for several minutes and you need to relieve a little of your stress. You turn the tv on and put on anything. You throw on a show people have been begging for you to watch but you’re positive won’t be your style. Twenty-three minutes pass, no response. You’re not exactly sure what you’re expecting, her being legit means she’s definitely not glued to her phone all day. She has the money to actually experience things you only view through social media.

Three episodes pass and you’re apologetic to everyone online and in your life you ignored about watching this show. You’re completely, utterly engrossed. So engrossed that you forget the name Lindsay Liu. 

An entire season later, you sniffle and set your box of tissues back on the nightstand beside you. You’ve ignored your growling stomach in favor of being glued to the tv for long enough. You reach for your phone to order what you’ve been craving this entire time when you see the message thread. Lindsey had sent a message three hours ago.

“Holy shit,” You laugh, nose still clogged with snot.

lindseyliu Sounds good! I have a few more ideas to make you feel safer. We can do a video call beforehand and I can even show you my surroundings in case you think this is some weird new version of pig butchering lol. I’m sure you’ve already looked me up, but I can show you my ID to confirm my identity. I think signing the contract beforehand is great! In fact, you can pick a cafe or something where we can meet up. I usually arrange for my driver to pick up the people I’m meeting with, but I understand the implications of someone from my camp transporting you. Instead, I can send you some money and you can order your own uber.

lindseyliu Pleeease let me know if there’s anything else I can do~

🥀 𐮙 🐻ˋ°•*⁀➷

Lindsey is quite the character. When you’re texting her and in real life.

“I knew a lawyer wasn’t necessary, this is a standard producer’s agreement.” Lindsay lowers the packet from in front of her face and smooths it onto the table. She glances up with a small smile as she slips a rectangular clamshell case from her purse. She cracks it open to retrieve what you assume is an exorbitantly expensive pen. She taps it to the first dotted line, freezing with her brows knit together. She takes a quick inhale before asking a question.

“How much do you make?” She twirls her pen as her posture shifts completely into focusing on you. Your mouth snaps shut, puzzled as to what she could be asking. You look around as if the bustling cafe will serve you any clues.

“Are you asking what my rates are?” You slowly move your finger to one of the many paragraphs on the contract. “$100 for every six hours. It’s outlined in the agreement.” You laugh nervously. She did read it, didn’t she? She laughs as well, but hers is incredulous.

“And that is criminally low, but that’s not what I’m asking. Is there a reason you charge that low? Do you get so many clients that how low this rate is doesn’t matter?” She’s starting to look worried… or maybe that’s judgement. You shift in your seat, hand rubbing your upper arm.

“N-no… it’s actually the opposite. I can’t afford to charge any higher. Then I wouldn’t get any bites.” You sink a little, unable to look at her after admitting something so pitiful. Lindsay looks to be fighting a fierce inner battle. She looks over the mezzanine the two of you are sitting atop of, stroking her chin. Why your nervousness manifests into a dry laugh, you’ll never know. One slips before you can get the words out.

“Is there something wrong? I mean, you can pay more if you’d like.” You offer half-jokingly. Lindsey’s eyes return to you after that, looking austere. You clench your mouth shut.

“You know, Juliette, I didn’t reach out to you because I heard you were cheap. I reached out to you because I heard you were good– no, great. After hearing it for myself, I was flabbergasted that I didn’t recognize your name. Forget about money, talent like this deserves fame!” She gathers both your hands with pure elation in her eyes. You’ll admit, it’s rubbing off on you. For a split second, the most vivid image of you with a Grammy in your hands flashes in your mind. But then you came to your senses. You carefully ease your hands away and she looks at you curiously. 

“I um… I’m sorry again if I sound rude but, I’m not entirely sure why you care so much?”

Her face softens in understanding.

“Right, and I’ll be totally honest with you. I’m very familiar with the music industry, but not exactly the western side.” She peeks to see if you’re following and you nod. She was born and raised in China, so it makes sense. 

“I’m a little close with some of the music executives in the East and I often pick up on tidbits of information. I’m sure you’re familiar with Chris Lee?”

Your expression hardens.

Oh. 

Oh.

You push yourself up from the table and take a deep breath. Of course. It’s so obvious now. You don’t know how you ever thought SM would take no for an answer.

“What’s the matter–”

“I am not working for SM. D– Are you a k-pop fan? Hell, you have to be aware of how bad SM’s relationship is with China, for good reason.” The anger squeezes the words out of you until there’s barely air left to supply them. You were worried about getting Anna Delvey’d and got Lee Sooman’d instead.

“Hey listen, I don’t work for SM. Like I said, I only heard about this through the grapevine.” Lindsay is cool as a cucumber as she attempts to talk you down. She gives you a look as if to say ‘I know you know you’re being unreasonable’. It only angers you further, but when she gestures for you to sit back down, you do so. Not only because you were causing a bit of a scene, but because you do have some things to say. 

“So, what, I was never getting paid? Was there no song?” You grill her but she stays calm, relaxing back into her chair even. 

“I never said that. I heard them lamenting over losing you and I had to check you out. I’m sure you know that I’m a no good party girl if you did your research. I’ve been dabbling in music. You wanna hear it?”

“No thanks. I believe you.” You reply sarcastically and roll your eyes. You’re more angry at yourself. How many times are you going to be almost coerced into literally selling your soul to satan. She starts speaking again but you don't even look at her in favor of mourning.

“You asked why I care so much?”

That catches your attention and you side eye her. 

“You’re absolutely right about SM. I hate them too. It’s the talent I’m focused on. You deserve to be paid better and the idols deserve better in general. Are you familiar with dearALICE?*” She takes a sip from her latte as she waits for your answer.

“... No?”

“Exactly. One of the members is a friend of mine. K-pop audiences don’t know they have a pre-release single out. People who don’t listen to K-pop don’t care. Focus groups are reacting negatively to every song DJ Rouge produces. They ended up rejecting Rouge altogether. James is worried sick about how the higher ups are talking about them. If they don’t find a producer who can give them a fresh sound that impresses the focus groups… James and his members might be put in the dungeon. They’re too talented for that.”

With that, Lindsay finishes her latte and stands from the table. You find yourself looking down at the lower floor now, immersed in thought. Lindsay tells you to think about it and message her before she leaves the cafe. SM putting an artist in the dungeon? Now that’s opening up old wounds. 

You felt so helpless when it happened back then.

( *Nothing stated about dearALICE or any real life artist or company reflects my opinions of them or what state they're in in real life. It is just made up for the narrative. )

🥀 𐮙 🐻ˋ°•*⁀➷

“I dunno… she seems strange. You can be an heiress and be sketchy.” Bloops and beeps sound as your best friend plays on her switch, laying like a corpse on your bed. What she says just blends in with her gaming commentary for you. You’re just thinking out loud. 

“The song is bad though*…” You mumble through nibbling your thumb nail. It commits the grave sin of having an instrumental be the chorus and a bad instrumental at that. You’ve never heard of a DJ Rouge, but he oughta be ashamed of himself. The poor souls are even drowned out by the backtrack and compressed all to hell.

“I can do better…” You say a little quieter, unsure of where it came from or if it made you sound arrogant. You really, really could though. You got a feel for them as much as you could. Listening to any snippet you could find of them singing or performing. Getting a feel for their natural aura and the vibe SM had in mind. You were waist deep into research when the question hit you.

Why you?

Why is Chris Lee in your DMs, checking if you changed your mind? Furthermore, are you the only producer they approached? That’s impossible. A company of their size probably has so many producers at their disposal. This feeling reminds you of being in the underground again. You hate this feeling, but you glance over at your document, feeling pricks of excitement.

( *Nothing stated about any real life artist or entity reflects my actual opinions, and is done solely for narrative purposes. )

🥀 𐮙 🐻ˋ°•*⁀➷

You blindly reach for your drink and brush against something. Multiple of something. Cans of soda and energy drinks topple off your desk. You look guiltily at your ipad propped up next to your monitor. The 3D man staring back at you smiles, oblivious to your chaos.

“Caleb, what am I doing?”

Just then, your ‘quality time’ session expires, the app prompting you to add more time or quit. There’s no need for more time. You glance at your finished project hesitantly. 

Lindsay messaged you five days ago and you told her you were still considering it. Truthfully your inner fangirl broke free from her chains and took the reins. Any breaks you had from producing the demo you spent rewatching your favorite SHINee moments from when you were younger. It was like the emotions never left. Taemin, the love of your life after Caleb, isn’t under SM anymore unfortunately (more like fortunately). But your bias and favorite person in the world still is. There’s a chance you’ll never meet him, but the odds are increased compared to before.

You close ProTools and Love and Deepspace before rolling away from your desk, thinking about how to celebrate finally completing this project. Your heart thumps against your ribcage at the thought of busting open tumblr and reading some Caleb smut. It takes you a moment, but you soon realize how sad that sounds. Your reward is imagining yourself having sex. You sigh, planning to text Lindsay after you commiserate with your bestie. 

I NEED to get laid

like… yesterday

You laugh to yourself, thinking of how she’ll respond. Either by agreeing or getting angry at you for reminding her of little play she gets.

Hey, sorry for the delay, how does Tuesday sound?

Lindsay’s phone buzzes and her acrylics clack against the screen as she opens the notification. She gasps lightly before the corner of her mouth curls into a smirk. She snorts, shoulder bouncing as they are kneaded into by her masseuse. Lindsay relaxes, sweeping her legs onto the living chair. If you’re having trouble with that, Lindsay has an offer that’s going to be hard to refuse.

She dials Chris’ number and he answers quickly. 

“They’re busting my balls over here.” He rushes out, already prepared to scold her. 

“Relax! I told you I would handle it.” She laughs softly into the receiver. 

“You better, because if you screw this up for us, Mr. Jang won’t want to see your face anywhere near here. Your gambling? It’s a bad look.”

She tongues her cheek as she thinks about your message again. 

“Hmmm, I’m feeling like raising my bet for dearALICE to 300k.” His silence on the other end makes her cover her mouth and laugh harder. “Oh, and tell James we’re best friends now, I’ll explain when I get there.”

🥀 𐮙 🐻ˋ°•*⁀➷

TUESDAY

“It’s fine. I already told you! A girl’s gotta get laid.” Lindsay shrugs, struggling to suppress her smile.

This only makes you crumble further with a wail of despair. 

“No, no, no!” It’s not being slutshamed that you’re worried about. It’s the soul crushing, utterly debilitating cringe. Your brain is distorting the message to be way more aggressive and debauched than it was and you wish you could turn it off. The moment your friend asked what you both had planned for Tuesday, your stomach dropped. You were hoping– praying to anyone that the message didn’t send. You weren’t so lucky.

“But girl! You live in Los Angeles! You can’t find a man?” Lindsay throws her leg over the other from the other side of her dining table.

“I don’t want a boyfriend, I just– NOPE!” This is the opposite of turning your brain off. This was the satisfying conversation you were supposed to be having with your friend when you sent that text. Not this embarrassing, confusing mess. You haven’t even told her about your demo yet.

“Look, do you want ice cream?” You don’t get to answer before Lindsay smiles at the woman… accompanying (?) you both by the table. She comes back with two tubs of ice cream with labels that can only be described as a graphic designer’s wet dream. You don’t even try to pronounce the name of the brand. You hesitantly grab the spoon like a child parsing if they’re doing something naughty. You glance at Lindsay who is already bringing a spoonful to her mouth. She rolls her eyes back with a moan of pure ecstacy. She points at the ice cream approvingly, nodding at you.

Well, if the ice cream is poisoned, at least you won’t have to feel the cringe any more. You peel the lid away and dip your spoon. Plain vanilla can only be so good. At least, that’s what you thought before the succulent ice cream smoothed over your tongue. In seconds you become an ice cream snob, because the cheap ice “cream” you bought at the store isn’t cream at all. This is what cream is truly like. You suddenly feel like falling to your knees and apologizing for the ice cream you made in middle school from shaking a bag.

After giving you some time to mingle with euphoria, Lindsay speaks again. 

“I get you, though, about not wanting a man. I hate men.” She digs up a heaping spoonful as she speaks and you forgive her for lingering on this topic. It’s the least you could do. 

“Love dick, though.” She says casually before popping the spoonful into her mouth. You blame the loud laugh that bursts through your lips on how loose and joyous the ice cream was making you. 

“Huh?”

“Dick?” Lindsay cocks her head to the side, a much too innocent gesture for the body part she just repeated. “Love it! Can’t live without it. I just wish it wasn’t attached to a man. Or if it was, it was attached to Qi Yu and he became real for some reason.”

Lindsay looks like a goddess even now while pigging out on ice cream, so it stuns you that she has fictional crushes too. With how she looks, she could easily bag a guy that looks like the fictional characters you fawn over.

“Is that an anime character or…” Your curiosity takes over. You’ll eventually get to the demo. 

“Oh! I mean… Rafayel. If it was attached to Rafayel.” She corrects before licking the back of her spoon. Your ears perk up but you don’t accept it at first. You jokingly say hot girls play Love and Deepspace, but is this hot girl actually playing Love and Deepspace?

“Rafayel?? Like, fishy?!”

Lindsay just grins at you, wiggling her eyebrows.

“Oh my– what level are you?” You don’t usually ask your fellow Love and Deepspace girlies this, but you need to parse how deep she is into the game before you get delusional.

“I’ve been playing since the game was released, so I’m at level 80. I’ve nearly gotten all the boys to level 100. I need to work on the two newbies, I’m a little behind.” She laughs and you almost bow to her when you remember she’s filthy rich. Of course her affinity is that high. Still, you can’t slow the fondness growing in your heart. This has to be a ruse, right?

“It’s so unfortunate most men pale in comparison. Everyone talks about k-pop idols who look like them but it’s usually not even close.” She sets down her spoon and covers her mouth with her hand, looking at you like she’s deliberating whether she should say something.

“K-pop guys aren’t really my type, but I met these two? I kid you not. It’s like being with real life Rafayel and Caleb. My two favs!” She squeals giddily and you involuntarily squeal with her. The thought of you with Rafayel and Caleb flanked by your side? Rafayel isn’t even your second favorite but you have a soft spot for him. The thought is enough to melt you into a puddle on her white, porcelain marble floors. You don’t know how she brought the whore out of you so easily.

You want to ask who so very bad, but she’s back to eating her ice cream. Dancing to indicate she’s just as blissed out as you are.

As the meeting progresses, you’re less eager to reveal your hand. Lindsay suggests you at least try it out, a trial period. You want to at least show dearALICE the demo and a vacation to Korea doesn’t sound horrible. But you know better, and she already lied and blindsided you once. What, one tub of ice cream and conversation about your favorite game and you’re just going to bend over and take it? They call it selling your soul for a reason. You didn’t ditch the underground to become chained to a soulless company. 

One you know the troubled history of.

“I would miss my bestie too much. I’m sorry…”

“I’m not fluent in Korean.”

“I don’t have the money to uproot my life right now!”

These are the excuses you offer up in favor of cursing SM’s name for however long she’ll allow it. For some reason, you’re getting the vibe that she sees right through your excuses. She crosses her arms and sighs. The two of you had moved to her chic office, and you think that’s partially responsible for why this all feels so real now. 

“I don’t believe those are why you don't want to move.” Her stare is intense, like she’s waiting to see you cave. You were right, she did see right through you. “Do you want to know why they’re so enthusiastic about you?” 

Not exactly what you were hiding, but now that she mentions it…

“Yeah. It’s a little confusing.”

“They’ve been following you for longer than you think. I have, too. It was only after I heard SM wanted to hire you that I knew you were kibumberry.”

You recoil at the mention of your old Tumblr blog. She saw those horrible demos? Her and… people at SM?

“Yeah, I was a huge fan. Now that I look back on it, a lot of those demos weren’t great, but there was one from 2018. Your most popular one before you disappeared. Key saw this one and loved it.” Your vision of Lindsay smiling before you gets a little hazy. You don’t know if you’re getting light-headed or what, but that information just refuses to settle in your brain. Key? Kim Kibum?

“No…” You try to stay calm, stay reasonable, but your heart is beating a mile a minute.

“The fact that you were only eighteen when you made it threw everyone for a loop. Unfortunately, and you know how execs are, they thought you were too inexperienced and it was too risky. But it’s been seven years. I think it’s time you realize that potential.”

You look up at Lindsay with a twinkle in your eyes. Just then you see something in her’s, something that constricts your heart with fear. She smirks, a knowing look on her face. She sighs peacefully before driving the nail in further.

“Well, when I spoke to Kibum about this recently, he was a little worried about SHINee’s next comeback. Don’t get me wrong, he’s excited to finally work with you and maybe even release that song. He just doesn’t want to get your hopes up about anything soon.”

“Are you sure you have that right? He heard my work? From back then? And liked it? I-I don’t know, this is all too much!” You look to the ground, trying to make sense of any of this. Lindsay smirks again, obscuring her face with her hand as she lets out a small laugh.

“Oh, doll. You haven’t even asked about the pay yet.”

CHAPTER ONEˋ°•*⁀➷

“I never thought I’d have a salary, but it’s just too much money to pass up on, mom.” You have your phone pinched between your shoulder and ear as you fold clothes and set them into your suitcase.

“Oh I’m not worried about you having a salary. In fact, that’s ideal. I’m worried about you going to a different country. I told you this when you were younger. Baby, those men don’t care about you. All that fake shit they do to the camera is to get money out of you–”

“Mom, do you really think I’m uprooting my life to date boys?” She didn’t need to know that in that moment, you thought back to the two idols Lindsay was talking about. But who cares? You can’t even explain to her that the one plastered all over your walls? The one you stole her lipstick to litter kiss marks all over his posters? He’s not even where you’re going. “I’m going to fulfill my dreams. Focus on the money and salary part if you have to.”

“Oh I am! I just hope you’re not living in a fantasy, babe. Why did I hear from one of my colleagues that you named yourself after one of Shine’s songs?”

“Okay, bye mom!” You hang up, throwing your phone on the bed as embarrassment and anger fight for dominance in your chest. 

It didn’t matter that everyone in your life was telling you not to do this. The tickets were already paid for by SM and you already have your apartment set up for you. It would be disrespectful. But also…  and this is the part you left out when sharing the news… violating the contract you signed without a lawyer present.

You hurriedly defend your actions as dread starts to set in. Yes, as outlined in your contract, you’re officially starting a 9-5. And you’ll probably have no free time. And all of this is going to be hard to adjust to, but Lindsay is going to be in Korea a week after you get there. She’ll have your back.

Lindsay, who is on a private jet as you speak, is popping a bottle of champagne as everyone around her cheers. They're celebrating finally meeting the quota.

You’re flying economy eight days later, stuck in between a bickering couple who insisted you were okay sitting between them. You don’t know what you expected. You’re not Marshmallow, they’re not forking up anything higher than maybe premium economy for the likes of you. You’re not proud to admit that you’re already slightly regretting at least some of this. You pinch your nose bridge, cursing yourself for not having a lawyer look over that contract.

Your apartment is smaller than the one from home, and you barely take your shoes off before your phone buzzes. It’s your work schedule. You start in two days. 

What have you done?

🥀 𐮙 🐻ˋ°•*⁀➷

A week in, you’re sending a hysterical, long message to Lindsay. They have you waking up at five a.m. almost every day. Even on days where you just have to sit in a meeting that is only translated by one of the execs when he feels like it. You’re not allowed to be seen on your phone if you’re not on break. Not even to check your email or a text. If they catch you, they scold you like a child.

And worst of all? Your creative freedom is a forgotten dream. Your moodboards are laughed out of the room. Your bulleted lists are shot down. No, they have their own bulleted lists. You garnered the courage from your pure annoyance with all this crap to suggest that hey, maybe we shouldn’t drown out dearALICE’s vocals. You know, the core part of the song? What happened? You guessed it.

You were fucking scolded.

The money isn’t worth this. This is something you knew already. You told yourself this as soon as you decided to pursue your dreams. No price is worth forfeiting your vision. 

You listen to your dearALICE demo again and again, mourning the loss of all your hard work. Your mind wanders to your last saving grace in all this turmoil. You switch to your seven-year-old SHINee demo. Would Key fight for your creative freedom? Or is that wishful thinking too.

Lindsey and who the hell are you?

You gawk at the message before groaning and throwing your phone away. She needs to figure out she texted the wrong number quickly so you can talk about this with someone who won’t say ‘I told you so’. Your phone buzzes again and you forlornly retrieve it.

Lindsey oooh em geee girl. lol i totally sent this to the wrong person. noooo don’t be discouraged.

I’m sorry, I’m genuinely wondering if I should cut my losses and just lawyer up to break my contract early.

Lindsey texts back at the speed of light this time.

Lindsey What?? OMG! If you need anything, let me know and I’ll help you out. Because you know how little of the lawsuits against SM were won! It’s scary…

I know… 

This is just everything I stand against and I let my excitement cloud my better judgement. 

Lindsey Yeah :((( you do what’s best for you!

Lindsey I almost forgot, I was just talking with Yizhuo (she’s a member of a newer SM girl group) and she’s a Love and Deepspace girlie just like us! I’ll send you her number

Ah, Love and Deepspace. You lost your streak for the first time since you downloaded. Every time you’ve opened it, you get scolded by Caleb for being gone for multiple days so you dread visiting him. Maybe playing it for a little will fix you. 

Lindsay sends you her number, but you’re hesitant. You hate meeting new people. It would be nice to have someone to talk about the game with since your friend doesn’t play it, but it’s going to be so awkward.

You’re immediately sucked into the game as soon as you open it. Lucky for you, Sylus’ birthday event just started. You have a lot of grinding to do. You have to find the willpower to open the app when you get home and not just rot in your bed watching tv. Your dinky Korean phone sends a notification and you check it quickly, traumatized from the last time you missed a text from Chris.

+010 XXXX XXXX Heeeey! PLEASE tell me your favorite LaDS guy, I need to know.

This must be Yizhuo. Did Lindsay give her your number as well?

Hey, this must be Yizhuo? And my favorite is Caleb… haha

Maybe: Yizhuo AAAAAH WHAT?! Girl he’s mine! Lol, just kidding. But I think I can’t live without him :*) We even have similar names lololol

LMAO really? Me too tbh… can’t get through paperwork without him

Yizhuo Yes!! I prop him up when I’m practicing so we can exercise together

Halfway through the conversation, you call each other so you can talk while playing the game. You suppose it is easy to get along when there’s a strong common interest. You’ll admit she was a welcome distraction. You even successfully started playing the game regularly again. She says you helped her with her streak as well. 

It’s not long before you guys start saying what’s really on your mind.

“If Yizhou would give me a chance I would wear him out good.” NingNing (as she told you to call her) hums like she just ate something delicious. You sigh loudly. Your vagina agrees. You’re a little scared to have a one night stand after the talk your boss gave at a meeting one day. He warned against inappropriate behavior and making SM look bad. It felt a little pointed at you, as you were one of two Americans, and the other one had been living in Korea since they were ten. You’ll admit you let an innuendo slip in the break room. Never had you experienced embarrassment than when the two other people there looked at you like you had two heads.

What if the person you sleep with finds out you work at SM? You have pictures from work on your Instagram, and you were told to follow the official SM accounts on all socials. If it got back to your boss, he would probably slut shame you. Or worse, you’d get fired and your mom would rip you a new one.

“Do you know where a girl can get a good dildo?” You grunt, selecting the ‘palm’ interaction with Caleb for the eightieth time today.

“The SM halloween party.” NingNing practically honks at her own joke before snorting into oblivion. You just sit there with your mouth agape. You never really pry into her idol life or what other idols are like. After producing for not only dearALICE but RIIZE and Mytro too, you get the sense their day to day is just as mundane as yours. They’re just as terrified of the higher ups as you are. Every time one of you gets scolded, you all just look at each other. You’re not going to lie to yourself and say you’re not intrigued about other things. Especially since you can’t get what Lindsay said out of your mind.

“I’m just kidding… or am I? Sungchan, where you at?”

You and NingNing immediately start screaming and laughing like you’re both up later than you should be at a sleepover. 

“NingNing!”

“I’m just kidding! I’m just kidding…”

You anticipate what she’s going to say and say it at the same time. 

“Or am I.”

You’re sent back into hysterics like school girls. 

“You should come this year! The staff aren’t not allowed to do much, but it’s still fun!”

You didn’t have the heart to tell her since she seems so excited to have someone to talk about LaDS with, but you probably won’t be here that long. The longer you stay, the more your only passion becomes a chore. You didn’t used to hate the mundane parts of production, but they’re like a slog now.

I looked it up, and maybe I can get a settlement with them and maybe have my contract altered?

You’ve been working with Lindsay on what to do. You feel like she’s the only person you can be truly honest with. However, you notice her texts are getting shorter.

Lindsay hmm yeah that sounds rght

Sorry if I’m asking for too much, but could you ask your lawyer if that’s even possible? I’m grasping at straws here haha.

Lindsay yeah my lawyer is here with me, we happened to be meeting each other when you txtd. he says he’s surprised you’re trying to leave. he said so many people would kill to have this job, and that you should consider yourself lucky to have an easy job.

Lindsay i persnkly dont agree, but he’s saying waking up at 5am isn’t tht ba,d

You can’t help how your chest gets hot at that insinuation. Did he seriously think that’s all you were complaining about? It was a large factor, but that’s minimizing your complaints. You don’t even know what to say. You’re not going to argue with him through Lindsay.

His words linger long after you read them. Every time a group’s manager makes a rude remark or scolds you, you wonder if your frustration is unwarranted. If you should just be taking it because the pay is good.

No matter how hard you try, you can’t stomach it. So when the overpaid babysitter tries to tell you how to do your job, you snap a little bit.

He shouted at you for over ten minutes while the group watched in horror. You balled your fists and avoided his eyes at all costs, lest he see the fury in your eyes. You get home and slam your door shut, chucking your phone at the wall with a frustrated grunt. Are you a child? And what does he know about production? If it were up to him, the finished product would be filled with dispassionate performances. And you’re sick of the little jabs at your instrumentals.

You furiously type up a text to Lindsay.

Lindsay, I’m sorry. I want to help James and everyone else, and I’d hate to let Key down—

You stop as you type that. Would future you hate you or love you for this decision? Probably both. The unknown is scary, but what you might do to one of these group’s managers scares you even more. You don’t need to be in jail and all over the news.

— but I can’t do this anymore. I’m going through with terminating my contract early

It was only there for a split second, but you swore you saw a message from Lindsay only for it to disappear.

Lindsay Come see me on your next off day.

The true power of a billionaire’s daughter is having mansions in multiple countries. This one is nicer than the one in America, though. It’s clear she stays in Korea a lot more.

“Please, sit. I’ll have Misook bring in some tea.” Lindsay gestures at the woman standing by the wall patiently as you sit opposite her on the other couch.

“Misook, can you please bring some chamomile tea for me and my friend? Add a teaspoon of honey and ensure it isn’t too hot when you bring it over.”

Misook agrees with a warm smile and bows before doing just that. Then Lindsay turns to you and you get this feeling in your gut. A similar feeling to how you felt on the plane ride here. Something about her patient smile unsettles you.

“SM sucks, huh?” She squints and wrinkles her nose at you. You clench your teeth and smile, hesitantly agreeing.

“It’s just not for me.”

“Every time I get home from a meeting I feel like a ball of stress. Work stress is worse than regular stress, it’s harder to get rid of.” She lets out a lighthearted chuckle and you’re starting to understand your unsettled feeling. This casual air to the way she speaks to you doesn’t feel natural. And you hate that the thought comes to mind, but what does she know about work?

“Yeah, the tea is very thoughtful actually.” You both laugh insincerely. The laughter prolongs awkwardly, like one person is waiting for the other to stop.

“Tea won’t do it, girl! I'm telling you, I’ve tried so many things. The only thing that truly gets rid of the stiffness is good dick.” 

Misook is back and you’re glad you’re both speaking English. She sets the delicate china in front of each of you.

“How have the men here been treating you? Same shit, huh?” She lifts the small saucer and teacup, nodding at you before taking a sip. You follow suit, delaying your response. You actually don’t like tea, but you’re hoping the calming effect everyone talks about is real.

“Actually, I haven’t had sex since I got here. Well, longer than that but you know what I mean.”

Lindsay slams her saucer to the table and gawks at you. “You what?!”

Before you could deescalate her energy, she is standing up and making her way to you. She sits next to you and gathers your hands in her lap. With a passionate look, she says,

“No wonder you’re so stressed out! Doll, you have to let it out! You literally work around hot men all the time!” She shakes your hands for emphasis and you slowly slip them away to lessen the sudden overstimulation.

“Ahem, no. None of them are my type, and—”

“And nothing! If you’re about to tell me you’re too scared to have sex with an idol because you could get in trouble, then you’re crazy! If anyone knows how to not get caught doing something they aren’t supposed to, it’s k-pop idols.” She stands in front of you like a hero who just rescued a civilian.

“And not only that, they are itching for it. When you have to sneaky link for sex every time, you start to have less of it. It’s exhausting! But it only makes you crave it more. Who is your type.”

“Well Taemin is my ultimate—”

“No. Someone still in the company.”

“Um… I don’t know. I—”

“Someone like Caleb? Strong, nice smile, dog-like energy? Unfortunately who I'm thinking of is a bit of a… package deal.” The look in Lindsay’s eyes when she glances up at you makes you wonder if she knows exactly what you’re thinking. Your mind goes straight to what’s been plaguing your mind since you got here.

‘... but I met these two? I kid you not. It’s like being with real life Rafayel and Caleb. My two favs!’

“Those two you said remind you of Raf and Caleb…” You start and she perks up. “They’re under SM?” 

They very well could be. Before you slipped out of the fandom, so many groups had debuted. You just weren’t interested in anyone other than the groups who got you into k-pop in the first place. Still… wouldn’t you have at least heard it from the LaDS fandom? You hear about that one twenty-year old from that survival show group who looks like a baby Sylus, never a duo that resembles Caleb and Rafayel.

“Yeah. D’you want their numbers?” Lindsay’s phone seems to teleport into her hand as she points it to you. 

“N-no! Do you know how weird that is?”

How weird this all is. Is she telling you to use the musicians you work with? If someone did this to you, you’d slap them across the face. 

“Weird? They’re practically begging for it. I bet you’ve noticed how feral Yizhuo is.”

“No, Lindsay. That’s not why I’m here. I don’t use my access to celebrities to sleep with them, it sounds predatory.”

Lindsay's face pinches then, plainly expressing her disfavor. She straightens it out shortly after, tapping on her phone. You have no clue what she’s up to until your phone buzzes. You slip it out to see a link to download an app. SCR is the name of it, and it looks sketchy as all get out. You look at her questioningly. 

“Don’t believe me,” she gestures at your phone, encouraging you to download it, “see for yourself.”

CHAPTER TWOˋ°•*⁀➷

To be clear, any group of people when using an app where evidence of what they say can’t be traced would say pretty racy things. Regardless of fame level or profession. These idols just have more resources with more restrictions to boot. Still, you’re not going to pretend these messages didn’t catch you off guard. Once you finally downloaded it, you were faced with UI that can only hint to some sort of malware on your phone. You couldn’t look at the app for long at first because it gave you a headache. The first message to you was from Lindsay. You couldn’t help but notice you never signed up, yet your full name is your display name. Lindsay’s being the same makes you feel at least a little more at ease. 

Lindsay Liu꒰੭ Once you see this message, lmk.

You text her back, awaiting this evidence she seemed so confident about. Instead you get… instructions?

Lindsay Liu꒰੭ Welcome to SCR! Wondering what that stands for? It’s pretty cut and dry! It stands for Secret Chat Room! It was created by someone just like you who was constantly surveilled and needed an escape. We apologize in advance for what the background of the app might do to your eyes, but you have to understand it’s needed! You see, this specific pattern causes a glitch in most phone cameras that warps any pictures taken of it. As for screenshots, if you have ever used snapchat you know you get notified if anyone takes a screenshot. The same goes for SCR. They are also strictly prohibited. Any screenshots taken will notify not only the users in that chat, but me, Kim Heechul, as well. We will work together to ensure the photos no longer exist. That will be a hassle for both of us, so let’s not take it there ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°). Anyway, enjoy your time with SCR!

You drop your phone onto your bed and rub away your chill bumps. Why is this message so… threatening? He’ll ensure the photo no longer exists? You shudder as you lift your phone again. This is the closest you’ve ever felt to the deep or dark web or whatever it’s called. This feeling only intensifies when you see one of the groups Lindsay invites you to. 

Cheesily named “Gossip Girls”, this is the only chat you’re in with zero idols in it. It’s full of all of the non-idols that managed to get an invite. This is a very deliberate decision, because all they do is gossip about idols. This is how you find out Yuri is currently… We'll say deciding between a few men. None of them have any clue according to this stylist. You learned about an orgy, some 4th gen idol getting herpes and then taking a sick leave, fights that broke out, and groups/members that have beef. Your heart races as you look over these career ruining pictures sent to the group chat. Drugs, sex, and just all around delinquent behavior. In just thirty minutes of being glued to your phone, you had so many public images ruined for you. 

What they say is true, these idols are not who you think they are. You knew this, but seeing so much being confirmed in such a short amount of time winded you. You had to take a break. How do these girls do this all day? Then you felt it… that hint of exhilaration. You are (slightly) ashamed of yourself for opening that group chat back up to feel that rush of utter shock. It was then that you saw a picture of a once princely L from Infinite being very unprincely that you decided it was enough for the day. Your bingo card for the next one million years would have never included L snorting crack from someone’s asshole and you seeing it with your own two eyes.

“Wow…” You exhale shakily. Just like post-nut clarity, you feel extremely disgusted the longer you sit on what you saw. Not in them, in yourself and everyone spreading these photos and rumors. Isn’t the whole point of the app to escape prying eyes? That gossip girl group chat feels like reading gross tabloids or rubbing elbows with sasaengs. 

You let days pass by without opening that god forsaken app. Thankfully there are no notifications for the app, so it was a peaceful separation. 

This weekend is the first in a while where you and NingNing are both free. You flip a coin and decide the two of you are playing Animal Crossing today. You go from having a cute date to being stuck in a loop of whacking each other on the head with your nets. 

“Ooooh if there was a fart option so help me!” NingNing growls. You cease your whacking as the most visceral image is triggered into your mind of L snorting that crack from a crack and since NingNing unfortunately mention farting–

You shout loudly in an attempt to force the image from your brain, tossing your switch like a frisbee to the other side of your bed. “Oh my GOD!” You screech like you just witnessed an unimaginable eldritch horror. 

“What?! What?!” She sounds worried, but you can still hear the cartoonish swish and womp of her net upside your poor villager’s head. 

“Why L??! Why?!” You wail in agony before falling forward onto the bed. 

“Oh, right. Lindsay told me she invited you to SCR. I feel like it’s a… what’s it called… canon event for everyone to fall out of love with their favorite idol after downloading it.” She laughs crassly before stuffing her mouth with chips. She knows? She knows about this and she’s this casual? Your mind is permanently altered!

“You–! Did you see the picture too? Doing crack is one thing. Snorting it out of someone else’s ass is–”

“He did what?!” Only then does the whacking finally cease. You sit there, feeling like the physical manifestation of a question mark. 

“You didn’t know?”

“How did you know that?”

Upon learning about gossip girls, NingNing demanded to be added. There was no way in hell you were making that decision so you redirected her to Lindsay. She immediately hangs up on you, only to call you back about five minutes later. 

“So?”

“Check the group chat! Everyone is freaking out!” She laughs mischievously. You take a deep breath as you eye the group chat moving quickly. You shut your eyes as you press the group. When you crack your eye open, you see all hell breaking loose. The group chat is not happy about an idol being there, panicking about the messages they sent and the lack of an option to delete them. 

“Is this what they’re saying about me?” NingNing laughs, presumably doing the same thing that you and everyone else is doing and searching her name to see how heinous the rumors about her are. 

Ning Yizhuo`⎚⩊⎚´ -✧ oh… is that all you guys said about me? I’ll have you know, Sungchan and I did not date. We did fuck though ;))

The group chat explodes again, seemingly accepting another degenerate into their little club. Speaking of degeneracy…

You hadn’t checked the other group chats you were invited to. The first one you check is named “Scheduling”. A little vague and scary, but it turned out to be one of the guesses you had. An idol sends a message of when they’re free and, well, looking to score. They ask anyone interested and that meets the criteria they outline to message them privately, so the chat is full of requests and no responses. You see requests from lots of idols, but what you’re starting to gather from this and the next group chat is that some idols aren’t on this app, for obvious reasons. More importantly, SHINee is nowhere to be found. You can’t believe the disappointment that nips at you. 

The next one seems like a general group chat with what must be everyone on the app in it. It’s pretty similar to gossip girls, with the exception that you see the degeneracy of the idols from the source. You catch yourself laughing at some of the messages. 

“Oh! I almost forgot. If you’re on the app, you should join this one.” Says NingNing with her mouth full as another group chat pops up on your screen. “00-04z”.

🥀 𐮙 🐻ˋ°•*⁀➷

Lindsey Liu꒰੭ believe me yet?

You suppose you don’t have a frame of reference, but this is a bit what you expected all celebrities to be like. But you haven’t seen, say, Emma Watson taking a selfie mid-coitus. But if you said you didn’t feel like you were introduced to an entirely new world, you would be lying. You’d also be lying if you said you didn’t look up interviews with every idol you find something out about to compare. That kept you up far past your bedtime.

It was 3am when you decided to open the chat NingNing invited you to. You felt like you were stranded in unfamiliar territory. It was filled with idols you didn’t recognize. You’re positioned back to when you were first added. The conversation continues without anyone mentioning you. Only for a bit.

Han Jisung⓪⓪ hey

Baek Jiheon⓪③ rock paper scissors?

Yoon Sanha⓪⓪ are you in preschool? lol no. 

Han Jisung⓪⓪ kids.

Baek Jiheon⓪③ come ooonnnn!!! T__T

Kim Chaehyun⓪② There’s only one spot left. We have to decide.

Han Jisung⓪⓪ fresh meat

Yoon Keeho⓪① ?

Park Sohyun⓪② huh?

Zhong Chenle⓪① where?

Yang Jungwon⓪④ Why would you say it like that…

Kim Suyeon⓪③ new member? Where?

Han Jisung⓪⓪ … the only member with their name in english

Your head is already spinning from the amount of unfamiliar names, reading these messages about you only makes things worse. You find yourself holding your breath despite knowing this conversation happened hours ago.

Choi Jongho⓪⓪ Can they even understand us? haha

Yoon Keeho⓪① AYE. You there?

Ning Yizhuo⓪② Guys omg lol. That’s my girl friend. She’s ‘00.

Park Sohyun⓪② A girl????

Yoon Sanha⓪⓪ yessss. another point for zero-zeros.

Jang Eunseong⓪⓪ Another point for GIRL zero-zeros. We were drowning :*)

Yoon Sanha⓪⓪ maybe she could come lolololololol

Baek Jiheon⓪③ WHAT?! 

Yu Jimin⓪⓪ She hasn’t even spoken yet lol. NingNing?

Ning Yizhuo⓪② She’ll come eventually. She’s a little shy.

Zhou Xinyu⓪② awwwwww

Na Jaemin⓪⓪ Shy? ;3

Oh god, what was NingNing doing? She could have lied and said you were asleep. She’s not lying, but there’s something about being introduced as shy. Some people see it as a challenge. Those are the vibes you’re getting from this Jaemin character. Just from one text.

Na Jaemin⓪⓪ Someone spell out the pronunciation of her name in Hangul

That ‘Keeho’ person does it, and you watch in horror as they speculate about your attributes. If you’re tall or short, what your ethnicity is, and as Jaemin put it,

Na Jaemin⓪⓪ Is she as cute as you’re making her seem, NingNing?

Ning Yizhuo⓪② Ha Ha. Yeaaahh, stay away from her you junkie.

As you scroll down, you notice that he seems to be very curious about you. Everyone is, as you’re the first non-idol to be added to the chat. You can’t help feeling like a carcass with several vultures circling overhead. 

Your blinks get heavier and heavier until you drift into a different room. You’re tangled in red, satin sheets like the last tv show you watched. It feels nice, far nicer and more vivid than it should. You want to sink deeper when you feel a pair of hands on you. The hands sizzle against your cool skin, wasting no time getting under your flimsy slip and fondling you. You would be shocked if it didn’t feel so good. With two hands on your breasts, you feel another cup your heat. A strangled moan breaks free from your lips as you close your thighs around the hand. The first pair pries them back open. The omniscient sense that only exists in your dreams tells you that you know these two men. You can hear a dog tag jingling as the second one slips your panties to the side. If that’s Caleb, and this is your dream, the second has to be Sylus. But no, there is purple hair in your peripheral. Rafayel and Caleb… you feel lust skitter up your legs to your lower stomach. You bite your lip as a finger slips into your heat. You peer over at Rafayel as his finger slips into your mouth. 

“Is she as cute as you’re making her seem, NingNing?” He turns to someone in the doorway. As soon as you follow his eyeline, Lindsay slams the door shut. You jolt from the noise back into consciousness. You peer at your front door as if Lindsay would be there, your skin still feeling seared where those hands were.

Your lustful bliss wasn’t able to ease you through your work day unfortunately. As your bosses and the group’s managers pried any tranquility from you, you focus more on the strange part of the dream. Lindsay’s eyes become more haunting. Your last visit to her house is all you can think about. Then you start to pick apart all the other times you spoke with her–

“Are you listening? Hey! This is fucking garbage. What the hell were you thinking?!” One of the A&R managers, Mr. Myeong snaps in front of your face before banging his fist into the keyboard. You can’t stop your hands before they lurch toward the keyboard to stop him. He screws something up with your project, so you just apologize, dodge his eyes, and reach for your mouse. He smacks it away, cursing at you. You grasp your hand, looking up at him in disbelief. Bad idea. He chuts and almost shoves you straight out of the chair. You stumble away, barely catching yourself.

He mutters under his breath, clacking at the keyboard and clicking the mouse like it personally affronted him. 

“How many times do we have to correct you before you get it right?”

You hazard a glance toward the monitor. You gasp, covering your mouth as you watch him delete the entire project. He moves to your other pro tools files, highlighting all of them. You lunge toward him, grabbing his hand on the mouse before shouting for him to stop.

 He rips his hand away, standing from the chair and giving you the most disgusted look you’ve ever been given. He swiftly raises his hand and you flinch, guarding yourself. 

“Piece of trash…” He says under his breath before storming out of the room. Your heart thunders against your chest with each of his footsteps away from the media room. You don’t realize that you’re still guarding your face and lower your arms. You stand there, staring at your feet but really at nothing at all. You raise your shaky hands before balling them into fists.

The next two weeks feel like torture. You don’t dread work like normal people do. You prepare yourself for the emptying of your will and passion every time you clock in. Your bosses keep criticizing your messily tucked in shirt or mismatched socks but you can’t bring yourself to care anymore. 

You can feel yourself starting to hate producing.

You’ve made up your mind.

You’re going to quit.

Lindsay keeps texting you, but even deciding whether or not to answer is another layer of stress you can’t afford. You catch a glimpse of her celebrating her card pulls and you feel guilt tug at you. It’s just too much. Admitting your mom was right isn’t half as bad as suffering through this job.

I’m going to miss you, NingNing :((((

NingNing Ughhhh, I guess we can still talk about LaDS but that’s already what I was doing before! I want to talk about LaDS with someone I already know IN REAL LIFE!!

You pout for her, sitting on the edge of your bed with the horrendous posture you’ve adopted. As you type your response, something hits you and you backspace it all.

Why don’t you talk about it with Lindsay?

NingNing Oh PLEASE. She would just tell me to shut up.

Why would she do that, you think. But you suppose those two do have a sibling-esque dynamic. You exhale deeply before lying back on your bed. Your legs draw together like they do every time you get home nowadays. Especially after that dream, you can’t help touching yourself as soon as you get home. You bite your lip as you slip your work pants off and your underwear. Lately everything has been arousing you. You can’t watch any movie or show with a sex scene or else you’ll end up rewinding over and over until you get off and feel disgusted with yourself. Men at work with tight pants, women at work with tight blouses. Everything sets you off. It’s excruciating since masturbating or humping your bed like you’re doing now isn’t cutting it.

Forget someone finding out you work at SM, you don’t even have time for sex. That, and there was something so sweet about rotting your mind to porn. Love and Deepspace smut was great, but you had to use too much brain power. With porn, you could just turn it off. 

By month four of working at SM, you were a husk. The only thing that made something break through were the worried looks on the idol’s faces when they worked with you and the hurt texts from Lindsay. 

“I appreciate that you’re finally listening to instruction, but can you please speak louder?” dearALICE’s manager pats you on the back before humming encouragingly. He was less upfront about his disrespect, and you can’t decide if that was better or worse. He didn’t understand personal space and his only mode of speaking was sarcasm and backhanded compliments.

Despite feeling like the puppet they always wanted you to be, you still received “notes” at the next meeting. The next A&R staff assembly included a portion about enthusiasm and the cons of having a resting bitch face. Basically they want you to be a puppet and be happy about it. That’s a step too far for you. They’re getting what they want anyway. They keep bringing it up until you’re being pulled to the side by Chris himself about your strange behavior. It’s not that you’re being a smartass, you just don’t have it in you to emote while speaking to him. 

“Can you at least try to smile? D’you know how disrespectful it is to reply like an annoyed teen to your higher ups? Cut it out!” He shouts, through with trying to hide the fact that he’s scolding you on the side of the hall. Your coworkers walk past, looking confused and scared by the outburst.

You can’t catch a break from your coworkers either. To them, you’re an unenthusiastic trouble maker. Pretty much everyone in the building hates you. It doesn’t matter, you won’t be bothering them for much longer. 

Lindsay seems more erratic this particular day, blowing up your phone to the point you have to put it on do not disturb.

You get home and the cycle repeats. You strip down, hump your hand until you cum, turn on porn to do it again, turn on one of the more salacious sex scenes you can’t stop thinking about to do it again. And right as sleep is cradling you, the dream is vivid in your mind. You think of the soft satin against your legs, the fingers in your mouth and in your cunt and you jut into your hand one last time. Then you drift to sleep, the exhaustion at its peak. 

CHAPTER THREEˋ°•*⁀➷

No matter how many times your alarm goes off at five a.m., you always find yourself in a battle with your nineteen year old self. Because it still doesn’t seem real that you have a real job. With a schedule. And a fucking evaluation each quarter.

NingNing are you not seeing the gc? Lindsay just sent something CRAZY

You choose to ignore her text for one simple reason. It’s much too early to translate. You’re already grouchy from the impending evaluation, you’d rather just hurry and get ready for your first scheduled session. 

And throughout all three hours of said session, your phone is buzzing into oblivion. You have to wonder if a cartoonish vein is popping out of your forehead when one of the members stops singing in the booth. You look up to see not only him, but everyone else in the studio staring at you. 

“Juliette, if you need to excuse yourself for a moment to answer your phone, please do so.” Says the boys’ manager, looking unimpressed with your attitude. Embarrassed, you immediately stand up, bowing at everyone in the room and softly apologizing in Korean. 

You rush out in the hall, half of you just excited to be relieved of the tension you caused and the other half is eager to mute NingNing and Lindsay. Both of them are urging you to check the gossip girls group chat. You search for the app, forgetting what it’s called since you rarely use it. The less familiar logo is grouped with the other messaging apps. SCR… right, you think, and what does that mean again?

You’re tempted to delete it since it’s collecting dust, but deep down you know exactly why you won’t. You pretty much pass out as soon as you get home, so you haven’t checked it. But you haven’t forgotten the new world that has opened up to you.

The group chat has over 999+ unread messages. You’re not sure just how much that plus is hinting at since you rarely open it, but you remember there being significantly less the last time you glanced at the home page. And that wasn’t that long ago. That’s when you see the previews of the messages flying by. 

their shoulders are so broad, it gets me… this is so strange Lindsay, do you know their type? I wa… kinda horny now lololol I bet they only like really skinny girls… So what’s their size? Don’t leave us… i’d pay just to see it lol god they would KILL on onlyfans

… What in the world is going on? You tap the group chat at the speed of light. Frustratingly you’re positioned where you left off two months ago. When you finally get to what you assume NingNing is freaking out about, you see that it’s already translated for you.

Lindsay Liu꒰੭ Hello dolls, As some of you may know, I am moving back to Shanghai for the time being :*(. I know, I’m so sad! I’ll miss seeing your gorgeous, gorgeous faces in real life. Anyway, I’ve decided to leave you guys with a parting gift. Me being the only person to experience this feels like a waste. One of you has got to have sex with Nomin.

You gasp, hugging your phone against your chest. Your thighs clench on their own, feeling that lust creep through your bloodstream. God, not right now. The door creaks open and you feel your soul threatening to leave your body. 

“Are you okay?” The manager peeks his head out, looking just as annoyed as he always is.

“I-I’m sorry, there’s an emergency!” Your face is sizzling hot as you lock your phone. His face gradually softens. 

“You don’t look too good, you can take a short break–”

“Okay, thanks!” You rush toward a bathroom, any bathroom. Only when you’re locked in a stall do you feel yourself calm down. Your face is still hot to the touch as you unlock your phone. You have to admit, Lindsay really caught you off guard. God… if someone had glanced over your shoulder, you would’ve had your ass handed to you. Despite what their artists sing about and how they dance, SM is a very sexless place. Any innuendos or allusions to sex are strictly prohibited. A part of you felt like that was only targeted at you because you were American (not that you would blame them). But after being here for four months, you’ve gotten very used to the sterile environment. 

You’re already so sensitive to anything suggestive. Is she joking? If she is, it is a little funny. You think to message her that before you continue. 

Lindsay Liu꒰੭ Don’t worry, I won’t be jealous or anything. If you know me, then you know I refuse to be attached to any man lol. But you should know that they don’t just fuck anybody. From what they’ve told me, they don’t look at most girls. They’re very particular about the girls they seek out. If you ask me, that’s exactly why they barely have threesomes lol.

The first of many thoughts to surface is that Lindsay is clearly not joking. The next is a glaring question.

Who is Nomin?

You know better than to assume the k-pop industry debuted a nonbinary idol, so you’re not surprised when your google search returns two men. You’re also not surprised that you don’t recognize them since they debuted around the time you stopped caring about new groups. You recognize one of the names, you figure it must be from one of the group chats. They’re handsome, though. Very much so. They’re both charming in their own way, and you can see why they’re paired up. The vibes are reminiscent of the classic cat/dog dynamic you’ve seen. You tap your index finger against your lips as you sift through the images. They have nice physiques. They’re okay, I’ll always be a Taemin girl, though. You spin your ring mindlessly, unable to tear your eyes away from Jeno’s bare torso.

Right, the message.

Lindsay Liu꒰੭ Here, I’ve compiled for you the steps to attempt to get Nomin’s attention. Just to get it out of the way because it's obvious, you have to be up for a threesome. Even I couldn’t get one of them alone. Also, no idols. Upsetting one fandom is already horrifying, upsetting two is just reckless. Anyway, Tip One: - Don’t try so hard. If you look as good as they do, you get suitors constantly. And having to constantly deal with loud and unsubtle people is annoying. Besides, no one likes desperation. Tip Two: - If you’re going to change up your style and approach, don’t lay it on thick in either direction. Don’t become a BDSM dungeon master with your breasts practically falling out of your shirt. I bet you would look great, but you’d be ignoring tip one. But don’t put on that weird demure act either. If you’re covered head to toe and pretend to be sex averse, how are they supposed to know you want to fuck them? - (extra hint: dress casually, but give them something to… you know. A shirt just tight enough or a skirt just short enough they think their dirty thoughts were their own fault. Just off the top of my head, something like a graphic tee that’s slightly cropped with high waisted jeans that cover your midriff. Make sure the shirt hugs you just right 😉)

You laugh to yourself. Graphic tee she says. She could’ve just said t-shirt, but she’s making it very obvious. Perhaps on purpose. You pinch your jacket closed as if someone can see you right now. You’re wearing the same shirt you had on when you met her, now that you think about it. 

Tip Three: - A quick Do & Don’t for you: DON’T pretend to be their biggest fan. Name a single idol who has dated a fan. Exactly. DO become the best fan fiction character you can be. And I mean best. Don’t go to their concert and read a book, that’s ignoring tip one again. Don’t say you hate their music or hate boy groups. Subtler. Say you love boy groups. Hell, say you love SM groups… but you’re not very familiar with new ones. Throw an older group out there like I don’t know… SHINee. I think that’s why they reached out to me, being a 2PM fan and all. I wouldn’t have even looked their way on my own and I think that excited them.

That tip is the final straw for you. That one message was correct, this is strange. If she wanted to recommend you… have sex with those two, why wouldn’t she just message you? And are they even aware of all this? It all rubs you the wrong way and you start to text her exactly that. Lindsay beats you to it, though.

Lindsay Liu꒰੭ Have you read the group chat at all?

Yes, what the hell.

Lindsay Liu꒰੭ What did you think of the tips ;)

Lindsay. Don’t you think this is a little inappropriate?

Lindsay Liu꒰੭ Hey, I said they don’t like the innocent act.

I’m not participating in this! It feels icky. Am I crazy?

You exit out of her chat to message NingNing the same thing. You can’t be going crazy. This is weird. You fan yourself and exhale.

Lindsay Liu꒰੭ A little!! :D 

Lindsay Liu꒰੭ They’re already texting me that they’re going to be so lonely and horny when I leave… they may even have to play with each other to cope…

My GOD Lindsay.

You swipe the messenger away entirely, only noticing then how hard your heart is beating. You close your eyes and your mind immediately betrays you and paints the images you saw of Jeno and Jaemin together vividly. You ease onto the toilet, hands pressing against the stall on either side of you. The images refuse to cease and you let your thighs squeeze just a little. 

Your phone buzzes and you send a ball of saliva back to roll down your parched throat before opening the app again. 

Lindsay Liu꒰੭ Last time I checked on you, you told me you haven’t been getting any play recently. They’re going to be in the same boat soon.

Lindsay Liu꒰੭ Remember what I told you? Idols have to be picky about who they sleep with and how often they do it. I know you’re thinking about quitting because this job isn’t what you saw yourself doing, but you aren’t utilizing the perks, doll </3 !

The perks? Your perks are a discount at the SM cafe, 15 days of paid time off per year, a free bus pass, and making your passion your job. Getting closer to celebrities so you can fuck them sounds like something scumbag villains in Kdramas do.

No, this is wrong. There’s something about Lindsay that just feels off. You think back to that picture she sent you. You scroll through all her unanswered texts to you until you see it. She sent two pics, one of the five star card she pulled and the other of all ten cards. Why does NingNing feel she has no one to talk about Love and Deepspace with?

You reverse image search her pictures and it pulls up a reddit post. It’s the exact same freeze frame from the video that plays when you pull that card. And the ten pulls are identical.

NingNing Oh it’s absoLUTELY weird. But I wouldn’t put it past those two to be that freaked out.

NingNing Whatever you do, don’t tell 00-04z about this. It’ll be our little secret.

NingNing It’s going to be funny to see everyone try and fail to seduce them lol

Each of NingNing’s messages slide down at the top of your screen, replacing the previous. You completely forgot about that group chat. Jaemin…

Is she as cute as you’re making her seem, NingNing?

You hurry back to the recording room, apologizing and bowing 90 degrees to everyone in the room.

“Get over there already. How long are you going to make everyone wait?”

“I’m so sorry.” You say as you skitter over to the mixing desk. As soon as your thighs press against the seat and push against your vulva, you clench your thigh tighter, unable to stop yourself.

The minute you get home, you fumble with your keys trying to get in as fast as you can. You burst through the door and throw your purse off before practically ripping your clothes off. You don’t have to wait until you’re close to sleeping for that dream to appear behind your eyelids today. It’s all you could think about once you put a face to those words you’ve been replaying in your brain. You have another face now, too. You whimper as you stroke your aching clit. You replace Rafayel and Caleb with these new faces. It’s so wrong, but you can’t help yourself. It feels like the dream finally progressed. You have something to put in you other than fingers. Two things you want to shove anywhere they’ll fit.

You shove your face into the covers as a despaired moan is pulled from your body. Cum oozes over your fingers as you continue to hammer them into your throbbing hole. You cum five times until you have nothing else left and your poor nub starts to hurt. Only then does the guilt truly set in. Are these two meant to be the Caleb and Rafayel duo? They look nothing like them. And which is which? You laugh to yourself, mental and physical exhaustion dragging you to hysterics.

She got you.

🥀 𐮙 🐻ˋ°•*⁀➷

Every time NingNing tries to talk to you, you get distracted by the people with huge, hulking cameras following you.

“The guys are– ignore them. They follow me everywhere.” NingNing seems completely unbothered when she mentions that, but it sure bothers you. Even with her bodyguard following close behind. It takes her a few more tries to get your attention.

“Hey!! Everyone in the 00-04 group chat is confused. I invited someone and they don’t even speak in the group chat. You’re making both of us look weird!” She nudges you, her Americano jostling in her hand. You don’t know how to tell her that you’re terrified to open it after you came to the thought of Jaemin and Jeno on three separate occasions now. You don’t even know them from a can of paint but you’ve imagined them in every possible position. 

“I dunno, it feels awkward.” You speak low and lean a little closer, unnerved by the amount of people looking at the two of you. 

“They’ll love you! They’re already excited to meet you! Especially Jaemin, idiot won’t stop bringing you up.” She mutters the last part, clearly not the biggest fan. You hurriedly sip your latte to hide any suspicious facial expressions. 

“J-Jaemin?” You sputter after swallowing your drink haphazardly. Great going, genius.

“Yeah, ugh. Anyway, if you were in the group chat, you’d know we were planning to go to Switzerland in December. We have a huge chalet booked because we intended for twenty people to come, and we even got twenty multi-day passes for skiing. Long story short, too many people dropped out for comfort so we’re kinda scrambling. Are you interested?” NingNing looks over just in time to catch the twinkle in your eyes. She laughs mischievously as you try to fix your face. You’re not the biggest fan of going somewhere colder for vacation, but any vacation sounds good right now.

“How long are we gonna be there? Did you already buy plane tickets? What day in December should we–”

“My GOD girl! I’m guessing that’s a yes. Since we’re leaving the country we’re thinking two weeks. Is that good?”

You peer over at NingNing, a smile slowly fading in for both of you.

“Tell me more.”

🥀 𐮙 🐻ˋ°•*⁀➷

Michelle link

Michelle Happy to see you’re doing well. Would’ve loved to hear this directly from you but you barely speak to me anymore.

Of all the consequences of you going all in on work, losing your best friend was the hardest one. You didn’t realize you favored texting or calling NingNing about one of your many shared interests over reaching out to your friend until she sent you that. You cautiously click on the chat, knowing that your read receipts are on and you’ll have to answer as a consequence of wanting to know what that link is.

Underground Producer Juliette spotted with aespa’s NingNing Coming From a Coffee Shop. Fans Speculate Over a Possible Solo Project For The Idol

Will that always be your title? How long has it been since you left the underground?

Those were your initial thoughts until this article kept coming back to haunt you. It was shared in three out of four of the group chats you were in. You’re getting more DMs from artists than you ever have (long after you needed them). You, of course, were scolded at work. And you have your first direct message on SCR that isn’t from NingNing or Lindsay.

Na Jaemin Is that you with NingNing in that picture 👀

You immediately ignore the message. Your excitement is simply too great to handle right now. You can’t have him sensing your sins. 

Instead, you finally hazard a glance of the 00-04z group chat.

Zhou Xinyu⓪② Ooouuuu she’s cute :3

Jung Sungchan⓪① how do we even know that’s her

Jung Sungchan⓪① the article says juliette

Choi Beomgyu⓪① tha’ts her stge name dumbass

Huh Yunjin⓪① Learn how to spell b4 calling someone else a dumbass lmaooo

Bae Jinsol⓪④ idk if this is inappropriate to say, y’all will let me know anyway lol but her clothes fit her just right

Park Sohyun⓪② JUST right

Park Sunghoon⓪② oh here cum the lesbians

Park Sohyun⓪② Sunghoon’s just mad Xinyu rejected him for me lolololol

Yoon Sangah⓪② lolololol

Oh Haewon⓪③ lolololol

Shen Quanrui⓪④ lolololol

Kim Sunoo⓪③ lolololol

Park Sunghoon⓪② Sunoo whose side are you on??

Kim Sunoo⓪③ … the gays? tf

Jake Sim⓪② Just saw the pic y’all are talking about… that’s my type haha

Baek Jiheon⓪③ And what is that (,,◕.◕,,)

Jake Sim⓪② Not stick thin😏 I like some meat on the bone

Baek Jiheon⓪③ (ಠ⌣ಠ)

Lee Jeno⓪⓪ Now y’all are speaking my language lol who are we talking about

Zhong Chenle⓪① you never come in here and when you do you refuse to scroll up smh

Everyone reacts in shock to his message, including you. This is your first time seeing his name outside of a search bar. Every time you tell yourself to stop picturing these poor men in indecent situations you feel it more vividly. Jeno’s sweaty chest as he ruts into from behind and Jaemin’s sweaty shoulders under your palms while you take it. I mean… both of them seem somewhat interested… so you can't be that bad, right.

Kim Dayeon⓪③ talking about how you like girls with meat on their bones as if it’s OUR FAULT WE’RE SKINNY. JELLYFISH STRIPPED ME OF MY MEAT.

Jake Sim⓪② Calm down pls T__T I promise I wasn’t dissing skinny girls, I love all women. You’re all beautiful

Jay Park⓪② Damn straight

Kim Dayeon⓪③ Alright then >:(

Baek Jiheon⓪③ I forgive you (♡°▽°♡)

Lee Jeno⓪⓪ Wait, so who’s Juliette 

Lee Jeno⓪⓪ Is she here?

Lee Donghyuck⓪⓪ scroll up farther for god sake

He could scroll up… or you could just…

Hello. Um, you guys are right, my name isn’t Juliette.

… get things started. You properly introduce yourself for the first time in this group chat. Everyone properly introduces themselves, and you find Sohyun, Xinyu, Jinsol, and Jake in your DMs. It’s far too much attention to handle. You feel a little dizzy from all the emotions demanding your attention.

Na Jaemin⓪⓪ Look at my messages;3

“Oh right.” You panic and switch to his DMs, not expecting new messages. 

Na Jaemin So you are as cute

You chew on your lip, feeling as though releasing it would release a whine as well. The heat brewing in your core is intense. You can feel the base of your thighs dampening. It’s like he knows just what to say to drive you crazy.

Na Jaemin I wanna see you

Your breath catches, rereading the word as if it would help you decode it. He couldn’t be asking to meet up so he must mean– Oh…

He’s asking for it.

Na Jaemin Nonononoo lololol I’m sorry, I’m just used to being forward on this app. That was disrespectful. Idk why this app brings it out of me.

No, you’re okay. 

If I’m honest… It does that to me too.

Right about now you would be throwing your phone away, too scared to see his response, but you’re glued to the screen. The typing indicator appears before disappearing. It never comes back. You decide to check the group chat while you wait when you see it.

Lee Jeno⓪⓪ Ah…

Lee Jeno⓪⓪ I know that name. Are you friends with Lindsay?

Lee Jeno⓪⓪ Whatever weird shit she said to you, don't spread it here

Shit. Shit. You were right. God, you should have immediately warned them about the messages she sent to gossip girls. Instead you’re sitting here drooling and implicating yourself. The chat goes from fawning over you to wondering what you and Lindsay did to piss Jeno off. 

You knew it. You knew this was weird and you knew you shouldn’t have gone into that stupid group chat. You already took off those two weeks in December, and you were really looking forward to a getaway where you didn’t have to pay for plane tickets or a place to stay. Did you just blow it? 

Ning Yizhuo⓪② Noooo she’s not close to Lindsay, Lindsay just helped her get this job and helps her out from time to time.

Lee Jeno⓪⓪ Oh yeah, I forgot you were friends with Lindsay too. Keep your mouth shut, too.

Ning Yizhuo⓪② Why are you acting like you don’t know how Lindsay is? She’s eccentric and out of touch. What else do you expect from a billionaire’s daughter?

Lee Jeno⓪⓪ Can she be eccentric to herself?

Ning Yizhuo⓪② You KNOW she can’t do that.

Han Chowon⓪② This is the most I’ve ever seen Jeno active in this gc lol

You want to say something or apologize, but truthfully you don’t know what he’s actually referring to. What if you just implicate yourself further.

Zhou Xinyu⓪② Ugh fuck off Jeno you scared the new girl off

Lee Jeno⓪⓪ And Lindsay scares ME.

Ning Yizhuo⓪② Not enough to stay out of her pants lololol

Lee Jeno⓪⓪ Hey

Lee Jeno⓪⓪ How did you know that?

Nakamura Kazuha⓪③ Omg? So it’s true?

Kim Jiwon⓪④ Oh my god…

Lee Jeno⓪⓪ You see what I mean? Lindsay can’t keep her mouth shut, and neither can her little friends

Oh Haewon⓪③ can you chill tf out

Watanabe Haruto⓪④ …

Watanabe Haruto⓪④ so was she good

Yoon Sanha⓪⓪ I was wondering the same lolol she’s so hot

Na Jaemin⓪⓪ Tooootally dude

You think to yourself if the threesome stuff was actually real but you catch yourself and toss that idea. You think of a way to clear your name without hinting at anything more. 

She does say a lot of weird things but I usually tune her out lol

Or just tell her she’s being weird.

Ning Yizhuo⓪② Yeah Lindsay said something totally weird recently and she messaged me privately to see if I thought it was weird too lol

And we’re not really cool like that, promise

Zhou Xinyu⓪② Oh don’t worry about Jeno, he’s just being a diva

Lee Jeno⓪⓪ Am I though, because they both just said she says weird things too

Oh Haewon⓪③ SHE’S AN ECCENTRIC BILLLIONAIRE!!!

Zhou Xinyu⓪② Eccentric 👏🏻 Billionaire 👏🏻

Yeah, but still. She does give weird vibes, ngl.

Lee Jeno⓪⓪ And she’s a fucking pathological liar

Lee Jeno⓪⓪ Maybe I should start spilling secrets about her, see how she likes it

Huh Yunjin⓪① YES PLEASE GAWD SOME DRAMA

Yoon Keeho⓪① LMAOOOO

Ning Yizhuo⓪② jiFWLBFIEB

You thought maybe Lindsay was just a nuisance to him in a similar way she is to you. But this hints at something maybe a little deeper. 

Maybe for you as well.

The group chat goes dormant after realizing Jeno was bluffing. He tells everyone in the chat they have a gossip problem and disappears. You refresh the homepage mindlessly, frustration prodding at you. You switch over to your DMs. You notice Jaemin finally texted back. 

Na Jaemin Wait so you know Lindsay?

Na Jaemin Oh you guys aren’t close. Well let me know when she’s coming back if she told you. Or if she’s ever coming back. 

Na Jaemin Idk.

Nothing about his texts indicate that he harbors the same feelings for Lindsay. Maybe he and Jeno aren’t as much of a unit as Lindsay made you believe. You stay with these messages, rereading them and feeling a tinge of pity. 

Well, I definitely know she’s coming back because she has a mansion here.

Na Jaemin What?!

Na Jaemin Well I guess she is rich, but I didn’t know that.

Na Jaemin Are you sure you guys aren’t friends?

One thing you know for absolute certain in these trying times is that you don’t want to be confused to be on Lindsay’s side.

Absolutely not, I haven’t spoken to her in around two months or something lol.

Na Jaemin I seeeee

Na Jaemin Anyway, make sure to text me again sooner than that ;3

The only way you can quell the fluttering in your chest is through a girlish squeal paired with you kicking your feet. Should you be guilty about all this if they reached out to you first?

CHAPTER FOURˋ°•*⁀➷

You cross your foot in front of the other to see the outfit in a different pose. You are unfortunately not allowed to wear a costume to SM’s Halloween party, but you can come. And you can dress up a little bit. Not too flashy, they said. You opted for a blouse with a high neckline with short butterfly sleeves that just cut it off from being a tank top. You thought that was too much already, so you paired it with black slacks. A high bun with two pieces to frame your face shouldn’t be flashy.

Whatever, if you get scolded, you’ll drink. If you get scolded for getting drunk, hopefully they’ll fire you. You smooth your hands over the pants slowly, letting that thought simmer.

Yeah, you haven’t considered that. If they fire you, there won’t need to be a lawsuit. You definitely wouldn’t fight it. But is it too soon to go home? You think about your mother and how she’ll nag you. You think about how you have no friends at home anymore. How NingNing would miss you. 

Are you seriously considering this? You can’t. Not after they killed your passion.

No, you need to go forward with this plan. You made a new friend here, you can do it again back home. And your mom will be alright.

Your uber notifies you that it’s outside and you snatch your purse with renewed vigor. 

You’re going to get fired from SM Entertainment.

The dimly lit venue is enough to get you in the partying spirit. Luckily there are enough people here that you shouldn’t be scolded the entire night. You want to be seen on your worst behavior but you don’t want your buzz killed.

You find NingNing who is dressed as Jobu Tupaki. Specifically her goth outfit. You compliment her and give her a hug. You greet Winter who is dressed in Barbie’s cowgirl outfit, Giselle who is Lola Bunny from Space Jam, and lastly Karina who is Disgust.

“Did you guys do a movie theme?” You ask, a little sad looking at their costumes. The FOMO just set in.

“Nah, we’re just that in sync.” Giselle says with a smirk, wrapping her arms around Winter and Karina. Karina brushes her arms away.

“Yes. We did a movie theme.” Karina explains, shaking her head at Giselle and making an expression that fits her character.

There wasn’t much to do but walk around, talk, eat, and drink alcohol. You made sure to get your grief’s worth in alcohol. You drank for all your forgotten projects, for your crushed dreams, and as a fuck you to your manager who threatened to hit you. That memory had the jello shots flying. NingNing found it amusing but her members were a bit worried. Especially after NingNing starts joining “for the bit”.

‘Can you guys stop’ turns into ‘are you guys gonna stop’ before the other three decide to leave before it gets embarrassing. Thankfully you and NingNing were both giggly drunks so you mostly stood by the wall and laughed at everything and nothing. 

“Look. Omg, look, LOOK!” NingNing shouts as she points across the room very overtly. Thankfully who she’s pointing at doesn’t see her do it. There are two men in similar military-esque costumes. Who they’re specifically dressed as, you can’t tell from this distance, but there’s a girl with her back arched and her ass poked out speaking to them. You would say she looks hot but she’s in a slutty schoolgirl outfit. 

“That outfit?” You nudge NingNing before pointing at your mouth and pretending to gag.

“Yeah, and that violates rule number one AND two.”

In your defense, you were drunk, so your brain was a bit laggy. “Rules? Rules to what?” You slur out, slightly stumbling and bumping into her. 

“My bad. Tips, I mean tips. Tip number one and two. Don’t try too hard and don’t dress extra slutty to get their attention.”

Then it clicks. You didn’t even realize who the two men were. Jaemin takes off his sunglasses, revealing the annoyance in his eyes as he folds them into the collar of his jumpsuit. Jeno has his mask pushed up so his bangs are peeking out, looking everywhere but at the nuisance.

Whoever they're supposed to be, they look damn good. Jeno has a vest on and a black shirt rolled up to his elbows. You can see his forearms flex every time he clenches his fist. Jaemin has his jumpsuit rolled up, too. All you can think about is them putting you in a headlock. You roll your eyes back as you giggle blissfully to yourself. 

“Ooh? Was that reaction for them? Are you gonna throw your hat in the ring?” NingNing gets far too excited, leaning forward to get a better glimpse of your face. You push her back against the wall by her head, shaking yours.

“I’m not playing Lindsay’s little game.” The smile slowly fades from your lips, a bitter taste left in its wake. Suddenly, the girl in the schoolgirl costume is getting escorted out of the building. She doesn’t go out without a fight, shouting back at Jeno and Jaemin for ‘a little help’ just to add more embarrassment. 

Just as the situation escalates and she starts screaming like a banshee, something red obscures your vision. You try to maneuver around it but it keeps moving into your vision. You look up in annoyance to see Mr. Myeong. You feel the warmth drain from your body as your annoyance turns to fear. 

“Who said you can look in my eyes, hm?” He says and you immediately look downward. He cuts his eyes at NingNing and tells her to beat it. She does, but not before looking at you like a sad puppy. He starts to scold you about how much you’ve drank and how you’re two seconds from getting kicked out but you can’t focus on that. The rule was a lie, he’s a staff member and he’s wearing a costume. And not just any costume. In perfect comedic fashion, he’s wearing a devil costume.

Maybe it’s because you really wanted to wear a costume and now you’re re-pissed, but you laugh openly at the situation. You sold your soul to the devil, this evil manager is like the devil, and now he’s standing here scolding you in a devil costume. You laugh even harder. 

“Are you– Are you laughing? Have you lost your mind?” He snaps at you before prodding at your forehead with his finger. You immediately stop laughing. He does it a few more times, asking who you think you are and where you learned your manner from. He asks why Americans are so incompetent and why they even hire ‘the likes of you’. 

At that, you grab his finger before he could make a permanent mark on your forehead. 

“You crazy bitch! Let go of me.” He tries to rip it free but you tighten your grip. By now, a few people are watching. This is it. Your chance. You chuckle a little before leaning closer.

“Forgive me for laughing, it’s just…” You lean next to his ear, digging your fingernails into his finger. “How the fuck am I supposed to take you seriously with that ridiculous costume on?”

He finally breaks free, immediately cocking his hand back. That same hand. But this time you just smile and close your eyes. Everyone is looking now. You’ll be free after this. You take the moment to consider your next move. Maybe you’ll stay here and produce freelance. Whatever you do, you’ll surely be kicked out of SM because the minute he slaps you? He’s getting all the pent up frustration from these four months.

“Hey, hey!” You expected someone to notice, but this unfamiliar voice sounded light, conversational. Like he just found his buddy after looking for him at a party. You snap your eyes open after noticing you haven’t been hit.

Jeno is smiling at the manager, his wrist firmly in Jeno’s grip.

“Let me go– What is wrong with you?!”

“Oh my!” Jeno lets go of the man’s hand to cover his mouth and the manager loses his balance. He falls flat on his ass. “I saw the red and thought you were Xiaojun. I’m so sorry, sir!”

“I– You–! Help me up this instant!” His voice booms, but only you flinch. You look up at Jeno who is approaching you. Realize now that he’s Ghost from Call of Duty. And that this is your first time seeing him up close in real life. His friendly smile flickers away to reveal a grimace. For a second you think it’s aimed at you until he speaks. He leans in to speak next to your ear. 

“Are you okay, that asshole didn’t hit you, did he?” His breath hits your ear and gives you goosebumps. All you can do is shake your head. He doesn’t get to lean back before he’s ripped away from you. 

“Hey! You piece of shit! Mind your own business.” 

Jeno doesn’t hide his glare this time, and Jaemin steps in between. 

“I’ll apologize for him, sir.” Jaemin bows ninety degrees, apologizing heartily to the shorter male. As his torso lowers, you catch a glimpse of Jeno grasping his hand tightly. Mr. Myeong bristles at all three of you now. 

“You sons of bitches! I’ll ruin you all!” He turns to you, wagging his finger. The parts of his skin that aren’t covered by the splotchy red paint are rivaling makeup in color. “I’ll ruin you!”

His words curdle the minute they’re introduced to your system. Ruin? 

Will you have a choice in working in Korea?

“Mr. Myeong, that is unnecessary. I’m sure this is all a misunderstanding.” Jaemin outstretches his arms in an attempt to placate but it’s no use. Mr. Myeong just keeps feverishly pointing at you and screaming. 

“You don’t know what she said to me! You weren’t raised to value respect,” Mr. Myeong rolls up his sleeves and a few onlookers gasp, “but I’ll teach you.” He charges forward and swings his hand with more force than last time, closing his fists. You snarl, ready to end all of this. If getting punched by a middle aged man is what it takes to continue producing in Korea, it’s not worth it. You see red, readying your foot and eyeing his crotch.

Unfortunately for him, Jaemin is more focused on blocking the path toward you than stopping Jeno. Jeno presses his two hands to Mr. Myeong’s chest before using all the force his muscular frame can muster to shove the small man to the ground. His body bounces, head knocking against the floor as he slides back far. He's momentarily stunned. Only then does Jaemin switch to stopping Jeno before he pummels Mr. Myeong. His shaking fists are clenched tightly as he tries to shake Jaemin off of him. Jaemin keeps firm on his shoulders and tries to get Jeno to focus on him. It isn’t working.

“Are you going to keep doing this shit? Huh? How long are you gonna keep this shit up?!” Jeno lunges especially hard and nearly slips from Jaemin’s grasp. His words strike you, but you cut your introspection short. This is a mistake you’re only willing to let yourself make. Then suddenly you’re walking over to help Jaemin restrain him.

The security finally intervenes when Mr. Myeong tries to stand back up and stupidly confront Jeno once more. The two of you are having a hard time restraining him right now, if Mr. Myeong had run up? You probably would’ve relented just to get out of the way in time. 

Jeno finally calms as a roaring Mr. Myeong is escorted off the premises, and you finally breathe. You step back from the two men only to be ambushed by four women. 

NingNing stays flanked to your side as everyone recovers from the debacle. Her and her members continually ask if you’re okay, but all you can notice is everyone staring at you. You’re not certain, but you swear you overhear someone’s whisper.

“He said she said something to set him off. I wouldn’t put it past her. She keeps causing trouble.”

There’s a chance you misheard or mistranslated, but your mind already convinced you it made too much sense.

Soon NingNing and her members are carted off by their manager. You watch them make their way to the exit, NingNing saying something to Jeno and pointing at you before Karina urges her to hurry up. You haven’t moved from the wall. Your eyes sink to your legs, knowing whatever is paralyzing you is all in your head.

“Someone made a call or something because there are cameras everywhere out front.”

You hear a male voice closing in followed by another one. 

“That’s okay, we can go out through the back.”

“Do you really think they haven’t thought of that?”

“No one should be leaving through there, they cut it off as a security measure. They might be waiting there now but if we give it a little bit…”

The second voice trailing off made you realize how close they were. You look up to see Jaemin and Jeno for the first time since that mishap. This is when you finally recognize Jaemin’s costume. It’s some bootleg version of a Top Gun jumpsuit. However… you can’t stop yourself from thinking about how he resembles Caleb if you squint. Was this what Lindsey was seeing when decided on that ploy? Was he even meant to be Caleb? You breathe a quick laugh, unable to help yourself.

They’re giving each other a look before Jaemin peers over at you. He gives you a wolfish smile. 

“There’s the smile I remember from the photo.” Jaemin steps to the side, shifting his attention to you. “You had me worried.” He steps forward and leans in and for a second you expect him to ruffle your hair like they do in Love and Deepspace. Man, you’re drunk. You shrug, pursing your lips as you peek over at Jeno. His face is a little more somber, eyeing you intensely like he’s trying to read you. Your smile drops when you meet eyes. 

Lee Jeno⓪⓪ And she’s a fucking pathological liar

Just what else has Lindsay lied about?

“We’re going to head out in maybe,” Jaemin draws out the word as he checks his watch, “thirty minutes? You shouldn’t ride the bus while you’re drunk. We have room since we’re driving ourselves.” Jaemin tilts his head at you. 

“Call?” He asks.

You nod sheepishly, knowing this must have been what NingNing had requested before she left. Jaemin smiles before dropping his head and exhaling through his nose. As he picks his head up you hear him whisper something. 

“Cute.”

You take a quick breath, unable to stop your thighs from clenching together. You widen your eyes as you stiffen up, checking to see if he noticed. You peer over at Jeno as well, your face feeling like it was lit on fire when you catch him staring at your legs.

“I need water.” You say, maneuvering around Jaemin and rushing past Jeno. You walk around looking for something that will stop your head from spinning every time you make a turn. There are no water bottles at the refreshment table and no water fountains in sight. As you go to turn down a dark, empty hallway, something firm and cool taps your shoulder.

You turn to see Jeno holding out a water bottle to you. 

“Where are you going?” He asks you in that same annoyed tone idol managers do. You would get upset if your vision wasn't spinning at the moment. You miss the bottle the first time but manage to grab it the second. All of your brain power goes into getting as much water in your system as possible. The giggly drunkenness is gone. The alcohol is just amplifying what you drank to forget.

When you finish, Jeno reveals the second water bottle, asking wordlessly. You accept it.

🥀 𐮙 🐻ˋ°•*⁀➷

Your sobriety is creeping on too fast to justify the question plaguing your mind. Jeno is driving while Jaemin is in the passenger seat reading Jeno’s texts for him.

“It’s from Dugwan hyung. He wants to see you,” Jaemin looks over, fretful, “like, now.”

Jeno tightens his jaw. 

“‘m not goin’.”

Jaemin sighs. “If you aren’t going, I’m not either.”

Silence drapes uncomfortably over the car and Jaemin throws some music on. Unlike where you work, this venue is pretty far from your home. Thankfully, the car ride carefully takes the knotted thoughts in your head and unweaves them. You stare serenely out the window as soothing R&B plays through the speakers.

“Is this it?” Jeno’s voice jolts you from the edge of sleep. You hum before squinting at the building you’re parked outside of.

“Mm, yeah.” You say, unbuckling your seatbelt. You take a moment to rub your face before thanking the two of them. 

“I’ll walk you up.” Jaemin says, already halfway out the door when Jeno protests. “Stay here then!” Jaemin clicks his tongue before looking Jeno up and down with faux incredulity. He slams the door then, leaving Jeno to groan and glare at you through the rearview mirror. You slowly slip out of your seat, carefully eyeing the annoyed Jeno.

“Which floor?” Jaemin asks after you join him in your building’s elevator. You’re not sure which 'three' applies to this scenario so you guess. Judging by Jaemin’s snort as he presses the button, it was wrong. Today marks the first day anyone has outright laughed at your Korean. You scoff, trying sino this time. He nods approvingly, giving you a thumbs up.

Before the doors can close, a hand slams against one of them and they ease back open. Jeno’s heaving frame is slowly revealed.

He steps on, showing Jaemin his phone. They exchange panicked looks.

“We’re passed that. They told us in 2021–” Jaemin halts when Jeno flicks his hand against his chest and looks toward you. You panic and look away, realizing you’d been staring this whole time.

That suffocating silence is back as the elevator takes three centuries to get to floor three. The walk to your unit is when they can’t seem to hold it in anymore and start whispering to each other. They’re close enough behind that you happen to hear.

“Are they really bringing curfew back?” Jaemin asks.

“No, this is clearly a warning, not a reminder.” 

“And you’re still not going?”

Jeno doesn’t answer. The tone of the unanswered question takes the tension to new heights.

“Then where are we gonna go? Most hotels will either report us to SM or Dispatch.” Despite the frantic nature of Jaemin’s voice, Jeno doesn’t answer yet again. You get to your door and thank the both of them.

“I’ll text you later.” Jaemin tries to channel his wolfish smile again, but it’s strained. It sounds like they can’t even escape being scolded by their boss at their own home.

That’s no home.

“Wait.” The word feels like it’s pulled from you. This is a bad idea. When they turn around, you know it’s too late. At the cost of revealing you were eavesdropping, you give them the option.

“If you guys have nowhere to go, I have a futon. That is, if you guys are willing to squeeze together.”

Jaemin looks touched but ready to decline, while Jeno just outright says it.

“No thanks.” His verbiage is polite, but his tone is derisive. It sounds like they don’t have many options and it’s pretty late. You would kick yourself if you saw something in the tabloids tomorrow.

“If you’re worried I have ulterior motives, I do.” You breathe a sardonic laugh at your own expense. The state of your future at SM is shaky at the moment, so your chances of being uprooted yet again are large. Especially if Mr. Myeong has anything to do with it. You need so many things from so many people, but there’s only one thing you can get from these two.

“Let’s make an exchange. I give you a less stressful place to sleep… and you tell me what Lindsay wants from me.”

Their energies switch at that moment. Jeno’s face softens and though he looks at the floor to hide it, Jaemin’s hardens.

CHAPTER FIVEˋ°•*⁀➷

You sigh wistfully as you retrieve the last two butter waffles from the box. Opening your lunchbox to one of these is the only thing you look forward to at work, but you just had to ask if they wanted a snack.

You don’t invite NingNing to yours for a reason. Your studio is a feng shui nightmare. Now you have your first guests ever sleeping parallel to you because it’s the only way the futon would fit. You’re conflicted as you deliver the snacks, it seemed like a good idea when the futon was folded up. Seeing it now, you know not to ever call yourself an interior designer.

You squeeze between the futon and the wall to sit them on your Pororo side table you got on sale.

“It's not you.” Jeno says, sipping the water you also asked if they wanted. You initially think he’s telling you not to blame yourself. Jaemin pats the space next to him with a small smile. You sigh as you sit down, preemptively taking Jeno’s advice.

“It’s not any of us. I don’t think there’s a single person on the face of the planet Lindsay cares about other than herself.” He reaches over Jaemin and sets his glass on the table. “Every little thing she does serves a bigger goal that serves an ever bigger goal.”

“What the hell is it, then? What does me working with SM have to do with her goals?” You ask incredulously.

“The question you should be asking is why they were so adamant to hire you.”

Yeah, you know that. That’s one of the questions you want answered but know they can’t—

Or can they?

“They were adamant to hire me?”

“… I’m not sure why you’re asking me like you don’t know.” Jeno creates friction again when you're simply trying to get answers. Jaemin gently takes over.

“We all know, if that’s what you’re wondering. All the idols under SM, I mean.” Jaemin laughs after explaining this, but you know that it’s at this insane situation. “I don’t know when they made the decision, but I know Lindsay and her gambling had something to do with it. You guys are one of us now.”

Jeno chuts at the situation. “How is that slave contract treating you?”

“D-did Rouge… Was he the problem? Lindsay said he couldn’t get dearALICE a song that audiences liked.”

“DJ Rouge…?” Jeno asks in disbelief. “DJ Rouge is one of the best producers in the country.”

The corner of Jaemin’s mouth twitches, his look of concern growing stronger. 

“He composed and produced Juliette.” Jeno continues.

The silence overtaking the room strengthens the fuzziness in your brain. You jump to rationalize something, anything.

“Then why was he kicked off dearALICE’s mini album? They scrapped everything he worked on.”

“I don’t know anything about dearALICE, but SM would never kick Rouge out. Not in a million years.”

You grit your teeth, failing to find any other conclusions than the one so painfully obvious.

“He left on his own…” You whisper pitifully.

“I overheard that he wanted more money and demanded they respect his worth. SM denied and now we’re here.” Jeno explains.

“Okay, so I took his place? I don’t understand why they didn’t say that. Is it because they were embarrassed?”

“You have to understand. You didn’t replace Rouge because no one could replace Rouge. You guys have schedules and salaries and staff meetings. Rouge showed up when he wanted and got a percentage of the song’s royalties on top of the up front payment.” Jeno just keeps showering you in painful discoveries with little to no sugarcoating. Jaemin steps in again.

“Don't take this the wrong way but… I was honestly surprised you didn’t live in a dorm. Well, at least starting out like we did.”

You exhale deeply and place your face into your hands.

“I get paid pretty well. It’s not like I’m getting shafted. And yeah, I don’t live in a dorm. So, what? Why are we talking about this when I asked about Lindsay.”

The somber looks on their faces tell you you're about to get exactly what you're asking for.

“When we first met Lindsay, she was super curious about idol life. It wasn’t weird because everyone was. But then she started asking questions like if we were penalized less and had more freedom, would we work as hard. I was honest because I was still in denial. I said no.” Jeno adds, sounding careful for the first time that evening.

Your mouth moves as soon as the information shocks your system.

“Okay? So they lit a fire under our asses—”

“Lindsay doesn’t really see people as people.” Jeno explains slowly as his mouth contorts into a forced smile. “You’re either a tool or a plaything.”

🥀 𐮙 🐻ˋ°•*⁀➷

The glasses of water wobble dangerously as you and Jaemin jostle around on the bed. Your laughing crescendos until the sound runs out and you’re both curling over with your jaws dropped open. Jaemin’s laugh taps back in as he rockets backwards, his beer sloshing and spilling a little on Jeno. 

“Hey!” Jeno shouts, not as aggressively drunk, but turning pinkish on his cheeks and the tips of his ears anyway. Inebriation tugs at your eyelids as fatigue rolls through you. You whine in protest, but your blood alcohol content persists.

“How can she–” You curl your chin in as you hiccup before continuing. “She knew you guys since you were all teens and she still did that shit?” You present the beer to them in a vain quest to make sense of all this. 

“You weren’t listening.” The slurring of Jeno’s words is strengthening as he pushes against the bed to sit up straight. He just ends up curving back over, stretching his spine like his head is too heavy. The two men speak at the same time, probably expecting they were thinking the same thing. 

“She doesn’t view us as human.”

“She has a gambling addiction.”

They both look at each other in betrayal. Jaemin upset at Jeno’s perceived lack of context and Jeno at Jaemin’s leniency with Lindsay. Jeno musters up all the coherence he can to drive home this point. 

“Lindsay didn’t care about us long before the gambling.”

“Yeah, but before the gambling we had fun with each other.”

“She spread rumors about you before she even met you.”

“Yeah, exactly. She didn’t know me, so she had the wrong idea.”

“Did she have the wrong idea about Seulgi, too? The first person to introduce her to all the idols she used?”

Jaemin lets out a loud, fake laugh, avoiding Jeno’s questions. 

“O-or what about Victoria? Sejeong? And what’s your excuse for her posting–”

“Okay! I get it!” Jaemin’s voice booms louder than it seems he intended. He giggles to himself as you and Jeno both gawk at him, drunkenness outshined by confusion. Jaemin shakes his head before waving his free hand. 

“Put something on the TV.”

You scramble to do exactly that, eager to escape this tension. You throw on a random movie you had in your watch list. You turn off the light, full of remorse as you watch them strain their necks to the left to watch it. Jeno peers at you and you smile lazily. Your current state disables the humiliation that should come after Jeno’s confused look. 

“You forgot the subtitles.”

You gasp quietly, a drawn out ‘oh’ seeping from your lips as you hurriedly grab the remote and put on the Korean subtitles. Jaemin pats the bed again, but this time he’s patting the space that suddenly appeared between him and Jeno. That’s when you notice Jaemin is pressed firmly against the arm rest, distancing himself as much as he can.

You shake your head, ceasing the expecting looks from the both of them. Jaemin puts on exaggerated puppy eyes instead, poking out his lip as he pats the space.

“I don’t want to make you guys uncomfortable.” You peer at Jeno, the only one you actually presume will be uncomfortable. “We’re still strangers, after all.” You say as your eyes return to Jaemin. Under the minimal shifting light of the TV, Jaemin’s impish smile has a stronger effect. You hurry to your previous position, sitting at the edge of the bed closest to the wall. You make a mental note to somehow turn the futon toward the TV after they leave in the morning.

You feel someone on the bed shifting until Jaemin’s knees swing off the bed so he’s seated right next to you. You initially think this is his compromise until he hooks one arm under your knees and the other around your waist. You ground yourself, half expecting him to carry you bridal style. Instead, he pulls your legs up onto the bed. His hand sears against your leg just like in your dream. You look up at him, your drunken stupor convincing you that he can read your mind. He stares back intensely, making heat bubble behind your cheeks and in your crotch. Your eyes drop down to his costume, the collar dipping just low enough that it turns your mouth dry. His teeth nip at his bottom lip as he hoists you against the back of the futon. His eyes linger on you, expression solemn besides the intensity in his eyes. As he slips his hands from under and behind you, he takes his time, grazing your skin. His middle digit slips under your t-shirt, leaving a trail of heat in its wake.

Once he is fully retracted from you, his face softens, that recognizable smile warming his features. 

“See? Totally comfortable.” And just like that, Jaemin eases the (admittedly delicious) tension with random English. Your attempt to hide your laugh fails as it bursts through your tightly closed lips. Jaemin laughs as well, shoulder bumping against yours as you both keel over. You slip your legs under the blanket and that’s when reality hits you again. You’re unsure why you flinch, but in doing so, you brush against Jeno’s leg under the blanket. Your head whips to look at him, a little fear in your soul when you see he’s looking back. 

Your heart is distracting, thumping against your ribcage with reckless abandon. With sudden ruckus from the TV, you’re momentarily spared. Everything is still and quiet, Jeno and Jaemin stiff on either side of you. It would almost be peaceful if it weren’t for the loud moans and bed squeaking coming from the TV.

A few weeks ago with one hand in your pants, you looked up movies on Netflix with good sex scenes. You flooded your already bloated watch list with them and well? One of them was playing on your TV while you’re sandwiched in between two men. Two men who you habitually fantasize about. And that listicle was right. This is a damn good sex scene.

Your problem is still a problem. Nothing’s changed and you still haven’t been laid. You swallow the saliva building in your mouth as pleasure churns prominently in your abdomen. It churns and churns until it spills into your core. You bite your lip, trying to discreetly lessen the ache. As your thighs push together, you feel eyes burning into the back of your head. Your stomach drops. 

You slowly peek at Jeno who is looking straight at your crotch, just like earlier this evening. He looks at you through his lashes with something akin to disappointment in his eyes. You swear you see him slightly shake his head, but you chalk it up to the bad lighting. 

“Did you see that?” Jaemin’s hand landing on your thigh nearly sends you to the moon. He forces your eyes away from Jeno to stare at him like you were caught doing something you weren’t supposed to. But when you look at him, he’s watching the TV as he rewinds the movie, extending this torture. He presses play and keeps his hand pointed to it as he waits for the portion in question. You’re watching now as the actors simulate the increase in pace, the man gaining a steady rhythm. That’s when he reaches back, gliding his hand up her thigh to her knee before licking his tongue into her open mouth. You gasp in tandem with the actress, feeling like you can feel it all. You fist the blanket over your thighs.

“I saw an interview with the actress and she said that wasn’t what they practiced. Her reaction was authentic.” Jaemin sets the remote down on the table before looking at you. “They’re dating now.”

“No way.” You reply breathlessly. You were partially shocked by the information, but you’re still distracted by the seemingly never ending sex scene. “B-because of that? He just grabbed her leg.”

“You don’t think that could do it?”

“I mean, it worked for the scene, but that doesn’t automatically mean he’s good–”

Jaemin tosses the blanket aside to straddle you. You try to squeeze your legs together to keep them from touching his, but it’s an impossible task. You hear Jeno groan dramatically beside you. Jaemin leans forward and rests his hands on each side of your head. In doing so, a dog tag swings out from under his jumpsuit and sways over your face. Your eyes cross as they follow it like you’re about to get hypnotized.

“Wanna see?”

You uncross your eyes and look up at him, mouth hung open dumbly. Your hips answer for you, buck up against his. He hums approvingly before lifting one knee to nudge your leg over before doing the same on the other side. His hand is already as your hip, gripping roughly before moving it up your leg. His hand snags on your pajama shorts before they snap away and his hand burns into your skin. Your mouth parts open with a silent inhale and he takes the opportunity.

“He didn’t just grab her leg.” He whispers as he dips his head until your noses are touching. His hand completes its journey, cupping your knee.

“You’re such a fucking asshole.” Jeno grits to your right. You’re too entranced to react, but Jaemin peers over at him. He looks back at you before licking into your mouth. Your hips lurch forward as you taste him. Beer with a hint of mint. You want so desperately to get drunk off it. You shove forward, messily closing the distance to initiate what can barely be called a kiss. Your tongues wrestle and swirl around each other only to result in a lip-smacking smooch sometimes that makes you buck every time. He starts bucking back, too. His bulge becoming more prominent. He whimpers into your mouth, lips parting with only a thick string of saliva connecting you two. He hand moves back down to cup your ass before squeezing it like he never plans to let go. He peers over at Jeno whose jaw is clenched.

You moan pitifully, only barely getting your request in between sloppy kisses. 

“F-fuck me!” You beg emphatically, your body igniting at the possibility. He squeezes your ass again, pulling away to bite his lip and look down at you.

“Fuck yeah.” He grinds his hips down into you, his bulge pressing deliciously against your mound. Your loud moan is shameful but you are completely shameless. This is it. It’s finally happening, in the most dangerous way possible. Now this is a scandal that would turn the company upside down. It’s exciting.

“You two are fucking embarrassing.” Jeno grunts as pushes up and off the bed, climbing over the two of you to do it. He stomps into the bathroom before slamming the door. Jaemin’s attention is ripped from you as he stares toward the bathroom door. You bite his bottom lip, drawing it back in a vain attempt to get him to continue. The second you let go, he’s also pushing off the bed and going into the bathroom. 

There is muffled arguing behind the door, but all you can think about is the uncomfortable puddle in your underwear. You collapse back onto the bed, giving up on waiting for Jaemin to come back and continue. Lindsay lied about a lot, but you’re ashamed of the observation you’re making that proves her right. 

Jeno and Jaemin might just be a package deal.

LIKES AND REBLOGS ARE APPRECIATED! `⎚⩊⎚´ -✧

◉ proofread cycle 1 ⃝ proofread cycle 2

taglist: @nanajaemsblog @taestrwbrry @oonyourmmark @jaehyunsmilitarywivesclub @neogotmysam @bluedbliss @cutiepatootiejungwon @emalvar1404 @fancypeacepersona

[zoejayw]

I would love to hear more about your Trucy Gavin AU! I’m very intrigued by it. I loved the art as well!! Wonder how she and Klavier would get along. Loved seeing the way you combined her magical look with Kristoph’s suit

Thank you! I had a lot of fun trying to think up an alt character design for her. Her relationship with klavier... this is definitely something I thought about when i was workshopping ideas but I'm not sure how fully realized any of my conclusions are. I feel like I'm long overdue for an aa4 replay in general (i spend a lot of time in the transcripts, but i havent gone straight through the whole thing in years at this point) and pay a bit more attention to klavier and kristoph's dynamic with each other. most importantly, when and how they talk to/about each other because there's a lot to unpack with what scraps of that we get.

ultimately i think in a world where kristoph was trucy's guardian her relationship with klavier would be heavily effected by the way each person is filtered through kristoph, since i don't imagine they'd be interacting directly much at all, and certainly would very rarely be interacting 1 on 1. given that in aa4 apollo doesn't even know who klavier is, it's safe to assume that kristoph doesn't bring him up in professional contexts essentially at all. Which means I think when he does come up to trucy the framing is less as a prosecutor or as a musician and more as Kristoph's Little Brother. i think kristoph probably tends to anecdotally portray klavier as on the flakier and more emotional side, since he's clearly interested in exerting a level of control over klavier's behavior and either genuinely believing him to be less of a rational actor than he is or just putting on airs about it gives that more legitimacy.

i think trucy probably buys into this for a decent amount of time because i think when she's younger klaviers interactions with her would come across as pretty condescending. I feel like klavier would be inclined to treat her more like a child to try and balance out the fact that kristoph wouldnt treat her much like a child at all. its very easy to see their relationship dynamic as one that would mirror MVK + edgeworth's mentorship, although where von karma is a bit of a hammer i think kristoph is more of a scalpel in that department. i think klavier is acutely aware that kristoph is not someone who should have unchecked power over anyone but especially not a child who he is grooming into a prodigy defense attorney. but i also don't think he takes his own concerns about kristoph seriously enough to intervene because accepting that this situation is Bad For Real would require coming to some conclusions about his own life that he is not ready to have yet. and so until kristoph ends up in prison for zak's murder that's just all simmering.

i think once they did start spending any amount of time together they'd both quickly realize they were underestimating the other person. i think klavier is far more shrewd and calculated than trucy initially believes him to be, and trucy is much more critical and wary of kristoph than klavier was giving her credit for. in this version of events i imagine trucy would be the one serving as phoenix's defense attorney in trump and apollo would be assisting her. since I see trucy as being kristoph's protegee i think apollo ends up as essentially her understudy. once the two switch over to working with phoenix i think apollo starts taking the reins on the legal side of things because she does not actually have any real passion for being a lawyer and considers her business there concluded once kristoph is out of the picture.

which means i think apollo would end up sort of replacing kristoph as the mediating party in klavier and trucy's relationship, not because he's trying to or anything but by just naturally being the third person present. they're so used to doing their respective Bits in front of another person with each other that i think interacting 1 on 1 for them would be very stilted and strange. they're not family, but they're not not family, and the elephant of kristoph gavin is still very much in the room even when he is no longer literally in the room. i think she leverages his connections and guilt to help her transition from law into showbusiness and things start to improve between them after that

[dioslesbianwife]

Can I please request the Jojo's with a partner who adopted stitch a blu alien and them reacting to her "strange looking dog "

Imagine them hearing stich talk for the first time it whoud be interesting how they all act.

https://youtu.be/5vBY9-8tcgs?si=ymtRJsZG0RjfG52H

I was thinking stich is wild is destructive because he was cream that way but how whoud they react to seeing stich be so protective of their partner after growing a bond with them

Imagine stich saying Ohana means family and family means no one get's left behind or forgotten

Whoud they bond with stich I think mostly yes

Jonathan whoud love stich(like a les evil dio)

Joseph whoud love the chaos he brings and

jotaro whoud be grumpy about having a alien as a pet but his mom and Larne love stich.

josuke whoud have to keep rohan from stealing his buddy stich when he hangs around his partner or okutasu

Giorno whoud be intrested in stich his partner being able to tame a alien and learning it the value of family and love instead of distruction is something he would love.

Jolien whoud love him so much I think.

Jonny whoud have to keep gyro from hugging stich and is shocked his partner has a whole alien as a pet.

ooh sure, lilo and stitch was one of my fave movies growing up lol- i hope you enjoy and thank you for requesting! :333

Jonathan Joestar

At first, he’s very concerned.

“My dear, are you sure that’s… a dog?”

Stitch snarls at him, baring teeth, and Jonathan instinctively puts his arms up like he's about to defend you.

But the moment Stitch senses Jonathan’s kind heart, he latches onto him with a gurgling purr.

Jonathan is so touched by Stitch’s loyalty and protectiveness, especially once he hears “Ohana means family…”

He pats Stitch gently on the head:

“You’re quite the strange little creature… but your heart is in the right place.”

Treats him like a small knight guarding you at all times.

Joseph Joestar

“WHAAAAA?! What the hell is THAT thing?!”

Throws a shoe at Stitch. Stitch eats it.

Absolute chaos duo. Joseph and Stitch get into trouble together. Like, Stitch jumps on people and Joseph tries to blame it on someone else.

“Come on, buddy, we’re sneaking into that secret base again!”

Laughs hysterically the first time Stitch speaks. He teaches him swears in English and regrets it instantly.

Will fist-bump Stitch every time he hears him say “Ohana means family.”

“Hell yeah! No one gets left behind!”

Jotaro Kujo

“That’s not a dog.”

“That’s not even from Earth.”

“Yare yare daze…”

Pretends not to care. Stitch bites his hat once. Jotaro didn’t even flinch, just slowly put it back on.

Tries to ignore him… until Stitch curls up against your lap protectively and stares at him like, “She’s mine too now.”

Eventually bonds over the fact that they’re both quiet bodyguards with anger issues. Stitch rides on his shoulder sometimes.

Loves seeing how gentle Stitch is with you despite being built for destruction. He won’t say it out loud, but he respects it.

Josuke Higashikata

“AWWWWWW, look at the little guy! Wait- ”

“DID HE JUST EAT A WHOLE SCOOTER?!”

Thinks Stitch is so freaking cool.

Tries to train him like a puppy until Stitch starts copying Josuke’s hair routine and flipping people off.

Has to fight Rohan at least once a week because Rohan insists Stitch would make the perfect manga reference.

“I SWEAR TO GOD, IF YOU DRAW HIM IN THAT MANGA- ”

Okuyasu loves Stitch too. They become a gremlin trio.

Also Mikitaka and Stitch alien duo.

Giorno Giovanna

Doesn’t flinch when he sees Stitch. Just tilts his head.

“...You are not of this world.”

Immediately intrigued. You’ve tamed an alien? One born for destruction who now speaks of family? He respects the hell out of that.

Tries to study Stitch’s anatomy with Gold Experience. Stitch screams and bites the Stand’s hand.

Eventually gives Stitch a golden flower that he grew from a rock, and Stitch keeps it in his ear for days.

The first time Stitch defends you during a dangerous moment, Giorno places a hand on his tiny head:

“Good. You understand what matters.”

Jolyne Cujoh

“OMGGGGG HE’S SO UGLY BUT HE’S SO CUTE??”

She holds him like a cat and he wriggles violently, then bites her sleeve and refuses to let go.

They wrestle for like twenty minutes before crashing into the couch, laughing.

Jolyne gives Stitch a matching butterfly clip and Stitch gives her a mutated sock.

Whenever you’re in danger, they both turn into attack dogs. Stitch copies Jolyne’s “tough girl” walk and it’s terrifying.

If anyone calls Stitch ugly in public, she throws hands.

Johnny Joestar

“...Is that a blue goblin?”

Confused. Baffled. Cautiously suspicious.

Stitch jumps on his lap. Johnny screams and pulls out Tusk.

Stitch curls up against him anyway, softly saying “Friend.”

Johnny lets out a sigh and pets him like a cat. They don’t speak about it.

Constantly has to stop Gyro from trying to dress Stitch up or teach him weird tricks.

“No, Gyro, he doesn’t want to wear a sombrero, stop- ”

Secretly really touched when Stitch protects you during a shootout.

“He’s ugly, but he’s got guts.”

Josuke Higashikata (Gappy)

Sees Stitch, nods slowly.

“Is he... a Rock Animal?”

Very chill about the whole thing. Even when Stitch eats part of a tree.

Stitch is wary of Soft & Wet, but eventually realizes Gappy is just as weird as him and accepts him as a fellow Odd Guy.

Whenever Yasuho tries to baby Stitch, Stitch hides behind Gappy.

The first time he hears “Ohana means family,” Gappy looks at you and Stitch for a while, then softly says:

“Family... yeah. I get it now.”

Gives Stitch bubble earplugs so he doesn’t hear too many haters.