#lovers to exes to lovers to enemies to lovers etc | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

iridescentxstars · 1 day ago

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-> 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 .ೃ࿐ [part two]

➳ published: 25.04.25 ➳ credit: banner: @aaagustd || beta: @wooahaeproductions @kwanisms @yoongihan ➳ werewolf!au || bakery!au || enemies to lover!au || genre: smut || angst || supernatural || fluff || dark || rating: m ➳ pairing: alpha!bangchan x bakery!reader (fem) ➳ summary: a decision in chris' past leads him down a road that brings him to his mate and even though he says he doesn't want her - it seems destiny, and others, won't take no for an answer. ➳ word count: 28.1k (this part) || total: 56.6k ➳ warnings/kinks: unexpected marking/claiming, violence, toxic behaviour, mentions of cheating (on reader by ex), manipulation, unprotected sex, implications of knotting, masturbation, light pain kink, praise/worship, dirty talk, manhandling, implications of being drugged, kidnapping/held hostage, aggressive behaviour, threats, mentions of death, minor character death(s), panic attack, mentions of a toxic relationship, mildly graphic descriptions of violence/killing/death. ➳ author's note: hello, it's me! it has been 4734873294 years since i started this fic and wow, i hope you love it! the mc is affectionately nicknamed 'sugar' and has minor descriptors just to help flesh her out a little more and she is implied to be curvy and soft (no eye colour, name, etc.). also i wanted to try and change things up a bit when it came to the pov's so 'you' is used when in the reader or a general pov and she/her is used when in another pov. ➳ taglist: @byunparklimchoi @djeniryuu @sanjoongie @honey-andmilktea @skzswife @catlove83 @manuosorioh @wolfs-howling @vserenia @kayleefriedchicken @hopefulrascalstatesmantoad @stressymessyana @wildtokay @h0rnyp0t @idiotmaterial @teandtearsxo @ecwipsecoffee @black-sunshine-00 (please let me know if you want to be tagged in future works)

“You owe me twenty.” The wolf smirks, holding out his hand for Minho, who simply chuckles and digs around in his back pocket for the note.

The two wolves watch as Chris pushes through the crowd, causing a slight ruckus as he shoves people aside. Even at this distance, they can see the conflict on his face, the way his emotions are all over the place as he heads for the door. They had seen her and Chris disappear and placed a bet on whether Chris would come out first or if she would – making the older of the wolves the victor.

“It seems like the Alpha is having some regrets.” His thin lips lift in a smile as he watches Chris exit with a couple of betas he had managed to grab along the way. “What do you think it is? Having been weak for a human? Losing his virginity in the bathroom of a house party? I really thought him getting laid would put a smile on that man’s face but he looks even more pissed off than usual.”

Minho shrugs, making a sound that shows he doesn’t know or care as to why Chris is pissed off. When he sees her walking out of the bathroom, adjusting her dress and giving under her eyes a final wipe as if she had been crying, then it seems like he’s paying close attention. “How did you know that they’d fuck? They could have fought.” The wolf raises an eyebrow, never really having understood how Theo knew so much about her especially when the older didn’t run in the same circles as she did. “You’ve been stalking her since you came to town?”

Theo chuckles, shrugging his shoulders innocently, “Maybe. She’s the Alpha’s mate, who wouldn’t want to learn more about her?” His dark eyes watch her looking around, searching for someone, probably Minho. “You should take her home. If Chris really did fuck her and leave like that, she’ll need a shoulder to cry on and who’s shoulder is better than her new friend?”

“And what, kill her in a car accident? I’ve been drinking, idiot.”

Theo growls and rolls his eyes before shoving the twenty he had just gotten back at Minho. “Get an Uber. Fuck.”

Clicking his tongue, Minho shakes his head and wonders why the fuck he puts up with the rogue before the constant ache in his chest, the feeling that a part of himself is missing, reminds him why. This is all for her, he thinks to himself. Turning away from the man, Minho makes his way towards her and pushes through the mass of dancing bodies before finding her standing in a corner by herself, hidden in the dark. He can smell her distress rolling off her in waves, causing the beta to want to hug her but as he gets closer, he can smell Chris’ scent all over her.

Gross. He likes her natural scent better.

“Hey, there you a-ah, what’s happened?” Minho asks, softening his expressions to look like he’s been looking for her the whole time rather than talking to someone about how she's fucking Chris in the bathroom.

He half-expects her to launch yourself at him, to want to be consoled and held as she cried about how much of an asshole Chris was to her but he has to give her credit, she's holding it well even if her eyes are shining with unshed tears. Reaching for her, he notices the way she pulls away from his touch and shakes her head.

“I want to go home,” She mutters, trying to keep her voice low so he can’t hear how broken and hurt she is. “Please.”

Even though the friendship started as Minho using her as a means to an end, seeing her hurting like this, trying to look so small so nobody would look over and see her on the verge of tears – it pisses him off. “Come on,” he nods, a hand barely touching the small of her back as he leads her out the back of the house so she doesn't have to walk through the dancing crowd. “Did something happen?”

She remains quiet as they walk, eyes focused on the ground in front of her and only turning when Minho prompts her to. Not a word is spoken between them until they are standing at the end of the driveway and Minho is on his phone, ordering them an Uber. “This was a mistake.” The words are so quiet, so soft that they could have been carried away with the gentle breeze blowing her hair into her face.

The wolf looks at her, waiting for her to say more but she remains quiet, unmoving and deep in her own mind until the Uber comes and Minho decides that if she isn't going to tell him now – maybe it’s best to let her get home to bed. “Call me tomorrow, yeah?” He says, helping her buckle her seatbelt and pats her head gently, “I’ll come around and we can do something.” A nod is the only answer he receives before he closes the door and watches the tail lights fade into the night.

“This was a mistake?” He repeats, brow furrowing. Did something happen and she regretted coming to the party? “Fuck sakes.” The wolf is too buzzed to try and figure out what she could have meant and if he’s going to have to deal with her crying over Chris tomorrow then he’ll need a good night’s sleep.

This plan better fucking work.

The next few days are quiet. Whether it’s because the universe has seemed to allow you time to process what has happened or because you turned your phone off and refused to leave your bed is irrelevant to the fact that it’s quiet.

Silent.

Perfect to overthink what happened at the party.

You don't want to talk about it, not really, maybe just a little… Okay, you want to talk about it but you don't know how to. What are you meant to say? You’re upset because some guy who’s been nothing but an asshole to you fucked you so good that you could feel it the next day and then said it was a mistake and left you to clean up alone? Yes, it’s a valid reason to be upset but for some reason – you’re more upset about it than you should be and you don't know why.

It’s not like you’ve never had a one night stand before, it’s not like you’ve never snuck out of a bed yourself, it’s not like this is different to anything that’s happened in your past but it definitely hurts a lot.

A mistake. That’s what he said. That’s what upset you. Everything else you could have dealt with, actually, you expected it considering you are meant to - no, you do hate each other. You didn’t expect Chris to hold you, to kiss you and say he enjoyed himself, or to offer you a ride home. You didn’t expect Chris to be kind afterwards but you didn’t expect that.

Never that.

Reaching for your shoulder, the woman pulls your stretched-out faded tee to the side and sighs when you faintly see the bite mark he left behind healing nicely. “Who does that?” You mumble under your breath before covering the mark up and rolling out of bed to finally shower. “I’m not letting him have any power over me, he means nothing, I will not waste my energy on some stupid man.” You repeat the words to yourself that got you through your breakup, hoping that it works better now than it did back then.

You try to put on a tough front, always trying your best to be less sensitive about things that do cause you to feel any type of way. Oddly, physical pain doesn’t hurt you as much, Serena teases you about it saying that maybe you have a pain kink but what does get under your skin and sit with you and bother you are words. Sometimes you are fine, unbothered by harsh words thrown your way like when you would be called a know-it-all in university or when people used to tease you about a crush you had back in high school. Sometimes, they were only ever just words that held no meaning because they were said by people who mattered very little to you but other times – they would sit with you for days. Once, Serena had said that you were annoying; you both were young and not as close as you are now and you had always wanted to be like your big sister, following her around everywhere until Serena told you off. It hurt, it made you keep your distance for a while because you didn’t want to be annoying anymore.

Being called a mistake… It's not a nice feeling even when it’s been said by someone like Chris.

“His words mean nothing, he means nothing. I’m going to get up and shower. Start my day. I will not think about this anymore.” Overthinking has always been your downfall, something that holds you back, so you try your best to get out of that headspace and enjoy your last day off before Serena drags you back downstairs.

No more being sad over meaningless words and men. You can do that. Right?

“You did what now?” Felix drops his coffee cup, the ceramic smashing on the ground, when Chris tells him what happened at the party. The Alpha tried to be rather nonchalant about it, tried to shrug his shoulders, and act like it wasn’t the biggest deal of the century – Felix, however, refuses to let that happen. “You did what?”

Sighing at the theatrics, Chris drops heavily onto the brown leather couch and lays down with an arm behind his head. “You heard what I said.” The words are spoken more towards the ceiling than the beta.

“Yes, yes, I heard but now I need you to repeat it again. You had sex with your mate at the party Minho threw?” There are a lot of things to unpack in one sentence. The beta’s brown eyes are wide in shock, comically round, but there’s also a glimmer of hope shining within them as he thinks that this might mean that his Alpha has finally accepted his mate. “How do you feel?”

That’s a fucking loaded question if Chris has ever heard one.

How does he feel? He feels everything. If he thought that he knew the world that he lived in before, he was so fucking wrong because Chris feels like every sense has been heightened and sharpened overnight. He feels like he’s an addict waiting for the next hit, coiled and ready to see her, smell her, touch her, taste her on his salivating tongue as he recalls her arousal. Fuck, he’s losing his mind thinking about how her soft flesh felt beneath his fingertips, remembering the sounds she made as he took her in the bathroom– Chris clears his throat and rests a hand on his tense abdomen while furrowing his brow and clenching his eyes closed. Chris feels like the stars have finally aligned, that the universe finally makes sense but there’s also this dull ache in his chest.

Something feels wrong, like a pain sitting in his chest. Whether it’s because he can feel the anguish his mate is processing from the bullshit he had said before fleeing the party or because he never claimed her properly, a reaction to the moment, something that wasn’t meant to happen – either like that or at all – something feels wrong.

He needs to fix things with her if he’s going to get rid of that feeling. It’s distracting.

“I’m fine.” He lies easily when he realises that Felix is watching him with scrutinising eyes. Chris can’t let him think that there’s anything wrong because the over-eager beta will drag him to the bakery to make things better.

“Can you feel her? Do you feel that longing people talk about, not seeing them, not being with them? Does your wolf make it hard to think because he wants her around? Is it as bad as you though–”

“Enough.” One word silences the wolf and he whimpers, bowing his head as he backs away slowly, eyes lowered to the ground and Chris groans slightly. It’s not the beta’s fault that he’s touchier than usual, it’s his own. Running a hand over his face, Chris sits up slowly, deciding to put himself and Felix out of their misery by going to see her.

Who knows whether she would actually speak to him because it was not lost on him, what he said as he exited the bathroom that night. He knows that he said something that he never should have said but there were so many things that were wrong about what they did, and the things that have been slowly happening since only proves as much.

Getting up, Chris runs his fingers through his messy hair to try and tame it, his jaw tensing as mixed emotions rush through him. “It’s time to go get the order anyway,” Felix practically jumps and rushes for the door like an excited pup, the mess on the ground forgotten, while Chris drags himself to grab his wallet and keys. He won’t deny that he is feeling an unfamiliar bounce in his step at the prospect of seeing her but there’s also this feeling of dread for what comes after as well. The conversation they need to have, the way he needs to explain what he is and what this means – also needing to claim his mate properly. Her mark should have healed by now, he had barely broken skin with the bite, so it’ll heal and fade but it won’t remove the bond that’s been formed.

It’s not often that a bond won’t snap into place and solidify immediately because usually when a wolf claims their mate – they don’t fuck up. It takes an intimate connection, for both bodies to be in tune with one another, when the bond is formed and sex is usually the easiest way to go about it as both bodies reach a high that is often achieved together. The dominant wolf will mark their mate, their teeth breaking skin and drawing blood as they climax together but that’s where Chris went wrong. He didn’t go deep enough, he barely left a mark so something that’ll connect his soul and hers feels incomplete.

It doesn’t take away the intense need to see her now that he’s had a taste of her, his mind on her every moment of the day, but everything is dull. Drowning in the murky depths with muffled sounds barely registering as he struggles to breathe. He can almost feel her, almost see her, oh, his fingers could almost reach out and close around her pretty throat and taste her on his tongue but almost is not enough.

Almost is barely scratching the itch.

The brooding wolf hasn’t heard a thing that the other has said as they pull up to the curb and Chris is out of the car before he’s turned it off. “Chri–” Felix is left standing on the sidewalk as the older pushes through the door and stops under the jingling bell.

Where is she?

A ghost of her smiles at him, a fading image that disappears into reality when Chris is met with an empty counter. Inhaling deeply, he takes in her scent, the sweet sugary scent mixed with green apples that is unique to her, but it doesn’t settle the wolf inside – it causes the hairs on the back of his neck to rise in alert when he smells another wolf. Not just any wolf. A wolf that seems to be playing a dangerous game considering his antics as of late.

Minho.

Turning on his heel, Chris nearly rips the door off its hinges as he opens it and storms outside to try and clear his head. His wolf is growling, furious that another wolf has been hanging around but there’s also this worry that’s nagging at him. How long has Minho known? There’s no way that this is a coincidence, that the rogue has decided to befriend a woman who just so happens to be his mate – Minho is far too calculated to have that be an accident.

Felix appears in front of him, the blonde looking worried as his wide eyes take in his Alpha. The sun makes his freckles stand out, something that many would find rather pretty about the beta, but they seem dull as the colour drains from his face. Felix’s hands lift to rest on Chris’ shoulders to try to stop the slaughter that’s about to happen, having noticed their presence before the older wolf. It takes a little while before Chris clicks on, confused at the way Felix is behaving but then he hears it, the softest laugh that has his entire being vibrating with the sound as he looks for the source, for her – only to see that she’s walking with, talking with, fucking laughing with, Minho.

“Chris–”

“Move, Felix.”

The other holds fast, pushing with all his might. “Please. Don’t–”

“I said, move.” The command comes out in a deep ferocious growl and causes the younger to move quickly out of his way, also catching the attention of the happy duo walking towards them.

Her expression sours immediately as she sees Chris, stepping closer to Minho, who is looking rather bored when his dark brown eyes meet Chris’ nearly obsidian black ones due to his wolf pushing to take over and tear this traitor from his mate’s side. It’s only when a wave of anxiety and fear washes through him that Chris stops in his tracks and takes deep inhales to try and settle himself – barely being able to do so while looking at them together. “What are you doing?”

“What are you doing?” The comment is rather strange to you, unsure why it’s any of his business as to what it is that you’re doing but before you can even answer, Minho sighs.

When he wraps his arm around your shoulder and pulls you in closer, you swear that you heard a possessive growl rip through Chris’ chest and even though it shouldn’t cause you to react with a clench of the thighs – you couldn’t help it. He’s quite frankly the biggest dickhead you’ve ever met, maybe worse than your ex if that’s even possible, but she cannot deny the way their bodies melded perfectly together that night. “What does it look like I’m doing? I took my friend out for lunch and am now walking her back to work. What are you doing?”

Chris’ eyes slowly move over to look over at you, looking you up and down before flitting back to Minho and the corner of his perfectly soft lips curls upwards in a sneer. Heat rushes through you, anger bubbling in your blood as you think it’s aimed at the fact that you’re the friend. “You should find another friend.”

Scoffing and not wanting to deal with his unnecessarily rude attitude, you push past the man blocking your path, making sure to put your shoulder into it. “Fuck you,” you utter under your breath when your shoulder throbs slightly from the impact since it seems he’s like a solid, immovable force that keeps coming back to make you miserable. You’ve had enough belittling, had enough feeling like you were something to be brushed aside or treated like you’re worthless, you refuse to stand there and let another man act like you are a piece of shit when he’s the one acting like it.

His hand wraps tightly around your wrist and you swing your free hand with all your might. You felt bad the first time, you felt so guilty for having laid a hand on him but this time – you don't have that same sentiment.

Though, this time, Chris is prepared, catching your wrist quickly before you make an impact.

“It’ll be wise not to try that again,” he says in a low tone, the voice almost sounding threatening with a hint of amusement. The hardness in his eyes softens as he looks at you and his hold loosens but not enough for you to be able to break free. “We need to talk, Sugar.”

“Let me go,” you grit out, your other hand joining in to try and pry off his grip.

Pulling you closer, Chris doesn’t listen. Of course he doesn’t, he’s a big, stupid Alpha male who thinks he owns you and can do what he wants. “You need to let me explain.”

Your hand rests on his chest, keeping him from leaning in too close and causing your brain to short circuit. Your body is practically vibrating and while you would like to say it’s anger, rage even, there’s an undercurrent of something else. Anticipation, need, you aren't entirely sure but it’s not the reaction you want to be having around him, you do know that much. “Explain what?” You struggle a little more, feeling eyes on you and your cheeks heat up in embarrassment. “Chris…” Your eyes look around; Minho keeps his distance, glaring at Chris but not stepping in, Felix watches with a shocked look on his face and then you see a couple walking past slowly, watching this play out, “Please, let me go.” You try to plead with him, hoping that’ll work.

To your surprise, it does.

Creating distance between you, you rub her wrist, hating the longing for his touch that he’s left behind. “I don’t have anything to say to you,” you lie. You have a lot to say, a whole novel to tell him but you don't want to give Chris any satisfaction of knowing that he’s caused you to feel any type of way. “Go away.”

You see the tick in his jaw, the clenching of the muscle being more attractive than it needs to be at this moment as you turn away to keep yourself from admiring him instead of being angry. It’s been happening a lot, even though your mind tells you that you hates him, that you can’t stand him, and how he’s the biggest asshole to ever walk the planet – you’re always finding yourself thinking about the way his hands caressed your curves, the way his lips felt as they pressed against your skin and how his smile causes butterflies to erupt in your stomach.

Storming into the store, you take a moment to breathe, to calm yourself down before turning to look at the two men who are basically having a staring competition outside of the building. Testosterone and idiocy flows between them while poor Felix stands behind Chris, looking over at you and back at Minho, over and over again. You don't know why, you aren't sure what it is that keeps you rooted to the spot but something in the back of your mind tells you to be ready.

What you need to be ready for is a mystery.

Watching them is like watching a silent movie without the luxury of subtitles, a silent, action movie where the two men are about to have a showdown to try and win the girl. Even though the girl can’t stand one of them. You can see Minho talking, the smirk on his lips colder than the smile you’re used to. It’s not born from laughter and filled with amusement but coming from a darker place. The narrowing of Chris’ eyes shows that whatever Minho is saying is getting to him, irking him enough to show the emotion on his face and you wonder if the two are rivals. You begin to make a whole story up in your head, a narrative to match the show before you and you come up with a plot that puts the two as high school rivals who probably dated the same girl. Maybe they were friends, this is usually where they are best mates and then the other betrays their friend by dating the girl they’re in love with, right? Absolutely. Who did what is unclear but from the way Chris is looking almost murderous, his teeth clenched as he responds and Minho’s shoulders shaking with laughter – you assume Chris was more or less the victim here.

Not that you care or anything.

Minho’s eyes meet yours and you gasp, hand flying over your mouth as his smile widens into a more wolfish grin and he says something that you aren't sure you read right. He speaks slowly, with a purpose, as if he knows you’re trying to read his lips and gather what they are talking about. ‘Maybe I should claim her…’, it makes no sense to you and you’re sure that you are wrong but whatever it was has Chris throwing a punch.

“Oh no!” You gasp, rushing outside. Before Minho can regain his footing, Chris grabs him by the front of his shirt and gets in his face as he starts shouting nonsense.

“Hey! HEY!” You duck under Chris’ arm and somehow, miraculously, manage to squeeze in between the two bodies so you can push them apart. Felix was already trying to pry the man off your friend, saying that this is what Minho wants and to not let him win but you don't really pay attention to that – to anything being said really – as you’re trying to diffuse the situation as best as you can. “S-t-o-p,” you groan, pushing with all your might against the brick wall of a man in front of you, his pecs rippling as your hands are splayed over the muscles. “Chris–”

“Breaking cover, big guy.” Minho laughs and you try to look over your shoulder to glare at him only to nearly suffocate from Chris’ chest in your face.

“Stop! B-both of you!” Your arms hurt, aching with exertion until finally, you manage to separate them. “Just because I don’t want to talk to you, doesn’t mean you can go around throwing punches at my friend! Brute force isn’t always going to get you what you want!”

“He knows no other way, sugar. He’s a beast,” Minho provokes further, only to have you round on him next.

“You’re just as bad! This isn’t a pissing match!” You don't understand his amusement when he snorts at your comment but you’ve had enough. Your nerves are shot, and your emotions are all over the place simply by being too close to Chris. What was meant to be a day where you wouldn’t think about what he said and how it made you feel afterward has ended up turning to shit because now you’re just confused by him! “Whatever issues you two have with each other, leave me out of it!” You throw your hands up in exasperation and resignation before stomping away.

“Sugar,” Chris calls your name, causing your hand to hover over the door handle, “I do need to talk to you about what–”

“Come by tomorrow. You’ll have five minutes and then I never want to speak to you again.” You slam the door behind you, walk immediately into the kitchen, and announce you’re signing off for the day, leaving Serena stunned at the sudden change in her younger sister’s mood.

You lay in bed, tossing and turning as the music plays softly through the speaker, barely drowning out any of the thoughts that are keeping you from resting peacefully. Your body has been on high alert ever since you saw Chris yesterday, your mind distorting the male aggression as some sort of romance novel moment and causing you to feel conflicted about what it is that you want – what it is that you want to do.

Minho has been great company but since seeing him push Chris’ buttons, you don't really want to be around him right now until these feelings, this flurry of emotions that you don't understand, have dissipated and you can think clearly. You’re angry at Chris, angry at Minho, and whenever you think about either of them that anger begins to amplify and you want to scream, or hit something, which is unlike you, and that results in you feeling overwhelmed and unable to trust yourself behind the counter.

How can you serve customers with your usual charm when you can barely bring yourself to appreciate the warmth of the sun?

Rolling over onto your back, you sigh and reach for your phone to turn the volume up before staring at the ceiling. One song blends into another and you close your eyes, welcoming the sudden calm that settles your racing mind as you focus on the music rather than your life. You’re trying not to think about that night, the one that has caused you a lot of anguish over the past week or so but you can’t help certain memories that begin to stir and the way your body heats up as you remember.

The conflict you feel; oh, it rushes to the front of your mind but for the first time since that night, it doesn’t push away the way he made you feel. While the whole Alpha male bullshit isn’t exactly the greenest flag in a man; there’s something about the possessiveness he displayed, the need to own you, to make sure nobody else could touch you that sent a thrill through your mind. The way his touch caused electricity to rush through you and the high it gave you.

You swear it’s Cloud Nine.

Was it wrong to want more? Was it wrong to want to know what his body felt like hovering above yours, the way his abs would tense or muscles would ripple as he took you? Was it wrong to think about how those sinful lips would feel tracing over your navel before dipping low? Was it wrong to hate him and everything he is but also wanting his fingers to be the ones slipping under your shirt?

A shuddered breath leaves you, fist curling on your stomach before it can travel further down your body. As you reach the waistband of your panties, you groan because what are you doing? “He’s such a fucking asshole,” you try to remind yourself, remembering everything that Chris has done since you met and comparing it to the biggest asshole you could. You swore that you would never go for a man like that again and you were just about to touch yourself at the thought of him?

Are you really that desperate or do you have an underlying degradation kink that you’re pretending doesn’t exist?

Desperate. That’s what it is. Desperation and terrible taste in men.

“Why are the hot ones always so… messy?” you mutter to yourself, closing your eyes and trying to push away any and all thoughts of Chris – only to fail miserably. He’s invading every thought, even if you’re trying to think about anything, everything else, he’s pushing his way into your mind like he owns the space. With every thought comes a wave of lust, hate, and hurt all mixed into one and while those words he said rush through your mind, it seems your body wants the exact person you shouldn’t.

Him.

You shouldn’t want him as badly as you do right now, the tingling sensation between your legs shouldn’t even exist when that man makes himself known in your mind but it seems that what your brain knows – your body disagrees with. You close your eyes, trying to win the war within yourself but as you try to convince yourself that this is wrong, your hand makes its way down your body, tracing over your skin, from hip to hip before teasing under your waistband. The anticipation and war going on is making you rather impatient. “I hate him,” you whisper, licking your lips as you suck in slightly and push down your panties.

A scene begins to play. A twisted scene that only seems to blur reality. You lean against the counter, hips swaying from side to side as Chris walks around behind you and places large hands on your hips. “Stop teasing me,” he growls into your ear, grinding himself against your ass and you only lean forward even more, pushing back against him.

Fingers brush over your pubic area, making their way lower towards your pulsating heat that’s starting to ache the more you give in. “I bet you love a good tease, don’t you?” Your voice is soft, trying to keep anyone from hearing you. As if there’s anyone else in the apartment. Swallowing thickly, you lightly tap on your clit to send a shiver down your spine, as if testing to make sure that this is what you want to be doing. “You probably think all this back and forth is foreplay.”

You know you’ll never get an answer but for right now, as you pull your hand back out of your panties to suck on your fingers so that you can resume your little fantasy, you have the perverted idea of him answering for you. “Isn’t it?” You can hear the smirk on those sinful lips of his as hands travel up your back and down again to spank your ass, “it seems to turn you on.” Oh, you’re so glad that he doesn’t know this or that he can’t read your thoughts because wouldn’t he use this against you?

Probably but he can go and fuck himself.

Just like you’re about to.

Rubbing your clit slowly, you build up to it, wanting to take your time with this to make sure you’re relieving all your stress… until…

“Hey, I’m here to talk to Sugar,” Chris walks into the bakery when he knows it's closing, having thought that he would see her the moment he walks in – only to have Serena glaring at him. He knows that the sister would know all about him, isn’t that the whole point of siblings? To have them hate the people you hate? He can practically smell the resentment rolling off in waves as he stands in front of the counter and looks into the kitchen window, thinking maybe she decided to hide from him. “Is she here?”

“What do you want to talk to her about?” The questioning, slightly disapproving tone doesn’t surprise him considering what he’s done but it doesn’t mean Chris’ eye won’t twitch in response.

Deep breaths, he tells himself, trying to keep calm. “I have some explaining to do-”

“Yeah, you do.”

He tries to let that slide. “I asked her yesterday if we could talk and thought it would be best to wait until she had finished for the day.” Serena hums in agreement, nodding her head and Chris sighs because this is starting to annoy him. Sure, he deserves this but still, can she let up on the fucking protectiveness considering she’s allowing her to hang out with a sociopath like Minho. “So, where is she?”

“Upstairs.” Oh, wow, such a great indicator. Serena then waves her hand in a general direction, “Go through the kitchen and out the back, there’s a set of stairs that go to our apartment. Her bedroom door is the one on the left, she might be napping or screaming into her pillow so make sure you have some manners and knock.” Chris’ jaw ticks and he narrows his dark eyes to meet Serena’s who matches his energy without backing down.

She’d make a good Alpha if she was a wolf.

Knocking twice on the counter as he takes his leave, he follows her directions with a quick nod of his head and a passing ‘thanks’. The wolf doesn’t want to have to talk to her any longer than he has to because if she is pissed off with him already, he doesn’t want to have to give her another reason to throw him out the moment she sees him. It’s fairly straightforward, getting into their place and Chris hates how anyone could walk in here even if they are downstairs. “Don’t they have any form of security?” he mutters to himself as he walks through the apartment and notices the decorations around the room.

Colourful. That’s the only thing he can think of that doesn’t sound like he hates it all. The way the rooms are splashed with colour, there’s happiness oozing out of every photo he looks at as he walks around, clutter from various hobbies litter the walls and any surface that they can sit on including being spread over the coffee table because someone didn’t clean up after themselves. The way that their home is everything that he isn’t, the complete opposite of the way he keeps his space, and it makes him wonder how the world could think that they would be a good match.

Opposites attract, isn’t that what they say? Maybe it was because he needed the spontaneous behaviour of her, the laughter, and light while she needed the security and structure that Chris could provide her with.

Whatever. He can deal with that thought process another time.

“The room on-”

“I bet you love a good tease, don’t you?”

Chris freezes as his hand hovers over the door handle, sucking in a deep breath when he hears her soft voice whispering sinfully over the music on the other side. Does she have a guest? No… he would have smelled someone else the moment he stepped inside. His mind starts to race, trying to figure out what is going on when a wave of arousal rushes through him, hitting him like a truck before he has time to realise what is going on.

It’s not that he hadn’t been thinking about it as he was walking up the stairs, it’s not like he hadn’t been thinking about it the entire drive to the bakery, but Chris is almost always horny – it’s the practised self control that keeps him in check most of the time. He hadn’t even thought about how the arousal could have been coming through his mate, as weak as the link currently is, intense emotions can still make themselves known and whatever she is feeling – or doing – is intense enough to have Chris thinking about something he shouldn’t be right now.

“You probably think all this back and forth is foreplay.” Ah fuck, she’s masturbating. No wonder. Running his fingers through his short, black hair, Chris inhales deeply, trying to get his mind into the right place but it seems that her pleasure has started to increase which means his dick is now painfully tight in his pants.

Fuck, if that door opens now…

Lifting his hand up, closing his eyes, and steadying himself, Chris gives the painted white door a few raps of his knuckles and all he’s met with is “oh, fuck off!” and the sound of shuffling as she gets up to open up the door. Taking a small step back, the wolf takes a deep breath in preparation for the scent that is about to hit him with full force. “What is- What do you want?” The words come out harsher than she wanted them to, he can tell by the shock on her face as she says them, but she holds firm as she glares at him.

Her legs are bare, the old t-shirt that she’s wearing being pulled down to cover up her core but it also draws more attention to her chest, nipples standing out against the grey band tee and begging to be pinched.

The moment Chris opens his mouth, he knows he’s going to lose his breath and mind but with the look of pure annoyance on her face, it’s not like he can not say anything. “You said to come when you finished. Your sister said that you were up here and let me find my own way in.”

“You couldn’t have waited just five more minutes?” She groans, squeezing her thighs together and shuffling in place.

Oh fuck, he knows he shouldn’t. He knows that he really shouldn’t make a comment but how can he not when it’s right there? “Five minutes? You give in too quickly, Sugar, ever heard of delayed gratification?” Her lips part in surprise at his words and she takes a step back into her room while Chris now steps forward to block the door frame. Strong arms fold over his chest, his black sleeveless tee pulled tight over the muscles, as he leans against it and looks her up and down, breathing in the sweet scent saturating the room. He’s meant to be here to talk about things, to clear the air and make sure that she’s aware of the danger that she’s getting herself into by hanging out with Minho. He’s meant to be strong and tell her to steer clear for her own safety while also telling her everything about what he is.

He’s meant to… but haha, like fuck is he going to be thinking about that right now.

“You were really going to get off when we are meant to be having a talk?” He tilts his head, dark eyes running over her legs and pausing at the hem of her shirt that’s still clutched tightly in her hands. “Were you thinking about me?”

Scoffing, she looks away, cheeks flushing red and heartbeat picking up as she shakes her head. “Why would I think about you?” She narrows her eyes when she looks back at him. “It was a mistake, right?”

Those words are like a slap to the face. Deserved, sure, and the guilt that sits deep within his gut knows that he should back away right now before something happens but this is what they are, right? Gunpowder and a match ready to explode. Chris can’t help it, can’t help himself because he loves the fight, the way she doesn’t back down even when it’s against her nature to be confrontational, he loves the way he gets under her skin while she makes her way into his every waking thought.

The silence only adds to the tension building, the way their eyes are locked on each other, the air around them growing thicker as Chris pushes off from the door frame and walks deeper into the bedroom. The door closes with a soft click that is almost drowned out by the way her heartbeat hammers against her chest, the thumping matched by Chris’ own racing heart. With every step forward Chris takes, she retreats until the back of her legs hits the bed and her hand is placed on his chest to keep him at a distance. His eyes glance down, the muscles in his jaw tensing as she swallows thickly and takes shallow breaths while thinking about what to say.

“You-you’re here to talk.” Her voice quivers as she tries to take control of the situation.

Nodding, Chris answers with a low, “Yes.”

His hand reaches for her, wrapping around her and pulling her closer so that their chests are now pressed together, her hand trapped between them. Fuck, have her lips always looked that decadent, that kissable? He can’t remember but he’s noticing them now. Leaning closer, he focuses on them, the tip of his nose gently brushing against hers. “Th-then, we should talk.”

“You weren’t a mistake,” Chris whispers against her lips, feeling her gasp.

“What?”

“I said, you weren’t a mistake.” He continues tracing his nose gently over her cheek, inhaling her scent which is tainted with her arousal. How easy would it be to take her right now… if he was an uncivilised beast.

He can feel her resisting, trying not to give in as if he’s in the mood to give her any more answers right now. Chris wants her, he wants her to give into the way their hearts are beating in time with each other, the way electricity is thrumming through their veins and making every nerve in his body come to life with her close to him. Sure, he should do the smart thing and talk to her, tell her what is going on, what has happened, and give her the chance to decide whether she wants to even fall into this world.

However, he doesn’t want to give her the chance to run. Well… not in that sense at least.

“Chris…” she breathes out softly, her breath fanning over his face.

“Ah, fuck,” he mutters, lips parting as he tangles his fingers in her hair, gripping the locks to keep her in place. “Say my name again, just like that.” It is barely a moan, barely a sound of arousal but the way she shivers at the deep, low sound that vibrates through his chest only amplifies why they would not be talking until they were done.

“We should talk… Chris…” That’s his girl. The way she said his name went straight to the growing erection making itself known against her stomach as his lips crashed against hers. Their bodies will do the talking more than anything else, he’ll claim her when she reaches her high, and when they are wrapped up in their own little world, coming down from the clouds, he will tell her everything.

He lowers her to the bed, hovering over her as their tongues caress, while he rolls his hips and grinds his erection against her. There’s a whimper before her hands reach down to pull up the hem of her shirt and Chris pulls away to remove it completely, wanting to see her in her entirety, seeing the healing mark on her neck, faint due to it being incomplete. “You left quite a mark,” She mutters softly as a hand raises to touch it before Chris gently grabs her hand so his lips can trace along the discoloured skin instead.

Kisses are peppered along her shoulder, wet kisses left as his lips move up her neck, along her jawline until he reaches her lips again. His mind is telling him to take it slow, to revel in the feel of her body, in the sight of her beneath him but there’s that voice in his head that tells him that gentle is not his forte – that she would look even better with her legs over his shoulders as he fucks his knot into her. “Ah-” A hiss passes through his teeth as she giggles against his lips, her hand pulling him out of his thoughts… and pants. “Couldn’t wait, huh?”

A simple shrug of the shoulders is the only answer he’ll get as she starts to stroke his cock while his hips move on their own. He closes his eyes, taking deep breaths to try and calm himself as she moves her hips so that as he thrusts into her hand, his cock is so fucking close to sliding through her slick cunt. The tip is hitting her clit and causes sweet shivers of pleasure to rush through her body, causing that heady scent of arousal to almost suffocate him. God, he wants her, he wants her right now and does not want to wait any longer.

He’s barely started and he can’t stand it.

It doesn’t take very long for Chris to practically tear his shirt from his body, his pants dropping to the floor shortly after before he’s back onto you and sliding his hard dick into your very needy core. “Fuck,” you moan, tilting your head back as he starts to lick and nip at your exposed throat, adding to the stimulation that is currently causing your body to feel extremely sensitive.

That electricity that you always feel when you’re with Chris, that same sensation that coursed through your body when you danced at the party comes rushing through you and makes everything heightened. Your bodies are perfectly in tune with each other even though it makes zero sense as to why they are. There’s no explanation as to why you two fit so perfectly, why you feel so content and full with him stretching you out with each thrust, there’s no reason why it should feel so fucking good when everything about the two of you is so wrong!

You hate each other, or that’s what you keep telling yourself because if you really hated him, those words that he said wouldn’t have affected you as much, would they? You’d have agreed and felt that way too.

Thoughts soon leave your mind as Chris’ thrusts start to get faster, deeper; the sound of skin hitting skin echoes through the room, mixed with low grunts and the soft begging for more. “Don’t stop.” Your arms wrap around him, nails scratching down his back and causing Chris to growl as he keeps up the pace, hitting that sweet spot repeatedly. You can feel it building, you can feel it in the way your body moves in time, trying to reach that high that you’ve been desperately needing to help your body relax – to help your mind relax. His head is buried into your neck just as the crashing waves of ecstasy wash over your being, your back arching as a scream leaves you due to the intensity… and the pain. Your eyes are watering as Chris doesn’t stop, fucking you through your orgasm with his teeth penetrating your skin, drawing blood. It should be unbearable but mixed with the immense pleasure you’re currently feeling as he continues to hit that spot, not slowing down in the slightest as he chases his own end – it only heightens your pleasure even more.

“More, please, Chris, more.”

He pulls back slightly to look down at you, eyes glowing for a brief moment before fading and you put it down to a trick of the light, your imagination, rather than the thought that sounds in the back of your mind.

“I need more, please.”

He stills for a moment, closing his eyes as he listens to your begging for him as if it’s the best thing he’s ever heard. “Fuck, how can I deny you when you sound so good?~.”

Without warning, Chris pulls out and you whine at the loss of him, walls fluttering around nothing as if being empty is a crime. He moves quickly so that he’s standing and you finally manage to glance at the man in all his glory. You’ve never been superficial with looks, while your partners have always been attractive to your standards; your sister and friends may have thought otherwise, but Chris? Now, he’s a specimen they would approve of – if he wasn’t such an asshole.

Not only does he have the height that makes him perfect to grab the top of the door frame and tower over you but he also has the build of a god. His muscles were noticeable in those t-shirts that you had seen him in but to see them, to be able to trace your fingers along the veins of his arms and over his rippling abdomen, is something else entirely. Standing before you, dark eyes hungry for you, jaw tense as if holding himself back, Chris wraps his large hands around your ankles and pulls your ass to the edge of the bed. You figure you could look past the attitude that he has if it means forgetting your name every night and only calling out his.

That’s simply your horny brain talking, though.

“Turn over, ass up in the air,” Chris instructs as he effortlessly flips you onto your stomach and grips your hips to help lift your ass up to the perfect height to take you. Once in position and with no warning, he pushes in and the thrust alone has your body lurching forward before you can even prepare yourself. “Fuck, you really are perfect.” Those words are muttered under his breath as he starts fucking you at an unbelievably fast pace that has your brain shortcircuiting and fists gripping the sheets. You’re not even sure if you had heard him correctly but you can’t get a word out to ask.

You can tell he’s getting close by the urgency in his thrusts, in the way he’s holding onto your hips so harshly that you’ll definitely have bruises afterward. Sweat lightly coats both of your bodies as exertion sets in and you can feel yourself building up to another orgasm before Chris pulls you up by the shoulder so your back is against his heaving chest. “I’m going to-”

“I know,” Chris grunts into her ear, “so am I.” Wrapping one arm around your chest to hold you into place, his other hand finds her clit and starts rubbing it in circles, slowly building up to a pace that has you flailing in his arms. “Don’t hold back, princess, fuck, let go for me. That’s a good girl.” He whispers the sweetest encouragement into your ear before kissing the sensitive bite mark he left behind. “Lose yourself, Sugar, I’ll keep you right here~.”

It all happens too fast for your brain to register, to even comprehend what happens as your orgasm hits you hard. All you know is that his fingers won’t stop as you’re stretched impossibly full, white bursts behind your eyes as your body goes limp in his arms and Chris’ teeth hold you in place as a low, primal growl sounds deep in his chest. Everything happened too fast, was far too much for your body and mind, that consciousness starts slipping away from you as Chris carefully moves the two of you so that you are both lying on the bed, awkwardly wrapped up in a blanket.

“Ah, I guess I went too hard on you, Sugar.” A soft kiss is pressed against your cheek, “We’ll talk when you wake up, hm?” You try to respond, only for it to sound like incoherent gibberish. “Sshh now, go to sleep.”

When you wake up, your body feels sated and oddly warm considering you’re naked and under a sheet. As you try to move, needing to get some water, you find yourself unable to move due to the arm wrapped around your waist, keeping you close to the softly snoring man next to you. “Oh–,” you gasp.

“Don’t seem so surprised,” Chris whispers, eyes still closed as he pulls you close and buries his face into your neck, taking deep inhales while subtly scenting you. “How are you feeling?”

The gentle way he speaks, thumb caressing the skin of your hip as he holds you in place, is a complete contradiction to the last time the two of you were intimate. Maybe it’s because this time it was different, neither of you were in an intoxicated state and in the bathroom while everyone was partying, maybe it’s because… because what? Nothing has changed, right? Not for you, at least that’s what you tell yourself but even if you say the words in your head, your body settles into him and you close your eyes again. You find yourself unable to think about how this should be wrong because everything feels right, feels like the world finally makes sense even if you’re so confused.

Terribly and utterly confused, but content.

“Don’t go back to sleep, little one.” Chris kisses your shoulder, causing you to wince slightly as his tongue drags over the mark he’s left behind. “We still need to talk.”

Groaning, you pull the blanket up so that you could snuggle back in, ignoring him. “Later.” A deep chuckle vibrates against your back as the arm under your head moves as Chris pulls away. “Can’t you just let me have this?” You roll onto your back as the male sits up, his broad, muscular back on the receiving end of your glare, “I think I deserve as much since last time, you made me cry.” Chris’ head lowers as he sighs and turns slightly so he can look at you, an unreadable expression on his face before the male completely faces you and relents. Moving over, you let Chris lay down beside you so you can cuddle into his side with your head resting on his chest, listening to the steady beating of his heart. “You can talk while I lay like this.”

“So bossy.” There’s an air of amusement in his tone. Chris combs his fingers through your hair, trying to tidy up your bed head as he tries to figure out where to begin. “How do I begin…” He hums in thought before you look up at him with a furrow between your brow.

“You could start with an apology.”

Lifting a hand to smooth out the wrinkles in your brow, Chris licks his plump lips, “I did what I did to protect you.” You roll your eyes as you shove at his side to show that you’re not impressed at all. “Ah, alright, Sugar. I’m sorry for making you cry. I’m sorry for trying to push you away – but I’m not sorry for this.” His fingers trace around the mark before tilting your head up to kiss you. A simple indulgence, something he doesn’t often take for himself but he thought that he better get it out of his system now before those lips distract him any further.

“I told you that you had five minutes,” you say against his lips as you part and Chris chuckles and shakes his head, your bossy attitude is amusing, adorable. “So, you better start talking.”

“Will you always ruin the mood like this?” You growl and if only you knew how that affected him, you’d think he’s primitive. “Since I only have five minutes, I think it’s best to tell you straightforward – I’m a werewolf.” You snort, pulling back to look up at him, raising an eyebrow. “From the moment I laid eyes on you, I could tell that you were my mate, someone picked for me that’ll make me a better wolf, a better man – a better everything really. However, I don’t want– didn’t want,” he corrects himself, “a mate at all. While you’d make me stronger, you’d also be my weakness and considering you’re human and have lived in sweet ignorance of the world around you, I wanted to keep it that way.”

You remain quiet, listening, face devoid of any reaction but it’s clear that you’re not buying a word of what he’s saying.

“I couldn’t stop myself from being around you, I couldn’t keep away because I’m drawn to you so I thought that the best thing to do was have you hate me; if I could push you away and have you think the worst of me then I wouldn’t have to deal with protecting you.” Yeah, he’s not really helping himself. “The way it feels when we are together, how right it feels,” he emphasises his words by trailing his fingers over your skin, “that’s all a part of the bond that forms between mates and no matter how hard I tried – fuck, I couldn’t keep away.” He dips down to capture your lips again and your mind jumbles with all the racing thoughts. You’re annoyed, honestly, you’re kind of pissed but when he pulls away and continues to speak, you’re also melting inside and finding that Chris is really, really pretty when he talks.

Maybe that’s the wrong adjective for him because hot, sexy and fuckable are better but as you zone out a little, his story sounding weird and farfetched, you stare at his lips and think about how they feel against yours.

Blah, blah, blah, proper name, place name, back story stuff…

“Minho is going to try and use you against me. You need to stay away from him.” You finally tune back in as Chris comes to the end of his story. You’re not going to admit that you heard nothing more after he kissed you but anger bubbles up in your chest as seconds tick by and he hasn’t laughed or played this off as a joke.

Is he serious? “Are you serious?”

“You think he’s your friend but he’s using you, Sugar. He’s only going to hurt you.”

Pulling away from him, you grab your pillow and throw it at him while frantically looking around your room for your shirt so that you can cover up. Asshole doesn’t get to see you naked… again! “If anyone is going to hurt me, Chris, it’s you.” You ache a little, body still recovering from earlier, “not only did you bite me, twice, I might add but you called me a mistake. You made me feel like an idiot because of the whole situation with your credit card – which you handled like a fucking child. You have done nothing but make me angry and upset and- and- and you made up this whole stupid werewolf, ‘if I’m with you, it’ll be bad’, toxic male, shitty story to try and justify your awful and nasty attitude. I’ve read books with that exact plot and you’re acting just like they did which is infuriating.” You take a deep breath, shoulders heaving slightly. You don't know if you’re making sense, you don't know what you’re saying as you back away and try not to trip over anything on the floor. Everything starts to feel overwhelming and you can feel the tears welling up in your eyes which only makes you more annoyed. “Then you try to turn me against my friend? If you are that worried about Minho, maybe you should, I don’t know – treat me like I actually matter to you!”

Chris sits up, looking incredibly calm for someone who is being called a liar and an ass. “Sugar,” he says softly and you feel a wave of calm wash over you which has you feeling even more agitated. “I will show you how you should be treated. I’m sorry I fucked up, I was set in my ways and–”

“Get out.” You are as far as physically possible from Chris inside the small room but it doesn’t help anything at all. Looking at him, being in the same room as him, you even smell like him, it all messes with your head and the only way for you to be able to think clearly is if he’s not there. “I– You’ve said what you needed to say and now, you need to go.” Your voice is shaky, filled with the mixture of emotions rushing through you and contradicting each other. The boiling anger mixes with waves of calm, the pain is being soothed by the gentle caress of feeling safe and this need to cry is battling against your want to hide in his chest.

You don't realise it but the bond created between you two has snapped into place and while your mind is screaming, being near your mate brings a sense of ease which really isn’t helping. In fact, it’s making it worse.

Chris doesn’t move, not right away, and you don't ask again as you gather his clothes and toss them onto the bed. The air grows heavy, suffocating you while Chris dresses and reaches for you, his wolf practically screaming in his head to comfort his mate, to hold you and make it right but you dodge him. Wrapping your arms tightly around your body, you make yourself small and step away, shaking your head to indicate that you don't want to be touched – least of all, by him. “I’ll call you.” He waits for an answer, anything to show that you haven't completely written him off.

Except it doesn’t come.

“Please don’t. Please just…” The defeat in your voice and the hurt that he can feel from you breaks him a little inside. “Just forget this ever happened.” It’s almost like karma coming to spit in his face. A lone tear falls down your cheek as you look at him and the words he had said to you that night echo in the quiet room. “This was a mistake.”

A few hours had passed before the numbness that had overwhelmed you when Chris left started to fade, when the confusion and upset started to shift into anger and annoyance. You had decided that you weren’t going to sit around and let Chris fuck with your head even more than he already has and what better way to get over it than by ranting about it?

Isn’t venting about a problem to a trusted friend the best way to work through how you feel and move forward from a situation?

Fingers fly over the screen as you type out a message to Minho, needing the only friend you’ve been able to open up to. “You free? I need to debrief before I go insane!”

His reply comes back almost immediately, the words making you smile a little and let out a small huff of a laugh. “Yeah, you want food? It always seems to help your mood.” Oh, he’s so cheeky sometimes but it’s what you’ve come to appreciate about him. His lack of filter and the fact that he’ll tease you so easily and openly helps you to be yourself around him because you believe that he’s himself around you as well.

Oh, how devastated you’ll be when you learn the truth.

You decide to dress nicely, always finding a cute little outfit and some makeup helps you feel better – you’re sure that you’ve read that somewhere, some kind of psychology to trick yourself into feeling good. With your hair in a pretty updo, your favourite necklace adorning your neck and allowing it to sit just above your cleavage, you head out the door to meet Minho at your favourite bar. You’re aware that maybe going to the bar and drinking when you’re feeling the way that you are may not be the best idea but if it got you through your break up – it’ll help you deal with these confusing feelings about Chris, too.

Your friend leans against the building, focusing on his phone for a moment before you call his name and claim his attention. His eyes glance over you, an unreadable expression on his face before it shifts into an easy smile, “You look nice.” Minho pushes off the wall, running a hand through his messy brown hair before opening the door for you. “After you.” He dramatically bows his head which has you laughing lightly, already feeling better than what you did earlier.

Why couldn’t it be him? You wonder to yourself as you make your way to your usual table and Minho goes to order you both some drinks. Why couldn’t it be Minho who makes you feel like the world doesn’t exist when you’re with him? Why couldn’t it be him that causes your mind to wander and feelings to stir in your heart whenever you are around each other – even when you are apart? You sigh softly and shake your head as a slight pang of pain rushes through you, trying to push away the thoughts of how right it felt with Chris earlier. You don't want to think about how much he makes you feel, how the anger, the hate and disdain is only a step away from being happiness, love and amusement if things would stop pushing you away.

If he didn’t push you away.

No, this time it was you. This time, Chris opened himself up and you were the one who practically pushed him out the door.

“Ugh.” You bury your face into your hands and groan, “why is this so weird and messy?”

The soft thud of a full glass sounds in front of you and Minho looks at you curiously as he takes his seat. “What’s got you all worked up?” He pauses and tilts his head with furrow between his brows. “Or should I say, who?”

Holding up a finger, you take a deep, refreshing scull of your beer before placing the half-empty glass down on the table a little more forcefully than you intended. “Well, you see…” without interruption, you dive into a recollection of what happened with Chris – omitting the fact that you were masturbating before he had come around. That piece of information just seems like it’s irrelevant to the story. As you come to what really annoyed you, you look around suspiciously before showing Minho the bite mark he left behind, the wound still tingling slightly. “It’s almost like he thought that this would feed into the crazy story he decided to tell me afterwards! You know, instead of just saying he’s sorry for being an ass…”

Minho doesn’t seem to take his eyes off the mark on your neck, even after you cover it back up, his eyes linger on the spot until you finish off the rest of your drink in one inhale and wipe your mouth with the back of your hand. “Can you believe him? Not only is he trying to say that werewolves exist – he’s talking about you like you’re one of the bad guys!” You pause, waiting for the retort, waiting for Minho to say ‘what an idiot’ or something along those lines but instead, he just stares. Snapping your fingers in front of his face and almost startling Minho out of his thoughts, your annoyance grows even more. “Are you in utter disbelief that it’s left you speechless?”

A soft hum sounds from the back of his throat and he shakes his head. “So, he claimed you as his mate?”

While, at first, you thought Minho meant it in a mocking way, like he’s feeding into the ridiculousness of the story, his serious expression says otherwise. The way his eyes remain on your neck before flickering to yours has you looking a little taken aback. Is he actually asking that like it’s a serious question?

“He bit me like some kind of feral beast.” Minho reaches forward, aiming for the collar of your top but you dodge out of his way, holding onto the table to keep yourself from falling off your chair. “What are you doing?”

“Was it deep? Do you feel anything different?”

“Seriously, Minho. This isn’t funny.”

His eyebrow raises slightly as he looks at you for a moment. It’s as if he’s trying to figure out how to deal with the situation even though, to you, there’s only one way that this should have gone. Whatever he’s decided on seems to shift his demeanour and behaviour drastically because suddenly, the man looks bored. “Have you ever thought about the fact that Chris is telling the truth?”

You let out a short, incredulous laugh. “You’re pulling my leg. Tell me you’re joking.”

“No.” Minho leans back in his chair and folds his arms over his chest as he watches you. Suddenly, you feel like you’re not safe here. Your eyes flit around the room, body suddenly on edge and searching for a way to get out of the bar and away from the dark aura beginning to surround your friend – or who you thought to be your friend. “I didn’t think he would actually go as far as to claim you completely but,” he reaches forward and you flinch, causing Minho to click his tongue in annoyance, “this works just as good.”

“What do you-”

Leaning forward, Minho gives you a cruel smile. You’ve never seen this look in his eyes before, the amusement of knowing that someone is afraid of him, that you’re afraid of him specifically. It’s like a mask has been lifted and the man before you slowly shifts into a stranger, a stranger that you don't know and should get away from. “I can see the wheels turning in your head, Sugar, I’d recommend that you don’t run away,” he chuckles and your flight or fright reflex gets stuck on freeze at the sound, keeping you from escaping, “predators love the chase, after all.”

This isn’t Minho… this isn’t your friend… or maybe this is who he’s been all this time and you’ve missed the signs. Again.

Chris should be happy, should be able to revel in the fact that he’s claimed his mate, but instead, he’s feeling dejected. He feels like a puppy that has just been kicked. She wants nothing more to do with him and can he really blame her? Can he really say that he doesn’t understand why when all he’s done every since they’ve met is lie and push her away?

That had been his goal and now that it seems he’s gotten what he wanted – he doesn’t want it anymore.

“Give her time,” Felix says, a ball in his hand as he throws it at the wall and catches it when it bounces back. Chris hates it when he does that, breaking the peace with the incessant sound of rubber bouncing off wood, but Felix finds the action and rhythmic sounds helpful when he’s trying to work through a problem – and this is a problem. “For someone who isn’t in the know, or doesn’t believe in the supernatural, having a bomb of information dropped on her like that can be difficult to process.”

“I told her the truth,” Chris groans, running his hand over his face. This shows he’s still fairly young to be an Alpha. As strong and determined as he is, Chris has certain flaws that show his age and his lack of understanding about life. Love and women being two of those things. Sure, he knows about a woman’s body, how to bring pleasure and how to have them falling for him but he hasn’t the faintest idea when it comes to the way their minds work about anything other than sex.

Felix catches the ball, pausing to look at his Alpha for a moment, stunned, before throwing the ball a little harder. “You told her that you’re a werewolf and that you did everything you did because you thought it would be better.” His hard tone causes the Alpha to wince slightly. Being told off by his second-in-command is not exactly something Chris enjoys having to experience, especially when it comes to pointing out his shit. “You then told her that the one person she’s happy around, who doesn’t treat her like shit, and has been her friend, is actually dangerous and will hurt her… when… that’s all you’ve been doing.” The ball is thrown with such force this time that it hurls off target and flies back towards Chris – an accident but it drives his point home.

Managing to catch the ball before it hits him in the face, Chris lets out a low growl of warning, “I get your point.” He passes it back to Felix and stands up, running his fingers through his hair for the umpteenth time, making it messier than usual. “I shouldn’t have gone about it like that, I should have eased her into it.” Looking over at Felix, who is looking at him with his eyebrow raised, has him adding on, “and I should have made things right before going and marking her.”

“You really shouldn’t have marked her at the party.”

“It was a mistake,” he defends himself, tilting his head back and looking at the ceiling before sighing. “Or at least, I think it was.” If he’s honest with himself, he doesn’t know. He really doesn’t know what comes over him when he’s with her. Chris lives for her reactions, her anger, her smile, the heat in her eyes when she looks at him with both lust and annoyance. The Alpha can’t help himself whenever she’s in his sight, in his arms; every time that they are around each other, it’s like a match being struck before the fuse is lit.

Is this how it’s always going to be? He could live with it – as long as she stays by his side.

Chris’ feet are moving before he’s even aware of it, hands snatching his keys from the bowl by the door. “Where are you going?” Felix calls out, scrambling to his feet in case he needs to follow.

“I need to figure out how to make this right.” The door is closed behind him with a soft slam and Felix just stands in the living room, staring at the place where his Alpha just was. Chris knows that he needs to get his emotions under control, he knows he needs to get a handle on things so that he can do better but for so long, he’s denied himself of feeling anything remotely like this out of fear of what it’ll do to him. Now that he’s found her, his mate, he’s navigating the uncharted territory of his heart and there’s no telling what will happen from this point on.

All Chris knows is that he needs to make it up to her, to make sure she doesn’t keep her walls up with him and show her that this – their relationship – can work. Unconventional, sure, but something that’s been predestined before either of them knew what love was.

Everything is loud. Too loud. People are talking but they sound like they are underwater… fuck, why does your head hurt? Where are you? How did you get here?

You groan, lifting a hand to touch your throbbing head which causes those around you to stop talking and look over at you trying to sit up. Oh no, don’t do that. Your head feels like it weighs a tonne, neck made of rubber as you struggle to lift it so giving up, you curl up on the rough bed that you’re laying on. You know you’re on a bed because of the squeaky springs as you struggle to get comfortable.

Why does it feel like you’re coming down from a six-day bender?

A wave of emotions run through you, fear being the most prominent when you hear your name being spoken by the figures standing in the shadows, one of the voices being far too familiar to be something you’re making up. No. No, you must be out of it and making things up, distorting reality to try and make sense of what is going on. The way he says your name again, he sounds so comfortable, caressing each syllable like it was made to be spoken by his tongue but you know that the Devil isn’t as sweet as he sounds.

No matter how good it feels to have his attention – coming down from the high is not worth it. You learned that the hard way.

They still stay hidden, even though you can tell that one of the two is Minho, it has to be considering the last thing you remember is him smirking at you as you stood up and tried to escape. You don’t know how you got into this position, how you became the bait in the trap designed to catch a dangerous creature but all you know is that you don’t want to be here and no matter how lovely, how kind and caring and sweet you are – you’re not going to sit here and be silent about this.

Looking around, you try to see if you can find a window so you can figure out where you are but the windows are boarded up, keeping you from the outside world. There is no outside noise for your ears to pick up; you cannot hear cars or anything that would indicate you’re in town or near a public area, and this sends shivers down your spine. “Are you going to kill me?” your voice quivers slightly as it dawns on you that nobody, absolutely nobody, would be looking for you. Serena thinks you’re out with Minho, who is here as your kidnapper and Chris, well, you told him where to go and never look back so even if his whole story was true – why would he come to your rescue? You’re alone. Again. With nobody to save you.

Minho sighs, stepping into the light and making his way towards you. “Stop,” you shuffle away from him but don't manage to get far before he grabs your feet and pulls you close. “Let me untie you, Sugar.”

“Why am I here, Minho?” You question, hoping maybe there was something about your friendship that was real and would result in him feeling guilty enough to let you in on the reason as to why this is happening.

“Because you make him weak.” While he’s trying to seem indifferent as he loosens the ropes enough for you to remove it yourself, you can tell there’s a hint of emotion lingering under the surface. A faint hint that your friendship hasn’t been a lie this entire time. “Chris. You make him weak.”

It’s hard to believe, not just that Minho would betray you in such a way but that he would play along with what Chris is saying. It’s clear that they don’t like each other so there is no reason for Minho to feed into it – unless there are such things as werewolves and that you’re somehow mated to one. Though, you don’t exactly want to believe it. Even if it becomes the only possible reason, you want to believe that there is something else going on – like maybe this is all a joke. Right? Some kind of sick joke that they are all playing on you. Shaking your head, denying reality, you laugh in disbelief as you rub your aching wrists, trying to relieve the uncomfortable feeling. “That makes no sense. You’re not making any sense,” you mumble, not looking at Minho or his companion still in the shadows, watching.

“I told you that she wouldn’t believe it. She’s always been a little stubborn like that. No matter how she seems on the surface, sweet little Sugar is as fucking stubborn as they come.” The voice has your entire body tensing before you even look in his direction and see his face.

“Theo.” That one word, his name, is said with a mixture of confusion, hurt, anger and a sense of familiarity. Why wouldn’t it? You dated him, this was the man who broke your heart and made you vow that you would never allow another man to have that kind of power over you again. You changed after him, in a way that took away the naivety that you used to cling to. You have always been sweet but Theo was the reason that you became a little jaded when it came to falling in love with someone again.

You kept that a fantasy for your fictional men. Men who cannot disappoint, who cannot hurt, who cannot lie and make you feel like you’ve made a mistake for entrusting your heart to them.

“Hello, Sugar.” Theo grins in that way that would make any woman drop to their knees. He’s always been good at that, using his sex appeal, his looks to get what he wants and it’s one of the reasons you ended up in the situation you did.

Stalking closer, each step towards you making your heart race faster, until he’s standing in front of you, Theo watches your reactions with amusement. He can see your pulse fluttering against the skin of your neck, smell the anger mix with fear as you look up at him with contempt in your eyes. All of this causes him to chuckle as he leans closer. “Thought you’d take a little longer than this to get over me, sweetheart.”

His words have you lashing out, slapping him before moving away to avoid any form of retaliation. “It didn’t take me long to get over you when I realised that you weren’t worth the pain and the tears. You weren’t worth the sleepless nights, the longing, or holding onto,” you spit out, having gotten off the bed and kept the furniture between them.

The man chuckles, his cheek red from where you had managed to connect, a solid hit, at least. Shaking his head, Theo stands up straight and looks you up and down with his tongue poking against the inside of his cheek, almost like he’s openly checking you out and admiring your fire. “I made you fierce, pretty. Who knew you would be such a turn on with a mouth like that?” Theo smirks darkly, eyes flashing gold before a sharp set of fangs start to grow before your eyes. “Here I thought I’d take you back, come and chase you down for one last hurrah but instead you went and got claimed by the very person I’ve been trying to kill.” His voice is deeper, more guttural than before and you can’t help the strong sense of fear rushing through you, “So, now I’ve got a different use for you. Sorry, Sugar, this will hurt you just as much as it did when I broke your heart.” His face drops and you know his guilt is false, a façade, just like everything else that he is. “Maybe more, if Minho’s recount is anything to go by.”

At the mention of his name, you look over at the other man, whose eyebrows furrow for a brief moment. There’s a flash of pain that rushes across otherwise unperturbed features. It’s like the mere mention of whatever hurt him is enough to bring it to the surface only for him to bury it deep once more. “You going to evil villain monologue or are we going to send word to the Alpha that we have his mate?” Minho’s tone gives a clear indication that Theo and him are not friends.

Suddenly in front of you, Theo reaches forward quickly, catching you by surprise and forces you to look at him. There’s an amused glint in his eyes, enjoying the way you struggle against his hold. “I don’t know. It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other, maybe I should play with her for a little bit before letting him know.” He can hear the way your heart races faster, the smell of fear growing stronger as you begin to think about what he could mean by that. “I’m a beast, not a monster, Sugar. I’m just saying we should catch up before Chris comes and fights for you.”

“Stop talking like that. He’s got no reason to come.” It hurts to talk, the way he’s holding your jaw is tight and makes it hard to move in any way he doesn’t allow. “I told him to leave me alone. If you have issues with him then maybe you should take it up with him instead of kidnapping me.”

A small scoff sounds from Minho as he walks over and pulls at the collar of your shirt, revealing the mark that Chris had left behind earlier. It still aches slightly, not as much as you thought it would have considering the size and how deep his teeth seemed to go, but it mostly tingles more than anything else. “It doesn’t matter what you said to him, Sugar. Werewolves are loyal to their mates, their bond is stronger than anything you could possibly imagine. No matter how much you want to deny it – there will never be anyone who will love you the way Chris will.”

Isn’t that something you always wanted? You wanted to be loved like the books you read. You want someone to be so obsessed with you that they cannot think straight when you’re not around, as toxic as that sounds. You have always wondered what it would be like to have someone who would do everything for you, that would care for you if you couldn’t care for yourself, who would pull you away from life if it was getting too much, someone who would know you so well that you’d never have to ask – they’d just do it because they could see it on your face. Those are standards that only your books can live up to because no man will ever be that perfect – especially when he’s done and said the things Chris has. How could you possibly believe what Minho is saying when Chris called you a mistake… though, he did say that doing so was a mistake… but that’s not the point, is it? It’s the fact that he still said it and if he can say something like that, what else can he say that he’ll end up regretting?

You don’t know if you can even allow yourself to let him close enough to see whether they are telling you the truth or not.

Seemingly bored with you, Theo gives you one more look over, darkness shrouding his face as the sun begins to sink – or you think it does – before turning on his heel and leaving the room. Minho takes a little longer to leave you, giving you a hoodie to put on so that you don't get cold, and without another word, he follows after. They leave you alone once more, in a place you don't know and with two people who you clearly don't know even though you thought you did.

Guess it’s true what they say; you really don’t know the people around you.

Wrapping yourself up, knees pulled up to your chest with your arms holding them close, you tucks your chin into your chest and rests your forehead against your knees, tears starting to silently trickle down your cheeks. You don't know what will happen to you. There’s no guarantee that you’ll get out of here alive… no, you need to keep hoping that you’ll be okay. They don’t want you. They want Chris. Maybe if they get what they want then they’ll let you go… maybe…

“Why did this have to happen to me?”

Laying on his bed, shirtless, with one hand resting on his abdomen and the other behind his head as he stares up at the ceiling, Chris feels tension and anxiety rush through his body. He’s been feeling that way for a while now, ever since he left your place, he’s been feeling off and he can’t quite figure out why. He had gone over to try and make things right… again, only to be told that she had gone out with her friend and hasn’t been back since. It makes sense that this piece of information was shared only to have Chris leave the premises because her sister doesn’t like him. It’s obvious Serena doesn’t and he doesn’t blame her. He’s given her no reason to like him but it doesn’t take away the anxiousness that’s got him on edge.

The Alpha has put it down to the fact that he left her while she was mad, knowing he should have stayed and made her understand that he wouldn’t hurt her again, that she was safe with him. He shouldn’t have left. She didn’t want him there and it wasn’t going to do them any good if he stayed while she was adamant she didn’t want to look at him but he should have done more than just walk out that door feeling good about himself.

God, he’s terrible at this.

Groaning, Chris runs a hand over his face in frustration. He needs to see her, needs to get rid of this anxious feeling so that he can rest before figuring out what to do with Minho and his group of rogues. Not a pack, he refuses to acknowledge them as such, just a group of outcasts who are not wanted by anyone.

Almost anyone. Fuck sakes, why did she have to like him? That’s only complicating an already complicated matter.

Chris doesn’t want to hurt Minho, he doesn’t want to have to go down that route if he doesn’t have to. It’s already hard enough when the rogue used to be a part of his pack, his beta, fuck, more than that, Minho was his best friend; add in the fact that she is attached to him now as well, it makes Chris’ head hurt just thinking about how he’s going to go about this. Minho challenged him, he’s wormed his way into his mate’s life and has been pushing all of Chris’ buttons ever since he stepped back onto the territory – there’s no way that this is going to go down well when there’s only two ways that the challenge can end.

Either he wins or Minho backs out.

Will she understand that? God, this is much more complicated when he has to think about how this is going to affect her. It was easier when he only had to think about what he wanted, what he felt and how things were going to affect him and his pack, now he has to take someone else into consideration – someone who isn’t like him. “Fuck.” Chris feels a headache building right behind his eyes. It’s been creeping up on him for a while now, it’s been lingering there, manageable until he started to think about the whole mess that he’s in.

His phone sounds on the bedside table, the vibration sounding sharper than usual with the impending ache in his skull. Yeah, it’s going to be a doozy. Reaching over and turning his head to see the name on the screen, a sign that he would ignore it if he could, Chris’ brow furrows when he doesn’t recognise the number. He’s saved everyone who needs his number, he even has her number saved on his phone, nobody outside the pack has his number so…

[TEXT] <- Who is this?

He responds to the ominous ‘hi’ and watches as the three dots start and stop multiple times. His jaw clenches, an obvious indicator that he’s annoyed, as he watches the dots disappear once more. “Oh, for fuck sakes.” He grumbles, starting to type a message about where he thinks they can take their bullshit before a picture comes through. A picture that has fingers freezing over the letters. A picture that sends him into a state.

It’s a picture of her, with her back to the camera, curled up in the foetal position on a disgusting and thin mattress, wearing a hoodie that’s bigger than her. There’s no sign about where she is, no indication of who has her until a message comes through that answers the question he was just about to ask.

[TEXT] -> Long time, no see, Chris. I heard you like my scraps. I saw the mark you left on her, man, didn’t think you were the type.

He can almost hear the laughter through the message, a way of mocking him, pushing his buttons.

[TEXT] -> If I had known Sugar was going to be an Alpha’s mate, I wouldn’t have broken her heart back in college.

[TEXT] -> But maybe I’ll have you watch me snap her neck instead.

Chris nearly crushes the phone in his hand, teeth clenching so tightly his jaw is hurting but he doesn’t take away the only chance he has at finding out where she is. Who knows what that sicko could do to her if he doesn’t respond.

[TEXT] <- You lay another hand on her and I’ll show you first hand what I did to your brother.

Uncalled for, maybe, but Chris knows that the only way to deal with this type of rogue is to show no fear and give back just as volatile as they give it. There is only one person who would have a death wish to do all of this and Minho’s participation in this whole bullshit challenge makes more sense considering the former beta never cared for power – nor to come back to a pack. He made that clear when he left so it never made any sense why he would challenge Chris in the first place but now… now it all makes sense.

Clearly his words hit a nerve when another picture comes through, a clawed hand gripping her chin and making her look at the camera. Her glare at who is on the other side of the camera makes him proud, she’s showing him no fear; in fact, he knows that look all too well considering that she’s given him that same look of disdain before but there’s more to it – she hates this person. Truly. Deeply. Chris can see it in her eyes. If Theo is telling him the truth then he’s the reason why she came here in the first place.

Maybe before killing him, Chris should thank Theo for bringing his mate to him.

[TEXT] -> Hurry, Alpha. I don’t know how long it’ll take for me to bury my teeth into that pretty throat of hers.

An address is sent through and Chris drops the phone, quickly grabbing his keys before anyone can question what he’s doing or where he’s going. He shouldn’t leave like this, he should make sure that they are aware that their Alpha is going to war but this is his battle to fight. It shouldn’t be like that, he shouldn’t be thinking about it as if he needs to face this alone because there’s no guarantee on how safe she will be if Chris turns up with some of the pack and that’s all he can think about right now.

He cannot risk Theo actually hurting her. He will not do anything to risk her life.

“He’s on his way,” Theo says once he gets a short reply from Chris, throwing the phone to Minho and then looking at you with a cruel smile. They had left you alone for a short while to discuss their evil plan, probably, before deciding to use you as a way to push buttons. “Looks like you actually mean something to him after all.” It’s like he’s mocking you but there’s an undertone of jealousy. You remember how things were when you first started dating, how Theo was so loving and sweet, how you were happy until something happened in his family that caused your once funny and caring boyfriend to turn cold.

You watch him walk out, leaving you alone with Minho once more, and the other wolf sighs as he looks at you. There’s this expression of him wanting to say something, and for the first time that you have known him, he looks almost sorry but when he opens his mouth, you shake your head. “I don’t want to hear it.” Minho closes his mouth again and nods his head before taking his leave, leaving you alone with your thoughts and the gripping fear that has now decided to kick in.

Whatever they have planned, it’s not good. Whatever they have planned, it’s going to hurt Chris, hurt you… maybe, are they planning on killing you both? You hug your knees to your chest again, chin resting on the top as you stare at the boarded up windows and wonder if you should wait. That’s what they always do in the fairytales, right? The princess waits in her tower for her knight in shining armour to come and save her but this isn’t a fairytale. There is no dragon that can be slain and no happily ever after in sight – it’s just Chris on his way to a battle that he cannot win.

Not alone at least.

Stiffening your bottom lip, you refuse to be kept down like Theo did once before. You won’t let him win this time, especially not when your life could literally depend on Chris actually surviving. “There’s got to be something…” you mutter to yourself, climbing off the bed and making your way around the room.

“Come…on.” You grab one of the boards covering the windows and give it a pull with all of your might, gritting your teeth before falling back on your backside with a low ‘oof’ escaping you due to the impact. You look up at the boards again and huffs before turning over and standing up, eyes searching for something that you can use as a leverage. Something that can fit between the small gaps and be used to help pry at least one off. All you need is to see where you are, to know whether you have a chance for escape.

Upon your investigation of the room, you notice one of the metal bars from the bed is broken, almost rusted off and looks over at the door, waiting for someone to walk through to shut you up, before making your way over and deciding that kicking it may be the best way to loosen it. You’re not built for an action movie, you would say you’re more romance-fitting but what are you going to do? Sit around, wait, die? It’s not exactly a fun sounding plan to you.

CLINK! You wince as the arch of your foot meets the metal frame and look over at the door again, pausing, making sure it’s safe before continuing. CLINK! CLINK! CLUNK– Oh, how they make this look so much easier in the movies than it actually is but after a few more painfully solid kicks, you manage to break through and loudly receive your prize.

It’s either someone isn’t within earshot or they really couldn’t care less about you trying to escape because there really is no way out. Either way, you rush over to the window and try to use your thin, broken metal bar to get one of the boards off – which you do manage to do. Though, not without a lot of huffing, a couple of cuts from the sharp, bent metal, and some swearing about how much you hate men at this point.

While the gap isn’t big enough for you to be able to sneak out of the window, or even get it open, it is enough for you to peer out and see that wherever you are – it’s isolated. Completely. Unless you’re at the back of the house, you cannot see a road or anything else around you… except trees and…

People? No, wolves?

Emerging from the forest, several wolves of different colourings and sizes stalk out from the dark and that’s when you realise that this is an ambush. Unless Chris is bringing a group with him, he’s going to be severely outnumbered and you don't know if you can watch that. No, you know that you can’t watch that.

Panic begins to set in, for yourself, for him, for this entirely shitty situation you both are in, and the room starts to spin as you feel her chest tightening, making it harder to breathe. You know you have to breathe, in and out, nice and slow but you can’t. There are too many thoughts running through your mind, too many things coming and hitting you while in a vulnerable state that makes the severity of the situation feel like it’s trying to swallow you whole. You want to chalk up everything that Theo is doing as some dramatic shit that is becoming borderline insane but with what she saw outside, the way his eyes glowed and every other small detail about Minho and… Chris, it’s like the truth is trying to force you to see what you refuse to see.

Glowing eyes, fangs, the fact that both Chris and Minho’s body heat reminds you of walking heaters, the mark that never fully healed and reminds you of Chris, his possessiveness, the aggression that you put down to male testosterone, comments Minho would make, how he had not wanted to be too close to you when she met up with him after being with Chris, the growling you had thought was sexy and primal, and how you’re drawn to Chris in a way you cannot explain.

Werewolves are real. Maybe. You still highly doubt their existence, not wanting to believe it just because you can list a few strange things about several people you know. Believing it means accepting that they are real and if they are real then… What else could possibly be out there? Even though the distant growls coming from outside the house should be the biggest indicator for you to believe in the supernatural, the only thing that is clear to you right now as you clutches your chest and your vision turns black – is that Chris is in danger if he comes here.

The car tires screech as Chris takes the corner too quickly. It’s a good thing that Theo has chosen a place that’s out of the township – otherwise he’d be having issues. His jaw hurts from how hard he’s clenching as her panic rushes through him and causes him to almost lose control of the speeding vehicle. He knows it’s your emotions and not his own because all he feels right now is pure rage.

Of course she’d be afraid, it would be stupid to not be in fear for her life when she’s in this dire situation. He tried to warn her about what could happen but she didn’t believe him. He tried to talk to her and work things out but he had lost any and all credibility with her because of the way he’s been treating her so why would she listen? Why would you believe him because all Chris’ done is give her reasons to not want to be around him? He can’t even blame her, as much as he wants to, he can’t blame her for not giving him the time of day.

Fuck, he hates that Felix had a point. Of course he did, there’s a reason why he’s the one Chris can talk to because despite everything – Felix isn’t as fucking stubborn and bull-headed like he can be. A great Alpha, Chris knows this about himself, there is no doubt about that in his mind but as a man? Oh, he has no experience at all, clearly, because he’s really put himself in a mess. “Goddammit.” Chris slams his fist against the wheel as he approaches the location.

A rundown house on the edge of the pack territory, one that has been abandoned due to what had happened to the family that once lived there. Of course Theo chose this place – it’s where Chris killed his brother.

What would his pack do if they found out that their Alpha went and put himself in harm’s way like this? What would they say if they knew that he went charging into this head first without even working out a plan beforehand? How can they continue to trust their Alpha if he goes against his own rule of thinking with a clear head before acting?

The car skids to a halt on the gravel, Chris having slammed on his brakes and pulled over to the side so that he could pull out his phone. He needs to contact Felix and have the pack by his side if he’s going to save his mate – he can’t do this alone.

“Fuck,” he groans, throwing his head back against the head rest, “I fucking left it at home.”

A cruel grin spreads across Theo’s lips as he hears the car pulling up the driveway, looking out the window to see the unmistakable black sedan that belongs to Chris coming to a stop in front of the house. The wolf rolls his neck, feeling the satisfying cracks as he does so, before turning to Minho, who is now standing to attention at noticing his former Alpha’s arrival. “Go and get her.”

Minho’s upper lip curls upwards as he heads over to the bedroom because who the fuck died and made him king? Sure, he’s the mastermind behind it all but Minho doesn’t answer to him and is only here because it benefits him. The emptiness that sits within his chest, the place in his heart and mind where his mate’s presence used to reside, it’s the only reason that he even agreed to Theo’s plan in the first place. There’s not a day that goes by where he doesn’t miss his mate. There’s not a moment that doesn’t remind him that he could have been living like every mated wolf should be. When he sees a couple smiling lovingly at each other, when he hears the laughter of children, everytime Minho sees anyone living a life filled with love – he’s reminded about what he no longer has.

It’s his justification on why he’s helping Theo, even if he mildly regrets the person he’s hurt in his goal to show Chris what it’s like to lose everything you hold dear.

Walking down the hallway, it’s not until he hears the erratic heartbeat coming from the locked room that he’s brought back out of his thoughts and back to the task at hand. “Hey!” he calls out as the door is thrown open and he finds her against the wall, holding her chest as she struggles to breathe. Tears fall freely down her face as she tries to sob, every breath a pathetic gasp for air, and all Minho can think as he rushes to help her is how she shouldn’t be here.

Even after just thinking about his mate and how this will ease his guilt, she shouldn’t be caught up in this. Fuck, why did it have to be her?

Getting her to look at him, Minho tries to speak to her but his words are not registering as she remains locked in place, the panic attack having a tight hold over her and refusing to let go. “You need to breathe, Sugar. Come on, breathe for me.” He shakes her shoulders, getting her to take a deep breath in as she looks at him. “Yeah, yeah, like that. Atta girl, keep going,” Minho breathes with her before pulling her into him to keep her close but the moment he does – she pushes against him.

“...Away…” she barely manages to get the word out as her weak arms try to shove him away. “Don’t– don’t touch me.” She hits his chest with a closed fist in her attempt to get him away, her body instinctively trying to get away from him as if he’s the threat to her and why would she think otherwise? He’s the reason she’s here in the first place. “This is all your fault. You did this.”

The way she’s looking at him triggers a memory, the sound of her broken voice accusing him resonates in his mind and brings forth what happened before his mate was killed. Minho provoked the wolf who had killed his mate; he was being too cocky for his own good and thought he could get away with pissing off the beta simply because of Chris’ reputation as an Alpha. Minho had been warned about picking fights, the words falling on deaf ears because the pack had crossed into Chris’ territory and demanded to see him. They had been behaving like they were at home and were pushing everyone’s buttons so Minho had decided to take it upon himself and sort it out. It was his fault when the wolf lunged at him and his mate, the other not getting away fast enough and falling victim to an anger-fuelled wolf. Her ghost haunted him for months afterwards, asking him why, why didn’t he just leave it alone, why did he need to pick a fight, why didn't he save her?

He blames Chris for something that was his fault to begin with because he’s too ashamed to admit that his arrogance killed his mate. Minho knows that his grudge against the Alpha stems from his own self-loathing but if he hates himself then doesn’t that mean he has to accept what he did?

Doesn’t that mean he has to admit that what happened was purely because of him?

“I know,” he says quietly, letting her escape from his hold and sighing quietly. Maybe the reason why he became attached to her in the first place is because she reminds him so much of his mate. Her smile, her laugh, and the way her nose wrinkles when she’s trying to focus, these are only a few things that brought back fond memories of the mate Minho had lost. Somewhere along the way, Minho had stopped caring about his revenge and enjoyed the idea that maybe, in some twisted way, he could have her back in some kind of way.

The only problem is Chris… or maybe the realisation that she will never truly be his.

“I’m sorry, Sugar.” He looks at her, his heart falling as he sees the disdain in her eyes. “I really fucked up this time.” Maybe he can fix things – he just needs to figure out how.

“Oh, if she thinks that Minho is a monster for the things that he’s done, I wonder what she’ll think if she knew what Alpha Chris did,” Theo speaks, chuckling as he turns his attention to the Alpha who stands in the doorway, eyes black and swimming with murderous intent. “Should we tell her how we know each other?” Both wolves stare at each other, the space filled with the deep, low growl emitting from Chris’ chest as he bares his teeth at the rogue. “I think she’d be interested in knowing who she’s mated to.”

Gritting his teeth, Chris tries to keep himself in check. “Leave her out of this. This is between you and me.”

A short laugh sounds loudly as Theo shakes his head. “No but that’s the thing, she’s the star of the show, Chris. If it wasn’t for her, you wouldn’t be here. She ties everything together nicely because even if you somehow manage to survive this – you’ll lose the one person you will grow to love more than yourself and your pack. One way or another, you will lose.” The look on Theo’s face makes it clear that he knows he has Chris backed into a corner with no way out. He has been planning this for such a long time, watching and waiting to find a weakness that he could exploit only to be basically handed the most wonderful gift in the form of his ex.

If only he had known back then, he would have been able to get this started sooner but oh well, he’ll get what he wants. All that waiting will be worth it once he sees Chris’ defeated body on his knees, waiting for the final blow.

The blow he’ll be the one to deliver.

Minho’s grip on your bicep isn’t rough, he’s barely even touching you, it’s mostly just guiding you towards the room where the other two wolves are standing, the conversation they were having seemingly interrupted by your presence. “Here’s the lady of the hour, our sweet little Sugar.” Theo’s words drip with sarcasm as he holds out his hand, you scoff and fold your arms as you step away from Minho and out of Theo’s reach. “Oof, so cold, baby.”

You don’t speak, don't even look at him as your eyes drift over to see Chris staring at you. His dark eyes are swimming with more emotion than his face displays and it’s betraying him. Not only can you see that he’s concerned, scared even, about what Theo has planned – Theo knows it as well.

Is it true that when it comes to you, Chris isn’t as strong as he likes to portray himself? You don’t believe it because everything about him is pure asshole but is he really as bad as he’s allowed you to think this whole time? He’s here, isn’t he? He’s here because of you. Chris has risked himself to save you and that thought has the blood draining from your face as the image of the wolves from earlier comes back.

“Chris, they–” Minho claps a hand over your mouth, your warning muffled as you try to pull away. His palm is sweaty, a sign of his own anxiousness about the situation, but you don’t think too much about it as your tongue lathers his skin in saliva. Your eyes scrunch up at the taste and you can tell Minho isn’t exactly a fan of it but he holds you tight, gritting his teeth, trying to keep you still without using too much strength and risking hurting you.

Twisting and writhing in his hold, you manage to open your mouth wide enough to bite down on his slipping hand but you don't hold back like Minho had. “Ah– FUCK!” he shouts as your teeth manage to break skin and in shock, you’re shoved away while Minho shakes his hand to try and soothe the pain. “Fucking hell, Sugar, you bit me!”

Ironic that the human is the one biting the dogs but you don't answer him, instead looking at Chris, making sure he’s listening to every word of your warning. “It’s an ambush! There are wolves everywhere!”

There’s a growl and things happen so quickly that you don’t have a chance to react. Theo grabs you by the back of your head, pulling you back by your hair, out of an approaching Chris’ reach and the next thing you know – a clawed hand is wrapped around your throat and you’re pulled against his firm and familiar body. “C’mon, Sugar, did you really have to go and ruin the surprise like that? You used to love surprises so why can’t you let Chris have the fun this time?”

Swallowing, you can feel the claws pressing a little closer as your Adam’s apple bobs and alarm bells sound in your head that you shouldn’t piss off the… man… who has your life in his hands. Literally. One wrong move and he could rip your throat out which is not a way you had ever thought that you would die – old age was definitely at the top of that list. Death by werewolf was not. “You–,” the sharp claws has your bravery faltering for a moment, “your surprises… they aren’t exactly the fun kind…”

Theo barks out a laugh, nodding his head before pressing his nose to the side of your head, eyes on Chris as he inhales deeply and lets out a satisfied sigh. “You’re right. My idea of a surprise definitely isn’t the same kind as yours, Sugar. Though, they couldn’t have been that bad – you stayed after all.” He doesn’t allow you to answer, the points of his claws pressing against the soft skin and giving you pause. “Actually, speaking of our relationship.” Nobody is but he uses it as a way to segue. “Do you think it bothers Chris to know that while he was killing my brother, ripping his throat out, we were wrapped up in our own little world?”

Your eyes widen as you focus on the man across from you, his lips curled into a snarl as a deep warning growl sounds through the room. While you had never met Theo’s brother, you remember the day when your ex-boyfriend had received the call and how it changed everything about him; any good quality that you had seen in Theo faded quickly and he became someone you didn’t know. The aggression was something that had surprised you, never once had he yelled at you but then it was like everything, every little thing you said or did started to become a problem.

Too loud, too bright, too happy, too talkative, too much.

Of course, it should have been your reason to leave but you did indeed stay. You stayed because Theo was hurting and you thought maybe, just maybe, if you stayed and supported him through it – he’ll go back to the man you loved. Except, he didn’t. In fact, he got worse, angrier, his temper grew shorter and somewhere along the lines – the women started to come into play. At first, you thought it was one, the one that destroyed your relationship but later you learned that no, it was women, plural.

As Theo’s nose moves down, your skin crawls, feeling his hot breath against your skin as he reaches the dark mark on your neck. Fear rushes through you with a hint of rage as Theo’s lips press against the mark, a cruel smile etched onto his face as Chris steps forward only for Minho to step in between them and prevent Chris from reaching you.

“Get the fuck out of my way,” Chris commands but it falls on deaf ears – or ears that are no longer needing to obey him.

Minho shakes his head and barely manages to keep Chris in place as he needs to steady his footing against the stronger wolf. “He’ll kill her before you even reach them.”

“You better listen to him, Alpha Chris. If anyone knows the pain of losing their mate, it’s Minho, so he knows what he’s talking about.” Your eyes widened because you didn’t know that Minho had gone through something that apparently destroys a werewolf. “Though, personally, I think it’s rather poetic for you to lose your mate in the same way you killed my brother.” While you knew it already, it’s not like they were hiding it or that you’re stupid, his words simply confirmed that this is all about revenge for them. They didn’t care about you… well, Theo definitely didn’t care about you, they just care about hurting Chris.

Refusing to keep being a pawn in their game, you try to focus on what you can do to get out of this. You need to. Not only do you not want to die because of some stupid grudge that they all have against each other but you don't want to be killed by Theo of all people. God, you wouldn’t forgive yourself if the man who shattered your heart in so many ways was the one who ended your life. With a deep breath in and closing your eyes, you steel yourself for pain as you throw your elbow back and get Theo right in the solar plexus, catching him off-guard enough to let you go.

Not without scratching you though.

“You little bitch,” he growls, rushing to grab you again but you manage to escape his grip this time – barely. “You need to stop fucking doing that.”

Minho doesn’t stop you from getting to Chris, who immediately makes sure that you’re behind him, however, Minho does keep Theo from reaching you. “Are you okay?” Chris asks as you raise a hand to your neck and touch the cut on your throat.

“I’ll be okay,” you whisper, wincing as the pain starts to radiate through your body. It’s not deep, luckily, but it hurts a lot – like a cat scratch.

To your surprise, her ‘friend’ manages to push Theo backwards with enough force to cause him to stumble slightly. The room is suddenly quiet, tensions so high that it causes your body to feel on edge as you stare at the back of Minho’s head. You can’t see his face but you know him well enough, or think you do, to know the look on his face. Conflict, pain and from the low growl that starts to grow louder, anger would all be prominent in those deep brown eyes as he chooses to betray the other rogue wolf in favour of you.

A human.

“You got soft on her and decided that avenging your dead mate isn’t worth it anymore?” Theo barks out a laugh in disbelief, shaking his head as his eyes glow faintly with a golden hue that you would have found gorgeous… if it wasn’t Theo. “A fool but you wouldn’t be the first to have fallen to her like that. You have a way of pulling people in, don’t you Sugar? A sweet little thing who can charm everyone around you with just a fucking smile.” You can feel Chris’ hand reaching to rest on your side, making sure you stay behind him. He’s silent, though there’s this hostility rushing through him that has your own body on edge and making you feel like you want to go and fight Theo yourself but Chris is not growling. Not reacting.

He’s completely in control of himself, which is surprising considering the situation but it’s like the shift in Minho’s alliances has allowed him to think clearer.

Theo doesn’t seem like he’s done talking, but then again, he’s always liked talking to anyone who would listen to him. You forgot that this man loves the sound of his own voice. “She’s mated to your former Alpha and you went rogue from his pack, how do you think that will work? She cannot replace your mate, no matter how similar they are.”

“You do not get to speak about Jisoo.” Something about the way Minho says the woman’s name shows you that he hasn’t said it in a long time, like it physically kills him inside to mention her out loud like that.

Clicking his tongue, Theo rolls his eyes before meeting your gaze. A cruel smirk spreads across his lips as if a brilliant idea has just popped up that could get him everything that he’s ever wanted. “If this is the fate that you’ve chosen then you can’t say I’m not generous enough to provide it.” He whistles loudly and a chorus of howls answer him, reminding you of the literal waiting wolves just outside the abandoned house. “I wanted theatrics. I wanted to make it like you, Sugar, but I guess the phrase is ‘revenge is best served cold’, not sweet.” A manic laugh escapes him at his terrible joke and it sends a shiver down your spine as you understand what he’s getting at. “As long as the job gets done – who cares how it’s done, right?”

It’s almost like it was planned. The window shatters as a wolf leaps through and lunges at you while more burst through the door, not caring about who they attack – as long as they get their teeth into someone. Chris barely manages to get you out of the way of the lunging wolf, his arm out and caught in the open jaws of the beast; the grunt Chris lets out as teeth tear into flesh has your stomach turning before Minho grabs your wrist and pulls your attention away from Chris.

“Sugar, focus,” he says desperately. You don’t know what he’s talking about until pain spreads through your body and you all but collapse to the floor, face contorted in anguish. “Listen, we don’t have time so you need to focus on something else. Don’t think about Chris.” Minho picks you up and shakes you, trying to get your attention off of what is happening. “Think about getting the fuck out of here.”

You hear Chris shouting your name, managing to dodge another wolf that’s aiming for him before looking over at you and meeting your wide eyes filled with worry and fear. “GO!” he commands and Minho tugs you with him towards the bedroom since there is no open exit in the open living room with the wolves nearly taking up all the space. There’s a bark before a wolf yelps and you try to resist the curiosity that has you looking over your shoulder but you need to make sure that Chris is okay. You gasp at the sight; a wolf lays on the ground, neck at an odd angle and mouth open, lifeless eyes stare at the ceiling as the other wolves rush over it to try and get at Chris.

He’s killing them. Chris is killing the wolves and while you know it logically makes sense for him to not hold back – something inside you breaks knowing that. They will do worse to him, to you, if he doesn’t end their lives first but… doesn’t it hurt to kill his own kind?

“Chris hates taking lives,” Minho answers your unspoken question like he had read your mind and pulls you behind him, just in time to defend against a large grey wolf that has broken away from the others to go after you. “Killing our own kind shatters something inside us, even if it’s necessary.” Managing to grab the attacking wolf by its snout, Minho grits his teeth while you slowly stagger back, entering your former make-shift cell.

Minho looks over his shoulder and even though their eyes meet for a wordless split second before he turns away, you know that he’s giving you permission to save yourself. Slamming the door shut, you rush towards the bed and hope that the metal frame doesn’t mean you won’t be able to move it. “This can’t be happening,” you say to yourself, grunting as you pull the bed with all your might, the metal feet scraping loudly against the wooden floor almost overpowered by the chaos on the other side of the door. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

Everything happened so quickly but it also felt like everything happened in slow motion. A contradiction because your brain is trying to process everything but your body is reacting quicker than you can understand. One minute you’re in Theo’s clutches, the scratch on your neck faintly throbbing in reminder, and then the next thing you know – you’re locked in a room with absolutely no means to escape or survive. If someone breaks through the door, you’re fucked and you are not delusional enough to think that you can actually take on a werewolf. However, as you listen to the fighting outside, the howling and growling, the cries of pain as Chris and Minho are greatly overpowered, everything comes in slowly.

Chris came for you. Minho protected you. Werewolves are real. You are all going to die.

“This is just a bad dream,” you crouch in a corner, trying to make yourself as small as possible as you stare at the door. “This has to be a bad dream.”

Due to the small space, the wolves are unable to attack all at once without getting in the way of each other and while that does work to Chris’ advantage, it also prevents him from being able to shift.

Blood drips to the floor, his wounds healing slower than usual due to not shifting but it doesn’t slow him down as he throws a small brown wolf at another, knocking them both out. It’s a struggle not trying to kill too many of them, a lot of them were probably being offered something in exchange for trying to take out the Alpha so he doesn’t want to blame them for being suckered into Theo’s game. To Theo, they are disposable, pawns in a game of chess to level the playing field because the spineless coward knows that he could never win a one-on-one fight with Chris.

As he’s trying to keep himself from being cornered, Chris notices Minho entering the room, rushing into the pack of wolves to help him out. “She’s in the room,” the former beta grunts as he pulls a wolf by its tail and Chris allows himself a second to feel relieved that she’s safe before stepping back and finding his back against the wall.

Even with Minho’s help, Chris cannot keep taking on the onslaught. Every time he removes one from the fight, another steps up to take its place and while none of them are trying to actively kill him, they are trying to wear him down at least. He assumes it’s because Theo wants to have the honours of killing the Alpha and needs him weak to do so.

As Chris thought, a fucking coward.

“You’re holding back, Chris. C’mon, where is that Alpha energy?” Theo laughs, leaning against the wall, watching the fight as if it’s some sport on TV. His eyes are swimming with excitement as he watches them try and fend off attack after attack. Theo must have imagined it to be like this otherwise he wouldn’t look like he’s about to get the gift of a lifetime; he must have anticipated the metallic scent of blood that fills the air, the floor littered with lifeless bodies and the disturbing sounds echoing as they tear a weaker wolf apart. This must be everything he has ever wanted since it’s bringing him closer to his goal.

Theo knows that if they could shift, they’d be deadlier especially with their size and teeth. Lucky for him, they barely have time to shift, or even partially shift because that means their strength is limited. It’s why he made sure that they were ambushed inside the house because even if many of these wolves die – Chris cannot access his full strength. Werewolves in their human form are still unnaturally strong and possess heightened senses but they aren’t at their best – something to do with not being connected with the wolf inside them like this. Chris is still strong due to being an Alpha and Minho used to be one of the pack’s best fighters but without shifting, they won’t be able to take on the numbers for much longer and come out on top.

Grabbing a wolf by its snout and jaw, Chris howls loudly, his eyes glowing a deep gold as he forcefully removes the mandible. Blood splatters across his face as he bares his fangs and raises the dislocated jaw above his head as he looks at Theo, letting out a primal growl. He’s not warning him anymore, Chris is threatening that this will be his fate and by the way Theo’s smirk falters – he’s having a moment of doubt. He had assumed that Chris would have fallen by now, that the Alpha would be on his knees and in the palm of his hands but from the murderous look in his eyes, Theo realises that all he’s done is piss Chris off.

He’s underestimated the Alpha and there’s always a price to pay for that.

“You can’t beat them all!” Theo yells, hesitantly stepping back as Chris tears out another wolf’s throat with his bare hands. The growing brutality of Chris’ actions cause some of the wolves to rethink their actions about attacking him; while a lot of them knew that this would be a suicide mission, they didn’t think Chris would take out as many of them as he has been – or possess the strength that he does. Their expectations about the fight do not match with the current outcome and some begin to wonder if they should continue. “You won’t be able to–” Howling sounds from outside the house and causes Theo to trail off and for the first time since all of this started, fear makes its way onto his features.

Before the rogues know what’s happening, pack wolves make their way into the house to begin chasing them off or retaliating against their attacks on the Alpha. Chris doesn’t know how Felix managed to find him but right now, he’s more determined to make sure this ends once and for all as Theo tries to use the commotion as a cover to escape.

“Oh no, you don’t,” Chris yells, taking after the retreating rogue while those who had held allegiance to Theo are overwhelmed by the cavalry that has arrived. Power rushes through him as he begins to shift, the change happening quickly and by the time he’s made it outside, Chris is a large black wolf hunting down his prey.

He’s faster than Theo, larger and due to his training, he’s more in control than the rogue which helps him catch up to the fleeing wolf and tackle him to the ground. Pinning the brown wolf down, Chris growls, snapping his jaws before aiming for his throat, determined to finish this fight in the only way that will make sure it won’t happen again. If Theo wanted this to be poetic then Chris will make sure he gets what he wants by killing him in the same way and place that he had killed his brother.

He vividly remembers that day, it’s not a day that he allows himself to forget because it was the day that Chris had come back to the pack. After taking the time to grow, to become a wolf who could lead and a man who had some life experience, Chris had come back to find out that a rogue was accepted onto the pack’s territory. Theo may not have known that his brother had left their pack, maybe the wolf never truly left and had used it as a guise but whatever the specifics of it was, his goal of being there was to try and take on Chris.

All because his brother wanted Chris’ status and power.

Maybe it’s because Theo and his older brother were outsiders even in their own pack, neither of them holding any respect and power within the hierarchy and he was sick of being at the bottom. Maybe his brother thought that they deserved to be higher in the ranks but because they were sons of the Alpha who were born to an outsider, they were never going to go anywhere. Chris remembers hearing about them, their existence caused quite a stir amongst the packs since it’s unusual for Alpha’s to have children with those who are not their mates. A tradition that stems from the formation of packs eons ago, a way to make sure that the future packs are stronger and blessed by the Moon Goddess – while not every Alpha has followed it, it’s more unusual than not.

While Chris knew better than to accept the challenge because it stemmed from jealousy and misplaced hatred, he still said yes. Even when they both knew what it could mean, Chris still accepted the challenge because he didn’t want to look weak in front of his pack.

Knowing what he knows now, Chris is aware that they wouldn’t have viewed him any different if he said that the challenge was stupid but that’s what hindsight is for, right?

Killing another wolf, regardless of whether they are a part of one’s pack or not, leaves a mark on the soul that makes one feel like they are tainted. Even if it is done with reason, even if it is because of a war or self-defence, it hurts to kill one of their own kind. Nobody knows why, nobody can pinpoint in history when this started to happen but the elders theorise it’s when humans started to hunt them, culling the packs down to dangerously low numbers that they had to go into hiding. Whatever the reason, watching the wolf’s life fade before his eyes and feeling that searing pain in his core changed Chris from that day on.

It’s why he couldn’t let Minho kill to avenge his mate because he didn’t want his beta to carry that burden – not realising that losing Jisoo was heavier.

Sharp teeth bite into flesh, the sound of tearing echoes in the silent field as Chris pulls back and feels the sense of deja vu rush through him. Theo doesn’t look that different from his late older brother and maybe in a different life, with different choices, they could have lived a long life instead of meeting the same gruesome end. Not that it matters now but Chris still mourns the death of one of his kind. Staring at the lifeless wolf, Chris feels a wave of sorrow rush over him because he didn’t want this to be the way it ended but he wasn’t given any other option when it became clear that Theo would never leave her alone if he were to survive this. Huffing as he shakes his head, Chris turns back towards the house before he stumbles, the weight of his own injuries taking over and causing him to collapse.

The last thought that runs through his mind as his world turns to black is her. Her smile, her laugh, the warmth she provides those around him and the gentle heart that beats inside her.

“Fuck. What have I done?…”

Your eyes are locked on the scene in front of you, your feet glued to the floor as the door is forced open and Minho pulls you into his arms. “Don’t look.” His words come too late as you already witnessed the large black wolf tearing out the throat of the smaller brown wolf like a predator killing his prey.

Your arms hang limp by your side as Minho’s hand rests on the back of your head and he tries to explain why Chris had to do what he did but the words fall on deaf ears. Everything you have been feeling suddenly fades, your body growing numb and your brain shutting down as your body goes into shock from everything that’s happened. You’re now questioning everything around you because the world that you once knew has been resorted to nothing more than a fairy tale from yesterday. It feels like you’ve aged several years in the span of a few hours and lost your innocence because of this.

“We need to get out of here, Sugar.” Minho picks you up with no resistance on your end. “Close your eyes and I’ll carry you out.” If you could hear the guilt in his voice then maybe you would know how much he blames himself for putting you in this position in the first place but right now, you cannot find it in your heart to care.

You cannot seem to care about anything right now. Not when he carries you through the room of fallen wolves, Chris’ pack cleaning up the mess wordlessly. Not when you see a couple of the pack rushing off in the direction where Chris and Theo were, shouting something you couldn’t comprehend to alert the others. Not even when Minho puts you in the car and tells you that he’ll take you home and leave you alone after this. “I’m sorry,” you hear him say but you don’t respond. You don't even know what you would say if you wanted to.

The only thing that seems to gain a reaction from you is when you look past Minho to see Felix and another member helping a naked Chris towards their car. His head bobs up and down slightly as they walk and even though you cannot see the full extent of his injuries, you know that he’s not in a good state.

“I want to see him.” You finally look up at Minho, his expression conflicted by your request but after a moment of deliberation, he concedes.

With a heavy sigh, he helps you out of the car and calls out to Felix. “Do you want to go back to the pack house with him?” Minho asks, his voice low so that you’re the only one who can hear him, “I can take you home. It might be bet–”

“No. I want to stay with him.” There are many emotions conflicting inside of you, so many thoughts running around your head and questions sitting on the tip of your tongue but everything can wait until after he’s okay. Right now, that is the most important thing to you; even if you want to curl up in bed, cry yourself to sleep and never leave your room ever again, you need to make sure Chris is okay. He sacrificed himself to save you, despite everything he’s said and done, he turned up knowing that he could die.

He nearly did die trying to save you.

You pick up the pace, wanting to be near him so that you can take in the damage yourself but Minho’s grip on your elbow stops you right before you can reach him. “Sugar.” You can hear the plea in his voice, the uncertainty about whether you could forgive him for what Minho did to you. Your face gives nothing away as he asks if they can talk later. “Give it some thought. You have my number, yeah?”

You hum, the sound neither a confirmation nor a decline, before making your way towards the opened door so you can slide into the car next to Chris, lifting his heavy head to rest on your lap. You can’t think about Minho right now, there is already too much on your plate for you to want to care about your friendship with him or at least, the lie of it, and whether you could ever get through this. How does one get past your supposed friend kidnapping you and offering you up to your psychotic ex-boyfriend over some weird revenge plan?

“He might not wake up for a while,” Felix’s deep voice pulls you out of your thoughts and you look down at the man resting on your lap, your fingers subconsciously playing through his damp hair. “We can drop you off whenever you want to go.”

Meeting his gaze, you nod slightly before looking back down at Chris. “Thank you,” your voice is as soft as your touch as you brush a lock of hair off his forehead.

As the car begins to move, the silence feels like a weight trying to suffocate you where you sit. You know you’re mad at Chris, you’re mad at Minho, you’re mad and sad and scared alongside nearly every other emotion you can name. You feel it all as you stare quietly out the window but yet, there is one thing that you feel above everything else.

Concern for Chris’ well-being.

It takes Chris several hours to wake up; several agonising hours of watching and waiting to see if he’ll open his eyes and show you that he’s okay. You spent that time pacing around his bedroom, occupying yourself by looking around his room and trying to learn more about him. Chris has several photo frames on display, various colourful stones sitting in a bowl that must have some kind of significant meaning to them, and a canine tooth on a leather necklace hanging from his mirror. Other than that, there is nothing that can give you some kind of deep insight into the mind of the Alpha.

Ironic since you were thinking of him as a stupid Alpha male this entire time. The macho type of man who demands that people listen to him and reverts to aggression when he doesn’t get his way. Who knew you wouldn’t be that far off on that?

Felix came up and gave you company now and again, offering to show you around the house only for you to kindly refuse because you didn’t want to miss out on him waking up. Though, if you had known that Chris was going to take this long, maybe you would have. Luckily, during this time, you had eaten, showered and changed your clothes in the master bedroom’s ensuite, plus you were able to contact Serena to let her know that you were going to be staying out for the night. Of course, there were follow up questions but right now, you didn’t want to deal with the judgement of your older sister especially when you had no clue how to explain where you’re at and why you’re there.

The digital clock on the bedside cabinet displays 02:12AM when you finally lay down on the king bed, facing a sleeping Chris. The bite and claw marks that littered his body earlier have mostly healed but he still hasn’t woken up. From what Felix had explained, he’s in this state because it’s easier to heal while unconscious and allowing their wolf to take over than when awake; it made no sense to you, if you were honest, but he guaranteed that Chris would wake up when he had healed enough and that’s what you held onto.

“I’m still mad at you,” you whisper without a hint of anger behind it, examining his resting face. You were surprised to learn that Chris hadn’t turned 30 yet, especially with the way he held himself and assuming his status, but like this – you can see it. Reaching over, you lightly trace a finger over his jaw line, feeling the prickle of his stubble under your fingertips, before pulling away. “You have a lot of explaining to do, Christopher, but right now… please just wake up…”

If you weren’t watching his face as closely as you were, you would have missed the way his lips twitch upwards, the ghost of a smile forming before gold eyes flutter open to meet yours. You gasp but don't say anything as you watch the gold begin to fade into a deep brown, almost dark enough to reflect your image in his eyes. “You’re here,” his voice is deep, quiet, and filled with emotion.

He’s surprised you came with him, let alone stayed until he woke up.

“I–” You’re about to tell him that you had to be here when he woke up so that you could demand answers about everything but it didn’t feel right to say that. Not right now, at least. “I was worried about you. You could have died, Chris.” As the words leave your lips, you feel their truth deep in your soul because while you want answers, while you deserve answers, you were worried about him. It terrified you to think that the both of you weren’t going to make it out of there; it wasn’t just you that you were thinking about in that moment – you were thinking about Chris too.

His hand reaches up to caress your face and it’s not until his thumb sweeps under your eye that you realise you’re crying. You don't know when you had started but now that you’re aware, you begin to give into the feelings that had been held back by the adrenaline and shock. Soft sobs pass through your lips and Chris wraps you up into his embrace, pulling you in and providing a safe place to cry. “I’m sorry,” Chris whispers into your hair and you squeeze your eyes shut as if that would stop the tears from flowing. “I’m so fucking sorry, Sugar.”

“What would have happened if you died?” you blubber, lifting your head to look up at him and take in his sorrowful expression. His expression conveys his guilt but he’s also hurting because of the pain that you’re feeling and what he’s put you through. “You… you could have.”

“I could have.” Chris nods, his voice soft and his hands gentle as they run over your back, trying to provide comfort. He doesn’t say anything else, doesn’t try to defend his actions or poke fun at you for crying about it because you survived, didn’t you? Chris allows you to feel the emotions without any of the jest or arrogance you have come to know.

Wiping the tears from your eyes and sniffling, you ask a question that you already know the answer to, “Why did you come?”

He lets out a soft chuckle, raising an eyebrow at you before his expression softens. Chris gently rests his forehead against yours, holding your gaze. “Because of you,” he answers simply. The weight of his words mixed with his quiet whisper sends a shiver down your spine.

“Why?” you ask, your voice just as quiet as his.

“You know why. I wasn’t going to let him hurt you.” Theo had done it before, would it have been any different this time?

You search Chris’ gaze and the intensity in his eyes makes you blurt out what is on your mind, “so, you killed him. Why?” It’s obvious why because Theo was a threat. Not only was he a threat to Chris and his pack but to you as well. You know this but that didn’t answer your question: did Chris need to kill him?

A moment passes and you know it’s because Chris is trying to figure out how to word his answer in a way that you’d understand.

“I would destroy the world if it posed a threat to you,” he says, his voice unwavering. “If a choice has to be made that has to do with you, I would always choose you. You are my mate, Sugar. You may not fully comprehend what that is but that means that you are the only reason I live.” Your cheeks heat up as your heart races and you have to break eye contact so you can remain composed – except Chris isn’t finished talking and lifts your chin up so that you’re looking at him again. “Even if it kills me, I will always put you first and you need to understand that.”

She asked Chris every question that she could think of, making sure that he elaborated on everything whenever she got confused about something that he had said. He told her about himself, what it means to be an Alpha and even took the brunt of her prodding when she learned that Chris has always had issues with his anger. Though it wasn’t just Chris that spoke, she shared about herself as well, especially about her relationship with Theo and what caused her to start the business with her sister. They spent hours talking and learning about each other and the worlds that they both came from – which meant also learning about werewolves and the mating process.

“So,” she asks, skin growing warmer to the touch as her skin flushed thinking about it, “when we had sex that day…”

Clearing his throat, Chris nods and looks away like he’s ashamed about admitting this to her. “I knotted you… you–” he clears his throat, “you seemed to enjoy it though.” He distinctly remembers how tight she was around him as she came undone and the thought stirs something up inside them both before she slaps his chest.

“I wasn’t focused on that! I was focused on how stupidly confusing you were and how you had your teeth in my neck.” God, he loves that little fire inside her when she’s trying to defend herself even though he can tell she’s thinking about it. “No.” She stops his thoughts in their tracks. “That is not happening again any time soon.”

“But you’re open to it happening again?” He smirks, his tone hopeful.

Rolling her eyes, she huffs, “maybe. I’ll think about it.” It’s not a ‘no’ so that allows Chris to believe that maybe she’s accepting their fate.

It’s always easier for werewolves to mate within their own kind and sometimes, they do regardless. If they don’t find their mates then they often choose to mate with someone from within the pack or another pack but it’s harder to do this when you’ve already found the one destined for you. It’s this pull, this need to be around them that makes it harder to be without them and with someone else – it’s why they don’t fight against it.

Even though Chris tried, and failed miserably.

He opens his mouth to say something, to ask her for a fresh start so that he can show her that he’s a good mate, a good choice in a partner for her, but when he does – she yawns. Loudly. Letting out a short laugh, Chris nods and understands what it is that she’s needing before she even asks for it; she’s been awake for a long time, holding out for him to wake up and deal with her interrogation so of course the exhaustion is hitting her now.

She’s human, after all. She isn’t built for this and while there’s still so much to do and work out – Chris needs to take it at her pace.

“Come here.” He lays on his back, bringing her head to rest on his chest, running his calloused fingers up and down her spine and keeping her close. “Sleep, hm? If you still have questions when we wake up then I’ll answer whatever else you want me to. I have no secrets from you, Sugar.” His body feels more at ease with her cuddled into his side, his breathing slowing down as he feels the tension leaving her and her fist unfurling on his stomach. It’s how they are meant to be – wrapped up in each other.

His eyes start growing heavy, his mind focusing on the steady heartbeat next to him and using it as his lullaby. The last thought that crosses Chris’ mind as he falls asleep is how this is something that he could get used to.

He could live the rest of his life with her like this in his arms.

Morning breaks and when the Alpha finally stirs from his deep sleep, the deepest he’s had in a long time, he finds himself alone. The side she was on is cold and her scent is fading. It hits him rather quickly: she left. She left while he was sleeping.

Chris searches the house, going from room to room as he calls out her name but it seems that nobody saw her leave the house. Her presence is a fleeting memory from the night before and with her taking everything when she left – it’s almost like she was never there. Chris lays down on the bed, huffing dejectedly as he rests his hand on his head and stares up at the ceiling in thought. “Why did she run away?” There’s nobody who can answer that question except the woman herself but it seems like she’s decided that she doesn’t want to be contacted at all.

Her phone is off. Serena hung up on him when he called the bakery. He could go to the bakery and see her but something tells him it wouldn’t go down well.

“Fuck,” he groans. Flinging his arm out, he accidentally hits the bedside cabinet in his frustration, knocking off the lamp. “Ah– shit.” He looks down to find that the lightbulb had shattered on impact and made a mess, representing his own mess, but that thought is short-lived because something else grabs his attention. He should focus first on cleaning it up, especially because shattered glass isn’t fun to pick out of his feet but the small letter laying on the floor has Chris reaching over instead.

It’s from her. He knows it’s from her. Chris could recognise her handwriting from a mile away.

Chris,I know it might seem like I’m a coward for disappearing before you even wake up but I just don’t know if I can do this. Not right now, at least.You said that the bond will remain and I know that eventually this won’t be something I can push away and ignore forever but I just need some time to think and adjust to everything that happened.One minute, I hated you… or at least wanted to, then the next thing I know, I’m held captive by my ex-boyfriend and someone I trusted and thought was my friend. I learned that werewolves were real in the span of a few hours and not only are they real – but I was used to hurt one over a grudge that happened before we even met. Murder and death are treated like everyday things and I get it, rules must be different for you but for me – even if Theo wasn’t someone that I cared for, I will never believe killing someone is okay.It’s also hard to accept that someone who has spent weeks pushing my buttons and making me unable to stand the sight of him, is meant to be this person I am connected to due to some bite mark that he put on me. Without my permission, I might add.While I want to say that I’m angry at you, I don’t know what I’m feeling to be able to put it all into words other than I need time. Please give me that. Let me work through things in my own time and maybe… well, eventually, we can connect again and see how things go.

Sighing, Chris places the letter on his bedside cabinet and sits up. With feet placed on the carpeted floor and a hand rubbing over his face, he thinks about what she must be going through and he knows that he needs to respect her wishes. She’s had so much thrown at her and it’s not fair for him to push her more. In time, he can hopefully work his way into her heart and show her that he’s not the man she hated. In time, Chris can make it up to her and make things right. He can start on the foot he should have when he first saw her that day but right now, she’s right – it’s a lot for a human to take in in such a short period of time. She needs to come back in her own time and he’ll give her that.

She deserves that from him, and more.

There’s a ring on the doorbell and you sit up from the couch, humming to yourself as you quickly make your way over to the door. You’re not entirely sure who is at the door but you can tell that Chris is excited about it because for the last hour, you’ve had this overwhelming mixture of excitement and nerves rushing through your body as if you’re waiting for something.

Over the last few months, you have been learning more about this bond with the Alpha. You had spent time allowing yourself to accept what had happened and work through all the emotions that had hit you all at once and then when you had accepted that this is something that’s not going away – you did some research. Of course, Google can only provide so much but with that and the lore from many of your fated mate romances, you learned that this is something that cannot be erased easily – or at all, depending on which book you read. You could feel Chris’ emotions whenever he felt strongly about something, like missing you, and there was this constant ache in your chest that has been growing slowly over time. It has gotten to a point where you’re almost ready to pack it up and go back home – almost.

Not that it’s just Chris that you’re missing. You had left town completely, having headed back to the city to get away from it all, which seemed to work at first when it came to being away from the constant reminders. Eventually, you began to miss Serena and the bakery. You miss your sister’s cooking and being able to go for walks along the beach after work. You miss how clean the air is and how quiet it is at night. Over your months away, you have compiled a list of all the things you miss and realise that the longer you’re away, the longer that list gets.

“Delivery for…” the man reads out your name and has your sign for it. Handing over a beautiful bouquet of roses, you bring them close and take a deep inhale before smiling softly to yourself.

Every few days for the last month, Chris has a new bouquet of flowers delivered to your door. At first, they were just flowers followed by a small text, telling you that he hopes you’re doing well, but the last couple of deliveries have had the nice addition of a letter.

You’re sure he got the idea from you.

“Thank you, have a good day.” You bow your head and take the letter from the delivery man before closing your door and making your way into the kitchen where the previous bouquet sits in a crystal vase. “Hm, they haven’t wilted yet…” You think to yourself before placing them on the bench to deal with later because you’ll have to find another vase for this one.

Sitting down on the couch once more, you open up the letter with a smile, wondering what words Chris has written for you this time. He’s strangely poetic, you’ve learned, always finding quotes from poems and sharing them with you or sometimes, he’ll share something about his past like how he once raced a few of his betas when he was a teen – only to end up running into a tree. Each letter held something that has you struggling to keep your distance, each text has you wishing you could tell him to come around, and every voicemail has your heart longing for him.

You made him miss you, even if it also made you miss Chris in return. You made sure that he had to work for your love. While you haven’t said those words to him or admitted them to yourself, with all the effort that he’s been putting in since you reached out a month ago – you can say that he’s on his way to winning you over.

Sugar,The new season comes in and your sister has decided that this means it’s time to rearrange the bakery.

You laugh softly, shaking your head because Serena had told you that Chris has not only been trying to make things right with you, but also with your sister. While you have the bond that makes it easier for him to break down those walls, Serena does not and from what she’s been saying – she’s making Chris work his ass off to get her blessing.

Not that it’s detering him in the slightest.

I know that you’ve been taking it slow and that you will decide to come back when you feel it’s time but I was hoping you might like to go out for dinner soon. No pressure, Sugar. It’s not like I’m going crazy without seeing your smile every time I walk into the bakery.

Just text me when and I’ll make it happen.

You smile, knowing exactly how he would have said those words because you can imagine the ever-so-confident smirk Chris would be wearing as he wrote that out. You realise that despite it all and how much he pissed you off, you can clearly imagine the way he would say certain things or how he would get this glint in his eyes whenever you fought back like it turned him on.

“It probably did,” you say aloud, speaking to yourself.

On another note, I was going to tell you when we were texting the other day but I didn’t want to ruin the mood. I thought you deserved to know that Minho has rejoined; he’s at the bottom of the chain until he earns the trust of the pack as a whole but he’s back. I don’t want you to come home and be surprised by his presence so I’ve made it clear that he stays away from you until you have decided to talk to him – I hope that’s okay with you. I didn’t want him to hinder your healing but I also didn’t want to overstep and make a decision for you.

This isn’t actually news to you because you already knew. Minho had texted you the moment Chris allowed him back onto the territory and had reached out to try and talk about what happened but you weren’t ready to deal with him. You honestly don’t know when you will be. Chris might have pissed you off and done things that you didn’t like or that had upset you but he didn’t betray your trust and kidnap you like Minho did.

He can sit in that guilt for a while. You can only deal with one werewolf at a time right now.

I’ll hear from you soon, hm? I’ll keep waiting until you’re ready but know that the moment you let me in – I’m never letting you go again.Chris.

Placing the letter down with the others on the coffee table, a little collection for you to read as you think about what to do next, you sit back and ponder about what you should do. You wanted to take time to deal with your feelings, to understand what happened and to try and figure out how to move forward with everything – you did that. You worked through it all and more. You even started to accept that this is how your life will be moving forward because as crazy as it all was in the beginning, haven’t you always tried to accept what life had to throw at you?

As crazy as a werewolf boyfriend might sound, clearly this was what the universe had decided for you from the moment you met Theo. Maybe you were destined to end up here no matter what path you took.

Taking a deep breath, you reach for your phone. If you don't make a decision now and act on it – you might take a few more months before going back.

[TEXT] <- Hey! So, dinner tonight? Pick me up at 7:30 and don’t be late!

#kvanity #straykidsland #lapydiariesnet #ksmutsociety #keopihausnet #iridescentxstars ©#scenario ; bangchan #werewolf ; bangchan #au ; werewolf #g ; smut #g ; dark #g ; supernatural #g ; enemies to lovers #group ; skz #bangchan scenario #bangchan scenarios #bangchan smut #bangchan fic #bangchan fanfic

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wherethesunsails · 2 years ago

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NCIS is so funny because fornell will randomly show up and suddenly the vibe is just two old queers facing off. these two old men have fucked dirty nasty. the team are children of divorce but they don't know it because they're actually the stepchildren they just don't know that dad had a former marriage. gibbs and fornell are just there flirting all the time and always on the verge of passionately kissing with tongue and the kids are just. so confused

#ncis #leroy jethro gibbs #tobias fornell #gibbs x fornell #ill die on this hill #lovers to exes to lovers to enemies to lovers etc

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aroaessidhe · 8 months ago

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2024 reads / storygraph

This Ravenous Fate

start of a sapphic YA duology set in 1920s Harlem, in a world where reapers (vampires) are the result of horrific human experimentation

follows a reluctant heir to a powerful reaper-hunting family, who has just returned from paris

and her childhood best friend who she hasn’t seen since she was turned and almost killed her five years ago

in the wake of a string of murders, they’re forced to work together to find out how they’re linked, and investigate rumours of a cure

#this ravenous fate #aroaessidhe 2024 reads #sapphic books #I thought this was pretty decent! I thought the concept of the origin of vampires and how it discussed Black oppression and #treatment of vampires; and discussions of class privilege etc was interesting.#The main characters and their dynamic was great! I liked the friendships (though they fell off a bit…) and some of the family dynamics too.#I found the plot and pacing a bit all over the place though.#And I’m not sure how much is the writing and how much is the narration but I didn’t LOVE the writing.#The narrator doesn’t pause between POV switches which made it hard to keep track of sometimes.#I found a lot of the adults (/antagonists) a bit too cartoonishly evil? Though that might also be due to the narration -#eg after a whole scene of her dad yelling at her his voice is described as ‘steady & calm’ & I was like oh…..so not at all how that was act #It might have come across a bit more subtle and nuanced without such dramatic acting.#some of the lore was a little silly (like they age til they’re 25 then stop aging….ok sure)#but also sometimes with vampires the point is to lean into those aspects haha!#it reminds me of these violent delights - like obviously the enemy exes solving a supernatual murder in 1920s -#but also writing wise (both good and bad)#I think if you just want a good YA urban fantasy enemies to lovers with Black lesbians? if you wanted first kill to be a bit better?#then yeah check it out!

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getouyuri · 1 month ago

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my obsession with subverting tropes and/or going against the grain of popular dynamics will never end I fear

#mommm aisha’s yapping again #I think what a lot of ppl fuck up on when subverting tropes is like. doing it ‘just because’ and not having a reason #like shock value in a way #but what I try to do is connect it to the real world and actually get into how it affects character growth #and where it all began and why x became this way #that’s a rant for another day tho… lemme get back to my point #I feel like so many things in media are beyond overdone and recycled without given any meaning or depth #it gets boring and tbh a lot of it is just corny #it’s why im so particular with what I read (altho sometimes I’ll read things that are lowkey booboo just for fun when I don’t wanna think)#and why im particular w/ my own fics #like ex im tired of (most) enemies to lovers shit cos it’s always genuine asshole bully x humiliated victim #like erm no… boring and weird first of allllll #second of all what happened to complex dynamics and a key point behind all behavior in enemies to lovers pairings #etc etc #im high as hell so im not conveying my thoughts properly but 😭 yeah

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plots4us · 1 year ago

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i play ( michael clifford ), and i am looking for ( M/F or M/M ) with ( anyone:’) ). looking for ( friends/enemies to lovers**, angsty exes*, party friends, baby mom/coparenting ) plot. this plot will be for ( BOTH ). this plot ( WILL ) be chemistry based, ( absolutely ) contain mature themes and will be ( PARA / HEADCANON ). reach me at ( CHATS shredddar )

#band rp #bandom rp #band rpg #bandom rpg #band rp plots #m x f #m x m #friends to lovers #enemies to lovers #angst #exes #etc #both group & psl #chemistry based #mature theme #either para or hc #chats

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buryhny · 7 months ago

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fan fic recommendations by AU

wattpad fics will be updated in this list too. and i'll be updating when i come across new fics.

monthly fic recs - updated each month

Jeon Jungkook fics

best friends/childhood friends AU brother's bestfriend/bestfriend's boyfriend AU bodyguard AU boxer/gangster AU ceo AU co-workers AU enemies to lovers AU exes to lovers AU fantasy AU fake dating AU fuckboy/fratboy AU friends with benefits/fuck buddies AU idol/popstar/celeb AU hybrid AU neighbors AU roommates AU strangers to lovers AU soulmates AU single parent AU teacher AU yandere AU other jobs (tattooist/baker/sugar baby/racer etc) AU

Park Jimin fics

best friends/childhood friends AU brother's bestfriend AU ceo AU college AU co-workers AU enemies to lovers AU exes to lovers AU fantasy AU fake dating AU fuckboy AU friends with benefits/fuck buddies AU idol/popstar/celeb AU hybrid AU neighbors AU parents AU single dad AU strangers to lovers AU sugar daddy AU soulmates AU yandere AU other jobs (stripper/racer/doctor/stalker etc) AU

#ask #bts #jungkook #jungkook fanfic #btswritersclub #jeon jungkook #bts fanfic #jungkook x reader #jungkook x y/n #jungkook fic recs #jungkook smut #park jimin #jimin bts #jimin fic #jimin smut #jungkook series

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whoreforsexymen · 5 months ago

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heeeey!!!! Im back with more jayce request. I would like to see jayce x reader with the prompts “Don’t act like you didn’t want to end up under me like this.” and “Shut up and take my fuckin’ cock.”. This is giving me like rivals or enemies to lovers where jayce and the reader have some heavy sexual tension under the surface. One day jayce just loses all patience and snaps and takes all of his stress and anger out on the reader

Sink Like A Stone | Jayce Talis

Prompt Fic (See, Prompt List)

Prompt(s) Used:

#2 "Don't act like you didn't want to end up under me like this."

#21 "Shut up and take my fuckin' cock."

Pairings: Jayce x Fem!Reader

Pronouns: Fem!Pronouns + Female Anatomy Descriptions

Rating: NSFW, 18+, MDNI !! You WILL be blocked!

Word Count: 8.3k (IDK what happened)

Tags: Songfic, INTENSE Smut, INTENSE Angst, VERY SLIGHT dub-con (it's not really dubcon--Jayce just get's really consumed by anger at one point--the unspoken consent is there) Hate-fucking, Lovers to Enemies then back to Lovers (??), Choking, Semi-Public Sex, Biting, Slapping, etc.

Summary: You and Jayce are ex-lovers. You hate him for plagiarizing and stealing your life's work, and he hates you for leaving him over what he considered a selfless act. After months of having not seen each other, you two get into a heated screaming match turned hate-fucking. However, Jayce may have let his emotions get the better of him.

Notes: OKOKOK, so. Be warned. This one is a DOOZY. I was in no way planning on adding 90% of the elements I added to this story. They just kind of happened.

(Special note to @milkbean69 !! I really took this and ran with it. If you want me to redo it in a much tamer way. Please let me know and I will.)

((((Side note, this is going to have to be a two-parter! Stay tuned for part two, which will be much softer.))))

‘We lie,

Cold.’

Jayce.

A name so simple, so unassuming, it would slip unnoticeably through anyone else’s mind. But to you, it holds weight. Each syllable, each breath that forms it, feels impossibly significant—a name that stirs something deep within you, a quiet echo of poignancy known only by you.

Your feelings towards the Jayce Talis you once knew were complex and hard to define. On one hand, you despised the way he insinuated himself into the council of Piltover’s most prestigious Academy, taking a seat you believed was rightfully yours—one you had fought tooth and nail to earn.

‘Dam up the river,

We can go, slow.’

His so-called “vision” for Piltover’s future, with that abominable Hextech nonsense, had directly sabotaged the plans you’d spent years perfecting. You may not have had the luxury of Arcane magic to ease trade, but you had crafted a much more practical blueprint to connect Piltover to the rest of Runeterra’s trading world.

Yet the moment Jayce and his fragile “partner” wielded their so-called “magic,” your ideas were dismissed, overlooked, and ultimately erased.

‘We don’t wanna,

Know.’

On the other hand, you had always considered him a friend—seemingly more at times—until the day he practically ripped the rug of your life’s work out from under your feet.

Not to mention he had the gall to call it his idea. “His” idea? Please. It was your idea, just re-wrapped in a fancy mystical package. You had worked on it together, after all. Jayce had spent countless hours rambling about the mysticism and potential of those tiny blue stones of his, insisting they could revolutionize everything you had ever strived to achieve. Never once did you imagine that, once he unlocked their power, he’d turn against you, abandoning the partnership and the vision you had once shared.

‘Dull down our senses,

Become numb.'

What kind of name was Hextech, anyhow? It felt devoid of sophistication, lacking both subtlety and the gravitas one might expect from something so profound. It didn’t quite capture the essence of what it was—an intricate fusion of magic and technology—nor did it convey any sense of elegance or purpose.

Although, you couldn’t deny that you often reminisced in memories of your life before his grandiose “discovery”—robbery, really— of Hextech—your idea.

‘We take our time

Ignoring all the signs

Living in fear of our lies

Never bad enough to break it

Or, good enough to feel right.’

You had spent the better portion of your youth with him, much of it tangled amidst bedsheets, consumed by a shared, desperate need to relinquish each other’s physical tensions.

‘Been in overtime,

Half our lives.’

Sometimes, you could still feel the softness of his touch, the warmth of his lips grazing your skin—and other, much more tender, places. You could easily recall how your body had ached for him at times, but even more painfully, how your heart had longed for him, too. A truth you never dared to utter aloud.

The absence of anything beyond those intense moments of passion never really crossed your mind during the thick of it all. You never questioned it, and in hindsight, you’re almost thankful you didn’t—especially after what he had done after all that time. All of the time spent together, collectively fantasizing over your dreams and aspirations of a better life for all citizens, and a better future for the next generations to come.

‘Under indecision,

We become so dependent.

On the rush,

Of the moment.’

The bitterness that had consumed your heart was unbearable now, and the thought of ever confessing your feelings to him seemed almost unfathomable—impossible to imagine how much worse it could have been for you now if you had.

By this point, you were acutely aware of how deeply you loathed him. Your physical desires had long since faded, especially since you hadn’t seen or spoken to him in months. You had even gone so far as to move to a place he couldn’t find, cutting off every trace of connection, and the bond you once had.

Your skin ached with longing for him, your body and soul craving his touch once more. Yet, no matter how intense the desire, you would never allow him a single opportunity to return to your life.

It was a painful contradiction to bear—hating him, yet craving him all the same. You felt trapped, consumed by hopelessness, unable to escape the turmoil inside.

‘Sanitize

My head.’

You hadn’t moved far—just to the other side of Piltover, away from The Academy, the council, and—most importantly—-Jayce, himself.. The distance was a great relief. In your day-to-day life, there was no real risk of encountering him, and that small sense of safety gave you some peace of mind.

However…

You often found yourself testing that peace, pushing the boundaries of the distance you’d created. You weren’t entirely sure why—maybe it was the deep, unresolved desperation for him, or perhaps a semi-conscious, self-destructive choice of yours.

‘Death murders

Everything in sight.’

Each night, you found yourself walking almost the entire length of Piltover, from your new home to the Hexgate monolith on the far end—the very place you had fought so hard to escape.

Seeing the towering structure always left you with a deep, melancholic thrum in your chest. It represented everything you had once hoped for, everything you had worked and slaved over, now reduced to rubble by its mere presence.

‘Beneath the rip in the wind

The pillar push you aside.’

That tower stood as an unyielding symbol of betrayal, a constant reminder of the anger and anguish that had shattered your world at the mercy of Jayce’s hands.

‘If I make way

I can taste your sigh.

Just like the cannibal amp

It knows sound is size.’

On your nightly walks, you would make your way down the stone pier that lead to the water, your footsteps echoing in the quiet. When you reached the end, you’d grasp the railing that kept people from tumbling over the cliff’s edge, gluing yourself to the present moment.

‘Push me to

The brink, I said

Well that bitch

Is a creep

It tried to know what I think.’

There, you’d gaze up at the tower, lost in thought—re-evaluating and wondering how differently your life might have unfolded if Jayce hadn’t betrayed you—-if he hadn’t stolen your idea and torn everything apart.

‘To breathe out passion

Or suck in fate

You think the world was made

To wield your weight

And bleed out?’

Tonight was no different. Here you were, hood drawn—- hands shoved deep in your pockets—-your bodice pulled tight as you hunched in quiet disdain, eyes locked on nothing but the ground that passed underfoot.

Your expression was sour as you traced every wrong turn your life had taken to bring you here. Your chest felt heavy, as if the weight of it all pressed itself down upon you out of sheer spite.

Your mind buzzed, a relentless whirl of painful memories spinning in a dizzying menagerie inside your skull.

When your eyes met the stark, hauntingly familiar edifice, a sharper pang stabbed deep beneath your chest, more intense than you were accustomed to by now.

You weren’t sure why, of all nights, tonight seemed to bring out the most intense surge of feelings—especially since you found yourself unusually consumed by your thoughts this time around.

Especially since, long before Jayce had perfected the Hexgate, the two of you would often come here to find solace in the sound of the waves and the crisp air of the sea. You’d toss stones into the water, or compete to see who could throw them the furthest. The bittersweet memory of how often Jayce would taunt you for your lack of coordination only deepened the pain and anger digging at you.

You couldn’t control the mindless, almost reflexive way your body reacted to such intense feelings, in combination with the familiarity of the location. Without a second thought, your hand reached for a nearby rock, and before you even registered what you were doing, you hurled it as hard as you could toward the tower.

The tower, distant and perched far out in the water, seemed almost unreachable, and your rock barely made it halfway before splashing down into the water with a sound that felt like it mocked you in the same way Jayce had. You almost felt compelled to throw another rock, driven by some irrational need to make the first one atone for mocking you—despite the fact that it, like all other rocks, had no sentience to answer for its actions.

You gave in to the irrational impulse, bending down to pick up another rock, your mind still fixated on the need to make the previous one pay. But as your fingers closed around the stone, something in the corner of your vision made you pause. A pair of shoes—familiar, yet unknown—caught your eye. Shoes that were attached to feet. Feet that led up to legs. Legs that belonged to the hips and torso of an individual you couldn’t see beyond your hood.

The rock slipped from your hand, forgotten, as your attention shifted entirely to the figure standing behind you. You hadn’t heard a single indicating noise that you had been followed, or approached from behind.

The presence was sudden, unnerving, and yet, you couldn’t bring yourself to be afraid. If you were anywhere else, anywhere but Piltover, you’d be terrified. But here, in this ”city of wonders”, you couldn’t shake the feeling that somehow, you were still safe.

If anything, it was probably an enforcer, here to reprimand you for throwing rocks in the first place. You straightened up, brushing the thought aside, and turned to face whoever had been silently looming behind you.

As you spun around, you realized—this wasn’t an enforcer.

No, far from it.

The person standing there was more terrifying than any enforcer could ever be, and certainly more annoying, infuriating, and enraging to look upon, for lack of better words to describe the instant rush of wrath that overwhelmed you.

‘Am I the reason

That you can’t look past

Your future self?’

“Your aim is still pretty shit, sunshine.” He says plainly, the nickname he had always pegged you with burning in your ears.

Your blood ran cold as your eyes locked onto the disgustingly smug expression on his face. Every hair on your body stood on end, a shiver crawling up your spine as you stood face to face with the man you now regarded with nothing but utter disdain.

You freeze, unable to muster a response, your mind clouded with a storm of rage and contemptment.

Jayce’s gaze lingers on you, almost—dare you think it—in a way that seemed concerned, longing, and worst of all—-caring.

What a hypocrite. How dare he look at you like he actually cares?

‘Got me believin’

You’ve been stuck

And glued in frequent doubt.’

“Don’t give me that look,” you snap, your fingers twitching, aching to throw a rock at his face just to make him eat his words. For a split second, you actually consider it—and you’re sure Jayce can feel exactly what’s running through your mind as he observes the way your eyes flicker between his face, and the stone you had left behind.

“What look?” he asks, concern surging through his expression again.

Did this guy have a death wish, or was he really just that oblivious? Either way, you could crack instantaneously.

“That look. The fake concern,” you snap, your eyes dropping, fists tightening, teeth grinding.

“Fake…?” He pauses, clearly lost in thought as he crosses his arms over his chest, the hint of offense hanging off his words.

You fight the urge to lash out, to make him feel something stronger than pain.

‘I know the feeling

‘Cause I can’t keep

My mind open now.’

“Yes, fake, Jayce. As in insincere. Artificial,” you spit, taking a sharp breath.

“Ersatz,” you add, the word a bitter aftertaste.

Your words cut through the air with a venomous cadence, each syllable sharp and biting, a distasteful attempt to tear through him.

Jayce looked completely dumbfounded, as if his mind had been wiped clean. The stark look of gears no longer grinding in his brain was almost comical. He was daft, no doubt. You felt a twinge of pride prod your ego upon this realization.

You couldn’t bear to stay here, not this close to him, not after everything. The thought that he was only here to twist the knife deeper into your wounds was almost more than you could handle. Your emotions, raw and overwhelming, had already drained you, and you were done. You didn’t want to give him another moment—no chance for him to make things worse, or worse still, to somehow try and redeem himself. As if he ever could.

Steeling yourself, you gather what little dignity you have left and turn away, keeping your face carefully composed. As you pass him, you deliberately knock your shoulder against his, ricocheting his shoulders in the process, a silent and singular act of defiance as you walk away.

As if to intentionally make matters worse, Jayce turns after you, his hand reaching out to grab your wrist. He makes contact, swiftly pulling you back towards him.

“___, wait—” He begins, but his words are cut short as your hand slams into his cheek. You hadn’t necessarily meant to hit him, but the motion was as instinctive as throwing the rocks—your hand connecting with the flesh of his cheek before you even had a chance to stop it—not that you necessarily would have wanted to.

The way you had wound up the slap was only amplified by the sudden pull of his hand grabbing you mid-stride, forcing you back toward him. The momentum aided the force with which you struck him.

The weight of what you’d just done hit you all at once—grief, anger, relief, all crashing together. A small part of you, the part that still cared for him, was flooded with guilt. But the darker parts of you—those that hated him, that had longed to hurt him—felt a twisted satisfaction. Besides, it was his own fault that he had grabbed you.

You’d wanted to feel his skin beneath your hands, after all, and in an oddly perfect way, this had been the way to satiate that desire.

Jayce instantly released his grip on your wrist, his hand moving to cup the spot where your slap had left its mark.

“Ah…” he groaned, wincing as he cupped the stinging flesh. His eyes snapped shut, the pain unmistakably written all over his face.

You couldn’t tear your gaze away as he stood there, his hand pressed against the raw, reddened skin of his cheek, the mark of your slap still vivid and angry. The sight of it made your chest tighten, but you couldn’t quite pinpoint what it was you were feeling. What should you feel in a moment like this? That was the question you could neither answer or shake.

You had already acknowledged, in a quiet corner of your mind, that there was a strange satisfaction in lashing out, even if it was tangled with the thorny weight of your own hurt. There was a cruel sort of release in it, one that both thrilled and disturbed you in equal measure. Your stomach churned as you fought to suppress the abhorrent feeling of shame that crept up on you.

You could feel your instincts urging you to escape—to run, to put distance between yourself and this raw, uncomfortable moment. But you chose not to listen. The urge to flee warred with something else, something deeper, a curiosity that had begun to take root. You wanted to see how this would unfold, to witness how this tension would resolve, if it would resolve at all. The satisfaction you had felt from that sharp, ringing slap was undeniable. Maybe it had been a way to expel some of the pain that had been building inside you for so long. Maybe, just maybe, it was worth confronting whatever came next, just to relieve yourself of that heaviness, even if only for a moment.

‘Make up your mind,

We’re running out of time.’

Your heart sunk as you saw the essence of betrayal soon sweep across his face. Yet, simultaneously, that added to the anger you felt. He, of all people, felt betrayal? After the way he betrayed you? That look of his repulsed you.

He looked at you, disbelief written all over his face, his expression a mixture of shock and hurt. His hand lingered on his cheek, still tender from the sting of your slap, as though he couldn’t quite grasp the reality of the moment. The look he gave you was one of genuine confusion, as if he couldn’t fathom why you were so consumed by anger.

“___…” His voice cracked slightly, heavy with emotion, but still full of that familiar, passionate lilt, the kind that used to make your heart race. When he whispered your name—softly, almost reverently—it was as if the sound of it pained him.

‘Doubt is failure

By design.’

His eyes searched yours, full of questions that hung in the air, unanswered. Why had you struck him? Why this sudden violence? The pain in his gaze only seemed to stoke the fire inside you, making the anger flare even hotter, more reckless.

“Don’t look at me like that. Like you don’t know exactly what that was for,” you spat, each word sharp, each syllable dripping with a tang that tasted like metal on your tongue. But as the words left you, the anger morphed into something far more fragile, far more devastating. Your heart seemed to crack with the weight of it, the betrayal, the hopelessness. The tears welled up, blurring your vision as your chest tightened with sorrow.

“Why… why are you so blind to everything you’ve done?” you choked out.

“To everything we had… everything you destroyed… just so you could chase your fucking dreams?”

Your fists balled at your sides, the muscles in your arms trembling from the effort of keeping control, even though your voice shook with the strain of holding back the tidal wave of emotion threatening to break free.

‘I’m burning up

Can only take

So much.’

“What about my dreams, Jayce? What about our dreams?” you cried, your voice rising, your words feeling like they could burn everything in their path. Every inch of you ached—your body, your heart, your soul—all of it pulled taut like a string ready to snap. You didn’t know how much longer you could keep it in.

“What made sealing your own future—your destiny—more important than what we built together?” you demanded, the question sitting in the air between you like a dagger.

“Why was your ambition more sacred than our bond? More sacred than us?”

Your voice cracked on the last word, your breath coming in short, jagged gasps. The tears spilled over, leaving hot trails down your face, but you stood your ground, unwilling to back down. This—this pain, this heartbreak—was something you needed to admit, needed him to hear.

“How dare you steal my idea. How dare you take the credit, and disparage it with your stupid, fucking, magic.” You were shouting now, your voice ringing through the night air, raw and unfiltered, the weight of your anger shattering the silence that had settled over everything. The contrast between your fury and the stillness of the evening was jarring—your words felt like they were tearing through the quiet, reverberating off the walls of the world around you.

“Your idea?!” he exclaimed in response, his voice rising sharply, cutting through your tirade. He stepped forward, closing the distance between you in a few purposeful strides, his figure towering over you, his height and presence suddenly far more imposing than you remembered. His broad shoulders blocked the space between you, his stance firm, as if challenging you to face him head-on.

‘I know you

Can feel it

It’s catching up

It’s getting too heavy

For both of us.’

“Since when was it your idea?” His words were fast, biting with frustration, and he was unrelenting as he moved closer, his eyebrows knit together in upset.

“‘Cause the way I remember it—we both wanted change. We both wanted to make Piltover a better, more advanced city.” His voice was now an angry force, his face craning down to meet yours, his eyes sharp, trying to drill the point home. He wasn’t asking anymore—he was demanding you understand.

But what hit you most in that moment wasn’t just his words. It was the way his anger had suddenly shifted everything. For the first time in your life, you felt small compared to him. You had never seen him like this—not even annoyed, not in all the time you had spent together. Jayce had always been the steady one, the calm, the voice of reason. But now, his fury felt like a storm—intense, unpredictable, and completely foreign. The force of it left you unsettled, and taken aback, to say the least.

You didn’t know how to react to this. His anger was like a tidal wave, knocking the ground out from under you, and for the first time, you realized just how much power he had over you—how much he could command just by his sheer presence. The towering figure in front of you, his jaw clenched, eyes burning with emotion, made your chest tighten. You didn’t know what to do with this. His anger was new, and in some way, it was almost more frightening than anything you had ever faced.

‘We lie

Cold.’

You were baffled, not just by the words he was saying, but by the way he was saying them—like a person you didn’t recognize.

You parted your lips, ready to continue the tirade that had built up in your chest, but before you could get another word out, Jayce’s voice cut you off, raw and jagged. He didn’t give you a chance to speak, his frustration spilling over, each word more desperate than the last.

“You left me. Here. Alone.” His voice cracked, trembling under the weight of everything he, too, left unsaid, considering how you fled before he ever got a chance to explain himself. It wasn’t just anger in his tone anymore; it was pain. The kind that came from a place so deep you couldn’t ignore it, no matter how hard you tried.

“I did what I thought was best for us.” He stepped closer, his voice rising in volume, matching the intensity of your own.

“I proved what I was trying to prove. For us. For our collective aspirations.” The words came faster now, fueled by the overwhelming rush of emotion that was beginning to boil over in him.

“I worked my ass off to make sure that, with the help of my Hextech, your trade routes could flourish,” he spat, his anger now matching yours, raw and unrelenting. His face was inches from yours, his breath hot as he glared down at you.

“I won’t stand here and let you blame me, let you hate me, for acting out of what I thought was selflessness at the time. I’ve gone to bat for you, countless times, to make sure you got the credit you deserved.”

His own fists clenched at his sides, the strain of his words almost too much to bear.

“But you ran. You left, assuming my only goal was to use you, when in reality, all I ever tried to do was support you.”

His words slammed into you like a physical blow, and for a second, you were paralyzed by the force of them. But then the anger surged again, hot and insistent. Support you? The bitterness twisted in your gut, and before you even thought about it, the words exploded from your mouth.

“Support me?!” You shouted, the sound ringing through the night like a bell, sharp and accusing.

“That’s what you call abandoning me to take a seat in the highest of towers?” You could feel the heat of your own fury rising to meet his, and without thinking, you shoved both hands into his chest, pushing him back with all the force you could muster.

Jayce stumbled backward, caught off guard by the sheer force of your anger, and you weren’t done. You shoved him again, harder this time, your hands pressing against his chest until he hit the railing behind him with a loud clang. The sound echoed in the air, but you didn’t care.

“In the council, no less?! Leaving me here to fend for myself in your fucking shadow?!” Your voice was hoarse now, each scream louder and more desperate than the last. You pushed him once more, as if trying to push the weight of everything you felt, everything you couldn’t hold onto anymore, into him.

The tears you’d held back were streaming freely down your face, but there was no stopping them now. The hurt, the betrayal—it all came pouring out in that single moment. The fury and heartbreak swirled together, a force you couldn’t control, and all you could do was scream at him until your voice gave out, until he understood just how much you had suffered because of his choices.

‘Dam up the river,

We can go, slow.’

Jayce had finally reached his limit. The shouting, the anger, the constant back and forth—it was all too much. He could see now that no matter what he said, nothing would make you stop. The argument had spiraled into something beyond reason, and every word he spoke only seemed to fuel your fire. You weren’t listening anymore; you were just lashing out, consumed by rage.

Enough was enough.

‘Dull down our senses,

Become numb.’

When you shoved him again, anger blinding you, Jayce reacted quickly. His patience had worn thin, and he wasn’t about to let this go any further.

The next time your hands came at him, he caught your wrists with a swift, forceful motion, crossing them tightly over each other. Before you could react, he shoved your arms into your chest, locking you in place. Then, without warning, he spun you around, pulling you harshly against him so that your back was pressed to his chest. His grip tightened, his arms like iron bands, preventing you from thrashing away.

‘Mirin myself

All by myself.’

“Stop.” His voice was low, sharp, and commanding, vibrating against your ear as his chest caged you in. You could feel the heat of his body, the raw tension in every inch of him as he held you close, his strength completely overpowering your attempts to break free.

“___, for fucks sake! Stop!” He demands, one of his enormous hands moving to take hold of both of your wrists while the other clamped down around your jaw, bringing your face towards your shoulder, where his own chin rested in this position.

Jayce had no choice. He knew how stubborn you were, how deeply you clung to your anger when you were hurt, and how you’d never stop until you’d worn yourself out—if you ever did. But right now, he couldn’t wait for that to happen. He couldn’t let you run away from him anymore.

With one sharp, decisive movement, his lips crashed into yours. It was hard, hungry, demanding—a complete storm of sensation that left no room for resistance. Your eyes went wide in shock, your breath hitching as you tried to pull back, but he followed, his mouth pressing harder against yours, refusing to let you break free.

‘Feel the caress, so sweet

Done by my hand.’

You gasped, the sound caught between your lips, and before you could protest, his kiss deepened, his tongue slipping past your lips, twisting with yours in a way that both startled and confused you. You cried out into his mouth, the noise muffled, as his hold on you tightened, his body pressing closer to yours, grounding you in place.

Every part of you wanted to push him away, to shout, to keep fighting, but Jayce’s kiss was relentless—an anchor pulling you deeper into silence. He wasn’t pulling back, not until you stopped fighting, until you let go of that anger long enough to breathe.

And though you still burned with fury, something about the way he held you, the way his presence swallowed you whole, made it harder and harder to keep struggling.

No matter how much you had longed for his touch, how desperately you had yearned for him to kiss you like this again, you couldn’t bring yourself to accept it in a moment like this. Not when everything inside you was still burning with anger and hurt.

‘Polishing this frame of mind,

Jacked it up an ax to grind.’

You fought against him, your body stiff and tense, desperately trying to pull away from his overwhelming presence. Each movement was a silent refusal, a stubborn resistance to the way his kiss was pulling at your very core.

‘Duck n’ dodge,

Stay unaligned.'

But it was futile. You were already drained, your energy spent from the crying, the shouting, the endless cycle of rage that had led you here. As his lips pressed more insistently against yours, the fight in you began to falter. The need to escape, the impulse to run, slowly began to dissolve with every second his lips lingered on yours, and his tongue explored the depths of your mouth. What remained was the sharp sting of your rage, but even that felt like it was starting to ebb.

Gradually, your body softened, the tension in your muscles melting away. The fight left you, piece by piece, until you sighed against his mouth, the sound muffled but unmistakable. With a subtle shift, your head tilted just enough to give him more room, more access, and for the first time in what felt like forever, you allowed yourself to stop fighting. The kiss deepened, and in that quiet surrender, Jayce released a long, relieved breath, sensing your body finally easing into his touch.

‘My recognition face

Some get withered

Some get fried.’

You kissed him back after great hesitation, your lips and tongue moving urgently against his, as if you were trying to make up for every lost moment in a single, heated breath. There was no holding back now. The memories, the longing, everything that had been buried deep inside you erupted all at once, and your mouth moved hungrily against his, each movement a desperate attempt to relive the intimacy you’d once shared.

‘I know we talked about

The shit we did

Each time.’

His grip on your wrists faltered, weakening as you started to turn toward him fully. The distance between you closed rapidly, and soon, your chest was pressed flush against his, your body responding to his presence with an intensity you couldn’t control. As your hands were freed, they instinctively traveled up to his face, your thumb brushing over the spot where you’d struck him only minutes before, feeling the remnants of your anger there, now mingling with something else.

‘Polishing this frame of mind

Jacked it up an ax to grind.’

You cupped his face, fingers digging into his jaw, pulling him even closer as if trying to erase the distance between you, to melt into him and make up for the time and pain that had come before. The urgency in your movements was raw and frantic, a wordless plea to feel everything at once—to collapse the anger, the longing, and the need that had built up inside you into this single, desperate connection.

‘Duck n’ dodge

Stay unaligned

My recognition face.’

His hands roamed over your body, searching for any way to pull you closer, his touch growing more insistent as he settled them on your hips, pulling you into him. The physical closeness only heightened the tension, the desire, but also something darker—something that still lingered between you—lust.

Though you no longer felt the need to escape, your rage simmered just below the surface, burning deep in your chest. It wasn’t gone, not by a long shot. It still gnawed at you, demanding to be felt, demanding some kind of reckoning. Part of you wanted to make him feel it, make him understand the depth of your pain. You wanted him to know what you had been through all this time.

‘Am I the reason

That you can’t

Look past your future self?’

Your tongue retracted for a moment, and you pressed your teeth against his bottom lip, the bite sharp enough to sting. It was a flash of anger, mixed with the heat of desire, and it caught Jayce off guard. You had shared passionate moments before, but nothing quite like this—nothing that carried this much intensity. He flinched at the sudden sharpness, but in that moment, something in him sparked, that familiar fire of tension growing even stronger.

If that’s what it would take to break the tension, then he’d oblige.

Jayce’s hand tangled into your hair, pulling you closer, his grip tightening. The sensation of your hair in his hand, the pressure, sent a breathless sound escaping from you—something between a gasp and a soft exhale. It was involuntary, the sound mixing with the heat building between you. Jayce had always longed to hear that from you, to feel that connection, and now that it was happening, he couldn’t stop.

For far too long, Jayce had denied himself any form of physical connection. Since you left, he’d been forced to bury his desire for you deep inside, locking it away with a painful awareness that nothing—no touch, no embrace—could compare to what he had shared with you. Each passing day, he became more acutely aware of the emptiness that lingered, knowing that any contact with anyone else would only serve as a stark reminder of the craving that burned for you.

‘Got me believin’

You’ve been stuck

And glued in frequent doubt.’

He tightened his grip, drawing another soft sound from you, the mix of pleasure and tension in the air thickening. His focus was solely on you now, on the way your body responded, on the sounds you made, and how this moment—this raw, unguarded moment—was pulling both of you closer to the unspoken lust that couldn’t be denied a moment longer.

You can’t help but let out a filthy little moan, whimpering along with it.

A shameless, guttural moan, that sent Jayce’s head into a spiral. He had been beyond desperate to coax those kinds of noises out of you for what felt like too long of an eternity. He was in no position to deny himself the opportunity to keep drawing them out of you.

His hands curled into a fist as he yanked on your hair, whimpers flying out of you like a flock of birds.

If you wanted to fight dirty, Jayce was game.

“Fuck..” He breathes out—eager, like a starved man who stumbled upon a banquet— as he pulls away from your lips, immediately pressing them against the skin of your neck he had exposed from his grip on your locks. He let his teeth drag along the skin, biting and harshly sucking on it in several places. Your reaction was deathly arousing. The slightly pained cries that flowed beside ones of pleasure sent Jayce’s burning temptation into orbit.

He knew you needed him in the way he had once gotten used to providing for you. His cock throbbed beneath his slacks, desperate to break free from the confines of the cloth that kept it contained.

It was arguably harder than it had ever been, his anger and inability to have you for so long adding fuel to the fire of his pure incessant need to bury himself deep inside you.

‘I know the feeling

Cause I can’t keep

My mind open now.’

Oh, how you both longed to be connected like that again. In the way all lovers know well—their unspoken second nature.

He ruts his hips against yours, your own body responding instinctively by meeting them in their attempt to seek friction.

You both emit low grunts at the new sensation, satiating the tension for now.

You felt as though you were being scorched from within, the intense heat of your desire and simmering rage intertwining, each stoking the other in a relentless blaze. Every nerve burned with an insatiable hunger, a craving that went beyond pleasure, pulling you deeper into a whirlwind of both ecstasy and agony.

You needed more—not just the thrill of sensation, but the raw, cathartic pain that seemed to heighten the fire within you. Your soul ached for an outlet, something that would satisfy the chaotic tension, where your lust and frustration could collide, erupting into something that might finally ease the raging storm inside.

You snaked your arms around his neck, giving a small jump into him as you anchored onto him, wrapping your legs around his waist. He hums darkly in reaction to the sudden motion, his hands releasing their clasp on your hair to instead latch onto the bottom of your ass—-supporting you as you clung to him.

Jayce’s head shot up from it’s spot between your head and chest, moving to a new vantage point in order to scan the area. He was a man with a mission.

A mission to uncover the perfect place, somewhere secluded and unremarkable—a refuge hidden from the world where he could channel the fury between you with ruthless intensity. It had to be a spot where nothing could interrupt the raw, unfiltered release of tension—a place where every movement, every act, could be as drastic and unforgiving as the anger that surged through both of you.

Needless to say—and in an extremely simple turn of phrase—-He needed to fuck the rage out of you— and he would stop at nothing to do so.

After a few tense moments, Jayce focused, his eyes landing on the perfect hidden corner in all of Piltover. His grip tightened on you as he began to lead you toward it. The alleyway was small and shadowed, tucked between two shops that had long since closed for the night. The buildings on either side pressed in tightly, their walls forming a dark, narrow passage that swallowed any light. The darkness obscured it from street lamps and passersby, though Jayce hardly seemed at all concerned about the possibility of wandering eyes, anyway.

The alley itself was already tucked away from the main streets, but the particular spot his intentions were set on was even more concealed—through the alley and to the right, behind the buildings entirely, not just in between.

Overhanging eaves, garbage bins and scattered crates cloaked the area, creating a thick, impenetrable shadow. It was a secluded pocket, completely hidden from view, untouched by the faintest glimmer from the street beyond.

A perfect haven of obscurity, though the lack of any inviting scenery was hardly worth a second thought. The cracked cobblestones, the faint smell of damp earth, rotting trash, and the forgotten clutter of the alley seemed irrelevant. In a place like this, where shadows held sway, scenery had no claim. Nothing mattered but the raw, pressing heat of the moment.

You sank your teeth into his neck, your hands exploring his shoulders with a quiet, persistent need. He groaned beneath your bite, his un-abating lust taking the lead furthermore, as he harshly slammed your back against the abrasive stone walls of the building. His mouth was quick to covet yours once more, lips voraciously seeking stimulation from them.

Your sensual tango of lips pressing against each other, hips grating and rutting into each other’s carried out, Jayce beginning to make quick work of exposing you to the elements, his cock still hard as ever as it brushed against your clit beneath the layers of clothing. You can’t help but whimper out in response.

With the new advantage of pinning you to the stone wall—-combined with the leverage of your legs still around his waist—-his hands grew eager, rushing to tear your blouse apart. His fingers slid between the buttons of the opening, pushing through the seam before he gripped tight and wrenched it apart. Several buttons flew free, briefly distracting from the sharp bite of the cold air against the newly exposed skin.

You couldn’t help but whine into the cavern of his mouth, the rough display of lust redirecting all of your aching and longing straight to your clit. It throbbed with intent, a desperate reminder that you needed more friction. You greedily rolled your hips into his, yielding another low, filthy grunt from Jayce.

“Fuck.” He pants against your mouth, hands kneading at your breasts, cock twitching beneath his trousers.

Oh, how he longed to revisit the memories of your past encounters, to re-enact the acts of pleasure he had learned to bring you. But in such a moment, he couldn’t bring himself to slow down. As much as he yearned to please you in the ways he’d spent so much time discovering, there was no time, now. The urgency of the present situation demanded everything from him. If he didn��t bury his cock deep within you, right now, and fuck you senseless, he’d probably keel over.

This was his last chance. His only chance to rewrite your history.

‘Am I the reason,

That you can’t look past,

Your future self?’

Without a second’s hesitation, Jayce tore your legs from his waist, practically dropping you to the ground. In one swift motion, he flipped you around, pressing your cheek forcefully into the cold stone wall with one hand. You groan out, the harsh force of his motions prodding your deep-seated anger once more. His chin reclaims its resting point on your shoulder, teeth claiming your earlobe between them as he pressed his mouth to your ear. You groan out of sudden distaste for the new position.

”Don’t act like you didn’t want to end up under me like this.” He growls into it, the words viscerally stabbing at your clit, earning a thirsty cry from you.

He spread your legs with his feet, his free hand clambering to release his throbbing cock from it’s fabric prison. He yanked your pants down, the sound of his belt clinking sending shivers up your spine as your cunt pulsated in anticipation.

You were beyond wet—the word a dull description of the way your cunt was absolutely sopping, dripping, and practically gushing for him.

Despite your evident arousal, you weren’t used to things happening so fast. You began to protest as your back arched against his brawny, bold, and burly chest.

“Jayce— wait!” You started to say, before his teeth clamped down onto your earlobe with increased vigor, your words fading into torrid moans as a result.

He pulls your underwear to the side, fist pumping his deprived cock before he lined himself up with your soaking cunt.

“Shut up and take my fuckin’ cock.” He barked.

Before you even had a chance to breathe, he plowed into you, curling his hips up to press flush against your ass. You had no choice but to brace yourself. Your hands flew to the cold stone wall, gripping tightly to keep from collapsing under the force of it all.

The sound that tore from deep within your chest was raw, loud enough to make anyone within a hundred feet of the building take concerned notice. Anyone outside of you and Jayce would have assumed you were being murdered.

It was a deliciously vile sound, thick with want, neediness, desperation, and all the emotions you had yet resolved.

“Fuck!” You scream, tears stinging in your eyes as Jayce began slamming up into you with at an absolutely merciless pace. He wasted no time by giving you a single moment to adjust, knowing full well the rough nature was exactly what the situation called for. If he didn’t give this his all, everything was at stake. Or so he thought.

His thrusts were, at their core, crude—filthy, vulgar.

Lascivious.

They had an animalistic quality, one that attested to his own desires, and the hurtful longing he had harbored for you.

Jayce grunted, huffing out as he ruthlessly snapped his hips against the flesh of your ass. He plunged his teeth into the skin of your shoulder, the hand that held your face against the stone withdrew from you. Jayce pulled it beneath your arm, wrapping around your chest to imperviously grip at your breast, using his hold on it to further aid in the force with which he was bucking into you.

His other hand moved to your neck, fingers tightening around it with a possessive grip. The pressure forced the air from your lungs, and you gasp, the sound barely escaping as your breath becomes shallow. You squirm, struggling to breathe, but his hold doesn’t loosen. Instead, it pulls you in deeper, mixing fury with hunger. Each ragged breath, each flicker of resistance only seems to make it worse, the heat between you both building in the space where anger and desire collide.

“Fuck you.” He spat out in sync with his thrusts.

“Fuck.” —thrust.

“You.” —thrust.

“For.” —thrust.

“Leaving.” Thrust, thrust, thrust.

The words he spat out were coated in intent, each one seething with the same anger that simmered inside of him. The way he moved, pounding into you, was frantic, his hips driven by a fire that seemed to consume him.

‘Got me believin’

You’ve been

Stuck and glued

In frequent doubt.’

You could feel it, the heat coursing through his veins with every thrust—his body shaking with the intensity of it. There was nothing controlled about the way he gripped you, no tenderness. Just a reckless, furious need, each movement angry, as if he were fighting to push the rage out of his body and into you.

His soul had been set ablaze, and all you could do was feel the burn.

“Agh—“ You pant, air still desperate to escape your lungs as he clenched your throat.

“F-fuck you for—-Pretending like—-you care.” You choke out.

Jayce’s blood boils, his grip on your throat tightening beyond the point of care.

“Pretending like I care?” He pants as well, exhausting himself from the force with which he was railing his cock up into you.

“I care. More than—anyone—sunshine.” He very well shouts, words still in sync with his thrusts, on exhaling with each. He was absolutely plowing you now, the familiar nickname cutting through the air that surrounded you.

You were groaning out in pleasure and pain, the contrasting feelings mixing into one as he continued his relentless assault on your cervix.

“T-Then why—-why couldn’t you just—-“ Your lungs begged for air.

“Love me—-like I love—- you?” You gasp, your voice barely audible above the hunger for air.

‘I know the feeling

Cause I can’t

Keep my mind

Open now.’

Jayce’s movements stopped abruptly, his hands yanking away from you as if struck by a sudden realization. You gasped, breath catching painfully in your throat, stumbling back into the wall, your body desperate for air that was slow to come. The intensity that had fueled him moments before seemed to drain in an instant, leaving you gasping in the silence.

Jayce felt an overwhelming wave of guilt crash over him, sharp and suffocating, like a bucket of ice-cold water being poured straight over his head. It hit him all at once, a gut-punch of realization that mirrored the guilt he had seen on your face earlier when you slapped him—raw, unfiltered, and impossible to escape. His chest tightened, a heaviness settling in his stomach as he stood there, frozen, unable to look at you.

His hips stilled, his body rigid as the anger that had driven him to this point shifted, replaced by something softer—-sadder. His heart felt heavy in his chest, sinking like a stone in water.

All that was left in the alley was the erratic—-uneven sound of your breathing, each inhale a struggle, sweat slicking your skin, catching the light of the moon in fragile glimmers. The silence stretched out, thick with unspoken tension, the weight of what had just transpired hanging between you like a shroud, heavy and unresolved.

His mind was a blur, thoughts scattered and jumbled, short-circuiting in a way that left him dizzy. He couldn’t make sense of the guilt spiraling through him, the crushing weight of having crossed a line he hadn’t even seen until it was too late. Until you said what you had said.

That you loved him.

He removes his chest from your back, pulling himself out of you in the process.

Jayce reached for you, his hands trembling as he gently grasped your shoulders, his touch softer than it had been all night. His fingers barely brushed your skin, as if afraid to make contact after everything that had just happened. With a careful, almost reverent motion, he spun you around to face him. The moment your eyes met, his chest seemed to cave in on itself, a sickening weight settling there.

His heart felt like it had physically dropped, plummeting to the pit of his stomach with a sickening thud. The sight of you, tears streaking down your face, the raw anguish in your expression—it shattered him. Every ounce of anger, every moment of fury that had driven him earlier seemed like a distant memory in the face of the heartbreak he had caused.

How could he have been so reckless? The thought screamed in his mind, impossible to silence. The guilt that gripped him now was suffocating, crushing. He’d seen your pain in the heat of the moment, but now it hit him full force—really hit him. The tears in your eyes weren’t just a reminder of what he’d done; they were a reflection of how far he had pushed you, how little he had cared in the frenzy of his own anger.

And now, standing in front of you, he couldn’t undo it. All he could do was stare at the damage he had inflicted, helpless, terrified of what he’d become.

“___…” He whispers.

#jayce x reader #arcane imagine #arcane #arcane smut #jayce x reader smut #jayce talis x reader smut #jayce x reader angst #jayce talis angst #jayce talis smut #jayce arcane #jayce smut #jayce talis x reader angst

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heechwe · 5 months ago

Text

LOST IN WONDERLAND | 박성훈

⟢ PAIRING: park sunghoon x fem!reader ⟢ WORD COUNT: 12K ⟢ GENRE: smut, semi-angst, fluff ⟢ TAGS: mentions of drug use, fake dating au, rockstar!sunghoon, popstar!reader, enemies to lovers au, jerk to down bad sunghoon, pet names (baby, doll, love, etc.), dirty talk, nipple play, oral (f receiving), belly bulging, spanking, unprotected sex, creampie ⟢ SYNOPSIS: Park Sunghoon, one half of popular rock band Into Eden, is on thin ice with his management and the general public. What does his manager Jay decide to do? Set him up with the leader of rising pop girl group PrismHeart. And while it starts as two stubborn people living in a lie, growing feelings cannot hold anything but the truth. ➸ This one's dedicated to my lovely betas: Ley @pars-ley), Ally @lovetaroandtaemin, Kiki @wonwovy, & Lola @monamipencil)! I'm so grateful to y’all and the love you’ve given this story; I hope everyone else loves it too 🤍 Also the ending song and inspiration for the title is from Boys Like Girls's song "Lost in Wonderland"!

“PARK SUNGHOON: ANOTHER HEARTBREAK UNDER HIS BELT?”

“IS HEESEUNG TIRED OF HIS BANDMATE’S GAMES? IS ‘INTO EDEN’ IN TROUBLE OF DISBANDING?”

“DID SUNGHOON RUIN ANOTHER GIRL GROUP, AND HIS EX’S CAR?”

Sunghoon laughs at the headlines plastered across his manager’s desk. The gossip rags are the only vibrant thing in the office, the monochrome black and white color scheme creating a strict atmosphere that suffocates the rock star to no end. Who knew such bullshit could provide such humor?

The sound dies on Sunghoon’s tongue when he sees Jay’s displeasure pervade the older man’s entire face. His arms are crossed, and Sunghoon can see the veins in Jay’s neck tighten.

“You think this is funny?” Jay asks, his voice even-keeled, but his body language anything but.

“No, Mr. Park.”

“Hoon.” Jay says his talent’s name with admonishment. He sits back down in his chair across from Sunghoon, the large desk separating them. “You know I hate when you call me that.”

“What should I call you, Mr. Park? Bro? Dude? J-Man?”

Jay can’t help the chuckle on his lips, but he shuts it down to go back to the discussion at hand. “Simply put, the label’s pissed. All that we should see two months before your tour is good press, not this shit. And you know Yeji is going to do more than just comment in a couple of tabloids.”

Sunghoon rolls his eyes. “She has nothing to say, besides the fact that it ended mutually.”

“You call making out with Lia ‘ending mutually’?”

Sunghoon raises his hands in defense, a smirk on his lips. “Don’t know what you were told, but that happened after we broke up.”

“Okay, that’s it.” Jay takes the multitude of tabloids and throws them in the trash next to his desk. “The label is going to chop my balls off if I don’t fix the problems you created.”

Sunghoon, in his mind, isn’t a problem child, per se. He simply pales in comparison to his golden boy best friend and musical partner, Lee Heeseung. It isn’t his fault that Heeseung is squeaky clean. The only crazy thing the guy has ever done was dye his hair red for their recent cover shoot.

Sure, Heeseung has been committed to one person for years, long before the two men ever became a name in the public eye. The guy never partakes in recreational activities, choosing to spend his free time with his girlfriend or in video game chat rooms rather than in nightclubs like his counterpart. And he’s always been a media darling, giving signed photos to fans and providing the paparazzi with his undivided attention without complaint.

Sunghoon likes to live without restrictions or red tape. If he has to be judged for that, constantly not measuring up to the pedestal his best friend lives on, so be it.

“It’s time for Plan B,” Jay says, breaking Sunghoon from his thoughts.

After Sunghoon’s brows furrow in confusion, Jay turns on the TV stationed behind his desk. The news video on display shows the members of PrismHeart, the label’s rising girl group, attending the AMAs with bright smiles and matching sparkly ensembles.

“This is Plan B?” Sunghoon asks, releasing a breathless laugh.

“No.” Jay points to you in the center of the LED screen. Your hair billows in the wind as your face shines with the same quality of the cameras capturing your essence on the red carpet.

Sunghoon is taken aback by you without hearing you speak a single word, and he suspects something devious brewing behind his manager’s eyes when he says, “She is.”

The nightclub is packed with D-list celebrities and upcoming starlets, ready to post to their respective social media accounts. With the right touch, the news will work its way to the trending page without fail.

Thankfully, Jay, Sunghoon’s manager, knows how to set the scene for a piece of tabloid fodder. It’s part of his job to make sure that, for better or worse, Sunghoon gets his time in the spotlight.

As for you, all you’re expected to do is mingle with your new “boyfriend,” look pretty in your little black dress, and set the trap.

You asked your own manager, Momo, if you could bring one of the girls along to break the ice and make the “meet cute” look more believable, and both she and Jay agreed.

So here you are, sitting across from Yujin with a strawberry martini in one hand and your cellphone in the other, waiting for the signal.

“He is pretty cute. You can’t deny that.” Yujin scrolls through Sunghoon’s Instagram feed, multiple gym pics and rehearsal photos lining the grid of his main profile.

When Momo produced Jay’s offer to her, she marketed it to you as the perfect way for PrismHeart to skyrocket from simmering stardom into true mega-fame. All it took was a handful of white lies and scheduled meetups. No harm, no foul, right?

Like a devoted group leader, hands in your lap and a demure smile on your face, you said yes. You would do anything for your team and the girls who were your second family at this point. Not disclosing the truth was an easy thing to do, and nobody’s feelings would be sacrificed in the process.

It would also be a welcome distraction from the destruction of your last relationship. The back and forth with Jake proved to be too much on both your work and personal lives, 7 months of happiness leading to a slow and bitter end.

Maybe a cute boy with no attachments and some light flirting could be a nice way to bounce back into the game. Then, when a real relationship would be possible for you again, you’d be ready.

You nod and take another sip of your drink, the alcohol leaving a burning aftertaste in your throat. “He is,” you agree. “He’s terrible at time management, though, clearly.”

Yujin rolls her eyes and continues scrolling. “Take off your micromanaging hat tonight, babe. Have fun. Kiss your new fake beau.”

“Say it louder,” you chide, lips on the rim of your glass again. The drink was taking the edge off of your nerves, but you still couldn’t shake the desire to make sure things went perfectly.

For both work and personal reasons, you need this to go off without a hitch.

A second later, your phone buzzes on the top of the bar. Sunghoon’s face lights up your screen, along with his message.

[Received at 10:46 PM]: Walking in with Jungwon. U?

You internally roll your eyes at the cryptic text. Jake was so good at making his messages personable, and although you could put a dagger in him for breaking your heart, the least you can do is recognize that was one of his better qualities.

You just hope Sunghoon is better in person than he is on the page. Or phone, so to speak.

[Sent at 10:48]: By the bar with Yujin.

Sunghoon saunters through the club’s double doors, the notorious half of Into Eden smiling ear to ear with his friend Jungwon in tow. Your ex Jake and Jungwon hung in similar circles due to their statuses as popular actors, but Jungwon was always nice when you ran into him.

He greets you with a smile but stops short when he sees your best friend, his cheeks turning a red hue. “Sorry, you’re just even more beautiful in person.”

As Yujin stutters over her next words, sharing a similar blush with the man in front of her, Sunghoon saunters over to your side and grins. As you look closer at him, you can discern the pink around his irises and the flimsy edges of his smile.

He’s high. So much rides on his cooperation on this plan and he’s fucking high?

“Park Sunghoon, pleased to meet you.” He gives your hand a sloppy kiss when your fingers link together in a handshake, and you retract immediately. Sunghoon pays no mind to your distaste, immediately ordering a beer and downing it the second it slides across the bar.

“Do you think you should be mixing alcohol with…whatever’s in your system?”

“Nothing I can’t handle.” Sunghoon winks at you and scoots closer on his barstool to you, tracing the skin of your thighs with his eyes. “I think this is the part where we dance?”

You scoff and down what’s left of your martini. You flag the bartender down for another, incredulous but trying to mask your anger with another drink. “Maybe we should get to know each other first?”

“What’s there to know? Jay gave me all the cliffnotes this morning. And we can just learn as we go, you know?”

A part of you wants to run into this without a roadmap, but it’s not in your nature. And it would be a lot easier to let yourself relax if you knew you were walking into this plan with a person as serious as you are about it.

But no, you get a stoned rockstar as your new “boyfriend” instead.

The bartender hands you your second martini, and you hop off the barstool with it in your hand. You take a light sip before you motion to the dance floor. “Let’s go.”

You have a tight grasp on the stem of your glass as Sunghoon takes your free hand to walk towards the dance floor. You notice Yujin and Jungwon dancing in a far corner together, the two of them hitting it off incredibly well.

Your hips sway to the song, your body trying to follow the music that’s thumping loudly through the speakers. It’s a remix you don’t recognize, but you enjoy it nonetheless. You smile as the pulse of the song thrums through your veins, your nerves at their lowest since arriving at the club.

What you don’t expect is for Sunghoon’s hands to settle on your hips, pulling you closer to fall into rhythm together. He moves well considering his prowess lies in rock rather than pop.

“You’re a pretty good dancer for a bassist,” you tease.

“I have a lot of talents,” he remarks back, the club lights gleaming across his face in purple and pink strobes.

He looks better in person than in all the interviews and tabloids you read prior to meeting him tonight. In your efforts to gain intel for the meetup, you couldn’t deny how well he cleaned up, even when he acted poorly.

The slosh of your drink makes you stop dancing for a second, and you laugh. “Probably shouldn’t have brought this on the–”

Sunghoon captures your lips in a searing kiss. The taste of ale lingers on your tongue the longer both of your mouths are linked. He is a good kisser, no doubt, but where does he get off assuming you wanted him to? All you had to show for tonight so far was some small conversation. Is that his typical green light to dive straight into making out?

You immediately push him off, the contents of your martini glass spilling on him in the process. “What the hell?” Sunghoon asks, touching his jacket and feeling the leather soaked in sugary liquor.

You’re stunned at how brash yet nonchalant he is about what he just did, caring more for his clothes than your personal space that he just invaded.

“You��re such a bastard,” you whisper loud enough for only Sunghoon to hear, his eyes immediately widening at your words. You walk away from him stunned and drop the glass on the counter where you were initially sitting. Not wanting to take Yujin away from her success of a night, you run outside to a handful of cameras flashing and your failure coating your skin.

Late into the next morning, you sip a hefty cup of tea for breakfast as you scroll through your latest mentions. The socials are blowing up from your recent outing with Yujin, Jungwon, and Sunghoon. You half expected to wake up to the ending of your career, but to your relief, the event was nothing short of a success.

Despite your embarrassment on the drive home and sadness before bed last night, your followers and many of Into Eden’s fans seem to have taken the bait. Some took shots of you exiting the nightclub, Sunghoon following shortly behind with a smile on his face. They also edited short clips of the two of you on the dance floor. Incredibly, none of them caught your mishap with your martini on video.

Better yet, they found the prospect of you and Sunghoon not just exciting but fitting somehow.

@edenenthusiast: hope she can whip him back into shape, miss the old hoon.

@sunghoonsluv71: sad he’s off the market but they’re actually cute together???

@prismshearts_09: she looks so happy!! suck it @jaeyun_sim.

In the next second, your phone blows up from a mention on Sunghoon’s most recent story. Your handle is hidden in a far corner of the black screen but the words plastered across the screen say everything they need to.

“Love at first spill? 🍸😏”

All of your band members and Momo light up your group chat with their excitement. In the chaos of the chat, you thumb-up a text from Yujin about Jungwon giving her his number.

Then, a single text pops up from Sunghoon that makes your glee transform into anxiety.

[Received at 11:52 AM]: Lunch on me? :/

You feel a part of your chest flutter. There’s a hope that maybe in the light of day you’ll get a chance to see the real Sunghoon. No drugs, no cameras, no need to impress. Maybe if he’s away from the attention, he’ll realize you deserve an apology for his actions.

[Sent at 11:56 AM]: Lunch and dinner or get lost.

You see the quick succession of bubbles following your text, his response hot on the heels of your last message that he reacts to with a laughing emoji.

[Received at 11:58] I think I can handle that.

You sit across from Sunghoon on the balcony of his apartment, two BLTs cooked to perfection on the patio table in front of you. He kept to his word, laying a spread of food out for you in exchange for your time.

You quirk an eyebrow. “Did you make these yourself?” You ask.

Sunghoon shakes his head, bashful. “Jay helped me. Not only is he a great manager, but he’s actually an amazing cook.”

You nod and smile, grabbing a bite as Sunghoon’s blush and your quiet chewing fills the silence.

“I wanted to say that yesterday got out of hand, and I shouldn’t have gotten wasted before meeting you. It was unprofessional, and I apologize.”

You tap your fingers on the wicker table, your gut warning you to be cautious. “Did Jay tell you to say that?”

Sunghoon stutters on whatever words he planned to say next and quickly runs a hand through his hair. “I mean it, what difference does it make? I really am sorry, okay?”

You roll your eyes. “So you’re apologizing using someone else’s script? That’s supposed to make me believe you?”

Sunghoon scoffs and presses his palms to the table. “You’re fucking impossible, you know that?”

“I’m impossible because you got loaded and decided to stick your tongue down my throat? Oh, and I bet the next words out of your mouth were going to be how stubborn I am because I expected you to actually want to make up for how shit you acted last night.”

“Wow. Are you just mad because you didn’t expect to like me kissing you that much?” Sunghoon says his question with a pestering but sultry tone, the words completely rhetorical.

You huff and make your exit from the table. “Fuck this, I should never have come.”

Before you can walk away from the balcony, Sunghoon takes your wrist in his hand. His eyes express his frustration, his mouth in a grim line. “Don't leave, please. Can we just pretend that the last twelve hours never happened? Start from scratch. We both know we need each other here.”

You take a deep breath and cross your arms, walking back to your side of the table with a stone expression. “I think it’s a good idea to create some rules for…this arrangement.”

Sunghoon stares you down, still irritated but agreeable. “I’m all ears.”

“First and foremost,” you start, “whenever we’re scheduled to meet, no drugs. Do it in your spare time.”

Sunghoon nods. “That’s fair.”

“Second, no PDA unless there’s people around that need to notice it. And we have to agree on it before either one of us initiates anything.”

“What,” Sunghoon laughs, “like a secret bat signal?”

“Sure Batman,” you jest. Does he have to joke every time he decides to speak? Against your better judgment, a small piece of you finds it endearing.

He ponders the thought and then taps two fingers to the side of his neck. “How’s that?”

“Fine,” you agree. “Do you have any other rules you think we should add?”

The word “we” slips so easily from your tongue. In spite of the way he stirs up every ounce of frustration inside of you, already you see him on the same team as you. That has to be a good sign.

He rubs his index finger and thumb under his chin, half teasing but half reflecting on what he could add.

“Only one more thing,” Sunghoon says. “When we don’t have plans to spend time together, what we do in our private time is our business.”

You raise your hands. “Not a problem for me.”

Sunghoon reaches his hand across the table. “Deal?”

What the outcome of your arrangement will be besides the expected results remains up in the air. Whether it will reap what you want is really anyone’s guess. But if it means you do your duties as a good bandmate, you will take whatever comes at you.

You grasp his fingers in yours, shaking them gingerly. “Deal.”

Into Eden’s most popular song “Salvation” plays on the stereo speakers in the photography studio of Vogue magazine’s headquarters. The two men on set act incredibly comfortable, Heeseung’s arm wrapped around Sunghoon’s shoulder. The older musician’s red hair is stark against the chosen clothing for the shoot, but he makes it work.

He always does, Sunghoon thinks with a repressed sigh. His hair is slicked back in contrast to Heeseung’s messy mop of wind-blown tresses, creating the contrast between the two that highlights the shoot’s concept. TWO SOULS COLLIDE: THE LEADING MUSICIANS OF NEW AGE ROCK.

Sunghoon stays still for the next shot of him and Heeseung, but he can’t help himself from following you with his eyes when you enter the studio with a bag of breakfast treats and a to-go tray of coffees.

He did not expect to see you show up to his photoshoot, and Jay didn’t give him any warning for the event on his schedule being one you would share space with. He’s not against it though. In the sea of gray suits and media lackeys, you’re a breath of fresh air. You have already taken his attention away from the mundane nature of the task he’s assigned to complete today.

He can’t deny that Jay’s plan has already made shifts to his image in the public eye. It’s only been a week of public paparazzi candids and social media mentions shared between his and your accounts, and fans are eating it up.

And, though he might never say it out loud, something about your presence levels him in a way Jay’s and Heeseung’s doesn’t. He quantifies it to you also understanding the pressures of the music industry, the feeling of someone outside of his circle who can relate to him foreign but welcome. Your relationship may be manufactured, but he has to look at the positives it’s already created in his life.

Jay runs over to you with a bright smile. “You’re an angel, thank you.”

You grin and take a breakfast sandwich from the bag to give to Sunghoon’s manager. “Least I could do for a member of my boyfriend’s camp.”

Jay winks over the rim of his coffee cup and goes back to the photographer’s side, overseeing the shots with a bit of sausage sticking out of his mouth.

You give Sunghoon a slight wave and stay a few steps away from the large lights capturing the shadows and highlights on the men’s faces.

You haven’t met Heeseung up to this point, so interacting with Sunghoon’s bandmate will add a new dimension to your “relationship.”

In contrast with Sunghoon, Heeseung exudes seriousness in every movement. You’re unsure if it’s because of his maturity or dedication to everything he does, similar to yourself, but it shows in the way the men stand next to each other. Where Sunghoon is fluid like water, transforming into whatever he needs to be, Heeseung is stoic and certain of himself, solid like a stone.

You wonder how such different people managed to be friends and bandmates. Then again, you’re in a group with four other girls, and your personalities are anything but similar.

“Alright, I think it’s time for individual shots. Mr. Park, we’ll do yours first!”

Heeseung runs to his chair in front of the vanity. It’s set up in a corner of the room for retouching his and Sunghoon’s hair and makeup. He beckons you over with a polite smile, and you oblige the silent request.

“Sorry I haven’t been able to greet you since you came in. You know how it is,” Heeseung’s lips turn up at the corners as his makeup artist dabs at his forehead with a clean powder puff. “I’m Lee Heeseung.”

You respond with your name and shake his hand, your nerves spiking. You expected Heeseung to be both attractive and polite, but it’s another level in person compared to his media appearances.

“Have you always been interested in music?” You ask.

Heeseung nods, still smiling. “Since I was old enough to hold a guitar. Both of us, actually. I don’t know if Hoon told you, but he was the one that started the band.”

Your eyes widen in surprise. “No, he didn’t say anything at all. He doesn’t really talk about his work. Neither of us do.”

Heeseung laughs. “Yeah. He’s a closed book a lot of the time. But he’s got a great soul, he just doesn’t let a lot of people see it.”

You look down at your shoes, smiling. “I’d offer you a bagel, but I think the team would kill me if I let you mess up your makeup.”

Heeseung releases another chuckle. “Save it for Hoon, then. Make it a little lunch date.” When the photographer’s assistant calls for Heeseung, he winks at you and leaps off of the chair.

Sunghoon finds you in the next second, smiling warmly before taking the bag of food from your hands. “Please tell me there's an everything bagel in here.”

You nod. “With extra cream cheese.”

He beckons you to the free armchairs on the opposite side of the makeshift vanities. You sit down across from him and find your croissant in the bag, ready to eat it whole at this point.

“You could’ve eaten before I finished. You didn’t have to wait for me.”

You shrug and bite into your food. “Force of habit. I always make sure the girls eat before I do.”

He nods and takes a chunk out of his own bagel. “Like a good leader. I knew Jay liked you for a reason.”

You scoff, practically choking on the egg and cheese in the croissant. “Says the guy who started this whole thing. You didn’t tell me you were the one who made Into Eden.”

Sunghoon shrugs, his mood shifting. “It never came up. Besides, Heeseung took the proverbial role of leader a long time ago, anyway.”

You shake your head, picking at your food. “I bet everyone would give you more of a lead if you proved you could handle the responsibility.”

Sunghoon is taken aback, there’s no doubt about that. When has he not been serious and responsible about his commitment to the band, save for the past year?

Sure, he hasn’t made great decisions recently, especially with his new…habit, simply put. But he’s never stopped caring, no matter how the tabloids turned on him or Heeseung overshadowed him when he began to fall short.

Maybe he needs to put some good will back in, even if he feels justified for being jaded at this point in his career.

Wanting to turn the tide of the conversation, Sunghoon spots a random guitar in the studio and grabs it eagerly. He sits back down with a newfound interest, plucking the strings to ensure it’s in tune.

You laugh and stuff the crumb-filled wrapper in the bag. “Avoiding the subject, I see.”

“Hey,” Sunghoon defends himself. “When I see a guitar, it’s only natural to play it.” He strums a few chords, satisfied. “Have any requests?”

You lift your shoulders, intrigued.

Sunghoon begins playing the opening strings of Oasis’s “Champagne Supernova.” It’s a bittersweet song, one with a beautiful instrumental but somber lyrics. Seems fitting for the man playing it somehow.

He begins to sing the first lines, the fried timbre of his vocals lulling you into a state of relaxation. By the introduction of the first chorus, you’re singing along with him, matching his tone with your saccharine harmonies.

It makes the crowd around you pause to look on for a moment, mesmerized at two stars seeming to shine at the same second. They must resign it to fate, two talents coming together in music and love, unaware of the reality of your situation.

Or maybe, they see the shades of something blossoming that you and Sunghoon have yet to recognize yourselves.

You flip through the newest issue of Vogue, excited to read Sunghoon’s part of the interview. It takes a handful of turns before you make it to the spread, the interview intertwined with shots of Heeseung and Sunghoon clad in V-necks and leather jeans. Their outfits coincide with the grunge aesthetic. You flip through the discussion about their newest album, “Under the Sun,” until one specific segment catches your eye.

VOGUE: So, it’s safe to assume this new album is about dedication, or the commitment, to one’s desires. It shows in your new single off this album, “All For You,” as you said Heeseung, but how do you feel about it Sunghoon?

PSH: I agree with Hee a hundred percent. Sometimes you don’t realize how devoted you are to something or someone until you’re caught in the middle of it. And sometimes that can be beautiful and intoxicating, a reason to go on that keeps you alive in so many ways.

VOGUE: I sense something or someone on your mind besides the album.

PSH: You could say that.

You left hours before the boys began their interview. It could’ve been a million things on his mind when the writer made note of his reaction, but you know the online forums and fandoms must be exploding over the snippet.

“Whatcha reading?” Ningning asks. She walks into your kitchen, looking for a cup to fill with ice water. She may live a few apartments down, but she never fails to use her status as the youngest to barge in whenever she wants.

You show her the front cover when she turns her head back in your direction. “His new article just came out.”

“Any mentions of his new love affair?” She wiggles her eyebrows and you threaten to throw the magazine at her head.

“Drop it already, Ning! It’s not real anyway.”

“Come on. The guy is cute, you’re cute, have some fun with it!”

“I would if he didn’t have so many walls up.”

“Like you don’t?” Ningning tests the waters, the air suddenly thick with tension. “You’re always so serious. You know we love you, but you never let yourself loosen up.”

You sigh and drop the magazine on the counter. “There’s a lot of responsibilities on the line. I can’t just shuck them whenever I want.”

“That doesn’t mean you have to worry every second about them, or about us. Let go sometimes, babe.”

Before you can respond, your doorbell rings. You’re both surprised, not expecting anyone to show up today, but you answer the door anyway.

Sunghoon stands before the threshold with a bag of takeout and a shy smile. His eyes are not bloodshot, his outfit looks purposefully put together, and his posture tells you he’s on a mission. “Figured since you brought food last time, I oughta return the favor.”

Ningning saunters up behind you with a smirk, arms still crossed. “Speak of the devil.”

“Easy, that’s not me,” he jokes. “Probably more of an associate.”

Ningning laughs and takes the cue to exit the apartment. “Have fun, you two, but not too much fun!”

You press your hand to the back of your neck, the heat on your cheeks rising at an alarming rate. “Didn’t know we were supposed to meet today.”

“We weren’t,” he admits.

A corner of your mouth quirks up. “I thought whatever we did in our private time was our business. You’re using the space in your schedule to hang out with me?”

“Don’t flatter yourself.” Sunghoon bops you on the nose with his index finger and drops the bag of takeout on the counter. “I didn’t know what you’d like so I got a little bit of everything. Wontons, crab rangoons, egg rolls…I guess I kinda went overboard, didn’t I?”

You shake your head, the other part of your mouth turning up until your face cracks into a full-blown smile. The uncertainty on his face, the wind-swept hairdo covering a part of his eyes, the rapid motions of his hands taking the containers of food out of the bag.

In any other circumstance, you would consider this an awkward but real first date. And because your heart is not functioning in tandem with your head, you feel the flutters in your stomach all the same. “I’ll eat whatever you brought.”

The sun sets into the clouds surrounding the apartment complexes near yours, the high-rise bathed in orange and yellow hues from the day coming to a close. Your stomach is still overwhelmingly full from the food Sunghoon brought over, but you’re in a comfortable space as you both sit on your couch together watching another episode of New Girl.

“Can I ask you something?”

Sunghoon turns to you, his smile not meeting his eyes. “‘S a free country. But I get to ask you one also. Quid pro quo and all that.”

You ponder how to word your next sentence, not wanting to cross an unspoken boundary. “Why did you start using drugs?”

He sighs, rubbing the palms of his hands on his jeans. “Honestly, I didn’t know the reason until I stopped taking them a few weeks ago…when we started this thing. It helped to take the edge off of things, off of me always worrying about how I was measuring up to Hee. And then they just helped with everything else, until they didn’t.”

Your heart aches at his answer, the explanation one you did not expect to be so in-depth. Like most starlets and singers at your age, it just seemed to be around and available to take whenever you wanted. Not that you or any of the girls in PrismHeart partook, but it was still there.

You didn’t realize that his proclivity started from a place of genuine need for something else. Anything else, if it meant he could escape.

“My turn,” Sunghoon says, turning his full attention to you on the couch. “Why do you never let yourself relax?”

His question and Ningning’s words haunt the deep recesses of your brain in an instant, the unspoken fears inside of you coming to a head as you try to create an answer. “Being able to sing professionally has been something I’ve wanted for as long as I can remember. I guess somewhere deep inside I’m worried if I don’t take it seriously, I’ll lose it forever.”

Sunghoon ruminates on your answer before he traces the outline of your hand with his fingers, the touch setting off sparks on your skin. “We’re more alike than I thought.”

You laugh and throw the pillow under your back at him. “What? It’s not like I’m a robot or something.”

He chuckles and stands up from the couch. “Okay, well, either way, we need to liven the mood again.” Sunghoon scrolls through a playlist on his phone and finds a song that immediately makes his face lighten up. “Perfect.”

He connects his phone to your Bluetooth speakers, the guitar riff of The Darkness’s “I Believe In A Thing Called Love” cutting through the silence from moments before.

“What the hell-“

“Stop thinking for five minutes and dance with me or so help me God.” His eyebrows quirk up in an unspoken challenge, and before you can stop yourself and use your logical brain to think first and then decide, you’re up off of your feet with your best cockney accent to match the lead singer’s tone.

You may be off key and breathless, and Sunghoon may look ridiculous as he riffs on an air-guitar, but it’s the first night in years where you’ve truly felt free. No obligations or restrictions are there to stop you from doing what you please.

That night when you go to sleep, you save the ridiculous song to your Apple Music account and think about Sunghoon’s smile before shutting your eyes.

The flash of cameras is nothing new, especially on a red carpet. What adds a unique dynamic to the situation is Sunghoon standing by. He watches you pose for the cameras, the press doting over you for a shot of your outfit and presence at Into Eden’s album launch party.

His eyes on you burn brighter than the lights strung across the space. You blush to yourself and keep smiling for the multitudes of paparazzi. The next minute, Sunghoon puts a hand on the small of your back gently to lead you in the direction of the club a dozen feet or so away.

“Sunghoon, one picture! Just one!”

You turn your eyes to him and press two fingers to your neck, feigning it off as nervousness in front of the public. Sunghoon smirks and pulls you into his chest, letting the vultures beg for more as he holds you close.

He puts a hand up to say goodbye and walks away with you, palms intertwined. Even as you enter the club, seeing Heeseung and his girlfriend Ryujin waiting for you both, Sunghoon doesn’t let go.

“Do you want a drink?” Sunghoon asks, his thumb rubbing the back of your hand.

“No thank you.”

“Who are you and what have you done to Sunghoon?” Ryujin asks, mystified at his newfound etiquette.

“He’s still around, Ryu. Just trying to be on his best behavior for once.” Sunghoon ruffles her hair before walking away to greet Jay at the bar riddled with executives.

She huffs and fixes the flyaways Sunghoon caused, but smiles at you when she’s done. “Whatever you’re doing to him, keep it up. I haven’t seen him this way in forever.”

Clearly Ryujin’s not aware of the circumstances of yours and Sunghoon’s relationship, but something has changed in him both in and out of the public eye. Many posts and headlines showcased your numerous outings and discreet meetups in the weeks you’ve spent together. However, there were more moments shared between you that the public had no insight on.

Nights in the recording studio, rehearsals for PrismHeart that turned into goofing off between the both of you, and rides on his motorcycle that almost made your head spin.

It’s hard to tell now where the truth stops and the lies begin, and vice versa. How can you tell yourself the smiles that he gives you aren’t genuine? How do you respond to Ryujin without feeling like your answers are coming from the depths of your heart?

“Babe, there’s that director! Let’s go say hi!” Ryujin runs over to the eponymous man with her hand tightly wrapped around Heeseung’s. He smiles apologetically before being stolen away.

You wait for Sunghoon to come back, but not before you witness Yujin and Jungwon linked arm in arm, followed by the last two people you expected to show up tonight.

Jake’s hair is newly dyed, the ash blond of his hair striking under the lights of the club. He doesn’t notice you, only shakes hands with Jungwon and continues on his path to the bar. His date and Sunghoon’s ex Yeji has her body wrapped tightly around his, even as they walk through the crowds of people.

It’s been months since you last saw him, and in spite of your desire to stay and show your pride for Sunghoon and his newest album, you want nothing more than to run out of the club and never come back. Your heartbeat quickens, the thumps of it rattling your chest with no guarantees it’ll calm down.

Like a magnet, Sunghoon is by your side immediately and looking into your eyes with concern. “What’s wrong?”

“Jake’s here. Yeji’s with him.”

Sunghoon scans the crowd and lands on the two at the bar. Jake catches the younger man’s eyes and lifts his drink in congratulations, a smug smirk on his face.

Before he can walk over to the idiot’s spot, you hold onto his arm tightly to stop him. “He’s not worth it, Hoon. Trust me.”

Sunghoon knew enough of your history with the C-list actor from your own admissions and your friend’s anecdotes to want to kick the guy’s teeth in. Jake didn’t just make it harder for you to make your relationship a priority in your life, but he made every issue between the two of you your fault somehow.

And as far as Sunghoon could tell, no-one could be more devoted to the things that mattered to them than you.

“Why the fuck would he show up here?” Sunghoon asks nobody in particular, still fuming at the man’s audacity and his effect on your wellbeing. “The least I can do is show him the door.”

“No, please.” You grip onto the lapels of Sunghoon’s suit jacket, emphasizing your need to have him close. If he leaves you, you might fall apart. “Dance with me?”

Sunghoon’s anger transforms, lightly scoffing at your request with a soft smile to follow. “I don’t think this song is good to dance to, love.”

The term of endearment makes your knees weak, the word on his lips making your fingers tremble against the fabric of his jacket. Yes, the remix of one of Into Eden’s new songs “No Doubt” is more suited for a mosh pit than a couple wanting to dance, but you don’t care. “Dance with me anyway.”

You lead him to the center of the club. Both your worlds look on as you hold him close and try to match the rhythm of the remix. It’s a pointless endeavor, the beat changing right when you think you’ve mastered it. Your attempts to follow make Sunghoon smile. “If it helps, I’m not a big fan of this version of the song. Glad it’s just a B side track.”

You roll your eyes and grin. You rest your head on his chest, deciding to sway softly instead of thinking about the music pumping or the strangers’ passing glances.

“I think we’re breaking rule number two, love,” Sunghoon whispers into the crown of your head.

You move to stare up at him, running two fingers to the side of his neck exposed over the collar of his shirt. “I don’t mind if you don’t.”

In the haze of blinding lights and blank faces, Sunghoon’s is the only one that matters as he bends down and presses your lips to his.

In contrast to the first kiss you ever shared, this one is not entwined with alcohol or unwelcome shock. It’s ingrained with weeks worth of tension and words that you could not read before, the lines between your agreement now crystal clear.

You gladly accept his mouth on yours, your body on fire when his tongue touches the roof of your mouth. His hands slip down to the curve of your hips, squeezing the skin through the confines of your clothes.

The sounds of shuttering cameras and surprised voices intercut with the music are of no priority to you. All that matters is that this kiss never ends. That the feelings you’ve been harboring never have to be concealed again.

Sunghoon walks into Jay’s office with a heavy heart, unsure how to present the situation he will unfold to his manager. He’s been ducking your calls and texts, unsure how to go about his next moves before discussing his predicament with the person he trusts the most in this world, save for Heeseung.

“I could kiss you!” Jay says when he sees Sunghoon walk in, pointing at him with pure glee.

“Please don’t,” Sunghoon responds.

“Streams of ‘All for You’ hit an all-time peak last night, the projected numbers are predicting this record to be your best selling one since the first album, and you’re a golden boy in the press again!” Relief washes over Jay’s face, the success of his plan evident in the easy posture of his body. “Not gonna say I’m a god, but I'm definitely a genius.”

Sunghoon claps his hands together, giving his manager the praise he deserves. “That’s great, Jay. Really.”

“You should be happy, man! We’re on the straight and narrow again. Now I just have to come up with some sweet and easy way to end the whole thing and we’re good to go.”

Sunghoon wants to interject, but Jay continues on with his thoughts, letting them run free out loud. “It should be pretty easy. Just gotta find another event to have you guys attend and then we’ll pull the plug—“

“Jay, I can’t.” Sunghoon blurts out the three words that have been on his mind since he walked into the label’s building. His heart rests in his throat as he holds nothing back. “I like her. Really.”

Jay stops walking around the room and stuffs his hands in his pockets. He blows the hair in front of his face, puzzled. “Well, that’s a pickle.”

“I didn’t mean for it to go this far,” Sunghoon admits, because it’s the truth. He never intended on actually finding you endearing, funny, attractive, all the positive adjectives he can come up with in his mind. “And then the album party happened…and I just can’t.”

Jay sits down at his desk, his face becoming a mask of professionalism. “You know that’s not possible, Sunghoon. I mean, think about it. She has her band, you have yours. It would be a disaster trying to keep it up. The only reason Hee and Ryu are still together is because she isn’t involved in any of this shit.”

Sunghoon shakes his head, vaguely listening to his manager’s words but not giving them weight. “You don’t know her like I do.”

Jay shrugs. “You may be right. But you could barely handle a relationship, real or fake, when this started. Do you think a real one is manageable right now?”

Sunghoon leans back into the armchair, some of his manager’s words hitting too close to home to deny. Would he truly be able to keep a true relationship with you alive when he was always under public pressure and eventual scrutiny?

Sunghoon walks out of the office with more questions than answers, more unsure than he was before.

You sit in your bed, undecided on whether you should try to text Sunghoon again or not. The downpour outside reminds you of the onslaught of emotions pooling in your gut, a mixture of hurt and anxiety weighing heavy on your heart.

He kisses you because you both wanted him to and then he decides to leave you without a single word for days? What kind of sense does that make?

Yujin and Ningning want to cut his heart out with a rusty knife, but you assure them you’re as confused as he probably is, unsure where to go from this point forward.

If only he could give you some signal he’s still alive, you would feel more at ease.

A knock at your door makes you run to answer it, expecting Ningning to show up with Sour Patch Kids and the newest film on your To Be Watched list. “Ning, you better have ‘Bend It Like Beckham’ in your hand or you’re not coming in!”

You open the door to Sunghoon soaked through from the rain. “Sorry I came empty handed.” Sunghoon trails his eyes down your body, smirking at the Hello Kitty pattern of your cotton shirt and shorts. “Nice outfit.”

You shake your head, incredulous that he’s at your door without any word to warn you. “What are you doing here?”

“I had to see you,” he says honestly. He walks through the door and makes you back into the hallway wall. His wet body traps you against him and the walkway. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.”

You give him a lopsided grin. “You have a funny way of showing it.”

He chuckles, swiping his wet hair off his face. “I know, I’m an idiot.”

“And a jerk.”

“And a jerk,” he parrots, eyes full of sincerity. “But I want to be better for you. I want to be worthy of being yours.”

The confession makes your body buckle. The breath that was still in your lungs escapes in one gust from your lips. How can he think he isn’t worth it after all the vulnerability he’s shown you? “You already are, Hoon.”

He places his hands on either side of your face tenderly, his mouth inching closer. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

You mirror his expression, covering his hands with your own. “I might have been told that once or twice.”

His lips collide with yours, the action soft but the emotions charged behind the kiss heavy. Where that kiss in the nightclub was chaste compared to this one, you can only imagine how the rest of the night will play out.

Sunghoon discards his jacket onto the floor, your hands automatically sliding across his damp shoulder blades. Your touch makes him shudder, a moan escaping his throat. “You’re so warm.”

You smirk. “My bed’s warmer.”

The tangle of clothes and tongues leads to your position in his lap on your bed, the comforter discarded somewhere in the rush to get him to sit down and hold you closer.

Your body writhes against his, his pants the only thing left that he’s wearing. He holds you tighter against him, groaning against your lips. “Fuck, are you trying to get me to come already?”

You blush and kiss his neck. “Wasn’t my intention, but I don’t mind.”

Sunghoon chuckles. He flips you onto your back on the mattress, taking your bra off to reveal your breasts. Your nipples perk up once the air hits your skin, and Sunghoon can’t fight the groan that escapes his lips. “You’re fucking beautiful. I could stare at your tits all day.”

Most compliments make you feel like the person giving them is obligated to, not because it’s true. But when you hear such explicit thoughts leave Sunghoon’s mouth, you believe every word he says.

He covers your body with his own, taking one nipple into his mouth as he kneads the neglected breast with one hand. Expertly, he uses his other hand to slide into your underwear, finding your clit in record time.

He swirls his index and middle finger around the bud, using your essence that has already pooled in your panties as lubricant.

You mewl, grasping Sunghoon’s hair in your fingers for purchase on something, anything. “Fuck, that feels good.”

Sunghoon releases your nipple with a pop, his mouth trailing up the valley of your breasts to stop at your lips. “I’m not done yet, darling.”

Suddenly, he has both hands pulling your underwear down your legs, leaving the fabric dangling on the curve of your ankle. He wastes no time settling his face at the apex of your thighs.

He kisses your clit, making your body buck into his face at the quick act. By the time his tongue is inside of you, prodding deliciously at your walls, you’re practically at the brink of an orgasm.

“You like that?” Sunghoon asks, his voice wicked against your pussy, the vibrations of his mouth reverberating against your skin. “Like how I stretch you open, love?”

You nod vigorously. “Yes, Hoon, you know I do.”

He licks a long stripe up your center, from your perineum to the hood of your clit. “I have to be inside you right now, darling. But I promise, I’ll make you come on my tongue later.”

You clench down on nothing, eager to have his body conjoined with yours. He takes his jeans and boxers off in one motion, his cock long and thick. You want nothing more than to take him in your mouth, feel the taste of him on your lips, but you’re too excited for what’s to come when you look in his devilish eyes.

He settles on top of you once again, certain he’s prepped you enough for him to enter you. He looks into your eyes for confirmation, and you kiss his lips to emphasize your eagerness.

He slips inside without issue, his girth stretching you more than his tongue did. Your eyes roll into the back of your head, a curse flying from your mouth when he fills you completely.

“That’s it, baby,” he says, his voice anchored to the skin of your neck. He can practically see the outline of himself on your lower belly protruding through the skin. “Feel all of me.”

His hips push himself in and out of you, his tempo slow and torturous. The rational part of you thinks he’s only doing this for your comfort, but you know him better than most deductions of logic.

Sunghoon knows you want him to go faster from the feeling of your nails digging into his back and your moans in the shell of his ear. But because he loves to tease, he’ll drag this out for as long as he can.

Until he hears you beg for more, that is. And you don’t mind groveling for what you want.

“Hoonie,” you plead, trying hard to meet his hips with your own for more force. “Please fuck me harder.”

Sunghoon kisses your forehead before saying, “Flip over for me, love. All fours.”

You do as he commands. Once you’re in an acceptable position, he slams himself inside of you.

The tempo barely compares to the previous one, giving you no time to do anything but relish in the pistoning of his hips as they make contact with yours. He smacks your ass for good measure, a moan escaping from your lips as he rubs the reddening skin.

“You wanted this,” He reminds you, smacking your other cheek harder as he drills himself in and out of you without any sense of stopping. “Wanted me to ruin you like a good little doll.”

“Yes, yes, please don’t stop,” you beg, stuffing your face into your pillow.

“None of that, my love.” He takes your hair into a makeshift ponytail to raise your head from the bed. “Want everyone to hear how good you feel, how well you’re being fucked. And I want them to know how beautiful you sound when you come.”

You’re limp by the time your orgasm rushes through you, your body wrecked to no end as you’re bathed in ecstasy.

“Holy shit,” you mewl, still feeling the aftershocks.

Sunghoon continues on with his relentless attention, his speed not letting up. He moves you against him and vice versa as he pleases, seeing the white coating of your essence on his cock as it disappears inside of you.

“Fuck, baby, where do you want me to come?” He asks, unsure how much longer he can hold it in.

“Inside of me, please.”

Don’t have to tell him twice.

A groan rips from Sunghoon’s throat as he releases inside of you, knowing his entire load is painting you white. If only he could see it, see how much of him is a part of you now.

He runs his hands up and down your body when you both come down from your highs. He kisses the reddened skin of your backside as he drags a washcloth between your legs, making sure not to overstimulate you in the process of cleaning you up.

You stare at each other, both in lingering rapture as well as disbelief. He hums a song into your ear as your eyelids flutter closed, the gravel in his voice the perfect lullaby.

You wake up the next morning to Sunghoon playing the chorus of “Wonderland,” PrismHeart’s first hit on the Top 100. You grin to yourself, holding the comforter close to your chest. “Trying to record that music video was such a pain.”

Sunghoon turns and smiles at your awoken form, putting the guitar against your side table. He takes you into his arms, kissing the top of your forehead. “How so?”

“They wanted us to do this themed shoot. White rabbits, decks of cards, me dressed as Alice. But every time the director tried filming the segment where we all went down the rabbit hole, it just kept going wrong.” You laugh and run your fingers across Sunghoon’s chest.

He chuckles and kisses your shoulder. “They didn’t think to try a different concept out?”

You shook your head. “We all agreed on it. Besides, the story is actually one of the inspirations for the songs. I read a lot of Lewis Carroll growing up, but I always loved ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ the most.”

Sunghoon runs his lips across your neck, his hand tracing circles into your waist. “A beautiful girl lost in her fantasies. Sounds nice,” he whispers, his breath creating delicious waves of heat across your skin.

It still doesn’t feel real, having him so close and naked against you in your bed. It could be a dream, one action of your subconscious playing on your deepest desires. And if that were true, you wish you would never come out of it, too happy for words to express.

When Sunghoon slips under the covers and between your legs once again, you wonder if the faraway place that held your dreams could hold a space for Sunghoon too.

It only takes one weekend for your happiness to come crashing down. Whatever you and Sunghoon were building is destroyed, all in the span of seventy-two hours.

Sunghoon is helping you cook a plethora of pancakes when your front door opens in a slam. Yujin and Jungwon bust through with worried expressions.

“You guys haven’t seen it, have you?” Yujin asks, frown lines etched on the sides of her mouth. She hands you her phone, and you and Sunghoon look over the article headline on the screen.

“‘INTO EDEN’ & ‘HEARTPRISM’ CAUGHT IN DATING SCHEME? IS IT REAL OR JUST FOR SHOW? EXCLUSIVE INSIDER TELLS ALL!”

Sunghoon pulls out his phone to call Jay, stalking into your bedroom. The conversation immediately bursts into a screaming match, the sounds of Sunghoon’s anger apparent.

“I swear to God, Jay, if you don’t find out whoever leaked this shit, I’m gonna have your head on a plate right next to theirs.”

Yujin and Jungwon grow quiet. With the news shared, your friend hugs you and walks out the door with Jungwon in tow.

Sunghoon throws his phone onto your bed and walks back over to you, clearly worn out from the information he told Jay and the facts that were given to him by his manager.

You give him a close-lipped smile and envelop him into a hug. Sunghoon strokes your hair as you promise him, “It can be fixed, Hoon, and it will.”

A few days and one interview later prove that in spite of your hopes, not all things are fixable.

Jay sets up a quick interview with Buzzfeed under the guise of discussing the new album. Everyone knows the sole reason for its existence is to quell the rumors of your false romance. It started that way, yes, but that doesn’t mean you or Sunghoon have to divulge that information to the public.

Heeseung and Sunghoon discuss the inspiration for their songs and the creative process behind the album. And when the questions come up regarding the rumors, Sunghoon plays them off with a smile.

“I’m not desperate enough to need to fake a relationship with anyone! How stupid would I have to be to do that?”

The interviewer quirks an eyebrow. “Are you saying your girlfriend was desperate to date you?”

“All I’m saying is that she pursued me that night in the club, and I was more than happy to see where it would go. And as they say, the rest is history.”

Heeseung looks at Sunghoon with wild eyes, his face practically screaming: That’s the best answer you could come up with?

When Sunghoon comes to your door that night to explain himself and how his words got twisted after the fact, you open the door only to throw the jacket he left in your apartment in his face.

“Desperate,” you seethe. “That’s the word you thought best described me, huh? So I guess I’m also stupid enough to want to date you, too?”

“No, I didn’t say that! I didn’t say any of those things!”

“So the interviewer was lying? Just another person or thing out to get you, right Sunghoon? When will you take responsibility for once and own up to the shit you said about us, about me?”

The girls huddle behind you as the tears stream down your face. “Just leave me alone, Sunghoon. Get away from me, use this as the out you wanted since day one.”

You slam the door in his face, not bothering to address the fist that slams into your door or Sunghoon’s pleas for the two of you to work this out.

His heart shatters from the force of his mess, a mess that not another soul can be blamed for but him.

Weeks roll by into painful silence, not a single exchange shared. You blocked him on all social media in hopes to avoid taglines of your name in relation to Sunghoon, but it’s of no use. The time comes where the girls have to keep your phone away in hopes you’ll stop searching online for comments related to the Buzzfeed article. “Babe, it’s not gonna do you any good,” Yujin sighs, powering off the device.

You nod, resigning yourself to the fact that whatever relationship you had is over, and there was no way to prevent it. You could not control or change Sunghoon anymore than he could change himself, and unfortunately, he was still in the process of doing so and shattered your heart in the quest to be a better man.

Sunghoon, on the other hand, tries everything to repair what he’s destroyed. He pleads with Jay to make contact through Momo, but his hands are tied. “She doesn’t want to talk to you, man. If I keep pestering Momo she’s going to have my ass, and not in a fun way. I’m sorry.”

The first few weeks of the tour comes and goes in a haze, Into Eden beginning their string of tour dates up and down the eastern coast of America. The only time Sunghoon is coherent enough to remember anything is in the mornings before he falls into another night of misery. He doesn’t go back to his usual routine of drugs and booze, keeping his promise religiously. Instead, he goes on in a blur, playing his instrument and performing his parts of the songs without a hitch.

He may not be happy, but at least he’s doing something he‘s always been meant to do.

One afternoon of rehearsals, Sunghoon decides to use his break time on the roof to his advantage. The sounds of the city, its car horns and speeding pedestrians, keep him sane for once in a long time.

Of course, Heeseung has to ruin the solitude with his presence. “Sunwoo said I’d find you up here.”

“Sunwoo needs to learn to shut his mouth and focus on sound mixing,” Sunghoon grumbles, strumming the electric guitar in his lap and avoiding Heeseung’s gaze.

Heeseung sighs and sits next to his best friend. Both of their legs dangle over the edge of the building as they take in the bird’s eye view of New York City. “If you want to fix things, you just have to tell her how you feel.”

“Thanks, Yoda. Where would I be without you?”

Heeseung laughs at the young man’s ridiculous attitude, Sunghoon’s stubbornness unbroken since they became friends. “Just because you may not like my advice doesn’t mean I won’t give it to you.”

“What nuggets of wisdom could Mr. Perfect give me that I haven’t heard a thousand times over?”

“Is that what you think of me?” Heeseung runs a hand over his face, mystified at Sunghoon’s words. “I don’t know where or when you got this notion in your head that my life is perfect, but it’s complete bullshit.”

“Look at you and look at me, Hee. Everyone has said it for years. How much more talented you are, how much better you handle the spotlight compared to me, the list goes on and on.”

Heeseung closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “Ryujin and I almost broke up last year.”

Sunghoon looks at his best friend, stunned. “Fuck, really?”

His best friend nods. “The last album’s release…I was never home. Ryujin kept getting on my case about us not spending time together, and we took a break for a few weeks. Once I realized how dumb it was for us to be fighting in the first place, things went back to normal. Well, normal and one relationship counselor later.” Heeseung sighs. “Jay kept it quiet from everyone, including you.”

“You could’ve told me,” Sunghoon says, guilty he had no clue.

“I know. But everyone has their secrets, just like you.” Heeseung emits another breath from the depths of his lungs. “I’m glad you know now, though.”

Sunghoon nods. The reality of what he’s done, coupled with the fact he’s spent so long misunderstanding one of the only people to love him so earnestly, hits him hard. Against his will, a few tears escape his eyes. “I really fucked up, Hee.”

Heeseung takes Sunghoon by the shoulder and makes Sunghoon look him in the eyes. “Then fix it. And let me help you.”

Sunghoon smiles, his first real smile in weeks. “How?”

Heeseung smirks. “I may not be as good at making plans as Jay, but I have a few ideas.”

The arena is alive with the sounds of the audience chanting and the instrumental intro to “All for You” exploding from the main stage and stadium speakers. Sunghoon tries to brush off his sudden nerves, the gravity of what he’s about to do shaking him to the core. It could go terribly wrong or do nothing to fix his problems, but he has to try, right?

Heeseung puts his hand on Sunghoon’s back, his bandmate providing the reassurance and stable ground he needs. “You got this, Hoon.”

The two men step on stage, the crowd screaming an octave higher when they take their instruments off their stands. Sunghoon raises a hand, motioning for the band to go quiet and the audience to silence their cheers.

“As you know, a few months ago I met a person that really matters to me. I want her and all of you to know that she still does. And if she’s listening somewhere tonight, she should know that this is for her.”

Sunghoon begins playing the first chords of the song he’s written, nobody but Heeseung and the band aware of this change in the setlist. “This isn’t off of our new album, but I hope you all like it. It’s called ‘Lost in Wonderland.’”

Sunghoon begins the song on his guitar, Heeseung following behind him with backing vocals and a bass. The audience sways to the song, enraptured by the lyrics and melodies of the two musicians. Sunghoon pours his heart into the chorus, hoping by some luck that you’ll be able to hear this if nothing else.

“Maybe I’ll see you in Brooklyn, maybe I’ll see you in France. As long as the waves keep on rolling in. Things don’t always go the way they’re planned.

“Maybe I’ll see you in Jersey, maybe next year in Japan. Sometimes it’s so hard to find a friend, you’re the only one that just might understand.

“Lost in wonderland…”

By the time the final chorus rings out, the notes of Sunghoon’s guitar flying through the air gracefully, Sunghoon feels a million times lighter. All he can hope for now is that his plea will reach you amidst the sea of screaming fans.

Sunghoon runs off the stage as soon as the band finishes playing their last song, unable to hold his composure any longer. What stops him short from running to the green room is your face riddled with tears.

Sunghoon is unsure what to do next. Hold you in his arms and not let go, the last time he saw you being too long for him to accept as reality? Or confess what he said on stage was only a fragment of what he holds in his heart?

You beat him to the punch, your words coming out practically on top of each other. “Momo booked me a red eye to get here in time. She said Heeseung told her something had happened to you before the concert and—“

“I love you,” Sunghoon interrupts, the three words and eight letters no longer able to be kept inside of him.

You smile, eyes puffy but shining. Before you can ask him if what he just said is true, he repeats it until the words go stale, but they don’t. “I love you,” he says, “and I’m so sorry I made you think I didn’t.”

He runs to you immediately and kisses you with all the energy he has left in his body. The feeling of your mouth on his and your hands gripping tight onto his shirt fixes the part of him that broke the second you told him to get lost.

He knows he’ll never let you go again, never take you for granted for another second, and always remind you how much of you is home to him now.

When you part, you ask him, “Did you really write that song for me?”

Sunghoon smirks. “Every single line.”

You nod, running your thumb across his chin. “I love you, too.”

The resounding sound of the bustling audience leaving the venue and the crew packing up fills the background as you kiss Sunghoon again, making up for the time you lost, and preparing for all the times to come.

1 YEAR LATER

PrismHeart’s new album cover is plastered across the press wall. The red carpet is dyed neon pink to accentuate the colors of the title, “Love Language.” It’s a fitting name for the project in your opinion, many of the songs directly inspired by your personal life.

Yujin fusses with Jungwon’s suit once they’re away from the press wall, their matching ensembles making you smile. They’ve been together for as long as you and Sunghoon have at this point. Sharing your songs and thoughts for the newest record has been easy thanks to a fellow member being stupidly in love like you.

Sunghoon steps onto the carpet for his round of paparazzi photos. His suit and jewelry are completely black except for the shirt he picked out that coordinates with your dress. It may be too pink for his taste, but he’d do anything to make you happy, and he knows how to stay on theme for a special occasion.

You add on a few brownie points in your mind for how incredible he looks, the suit emphasizing the contours of his body that you know too well by now.

When Sunghoon’s done with his pap walk, he has to hold himself back from running to you and kissing you hard on the mouth. His composure hangs by a thread through seeing the top of your chest accentuated by the sweetheart neckline of your bubblegum pink dress.

He holds you close and kisses you on the cheek, a halfway point between what he should do and what he wants to do to you, the audience around them be damned.

The audience in question goes crazy when his lips linger on your cheek, the candid shot perfect for the slew of tabloids that will come out tomorrow.

“You look fucking incredible, just so you know,” Sunghoon whispers in your ear.

You smack him on the chest softly, beaming. “Language, Hoon!”

“Hey, forgive me. Words of affirmation and all, y’know. My love language.” He winks, and you chuckle into his chest.

“You and your dad jokes. You’re lucky I love you.”

“I am,” he confesses, taking a free lock of hair between his fingers. “Very lucky.”

Before you can tell him you feel the same, you hear the sound of your name on an interviewer’s lips. You walk hand in hand with Sunghoon to greet her before she begins her parade of commentary, both of you all smiles as you discuss your latest single.

The show must go on, the multitude of cameras and questions second nature by now. But with Sunghoon’s hand in yours and your heart completely his, you know that none of the fame will compare to the happiness that his love has brought to your life.

@yvnempire @sjylouvre @mini-mews @jayparked @heesuncore @yoursjaeyun @sungbeams @jenoslutie @loserlvrss @pars-ley @lovetaroandtaemin @wonwovy @monamipencil

𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 ౨ৎ˚₊

@kvanity-main @sweetvenomnet @onedoornet @sayxonet @violetanet @svthub @whipped-kpop-creators

864 notes · View notes

ts19009 · 4 months ago

Text

Seventeen Fic Rec's Part 4

(CONTAINS SMUT AND MATURE SUBJECT MATTER)

(Bold title means favorite)

(UPDATED: February 24th, 2025)

OT13

subtle svt dating.@xinganhao

PEDAL TO THE METAL (series masterlist) @diamonddaze01 (Welcome to the world of F1, where the cars go fast, the stakes go higher, and the drama never lifts off the throttle. Seventeen rules the grid—from precision strategies to podium glory. Whether it’s navigating a hairpin turn or a tricky love confession, the tension is always at maximum revs. So tighten your harness and adjust your visors—this isn’t just a race; it’s the ride of a lifetime.)

the lords who loved me (series masterlist) @amourcheol (smut, fluff, angst, bridgerton! au, regency au! for certain fics -> friends with benefits! au, opposites attract! au, sunshine x grumpy! au, slow burn! au, forbidden love! au, enemies to lovers! au)

what 2 am with them looks like @cxffecoupx

The Syndicates Collection @sailorsoons (this collection contains individual fics with each member of SVT paired with a different reader that occur in the same universe/AU and timeline. Each story is a stand alone, but three of them do have a connected/overarching plot. You do not need to read all of them to understand what’s going on, and all of the fics can be read as standalone one shots.)

Mingyu

Dessert First @highvern (baker! mingyu, wedding planner!YN, fluff, smut, angst, exes to lovers)

Cinnamon @daechwitatamic (You finally decide to try and move on after years of waiting for Mingyu to return your feelings. But when you start bringing your new boyfriend around more often, things with Mingyu get... difficult.)

Sunsets In December @nerdycheol (architect major!mingyu x literature major!f reader)

the budget @fxstpace (photography student!kim mingyu x art student!fem!reader)

lost in the west @starlightkyeom (fake dating (kind of), friends to lovers, holiday!au | fluff, smut, romance)

What they think @priisprii (idol au, Sugar daddy!Mingyu x sugar baby!reade)

So High School @lavnderwonu (fiancé!mingyu x pregnant!fem!reader)

HOW SWEET @hannieehaee (enemies to lovers, pining, one sided crush that becomes two sided!, afab reader, smut, teasing, semi public sex (its done in a public establishment but no one is there), breast play, food play (frosting on tits basically), fingering, handjob, penetrative sex, etc.)

flashing lights masterlist @gyuhao5 (model!minghao x f!assistant!reader x actor!mingyu)

EIGHT FIRST DATES @minkieater (maybe boys your age just weren’t your thing. after a sudden lunch date, you were already half convinced the search was over— had you found the man you were bringing to your family’s thanksgiving? how will chan take the news?)

Love Me Out Loud @twogyuu (Kim Mingyu was your first, but to him, he was for sure you were his endgame. One year out from university, no one expected you to be dating the former campus heartthrob. It's why you had to hide it from everyone – Mingyu's 14.5K Instagram followers, at least. However, the return of your childhood best friend Kim Taehyung to Seoul for a wedding, forces Mingyu to rethink the secrecy of your whole relationship. )

second servings @diamonddaze01(It’s safe to say that this Thanksgiving has been a rousing success)

sage & stardust @smileysuh (Fairy au, fantasy au, non idol. )

A Helping Hand - Part Two @idyllic-ghost (office worker!Mingyu x office worker!fem!reader Genre: office romance, enemies to lovers, fluff, angst, smut, coworkers-with-benefits)

Sit Down @gyuswhore (getting aroused by the other's jealousy/obsession with them, "Could he/she/they do it like this?”, “you're sexy when you're angry”)

Glass Towers @mr-cha-n (fluff, angst, smut, architect AU)

Sex Education @svtiddiess (In all your years of education you learned that there are many methods to study: flashcards, study groups, the pomodoro method etc. But you find that practice is better than theory. And what better way to study Biology than practice with your study buddy?)

the very first night @fxstpace (romance, angst, smut, exes to lovers!au, roommates!au)

Warm welcome @cherry-hulu (Nothing like a warm welcome for Mingyu after a stressful day at work. Warnings: Ceo!KMG x Sugar baby!reader)

so high school | kmg | part 2 @cherriegyuu (when you’re suddenly thrown in Mingyu’s direction, you have no choice but to stay by his side, and maybe it’s not as bad as you think)

Wonwoo

hanging by a moment @haologram (t's been a few years since you've been home for your birthday, and wonwoo can't wait to see you...right?)

Sucker For You @honeyhae-svt (smut, romance, humor, slice of life, wonwoo x reader, college au, slow burn to fast burn, mutual pining, friends to lovers, cockwarming, gamer wonwoo, subtle dominance, light degradation, reader insert, cute dynamics, playful teasing, soft/dom wonwoo, loser!wonwoo x popular!reader.)

Through the Lens @mr-cha-n (Smut, fluff, photographer x model AU)

BOYFRIEND WONWOO ˖ . ݁𝜗𝜚. ݁₊ @seokmn

Born Superhero @thedensworld (Started as clueless father to superhero, watch how Wonwoo grow as a father... And a husband.)

never leave this bed @straylightdream (husband!jeon wonwoo x curvy!f.reader)

Love under a Microscope @whitesugarbaybee (Pathologist!Wonwoo x pathologist fem!reader Genre: Doctor au, shefellfirst-he fell harder, crack, fluff)

Sold For A Soul @tusswrites (making bargains with the devil in exchange for a chance to glory. lies, deception and uncovered feelings in a world of glitz and glam.)

Steam IV @highvern (ATLA au, enemies(?) to lovers, forbidden romance, royalty au)

1-800-got-stress @seokminfilm (non-idol au, college/professor au, slight romance (?), english professor wonwoo x teacher's assistant reader, tiny sprinkles of humor, one-sided crush (?), wonwoo is very dense when it comes to reader's romantic feelings (not really though), reader still loves him anyways, cute ending??)

In Front of Me (1) @wonustars (bestfriends to (?), angst, smut (R: 18+ mdni))

ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴛᴡɪɴᴇᴅ -- ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪɴ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ (pt 2) @shuastar (ᴀʀᴄʜᴅᴜᴋᴇ!ᴡᴏɴᴡᴏᴏ x ᴀʀᴄʜᴅᴜᴄʜᴇꜱꜱ!ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ) I'm obsessed with this one.

Heart of the Sea @highvern (angst, romance, adventure, pirate!au, royalty!au)

king of my heart @strawberrynamjoon (soulmates au?, non idol au)

Sweetest thing @sailorrhansol (Dad!Wonwoo x Mom!reader For the first Halloween in years, you and Wonwoo are able to enjoy it together without the kids. When you feel a little nervous about your costume, Wonwoo is determined to show you that you’ve always been the sweetest thing. )

after the seminar @smileysuh (sugar daddy Wonwoo, gentleman in the streets/softdom in the sheets, reader doesn't want to make choices, daddy/control kink, fingering, multiple orgasms, oral, blow job, deep throating, dirty talk, praise, masturbation, unprotected sex, holding hands while fucking, implied breeding/fullness kink, etc… I pet names: (hers) honey. (his) daddy.)

Joshua

all the petty scenes & all the pretty things @starlightkyeom ((one-sided) enemies to lovers, strangers to lovers (kinda) | smut & fluff)

Streak @wonwootattoo (it doesn't give a description, but know I loved this one)

not according to plan | hjs @starlightkyeom(fake dating, strangers to friends to ?? | fluff, slight angst, smut)

I (do)n't need you Pt. 1 @thestraybunny (Inspired by 2 minus 1 by Vernon and Joshua.It's been seven months since you and Joshua broke up, and you are still convincing yourselves that you don't need each other.)

royally screwed [m] @husbandhoshi ( between remembering last night’s party and pleasing your unrelenting family, you think being a princess is hard enough. then you’re thrust into an arranged marriage to royal darling joshua hong—straight-laced, infuriatingly obedient, and everything you’re not. pretending to be the perfect couple? impossible.)

love thy neighbor @junkissed (fwb! neighbor!joshua x f reader)

Lies and Butterflies @bluehoodiewoozi (fake dating au; mostly fluff.)

𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 @yerimacoustic (after the princess falls mysteriously ill, joshua, born with powers no one else in the palace knows about, becomes her caretaker.)

in a span of three months @viastro (in which you teach joshua how to live.)

Catalyst @hwanghyunjinenthusiast (A trip to your brother and niece's brings feelings your husband has been shoving down for months to the surface.)

Juno @shuafiles (one of me is cute, but two though? give it to me baby)

Jeonghan

don’t you want me, baby? — yjh @seungkw1 (80s au, romance, humor)

sweet monday afternoons @straylightdream (nonidol, linecook! jeonghan, waitress/baker!reader)

Merger & Acquisition (Of My Heart) @mr-cha-n(Jeonghan thought navigating corporate mergers was hard—turns out, navigating corporate mergers with his ex is harder.)

storm @tonicandjins (fluff, married life)

i'll always say it's you ; yoon jeonghan @junplusone (childhood best friends to ??? to ???, swearing, drinking (+ underage), talk of joshua and cheol's arm muscles, mention of drugs in a joke like once i think, caffeine addiction, peak delusion, jeonghan cheating in games as always, hella yearning)

reverse uno @twogyuu (Fluff, dad!jeonghan, mom!reader, uncle!wonwoo)

the gambit —- y.jh @miniseokminnies 9enemies to lovers, rivals to lovers, 1960s au, university au, chess club president!jeonghan, club member!yn)

fated strut- pt. i @beomcoups (greek god!Jeonghan x model!reader)

daylight @kpopflowerfield (jeonghan is moving on from a heartbreak, starting again and making every experience feel new with you.)

Minghao

muddled hearts 🍹 x.mh @haologram (artender!xu minghao x fem!waitress!reader | side pairings: restaurant owners!jeongcheol ; bartender!seungkwan x waiter!hansol ; chef!mingyu x hostess!tzuyu (twice))

the xu minghao dilemma @shuaflix(fluff, humor, suggestive, coffee shop au, college au, childhood friends to lovers au)

\caught in bloom, caught on you @wheeboo (in which you find yourself becoming a regular𑁋or perhaps more than that𑁋at minghao's flower shop.)

lost in translation ♾️ @ylangelegy (translator/interpreter!reader, idiots in love, yearning!!!, hurt/comfort, confessions. alcohol consumption, reader gets a [minor] surgery)

Seokmin

Hint. Hint. HINT!!! @nerdycheol (College AU, Fluff, Mutual Pining, Oblivious Crush)

smooth operator @ylangelegy (f1 racer!seokmin x ferrari race engineer!reader)

break your heart right back @kyeomszone (lovers to exes mingyu. rough sex. model! mingyu. cheating. baseball player! dokyeom. penetrative sex. gentle sex. body worship. oral sex (fem receiving). overstimulation. fem reader.)

Totally Scrooged @highvern (neighbor!au, idiots to lovers, fluff/angst/smut)

triple-dog dare @eoieopda (childhood best friends to lovers)

because even then, i knew @catboyieejeno (non idol! seokmin x reader, stanger to lovers / kdrama au)

The Somerset Affair | Chapter 2: When the Music Stops @diamonddaze01 (Bridgerton AU, friends to (?????) to eventual lovers, brother’s best friend, SLOWWWW BURNNN)

assumptions @seokminfilm (major league baseball player!seokmin, popular x nobody,)

Chan

between you and me @haologram (holiday au. bffs to exes to lovers (what a doozy); angst, fluff, smut.)

Chapter One: How to Not Get Stabbed @mr-cha-n (action, smut, angst, fluff, superhero AU)

Kwon Soonyoung

Beggin' On My Knees @highvern (After another run in with the law, you come to terms with the fact your friends might be right about your fiancé.)

Espresso @highvern (dom/sub dynamics (switches back and forth), public fondling/exhibitionism, dry humping, fingering, breath play, oral sex (all the kinds), swallowing, spitting, degradation (reader calls herself a slut, hoshi has a moral dilemma about it), spanking, vaginal sex, anal sex, unprotected sex, double penetration, sex toys (butt plug, dildo))

589 notes · View notes

hoonharem · 1 year ago

Text

recs

📓 all sunghoon, 18+.

tags: smut, fave (★)

—

❕ all are smut and sunghoon x reader (afab).

🔍 full warnings on original posts; read at your own risk.

—

📓 no to minimal plot

» we can’t be friends ★ (421, ex bf!hoon)

» guilty as charged (486, somnophilia)

» now he knows (943, jealous!hoon)

» good guys could never (1.3k, brother’s friend!hoon)

» bratty baby (1.4k, tamer!hoon)

» fuck me like a slut (1.4k, bf!hoon)

» you're on my mind and i want you as mine (1.4k, fwb!hoon)

» insatiable (1.5k, fingering)

» only you (1.6k, jealous!reader)

» you get me so high all the time (1.6k, smoking)

» what are friends for? (1.8k, bff!hoon)

» dangerously (1.8k, bf!hoon, angry sex)

» agora hills (1.9k, idol bf!hoon, somnophilia)

» missed you (1.9k, sub!hoon)

» bestfriend's older brother (1.9k, bff!taesan)

» sample session (2.1k, doctors)

» drip, drip, drip (2.1k, cunnilingus)

» i hate valentine's day (2.1k, bf!hoon)

» pretty boy in glasses, please save me ★ (2.2k, idol!hoon)

» heaven (2.2k, infidelity)

» carnal (2.3k, stepcest, dubcon)

» fuck boy next door (2.7k, tutor!hoon) 1/2

» fuck boy next door (3.3k, tutor!hoon) 2/2

» mine (2.4k, jealous!hoon, ex bf!jake)

» into it (2.6k, frat boy!hoon, fwb)

» all of you (2.7k, bf!hoon)

» subscriber benefits (2.8k, camboy!hoon)

» vacation (2.9k, bf!hoon)

» the lion and the lamb (3k, vampire!hoon)

» pent up (3.2k, idol!hoon, threesome with hee) 1/2

» first and last (3.4k, past love)

» tease (3.5k, possessive!hoon)

» six feet under (3.5k, cheating!hoon)

» okay (3.6k, fwb!hoon, hurt/comfort)

» drawn to you ★ (3.7k, cheating!hoon)

» always and forever (4k, makeup sex)

» cabin fever (4k, bf!hoon)

» conceal (4k, popular!hoon)

» look closely (4k, jealous!hoon)

» car sex (4.3k, street racer!hoon)

» picturesque (4.6k, bf!hoon)

» hard (4.9k, neighbor!hoon, threesome with jay) 1/3

» sweat (5k, neighbor!hoon) 2/3

» mark me yours (5k, idol!hoon, jealousy)

» scream (5k, bf!hoon, horror movie reference) 2/2

» liar, sweetheart (5.1k, twins!hoon, rivals to lovers)

» own little porn star (5.1k, professor!hoon)

» cool with you (5.6k, pervert!hoon)

» little bit of affection (5.7k, manager!hoon)

» bed (7.8k, fiance!hoon)

📓 with plot

» night shift (4.5k, camboy and boss!hoon)

» teach me, please (5.3k, student!hoon) 1/1

» teach me, please (5.1k, student!hoon) 2/2

» are you? (5.7k, bf!hee, reader cheats with hoon) 1/1

» are you mine? (2.5k, ex bf!hee, cheating with hoon) 2/2

» nudes i can't send ★ (6.4k, ex bf!hoon)

» blessed cursed (6.6k, demons, threesome with hee)

» say my name ★ (6.9k, neighbour!hoon, enemies to lovers)

» young, dumb, and full of (8k, pornstars, hyungline!fivesome)

» meddle about ★ (9k, fwb!hoon, threesome with hee) 1/2

» meddle about (with me) ★ (11.9k, fwb!hoon, ex bf!hee) 2/2

» first date etiquette ★ (9.3k, neighbor!hoon)

» forbidden attraction (9.3k, ravenclaw!hoon)

» cross the line (10k, a/b/o, threesome with hee)

» cherry pits (12.9k, dilf!hoon)

» get you better (13.6k, bf!jake, reader cheats with hoon)

» release me, embrace me ★ (15k, a/b/o, bff’s brother!hoon)

» pink whitney ★ (19k, brother's friend!hoon)

» one of the damned girls (20.4k, vampire!hoon)

» i’ll love you forever ★ (21.8k, bff!hoon, fake dating)

» gods and monsters ★ (23k, stepcest, love triangle) 1/3

» heaven and back ★ (24k, stepcest, love triangle) 2.1/3

» serial sweetheart ★ (23.6k, bf!hoon, reader cheats with jake)

» the boy next door trope ★ (26.5k, figure skater!hoon)

» deep end (36.6k, summer fling)

📓 hard thoughts, drabbles, etc.

» 24/7 thinking about you

» dirty girl (phone sex)

» jealous sex

» riding sunghoon's nose

» riding sunghoon's abs

» tired!sunghoon

» sweet bf!sunghoon

» ceo!sunghoon

» husband!sunghoon ★

» exboyfriend!sunghoon

» pussy drunk!sunghoon

» ravenclaw!sunghoon

» ovulating!reader ★

» cheating!reader

» high sex drive!reader

» favorite places to lick

— 📔 hyung line

» shared girlfriend (1.6k, gangbang, bf!hee)

» first time blowjob

» favorite positions

» member guessing by having sex

» cam boys

—

❕ part 2 will be out soon.

#sunghoon smut #sunghoon #enhypen smut

2K notes · View notes

y3sterdaysproblem · 5 months ago

Text

smoke and mirrors - chris sturniolo

chapter six part one

summary: your best friend Matt backs out of plans you had made together, so you replace him with his brother. the only problem is the two of you can’t stand each other.

{enemies to lovers, fake dating}

includes : explicit language, fluff, smut(penetration, oral, fingering, etc.), angst if you squint, lots of bickering, slow burn

wc: 3.5k

The night had barely begun and you were already sick of saying the words ‘This is Chris, my boyfriend.’

Not only was it a lie, but it made you want to throw up in your mouth to speak that into the universe. However, despite how gross saying it made you feel, Chris might’ve been the nicest boyfriend you’ve ever had. He kept a hand rested on your waist or your back as you guys spoke to people, he held your hand to guide you through crowds of people, he would even tuck little strands of hair that had fallen into your face behind your ear, shooting you a smile as he did so.

It genuinely terrified you how good he was at lying like this, to the point where it made you wonder if he actually had feelings for you, but you knew that wasn’t true and he was just an incredible liar.

Finally, you guys are able to relax for a moment and sit down, drinks placed in front of you. “God, I need like six more of these right now.” You tell him, sipping your drink until it’s just the sound of the straw sucking up air.

“Holy shit, slow down, we still have to get home,” Chris laughs, but does the same with his own drink, setting the empty glass back down on the table.

You shrug and wave your hand dismissively towards Chris. “We can just uber if anything.”

Chris’s eyes widen at your suggestion. “We are way too far to uber! That’ll be like a hundred dollar ride, no way!”

You groan, throwing your head back dramatically. “I need to get drunk,” you drawl, pulling your head back up to look at Chris. “I’m getting another drink, we’ll figure out getting home later.”

You stand up from your chair, but Chris grabs your hand and pulls you back down. “Stay here, I got it.”

You sit back down and laugh, staring up at the boy who stands up instead. “I’m a big girl, I could do it myself.”

“Listen, I know all your exes are bums, but my girlfriends don’t get their own drinks, so you hang out here,” Chris tells you before walking away towards the bar.

You scoff and settle back into your seat, humming to yourself and looking around the room at all the people dancing and having fun, making you wish you had a real boyfriend to spend the night with. Someone who would actually enjoy being with you and meeting your family. But here you were, stuck with someone who couldn’t even stand to be around you in the real world.

You’re not alone with your own thoughts for too long before your sister sits down next to you with a big smile, her own drink in hand. “Hey!” She says happily.

You smile up at her, knowing she’s probably at least a little buzzed by now. “Hey,” you reply.

She leans in close to you and nudges your shoulder, eyebrows waggling as well. “So,” she drags the word out. “Chris is really cute. Where’d you find him?”

You laugh at her, shaking your head slightly. “Remember the boys I was friends with in high school? Matt and Nick?” You ask her, and she nods, taking another sip of her drink. “Well they’re still my best friends and he’s their brother. We… we used to not get along very well but, turned out he just had a big fat crush on me.”

Your sister gasps in realization. “I knew he looked familiar!” She screeches, and it’s at that moment that Chris comes back, sitting next to you and placing your drink on the table.

“Who, me?” He asks with a laugh, leaning forward slightly to peer at your sister around you.

“Yes!” She says, even louder this time. She was definitely feeling the alcohol. “I remember your brothers always causing a ruckus in my house. Our mom never knew how to handle them because she only had girls, but you were never around, huh?”

Chris shakes his head. “Nah, we didn’t get along in high school.” He confirms.

You turn your head and smirk at Chris. “Yeah, I told her you treated me like shit because you had a big, fat, disgusting crush on me.”

Chris smirks back at you and slaps his hand back on the inside of your thigh, way higher than you were expecting him to. It causes you to jump and the smirk falls right off your face as you stare back at him still. “Yeah? Did you tell her about your big, fat, disgusting crush on me or you just trying make me look like a huge simp?”

You clear your throat and force a smile back onto your face, turning back to your sister. “I guess I kinda liked him, too.”

Your sister laughs and stands up from her chair, making sure she takes her drink with her. “Well, it’s lovely to finally get to know you, Chris. I hope I see you around a lot more.”

“Oh, you will,” Chris smiles up at her.

You turn to him once she’s gone and smack his arm. “Why would you say that when you know I’m breaking up with you tonight?”

Chris laughs and grabs his drink, taking a large sip. “Just to fuck with you. Now you have to deal with telling them your perfect boyfriend is no more.”

You couldn’t lie to yourself, you were having a really fun time, even if you were accompanied by Chris. The way he was treating you was almost comforting, as odd as that was. It was nice to know that somebody was always nearby, and they were there for you and you alone. His hand holding you close, the way he smiled down at you while you guys talked with friends or family, or even now how he grabbed your drink and you didn’t even have to go anywhere. It felt so cruel that all of this was fake and you didn’t actually have someone to dote on you like this. But it’s okay, you figure, at least you can enjoy it for tonight.

You ignore his last comment and grab his hand off of your thigh, entwining your fingers together. “Come on, come dance with me.” You tell Chris, standing up and staring down at him. He shakes his head quickly, and almost nervously.

“Oh, definitely not. I do not dance. Find someone else to dance with,” he tells you sternly, staying planted in his chair.

You yank on his arm, letting him know you’re not backing down. “I can’t ask anyone else, you’re my boyfriend.” You smirk. “Come on, it’ll be fun. Just stand on the dance floor and like… bounce. Get a couple more drinks in you and you’ll feel great.”

And that’s exactly what you and Chris both did, and now that you were both about five or six mixed drinks in, you were nowhere near sober and not complaining. Chris had decided to join you on the dance floor, but he stayed still for the most part, just watching you dance and enjoy yourself.

“I think we’re definitely going to have to uber back!” You yell at Chris, a little louder than necessary, to which he just laughs and nods in agreement, finding your drunken state kind of funny. He’s never seen you drunk before, and you’ve definitely never seen him drunk.

The loud pop song that’s playing comes to an end and is followed up by a slow, steady song, clearly made for dancing. “Oh no,” Chris says, reaching forward to grab your arm to pull you away from the dance floor. “Definitely not, I am not slow dancing with you. Line drawn.”

You pout and plant for feet in the floor, not wanting to move. “Chris…” you whine, and he raises a brow at you. “Just one dance? Y’know, for show.”

Chris groans, knowing that he probably should dance with you, but he definitely does not want to. Despite that, he walks closer to you again and rests his hands on your waist, your arms instinctively going around his neck. He lets out a long sigh and looks around at the other couples dancing, seeing how happy all of them look and how out of place he himself felt. He was having an alright time, he couldn’t deny that, but he also wished maybe he had a real girlfriend to do real boyfriend things with, but he was so picky with his women and knew it would take him a while to find someone he could actually fully fall for. Someone beautiful and smart, someone independent but still willing to rely on her boyfriend, someone confident but not cocky. Someone like-

“Hey,” you whisper, pulling him out of his thoughts. He looks down at you and meets your eyes where you’re staring up at him.

“What’s up,” he responds, bluntly.

“Thanks for doing this,” you tell him, a small smile gracing your features. “I’m having a really good time and I think my family really likes you. I know it’s not real but… I really appreciate it.”

Chris takes in your words, listening intently. He decides to not be an asshole for once towards you and just smiles, nodding his head. “No problem. Thanks for helping me, too. She stopped texting me so I think our plan worked.”

You giggle in response. “Good, I’m glad. No reason for her to be so hung up on you anyway.”

Chris laughs, rolling his eyes. “Yeah, right. You haven’t even gotten to see what she’s hung up on yet.” He tells you.

Your smile dims a bit, and his words make you tilt your head in curiosity. “Yet?” You ask.

Chris just shrugs, not wanting to feel like he stumbled over his words, though he definitely did not mean to say that, and now he doesn’t quite know how to backpedal. “Never know where the night will take us.”

You pause, your feet stopping with you, your eyes just boring up into Chris’s. Maybe it was the closeness of your bodies, or maybe it was just all the alcohol, but you couldn’t help how good you thought he looked right now in the low light, how sexy he looked staring down at you, and how hot his hands felt as they roamed around your waist and back, pinky fingers barely ghosting over the top of your ass. The combination of all of it was too much, and you found yourself pushing away from Chris, clearing your throat. “I, um… I need some air.” You tell him before turning and heading for the entrance of the banquet hall, pushing the big doors open until you were outside, sucking in a deep breath.

Intrusive Chris thoughts, that’s all they were. You just had to get through it and figure out how to get home and away from him for the rest of the night.

You’re only out there for maybe three minutes when the door opens again and Chris walks out and towards you, hands stuffed awkwardly in his pockets. You turn your head and face him, but you’re not happy to see him at all. The one time you need space and of course he comes looking for you.

“Sorry if that joke was too far,” he apologizes, now standing directly in front of you.

You shake your head, breaking eye contact and looking at the ground. “Wasn’t. I just got hot,” you lie. “Needed to cool off.”

Chris nods, not fully believing you, but not wanting to fight you on it either. Another first. “Maybe we should start heading out. I can order us an uber.”

You bring your eyes back up to his and nod in agreement. “Yeah, that’ll be good.”

Chris stares down at you intensely, making no move to pull out his phone and call an uber, just staying completely still until you feel like your own skin is on fire and you want to rip it off. He’s never been this quiet in his life, and he surely has never willingly spent this much time staring at you.

“Chris…” you start, nervously, heart banging in your chest.

Chris takes in a deep breath, sounding almost shaky, pulling his hands out of his pockets before he speaks. “I think I drank too much,” he says quietly.

“What, why-?”

Your question is cut off by Chris’s lips slamming against yours, his right hand coming up to your jaw to hold you in place, left hand gripping at your waist like you were his lifeline.

You’re shocked at first, completely taken aback by the feeling of his lips on his, and your first instinct is to pull away, but in a split second decision you let your body relax into it, arms circling up around his neck once more, stepping the tiniest bit closer so your chests were pressed together.

One of your hands slid up into the back of Chris’s hair, holding him close as your lips slotted together damn near perfectly, and his left hand rested on your back, pulling you even closer if possible. Your heads were tilted for a more comfortable kiss, and you stayed like that for a few moments until he pulled away, breathing more labored than usual.

“I’m sorry,” he says, almost in a whisper. But your hands are still exploring each others’ bodies and your chests are still touching. You’re both quiet, apart from the heavy breathing, and you know one of you has to make a move here. But this next move will determine your relationship for the rest of your life, and you’re terrified to make the wrong choice. Do you pull away and tell him it’s fine, you know he didn’t mean it, he’s just drunk? Or do you give into the feelings, into the intrusive Chris thoughts, into the way he’s making your heart race right now?

It doesn’t take a lot of thought. You never really were too good at restraining yourself from the things you wanted.

“Don’t be,” you tell him, the most confident you’ve sounded the whole night, before you slam your lips together again, this time more roughly than before, both of your mouths opening to slide your tongues together.

It seemed like the world around you had completely disappeared, the only thing you’re able to focus on being the way his lips moved with yours, the way his hand splayed on your back pressed you closer to him, the way your fingers felt tangled in his hair. All you cared about was kissing him, and you didn’t even hate it. In fact, you loved it, and it didn’t even kill you to admit it.

You guys were kissing for what felt like forever when Chris pulled away, keeping your faces close together. His breathing was labored and your makeup was messed up and the only thing you two had on your mind was getting more of each other. “We should leave,” he starts. “Like now.”

You nod in agreement, then realize. “I can’t drive, Chris.” You remind him.

He swears under his breath before taking a look around at your surroundings, a large smile gracing his face as his eyes landed across the street. “There’s a hotel,” he pulls a hand away from you to point his finger to where he’s looking. Your eyes follow the path and land on the building he’s talking about, and you can’t help but be excited and terrified at the same time.

You gulp and bring your eyes back to Chris’s, his own head turning back to look at you. “Chris…” you start slowly and tentatively. “Do you realize what you’re implying here?”

Chris shakes his head. “I’m not implying anything,” he tells you, then leans down to press a kiss to your neck, slowly trailing his lips over your shoulder. “I’m telling you I want you. I need you.”

You let out a small breath and tilt your head, eyes fluttering shut. “Okay,” you reply. “Okay, let’s go.”

Chris plants one more kiss on your neck before he grabs your hand and starts walking away from the building you guys were in front of, a little too quickly for you to keep up with. “Chris!” You complain. “I’m in heels, slow down.”

Chris laughs and turns to look back at you. “I’m sorry, I’m eager.” He stops and lets you catch up before walking again, slower this time. “I just can’t wait to get my head between your legs.”

Your cheeks flush at his words, and you know you should yell at him or hit him or scold him since that’s what you two always did, but this time his words sent a shiver down your spine and what felt like all of your blood rushing between your legs. You almost wanted to close your legs shut in fear of him somehow sensing how wet you were becoming, but you decided to play it cool. And by cool, that meant you nearly tripped off of the curb and choked on your spit at the same time, not being able to process the feelings in your head and walk at the same time.

“Maybe, uh, keep your thoughts to yourself while I try to navigate walking in heels while drunk, yeah?” You suggest, looping your arm around his for a little more stability.

Chris agrees with a small chuckle, guiding you across the not so busy street and towards the hotel. “You’re okay with this?” He clarifies, to which you nod your head.

“Yeah, I’m okay with this. I’m drunk enough to find you hot and drinking rum always makes me horny,” you giggle.

Chris scoffs. “Please, you always find me hot, you’re just drunk enough to finally admit it.”

You turn your head and smile up at him. “Kinda hard not to when I think your brothers are so hot.”

Chris turns and meets your eyes, cringing. “Gross, dude, can you not talk about how hot you think my brothers are when I’m about to fuck you?”

You only giggle again, this time in excitement.

You both make it to the hotel and walk through the automatic doors, instantly smiling at the girl working the service desk. Chris goes up to her and starts the process for booking a room as you wander around the lobby, peeking in the vending machines and around all the corners, just thinking about how you had no idea this was how your night was going to end and how you weren’t even complaining. You were looking forward to it even. Your intrusive Chris thoughts were finally coming to light, and while that thought scared you, it excited you even more. You felt like a little kid snooping around in the middle of the night to find Christmas gifts. It was wrong, and you knew you shouldn’t do it, but you wanted nothing more than to do it.

You did feel slightly bad for leaving so abruptly, not even saying bye to anybody on your way out, more so because you had assumed you’d be going back inside, but you really couldn’t feel too bad about it when you were this intoxicated and excited for what was to come.

Chris came back to you and laid a hand flat on the small of your back, pulling you out of your thoughts and back to your senses. “Come on,” he said quietly, leading you to the elevator.

Since it was late and most people would be sleeping right now, you weren’t surprised to see the elevator empty when it opened. You guys shuffled into it and he pressed the button for it, immediately turning to you when the doors closed.

“You look so fucking good in that dress,” he compliments, placing both hands on your hips as he presses you up against the wall. He leans in and places his lips right in front of yours, eyes boring down into your own. “I can’t wait to take it off of you.”

You whine and grab him by the unbuttoned jacket of his suit, tilting your head up to finally reconnect your lips, one of your legs coming up to wrap around his waist.

His hand slides down to hold up your thigh, slipping underneath the dress to feel even more of your skin, even more of you. “I need you inside me so bad,” you whimper against his lips, pulling his body even closer.

“I know, baby, I’ll take care of you, I promise,” Chris whispers, sliding his hand up farther and around to the inside of your thigh. He pushes your legs apart a bit more and gently rubs his two middle fingers against your panties, which were no doubt noticeably wet at this point. “Is this all for me?” He asks lowly.

You nod, pushing your hips into his hand more. “Yes, all for you.” You tell him, starting to slide one of your hands down his torso. You’re about to ghost your fingers over his bulge when the elevator dings and the doors open, signaling you’ve arrived to your floor. Chris pulls away and pushes your leg down before using both hands to pull your dress back into place, then leads you out and towards your room in silence, using the keycard to open the door.

You both walk in, and if the tension was already high, the door shutting behind you just launched it into space. There was only one thing left to do from this point.

part two

taglist

@liiixsturniolos @madelinesturn @st6niolo @mattslolita @ifwdominicfike @sophand4n4 @chris-hallelujah @sophsturns @ariana2saucyy @045696 @scorpioosworld @byhrxb @vickytaa @taelovesmattsturniolo @secret-sturniolo @theboredknightcat-blog @slvtf0rchr1s @flouqissss @gabri3la-sturns @delilahsturniolo @starstrucktyrantinfluencer @vanillsstuff @sturnlsstuff @imjusthereforthesturniolosmut @mattsbrat @mattsfavoritestar @dominicfikeenthusiast @certified-sturniolo @chrisslollipop @mattsside @sofiaaguilaxx @idrk2292 @dylansfavwife @pvssychicken @sturnl0ve @sturnioloangelxoxo @afilmbykay @sofia-is-a-sturniolo-triplet-fan @r0s3luvr @milasturniolo @mattsdillion @birkinbratsworld @sturnburbs @aria003 @poppingmypussy4chris @victoryouactuallydidthis @seluky10 @annsx03 @ouchywow @sluttybitchformattsturniolo

#chris sturniolo #matt sturniolo #sturniolo #sturniolo triplets #sturniolo fanfic #sturniolo smut #matt x reader #matt x you #christopher sturniolo #matthew sturniolo #nick sturniolo #sturniolo x reader #sturniolo x you #chris sturniolo fanfic

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wcnderlnds · 1 month ago

Text

the bigbang april writing challenge ☆

Marissa (@ldydeath) and I have been hard at work thinking of fun ideas we could do but also include other writers and we came up with something! For the month of April, we’re calling for any and all BigBang writers to join us in writing for our favourite boys. Each day a fic will be posted about a member by a different writer for the whole month -- the number of the prompt is the date which you'll post your fic. They can be fluff, angst, smut – whatever your heart desires. If you want to take part, all you have to do is message me or @ldydeath with the prompt you want and who you'll be writing for. It's as easy as that! We'd love for everyone to get involved <3 Below the cut you'll find the prompts. Ones with names beside them are the ones already taken! You can take as many as you want.

One bed ( @wcnderlnds | TOP )

Not just friends but not quite lovers either. ( @ldydeath | G DRAGON )

One of them is sick and the other takes care of them. ( @loveesiren | G DRAGON )

Bumping into an ex at the most unexpected place. ( @bluesunss | TOP )

Needing a place to stay for the night. ( @berfgrimm | TOP )

Used to date (insert band member) but now has feelings for (insert other band member) ( @ldydeath) | G DRAGON )

Has a huge crush and doesn’t know how to express it so ends up hurting feelings instead. ( @emmiesoverthemoon | TOP )

Drunken confessions ( @eru-vande | G DRAGON )

Date night ( @sevendaysummer | TOP )

There’s a power outage and one of them is scared (@wcnderlnds | TOP )

Forever stuck in a ‘will they, won’t they?’ ( @gdinthehouseee | TOP )

Hate each other's guts (not really) so another band member traps them in a closet until they either kill each other or make out. ( @sevendaysummer | G DRAGON )

Childhood friends who lost contact with each other until one of them accidentally likes something of theirs on social media. ( @wcnderlnds | TAEYANG )

Bonding on the set of a music video ( @ldydeath | DAESUNG )

One of them has a huge crush on the other and writes their feelings down on a letter ala Lara Jean style and it ends up finding its recipient. ( @infinetlyforgotten | TOP )

Meeting a stranger online only to meet up with them and find out it’s someone from BigBang ( @wcnderlnds | DAESUNG )

It’s vacation time and the last thing they expected was finding a holiday romance. ( @wcnderlnds | TOP )

Bonding through love of hobbies (eg. art for top, lego for daesung, etc) ( @sevendaysummer | DAESUNG )

Fighting for dear life to get tickets to a concert only to bump into your old best friend who helps you out (surprise it’s a member of bigbang) ( @bluesunss | TOP )

Enemies turned lovers but sometimes the enemies still seeps through ( @ldydeath | G DRAGON )

Cozy nights at home

A chance meeting on a night out changes things ( @ldydeath | G DRAGON )

A proposal ( @petersasteria | G DRAGON )

A heart to heart leads to unexpected confessions ( @currentloser | DAESUNG )

They’re leaving the next day so they have to make the most of the time they have together ( @wcnderlnds | TOP )

Dyeing hair matching colours only for one to go wrong ( @ldydeath | G DRAGON )

Both K-Pop idols who go on tour together and have secretly been hooking up ( @makeitworse | G DRAGON )

Accidentally calling them a pet name used in private in front of the rest of the band ( @gdinthehouseee | DAESUNG )

Childhood best friends who were torn apart by distance who bump into each other randomly one day. ( @wcnderlnds | TOP )

Finding out they’re pregnant while their partner is on a world tour. ( @ldydeath | G DRAGON )

#bigbang #bigbang x reader #t.o.p #g dragon #taeyang #daesung

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deminetly · 2 months ago

Text

ᰔ GUIDE TO SCRIPTING AN S/O ᰔ

template here

⠂⠁⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠂⠁⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂

┆ABOUT THEM

basic info template

traits to script - weird, interesting, selfless, creative, supportive, caring, sweet, open-minded, fun, funny, adventurous, understanding, silly, helpful, thoughtful, unhinged, deep, positive, loyal, empatchetic, shy, cool, patient, passionate, wise, trustworthy, generous, humble, brave, reliable, inspiring, authentic, playful, romantic, confident, protective, charismatic, rebellious, mature, strong, tough, honest, provider mindset

their vibe (style, music taste, etc)

their love language (physical touch, gift giving, words of affirmation, acts of service, quality time)

their hobbies

a fun fact (examples: scared of mannequins, has been to north korea)

signature feature (dimples, a scar, a big birth mark)

⠂⠁⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠂⠁⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠂⠁⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂

┆ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP

general vibe (hot and exiting, soft and loving, fun and adventurous, playful and teasing, romantic and sweet)

tropes (enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, fake dating, forbidden love, secret relationship, second chance, love triangle, summer fling, forced marriage)

duo archetype (black cat and golden retriever, sunshine and grump, flirty and clueless, nervous wreck and calm, chaotic and responsible)

how you met/will meet

⠂⠁⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠂⠁⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠂⠁⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂

┆QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU DEVELOP IT FURTHER

describe your relationship in 3 words

what was/will be your first date?

how would they describe you?

whats your favourite memory together?(if you havent met yet, whats something you cant wait to do with them?)

how do you two balance each other out? are you opposites that attract or two peas in a pod?

have you ever gotten into a fight? why? how did you fix it?

do you guys have a shared secret?

do you go to the same school or maybe even work together?

do you guys have a shared dream? (ex: travelling to another country together or starting a business together)

whats their signature scent?

whats the craziest thing you have done together?

whats your biggest similarity? how anout difference?

how do they text?

how so they comfort you when youre upset?

what are your future plans together (kids, marriage, future home, future pets, etc)

do you guys like the same kind of music? which bands or artsits do you like?

whats the most thoughtful gift you have ever given you? what would you gift them?

⠂⠁⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠂⠁⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠂⠁⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂

┆THINGS TO SCRIPT

post 1 | post 2 | post 3

things they do:

always has fun stories to tell

they match your energy

always getting you small but thoughtful gifts

always gets you flowers

always giving you massages

about them/the relationship:

princess treatment

obsessed with you in a healthy way

you like who you are with them and they like who they are with you

worhips the ground you walk on

they always have time for you

they give amazing advice

always puts you first

makes your life easier and better

same humor and taste in music, movies, books, etc

⠂⠁⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠂⠁⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂⠁⠁⠂⠂⠁⠈⠂⠄⠄⠂

┆SCENARIOS TO SCRIPT

post 1

post 2

post 3

post 4

post 5

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┆EXTRA

make them a playlist

make up a new tiktok trend so you can do it together

make a moodboard about your relationship

write them a love letter

plan your matching halloween costumes

design matching tattoos to get with them

write a diary entry about a date with them

draw you and them together

make them a gift for their birthday and celebrate it in your cr

296 notes · View notes

bvidzsoo · 2 months ago

Text

Chasing your shadows

𓍼 Cherry Blossom, March Event 𓍼

Author: bvidzsoo

Pairing: Outlaw!Kim Hongjoong x Bounty hunter!reader

𓍼 Warning: cursing, violence, guns, mentions of past abuse, slight sexism and misogyny 𓍼 Word count: 11k 𓍼 Rating: nc-17 𓍼 Genre: fluff, soulmates: each day on your arm is a particular event your soulmate will face today (ex. promotion, family death, new pet etc.), outlaw x bounty hunter, Wild West AU, enemies to lovers 𓍼 Summary: What was supposed to be a wild chase after a bounty you had your eyes set on for years now, turns into a life changing event. You had always known your soulmate was never up to any good thanks to the words inked on your inner forearm ever since you were five years old, but you hadn't expected him to be the biggest menace known to the state...or the man you had been relentlessly chasing, trying to catch for the hefty reward promised.

A/N: Hello, my lovelies!! The first drabble of the series is here, ack, I'm so excited to hear your thoughts about all of the drabbles. I'd like to think we had pretty original ideas and tried to write as fluffy stories as possible lol. I don't think I have much to yap about right now, but I'll let you know that I'm obsessed with cowboy/wild west AUs (especially Bouncy era, how can one be over that?? I even went to the concert as a Sheriff(-ish) lol). I hope you enjoy the story and let me know what you thought of it, feedback always feels really nice! Enjoy! ^^ (as a second thought, based on the characters in this story...should I write a Yungi spin-off?? lol, I cannot be helped at this point...) divider @cromernet

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The earth was still scorching hot even with the merciless sun finally taking its departure for the day, soon to be replaced by the moon, which had more mercy for us mere humans. The nights weren’t cool, but at least the breeze managed to move the otherwise choking hot air that persisted during the day, forcing everyone to sweat immensely. Your thighs were burning, and your hands were sweaty despite you rubbing them off on your pants every now and then, and your stomach growled at the first sight of buildings. You had finally reached the next bigger town. You knew you could do it, but Sheriff Jeong had tried talking you out of it earlier this morning. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe in your skills; it’s that he saw you as his little sister and was worried about you. You’ve known each other for many years now, and if it weren’t for his trust and respect for you, you most probably wouldn’t be here now.

Your horse slowed to a strut, no doubt just as thirsty and hungry as you were. You had given him your last three apples hours ago when you had stopped for a little breather under the shade of a lonely tree, not a soul in sight. That’s how most of your adventures went like, it was you and Carlos, your most trusted ally. He was a gorgeous horse, standing taller than any other horse you had known, its ears long and sharp, eyes round and observant, and its feet strong and quick. He was still young, so he was in good shape, and while you could say that about Carlos, your own bones couldn’t relate to that statement. You’d soon be hitting thirty, a prime age for people in these times, and if it wasn’t your body asking you to be kinder to it, then it was Sheriff Jeong reminding you of it continuously. He had it easy, though; he had a loving woman waiting for him at home at the end of each day, cooking him his favourite dishes and running a bath for him. You…you had no one waiting for you in the small cabin you had claimed as yours years ago once you’ve had enough of your father’s abuse. He didn’t let you have anything, not even the little money you saved up by working ungodly hours at the Inn, cleaning up piss and vomit, smiling to sleazy men while delivering their beers to their dirty tables. And then your mother got sick, and you realised she wouldn’t make it if you didn’t make enough money.

In the end, it didn’t matter how much money you had earned for her to get the best treatment, she was gone in under three months. It was then that you decided you didn’t want to live in a house where your father didn’t bother to do anything for himself, taking whatever he could that you had claimed as yours. He was a homeless man now; you’ve seen him around the Townsquare at times, begging for change or a loaf of bread. You didn’t pity him, you just hoped your mother wasn’t disappointed that you had left him behind with nothing but the disgrace that he was. Your eyes surveyed the quiet town as Carlos took the two of you further inside. Older men stood on their porches smoking tobacco they could barely afford. You’ve always found it pathetic when the poor flaunted the wealth they never had, hence why there was nothing to you that you could brag about. Carlos neighed loudly and abruptly stopped, yanking its head low and making you lean over since your fingers were tightly twisted into the reign.

“What is it, handsome?” You whispered as you leaned towards your horse's ear, smiling fondly as you patted its cheek, “Tired? Come on, just a bit more.”

But Carlos just neighed loudly again, turning the heads of those walking past you. The lady had a basket filled with goods, a young boy latched onto her ragged skirt, curious round eyes looking up at you. You paid them no mind as you tried to get Carlos moving again, but your horse was even more stubborn than you and wouldn’t budge. You groaned and threw a leg over the saddle, jumping down with practised ease. The young boy was still looking at you as you patted your horse's rear, tutting your tongue as you tried to get Carlos moving again. Maybe if he saw you walking, he’d get to it too.

“Missy!” A high-pitched voice called out, making your head turn, “Are you new in town?”

“Indeed, I am.” You answered the boy as he and the lady had stopped walking now, both of their eyes filled with curiosity, “Tell me, boy, is any Inn close by?”

It was the lady speaking up, her eyes looking past you, her free hand pointing forward, “See that grand building? Go past it, and you’ll find one half its size; they might have a few free rooms.”

“Many newcomers?” You quirked an eyebrow, prodding without being too obvious. You were here with a purpose, after all, but you couldn’t let anyone know your true intentions just yet.

“Heard some men galloping in last night.” The lady shrugged, grabbing the boy’s hand into hers, “Didn’t look too nice or kind, keep safe, Missy.”

“You too.” You grabbed the front of your cowboy hat and gently lowered it in a respectful greeting. The boy grinned and waved before he was ushered forward, the lady tugging him after herself since he was still gazing at your gorgeous horse. You smiled and walked in front of Carlos, throwing him an amused look, “You heard that, princess? Think you can walk for another five minutes?”

As if you were understood by the horse, it neighed and surged forward, walking ahead of you as you chuckled and shook your head, playfully slapping its rear and making it huff as you decided to follow your horse on feet; you needed the movement. Your lower back and thighs were stiff, neck aching from the rigid position you’ve had to keep while riding all day long. Your throat was parched, and you couldn’t wait to wolf down a jug of water—or beer—but what you wanted the most was to throw yourself in a bathtub filled with lukewarm water and let your muscles melt into it.

As the lady had said, the Inn was half the size of the grand house—a mansion, you came to realise, looking unoccupied at the moment—and it was just like any other Inn you’ve had the pleasure of staying in. The structure looked old and was not in the best condition as you walked around it, trying to find a stable. A boy, around fifteen, seemed to be dozed off as he sat on a hay, a long string of grass falling out of his mouth as he was leaning against the stable door. You chuckled and then cleared your throat, making the boy jump up with heavy eyes.

“Yes?! I am on it!” You raised an eyebrow as you watched the boy fumble around himself without doing anything, and then he froze, slowly looking up at you, “Oh, I didn’t—that’s a gorgeous horse!”

“Think you can keep him safe for me?” You quirked an eyebrow with a grin on your lips, patting Carlos’ cheek. The boy’s eyes went wide as he nodded eagerly, righting his posture and tapping his dirty clothes down.

“Yes, ma’am!” He called loudly, holding his chin high. You smirked, holding the reins out to him.

“Is the Inn full? Got many people in town?” Perhaps the stable boy knew more than the previous lady and child.

“Seven men came in hours ago, ma’am, but the Inn still has some rooms available.” Seven men, he’d said, perhaps you really were in the right place. You smirked, crossing your arms in front of your chest.

“Perfect, I’ll pay you tomorrow, sound good?” You untied your bag from the backside of the saddle, throwing it around your shoulder, “And not a word to anyone that I’m here, am I clear?”

“Can I ride him?” The stable boy asked as he opened the door, staring with yearning eyes at Carlos.

“Keep my secret, and we’ll see.” You winked, grabbing a slightly melted lollipop from your pocket to toss it at the boy. His eyes glinted as he caught it, veering Carlos inside the stable after him, “Feed him well, my boy is famished and thirsty!”

“Yes, ma’am!” And then you were off to the Inn, smirking to yourself at the presence of six horses inside the stable. So, the gang was here…all you had to do was find them. The town wasn’t as big as the last one you had trailed the outlaws in, you had a feeling you’d finally find him here. It was a feeling you couldn’t explain, but you felt it deep in your stomach like when you were famished.

The Inn had yet to be filled with patrons, but the early birds were already here, downing their beer like it was water, talking loudly for no reason. The woman behind the counter looked sickly and tired, but she still smiled at you when she saw you. You sauntered over, tipping your cowboy hat in a greeting before you took it off, the air feeling cool against your heated hair, “Got a room for me, pretty?”

The girl’s smile widened as she turned, grabbed a key off the wall, and then faced you again, “Ten pennies.”

You laughed, but you were already undoing your satchel tied to your waist, “Isn’t that too much, sweetheart?”

“Aren’t you staying for three days?” She quirked an eyebrow, leaning against the counter and exposing her already visible cleavage. You huffed down another laugh, enjoying the banter as you leaned in just for the fun of it.

“You know where to find me if you need me.” The woman giggled then, letting you take the keys as ten pennies landed on the counter. You wouldn’t try and bargain your way for a lower price since Sheriff Jeong was gracious with the payment before you left on your little hunt. Your satchel was filled with pennies, and you’d have even more by the time you reached your good old town again, “Get me a drink too, I’m thirsty. On the house?”

The woman’s eyes narrowed at your playfulness as you took a seat on a stool, feeling eyes on your back. It wasn’t often that people encountered a woman dressed as a cowboy, the silver pistol with black engravings strapped to your outer thigh rather visible to anyone. What was also rare was a female bounty hunter. Sheriff Jeong took plenty of convincing to finally accept your pleas to send you out on a wild chase, then shocked, but pleased, at your return with the criminal in your hands. The officers had been trying to catch the man for years, and you managed to do it in merely two days. You were a prideful woman, proud of your accomplishments and unafraid to boast about them to men who look at you with little regard and respect. You’d spit in their face and then take them in a gunfight anytime, you knew who’d come out as the winner. There is a reason why Sheriff Jeong places so much trust in you. You’ve never failed him before, and you wouldn’t start now. You smiled as the woman pushed a pint of cold beer towards you, winking as she said, ‘on the house’. With a chuckle, you grabbed the handle of the pint and raised the heavy glass to your lips to finally quench your thirst. You didn’t stop until you had drunk half of it, your throat burning in a good way, the cold extinguishing the fire you felt inside your body. A shiver ran down your back as you slammed the pint back onto the wooden counter, letting out a satisfied sound as you nodded in appreciation. The beer was delicious, or maybe you were just too thirsty.

You hadn’t noticed the man who had taken the stool to your right, leaving one empty between the two of you, but you now felt his sharp gaze on the side of your face, “I’ve never seen a woman wolf down beer that fast.”

You huffed, turning your head to give the man a look. You hadn’t expected him to be so tall with short dark hair and sharp features, his heavily lidded eyes dark and staring sharply at you. His nose was long and his lips were plump, his skin tan, and his face covered by little blemishes and scars. His dark brown leather vest clung to his toned torso like a second skin, showing off his bare arms, his biceps bulging, his shoulders wide and menacing. Much like you, he had a pistol sheathed at the waist, which was small with his leather pants clinging to it tightly, his thighs thick. You wondered how he survived the heat in a full leather-clad outfit, but you weren’t here to find out.

“Intimidated?” You smirked, throwing back the rest of the beer and barely suppressing a loud burp. It was good, you deserved it after the long day you’d had under the hot sun burning your skin, the dust making your lungs ache since you hadn’t worn your scarf for protection. The man laughed, its sound rich and amused, deep like his voice.

“Maybe if you down two more of those, yeah.” His cowboy hat was placed on the dirty counter much like yours, and you hummed, standing up.

“Gotta pass on this one, cowboy. I’ve had a long day.” You winked at him as you grabbed your hat, setting it back on your head with ease. It had been worn for way too long, and it was visible, but you didn’t want to part with it until it hadn’t disintegrated into nothing.

“You a newcomer?” He questioned as he nursed his drink, something darker than your beer, most probably Whiskey. He didn’t look rich, but if his leather gear didn’t scream money, then the expensive drink did.

“And you?” Answering a question with a question was always the way to go when you hoped to pry out information from others. If this pretty man was just a dumb boy, he’d fall for it easily. But maybe you had underestimated him as he smirked, chuckling behind his glass of alcohol.

“Had a long day, too.” Then he tipped his drink back, rasping his knuckles against the counter to ask for a refill, “Rest easy tonight.”

“You too, cowboy.” The man seemed to like being called that as he bit his bottom lip, his eyes taking your form in. You weren’t here for him or to have fun that could potentially distract you, so you took your leave before he could try and hold you back with more useless chit-chat. But your eyes strayed towards his inner forearm as he raised his hand to wave you away jokingly, the bold letters exposed and looking like he had tried tempering with them. He wouldn’t be the first person to do that. Sheriff Jeong’s supposed soulmate refused to look at the words on her inner forearm after finding him, cutting into her skin, and refusing to admit that perhaps something was amiss. But who were you to judge since you knew your soulmate was far from being a good man? You’ve been reading the events inked under your skin that would occur to him ever since you could read, and he’s never once been up to anything good. You found it peculiar what the words on the cowboy’s forearm said, seeing the bounty hunter off on a day like today. You didn’t mean to think of Sheriff Jeong, but that’s exactly what he had done earlier this morning…seeing you off and wishing you luck for your long and dangerous journey.

The stairs felt a bit uneasy underneath your boots as you made your way upstairs, the Inn filling out with more patrons now that the sky had significantly darkened outside. Your room was towards the end of the hallway, and as you pushed the door open to step inside, the one across from yours opened. The man stepping outside wasn’t too tall, his hat tipped so low you could only see his red lips. You paid him no mind as you slammed your door shut and locked it, making sure to keep out any unwanted guests. It wouldn’t be the first time a man felt entitled enough to try and let himself into your room without your permission, promising you foolishly sweet nothings that ended in a beating he’d never forget.

The room was dingy and small, just like any other room at any Inn, and you let your things fall to the wooden floor as you walked towards the windows to push them open, closing your eyes as you were met with the cooling temperature of the evening. You leaned over the windowsill and inhaled deeply, relishing in the moment of quietness and allowing your muscles to ease up, your mind silent for the first time today. Then, you slowly stepped out of your boots and walked towards your bed, peeling off your clothing one by one until you stood naked, groaning at the feeling of nothingness on your skin. It felt like heaven peeling off the sweat-clad clothes, untying your long hair and massaging your scalp as you walked towards the bathroom attached to the room. You were lucky you didn’t have to share it with the others staying at the Inn. You let the water run as you sat on the edge of the bathtub, staring down at your inner forearm. The ink was black and thick, bold letters not too large, staring back up at you. Bar fight was carved under your skin, and you couldn’t help but feel unimpressed. Your soulmate could do something more impressive. Not even three months ago, he hijacked a train and robbed the rich. Coincidentally, days later, it was discovered that it was the outlaw gang you’ve been following for years now, the seven men who had been terrorising the Southern parts of your state.

Knowing you could run out of water anytime now, you quickly got into the bathtub and stood under the spray of lukewarm water, sighing in relief as all the grime was finally washed off your body. The first loud noise got your eyebrows furrowing, but then shouts followed until you could hear glass breaking and manly voices shouting intangible things. You chuckled as you washed your hair out, feeling the need to refresh it. Drunk men were so simple, one wrong look would result in a stand-off, and you could only hope the pretty woman behind the counter wouldn’t get injured in the bar fight downstairs.

There was nothing better than waking up to complete silence, with the occasional rooster crowing and horses neighing in the distance. But that was back in your town, where you could sleep in unless Sheriff Jeong needed you. The wicked didn’t rest, therefore, you were up before the sun could even rise, sauntering down to the bar. The pretty lady was gone from behind the counter, now replaced by a tall and muscular man, his eyes sharp like knives and rather judgemental. He had given you a one-over before rolling his eyes and knocking on the small window you’d failed to notice last night. Ten minutes later, a sloppy breakfast was pushed in front of you. Some sunny side-ups paired with a rather sad-looking salad—which you were sure was slowly starting to rot away—but food was food. If they didn’t charge you extra, you’d try your luck and ask for a cup of coffee too…if they served fancy stuff like that here. As you ate your breakfast, you subtly surveyed the place, looking for the handsome man from last night. He wasn’t here, not that you had expected him to be, and the bar looked like it went through a rough night. But given the fact that there was a bar fight just a few hours ago, you figured nobody bothered to clean it up since it would end up looking like that again soon.

Having finished your breakfast, you were ready to scoop out the town to get to know the way things worked here and get some intel on the residents and newcomers. Getting information like that was always easy if you played the confused and lost little damsel in distress; men were pathetically desperate to help out any woman who looked at them for long enough. It was hilarious, you tried to keep your grin off your face as the man leaning against the Bank’s wall spoke slowly on purpose, his expression feigning fake worry for your safety.

“Missy, excuse my prodding, you’ve been saying you’re here alone?” An eyebrow arched in your direction, and you smirked, tilting your head.

“Why, sir? Would you like to accompany me?” A trick question, but it always worked getting them off your back.

“Well, since missy seems so lonely and scared—”

You didn’t care for what he had to say, so you didn’t let him finish, “I’m afraid the handsome fella who travels with me wouldn’t be too keen on me bringing a stranger inside our shared room…”

The man paused, his eyebrows furrowing deeply as he looked at you with a new glint in his eyes. Anger. Your smirk grew as you pulled your shoulders back, slapping your cowboy hat back on. Your job here was done with this man.

“Have a lovely day, sir, may we never meet again.” You chuckled under your breath as you tipped your hat in his direction, then quickly left the narrow alleyway before he got any idea on how to make you stay there with him for longer. He wouldn’t be the last nor the first one; men around these towns were desperate for something ‘fresh’. They couldn’t wait to cheat on their wives with whoever rolled into town, even if for a remotely short period. You found your feet taking you further inside the city. Carlos would rest today and hopefully tomorrow, too, if you deemed this town useful of any sort.

You couldn’t tell whether you were in the right place just yet…but there it was that gut feeling again, still persistent to the point there was a buzzing too in your ears. It felt like your inner forearm was suddenly on fire; the words were hidden underneath a scarf you had purposefully wrapped around your naked skin to hide the words petty theft. It was unsurprising that your soulmate was trying his luck yet another time at something that could land him behind bars. The words thrown in prison were yet to be marked underneath your skin, so whoever this criminal was, he was good at whatever he did. You wondered if he’d soon run out of luck, your mind taking you places. How amusing it would be if you were the one to catch him, the thought that he was on the wanted list you were hunting through has crossed your mind more than once before. You couldn’t help but laugh it off every time, especially if Sheriff Jeong was entertaining that thought. Not that he was so much better off…the sole reason why you knew his pretty partner was not his soulmate was because whatever the ink on Jeong Yunho’s forearm said had never been the one his girl was up to that day. Sheriff Jeong and you were in a rather similar position, but he wasn’t ready to admit that just yet.

The marketplace was loud as you walked through the open wooden gates; the place was filled with people despite it being the early morning. In small towns, everyone rose with the sun and went to bed at the first sighting of the moon, living a healthier and perhaps even longer life than those in the bustling towns, greedy for more than they could ever handle. You surveyed the place, your eyes taking in all the people, the eager vendors standing behind their stands, shouting to gather more attention and more buyers. You recognised a few faces already, people who were kind enough to open their doors for you this morning and have a chit-chat. The lady from yesterday with the little boy stood behind a stall filled with freshly baked goods, and you made a mental note to buy a loaf of bread from her on your way home. Maybe you could take her son to ride Carlos later in the day, it was rather obvious that the little boy badly wished to at least touch your gorgeous companion.

Asking around was never the hardest part of your mission, yet there was one downside to it. People would grow suspicious of you if you didn’t do it smartly, so you decided to ask around the elderly instead of the youth, who could easily accuse you of planning a heist or perhaps even an attack on their otherwise serene town. The old lady you had set your eyes on had a wrinkly face and trembling hands as she sat on a small chair, knitting quietly as she hummed a melody. There weren’t many products on display, but the clothing items she handmade looked rather useful for the hot days these regions faced daily. If the price was good, you’d be walking away with a hand-knitted flowy vest and perhaps even more information that would be highly useful right now. You smiled as you approached the stall, letting your fingers run over the soft fabric of the vest you had set your eyes on.

“Mornin’!” You called cheerily, smiling widely at the old lady as she jumped at your sudden arrival.

“Oh, Saints, that scared me.” She chuckled, letting her handiwork rest in her lap as she returned your wide smile, “Mornin’, dear, you’re new in town. Welcome, what brings you around here?”

Leaning your hip against the wooden table, you decided to slip in a bit of truth, “I’m chasing after someone. I have a hunch they might be right here, but other than that, it’s nice to travel to new parts of the state from time to time.”

The woman hummed, a faraway look crossing her features, “I once had the chance to travel the whole world…but then I fell in love.”

You watched the lady rub her covered forearm, turning her head to look at you with sadness in her eyes, “Did you settle down here?”

The old lady hummed, picking up her handiwork to continue it, “Love can be a beautiful but painful feeling. Are you here on your own? Perhaps you’re chasing your soulmate?”

You scoffed but suddenly felt a weird pang in your gut. Could you be chasing your soulmate? It was possible, but what were the chances…here you were again, entertaining that thought. You shook your head and shrugged, keen on changing the topic of the conversation, “I’m just looking for someone. I doubt they are my soulmate. He’s out there somewhere, wreaking havoc in his wake.”

“Those damn outlaws…” The old lady muttered, and your eyes widened slightly, making you chuckle under your breath. There was something about her demeanour that screamed calmness, her hands looked like they’d been through a lot as they were decorated with scars. You were here to find out more about any suspicious movement, though, so you couldn’t focus on small insignificant details about the people living in this town. It’s not like you’d see them ever again, so what was the point of forming bonds that would dwindle out once you left?

“You know anything about them?” You tried to make your voice sound casual, your bottom lip between your teeth as you averted your eyes when the old lady snorted under her breath.

“Who doesn’t, dear?” The old lady huffed, the look in her eyes fiery as she looked up at you, “They always ruin everything, cause carnage and leave suffering behind. If I could, I would still be catching them, but my old joints barely let me walk, let alone run.”

You couldn’t mask your surprise as your eyes widened a little bit, “Were you a bounty hunter?”

“Not quite,” The lady grinned, averting her eyes as her hands worked diligently on the sleeves of the blouse in her lap, “I helped the Sheriff catch felons a few times, but I was never brave enough to become a bounty hunter. It seemed like too much effort and danger, plus I couldn’t deal with all the mocking that already came due to me working with the Sheriff…”

“Right,” You hissed, venom slipping into your tone, “People are like that, stupid cunts.”

The old lady started laughing loudly, her lips pulled into an amused grin as she looked up at you, shaking her head, “You must hate a lot of people, then.”

You huffed with a nod, not bothering to confirm what she already knew, “Did you notice anyone suspicious coming into town these past days?”

“So, you’re a bounty hunter, then.” The old lady hummed to herself, resting her handiwork in her lap once again, her eyebrows furrowed as she looked off into the distance, “I can’t say, I don’t walk around much, but my nephew told me he’d seen men riding around just by the border as if they were scooping out the place, or something of the likes. There’s nothing much by the borders, so I wouldn’t know why they were there specifically.”

“To check the exits and set up any traps for those who would try and follow.” You smirked, mentally jotting down this new piece of information. This old lady had been more useful in just a few minutes than all the cocky men you had to listen to this morning, trying to woo their way into your pants instead of sharing valuable information.

“Brilliant,” The lady huffed, shaking her head in disdain, “Tell you what, dear…but you didn’t hear it from me, alrigh’?”

Your eyebrows furrowed, and then you moved closer as the woman beckoned you to her height with a wave of her hand. Your toes curled, and your heart raced in excitement at the prospect of finding out even more about the possible outlaws residing in the town, and you couldn’t help but quickly crouch down and stare at the lady with sparkling eyes full of curiosity. The old lady chuckled at your behaviour, and you almost flinched when she patted your cheek, her grey eyes running over your features.

“You’re a gorgeous one, dear, take care of yourself,” She hummed, then looked around before she leaned in too, her voice low, “Two days ago, around midnight, I couldn’t sleep, so I went to smoke on the veranda. I live close to the border, and there are few houses around, yet I heard voices coming from the abandoned stable on my property. It wasn’t anyone I knew and not someone from the town. I swear on what I have most precious! There were two men, based on the different tones in voice, and they were talking about a hit—more like arguing—I couldn’t tell what the fight was about, they heavily disagreed if staying in this town was smart or not. The one with a sharper tone kept denying that they were being chased, and the other one kept pressing they’d get caught if they didn’t lay low for a bit…do what you will with this, darlin’, I don’t know more.”

The lady could only stare at your wide smirk, your body almost vibrating as your suspicions were now one hundred percent confirmed. The outlaws were in this town, you’d finally catch Kim Hongjoong, and he had no idea you were so close to putting him behind bars, taking the hefty payment you deserved after all these years of chasing after him and his band of baboons. You grabbed the lady’s hand and pressed an appreciative kiss against her knuckles before standing, grabbing the vest you had set your eyes on, “Could you hold on to this for me for a bit longer? I’ll come back for it in a few hours.”

“I leave before noon, darlin’; you better return before that!” You chuckled and tipped your cowboy hat in her direction before turning around and walking off, trying to remember where you had seen the store that looked like they had supplies you could use rather soon. You were passing just by the stall where the lady from yesterday was, and you stopped to buy some fresh bread, but your eyes caught something peculiar. There were more people around her stall, amongst them the tall and handsome man from the Inn, so she couldn’t pay attention to everyone at once. That wasn’t the issue, however; it was the shorter man sneaking pastries into his satchel bag, moving slowly yet somehow lithe at the same time. You chuckled to yourself and found yourself walking towards him, stopping right behind him, your hand shooting out to wrap around his warm wrist. The man froze, his whole body tensing up as he whipped his head around, but you couldn’t see his face well due to the cowboy hat he was also wearing. He didn’t seem much taller than you, though. You wondered for a second if you had seen him somewhere before.

“Did you think no one would notice?” You wouldn’t have meddled, but you figured the young lady needed to fend for herself and her son somehow. And if some petty thief stole some precious buns, she wouldn’t make as much as on a regular day. You couldn’t let that happen.

“Not many cares around here.” The man hissed back, his tone on the shrill side, but it was raspy as he tried to yank his wrist free. Your fingers only tightened around his skin, making you smirk when the man couldn’t exactly break free.

“Well, I do. If you don’t cause a scene, I’ll be more lenient with you.” The man scoffed, his voice filled with amusement as you saw him glancing to the side, making you look too, only to find the handsome man turning away. Your eyes narrowed as you wondered whether the two knew each other, but before you could dwell more on it, your foot was being stomped on, and you jumped back with a shout of pain. People looked your way, startled, and as if to mock you, the thief grabbed another hot bun before booking it, his laughter loud and amused as your teeth gritted, taking off after him before anyone could react. The lady’s calls sounded confused, and those who realised it was a thief you were chasing tried to help by jumping in front of the criminal, but he was fast. He was way too fast and way too light on his feet as he twisted his body almost in an enchanting way whenever someone went to grab him from the side. He was cackling still; you could hear it louder now that you were gaining on him, and he jumped over the wooden fence and turned sharply to the left, scurrying down an empty, muddy street.

You hissed under your breath and jumped the fence too, your feet almost tangling when you landed again, your pace thrown off. You weren’t too athletic despite chasing criminals for a living, and you cursed the petty thief as he pushed barrels over to make it harder for you to chase after him. But you weren’t giving up; your quick thinking got you jumping on crates and over the rolling barrels, and your eyes locked in on the chain hanging from a building. You didn’t even consider whether it could hold your weight as you lunged for it, your hands tangling into the hot chains, your body swinging in the air as you kicked your legs back and sent yourself forward. The man had glanced back while you were in the air, completely missing that you were mostly above his head now, and slowed his run into more of a strut. You grinned in triumph as you timed your jump smartly, the chains rattling loudly as you released them and kicked forward, making the criminal raise his head jerkily. You had just a few seconds to take in his features, at least what was visible since the lower half of his face was covered by a bandana, his cowboy hat disguising the upper half of his head. His eyes, however, somehow managed to burn into the back of your mind despite the brief glance into them.

They were sharp, small, attentive, and so much cat-like that it made you wonder whether the man had grown up with cats and bizarrely started taking after them. They were pretty eyes, a dark brown that felt like it burned your own ones before the man twisted around and tried to make a run for it again, but your feet were already colliding with his back, sending him harshly to the ground as you tumbled just a little to the side of him, your groan matching his. Your right elbow throbbed as you landed on it funny, but when the man tried to get up, you kicked into action again and got onto his back, straddling him and pinning him to the dirty ground by the hips. He hissed and tried to throw you off, but you knew how to distribute your weight, so he was rendered motionless. It was hilarious to watch him try to fight you off until, suddenly, he went stiff.

“What? Is that it all?” You mocked, your tone laced with amusement, “You looked like you had more fight in you.”

The man didn’t answer much to your dismay, it wasn’t fun if your hostage wasn’t a bit sassy. You noticed the man didn’t have a weapon on him, at least not visible, and his dark blue shirt’s sleeves were rolled up to expose his forearms due to the heat. His vest was old, much like yours, and it hugged around his pretty waist, his trousers a dark brown and soft under your fingertips as you found yourself lightly grazing the fabric. You stopped when you realised you were being a creep, but there was a sudden pull to the man that made you want to touch him. It was peculiar…you mostly liked staying away from male specimens, unless it was Sheriff Jeong, but this one got your interest piqued for an unexplainable reason. You gulped and grabbed the strap of his satchel bag, yanking it a bit and making the man groan. His hands were pressed to the ground, and he was motionless still, his head turned to the side, but you couldn’t see his profile due to his cowboy hat.

“You’ve got something here that you’ll be returning.” You said as you yanked on the strap again, making the man gruff out something under his breath. Your eyebrows furrowed as your eyes narrowed, and you leaned just a bit closer, “What was that?”

The man said something lowly again, and you were getting irritated by his lack of answer…at least one that you could hear, “Speak up, cowboy, or did you bite your tongue during your fall?”

“I said, I’d like to see you try, skivvy.” Your eyebrows furrowed at the blatant insult, your anger exploding inside you out of nowhere. You were good at controlling yourself, but this just felt absolutely uncalled for and way too derogatory, coming from a criminal. You huffed, loudly and clearly offended, clenching and unclenching the fingers of your right hand, debating whether you should punch the man to teach him a lesson. But he spoke up before you could make a choice, “What? No more mocking?”

And as you sucked in air through your teeth, deciding to punch the man, indeed, his head suddenly flew backwards while his hips kicked up strongly, and you were thrown off balance as the back of his head collided with your forehead. It didn’t hurt since he was wearing the hat, and you weren’t too close to his head, but it was enough to jostle you off the man. Suddenly, your whole world was spinning as your back hit the ground hard, weight settling over your hips as the sharp eyes were now staring down at you, obscuring the blistering sun. You realised your cowboy hat was knocked off in the ordeal, the man’s fingers twisted into the hair on the back of your head, not tugging, but warning enough. His other hand had your collarbones pressing down, and you grabbed his wrist, glaring up at him.

“You must be so proud of yourself right now.” Your tone was sarcastic as the man chuckled under the bandana covering his face, and you could see the blatant amusement dancing in his eyes. You would bet on your cowboy hat that he was smirking, too.

“You aren’t the smartest pea in the pond.” Another low blow that got your blood pumping faster, nostrils flaring from anger.

“What makes you smarter? You literally needed a distraction to free yourself.” You fired back, your jaw clenching. For some reason, freeing yourself was a distant thought in your mind, even though it would’ve been comically easy. He didn’t restrict your hands, you could punch him, scratch him, even try and push him off.

“Right, and all you needed to free me was a distraction.” Well, that spurred you into action, your fist rising, but he caught your flying hand before it could fully raise. He tsked under his bandana, and you felt your cheeks heat up from both annoyance and embarrassment. This hadn’t happened before; men rarely managed to outsmart you or even overpower you, and what was most embarrassing was the fact that the criminal wasn’t even attempting to keep you subdued. It was your body that suddenly didn’t want to fight back, your heart racing while your muscles relaxed. To be fair, the man wasn’t making it difficult either; it was as if he found this fight amusing and was holding you still because he took pleasure in it.

“Well then, there’s nothing to brag about to your pals.” And suddenly, it felt like you were both just measuring dicks as to who was better at this and that, it was downright humiliating, but your mouth wouldn’t shut up, “You went down embarrassingly easily, I could headbutt you right now and you’d pass out instantly.”

The man laughed, his cat-like eyes scrunching up in amusement, “Well then? What are you waiting for?”

“A distraction.” You smirked and watched as the man’s eyes narrowed at you. You bucked your hips and twisted to the side, easily throwing the man off yourself. It wasn’t even hilarious anymore, just how easy it was to get him off, but it felt as if he wasn’t really trying to fight you. And why was that? You threatened to hand him to the Sheriff of the town, did he think he could get away with it? But he recovered quickly; he was up on his feet in a blink, and you were moving too, not about to let him go. You caught his arm and twisted it around, pinning it to his back as you held the man’s chin from behind, his back pressed to your chest.

“I have to admit,” The man’s voice was lower, filled with amusement and poorly timed seduction, “I’ve never been manhandled by a woman before. It’s kinda hot.”

“Shut up,” You hissed, looking for the rope usually around your waist to tie criminals up in situations like this one.

“Looking for this?” The man sing-songed, and your eyebrows furrowed as you looked up again, his left hand holding the exact rope that should’ve been on your waist. That, however, wasn’t exactly what got your heart racing while your ears rang loudly, blood going cold. Chasing a criminal was inked under the man’s fair skin on his forearm, as clear as day, glaring back at your gaping expression, “See? You shouldn’t discredit me so much, darlin’.”

“Shut up.” You hissed, snapping yourself out of your delusional thoughts as you wondered whether it was him. But there was no way this man right in front of you was your soulmate. Jostled by the thought, you pushed him forward and watched as he braced himself before he could fall into the building’s stone wall, quick on his feet as he turned around. You were about to say something, you should’ve said something, but you were instead gaping at him, plotting how to rip his bandana off. The man wasn’t moving either, for some reason, he was closely watching your expression, his eyes landing on your covered forearm. You were smarter than him with that, at least. An explosion resounded in the distance, and you both jumped, your eyes wide when you realised it had come from the market.

“Would you look at that?” The man laughed, tipping his cowboy hat forward before he winked, “That’s my cue to go.”

And before you could lunge for him, he was already sprinting back down the way you had come, and for some reason, you didn’t chase after him. You looked down at the ground and bent down to grab your cowboy hat and rope, wondering whether the man you had just caught might have been your soulmate. Your gut twisted oddly, and you gulped, your jaw clenching as you took the way you had come, going back to the market to find out what the explosion was all about. At least you could’ve snatched his satchel bag to return all those hot buns.

Your heart raced as you sprung up from the bed, eyes falling on the open window. You had forgotten to close it last night, and now your skin was covered in goosebumps as a chilly breeze blew inside. It had gotten significantly colder yesterday evening, making you cosy up underneath the blanket, your body tired from the day you’ve had. Your forehead was covered in a sheen layer of sweat, and you tapped it down with your arm, slowly realising that your forearm was burning. You lowered your arm and turned it around, staring at the inked words unblinking. Bank robbery. You gulped, suddenly feeling a hollowness in your chest as your eyebrows furrowed. The outlaws that were in this town…so was it one of them? Your soulmate—was it one of the outlaws? You gulped, your heart suddenly racing as you threw the blanket over your feet and sat on the edge of your bed, caressing your skin gently. In moments like this one, you wished your soulmate was a country boy, a farmer, a simple mine worker, anything but a criminal. What you did for a living didn’t mesh well with your soulmate’s profession, and you knew Sheriff Jeong would never understand you.

His soulmate was an outlaw too, judging based on the inked words on his inner forearm, and he had loathed his partner before even meeting them. You, on the other hand, couldn’t share the sentiment. You were displeased, of course, you were, but you’ve spent your whole life lonely and watching couples from afar, wondering what it felt like to finally find your soulmate, to reunite with them for an eternity. Nobody would’ve guessed, but deep down, you dreamed of a romance like in the old folk tales. You wished to be madly in love, blinded by it to the point that you couldn’t breathe if your soulmate wasn’t next to you. You winced as the ink felt like it was splitting your skin in two, making you wonder what was causing such a reaction since it’d never happened before. You knew today would be a long day, and you also knew you had to face the consequences of your soulmate’s actions. You knew you had a hard decision ahead of yourself, but you prayed to any existent deity that your soulmate wouldn’t be the worst of the worst. Maybe he was part of the outlaw gang you’ve been chasing, maybe he was just a local from this town, trying to make amends. Committing so many crimes wasn’t an excuse, but if he was doing it to fend for himself and his poor family, you’d let it slide. With a heavy sigh, you dragged yourself off the bed and went inside the bathroom, well aware of your next step.

The market had been a mess of panicked people by the time you had reached it yesterday, but you were glad to hear nobody was injured. Someone had set fire to an unoccupied table before the first small granite had gone off, making a store’s windows explode since it was ignited right underneath it. The old lady was shaken when you had checked in with her, and you decided to accompany her home after you bought more bread than was necessary from the lady with the little boy. You had searched for the handsome stranger’s face in the crowd, but he was nowhere to be seen, much like the thief you’ve had the chance to catch but hesitated. You weren’t pleased with yourself, but your body had refused to cooperate when you needed it most. Now, however, you knew what was the right thing to do. You didn’t want to draw even more attention to yourself, so after a quick trip to the stable to make sure Carlos was still there, healthy and safe, you took off on foot towards the Bank. It was rather close since it was in the heart of the town, and you had decided to stake out in front of it, sitting at a cafeteria.

Their coffee was overpriced and not as good as back in your town, but it would do for now. You weren’t here to enjoy a cup of coffee, after all, but to keep your eyes on the Bank and observe who came and went. You had an eye for telling the locals and newcomers apart; it was their way of dressing and conversing, of looking at ease, versus the gorgeous man with red hair who looked fidgety as he walked towards the Bank. He was wearing rather hand-me-down robes, trying a bit too hard to fit in with the crowd. It made him look even more obvious, and you smiled as you realised you had caught the first suspicious person. He walked inside the Bank, and you wondered whether it was him or not, subconsciously rubbing your forearm. You wore no sleeves today, and you made no effort to cover your arm up. It was time you faced whatever the Universe had in store for you if you came across your soulmate.

You took a sip of your coffee just as a large horse galloped right into the middle of the square, coming to a stop in front of the Bank. You realised with elation that it was the handsome man from the Inn, his sharp eyes narrowed as he surveyed the place. You quickly lowered your head and pretended to be interested in the newspaper by your cup of coffee, having forgone your cowboy hat today as you knew it would attract unwanted attention. You kept your leather pants, however, and borrowed a sleeveless shirt from the pretty girl behind the bar. She was rather eager to lend it to you after you offered her a soaring kiss, one she certainly wouldn’t forget. When you deemed it safe to look up again, you realised the handsome man was moving on, the redhead having just left the building. Your eyes narrowed, and you watched as a short-haired buff man approached your target, throwing an arm around him and casually walking off with him. You were determined to sit there all day long if it meant catching the outlaws red-handed, but that thought was quickly changed when a motorcar pulled up in front of the Bank, its engine running loudly.

A rather tall man with gorgeous long black hair stepped out, keeping the door open for someone…and your eyes widened. It was the same man from the market, the thief, the one you had chased! Your heart lurched, and your hand shook as you loudly placed your porcelain cup on the small plate, leaning forward in your seat as if that would help you see the two men better. They didn’t seem to exchange any words between each other, just a nod of a head before the long-haired man confidently walked up to the Bank’s entrance, smiling gratuitously as the door was opened for him, the other one sneaking off to the side of the building. Something in your gut told you to get up and go after the shorter one, his outfit almost the same as yesterday except that his vest was missing and an obvious pistol was lodged in his pants against his lower back. You stood and left your unfinished cup of coffee behind, making sure the road was safe as you crossed it in a run, keeping your eyes on the thief. He walked down the narrow alleyway, his gloved fingers tracing the wall before he turned the corner, making you hurry up since you didn’t know what the back of the building hid.

You made sure your steps were light and silent, and you found your fingers tracing the same spots the criminal had too, your cheeks flushing red in embarrassment. You yanked your hands away and let them lay limply by your sides as you pressed up against the building to peek around the corner. The man was smoking, a tobacco dangling from his lips, but you couldn’t see his face since his cowboy hat was pulled down low again. Much like you, he hadn’t bothered hiding his forearm, and you had a burning curiosity to know what the ink said. You flinched as a door you hadn’t noticed was there was thrown open, the hiss of a voice beckoning your target inside. The man chuckled and didn’t bother putting out his tobacco, and you were quick on your feet as the door started shutting quickly behind the man. You managed to wadge your foot inside before it could close, and realising you probably didn’t have much time to act, you flung the door open as you took a deep breath. Almost as if the man sensed he was being followed, he was leaning against a table facing the door, tobacco put out and a smirk on his red lips. You froze, your heart nervously skipping a beat, and the man chuckled.

“You are not as sleek as you think you are, bounty hunter.” You gulped, watching the man as he chuckled under his breath. You felt like you couldn’t speak, too focused on the burning sensation of your arm and the racing of your heart, “Mingi saw you leaving this morning and figured something wasn’t right. You have a pretty pistol, but it screams Sheriff.”

And he was right, Sheriff Jeong had gifted it to you many years ago. It was custom-made and expensive, resembling the one most officers used. You gulped, suddenly not as brave as you used to be. The criminal, however, seemed to have more to say, “We met yesterday too, thanks for not turning me in. Those buns were delicious, by the way. Did you get some for yourself?”

Your jaw clenched, eyes narrowing, “No, because you stole them all.”

The outlaw chuckled, shrugging his shoulders, “What can I say…I have six mouths to feed.”

“Is the food at the Inn not good enough?” You quirked an eyebrow, suddenly realising why he had seemed familiar yesterday. The day you had arrived in town and had gone up to your room, the man leaving the one across from yours had been this man, the outlaw. All this time, he was right under your nose. You felt your heart rate rise in anger, your fists clenching by your sides.

“Meh, I’ve certainly had worse.” The man pushed off the table, fearlessly stalking towards you, “But what’s the fun in following the rules? I love a little chaos.”

“I know.” The words slipped out your mouth before you could catch yourself. Did you know? Something in your gut told you that yes, you did know, you’ve known your whole life.

“You do?” The man raised an eyebrow, stopping a few inches in front of you. Tackling him to the ground would be easy, but your body refused to move just yet, “How come?”

“How do you know I’m a bounty hunter?” You answered his question with a question, your heart racing as you could see the man’s lips pull into an amused smirk. You were itching to see his whole face, your fingers trembled at the thought of knocking his cowboy hat back to see his face. You gulped, waiting for his answer as the man shrugged, tilting his head slightly.

“I’ll call it a hunch, I guess.” And then, you gasped as he jumped forward all of a sudden, pressing you up against the door. You hadn’t expected him to attack you, but you finally snapped out of your frozen state and took action. You yanked your head to the side as his fist came towards your face, slightly thrown off guard that he could so easily punch a woman. Perhaps he saw it on your face because he chuckled, his left hand tightening around your bicep, “My apologies, sugar, did you think I didn’t hit women?”

“My mistake for considering you a gentleman.” You hissed under your breath and took a left swing at his face, which he easily dodged. It felt just like yesterday, with pointless punches thrown at each other with no intention of harming the other. Your body had never acted on its own like this before, and you wondered why it was happening now of all times.

“Never mistake an outlaw for a gentleman, sugar.” The man chuckled as you managed to free your left arm and elbowed him in the neck, the man making a choked-up sound. You shook him off yourself and went to kick his legs out of underneath him, but he managed to avoid your kick even as he clutched at his neck. Your next punch, however, he couldn’t deflect as he was busy getting his breath back, and his head flew to the side, knocking his cowboy hat off. You didn’t wait for him to recover as you got behind him and pushed him, throwing your arm around his neck once he was hunched over, putting him in a headlock. The man’s eyes were wide as he grabbed your arm, his nails digging painfully into your exposed skin. You turned your head, needing to see the face of the man, only to freeze in shock.

“Kim Hongjoong?” Your voice was barely a whisper, but your faces were so close next to each other that he heard you. He chuckled, gulping hard as his eyes fell on your face, a satisfied smirk still on his lips.

“Surprise, sugar, no bounty hunter’s managed to catch me before.” You felt speechless as you felt all of your hard work finally come to fruition. You had Kim Hongjoong in your arms, at your mercy, your pockets full of coins that would last you and the next generation if you spent it wisely once you handed the criminal over to the Sheriff, “Close your mouth before a fly flies inside.”

Your cheeks burned, and you felt your arm lightly soften against his neck, but then you quickly snapped out of it and willed yourself to focus. The man was gorgeous; none of those sketches did his beauty justice. His sharp features weren’t as intimidating as the handsome stranger’s from the Inn—who was part of his outlaw band, now you realised—but his eyes held danger, a promise of pain and unforgiveness. You gulped, tracing his nose and red lips, your eyes lingering on them, and you felt your tongue poking out to wet your own lips. The outlaw, Hongjoong, hummed to himself and touched your cheek with his left hand, making you jump.

“Bank robbery.” You heard him whispering, his eyes glancing down at the forearm exposed to him since you had him in a headlock with your left hand, “Peculiar, isn’t it?”

You gulped nervously, your heart racing even faster as you allowed your eyes to fall onto his own exposed forearm now that his arm was outstretched, his fingers grazing your cheek. Finally catching the outlaw. You gasped and pushed Hongjoong away, a coldness seeping deep into your bones despite the scorching hot air inside the dimly lit room. Hongjoong looked at you apprehensively, watching you as if you were a rabid animal, analysing your features and body language. You didn’t know what to do or how to react; it all felt too much, too overwhelming. Why did you have to be right? Where was Sheriff Jeong to make fun of your fate and tell you it was just a joke all along? Why was Kim Hongjoong your soulmate, and why did your body yearn so desperately for his touch again? It felt hard to breathe as your eyes filled with tears, and you didn’t want to break down, but it suddenly felt like you weren’t so alone anymore.

“Oh, don’t cry, sweetheart.” And when you felt arms around your body, you started crying hard, your body shaking with sobs as your fingers curled into his shirt, squeezing Hongjoong to yourself, “It’s alright, I’m here now.”

“You’re a terrible person.” You managed to get out as you were still crying, blinded by the tears in your eyes as you tried to look at his face, “You steal from people, you hurt others, you’ve killed too, I—and I had to sit through all of that, wondering all this time why was I fated to a man like you. Why is it you, Kim Hongjoong? I was supposed to bring you back to the Sheriff, I was supposed to get rich off of you—I—I’ve been chasing you for so long, it’s unfair!”

Your tears subsided as your anger won over, and you pushed Hongjoong away, staring at him with a glare as his jaw clenched, his eyebrows furrowing, “I’ve been wondering too why I was fated with someone who wanted to catch me, harm me perhaps, hand me over to live a miserable life.”

A deafening silence fell over the two of you as the realisation settled in that Hongjoong might’ve been feeling the same conflicting emotions as you were. Your heart raced in the excitement that you had finally found your soulmate, finally feeling complete, but your brain told you that you could still come out of this victoriously, that you could hand him in and live a life alone…it’s what you were used to after all.

“It’s not too late to walk away,” Hongjoong muttered quietly, caressing the ink on his skin, his gulp loud, “We won’t harm you if you leave us alone, I promise—”

“Are you telling your own soulmate to walk away? To leave you alone after I finally found you?!” Your voice was rising in anger, and Hongjoong flinched, glancing behind you.

“Let’s keep it down or else we’ll be discovered,” He suggested and took a step closer, his eyes analysing your face once again. You gulped when he didn’t stop approaching you and almost flinched when he reached out, his warm fingers grazing your cheek again, “Don’t you hate me?”

“I hate what you are and that you’ve made me chase you for so long that I was forced to be alone for thirty years.” You whispered, eyebrows furrowing as Hongjoong’s fingers traced your eyebrows down to your nose, under your eyes and then your lips, his gulp loud.

“You’re beautiful,” He whispered with a smile, stepping even closer to you, your faces just a breath away, “Come with me, learn my world, let me show you the brighter side of it.”

“That’s not who I am, Hongjoong.”

“No? Then who are you?”

You gulped, letting the question settle in your mind. Who were you? What did you have besides Sheriff Jeong and a house you had forcefully claimed as yours? You were nothing but a lonely woman hunting down criminals because it filled your time and distracted you from the void in your chest, a void that was no longer eating away at your heart.

“Promise you’ll never leave me. Promise you’ll keep me safe,” You gulped, already dreading the sudden twist of your future. Were you doing the right thing right now? Was this the smart choice? “Promise you’ll never hurt Sheriff Jeong.”

“I promise to keep you safe and never leave you, not now that I’ve found you.” Hongjoong chuckled then, cupping your jaw gently as shouts came from behind the door. You tensed, but Hongjoong didn’t seem phased by it, “And I won’t hurt Sheriff Jeong, even though I wonder who that is…”

“Not just you, your whole gang.” Your eyebrows furrowed as Hongjoong traced your bottom lip with his thumb, smirking at himself.

“Okay, fine, no one will hurt the Sheriff.” You hummed, eyes widening when Hongjoong closed the distance and pressed his warm lips against yours, tasting like the homemade meal your mother used to make that you loved so much. Hongjoong felt like home, like coming home after a long day and falling into your bed, knowing it always had your back, always would be there for you. These comparisons felt silly as you kissed him back, fingers tangling in his black hair, but they were everything you’d always wished for.

A sudden explosion outside made you yelp, and Hongjoong smirked, letting go of you to grab his cowboy hat, extending his hand for you to take, “Well, that’s our cue, sweetheart. We better get going before the Sheriffs get here.”

You knew Sheriff Jeong would hate you for an eternity for accepting the outlaw’s extended hand, but there was nothing you could do when your soulmate was grinning at you with mischief and wickedness in his eyes, so confident and proud as your fingers intertwined.

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