#not a good roommate match whatsoever

[sheenaisapunkstripprr]

Omg I never realized how triggering it would be to live with an emotionally unaware cis man during my period, but holy shit I feel so bad for monogamous housewives out there. idk how y'all aren't out here committing all the violence. I didn't think it was possible for someone to match and then escalate my pms rage to this degree 🥲

[pallisia]

so i never fully got a good look at it during the broadcast despite rewinding several times, but i swear to god someone had a sign that said "SOUL SOV REAL" during a televised wrestling show tonight- AEW Dynamite, on TBS. they were broadcasting from montreal. i caught it right behind the announcer Justin Roberts as he was announcing the main event match. it's a highlighter yellowgreen poster paper sign with black marker. on screen you can only barely read the "SOV REAL" part, but the guy takes it out and puts it away before and after holding it up and i swear you can make out the word "SOUL" above the rest. my roommates agreed with me that it looks like that's definitely what it said. i have no idea if you know the person who had the sign or if you're into wrestling in any capacity whatsoever but. i felt obligated to tell you ig ???

lmao??

i don't even know what to say to this except "lmao"

[autumn-foxfire]

I'm finally at the school trip.

I'll be frank, I find these episodes incredibly stupid and contrived.

I know why they exist as he reached 1000 chapter and he wanted Shinichi to reappear and for him to finally have his terrible romance, but as he is an incredibly stupid writer, he managed to do so in the worst way possible <3 Let's just have Shinichi appear in a very public place! And Ai, the incredibly paranoid girl, just LETS HIM!

Sonoko: I want to get a romantic shot of you.

Ran: I'd rather you didn't.

And then the romantic shot in question:

And Shinichi is pushing her away too (he "confessed" first). And of course Sonoko's the one who is truly invest in the romance.

One thing I am looking forward to in these episodes is the Sonoko and Sera interaction. Yes Sera, grill him!

Oh and this is the rando who joins them.

Okay but that's not a nice thing to do. Or cute. Sonoko had no right to tell everyone something private like that. These episodes are really going to test my nerves aren't they.

And here is Ai being OOC to allow the travesty that is these episodes to exist.

Awww, Gosho thinks Shonichi actually had friends outside of Ran or Sonoko (and now Sera).

They're having pictures taken of Shinichi. He's been spotted without any disguise. That totally isn't going to have no consquences at all.

Can. We. Not. They are just talking. I forgot people aren't allowed to speak to the opposite sex, are they.

And of course Sonoko is jealous for Ran- Nevermind. This is so bad already T-T Someone save me.

Sera being cute and immediately looking at Ran to show how cute she is.

Lesbians.

Shinichi and Sera working together <3 Practising for their future as detectives in an agency together!

I will say it again. They really don't play with the fact that it is agony for them to go through the transformation enough.

What a nice way to speak to your "girlfriend" Shinichi.

Oh the room number matched the episode number.

Can we not lie about things like this? I know it was Heiji who did so but still. Telling lies about things you've done with girls is NOT a very good look and can be very insulting to the girl your lying about.

You know, to avoid the roommate situation, you could just tell the teachers you've been pretty ill and or have reasons why you need a seperate room and that if it's an issue your very rich parents could be the ones who buy the room.

But that would be smart and there is nothing smart in these episodes except how the criminal committed the crime.

...Well it is also a Heiji episode so they might as well bring back the demons.

Ran should be so much more pissed off about this but then again, girls aren't allowed to be angry at their love interests, just feigning it.

I don't think Mary should exist. I think Sera should be allowed to have figured out Shinichi's secret and be fucking furious on Ran's behalf, and doing everything in her power to tell her about it. Sorry, I'm just projecting onto the characters but then again, Gosho does that too so can you blame me <3

I have a feeling Gosho is also telling this story not because it relates to the case but also to "mimic" Ran and Shinichi but there is a big difference: Ran isn't respected by Shinichi whatsoever and he plans to NEVER tell her anything. He is actually happy being to continue to gaslight and manipulate her in order to "protect" her.

I will say it's not often I see the women fantasize about a man's lips.

AND Gosho can't resist being gross.

"HEY WANT TO SEXUALLY ASSAULT WOMEN?!"

Rando: You hesitated because you've seen them before.

Me: Actually it just looked like he wasn't really interested.

It's sad that Heiji is more concerned about Shinichi's secret than he is- Nevermind he actually cares more about the school trip. Do they not realise that HIS LIFE WILL BE IN DANGER IF HE'S FOUND OUT?!

I'm mad that Momoji's breasts were brought up but damn is Sera such a lesbian.

And we can't have an episode focused on the romance between Ran and Shinichi without him being disgustingly jealous because how dare Ran be friends with another man doesn't she know she's Shinichi's property!

OKAY SHINICHI PRETENDING TO BE CHILDISH WAS VERY FUNNY THOUGH.

Shinichi probably just heard that Kazuha can see Heiji on TV and he is NOT CONCERNED?! WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS PLOT.

And here comes Okita definitely not here to make Shinichi jealous and Sonoko think Ran is "cheating" on a boy she's not even dating.

Yukiko and Yuusaku are that pajamas meme.

Rolling my eyes because here's the jealousy. Sonoko is usually a good friend but I guess she doesn't mind causing issues in relationships for her own amusement.

Shinichi. It's called having a friend. I know you don't know what that is because you're not even friends with Ran but you better fucking learn and stop being an abusive and controlling.

Here's a good idea? WHY DON'T YOU JUST ASK HER WHAT IT WAS ABOUT. OR AN EVEN BETTER IDEA, WHY DON'T YOU JUST TRUST HER?!

...How did Shinichi push off the transformation?

Oh, surprise Kaito!

It's nice to see Shinichi's husband.

And these deaths were caused by miscommunication.

I feel absolutely nothing. Because this moment is not deserved in the absolute slightest.

Shinichi, have you considered that she wasn't ready for a kiss yet? But no, you had to get what YOU wanted. How fucking gross.

I've never been more thankful for the poison. And it's funny how he was able to starve off the transformation for a case but not for Ran. How interesting.

Gosho: how do I make it so Shinichi's presense won't be leaked.

Gosho: I know, I'll ask a bunch of teenagers not to post online

Get with the times, old man.

Ran, always more invested in other relationships over her own. That's not a sign at all.

LMAO I love the men asking how it's like to kiss Shinichi. Seems like they have a crush on him, not Ran.

Gosho, can you at least pretend to respect women.

The Sera and Mary plot are actually the first interesting thing to happen in this episode.

And of course Shinichi insults Ran. I don't have any issue with playful insults in relationships but it's very clear that Shinichi actually thinks of Ran as an idiot who he doesn't trust. But he's okay manipulating her this way because Ran is his possession and he gets what he wants.

I'm so glad I got through these episodes.

[everydayfrimmel]

August 14, 2024

"Guests"

1100 words, the same roommate AU from "The L Word" but like. Later

All Frieren ever told Himmel is that she was training a new girl at work. She mentioned that the girl was just out of college and, per the ring on her finger, probably married. That was all.

Because Frieren is and ever will be a useless narrator of the events of her own life, Himmel heard no description whatsoever of this girl, her job, or the nature of his wife's relationship to her until she asked out of the blue if she and her husband (so she does have one, then) could come over for dinner, and Himmel was so happy he nearly jumped out of his chair.

From this exceedingly out-of-character desire to socialize, Himmel surmised a closer relationship than he'd been expecting to hear about. But he was not in the slightest expecting this.

The girl - woman, it feels strange to look a grown woman in the face and call her a girl - is taller than Frieren by a good head and a half. She and her husband, who looks like he runs marathons in his spare time, have matching sets of exceedingly squishy cheeks, and the effect of their respective babyface is amplified when they are taken in together. She's holding a still-casserole dish covered in foil with oven mitts, and everything about her looks soft. And when she's put the casserole down, she pulls Frieren into her arms and veritably enfolds her.

Frieren's colleague is rather slender, but, given her birdlike stature, the picture still gives an impression much like that of somebody sinking into marshmallow fluff.

"I can't believe you finally invited me over," she says, still squishing Frieren - who is face-level with her chest, and probably not breathing well - in her embrace. "I thought you never would."

"Mmph."

This is about as much as Frieren can say with her face so obstructed. That said, her colleague is clearly not asking for a reply, so it doesn't seem to matter very much.

The colleague soon introduces herself as Fern, and the dish in her casserole container as cinnamon rolls for their breakfast tomorrow, because "Frieren told me she likes sweets." At this, Himmel has to resist the urge to let out an undignified whoop of joy, and restricts himself to a much more sedate "that was sweet of you," followed shortly by "you shouldn't have."

And then the chicken wings are late.

Himmel was in charge of ordering the chicken wings, even though these are Frieren's friends, because she would forget to. Actually, she'd told him to order whatever he wanted. And chicken wings sounded like a plan at the time, but now they're delayed, and as such, he tries to make conversation with Fern's husband, who is as sociable as Himmel and should be impossibly easy to talk to, while casting nervous glances every few seconds over at Frieren and Fern, who are, well.

Entangled would be a way to put it.

Fern appears to enjoy playing the mother, and Frieren is not very discriminating in her choices of humans to use as pillows, much to Himmel's chagrin. He had not known to expect that his wife would enjoy snuggling up to her colleague so much when all he had to go by was her vague description of Fern as "a coworker."

It doesn't worry him. He's not jealous. He's not, really. Everything is-

"It takes getting used to," Stark whispers.

"Do you?" Himmel asks faintly. "Get used to it?"

"Fern has pent-up maternal instinct."

Clearly.

It's still just a little bit strange.

This, however, opens the door to easier conversation with Stark, who's more than happy to share how he met his wife, how long it took him to pick up on her hints, and how often she brings that up when she wants to beat him in an argument. Stark's friendly as it is, but he lights up when he's describing Fern, and for that alone, Himmel likes him immensely. He barely feels like he knows a thing about Stark that isn't also about his wife, but he suspects he's probably no better when meeting new acquaintances, so he forgives him this oversight.

He's just getting to the part where he realized that Fern likes to cuddle with her coworkers when they're off the clock (apparently she'd been to their house once, without bothering to mention that she had) when the man delivering the chicken wings arrives and is heartily tipped only because Himmel is starving enough to make him look like an angel come to earth just to drop off his wings.

Then, Frieren detaches herself from Fern, both women eye the containers of chicken and dipping sauce spread across the coffee table like rabid wolves, and within no more than ten minutes, only three measly wings and all of the celery sticks remain.

Himmel knows, of course, how much Frieren will eat if given the chance, and his own appetite is ever-increased by his long runs. Stark spends most of his free hours in the gym, apparently, so this makes sense, too, but Fern…

"Blame the baby," she says when she notices Himmel watching her, and takes the second-to-last wing without breaking eye contact for an instant.

"There's a baby…?"

Since when is there a baby? Stark hadn't mentioned-

Well. He did make that comment about maternal instinct.

And it would explain the clinging.

"Congrats," he says, then takes the last wing.

She can't be more than twenty-five. He spares a glance at Frieren and wonders if she will pick up on his telepathic signal and divine the message that we're even older, but has no particular optimism that she will.

"Oh, did I forget to tell you that?" Stark asks sheepishly. "Sorry."

"It's, uh, don't worry about it."

Another thing Frieren hadn't told him, but then, Frieren relates only those details which she finds important, and that doesn't always line up with, well, what actually is. It may be best to move on.

"So, uh, what's Frieren like at work?" he asks.

She reddens, and he laughs. How he loves knowing that he has that effect on a woman who so rarely shows any emotion at all.

"Boring," Fern says.

Frieren glowers at her. "I'm there to do my job, Fern."

Fern pouts. "Even in the break room, you just sit next to me and don't talk."

"I'm resting my brain."

"You're being rude!"

Maybe, he thinks, less mother and daughter than sisters. He hadn't expected she would've become so close to somebody at her office, but she really should have someone besides him.

He's glad to find she does.

[mrs-monaghan]

https://www.tumblr.com/mrs-monaghan/718506779663876096/i-just-watch-bon-voyage-1-and-it-gave-me-clarity

Talking about being sexually active, who among the two do you think could have initiated things the very first time? I don’t think you’ve addressed that b4.

I could be wrong but i really think it was Jk who would have made the first move. Hear me out! I know that Jimin was the one who was always very vocal about wanting hugs and kisses and dates etc but I remember the members saying he(JM) was the most innocent of all the members I think he was the only one who never had any dating experience whatsoever and also, even though on the surface Jk seemed really shy, he also seemed to me like someone who was bold enough to go in for the lips if he just couldn’t take it anymore lol! Have u seen Jk staring at JM’s lips? Also, remember the “I want you, (3X)” video? For a painfully shy introvert, he sure was bold enough to openly tell Jimin he wanted him lol. Not once, not twice but three good times! If he could be that bold infront of the camera, can u imagine what he was like when it was just him and Jimin? Nah the more i think about it, the more convinced i am that Jk made the first move.

Another thing i always wondered was about their sleep schedules. Now we know that Jikook are the two members who loved staying up late doing whatever and they told us that sometimes in order not to wake up the other members, the prefered to put blankets out and sleep outside the rooms together. Do you think it was just the fact that their sleep schedules matched made them all nighter buddies? I mean, the way i see it, there had to have been something else that made them love sleeping together so much that they will both sacrifice their beds and choose to sleep on blankets they laid on the floor, just so they could be together. When i think of this sometimes, i get so baffled at the fact that so many people still do not want to accept the fact that Jikook is and always were the only posibility if there was ever a couple in BTS! I mean, how can u sanely see these two with anyone else other than them, when they both have been obsessed with sleeping with e/o from the very beginning? Tkkrs always compare and say, Jk always choose V to be his roommate. Well yeah he did always choose V but what good was that if he always ended up spending his nights with Jimin anyways? He was the one who literally described Jimin as his all nighter friend and he specifically said that, all the time they are always up together late at night doing something and he doesn’t even know what they do but they are just up together doing something! This habit continued for over 10 years! We even had Jhope telling us the same thing in his documentary, that Jk and Jimin always stay up late together! So if u think that Jk or Jimin were with other people (members of the band) when exactly did they have cuddle time with the other people when Jk and JM were always together at nights? Not just at night but Jk and JM rode in the same car together for years, who will be ok with their partner spending that much time with someone else? Who? They were always together during filming, always together backstage, always together watching e/o rehearse, always together riding back home, always together at nights (Tae himself confirmed this more than once) always together on birthdays, anniversaries, holidays etc! So when exactly did they spend time with their partners? I mean how can pple choose to be so blind?

Anyways i’ll like to hear what you think.

I think people are extremely stupid anon. I didn't know how many stupid people there were till I joined the fandom. It's honestly beyond me.

I think the person who was supposed to end up as JK's roommate was quite lucky seeing as he always ended up sleeping by himself anyway. JK has been in Jimin's bed from day one. Like u said anon, I fail to see how this wouldn't be an issue for V or anyone else who is supposedly dating JK.

It's the birthdays for me. It's always gonna be the birthdays for me. I am yet so see another JK shipper explain how JK is always with Jimin 4 his birthdays and not his supposed bf

As for your first question I think JK made the first move. With everything. But not because Jimin is the most innocent (he's not) but rather because Jimin being the oldest may have waited for JK to make the first move. Not wanting to pressure him or whatever.

He may have let JK take the lead. In terms of initiating anyway. My theory is JK wasn't toping in the beginning. It was Jimin. Just coz he's the oldest and had more experience with rlships as mild as they may have been. When you're figuring things out you gotta try everything and see what works for who. Even the first kiss JK could have started it then Jimin took over and guided the kiss. That type of thing.

I think not wanting to push JK was something super important for Jimin. I showed here during the priest episode how he waited for JK to hug him. Super underrated moment but shows how Jimin respects JK enough to give him the option to say no or pull away.

We stan a consent king 🙌🏽

[portraitmypet]

I Took A Chance With Portrait My Pet and I'm Super Satisfied

Your experience with portrait my pet

Sometimes you take a chance, and it pays off. That's how it was for me when I ordered a portrait of my beloved cat. I had just moved from an apartment in Brooklyn to a one-bedroom in Manhattan and had yet to find myself any furniture or decorations for my new place.

I was feeling lonely and homesick at first—and then there was this huge box on my doorstep! It turned out that my college roommate had ordered me the portrait of our cat from Portrait My Pet as a gift. She knew how much I loved our sweet kitty back home, so she thought this would be something nice to have around the house since she couldn't be there with us anymore.

I was skeptical at first because I wasn't sure what kind of quality they would produce given that they were so affordable compared to other pet portrait websites (and even some custom framing sites). But after opening up the box and seeing what they'd done with our cat's photo, I realized that this company truly understands its customers' needs! Plus they kept all their promises: everything was delivered quickly, no hidden costs or fees attached whatsoever--just pure joy right there before me on canvas paper."

I saw the ads here on Facebook and while they looked good, I was skeptical. But my boyfriend encouraged me to do it. We both needed something to smile about and my girl cat was not doing well. He died 2 months after she passed away, so I know how valuable it was to have the portrait.

I was skeptical at first. The ads looked good, but I've seen some pretty good-looking things not turn out as good in real life. But my boyfriend encouraged me to do it. He said we both needed something to smile about and our cat wasn't doing well at all. She died 2 months after he passed away and I know how valuable it was to have the portrait.

I had a hard time getting my girl into the box (she's a picky eater). But once she was in there and I saw her portrait on their website, I knew it was worth it! It looked just like her!

She had beautiful eyes that were always opened wide even when she slept; they'd make your heart melt :)

The process started with them asking for a picture of my cat that showed her eyes clearly. They did say that if the first attempt didn't match the eyes, they would redo it for no extra charge.

The process started with them asking for a picture of my cat that showed her eyes clearly. They did say that if the first attempt didn't match the eyes, they would redo it for no extra charge.

I found it very easy to take a picture of my cat and send it to them. I was super excited because I could see the finished product at all times in my email inbox!

When I saw that they had sent me an email saying that my portrait was ready for pick up, I was very excited! It was just like Christmas morning :)

The portrait looks exactly like my cat Sophie. The artist did an amazing job capturing her facial expressions and coloring her fur correctly so that she looks just like herself but in drawing form!

If you are looking for something special to hang on your wall or keep on your desk, this is definitely worth considering.

It took about 3 days before it arrived in the mail and at first I worried because the portrait seemed too dark, but once I hung it in my office, the light made her eyes come alive! It is so very true to life!

When you first receive your portrait, don't panic if it looks too dark or too light. Once it's hanging in your home and gets the natural light of day, they can look completely different than they did when you saw them online. My portrait was taken at my house outside in direct sunlight and I thought that maybe the colors were off because my dog is a black lab mix with gold highlights, but once I hung it up inside in a room with windows on either side and natural lighting coming through, her eyes were literally sparkling! It was so beautiful!

I have had this made as gifts for several friends who own dogs and everyone has said how lifelike their pet looks! They loved seeing their animal captured forever in such an artistic way!

One friend loved hers so much she put theirs on display by hanging it over her fireplace mantle so everyone could admire both sides at once: one side showed their cat sleeping peacefully next to them while on the other side he was chasing some birdies outside under his favorite tree.

It is one of my most treasured possessions now - and I get lots of compliments on it from friends and coworkers alike!

I think it's important to have a tangible memory of your beloved pet, and this portrait is not only beautiful but also incredibly detailed. The artist even included the tiny little birthmark on my dog's ear! I've gotten so many compliments from friends and coworkers about how great the portrait looks, both in person and online.

This was my first time commissioning an original piece of art for myself, so I wasn't sure what to expect when sending in photos of my dog (I'm not very artistic myself). When I received the finished product in the mail, though, I was blown away by how well it captured her personality while also accurately reflecting her appearance in life. It really added something special to my home—and helped me overcome some feelings of sadness when remembering all those times spent with her back at our apartment or camping trips out west.

We understand how hard it is to wait for the perfect moment to order your pet portrait. But we also know that if you don’t place your order now, you will miss out on our exclusive offers and will end up paying more than you would have if you ordered today. That’s why we have a special coupon code in place right now! Use this link to get 10% off your total purchase! Or send us an email at order@portrait-my-pet.com and we can help make sure that no matter what, today will be one of the best days ever!

[hyunverse]

omfg i cannot imagine a life without fall. that is so tragic. the rory gilmore vibe is definitely there especially bc i live in nyc so you can really get the fall grasp yk ? YEA can we please talk about changbin in the samsung ad bc holy shit. he’s like. legit perfect. aren’t they all tho like isn’t that why we’re all here in the first place 🤭. i cant get enough of them

100% agree i can’t imagine having a s/o rn. tooooo much work and i’m just not mentally there yet yk 😭 the thought is a lot nicer than the reality of it

i can bet money that you would beat me and that i am far from a bowling prodigy 😔. i have no coordination whatsoever. i’m also extremely short with tiny hands and arms (me and felix are twins) so i’d look an absolute fool LMAO. and it is so cute we do the opposites at the same time but still can communicate like just little humans doing cute little human things on our little phones

cute minho pics 100% made my day better. his little pout i’m distraught <///3. this is my second day w an awful migraine idk what my deal is 💔. i hope your day was good tho and you get some good rest tonight love :)) i read some of your hyunjin stuff again before falling asleep last night and i swear i shed a tear. too much fluff for my sick heart hyunjin just makes me SOFT

- 🐈‍⬛

tragic innit 💔 i sound british ANYWAY. waa u live in nyc? that’s sickkkk. how’s life there like? i only ever see nyc people complain abt the rodents on the streets and random people tryna get u to listen to their mixtape 💀 i hope ure not. . . rodent infested? all jokes pls dont hate me </3 the seungmin kinnie in me popped out for a sec.

changbin’s biceps r so big it gives me the urge to sink my teef in them. go absolutely bonkers with it </3

during my last semester, my roommate had a boyfriend, and she would argue with her boyfriend pretty much everyday so it kind of made me not want one. because imagine finishing your assignments at 1am, and arguing with your boyfriend ‘til 4am? and then having to wake up at 6? i don’t think i can handle that. so many of my friends’ boyfriends ended up being a bit controlling too, not letting them go out and have fun with guy friends. (even with other girls around them!) i feel like at this age, i want the freedom to do anything i want, u get me? a boyfriend would definitely stop that.

it’s ok, i bowl funny too. i’m pretty sure the way i bowl the ball isn’t correct but we r all unique ‼️ who cares if im not swinging my arm right? LMAOO. i have long arms but my hands are tiny so i guess we’re matching at that too 😭 i love felix’s tiny hands. especially when they’re compared with hyune’s like. . . he got hyune looking like a whole gorilla 😟

u are my tiny silly little companion in my tiny silly little phone <3 i’m glad minho made u feel better, i hope your day is better today! i’m sorry to hear about your migraine, my love. have you taken painkillers? drink enough water and do take your meals on time or i will fly to nyc and do it for u. (this is a threat.) my day was so slow LMAO i did absolutely nothing! though i did receive exciting news — got a 4.0 gpa and into the dean’s list!! ‘m overjoyed!! spent the day laying as reward. (thats my excuse for being lazy) thank u for reading my fics hehe. comments like that make me wanna keep going :-) i wanna write a oneshot abt playing with his hair!!!

sending u warm hugs ^__^ with much love frm your rin <3

[scarletwinterxx]

dive into you - Haechan Scenario

Hi! this one took me too long to write, but I love it. I hope you do too! as always thank you for the support! See you on the next story😊💚

For my other works you can check them out here, and for my other story series’ you can check them out here.

All works are copyrighted ©scarletwinterxx 2021 . Do not repost, re-write without the permission of author.

You hated silence.

The reason why you are where you are right now is because of your hate for having no kind of noise whatsoever. It was stupid, you liked being alone but you hate silence.

Correction, you hate being left alone with your thoughts which is why you thought having a roommate would be a good idea, Atleast there’s a constant presence of another human around you.

And that person comes in the form of Lee Donhyuck. And boy did he break the silence.

Living with Donghyuck is like having a radio on 24/7 7 days a week. If he isn’t talking, he’s singing or mumbling or shouting. The last one not being your favorite and has resulted into a few small argument a couple of times but nothing a little coddling from Hyuck won’t fix.

There are many things you found annoying about Hyuck but even those makes him even more amiable. He was a character to say the least. If life was a television show, Hyuck would be the lead.

And what does a lead need? A supporting character that occasionally rains on his sunny parade every now and then.

“Why can’t you just cancel it?”

“Cancel the meeting?”

“Call it what it is, it’s a date” he said with an eye roll, Hyuck was being his infuriating self at the moment and you can’t wait to get out of the apartment before you start being moody yourself.

That is one thing Hyuck hates handling but has absolutely no problem being.

“If I knew any better, I’d say you’re jealous” you dismissively said, throwing your bag over your shoulder and grabbing your coat from the rack.

“You know what fine, go out. It’s not like you promised we were going to have a movie night tonight”

Hyuck and his promises. Another thing you learned about him after living together for the past 3 years. He’s a man of his words, and sometimes he takes it a bit personal when you don’t do the same.

It’s not like he’s asking for much, but you are late for your meeting and Hyuck is still being moody.

“This is why your friends think we’re dating, go out for a change. You’re probably the friendliest homebody I know. I’m sure one of your gaming buddies is available. I’ll be home before 10”

“I’ll sleep at 9, unless you want to be locked out you should be home before that” him and his arguments, he was being petty he knew but that doesn’t stop him from saying it out loud. He was failing at making you stay at home with him anyways, might as well be all out.

“I have my keys with me, and we both know you don’t sleep until 3am”

Then you were out the door. Haechan was then left alone, glaring at the door like it was its fault you left. 

It was a mixture of jokes and real feelings for him, he’s the type of guy who would play pranks on you just to get your attention. What he didn’t expect was just how easy it was for you to banter back and forth with him, you weren’t one to back down whenever he jokes around. Easily matching his energy. 

He liked you for that. 

Correction: He LIKES you for that. 

These feelings he had been keeping at bay ever since he realized he even had them in the first place. So when did he exactly realize he liked you? easy, the moment he walked in the door and you here in your now shared apartment. Smiling at him like he was a friend you’ve known your whole life. 

‘You’re home’ those were the first words you ever said to him. 

Shaking his head like it would shake his thoughts away, Haechan walked back to his room to continue playing his game. As a few hours passed, he was very much immersed at the monitor infront of him that he didn’t notice you were back earlier than expected.

You can hear his rapid clicks on his keyboard plus a couple of shouts to his friends, chuckling to yourself as you made your way to his room. Walking towards his desk, setting the food you got for him. Haechan almost jumped out of his skin when he saw you standing beside him, 

“You’re home” he mumbled

“Yea”

“Why are you home?” the expression on his face changed into a dismissive one, acting as if he wasn’t ecstatic you were back. Hot and cold, he liked keeping you on your toes. But in reality, one small smile or a tiny pout or a quiet mumble of his name will have him surrendering to any wish you have for him. 

“I can go out again if that’s what you want, I can call-” “Yea no, I can’t hear you Jisung. You’re breaking up” then he exited the game, turning his chair to look at you

“You know that’s not a phone right?”

“Yep”

“Dumbass” you mumbled “I brought you food, sorry but I can’t stay up late and watch a movie with you. I’m really tired and I have a class tomorrow at 7 so I hope the chicken makes up for that” gesturing at the bag you put on his table, a soft smile forming on his face as he watch you rub the drowsiness away on your eyes

“2 movies, you owe me 2 movies”

“I’d watch the entire MCU with you when I have the time, can I sleep now? You’re not mad at me anymore?” you asked sarcastically

“Sure, sweetheart. want me to cuddle with you?” he asked back but you were already walking away. Hearing him laugh from behind you, “night, Hyuck” you called out

“Night” he whispers, a ghost of a smile on his face. 

“It’s too early to be smiling, why are you smiling?” Minjeong asks when you took the seat beside her, “I can’t smile?”

“You can but it’s like 7 in the morning and we have to deal with kids. Do you know how long I stayed up last night trying to finish my lesson plan for this week? I’m not even a teacher yet”

You laughed at her question, understanding full well what she meant. You yourself have fallen asleep while trying to catch on some works for your internship. It’s a good thing you have a roommate to wake you up late at night to tell you to go doze off on your own bed than the living room table. 

“Do we have another activity again this weekend? Cause if not, I’m going to catch up on some reports and hopefully some sleep”

“I can’t, I have plans” you will never hear the end of it if you cancel on Haechan again, so you made sure to clear your schedule for the weekend. 

“Okay, I’ll tell Bomin. By the way, how was the headache last night? Did you get enough rest?” she asked, you kinda felt bad you left early last night during the meeting. Everything was already done anyways, the rest of the group was just hanging out but it seemed like no one was ready to go home yet and your head did feel like it was about to explode

“Slept when I got home”

“I always forget you’re roomies with a med student, did Haechan take care of you?” you didn’t miss the sly teasing smile Minjeong sent your way, she always says you and Haechan looked cute together. 

You have repeatedly told her that you and Haechan are just friends, but Minjeong thinks otherwise. Claiming you’re always too busy rolling your eyes to see the way Haechan looks at you.

“He was too busy screaming at his computer when I got home”

“You two are so cute, like those old married couples” she chuckled to herself meanwhile you just roll your eyes at her, “We’re not a couple”

“Mhm give time, a little bit more time”

“Time?”

“Huh?”

“What time did the patient get in? Are you even awake right now?” Jeno asks his friend, snapping his fingers infront of Haechan’s face to get his attention “How long have you been awake?” Jeno added

“He got in 2 hours ago, vitals are looking better now. His friend said he’s just pretty stressed at the moment, skipped a few meals thus his blood dropped. He should be good to go when he wakes up. And no I haven’t slept since I got in yesterday” Haechan answered, his voice devoid of any emotion.

He’s on the verge of passing out himself, out of sleepiness and fatigue. He can only drink so many energy drinks before it becomes to dangerous. A habit he’s been trying to break. 

“Is he your last patient?” Jeno ask, looking at the chart Haechan was holding. Passing it over to his friend, ready to finally call it a day. “Yep, I can finally go home now. If you need me, don’t. I will not be answering any calls”

Jeno just laugh silently as he watches his half asleep friend, “Are you driving like this? Why don’t you take a nap first” Jeno suggested

“No, Y/N is picking me up. Her class was over 30 minutes ago so she should be on her way here” at the exact moment, Haechan’s phone rang. 

The two of you were definitely something. It was amazing just how well the two of you are together despite not really being together together.

“Doing girlfriend duties on a friend’s wage? How do I interpret this?”

Putting his phone back in his pocket before looking, more like glaring at Jeno. “I’m too tired to argue with you”

“Then don’t, just admit you like her already. It’s been what? 3 years? You’ve been living with Y/N for three years and you’ve never made your move. The next thing you know she’s slipping right between your finger”

No, you won’t. Haechan thinks to himself. 

And how does he know this? You told him. 

‘I’ve never even seen you with a guy or have a guy over’

‘That’s because I don’t like the majority of the male population’ you answered nonchalantly, the of you were having dinner and he suddenly asked you if you have a boyfriend. Or a fling or whatever. 

‘then why are you living with me?’ Haechan asked 

‘You’re different’

‘Are you saying you don’t see me as a guy?’ you let out a chuckle before taking more ramen from the pot  ‘I don’t mind having you around, which says a lot considering just how easily I get annoyed with anything. I do admit it is one of my biggest flaws. But with you, I don’t mind the ruckus’

when he didn’t answer, you looked over at him already looking at you, ‘what?’

“I don’t know, I just realized living with me must’ve been too much for you in the beginning”

You quickly shook your head, shooting him a small smile ‘no worries, i liked it actually. It actually relaxes me more when I hear you singing around the house or something’

‘so to be clear, if it was any other guy out there you would not last this long?’ Haechan asked jokingly, breaking the serious talk and distracting himself from the smile you had on making his heart beat a little harder and faster. 

‘let’s just say I wouldn’t be moving out of this apartment any time soon’

After changing into his casual clothes, Haechan took his bag from his locker before checking his phone again seeing a text from you saying you just got to the hospital and is currently waiting for him at the parking lot. 

He made his way outside, spotting his car easily. At this point his car is pretty much yours too. Instances like today when he’s too tired to drive, he’d text you or most times you’d volunteer to pick him up. 

“I’d get you your own coffee but you need to sleep” you said the moment he slid in the passenger seat, “Not because you forgot?” he asked

You pulled out of the parking spot before driving away, “I bought you a sandwich and a cake slice to share” gesturing to the bag resting on the center console, immediately taking the bag and opening it, “Okay fine, I’ll forgive you this once”

“If you drink coffee now, you won’t be awake later for our movie marathon”

“I bet you a coffee, you’ll fall asleep before me”

“Oh you’re on”

Haechan loved winning bets, arguments and generally being right. 

And he was because here you are, head falling on one side. Eyelids falling as the movie plays on. It’s only the second movie for the night, empty take out boxes infront the two of you. A fond smile on his lips as he looks adoringly at you, “guess you owe me coffee again” he mumbles to your now sleeping figure. 

He was debating whether he should turn off the movie and call it a night or just finish this movie before he wakes you up to move to your bedroom. But before he could pick a choice, you finally gave in the sleepiness and let your head fall on the pillow beside him. 

You looked so at peace and adorable at the moment, he didn’t have the heart to wake you up and tease you about not keeping your promise of watching 2 movies with him. When the film finally ended, he turned the tv off about to shake you awake. Gently rubbing the back of his hand on your cheek as not to startle you too much,

“Hey sleepy head, wake up. Movie’s over” he mumbles quietly, not budging even a bit but instead leaning more on the hand he had on your cheek. The action making Haechan’s heart hammer against his heart a bit harder.

“You better stop making my heart feel like this or else I’d have to do something about it” he says like you could hear him, but these words he’d only be able to say when you’re off to dreamland, unaware of just how much your roommate had fallen for you. 

“That’s bullshit, 18 is still their best b-side”

“Right now is still better, End of the Day too”  Haechan counters, sending him an eyeroll as a reply “Good tracks but 18 is where it’s at. I’d walk down the aisle while that songs play on the background”

It’s his turn to look over at you with a judging expression, “You’d walk down the aisle to a One Direction song?”

“Better than a Bieber song” you mumble

Today was a less hectic day for the both of you, Haechan didn’t have a shift at the hospital while you only had a few classes to attend so the two of you decided to make a spontaneous but very needed trip to the grocery store. 

Getting the cereal you both like and throwing it in the cart Haechan was currently pushing, “I thought you’d walk down the aisle to Ariana or Taylor” he tells you

“Can’t say I didn’t thought about it but like also can’t imagine walking to my future husband while 34+35 plays”

“Even though you wifey, you’ll let him hit it like a sidechick?”

“See? it’s a statement, but not one I’d make on my wedding day. So chocolate or vanilla ice cream?”

“Get both” he answers, already knowing you like to mix both. Chocolate’s too right to eat alone, vanilla is too plain by itself so as a solution you get yourself a scoop of each. 

After the trip to the grocery store, you took this chance to catch up on some reports and paperwork while Haechan takes a much needed nap. Poor boy probably runs on 2 hours of sleep when he’s on duty, so you don’t bother him and have some quiet time around the apartment. 

“We have another sit in session next Thursday which means we have to review again before and after. Are you free?” Minjeong asks over the phone, “Yea sure, I’ll schedule it in”

Finishing two assignments, you decided to call it a night and relax for a bit. Deciding to make dinner for the night instead of having takeout like you usually to. 

“Hey Hyuck, dinner’s ready” opening the door to his room only to find him still passed out on his bed, cheek pressed against his pillow. Lips forming a tiny pout. When he isn’t shouting at his computer or busy mumbling medical terminologies to himself, he looks like a little innocent kid. 

“Take a picture it’ll last longer” Haechan mumbles, catching you off guard

“My gallery is already full of your pictures, I don’t need another one” you answer with a smile, pushing the bangs on his forehead back earning you a smile from him. 

“Cuddle me?”

“Dinner’s gonna get cold”

Shaking his head and opening his arm like an invitation for you, “Five Minutes of cuddle won’t harm you, please” dragging out the last word, finally giving in and scooching over the vacant space beside him. 

“You know you look like a little kid who would never do any harm when you’re asleep”

“So you like me better when I don’t speak”

“Not the same thing but yea kind of. Hey hey just kidding” avoiding his attempts to tickle you on the side, 

“I like you like all the time” he says, voice a bit quiet like he’s afraid he might scare you away. But you weren’t, you didn’t move away or avoid his gaze. Instead you smile at him adorably, eyes almost disappearing. 

“I know” 

For now you didn’t know the meaning behind his words, or just how deeper his feelings runs for you. He should feel like he’s drowning right now, with the way he’s feeling about you, keeping this huge secret from you. But he doesn’t feel that way. 

Not at all. 

“Don’t cut your hair” you mumble as you brush the bangs that fell on his face, his eyes closing, feeling the tip of your fingers on his face

“Mhm”

“Don’t cut it yet, you look cuter with long hair” now if this was any other situation, He’d be a blushing mess by now. But you’re being way too cuddly and adorable and he was still a little hazy from his nap so he just nodded his head and smiled lazily at you.

“Okay” you smiled at his answer, giving his cheek a pinch before pushing yourself off his bed. “Dinner time, come on I even made your favorite”

Then you were out the door, leaving Haechan once again with this lingering feeling in his chest and your smile imprinted in his mind. . 

“How’s your internship going?” you asked him when he sat down across from you on the dinner table, “tiring, like always. The fact that I practically live in the hospital plus the billion things I have to review is the current highlight of my life”

“Sounds fun”

“How about you? How’s your internship going?” he asks, looking over at you 

“Good, I love having the kids around but it does get tiring at the end of the day. You never know just how much energy kids have until you spend the whole day with them. Come to think of it, it’s no different with spending time with you”

He jokingly glares at you,  “You love spending time with me”

“I don’t have a choice, we live together”

“You’re on duty tomorrow and the day after right?”

“Yea, won’t be home until Thursday evening probably” he mumbles, already dreading tomorrow. He does love being a med student, it was his choice to take medicine and someday be a doctor but it does drain him out. 

”Thursday?” you asked, “Yea, why?”

“I can’t pick you up on Thursday, we have this thing at the school we have to attend” you answered, already thinking if you should leave early but Haechan speaks up 

“Don’t worry, I can drive home by myself”

“That’s dangerous, do you know how many accident’s happened just because the driver fell asleep while driving?” you asked him, ready to scold the boy sitting across from you 

“No, Do you?” Haechan asks back with a smirk “No, but you should since you’re the one who works at a hospital. Just take the taxi home or the bus”

“What’s the point of having my own car if I don’t use it”

“Hyuck”

“Fine”

If his friends were here, he’d never hear the end of it. Just how easily he gives in to you.  Someone who is as headstrong and stubborn as Haechan, easily saying yes just because you said his name. 

He was indeed, way into deep with you. 

“Tell me again, why are we here?” Minjeong asks from beside you as the two of you watch the kids run around the room, some screaming out of joy and excitement while playing with their peers.

“We love our course, we love our job” you answer her, “We’re not even getting paid”

“You love your course, you love this job” you repeated, this time looking over at her and using the teacher smile you both mastered. 

“I love my course, I love this job” she repeats after you, mirroring your smile. 

Then you hear some kids screaming and crying, making the two of you scurry over them. “Okay okay, what happened?” you asked the kids, 

“Teacher, he bumped his head on the table” One of the kids said, immediately reaching out for the kid who bumped his head. By this time, one of the faculty members was also beside you asking if everybody was alright. 

“How about we go to the hospital, I’ll call his parents”

That is how you found yourself pacing back and forth the hospital corridor as you wait for the kid’s parents to arrive. 

“Y/N? What are you doing here?” someone called from behind you, it was Jeno. Haechan’s bestfriend. The amount of time you’ve known Haechan is probably the same amount of time you’ve known Jeno. 

“One of this got in a little accident, I’m just waiting for the guardian to arrive”

“Oh, are they okay?” Jeno asks, he had the most gentle eyes in contrast with his very athletic body. He also has the patience of a saint, this proven and tested when you watch just how much Haechan teases him. 

“Yea, he’s fine just a little bruise”

Then you spot the kids parent’s behind Jeno, “I need to go, talk to you later” bidding your goodbyes. Guiding the parent’s over where their kid was. 

You stand behind one of the faculty members as the doctor speak, noticing someone else standing beside him. 

“He’ll be fine, you can go home tonight. You’re good, right buddy? You were very brave today” the doctor told your student, handing him a lollipop. 

They exchange a few more words, so you excused your self to get something to drink. 

“Hi” you jumped a bit when someone spoke from beside you, “Uhm hi?” you recognize him as the guy who was standing behind the doctor earlier, assuming he’s an intern because he looked like he was around your age. 

“Oh sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. I was just going to ask about the patient, is he your student?”

“Yea, I’m an intern at the pre-school he’s in”

“Me too, I mean I’m an intern too. Here. At the hospital” you chuckle at his answer, not going to lie he was a bit cute. “Yea so uhm anyways, I was told to ask if he felt dizzy or had hazy vision on the way here. Or anything really. Kids tend not to say what they really feel in front of doctors because they’re scared” he explains

“He said he was fine, just that the spot he hit his head hurt a bit” 

“That’s good, I’ll-”

“Y/N?” Not needing to look over to know who was calling out your name

“Dr. Lee?” the guy you were talking to said

“Dr?” you asked

“Dr. Na, Y/N” 

“Right, we’re in a hospital. You are a resident here” you joked, now looking over beside you where your roommate was standing. 

“You two know each other?” Haechan asks

“No, we just met. One of my student got in a little accident. He’s fine though, everything’s good” noticing his attention wasn’t on you at all, but instead over at his co-resident

“I’m gonna go now” pointing at your senior who was waiting for you, “See you later” you mumble at Haechan. Bidding goodbye to both guys. Two pair of eyes following you as you walk away

“She’s the one who picks you up after duty right?” Jaemin asks making Haechan look over at his co-resident. “Yes”

“Is she your girlfriend?”

Now Haechan likes to think he’s a smart guy, but that question is one he doesn’t quite know how to answer. 

“But is she though?”

“Obviously not, why are you even asking that?” Haechan asks Jeno, a bit annoyed at him. Well he wasn’t the main reason. It’s just ever since Jaemin asked him if you were his girlfriend, he can’t help but feel a bit unsettled and agitated. Like there’s something not quite right and he can’t put his finger on what it is. 

Their shift finally ended, Jeno luckily bought his car so Haechan didn’t have to take the bus after all. It’s a good thing they live five minutes away from each other. 

“Because it’s the question on everybody’s mind including yours. Y/N’s a great girl, you’re not the only one who can see that and like I said before if you don’t do anything about it she’s going to slip away from you. Now get out of my car, I need to go home and sleep” Haechan slightly slamming the door when he stepped out, just a bit though. He didn’t want Jeno to get mad at him. 

Still on a broody mood, Haechan made his way up to your shared apartment. He expected you to be in the kitchen cooking dinner or in your room already resting since you also had a long day. What he didn’t expect is to see you dozed off on the dining table with your books and noted scattered around. 

Snickering to himself, he made his way over to you. Taking a few seconds just looking at your sleeping figure before deciding to finally wake you up by poking you on the cheek, 

“Yah, wake up. Your neck will kill hurt if you sleep like that” he scolded you, blinking a few times before registering what was happening at the moment. 

“Oh you’re home, did you take the bus?” you ask, stretching your arm over your head

“No, Jeno drove me home”

“That’s good, want me to order us dinner?”

“No, I’m good”

“Are you okay?”

“Tired, go sleep on your bed” he mumbles the last part before trudging to his room, leaving you confused. You didn’t think too much of it, Haechan can be moody at times especially when he’s tired. Usually letting him be and just wait until he’s in a better mood before you talk to him again. 

Meanwhile, Haechan was in his room having an internal debate whether if he should go back out and apologize for his behavior or sulk in his misery for the night. He felt frustrated at his self for not being able to talk to you. 

Here he was having a crisis about his feelings for you and the only person he wants to talk about it is you. 

Burying his head under his pillow in efforts to block his loud thoughts away, to no avail you were still in his mind. Like you always are. 

“Do you know Jaemin?”

It was a few days later, the two of you were having another movie night when you suddenly asked about his co-resident at the hospital. His hands felt clammy and cold all of a sudden

“Mhm, He’s my blockmate. Why?”

“He asked me to have coffee with him” you answered so casually, not knowing you might have possibly broke his heart with your words

“And you said yes?” Haechan asked carefully, looking over at you with hope in his eyes “Said I’d rain check on it”

It wasn’t a yes, but it wasn’t a no either. What exactly were you playing at?

He wanted to be mad, but he wasn’t in the place to feel that way. He was just your roommate afterall. For all you know, he only sees you as a friend and nothing more. If anything, Haechan should be mad at himself for not saying the truth to you. 

But he was scared to lose what he was with you. You’re comfortable around him, no complications. When something goes wrong about your day, usually he’s the first one to know. He’ll be at home waiting to give you the warmest hug to comfort you. When you receive a good news, you always send him an excited text telling him about it. Without asking, you’ve been that one constant presence in his life he didn’t know he needed. 

They say home is where your heart is, his just happens to be you. 

“Why didn’t you say yes?” that question made you look over at him, “Huh? Jaemin? Well I don’t know him that well, we really only ever talked at the hospital. Plus I’m really busy, I don’t have time for that kind of stuff”

“You have time to hang out with me” he mumbles, “That’s different. Do you want me to cancel our movie nights so I can go hangout with him instead?”

No, Haechan wanted to answer. 

“You can do what you want, don’t feel like you have to say no just because of me”

“That’s not what I meant, I like staying at home. I like hanging out with you” you answer, taking more snacks from the table before getting more comfortable on the couch 

“But how will you know him more if you say no?” Haechan pushed further, he’s not sure what he wants to hear from you but he can’t stop himself from asking

“Well maybe I don’t want to know him more, in that way maybe. As a friend sure. Why are we talking about this? Where are we getting at with this conversation anyways?” you ask back, feeling more annoyed with his questions. 

“Nothing, I just... nothing”

“You know I hate it when people make me feel like I have to do stuff that I don’t want to, or make me reason out why I don’t” you said, suddenly not feeling in the mood to continue with your movie night

“I know, sorry”

“Yea, whatever” you said before getting up from your seat to go to your room, leaving Haechan feel like absolute crap for making you feel upset. 

What made it worse was when he woke the next day you were already gone, you didn’t even leave a note on the fridge like you usually do. Maybe he did fuck up for real this time. 

For the rest of the day it was radio silent on your side, you didn’t text him how your day was going or if anything eventful happened at the daycare or if he already ate lunch. Nothing. 

He hated the silence, he wanted to talk to you but he also knew you still might be mad at him for how he acted the night before. When you got home later that day, not paying attention to him but instead going straight to your room. Jumping from his spot when you slammed the door a bit too hard. He debated if he should knock on your door to check on you or let you be.

But before he could make up his mind, you opened the door once again. Bag in your grasp while your coat was on the other, you made your way to the frontdoor. 

“I’m goingt out” you said, “Okay” Haechan mumbles, carefully watching as you put your shoes back on 

“I’m going to get coffee with Jaemin, don’t wait up”

As the door slams shut, Haechan was left stunned. Frozen in his spot. He’s sure there’s no such thing as dying from a broken heart but damn does it feel like that.

Jeno was right, you slipped right between his fingers. It was his fault anyways, he wasn’t even holding you properly to begin with. 

 You were on your way back to the apartment, Jaemin offered to walk you home. “I had a good time” he tells you, “Me too, thank you really. I needed someone to talk to you” you replied, feeling better after your hangout. Jaemin is a really nice guy, he was so much like you. Very much an introvert, likes to keep his circle small. A go-my-own-way kind of guy. 

“My pleasure, if you ever need someone to talk to just give me a call. That is if I’m awake or not at the hospital” he says with a smile, “I’ll keep that in mind, I’ll also tell Minjeong what you said” you teased, one of the things you found out about him tonight is his little crush on your bestfriend. 

“Hey” “All good things, goodnight Jaemin” the two of you bid goodbye, he gestured for you to go in before he leaves. 

You were met with the low volume of the television when you entered inside, carefully taking your shoes off before tiptoeing to the living room where Haechan was lying down on the couch. Sleeping soundly as the movie plays on. 

Cheek pressed against the cushion, bangs hanging on his forehead. One hand under his chin while the other was resting by the remote control, you smile at the sight infront of you. Recalling your conversation with Jaemin earlier. 

Who knew all it would take was one coffee date to realize just how much you adore this human sleeping infront of you. Maybe you didn’t realize it because with Haechan everything felt so natural, it wasn’t scary or overwhelming. He’s always the one to cheer you up after a long day, a voice you’ve grown to love hearing in the morning or before you go to sleep. 

Taking one arm, you wedge yourself in his embrace. Making yourself fit in the tiny space as best you could without falling off. 

“What are you doing?” Haechan asks sleepily, “Cuddles, just 5 minutes” you answer. Feeling his arm tighten around you. Pulling you closer to him, tucking you under his chin. 

If this was a dream, Haechan wishes to never wake up. But you felt too warm against him for this to be a dream. Your breath fanning against his neck, your arms around him, fingers drawings lazy circles on his back.

This felt like a dream. 

“How was your date?” he asked, he didn’t want to know but his curiosity got the best of him. 

“Good, I think I just landed Minjeong a date”

“Jaemin likes Minjeong?” Haechan asks, prying one eye open when he heard this “Mhm, I think they look cute together”

For a second Haechan’s brain just stopped working, you didn’t go on a date with Jaemin. Jaemin doesn’t like you . Maybe he does have a chance with you after all. Maybe this is a good time to wake up. 

“Hey Hyuck” you called out, still cuddled against him

“Yea?”

“Don’t make me go on dates unless it’s with you, I don’t like it”

He smiles at your statement, all this worrying for nothing. He wanted to call Jeno right now and tell him ‘I told you so’ because Haechan loved being right. And he was. You weren’t going to slip between his fingers, especially now. Not ever. 

“Okay, baby. I’m sorry” he chuckles, gently patting you on the head. His lips leaving the softest kiss on your forehead before squishing his cheek against it. 

“Just to be clear you won’t go on dates unless it’s with me?”

“Let’s just say if it was any other guy my answer would be no”

[stxrshxpxd]

hungover morning x 90s!damon

Pairing: 90s damon albarn x reader

Word count: 1.001

Warnings: none

this is a 110% based on my dr.

also don't attack me i haven't written a fic in a while its short and im rusty :(

* * *

I thanked all the gods I could think of the moment I woke up and found that my head wasn’t spinning, or the room around me for that matter. The expected headache was present but not as excruciatingly painful as it could’ve been. There were definitely parts of last night that I couldn’t exactly recall, but the right boy was lying next to me in bed, so it couldn’t have been that bad.

I let my head fall to the right and I studied Damon’s soft cheek for a moment while I listened to the unusually loud birds chirping outside my window. I knew the sun was beaming in through it because it laid heavy on Damon’s face, and his skin felt warm when I caressed it softly. He was normally a very heavy sleeper when hungover, but he woke up instantly when I petted his cheek.

“God, how loud are those birds,” he grumbled, his hoarse voice not matching his soft exterior whatsoever. I smiled at the way he frowned and closed his eyes again.

“I know,” I chuckled gently.

I rolled over to find one of my roommates curled up on top of a bean bag next to my bed. She looked completely knocked out, with her black eye makeup more smudged than normal and her clothes from last night uncomfortably twisted around her body. Damon was also in full attire - light wash blue levi’s, white socks and a grey oversized t-shirt. I had managed to get my jeans off at least and was now in underwear, socks and a white cropped racer top. I was still sweating slightly. I could only imagine how hot Damon was next to me, lying in full mid-june sun.

“Come on,” I mumbled as I kissed his warm cheek and then rolled out of bed.

I made it out to the kitchen area of our apartment, where the birds’ chirps were drowned out by voices and quiet sounds from the tv. I met Graham’s eyes where he sat opposite my other roommate by our small kitchen table. He gave me a look of empathy and I laughed tiredly.

I took a sip of a cup of strong coffee that stood on the counter, and then I carried on to the lounge. The long couch looked very inviting, however the news on the tv made me tired. My third roommate was sat watching the screen lazily. I gave her a peck on the head, she said good morning to me, and then I turned to head back to my room.

Damon was up and met me in the doorway. I crashed into him softly and we shared a gentle kiss as I held onto his warm forearms.

“Hey,” I whispered into our kiss.

“Hey,” he whispered back, his hands snaking in under my top, his hot palms flush with my back.

“Would you mind handing me my jeans?” I said in the sweetest tone I could manage. Damon smiled with half closed eyes and nodded.

The sunday-morning-sneak-out-for-breakfast-at-our-favorite-cafe event was pretty much a weekly tradition at this point. We didn’t even have to mention it, we both knew that that was where we were heading when we mindlessly put our sneakers on and headed out the door.

I didn’t even know what time it was, but figured it was nearing noon when we stepped out of the building to be met by a wall of heat and a vibrant blue sky above us. We strolled down the busy street in silence with intertwined hands. Damon’s palm was still hot, but it was okay. I loved his hands no matter what temperature they were.

Inside the small cafe the air was cooler. Damon let go of my hand and we agreed that he would order while I found a table. There were barely any people in here, which was nice. I sat down at one of our favourite tables and let my gaze land on Damon across the room while I waited for him. His back was broad and his skin just as pale and soft as always. He stuck his hand inside his shirt to scratch his back momentarily, showing off the dimples at the bottom of his spine.

“My head is killing me,” he announced in agony as he made it over to our table and collapsed down on his chair.

“Mine is actually not that bad,” I said, reaching for my large cup of coffee, and Damon grimaced at me.

“Well aren’t you lucky,” he sighed with a playful annoyed expression.

“Last night was insane though. I feel like I drank a whole bottle of vodka all by myself.”

“You almost did. I’m surprised you’re still alive,” Damon laughed and tore a piece off from his toast. He chewed it slowly as he toyed with the ring on his finger.

“I’m surprised Graham’s still alive and I didn’t kill him. You two were all over each other at one point.”

A loud tired laugh escaped Damon and he threw his head back. Then he let his back crash against his backrest as he kept laughing at my comment.

“I’d hoped you wouldn’t remember that,” Damon joked with a grin and several twinkles in his eyes.

“Oh I know,” I played along and sipped my coffee. “I know your true desires come out when you’re drunk.”

Damon kept laughing lazily and tearing off pieces of bread.

“Graham’s got nothing on you, darling. Honest,” he chuckled and reached out his hand to grab mine. His hand had cooled down a bit, and the metal of his ring was especially cool against my skin.

“I’m glad to hear it,” I laughed and rubbed my thumb across the back of his hand, tracing one particularly prominent vein up and down.

It was definitely at least noon by the time that we finished our breakfast, but I didn’t mind the late hour of the day. I could stay holding hands with Damon across a cafe table all day.

[allmagick]

PLOTS / CONNECTIONS I WANT FOR JUNG JIWOO!!!!    if u want to write any of these with me pls reply or message me about it!!! PLEASE. im literally begging for all of these. ALL. i might add more as i keep thinking about them oops.

EXES. but with different dynamics pls. like exes that separated on bad terms. exes that separated on good terms. exes that separated bc of busy schedules, breaking up bc of long distance etc. all kinds.

roommates bc i love chaotic

high school besties YYYAYY

bestie where they tried to date for a while but it was too platonic but now they are really close just as friends :3

FRIENDS.

a situation where someone has a crush on / in love with axel but they dont feel the same until they do. usually its axel who chases after ppl, so i thought it’d be fun to have the reverse dynamic

‘and THEY WERE HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEARTS’ whether they end up becoming just friends, besties or it leads to smth more. idmmm.

they promised to spend one whole day in a foreign city together and never contact each other, giving each other no name whatsoever. only to be brought back together through another friend’s party, engagement, wedding, etc. 

secret relationship. YES.

i was bored and airdropped a photo of me to someone random in the party and it turned out to be this cute person that i have been eyeing but this dumb photo of me ruined it. OR DID IT?

i lied about myself on a dating app just for FUN. matched with someone, actually hit it off and decided to meet and tell them the truth. also see if we have a spark going on? but its my goddamn ex who ghosted me/ i ghosted before bc of REASONS (can be discussed)?!?!

i also want axel to have an older sibling figure :(((

MODELLING RIVALS. RIVALS. ENEMIES TO LOVERS. tysm.

[jcmorrigan]

Somehow, I can imagine Vinny, Al and Victor ""adopting"" Taylor so...👀

I’m just going to do this one off the top of my head and see what happens

-Taylor was accepted into RMU, but oh no! They don’t have enough money to cover the dorms. Their parents are just “It’s too bad you don’t have any friends in G4 to stay with″ and Taylor realizes...oh no...I have friends in G4.

-They didn’t want to admit how much they actually hoped Revenge House would accept them when they called. Taylor will tell anyone who asks that they called for the sole purpose of getting shot down and ruling this out.

-Vincent: “I see. Well - “ Albert: “YES” Victor: “I’ll fix up the guest bedroom” Vincent: “...I guess you’re staying with us then”

-There are a few house rules. Don’t go in the basement (there are cyborgs in there). Don’t roam the house after curfew (that’s when we let the cyborgs out). Don’t feed Winston (Taylor isn’t sure if this one is a joke or an actual warning).

-Otherwise they get a pretty nice bedroom, soft bed, quality blankets. Not soundproof and they can hear the screams and weird metallic noises from the rooms two floors down, but hey, they won’t complain.

-At first, the guys pretty much leave Taylor to their own devices. That’s the nice thing about them being a legal adult: they don’t actually have to be good or attentive parents

-Victor and Albert are the two who pay them the most attention. Victor actually carries on conversation like a normal person. Well, mostly. He still always kind of sounds like he’s gathering information to use for nefarious purposes, but Taylor’s used to that by now. Also being called “my dear Taylor” was offputting at first but now they see it’s a genuine term of affection.

-Albert is...an interesting guardian. He’s always approaching Taylor to talk about non sequiturs, usually morbid, and Taylor has gotten used to this and kind of enjoys it. “Speaking purely in hypotheticals, what do you think tastes better: the spleen or the lungs?” “Spleen. Why are you even asking me this? That one’s obvious.”

-But weirdly Albert is in exchange the one who actively cares the most for Taylor. He makes sure they’re stocked up on supplies, and by that I mean Taylor enters their designated bathroom to find no fewer than twenty toothbrushes, all different colors, bound with a ribbon and a note that says “Pick your favorite! ~AK”

-Also instead of taking them shopping for new college wardrobe, Taylor is awoken at 6 a.m. by a phone call from Albert. “I’m at Hot Topic and they have an assortment of androgynous leather accessories. What’s your size?”

-Vincent and Taylor don’t interact much, at first. But they develop a relationship based on their lack of relationship. They both enjoy the value of comfortable silence. They can be in the same room doing separate things and know they don’t have to bother with greeting one another outside of a quick nod or 0.2 seconds of eye contact.

-Right away, though, they all make it clear that Taylor gets free food. The trio does their usual routine of making extremely high-quality luxury food and just lets Taylor chill out doing nothing until the dinner bell rings. The catch is that some of these things, they weren’t sure were food before this, but hey, turns out they don’t hate sashimi.

-Classes start. Every day when Taylor gets home and brings their books and assignments of the day to the dining room to study, Albert and Victor flock around them. Albert: “How was school? Did you make any lasting memories? Do you have an ARCHNEMESIS yet?” Victor: “Does Professor Browne still have a stick up his ass, metaphorically speaking? Has anyone of your preferred gender asked you out yet?”

-Until dinner time, the dining room is Taylor’s study sanctuary.

-They know better than to bring friends home, however. Not a single college pal who’s entered Revenge House has left with at all a good feeling. Some of them have considered calling the cops because there’s no way these people aren’t going to murder Taylor in the dead of night (sillies...Taylor’s the one person they WON’T murder in the dead of night)

-And as for dates? Unfortunately, the few times Taylor has been asked out, they’ll keep it secret and arrange a meetup at a neutral location and show up at the restaurant only to, halfway through the date, realize that they can spot distinct flashes of pink, red, and black positioned around the restaurant like the Bermuda Triangle and greeeaaat, their guardians followed them to spy on the date.

-Which isn’t always bad because one time somebody actually tried to take advantage of Taylor in the alley out back of the restaurant and before any articles of clothing could be forcibly removed, the offender practically explodes from the impact of being shot by Victor, punched by Vincent, and stabbed by Albert at the same time (the bullet almost clipped Albert but it was worth it)

-Taylor’s never sure how to introduce these people. Parents? Guardians? Friends? Roommates? Usually, it ends up something like “This is my...this is...this is Vincent. He’s Vincent. That’s it.”

-They go out as a “family” unit sometimes, usually to dinner or something where they can all just have conversation. There’s usually going to be some rando who walks past the guys and goes “Your daughter is adorable!” and Albert pulls out a rather long and wicked knife while saying “Their preferred pronouns are they/them, and I HIGHLY suggest you respect that.” Victor and Vincent glare on in the background.

-Taylor is torn because they like having guardians who respect their gender identity but also some of these people are just making honest mistakes

-Victor: “I just want to warn you that when you engage with other college students, you may be pressured to try smoking, drinking, and other narcotics. In a strange environment, any of these may be laced with poison or spiked with different drugs. Here in Vincent’s mansion, our stashes are always pure, so if there’s anything you want, just ask us and we will get you a safe supply.” (Though “safe cigarettes” and “safe hard liquor” are oxymorons to a 19 y/o but Victor is trying. Taylor doesn’t even want any of those things)

-Sometimes, though........Taylor has to be the parent figure to these three

-They might end up trying to drink away their sorrows, falling asleep in a vomit-covered living room. Taylor will clean up any obvious mess and get them some pillows.

-Taylor: “So, did you ever want to...talk to me any more about the childhood stuff that was bothering you?” Albert: “...Yes”

-One night, though, they make a big breakthrough. They find evidence for the Myers revenge scheme and confront Vincent with it.

-Vincent tells them everything. Not without getting a little emotional.

-Taylor’s just like “Oh.”

-Somehow this turns into a hug.

-The guys FORBID Taylor from getting directly involved with Myers. That said...they do act a consultation role sometimes.

-Eventually they meet some of the basement cyborgs. Also they’ve gotten pretty friendly with the Dream Eaters. If all the guys are out of the house and Winston is doing his usual hermit thing, Taylor will be “babysat” by a group of awkward yet well-meaning monsters. (The Dream Eaters have been instructed to keep the cyborgs from eating Taylor, though, and they’ve had to actually step in several times. The Dream Eaters also like the taste of human flesh but Albert said this one is NOT FOOD so they respect that.)

-Those days when the guys come home dragging a corpse/an unconscious person, and Taylor catches them, and the guys stare at them like deer in headlights until they say “I never saw this. Carry on.”

-At some point, though, Taylor decides they want a little more, so they suggest “Do you guys wanna go to the mall and catch a movie?”

-Cue a mall trip that involves Vincent criticizing all the secondhand clothing, Victor flirting with the cashiers at every boutique, and nobody knows exactly what Albert is up to but there’s blood leaking from the dressing room so let’s not ask.

-They go to see a fall blockbuster that Taylor really enjoys and the three guys are having varying degrees of enjoyment toward. If it’s got deep themes, Vincent will be happy. If it’s got romance, Victor will be happy. If it’s horror, Albert will be happy. If it’s a superhero film, NOBODY BUT TAYLOR IS HAPPY (so they kind of like taking the guys to Marvel stuff to annoy them on purpose)

-They talk the guys into accompanying them on other Taylor-style adventures. Like bowling. Bowling was either the best or the worst idea they had, because it turned into a four-person DEATH MATCH. (Figuratively, this time. Maybe literally next time.)

-Vincent draws a HARD LINE IN THE SAND at pizza, though. He will not even look at a pizza, let alone eat one or enter a pizza establishment.

-After some months, Taylor and Vincent are conversing more, but it’s usually Taylor asking questions about how the legal system works because Vincent can explain it better than anyone else and in a way that doesn’t fly over Taylor’s head.

-Sometimes, though...Taylor gets sick. The first time, they didn’t actually expect any of the guys to do anything about it. But Vincent drops off hot meals without a word and leaves, and rude as he is, the food’s always DELICIOUS and particular faves of Taylor’s. Victor is the “Text me if you need anything, sweetie” guy who will drop everything if Taylor needs an ice pack or a barf bin. Albert will sit in the room at a safe distance to talk to Taylor about random things and make sure they don’t get lonely. Also, Taylor will have weirdly no nightmares whatsoever, and they know Albert has something to do with this.

-Sometimes...Taylor is sad. All three of the guys will sit around them, encouraging them to talk about everything that’s bothersome. Brief hugs will be exchanged (Victor’s are a bit too tight since, y’know, metal arms, but that’s fine by Taylor). And then if there was a particular entity that caused the sadness, well, that entity might end up dead in a pool of blood in a back alley later.

-There’s also a contract on the table stating that if Taylor is ever incarcerated, then Vincent, Victor, and Albert will break them out of jail at the earliest convenience. Taylor isn’t sure when this will ever have to be used but they’re glad it’s there.

-They make an even more amazing meal than usual for Taylor’s birthday and spend way, WAY too much on gifts. Some of which aren’t even things Taylor wanted (”It’s...a baseball bat with barbed wire around it. Uh...just what I always wanted? Thanks, Albert.”)

[actress4him]

Querencia 3 - The Facility

(Prompt #16 for Summer of Whump)

So, only like a couple of paragraphs of this ended up filling the prompt, but...*shrugs* Let me know if I missed any tags!

Taglist: @darthsutrich

Ask if you want on or off the list!

Previous | Next | Masterlist

Warnings: lady whumpee, teenage whumpee, mental hospital/prison vibes, foster care mention, fantastic prejudice, burns, touch-starvation, mild accidental self-harm

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The facility Liliana is brought to is not what she expected. It’s not a prison, as a small part of her feared, but it’s certainly not a traditional foster home, either. It actually gives her vibes of a hospital, or of the nursing home where she used to visit her abuela. 

White walls, white tile floors. A reception desk. A lounge area with uncomfortable-looking grey couches, a cruddy tv, and a couple of tables with chairs. And from there, long hallways branching off, filled with closed blue doors. 

She’s handed off to a man with a permanent scowl who walks so briskly she can hardly keep up. He rattles off a list of rules, and she struggles to keep up with those, too.

“Breakfast is served strictly at eight a.m., lunch at noon, and dinner at five p.m. If you do not show up for a meal, you forfeit it. However, if you make a habit of missing meals in an effort to starve yourself, you will be forcibly fed. And trust me, none of us want that.”

“Residents are allowed to interact with each other as much as they wish within the common areas. They are not, however, permitted to enter any other private quarters but their own, and private, secretive conversations between residents are not permitted anywhere on the premises.”

“Regardless of what your mutation is, we have a very strict ‘no touch’ policy here. If you’re seen touching or attempting to touch another resident, you will be swiftly and heavily punished. There are no second chances. If you repeat the offense, we will immediately take measures to suppress your mutation.”

Mutation. She’s never heard it called that before. The word gives her an ugly, crawling sensation across her skin, far worse than the term Non ever has. The common slang is derogatory, yes, implying that those with powers are somehow less-than. Non-human. But mutation...that’s even worse. That makes her feel like...like some kind of monster.

Once she’s been examined in the infirmary and has answered ten-thousand questions about her ability, she’s escorted to what will now be her room. The good news is that because of the facility’s strict rules about how residents interact, she doesn’t have to worry about roommates.

But as the heavy door slams shut, leaving her in a cold, stark space with flickering fluorescent lights, a narrow, hard bed, and no decor whatsoever, she starts to rethink her initial assessment of this place.

Maybe it is a prison, after all.

At first Liliana is grateful for the ‘no touch’ rule. If no one is allowed to touch, then she doesn’t have to worry so much about accidentally using her powers. She even asks for a pair of gloves, just for safety, and begins wearing them all the time in addition to the long sleeve shirts.

Besides, she still hasn’t seen any evidence that there are other good Nons out there. The other residents of the facility aren’t helping prove anything. Despite the fact that they’re allowed to mingle and converse in the lounge or cafeteria, very few actually do, and none of them have paid her any mind other than to stare at her with calculating eyes on her first day here. So she’s glad that she doesn’t have to worry about any of them using their powers, whatever they may be, on her.

Life at the facility is boring. She’s allowed to continue her studies, thankfully, though with a tutor who comes to her room, rather than actually going to school. She wonders what her friends think about her sudden disappearance. Wonders what they were told. Wonders if they miss her like she misses them.

She tries not to think about life before the facility too often.

But other than school, there’s no one to talk to and not much to do besides read and watch tv. She’s starting to wish she had packed more things with entertainment value in her backpack, but asking if someone can go back for more gets her quickly shut down. 

The only time anything exciting happens is on the day when the no touch rule doesn’t work so well. A new kid, she thinks his name might be Liam, shows up. It’s not often that they get new residents, but she’s also never seen any of them leave. She doubts adoption rates for Nons are very high, if the facility is even trying to get them adopted. 

She doesn’t think she really wants to be adopted, anyway. She still has a family...even if they don’t want her anymore.

Liam immediately seems to clash with James, an older teen who’s been there longer than Liliana. She often catches them glaring at each other. And one day, the glaring suddenly escalates into an all-out shouting match, which escalates - before any of the staff can get there - into Liam grabbing James by the arm and sending his sleeve up in flames.

Obviously chaos erupts. Residents are screaming, half the staff is tackling Liam and holding him down while the other half tries to douse the fire. As Liam is dragged away, James cowers in the corner, whimpering and holding his arm. 

“Please,” Liliana says without thinking, hovering behind a female staff member whose name she doesn’t think she ever learned. “I can heal him. You can do whatever you want after, suppress my powers or whatever, but...just let me heal him.” 

She doesn’t know why she’s offering. The thought of having her powers suppressed doesn’t bother her, they’ve been nothing but trouble. But she doesn’t know this guy, not really, and she doesn’t actually want to know what the burns would feel like when she took them. 

She just can’t stand to see anybody in pain.

“Back off,” the woman snaps. “Everybody to your rooms. No one come out until dinner.”

The next time she sees Liam, he’s...different. Not only does he not glare at James anymore, he seems to stare straight through everyone. There’s no trace of the tough kid with an attitude he was before. He just seems...empty.

Liliana is glad now that she didn’t let them suppress her powers. She’s not sure what they did to him, but it scares her.

The months drag by. It takes time for her to notice that never being touched is having an effect on her. Her family wasn’t the super touchy-feely type, but there were still hugs before school and bed, kisses on the top of the head sometimes. Now her arms ache for the feeling of being wrapped up and squeezed tight. She finds herself lying in bed at night hugging herself with her own arms, but it’s a poor substitute. Sometimes her skin itches and tingles to the point where she has to take her gloves off and scratch it. 

Once she takes it too far and ends up in the infirmary getting treated for the bright red welts crisscrossing her arms. 

By the time three years have passed and she’s nearing her eighteenth birthday, the itching has been replaced by an overall numbness, and the lack of touch doesn’t bother her so much anymore.

[bossbex]

5x06 Reaction

JARCHIE!!! I missed their interactions so much... like honestly in S4 they barely spoke.  I’m loving the “roommates” dynamic.  

Ok the kevin/fangs/toni apartment(?) is... amazing!!

I love how they hired actual teenagers (or close to it) to play the high school kids... since all the “teachers” were playing high school students, what, 3 episodes ago?? 

Ok mechanic Betty is SO HOT

DORITOS I AM CRYING AT THIS PRODUCT PLACEMENT

Veronica’s taking over the Blue Velvet!!! Why not reuse that set lmao

Thoughts on this initial barchie interaction: 

I’ve seen all the discourse about it seeming like Archie doesn’t care about Betty’s problems, or not taking them seriously, and people comparing Archie’s “oof - that sucks” to jughead’s “white noise” speech in 1x08 (which I thought was cringy AF and I even liked b*ghead at the time) and here’s what I’ll say: 

His “oof - that sucks” comment as MATCHING Betty’s tone - she says it kind of matter of factly and with a bit of an eyeroll, she does NOT seem very upset about it, and she is a grown ass adult who DOESN’T need Archie’s condolences in that moment - and Archie knows that. 

She then brings up Polly, and Archie ASKS A FOLLOW UP QUESTION: “didn’t your mom say she does this? Takes off for a couple of days” which shows that he is referring to a previous conversation about this - they’ve BEEN talking about it and he DOES care (not to mention they showed that he had texted her about Polly at the end of the last episode)

She says she’s trying not to panic - because she knows this is something Polly does and may not actually be in danger - SO HE OFFERS A DISTRACTION during a time when she is basically asking for one, and then SHE COMES UP WITH THE IDEA OF WHERE TO GO HAVE SEX

Anyway I have argued with enough people on twitter about this lol.. I feel strongly.  Also, this scene was super cute and both Archie and Betty look so good in it.  

I love Tabitha.  Smart, enterprising, witty... I’m all for the Jugitha pairing. (seriously though, is a ship name decided for them? I’ve seen Tabhead and Jabitha as well, lol.  

Uhhhhh ok this car sex scene? It somehow feels even more explicit than the shower scene?? The moaning and breathing?? HOW DARE THESE STONEWALL KIDS INTERRUPT THIS

LMAO NIGHT JOGGING

Is it just me or is Sheriff Keller looking really hot? Silver fox??  

I have to note that Archie’s hair colour looks SO BAD in this whole episode but especially this football scene with the Reggie confrontation.  It’s like, almost burgundy? But somehow bright orange at the same time? I hate it.  

Ok Cole is absolutely nailing this “down on his luck, beaten down” adult Jughead.  His character is funny all the sudden?? I love that he kept the money in the tip jar like OF COURSE

Ok Chad coming into Veronica’s class HE’S THE WORST!!! And then SITTING AT THE BACK I HATE HIM SO MUCH FOR THIS

Alright, now we have another scene that has people talking, which is where Archie meets Chad.  My thoughts: 

Archie clearly sizes up Chad.  I mean, he dated Veronica for 3-ish years (in the show’s timeline) so yeah, it’s normal to meet your ex’s new partner and size them up.  It read more like “he thinks Chads a douche” as opposed to “he’s jealous of Chad because he wants to be with V”.  

They show makes a point of showing Betty’s reaction to them meeting.  THIS SHOT IS NOT RANDOM.  Yes, I’m sure the show will go there, she’ll get jealous of V at some point.  Betty thinking that Archie is jealous of Chad is not the same as Archie actually being jealous of Chad.  

I kind of loved how Chad just jumps in here to join in the karaoke night - he didn’t redeem himself from the previous scene where he SAT IN THE BACK OF HER CLASS WHILE SHE WORKED but I like how they’re not playing him completely evil

Next scene: BETTY AND TONI ARE TALKING!!! I REPEAT!!! BETTY AND TONI ARE TALKING!!! Seriously, it’s so refreshing that they’re actually letting all kinds of new dynamics and character interactions happen this season.  

Also, NEDSLIST!!!! THIS SHOW!!!!

I am living for Cheryl being completely beautiful whilst yelling at construction workers.  

So like... she actually doesn’t have that much money. She couldn’t really afford the donation for the school... I kind of wish that once she says “I can’t afford it” people would like, not keep pushing? I’m looking at you Toni, whom I absolutely adore, I just wish the writers didn’t make it like Cheryl’s being squeezed dry.  I get that it’s needed for plot purposes but I don’t love it.  

Kevin and Betty are friends again!!! Love it!!! 

Karaoke night thoughts: 

At no point is Jughead hanging out or interacting with the rest of the group.  He stays separate from them - with Tabitha, which I appreciate, but I am just noting this because I’m sure it was done purposefully. 

“She probably forgot it’s Gekko now” uhhhh didn’t Toni announce V as “Veronica Gekko” in the last episode?? LOL THE SHADE

I love Veronica’s voice

Ok so Chad actually comes off so great in this scene?? I guess this is part of his manipulation - come off as such a great guy in front of all her friends to get them to like him? 

Jughead’s reaction to the duet is so me every time I’ve watched people do karaoke lmao

During the “or do you need more? Is there something else you’re searching for” they cut to Archie’s and Betty’s reaction.  Archie is not thinking about V in that moment.  

I am not seeing one iota of jealousy from Archie.  He looks genuinely happy for them.  

This Chad and Veronica bed scene makes me uncomfortable.  But I’m glad they’re showing their softer moments! 

The Archie/football recruitment sequence... Chad in the back of Veronica’s classroom again??? HOW IS THIS HAPPENING I HATE THIS!! Also, this is another scene where Chad looks jealous of Archie... not the other way around. 

Britta!!! I love her.  And I feel like the writers inserted her in specifically for Britta Lundin, former Riverdale writer and acclaimed author (read her book Ship It, seriously, it’s so good), and I love that. BUT THE WAY ARCHIE LOOKS AT BETTY IN THIS SCENE IS THAT EVEN LEGAL

We get the first glimpse Toni’s “Operation Bring Cheryl Out Of Hiding” plan here, when Archie asks her for funding for the football team and says its earmarked for something else (hmmmmmmm... this plan has been in the works for a while... and I’m here for it) 

Ok. This scene where Archie goes to ask Cheryl for money is... a mess.  My first reaction is that it was so OOC for Archie to bring up Jason in that way.  Then I got to thinking... Archie probably would want to honour his dad in that way and was genuinely suggesting that as something that might actually be helpful to her, as opposed to purposely trying to manipulate her.  He knows what it’s like to lose a family member, he just didn’t realize that Cheryl doesn’t grieve in the same way. The boy doesn’t have a malicious bone in his body.  Anyway, now he’s been banished from Thornhill! But don’t we see him (and everyone) there in a bts photo from possibly 5x08? Isn’t that at Thornhill? Will this be addressed or will the writers just forget it ever happened?

I love Betty and Kevin investigating together. It’s so refreshing. 

Ok this place Jughead is going to is legit the creepiest shit I’ve ever seen.  I am having trouble making myself care about this “Mothmen” plot??

Betty’s “Straight to the Point” interrogation style is actually effective in this truck stop stakeout scene.  

Alice again with her wine... I wonder if there will actually be an “Alice is an alcoholic” storyline or is the wine just part of her personality now?

Ok like it’s so inappropriate for a teacher to be wearing an HBIC shirt BUT I AM HERE FOR THIS DRAMATIC VIXENS HALLWAY WALK!! And Toni is correct, Cheer is a sport so sit down, Archie.  Notably Toni adds in “not even Cheryl managed to do that” - I’m thinking she new Ms. Bell would be eavesdropping ;)

WHY IS THIS PORTAIT OF JASON WORTH SO MUCH?? 

Is this Minerva character going to be important?? I keep seeing people talking about how she and Cheryl are going to hook up but is that just because she’s a female character who interacts with Cheryl? I’m not seeing it yet but hey, it’s Riverdale.  

JUGHEAD BRINGING UP THE EPIC HIGHS AND LOWS OF HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL I SCREAMED

Seriously though, since we know Jughead wasn’t there when Archie said that, there’s two options: Either Archie told him he said it, or (my preferable theory) Archie used to just SAY THAT REGULARLY and has said it in front of Jug lmao.

Chad again seems legit supportive when she tells him about her jewelry store plan?? THEY’RE SO UP AND DOWN!!! 

Ok, so Betty is an FBI agent (trainee, whatever) and she JUST NOW THOUGHT OF TRACING POLLY’S CELL PHONE

This scene... when Veronica finds out Chad has been talking to Hiram behind her back... this is where she decides she’s done with Chad. 

Another scene with Archie - I am still getting zero vibes that he’s into Veronica? And zero vibes that Veronica’s into Archie? It makes complete sense that Veronica would want to help the bulldogs.  Chad is a total dick here and is definitely threatened by Archie... again, not the other way around.  Side note: Chad, if threatened by Archie, is a TOTAL IDIOT for suggesting Archie renovates the Pembrooke - like, he’s going to be working? All the time? Where Veronica is staying? And probably taking his shirt off because he’s sweaty from all the working?? WHYYYYY WOULD CHAD ENCOURAGE THIS

This little flirty scene between Jughead and Tabitha (and it’s the first that I would say has any flirty undertones whatsoever) is pretty cute.  

THIS BARCHIE PORCH SCENE I HAVE THOUGHTS

The fact that people are suggesting Betty showed up there because she wanted to talk to Jughead is SENDINNNNGGGGGG

Let’s be clear, she only asked about Jughead so she could make sure he wasn’t home so that she could bone Archie. There is no other interpretation for this. 

THIS IS THE BEST BARCHIE KISS TO DATE

They are playing the song from the porch scene in the pilot... DON’T TELL ME BARCHIE IS MEANINGLESS WHEN THEY ARE USING THIS SONG

I think the fact that this is the first time they had sex and we didn’t see it is meaningful - they are showing that the relationship is deepening and they are more than “just sex”

As Betty leaves, Archie looks like he wants to reach out for her and then stops himself - he is definitely falling hard and he’s afraid Betty isn’t feeling the same way

Ok, Cheryl is straight up wearing lingerie in Toni’s office!!! And the red lipstick is back - notably, throughout the entire show, she has worn the red lipstick as a kind of shield - she never has it for her “vulnerable” scenes.  Seems like that is still happening. AND this is where we see Boss Toni’s plan come into fruition - she started up the vixens and MADE SURE CHERYL FOUND OUT ABOUT IT because she knew that was the one thing that would make Cheryl come out of her Thornhill hiding spot.  Well played, Toni.  

Archie and Veronica announcing the bulldog funding... again, I’m not seeing ANY “romantic/attraction” vibes here? He does react when she says her last name is Lodge again but like, anyone would? 

MS. BELL YOU GOSSIP I’M OK WITH YOU REPORTING TO CHERYL BUT I DRAW THE LINE AT HIRAM

Is Reggie... filing his nails? Lmao

I really hope Polly isn’t dead?? Like I very much want a Polly redemption story!! 

Sooooo I guess Archie and Jughead are both going to die in this fire? Lol... well... they’re main characters so I’m sure they’re good.  

I’m doooone for this week! So far really enjoying the timejump? Obviously because of barchie but also, everyone is just - better. 

Well this turned out to be a novel.  If you made it this far, thanks for reading :) 

[taecalikook]

The Platinum Rules

summary : Being a true fuckboy he truly is, Taehyung only has three rules when dealing with his one night stands. One, never ever wine and dine someone before sleeping with them. Two, never ever stay the night after one night stands. Last one, is never, never ever meet a girl’s parents under any, any circumstance ever. These are his Platinum Rule, the one never break even once and it conveniently keeps him off the hook for anything. But what magic are you playing to have the fuckboy break all his rules for you in a span of only 24 hours?

{fake relationship! au, fuckboy! au, fratboy! au}

pairing : kim taehyung x reader 

word counter : 24.556

A.N = Read (Not) Just Friends here! Please be mindful this is in Lia’s perspective in (Not) Just Friends!

================================

“You did not just… You know what? Fuck you, Jeon Jungkook!”

Jungkook snickers, looking at the panicked face of his best friend, Taehyung when he sees he is not the only one in the table. Taehyung should have guessed, though. Since when did Jungkook ever ask for a dinner together other than McDonald and its peers? He thought Jungkook was being nice, wine and dining him for somehow ignoring their best friendship ever since getting himself a new girlfriend. Not that he is unhappy for Jungkook and he’d rather chop off his finger than to admit this, but he misses partying night in and out with him—he is just that whipped for his new girlfriend and decides to take himself off that routinity.

“I only say she is cute once. Once! And I don’t see any reason why you, your girlfriend and Y/N should be having dinner in this fancy ass place! This is a lowkey double date, do you know that?” Taehyung hisses in agitation.

“It doesn’t have to be! No one saying this is a double date beside you.” Jungkook amusedly chuckles, raising both his palm in defeat. “We are just going to have a nice dinner together, bro. As friends.”

Taehyung throws him an annoyed look. “You really going to fucking act like I don’t know you?! You are setting me up with this girl, I knew it! Jungkook, I told you, I am not interested in dating! I know it’s good for you, but I am not chaining myself to that time bomb, thanks.”

“Yeah, yeah whatever. But we are taking too much time in the toilet for two men and people there gonna think we are fucking. Let’s go.” Jungkook mindlessly put an arm on Taehyung’s shoulder, walking back to the desk in which his girlfriend and you are chatting lively. Taehyung takes a deep breath, then launches an elbow kick square to Jungkook’s rib that throws him to coughing fit to get his arms off him.

“I swear when we are done, I’ll punch you in your fucking annoying handsome face.”

Jungkook launches a flirty wink along with a chuckle. “I don’t mind you hitting on me, but my girlfriend is just right here.”

“Hey, you guys. What is taking so long in there?” Jungkook’s girlfriend cheerfully asks and both of the men shake their heads with an awkward smile. God, Taehyung really wants to snap to his own head right now, how he wishes to be anywhere but here. There is actually a party in the female frat he is greatly acquainted with. Should have just gone there to relieve some tense instead.

“They’re probably fucking.” You instinctively murmur, unknowingly too loud and audible to anywhere in the radius of a meter while calmly sipping on the glass of red wine. Your best friend slash roommate gasps, slapping your shoulder—somehow embarrassed.

“Y/N!”

Taehyung glances at the girl pouting in front of him, somehow finding her ironic jokes entertaining. Well, even though he is greatly opposed to the idea of a double date, but hanging out with this girl is probably not the worst idea. Probably beats hanging out alone with Jungkook while he is playing fucking Overwatch. 

Well, it goes back to a month ago when Jungkook finally got his shit together and confessed—ugh, the mutual pining seriously sickens him. Even if Taehyung is glad for Jungkook, he is uncertain how he can even settle down after living his greatest life. Man, Jungkook was on the top of the world—good athletic career, good body, beautiful girls—but now that he is settling down, and it kinda makes him uncool in a way. Probably because now he has a girlfriend, he is not really active in all the jock and frat activities like he used to. Girls are already done chasing him, not with that love-sick puppy eyes he has whenever his girlfriend is near—or even far and even with only a month, Taehyung quite had enough. In conclusion, relationships sucks and it changes people, and Taehyung doesn’t want to let go of the great life he is having right now just for settling for one girl. Why only one when he can have more, right?

Then when both Jungkook and Taehyung were hanging out, one night in their shared room, he mistakenly mentioned that you were cute. And he did not lie—he still doesn’t—but it didn’t mean anything! He mentioned dogs are cute probably even a thousand times, but he doesn’t see Jungkook getting him a dog. What’s the difference with saying you were cute? Jungkook is a literal dumbass for even thinking Taehyung can settle for a relationship.

The night goes on, and Taehyung finds himself counting the awkward jokes that have been thrown by Jungkook and his girlfriend about this being a double date and what a great match he is with you. He is literally keeping a tab of everything—waiting for all to be finished so he can finally get the long-awaited revenge he has been counting seconds for. But not that he will say it with his own tongue, he does think that you are cool—as a person. If these pair of idiot gooses are not here, he somehow thinks both of you might actually hit it off—as a good friend, of course.

“God, this is such a great dinner, right?” Your roommate yells, looking mildly buzzed with alcohol. You side-eye her and sigh, resting your glass of wine back. One thing about your best friend is she favors red wine a little too much, and sipping on the beverage like there is no tomorrow. Jungkook holds her hand across the table, eyes filled with adoration. 

“Are you okay, pumpkin? You look drunk.” Jungkook coos with a warm smile, and she smiles back, a wide smile painted on her lips. Taehyung literally feels the urge to puke just listening to the affection lacing in his tone. God, love really changes Jungkook.

“You know what? I love you, Jungkookie!” She suddenly stands up, crashes into Jungkook’s arm, gives him a haste kiss on the lips, right before walking drunkenly outside. Her surprised boyfriend swiftly chases her away, before signaling Taehyung to pay for their dinner. Taehyung is baffled on the side. Jungkook that bastard seriously invited him for this horrendous dinner, yet still asking him to pay? Fucker! But as he notices your eyes prodding his way, he quickly puts on a composed face, giving you a thin smile.

“I think that concludes this very, very confusing but yet pleasant dinner.” Taehyung smiles, while asking for the bill. “I am sorry if you are forced into this dinner. This new couple think they got the right to play immortal on us, right?” He cynically jokes and laughs at it, but your face is too straight to respond so his chuckle is slowing to a complete stop.

“I’m actually the one asking for this double date.” You whisper, an unexplainable emotion rushing on your tone. “I’m the one saying I want her to set us up so we can be together. I like you. I want to be with you, Taehyung. Forever. You—you want this too, right?”

The fear on Taehyung’s chest is instantly risen, seeing the crazy, psychopathic look in your eyes. Well he really thought you are not the type to stick up only after a dinner—but he cannot deny his instinct does disappoint him way too much than he could even be proud of. The instant urge to leave the spot and escape is too much with his feet are already out the table until you break it with a loud, hearty chuckle. “God! Messing with fuckboys is soooo fun! I can’t believe you fall for that!” 

Taehyung scrunch his eyebrow, detecting the unexpected jubilant look on your face. He is  bewildered.

Seeing that Taehyung still is not getting your very, very obvious joke, you sigh. Dumbass fuckboy. His cocky ass big head does not surprise you even a little. “God, I was kidding! Sorry to break it to you—it may be too hard to understand, but not every girl will be willing to take turns sucking your dick, dude. Sorry, life be like that.” You sarcastically note, setting your napkin on the table and Taehyung feels somehow relaxed and offended at the same time. Weird emotions, really. 

“I don’t even know why I am here.” You continue, displaying a friendly smile now, reaching out for your glass of wine. “Should have known. I fell for this fake dinner thing too many times now, gonna reject every dinner invitation from now on.”

Taehyung grins, finally able to breathe easily. Well, he deals with way too many obsessive and stuck up one night stands now that it even terrifies him to be around them, so that’s that. You are too cool to be like one of them, he just knew it.

“Gotta make an exception for me, though.” Taehyung cheekily musters, suddenly surging a confidence on his own skin. You are already dominating the conversation too long now, he just had to take over. “How else can I get to know you better, huh?”

Being a true fuckboy he really is, Taehyung only has three rules when dealing with one night stands. One, never ever wine and dine someone before sleeping with them, as dinner is a very, very intimate thing that involves a lot of real talks—instead of dirty talks in which he is way, way better on. Two, never ever stay the night after one night stands, as sunshine is just a sign that he has spent more than necessary time with her and can only result in any bothersome attachment after. Last one, and probably the rule that has no exception whatsoever, is never, never ever meet a girl’s relatives under any, any circumstance ever. The three rules are all based on his experience learning it the hard way, and ever since, he never broke even a rule and it greatly keeps him off the hook for anything. 

But albeit important, he will let himself break his first rule for you. Only because you are hot—and probably is included in the one percent population of girls who doesn’t need to be reminded that he is not looking for anything but a short fun. A lot of girls tend to forget that easily, getting to attached to what a gentleman he is before and during sex, and always become such a bother after. But he’ll trust this one that you’re not that kind of girl. Even with a bruise on his pride, since he is slightly doubtful if you’ll even agree to his proposal for hooking up tonight. At least, teasing you is already a great enough entertainment for him.

“Boy, I don’t want to know who that can actually work with, but I’m not that difficult to get to bed with.” You chuckle at his pathetic attempt to work his way inside your skirt. Taehyung raises his eyebrow, not believing his own hearing. You are glancing down now—probably to the phone on your lap and your face instantly contorts, and a sigh of tiredness escapes your lips. “I’m way too tired now anyway, better just go back home, fuck and get it over with.”

“W-what? You seriously want to fuck, willingly with me just like that?”

You give his shoulder a pity pat, a thin smirk on your lips. “God, Taehyung, do you actually need to work that hard to get laid all these time?”

“B-but, you just said every girl—”

“I changed my mind.” You sigh, getting tired of the constant queries, along with the message you just received. Jackasses, seriously. “Taehyung, I’m tired. Let's go pay and head back to my apartment. I think the cringy couple will not be there, but fuck them, let them hear us fucking so loud they need to follow as well.”

Taehyung cannot even believe the crude answer coming out from such beautiful, innocent lips, yet the intense anticipation of what’s about to come his way is too unbearable he could not wait even a second to get you under him and win his dominance back. At the cashier, Taehyung quickly slaps a card on the table with his foot swiftly tapping on the floor in impatience. You can’t help but to find that strangely adorable, yet disgusting at the same time. You are seriously hooking up with the worst fuckboy in your university. Never thought you'd stoop this low, but that’s life, right? Let’s see if he can put his money where his mouth is.

Seeing that Taehyung does not show any sign of asking your part of the bill, you are quick to remind him. “Taehyung, I will pay you back, okay? I’ll transfer it.”

“What? There’s no need for that, honey.” Taehyung whispers smoothly, putting in his pin with a wink. “It’s just a small thing I can do for a beautiful lady such as you.’

You snort at his cringy remark, greatly bothered by his every word. “Taehyung, seriously, stop. Any effort you have to do just to get laid will make everything worse.” Taehyung smiles to himself, somehow expecting the snarky remarks even before he threw the stupid comment. You are surely one of a kind. “And I’ll pay you back. This is not a date, and I’m not a prostitute, you don’t have to pay for me.”

The unexpected aggression and anger coming from you quite blow him off his edge, as you thomp furiously to exit the restaurant. Are you seriously saying that you are bothered by him willing to pay for dinner? Taehyung is all down for feminism, but he was literally just being nice—and beside, Jungkook is literally going to stab him with a fork if he ever lets you pay, so that’s that. 

But one realization comes to his mind—he is not going to deal with you long enough to think about your weird trait again. Tonight, all he needs to do is suck everything—and he means, everything. And when he leaves before midnight, then all will be just fine.

*

It’s weird.

Taehyung slowly flutters open his eyes, oddly feeling ten times better than he has been recently after waking up. He doesn’t even know why—probably the wonderful scent of vanilla and citrus that is vivid on his smell. But wait—what the fuck? That’s probably the one of the furthest things he will ever wake up to! He should be waking up annoyed by strong scent of sweat and cheap male perfume, not this.

Fuck, fuck! That ceiling—the light blue ceiling with countless translucent fake stars, that’s not his ceiling either. He was supposed to be looking at a cringy, old poster of Metallica on his dorm room ceiling. And this excessively comfortable, dark blue fur blanket hugging his waist, that’s most absolutely not his. And god, who the damn is he holding right now?!

“What the fuck! Why are you still here?!”

Well that is literally the words he had on his mind just a second ago, yet surprisingly it is not him who is yelling. It is a girl he had a nice dinner with yesterday—with red wine and everything. The girl who was too prideful to let him pay, and the girl who strangely manages to throw him off his game with their continuous three rounds of dirty, dirty sex and God, he swears he never cum harder before in his life—and it says a lot because he does lots of sex. Like a lot. Yup, it’s you.

God, he shouldn’t be here, he should just head home right after sex. He broke his second rule, right after breaking his first one last night, even worsewith the same girl—you. What the fuck is wrong with himself?!

“You said you would leave after a ten minutes nap!” You hiss, clearly disliking the fact that you have to wake up seeing his annoyingly handsome face—with bed hair mussed deliciously and all. Is it weird that you are feeling terribly ugly right now with him still looking like a handsome sex god on your bed? And still feeling his arm around your wait, you groan in disgust. “And why the fuck are you holding me?! Seriously, you are the worst one night stand ever.”

Taehyung quickly detaches himself off you like you are a disease, yet no offense taken since you are glad he is finally a distance away. “I was fucking tired after fucking three rounds yesterday, I think I fell asleep longer than I thought.” You roll your eyes since all you hear is bullshit. “And for your information, I always sleep hugging my bolster. And since you are fucking weird and do not have a bolster, I guess I just settle for less.” He reasons, but you respond with a snort.

“And the worst one night stand ever—are you kidding me? Funny I don’t recall you saying that last night when I generously let you cum in my tongue.” Taehyung continues with a smug, and you can’t help but to feel heated at the memory of last night, Taehyung finally used his mouth for a better cause for once—since you despise it when he is talking. Yet there is no use denying that Taehyung is indeed a master with his tongue, but of course you’d rather cut your arm rather than admitting it to his cocky ass face.

“Pssh—like you weren’t begging to have a taste.” You sinisterly defend yourself and Taehyung chuckles, vaguely shrugging as an answer. You involuntarily stare at his smiling face, and you have to admit he does look his best with it.  God, are you seriously thinking such domestic thoughts with this fuckboy right now? The alcohol must still have an effect on you.

“Why are you staring at me? Finally realize that you should have just jumped on my bone again instead of doing this strange, pillow talk?” Taehyung impishly grins so you land a strong punch on his bare chest with all your might. He lets out a definite cough, definitely not expecting the strength coming out from such a small frame like yours. “Damn woman, what exactly are you?!”

“A girl that can definitely kick your naked ass out of her apartment if you don’t leave in five.” You solemnly warn. Taehyung let out a light laugh, shuffling out of your blanket with no shame whatsoever with his straight out of womb nakedness to grab his clothes. And you cannot bear to notice how apparent his morning wood is—and it brings pleasant yet unnecessary memories of last night to your mind. You seriously need to get a hold of yourself cause if not, you might have to play with yourself after and you don’t really want to get off with the thought of him for the fourth time now. “For the love of God, Taehyung! Put some clothes on!”

Taehyung is unimpressed, pointing at his clothes like it’s the most obvious thing. “What are you—yes, I’m doing it right now, you idiot. And I’m using your bathroom first, I don’t want to look like a fucking idiot, walking around the campus with a morning hard on.” He pouts, but then a smirk formed on his lips. “Or you want to lend a hand with this?”

You shut him with a pillow thrown to his annoying, smug face. “The fuck no. And what, no you can’t!” You answer in panic, pointing to your door. “We only have a shared bathroom here. Let me check if my roommate is out.”

Taehyung sighs. “Y/N, you literally told me last night to fuck as loud as we can and let them hear so they can follow.” Listening to him quoting you from last night, you internally wince. You literally don’t have any trace of ever saying that in your vague memory. God, you must had been drunker than you thought.

“That’s just the drunk and horny talking.” You hiss, trying to steal a peek through the door. There is no sign of your roommate, so everything should be good to go. Or at least you think so. “The cocky ass new couple will be all over our asses, Tae. They will think something is up, try setting us up like yesterday. Ugh, no thanks. You have to leave without anyone knowing.”

“Hate to say you are kinda correct in that one, buddy.” Taehyung sighs. He literally said he was going to punch Jungkook for arranging the dinner, yet now he was the one taking advantage of it. He would not let Jungkook win on that one—he still desperately needs that one punch chance or that fuckers will never let it slip ever, even until the day he is well rested and buried. “Okay, is she out now? Jungkook is not there, right?”

Like a cue of bad luck, your roommate and Jungkook walk out of her room, hand in hand with each other right to sit on the sofa. Jungkook kisses the tip of her head, caressing the side of her face while scrolling through netflix on the tv. “I can’t believe we are watching Taken for the hundred times already just so you can fulfill your Liam Neeson odd kink.” Jungkook impassively huffs.

“God, Liam Neeson kink? Your roommate is fucking weird.” Taehyung lowly whispers, all of a sudden already squatting beside you. You jump a few steps back due to the shock of seeing his face up close, clutching your chest dramatically.

“Damn, can you stop shocking me?!”

Taehyung greasily winks. “Baby, I don’t think anything should shock you after seeing my dick in all its glory.”

You fold your chest, slightly amused but majorly annoyed by his unending arrogance. “Ugh, don’t baby me. And well, I am still shocked probably because I don’t think your dick is outstanding whatsoever.”

Taehyung ignores your stubborn, obviously a lie remark, and continues peeking from the door crack. “God, a film. Probably take them one or two hours. But I think Jungkook has practice in… one and a half hours, so maybe I can go by then.”

Your frown turns deeper, dreading the imagination of spending another hour with him, locked in your 3x5 meters room. Are you even capable of holding yourself from strangling off his cocky, annoying head? This could probably be the greatest challenge you will ever have to face. 

“What should we do for an hour and a half….” Taehyung whispers to himself, sends you a suggestive look while wiggling his eyebrows. You quickly send him your middle finger as an answer, already rejecting whatever idea he has since you are well aware there is no possibility you will like it.

“I am not suggesting to fuck, sorry if you were expecting that.” Taehyung lopsidedly smirks, and you fold your arm in agitation. God, you wish everything can be over so you can go to your parents home and call it a week. And it’s saying a lot since you never look forward to going back home every weekend. “I won’t refuse, but I just want to play now. Do you play animal crossing?”

“Seriously?! You play too?!” You are surprised to say the least, voice unforeseen raising in delight. You really do not expect a fuckboy like Taehyung would play a game like animal crossing—you thought he would hold on to that toxic masculinity and play whatever popular ‘boy’ games right now. It is strangely a nice surprise. “Can I visit your island? Let’s trade too! I have bamboo shoot lamp, log dining table—”

Taehyung chuckles, seeing how passionate you are, scrambling to get your nintendo from your night desk and turning it on while blabbering non stop about your items. He strangely finds it endearing, how drastic you can be when you are not trying to kick him out with a torch and pitchfork and it only takes a freaking animal crossing game. You are tremendously unpredictable, and he finds himself liking the refreshing change of pace. He walks back to your bed, sitting beside you while you animatedly chatter about your island.

Is it too wistful to wish that the current strange yet greatly amusing thing going for the both of you does not have to end now?

*

After being firsthand kicked out from your apartment when Jungkook went to his practice, Taehyung walks to the basement to get to his car in a strange mood. It’s Saturday, yet he doesn’t know what to do or where to go. There is another frat party that will be held tonight, yet he finds himself less than excited to go. He loves parties, but he is not delusional to think that he will love it forever—he is already in a phase of finding parties are monotonous and boring most times. Yet going home is not really a convenient option since there is no use—it’s empty anyway. Frankly, he doesn’t even know what home to him really is. Is it his dorm? Is it the party? Yet they probably give him a better definition of home rather than his own real house.

So Taehyung decides to drive his car back to his apartment on the other side of the town, far from his parents house. The upside of being a child of divorce is probably being shoved money to his mouth like it's the only thing that matters—yet he doesn’t mind. Or maybe he does, but there is no use in complaining, right? He is 21 now, he is over that complaining, depressed phase of his life. Maybe take a couple of depressants tonight, cry a little to sleep and he should be fine. Or maybe he’ll schedule a session with his psychiatrist—he has been missing lots of sessions and it may or may not has taken a toll on him already.

After arriving his car inside the apartment building, Taehyung sighes on his seat, a great exhaustion painted on his face—and he literally is. Just a few hours ago he was able to momentarily forget every issue in his life, but after he is alone, the anguish of loneliness hits him like a ton of brick. He is alone. He is nobody. Nobody likes him, even his own parents. He is just an emotionless shithead who is not right in the head. Who is he to think that he is worthy? Nothing in his life he achieves with his own hands, and life is just a constant train of problems and disappointment. It will never go the other way, since happiness is not for him.

Taehyung rests his head on the wheels, shutting his eyes tight to handle the tears coercing to rain out. No! He doesn’t want to cry now! Even then the ugly tears won’t stop coming out, and he tries to find purchase by hitting his head on the wheel. He enjoys the pain. The pain he is feeling right now—it never felt so right before.

Right until someone knocks on his window, simultaneously stopping his current emotional breakdown. He looks up—probably looking like an ugly, crying mess, expecting the security with an disapproving look on his face for the nth time. But instead he finds someone that instantly melts his whole being—somehow successfully distracting him from the intrusive thoughts he was having.

“Taehyung, are you okay? Hey come out, you have been there for awhile now.”

Taehyung quickly sweeps his tears with his sleeve, fixing the hairs on his forehead to conceal the bruise that might be formed from hitting it multiple times to the wheel and look down. God, this is embarrassing! He never thought he would meet her again in this situation—it seems like life is playing games on him and he despises it for her to always find him in such a ridiculous situation.

“Mina, hi.” Taehyung stutters nervously, somehow avoiding his neighbor prodding eyes that always sends him to nervous bundles. “I—I don’t know you’re home.”

“What are you saying, I’m always home.” Mina chuckles, pointing at the paper bag filled with groceries. “Just came back from grocery shopping. I am cooking pasta today. You wanna join?”

Taehyung looks at her sincere eyes, silently thankful that she is not going to mention his previous breakdown—not that she ever does. Whenever she witnesses his breakdown; crying in his car, hearing screams when he feels suffocated, things being thrown away, and even that one time he brought his one night stands back to his apartment and the girl runs out crying due to his unpleasant way of shooing her away; Mina never judges. She would come knocking at his door, asking him to join her watching the TV, or eating the less than edible food she cooks herself. It’s always a great time with her, and Taehyung could not lie that he feels greatly comfortable with her presence.

“I would love to. Kinda unsure if I won’t get a digestion issue after eating it, though—but i’ll take my chances.” Taehyung smirk cheekily. The girl scowls, shoves him away with her free hand, and strides inside the apartment lobby without waiting for him. Taehyung warmly smiles, quickly walks to her side to walk to their neighboring apartment. “Here, let me take that for you.” Taehyung instinctively grabs the load off her arm. Mina smiles, pressing the lift button to their apartment level.

“It’s been such a long time since your last visit, Tae.” She is staring intently on the man beside her. It was too much for Taehyung, causing his heart pounding faster than normal. He bit his lips, looking anywhere else but her.

“I missed you.” She whispers.

That is it. The word he longs and needed to hear the most—ironically not only from her, but from everyone. And now Mina is saying it to her, Taehyung feels like he is about to cry from the overwhelming emotion. Oh, how he wishes he could say the reason behind his absence. But no, he has to be strong, at least this once. So he forces a thin smile, and tries to change the topic to anything else.

After five minutes full of small talks and keeping up with each other’s lives, Taehyung and Mina finally arrive in front of her apartment door. She shuffles on her purse. “Wait, I’m grabbing my keys.”

“No shit sherlock.”

Right when she swings open the door, someone is already waiting inside, waiting on the couch while watching Pororo. “Mama!” She squeals in delight, running to Mina’s grasp with her two ponytails waving through the air, then clutching onto her for dear life. “And Taehyung oppa is here too!” She shouts in delight, changing her target now to Taehyung for a hug. Mina instinctively retrieves the paper bag from him so he scoops the little girl and holds her close. 

“Oppa, I miss you so much! I haven’t seen you since forever!” The five years old pouts, lightly hitting his chest with her cute, little fist. Taehyung quickly gives her a kiss on the cheek—oh, how he adores the little girl in his arms now. 

“Sorry, oppa is busy. But it’s okay since he is here now!” He smiles, trying to lighten up her mood. She is the whole reason that Taehyung is here in the first place—the little gremlin he loves so much, probably even more than himself. She is Yuna, Mina’s daughter.

Mina is two years older than Taehyung, and she was married three years ago to a man with a daughter. The man is away most of the time for his job offshore, and is back every three to six months. When Taehyung bought the apartment they were already living there—the first neighbor that welcomes him warmly regardless of how unwelcoming he was, as he hated socializing with new people. But they never exchange anything beside a short, civil smile until one day.

Everything changed on the day Taehyung was about to head for class, he found an unannounced guest standing by his door—a four-years-old Yuna, unknowingly went out while her stepmother was sleeping. Yuna was lost, crying out loud because she couldn't get back inside. Taehyung was well aware of the identity of the toddler, so he instantly knocked on his neighbor's door while holding Yuna’s petite hand on his side. 

After finding the fact that her daughter was put in danger by her own carelessness, Mina cried, feeling totally remorseful for forgetting to lock the door. She mentioned she was so exhausted, finishing all night for her upcoming book and having to clean Yuna and the house after. Later that night she invited Taehyung for a thank you dinner, which did not really go well since she couldn’t cook for shit—but still insisting to. Yet even with an upset stomach, Taehyung never felt as comfortable as when he was having dinner with her. At that time, he was severely lonely and needed a friend. That’s how it began—he would always knock on her door, and she always welcomed him with open arms. He got addicted to hanging around Mina and her beautiful daughter.

Yet it was a very foolish thing to even let himself believe hanging around nearly every single day around a married woman is harmless—because he was and still is an idiot and somehow, against all odds and his own cynical thoughts, he caught feelings. Bad. But how could he not? Mina was probably the kindest, the most beautiful soul he has ever met. She always knows the right thing to say at the right time, and being around her always makes him feel hundred times better. She sees the real him, instead of the dumb, rich and messed up fuckboy everyone sees him nearly everywhere. Like seeing her and talking to her—he could finally breathe after holding it for the longest time. 

But it was not long until every illusion Taehyung had fell through. Mina’s husband came back home from his three months offshore work and that's exactly when he faced a cold truth that nothing was ever going to work out anymore. Mina is married to a very kind man as well, and Taehyung would never go against his sanity and ruin it—especially when he knew who would be the most affected by it. It’s Yuna, the most wonderful child who has frankly gone through a lot after her birth mother passed away a few years back from cancer. Taehyung is a child of divorce for god sake, he knew how painful it was for the child like the back of his hand. He would rather die than to be the one doing it to her. That’s the sole reason he has been avoiding Mina and Yuna at all cost. All because he wants to protect the two girls he adores so much.

“Oppa, I am still waiting to play the toy with you! Come play with me!” Yuna cries, promptly running inside her room to grab a few of her new toys. Taehyung easily complies, walking to the living room and detecting a bunch of very Yuna-typical toys—zombies. She always loved playing plants vs zombies on her device, so he bought her zombie and plants toys on her birthday two months ago, but never got to play them before with her. Yet when the large toy on her little grasp is close, Taehyung detects that it is still securely sealed.

“Yuna, you never played this before? Don’t you like it?” Taehyung is saddened at the fact that the girl never played with the toy he gave. But Yuna fervently shakes her head, comfortably sits on Taehyung’s lap like old times and leans on his chest. 

“I like it! But I want to play it with oppa first!” Yuna smiles widely, showing her missing front teeth and Taehyung is unable to hold his smile. The girl is literally the cutest girl ever to exist and he is willingly smitten into her cute charms. Taehyung pecks her cheek in fondness before helping her in opening the box of toys.

After a great forty minutes passed, Yuna is already exhausted, sleeping on Taehyung’s chest since she spends too much of her energy screaming, laughing while playing with her plants vs zombie toys and figurines. He leans on the sofa, caressing the top of the five year old head sleeping on his arms, gazing at her serene sleeping face. She looked very content and happy, and seeing her like this is therapeutic for him. 

“Taehyung, let me get her to her room. Let’s eat, the pasta is ready.” Mina whispers, and he nods, letting the woman take her child to her bedroom. Taehyung coughs, a strange feeling suddenly runs through his mind at how domestic all of these feels. God, he told himself a million times that this should not happen—he was trying his best to evade getting too attached with them to the point that he next to never comes back to his own apartment anymore—yet one accidental visit and he is now back at one. This is ridiculous!

Finding no other solution than trying to survive another thirty minutes without making a fool, or even derangedly hurting himself in the process, Taehyung takes a seat on the dining table with a decent looking pasta served on it. The hurried steps of Mina are heard and Taehyung quickly clears his throat. This is it, Taehyung. Just one lunch, and that’s all. You can finally go back to your apartment. 

“Let’s eat! I actually tried cooking this exact recipe before, and I know it tastes good. I’ve been practicing, you know.” Mina grimaces, remembering the time Taehyung vomited when her so-called scallops were badly cooked and his stomach was greatly upset, causing Taehyung to skip his classes for a full week. Seeing how nervous she is unknowingly brings a smile on his lips. “At least you won’t throw up this time, trust me.”

“I kinda doubt it, but let’s go.” Taehyung teases, while Mina scoops a portion to his plate. He nods gratefully, with the nerves gradually increasing. This annoying voice on his head keeps repeating the thing he is most afraid of, but he pushes it away and musters a thin smile. No. He’ll finish the lunch, run back to his apartment, and never come back for another four months. That’s better.

One habit whenever Taehyung is nervous is he always runs a finger through his hair. The said habit being done is pushing away the strands of hair on his forehead, exposing a palpable bruise which faintly bleeds due to the great force of knocking his forehead on the wheel during his latest breakdown in the car. Seeing how concerning the injury has looked with a smear of blood is evident on his forehead, Mina jumps on her seat in worry. “God—Tae! Your forehead, it bleeds!”

Yup, it is. Taehyung coherently snorts when touching the forehead with his palm, seeing a hint of blood on it. He is instantly aware of the pain. What a fucking idiot he is—god, when will he stop making a fool of himself?

“Wait, I’ll grab some meds, okay?”

Mina walks to one of the cabins, then returns with a box of first-aid kits to his side. She takes a seat beside him, pointing it so she can comfortably access the bleeding bruise on Taehyung’s forehead. One thing that she might be clueless about is how nervous Taehyung is, heart rate abnormally fast just by seeing her face in such close proximity—so close he can even spot the little mole on the side of her nose bridge—while the familiar, refreshing scent of lilac is radiating off her. She is tending his bruise carefully, her left fingers secured on his left jaw to keep him in place, and Taehyung's head literally spins. How can someone be this beautiful?

At one point, everything is too much to handle for Taehyung. He likes Mina, this beautiful, married woman that somehow gets him better than everyone, but he can never be with her. He could not let himself fall even deeper and do something he will most absolutely regret after. “Mina, stop. It’s—it’s enough.” He breathes lowly, abruptly losing his ability to speak, especially when her lips are just a breath away for him to touch. But he knows they were overstepping the boundary and desperately needs to stop. It’s not right.

Then at once, the confusion on Mina’s face turns into remorse and the next thing both of them know that their lips are touching, both eyes closed with Mina’s hands secured on each side of his shoulders. He is now kissing Mina.

Taehyung cannot lie that he did imagine about kissing her before. Yet at that time, the only thing he feels is disgust, ten times worse than he already feels for himself. Not even a second felt right—a flash of his broken family went through his mind. He just stopped to another level of low; he is kissing a married woman.

“Mina, stop! We cannot do this.” Taehyung gruffly pushes her away, quickly standing up with a heavy urge to vomit coming out from his stomach. It’s disgusting, he is disgusting. Not that he is miserable with himself, he just became a cause of someone else’s misery. He is really the bad guy in every story.

“I-i’m sorry. I’m sorry, Taehyung. I-i know it was wrong, I don’t know what has gotten into me—”

Taehyung is irritated beyond words, his face reddening while he furiously scrubs the remnants of the kiss on his lips with no holding back whatsoever. He is disgusted with himself, and frankly he is disgusted with Mina. He never should have come here. There’s literally nothing good will ever come out on meeting the married woman he somehow liked—and a realization is dawned on him. He just sinned Yuna. The innocent, five-years-old girl that deserves happiness more than anyone else in this whole world. It feels like he already hit rock bottom, like he just wanted to throw himself off a cliff.

“It is wrong!” Taehyung aggressively hisses, quickly walking to the living room to grab his belongings, yet finding the toys he just played with Yuna results in him feeling uncomfortably nauseous. This is the worst thing that could ever happen to him.“This, this never happened. It’s better for us to not see each other again.” He runs to the door with great fury, before a whimper of his name is heard. Mina is calling him.

Yet he is unable to walk away without seeing her one last time. Hearing her voice calling his name. Listening to what she is about to say.

“Taehyung, I’m sorry.”

*

After running away from the encounter with Mina, he called his super that he is selling the apartment right away. He has to close everything—every little chance of seeing Mina, and sadly even Yuna. Taehyung desperately needs some space, and so does her. It’s better not to see each other again. 

Hence, now he has nowhere to go. Going back to his dorm is not an option—he is currently at the lowest point of his life and seeing anyone from college is never a convenient option. So that night, Taehyung decides to spend the night in his car, parked on the side of Han River. It’s a place for him whenever he is sad. A place that always reminds him that he is still too scared to die. A place to remind him that somehow, he still yearns his life to go the other way. A better one.

And at one point, after bawling his eyes out, he is desperate to feel the wind slapping his face and knock some sense into him. He exits the car, taking his time to walk to the side of the river, hands secured inside his pocket. He closes his eyes, taking in the cold wind and feels it rushing through his face. The cold was definitely a tid bit much—probably to the point he couldn’t feel his face, but he somehow prefers it. 

But he is most absolutely unable to stand another minute clenching at the rail of the river, so he walks to the nearest bench, placed under a tree. It is more convenient—the wind is hundred times kinder and he can finally feel his face. And all of a sudden, his phone rings. He half-heartedly steals a glance, finding an unknown number. He easily rejects the call, before it rings once again. And again, and again until he annoyedly picks up just to shout his agitation to whoever is on the other side of the call.

“Is this—is this Taehyung?”

The familiar yet so strange voice welcomes him, and the anger on the tip of his tongue dissolves. But he is still uncertain of his hypotheses on the identity of the caller on the other side. “Yes. Who is this?”

“Hi, sorry, this is Y/N. I know we just met and I am not even your acquaintance or anything, but can I ask for your help this time? I swear I owe you one after, but please just help me with this one.” 

It’s Y/N. It’s seriously you on the other side, yet Taehyung could not believe his ears. Is his hearing deceiving him right now? You made it clear that seeing him again could be the second worst thing to happen to her—after a meteor suddenly falls and crashes on your favorite Mexican restaurant—but now you are calling him, not even a day after your last meeting? There must be something serious, and a bizarre worry immediately fills his head. “Y/N, what is it? What happened? Tell me.”

“I-I’m afraid I can’t tell you. But this is urgent, can you help me with this one? I promise I’ll pay the favor back, I swear.” 

Taehyung discards the light insulted feeling on how you mention you’ll pay him back like your life depends on it, and instead focuses on the urgency in your tone. You seem greatly rushed, worried and almost scared, and never would he ever imagine of saying no to that. “Of course, Y/N. What is it, I’ll try helping the best I can.”

“Can I ask where are you right now? I need to go somewhere really urgent, can you take me there?”

Taehyung looks warily around him. There’s only an old lady with her dogs just walking past him. He is quite far from the crowd. “I am in Han River now. Where are you? I can pick you up from there.”

“No need, I’m actually quite near. Can you send me your location?”

And that’s how Taehyung spends another 10 minutes, trying to make out your face amongst the people walking around him. While focusing on the people passing around, suddenly a cold hand slaps his shoulder and sends Taehyung on his toes, startled beyond words. “Fuck, Y/N! You can’t startle me like that!”

“I’m sorry, Taehyung.” You apologetically wince, holding the black duffle bag close to your chest. “I won’t startle you again. That if we ever meet again, which I don’t really hope to. Can we go now?”

Taehyung rolls his eyes at your warm words. “Just a thing everyone expects from the person who is just asking for help, right?”

You smile widely until your eyes turn into mooncreases, and Taehyung feels his throat stricken dry. “Let’s go, Taehyung. I’ll tell you the direction.”

And that’s how you are for the second time seated in Taehyung’s black Audi, with him smoothly driving it in accordance to your directions. You bite your lips in nerve, occasionally stealing a glance at Taehyung who is busy driving, looking around the streets with hesitation. Of course he would be, the direction you are giving must be unfamiliar for nearly everyone sane. “Hey. Can I ask you something?”

You don’t want Taehyung to question where you are heading right now—as he will instantly dump your ass on the street with no second question asked. “Yes?” You whisper faintly, crossing your fingers that it would be anything but that question.

“Can I turn on the music? Are you okay with that?”

The tense on your body crashes down with an exhale. “Of course. It’s your car, Taehyung, you can do anything with it.”

Taehyung snorts. “I am just being nice. I seriously think you might be a grinch for any kind of fun, the type to love creepy, dead silence while driving.”

“You are seriously a child.” You shake your head in disbelief, and Taehyung's lean forefinger taps the music button, connecting to his phone. “And god, you seriously got no other car, Taehyung? A less flashy one, I guess?”

Taehyung smiles proudly, patting the wheel with affection evident in his eyes. “No. Cecil is my baby, and I would never trade her for anything else.”

You groan at the foreign name. “Who the fuck is Cecil? God, don’t tell me you’re that creep who names dead stuff.”

“Hey! You don’t know how long and what kind of things Cecil has gone through with me.” Taehyung literally yells. He is one peculiar pea, but you are in no place to judge anyway. You are literally a nobody. “And you can’t tell me that, Cecil is the one who is helping your ass to wherever we are going right now.”

You decide not to prolong the abnormal debate you had with Taehyung, so you turn silent and point to the direction of your destination. When the car is heading to dark, narrower streets, Taehyung realizes they are already too far outside downtown, in a place where he knows he would never visit in any possible scenarios in his life ever. 

“Y/N, I know I am not supposed to ask anything, but this is getting creepy and I just need to know why the fuck are we in this creepy, suspicious place?” Taehyung hisses, noticing that everything is too dreadful to be true. He doesn’t even know this place to ever exist in Seoul—that’s if they are still in town. “Where are you taking me?! God, don’t tell me you are going to murder me, take Cecil with you and sell her away?! Please don’t do it, especially the last one!”

You sigh at his nonsense, frankly tired and majorly nervous since your destination is already near. You glance at the message displayed on your phone. He is already waiting. “God, Taehyung. We are just five minutes away, just drop me off anywhere and you can run off after.”

“What? No! What about you? How are you going home this late, and from this creepy ass place?!” Taehyung stares at you, and you can find a genuine worry in his eyes for your well being. God, you are speaking nonsense, since there is no way Taehyung can even have feelings for you other than lust, and that’s just fact.

“It’s okay, someone will take me home.” You doubtfully answer, wanting Taehyung to swallow your lies even if you are not so sure yourself. Somehow you doubt the man you are meeting now will have the heart to take you home after this. You can just grab a taxi or bus—if they are still available—after anyway, it should not be an issue, right? But even self pep talk does not change a thing, you are still scared beyond words. This neighborhood indeed terrifies you, especially at night. 

The car is now settled in front of the dark building that you identify as your destination. “Are you sure, Y/N?” Taehyung mindfully asks one more time with hesitation fills his gaze. At the persistence, you are slightly touched. “I don’t know what you are doing or who you are meeting there, I won’t ask. But I swear, I don’t mind waiting for you.”

You have a hard time believing—when was the last time someone cares for your safety like this? Life has been just a constant repetition of pushing anyone away from nearly half of the things going on with you, and to have someone you clearly is just using and still greatly show his concern is so strange. Maybe it’s time to admit that Taehyung is not just the heartless fuckboy you expect him to be. He may be more than that.

But no, you don’t need to involve him further inside the mess you are in, and he won’t be near long enough to stay so no need to get in such depth with him. And only god knows what would happen to an elegant, once in a lifetime seen black expensive Audi parked in this neighborhood. “Taehyung, no. I’ll get home safe, I swear.”

Taehyung does not want to push his agenda, even if he is still unable to turn off the alarms at the back of his head. “Sure, if that’s what you want. At the very least please let me know when you arrive, or if anything happens, okay?”

You nod, not really sure what to reply to his untypical concern. But then the annoying Taehyung is back as he mutters the next reply. “Or don’t. I just realized I left my charge somewhere and my battery is dying, probably not gonna see them till the next two days.”

“You are fucking annoying.” You spit with a sarcastic smile and Taehyung chuckles lightly, lightening up the mood. “See you, Tae. And thank you for taking me, I owe you one.”

You walk inside, finding Taehyung’s Audi is still parked there. Seeing how he vaguely gets caught inside your mess, and you feel apologetic. You huff, braving youself to knock on the door, then find a man that has been blowing up your message for a while now. He holds you close, taking you inside the house with odd affection. “Baby, who is that with a black, expensive car? Is that your new boyfriend?” 

You look at him, trying to keep your composure straight. You really do not want this despicable man in front of you to get any strange idea whatsoever about Taehyung. “He is not.” You adamantly hiss, pretending nonchalance. “He is here because you, somehow cannot pick me the fuck up. There is no uber or taxi that wants to get me here at this time of the night, and I swear to god you better get me home.”

That man pulls you closer, his lips closing on your side jaw and his arms circling your waist. All of a sudden, your resolve crumbles at his familiar touches. “I miss you, baby. And don’t worry about going home, you can stay the night here.”

His lips are swiftly grazing your sweet spot, right at your collarbone and you instinctively let out a moan of pleasure when he sucks on it like there is no tomorrow—to the point it will surely leave evident hickeys. God, he really knows you like the back of his hand and you have no idea whatsoever to do about it. Three years together is very evident now—he can read you effortlessly. 

“Stop it.. You know I’m staying at my parent’s tonight, I have to go home.” You let out a hushed whisper, a moan escapes your lips when his hands slowly stray from your shoulder, down to your waist and to the area that leaves you breathless. God, you are out of your mind for him.

“Fuck them. You know I really miss you, baby… I seriously need to be inside you right now. Don’t you miss me? Stay tonight.”

At his discourteous words at the mention of your parents, any illusion and lust at wanting to have in any way he wants dissolve into thin air. He is still the same old, disrespectful man that will never give a shit about you, especially your parents. But what exactly was the expectation you have for him? You are foolish to even think he will magically has understanding and common sense, since he is a monster.

But you are the one responsible for creating this monster…

The familiar guilt instantly fills your chest all at once, and it vividly constricts in pain. You push the black bag to his chest in a rush. “Here’s what you asked. I just did the best I can—don’t call me again. I have to go home.”

As you run to exit the building, you half-expect him to hold you back, apologize, or do anything that somehow might stop you from leaving into the unwelcoming, shady neighborhood, at nearly midnight, but nothing. The frustration that suffocates your chest is too much, and it is extremely hard to breathe. Your head spins with countless voices running inside your head, screaming incoherent words that somehow sends you into a great panic.

And you take a deep breath. Then the second. Then the third, trying to empty your mind from any intrusive thoughts that are doing you no good whatsoever. Right until you can finally close everything off, trying to pick your phone and get an uber—if it’s even possible. The reason you needed to get Taehyung help in the first place is that no uber or taxi would like to even come close to this place, and there’s thin to none chance you’ll ever get one. 

And you are correct, since it’s already five minutes in and there is no sign of your request ever finding a ride home tonight. You are in deep frustration for there is no hope whatsoever in getting back home. Your parents are away, but your grandma is home—you left your responsibility of taking care of her to meet that man. Your parents are going to kill you if they ever find out you are escaping home, especially to meet the man they hate the most in this whole world—the man who is greatly a bad influence on you, the man who made you hospitalized for months, the man who they recognize as your ex. 

But even with how far he is from ideal, he is still the same man who fought for you. The man who taught you love and sacrificed himself for you in no way anyone would. You don’t want to let him go—you are aware that he has strayed far, but he’ll come back soon. You held onto that for a long time, even with the faith you have on him is slightly dwindling. It’s been nearly three years since that accident, and you found that he is still the same, obnoxious man he was and even worse, yet you cannot let him go. Your conscience would never let you.

Feeling the remorse that is starting to overwhelm your senses, you notice there is literally waste in vain to think about that. You have to think for the present, how the fuck can you do to get home? Your parents might be home any time now, and they will never let the matter go until you are forced to confess that you are indeed, meeting your ex—the one person they loathe the most.

So you decide to run for your life to the nearest stop to take a bus or any available transportation, away from the shady neighborhood. You start with a fast stride, but you hear a sound of an engine booming behind you, slowly creeping on your side of the street. The red alarm on your head is loudly screaming. Someone is following you, and at once the worst memories of your life hits you like a truck. 

You abruptly fasten your pace, keep on running. But due to the nerves, your leg is close to giving up. You are exhausted beyond words, and the intrusive breakdown inside your head is not helping either. Just in five minutes you have no strength left and fall down on the pavements, your body trembling, tears crashing loudly as you hide your body inside your arms.

You never should have come to this place. You never should have come back to him. That time he loved you and cared so much about you was years ago, and he changed. He will no longer be there to rescue you. He doesn’t even give any shit about your safety. When will you ever be strong and stop whatever nonsense you are having for him?

“Hey, hey what happened, Y/N? Why are you crying?!” 

You are still bawling your eyes out like there is no tomorrow, your whole body trembling hard with both your legs secured on your chest. Someone is touching your arms, but you are too frightened by the imagination inside your head so you can do anything but to hold your legs even closer. “Please.. Please don’t hurt me..”

“Y/N, what are you—This is Taehyung. I have been calling you since you walked out, but you are not responding. Y/N, you are shaking so hard.. God, you’re scaring me. Please say something.”

After listening to the words that send you to a haze for having a hard time believing whatever it is, that man holds you close, his strong arms around your shoulder, his wide palm caressing your upper back slowly. “Take a breath, Y/N. You are panicking, but it’s okay. Take a deep breath. Everything is okay. I am here.”

At the constant calming ministration from Taehyung, along with his warm hug around your trembling, drenched with cold sweat body, you find the tense on your body is progressively decreasing to the point you can finally think and speak clearly without any more tears falling on the side of your cheek. You look up, finding Taehyung’s worried gaze seeking into yours.

“Why are you here, Tae? I thought you went back.”

Noticing how much you already get better from the panic attack, Taehyung can finally let go the breath he has been holding for quite a long time now. “I was about to, but—hey, I’ll tell you everything in the car. For now let’s go, you have been sitting on a pavement, who knows what germs you can catch from there.” Taehyung whispers with a vivid disgust on his tone. At that, you can finally smile. Albeit thin, Taehyung feels like he has achieved something remarkable. He quickly holds you up, arms secured around your waist to help you walk inside his car.

Taehyung opens the door for you, yet you are still hesitating to enter. “Get in, Y/N. I’ll take you home.”

“But.. your seat. What if my germs polluted your seat?” You are innocently concerned, and Taehyung can’t help but to chuckle. He did not expect such polite questions coming from you who just had a literal breakdown, yet he finds it endearing.

“It’s okay, Y/N. I’ll be taking Cecil to car service tomorrow as well, so it’s no issue. Get in.” 

Dubiously you step your left foot inside, before you gasp in surprise that shocks Taehyung as well. “I have a scarf! Let me sit on that.”

Taehyung follows your vigor on going through the small bag hanging on your shoulder with his eyes. “Not really necessary, but whatever. I’d prefer your shirt though. Can you sit on it instead?”

You snort. “Pervert.” He responds with a smirk, skipping to the driver side.

After a good ten minute driving in silence, you open your voice, your fingers nervously fondling on the button of your purse. “Thank you for waiting. You are such a lifesaver, I-I seriously don’t know what I will do if you are not there.”

Taehyung nods, his right hand brushing through the expanse of his jaw and you intensely follow the swear-to-god attractive gesture. God, you cannot believe how someone can be that charming while driving, it’s seriously making no sense. You continue after clearing your throat. “What happened? Why didn’t you leave?”

He glances at you with tranquility, shrugging his shoulder. “I was about to leave, but I don’t know. The song I was listening to was good so I just decided to stay for a while, and then you walk out so I follow you. The end.”

Your eyes narrowed, staring at him intently. “That is a lie.”

“Maybe.”

“Then tell me what happened!”

He shrugs. “Nah.”

You look at him in obvious exasperation. “Taehyung, for god sake tell me what happened! What can possibly make you stay in this hellish neighborhood?”

Taehyung grins. “I don’t ask what happened with the hickey on your collarbone either, sweetheart. And It’s nothing, seriously. Nothing out of the ordinary.”

Your fingers instinctively land on your clavicle, feeling the strange pain emerging when so. Shamefully ducks your head in embarrassment, you throw your face to your side of the window. “You're annoying.”

“I’ve been called that a lot. By you, actually.”

“Then maybe you should stop being annoying.” You sarcastically grin.

He jokingly wriggles his sharp eyebrows. “That’s kind of my trademark, so I’m sorry I cannot fulfill the request, sweetheart.” You huff and decided not to continue the endless debate.

Another ten minutes filled with silence, until you break it with your still irritated tone. “Can we play my song now? The song you played before sucks.”

Taehyung murmurs an agreement, a thin smile finding his lips. You connect your phone, then finding the one song you always tune into. The song that reminds you of the good times when life is less than complicated.

“Is this Bee Gees?” Taehyung asks with an amused tone, nothing ever crosses his mind that you would be the type to tune to oldies songs for drive songs. 

“Yup. This is More Than a Woman.” You nod, then send a judgmental stare at him. “What? You think I am lame for listening to old songs? Yeah, no surprise there.”

He smiles heartily, finding this new side of you that is unforeseen yet very delightful. “No, I actually like this song too. My father used to sing this song when I was a kid. The whole album, actually. I even have the vinyl cd in my room.”

Seeing that Taehyung is indeed earnest, opening up a little about his life, you find yourself smiling at your own great memory as well. “Me too. My grandfather used to sing this song to my grandmother, uhm.. before he passed away.. a few years ago. I would always listen to this song and then I would always be reminded about how much love they have for me.” 

You don’t even know why you are explaining such an intimate story of your life to a fuckboy whom you barely know. But now, it’s hard to even think Taehyung is the jackass everyone and even himself proclaimed. He is just a man—a friend, who helps you when you need him the most, who doesn’t pry and understand the space you need better than anyone else. You are grateful he is there, and to say these personal things to him.

Taehyung smiles at you and you can’t help but to reciprocate. His fingers tapping rhythmically on the wheel along to the beat, humming along with you to the wonderful music inside his car.

Here in your arms I found my paradise

My only chance for happiness

And if I lose you now I think I would die

Oh say you'll always be my baby, we can make it shine

We can take forever, just a minute at a time

*

“I don’t know where my keys are!”

Yup, you are a certified, sloppy idiot. You have been standing on your house gate for exactly fifteen minutes, trying to find where the fuck did you place your keys. You are trying to search your short lived memory where you placed them, but the only thing you remember before going to Han River to meet Taehyung is how rushed and panicked you are, trying to find excuses for your grandmother.

And Taehyung stood besides you, helping you to hold the flashlight so you can make anything inside your ransacked purse. “I can’t find it!” You hiss worriedly, glancing at your watch. “I don’t think my parents are home yet, and my grandmother should be asleep by now. I will just sneak in.”

“This is dangerous! Someone might catch you and think we are thieves, Y/N, I don’t think it's a good idea, especially at this time.” Taehyung advises, his tone full of worry. You look to him scornfully, accepting that he is indeed right. There are cctvs being installed on every corner of the street, and you don’t think it would be pretty to be caught and perceived as a thief while climbing your own house. Your parents will figure out either way, and to be told by your neighborhood security that their daughter is climbing inside with a ‘help’ of a man would be the last thing you want to happen.

“I do not know what I have to do.” You mutter, hiding your face inside your palms, cursing your forgetful self internally. Now you have to wait for your parents, confessing that you indeed get out at nearly midnight. And they will chastise you to know where you have been, immediately accusing you for meeting your ex—which in fact is indeed the truth. You are screwed.

“Hey, we can wait for your parents then. We’ll think of a way, no worry, Y/N.” Taehyung said carefully, noticing your forlorn gesture with hands resting on your shoulder. You look at him with a frown and reddened face.

“It’s okay if you have to leave. You have been a great help, Taehyung. I seriously do not know what would happen if it weren’t for you.” You mutter in regret, then he answers by sternly shaking his head, clicking his tongue.

“Hey, I might be a dick but I am certainly not to that extent to leave a girl on the street nearing dawn.”

“I can protect myself, if that’s what you are worried about.”

Taehyung chuckles, keeping his hands inside his pocket. “I am well aware that you can kick my ass to ditch, Y/N. But my conscience just won’t let me.”

Before you can persuade him again to go back home, the familiar creaking sound of your front door is heard and you throw your head back inside, detecting your grandmother, peering outside to the sound of her granddaughter.

“Grandma! You are not asleep?!” You nearly yell, but then realize that it is already so late for any loud noises and manage to lower your volume. “It’s past midnight, you should be asleep! I told you to sleep first and not wait for me.”

“Huh, this girl! How can I sleep when I know you are still wandering out there, at this late of night.” Your grandma hisses, walking with her cane to the gate. “Why didn't you come in? Where are your keys?”

The frown on your lips deepen. “I lost them, grandma…”

Your grandma hiss in distaste, before realizing that his granddaughter is not alone. While opening the gate, her tone changes as she questions the man beside you “Who is this? Is this your friend?”

You just remembered that Taehyung is still present, now both his hands politely joined and a civil, yet timid smile on his lips. You look back at your grandma, strongly warning you with her intimidating gaze to introduce him right away. “Y-yes! Grandma, This is Taehyung. Tae, this is my grandma.”

“Good evening, grandma. I’m sorry we arrived so late tonight, I can assure you it will not happen again.” Taehyung apologizes with heavy sincerity and a bow. You are mildly confused by his never-seen-before politeness, especially to your family. Of course it will not happen again, Taehyung would easily walk out of your life after the constant problem you put him in. But still, it brings such a strange emotion to your heart on how good-mannered he is to your grandmother—and you kind of have a slight hint of why.

“Kids these days, seriously.” Your grandma shakes her head, but still motions both of you to enter the house. “Come in, then. You two.”

“Taehyung can’t stay, grandma! He has to go back, it’s been a long night.” You try to reason in panic, but your grandmother’s slap on your shoulder to enter the house quickly resonates that she is not open for negotiation. There is no other way than to follow her order, so you begrudgingly leave the scene, with an apologetic smile on your face to Taehyung’s way. You seriously owe him nearly everything—you swear you will do anything to repay him.

“You really have to go back, Taehyung? I want to talk to you, though. I promise it won’t take long.” Your grandmother intimidatingly offers, and Taehyung gulps in overwhelming nerves. It is probably the first time for a while since he met someone’s close relative—he even hardly met his own—and your grandma is too intimidating; he doesn’t even remember the word no. 

“Let’s talk, then.” Your grandma smiles, waving off the cold persona right after taking in his acceptance. She rests her hand on Taehyung's arm to lead him inside the house. “Have you eaten? We have some extra food. I also made Darjeeling tea, it’s good for you young people. I know you will like it.” Taehyung smiles with a nod, his head slightly spins and an aloof thought invades his head, all regarding his precious platinum rule. 

Never ever meet a girl’s relatives under any, any circumstance ever.

God, this is not good.

*

It’s already past 1am, and an hour after you safely arrived inside your house. Upstairs, you wanted to help Taehyung dealing with your pesky grandmother, but she refused you to come down and mentioned that she wanted to talk to him only. You know what that means—another drama coming your way. You seriously cannot stress how much you owe Taehyung, he has been nothing but kind and helpful today. You wanted to eavesdrop on their conversation, but your body is too tired to even deal with even more drama. You just need to set your grandmother straight that Taehyung is just a friend, right in the morning. Your parents don’t have to know as well, and everything can go as well as before.

But even with your nearly numb body, your consciousness is wide awake and you cannot sleep. So after a short while and hearing the soft engine of Taehyung’s car far in the distance, you dial his number. Hopefully it still has power—you remember Taehyung mentioned how near dead it was. 

Right after two beeps he thankfully picks up. “Hi, Taehyung. You went home already?”

“Yup.” He emphasizes on the p.

You wince at his distant answer. “Are you mad at me? I apologize, I am nothing but a hassle today, you must regret helping me.”

Then his lighthearted chuckle is heard, and the tense on your body instinctively loosen up. “It’s okay. Not gonna lie, today is quite overwhelming. But I think in a weird, twisted way I needed that. A distraction, I mean.”

“Well, at least you are entertained by my lackluster life.” You joke, and both of you cackle. You cannot fathom your feeling right now, hearing his breathy voice on the other side of the call. You know you have been through a lot today, but somehow finally closing it with Taehyung, you feel somewhat relieved. “Did grandma say anything weird?”

“No, we just drank her god-sent Darjeeling tea. I seriously think I need to order it myself. Gonna search for it online after this. Ah, she also said I am handsome.”

You smile heartily, flipping to the other side of your bed. What a lie. “I sure can vouch for that. You are indeed handsome.”

Taehyung loudly gasps, cheeks tingling upon your unpredictable sincere compliment. “What—did you injure your head or what? Are you finally admitting that, Y/N? Never thought I’d hear it from you.”

You catch yourself slipping, slapping your mouth. “Yup, I think I injured my head. But no worry, pretty boys like you are dime a dozen. I’ll find you anywhere.” You nervously snort, internally disagreeing to your own words. There is something about Taehyung’s charming ways that always keep you on the edge, and you have never found it in anyone else.

“That’s more like you.” He hums. “Go to sleep, Y/N. It’s been a long night, you deserve it.”

You hum lowly while closing your eyes, feeling the sudden sleepiness embraces you. “Okay. Thank you so much for today, Taehyung. I owe you one, okay? See you soon.”

Taehyung finally closes the call, a thin smile reaching his lips. Seriously, he doesn’t know how he can go through everything in the span of 24 hours, the thing with Mina, meeting you and breaking all his platinum rules for a girl he thought he wouldn’t see a second time. A statement from your grandmother suddenly passes through his head and Taehyung shifts uncomfortably in his seat.

She is a strong girl, but she is fragile right now, and in need for someone to believe in.

Someone to believe in? That's most absolutely not him. Frankly, he is the absolute far on the other side from someone to believe in. He doesn’t even believe in himself, how could your grandmother say that to him? Does he seriously look like someone to believe?

But when Taehyung rewinds what your grandmother explained, along with the panic attack you had just a few hours ago—he finds it peculiarly identical to himself. In a way, both of you are scarred. Life takes a huge toll on you, and he can understand what you were feeling. Living with a deep scar itself is scary, but now that he knows that he is not alone—there is someone, deeply affected about something alike, he doesn’t feel so alone anymore. All these times he always feels like he needs someone, that he is a burden to someone, but it feels reassuring to be the one lending a hand for someone else’s misery. 

Among the silence and his busy thoughts, the phone rings. Taehyung is quick to answer and the call resonates on his car. “Yes. I need car service. Some idiot bastards just scratched Cecil, it’s pretty bad. They scratched it with knives I think—i don’t really know. You can pick her up on my usual. Thanks.”

*

It has been a week since you last saw Taehyung that eventful night, and even with how desperate you are to text him again, you find yourself hesitating while typing the words. What if he thought you are looking deeper into everything? You are just a mere girl he fucked before, and it is as clear as a day that Taehyung dislikes and avoids any form of attachment—and even though you are not even offering anything other than trying to pay all his kindness back, you are still unsure.

Since that night, one thing that you know is your grandmother loves Taehyung—she can’t stop talking about him and asking where he is ever since that night. Both of your parents are aware as well, they are a bit hysterical at first at the unannounced appearance of a boy close to you—you know how wary they are ever since your last boyfriend, but after hearing how great he is from your grandmother slash the best personality judge to ever exist, your parents easily approve. Could also be to the fact that they are quite amazed by such a young man using a luxury Audi car—yes, your parents are primitives like that.

But another thing you notice is how over-jubilant they are at the sudden appearance of Taehyung, more than you expect. You know how much they have been stressing over the fact that you might still be in contact with your ex—which you still are, but they are better off not knowing—but you didn’t know it would go to that extent. They can finally joke about you finally being in ‘young’ love, which is also total nonsense. 

The worst thing is that your mother even called you and cried one night, telling that she is relieved that you finally can find someone else instead of coming back to your previous toxic relationship with your ex—oh, how can you let her know? At that time, you feel guilty beyond words. There is literally nothing going on between you and Taehyung—you even doubt if you can label whatever going on between you as friendship, it all could be just a charity work on his part, but you don’t have the heart to say so to her. Hence you just nod, promising that you would try asking him the dinner your mother asked for.

And now it’s all more confusing since you don’t know how to approach the matter. There is no way in hell Taehyung would ever agree meeting your parents—and the case itself is helpless. But your parents are very happy now, and to have it knocked away for a lie would greatly affect them in a bad way. Especially starting today, you moved out from your shared apartment back to your parents home. You love your independence, but you desperately need the money, especially since the extra side job of writing columns pays now needs to be shared with your parents as well due to your father's condition that enforces him to do his routine dialysis. The insurance helps, but it still costs massive on the pocket so you are more than willing to help them.

So you are seated now, waiting for your class to start. Your fingers tapping on the keyboard to draft a message that will be sent to Taehyung. It has been twenty agonizing minutes, and by every word typed and erased, you feel jittery. To the point you are finally too tired and give up, slamming your phone on the table and running your fingers through your hair in distress.

The sudden ring of your phone comes into your senses, and you are expecting nothing but then seeing the message, it effectively fastens the pound in your chest and you literally think you will cry. It's literally godsend, actually—how can he come through at the time you need him the most is beyond you.

From : Taehyung

Hi, just wanna ask if that ‘thank you so much for today, Taehyung. I owe you one, okay? See you soon’ thing is true or just bogus since i did not get any message since last week

You smile wholeheartedly, right from ear to ear at his witty message. So you swiftly type in another response, which may or may not contain a bit of a lie but Taehyung is better off not knowing how much you think of him in the past week.

To : Taehyung

Hi, sorry the bitch you are contacting is busy with packing her things to move back home. Can she meet you later this afternoon for lunch?

You don’t even have to wait for another long minute as his reply came almost immediately.

From : Taehyung 

Sure! But she better be paying cause Taehyung is sloppy and forgot to bring his wallet! 😉

You chuckle lightly, typing the cafe name located near college, following another message.

To : Taehyung

Such slop. But no worries, she would gladly pay! Since she should finish the class quite early, she's going to wait for you in the near park, so find her there, okay?

From : Taehyung

Don’t know until when we are going to address ourselves in third perspective but I am all for it. See you soon, beautiful! xx

You roll your eyes at his flirty text. Fuckboys and their annoying suave talks, yet inside, you are unable to hold your lips from smiling—to the point that your ex-roommate had to question how suspiciously vibrant you are today, especially during the worst class to date. You respond with a shake on your head, still with the same foolish smile plastered on your lips that is too eerie to be true for her.

Right after it’s finished, you run to exit the class—more because you need to avoid the question from your best friend on where you are heading, since you are meeting her boyfriend’s best friend you said you hated. It also seems like Taehyung is also inconvenient to let Jungkook know about your rendezvous, so you decide to keep this for yourselves first.

The weather on your way to the cafe is amazing, the afternoon breeze is lukewarm, the sun is adequately shining, conveniently settling on the skin. When you arrive, you take a seat on the nearest bench, heaving a deep breath and close your eyes. You clearly feel happy, contributed due to the weight from thinking about Taehyung and your parents slightly lifted off your shoulder. At least now you are on a talking basis with him. That’s a progress.

But as it always has been, something just had to ruin your temporary happiness. He is there, seated right beside you. Noticing the weight press on the other side of the bench, you look up, and finding your past lover, Jisung.

“Jisung!” You gasp in shock, your heart nearly falls out of your chest. He is here, in your college, right beside you. “What are you doing here?!”

He smiles, his fingers raised to your ear, settling a few stranded hairs behind your ears. The affectionate gesture suddenly throws you off your horse, as the sudden confusion does bring unwanted memories of your past with him. “I just wanted to see you baby. How you are doing, right now. I see you went home safely that midnight, quite shocking I would say.”

At his unpleasant words, you swat his hands away, facing him with a cold, hardened stare. “You are a jerk, you know that? You let me go home all by myself, in your own dangerous neighborhood when I went there to give you what you need. You are seriously the worst.” Muttering your sentence, you feel a tidal wave of anger and sadness crushes you in. 

“Hey, I don’t mean it like that, babe. You also get to go home with your hotshot fling as well, so you can thank me, right?” He sarcastically responds, and you feel repulsed at his words mentioning Taehyung—who in high chance must have brushed his annoying male ego. Jisung scoots to your side, his arms holding you close. But you felt nothing but disgust.

“Don’t be like that, baby. You know I miss you. No matter how far you are searching for someone better, or richer, I will be the only one who understands you and your body, babe.”

You are silent, neither accepting or rejecting his advances. You feel numb, you feel used, yet you don’t do anything to push him away. It’s like whenever he is near, you feel the urge to fix him. He was the victim—and so were you. Yet he was the one that was and still is greatly affected by the wrongdoings of other people. So you still believe that the good Jisung you love is there, somewhere inside this man you barely even know.

Jisung was your boyfriend, two years ago in high school. He was a humble, smart scholarship boy that loved to play soccer. You were just a simple girl who loved to write about everything on your blog, especially lenient towards politics and policy. One simple day after a busy semester—due to your social science project team that always sends you on heated debate with him, Jisung somehow confessed. He told you he always liked you, the way your eyes crinkle while writing, the way you scoff during debate, and especially the way you smile for everyone but him—it was a surprising yet sweet confession, but against all odds you accepted it since you did adore him, even with the debates and nonsensical statements coming out of his mouth. That’s how you started a blooming, new relationship with him.

Six month passed, and you could proudly say that you were indeed in love with him. He was sweet, albeit dumb sometimes, he is the kindest person to ever exist and you loved it for him. Everything was great, but as most things, it all finally went downhill—when a transfer student is registered at your class. His father was the right hand of the president at that time. Few weeks in, you realize that he put too much attention on you. You tried to ignore it, but the contact was getting intense so you set him straight that you did not like him and you had a boyfriend. But being a golden spoon kid since he was born, he never learned rejection. 

One Friday evening, when you had just finished your assignment in the library and were about to meet your boyfriend to head home together, that transfer kid pulled you away and kidnapped you to the back of the school. He was angry at your rejection, and forced you to do the things you never wanted to do with anyone, and you loudly screamed for help. The enormous school was nearing empty due to the weekend, and no one could hear you. You were nearly losing hope, too weak to do anything but cry, then your boyfriend found you. He was going to check up on you since you already took a long time, but seeing the unbelievable scene, he instantly sent a hard punch to the bastard, right on the face. But not even a punch or two suffice, Jisung punched him to pulp until he passed out, with you shivering and crying loudly on the side. 

Then a few days later, everyone finds out about the issue, and somehow the media caught it as well, the president’s right hand son is hospitalized due to a school fight. But one thing that did not sit right was that everything in the story is twisted to transfer kids' benefit. He was hospitalized, so the school and media immediately sided on him, telling that he was injured by a rebellious kid in school and disregarding the real cause of the matter. You tried hard to explain to your headmaster, everyone that might believe you, but there was no evidence and you were the girlfriend—you were trusted not to be objective. So Jisung was expelled from school, and his scholarship was taken away from him. His strict parents did not believe him even a bit and kicked him out of the house. Jisung’s life hit rock bottom. 

You were heartbroken and guilty beyond words. Jisung had his life crumbling down in a moment, all because of you, because he helped you and defended your honor. You owed him everything, and you knew how hard it was for him. Jisung refused to see you, and when you tried talking to him about it, he harshly broke up with you, crying and shouting while implicitly blaming you for how his life turned out. You also cried that evening, and you begged him not to and promised you would do everything in your power to help him.

But no matter how hard you begged him to stay, he still went missing for a few months and you cried nearly everyday. It was killing you, to the point you didn’t even want to go to school anymore. You hated everyone—you hated how unfair life was for him, someone you loved so much. And frankly, you missed Jisung, you miss your ex-boyfriend and would do anything to have him back. There’s never a day you forget sending him a message, apologizing and begging him to come back. 

And he did come back to see you, exactly four months after. But at that time, he already changed. He was no longer the sweet, affectionate Jisung you loved and remembered—he was someone else. He joined and lived with a rebellious gang downtown. As predicted, he did not continue his studies, and god knows what conniving things he was doing to get money on a daily basis. When he came back and professed his love for you, you were hesitant. He was no longer your Jisung, but the complete opposite. But the next day he called you, crying about how life was becoming too hard and wanted to take his own life. That was also the time you’d do anything for him to stop, and agreed to get back with him. And thus began the most horrifying part of your life, one you never even want to remember.

“Baby, don’t you miss me?” He whispers to your ear, noticing your distant stare and silence. But you pushed him away, realizing how improper that you are still in the university area. “I missed you so much. No one can ever suffice your beautiful body against mine, babe.”

“Stop it, Jisung. I am not your sex slave, the one you can do anything against my will.” You hiss, pushing him away with a hardened stare filled with hatred and disgust. “I gave you the money you want. What do you want more from me?”

“I need more, of course.” He grinned, running his fingers on your lips. “Money is hard nowadays, babe. I notice that you got yourself a new, rich fling now. Get some of that hard cash and give it to me, will you?”

You stand up, peering against  in disgust, but you were saddened beyond words—tears pooling on the side of your eyes. “You are the worst human being. I am not giving you anything more, especially when you are going to spend it on gambling and sluts.” 

He pulled you back down, nails stabbing your skin until you are sure it will bleed. Your heart pounds too loud until it echoes in your ear. “Listen here, you bitch. Do you know who caused me like this? It’s you. You ruined my life, and you have to take responsibility for it.”

He lets go of your hand and leaves you trembling and your breath irregular. Dizziness suddenly enters your head, and you never feel alone to that extent you want to puke to the exhausting feeling. You hold your legs closer to your chest, hiding your face inside to shout all the frustration bubbling up in your chest, as loud as you can.

“Y/N, why are you— What did he do?!”

It’s Taehyung, you are well aware it is him. A sudden recognition of the promised lunch you have with him passed through your head and you take a few deep breaths and try to shove the matter far away from your mind. You look up to him with a forced smile, wiping away your tears with the back of your sleeve. “Taehyung, how long have you been here? Sorry, I didn’t—”

“I was here before you even came. I was on the other side of the park, and noticed you were talking to some guy. I did not want to interrupt and left for a while, and I came and you are already crying. What the fuck happened, Y/N?” Taehyung asks in deep frustration on his eyes, his palm cupping your face to look up to him. “Who was he? Was he—the one you were meeting a week ago?”

You are not answering, still looking faraway to nothingness and Taehyung hiss in agitation. “Y/N, I am no longer taking this lightly. This—this is bad. Please, tell me about this.” When you are still silent, Taehyung looks at you somberly, pleading for you to look back at him. “Y/N. I am your friend. Please, please let me help you.”

And then you break down into loud sobs, finding purchase in his arms around you. You never felt so sad before—all the bad memories from your past coming back to you, throwing you back into a state of panic. But as Taehyung soothes your back in a calming manner, listening to your incoherent words, you can gradually breathe. “I am sorry. I am such a mess.” You whisper to him, and let go of the hug. “I don’t think I can tell you without you being disgusted at who I really am. I am not the girl you thought I was, Tae. I am way worse.”

Taehyung looks up at you with a serene smile, wiping the tears away from your cheek. “Y/N, I am telling this because I know you will not prematurely judge, but I kissed a married woman last week. There’s no way you can top that.”

Your eyes are wide in shock at that, and Taehyung smiles at your reaction. Regardless of being scared that you will assume anything without him getting to explain, he is just glad he can be truthful to someone, especially when it is you. “I don’t know if you would really listen to my boring story. But it has been bothering my mind for quite sometimes now. Can I drop that on you?”

You nod and smile at his effort trying to take your minds off things and feel better. Not that you dislike it—it does succeed. “Of course. But not if we have to sit here, starving. Do you want to get in?”

He smiles, squeezing your shoulder and lead you inside the cafe. “If you are paying, then yes. If not, let’s go back to my frat and ask that shithead Jungkook to pay instead.”

*

After approximately four hours talking about each other and dirty looks thrown by the waitress at your prolonged stay inside, you moved places from the cafe to Han River, the exact spot you met him before—Taehyung said this was a place for him whenever he is sad and needs some time to think. Did you understand him better. He was a child of divorce, he is living with his father in Seoul and his mother is remarried and staying in London. The last time he met his father was six months ago.  At that time he said that he missed his grandmother a lot, he lived with her all through childhood but after she passed away, he was mostly taken care of by nannies. That’s why meeting your grandmother was a remedy or it’s kind—he was reminded of the fond memories with his own grandmother.

Taehyung also told you about the married woman he mentioned previously, and you felt sad for him. It must not have been easy, someone who does not really believe in love to have feelings for someone he can never have. But in a way, he believe there is a silver lining to meeting her—and in a way, you are amazed by how mature he was throughout everything. Yes, Taehyung may have scarred himself and the people around him, and done many things wrong as well, but to be able to live and act the way he did really brings him to a whole new light.

So when you told him with bright, tearful eyes about how much you are proud of what he did, it could be one of the moments Taehyung never thought he would cry in front of someone else but did. It was hard, like always feeling like he did everything wrong—but you are here, right in front of him, giving him the word he needed the most. He is glad that he was able to talk it out to someone, and that someone being you.

And when you are seated inside his car, looking out to the beautiful light posts alongside the Han River, you know it was your turn to open up and you did. You told him about everything, leaving no details about your past with Jisung. Even when you are just two sentences in, you are already crying, but it was inevitable. Taehyung holds your hands, his eyes filled with understanding. “Hey, hey. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

But you shake your head, smiling up to him and squeezing his hand back. “No-I need to tell you this. I want to tell you this. I think one of the main problems is that I always keep this from everyone—especially my friends. I would love it for you to know.”

Then you continue about your past experience. About how Jisung helped you against a bastard who was able to turn everyone to his side in the end. How Jisung left and put the blame on you. And in the end, you find yourself not being able to continue, but Taehyung kept you close, hugging you as he pecked the top of your head. “I loved him—I really did. I thought I did. It was all my fault—”

“Y/N, It’s not your fault. At the beginning, you both are just victims but after that, he was nothing but a manipulative asshole who used you for his own benefits.” Taehyung feels his heart clenched at the thoughts of your past with him—how you were held captive and forced to keep up to whatever vile activities he was doing with his gang. “Y/N, you got to stop going out with this guy. He did not even love you anymore—he is just using you…”

You know it, your sanity always told you that, but the moment Taehyung said it, it’s just.. disheartening. “I know, Tae. But—what if? What if the accident did not happen? What if we were not together? He could be living the best life right now, attending the best university in the country, meeting someone else better, helping his family's economy…”

Taehyung caresses your head, his low whispers awakening your senses. “Y/N, we cannot include what if scenario in this, you know it. Yes, there is a possibility that it should have gone better, but there is also a worse scenario too, right? And to be frank, all of the choices were on him. He could have done something better with his life, yet he was the one who chose hanging out with those bad guys, not you. So please stop hurting and blaming yourself now.”

You nod, resting your head inside his chest, crying every suffocating tears to your limit. “I wanted to. I wanted to stop, Tae. But I can’t, he will always come back.”

“Y/N, it might hurt but I think you should go to the police.” He advises, and you let go, looking up to him in shock. “It is just a suggestion, don’t hate me. I do think it is for the better. Your parents even forbid you to do so, and you were even hospitalized and depressed because of him. Now he always wants something from you, blackmailing you.. He does nothing but damage to you.”

Inside, this delusional part of you wanted to defend Jisung and all your own past doings, but you know you are not making any sense and Taehyung is right. But throwing Jisung inside jail? The thought even scares you. “I don’t know. I’ll think about it.”

Taehyung scoff in disbelief at your clear disdain of his suggestion. “Wait.. Do you—do you possibly still have feelings for this bastard?”

At that statement, you look away from his proding eyes. Do you? You are not even sure about that. Yes, Jisung could be the worst, most toxic people that caused nothing good to you, but you cannot lie that you always find yourself finding the goodness inside him, always reacting to his touches and sweet talks—it’s involuntary. You are an idiot that somehow still likes him… “I.. I don't know.”

“This is crazy.” Taehyung whispers, more to himself. He doesn’t even know how you haven’t thrown this bastard inside jail—and it is somehow because you still have feelings for him. “This is overly altruistic and borderline masochist, Y/N.”

“I… I know. Can we please drop it? I-I don’t want to talk about it for now.”

Taehyung realizes that he has been insensitively judgmental of you, and he winces and reaches out for your hand. “I am sorry. You are one of the strongest, greatest women I have ever known, and...  And I guess it’s sad to know that you have been through this and.. It’s nothing. I apologize.”

You look up to him and nod, looking up to him with a warm smile. “That’s okay, I can see where you are coming from. It’s a surprise as well, as I never thought you would be the great  listener type and give kickass advice too, Tae. You are a very great friend, do you know it?”

He cheekily smiles, shooting you a wink. “I’ve been told so. By myself, I mean.”

“I think we should drop the depressing, real talk.” You chuckle, and so does he. “I am glad we did it, but let's refrain from it for the time being. I am fucking drained now, and hungry.”

“Me too! I am starving. Do you want to grab something on the way home?” Taehyung looks around in vision, trying to move his car. You did not even realize the disappointment in the pit of your stomach at the mention of going home—your parents and grandma are the reason, but majorly due to the thought of the day is about to come to an end. It’s just ten pm, and you really, really had a pleasant time with Taehyung. “We can grab takeouts too, if you have to go home now. Or even we can go directly home and—”

He was nervous, and you cannot help but to smile of reassurance. “It’s okay. I’m thinking of McDonald’s. You in?”

He coos loudly with fake tears. “You know what, Y/N? You just get me.”

The way to McDonald’s, your mind is suddenly caught on the fact that your family is assuming Taehyung as your boyfriend. “Hi, Tae. Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, sweetheart.” He responds lightly, without noticing what the nickname does to you, focusing on the street in front of him, and you cannot hold the blush blooming on your cheek. You were thankful that it was already dark, or you would have let him catch you slipping for the nth time today. “Anything you want to know?”

“Yes. So…. get this.” You start with vivid nerves, looking down to your lap timidly. “My grandma really, really likes you. I don’t know what happened, or how can you hypnotist her since all she can talk about now is you. I think she even forgot I am the granddaughter sometimes.” Taehyung chuckles widely, showing the creases on the corner of his eyes and it is so infectious you can’t hold a smile either, the tense on your shoulder slightly loosening. “And since she could not shut up about you, my parents are aware too. About you, I mean.”

Taehyung looks at you, a hint of surprise on his face. “Uhm, really? Wow, never thought it would be that big of a deal.”

“It is. I didn’t tell you this, but I have never introduced any friends, especially male ones to family ever since Jisung happened…” You mutter, volume getting smaller by each word. “So, it was a big deal for them. And my family can be presumptuous sometimes.. And…” You hold your breath, your mind conflicted whether you should tell him or not because you are sure Taehyung would reject you straight away and harshly. You know it well, but your heart is pained at the imagination of Taehyung telling you to fuck off with your silly proposition. So you take a drastic turn and hold back your request. “I...No. It’s nothing.”

Taehyung looks at you in worry. “Hey, you can tell me anything. It’s okay.”

You look up to him with a pout. “Can you promise me you won’t be mean?”

“What are you—of course I won’t, Y/N.” He giggles, giving your hand a light squeeze that nearly takes your breath away. “You can tell me everything.”

“Okay, here goes.” You whisper, trying to muster the leftover courage. “So, my parents and grandma kinda can’t stop talking about you... thinking you are my boyfriend. I never brought anyone after Jisung and… they just thought it was a big deal.”  You look straight ahead, still afraid to find whether there is disgust on Taehyung’s face.

“So?” Taehyung asks neutrally. “It’s fine. You can just tell them the truth.. that we’re not dating?” There was an edge on his response, and you are certain he is not getting anything out of your desperate sentence.

“But I don't think I want to drop that on them.” You continue breathily, biting your lower lips in hesitation. “They are going through some tough times right now, with my father's sickness and all—the news about me dating an averagely decent man with no crime history list could probably be the only good thing going for them. They’d be disappointed to learn that we are just friends.”

“Well, they don’t know who I am yet—what if I am a mafia man with a kick ass car that I bought with money from bank robbery?”

You look up to him, rolling your eyes but trying to display your best puppy face to date. “You left a great impression on them… Can we at least pretend we are dating? For just a few weeks, and it’s nothing big, I swear. You still can do your hookups, whatever okay to you. I could just tell we broke up in the next month or whenever convenient.”

Taehyung looks at you in hesitation, a little bit unsure. “I know—but are you sure? All rom-coms never ended well for that fake relationship bullshit.”

“Surprise on you watching lots of rom coms aside, I know we’ll be fine. All those cliche bullshit always ends in anyone falling in love, but that’s not us, right…?” The second you say those things, a literal large, blazing red exclamation point on the side of the street. You are hoping it is not a bad omen. “Please say yes. I know this is a big thing and I owe you a lot already, Taehyung. But I swear this is the last time. I would do anything for you to say yes.”

Fake dating you? He did not know how to do that, especially since he has to talk to your parents whatsoever—even the thought scares him as he never got along with his own either. What if he messes up and everything goes down in ashes? Taehyung literally was about to reject, when your last sentence caught his attention, shown by his raised left eyebrows. “Anything?”

You scorn, sending a look at him in disgust. “Are you seriously asking sex out of the deal right now, Taehyung?”

“No! Of course not. That is unnecessary. You know I can have sex with you with your greatest consent and you’d be begging for it.” The cocky jackass dares to wink, and you hate how partly right he is with that. Well, maybe not just partly. “So, not that. Okay, I will agree to your proposition. I have something in mind.”

You nod, rubbing your palms together. “Okay. Lay it on me.”

“I want you to stop seeing that guy—Jisung, I mean..” You were expecting a lot of things, but not that. Especially not that. Hence the look of disbelief displayed in your face, eyes open like saucers. “ It’s for your own good, Y/N. There is no good coming out of hanging out with that guy. I know it’s not easy—I won’t force you all at once. So by the end of our fake relationship, I want you to completely stop everything. If he still insists on seeing you, or anything harmful to you, you put a 50 meters restriction on him, throw him into a jail or anything. You have to stop seeing this guy.”

You look at his challenging gaze, and seeing his expression you know his mind is already made. There are no other options besides take it or leave it. “But you are doing it for me. Don’t you want to ask anything? Other than that?”

He firmly shakes his head. “Nope. That alone would be a very great satisfaction on my part.”

“Serious? You don’t want anything else?” You ask one more time. “Just making sure you are getting the best out of this deal, since it won’t happen ever again.”

“Yup. And maybe if you insist, you can bring me breakfast or lunch too. That would be convenient since I tend to forget them.” He is joking, but you nod in all sincerity. You know how much you really need to do this, your parents have been struggling a lot—more or less you take a huge role in that, so at least you want to repay them even with a smooth, hopefully foolproof lie. “Your grandma must be a good cook; I tasted it a bit before and it’s heavenly. Maybe you can pack some of her dishes for me too.”

You nod. “She is. So… This means you in?”

Taehyung nods, with evident doubt still painted across his face. “Maybe. What does this exactly entail?”

“The regular, 1980 primitive relationships? No ass grabbing, no any mention of sexual things, no funny business. This needs to be very, very likable to my parents. You need to show you are the committed type that can only love one person and one person only, fall in love hard or that type of romcom bullshit.”

“Wow, so you are asking me to be the exact opposite of me, then. Did you just roast me, Y/N?” You giggle and nod—Taehyung might be a jerk but he is not a fool. Seeing your mischievous expression, he pinches your cheek with a scrunched lips. “I see. So no ass grabbing, no mention of sexual things and funny business—it’s only when your parents are around, right?”

It’s now your turn to glare. “I’m kidding. I’ll wait until you ask it yourself.” He winks, and you roll your eyes. Same old, fuckboy Taehyung. Will he be able to pull the act off is beyond you. “Anything else? Should I take you from home everyday, or domestic bullshit like that too?”

“Not really, but maybe once or twice per week? We can grab food on the way home if you want to. And Friday or Saturday nights too—but only if you don’t have any party to attend. If you have no worries, i’ll just make up some lies.”

“It’s okay. I’ll take you out on those days.” He nonchalantly nods, like he just did not imply about giving up his parties and fuckboy activities for you. It is quite a surprise—you expect him to immediately refuse everything involving those holy days, and it sends an anonymous feeling right through your heart. 

“Beside, it will be just a month right? I’ll be okay missing a party or two.”

You clear your throat, looking down in faint disappointment. What were you thinking, seriously? Did you somehow expect him to sacrifice that much to mere, old you? He is a saint to even want to spend his friday night eating junk food with you rather than partying with those porcelain pretty girls on his side. “Sure.”

Another ten minutes spent just enjoying the silence with other Bee Gees songs playing in the background, and Taehyung breaks the silence. “So, if in case I refuse this. What would you do then?”

You purse your lips in contemplation since you haven’t even thought that far. What if Taehyung refuses? “I don’t know, haven’t thought that far. Ask Hoseok, maybe? He is polite, nice, cute too. My parents would be impressed.”

Taehyung snorts, a hint of dislike palpable across his beautiful features at your mention of his frat buddy, the one you acquainted to. “Wow. Just a few minutes into this fake relationship and you are already comparing your fake boyfriend to someone else. What a nice fake girlfriend you are.”

You fold your arms in front of your chest in irritation. “Hey, I just say what I think is right! You cannot lie that Hoseok indeed looks fine and cute, he is well-mannered too. And the fuck, why are you so self-centered? I am not saying it to make you jealous, you—” 

At your last sentence words, Taehyung suddenly hits break, abruptly stopping his Cecil from moving; your head almost strikes the dashboard if it weren’t for his arms holding you still. You are about to curse him, right before you can see the dangerous, cocky smirk formed on his lips, then the alarm inside your head goes off, all words are dead on your tongue. 

“A little bit you should know about your fake boyfriend, Y/N. I am very, very territorial. A word of advice? Never test it for yourself.”

*

So come the first day your plan of faking your relationship in front of your family. It is Monday morning, both you and Taehyung have an 8am class. Regardless of the inconvenient of waking up, it is simultaneously the perfect time to fake those lovey dovey teeth-rotting routines in front of your parents and quickly excuse yourself with attending an early class as a reason. So that’s how you force yourself up a half an hour earlier than usual—since you always woke up at 7.30 for an 8 am class—put an effort to present yourself better. You know your mother wakes up early every morning, so you purposefully blow your hair with your loud ass hair dryer to invite her in and ask why the hell are slobs like you doing up so loud at 6am in the morning.

“Nothing, Taehyung is actually picking me up this morning, so I just.. I just want to prepare early.” You fake a shy smile, and that’s how your irritated mother goes 180 degree changes and help you decide on what you should wear—a blue sundress that sits on your knees, along with a matching navy dress shoes, which is kinda unlike you—who the fuck masochist enough to wear makeup and dress for an 8am Monday class?

And you are fidgeting on your dining room seat now, counting the seconds for Taehyung to appear and finally take you out from this hell hole called your house—your mother can’t stop gushing about you being picked up by your handsome new boyfriend. He should be here anytime now, is it possible that he bails on you the second he really needs to execute the plan?

Few minutes go by and you are this close to leaving by yourself, and the familiar car engine sound is heard and you instinctively look out the window. It’s Cecil—god, you are even addressing Taehyung’s dead stuff with names too now—parked in front of your lawn, you can hardly believe it really is him. You swiftly stand up, hearts pounding a bit with your mind turning hazy. You are seriously going to do this—you are faking a relationship with Taehyung. The Kim Taehyung. You are seriously fucked.

“It’s your boyfriend! Invite him in for breakfast, Y/N!” Your mother giggles, and you answer with a wholehearted shake of head, internally cringing of the image. You are a genius for thinking every possible risk beforehand.

“No, mom. We have an 8am. I packed lunch too, we are going to eat it later, it’s okay.” You answer her hastily, securing your bag on your shoulder before walking out to open the gate for him. You can feel the cold sweat perspiring—there is no doubt your relatives are now scrutinizing every movement of your being. At the thought of being caught, you can’t even breathe normally, too wasteful of the air around you.

Yet when you open the gate and see Taehyung on the other side, smiling warmly at you, your heart literally skips a beat. You cannot believe it is really him, wearing a flannel shirt and black jeans, a bucket of purple rose on his hand. His black gleaming hair is neatly styled sideways, displaying a hint of his forehead. He simply looks… breathtaking. Is it really him, standing in front of you right now? Are you hallucinating?

“Good morning. You look beautiful today.” He greets with a compliment you never thought you will ever hear coming from him—or anyone the first thing in the morning, along with a charming smile that somehow brighten your vision.

“Thank.. you? And good morning to you too..” You whisper breathlessly, still in haze of the fact that he is here, standing in front of you.

“I brought you flowers.” He says, handing over the flowers to you. You receive it with vivid hesitation, looking down in shock while he continues, still with the same smile. “Should I hug you now?”

“W-what?”

But before you can even respond, Taehyung quickly holds you by the waist, pulling you close inside his arm, resting his chin on your shoulder. Your head is literally spinning—the warmth radiating from his body resulting in a strange emotion, but it was gone before you can even realize. “Let’s greet your parents, and then we can go? Are you okay with that?”

Still in a daze, you are only able to muster a nod as an answer. Taehyung just now, this is not the Taehyung you remember—the despicable fuckboy that doesn’t give a shit about anything and anyone, and is always looking only for short fun and severely allergic to any sort of attachment. And those eyes looking out for you and those acts he put up, you don’t know it’s just you or there is literally something so deep about it. Like he is not doing this just for charity and help you—but because somehow he really wants to. Are you that delusional?

So after saying goodbye to your parents still with not much words coming out from you—Taehyung mostly does the small talks and excuses for the both of you, you are now seated inside his car. “Hey. Are you okay? Did I do something wrong?” He suddenly asks, gazing intently at you with mild concern on his face. “I mean.. you are kinda silent. Is there—“

You are quick to rebut. “Nothing! Nothing’s wrong, I am just.. shocked. That’s all.”

He raised his left eyebrow. “Why?”

“I mean—I mostly did not expect you’d be this dedicated. You wear flannels, jeans, style your hair nicely when I know the most decent thing you wore could be your celine overpriced shirt and loose trousers. You even bought flowers! How can I not be shocked?” You nearly yell in defense, and Taehyung smiles at your amusing reaction.

“What can I say? I am a very, very dedicated person in whatever I do.” He cockily responds, and you scoff. 

“Pssh—Tell that to your studies.” 

He gasps in shock at your insult. “I get results! And I don’t wanna brag, but I literally watched three rom coms yesterday just to get into character. You have to applaud me for my effort.”

You peer at him—like all the changes he did isn’t weird enough. “Why?”

“Just because. This is the stepping stone of my acting gigs, I might offer fake boyfriend service after this. I really need to buy those McDonalds nuggets again.” You sigh, remembering a few days ago when Taehyung tasted your nuggets—not an euphemism—for the first time and literally ordered another five portions just for himself. Well, not like he can’t easily buy shares of McDonalds if he wants to.

Five minutes in silence, before Taehyung carefully brushes your arm with his own, somehow affectionately. “Regardless of this being faked whatsoever, I really do think you look beautiful today. You always look beautiful—but that dress outstandingly looks good on you.” He breathily compliments with a shy smile. You literally were expecting that flirty, mischievous eyes glint your way, so you can disregard it easily with Taehyung being a horny dog, but all you can detect from him is sincerity and you are silenced. It was like he wasn’t complimenting you just because of anything, other than his own will. And you do not know how to reply—you are not mentally prepared for that kind of sincere reaction coming from that renowned fuckboy.

“All jokes aside—I really think we pulled it off.” He giggles in delight. “You got nothing to worry about, sweetheart. I positively think they are charmed.”

A little voice inside you tells you that your parents are not the only one charmed, but you forcefully bury the thoughts away, throwing your gaze outside the window.

*

Few days passed without a hitch, and you can proudly proclaim everything went smoothly. Taehyung did offer to pick you up every morning, but it did not even make sense with your different schedules and the fact that he literally lives inside the university area with his frat. During those five days, you could easily reason with your parents about Taehyung’s whereabouts, saying he is busy but you explain that you meet him everyday for lunch. You are not fully lying though—you always deliver the food you promised, but whenever you do, you give it in a secluded area, and quickly leave as not to be catched by anyone. 

It’s not that Taehyung really asks to keep it under the table—but you just assume that it would be really awkward for the both of you if you were to be caught by someone. You know how fast the news would travel, saying that your college resident's most favorite fuckboy—especially after Jeon Jungkook's retirement—has a complicated relationship with a very plain girl such as you. It would be a shame for him, and you don’t really need another reminder about how undeserving you are to par with him.

Friday night it is, and you have been held hostage since afternoon until now, exactly 11pm by the team task paper you will be submitting Monday, along with Jinyoung who is your teammate and shares the class with you. Library closes at 6pm, so both of you continue on it, working alongside on the desk outside the library. Regardless of the short time knowing each other, you are glad to be partnered up with him—he is very thoughtful, smart, kind and easy to talk to. You are most definitely not complaining.

“We did it. I can’t believe we did it.” You whispers, faking sobs about how glad you are while typing soundly the last paragraph on your paper. Jinyoung chuckles, having a deep breath of gladness that everything has finally come to an end. It was clear that he has something on his mind—could probably due to the fact that his phone has been blowing up for the hundredth time already just in a span of an hour. You are surprised he even stayed this long—his part is already completed two hours ago yet he still insists that the call is nothing important, and he’d be okay helping you with the part you completely need help on, no matter how many times you ask him you’d be doing fine on your own.

Your phone suddenly rings, signaling an incoming message, so you check it with a quick glance. It was from Taehyung—but then you roll your eyes and continue whatever you were doing with no further thoughts whatsoever.

From : Taehyung

Hey, where are you? Come to the frat house, we are having a party babe xx

“So, where are you heading to? It’s Friday night, are you going out? Or to a party?” You nonchalantly ask, closing your laptop while gathering your things. He nods, typing something on his phone and gives you a short smile.

“Yup. My girlfriend has been asking for awhile.” He says like it’s nothing, and your jaw nearly drops. It’s his girlfriend, calling him like there’s no tomorrow? And he just ignored her for the sake of doing a task with you? Talk about dedication to education—but you suddenly feel the overwhelming guilt.  It’s not like you can’t do it tomorrow, but you are a perfectionist and just prefer anything to be completed asap before your over-glorified weekend. 

“You should’ve told me! I would be totally okay if you left first, there is no biggie. Besides, there is still time tomorrow to do it.” You desperately explain where you are coming. Jinyoung is kind, but it was unnecessary. “Now I feel guilty.”

“It’s no biggies! I do agree with you, I don’t want to hold it until yesterday. I also have something important I have to do.” Jinyoung assures, but you still feel not good about taking his Friday night out with the girlfriend for your silly ambition. “I.. I kinda have something in my mind. I know we just met—but do you wanna hear me out?”

You easily agree, and Jinyoung vigorously reaches out for something inside his pocket, and shows a red velveteen, small rectangular box. The gasp was inevitable—never in a million years would you ever guess it would be that. “Is.. is this an engagement ring?”

“Yes! Yes. I am going to propose to my girlfriend tomorrow.” He says, eyes sparkling with excitement and nerves. Seeing how sincere he is brought a lump in your throat. “I know it is early—everyone tells me I’m too young and whatever. But I’ve been with her since we were in middle school, and I just don’t think I want to be with anyone else. I am not usually that naive, courageous person to begin with, but I have never been more sure about anything like this.” He whispers, an evident edge is heard on his last word. “I.. I just want you to give me another perspective. Or not—if you are uncomfortable, but I just.. I am just curious. What do you think?”

“Wow. That’s a lot to process.” You whisper with a nervous chuckle. You don’t even know what you are thinking—too much is happening inside your mind and you have a hard time to process and make out something of it. “I think it’s amazing. And you know this girl for a longtime now, it’s a very beautiful thing and… I think you should go for it.” 

“Really? You think so?” Jinyoung asks, kind of not believing his own hearing. “You are actually the first one to support me. Not even my parents do.”

“I think the world has been too skeptical of love.” You whisper, the lump is getting evident and it is hard to even speak. “I know that there may be a hundred case of failed relationships out there—and people tend to assume everything will follow those majority cases. Even those pessimistic minds could even lead to more failure, you know? There’s nothing good that comes out with anyone tends to overthink so many things.” 

“But anyone still cannot deny the fact that there are two happy relationships that go against those hundreds. The chance might be small, but there still is. And if those years together makes you willing to put everything on the line and take the chance, I think you should propose..” One thing that you are sure of is that each word said you are no longer talking to Jinyoung, but yourself. It is to address your recent trait, about how sceptical you have been about having a real, sincere relationship with someone and always settle for less or good enough.

Well it's true. You heard and experienced these people around you, all the struggles, ruined relationships, especially the obnoxious men you had relationships with, have made you greatly cryptic of ever finding a love that lasts. You never thought it would be that hard to face one cold truth—maybe it’s you that really needs to start finding it with the ones that have the chance to have that with you. Instead of spending it for someone that only is looking for short fun, using you only for your body and leaving the moment he’s had enough.

“Thank you for that.” He mutters, the eyes filled with emotions yet his face lightens after hearing your encouraging words. “Exactly what I need to hear.”

Both of you are now standing on the busy street. “You wanna go home? Let me take you back.” Jinyoung kindly offers, and you couldn’t even hold back the snicker.

“It’s okay. Your soon-to-be wife is waiting.” You mum with a wide smile, even with a hint of sadness that you cannot suppress. You reach out to squeeze him in a short hug. “Good luck, Jinyoung. Wishing the best for you and her.”

After saying goodbye, you walk in the opposite directions of him, wandering with no exact destination. You don’t know what exactly happened to your lively mood, now completely blue and somber. What is it that makes you feel like you are now at the lowest point of your life? Is it possible that you just realized how far you have strayed from the person you wish to be, and now you are desperate to do something and rearrange your life back to the way it should be?

It’s quite depressing to know that there is the ideal life you have been planning and craving for a long time now, but one day you wake up and find you are heading the complete opposite direction and already strayed too far.

Your phone is ringing again, and you can just know it is Taehyung on the other side. He could be the last person you want to see now, but you are desperate to just answer and make him stop. You are most definitely not in the mood to talk with his annoying, pesky ass.

“Taehyung—”

“Y/N, where are you?! I asked your mother since you are not replying and she told me you haven’t come back home.” He shouts in discernible concern and worry with a faint music beat heard in the background—he must be still at the party, since 12am is still too early for these people to head back home, on the way of bad drunken state to the point of throwing up on the streets. If that so, why would he still be contacting you now ever since hours ago? If you are an idiot, you would let yourself believe he really is worried about you. And since when is he on talking basis with your mother? “Why are you not answering, Y/N?! Are you—”

“No, I am not.” You answer tiredly, knowing precisely that he is referring to Jisung’s place. You don’t want to debate him, all you want at the moment to be is alone and cry to your heart content. “I am just.. here. I am going home now, no worries.”

A good minute of silence. “Ah, you’re going home. Okay, good.” He still hesitates. “Text me when you are home.”

“I will. Bye, Taehyung.” 

You are about to press the red button on your phone when the booming voice of him is heard. “No! Wait. This party is boring, I wanna leave. Let me take you home.”

“Taehyung, I am in no way in the mood of dealing with your shit right now.” You curtly sigh, massaging your temple in distress. This persistent boy is surely a pain in the ass. “Talk to me tomorrow.”

Taehyung suddenly lowers his voice to the point of whispering, could probably detect how out of the character you are right now. “Hey, are you okay, sweetheart? You sound sad.”

You are about to say you’re okay, but your head is too heavy with emotions and even lying about being okay stress you out. “I am not. I am not fucking okay. I could arguably be at the worst point of my life. So can you leave me alone?”

“I know where you are. Stay there, I am coming.”

You don’t even know why, or how, or when Taehyung is coming, yet you obliged to his request. Because you don’t know what else to do, or where to go, and even believing in his almost unbelievable request seems appealing to you right now. All because you want to know if he’ll come through or not. That’s how you settle on sitting in front of a closed ice cream shop, holding your legs closer to your chest, your mind wandering to the things you can’t even point out.

Yet against all odds, in just ten minutes of waiting you can detect the black Audi stopping on the side of the street, with Taehyung walking out of it and on your way. You quickly stand up, erasing the remnants of tears on both your sticky cheeks before Taehyung crushes to you, engulfing you inside his arms. His palms caressing the top of your hair, nose buried in your hair, all for you can somehow feel better.

“Why are you sad, Y/N? Something bad happened?” He questions slowly and carefully.

“Yup. Life happened.” You nod, your finger hesitantly intending to reciprocate his hug but you refrain to doing so. There is no good in doing that anymore, especially now. “Everything just.. sucks.”

Taehyung giggles breathily at your sentence, ironically finding mirth in your words. His two thumbs at the either side of your eyes, wiping the leftover tears. “Isn’t that my daily thoughts. Let me take you home, and we can talk on the way?”

On the way to his car, Taehyung securely places his arm around you, squeezing you close to his side before opening the door for you. And before the car is about to move, he ensures your seat belt is strapped and secured well, while all you can do is to stare at him, wondering what the hell is he thinking for doing all these way-over-affectionate acts to you with no surveillance of your parents. 

The words that are directed to ask about the fuck did he mean with all these things are already in the tip of your tongue, but you decide against it. It would be very awkward and presumptuous for you to assume that someone who is literally allergic to relationships is doing that because he has certain feelings for you. Or maybe because you are too scared to find out and get hurt in the end.

“How did you know I’m here?” You question aloofly and he smile.

“Besides being a genius with such great sense? Yup, I heard the ice cream shop advertisement songs when I called you.” He proudly sing-songs like it’s his proudest achievement. You snort, realizing that you indeed a dumb.

“So, what did you do before? I thought you had something to work on.” He casually asks while stealing glances at you, noting your deep silence. “Did you finish your paper?”

“Yeah.” You simply nod, trying to focus on anything else other than looking sideways, to him. “You? Got bored at the party? No girls interesting enough to fuck tonight?”

Taehyung hums in grief, and the coldness washing over your heart is greatly detectable. “Yup. The drink is so-so, the music is boring, the people are boring. You’d start thinking that this party is just too repetitive, you know?” You think you sincerely wished the bitterness on your tone were undetectable, but the fact that Taehyung is utterly insensitive by your sarcastic question bothers you a lot. God, you are such a mess. “So, now that your paper is done, are you busy? We can talk. Or go somewhere else you’d like?”

You look at him, finding the flirty, mischievous smile plastered on his face, but it only adds the feeling of nausea inside your chest. “Do you know Jinyoung? I think he is from engineering too.”

Taehyung nods, a tad bit surprised at your sudden change of topic, yet you continue. “He is my task mate for this paper. And wow… I am really amazed at him.”

“Amazed? Why?”

“So he told me he will propose to his girlfriend tomorrow.” You explain, trying to sound nonchalant. “It’s just amazing, I think. How can someone be sure to marry someone else at such an early age, that he will stay true to just one person and one person only for the rest of his life?”

“What—Seriously? There is still people as naive as that?” Taehyung snickers, and you could feel your heart drop at his vivid disdain at the mention of serious relationship. “Come on, it's the 21st century. People really think anyone can be chained into a monogamous relationship for the rest of their lives? Grow up.”

“He has been in a relationship with her since middle school.”

Taehyung’s eyes are wide as saucers. “And still wanna go through with that? I can see why you said it’s amazing, Y/N.”

“I think alike too.” You curtly sneer, folding your arm on your chest. “He asked me what I thought about it and I encouraged him to go ahead and propose. And do you wanna know why I am sad? Because I’m jealous, Taehyung. Along the way, I have turned too skeptical of love and started losing faith that I’ll have someone like that too. Too tired of actually thinking about who I should date and instead settle for undeserving men. I hate it.”

“Y/N, trust me. I know how men think, especially all these boys. It’s easy to think you can tie them up into a relationship, but it’s like.. a timer, waiting to blow off.” Taehyung stubbornly explains like love is a disease—just the way you expect him to. “It’s like you are waiting for the heartbreak. Please don’t be naive like that.”

“So what if I try and I fail?” The frustration is clear in your tone, irritated that Taehyung exactly sounds like a parent telling their kid Santa doesn’t exist. “That doesn’t mean I’m naive. At least I’m a step closer to finding sincere love, not like you fuckboys that are allergic to have a mutual love and respectful relationship.”

“Y/N, when you are a child of divorce, it is hard to believe that love does exist.” Taehyung intently stares at you, before letting go the breath he has been holding. “It’s not entirely impossible, I know there are some happy marriages too. But how can you guarantee you’re that lucky 1% with the compassionate, dreamy, lovey dovey monogamous relationship you have been worshipping about? It’s unrealistic—and doesn’t make sense.”

“But how can I know if I don’t try?!” You ruffle your hair in frustration, face reddening in anger. “I’d rather try and fail rather than not do anything at all. But you know what? I have no one to blame but myself. I am the one thinking that I might find love in college, filled with pubescent fuckboys. You are right, Taehyung. I should have known in the first place. I have to avoid you—exactly boys like you.”

Taehyung reaches out to you with his right hand, sadness and panic coloring his face. “Hey—hey. I am sorry, Y/N. Please, please don’t be like this. I overstepped it, I know. I—you’ll find it. You’ll love someone that truly loves you too. Don’t be like this, okay? I am sorry.”

Realizing that you have not replied since the fight occurred few minutes ago, Taehyung stops his car on the side of the street, just a few metres from your house. He is now facing you, holding your hand while brushing it against his thumb in regret.

“I am sorry. I was wrong, it... it wasn’t my place to be judgmental about your life choices.” Taehyung is quick to apologize, his large eyes showing nothing but genuineness. “I am just.. Sad. I am sad. You know why Y/N?”

You still are not looking at him, but he continues, even with constricted throat. He is too desperate. “Because I care about you. Seeing you cry, it’s like seeing myself too. I feel awful whenever I see you cry, I think even worse than my own. And the thought of someone breaking your heart? I don’t want to imagine that.” Taehyung whispers, shifting you to face him, eyes locking with a splash of anguish while your heart pounds fast until you can hear it echoes in your ear. 

“I have opened myself to you more than anyone else, and I’d like to think you do likewise. I am comfortable talking to you, and for you to talk to me as well. And to imagine that you have someone else that you will go to whenever you are happy, or sad, or in need of a mere hug—it’s just… it’s making me feel lonely and sad.” The smile on his lips is now painted with a hint of sadness, eyes looking down to his lap. 

“These few weeks with you.. I feel good. I finally, finally feel good about myself, like I’m not alone again. You make me kind of want to protect myself instead of hurting it. That’s a first.” Taehyung shyly chuckles, scratching his nape. Your eyebrows crinkled. What does he mean by that? He likes you, but only as a friend? Do you even want to find out and voluntarily get hurt?

“I just… Can I be selfish, Y/N? At least until you find someone deserving of all your love and attention?”

Instead of answering, you shut him with softly embracing his lips with your own. It doesn’t even need a mere second for Taehyung to respond, his arms are swift in supporting you by the waist, both your arms are secured around his neck. His lips are warm, fluff, and taste just the way you remember—like honey or great whiskey. The kiss is slow paced, nothing like your previous sexual encounters when both of you are just desperate to reach the ultimate peak, but now? You feel how much he savors every second, trying to make you as comfortable as ever with his gesture. As few seconds go by, his tongue has softly embraces yours, until you are left breathless. You softly tug his hair as he moans to the kiss, drunk with the taste of you.

At that time, you despise thinking. You despise the fact that you feel likewise. Too desperate to have him against you, to hold him close, to feel his lips, and you despise hearing the alarm screaming at the back of your head at how dangerous it is—you simply don’t want to stop. Yes, it is as easy as flipping over a hand to know that against every odd, you like him. You like Taehyung, the renowned fuckboy. And you don’t know when, or why. Maybe that one time he waited for you with no certainty and hugged you when you were having a breakdown. Or that time he listened to your story attentively and gave you an encouraging pat on the back. Or that time he picked you up, held you close, gave you flowers and kindly interacted with your parents. Or maybe all of it. You don’t know.

But then a scary realization enters you. You are just about to do it again—the thing you swear you will avoid with all you might. You settle for less. You are about to settle for Taehyung, this amazing, wonderful man who cares about you more deeply than anyone else, but will never go down that road with you. He doesn’t believe in relationships, he will never settle down and label himself for anyone. And this kiss you are sharing with him? Or the hook-ups you might just be this close of doing? That is literally driving you further inside this anonymous yet strong feeling you have for him. It’s doing you harm, and you desperately need to stop

That’s how you forcefully detach yourself for him, giving a thin, forced smile and mutter your goodbye whilst exiting his car. You quickly run to your house without even once looking back, closing the gate behind you while desperately looking up to avoid the tears from raining down on your cheek.

Yes, at least you tried, and now you know. It’s not Taehyung—it will never be him.

===================

You are correct, there is a second part to this that i’ll hopefully post soon! I really hope you like it, and please leave a message in comment and ask box, it would help a lot! thank you for reading, lovelies~

UPDATED : The Platinum Rules (Finale) : Click Here!

[eddiesfaerie]

okay like... sackler anxiously confessing his feelings for reader (maybe they're besties?). with kiss prompts 1, 2, 22. and from the misc prompts "i see you. i know you feel so invisible all the time, but you're not. not to me." sorry its vague lol feel free to feel it out however you like. (i'm still feeling THINGS for baby sackler today lmao)

omg my baby hello<3 no i love this, thank you so much for sending. i kinda made this super long by accident so i ended it kinda abruptly so sorry if the ending SUCKS. i really hope you like it 🥺

1.6k words: angst, hurt/comfort, season 1 Sackler, shitty friends (1) small kisses littered across the other’s face, (2) a small, fleeting kiss - which is immediately followed by a passionate, hungry kiss, (22) a kiss that is leading to more, but is interrupted by a third party.

Another night of watching your friends go out as you sat on your couch, your phone overheating in your hand, burning your skin. You drop it, flinging it across the couch.

You didn’t even want to go out. You liked your alone time. You craved it, needed it to recharge from being around so many people all the time. You liked your friends, you loved them but…

But they’re different from you. Which is fine. Different is good, different is necessary.

You were upset because it was another night of being ignored, forgotten. No invitation whatsoever to go out with them. It’s not like you would have said yes, you probably would have declined.

It was the absence of the offer, again and again, that stung, that drove that knife deeper into your back. Sometimes you were so sick of them. Sometimes you hated them, sometimes you wish you had different friends. But everyone felt that way sometimes.

Adam was the only one of your friends that was straight edge. When your friends started ignoring you months ago, you called him. You got close really fast, faster than you were expecting but you weren’t complaining. You found comfort in each other, found comfort in the fact that you both sort of resented your friends in similar ways and preferred staying inside on Saturday nights.

He was the only person you allowed yourself to talk shit with, you were not one for talking about people behind their backs but with Adam… with Adam it almost felt like it didn’t count.

So you called him.

Your phone had cooled down, no longer holding those burning images, videos of your friends having the time of their life without you. Fuckers.

You asked if you could come over. He said sure. You locked your door behind you and walked up a flight of stairs, knocking on Adam’s door. You forgot sometimes that he lived right above you. You tried not to think about how you could hear too clearly every time he had a girl over, the way the floor would creak with the added weight on his bed, the stomping of feet, the muffled cries of pleasure. Your heart sank to the depths of your stomach and you cringed as he opened the door.

“Hey, kid.” He knew something was wrong with the way your lip trembled, the way your eyes were rubbed red.

“Hey.” You shoved passed him and into his apartment, plopping yourself down on his floor, in front of his stacks of movies, quickly trying to pick one out before he asked any questions. You were also trying to ignore the way he was shirtless, only wearing those weird jeans, the ones with the fade you hated so much. He was shirtless all the time, you don’t know why tonight it was serving as a distraction, irritating you in different places.

“Wanna watch something?” You asked, willing your voice not to tremble as you spoke. He noticed it anyways. 

“Sure, sure yeah pick anything. I’ll make popcorn.” Adam left you alone in the living room to pick something while you tried to fucking compose yourself. Deep breath after deep breath, quickly wiping your eyes with the back of your hand. No wonder he called you kid, you were being so stupidly childish.

Adam came back into the living room just as you were pushing the CD into the disc player, quickly jumping on his yellow couch, folding in on yourself, hugging your knees to your chest. He silently placed the bowl of popcorn in between the two of you, his eyes glancing at you every now and then, wondering to himself if he should ask or just leave it be. When he could tell you weren’t paying attention to the movie, one that you had already watched together a dozen times, he decided to say something.

“You gonna tell me what’s wrong or are you just waste a perfectly good viewing of our favourite movie, hmm?” Adam ignored the way his heart flipped the fuck out when he said ‘our’. There was really no ‘our’, though. You were just friends, you were just friends, you were just friends.

You hugged your knees tighter to your chest, hiding your face behind them and inhaling deeply, praying the tears away.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about?” Your words were muffled by your legs, it came out completely unintelligible.

“Kid, I can’t fucking hear you.” Adam said, trying not to laugh. He let his hand rest on the back of your neck, letting his thumb glide along the skin, trying to comfort you. He could feel the goosebumps he was leaving behind in his wake. You sighed loudly, throwing your head back against the back of the couch, caging Adam’s hand to your neck. You liked it there. Liked how big it was, how it wrapped all the way around your neck too easily.

“I just… I’m so... ugh.” You were getting frustrated with yourself. 

It felt so dumb to be so upset over something you didn’t even care that much about, and it felt even more dumb trying to explain it to Adam who you knew felt the same way about his friends. His hand squeezed the back of your neck softly, Adam swears he heard a low whimper but he brushed that thought away, that wasn’t important right now, not when he could see more tears filling your eyes.

“Hey, hey I’m here, kid. I’m listening.” You nodded your head, hearing him but tears started falling down your cheeks. So fucking embarrassing, you thought to yourself. Adam whispered your name and you swore it melted you further, so you leaned into him a bit, unfolding your legs and turning to face him better. His breath hitched in his throat at the sudden closeness. You had opened up more than he was expecting you to.

“I just hate them sometimes.” You said quietly, obviously embarrassed. You knew you didn’t have to explain it in depth to him, you knew he knew what you were talking about, who you were talking about. Adam nodded his head, letting his hand run along the expanse of your neck, petting your hair gently. It was so distracting. More tears slipped down your cheeks and Adam, unthinking, let his hand move to brush along your cheek, holding it as his thumb wiped your tears away.

Your skin was warm, burning underneath his palm and he fought with his instincts. He knew he was a shitty person, he knew that he’s done shitty things to a lot of girls. Girls that deserved better. But you… you didn’t even compare, he couldn’t even begin to explain that. He treated you differently, even you knew that. He was nicer to you, sweeter to you. Maybe it was because you guys were such good friends. But Adam knew differently.

“I see you. I know you feel invisible all the time, but you’re not... Not to me.” His voice is so hushed, so soft. You had never heard him speak like that before, never felt him so softly. His voice was warm and fuzzy around you, you could drown in him. You kind of wanted to. You leaned into his touch, absentmindedly pressing your lips to his palm, chaste little kisses, thanking him silently.

Adam hesitated. You saw the way in which he twitched forward towards you. You kissed his palm again, telling him it was okay. He leaned in more, letting his lips brush against your cheek for a few moments before pressing a real kiss to your hot, flustered skin. Your eyes close as you let his lips, those rose petal, plush lips, trail kisses all along your face. He kissed your cheeks, your tears, your eyes, eyebrows, forehead. Everywhere you let him until the only place left untouched was your lips.

Cautiously, he pressed his lips to the corner of your mouth, then the other one, tantalizingly slow. You whimper, you couldn’t have imagined holding it in. His eyes meet yours for a fleeting moment, you give the slightest of nods before his lips press into yours, granting you the softest of kisses.

He pulls away from you, afraid he had over stepped even though you seemed to have nodded for him to continue. He barely meets your eyes again before yours are closing, hands grabbing his neck, pulling him back to your mouth. He groans against your lips, he groans your name and you swear it never sounded so good. You melt into him, letting his hands hold you, grope you wherever he wants. His tongue glides into your mouth, his jaw working on your mouth to consume you, you feel whole with his mouth on you like this. He makes you feel okay.

Adam begins to lean over you, pressing your back lower on the couch but he grabs your leg, dragging you down the couch in one swift movement so he can hover over you. You yelp and giggle at his strength as he manhandles you down the couch, his body laying in between your parted thighs. You feel something growing with arousal, pressing into your harshly as he grinds his hips into yours, his mouth never leaving yours for a moment.

“Adam.” You moan softly into his mouth, hips grinding up into his, your hands exploring the bare expanse of his wide back. He moans when you sink your nails into him. He sits up abruptly, pushing his hair out of his face, his cheeks and chest flushed pink. He looks down at you, your disheveled appearance matching his own. He hooks his fingers in the waistband of your pants, searching your eyes for an answer.

“This okay?” You nod your head quickly, bottom lip pulled tightly between your teeth.

“Yeah-”

The unlocking of the front door sends Adam’s head twisting and your body scrambling to not be sitting in such a compromising position. His roommate walks in, a knowing smirk stretching across his face as he watches the two of you return to normal sitting positions. It sends a chill down your spine, butterflies erupting in your stomach.

“Could’ve just put a sock on the door, Sackler.” Adam rolls his eyes, not saying anything to his roommate as he walks through the living room, into the kitchen and then into his room, shutting the door behind him loudly.

A/N i wanna write more for sackler so badly hngngnng

[dirty-urie]

Date Night

Third Person

Brendon x Sara (OC kinda)

College AU

PWP Oneshot

NC-17

5.4k Words

Disclaimer: This is a fictional story using the names and/or likeness of at least one real person. This is intended for entertainment purposes ONLY. Please do not share or bring up my work with anyone other than fellow fans. Any similarity to real-life events involving these characters that have not been shared with the general public is only coincidence. Just because I’ve included something in my fics does NOT mean I condone, support, or encourage that behavior, language, or action in real life. Please practice safe and consensual sex practices, and just be a good person.

Warnings in Order of Appearance: Real Person Fic, Crude and Vulgar Language Throughout, Mentions of Alcohol, Brief Joke About Forgoing Contraception, Talk and Consumption of Pornography, Unprotected Oral Sex, Female Receiving Oral, Intercourse, Male Receiving Oral, Female Masturbation, Use of a Non-Sex Toy as a Sex Toy, Minor Social Anxiety

Author's Notes:

1. I spelled Sarah's name wrong on purpose because I felt bad writing porn about her. Brendon's technically permitted to write about him, so I'll do that without guilt (okay, with some guilt, but I feel guilty about everything. I have anxiety), but I respect Sarah too much to do that to her. That being said, I didn't want to use a random name, so I decided on a middle ground. Here's Sara, who is both not a real person and also not not married to Brendon Urie in real life. Schrodinger's OC. Okay, thank you for putting up with me.

2. I don’t know if I’m going to write any more third-person fics. I know they’re not really that popular, but for some reason, this spoke to me in third, so I embraced that. Anyway, give it a chance, and if you don’t like it, give whatever I publish next a chance.

3. This used to be split into two parts because I uploaded it on mobile, but I have since condensed the two parts, and now the whole thing is on this post.

Brendon fumbles with his keys as he unlocks the door to his apartment. Sara won't be there for another little while, but he's anxious to get inside anyway. His roommate is away visiting his family for the first time in nearly two months, and he hasn’t gotten any real alone time with his girlfriend since then. It’s hard, and Brendon knows Sara’s been struggling too because she spent their whole coffee shop study-date the day before whispering to him about how she's been practically crawling out of her skin. Brendon shivers at the memory of her hot breath against his ear as he slams his front door shut and hurries to his bedroom.

He's thinking about all the nasty ways he wants to get back at her for getting him so worked up in public when, speak of the devil, his phone buzzes, and Sara's name pops up in the caller ID. Actually, "Brunette from Creative Writing" pops up, but he swears he'll change it one day. Sara jokes that they'll be married with a whole flock of adult children, and she'll be calling him from the bingo hall as "Brunette from Creative Writing." God, he fucking loves her.

"Hey, babe, I just got home," he says after he hits the answer button.

"Okay, I just got out of my lecture, but I'm stopping by my dorm to grab my duffel bag, then I'm going to the drugstore to get condoms that aren't the shitty university clinic ones, so I won't be there for almost another hour," she tells him.

"Noooo, just come straight here. You can just wear my clothes all weekend. And condoms are so unnecessary; I'll just pull out," Brendon whines.

Sara laughs into the phone, knowing he doesn't mean any of that. "Oh sure, in that case, I'll come right over. Did you want to pay me $400,000 to raise a child in cash or check?"

"Uh, check, but you're gonna have to wait a bit to cash it," he replies.

He can practically see her rolling her eyes, even through the phone, "I'll be there in an hour, but I'll bring you something fun from the drugstore," she says.

"Fun like sex fun or fun like gum from the checkout stand fun?"

"You'll just have to wait and see, love you, bye!" she tells him through the phone before hanging up.

"Love you too, babe," he says sarcastically to no one. He walks into his bedroom and makes sure it's spotless. He doesn't want anything whatsoever to get in the way of fun, sexy times once Sara gets here.

His apartment is clean; he has wine and groceries in the fridge, enough money saved up to rent a movie and order dinner later, and no homework, so once Sara shows up with the condoms, he’ll be good to spend the entire weekend at home with her. With nothing else to do, he climbs onto his bed and grabs his laptop. No harm in a little pre-gaming, he figures, pulling up his favorite porn website while he waits.

He clicks on the first video without too much thought. It’s a girl, one Brendon recognizes, wearing a tiny thong and nothing else, and playing with a small bullet vibe while her boyfriend watches. She’s wet, probably just with lube and not actual bodily fluid, he realizes, but at least they bothered to make her look physically aroused at all.

He gets invested in the video, in the new toys that the boyfriend hands her, in the way both of their arousal grows as time goes on. He gets so engrossed that he’s beyond startled when Sara interrupts with, “Starting without me?” eyeing the erection already straining through his jeans.

Brendon laughs with glee now that she’s finally here, “No, no, no, just passing the time while I wait for you. No touching yet, see," he says, holding up his hands and waving them around before pausing his video.

"Well, don't stop on my account," Sara scoffs. "I don't mind you starting without me as long as I'm there when you finish," she murmurs.

They both moan, Brendon in response to her words, Sara in response seeing Brendon's cock twitch in his pants, “Ah fuck, babe, that’ll be sooner than I’d like if you keep talking like that.”

Sara climbs in next to him and snuggles against him so that she can see his computer screen, “Ooo, she’s hot,” she says, pointing to the girl now getting eaten out by the guy who, coincidentally enough, doesn’t look dissimilar to B.

“Yeah, I like a lot of her work,” Brendon says back, disinterested in the video playing on the laptop now that Sara’s actually there in the flesh “hey, you should take your pants off,” he suggests, totally smooth and subtly.

“You’re such a guy, B. No ‘how was your day? Are you hungry? Can I get you something to drink?” she teases.

Under normal circumstances, Brendon would object to such slander on his impeccable moral character. But, well, there’s not a lot of blood in his brain right now, and he knows that she would just respond with more teasing, further delaying the Fun Sexy Times, so he rolls to his side and kisses behind her ear, pressing his cock against her leg in an attempt to tease her into pliability. It works; she melts, whimpering a little bit as heat pools deep in her stomach when she feels just how turned on Brendon is. “You feel so nice, B. Bet you’d feel nicer without this layer of denim between us. Can you help me?”

Brendon unbuttons her pants and moves down to slide them off her body, moving his mouth along the newly revealed skin as he works them off. He’s paying so much attention to the warm flush of her thighs that he almost misses her panties: dark red lace, even darker where she’s soaked through them, and so delicate that they’re nearly see-through.

“Oh fuck, babe, that’s gorgeous. Are you wearing a matching bra?” he asks.

She answers by sitting up and pulling off her t-shirt, revealing the same thin lace. Her nipples are hard, practically poking through the delicate material.

Brendon settles back on his heels to fully take his girlfriend in, now stripped down to just her matching bra and panties set.

Sarah grins down at him, “Why do I get the sense that I can expect this set in every color for my birthday? Although, I know for a fact that I can get the same reaction from you wearing full-coverage high-waisted granny panties,” she thinks aloud after seeing Brendon’s wide-eyed awe.

Brendon isn’t paying attention, though. His mindset shifted from the fun and playful sex they usually have to lust-fueled passion as soon as Sara took her shirt off. Don’t get him wrong, they have great sex, but they normally have to do it fast and quietly and spontaneously, so they’ve gotten good at not taking themselves too seriously, at laughing at Brendon’s old superhero boxers, and then getting to business. Now that he has the chance to really take his time to appreciate, no, worship her as she deserves, he wants to do it right.

He moves off his heels and crawls over her body, supporting himself with one muscled arm as he moves in to kiss her. She picks up on the change in mood immediately, grasping the back of his head to deepen the kiss. He’s throbbing against her thigh now, even through his jeans, and she’s worried that she might come just from feeling him.

She, too, loves their normal sex, but even though it’s fun, it can’t always be as intimate as either of them would like. And it’s a shame too because as good at Brendon is at fucking, banging, screwing, whatever, he’s damn good at making love. At making sure she’s safe and supported and in absolute bliss, even when they’re hooking up in someone’s bedroom at a party, but especially like this when they’ve got hours and total privacy.

When her moans increase in pitch and frequency, Brendon crawls back down on the bed and settles between her thighs. “Darling, these panties are a gift to humanity, but I’m afraid they’re going to get in the way of some things I have planned. You don’t mind if I take them off, do you?” he says, voice deep and gravelly. He mouths against the soaked fabric while he waits for her response.

After taking a moment to collect herself and catch her breath, “God, Brendon, please, I need your mouth, fingers, cock, something,” she whines.

Now that he has her permission, he moves his mouth from her core to the waistband against her hip and bites it, just letting his teeth scrape her skin as he pulls down. Whether intentionally or not, Sara arches her back up, making it easy to slide them all the way down her legs. He kisses her way back up her legs, but instead of stopping between her thighs, he keeps going up. He licks up across the flat planes of her stomach all the way until he reaches her bra. Just like with her panties, he mouths over the fabric first, inching up slowly before sucking on one of her nipples through the lace.

As much as he loves how her breathing gets faster and heavier just from that, he can’t resist the actual mouth-on-skin that the low cut of the bra allows. He sucks a pink mark on each breast and then moves to lick and suckle gently on her neck. They’ve both agreed that they’re not middle schoolers and visible hickeys are beyond tacky, but they both go so wild from neck stimulation that it can be hard to resist spending a few minutes sucking a licking at the rapidly-beating pulse points.

As much as Brendon wants to keep teasing, Sara’s squirming like crazy, and he’s worried that if he kept going in the same way, she’d come before he got to touch her for real. He finally settles between her thighs for real this time, kissing and sucking gently on her vulva for just a second or two. Sara is quivering by the time he moves down to suck on her clit. As soon as he finally makes contact with the sensitive hood, she screams out in ecstasy, taking full advantage of Brendon’s roommate’s absence. He sucks around her clit just like her nipple, a few short staccato bursts followed by long, drawn-out pulls. He moves his tongue gently the whole time to stimulate her further.

Both of her hands are tangled in his hair, tugging hard when he moves from sucking on her clit to licking across her entrance. He licks across the opening in broad strokes before his tongue enters her, rubbing her clit with his thumb the whole time. He waits until her thighs are clenched tight around his head, and she’s bucking up against his mouth before he slips two fingers inside to rub over her g-spot.

“B, stop, I’m gonna fucking come!” She shrieks.

He lifts his head without slowing his fingers, “You don’t wanna come?”

“Want you to be inside me when I do. Inside me for real, not just fingers,” Sara pants, trying hard to distract herself from her building arousal.

As much as Brendon’s disappointed that Sara won’t come on his face, after all, he’s been hard for over an hour now, and he would love to get out of his restrictive jeans and get a little more stimulation than rubbing himself against the bed.

He crawls out of bed and peels his shirt off. Now it’s Sarah’s turn to marvel at her lover. His cheeks and chest are flushed a deep pink from the exertion and arousal, his face is shiny with spit and her juices, and his cock is tenting the material of his pants.

Sara strokes over herself lazily, it’s not nearly as good as Brendon, but it’s something to take the edge off while she watches Brendon unbuckle his belt to strip his pants off. He’s moving slowly on purpose. He always did love to put on a show.

Once he’s down to his black boxer-briefs, he asks Sara where she put the condoms when she came in.

“B, I love that you’re so distracted by me, but the bag is right next to you on the nightstand,” she answers.

“Hey, I’m not wearing my glasses. That’s not fair,” Brendon replies softly. He turns and opens the plastic bag with the drugstore logo on the front. Sara laughs when his eyes visibly widen. “Should I be scared?” He asks, holding up a large vibrating dildo.

Sara laughs. “No, love, I just wanted to get some toys I could leave at your place,” she answers as he pulls out a bullet vibe, two different types of lube, a cock ring, massage oils, whipped cream, a multi-pack of condoms, and yes, gum from the checkout stand.

“...I may have gotten a little carried away in the sexual wellness aisle,” she admits.

Brendon’s eyes are still the size of saucers, “God, no kidding, babe, this is all incredible,” he says, stripping off his boxers and opening the box of condoms to tear a packet open with his teeth. It’s a bad habit, and usually, Sara would scold him, but she’s so worked up that she spreads her legs in anticipation anyway. Her mouth goes dry while he strokes himself with lube before he rolls the condom on.

He finally, finally, finally settles over her. “Is this position okay?” he asks.

“It’s perfect, baby; I love getting to see your face when you push into me,” she answers, whining as he drags his cock across her opening.

That’s good enough for Brendon. He rocks forward into her slowly, partly because he’s a tease but partly because he wants this to last as long as possible. After pushing in deep to rub back and forth across her g-spot, he starts thrusting in earnest, relishing her moans and pants.

“Oh B, you feel so good,” she cries out.

“You feel even better, love. Squeezing so nicely around me. So tight and wet,” he says.

Sara scratches down his back in sheer bliss. Brendon’s rhythm is steady, but he’s moving just slowly enough that they can both relish every thrust without feeling overly needy or impatient. She pushes her thighs together to feel him even better inside her.

His thrusts falter for a second, and he chokes out a gasp. “Love you, love feeling you,” he groans, “but it’s been nearly a month since we last had sex, babygirl. If you keep that up, I am going to come.”

She relaxes her thighs just a little bit. “God, I love how sensitive you are right now, babe, responding to my every touch so much. I love you collected and composed too, but it’s such a treat having you so weak for me,” she marvels, stroking the back of his neck.

A shiver goes down his whole spine, and he devotes all of his energy to not coming. “I haven’t touched myself since we last had sex,” he admits, “I figured if my sweet girl couldn’t get off, I couldn’t either. It’s been such a challenge, but fuck, it was worth it. I’m so on edge for you.”

She tightens around him, moving her hand to touch her clit. “Shit, Brendon, that’s so fucking hot. I’m just thinking about you late at night, hard and aching thinking about me, but controlling yourself so it could be all the better when we finally reunited. Did you ever cheat? Did you ever jack yourself but force yourself to pull away right before you came to roll over and go to sleep? God, I bet you had so many dirty dreams. Bet you woke up humping a pillow because your body needed to get off so bad. Bet you’d struggle to hide your hard-on in public when your mind wandered even just a little. Such a dirty needy boy, but so so good for me, aren’t you?” she pants out, squeezing tighter as she talks.

He laughs, “You know me so well, sweetheart, all of the above is true. My roommate was thrilled to have all the hot water for himself this month because… I took a lot of cold showers. I’ll leave it at that. Now, if you don’t mind, I believe you’ve taken my job,” he says, replacing her hand on her clit with his own.

Sara falls back and goes rigid, crying out. He circles his thumb faster as the pace of his thrusts picks up. “I’m gonna come!” She shouts.

“Do it, come on me,” Brendon whispers.

Sara contracts around him, shrieking and convulsing as she comes on him before melting back onto the bed.

Brendon leans down to nip at her shoulder and then kiss her lips. “Good, baby?”

She nods, eyes closed and still panting hard.

“I’ll give you a second,” he murmurs, mostly to himself before pulling out and collapsing down next to her. He strokes over himself while he waits for her to come back down to earth, still rock hard.

“Shit, B, you still haven’t come,” she finally realizes, “do you want me to blow you?”

His cock twitches at the thought.

“Or I could ride you? Let you watch my tits bounce as I fuck you?” She suggests.

“That one wanna be back in that perfect cunt.”

Sara moves to straddle him, rubbing her clit against his tummy and kissing him before moving back to settle on him for real. She lets him thrust up into her a couple of times before moving herself, relishing the way his muscles tense under his flushed skin.

Brendon loves being ridden. He wouldn’t say it’s his favorite position, but it’s up there. It’s even better when Sara takes her bra off, as pretty as it is, and he gets to see her entire naked body. She gets herself at the perfect angle and rides him as hard as she can.

“I’m really not going to last long,” he warns.

Sara tangles her hands back in his hair just like he loves. She’s pulling out all the stops to get him to come. “God, B, me neither, I didn’t think I had it in me, but I’m right back on the edge. Just rub my clit, and I’ll come.”

He moves his hands from her ass to touch her clit.

She shudders, “B, I’m gonna come!”

“Me too,” he grunts out, “do you want me to pull out?”

“No, wanna feel your hot come inside me, even with the condom,” she answers before coming again. Even harder this time as waves of pleasure roll through her entire body.

The rapid contractions around his cock trigger his own orgasm, and his entire head goes blank as he gets lost in the sensation. Sara collapses and situates herself in his arms just as they’re both starting to come down.

He moves, but she stops him. “Honey, I’ve gotta,” he starts, but she whines and shakes her head, knowing exactly where he’s going, “I’ve gotta pull out so we can clean up and eat dinner. Round two after Italian?”

She finally nods but wraps her legs tighter against him anyway, “just two more minutes. Then we can go be romantic.”

***

“Sara, sweetheart, food’s almost here,” he whispers thirty minutes later. He’s wearing pajama pants with no shirt, and his torso’s still wet from the shower he took to rinse off. “Do you wanna go get yourself cleaned up while I set up the coffee table to eat?” He asks.

Sara shakes her head, “I get clingy and needy after sex-”

Brendon cracks a grin because he knows this, of course.

“So you’re stuck with me for the next couple of hours,” she finishes.

“Mm, that’s fine with me, babe. I just want you to be comfortable,” he responds, kissing her forehead.

She moves up into the kiss and realizes that a shower might be nice after all, “Actually, I am a little sticky. Come into the bathroom with me?”

“Anything you want, love,” he says, scooping her up and carrying her to the shower.

He turns the water on for her and then goes to sit on the counter while she rubs off the sweat under the spray. “B?” She calls.

“Yeah?”

“I know it’s nothing fancy, but when you rubbed my clit in little circles, I nearly died on the spot. Normally when I’m alone, I just stroke back and forth, but god, it felt so good to feel something new,” she says. Brendon doesn’t respond immediately. “B?” She calls back timidly, shy now. “B?”

She’s getting worried that he left without her hearing, so she pulls back the shower curtain and has to choke back a moan. Brendon’s still sitting on the counter, his head tipped back on the mirror, palming over himself through his PJ pants.

“God, Sara, sorry, I just love hearing how I make you feel, and I couldn’t help it,” he tells her.

Sara shuts the water off and walks across the bathroom to Brendon, paying no mind to how she’s dripping all over the tile. She yanks him up to his feet and drops to her knees on the padded bathmat in front of the sink. She pulls his pants down just enough- no underwear, she observes without surprise- and takes him in her mouth, getting him slick enough that she can stroke him to total hardness with her hand. Once he’s fully hard, she takes him back in her mouth and sucks hard, making his knees tremble. She bobs her head up and down, stroking him with her hand when she doesn’t have his whole length in her mouth.

He’s bracing himself against the counter to stay upright and not buck into her mouth. She moves down to just stimulate the tip while quickly stroking over the rest of him.

“Can you come for me? Food is going to be here any minute,” she says, looking up at him with big eyes.

“You playing with yourself down there, baby? Getting all wet from sucking me off?” He asks, the dirty talk getting him closer to the edge.

“Oh, you know it, gets me so hot, making you feel good. I wish I had one of my new toys, though,” she pouts before licking his dick again.

Brendon gropes behind himself blindly, trying to find… well. It’s not a vibrator, but it does, well, vibrate, he thinks, hitting the button on his electric toothbrush. He hands it to Sara, who puts it between her legs without hesitation, pressing it against her clit.

She goes weak, moaning a buzzy hum over his cock while she sucks. She knows he’s close by the way his balls are drawing into his body, so she goes ahead and lets herself go. Tightening the pressure around his cock.

“Shit, babe, I’m gonna come,” he warns, hips bucking. “Can I come in your mouth or…?”

She holds up a thumbs up, and he comes, most of it staying in her mouth, but some ends up dripping down her chin. She swallows, and Brendon hands her a wad of toilet paper to wipe off the rest with.

He tucks himself back into his pants and then helps her back to her feet.

“Can I have my toothbrush back, love?” He requests softly.

Sara blushes and takes the still-vibrating toothbrush out from between her legs, “Sorry, I forgot I still had that.”

“No worries,” he responds with a soft chuckle, kissing her forehead. He takes the toothbrush and turns it off before rinsing it off under the sink. “Gosh, you did a number on this thing. It’s soaked,” he marvels, “My perfect messy girl.”

Just then, there’s a knock at the door. “Perfect timing, must be the food. I’ll deal with that while you get dressed?” He suggests, and she nods, still a little dazed from the orgasm. Well, orgasms, plural.

She goes back to his room, where she stashed her bag and rummages through it for her pink silk slip nightgown. It’s super simple, just spaghetti straps with a straight-across neckline and then deep pink fabric straight down to just below her ass, but Brendon loves it. She suspects it’s just because she can’t move very much without flashing her butt, but he insists that the slip itself is gorgeous.

As she’s getting dressed, she hears the door open and Brendon apologizing for his relative state of undress, saying he just got out of the shower. Brendon’s naked more often than he’s clothed, so Sara just shrugs it off until she hears a giggle and flirting coming from the delivery girl.

Brendon stammers out that he has a girlfriend, but he’s flattered, but that doesn’t seem to be deterring the delivery girl, who makes an extra point to linger her hand on Brendon’s as she hands him the food. Sara strides out of his bedroom, “Hey, B, have you seen my panties? I can’t find them in your bed or your bathroom or the kitchen or the sofa, so I wonder if I left them in your pocket during our multiple rounds of lovemaking,” She calls before pretending to spot him and the girl for the first time by the door. She scootches in next to him and kisses him on the cheek, plastering a sickly-sweet smile on her face. “My apologies, didn’t know you had a guest,” she lies, shooting death beams at the delivery girl whose hand is on Brendon’s bicep. The girl retracts her hand, and Sara grabs a twenty-dollar bill from her wallet on the doorside table to tip her. Sara knows Brendon would’ve already tipped her on the website, but this more of a ‘please don’t touch my boyfriend without his consent tip’ than a ‘thank you for your work tip.’ “Have a nice day, ma’am,” Sara tells her, shutting the door.

Brendon smirks, but there’s a weariness behind it, “Way to save the day, baby. Getting possessive?”

“No, I love it when others check you out. Just validates how hot I am for you. You just sounded like you do when you get overwhelmed at the grocery store, and I figured you were feeling a little claustrophobic,” she explains.

Brendon nods. “I don’t mind a flirt, but she was getting way too handsy. And even then, it wouldn’t have been the end of the world; I just felt a little vulnerable being shirtless and all. She probably just wanted a big tip. I bet that works for her a lot. And y’know, I probably shouldn’t have been shirtless at all. If I was in a restaurant, they’d have every right to kick me out, so really, I’m lucky she didn’t blacklist my address,” he rambles, turning to get plates and silverware from the kitchen.

Sara touches his shoulder and grabs the bags of food from him. “Hey, B, you don’t need to justify your feelings, okay? I get it; she was in your space. Both your personal space by touching you and your physical area by being near your home. But it’s sweet of you to give her the benefit of the doubt. You’re probably right, I would guess that works with nine out of ten guys; she was cute. And hey, I gave her a nice tip to get her to go away, so it worked on us too.”

“And you got to brag to a stranger about our hot sex life, so it really did all work out in the end,” Brendon half-jokes, and she’s happy to observe that any panic seems to have left his body.

“Mhm, my favorite hobby. Maybe we should order dessert, and I can change into something even more slutty. This shows my ass so nicely, but my chest is totally covered,” she suggests, and he cracks a real smile for her. “Seriously though, you’re totally good?”

“Yes, ma’am, everything’s perfect,” he responds, and he’s telling the truth.

“Good, let me set up dinner then. You go relax on the sofa,” she orders.

Brendon goes to sit on the couch, knowing better than to deny a direct request. Sara plates the food and brings it to the now dim living room, where Brendon’s lit three candles in the center of the table.

“Awww, how romantic,” she praises, settling against Brendon with their food.

“I had more romance planned, I promise, I just weighed my options, and I cared more about snuggling with my girl than trying to overdo it on decorating the living room,” Brendon responds. “I do still have wine in the fridge if you want that?”

She twists around to kiss him. “The romance level is perfect. Consider me totally romanced. I think I’ll wait on the wine until later if that’s okay? It’ll make me sleepy, and I’m still interested in a round two,” she says, resting her hand against Brendon’s thigh.

“Whatever you want is fine with me, love,” he says, sighing contentedly.

***

“You’re falling asleep, babygirl.”

“Am not.”

“Your eyes are closed.”

“Your eyes are closed.”

Brendon smiles, “Do you wanna keep watching the movie, or do you wanna go to bed? If you’re sleepy, that’s fine, but we’ve gotta move to the bedroom then,” he murmurs.

Sara moves off the couch and stretches, turning on the light. “I’m not even tired; I took a nap earlier. It’s just the dim lighting and carb surplus. C’mon, let’s keep watching, it’s only 10 and we’re not even to the, ‘paint me like one of your French girls’ scene.”

“Okay, if you insist, then we’ll soldier on. I’ll get dessert,” he agrees, getting up to head to the kitchen.

“Ooo what’s for dessert?” she asks.

“Cannoli and coffee,” he responds.

Sara moans playfully. “God, Brendon, I’m so turned on right now.”

Brendon rolls his eyes. “I’ll try not to take offense that you’re more attracted to sweets than me.”

Sara wraps her arms around his waist from behind him. “I’d choose you over cannoli any day. Someone could offer me a thousand cannoli and I’d scoff in their face and then go kiss all over you. I love you, babe. Thank you for a great date night,” she says before spinning him around to kiss him.

“I love you too,” Brendon whispers against her lips. “Tonight was wonderful, and I owe it all to you.”