#polyam winter | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

husbandograveyard · 1 year ago

Text

This is my contribution to a secret santa discord server event. This fic is warm and fluffy and I LOVED writing it, I love these characters SO much. I hope you like it too!

Warnings/notes/tags are: polyamory, unspecified AU where Geto is not evil, unspecified whether this is a non-cursed world or a jujutsu AU where we just ignore the presence of curses. Loads and loads and loads of fluff.

2nd person. Reader is genderneutral, no pronouns are used.

Spending the winter holidays with Geto and Gojo is…

…finding time in your busy schedules so the three of you can enjoy a winter market.

Strolling along the little stalls, taking in the views and the smells. It’s winter, and it has been dark for a while, but all the twinkling lights decorating the stalls reflecting into the white snow -both real and fake- make up for all that darkness. The smells are a little overwhelming at first, all kinds of stalls lined up flooding your senses with strong, sweet odors, heavy spices and the warmth of grilled meats… it’s a lot, combined with the sights and the jolly music playing from the speakers spread around the market, you can’t help but feel a little overwhelmed.

It doesn’t help that Satoru is immediately overly enthusiastic, ready to spend money on souvenirs and gifts for all the students and everyone else he knows, and pointing out all the stalls he’d like to try the food at. He’d run off without you two if it weren’t for Suguru’s quick reflexes, grabbing onto the hood of his jacket and janking him back. Suguru’s holding your hand firmly in his, grounding you from all the things overwhelming your senses.

You stroll past the stalls, for some reason holding a whole bunch of bags from Satoru, who just can’t seem to stop getting stuff. At every stall there is something that reminds him of one of his studens, his friends or either of you, and he just has to get it.

You leave the market filled with all kinds of foods and drinks, Suguru suggesting a little break amongst the food stalls, and Gojo getting a little bit of everything to sample, completely filling the little table you are standing at with various containers and plates, one smelling and looking more delicious than the other. You have to fight a little to ensure you get to sample some of the sweet desserts, and all three of you end up with smears on your faces from various sauces- feeding each other is romantic only when you don’t joke around and miss mouths on purpose (and of course you had to have revenge).

… snuggling up on the couch, shivering and sniffling, full of regret but still shaking from laughter, after Suguru sneakily started a snowball fight on your way home.

You had felt the cold snow collide with the back of your head and turned around immediately, throwing an accusatory glare at Satoru, who immediately put his hands up in defense.

“I swear y/n- It wasn’t me I-…”

His pleas immediately interrupted by yet another snowball, this one narrowly missing the tip of his nose, the both of you whipping your heads around to see Suguru standing with his hands hidden behind his back, giving you both his most innocent smile before grinning and throwing two more snowballs at the both of you simultaneously, a remarkable display of his aim and strength. Though this time you saw them coming and both you and Satoru managed to duck away in time, already grabbing handfuls of snow for your counter-offense.

The two-against-one-match quickly turned into an all-out battle where each of you had to fend for themselves, because you slipped and nearly fell, throwing one of your snowballs to Satoru, who had promptly declared you his enemy as well.

You spent almost two hours laughing, running around, hiding from snowballs and each other, you felt like kids again. As if there was not a single care in the world. You continued until your stomach hurt from laughing, your fingers ached from the cold, and you could barely feel your face anymore.

The minute your little snowball fight was over, you realized just how much snow had melted and had managed to get through to your clothes, despite your gloves, scarf and jacket protecting you from most of the cold.

You went back inside, changing into warm clothes, fluffy socks and cuddling up on the couch. You put on a silly movie for some background noise and entertainment, Suguru retrieved the blankets and Satoru prepped hot cocoa, overflowing your mugs with way too many mini marshmallows, offering to ‘help’ either one of you if you thought there were too many for you to eat- how kind of him.

You sat in between the two men, knees pulled up and neatly tucked under the blanket. You barely registered the movie you put on, too busy getting warmed up and enjoying the serenity and pure happiness you felt in that moment.

…making all kinds of plans, only to spend most of the holiday resting and chilling.

There were things that had to be done: some household chores as well as work, and there were some things that you wanted to do for fun. Going to visit a new shopping center nearby, explore some city sights you hadn’t had the chance to. You wanted to go out on some dates, go for long walks enjoying the winter landscapes, relax, not worry and stress too much. There was work to be done, but work would always be there, and opportunities to relax and do fun things were scarce, especially in periods where the three of you were available.

Suguru is a go with the flow kind of person, so he’s happy to tag along to whatever plans you make. Satoru however, is like a kid in a candy store when there is suddenly a lot of free time on your hands, and he is on the couch with his laptop in no time, ready to order tickets to anything you wanna visit, booking trips, and talking about so many plans you wonder out loud where he thinks he’s going to find the time to do all that.

The fact that you finally can relax makes all the plans seem exciting though, and initially you are 100% behind Satoru, adding on suggestions, sending him links and scrolling on your phone, doing additional research for a lot of the places and activities he suggests. You do listen to Suguru who suggests only really booking things when you’re sure you can go do it, when timing, planning, transport, other plans and your energy levels are all aligned and allow you to do the activity.

He turns out to be the voice of reason, cause all three of you have such a hard time getting up in the morning, finally getting to sleep in (and it’s quite hard getting up when you’re in someone else's arms, comfortable and warm).

Chores -unless really necessary- get postponed, plans get cancelled. Instead you stay in, watching silly movies, and finally catching up on the latest series you really wanted to watch. You go on walks together, exploring your own neighborhood and stopping at restaurants you haven’t had the chance to try out yet. You focus all your time and effort on quality time and enjoying the time all three of you have together. And you very quickly realize that truly, you do not need to have big and exciting plans to make the most of your winter break.

… sharing a bed, because it is ‘cold’ outside.

You leave your windows open at night, because it’s healthier, and you don’t like feeling all stuffy in the morning. There is a certain charm about entering a cold room and snuggling underneath the warm blankets, warming up as you fall asleep, and waking up in your own little warm cocoon. Especially if you have no further responsibilities that day, your blankets keeping you trapped in bed on a cold winter day, sleeping in.

It is a little less exciting though when the temperatures drop abruptly, and the room is not nice and chilly, but actually is freezing when you go in. You are shivering when you get changed, and your blankets just don’t feel right. Your feet might as well be blocks of ice in your warm, fuzzy, socks.

It only takes a few minutes of tossing and turning before you decide you need to get a better source of heat in your bed. Or a bed, doesn’t necessarily matter which one.

So you wrap yourself in a blanket, carefully closing the door behind you, and shuffle your way through the dark hallway, only to find Satoru -your current target- standing in the hallway, mirroring yourself with his blanket wrapped around you as well.

“It’s too cold in my room”, is the only thing you can blurt out as an explanation, feeling the overwhelming need to explain, even though that’s not necessary. He just nods in acknowledgement, and you need no further words between the two of you to know what the next step is.

Suguru is already peacefully asleep in a room that’s colder than the rest of the house, but not freezing temperature. Leave it to him to actually properly figure out when to open and close the windows in his room to reach maximum oxygen and the best possible temperature to still be able to snuggle underneath the blankets without risking to freeze overnight.

Suguru is a quiet sleeper, almost too silent, and you worry you might have woken him up by opening his door. But you didn’t; he merely stirs in his sleep, lips parting in a quiet sigh, hand moving up a little to lay on top of the raven hair that’s splayed upon his pillow.

You are both as quiet as possible when you enter, Suguru only waking up when you both slip into the bed to either side of him, piling your blankets on top of him and snuggling close. There is a brief moment of surprise, followed by a very sleepy nod of acknowledgement. All three of you take a little time to adjust to three people in the bed, and it’s not entirely sure whose limbs are entangling with who, but it doesn’t matter as you can already feel your body relaxing the second you find a comfortable position.

Your eyelids grow heavy while you hear Suguru and Satoru quietly converse in the background. You squeeze an arm that is around you, a quiet way of saying goodnight.

…feeling warm, no matter the temperature. Because you are safe. You are loved.

#jjk #jujutsu kaisen #geto x reader #gojo x reader #geto x gojo x reader #satosugu #satoru x reader #suguru x reader #polyam #winter fic #holiday fic #reader insert #second person #GN reader #secret santa #fluff #humor #cosy #jjk reader insert

88 notes · View notes

dawn-iscozy · 3 days ago

Text

“ like a cat in a sunny spot ” ♡ vii ♡

SERIES PLAYLIST: “ swim ” - chase atlantic ♡ “ honey (are u coming?) ” - maneskin ♡ “ the summoning ” - sleep token ♡ “ soft spot ” - keshi ♡ “ bubbly ” - colbie caillat ♡ “ kiss me ” - ed sheeran ♡ “ cotton candy ” - yungblud ♡

SERIES WARNINGS: poly, eventual ot8, named oc - “Rora”, derived from “Aurora” (soooooo original, I know), who is basically a self-insert (i’m still on the brink of denial about it). loooots of nicknames/pet names, and even more as the fic progresses (if you read the “a little warmth in winter” you’ll know most of the names already 🤭). things move pretty quickly in this, and it may stray vaguely into soulmate au territory but, like, I’m a sucker for these men and for the way I’ve written them and I just can’t stop.

apologies in advance if the timeline doesn’t make any sense, I’m going purely on vibes and my affection for these 8 men. idk if it deserves a warning, but scents are mentioned a lot in some parts and kinda littered through the rest of the fic (using scent profiles from a perfume/fragrance site that has a line of scents called “Smells Like a Hug From Ateez” and very limited knowledge of fragrances the members may have previously used/just the vibes they give off)

WORD COUNT: 6.1k

ADDITIONAL WARNINGS: food, woo in the kitchen (yes, this needs a warning), hongjoong thighs, hongjoong eyebrow slit, woo is unbearably horny 24/7 apparently, and joong knows a few ways to control him, kinda mxm but not really?? (joong kinda degrades woo and woo likes it, but we been knew), tears-ish, spicy-ish pictures, lots of affection, alcohol consumption (just barely), big group discussion, polyam relationship discussion/negotiation, safe word discussion (it’s very to the point and unrealistic, probably, but i have no experience with anything like this and it’s fiction soooooo)

TAG LIST: @kaleigh-2002 (if anyone else wants to be added, drop a comment or a message and i'll gladly add you!)

♡ 18+ - no smut, but still MDNI ♡

vii: cooking something up

Wooyoung didn’t give her time to be nervous, shoving a few bags into her hands and ushering her inside the building. Nobody was even there, yet. Not even the ones who inhabited the apartment were there, the lights off and the atmosphere entirely too quiet. Hongjoong flipped on the lights as they all walked inside, and she toed off her shoes, looking around at the apartment that she hadn’t even realized she missed. And it was so weird that she missed being there. Right? She had only been there one other time. Granted, it was basically for a whole weekend, but she shouldn’t have held any form of emotional connection with the place. Yet, as soon as she walked through the door, she was flooded with comfort.

Rora wasn’t sure how to make sense of it, but she decided not to question it any further. Instead, basking in the feeling, allowing herself to enjoy it as she walked further into the apartment on socked feet. The bags in her hands rustled, a reminder that she was in the middle of something, and she turned to stare at Hongjoong and Wooyoung as they slipped out of their respective shoes.

There was a grin plastered on Wooyoung’s face, one so bright she couldn’t help but mirror it. “I thought someone would be here, at least,” she said, following behind Woo as he walked past her to the kitchen. “But I’m kinda glad everyone is gone.”

“Are you nervous, sweetheart?” Wooyoung asked, setting the bags in his hands on the counter and then doing the same with her own. A body pressed in beside her, more bags rustling as a hand with black painted nails reached around her to set them beside the others. Warmth flooded the side of her face, Hongjoong’s breath brushing passed her ear before he stepped back.

She tried to ignore it, tried to ignore the thrumming of her heart in her chest at the move. “Yeah,” she admitted.

“I don’t think you have anything to worry about,” Hongjoong piped up.

“Correct,” Wooyoung said, busying himself with getting everything out of the bags. He looked up at her, pretty eyes locking with hers, wide and sincere. “There really is nothing to worry about. But I can understand why you might be feeling anxious. It’s going to be a big talk, you’re meeting lots of new people, and it's only been a short amount of time. It’s a lot of change.”

Hongjoong snorted, and she felt him lean against the counter behind her, his arm brushing against her back just enough to send a jolt up her spine. “You sound like Seonghwa,” he murmured. He shifted behind her, and she turned around to see him lifting himself to sit atop the counter. His legs spread as he got comfortable, and his knee brushed against her arm.

“Who do you think I learned it from?” Wooyoung laughed, wrapping his arms around her waist to set his chin on her shoulder. “It’s almost word for word how he helped me calm down when I was deciding whether or not to apply for the dance instructor position at work all that time ago. Don’t tell him that, though.”

She hummed, taking in the sight of Hongjoong in front of her and the feeling of Wooyoung pressed against her. His thighs looked so strong. Supple. She wondered what it would feel like to stand between them, to knead her fingers into them, to nip and nibble at them. Painted nails tapped on the counter just beside them, stopping only when they swept along the surface so that Hongjoong could recline back.

Wooyoung hummed also, straightened up to wrap his arms around her shoulders instead, head leaning against hers as he inspected his friend. “You look good up there, Joong,” he said, his words rumbling right into her ear. “You gonna stay up there the whole time?”

“Not if you want me to,” Hongjoong said, leaning fully back on his hands, his head tilting back even as he was looking down at them. It did wonders for his features, sharpening them, his eyes looking fierce from the angle and the makeup rimming them, drawing her in immediately.

“I want a lot of things. For example, her,” he bit at her ear as he spoke, and she yelped in surprise. “I don’t care if you stay there or not. Just don’t be surprised if my knife slips in your direction a time or two.”

Wooyoung paused, and she felt his gaze on her. He chuckled. “It seems she might want you to stay there, though,” he said, fingers coming up to slide along her jaw teasingly.

Rora shivered. “He looks good up there,” she said, looking away from both of them.

Hongjoong sent her a smile that just about bordered on cocky when she glanced up at him again, a brow ticking up behind his glasses. The move brought her attention to a fading x there, caused the shadow on his lids to glitter in the kitchen lighting. “Thanks, love,” he said, head tipping down just slightly so that he could maintain eye contact with her, and she was left breathless.

Wooyoung snickered and stepped away from her. “Well, eyes away. It’s time to start cooking. We have a lot of food to make, and we don’t need any accidents happening in the meantime.”

So, they did. Hongjoong continued to sit on the counter, playing music from his phone and occasionally pulling them into a conversation. It was nice, and she even worked up the courage to lean her head on one of his thighs when she took a moment to bend over the counter. Initially, she was stretching her back, still a little tight from her period, even if it had already ended. But she also was enjoying his warmth, the soft firmness of his thigh beside her then beneath her cheek.

His hand came down to brush her hair back almost absentmindedly, eyes looking up briefly from his phone, head tilting in question as he lifted the device. “Can I take a picture?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said, unable to stop the smile of appreciation from growing on her face even as his gaze locked back on his phone.

“Can I share them?” His fingers repeated the motions of smoothing her hair, and her eyes fluttered closed at the motion, breath puffing from between her lips as she let herself relax into the situation.

“Yeah,” she breathed.

The soft moment, however, was interrupted by the sudden playing of a rock song, causing her to jump up and away from Hongjoong. They made eye contact, and both burst into giggles at having been startled.

Wooyoung made a noise of disapproval, hand swatting at her behind lightly. “Quit slacking off,” he admonished, though he was laughing, too.

“Don’t spank me,” Rora whined, moving back to her spot beside him.

“Like you don’t like it.”

“That’s not the point,” she murmured, cheeks burning as she focused on chopping the rest of the vegetables Wooyoung put in front of her.

Hongjoong laughed. “He will fully bend you over this counter, spanking should be the least of your worries.”

“Now that you mention it,” Wooyoung said, voice breathy and teasing.

Her heart leapt into her throat when his hand pressed against the back of her neck until her chest met the counter, his other hand on her lower back, hips pressed tight against her ass. “It would be pretty fun, no?” he asked, voice rumbling right into her ear as he leaned over her. “Bend you over right next to Hongjoong, fuck you before the others get here. Leave you dripping with my cum for the rest of the afternoon. What do you think?”

“Youngie, there’s literally a knife in my hand right now,” she said, but her voice was breathless. Needy, even.

“Kinky,” he chuckled, nuzzling at her jaw.

Rora turned her head to look up at Hongjoong, eyes large and pleading, prickling like there may be tears trying to build up. She blinked and found that her lashes were wet. She whined, a small, pitiful sound from the back of her throat as Hongjoong’s eyes raked over her and Wooyoung, phone raising in her direction once again. Her skin prickled at the sound of the shutter, burned under his gaze, and she was almost ready to say fuck it, to start begging Wooyoung to pull down her pants and pound her into the counter right next to his friend and his phone camera.

Hongjoong sighed when Wooyoung started rubbing himself against her, placing his phone down, eyes and shoulders rolling as if he were exasperated with the situation. She shivered. He looked good when annoyed. He looked even better when he sat up fully, braced himself to lean forward. His thighs spread and muscular forearm contracted to hold him up properly as he fisted the back of Wooyoung’s shirt and pulled.

She couldn’t see it fully, but she could hear the choked breath Wooyoung released as he was pulled off her back, could feel the press of something hard against her backside before she was left cold and wanting. She stood up straight, cheeks still burning as she turned to put her back to the counter.

“You really can’t just keep it in your pants, can you?” Hongjoong tsked, letting Wooyoung’s shirt go. “The food is going to burn if you don’t stop acting like a sex-starved mongrel,” he said, pushing Wooyoung back until he was back across the kitchen, at the stove. “And Yunho has dibs on her.”

“How would you know?” Wooyoung murmured, voice petulant even as a shiver worked through him. She watched, thighs fighting to stay steady, to not clench as she noted just how hard he was in his pants, how one of his hands was fisting and unfisting the material of his black jeans.

“You literally said it in the car earlier. Plus, I’ve been keeping the chat updated,” Hongjoong said, turning his phone screen to them. Her eyes caught briefly on a picture, her head resting on his thigh, those pretty hands in her hair, the black of his nails. Something about it made her heart stutter. Then another that quickly followed, of Woo pinning her across the counter, his arms flexing to keep her in place, hips arching into her ass, his dark hair falling free to frame the sharp features of his face. They were good pictures. In fact, she never knew she could look so good in pictures, could feel so sexy. Her gaze lingered even after Hongjoong turned his phone back to himself. “Mingi also says to keep your dirty paws off.”

Wooyoung rolled his eyes, and turned away from them, going back to finish what they were doing. As they cooked and talked, the others finally started to trickle into the apartment. First came Yunho and Mingi, bags of desserts in hand. They put the treats away, pressed kisses to her cheeks, then went to sit in the living room. Yeosang came next, looking shy but brightening up when she greeted him. He pulled a disgusted face almost immediately after when Wooyoung tried to kiss his cheek. She was giggling at the two scuffling around the kitchen when Jongho came in, and he wasted no time in wrapping fully around her, chin on her shoulder as he watched Wooyoung torment Yeosang and Yeosang do little more than complain about it.

Rora was stirring the bubbling soup, Jongho still hanging from her frame, when the door opened for the last time. San’s wide shoulders came through first, his hand wrapped around a taller man’s wrist, tugging him into the apartment. The unknown man’s eyes darted around the space, and he paused when they fell on her. His eyes went wide, sparkling in the lighting of the apartment, glossy lips parting into a shy smile, cheeks dusted with pink. He was pretty. So fucking pretty. Long dark hair framed his face perfectly, curling behind his ears endearingly, bringing attention to his gorgeous eyes and softening his features, even as half of it was pulled back into a small ponytail. He was dressed in a simple sweater and baggy cargo pants, yet he looked equal parts cozy and elegant.

She must have been staring for a little too long, because Jongho cleared his throat and squeezed her a little tighter. She turned to him, noticing a devastating pout on his face. She giggled, unable to stop herself from squishing his cheeks together. “Jealous, bear?” she cooed.

He didn’t respond, just let her do whatever she wanted, letting his eyes drift over her face until she pulled away to focus back on the others. If her heart sped up under his perusal, that was only for her to know. The self-satisfied hum that vibrated his chest let her know that he, at least, knew too.

As she looked around, she caught Seonghwa giving her another shy glance, those pretty eyes sparkling under his lashes and lips spread into another devastatingly pretty smile, and he looked so adorable that she had to look away, turning in Jongho’s arms to hide her face in his neck. A whine was stuck in her throat and her cheeks burned as Jongho’s chest vibrated with silent laughter.

“Why are you suddenly so shy?” Wooyoung asked, pushing her away from the stove to take her spot, amusement dripping from each word. She peeked around Jongho’s shoulder to pin Wooyoung with a pout that had him laughing as he finished up the food. “You’ve been so bold this whole time, even with Hongjoong around. What’s changed?”

“Too many people?” Jongho suggested, hand smoothing down her back.

“Is Seonghwa too pretty to handle?” Wooyoung asked loudly, not giving her the time to reply, likely to fluster both her and Seonghwa in one go, the menace that he is. And it worked, dammit. Rora felt the warmth in her face as he glanced up from the stove, hands settling on his hips. “Color me jealous. You never flustered that easily for me,” he teased.

“Like you would give me the time to actually be flustered,” she quipped back with a playful roll of her eyes, like she wasn’t just flaring with enough embarrassment to power the whole apartment.

“Touché,” he murmured, taking the simmering food from the stove even as he pouted. He moved carefully, brushing by them and taking slow steps to the living room. He looked so comfortable and domestic, bending down to settle the pot atop a folded kitchen towel, his hair falling over his eyes as he did so. He looked beautiful in a way that made her want to kiss him silly.

Jongho’s soft laughter filled her ears, his breath puffing out over her cheek, and she leaned further into him. He hummed, nosing at her temple, letting his thumb brush over the nape of her neck as he shifted his hold on her, one arm around her waist, the other comfortably across her shoulders.

“Stop hogging her,” Woo butted in, walking by to grab some more food. “She’s supposed to be helping me with the food, not canoodling with you.”

She blew out an amused breath through her nose and untangled herself from Jongho’s hold. Spying the dishes stacked together on some shelves over the sink, she walked over to gather plates and bowls for everyone. Jongho trailed after her, helping her carry whatever else she couldn’t carry and some glasses to the living room.

San helped her settle the various bowls and plates on the table when she reached the living area, Seonghwa rising from the sofa to help Jongho with the cups in his hold. She stood back, unsure of where she was supposed to go, releasing a sigh of relief when Yunho grabbed her hand and coaxed her through the crowd of men. She brushed past them all, fingers laced with Yunho’s, glancing up when she stepped by Seonghwa. The smell of his perfume washed over her - something akin to a coffee shop that specializes in desserts but with a dark kick that had her hooked and curious. Sweet and warm and just a little spicy but soso comforting. She wanted to latch onto him and never let go.

Everyone gathered around as Wooyoung set the last dish on the table, squishing together in a way that might be uncomfortable to others but looked more than cozy and common for the group. Like the last time she was at the apartment, Rora found herself between Jongho and Yunho, shoulders brushing their own and her back against the sofa. San and Hongjoong sat on either end of the table. Mingi sat directly across from her, Seonghwa between him and Hongjoong and Wooyoung on his other side. Yeosang was squished in between San and Wooyoung, a playful annoyed look on his face as the two men smothered him with attention and pressed as close to him as they could.

She let herself relax, pulling her knees into her body, watching the others talk while Wooyoung served everyone. She grinned at him when he gave her a portion, the smells of the food finally settling in, her stomach tightening with hunger she hadn’t been aware she was feeling until just then.

They ate in relative silence, interrupted only by hushed questions for more of certain dishes or alcohol and murmured praises. When she was full, she leaned back into the sofa behind her, letting her head lean on Jongho’s shoulder, her drink balanced on her knee. He hummed at the touch, but remained nonchalantly eating his food. She didn’t mind, luxuriating in the press of his body against her own and the warmth that had begun settling in her chest from the alcohol.

“Are we gonna start this big talk or not?” Wooyoung asked when nearly everyone was done eating. Someone choked on a drink and upon discovering that it was Yeosang, several of the men sent Woo glares. He looked unrepentant at the abruptness of his question, rubbing Yeosang’s back briefly before leaning back on his hands, strong forearms supporting him as he looked around at everyone.

Yunho cleared his throat, phone in hand. “I made a list of questions to help the conversation along,” he said. His ears went red as everyone turned to him, and he shrunk back a bit at the attention. “What? Mingi and I did some research.”

The others jeered and joked at his expense, and he waved them away even as his ears went red. Hongjoong, thankfully, took mercy on him, hushing everyone back into relative silence with a simple raise of his hand and a cocked brow. She marveled at the relative control he had over them all, thinking back to how Wooyoung called him the dad of the group. She could only watch on in awe as he then waved at Yunho. “Get us started, Yun. What’s the first question?”

“What do we each want out of this?” Yunho asked. “I know that some of us aren’t really in the situation, and you may not want to be outside of becoming friends. Now is the time to speak up about these kinds of thoughts. Not knowing yet is also a valid response.”

“Pretty sure Joong wants in on all the fun,” Woo said.

“Am I supposed to feel called out?” Hongjoong asked, cocking an eyebrow at his friend. “Of course I want in.” His gaze fell on her, burning over her skin until she flushed and looked away from him, hiding her face in Yunho’s shoulder.

Yunho laughed, hand cupping the back of her head, fingers massaging her scalp. “Yeosang?”

“Yes,” Yeosang’s sweet voice filled the air, that adorable lisp warming her, even as she hid in Yunho.

“Yes?” Yunho prompted.

A soft sound filled the room, and she pictured his cheeks turning pink. “I’m okay with anything she wants,” he said, voice low. Shy.

“Wanna take you on a date, Sangie,” she said, peeking up at him from around Yunho’s frame. “Non-platonically.”

He giggled, a flustered smile taking over his face. “Okay,” he said, looking down shyly.

“Seonghwa?”

Silence filled the room again, and she turned to find Seonghwa looking at her, head slightly tilted, those eyes scanning over her with an intensity she wasn’t quite prepared for. Her brain stopped, and she could only blink stupidly at him as his expression morphed right into the sweetest smile she had ever seen.

“Let’s start with a date and see where it goes,” he said, rocking in his spot, side to side until he stilled himself with his hands on the coffee table.

She agreed, shrinking back into Yunho’s shoulder, causing everyone to laugh.

“What about a joint date?” Wooyoung said. “Yeo and Hwa can both get time with her, and it’ll get them both out of the way.”

“Me too,” Hongjoong piped up. “I wanna spend more time with her, too.”

“Do we all have time tomorrow?” Seonghwa asked.

Rora peeked out to see the three men looking between each other before looking at her. She giggled and nodded. “Sounds fun,” she said, wrapping her arms around one of Yunho’s. The fingers of his free hand pressed into her belly in retaliation, and she giggled, curling into herself at the ticklish feeling.

“Back on topic,” Yunho finally said. “Those who are already involved, I know this situation is still very new to everyone, but what would you want out of it? What expectations do you have?”

“I need communication,” San began. “And that comes from a need to establish mutual respect and trust. It’s the same with all the relationships I pursue - romantic, sexual, or platonic. I’m also quite affectionate and need intimacy with my partners, whether that be sexual or otherwise. The direction that this relationship goes is entirely up to you, darling. Just talk to me - talk to us - about it when you come to a conclusion, hmm?”

She nodded, preened under his soft smile and warm eyes.

“I very much want a romantic relationship out of this,” Woo jumped in next, gaze steady on her, dark eyes intense enough to have her cheeks flushing. “And I expect my partners to share my affections and to give me the same respect that I give them. I like to do things for my partners or give gifts. But I can struggle with receiving love and affection in the same ways that I offer them, so I need to know that I’m appreciated and that my efforts are appreciated in the relationship.”

Her heart thudded against her chest at his words, and she hoped he could see how appreciative she was for his openness. She smiled, nodded, even sent him a little air kiss that had his eyes crinkling at the edges.

No one offered anything after Wooyoung, and she sighed when collectively, they all looked at her. She fidgeted, pushed her fingers through her hair, straightened her back. “I don’t have any expectations that I can really put into words right now,” she said. “I just ask that we all understand and respect each other, and that we’re all kind about differences and when working through issues. Communication can be difficult for me, especially when the person I am trying to talk to is acting aggressively or yelling at me.”

A warm hand rubbed down the length of her arm when she stopped speaking, and she took a breath, willing her heart to steady as someone else began speaking.

“I sometimes need space, and I would prefer no unexpected visits into my space. But I also need quality time. Friends or otherwise, I want to be able to cherish the relationship and spending time with them is the best way for me to do that. We don’t have to do anything, just spend time together. Preferably romantically, but I’m also alright with a more casual friends with benefits, nameless type of situation.”

She nodded and sent Mingi a smile before letting her gaze drift to one of the men sitting beside her. His shoulders rolled back, and he straightened up as his other friends also turned to look at him. “Jongho?” she prompted lightly.

“I hate that all I can say is that I don’t know,” he murmured, and she placed a hand on his thigh. “I just ask for understanding and quality time, really.”

Her fingers squeezed the plush of his thigh lightly, and she leaned forward to press a kiss to his cheek. “Of course, bear,” Rora murmured. “And if you think of anything else you need or a label you do or don’t want, just talk to us. Or me. Or anyone, hmm?”

He nodded, relaxed. “I think I do want something romantic,” he admitted lowly, his eyes wide as they took her in.

“I want that too,” she said, laughing when his cheeks went pink and he was suddenly avoiding her gaze.

The others cleared their throats, and she looked around to see them all suppressing smiles and laughter, their eyes filled with adoration for their youngest friend.

“Anyone have experience?” Yunho asked, tipping his head to press his cheek against her hair briefly.

She sat up, forcing herself to focus better on the conversation. The silence in the living room was loud, and she took a breath. It seemed she would have to be the first to talk this time. Someone cleared their throat, and she deflated in relief.

“I’ve dabbled,” Hongjoong spoke up.

Noises of disbelief filled the room. “Your jealous ass?” Wooyoung exclaimed

Hongjoong chuckled, raking a hand through his hair. “I know what I can and can’t offer my partners,” he said. “It’s been a while, but I’ve had an open relationship or two in the past. I never had many issues with it unless the communication wasn’t being prioritized. It was mostly my partners at the time seeking what I couldn’t offer to them when I was busy. But I…” he trailed off, wet his lips, ruffled his already messy hair with a sigh. “As Woo so aptly stated, I get jealous sometimes, and knowing what’s going on and what to expect really helps me work through that.”

“Would weekly meetings to discuss among ourselves be helpful?” Yunho asked lightly.

“I think so,” Joong breathed.

“We should work out some form of schedule or shared calendar,” San suggested. “That could help us work around everyone’s schedules and ensure no one is feeling left out or being pushed aside.”

She nodded her agreement, letting her eyes trail to him appreciatively. “I agree. A schedule or shared calendar would be incredibly helpful,” she said. “I want to get to know you all more, but I don’t want to feel like I’m offering someone more attention over another or for anyone else to feel like that’s happening.”

“We can have the meetings at the cafe,” Yunho suggested. “It’ll be a more neutral place to talk, and frankly, it has more space than any of our apartments.”

Murmurs of agreement filled the living room, and Yunho lit up with pride. “Anyone else with any experience?” His eyes fell on her, and she swallowed, nodded.

“I don’t have much experience with anything like this other than what’s already been happening. There was a threesome with a partner and friend at the time, and that was purely for sexual exploration. But when we branched into new relationship dynamics, it didn’t end very well for any of us.” She paused, cursing the alcohol in her system for bringing her emotions to the forefront, tears pricking behind her eyelids. She sniffled, shifting to wiggle into Jongho’s side, even as a hand stayed touching Yunho. “I’ve always been drawn to the idea of non-monogamy or exploring different relationships, but I haven’t had the opportunities to really do further exploration.”

Seonghwa smiled kindly at her from across the table. “This will give you all the opportunities to explore, then.”

She returned his smile. “I hope so,” she said.

“Well, everyone already knows that Sannie and I don’t mind sharing,” Wooyoung said. “We’ve never thought to actually date the same person, and we’ve never shared while one of us was exclusively dating someone.”

“I’ve thought about it before,” San said, looking over at his closest friend. “But I didn’t think my partner at the time or you would have been okay with it.”

“I’m down for almost anything, dude,” Wooyoung said, reaching around Yeosang to push San’s shoulder. “You should know this by now.”

San simply shooed him away, his cheeks pink but those devastating dimples on full display.

Mingi piped in before Wooyoung and San could start bickering. “Yunho and I have dated the same chick before,” he said casually.

The room went quiet, everyone looking at him, then at Yunho. “When?” Wooyoung asked incredulously. “How did none of us know about it?”

“A few years ago,” Mingi said with a shrug. “No one asked, so we didn’t tell. And she didn’t really wanna tell many other people.”

“Did research my ass,” Wooyoung scoffed.

“Technically, we did do research. Just didn’t say when or how we did it.” Yunho replied with a cheeky little smirk that she wanted nothing more than to kiss away.

“Okay, okay. Let’s circle back,” Hongjoong said before anyone could ask anymore questions. “We should probably discuss exclusivity and what it might look like to each of us.”

Yunho nodded. “That was actually the next question,” he said, putting his phone away. “I’m personally chill with anything, open or closed. But I’m more likely not to seek anything outside.”

Mingi made a sound of agreement, and looked at her. “What about you, doll?”

“I don’t think I’ll be doing anything outside this group, either,” she said, shyly. “It honestly sounds like too much work for me right now, especially with how new this whole thing is. And so far, I feel pretty fulfilled with what’s going on. But,” she paused for a moment, hands twisting together in her lap under the weight of the eight expectant gazes. She swallowed and forced herself to continue. “It’s worth mentioning that I do also like women and feminine-presenting people, and it could become something I want to explore further in the future.”

A murmur filled the room, and she looked up to see them all nodding at her words.

Jongho shifted beside her, and she turned to look at him. His brows were furrowed and his hands were in fists on his thighs. “I don’t think I would be comfortable with you looking outside of us, either,” Jongho said, voice soft and shy. He looked unsure of what he said, and she reached out to smooth one of his hands flat, folding hers over his own. “The idea of it is…I don’t like it.” He sounded more sure with that statement. “But I also think that given time and communication, I could…I don’t want it to feel like I’m holding you back from something you might need in the future.”

His words trailed off, and she pushed her face into his neck, kissing his jaw affectionately. “Don’t push yourself too hard, bear,” she murmured. “It’s not even a thought for me right now.”

He visibly relaxed at her words, his hand turning beneath hers to lace their fingers together.

“It would probably be best to start out with just us,” Hongjoong said.

“I agree,” Seonghwa said. “It’ll be easier to figure everything out first then come back to this later.”

“I agree, too,” San said.

Woooyoung and Yeosang made their own sounds of agreement, and Seonghwa nodded. “It’s been alluded to but not quite mentioned, but let's talk about them specifically and get them all out in the open. What are your boundaries? Again, as Yunho mentioned before, being unsure is okay and we can talk again at a later time or as things come up.” Seonghwa said, leaning forward on the table, pretty hands framing his beautiful features. “Rora? Do you want to start us off?”

“I mentioned it before but I can get overwhelmed without knowing it sometimes, and it has led to some less than desirable situations for myself and the people I care about. So, I do need to prioritize a bit of downtime for myself on occasion.”

Everyone nodded, and she bit her lip, eyes closing as she tried to formulate the words she needed to say next. “I also can’t do just sex,” she said, breathing deeply and refusing to be ashamed or embarrassed. Her needs were important, and they were all asking for them. Her needs were important to them. She took another breath and continued. “There doesn’t necessarily have to be romance attached, but I can’t handle absolutely no connection. And I need aftercare after sex. It can be as simple as cuddles or talking or even from someone else. I just need something from someone.”

Yunho’s arm came around her waist, and Jongho’s hand found her hair. “With eight of us, I’m sure there will always be someone available to take care of you, honey,” Yunho said, and she blushed as murmured agreements immediately followed.

Everyone settled back into silence, looking around to see who would speak next.

“I just need to know when someone has an issue with anything so we can talk about it and figure something out,” San piped up. “You guys already know that, but with a new person and a new dynamic in the making…” he trailed off, and she noticed Yeosang’s hand settling on San’s thigh and Wooyoung’s arms reaching across Yeosang to settle on San’s shoulder.

Wooyoung looked away from his friend and let his stare settle on her. “I know I can be alot to keep up with sometimes and I tend to invade personal space to get closer to someone. If I do that too much, tell me. Just don’t start pushing me away or ignoring me. I can’t handle cold shoulders or silent treatments,” Wooyoung said, looking more serious than she had ever seen him.

The sincerity in his voice and the sadness in his eyes made her stomach flip, and she wanted to crawl over to him. She nodded, sent him a soft smile, letting herself relax back into the warmth around her when he sent her a smile back.

“Anyone else with a hard boundary?” Seonghwa asked.

Mingi’s hand popped up after a bit of silence, and everyone focused on him. He shifted nervously, but when he spoke, his voice sounded casual and matter-of-fact. “I said it earlier, but I think it’s worth repeating in a boundary sense, too. I need some time to myself on occasion,” he said, glancing at her with a look she couldn’t quite identify. “And I can’t really do unexpected visits. Stopping by the cafe is fine. The apartment is fine, too, cause I’m not the only one who lives there. Just not my room. I need a head’s up text or just a simple knock on my door.”

She nodded, letting what everyone said sink in as she looked around at them all. Warmth filled her, comforted with the knowledge that they were taking this seriously and were willing to talk this all through with each other and with her. That they cared about her. About her thoughts. Her needs. Even though she was still a new person in their lives.

Yunho cleared his throat when no one else moved to speak. “There’s one last thing,” he said. “In my research, I came across a person who mentioned having a safe word in their relationship for when something gets too much and they need to step away. Do you think that would be helpful?”

“That’s something we should probably do, too,” Hongjoong said. “For the overall relationship, but also to keep sexual situations safe for everyone.”

His gaze fell to her, and she nodded. “I agree.”

Jongho hummed, let his arm sneak around her middle, fingers sneaking under the hem of her shirt to brush against the skin of her side. “Why don’t you do the honors and pick one for us?”

“What about the traffic light system?” she asked, sneaking a glance around at everyone before her suggestion made her feel too shy. “Green, yellow, and red?”

Yunho hummed next to her. “I don’t see why we can’t use that one,” he said, hand falling to her knee, rubbing soothing circles there with his thumb.

“What does everyone think? Does that sound good?” Hongjoong asked, nodding when everyone agreed. “Then that’s settled. Is there anything else to talk about?”

Yunho looked at his phone for a moment, flipping through a document that she couldn’t quite see before he shoved it into his pocket. “That’s all that I had,” he said.

“How about finishing the night with a movie, then?” San suggested.

The television was turned on before anyone could agree or disagree, the remote held tightly in Wooyoung’s hand, a look on his face that suggested that no one else was going to be taking it from him.

21 notes · View notes