#scrolling through the tag marking them all for later and then opening them all in separate tabs

[rotisseries]

my brother was incredibly shocked to find out I currently have 11 tabs open. I need to start showing him the posts where people say they have 60

[garlic-sauc3]

I already had a bunch of fics open to read anyway so ao3 being down hardly effects me

[fumiliar]

imagine influencer!y/n with chronically offline!kento

ever since kento came out of his emo phase, he doesn't visit social media often. so when you had gained interest in him after seeing him in your workplace, you tried stalking him. but all you could see was pictures of his high school years, his face barely in it. social media was a no go, so you had to talk to him to figure him out. and truly, that was the best part.

you were always questioning whether he liked something or not. he was a complete blank slate, and you were too. even though you were quite active on social media, gaining a few thousand followers by that time, he never bothered to check it, it just wasn't his style.

when you eventually started dating and soft launching him, everyone was asking who this mystery man was. but his identity was always kept a secret as he wasn't someone who often used social media, you thought it'd be uncomfortable. eventually when you hit the 1 year mark, he finally brought up the question.

"y/n, i don't mean to offend you in any way shape or form. this is more towards curiosity..." his steps slowing down, his hesitation affecting not only his speech but his movement.

"continue?" you looked through the photos kento had taken of you, scrolling and picking out the best ones. you had gone to a beautiful restaurant, and since you got all cleaned up, you had to ask kento to take a picture of you.

"why do you take photos and videos so much? i mean, i do understand it's a hobby for almost everyone, but i do think you spend a tad bit too much time on something that isn't a job," he was curious, trying his best to formulate words that would least offend you.

"what do you mean? it is my job! i'm an part time influencer," you immediately showed him your social media accounts leaving kento in awe.

"oh...i did not...know," he was shocked, to say the least. his mouth was wide open as he scrolled and looked at all your social media accounts. he didn't use social media often, but it wasn't like he was clueless of how it worked! you were popular, most of your social media accounts had a following over 500k, instagram being the least and youtube being the highest.

"i did not know i was dating someone popular...." kento still couldn't wrap his head around this fact.

"did you not know? at all?" you asked.

"no...0%," kento answered, still unable to look away from your phone screen. the fact that he didn't find out over this past year was even more shocking. you've asked him for help in recording so many videos, the fact he didn't even suspect it was mind boggling to you. "is this where you've been posting the pics of us?"

"yeah, i mean none of them have your face, i can take it down if you're uncomfortable..."

"no, i like it."

you never hard launched kento, it was like a public secret. everyone knew you were taken by this mystery blonde man, but they never knew who. it was nice to see the comments theorise on which blonde influencer was your man, but they were severely mistaken. your man doesn't even use social media! his instagram still having no bio and just one post of him and haibara.

not hard launching did not mean you had no announcements. when kento proposed to you a year later, your fans got the news too, as they saw a new flashy ring on your ring finger in your newest day in a life vlog. since his presence, your fans have made a name for him, sir purin, taken from his blonde hair, the only feature you could attribute him to, matching with the sanrio character pompompurin.

when you finally got married, that was when you had finally hard launched kento. a simple picture of you and kento on your wedding reception, dancing as if you were the only people in the whole world. you had tagged kento's instagram account, though his @ couldn't be seen, your fans could find his account easily. after all, he changed his user to @misterpurin so you could tag him.

this account was barely used, only there to repost stories he's tagged in and mainly to post you once in a while. every birthday and anniversary he would always upload a picture of you, with an essay along with it. his account started getting filled with pictures of you, it was like a fan account of you! with the exception of a few pictures of you together and of course, his high school friend haibara.

in that account, it had stored memories of you in his eyes. it was sweet, anyone could tell that every single picture captured and posted was done with utmost love and care. he posted for him, not for your fans, or for his. this slowly lead to kento making a camera account, only followed by you. and even there, almost every single picture had a part of you in it, whether it was your head peaking in the side of a beautiful sunset, or your hair flowing in the wind obstructing the eye-catching view, or just a plain picture of you. every single picture had a speck of you, and if not, his captions would.

this account did end up being found, which led to kento privating the camera account, but it was too late as a few thousand of your followers had already followed it. kento never posted often, but when he did, your presence would always be prevalent no matter what.

p.s this was supposed to be a short drabble, like 3 paragraphs max...but i got carried away. it was only supposed to be kento's insta becoming your fan account.

[starlightkun]

❥・word count: 17.2k ❥・warnings: cursing, suggestive but no smut (i think that tag is on all my sungchan fics at this point), also i do talk about biting him probably too much, there’s one scene where i have to refer to distance and i use miles im sorry it’s the filthy american in me (convert to km if you must but it’s really not that important) ❥・genre: meet-ugly (like a meet-cute but bad), strangers to lovers, fluff and more fluff good god, forced proximity trope (long car trip, friend group vacation in a cabin, etc.) ❥・author’s note: send help the sungchan brainrot is terminal

“I just don’t trust people that are that hot—Sorry.”

“Are you going to the cabin next week?” Karina asked you, refilling her drink as the two of you chatted in the kitchen of Donghyuck and Mark’s place. The former was throwing a “small get-together” tonight for his birthday, which was already shaping up to be more like the parties you’d attended in undergrad. He’d also invited a hopefully actually small number of your closer friends to spend two weeks in his family’s cabin starting the following Friday.

“Yeah, I’ll be there,” you nodded, opening the fridge to nose around in there for something to mix with your alcohol.

“Do you know who all he invited?”

“I think the usual, right?” You had secured some cranberry juice and seltzer, and brought them back out triumphantly. “Didn’t he text the details to everyone in a group chat? Check who’s in it.”

“Let me see…” She muttered, scrolling through her phone. “You, me, Hyuck, Mark, Ning, Jeno, Jaemin, Shotaro, Anton…”

“Unless it’s a mansion in the woods, it sounds like half of us will be sleeping on the floor,” you scoffed.

“There’s one person in here that I don’t have saved.” She frowned. “Do you?”

You looked at it on your own phone. “There’s two people I don’t have saved. One of them must be Anton, I just met him the other day when Taro brought him around to… whatever, I don’t even remember now.”

“I don’t have the 512 number.”

You saved the other unknown number as Anton. “I don’t have the 512 number either.”

Karina giggled. “Mysterious.”

“Probably another guy Hyuck and Mark met playing pickup.” You shrugged, following her back out to the living room. “I feel like that’s how they meet all their new friends these days.”

“Rina! Y/N!” Ningning suddenly appeared in front of the two of you, grabbing your other friend’s wrist. “Come dance with me!”

Karina looked over at you. “Y/N?”

“Just topped up.” You lifted your drink. “Maybe later. Have fun, guys.”

As they disappeared into the middle of the room, you drifted off to the side, finding a wall to lean against. You took slow sips of your drink, eyes passing over the crowd. You didn’t mind standing by yourself until either your friends were done dancing and found you again, or you spotted someone you’d rather talk to before then.

“Y/N!” Your voice was called from behind you, and you turned around to greet the birthday boy with a wide smile.

“Hyuck!” You went to hug him. “I feel like I haven’t seen you all night!”

“Because you’ve been hiding in the kitchen,” he teased. “I think this is the first time I’ve actually seen you out here.”

You rolled your eyes as you drew back from the hug. “Whatever, I’m here now. Are you having a good birthday?”

“Great!” He beamed. It was then that you noticed he had someone with him, a tall guy hovering awkwardly behind him. Donghyuck went to introduce him, “This is Sungchan, by the way. He also lives in the complex; Mark and I met him playing pickup.”

Of course.

“Sungchan, this is my friend Y/N,” Hyuck then gestured to you.

You nodded to him politely. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too,” he smiled back, a bright, heart-stopping smile. You held onto your drink a little tighter, with both hands.

“Hey! Renjun!” Donghyuck suddenly yelled out. “No killing people on the premises! Choke Jisung outside!”

He took off into the crowd, leaving you with his new friend.

“Anyway, it was nice to meet you, Jungchan, but I’ve got to find my friends.” You slipped away before he could say anything else.

Karina and Ningning were still dancing, and while you briefly debated joining them, you decided against it, heading back to your safe haven instead: the kitchen. It was blissfully empty when you got in there, and you started picking at the bowls of snacks mindlessly.

“That was incredible.” Someone snickered, startling you into dropping a chip onto the floor.

You picked it up, glowering at the newcomer as you went to go throw away the ruined chip into the garbage can. “What are you talking about, Anton?”

“His name is Sungchan, by the way.” He was still laughing, hopping up onto the counter by the bowls of snacks. “Not Jungchan. I happened to have been lucky enough to have overheard that.”

“Oops.” You said flatly, well aware that you didn’t sound very sorry.

“But I’m totally going to use that.”

“You know him from pickup basketball too, I presume?”

“Yup.” He tossed a cheeseball up and caught it in his mouth. “He’s not very good at shooting, but he’s tall, so he’s alright at guarding.”

“Good for him. Or not, I don’t know.”

“So let’s say, hypothetically, I was eavesdropping on the entire conversation—”

“Hypothetically.”

“Of course.” He grinned. “He said like two words to you, and they were barely even hello. Why did you run away like that?”

You sighed, topping off your drink again. After taking a sip, musing over how best to phrase it, you finally decided on, “I just don’t trust people that are that hot—Sorry.”

Anton cocked his head curiously at you. “Who hurt you?”

“Nobody, god.” You rolled your eyes. “You’re so fucking dramatic and for what?”

“Fun and profit, mostly.”

“You hurt Sungchan’s feelings,” Donghyuck declared, blotting out the sun above you.

You closed your book on your thumb to deal with this. You had been reclining on a chair at your apartment complex’s pool reading in peace when your friend appeared out of nowhere. Outside the pool fence you could see his roommate, and two more of your mutual friends, Jaemin and Jeno. Jeno had a basketball under his arm, which made sense, the courts were right next to the pool, they were probably already heading there when they saw you and decided to detour over here to… interrogate you? Harass you?

“Who? What? When?” You squinted up at Donghyuck in confusion.

“My friend. Last night.”

“The tall one? How? Because I didn’t want to talk about the weather or whatever with him?”

“Apologize,” he demanded, crossing his arms. “And get his name right this time. It’s Sungchan. Not Jungchan.”

You scoffed, sitting up straighter in your chair. “This is exactly what I was telling Anton last night, you know. I don’t trust people that are that hot because even if they don’t do anything to abuse their hotness directly, or on purpose, other people will just do things for them anyway.”

“He’s the nicest person I know. Hotness be damned. Apologize.”

“No.”

“Really? This is the moral hill that you’re willing to die on?”

“Yup.”

“You’re a true martyr, Y/N,” Hyuck said sarcastically. “The Second Coming herself.”

“The nicest person you know? Really?” You questioned doubtfully.

“Really. And you were mean to him,” Donghyuck confirmed.

“Including Shotaro?”

“Including Taro.”

“Mark?”

“Mark’s my best friend. Doesn’t mean he’s the nicest person I know,” he retorted.

“Jeno?”

“Literally saw him steal candy from a baby yesterday.”

You blinked. “Wait, seriously?”

“Jisung. Same thing.”

“I’m not apologizing to your friend,” you declared, opening your book again.

“This is the stupidest line you’ve drawn in the sand yet.”

“I’m not going out and bullying him! All I said was that I don’t trust hot people!”

“Flaw in your logic: You’re friends with me,” he pointed out smugly.

“Think on that one again, Hyuck,” you replied snidely, looking down at your book as if you were trying to get back to reading.

“Rude.” He looked back at the other three guys waiting for him, apparently getting an idea. “What about Jeno? He’s like, ridiculously good-looking.”

“I like him just fine. I just don’t trust him, or what people will do for him because he’s stupidly attractive,” you argued.

“It sounds exhausting to be you,” he huffed, turning on his heel and leaving the pool deck.

Later that afternoon, you pulled yourself up out of the pool, heading back towards your chair. Grabbing your towel, you wrapped it around yourself to start drying off before heading back to your apartment. You saw someone walking towards you out of the corner of your eye as you were digging through your bag for your phone.

“Hi.” It was Donghyuck’s tall friend from last night, in workout gear rather than swim trunks. Obviously not here to use the pool.

“Hi.” You wiped a drop of water off your phone screen that had fallen from your nose onto it.

“Do you have a second?”

“Sure.”

He scratched the back of his neck as he focused an apologetic smile on you. “Did I do something or say something? At Donghyuck’s place? Because I’m really—”

“No.”

“—sorry if I did—Wait what?” The smile dropped from his face.

“You didn’t do anything or say anything. You were perfectly nice,” you answered honestly.

“Then it really was what you told Anton?” He asked in disbelief.

Of course, Anton must have told him what you said.

“Look, Sungchan, I’m sorry, I just don’t trust really attractive guys right off the bat.”

“I haven’t done anything to earn your distrust other than—”

“—other than being hot, yeah.” You shrugged. “Even if you really are nice, intentionally or not, people treat you differently just by virtue of you being stupidly hot. Gets in your head, whether you think it has or not.”

“You don’t know me.”

“Not at all.”

“How are you any different then?”

“Different than who?”

“You say that people treat me differently because I’m, in your words, ‘stupidly hot.’” He put the phrase air quotes. “That’s exactly what you’re doing right now.”

“How am I treating you different by not immediately falling at your feet? I don’t do that for average looking guys either.”

“That’s not what I’m asking you to do.”

“Was I rude to you last night? Bitchy? Outright mean or nasty?” You ticked the adjectives off on your fingers. “No, the most you can accuse me of was being a bit curt. And getting your name wrong, that really was my bad.”

He was quiet for a moment, and you took the opportunity to slip your sandals back on and shoulder your tote bag.

“Look, you’re not entitled to my time, attention, or to me,” you told him firmly.

“I didn’t say I was,” he said immediately, his brow furrowing.

“You’ve taken it as a personal affront that I didn’t want to idly chitchat with you last night.”

“I’m just… confused,” Sungchan sighed.

“You’re nice to look at, I’m sure you’re not a complete dud to talk to, it’s probably not torture to make small talk with you at a party. So people do,” you tried to walk him through it. “But it’s not mean for someone to not want to talk to you.”

He was silent again, that same pensive, troubled look on his face, and you found yourself in better spirits than you had been last night.

“This was fun. I would say we should do it again, but I’m afraid I would make you cry and then Hyuck would be really mad at me.” You chuckled, grabbing your keys from your bag. “So, goodbye, Sungchan.”

You were relaxed on your couch that night with a tub of ice cream when a violent banging came at your front door. Pausing the movie you were watching, you rushed to answer it, thinking that it must be the police, or some other kind of emergency. Instead, it was Donghyuck and Mark. You looked at Donghyuck incredulously, the one who had been doing the knocking.

“What is your fucking problem?” He said in lieu of a greeting, throwing his hands up in the air in disbelief.

“What did I do now? Allegedly?” You matched his tone, watching as he started pacing your entryway.

“You know what you did.” Mark was calmer, reminding you of a disappointed parent as he looked at you, his hands on his hips.

“You broke him!” Donghyuck declared.

“Who—Oh, Sungchan?” You finally connected the dots.

“Who else’s soul have you ripped out of their chest and stomped on today?”

“He sought me out,” you defended yourself, crossing your arms.

“And you couldn’t have been a human being and talked to him?”

“We talked. From what you’re saying, it sounds like he didn’t like what I had to say.”

“He’s catatonic!”

“You’re being dramatic.”

“Only slightly. But he’s not well.”

You scoffed, “If one conversation with me is enough to make him spiral, sounds like he had some other stuff going on before I opened my mouth.”

“So you refuse to take responsibility? For any of this?” Donghyuck regarded you wide, crazed eyes, looking like he was at the end of his rope.

“You’re asking me to what? Fix him?” You snorted in disbelief. “I don’t Mommy grown men, sorry.”

“You are infuriating.” He pointed at you accusatorily. “The party I could’ve let slide—”

“No you couldn’t have, you found me literally the next day demanding that I apologize for not wanting to talk to him,” you spat back.

“Not for that! I’m not going to hold a gun to your head and force you to make small talk with him,” he groaned. “I meant the stuff you were telling Anton, in the kitchen. He heard you.”

“All I said was that I don’t trust people that are that hot. Nothing to have a goddamn mental breakdown over!”

“And he wouldn’t have, if you had just, I don’t know, apologized for the misunderstanding and moved on! But no, you have to take everything to this moral extreme! Honestly, I’m finding it hard to remember what’s even likeable about you in the first place right now,” Donghyuck ranted, running his hands through his hair.

“Hyuck, that was a bit far,” Mark finally spoke up again, stepping forward.

“You really want to die on this hill, Y/N?” Donghyuck just went around his roommate, looking you in the eye. “Then fine. Don’t bother coming on the trip.”

“Hyuck, man, come on—” Mark called after him, but Donghyuck had already stormed out of your apartment.

You watched the empty doorway after him, chest heaving as all the words you’d exchanged finally caught up to you. Looking to your friend that you had been left with, you asked quietly, “Do you think I'm in the wrong, Mark?”

He tilted his head back and forth regretfully. “I think… you’re being a bit abrasive.”

“You agree with Hyuck,” you deadpanned.

“Not entirely. I don’t think he should’ve been throwing Sungchan at you so hard. He should’ve known you weren’t going to take it well, which is probably why he did it in such a weird way.”

“What?”

“He was trying to set you up with Sungchan. But knowing how… you… are, he thought he had to do it with some uh, ‘finesse.’” Mark shrugged one shoulder. “Sungchan wasn’t all that hurt after the party, really. A bit bummed that you brushed him off, sure, but he would’ve bounced back. He’s hard to knock down, literally and metaphorically. Hyuck demanded that you go ‘apologize’ to him so that you’d talk to him again. Same thing with Sungchan talking to you at the pool today, Hyuck told him to.”

“Does Sungchan know that Hyuck’s been trying to set us up this whole time?”

“I’m pretty sure.”

“So to him, this has been Hyuck setting him up with, apparently, the biggest bitch he knows,” you winced. No wonder he was so confused earlier.

“I mean…” Mark trailed off sheepishly. “He should’ve told you.”

“And I should’ve been fucking normal,” you groaned, rubbing your face.

“An argument can be made for that, yes.”

“What apartment is Sungchan in?”

According to Mark, Sungchan went on a jog every morning at 8:00, and was usually back by 10:00, so you made sure to knock on his front door at 10:15, just in case.

Sungchan opened the door, wiping sweat from his face with a towel as he spoke, “Anton, I thought we agreed on eleven…”

He trailed off when he opened his eyes and saw who was actually on his doorstep.

“Hi, Sungchan,” you greeted him.

“Oh. Hi, Y/N.” He dropped his hand from his face. In the background, you could hear music playing, and smell food being cooked.

“Uhm, are you busy? I can leave, sorry—”

“No, no, it’s fine.” He stepped back, opening the door wider and gesturing you in. You stepped into his apartment with a polite, grateful nod. It looked like he had been in the middle of making breakfast, a blender out on his counter, various fruits on a cutting board, and ingredients sizzling in a pan. He went to pause the music on his phone, and stirred the food that was in the pan. He pointed to one of the stools that was at the bar attached to the kitchen counter. “Do you want to sit?”

“No, thanks,” you shook your head. Shouldn’t take that long. “I just wanted to apologize. I was abrasive, and shouldn’t have been using you to try to draw some moral line in the sand as part of an argument with my friend.”

Sungchan nodded. “Thanks. You did have a point, about the party. I wasn’t used to people not wanting to talk to me, it was a weird experience. But you’re right, I wasn’t entitled to your time.” He went back to the cutting board, chopping up a banana and depositing it into the blender. “Besides, I’m sure you have guys come up to you all the time and you just want to be left alone. No worries.”

You tilted your head curiously. “Why do you say that?”

“People treat you different when you’re stupidly hot, right?” He shrugged, scooping some blueberries into the blender next.

“I wasn’t talking about myself…”

Sungchan just grinned and shrugged again. “So I guess I’ll see you at Hyuck’s family cabin then?”

“No. I was uninvited,” you informed him quietly.

“What? Why?”

“Because of how… poorly I handled this.”

Sungchan’s eyes widened with horror. “What? That’s crazy. I didn’t ask him—”

“Don’t worry, I totally get why he did it. His choice was between the nicest guy he knows—” you pointed to Sungchan, “—and the biggest bitch he knows—” you then pointed to yourself, “—who is a compulsive vibe-harsher. I’d pick you too.”

“Don’t tell me he called you—”

“My words,” you assured him.

“I’ll talk to him. No way you should be uninvited over a misunderstanding like this.” He flashed you an easy-going smile. “I mean, we’ve already worked it out. No hard feelings, right?”

“Right,” you agreed, offering a small smile back. “But really, Sungchan, you don’t have to. He’ll think I just apologized to you to get invited back on the trip.”

“Did you?”

“No.”

“Then there we go,” he said as if it were already decided. “I’ll talk to him.”

[hyuck: you’re un-uninvited]

[hyuck: sungchan will pick you up at 2:00 on friday]

[you: why is he picking me up???]

[hyuck: you’re the only two who need to leave late on friday. the rest of us are heading up in the morning]

[you: i have my own car??]

[hyuck: you’ve got a shitty sedan with 200,000 miles on it that can barely make it over a speed bump. you’re not making it up a mountain]

[hyuck: consider this your exposure therapy]

Sure enough, Friday at 2:00 p.m., there was a knock at your front door, Sungchan on the other side.

“Hey,” you greeted him, stepping back to grab your small rolling suitcase. “You really didn’t have to come get me, I could’ve met you down at your car.”

“I don’t mind. You need any help with your bags?” He offered, watching you also shoulder a duffel bag as you tried to wedge your memory foam pillow under your other arm.

“Where’s your stuff?” You questioned, noticing his empty hands.

“I already packed it in the car.” He reached for your suitcase, and you willingly let him take it. He held another hand out, and you gave him your duffel bag as well. Without even asking, he picked up the tote that was at your feet, too, leaving you with just your pillow and phone. “You got everything?”

You looked around your apartment, thinking hard. “Mmm… I’m pretty sure.”

“Phone, wallet, keys, charger?”

“Check.”

“Pajamas, toothbrush, toothpaste, other toiletries?”

“Check.”

“Let’s do it,” he grinned, leading the way to the front door.

[sungchan: picked y/n up! gonna get some gas on our way out of town if anybody has last minute snack requests. eta 5:00 pm!]

[jeno: 👍]

As some of the others’ snack orders came pouring in, you got one text separately.

[hyuck: be. nice.]

After filling up and triple-checking to make sure you had bought everyone’s food, you and Sungchan were back in his car, a modest-size SUV. He plugged his phone in to charge, then handed it to you.

“Here, you navigate.” The directions to the cabin were already pulled up and started.

“Uh, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” You tried to give it back. “I yap and nap.”

“It’s like five turns total for three hours.” He refused to take it back, starting the car and peeling off. “You can be passenger princess all you want. I even know the first two to get onto the highway on my own. Just need the exit number, the road name, and the house number.”

“Oh god, okay…” You sank down into the passenger seat, clutching his phone with two hands.

“Are you really that nice?” You asked once you had been on the highway for a while. Sungchan and you had been taking turns on aux—right now he had something playing—and there was a comfortable lull in conversation, but you couldn’t help the question that had been nagging at the back of your mind the entire time.

“There is no way for me to answer that and not sound like a dick,” he pointed out. “Either I say no, despite knowing that our mutual friends have apparently hyped up how nice I am to you, in which case it just looks like I’m acting humble. Dick move. Or I say yes, which would make me look like I’m full of myself. Dick move again.”

You looked over at him, feeling the smirk tug at your lips. “You’re fun.”

“Thanks?”

“So if you don’t think you’re that nice, how would you describe yourself?”

“What is this? Speed dating?” He snorted.

“You want to talk about something else? Pick a better topic yourself,” you retorted. “We’re stuck in here for like two more hours.”

“That’s not what I meant,” he quickly went to smooth the conversation over, his tone turning pleasant again. “I just meant… I don’t know how accurate a self-assessment like that would be. Wouldn’t you be biased about yourself? Positive or negative?”

“That’s the fun of it. Even if a person doesn’t describe themselves accurately, understanding how they see themselves can help you understand them a lot better.”

“How would you describe yourself then?”

“I asked you first.” You pointed out. It felt like it had been a long time since you checked the navigation, so you clicked Sungchan’s phone back on to see how much longer you had to go until your exit.

“Fine.” He hummed as he thought. “I like to think I’m… dependable. And a good friend. And patient—”

“That was our exit,” you said abruptly, staring at the constantly refreshing rerouting screen in front of you.

“What?”

“Well, fifty miles ago was our exit…” You winced, watching ‘288’ pass you by. Yours had been 238, apparently. You should’ve known that.

“We missed our exit?” Sungchan clarified.

“Fifty miles back, yeah.”

“And you just decided to tell me?”

“I just noticed! I thought it was 288!” You tried to defend yourself. “I told you not to make me navigate!”

He held a hand out towards you. “Give me the phone.”

“It’s rerouting, I’ll pay attention—”

“Y/N, give me the fucking phone.” His tone was low, with no room for arguing.

You meekly set it in his hand, dropping both your hands in your lap after. He cursed under his breath as he jerked the wheel over, cutting across three lanes of traffic—no turn signal—to narrowly make the next exit. Car horns followed his maneuver, but he ignored them.

“I’m sorry…” You muttered, unable to take the suffocating silence anymore. It was either apologize or tuck and roll, which was honestly still an option at this point.

“Text everyone, let them know we’ll be late,” Sungchan demanded, knuckles red and white around the wheel.

“Okay.” You scrambled to pull out your own phone. “What time should I tell them?”

“Eight.”

You gaped. “Three hours?!”

“Yes, Y/N, we’re on the other side of the fucking mountain now!” He finally snapped and raised his voice, and your eyes went wide. “We can’t just drive through it to get there!”

You took a deep breath, holding his eye contact for a tense, strangling moment before you looked down at your phone to draft your text.

[you: hey guys! uhm, due to an unfortunate series of events, sungchan and i will be a bit late! new eta 8pm]

[anton: did y’all crash or smth wtf]

Again, a separate text from Donghyuck.

[hyuck: i said be nice not fuck him nasty in the backseat for three hours what is wrong with you]

[you: shut UP]

Back in your vacation group chat, you figured you owed everyone an explanation that alleviated Sungchan of any blame.

[you: completely my fault! i’m apparently the worst navigator ever and we missed our exit :/ ]

[rina: damn y/n maintaining the stereotype that women are bad drivers even when backseat driving]

[ningning: the patriarchy thanks u for ur service queen 🫡]

[jeno: i hate when you guys start joking like this, wtf are we supposed to say without looking like assholes]

[hyuck: pour one out for y/n, it must be so hard holding open the gender pay gap like the doors of a subway car all by herself too]

[mark: bro 😭😭😭]

[you: i wish all of you a very fall down the mountain and die <3]

And one more private text from Donghyuck.

[hyuck: okay that’s how i know you didn’t get dicked down]

[hyuck: damn, you really are bad at reading directions huh]

[you: IM BLOCKING YOU]

Sungchan cleared his throat, and you slowly lowered your phone to look over at him again. He smoothly took a curve on the backroad that you were now on, one lane in each direction, that cut between the mountains with trees jutting up on either side of you.

“I’m sorry, Y/N,” Sungchan breathed out, readjusting in his seat. “For yelling at you just now. That’s not… like me.”

“Because you’re so nice?” You couldn’t bite your tongue quick enough, still put off from the spat you’d just had.

“I… guess so,” he sighed. “I don’t know. I don’t know where that came from, honest. I’m really sorry.”

“I told you I shouldn’t navigate.”

“Yeah, I know that now.”

“I’m really, really sorry for missing the exit. I should’ve been paying attention better,” you shouldered the blame that was yours.

“238 and 288 look almost the same. Easy mistake.”

“That added three hours to our drive,” you sighed, leaning your seat back.

“It’s done, no use pointing fingers at each other anymore,” Sungchan shook his head, tapping his thumbs on the steering wheel. “Or yourself.”

“Do you even have enough gas for another three hours? We’re not going to get stuck out here, are we?”

“I’ll stop at the next station I see.”

“How far is the next station?” You mumbled, pulling up your phone to search it up on your own. “Fifty-two miles. How much gas do we have?”

“A hundred miles on the range. See? We’re fine.” Sungchan’s smile dropped off his face right after he said that. “Huh…”

“What?” You sat up as he reached over to put the hazards on and pulled the car off onto the shoulder. “What’s going on?”

“Low tire pressure light,” he frowned. “I checked my tires before I grabbed you from your place. Give me a sec.”

He left the car running as he hopped out, and you watched as he walked around the car, squatting down to inspect each of the tires. Finally, he walked up to your window. You rolled it down to talk to him.

“Back right tire has a nail in it. Slow leak,” he explained. “I’ve got to change it.”

“Aren’t you not supposed to drive spares in certain conditions?” You asked as he reached through the open window to unlock and open the door. “Like on a mountain road or whatever?”

With the door open, he rolled the window back up and reached past you to turn the car off, taking the key out of the ignition. “The road’s paved, it’s not like it’s gravel or anything. I’ll have to drive careful and drive slow on the spare, but it’s either that or we’re stranded out here.”

You eyed the sun that was already descending behind the mountains. “Right. Spare it is.”

“Need you to hold the flashlight if you don’t mind.” He opened the glove box in front of you, rooting around and grabbing a flashlight the length of your forearm.

You accepted it from him. “Got it.”

Sungchan took the tools out of the trunk, as well as the spare tire. He first lifted the car up with the jack, and you became acutely aware of how abandoned the road that you were on really was as not a single other car passed by the entire time. Sungchan stood back up once the car was up to peel off his flannel, tossing it into the trunk with the rest of the tools and the spare waiting to be used.

“Y/N.”

“Huh?” You looked down at where he had gotten back on the ground.

“I need to see the lug nuts, not my arms.”

“Sorry.” You shuffled behind him to be able to point the beam directly on the tire instead of where it had drifted to his mostly bare arms under his t-shirt.

“Much better. Thanks.”

You watched as his hands skillfully unscrewed the lug nuts from the tire with the wrench, holding the first two behind him. “Hold these for me?”

“Oh, sure.” You held your hand out for him to drop them into your palm.

Once you had all five in hand, Sungchan pulled the flat off the car and swapped it out for the spare. You tried not to listen to the darkened forest behind you.

“Lug nuts?” He held his hand up from where he was laying on the ground. You deposited a couple back into his hand for him to screw on at a time.

As he alternated between tightening the nuts and lowering the car down off the jack, you dutifully kept the flashlight pointed on the area he was working on. Finally, the car was back on the ground, and he took the jack out from under it. He rolled the old tire around until he could point out the head of a nail embedded in the tread.

“There’s the little fucker.” Sungchan clicked his tongue before he heaved the tire up into the back. He put away all the tools too, then wiped away beads of sweat that had gathered under his bangs with the hem of his shirt.

He grabbed his flannel, tossing it over his shoulder before he shut the hatch on the trunk. He then turned to you with a bright smile and held his hand up for a high-five. “Alright!”

You high-fived him back mindlessly, pointing the flashlight at your feet now. “I didn’t do anything…”

“What are you talking about? I would’ve been fumbling around in the dark without you.” He nodded his head towards the front of the car. “Come on, we’re going to be late as is. We need to find that gas station. Hopefully they’re open late.”

“Hopefully…”

[you: NEW new eta idfk]

[you: we got a flat and need to fill up again]

[you: we might die out here. if this is my last message, just know that i still wish you all a very fall down the mountain and die <3]

[rina: aw ily2 pookie <33]

[you: sungchan probably says hi or smth]

Hyuck texted you individually again.

[hyuck: oh i know that car smells RANK 🫵🫵🫵]

[you: bitch this tire is as flat as YOUR ASS]

[hyuck: so it’s caked up??? my point is made 😌]

[you: delusion]

“The stars are really pretty out here,” Sungchan’s voice took you away from your phone.

He wasn’t driving as fast as before on account of the spare, making your trip even longer. You looked out the windshield in front of you, at a small patch of sky that you could see peeking out in between the mountains and trees. It was hundreds, if not thousands of stars, infinitely more than you could ever hope to see on a perfectly clear night in the city.

“Wow.” You leaned your arms and head forward on the dash to see it better. “That’s crazy…”

“I bet we’ll see even more once we get to the cabin.”

“If we don’t die out here first,” you half-joked. “How much gas do we have?”

“Sixty miles. And the station should be another ten.”

“Online didn’t have any hours for it…” You muttered. “And this is kind of rural…”

“Which means the owner might live on the property, or they have someone work a night shift for weary travelers just like us.”

“Weary travelers?” You repeated with amusement. “You make it sound like we’re going on some long journey and are seeking lodging at an inn.”

“Some of that’s true.”

“Yeah, yeah. And I won’t knock the weary part either.” You laid back in your seat again, letting out a yawn.

“Take a nap,” Sungchan encouraged you. “We’ll still have a while to drive after refilling, especially since we’re driving slow with the spare.”

“I would, but if the station is open, I gotta pee…” You whispered. “And it’s only like ten miles.”

“Then take a nap after.”

Finally, there was a building in the distance, and miraculously, when Sungchan pulled up to the lone gas pump, the lights inside were even on.

“Sungchan?” You walked around to where he was filling up the car.

“Yeah?” He looked over at you from where he had been watching the numbers on the meter go up.

“Uhm, can you go in with me? Into the store?” You asked almost sheepishly. “I just—”

“Of course.” He agreed with no hesitation, nodding towards the building for you to lead the way. The gas continued pumping on its own as he walked away, and you grabbed his arm as you approached the front door. He didn’t say anything as he opened the door for the two of you.

The attendant behind the counter didn’t even look up from his phone at the two of you as you entered. There was exactly one bathroom at the very back of the small convenience store, and Sungchan walked you back through the cramped aisles of snacks. When you were done, he was waiting just outside the door where you’d left him.

“Good?” He asked quietly, offering you the same arm that you’d taken in the parking lot.

You took it gladly. “Good.”

Sungchan gave the store employee a nod of acknowledgement as the two of you left, and the man once again didn’t even look up at you. Back at the car, the gas had clicked off on its own, and Sungchan replaced the pump. He walked you to the passenger side, opening your door and ushering you in, closing it firmly behind you before getting in on his side and locking it behind him.

“Good?” He asked you again.

“Good,” you confirmed, and he started the car up.

Back on the road, the darkness all around you, steady rumble of the pavement under you, and music Sungchan had playing at a low volume was slowly lulling you back towards sleep again. You let out a rather obvious, violent yawn, not even having enough in you to slap your hand over your mouth all that quick.

“Go to sleep, Y/N,” Sungchan said again.

“But you’ve got to drive more,” you argued. “Who’s going to keep you awake?”

“I’ve got it, promise.” He then chuckled to himself. “You’ve yapped, now it’s time to nap.”

“Mm, alright.” You curled up in your reclined seat as best you could, letting your eyes flutter shut. “Wake me up if you need entertainment to stay awake. Love a good car sing-along…”

Your eyes and limbs still felt heavy and sluggish with sleep when you woke up later that night, and you pulled your blanket tighter to you as you tried to settle back in. You took a deep breath in through your nose, and then immediately remembered that you did not go to sleep with a blanket on you, and that this definitely was not yours that was on you right now. You felt at the material bunched in your hand again and recognized it as an article of clothing of some sort, not a blanket. Slowly opening one eye, you saw that it was a big hoodie, the arms wrapped around your shoulders so it didn’t fall off.

You shifted in your seat again, sitting up a little more as you looked at the hoodie that was draped over you a little closer.

“Hey, are you waking up?” Sungchan asked quietly from beside you.

You looked over at him, squinting. “Mm… mhm.”

“Good, we’re almost there. I’d say ten minutes,” he informed you.

“What… time is it?”

“A little after nine.”

“Ugh…” You dropped your head back against the seat. “Feels like two in the morning.”

“I know what you mean,” he chuckled. “I’m going to be ready to sleep as soon as we get there too.”

“Yeah, but you were like driving and changing tires and stuff. I was... whatever the opposite of a passenger princess is, the whole time. A passenger nuisance.”

“You held the flashlight. That was a very important job.”

“I’m going to pretend like that didn’t feel patronizing and say thanks.”

“We both had a long night, Y/N. Being tired is warranted, for everyone involved.”

“Thanks, Sungchan.”

“You’re welcome.”

“No, not just for that.” You were interrupted by another yawn as you went to put the back of your seat upright again. “For… driving me, and apologizing for snapping at me earlier, and changing the tire, and walking me to the bathroom, and for the hoodie. You’re…”

“Nice?” He seemed to be bracing himself for the word.

“A good guy.”

“Oh.”

You didn’t say anything else, readjusting his hoodie on you as he continued driving. Finally, he pulled off the road into a driveway, and a cabin came into view. All the lights were on, and he stopped behind a few other cars that you recognized: Mark’s, Jaemin’s, and Karina’s.

The two of you had just started taking your stuff out of the trunk when some of your friends met you outside.

“You survived!” Jaemin cheered.

“Barely,” you groaned, reaching for your pillow.

“What happened to your tire, dude?” Mark asked Sungchan.

“Got a nail in it somewhere,” he explained, taking his phone out to shine the flashlight on it. As they looked it over and talked about the car, the others grabbed both yours and Sungchan’s stuff to take into the cabin.

“So, before you guys got a flat, how exactly did you manage to read the map on your phone so wrong you added three hours to the drive?” Jeno questioned you, your duffel bag slung over his shoulder.

“Our exit was 238, I misread it, thought it was 288,” you explained with a sigh. “We ended up on the wrong side of the mountain and had to go back around.”

“Damn, it’s a good thing you were with Sungchan when you did that,” Anton laughed, dragging Sungchan’s suitcase in. “Anybody else probably would’ve lost their shit on you.”

“He did.”

Everyone who was within earshot turned to look at you.

“What?” Anton blinked.

“I mean, he didn’t like, go crazy or anything, but he was angry.”

“We’re talking about the same guy, right? Jung Sungchan, right over there?” Hyuck pointed to where Sungchan and Mark were still chatting by the cars further down the driveway. “He got like, actually mad at you?”

“Uh-huh,” you confirmed. “Raised his voice, yelled, whatever word you want to use. Cursed, too.”

“I’ve never even seen him get like, frustrated…” Shotaro whistled.

Hyuck looked between you and Sungchan in disbelief. “What the hell?”

“He apologized,” you added what felt like a pretty important detail.

“I’m sure he did,” Anton snorted, opening the front door. “I’m kind of surprised he’s not still like, begging for your forgiveness.”

“He apologized for getting upset, I apologized for missing the exit, we moved on.” You shrugged, stepping into the cabin. “And the sky didn’t fall.”

“Yet.” Hyuck scoffed. “Who knows, hell might freeze over before we wake up.”

“Speaking of, where exactly are we all sleeping?”

The next morning, you slipped out of the king size bed that you, Karina, and Ningning were all sharing and treaded down the darkened hallway as quietly as possible. The sun hadn’t risen yet, and you winced when a floorboard creaked underfoot as you passed behind the pull-out couch that Shotaro and Anton had crashed on.

There was already light pouring out of the kitchen when you got there, and a tall figure was standing in front of the stove, a tea kettle on one of the old coil burners. Sungchan was illuminated by the stove light, and turned around when he heard the shuffling of your socks across the tile. It looked like he had already showered and gotten dressed, his hair a little damp as it hung in his eyes, and he was in a fresh t-shirt, shorts, and pair of sneakers.

“You’re up early,” he commented, keeping his voice low to not disturb the others in the next room.

“You too,” you replied just as softly.

The kettle began whistling just then, and he immediately flipped open the spout to stop the noise, taking it off the stove. He opened a nearby cabinet to grab a mug.

“Tea?” He offered. “I’m not a big coffee guy…”

“Sure,” you accepted, and he took a second mug down. “What kind?”

Sungchan went to a different cabinet to get a box of tea sachets. “Green.”

He dropped a tea bag into each mug, then poured the boiling water over them. He handed you your mug before leaning against a spot by the sink.

“Thanks.” You wrapped your hands contentedly around the warm drink.

You lifted your bag up and down by the string, letting it steep as your eyes blinked open and closed, your mind still coming to in the early morning hours. Outside the cabin, you could hear birds singing as the forest woke up too, and you smiled to yourself at the thought.

“So, uh—” Sungchan cleared his throat awkwardly. “What’s the difference between a nice guy and a good guy?”

You opened your eyes, lifting your head to look up at him, slightly amused. You hoped this hadn’t kept him up last night. “A nice guy wouldn’t have yelled at me in the first place.”

“Oh.” He looked a bit ashamed, and also like he might try to apologize again.

“But that also would’ve made no opportunity for you to apologize,” you continued. “A nice guy is just nice. A good guy can admit when he’s wrong, because he actually is wrong sometimes. But he fixes it after.”

“Huh…” Sungchan took another sip of his tea. “Are you a philosophy student or something? Gender studies?”

“No.” You laughed. “Just a compulsive vibe-harsher, like I said.”

“I don’t know how being smart harshes the vibe.”

“I… find it hard to take things at face value. I always have to evaluate them through some lens. It’s tough for me to live in the moment, I guess. Doesn’t always make me the most fun at parties.”

“You can’t be that much of a bummer, they keep inviting you places.” He had finished his tea, and turned around to wash out the mug before setting it aside to dry. “I’ve got to go, I found a place that’ll look at my tire. I called and they’re open on Saturdays.”

“I’ll go with you,” you offered. “If you want some company…”

“It’s on the other side of the mountain,” he informed you. “It’ll be an all-day thing, you should hang out here with everyone. I think Hyuck said they were going to take the boat out.”

“But then you’ll be all alone and bored in the car all day.” You tilted your head. “If you just don’t want me to come, tell me. I’ll be okay.”

“No, Y/N, I’d appreciate the company, but are you sure you want to be stuck in the car with me all day again?”

“Just don’t make me navigate and we’ll be good.”

“Never again,” he smiled. “You’ll be there purely for entertainment.”

“Great, let me get changed.”

“Aw, I thought the jammies were cute,” Sungchan snickered, and for the first time that morning you processed what you were wearing.

A pair of Sanrio character-patterned sleep shorts that were originally from a pajama set (the matching button-up top had long disappeared), well-loved, and a big t-shirt that your dad had gotten from his work when you were high school, worn in with a couple holes in one of the sleeves and another low on the bottom hem—not in any scandalous areas, hence why you hadn’t retired it yet, but definitely not your finest attire.

“Shut up!” You hissed, putting your mug down on the counter to cross your arms over your chest. “I’m changing!”

[sungchan: going to get my tire fixed, y/n’s with me. car shop is on the other side of the mountain so we’ll be back late afternoon-ish]

[jeno: 👍]

“I wasn’t kidding, the pajamas were cute,” Sungchan chuckled as he pulled away from the cabin.

The backroads looked much more welcoming and pleasant in the daytime, all tall, green trees and beautiful mountain landscapes.

“Yeah, sure,” you snorted, taking over the aux first.

“Is my hoodie over there by the way?” He questioned, pointing to the passenger seat floor. “It wasn’t in my stuff yesterday, I thought it might’ve ended up on the floor or something.”

“Oh, sorry, I accidentally took it in with me,” you informed him, remembering when you had finally gotten settled into your room late last night and realized you’d brought the article of clothing in with you in the midst of the hecticness. “I’ll give it back to you when we get back to the cabin after this.”

“Don’t worry about it, just wondering where it went.” He waved you off nonchalantly, eyes focused on the road as he navigated a curve.

But you weren’t going to let him chalant around that so easily. “And what does that mean, Sungchan?”

“I like that hoodie and didn’t want to have lost it on a mountain in the middle of nowhere?”

“So, if I were to give it back to you and start borrowing, oh, I don’t know, Jeno’s hoodie…?���

“That’d be weird, because you have a perfectly good one,” he replied simply.

“Mhm…”

“And clearly, I’m trying to establish my dominance over the other males and stake my unofficial claim over you by having you wear my clothes,” he looked over at you, voice dripping with sarcasm.

You held his eye contact for a moment before you both burst out laughing. “What?!”

“Sorry, I tried my hand at harshing the vibe like you,” his eyes crinkled as he laughed. “Just sounded like a fucking weirdo, huh?”

“A bit, yeah.” You wheezed as you tried to catch your breath. “You also can’t sound that sarcastic when you do it. People have to believe that you believe what you’re saying.”

“I didn’t though. I mean, not completely. I think.”

“Either commit to the bit or don’t.”

He frowned thoughtfully. “But… wouldn’t that have made you feel weird? What I just said?”

“Oh yeah, I don’t buy into all that alpha male social hierarchy bullshit. It’s based off one study on a pack of wolves that’s been debunked multiple times.” You shook your head. “But the second part wasn’t an incorrect analysis of flirting and dating dynamics.”

“Damn, you’re good at that,” he chuckled fondly.

“I didn’t know that Donghyuck was setting us up, by the way,” you felt the need to clarify in that moment. “Not until… right before I apologized?”

“I kind of worked that out eventually,” he sighed. “He should’ve told you, by the way.”

“Yeah, then maybe I would’ve been fucking normal.”

“Probably not.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“I mean, it was unfair to you to have been in the dark like that.”

“That’s… generous. Here I thought it was unfair to you to have been subjected to me like that.”

“I was a bit confused as to why Donghyuck told me he had the perfect person for me and then every time I talked to you, you either ran away or seemed to hate me for no good reason,” he admitted.

“I truly wonder what his thought process was…” You mused. “He meets you playing pickup basketball, you turn out to be nicest guy he’s ever met, and his first thought is to introduce you to me? Weird.”

“Why is that weird?” Sungchan tilted his head. “I think you’re cool.”

“I mean, I’m not nice. Or, it’s definitely not one of my defining characteristics. Wouldn’t you want to set up your two nicest single friends with each other?”

“They might get bored of each other,” he muttered.

You looked at him curiously. “Do you think you’re boring, Sungchan?”

He shrugged. “Isn’t that what people say? ‘Oh he’s… a nice guy.’ When they can’t think of anything else about you because you’re boring.”

“I’ve had plenty of fun with you,” you assured him. “Including being stuck in a car with you for six hours and getting a flat tire.”

“I haven’t exactly been my usual self with you…” He confessed quietly.

“Oh?”

“I don’t get upset with people, or tease them like this, or say weird stuff to try to harsh the vibe on purpose.”

You couldn’t help but let out a peal of laughter. “Maybe you are usually pretty boring, then.”

“I think… because you’ve already seen me get mad, and we got past that, I feel like I can try out being things other than nice with you?” He seemed to have been picking his words very carefully. “Does that make sense?”

“Yeah, Sungchan, it makes sense,” you affirmed. “Are you seriously saying you don’t joke around with the others?”

“I joke around, but I’m not really like… sarcastic, I guess. I don’t want to say something and hurt someone’s feelings either because they didn’t get that it was a joke, or even if they did, because it went too far.”

“That’s fair, but… you have to trust people.”

“Coming from the woman who said she doesn’t trust hot people?” He questioned pointedly.

“Okay, fair,” you chuckled. “But hear me out.”

“Go for it.”

“If your friend said or did something that hurt your feelings, and you didn’t tell them that directly, would you expect them to know?”

He seemed to think about this for a moment, then shook his head. “No, they can’t read my mind. I would need to tell them so we can talk about it.”

“Then why do you have higher standards for yourself as a friend than you have for your friends?”

Sungchan’s mouth dropped open, then closed, then opened again, then closed once more as he frowned deeply, his brows knitting together.

You continued, “You have to trust your friends to tell you when they’re hurt by something you say or do. If you spend your whole life assuming what your friends’ feelings are instead actually letting them tell you, you’re just forcing your own expectations onto them without their input. And it’s also not fair to you to constantly be living your life trying to minimize all these perceived slights against people. Not to mention—sometimes someone’s feelings can get hurt and you didn’t really do anything wrong.”

He laughed nervously. “Not philosophy or gender studies grad student; I think I’m going to skip right over psychology and just go straight for all-knowing deity that can see straight into my soul?”

“Been thinking about updating my LinkedIn to Professional Yapper, but I think I like that better,” you grinned, handing his phone back over to him. “Your turn on the aux.”

“It’s fixable,” the tire shop owner confirmed. “Should take an hour or so. It’s just me and my son and we have a couple customers ahead of you. You and your girlfriend are welcome to wait here, or, you know, it’s lunchtime, there’s a restaurant that’s a five-minute walk down the road.”

He pointed in presumably the general direction of it.

“Right, uhm, here’s my number, in case we’re not here when it’s done.” Sungchan wrote his number down on a notepad on the front desk in the small tire shop.

The older man pulled the paper towards him, flashing the both of you a smile. “If you go to lunch, tell Mrs. Han I sent you.”

“Thank you.” He nodded to the man before you both stepped away from the counter, and the owner walked into the back where the cars were.

You looked up at Sungchan questioningly. “I could do lunch. Are you hungry?”

“Sure,” he agreed. “Beats sitting here for an hour. After sitting in the car for two days straight, I’d like to walk for a bit.”

There was of course no sidewalk, so the two of you had to walk on the shoulder of the road, the odd vehicle zipping by every so often and kicking up your hair. Sungchan kept himself between you and the road, meaning that you were on the grassier part of the shoulder, but you didn’t mind, taking the opportunity to look for wildflowers by your feet.

“Did we really look like a couple?” You asked, stopping to bend over and pick a yellow wildflower, then continued your walk.

“We were a man and woman alone in the middle of nowhere with car trouble,” Sungchan pointed out. “I don’t think the first assumption would be that we met a week ago.”

“Hm, fair.”

“He probably sees a lot of couples coming out here for romantic getaways breaking down or getting flats or whatever.”

“Sounds like the beginning of a horror movie…” You picked a stalk of small white flowers. “Or the first five minutes of a crime procedural.”

Sungchan grabbed a purple flower and held it out to you. “Truly a miracle that we survived.”

“Are you a mechanic or something?”

“Why? Because I know how to change a tire?”

You shrugged. “It’s a guess. You guessed that I was a philosophy student because I like to yap.”

“Not a mechanic.”

“You going to make me keep guessing?”

“I’ve guessed what you do three times now and you’ve yet to tell me.” He elbowed you. “I think you can handle a little more suspense about me.”

You swatted his arm away. “I don’t know if all-knowing deity should really count…”

“I was being so serious, hand on my heart.” He laid his hand over his chest dramatically.

“Well, I know it’s not pro basketball player,” you hummed teasingly. “Anton says you suck.”

“My three-pointer could use some work…”

“Pretty much our whole complex is grad students or young professionals... Are you in school?”

“You haven’t given me any hints.”

“You haven’t asked for any.”

He watched you step a little further from the road to get a pink flower from a patch before rejoining him. “I’ll answer if you answer.”

“A bargain?” You grinned, taking your gaze off the blue flowers that you had been eyeing up ahead of you and turning it up to Sungchan next to you. “I’ll take it. You first.”

“I’m a student. Your turn.”

“Both,” you answered. “I take night classes.”

“I have to guess two things for you?”

“What do we win if we guess right, anyway?” You asked.

“Y/N...” Sungchan stared you down at you avoiding his question.

“Fine, if you can guess one, I’ll tell you the other,” you acquiesced. “So what’s the prize?”

“Winning isn’t enough?” He questioned.

“You’re the one who turned it into a game.”

“Pretty sure you’re the one who did that, but okay,” he teased back. “I don’t know, what do you think it should it be? You suggested a prize.”

You hummed, stepping away from the road to reach for a bright blue flower, having to lean over to one side as the ground sloped down steeply in this area. A few pieces of gravel under your feet tumbled downhill, and Sungchan grabbed your forearm that was close to him to balance you as you picked the flower. Still hunched over, using your new stability with his hold on you to stretch your arm even further out towards a pretty orange one, you suggested, “Winner picks our first date when we get back home?”

“Date?” He echoed, his grip slipping on you for a moment.

You yelped as you nearly lost your balance, and Sungchan barely caught you from tumbling down the hillside, jerking you back towards him. You landed on your ass at his feet, huffing as you looked up at him.

“Sorry,” he said sheepishly, moving to offer you a hand up.

You took it, standing back up and brushing yourself off. Picking the orange wildflower first, you then threatened, “If you push me down this mountain for real, I’m taking you with me.”

“Yeah, that’s deserved,” he chuckled. “I was just, uhm, surprised.”

“Donghyuck tried to set us up—failed stupendously, which I mean, it’s Hyuck, what’s new?—but we’ve been flirting, I have your hoodie, unless something goes terribly wrong in the next two weeks, that would be the next step, right?” You pointed out. “I wasn’t planning on overanalyzing this but…”

Sungchan let out a round of giggles, his whole face scrunching up as he laughed. “Oh… you don’t know how relieved I am right now to hear you overanalyze that for me.”

“What…?”

“No offense, but it’s a bit hard to tell when you’re analyzing and when you’re flirting,” he admitted, still looking at you with a wide, fond grin. “I mean, this all literally started with you calling me stupidly hot and that somehow being a bad thing.”

You pursed your lips ruefully. “I can see how that might’ve been confusing…”

“No, it’s great,” he chuckled. “You’re great.”

Finally sitting in a booth in the small roadside restaurant, which only had a handful of other customers, the two of you had put in your orders with Mrs. Han and were sipping on your drinks as you went back to your guessing game from the walk.

“We have to guess before we get back to the cabin,” you determined, folding your hands in front of you. “Other people there know us. They might say something.”

Sungchan nodded from across the table. “Good point. Time limit, I like it.”

“Business major. MBA,” you started immediately.

“What? No,” he snorted incredulously.

“It’s basically Undeclared for people who don’t want to disappoint their parents, I had to guess it, sorry.”

“Literature, writing, MFA, something in there?”

“No, and that was like two guesses, so I get two this time.” You clicked your tongue. “Master’s in education, focus in coaching pedagogy.”

“That was one?”

“Yeah.”

“No.”

“Okay, my second: International Relations.”

“No.” He cracked his knuckles. “I’m switching gears, because you seem to know a lot of degrees off the top of your head. You work in the Registrar’s Office?”

“No.”

“Damn! Wait, no, you’re an academic advisor?”

“Nope.”

“Graduate advisor.”

“No, and that was three in a row, Sungchan,” you pointed out humorously.

“I know. Alright, your three?”

“Can I ask a question to narrow it down instead?”

He squinted suspiciously. “What kind of question?”

“To help me narrow the field down. I won’t ask you to tell me the field, they’ll still be yes or no questions.”

“Yes, only if I can ask you the same.”

“It’d only be fair,” you confirmed. “STEM?”

“No.”

“Oh thank God,” you let out a groan of relief.

He laughed. “What’s wrong with people in STEM fields?”

“Listen, love a woman in STEM,” you defended yourself. “Men in STEM… they’re… how do I put this nicely? Insufferable know-it-alls?”

“That’s putting it nicely?”

“Yup.” You took a sip of your drink. “Don’t tell me it’s Finance either…”

“No.”

“Okay, I have one more…” You tapped your finger to your chin. “Is it a Fine Art?”

“No.” Sungchan looked down at the small bunch of flowers that you had set aside on the table. “What are you going to do with those?”

You shrugged. “I don’t know. Look at them for a while. Take pretty pictures for my Instagram. Toss them eventually, I guess. They’re not gonna live forever.”

Selecting one of the little pink flowers, you reached across the table to tuck it behind Sungchan’s ear. “There.”

He touched the flower, a similar shade of pink dusting his cheeks. “Thanks.”

“Your turn to guess.”

“STEM?”

“Math is my worst enemy, numbers were invented to harm me personally,” you retorted. “No.”

“I should’ve known,” he teased.

Mrs. Han brought your food out then, and you both thanked her before she bustled off to take care of a family that had just walked in. There was a pause in your conversation as you started eating. The food was delicious, and as you took another sip to wash it down, you looked out the window next to your table.

“The view is just crazy here,” you gushed, taking in the mountainside dotted with more colorful patches of wildflowers. You patted your pocket for your phone, then frowned when you couldn’t find it. “Where’s my—”

Wordlessly, Sungchan picked it up from the tabletop and held it out to you. You smiled at him. “Oh, thanks! Didn’t even see it.”

After taking a few pictures, you set your phone back down and returned to your guessing game. “Law?”

He shook his head, still chewing, and wiped his face before speaking with a clear mouth. “Nope. Are your job and what you’re studying related at all?”

“Yes.”

“Huh. I don’t think that actually helped me at all.”

“Education?”

“Mm, yes to the field, but I will make you narrow it down further,” Sungchan acquiesced.

You beamed at having finally gotten closer. “So I was on the right track with my second guess!”

“Are you doing a Fine Art?”

“No. Master’s in Early Childhood Education?”

He let out a soft chuckle as he sat back in the booth, holding his hands up in surrender. “You win.”

“Yes!” You cheered quietly, pumping a fist victoriously at eye level. “I was going to start at Early Childhood and keep going up in age bracket until I got a yes.”

“So?” He prompted you. “What do you do?”

“Right now, I’m a primary school teacher and I tutor on the side for some extra cash.” You watched his eyes grow wide as you revealed this. “And I’m taking a mix of night classes and online classes to get my degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies.”

“And that’s a…?”

“Doctorate.”

“Wow…” He breathed out. “Donghyuck really didn’t tell me anything about you before dragging me over to you at his party but uh—”

“Maybe he figured he’s got one friend who is a teacher and one who wants to be a teacher, might as well?” You suggested with humor in your tone, reaching for your glass.

“Yeah, maybe,” he laughed, his eyes sparkling as he kept looking at you.

When you and Sungchan finally got back to the cabin, you found it entirely devoid of your other friends.

“No welcoming party this time?” You scoffed, gesturing to the empty living room. “Now I’m thinking we should just keep the free fudge Mrs. Han gave us all to ourselves.”

“Hyuck did say they were going to take the boat out,” Sungchan reminded you, placing the bag containing said free fudge onto the kitchen counter. “And there’s no way the two of us could eat all that by ourselves before they got back.”

You made a small ‘hmph’ sound, moving to the large sliding glass door in the living room that afforded a view of the lake. The sun glistened off the water, and from here you couldn’t even see the next closest neighbor.

“Do you want to go down to the dock?” Sungchan suggested, joining you by the door. “They took the boat, but that doesn’t mean we’re stuck inside.”

“So,” Sungchan followed you down the pathway from the back porch down to the dock. “Once you have your degree, do you still want to be a teacher?”

“Yeah, my kids are why I’m getting it in the first place,” you explained, carefully picking your way down the steep decline. “I want to be able to advocate on behalf of them better, and understand what’s going on when the people who aren’t teachers are making decisions that affect us.”

“What year do you teach?”

“I provide supplemental curricula for all ages. Reading and writing mostly.” You peeked back at him over your shoulder. “Do you have an age you want to teach?”

A giddy smile tugged at his lips. “Little ones. Preschool. They’re so… Everything’s new to them. It’s so much fun seeing the world like that.”

“Yeah, it is.” You could feel that you were smiling too, turning your eyes back down to watch your step.

Soon, you were down on the dock, laid out on your towel as you enjoyed a puddle of sunlight, listening to the sounds of Sungchan splashing around in the water in front of you.

“You’re going to get skin cancer like that.”

Propping yourself up on one elbow, you looked over your sunglasses at where Sungchan had climbed back up the ladder and was sitting on the edge of the dock, pushing his wet hair out of his face. Like you’d said before, stupidly attractive.

“You literally helped me apply my sunscreen,” you drawled pointedly, recalling when he’d so coyly offered to help you get your back. Pushing your sunglasses back into place, you laid down again. “If I do, it’s your fault.”

You could hear him stand up and walk towards you. “I’ve never understood laying in the sun like that. Don’t you get all sweaty?”

“Haven’t you heard? I’m cold-blooded,” you replied humorously.

“Well, do you think you can survive one swim, or will your blood turn sludge in your veins as soon as you touch water?”

You snickered, finally sitting up. “Fine, fine, I’ll get in.”

Sungchan watched you get to your feet, then offered his hand out. You eyed it suspiciously.

“I’m getting in,” you promised, pointing to the ladder.

He offered his hand more insistently. “It’s not that bad. Jump in with me.”

You sighed, grabbing his hand. “Fine.”

Stepping up the edge of the dock with him, he swung your clasped hands in time as he counted, “One, two—”

“Three!” You finished, pulling him forward with you.

He rushed to bring his other hand up to plug his nose as you careened the both of you off the dock and into the lake. The water surged up around you, cool but not cold, not too warm to be gross, just refreshing enough. You squeezed your eyes shut as you went under, and let go of Sungchan’s hand so you could paddle back up to the surface. Wiping the water from your eyes, you laughed as he immediately pointed an accusatory finger at you.

“Dragging your heels only to pull me off!” He was grinning too.

“I’m sorry, did I see you plugging your nose?” You teased back. “At your big age?”

“I’m not getting a brain-eating amoeba, thank you,” he retorted. “You were asleep, but there was this billboard we passed on our way here warning people about it.”

“But do you know how to blow nose bubbles, Sungchan?”

“Well, no.”

“Okay, mini-swim lesson,” you declared, waving him closer. “Come on, I used to teach water safety to little kids. If I can teach a two-year-old to stop snorting water, I believe in you.”

“You taught swim lessons?”

“Yeah, it was my first job, in high school.” You locked back into instructing. “You can blow your nose, right?”

He looked at you blankly. “Yes.”

“Hey, some people have body awareness issues, it’s always better to ask.” You held your hands up defensively. “So, same mechanics, air goes out into the water, keep your mouth closed, and don’t inhale through your nose right after while it’s still underwater.”

You did a small demonstration for him, only submerging from your chin to your nose, letting out a slow stream of bubbles. Bringing your face back up, you added, “And try not to exhale all at once.”

Sungchan mirrored your actions, lowering his face until his nose was underwater, slowly exhaling. He uncertainly lifted his head again after, eyes on you.

You smiled and clapped your hands. “Yay! There we go!”

“That was... weirdly easy.” He immediately did it again.

“Now you just have to think about doing it all the time, until you don’t have to think about doing it.” You rolled over onto your back, relaxing as you floated. “Then you’ll never have to worry about plugging your nose again.”

“If you used to be a swim instructor, why didn’t you want to swim?” Sungchan followed after you curiously as you drifted away.

“Because then I do stuff like give grown men lessons on how to blow nose bubbles.”

“That was helpful.”

“And—” You popped up to tread water again, facing Sungchan. “I kind of hate lakes. And oceans. Anything that I can’t see the bottom in, and where stuff lives. Like fish, or brain-eating amoebas. I like my pools.”

His face fell. “Oh, well we can get out—”

“I said kind of,” you cut him off. “I don’t mind, because you wanted to swim, and I’m having fun with you.”

“But—”

“Sungchan.” You held his gaze steadily, keeping your voice calm, inquisitive even. “Have you ever done something you don’t really care for, because your friends or family wanted to?”

“Well, yeah.”

“They’re worth it?”

“Of course.”

You tilted your head with a knowing smile. “So are you.”

His face flushed with what you knew wasn’t the heat of the sun. “Oh...”

The sound of a boat motor in the distance caught your attention. Coming around a bend in the trees was, in fact, a boat, and while you couldn’t make out any individual faces at this distance, the fact that it was headed right towards you, and several of the figures were jumping and waving at you, you could guess that it held all your friends.

“Well, there’s everyone,” you laughed, heading back towards the dock.

Some days later, you were contentedly relaxed in a hammock that had been suspended between two trees in the spacious backyard of the cabin, humming along to a song playing from Ningning’s phone as you half-listened to whatever juicy piece of gossip that the other two were divulging. A cool night breeze passed over your bare arms and legs, pricking up goosebumps in its wake, and you shivered.

“I’m going to grab a sweater or something,” you declared, getting down from the hammock. Picking up your empty drink can from the table nearby, you added, “Not to mention, I’m out of seltzer.”

“Can you see if we have any more chocolate-covered pretzels?” Karina requested.

“Sure.” You grabbed some of the other trash to take in with you.

You passed by the guys playing video games in the living room as you headed for the kitchen, tossing the garbage out first. After throwing on a hoodie from your room, you went back into the living room, fully intending on checking the kitchen for Karina’s snack. Instead, you were met by a desperate, raucous chorus of yells of your name.

“Hm?” You looked up at the guys questioningly, stopping in your tracks.

Mark waved you over fervently. “Come here! We need an even number.”

“What are you guys playing?” You took a hesitant step closer, eyes scrutinizing the game menu.

“Don’t worry about it, it’s a button masher, super easy,” Shotaro reassured you, grabbing your arm and pulling you into the living room. “Sungchan’s not even half-bad at it.”

“Yeah, you can uh, you can even be on Sungchan’s team,” Hyuck said, exchanging a mischievous grin with a couple of your other friends.

“Okay,” you shrugged, plopping down into the space that Sungchan had made for you between him and the arm of the couch. A controller was pushed into your hand. Karina’s pretzels could wait.

“This moves your character around, this one is to jump, this one is to attack, this one is to shield,” Sungchan quietly explained the controls to you as the others started assigning teams, hands hovering over yours on the controller. “There’s some other special moves, but those are the basics. Just uh, stay away from Hyuck.”

You nodded. “Got it.”

“Nice hoodie by the way,” he added, much softer.

“Thanks...” You murmured back, well aware that you were wearing his from the car.

“Alright!” Jaemin announced loudly. “Let’s do it!”

Now, you didn’t exactly consider yourself a gamer. In fact, you spent most of the time either running away from the other guys, or at one point, accidentally falling off the level and losing a life all on your own. You couldn’t even tell if you were even really helping Sungchan at all. But it was fun, and you were kind of maybe starting to get a hang of the controls by the end of the round. To your surprise, the two characters that popped up as winners, however, were yours and Sungchan’s.

“We won?” You questioned, looking at Sungchan in surprise.

“Looks like we did,” he confirmed, smiling down at the controller in his hand.

“Hell yeah!” You held a hand up for him to high five.

“Sungchan, what the hell?” Shotaro smacked his arm from his other side.

“Since when have you been good at video games?” Jaemin interjected from the other couch.

“Have you been sucking on purpose this whole time and just decided to reveal that you were good now?” Mark questioned accusatorily.

“Yeah, we were joking when we said he was only half-bad at this game, he’s actually ass at it,” Anton clarified to you, making you roll your eyes at their apparent plan to give you the worst player.

“Sorry Y/N, he’s on my team next,” Hyuck declared, bringing up the character selections and switching Sungchan’s team color to match his own.

“Hey, change that back,” Sungchan said, his voice level but firm.

Hyuck actually stopped in his tracks, looking back at Sungchan with wide eyes. He held his hands up in surrender.

Sungchan switched his team color back to match yours with no interference from the others. You lightly bumped your leg against his as the room chatter started back up. He bumped your leg back.

The next day, everyone went out on a hike. There was a slightly overgrown trail that went around the mountainside, taking lazy twists and turns through the trees. Said greenery provided you with plenty of shade, and concealed the lake below from you so well it almost felt like you had transported elsewhere. The trail was narrow, however, only fitting three people comfortably at its widest points, but usually only two, so your group was spread out thin along it.

Jaemin and Hyuck were up front, arguing about… something that you couldn’t parse out from your place all the way at the back. Turning to Sungchan beside you, you took your water bottle out of the side pocket of the backpack he was wearing. Somehow he had been burdened with most of the group’s supplies, and while you weren’t exactly doing any sort of survivalist stuff out here, you didn’t see why everyone couldn’t at least carry their own water bottles.

Taking a swig from your bottle, you kept it in your hand as you pointed at him accusingly, “You didn’t suddenly get good at that game out of nowhere last night, Sungchan.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “Ah, I mean…”

“Were you sucking on purpose so nobody’s feelings got hurt?”

“I didn’t suck. I was just sort of… okay.” He tried to explain. “I don’t know if it was on purpose, I guess I just didn’t care if everyone knew that I was the best? I’m just not super competitive, really.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen Hyuck speechless like that before either.” You laughed at the memory. “You don’t ever stand up for yourself with them like that, do you?”

“It’s not like they bully me or anything…”

“You just go with the flow?”

“Yeah, exactly,” he seemed to relax again at your words.

“I had fun playing on your team last night,” you said, taking another sip. “Win or lose. I’m glad you didn’t go with the flow that time.”

“Hey, hold still?” Sungchan requested, reaching a hand out towards your face.

You froze warily. “What is it? A bug?”

“No, no,” he reassured you, brushing your hair back from one side of your head, then the other. “Did you leave the cabin with only one earring in?”

“Shit, no!” Your hands flew up to clutch at your lobes, immediately feeling that one of them was empty. You looked down at the ground around your feet, despite the sinking feeling in your stomach that it was useless. There was nothing around you but dirt and grass. “Damn it!”

Sungchan made an effort to look under him as well, but came up empty-handed too. “I don’t see anything…”

“Well, damn,” you sighed, dropping your hands back down to your sides. “Could’ve been worse, I guess. Could’ve been my grandmother’s pearls or something instead of a pair of earrings I stole from my freshman roommate.”

“Seriously?” He laughed as you continued down the trail.

“It was an accident! Mostly…” You explained. “We borrowed each other’s stuff all the time, and when we moved out at the end of the year, the earrings ended up in my stuff. I told her I had them and she said I could keep them. Apparently they always made her ears itch anyway.”

“Sucks you lost one, though. I thought the little hearts were really cute.”

“Just like you thought my raggedy old t-shirt was cute?” You snorted.

“Exactly.”

“Why do you get shotgun, Y/N?” Anton complained from the backseat, his voice loud to be heard over the wind.

“Because it’s my car,” Sungchan retorted, his thumb tapping out a rhythm on the steering wheel. “And I said so.”

You couldn’t help but snicker at the image of poor Anton and his lanky limbs squished into the middle seat between Shotaro and Mark. “You could’ve stayed at the cabin, Anton.”

“I was bored.” He crossed his arms. “And I thought Sungchan would’ve at least been sympathetic to his fellow long-legged brethren.”

“But the baby always gets the middle seat.” You turned around to pinch his cheek.

“I am not—”

“Could’ve fooled me,” Sungchan sighed, looking out the window. “With the way you’re whining right now.”

Anton’s jaw dropped as the other three of you broke into howling laughter.

Soon enough, you arrived at your destination, a natural park with a huge cave system. The main attraction, however, was that one section of the tunnels was so dark that you couldn’t even see your own hand in front of your face.

A small family, and field trip for what looked like a summer camp had arrived just before you all, and were put in the same tour group as your friends. You watched from afar with amusement as the counselors put the children into buddy pairs before the tour guide officially began the tour.

“Hey, don’t you teach, Y/N?” Shotaro asked curiously as your own group took up the rear of the tour, nodding towards all the kids.

“Yeah, I do,” you answered, the air immediately becoming cooler as you stepped into the caves. “Primary school.”

“Jungchan over here wants to be a teacher too!” Anton informed you cheerily, slapping Sungchan on the shoulder, the sound cracking through the entire cave loudly.

Several heads turned around to look at the source of the noise, and you all looked around at the walls of the cave innocently until they turned forward again. The cave was getting darker and darker, the lights strung up by the park employees getting fewer and further between. Your eyes continued to adjust to the changing light, but your surroundings were becoming less made up of clear objects with definable features and more the vague outline of shapes.

“Oh, really?” You asked mildly, barely concealing the humor in your tone.

“Early childhood education,” he replied calmly, hand sneaking up to pinch your side.

It took everything in you not to squeal as you squirmed away from his hand, elbowing his arm. You could hear the light puffs of his silent laughter next to you. Right as you had lifted your own hand up to retaliate, the tour group came to a stop, everything was pitch black around you, and Sungchan’s hand caught yours, lacing your fingers together. There were no lights in here, and the children’s excited chatter rose as the counselors spoke back to them to confirm that they were still there as well. You held your free hand up in front of your face, and the only way you knew it was there was because you could feel that it was. The only thing your eyes saw was darkness.

“That’s freaky,” Shotaro commented from somewhere behind you.

“What the hell, man?” Mark was somewhere to your other side. “Dude, I can’t see my hand! Just like it said online!”

“Oh! There you are, Shotaro!” Anton breathed out a sigh of relief.

“Yeah, I didn’t disappear in the five seconds since we walked in here,” Shotaro grunted. “Did you have to practically climb on top of me to confirm that?”

You reached out tentatively towards Sungchan, your hand eventually bumping into his chest. “Ah, found you.”

“Found me,” he echoed quietly.

The tour guide started ushering everyone out of the sector, and as the light started entering your vision again, your fingers unwound from Sungchan’s. The counselor’s voices floated back to you as they took a headcount of all their kids, who were still dutifully holding onto their assigned buddies.

Soft footsteps at the top of the stairs caught your attention, and you looked up from your laptop at the tall figure hovering there awkwardly. You offered Sungchan a soft smile, waving him into the small attic loft space. There wasn’t much up here except the couch that you were on, a narrow table, and a dartboard. The ceiling was so low that Sungchan had to hunch just the slightest to avoid knocking his forehead into the wooden crossbeams.

“Hey.” You pushed yourself up into a proper sitting position on the couch, your computer moving from your stomach to your lap.

“Why aren’t you out with everyone else?” He sat down in the space that you had freed up. The others had all gathered outside around the firepit to roast marshmallows and drink, but you had other things to tend to.

You nodded to the device. “Ah, I had some grading to do.”

“I thought you were on summer break.”

“Tutoring.” You set the laptop aside on the coffee table, even as your eyes caught on the screen fondly. “One of my students, I mean, she doesn’t need it for her grades. But she just loves writing, so her mom pays for sessions like private workshops. I’m working on her newest story right now.”

“How is it?”

“She’s so creative!” You couldn’t help but laugh. “It amazes me every time. She hasn’t quite figured out resolutions yet, still rushes through them once she’s decided she’s done with the exciting part. But she’s gotten a lot better with dialogue. She used to not write it at all, just tell you what characters said, never putting anything in quotes, you know?”

“It’s typed?” He questioned, looking at the word document on your screen.

“Yeah, she has coordination issues, pencils kind of slow her down,” you explained. “She’s working on it in her occupational therapy. But that’s not what this is for. This is to let her be creative. If I forced her to use a pencil, she’d have to stop writing because her hands were done before her brain was done.”

“That... sounds frustrating for her.”

“There’s other options now. I mean, when’s the last time you actually used a pencil in your everyday life?”

He seemed to think about this for a moment. “...Good point.”

There was a pause as Sungchan just kept looking at you, the moment feeling much like when you were in the restaurant, his dark brown eyes sparkling even in the dim lighting you had now.

“Did you miss me, Sungchan?” You eyed him teasingly.

“Well, yeah,” he agreed as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “And I wanted to make sure you were alright.”

“What did you tell everyone else you were doing when you came looking for me?”

“I didn’t make an announcement or anything.”

“Yeah?” You sat up closer to him, then did a double-take as you noticed a hole in his earlobe. “Hey, I never noticed you had your ears pierced.”

“Only one.” He turned his head to show you the other, unadulterated lobe. “Probably why you didn’t notice, you’ve always been on my other side in the car.”

An idea immediately came to your mind, and you stood up from the couch. “Wait here.”

Traversing through the house, you came back up the stairs with your prize clutched triumphantly in the palm of your hand. You held your closed fist out towards him indicatively. “Here.”

He held his hand out, letting you drop the single red heart stud into it. His eyes widened as he turned it over with a fingertip. “You’re…”

“I washed it, don’t worry.”

Sungchan promptly put the stud in, securing it with the backing and looking up at you again with a delighted, amazed smile.

“Cute,” you commented, tracing the shell of his ear with a fingertip.

“And what does this mean, Y/N?” He asked slyly.

“What am I going to do with only one earring?” You replied with feigned innocence. “And, I was kind of hoping you’d need help putting it on, since there’s no mirrors in here...”

He leaned back against the couch. “And how exactly would you have helped me put it on?”

“Well, I can’t really see from here, so, I would’ve had to get closer—” You stepped forward, putting your hands on his shoulders as you lowered yourself onto his lap. You kept your focus on his face the whole time, watching for any hesitation, any uncertainty, any indication that you should stop. His eyes watched you with rapt attention, big and brown and awe-filled.

“Good?” You asked quietly, your voice barely above a hum.

He swallowed, his throat bobbing up and down, and your eyes followed the movement, before he answered, “Good.”

“Then I would’ve put the earring in—” You once again outlined the outer shell of his ear, continuing down the line of his jaw. “And probably said something about the adorable little freckle you have on the bridge of your nose that I kind of want to bite.”

You tapped said freckle, high up on his nose, nearly between his brows, and his face split into a grin as he laughed breathily.

“Bite?” He repeated, clearly amused at the idea.

“Mhm.” You nodded, looping your arms around his neck. “You’ve got a very biteable nose, I’m afraid.”

“Oh, the whole nose is biteable, not just the freckle,” he chuckled, settling his hands on your hips.

“Well, more than just the nose.”

“Y/N.”

“Mm?”

“Can I kiss you?”

You gasped in feigned shock. “Before our first date?”

“Do I need to ask your hand in marriage first?” He was so close that your noses almost touched now, his question mingling with your answer that came soon after.

“No,” you snickered, letting him seal his lips over yours in the next moment.

“You mauled him.”

Turning around from where you were eating a bowl of cereal, you raised an eyebrow at Hyuck. “Good morning to you too, Hyuck. And nice bedhead.”

He didn’t fix his hair that was sticking up in all directions, coming around to flop into the seat across the table from you. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

“I don’t know who or what you’re talking about?” You snorted. Pushing the box towards him, you offered, “Cereal?”

“Care to tell me why Sungchan is covered in hickies and bite marks?”

“Care to tell me how you know that?”

“He sleeps shirtless, don’t try to avoid.”

“Why do you think it was me?”

“He disappeared from the bonfire last night and didn’t return, you didn’t show up at all, he appears the next morning coincidentally looking like he’s been someone’s chew toy. You’re... you.”

You cocked your head at him curiously. “Weren’t you trying to set us up?”

“I was. I still am, kind of,” he sighed. “Like I said, Sungchan’s the nicest guy I know. Don’t... chew him up and spit him out, please.”

“I’m touched you think so highly of me, truly.”

“That didn’t come out right,” he groaned, rubbing his face with two hands. “I meant... Make sure you two are on the same page about what you’re doing and what you want.”

“We are, Hyuck,” you told him quietly.

Hyuck peeked at you over his hands, and based on the crinkles that formed around his eyes, you could perfectly imagine the mischievous grin that was hidden. “So it was you, then?”

Footsteps entered the kitchen then, followed by Sungchan’s voice, deeper with the early hours of the morning, “Oh, morning, Y/N, Hyuck.”

He stopped next to your seat at the end of the table, seeming uncertain of just how close to be to you. He was wearing a longsleeve, which didn’t help much with the few marks on his neck and under his jaw. The red heart stud was still in his ear, which made your chest squeeze and your whole body thrum with happiness.

“Morning, Sungchan,” you said brightly, gesturing to the cereal box. “Cereal? Hyuck didn’t want any.”

“Oh, sure.”

“Sit, I’ll get your bowl.” You stood up, gently pushing him towards the table as you walked by him towards the cabinets.

“Gross, could you not do that in front of me?” Donghyuck made an exaggerated gagging sound.

“Do what?” Sungchan squinted at him in confusion at the same time that you scoffed, “Nobody’s holding you here at gunpoint. Go back to sleep.”

“Maybe I will.” He made a grand display of pushing his chair back and standing up.

“You’ve never been a morning person.” You shook your head at him. “See you in a few hours.”

As he shuffled back out of the kitchen, you returned to your mission of fetching a bowl and the milk, bringing them back to the table for Sungchan. He’d taken the seat next to yours, and you happily plopped back down beside him.

“Thanks,” he murmured, beginning to fix a bowl of cereal for himself.

“Good one sleeping shirtless, by the way. Hyuck had absolutely no questions,” you teased, finger poking one of the hickies facing you.

Sungchan gave you a pointed stare, but made no move to knock your hand away. “Oh and who couldn’t keep her teeth to herself?”

“I told you: You’re biteable.”

He reached up to grab your hand and removed it from where you'd still been messing with the marks you’d left on his throat. Instead of just pushing it away, he brought your joined hands down to rest on his leg. After a beat, he looked up at you, uncertainty in his gaze, as if he were about to belatedly ask permission.

You laced your fingers together, scooting your chair closer to his before picking up your spoon with your free hand.

As the anchor was dropped into the water, there was an excited buzz about the boat, everyone getting ready to get in the water. Hyuck had stopped the boat by a rope swing that was set up in a tree on one of the steep edges of where the mountain met the lake. A few inflatables were tied to the boat so they wouldn’t drift away, and of course, a couple coolers with plenty of drinks were on deck.

“Y/N, can you help me with my sunscreen?” Ningning requested, holding the bottle out to you.

“Ning, I told you to apply it at the cabin,” you sighed, accepting the sunscreen nevertheless as she took her coverup off.

“It’s not my fault we’re currently sharing one bathroom with like five other people!” She pointed out. “I didn’t have time.”

Sudden wolf whistles and dramatic yells from the back of the boat made you snap your head over, anger flooding your body immediately. But you realized that none of them were aimed at you and Ningning. Instead, the guys seemed to all be taunting Sungchan, who had just taken his shirt off, revealing the full extent of the love bites scattered on his skin.

“Dude, did you get mauled by a bear or something?” Mark laughed.

“Or fall down the mountain?” Anton’s eyes were wide as he went to poke one on Sungchan’s shoulder.

Sungchan slapped his hand away. “Personal space?”

“Fall down the mountain after getting mauled by a bear?” Jaemin proposed helpfully, moving behind him as if inspecting a product that he was purchasing at a store. “We got claw marks, guys!”

They all let out teasing cheers, and you could see that Sungchan’s ears were bright red. You shook your head to yourself, going back to helping Ningning with her sunscreen.

She craned her neck to be able to look at you over her shoulder. “Nice one, Y/N.”

“Who, me?” You blinked at her innocently.

“You left that poor boy to deal with those menaces by himself.”

You’d finished up with her sunscreen, handing her the bottle. “One sec.”

Walking over to where the guys were still razzing Sungchan, who now looked prematurely sunburned, you held a hand up to shade your eyes, squinting as you looked off towards the rope swing.

“I bet Shotaro could make it there first,” you commented casually.

“What?!” They all looked over at you, dumbfounded.

“No way!” Anton argued. “I literally used to be a swimmer.”

“But if you’re talking endurance—” Jeno tried to vouch for himself.

“All your big muscles just make you sink, dude,” Hyuck snorted. “You’ve got no buoyancy.”

As they kept squabbling, you were still eyeing the rope swing. “Yeah, but, Taro’s like, halfway there already.”

Their heads whipped around to see that Shotaro had, in fact, been lazily paddling towards the swing all the while they were teasing Sungchan. The guys all rushed to toss off whatever shirts, shoes, hats, or sunglasses they didn’t want to get wet, practically shoving each other in their haste to get in the water and race towards the rope swing. The boat swayed a little with their movements, and you grabbed Sungchan’s arm for stability, the only one of them who hadn’t taken your bait.

Shotaro turned around when he heard all the splashes behind him, confusion turning to momentary panic as they all rushed at him.

“Hurry up! You’re going to lose your head start!” Sungchan yelled out to him.

“What?!” He began backstroking faster. “I didn’t know this was a race!”

Karina was already in one of the inflatables off the back of the boat, and Ningning gracefully dove off the back platform to join in her one of the other ones.

Looking back up at Sungchan, you couldn’t help but burst into laughter at how perfectly that had worked. He was laughing too, one of his hands dropping to your waist to pull you closer to him.

“Thanks for the save there,” he chuckled, thumb sneaking under the shirt you were wearing to rub circles into the bare skin above your swimsuit bottoms. “Did you put sunscreen on?”

“Back at the cabin,” you confirmed. “Hate to disappoint.”

“You could’ve lied and said no.���

“I am nothing if not an honest and pure soul,” you put a hand over your heart as your words were laced with sarcasm.

Sungchan snickered at this, his smile so bright you could forget about the sun, leaning in even closer to him.

“Sungchan.”

“Mhm?” He looked down at you, tilting his head inquisitively.

“Can I kiss you?”

“In front of everyone?” He gasped, still teasing.

“That’s a little bit the point.” You couldn’t take your eyes off him—so gorgeous it really was unfair. “And also, I really want to kiss you right now.”

“What a coincidence—I want to kiss you too.”

You grabbed the back of his neck, pulling his lips down to yours. He immediately responded in turn, his other hand that wasn’t on your hip going to cup your cheek. The sounds of various taunts, cheers, and whistles all faded out behind the roaring in your ears.

It was your last night in the cabin, and you were of course celebrating with one last bonfire. Your group of friends were spread out between the firepit, the hammock, and the other lounge furniture on the spacious deck. You and Sungchan were tucked onto a small loveseat by the table of food, idly chatting as you sipped your drink and he nibbled off the snack offerings in front of you.

The sliding glass door opened behind you, one of your friends walking out from inside the cabin. Glancing up, you saw that it was Mark, his eyes down on his phone screen as he shut the door behind him.

“Those little rolls from Mrs. Han’s restaurant were really good,” Sungchan sighed happily, hand on his stomach.

“There’s still one more,” you pointed out. “Take it.”

He looked uncertain for a moment, but you nudged him with your foot insistently.

“Everybody’s already had one. Go ahead.”

Sungchan had just reached forward towards the last roll as Mark walked by, eyes on his phone as he swiped it from the plate. The man next to you just sighed dejectedly, sitting back in his seat.

“Hey, Sungchan was going to eat that,” you called after Mark loudly. Not too rude, just making him aware as he clearly hadn’t been paying attention.

Mark turned around, looking at you two, then down at the roll in his hand in confusion. He offered it back out to Sungchan. “Oh, sorry man, I didn’t realize—”

Sungchan waved him off. “It’s okay, you can have—”

You stood up, walked over, and snatched it out of Mark’s hand. “Thanks, bye.”

Mark paused, as if he were thinking about saying something else, but opted not to, walking over to sit with Jeno and Hyuck by the fire.

You sat back down next to Sungchan and placed it in his hand. “Here.”

“Thanks, Y/N,” Sungchan was clearly fighting a smile as he looked down at his feet. He tore the roll in half, offering one half out to you.

You took it gratefully, tapping your half against his in a little cheers before you both simultaneously stuffed the whole thing into your mouths in one go. Looking at him with his puffed-out cheeks, knowing that yours definitely looked exactly the same made you burst out laughing, and your hand flew up to cover your mouth and keep any crumbs in. Sungchan was clearly struggling to not spit out his half-chewed food as he started laughing too, turning away from you and slapping his leg.

When you had finally chewed and swallowed the bread without choking, and composed yourself again, you turned back to Sungchan, still well aware of the faint, smitten smile on your lips. He was already facing you, watching you with a fond sparkle in his eyes. He reached out, brushing a couple crumbs from the side of your mouth with his thumb.

“Oh, thanks.” You habitually wiped the other side of your mouth just in case.

“I’m curious…” He said quietly, grabbing one of your hands to gently play with your fingers. “Have you picked out what we’re doing for our first date yet?”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“I don’t want to spoil anything.” You then added a teasing, “Plus, we have to get home first. Who knows, your car might get another flat on the way back and then we’ll get stranded out here and die.”

He burst into soft chuckles. “Since you won’t be navigating, I think we’ll make it back just fine.”

“I like those odds,” you beamed.

“Me too.” He pressed a kiss to your cheek, then murmured by your ear, “I like our odds a lot, I think.”

The next day found you in the passenger seat of Sungchan’s car, wearing his hoodie and humming along to whatever he was playing over the speakers. The car had a full tank of gas, four inflated tires, and the maps app was not in your hands.

“You know, I get it now,” Sungchan spoke into the peaceful quiet abruptly.

You lolled your head over to look at him questioningly. “Get what?”

“Why you were suspicious of me at first.”

“You finally realized how stupidly hot you are?” You snorted, reaching over to pinch his cheek.

“I’m thinking I should’ve been more suspicious of you, actually.” He pinched your cheek right back, and you smacked his hand away. He just laughed, grabbing your hand and entwining your fingers over the console.

“Why’s that?”

“We haven’t even been on our first date and I feel like I’ve gone head over heels right down the mountainside.”

You groaned and shook your head. “I was suspicious of you for the wrong reason. You’re not a player or anything, you’re actually too sweet for my own good.”

“Your own good?”

“Yeah, you keep saying shit like that and I’m going to do something crazy like say ‘I love you’ on our first date.”

He laughed, squeezing your hand. “Challenge accepted.”

⤷ masterlist

[joonipertree]

tags: fluff, just fluff, kenma being a #streamer. i love streamer kenma it scratches that itch in me that craves a parasocial kind of love.

"Kenmaaaa" you drawled while opening the door, leaning heavily against the doorframe of your boyfriend's office room.

It took you five seconds to register where Kenma was sitting, which was in front of the computer unsurprisingly, and the camera that had a red light on. The second monitor to his left was showcasing Kenma on the screen while the third one had an onslaught of comments popping up.

oh shi--

You jumped back, mostly out of surprise.

"Yes, honey?" Kenma spoke, one side of his headphones off as he turned towards you. "The camera won't pick up on you, don't worry."

You crept back in, feeling nervous even though the camera wasn't even on you.

"Sorry, I didn't realise you were streaming."

"Nothing to apologise for. What's up? Need me for something?" He urged you forward and you padded your way inside, the only comfort being in proximity to your boyfriend.

"I-uh- didn't feel like cooking so I thought we could order something?" You were halfway through your sentence when Kenma picked up his phone. He was nodding along, opening an app in it.

"What are you feeling?" He murmured, completely ignoring the eruption of comments blasting on his screen. There was a lot of yelling. You tried not to look at it but it drew you in, most of it was gibberish and question marks. You could make out the words 'WHAT' and 'DATING???' a lot.

"I'm not sure? Feeling indecisive today." You probably had an idea but it had vanished a couple of minutes back.

"Want burgers? Pizza?" Kenma didn't even seem to care at that point, solely focused on his phone. He did take a hold of your hand though, running his thumb through your knuckles.

THAT caught on camera and the gibberish got louder and faster.

"Burgers sound good." You snapped back to him, letting his hand ground you.

"That burger place you like?"

"Yes please."

"Honey mustard one?"

"Yes."

"Mh-hmmm." Kenma dragged out the sound before placing in his own order.

"Wanna get ice cream? Been craving it." He worked quick to add it in, knowing what you wanted but still asking in case you changed your mind.

"I can pay for the---"

"Shut the fuck up." Kenma murmured with only an upward glance at you, a small smile on his face when you pouted.

You finally took a look at the main monitor, a pretty sunset with the main character looking off into the distance on the screen. "What game you playin?"

"It's a fantasy game. Pretty new, haven't even started yet. You'd like it, it's very pretty." Kenma turned the monitor a bit so you could see it, pressing play so some more of the graphics would come on screen. You let out a little gasp, taking it all in.

When you realised that there were a lot of people waiting, you blinked out of your revery and threw an apologetic look at Kenma.

"Sorry, you were busy and--"

"Never too busy for you." Kenma murmured again and scooted towards you till he was just out of frame, his lips puckering up while he craned his neck upwards, too lazy to stand up.

You laughed and gave him a peck on the lips, then the nose and then the forehead. He grinned widely, adjusting back into the same position he was in before.

"I'll talk to you later, okay?" You call out and walk back.

"Okay, baby."

You were about to close the door when you head a very disgruntled, 'shut the fuck up.' from Kenma. Curious about what he would say, you listened in from the hallway.

"Yeah I am dating someone. No, I'm not saying their name....we've been dating for a while now. I am not soft for them....okay chat keep the screenshots between us....what do you mean they're already on twitter??? Ya'll are annoying. No, Kuroo I'm not buying you food. Yeah, they are special, dumbass."

You grinned so wide your cheeks hurt, already scrolling through twitter to see if people actually posted anything...

.....Kenma's name was trending

And oh the thread of pictures after pictures, of his eyes turning into liquid, his smile, the hand holding yours that. It was enough in the frame for his thumb to be seen. The person that posted it was SCREAMING about how soft he is.

Then there was a screenshot of him tilting his head upwards and your hair was the only thing that showed up as you kissed him. There was a fire hazard in the comments. It made you chortle. You saved all of them to use as leverage. Seeing as Kuroo was retweeting some of them, he had them too.

A/N: second day in a row im posting kenma hehehehehehhehehehhe hyperfixation tyme

[am-i-interrupting]

Affection | Vox x Fem!Reader

Summary: Vox and Valentino get into it. Vox looks for a way to get payback and stumbles upon you. He didn’t expect you to actually care.

Warnings: sex work, a bit of a mommy kink

He was used to the petty yelling, the constant spats, even the object throwing. What crossed the line was when he had to replace his screen.

Vox and Valentino got into a lot of arguments, normally started by the latter instead of the former. This one was bad though. Vox didn’t even want to think about it but it was all that was on his mind.

He was angry.

He was angry because it was easier to be angry rather than something else, something more vulnerable. He didn’t want to and couldn’t afford to be vulnerable right now. He had to hold onto this anger so he didn’t go crawling back to Valentino.

Currently, he was at his desk, looking through documents about ads that were just waiting for Vox’s stamp of approval. He stumbled upon yours and he paused.

He recognized you. Why?

He copied your name into a search bar and looked at your Sinstagram profile. Flipping through the pictures, he found one of you at a bar and that’s when he remembered.

Valentino tried to contract you and you’d basically laughed at him. You’d tossed back a shot and then turned to Valentino, asking if he needed you to pay for it since he was clearly so desperate for new recruits as he was only preying on people too stupidly drunk to realize how bad of an idea it was to say yes. Oh, he remembered Valentino seething that night.

He approved your ad but he couldn’t get you out of his head. He opened the closed tag again as he actually read through your ad.

You were advertising music. Which, when say side by side with your Sinstagram made sense as he saw a picture of you with Verosika Mayday. There wasn’t really anything interesting on the advert.

He scrolled up to the top of your Sinstagram in order to look at them in order from most to least relevant. That is when he caught sight of a link in your bio. He clicked it.

He was brought to a website. He wasn’t sure what he expected but he did raise an eyebrow nonetheless. It was an escort sight. A home page that had you and several other people scantily dressed with a description of what every person and the services you offered.

Maybe he was being more vindictive than he thought because he immediately clicked on the tab that sent him to your page and booked a time with you.

It was far out, months away in fact. He honestly had forgotten about it until he got an email the week before asking if he was still available and inviting him to a pre-session consultation. Not willing to back out and have it potentially mess with his image, he made the time.

He logged into a video call several days later and was greeted with you in the middle of putting on your makeup.

“Well, hello, Mr. Vox,” you said with a soft purr. He replied with a formal greeting of your name. “You’re a busy guy and I’m a busy gal so I’ll keep this quick. This is just a little meeting for boundaries. I know it bothers some people to make them in person so I’ve found this to be an easier way.

“I’ll go first. No hickies, no bruises, no scratches, no cuts, no burns, just no marks. It might be pretty and fun in the moment but it costs me later. Not everyone enjoys having sex with someone who’s clearly had it with someone else not long before. It may be part of my work but people do like an illusion.

“I don’t do bondage where I’m the one tied up. It’s nothing personal, just a safety issue. On the topic of safety, if you bring in anything that could be used as a weapon. I’m done and you’re leaving. All I need from you is that pretty little body of yours and payment. I’ll provide the rest.

“On the topic of payment, I know you’ve already made your upfront payments for this little consultation. The rest can be brought when you come in cash. Any questions so far?”

He surprised himself by saying, “Not so far, no.”

You we’re far more thorough than he thought. He’d bought time before but it was never this professionally done, even by Valentino’s standards. Granted, with Valentino’s sex workers, there was really only one rule, payment upfront. He didn’t give a fuck about anything else.

You though? You had clearly given this a lot of thought on all parts.

“Good, I’m glad,” you said. “Those are my hard rules. Everything else is a little more flexible. So, tell me, what is it you want from tonight?”

“To have a good time.”

“Of course, we all want to have a good time, Vox, but I’m talking specifics. Don’t be naive,” you said. “I have full confidence you know better. Maybe it’d be easier if I told you what I’m best at.”

The lid of your lipstick clicked closed. You looked at the camera, looking at him directly on his screen by proxy, for the first time.

“I can do just about anything your cold, dead heart desires but I enjoy specific things more than others. I’m a bit of a dominatrix, I’d you will. I enjoy the power and control of giving people what they need instead of what they want. How does that sound to you?”

“It sounds to me like a very overlord thing to do,” he replied.

“Not there yet,” you said. “So, is that the role you prefer to play?��

“It’s one I play often.”

“Yes, I’ve gathered that but do you prefer it?”

Vox didn’t know why he didn’t just say yes. He should have. It went with his image to say yes and that’s why he was still agreeing to do this even though he and Valentino weren’t on the worst of terms right now.

He hadn’t crawled back to Valentino yet. It’d been one of their longer spells away from one another. Five months without even falling back into bed once.

Perhaps that’s why he said what he said. He was pent up. He hadn’t had time to unwind and the person he normally would go to for that he was still upset with. That’s the reason he’d go with anyway.

“It’s the role I play most often,” he said.

“But is it the role you like?” you asked. When he didn’t answer you smiled, a more genuine one than any flirty or sarcastic one you’d shot his way before. “Stubborn, I’ll keep that noted.”

“I am not—“

“You’re proving my point. Now,” you stood up and rummaged through a drawer he couldn’t see, “pick a set for me.”

For the next several hours, Vox felt like he couldn’t focus. He was nervous. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d been nervous over a one night stand.

He left early, leaving his assistant with double the workload but he didn’t care. He just needed to be out of the building.

He took Vark out on a walk to pass time but it still went by so slowly. It took what felt like days for it to finally be time to leave.

He’d call it considerate that he left without his usual suit jacket, waistcoat, and tie but in reality, he felt so hot, constricted with them on.

He traveled through the cameras and arrived at the address he’d been given, not a single person having seen him.

He knocked on the door and that sense of security was promptly shattered when it opened and he heard someone say, “Holy shit!” in response to seeing him.

He glared at the offending person as he stepped in. He recognized them from being pictured on your website. They quickly spun around and continued doing whatever it was they were in the process of.

He was led to a room which when opened revealed you inside. You were wearing a shear robe that gave him a peak at what was hiding underneath.

“I was promised secrecy,” he said. “Not to be gawked at by the employees.”

“So you don’t want to be gawked at me?” you asked. You smiled at your own joke. “Everyone here is under contracted lock and key to not say a single word about what goes on inside these walls. You’re image will be fine.”

“Contracted?”

“You said I had the makings of an overlord,” you replied. “Why are you suddenly surprised that I have contracts? Don’t worry, I assure you they’re much more ethically sourced than your co-worker’s.”

He rolled his eyes.

“Speaking of,” you said as you took several steps towards him, “why are you here? I’d imagine you could have any of Valentino’s contracted cash free. Why waste it on me? I’m not exactly cheap.”

You held out your hand and he reached into a pocket to retrieve the other part of your payment. You swiftly began counting it.

“You fuck one of Valentino’s pets, you’ve fucked them all,” he said. “They’re all too scared to be any fun after a while.”

“As much as I know that’s a true statement—“ you put the cash in a drawer of the bedside table— “I don’t believe it.”

He felt his eye twitch. “And what exactly would you—“

“Why don’t you take off your shirt and lay on the bed?” You walked towards him and ran your hands up his torso. “Or I could take it off for you.”

You began unbuttoning his shirt and for some reason, it made him drop all his irritation. When you finished, you bent down and licked all the way up his torso. You kissed and nipped at his collar bone.

His hands went to your sides but you spatted them away. The shirt fell to the ground.

You looked up at him, like you were daring him to kiss you. However, when he went to do just that, you stepped away.

“On the bed face down, mister,” you told him.

He huffed. Despite his mind telling him to grab you and pull you in for a kiss, take you and remind you of who exactly you were messing with, his body followed your instructions.

The mattress dipped as you straddled him. Something popped open (he tensed), a bottle clinked as it was set on the table, and then the sound of you rubbing your hands together went through the air.

Your hands, warm against his skin and slick with oil, began to rub up and down his back.

“Why are you here, Vox?” you asked. “I’m not stupid. I keep up with the news. Did you think I wouldn’t notice that the day you made an appointment was the same day you updated your status to single again? It’s still single now so what happened?”

“Nothing happened,” he said.

“Uh-huh, and the fact that you visibly tensed as soon as I mentioned Valentino is just a coincidence,” you said. “Everything you say in these walls stays within them.”

“You’re the one who made the contracts,” he said. “You’re not under them.”

“True, but—“

You began to apply pressure with your thumb, grinding your thumb and hand in circles along his back.

“Oh, fuck.”

“—I also made them,” you said, basically repeating his words. “It means I place value in confidentiality.”

“Or covering you’re own— oh, fuck, right there— your own ass.”

“I could be.”

You leaned down and he felt toy trap his entire torso beneath you. He liked the feeling. He liked the feeling of you over him.

You got close to his face, “But I think we both know I’m not.” You moved back and he mourned the feeling as soon as it was gone. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. You’re just very obviously tense and not just physically.”

You punctuated your sentence by rolling the palm of your hand at the base of his neck before squeezing it lightly. He couldn’t hold back a moan at the feeling of some tension leaving his body.

You continued on like that in silence for a while. You were working out the knots in his muscles and he was basically putty beneath your hands.

He’d never been treated like this before. He had couldn’t remember the last time he felt loose. There was always some kind of feeling of unease he constantly carried.

He didn’t even know he needed this because he’d never known that he could have it.

You leaned to once again lay over him but this time he could feel the entire weight of your body instead of just your warmth. You wrapped your arms underneath his shoulders and placed a kiss to his neck.

“Are you alright to continue?” you asked him as you nuzzled against his shoulder blade.

“I—“ He tried to search for some witty or snarky remark to make but all he could come up with was, “Yes.”

You cooed at him and slipped your hands out from underneath him to rub his back as you got off him. “Using your words, what a good boy,” you said and he hated, hated how that made him feel so warm inside. “Can you turn around for me? Yes, good.”

He closed his eyes and refused to look at you. You laughed but it didn’t feel mean. That didn’t make him feel any less embarrassed, however.

You did a wider, full handed version of the back massage you’d given him to his front as you began to roll your hips against his. He couldn’t hold back a whine.

“Oh, so pretty,” you said. “Such pretty noises from such a pretty boy.”

“Fuck,” it came out weak and pathetic.

Well, it was fitting then because that’s how he felt, weak and pathetic. Such simply praise shouldn’t be so effective.

“How does that feel?” you asked. “Come on, be a good boy. Tell me. Tell me how to make you feel good, baby.”

You were kissing on his neck and shoulders now.

“Good,” he choked out.

You hummed against his skin.

He could feel his fingers flex. His arms moved. He stopped them. He wanted to touch. He should be able to touch. He should be able to do what he wanted. He was the fucking Vox, overlord and creator of the biggest tech company in Hell. He shouldn’t need permission to do something.

You grabbed his hands and brought them up to the knot of your robe.

“You can touch me, baby,” you told him.

A whine forced its way out of his throat no matter how much he tried to keep it at bay.

He opened his eyes and you were so beautiful, grinding against him like you were made to. He could feel his cock straining against his pants. He wanted them off.

He settled for untying your robe. It fell to reveal the deep blue set he’d chosen for you earlier that day. It was sheer enough to show off your nipples through the cross crossed pattern of the bra. There was a silver chain that draped between the cups and further framed your breasts. Some traps went around your torso as part of the garter belt which held up your similarly colored stockings. You looked gorgeous.

You laughed and guided his hands up to your waist. Then up to your tits.

“I love the way you keeping whining for me,” you said. “You’re like a little pup.” Your eyes honed on his neck and your hand followed your gaze. You pressed on his neck, just enough to add some pressure. “That neck of yours looks like it was made to be collared and leashed.”

“Oh fuck.”

You leaned closer to his face. “Would you like that, baby?”

His fingers twitched around your breasts. He rubbed his thumbs over your clothes nipples as a silent apology. “Please.”

“Oh, such good manners.” You applied more pressure to his neck, not enough to cut off his air supply. He arched into your touch. “But not tonight. Some other time, I promise. I’ve got a feeling I’ll be seeing you plenty, baby.”

You went to nip at his neck. His hands wrapped around to your back to hold you in place. Your own traveled down his torso and to his belt.

You undid it. You pulled down his pants but not his underwear. You slipped from his grasp.

You put your hands on either side of his bulge and ran your fingers over it. His legs spread open further as he tried to push up but you quickly put an end to that little action.

Your hands on his hips, you hovered your head over him. You licked a stripe onto the fabric. You began to suck him off with the barrier of his boxers.

He knew he was whining. His eyes wanted to screw shut but he kept them open, too transfixed by the visage before him.

Your own eyes were closed. Your hands, perfectly constraining his boxers, were wrapped around his hips. The tips of your perfectly manicured hands were digging into his skin. Your tongue lulled out and lavished him.

He could cum from just this alone.

However, as soon as the thought came to him, you pulled away.

“No, no, no, please, please, let me come,” he said, words flowing from his mouth before he could stop them.

“Aw,” you said with a chuckle, “begging so soon? How sweet. Don’t worry, baby, you’ll get to come soon. I’ve just got to see that little dick of yours first.”

The small bit of degradation mixed with all the praise made him twitch.

He’d never gotten any negative comments on his dick before. Rather the opposite, Valentino had tried several times before to talk him into at least faceless camera work but he didn’t want to think of the moth right now.

You pulled his underwear down to reveal his cock. It was length, a deep blue like the rest of him except were it was flushed vibrantly at the tip. He was already leaking pre-come. Milky white against his flesh.

You leaned over to lick it up. His eyes rolled back at the simple action.

Your smirked before you took him all your mouth at once. You slowly pulled up and let your teeth pull at the hood of his tip.

“Shit, shit, shit!”

He thrusted up into what was now just air as he twitched, his whole body convulsing but he didn’t come. He was on the verge though.

You shushed him as you stroked his inner thigh with your nails.

“Be a good boy for me and hand me the lube,” you said before you began sucking on the skin above his pelvic bone.

His hand went to your hair as he closed his eyes and moaned. It took him a moment to open them again but you didn’t seem to mind. He didn’t feel rushed.

When was the last time he hadn’t felt rushed while having sex? He couldn’t even remember. It was always about getting back to work as soon as possible or Valentino’s quick hits. It was never really about him. It was about getting rid of his boner or Valentino’s as soon as possible.

He liked this. He liked this feeling of. . . being cared for?

God, he was so fucking pathetic. He could feel tears filling his eyes as he reached for the lube on the bedside table.

“Are you alright, baby?” you asked. “Do you need to stop.”

“Fuck, please don’t.”

“Okay, we don’t have to stop. We can keep on going,” you said as you poured some lube into your hands. “You just keep on being a good boy for me, alright? You can cry if you need to, baby. It’s okay to cry, you know.”

That permission made it worse. He felt his face flush as tears began to stream down his face. This was pathetic. He was pathetic. He shouldn’t be crying. He’d rarely ever cried. Much less during sex, especially sex that he was enjoying.

“Can you bend your— oh, such a good boy,” you said.

You hooked his bent knees over your legs and pulled him into your lap.

You wrapped your hands, covered in warm lube (when was the last time someone had took the time to warm up lube before touching him?), around his cock and began slowly twisting your hands up and down. He couldn’t stop the weak thrusts.

“I’m sorry,” he said, repeating the phrase like a prayer.

“Shhhh, baby, it’s okay,” you told him, petting his thigh. “You take what you need. You’ve been so good for me. So good. You deserve it.”

“Fuck.”

He threw his head back against the pillow and then looked down at you. He immediately met your eyes, so soft and understanding. It made his stomach queazy.

He watched as his dick slowly was covered then revealed by your hand. It curved around him so perfectly, glistening with a mixture of lube and the pre-come he was leaking. You twisted your hand in just the right way.

You covered his cock and then revealed the head. You thumb lingered and smeared the pre-come at his tip. The point of your nail ever so gently grazed his hole and that’s what did it.

The lights flickered in the room as he spasmed and came. His screen went blank as he blacked out.

A few seconds later, he came to with you by his side with a glass. You tilted his head up and cupped your hand under his lips as you forced him to drink, any water that spilled was dropped in your hand.

You grabbed a cloth and wipes at his screen.

“Are you okay, baby? Was that good?” you asked and he could only mutely nod. “Good.”

You went to pull him into an embrace but stopped and looked down at your body. “Do you wanna clean me up or do you want me to do it?”

He followed your gaze and saw his come covering your torso, a bit of it even clinging to your bra. He leaned to lick it off you. You reclined onto the thrown of pillows and let him, stroking his shoulders and arms as he did.

He licked up to your bra and then was met with the rough contrast of the lace-like fabric compared to your smooth skin. He reached around and undid the bra. You let it fall and he licked where the come had been. Then he began sucking on your breasts.

“Oh, fuck,” this time it was you.

Spurred on, he reached down between your thighs and began stroking. You were wet, so fucking wet. His fingers slid through your folds with no hint of resistance.

He rolled your clit between two knuckles.

“Oh, so good for mommy,” you said as you continued petting him. “So good.”

He whined at both the praise and the title you had given yourself.

He began stroking you with a different purpose now. He needed you to come. He looked up at you, still sucking on your tit. He needed to see it.

Your breath quickened. Your pets turned into a tight hold. It was your turn to whine as your head rolled back and your mouth lulled open.

“So good! So good for me, baby, just like that,” you said right before you became incoherent. You groaned and moved up into his touch.

He went back to the tower feeling better than he could ever remember. The set you’d worn tucked into his pant pocket. You insisted, saying you had plenty of other sets. Who was he to refuse?

“Where the fuck have you been?” Velvette asked.

“Out,” he said as he walked passed her, in no mood for her screeching.

“For over two hours with your location turned off? You didn’t even answer your fucking phone,” Valentino said, voice raising to nearly as yell towards the end.

“Yes,” Vox said as he continued walking.

He heard Valentino laugh as he must have seen the lingerie set in his back pocket. “Were you really so busy fucking a hole that you couldn’t answer me? I hope they were good.”

“Better than you ever were,” Vox said before he closed his bedroom door, unwilling to let his lax mood be ruined.

A few months later, Vox was still going to see you. Absolutely hooked and you both knew it but so were you. You didn’t even made him pay but he still slipped money into your pocket or your bra so he wouldn’t have to face the fact that he was getting attached.

That was all thrown out the window when you released a new song. He wasn’t even halfway through watching the music video before he disappeared and found you, pulling you in for a bruising kiss and you knew exactly why.

The imagery in the music video was obvious. Pink smoke trying to creep into your studio only to be blocked, a deep blue body, TV screens everywhere. Then there were the lyrics:

I can give my babe affection without any type of infliction

You were just an intermission but I’m the center of attention

I’ve got him collared and leashed right where he needs to be

He’s down on his knees begging me with please

Better than any of his fantasies

Yeah, I’ve got his attention without infliction

[smashing-teacups]

My very dear friend (who is so grumpy that J&C hijacked her brain again when she wanted a break 🤣) @theawkwardterrier tagged me in an invite to share a section of one of my WIPs. So hey, how about a peek at an upcoming chapter of Atonement? 👀

______

In the second month, they began their respective job searches in earnest.

On that particular front, Claire had an undeniable advantage: there was a terrible nursing shortage throughout the UK, and more job postings than she knew what to do with. She had enough experience to be accepted at practically every bedside position, and so she had the ability to be selective.

A very fortunate state to find herself in, she found out rather quickly, as there were a number of positions that… well, positions she wasn’t sure she would be best suited for anymore.

Wound care, for example, was definitely out. Just reading the vague clinical expectations under the first post made her snap her laptop shut, her skin chilled and mind numb. She held Jamie from behind later that night, tears soaking her pillow as she traced the scars that had once been open flesh. The memories were as vivid as if she were living them all over again; she could see the snake of saturated pink gauze she’d pulled out of his back by the meter, watch her gloved hand depress a syringe of morphine into his IV, hear her own murmurs of reassurance as she reached wrist-deep into the cavernous wounds to begin packing them again…

So, no. Nothing with wound care.

Anything on a neurology floor was likewise out of the question. The prospect of monitoring an EEG took her right back to the endless days and nights when those incomprehensible squiggling lines were burned into her retinas, watching for any change that might signify a seizure. The ICUs in general were out for that same reason. Just the sounds alone — the non-stop beeping of monitors and IVs, the whoosh of the ventilator and hiss of suction equipment—

She couldn’t.

Her damned glass face as she scrolled the job boards must have told her husband far more than she ever would have said aloud; it didn’t take long before she woke to find a folded newspaper on the kitchen table alongside her morning coffee. Circled once, with a question mark beside it, was an advertisement from a local primary care office in town, seeking a clinic nurse.

Claire looked over the top of the paper to find Jamie watching her apprehensively, as though unsure if he’d overstepped. The moment she caught his eye, he dropped his gaze and blew on his steaming coffee. “It’d be quieter than ye’re used to,” he said around a careful sip, “but somethin’ to consider, mebbe.”

Softening with tenderness, she reached for his hand across the table. “No, it’s—it’s a good thought. Thank you. Maybe I need the quiet, I don’t know.” With a sigh, she smoothed her free hand over her face and back into her hair. “That’s just it, I don’t… I don’t know what it is I want any more.” Peering up at her husband through her lashes, she admitted with a self-deprecating smile, “Suppose I’ve just been hoping I’ll know it when I see it.”

Returning the smile so that his soft morning eyes crinkled with it, Jamie brought her knuckles to his lips. “I’m sure you will. The right job’ll find ye when it’s meant to, Sassenach. I know it.”

[depressedhouseplant]

🔞 Don’t Be Late (Chanlix) 🔞

Synopsis: Felix gets home late from work. Chris isn’t happy about it

Tags: Daddy kink, BDSM, Dom Chris / Sub Felix, This is not a how to for BDSM, Unprotected sex, Age difference, It gets cute & cheesy at the end

WC: 2k

“You’re late,” Chris said when Felix walked through the door.

“The train was running behind,” Felix replied.

“That’s not an excuse. You know when you’re supposed to be back here,” he stared at the younger blond in front of him. He got up off the couch and stood in front of him. They were almost the same height, but Chris was broad and muscular to Felix’s slim and toned. He tried not to shrink under Chris’s piercing gaze.

“I’m sorry. I’ll text you if it happens again,” Felix apologized.

“No, you won’t because you won’t be late again,” Chris roughly grabbed Felix’s chin forcing him to look him in the eye.

“No, I won’t be late again,” Felix repeated.

“Go to your room,” Chris let go of his chin. Felix scrambled down the hall. The door was closed as it always was. He waited until Chris nodded to open it. It was dimly lit to the point it was hard to see to move around. They both knew how to successfully navigate it.

“Down,” Chris instructed.

“Yes Daddy,” Felix knelt in front of him.

“Did I tell you to keep your clothes on?” the older man looked down at him.

“No Daddy,” he replied.

“Then why do you still have them on?” Chris asked as he loosened his tie.

“I’m sorry. I’ll fix it,” Felix went to stand and Chris pushed him back down.

“You can do it on your knees. You’re at your best on your knees. Now strip before I start to get annoyed,” Chris instructed. Felix managed to get out of his clothes without standing up. When he was fully naked, his half hard cock hanging between his legs, he looked up at Chris.

“I’m sorry Daddy,” he said.

Chris slapped him hard across the face.

“Did I say you could talk?” he snapped.

“No Daddy,” Felix whimpered.

“Then keep your whore mouth shut until I tell you that you can talk. Or do I have to stick my cock in your mouth to keep you quiet?” Chris glared at the smaller man. Felix vigorously shook his head.

“That’s better,” Chris’s tone went flat again. “Though the idea of having my cock in your mouth does sound appealing.” Felix looked up at him again, but didn’t reply. Chris pulled off his tie and tossed it to the side. He opened his pants and pulled down his underwear, sitting on the small bed in the room. His cock was hard and the tip shiny with precome - right under Felix’s nose.

“Open,” the older man said. Felix dutifully opened his mouth and Chris fed his cock into the younger man’s mouth. “No sucking, no licking, no nothing until I tell you so. Right now this is to teach you what happens when you don’t stay quiet.”

Chris pulled out his phone and idly began checking emails and scrolling while Felix sat with Chris’s dick in his mouth. A quick look down revealed saliva was beginning to run down Felix’s chin. The blond boy’s cock was fully hard now.

“You can start sucking me off now. However if you step out of line again then I’m going to leave you in here and you can’t touch yourself,” he said. Felix slightly bobbed his head in understanding. Chris went back to looking at his phone as Felix began licking up the shaft. He’d give a little bite periodically to get Chris’s attention. Felix kept his hands on his thighs even though using his hands would have made it easier on his jaw. He hollowed out his cheeks and sucked. Chris felt his balls start to draw up and his dick twitched.

“Stop,” he commanded. Felix stopped moving and looked up at him. He pulled his cock out of Felix’s mouth and began slowly pumping it.

“If you can’t be bothered to be on time, then you don’t deserve my come,” he said. “However, that doesn’t mean I won’t still mark you.”

Chris moved his hand faster and a few seconds later came all over Felix’s face. He saw the smaller boy flinch clearly trying not to close his eyes. White streaks of come landed across his face. Felix whimpered slightly.

“I’ll clean it off when I feel like cleaning it off,” Chris told him. They looked at each other for a moment. “Color?”

“Green,” Felix replied. Chris tucked himself back in and stood up. He grabbed Felix’s hair and pulled him to standing.

“Then you know what’s next,” he smirked. Felix nodded. Chris went over to the closet and pulled out a pair of leather handcuffs and a leather strap that looked similar to a dog leash.

“Hands,” the older man said. Felix dutifully held out his arms. Chris cuffed him and hooked the strap on the links between the cuffs. Then he put the strap over the door and secured it on the other side. Felix was now pinned to the door with his arms over his head. Chris came up behind him and Felix felt Chris’s hard cock rubbing against the back of his thighs. Chris kissed the back of Felix’s neck just light enough to tease him.

“I’m going to put my hands all over you, but you can’t touch me.” Chris taunted as he slowly grazed his fingers down Felix’s body. The younger man’s breathing sped up as Chris worked his hands down Felix’s sides. Chris stopped at Felix’s hips and dug his fingers into the pale flesh.

“Look at yourself, Felix. Look in the mirror and tell me what you see,” Chris instructed. There was a full length mirror right next to the closet door Felix was currently tied to. Both of their bodies were in full view - Chris still fully clothed except for his cock and Felix completely naked.

“I see,” Felix swallowed hard, worried he’d say the wrong thing. “I see you touching me. I see your hands on me.”

“What else?” Chris goaded. “What do you see about you?”

“I’m hard and I’m sweating,” Felix replied. Felix’s cock was pinned between his body and the door. Chris pressed his lips against Felix’s ear.

“And what do I do about that?” he hissed.

“Fuck me. Please fuck me,” Felix whined.

“And what if I decide not to? What if I decide to leave you in here hard and wanting with my come all over your face,” Chris tugged on Felix’s ear with his teeth.

“Please, Daddy. Please fuck me,” Felix begged.

“I suppose since you said please,” the older man gave an exaggerated sigh. He lubed up his cock and spread Felix’s asscheeks. Chris pushed the tip in and waited. Felix bucked his hips back and Chris tightened his grip.

“What do you think you’re doing? You’ll take what I give you ungrateful little slut,” he adjusted his hips so still only the tip of his cock was inside Felix. The smaller boy whined again.

“Sorry Daddy,” Felix apologized. Chris landed a hard slap on Felix’s thigh.

“Be quiet. I don’t want to hear anything out of you until I’m finished,” he snapped. Felix nodded against the door. “And don’t look away.”

Chris inched his dick into Felix, watching them in the mirror the entire time. He watched the younger boy bite his lip to stay quiet. When Chris bottomed out, he took a moment to really examine their reflection. Felix’s freckles were marred by Chris’s slowly drying come. He had started to sweat through his shirt. His hands looked huge on Felix’s slim hips. Chris was very pleased with what he saw. He met Felix’s eyes in the mirror.

“Remember what I said,” he instructed. Felix nodded against the door. Chris moved slowly watching as his cock stretched Felix’s ass. It never failed to turn him on seeing how his cock stretched Felix’s ass. Chris knew if he reached around, he’d feel himself moving inside Felix’s body. Not this time, though. Now he was drawing it out watching Felix struggle not to make noise or move his hips. He smirked at Felix in the mirror.

“So tight for a whore. It’s amazing, really. Think you’d be loose and ready for my cock,” Chris observed as he looked down again. Felix shifted underneath his weight.

“You know just because I fuck you faster doesn’t mean you’ll get to come,” Chris told him. Felix whined. “You can talk.”

“Please, Daddy. Please fuck me faster,” the smaller boy replied. Chris let out an exaggerated sigh.

“Fine,” he replied. He moved his hands to either side of Felix’s head on the door. “Don’t look away.”

“I won’t,” Felix confirmed. Chris began fucking into him harder, the door rattling in the process. He watched in the mirror as his thrusts shook Felix’s body. He was so pretty. So very, very pretty. When Chris felt Felix start to twitch around his cock, he reached down and grabbed Felix’s dick hard.

“Daddy, please. I’ve been good,” he whimpered.

“Not until I finish,” Chris slapped Felix’s left thigh, leaving a red handprint. Felix jumped and that tipped Chris over the edge. He came hard in spite of already having come once earlier. Felix contracted around him, only extending his orgasm. When he finally finished, he let go of Felix’s cock.

“Now you can finish,” he rested his forehead on the back of Felix’s head. He tightened around the older man a few times, then came, spilling come between his body and the door. He practically went limp when he finished.

“You good?” Chris asked.

“Yeah,” Felix replied, still catching his breath.

“Good,” Chris carefully pulled out, his come dripping out of Felix. His pants were covered in a combination of lube and come. Chris reached up and released Felix’s hands. He carefully massaged the smaller boy’s arms as he got feeling back.

“Let me get the bath ready,” Chris told him. Chris led him back to their bedroom where a glass of water and a towel were waiting on the nightstand. Felix drank some of the water then dumped some on the towel to get the dried come off his face. Chris tried to hide his smile.

“I’m glad you’re pleased with yourself,” Felix stuck his tongue out at his boyfriend.

“Very,” Chris grinned. He went into the bathroom and started the water. He put in bath salts to help with the soreness he knew would develop in Felix’s shoulders. When it was ready he helped the smaller boy into the tub and rested him against his chest. They sat in silence just enjoying the warm water and each other’s company.

“Was your day really that bad?” Chris looked down at him.

“Have I mentioned how much I hate the professor I’m TA-ing for?” Felix huffed as Chris began washing his hair.

“Only every other day this semester,” Chris replied. “I believe I gave you a reasonable amount of work when you were working for me.”

“Though I have to say I enjoy what you give me now more,” Felix leaned back and grinned.

“Longest semester of my life until you got reassigned,” Chris kissed him.

“Mine too,” Felix agreed. “But now you’re mine.”

“Am I?” the older man teased.

“Yup,” the younger boy grinned up at him.

“You’re mine too. Love you,” Chris wrapped his arms around Felix’s waist.

“Love you more,” Felix hugged Chris’s arms closer to his chest.

“So competitive,” Chris rolled his eyes.

“One of the many reasons you love me,” Felix replied.

“Very true. Alright, time to get out then eat something,” Chris told him. Chris dried Felix off, careful to avoid any potential sore spots. They got dressed, Felix in one of Chris’s tee shirts that practically engulfed him and old sweatpants. Chris was happy to finally be out of his suit even if he’d probably have to trash the pants. Hazard of the hobby, he supposed. Felix wrapped his arms around Chris’s waist forcing him to waddle down the hall to the kitchen.

“Brat,” he looked over his shoulder.

“You can use that one next time,” Felix giggled. And Chris knew he was well and truly in love with this boy.

[exy-shmexy]

What if one day, while he’s mindlessly scrolling through social media, Andrew ends up finding a random post from an organization that helps wild mustangs which have been rounded up by the government find someone to adopt them and offer them a forever home?

The next thing he knows, Andrew is sending an email to the organization.

He tells Neil during dinner the same evening. Neil asks to see the horse, and Andrew immediately shows him the photo. Neil frowns upon seeing it. He carefully reads everything that’s written in her description, and when he’s done, the only thing he asks Andrew is when they’ll go see her.

They go the next weekend. The mare is three states away from them so it’s a long drive. Andrew is practically vibrating from anticipation. He spent all of his free time learning about horses and how to care and handle them. When they arrive, someone immediately walks up to them. It’s a young woman in her early thirties who talks entirely too much. Andrew cuts her off by asking where the mare is. The woman closes her mouth to lead them to the enclosure. The chestnut mare is there, looking even smaller in real life than she did in the pictures. She’s sporting more bite marks too. Her coat looks dull, her mane and tail are completely tangled and instead of staying close to the rest of the herd, she stays in a corner on her own. She looks… defeated. While researching horses, Andrew read about potential health issues horses can have and why it’s important to have a vet come check on them before purchasing one but in that moment, Andrew doesn’t care. She could have three legs, one ear and no eye that he already knows he won’t be going back home without taking her with him. So he signs the adoption papers, pays the ridiculously low price she was attributed and gives instructions to have her transported to a small ranch a few hours away from where he and Neil live the same day. He pays an extra fee for that, but he doesn’t care. He needs to take this poor animal away from here.

That’s how the wild mustang finds herself, after long hours on the road, in a new place that looks nothing like the tall-fenced areas she had been forced into. There are other horses around alongside other animals, all of them rescues adopted by none other than Renee and Allison. They accepted to keep the wild mare in their sanctuary for as long as Andrew wants her there. Thankfully, the Exy season just ended so Andrew has plenty of time to hang around here, and plenty of time he knows he’s going to need.

The mare doesn’t let anyone approach here. From blank emptiness, her eyes have turned into frantic panic. She is lost. Afraid. Alone. Andrew spends the first few days giving her time and space to adjust to all the changes until she eventually settles down. He discusses a lot with Renee on how to best approach the situation, but she keeps repeating the best solution is patience.

Andrew arms himself with it.

The chestnut mare flees away from him every time he approaches. She is taller than him and he’s fully aware of how powerful a kick can be. So he stays on the other side of the fence for hours, slowly but surely letting the mare acclimate herself to his presence and come closer to him. It takes Andrew two weeks to be able to lay a finger against her nose. She bolts away immediately after, but then the next day she allows him to put his entire hand on her forehead. Three days later, he can finally take off the damn tag that’s been hanging around her neck this entire time.

It only goes uphill from here.

Time and patience are indeed the key.

Andrew never forces the mare to do anything. He lets her do her thing. She pulls on some weight, fills in on muscles and even lets him brush her after a few weeks. He knows she is smart. After she understands he means her no harm, their bond is sealed. Eventually she opens up to Neil too, but it is Andrew that she sees as the most trustworthy person so for a very long time he is the only one who can approach her to manipulate her and provide her for the care she needs. Andrew took a chance on a broken thing, one that was alone and afraid, that had given up hope after being misplaced so many times, and Andrew is not a fool. He knows many people would pretend she’s just an animal. But he knows that she understands. So he keeps on working every day to let their friendship bloom until eventually their bond is completely unbreakable for good.

[bafflement]

Ozqrow Week Day 6 - Text Messages

Went in a rather different direction for this one, but eh, It is what it is. Eleven down, six to go. (The missing one will be posted later, it sort of, well, evolved.)

When the urgent text came through to Qrow’s scroll it was unexpected enough that he almost dropped it. Robyn sniggered at him, watching him fumble and he sent her a wounded look as he righted it, checking to see who had texted him at this time of day. He blinked at the sender ID, why would Oz need to contact him now of all times? Weren’t they all on the way to Vacuo anyway? His stomach sank at the implications, but surely everything would have gone just fine? It always had before… oh why hadn’t he been there? Yeah, that was right, he was worried his semblance would screw things up. He hadn’t been there, it was just a text to let him know everybody was safe… right?

The message blinked at him, unopened. The tag marked it as urgent and Qrow swallowed hard, tapping it with shaking fingers.

‘Qrow. Get to Vacuo, they… some of them fell, I couldn’t save them, I just… just get here. Please?” Qrow felt his heart shatter, knowing by the fact Oz hadn’t specified who the likely victims were. If it hadn’t been the girls, then Oz would have reassured him. As it stood… who else had they lost? I could feel Oz’s heartbreak through the text, as few words as it was. Had he lost Weiss, too? WERE the girls okay? He fumbled to call him, to ask for an explanation. He had to know if he’d lost one or both of his nieces to this. They’d been so young, far too young to die like that.

No, no he couldn’t think that, they would be okay. They had to be, right? It was Yang and Ruby, they were fine. His girls, for all that he wasn’t actually their parent, they were still his as much as they were Tai’s. As much as they had been Summer’s. Far more than they’d ever been Raven’s.

Oz picked up on the second ring, his voice sounding raw as though from hours of sobbing. It was worse than even Qrow could have thought. Not just Yang and Ruby and Weiss, but Jaune and Blake, too? They’d lost over half the kids, just getting to Vacuo? He wanted to scream at Oz, to blame him but brothers, he had sounded just as broken as Qrow felt. Besides, he knew damn well that Pocketsized would never have left them to fall under his own power. However he’d got through the portal, Qrow sincerely doubted it had actually been by choice, Oz would never have left his students, would have gone after them. What the hell had happened there, then? Oz had said something about Cinder, though from the roaring in Qrow’s ears, he hadn’t really heard all of it. They’d fallen, he’d lost them. The closest things he had to daughters. He stared into the distance as the call disconnected, Oz’s frantic apologies going all but unacknowledged. Oh, he knew none of this was Oz’s fault, but still… he had been there, he should have protected them. Yes, Qrow needed to get to Vacuo, needed to ask those left behind how the girls had died… vanished. They’d vanished, they’d disappeared. Oz had only said fallen, after all. He’d never actually said they were dead.

Robyn was staring at him, looking deeply concerned. She’d only heard about half the conversation, but from what she’d gathered, it was bad. Part of her wondered why the half heard voice on the other end sounded like Wintertip Pine of all people, not to mention why Qrow was calling him Oz, but that could wait in the face of his obvious grief. She opened her mouth only to close it again, she would be no real help right now. She rather doubted anything really would.

Qrow sobbed for half an hour or so, his mind conjuring up worse and worse scenarios. Oz had seemed pretty certain that the girls weren’t actually dead, but ‘not dead’ wasn’t really the best of situations either. He could think of a great many scenarios that might make mere death a mercy, oh how was he ever going to tell Tai about this? He’d been charged with protecting them and, even by staying away, he had failed in that task. He punched the tale next to him hard enough to splinter the wood, wishing it was the spirit that had given the kids the means to travel to Vacuo. Why hadn’t he realised that there would be a trap? He knew why Oz hadn’t, he always believed the best in everybody, even after that whole… thing… with Jinn. But Qrow? He’d always prided himself on being more cynical than most, more cautious. Why hadn’t he questioned the plan the kids had made more carefully? Yes, he’d still been in Atlas, but still… why had he hesitated? He groaned to himself, already making plans. He needed to be in Vacuo, if nothing else, maybe he could ensure that the last thing his nieces might have ever achieved would not be in vain? They had worked to give hope, it was about time he worked towards that same goal.

And who knew, if they really were all alive, maybe Remnant would end up getting that happy ending?

[marcit55]

Best Online Bookmark Manager in 2024 to Save & Revisit Your Links

The internet has a ton of good content. Be it blogs, YouTube videos, articles, images, webpages, and even listicles. With an abundance of fresh content available, there's always something interesting to discover and enjoy daily. 

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Imagine having a box where you put all the websites you like, so you don't have to look for them whenever you want to visit. That's what an online bookmark manager such as Marcit actually does – it keeps your favorite websites in one easy-to-find place. Let’s explore the working principle of Marcit more deeply!

How Does Marcit Work For You?

Marcit is a simple bookmark manager that keeps all your saved links in one place. You can access them from any device with an internet connection, like your computer, tablet, or phone. It's easy to use – just sign up and start adding bookmarks. Marcit even sorts or categorises your bookmarks for you, so you can find them later with ease.

For instance, you have a recipe website you like. With Marcit, you can save it once with the tag “Recipe”, and then whenever you want to find it, you just type in "recipe," and Marcit shows you the link. Thence, an online bookmark manager is like having a personal assistant for your favorite websites. 

Incredible Features of Online Bookmark Manager:

User-Friendly Interface:

Marcit is user-friendly, meaning it's easy for anyone to use. Its design is straightforward, making it a breeze to find and access your saved links without any confusion.

Favorites and Tags:

You can mark your favorite links and add tags to organize them into categories. This makes it super simple to find exactly what you're looking for without scrolling through a long list.

Advanced Archive Functionality:

If you have links you don't use often, you can move them to an Archive. This keeps your main list clean and focused on what's important to you.

Powerful Search Feature:

Marcit has a powerful search feature that lets you quickly find bookmarks. Whether you remember a keyword, tag, or category, just type it in, and Marcit finds it for you.

Easy Access from Anywhere:

No matter which device you're using – computer, tablet, or phone – you can access your saved bookmarks with Marcit Bookmark Extension and Mobile App as long as you have an internet connection. You won't lose your bookmarks when you switch devices.

One-Click Bookmarking:

Saving bookmarks is as easy as clicking a button. With an online bookmark manager like Marcit, you just need to select the URL of the webpage and click on the Marcit Extension Button. That’s it! You can even add the bookmark with the Marcit App either via the sharing option or manually.

Sharing Options:

You can share your bookmarks with others, which is handy for working on projects together or sharing cool finds with friends.

Conclusion

If you're tired of having too many tabs open and struggling to keep track of your favorite websites, give Marcit a try. It's easy to use and can help you stay organized online. Share your bookmarks with others and keep all your favorite links in one place with Online Bookmarks Manager – Marcit It's a simple solution that can make a big difference in your online life.

[notafrogblog]

I now have five pages of fics marked for later

[grantspectortrash]

Suited and Booted

Pairing: Steven Grant x Reader

Summary: you live across the hall from Steven. For whatever reason, he has to use your shower before going to a work event. You get the pleasure of seeing him in a suit.

Warnings/Tags: No warnings lol, just cute fluff. Some sexual thoughts...because who wouldn't...but nothing physical. Heart eyes, bit of blushing, the good stuff.

Word Count: Nearly 2.5K

A/N: Credit to Nerdist.com for the gif from GIPHY. This is my second Steven fic and I hope you enjoy, if you got any suggestions let me know :))

---

You had moved to London three weeks ago, and at first you had wondered if you had made a mistake.

The flat you rented out was cute, and was the complete opposite of most of the modern apartments that you had looked at and decided were too expensive. It had an old feel to it, mainly because it was old, but you liked it. Everything about it felt like home straight away, but there was just one problem.

You felt alone.

There were a couple of neighbours on the floor below you, and you tended not to see many people from the floor above - only hear them. There was a young couple who lived down the hall from you, and they seemed nice enough, but they mostly kept to themselves like the lovebirds that they were. They said that a guy lived in the apartment opposite yours, but when you knocked and there was no answer, you couldn't help but feel deflated.

New place, new job, new life...but no new friends.

That shitty feeling churned away at your gut, which is why - one week later - you were so relieved to meet Steven Grant.

He was the guy who lived opposite you, and when you first met he shook your hand politely and told you he'd been away on some sort of vacation, or something like that. You couldn't really remember what he had said because he spoke in a rambling, dorky sort of way where his words muddled and his tongue got tied without even trying. You didn't mind as you were too busy staring into his eyes, drinking in the sight of his curly hair and cute smile. You made a mental note that he smelled like vanilla and coffee, and was that fish food?

From that first meeting, you ended up seeing Steven every morning. Not through choice or any conscious effort, it was just the two of you left your flats at the exact same time every morning to leave for work.

You would leave your apartment and shut your door the same time that Steven opened his. And in the two weeks that passed, the two of you created a routine.

Your door would close, his would open. The pair of you would say good morning and you'd walk to the elevator together. As you waited for it to reach your floor you'd make small talk; you'd talk about the weather, or ask about his work. He would comment on how lovely you looked and as the elevator went down to the ground floor the two of you would stand side by side, shoulder's touching.

When he wasn't looking, you'd steal glances at him in the elevator mirror. You wondered if he did the same. Then, when you reached the ground floor and left the elevator, Steven would open the door for you. You'd walk out into the street together and say your goodbye's before going separate ways.

Beyond that, the two of you never really interacted that much. You wondered if he could hear you singing in the shower, the same way you could hear him arguing with someone sometimes. You didn't mean to pry, but you would hear his voice, strained and upset, and never hear a response. You guessed he must be on the phone, and you hoped it wasn't a girlfriend he was talking to.

Today, it's Sunday. A day that you never see Steven, and a day that marks you being in London for three whole weeks. You decide that it's time for a chill day in.

You spend the day doing barely anything. You stumble out of bed at nearly midday after spending hours scrolling on your phone and watching funny videos. You have brunch and find something to watch on tv; you're glued to your sofa all day, only every pausing the show you're bingeing to make food or go to the toilet.

It reaches five thirty, you've ordered takeaway, and you've spent so long on the sofa the seat beneath you now has a permanent you-shaped dent. You shift slightly, pulling the blanket over you some more and checking your delivery app once again.

Then, you hear Steven's door close. Instinctively you grab the remote and pause the show, just so you can listen in to what Steven's doing.

There's some shuffling going on outside your door, then a pause. Steven's door closes once again. You frown, but press play again.

You get maybe ten seconds of watch time before Steven's door closes again, and knuckles rap against your door. Fuck, please let that be the delivery guy.

You drop the blanket immediately, realising you're in joggers and a t-shirt you probably got chocolate on hours before. You smooth down your hair, shake your hands out, and open the door.

"Hi, Y/N."

Of course it's Steven. He sticks his hand up in a wave, a small smile on his face. His other arm is preoccupied with a bundle of clothes, pressed against his chest. He's wearing dark jeans and an oversized navy sweater that you think makes him look adorable. He eyes you quickly, his gaze scanning your clothes.

"Hey, Steven. You okay?" You try to stand casually in your doorway, but you're not sure what to do with yourself. Out the corner of your eye you spot a piece of melted chocolate on your top. You put an arm across your body to hide it.

"I'm sorry. This is going to sound really odd but, my water isn't working and I uh, really could use a shower." He pauses, making a face, "You don't have to say yes or anything, it's just I've got this work thing later and I don't wanna turn up all ratty and stuff. So, yeah."

You let him talk, fast paced and overtly apologetic, and you smile. It's not what you expected from Steven, but you like the fact he trusts you enough to ask for a favour. You also can't help but feel excited about the idea of him being in your home.

"Yeah, no, it's fine. Come on in." You move away from the doorway and gesture for him to follow you in. You shut the door behind him.

"Thank you. I really appreciate it. You know, I'm almost definitely sure I payed my water bill, but I'll sort it. Anyway, thanks."

Steven stops in the entryway, not sure what to do with himself. You stand beside him and smile, "No worries."

It comes to your attention that your place is kind of messy. The blanket's on the floor, your laundry is hanging to dry on an airer attached to your window sill and - because the place is so damn open-planned - Steven eyeballs your messy bed.

His cheeks redden slightly, and he tears his eyes away to look at you. "I like what you've done with the place."

"Thanks," You stifle a laugh, knowing he's only saying that to be polite. "It's usually tidier than this, I promise."

You walk over to the blanket you dumped on the floor and start trying to tidy the place up. You notice Steven is still awkwardly standing in the entryway, the clothes still in his hands. On further inspection, you realise it's a shirt and a suit, and a pair of shiny shoes.

"Right. I'll just-" Steven points towards your bathroom and starts heading that way. You're about to ask how he knows where it is, when you remember his apartment layout must be identical to yours. It's odd seeing him move around in your home as if he's been here a thousand times before.

Part of you can imagine it. Him sleeping in your bed, or reaching up to the top cupboards to get out flour or sugar for a baking recipe. You can picture the way his shirt would ride up slightly as he reached up…would there be abs under there? You can imagine him sat on the sofa beside you, making an indent of his own, and it almost feels real.

You push the images away as he turns back to you, "Thanks again, Y/N." He's about to push open the bathroom door when he stops. "Oh shit, I didn't bring a towel. I'll go get one."

"Don't worry, I've got spares. Bottom draw by the bath." You smile and Steven relaxes a little. He shuts the door behind him with a little awkward wave.

Once he's gone, you move to the centre of your living room and silently scream. Steven Grant was killing you, and he didn't even know it. He had no clue the effect he had on you, and the first time he had stepped into your home you were messy and the place was a state and - oh.

The water is running. And a new image pops into your head.

You make your way to the kitchen and pour yourself a glass of water. You gulp it down almost as though you hadn't seen water for days. No, no, no, double nope. That's wrong. That's bad.

And yet, there it is.

The image of Steven Grant, naked, using your shower. Using your body soap and lathering himself up. Using your shampoo and getting bubbles in his gorgeous, curly hair. The images come and you don't even realise you're gripping the side of the countertop until there are indents in your palms.

You let go, try to shake the thoughts out of your head. You try to think of something sweeter: Is he the type of guy that usually sings in the shower? Does he use shampoo and conditioner or is he a 3 in 1 type of guy who just slapped it on his body and hoped for the best? With the way he smells, all clean and enticing, you doubt it's the latter.

You're so caught up in thinking about him that you jump out of your skin when there's a knock at your door.

You take a breath, calm yourself down, and open the door. You take the food from the delivery guy, say a quick thanks, and put the pizza box down on the kitchen counter.

The water shuts off and the bathroom door opens slightly, "Y/N, do you have guests? Should I go?"

Even though you can't see him, you smile. "No you're good. Just my pizza delivery."

"Ah, okay cool." There's a pause and then, "What type of pizza is it?"

"Veggie. It's my favourite."

A trail of bathroom stream reaches the kitchen and you wonder what he looks like in there. Would he be the type of guy to wrap the towel around his entire body, or just the bottom half? You scold yourself for thinking about it. Stop it.

"Can I be a cheeky bugger and nab a slice? Only if that's okay. It's just this work event is going on all night and I don't think there's food and I was an idiot and didn't make anything so-"

"You can have a slice, Steven. You don't have to explain yourself all the time."

You still couldn't see him, but you hoped that your words made him smile.

"Right. Okay. Thanks, then. So much. I'll be out in a bit."

The bathroom door closes. You take the pizza box to the sofa, sit down and press play on your show. What better way to distract yourself from the attractive man in your bathroom, right?

Wrong.

Ten minutes later Steven walks out of the bathroom and you nearly drop the pizza slice that's in your hand.

"So, how do I look?" He walks his way over to you. You don't even pause the show you’re watching, your eyes are just trained on him as he walks toward you.

The suit he's wearing is dark brown, to the point it could be black, and the shirt is a light blue. There's a golden, patterned tie dangling around his neck that he hasn't done up yet. His old clothes and shoes are tucked under his armpit.

When you say nothing, all flustered and slack jawed, he sighs.

"I look like a knob, yeah?"

"No! Not at all!" You put the pizza slice down in its box, and stand up from the sofa. "I was going to say you look amazing."

You walk towards him and prompt him to turn around. He gives you a whole three-sixty spin so you can take in the entire view.

"You sure? I'm not good at this suited and booted stuff." He pauses, a small smirk playing on his lips, "Not like this anyway."

You frown a little, wondering what that means, but you let it slide. "Honestly Steven, you look great. A proper gentleman."

He smiles at that and he eyes the clock on the wall. "Oh bugger, I'm going to be late. You mind if I-?"

Steven points towards the door. You nod, "Yeah, sure. I wouldn't want to make you late."

"Thanks, Y/N." He smiles at you sweetly, and he's about to walk towards the door when you call him back.

"Steven, come here." You reach down and pick up a slice of pizza for him. "You've got to eat, remember? And you've not done your tie. Here."

You close the distance between you and hand him the pizza slice. He gives you the biggest, most appreciative smile you've ever seen. He takes a bite as you start to tie his tie.

He makes a small noise as he eats the slice, almost like a moan. You gulp hard. He's warm beneath your touch and he smells like you. You're torn between inhaling deeply and not breathing at all. You've never been this close and it's electrifying.

You finish his tie and look up at him without moving away, your face now feeling warm as ever. "There. You're good to go now."

He smiles down at you and then, surprisingly, wipes his mouth with his sleeve and plants a quick kiss on your forehead.

"You're the best. You're so bloody lovely." He steps away from you and heads towards your door, the half-eaten pizza still in his hand.

"I'll repay you for this. A date or something, maybe. If you want to." He's opened the door and is looking back at you as he talks. You smile and nod your head profusely.

"I'd like that. See you soon, yeah?"

"Yeah. Thank you again, Y/N. You're brilliant. Later's 'gators."

The door closes behind him and you're utterly, unbelievably and unequivocally grateful for the existence of Steven Grant.

---

taglist: @later-gators12

[omg-im-such-a-masochist]

One Last Time

Summary: He promised you he would never go down that path again. But when the truth proved itself to be the opposite of what you believed in, how will you react when you have to choose between your heart and your mind (also, wow! When your summary has more plot than the actual story 😂 This is basically smut with no plot)

Word Count: 2110 words

Pairings: Jay Briscoe x Reader

Warnings: +18, smut, explicit sexual content and a shit ton of dirty talk

Editor: @thenightmareismyreality

My undying supporter and plot Beta: @letsgivethisonemoreshot

Tag: @theworldofotps , @whenimakeitshine1234 , @writtingrose , @sophiewolfheart-blog , @hungmanhorsecarriage , @new-zealand-chic , @aerynscrichton , @thealliasylum , @wrestlersownmyheart , @crowleysqueenofhell , @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch

A/N: So here’s the thing: Jay Briscoe’s fandom is incredibly small (do I hear crickets? 🤔🤣) and I’m proudly a part of it. I love this man and there are so little stories with him out there and it makes me so sad 😢 I’m gonna be real and say that this will probably never reach beyond 4 notes or something, but you know what? Whatever! Because I’m going to get this out of my system and profess my undying love for this man. So if anyone out there loves him too, you’re not alone ❤️😂. If you’d like to check out my previous works, you can find them on my Masterlist ❤️

Gif by: @gangstanappah

I knew it would end like this. When I met Jay, something inside me told me to watch out. He smelled like trouble, looked like trouble and I felt drawn to him because of it.

Getting a little taste of the “forbidden” soon became an addiction, and boy I was hooked. His taste, his words, his touches. Everything he did was borderline maddening because he did it so perfectly. My very own twisted fairytale felt like it could go on forever, until it didn’t.

Police broke into my house to arrest him and I was shocked. Of course I knew he was bad news, but not THAT bad.

Still, I stood by him. Every Saturday I went down to James T. Vaughn Correctional Center to visit him. He always swore to me that this would be the only time I went near a prison because of him.

Did I believe him? Yes

Was I wrong? Absolutely!

Two years after he was free, police arrested him again. I only found out because he called me from the police station. I let him say his piece, and hung up the phone without speaking.

For my own good I had to cut all ties with him. He called repeatedly from prison but I never answered. He left messages in my voicemail - I listened, cried like an idiot, and deleted them. He somehow even got a phone inside the prison - which I’m sure his brother Mark arranged - and kept texting me, so I just ignored it all.

A few of his things were still in my house so I just placed them inside a cardboard box and shoved it in the small closet underneath the stairs.

Even though it pained me to do it, I had to, for my own good. I loved Jay more than anything else in the world but you know what they say: sometimes love is not enough. And in our case, that phrase was a perfect fit.

One year later

For most people, Friday night was a party night. For me, it meant Domino’s pizza, cheap wine and Netflix.

I was waiting for Tony - the delivery guy - as I scrolled through my phone. I was hungry and the pizza couldn’t come fast enough, when someone finally knocked on the door.

“About fucking time!” I groaned to myself as I walked towards the front door.

I grabbed 20 bucks and opened the door “Damn, Tony. What took you so long?-” The words died on my tongue while I stared into Jay’s green eyes.

Fuck, he looked even better than before. His tanned skin was complimented perfectly by an oversized white shirt and baggy jeans, and paired perfectly with his yellow timbs. His beard was longer, and his buzz cut was neatly trimmed. He had a few more lines around his magnetic green eyes, but it only made him look more handsome.

“Tony still takes over forty minutes to deliver pizza?” He asked with a faint chuckle.

I didn’t know why, but his “pretend that nothing ever happened” demeanor deeply annoyed me, and I did my best to mask my excitement to see him behind a frown.

“What are you doing here? I thought you were locked up”

“I was, but I left this morning. I went to Mark’s and took a decent shower and had some sleep in a real bed. Although it wasn’t the bed I wanted to be in” He groaned while eyeing me from head to toe.

Even though I was in a pair of black yoga pants and matching black tank, I felt incredibly exposed.

“What do you want, Jay?” I tried to sound annoyed, even though on the inside I wanted nothing more than to jump the man.

“You. I want you” He stepped closer to the doorstep andI could smell the cologne radiating from him “365 days and you were all I could think of. I thought about you night and day. I dreamt about you. Rubbed one off thinking about you” His hand cupped my cheek “My peach”

I could feel it. The warmth of his skin, his scent drowning me, his lips so close to mine…

“My juicy lil’ peach” His tongue softly darted out and licked my bottom lip “So sweet” He repeated his actions again “And all mine”.

With that specific word, my eyes snapped open and I pushed him away.

“No, Jay” I took a step back from his inebriating scent “You promised me that it would be the first and last time you would go to prison and you lied! You told me I would never have to see you behind bars again, and two years later you were calling me from the precinct saying they would take you to Vaughn again! I couldn’t do that anymore. What was I supposed to do? Watch them take you away and applaud? Visit you every Saturday again? Listen to a bunch of cop-outs of how it will never happen again? That it will be the last time? I can’t do this and you know it” My voice was nothing but a whisper at this point “You promised me it would never happen again. You knew I didn’t want you in the middle of whatever the fuck your brother and his idiotic friends do. You had a choice, Jay. I gave you a choice. And you made it, so now you have to live with that”.

My heart sank with every word. I wanted nothing more than to say “fuck it” and take him back in my life. But I knew better than that. Accepting Jay would be the same as saying “do whatever you want, I’ll always wait for you”. Although a part of me knew I probably would, it wasn’t the right thing to do. But why must the right thing feel so wrong?.

Jay nodded and asked “Can I at least grab some of my stuff? If you still have it, that is”

I agreed and let him, pointing towards the small closet underneath the stairs where the box containing his belongings was. At the same time, Tony brought the pizza and left. When I closed the door, placed the pizza on the coffee table and turned around, Jay was staring at me. He was leaning against the wall, arms crossed in front of his chest, green eyes staring at me so intensely…Like he had done so many times before.

He pushed himself off the wall and walked towards me. “Your hair is different” Calloused fingers were now playing with my soft strands “It’s longer. I like it” His fingers roamed up to my scalp.

He took a handful of my hair before tugging it “I get a better grip now” Jay pulled my head back so I could look into his piercing eyes “It makes it easier to keep you in place. Toss you around. Make you look up at me when you suck my cock. And pull you towards me as I fuck you from behind, just the way you love it”.

A shocked gasp left my lips when his free hand closed around my neck “You’ve always liked it dirty” Jay smirked. “You like when your man gives it to you rough, don’t you, peaches?”

“Jay” My voice was faint and I gathered all of my strength to attempt to stop myself from falling into his web “I told you-“

“I know, little peach, I know. But don’t you think we deserve a proper goodbye? After all we’ve been through together, we deserve it, don’t we? We deserve to officially say goodbye to the way our bodies move together, to how nicely your pussy milks my cock, to how full your mouth gets when I bury myself down in your throat, or how much I can make you squirt when I eat you out”.

Jay quickly turned me around and pressed his front against my back “C’mon, peaches. Just one more time” He pushed my hair to the side and kissed the side of my neck “You know you want it, baby. Say it! Say how much you want your man”.

He walked us forward until I was trapped between the back of the couch and his toned body. His beard scraped against my neck as his hands roamed down to my hips, where he squeezed the supple meat and held me in place as he rubbed his erection against my ass.

“Jay” I gasped “You need to leave” My mind flooded with memories of how perfectly Jay fit inside of me.

“Do I?” He nibbled on the pulse point of my neck “Are you sure you want that, peach?” Warm, calloused hands roamed up to cup my breasts through the tank top “I know you better than you do. And I could be wrong but something tells me you don’t actually mean that, do you?” His tongue darted out and traced the outer part of my ear shell before nibbling on it softly.

“Now, I might be overstepping here and if I am, you just say the word and I’ll leave. But didn’t you miss me? Not even a little bit?”

My silence was enough for him to continue and so, Jay dipped his hand inside my yoga pants “Yes, you did” He whispered but soon the soft whisper became a growl when he found no barriers between his hand and my damp folds.

“Fuck…no panties?” His middle and ring finger began to circle my clit “You were secretly waiting for me, weren’t you? You knew I was leaving today, and knew I would come here after you” He panted “You’re so fucking wet…my little peach” Quickly removing his fingers from my pants, Jay took his juice covered fingers to his mouth and sucked them clean while humming “I missed how sweet my peach tastes, so fucking delicious”.

Not able to contain myself anymore, I rubbed my ass against his clothed erection. *One more time. Just one more time* I mentally repeated to myself like a mantra.

“Fuck yes, baby. Rub yourself against me” His hands had a stronger grip on my hips this time “Feel what you do to me”.

Following a natural instinct, my hands went to my back until I felt the buckle of his belt. My fingers fumbled with the cool metal until Jay’s warm fingers covered mine and helped me free him from his pants. At first contact of our skins I moaned as my hand softly pumped him up and down. My body buzzed with excitement of having him in me again. His size, his girth, everything about him was perfect and made me scream internally.

Jay’s hands pushed my pants down my legs as he whispered in my ear:

“Put me in ya” He panted “Put my cock inside that sweet, warm, tight pussy, baby”

I slid his cock between my folds to lube him up before pressing his tip against my entrance and slowly sinking down on it.

My hands gripped the backrest of the couch as I felt him stretching me. It felt so familiar and yet so foreign. Jay’s hands tightly gripped my hips as he pushed me up and down on his cock while growling “Fuck, peach. The tightest pussy I ever fucked” His hand slammed down on my ass hard, surely leaving a red handprint behind “And all mine, right baby? This sweet lil pussy is only mine”.

Unable to stay still anymore, I leaned forward on the backrest of the couch and began to move my hips back to meet his thrusts.

“Fuck yes, stick that sexy ass out, just like that” I felt another sting on my ass as he moaned. “Fuck yourself on my cock, baby. That’s right, make good use out of your man’s dick”

Jay watched me move up and down his length until he felt my walls tightening around him. I gripped the couch cushion as I felt the sweet release approaching me.

Jay covered my body with his, held my hips in place and began to thrust in me from behind at a frantic pace.

“That’s it, peaches. Make a mess on me” His hand roamed down and rubbed my sensitive bundle of nerves “Milk my cock, baby. Make me cum with that tight lil pussy”. His words triggered something deep within me, and as he commanded, my body obeyed.

“Fucking hell, you squeeze me so fucking good” He moaned and kept thrusting in as his cum filled up my walls.

Jay kissed from my shoulder to my temple and the only thing I could say in return was:

“Welcome home, my love”

[4joonkookie]

24 Candles

Pairing: Jungkook x Reader

Words: 2.6K

Summary:

A smutty, 24-hour diary of Jungkook's 24th birthday.

Also, Jungkook has feelings.

You play with JK’s butt in this one. Find butt-free fics:

Here Here Here or Here

Tags/Warnings:

SMUT, BUTT STUFF, Happy Birthday to the LOML, 50 shades of JK, dom!JK, sub!JK, oral sex, quickie sex, desperate sex, unprotected sex, creampie, spitting, spit kink, conversational sex, butt plugs, toys, JK is deep and complex, JK has feelings, y/n is very in touch with JK’s emotions, strength kink, body worship, JK loves ARMY, JK loves you, fluff, angst, painstakingly canon compliant, not beta-read, trying to tame my shame but, WOW, also I am deviant trash.

*****

03:57 AM

You awaken to moonlight blinking through the living room curtains. The sound of a bag dropping and feet shuffling wake you where you lay on the couch.

He comes around to you right away. He kneels down to the floor beside you and pushes his forehead against yours. He leans up to kiss you as you take in his familiar scent.

“I told you not to wait up,” he scolds, gently. Seeing where you’d set up camp to wait for him to come home in the living room.

“I didn’t wait. I fell asleep,” you reply, coaxing yourself into awakeness. You look at the clock, almost 4 am.

“Happy Birthday,” you whisper and kiss his forehead.

He doesn’t say anything. He just leans into your neck for a greedy inhale.

“You smell good,” he says, hovering above you and squeezing your waist at his words.

You giggle at the tickling sensation on your neck. “Aren’t you tired?”

Still kneeling by the couch, his hands glide up under your loose sweater. He grips hard, pulling at your nipples with both hands. He latches his mouth to one of them and pulls his lips away until it pops.

“I was,” he says, dark and low. On his knees and pressing you to the couch, he sinks teeth to your neck, promising a mark.

You’re taken a bit aback at his rough nature but remember it’s been a few weeks, he’s probably pent up. His pace reminds you that you are too.

Soon, your gestures escalate from clumsy and quick to activated muscle memory, moving in fast forward.

You urge him to remove his shirt and toss it across the room. You can hardly see his face but the moonlight reflects off of him. You feel him angle your hips at the edge of the couch, pull off your panties and watch his silhouette lean down between your legs. The sensation of his warm spit spills down your folds, caught only by his fingers sloppily pushing into your opening.

You shudder at the intrusion. He spits again, this time audibly and more, your body not quite caught up to where his mind is.

“Missed you, baby,” he mewls.

He sucks and licks and laps at you, reacquainting himself with your pussy after a long time away. He uses 2 fingers to rub a path over your clit before they sink inside you. He repeats this, over and over, satisfied little groans fall from his lips before he removes his fingers and leans up to kiss you, desperately. Tongues and teeth bang together while hurriedly you tug at his belt and free his cock.

You use the lowered fabric to pull him to the couch, mounting him. He slides you onto his length and you both groan.

You grimace being stretched open by him after so long. Strong arms smash your laps together, Jungkook pushing up and grinding into you.

“Did you miss me?” he pants, between thrusts.

You keep your rhythm, circling hips around his cock.

“I missed you, Jungkook,” you say, tugging back at his hair with both hands.

He chuckles, enjoying the sound of his own name. Your bodies continue to move tantrically, shaking and panting, skin slippery with sweat. Feeling your orgasm coming, you start bouncing on his lap, trying to take in more of him.

He leans back to watch you, hands on your hips. He watches as you envelop his cock with every thrust.

When he feels you pulse around him, he grunts and groans and spills inside. When you catch your breath, you stand on wobbly legs.

He’s exhausted. You can see the sleep taking over his body. You urge him to follow you to the bedroom to clean up and sleep.

1:48 PM

It’s nearly 2 and Jungkook is still fast asleep.

They always do this to him. They work him to the bone until he’s so spent, they can’t get another day out of him. By the time he gets home, he sleeps for days.

You mindlessly scroll on your phone, occupying yourself next to him. You’re just happy to be with him. His side of the bed is so often empty.

He finally stirs.

“Hey you,” you say, dropping your phone to the bed.

He lets out a groggy groan and looks at his watch. “Ugh. I’m sorry,” he says, regretful about how long he’s been asleep.

“Don’t be,” you say before kissing his lips and brushing hair behind his ear.

He’s tired but it’s more than that. He looks rough and truly worn out, his typical brightness is dulled.

“What’s on your mind?” you ask. Although, you already know.

He says nothing.

He was devastated when they cancelled the tour. He told you over the phone and you could tell he was upset when it happened but the toll it’s taken on him now, is apparent.

“I’m sorry,” you offer.

“It’s just…,” he starts and sits up, wringing his hands, emotions bubbling. “I’ve always been tired.”

You sit up and face him, setting your undivided attention. “Yeah?” you encourage.

“I’ve always slaved away on choreo. We’ve always been busy.” He looks off, wrapping his arms around his knees that are still tucked under the bed sheet. That compromise is… for them. But, now, I can’t even see them. I don’t know when I'll see them again. I miss them.”

It’s heartbreaking. All you can do is continue to listen, allow him an outlet for these feelings. He continues.

“It's like I don’t know what it's all for when it’s like this. I knew before, when we were performing, it was very clear.”

He shakes the emotions from his head. “Sorry, I'm in such a sour mood.”

“Shhh... “ you kiss his forehead. just wishing there was something you could do.

“Thank you for telling me. I wish I could help.”

“I know.” He grabs your hand and laces his fingers with yours.

You change the subject. “What do you want to do today?”

He positions himself so you’re face-to-face, sitting on the bed. He takes a deep breath. “First, I think I'll go to the gym. Clear my head. I'll make it quick”.

You shrug. “Take all the time you need.” You know it helps him.

The both of you stand up by the same side of the bed.

“And then...I’d really like to lounge around here with you if that’s ok?”

“I like that idea,” you reply.

“Maybe we can order in and…”

He kisses your neck.

“mmm...What do you have in mind?”

He presses his open mouth to yours, pressing his tongue inside.

“Some of that,” he teases.

You stand to your tiptoes and wrap arms around his neck, not wanting to let him leave again.

“And what else, birthday boy?”

This question, he opts to simply hold you tight. He hugs your body tight against his, inhaling at your neck again, planting a kiss on your lips.

“Maybe some toys?” He aims his gaze at the bedside table.

Your stomach flutters. “If you’re up for it,” you reply with a raised eyebrow.

He kisses you once more and heads out the door.

When you hear the door close, you collapse, flat on the bed and stare at the ceiling. You always look forward to when he gets home. But then you have to catch up with weeks of emotion, wishing you could’ve been there for the duration.

You can really feel the awfulness now. He was devastated when they postponed it 2 years ago. Now, after 2 years of holding on to hope just to have it cancelled and all other performances postponed indefinitely? He’s heartbroken.

When it was canceled you silently celebrated, knowing you’d have more of him to yourself. It’s not worth it if he feels this way.

On the other hand… concerts haven’t been happening for 2 years but the boys stay busy with packed schedules.

He always says it’s not the same without them. Jungkook has always been a bit more attached to fans than any other member, leaving his family at such a young age. Without ARMY, he seems very lost.

4:00 PM

Jungkook returns home in better spirits, wiping sweat with a towel from his forehead. He pecks your lips, walking through the kitchen.

“I'll take a shower and be right back,” he says, sweaty hair, clinging to his forehead.

“Can I join you?” you offer, as he walks by.

“I'll be quick.” he says, continuing to the bedroom.

You try not to think too much of it and shower in the other bathroom.

By the time you get out, his shower has stopped running.

You dress for your introverts-night- in in one of his t-shirts and perfume, nothing else.

The delivery food comes, you set it up at the kitchen counter and pour drinks.

4:30 pm

When he hasn’t come out in over 20 minutes, you lean your ear to the bathroom door and knock, concerned.

“Are you ok?” No noise is coming from the bathroom except his voice.

“Yes,” he replies, calmly.

“Do you need help?” you ask.

“No!” he exclaims, immediately. “I’ll be out soon.”

You return to where you sit at the kitchen counter wondering what he's doing? Is he hurting himself?

He follows behind a few moments later, casually kissing your lips before he sits at a nearby barstool.

“This is a ton of food,” he comments.

You say nothing and he gestures to clink your drink glasses before he starts eating.

You watch as he silently ravages. It always went this way too. He’s starved when he comes home. Most of the time when he’s working, he avoids eating altogether or can’t find the time.

He relaxes. You eat, drink and have conversation. He’s in better spirits, having taken some time for himself and away from work.

He seems comfortable, but squirms slightly in his seat.

He’s TOO comfortable.

You have a sneaking suspicion, now. One that’s not tied to his tough feelings about a cancelled tour.

“What’s up with you?” You query.

“What do you mean?” he asks genuinely. “Like, what we talked about this morning?”

“No.” You scan him. “You look like you’re up to something. Like you’re hiding something.”

Your tone is more serious but you try no to be accusatory.

“It’s nothing,” he insists.

You nod. “Ok,” settling. You continue eating though, conversation is lulled.

Out of curiosity, you open the app on your phone. It shows the plug is powered on and the vibrations are off.

You turn the vibe on, Jungkook nearly stumbling on his barstool. You approach him and he grabs the phone from you.

“I knew it!” You kiss him, standing between his seated legs, then, pulling back with sudden realization.

“That’s what you were doing in the bathroom?”

“Yeah. What did you think I was doing?”

You shake the thought from your head. “You got yourself ready without me?” you whine, disappointed.

“I wanted to surprise you.”

“That’s so hot,” you begin to kiss his neck, no longer thinking about food.

“Well, can we finish dinner?” he says, with a mouthful of food.

You’re embarrassed by your own haste. “Of course.” You sit down calmly, patiently, and allow him to finish.

“What?” He questions as you eyeball him.

“Nothing. Just letting you finish,” you reply, sincerely.

He laughs and drops his utensils. “What, you can’t wait? You’re such a horndog!”

You scoff. “And who’s wearing a butt plug at the dinner table?” you tease, approaching to get your hands on him again.

“It hasn’t even been in for_”

“_So I’ll finish getting you readyyyyyy,” you interrupt, nearly pouting.

You slide your hands up his thighs, standing between them.

He hides a smile, you know he’s already caved in. Then, he lifts you up and you wrap legs around his waist.

He carries you to the bedroom, dropping you to the mattress. He undresses.

“Let me see?” you whisper, sitting up.

He slides face down on the mattress, burying his face. Your gaze follows his body. You straddle his legs from behind, caressing his back and groping at his muscled ass cheeks.

You pull his shy legs apart to expose the toy. You let your fingers drag over it, tugging lightly.

“You did this for me?” you ask. Ideas of what he was doing to himself in the bathroom flood your horny mind.

He nods, still mostly into the mattress.

“So pretty, baby.” You tug at the plug, sitting tight inside. You use the manual switch to set the vibe on. The low setting, like he likes.

You move the toy slowly at first until it glides in with ease.

“Is this what you did?

“Yes,” he moans.

“When you had yourself bent over the bathroom counter?” you assume.

“Mm-hmm,” he verbalizes and You push faster. He bucks back against the toy and your hand, his hole finally sliding open.

You settle him to his back, pillow propped underneath his hips and continue sliding the toy in and out of him.

He’s sufficiently opened, looking perfect.

He lays with legs spread, knees bent, eyes fluttering closed with every pump of the toy.

He fumbles your hands and pushes it all the way in to hold it in place and shudders, taking exactly what he needs.

You work the toy a little harder now., twisting and turning it along his walls, pressing against his prostate. Sweat drips over his body. Cum drips down his shaft and onto his abs. You lap at the cum on his body, cock and balls bouncing with each pump of the toy.

You make attempts to stroke him with your free hand and use your mouth on him but he shudders away each time, too close.

You’re not even thinking about coming, entranced in how beautiful he is.

He rolls you to your side, bracing a hand on your hip and slides inside from behind. He sets a pace and squeezes his own cheeks together on every thrust, clenching around his toy.

He buries his face in your neck and whines, his arms wrapped around your torso, tight.

He rolls you over and fumbles on top of you to pull another toy from the side drawer, powers it on, and holds the bullet to your clit while he pumps into you.

Precious ‘ah’s’ fill the air when he comes, pushing into you deep, feeling vibrations through his prostate and lower body. You buck against him when you come, too, shoving the toy away when it’s too much, but letting the waves flow through you.

Your bodies slow and Jungkook pulls the overstimulating toy out of himself. You drape your legs over each other, bodies tangled, and doze again.

03:52 am

He’s already gazing at you when you wake up.

You yawn and stretch, taking a hand and running fingers through his hair.

“Were you happy when you found out?” he asks, plainly, about the MOTS tour.

“What?” you stutter, suddenly awake. Guilt surges through your body. You hadn’t properly considered how it would make him feel the first time you heard the news. It’s different now.

He must understand that. It’s different now.

“I don’t want you to feel this way,” you start. “ I would do anything if you didn’t feel this way.”

He nods. “I know.” He grabs your hands in his. “Were you happy?”

You hang your head. “Yes. At first.”

“Good.” he caresses your cheek, lifting your chin. “I’m glad you were happy.”

The both of you doze again.

[hockeylvr59]

Here With Me Part 3 || Taylor Makar

Author’s Note: Another Saturday night...another round in Taylor's bed. And Taylor learns a few important things about Kelsey. FC: Marina Laswick (@marooshk on instagram).

Warnings: Smut & language // Word Count: 3,561

~~~~

Two

It had been four days since she’d hooked up with Taylor and Kelsey still hadn’t forgotten about how good it had been. It crept into her mind every time she changed and saw the fading bruises or saw someone wearing a UMass sweatshirt while out and about. At the same time though, she didn’t want to be that girl that read more into a situation than was actually there. As much as she had thought about a repeat encounter, maybe he hadn’t and was content with just a one night stand. 

She was working on biochemistry homework, or at least trying to, when Taylor crossed her mind again. Dropping her pen with a sigh, Kelsey got up from her desk and flopped onto her bed grabbing her phone from where it was plugged in. It only took a minute for her to type his name into Instagram and click on the profile with the little blue check mark. There weren’t many posts at all to scroll through which made Kelsey laugh because yeah that felt right. 

She found herself smiling at the pictures of him and his brother decked out in team Canada apparel and shirtless flexing as a kid. Flipping over through his tagged pictures, Kelsey knew that she could get lost in them far more easily if she had had the time for that. Peeking at just a few she saw him celebrating his brother’s Stanley cup and featuring in a whole bunch of reels. 

Her mind weighed whether or not to actually follow his account. On one hand, it would be a little embarrassing if he had only wanted a one night stand. On the other…maybe he was interested in a repeat and just didn’t know how to find her. She knew who he was because of her family but unless someone from the team had told him her full name, he probably didn’t even know who she was. She couldn’t recall having even given him her first name but he clearly knew that so either someone did tell him or he overheard it somewhere. 

Deciding that the embarrassment of not reaching out was greater than doing so and being rejected, Kelsey pressed the button to officially follow Taylor Makar. Then she pushed herself off of the bed to go out and get a snack before digging in determined to get this homework done. 

When she fell back onto her bed more than two hours later, Kelsey was both surprised and not to find a notification with a request for Taylor to follow her back. Along with it was a dm containing a snapchat user id. 

Granting permission for Taylor to follow her, Kelsey copied the id and opened snapchat, adding him there as well. It took less than five minutes for him to accept that request as well and a bland snap of a dorm wall that read “and she reveals her full name” came through. Shooting back a picture of her rolling her eyes she declared that he evidently didn’t try very hard to find out. This time Taylor sent back a partial selfie asking what she was doing and the expression on his face made Kelsey laugh. 

Telling him that she was trying to decompress from biochemistry homework led to him asking if she was ‘smart smart’ and then devolved into discussions of school. She learned that he was looking at social and behavioral sciences even if he hadn’t fully narrowed down a major just yet as he was still a full year behind her. She told him that she was premed and hoping to focus on obstetrics and women’s health as she became a doctor. He shared stories from Calgary and the people that were supporting him from Brooks. 

Before she knew it it was almost midnight and they’d been snapping back and forth for hours. Declaring that she really needed to sleep she bid him goodnight and set her phone aside, her stomach bubbling with excitement. 

Throughout the rest of the week they’d snap back and forth here and there and Kelsey knew her smile betrayed her every time his name popped up on her screen. Though she thought about seeing if he wanted to hookup again that weekend, between homework, UMass losing their Saturday night game, and Halloween festivities it just didn’t happen. She and some girlfriends had gone out Saturday dressed as flappers with a ‘no boys’ rule in place anyway and when she posted the pictures on her insta story she did get a fire emoji back from Taylor making her heart race. 

Kelsey found herself extra busy the following week so while she and Taylor did exchange a few snaps it was nothing substantive or meaningful. She did get a kick out of it when he sent her a reel of herself bent over helping one of her students with the caption ‘looking good Coach K’. She replied with a teasing message that next time he can get out there and help instead of spying. She also had to use the utmost restraint when he posted a shared reel from his gym in Calgary because clips of him working out were insanely sexy.

****

The Mullins Center was really the last place that Kelsey wanted to be on a Saturday night, especially after spending all day at another rink for a tournament for her girls. But her cousins had called her pleading for her to take them and Kelsey let them guilt trip her into it. 

As she settled into her seat sporting braided hair, a cream sweater and black leggings, Kelsey tried to blend in with the crowd while cursing the fact that once again there was somehow a lack of usable wifi or cellular data in this noisy building. Her cousins yammered on and on regurgitating everything they had heard said about this year’s team. Though she let them, Kelsey knew that all the information they provided was from a biased source just like it had been last year and the year before that. 

Thankfully the game was over quickly and admittedly, Kelsey had no idea what had happened other than when Taylor was on the ice prior to overtime. And having watched him, she was even more angry at her uncle. Because watching Taylor -  from his speed, to his shot, to his instincts and decision making on the ice - Kelsey knew that this didn’t all appear out of nowhere in the last six months, this was all here previously but wasn’t properly acknowledged and utilized. If her uncle had spent any time working with Taylor a year ago, Kelsey couldn’t even imagine where he would be right now. And his willingness to give it back just as good as anyone gave it was a necessary quality when she knew that he had a target on his back every night because of his brother. 

Though she really wanted to book it from the arena and go home leaving her cousins to catch a ride with their dad, a part of her mind reminded her of the possibility of seeing Taylor and she reluctantly followed them downstairs to the hallways surrounding the locker rooms. 

It wasn’t long before her uncle stepped out of his office to go do media mumbling to his assistant coach about the freshman scoring goals but making plays like that. Kelsey couldn’t help but scoff loudly drawing her uncle’s attention. 

“Something you want to say?” Her uncle asked and oh boy was there. Still, Kelsey checked up and down the hall to make sure that none of the freshmen were within hearing distance because they didn’t deserve that. In doing so she missed Taylor and a couple other guys walking through the locker room door. 

“Yeah. Yeah there is.” Kelsey declared. “Maybe don’t blame your freshmen for your coaching fuck up. Was their defense kind of shit there…yes. But as soon as you put that trio on the ice to start OT everyone in the damn building knew that it would end exactly as it did. And that’s not on them. That’s on you for your personnel choice. Because you and everyone else knew that not having a single defensive player out there was only going to bite you in the ass if you didn’t score on the first rush. It’s on you for not urging someone to make a damn change while PC did because there was time for at least 1 if not 2 players to make a change. So stop blaming your players for the decisions you made that were the wrong ones.” 

Sucking in a lungful of air after completing her thought, Kelsey glared at her uncle with fire in her eyes. 

“Now have fun spouting all of your bullshit to the media and don’t forget to take your daughters home with you.” Hugging her cousins who were both a bit slack jawed at her rant, Kelsey stormed down the hall and through an open door just needing a moment to cool off. 

Back by the locker room, Taylor’s eyes were wide because this was the second time that he had heard Kelsey speak to his coach that way, an utter lack of respect shown each time regardless of how true her words may have been. He must have been gaping a bit as well because Harding slapped his shoulder jolting him back into the present moment. 

“You know she’s his niece right?” Hards stated simply. “His wife’s niece really and from what I’ve heard they’ve never gotten along. She’s just become less afraid to speak her mind as an adult.” 

Carvel’s niece…

Oh shit.

Oh boy was he fucked. 

He’d slept with his coach’s niece. And even more messed up, he wanted to again. 

Coughing after swallowing some of his own spit, Taylor did his best to school his face. 

Kelsey was Carvel’s niece…no wonder she wasn’t afraid to chew him out without fear of recrimination. 

If he was going to sleep with her again, Taylor definitely needed to make sure that it stayed on the down-low because while Carvel wouldn’t go after Kelsey, Taylor was fairly confident he didn’t have the same luxuries. 

Saying goodbye to Harding, Taylor made his way through the rink toward the exit when his phone buzzed in his pocket. Pulling it out he saw a snap from Kelsey and when he opened it he couldn’t help but groan softly. 

‘Down for a frustration fuck?’

Though there was a small part of his mind that said that was a bad idea, Taylor couldn’t help but think about the small sliver of skin left exposed by her sweater tonight or the way that her ass looked with leggings clinging to it. Snapping back a picture of the hallway wall, Taylor replied that he was down before sighing mentally because she was literally going to be the death of him. 

Getting her message for him to meet her outside, Taylor left the rink. Spotting her, he let her lead the way replying to her question on if he had driven tonight with the information that he’d ridden with Mercs, and answering her question regarding parking closer to his dorm since she had her car tonight. 

As they got to her car, Taylor stopped her to steal a quick kiss and Kelsey sighed into his mouth because she hadn’t even realized how much she had missed that. 

Once in the car, it didn’t take long for her to drive to the other side of campus and park in the lot Taylor directed her to. Before they got out, Taylor dropped a hand to her knee and after a moment asked softly why she hadn’t told him. 

“You mean that he’s my uncle?” Kelsey asked after a moment of looking at Taylor all confused. “It’s not a big secret. Figured someone had already said something.” She paused, shrugging. “Plus we don’t get along so we try to avoid each other as much as possible. It’s not a big deal.” 

Glancing over as she took her keys out of the ignition, Kelsey could see in his eyes that to Taylor it was a big deal. 

“It’s not something that is going to impact you, I can promise you that.” She murmured softly, stealing a kiss. “He certainly wants nothing to do with my sex life so even if it was right in front of him, he’s going to ignore it. You have my word that whatever happens between us will not impact your status on his team. I won’t let it.” 

Squeezing his hand before getting out of the car, Kelsey shot him a flirty look trying to lighten the mood again. As they headed inside, Taylor mentioned that she could head into his room and he’d be there in a minute because he just wanted to check on his sick roommate. Nodding, Kelsey did just that, noting that he had cleaned up a little more and wondering if that was in anticipation of another visit from her. 

She thought it was sweet that he wanted to check in on his roommate and while she waited she kicked off her shoes before just perching on his bed, chewing softly on her lip. 

“Sorry. Just wanted to make sure Lauts was okay.” Taylor murmured as he stepped in and closed and locked his door behind him. Crooking her finger to call him closer, Kelsey reached up to pull him down into a kiss, murmuring against his lips that it’s fine. The kiss lingered for only a moment before Taylor’s hands wrapped around her waist to lift her and slide her up against the pillow so he could settle beside her his knee nudging against her thighs. 

Parting them slightly, Kelsey pulled him back into a kiss, sighing because she missed the feeling of his lips on hers. 

As they kissed, Kelsey’s hands began tugging at Taylor’s clothes feeling needy to move things along. With his polo hitting the floor, her hands ran up along the planes of his chest and she moaned loving the feeling of his hard muscles. Shifting, he moved to tug her own sweater off her body before groaning as he took in her soft curves and silky smooth skin. 

“You’re so beautiful.” He mumbled, his head dipping down to kiss a trail from her neck to her collarbones and then down to where her breasts peeked out over the fabric of her bra. Eyeing her with just the slightest twinkle, Taylor’s head dipped even further and he mouthed his way down her stomach until he reached the edge of her leggings. “More beautiful without all these clothes though.” He added, pausing for her consent before tugging the tight fabric from her body. 

“As much as I appreciate the kind words, maybe you can find another way to put that mouth to better use.” Kelsey stated, her voice slightly husky with desire. 

Sliding back to rest half on top of her, Taylor kissed her again, adding his tongue to the mix to deepen it. 

“That better?” He breathed when they pulled back for air. Nodding, Kelsey slid her nails along his back and pulled him in for another deep kiss, her sighs muted by his mouth. 

Using the arm not supporting his weight, Taylor brushed his fingers against the edge of her panties just teasing at sliding under the fabric. 

“Just washed my hands before coming in, can I?” He questioned softly, wanting to touch her but within the boundaries she was comfortable with. 

“Please.” 

Her response was all he needed and without any further delay he slipped his hand under the edge of her panties seeking to brush against her clitoris. Hearing her intake of breath when he found it, Taylor rubbed gently stimulating all of the nerve endings that resided there. Letting her pull him back into a kiss, after a moment Taylor gently shifted his fingers to press first one and then a second inside of her stretching her open. Kelsey couldn’t help but squirm against his touch and moan into his mouth because his fingers were so long brushing up against all the best spots along her vaginal walls. 

Gasping out that she was close as Taylor sucked gently at her neck, Kelsey tried to fight off the orgasm even as Taylor doubled his efforts to draw it out of her. Evidently he just wasn’t the type of guy to not want her to cum before sex at least once. Giving into the pleasure, Kelsey let the warm bubbly feeling wash over her before sighing as it settled into a syrupy lazy buzz. 

Sliding his fingers out of her, Taylor twisted to wipe them on a tissue. Before he could twist back, Kelsey shifted to make space on the bed for him to recline fully and gracefully removed the remaining scraps of fabric from her body. “How about you lay back and relax now…” She suggested, eyeing his body once more. Raising a brow, Taylor met her gaze before getting the message she was communicating and nodding. Settling onto his back, Taylor directed her to the drawer containing the condoms and while she obtained protection, he pushed his remaining articles of clothing down toward his knees before carefully kicking them off. 

For a moment, Taylor’s brain shorted out as Kelsey brushed her thumb over the tip of his dick collecting the bead of precum there. Then she quickly rolled the latex down over his length, her nails scraping lightly against his balls and he mentally echoed the sentiment from earlier that she was going to be the death of him as his dick twitched. 

Collecting himself as best he could, Taylor offered Kelsey a hand to help her straddle his thighs and once she had his hand fell to her waist. If she wanted control he would willingly let her have it but he needed to make sure that she was supported if necessary. 

Leaning forward, Kelsey kissed him again letting her chest graze against his own. Then she pressed a light grazing kiss against the scab on his chin before sitting upright and positioning herself to sink down on him. 

Though she dropped gradually, Taylor groaned softly at the feeling of her tight heat wrapping around him again little by little. It was a reminder that he hadn’t overestimated how good the sex had been the first time. And that somehow he was completely unprepared for how good she looked taking him in like this. “God…Kels…” He mumbled. “Feels so good Tay.” She gasped back as she sunk fully onto him. 

As much as he wanted to thrust up into her or otherwise take control, Taylor restrained himself and let her adjust and lead the pace of their coupling. It was worth the extra willpower when she started to swivel her hips, bouncing over him gently and he took in the full picture. 

The slight sheen of sweat on her brow. The bounce of her breasts. The tip of her head as she basked in the pleasure his dick created. The flex of her thighs. The way her body took him joining them together in the most intimate way. 

It was a mental image he was trying to engrave into his brain so that it would remain there long after tonight was over. 

With her starting to slow from the exertion, Taylor held her still as he shifted slightly, propping himself up against the headboard to sit chest to chest with her. Now in a better position, Taylor gripped her hips again, assisting in lifting her to ride him. Adding in a kiss, Taylor groaned when he realized that she had slipped a hand between her thighs to rub her clit and he bumped her fingers out of the way wanting to do it himself. 

After just a few more minutes she started to shake and Taylor kissed her deeply as her second orgasm crested and she fell apart in his arms drawing him along with her as she clamped down around him. 

Kelsey made no effort to move right away even as she settled and so Taylor certainly didn’t either. Instead he just traced small patterns over her lower back and continued to hold her close. WIth the sweat on their bodies starting to dry, Kelsey finally shifted, pulling off of him with a slight hiss and stumble as she moved to stand. 

“I should get going.” She whispered, searching for the items of clothing spread around the room. Though it was longer than last time, it still wasn’t as long as Taylor would have liked. Still, he wasn’t going to stop her and he nodded, brushing his hair back with his fingers and moving to dispose of the condom and get dressed himself. 

“Let me walk you back to your car at least this time?” 

“Yeah. Sure Tay.” She agreed, grabbing her car keys as they were the only thing she’d brought inside with her. 

Though there was a simmering tension, both of them ignored it and once they reached her car, Taylor wrapped her in a hug before stealing one final kiss and sending her on her way into the night. 

Once had been fun…twice had been just as good but certainly made things more complicated. Thrice…well they both knew that was inevitable even if it only made things messier still.