#seungkwansphd:writes

[seungkwansphd]

contusion confusion

pairing: seungcheol x afab reader word count: 4K synopsis: your clumsy lab partner left a bruise on you. seungcheol seems disproportionately upset by it, but it makes way more sense once you understand why. themes: college au, best friend seungcheol, double sided repressed feelings, possessive and jealous seungcheol. warnings: smut, mentions of bruising/marking, mention of reader being smaller than seungcheol.

a/n: i started this literally one year ago and lost steam. and then blonde.fucking.scoups comes along and truly does a number on me. anyways, bon appetit, LOL

“What the hell happened to you?” Seungcheol’s eyes widened as you stretched your legs across his lap on the sofa.

“What?” you blinked at him, taking your eyes off of the television momentarily.

“What’s this bruise from?” he asked, resisting the strong urge to touch the bluish purple mark just above your elbow.

“Ah, that!” you shrugged, “I almost tripped the other day in lab. Mingyu grabbed me, but he might as well have let me fall! Who knew someone could bruise you just from grabbing you! Like how strong is that dude even?” you rolled your eyes. Grumbling, you returned your attention to the screen.

Seungcheol stewed next to you. While he had no real claim or reason to be upset at your lab partner, every time you brought him up, it made him want to strangle someone.

Mingyu was so tall that you had to readjust the titration burette between replicates. Mingyu was all sweaty because he had come to lab right after the gym. Mingyu didn’t cover his face while sneezing.

Seungcheol eagerly awaited next semester when he wouldn’t have to hear about this man anymore.

Swallowing, your eyes flitted nervously to your best friend’s hands, which were stroking your calves absentmindedly as he watched the show. While just a mindless gesture on his part, you were struggling silently with the way it made your insides turn just slightly into jelly.

“Cheol, that tickles!” you finally pulled your legs away, curling into a ball against the armrest of the sofa.

“Oh, sorry,” he smiled sheepishly at you, seeming distracted. It almost seemed like your friend was sulking, but you couldn’t understand why. You were watching a sitcom!

…

“There you are!”

You looked up to see your lab partner standing over your table, clutching the straps of his backpack.

“Oh, hey Mingyu,” you furrowed your brows at him, “Did you need something?”

“I thought we were supposed to be working on our lab report today?” he cocked his head at you, wondering if he had gotten the time wrong.

“Oh shit!” you cursed, “I’m so sorry Gyu, I totally lost track of time!”

“That’s okay,” he laughed, “It’s not that big of a deal. You want to work on it now?”

“Sure!” you nodded, glancing at Seungcheol and Jeonghan, who were immersed in their computer programming assignments. “Do you mind if Mingyu joins us? We have a lab report.”

“Yes, we heard,” Jeonghan rolls his eyes at you, “Sure that’s fine.”

“Thanks,” Mingyu nods before taking the seat next to you.

“Did you start anything for it yet?” you asked, pulling your lab notebook out of your backpack.

“Whoa, did I really grab you that hard that day?” Mingyu exclaimed, seeing the purple bruise on your arm.

“Yes, it fuckin’ hurts too!” you squinted at him, annoyed.

“I didn’t think you could bruise someone just by grabbing them. I guess I’m just super strong, huh?” Mingyu preened.

“You’re so fucking annoying,” you threatened to punch him.

Jeonghan observed Seungcheol’s shift in mood with mild interest as you and Mingyu muddled your way through your lab report.

“I need some coffee or I’m going to rip my eyeballs out,” you announced after calculating mole fractions for far too long. You stood from the table to move towards the cafe in the library. You tapped your fingertips on your wallet mindlessly as you calculated how many shots of espresso you could consume without your heart bursting out of your chest.

“YN!” a familiar voice greeted you as they tapped your shoulder.

“Ah, hey!” you smiled at Bina, your lab partner from last year. “Ugh, I’m working on a lab report and it is giving me flashbacks to last semester!”

“Oh my god, please don’t remind me!” she rolled her eyes. You two had barely managed to scrape through that class. Unlike you, it had been her only chem requirement, so she was free of the horror of lab reports now. “Who’s your lab partner this semester?”

“Mingyu Kim,” you scrunched up your nose slightly, “God bless him, but he is such a klutz.”

“Wait, no. Mingyu? The Kim Mingyu?” Bina paled slightly.

“Why? Do you know him? Is there tea?” you looked at her with wide eyes.

“No, god I wish. He’s just so hot to me! I’m jealous, I would slog through another semester of chem to be his lab partner.”

“Would you?!” you gaped at her, thoroughly alarmed. “You’re sick in the head over this man,” you laughed heartily.

“No, probably not,” Bina chuckled after giving it some more serious consideration. “But I’d think long and hard about it.”

“We’re sitting over there if you wanna stop by and say hi. I’ll introduce y’all,” you offered before placing your order with the cashier.

“I might do that,” she craned her head to see exactly where your table was. “You’re sitting with Seungcheol too? My friend is infatuated with that man. They’re in Comp Sci together. Can she come say hi too?”

“S-sure,” you answered blankly. You had no stake or claim, but something in you wanted to scream ‘NO!’ when you heard Bina ask that question.

“You’re the best, we’ll be over in a bit,” Bina smiled brightly at you, giving you a squeeze.

“Okay, I’m ready to resume crying,” you announced when you returned to the table with your beverage.

“Okay, good, cause I’m ready to take a break from crying,” Mingyu looked up at you pitifully. “I think I figured out 4. So then if we can figure out 5, then we just need to pull together some nonsense for the discussion.”

“Okay, okay,” you nodded determinedly. By some miracle, question 5 was just some simple dilution practice, so before long you and Mingyu were typing furiously, chipping away at the remainder of the lab report.

“Hey YN!” Bina’s voice pulled you out of a sentence about how (DUH) important it was to switch pipettes between samples.

“Oh, hey Bina! What’s up?” you waved excitedly at your friend, eager to do some meddling for her.

“Not much, how are you? Long time no see!”

“Yes, luckily you’re done with your chem requirements, otherwise you’d be here crying with us,” you laughed as Mingyu and Seungcheol looked on at you with interest. Jeonghan had long ago put on a pair of noise canceling headphones and was ignoring everybody. “Mingyu, Bina was my lab partner last semester. And she was a lot better than you are,” you couldn’t help but tease.

“Hey!” Mingyu pouted.

“I mean at the very least she’s my height, so I didn’t have to readjust the biuret every time we titrated,” you rolled your eyes playfully at Bina.

“It’s not my fault you’re both short,” Mingyu protested, eyes flickering to Bina for some support.

“If it makes you feel better, I was terrible in lab too,” she offered up sympathetically, “YN is my patron saint of chemistry. Did she ever tell you about how I exploded two crucibles one time?”

“No!” Mingyu looked at her with interest, “Was YN also very mean to you and made you finish your work way ahead of time?”

“Yes!” Bina giggled excitedly, “Like why can’t we pull all nighters like normal people?”

“Hell no, I’m not disrupting my sleep schedule for y’all. No thanks,” you shook your head stalwartly. “Anyways, you two should exchange numbers so you can complain about me on your own time,” you chuckled. Bina and Mingyu seemed to agree and set about that task enthusiastically.

“Ah, sorry I’m being rude, this is my friend Hayoung! We’re in a writing foundations class together so we were working on that.”

“Hi,” she waved at everyone shyly.

“Hayoung, what’s your major?” you asked.

“Computer science, focusing on human & computer interactions.”

“Ooh?! Love me a girly in STEM! These two are comp sci as well! Do you all know each other?” you asked, mostly Seungcheol as Jeonghan was still intent on ignoring you.

“Maybe? You look kind of familiar, but I don’t talk to many people in class,” he chuckled honestly.

“I think we might have a class together?” Hayoung smiled.

“Oh wonderful! You two should exchange numbers too! Maybe you can work on comp sci stuff together,” you suggested. They weren’t really giving you too much to work with, if you were being honest.

“I’d actually love that,” Hayoung’s eyes creased into a smile, “I don’t know that many people in the major.”

“Is it because they’re being sexist?” your eyes widened and you raised a fist theatrically, “I’ll fight them all for you. Cheol, you will too, right? Jeonghan’s not much use in a fight, if I’m being honest,” you commented quietly, glancing at the target of your teasing.

“Sure,” Seungcheol’s face creased into a real smile as he watched you whisper about Jeonghan animatedly.

Hayoung and Seungcheol exchanged phone numbers as you watched on excitedly. Hayoung was clearly pleased, but Seungcheol was making a face as if he had tasted something odd, but was too polite to say anything about it.

“Bina is so cute!” Mingyu remarked happily after they both left, “Lucky you with your cute lab partners!”

“Yeah,” you rolled your eyes at him, “I love doing unpaid babysitting in the lab.”

…

“Cheol, can I crash on your couch?” you spoke after he picked up your call.

“Yeah, of course! Are you okay?” Seungcheol’s brow furrowed, worried.

“Yeah, I’ve just been sexiled,” you grumbled, starting your walk towards Seungcheol’s apartment. He met you about halfway and the two of you caught up on the walk back.

“How are things with Hayoung?” you asked, not quite making eye contact.

“What?” his hand slipped as he was moving to turn the doorknob.

“Hayoung, did you guys ever meet up to work on comp sci together?” you asked, lips pursed as you followed him into his apartment.

“Oh, no, she texted me but I forgot to text her back,” Seungcheol shrugged.

“Text her back, you jerk!” you poked Seungcheol insistently, “Hayoung’s cute! And she likes you.”

“That’s good for her,” Seungcheol grumbled, irritated at your attempt to push him towards someone else. Maybe his cause was truly hopeless.

“You’re acting weird,” you glanced at him oddly before flopping down on the couch.

“No, you take the bed,” Seungcheol ignored your statement and plopped down near your feet, tapping your legs lightly.

“No! I’m not gonna kick you out of your bed!” you protested.

“No, seriously, sleep on the bed. I always wake up before you anyways. I’ll end up waking you up if you sleep out here.”

“I-,” you tried to think of another excuse, but he wasn’t your best friend for no reason. He knew you just as well as you knew yourself. “Okay,” you acquiesced, hopping up from the couch to walk into his room, “Do you need anything from here before bed?” you turned to ask him, hand on the doorframe.

“Nope, I don’t think so.”

“Okay, thanks again for letting me crash,” you smiled at him before pulling the door not quite closed behind you.

Once inside, you dropped your bag and helped yourself to a t-shirt and pair of shorts from Seungcheol’s drawers. You laughed at the way you were swimming in the shirt.

“I look ridiculous,” you laughed, walking back out into the living room. “Cheol, look,” you spread your arms out to your sides, showing Seungcheol the way that his t-shirt just swallowed you.

“I-,” his brain stopped for a few moments. He wouldn’t say anything, but he could in fact see your nipples as you tried to show him whatever you were showing him. “What?”

“Your shirt is too big on me,” you folded your arms over your chest, irritated that he had been listening.

“Oh yeah, well I’m bigger than you,” he replied curtly.

“Well, yeah,” you glanced away from him. He was in such an odd mood today! You grumbled just a little bit before flopping down on the bed. You were tired.

Tossing and turning, you fought for a long time to push down the arousal that was building in your gut. Being enveloped by Seungcheol’s scent was making your brain go haywire. You could feel yourself throbbing and you bit down on your fist in an effort to try and distract yourself, but that hadn’t worked. Glancing nervously at the door, you contemplated seeking some relief, but the idea of doing it in Seungcheol’s bed while he was just outside the door inspired guilt, worry, and worst of all, excitement. 

You managed to ignore yourself for about ten minutes before your left hand snuck down between your thighs, stroking them softly. Sinking deeper into Seungcheol’s pillows, you closed your eyes and imagined your best friend’s hands softly caressing and spreading your legs apart. You were embarrassed to hear the wet sounds of yourself opening up, but not embarrassed enough to stop. Your right hand came to tease the sensitive undersides of your breasts as your fingertips stroked languidly through your folds.

In the living room, Cheol wrestled with whether to disturb you or not. Several minutes ago, he had noticed that one of his textbooks was still in his room. He’d been planning to get ahead on a problem set, so it wasn’t as if he needed to disturb you, but he also didn’t see himself falling asleep anytime soon. Chewing his lip, he noticed that the door was still slightly ajar and decided to retrieve the book as you must not have gone to bed just yet.

When his eyes first landed on your face, your brows were knit up in utter concentration as your hands worked feverishly under the covers. Your front teeth had your lower lip pinned down as you bit back the loudest of your desperate noises. Seungcheol’s pupils dilated as he registered what was happening. Frantically, he tried to back out of the room, but his sweater caught the edge of a pamphlet that had been hanging off the bookshelf, sending a handful of items clattering to the floor.

“Fuck!” your eyes shot open, panicked as you met Cheol’s gaze, “I’m, you-, help!” you squeaked, pulling the covers over your face as you wished to vanish off the face of the earth.

Seungcheol’s mind went blank as he walked towards you, placing his hands over yours to pull down the covers. You peered up at him through your eyelashes, so overcome with embarrassment that you failed to register the look of hunger in his eyes.

“I’m so sorry Cheol, I didn’t, I shouldn’t have done that here!”

“What?” he cocked his head to the side, brain not really functioning.

“It’s your bed!” you looked at him as if he was crazy, “I just-, you smell so good,” you spoke without thinking.

“I…,” he looked you up and down, “You’re telling me I inspired this?”

“Shit, I shouldn’t have said that, oh my god!” you groaned, trying to shrug under the covers again. Seungcheol’s large hands held you still and you watched in disbelief as he brought your left hand up to inspect it. The shine of moisture on your fingers was mortifyingly telling, but he surprised you to your core when he brought your hand to his mouth and sucked your wet fingers inside.

“Huh?!” you choked out, eyes fluttering shut as he tongue stroked between your digits, tasting you thoroughly.

“You should’ve told me about this sooner,” he told you, voice gravely with desire, “I’ve been torturing myself trying to ignore how much I think about you.”

“Oh?” you blinked at him in disbelief.

“Yes, oh,”  Seungcheol rolled his eyes at you, “Now let me help, as you requested.”

His fingers wandered. His eyes widened slightly when he felt just how wet you were. The rumble that emitted from his chest almost sounded like a purr and you found yourself quickly breathless at his ministrations.

“Cheol,” you moaned, melting slightly as his substantially larger fingers swirled dizzyingly through your folds. He smirked down at you, more than pleased to hear your saying his name in that manner.

“So needy,” he chuckled, eyes flicking over you.

“Well I was halfway there when you walked in,” you teased him and his eyes flashed at you, a subtle warning.

He raised one eyebrow at you before sliding his fingers inside of you. You choked on your breath at the intrusion, though your legs parted asking for more.

“You-, your fingers!”

“Mm, how do they feel?” he smirked at you, confident.

“I knew they’d stretch me out, bigger than mine,” you panted and his eyes widened at the realization that this wasn’t the first time you’d imagined this.

“You think about me a lot?” he raised an eyebrow at you, now cocky.

“No,” you lied, glancing away to avoid his eyes.

“My thick fingers spreading you open,” he continued anyways, smirking when he felt the way you reacted around him.

“Seung-,” you whined, overwhelmed at the way he teased you.

“God I like hearing you say my name like that,” Seungcheol shook his head, as if in disbelief. “Can I see you?” he asked, other hand itching to peel back the comforter.

You nodded wordlessly. You were slightly mortified to reveal yourself to him in this way, but his other hand quickly distracted you. You watched his eyes rove across you appreciatively until they trained in on your bruise, his jaw clenching.

“I’ve been thinking about this all week,” he exhaled sharply.

“Why? It wasn’t on purpose!”

“No, it’s not-,” Seungcheol paused. “That’s not why. I was annoyed because the idea of getting to be the one to leave marks on you has rendered me…basically unable to produce coherent thought.”

“Oh? OH,” your eyes widened, gears in your brain turning. “I mean…all yours, Cheol,” you smiled sheepishly at him.

“Really?” he groaned, looking at you appreciatively as he thought about exactly where and how he’d like to mar your skin.

“Seungcheol!” you snapped at him as he continued to mumble to himself.

“Maybe a handprint here?” he grazed your upper thigh with his palm, eyes dancing mischievously at you. “Or a necklace of hickeys,” he growled as he nipped at the base of your neck. He had decided to seize the opportunity to tease you, and as much as you liked it, you only had so much patience.

“Cheol, please,” you pouted, grabbing at his collar, “I can’t take anymore of this.”

“Yes princess,” he pulled an old nickname out of the vault. You melted.

“Mmmpf!” he smothered your next protest with a kiss.

“Seung. Cheol!” you moaned desperately as his hand grabbed your thigh, hard.

The strength in his grip set your nerves alight and your head fell back against the bed, arching your chest up towards him. His mouth took the opportunity to latch onto the underside of your breast, biting down firmly. Your hand fisted itself in his hair.

It was so much sensation. It was so good.

“Hn,” he pulled back with a breathless smile. His eyes flicked down to the spots where his mouth and hand had been and his lips curled into a cocky grin at the bright red marks. With any luck those would be bruised nicely tomorrow.

“That was…a lot,” you murmured as you caught your breath.

“In a bad way?” Seungcheol’s brow furrowed with sudden worry.

“No,” you smiled at him, slightly fuzzy, “In a good way. A really good way.”

“Really?” his eyebrows raised back up with delight. “So you won’t mind if you bruise a little?”

“I don’t think I’ll mind even if you bruise me a lot,” you answered after some thought.

Your best friend’s eyes darkened. The way you had rearranged his words hit the possessive button in his brain like crazy. His lips nibbled and nipped their way down your torso while his hand came to cup your breast. His grip was on the hard side of firm as his lips latched onto a spot on your inner thigh. His tongue stroked across the sensitive skin as he sucked firmly.

Your thighs parted of their own accord as you squirmed at this building onslaught. As you shifted, you could hear the wet sounds of yourself spreading. Open and inviting.

“Cheol, please,” you tried to pull him towards you. “Please,” you panted.

Seungcheol, the bastard, increased the intensity of his sucking before releasing his lips with a loud ‘pop!’. The jolt of the disconnection sent a shiver through you and the spot where his mouth had been now felt woefully cool.

“Pretty,” he looked at the red mark appreciatively. The thought that you would be reminded of this encounter over the next weeks sent a streak of pride through him that was unexpected.

“Seungcheol!” you grabbed his face by his cheeks, directing his attention to you. “If you don’t fuck me right now, I’m going to kick you out and take care of it myself!”

His eyes widened and he chuckled sheepishly before reaching over you to pull a condom out of the nightstand. You watched, almost painfully aroused, as he undressed and unrolled the condom over himself. His cock bobbed proudly as he pulled his sturdy torso over you, slotting himself between your thighs.

You sighed when his cock came to rest against your core. You could already tell it was going to be good.

“Seungcheol, please,” you placed your hands around his jaw. “Need you.”

He nodded, reaching down to slip himself inside of you. A soft gasp escaped you as his head pushed in and you couldn’t help but relish in the stretch. Seungcheol took his time sinking into you. The whines and gasps that you made were way too good to be rushed.

“Cheol,” your hands clutched at the back of his thick neck until he was pressed flush against you. “Fuck,” you exhaled into his ear.

Seungcheol’s hand was gripping your hip so hard as he struggled to keep control of himself. Of all the things that he found overwhelming, the way you pulsed and squeezed around him, the little sounds you made as he had pressed into you…the worst of all was the way you smelled. His hand fisted itself further in your hip as he inhaled you, a most intoxicating scent.

You clenched around him as his hand tightened. He was sure to bruise you there, too, and you couldn’t wait. Knowing that you’d be able to see these marks as evidence that this wasn’t another crush induced dream made you feel crazed in a different way.

“You feel perfect,” Seungcheol groaned against your skin as his hips started to move. “I just knew it.”

Clench.

You hooked your legs around his hips as he pumped into you deeply. Each thick stroke pushed you dangerously closer to the precipice and you were ready to fall off the edge.

“Cheol,” you pulled back slightly to meet his blown out gaze. “I’m there.”

“Go ahead,” he encouraged you, aching to feel you come apart around him. “Be good and come for me.”

Your eyes squeezed shut as you let go. Your hands clutched desperately at his shoulders as your pussy fluttered around him. You didn’t even know what kinds of sounds you made as you simply didn’t have the presence of mind.

“So good,” he smiled, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against yours. “So good,” he grunted before his hips shuddered and he emptied himself inside of you.

You wrapped your arms around his torso as he slumped down on top of you. He smiled when you gave him a squeeze with your entire body.

“So you’re kind of possessive, huh?” you chuckled softly after you’d regained your sanity.

Seungcheol squeezed his eyes shut with a laugh. He hadn’t realized it, or maybe it was just because it was you, but yes. Yes he was.

[seungkwansphd]

let me...

pairing: idol!seungcheol x gn!reader word count: 1.2k synopsis: you can tell that seungcheol is frustrated by his injury. if he would just let you...you'd be happy to help take his mind off of it. themes: SMUT, MDNI, squirmy/whiny scoups, oral sex (reader giving to seungcheol), explicit descriptions of oral sex, idol au, established relationship, comfort-ish?. (lmk if there are others to add)

a/n: my brain is fully rotted out these days. thanks @the-boy-meets-evil for instigating/encouraging this behavior����

You snuck a glance at Seungcheol again and exhaled sharply. He had been in the wheelchair for nearly a week now and you were officially concerned. You imagined it would be tough for anyone to adjust to the change, but it seemed particularly challenging for him. He was, after all, the capable, strong, and self sufficient leader of Seventeen and despite his doctor’s orders, he seemed intent on refusing to ask for help.

“Hey! I said I would get things for you!” you yelled, concern rising as you watched Seungcheol try and fail to stand from the wheelchair.

“I can do it!” he insisted stubbornly, trying again.

Your hand shot out to his shoulder, pressing down as you rounded on him, pinning him with a stern look.

“It has not been that long since your surgery. If you tear something again I will truly kill you,” you narrowed your eyes at him menacingly. “Now what is it that you need?”

Seungcheol’s words died in his mouth as you turned from him to look at the cupboard. Even after months of dating you, the sight of your shape from behind never failed to drop his jaw. His brow furrowed. Yet another reminder of this godforsaken injury hindering him from the things he needed and wanted to do.

“Cheol? What was it you needed?” you turned your head to question again. His eyes shifted quickly back to the top shelf of the cupboard, but the hungry look in his eyes did not escape you.

“Tupperware from the top shelf. The blue one,” he answered.

“Okay,” you nodded, standing up on your toes, arching your back to reach for the item. You grinned as you did so, pushing your hips back towards your boyfriend because you could absolutely feel his eyes burning into you.

“Got it!” you chirped, letting yourself fall back into your heels and your ass to bounce gratuitously.

“This is killing me,” Seungcheol groaned, shifting in the wheelchair.

“Baby,” you turned to him with a simpering smile, “I know you hate asking for help, but what if you just let me…” you trailed off, tracing your fingertips up the brace on his leg.

Conflict played across Seungcheol’s brow as he considered your words. You knew it was tough for him to relinquish control, but you hoped he would so you could take his mind off of things, even if just for a while.

“Help me how?” he finally spoke, eyebrow raising expectantly.

You chuckled softly.

“You know I'm always good for you,” you smiled, tongue touching the corner of your lips playfully.

“Go ahead,” he nodded, giving his permission.

Your eyes lit up at him as you sank to your knees before him. You reached around the chair to lock the wheels before trailing your hands back over his hips and down his thighs.

He inhaled sharply and your pulse raced with pride. You leaned forward and started nuzzling your lips gently up the inside of his thigh. He squirmed as you drew closer and closer to the apex of his thighs. You were poked in the cheek by his tented erection when you finally arrived. Grinning at him, you nuzzled your cheek against him through the fabric of his sweatpants and Seungcheol was surprised at the way he reacted. Possessiveness and pride surged through him as you knelt between his legs, nuzzling his heavy cock eagerly.

“Someone’s eager,” you teased as you pushed the hem of his shirt up above his belly button. You kissed and lapped at the exposed skin above his waistband, knowing that this would drive him wild. The cool trail of your thin saliva set Seungcheol’s nerves alight and his hand found familiar purchase in your hair.

“Ah ah!” you shook your head, pulling his hand away. “I said…let me.”

Seungcheol’s eyes smoldered at you, but he gestured for you to continue.

“Good boy,” you teased and returned to the task at hand. Your hand stroked him over fabric as your lips continued their foray across his midsection. The feel and sound of him gasping and squirming underneath you was dizzying.

“YN, please,” he finally choked out. He felt ready to burst.

You hummed up at him before tugging at his waistband. He shifted his hips up, allowing you to pull it down around his thighs. You were mesmerized at the way his cock bounced when he sat back down, your eyes transfixed on the swollen, thick head.

In fact, many things about this moment were hypnotizing. The slight tension of elastic biting into Seungcheol’s thick thighs, the way the weight of his cock caused it to rest against his tummy, and the sturdiness of aforementioned midsection as the complimentary backdrop. After several moments of ogling, you literally had to shake your head to clear it of thoughts.

“You’re practically drooling,” he teased wryly, head cocked slightly as you regarded him. It was nothing short of a boost to the ego and he allowed himself to enjoy it. After a week of feeling frustrated and helpless, he let himself bask in your attraction and the power it made him feel.

“And?” you challenged him, lacing the fingers of one hand in his as the other grasped his thick cock eagerly at the base.

“Nothing,” he shook his head, eyes widening a hair as you started trailing kisses up his inner thigh.

At first through the fabric of his sweatpants and then on the bare skin of his upper thigh, Seungcheol was squirming by the time you closed your lips around his cock, sucking him hungrily into your mouth.

“Fuck,” he exhaled, voice breathy as he slouched slightly in the chair. You chuckled as you drew back up, lips stroking along the ridges and veins of his shaft. Seungcheol’s hands fisted as you began bobbing up and down, stroking him with your tongue.

“Feel good?” you asked when you came up for air. You nuzzled and nipped at his wet erection and he nodded.

“Fuck! Your mouth feels so good,” he let out a strangled groan as you shifted lower to suck on his balls. They were heavy and hot in your mouth as you sucked gently. You rolled them around on your tongue and were delightfully surprised at the whiny noise that Cheol let out. 

“Oh?” your eyebrows raised with delight. You licked a long, wet stripe up his length before swallowing him whole again, this time relaxing your throat to take him entirely.

Seungcheol let out another breathy whinge as you swallowed around the part of him that was lodged firmly in your throat. His whines grew louder and more frequent and you knew he wouldn’t last much longer. Pulling back, you fucked him with your mouth and throat as he panted your name desperately and repeatedly.

“Close,” he cupped your chin and warned you.

You nodded as well as you could with your mouth full and you reached down to cup his balls, tugging gently as you increased the suction with your mouth.

“Fuck! Shit. Fuck,” Seungcheol’s entire body tensed.

You watched with hungry eyes as his thick brows knit together and his eyes squeezed shut before he emptied himself into your ready and waiting mouth. You enjoyed the way his chest heaved with deep breaths until he came back down to earth and met your eyes.

“Thank you,” he pulled you up for a kiss. “Thank you, thank you. You always know what I need.”

[seungkwansphd]

bean me up, scotty

pairing: coffee roaster!seungcheol x cafe manager!YN word count: 2K synopsis: you see seungcheol often enough at work. helpful daytime seungcheol, you can handle. but nighttime, arms fully out seungcheol? that's a problem. themes: fluff, SFW, work crush/work acquaintances vibes. beefy seungcheol. SCOUPS RIZZ at the end, implied smut.

a/n: @wavelikewhat came up with this concept and we both had different ideas about how to approach it, so it was super fun to write and then read both versions! def check hers out here.

“Hey boss, Mr. Choi is here!” the voice of one of your baristas pulled your mind out of inventory suddenly.

“Hey I told you not to to call me mister, kid,” Seungcheol’s voice followed. You can practically hear the pout in his tone, which drew a smile to your lips.

“I’ll be right out,” you called back and tucked your pencil behind your ear.

You stepped out of the back room to greet Choi Seungcheol, head roaster at Brandywine Coffee Roasters.

“Hey Cheol,” you greeted him with a smile, “You can leave the delivery in the usual spot. I’ll put it up later.”

“You sure? I have time today, you’re my last delivery,” he raised an eyebrow at you, an offer to help.

“Well, I won’t say no, if you have the time. I’ll caffeinate you,” you shrugged. This was your typical offer and as usual he took you up on it.

“Okay,” he nodded and rolled his dolly into the back room.

Brandywine was the core coffee roaster that you used at your cafe. Seungcheol had been your point of contact for almost a year now, so he knew his way around without any direction. He set to work on replenishing your two pound bags of espresso blend and let you handle the retail, one pound single-origins.

“Oh? You found it?” your eyes widened as you read the label of the bag in your hands. “Restricted oxygen?”

You had mentioned this specific type of processing to Seungcheol a few months ago. The low oxygen processing conditions selected for a unique proportion of microorganisms, yielding an unusual flavor profile once roasted. It seemed quite niche, so you were surprised to be holding a bag in your own hands. You set one bag aside for your personal tasting needs before shelving the rest of the bags.

“Got time to try this with me?” you asked as you both left the back room. “I can set us up a French press.”

“Yeah,” Seungcheol nodded. “Let me just put this back in the truck.”

“Sure,” you smiled at him, setting about prepping. You were giddy with excitement as you ground the beans. The aroma was already quite striking.

“Are we doing a tasting?” your youngest barista, Chan, asked curiously.

“Yes,” you nodded surely.

“Oh yay! Seungcheol whips up the coolest stuff. What is it today?”

“It’s a restricted oxygen process Ethiopia,” Seungcheol answered, appearing behind Dino. “Experimental processing, but cool. I’ll be interested to hear what you think, YN.”

“Whoa, that’s cool! Like leaning towards anaerobic, huh?”

“Yes, exactly that,” you grinned.

As the timer counted down, Chan helped a customer. Seungcheol stood with his arms crossed, watching you watch the timer.

“Missed you at the roaster showcase,” you commented as you depressed the French press plunger and poured the brew into cortado glasses.

“Eh, you know I don’t like that stuff. Sam is way better at those events. I heard it went well though, thanks again for letting us use the space.”

“Of course,” you chuckled, handing the glass to Seungcheol. It was hard to ignore the jolt you felt when his hands brushed over yours, but you liked to think you did your best. “Chan!” you beckoned during a lull in customers.

“Oh interesting!” Chan’s eyebrows raised with surprise, “It tastes almost like…peachy gummy rings? Fascinating!”

“Hmm,” you hummed thoughtfully as you tasted the liquid in your mouth. “I don’t know that I get peach gummy, but I see what you’re saying. There’s like fruit and sweetness, but it’s not very high, if that makes sense.”

“Yeah, I agree,” Seungcheol nodded before taking another aerated sip. “Really neat, thanks for the suggestion, YN,” he nudged you gently.

You smiled sheepishly at him and ignored Chan’s pointed look. You could already tell that once Seungcheol left, you were going to get yet another earful about how you and the roaster were dancing around each other and denying mutual chemistry. You were overcome by an unreasonable desire to keep Seungcheol here longer so that you could avoid that.

“Something for the road?” you asked instead, shaking that thought out of your mind. “I have a seasonal cherry syrup and we’re doing a cherry cola espresso tonic that’s kind of fun for the summer.”

“Huh. Caffeine and caffeine?” Seungcheol considered the drink with amusement. “Sure, I’ll try it.”

“I’m assuming you’ll want YN to make it, as usual?” Chan teased, stepping back from the bar.

The roaster placed his hands into his packers and shrugged with a soft smile, but didn’t deny it. You laughed and set about crafting his featured beverage.

“I really think you two like each other!” Chan started practically before the door had swung shut behind Seungcheol.

“I do like Seungcheol. And his coffee.”

“I mean in a non-professional way. Please note I didn’t say unprofessional, because I don’t think it would be unprofessional. I just think you think he’s hot and he thinks you’re hot. He’s always taking your coffee suggestions and he looks at you a lot when you’re not looking.”

“Chan,” you planted your hands on your hips.

You didn’t want to talk about this with him anymore. He didn’t need to know that the reason was fear of it pushing your delulu brain further than it already was with this workplace crush. You liked Seungcheol, but you also only saw him at work, so it didn’t need to go further than that.

Outside, Seungcheol was grateful that he worked alone. If he’d had a Chan, they most certainly would’ve called him on the inordinately pleased look that had crossed his face when he’d caught the start of your conversation as he left. While it was a guess on Chan’s part, it at least reassured Seungcheol that he wasn’t the only person who had picked up on a potential something between you. Not that he felt ready to do anything about it yet, but he could at least be comforted that it wasn’t totally fabricated on his end.

…

“Eee, staff outing, I’m so excited!” Naomi and Chan squealed excitedly as they skipped towards the bar.

You smiled, thoroughly entertained, as you watched them. You hadn’t had a chance to do much prying yet, but you had a sneaking suspicion that they had started dating recently.

“The answer is yes,” Seungkwan, one of your higher seniority staff, clicked his tongue judgmentally at the pair.

“Huh?” your head whipped around to look at him more directly.

“They are dating. Just last week.”

You had to burst out laughing. For someone who’s life occasionally got quite messy, he could be quite judgemental, but he was also incredibly reliable and responsible in ways that made you grateful he’d continued to work with you for so long.

“Thank you for the updates as usual,” you smiled before grabbing his arm to pull him into the bar.

You spotted Naomi and Chan whispering to each other at the end of the bar and you made your way towards them.

“Okay, let’s thank Father Chip for bankrolling our annual staff outing. Please drink wisely,” you smiled at him. It was a sorry excuse for a grand speech, but it would do well enough to kick the night off.

You looked over the menu as Chan and Naomi waited to catch the eye of a bartender. You heard some commentary about a ‘beefcake’ as you wondered just what exactly Cynar was made out of.

“Oh, he’s coming, he’s coming!” Naomi bounced on her heels excitedly, which meant you had to decide what you wanted and quickly.

“Hey folks, what can I get-,” the bartender greeted you. You were just in the middle of recognizing his voice when he recognized you first. “Oh hey Chan, Naomi, Seungkwan! Is YN out with you?”

“Seungcheol?” you lifted your head, slightly bewildered, to meet eyes with Brandywine’s own head roaster.

“Hey,” he nodded at you. It was a normal greeting, but something about the way his eyes flicked over you afterwards made you impossibly nervous.

“Do you work here?” Seungkwan asked on your behalf.

“Not usually,” Seungcheol brought his arm up to scratch the back of his neck, “Sammy owns this place too and occasionally he needs a hand.”

Sammy was Seungcheol’s business partner at Brandywine, so this made some sense, but your brain and eyes were busy processing Seungcheol’s arm. Daytime Seungcheol was typically clad in a flannel or a solid Carhartt t-shirt, effectively hiding his build. Nighttime Seungcheol, however, was wearing a cut off t-shirt which favored you with a gratuitous view of his muscles. This was a problem for you.

“So what are we drinking?” Seungcheol asked, “Happy to make recommendations too.”

He held your gaze for a moment.

“I’ll do the Coco Bop,” Seungkwan ordered. Dino and Naomi quickly followed suit and before you knew it, Seungcheol stood before you, arms fully out, waiting for your order.

“What does Cynar taste like?”

“Oh, I don’t know actually. You want to try?” he asked before turning to grab the bottle. He poured out a partial shot and took a sip before handing it to you. When you set down the glass, you were both making mirrored grimacing faces at each other.

“That is foul,” you inhaled sharply, face warm from the overwhelming taste of the liquor. “Thank you though. I will have a glass of white wine, please.”

“Oh we have a skin fermented wine, I think you’ll like that. It’s got a little bit of that funk, like the low oxygen process. How’s that sound?”

“I’m sure it’ll be good!” you nodded, self conscious at the crowd that had built up behind you, eagerly awaiting their turn to order.

“This one’s on me,” he smiled when he returned with the glass.

“Oh no-, I-.”

“You comp me all the time. Let me get this one for you.”

“Okay,” you nodded before seeking out the rest of your staff. You just knew you were going to be teased about this interaction too.

Despite your best efforts, you and Seungcheol continued to cross paths and meet eyes the rest of the evening. Whether you were returning glassware, barreling into him as you left the bathroom, or feeling his gaze on you as you watched the others dance, it all seemed to affect you. Unfortunately for your brain, you liked this version of Seungcheol too and it made you curious for more.

Seungcheol watched you try to avoid his gaze and he glanced at the clock impatiently. He’d only agreed to take on the opening shift, so he had a handful of minutes left. He hoped that you’d stick around until then.

“You can leave now,” Sammy appeared at his side.

“Huh?”

“I’m worried your eyes are going to fall out of your head if you look any harder at YN,” Sammy rolled his eyes. He’d had a sneaking suspicion about you since Seungcheol had brought up the idea of participating in the coffee roaster showcase at your cafe.

“Wish me luck,” Seungcheol chuckled before heading towards you.

“And then she said-,” Seungkwan’s words trailed off as his eyes widened at you.

“What did she say?!” you demanded. You were surprised and confused when all three of them shook their heads and pointed at something behind you. Someone, rather.

“Hey,” Seungcheol was standing behind you with his hands in his pockets. “Are you hungry? I just finished up.”

“...I could eat,” you answered, heat zipping up your spine again.

“Did you drive?”

“No.”

“I’ll give you a ride then,” he smiled. He waved at Chan, Naomi, and Seungkwan before leading you out the staff entrance to his car.

“Should I plan to drop you off at home tonight or tomorrow?” he asked as he backed out of his parking spot.

If you’d been holding something, you most certainly would have dropped it. You bit your lip and still failed to hold in your gobsmacked grin at this line.

“...tomorrow.”

Seungcheol glanced over, eyes flicking over you again, before he smiled smugly and drove out of the parking lot.

[seungkwansphd]

tell me

pairing: changkyun x fem!reader word count: 4.2K synopsis: you and changkyun have been hooking up for a while now. both of you want more, but neither is willing to say it without some reassurance from the other end. themes: fwb, repressed feelings, pining, poor communication, shy-ish reader, probably not the most responsible driving practices on changkyun's end, slight angst, they work through it in the end.

warnings: SMUT, phone sex, a LOT of dirty talk, power dynamics, lots of possessive names, slight degradation???, jealousy, changkyun is a demon. lmk what i missed!

a/n: happy (early) birthday to @the-boy-meets-evil i hope you have a wonderful weekend 🫶

“Hnnmm!” you whined, eyes squeezed shut as Changkyun watched you from between your legs. He hummed loudly against your clit and your thighs were pressing against his ears, nearly drowning out your sounds for him.

Nearly. And he was glad for it because he absolutely lived for the noises he was able to get you to make.

One of his favorite memories was of the time he had overstimulated you until you’d unleashed your deepest, most desperate, and lewdest thoughts. The way you’d gasped, moaned, and begged for him to use you until you’d gotten everything you’d wanted. It lived rent free in his mind still.

Hooking his arms around your thighs, he pulled your legs apart, tongue dragging perilously through your folds. You squeezed when his lips latched onto your clit, applying a firm and steady pressure. Your legs reflexed shut, but his arms held you open for him.

“Please,” you whined, clutching at his shoulders, pulling him up towards you. You couldn’t take it anymore, you needed him inside of you. Your walls clenched desperately around nothing and you needed something.

“What is it?” he asked, face almost blank. “What do you want?”

“Changkyun,” you implored shyly. “You know.”

“I know,” a small smile spread across his lips.

It was so cute how you got shy even after months of doing this. He wished you would let go like that again. He hoped to hear your lewd confessions again, but he could tell it made you flustered so he never pushed too hard.

“You need my cock, huh? Pussy feels so empty without me?”

You nodded furiously, fingertips stroking across his bare chest. You loved when he talked dirty to you. He said all the things you wanted to hear. Things that you wanted to say, in fact, but the one time you’d let loose and begged so desperately and told him all the things he could do to you, he’d given you a look of such shock that you’d been too embarrassed to do it again since.

“You love when I press into you, feel you spread for me, take me deep inside,” he pressed his forehead against you, speaking feverishly as he lined himself up. You didn’t realize it, but he was trying to coax you into talking dirty to him again. You’d done it one time and while yes, it had surprised him, it had also made him think you might have needs and compatibilities that you hadn’t shared with him fully.

You nodded, eyes shining up at him until he thrust into you, deep and slow. The growly purr you let out had him running laps, mentally, and he struggled to keep himself under control. His hands sought out your breasts, fingertips tugging at your nipples as he pressed into you over and over.

“I-, I-,” you gasped, melting into the bed as your orgasm built. His hands grazed over your sensitive areas, sending chills across your skin. Close.

“You feel incredible,” he nuzzled you gently as you threaded your finger into his. Your thumb rubbed across the back of his hand. Your tell. “My pretty toy wants to cum?”

“Yes,” you managed to squeak out a reply. You wanted to sink into the bed and reiterate that you loved being his pretty toy, his needy holes, his eager slut. But you reigned yourself in, instead biting down on your lips and letting out an anguished whine of desperation. Just saying the words to yourself in your head were enough to drive you to the edge.

“Go ahead, cum for me,” he murmured into your neck. He wouldn’t be far after you.

“Mmmpf!” you bit down on your knuckles as you came around him. Your chest heaved with ragged breaths and he clutched at you as he found his own release. He collapsed on you after, head fuzzy with dopamine.

“It’s late,” he looked at you after he’d recovered.

“Yeah,” you nodded.

“I should go,” you spoke again just as Changkyun was about to ask you to stay.

Instead he said nothing so you stood up, eyes searching the room for your clothes. Both quiet, you saw yourself out and your chest twisted when the door swung shut.

…

You chewed your lip as you contemplated texting Changkyun. It’d only been three days since you’d seen him, but you were feeling incredibly needy. As you rode the elevator up to your apartment, you texted your friends to let them know you’d made it.

[yn]: ‘so nice to see you, let’s get a meal together soon!’

Changkyun’s eyebrows had raised with anticipation when your message came in and then quickly furrowed when he read it. He’d already deduced that it wasn’t for him, but when the ‘sorry, wrong person. please ignore!’ had followed it shortly, his temper rose in a way that surprised him. It was impossible to tell anything from the tone of the message, but he couldn’t help but be jealous. For sure jealous if it was something like a date, but even jealous at the simple fact that he hadn’t been the one to spend time with you tonight.

You were disappointed when he didn’t reply. You’d thought, for a moment, it could open the door for you to ask whether he was free. Since that hadn’t presented itself as an option, you resigned yourself to masturbating instead. By the time you finished your skincare routine and settled in bed, you’d become antsy with anticipation.

“Shit,” you cursed under your breath when you realized your vibrator was dead. You plugged it in, but it would take some time. That was fine, your hands and your overactive imagination had certainly never let you down before!

Closing your eyes, you let yourself settle into a thought. Your fingertips lightly skimmed across the sensitive skin of your torso, your hips, and your inner thighs. You sighed contently as your left hand came to tease at the underside of your breast and your right hand stroked up your inner thighs. You let out a small, surprised puff of air when you realized how wet you’d become. Gathering it up, your fingertips moved to circle your clit lazily and pinch every so often.

Inevitably, your mind wandered to your last sexual encounter with Changkyun. You recalled the way his eyes looked at you intently as his tongue dragged torturous circles around your clit. You let out a soft whine as your fingers dipped into your entrance and you recalled the way he had called you ‘his pretty toy’.

Toy. Doll. Kitten. You whimpered as you imagined his deep, sultry voice rasping in your ear. You’d never told him, but you adored when he used these pet names for you. Best of all when preceded by the word ‘my’. You’d recently learned that you had quite the taste for power dynamics in the bedroom and were still grappling with it yourself. It seemed like Changkyun might be able to give you what you wanted, but you felt too shy to ask yet.

You chewed at your lip and whined with frustration as you tried, repeatedly, to bring yourself to orgasm. It surprised you as you’d never struggled before, but this time you couldn’t seem to bring yourself over the crest. Exhaling sharply, your eyes flitted to your phone again. You wondered if he was up.

[yn]: ‘...please ignore if you’re busy, but…are you up?’

[ck]: ‘yes. everything okay?’

[yn]: ‘can i call you?’

You threw your phone away with embarrassment. Were you really going to call him just to hear his voice? You had to push that thought aside when your phone started buzzing. Changkyun was calling you!

“H-hi,” you greeted him with some surprise, “How-, um, thanks for calling.”

“Sure,” he smiled, “Everything okay?” He repeated the question that you hadn’t answered.

“Mhm, yes,” you nodded, squirming under the sheets. You knew what you wanted to ask, but couldn’t seem to vocalize the words.

“...was there something you wanted to talk about?” Changkyun asked after you didn’t speak again. He could hear shifting and rustling on your side of the call and he wondered if you were in bed.

“Um,” you inhaled, “Kind of? If you’re not busy.”

“I wouldn’t have called otherwise,” he chuckled. The sound of his voice curled into your ear and you held back a sigh. “It’s late. Are you in bed?”

“Yes,” you nodded, “Are you? It is late.”

“No,” Changkyun shook his head, leaning back in his chair. “I’m at my desk. Doing some work on the computer.”

“Ah! Should I let you go?” you asked. You wanted to smack your own forehead. Why were you so nervous?

“Please don’t. I called you, remember?”

“That’s true,” you chuckled.

“Tell me about your day,” Changkyun prompted. You seemed nervous and he had a feeling he knew why. He hoped he could get you to relax enough to tell him why you’d wanted to call.

“Ah,” you relaxed. This you could do.

“And you saw a friend?” he asked after you had told him about work. The tinge of jealousy in his voice triggered a throb in your core.

“The text you accidentally sent me,” he elaborated when you didn’t answer.

“Ah, that,” you nodded, “I ran into an old friend from school. When I was on my way home.”

“I see,” he blinked. Not nearly enough information to sate his curiosity, but he also felt he didn’t have the right to ask for more. “And then what has my kitten been up to since they got home?”

You swallowed loudly. It could’ve been an innocent question, but you could tell that he was finally calling your bluff. You pressed your thighs together and let out a defeated exhale.

“How did you know?” you pouted.

“It’s past midnight,” he laughed at your indignant tone. “And I can hear the neediness in your voice.”

“Changkyun,” you sighed, the gates open now. “Please help.”

“Help how?” his voice lilted teasingly. “I’m all the way over here.”

“Tell…talk to me,” you begged, fingers stroking through your drenched folds again.

“Hmm,” he chuckled smugly, “Is my kitten so needy that even just my voice will get you off?”

“I think so,” you moaned, sinking into the pillows as you ground your hips against your hand.

“Fuck,” he cursed, palming himself through his pants as he listened to your little gasps and moans. “Sound so pretty gasping for my cock,” he smirked into the phone.

“Hnn,” you nodded in agreement.

You wanted to tell him how you loved being wrapped around him like a cocksleeve. How you throbbed for him, ached for him. You wished you were brave enough to ask him to claim you, but the worry at the back of your mind caused the words to dry up in your throat. After all, you’d established terms at the beginning and you most definitely weren’t his.

“Tell me what you’re thinking about,” he rasped into your ear as he thrust himself into his own fist.

“You,” you answered simply.

“Hmm,” he purred, a shit eating grin on his face. “Wish you were here. Sitting on my cock for me like a good girl.”

You whined, fingers reaching a fever pitch. You were almost there.

“Tell me,” he panted into the phone, “Tell me who you’re thinking of. I want to hear it when you cum.”

His name echoed in your head as the orgasm finally ripped through you. Your hand clapped over your mouth out of subconscious reflex and all he heard was a muffled cry. It was still enough to bring him over the edge, but when his presence of mind returned, he couldn’t help but feel disappointed.

…

You frowned as you scrolled through your phone. Things had been uncharacteristically quiet since your last call with Changkyun. You’d sent him a few texts here and there and received monosyllabic replies. At first, this hadn’t seemed too unusual, but after two weeks you were starting to feel certain that you were being ghosted.

Changkyun frowned. He was starting to regret his decision to go out. When his friends had asked, he’d been feeling petty about you and said ‘yes’ out of spite. He’d been approached by a few folks and despite them being attractive and fun, he didn’t feel anything more than a passing acknowledgement.

Despite what his short replies may have suggested to you, you’d been on his mind a lot. While true that at the onset of this friends with benefits arrangement, he hadn’t been looking for anything other than casual, that seemed to have changed. More than a few times had he hoped you would stay through a weekend, but you were too good at following the rules.

“What’s up with you?” his friend appeared at his side, slinging an arm around his shoulders. “You are in a funk!”

“Yeah, I kind of am,” Changkyun shrugged. There was no sense in denying it. Maybe if he left now, he would be able to catch you before you fell asleep. “I’m going to head out. Thanks for inviting me.”

He was grateful that his friends didn’t put up much of a fight and before long he was in his car, driving home. He thought about calling you, but his stubbornness hadn’t receded yet. He wanted some sort of tell from you that you were interested in more too.

[yn]: ‘are you ghosting me?’

Changkyun’s eyebrow raised sharply at the text message. He was dialing you before he even realized it.

“Hello? Give me one second?” you sounded far away when you picked up his call.

Changkyun let go of the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding.

“Hey, can you hear me?” you said a moment later, voice much clearer now.

“Yes, I can,” he replied, relief spreading through him that you had picked up.

“Do you need something?” you asked. There was an annoyed edge in your voice and he couldn't blame you. He’d been quite distant lately.

“Yes,” he answers. His Adam's apple bobbed a few times before he spoke again. “How are you?”

“Oh-kay,” you drew the word out. “What do you need?”

Changkyun’s tongue pressed into his cheek. If you hadn’t had a legitimate reason to be upset at him, he would’ve thought you were bratting. He would have liked it.

“I’ve been thinking about you,” he finally spoke. It didn’t really answer your question, but it was what he could manage without sounding like a complete idiot.

“Oh really?” you hoped you sounded nonchalant, but your body reacted to his statement.

“Yes.”

You narrowed your eyes at him, even though he wasn’t there to see. He had only said one syllable and yet it made you feel on fire as if he had said something graphic and filthy. It was truly unfair.

“Have you thought of me? Since our last call?”

“Yes,” you sighed, trying to hold onto your indignance. It was tiring to keep your walls up when you still wanted him so badly.

“Have you…cum to the thought of me since our last call?” he asked. His voice sounded ragged.

“...no,” you exhaled sharply with frustration. This was true, but not for lack of trying. “I-, I can’t seem to without you.”

Changkyun’s eyes widened at your confession. It shot through him like electricity.

“It’s been frustrating,” you continued, voice thin and breathy. Your resolve was breaking.

“Do you want-,” he offered. “I can help.”

“...please,” you nodded vehemently.

Changkyun turned the car around as he listened to you lay down. Your soft gasps and moans as you listened so well to his instructions made him consider breaking the speed limit more than once. Instead he got a hold of himself while you rubbed your clit for him and his cock throbbed eagerly as he drove.

“Are you hard?” Your question took him by surprise.

“Of course,” he laughed. He was straining against his pants.

“Are you playing with yourself?” you asked shyly.

“No, not right now.”

“Oh? That’s too bad. I wish I could. Let you use me like your pretty little cocksleeve.”

Changkyun’s eyes bugged out of his head. Fucking hell.

“Oh? You wanna play with me?” He managed to recover.

“Mhm,” you cooed, “I want you to use me like your pretty little doll so bad. My fingers aren't enough.”

“Hnn, my baby needs me so bad? Can't even cum without my help? Need me to talk you through it,” he smirked, his ego inflating. The desperate whine you let out made him grip the steering wheel so hard his knuckles went white.

“Please Changkyun, please. Need you until I can’t take any more. Fuck me until I cry,” you begged and begged. Your hips had risen off of the bed and despite your best efforts you were right at the edge but unable to crest it.

Changkyun was running up the stairs to your apartment as he listened to you struggle. He could clearly picture you, brow screwed up with concentration, sweat beading on your nose as you tried to let go.

“Stop,” he instructed as he ascended the last flight of steps. “Listen to me, kitten, stop touching yourself for a second.”

You frowned, pulling your hand away. It wasn't like it was doing any good anyways. You were down so bad that you seemed to need him in the flesh.

“You want to cum?”

“I want to,” you exhaled sharply. You were frustrated at yourself more than anything else.

“Let me in,” he cooed. “Let me in and I'll give you what you need.”

Your eyes shot open and once you processed his words, you bolted to the door. Nearly ripping the door off its hinges, you jumped into his arms, kissing him voraciously. You felt him chuckle before he licked into your mouth with an intensity that made you shiver. He was here.

“Had me aching for you the whole way over,” he snarled, nipping at your neck. “My cock is throbbing for you.”

“Changkyun,” you pawed at his shirt frantically.

“So needy,” he laughed as he carried you to the bedroom.

“Please,” you didn’t care that you seemed desperate. You would’ve taken him on the floor if he’d let you.

His lips quirked up into a smirk as he unbuttoned his shirt.

“You'll take what I give you,” he raised an eyebrow at you when you let out an impatient whine.

You pressed your lips shut. You really weren't in a position to be making demands. Instead you squeezed your knees together impatiently as you watched him undress at a speed that you knew was just to make you crazy.

“Don’t you want to be inside of me?” you asked him, feigning innocence. “I thought you said you wanted me to sit on your cock like a good girl, but you’re taking really long!”

Changkyun let out a derisive snort, his eyebrow jerking upwards again, and gestured you towards him. You stood from the bed and brought yourself toe to toe with him and he looked down his nose at you, eyes intense.

“Have you always been this noisy?” he asked.

Your jaw dropped slightly. His words zipped through you like electricity. Your pupils dilated as you looked up at him in wonder.

“I asked you a question,” he cupped your cheek in a deceptively tender gesture.

“No, I don’t think I’m noisy,” you found your voice.

“Hm, well then I wonder what inspired the change,” he laughed.

Before you could answer, Changkyun’s thumb had slipped through your lips and was pressing down on your tongue. Your mouth closed around his digit reflexively and your tongue reached forward to caress him softly.

“So pretty,” he smiled at you, eyes glued to your lips.

You hummed happily at this scrap of praise. You nursed his thumb in your mouth until he pulled his hand back minutes later. He wiped the saliva off on your cheek before he finished unbuttoning his shirt and taking it off. As you watched him intently, you let out little noises of appreciation that were going straight to his head, but he did his best not to show it.

“Changkyun,” your hands reached out towards him, unable to wait any more.

“What is it?” he held you at arms length, making you squirm under his intense gaze. “I want you to use your words.”

Normally this would've made you shy beyond being able to speak, but he had teased you for so long that your typical inhibitions were gone.

“I want you to ruin me,” you answered him solemnly. “I want you to use me. I want you to be rough, I really need it.”

“Hm,” his lips drew into a line as he considered your words. “Are you mine for the night?”

“Yours period,” you nodded breathlessly. You'd thought it many times but it knocked the wind out of your sails to say it out loud.

Changkyun felt the knot in his chest unfurl. The feeling of stuckness he'd been experiencing over you started to undo itself.

“Mine. Period.” he pulled you towards him by the back of your neck.

You melted.

“Yours,” you reinforced, fingertips tracing along his waistband. “Changkyun, please.”

“Yes,” he answered, pushing you to your knees. You smiled up at him before slipping your fingers into his waistband and pulling down.

Changkyun was surprised at the speed with which you took him into your mouth. Your tongue lapped firmly up his length before you reversed direction, nursing his tip between your lips. He hissed at the sensitive pressure and the way that your eyes lit up at the sound made his knees nearly buckle.

“Enough,” he withdrew from your, pulling you up to your feet. He guided you onto the bed and pressed you onto your back with his hand splayed across your chest. Slotting himself between your legs, he gave you a look that conveyed his hot, heavy attraction. You squirmed.

“Changkyun,” you whined, “Baby, please!”

“Baby?” his eyebrow raised, fixing you with a bemused look.

Your face got hot.

“Oh-I, um…,” you floundered under his gaze.

Changkyun smiled as he watched you stutter. He didn’t mind the moniker, of course, but he had been surprised to hear you use a pet name for him.

“It’s okay, I like it,” he finally reassured you after watching you squirm for a while. “You want me to fuck you, baby?”

“Yes!” you cried, rocking your hips anxiously, desperate for more.

Changkyun settled back and watched as you ground yourself desperately against him. He found himself hypnotized by the way your lips caressed his swollen, red tip, coating it with your juices. His hand on your chest held you in place, but you were trying your best to press forward and take more of his length. Cute.

“Please, please, please,” you’d been mumbling endlessly for a while now. Your brows were pinched together. What did you have to do to get him to fuck you?!

Changkyun’s eyes raked over you and he smirked. You were starting to unravel and he couldn’t wait for you to be completely undone.

“Baby, please!” your eyes snapped open as your patience finally snapped. “I can feel the tip but I need more! Need to feel you inside of me, Changkyun please!”

That did it. His eyes widened just a fraction before his hands found purchase in your hips and he pulled you down on his swollen cock slowly. When he had fully sheathed himself in you, he leaned forward, grabbing the sides of your face for a kiss. You returned it voraciously as you bucked desperately against his cock buried deep inside of you.

“So desperate,” he chuckled against your lips. “Just a little hole for me to bury myself in.”

Largely unintelligible cries left your mouth. A string of babbles as he started driving into you deep and hard.

“Fuck, you’re so good,” he groaned appreciatively as your walls clenched around him, squeezing him tight. God damn it, he was close.

“I’m, I’m, I-,” your brows pinched together as you looked up at him. Your thumb rubbed against the back of his hand. Your tell.

“Be a good girl and cum for me,” he coaxed you, fingers tweaking your nipple, sending you over the edge.

“Changkyun!!” you cried, back arching up off of the bed towards him as you came completely undone.

Hearing you scream his name as you came pushed him over the edge and he quickly followed you. Falling onto his forearms, he shuddered before deflating slightly onto you. You wrapped your arms around his broad chest and you pressed your face into the crook of his neck. You were so satisfied.

“We can talk more about this tomorrow, but I do want you to be mine,” he murmured in your ear.

Your eyes snapped open at this confession and a sigh of relief left your lips.

“I-, I’d like that,” you admitted shyly.

Changkyun smiled and pressed soft kisses against your neck. He’d stay the night and you’d work out the details tomorrow.

[seungkwansphd]

sit down

pairing: joshua x reader word count: 0.6k synopsis: joshua wants needs you to ride his fingers. genre/themes: SMUT! minors dni! fingering. est relationship. thigh-riding adjacent almost? kind of needy shua.

a/n: yo idk this came out of nowhere. but thanks to @baljinciaga and @here4btsfics for encouraging it LMAO not edited, lmk if you see errors

"what's that?" you asked joshua. you thought you'd heard him calling you from the living room.

"come here," he cooed at you.

had it been a few weeks ago, you wouldn't have assumed anything, but you could now recognize the deviousness hidden behind his deceptively sweet smile.

"why?" you swallowed, slightly nervous.

he patted his thigh, still smiling serenely. brow furrowed, you placed your tea on the coffee table before perching gingerly atop his knee. his hands clasped around your waist possessively as he looked up at you.

"what's gotten into you?"

"i was just thinking." he replied with a cat like grin.

"thinking about?" your eyebrows raised at him.

"..." for a moment you almost thought he looked shy and then he opened his mouth. "i was wondering if you would sit on my fingers," he whispered into the crook of your neck, his breath tickling at your ear.

"what?" you almost choked.

"i've been thinking about what my fingers would look like with you sinking down around them," he groaned. "i need to watch them spread you open."

"shua," you exhaled sharply, squirming at his confession.

"will you?" he asked, lips nibbling at your shoulder.

"yes," your breathy exhale was like music to his ears.

you thought you heard him murmur 'thank god', but you were too busy hiking your dress up around your hips to be sure. joshua rested his hand on his thigh with his middle and ring fingers angled upwards as his eyes drank in the exposed skin of your thighs.

you held your breath as you straddled him, placing your hands lightly on his broad shoulders for support. your pulse raced at the way his eyes flicked over you before settling at the apex of your thighs. you lowered yourself until his fingertips met your folds, slick from his sinful request. his eyes burned into you as he watched you spread, wet and lewd, and you sank down, slowly, on him. knuckle by knuckle, his fingers disappeared into you until you were sat on his hand, his palm cupping your mound.

"ride me. grind yourself on me," he urged you desperately.

your breath caught as he nudged you with his thigh, pulling your attention to the present. you nodded, rocking your hips against him. you whined at the way his knuckles stroked inside of you. ribbed for your pleasure indeed.

“shua!” his name fell from your lips as your walls contracted around him.

“yes baby,” he nodded. you weren’t sure if he was answering you or just egging you on, but it didn’t really matter. “wanna see you cum like this.”

you let out a soft whimper and the wet sounds of your hips meeting his palms were almost dizzying to him.

“one more,” you met his gaze, brows knitted together in desperation.

“what?”

“another one, please,” you begged. you needed to know if you could handle just a bit more.

“really want me stretch you out, huh?” his pupils dilated as he curled his index finger into you. it was a tight fit.

your mouth fell open as you realized just how tightly you were stretched around him now. your movements grew sloppy as you rocked against his three, thick fingers and his palm. you were done for.

“shua,” you whined, lowering your forehead to his shoulder as he worked his fingers impossibly deeper inside of you. “i’m gonna cum,” you panted desperately as your walls started to pulse around him. he could feel it too.

he watched as you constricted around him, chest heaving with ragged breaths as you came. watching you come undone was one of his favorite activities. as you came down, his free hand hooked around your waist to support you and when you were ready, he picked you up and carried you to bed.

the cup of tea that you’d made earlier sat alone on the coffee table. it was quite a while longer before you recalled its existence again.

[seungkwansphd]

room for interpretation - chapter index

pairing: lawyer!jeonghan x lawyer!YN word count: 27.4K synopsis: as top of class, you and jeonghan had been many things to each other. enthusiastic rivals, begrudging allies, and…parties to a jokingly written (but legally binding) marriage contingency contract? this piece of paper would’ve been long forgotten had an unexpected merger not thrown you back into each others’ lives. themes: fluff, SFW, rivals to coworkers to tentative friends to lovers, “if we’re both single by X age” marriage contract, IDIOTS2lovers, fake dating, miscommunication. this is just a romcom.

a/n: OK SHES DONE. hope y'all enjoy

chapter index: chapter 1 chapter 2 chapter 3

[seungkwansphd]

just deserts

pairing: wonwoo x minghao x fem reader word count: 4.9k synopsis: when wonwoo and minghao invited you to this fancy business event, it hadn't really crossed your mind that they'd be busy working instead of entertaining you! perhaps you can find someone else to keep you busy, but those who misbehave always get their just deserts. themes/cw: SMUT! mdni!, threesome, established poly, BDSM elements, brat-ish vibes, toy usage, rough sex, power dynamic, degradation kink, spitting(once), cumplay(kinda?).

a/n: idk friends, the horny thoughts just keep coming. baby's first 3some fic! i think i got everything for content warnings, but do lmk if i missed anything! also TYSM to @playmetheclassics for beta-ing and making me this BEAUTIFUL banner (via @classicscreations) i appreciate you so much!

“Hao I’m bored,” you pouted, tugging at Minghao’s necktie as you looked up at him.

“Bored? Or needy?” He glanced down at you, clocking your true intentions immediately.

“Both,” your lips curled up at him playfully. “Do you and Wonwoo have to do so much networking tonight?”

“You already know the answer to that,” he replied. He was trying to be stern, but you knew that Minghao typically had a softer spot for you than Wonwoo.

“I should’ve just stayed home,” you grumbled. “At least at home I wouldn’t be wearing such uncomfortable heels and I could have fun by myself,” you whispered suggestively at Hao, fingertips tracing down the edge of his lapel mischievously.

“Oh?” he raised an eyebrow, lips quirking up with interest. Your teasing words forced him to recall the last time he’d watched you pleasure yourself and he found himself effectively distracted.

“Quit it,” Wonwoo appeared behind you, whispering discreetly in your ear. He’d been watching you and Minghao from across the room and could tell that Hao was close to folding.

“Quit what?” you asked, feigning innocence, blinking up at Wonwoo with wide eyes.

“You know what,” he hissed, tugging harshly at one of the ties on your dress. “Hao, you need to go talk to the president of the bank.”

Minghao stood up straight and cleared his throat. Wonwoo was right, some clear objectives needed to be met tonight. He downed the rest of the drink and made his way towards the president, leaving you and Wonwoo alone. You were disappointed when Wonwoo’s eyes caught another potential investor’s and he left you just as swiftly.

You sulked. When Wonwoo and Hao had originally asked if you’d wanted to attend, the idea of getting dolled up to attend this fancy event had appealed to you. Still, you hadn’t realized just how much business they both intended to do! You’d spent the last few hours mostly by yourself and your feet absolutely throbbed with pain, so you were in a bad mood to say the least. 

Well, if Minghao and Wonwoo weren’t going to pay attention to you, you were sure you could find someone else who would.

“Oh, Dylan?” you smiled happily as you caught sight of a young investor that you had met a few months ago.

“Oh, YN? I didn’t know you’d be here tonight!” the handsome young gentleman smiled, pulling you in for a quick hug.

“I didn’t know you’d be here either!” your eyes sparkled at him, squeezing him back maybe just a tad too enthusiastically. “How have you been?”

“Good, very good actually,” he answered after some thought. “Are you tied up? If not, let’s grab a drink to catch up.”

“Not at all,” you smiled back genially. “Let’s do it!” You placed your hand into his and allowed him to lead you towards the bar. Wonwoo and Minghao’s relationship with Dylan was interesting and complicated. As an investor of many businesses, he was somehow both a prospect and a competitor at the same time. While they often found themselves competing with businesses that he held a stake in, they would also more than welcome investment from him. As always, you were acting in a way that you knew would irritate them, but wouldn’t completely piss them off.

Minghao’s eyes flitted to you from across the room. Dylan Wang wasn’t on the list of marks for the evening, but certainly would’ve been a ‘nice to have’. He and Wonwoo did their best to stay engaged in their respective conversations, but every simpering giggle that fell from your lips caused their ears to prick towards you. Their eyes met, communicating silently. They finished their respective schmoozing and moved to intercept you.

“Oh, Hao!” your eyes lit up as you saw him first. “Dylan, you remember my colleague, Minghao?” you beamed at Dylan as you gestured towards Hao.

“Of course,” Dylan nodded at the other man.

“It’s good to see you again,” Minghao greeted him stiffly, almost physically fighting the urge to stare daggers at the hand draped around your waist.

“Actually, if you have a moment, I’d love to pick your brain,” Hao finally came up with an excuse, prying Dylan from your side. At the same time, Wonwoo materialized behind you and pulled you behind a heavily foliaged fiddle leaf fig.

“Care to explain yourself?” He asked, peering at you down the line of his nose.

“About?” you asked, as if clueless. Wonwoo’s eyebrows twitched with irritation before he replied.

“A little bit of attention and he can put his hands on you? Are you that easy?” he sneered. His eyes flicked over you in a way that triggered a warmth to spread across your cheeks.

Your brows furrowed and you opened your mouth, but were cut off before you could retort.

“I know you’re bored, but if you don’t get a hold of yourself, you’ll have something else to worry about,” he hissed in your ear, gripping your hips tightly.

Your brow wrinkled with confusion, so Wonwoo went on to elaborate.

“You are dangerously close to getting bent over and railed right here. If you’re that desperate we can ruin this whole event. I’m almost past caring at this point.”

The words were menacing and sent a chill down your spine. Part of you thought that Wonwoo was above his baser urges and wouldn’t undo months of planning just to punish you, but the other part of you had seen this man at his most unhinged and you thought perhaps he just might.

“It’s so boring though,” you frowned. You could feel Wonwoo’s poor mood rolling off of him.

“Then go home,” he spoke through his teeth. He pulled out his phone and sent a quick message.

“Car’s coming.”

“Fine,” you rolled your eyes, stomping  off towards the coat check.

“Be ready when we get home,” he caught your wrist, voice so low you could barely hear it. “And don’t think it’s worth your while to get a head start.”

You swallowed, eyes narrowing at him before you tried to step away. Wonwoo’s fingers bit into you, a warning, and you nodded before you slipped out of his grip and worked towards the car. Your lips curled up into a smile once you were out of his line of sight. If you played your cards right, you might get what you wanted.

…

Wonwoo ran his right hand over his face as he looked at the phone in his left hand. He’d thought that sending you home would be enough to make you behave, but that didn’t seem to be the case. He scrolled through the pictures and texts that he had had to silence and his blood boiled.

“She’s in for it, isn’t she?” Minghao chuckled, throwing his partner a wry look.

“What do you think?” Wonwoo almost snapped.

“Don’t get mad at me, I’m not the one being a brat,” Hao threw his hands up in defense.

“No, but you encourage her,” Woo accused. Generally he enjoyed the dynamic nature of your relationship, but it really would’ve been easier tonight if you had just been good.

“Shall we take bets on whether she managed to wait?” Hao chuckled.

“I sincerely doubt it,” Wonwoo rolled his eyes with a snicker, “She was so needy. I bet she’s a mess already.”

“I guess I’ll have to have a little faith then,” Minghao laughed, leaning forward to shake Wonwoo’s hand.

You huffed as you scrolled through your phone, disappointed but not surprised that neither Minghao nor Wonwoo had responded to your many lewd texts. You had graced them with a play by play of your various states of undress as you’d slipped out of your gown and you’d expected at least one text back, but they both seemed to be playing hardball tonight.

Your ears pricked to attention as you heard them return. First, the scraping of the key in the door was followed by a series of footsteps, but you were surprised when you heard them stop. You couldn’t see it, but Wonwoo and Minghao were discussing the approach they planned to take, which had the added bonus of making you wait. Eventually, their footfalls resumed and they entered your room, the stern expressions on their faces sending a chill down your spine.

“Hi,” you greeted them. Your voice sounded small, even to yourself.

“I guess I was wrong, Hao,” Wonwoo sneered, barely even looking at you, “She was able to control herself.”

“I guess so,” Minghao chuckled, hands in his pockets. “I’ll owe you.”

“Did you take bets on me?” your brow wrinkled as you pieced things together. You were both offended and excited.

“And if we did?” Wonwoo looked down his nose at you, one eyebrow raised. When you couldn’t formulate a response his lips curled up into a smirk. 

“That’s what I thought.”

Even though you grew weak when Wonwoo treated you this way, you couldn't help the reflexive way your temper flared. Glaring at him, you crossed your arms over your chest stubbornly.

“Great, you’re home. Now good night,” you scrunched your nose at him, laying back down and pulling the covers over yourself. Minghao was amused at this behavior and he complied easily when Wonwoo gestured for him to go to you.

“Good night?” Hao cooed, sitting next to you on the bed, running his fingertips across your exposed shoulder. “After all that teasing, you’re just going to go to bed?”

“You guys are boring anyways,” you glanced at him out of the corner of your eye, but you shifted slightly so that you were facing him more.

“There’s my pretty girl,” Hao smiled down at you, trailing his fingers up your neck to cup your chin and rub the pad of his thumb against your lower lip. You hummed, preening under his praise.

“You looked so good tonight, it was hard to keep my hands off you,” he continued to shower you with compliments as Wonwoo wandered towards the dresser and pulled the top drawer open.

“Pfft,” you rolled your eyes at Hao.

Wonwoo’s expression ticked at this behavior. You’d been riding the line with your poor behavior all night and this pushed him over the edge.

“Out of bed, now,” his deep voice rang out tersely. You looked at him with surprise and his expression sent a shiver down your spine.

You swallowed loudly, pulse quickening as you swung your legs over the edge of the bed. The edge that you could hear in Wonwoo’s voice made you wonder if you had pushed too hard.

“Come here,” he instructed, back still facing you as he perused the contents of the drawer. You glanced at Minghao nervously before stepping towards Wonwoo, looking at his broad back until he turned to face you. His tongue swiped across his teeth as he took in your pajama set with distaste. 

“Get out of this,” were the last words he spoke before he tossed a bundle of shibari rope at Minghao and pulled an app-controlled vibrator out of the drawer.

Minghao started undoing the rope from its storage tie and looked towards Wonwoo for guidance on how he wanted you tonight. After ensuring that the toy was connected to his phone, Wonwoo brought himself toe to toe with you, pulling your chin up harshly to meet his gaze.

“Color?” he asked. His tone was cold, but you could see a hint of softness in his eyes if you squinted.

“Green.”

“Limits?”

“Same as usual,” you blinked up at him.

Wonwoo nodded before shifting slightly to position your arms behind you so that Minghao could tie you up. He folded your forearms together so that each hand held the opposite elbow and you enjoyed the slight stretch that you felt through your shoulders. Your skin broke out in goosebumps as Hao started binding you. His fingertips trailed across your skin teasingly as he snaked rope around you, snapping it against your skin tautly every so often for impact. Your arms were effectively immobilized and the rope created a harness around your chest. Hao slipped two fingers into each of your hands and you gripped them tightly, completing his check to ensure he hadn’t cut off your circulation.

“Knees,” Wonwoo demanded as he rolled his shirtsleeves up to his elbows. He smirked as you dropped for him, struggling for a moment to keep your balance as you didn’t have your arms to help right you. His eyes burned into you as he pulled at his tie, loosening it before he approached. Your nipples puckered being in this vulnerable position as adrenaline rushed through you.

“You look so good like this,” Hao cupped your cheek in his hand as he stood behind you. “On your knees for us.”

“Hn,” you giggled, looking up at him sweetly as his thumb grazed your lips. You opened your mouth, sucking his thumb into your wet hole.

“Look at you. You’ll put your mouth on anything, won’t you?” Wonwoo sneered, eyes trained on the shape your lips made around Minghao’s digit. He allowed it to go on for a few more moments before he snaked a hand into your hair, pulling you back. You gasped in surprise and Wonwoo seized the opportunity to pop the remote controlled vibe into your mouth. 

“Hold this for me,” he chuckled sarcastically. You narrowed your eyes at him, but whatever retort you could have come up with was effectively muzzled.

Hao patted you on the head before undoing his tie and rolling up his sleeves. He sank to his knees behind you, checking your grip before using his hands to torture you. Wonwoo watched as Hao’s fingertips traced along his bindings, brushed along the undersides of your breasts, and gripped tightly, as if trying to bruise you. Then with his left hand, you traced along your inner thighs until he met the slick dripping out of you.

“Absolutely fucking soaked,” he snickered as he nipped at your collarbone sharply. “Pathetic.”

You let out a desperate, muffled sound, forgetting that Wonwoo’s toy was still in your mouth.

“Shall I?” Minghao’s eyes flitted up to the older man’s.

“Yes, can’t have her leaking all over the place, after all,” Wonwoo nodded after blinking slowly.

Hao chuckled as he plucked the toy from your mouth, reaching between your legs, and sliding it into you, nice and snug. Your arousal provided more than sufficient lubrication and you felt yourself being filled until the base sat securely against your clit. Your hips jerked slightly at this new sensation, arching back against his broad chest.

You clenched around the toy and watched Wonwoo play with his phone lazily. He didn’t even bother to look at you as you turned it on, setting it abuzz at a medium setting.

“Oh!” you whimpered pathetically, jumping slightly. Minghao’s grip on your rope harness, however, held you firmly in place as you soaked the toy lodged deep inside of you. You squirmed and twisted as Wonwoo increased the speed. 

“Wonwoo!” you pleaded with him fruitlessly.

“Hao,” Wonwoo’s eyebrows jerked up slightly and Minghao nodded, reaching forward to press his palm against the base of the toy. You jerked again, desperate for relief, but Hao’s grip on your harness was ironclad.

“Hao!” you cried, tears welling in your eyes as his right hand pressed against you, grinding the buzzing toy cruelly against your sopping wet, swollen clit. You let out a mangled scream as your first orgasm ripped through you, your head falling back against Hao’s shoulder, chest heaving beautifully for Wonwoo to witness.

“One more,” Hao whispered in your ear as he kept the toy pressed against you, working you through another orgasm until you were gasping wildly for breath.

“I fucking hate you two,” you cursed between inhale and exhale, body heavy as you tried to gather yourself.

“You keep running your mouth like that and I’ll leave you tied up on the floor with the toy on all night,” Wonwoo’s eyes flashed dangerously at you. Your lips pressed into a straight line before you could say anything else.

“That’s better,” Wonwoo scoffed, squatting down in front of you, jerking you up by Hao’s ties to meet him. “Open.”

Your breath hitched as you opened your mouth, already anticipating his next move. Wonwoo’s expression was a mixture of appreciation and disdain when he sent a glob of saliva flying into your mouth. You let out the tiniest of whimpers when it landed at the back of your tongue. You hated and loved how well he knew you.

“You might as well put your mouth to use,” Wonwoo stood, gesturing towards Minghao as he walked away.

You turned to Minghao with a playful grin, licking your lips with anticipation. Minghao’s lips curled up into a smile, but he surprised you when he moved away from you, instead electing to sit in a chair across the room. He leaned back, legs spread as he palmed himself through the front of his pants. When you didn’t move, he looked up, eyes hooded, and summoned you towards him with two fingers.

You threw him a look. He really expected you to get to him on your knees like this?

“Come,” he coaxed, voice deceptively like honey as he palmed himself through his slacks.

You struggled a little, but eventually managed to balance on your knees and shuffle towards him. For a moment you contemplated rather you’d prefer being unbound, as crawling would be less difficult, though maybe more humiliating. By the time you had managed to wedge yourself between his legs, your arousal had dripped practically down to your knees.

“That’s our good girl,” Wonwoo settled in behind you, placing his fingers into your hands for another safety check. “Now show him what that filthy mouth is good for,” he grinned. “Don’t forget to use your physical cues on me if you need.”

You nodded, smiling gratefully before leaning forward to drag your lips across Minghao’s erection. You nibbled along the underside of it until you reached the tip and pulled him into your mouth. You hummed contentedly when you heard him hiss with pleasure. Minghao always made such nice sounds. Being restrained posed a bit of an extra challenge, but you managed to find a position where you were comfortable enough to bob your head up and down his length, breath catching every so often when his tip hit the back of your throat.

“So sloppy,” Minghao exhaled, puncturing the quiet as his abs contracted and twitched.

Wonwoo gripped your hips, grinding himself against your ass as he watched with admiration. You were going to leave a stain on his slacks, but that only served to egg him on more. Something in Wonwoo snapped as he watched you moan around Minghao’s cock and his thrusts grew sharper and more desperate. Digging his fingertips into your hips, he pulled you back, jerking Minghao out of your mouth. You cried out loudly as Wonwoo ground himself against the toy still firmly lodged inside of you.

“Wonwoo,” you wailed.“Please!”

“Oh?” he cooed, deceptively sweet, in your ear. “Gonna cum again? Cum for me?”

“Yes, Woo,” you nodded desperately.

“Go ahead,” he ordered, hand now fisted around one of the shibari ropes around your back. His hips pumped against you mercilessly and you came with a fluttery wail, tears leaking from the corners of your eyes.

“Do you want your arms back?” Wonwoo murmured against the top of your head as he supported you.

“Yes,” you nodded.

“Hao,” Wonwoo jerked his head towards you and Minghao quickly set upon untying you. You smiled at him gratefully as he supported your upper body, rubbing your shoulders gently where he knew you’d be stiff.

“I do enjoy seeing you marked up like this,” Wonwoo raised an eyebrow as he counted the indents that the rope had left on your skin as he pulled you to your feet.

You turned to reach for him, eager at his praise. You were completely surprised when he caught you by the side of the face and held you away at arm’s length.

“Wha-?” you mumbled against his palm.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Wonwoo asked, tone cold.

“Oh, I just-,” you stuttered, “I thought-...” you trailed off. Now that you tried to put it into words, you didn’t know what you’d been thinking.

“Now we all know that thinking isn’t your strong suit, kitten. Do you really think that after all your bad behavior today, you’re going to get a sweet little kiss?” he sneered at you.

“Not when you put it like that,” you pouted.

“So desperate for attention that you were even willing to let Dylan Wang put his hands on you,” Minghao appeared behind you, hand sliding over your hip possessively. “Did you forget who you belong to?”

“No, I-,” your craned your head, eyes searching him out.

“Laughing like a simpering little twit at his bad jokes, hanging off his arm,” Wonwoo seethed, pulling your attention back to him. They were giving you whiplash.

“I-,” you struggled to think. Your knees threatened to buckle, but Wonwoo and Minghao had closed in on you and their torsos sandwiched you firmly upright.

“Tell us who you belong to, doll,” Hao’s lips nipped at your ear. The warm, wet whisper of breath made you dizzy and even though you knew the answer, you truly floundered as you tried to say it.

“Jeon Wonwoo! Xu Minghao!”

Both men cracked into a smile.

“Very good. Now shall we get some sleep? It’s been a long day,” Wonwoo teased.

“No!” you were surprised at the urgency with which your objection came out.

“Oh? So what is it that you want?” Wonwoo’s eyes raked over you.

“You know what I want,” you glared at him.

“I do. But I want you to use your words,” he patted your cheek condescendingly.

“I need you two to fuck me,” you answered, well past shameless at this point. You needed them and you’d do almost anything to get it.

“You won’t even be satisfied by one cock?” Hao laughed.

“Please, I’ve been go-,” you started to make your case, but you realized you didn’t have one. “Well, I’ve been waiting all night. Please.”

Wonwoo and Minghao both let out hearty laughs at your self-correction. Even if you weren’t always good, you’d always been honest, even to a fault.

“You have been waiting all night,” Wonwoo’s expression softened. “I suppose you can have what you want.”

“Really?” your eyes lit up.

They practically carried you to the bed, tossing you carelessly onto it. You watched, eyes glistening, as they undressed. Your thighs pressed together and you were surprised. With all of their teasing and torture, you’d completely forgotten that the toy was still inside of you. Wonwoo noticed at the same time that you did and he reached forward, plucking it from between your legs. He surprised you when he licked it, noting how you’d soaked it completely.

“Tasty,” he grinned, eyeing you hungrily as he set it aside.

You balked, ducking your head and flushing with disbelief. Hao chuckled at how you got shy before he slid his hands up your thighs and pushed your legs apart. His cock landed against your wet folds a few times as he teased you.

“Wow, completely drenched,” he groaned appreciatively as he watched your arousal coat his shaft. You squirmed, pushing your hips up towards him desperately. You needed more.

“Hao,” you mewled, grasping at his forearms. “No more teasing, please!”

Minghao chuckled. He might’ve been nicer than Wonwoo, but he still wasn’t that nice. He shifted to slide the tip of himself inside of you, but no further. Your brows knitted up with anticipation and then confusion when you realized what was happening. You tried pressing your hips up to take more of him, but he pulled back, managing to keep himself just barely inside of you.

“Minghao,” you huffed, clearly frustrated, but you kept trying, shifting your hips fruitlessly. It was as if you both held the ends of a rope and Minghao was doing his best to keep it just barely slack.

Wonwoo looked on with interest. He was surprised to see Hao in this kind of mood, but it would be a lie to say he didn’t enjoy it. Smiling, he moved to the other side of the bed, towards your head. He leaned over you, cupping your cheek softly.

“Wonwoo,” you clutched at him naturally, “Woo, please,” you begged.

“Sorry kitten,” Wonwoo cooed condescendingly at you, his lips whispering above yours as he watched you writhe. Sweat beaded up on your nose as you tried, again and again, to work yourself down Minghao’s cock.

“Hao, please,” your eyes watered as you looked at him, fraught with arousal.

The corner of Minghao’s lip turned up just a fraction before he bucked his hips towards you, thrusting deeply. The gasp you let out tickled his ego and he continued, stroking into you deeply. From Wonwoo’s vantage point, it would almost seem brutal, but both he and Minghao knew it was what you wanted and needed.

Wonwoo’s eyes narrowed as a wicked idea formed in his head. He leaned over you slightly and placed his palm against your lower abdomen, pressing down lightly.

“Wonwoo!” You and Minghao both let out jagged gasps at this additional pressure. Hao threaded his fingers through yours and after two more thrusts, orgasms ripped through you both.

“Bastard,” Hao cursed after he had caught his breath.

Wonwoo laughed. He’d certainly been called worse. As Minghao rolled off of you, he cupped your cheek again. Your eyes flicked up to him and he was surprised to see they were still full of want.

“More?” he asked.

“Want you, Woo,” you murmured affectionately, nuzzling your cheek against his hand.

“Insatiable,” he laughed, but it was something he adored about you. He and Minghao traded places and Wonwoo slotted himself between your legs. Minghao’s cum was starting to leak so he quickly gathered it up and pushed it back into you.

Minghao’s hands cupped your chin as Wonwoo slid into you. He watched your pupils dilate as your mouth fell open, letting out the most gorgeous whimpers and sobs. He allowed himself to be mesmerized by you for a few moments before he returned to the task at hand - to make you cum and cum and cum until you were completely spent.

Hao and Wonwoo got along great, but when it came to your dynamics as three, they were nothing if not competitive. Minghao’s hands brushed along your skin, bringing up goosebumps. When they rolled over your nipples, you clenched, which wrinkled Wonwoo’s brow just a hair. Minghao looked down to hide his smirk. That was easy.

“You’re so responsive. You must be sensitive, doll,” Hao cooed in your ear as he reached down to rub your clit with his fingertips. You jerked slightly at his touch, walls squeezing around Wonwoo again as Hao worked counterclockwise.

Your mouth fell open, letting out a series of short pants as Hao worked you quickly to another orgasm. Wonwoo’s brows pinched together as your pussy spasmed around him torturously. He managed to keep his resolve, but Minghao did not ease up, fingers rubbing again, this time slower and firmer.

“Hao,” you moaned as you sank into the mattress. They were really intent on wrecking you tonight, huh?

“Pretty little toy,” Minghao cooed in your ear, “You’ll take it, won’t you? Whatever we give.”

“Ahh!” you cried. His words were enough to push you over the edge again. You convulsed around Wonwoo as you came and Minghao was truly surprised to see him continue to buck into you, adding to your overstimulation.

You had barely managed a few lungfuls of air before it started again. Wonwoo’s hand came down to rest around your throat as he met your eyes. His gaze was intense and you could feel yet another orgasm building in you already. You bit down on your bottom lip. You didn’t need to use your safe word yet, but you were starting to wonder how much more you could take. You were brought out of your thoughts, however, when Minghao landed a loud, wet slap against your clit. The knob of heat in your belly exploded through you violently. Wonwoo grunted loudly as you triggered his orgasm and he unloaded deep inside of you as you came.

You didn’t pass out, but it felt like you were regaining consciousness as you caught your breath. You were sore, tired, and so utterly satisfied. You grinned up at Hao and Wonwoo happily, eyes creasing into semi-circles. 

“Let’s get you cleaned up,” Wonwoo spoke first, shifting off you. “It’s been a long day.”

“What’s the plan for tomorrow?” you asked as you settled into the pillows.

“What, still haven’t had enough?” Minghao teased, grabbing your chin gently.

“No plans yet,” Wonwoo answered. The toy he’d set on the nightstand earlier caught his eye. He picked it up and his eyes flashed at you playfully. “Maybe we’ll go out and make better use of this.”

You swallowed audibly.

[seungkwansphd]

to boil a frog

pairing: seungcheol x reader wordcount: 15.6k summary: you & cheol go back, like way back. growing up together, you never felt anything more for him than a proximity based fondness, but things are a little different since you moved back to town. genre/themes: tattoo artist!coups, childhood acquaintances to lovers. brother’s best friend (but it’s not so much a theme as it is just a statement of fact). S L O W B U R N. idk that this is even fluff but more like just romance? mention of alcohol, tattoos, needles...cat?

a/n: truly idk what this is and why. it’s so long & self indulgent, but i’m in my soft era i guess, hah!

“Hi, I’m here for my tattoo with Seungcheol?” you checked in with the unfairly stylish receptionist at the front desk of the tattoo and piercing studio. “I booked for 3pm.”

“Okay, yes, here you are!” they smiled up at you, “If you want to just take a seat, I’ll see how he’s doing with prepping the room.”

“Perfect!” you smiled before moving towards the waiting area.

    Your foot bounced excitedly as you waited. In addition to being excited to get your first tattoo, you were doubly excited because you had history with Seungcheol. He’d been one of your brother’s closest friends growing up and despite not keeping in touch since they’d left for college, you’d really enjoyed following his artistic evolution on social media. You weren’t sure if he’d recognize you anymore, to be honest. It would be funnier if he didn’t.

“YN?” the receptionist returned, greeting you with a smile, “He’s ready if you’d like to follow me!”

“Sure!” you stood, “I love your dermals, by the way! The placement is so good,” you gushed as you followed them through a short hallway.

“Ah, thank you so much! They’re probably the piercing I worry about ripping out the most, but I do love them,” they chuckled before gesturing to an open door. “He’ll be right through here.”

“Awesome, thank you so much!” you grinned before stepping through.

“Hey,” Seungcheol greeted you after hearing your footsteps. His back was still turned to you as he finished wiping down his countertop. “YN, right? You know what’s funny, one of my friends has a sister who shares your exact name. Like last name and everything,” he chuckled before turning to greet you.

“Huh that’s weird,” you mirrored his laugh, trying to hide your curiosity as his eyes finally met yours. His eyes scanned your face for a few moments before he rolled his eyes and let out a loud laugh.

“Oh I’m a fuckin’ idiot,” he laughed, “What the hell are you doing here?” he leaned back in his chair, looking at you with slight disbelief.

“Mm, here to get a tattoo,” you deadpanned.

“Yeah no shit, but why are you home? I thought you were living that big city life now,” Seungcheol rolled his eyes at you again. You had always been a sarcastic scamp as a kid and it didn’t surprise him that this was still true.

“Oh did he not tell you?” you asked, referring to your brother. “I’m moving back. Well closer at least. I got a different job offer out here.”

“Oh no, I hadn’t heard,” Seungcheol shook his head, “To be honest, Jihun and I don’t talk all that much anymore. Not since he moved, at least.”

“Ah,” you nodded, “That makes sense. Time zones and whatnot.”

“But that’s cool! New job and I bet your parents will be glad you’ll be closer.”

“Yeah,” you nodded, “They are verily psyched.”

“Well that’s dope! It’ll be good to have you around again,” Seungcheol laughed before shifting topics, “So this tattoo. Did you have something in mind? You’re my last appointment, so we can take some time drafting and working on things.”

“I was actually planning on just picking something from your available flash,” you confessed, “I’m a big fan of the latest set. But…,” you flashed him a cheesy grin, “If you’re offering, I’m not gonna turn down a custom design from you. And I expect a friends and family discount, of course.”

“You haven’t changed a bit, have you?” Seungcheol laughed heartily. You were making the same face you used to make at him in high school when you were in a bind and needed help.

“Not much,” you laughed, eyeing some of the designs up on the walls. “Honestly, I’m down for whatever,” you shrugged.

“How about this? Pick out a few of the flash designs that you like and we can weave something together. I think that’d be fun.”

“Deal,” you grinned, accepting the binder of flash sheets from him. Pursing your lips, you flipped through it in its entirety before going back to the beginning to point out the ones that had caught your eye.

    Seungcheol couldn’t help but approve of the way you reviewed the designs in full before pointing out your favorites. You seemed to gravitate towards botanical, insect, and occultish designs which made sense, given how many times you’d attempted to cast spells on him and Jihun as children. More than a few times at sleepovers, they had woken up to find that rocks, leaves, and twigs had been strategically placed around them while they’d been sleeping. He couldn’t help but chuckle fondly as he recalled a specific incident where you’d snuck up on him to pluck out one of his hairs. When pressed on the issue, you’d calmly explained that you needed it for a spell to make him go bald.

“Okay, those are all the ones I like best,” you nodded at him, waiting for feedback.

“Alright, let me work something up. You can chill in here,” Seungcheol took the binder back from you, flipping between the designs you’d marked with sticky tabs and moving to draft up something new.

“How long’s it gonna take?” you made a face at him, “Can I go look at the piercing portfolios instead?” you asked, not really appealed by the idea of just sitting and waiting.

“I mean sure,” he shrugged, “Ask Wren for them,” he pointed back towards the reception area, “I’ll come get you when I’m ready.”

“Yay!” you popped up excitedly, clapping your hands together as you walked back towards reception.

“Hey Wren, can I take a peek at the piercers’ portfolios? And also can I ask you where you get your hair done? I’m moving back here soon, but I haven’t lived here in a while and could use a stylist rec.”

“Oh of course!” Wren smiled brightly at you, “So do you know Cheol from when you lived here before?” they asked as they pulled out the piercing portfolios to hand to you.

“Yea, we grew up together,” you nodded, flipping the binders open, “I wouldn’t say we were friends? But he was close friends with my brother so he was at our house a lot.”

“That makes a lot more sense,” Wren nodded with understanding, “I was wondering why he was so chatty with you! Usually his room is way more quiet.”

“Oh yeah, we go way back. A lot of shenanigans,” you grinned as a few septums caught your eye.

“So where do you live now?” Wren inquired after giving you the Instagram handle of their current stylist.

“I’m actually in the process of moving back! I got a job in the next town over, but I was thinking I’d move back around here since there’s more to do? This is actually mostly an apartment hunting trip.”

“Oh my goodness, well let’s be friends when you move back! I’ve been trying to get Cheol to come out and do things more with me and my partner, but he’s kind of introverted so he doesn’t bite all that often.”

“I don’t know that I’ll be able to convince him either,” you laughed, “We’re not exactly close. But I would love to be friends! I don’t know too many people who live here anymore.”

“Okay, deal! Let’s exchange phone numbers then. It’ll be good to hang out with someone less grumpy than Seungcheol,” Wren teased, eyes dancing at the man in question as he entered the reception area.

“So grumpy!” you giggled playfully at his expression, “I’m going to leave you a bad review for poor bedside manner,” you couldn’t help but tease him.

“You’d be grumpy too if you had two imps bothering you!” Seungcheol protested with a pout, before beckoning you with his hand, “Now come on, I’m done with my draft.”

“Okay,” you shrugged, following him back to his room.

“What do you think? It might be a little bigger than you had planned, but we can scale down if needed.”

“No, I love it!” you sighed, eyes sparkling as you looked at the design. The final draft was a staghorn beetle with a third eye on its thorax surrounded by a wreath of botanical work that included some of your favorite plants and flowers.

“I had a hard time deciding between a moth or the beetle,” Seungcheol mused, “But you were always a little…unique, so I went with the beetle.”

“Thanks, I think,” you narrowed your eyes at him, unsure if he was sassing you. “I’m a huge fan of this. I think you chose great. Now as far as placement, I am thinking thigh? Left thigh?”

“Do you wanna go this big?” Seungcheol asked. The tattoo artist in him thrilled the idea of the placement, but he wanted to make sure you weren’t overcommitting.

“I mean, I’ll be honest, that wasn’t what I had planned. But don’t you feel like…it deserves it?” you pulled up the leg of your shorts in the mirror to try and envision the placement and it just felt right. “I think at least let’s pop the stencil on so we can see it. But my gut says yeah.”

“Okay,” Seungcheol nodded. That was a good idea.

“Yeah. Yeah, yeah,” you nodded furiously at him after he had placed the stencil on. “She’s just gonna be a big bitch, I don’t know what to tell you, Seungcheol. It just feels right, right?”

“Yeah, I agree,” Seungcheol grinned at you, “We can do this in multiple sittings too, so don’t feel like it needs to all be done in one day.”

“I’ll let you know,” you smiled up at him, “Eee! I’m excited!”

“Alright skippy, let’s get you up on this table and we’ll get started,” Seungcheol patted the tattoo table. He made a few adjustments so that your thigh was positioned at a comfortable working height before getting started. “How’s that?” he asked above the buzzing of the tattoo gun.

“Not too bad, actually,” you were surprised to find out, “It’s just…buzzy?”

“Hah! I mean that’s good, okay I’ll keep going then,” he laughed, ducking his head back down to continue working.

    The time passed surprisingly quickly. You and Seungcheol caught up on a variety of topics until you ran out of things to talk about. After that, he let you choose some music and you simply watched him work quietly. By your math, it had been around two years since you had last seen him and seven since you’d had an actual conversation with him. Somehow he looked both the same and different. He had always been sturdy, especially in the legs, but he seemed to have filled out more in the arms and shoulders in recent years. His face looked exactly the same, but his hair was now longer than you remembered it ever being in the past. It suited him.

“Doing okay?” he checked in as he worked on a section of shading. He had been going over the same area of skin for a while and was wondering how you were holding up.

“Yup,” you nodded. It was starting to get a bit sensitive, but you weren’t ready to tap out just yet. You focused on inhaling deeply through your nostrils and exhaling slowly through your mouth, which helped.

“Good girl,” he murmured approvingly as his left hand moved to grasp you at the knee, turning your inner thigh out to face him a bit more.

    Your eyes flashed to him and your breathing pattern halted as you processed his words. With the soft praise, the somewhat breathy tone of his voice, and the pressure of his fingertips at your inner thigh, you found yourself shivering. Whether Seungcheol was aware of it or not, you found yourself deeply flustered by his praise and wildly confused at your reaction. Swallowing, you tried to gauge whether he even registered what he had just said, but he seemed to still be deeply absorbed in shading.

“Should we take a break?” he looked up suddenly, “You’re getting squirmy, it seems like.”

“I-, uh, yeah,” you did your best to act normal, “Yeah a break would be good, I think,” you managed to answer him.

“Okay,” Seungcheol stood up, “I could stand to stretch my legs anyways.”

“Sounds good,” you gave him a thumbs up as you raised your arms above your head to do some stretching yourself.

    Seungcheol peeled off his gloves and turned to take a sip of water. His expression creased once his back was turned to you. Why the hell had he said that to you? It certainly hadn’t been on purpose, but as soon as it left his mouth, he’d wanted to wince. He could only hope that you hadn’t heard it or registered its weirdness. 

“Do you need any water or a snack? We’ve been at it for a while,” he offered, pulling open a cabinet to reveal a handful of water bottles and a variety of snacks.

“I have water in my bag, if you don’t mind grabbing it for me? I would eat something though.”

“Should we order something? It’s getting to be around dinner time, I wouldn’t mind eating something proper,” he suggested as he handed you a granola bar.

“Oh yeah! Build in another break in a couple of hours, that sounds good. What’s good to eat around here nowadays?” you asked through a mouthful of granola.

“Tomato Pie is actually still open, if you feel like pizza,” Seungcheol chuckled as he scrolled through restaurants on his phone. “Otherwise it just depends on what you want?”

“I’m not feeling pizza. Let’s save TP for another time,” you shook your head, “What about sushi? Something light or fresh.”

“Oh sure! Um, how about this place?” he offered you his phone. You scanned the PDF menu before nodding.

“Yeah that looks good! I’ll do roll 37 in a combo.”

“Cool, I’ll have Wren order for us. They might want to eat too,” he nodded, stepping out of the room momentarily. Before too long, the sound of the tattoo gun was droning and you fell into an easy quiet with Seungcheol again.

“Please tell me more about Cheol as a kid,” Wren asked desperately as they swirled udon around their chopsticks.

“No,” Seungcheol grumbled.

“Of course!” you answered over him.

“Do y’all have a favorite memory together? Or a most distinct one?”

“Favorite?” your brows furrowed in concentration as you tried to think. “Like I said, he and I weren’t really friends? But, oh!” you clapped your hands together suddenly, “But this one stands out! It was the end of summer before Jihun and Seungcheol were leaving for college.”

“Please don’t tell this story,” Seungcheol buried his face into his hands, ears turning pink.

“Oh it’s cute though!” you argued, but you wouldn’t tell it without his consent. You waited a moment for him to lift his head again, eyebrows raising in a way that you knew to mean ‘go ahead’.

    Eyes sparkling, you recalled the night before your brother and Seungcheol moved away for college. You had been nearly inconsolable as you and Jihun really had been close growing up and you simply couldn’t imagine finishing high school without them. He and Seungcheol had tried all manner of things to cheer you up, but nothing worked until they whipped out an emergency dance routine to your then-favorite boy band. They hadn’t really put all that much effort into learning it and mostly tripped over themselves, but it had done the trick and you’d laughed so hard that you cried. That was still an incredibly fond night for you.

“Oh and he was blonde then too! That was an era,” you wrinkled your nose as you finished telling the story.

“He can dance?” Wren looked at you incredulously.

“No, he can’t! But he tried, and that was what was important,” you chuckled heartily. “Honestly, Cheol was kind of just a good person. He was usually nice to me, but generally I just saw glimpses of him around.”

“You’re failing to mention all of the times that I bailed you out when Jihun was busy,” Seungcheol gave you a pointed glance.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” you shook your head playfully at him. “He’s always been an old man like this.”

“He is responsible like that, isn’t he?” Wren nodded at you. “Our Studio Daddy.”

“Eugh yuck!” your skin crawled as you heard Wren refer to Seungcheol as Daddy. “No no no, don’t like that one bit!”

“You and me both,” Seungcheol rolled his eyes at both of you as he finished up his food. “You done? Let’s finish this bitch up. We’re getting close.”

“You good to lock up, boss?” Wren asked as they cleared their dishes.

“Yeah, you’re good! Just turn off the reception lights and lock the door when you leave. Don’t want any randos wandering in.”

“Sure!”

“So are you in charge?” you asked after Seungcheol had settled back into to finish up the last sections of shading on the beetle legs. Wren kept referring to him as ‘boss’, but you couldn’t tell if it was just good natured ribbing.

“Kind of. I hate being called boss, but I do own the studio now. The last owners were ready to retire and move, so they made me a good deal. I don’t feel like the owner yet, but I guess technically I am.”

“Wow, that’s…that’s really impressive, Seungcheol. I’m proud of you,” you smiled genuinely at him.

“This is weird, you’re never this serious,” he raised an eyebrow at you, a little uncomfortable to receive your genuine praise.

“I know, but I am serious!” you laughed, “I wasn’t kidding when I said I’ve been following you for a while. I’m proud of how you’ve developed your art form and now you even own the studio! I think that’s super dope.”

“Thanks,” he grinned, ducking his head down to hide his blush under the guise of inspecting his work. It wasn’t too much longer before he was finished and applying tattoo dressing. “So for aftercare. Everyone has their own opinion, but I like Saniderm. Keep this one on for 24 hours and remove and wash. If you want, you can apply another sheet. Try to wear loose clothing as much as you can, but life is life. You can always call if you feel like it looks weird, but basically treat it like a wound cause it is.”

“Cool, sounds good!” you gave him a thumbs up. “What’s the damage, boss?”

“Shut up,” he rolled his eyes at you before working up a number that was on the low end of reasonable.

“That’s too low,” you decided, counting out bills until you reached a number that seemed more fair. “Dinner money’s in there too.”

“I-,” Seungcheol was slightly surprised. Not that he thought you’d be stingy, but because he was still accustomed to the you that begged rides off of him and never had gas money.

“I’ve had a big kid job for years now, don’t look so shocked,” you smiled at him, tucking your things back into your bag. “It was really good to see you, Coups. Maybe Wren and I can talk you into a night out sometime.”

“Yeah, maybe,” he half smiled at the old nickname as he waved you out the door. His lips curled into a full smile after the door swung shut. It had been good to see you.

…

“Hey boss?” Wren popped into Seungcheol’s office, trying to seem casual.

“I told you don’t call me that,” he looked up from his sketching. “What is it?”

“Do you have any strong friends that could help move some furniture this weekend? They will be paid.”

“You’ve never paid me to move furniture for you,” he narrowed his eyes at Wren, “Also didn’t you just move like a couple months ago? Why are you moving again?”

“Not me, YN. They just texted me. I guess the moving company cancelled at the last minute, so she’s scrambling for options.”

“Oh, shit. That sucks,” Seungcheol crossed his arms, brow furrowing at the situation. “I mean I could probably scrounge up a few friends.”

“Huh, okay!” Wren fixed their boss with an odd glance before plopping into the empty chair across from him. “Did you and YN ever date? Or like…have a thing?”

“What? No,” Seungcheol made a face of slight distaste at his receptionist. “That has never even crossed my mind until now. And I find it unpleasant.”

“Ugh, boo! Friends to lovers is the best trope,” Wren frowned, “I should’ve known you’d be a party pooper about this too. Oh well, I’ll let YN know that she can count on at least one of you meatheads to show up. I’ll get the address and stuff from her too!”

“Sounds good,” Seungcheol nodded, making a quick note on a scrap piece of paper to see whether Mingyu would be free and to exchange phone numbers with you so you could contact him directly.

…

“Hey Cheol?”

“Huh?” Seungcheol looked up from his desk. He had been very much in the zone, so the interruption had him slightly befuddled. “Oh, YN? What are you doing here?”

“Do you mind if I chill in the lobby and charge my phone? I didn’t see Wren, they must be doing something else, but I didn’t want to just be like a loiterer without someone knowing,” you huffed.

“Yeah, I mean, but you didn’t answer my question. Are you okay?” he asked. You didn’t look completely upended, but you were a little frazzled.

“Oh, yeah I’m fine! I just got lost and my phone battery died so I couldn’t pull up a map,” you grumbled, shuffling back to the waiting area and setting your bag down. You rifled through briefly to pull out a charging cable. “I decided to bus and walk home after work, since I’m still trying to get the layout of the city, but I got super lost. I slightly recognized this neighborhood from when I drove in for the tattoo. So here I am!” you gestured as if to say ‘ta-da’.

“Ah, I see,” Cheol couldn’t help but laugh as he took a seat next to you in the lobby. “How is work going?”

“Pretty good! I’m picking up the quirks of the software that they use, but for the most part, the job is very similar to my old one and I’ll be good at it. I like my coworkers too, which is always good.”

“Good,” he leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

“How was your day? Busy?” 

“It was okay,” he shrugged, “No tattoos today, I have Wednesdays set aside for bookkeeping, paperwork, and other businessy activities. Not my favorite, but gotta do it.”

“And how’s that?” you grinned at him, “If I remember right, you weren’t the most mathematically inclined.”

“You remember correctly,” Seungcheol grimaced.

“If you ever want help with the bookkeeping stuff, let me know. I can build a mean spreadsheet,” you offered. Despite not having been close with him in years, you felt invested in his success.

“Really?” he cocked his head at you, surprised.

“Of course! We were friendly before, right? We can be friends for real this time,” you scrunched your nose playfully at him. “Plus I definitely owe you for sending me Mingyu and Chan. Lifesavers, those two.”

“Yeah, they’re alright,” Seungcheol chuckled. “I might take you up on that spreadsheet thing, cause doing the math by hand is strange and unusual punishment.”

“Sounds good, just text me,” you nodded, eyes lighting up when your phone had charged enough to power itself back on.

“YN!” Wren called your name excitedly as they returned to the reception desk. “Sorry, I was taking inventory. What are you doing here?”

    Seungcheol returned to his office as you gave Wren the rundown of your unfortunate turn of events. You wanted to be friends this time around, huh? That could be alright.

…

“I’m starting to regret this whole ‘friends’ thing,” Seungcheol groaned as you dragged him towards the bar. The rest of the studio staff was already there, but he had taken his time closing up, hoping that Wren would’ve run out of patience and just left without him. In the past, this strategy had been successful, but that was before you were part of the equation. You had a longer attention span and just when Seungcheol thought he’d gotten away with it, you’d popped up at his side, asking him if he was ready to go.

“No take backs,” you teased, only releasing the grip on his sleeve after you’d pulled him full inside the establishment. “Wren! We’re here!”

“Finally! Did he do his usual thing of taking way too long?”

“Yes, you were right,” you laughed, hopping onto an empty barstool.

    Cheol narrowed his eyes at you. While he had grown to be able to handle Wren’s brand of shenanigans, he wasn’t sure how to feel about your powers combined. He watched you chat excitedly with Vernon about lizards or something before deciding that he needed a beer.

“Anyone else need drinks?” he asked, glancing across the table.

“If you’re buying, then yes!” Hoshi jumped up excitedly and appeared at Seungcheol’s side.

“YN, what do you want?” Wren tapped on your shoulder gently as they moved to order with Cheol.

“Oh, whiskey soda with a cherry?”

“What?!” Wren’s eyebrows pinched together, “Miss girl, this is a dive bar. Can you please 

order something normal?”

“Hah! Well then just get me a beer or something,” you shrugged, eager to get back to discussing the Galapagos marine iguana’s algae based diet with Vernon.

“What the hell are they even talking about?” Wren did a double take before their boss tugged them towards the bar.

“It’s better that you probably don’t ask,” he chuckled as he hailed the bartender.

“Hey what can I get you?”

    Wren rattled off the group’s order before looking back at you. “Shit, and some sort of beer,” their brow furrowed as they scanned through the options.

“You got cherries back there?” Seungcheol cut through Wren’s thinking.

“Yeah,” the bartender fixed him with a surprised look.

“Okay, then a whiskey soda with a splash of sour and a cherry. Nix that beer.”

“Weird, but sure,” the bartender laughed, moving to fill the order.

“I don’t think she asked for sour?” Wren asked Seungcheol.

“She always forgets to say it. She won’t like it without it,” he shrugged with a wry smile.

Wren watched their boss out of the corner of their eye. In the few weeks of knowing you, Wren had done a little bit of poking and was surprised that you and Seungcheol both independently maintained that nothing had ever happened or even threatened to happen between you two. In fact, you both had such a surprised reaction that made it seem like neither of you had even entertained the possibility. Yet, small things like this happened every so often and would surprise Wren anew that things were just platonic between you two.

“You got it all?” the bartender asked again, watching Cheol and Wren haphazardly gather up the six drinks between them.

“I think we’re good,” Wren finally nodded, leading the way back to the table. “Okay, so…,” they trailed off as they doled out the drinks around the table.

“Oh! I thought I was getting beer?” you were surprised when you received your drink.

“They had cherries,” was all Seungcheol offered up in explanation.

“Oh, well thanks!” you beamed at him before taking a sip.

“So what was the name of that documentary again?” Vernon asked, drawing your attention back, “I might just leave now to watch it,” he mumbled to himself as he pulled out his phone to make a note.

“Oh come on,” you chided him, “We just got here! I’ll give you the name of the documentary at the end of the night, as incentive,” you suggested.

“That’ll work,” he grumbled slightly, slipping his phone into his pocket and turning his attention back to the group’s conversation. Hoshi was regaling the group theatrically about something or the other.

    Seungcheol raised an eyebrow. He was surprised that you’d managed to convince Vernon to stay out. That was something that even he couldn’t pull off sometimes.

“So YN, are you liking your new job?” Hoshi asked after sharing his many personal thoughts and feelings about Tiger King.

“Yes!” you nodded, “I really like everyone at the practice! My trainer is super funny and nice and she said I’m basically ready to fly solo next week,” you grinned, a little nervous now that all eyes were on you.

“Remind me what you do again?” Joshua asked kindly. He was one of the piercers at the studio that you had probably spent the least amount of time with.

“I’m a vet tech! So, you know, helping with exams, running analyses, and giving vaccinations. That kind of thing.”

“Ah, so we have some things in common then,” Joshua quipped about the vaccinations.

“Hey if you’ve got a passion for stabbin’, might as well get paid for it,” you joked, prompting a chorus of laughs.

Eventually, the group broke off, some heading to the dance floor and others moving to play darts. You watched the game of darts until you were ready for a refill. As you waited for the bartender, you fished the cherry out from your melting ice cubes. It was the best part, after all.

“What’re you drinking there?” a voice to your right drew your attention.

“Hm,” you regarded the man with a suspicious glance, “I don’t think I'll tell you. You look like you’d tease me for it.”

“Oh? Well it’ll be tricky to buy you a drink, then,” he chuckled, a little taken aback by your response.

“I-,what?” you blurted out after processing his words.

“I’m Yejun,” he smiled at you, “Can I buy your next drink?”

“Hm, I suppose you can!” you chuckled. You observed his side profile as he flagged down the bartender. “So do you live here, Yejun?”

“I do,” he nodded, “Do you?”

“I do now,” you grinned, “I actually grew up around here and recently moved back for a job. Things are kind of the same, kind of different.”

“Oh really? How long has it been since you lived here? And what’s different?” he asked, smiling charmingly as he leaned against the bar, turning to face you fully.

    Seungcheol watched intently as you chatted with this man. His brow furrowed slightly trying to gauge whether he needed to intervene. For a while, your expression was wary, but eventually you broke out into a teasing smile and he could tell that the attention was welcome. You were more than capable of holding your own, Cheol knew that, and so he returned to watching darts.

    Wren was stumped as they watched Seungcheol watch you. For a moment he’d almost looked jealous, but that tension eventually dissipated and he returned to darts as if nothing had happened. When Wren looked at you again, you were happily chatting with a man at the bar, which was somehow even more confusing.

…

“Ah, I’m so glad you were free this weekend! You’ve been so wrapped up in Yejun that I feel like I barely see you anymore!” Wren tittered animatedly as they wrapped you up in a hug.

“Wren we hung out on Tuesday,” you laughed, shaking your head.

“Yes, and it’s been far too long between then and now. Speaking of, how are things going with Yejun? If he’s not treating you well, I will bring the boys to beat him up!” Wren threatened.

“There’s no need for that at all,” you shook your head vigorously, “Things are going good! I don’t know that I feel super…serious about him, but it’s been fun so far!”

“Hm. Well if you’d rather just date someone at the studio, I’d prefer that so I could see you all the time! I think Vernon is single, and you both love those damned lizards.”

“Hah! Iguanas,” you corrected them as you scanned down the list of cocktails. An aperol spritzer sounded good in the day’s warm weather. “No, I won’t date anyone at the studio. I don’t date friends, that’s a recipe for disaster.”

“You’re smarter than most,” Wren laughed. Couldn’t fault your logic.

“How are things with the boys? I feel like it’s been a bit since I’ve seen everyone. Anything interesting happen lately?”

“Oh, we might have a stray cat hanging around?” Wren clapped their hands together, “There’s a calico that showed up both yesterday and today.”

“Really? No collar or anything, I assume? Does it have a clipped ear? Is it friendly?”

“No, no, and yes,” Wren answered, “Should we do anything special for it?”

“Honestly, we should try and grab it so that we can take it to a vet to get it checked out. See if it’s microchipped. I can bring some stuff from the office and maybe let’s pick up some wet food after lunch? You can bring that to the studio.”

“Sounds good!” Wren nodded gamely. “Aside from that, nothing new at the studio. We’re a boring bunch these days.”

“You know honestly, that’s not a bad thing,” you smiled.

“We should go out for a happy hour sometime this week,” Wren suggested as your entrees arrived. “Maybe Thursday? You can bring Yejun!”

“Oh sure! Are we going to try and bring Seungcheol? Or not worth the fight?” you scrunched your nose up playfully.

“I mean, I always want the whole gang to be there. But might need your help again.”

“I can be on Coups duty,” you laughed, “It’s light work.”

“Alright, well if you’re in then I’m in,” Wren laughed. You did seem to have a way with Seungcheol that nobody else did.

    The rest of lunch was filled with odds and ends of conversation before you and Wren walked to the supermarket to pick up a few cans of wet cat food. Wren headed back to the studio and you drove to the veterinary office to pick up some supplies. A humane trap, a cat carrier, and a kitty straightjacket accompanied you back to the tattoo studio. 

“I’m here!” you announced as you brought the trap into the reception area.

“Um, what’s happening now?” Minghao, one of the other tattoo artists, looked on curiously as you fiddled with the gate of the humane trap.

“I told YN about our new friend! She’s going to help us trap it so we can take it to the vet.”

“Oh, I see,” Hao chuckled before returning to his room. Since you’d moved back home, you’d clearly established yourself as Wren’s new partner in crime. It was usually entertaining.

“Okay, I think I got it,” you nodded before grabbing a can of food and walking back outside to place the trap against the side of the building. You popped the can open and placed it at the back of the trap. “Now hopefully we catch the stray cat and not some other beastie,” you muttered to yourself as you walked back inside. Last time you’d set up a humane trap, you’d woken up to a livid raccoon instead of the stray you’d set out to capture.

“Hey Wren, can you order more of these supplies please?” Cheol dropped off a list at the receptionist desk, barely registering your presence. Between your help setting up his profit and loss statements and just general shenanigans with Wren, you’d become somewhat of a regular at the studio.

“Sir, yes sir!” Wren saluted playfully before waving you out the door. You had errands to run yet, but you let Wren know to call you if and when the stray showed back up.

…

“Oh my gosh, she is so so cute! I have named her Sausage Patty, we shall call her Patty and I love her very much,” you gushed over drinks. The studio had organized a staff outing again and Yejun had opted to join, so all of your people were in one place.

“You said this was a cat?” Yejun asked, “I thought your place didn’t allow pets?”

“It doesn’t,” you sighed, “But Cheol can keep her in until I can find a new place, right? It isn’t too terribly long before my lease is up,” you pleaded with him hopefully.

“Ah,” Yejun shifted uncomfortably, “I, um. We should talk later,” he ducked his head to whisper in your ear.

“Oh, okay?” you nodded at this ominous feeling request.

“So Yejun, tell us about yourself,” Wren prompted, eager to get to know the person you’d been dating. “YN has mentioned some things, but I’m nosy.”

    Yejun chuckled good naturedly and shared his age, where he had lived before here, and that he worked as a financial advisor at the local bank.

“Oh interesting, do you enjoy that?” Joshua asked, eyes dancing.

    Seungcheol fixed Joshua and Hoshi with a warning glance as Yejun answered Joshua’s query.  He could tell that the boys did not find Yejun particularly interesting, but they didn’t have to in order to be nice. You were the one dating him, after all.

“It’s alright,” Yejun shrugged, not picking up on Shua’s teasing. “There are things that I like and things that I don’t, but that’s any job, isn’t it?”

“Sure is!” Hoshi chimed in mischievously, “For example, Seungcheol is the thing that I don’t like most about my job.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Cheol laughed, “If this is where the conversation is going, then I’m going to grab a beer,” he announced. Joshua took the opportunity to join him at the bar.

“My god, our YN is dating a banker? Where did we go wrong, Cheol?” Joshua bemoaned jokingly as he leaned against the bar.

“Joshua,” Cheol warned him, the slightest edge audible in his voice. “Be nice.”

“He’s so dull,” Joshua pressed on, “She can do better.”

“That’s not our business,” Seungcheol shrugged as he accepted a fresh beer from the bartender. “If you can’t be nice, then I suggest you stay away. YN will take it personally if you tell her you don’t like him. Just leave it.”

“Fine,” Joshua ran his tongue over his teeth with displeasure, “A banker of all things. Please.”

“You remember when you dated that flight attendant, right? We all kept it to ourselves until things ended. YN is our friend now, so you can do her the same courtesy.”

“I wish you’d given me your honest feedback then. That was a major waste of my time,” Joshua bristled as he recalled that toxic relationship.

    When they returned to the table they found that Hoshi had wandered off with Vernon to play darts and Wren was doing their best to hold the conversation with Yejun. There really wasn’t anything specifically wrong with Yejun, he just didn’t have much in common with any of them. Seungcheol briefly wondered what you two talked about, but it left his mind just as quickly.

“So what did you want to talk about earlier?” you asked Yejun hesitantly as he walked you to your door. There was a nip in the air and your cheeks were flushed pink as you looked up at him.

“Oh, yeah,” his expression filled with unease, “I guess I should let you know that I’m allergic to cats. It hadn’t really come up before, but it’s relevant now.”

“Oh,” your expression fell at this news. Somehow it was both a big deal and not a big deal. On the one hand, you were still in a very casual stage with Yejun and wouldn’t be able to live with Patty for a while even if you and Seungcheol did manage to work something out. But on the other hand, if this was a deal breaker, you wondered if you were just wasting your time. You loved animals and couldn’t envision a future without them. “Are you allergic to other animals too? Or just cats?”

“Mildly allergic to dogs, but my cat allergy is quite severe,” he answered apologetically.

“I see,” you nodded, “Well…I would say that since I’m still not sure I’ll be able to convince Seungcheol to keep Patty for me in the meantime and I’m at least five months out from being at the end of my lease, I’m not sure this needs to change anything between us? What do you think, though?”

“I agree,” Yejun smiled with a sense of relief.

“Great,” you grinned up at him. “Well, I’m home. Maybe we can do something next week?”

“That sounds great!” Yejun pulled you in for a quick peck before moving to drive himself home.

…

“Hello?” Seungcheol’s brows furrowed as he read the name on the incoming call. “YN? Are you okay?”

“Hey,” you sniffed, second guessing yourself. You briefly considered hanging up, but decided it would be helpful to have a sounding board. “Are you busy?”

“No, what’s up?” he shook his head, noting that you hadn’t answered his question.

“Can I swing by? I need some advice. Or maybe just to talk, I’m not sure,” you muttered, pressing your palm against your cheek.

“Yeah, of course,” Cheol nodded, “I’m home right now so come by whenever. Patty would like to see you too, I’m sure.”

“Okay, I’ll be over soon then,” you nodded forlornly before ending the call.

    You second guessed yourself the entire way over. Maybe this wasn’t a big enough deal to bother Seungcheol about. Maybe you should’ve called Wren instead. But you knew that Wren would not be impartial and you knew, in your gut, that if it wasn’t a big enough deal to bother Cheol about, then you wouldn’t have called him. Before you knew it, you were parked in front of Seungcheol’s place and you weren’t about to drive right back home.

    You walked up the steps and tried the doorknob. With all of the shared cat custody, he had gotten into the habit of leaving the front door unlocked when he knew you were on the way. Today was no different.

“I’m here,” you announced generally as you slipped off your shoes. Cheol appeared with a beer before you had gotten the second one off.

“You sounded like you needed a drink,” he smiled sympathetically at you.

“You know all about me nowadays, huh?” you laughed, taking the cold beverage from him.

“Little bit,” he grinned, “So what’s up?” he asked after you took a seat at his kitchen table. You gestured for him to sit down next to you before you answered.

“Yejun and I broke up…I guess? Is it even breaking up if you were just kind of dating?” you thought aloud. “Whatever you want to call it, we will no longer be a thing.”

“Ah, I’m sorry to hear that,” Seungcheol’s expression creased with worry. “Do you want to talk about what happened? Or what’s helpful?”

“I’m not too torn up about what happened,” you thought for a moment, trying to identify your feelings, “But I am sad. But I don’t feel like I should be sad because it wasn’t that serious? Also he was allergic to cats so was it gonna work out anyways?” you were surprised when you felt the tears pricking at your eyes. You had done such a good job of keeping it together all week, but now talking about it in such clarity really broke something free inside of you and suddenly you were crying.

    Seungcheol froze. He had never seen you cry before and he was at a loss about what to do. He wanted to be supportive, but didn’t really know what that should look like for you. Did you want a hug? Did you hate hugs? It frustrated him deeply that he didn’t already know the answer.

“What would be helpful right now?” he found himself asking.

“It’s silly, but I could use a hug,” you sighed, almost rolling your eyes at yourself. You’d never really been one for physical affection, but the thought of being wrapped up in Cheol’s arms seemed comforting in a way that you needed desperately right now.

    He moved immediately, standing over you with his arms outstretched. You stood up to fit yourself into him and his arms folded around you without thought. You were surprised at how natural it felt. You allowed yourself a few more sobs into his chest before letting yourself just feel warm and secure in his hold.

    Seungcheol experienced the whole gamut of human emotion as he held you. Anger at Yejun for causing you to feel this way. Empathetic sadness. Relief when your crying stopped. And…pride at the feeling of being able to provide you comfort. It was very different and new to Seungcheol to see you in this emotionally vulnerable state, but not unpleasant by any measure.

“Okay, I feel better,” you chuckled sheepishly, pulling away from Cheol and wiping at your cheeks. “I should go home and get some sleep.”

“Okay,” he nodded at you, surprised at the instinct he felt to pull you back in.

“Thanks Cheol. Seriously.”

…

“I think I’m getting cold feet,” Seungcheol grimaced after seeing you mix up the bleach in a somewhat alarming way.

“No, no take backs!” you frowned, turning your foil-covered head towards him.

    Several days ago, you had bought the largest containers of bleach powder and developer that they sold at the beauty supply store. You kept saying that you weren’t torn up over Yejun, but you figured why not allow yourself to partake in some of the traditional post-break up rituals? An entirely new haircut didn’t appeal to you, but adding some vivid color did seem fun. You weren’t totally sure how Seungcheol had caught wind of this undertaking, but when he’d thought out loud about going blonde again, Wren had been insistent. Whether it turned out looking good or his hair fell off, it didn’t matter too much to Wren. Both outcomes were equally pleasing.

“I-,” he grimaced, “If I end up having to buzz my head, you’ll never hear the end of it.”

“Cheol, relax,” you tried to reassure him, “I have done this before. Now just sit still.”

    Seungcheol sucked on his teeth before acquiescing and sitting down on the stool in front of you, allowing you to get started. You grinned happily as you ran your fingers through his hair, sectioning them off and applying the bleach to the foils. The way he enjoyed feeling your hands running through his hair was a little surprising to him, but soon he found himself just watching you and smiling at the way you smiled.

“Are you excited to be blonde again?” you asked around three quarters of the way through. “Was the last time in high school?”

“Yeah, I think so,” Cheol thought for a moment, “Didn’t you help me and Jihun that time too?”

“Probably? Like your guys’ senior year?”

“Yes,” he smiled, “That was a good look, if I do say so myself.”

“I agree,” you nodded as you grabbed a spare grocery bag to pop over his completely foiled head. “Okay, now we can let that process for 30 minutes. It should start to feel warm, mine kind of does already,” you touched your own foils gingerly.

“Okay, you wanna watch something while we wait?” he shrugged, flipping on the television.

“Sure,” you nodded, sitting down on the couch. You giggled happily when Patty hopped onto your lap and you scratched her under the chin.

“She loves you,” he chuckled, watching you interact with the cat.

“She loves you too!” you insisted, “Go see your dad,” you whispered at her playfully, which she ignored.

“No, she’s your cat and your cat alone. I’m just her landlord,” Seungcheol chuckled, unable to keep himself from thinking about the implication of ‘dad’.

“Okay, time to check!” you jumped up when the timer sounded. “Let me check mine first and then I’ll check yours,” you announced as you moved to the bathroom mirror.

“How’s it lookin’?” Cheol asked, leaning against the door jamb.

“I think a little longer, I’ll check again in fifteen. Now come here,” you beckoned him over. He moved to face you and spread his feet apart until you could see the top of his head. You peeled back a few foils and were surprised to see that it had lightened sufficiently. Lucky bastard. “I think you’re good to go, Seungcheol! You can rinse that bleach out and then I’ll tone you.”

“Word,” he nodded, helping you remove the rest of the foils and tuck them into garbage. You massaged your fingers through his hair, evaluating the rest of the strands before confirming he was ready to rinse. Without a word, he tugged his shirt up over his head before moving to grab the shower head.

“What are you doing?!” you almost shouted, alarmed by the shedding of clothes.

“I don’t want to get my shirt wet,” he shrugged, somehow pleased at the way you jumped.

“Let me get out of the bathroom first,” you grumbled, flushed in the cheeks as you made your way back into the living room.

“Okay, I’m done. You wanna check your foils again?” he emerged from the bathroom, rubbing his hair with a towel.

“Yes,” you nodded, trying to look anywhere but at him as he had not put the shirt back on.

After you had also rinsed the bleach out from your ends, you started mixing up toner and color. For a second time, you were applying and massaging solution into his hair.

“This feels nice,” Cheol remarked with his eyes closed, enjoying your touch.

“Does it?” your eyebrows raised, trying to stay composed. You didn’t need to look at his bare chest. You didn’t. “I guess that makes sense, like a scalp massage, right?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, eyes slowly opening again to meet your gaze through the mirror. His lips had curled into a half smile and the way he looked at you made your heart stop for a moment.

“Okay, go pop another bag on your head and let that process for 20-ish minutes?” you glanced away, clearing your throat needlessly. As Seungcheol flopped onto the couch, you applied the tanzanite hair dye to your bleached ends, doing your best to avoid staining his bathroom permanently.

“Okay, my timer’s up!” Cheol announced as he burst into the bathroom again unceremoniously. Apparently you’d zoned out after applying the purple dye and you jumped at his intrusion. “Scoot,” he grabbed you at the waist and relocated you easily. He grabbed the showerhead and leaned over the tub, rinsing the silver toner out of his hair. You intended to leave, you wanted to leave, but when it came down to it you couldn’t do anything but stare at his broad back, mind frazzled at the way he had lifted you up so easily.

“Damn,” Seungcheol whistled appreciatively, regarding himself in the mirror, “This looks good!”

“You’re welcome,” you nodded surely at him, “And you doubted me.”

“You’re right, I’m sorry, you killed it,” Cheol grinned at you. Without thinking it through, he pulled you into his chest and gave you a squeeze.

“Cheol, dye!” you panicked, pushing him away. “See, now you’re purple,” you frowned, looking at the splotch of purple on his chest that had transferred from your hair. Without thought, you swiped at it with your fingers, hoping to wipe it off before it stained too badly. It took a few passes, but eventually you gathered it all and rinsed it down the sink drain.

“Thanks,” Seungcheol coughed, nerves alight at the friction of your fingertips woefully close to his nipple. A quick shudder ran through him before he could gather his thoughts and compose himself.

“Okay, now get out, I’m going to rinse out my color. Mine’s gonna be messy, so I’m just gonna take an actual shower,” you shooed him out insistently.

    After you closed and locked the door for good measure, you let out a sigh. What had you been thinking, touching his bare chest like that? You must be out of your mind. Jumping into the shower, you let the water wash the dye from your hair and the thoughts from your mind.

    Seungcheol ruminated while you showered. He had already acknowledged that something in him had shifted after you’d visited him last week. You had always just been Jihun’s sister and that hadn’t really changed much since you’d moved back. However, seeing you in that emotionally vulnerable state last week had started to chip away at the way he thought of you.

“Whew, okay, the ordeal is done!” you laughed as you emerged from the bathroom pointing at the towel wrapped around your head. “I picked a darker one, but I can’t promise that the purple is gonna wash out,” you chuckled sheepishly, skin pink and glowing from the shower.

“I’m not worried about that,” Cheol shrugged, “Now take a rest, stylist,” he teased, patting the couch cushion next to him. Patty chirped in protest at the noisy impact, but settled back into his lap eventually as you finished the show you had started earlier.

…

“Cheol, Cheol!” Wren beckoned Seungcheol as he was walking through the hallway towards the stockroom.

“What?”

“What do you think about starting a Tiktok account for the studio? People seem to really like them, it could help us drum up some business!”

“I don’t know…,” he rubbed his chin contemplatively, “Are you going to run it? I want no part of it, to be honest.”

“Yes, I will!” Wren nodded furiously, “This looks way more fun and I could definitely do it between my normal job responsibilities.”

“I-, okay. But people have to agree to be in your videos, okay? None of this sneaky filming business,” Seungcheol furrowed his brows at them before returning to his office.

    To Seungcheol’s surprise, Wren really took initiative of the social media management and within a month or so, had amassed a significant number of followers. Wren was always on their phone anyways, and so kept on top of the latest trends and viral sounds. Seungcheol was also surprised at the ways in which the internet seemed to love their ragtag group. Folks found Joshua to be painfully handsome, Vernon and Hoshi to be side bustingly funny, and Wren to be endearing. You had even featured in a handful of videos when you’d happened to be at the studio and commenters the entire week afterwards playfully demanded ‘more YN content’.

“Cheol, have you reconsidered showing your face on Tiktok?” you asked after watching a ‘the art versus the artist’ tiktok.

“No,” he shook his head firmly.

“Aw man, this would’ve been a good video too!” you pouted, turning your phone to show Wren.

“Oh damn it, yeah it would be!” they shouted woefully.

“What is it?” Coups asked, feigning indifference.

“Okay, so the concept is showing art and then the artist that made it. Cheol you’re so talented, I feel like this is such a nice way to showcase your work!” you pleaded with him, though you were not particularly hopeful. When he didn’t reject you outright, you offered him your phone to show an example.

“Hm,” the corner of his lip pulled back as he contemplated. Your heart rose hopefully in your chest, was he genuinely considering this?

“YN can be in the video too! She’s a good example of healed work!” Wren clapped excitedly at the prospect. “We can start the video zoomed in on her thigh tattoo and then zoom out to show you!”

    Seungcheol raised his eyebrows at you in an unspoken question. It seemed that he was in if you were too. Holding back an ecstatic squeal, you nodded, over the moon at finally getting Cheol to agree to be in a Tiktok.

    The first section went smoothly. Wren positioned you in front of the studio window for flattering lighting and then zoomed in on your thigh. The second part where they would zoom out to a video of Seungcheol was not as seamless. First they wanted to try a solo shot, which didn’t pass muster. Then you tried posing next to Cheol, which Wren deemed ‘too stiff’. Finally, they took over full creative control and positioned Seungcheol behind you with his face above your shoulder. After a few more failed takes, he didn’t even register it when he leaned forward to mumble idle threats into your ear. Something about ‘never should have agreed to this’ and ‘I don’t know that we need a receptionist anyways’, which made you chuckle.

    Wren stilled in the midst of filming. Their gaze moved from the screen and lifted over the phone to observe you directly. The sight of Seungcheol with his face tucked into your neck and making you laugh was so tender it made Wren want to scream at the both of you.

“You got it?” Seungcheol looked up suddenly.

“I mean…I got something,” Wren replied, bemused.

…

    You were excited. Jihun was coming home for Thanksgiving! By your math, it had been well over a year since you’d last seen him, so your parents were going all out. They’d invited all of your friends, but Seungcheol had been the only one to take them up on the offer. It was going to be nostalgic, the five of you together, but holidays were all about nostalgia, right? You’d spent the day with your parents, helping them prepare the house and meals. Seungcheol had been assigned to pick up Jihun from the airport when his flight arrived that afternoon, so you were surprised when you heard a knock on the door a little after noon.

“Oh, who-?” your mom wondered as she opened the door, “Seungcheol, darling, you’re early!”

“I know, but I thought I’d come see if I could help with anything until then,” he shrugged, stepping into the threshold.

    From the kitchen, you did a double take. Seungcheol was wearing an unbuttoned button down with a matching t-shirt underneath and accessorized with a medium weight chain necklace. He looked nice, which made you momentarily self conscious that you were still wearing chores clothes. You threw him a quick smile before returning to finish washing the sheet pans that were no longer needed.

“Can I help?” he offered.

“You wanna dry?” you suggested, pointing out a dry towel. He nodded and settled in next to you, drying off anything you handed to him. “What time does Jihun’s flight get in again?”

“Three, so I’ll probably leave around two. There’s probably airport traffic today.”

    You nodded as you finished up the dishes and set the gloves aside to dry.

“Mom, what else can I help with?” Seungcheol had already wandered off in search of your mother.

    You rolled your eyes. He had called your mom ‘Mom’ since you were kids. The first time had been an accident and you had replied ‘No, she’s my mom!’ quite indignantly. Your mom had chuckled and patted young Seungcheol on the head, reassuring him. At first he continued to call her ‘Mom’ mostly to irritate you, but over time, it sort of just became reality. Seungcheol was over at your house so much that he really did feel like family at times.

“You’re so thoughtful, Cheol,” your mom beamed up at him, “You can come help Dad and I wrap dumplings if you like.”

“Sure,” he nodded, hip checking you away from the kitchen sink so he could wash his hands. You huffed indignantly as you took your seat at the dumpling table as well.

“So Seungcheol,” your dad cleared his throat, “How are things at the shop?”

“Good! Not much has changed since you were last there,” he cocked his head thoughtfully.

“You’ve been to the studio?” you queried, confused at the idea of it.

“Yes, of course! We had to congratulate him once we heard he was taking it over. I’m not sure we’re tattoo people, still, but our Cheol is a business owner now!” your dad laughed, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“It’s still a small town, YN,” Seungcheol chuckled, “Not much happens without everyone knowing about it.”

“That’s true,” your mom nodded. For example, she had heard through the grapevine that you often hung out with Seungcheol and his staff at Anne Kim’s bar. Apparently quite an edgy group of youngsters. The Kim’s had long ago given up running the establishment themselves, but it was a good source of passive income and town information.

“That’s so funny, I can’t imagine you there!” you giggled.

“They brought me a cake and everything,” Cheol chuckled, recalling that day fondly. It had taken some explaining to get everyone to understand that they were not, in fact, Seungcheol’s own parents and the cake had done a good job of quieting them all down.

“That’s so cute,” you gushed.

    When you’d been younger, it had sometimes bothered you how easy it was for your mom to love your friends in what felt like the same way that she loved you. Now that you were older, you could appreciate her capacity to love in a different way.

“I should go get Jihun,” Seungcheol announced, placing one more lopsided dumpling onto the tray before standing up.

“Drive safe!”

“Will do,” Seungcheol smiled at your mother, disarmingly charming.

“What a good boy,” she preened happily as you finished wrapping up the dumpling filling. “Have you hung out with Seungcheol much since you’ve moved back?” she asked, even though she knew the answer already.

“Occasionally,” you shrugged, but as you did the math you realized that you’d probably seen him more than anyone else in recent days. “I’ve probably hung out with his receptionist, Wren, more though. They’re nice!”

“Oh, Wren! Yes, I remember from the studio. They’re just cute as a button, aren’t they?” your mom chirped. So you weren’t willing to admit that you were closer with Seungcheol than you’d ever been before. That was okay.

“Yes, they really wanted to come for Thanksgiving too, but they decided to go to their partner’s family’s instead.”

“Well, you know you don’t need an excuse to bring them around. Our house is always open. You too,” she gave you a pointed look. You grinned sheepishly. You knew they always wanted you to visit more.

“I’ll bring them around!” you nodded affirmatively.

“In fact, the rest of the shop can come too! They’ll keep us young,” your dad added suddenly. Your dad had always been quieter than your mom, but every so often he said something that left you absolutely slack jawed. This was one of those times.

“I’ll let them know,” you shook your head with a chuckle. “I’m going to go shower and change now.”

    Your parents waved you off goodnaturedly and you retreated to your childhood bedroom. Everything you needed was in your duffel bag, but you couldn’t help from getting distracted by all of the stuff that your mom had kept exactly the same. Filled with nostalgia, your fingertips skimmed across the figurines, books, and other memorabilia. Your diary caught your eye and you pulled it out by the spine, curious to read some of your old thoughts. It was all cringey as hell, but it made you laugh as you thumbed through. As you reached the end, something fell out from the pages which surprised you. A polaroid of Seungcheol from the night you had told Wren about many months ago at this point. It was from the night before he and Jihun had left for college and the last time you remembered him being blonde prior to this most recent bleach job. You smiled softly as you peered at it in disbelief. Seungcheol looked the same, but different. His roots were a touch more grown out than they were right now and he was wearing that dog tag necklace that he had felt was so cool back then. What a handsome doofus.

“Woof, nostalgia is one hell of a bitch,” you muttered under your breath, surprised at your own reaction.

    Shoving your thoughts aside, you jumped into the shower and focused on getting ready. The warm water soothed you infinitely and you hummed contentedly to yourself as you finished getting ready. You changed into a cute yet comfortable outfit and headed down the stairs to join your parents. You were in the middle of contemplating a cookie when the front door opened dramatically.

“I’m home!” Jihun announced excitedly as he entered the house. To your surprise, not one but two figures followed him inside.

“Jihun-a!” your mom cooed excitedly as she moved towards the door. “Oh who’s this?”

“Mom, Dad, this is my girlfriend Hyejin!”

“Oh my goodness, what a surprise!” your mom tittered excitedly. “Why didn’t you tell me so I could have prepared?”

“Mom, you’re always prepared anyways! I wanted to surprise you,” Jihun shook his head.

    Your parents tsked appropriately at Jihun while ushering Hyejin inside. As they tittered over her, you threw a look at Seungcheol.

“Surprise!” he wiggled his hands weakly, which made you burst out laughing. You rolled your eyes before joining the family in the living room.

“Hyejin, this is my sister, YN,” Jihun gestured towards you as you entered.

“Hi,” you grinned excitedly at Hyejin. “I’m very excited to share with you all of Jihun’s most embarrassing stories!” you shook her hand with a little too much vigor for your brother’s tastes.

“I’m so excited to meet you all!” Hyejin smiled. She was so pretty!

“Genuinely, you’re so pretty, what the hell are you doing with Jihun?” you couldn’t help but ask mischievously.

“YN,” Seungcheol furrowed his brow, “Easy.”

“You’re right, I’ll let you settle in. I’ll ask later,” you whispered surreptitiously to her, drawing a small chuckle. Instead you joined Seungcheol as your parents lightly grilled Hyejin and Jihun about their relationship. “I can’t believe he didn’t tell any of us,” you mumbled at Cheol. “Did he share much on the drive with you?”

“No, not much,” he shook his head. “I was surprised too, I haven’t seen her on his socials or anything. Must be recent?”

“Hm,” you shrugged.

    Seungcheol watched you as you looked on with interest. You looked really cute in your holiday cardigan. You could feel Seungcheol’s gaze on you. You kept your eyes facing forward, but you couldn’t help a light shiver before you decided it was time to rejoin the fray. Seungcheol looked on from the kitchen, allowing you this familial moment. Dinner passed quickly, everyone enjoying the opportunity to catch up with or get to know each other. You found that you were a big fan of Hyejin. She was funny, clever, and so easy to talk to. Seungcheol and Jihun caught up easily, like old times. Your parents looked on happily at their lovely little family.

“Okay, time for a movie!” your mom announced once everyone had finished eating.

“Movie?” Hyejin wondered and the rest of you stood.

“Family tradition, movie theater after an early dinner,” Cheol answered with a smile. “Are we playing for right to choose? Or perhaps because we have a guest…?” he gestured to Hyejin.

“Oh I think guest chooses,” you nodded supportively.

“Really?” Hyejin was surprised. “Okay, let me see what’s showing,” she laughed, pulling out her phone.

“Ooh I'm excited, good choice again Hyejin!” you bounced on the balls of your feet as you waited in line for concessions.

“Behave,” Seungcheol grabbed you by the shoulders, pinning you in place. 

    A jolt of heat darted through your chest at his grip. You suddenly flashed back to the day of your tattoo. This was a very similar feeling to when Seungcheol had grasped your upper thigh and murmured ‘good girl’ to you, effectively knocking the wind from your lungs. You stilled, unable to face him.

“Good girl,” he went on to commend you thoughtlessly as he perused snack options.

    You blinked. A sharp exhale left your lungs as you struggled with the effect this was having on you. You wanted to punch Seungcheol, how could he be so careless with his words!

“Popcorn,” you answered the teenager when you got to the front of the line.

“What size?”

“Large,” you answered. You had saved room.

“Should we just share a bucket?” Cheol suggested.

“No! Get your own popcorn,” you scrunched your face at him. The possibility of accidentally brushing hands with him was too much to consider right now.

“Okay, damn,” he chuckled bemusedly as he went to order his own popcorn.

    You knew you were acting odd, but you couldn’t help yourself. In an effort to distance yourself from Seungcheol, you wandered towards Jihun and Hyejin, eavesdropping on their conversation. They were discussing something boring so you wandered towards your parents instead.

“YN-ah,” they beckoned you towards them. “How are things since moving back? I know it was always a little small for you here,” your mom asked genuinely.

“You know,” you thought for a moment, wanting to answer honestly, “I was worried I wouldn’t be happy moving back…but I’ve made some good friends and I’m actually pretty happy!”

“That’s great,” your dad smiled at you.

    Your mom studied your expression closely, but you didn’t give much away. She was curious whether your contentment was tied to Seungcheol as much as she hoped it would be. Your parents had always been big fans of Cheol throughout childhood. Part of it was proximity, of course, as Seungcheol had been at the house almost constantly throughout middle and high school. But the other part of it was that they saw the ways in which Seungcheol complimented both you and Jihun. Seungcheol had always had a calm energy and presence that didn’t hinder you from being yourself, but also tempered your personality when occasionally necessary.

“Movie time!” your parents announced, ushering everyone towards theater six. As everyone paired off, you found yourself sitting next to Seungcheol.

“We should’ve just shared a popcorn, we paid basically double to have the same amount in separate bags,” he pouted at you.

“I want to have my own bag, leave me alone!”  you whisper shouted at him, scrunching your face at him in the dark.

    Hyejin giggled as she watched you and Seungcheol with fascination. Jihun had mentioned that you all had been childhood friends, but not that you two were dating. She wondered how long it’d been since you and Seungcheol had gotten together and whether Jihun even knew. She’d have to ask after the movie was over.

“That was good,” you nodded surely as everyone piled into the car. “I was especially a fan of the scenes where the fruit and vegetable carts were upturned. Love me a good ‘my cabbages’ moment!”

“Me too!” Hyejin giggled

    The ride back was filled with excited discussion, laughter, and some good natured teasing. Your parents helped themselves to a slice of apple pie and let you all know you were welcome to the leftovers if you got peckish before they retired to bed. Eventually Jihun and Seungcheol wandered off to look at something in the basement, which allowed you to visit with Hyejin more.

“So how long have you and Seungcheol been dating?” she asked.

“W-what?” you sputtered. “Me and Cheol? No, we’re not!”

“Oh, I’m sorry! Are you really not?” she flushed, “You two seem so close!”

“No, no, don’t be sorry!” you leaned towards her, not wanting her to feel embarrassed, “We are close! But we’ve known each other for years,” you tried to explain.

“That really surprises me. You two seem very much in step with each other,” she mused. She had literally watched him eat the chestnuts that you’d pulled out of your stuffing and set on a side plate.

“I-, I mean I guess we are closer than before these days. I moved back to town a few months ago and Seungcheol is probably one of my closest friends right now,” you thought out loud. You weren’t sure whether it was just the longevity of the relationship, but there was a deep comfort that you had with Seungcheol that just couldn’t be beat.

“Ah, I see,” Hyejin nodded, tipping the rest of her wine back.

“Do you want another drink? Or maybe we can go bother the boys?”

“Why not both?” she laughed, so you led the way.

“Oy, degenerates! What are you doing down here? Smoking weed?” you teased as you bounced down the stairs.

“I mean we could be,” Jihun’s voice called back.

“Holding out on us,” you rolled your eyes playfully at Hyejin as you rounded the corner.

“Hey,” Hyejin grinned, looping an arm around Jihun’s waist and squeezing affectionately.

“Yo,” you punched Seungcheol awkwardly in the shoulder before flopping onto the futon next to him. “It’s been a damn minute since we were all down here, huh!”

“Yes it has,” Cheol’s eyebrows raised dramatically as he considered the length of time. “Probably haven’t been back since before college started.”

    Jihun nodded in agreement and they both took turns sharing fun stories with Hyejin until your eyes started drifting shut. These beers really took a toll on you these days.

“Hey, YN,” Seungcheol’s voice and shoulder nudged you awake.

“Hm?” you murmured.

“You should go to bed,” he suggested.

“No, I’m fine! I’m just resting my eyes,” you protested, struggling to keep the aforementioned eyes open.

“Oh not this again,” Seungcheol shook his head. He had fallen for the ‘resting my eyes’ line a grand total of twice before he’d learned his lesson. That just meant you had already dozed off and were going to fall asleep again shortly. “YN, if you don’t go to bed now, I’m going to carry you up.”

“Do it, you won’t,” you goaded him sleepily. You managed half a yawn before he had hucked you over his shoulder and carried you up the stairs.

Jihun had been scrolling through his phone, and so looked up with slight confusion to see Hyejin grinning knowingly.

    Seungcheol dumped you onto your bed as gently as he could manage, but you still landed with a loud ‘oof’. He scoffed as you curled into your pillows and comforter like a caterpillar into a cocoon. Why couldn’t you just admit you were tired like a normal person?

…

    A few weeks after Thanksgiving, you were at Seungcheol’s again spending quality time with Patty when Jihun Facetimed him unexpectedly. Patty was sitting on your chest on the couch when Seungcheol picked up.

“Hey man, what’s up?”

“Not much, I was just calling to check in. Thanksgiving made me realize that I’ve done a shit job of keeping up with you so I want to change that!”

“Oh, for sure,” Cheol laughed, a little surprised. “Oh, YN is here too!” he directed the phone to you and Patty. You waved from underneath her.

“Oh, YN is there?” you heard Hyejin’s voice in the background. “That reminds me, I’m gonna to text her!”

[hyejin]: ‘hey, I saw an ad for this yesterday and it made me think of you!’

    You squealed in excitement at the attached screenshot she sent of a frog stun gun. It even had a little butt on the back! Patty jumped off of your chest in protest of your loud noise, but your excitement was difficult to contain.

[yn]: ‘OMFG. THNEED’

[hyejin]: ‘right?!? when they do their next shop update, i’m ordering for both of us!’

“Coups, look!” you hopped off of the couch excitedly to show Seungcheol, completely derailing his conversation with Jihun. “It’s a frog. And a self defense stun gun. And it has a butt!” you flipped through the pictures excitedly. Seungcheol nodded good naturedly at you before returning to his discussion with Jihun. 

“I didn’t know you had a cat,” your brother's voice floated across the room. Seungcheol explained the situation, to which Hyejin sent you a slew of texts rapidly.

[hyejin]: ‘are you sure you’re not dating seungcheol?!?’

[hyejin]: ‘you can tell me if you are. i wont tell jihun!’ 

[hyejin]: ‘im cool!’

[yn]: ‘im not!’

You furrowed your brows slightly. You and Hyejin had kept in touch since Thanksgiving and she had taken to fussing over you like an older sister. For the most part you loved it, but this probing about Cheol made you feel…confused. It wasn’t the first time that people had mistaken you as a couple and you almost understood why. No, the thing that was difficult to contend with was the fact that you…didn’t hate it?

[hyejin]: ‘okay 👀 im just sayin not many people would let a cat live at their house just for a friend’

[hyejin]: ‘but maybe im wrong!’

You sat up and watched Seungcheol over the back of the sofa as he chatted with Jihun. You didn’t bother to process what they were saying, but you watched the way the corner of his lips lifted into a half side, revealing one of his dimples. You’d seen his dimples a million and one times before, but this time it felt like your heart shot up into your throat, clogging it. It didn’t seem to matter how many times you tried to clear it either, that bitch was stuck. Seungcheol threw you a ‘you good?’ glance before returning his attention to your brother. There was nothing remarkable about it. There was no reason it should make you nervous. And yet, the slight pinch between his brows and the clear concern in his eyes made you squirm.

“I gotta go!” you announced to Seungcheol and Jihun, waving casually at them before pulling on your shoes. Patty gave you a departing headbutt and you were out the door.

“I thought she didn’t have plans today,” Seungcheol’s expression was clearly confused after you left.

While you drove home with all of the windows rolled down in an effort to regain composure, Seungcheol tied up his conversation with Jihun. The house felt quite empty now that he wasn’t on a call and you were also gone. It was a surprising thought for him to have, since he’d long ago gotten accustomed to being alone and in fact quite liked it. But he’d be an idiot to ignore the fact that his life had changed dimensionally since you’d come back into it.

You’d coaxed him into a closer friendship with his staff members, gifted him the furry little gremlin that he now looked forward to coming home to, and you yourself had become someone that he thought of often and cared for deeply. He’d been unsure whether it was the same kind of proximity based fondness that you had shared before, but upon further consideration, he concluded that this was not the case. These days he didn’t just tolerate you. He sought you out. He wanted to fill his time with you. He wondered if you felt the same.

…

[wren]: ‘come on, please?!’

[yn]: ‘i’m tired 😩’

    You frowned at your phone. You weren’t actually so tired that you didn’t want to go out, but you felt a sort of reluctance to go because you’d been avoiding seeing Seungcheol. It had taken some time to sort through your feelings, but you’d finally accepted that you were struggling with an attraction to him that you needed to get over. You were sure you could, you just needed time.

    Seungcheol ran his hands through his hair as he finished up his profit and loss statements for the month. It had been a good month. In fact, an extraordinarily good month, which also meant that there were many more transactions to account for. In the past, he probably would’ve rather walked off of a bridge than do his P&Ls, but the spreadsheets that you’d help build for him were a genuine lifesaver. You’d even helped with figuring out how to automate data downloads from the PoS system which saved him and Wren a huge amount of headache. He really needed to treat you to dinner or something as a thank you.

[seungcheol]: ‘when are you free?’

    You stared at your phone. What the hell was in the water today? Your heart had jumped when you’d seen Seungcheol’s text. You were of two minds: one wanted to read and respond to it immediately while the other wanted to throw the phone into a garbage chute. As usual, you let both sides percolate before reaching a happy compromise. You read the text but didn’t respond until later.

[yn]: ‘kind of depends. what for?’

[seungcheol]: ‘i want to take you out.’

[seungcheol]: ‘as a thank you for the p&l spreadsheets’

    Your hopes rose and fell just as quickly as you read the texts in sequence. It was a professional matter.

[yn]: ‘that’s not necessary! friends help each other’

    His brow scrunched upon reading the word ‘friend’. It sent such a pang through his chest that he wasn’t expecting, but he felt persistent today.

[seungcheol]: ‘i dont see why that should stop me from showing you that i appreciate you. let me know when you’re free for dinner’

Your heart flip flopped in your chest. How could you get through a dinner with him when just a text affected you like this? And yet you had no valid reason to say no.

…

    You tapped your toe nervously as you waited for Seungcheol. You had decided on Friday after work and he had insisted on driving you, because he had wanted to keep the restaurant a surprise. So here you were, 6:12 pm on Friday and incredibly, unreasonably nervous about dinner. You wondered if you could still cancel.

[seungcheol]: ‘here’

“So much for that,” you muttered to yourself before stepping out of your apartment. The only indication of dress code that Cheol had given you was ‘don’t look like a hobo’, so you’d chosen a simple black dress with a colorful and fun cardigan. There was a slight chill in the air, so you pulled the cardigan a little tighter around yourself as you climbed into his car.

“Hey,” he broke into a smile as soon as he saw you. “You look nice.”

“Thanks,” you replied as you buckled your seatbelt. You gave him a quick once over as he backed out of the parking space. He was dressed in all black and the visual focal point was a half-pearl, half-chain choker necklace that really stood out. “Oh I like that!”

“I thought you might,” he grinned at you as he leaned back, settling into his seat after getting onto the highway. “It seems your kind of style,” he explained when your brows furrowed.

“Ah,” you nodded, not quite sure what to say. “So where are we eating, will you tell me now?”

“Yes. We’re going to Kyōten, in the city.”

“What?!” you glanced at him, slightly alarmed, “That’s kind of a haul!”

“It’s not too bad. Plus our reservation is at 7:30. I budgeted enough time.”

“Still, you don’t have to drive that far! We could’ve eaten somewhere in town,” you grumbled.

“I’ve been wanting to try this place too. Not everything’s about you, baby,” he teased. This was true in part. Seungcheol was interested in the omakase menu at this restaurant, but he likely wouldn’t have gone by himself. “How’s work been, by the way? I feel like I haven’t seen you around much lately.”

    You flushed at the moniker ‘baby’ before pushing through it to answer him. It was true, you’d been working a handful of extra shifts at work here and there in preparation for the holiday season. But you’d also been making yourself scarce because you still couldn’t control the physical reaction that you sometimes had to Seungcheol. You omitted that part in your answer, but did share a handful of funny stories that had happened at work lately. Seungcheol, in turn, updated you on some of the interesting happenings at the studio as of late. Hoshi had finally been able to do the largest tiger flash that he had available, which had been incredibly exciting to him. Joshua had attended the annual APP conference and made a lot of good contacts. The studio was working out details on a guest piercer spot in the near future. Before you knew it, you had pulled into the parking ramp near the restaurant.

“Oh it’s windy!” you remarked as you stepped out of the car.

“Here,” Seungcheol pulled a spare puffer jacket out of his backseat and handed it to you. You’d wrapped it around yourself gratefully as you completed the short walk to Kyōten.

“We have a reservation for 7:30. Seungcheol,” he informed the hostess. She nodded kindly and led you through the dark space towards the sushi bar. You remarked at the beautiful architecture and decor as you hopped onto the bar stool. “I’ll just stand, if that’s okay?” he asked the hostess, tucking his stool slightly to his left under the bar.

“Have you all done this before?” you asked the people sitting next to you as you waited.

“No, we haven’t!” they shook their heads, “Have you?”

“Oh thank god! No, I definitely haven’t. You haven’t either, right?” you asked Seungcheol, realizing you didn’t know.

“No,” he shook his head.

“Don’t be nervous! Just eat what they give you,” the couple on the other side of the bar from you smiled kindly. “The chefs here are great, they’re very interactive and fun. Just have a good time.”

    Reassured now that the ice was broken, the six of you chatted before the chef came. The pair next to you shared that they were celebrating their second anniversary. They had also driven in and were staying for a long weekend in the city.

“That’s so fun, I love that! We’re just here for the night,” you smiled at them, the sake warming you from the inside out.

“What about you two? Is this a special occasion?”

“Sort of,” Seungcheol answered, draping his arm across the back of your stool as he did so. “It’s a thank you dinner for YN. She’s been a huge help with my business this year, so I thought I ought to show her my appreciation properly.”

“What do you do?” Miseon asked curiously.

“I run a tattoo and piercing studio,” he answered.

    As he explained in more detail, you felt like your back was itching, the way you were hyper aware of his arm draped behind you. Seungcheol had gotten closer and closer to you as he’d engaged in the conversation with Miseon and Nuri. It wasn’t like you weren’t used to physical closeness with him, but the interior of this restaurant was so intimately lit that it tricked you into overthinking the whole situation. Even after the chef arrived and dinner commenced, he didn’t distance himself from you at all.

“Would you like to join us for a few drinks? We’re having such fun with you!” Nuri asked once you were all back on the sidewalk.

    Seungcheol looked to you, indicating that he was game. The way you smiled back at him, flushed in the apples of your cheeks, made his breath hitch.

“Sure!” you nodded excitedly. You’d also really enjoyed Nuri and Miseon and were happy to keep the night going.

    The four of you did some quick googling before settling on a bar a few blocks away. At the second crosswalk, you’d been a little too engaged in the conversation and nearly stepped into oncoming traffic. Without thought, Seungcheol had hooked his arm around your waist to pull you back and simply left it there. Your eyes flew to him at this touch. He was looking straight ahead and you were surprised when the idea of planting a kiss along his jaw popped into your mind. You flushed and shook your head when his head turned to look at you again.

    The bar was cute and the next hours passed quickly as you chatted with Nuri and Miseon and enjoyed the ambiance and music. A few times you had looked up to see Seungcheol’s dark eyes trained on you from across the bar and you’d flushed each time. Before too long you were saying your goodbyes and driving back home. The car was quiet as you and Seugcheol both reflected on the night.

    Even though he had framed it up as a ‘thank you’ dinner, you felt like that label didn’t quite fit. You might have been overthinking it, but Kyōten had been so intimate and the way that Seungcheol’s touches seemed to linger felt different than your usual closeness. You’d also been mistaken as a couple a few times and neither of you had bothered to correct them, which you usually did. Perhaps it was the context of being in a city you didn’t live in, but it just didn’t seem important this time.

    Seungcheol tapped his fingers against the gearshift as he drove. He’d known Kyōten might be a little more romantic than your typical dinner with a friend, but he’d chosen it because he’d overheard you share with Wren that you were really interested in trying omakase style dining. It hadn’t been totally conscious on his part, but he’d found himself finding ways to be closer to you throughout the evening and he’d been surprised at how you’d responded. You hadn’t shied away from his touch and he’d seen you blush a few times throughout the night in ways that made him wonder if his attraction towards you wasn't completely one sided.

“Did you have fun?” he asked, glancing towards you as he drove down the dark roads.

“Yes,” you beamed at him, “Although you spent entirely too much money, Cheol.”

“Hey!” he cut you off with a stern look, “I told you, this is a show of my appreciation. Let me just appreciate you.”

“Hm,” you pursed your lips at him, trying and failing to not imagine those words in a different context.

    Seungcheol pressed his tongue against his cheek. He’d always enjoyed the way you reacted when he teased you.

“Thanks for driving,” you threw him a smile before reaching for the door handle. You were eager to get out of this car, which felt entirely too hot right now.

“I’ll walk you,” he announced, leaving the car as well and stepping to your side.

“Oh?” you were surprised. This was not typical.

“I really enjoyed tonight,” he commented as you stepped onto the front stoop of your apartment building.

“Me too!” you beamed, eyes creasing softly at him.

“I want to tell you something,” he cleared his throat and your heart stopped.

“O-kay,” you nodded a moment later when you were actually able to retrieve your voice.

“I-, uh,” he cleared his throat again when he tried to speak. “You are very important to me, so I want you to know that nothing has to change between us after I say what I say.”

    You blinked at him, heart racing so fast that you were worried you wouldn’t be able to hear him over its beating.

“My life has changed a lot since you moved back. I am closer to my friends, the shop is doing really well, and I have a cat that I guess I love now. And that’s mostly because of you, so thank you for that. But also, I, uh, my feelings about you have changed. I think about you often and my house honestly just feels empty when you’re not there. So I like you,” he felt like he was shouting now, so he tried to reign it in, “I like you and you don’t have to say anything, I just want you to know.”

    Your brain had screeched to a halt and you were frozen throughout most of his confession. The cogs started turning again as he planted a soft kiss on your forehead and let you know he’d text you tomorrow. He was back in his car when you’d gathered yourself enough to run after him.

“Hey!” you practically jumped out in front of his car as he tried to leave the parking spot.

“What the fuck are you doing?!” he shouted, jumping out of the car after slamming on the brakes and putting it back in park.

“What the fuck are you doing?!” You couldn’t explain why, but you were fuming. “You need to be less careless with your words!”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Seungcheol threw his hands up, completely caught off guard by the fact that you were…yelling at him?

“You can’t just call me ‘good girl’ while you’re tattooing my inner thigh or tell me you like me and then leave? What about me and my sanity?”

“What?” Seungcheol’s eyebrows raised into his hairline as he processed what you had said. Surely you didn’t mean…?

    He was taking too long to understand so you walked towards him, grabbed him by that damned pearl chain necklace, and pulled him into a kiss. He was surprised for just a moment before he was kissing you back intently.

“Were you doing it on purpose?” you asked between kisses.

“What?” he asked, not totally grasping what you were asking.

“Was it on purpose?” you reiterated, fingers teasing at the hairs on the back of his neck. “Your little touches, grabbing my waist? You were driving me crazy,” you exhaled sharply.

    Seungcheol paused at this confession, drawing back to look at you fully. His eyes raked over you and you grew hot under his gaze.

“It wasn’t, but I guess I couldn’t help myself,” he chuckled, lips curling into a half smile.

“Turn your car off,” you demanded and Seungcheol was more than happy to comply.

[seungkwansphd]

want YOU

pairing: changkyun x fem!reader word count: 2.2K synopsis: your dynamic with changkyun had been strained for the entire time you'd dated his friend. after breaking up, the 'why' starts to unravel. themes: smut, boyfriend's friend, repressed feelings, M O O D Y changkyun, post-breakup.

a/n: this fic was HIGHLY inspired by tabber (hence the title). baby's (me) first changkyun fic. also smut's all over the place, to be honest, but oh well

You chewed on your lip. You hadn’t expected Changkyun to be here. You shrank against the wall slightly, as if it would help you evade his detection, but his dark eyes landed on you before long. Found you like always.

You sighed. You didn’t want to talk to him. Even when you’d still been dating his friend, your relationship had felt strained. Dominic insisted that it was imagined on your end, but you could always feel an energy in Changkyun’s gaze that felt disapproving. Even when you’d met eyes with him just now, it felt like it crackled through you from head to toe.

Changkyun clenched his jaw when he saw you. He knew he looked mad, but that was okay. He was used to keeping up this facade, feigning dislike or indifference to avoid the assuredly disastrous reveal of the raw, unbridled attraction that he felt for you. He’d known from the first time Dominic had introduced you two that he wished to undo you.

As time passed and Dominic proved himself to be a rather poor partner, Changkyun’s reign on his emotions grew tenuous, strained. He couldn’t avoid you, after all. He became a sideline admirer of your stray thoughts and soft smiles, but his sense of duty ensured that the way you affected him stayed a secret to everyone and especially you.

“I’m gonna go grab some water,” you excused yourself from the conversation. You wandered into the kitchen and pulled open cabinets until you found the cups you were looking for. Pressing up on your tiptoes, you reached upwards until you nearly lost your balance.

“Careful,” someone appeared to steady you. Large hands found purchase on your waist and even provided a slight lift to assist. The way their thumbs pressed into the muscles of your back made you want to purr, but you managed to keep a hold of yourself.

“Thank yo-,” your words faded into a squeak when you realized who had helped you. “Changkyun.”

He nodded as you looked back up at him. You frowned. He was too close.

Changkyun grimaced slightly, looking at his hands. This had been a mistake. To now know how they fit around your waist would make him mentally unwell.

“Changkyun,” you did your best not to stutter. “Can I? Water,” you pointed towards the faucet. His hands were still around you and sent a ripple down your back.

“If you’re here to tell me off for breaking up with Dominic, you should just save it. Go ask him why things ended,” you told him indignantly after a sip of water.

Changkyun’s heart leapt into his throat. What had you just said?

“You broke up?”

“You didn’t know?” you looked up at him with surprise. He shook his head.

You gave him a half smile and a shrug before finishing your glass of water. Changkyun was still embroiled in thought as you placed it into the dishwasher and slipped outside.

You shook yourself once you were in the backyard. The way he’d been looking at you had been downright suffocating, so the fresh, cool air was a welcome relief. You waved and made small talk with a few familiar faces before you noticed one of the ladder toss bolas wrapped around a tree branch. Someone should get that down.

Once again standing on your tiptoes, you reached upwards, but this time the goal was far more out of reach. Jumping didn't do the trick and neither did standing on the tree’s gnarled roots. You spotted a rickety stool and decided to give that a shot.

“I told you to be careful,” Changkyun’s voice sounded in your ear as the stool started to wobble. You let out a small, surprised puff of air as you fell into him. His arms caught you and folded you against his warm, solid chest.

“Changkyun.”

It sounded regretfully like a soft moan. A gravelly groan emanated from his chest and rippled through you and you throbbed. You didn’t know whether you’d undergone some sort of perverse conditioning by way of his repeated rebuffs or whether you’d actually tucked it aside in self preservation, but your body wanted him.

“Changkyun,” you sighed, body stiff in his arms.

“Yes.”

“What is this?” you asked, searching his expression.

“I’m not sure,” he answered honestly, “I just…want.”

You nodded once, hands fisting in his shirt. His grip on you tightened.

“Tell me.” He needed to hear you say it. After months of lusting after you, he knew with certainty where he stood. He needed some sort of indication from you too.

You closed your eyes. You almost regretted it because it allowed a hazy image from the past to fill in the blank. The one time you'd run into Changkyun leaving the bathroom shirtless, damp, sweatpants slung pornographically low across his hips. You'd nearly lost it then. Sadly there was nothing to stop you now.

“...need you,” you sighed, tugging on his shirt now.

That was enough for him. You heard him swallow before practically carrying you out. He had no more patience.

“Ah!” you let out a surprised squeak when he deposited you on his kitchen counter. His lips explored the curve of your neck and your head fell back, letting out a thick, wet moan. He growled from the back of his throat. He hadn’t realized how much he’d needed to hear that. His hungry lips curled into a grin as he traveled down to the hollow at the base of your neck. His tongue dipped into it before he bit down slightly, pulling another cry from you. Your fingers threaded into his hair and pulled him back slightly.

“Demon,” you laughed. His deep chuckle joined yours. You liked when he laughed.

He picked you up again, this time carrying you to his bedroom. Your legs wrapped around his waist and his arousal pressed against you firmly. You were ready. If you could’ve sank down around him like that, you would have. Your hands made quick work of each others’ clothes and he bent you over the bed, his hands finding their place around your waist just like earlier in the kitchen.

“Please,” you whimpered, pressing back towards him.

Changkyun wished he could tease you, draw out your longing, but he couldn’t. He needed to be inside of you or he would simply combust. Pressing his thumbs into the small of your back, he stroked into you, letting out a low groan peppered with choice curse words.

Your mouth fell open with surprise. He was big. You enveloped him with your warmth and he let out a sigh when he was pressed flush against you. Your name fell from his lips like a prayer before he starting fucking you in earnest. Your cries were ecstatic and you took full advantage of burying your face in the covers to muffle the desperation in your sounds.

“God you look good, taking it all for me. So good for me,” he groaned.

“Yes,” you nodded frantically. You could already feel your orgasm building. This first one would be quick.

“I wish you could see. Looks so good taking me into you,” he sounded strained.

“Kyunnie!” you groaned, clenching around him.

“Fuck!” he cursed. His orgasm threatened to rip through him at any moment.

“Taking it so good for you,” you babbled. It was mostly incoherent, but provocative all the same. You reached back, grabbing his wrist as you spasmed around him, orgasm ripping loudly through you. His followed shortly after, his fingertips pressing into you with a bruising pressure before he fell forward, breath ragged.

You watched him as he recovered. When he looked up at you again, his eyes burned into you intensely. Now that he’d taken the edge off, he could really show you what he was made of. Fuck you in all the ways he'd imagined. Fuck you in all the ways you needed.

“Oh?” you were surprised by his short recovery period. He placed you on your back, hips against the edge of the bed before sinking to his knees before you. Your instinct was to sit up and look at him, but you were promptly halted by his hand at the base of your throat, pressing you down into the mattress. “Oh,” you sighed again, brain mushy.

You couldn’t see, but you felt his press your knees apart. He paused for a moment and you wondered what he was doing. The not knowing set a ripple of goosebumps through you.

Changkyun sat back on his heels for a moment to admire you. His eyes traced the swells and curves of your shape. The line of your inner thigh called to him like a siren song and he moved like a man possessed.

Your lips fell into an ‘o’ shape when you felt him on you again. His lips kissed, nipped, and kneaded their way up your inner thighs and your legs spread for him of their own accord. Your hands busied themselves stroking up and down his arm, roped with muscle. You were sure you were glistening by the time he was even close to your center.

“How are you?” he asked suddenly, head popping up into your field of vision.

“Oh, um, good?” you answered, surprised at the question.

“Let me know if you’re not enjoying yourself. Or if anything is too much,” he informed you before ducking his head back down.

You squirmed. No one had ever really checked in with you like that before.

Changkyun resumed the task at hand diligently. His lips were back at your knee, which made you frown. He'd been further up than this before!

“Changkyun, please,” you whined, shifting down towards him impatiently.

He snickered. Seeing you so insistently needy for him was quite the shot of self esteem. He held you in place with his hand and stayed his course. You could wait.

You sighed and waited impatiently as his lips kneaded their way back up towards your now swollen pussy. Your clit throbbed with inattention and your arousal now glistened. When Changkyun finally brought his lips to yours, you let out a loud cry, equal parts relief and anguish.

“Mmmm,” he hummed into you, the sound emanating from his diaphragm. Your thighs closed around his ears and the intensity increased.

“I-, I need,” you gasped, eyes watering. You needed something more.

“What do you need?” his eyes bored into you.

“Fingers,” you answered without hesitation. You needed to feel something inside of you.

His eyebrows quirked up and he looked you over from head to toe. Your initial instinct was shyness, but the way he looked you up and down actually made you feel confident and powerful. He wanted you bad.

“Changkyun, please?” you cooed sweetly, reaching your fingertips out to caress along his jawline. “Don’t you want to watch your fingers slide into me, stretch me out? I’ll be so good, taking it for you.”

You were shocked when the hand on your chest shot up to grab your jaw and his thumb pressed against your tongue, thick and heavy. He’d hadn’t even thought this action through, he just knew he needed to shut you up somehow before he lost his mind. Your goading dirty talk died in your throat and your lips closed around his thumb, sucking eagerly.

“Fucking hell!” he cursed loudly. He shifted to a more favorable angle and dipped his index and middle finger into your honeypot of a mouth before stroking them through your folds.

“Hnnngh!” you keened, pressing your hips up against his fingertips.

“Want my fingers?” he looked down at you, “Let me warn you, my hands are bigger than Dominic’s.”

“Oh?” you smiled hazily up at him. “Show me.”

A smirk curled onto his lips as he pressed into you. He hadn’t been kidding. His fingers were longer and curled into you in the most satisfying way. You sank into the mattress as he pumped in and out of you, wet gushing sounds filling the room.

“So?” he asked. You were clearly enjoying yourself, but he wanted to hear you say it.

“What?” you asked breathlessly.

His eyes darted down to his fingers, lodged deep inside of you, before looking back up expectantly. With his eyes, he was asking how he compared to your ex.

“...who?” you teased.

You were surprised when he hauled himself over you and pressed a kiss to your jaw. It was almost sweet coming from a man that was usually all frowns and stern looks. His fingers slid out of you and he notched himself between your thighs. You giggled like an idiot.

“Someone’s excited,” he teased, tongue in his cheek.

“Yes,” you smiled up at him genuinely. “In case you’re wondering…you’re a lot bigger than him in this regard too.”

Changkyun laughed. He hadn’t not been wondering, but he really did enjoy hearing you say it. Leaning his forehead down to touch yours, he pulled himself into you, deep and slow. The sound you let out was toe curling and he couldn’t wait to pull more of them out of you.

[seungkwansphd]

wings of love

pairing: publisher!mingyu x children's book author!YN word count: 2.4K synopsis: you find yourself seated next to a girl who needs a little bit of assurance during your flight into the city. you don't expect to see her and her dad at your publisher's pitch meeting the next day too! themes: FLUFF, airplane meet cute (SORT OF), this is very kid-centric, single dad mingyu, girl dad mingyu.

a/n: this is based off of an interaction i actually had on an airplane (minus the dilf meet cute LOL). i'm in my short fic era and it's been so nice! ALSO I KNOW THE TITLE IS SO CORNY DO NOT EVEN LOOK AT ME. 😂

You looked to your right at the empty airplane seats. The small hope of having the row to yourself was dashed when a flight attendant appeared at your side with a young, nervous looking girl.

“Hello,” you greeted them with a smile.

“Hello YN,” the flight attendant smiled at you. “This young lady will be sitting with you.”

“Oh wonderful!” your face lit up, “Would you like to sit near the window or the aisle?” you addressed the child directly.

“Window,” they answered shyly.

“Good choice,” you grinned, standing up to let her in.

“I’ll be back to check on you frequently, okay?” the flight attendant addressed the child directly, “If you need anything in the meantime, please press this button.”

Your new seat mate nodded shyly and the flight attendant left, satisfied.

“I’m YN,” you introduced yourself with a gentle smile.

“Hi. I’m Lena.”

“Is this your first time flying?” you asked gently. The girl looked quite nervous and you were hoping to make her feel more comfortable.

“First time by myself,” she nodded.

“Ah, I see. That would be pretty scary, huh?”

“Yes.”

“Well, did you know that flying is actually safer than driving? Statistically speaking,” you blurted without thinking. You idiot. This girl looked to be younger than ten for sure…she wouldn’t know what statistics were, right?

You were out of your depth. While you didn’t have any issue with kids, per se, you also definitely didn’t spend a lot of time with them. Might be best to just keep your mouth shut.

“Is that true?” she asked you after some quiet consideration.

“Yes,” you nodded slowly, now worried that you had given her a new fear of driving. “Is that helpful at all?”

“It is…a little. I’ll try not to think about that when I have to be in a car later,” she nodded resolutely.

You laughed. She seemed quite thoughtful for her age.

“Excuse me,” she glanced at you nervously after peeking out of the window, “Can you hold my hand? I felt a little better after what you said, but then I looked out the window and now I feel worse.”

“Of course!” you smiled kindly at her. “Here!”

You stretched your hand out, palm up, and offered it to her. She placed her own hand gently into yours and gave you a tight smile before squeezing her eyes shut. You squeezed your lips together and hoped that you were helping. Once you had reached a cruising altitude and the flight had smoothed out, she opened her eyes again and looked at you with wide eyes.

“I think I’m okay now,” she looked a little sheepish as she pulled her hand out of yours.

You nodded encouragingly towards her.

“Why are you flying?” she asked you not too long afterwards.

“For my job. I have an important meeting with someone in Chicago. I hope it goes well,” you shared with her.

You were pitching a children’s book concept to a publisher tomorrow. While this wasn’t your first book, it was a new publisher to you and you were nervous. You weren’t sure whether this child would understand the jargon around publishing, so you kept it simple.

“How about you? Why are you flying alone?”

“I’m going back home to see my dad. I was with my mom for a few weeks, but it’s time to go home.”

“Ah, I see,” you nodded, inferring that her parents were likely separated. “Did you miss your dad?”

“Yes,” she nodded.

“Do you live here most of the time? Or with your mom?”

“I live here during the school year and then I see my mom over the summers.”

“Ah, I see! So does that mean school is starting soon?” you asked as you reminded yourself what the date was. Summer was coming to a close.

“Yeah, in a few weeks. My dad is going to take me shopping. We’re going to buy new clothes, but I’m more excited to get my supplies! I want new markers.”

You were surprised at how tickled you were by her enthusiasm for school supplies. You’d been like that too as a child. Nothing could beat the feeling of getting fresh notebooks, folders, and pencils for the year.

“Ah, that will be so fun! I love shopping for art supplies.”

“Really? My nanny says I should be more interested in clothes than colored pencils!”

Your brows furrowed at this gendered idea. You were a little surprised that she had a nanny, but you supposed if her dad was a single father, having some assistance made a lot of sense.

“Oh really? I don't agree. You should like whatever you like!”

“That's what my dad says too!” her face lit up at you. “He tries to tell Nanny, but she was his nanny too so she doesn't listen to him.”

You chuckled. A family Nanny? That seemed like rich people shit.

“My dad is so silly. He's so tall and Nanny Gerry is so short compared to him, but he still listens to her. I like my dad though. He's nice to me.”

“Well it's good to be respectful to elders,” you nodded, “Your dad seems like a good person.”

“I think so too,” Lena beamed up at you. “I think he’s a good dad.”

You smiled genially at her. Lena would tell you a handful of stories about her dad as the flight went on. He seemed like someone that was loving, enthusiastic, and kind. As someone whose parents were also divorced, it made you really happy to know that Lena had such a solid parent in her life.

“Do you have a suitcase that you need help with?” you turned to ask Lena as the plane taxied on the runway.

“Yes, but I think the flight lady will help me?”

“Ah, okay,” you nodded.

Despite that, you stayed with Lena until the rest of the passengers deboarded. You felt a connection to her now, so it didn’t seem right to just leave without her.

“Thank you for helping me feel less scared on the flight,” Lena smiled up at you as the flight attendant walked towards you. “I hope your job thing goes good!”

“Thank you for keeping me company,” you grinned at her. “I enjoyed our conversation during the flight.”

You were surprised at the little pang of disappointment as you parted ways. Airports were laden with brief connections, but you found yourself hoping that she was able to get all the school supplies she wanted and that this school year would be pleasant for her. You wouldn’t be able to know, of course, but she was a sweet and thoughtful girl and you wished her the best.

…

“YN?” the receptionist pulled you out of your thoughts. “I’m so sorry to inform you, but Mr. Kim is running a few minutes late. Something fell through with his childcare, but please be assured that he will be taking your meeting as soon as he arrives.”

“Oh, of course!” you nodded.

You knew your pitch inside and out at this point and it wasn’t like you had anything else to do. Checking your phone briefly for emails, you decided to browse through the articles suggested to you while you waited. Somewhere to you right, a small commotion entered the office. A tall man in a suit carrying a child on his hip had arrived, somewhat flustered and the receptionist rushed to them to take the child from his arms.

As you glanced up from your phone, your eyes locked with…Lena?

“Oh? YN!” she cried with excitement before wiggling out of the receptionists’ arms.

Her father looked on incredulously as she made a beeline towards you.

“Lena!” you laughed with delight when she launched herself into your arms. “I didn’t think I’d see you again!”

“Me neither!” she grinned from ear to ear up at you. “Dad, Dad! This is the lady I was telling you about. Yesterday from the plane!”

“Ah, hello!” you nodded at Lena’s extremely tall father.

“Mr. Kim, this is your nine o’clock, YN,” the receptionist chimed in helpfully.

“Oh? Oh!” Mingyu’s brow wrinkled before his entire face lit up, the dots connecting in his mind. “What a coincidence! Please, YN, I hope you can excuse my tardiness. Unfortunately Lena’s childcare fell through today, so she’ll be joining me at work today. Lucky for me, you two have already met!”

“Ah? Oh ah!” your mind was a few steps behind Mingyu’s still. “Oh, you’re Mr. Kim? And,” your eyes jumped to Lena in your arms. “Ahhhhh,” you laughed, the understanding finally dawning on you. “Small world indeed.”

“Please, follow me! I’ve asked for my other meetings to be rearranged, so we’re not in a rush. I am excited to review your book concept.”

You nodded, grabbing your bag in your free hand. Lena kept herself busy by updating you about her dinner last night and breakfast since she’d last seen you. She was so engaging with her storytelling that you didn’t notice the handful of curious looks the three of you received while walking.

“Oh my god, I shouldn’t have let you carry her all the way. Lena, please come down,” Mr. Kim motioned to his daughter. She pouted slightly, but eventually shimmied her way out of your arms and took a seat at some children’s furniture that was in the corner of his office.

“It’s quite alright, Lena and I are buddies, Mr. Kim,” you laughed, straightening yourself out.

“Please call me Mingyu,” he smiled crookedly at you.

Lena had spent the majority of last night talking his ear off about the nice lady that had comforted her on the plane. She’d been adamant that he acknowledge that you were also on her side regarding the issue of school supplies versus clothes shopping. She’d also mentioned that you were kind, patient, and a good drawer. One of your napkin doodles was currently on Mingyu’s fridge. He’d found himself wishing that he could thank you for being so kind to his daughter on her returning flight, so to have you now here in his office was quite a shock to his system.

“...Mingyu?” he was pulled back to reality as you called his name.

“Sorry, I spaced out for a second. What did you say?”

“I asked if we should review the pitch concept for my book?” you repeated yourself. You had to hide your grin. The look on his face had been incredibly cute when he’d been zoned out.

“Yes, of course!” you nodded, pulling a folio with your storyboard out of your bag.

Mingyu found himself smiling widely as you discussed the concept. It was a children’s book, so the plot was naturally simple, but you were clear that some of the tougher concepts you wanted to touch on were non-negotiables and he respected that.

“I agree completely. I do think given the target age range of readers, it’s appropriate to consider this topic.”

You beamed at him. Mingyu seemed easy to work with and open to your creative direction.

“Well, I think that covers everything that I wanted to discuss during this meeting. Are there any outstanding questions that you need to ask on the publisher’s end?”

“Hmm,” Mingyu reviewed the notes to his right before shaking his head. “No, not at this time. Today’s meeting was mostly a formality. Our team had aligned that we liked this concept and mostly wanted to bring you out to meet you in person. I feel very good about approving the concept formally.”

“Oh!” you clapped your hands together with delight, to which Lena’s head popped over the back of the couch. “Oh that’s wonderful news!”

“It is,” Mingyu smiled at the way your eyes lit up. “Just to give you a sense of what to expect, you will be referred to a different team to work out the details of your contract. Since you typically illustrate your own work, we can bypass the process to identify an illustrator, which should significantly shorten the overall timeline.”

“Ah, perfect,” you nodded.

“So now that that’s out of the way. M-may I ask you a more personal question?”

“Oh, uh yes?” you cocked your head up at Mingyu with curiosity.

“Do you happen to be free tonight?” he smiled at you in an impossibly charming way. “I would really like to take you out to dinner. Partially as a thank you for being so kind to Lena on the flight and partially because I am itching to get to know you more.”

“Can I come too?” Lena interjected importantly.

Mingyu’s canines revealed themselves when he grinned at his precious daughter and your heart jumped into your throat.

“Yes, I’d like that,” you nodded at the both of them.

“Perfect.”

[seungkwansphd]

mouse in the walls

pairing: law student!jeonghan x law student!YN word count: 841 synopsis: you and jeonghan don't get along, so it's highly suspicious when he offers you a place to sleep when you're sexiled at an away mock trial competition. you take him up on it, though, because your next best idea is to sleep in a stairwell. themes: part of 'room for interpretation' series, prequel/flashback, sfw, college rivals, tentative friends, two big IDIOTS who don't realize anything about themselves.

a/n: ok i know i said i was working on a sequel, BUT i slipped and fell into a prequel moment for these two. sequel has been bullet pointed and still coming istg.

You stared at the door of your hotel room in dismay. True to her words, Cheryl had found someone to hook up with and you had been sexiled. You wracked your brain for ideas. On the one hand, you had no desire to go into that room, nor did you want to snitch. On the other hand, were you prepared to sleep on the ground? No, that didn’t make sense, but you truly didn’t know what to do. You were deep in thought when someone walked by you and did a double take.

“What are you doing out here?”

Jeonghan.

“It’s none of your business,” you flashed an irritated look at him.

“Who’s your roommate again?”

“Cheryl,” you answered as you contemplated sleeping near the ice machine, like Michael in The Office.

“Oh…oh,” Jeonghan reacted as he recalled seeing Cheryl aggressively pursuing one of the students from another school. “You become homeless?”

“Correct,” you made a face at him. “Hey! Give me the spare blanket and pillow from your room and I’ll sleep in the stairwell.”

“Are you stupid?” he blinked at you incredulously, “Come with me. You can sleep on the pullout couch in my room.”

“No!” you shook your head, balking at the idea of sharing a room with Jeonghan.

“Oh grow up, it’s not even the same bed. We might not get along, but I’m not going to let you sleep in the goddamn stairwells, like a mouse living in the walls,” he insisted, grabbing you by the wrist and tugging you towards his room down the hall.

You glared at him as you followed him, but by the time you actually made it to his room, you had accepted that the stairwell idea wasn’t one of your best. Jeonghan was right, you were both adults. You could share a room without it being weird.

“Here, change into these. I’ll get the pull out couch set up,” he threw a bundle of fabric at you. He was so damn bossy.

You shut and locked the bathroom door behind you. You considered the pieces of clothing as you changed. The shirt was one from orientation. You actually had the same one in your luggage. The bottoms were a pair of loose shorts. You considered the situation at large and concluded that it was very odd, but you weren’t going to fight it too much. Sleeping on the couch was better than being sexiled.

“So bad news,” Jeonghan started when he heard the bathroom door open. The rest of his sentence caught in his throat when he saw you, dressed in his clothes. It was stupid because he had been the one who’d given them to you, but it still caught him off guard.

“Bad news?” you asked, placing your own clothes in a pile on the coffee table.

“Uh, yeah,” Jeonghan shook his head, “It’s not actually a pull out couch,” he gestured to his evidence: the couch with the cushions pulled out of it.

“That’s okay,” you shrugged, grabbing the cushions to return them to their places. “I’ll just sleep on the couch.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. As much as I hate to admit it, you are right that this is better than sleeping in the stairwell. Like a mouse,” you cracked a smile.

Jeonghan found himself smiling with you. Because he got a lot of joy when you admitted he was right and definitely not because your smile was infectious.

“Okay, I’m setting my alarm for pretty early. Going to have to go back to my room to get changed and stuff before breakfast.”

“Sure,” Jeonghan nodded.

Jeonghan listened to your light shuffling as you got settled in to sleep. He heard a few punches to your pillow to make it the right shape, but before long your soft snores indicated that you were out. He was a little surprised at the speed with which you’d been able to fall asleep. He was a person who tended to stare into the void for quite a while before he could drift off, but something about your rhythmic breathing helped push him into dreamland much faster than normal.

…

“Where did you end up sleeping last night?” Cheryl asked you at breakfast.

“One of my friends let me sleep on their couch,” you answered shortly. You and Cheryl weren’t really close, so you knew she wouldn’t dig too deep.

“Who? You don’t have any friends!” she commented, but quickly moved onto a different subject.

You rolled your eyes before stuffing more hotel waffle into your mouth. You loved Mock Trial, but you were ready for the weekend to be over.

Jeonghan hid a bemused smile behind his coffee cup as he eavesdropped on your conversation. He was half convinced that Cheryl had only come on the Mock Trial trip to have casual sex, but that wasn’t why he was smiling. Something about the absurdity of hearing you refer to him as a friend really made him laugh. As if you could pass as anything more than classmates!

[seungkwansphd]

room for interpretation - 3

pairing: lawyer!jeonghan x lawyer!YN word count: 9.9K synopsis: as top of class, you and jeonghan had been many things to each other. enthusiastic rivals, begrudging allies, and…parties to a jokingly written (but legally binding) marriage contingency contract? this piece of paper would’ve been long forgotten had an unexpected merger not thrown you back into each others’ lives. themes: fluff, rivals to coworkers to tentative friends to lovers, “if we’re both single by X age” marriage contract, IDIOTS2lovers, fake dating, miscommunication. this is just a romcom.

You must be losing your mind at least a little. This was the conclusion you’d come to over the weekend. You’d spent the better part of Sunday thinking about Jeonghan, the contract, and your feelings. You’d basically said that you wouldn’t mind being married to him, but that didn’t mean you actively liked him, right? So now you were slightly panicked that you’d maybe confessed something to him that you hadn’t meant to.

“How’d it go?” Maja burst into your office, demanding an update.

“Good!” you spun around to face her, eager to think about something other than Jeonghan. “They treat prospective clients the exact same way that Jillian said they treated employees. The whole place stank of elitism!”

“What did they say?”

“A lot of veiled language around ‘clients have to match the image of the brand’ and how they ‘look for a certain type and demographic of people’.”

“Yuck,” Maja blew a raspberry and gave a thumbs down. You agreed.

“And Jeonghan did a good job at playing fake fiance?” Maja couldn’t help but pry. She’d been wondering all weekend about that.

“Weirdly, yes,” you shrugged, “He’s surprisingly attentive. 

“Huh,” Maja, “Surprisingly?”

“He remembers little things that I wouldn’t have guessed he would remember.”

“I mean, you guys are friends,” Maja felt the need to remind you. Even if you didn’t accept it or realize it, your relationship with Jeonghan was in fact quite close.

“Yes! Everyone and their mother would like me to admit that I like Jeonghan. I’m friends with Jeonghan!” you threw your arms up suddenly, startling Maja.

Her eyes bugged out of her head at ‘I like Jeonghan’. Did you mean like…romantically? Or more as an extension of ‘I’m friends with Jeonghan’? She had a feeling that the question would be poorly received, so she withheld it for now.

“Sorry, it was just kind of weird. Pretending to be engaged, and then remembering the marriage contract, and then pretending to be married. I might still be processing.”

“Marriage contract? And why did you have to pretend to be married?”

“So,” you pointed at her, “When the person at the wedding venue asked us how we met, Jeonghan brought up the fact that we signed a marriage contingency contract in law school. In this fake world, of course, we realized we liked each other before the contract had to be enforced.”

Maja blinked. She was barely keeping up.

“So honestly, I had forgotten about that until he brought it up! But yeah, we did sign that, which was silly. But then we got food after the consultation and the waitress kept making eyes at him. Apparently he didn’t like that, so he kept referring to me as his wife, because we were wearing rings.”

Maja’s head spun.

“Hold on, let’s back up a second. You two signed a marriage contingency contract? What the hell does that even mean?”

“Okay, so,” you inhaled before launching into the full backstory for Maja.

You did your best to explain the context of Peter’s divorce, his declaration that law was for lonely losers, and your subsequent insistence that that didn’t apply to you. She nodded as you explained how smugly sure Jeonghan had been that you couldn’t get married and make partner before thirty and the resultant bet and contract.

She wasn’t nodding because it was reasonable, by any means. No, the whole arrangement was unhinged. She nodded because it could maybe make sense if there were repressed feelings on both sides. And even then, it was a stretch.

“Why would you sign that?” she found herself asking indignantly. Even as a non-lawyer, it seemed ill advised.

“I mean I was such a hothead in law school. I couldn’t stand it when Jeonghan called me chicken. The other thing I realized, like literally this weekend, is that it would be okay if I were contractually obligated to marry Jeonghan. Now that things with Flynn are over, I’m not gonna make the thirty year cut anyways!” you shrugged and laughed.

Maja squeezed her eyelids together. You were being an idiot of grander scale than she could’ve ever anticipated, it seemed. Maybe more than her gentle nudges were needed. Perhaps it required an actual act of God.

“You know what?” you pointed an accusatory finger at her. You had meant to stop thinking about Jeonghan! “I’ve spilled a lot of beans just now while your beans have stayed in their container. What the heck is going on with you and Harris?!”

“Ah,” Maja scratched the back of her neck. “You’re right, I’ve been keeping that to myself. Why don’t we do something fun this weekend and I can catch you up?”

“Yes!”

Maja shot you a quick thumbs up before returning to her desk. Her eyes flitted to Jeonghan’s closed office door. She wondered how much information she could get out of him if she tried.

…

Maja checked that the coast was clear as soon as Jeonghan left his office. She’d been snooping on calendars and seen that he had the next two hours blocked off. He’d taken his laptop with him, so she was confident that she could snoop freely for the next bit. Trying to appear as nonchalant as possible, she ducked into his office and started peering around. She didn’t honestly know what she was hoping to find. She doubted that Jeonghan kept a journal full of his secret feelings about you, but she would settle for something…anything!

“What’re you doing?” Peter appeared suddenly in the doorway.

“Nothing! Um…helping Jeonghan sort his paperwork,” she shuffled piles of papers haphazardly together on his desk.

“You never help with administrative tasks,” Peter narrowed his eyes at her. “What’s really going on?”

“I…, uh,” she floundered for a moment before giving up the charade completely, “I’m snooping. I think something’s going on between Jeonghan and YN.”

“Oh!” Peter’s eyebrows raised with surprise, “Like…in a good way or a bad way?”

“Like…I think they liked each other. And maybe still like each other.”

“Love!” Peter gasped, clapping his hands together. “Let me help. What are you looking for?”

Maja rolled her eyes. She should’ve known this would be Peter’s response.

“Honestly, I don’t even know what I’m doing here. It’s not like it’s the Victorian era and they keep secret correspondence or something,” she shook her head, ready to give up.

“Ow, shoot!” Peter whisper-shouted as his shoulder brushed against Jeonghan’s diploma, knocking it off the wall. The loud crash that accompanied it made Maja want to melt into the floor.

“How did it not break?” she marveled with wonder before realizing it was plexiglass. She flipped it over to put the diploma back in place and was surprised when multiple sheets of paper emerged. “What in the world…,” she murmured. Peter had made himself scarce after the ruckus, so she was able to read in peace.

“I, the undersigned, consent to…,” she read the text and realized that this was the contract. It was a fairly short document and while no judge in their right mind would enforce this, it was technically binding. She set it aside before fixing Jeonghan’s diploma and hanging it back on the wall. Maja thought briefly about what to do with the contract, but ultimately settled on leaving it on Jeonghan’s desk. She’d thoroughly undone whatever organization system he used to separate his papers, so she could at least make this easy for him.

…

Jeonghan let out another long exhale. He’d blocked off a few hours in the law library so he could work without being distracted by the view of you through the window. He’d also spent his Sunday thinking of you. He’d have no way of knowing it, but he was far less conflicted than you were. He liked you, was attracted to you, and would be happy to date you. After all this time, both apart and together, he just…enjoyed you. Whether you were making his blood boil while butting heads or making his heart flip flop as his fake fiancee, he liked you.

He knew he likely had some work to do in order to show himself to you in that light, but he was willing. You already spent an atypical amount of time with him, so really there were more than enough opportunities. He typed up a few more sentences before someone burst into the office unceremoniously.

You’d jumped when your phone had started ringing in your hands. Flynn was calling weeks after your break up, so you’d panicked and ducked into the law library.

“Hello?” Jeonghan’s eyes widened when it was your voice that answered. Your phone wasn’t on speaker, but the volume was high enough that he could also hear the person on the line.

“Hello? YN?”

“Flynn, is everything okay?” you asked.

“Yeah, yeah, everything’s okay, thanks for asking,” he chuckled and you smiled reflexively. It was easy to relax into his laugh.

“Um, so why are you calling?” you asked, slightly awkward.

“Right to business as usual,” Flynn laughed again.

Jeonghan’s pulse raced. You were still facing the door, so he felt like he was eavesdropping, but it also didn’t seem right to speak up, so he just sat in this one-sidedly tense situation, frozen.

“Listen, I’m calling, um. Because I’ve been thinking…I just miss you. Uh, I know I struggled with your lack of work life balance, but…I’ve been wondering if we should give it another try?”

Your eyebrows shot up with surprise at the same time Jeonghan’s furrowed. You’d been thinking maybe he’d left something at your apartment and wanted to pick it up. You exhaled sharply and turned, pressing your back to the door.

“Flynn, I-,” your eyes met Jeonghan’s. You hadn’t realized he was there.

His eyes pinned you against the door and the words caught in your throat. Heat crept up your neck and the room suddenly felt foggy. You tried to form words that wouldn’t come.

Jeonghan tried to keep from frowning. Your ex wanted to reconcile, which made him want to throw your phone out of the window, but he refrained from showing this. He tried not to react in any way because he needed to understand more of where you stood and what you wanted. His wants regardless.

You blinked at Jeonghan, eyes searching his irritatingly placid face. You were surprised when you realized you were looking for some sort of indication or tell from him. In the past he’d been quite clear that he didn't care for Flynn. Why did it frustrate you that he wasn’t showing that to you again? Now?

“YN?” Flynn’s tinny voice shook you both out of your reverie. Jeonghan held your gaze, nodding as if reminding you that you needed to answer.

“I-,” you closed your eyes for a moment to filter through your thoughts and decide what you wanted. “Flynn, it’s so kind of you to call. I…don’t think we should give it another try. I actually feel really good about our split,” you answered honestly, eyes opening again.

“Ah,” Flynn was clearly surprised. “Well, thank you for being honest. I, uh, wish you the best!”

“Thank you,” you said as you met Jeonghan’s eyes again. Your heart pounded wildly as you ended the call and excused yourself from the library.

Jeonghan’s hand rose to his mouth to cover a wide smile of relief. He spent the next minutes trying and failing to focus and smiling into his palm. After accepting that he wasn’t going to get any more work done, he returned to his office. He cocked his head when he noticed the papers on his desk. This was definitely not how he had left them, but he found he didn’t really care.

The only document of note was the one he’d set his laptop on top of. Furrowing his brow as he pulled it out, his eyes scanned through it until he realized what it was: The ContractTM. Where had this come from?

With revived focus and interest, he reread the pages in their entirety. He found himself chuckling at his past self as he did so. Maybe it was just that hindsight is twenty-twenty, but Jeonghan found himself truly marveling at the document. While on its surface it was just an oddly written contract, it could also be read as a love letter to you from an emotionally constipated idiot. All this time, you’d been someone very special to him and it had taken him all this time to realize it.

…

“Mandatory happy hour,” you read the calendar invite you’d just received from Peter. You looked to Maja, who shrugged in response.

“Guess I’m busy tonight,” you gave your computer a lackluster thumbs up. Your pulse sped up slightly as you watched Jeonghan walk into his office.

You were feeling some awkwardness after he’d witnessed Flynn’s attempt to reconcile. It was your fault for barging into the library, but you wished he’d said something, cleared his throat, anything to let you know that he’d been in there! You felt vulnerable to Jeonghan in a way that made you feel shy around him now. You hated it.

After a moment or two more of consideration, you shook your head. It would be fine. It was fine!

Jeonghan ran his tongue across his teeth as he read the calendar invite from Peter. While a mandatory, company-wide hang hadn’t been his ideal next step, he supposed it was still an opportunity to spend time with you. He had been thinking, overthinking really, ways he could spend time with you that were less casual than the current post-activity meals that you often shared. Your relationship revolved heavily around work, so at some point he wanted to move away from that, but he also wanted some reassurance that you were even interested.

…

“Are you walking over now?” Jeonghan called from his office when he saw you and Maja conferring.

“Yes! Would you like to join us?” Maja invited him.

“Please,” he nodded, logging out of his laptop quickly. It was just a few minutes more before he was ready to go.

“Alright, mandatory fun!” Maja pumped a reluctant fist before leading you towards the elevator.

“Mandatory fun,” you chuckled weakly as you followed her.

“Ready for mandatory fun?” Jeonghan nudged you with his elbow as he settled in next to you.

“So ready,” you laughed.

You actually weren’t dreading it that much. Peter’s unseriousness as a boss meant that after-hours work events were often quite fun. It would be interesting to see Harris in a social situation, but you genuinely liked a lot of the associates, so honestly it would be a good time. As long as you could keep a reasonable distance between yourself and Jeonghan, you could be okay.

Jeonghan’s brow furrowed. You were being unusually quiet.

“How was your day? How’s the wrongful termination suit going?”

“Oh, um, good,” you nodded. Why was this elevator so slow?

Maja furrowed her brow. Jeonghan was trying and you were giving him absolutely nothing.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to visit the employer again? There was a coworker that could be a key witness if you could get into contact with them!”

“I-,” you glared at Maja.

“Oh, do you want to go back? I’ll go with you,” Jeonghan offered.

“For your client,” Maja implored, but you could see the mischief playing across her lips.

“Maybe, it might not be necessary,” you shrugged.

“Okay, just text me if it is. I’ll make myself available,” Jeonghan nodded.

Maja was suffering in silence. She wondered if she could have the elevator to herself for a moment while you two walked to the bar.

“YN! Jeonghan!” Peter greeted the two of you enthusiastically when you walked in.

“What about me?” Maja glared playfully at Peter.

“Maja, my favorite girl!” he folded her into a hug that she immediately pulled away from.

Harris appeared behind Peter and you tried to hide a smile. This casual check-in with Maja was obvious to you, but you knew no one else was aware of the relationship yet.

“Hi Harris,” you smiled at the other managing partner before slipping away towards the bar. Maja followed.

“You’re acting weird,” she declared, leveling you with a stare. “What gives?”

“What?”

“You are being so short with Jeonghan. Did he upset you or something?”

“I mean not specifically, but in general he is upsetting to me.”

Maja narrowed her eyes at you. You were so full of shit! Yet you had given her space about Harris when she’d needed it and so she supposed he could at least try and reciprocate.

“YN!” your junior associate, Kevin, appeared suddenly at your side. He placed his chin on your shoulder, which was silly because he was a full two heads taller than you. Kevin was like a big puppy and he looked up to you like an older sibling.

“What’s up?” you couldn’t help but laugh at his antics.

“The advice that you gave me on that fraud case totally worked!” He stood up excitedly. “As always, you are the greatest!”

You grinned up at him. Kevin was straightforward and genuine in a way that you liked. You could trust the things he said without wondering about ulterior motives.

Jeonghan’s brow furrowed as he watched you and the world’s tallest Kevin at the bar. You two seemed wildly incompatible, yet you clearly enjoyed Kevin’s company and that surprised Jeonghan. He wondered whether that was what you looked for in a partner. Someone goofy and easy?

“You are thinking very hard,” Joshua appeared suddenly, teasing him in a sing-songy voice.

“I am not,” Jeonghan found himself denying immediately.

“Lies,” Joshua’s eyebrows raised before his head snapped in the direction Jeonghan had been looking earlier. The most devious smile curled onto his lips when he saw you. Jeonghan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Explain.” his evil twin demanded.

“There’s nothing to explain,” Jeonghan insisted. He wasn’t willing to share this with anyone yet, not even Joshua. He had just barely admitted it to himself.

“Well, I haven’t gotten to know YN at all since the merger, so now’s the perfect time,” Joshua managed to sound sweet and menacing at the same time.

“Wait,” Jeonghan called weakly. Was he ready to give this up?

Joshua turned back and looked down at him expectantly. Jeonghan glared at him for a moment before looking away and Joshua finished his beeline towards you. For all his soft smiles and sweet demeanor, he was such a little shit when he wanted to be.

“Oh, Joshua!” you were surprised when the attorney joined you at the bar. Aside from his commitment to work life balance, and also due to it, you didn’t know Joshua very well.

“You all looked like you were having too much fun for me not to join,” he smiled at you. Kevin gave him a jovial fistbump and he was folded into the group seamlessly.

You tried to ignore Jeonghan’s eyes on you, but you could feel them. You’d noticed Joshua teasing Jeonghan about something, but even before he had made his way to you, you’d felt Jeonghan’s gaze on you. You couldn’t seem to help the way it made your pulse stutter every so often. You wished it would stop.

“Joshua, you and Jeonghan are close, right?” Maja asked.

“As close as one can be with a workaholic,” he teased.

“Did you know that he and YN went to school together?”

“No, I didn’t,” Joshua shook his head. He looked at you with new appreciation. “Was he as big of a pain in law school as he is now?”

You shifted your gaze to Jeonghan and considered him. A smile lit up your face before you answered yes.

Jeonghan stood up. That was enough of standing on the sidelines.

“Talking about me?” he asked as he slipped behind you to order another drink.

“Only bad things, I promise.”

“Well, even if your attention is elsewhere, I’m glad I’m still on your mind,” he murmured for only you to hear.

You blinked, trying to keep a sheepish grin from spreading across your face. The edge of jealousy you heard was giving you major butterflies.

“YN?” you heard your name, snapping you back to reality.

“I’m so sorry, I did not hear you,” you shrugged sheepishly. Jeonghan looked down to hide a self satisfied grin.

“We were thinking of sitting outside on the patio,” Kevin repeated himself, jerking a thumb towards the door.

“Oh sure! It’s nice out,” you nodded, moving away from Jeonghan in an act of reflexive self preservation. It would be great not to be on edge all night if you could manage.

The outdoor seating was mostly picnic bench-style, so your group split in half to slot yourselves into them. You stayed close to Maja throughout the shuffle, which resulted in being sandwiched between her and Jeonghan. Wonderful.

You didn’t really absorb another word that was said the rest of the night. Every time you tuned in, the conversation had drastically changed from the last time you’d been listening. Eventually you gave up. Instead, your mind zeroed in on every shift and movement that Jeonghan made. A few minutes after sitting down, he turned to face the group more directly and his legs straddled the seat of the bench. What this meant for you was that his legs were now more or less draped around you, boxing you in. 

Maja struggled to hide her giddy grin as she watched you from the corner of her eye. Whether he was aware of it or not, Jeonghan was definitely staking a claim. Most of the firm knew that you two spent a lot of time together, both professional and extracurricular, but these subtle physical proximities reinforced and cemented the closeness you shared.

“Oh? Jeonghan, is that you?” a new voice pierced the air.

“Ah?” his legs brushed against you as he turned to identify where the voice had come from. “Ah, Soonyoung?!”

“Jeonghan, it is you!” a young, vivacious man called more excitedly this time. Jeonghan stood to embrace him. “Just my luck running into you!”

“Oh, why’s that?” Jeonghan slung an arm around his shoulder, moving to catch up with him.

You exhaled a small sigh of relief as Jeonghan left to chat with his friend across the bar. You brought your chin to rest on your upturned palm as you watched them. A soft smile settled on your lips. Jeonghan’s expression was so dynamic as his friend talked. He was a much better listener than he’d been in college.

“YN,” Joshua’s voice pulled your attention away. “How is your wrongful term case going?”

“Oh! Mostly good, though I am a little worried about the jury selection. You never know what you’re going to get, right?”

“That’s true,” he laughed. “Is Jeonghan still assisting on that case?”

“Well, no. He was never formally assisting. I just needed a fake fiance for a day, so he got roped in, I suppose.”

“He volunteered!” Maja piped in unhelpfully.

“Oh, did he?” Joshua’s eyes widened with surprise. “That’s odd!”

“Is it?” your brows raised, “He loves butting into cases that aren’t his!” you laughed good naturedly.

“Hm, not the Jeonghan that I’ve come to know,” Joshua shook his head with a bemused smile. “He’s different with you though, I’ve noticed.”

You looked towards Jeonghan again. He was staring at you with an expression on his face that indicated he needed extricating from his situation. You blinked slowly before turning back to Joshua.

“I think he needs help,” you laughed. You and Joshua chatted about made up topics for a few minutes longer before you got up to retrieve him. You were delighted to learn that reveling in Jeonghan’s misery was an interest of Joshua’s as well.

“I’m so sorry to interrupt,” you cleared your throat as you approached the pair. “Can I steal him back from  you…soonish?”

“Oh please! We’ve discussed what I needed to discuss. Now I’m just blabbing his ear off. I’m Hoshi, by the way. You are?” Jeonghan’s friend stood up to shake your hand.

“YN,” you smiled, “How do you two know each other?” you couldn’t resist asking. You knew you were meant to be extricating Jeonghan from the conversation, but the opportunity to learn about this person from Jeonghan’s life was simply too tempting to resist.

Hoshi launched into a long and animated story of how he and Jeonghan met on the playground at Maseok Elementary school. Hoshi was an excellent storyteller and regaled you with no shortage of entertaining stories about Jeonghan. One that particularly made you giggle was the story of Jeonghan, upset over something and trying to make a show of it, losing his balance and rolling down the stairs instead.

Jeonghan covered his face with a hand. He should’ve known that Hoshi would happily volunteer all of his most embarrassing tales. He almost stopped Hoshi from telling the snake story until he saw the smile that had lit up your face.

“Friggin’ idiot,” you laughed, covering your mouth with your hands to hide a smile of utter delight behind it.

The words were insulting, but you said them with a warmth and affection that spread through Jeonghan’s chest like fire. Damn, he really did like you didn’t he?

“Hey are you ever coming back?” Maja shouted from across the bar.

You and Jeonghan looked at each other before smiling at Hoshi sheepishly. Jeonghan ensured that he would be in touch with Hoshi soon before you returned to the remainder of the firm that was still out.

“How was your little sidebar?” Peter asked.

“That was an old friend who happens to be in need of a lawyer, so we may have a new client,” Jeonghan shrugged casually.

“Oh I could kiss you on the mouth!” Peter clapped him on the back excitedly. At your bemused glare, he added, “With your consent, of course.”

Jeonghan let out a puff of laughter. Peter had ceased to surprise him long ago.

“Okay, I’m tired, I’m ready to go home,” Maja announced after a rather spectacular yawn.

Harris stood and the rest of the associates followed.

“Hey, you’re not taking the bus home, okay?” Maja pointed a finger at you as you closed your tab. “Jeonghan, will you drive her?”

Jeonghan nodded, silently thanking Maja for her observant and protective nature.

“No, I-,” your protest died in your throat when you saw her withering stare. It was late anyways, you wouldn’t mind the ride, to be honest. “I can ask someone else, if it’s out of the way for you,” you turned to Jeonghan.

“It’s on the way,” he shook his head. He had no idea whether this was true or not, but he wasn’t going to give up this opportunity.

“Okay,” you nodded.

You felt inordinately nervous as you followed him to his car. Jeonghan had driven you places plenty of times before, but it felt a little different this late after-hours. You watched him out of the corner of your eye as he drove.

“Did you enjoy your mandatory fun?” you finally asked, unable to take the silence anymore.

“Huh?” Jeonghan was startled from his thoughts.

He’d been deeply ruminating over if, whether, and then how he was going to walk you to the door and ask you out. He wanted to wait until the Mock Trial season was over so you wouldn’t consider it another meal of convenience.

“Jeonghan?” you were confused when he didn’t answer.

“Sorry, yes, it was fun. Added bonus of running into Hoshi,” he shook his head slightly.

“I enjoyed running into him too,” you grinned cheekily at him.

“It seemed so,” Jeonghan raised an eyebrow at you, but it was good natured.

“Thanks for the ride,” you smiled at Jeonghan as he pulled into the parking area at your place.

“I’ll walk you up,” he decided as he unbuckled his seatbelt.

“You don’t have to do that,” you cocked your head at him.

“I know,” he half-smiled at you and continued anyway.

You tamped down a prickle of nerves as he followed you to the building entrance. You turned to face him because you felt like you needed to say something before going inside.

“Thank you for the ride,” you waved awkwardly at him, “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Jeonghan nodded, feeling stuck as you turned to enter the building. At the last moment, he grabbed a hanging tie on your bag and jerked you back towards him. Now or never.

“Hey, uh…question,” he cleared his throat when you turned confused eyes towards him. “When Mock Trial season is over…would you want to go to dinner with me?”

“Oh?” your eyes widened. That prickly tingle was back again.

Jeonghan watched you think. It was like the day he’d watched you talk to your ex over the phone. It felt similarly nerve wracking waiting for you to render a decision.

“Yes, I would like that,” you finally nodded, offering him a small smile.

“Great,” he broke out into a smile and you both exhaled small breaths of relief. “How about the Friday after their final trial?”

“That works for me,” you nodded. You didn’t need to check your calendar, you never had plans.

“Okay, let’s plan for 7. I’ll work out the other details,” he nodded before releasing his hold on your bag. You exhaled loudly after you were safely inside. Was this a date?

…

Jeonghan’s brow furrowed as he stared at the casefile on his desk. He should be ecstatic. Harris and Peter had just assigned him a major Merger & Acquisition project. This was a huge step in building his corporate law portfolio, yet he couldn’t help but feel annoyed as it required him to be onsite. Your dinner date was just two weeks out and he really had no way of knowing how long he’d be required to be out of town.

“Hey, I heard you got an interesting case! What is it?” you popped your head into Jeonghan’s office. You were itching to know.

“Merger and Acquisition,” he responded blandly.

Your nose wrinkled. You had never been one for corporate law, so this was a rare case where you had no interest whatsoever. It was, however, surprising that Jeonghan wasn’t more visibly excited.

“Why do you look so un-psyched? You like this shit,” you furrowed your brows at him.

“I am, but I have to be on site for it…in Minneapolis.”

“Ah,” you nodded. You had to travel for work every so often and it was never as fun as you’d think. Staying in a hotel with an unfamiliar bed and weird pillows was just mildly annoying enough to drive you crazy. “Minneapolis is fun though!”

“There are things here I’d rather be doing,” an eyebrow jerked up with slight irritation. He hoped you would catch his drift.

“It’ll all be here when you get back,” you were trying to be encouraging.

Jeonghan tried to be reassured, but the unreasonable fear that you would change your mind about wanting to go out to dinner with him while he was gone lingered. He wondered if he could take that Friday off and fly back for the weekend.

…

You sighed as you walked back to your car. Jeonghan was out of town, which meant you were now advising both teams. You adored all of the students, but their instincts to try and weasel out information about the opposition’s strategy was making you a little crazy. You missed being a two-person team.

Your stomach grumbled as you entered a restaurant. This was your favorite place for solo dining. On top of the food being good, they had single person booths equipped with phone charging outlets where you could eat in peace. As you sat down, you realized just how long it had been since you’d stopped in. These days, more often than not, you had Jeonghan to eat with.

“Ah, YN! Where the hell have you been?” the hostess, Evan yelled excitedly when you walked in. “You finally find someone who will date you and your crazy hours?”

“Why would you think that when I’m back here to eat by myself?” you threw your hands up playfully in response. Your mind wandered to Jeonghan, but you brought it back quickly. 

“I guess so, you lonely spinster,” Evan chuckled affectionately as he led you to a booth. “You know the deal, so let me know if you need anything.”

“Will do,” you nodded as you took a seat. You submitted your order through the tablet and scrolled through your phone as you waited.

Your mind inevitably wandered to Jeonghan. You wondered whether he’d gotten into Minneapolis without much hassle and how the merger seemed so far. You even went so far as to draft a text message to him, but did not actually send it. He could contact you if he wanted to. You returned to the article you’d been reading, but it wasn’t much longer before your phone rang, alerting you of an incoming video call from ‘Yoon Jeonghan’. How was that for timing?

“Hello?” you answered while fishing in your bag for headphones.

“Hey, it’s Jeonghan,” you laughed. You knew that already. “Is practice over?”

“Yes,” you replied, waiting for a moment for the audio to switch over. “What’s up?”

“Nothing,” he replied, turning his camera on. “I was just thinking of you so I thought I’d call to see how it went. Thank you for pulling double duty, by the way. I wish I could’ve been there.”

“Me too,” you chuckled, propping your phone up so you could see him. “You should’ve seen the way Farah’s eyes bugged out when I told them where you were. Yet another weirdo who likes corporate law,” you teased. Farah was wonderful, but you just truly did not understand the draw.

Jeonghan laughed before reaching offscreen to grab a pair of chopsticks. You watched as he pulled them apart and jabbed them into something in a bowl.

“Oh are you eating? Me too,” you remarked, showing him a spoon that was handy.

“Yes. It’s been a long day, I’m starving,” he nodded before shoveling noodles into his mouth.

“How has the merger been, by the way?” you 

“Fairly aggressive so far,” Jeonghan shook his head. Once his immediate hunger was sated, he shared more details about his day. The timing was just as well because Evan brought you food and you could listen and eat.

Jeonghan smiled as he watched you eat dumplings rather expeditiously. While his day had been busy and consumed with the merger, he hadn’t been able to keep his mind from wandering to you. He’d finalized his plans to fly home on Friday in time for your date, which filled him with a nervous excitement. He planned to surprise you, so he didn’t share for now.

“How is Hoshi’s case?” he asked before bringing his water to his lips.

Your eyes lingered on his hand for a moment too long before you answered. Hoshi was quite the character. You weren’t exactly sure he had a solid case against his business partner, but you were still in the fact finding stage of things.

Jeonghan nodded while his server brought him the bill and informed him that he should pay at the hostess stand. As he stood, he let you know that he would be back soon and instructed you to wait for him. He knew you likely wouldn’t, but he was curious how long you might hold for. He laughed when he returned to a stern text from you asking not to waste your time. You’d waited all of two minutes before ending the call.

…

Jeonghan squeezed his eyes shut. The attorney for the opposite side of the merger was driving him insane with his idiocy and dramatic flair. His eyes flitted to his phone, he wondered if you were free.

[yjh]: ‘my opposing counsel is a moron’

You laughed.

[yn]: ‘i wonder if he attended Thee Law School That Shall Not Be Named’

[yjh]: ‘i’m not even sure he’d be admitted there’

You snorted. While you knew it was unreasonable, dunking on your law school’s longest standing rival still tickled a special spot of joy in your heart.

[yn]: ‘otherwise, how’s it going?’

Jeonghan glanced up surreptitiously before responding. Things were going smoother than the first days. Leadership of the acquiree had come to terms with the transaction. At this point, the opposing counsel was more of an obstacle than anyone else.

You raised your eyebrows as you read his response. You wondered if this attorney was struggling to change mindset and was still taking an oppositional approach.

[yn]: ‘may want to reinforce that his clients have accepted the acquisition and continue to redirect/reroute to them as appropriate’

[yjh]: ‘would rather just strangle him’

[yn]: ‘i will not represent you when it inevitably goes to trial’

[yjh]: ‘but you’re the best 🥺👉👈’

[yn]: ‘i’m aware :)’

Jeonghan snorted before tucking his phone back in his pocket. Incompetent Opposition LawyerTM had returned so it was back to business.

…

[yn]: ‘you should go to the MIA!’

[yjh]: ‘what is that?”

[yn]: ‘Minneapolis Institute of Art.’

[yn]: ‘this weekend is their annual Art in Bloom event!’

[yn]: ‘your timing is perfect!’

Jeonghan was pleasantly surprised as you proceeded to blow up his phone, explaining that the Art in Bloom was an annual event where floral artists were invited to create arrangements that were inspired by or complements to art pieces that were housed at the MIA. Apparently it was a free annual event that you were very excited about.

[yjh]: ‘it’s too bad you’re not here with me.’

‘Here with me’ stuck out to you more than you cared to admit.

[yn]: ‘send me pictures if you go! plz & ty’

Part of you did wish that you were in Minneapolis with Jeonghan. As much as your friends disagreed that it was a cool city, you enjoyed it. It had so many things that you enjoyed.

[maja-stic]: ‘are you ready? i’m leaving now, be there in 15’

[yn]: ‘yes! see you soon :)’

You flipped back to Jeonghan’s messages and were delighted to see he had decided to take your advice and promised to send you pictures. You nodded happily and finished packing your bag. You and Maja had a date at the mall. You were in the market for new trousers and she was shopping for home decor items.

[maja-stic]: ‘here’

“Hello hello! I missed you,” she greeted you with a smile as you climbed into her car. Being with Harris really looked good on her, she seemed so happy these days.

“I missed you too. Freaking Harris monopolizing all of your time,” you feigned outrage.

“You’re always welcome to hang out with us,” she offered as she drove.

“I don’t think I want to third wheel my literal boss,” you chuckled.

“I-,” she glared at you, “He is also my literal boss.”

“Yes, and you chose to get involved in a sordid, workplace relationship. That’s not my fault!” you teased her and she reached over to pinch you.

“Ow! I’m gonna report you to HR!” you shouted.

You both broke out into a peal of giggles as she turned off on the exit to the mall. After completing your ritual of getting soft pretzels and bubble tea, the two of you began shopping in earnest. You alternated between clothing and home decor and as was typical, both ended up buying things you absolutely didn’t need. As time went on, Maja noticed that you were more and more wrapped up in your phone. At the beginning of the trip, you’d been invested in finding pants, but once you’d found two pairs to your liking, you’d been checking your phone like crazy. Sometimes there was nothing to respond to, but more often than not, a smile crept onto your lips and you tapped back a quick reply. Her eyebrows furrowed.

“Who do you keep texting?” she demanded, curiosity bubbling.

“Oh, my friend is at a museum and they’re sending me pictures!” you avoided answering the question directly.

“Oh? Let me see!” she poked her head over your shoulder. She had a burning gut feeling.

You flipped through the photos that Jeonghan had sent you. Maja cooed appropriately at the floral arrangements, but was disappointed that they didn’t give anything away. It had to be Jeonghan, right? You didn’t have any other friends!

“So is it a botanical garden? It seemed like flowers and also art?”

“No, it’s an art museum. They do an annual special exhibit of floral arrangements.”

“Ahh, cool,” Maja nodded before unlocking her phone to do some googling. It didn’t take much sleuthing to deduce that this was probably the Minneapolis Institute of Art’s Art in Bloom exhibit. The pieces of information puzzled themselves together in Maja’s brain and she gasped, giving you an accusatory stare.

“You lying son of a gun!”

“What?” you feigned ignorance, but you knew your goose was cooked.

“You’ve been texting Jeonghan all day! You-,” her outrage choked out the rest of her sentence. “Right?”

“No,” you denied reflexively.

“Give me your phone then,” she stood with a fist on her hip and the other hand outstretched. “If you are truly not texting Jeonghan all day on a Saturday then give me your phone.”

“I-,” you sighed, giving up the pretense, “Fine, you’re right. Sue me!”

“I will!” she replied. She was overwhelmed by a mix of indignance, vindication, and excitement that was showing up in an overly combative manner. “Sorry, I just…I am surprised! And processing.”

“We’re just talking,” you tried to play it down, but you knew it was more than that.

Over the past week, your communications with Jeonghan had grown more frequent than they’d even been with Flynn. You looked forward to his nightly calls and you’d accepted that you were feeling something for him that was more than a casual friendship. Something that made you feel nervous yet hopeful that he meant your next dinner as a date too.

“You are thinking way too hard about him for this to just be talking,” Maja shook her head firmly. “You don’t have to tell me, but…I don’t believe it’s just friendly texting.”

“It’s so embarrassing to say it out loud, but I think I like him,” you rolled your eyes at yourself. “Freaking Jeonghan.”

“Hehe,” Maja was grinning from ear to ear. “I love this. You two make sense together, like come on! I love love.”

“You sound like Peter,” you gave her a pointed look.

“In this case, I’m happy to,” she beamed at you proudly. “Do you guys have anything planned? Have you set like a date date?”

“We were supposed to get dinner next Friday, but since he’s still in Minneapolis, I’m assuming we’ll reschedule once that’s done?”

Maja nodded. That made sense. The rest of the shopping trip was filled with a peppering of questions about your newly realized feelings and fighting off Maja’s occasional offers to Facetime Jeonghan together. It was way too early for that.

…

The next time you spoke on the phone, you were the one who called Jeonghan, which made him want to kick his feet with delight and triumph. He was, however, on his way back to the hotel so that would have to wait.

“Hello?” he sandwiched the phone between his shoulder and ear as he entered his hotel room.

“Hey, do you have any experience with beverage labeling compliance?”

“What?” Jeonghan’s eyebrows furrowed. Not the greeting he expected.

“I’m at the grocery store,” you said, as if it explained anything. “I’m looking at this weird canned beverage that claims a million benefits that I find difficult to believe.”

“Hm, I wonder if it’s technically a supplement. Much more lax on that side.”

“Really?” you squawked. “Shouldn’t supplements be more tightly regulated?”

Jeonghan shook his head. This was yet another corporate law elective that you had elected to ignore.

“You’d think so, but no. FDA is dreadfully underfunded when it comes to inspection and enforcement. It’s almost a free for all unless you have significant market share.”

“Huh,” you narrowed your eyes at the can before moving down the aisle. “Well nay to that, then, I suppose. What are you up to?”

“Just got back to my room. Another long day, so I am ordering room service and not moving once I lay down.”

“Ah, I’ll let you go then.”

“No, don’t,” Jeonghan shook his head vehemently, “Stay on.”

“Do you need to at least call room service?”

“No,” Jeonghan shook his head as he toed off his shoes, “I can order online.”

“Ah,” you nodded.

You continued through the grocery aisles, plucking an assortment of items that you could throw together to make dinner. You were well aware of the differences in regulation between supplements and foods. The beverage’s nutritional claims had been a flimsy excuse to call him. It’d only been a few days since he’d left for the merger, but you felt it. The firm was quiet without him and you found yourself missing your thinking partner. Maja could only assist to a certain level before you needed someone else…well, needed Jeonghan.

“Gosh, I’m tired,” Jeonghan huffed and you heard what sounded like him flopping down into bed. There was a bit of soft rustling before he spoke again. “What should I eat?” he asked, putting you on speakerphone and pulling up the room service menu.

“I don’t know,” you rolled your eyes, “What do they have?”

Jeonghan was inordinately pleased that you were humoring him. In months past, you definitely would’ve hung up at this, admittedly, unreasonable question. He was very much reading into the fact that you hadn’t. He took his time reading the menu to you while you checked out with your groceries.

“I think…well, it’s humid today in Minneapolis, right? I don’t like heavy foods when the weather is sticky like that.”

“How do you know it’s humid?”

“I…,” you had looked it up earlier.

“Did you check?” Jeonghan’s eyes lit up. Had he been around other people, he would’ve had to cover his mouth to hide the beaming smile on his face.

“No,” you denied it too quickly.

“You were thinking about me,” he teased in a sing-songy voice followed by the sound of rustling sheets. You couldn’t see it, but he was kicking his feet like an absolute fool.

You had every plan to say something in your own defense, but you suddenly realized or remembered that he was laying in bed. This sent a jolt of heat up your neck. You really shouldn’t feel this way in a grocery store!

“Well what did you decide to eat?” you asked as you drove your car home. You smacked yourself on the forehead. This was an incredibly inane topic for you to be entertaining, but you didn’t want to end the call either.

“Oh, I haven’t yet,” Jeonghan focused his attention again. “I do think I’ll take your advice. Something light sounds nice.”

You had finished putting away groceries by the time he’d submitted his order. It had been a long day, so you went to lay down as well. You landed with a quiet thud and you shifted slightly to get comfortable.

“What are you going to eat?” Jeonghan asked.

“I bought groceries, but now I don’t feel like cooking them,” you laughed, “I think I have some hard boiled eggs in the fridge.”

“No. Stop,” he said sternly. “That is pathetically sad. You can’t just eat eggs for dinner.”

“I mean who’s gonna stop me?” you teased.

“YN.”

You stilled. Hearing Jeonghan say your name in an admonishing, scolding tone sent a shiver down your spine. Not unpleasant by any means, but surprising. You took a few shallow breaths, forgetting to reply.

“YN?” Jeonghan his voice sounded in your ear again and you shuddered.

“Yeah?” you replied, but it was breathy. Thin. You squeezed your eyes shut.

Jeonghan swallowed. The effect that he’d heard in your voice shot through him and surprised him. He wished he was home.

“I’m gonna order you food,” he decided, clearing his throat.

“No, you don’t have to do that,” you shook your head.

“I know,” he brushed off your protest and pulled up his phone. “Ah, Krazy Bao delivers,” he thought aloud as he submitted your order.

You blinked at his memory. It still surprised you when Jeonghan was attentive like this.

“What’s your address again?”

You contemplated withholding it from him, but he promptly reminded you that he could look it up in his Google Maps search history. Damn his brain.

“Okay, ETA is forty minutes,” he confirmed, satisfied with himself.

“Thank you,” you muttered, face half buried into a pillow.

“You’re welcome,” he laughed. “Tell me about the rest of your day.”

You thought for a moment, trying to decide what to tell. Honestly the days had been boring since Jeonghan was gone. The other associates’ offices were further away from your corner and so you’d mostly been working and chatting with Maja occasionally. She and Harris were now at a point where they spent most evenings together, so you felt more alone than normal. You didn’t share all of this with him, of course, but found more than enough topics to last through both of your dinners.

“It’s getting late,” you yawned.

“It is,” Jeonghan nodded, sleep was creeping up on him as well.

“I can’t wait for you to get back,” you muttered as you dozed off, “I miss you.”

Jeonghan’s eyes snapped wide open.

‘I miss you’

“What did you just say?” he asked in disbelief.

The only answer you had for him was light snoring, so he ended the call.

‘I miss you.’

He hadn’t realized he’d been wanting to hear those words until now. The brief shock of adrenaline subsided and he laid back down. The next two days couldn’t pass quickly enough for him.

…

You felt like a chicken with its head cut off. Things had been so overwhelmingly busy for the past weeks that you felt just one very minor inconvenience from exploding. Mock Trial had finally wound down, but now you were assisting with Hoshi who was quite the handful. You probably would have fired him as a client already, but this was technically Jeonghan’s case. But he was gone and Hoshi was…a lot.

Soonyoung, who preferred his ‘Doing Business As’ name of Hoshi, was embroiled in a fairly pointless lawsuit with his business partner, Seungkwan. The pair of them were equally hotheaded and emotional and some days it felt like they were engaged in the lawsuit just so they could fight with each other on record.

“What time is the mediation for Hoshi today?” you called out of your office door to Maja.

“Six-thirty,” she replied. 

“Gah!” you let out a squawk before returning to work. You needed to run over to campus to meet with your mock trial team one more time before heading to Seungkwan’s lawyer’s office for mediation. After this week was over, you could take a bit of a breather. You just had to make it until then.

As you drove to campus your mind wandered, as it usually did now, to Jeonghan. Tonight would’ve been your dinner (date?), but he was still in Minneapolis. You’d assumed it was canceled. You’d figure something out once he was back.

…

Jeonghan sighed with relief when he finally deboarded the plane. It had looked a little hairy for a moment, but he’d made it back on time. He had enough time to get home, shower, change, and meet you at the restaurant. If he didn’t hit traffic, he might even have time to pick up some flowers. Nothing showy, as that wasn’t your style, but you had so enjoyed those cabbage roses in the wedding venue garden when he’d gone undercover with you.

…

You silenced your phone before you walked into the conference room with Hoshi. You were meeting with Seungkwan and his lawyer today for another, hopefully final, mediation session.

“Are you ready?” you asked Hoshi with a hopeful smile.

“Yes! I will let you answer all of the questions even if Seungkwan goads me!” he answered you, a look of determination across his face. You hoped that would be true this time.

“I guess they really do let anyone in these days,” came Mr. Boo’s drawling voice and Hoshi looked ready to launch himself over the conference table.

You pinched the bridge of your nose. This was going to be a challenging mediation.

…

Jeonghan’s eyebrows were furrowed. You were late. It hadn’t worried him for the first few minutes, but it was now quarter past seven and you hadn’t responded to any of his texts.

“Hello sir,” a waiter dressed in all black came to check on him. It was a fancy restaurant, so the service was unfortunately attentive.

“Yes, I know. I don’t know where she is,” Jeonghan replied, clearly ticked. “Let me give her a call to see if something happened.”

“Of course,” the server ducked away to share the update with another server.

Jeonghan could feel his irritation rise with each ring of the line. He ran his tongue across his teeth with annoyance until it finally went to voicemail.

“Hello, you’ve reached YN-,” he cut off your voicemail with an irritated push of the red button.

“I guess she’s not coming,” his eyebrows flicked up with annoyance when the server came back to check in again.

“Ah, I see. Would the gentleman still like to dine with us today?”

“No, thank you. I’ll get the check and get this table cleared out for you.”

The server nodded and returned shortly with a bill. Jeonghan paid for his one cocktail and then headed out to his car. Before starting it, he tried calling you again. He tossed his phone into the passenger seat before heading home. As he got closer, the irritation subsided and was replaced by a sense of worry. Even if you were standing him up, he would’ve liked to know that you were okay.

…

“How could you possibly suggest that?” Hoshi and Seungkwan gasped in horror at both you and your opposing counsel.

You shook your head. You and your opposing counsel had just devised an ingenious way to split assets of the business quite equitably between the two partners. You’d thought they would be elated.

“What are you, King Solomon? We can’t cut our baby in half like that!”

“Absolutely not!”

“At this rate, I’m second guessing the entire lawsuit to begin with!”

“Me too!”

Your head spun. You weren’t even sure who was saying what at this point, only that your plan had backfired spectacularly. Seungkwan and Hoshi made eye contact for a few moments before launching themselves into each other’s arms for a rather spectacular hug.

“What is happening?” you whispered to Seungkwan’s lawyer.

“Lord if I know,” he wailed, looking ready to pull his own eyebrows out.

“Brothers!” Hoshi and Seungkwan pulled away triumphantly. “Cancel the lawsuit, we’ve reconciled!”

You were torn between stabbing the both of them and cry-laughing because it meant you could go home. You went with the latter. Seungkwan’s attorney had the good idea of documenting the decision signed by all parties and as soon as that was done, you were free to go.

When you pulled out your phone to check the time, your heart leapt into your throat. Three missed calls and several texts from Jeonghan. What was going on?!

Jeonghan pretended to consider not picking it up when you called, but ultimately couldn’t help himself. The curiosity had been eating at him for hours now.

“Hello?” he answered gruffly.

“Are you okay? I was in mediation with a client so I just saw your texts and calls. Are you okay?”

“Mediation? Why were you in mediation?” Jeonghan asked, his tone somewhat strained.

“Because you pawned Hoshi off on me,” you rolled your eyes.

“Did you forget what day it is?” Jeonghan inquired snippily.

“Friday?” you answered, slightly confused.

“We were supposed to have dinner!”

“But you’re still in Minneapolis?”

“Try again,” Jeonghan’s tongue clicked.

“...You’re home?” your eyes widened.

Jeonghan let out a small noise of confirmation and a mix of feelings washed over you.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back? I assumed we were canceling!”

“Why would you assume that?! I didn’t tell you because I wanted to surprise you?”

“Well you were the one who saddled me with the world’s most insane client!”

“And you’re the one who stood me up on our first date!”

You stilled. You pushed your adrenaline aside and focused on what was important. Jeonghan had come back all the way from Minneapolis for your date. Which was in fact a date and not just wishful thinking on your part.

“It’s fine, we can just reschedule. Hopefully the merger will be over soon-”

“No!” you cut him off, opening your car door. “Where are you? I’ll come pick you up! It’s eight, we can still have dinner.”

“I-,” he chuckled. Within moments you were headed towards his place.

Jeonghan glanced at the clock as he waited. He couldn’t recall the last time he had been picked up for dinner and he had to laugh. His relationship to you was anything but traditional, so really it made sense for you to have accidentally stood him up and then come pick him up instead.

Despite that, he was excited to see you. The past weeks apart had cemented just how important you were to him. He missed hearing your thoughts, bouncing ideas off of you, and spending time with you. He thought about you for so long that the buzzer was what pulled him back to reality. He buzzed you up and wondered whether you’d be amenable to a simple night in.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were coming back?” you burst in unceremoniously.

“I wanted to surprise you!” came his bemused reply.

“Well I wouldn’t have scheduled mediation if I’d known you were coming back,” you fixed him with a stubborn look.

“I know,” he de-escalated the situation completely, grabbing you by the wrists and pulling you towards himself. “Hello.”

“H-hello,” you swallowed, nervous at his touch.

“I missed you,” Jeonghan smiled softly down at you. “I’m not mad. I’m glad you came.”

“I-,” your adrenaline fueled nerves melted into relief and your heart stuttered in your chest. “I missed you too.” 

“Do you want to go out? Or do you want to stay in?” he asked, pushing a few stray hairs out of your face.

“I wouldn’t mind staying in, to be honest. I need to give you an earful about Hoshi,” you couldn’t help but tease.

“I’m sure you do,” he smiled at you. “Go sit down and I’ll grab you a drink.”

“Wait, before you do,” you caught him before he could step away completely. You tugged him in by the front of his shirt and pressed your lips to his. His arms folded around you and his lips curled into a smile. “I missed you beyond a reasonable doubt,” you smiled cheesily at him when you pulled away.

“My god,” Jeonghan rolled his eyes affectionately at you, “I like you so much.”

back to index

[seungkwansphd]

room for interpretation - 1

pairing: lawyer!jeonghan x lawyer!YN word count: 8.5K synopsis: as top of class, you and jeonghan had been many things to each other. enthusiastic rivals, begrudging allies, and…parties to a jokingly written (but legally binding) marriage contingency contract? this piece of paper would’ve been long forgotten had an unexpected merger not thrown you back into each others’ lives. themes: fluff, rivals to coworkers to tentative friends to lovers, “if we’re both single by X age” marriage contract, IDIOTS2lovers, fake dating, miscommunication. this is just a romcom.

a/n: i have been working on this for SO LONG. it truly got out of hand. thanks to @wavelikewhat and @the-boy-meets-evil for the encouragement along the way & beta-ing! ALSO RIP, i know y'all wanted it to be posted a oneshot, but this has more paragraphs than tumblr allows so 🤷

“My ducklings!” Peter half wailed as he slumped forward with his near empty beer glass. “Oh my ducklings,” he moaned pitifully. “I must warn you now that if you continue down this path, you will be single forever. Law is a lonely profession, full of long hours and no time for work-life balance.”

You did your best to hold in a laugh. Peter was an alumnus of your law school and currently going through a divorce. You’d met him through a student-alumni networking event and he’d become an unofficial mentor to a few of you that were part of the university’s law review. Despite what one might guess from his current display of hysterics, he was quite a competent lawyer and was on track to be partner. Unfortunately, this was also the major leading factor in the current dissolution of his marriage.

“Jeonghan! YN!” Peter grabbed your hands suddenly, “Look at you beautiful people. Are you truly resigned to a life of loneliness? You both have strong potential to make partner before thirty five, but are you willing to give up your happiness to do so?”

“I-,” Jeonghan laughed, surprised at the sudden proximity.

Jeonghan thought for a moment. While it was certainly back of mind right now, he did envision himself with a family in the future. But he could think about that after he made partner.

“I don’t plan to compromise on anything,” you laughed, glancing at Jeonghan as Peter went to go refill his beer.

“Oh no?” He raised an eyebrow in interest.

“Certainly not,” you shook your head vehemently. “I’m a catch. I’ll be married before I’m thirty and make partner before thirty-five. I will have it all.”

Jeonghan rolled his eyes. You had been like this for as long as he’d known you. Confident, smart, and stubborn. You were a huge pain in the ass, but that was also why he respected you. There simply wasn’t anyone else in your class that could give him a run for his money in the way that you did. As a result, you were his frequent sparring partner, even if you wouldn’t consider yourselves friends.

“Good luck with that,” he scoffed, bringing his glass to his lips. “Peter has a point. The hours and demands of an associate trying to make partner are crazy. It would be stupid to try and date through all that.”

“It’s not my fault that no one’s interested in you,” you scoffed.

This wasn’t true at all. While quite the thorn in your side, Jeonghan was also incredibly smart, infuriatingly tenacious, and not difficult to look at by any means. He probably could successfully date while making partner if he wanted to.

Jeonghan’s eyes flicked over you, giving you a withering look.

“We both know that's not true.”

“Not sure why you're so concerned about bagging someone before thirty then,” you goaded him, taking a sassy sip from your glass.

“I prefer to be realistic.”

“It is realistic…for me.”

Jeonghan was standing over you now, eyes narrowed slightly at you in something akin to annoyance. This always happened when you two took up arms.

“Let's make it interesting,” Jeonghan suggested.

You furrowed your brows. This was not a good sign.

“If neither of us is married by the time we're thirty, we'll be each others’ contingency plans.”

“What?” you coughed.

“I mean, it shouldn't be a concern for you, since you’re more than sure you’ll be married by then. And you seem awfully worried about whether I'll be married by thirty, so this should put your mind at ease.”

Your eyes swiveled around in your head, trying to understand exactly how he had managed to twist the conversation into this?

“I’ve returned with more alcohol,” Peter announced as he set three more beers on the table.

You shifted away from Jeonghan and faced the beverages with a grimace. You weren't even halfway done with your first beer.

…

“What's happening?” you looked up at Jeonghan with confusion.

You’d been studying tax law in the library when a hand had slapped a sheet of paper over your text. Jeonghan had a triumphant look on his face, almost as if he’d bested you in an argument.

“Contract.”

As if that explained anything.

“For?” you asked, rifling through your brain to see if there was some contract related assignment that you had forgotten about.

“Our marriage contingency contract.”

“Oh, god, you weren’t serious?” you made a face at him. 

“Legally binding. Feel free to review.”

“I-,” your curiosity took over as you grabbed the document, scanning it over.

Jeonghan wasn’t top of class for no reason. He had really written this in language that was clear. There was little to no room for interpretation. If you signed this, you would be marrying Yoon Jeonghan if you were still single at thirty.

“Good work,” you gave the contract a gentle pat as you slid it back towards him. “It’s good to practice our writing skills.”

“Aren’t you going to sign?” he asked, eyes glancing at your pen pointedly.

“Are you serious?” you asked, slightly exasperated at his persistence now. “What is the point of this?”

Jeonghan crossed his arms. He’d never taken you for a coward.

“I guess you aren’t that confident that you’ll be married before thirty.”

Your hackles raised. It was funny because you were often commended for sidestepping goading in practice courtroom settings. In fact you prided yourself on it, but this time when Jeonghan laid out the bait, you fell for it hook, line, and sinker.

…

“Do you know what this is about?” you whispered to Maja as you took the seat next to them in the conference room.

The managing partner of your firm had called for a company wide meeting relatively last minute and everyone was on edge. Occasionally, the paralegals had intel from the executive assistants, but not this time.

“I don't know,” Maja shrugged at you.

“Drinks afterwards? Whether it's good or bad news, there'll be something to discuss,” you suggested.

“I'm in,” she laughed and nodded.

You and Maja had worked together since you'd joined the firm. At this point, it had been a little over four years and you were close friends. Whatever the type of case, you two worked hand in hand to execute.

“Good morning everyone!” Peter Chae, managing partner of Chae & Associates, clapped his hands together after walking into the room. He took his position at the podium as the room quieted. “I’m sure you’re all burning with curiosity, so I’ll just cut to the chase. Chae & A is merging with Zanden Law Firm. We’ve acquired the other wing on this floor, so over the next month you’ll see our new associates move in. We’ll do our best to minimize office moves, but some will be necessary in order to group teams appropriately.”

“Merger?” your head swum slightly at the news.

“Yes, Maja, you have a question?”

“Suggestion, more like,” you glanced over as she lowered her hand. “What do we think of ‘Chae to Z - Covering All Your Law Needs’ as a new slogan? Or wait! ‘We’ve got you covered from Chae to Z’!”

You snorted. That wasn’t half bad. Others on the team seemed to agree.

“I-,” Peter blinked. He hadn’t been prepared for that.

“We can workshop it,” Maja laughed easily with a few of the other paralegals, gesturing for him to continue.

Peter’s eyebrows furrowed at Maja’s casual dismissal before he cleared his throat and moved on. You half-listened as he went through general logistics, but mostly you were wondering how the influx of new associates and partners would impact the office dynamic. Specifically your pathway to partner.

You knew you had been on track to make partner within two years at Chae & A. Frankly, you were the top associate on the team and it was a no brainer, but you had no idea what the talent looked like at Zanden Law Firm and how decisions would be made between their managing partner and Peter. The abundance of unknowns in this new situation was unsettling.

Once the meeting adjourned, you practically sprinted back to your computer. First order of business was pulling up the ZLF website to scope out their team.

“What the hell are you running for?” Maja demanded once she arrived at your desk.

“Research,” you answered shortly as you navigated. You prayed on everything you loved that they had an ‘Our Team’ page that you could peruse. “Aha!”

“Ahh,” Maja nodded with understanding as she settled in behind you.

Thoughts rattled rapidly around your brain as you scrolled. The names and faces did not jump out as particularly notable until you got to the Ys.

“Shit.”

“What?” she asked, alarmed.

“Of course he fuckin’ works there!” you rolled your eyes, leaning back in your chair slightly.

“Who?” Maja demanded, wanting to shake you. You weren’t answering any of her questions to satisfaction.

“Yoon Jeonghan,” you hovered your cursor over his smug face.

“Oh! Isn’t that your alma mater?” Maja leaned forward, scanning his bio.

“Yes,” you answered begrudgingly. “We were classmates.”

“Oh!” Maja’s eyes widened. “Is he good?”

“Yes,” your lip curled up in distaste. “God he was so annoying! Like we could get along, but I know he wants to make partner like I do and he’s good enough to take it from me.”

“Hmm,” Maja eyed you curiously. “Well, you just have to outdo him. If you want to be the best, you have to keep getting better.”

“You’re not fun when you’re giving real advice,” you scrunched your nose at her, but she was right. You were an ace and you could certainly still handle Jeonghan.

“Now let’s do some real work. The Yellech-Han divorce case is not going to settle itself.”

You sighed, pulling up that case file. After this one, you were going to tell Peter that you never wanted to handle a divorce case again. The level of pettiness was enough to drive you insane. Had you not been happily dating Flynn, you would’ve sworn yourself off dating as a preventative measure.

…

Jeonghan sat at his computer, brow furrowed at the screen. Unlike his firm, the Chae & A website did not share headshots and bios of their associates. Exhaling sharply, he tapped his pen to his notepad. Something about the name of the firm struck him as so familiar, but he couldn’t place it. Granted, he interacted with lawyers all over the city on a regular basis, but Chae & A seemed like a name that he’d heard more than just in passing.

“Jeonghan, we have that deposition in an hour. Ready?” Joshua’s head popped into the doorway.

“Yes,” Jeonghan nodded. “You don’t seem too concerned about the merger,” he remarked.

“I’m not,” Joshua shrugged easily. “Unlike you, I’m not brimming with ambition to make partner before thirty five. I’m happy being an associate for a while yet.”

“You could if you wanted to.”

“I know,” Joshua’s eyes creased with a smile. “But I enjoy having a life outside of work and a partner that I actually get to spend time with.”

“I’ll have time for a personal life after I make partner,” Jeonghan insisted.

“I’m very aware that this is your plan,��� Joshua rolled his eyes. “Anyways, I am excited for the merger. I’ve heard that the building Chae & A is in is very nice and it’s closer to my place, so it's a shorter commute.”

Jeonghan laughed. He finished scribbling a few more notes before getting ready for deposition.

…

Maja’s watchful eyes surveyed the new associates from Zanden as they moved in. Neither of you had been directly impacted by the move, but the office next to yours was now awaiting its new occupant. You were curious about them, of course, but you also had work to do, so you saved the wondering for later.

Later that day Jeonghan greeted the receptionist at Chae & A and received brief instructions to his new office. It was basically a straight shot to the corner. A moving crew had already moved the furniture and files, so it was just up to him to unpack and arrange his things.

“We did it!” you wiggled excitedly as you walked with Maja back into the office.

After a painful few months of negotiating, re-negotiating, and then re-re-negotiating, the Yellech-Han divorce case had finally settled. You and Maja had gotten boba on the way back to the office to celebrate.

“God, that case made me want to be single forever. And I think Flynn and I have a relatively healthy relationship!” you exclaimed, rolling your eyes theatrically.

“They were insufferable, weren’t they?” Maja laughed until she noticed the new figure in the office. “Oh shit, I think they’re here! Your new neighbor!” she pointed.

“Oh! We should greet them,” you decided, leading the way. “Hello, welcome to the office!” you knocked on the doorframe as you spoke. “I hope we can be-,”

“Friends?” Jeonghan’s lips curled up into a smile before he turned to face you. “That was never our style, was it?”

“Jeonghan,” your face fell.

“YN,” he nodded at you before turning back around to place books on the shelves.

Maja eyed you curiously as you stuck your tongue out at his turned back before returning to your office. The last time you’d seen Jeonghan had been the alumni mock trial event that your alma mater hosted annually. You’d both participated as students throughout law school, so it had been a fun change to take on mentor roles. Due to COVID, you’d only been able to participate once and that had been over three years ago! Seeing Jeonghan again felt a little like being electrocuted.

Harris Zanden moved throughout the office, making a point to greet the associates and staff from Chae & A. There was bound to be anxiety on both sides about the merger and he wanted to do as much as he could to alleviate it. He slowly made his way towards Maja’s corner desk.

“Hello, I’m Harris. Just wanted to say hi,” he smiled affably.

“Oh hell-,” Maja’s greeting caught in her throat when she saw his face. Shit. “Hello. I’m Maja Sanderson.”

“Hi Maja,” Harris’s expression pinched and he coughed. “I look forward to working with you.”

“Shit. Shit shit shit!” Maja muttered to herself once he was out of earshot. She shuffled hurriedly into your office and shut the door behind her. “YN. Crisis!”

“What’s happening?” you stood up, alarmed.

“I-, um, god,” Maja brought her hands to her face. She inhaled deeply a few times, gathering herself. “The managing partner of Zanden?”

“Yeah, Harris? He just came and did intros. Did he talk to you?”

“Yes.” Maja’s expression was grim. “That’s not the first time I’ve met him.”

Your mouth hung ajar and your expression demanded more exposition.

“We-, I,” she floundered. “I had sex with that man…recently.”

“Oh my god!” you cried, deeply thankful that the offices had some soundproofing. “MAJA OH MY GOD!” you whisper-yelled when her words really sank in.

“I know!” she moaned into her hands.

“I don't…which one?” you filed through your mental rolodex of her escapades. “The most recent one? Handsome rich guy from the bar?”

Maja hung her head in shame. You screamed.

“What the hell is going on over there?” Jeonghan wondered to himself, watching you and Maja through the panes of glass.

From where he stood, it looked like you were reprimanding her sternly. It surprised him, if he was being honest. It didn’t fit with his memory of you, but that memory was also several years old. A bemused smile crossed his lips as he wondered about you now.

“What are you going to do?” you pressed your palm to your forehead, truly affected by the news that Maja had just dropped on you.

“We have to undo the merger!”

“Girl,” you snorted.

“I’m gonna pretend like nothing happened. And so are you!” she pointed a finger menacingly at you.

“How can I pretend that nothing happened?”

Jeonghan’s brow furrowed. He did not like the way your paralegal was pointing at you. He watched in surprise as you covered your face with your hands. This was behavior unbecoming of an aspiring partner. Later that day, after Maja had left, he approached you in your office. It was no surprise to him that you were still there.

“You’ll never make partner if you can’t command the respect of your subordinates.” he offered without explanation.

“What?” you squinted at him in confusion.

“I saw you arguing with your paralegal earlier. You shouldn’t let people talk to you like that,” he sank into the chair.

“Wha-, oh!” the dots suddenly connected. “Oh that. No…that wasn’t work related,” you shook your head furiously.

Jeonghan was intrigued. Whatever the conversation had been about seemed to fluster you just by thinking about it.

“I see. Well that’s good to hear. I would hate to learn that you’ve lost your edge over the years,” he smirked at you.

“Wouldn’t that be a good thing for you? Assuming you haven’t lost your ambition to make partner,” you jabbed right back.

He chuckled, eyes flitting to the diploma hanging on your wall. He smiled. His matching one was up on his wall now too.

“I sincerely hope you’re still as skilled as you were when we were in school. Things were always more interesting for me when you were around,” he stood from his chair, saluting you before he left.

Your eyes burned holes into the back of his jacket as he walked away. You were so focused on glaring at him that you jumped when your phone rang. It was Flynn.

“Hey babe!” you smiled when you picked up the phone. “Oh, you’re where? Yeah, I can meet you there in probably twenty. Ok great, see you soon!”

You wrapped things up quickly and packed your bag. Jeonghan’s eyes followed you all the way to the elevator.

…

“Hello, hello!” Peter tapped a fork against his glass, commanding everyone’s attention. “Hello and thanks everyone for attending our first Chae & Zander Law Associates happy hour!”

“Woohoo!” you clapped around your stemware as well as you could manage.

“Harris and I wanted to both show our appreciation for your support and patience as we’ve worked through details of the merger, so the tab’s on us tonight!”

Harris lifted his glass in a show of agreement.

“Have we worked out details of the new slogan?” a voice called out cheekily from the crowd.

“New slogan?” Harris’s brow furrowed with confusion.

“Slogan?” Peter looked equally confused before the memory struck him. “Oh, yes! Maja! Did you share your idea with Harris? It was funny.”

Maja’s eyes widened with panic and you held in a scream as Harris’s eyes moved to her.

“Oh no, it’s not…it wasn’t real,” she tried to wave it off, but all the attention brought a flush to her cheeks.

“No please,” Peter insisted.

“We’ve got you covered from Chae to Z,” Maja answered awkwardly. Harris let out a soft puff of laughter.

You turned away with secondhand embarrassment and were surprised to find your face nearly planted into someone’s arm. You jumped when you realized it was Jeonghan.

“Oops,” you laughed, stepping back from your now associate.

“You are acting so strange. Will you tell me what is happening?”

“I can’t,” you shook your head, “Believe me, I desperately want to tell someone about it. But it can’t be you.”

“Why?” he raised an eyebrow at you.

“It just can’t! And I can’t tell you why, but trust me I am bursting at the seams about it!” you whispered sharply at him.

“Hm. Well let’s talk about something else, then,” he suggested and you were grateful he hadn’t pushed anymore. “Did you get the email about the Alumni-Student Mock Trial? Looks like they’re putting it on again.”

“I did,” you nodded, “Are you going to participate?”

“I think so. I enjoyed it last time. You?”

“It was really fun,” you found yourself smiling fondly at the memory. “I’ll look forward to being your opposing counsel again,” you teased.

“I look forward to beating you again,” he laughed.

“You know our side of the case was far more difficult to argue than yours!” you protested emphatically. It really had been. So much of the evidence had been deemed inadmissible, which had really swept the legs out from under your prosecutorial arguments.

“If that’s what you need to tell yourself to sleep at night,” he chuckled. He agreed with you, of course, but he hadn’t kicked the habit of teasing you even after all these years.

“So what’s new with you these days?” you found yourself asking. “Do you have any fun interests or are you still all work and no play?”

“Actually,” Jeonghan took a sip of his beer, “I picked up snowboarding a few years back. Eating out, if that can be considered an interest. It’s more self preservation as I still have no interest in eating my own cooking,” he chuckled.

“I mean if you’re eating interesting foods, I suppose,” you contemplated briefly. “Snowboarding, huh? I can’t say I’ve tried. I prefer my bones intact, I suppose.”

“Maybe you’re the boring one now,” Jeonghan quipped.

You opened your mouth to reply, but were interrupted by Peter and Harris’ approach.

“Jeonghan, long, long time no see,” Peter greeted Jeonghan enthusiastically.

“It’s great to see you again, Peter.”

“Hi Harris,” you greeted your new managing partner with a firm handshake.

“Hi YN,” he smiled down at you, “It’s great to see you two getting along. You’re both top performers, we have high expectations for you.”

“Of course,” you smiled, leaning towards Jeonghan slightly. ‘Getting along’ was maybe a reach for you two, but Harris didn’t need to know that. You were still in the ‘building first impressions’ phase and if friendliness with Jeonghan was a plus, you could let him believe that.

“Harris, I’m not sure if you know this, but YN and Jeonghan were actually classmates. At my alma mater, in fact!”

“Aha! Okay so now I see that this merger was actually just a poaching activity,” Harris joked good naturedly.

“No comment,” Peter held his hands up in mock surrender. “You should see these two go up against each other. When I say gloves off, I mean gloves off.”

“YN’s been a royal pain in my ass more than a few times,” Jeonghan chuckled.

Harris’ eyebrows rose with interest. He had served as Jeonghan’s senior counsel enough to know that this was a high compliment. He was eager to see you work.

Maja’s eyes widened as she eavesdropped on this conversation. She had initially only been interested in ensuring that you didn’t act too weird around Harris, but she’d caught more conversation than she’d intended. On the surface it may have sounded like Jeonghan was insulting you, but she was quite certain that it was a compliment. Given Jeonghan’s position in Harris’ eyes as a top performer, this somehow conferred a level of competency to you. Associates usually leveraged time with managing partners to make digs at one another, not compliments!

“Maja,” you waved at her after the conversation dissolved.

“How goes the schmoozing?” she wrinkled her nose at you.

“Good, I think?” your eyes flickered to Harris again. “Though if you would accept my suggestion of blackmailing him into making me partner, things would go a lot quicker.”

“What the fuck about ‘nothing happened’ do you not understand?” Maja hissed at you, “For someone who graduated from a top law school, that brain doesn’t seem to work so good!”

“Relax, no one is even around,” you rolled your eyes at her. This was true.

“Are you staying all night?” she asked, watching Jeonghan out of the corner of her eye.

“No, I think I talked to everyone who is of interest to me,” you shook your head. “What do you think?”

“I think we’ve stayed the obligatory amount of time,” Maja chuckled. “Let’s go!”

You nodded and went to grab your things. You said a few brief goodbyes before looping your arm in hers and heading to the subway.

“Tell me more about Jeonghan,” Maja asked after you’d snagged some seats.

“Hmm, what do you want to know?” you furrowed your brow. “We weren’t super close.”

“But three years together, you must know some things.”

“He’s very annoying,” was the first thing that came to mind. “I don’t know that conniving is the right word to describe him…maybe clever? He was definitely one of the smartest students in class. We did law review together and moot court too. He always wanted to be the best and so did I, so we crossed paths often.”

“Sounds like you both worked hard, huh?” Maja hummed.

“Yes,” you nodded. You would never dispute hard work when it came to Jeonghan.

“Interesting. I look forward to getting to know him,” Maja nodded.

“Oh really?” you looked at her with surprise. “Interested like interested?”

“No, you dunce!” she looked like she wanted to thump you on the head. “If you’re both interested in making partner, I’m really curious to see how things go.”

“Yeah,” you huffed a sigh as the subway rounded Maja’s stop. You gave her a wave and reassured her that you knew it was your turn to bring coffee tomorrow.

…

You frowned at the pile of documents sitting on your desk. You felt overwhelmed. It was late, you’d had to cancel plans with Flynn again, and this case you were working on was being adjudicated by a judge that you swear had an agenda against you.

“Why are you still here?” a voice floated into your office.

“I’m in a bad mood,” you warned Jeonghan when he appeared in the doorway.

“Noted,” he nodded, taking a seat anyways. “What’s bugging you?”

You pursed your lips in thought. Perhaps Jeonghan could give you some helpful insight on Judge Bytheway.

“Have you tried cases before Bytheway before?”

“A couple, yeah,” he nodded.

“Is he an asshole to you too? Or just me?” you huffed. This wasn’t as eloquent as you would’ve liked to put it, but it got the point across.

“Oh he’s a sexist, big time,” Jeonghan nodded, his lip curling up in distaste.

“Great,” you rolled your eyes. “Well, fuck me I guess.”

Jeonghan’s lips twitched at your candid annoyance. He watched as you thought furiously, no doubt trying to brainstorm ways to combat the judge’s bias. Bytheway, unfortunately, didn’t seem to be the type to respond to any such strategy.

“What’s your caseload like?” you gave him a look. He could tell it was reluctant.

“Not too terrible, actually,” he shrugged.

This wasn’t totally true, but he was burning with curiosity to see whether you were actually going to ask him for help. You sighed deeply before you spoke again.

“...What do you think about serving as lead on this one?” you finally brought yourself to ask. “In name only!” you clarified vehemently.

Jeonghan’s grin almost made you take it back. You hated asking for help, but you also knew that representing your client by yourself would not be doing them justice.

“I could probably make time for that,” he finally nodded, “You’ll have to ask Harris and Peter though so they know it’s on my plate.”

“Yeah, I will,” you nodded. “You workin’ on anything interesting?”

“Not really,” Jeonghan’s face scrunched up. “A couple of appeals filed and working through the system. Hurry up and wait,” he chuckled.

“You love appeals though,” you wiggled your eyebrows at him sarcastically because you specifically knew he didn’t.

Throughout law school he had participated in moot court, an opportunity for students to practice the appellate court process, but just barely. Everyone knew that Jeonghan was most interested in and best suited for trial, but since you did moot court, he had to too.

“Hey, you don’t know me anymore. I could love appeals now,” Jeonghan laughed, squinting curiously at one of the figurines on your desk. His eyes lit up with curiosity when he realized it was a tiny, Lego Pokemon. “Venusaur?” he asked, picking it up gingerly.

“Mega-venusaur, thank you very much,” you rolled your eyes.

“Good lord, I’m so sorry,” Jeonghan coughed out a laugh. “Dang, you really like these, huh?”

“None of your business! I can spend my money how I like!” you felt oddly defensive as you watched him count your figurines.

To the common eye, it might seem excessive, but who in their right mind could have just Eevee without also getting the evolutions? You didn’t have them all quite yet, because you only bought them to celebrate major life milestones, but you were getting close.

“No, they’re cute,” he laughed. You were still indignant at this, but it was the best he could do.

“What do you spend your adult money on, if not tiny Pokemon?” you found yourself asking. Despite your best efforts, you were a little curious about what Jeonghan was like now. Had time eroded his sharper edges or had it honed them even further?

“Whiskeys. Travel. Books,” he answered.

“Ugh how pretentious!” you rolled your eyes, blowing a raspberry at him. “Rich lawyer loves luxurious things. Boo! Tomato!”

“I-,” he balked at your childish display.

“Update me when you get an interesting hobby,” you laughed, shooing him out of your office impatiently.

Jeonghan laughed and crossed the short distance to his own office. He watched as you jotted down a few notes before leaving to talk to Harris and Peter. It wasn’t too much longer before you shot him a thumbs up on the way back. Your first real case together.

…

“Can I please ask you about Harris?” you blurted out after a few drinks with Maja. The curiosity had truly been killing you this past week and you couldn’t bear it anymore.

“I-,” Maja sighed. She’d initially planned to take this secret to her grave, but recently she’d been wanting to discuss it with someone other than her own reflection in the mirror. “Yeah.”

“Have you talked to him? Or are you guys just pretending nothing happened? Do you want something else to happen? But like you kind of can’t because of the merger, right? But you report to Peter still. I-,” your mouth started rattling off the many, many questions that had been building up in your brain.

“Hold on, I can only answer so many things at once!” Maja held her hands up.

“Sorry,” you smiled sheepishly. Your mouth occasionally had a habit of running off like that when you were curious.

“I have not talked to him, so I guess we are kind of pretending that it didn’t happen,” she spoke slowly, contemplating the words thoroughly as she spoke them. “Candidly, I did have a really good time with him. We were…highly compatible. But I mean it was just a few times, it’s barely anything to get worked up about.”

“A few times?!” you almost shouted. “I was not aware of this!”

“I told you!” Maja insisted.

“Did you?!” your brow furrowed, “I don’t recall!”

“You have a notoriously bad memory! As your paralegal, I know this for a fact!”

You frowned. This was true. If you didn’t write things down, you simply wouldn’t remember them. It was the reason you’d taken such profuse notes all throughout school. It was one of the reasons you’d been so jealous of Jeonghan when you first met him.

‘Writing things down is for nerds!’ he’d proclaimed to you more than a few times.

‘That might be true, but only nerds make good lawyers!’ had been your retort. In hindsight this was a lukewarm burn at best.

“Would you talk to Peter about it?” you brought yourself back to the present.

“...I’m not sure,” Maja’s lips pursed. 

“Oh! I can ask! Like just generally ask about his thoughts on a dating policy. We don't really have one now, right?”

“You don’t think that’ll come across weird?” Maja made a face at you.

“I don’t care about seeming weird,” you shrugged.

“I’m not totally for it, but I don’t think I’ll stop you either,” she laughed, which relieved you.

“We shall see where the wind takes me!”

“Hey I’m going to visit Grandma this weekend, do you want to come?” Maja asked, changing the subject.

“Of course, do you even have to ask?”

You absolutely adored Maja’s grandmother. She lived in a little seaside town a couple of hours away and you were always in the mood to visit.

…

“Yiayia!” Maja jumped excitedly as she approached her grandmother.

You smiled through the pain behind her as you unloaded the bags from the car.

“Packed so much for a weekend trip,” you grumbled as you dragged the suitcases towards the house.

You and Maja settled into the guest room before sitting down in the living room for tea and a quick snack. You had picked up a variety of baked goods before departing the city and you’d been thinking about the taro macarons for most of the drive up.

“Oh these look lovely,” Yiayia clapped her hands together, eyes scanning across the pastries.

“What kind of tea should we have?” you asked, opening the cupboard where you knew the teapot should be.

“How about a jasmine green?” Yiayia suggested. Nice and delicate to pair with these pastries.

You nodded, eyes searching the labeled canisters for jasmine. Maja and Yiayia caught up in the living room until you approached with the tea and tumblers on a tray.

“Thanks boo,” Maja smiled up at you.

“What were you two talking about?” you asked curiously.

“I was just asking if Maja had been able to meet the neighbors’ son.”

“Oh?” you raised an eyebrow. “Is he cute?”

“I think he’s quite a looker,” Yiayia raised her eyebrows pointedly. Apparently he lives in the city too, but he comes back to visit often because he’s a good boy.

“Did you meet him?” you asked.

“Not yet,” Maja shook her head.

“Don't worry,” Yiayia stuck a finger up in the air excitedly. “I made a tray of cookies for you to bring over once I see his car in the driveway.”

You cackled loudly. What fantastic matchmaking.

“Okay, then what do you need me to do while Maja’s gettin’ it on with potential future loverboy?” you asked.

Maja glared at you while Yiayia clicked her tongue, insisting that she didn’t need your help with anything. You shook your head, stubbornness definitely ran in their family.

…

You thought furiously as you wiped down the bookcase in the guest bedroom. At first you drafted, revised, and rehearsed the passionate case that you could make to Peter about a flexible dating policy for the firm. After that, your mind wandered to the land usage case that you’d just been assigned. You’d probably spend time reviewing case notes after finishing the task at hand.

As you tackled the last shelves and replaced the books, your thoughts turned to your last conversation with Jeonghan. Specifically, the Pokemon figurines. You had many of them, but your Eevee evolutions were most special to you. You had started buying them for yourself after you’d gotten into college. Each one signified an important milestone in your life: admission and graduation from undergrad, admission and completion of law school, being accepted into law review, and getting hired at Chae & Associates. There were eight evolutions in total, so you had two more to go: making partner and getting married.

“Maja?” you poked your head out into the hallway.

Walking into the kitchen, you noticed that the tray of cookies from earlier was gone. Yiayia must have sent her to call on the neighbor boy. Pressing your lips together, you decided to take a walk. You were nosy and simply needed to know just how handsome this man was!

With a nearly empty garbage bag in tow, you walked out of the house, peeking casually (creepily) through the hedges and shrubs, searching for the glimpse of a person. You ended up doing two, zig-zag laps around Yiayia’s house until you heard some conversation.

“I know we need to talk about it, I just…not sure I have anything coherent to say yet.”

You were shocked. That was Maja’s voice, but the words she was saying didn’t particularly make sense.

“I understand that,” came the reply. “Can I ask whether it’s because you still don’t know what you want? Or because you’ve decided and you don’t want to tell me?”

The silence was uncomfortable even for you.

“You said you needed time and I want you to have as much as you need. But at the same time it makes me a little crazy to see you at work all the time and not be able to talk to you.”

Your eyes were wide. That voice sounded painfully familiar so you pulled back a branch or two and almost dropped your bag of garbage when you saw Harris! What in the world? He was Yiayia’s neighbor’s son? You wished that there was someone else here that you could discuss this with. You quietly let the branches bend back in place and finally placed the bag in your hands into the bin outside. Yiayia seemed to still be napping, so you returned to your bedroom and continued reading.

…

You checked your appearance in the mirror again. Today was the first court appearance in front of Bytheway. You’d taken your time getting ready today, hopeful that taking on a hyperfeminine appearance and persona would work to your advantage. You would let Jeonghan take the lead and assist, as Bytheway undoubtedly expected. You flipped off the judge in your mind one more time before heading to your peer’s office.

“Ready?” you knocked on the doorframe as you entered.

“Ye-yeah,” Jeonghan looked up from his phone. He blinked before standing. “Let’s go, I’ll drive.”

“Yes, of course! And we must always walk behind the men, for they are our masters!”

Jeonghan rolled his eyes as you rambled sarcastically. He nodded pleasantly as he drove, listening to you go over the details and approach what you'd laid out for the case. It was solid, he felt confident.

“Ah! Attorney Yoon! It's great to see you,” Judge Bytheway greeted him amiably after entering the courtroom. It did not escape his notice that the judge failed to greet you.

“Your Honor,” he moved to introduce you, but you cut him off. Grabbing his hand behind the bench you shook your head slightly. “It's great to see you again,” he recovered smoothly.

“I told you to take lead, so take lead. That man doesn't want to hear from me so for all intents and purposes I'm your paralegal today.” you whispered out of the corner of your mouth as the judge greeted the opposing counsel.

Jeonghan nodded sharply.

Things proceeded quickly and smoothly. It was an initial hearing, so largely procedural and went according to plan. You scratched down notes every so often and slid them across the table, tapping his leg to get his attention, and he would fold them seamlessly into his arguments.

“I've never seen YN so quiet,” your client, Wade, teased affectionately as you left the courtroom.

“Peaceful, right?” Jeonghan laughed.

You pulled a face at both of them.

“I want you to know I appreciate it,” Wade continued. “I know you're whip smart and could've done that yourself, but that guy’s an asshole. I appreciate your prioritizing my needs as a client.”

Jeonghan snuck a glance at you and was surprised to see you were flustered.

“Ah it's nothing!” you laughed nervously, “That's my job!”

Wade smiled and said goodbye before heading to his car.

“Let me ask you something,” Jeonghan piped up as you walked towards the fleet car.

“Sure.”

“On a scale of one to ten, how physically painful was that for you?”

“Hmm,” you clicked your press-on nails together as you thought. “Seven?”

“Huh. If I’d asked you in school, you probably would've answered 20. How's that for growth?”

“Well if I'd asked you for help like this in school, you would've taken every opportunity to rub it in my face. So we've both grown, perhaps.”

Jeonghan chuckled, putting the car in reverse.

“You want celebratory bubble tea?”

“What? That's only for after cases have closed successfully!”

“Ah my mistake.”

It was just as well. Jeonghan was ready to put some distance between you two, but even later in the day the memory of your nails tapping lightly against his leg to get his attention lingered in his mind.

…

“Hey let me ask you something?” you popped your head into Jeonghan’s office.

“Sure,” he looked up from his computer.

You fully entered the room and closed the door softly behind you. Unusual.

“Did you have a dating policy at Zanden?”

“Dating policy?” You were serving up some strange questions today.

“Yes, like a policy around dating people within the firm?”

“Ah! I don't know,” Jeonghan shook his head and shrugged. “Why?” He wondered if there was someone you were interested in.

“Hm. Is he the type to be a stickler about that kind of stuff?”

“Hm…,” Jeonghan thought for a moment. Honestly he wasn't sure, but didn't think so. Harris was like Peter in a lot of ways. As long as things didn't hinder productivity or professionalism, he likely didn't care. “Probably not?”

“Interesting,” your eyes lit up as you pressed your fingertips into steeple fingers. “Okay, thank you!”

“Sure,” Jeonghan nodded, mind dwelling on the fact that you hadn't answered the question of why.

He flipped through his mental roster of associates and staff and frowned. There wasn't anyone at the firm that he felt really made sense for you.

“Hey Peter?” you knocked on the managing partner’s ajar door.

“Yes, come in!” his voice came through the crack.

“Hey can I ask you something? And don't be weird about it.”

Peter narrowed his eyes at that playfully and gestured for you to continue.

“Have you and Harris discussed a dating policy for the firm post merger?”

“Dating policy? No, I supposed we haven't!”

“Do you have thoughts on it?”

“I probably do,” Peter nodded and then paused for a moment to gather them. “On the one hand, we should have something to protect us from a legal standpoint, but on the other hand I love love, so I wouldn't be in favor of prohibiting internal dating.”

“That makes me very happy to hear,” you nodded excitedly.

“Are you interested in someone?” Peter’s eyes lit up with curiosity. “Tell me, tell me!”

“No!” you almost burst out laughing at the idea of dating someone at the firm. There was almost no one suitable.

“Maybe him?” Peter had gotten out of his chair and was peering out of his office through his blinds.

“Don't do that!” you pulled him away from the glass, “You look weird! They're gonna think you're planning layoffs or something!”

“Oh, ah, yea,” he scratched his head sheepishly. He sometimes forgot that the associates from Zanden still didn't know him very well and found his positional authority to be a bit intimidating.

“Thank you for your thoughts!” you beamed at him before leaving. The bounce in your step was obvious as you returned to your office. You couldn't wait to update Maja!

Jeonghan’s brow furrowed as he watched you float back into your office. You seemed damned pleased and he was surprised that it bothered him so. He had gone through the company directory and confirmed his initial thought that no one seemed fit to task. You were too much of a handful! Smart and competent with a goofy side, empathetic yet ruthless when necessary. Godspeed to whoever it was that you were interested in.

…

“Damn it, I'm running late,” you cursed when Jeonghan entered your office, ready to appear before Judge Bytheway again.

“We need to go now. What do I need to do to make that happen?”

“My bag. I'll get the rest.”

Jeonghan nodded, grabbing your leather crossbody bag. He looked on as you grabbed a small satchel and followed him out the door.

He looked over occasionally with intrigue as you fixed your makeup in the car. You placed highlight and blush strategically and when you were done, you looked somehow…brighter eyed and bushier tailed.

Like last time, Jeonghan presented all of the arguments while you sat there taking and making notes. Occasionally Wade would lean over and confer with you, which you would relay to Jeonghan in a scribble. It was very seamless.

“Hell yes,” you muttered under your breath when the judge rendered his ruling. You shot Wade a triumphant look.

“Excellent work again, Attorney Yoon,” the judge complimented Jeonghan. “Young lady,” his gaze shifted to you. “You have a lot to learn from this man!”

“Of course your honor! I could never even dream of filing his shoes,” you nodded demurely, placing a hand on his forearm.

If Jeonghan was surprised at the contact, he didn't show it. Bytheway nodded curtly before leaving the courtroom.

“Woohoo!” you jumped excitedly, pumping your first in the air at Wade. “We did it!”

“Yes you did,” he nodded, more than pleased.

Jeonghan had to agree. While he may have presented arguments, the logic and work behind it had been all yours. Aside from a few meetings to review your positions and go over precedential cases, it had required nearly no work on his end. In fact, it felt more like he was playing the role of a lawyer rather than being one.

“Now we get celebratory bubble tea, right?” Jeonghan laughed as he pulled the car out of the courthouse parking lot

“Oh! I wouldn’t be opposed, if you want to stop.”

“Sure. Add the stop on the navigation,” he pointed to his phone.

“What do you get?” you asked Jeonghan as your eyes ran over the menu.

“Honeydew milk tea with boba.”

You nodded. Somehow that made sense for him. You paid for three orders: him, yourself, and Maja. Jeonghan’s eyebrows raised in surprise at the treat and you explained that you owed him for the help with the case.

“You did all the work,” he shrugged, but placed his wallet back into his pocket.

“Yes, but it wouldn’t have had the same outcome if I had been the one doing delivery. Wade and I would be having consolation bubble teas instead.”

Jeonghan snorted at the idea of your heavily mustached client drinking bubble tea. You smiled brightly at him and a sudden memory triggered for Jeonghan.

“On the count of Second Degree Murder, the jury finds the defendant ‘Not Guilty’.”

Your eyes had widened in disbelief. You’d been so stressed about this mock trial because the evidence just seemed impossible to spin in the right direction. You two had spent way too many hours on this extracurricular, but you were both so stubborn and determined that you’d treated it as if it were a real murder case.

“We did it,” you murmured in disbelief. “Jeonghan we did it!”

Jeonghan was surprised he could still recall the way your eyes had lit up at him that day. Today’s case was certainly no murder, but the win still seemed to trigger the same light of joy within you. He struggled to fight the infectious smile that crept onto his lips as you waited together for your tea.

…

“Oh oh oh!” you smacked the arm of the couch as you remembered something. “Shit! I totally forgot to tell you that I talked to Peter about the dating policy thing!”

“Oh!” Maja cocked her head at you.

“He said that he felt we should have a policy in place, but that he wouldn’t make it hard or prohibit people from dating internally! So that’s a good sign, right?”

“Hm, I suppose,” she pursed her lips.

“Have you decided what you want to do?”

“I would have kept seeing him had this merger not happened, but I feel so weird about dating the managing partner! Also I don’t want him to make an exception for me or write a lax policy because of our situation.”

You squinted at Maja. She was quite rigid when it came to principles and you weren’t sure if she was self sabotaging or what! It was rare for her to be interested in actually dating someone long term.

“Well could you just tell him that? Like exactly that. Cause I feel like you want to have a finalized solution to bring to him and I’m not sure that’s possible? This feels like a decision that you’ll have to make together.”

“You know I’m not very good at that,” she grumbled and you nodded. You did know that. “What about you? How are things with Flynn?”

You thought for a moment before answering. You’d been dating Flynn for almost half a year now and truth be told, things had been rocky for a couple of months. Since the merger, you’d been working longer hours and more cases in an effort to prove yourself to Harris. You’d always been married to your work, but prior to the merger, you’d known that partner was an inevitability.

Flynn was a dermatologist with very set office hours and a very ideal work-life balance. He didn’t really understand the difference in schedule demands of law and it had been a major source of friction lately. You wondered about compatibility for the future as you had no considerations of changing careers or tamping your ambition.

“Well that's not a good sign,” Maja’s eyes widened as you continued to be deep in thought for ten minutes.

“It could be better,” you admitted, “I’ve been working a lot lately.”

“Ah,” Maja nodded knowingly.

Throughout her time as a paralegal, she'd seen many relationships fall apart because of the workload demands. Being in a romantic relationship with a lawyer was not for everyone.

“What do you plan to do?” She was curious.

“Try harder?” you shrugged glibly.

Maja let out a sharp snort. That was always your solution.

“I don't know, to be honest,” you huffed, unsettling the hairs that framed your face.

“Really you should just marry your job. Or at least another lawyer. They're the only ones who really understand.”

“No thank you,” you answered tartly as you thought about the associates you knew well at Chae & A.

“Marry me then,” Maja joked. “We'll start our own law firm.”

“With blackjack! And hookers!” you answered before dissolving into a pile of giggles.

“I'd do it! Platonic marriage, I stan.”

“If we're still single at thirty five?” you suggested, sticking your pinky out to seal the deal.

“Deal!” Maja laughed, locking her finger in yours.

You were suddenly struck by a sense of deja vu. There was no way on earth, but you felt like you'd made this deal before.

back to index | chapter 2

[seungkwansphd]

room for interpretation - 2

pairing: lawyer!jeonghan x lawyer!YN| word count: 9.1K synopsis: as top of class, you and jeonghan had been many things to each other. enthusiastic rivals, begrudging allies, and…parties to a jokingly written (but legally binding) marriage contingency contract? this piece of paper would’ve been long forgotten had an unexpected merger not thrown you back into each others’ lives. themes: fluff, rivals to coworkers to tentative friends to lovers, “if we’re both single by X age” marriage contract, IDIOTS2lovers, fake dating, miscommunication. this is just a romcom.

“Hey Maja?” you heard Jeonghan’s voice through your door.

“Yes Jeonghan?”

“Can you help me understand how the Law Library is organized?”

“No! I will not help anyone with that!” Maja stood up violently from her desk. “I’ve told Peter a hundred times and I’ll tell him again that we need to digitize that! But nooooo, Mister Romantic likes the aesthetic and mood of having physical references.”

Jeonghan was rightly baffled as Maja stomped off away from him with a stack of papers that would find themselves wrongfully shredded if she didn’t calm down. You held in a laugh. You agreed that digital references would be more efficient, but you also enjoyed the “Law Library”, which was really just an empty office filled with bookshelves of case studies. It was great for when you needed a change of pace as well as one of the best cell reception areas in the office, making it a prime spot for taking phone calls.

“I can help you,” you called to Jeonghan as you got up from your chair.

“She’s…fiery,” Jeonghan commented as you walked.

“Yes, it’s best to stay on her good side,” you chuckled.

Jeonghan followed you in and looked on as you explained Peter’s organization system to him. It didn’t really make sense, but if you understood the logic behind it, you could find things easily enough.

“Do anything interesting this weekend?” you asked as you helped Jeonghan search for a specific reference.

“Went to see my sister.”

“Oh! How is she doing?”

“Good. Her kid is almost five now, which is mind boggling to me!”

“What?!” your eyebrows shot up.

You remembered meeting Jeonghan’s sister briefly during a family orientation event. You knew almost nothing about her, but still it surprised you to hear that his younger sister had a child.

“Are you seeing anyone?” you asked without thought.

“What?”

“No, I mean-,” you winced when you realized what you had asked. “I was wondering whether your parents have thoughts about your younger sister having a kid before you.”

“Ah,” Jeonghan laughed with understanding. “No, they’re so elated to be grandparents, they could care less about me.”

“Got it,” you nodded. “Oh, aha!” you exclaimed when you finally found the document that you were looking for. You pulled it out and handed it to Jeonghan triumphantly.

“Thanks,” he smiled gratefully at you, thumbing through it. “Oh, actually, I did think of you this weekend though.”

“Oh?” you asked. You were surprised to hear that.

“Your little Pokemon.”

You nodded.

“I learned that Eevee has eight evolutions total, but you only have six?”

You nodded again. He was asking a question, but you weren’t totally sure what it was.

“Is there a reason you’re missing two? Are they hard to find or…?”

“Ah,” you nodded, feeling suddenly shy. “I only buy them to celebrate milestones. I have two more major milestones that I’d like to achieve, so I’ll buy the last two evolutions when that happens.”

Jeonghan felt an inexplicable tug in his chest. That was a much more meaningful answer than he’d expected. You waved before returning to your office and he was left wondering what you considered to be the next two major goals in your life. He felt sure that making partner was one of them, but he was at a loss for the other one. Starting your own firm? Becoming a judge?

Harris sat in his office, eyes closed and lips squeezed together in an effort not to burst out laughing. He could hear Maja in Peter’s office next door, giving him the dressing down of a lifetime. He jotted down a note as he eavesdropped. There had to be a relatively painless way of digitizing those files, right?

Maja returned to her desk after, once again, making her case for the files in the Law Library to be converted to digital. Peter could even keep his stupid nook, but she really needed to be able to utilize the ‘Ctrl + F’ function if he wanted to retain her on the team. Her workload had nearly doubled with the addition of supporting Jeonghan since the merger. The only way she was able to manage it was really due to your competencies. You both were organized and dedicated, which made her job easier in many ways.

…

Jeonghan’s brow furrowed when he looked up to see you, once again, absorbed in your phone. Someone had been texting you non-stop when you should have been working with him on the last minute appeal.

“Can you focus please?” he was surprised at how whiny he sounded when he asked.

“Sorry!” your face contorted apologetically as you pulled your attention from your phone.

Jeonghan rubbed his face with his hands. It wasn’t so much that you were on your phone, but rather the fact that you were clearly agitated by whatever you were reading on it.

“It’s-,” you cut yourself off before you could overshare. Flynn was upset that you needed to work late and you were tired of having to defend your career to him again and again.

“What is it?” Jeonghan asked. He would tell himself it was in the interest of getting back on task, but he was personally curious as well.

“Um,” you hemmed as you decided how much you wanted to share.

“It’s clearly upsetting you, whatever it is.”

“This guy I’ve been seeing. He’s upset at all the hours I’ve been working lately.”

Jeonghan’s eyebrows pinched together, clearly unimpressed.

“He’s a dermatologist, so his schedule is very regular. It’s hard for him to understand the demands of law, I guess,” you tried to justify it, but even as you spoke, you knew it was half hearted.

“Hm.”

It was just a single syllable and not even a real word, but it hung in the air with surprising weight before he spoke again.

“He doesn’t need to understand in order to be respectful. You excel at what you do and your career is a priority to you.”

You were taken aback. You’d never really second guessed the importance of your work, despite Flynn’s increasingly frequent episodes of frustration, but the way Jeonghan spoke so easily and surely about the matter gave you pause. For just a moment, you wondered whether you should reconsider Maja’s suggestion of dating a lawyer.

“I don’t see you with someone so insecure anyways,” Jeonghan sniffed. It was a scathing review of Flynn and also felt like a challenge to you to do better.

…

“YN! Jeonghan!” Professor Vance greeted you both with an impossibly wide grin before folding you into a big group hug.

“Hi Professor Vance!” you beamed as you felt yourself be squeezed into Jeonghan’s side. Professor Vance was in her late fifties, but she hugged like a bodybuilder in her late twenties.

“Hi Professor Vance,” Jeonghan laughed over her shoulder.

“Oh look at you two! You’ve grown up so well!” she tittered happily as she led you through the doorway.

You and Jeonghan seated yourself on the crushed velvet sofa in her office. You let out a surprised squeak when you sank into an enormous divot in the center, flush against each other. She’d had this thing since before you were both in law school and its age was starting to show.

“Sorry,” Jeonghan coughed as he struggled up onto his feet. You were so warm and soft against him.

“I’m so happy that you both agreed to mentor for this year’s Mock Trial!” Professor Vance clapped her hands together as she took her seat behind her desk. “The students last time gave such positive feedback. Even as opposing counsel, you two tend to be compatible,” she joked, eyes twinkling.

You and Jeonghan shared a glance.

“What is your availability to prep with the students this year? The date we set for the Mock Trial is in five months. Last time around we asked for bi-weekly meetings with the mentors for three months before the actual mock trial. Can you commit to the same amount of time again this year?”

You did the math quickly in your head. You estimated a total of seven meetings plus the Mock Trial itself, which was reasonable.

“Yes, I can,” Jeonghan answered. “I can probably be available for more, honestly, if needed.”

“Me too,” you nodded. You wanted to be sure that the students on both teams would get an equivalent amount of exposure.

“Wonderful! Would you prefer digital or physical copies of the case materials?”

“Both please,” you both answered at the same time.

Professor Vance nodded, a knowing smile gracing her lips for a mere moment. She still had fond memories of having you both in her class and it was fun for her to be able to interact with you in this way now. While not professional at all, she’d always wondered about your compatibility with each other. She had met her own partner in law school and she’d always seen a healthy competitiveness in your interactions with Jeonghan that mirrored her own relationship in some ways.

“Alright, here you are!” She returned from the printer with two warm stacks of paper. “Any preference for Plaintiff versus Defendant?”

“Flip a coin,” Jeonghan shrugged and you agreed.

“I don’t have any coins,” she laughed before handing you each a packet without checking the contents. “Should we follow up in a month to finalize meeting schedules? We can work around your availability.”

“That sounds good,” you nodded, standing up from the sofa. “It was so great to see you,” you beamed again at the older woman.

“Great to see you,” she agreed before shooing you out of her office.

“Are you hungry?” Jeonghan asked as you walked down the stairs.

“I could eat,” you nodded, amenable to the idea.

“Okay. Any preference? Otherwise I have a place in mind.”

“Go nuts,” you shrugged, itching to start reviewing your packet.

Jeonghan nodded, pulling the car out of the visitor parking lot. It had been a while since you’d been on campus and you couldn’t help but laugh about the unlawful pedestrian behavior, even though you’d both been guilty of the same yourselves.

“No peeking,” you held your hand up jokingly at Jeonghan as you pulled your mock trial packet out of its manila envelope.

“I have integrity,” he sniffed at you even though he had been planning to steal a glance or two.

“Oh and when exactly did you acquire that?” you quipped playfully.

Jeonghan surprised you by looking sheepish.

“Oh come on, I wasn’t that bad in school, was I?” he couldn’t help but ask.

You thought for a moment, trying to bring up an accurate recollection of Jeonghan in college. He had rounded out around the edges significantly, so it was difficult not to conflate the current version of him with the past.

“You were,” you finally sighed, “But I’ll say this. I was too! We were intolerable! It’s no wonder neither of us really had any friends.”

Jeonghan chuckled. This was true. He wouldn’t have considered you friends, but you’d spent a significant amount of time together because you just didn’t have anyone else to spend it with.

“We’re both a little different, huh?”

“A little,” you nodded. “But what hasn’t changed is that I am still intent on whooping your ass in mock trial!”

Jeonghan let out a loud, genuine laugh. Of course you were. Dinner passed quickly with pleasant teasing, fond reminiscing, and good, genuine conversation. It felt good to get to know this Jeonghan. It felt good to let him get to know you too.

“That was yummy! Thanks for picking,” you remarked as you left the restaurant, zipping your coat all the way up to stave off the chill that had set in. “Next time I’ll pick,” you grinned goofily at him.

“Sure, next time,” Jeonghan had to keep himself from tripping over his words at the way you smiled at him.

“It’s chilly!”

Jeonghan nodded, responding with something that you didn’t hear because your eyes noticed something that he definitely couldn’t see. You took him by the wrist and pulled him into a small gap between buildings. You panicked. Maja and Harri had been walking together, heading towards you and so you pressed your hand over Jeonghan’s eyes, backing him against a wall.

“YN, what-,” Jeonghan’s confusion was clear in his voice.

“Hold on, please,” you floundered. There was no way to explain this situation, so you just held yourself impossibly close to him until they passed.

Heat prickled up Jeonghan’s neck as he allowed you to keep him pinned. He couldn’t see you, but he could feel you; feel the heat from your body seeping into him. He succeeded in keeping his breathing even as your smell filled his nostrils. His hands itched to move to your waist, but he was at least able to control that part of his body.

“Okay, s-sorry,” you stammered when you were finally able to pull away.

Jeonghan blinked until his vision returned to normal. In your preoccupation over Maja and Harrison, you hadn’t noticed the flush that had risen in his cheeks nor the way his pulse had quickened at the feel of you pressed against him. As he tried to force his thoughts together, he couldn’t even be bothered to ask what the hell had caused that.

It was a tense and quiet car ride back to the office. Your mind bubbled with questions for Maja about Harris. Jeonghan’s mind was flooded with thoughts of you.

…

“I shall now render my verdict,” Harris cleared his throat. “The court finds this contract legally binding. The defendant and plaintiff shall marry.”

“What?” Jeonghan’s brows furrowed.

“That's wonderful news!” Peter cheered from the witness stand.

Jeonghan looked around frantically as he tried to make sense of the scene. Harris and Peter seemed to melt away when his eyes landed on you, seated at the opposing bench.

“YN?” he was still confused, but a sense of calm had washed over him.

“Hi Jeonghan,” you approached him with a smile. “I suppose we have to get married.”

“What is Harris talking about?”

“Our marriage contingency contract,” you cocked your head at him, as if speaking to a child. “Don't you remember?”

Jeonghan shook his head again. He felt like he did. He felt like he didn’t.

“Here,” a sheet of paper materialized in your hands. “Legally binding, feel free to review.”

His eyes ran across the papers, taking in the words. The memory of this document came flooding back and he turned to you again.

“Aren't you upset about the ruling?”

“Oh? Why would I be upset? I'm the one who brought you to court. This is my desired outcome…”

Jeonghan woke with a start. He could still feel the sensation of your hand in his. In the dream, of course.

“That was fucking weird,” he shook his head furiously.

He got up and hopped in the shower, running it on the cool side in the hopes that it would snap him out of this weird dream funk. He was in the middle of drying his hair when the actual memory of presenting you with that contract snapped back to him.

He chuckled at his former self. He could now recall writing, rewriting, and re-rewriting that contract so that it was truly bulletproof. Why he had put so much effort into a fake document was beyond him. He'd so enjoyed getting a rise out of you back then that it had been more than worth it.

For a moment he wondered whether he still had the document, but then realized that he really needed to finish getting ready. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind for now.

“Morning Maja,” he greeted her on the way in. He had an intake meeting with a client today and needed to finish getting ready.

He had given some thought to the strange interaction he'd had with you the other day. His physical reaction to you had surprised him, but he figured he would've been surprised if anyone else had done that to him too! It was normal and he could be normal about it.

Really it would be weirder if he hadn't been flustered by it!

“Are you okay?” Maja’s voice shook him from his attempt to reassure himself. He’d been standing outside of his office door for five minutes now.

“Yeah sorry,” he coughed before stepping into his office and shutting the door behind himself.

Maja's brow wrinkled. She wasn't sure she'd ever heard Jeonghan apologize for no reason before.

“Morning Maja!” you greeted her sunnily about half an hour later.

“Morning,” she met your gaze with a brief nod before returning to her work.

You stepped into your office and narrowed your eyes at her through the blinds. After you’d seen her out with Harris, you’d waited anxiously for an update that never came. Towards the end of the week and throughout the weekend, you’d even sent occasional, lightly prodding texts and you had nothing to show for it. She was your best friend! You deserved to know the scoop!

You took a second or two longer to be indignant before starting on your work. You’d just been assigned a wrongful termination lawsuit and were eager to get after it! You had a client intake meeting scheduled in the afternoon, so the morning was dedicated to initial document review.

Jeonghan scowled at you through the window. Not that he was keeping tabs on you, but you kept walking up to your window and staring out through the blinds. Most of your face was obscured, so he couldn’t tell whether your eyes were twinkling with mischief or rage. Probably best to assume rage and be pleasantly surprised.

You thought furiously as you watched Harris move across the office. There hadn’t been all that much documentation to go through from the client, and so your mind had returned to the Maja and Harris problem. You’d done some light snooping through shared calendars and noticed a few lunchtime blocks that looked suspect. An idea popped into your head suddenly and you burst through the door into Peter’s office.

“Hey, are you busy?” you asked, even though he was staring into space with a Rubik’s cube in his hand.

“No, what’s up?”

“I was just thinking that I don’t know Harris very well, but I feel like I should get to know him better. Can you tell me maybe some stuff about him so I have some conversation starters?”

“Oh of course!” Peter clapped his hands together, the Rubik’s cube falling onto the carpeted ground. “Oops. What do you want to know?”

“Hm, what are his interests?” you start broadly. Your strategy was to chat with Harris in the hopes that he let something slip, so knowing what you could even talk to him about was a start.

“Oh! Let’s see, he enjoys golfing and skiing.”

You struggled not to roll your eyes. Between him and Jeonghan, you weren’t sure who would win ‘least interesting interests’. What was the draw for Maja? Maybe you should’ve been actively working to split them up.

“Hmm, oh! It’s maybe a little out there, but he makes pet beds for the local shelter?”

“What?” you almost yelled. Now this made sense as a selling point for Maja. “That’s so cute, what the hell?”

“Isn’t it?” Peter gushed. You had always been grateful that Peter knew how to be unserious when the situation called for it.

Jeonghan’s brow furrowed as he overheard you and Peter tittering about something. For a managing partner, Peter could be quite goofy. Jeonghan had a sudden flashback to the day you’d asked him about Harris’ perspective on dating policy. He shook his head. No, there was no way. You’d said you were seeing someone else.

“Oh my gosh, yes. It is so cute, you should definitely ask him about it.”

“Oh I absolutely will,” you nodded excitedly. That was the perfect conversation starter. Fun and personal in a way that could open the door to other, more personal questions. “Anything else?”

“Oh also his hometown! He goes to visit often.”

Of course! You'd overheard Maja and Harris when you'd gone to visit Yiayia. Why hadn't you thought of that sooner? That was a perfect segue to bring Maja into a conversation with Harris.

“You're a genius, I'm obsessed with you,” you thanked Peter before practically bouncing back to your office.

…

Jeonghan’s jaw was tense. He’d been watching you talk to Harris for probably fifteen minutes and he could not, for the life of him, figure out why you were smiling so much. He’d worked with Harris for four years and could barely remember a single time when he had made Jeonghan laugh. Whatever he was sharing with you or you were sharing with him seemed to be endlessly entertaining, though.

Maja failed to hold in a grin as she watched Jeonghan watch you. She’d also noticed you talking to Harris for an atypically long time. Unlike Jeonghan, she could recognize it for what it was: snooping. Maja did feel a little guilty about not updating you on the status of things with Harris, but for now it was something that she just needed to keep to herself.

“You good?” she finally asked.

“Oh, what? Yeah,” Jeonghan sputtered and coughed, completely caught off guard.

“Okay, you looked like you were able to burst a blood vessel,” she couldn’t help but tease.

“I’m fine,” he dusted himself off needlessly, but lingered.

“She’s good, huh?” Maja gestured towards you. Jeonghan made a face, indicating he wasn’t quite sure what she was referring to. “YN. She’s very good at connecting with people.”

“Ah,” Jeonghan nodded, considering this for a moment. “She was like that in college too.”

“Oh I always forget that you two went to school together. How was that?”

“It was…,” Jeonghan struggled to find words that felt adequate. “Frustrating. Hard. Fun.”

Maja’s eyebrows raised. She had looked back at him during his long pause and she was surprised at the way his expression changed and softened as he tried to describe his time with you. She wondered if he realized it. She was sure that you didn’t.

…

You smiled as you watched Jeonghan coach the students. It was interesting to see him outside of his normal comfort zone and it surprised you at how gentle he could be when functioning in a mentor capacity.

“YN? What do you think about this argument?” one of the students asked, pointing to a slew of bullet points in their notebook.

“Let me see!” you smiled, eyes scanning the page. “This is awesome!”

You were so impressed by the students participating in this year’s mock trial. This was only your second meeting with them and they had already developed solid arguments with sufficient supporting articles. You reviewed more of the students' arguments and gave feedback about potential rebuttals. As you were running out of time, you asked the students to think through those in preparation for your next meeting. When you looked back up, Jeonghan’s eyes were on you. 

He was surprised when you met his gaze. Even though he was a lawyer who was paid to keep his cool, it still felt embarrassing to be caught staring. He let himself believe that he didn’t let it show. True to form, you didn’t break eye contact either and the stare grew tense, laden. It sent a thrill through you that surprised you.

“Okay, thank you for your time!” the students piped up, starting to pack their bags. “We’ll see you in two weeks?”

“Yes!” you beamed, standing to gather your things as well. How long had you been looking at him? You hoped it hadn’t been noticeable.

“Those two need to fuck,” one of the students commented once they were outside of the law building and well out of earshot. The rest of the students chuckled in agreement.

…

“Dinner?” Jeonghan suggested as you crossed the quad towards the parking lot. “If you’re free.” he added, remembering that it was a Friday, after all.

“I am free,” you nodded, “But whether I want to have dinner with you is another question,” you shot him a cheeky grin.

Jeonghan’s eyebrow raised, tongue pressing against his cheek as he looked you over. You were so terribly annoying. He smiled at the way you pretended to consider before nodding.

“I could eat. And I said I’d pick this time, right?”

“Yes.” Jeonghan looked down at you. His hair had grown longer in the past month and it was starting to fall into his eyes.

“Hmm,” you went through a mental rolodex of restaurants that you liked. “Have you been to Krazy Bao?”

“No.” 

“Are you a sushi purist?”

“...no? What does that even mean?”

“Great!” you clapped your hands together excitedly. “Oh wait, we drove separately. Want me to text you the address?”

Jeonghan nodded. You had recently exchanged personal phone numbers, but had yet to need them. Between seeing each other nearly every day at the office and these mock trial meetings, everything you had to say to each other could easily be done in person. His phone pinged and he pulled it out before shooting you a thumbs up.

“Okay, beat you there!” you waved over your head as you walked to your car. You were starving.

“So these are like…sushi balls?” Jeonghan tried to make sense of the menu.

“Yes, but they’re also filled. So they’re onigiri inspired as well.”

“Huh,” he nodded. It wasn’t traditional, but they did look pretty tasty. “What’s your favorite?”

“Depends on my mood, but usually the tuna and the krab ones are my favorite.”

He nodded again, zeroing in on the eel, which looked interesting. You waffled about what to choose until the server arrived, forcing you to make a decision.

“So what do you think of your team this year?” you asked after they left.

“Really impressed. You?”

“Me too! I don’t know about your team, but my students are so prepared! I’m not even sure we took it this seriously when we did it?”

Jeonghan laughed, taking a sip of his tea. He disagreed about that. He remembered both of you acting as if mock trials were life or death ordeals.

“But yes, so so impressed. As a mentor, I’m sure I shouldn’t be saying this, but sorry to you and your team and prepare to eat shit.”

“Oh really?” Jeonghan raised an eyebrow at you coolly as your server returned with cocktails. “I’m not sure what set of evidence Professor Vance gave you, but we got this in the bag.”

He leaned back, crossed his arms, and gave you a once over that made you feel tiny and indignant. Your mind raced for a moment, reviewing the evidence in your mind before you realized what was happening. He was playing mind games and he had succeeded in getting under your skin. He chuckled as he watched the realization settle across your brow.

“Ha ha, very funny,” you stuck your tongue out at him. “You always did enjoy annoying me.”

“It’s still fun to get under your skin,” he admitted, taking a sip of his cocktail.

You squinted at him.

“What have you been doing for fun lately?” you asked after a short silence.

Jeonghan paused for a moment. He was really drawing a blank.

“Nothing?” you looked aghast when he wasn’t able to answer.

“Do you have time for fun?” he marveled. You worked just as much as he did.

“I…,” you had managed to give yourself pause.

“See? You're a workaholic too! I’m willing to bet that you don’t have any hobbies.”

“You said you snowboard, right?” you were scrambling for something. Anything. “And I…I bake!”

Jeonghan’s left brow raised in disbelief.

“I know how to bake.” you corrected yourself.

“The demands of an associate trying to make partner are crazy. It’s futile to try and have a life outside of that.”

You furrowed your brows at him. Why did it feel like you’d had this conversation with him before? The server interrupted your thoughts with your food and you were happy to set them aside.

“What did you think?”

“It was good. I would come back here,” Jeonghan nodded and you preened.

You filled the silence with occasional comments as you walked towards the parking lot where you’d left your cars. You were caught off guard when Jeonghan stopped, putting several paces between you before you noticed.

“Oh. I know where we are!” he stated. “There’s a nice bar like a block that way,” he pointed down the crossroad.

“Oh? Wine bar? Cocktails? Whiskey?” you found yourself asking.

“You wanna go?” he asked. He didn’t want the night to end just yet.

“Oh…yes? We might have to pay for more parking though,” you thought out loud.

“I’ll go put more change in the meters. We probably only have to pay for like thirty more minutes. The place is called Bar Argos. Save me a seat,” Jeonghan pointed towards it again before he set off to top off the meters.

You found the place with no trouble, but your jaw dropped when you walked in. Bar Argos was located in a refurbished historic building and the inside was absolutely incredible. The walls were painted a rich, dark green and were teeming with artwork in beautiful frames. The shelves were adorned with books and plants with tendrils that curled towards the ground. Once you had finished gawking, you snagged two stools at the bar where you were presented with a menu.

“Have you been here before?” an unfamiliar voice asked over your shoulder.

“No, I haven’t,” you shook your head, turning to face the speaker.

“Would you care for a recommendation?” the young man smiled at you.

“I would!” you nodded.

He settled in next to you, asking you questions about what you liked to drink. You were still conversing animatedly with him when Jeonghan entered. He scowled immediately at the proximity of this stranger and also saw an opportunity to mess with you.

“Sorry that took so long,” he interrupted the conversation smoothly, positioning himself tightly behind you, resting his arm on the bar. “Hello,” he greeted the other man coolly.

“Oh, hello? Are you-?” the man gestured between you and Jeonghan.

“Yes, she’s taken.”

You balked. You were not!

“Are you?” the man followed up with you directly.

Jeonghan let out a puff of laughter, a derisive scoff, which tickled the hair on your head and zipped down your spine. You coughed at the stranger, allowing him to draw his own conclusion.

“What the hell, Jeonghan?” you demanded as the other man made himself scarce.

“You shouldn’t be flirting with other people,” he tsked at you.

“We’re not together!” you hissed at him. You had wanted to shout, but the bar was too quiet for that.

“You are taken, though,” he looked down at you.

You were quiet. You hadn't shared with Jeonghan that you'd broken up with Flynn weeks ago. Part of it was because it wasn't his business. Part of it was because you didn't want him to presume that it was due to his opinion of Flynn. As if you held his opinion in such high regard!

“What do you want?” he asked, finally moving into the seat next to you. He'd been standing behind you for so long that a shiver ran down your back at the cool of his absence.

“Ah,” you shook yourself to attention. “I thought the absinthe looked interesting. I've never seen it offered anywhere else.”

“For all the times I've been here, I've never tried it,” Jeonghan’s eyebrows raised with interest. “Let's do it!”

You and Jeonghan promptly learned that drinking absinthe was quite a time consuming ordeal. It involved placing a sugar cube on a special spoon and letting water drip, slowly dissolving the sugar into the absinthe.

“Have you ever considered teaching?” you asked as you watched the ripples skip across the surface of the absinthe.

“Law?”

“No, cooking,” you rolled your eyes.

“Why are you asking this? So I'll leave the firm and you’re assured partnership?”

You coughed with surprise. That hadn't even crossed your mind but it was an excellent bonus perk!

“Another pro for the pro column,” you joked. “No, you just seem good at it. Don't get me wrong, you're great in the courtroom for sure, but you're surprisingly constructive and encouraging with the students. I just wondered.”

Jeonghan glanced over at you. The dual-wielded compliment caught him off guard. He had been enjoying mentoring an unexpected amount, but he was surprised that you'd noticed.

“Thanks,” he finally responded. “I have been enjoying it a lot, but I’m not sure I’m cut out to fully teach. I still have a short fuse for nonsense, after all,” he laughed.

You laughed, watching as the last shards of sugar dissolved into the absinthe. What had started out as a bright green liquid had turned a cloudy chartreuse and you regarded it with curiosity.

“Anise,” you wrinkled your nose after catching the scent.

“Very,” Jeonghan nodded.

You tipped your glasses together before taking a sip. Your expression moved into one of pleasant surprise while Jeonghan’s pinched together with displeasure.

“No good?” you asked. “I kind of like it!”

“It's…odd.”

It was odd. Herbal and sweetly spiced, the absinthe warmed you from the inside out. You felt like you were drinking a potion.

“I’m not sure this is for me,” Jeonghan declared, smacking his lips after another taste. He continued to sip on the beverage anyways.

“How's your sister doing?” you asked, recalling your conversation from weeks ago.

“Good!”

His sister and her family had been in town to visit last weekend and he had enjoyed seeing his niece again. Though just over five years old, she was already quite a spitfire with a lot of very interesting opinions. Seeing her again had reminded him of your milestone Pokemon again.

“Can I ask you about your Pokemon again?”

“Oh sure?” you smiled at him.

“What are the last two milestones that you’re hoping to achieve?”

You blinked. The question was personal and direct. You regarded Jeonghan for a moment or two before answering. You two shared some semblance of friendship now, it shouldn't be too weird to share with him, right?

“Making partner and getting married.” Your skin prickled. You’d been wrong, it did feel weird to share this with him.

“Ah,” Jeonghan nodded. He was surprised at the way he felt flustered by your answer. “Well, you're well on your way to both, right?”

You gave him a look of confusion.

“I mean, you're clearly on your way to making partner and you've been seeing…that person.” Jeonghan omitted his opinion that they still didn't deserve you.

“Ah,” the sound you let out was viscerally awkward. “We broke up.”

Jeonghan’s hand stilled over his glass and his eyebrows raised with surprise.

“And on the matter of partner,” you barreled through your strange confession, “We’ll see. I still see you as my number one threat.”

You thought about slapping your hand over your mouth. Absinthe had clearly been a mistake. Or you'd at least tell yourself that.

Jeonghan smirked, fingertips now resting against the rim of his glass. The two revelations back to back felt like a sucker punch. You were single. You'd been flirting with that man earlier because you'd wanted to. You still saw him as an adversary.

“I think that's fair,” he nodded as you watched him carefully, “I am a threat.”

Jeonghan regretted his words immediately. He liked to think he was self aware, knew how to keep a lid on the pettier side of himself, so it did surprise him when it reared, crept up and spoke for him.

You blinked. You were surprised that you were surprised. This was the Jeonghan that you knew, after all, but you'd fallen into a false sense of camaraderie and for that you chided yourself.

…

Jeonghan rubbed his hands over his face as he tossed around in bed later. He’d tried not to dwell on the conversation from earlier and failed. After spending some time kicking himself for his needlessly stupid response his mind turned to the topic of you and marriage. It reminded him, again, of the contract he’d dreamt about. He could remember signing it, but honestly wasn’t sure whether it was just a figment of his own imagination.

He spent the next morning rifling through his home office without success. On his way to work, he wondered whether you remembered it, but after last night he had little confidence that he could ask about it in a way that wasn’t wholly humiliating.

…

Your fingertips tapped against the desk with irritation as you reviewed additional documents from your wrongful termination suit. You’d met with your client a few more times and the more she had shared, the more livid you’d become. This workplace seemed to be mired in racism and classism and you now had a totally professional and not personal vendetta against them. There was a half-formed idea in your brain to pay them a visit, undercover, to see whether you observed the same behaviors yourself, but they were a wedding venue so you probably couldn’t just show up alone.

“Maja,” you stepped out of your office, “I need help.”

“What’s up?”

“Who would make a believable fake fiance for me? I want to visit the defendant in that wrongful termination suit, but I need to show up as a couple so it doesn’t come across as weird.”

“Ah,” Maja nodded, eyebrows raising with surprise.

It had been quite some time since you’d pulled one of your undercover visits. It was usually a good sign for your clients when you were that invested, but it certainly wasn’t without risks.

“What about Kevin?” you wondered aloud. He was a few years your junior and was amiable enough to let you take the lead on most things, which would allow you to steer the visit however you wished.

“Kevin?” Maja’s face wrinkled with disapproval. She counted him among the more feeble minded attorneys. Milquetoast, in fact, and not ever a suitable counterpart to you. “Absolutely not.”

Jeonghan chuckled at Maja’s expression as he walked by. Whatever you were discussing was clearly not up to snuff.

“Jeonghan, what do you think?” Maja surprised you both by roping him into the conversation.

“About?” he paused, turning to face you.

“Who do you think can pass as a fake fiance for YN?” she asked. Maja had a feeling she knew his answer, but she was curious whether he would say it to you out loud.

“Fiance?” Jeonghan echoed. Your mind was a mystery to him.

“It’s for a case,” you clarified. “Wrongful term and I’m curious to observe the environment myself.”

Jeonghan nodded and turned his eyes towards his colleagues. Even though he’d gone through this mental exercise already and knew that no one was suitable, he pretended to consider the other attorneys in relation to you.

“No one seems right,” he shrugged.

“Not even Kevin?” Maja pried.

“Especially not Kevin,” Jeonghan looked at you as if you’d grown a second head.

You frowned, crossing your arms. Maja and Jeonghan taking the same side against you was certainly new.

“What about me?” Jeonghan offered himself up.

“What about you?” you asked as Maja lit up with delight.

“I’ll go with you. We know each other well, I could pull off fake fiance.”

“You did go to school together,” Maja nodded, “And you’re both doing that mock trial thing. You’re probably closer than any of the other attorneys here.”

You considered her points and determined that they were valid. You gave Jeonghan a once over before reluctantly agreeing. It was a pinch, so he would have to do.

…

You let out a small puff of disbelief as your eyes landed on Jeonghan. You had never really seen him in ‘day off’ clothes before and you were surprised at how handsome he looked. His hair was down and fell slightly into his face. Without planning it, you’d both worn oversized cardigans and jeans. A happy accident as it made you look like a coordinated couple.

“Morning,” he blinked at you as if still waking up. “Do you want to drive? Or me?”

“I don’t mind driving,” you shrugged, pointing towards your car. The whole ordeal was your idea to begin with.

“Sounds good,” he nodded, hair falling into his eyes.

“Do you need coffee?” you asked as you buckled your seatbelt.

“Yes, your treat since I’m doing you a favor.”

“You offered! I was going to ask Kevin!”

“You're lucky I did. Do you think anyone would believe that you and Kevin have anything other than a professional relationship?”

You pressed your lips together. While you didn’t disagree with Jeonghan, this also left a dangling implication that you and he shared something that did pass as more than professional. You shook your head. You needed to get along today and coffee was a small price to pay.

“Okay, deal,” you shrugged as you pulled out of the parking lot. There was a coffee shop on the way to the destination, so you’d make a stop there.

“What do you want?” you asked, standing a typical distance from him.

Jeonghan clicked his tongue with disapproval before looping his arm through yours and pulling you against his side.

“Black coffee,” he grinned, smug.

You cleared your throat as you placed your order. It wasn’t unpleasant, just a surprise.

“Oh, before I forget,” Jeonghan dug through his pockets as you waited. “Here.”

He fished out two rings, placing the band on his ring finger before handing the other to you.

“Oh my god, I didn't even think-, thank you,” your eyes widened.

Jeonghan grinned, more than pleased with himself. You slid the ring onto your left hand, surprised that it was a decent fit. Maybe half a size too big, but better than you would've done.

“Kevin would not have remembered rings.”

You rolled your eyes. What would it take for him to let this Kevin thing go?

“So what's our story again? They're a wedding business of some sort?”

You nodded before filling in the details. They were an upscale wedding venue and your client was suing for wrongful termination. She alleged that they had a history of selecting clients based on discriminatory criteria, such as appearance or race.

“Oh. Shitty,” Jeonghan’s nose wrinkled as you returned to the car.

“Very. So we're engaged and checking out the venue, but also snooping.”

“Okay, got it. Do we have a backstory that we're sticking to?”

“I figured we'd just say we met in law school. It's true enough…,” you shrugged. You hadn't actually put that much thought into it.

Jeonghan nodded.

“Hello, good morning!” The receptionist greeted you sunnily as you entered.

“Good morning,” you smiled at the double greeting.

“Mr. and Mrs. Yoon-to-be, I presume?”

“Yes!” you smiled, tucking your arm into Jeonghan’s as he blinked. 

“Wonderful! Congratulations on the pending nuptials. Please follow me,” she gestured down a hallway.

As you followed, Jeonghan wondered why ‘Mr. and Mrs. Yoon’ had thrown him for such a loop.

“Please wait here, Delia will be in shortly to walk you through the property.”

“Thank you!”

“This place is crazy,” Jeonghan remarked as he wandered around the office. You had to agree. It reeked of opulence.

“Would you get married here? I'm not sure it's my style.”

“I don't care about the venue. I'm marrying the person, not the place,” he answered seriously.

“Mr. and Mrs. Yoon!” a woman, presumably Delia, burst into the room shortly after that. “Or do you prefer to be called by your maiden name, still?” she clarified with you.

“Mrs. Yoon is fine,” you smiled at her.

Jeonghan felt warm under his cardigan. Mrs. Yoon this and Mrs. Yoon that.

“Wonderful! Well thank you so much for your patience. Let's get started with our tour!”

You held in a chuckle. She was so bubbly. You snuck a glance at Jeonghan but he was distracted by something or the other. You slipped your hand back into his to catch his attention as you listened to the wide array of amenities the venue had to offer. In-house florists, catering, and music were just a few of the laundry list of items that Delia highlighted.

“So how did you two meet?” she inevitably asked.

“We went to law school together,” you smiled, looking towards Jeonghan for good measure.

“Ah! Was it love at first sight? Did you develop feelings during a partner project? Tell me all about it!”

“It certainly wasn't love at first sight,” Jeonghan laughed.

“No,” you chuckled in agreement.

“We were rivals, you could say,” Jeonghan continued. “She was such a pain in my ass for so many reasons, but at the end of the day those are also the things that make her great.”

Your eyebrows had disappeared into your hairline and you were doing your best to keep your jaw off the ground. You had to commend Jeonghan, he really was good at making shit up.

“At one point we even signed a contract agreeing to marry each other if we were both single at thirty. Luckily we had some realizations before it came to that, though.”

You stopped so suddenly that Jeonghan nearly walked into you. His hands moved around your waist to keep you moving at Delia’s pace. 

“Oh my god!” Delia squealed with delight. “Rivals to lovers, that's like something out of a movie!”

Jeonghan watched you from the corner of his eye. You seemed a little flustered, but he wondered if this was just wishful thinking.

“Did you have feelings for him when you signed the contract? I mean why would you sign it otherwise!”  Delia asked, the tour becoming an afterthought at this point.

“I-um,” you stammered. You struggled to form your thoughts. “I never disliked him, even though it might've seemed that way. Even though he was annoying in many regards, I respected him at least. That’s more than I could’ve said for some of our other classmates.”

Jeonghan looked at you with interest, the corners of his lips curled up into a soft smile.

“I guess…,” your eyebrows furrowed. You were just processing out loud now. “I guess some part of me felt that it would be okay if I did end up with him. We share a lot of values…we have things in common.”

You couldn't bring yourself to look at Jeonghan. You briefly considered jumping off of the second story balcony.

“Oh my god, I am trying not to scream,” Delia’s expression was pinched as she gathered herself to continue the tour. She led you through a set of french doors into the gardens.

Jeonghan was trying to keep a lid on his thoughts. He had wanted to gauge your reaction to the mention of the contract, but now he couldn't tell if you'd just decided to commit really hard to the bit.

“Here are our gardens! As you may know, we specialize in centifolia roses, or cabbage roses.”

“Jeonghan!” you made a beeline for the shrubs, pulling a large bloom towards you. “These are huge!” you remarked, turning to show Jeonghan.

He laughed as he watched you hold the rose up to your head for comparison. You were being so painfully adorable.

Delia watched you two contentedly. She let you and Jeonghan wander around the rose garden until you were satisfied.

“We also have a suite of hotel rooms on premise for the wedding party.”

“Oh that is convenient,” you nodded up at Jeonghan. You were fully immersed.

“Yes,” he smiled at you. He had an errant thought that there wasn’t much he’d say no to when it came to you. The way that cabbage rose had made you smile would’ve made anything else worth whatever the ridiculous cost.

You grinned back up at him. For a moment, you two just held each other’s gaze. A light breeze scattered Jeonghan’s bangs into his eyes. You reached up to push them aside so he could see again. As you pulled your arm back, Jeonghan caught you by the hand and placed a soft, open-mouthed kiss on the inside of your wrist.

You blinked. Your heart raced at the intimate touch.

“Oh you two are so sweet it makes me want to lie down in oncoming traffic!”

“What?!” you let out a laugh that was half cough.

“The way you look at each other. I can tell that you care about each other deeply. We can be somewhat selective about the clients we take on, but safe to say that you meet the expectations.”

“Oh, sorry?” your and Jeonghan’s ears pricked to attention.

“Yes! Weddings here are very coveted and exclusive, so we have to be quite choosy about who makes the cut. We have a reputation to keep up, after all!”

“Oh? Tell us more please!” you smiled, patting Jeonghan’s hand excitedly. He gripped your fingers in response.

“Well…I’m not supposed to share this, but I’m also so obsessed with you two,” Delia’s eyes glanced around conspiratorially. “We are very…considerate of our branding. There are…certain demographics and lifestyles that just aren’t compatible with the brand, so we steer clear. But you two…attractive, beautiful lawyers with a compelling story, we would be honored to work with you on your special day!”

You smiled and nodded in agreement, but there was something about the way Delia said ‘demographics’ and ‘lifestyles’ that seemed…consistent with what your client had shared with you. You decided to play dumb.

“Sorry what does that mean?” you asked. Widening your eyes in a way you hoped looked slightly confused and innocent.

“Well, you know,” Delia tried to clarify gingerly, “Like…lower income. Or, um…same sex, couples. I don’t agree, of course! But that is our kind of unwritten rule.”

“Of course, we understand,” Jeonghan spoke after realizing you were deep in furious thought. “Thank you so much for showing us around! What’s the process for following up and seeing which dates are available?”

“Of course!” Delia smiled brightly at him. She led you back to one of the front offices and assembled a packet of handouts and pamphlets with further instructions before seeing you out.

“Thank you very much!” you waved at her as you left.

“Wow that’s…something,” Jeonghan blinked once you were safely out of earshot.

“I fucking hate the wedding industry,” you grumbled as you let yourself into the car. “Bunch of bullshit.”

“I thought you wanted to get married.”

“I do, but I’m not getting married for the material things. I’d get married because we love each other!”

Jeonghan’s lips curled into a smile. It was irrational, but he allowed himself to enjoy the way you’d said ‘we’.

It was quiet as you drove, which allowed you to think. You’d pushed it aside for a moment, but your mind now returned to the contract Jeonghan had mentioned. Honestly you'd forgotten about it, but as soon as he'd mentioned it the memory had snapped back into clear focus. At the time, the explanation for why you’d signed it had been simple: you’d let yourself be goaded by Jeonghan. He had always been good at getting under your skin. Now when you thought about it, you were surprised to feel that what you’d told Delia felt true. It wouldn’t be the end of the world to end up with Jeonghan.

“Are you hungry?” you turned to Jeonghan, feeling the start of a pang of emptiness in your stomach.

“I could eat,” he shrugged.

“Okay, I’m getting so hungry,” you nodded, “Can you see what’s close? Anything will do.”

Jeonghan nodded, fingertips tapping his phone screen quickly. He gave you directions to what looked like a tin shed.

“It said it was barbeque,” he offered as explanation and you laughed. You had said anything would do.

“I will eat you if we don’t get some food soon,” you muttered under your breath as you got out of the car.

“Howdy, y’all!” a short, curvy hostess greeted you with a smile, “Just the two of you today?”

You nodded before shooting Jeonghan a look. This seemed to be a Hooters style establishment with a southern theme. You struggled to hold in a laugh as you were ushered to a booth.

“Can I get you started with anything to drink?” the hostess asked while making googly eyes at Jeonghan.

“I’ll have a coke and my wife…,” he gestured towards you to order. You pretended not to notice the waitress’ crestfallen look as you asked for a lemonade.

“No ice,” he clarified for you before the server had a chance to leave.

“You’re really leaning into this, huh?” you remarked, surprised that he’d remembered your aversion to ice.

“I prefer not to be solicited by my server,” Jeonghan leaned back. Whether he actually liked pretending to be engaged or married to you was his business for now. “It feels okay to be with you,” his smile was now teasing.

“Oh god,” you groaned, lifting your menu to block his mischievous gaze. He was quoting you.

“If I didn’t know you any better, I might think you liked me.”

“I did like you,” you blurted without thinking, “Wait, no,” you clarified. “I mean that I meant what I said to Delia. Even though you annoyed me, I respected you and admired you.”

Jeonghan wanted to ask whether you’d meant the other part of your statement to Delia too.

“And now?” he asked instead, “That was past tense.”

“I respect and admire you now, too,” you laughed, rolling your eyes. He was fishing, but you were happy to give him the compliment anyways.

Jeonghan grinned at you in an easy way that made your heart flip flop.

“Stop that,” you had to look away.

“Stop what?” he waggled his eyebrows at you playfully, grin still plastered across his face.

You weren't able to meet his gaze for a few more minutes, which pleased him inordinately. Were you losing your mind?

back to index | chapter 3

[seungkwansphd]

naughty cat of the week

pairing: jun x animal shelter staff!reader word count: 725 synopsis: jun loves checking the naughty & nice cat of the week updates at your animal shelter. occasionally a rogue opossum makes the rounds and he can't help but ask you about it. themes: s2l, cats & one mischievous opossum, meet cute...i think that's it?

a/n: valentines drabble for @love-strike i'm sorry this is SO LATE & i hope this doesn't suck & you enjoy it! thank you to @playmetheclassics for including me! not edited, lmk if you see typos & whatnot

“Oh mother- god damn!” you shouted, just barely managing not to drop the metal trap. “You again,” you frowned at the animal inside.

The two beady eyes that reflected back at you were those of an opossum and definitely not of the feral cat that you had hoped to trap and neuter. In fact, this opossum in particular had started to make a habit of getting “trapped” and eating all of the cat food before being discovered. You recognized him because of a distinctive notch in his left ear and also the smug, self satisfied opossum grin that you swore you could recognize anywhere.

“Will you freaking get out of here?” you pleaded with him as you released him. Perhaps next time you would drive him to a section of woods further away, but today you did not have the time.

Grumbling quietly to yourself, you went about resetting the TNR trap for a fourth time. You would get that big tomcat eventually!

…

Jun whistled contentedly as he walked home from the bus stop. Work had passed relatively uneventfully, but he was still looking forward to getting home. At the crosswalk, he took a right. This was technically a detour from the shortest path home, but it ensured that he would pass by the animal shelter. He’d always enjoyed checking out the cats and kittens through the window, but recently the staff had taken to announcing “Nice and Naughty Cat of the Week”. Jun had found himself immediately invested and he had made sure to take this route home every week since.

“Stupid. Freaking. Animal.” you grumbled under your breath as you placed the letters spelling 'Mr. O Possum' into the board under 'Naughty Cat of the Week'.

As it was the week of Valentine’s Day, the board was also adorned with pink and red cardboard hearts, but your mood didn’t quite match.

“Mr. Opossum again?” Jun found himself asking before he could help himself.

You jumped slightly, startled at the sudden appearance.

“That’s like the third time, right?”

“Yes,” you nodded, surprised that someone was keeping track of the weekly announcements. “Why do you know that?”

“Ah, that…,” Jun scratched his head sheepishly, giving you a once over. “I live nearby. I love the weekly Nice and Naughty Cat announcements, so I make sure to pass by on Mondays.”

You looked away, shy, as chest squeezed at his adorable explanation and boxy smile.

“Who’s the nice cat of the week?” Jun asked.

His eyes were so round with curiosity and it filled you with an overwhelming desire to kiss him on the mouth. Luckily you managed not to do that.

“Oh it’s Maxi!” you were excited to report, pulling out a picture of the white cat.

“Oh! Her ears?” Jun gasped, pointing at the C-shaped appendages on her head.

“Yes, she has curly ears! It’s a mutation that makes them look like that,” you gushed. “Would you like to see her in person?”

“Yes!” he nodded enthusiastically, allowing you to lead the way. You pointed to Maxi’s kennel where she looked up at you both curiously. Jun let out an adorable squeak as he crouched down to look at her more closely.

A warmth filled your chest as you watched him watch her, his chin resting on his fist. He was tall and small at the same time in a way that confused and intrigued you.

Jun tried to keep his cool as he felt your eyes on him. He’d been a little flustered to meet you, the person behind his precious updates, and to learn that you were cute in addition to funny.

“So what will become of Mr. Opossum?” he found himself asking as he stood.

“I released him, but I’m worried he’s going to come back!” you enthused. “If he comes back, I’ll have to figure out how to get him to the next town over or something.”

“Ah,” Jun nodded. “Well I’d be happy to help, if that’s the case.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, looking at you through the pieces of hair that had fallen into his eyes. “I can leave you my number?”

“S-sure,” you nodded.

“Great. I’ll keep my fingers crossed that Mr. Opossum makes another appearance on the naughty board,” he grinned. “Or maybe me?”

The nervous swallow that you swallowed was so painfully audible.

[seungkwansphd]

fighting fire

pairing: kihyun x reader wordcount: 6.7k summary: you’re more than happy to tag along on your friends’ lake trip when a spot opens up, but the host is out to get you. 8am hikes and full days of activities? no, you have a book to read! genre/themes: sunshine/grumpy, enemies to lovers(ish), smut-adjacent? (m&f solo masturbation), outdoors/camping themes, lots of starship cameos, mostly plot, acts of service kihyun.

a/n: welp all I want is romantic buildup these days. oh well @wavelikewhat​ i hope you enjoy!!! :D

    You groaned as the car continued to drive over the road to the cabin. You had been hoping to get some sleep on the way in, but no such luck. The location was deep in the woods with a single, unpaved road as the sole access. With every divot and rock that the vehicle bounced over, your prospects of sleep slipped even further through your fingers.

“How much longer until we’re there?” you asked of Shownu, who was driving.

“GPS says 20 more minutes?”

“So close yet so far,” you groaned, shifting to look out the window.

    As grumpy as you were about the drive, you had to admit it was beautiful out here. Dense woods surrounded a beautiful lake and the cabin was supposed to be right on the water. Jooheon had roped you into this trip at the last minute, after Naomi had had to cancel and you were glad for the opportunity but also not super looking forward to having to meet new people. You probably knew 4 people in total that were on the group trip. Jooheon and Shownu, of course, and Hyungwon and Dasom were among your close friends. Outside of that Jooheon had mentioned a few names that you recognized, but only barely.

“There it is, I can see it!” Jooheon started shouting excitedly as Shownu took a sudden right turn.

“Whoa,” you gaped appreciatively. You hadn’t really been sure what to expect from a cabin in the woods, but it far exceeded your imagination. It was constructed of a beautiful, dark wood with fine detailing and a large, brass weathervane and matching hardware. “It’s gorgeous.”

“I’m so glad we have rich friends,” Jooheon chuckled, hopping out of the passenger seat after Shownu had parked.

“Ahhhhh!” Shownu let out a loud yell in the general direction of the lake as he stretched.

“It smells great!” you smiled as you stretched your legs as well.

“I thought I heard Shownu,” Dasom waved delightedly as she ran down the stairs. “You made it!” she wrapped you into a hug before moving to greet the other boys. “Honey, you look big! Have you been working out?”

“Sure have,” Jooheon nodded proudly, flexing comically as Hyungwon finally emerged from the cabin as well.

“You made it,” he waved tiredly, looking as if he’d just woken from a nap.

“Is everyone else here already?” Jooheon asked as he walked towards the back of the car to unload bags.

“Yep, ”

“Ah, ok ok,” Jooheon nodded, loading Shownu up with the bulk of the luggage.

    You grabbed your own backpack and followed the group in through the front door. Dasom was moving to show you to your room when an impossibly smiley face popped into the hallway.

“Ah! You must be YN! So glad to meet you, drop your things off, we have a packed agenda!”

“A-ah, this is Kihyun,” Dasom filled in the gaps, seeing your blank face.

“Oh yes, sorry! I’m Kihyun, welcome to my family’s lake house!”

“Ah,” you nodded slowly, understanding this enthusiastic host personality a little better.

“So yes, please set your things down and we’ll get moving soon!”

“Can I…not?” you asked. “I’d rather just get some sleep here, if that’s okay?”

“Oh, um…” Kihyun’s face fell at your unexpected admission. “I guess that’s fine?”

“Awesome,” you gave him a half-hearted thumbs up before poking Dasom to show you your room.

    Kihyun’s lips pursed as he watched you walk away. It had been a long time since someone had turned down one of his vacation agendas. People always had a good time!

“I’m so tired!” you exhaled as you flopped down onto the bed.

“You sure you’ll be okay alone here?” Dasom chuckled as you rolled yourself up in blankets. “We might be gone for a while, Kihyun usually packs a pretty full day of activities.”

“Even better,” you rolled your eyes, “I’m a rest and relaxation type of person, so probably best to keep me away from him.”

“Oh, uh, haha, sure!” Dasom suddenly grew awkward.

“What?” you narrowed your eyes at her.

“Nothing!” she laughed, but you knew your friend better than that.

“Tell me or I’ll show Hyungwon the pictures of when you cut your own bangs in middle school,” you threatened. Not that it would achieve anything, Hyungwon liked Dasom simply too much.

“We actually thought you’d like Kihyun,” she finally admitted.

“That guy?” your eyes swiveled back and forth, trying to make the math math.

“You two are actually kind of similar, but whatever!” she laughed, “We can keep you apart, if that’s what you want.”

    You nodded shortly, waving her off to Kihyun’s activities. As you drifted into sleep, you found yourself thinking about this Kihyun. What kind of sick freak would torture everyone by not alloting the first night of a vacation to unwind and decompress?

…

“YN-ah?” Dasom knocked quietly on your door as she peeked in. You seemed to still be deep asleep, but she didn’t want you to miss dinner. “YN?” she called again, slightly loud and was relieved when you started to stir.

“Yea?” you turned to her, haired slightly fucked up on one side and eyes still puffy.

“We’re gonna eat dinner. I just wanted to check in and see if you want to eat now? Or I can set something aside for you.”

“I’ll come now!” you nodded, rubbing your face vigorously to wake up. You raked your fingers through your hair a few times, but it wasn’t like there was anyone to impress anyways. “What are we eating?” you asked through a yawn as you followed Dasom.

“We’re grilling over the fire!”

“Oh great! We’ll have to make sure it’s fully out before we go to bed, though.”

“Yes yes, our fire safety manager,” Dasom rolled her eyes at you. 

“Hey, I am not trying to die in a cabin fire this weekend!” you sniffed indignantly. Fire safety was no joke!

“Oh, you’re up! Come sit next to me,” Jooheon gestured at you excitedly. You took the open seat happily. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, the bed is very comfortable. Plus I was exhausted.”

“I told you, you need to stop working so hard!”

“It was the end of the quarter, I couldn’t help it,” you shrugged, glancing around to see what was on the menu. You were a little disappointed to see it was almost all fatty cuts of meat. Trying to be subtle, you checked around for perhaps some vegetables or even a stray mushroom, but no such luck.

“Oh great! You’re next to me! I’m excited to get to know you more,” Kihyun’s annoying voice grated on your nerves as he returned to his chair at the fire pit.

“Oh great,” you laughed sarcastically, but Kihyun didn’t seem to catch it.

“Wait, YN, do you know everyone?” he asked suddenly.

“Ah, shit!” Jooheon slapped himself comically. “I forgot to do intros!” he shouted as he stood up. Going around clockwise, he named every person and how he knew them.

“Ah, those that are new to me: nice to meet you all,” you laughed, “Thanks for letting me tag along!”

“The more the merrier!” Minhyuk raised his glass jovially.

“Did you sleep well?” Kihyun asked as he grilled strips of pork belly over the fire.

“Yes. Thanks.”

“Good! You missed out on a fun day, though.”

“Okay,” you shrugged. You knew you were being a bit rude, but you just didn’t have much to say to him.

Kihyun smiled into the fire as he tried to understand why you seemed to dislike him so. As the host, it was his job to make sure you had a good time, but his attempts so far had been rebuffed. No matter, he could press on. As things finished cooking, he doled them out to the hungry group.

“Ah, thanks,” you smiled weakly as Kihyun placed pork belly into your bowl. You nibbled at the meatier bits of it, but ended up tucking the majority of it under your rice.

“Did you not like the food?” Kihyun couldn’t help but ask later in the night after noticing that you’d primarily eaten banchan and rice. He truly was perplexed by you.

“No, no!” you shook your head, surprised at his crestfallen expression. “It’s not your cooking! I just-…I don’t really eat fatty cuts of meat. It’s a texture thing.”

“Oh, I see! I'm so sorry, Jooheon didn’t mention. I would’ve gotten something else for you!”

“It’s fine,” you resisted the urge to roll your eyes. His need to people please irritated you for some reason. “You don’t really have to do this ‘host’ thing for me. I’m just here. I’ll be fine.”

Kihyun blinked at you. His confusion about you now had a streak of irritation running through it. Why would you not want him to be nice to you?

“Kihyun, what’s on the docket for tomorrow?” Hyungwon asked. His arm was slung around Dasom’s shoulders, which made you smile uncontrollably widely.

“Let’s meet downstairs at eight for coffee and breakfast. Morning walk around the lake, then we can make lunch and decide on what to do in the afternoon/evening.”

“Eight…AM?!” you clarified with a concerned look on your face. “Is there a reason we can’t walk around the lake later in the day?”

“The bugs get pretty nasty as it warms up,” Kihyun shrugged simply.

“Ah,” you nodded, of course they did.

“That works for me,” Shownu shrugged, and the rest of the group agreed. Hyungwon didn’t even protest, which surprised you.

“Sounds perfect,” you gave Kihyun a big thumbs up, which earned you a chuckle and an eye roll.

“I’m about ready to turn in, what should we do for clean up?” Jooheon stood from his seat.

“If you can take all of the dishes in, I can take care of the rest.”

“I’ll put the fire out!” you volunteered, jumping out of your chair.

Kihyun looked at you in surprise. This was the most enthusiastic he’d seen you so far, and it was about putting out the fire?

“Fire safety is important,” you clarified, seeing his odd look.

“No, I agree,” he nodded prudently, “I just- nevermind.”

You shrugged and turned to put out the fire. With a poker, you pushed apart the already waning coals. The flames dimmed to a soft glow.

“Is there water I can use to put this out?”

“Yes, but you’d have to carry it down from the cabin.”

“Ah, okay. I’ll just wait for it to burn out,” you shrugged. The fire pit was a medium distance from the cabin and you didn’t really feel like carrying buckets of water to and from.

Kihyun nodded, busying himself with other cleanup tasks. When he was satisfied with the state of things, he turned his head towards you. Your expression was soft in the dying glow of the fire pit’s light. At least softer than any you had graced him with. Kihyun couldn’t help but feel frustrated for a moment. Even though he knew he didn’t have to be and you had even given him permission not to be so worried about playing host, he couldn’t seem to let it go. He was so used to being the entertainer and it irritated him that you weren’t responding to him positively. He felt a strong desire to break through your shell.

“You don’t have to wait for me,” your voice broke through his thoughts after feeling his gaze on you.

“Sure,” Kihyun shrugged, moving to take the seat next to you, “But I’m going to anyway.”

“You’re dead set on annoying me, aren’t you?” you scoffed, moving one seat to the right to reestablish the space between you two.

“Seems so,” Kihyun smirked.

“How do you know Jooheon anyways?” you found yourself curious.

“We went to high school together.”

You nodded. That was simple enough. You poked the last few embers again, willing them to go out quickly as you observed Kihyun in their last wisps of light. Like all of Jooheon’s friends, he was handsome, but there was something about Kihyun’s handsome that almost made you mad. His jawline was too sharp, his nose too perfect, and his smile too beaming. You didn’t trust anyone who looked like that. And then he wanted you to like him, too? No such luck. You were being unreasonable, of course, but you could just say you had ‘incompatible personalities’ and call it a day.

“Are you satisfied that the fire is out?” Kihyun’s voice punctured the darkness. You had been so busy being frustrated about his perfect face that you’d forgotten the task at hand.

“I think so,” you nodded, making a show of poking the ashes a few more times before standing.

“Here, take my hand. There’s a few roots that you might trip over on the way back.”

“I’ll be okay, I’ll just walk behind you,” you shook your head, grabbing onto the back of his windbreaker gingerly.

“Suit yourself,” he shrugged, leading the way back to the cabin. Even in his sleep, he could probably make this walk back without stumbling, but he had been right about the roots. You had managed to make it about two thirds of the way before your toe caught a gnarled limb and you fell face first into Kihyun’s back.

A small ‘oop’ was all he heard before he felt himself being bowled forward. He managed to catch himself with his arms, but you landed fully on his back, forcing him the rest of the way down to the ground.

“I told you!” he found himself chiding you. He wasn’t really mad, but he was startled by your warmth suddenly pressed flush against his back and his pent up irritation with you from earlier snuck through in his tone.

“Sorry!” you shouted, floundering slightly as you tried to get yourself off of his back. Your palms first contacted his shoulders and the warm firmness startled you. Trying again, you placed your hands on the ground between his ribcage and biceps and pressed up. Your knees slotted in between his and you managed to get upright without falling back onto him.

“Okay, I’m up,” you dusted yourself off as you stood. You reached down, extending a hand to him without thought to pull him up.

“None of this would’ve happened if you would’ve just taken my hand earlier when I offered it.”

“Sir, yes, sir!” you saluted him mockingly. If someone had asked, you would have had no earthly explanation for why you’d decided to say that, but you found that you really enjoyed seeing Kihyun riled up.

    Kihyun cocked his head slowly at you as you made the rest of the way back to the cabin without him. His tongue poked in his cheek as he tried to keep his cool. You had no idea how much you were testing him.

…

“Good morning, sunshine,” Jooheon teased as you shuffled into the kitchen. In a court of law, they’d really have a field day determining whether you were legally awake or not.

“Coffee?” a cheery voice offered. You turned to see Kihyun smiling brightly, a mug outstretched towards you.

“Thank you,” you regarded him suspiciously. You didn’t trust people who were bright and cheery in the morning, but it wasn’t enough to keep you from caffeine.

Kihyun raised an eyebrow as he turned back to his own mug. Accepting the coffee was at least some sort of progress, right?

“Honey,” you meandered towards Jooheon, leaning into him tiredly. “Is this morning walk going to be worth it?”

“Yes, so drink your coffee and wake up!” he insisted.

You narrowed your eyes at your friend before taking a sip. Wait. Your head swiveled to Kihyun before swiveling back. This was an incredible cup of coffee! Increasingly suspicious.

“You’re really not a morning person, huh?” Minhyuk teased as he walked towards Jooheon.

“Not even on my best day,” you shook your head sadly. “Worst part is I’m not even a night owl. I’m just tired all the time.”

Minhyuk laughed at your forlorn expression. You finished your coffee as the group slowly cycled in and out of their bedrooms, getting changed for the day and ready to go. Before long, everyone was booted, suited, and walking out the door.

“So YN, what is it that you do for work?” Minhyuk asked, having decided to get to know you today.

“Ah, I work in finance for an apparel company! How about yourself?”

“Oh interesting! Any specific type of apparel?”

“No, we kind of make everything,” you laughed.

“I see! I’m an art preparator at a gallery.”

“Okay! Now that’s interesting!” your eyes widened. “Did you study to go into that?”

Minhyuk nodded, eager to tell you all about his career path. In his excitement, he looped his arm into yours as you walked, attracting a curious glare from behind.

Kihyun couldn’t help but feel irritated. For all your standoffishness with him, you seemed to be interested in Minhyuk just fine. Initially, Kihyun had posited that you were introverted or shy with new people, but this piece of evidence poked a good sized hole in that theory.

“You okay?” Hyungwon nudged him gently, seeing the deep folds between his eyebrows.

“Oh, yeah!” Kihyun shook his head, trying to empty it of thoughts.

“It’s a nice day out,” the taller man remarked.

“Very,” Kihyun agreed. Try as he might, he couldn’t keep his eyes from admiring your silhouette from the rear. How annoying.

Hyungwon smirked, unnoticed by his friend. When Dasom had said you two were similar, she had been right. Unfortunately, stubbornness was one of those shared traits.

“What’s the plan for the afternoon?”

“I was planning to make a grocery run into town. People can join if they want, otherwise they can relax here.”

“Didn’t you just pick up groceries on the way in?”

“Yes, but it turns out I’m missing a few things,” Kihyun shrugged.

“Okay, well, I’m not going.”

“Yeah, I wasn’t counting on you,” Kihyun rolled his eyes at his friend.

…

“Kihyun’s back!” Jooheon shouted excitedly as you lounged in a hammock. As you read your book, you could hear the crush of tires over gravel.

“Do you need help?” Shownu asked.

“Yes, but there’s not much, so you’ll be enough,” Kihyun waved off the other helpful faces that had turned towards him.

You shrugged, that worked for you just fine. You had found this hammock in one of the closets and after the unexpected difficulty of finding two appropriately distanced trees, you weren’t sure you would get out until the trip was over. You had grabbed a blanket, tucked in with your current romance novel, and the slow burn was burning, so you were cozy as could be. You were in the middle of kicking your feet and squealing over the protagonists when Jooheon rudely interrupted you for dinner.

“Are you reading one of those horny books again?” he asked, trying to take a peek at the words on the page.

“No! It’s  just a romance!” you tugged your book away from him indignantly. “They’re in love!”

“Yeah, yeah,” he laughed at you, pulling at the hammock, “Come on it’s time to eat!”

“Oh, really? It’s that late already?”

“Yeah, but you were too wrapped up in your porn to notice!”

“It’s not porn!” you yelled indignantly, threatening to thump him over the head with your book.

“What’s not porn?” Dasom asked curiously as you neared the table.

“The book she’s reading.”

“It’s not-! All of you shut up,” you shook your finger sternly at the table, drawing a few laughs.

“We’re all adults here,” Minhyuk laughed before leaning towards you conspiratorially, “So what kind of porn is it?”

“Jesus Christ,” you cursed. Jooheon’s friends were just as bad as he was. “I’ll be the first to admit that, yes, I do read spicy books, but this one isn’t! They’re in love but they just don’t know it yet,” you sighed dreamily.

“Boring!” Minhyuk clicked his tongue before moving into a different subject.

    Kihyun watched the exchange with interest. He was surprised at the ease with which you admitted to reading erotica. He was still irked at the rapport that you had so quickly established with Minhyuk. But most concerningly of all, he was in disbelief at the way his breath had caught in his throat seeing you smile, starry eyed, thinking about your book. He needed to get a grip.

    As Minhyuk steered the conversation elsewhere, you took a look at the dinner offerings on the table. You had expected much of the same as last time, but were surprised to see triangle kimbap and kimchi jjigae set out.

“Oo!” your eyes lit up with delight at the sight of some of your favorite foods. You waited just enough time to be deemed polite before digging into one of the kimbap. “Oh!” you gasped in delight upon realizing that it was stuffed with pepper tuna. This was definitely in your top five favorite foods.

“Isn’t it good?” Dasom smiled at you. “Kihyun’s a pretty good cook.”

“Did you make all of this?” you turned to Kihyun, slightly alarmed. “Nobody helped?”

“You all seemed busy or were relaxing. Plus nothing was too difficult,” he shrugged.

“But you cooked two nights in a row. You should at least enlist some of us to help,” you grumbled, now irritated at how good the food tasted.

“Most of these friends are a disaster in the kitchen,” Kihyun chuckled, “Easier just to do it myself.”

“Ah,” you opened and shut your mouth. You had almost volunteered to help him cook tomorrow, but thought better of it. God forbid you ended up stabbing him in frustration.

    Dasom held in a giggle as she watched you munching on your kimbap. Your face was screwed up in such intense concentration that you might as well have been deriving calculus equations. You had always been so stubborn.

    For the second night in a row, you found yourself on fire pit duty. Standing authoritatively with your poking stick, you made yourself useful by stoking the flames and feeding the fire until people were ready to turn in. For the second night in a row, you found yourself stranded in dreadfully romantic lighting with Kihyun, who gestured vaguely about possible bears and refused to leave you alone.

“Dinner was good tonight,” you couldn’t help but fill in the painfully awkward silence.

“Oh! Good,” he was surprised, lips curling up at you with pleasure.

“Spicy tuna kimbap was my favorite snack as a kid,” you recalled with a smile as you broke up a few medium sized coals.

“Mm, Dasom told me,” Kihyun answered through a yawn.

“Sorry?” you blinked, eyes flashing to him in confusion.

“You hardly ate anything yesterday, so I asked her for some ideas on what you would eat. I know everyone else’s preferences pretty well, already,” he shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“I-,” your thoughts stuttered for a moment. “I told you don’t have to try so hard to play host to me!”

“I’m so fascinated as to why you are so resistant to me just being…nice to you.”

“It’s not that, I just…” you trailed off. To be honest, you couldn’t explain the irritation that Kihyun seemed to inspire in you. You thought so hard, trying to scrounge up reasons, that you didn’t notice your poking stick falling into a pile of ashes until it was too late. “Oh shit!” you jumped, surprised into action. Hovering your hand over the fire, you discerned that it was cool enough for you to retrieve, but not without covering your hands in ash. “Oh god, what a mess,” you chided yourself, trying to see how dirty your hands had gotten in the dim lighting.

“YN!” Kihyun all but shouted as you leaned almost too far forward and your hair threatened to dip into the glowing embers. Without a second thought, he scooped your hair up into one hand and pulled you back with the other.

“Oh shit, thanks,” you looked up at him in surprise. “Ca-can you tie my hair up? I have a hair tie, but my hands are covered in ash,” you offered your wrist to him.

    Swallowing, Kihyun nodded, letting your hair fall back down as he fiddled with the hair tie. Grabbing you by the wrist, he turned your palm to face the ground as he pulled the hair tie off with his other hand. Your heart started pounding loudly and unfortunately it did not get any slower or quieter as he moved to pull your hair back up. Gently, his fingers raked along your scalp, gathering your locks into a relatively neat bundle. You managed to reign in the soft moan that wanted to leave your lips, but you couldn’t do anything about the flush that spread across your cheeks and neck.

“Your hair is soft,” he remarked as he pulled everything into a ponytail and you shivered slightly. Out of disgust for his wildly unnecessary statement, of course, and not because his breath had whispered against the nape of your neck.

“Okay, thanks!” you cleared your throat aggressively as you jumped away from him. What the hell was going on? Without a second thought for fire safety, you rushed back into the cabin, needing to distance yourself from this insufferable man immediately.

Kihyun couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face as he finished putting out the fire. He really couldn’t explain why he felt so affected by you, but he was relieved to see that he didn’t seem to be alone in it. Even if you insisted on fighting tooth and nail against it, you couldn’t take back the reaction you’d just had because he’d been there to see it himself.

…

“Raining again?” you looked sadly at the soaking hammock through the window. This was the second day in a row!

“Yeah, according to the forecast it doesn’t seem like it’ll let up all day,” Dasom shrugged.

    You briefly toyed with the idea of a walk in the rain. You had packed a rain jacket and your boots were water resistant. You had managed to avoid Kihyun successfully yesterday, but you weren’t confident that you could work that magic two days in a row. You read a few more pages as you let the idea marinate.

“I’m going out for a walk,” you stood up suddenly after two more pages, announcing to no one in particular.

“In the rain?” Hyungwon seemed concerned.

“I like the rain!” you insisted, pulling your rain jacket and boots on hurriedly before rushing out the door.

You exhaled with relief as you stepped into the rain. You’d been honest when you’d told Hyungwon that you liked it. The way the air smelled and the feeling of raindrops hitting your hood was reassuring. In the rain there was no Kihyun and no hair tie, so you could finally think straight. Pursing your lips, you decided the trail around the lake could use another lap.

…

“How long has YN been out?” Dasom asked Hyungwon, slightly concerned.

“Maybe forty minutes or an hour?” he wondered, trying to remember what time it had been when you had rushed out so unceremoniously.

“An hour? That seems like a long time, doesn’t it? What if something happened!”

“What’s going on?” Kihyun picked up on Dasom's slightly panicked tone.

“YN left to walk in the rain, possibly up to an hour ago. I’m just wondering if I should be concerned.”

“She went out in this rain?” Kihyun found himself worried. Normally he would be concerned about wild animals, but they would be largely deterred by the rain. No, today he was more worried about lightning posing a safety hazard.

“Do you think we need to go look for her?” Dasom asked, waiting for some sort of cue from Kihyun on whether she should panic.

“No, I don’t think it’s anything to be too worried about. I might just go take a look for myself,” Kihyun decided. He had just pulled on a waterproof jacket when the front door opened.

“Dasom, I need help!” you laughed uncontrollably as you poked your head in.

“Are you okay?” she rushed towards you hurriedly.

“Yes, I’m fine, I’m just all muddy,” you laughed, gesturing to yourself. You were, indeed, covered in mud. During the last quarter of your walk around the trail, you had taken quite a slip in a small dip in the trail. “Will you grab me a towel and a change of clothes? Don’t want to track all of this into the house,” you explained as you peeled off your rain jacket.

“You can just come in,” Kihyun suggested as he handed you a towel. “We can clean up the mud.”

“No, I’m truly covered, I’ll change out here,” you insisted, peeling off your wet shirt before accepting the towel to dry off your face. You were so singularly focused on getting dry that you did not register how exposed you had become in front of Kihyun.

“Here’s a shirt and shorts!” Dasom appeared, pushing Kihyun away as she handed you the dry clothes.

“Thank you!” you smiled, pulling the shirt over your head. It took some finagling to change into the shorts, but before long you were acceptably clean and dry. You bundled up your wet clothes to take to the laundry and gave it one last shake before entering the cabin.

“You look like a wet dog,” Shownu remarked. If it had been anyone else, you would’ve assumed the statement was meant to offend but it was Shownu.

“Thanks,” you rolled your eyes at him as you walked across the open area.

“Wet dog my ass,” Kihyun grumbled under his breath. He had seen entirely too much of you while you were busy peeling off your wet clothes and that had been a grave misstep.

…

    Kihyun exhaled sharply as he laid in bed. There was something wrong with him. He had seen plenty of people more naked than you, so this really shouldn’t be bothering him! Unfortunately for him, he now knew exactly how you were shaped and that in turn meant he could imagine what you might look like over him, under him, and try as he might, he could not get these imaginations out of his head.

    Grumbling, he flipped back onto his back, kicking the sheets off. It was too hot. It was pouring cool rain outside, but somehow it was way too hot in this room.

    Kihyun squeezed his eyes shut. He was really trying not to give into his baser urges, but the erection pressing at the front of his boxers seemed to demand otherwise. He exhaled deeply, pushing whatever guilt or other hangups he had out of his head as he reached down, cupping himself through the thin fabric. Even this slight self stimulation was enough to provide some relief and his head lolled back as he palmed himself, hips pressing up for more pressure.

“Fuck,” he panted, his other hand dancing across his chest and over his collarbones, his mind drawing up images of the way your lips might nibble across his skin and the way they would most assuredly curl up at the corners when you heard his desperate sounds.

Kihyun growled roughly, having had enough of this self inflicted torture. He pushed his boxers down his hips and kicked them off. He grasped himself fully, using his leaking precum to lubricate himself as he thrust desperately up into his fist. Groaning, he fully leaned into the fantasy of you over him, meeting his thrusts. He fabricated the way your brows would pinch together as you held onto him for support. The way your lips would form a sweet ‘o’ shape as you gasped and clutched at him desperately. There was nothing he wanted more in this moment than to make you cum, hard, for him. He was well past a lost cause at this point.

“Shit!” Kihyun cursed as his balls tightened, signaling a quickly pending release. His abs tensed before he emptied himself onto them. He swallowed hard. He really hoped the rain would let up soon so you all could have another meal outside. Fire pit duty seemed to be one of the only times that you would tolerate being alone with him.

…

    Your eyes widened as you flipped to the next page of your book. Perhaps you had been wrong…this book was, in fact, getting spicy. You squirmed and your eyes flitted to your suitcase briefly before they continued down the page.

“Yeah! Yeah,” you sighed after trying to talk yourself out of it. You placed your book facedown on the bed and hopped down.

    You commended your own foresight as you pulled your vibrator necklace out of a small pocket of your suitcase. You tossed the chain to the side before settling back into bed and picking up where you’d left off. The book was shortly abandoned as your hands and mind took over.

    Flipping onto your back, the fingertips of your left hand trailed, featherlight, just above the waistband of your sleeping shorts. Goosebumps broke out across your skin and you cupped your breast with your right hand, squeezing firmly. A desperate little moan punctured the silence as you sank into the mattress, eyelids pressing shut.

    Your mind wandered back to the book. The male protagonist had just been wedging his leg between the female lead’s thighs, hand at the base of her throat, pressing her firmly into the mattress. You sighed, ah, to be either of them. Your left hand slid down to tease gently at your inner thighs as your right hand searched out the vibrator in your sheets. Flipping it on, you teased yourself, very briefly, by trailing it along your sternum and downwards.

“Oh,” you shuddered as you finally brought it to your clit. Rubbing insistently through the fabric of your shorts, your head fell back, eyes fluttering shut as you ground your hips up against it.

You let out a confused gasp as Kihyun’s eyes, lips, and hands flashed through your foggy mind. Your eyebrows furrowed slightly, but you were not quite present enough of mind to stop. If anything, your hips sought out the vibrator even more and your mind betrayed you as you fully imagined Kihyun snapping his hips into you. The way he’d smirk at the sounds that you made for him and the way you’d clutch at him, needing more and more.

    You let out a moan that was somehow both reluctant and desperate as you came intensely to the thought of him. It wasn’t until the post-nut clarity had settled in that you had the decency to be embarrassed. What the hell had just happened?

…

“Ah, I’m so glad the rain finally let up! I missed eating outside!” you bounced on the balls of your feet happily.

Kihyun couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face as he watched you setting up the fire. Obviously, he didn’t think that you put the same amount of meaning on your firepit interactions as he did, but he had accepted that he had lost at least part of his mind over you.

    You were trying so hard not to look at Kihyun between stacking logs. Your confusion over his appearance in your self care activities last night had evolved into a knob of guilt and you knew you would not be able to look him in the eye without telling on yourself. Instead, you overly immersed yourself in firepit duty.

“Did you sleep well?” Dasom asked you kindly, not knowing that your sleep last night was a very touchy subject.

“S-super normal and good sleep,” you gave her a thumbs up with an awkward smile. Luckily for you, you were a bit of a strange person to begin with, so Dasom didn’t actually think too much of this.

    Kihyun’s eyes narrowed at you. Was he truly delusional now or did he actually see a slight brush creeping up your neck?

“What about you, Kihyun?” Hyungwon echoed his girlfriend’s question. “Sleep well?”

“Good and normal,” he couldn’t help but use your own words to tease you. He commended himself for not copying your thumbs up even though he desperately wanted to.

    You scowled, warmth creeping even further up your neck.

“Do you need some wood?” Minhyuk asked, eyeing the fire.

“Excuse me?!” you balked at his phrasing.

“Hah! Haha, oh god, I’m sorry! I just…I didn’t think that through,” he laughed as his auditory processing caught up to his mouth.

“When are folks planning on heading out tomorrow?” Jooheon asked of the group, changing the subject.

    You didn’t really listen as folks rattled off their expected departure times. One more night. One more night here with Kihyun was all you had to get through and then you’d never see him again. You could do this.

    Kihyun watched as you poked the fire, clearly lost in your own thoughts. Jooheon’s comment was a sobering reminder that, indeed, you only had one more night together. One last opportunity to either act on this desire that now sat heavy in his gut or to just let things go and allow this opportunity to slip through his fingers.

“You’re gonna put the fire out again?” Jooheon pouted as he stood to go to bed. You nodded at him, giggling at his typical antics. “Okay, well don’t forget we need to leave tomorrow by 11am at the latest. If you don’t make it, I’m leaving you here with Kihyun.”

“Don’t threaten me with a good time,” Kihyun’s voice cut through the cool night’s air.

“I’d walk into the lake and never come back out,” you glared at Jooheon.

“Alright, good night you wonderful delight,” he rolled his eyes at you before walking inside.

“So did you have an alright time on this trip?” Kihyun asked after a solid chunk of silence watching you from across the fire. He was leaned back in his chair, finishing off his beer.

“Why do you care so much whether I enjoy myself?”

“Is it so impossible to accept that your pleasure is important to me?”

    Your eyes widened a fraction of a hair at his phrasing. You were fabricating things, right? You were just on edge because of last night. Kihyun became inordinately pleased as he watched your expression. He had been right, you were blushing just a little.

“You don’t have to babysit me again. At this point, I can make it back to the cabin by myself. No tripping, I promise.”

    Kihyun stood, placing one hand into his pocket as the other grabbed his empty beer bottle.

“If you really want me to go, I will leave,” he spoke, his voice tinged with something different and new.

You met his gaze as he looked down at you. The light of the fire may have been waning, but you could see desire there, clear as day. It was so clear that you had to look away for fear of acting on it. Your heartbeat grew louder and faster as you listened to him step towards you until he was standing directly in front of you. A finger snuck under your chin, forcing you to meet his eyes.

“Tell me you want me to go inside, and I will.” His final offer. You swallowed.

“No,” you breathed, eyes glued to his. His expression softened with relief before he pulled you up to your feet. A soft exhale punched through the night air before his lips met yours.

    Kihyun kissed you in a way that was almost laughably in character. He was firm, insistent, and thorough. He gripped your jaw securely and poured into you in a way that you were simply unaccustomed to.

“The fire,” you objected, pressing against his firm chest.

“Fuck the fire,” Kihyun groaned, pulling you back towards him.