#spouse cameo

[thetingus]

The creature at rest

[ejoym]

Many thanks to @tadpole-apocalypse , @mercymaker , and to my spouse Cory for letting me cameo their Tav OC's! Tadpole-apocalypse also inspired this comic with a hilarious comment. 🖤 For what it's worth, I really love drawing my oc with other people's oc's! I'm just so damn shy to ask and ALSO don't want to come on too strong to my mutuals and creators I like. 😅

[vivziepopcriticalconfessions]

"Marthaberry is not a good ship, I'm sorry. You're telling me a woman who committed suicide for her actions would immediately date the serial cheating cannibal who ruined her life? The reason people view them as a good ship is simply because it's gay. Even if it was just a one-off gag, it felt more like cheap fanservice than a worthy surprise. I would have loved it more if she made a cameo as a client in Hazbin Hotel than as a lineless hook-up of a married chick. It just didn't feel real. Lyle and Loopty did what they did better.  Despite being one-off characters, the reason Lyle and Loopty worked was simply because they were equally as evil and already had a developed dynamic. That's what you call an actual good toxic gay couple. With Mayberry and Martha, I really felt nothing besides "Mayberry, you deserve so much better than what you got". Plus, didn't Martha have a family? What happened with them anyways?

(P.S. It would have been better if she ended up dating Martha's husband or another client that got revenge on their spouse. Just saying)"

Submitted by @starspangledbatter

[chaoticbindery]

Salvage by MuffinLance

I completed this baby back in October early November it was painfully fun, lol. Shoutout to @no-name-publishing for sharing their typeset with me!

Below the line, there is more information and photos on this bind!

The foiling took about 8-9 hours or so. There was a lot of trial and error, and I ruined about 3 books worth of bookcloth. I ran through all my heat reactive silver foil (neverforget✊️)before I was able to compelte it. I used foil I got from a bindery that is closing down, I used my new cameo, and the memory keepers heat foil quills.

I was originally going to use The Great Wave off Kanagawa as my cover art, but my friends talked me out of it, and I'm glad since, had I not listened, it may have taken longer. The sound of the cameo working will haunt my nightmares. My spouse was dreading their life choices. "Why did I buy her the machine from hell?" Cause you love me, my sweet honeybooboo, that's why.

I used 28lb paper for this puppy, my printer was such a good boy and printed it out without a single issue (bless you babe I will thank you first when I get a trophy one of these days) but after I folded it it was like 3 inches wide and I got so scared for my life.

I used remie band and linen thread (only the best for you, my precious), I made headbands with the bookcloth and l2mm leather core, and I used glue and kozo paper to strengthen the rounded spine.

Rounding and backing almost made me cry, but I had DAS there with me. Also, shoutout to my friend's cousin for the backing and routing boards and Jim with ABE for the wonderful laying press.

The endpapers are from De Milo Design. They are handmade, and I got them at a local faire. They are beautiful!

The bookcloth is from BookcraftSupplyCo in CA!

If you would like to learn more about bookbinding, consider joining @renegadepublishing

[ichorai]

apple pies & break-ins ; tangerine.

pairing ; tangerine x assassin!spouse!reader (gender-neutral pronouns)

synopsis ; tangerine comes back home just as you're about to leave.

words ; 1.9k

themes ; pure fluff, mild comedy, established relationship (married), assassin au

warnings / includes ; blood/injuries/weapons, slightly suggestive, tangerine has a potty mouth, lemon cameo, tangerine being clingy and sappy

main masterlist.

The entire house smelled of cinnamon, apples, and buttery pie crust. You sliced up another apple, taking care to carve out its core, before tossing it in the sugar syrup and popping the chopped pieces of fruit into the crust to bake in the oven. As soon as you bumped the door shut with your hip, the front door creaked open, followed by a familiar jangling of keys. 

You glanced up with a warm smile, glad that your husband was finally home—except it was quick to melt away when you took in his disheveled appearance. There was blood all over him, dribbling down his hairline, splattered over his neck, staining his once-pristine clothes. 

Despite his haggard state, he sent you a tired beam, his mustache twitching with the smile. 

“‘Ello, love,” he greeted, making his way to you behind the kitchen counter. “Close your mouth, darlin’, you’ll catch flies.” With a cheeky smirk, he slotted a finger beneath your chin, effectively snapping your lips shut. He mildly winced when he noticed he accidentally left a faint print of sticky blood on your jaw, but wisely decided not to tell you.

You fixed him with an unimpressed stare. “Jesus, Tan. Is that your blood?”

“Not sure, honestly. It’s coming from all over—some of it’s bound to be mine. Don’t worry about me, love. I’m fuckin’ peachy. Speaking of, it smells really good in here. You bakin’ something for me, darling? I’m flattered,” he hummed, leaning forward to kiss you. 

Before he could, you ducked away from him, pushing his face to the side with a wrinkled nose. “Ugh, go shower first, you’re getting blood everywhere! To be honest, I would’ve felt better knowing it was yours.”

“Ouch,” he murmured, though his grin still lingered by the corner of his mouth. “You wound me, sweetheart.”

Relenting, you leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss to his unsuspecting lips. “There. You happy?”

“Very. Thanks, love.” He sent you a playful wink before slinking off to the bathroom, whistling a peppy tune under his breath on the way. You rolled your eyes and smiled to yourself, before turning to clean up the mess of flour and sugar and apple cores you’d made on the kitchen counter.

When your husband finally slunk out of the bathroom, a thick white towel hanging low around his waist and another ruffling at his damp curls, he made his way back into the kitchen.

“Put on some clothes, Tan,” you scoffed when he pressed against you from behind, sprinkling a bit of cinnamon sugar on the apple pie you had just taken out of the oven. 

“Hm, you don’t like me like this?” he queried, verging on a whine since you weren’t paying him the least bit of attention. “Naked and at your disposal?”

Amused, you finally turned around in his arms, trapped between him and the counter. The blue of his eyes were hooded and lustful, teeth sinking into his bottom lip. You, however, smiled sweetly at him. “You’re not naked.”

“Well, that can easily be remedied—”

Before he could reach down to undo the towel around his waist, you stopped him with your hands gripping both his wrists, quirking your brows. “As much as I’d love to, I have to call in for a job soon. I’m running late already. I was baking the pie for you in case you got back while I was gone.”

“Another job?” asked Tangerine, clearly upset at the turn of events. “Can’t you call off? I’m sure they can send another bloody assassin to do their dirty work.”

You pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, before gently pushing him away so you could head off to your shared bedroom and get changed. To none of your surprise, your husband trailed along behind you like a sullen puppy. “It’s a lot of money, baby. Don’t think I could afford to keep skipping jobs just to laze around with you.”

With a disappointed grumble, Tangerine wrapped his arms around you from behind again, squeezing tightly and kissing down your neck. “How long will this one take?”

“I’ll be back tonight,” you reassured him. “Tomorrow at the very latest.”

“Alright,” he acquiesced, though not without a loud sigh. He sat down on the bed, watching as you shirked off your flour-covered shirt in favor of a dark button-up. “You remember how we first met?”

Of course you did. You remembered it as if it was yesterday. You crossed your arms, stepping in between his legs by the edge of the bed. Both of his hands went to your waist, fingers curling over your back and absentmindedly tracing loose shapes on your sides. 

Looking up at you, he spoke between pressing soft kisses along your abdomen, over the black shirt you had donned, “I was on a mission with Lemon in Madrid… and we were in a tight situation. Bullets flying everywhere, my leg fucked up, and my gun jammed. Then, whaddya know, the most beautiful fuckin’ person I’ve ever laid my eyes upon comes flying through one o’ the windows. Took out three people with one knife, and took out another four with a bloody crossbow. You looked at me, covered in blood, and asked if I was alright. I told you that you were fucking gorgeous—and then you fell in love with me, right on the spot, and the rest is history.”

You burst out into a fit of laughter. “Hm, that’s not how I remember it. Need I remind you that I shoved you to the side because you kept getting in my way, asking if I’d like to have dinner with you? Gods, Tan, you were a pain in my ass. And your brother was laughing at you.”

“Cunt,” he grumbled at the mention of his brother. “Well, even if you didn’t fall in love with me right then and there—I did. I knew I had to be yours from the moment I saw you.”

You lowered yourself to a crouch, cupping his face and caught his lips in a feverish kiss. When you pulled away, you pressed your forehead against his. “Are you telling me this because you want me to stay?”

A sheepish grin tugged at the corner of Tangerine’s lips. “Is it working?”

“Nope,” you said, popping the ‘p’. You pulled away, slinging a packed bag over your shoulder and heading out the bedroom. “I’ll see you tomorrow, baby. Love you.”

“Wait! You said you’d come back tonight!”

True to your word, you had returned home at midnight, stumbling through the door tired and weary. Thankfully, you weren’t too banged up, just a scratch on your shoulder from the graze of a bullet that you managed to patch yourself before coming back. You were greeted with Tangerine dozing on the couch, a shitty reality show glowing on the television screen, with the half-eaten apple pie on the coffee table in front. He startled awake when you flicked his cheek with a smile.

“Hey, sleepy,” you said, dipping down to kiss his forehead, sauntering towards your bedroom to get changed.

As expected, your husband scurried off the couch to follow after you, gathering you into his arms and kissing you deeply. “I missed you,” he murmured, accent thick and lilting.

“Come on, I wanna get to sleep,” you said, tugging him to the bed with a muffled yawn.

In no time, he was curled up behind you, his large arm thrown over your waist and hand splayed out over your stomach. His nose was buried into the back of your head, unable to wipe the pleased smile off of his features.

It was relatively easy to drift to sleep, given how exhausted the two of you already were.

Not even three hours later, with the two of you already deep in slumber, there came a loud crashing from the front of the house. Someone was breaking in.

Immediately, you sat up in the bed, slipping out from beneath Tangerine’s heavy arms and the blanket. The cold air kissed your bare skin, sending a shiver spidering up your spine. You reached beneath your pillow to brandish a small emergency dagger you kept between the mattress and the headboard. Your husband also startled awake at the loud sound, eyes tired yet wide, grappling for a gun he kept beneath the bed.

“Stay in here,” he whispered, striding forward to the bedroom door, left slightly ajar.

“Like hell I am,” you quietly gruffed back, hot on his heels.

Knowing that there was no stopping you, Tangerine blew out a breath and the both of you crept closer, light on your feet. With no warning, Tan shouldered the door open and stepped out in one fluid motion, lining the gun up with the intruder.

A second later, he immediately lowered the weapon with a long string of exasperated curses. You peered over his shoulder, tense muscles loosening upon seeing Tangerine’s brother, Lemon, frozen in front of the broken window. His lips were twisted into a grimace and his eyes were as wide as saucers. There were shards of glass glimmering in his dark hair.

“What the fuck, man?” your husband erupted, immediately clicking the safety back on his gun and shoving it into the waistband of his sweats. “Are you daft? The fuck did you break my window for?”

“I was looking for you! Never heard a peep from you two after your missions. I just assumed the worst!” he exclaimed. For a moment, Lemon’s dark eyes flickered to you. “Hi, Y/N. Look lovely, by the way.”

You crossed your arms, more amused than anything. “Hey, Lemon.” 

“Why didn’t you fuckin’ call us, then? Bloody fucking idiot! Going down and breaking my window like that,” he angrily muttered, stomping forward to inspect the damage. “You’re paying for this, you twat.”

Rearing back, Lemon snarled, “Oi! I did call you! Didn’t answer your phones, the neither of you. I thought something happened! Forgive me for worrying about my brother and my in-law!”

“The fuck you mean, I would get the fucking notification if you called me!” Tangerine hissed back, pressing the heels of his palms into his sleepy eyes. After a second, he reached down into his pocket, fishing out his phone. He pressed the power button once, then twice. A third time for good measure. “Well, fuck me. It’s dead.”

You hid a smile behind your palm. You married a complete, hot-headed idiot. With an exasperated roll of your eyes, you wiggled your fingers farewell and swiftly turned, yawning as you dragged yourself back into the room. “I’m going back to bed. You two behave yourselves.”

Both of them grunted goodbyes at your departure, before immediately carrying on with their arguments.

“Why didn’t you just call Y/N?”

A long pause. Lemon's eye twitched. “Didn’t think of that, to be honest with you… What are you, a fucking halfwit? Of course I called Y/N!”

"Oh, right, yeah, Y/N does put their phone on DND before bed. Right."

"Right."

Frowning, Tangerine barked out, “Still, you’re a fuckin’ idiot, you know that? I could’ve shot you!”

“Alright, alright, calm your tits. D’you mind if I crash on your couch for the night?”

“What, are you bloody mental?” Another pause. “Alright, fine. Just take your shoes off. Don’t want you tracking mud all over the place.”

Half an hour later, Tangerine crawled back into bed, settling himself behind you. You had fallen asleep already, but shifted with a pleasant hum when he pressed a ticklish kiss to the junction of your neck and shoulder. 

“Love you,” he whispered, tugging you closer to his chest. You drowsily murmured something incoherent in response, and Tangerine contentedly drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

[biwabiwa]

Ok so I've finally nailed down what it is about the lack of worldstate choices that irks me so much.

(Complaining/venting FOR FUN below! I'm not attacking the bioware team or anyone who agrees with their decision. The game's not out yet/set in stone, and I'll be 100% playing it regardless)

It's not about me wanting cameos or specific lines of dialogue mentioning previous choices or codex entries. As nice as it would be to hear about our new Divine or ruler of Ferelden, i get that it's not needed.

But take Morrigan for example.

Morrigan is in Veilguard. But a Morrigan who has a loving spouse & son is objectively going to be a different person than a Morrigan who was stabbed & left for dead by the Warden with no child. Or a Morrigan who was in love with the HoF but they refused her deal and died.

Should there be a line where Morrigan is like "by the way, I have a son!" Or "btw the love of my life is dead!" No. That's pretty unlikely to fit into Rook's story, and thus isn't necessary.

BUT could we have a line where a bitter Morrigan--who was betrayed--comments that "people should never be trusted", versus a line where a more content Morrigan--who considers the HoF their family--might say that "there are exceptions" with a fond look.

Small things that really show the player that they've affected the world & the characters they love.

Same thing with Varric!

Would it make sense for Varric to just bring up Hawke out of nowhere to Rook? ... uh yeah. actually it would. That's kind of his thing. But OK let's say he doesn't!

You're telling me a Varric who's been living a Hawke-less existence for the last ten years is going to act exactly the same as a Varric who hasn't?!

"But it's been ten years! Varric wouldn't be hung up on hawke that long!" Have you met Varric? He's been hung up on Bianca for even longer!

Anyway, the choices we made with the companions we loved are sooo much of what i love about Dragon Age, so I'm bummed that we won't be getting those things...

That said I'm still going to play the crap outta the game and hopefully love it. So I'll be there on day one ready to see what happens.

[thedyingwriter]

why do i have a feeling that tommy says something in passing which is like an equivalent to them coming off as super serious like something you say about like a long term partner or your spouse or something or he might even have said i love you while getting off a call or something and he doesn't even realises he said something

meanwhile buck is in full panic mode. he's literally over thinking the hell out of it and goes to maddie to ask for advice and whether it's too soon to say i love you

now maddie and josh explain him that there's no timeline to say i love you. you say it if you feel it.

(also i love the josh cameo in buck's bi panic lmao like yes pls guide his baby gay ass josh)

and buck is still spiraling which makes tommy rethink the conversation and he might try to like apologise or divert it by saying he didn't mean it or "evan you don't need to freak out"

and buck says i love you and tommy says it back bcs ofc he loves him. he literally attended an outlaw's funeral with him. he asked to lift the curse. he cares.

ofc they love each other. buck's apartment now has trinkets all over. his fridge has pictures. his bike is gone and his apartment looks homey bcs evan buckley finally found his home.

brb I'm sobbing over my own delusions.

[thatanimewriter]

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE.

➳ synopsis: the boys can't help but micromanage the catering at their wedding and he really needs to just sit down and enjoy his special day

➳ character/s: yukihira soma, tsukasa eishi

➳ warnings: swearing (soma), cameos of other cast members, could be taken as platonic or romantic, ryo wants to be husband material

➳ notes: i just think they'd never let someone take care of cooking at their own wedding without coming over to check to make sure everything is perfect, so here are some short ficlets

𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 / 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭  / 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 / 𝐰𝐢𝐩 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

── 𝐘𝐔𝐊𝐈𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐀 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐀.  

he knows his dad won't royally fuck up his wedding (he thinks) but there is an inkling of anxiety when he's reminded of his disgusting creations, especially when his dad got up to do his little speech. it's not like his dad was the only chef for tonight, ryo and hayama had also joined the fray, perhaps to honour their previous victory as the top 3 at the autumn elections.

"stop hovering," joichiro grumbled, seasoning the meat at his work station. "you're supposed to be sitting down with your partner, go do that."

soma whined in response, reaching to grab a knife but got his hand slapped away. "what if you serve something gross?"

"i won't, i won't."

"soma!" you called, arms crossed. "you asked them to cater, let them do their thing," you said, pulling him away from the kitchen.

he sighed as he was dragged along, but called out to his dark-haired companion before he was forced out. "i can cook better than you, i'm married and you're not!"

"HUH?!"

"even hayama got married before you," he continued, a mischievous grin glued to his lips.

"I'LL CATCH THAT BOUQUET AND SHOW YOU I'M HUSBAND MATERIAL!" ryo yelled, earning a cackle from soma as he ran back into the reception hall.

── 𝐓𝐒𝐔𝐊𝐀𝐒𝐀 𝐄𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐈.

they say old habits die hard, and that certainly is the case for tsukasa. shuffling his way to the kitchen, he twiddled his thumbs as he watched his elite ten cohort churn out dishes with knitted brows and a trembling gaze.

"tsukasa, you're the one who stopped us from having fun at your wedding, at least let us do our job," rindou teased, searing the meat in her pan.

he gasped in horror, "you're not having fun? should i have asked someone else to do it? what if the others aren't having fun? what if people are only here because they felt bad-"

"come back to the reception hall, tsukasa, people want to talk to you and congratulate you," you stated, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. "they've got it covered, you know these people are good."

"ok..." he mumbled, timidly walking away.

"oi, tsukasa! you owe us a round of drinks after we're done here!" rindou called, a cat-like grin on her features.

"ah, please don't get drunk at my wedding!" he cowered, immediately running back to the kitchen.

"you're being a bad husband by leaving your spouse alone," she joked, shaking her head in faux disappointment.

"am i?!"

"yup," you confirmed, gripping his hand and dragging him back into the reception hall as he fretted over his capabilities as a husband.

[autumn-foxfire]

Thinking about sleep deprived Shinichi again, how about sleeping beauty scenario, maybe a Magic Kaito setting where Shinichi/Conan is a cameo character. He investigating a murder at a mansion of a witch (not Akako but perhaps related/a friend of hers). Kaito is here too, undercover while taking a look at a jewel, very much trying to leave once he realises the mansion's owner is a witch.

So Shinichi is very tired and not at his best, and he accidentally bumps into an old spindle and prickles himself. He falls asleep and nothing can rouse him. The murderer must be caught though, so Kaito hides Shinichi in a guest room, disguises as him and finishes the case himself (he has to retrace detective's steps to get a few clues to the confusion of some guests). Maybe the murder isn't even a murder, it's just the same spindle (which would mean Shinichi looks dead and Kaito absolutely panics/is full of rage during the investigation). The "victim" gets a kiss (not from their spouse but from a previously suspected character) and wakes up.

The witch pointedly tells Kaito to wake his detective the same way, she'd like her guest room back thank you very much. Shinichi wakes up thinking he just got tranquilized and doesn't understand why Kid is here disguised as him.

The witch told them all along that the person just needed true loves kiss to be woken up but no one believed her because the body was in stasis and that means they appeared very much dead to everyone. It was how Shinichi also believed they were dead even though he had no clue the cause of death.

Maybe it wasn't an accident the victim pricked themselves on the spindle but rather it was because their spouse had heard about the rumours of true love's kiss being the only way wake someone who had been cursed by the spindle and as they already suspected that they may not be who their partner loves they orchestrated the situation and got their confirmation.

Kaito is angry that Shinichi got dragged into the situation and is now cursed as well. The witch repeatedly tells him to kiss Shinichi but at first he's in denial about being Shinichi's true love's kiss and instead is trying to find a way to get people who he believes could to try in a way that is believable.

When he gets a moment alone with Shinichi, sad he had befallen to such a fate and also mourning his own feelings not being adequate to wake him, he bends down a places a kiss on Shinichi's lips, expecting nothing to happen.

He's surprised when blue eyes blink up at him in confusion, asking him where they were and what happened.

And then the realisation hits him.

[horanghaejamjam]

Vampire Kisses - {WJH}

↪   Summary: He is the head of the Wen family, the highest ranking family of vampires in the country. You are a mere human sold to them for the purpose of being his mate and bride. Jun is determined to win your heart before you wed, and perhaps a few playful kisses are the key to doing that.

↪   Pairings:  Vampire lord Jun x Human female reader

↪   Rating: M 18+

↪   Genre: Vampire Au / Slight rivals to lovers / Smut / Fluff 

↪   Word Count: 16.3k

↪ Warnings/Contents: Smut, Blood and blood drinking, Biting, Jun being super flirty and teasing, Arranged marriage, Virgin!reader,  Unprotected sex, Body Worship, Oral (male receiving),  Praise, Soft bondage (Jun ties/blindfolds reader with silk), Fingering, Talks about impregnation. Mostly just very fluffy and soft with Jun being whipped for reader. 

↪ Side Notes: My first post of 2023! This also turned out way longer than I was expecting so I guess I got carried away lol. A few of the other svt members also make cameos in this story. It is implied that reader is younger than Jun.

↪ Huge thank you to the lovely @xiubaek-13​ for betaing and editing this fic for me!

↪ Click here to see my other Seventeen stories

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↪ Click here to join my fic taglist

Growing up, your mom always told you stories about marriage and weddings. How a woman's wedding was supposed to be the happiest day of her life, a once in a lifetime moment. Ever since the first story, you dreamed about the day you would get that moment, planning your dream wedding down to the very last detail. As a child, you imagined a royal ceremony in a grand castle, wearing the most beautiful and lavish dress you could ever imagine. Your husband would be royalty for sure, a man who would love and cherish you for as long as you both shall live. You would be happy together, have the perfect family, and live beautifully in your life of luxury. Looking back at those memories, you realized that you should have been careful about what you wished for. You were getting that wedding you always wanted, but it would not be under your terms. The other thing you learned young was that the world you lived in was not simple, in fact one may consider it the merging of two separate worlds. Two dominant races ran this world and fought for power, similar enough to coexist but different enough to segregate them to keep the world in balance. 

For centuries, humans were the dominant race on Earth. The knowledge of others existed, but their numbers were far too small to be considered a challenge, so humans called the shots. Then, overtime, vampires became a much more prominent presence, easily taking over and claiming areas for themselves. Regions quickly became divided as vampires took control of certain areas, forcing humans to either fight back or surrender to the change. This caused a conflict for many years until leaders on both sides met and finally came to an agreement. They would coexist and operate together, with humans during the day and vampires at night. The agreement was sealed with a marriage of the royal families that united both sides. From that moment forward, it had become customary for the most powerful vampire families to marry one of their kin to a human as a way to honor the unity. The marriage would be sealed by the vampire claiming their spouse by taking their blood on their wedding day, and from there the human could choose if they wished to stay that way or transition to a vampire by drinking the blood of their mate. 

You were born a human, raised in a lower class family who often struggled to make ends meet. You were an only child, and your parents did the best they could to make sure you had everything you needed growing up. You did your best in school and worked a part time job at a local bakery. Overall, you felt that you were pretty average but nothing special, especially not someone that any royal family would set their eyes on. Hell, you never even recalled meeting a vampire so you couldn’t imagine you would catch one's attention, but somehow you did. 

Your whole world changed on the night of your 23rd birthday, being awoken to a knock at your door. Standing there, dressed in a black and red suit with a devilish smile, was one of the most ethereal beings you had ever laid your eyes on. He was tall, with piercing eyes and an almost dark aura to him, his fangs undeniably poking out against his lip as he smiled. You didn’t know what you expected vampires to look like, but it certainly was not this. He bowed and introduced himself as Mingyu, the head servant of the Wen family. He then explained that they had been observing you for quite some time and wanted to ask for your hand in marriage to their eldest son. You had been too stunned to speak, staring at Mingyu as if he had two heads while your parents argued against the idea. You had wanted to refuse also, not wanting to marry someone you had never met, let alone a vampire. However, they had promised protection and financial stability for you and your family as long as you stayed mated to him and provided an eventual heir to the bloodline. As much as you hated the idea, you knew deep down that it was what was best for your family, and so you said yes and prepared to move into the Wen family estate, where you now resided. 

You had been living here for a few years now and never found adjusting any easier. Your wedding to Wen Junhui was set to take place within the next month, falling on the first full moon after your birthday. You didn’t quite understand how everything worked but you remember Mingyu explaining to you that this would be the time where the energy was highest and you were both at your prime. There was a chance for mating bonds to go wrong so this was the best chance of eliminating that risk. You had tried to ask what happened when it went wrong but all Mingyu did was pat your head and tell you not to worry about it. 

That time had been spent allowing you to learn about the family and adjust to what your new life would be. Mr. and Mrs. Wen had met you almost immediately upon your arrival, giving you a once over before welcoming you with open arms. You learned a lot about the family, and about vampires in general from them, helping you to adjust more to your new life. Mr. Wen was born into the family and had been around for many hundred, if not almost a thousand years despite the fact that he didn’t even look 50. Mrs. Wen had been a human when she married into the family, making the decision to transition and stay with her husband when she was in her late 20s. Though she had also explained that she had only been turned after her 30th birthday so she was, technically, significantly younger than her husband. This made you question how age worked with vampires, especially the aging. All you were told was the brief explanation that aging was slower and it took many years for them to age the way a human would in one or two. There was also something about blood slowing down the process but you decided to tune that part out for your own sanity. 

You were also informed about the family line, and how the head of the family would change every couple hundred years to keep up with the changing times, though the original head will often stick around for a while before moving on. The family had two known sons, with Jun being the oldest and only bred vampire which gave him the title by birth right. In human years, he would have just turned 26 making him a few years your senior, when in reality he was slowly nearing 300 years old which was the prime age for a vampire, if not still a bit young. He also had a younger brother, Minghao, who was a transitioned vampire. The human born son of one of the servants that Mr. Wen took in and claimed as his own child. The two brothers, despite not being blood related, were very close and did almost everything together. They had been traveling together at that time, so you hadn’t been able to meet either until a while later. 

It had been during dinner (or breakfast for the family), when the two brothers finally returned. Polar opposites in style and personality, but both striking in their own way. Minghao was more delicate but striking in his features, jet black hair falling over his face in messy locks and dressed in an all black trench coat that hid most of his frame. He did not speak much around you, but when he did his voice was soft and his words were sharp and to the point, he had almost reminded you of one of your highschool professors. He acknowledged you briefly with a calm smile before excusing himself to his study, leaving you to finally turn and acknowledge your soon to be husband. 

You would have been lying if you said Junhui wasn’t one of the most gorgeous men you’d ever seen. Immediately you could tell he was taller and had a larger build than his younger brother. His gaze was softer but still had an alluring touch to it, almost as if he looked bored. His hair was longer, practically touching his shoulders with a striking blonde color. Most of it was slicked back but a few strands fell in front of his eyes. He had been wearing a slick black button down with the top three buttons undone, tucked into fitted pants that suited him nicely. You were immediately attracted to, if not very intimidated by the man standing in front of you, even when he gave you a gentle smile and sat beside you. “Y/N,” he had muttered softly, taking your hand and kissing it, “I am so happy to finally meet you.” His voice was soft, and even a bit higher pitched than you had been expecting, and he seemed more than eager to get to know you. 

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From that moment forward, it seemed like Junhui, or Jun as he preferred you to call him, would not leave you alone. He was always following you around, attempting to talk to you or get you to acknowledge him. Whether it be genuine questions, teasing you over the smallest things, or even flirty advances, it seemed that no matter where you went Jun was there. You gave into him occasionally, but for the most part you found his presence to be quite annoying. Yeah you knew you were being forced to marry him but you hadn’t expected him to be all over you the second you met him. You figured, or more like hoped, that the two of you would stay acquaintances at most and just keep the formalities when his family was around, but it seemed like Jun had different ideas. 

You tried your best to tolerate him, but as your wedding drew closer you found the whole thing weighing on you more and more. The situation became too real for your liking and suddenly you were questioning if this was really a good idea. You were marrying a complete stranger, someone who was infatuated with you but you wanted nothing to do with. You were expected to spend your life with this man and eventually have children with him and you didn’t know him, let alone love him. The thought alone made your skin crawl, trying to suppress the thoughts of what would happen on your wedding night, all for the family to stay in power. Unfortunately there was no way for you to change your mind, knowing that your family would suffer if you tried to back out was the only thing keeping you from running away. Instead you developed a new routine, sleeping through the night while they were up and taking advantage of the daytime to sneak out and enjoy the last few days of your freedom. Today was no exception, with you waking up early and pacing around your room, waiting for the day to arrive so you could sneak out and meet up with your friends. 

Looking out the window, you saw the sun slowly starting to peak out over the horizon, just enough to paint the sky with a purple hue. Within the next hour or so it would be light out and, if your calculations were correct, the family would be asleep by then. Mr and Mrs Wen specifically were likely already in bed by now, the older vampires having no desire to wait for the sun. They were much more sensitive to the light as you had learned, keeping their curtains drawn hours before the sun even thought of rising. They were easy to sneak around, often following the same schedule so you knew where they would be at what time. Minghao was a bit trickier, the man not following a set schedule and often staying up way past when his peers had gone to bed. However, you also learned that he was a bit of a recluse, preferring to stay in his room or study whenever possible. Even when he did catch you, he seemed to either understand your feelings or not care enough to stop you, simply giving you a nod and a knowing look as you made your way out the door. You made a mental note to thank him one of these days for not stopping you or ratting you out to his parents. 

Jun, on the other hand, was not as easy as his family. You weren’t sure if he liked the thrill of being up when it was day or he just didn’t trust you but he would be up for hours before finally resting. Sometimes you found him in his study working on who knows what and other times you had run into him chatting with one of the servants in the kitchen as if that was a normal occurrence for him. Well, technically it was, but that didn’t mean you liked it any more. Day time was the only time you ever had to yourself, enjoying the quiet and freedom before you would be forced to adapt to the nightlife. Though it seemed your soon to be husband didn’t like the idea of leaving you alone, always knowing where you were and sneaking up on you like the two of you were playing a twisted game of hide and seek.

“Enjoying the view Sweetheart?” speak of the devil, you nearly jumped out of your skin when you heard his voice behind you. You hadn’t even heard him enter your room so you had no idea how long he had been there. Jun chuckled at your obvious shock as he walked up behind you, reaching out to close the curtain before the rays of the sun could peak out and threaten him. Glancing at him over your shoulder, you saw that he had ditched his usual suit and jewels for his pajamas, a simple white shirt and baggy pants, giving you hope that this visit would be short.

“I thought you would be in bed,” you muttered as you turned to face him fully.

“Without saying goodnight?” he questioned, “I would never! You should know that by now.” He hummed in thought for a moment as he glanced down at you, bottom lip finding its way between his teeth, “Though judging by the way you’re dressed I’m assuming you’re staying up again. I don’t understand why though, it’s so lonely when everyone's asleep isn’t it?”

“I like being alone, and I’m not ready to give up my life just yet for the sake of your family,” you argued, making the male wince as if your words burned him.

“You really don’t like me do you?” he asked, or more like whined which made you roll your eyes. Surely the fact that an all powerful vampire such as himself was pouting at you like a kicked puppy was pitiful. Still, it seemed to have a bit of an effect on you as you sighed softly. 

“It’s not that I don’t like you,” you started to explain, “I mean come on we’re practically strangers and I’m supposed to give myself up to you completely in a few weeks time, do you really expect me to be happy about that?” You watched Juns eyes shift around the room for a moment, clicking his tongue as he processed what you said. His slender frame leaned against the support of your bed with his arms crossed over his chest as he looked back at you. 

“We wouldn’t be strangers if you gave me a chance you know?” he pointed out. You opened your mouth to argue but he cut you off with a single lift of his finger, “From the moment I came home to you I’ve been trying to get close to you and every time you push me away. I like to think I’m a patient man Y/N but your actions hurt me you know? So do tell me how am I supposed to get close to you when you constantly keep me at arm's length?”  You froze, eyes widening and mouth hanging slightly open as you tried to defend yourself. Even though you knew that Jun was right, the prideful part of you didn’t want to admit that fact. Just like you didn’t want to admit that you were too scared to let him get close to you. You weren’t sure if Jun read your mind, or he was just that observant, but you were snapped out of your little daze when you heard him chuckle. “So that’s how you want to play it then? You want to keep me as a stranger despite everything?” 

“Is there something so wrong with that?” you challenged, mirroring his position. Juns eyes scaled your form for a moment before sighing and glancing away. 

“I am trying you know,” he argued, “I wouldn’t have chosen you to be my bride if I didn’t see something special in you and you won’t even let me prove myself to you. That’s quite cold hearted you know.” You paused for a moment at his confession, not realizing he was the one who chose you but also never seeing him this sincere before. 

“What do you mean you chose me? You never even met me before that night?” you questioned, though it seemed Jun was back to his normal self as he merely clicked his tongue. 

“That is a story for another time my dear, you still haven’t answered my question?” he urged. Jun adjusted slightly and hardened his gaze as he looked back at you, making you feel tiny compared to him. You bit the tip of your tongue as you tried to think of a way out of this but it was clear he wasn’t leaving without an answer. 

“I guess I don’t know what I want,” you admitted sheepishly. Jun hummed in thought and you could have sworn you saw a smirk ghost across his lips before he was hardening his gaze again. 

“Well, let's think about it this way then, I want to get you close to me and you are afraid of opening up and letting me do that correct?” you wanted to protest but he shook his head, “It’s a yes or no question Y/N.” 

“I suppose,” you whispered, though it seemed he heard you anyway. 

“Well clearly neither of us are going to get what we want with how things are now, so why don’t we try something new? If you are willing to put that hard front of yours aside for a minute I have a deal for you,” he proposed, effectively catching you off guard. 

“What kind of deal exactly?” 

“It’s a simple deal really,” he assured, “one that I think both of us will benefit from. How it works is you give me a chance every day to win your heart. If I succeed, I get to give you a kiss. If I fail, that's a day you get to go out.” Your eyes widened as you processed his words. It seemed like it would be easy for you given how you avoided him thus far, but you knew this also meant he would be trying harder to win your attention. “Of course,” he continued after a moment, “this means you will also have to adapt to my schedule in order to be fair, but I’m sure you’d have just as much fun in the night life.” You nodded and took a moment to think it over, having the sinking feeling that there was more to this agreement than he was letting on. 

“What’s the catch?” you asked. 

“There’s no catch, it’s as straightforward as I can possibly make it. Our wedding is in three weeks, yes? That gives me ample time to prove myself to you, and if I don’t that’s more free time for you before you end up stuck with me, no?” The more you thought about it, the more you realized he had a point. 

“I suppose you’re right, but why are you so insistent on this deal?“ Jun let out an almost annoyed chuckle, but his expression didn’t falter. 

“We are destined to be together, you know. Not only is this a chance to be close to you but it’s also a fun build up to the main event where I finally get to kiss you where I want.” His words made you internally cringe, shaking your head to regain your composure. 

“This is a terrible idea!” you finally exclaimed, causing Jun to scoff.

“What’s the matter, doll? Are you afraid you’ll fall in love with me?” he raised his eyebrow in a teasing manner. You were sure if you tried to roll your eyes any harder, they would end up stuck in the back of your head. 

“I highly doubt I’d ever fall in love with you,” Jun visibly deflated a bit at your words, but regained his composure before you could fully process it. 

“Then there’s nothing for you to lose, might as well humor me and prove me wrong no?” It was getting increasingly harder to argue with him, and at this point you just wanted him to go to bed and leave you alone so you reluctantly gave in. 

“Okay, fine, you have yourself a deal,” you muttered, “are you happy now?” 

“Once you finalize the deal, yes I will be,” Jun agreed, standing up and walking over to you with his arm outstretched, offering his hand to you. You gave him a look of ‘Are you serious?’ before groaning and reaching out to shake his hand. His skin was cool at first, but quickly warmed up with your heat and you also took note of how soft his hand was. He firmly gripped your hand for a moment with a smile before letting go and slipping his hands into the pockets of his pajama pants. “Alright we have a deal, try not to have too much fun out there darling, tomorrow night is when the fun starts,” with that he turned and left your room, the door closing behind him with a gentle click. You stared at the spot he just stood for a minute before sighing and collapsing back down on your bed. Your head spun as you processed the mess you just got yourself into, suddenly no longer feeling like going out. 

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The first week following your agreement went by painfully slow. Most of it was you trying miserably to adjust to the nocturnal life, meaning you were way too tired to acknowledge any of Juns advances. He didn’t seem to mind too much though, giving you space and allowing you to enjoy your victory, though you only left the house maybe once the whole time. The rest of the time you were busy staring off into space or reading whatever book you could get your hands on in the study to keep from passing out. Minghao had actually been a great help during this time, giving you story suggestions and even suggesting a certain tea he drank often that could help you stay awake. He also introduced you to Wonwoo, another one of the prominent workers at the manor. Wonwoo had spent most of his life as a scholar so he showed you all the best stories both hardcover and digital. You also learned he had quite a knack for video games and showed you how to access them on one of the computers in the main study. After that, you found it very easy to stay up during the hours of the night, something Jun immediately took notice of. 

“Good Morning Starlight,” you jumped at the sound of his voice as you stepped into the kitchen, turning to see Jun perched up against the counter. He wasn’t as dressed up as he normally was, wearing only a thin shirt and leather pants with the familiar family jewels adorning his fingers and ears. His hair also wasn’t slicked back like it normally was, merely brushed to keep his bangs out of his eyes. He also didn’t appear to have any makeup on, the familiar black shadow from his eyes all but gone. You hated how attractive he looked even when he didn’t seem to be trying. Though the main thing that caught your attention was his lips, stained red from the thick red liquid he was swirling in a glass. Every few moments he would sip at it as if the drink were a fine red wine, though you knew better than to try and trick yourself. “It’s cows blood, don’t worry,” he muttered when he noticed your hesitation, “we only really need to drink blood maybe once or twice a week to keep up our strength. The supply is donated to us from the local butcher and lasts quite a while. We never feed from humans, unless they offer themselves to us of course.” You blinked a bit as you processed his explanation, again watching the liquid slosh around as he spun the glass between his fingers. 

“I take it you don’t get offers very often?” you questioned, not really sure you wanted to know the answer. 

“You’d be surprised,” he responded, “a lot of humans get curious. They come to us asking just for just a quick bite, allowing them to know the sensation. There’s a rumor going around that a bite from a vampire can be quite pleasurable and they want to know if it’s true so they basically throw themselves at us. It’s kind of funny if you ask me.” You raised an eyebrow at him as he answered the question, addressing the topic like it was the most simple thing in the world. Though you also noticed the underlying tone in his voice when he mentioned pleasure, knowing immediately what he was implying. 

“Does it taste different then?” you asked, and this time it was his turn to raise an eyebrow. 

“Is this really something you’re interested in or are you just trying to make conversation?” when you shrugged he chuckled, “well in a way yes it does. I can’t really describe it to you but the different proteins and types change the flavor.” He quickly finished his drink and set the glass to the side, wiping his lips with his sleeve. “I’m flattered you’re actually taking interest in me though, it means a lot,” he teased as he walked over to you, “enough about me though, I’m guessing you’re hungry right? How about I get you breakfast and then we go through a walk around the manor.” You nodded softly and he smiled, patting your shoulder and motioning for you to take a seat. Jun hummed softly as he roamed around the kitchen, grabbing an assortment of different items and setting them down in front of you before taking a seat himself. 

“Did you just grab the whole kitchen?” you asked, slowly beginning to pick at the food in front of you. 

“I’m not too sure what you like so figured I’d just grab what we had. You’re also the only one who requires food to survive so we don’t have much at the moment,” he confessed. 

“You mean to tell me you guys only drink blood?” you exclaimed, making him laugh. 

“No of course not,” he replied with a chuckle, “we still like to drink and have meals but it’s just for the fun and taste of it. We don’t really get any sustenance from meals like this.” To prove his point he snatched a grape from one of the bowls in front of you, rolling it between his fingers before popping it delicately into his mouth. You hummed in thought as you copied his action, letting the flavors rest on your tongue for a moment before grabbing a roll. There was a silence that fell over the both of you, you focused on eating and Jun watching you intently. Normally this would make you shy away from him but something about this reaction was oddly domestic and quite comfortable. You tried not to overthink this change though, telling yourself you were just used to his presence now that you had spent a week with him. 

“You said you wanted to go for a walk after this?” you remembered as you finished up your breakfast, “doesn’t that seem kind of boring though?” Jun tilted his head and raised an eyebrow at you which made you shrug, “I mean, I’ve pretty much seen everything here already so what’s the point?” This made him chuckle a bit, leaning back in his chair without taking his eyes off of you. 

“I can assure you that you haven’t seen everything, so I figured I’d show you a few fun places you haven’t seen yet,” he explained. 

“Places like what?” you asked.

“Well for starters, do you really expect to stay in a guest room after we’re married?” he answered your question with one of his own, “we’re going to be sharing a lot so I figured I’d show you where you’d be staying after. There are also a few special places that are technically for family only but I don’t think they will mind if I show you a bit early.” You had to admit, now you were intrigued to find out what was being hidden from you. Jun noticed and smiled at your eagerness, standing up and walking over to where you were still seated, “Once you finish eating I’d recommend grabbing a jacket, it gets a bit chilly at this time. I’ll meet you by the staircase when you’re ready.” With that he patted your shoulder softly and exited the room. You turned your head just enough to watch him leave before sighing and returning your attention to the food. 

“He’s planning something, I just know it,” you mutter to yourself, finishing the roll you had been snacking on and putting everything back where you thought it belonged. With that out of the way you ran upstairs to your room and rummaged through your closet for something warm you could put on. It wasn’t that cold in the manor itself so you didn't want to wear anything too heavy, but you assumed based on what Jun said that you would end up outside at some point so you wanted to be prepared. It took a minute for you to finally just settle on a sweater that you could throw over your top, thick enough to keep you warm but not enough to make you overheat. 

When you left your room you saw Jun standing by the staircase as promised, though his back was turned to you as he conversed with two individuals you had never seen before. Two other males, one dressed in all black with his hair slicked back and the other in all white with his hair down, almost as long as Juns but not quite. They dressed like polar opposites yet seemed like they belonged together as you watched them talk with your fiance. They were laughing at something, the one in all white even reaching out to hit at Juns arm. You were curious as to what they were talking about, but didn’t want to be rude and interrupt so you stayed put. The other male noticed you after a second, pointing in your direction which made Jun turn to face you. 

“Ah there you are, don’t be shy come and join us,” he urged you over. You stayed put for a moment before doing as you were told, silently walking to stand beside Jun with a shy smile. “Y/N meet Joshua and Jeonghan, they have been close friends of the family since even before I was born,” he introduced you, both males bowing their heads to you. 

“It’s nice to finally meet you,” Joshua greeted, “though I’m sure we’ll get to know each other very soon.”

“We work very closely with Jun and his family so we were summoned in to help with the wedding, specifically to help you,” Jeonghan explained. You shrunk a little bit in realization, nodding and forcing a smile so as to not be rude. 

“Ah I see, then I guess we will get close won’t we?” you muttered. 

“I hope so, it would be nice to have a friend that’s normal,” Joshua teased.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Jun whined, “I am normal!”

“Suuure you are,” Jeonghan stated with amusement. The three went back and forth for a minute which made you laugh softly, finding the interaction similar to you and your friends. It didn’t last long though as Jun quickly regained himself, clearing his throat and placing his hand on your shoulder. 

“Anyways, I promised this one I’d show her around so we should probably get on that, I’ll see you too before bed though,” with that he was guiding you past the two males, pausing only long enough for you to wave goodbye. 

“They seem fun,” you commented as you walked with Jun down the hall. 

“They’re a pain but I love them,” Jun agreed, “everyone here is like a big family if you haven’t noticed already.” In reality you had noticed, having seen the way the family interacted with each other and their staff. Of course there was mutual respect but it never seemed like a boss and employee type situation, more like a friendship if anything. 

“Is that because of how long everyone's been here?” you asked. 

“Perhaps that may be part of it but I wouldn’t say that’s the reason,” Jun replied, “We may all work together but everyone here has a different story for how they got here. For certain people like Joshua and Jeonghan our families ran together so we were raised together. Then you have people like Mingyu or Wonwoo who came from lower class families and grew to bond with us. Or, on the complete opposite side you have my brother, we’re not related by blood and he was born a human but we took him in and I love him just as much as I would if he were born into the family.” Jun paused for a moment before shaking his head with a soft laugh, “I’m rambling now but my point is that it doesn’t matter where you come from or how long you’ve been around someone, it’s all about the bond you build with them.” You sighed as you processed his words, casting your gaze down to the floor. He talked about bonding with someone as if it was the easiest thing in the world and yet here you were, making things more difficult by avoiding him. You never cared about getting to know him before so why did you feel so guilty all of the sudden? If Jun noticed your shift in mood he didn’t say anything, continuing to walk a bit before stopping in front of a door. 

“Enough of that though, I’m here to show you what your life will look like with me. This should be an exciting moment,” he gave your shoulder a reassuring squeeze and opened the door, gently nudging you inside. You couldn’t help but gasp as you walked in and looked around the room. Juns bedroom was nearly twice the size of yours, the walls mostly the same white color as the rest of the manor but with red accents that gave it an almost romantic glow. The wall opposite you had large window like doors that opened to a small balcony overlooking the outside of the manor, dark red curtains pulled back to let the moonlight seep into the room. The light hit his bed perfectly, centered in the middle of the room like a centerpiece. Delicately carved wooden frames accented with the same red curtains and satin sheets in the same color. The walls were decorated with a few paintings, one of Jun, another of the family, and the last you couldn’t quite make out but the rest was bare. Cautiously you stepped further into the room, feeling the soft rug tickle at your ankles as you walked to the bed, Jun stayed quiet as he watched you. His figure leaned against the doorway with an amused grin as he watched you explore, touching things so gently as if you were worried they would break. 

“Don’t be shy,” he spoke up after a moment, “this will be your room soon enough so don’t be afraid to get used to it.” He closed the door and walked over to where you were, falling back onto the bed and laying with his back against the headboard so he could watch you. 

“This room is amazing,” you said in awe, moving away from his bed and walking over to the balcony. 

“It’s a bit old fashioned for my taste but it is nice,” Jun remarked. 

“Old fashioned?” you asked, to which he nodded softly. 

“This original manor was built by my great grandfather when he was elected into power,” Jun explained, “my grandfather and dad made a few changes to the decor to match the changing times but a lot of it is still the same as when it was first built.” Vampire age was still a concept you were confused by, but given how old Mr. Wen was you could only assume the manor was over a couple thousand years old, which was shocking because it looked brand new. “If you’re wondering why it’s in such good condition, it’s gradually rebuilt and redecorated whenever a new head takes over,” he added. You couldn’t help but scoff a bit at how easily he seemed to read your mind, or maybe he was just that used to these questions. 

“So do you plan on renovating when you take over?” you asked, brushing your hands across the curtain. 

“I have a few ideas, I won’t change much but it would be nice to modernize everything a bit,” he explained, “it would be nice to have a TV in here don’t you think? Maybe a few more computers since I’ve noticed a lot of people here like playing games.” He glanced over at you as he said this, making you smile shyly. 

“There was nothing else to do and Wonwoo showed me how to play so...” he cut you off before you could finish explaining. 

“It doesn’t bother me at all, I want you to be comfortable here,” he promised. You nodded and glanced back outside, having to focus to see outside through your own reflection. Your fingers brushed against the cool railing, searching for the handle to open the door when you heard footsteps behind you. You could almost feel Jun press against you as he reached up to undo the latch and swing the doors open. “It may be a bit high for you to reach,” he teased, patting your head and brushing past you to walk onto the balcony. You quickly followed, shivering a bit at the cold. The balcony wasn’t large, just big enough for the two of you to stand on it comfortably. Over the railing you could see out into the back gardens, a vast maze of different flowers and other plants illuminated by the moon. In the middle stood what appeared to be a fountain, though you couldn’t make out its shape, and in the distance you thought you spotted a greenhouse. “It’s beautiful isn’t it?” 

“It is,” you agreed, looking at the vast array of flowers, “I didn’t even know we had a back garden.”

“There’s only really one way to access it and it’s kind of hidden by the study so it makes sense you didn’t know,” Jun said with a chuckle, “do you want to see it up close?” You eagerly nodded, an action he repeated with a smile, “Alright then, shall we?” He gestured for you to go back into the room, closing the door behind him before offering his arm to you. You hesitated slightly but gave in and wrapped your arm around his, allowing him to guide you out of his room and down the hall. The general study was a place you were familiar with, a large room decorated with multiple wooden desks and bookshelves. The main room branched off into two smaller studies, one that Minghao used as a personal art studio and the other that belonged to Jun, though you’d never seen the older brother use his. 

Jun led you through the room to a back area that had previously been concealed by one of the large bookshelves. Had he not led you right to it, you wouldn’t have even noticed that it was there. 

“Wow this is hidden,” you commented, Jun nodding and letting go of your arm to open the door. 

“There’s quite a few rare plants out here with very special properties. We keep the entrance hidden from guests to keep people from abusing them,” he explained as he opened the door and nudged you through. This time you were prepared for the chill that attacked you as you stepped outside, pulling your sweater closer to your body. Almost immediately your senses picked up on the scents of the various flowers surrounding you. It was almost overpowering but you found it quite pleasurable. Jun wrapped his arm around your shoulders and led you through the rows of flowers and into the clearing. You stopped a few times to glance at certain ones that caught your eye, careful not to get too close and ruin them. Jun didn’t have the best knowledge of all the flowers, but he told you the brief information he did know, such as names or where they were from. You had to give him credit for trying, making it clear that he was trying to impress you, and perhaps it was working.  

When you finally made it to the middle of the garden you gasped. You hadn’t been able to make out the full view from the balcony but now you could see everything. The area was outlined with various shrubs and trees that blocked it off from the rest of the garden, though there was an opening that allowed the moon to shine through. There were a few benches nestled into the corner, and in the middle was the fountain you saw earlier. Carved marble base leading up to the silhouette of an angel, the vase she was holding being the part of the fountain that water spilled out of in addition to small jets around the base. 

“This is beautiful,” you mused, walking over to take a seat on the fountain. There were a few stray water drops that sprayed you but you paid no mind, closing your eyes and listening to the sound of the water. Jun stayed in his spot the whole time, smiling to himself as he watched you, enjoying the first peaceful moment between the two of you. 

“It really is, isn’t it?” he agreed, though he wasn’t exactly talking about the fountain. He couldn’t stop his eyes from trailing across your frame, taking in every detail while you were peacefully unaware of what he was doing. Eventually he got tired of watching you though, moving to take a seat beside you. Your eyes opened as you felt his leg brush against yours, glancing over to see Jun looking up at the sky. Now it was your turn to admire him, taking note of the way his long hair framed his face, and how he seemed to glow under the moonlight. You wondered, if he hadn’t been immortal, would he still be this beautiful? “Like what you see?” he asked without looking away from his spot, making you shy away from him. 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” you tried to argue, “I was just enjoying the view of the garden.”

“I take it I am part of the garden then? You’ve been staring at me for at least the past five minutes.”

“Does my staring bother you?” you questioned. 

“No not at all,” he assured, finally looking down at you, “in fact I actually find it quite comforting. It means that there’s at least some part of you that’s drawn to me.” You wanted to argue but opted against it, knowing there was no winning with Jun. He smirked at you before glancing at the sky one last time, “Damn, time really does fly by fast doesn’t it. The sun should be coming up soon.” 

“Wow already?” you exclaimed, glancing up but not seeing any sign of the sky getting brighter. 

“You learn new tricks to tell time when you need to avoid the sun,” he said, “I’d rather go in early than be caught off guard otherwise I would take you to see the greenhouse. If you’re impressed by this I can imagine what you’ll think of it.”

“What happens if you stay out in the sun?” you asked, causing him to side eye you for a moment. 

“We don’t burst into flames or anything if that’s what you’re thinking,” he said with a slight hint of amusement, “It does burn us pretty badly though, like think of the feeling you’d get if you kept your hand on a hot stove or even a flame. For purebloods like myself, if we didn’t get inside within a few hours we would likely succumb to the heat and burn. Though some half bred vampires aren’t fully developed so they can go out if they wish.” You let out a soft “oh” before looking away, not even wanting to imagine that pain. Jun gave your shoulder an assuring pat and urged you to look at him, “Don’t worry about me though, I don’t plan on letting myself get hurt anytime soon,” he smiled softly at you, squeezing your shoulder until you smiled back, “there we go I like it better when you smile. You’re more than welcome to stay out here if you wish, but I really should get inside before the sun comes up.” He squeezed your shoulder one last time and was about to get up before he stopped himself, “Oh but before I go, I do believe I get a prize for today, no?” You were confused and about to ask what he meant before remembering the deal you made with him. 

“Alright I guess you do win for today,” you gave in. Jun smiled and grabbed your hand, playing with your fingers for a moment before placing a soft kiss on the back of your palm. His lips were soft and slightly cooler in texture, much like the rest of him, but you couldn’t help feeling your body heat up at the contact. 

“One of hopefully many,” Jun whispered, his breath and lips tickling your skin, “until tomorrow my love.” He placed your hand back into your lap and stood up, adjusting his shirt as he walked out of the garden, slow enough for you to follow if you wished but not pressuring you. You watched him leave before returning your attention to the fountain with a sigh, glancing down at your reflection in the water. Without Jun beside you, it suddenly felt much colder, the breeze blowing the water onto you like a harsh mist. Still you didn’t move for quite a while, even as the sun rose and you felt exhaustion creep into you, you didn’t want to move. You hated how lonely it suddenly felt without Jun beside you, and you hated the way your hand still tingled where he kissed you. Though you told yourself it was just being flustered and touch starved. Jun was still a stranger to you, and there was no way you could ever see yourself falling for a vampire. You kept telling yourself that as you finally stood up and slowly made your way inside, even as you changed and tucked yourself into bed the words repeated. 

You could never fall in love with Wen Junhui. 

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Unfortunately for you, fate seemed to have other ideas for what you wanted. Jun, encouraged by getting his first kiss, seemed to only up his game as the days went by. Meal dates, going for walks, performing a song for you, even taking you out into town to give you an idea of what the nightlife was like. You quickly learned that things didn’t operate much differently when vampires were running things and most were more than welcoming to you. Jun had taken you to all of his favorite stops, including his favorite restaurant and an arcade he went to with his friends a lot growing up. You also learned a lot more about him during that time. Jun explained to you how his family line is actually from China and they weren’t always as powerful. The Wen name grew with his great grandfather, who had moved in search of business opportunities and ended up in the right place at the right time. Because of their heritage, the family was in charge of many international affairs. You also learned that Jun was multilingual, practically begging for him to say something to you in Chinese when you heard that. Lastly you learned that Jun was a man of many talents, especially when it came to singing or dancing. It felt like you were meeting him for the first time, and every time you learned something new about him you found yourself falling for him more. No matter how hard you tried to deny it, or to distance yourself from him, he always made his way back with a kiss right before the sun rose. After your hand it was your wrist, then the top of your head, then your forehead, and, most recently, your cheek. Every kiss made you tingle and crave more of him, as if there was some type of love potion on his lips that he applied to you with each one. You supposed that wasn’t entirely out of the question but you doubted that Jun would be desperate enough to try a stunt like that. 

Not everyday was a victory for Jun though, there had been a few where you weren’t in the mood for his antics or something happened that pulled his attention away from you. Those days he would sigh and tell you to enjoy your night out with a semi forced smile, making sure you knew to call him if something went wrong. You tried to enjoy going out alone those days, and to be fair you did have fun exploring the new shops that were usually closed in the day, but you always felt slightly guilty. Every time you left you saw Juns disappointed expression in your mind and you ended up dragging yourself back to the manor way earlier than you intended. Most of the time he would be busy with something work or wedding related and wouldn’t realize you were home until much later. One time, however, you caught him working in his study, smiling at your presence and inviting you to sit with him as he worked. You ended up staying there for hours talking about whatever came to mind. 

Unfortunately, there was a new issue presenting itself that threatened to drive a wedge between the two of you. That issue being the fact that your wedding was now only a few days away. Meaning that not only was Jun being dragged away, but you were as well. The realization of everything happening weighed on you like a million bricks and suddenly it felt like you were back to where you started when you first moved in. You were nervous, on edge, and it seemed like all progress being made with Jun was starting to go backwards. You never saw him anymore, and when you did he was too busy to acknowledge you. The most you ever got was a hello or him telling you how gorgeous you looked before he was being dragged off again to who knows where. 

You didn’t even know why the distance upset you so much when not even two weeks ago all you wanted was for him to leave you alone. You did your best to convince yourself that you were just lonely without him, occupying your time by hanging out with any servant you could find or even Minghao. The younger vampire was clearly put off by your sudden attachment to him, but he allowed you to keep him company anyways. You would read with him or sit in his study/studio with him while he worked on a new painting until Jun or a worker came to find you. Minghao definitely wasn’t one for words but you learned quickly that he was good with advice and listening. Whenever he saw that frustrated look on your face he would offer you a glass of tea or wine and listen to you as you vented your frustrations. Depending on your mood he would either then offer you advice or distract you with something else like picking out colors for the wedding. You also quickly learned the younger vampire had quite the eye for color and fashion, so much so that you swear he lit up when you asked him to help you with your wedding dress. 

That was exactly what the two of you were doing now, with the assistance of Joshua and Jeonghan. You had been standing in the middle of your room modeling every style, color, and fabric known to man. Jeonghan and Joshua seemed happy with most of the designs, but Minghao still hadn’t found anything he had liked. 

“This one’s too long.”

“This one's too short.”

“Neckline on this one isn’t flattering.”

“The dress shape hides your figure too much.”

“This color doesn’t match your complexion at all.”

“This color is cute but the style is all wrong.”

By what easily felt like the millionth try on, you were frustrated and about ready to throw a pillow at Minghao. The male in question was humming softly to himself as he circled around you, clicking his tongue in disapproval. 

“Hao, is all of this really necessary?” you whined, struggling to stand up straight as you felt something poking your side. 

“Of course it is!” he replied, “you want to look perfect for your wedding right? We should not settle for anything less than perfect.” He circled around you one more time before shaking his head, “We’re getting closer but no this one is still off, next.” You couldn’t help but groan, half tempted to slam your head into the nearest wall when Joshua spoke up. 

“I think that’s the last one we have right now and I think Y/N is getting tired,” he stated softly. Minghao sighed and shook his head, muttering something under his breath as Joshua spoke again. 

“How about we just sit down and discuss what we did and didn’t like about all of them, so you can narrow down the list and we can find something.” You had half the mind to run over and kiss Joshua for the idea, nodding eagerly when Minghao glanced at you. 

“Very well,” he agreed, “go get changed Y/N and we can discuss this, we need to get this done soon so we can find the dress before the wedding day.” You wanted to roll your eyes at the mention of the wedding. Honestly you didn’t care for your dream wedding at this point, you felt like you weren’t getting a say in much and you were so stressed that you just wanted everything to be over. 

Nonetheless, you sat down with all three boys and discussed your ideas until you had designed a dress that everyone agreed on. It would be slightly form fitting to flatter your figure, but also allow you to move around freely, with a neckline that was not modest but not too revealing either. The same red, white, and black color scheme that the rest of the family seemed to love, and a few lace accents to make it elegant. You would decide on your accessories and veil later, but Minghao seemed satisfied with the design and ran off to get working, Joshua and Jeonghan hesitantly following after apologizing to you for the younger's attitude. 

Exhausted and beyond frustrated, you found yourself leaving your room and going to the one place you knew people would leave you alone, the garden. Tucking yourself away on one of the farthest benches, you sighed and buried your head in your knees. The sound of the fountain and the wind rustling the leaves brought you great comfort as you tried to clear your mind. No more stress about the wedding, no more stress about Jun, no more stress about anything. Why couldn’t your life just go back to the way it was before? Why did you have to be stuck here, getting married to a vampire to help your family? Even worse, why were you actually starting to fall in love with him? Why couldn’t you have just stayed strangers and just used the wedding for show? Part of you wished you never met Jun until your wedding day, then all of this would have been significantly easier. 

“There you are,” lifting your head, you locked eyes with the one man who occupied your mind. Jun looked exhausted, his shirt messily unbuttoned under his vest which also wasn’t fastened properly. His eyeshadow was smudged, making it look like he hadn’t slept in years, and his hair was messy as if he just rolled out of bed. He was a mess, and yet you still found him unbelievably gorgeous. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” he confessed as he sat down beside you, “Jeonghan told me you were in a pretty bad mood earlier.”

“I suppose you could stay that,” you muttered, “what about you though, you look like a mess.”

“Thanks I tried my best,” he replied sarcastically, though his expression quickly softened, “I just have a lot to do, that's all. My parents have been preparing me for the wedding and taking over the family so I guess I’ve been stretched pretty thin.”

“So I’ve noticed,” you whispered to yourself, Jun heard it though as you felt his arm wrap around you. 

“Awe don’t tell me my sweet girl missed me?” he teased, “I’m sorry I haven’t been giving you much attention, will you ever forgive me.”

“Shut up!” you groaned as you nudged him off of you, “who said I missed you?”

“Your actions are worth a million words, you know?” he pointed out. When you didn't respond he huffed and leaned closer as if telling you a secret, “Also you should know that word gets around quickly in this family.” It took you a second to realize what he meant, internally groaning as you realized his brother probably told him everything. 

“Remind me to kill Minghao next time I see him,” you hissed which made Jun laugh. 

“You can’t kill what’s already dead My Love. Also don’t be mad at him, he’s only trying to help.” You bit your bottom lip and cast your gaze down, watching the grass sway beneath your feet for a moment. Jun quickly dropped the teasing and cleared his throat, tapping your shoulder to get your attention, “Seriously though Y/N, I know I haven’t been around much recently and I’m sorry. I can’t make up for that but I am here now so talk to me, what’s bothering you?” You debated answering for a moment, gnawing at your lip and curling up more. Jun waited patiently for you to collect your thoughts, not taking his gaze off of you as you finally sat up properly and looked at him. 

“It’s stupid but this isn’t what I wanted,” you confessed, “I always dreamed about having this royal and lavish wedding and now I’m getting it but not how I wanted. I don’t know anything about how vampire weddings work and I haven’t gotten a single say in anything. I didn’t get to choose who I marry, when, how, hell I barely even got a say in my own dress. It hurts even worse because I’ve been so confused about my feelings for you and now I don’t know what to do.” You took a deep breath after speaking, feeling like a huge weight had been lifted off of you. Jun stayed silent for a second, his occasional blinking the only sign that he hadn’t completely frozen. Then, before you had time to react, he was pulling you against him in a tight hug. You gasped, needing a moment to process the contact before giving in and hugging him back. Your arms wrapped tightly around his waist and your head buried into his chest, ignoring the lack of a heartbeat and instead focusing on his scent. Of course you had been close to Jun before but not like this. His scent was very floral, but there was also a hint that reminded you of herbal tea, it was refreshing and very much him. 

“I’m sorry,” Jun muttered into your hair, pulling away from you just enough so that he could look at you, “this is all my fault. I’m the one that dragged you here, and I’m the one that kept you in the dark. I should have told you everything from the beginning.”

“Can you tell me now?” you asked, looking up at him. 

“What do you want to know?” he answered you with his own question. 

“Everything, why did you choose me? Also what is going to happen at our wedding and what happens after? I want to know so I can prepare.” Jun exhaled harshly but nodded, keeping one hand on your arm while the other moved to run through his still messy hair. 

“Well to start, I chose you because I saw something special in you. Families like mine always married off their next in line to a human, that’s an agreement to keep things fair on both sides. I am the oldest son and so I knew when the time came I would need to find someone to marry, my parents knew this too so they often sent me out during the day. I was disguised of course and protected from the sun, so I think I did a good job blending in. You probably don’t even remember that you’ve met me before, I stopped by your work one day with a friend. I don’t know why but something about you was different, special, I knew that exact moment that you were the one. So I asked my friend to get to know you and everything he told me only proved to me that I made the right decision.” You tried your hardest to remember ever getting close to someone that would know Jun, or even when you saw him before but your mind was coming up blank. 

“What was your friend's name?” you asked, desperate to know who it was he was talking about. 

 “Kwon Soonyoung, but he often had people call him Hoshi,” your eyes widened at the name, recognizing it as one of your old coworkers. He started working there about a month after you and you two became friends almost immediately, you had no idea that he had any connection to someone like Jun. 

“Him, really?” you asked. 

“What, didn’t expect that I could befriend a human?” he questioned. 

“No no not that it’s just, how did I have no idea?” Jun smiled and patted your head playfully, laughing as it messed up your hair. 

“You not knowing means he did his job well, but yeah I learned about you through him, and then when I was told it was time, I sent Mingyu to get you. The timing wasn’t the best though as Hao and I had to return back to China to deal with a few personal matters, which is why you spent the first year with just my parents,” he explained. You were both silent for a moment as you processed the information, then Jun spoke again, “as for the wedding, it will probably be a bit different than you’re expecting. Everything will still happen that does at a normal wedding, but there is also the business element and the mating ritual that goes along with it. All our friends and family will be there, but so will the main political powers on both sides to ensure that the wedding is official, so it may be a bit more crowded than you’re used to. Though it is your wedding as much as it is mine so if you would like to join me in planning things I would love to have you with me.” You nodded and smiled, glad he was giving you the chance to be involved, though your smile quickly dropped as you remembered the mating part. 

“What exactly is the mating ritual?” you asked, albeit a bit hesitant. Jun sighed, almost looking like he didn’t want you to ask.  

“Divorce isn’t really a thing in our life,” he started, “so vampires are known to ‘mate’ for life I guess you could say. When we marry the bond between us is shared by a blood exchange, it will keep me connected to you, allow me to know what you’re feeling and be close to you even if not physically.”

“A blood exchange, that means that...” you trailed off. 

“I will have to bite you,” he answered your question for you, “but it will be quick I promise and you can choose where you want me to do it.”

“Will it hurt?” 

“It shouldn’t, remember I said most people even say it’s pleasurable. You’ll feel a little prick and then after that it should just feel warm,” he explained. 

“I don’t have to drink your blood though, right?” you asked. 

“Not unless you want to become a vampire yourself,” he responded with a chuckle, “but you don’t have to decide that now.” You nodded softly, looking down and feeling your cheeks heat up as another question entered your mind. 

“Umm, what about the wedding night?” you immediately regretted the question as you saw a mischievous glint in Juns eye. 

“Why are you that excited for what’s going to happen?” when he saw you blush harder he snickered and patted your shoulder, “relax Qinqin I’m just teasing you. Eventually my parents are going to expect an heir to the Wen family, but if you’re not ready on our wedding night we can just share a drink and relax.” 

“What if I am ready?” you asked yourself outloud, not really thinking about it until you saw Juns expression. 

“Are you ready?” he pushed, you quickly felt shy and looked away, but he placed his fingers under your chin to make you look at him. 

“Yes? No? I mean...I don’t know I don’t even know how I feel about you,” you confessed. Jun hummed in thought and you could have sworn you saw him blushing a bit himself. 

“I think you do know and you’re lying to yourself,” he whispered. Your eyes widened as he drew slightly closer, barely inches away from you. His dark eyes were blown and piercing as they stared at you, your own glancing down on his lips then back at his eyes. “Just admit it Y/N,” he whispered, “I won, you’re falling for me.” Your breath hitched, wanting to turn away but feeling like you were frozen in place. Jun huffed and leaned forward, placing a kiss to the side of your lips, just enough to tease you. Your eyes fluttered for a moment at the contact before opening again and looking up at him in confusion. “That’s how I know you do feel something for me,” he pointed out, placing another kiss to your forehead before pulling away, “don’t worry my dear, you’ll get the real thing in a few days, just be patient.” You didn’t know whether you wanted to hit him at that moment or pull him close to you and kiss him. He didn’t give you the option though as he was standing up and excusing himself, letting you know that he would be in his room if you needed company. You whined to yourself as you were quickly up on your feet and rushing after him, not wanting to be alone just yet. 

“I’ll get you back for that Wen Jun!”

ღ ღ ღ ღ ღ

You definitely took Jun up on his offer to join him in wedding planning, getting a say in everything from the decor to the catering. You also got a glance into the life Jun lived, watching as he handled different affairs and communicated with different workers. It was honestly endearing watching him in his element, though you did your best to stay out of his way. Whenever he wasn’t too busy though you guys were enjoying your time together, oftentimes with him having his arm around you while you looked at decor ideas for the manor or holding your hand as you organized seating for the wedding. That domestic feeling returned and this time you didn’t fight it, actually finding yourself excited for your wedding. 

It felt like only a minute before the day in question came, you were woken up early when Minghao, Joshua, and Mrs. Wen burst into your room. The sun hadn’t even set completely, as you could see the rays poking out through a crack in your curtains. Minghao quickly rushed to pull them fully closed though as Mrs. Wen placed a tray with fruit and tea on your nightstand. 

“Rise and shine my dear,” she urged, “it’s time to get you ready for your big day!” 

“Already?” you asked, rubbing the sleep from your eyes, “it’s so early.” 

“Yes but there’s a lot to do,” the older woman reminded, “we need to get you fed and dressed, do your hair and makeup, and then get the final preparations ready. Our guests will start arriving in a few hours so we need to make sure everything is done now.” You groaned softly but nodded, taking the tea from the tray and sipping at it as you woke up, Mrs. Wen fretting over your health and complexing as Minghao and Joshua focused on getting your dress. “You look a little pale my dear, do you need anything? I can go get you some medicine.”

“I’m fine I promise, just a bit nervous,” you assured. 

“Mom, relax, I’m sure you remember how nervous you were when you got married,” Minghao argued, making a few last minute adjustments on your dress. 

“You shouldn’t listen to everything your father says, you weren’t even there,” the woman argued, though Minghao only giggled as he focused on his work. You also laughed a bit at the family's banter before finally giving in and getting out of bed. 

“Alright what do you need me to do?” you asked. 

“You go wash up and then I’ll help you get dressed, just call when you’re ready for me. Then the boys and I will help make sure everything is in place and do your hair and makeup. By then it should be almost time to start so you can rest,” Mrs. Wen explained. You nodded and made your way to the bathroom, quickly showering and brushing your teeth before calling for help with your dress. It was simple enough that you were mostly able to get it on yourself, but you still needed help with the zipper and the layers. You couldn’t help but look at yourself in the mirror as the older woman helped you out, tearing up at the sight of you in the dress. You hadn’t been the most fond of the idea at first, but seeing yourself in it made you realize how gorgeous it actually was. It seemed your soon to be mother in law agreed as she stared at you in awe. “You look gorgeous Darling,” she praised, adjusting the bodice and allowing you to glance at yourself. 

“Thank you, I feel gorgeous,” you agreed. She clapped in excitement before helping you back out to your room where the two males were waiting. Minghao was holding various sewing supplies and Joshua was holding your veil and a few other accessories. Behind them on the bed was a kit which you assumed was for your hair and makeup. Both males smiled as they saw you, Minghao clapping softly as he walked over to you. 

“I told you this would be perfect,” he boasted, getting a gentle whack on the back of his head from his mom. He didn’t acknowledge it though as he looked over you to see if there were any needed adjustments. “I’m sorry if this is awkward to ask but,” he said nervously, “but have you decided where you want your…mating bite to be?” The room went awkwardly silent, you stiffening and looking at him which made him rub the back of his neck. “I’m only asking to know if I need to adjust the dress at all so Jun can access it, that’s all.” The room went silent again, all the attention on you as they waited for a reaction. 

“It’s fine if you don’t know yet,” Mrs. Wen assured but you shook your head. 

“No no it’s fine,” you promised, “I guess I haven’t really thought about it, what would you suggest?”

“Well,” she trailed off as she thought about it, “I personally chose my neck, it’s a bit more intimate than your wrist but it would be easier for him to reach and the mark is easier to hide.” You nodded, placing your finger on your pulse point as you thought about it. 

“If you want to consider both options I was bitten on my wrist when I turned,” Minghao said, showing you his wrist where you could clearly see the scar, “it doesn’t hurt but it does feel tingly and if he bites your wrist it may take a bit longer.” You reached out to gently grab the male's wrist, which he allowed, tracing your thumb over the two bite marks then letting him go. 

“I guess I’ll go with my neck, it seems easier,” you decided. 

“Good choice,” Joshua muttered from his spot on the bed. Minghao nodded and moved to adjust your sleeve, pinning it down a bit so that your neck was exposed. 

“That should stay put,” he commented, “all you have to do when it’s time is tilt your head back a bit.” He mimicked the action and you nodded in understanding, not wanting to question how he knew what to do. 

“Now then,” Mrs Wen quickly spoke up, “we still have a lot to do, go ahead and have a seat and we’ll finish getting you ready.”

The next three hours were spent making sure everything was absolutely perfect, eventually Minghao had to excuse himself to help Jun and get ready himself but Joshua and Mrs. Wen stayed with you to keep you company. Apparently there was also a moment where Jun tried to sneak in and see you but he was promptly dragged away. To pass the time the two told you stories about the past, specifically stories they knew would embarrass Jun. Moments like him dancing around with his arms behind his back, failing miserably at sports, or just randomly running up to a mirror and saying how handsome he was before running away. Every story made you laugh more as you imagined the Jun you knew doing all these things. Before long you got a knock on your door, one of the female staff poking her head to let you know it was time. Joshua quickly took his leave after giving you a reassuring smile, leaving you with Mrs. Wen. The woman glanced at you to silently ask if you were ready, handing you your bouquet before linking your arms and leading you out of your room and to the stairs. 

The manor was set up so that the main room was turned into a ballroom type setting, all of the guests sitting with their backs towards you. At the front of the room, stood by the now decorated front door, was Jun. He was wearing a perfectly pressed white shirt under a black vest with red accents and a matching red tie. His makeup was sharp but toned back a bit, enough to make his eyes look piercing and his lips stand out more. His shoulder length hair was also slicked back, the top layer tied up in a half ponytail. Minghao, Joshua, and Wonwoo were standing behind him, all dressed up in matching suits. At the announcement of your arrival, all the guests immediately turned to face you. Many of them were faces you didn’t recognize, but you could see your close friends and family towards the front, all smiling up at you. Mrs. Wen gave your arm a gentle squeeze before walking you down the stairs and towards the front, your eyes locking onto Juns from behind your veil. He couldn’t see you properly yet, but you swore you’d be able to see his smile from a mile away. 

Mrs. Wen bowed her head to the officiant before handing you over to her son and moving to take her seat beside her husband. Jun took your flowers and handed them to Joshua behind him, lifting your veil and running a finger across your cheek. 

“You look breathtaking,” he whispered. 

“So do you,” you replied. He chuckled softly and grabbed your hand, both of you turning to face the officiant. The majority of the ceremony went by in a blur for you, mainly because you were more focused on the way Jun was looking at you and the way he was holding your hand. Your warmth seeped into him and warmed his skin, and you could feel his thumb rubbing on the back of your palm. You only snapped back into reality when it was time for the rings, Jun slipping a black band with his family's crest engraved on it onto your ring finger, you doing the same for him. With that the officiant closed their book with a satisfied smile. 

“It is my honor to present to you Mr. and Mrs. Wen, you may claim your bride.” Jun could no longer hide the mischievous glint in his eye as he looked at you. 

“Finally the moment I’ve been waiting for,” he whispered. 

“Yeah, me too,” you teased, cupping his cheeks and pulling him down to kiss him. Jun gasped in shock but quickly melted into you, wrapping one arm around your waist and the other cupping your cheek. The room was silent and for a moment it was just the two of you, finally sharing every emotion that you had been hiding from yourselves and each other. Though the moment couldn’t last forever as you had to pull away from each other. Your eyes were glazed over as you looked up at Jun, the male smiling down at you as if you were the most precious thing he’d ever laid his eyes on. Though you remembered that it wasn’t over as you felt him brush your hair away from your neck. You stiffened a bit which he noticed, the hand on your waist rubbing soothing circles into your side. 

“Deep breath okay, it’ll be over before you know it,” he promised, “are you ready?” You did what he said and took a deep breath, closing your eyes and leaning your head back like how Minghao had told you. 

“I’m ready,” you whispered after a moment, though you didn’t dare open your eyes. Jun didn’t say another word, but you felt his fingers tracing your neck, followed by his lips. You felt him kiss your neck once, then twice, then you felt his fangs poke your skin. You gasped as you felt a sharp prick against your skin, the pain only lasting a second though before you felt a warm tingling sensation. The feeling was hard to place, but it almost felt like your body was going numb despite your senses being heightened. Jun hummed against your neck, sucking for a moment before pulling away and swiping his tongue across the bite. His hand that had been on your shoulder moved to rest against your back to support you. 

“How do you feel?” he asked, keeping his grip tight on you just in case you got dizzy. It took a moment for your feelings to return to normal, you relaxing a bit in his arms before opening your eyes and looking up at him.

“I’m okay,” you assured. Jun smiled and nodded, pulling you against him for a moment to kiss the top of your head before turning to face the crowd. The proof of a successful bond had the room erupting into loud clapping and cheer, almost loud enough to be deafening. Jun chuckled a bit as you winced away from the noise, wrapping his arm around you and leading you to the kitchen where a banquet was already prepared. 

You stayed beside your husband the whole time, practically hiding behind him as hundreds of people came to greet you. They all congratulated you both and would introduce themselves to you as family friends or business partners or whatever else. You didn’t care enough to remember all of their names, knowing that you likely wouldn’t see them again for a long time. Jun did all the talking for the two of you, allowing you to hide behind him as he made pleasantries with all of the guests. Though you did stray away from him long enough to greet your parents. Your mother was already in tears when she approached you, pulling you into her arms and crying about how grown up you were. It took everything in your power not to cry yourself as you embraced her, promising that you were fine and happy with Jun. You stayed holding her for a moment, letting go to hug your dad before deciding that it would be best for them to go. Every other human guest had excused themselves at this point and you knew your parents would be working again in the morning so you bid them goodnight with one last hug and a kiss from your mother. After they left you returned back to Jun, the male glancing over at you with a smile before returning his attention to his guests. It was fine at first, and you tried to interact with as many guests as possible, but after about an hour of still meeting new people you quickly got bored. Not only did you want to get away from the crowd but you were also desperate to finally be alone with your husband. It finally got to a point where you decided to take matters into your own hand, tugging at Juns arm to get his attention. 

“As nice as this is, I would love to go get used to my new bedroom now,” you whispered when he finally looked at you. Jun immediately caught on to what you were implying, smirking down at you and licking his lips. 

“You’re a scandalous little thing aren’t you?” he teased, but still he quickly excused the both of you for the night. He used the excuse that you were tired and still getting used to the change in schedule to anyone who asked as he escorted you out of the kitchen and up the stairs. No one even gave you a second glance as you followed Jun into his room, quietly closing and locking the door behind you. 

ღ ღ ღ ღ ღ

The second the door locked you were all over Jun, gripping his vest and smashing your lips together in a desperate kiss. The male eagerly returned the kiss, removing your veil so he could tangle his hands into your hair. Your tongues battled each other, lips remaining locked as you started exploring each other's bodies. Your hands made quick work of undoing his vest while he fumbled with unzipping your dress. You pulled away once you felt him pull the zipper down, his lips attacking your neck as he pulled your dress down your body. Due to the shape of the dress you had opted not to wear a bra underneath exposing your breasts to the cool air once your dress was off. Jun took advantage of this, gripping at your breasts and pinching your nipples between his fingers. You moaned softly at the feeling, growing louder as you felt his fangs graze against your neck, kicking your dress off as he pulled you close to him. 

“You have no idea how good you taste,” he muttered against your neck, “it’s almost addicting.” 

“You can have another taste if you want,” you gasped out, he paused long enough to glance up at you, making sure you were serious. You smiled and ran your fingers through his hair as a silent confirmation. Jun took the hint and trailed his lips back to where he originally bit you, running his tongue across the area once before biting down again. This time you moaned at the sting, tightening your grip on his hair and throwing your head back as the same warm feeling returned. This time Jun groaned into your neck, sucking harder and pressing your bodies together. His hands gripped at your hips desperately, grinding them against his own as he continued sucking at your neck. Though he pulled away out of fear of making you dizzy. Jun placed one last kiss on your neck before lifting his head and licking his lips. 

“Yep, very addicting indeed,” he groaned. You took a deep breath and chuckled softly, pulling away from him slightly so you could loosen his tie. Jun watched in amusement as you undid his tie and the first few buttons of his shirt, pushing him back until he fell back on the bed. 

“I think it’s my turn to have a taste,” you cooed. Jun leaned back and watched in amusement as you climbed on the bed to straddle him. He grunted softly as you trailed kisses down his neck and chest, slowly undoing the buttons of his shirt as you went. You had known Jun was slightly muscular but you hadn’t realized how much until now as you felt the outline of his muscles. 

“Like what you see?” he teased once he realized you stopped your actions. 

“A lot actually,” you teased back, Jun chuckled and licked his lips as you trailed more kisses down his stomach until you reached his belt. You made quick work of undoing the belt and popping open his button. Jun lifted his hips just enough to allow you to pull his pants and boxers down, revealing his already semi hard length. You could already tell his length was more than you expected and suddenly you were frozen. In fact, you actually had no idea what you were doing so seeing him exposed for you was a lot to handle. Jun noticed this and adjusted a bit to look up at you. “Are you okay doll?” he asked, reaching a hand out to stroke your cheek. 

“Yeah I just…I don’t really know what to do,” you confessed. Jun had to keep himself from chuckling at your adorableness. 

“You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” he told you. 

“No I want to!” you whined. 

“Very well, want me to tell you what to do then?” he asked, to which you nodded, “okay then, grip it gently and start by stroking it.” You hesitantly did as you were told, Jun immediately gasping and falling back against the bed at your touch. You stroked him softly for a minute, feeling him twitch in your hand and rubbing at his tip for a second before gaining your confidence back and leaning down to place kitten licks along his head. Jun twitched at the contact, groaning softly and throwing his head back as you licked across his length before finally taking his tip into your mouth. “There you go, just like that,” he urged. His hand that had been on your cheek returned to grip softly at your hair, tugging it softly and brushing it out of your face so he could see you. You looked up to meet his gaze and moaned softly at the sight of him. His eyes were wide and his mouth slightly opened as he panted, his muscles were tensing from the pleasure and his hair was now out of its bond and falling messily into his face. His grip on your hair tightened more as you took him deeper, an audible groan leaving his throat, “Good girl, treating me so well.” The praise got to you and had you rubbing your thighs together, taking him as deep as you could and using your hand to stroke what wouldn’t fit in your mouth. You continued your actions for a few more minutes, enjoying the way Juns groans got louder and more desperate, but he quickly tugged on your hair to pull you away. “As good as your mouth feels baby girl, I’m getting close and I would rather finish inside you.” You felt your cheeks heat up at his comment but you nodded and allowed him to flip you both over. 

Jun took a moment to rid himself of his shirt as you got comfortable on the bed. He stepped away for a moment to grab something from the dresser before returning to you, with something hidden behind his back. “You trust me right?” he asked as he crawled on the bed with you. 

“Of course,” you replied with a soft smile. Jun returned the action and gently pushed you to lay down fully. 

“Good, now relax and put your hands above your head,” you immediately did as you were told, feeling the smooth silk run over your wrists before tightening around them. “Is that too tight?” he asked, watching you shake your head and nodding as he carefully tied your wrists to the headboard. He tugged on the knot for a moment to make sure it was sturdy before grabbing another silk tie and draping it over your eyes. “Still doing okay?’ he asked as he tied the silk behind your head. 

“Yeah I’m fine,” you assured, squirming softly at your now loss of vision. 

“Good, just let me know if it gets uncomfortable,” with that his hands were back to roaming your body. His large hands kneaded your breasts before moving down to play with your hips and thighs. You continued to squirm and moan at the contact, tugging lightly on your restraints. “You are so gorgeous,” he whispered, trailing kisses from your neck down to your breasts, “I always knew you were beautiful but your body is so perfect.” He placed kisses along your breasts before taking one of your nipples into his mouth. You shivered as you felt his fangs brush against your skin, his tongue swirling around your nipple as he sucked softly. Soft moans left you as he continued, gripping into your thighs as he switched to the other nipple. 

“Jun,” you whined out, making him hum against your skin. 

“Yeah baby? Do you need something?” there was a teasing edge to his voice that made you whine more.

“More, please touch me,” you begged. He chuckled softly and removed himself from your breasts.

“As you wish,” he muttered, one of his hands left your thigh to run a finger across your clothed core. You shivered at the feeling, grinding your hip into his hand to get more friction. “Shit, you are so wet for me,” he groaned as he pressed his finger harder against you. 

“Stop teasing me please!” you whined, desperate to feel more of his touch. 

“Fine, fine, because you’re being so good to me,” he agreed, slipping your panties off and spreading your thighs so he could get access to you. His finger trailed against your slit, gathering your wetness before pressing his finger into you. You moaned and squirmed softly, not used to the intrusion.  “Just relax,” Jun cooed, “it’ll feel weird at first but I promise it’ll be worth it.” You nodded and did your best to relax, squirming and gasping as you felt his finger move inside of you. Jun pressed a kiss to your thigh as he continued, curling his finger and making you whine as he hit that special spot inside of you. “Found it,” he muttered, continuing to hit that spot and watching as you squirmed and moaned at the feeling. Slowly he urged another finger into you, curling them and making a scissoring motion to help stretch you out. The sting burned a bit but that was quickly washed out by the pleasure he was bringing you, constantly hitting your G spot and his thumb moving to rub at your clit. “How are you feeling Y/N?” he asked, not slowing down his motion. 

“So good, it feels so good!” you moaned out, arching your back and pulling at your restraints. 

“Good,” Jun muttered as he pulled his fingers out, “are you ready for more then?” You didn’t hesitate to nod, practically shaking in anticipation as you felt him line up with your entrance. You arched your back and groaned as you felt him slowly enter you, his hands gripping your waist and soft pants leaving him. Jun stilled once he bottomed out, kissing you and muttering praises while massaging your hips to distract you from the pain. It took a moment to adjust to the stretch, but the second you felt it fade you were nodding at him to continue. His thrusts started off slow, simply letting you get used to the feeling before picking up the pace. You couldn’t hold back your moans as you felt him inside you, wrapping your legs around him to hold him closer to you. Juns grip on you tightened and he groaned as his thrusts continued. “You are so tight, you feel so good,” he grunted as his head dropped to rest against your neck. With each thrust you felt a tightening in your stomach, whining and squirming more as you realized you wouldn’t last much longer. 

“Jun I’m gonna..” you couldn’t find your words as you lost your breath. Jun seemed to understand though as you felt him nod against your neck. Without slowing his thrusts, he reached up with one hand and undid your blindfold, brushing your hair out of your eyes as you blinked up at him. 

“Go ahead and cum for me baby,” he groaned, that was the approval you needed to finally let go. You tightened around Jun and arched your back with a soft cry as your orgasm washed over you. Jun slowed down for a moment before continuing his movements, making you whimper from overstimulation. “Hold on for me just a little bit longer okay?” he urged, “I won’t last much longer. You’re going to be good for me though right? You’re going to let me give you my heir?” You couldn’t verbally reply, simply nodding and whining. Jun thrusted a few more times before stilling inside of you, a low groan left him as he reached his climax. 

You both panted softly as you came down from your high,  Jun carefully pulling out and leaving gentle kisses across your face and neck. “How are you feeling?” he asked as he untied you, massaging the soft red marks on your wrists as you sighed. 

“That was amazing,” you gasped out, staring up at Jun with a tired smile, “but I’m exhausted now.” He smiled and laughed softly, kissing your head as he climbed off the bed. 

“You stay here, I’m going to grab something to clean up with and then we can rest okay?” you gave him a hum of confirmation and closed your eyes. Jun disappeared into the bathroom for a moment before returning with a wet cloth. He hovered over you and gently wiped down your neck and chest before folding it and gently pressing it against your core. You sighed at the cool feeling against your sore body, letting Jun clean you with no hesitation. Once you were clean he quickly cleaned himself off before setting the rag aside and crawling into bed with you. You immediately crawled under the covers and snuggled up against Jun, with your head on his chest and his arm over you. “You’ll probably be pretty sore tomorrow, so if you want to stay in bed I’m not opposed,” he mused, chuckling when you weakly hit his chest. 

“We’ll see,” you muttered, “right now though I just want to sleep.”

“As you wish,” he agreed, kissing your head as he snuggled up with you. 

“I love your kisses by the way,” you whispered, placing a kiss on his heart before closing your eyes. 

“I’m glad,” he hummed, “it took a lot of effort for me to get them, you know?”

“I know, and you will still need that effort,” you teased, hearing him scoff. 

“We’ll see about that,” he placed one last kiss on your head before closing his eyes, “rest well my love.”

“Goodnight Qinqin.”

At this point it was safe to say, you had fallen in love with Wen Junhui. 

↪ Vampire Kisses Release Taglist: @eli-ljkh @foxdaisy @honeyhuii @kpxpseoul @knucklesdeepmingi @kmoon  @woohoney @kimsabinaskzlover @meowjunhui @blizzardfluffykpop @d-noona​ 

↪ Authors Notes: Qinqin means dear one or kiss 

Also I’ve been considering doing a spinoff of this story where reader ends up with Minghao instead of Jun, would anyone be interested in that? 

[jjuwuni]

caught in his web ; choi yeonjun ch. 4 | UNWANTED GUESTS

pairings — yeonjun x afab reader

genre — smut (lots of it so minors dni please), fluff, angst, college!au, friends to lovers, drama

word count (for this chapter) — ~2.3k

summary —  You thought you’d be immune to Choi Yeonjun's charms, turns out you were completely, utterly, shamefully wrong. 

And what’s worse? He’s your new best friend's boyfriend.

Wanna hear something even worse than that? His dad and your mom are dating.

MOA University: An educational institution created for the 1%. The elite of the elites. Those who are to inherit large multinational companies, take oath in office, and represent Korea's future in business and politics. This is where it begins.

warnings — almost-stepbro!yeonjun but not really since your parents are in the early stages of dating, kinda slow burn yes, black haired!yeonjun, bad boy yeonjun, all of you are trust fund babies, all the tubatu's make a cameo and are in the same friend group, might reference some other 4th gen idols, alcohol, drinking, drunken mishaps, lots of sex, profanity - lots of it, yeonjun is a menace but he's so cute wtf i'm screaming, jealousy, making out etc. minors dni istg! i'm watching y'all..

A/N: i'll keep my personal update short and sweet: one thing's for sure, this part do be kinda spicy so 👀 do let me know your thoughts !

current taglist : @soobadooba , @flowerbe0m , @lix-stray , @beomtese , @yxnjvnnie , @healingpage , @hihello-pinky , @kazscara , @bibibun , @txtistheloml , @jungwonismybias, @boba-beom, @jwnghyuns, @a-l-i-y-a, @nurihihi, @staaaarykids, @seonghwa10ve

The following morning, you were expecting the day to be quite eventful. Not only is your mom home from her stint in Italy, but Yeonjun's father came home along with her.

You basically have a full house that day - with both your parents and Yeonjun himself present.

The smell of fresh croissants greeted you that early morning, as you wrapped your baby pink silk robe around your frame while walking to the kitchen. 

"Good morning!" You greeted everyone in the kitchen upon your arrival. It was bustling, with helpers and chefs scattered all around - some of those who have served in your family for decades.

Lo and behold though, you happen to catch a glimpse of Chaewon in the kitchen, making you inhale a surprised gasp. 

"Chaewon-ah.. You're here too huh?" You inquired, staring at the other female who was busy in the middle of the kitchen.

Come to think of it, with the amount of times you've visited and stayed in her home, you've never seen her come even close to the vicinity of her kitchen.

"Oh! Hi y/n!" She chirped, pulling out a tray of croissants from the oven after flashing a smile your way. "I heard Jjunie's dad is in town and I just thought, why not welcome him back by cooking him breakfast, hm? I am his future daughter-in-law after all." 

You swallowed a little, not too sure why you were feeling a little invaded by this sudden visit. She was your best friend after all, right?

And she was Yeonjun’s future spouse, that much was a given, so she was only stating facts.

"Oh okay, well, I'm looking forward to what you have whipped up for us. See you in there." Your words come out apathetic in nature, making you question why for a moment before exiting the kitchen. You then waddled over to the dining area where all three of the people you were expecting to see were seated. 

Yeonjun shot you a cautious look when I entered, you think it was because he wasn't also expecting Chaewon to show up at this point in time. 

You ignored it and ignored him as well.

"Ah, we must send our regards to the Kim family for raising a daughter like this. They really did a marvelous job." Your Uncle Minjun noted as soon as you sat down, with Chaewon trailing behind you with her "freshly baked" croissants. 

"Oh of course- I'll tell them you send your warmest ones, appa. I can call you that now, right?" Chaewon bravely said, causing Yeonjun to almost choke on his glass of water. 

Your mom and yourself however, decided you'd take a seat back and enjoy watching Chaewon dote on Yeonjun while he awkwardly accepted the gesture.

You watched on, feeling slightly uncomfortable about the whole situation, but also wanting to be entertained at the same time. It was quite funny to see him act as behaved as possible around your parents. 

As you are about to finish eating, your phone starts ringing - effectively catching everyone's attention. Yeonjun, who was sitting across from you happened to catch a glimpse of who was calling. 

"Excuse me, I'm going to take this call quick." You remarked before standing up and moving to the corner of the room, even though it was far from everyone else, you made it a point that people could still hear you. "Ah Soobin ssi, what is it? Oh-... You want to go out? Today? Ah alright, pick me up in a few, okay? See you then!" 

When you got back to your seat, it was a lot quieter than usual, but you were determined to get yourself out of the house as soon as possible- there was no way you'd stay there any longer.

“Nice to see you Soobin-ah~” You said as Soobin picked you up that early afternoon, getting in the seat and strapping yourself in with the seatbelt.

“I’m glad you agreed to let me see you today.” He replied and began to drive away from your house. 

In the rearview mirror of his car, you could see a tall figure in the distance, standing by the far side of the driveway, watching the car drive off.

You shake the feeling off, Yeonjun was probably just wanting to see one of his best friends.

“Chaewon’s in our house today, I think she’s out on a mission to try and impress Yeonjun’s dad. It’s pretty cute, to be honest. I don't think I've ever seen her do any housework whatsoever.” You began the conversation, laughing a little in the process. “Has she always been like this?” 

“I guess you could say that.” The male with the dark-colored hair nodded, and you watched him on as he drove, settling on the passenger side. “Chaewon’s always been a shy kid when we were young, she didn't even like to speak to anyone. But I think Jun helped her get out of her shell. I guess you could say, the reason why she’s as confident as she is now is because of him." He starts explaining, giving you more insight as to how their dynamic was when you were all young.

No wonder Chaewon and him are practically attached by the hip.

"They were friends for a while, as we all were, but as soon as Chaewon approached her last year of High School, their parents started communicating about the possibility of a potential marriage arrangement.”

You blew air into your cheeks, inflating them, it seemed as if they had their whole lives ahead of them planned out. “Oh, I understand.” You nodded a few times, “Um, Soobin?” You paused, looking up at him with a careful expression on your face, “You know, don’t you? About… How Yeonjun sees other women.” 

He pursed his lips in a tight line and nodded albeit cautiously, “How did you know?” 

“His dad mentioned in one of our dinners that the guards catch him sneaking people in.” You replied, “But… but why does he do that? Is he not... happy with her?” You asked him, hoping to make sense of the situation. 

“Well.. Like I said before, he’s making up for all the shortcomings in his life by acting up. That’s just how it is. I guess when you get robbed of your childhood like Yeonjun hyung did, that’s how you cope.”

Soobin paused, running his hands through his soft locks of hair. “As messed up as it may sound, Chaewon knows though, she knows every single one of his faults and secrets. She even knows that he sleeps around. But she lets him… That’s how patient she is with him, you know?” 

Wow. Props to her. “Woah, I didn’t know that, indeed, Chaewon does love him a lot.” 

“She does. She’s very patient with him, hoping that one day he’ll come to his senses and get it together. I think we're all just hoping for the same. In any case, Chaewon knows that Yeonjun’s formally to be with her, so maybe that’s what gives her assurance.” 

Yeonjun is hers. You thought to yourself to serve as a reminder. You stayed there quiet as can be all throughout the car ride going to the mall where you were going to hang out, trying to process everything.

You didn’t know Chaewon had any inclination that Yeonjun fooled around like that, and it was very admirable that she stuck beside him even through it all. 

It almost made you jealous.

The day went by faster than you expected. You and Soobin just watched a movie and had some pizza and ice cream afterward, as per your request.

It was a wholesome kind of "date", as he had always been the exemplary gentleman. He was different from the guys your age who just cared about hook-ups, and you realized the more time you spent with him that you shared a lot of commonalities- and for that you were thankful. 

Thinking about it now, he was one of the first few who welcomed you into the group with open arms during your first days at MOA U.

You got home at around a little after midnight, you even fell asleep in his car on the ride home.

You decided to end the night by placing a quick kiss on his lips though, it was more of a thank you gesture on your part- for being so patient with you as always and also saving you from your day. 

He blushed as red as a beet, and it was the cutest thing ever.

--

As you were heading up the long flight of stairs and up to the third floor of the house, you couldn't help but notice that Yeonjun's door was still slightly open. 

You had to admit that curiosity started eating at you.

After all, you haven't seen him the whole day. Maybe he was still awake? You did notice that he was the type to sleep late playing games with the boys or listening to music.

Maybe you can catch up on his day? You were genuinely interested to hear about how the day with Chaewon being in the house went after you left.

And though at first, you decided to ignore the open door and go on your merry way, after changing into your satin pajama set, you slowly but surely made your way to his room. 

You took very light steps across the carpeted hallway, not wanting to disturb him in any way in case he left his room open when he fell asleep. Quiet as a mouse, you moved through the long hallway adorned with expensive paintings.  

It was when you were a few inches away from his door that you heard a muffled sound.

And then another, and then, another. 

Your eyes grew big when you realized what kind of sound it was.

Your eyes peered into the small crack in his door into the dimly lit bedroom, his king-sized bed in view, and the sight that took place before your eyes was enough to cause you to kneel on the floor. 

“Noona..” Yeonjun moaned as the unknown female began to ride him. She was nestled atop him, with her legs on either side of his waist. 

You watched on as Yeonjun’s firm grip took hold of her waist, making indents on her skin, while she moved over him with much vigor and enthusiasm. 

Now's probably a good time to divulge your secret.

You were a virgin. With no prior experience with sex, whatsoever.

And this would be the first time you’d be witnessing something like this firsthand. 

Even so, you couldn’t pry your eyes away from the lewd sight. It wasn't like you've ever gone out of your way to watch anything R-rated, so this was basically your first brush with that type of content.

No matter what you did, there was something in you that wanted to watch on.

You felt your innocence getting tainted by the second so quickly. But you just couldn’t look away. 

You bit your tongue as your eyes scanned over him: from his prominent features exhibiting a pleasured expression, down to his defined collarbones that adorned his broad shoulders, and to his firm, chiseled torso. 

You barely gave the unknown woman the time of day, your focus was all on him. 

You then felt something in between your legs, some type of heat. At the back of your mind, you knew what that meant, but you just couldn't bring yourself to accept it in the moment.

The older girl grasped Yeonjun’s shoulders as she sped up her bouncing, allowing you to catch a glimpse of his length every now and then, and boy, were they really supposed to come in that big of a size? 

You couldn’t handle it anymore as they both wrestled to hit their climaxes, and you were finally able to gather enough strength to back away from the scene of the crime.

You ran like a chicken without its head towards the kitchen, grabbing a cold glass of water and chugging it down in the hopes that it would extinguish whatever kind of feeling was igniting in you. 

“Jesus… What the hell.” You couldn’t help but groan into your hands as you buried your face in them, half of your body collapsing onto the marbled countertop.

You stood there frozen in the middle of the kitchen for what seemed like an eternity, wanting to burn that vision of Yeonjun getting it on with some other girl and eradicate it from your memory bank as soon as you possibly could. 

You were ready to go back to your room and call it a night after you got yourself together (which honestly took about five more minutes).

But as soon as you turned around, there he was, standing by the doorway of the kitchen. He had his arms crossed, an unreadable expression on his face, thick brows furrowed together in the center of his face.

“O-oh, hey…” You tried to act nonchalant, but the cracking in your voice and the heat pooling underneath your cheeks were betraying you. In short, it felt like your whole face was on fire. "W-when did you get here? Ah, I didn't even notice you. I'm just so tired from my day." You tried to salvage the situation, even faking a yawn.

“Hey yourself.” Yeonjun replied in a raspy voice, lowering his gaze to you. 

You walked up towards the entrance of the kitchen and came face to face with the devil himself. “I was just getting a glass of water.” You tried to explain, stopping about an inch away from him when you realized he wasn’t going to budge. He wasn't moving a muscle.

“Enjoyed the show I hope?” 

Your jaw dropped ever so slightly, “E-excuse me?” 

“You’re not going to tell Chaewon.. Right?” He asked with a grin as your eyes locked.

“I - I really don’t know what you’re talking about, Yeonjun-ah,” You said, trying your very hardest to feign innocence still.

All at the same time, you were trying to ignore the fact that he was literally just in his boxers, with that… that thing.. as defined as it was behind the cloth of the underwear.

Yeonjun laughed: it sounded like a giggle, almost. Clearly finding this situation entertaining.

Soon, he reached out, pushing your hair back and over your shoulder, effectively exposing the flesh.

He then leaned in and began to ghost his lips across your shoulder and to your own collarbone, tracing it with his plump, rosy pair. “Mm, okay if you say so, princess…” He said, his hot breath trickling against your skin as you heard him inhale, as if he was taking in your scent, “I’ll see you tomorrow.” 

With that, he pulled away, leaving you weak in the knees that you had to support yourself and hold onto the doorway to catch the breath you didn’t know you were holding.

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

Noswaith dda, Elanor!

My spouse sent me this video: https://youtu.be/7cSTR79L-l0?si=luh0JiDnQmUL3TEm with the caption "You should share this to Kidneys!" (We refer to your blog as "Kidneys")

I think you will enjoy the Mari Lwyd cameos and general tone and humour. :)

Lol! Love his Mari

My husband has actually gigged with the Welsh Viking. Nice guy.

[dribs-and-drabbles]

The things I loved about Last Twilight ep 11:

Night joking with Day about not farting whilst stood at his hospital bedside...the same place Mhok then wears a shirt with 'Proud' on it later as Night explains Porjai's baby's name is Poomjai - which translates to 'be proud' - harking back to the Fart Proudly shirt from ep 2. 👏🏼

Mhok's 'St Louis Blues' shirt at the beginning of the ep setting us up for all the heartache later:

"I hate to see the evening' sun go down...

...I got them Saint Louis Blues; just as blue as I can be

He's got a heart like a rock cast in the sea

Or else he wouldn't have gone so far away from me"

"You're not disappearing on me, are you? / If you can see again, don't disappear on me." | "I can't see" | "Let's break up"

Mhon, Day's mom, watching Day and Mhok through the hospital room door and slowly warming up to their relationship. Explaining that she's not against them dating but that she's concerned that Day needs someone who has the means to take care of him. Inviting him to be there when Day takes his bandages off, effectively inviting him into the family circle, giving him a chance.

Day reassuring Night that he doesn't need to feel guilty still when the operation doesn't work. 😭

This shot in particular, as the series has shown us before, Mhok is Day's eyes:

"True blindness is the inability to see any hope" and Day's singular tear.

I'm mentioning it again but Mhok wearing a shirt with 'proud' on it with Day in a shirt with 'goodtime / nice dream come true' on it, whilst Night tells Porjai she should be proud to have carried the baby alone, and for both Porjai and Night to have gotten the dream family -> her baby and a wonderful parent/soon-to-be-spouse.

But also them wearing those shirts during dinner with Day's mom and Night - a dream for Mhok to be accepted and both Mhok and Day being proud of Mhok's achievements. #proud

Food as a love language -> come eat with us, try this food I created and cooked and gave to my two sons and now I'm offering it to you...be part of our family.

Without realising perhaps, Mhon sows the seed of pressure on Mhok to be able to provide for Day when they're talking in the hospital when she says she just wants someone who can really take care of him - who has the means to do it. And then in letting Day go to Songkhla with Mhok to test whether they can live together, she's increasing the pressure Mhok feels. Which then gets amplified during the car accident and when Day doesn't answer the phone. All this leads to his decision to not leave Day.

The parallels of Day/Mhok and Porjai/Night when it comes to roles in their relationships. Night says he doesn't understand what his mom means when she says 'being a caretaker and a boyfriend are two different things' - now, we haven't seen much of Night and Porjai's relationship but I'd be willing to bet he's being more of a caretaker to Porjai than a boyfriend at the moment - he calls her Khun, she brushes off any suggestion that something is going on between them, and she goes to live with her mom... I wonder if we'll see Night coming to an understanding about this differentiation in ep 12, and whether it will play a role in helping Day and Mhok's relationship 🤔

TOTO!! I had been waiting for an appearance by Au. By the way, Day's new caretaker in ep 10 (the rude one from the end of the interviews in ep 1) is also an assistant director on the show, Meng Chaiyapat, so that's two cameos. I wonder if we'll get a third with Aof.

Mhok's blue lightening underpants! Plus the parallel of Mhok waking Day up with the dripping wet hair on his face.

How gestures and touches serve as a language for Day and Mhok - touching the lips as a way to communicate that one wants to kiss for example - and that touch in general is so weighted for them...but that they also use these things to trick and keep teasing each other.

The green and blue towel hanging next to each other over the airer in Day and Mhok's room. 😭

Mhok's 'Hawaii' shirt when he tells Day he wasn't chosen to go. (I missed this the first time round).

The way Day actually is giving it the most on the dance floor and genuinely deserved to win but can't see/understand that. Day automatically assumes that every good thing that comes his way is because people pity him. It's not surprising that this is the fear he falls back on when he finds out Mhok lied to him. This is his go-to gut reaction/response. That and feeling like he's a burden or causing trouble to others.

THE 'I LOVE YOU SO DAMN MUCH' CONFESSION SCENE. Mhok's face, the way the depths of his feelings settle within him just before he says it, the callback to the 'come closer' moment they had earlier in the ep, Day's voice cracking as he says it back, and the hug afterwards. It's all so perfect and not enough people are talking about it dammit.

Night in Mhok's blue, even Mhon has a blue dressing gown over her grey pjs, but Day is in that pink and white shirt but the pink is only over half of his body, and not on his left side over his heart, spelling trouble ahead. And as @grapejuicegay pointed out - it's not a groove mindset kind of a day, it's a rains county. The colours are colouring and the t-shirts are t-shirting.

The PARALLELS. "Read this to me" harking back to ep 1 when Day asked Mhok to read something to him, and now Day asking Mhok to read the paper. What was the text on Mhok's blue bag? 'I love to hear your voice'...? Ooof, hits hard.

Mhok respecting Day's last wish like he did when he burst into Day's room and got fired, and when he took Day up the mountain and offered to quit to appease his mom. Mhok is just so good.

"Mom, did I do the right thing?" Day realising immediately that he was too impulsive. 💔

[emelinstriker]

Nezha ♡ A Special Stranger Pt.3

Art drawn by me- I also got more Special Stranger Nezha art under ‘#special stranger nezha’ o3o

I did not mean for it to be 3k+ words long but here we are- Just you and your husband's 3rd wedding anniversary. Oh, and Wukong is having his usual random cameo appearance for the fun of it. Can't have a Special Stranger Nezha one-shot without Wukong.

♡ Part 1 | ♡ Part 2 | ♡ Part 3

ⓘ Reader is IMPLIED AFAB

♡ ~ Fluff ~ ♡

"I'm home!" You called out as you shut the door behind you. You weren't actually sure if your husband was home yet, but you always made sure he wasn't alerted when you came home. Sure, not many would dare intrude the home of the Third Lotus Prince and his spouse. Even less now that you two moved into a small house in the Celestial Realm... You told him you preferred a house similar to your old home, and Nezha was all to eager to move from the Celestial Palace into your now shared house in the clouds. The possibility of an unwanted guest was still there though. Even if you did help some celestial workers to pass the time and not be home alone. While you didn't get along with all of them, there were a few that were very kind and understanding despite your mortality status.

Either way, you did not get a response. Usually you would feel just a little disappointed that he was still in the middle of upholding his duty... However, today it felt more like a blessing. Because today was special as it was your third wedding anniversary, and you still wanted to decorate your home a little to surprise Nezha.

You had three official surprises ready for your husband of three years, and you were very confident in that he'll love each and every one of those presents... Though, the way you planned on actually presenting them varied from being comedic to anti-climatic. On purpose for stronger emotional responses, of course.

Thus, your plan began as you set the table. But as you were placing your plates, you heard a knock coming from the front door, followed by a very familiar monkey's voice.

"Hellooo? Anybody home?" You rolled your eyes and decided to check the door.

And while you were waiting for Nezha's arrival, your husband was patrolling around the Celestial Palace. Any form of movement was appreciated over being cooped up inside one building all day. Especially today! He actually did ask the Jade Emperor if he could perhaps take this one special day off, but he told him no. He said something about 'an annoying menace to the Celestial Realm' approaching. Negotiation was a bust as well since his offers kept on getting shot down.

So he was understandably grumpy while on duty. The Celestial Armies were mostly avoiding their superior after merely just glancing at his annoyed expression that practically screamed 'I'm so done with life right about now and won't hesitate to throw someone off the top of the Palace'. Not even his phone was able to help speed up time.

Little did he know that the Jade Emperor put him on duty on purpose. Because he knew you had things planned and that you needed just a bit more extra time... Though, one thing Nezha knew about was certain celestials' gossip. He was aware of just how many deities looked down on you like a pathetic parasite, unworthy of the Third Lotus Prince's love and affection.

Speaking of which, while on patrol he overheard another conversation about your 'controversial marriage'...

"Can you believe they've been married for three years now? I still don't understand why our beloved Prince would ever marry a mortal human... Especially a commoner! They're not even of nobility", he could hear one maiden say to another.

"Right? The nerve! They are most definitely only in on it to have a god as a husband to feel more powerful than others", the other one added.

Honestly, this didn't help his mood. And his expression turned more into anger. Usually he would much rather just avoid confronting them and let gossip be gossip. It's all just lies anyway. But with his already pre-established grumpiness, his body acted faster than his mind. His wheels ignited as he zoomed over towards the maidens, halting right in front of them, fire-tipped spear in hand.

Once he was in front of them, already making them feel absolutely panicked at how hostile he suddenly appeared, he spoke up with his commanding voice. "Silence. I do not appreciate you talking about my partner like that. I am not expecting you to see what I see, but I am expecting you to respect them and their presence. I choose who I love. Is that clear?"

Damn, he wasn't even trying and he still looked absolutely intimidating. The maidens quickly nodded with a 'Yes, Lotus Prince!' before hastily walking away. Nezha scoffed before returning to his patrol route. Those two did not help his mood at all.

And his mood didn't exactly get any better until he was summoned by the Jade Emperor again. Sure, he had to show way more respect towards him than the maidens, which automatically makes him seem less agitated, but his mood also got a lot better once he was told to take the rest of the day off. He questioned why he would give him the rest of the day off if there supposedly was 'an annoying menace to the Celestial Realm'. The Jade Emperor only responded in a vague way, basically saying 'So like, the menace has appeared but did a major pitstop and isn't actually being a menace today to be honest, lmao. Can you believe that?'

Of course, Nezha immediately took this opportunity. Though, he couldn't help but furrow his eyesbrows at the Emperor in confusion. Why didn't he give him the day off from the beginning? Pretty sure the Celestial Realm could handle threats for this one day without him in the frontlines. His home was within the Realm anyway, so getting him to join an important battle wouldn't have been a problem.

Besides, pretty sure at least the higher-ups, including the Jade Emperor, all knew about how important this day was to h-

...Wait.

Suspicion hit him as he flew over to your shared home. Opening the door, he noticed how dark it was inside. But one look at the golden clock ticking on the wall was all he needed to determine that you should be home. Quickly checking his phone's lock screen, he didn't see any new messages from you about you being out a little longer.

"Blossom, I'm home", he called out. But he didn't hear a reply so he closed the door, weapon still drawn by his side... But then someone else turned on the light.

"Surprise!"

Suddenly, you popped up from behind the nicely decorated table with a box wrapped in colorful papers in your arms. A bright smile was on your face as you placed the present on the table. Nezha lowered his weapon at the sight as his guarded expression was replaced with a gentle smile. "Oh- Wow, I did not expect you to plan anything behind my back."

You crossed your arms before leaning with them against the table while he approached you, making his spear disappear. "Oh please, it's our third wedding anniversary! And I labeled you my Special Stranger like twelve years ago. And you didn't think I'd show how much I cherish being with you?" The Lotus Prince moved around the table and pulled you in for a quick kiss before placing his forehead against yours, all the while still keeping you pressed against his armored chest.

"Well, not necessarily. I just thought you and I wanted to come up with what we wanted to do today together", he said softly while lovingly staring into your eyes.

You rolled your own eyes in amusement. "We can still figure out what to do, sweetie. I merely planned this part to give you my presents." After you pulled away, you slid the wrapped box over to his side. "Open it up!" He carefully picked up the present and examined it for a bit before ripping up the paper wrapping, revealing a shoe box. You insisted that he should open it already, so he did. Nezha gasped. In the box was a cap, a similar one to the one you gave him all those years ago. The main difference however was the text and the slight change in color to more of a pink tone, fitting for his armor. The text now read '(Y/N)'s Lovely Husband'.

"Aw... Thanks. But I don't think it can ever beat the Special Stranger one", he commented as he adjusted the cap on his head.

"What even happened to that cap? I haven't seen you wear it in a long while", you asked as you sat down at the table, grabbing a particular fruit from the bowl you placed in the middle.

Nezha shrugged as he sat down himself, "Nothing. I just don't want it getting more dirt onto it, or let it get damaged. So I usually just keep it hidden away in my work room. If it came down to it, I would protect that cap like you and the Jade Emperor." He then leaned back into his chair, his gaze lingering on the delicious food you spread out on the table... But then he heard you munch on something. Curiously looking up to see what it was, he nearly fell off his chair.

There you were, casually eating bits of a peach that looked way too much like a peach of immortality to be a regular fruit from the Mortal Realm. Panicked, Nezha immediately stood up. "WAIT, DON'T EAT THAT-"

Amused, you raised an eyebrow at him as you took another bite. "Why not?"

"That- That's not a normal peach! W-We can- We can find a way to turn you mortal again! I promise! Just-!" You swallowed the piece before cutting him off with an innocent smile. "Nezha, I'm fully aware that it just turned me immortal. This is my second present for you!"

His eyes were wide open as he blinked in shock, "Wha- Huh??" You couldn't help but snort at his absolutely confused and flabbergasted reaction.

"I know our relationship had a timer on it with how I would eventually die of old age. So, I've thought long about it and decided that I don't want to ever leave you," you grinned at him. "And the peach Monkey King brought over as anniversary present earlier today just seemed like a convenient and yummy way. At least I don't have to take a gamble with gaining another way of immortality anymore!" Then you took another, but this time smaller bite.

Your husband forced himself to close his mouth before moving around the table again to pick you up in his arms and placing a passionate kiss on your lips. Once you two pulled away, you booped his nose. "Now you won't be able to get rid of me so easily, sweetie."

Nezha let out a wholehearted chuckle as he lightly kissed your own nose. "I wouldn't ever dream of it."

When your loving moment was over, you insisted that your husband try the food on the table before you showed him his third gift. You told him that he would be extremely ecstatic about that one, just to hype him up more. In general, your dinner date was calming and definitely raised his mood by a lot. Almost as if him being put on duty for this day never happened.

While talking about whatever happened to the two of you today, Nezha suddenly had a thought pop up. "Wait- Wukong gave you that peach, correct?" He asked while you nodded in response. He pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes as he furrowed his brows. Taking a deep breath, he continued after letting out a long sigh. "...Nevermind. The guards should be able to deal with him if he's trying anything reckless while I'm off-duty. I guess that's what the Jade Emperor meant by 'annoying menace'." He then moved his hand away to look at you. "I do not wish to ruin our anniversary by attempting to remove him from the Celestial Realm."

You took a sip of your drink before shaking your head. "That wouldn't ruin our anniversary. In fact, if Monkey King is legitimately causing havoc, I wouldn't mind you doing your job. Besides..." After propping up your arm against the table and placing your cheek on the palm of your hand, you grinned rather smugly in his direction. "I would get to watch you use your abilities in the name of authority. And I would get to reward you for your services after~"

Oh fuck. You were highly aware of how much control you had over him and his desires.

Nezha's face turned red at the implication. If you were saying that to him some years prior to your marriage, he would be a babbling mess and would barely be able to form his sentences to respond. But now, after having spent years with you and even having intimate times together, he was a lot more confident in laying out his responses with a smirk. "Oh? You're tempting me, blossom~"

You both simply gave each other a rather inviting look before something you remembered caught your attention. "Oh right! Can't forget to show you the highlight of the presents!"

"And becoming immortal is not the highlight?" Your husband raised an eyebrow at you as you opened a cabinet. "Actually, nevermind. You having three presents already makes me feel bad because I only have one...", he sighed quietly to himself.

You rummaged for a bit in the dark depths of the cabinet until you pulled out a basket with some colorful fabric. "I got you some new clothes!" You excitedly placed the basket in front of him on the table and then placed yourself next to his seat.

Nezha looked at the basket, then looked at you, then back at the basket and said, "...These look small." He then picked up whatever was on top of the neatly folded pile. "I, uh, don't suppose they shift to the wearer's size? I, uh-" He stopped himself as he examined the pink sweater with lotus patterns. After reading what was written in the front, his mouth hung agape. Then he turned around the piece of clothing in disbelief, showing you the text. You, of course, laughed at his reaction before nodding to confirm his thoughts.

'Daddy's Special Baby' was written on the tiny sweater.

Suddenly, you felt yourself being picked up and spun around like crazy in your husband's arms. He was laughing in pure joy. But the fact that he still had his wheels on didn't help your dizziness. "I'M GOING TO BE A FATHER!" Nezha stopped twirling around and gave you a rather quick, yet strong kiss on the lips. "This is the best gift ever! I love you so, so much, blossom..." And as he trailed off, you noticed tears gathering in his eyes, which surprised you.

"Aw, sweetie..." You brushed your thumb against his cheek, trying to wipe away the two tears that started rolling down.

"I'm sorry, I just... I-I never thought I would ever start a family of my own..." Nezha then pulled away before summoning some sort of necklace in his hands. "Now I feel horrible because I only have one gift for you. But I hope it suffices." He then handed it to you before wiping away any remaining tears himself. You immediately took notice of how it looked more like a charm.

"It's not much by any means, but it does its job well. This is an ancient relic that makes the wearer seem invisible to demons. You can view it as a lucky charm too, it did save lives after all."

You tilted you head in confusion, "Wait then how are you able to see me- Aren't you technically a demon too?"

"Well, yes, but I'm also unaffected as I'm a deity of the Celestial Realm myself", he responded while doing a so-so motion with his hand. "Pretty sure others referred to as demons, like Sun Wukong and the Six-Eared Macaque, are unaffected by it as well. Though, the Demon Bull King and his son on the other hand..." He let out a chuckle at whatever he was imagining. "Let's just say you can not only be a lot more safe, but also have some fun messing with certain demons."

You gasped before holding the charm tightly in your hands with a smile. "That's so cool, I love it! Thanks, sweetie!"

Suddenly, a loud crash came from upstairs.

Alerted by the sound, Nezha told you to put on the necklace and wait by the table in case it was a demon attacking. He swiftly summoned his fire-tipped spear and flew his way upstairs with his wheels lit up. You couldn't exactly make out any noises from all the way by the table at first. But then you heard muffled yells from your husband and muffled laughter from another male voice.

Quietly making your way over to the bottom of the staircase, you tried to make out the conversation. You weren't able to hear the context, but you did hear part of the argument.

"You can't be serious! We were having a moment!"

"Let's be honest, Nezha, you two being sappy isn't the most entertaining for me right now-"

"And you decided it would be a good idea to destroy my vase??"

"Duh, so I can ask how the gift exchange went. I may have only given your partner a gift, but the outcome of them using it should count as double-gift!"

"While I must thank you for that, I also have the urge to punch you so hard right now that you get knocked all the way back to Flower Fruit Mountain."

"Pfff- How about this: If you can catch me, I'll give you a freebie and you get to punch me however hard you want! You could see it as a friend's anniversary gift to you! Later, Nezha!"

Then you heard a loud boom as you felt the floor shake beneath you. You weren't exactly concerned after having heard he intruder's voice however. A few seconds later, your husband came back downstairs. You gave him a rather amused expression. "Huh. I thought he already left a while ago... I think we jinxed this."

"Oh, we absolutely did", he agreed. But then his annoyed expression turned to a smug one. "So, since we jinxed this... Does the offer of the reward for stopping Wukong still stand?" You rolled your eyes at him before nodding. You could see the sudden determination light up in his eyes as he made his way over to the front door. "Well, I'll be back soon. Oh, and make sure you don't hurt yourself upstairs, by the way. There's shards lying around. I love you, blossom!" He blew you a kiss with a wink before swiftly speeding out of the door and taking into the skies.

> Masterlist <

[ichorai]

afterlife ; yelena belova.

track eleven of BROKEN MACHINE.

sequel to the scientist & the assassin.

pairing ; yelena belova & gn!reader (platonic), natasha romanoff x spouse!reader

synopsis ; her sister was dead. she’d lost everyone she’d ever known. and she didn’t know you—at least not as well as she’d like to know her sister’s spouse, but yelena wanted to try. that was the least she could do.

words ; 1.9k

themes ; angst, mild fluff

warnings / includes ; talks of death, set after events of endgame and hawkeye series, grief and angst, liho cameo & hawkeye/kate mention, someone pls give yelena a hug rn :( also it isn't mentioned anywhere in the fic but i'm a yelena aroace truther so pls don't read into their relationship as anything but platonic !!

a/n ; sorry i haven't posted anything in sooo long </3 life's been tough :( but i hit 7.8k followers and that's just so crazy to me, thank you for sticking around !! (i still haven't finished my 6k milestone this is sickening)

main masterlist.

There was a ridiculous sort of homeliness to the stout little house Yelena stood in front of. Long plants dangled from the slanted roofs, and the bulbous lamp hanging by the door glowed a merry shade of amber. Even the doormat was endearing, a shoddy brown scratcher with a black imprint of a cat’s paw in the center. Yelena wiped the soles of her combat boots against it, blowing out a deep breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. 

Places like this—places that reeked of home and warmth—they weren’t made for people like her. At least, that was what she was conditioned into believing her entire life. People like her didn’t deserve to have a home.

But her sister had broken the cycle. She’d escaped. They were one and the same as children—a statue and its shadow—and yet they’d gone down vastly different paths in life. Natasha found a new family, she’d found love, she’d found a home. What did Yelena have?

And that’s what made it all the stranger for Yelena to be standing in front of this little house. A part of her was afraid that if she stepped inside, it would crumble apart in front of her.

It was her sister’s home, and yet she was afraid to linger. The house that her sister used to live in before she… before…

Yelena screwed her lips off to the side and bit the inside of her cheek. 

Before she could change her mind, she rapped her knuckles against the polished wood of the door thrice. Two more times after that for good measure. The doorbell was right there, Yelena noticed a little too late.

When the entrance creaked open, the blonde had to grit her teeth and keep her feet planted, because a large part of her wanted to turn and run. Yelena Belova had been on the run for a large part of her life. So much of her childhood was lost to the wind of discreet cars and disguises. She couldn’t stomach the idea of facing something real and something true. 

Your face peered out from behind the door, features curious and softened with exhaust. For a moment, she could see the scientist in you: the way your gaze darted all over her, searching for clues as to who she was. Trying to piece together the puzzle that was Yelena Belova. 

Quite a few pieces were missing from that puzzle. Yelena was sure it’d never be complete, really.

“Hello. I’m sorry, who are you?” you asked, brows cinching together. 

You were beautiful, even with the fatigue weighing over your shoulders, even with the tender skin beneath your eyes that darkened with tears and lost sleep. Yelena could see why her sister loved you so much. 

When the blonde in front of you whispered her name, you took a slight step back. From shock or from fear, Yelena couldn’t quite tell. 

A spark of recognition danced over your countenance. You’d seen faded pictures of your wife and her sister when they were children. She had the same eyes as that child. The same hair, the same nose, the same lips. But people change, faces morph, and personalities are discarded. You could never be too careful. After all—your wife was a widow. 

“Prove it,” you murmured. 

Yelena leveled her eyes with you. Then, she let out the shrill, two-toned whistle. The one Natasha would do to signal to you, to Clint, to her loved ones.

A lump formed in your throat, and tears pricked the corners of your eyes. You stepped to the side and muttered a quiet apology, inviting her to come into your home. 

Yelena stomped her boots against the welcome mat twice, not wanting to be a rude guest by tracking mud all over the floors, and slipped into the house. Her sister’s home.

There were fragments of Natasha everywhere. In the framed pictures, in her initials embroidered into the handcloths in the kitchen, in the rows of linguistic books lining the bookshelves. 

You were anxiously twisting your hands together, studying the way Yelena took everything in. Noticing that her eyes were lingering on the books, you ventured to tell her, “She was learning Arabic. During the Blip, that is. Got pretty decent at it, actually.”

Before she could think of a reply, maybe a rather petty retort that Yelena already knew Arabic, a curious meow broke her attention away from you, down to the ground. There was a little black cat pattering its way to her, eyes shining and ears pricked.

“You have a cat?” she murmured, lowering herself to her knees so she could reach out and ruffle its small head.

“Liho was Nat’s birthday present. Well, one of her presents,” you said, a faint smile twitching the corner of your lips at the memory of the failed collapsible motorbike. There was a brief moment of silence, all quiet except for Liho’s pleased purring. “You want a cup of tea?” you eventually asked, gesturing to the kitchen.

She gave you a nod, and you whisked away, grateful for something to occupy yourself with. Yelena found herself studying the house more—the pictures, the mirrors, the lights. It all screamed her sister.

Some of the photos had famous Avengers on them, and Yelena couldn’t help but smile. Her sister, the famous Avenger who saved the world. Her eyes flickered over to you as you brought out a teapot and two mugs. A part of her wondered what you were doing when Natasha had died. Were you off saving the world, too? You murmured something under your breath as you scuttled back to the kitchen to fetch some sugar.

“Please, take a seat,” you said kindly, gesturing to the chair across from you. You poured the drink for her and slid it over the table for her to take. Yelena dropped three cubes of sugar into the mug with an appreciative hum. “So, uh… what happened? Were you—were you blipped?”

“Yes,” she sighed out, blowing at the far-too-hot drink over the brim of the mug. “Five years of life, gone in a blink of an eye. You?”

The two of you watched each other for some time. She lifted the cup to drink, finally. It was damn good tea. There was a citrusy, lemony sort of flavor to it.

“I was part of the half that stayed. Nat and I… we were lucky to have each other. She buried herself in her work. I had—I mean, I didn’t really have work to do anymore. Not with most people I used to work for gone.” After a longer pause, you tilted your head. “Natasha searched everywhere for you. Everywhere. She never—she never stopped looking.”

A lump formed in Yelena’s throat.

“Yeah?” she murmured. 

“Yeah.” A tear slipped down your cheek and you didn’t bother to wipe it away. Instead, you smiled. “She loved you so much, Yelena.” 

She sucked a cold breath through her gritted teeth and sniffled. “What was she like?”

There were a few seconds of silence. You pondered on her question for quite some time. How were you supposed to summarize your entire world in just a few sentences?

“She was incredible. In every way, really. Smart, beautiful, funny, level-headed. But most of all, she was kind. I think that’s what threw a lot of people off about her. They know she’s an ex-assassin, and she’s not exactly a trusting person… and I guess it’s easy to make assumptions about her with just that. But she was so kind.” You had to pause to swallow around the lump in your throat. “She was patient and understanding. For her to… to sacrifice everything and leave the universe while saving it—that’s the Natasha I know.”

Yelena blew her nose into a tissue when you pushed a box of Kleenex towards her. “I’m here because of her. She’s… she’s a hero.”

“She is.”

With a watery laugh, Yelena said through her tears, “I tried to kill her friend. Your friend, too, I’m guessing. Clint Barton. I was told that he killed her.”

A grim expression flickered over your face as you pursed your lips. “Yeah. He told me. Didn’t sound too happy over the phone. But… he’s doing alright. Has his own little sidekick now, from what I gathered during the call.”

“Kate Bishop,” Yelena said with a mirthful glint to her eyes. “She hit me in the face, you know.”

You arched a brow. “Did you deserve it?”

Yelena frowned and lifted a shoulder in a sheepish shrug. “Probably.”

The two of you grinned at each other, cheeks damp. 

Then, her beam melted away. “I didn’t want to believe that Natasha was selfish enough to sacrifice herself to save half of the entire world. Ironic, right?”

You traced the rim of your mug with a finger. “I remember the day it happened. They each came back from the past in a blink of an eye. Except the space beside Clint was empty. Steve caught me before I could fall to the ground when I realized what she’d done.”

“All these powerful heroes,” Yelena whispered. Her voice warbled and swayed, like a feather amidst a hurricane. “And the one that saved the universe was my big sister. She had no powers. Just her and her stupidly big heart.”

“And decades of training,” you added on.

“Yeah. That, too.” Yelena’s shoulders began to shake. “I just miss her so much.”

Abandoning your drink, you got up from the table and stepped to Yelena, pulling her into a warm hug. She began to tremble harder under your grip, winding her arms around you, seeking solace in your warmth. 

“She missed you, too,” you murmured. An overwhelming sense of protectiveness washed over you. “I hope you know that you’re always welcome here, Yelena. You’re my sister now, too.”

After a second, Yelena sputtered an apology and slumped back, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand. “Sorry. I’m so bad at this. Emotions and all that crap.”

“That’s okay,” you told her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. 

Yelena could see why Natasha loved you so much. You were kind like her.

“I grew up in a fake family. None of it was ever real, even if it felt like it was. But Natasha… she was always real to me. Now that she’s gone, the only real part of my life went with her, as well. And you—you’re real. Real to Natasha. And I… I know we just met, but I want you to be real for me, too. Not only as my sister’s spouse, but… as a friend, a sibling. I’d like to try.”

You gave her a warm smile, and reached out to pat her cheek twice, wiping the dampness away with your thumb. “I’d like that, Yelena.”

The two of you embraced again, and she nearly burst into tears upon realizing that you were the first person she’d hugged since she was blipped away.

“Did Natasha ever tell you how she broke my nose when we were kids?” she asked into the fabric of the hoodie you were wearing. 

You pulled away with a skeptical gaze. “She told me you broke your own nose.”

The blonde laughed, low and chesty. “Man, do I have a lot of stories to tell you.”

[sleeping-donkey]

My spouse he has a thousand diseases

(Unexpected Raph cameo)