#taehyung masterlist | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

kooktrash · 1 year ago

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⋆.˚✮ kooktrash masterlist ✮˚.⋆

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latest work: infrunami | jeon jungkook [ nov 2024 ]

welcome to my new and improved masterlist!

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──★ … coming soon

──★ the eros project

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ [ s | a ] dating show ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

you didn’t expect to actually fall for someone in a reality dating show. Then Kim Taehyung came along and you had to battle between your feelings and what this show was actually about.

──★ rewriting love

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ [ s | a ] webtoon ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

when a mysterious blackout traps you inside the world of a webtoon you certainly believe it’s one big cruel joke.

──★ lover’s revenge

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ 13.4k | s | a | rockstar ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

you dated Taehyung before he made it big, so it was easy to assume he’d forgotten all about you. but for the past two years you’ve been his muse even after your split. a forbidden love that never faded.

──★ tunnel vision

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ 13.4k | s | f | college/barista ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

you’ve just gotten yourself a job working with the campus crush, kim taehyung. he’s quiet and brooding but everyone is obsessed with him including your best friend. what do you when she asks for your help in dating him when he’s catching feelings for you instead? he’s supposed to notice her but he’s got tunnel vision when it comes to you.

──★ electra heart

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ 13k | s | f | fake dating ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

♡ just dumped by his cheating ex girlfriend, taehyung seeks help from the campus primadonna to make his ex jealous. y/n is spoiled, mean and filthy rich—everything his ex loathed. what happens when the two form a pretend relationship that leaves their hearts in great turmoil? welcome to the life of electra heart ♡

──★ love and rivalry

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ 17.3k | s | f | e2l/college ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

kim taehyung is neither friend or foe, he’s more of an annoying fly always near creating chaos in your life. now he’s buzzing on about his new crush and begging for your help in exchange for his help with yours. like an idiot you agree though you signed up more than you can chew. just great.

──★ all you want

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ 13.1k |s | a | arranged dating/high society ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

in the world of high society finding your future partner took a lot of preparation. kim taehyung is one of the most sought out bachelors and he’s been roped on a blind date with Y/n, a spoiled rich girl not used to being told no. what happens when the two clash?

──★ his special secret

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆12.5k | s | a | college professor ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

you’re an art student who has recently broken up with your cheating ex boyfriend. he’s your art professor recovering from a divorce just a year ago. what happens when your relationship goes beyond that of a professor and his college student?

his special secret ||

──★ something about him

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ 16.6k | s | a | yandere coworker ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

kim taehyung is nothing more than a man who works in the same office as you. he’s kind, charming, and unbelievably attractive but there’s just one downside to him. something feels off about the way he acts toward you and you’re not sure what but you know it has something to do with his little obsession with you. he acts strange at times, sometimes a little too lost in his own world, and changes his mood so fast you get whiplash trying to keep up.

you should feel scared or concerned but there’s just something about him that makes you ignore all the warning bells that go off in your head.

──★ the art of obsession

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ 17.4K | s | a | dark academia ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

in a world of painters and poets, there were two college students looking for the right sort of inspiration. through devotion in your craft, you find yourself drawn to kim taehyung—a grad student painter who’s everything you’ve ever looked for in a character. his walk, his form of speech, his art, it all captivated you to the point where you wanted to recreate him in words and you begin to realize how similar the two of you really are. you share a sort of obsession in your work that seems like only each other could understand and he invites you into his world of oil paints and charcoals in hopes of drawing you on paper.

──★ lace and luxury

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ 13.6k | s | sugar daddy ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

Money, Money, Money, must be funny in the rich man’s world. At least that’s how you feel working day and night to make end’s meet and still never having enough. Out of nowhere you get roped into a give and take relationship with a very powerful fashion designer who shows you the way into a life of luxury and lingerie. You’ve become his muse and in exchange he’s become your source of pleasure and riches. It’s a rich man’s world and you’re living in it.

──★ between roommates

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ s | a | roommates ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

you’ve got a crush on kim namjoon. Namjoon being jungkook’s friend, jungkook being your roommate. things get complicated somewhere down the line that leaves him regretting pushing you toward his own friend when he wants you just as bad. as roommates he knows you shouldn’t, but damn did he really want you.

──★ your power

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ s | a | ceo ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

the new boss at your company is hot, tatted, young, and you seem to be just his type

──★ bunny adventures

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ s | a | hybrid ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

you had absolutely no intentions of ever owning a hybrid until jungkook came along. a mistreated, misunderstood rabbit hybrid who’d only ever wanted was to be treated like an equal.

──★ my dear friend

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ s | f | f2l ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

just friends? keep telling yourself that, you and Jungkook have always danced on the line of friendship and something more but lately you’ve struggled being able to tell where you guys stand.

──★ depend on me

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ 13.1k | s | a | hybrid ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

you’re so used to letting Jungkook do everything for you. he babies you almost and you’re both constantly reminded of the strangeness in your friendship. you’ve always loved him but he can’t see you as anything but the little bunny girl he used to protect. you change his mind

──★ never again

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ 14.8k | s | a | neighbors ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

jeon jungkook is just your nosy neighbor who can’t seem to be anything less than a selfish, heart breaking, prick in your eyes. yet somehow he manages to wiggle his way into your life but is it enough for him to change your mind or will he prove your judgements right?

──★ the act of falling

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ 14.4k | s | a | fwb ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

what was supposed to be a meaningless fling has turned into much more before you both realized you were falling. now all you can do is hope that all the challenges you’ve faced are worth something.

──★ campus affairs

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ 11.9k | f | s | f2l ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

you transferred to a new college during second semester and you didn’t expect much excitement out for. that’s until jungkook came along and what had struggled to be a friendship was becoming so much more.

──★ fighting heart

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ 15k | a | f | s ] boxer jk ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

never living a life of luxury, Jungkook does what he has to do to make ends-meet. right now that means fighting in underground clubs, getting beat black and blue until he wins. he knows there’s a better life out there for him but he never let himself think about it. until you came along and suddenly a weight is being lifted off his shoulders letting you through his guarded walls. you’re everything he needed and you make him want to fight for more.

──★ guys my age

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ 9.5k | s | dilf jk ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

a summer spent at your friend’s place wasn’t something to be anything to look forward to. her hot, young dad would seem to change that for you when you decide a game of teasing would suffice your boredom. you got more than you bargained for when you realize he’s not a fan of games.

──★ ditto

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ 12.9k | s | a | established relationship ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

you’ve got everything you need right now, amazing boyfriend, amazing job, amazing friends, but when you receive life changing news you’re not sure how to bring it up to your boyfriend. your indecisiveness and failure to be open with him puts a huge toll on your relationship and he just wants to know that if he continues to love and walk the same path as you, you’ll do the same and ditto.

──★ romantic dreams

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ 23.9k | s | a | yandere jk ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

he’s always dreamt of finding his soulmate in some romantic way, bells ringing, birds chirping, maybe even a shine of light over their head. he never imagined to find them living next door to him with absolutely no clue to the extent of the growing infatuation he has toward you until it’s a little too late. hypnotized by your entire existence he finds his dreams and delusions of love to be a little too intense for anyone to bare.

──★ seven days to love

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ 14.2k | s | f | coworker jk ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

jeon jungkook is nothing but your obnoxious new coworker who can’t seem to get the hint that you’re not interested. he’s loud, clumsy, and a bit of a player who knows his way with girls. what started off as an immediate physical attraction toward you quickly changed to a full blown crush that jungkook just can’t seem to let go. for seven days the two of you must work together alone at the store and each day jungkook takes as a chance to get you to notice him.

──★ cool with you

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ 14.6k | s | f | neighbor jk ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

your break up from kim taehyung sent you spiraling into what felt like a midlife crisis of tear stained cheeks and tubs of half eaten ice cream with a broken heart. after finding out that your neighbor, jeon jungkook, was eavesdropping on your meltdowns and came to find out that your ex was his old friend, he found himself wanting to comfort you. he knew the kind of guy Taehyung was and he didn’t want to see you beat yourself up over a guy who wasn’t worth it so in the end he helped you through it and was unable to ignore the growing attraction you felt toward each other.

──★ limerence

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ 17.8k | s | a | ex!jk ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

a recent discovery of old VCR tapes takes you down a rabbit hole of self-pity, remembering what you once had and how it all went down the drain over youthful mistakes. suddenly, you find yourself playing back the old tapes of the best relationship you’ve ever had and all you can think about is how to get it back—if you could get it back

──★ million dollar darling

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆19.7k | s | rich!jk ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

jeon jungkook is well aware of how privileged he is to have been born into the life he was given. it was glamorous and influential yet close-knit and suffocating, something he thought he wanted to escape from. a trip back home to the circle of wealth and snottiness for his best friend’s million dollar wedding has reminded him of all the reasons why he wanted to leave in the first place… and all the reasons he should stay — the main one being you, the spoiled rich girl he knew was utterly perfect for him.

──★ lost and found

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ 18.7k | s | friend’s ex boyfriend ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

your college years have never been something you dwelled on for too long. you didn’t want to think of all the chances you lost and that’s why when the guy you had a crush on moves back to town, you try not to let it affect you again. but then he brings up old memories that didn’t go the way you thought they had and you’re thrown for a loop. you’re stuck between finding something new with him and falling back into old habits of never standing up for yourself. it probably doesn’t help that he dated your best friend, where everything seemed to go wrong.

──★ tempest

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ 31.2k | s | yandere boyfriend ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

you’ve always considered your life to be more mundane than you would like to admit. it was a constant cycle of the same things over and over again that when you meet jeon jungkook at a bar, of all places, you didn’t expect to see just how much he would change your life and those around you. he’s got an air of mystery around him with his charming good looks and a violent past that you slowly begun to unravel when it feels like everything is going perfect.

──★ ukiyo

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ 17.7k | s | f | summer romance ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

it’s the start of summer and there’s nothing better than dipping your toes in the sand and falling for a local boy who plays beach volleyball in his free time. he’s charming in a way you’ve never seen and you seem to understand each other better than one could imagine. both stuck in an awkward time of self discovery, you try to live in the moment and forget about your worries till they become too hard to ignore.

──★ effortlessly yours

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ 16.9k | s | f | ceo x part timer ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

in an effort to catch a break from the people around him, jungkook stumbles into a bar on the other side of town and meets you—the one serving his drinks. things happen quite effortlessly between you and before you knew it, you’ve welcomed him to change your life for the better.

──★ infrunami

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ 18.7k | s | f | friends to lovers ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

you’ve made great friends throughout the years but none like jeon jungkook. he’s there for you when you need him and although at times when things get complicated between your feelings and thoughts… there’s one thing for certain. you both have been wasting time acting like there’s nothing between you.

──★ shameless

․ ∘ ⊹ ✰ ┆ 31.5k | s | a | infidelity ┆ ✰ ⊹ ∘ .

unsatisfied with your current relationship, you find yourself swept into an affair with a regular at your gym. it turns out he’s not the sweet, charming man you fooled yourself into believe he was but for some reason, you keep going back to him.

SERIES

──★ summer bummer baby

HIATUS

──★ love lies

HIATUS

HALLOWEEN

──★ season of the witch

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honeytae · 4 years ago

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kim taehyung masterlist

last updated april 18, 2025: the i said i love you first series

f - fluff, s - smut, a- angst

trigger warning - tw

series:

i said i love you first (a, f, s)

oneshots:

Honey, I’m home. (s)

the one where you can’t hold back.

Breaking into each other’s apartments now, are we? (f)

the one with wet hair and domestic bliss.

I have no self control when it comes to you. (f)

the one where you change your chapstick flavor, and nothing is lost on tae.

We’re never going to hear the end of this. (s)

the one where you stop by the studio with food, but taehyung is hungry for something else.

It’s so easy to fall for you. (f)

the one where it’s time to meet the parents.

Did Monèt finger paint? (f)

the one where vante gives you an art lesson.

I didn’t know you had a thing for bandanas. (s)

the one on Grammy’s night.

We’ll always be in the honeymoon phase. (f)

the one with the lavender bath.

I feel like you’ve been avoiding me lately. (a)

the one with the i do’s, and the i dont’s.

You make me wanna be a better man. (f)

the one where vante is at work.

You say the word, angel, and I’ll give it to you. (s)

the one where taehyung re-energizes you.

fantasize (s)

the one where jealousy is your new favorite look on him.

drabbles:

I think it’s healthy for him to see his parents showing affection. (f)

Kiss? (f)

You’re such a tease. (f)

Why are we slow dancing in our bathroom at six in the morning? (f)

I’ll always take care of you. (s)

“Can you just stop being an asshole for five seconds?” (a) (tw)

“Here? Now?” (s)

“I need cuddles or I’m going to die.” (f)

“I don’t think friends do this.” (s)

I’ll make you forget all about him. (s)

concepts:

something about sitting in tae’s lap (s)

something about him finding one of your drawings (f)

something about the boys calling you to help get taehyung out of bed in the morning (f)

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rpwprpwprpwprw · 5 months ago

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guys… i just saved millions of fanfics to read... apparently I can finish them all by 2030 🙏🏻 wish me luck 💗

106 notes · View notes

trivia-yandere · 8 months ago

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divine intervention

you'll do anything to have your own baby one day - even to go against your morals and allow a wiccan to help you. same universe as metamorphosis

warning: cheating/affair, cursing, mentions of infertility and miscarriages, blood (reader is cut), rituals, smut, licking, voyeurism, breeding kink, creampie, character death, nipple sucking/play, dirty talk, oral sex, fingering, overstimulation, squirting, rough sex, fingering, begging, character deaths, slight degradation/humiliation, deepthroating, face slapping, blood drinking/cannibalism, rough sex

word count: 10.243

Halloween Masterlist

@sweetempathprunetree @darkuni63 @momnomnom @bangtans-momma @chimmy-licious @investedreader

You’re wet and cold, body trembling as the harsh rain fully covers your frame. You’re blinking away droplets of rain water from your eyelashes, eyes staring right at your target. You stopped dead in tracks when you noticed the familiar car park right into the parking lot and got out of said car - the passenger door had opened as well.

You had gotten out of your car prepared to confront him, but you didn’t. Your heart sank when they both entangled their fingers together, hearing a few struggling laughter even through the rain, as they ran towards the motel doors.

You watched as your husband entered the motel room with the woman - obviously who he was going to leave you for - and closed the door behind them. Through the closed blind, you witness the lights flicker on and behind them, their silhouette engulfing in a hug.

You swallow thickly, your throat hurting as you think about the fact that your marriage was going to be ending - and yet maybe you should’ve listened to him the first time when he asked for said divorce. You had only thought he was upset with you and eventually, the both of you would come together once more.

Your legs pick up and you’re stomping towards the motel room. Your heart is already shattered and now you’re angry.

You didn’t deserve this. You were a good wife to him and you remained by his side with all the bullshit he went through - all the shit he has put you through. In the end, where did it leave you both? Down the path of a divorce while you sit at home alone and he’s out with another woman.

You stop right outside the motel door, contemplating if you should be doing this now. It was a week prior when you caught sight of the motel receipt - you had been washing clothes and decided to wash his. You checked his pockets to assure nothing would be damaged and in the end, only your heart was. No man is going to a motel in the same town he lives in if it wasn’t because he was creeping with another woman.

There were signs - of course there were signs. You chose to ignore them all. The sudden “work phone calls” and “staying overtime” should have struck you as off - but you were blinded by love for your husband that you didn’t allow yourself to see what the fuck was in front of you.

Your fist connects with the door rapidly, banging against it with all your might that your knuckles begin to throb - but you didn’t give a damn at this moment. You had gone to the same motel each night that he had not come home and waited to see if his car would be here - and tonight you happened to be lucky.

There’s shuffling behind the door and when it swings open is when you attack, your fist connecting to the face of your husband. The woman screams in shock and comes between the two of you.

“What the hell-”

Maybe it was the adrenaline that gives you such strength and courage. Maybe the rain and heavy wind has caused you to get sick faster than usual and now you have super powers; who the hell knows? It only took one punch for the woman to fall onto her ass and clench her nose and by the end of it all, you know that you’d feel guilty because surely this wasn’t her fault. She didn’t owe you any loyalty.

“Y/N!”

Your husband is grabbing your shoulders, eyes wide at the act of being caught red-handed. “How did you-”

“Shut the fuck up.” You hiss, having no desire to explain yourself to him. It was you that needed to be asking the important questions. “This is the overtime you’re putting in?” you ask him. “This,” you point to the woman on the ground. “is the work calls?”

Your husband shakes his head, unable to form words. What could he truly say? It was obvious that this was an affair and you weren’t dumb enough to fall for any more lies when it was slapped in your face like this.

“Listen-”

“When did it start?” you interrupt once more. “How long-”

“I asked for a divorce!” your husband hisses and instantly sighs. He didn’t want to do this here. “Can we talk-”

“We can talk right here.” you say, yanking yourself away when he goes to reach for you. “So that’s it? You want a divorce?” you scoff. “After I stayed when all your business ventures went to shit? All your investments went downhill?”

Your husband's eyes widen at your words and he takes a step back.

“Don’t look like that now.” you scoff. “It was my money that kept us afloat.”

“My apologies, Y/N, for not being a trust fund baby!” your husband retorts. “I don’t have mommy and daddies money to fall back on like you do!”

You lick your lips, swallowing back more harsh insults you could dish out. You nod your head with a shrug of your shoulders.

“We’ve been together for years and the relationship has gone nowhere.” your husband states. “I thought a divorce would be mutual-”

“Mutual?” you snort.

“You know what I want, Y/N.” he murmurs. “We both know what we want and you cannot do it. I can’t…” his eyes blink away from your face, unable to look you in the eye as he says it. “...I don’t want to adopt. I want to have my own child. And you don’t want to do surrogacy-”

“You’re divorcing me because I cannot carry a child.” you state. “I see.”

“It’s deeper than that, Y/N and you know it.”

“What else is there?” you ask. “We were fine prior to me finding out.” One too many miscarriages to be exact. You recall the day your heart sank when you were told the low possibility of you actually having a child - and you refused to keep trying to just get let down.

“Tomorrow,” you began, eyes glancing at the woman. She doesn’t look at you and you wonder just who she is and what her intentions were with your husband - now ex. Was she planning on getting into a relationship with him or was this just them fucking in cheap motels? “you can come get you stuff from the house.”

Your husband swallows but he nods.

“I’ll have my mommy and daddy call our family lawyer.” you say, voice laced with sarcasm and venom. “We’ll sort something out. I’ll tell you this now that the most I’m willing to let you keep is your car.”

Your husband watches you leave, back out in the heavy rain. You enter your car and sit for a moment, mind racing with the events that just transpire. The rain hides your view of outside your windshield and you have yet to start your car. You sit idly in the cold car and listen to the sound of said rain hit against it.

It doesn’t get easier with time, you note, and your home only feels empty and cold without his presence. You told yourself this was for the best - this is what he wanted after all. Soon, the divorce will be finalized and he will be someone else’s problem.

Even now you sit alone in a diner, stirring your tea. It’s quiet and only low music plays through the speakers. It’s also not busy, an older couple sitting a few tables away.

You shouldn’t be here now. This is where you and your ex-husband came at any given moment as it was 24 hours and it’s pathetic that this is where you went because you didn’t wish to be home.

“You’re sad.”

You’re startled by the voice speaking suddenly and your eyes blink upwards to the woman sitting across from you. She appears to be out of place here. She seems to be wearing robes - a crimson color with a spec of gold trimming. Her head is covered by a hood of the same color and you’re unable to make out her face just yet as her head is bowed. Her hands are placed onto the table and you noticed she’s wearing gold jewelry

You sit straighter, unaware who this woman was and why she was here. You had not heard her sit down, either, and that strikes you as odd.

“Is it that obvious?” you murmur, scoffing to yourself.

“Your aura is sad.” the woman speaks. “You’re hurting. Emotionally, of course.”

You realized that this entire time you had been stirring your tea. You stopped and took out the spoon from the tea cup and placed it aside. You slowly nod your head. “I suppose you’re correct.” you say, unsure why you’re speaking to a complete stranger who appeared out of thin air.

You take a sip of your tea, the flavor of chai hitting your taste buds only makes you hum. At least there was one good memory of this diner and it was the tea. Nonetheless, you turn your eyes back to the woman. “I must look utterly miserable if you noticed how sad I looked.” you attempt to joke - to lighten the mood.

“I can’t see you.” the woman says and now you notice that she indeed could not. She lifts her head to your direction and her eyes are white. It catches you by surprise and she appears to be looking right at you.

“I-I didn’t know that.” you murmur, now feeling embarrassed that you hadn’t noticed in the beginning. “How could you tell then?”

For a moment, the woman is quiet and you could practically feel the hair on your arms rise. You’re unsure what to say yourself - you had several questions. Who was this woman and where did she come from? How could she feel your sadness as she did not know you or your situation?

“I could sense it - a great deal of pain coming from you.” the woman speaks. “You’re lonely.”

You snicker to yourself, quite bitterly. A blind woman can tell that you were a lonely mess of a woman.

“I lost my husband.” you say, taking another sip of your tea. “He isn’t dead, though. Just dead to me.” you tell her.

It’s crazy that you sense no threat to this woman who would have struck you as weird if it was any other moment. You didn’t have the desire to speak to your friends about your divorce just yet and get a “I told you so” reaction from them like you had with your parents. This woman didn’t know you and maybe that was better.

“I married him because I loved him and I thought he loved me.” you continue. “But when times went hard, I suppose “til death do us part” was just easier said than done.” you shrug your shoulders.

“I can feel you’re upset about him, however…” the woman tilts her head a bit, as if reading more into the situation. “...you aren’t just upset about him.”

You nod your head - even if she couldn’t see you do so. “Yeah.” you admit. “I have no husband and I cannot have children. So,” you laugh at your situation. Obviously you’ve done something in your past life to deserve this, surely? “I suppose I’m upset with myself and life in general.”

“Have you always wished to be a mother?”

You have.

You always pondered what motherhood would be like for you. You recall how you and your mother did things together - how loving she was. How understanding she could be. She would scold you when you were wrong, sure, but she loved you nonetheless and truly did want what was best.

You had the financial stability to raise a child in and that was one of the reasons why you wished to be a mother, as having a child without that support would never be an option for you.

“Yes.” you respond to the woman. “I suppose…the universe has other plans for me.” you say with a shake of your head. “I could always adopt but…it’ll be a little harder now that I’m going through a divorce.”

Fuck your husband, truly. You begin to think about what if you just agreed and went through with the surrogacy - maybe then you’d have a husband and a baby.

But your mind told you that it wasn’t realistic. That if he loved you, nothing would have tore him away from you.

You swallow.

“I’m positive you can get pregnant.” the woman speaks and you want to thank her for her positivity - but if the doctors didn’t see you going through with a pregnancy, then you’re sure you couldn’t. “Your spirit just rejected the man you wished to have a child with.”

You raise a brow at her words. She was a spiritual woman, obviously, as she states she could feel your aura.

“You think so?” you ask her. You wouldn’t push her away as some sort of crazy woman with too many screws loose.

The woman nods. “Our spirit...sometimes will not accept who we wish to procreate with.” she speaks. “It’s an act of protection. This man was not the man for you.”

You smile.

The woman's words are kind. She was trying to be positive, you note, and assure that you felt better. You were grateful for her words.

“I could help you.”

“Help…me?” you’re taken aback. “Are you a type of…spiritual doctor?”

The woman’s lips twitch upward. “I’m a wiccan.”

It’s quiet for a moment as you process her words.

“Wiccan…?” you swallow with a slight nod. You should be more frightened than you truly were at the moment for the unknown surrounding this woman. “...how could you help me?” you should be even more frightened by how willing you were to hear her methods.

“There’s methods we can go through to assure you conceive a child.”

This was crazy.

There was no way you could be considering this.

“I…I’ll just end up miscarrying.” you murmur with a shake of your head.

“I’m positive,” the woman begins. “that you will be able to birth a child.” she sounds certain of herself.

“What is the catch?” you question. “Do you want money?”

The woman shakes her head and she laughs at your words. “Money is not my motive. I want to lift the sadness that surrounds you and fill it with happiness. A child is one of the greatest blessings there is in life.”

You proceed to drink the rest of your tea in one sitting, mind scrambling at the woman's words.

“If I consider this…just who am I getting impregnated by?” you ask.

The woman stands suddenly and you see just how long her robs are. “I could give you a week to settle in on it.”

“I-I…how would I see you again?”

“I know where to find you.”

Her words should strike you as odd and you should be frightened that they do not.

“You want to be a single mother?” your mother inhales deeply, her manicured nails on her temples rubbing them in circular motion. “I know going through a divorce isn’t easy but…” she doesn’t finish her words.

It’s obvious in where she stands. Why in the world would you choose to be a single mother? Though she never liked the idea of you, in her words, dating a man that was “less than”, she never downright forbade you. If you were happy then it was all she truly wanted.

However, now you were going through a divorce by said man that she always knew was less than deserving of you - and the thought of cheating on the person who gave him a chance was downright insane.

“I can introduce you to some people!” your mother suggests.

You groan. Great. Your mother was trying to set you up with someone of high status that could care less about you entirely and would only be doing so because they were looking for someone with status.

“Mother,” you wave your hand in front of you dismissively. “Please. I’m going through a divorce and the last thing I want is a partner.”

“But you want a child?” your mother snickers, unable to wrap her head around single motherhood. “W-What…” she swallows. She doesn’t want to be harsh on you in such a fragile moment in your life, but you’re positive you know where she’s going.

What if you have this child and cannot find any man willing (in their eyes) to want to marry a single mother?

You weren’t old and you still had time - but you weren’t sure you wanted to be with anyone. You dipped your toes into married life and this is where it got you - single and still without a child.

“At least if I had a child, it’d be mine.” you sigh. “If I got pregnant sooner, imagine the headache of joint custody.”

Your mother isn’t keen on imagining it. You lean back into your chair, eyes glancing upwards at the high ceiling chandelier. You release a sigh. “I just want to have someone love me forever.” you whisper to yourself. “I want to be able to carry a child. Feel it move inside of me and watch as I grow week by week. Is that too much to ask for?” you question truly.

You glance back at your mother. She’s shaking her head and you’re understanding that she could never truly get where you were coming from. “I will support you in anything you decide to do.” she speaks. “If this is what is going to make you happy…”

You inhale deeply, closing your eyes. You see the woman dressed in the red robes, her white eyes seemingly watching you. It has almost been a week and your mind refuses to go elsewhere.

This is what you wanted, right? You wanted to be a mother and raise a child - even if you didn’t have a partner alongside you. You were only growing older and did you truly wish to get to know someone else and go through the same obstacles you’ve already gone through with your first husband?

“It is what I want.” you exhale, your chest tightening and heart beating rapidly at how long you’ve held your breath. “More than anything…”

It was deep in the night when you saw the woman once more. You had showered and scrubbed your skin clean. The red flags weren’t going off in your head and you never questioned just how the woman knew where you lived. Maybe you’d blame your desperation for a child on why it didn’t strike you as odd.

The woman was not alone. Behind her strolled three more women, all younger than her and instead of being dressed in crimson robes, they sported a dark emerald color. Their hoods are all covering their heads and it’s only when they enter your home do two of them remove it in sync.

One woman has long coily hair that matches her eyes - dark yet vibrant. Her skin is smooth and underneath the dim light of your home, it appears to glow a deep color similar to espresso. The second woman's hair is short and stops right at her shoulders in a blunt cut - a fierce ginger color that is so bold and it compliments the brownish-green hue of her eyes. You noticed there’s piercings on her skin, four gold ones on the bridge of her nose alone while there’s a few hoops outlining her ears. There’s two small gold hoops on either side of the woman's lips. The final woman keeps her hood on and only could you see her eyes as it appears to be a silk gold scarf wrapped firmly around her neck and mouth, loosely hanging. Her eyes are pierce and it reminds you of that of a cat.

You swallow, captivated by all of the women - each so different yet so inviting and it takes you a moment to look away. Only when your eyes begin to grow irritated by the lack of blinking moisture do you halt.

“I’m sorry.” you say, body heating with embarrassment. You’re unsure what to say and positive that you didn’t need to apologize as you didn’t do anything. You were nervous and even now, there weren’t any alarms going off in your head. “I have questions….”

It’s the blinded woman that speaks first. “Ask and we shall answer.”

You swallow. Your arms cover with goosebumps as you were wearing little - at their request. It’s a satin night gown that stops at the middle of your thigh and you were instructed on it to be a dark color - preferably black.

“H-How is this going to work?”

The woman offers a soft smile. She begins to walk into your home - deeper as if she’s been here before. You watch, eyes witnessing the way she appears to walk without any issues and you ponder if this woman was truly blind.

But then you had to consider that upon being introduced to you, she stated that she was wiccan - and maybe that had something to do with her overall demeanor. How she could sense your sadness to even now, her showing up at your doorstep and you had not told her explicitly where you lived.

“If I can ask,” you speak up, bare feet patting against the hardwood floor as you follow close behind them. “how am I supposed to be impregnated without…a man?” it’s a logical question that you feel needs an answer - you suppose maybe they had something on them; a vile maybe that could be inserted inside of you. Yet, how good could that be? The sperm could surely not survive that long outside of the body.

But then again, you tell yourself, the woman claimed to be wiccan.

You take a deep breath.

“There will be a man.” one woman speaks up - it’s the one with coily hair. She turns to you and you halt dead in your tracks. Her voice is low in tone but purely feminine. “It will work as long as you follow our instructions.”

“Indeed.” another woman said - the one with the golden scarf around her speaks. The older woman stopped inside your sitting area, the large room was perfect for the ritual.

“I...am prone to miscarriages.” you murmur. “I wouldn’t wait to wait any of your time if-”

“You let us worry about that.” the woman with the piercings speaks. Her hands place themselves onto your shoulder, her touch warm and soothing. “Come, sit.”

You’re directed to the floor - your sitting room is a large space with several lounge chairs and couches, yet you are instructed to sit on the large rub right in the middle of the room.

The other woman surrounds you and within a second, the lights in said sitting area are turned off and it’s pitch black. You yelp, clenching your hands to your chest as your heart beats outside of it.

Before you could speak, there’s a dim light flickering on and around you - candle light. It’s eerie, you’d admit. The orange light flickers off of the faces of the woman surrounding you, the older one right in front of you. Her white eyes appear to be looking down upon you.

“I-”

“Do not bring yourself to worry. You are completely safe.” the woman speaks, as if reading your mind. “Lay down.”

You take a deep breath and proceed to lay on your back. You want to ask even more questions, but you believe it’s far too late for that now.

You hear the woman speaking - more like chanting. Your ears perk to understand what they’re saying; but you cannot. Your eyes glances around the dim-lim room at what they were doing. They begin to saunter around you in a circle and you hear a slight sound - as if something is being poured. Your eyes squint to understand what it was - sand? It’s dark, however, as if pure black instead of the light tan the sand color usually would be.

Your heartbeat quickens, your palms growing sweaty.

The woman is directly behind you now. She peers down at you, white eyes boring into you. You’re quiet and unmoving, far too frightened to say anything.

Your eyes catch it as she draws closer, the silver dagger in her hand that she comes at you with. You’re paralyzed but your eyes grow wide when she drops the dagger onto your breast and slices either side of them.

The chanting only grows louder and your mind is screaming at you, the irony smell of your blood only adding to the effects of what the fuck you gotten yourself into.

Your vision begins to blur and the room looks as if it’s smoky - your heart rate skyrockets. It didn’t smell like a fire and neither of the women appeared alarmed that one of their candles was causing it.

There’s a shadow casted above you that you’re unsure about - it’s sudden and you’re pondering if you were just seeing things. But the shadow only grows larger and your eyes squint to look deeper into the smokey dark.

As the candle-light’s flickers, your heart races faster. Your eyes are wide and unmoving as the tall figure saunters over to you. It’s large and looks purely hellish; demonic. Its skin is a dark red, similar to the woman’s crimson robes. Its eyes are staring down right at you, pupil dark while its iris glows a lime green. On either side of his forehead are goat-like horns and you notice behind his back appears to be like wings similar to that of a bat.

“What is this?”

This had to be some sort of demon - it’s voice is deep as he speaks.

“You were summoned under a contract.”

The demon snarls, his head whipping towards the older woman. His eyes glances around the sigil onto the ground and a few crystals on all five points. An obvious attempt as a protection spell.

“What is it that you want, witch?”

Your eyes are unable to move from the demon before you and for the first time, you’re completely too shocked to speak or react. Your body feels as if it could faint at any moment, but that would require you to get your eyes off of this demon; and you were unable to.

“Isn’t it obvious?” the older woman points down at you. “She is presented to you just as your kind wishes those who seek a child to be.”

The demon glances back at your figure for a moment. He can smell your fear and hear your heart beating - almost as if it’s going to explode. You were human and he could snap you in half with no effort.

The demon lowers himself to face you, nose inhaling the scent of your blood.

“Is that all you want?” the demon speaks, but not to you. “What’s your motive, witch?”

“I have no personal gain.” the woman shrugs her shoulders. “I’m one woman that has a desire to help another.”

“Personal gain is what demons have.” one woman speaks, you’re unsure which of the three.

“Don’t act holier than thou, witch.” the demon seethes. “You summoned me for my help.”

The demon's teeth are sharp as he snaps at the witches - but that’s before turning back to you. You feel your stomach churn when his eyes reach yours and you find yourself gulping.

The demon’s wings begin to flock. It appears to have bat-like wings,a thin membrane of skin connecting from its wings to its back.

The demon lowers to you once more, but this time as his body descends into the shadows, when it emerges his look is different.

Human.

Your eyes scan the features of the demon. Its eyes that were once glowing were now a dull dark brown, one single lid and one double lid eye stare right back at you. He has a heart shaped face and his horns have disappeared and replaced itself with a mop of dark hair. His lips are what catch you first - they’re a rosy pink color, his top lip slightly fuller than his bottom.

Your lips release a short gasp at the sudden change from demon to man - and now you understand the countless stories you’d hear growing up that demons (either if you believed in them or not) could easily persuade anyone away from good. Your once frightened demeanor began to relax at the new sight of an attractive man; not a monster.

Dark eyes never leave yours as the demons head lowered to your chest. A pink split tongue pokes out between his lips and you feel it upon your chest, warm tongue gliding against your bleeding cuts.

“You humans are fragile.” the demon speaks - his once deep voice now sounding more human, but still deeper than you imagined any man to have. “You aren’t a witch, girl.”

You shake your head even though you’re sure it was a statement and not a question.

“How do you plan on caring for a child with a demon?” he asks, but it wasn’t as if he truly cared. He was a fertility demon, after all. He had hundreds of children and the majority of them were humans who were done exactly like this - only different was this was the first time said humans had not sought him out directly.

You open your mouth to speak but you’re unsure of the answer yourself. You didn’t know that these women - witches - were going to summon a demon to impregnate you.

“She’ll have our help.” the blind witch speaks and for a moment, you forgot that they were still there watching you and him.

The demon scoffs. “You witches are always up to something at the cost of my seed.” he murmurs. “I won’t be released until I impregnate you, human.” he inhales, smelling the scent of your arousal along with sensing just how confused, concerned yet horny you were all at once. “My name is Taehyung.”

“Tae…hyung.”

The demon - Taehyung - snickers at you saying his name.

Taehyung’s split tongue continues to swirl across your soft skin, the irony taste of your blood causes his taste buds to dance. A clawed hand grips at your thigh, gliding up your skin and pushes the night gown upwards as he does.

Sharp teeth bite down harshly on your breast and the sudden rush of pain causes you to shriek loudly. Taehyung is rough and swift, ripping off your silk nightgown in a quick movement. It’s shredded and tossed aside without a care by the demon.

You’re now naked on the floor surrounded by witches and a demon - a night like this could not be dreamed of enough.

“Humans have the best tasting blood.” Taehyung all but purrs, tongue licking his lips of your blood.

Your eyes watched as your nipples were his next interest. The split appendage licks at your hardened nipples, suckling and tugging on them without stopping. Your thighs quiver and you cannot help but moan at the dirty sight before you. Taehyung is starved, tugging your nipples so roughly as he sucks, but this wasn’t enough for him. He was a fertility demon, after all.

Taehyung twirls his tongue from your swollen nipples to down your stomach. His fingers nails are sharp as they swipe at your thighs, forcing them open. He can smell your arousal dripping for him; sweet like honey.

“Delicate humans such as yourself need to be prepped before breeding.”

Your eyes widen when he sinks down between your legs, so dangerously close to you that it causes you to yelp with embarrassment.

Your head draws back and your eyes shut when you feel Taehyung’s tongue lick a stripe at your clit before latching itself completely onto it. He suckles on it sloppily, rolling his tongue over the sensitive bud. His hands keep you firmly in place, sharp nails digging into the skin of your thigh and you’re sure they’re drawing blood.

Taehyung’s eyes flicker up to you, snickering at the way you’re biting back your moans. Your teeth are biting your soft lips and you’re jerking with each passing lick.

This is not Taehyung’s first time doing this with a human - he has so many times before. He knows exactly what to do to pleasure them. His right hand leaves their grip upon your thigh to push past your folds. “So tight,” he murmurs against your clit, his fingers going to sink inside of you.

You’re breathing hitches as his fingers dig deeper inside you, brushing against your walls. He doesn’t allow you any grace - his tongue still flickers at your clit teasingly. It wasn’t like you haven’t received oral sex before - but not like this. Taehyung was obviously not human; his fingers appeared to go deeper and deeper with each thrust, jamming into you at an alarming speed.

“I know you’re going to cum, human.” Taehyung’s voice appears in your head and for a moment you’re startled, eyes shooting open to look at him - his tongue has not left your clit, but then you hear it once more. “It’s amazing what a demon could do for you, right?”

You want to ask what the hell is going on and just how he’s in your head - but your stomach churns and once more, your thighs quiver. His fingers jam into your sweet spot with urgency and his words were ringing true - you were going to cum and so fast, too.

Taehyung doesn’t stop - instead he removes his fingers to replace it with his tongue, the muscle only adding to your climax. He buries his tongue deep against you and you’re unable to move away.

The overstimulation is causing your eyes to water. A single tear-drop falls from your eye in contrast to the slick of arousal that falls onto Taehyung’s tongue and down his chin. This was all too much to handle, the pleasure causing you to shake underneath his hold. You’re spasming against his tongue and Taehyung only watches the way you fold against him, a low squeal releasing from your throat.

Taehyung could have just fucked you and gotten it over with - but what’s the fun in that? Even if he was a demon, he still was a man that enjoyed sex and it was far more enjoyable when the other was into it.

You tug at Taehyung’s hair, unable to take anymore pleasure - and you’re already groaning at the blurry sight of his between your legs already that causes another orgasm to run through you.

Taehyung leans back, licking his lips of your arousal. His eyes watch the way your thighs shake and your breathing heaves, chest rising and falling in rhythm.

“Should I breed you right now?”

Your head shakes, unable to comprehend how he was speaking to you in your mind right now.

Nothing was private - not when there were witches watching. That was new - he was a fertility demon and never had an audience before for something this sacred. The only way for an ounce of privacy would be to speak with her through her thoughts.

Only something two bound people could do - something he had done when he had consumed her blood. Eventually it’d wear off if she did not accept the bond; and he was not expecting or bothered if she had or not.

“P-Please.” you murmur, nodding your head at Taehyung’s words in your mind. You truly just wanted him inside of you, completely forgetting that the two of you weren’t alone.

“You humans…” Taehyung doesn’t finish his words and instead, begins to undress his lower half, doing exactly what you were begging him for.

Taehyung’s cock is pretty - it’s pink and veiny and appears utterly suckable. Your mouth salivates at the thought of sucking it before he fucks you and it’s your perverted thoughts that causes him to laugh at you.

“So eager to taste me, little human?” Taehyung’s voice rings in your mind and hastily, you nod with a lick of your lips. “I’m not so sure you could take all of me.”

Taehyung does check to find out, pulling himself closer to you so that you could wrap a hand around the base of his cock - it’s thick in your grasp. You slowly feel him, astonished at something so pretty - maybe demons were meant to be this dangerous. You weren’t the least bit scared as you should be at a demon masking himself as a human to fuck a baby in you - you would go to Hell right now if he fucked you right along the way.

And that’s how demons tricked Humans, you note, in ways such as this.

Your mouth suckles on the tip of Taehyung’s cock, twirling your tongue greedily. Your hands stroke the base of it for added pleasure.

Taehyung groans, his eyes piercing as he watches you take him so good - like a touched starve whore. He can sense the excitement running through you right now, so eager to please him that you were doing an amazing job.

Taehyung grips your hair roughly. “Take more of me, little human. I know you can.” his voice speaks to you, his cock going deeper into your mouth.

There's saliva rolling down your chin as Taehyung begins to thrust inside your mouth. The sight had to be as filthy as when he was eating you out but you couldn’t bring yourself to care. It was something flowing inside of you that wanted to pleasure Taehyung - that needed to feel his cock inside of your mouth before he fucks a baby into you.

“Such a pretty whore you are.” Taehyung growls audibly. “Should I take you back to Hell with me and fuck you all the time?”

You whimper against his thrusting cock and Taehyung chuckles with a shake of his head. One hand lays itself under your chin so he can look into your watery eyes as his cock flows in and out of you. He growls, so pretty - so devilish. Those eyes were anything but holy.

“I’ll make you my personal whore…mine to fuck until the end of time.”

Taehyung releases himself from your mouth. You cough, saliva pooling onto your chest and you heave. He wastes no time in tearing your legs apart, cock right at your center.

“You want me to be bred, don’t you, little human? No human could give you what I could.”

“Please…” you beg, eyes watery and hips buckling to feel him inside of you. You were needy, clenching around nothing.

Taehyung gives you what you beg him for. He enters you with one thrust, your back arching at the sudden fullness of his cock. One hand pushes you back onto the ground. He then places the same hand against your stomach, beginning to thrust deeply inside of you.

Each thrust has you hitting against the floor roughly, your eyes rolling at the sensation. Your velvety walls tighten around his cock, greedy to milk him dry if that’s what it took.

“Little whore you are. Want a child so bad that you’d have a demon.” Taehyung’s taunting you, but his words do nothing but make you wetter for him, legs widening to take him even more - and it drives him crazy.

Taehyung growls, determined to send you over the edge. He forces your legs apart, pounding into you at an alarming speed for a human but even then you don’t appear to be threatened. You’re a weird human, he notes, fully accepting her fate - and maybe that was easier. Accept that you were fucking a demon and soon will be having one; there were precautions that you would have to go through. Such as completely cutting the child’s demonic abilities off that would kill the demon half of them - such acts would cause great pain for the child when the time comes.

Taehyung had children - majority of them walking earth with no ties to the demon world or the Brotherhood he was a part of. Those who were demons were so far removed from him that neither of them cared for a relationship as their birth was just business.

Taehyung ponders what you would choose - having a half demon child wouldn’t be easier for you to handle and he’s positive these witches didn’t give you any warning about what hell the pregnancy would be, let alone half demon spawns running around your house.

Taehyung snorts. You were so cock drunk right now that nothing mattered to you. He thrusts deeper inside of you, your pussy gripping him with greed that could only be seen as a sin. Your arousal pools beneath you and onto your rug, sure to stain it with the memories of this night.

“I can smell you, human. You’re gonna cum again.”

Your breathing increases and Taehyung is correct - you were going to cum. It’s a knot deep in your stomach that longs to be released.

“Let’s cum together, human.”

With both hands, Taehyung hoists your bottom half off of the ground and begins to pound into you, the sound of skin slapping echoing off of the walls of your sitting room; all mixed with your high-pitched shrieks.

Your eyes begin to roll once more and you're so close that your eyes begin to tear up with how good it all feels, the eyes of the witches fading into nothingness.

Taehyung’s nails dig into your skin as a few sloppy thrusts hit your sweet spot and he’s cumming deep inside of you, a warm seed painting your walls heavenly - it causes you to cum along with him. Your lower body shakes, your body erupts with warmth.

“Don’t think I’m done with you, human.” Taehyung’s voice growls in your mind. “You want to be bred, I’ll make sure I do just that.”

Before you could speak, Taehyung flips you on your stomach and forces you onto your knees. He enters you once more, continuing his pounding speed inside you.

Maybe Taehyung was determined to break you - you were so fragile and didn’t know what you were getting yourself into. If you told him to slow down, he would - but you hadn’t. Your mind is screaming with just as much pleasure as your shrieks were. You were leaking all over the place and looked like a bitch in heat.

Taehyung’s unsure why it angers him to see you in such pleasure - was it because you weren’t afraid of him and the consequences of being bred by a demon? Was it because you were taking him far too well that he was beginning to enjoy it?

Taehyung yanks you back by your neck and presses himself against you, hips buckling inside your squelching pussy. His sharp nails dig into your neck as he squeezes it, free hand resting on your clit and begins to rub circles on the sensitive bud.

“You’re a filthy little human, aren’t you?”

Taehyung’s fingers roughly rub at your clit for added stimulation. You scream out, not caring how dirty you probably looked to the on-lookers.

“I just might come back for you, little human. Fuck a few more babies in you since you seem to want my seed so much.”

“P-Please…” you beg, a few tears dropping from the corner of your eyes - how pathetic you must’ve looked, but you couldn’t bring yourself to care. The pleasure is too much and you’re now begging him to cum. “Please make me cum….!”

Taehyung snickers, fingers rubbing through your folds with alarming stamina as his hips fuck into your tight walls. Your eyes are swirling to the back of your head again, feeling so full of him that you never want him to stop - you never felt this way before with your husband or any other man. It had to be because Taehyung wasn’t human but just looking the part for your sake.

You cry out with an embarrassing heat running through you as arousal-filled juices leaked out of you and down your thighs. It hits the floor with a splash, similar to water hitting the ground. You begin to shudder, body going completely limb in Taehyung’s embrace.

Taehyung taps your clit a few times, satisfied that you’ve came so hard again - and he was sure he could fuck you all night, but he would. You were a human and humans couldn’t do such a thing.

“Gonna get you nice and full, human. No human man would be able to give you such an honorable gift.” Taehyung brings his soaked hand and slaps your cheek as if to signal your attention. “Such a cock-hungry whore you are…you’ll be begging to be full of me again.”Your body continues to tremble, fully reliant on Taehyung to hold you upright. You’ve already cum enough.

Taehyung himself is cumming, and yet he still has an unholy amount of stamina - and cum - to give you.

Your face burns when it’s shoved into your rug, cheek slamming against it as Taehyung forces your ass into the car. You’re drooling onto it, pussy clenching around his cock, milking even more of his cum. He’s pounding inside of you at a dangerous rate, cock hitting even deeper and managing to fill you up with more and more cum.

“I’ll make sure you’re pregnant by the time we’re done here, human.” Taehyung snarls, attempting to use your body to his full advantage.

A part of Taehyung upset that you still had no protest in you - to think a human could take him is preposterous. And yet - as you lay trembling beneath him, cock buried so deep inside of your pussy, his mind reads how you’re unable to speak, but yet begging him to continue.

You whimper when you’re filled once more, cum painting your walls entirely. This had to be different - this one actually stings a bit, almost as if it’s too much to handle as a human.

Taehyung is panting, his lips dangerously close to your ear. His cock twitches as he continues to cum inside of you, fully determined to do what he was summoned to do - breed you.

Taehyung doesn’t move nor does his cock soften inside of you. You remain still, as well, eyes heavy and you’re truly exhausted with the entire experience.

“You can leave now.” says the blind woman, her eyes glancing between you nearly unconscious and the demon. “I’m sure she’s with child and will show sooner than she expects.”

Taehyung remains quiet, there’s a bit of cum that falls out of you as he releases himself. He lets the grip of your hair go gently, allowing you to fall limp onto the ground.

Taehyung does leave - without another word - in a gush of black smoke.

It took you 7 months to learn the incantation to summon Taehyung.

You were large and it appeared as if your stomach never stopped moving but you’re positive that there isn’t only one child inside of you. Your eyes would catch more than two handprints and footprints at a time while they moved.

You accepted your fate rather quickly, drinking whatever medicine the witches had given you that would help ease the pain your children had caused throughout the pregnancy. Your body changed, of course, and you were always tired, hungry and thirsty.

Your thirst went beyond normal food and as the witches told you, your children wouldn’t accept just regular food. When you had tasted blood for the first time you thought it would disgust you, but it tasted so heavenly that you completely devoured several blood bags right before the witches.

It took everything in you to not attack your parents as they visited you in your home. You could smell their blood - thanks to your children - and they fought with you constantly to have a taste, but you managed to hold them off until they left and ate a large, raw and blood steak to satiate their desires.

What was new to you at the time was the demonic powers you’d possess because of the fetuses inside of you. You had since caused a fire in your home just because you were craving something you couldn’t have. In the next moment, the first was put out and seemingly out of thin air, what you were craving sat directly in front of you.

The teleportation had to be something to get used to - but you could say that you were completely fine with it. Possibly better than any other human woman would be at carrying demonic children.

You’d often ponder if they’d look like Taehyung - if they’d have baby horns and red skin; or a demon side to them at all. The witches had told you that they had a spell to cast off the demonic side to your babies, and yet you’re unsure if that’s something you’d want.

Your mind often lingers on Taehyung and had since the next day you woke up without him - and had not seen him since.

You hear Taehyung, as weird as it is. In your head, he often speaks to you at random times. It’s as if he was there, but truly wasn’t. He would answer certain questions you have about your demonic abilities and cravings.

“You’re carrying more than one spawn, they’re expecting to be fed more than acai bowls and water.”

“You caused the fire in your home, but they managed to protect you from it.”

“That sharp pain in your rib was one of them breaking it with their kick - the other healed you in a matter of seconds. You’ll have to get used to them fighting each other in the womb. It’ll only get worse when they’re actually born.”

Taehyung speaks with you - but he doesn’t show himself and a part of you wonders if he ever will.

Was it weird to want Taehyung around? You learned that he was a fertility demon and he had many children - both fully human now and fully demon. You’re unsure how you feel about being just another vessel for him to impregnate.

It took you 7 months to learn the incantation to summon Taehyung - to not summon him at all.

No, instead you summoned someone else, another demon. And now you’re frightened to have them standing tall before you.

Your breasts are bleeding, having used your blood to summon this demon.

“You,”

The demon doesn’t appear demonic like Taehyung was when he was summoned. He comes as a regular human man, but you’re wiser to know that he is anything but.

The man steps forward, dark hair bouncing on his shoulders.

Your dagger tightens in your grip and you raise it shakily in case you need to use it.

The demon chuckles. “That dagger won’t hurt me.” he says tauntingly. “Besides, if you were in any danger, your children would sense it and fight me off.”

You swallow.

“You smell like Taehyung…his being is embedded in you. Not only by pregnancy.” the demon sniffs the air, tilting his head. “You…you are the reason he has the Brotherhood in shambles. And to think they said I would be the one to go weak.”

You’re unsure of what the man is saying and you don’t question him. Your heart beats rapidly as he comes closer.

“W-Who are you?” you ask. “I-I tried to summon Tae-”

“My name’s Jungkook.” the man speaks. “You summoned me.” he says. “Obviously, you have yet to learn the correct incantation to summon a specific Brotherhood member so it chose a random one. Just my luck.”

Jungkook recalls how many years it’s been since Taehyung had found out about his child, stating that the Underworld were claiming him to be weak - how the tables have turned.

In such a short amount of time, Taehyung had resigned from his role as a fertility brotherhood member - something he has been for centuries - and it only meant that he had found a bound partner. Jungkook was no fool to why Taehyung had gone distant and it only meant that his partner had to be human like his once was.

“You haven’t seen Taehyung and that’s why you tried to summon him.”

You nod your head meekly, lowering your dagger.

“Typical of my brother to run away. Jimin.”

You go to speak but are interrupted when another man appears seemingly out of thin air. You yelp, flinching back.

“What do we have here?” the man, Jimin, speaks. He smells the air, nose flaring. “Tae…he has hid you well. Better than you had.” he says to Jungkook.

“Leave.”

Taehyung appears like the rest had, this time directly behind you. You’re shocked to see him again for the first time in months. Your heart leaps at the sight of him, and your stomach begins to move radically.

“Ah, they know you’re here.” Jimin says, a taunting tone in his voice. “The former fertility demon becomes a family man.”

“I suppose we both made a mockery of the Brotherhood.” Jungkook speaks, not forgetting how Taehyung once treated him and his pregnant partner.

“You still live in the past, brother?” Taehyung snorts with a shake of his head. “I’ve accepted your bound partner and your child. I was there at the birth was I not?”

“Speaking of births,” Jimin leans down to your sitting position, a hand placing itself onto your stomach. “You’ll be due soon and we’ll be there.”

“It’s tradition, brother.” Jungkook says mockingly. “To welcome your son and daughter to the Brotherhood.”

Your eyes widen.

You knew you were having more than one child - but you never knew the gender.

Your throat tightens at the thought of having one of each.

“Your first set of children to do so.”

“And only. Right, brother? You are no longer a fertility demon.” Jungkook tilts his head. “Such great news that I cannot wait to share with the rest of our brothers.”

Taehyung turns his eyes away and down at you. He doesn’t speak.

“Yoongi said something was going on with you. You’ve gone soft, brother? That’s a good thing.”

“Soft is something I am not, brother.” Taehyung retorts to Jimin. “Just because I once gave life to many does not mean I have not taken the same if not more.”

You listen to the three of them bicker, trying to wrap your head around what was going on.

“Leave and return to the Underworld and be sure to remind anyone just why I remain an Upper Level demon, brother.” Taehyung hisses, now stepping in front of you.

Jimin stands, eyeing Taehyung.

“We’ll be back when the babies are due to be born.” Jimin smiles devilishly. “Finding a bound partner is a blessing, brother.” he laughs at his own form of a joke.

They’re gone in a blink of an eye and now you’re left with just you and Taehyung.

You don’t speak, unsure on what to say. You haven’t seen Taehyung in so long that the sight of him makes you nervous.

“You didn’t have to summon me to see me, human.”

You sit a little straighter, dagger falling from your hands.

“All you had to do was call for me.”

“I-I don’t know how.” your body burns with heat as his eyes turn to you. “I-”

“I hear you. I always do.” Taehyung murmurs. “I can feel you. Your heart beat is linked to mine. When it risen was when I decided to come.”

You lick your lips, racking your brain around the words the three demons used.

“A bound partner is exactly what it sounds like.” Taehyung says, reading your mind exactly. “You’d be bound to me for eternity and taken to Hell. I have been bound to you, Human, since the day we conceived our children. You are not bound to me.”

You furrow your brows. “How could you be bound to me?” you ask. “I don’t remember anything?” “A blood binding. It started when I licked your blood…” Taehyung’s eyes drop to your cut breast, a sense of deja vu. “You drinking my blood would be one of many bindings.”

You swallow, the act of tasting blood causing your mouth to water.

“However, I have chosen not to do that. You have come to me to help you and that I shall.” Taehyung drops to his knees to look at you.

“And if I want you to?”

Taehyung snorts. “You are a weird human, Y/N.” he murmurs, dark eyes watching you. “You refuse to back down even now. Most demons wouldn’t spare your soul like I am.”

“You aren’t most demons. You’re an Upper-Level one.” you say boldly - unsure the hierarchy of demons were. “I want to be bound to you.”

“You don’t, human. Your emotions are all over the place.” Taehyung snickers. “Our children are causing you to feel this way because they crave their demonic part - which is me.”

“I want to be bound to you.” you repeat again, mind flashing with that night months prior to how well he had fucked you.

“And spend an eternity in Hell?”

You lick your lips. “Would we be with you?” you ask, voice low.

“Yes.”

“Then yes.” you nod your head. “I’ll spend an eternity in Hell.”

Taehyung watches your expression, truly believing you to be a weird individual.

You had a life on Earth. You had the funds to raise children and a family who supported you.

Why would you give it all up to join a demon in Hell?

“I was told you gave up your position.” you speak up to interrupt his thoughts. “I’m not sure what any of this means…”

“It means these are the only children that would be born by me that the Brotherhood would acknowledge.” his eyes flicker to your moving stomach, sensing that his children were content inside of you. “I won’t be having any more.”

You place a hand onto your stomach, a sudden kick right where it lays.

“I summoned you because I wanted to see you again.” you admit, but you’re sure he knows this if he was correct about his claims. “I want to be bound to you. This…” your eyes turn to the space you were occupying - but not just the space, the Human realm in general. “...It’s lonely. I’m surrounded by people but I’m still lonely. I get pitiful looks from my family constantly and…”

You don’t want to ramble about your human life and problems.

“...would going to Hell hurt?”

“Of course.” Taehyung doesn’t attempt to sugar coat anything.

“Will you be there when I get there? Would they?”

“Of course.” Taehyung repeats. “Hell…the Underworld as a whole is far different than the Human realm. You wouldn’t be able to return and see your family.”

You swallow, eyes on Taehyung’s.

“They would think you’d died. That, or their memory of you would be wiped entirely.”

Taehyung watches your reaction for anything. He knows humans and their emotions could be radical and they tend to keep their families close to their hearts.

“What were you planning on doing?” you asked.

Taehyung doesn’t answer because he himself wasn’t sure. He could bind their demonic side until they are of age - but that would only cause more work for the Brotherhood to teach a human raised demon how to live their lives in the Underworld.

There was the possibility of allowing them to keep their demonic powers in the Human realm, but demonic babies, toddlers and children were Hell to raise on a plain that didn’t possess the same abilities as them.

Taehyung supposed that he was leaving the decision up to you entirely to decide what you wished to do with them. One thing’s for certain, now that the Brotherhood knew of your existence, it was a matter of time before the Source did.

Your hand grabs the dagger and instantly, you slice his neck. Taehyung doesn’t react like a normal person would and it’s because you assume he doesn’t truly care - he’s had worse attacks.

Taehyung is more shocked that you slice his neck to then lick him, a way of completing the binding ritual yourself.

Taehyung’s blood is thick and rich, your tongue stroking the wound to get a better taste of him, hands throwing the knife and falling onto his chest. You grip his shirt to bring him closer, your senses heighten for a moment. It appears your children were awake, moving non-stop inside of you.

“You’re a weird human.” Taehyung’s voice sounds throughout your head. “Going to Hell because you’re lonely and hormonal.”

You snort, teeth grazing the side of his neck. Your hand falls slowly from his chest to his lap as you lean back. You lick your lips, tilting your head curiously.

Taehyung’s eyebrow lifts slightly. “My brother’s partner…wasn’t like you.” he notes, recalling the way Jungkook’s bound partner remained kind and reclusive.

However, you were carrying two demonic spawns that were feeding off of you on the daily and maybe they were slowly turning you away from whatever human-like emotions you had.

“What do you want me to do?” Taehyung asks you, your thoughts clouding his and he’s certain you want to ask him something.

“Nothing too drastic.” you shrug your shoulders. “Just kill my ex-husband.”

Taehyung blinks at you and you do the same.

“Of course.” Taehyung responds, leaning away from you to stand straight. “I’ll be back shortly.”

Your hand lays on your bump as Taehyung is gone in a blink of an eye, a satisfied feeling running through your body.

halloween masterlist

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illneverrecover · 7 months ago

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Ahhh thank you for including me on such an amazing list of greats!! The Point of No Return was my first BTS fic and it means so much to me that people still read and recommend it!! It’s truly such an honor 🥹

Taehyung FicRec

Main FicRec Masterlist

Tempestuous // Bestfriend’s brother!au, angst // @ppersonna

One Thing // Couple!au, angst // @cherry-bangtan

Tiptoed His Way // Roommate!au // @aureumjeon

The Point of No Return // S2L!au, Starting out musician!au // @illneverrecover

Friendly Fire // Gaming!au // @pjm-com

Fake Love // Arrange married!au // @mygsii

Get You The Moon // College!au, E2L // @bymoonchild

More Than Us // College!au, roommate!au // @jeongi

Cliche // F2L // @armycandy10

Bibliotheque // College!au, E2L // @joonbird

Desideratum // Harrypotter!au, FWB // @junqkook

Hush // Kind of FWB? // @suga-kookiemonster

Dearly Beloved // Fakedating!au // @nahfamily

Coffee Shop // college!au, S2L // @jungkookiebus

The Holi-date // Fakedating!au, neighbour!au // kpopfanfictrash

Sore Loser // Boyfriend!aau // @kingsuckjin

Restraints, and butt plugs, and orgasm denial, oh my!

Touchy // College!au, Fuckboy!au, Football!au // @droolgod

Nude // btssmutgalore

Dichotomy // Arrangedmarriage!au // kpopfanfictrash

Business Attire // Ceo!au, Office!au // @hisunshiine

Opia // Playboy!au // @mininky

Apologies // Boyfriend!au // @elliejade

Under The Cloak // Hogwarts!au // jungblue

Seeing Red. // E2L, Office!au // @borathae

Silver and Blue // E2L, Werewolf!au // @untaemedqueen

The Most Wonderful Time of The Year // F2L, Mutual pinning // @chateautae

Office Politics // E2L, Office!au // @taleasnewastime

The Boyfriend Concept // Pornstar!au // kpopfanfictrash

Definition of Love // College!au, fluff // @taegularities

#taehyung fic recs #fic love #fic: the point of no return #taehyung masterlist #kpop smut #thank you again for including me!! it’s an honor!!

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7ndipity · 1 year ago

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Taehyung M.list

Masterlist

Guide: 💜-Fluff 🌧-Hurt/Comfort 💥-Angst 🔥-Suggestive 🗯-Crack 🔞-Smut

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Tae x Idol Reader m.list💜

Dating Taehyung Headcanons (request)💜

Dating Headcanons pt.2 (request)💜🔥

Taehyung Nsfw Headcanons (request) 🔞💜

Long Distance Relationship Headcanons (request) 💜🌧

Them With Pregnant S/o HCs (request)💜

4:16pm 💜

10:22pm (request) 💜

'Things I learned in Paris' 💜

Paris Drabble 💜🔥

"Je t'aime" (request) 💜

Anchor 💜🌧

Feel You (request) 💥🌧💜

"Husband-y" (request) 💜

Meeting Yeontan (request) 💜

You Want To Break Up Due To Insecurities (request) 💥🌧

"Love Me Again" (request) 💥🌧💜

Jealous Taehyung (request) 💜

"Friend Married" HC

#taehyung masterlist #taehyung x y/n #taehyung x reader #bts masterlist #bts x y/n #bts x reader #7ndipity masterlist #7ndipity

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cupoftaae · 2 years ago

Note

Do you have an updated masterlist or a tag for Forever And A Day because I can’t find all the chapters

Hello hun, apologies in the fact I neglected my masterlist for so long, here is the link to the updated masterlist

All current posted chapters are included, thank you for reading!

-Nini

#bts fanfic #bts #kim taehyung fanfic #taehyung masterlist

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gard3nias · 3 months ago

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26| Open stage

⤎ previous page | ❃ | next page ⤏

wc: 9.78k

date: 31/01/2025

mdi // masterlist // playlist

Please read the note at the end because it's a deep dive into how the school system works for more clarity.

—Now playing: Anche Se Non Trovi Le Parole by Elisa ✫

A delicate interplay of warm hues and the cool tones of dawn filled the room as Adrielle moved the Venetian blinds. The cold tones of the early morning crept in, seamlessly blending into the scene and creating the quintessential late autumn atmosphere—blue hour.

Adrielle would wholeheartedly and openly admit to loving summer mornings if given the option to choose. The golden hues resonated with her personality and her overall being. Cold tones were off-putting for her, the key to eternal sadness. The only exception was navy blue, which she preferred in blouses and shoes.

Even her house seemed carved to thrive under the summer golden shades. Its crisp white walls, light-brown flooring, and abundant potted greenery came alive in the warmer months. The colder season consumed that vibrancy, leaving her yearning for sunnier days for half a year.

The sheer curtains, adorned with intricate hand-sewn floral designs, framed her window. As the dull light of the sky shone into the room, the curtains filtered it, casting unique shadows across the walls, the bed, and her face.

Had she been in the attic, she’d have had a better view of the country, observing how the fog draped the neighbourhood like a quilt.

But the view from her room window was limited. On her left, she could only glimpse the modest houses in her neighbourhood, while her tennis court was on her right. In the background were rows of half-naked trees.

She could tell that the day didn’t have the best weather for the townspeople.

Adrielle had woken up forty minutes before her alarm as she had noticed when she had checked her phone. Refusing to turn the lights on, she slumped on her bed and scrolled through her notifications. This left her in the ocean-blue darkness of the early morning with the only light coming from the device in her hands.

Having showered the previous night, her morning routine was a streamlined process. She placed her phone on the bedside table to fix her bed.

Firstly, she fluffed the pillows. Then she smoothened the slightly messy bedsheets before throwing her thick blanket and watching it slowly fall onto the bed. The soft rustling sounds of fabric were a rhythmic backdrop to her thoughts.

She couldn’t see how the room changed when she turned on the bathroom lights. The warm lighting reflected off the caramel-brown walls, casting a cosy glow on the black-and-tan tiles beneath her feet. Once she brushed her teeth and washed her face, she opened the window, welcoming the crisp gust of the morning breeze.

When she turned the bathroom lights off, the warm glow in her room vanished, returning her to the blue darkness. Moving with purpose, but still not turning on the lights, she opened the windows fully to chase away the lingering heat of the night.

Finally, with her phone in hand and her feet in her slippers, she left the room, closing the door behind herself.

According to the house layout, her chamber was the first bedroom on the first floor, right after the studio. Then came the guest room, the bathroom, a nook, and, finally, her parents’ bedroom.

The hallway was dimly lit, but she could tell her parents were awake because a thin line of light shone from underneath their bedroom door.

Adrielle’s eyes didn’t linger for long and she proceeded downstairs for breakfast. As she did so, she caught someone’s movement in the corner of her eye and noticed Yvette’s presence in the kitchen.

“Bonjour, Adrielle,” she greeted.

“Bonjour.”

Yvette, a family friend, was a cornerstone of Adrielle’s life, a tangible connection to her roots. With her Parisian–accented French, she was the only person addressing her name with the right accent—A-dri-el.

Yvette was born into the family because her mother, Gisèle, was Elodie's, Adrielle’s mom, close friend. Gisèle was the housekeeper and the cook while Yvette sometimes helped around.

Yvette met Adrielle for the first time a day after she was born.

Elodie’s water burst two days before the birth. Gisèle was with her every step of the way and Yvette was right back at them.

She was only seventeen at the time and, despite the fear she had felt when everyone was running around the house to get Elodie to the hospital, she had been excited to welcome the baby girl once she’d been born.

Gisèle had promised she’d take her to the hospital the following day and Yvette couldn’t sleep all night. She woke up earlier than usual, had a shower, and prepared breakfast for her mother and herself.

She didn’t want to disturb the woman and sat in the dining room, hoping she’d wake up on her own, but, after fifteen minutes, the excitement forced her to enter Gisèle’s room and wake her up herself.

“Mom, come on. We have to go see Adrielle.” Despite the tiredness, Gisèle got up, smiling.

Around nine in the morning, they had reached the hospital and, luckily for them, Elodie wasn’t asleep, breastfeeding the newborn.

Seventeen-year-old Yvette’s eyes almost bulged out of their sockets in amazement. Pupils dilated, smile across her face, and glitters in her eyes.

Elodie had seen it so, smiling and guiding the young girl, Yvette was allowed to carry Adrielle in her arms for the first time.

The little one weighed as much as a feather and Yvette feared the girl would have gotten hurt if she had moved too abruptly. Unconsciously, her voice became tiny as she welcomed Adrielle into the world, and, ever since that day, she’d been taking care of her not like a sister but like a mother would.

Now, she was in her mid-thirties while Adrielle was in her first year as an adult and, every time she laid eyes on the girl, she felt proud. She was the one who spent the most time with her and couldn’t help but be happy at the results of her nursing.

Nothing would stop her from pronouncing ‘Adrielle’ as ‘A-dri-el’ or randomly throwing in some French words when she spoke with the girl. She loved the name, especially when pronounced with the right accent.

Her mother Gisèle had gotten used to calling the girl ‘E-dri-el’ and Elodie ‘E-lo-dee’ without the accent on the last syllable, the same way the girl’s father did, but Yvette was bent on not changing her ways.

Besides, Adrielle admitted she preferred the original pronunciation and Yvette would do anything to make her happy.

“How was your night?” Yvette had settled into the habit of waking up early, especially after Adrielle came along. Little did she know, the youngest had been doing the same thing to steal more moments with her.

It was kind of sweet when thinking about it. Yvette’s mornings had become a routine, filled with the usual rush of tidying up the house and getting ready for the day. But Adrielle, in her own little way, echoed the same early bird vibe, just to catch some extra time with one of her favourite people before the world kicked in.

These small, unspoken details between them were the foundation of their bond.

“Nothing too out of the ordinary, but it was nice.” Adrielle knew that because of what happened on Wednesday and throughout the weekend, this question held a different meaning.

After the shenanigans at Jimin’s restaurant last Wednesday, she went home because the stress had caught up with her and there she remained throughout the rest of the week.

Yvette grew deeply worried and attended to her every day until she got better the same way her friends bombarded her with text messages and Taehyung came to her place to catch her up on what she’d missed in school.

“What would you like for breakfast, chérie?”

Yvette wasn’t in charge of the cooking. In fact, the kitchen was a no-go area for her because Gisèle, her mother, was the cook. But, despite her beginner’s skills, Yvette had learned a few recipes and would cook for Adrielle if the girl ever needed something.

However, she wouldn’t give up if the request exceeded her knowledge. Looking for a recipe book and following every line and word, she would prepare the meal regardless.

“Nothing too heavy. Just a few biscuits and tea, please.” On cue, Yvette ran around the kitchen from cupboard to cupboard to get the ingredients while spurring Adrielle to sit back and do nothing.

“What do you have in store for today?” she asked, working on the tea.

Behind her, Adrielle sat on a stool and thought about the answer. “Nothing really. Today is chill. You won’t believe it but some of my teachers still haven’t told us the date for their tests. I know they’ll wake up at the last minute and leave us cramming seven tests in five consecutive days. How insensitive.”

Yvette chuckled, reminiscing her own school days. “Some teachers plan ahead and tell you when all the tests would be at the beginning of the season. Others do not trust themselves and don’t know if they’ll be able to teach certain topics within a restricted timeframe so they wait until they are actually done before releasing the dates. I know it’s frustrating. When do you think they’ll tell you?”

Two ticking sounds and the stove was turned on. While the tea got ready, Yvette moved to look for biscuits.

“I want to have at least the last week before winter break free, so, hopefully, they will tell us early enough and place them within the first two weeks of December.”

Things were different now. Last Friday, the election results were finally released. She was sleeping when she received the email, but there was no better notification than her friends barging into her bedroom screaming and celebrating.

“We won!”“Let’s go!”“Told you!”

She was still half asleep but didn’t hold her smile back.

It was perfect. Everything they worked on would eventually come to life. The stress they went through had been worth it, and, thinking about it, Adrielle felt bad for the team that didn’t win.

Other than that, their popularity had just reached its peak. From casual rich and stunning kids since middle school to school representatives in high school. What a résumé.

“Do you think that now that you’re one of the school representatives you’ll be able to change that?”

Adrielle gasped before laughing. “Oh, no absolutely not. I’d have to be their employer to do that. I can’t dictate how they do their job. I can judge it, being a student, but I can’t do much about it. For them to change it, I think the principal would have to give them an ultimatum or something—”

“An ultimatum?” Yvette laughed, placing the biscuits into two small plates—one for Adrielle and one for herself.

“Oh, yeah! Some teachers there pay their ears deaf and, unless you threaten their source of income, they won’t move a finger. Their excuse is always ‘Are you dying? No, you’re not, so you’re fine!’ I hate it.”

Yvette was all ears and laughed with the girl as she turned off the stove and poured the hot tea into two mugs. “Like, I mean… I am dying but their messed-up schedules make me die faster.”

Laughing, they finally settled for breakfast, passing the time with chit-chatters. Minutes into it and right before Adrielle returned upstairs to get dressed, the clicking sounds of slippers echoed through the wide space of the floor. Elodie was going down the stairs with a magazine in hand.

“Good morning, there!” she greeted.

“Good morning, Maman,” Adrielle replied softly as she walked past her mother.

The woman froze for a split second, sending a knowing look in Yvette's direction. The latter shrugged and chuckled before dipping her biscuit in the tea.

She’d never understand why the woman despised her roots. Whenever Adrielle said even the simplest thing in French, Elodie always wanted to skin her alive with her eyes. It left Yvette perplexed.

Reaching her destination, Adrielle met the room as cold and fresh as she wanted—no more lingering heat.

To match the cool tones of the morning, she smiled at the idea of wearing a blue sweater over her black top. As for the bottoms, she wore a simple pair of slightly flared jeans, which would frame the top of her deep blue Adidas Samba.

Having naturally straight her, the most she could do was comb out the strands to remove any knots. The process was similar even when doing her makeup, which wasn’t extraordinary—concealer, mascara, a warm tint on her cheeks, the tip of her nose, and lips.

With time still on her side, she reached for her phone to check the schedule for the day and prepare her bag. She even managed to study briefly before heading downstairs again.

From the top of the stairs, she could hear the plates clattering and, once at the bottom, she discovered Yvette was busy doing the dishes.

Her mother was still sitting at the table with the magazine in one hand and a mug in the other. Her short hair was separated into strands and rolled in curlers, face masks covered her eye bags, and the light reflected off her silk nightgown.

It was only a matter of minutes before her father would rush behind them to drive off to work and, as predicted, a sound came from the top floor followed by her father’s hurried movements down the stairs.

“Good morning and bye.” Yvette raised her brows before chuckling, and so did Adrielle’s mom. Instead, the daughter slowly turned to watch as the man exited the house, leaving the trio in disbelief.

“Erm, good morning and bye, I guess,” Adrielle replied a bit puzzled while the two women behind her started laughing.

Her father’s expression didn’t change. He simply waved and closed the front door. Moments later, the car engine roared and he was off to work only to return for dinner.

“You are all ready. Do you still have things to do for the school presidentship to be here at this hour?” Her mother recalled her attention, taking the mug in her hands again.

“No, Mom. That is done. We’ve won the elections, remember? Jungkook, Taehyung, Jimin, and Avyanna broke into our home last Friday to tell me.”

Yvette, from behind the woman, had a blank expression. Elodie had forgotten again and she knew Adrielle would get a bit annoyed. What she’d forgotten wasn’t a little detail. Even the walls on the house knew how excited and nervous Adrielle was throughout the campaign.

The daughter didn’t spare her mother any more seconds and moved to the anteroom where her coat and scarf were.

“Oh, true. You told me. How stupid of me to forget about it. You were so happy when you discovered it.”

“Yeah, exactly,” Adrielle bitterly whispered through gritted teeth, but her mother didn’t hear or see it. All she could see was her daughter’s back. Gisèle did though, having just come out of her bedroom. She smiled, and Adrielle sighed, caught red-handed.

“Good morning, Gisèle.” The middle-aged woman’s smile didn’t fade and, caressing the girl’s shoulder as she walked by, she replied with a warm tone.

“Good morning, Maman!” Yvette chirped from the kitchen.

Coat on and scarf well-wrapped around her neck, Adrielle bid her greetings and left for school, fifteen minutes earlier than usual. Behind her, Leodie was still perplexed about why her daughter left so early.

“I messed up, didn’t I?” she asked Gisèle and Yvette, suspecting that Adrielle was offended by her forgetfulness.

Yvette smiled tightly, and Gisèle gave her a knowing look. The woman sighed and dropped the magazine on the table. “Is she going to kill me?”

As Adrielle walked out, the cold breeze of the morning bellowed at her to cover up more, so she grabbed her scarf with one hand and put the other in her pocket. Moments later, the small gate was closed behind her and she proceeded on the road of her neighbourhood with one destination in mind: Taehyung’s home.

—Now playing: Home by Gabrielle Aplin ✫

She didn’t want to let the morning get to her because it was still just the beginning of the day. She had almost ten hours to spend with other people. The last thing she wanted to do was act bitchy with everyone.

Her father was as cold and hard to comprehend as an iceberg. His life consisted of very few steps: waking up, eating, going to work, returning home, eating, sparing some time for his family if he felt like it before retiring to bed and restarting the monotonous cycle the following day.

Her mother followed a similar routine, although she tried harder to focus on the family and still failed. The positive thing about her was that Adrielle could talk to her even about normal topics, which meant nothing about school. Her father could only speak with her about school. He considered her academic performance the same way he regarded his job.

Her parents weren’t stingy though; being their only child, they were always elated to spoil her with gifts upon gifts. One would think that the gifts in question would be material, but, to Adrielle, spending some time with them like a family does was the same as a very expensive gift—no money spent, though.

She crossed the road to the one leading to Taehyung’s house, seeing the terminal in the distance with a few buses parked.

An Airpod was plugged in and music played through. Unconsciously, her pace matched the rhythm.

As she walked along the road, she saw a few people already leaving their homes to go to work and she knew it not just because they were visibly full-grown adults but because it was still early that no student would be leaving just yet. She was the exception for the day.

Two songs and a half later, she was in front of Taehyung’s gates and after ringing the bell, the small gate and the front door were opened for her, revealing a smiley Nana.

“Oh, my dear darling. Here you are!” Her happy tone rang from the entrance and Adrielle couldn’t help but smile as she closed the gate and rushed up to her.

After sharing a warm hug with the woman, she was welcomed inside and offered breakfast, which she didn’t refuse—Nana had made cookies the previous day and she loved them.

As she removed her shoes and kept them by the front door, Taehyung came rushing downstairs having understood who could have Nana so jolly this early in the morning.

“Hey, there,” his soft voice greeted her while he wrapped an arm around her shoulders to drag her with him to the dining room.

Just like that, the discomfort she woke up to meet at home faded into the background as she had her second breakfast with the people she cherished—and cherished her. Taehyung, his mom, and Nana.

Given the time, the four of them sat together at the table but couldn’t linger as much as they wanted because the young ones had to leave for school.

Taehyung and Adrielle couldn’t help laughing as they listened to Nana telling them to take care and watch the road like they were six-graders and it was their first time going to school alone.

The greetings stopped only after they had walked a few steps away from the small gate of Taehyung’s home.

When Nana finally closed the front door, Adrielle laughed, both because of the woman and because Taehyung sighed in relief. He was finally able to bring out his pack of cigarettes and smoke one.

“Tae,” she began, “You’ve been smoking since— How long have you been smoking?”

Taehyung could not properly reply to her as he had a cigarette between his lips but he thought about her question and hummed.

“You had your first try like… what? 9th grade?” She voiced his thoughts, so he nodded and removed the cigarette from his mouth to add.

“I started really smoking in 10th grade. In 9th grade, I barely did anything.” As he spoke, his free hand reached into the small pocket of his backpack to get a lighter.

“Yeah, exactly. And you think that since then, they have not discovered it yet? Or they didn’t notice it, at least?” Taehyung shrugged and Adrielle chuckled in disbelief.

“Elle,” he spoke after lighting the cigarette, “I like to play it safe, you never know. Maybe they haven’t yet, so I’m playing my cards right and if they did… well, what can I say?”

Adrielle gave him a knowing look and he smirked in pride. “Okay, I give that to you ‘cause you’re not an avid smoker so, yeah, understandable.” His smirk widened into a full smile and she rolled her eyes.

Between gist, jokes, and giggles, they reached the bus stop at the usual time to meet the usual faces.

The group of people was divided into uneven subgroups. The biggest subgroup included students within their age, who could go to school alone. A smaller subgroup was formed by students who were too young to be alone and were accompanied by an adult figure—parent, grandparent, uncle or aunt. The last and smallest subgroup comprised fully grown adults, who were most likely headed for work.

The bench at the bus stop was freezing-cold and only one person had enough resistance to sit on it. The other people remained on their feet just like Adrielle and Taehyung as they had a light-hearted conversation.

Minutes later, Taehyung crushed his cigarette underneath his shoes, seeing the bus ride down to their stop.

Since their destination called for the bus to ride away from their bus stop to the left, Adrielle and Taehyung turned left as well once they boarded the vehicle and sat on their usual seats in the front.

“Anna kept me up late last night because she wanted advice on how to go about with the cheerleading team she wants to create.” Taehyung groaned causing Adrielle to laugh.

He had signed up to do this with her the same way the rest of their friends did because they didn’t want to leave her alone in it, but, once they won the elections, they realised how serious and tasking the consequences were.

“What? We added it in our presentation that we would open a cheerleading team and Avyanna is eager to do it. Who am I to tell her and all the girls who could be interested no? Anyway—” Taehyung groaned again and rolled his eyes, although his smile gave off the opposite vibes.

She laughed and said, “Anyway, she needs advice on that, and I need your opinion on organising an end-of-year Christmas party.”

Suddenly, Taehyung was all ears, and despite the silence, his expression showed interest.

“I was thinking about organising a joint party with the high school from the neighbouring town, which would mean the party wouldn’t be here because we don’t have a hall big enough for it and Jungkook’s home can’t welcome the amount of people.” Taehyung’s nod spurred her to continue.

“Also, the party will be open for everyone, from freshman to senior year, so it’s better if we’re not the sole hosts. What do you think about it?” Adrielle asked, her tone filled with optimism and anticipation.

Taehyung pursued his lips thoughtfully. “What could I not think about it? It’s a great idea. No one has ever done it before, so heck yeah. Will we collaborate with the representatives of their school?”

His reassuring words and curiosity eased the nervousness within her. She smiled and nodded before resuming again.

Taehyung wouldn’t say he wasn’t listening to her friend, but the bus drew closer to Daphne’s bus stop, so, naturally, his attention started to falter.

He was still all ears, nodding, and commenting where he felt like commenting. All the while, his eyes bounced back and forth from Adrielle to the doors.

Usually, his well-mastered skills would allow him to do this without anyone noticing, especially Adrielle, but things had changed and he didn’t know it. Just as he was attentive whenever Daphne’s name was mentioned so was Adrielle with him.

Adrielle noticed the subtle shift in his demeanour. She knew Taehyung well enough to catch the fleeting glances and the slight edge of anticipation in his expression. His mind was elsewhere, but she kept talking, pretending not to notice.

She knew when Daphne would board the bus. She’d seen Taehyung greet her whenever she got on and off the vehicle enough to learn it herself.

Just as Taehyung’s attention started wavering, so did hers, leaving the both of them on the edge of their seats, awaiting Daphne’s entrance.

The bus had taken off and was just meters from the next stop. Adrielle’s voice had switched to autopilot like in situations like this, so Taehyung didn’t notice the change within her as she spoke to him. Also, he couldn’t see that Adrielle was glaring holes in the side of his face whenever, for a split second, he looked at the doors.

—Now playing: Everything I Wanted by Billie Eilish ✫

Eventually, the bus stopped and the doors slid open. They couldn’t see who came in from the front doors because they were back-facing them but they had a perfect view of the ones in the centre and the back.

Whenever the doors opened, a hissing sound was released before the crackling sounds of the vehicle returned. Since they were still far from meeting a huge crowd of passengers, as the bus was boarded, there wasn’t much noise—nor was there Daphne.

Taehyung’s sneaky looks changed when he saw that nobody followed behind Cleo. The curly-headed girl had wrapped her head with her scarf in the form of a hood and, after watching her steps, she returned her focus to her phone, feet proceeding to the back of the bus.

“You said all this but you didn’t talk about the date. When do you intend to put it?” Taehyung asked, looking at Adrielle, although his mind was bothered.

Her tone was still the same—autopilot mode—but her mood wasn’t and there was no way he could find out. Not when the leading actress in the play was Adrielle.

“Possibly after the last day of school, on Saturday.”

Adrielle noticed how, despite keeping his eyes on her, his hand reached into his pocket and grabbed his phone and she already had an idea about what he wanted to do with it. Just like that, a sudden wave of irritation washed over her.

To not seem impolite, he excused himself to text someone quickly. She knew who this ‘someone’ was even though she had no confirmation when, feigning to stretch her body, she read the contact name on his phone.

Lauri? Who’s Lauri? Isn’t he texting Daphne?

She blinked away, moving her eyes to the window at the possibility of them being so close they now have nicknames for each other.

She recalled seeing a full chat. She couldn’t tell when they last texted because there were so many messages, and the chat date was probably far up. However, knowing he worked on her questions the previous day, they most likely texted very recently.

Taehyung didn’t notice Adrielle’s sneaky behaviour, being too preoccupied with Daphne’s absence. Once he sent the message, he looked up at Cleo, who was already looking in his direction aware that her friend’s absence would trigger him.

From his eyes, she got the question and answered him mouthing that Daphne was sick. Gesturing, she explained that her friend was probably sleeping as they spoke.

The information didn’t seem to ease him much. Adrielle could tell by the way his fingers hovered over his phone, as if unsure whether to send another message.

That was the confirmation she needed. Lauri was Daphne.

Taehyung was already expecting it. There had been signs throughout last week. It first began with a soft sore throat, but Daphne had a runny nose and hints of an intense cough. Evidently, it had gotten worse.

“What happened?” Adrielle casually asked, assuming her silence would weird him out.

He had a crush on the girl, so his reaction was completely normal, but this reminder did her no good.

“From what I understood, she’s sick and right now, she’s sleeping.”

Adrielle raised an eyebrow, keeping her voice light. “Sick? She seemed fine yesterday. Maybe it’s just a cold?”

Yeah, truly, Adrielle didn’t care. Not because she wished Daphne would die in her sick bed—that would have Taehyung not even on the edge of his seat but straight into the brunette’s home—but because she didn’t ask the question out of curiosity. She just had to. She was his friend after all.

“I guess. She’s been sick the whole week and it only worsened,” he replied, thinking he was casually replying to a friend.

Really, beside him, Adrielle’s irritation grew stronger at the thought of how much time he’d spent with Daphne for him to speak like that.

She smiled politely, thoughts churning in her restless mind. She hated how much weight Daphne’s name seemed to carry with Taehyung. It wasn’t jealousy—or at least that was what she told herself. She was frustrated to see him so preoccupied when they were supposed to discuss something important.

Almost without noticing, her hand reached into her bag to grab her book and, after sending a few texts, Taehyung turned his phone off only to find his friend unavailable: Adrielle’s eyes were on the book, so she didn’t see him furrow his brows, confused. Underneath his facial expression, he tried to make sense of her behaviour.

Yes, tried because his phone vibrated in his pocket and, hoping it would be Daphne, his attention had relocated again.

It was indeed Daphne, and she confirmed to him that she was too sick to go to school.

Lauri: I fucking hate my life

Lauri: why right now

Lauri: the test is on Monday

Taehyung: there you go again, focusing on the wrong things

Taehyung: you’re sick Daphne. I think you have something to be more worried about rn

Lauri: Tae, my health will deteriorate faster if I don’t also focus on physics

Sighing and rubbing his face, Taehyung refused to believe what he had read. He didn’t know how sick she was, but, to him, even the slightest cold was enough for her to have to lock out everything and focus on her health.

Taehyung: you can’t be fr

Lauri: sadly, I am TT

Lauri: I’ll do some exercises and send you a text if I have any doubts or do you have a better idea

Taehyung: yeah, how about you focus on getting better?

Lauri: wow, nice one. I’ll take it into consideration

Lauri: next time :)

Unwillingly, Taehyung chuckled, although he was still annoyed she didn’t want to see reasons with him.

Beside him, the subtle movement of his body as he reacted to the text caused Adrielle to read the same sentence repeatedly.

In front of him, at the back of the bus, Cleo briefly watched his actions, smiling and thinking he was texting her friend. “Freaking lovebirds,” she muttered, hands busy crocheting.

Taehyung: how sick are you?

Lauri: a tad more than a normal cold

Taehyung: oh God

Taehyung: you can’t even go out then

Lauri: yeah, no I can’t. My parents wouldn’t even let me

Taehyung: as they should

Taehyung: you have a stomach ache as well?

Lauri: no, thankfully

Lauri: throwing up is scary

The bus stopped again, the doors slid open, and a gust of fresh air hit them from behind as people boarded the vehicle.

Taehyung stopped texting, thinking about what to send to her. Adrielle saw how he rummaged through his mind and saw that he was thinking. About what she didn’t know, she just hoped he’d be done soon.

After the three dancing dots stopped, two messages came through.

Lauri: am I too greedy if I ask you to come around after school?

Lauri: omg, I think I am

His eyes slightly bulged out, but he had to maintain his composure. Surely, the speed at which he replied didn’t show much self-control but rather extreme excitement.

Taehyung: no problem

Taehyung: and no, you don’t sound greedy

Taehyung: I fear you would get sicker if I didn’t

He looked up from the device again, checking his surroundings to see if anyone could see the truth behind his eyes. He was losing it, yes, but could others see it? Hopefully not.

Lauri: perfect. I’ll just have to tell my parents

—Now playing: Jealousy, Jealousy by Olivia Rodrigo ✫

Adrielle saw Taehyung smiling in the corner of her eye. How could such a small and harmless thing bother her so much?

Did he not notice her take her book?

She hated seeing him constantly thinking about Daphne. Hated the way nothing she said was strong enough to distract him. Hated how their conversation melted like salt in water as soon as Daphne’s bus stop was closer. Hated how quickly he brought out his phone to text her. She even hated the fact that they texted at all and, now, she hated how engrossed he was on the phone, smiling and chuckling like she wasn’t right there, right next to him.

Was he this inconsiderate and wasn’t Daphne supposed to be asleep?

Adrielle’s frustration simmered as she tried to focus on her book, but the situation had thrown her rhythm completely off. Despite the number of pages left, she knew she could’ve finished it by now under normal circumstances. But her mind was elsewhere, racing with thoughts she couldn’t silence. She repeatedly read sentences, the letters shuffling and creating more confusion.

Despite the fogged-up windows, she saw how the empty fields along the road blurred past, and the early morning sun was invisible behind the clouds. A gloomy day—yeah, cold tones were not for her.

They spent the rest of the ride in silence until Jimin got on the bus. This wasn’t unusual. Their friendship was based on enjoying each other’s presence without necessarily having to interact. But, knowing what he was doing on the phone, especially who he was texting, the silence suddenly had a different meaning.

She was used to reading and studying, and Taehyung usually listened to music next to her—their many years of friendship turned them into somewhat siblings, so there was no problem. But now, everything was different. Adrielle felt left out and ignored.

She wanted to release her frustration and crumble the strong and thick corners of the book with her hands, but that would only hurt her and draw unnecessary attention. Still, once they were at school, she resented her choice.

Jimin had dragged her so they would join Jungkook, Avyanna, and their siblings, who had tagged along that day. But the thought of leaving Taehyung behind at the bus stop while he was on the phone made her brain experience a stronger discomfort and pain than lobotomy could ever produce.

Taehyung was in the corner, phone to his ear and his free hand in his pocket. Adrielle didn’t have confirmation but was any needed? She was certain the person on the other end was Daphne.

How the girl had managed to monopolise so much of his time was a mystery Adrielle wanted to solve so she’d practice the skill herself.

Worse of it all was her friends' lack of awareness. They didn’t seem bothered by Daphne’s intrusion into Taehyung’s life.

First, she had taken over his afternoons, and he was barely available for lunch at Jimin’s. Second, she took the spotlight on Wednesday at the practice matches, shifting Taehyung's focus from basketball to her. Then, she took up even his private study time, forcing him to prioritise her over his responsibilities. Now, despite her absence, Daphne was also taking away valuable time he could have spent with his friends.

How come Adrielle was the only person seeing this? Was she overreacting, or was everyone else blind?

When Taehyung finally returned, he didn’t utter a word about the call. Adrielle didn’t know whether to be happy or annoyed.

Who was the caller? Nana? His mom? Or Lauri? What did they talk about? Why did it take them so long?

She didn’t know what to do with all these unanswered questions. It gnawed at her brain, but she convinced herself it was better if she didn’t know anything. At least this way, she could enjoy the day without Daphne’s presence looming over them.

For a while, things returned to their default settings. Taehyung didn’t scurry away during breaks nor did anyone talk about his supposed crush. It was like the old days before Daphne had arrived.

Adrielle relished the familiar dynamics, feeling a sense of contentment she thought had abandoned her. That was why, at the end of the day, she didn’t hesitate to ask Taehyung if he’d come over to study together. She wanted him to finish teaching her what she’d missed out on last week due to her absence.

But, once she received the answer, the world around her faded into the cold shades she hated so dearly. The tones weren’t even blue—there was still a bit of life to sadness. The hues were grey. Lifeless. Dead. Just like the silence that followed his answer. It was like a party pooper had broken into a celebration to turn the music off abruptly. Time slowed down, and his words echoed in her brain.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I can’t,” he began in a casual tone, almost dismissive. “Daphne’s very sick. Her test is on Monday, so I’ll go over to her place to help her.”

When the final explanation came, if possible, the bus windows would’ve shattered just like her hopes. Was this how betrayal felt?

Even the timing was awful. She’d asked him this question a couple of stops before Daphne’s, so as he replied, his hands worked to adjust his bag and jacket. He was getting ready to leave. In moments, she’d be riding alone with her thoughts.

“Oh, how nice of you.” Adrielle nodded at his excuse, with a tight-lipped smile and her voice on autopilot. Her words conveyed a double meaning.

They were as genuine as anyone would want them to be: your friend offered to help their crush study because they’re sick; that is so sweet and any good friend would applaud that.

Yet, the other meaning was its stark contrast. How nice of him to choose her over their almost two-decade friendship. Just how lovely, really and he simply smiled, oblivious to the turmoil behind her light-blue eyes.

Following the script, her hand reached into her bag and pulled out her book. As she did so, her soul lost years of its life when Taehyung didn’t react, getting up from his seat.

How could he anyway? Her face was a mask, hiding her true feelings better than Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak.

He bid her goodbye and headed to the back door, where Cleo was already waiting, finger hovering over the red button. As he did so, he left cold air in his wake.

“Hello, there!” She cheerfully acknowledged his presence. He waved and, once the expected question was dropped, explained his plans for the day without a second thought. Little did he know, Cleo was screaming inside.

Once Daphne was healthy and without a headache, she’d holler in her ear that she was indeed bagging the dude. And no, she wasn’t exaggerating.

The doors slid open and they stepped off the bus, walking toward the neighbourhood. Cleo’s mind couldn’t help but wonder how Daphne felt throughout the day. Surely, she hadn’t been calm either.

Exactly, when Daphne sent Taehyung the special message earlier that morning, she facepalmed herself so hard that it restored her headache.

“What have I done?” she muttered to herself before her heart raced out of her chest when she read his reply. It had come so quickly that she hadn’t even had the time to rethink her decisions.

—Now playing: She by Harry Styles ✫

“Oh, my—” Her words caught in her throat as she quickly replied before tossing her phone onto the bed.

She stood up too quickly, doing her body no justice. Her iron deficiency almost kicked in, but luckily she didn’t lose her balance, eyes wandering around the room, inspecting every corner.

“Where the fuck are we going to study?” she yelled to herself in whispering tones.

She’d woken up thirty minutes later than usual because of her sickness and, having not an ounce of strength in her body, she remained in bed, moaning and groaning from the discomfort.

Her heart had relocated to her head, pounding mercilessly.

Her nose had gone on holiday, hanging the ‘closed’ banner on the door, and forcing her to breathe from her mouth. This warranted the uncomfortably dry feeling in her throat. The Sahara desert was soaked next to her throat.

Meanwhile, all the moisture in her body seemed to have migrated to her eyes, making her unwillingly cry.

She wore wool socks, but her feet refused to welcome the warmth, pushing her to the brink of madness—worse than psychosis.

As she moved a foot after the other to check the bedroom, she wondered if she had done something wrong. Had she opened an ancient artefact and summoned an old spirit? Had she unknowingly said something out loud that the universe had decided to manifest? Because why the fuck was this cold treating her like this?

Her mother had come to check her up minutes ago, wondering why she wasn’t already awake and when Daphne tried to talk to her, all she emitted were disconnected breathy sounds. Good Lord.

Like she had contracted a deadly virus, her mother got all worked up, complaining because she had a long shift that day and wouldn’t be back until late in the evening.

Her father heard the commotion and remained at the door, checking his daughter from a distance, compassion etched on his face. He couldn’t even say anything—his shifts were always long.

Within minutes, everything was at her disposal and close reach. She had an extra blanket on, a mug of warm tea on the bedside table, and tissue rolls.

“Darling, I’ll inform Granny and Grandpa, so they’ll check on you, okay? You have your phone. If you need anything, hit me up. I won’t leave my phone on DND so I’ll immediately pick up, don’t worry.”

The woman sounded distressed, and Daphne wanted to roll her eyes and tell her it wasn’t that serious but, now, where would she find the voice to tell her that?

“Mom?” Her voice was almost inaudible. She cleared her voice, regretting it the following moment when it burned her throat. “A friend of mine…” She struggled, “Will come over to help me study—”

“Daphne, are you serious?” Lacking the requirements to reply properly—a healthy voice and no headaches—Daphne left her eyes to do the job for her.

Fortunately, her mother read through them and she tilted her head, with a knowing look across her face.

“Please?” It hurt hearing her daughter’s voice so thin and, knowing Daphne was an anxious student—but unaware of the extent—she eventually gave in, agreeing and urging Daphne to sleep until then.

Did she listen? You take a guess.

As soon as Daphne heard the front door closing followed by a whole minute of silence, she got out of the covers, sitting up and grabbing her phone.

Looking at the clock, Taehyung was supposed to be already at school, but there was still a chance he was outside, especially knowing the people he hung around with, so she texted him.

Daphne: can I call you?

As if he’d set a notification in his head, he replied seconds later, and the call began.

It was simple. She would sleep for a bit, hoping her headache would subside. Then, she’d revise and do exercises, preparing material for questions. Once school was dismissed, he’d just have to come over and they’d have lunch together before spending the afternoon studying. All this was to be done before her parents would be back to avoid any teasing from her mother.

He agreed, voice casual and nonchalant as usual. Little did she know that he would’ve been jumping around like one who’d won the lottery if he hadn't been in public.

Daphne was someone who thrived in routines. She loved them. Following the same process, step by step every day gave her a sense of stability. Yet, she failed the first thing they had agreed on: sleeping.

As she worked, the noise was so loud she didn’t hear when her grandfather came over to give her some drugs and a few treatments Granny had prepared for her.

“My dear, how are you feeling? Granny told me to give you this—” The words died in his throat.

There, standing in the hallway upstairs, was his granddaughter struggling to move a desk from one room to the other.

With a red nose and glittering eyes, Daphne awkwardly smiled, caught red-handed.

“I, erm—” She cleared her voice. “I’m trying to move this into my room,” she finally said with the little voice left in her.

Her grandfather was beyond perplexed as he watched with furrowed brows. “Darling, why do you—”

“A friend of mine is coming over to help me study because I have a test on Monday.” That was the most she’d spoken that morning and it strained her thin voice so much her grandfather almost laughed in her face because of the sound.

Pouting and feigning anger, Daphne pleaded with him not to laugh, although she herself was laughing with him.

“Oh, I’m sorry. My bad. Want some help?” She nodded, looking at him with pleading eyes.

Daphne collected the drugs and the treatments while he took over the task, letting her rush inside her room to drop them on the bedside table.

Moments later, they had replaced her desk with Dayanne’s old and bigger one and, only once they were done, did the old man wish to satisfy his curiosity.

“So… this friend… is it a boy or a girl?”

Daphne snapped her head in his direction, shocked by the words she just heard. “Why would that matter—” She coughed, a direct consequence of trying to raise her voice a little bit above what she could afford.

He laughed. She laughed. Then they returned to seriousness. “So, who is it?”

“Why would I tell you? You’ve mocked me enough.” Grandpa laughed harder, wrapping an arm around the girl’s shoulder to comfort her and express his deepest apologies.

“I’m sorry, darling but, you see, an old man like me lives a very boring and monotonous life. Don’t you think some gossip could, you know, spice it up a little?”

“And why am I supposed to be the main topic in the gossip?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at him and struggling to withhold her smile.

“You’re my lovely granddaughter. You’ll always be the main topic—”

“In gossip?” The old man laughed, denying her claims before reminding her of his question while she dramatically gasped.

“So?” He didn’t give up and it surprised her. She didn’t immediately answer, looking into his eyes to see if he would stop, but seconds passed and nothing changed.

So, seeing that he wouldn’t back down until she let it out, she finally admitted defeat. “A boy.”

As soon as she dropped the answer, the old man whistled and his brows danced. Just a quick glimpse of it was enough for Daphne to free herself from his grip and run away, cringing really hard.

“Ooh, a boy, huh?” he teased her, and she covered her ears with both hands. He didn’t stop until she threw him a final glaring look.

“Okay, okay. I’ll stop,” he began, retreating to exit her room. “But don’t forget to update me about how today goes!”

With that, he rushed out of the room and left the house, screaming his greetings as he went down the stairs. “Granny will come to see you once she’s back from Opes Nostras, okay?”

Daphne sighed hard, dropping on the blankets on her bed and enjoying the soft air that blew as they deflated underneath her weight.

What just happened?

Knowing that her grandparents would be coming in and leaving the house a lot because of her condition, she didn’t want to study in the dining or living room—especially because she wanted to keep herself warm without moving the numerous blankets on her bed downstairs.

That was when she realised that her desk was too small to welcome two people simultaneously. So she borrowed Dayanne’s desk since it caught dust in the room next door. Getting caught by Grandpa wasn’t according to the plan.

She spent the following minutes moving her stuff onto the new desk, occasionally sipping from her tea cup to ease the burn in her throat.

Then she went to the bathroom to get all the supplies to clean. She swept every corner of the room, dusted every surface, and removed any trashed paper or space-taking object.

In forty minutes of working and occasionally dropping dead on the bed from tiredness, Daphne finished the self-assigned task right on time before Granny entered the home.

“Daphne?” she chanted from the bottom floor. With her face against the covers, Daphne’s reply was muffled, but she could hear her grandmother walking up the stairs and eventually making it to her room.

“Ooh, darling why aren’t you under the covers? Come on—”

“I invited Taehyung over to help me with physics so I was just tidying up the place.” Her voice was muffled but she went straight to the point without hesitation or delay. It caught Granny off-guard.

“Tae— What?— Who’s Taehyung?”

Rolling on her back and, against her body’s wish, Daphne sat up to face the woman. “The nice and pretty boy from senior year, who offered to tutor me in physics.”

Just as Grandpa, Granny whistled and giggled, acknowledging only the first part of Daphne’s reply. “A nice and pretty boy from senior year?”

“Granny!” Daphne whined, throwing herself back onto the bed and regretting it the following moment. Groaning from the pain, she held her boiling forehead and slowly moved her head on the bed, hoping it would soothe the ache.

“Ooh, take it easy, yeah?” Granny’s soft voice spoke as she caressed the girl. “Grandpa brought you the drugs?” Daphne’s hum was incredibly tiny because she feared speaking a decibel higher would break her skull— she was voiceless anyway.

Following Granny’s lead, Daphne had something to eat and took her medicine, before getting tucked back into bed, under the warmth she desperately needed.

“So, this boy… does he have a name?” The woman whispered to ease her granddaughter’s pain and make her fall asleep faster.

Daphne nodded, blinking slowly, and replied. “Yes, I said it before. His name’s Taehyung. He lives around here.” Voice a slim bit above a whisper.

Granny carefully adjusted herself on the bed so she wouldn’t alter Daphne’s falling-asleep process. “Oh, I think I know him”.

Another soft hum from the girl. “Yeah, you said it last time.”

“Is he coming after school?”

This time, Daphne didn’t hum but nodded, blinking slowly again. “Yes, right after school—”

“That means he’ll be having lunch here.” Granny couldn’t help smiling because the girl was already falling asleep without even noticing.

Opening her eyes and turning to face Granny, Daphne asked. “Can he eat here with us?”

The woman grinned and, caressing her granddaughter’s forehead, she nodded, promising to prepare lunch for Taehyung as well.

Daphne nodded, smiling with contentment. “Now, focus on sleeping, okay? I’ll make lunch,” Granny whispered before pecking her granddaughter’s forehead and leaving the room.

Her heart ached seeing how unfazed her absence was to Daphne. The little one fell asleep moments after getting under the covers.

Turning off the lights, the room fell into a gloom with cold undertones as the blue sky reflected inside through the windows.

—Now playing: Dreams by Fleetwood Mac ✫

Daphne’s state when she woke spoke volumes—she even laughed at herself in the mirror.

She’d styled her hair into two braids the previous night, but now they looked like fur balls. She had only one sock on because the other was lost under the covers. The trousers of her pyjamas were messed up, going up to her knee on one leg and full of wrinkles on the other, while the top button of her top had popped off. How? She had no idea.

“Jeez, what happened?” Daphne giggled, adjusting her attire without any effort. She wanted to shower anyway.

She didn’t know the exact time she’d woken up but, seeing that the room was brighter without any artificial lights on, she guessed it was midday if not later.

It was her first time being home at this hour on a day like this. She rarely skipped school and if it weren’t for her parents, she would’ve gone to school anyway, but she was thankful to have stayed home. Her headache was so strong that she thought WWIII was taking place there.

The sky was light blue, brighter than in the morning, and rid of many clouds it initially welcomed. Her neighbourhood was silent and desolate when she opened the window. Even the breeze wasn’t as cold as expected.

Letting the room change air, she opened her wardrobe to get new clothes. Once she’d gathered all her necessities, she closed the window and went to the bathroom.

As she showered, revelling under the warm water, Granny had lunch downstairs while watching some TV. When she heard noise from the top floor, she deducted Daphne had woken up. After almost twenty minutes of giggling and eating, Granny checked the time and hopped off the couch, rushing to wash her plate.

She chugged down some water, rinsed the cup, and ran upstairs to her granddaughter. Knocking twice on the door but to no avail, she entered the room after saying: “I’m coming in!”

Her granddaughter’s bedroom was empty, but the answer to her confusion was the sound of rushing water from the bathroom.

The room was still the same, the only difference was the clothes on her bed. She proceeded to the bathroom and, knocking on the door, called for the girl’s attention.

“Daphne?” Being under the showerhead, Granny’s voice was muffled to Daphne’s ears, but she heard her.

“Yes?” she replied without turning the water off. The last thing she wanted was to feel cold.

“I think the boy will be around soon. It’s almost half past two.” Just like that, Daphne shut the water and darted out of the shower.

“Are you serious?” She called for more confirmation as she wrapped herself in a towel, trying to move fast but not slip and fall like a fish out of water.

Granny agreed, telling her to hurry up and that she was leaving. “If you need anything, you can call me. I’m next door anyway.”

As Daphne replied, she was thankful her voice was partially restored and she didn’t sound like a dying cat anymore.

Hurriedly, she applied her lotion and sped through her self-care routine. This wasn’t how it had to go. This shower had to be that type of shower, the one where she’d do everything in slow motion, without missing a step.

Turning the lights off, she ran into her bedroom dressed only in her underwear and basically jumped into her pants—thankfully, they weren’t jeans. She almost tore her tank top as she wore so, to prevent creating holes in her wool sweater, she slowed down a bit only to speed up again as she put her socks on.

Her hair was still wet and flew everywhere as she blow-dried it. Her wrists were on the edge of snapping because of how fast she moved them to quickly dry her hair, regretting having them long.

Finishing in record time, Daphne left the bathroom once and for all. She wore her slippers and before rushing downstairs, she went to her window to check if he was already coming.

Totally deserted. Perfect.

But also imperfect because she spent the whole time moving from one window to another, filled with anticipation, excitement, and nervousness. She even tried to behave nonchalantly as if being watched, but her body betrayed her whenever she purposely walked past a window and checked outside from the corner of her eye.

Daphne didn’t want to have lunch, wishing to eat with Taehyung. So she remained restless in the now empty house. Her only companions were Loki and Luke, who barked reading her body language.

She had to shush them at some point because she eventually saw him. Taehyung was outside, walking next to Cleo and entering her neighbourhood. The sight made her gasp and the dogs bark.

“Hey, shh shh,” she begged, index to her lips while her other hand gestured for them to calm down.

“Y’all have to behave today, okay? He’s not just a random person,” she gossiped with the dogs, who wagged their tails, looking up at her like they understood what she said.

Daphne crouched to caress them a bit and continued. “I like him, okay? He’s special but you must not scare him away, okay?” She spoke to them but also indirectly to herself. The dogs were silent as she rubbed their fur.

Finally, she got up and almost gasped again when she saw he’d just gone his separate way while Cleo proceeded to her home.

“Aah, he’s here!” she shrieked, telling the dogs to move aside as she calmly went down the stairs, one foot after the other. She almost tripped on air when the bell rang.

“Holy shit!” Her squeal was high-pitched but almost silent as well.

Naturally, Loki and Luke rushed past her to the front door, barking. With a hand on the railing, she gestured with gritted teeth so the dogs would stop, but, obviously, they weren’t listening.

Snapping back to reality, she finally reached the ground floor. Begging the walking fur balls to calm down, she adjusted herself in the little mirror in the anteroom. A deep breath, one hand opened the gate while the other reached for the door handle.

There he was. He turned around after closing the gate and smiled as he approached her.

“Hey, Lauri.”

⋅author's corner⋅

As requested and promised, I'm going to deeply dive into the school system depicted in the book.

I was born and raised in Italy, and, having to write what I know, the school system in the story follows the Italian one.

❀ The school system.

First of all, we have l'asilo nido, which is basically like a daycare for toddlers. Then there are three years of scuola materna, kindergarten. Following, we have five years of elementary school (1st to 5th grade), three of middle school (6th to 8th grade), and five of high school (9th to 13th grade, basically).

Now, I didn't completely follow the Italian school system because there are also different types of high schools. There is liceo, istituto tecnico and istituto professionale. I think I put them in order of difficulty. Some licei are focused on science, liceo scientifico, others are focused on classic literature, liceo classico or arts, liceo artistico. I didn't specify this because I'm treating the school the same as a normal random high school.

❀ My experience.

How the school in the book specifically works follows my school and my experience.

The school year is divided into a three-month season, from September to December, and a five-month period, from January to June basically.

During the first season, the students, mostly from 11th to 13th grade, so from 16 years onward, are allowed to run in a campaign to become school representatives. This year, there were four different teams running. Then we had a day of presentations when all the classes, at various hours of the day, had to go to the auditorium to assist and eventually make up their mind for the votes. I don't remember exactly when but the students voted for the team they preferred and eventually there was a winner.

Once the team is elected, they can organise various activities and projects for the students, obviously with the consent of the principal, and they can also host end-year parties.

An extra, which will come up in the book as well, is the so-called week of the "deserving/worthy" students, which is a week, precisely the last week of January, when students who passed all their classes, so all the subjects, get to pick an activity to do throughout the week, so basically lessons are interrupted. On the contrary, those who didn't pass all their classes will have to attend school regardless of that week, although they don't stay from eight to two but from eight to one.

Note that when I say 'classes', it means various things. In Italian, it refers to the classrooms. In Italy, in high school, teachers don't have a classroom, and students don't go to the teachers. It's the other way around: teachers go to the students. The students form a class and they have specific teachers for each subject. Second note. I use the term 'classes' when referring to the subjects and if I want to refer to the classrooms, I always use 'classroom', just to differentiate it and cause no confusion in case y'all are not used to it.

❀ The grading system.

The grades in Italy are not in letters but in numbers. The lowest grade, the typical F, is 2 in high school (but usually teachers give you such a bad score if they catch you cheating during a test, else they usually go for 3). The highest grade, the typical A, is 10, but teachers feel like they would get a stroke giving 10s so they always give like 9 or 8.5 (eight-and-a-half).

You pass the test only if you take a 6. Taking a 5 is insufficient and you have to retake the test somehow or study harder to pass the next one.

Each subject has a total grade, so if in philosophy you took a 6 in October's oral test and a 7 in December's oral test, your final grade in philosophy is 6 + 7 = 13 divided by 2 (which is the number of grades you have), so for a total of 6.5. In the same way, if you've taken three different maths tests on three different dates and on a different topic, you do the addition and then divide everything for the total amount of grade to know how you're performing in maths.

The same way it works for tests, it goes for the subjects, so if you have a 5.5 in a subject, you have failed the class. But if you have a 6, you passed it.

Grades differ by 0.25, so if you take a 7-, it means your grade is 6.75 (7 - 0.25). If you take an 8+, your grade is 8.25 (8 + 0.25). And so on.

Currently, Daphne's total grade in physics is insufficient because she took a 5 and a 5.5. Her total grade in physics is 5 + 5.5 = 10.5/2 = 5.25. To pass the subject, she'll have to take 7.5 upwards to get 5 + 5.5 + 7.5 = 18/3 = 6. Six means she passed the subject.

❀ The hours.

The day starts at eight o'clock for a total of six hours, which ends at two PM. Each class lasts an hour except for some: since there are two ten-minute breaks, some hours last fifty-five minutes.

Like that, the schedule is. first hour, 8 AM to 9 AM; second hour, 9 AM to 9:55 AM; third hour, 10:05 AM to 11 AM; fourth hour, 11 AM to 11:55 AM; fifth hour, 12:05 PM to 1 PM; sixth hour, 1 PM to 2 PM.

Sometimes, depending on the school year or the class (as in a classroom of students and not the subject), the day might end by half past four in the afternoon, with a break from 2 to 2:30 PM.

Sometimes it's because of an extracurricular activity else because of an extra class, which is usually civics/civic education once a week.

❀ School trips.

Obviously, there are also school trips, which can be days long or hours long. The trips are different: some are quick and within the day; they're called uscite didattiche, educational outings I believe. Any type that is longer than an outing is called a trip.

I think I'm done. If y'all have any questions, don't hesitate to ask me.

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