#taekook request

[yongjae37]

Oh look another Tannie dooodle dump

[peachjagiya]

☺️☺️☺️

[tkvkfanfics]

ᴛᴀᴇᴋᴏᴏᴋ ꜰᴀɴꜰɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ʀᴇQᴜᴇꜱᴛꜱ ᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏᴡ ᴏᴘᴇɴ

Hello Everyone ✾❀

I am happy to have you here. Thank you for visiting my page, or maybe you came across this by chance. Nevertheless your history, EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

As the gates into another year, to be honest with you, a year that I was dreading to start, slowly started to open in a dramatic light cutting through where 2023 was slowly dying, fading away, I dared to look one last time behind my shoulder, not expecting to see a lot, but lives are filled with memories. Most of them, I kicked out, not considering them worth the struggle, yet 2023 still looked thick, thickest were my worries and fears for the future, but also LONGING built their communities.

If you are an ARMY (I guess you are if you are still here) we may share some of them even if their weight may differ. If you are coming here from one of my works on AO3, you already know where is this going, if you read the title, this may start to look to you too long and boring.

Through my writing journey, I came across many good ideas but my motivation to write the last dot before the THE END goodbye, was challenging me. And it still is. I find it hard to finish things just for myself, sometimes I need guidance.

So, I have ᴇxᴄɪᴛɪɴɢ ɴᴇᴡꜱ!

If you like me are going through this 2024 drought and wish 2025 could come faster, or you have many ideas for a good story you would like to read, but you are not really a writer and you think I could be the person who will turn your ideas into words, I would like to announce that FANFICTION REQUESTS are officially OPEN!

If you are interested, please carefully read further:

ᴡʜʏ ꜰᴀɴꜰɪᴄꜱ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴀꜱᴋ? As 2023 had been turning the pages, a whiff of dread got to my senses, closing its door was just as empty as I imagined. 2024 has started as a rollercoaster of emotions, better known as copying. I think we could all use that sadness, pride, anger, love, denial, and adventure to battle the silence. What better way than by unleashing the power of our imagination? Would you like to become my laboratory rat, try my coping techniques?

ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏʟʟᴀʙᴏʀᴀᴛᴇ? I am open to teamwork, collaboration. Whether you've been writing for ages or just giving it a shot, your stories are what bring our fandom to life. So, if you've got a creative spark, let's dive into this adventure together! Grab a pen or your keyboard, and let's get started!

ᴀʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ɴᴏᴛ ᴀ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇʀ? No problem! I challenge myself to turn your ideas into stories. Just follow the guidelines and send me your request.

ɪꜱ ɪᴛ ꜰᴏʀ ꜰʀᴇᴇ? Absolutely! While we all may be short of money, I am not trying to earn anything but experience.

✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾

ꜱᴜʙᴍɪꜱꜱɪᴏɴ ɢᴜɪᴅᴇʟɪɴᴇꜱ (read carefully):

✔️ᴇɴᴄᴏᴜʀᴀɢᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ɢᴇɴʀᴇꜱ: I am excited to explore various themes

ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴀʀᴇ ᴍʏ ꜰᴀᴠᴏᴜʀɪᴛᴇ (❤) ᴏʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʀʏ (✍︎):

↝ Friendship and Bonds ❤❤❤

↝ Slice of life ❤❤❤

↝ Identity and Self Discovery ❤❤❤❤❤

↝ Loss and Grief ❤❤❤

↝ Humour ❤

↝ Betrayal and Trust ❤❤

↝ Exploration of emotions ❤❤❤❤❤

↝ Forbidden Love ❤❤❤❤

↝ Dreams and Nightmares ❤

↝ Mythology and Legends ✍︎

↝ Time travel ✍︎

↝ Parallel dimensions ✍︎

↝ Fate and Destiny ✍︎

↝ Survival ✍︎

↝ Adventure and Exploration ✍︎

ɢᴇɴʀᴇꜱ:

↝ Romance

↝ Angst

↝ Fluff

↝ Hurt/Comfort

↝ Mature → 18+, → strong language, → adult scenes (smut), → alcohol use, drugs use, → mild violence

↝ Family

↝ Friendship

↝ Fantasy

↝ Alternative Universe

↝ Canon Setting

ꜱʜɪᴘꜱ I feel like this is an important topic I should address. My main focus is on TAEKOOK but I have no problems with side ships within the group or ships that include original characters.

❌ ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ ʀᴇꜱᴛʀɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴꜱ

While creativity knows no bounds and I have no problem exploring more mature themes and genres (check ᴇɴᴄᴏᴜʀᴀɢᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ɢᴇɴʀᴇꜱ), let's keep it respectful. I would like the stories to be enjoyable for everyone.

ɪ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ʀᴇQᴜᴇꜱᴛꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪɴᴄʟᴜᴅᴇ:

Rape No consensual content (alcohol, drug use, sex) as well as Dubious consent Abuse Religious and war themes

ɪ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ɴᴏᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴏꜰꜰᴇɴᴅ ᴀɴʏᴏɴᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍʏ ʟᴀᴄᴋ ᴏꜰ ᴋɴᴏᴡʟᴇᴅɢᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ɪ ᴀɢʀᴇᴇ ɪᴛ ɪꜱ ɪᴍᴘᴏʀᴛᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴘʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴡʜᴀᴛ’ꜱ ʜᴀᴘᴘᴇɴɪɴɢ, ᴛʜᴇꜱᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇꜱ ᴍᴀʏ ʙᴇ ʜɪɢʜʟʏ-ꜱᴇɴꜱɪᴛɪᴠᴇ, ᴘʟᴇᴀꜱᴇ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀꜱᴛᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴀɴᴅ

!!! ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ꜱᴛᴀʀᴛ ᴀɴʏ ᴅʀᴀᴍᴀ !!!

Incest or Taboo Relationships Discrimination Self-harm or Suicide (a reference to mental illness ɪꜱ ᴀʟʟᴏᴡᴇᴅ) Overly descriptive brutal violence

ɢᴇɴʀᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪ ᴀᴍ ɴᴏᴛ ᴄᴏᴍꜰᴏʀᴛᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ:

Mafia Kidnapping Human trafficking

✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾

ʟᴀɴɢᴜᴀɢᴇ I want the fanfictions to be accessible to a wider community, therefore the only language acceptable is English. If someone wants to translate a story, please contact the story idea creator.

ʟᴇɴɢᴛʜ I would like to start with one-shots. The length will differ based on your submission (number of characters, number of themes, special requests (e.g. detailed descriptions of environment/ character, backstory)) You can always specify the number of words.

You can refer to this table:

Iron One-shots: Length: 100 to 1,000 words

Stories that describe characters or explore a specific theme within a limited number of words.

Emerald Oneshots: Length: 1,000 to 5,000 words

Stories that allow deeper character development, more complex plot, and theme exploration.

Golden Oneshots: Length: 5,000 to 10,000 words

Stories with detailed plotlines (subplots), character arcs, and themes

Diamond Oneshots: Length: 10,000+ words

Novel or short novel length

ʜᴏᴡ ᴛᴏ ꜱᴜʙᴍɪᴛ I prefer communication through email, I find it easy and clear if further discussion is needed, but I of course understand this way of contact is not for everyone. So, below I listed your options:

Email Send your ideas to rarapov1.author@gmail.com with the ꜱᴜʙᴊᴇᴄᴛ ʟɪɴᴇ: "TaeKook Fanfiction Request - 2024COPING "

AO3 You can write your requests in the comment section HERE

Tumblr You can send me a message, ask a question or leave a comment under this post

Discord You can find me as lp28_tk

Don't forget to include your name, nickname, pseudonym or the link to your page/profile so I can tag you and give you credits, or let me know if you'd like to stay anonymous - your credits will of course be given, only your name won't be mentioned.

Form Please submit your form here

Please note that with more options on how to submit your requests, the chances that I will miss your message are higher. So: If I don’t respond to you WITHIN FIVE DAYS, please send me a DM. Please mind the DIFFERENT TIME ZONES.

Once you send your fanfiction request, within four days I will respond to you with whether I ᴀᴄᴄᴇᴘᴛ it or ɴᴏᴛ (it should meet the criteria OR I may have already had too many requests so I will ask you if you don’t mind waiting), I will also let you know about the estimated time when your story will be delivered (the time can change). I may also have some questions, if so, please answer them. After a reply, you can ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋ ʜᴇʀᴇ and find your request on the board along with its state.

Before submitting your fanfiction request, please check the queue and whether I accept requests at the moment.

ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴡɪʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ɢᴇᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ It of course depends on the story length on your submission date and how many people are in a queue before you (you can check this information ʜᴇʀᴇ). Estimated time for delivery: 1 ᴛᴏ 2 ᴡᴇᴇᴋꜱ. Once I finish your story, I will send you a ᴘᴅꜰ ᴅᴏᴄᴜᴍᴇɴᴛ. You will be the first one to have access and within the next two days, I will upload the story on my ᴀᴏ3 ᴘʀᴏꜰɪʟᴇ and on my ᴛᴜᴍʙʟʀ ᴘᴀɢᴇ with your credits.

✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾

ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴛᴏ ɪɴᴄʟᴜᴅᴇ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʀᴇQᴜᴇꜱᴛ:

ꜰᴀɴᴅᴏᴍ For now, I only accept BTS fanfictions/ TAEKOOK

ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀꜱ Identify and describe (their role in the story, their characteristic traits you would like to see explored, relationships, appearance of your original characters or BTS) the characters you want the story to include

ꜱᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴘᴇʀɪᴏᴅ Describe the setting (world) and time period for the story. Whether it's in the canon, an alternate universe, or a different time

ɢᴇɴʀᴇ Describe the genre the story should follow (check ᴇɴᴄᴏᴜʀᴀɢᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ɢᴇɴʀᴇꜱ) I also accept a blend of genres.

ᴘʟᴏᴛ ᴏʀ ᴘʀᴏᴍᴘᴛ Describe a basic plot idea or prompt. This could be a specific scenario, event, or theme you'd like to see explored in the fanfiction. I also accept stories based on songs, but don’t forget to describe it further, everyone may interpret the song differently.

ᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ Please choose an ending for your story and describe it further for me.

Happy Ending (Your characters (protagonist, main characters) achieve their goal)

Sad Ending (Sad, tragic ending for your characters)

Bittersweet Ending (Ending is a combination of sadness and happiness)

Ambiguous Ending (Ending is unclear or open to multiple interpretations)

Open Ending (Questions remain unanswered)

Twist Ending (The ending is surprising and unexpected for a reader)

Other

ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ Specify your preferred word length (please refer to ʟᴇɴɢᴛʜ -> table).

ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ Clarify the desired rating (e.g., General Audiences, Teen and Up, Mature, M/M, F/M).

ᴀᴅᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴘʀᴇꜰᴇʀᴇɴᴄᴇꜱ Include any additional preferences or details important to you. This could be specific elements, themes to avoid, or any particular narrative style you prefer.

ᴄᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ If there are specific themes or content that you're uncomfortable with, let me know the warnings so the final story will meet your comfort levels.

ᴘʀᴇꜰᴇʀʀᴇᴅ ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ ꜱᴛʏʟᴇ Mention if you have a preference for a certain writing style (e.g., first person, third person, present tense, past tense, narrator of your story).

✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾

ꜱᴘʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴅ! The only payment I ask you for is to send this to someone you think would be interested, share the news, and let's make 2025 come faster.

I can't wait to bring your incredible worlds and characters to life.

Lara

[imafivestarkpopstan]

Injured Jungkook

Jungkook gets injured Baby Y/N : Appa? Taehyung : Jimin please distract her. Jungkook, ankle slwelling dangerously : TaeTae, I'm fine. Taehyung : FINE? How can you call this fine? Y/N : Appa. Dada.

Tis' my new train of writing. I'm doing dialogues and requests are open!

[redcherrykook]

──────🐾 oneshot masterlist!

─𐙚────🧸─────𐙚──────🧸─────𐙚─

🍰 Requests shorter oneshots (smut only)

○ pink and pretty ( spanking)

○ see, hyung? (innocence, voyeurism)

○ spot me instead (gym scenario, jealousy)

○ private show ( lap dance)

○ delicate seashell ( beachy vibes, hotel sex)

○ midnight snack (somophilia ,oral, doggy)

○ milk and cream (subby!Jk, noona kink)

○ three whores, one job (taekook 3way)

○ well rounded (big tits!reader)

─𐙚────🧸─────𐙚──────🧸─────𐙚─

🍰 Requests as (smut/ fluff/ angst) + plot

○ JK BIRTHDAY SPECIAL! (s / f/ lingerie, birthday smut, vibrator)

○ brothers best friend (s/ major fluff, cutesy pining and yearning)

○ romance novel (s/f, biker, rich Jk, bookworm reader, recreating a smut scene)

○ (tent)ative enemies (s/f/ e2l vibes, camping trip, outdoor smut)

○ maybe next time (mutual secret pining, no dialouge)

○ flower pot (fluff, comfort)

○ working on love (f/ silce of life business party request)

○ bound to a second chance (a/comfort, exes2l drabble)

○ "we havin' rich sex on a boat" (s/ rich guy JK!, sugar baby reader) TBA

○ bad boy, good girl (s/f/ crack, highschool sweethearts, car chase) TBA

○ The jeon mobile (f/ friends 2 lovers, idol AU ft BTS) TBA

─𐙚────🧸─────𐙚──────🧸─────𐙚─

visit my kinktober masterlist!

... or my series masterlist!

[badbtssmut]

Palestine resources and Gazafunds

Recent work: Kinktober masterlist

Replied to asks get deleted after 48 hours!

Do not interact with me if you’re a minor.

Call me miss, mommy, mami or bae, honey, any petname. 21+. Female. Work in marketing. Bias is Taehyung.

This is an out of pocket freaky BTS smut blog, I don’t do fluffy romance or feel good fics. Please don’t trauma dump, or send personal sex stories. Do not send inappropriate pics of the members (like bulge pics) or sexualize them outside of my fics.

Sending me hate or calling me names is an instant block.

Jungkook | Taehyung | Jimin

OT7 ; Freeuse with Hybe staff. Cheerleader. Pokernight.

Maknae line ; Freeuse manager.

Multimembers ; Vmin breeding. Vmin freeuse. Breastfeeding Taekook. Swingers Taekook. Public mall Vmin. Friends Taekook.Taekook Same bed. Taekook club. Vmin bus.Taekook roommates.

Taehyung

Hostclub

Yes, sir

Jungkook

Police officer

Ex with benefits

Money shot

Magic stick

Maknae line

So what?

Sticky fingers

Multi members

A party for three

Reckless and sweet

OT7

Freeuse movie night

Birthday party

Illegal sex party

Cult ritual

Freeuse girlfriend

Namjoon’s tutorial

Their turns ft Namjoon

Jungkook’s turn

Taehyung’s turn

Jimin’s turn

Smut recommendations | Requests archive | Kinktober masterlist

Kinktober

If you send me asks regularly, feel free to use an emoji ❤️

🦎 = lizard anon (Lizzy)

🩷 = heart anon (Millie)

🌸 = cherry blossom anon

☔ = umbrella anon (Ella)

🐮 = cow anon (Momo)

🐙 = octopus anon

🦭 = seal anon (Sealie)

🐑 = sheep anon

☃️ = snowman anon

🐰 = bunny anon

🦋 = butterfly anon

🌷 = tullip anon

🐥 = mochi anon

😽 = kissy cat anon

👽 = alien anon

🩰 = pointe shoes anon

🍰 = cake anon

☃️ = same anon as above? (Snow)

Shrek

[kooqitas]

🫧 keys;; [s] - smut ⋆ [h] - head canon ⋆ [t] -text

jeon jungkook

benefits [s]

law class & sex [s] one ;; two

need to deserve [s]

playing in the park lot [s]

tight riding [s]

nothing serious [s]

getting a +4 [s]

crush [s]

min yoongi

middle finger [s] one ;; two

whole night [s]

teach you [s]

park jimin

really want [s]

kim namjoon

always useful [s]

threesome (or more)

secret kink [s] ★ namkook x you

sharing [s] ★ ot7 x you

friends share [s] ★ taekook x you

free use [h] ★ maknae!line

didn't find what you wanted? send me a request!

[here2bbtstrash]

real magic (explicit)

genre: smut, fluff, bangin’ your boss, m attempts kidfic - part of a hyung holiday collab !

pairing: namjoon x reader

summary: the holiday season has never meant anything to you beyond suffering long hours for minimum wage and awaiting the collapse of capitalism— but this year, you’d be willing to add making out with your dilf coffee shop boss to the list.

word count: 16.7k 😩

contains: ~*~explicit sexual content (after kind of a slow burn sorry lol)~*~ the "moving back to your hometown" hallmark trope, a nick jonas poster (yes that's a warning), some taekook slander in the beginning because i thought it was funny, namjoon is so buff and so dumb but so wise and so hot, moni is a little shit, namjoon is a dad!, namjoon's kid uses they/them pronouns but it's not like A Focus of the story it's just flavor, reader thinks joon has a dead wife for like one second 💀 mentions of teenage pregnancy and co-parenting, one incredibly stupid asshole customer lmao, mint choco slander (it's what namjoon would want 😌), obviously there is an employee/boss power dynamic but they talk about it and figure it out because this is namjoon and he overthinks everything, namjoon driving (he's a dad i have to assume he would get his license if he had a literal child!!!!!!!!) and a lotta sentimental holiday and life talk. here are ur sex specific warnings: making out/going to second base in a car in a parking lot (what is it with my namjoons and cars in parking lots yo), fingering, semi-drunk sex, and fuckin' rawwwww with a smidge of size and breeding kink lmao (but she's on the pill!!! no more kids!!!!!!)

A/N: hello hello hi merry crisis this damn fic is finally here lmao~ as i have been babbling on about for days i really really (REALLY) love how this namjoon turned out he's just hesjkrgdhtgk such a fucking himbo but a good dad and wise and did i mention hot aaaaaa 🫠 all the love in my gay little heart to @goodsoop for their barista wisdom and real life experiences that went into this one (the cookie story will never not make me laugh) ! and to @sailoryooons for beta reading this 50 million times and encouraging me when i was convinced it sucked ass, and also for making all the gorgeous banners for this collab 😭

which btw - be sure to go check out @gimmethatagustd & @sailoryooons & @nabiolive 's fics tooooo !!! i've loved collabing with them so very much even when we were all hashtag Going Through It, we got the whole damn hyung line you hear meeeeee 🎁🎁🎁🎁

read on AO3!

Rudely awoken by the incessant beep of your alarm, you open your eyes to find Nick Jonas staring back at you, and you sit up with a scream.

Realization washes over your sleep-addled brain in waves: first, that you aren’t actually staring at a real person. He’s just smizing on a hot pink poster, held up by some remarkably durable masking tape you stuck to the wall fifteen years ago. Second, it comes back to you that you are staring at said poster because you’ve woken up in your childhood bedroom. It’s been left untouched since you were a teenager, like a weird time capsule of all your high school obsessions.

After reaching for your phone to silence the alarm, you kick your way out from under the blankets, trying not to make eye contact with Nick, or Justin, or Zayn as you stumble to the bathroom. The circumstances of your grand return to living in your goddamn parents’ house linger like a bad taste in your mouth, one that all the tongue brushing in the world can’t remove.

It still doesn’t feel real. Taehyung, your best friend in the world since freshman year of college, kicked you out. Sure, it may have been phrased more like a gentle request, but as far as your ego is concerned, it still feels like exile. Banishment, even. The person you thought you could never be parted from made his choice, and he chose his fucking boyfriend over you.

Jungkook. You think the name with all the venom your cold, dead heart can manage as you spit toothpaste into the sink.

Jungkook, the weird, bug-eyed kid who put his toe-socked feet on your couch, drank his banana milk out of your favorite mug, and ate up all of your Samyang ramyeon because he ‘thought it was communal’. 

Jungkook, who ruined your sleep schedule nightly, either by fucking Taehyung senseless on the other side of your paper-thin apartment wall, or by blasting the same four Ariana Grande songs over and over on his bluetooth speaker and singing along in an annoyingly good voice. Either activity would go on well into the early hours of the morning, until you had to bang on the wall so hard you nearly put your fist through it.

Jungkook, whose dog once took a shit right on the floor in the middle of the kitchen.

Bam was cute enough to forgive, of course. But you can never forgive Taehyung for his betrayal. Especially when he knew you’d just been fired from your shitty coffee shop job for the stupidest reason ever, and he didn’t let that derail or even delay him. He still went ahead and delivered the killing blow.

Et tu, Taehyung? you think angrily to yourself as you stand in front of the suitcase containing as much of your closet as you could possibly fit. You still need to go back for your bigger furniture, and little things like your plates and your mugs and your silverware, which Jungkook is probably putting his grimy little fingers all over at this very moment. But until you’ve checked out of your indefinite vacation at the Nightmare Parental Hotel, there doesn’t really seem a point.

If you were less upset, you might take consolation in the fact that your parents aren’t actually here, that they’ve jaunted off to their timeshare until the new year, but you’re busy being too swallowed whole by your misery to find an ounce of joy in any piece of your current reality.

You dig through the pile of clothes until you manage to pull out something halfway decent. The first order of business now that you’ve moved back in is simple: acquire another stupid coffee shop job. You have no plans to stick around long, you just need something seasonal that will give you some meager income while you start looking for a real gig, one that is ideally not in your hometown.

Watching yourself in the mirror as you pull on a simple black blouse and your least-stained pair of jeans, you attempt to mentally dust off your interview skills. You conjure up your best fake smile and customer service voice, both of which are second-nature at this point.

Why do you want this job? “I’m just so passionate about coming home sticky and verbally abused by caffeine-addicted assholes every night.”

What’s your biggest weakness? “Clearly it’s the fact that I’m a ray of fucking sunshine.”

Why were you terminated from your last job? “Oh, well, I attempted to get my previous employer to improve their standards of worker treatment. You see, I selfishly requested that they raise the bar a single notch above hell. Certainly won’t happen again!”

This should go well, you tell yourself, and your reflection grimaces back.

With several hours to kill before your job interview and a growing desire to avoid the weird nostalgia of your childhood that seems to lurk in every corner of your parents’ house, you decide to take a walk.

The sky is bright blue and cloudless, and though the air is brisk, it isn’t terribly windy. You tuck in your earbuds as you shut the front door behind you and pick a direction, aimless, letting your mind wander to the soundtrack of your “seasonal depression” playlist.

A whole new crop of families must have moved into your parents’ neighborhood in the years since you moved out, because the streets are more alive with kids than you can ever remember them being, even when you were a kid yourself. Bikes and scooters lay abandoned on the sidewalks between homes, and you can hear the repeated echo of a basketball dribbling on a driveway, punctuated by distant, playful screaming.

Even in the daytime, you can tell these families have spared no expense when it comes to Christmas decor: some homes have every eave outlined in string lights, some have candy cane stakes dug into the perimeter of their perfectly manicured lawns, and some have been seemingly invaded by small armies of inflatable reindeer and snowmen. You can’t help but giggle a little at the inflatable decorations that have been set to turn off during the day, the way the airless material lays limp in the grass, giving the impression of a yard strewn with dead bodies.

But you remember what it looked like when you drove in last night, everything lit up and brought to life.

Your parents definitely didn’t have inflatable lawn decorations when you were a kid, but you’d get so excited every year when your dad would drag the ladder out and spend the day stringing up the simple rainbow lights you did have. You still remember the little spark of joy you’d feel in your chest when the colors would click on after dark, the way you would run outside every night just to see them twinkle, your breath puffing steam clouds in the air, your bare feet freezing on the ice-cold driveway.

It felt like magic then. But somewhere along the way you grew up. And now that feeling’s gone. Even at night, the lights just look like… lights.

Distracted as you are by the music in your ears and thoughts of your childhood that have brought you to a standstill on the sidewalk, you don’t notice what’s happening until it’s too late. 

A blur of red and white is suddenly circling around and between your legs, and you feel something twining over your ankles, then tugging with a force that threatens to knock you off balance. As you lean forward in an attempt to right yourself, the chaos in question slows enough for you to realize it’s a fluffy white dog in a red sweater, who has excitedly tangled you up in his leash.

You manage to find the looped end of the leash and slowly get yourself unwrapped while the dog continues to pant and jump and occasionally yap at you. With your legs freed, you squat down for a proper greeting, laughing to yourself as he lifts up on his hind legs, balancing his paws on your knee to lick an enthusiastic greeting across your cheek.

“Hi, puppy,” you murmur, trying to get him to hold still long enough to read the name on his tag. A voice beats you to it.

“Moni!”

When you glance up to find Moni’s owner jogging up the sidewalk, you have to make a conscious effort to keep your own tongue in your mouth, because good lord, he is fine.

He’s tall, towering over you even once you bring yourself back up to standing, and the black workout tank and athletic shorts he’s wearing do absolutely nothing to hide the thick, well-defined muscles of his arms, chest, and thighs.

Despite his lack of clothing in the cool winter air, you can see his face and neck are slick with sweat, his white-blonde hair damp with it too. There’s even a dark patch that’s soaked his shirt at his sternum, making the firm swell of his pecs that much more apparent. It takes you an extra second to break eye contact with them, but when you do finally manage to drag your gaze up to meet his, you realize his face is just as nice of a view: honey-tan skin, full lips, and cute dimples that pop as he gives a sheepish, appreciative laugh.

“Thank you,” he says, a little breathless; his voice is deep and slightly husky in a way that makes your face grow hot. You blink stupidly at him for a few moments, your mind reeling, and then it occurs to you that you still have his dog’s leash in your hand.

“No problem,” you manage, handing the looped end back over and double-checking to make sure your ankles are still free from their entanglement. Though now that this man is holding the leash, you kind of wish they weren’t.

“Moni’s usually good about not taking off when I stop to do a circuit,” he explains, like you’re the dog owner police. It makes you wonder what kind of Karens must have moved into this neighborhood since you left it. “I don’t know why he ran, maybe he saw a squirrel or something.”

“It’s okay,” you reassure him with a smile, admiring Moni as he stretches and settles into a polite seated pose. “I like his sweater.”

“Thanks,” he laughs again. “C’mon Mon.”

You can’t help focusing on how big this guy’s hands are as he slips his fingers through the end of Moni’s leash, tugging slightly as if to encourage the dog back in the direction he came from.

Moni blinks and stays right where he is.

“You little shit,” his owner huffs under his breath, and you have to bite down on your bottom lip to keep from laughing. You distantly realize you should probably leave them to it and continue on your walk, but this is too entertaining to turn away from now. Your hot neighbor tries one more futile attempt to get Moni to move, then seems to give up entirely.

He stoops down with a low grunt of effort that makes your core flutter as he grabs the fluffy dog and hoists him up in his arms. You try to force yourself to stop noticing the way his biceps flex, the fact that the muscles of his arms are nearly bigger than your head.

“Thanks again,” he says with a final grateful smile, and your only response is to swallow hard and stand there like an idiot as he turns and carries his spoiled dog back home.

When you arrive for your interview, you’re delighted to discover that Indigo Coffee is nothing like your last job. It’s warm and bright, with large picture windows that flood the space in sunlight, and there’s a cozy personal touch to it, the likes of which you’d certainly never see in your former corporate shell of a workplace. The sitting area is dotted with live edge wood tables and mismatched chairs. There are an array of framed paintings on the walls that look handmade in a good way, simple yet bold brush-stroke lines in a deep blue color scheme. And, you realize as your eyes linger, the shop is absolutely overflowing with plants: in simple clay pots lined up along the windows, free-standing between tables, and tucked into bookshelves placed artfully throughout the space. 

You step closer to inspect one as you wait on your interviewer and are pleased to see that it’s real, that they all are— no waxy fake leaves jammed into a thick block of cement, but real greenery sprouted in real dirt, deep brown soil gone soft from what must have been a recent watering. These are plants someone cares for, coaxed and kept alive by someone’s time and patience and love. The thought makes you smile a little despite yourself.

There’s still fucking Christmas music playing, but you figure that’s inescapable this time of year.

“Are you here for the interview?” someone asks over your shoulder. As you turn away from the plant, you wonder if you’re imagining that the voice in question sounds slightly familiar, and then you find yourself once again staring up at a fine-ass man with white-blonde hair and a sweet pair of dimples.

He’s clearly showered since your last encounter, and is now slightly more covered up in a pair of faded jeans and a gray-green flannel thrown over a black shirt emblazoned with bold white lettering: Protect Trans Kids.

“Oh.” Moni’s owner blinks back at you, and the shock on his face is so apparent that a giggle escapes your lips before you can stop it. “Uh, hi again.”

“Hi,” you echo, equally flustered, before realizing you failed to answer his initial question. “Oh, yeah. Yes. I am. The interview. I’m— that’s me.” So well-spoken, you mentally kick yourself.

One dimple deepens slightly as he extends a hand. “Kim Namjoon. Owner of Indigo Coffee. And the world’s least obedient dog, as you saw earlier.”

You offer your best handshake in return and a smile that you surprisingly don’t have to force as you give Namjoon your name. He gestures to a table in the corner, and you each pull back a chair to have a seat. You try to banish any potential horny thoughts from your brain, but shifting into interview mode proves difficult as he rests his large hands on the table in front of him, drumming idly along to the horribly cheery music.

You manage to tear your gaze away from Namjoon’s fingers when he speaks again. “If it’s cool with you, we can just chat a little? I’m not so good at conducting formal interviews. Too inauthentic.”

It’s like you can feel some of the tension release from your shoulders. “I— yeah. That sounds great.”

“Cool,” he nods, and you try to ignore the rush of heat up your neck at the intensity of his stare. Professional, be professional. “So I saw on your resume that it looks like your last few jobs were out of town. Did you just move here?”

“Moved back,” you say quickly. “Yeah. I grew up here, actually.”

Namjoon’s eyes widen a little in clear interest. “Really? What brings you back?”

You purse your lips as you consider how to phrase it. “My life… kind of fell apart. So. I moved in with my parents for a bit. Like a winner.” His dimples pop when he smiles at your joke, and you drop your gaze to the table. “Just trying to figure out what’s next, and find something seasonal in the meantime.”

“Well, we could certainly use the help,” Namjoon admits. When you chance a glance up, there’s a look on his face like he’s choosing his next words carefully. “I saw in your application that you were terminated from your last position.” He leans in, lowering his voice slightly as he continues. “I’m gonna be honest, I hate that we even ask that question. But can you tell me a bit about what happened?”

You keep your stare fixed on the wood grain in front of you as you try to stay calm. “Well, if I can be honest too...” Squeezing your eyes shut, you tell yourself to just say it. “I was fired for trying to unionize.”

“Oh.” Namjoon sounds surprised, but you can’t manage to look at him. “Really?” You nod slowly, biting down on your bottom lip. “That’s— fucking illegal.”

That makes your gaze snap back up to meet his. His brow is furrowed slightly, a muscle in his jaw pulled tight.

“Yeah,” you say belatedly. “Yeah, I know. They made up a bunch of fake excuses as to why I was fired, but I knew what it really was. It was because I wanted them to actually pay us what we were worth, and hire more workers so we weren’t being scheduled to death. And I was getting everyone else riled up too, and I guess it scared them.”

Namjoon sits back in his chair, folding his arms over his chest. “Huh. Man. Well, I’m sorry that happened to you.”

It takes you a second to process what you’re hearing. Union has always been a scary word for any person in upper management you’ve previously encountered. You hadn’t expected this to be so… easy. For him to understand, or sympathize. “I— yeah. I am too.”

“If it makes you feel any better,” Namjoon continues quickly, “I think it’s great, what you tried to do. I’m very pro-union.” He pauses for a moment, his face twisting slightly in thought. “I mean, admittedly, we don’t have one here. Granted, there are only five of us. I should probably ask, though, if they want one.”

You can’t quite hide your smile. “I’m gonna take a guess that you probably treat your employees pretty well as-is.”

“I try,” he says with a shake of his head. His eyes meet yours again. “So, here’s the deal. You have a ton of experience, and with holiday time off and a few people out sick, I’m super understaffed right now. You seem like you have a good head on your shoulders, and hopefully you feel like you can come to me if you have any issues, without fearing retaliation.”

You blink slowly, and he must be able to read the disbelief on your face. “What I’m saying is I’m offering you the seasonal position,” he clarifies. “Is that— do you, uh, accept?”

“Yes.” The word is chased by a dazed laugh, and Namjoon’s dimples resurface around a small smile.

“Cool. I told you I’m bad at interviews,” he huffs, rubbing a hand at the back of his neck. You try to ignore the swell of his bicep, clearly visible even beneath his bulky flannel. “I know this is a lot to ask, but. Is there any chance you can start, like, right now? Because Jimin’s shift ends in…” He tilts a little, fishing his phone from the front pocket of his jeans, and his mouth drops open in surprise when he gets a glimpse at the time.

“Oh, shit,” Namjoon murmurs, and then he raises his voice to call across the mostly empty store. “Jimin-ah! I’m so sorry!”

You turn around, your gaze landing on the barista leaned up against the counter next to the register. His dyed-gray hair dusts over his eyes, which pull into crescent moons as he laughs. “It’s cool. I knew you were almost done. But I’m gonna clock out now, if she’s good?”

“Yeah,” you answer, turning back to Namjoon. “Yeah, I can start now.”

The two of you move behind the counter, and you sweep your hair up out of your face while Namjoon starts to go through a basic run-down of where everything is located. The overhead bell tinkles as Jimin shoulders the front door open, and he lifts a hand over his head in parting.

“See you after the holidays!”

“Alright,” Namjoon says as he waves to Jimin, a little breathless from having rambled on for the better part of several minutes. “That was a lot. Do you want to just start on register? I feel like that should be easy enough, and I can train you on everything as people come in, since it’s pretty dead right now.”

You shrug. “Works for me.”

Within half an hour, there’s a line out the door, and Namjoon has managed to spill espresso grounds all over his shoes for a second time.

“Ah, shit,” he groans, taking a step back. “Sorry. Been a minute since I’ve had to be back here.”

“It’s okay,” you try to reassure him, but you can see from the faces of the customers who have been waiting on their drinks for several minutes— including one who’s had hers remade three times, all of them incorrect— that it is very much not okay. You certainly lack the people skills to smooth over any of Namjoon’s mistakes, and you can feel a stress-induced eye twitch starting to flare up, brought on by Kelly Clarkson’s incessant yuletide belting.

You give your boss five more minutes, wherein he scalds his hand on the milk steamer, forgets about a cookie in the warmer until it’s burnt entirely black, and nearly turns the blender on with the lid off, before you finally intervene.

“Hey, Namjoon?” You do your best to keep your expression pleasant when he glances over at you, wiping at his brow with the back of his hand. “Maybe we should switch?”

“A-are you sure?” he stammers, apparently torn between wanting to be a good boss and a clear desire to just take the L. “I feel bad, this is literally your first shift.”

“I think I can handle it,” you reassure him, lowering your voice a little. “Let me take care of the drinks, and you can do your… endearing golden retriever thing. Keep the people entertained.”

Color blooms in the apples of his cheeks as his dimples make a brief appearance. “Oh, okay. Can do. Just let me know if you need help.”

You can’t imagine a universe where his clumsiness could in any way be considered helpful, but you keep that thought to yourself as you smile at him. At least he’s cute.

Things improve dramatically once your roles are reversed: as you expected, Namjoon is far more charismatic than he is coordinated, and he chats endlessly with the people waiting on their drinks, hardly pausing long enough to take a breath, while you scramble around trying to get your bearings in a new environment. The steady stream of customers doesn’t let up for the rest of the evening, until the last few finally trickle out of the store a few minutes after close, and you waste no time locking the door behind them with a sigh of relief.

You spin around, letting your back thud against the door for a moment as you watch Namjoon fight with a broom and dustpan in a futile attempt to get espresso dust out of the grout between the tiles. There’s a dull ache starting to thud in your skull, and it’s only deepened by the shrill opening notes of another fucking a cappella song.

“Namjoon?” you ask as you cross toward the counter, and his head instantly snaps up. “Do you think we could maybe turn off the Christmas music?”

“Oh, sure.” He’s already fumbling to grab his phone, and he taps a few buttons until the music suddenly switches, a soft voice starting to croon over an old school beat.

“Thanks,” you say, and you can’t help the pity smile that pulls up your mouth when he returns to his useless task. “I think the grout might be a lost cause, but I can go ahead and mop whenever you’re ready.”

He rights himself with a defeated sigh, nodding his head to the storage closet in the back. You follow his lead to retrieve the mop, then set about filling up the bucket with water and cleaning solution. Namjoon’s voice floats in from the front of the shop as he busies himself with his own closing tasks.

“Imagine smokin’ weed in the street without cops harassin’ / Imagine goin’ to court with no trial / Lifestyle cruisin’ blue Bahama waters / No welfare supporters, more conscious of the way we raise our daughters...”

You’re laughing a little as you roll the bucket out, starting at the door to work your way back. “Is this… Nas?”

He glances up, like he’s just remembered other people exist in the world. “Yeah, sorry. I can turn it off.”

“No, no,” you say quickly when he starts to reach for his phone again. “This is good. Much better than Pentatonix. I’m just… you really know every word.”

Namjoon shrugs, clearly embarrassed. “He’s my favorite.”

The revelation surprises you, and you pause to think as you pull the mop back and forth over the tile floor. It didn’t even occur to you that Namjoon would have a favorite kind of music, apart from the soft elevator muzak you imagine must play on a steady loop in his brain, given the way he fumbles through life.

“I actually wanted to be a rapper,” his voice comes back, and you look up again, your interest piqued. “When I was younger. But you know. Life had other plans.”

“Ah yes, the rapper to coffee shop owner pipeline,” you muse, and he barks a laugh that you wish you didn’t find so hot. Shaking your head, you force yourself to look back down at the espresso-studded tile, doing your best to shove your attraction aside and not think about it. He’s your boss, dumbass.

Still, it’s hard to ignore, particularly as he continues to rap along to each song that comes on, his voice deeper and huskier than you’ve heard it thus far in casual conversation. He doesn’t miss a word, and you can’t deny that it’s impressive. And sexy. Fuck.

Once the floor has been successfully mopped and everything else is put back together, you hop up onto the counter to wait for the tile to dry, and your gaze lingers over Namjoon’s large hands as he cashes out the register. He flips through the bills in time to the music, still humming under his breath as he goes, and you do your best to hold in your laugh when he inevitably loses count and has to start over from the beginning. Thankfully the second attempt sticks, and he smiles proudly to himself as he zips everything up into the deposit bag.

“First shift down,” he announces, as if you might have forgotten, and then his eyes find yours and you swear your breath gets stuck in your throat. “How do you feel?”

It only occurs to you now how close he’s standing to you, and with the way your legs are casually dangling over the edge of the counter, it wouldn’t take much for him to step between them. And god, he’s so damn tall, you’re practically eye-to-eye.

“Uh,” you manage, your mouth suddenly gone dry. “Good. I feel good.”

“That’s good,” he answers, his voice dipping into that throaty tone again. You find yourself wondering absentmindedly if maybe Namjoon has a customer service voice, too, and then for the briefest flash of a moment, his gaze flits from your eyes to your lips and back again. It’s so quick, you can’t be sure it even really happened.

You tell yourself it’s just your exhausted post-shift brain seeing things that aren’t there, wanting this fine-ass man to be into you, too.

A sudden bang on the front door makes you flinch so hard, you come dangerously close to kneeing Namjoon in the crotch. He takes a large step back as you whip around to look over your shoulder, only to see a kid’s face pressed to the glass, framed by two small hands. You’ve never been great at telling the age of children on sight, but this one looks like… maybe a middle schooler?

“Whose fucking kid is that?” you say automatically, blinking, dumbfounded. Namjoon’s laugh is a low rumble behind you.

“That would be mine.”

It takes several days for the shock to wear off. Your boss has a kid. Kim “could’ve burnt the building down with a single cookie” Namjoon is at least partially responsible for keeping another human being alive. Which means you have a crush… on a father.

A father who also happens to be your boss.

You try not to think about any of it.

There’d been brief introductions when you left the shop that first night, but all you’d really managed to glean was the kid’s name, Sol, and their pronouns. As someone who is historically terrible with children, you’d excused yourself the minute Namjoon locked the front door, after what felt like an eternity spent watching him pat each of his pockets twice before he finally managed to find his keys.

“I hope it wasn’t weird,” your boss says out of nowhere in the middle of your next shift, during a much-needed moment of peace after the morning rush. “For you to meet Sol like that. It’s just been hard, since their mom, uh…”

Namjoon trails off, leaving the sentence unfinished. You glance up, eyes widening as you put the pieces together.

“Oh my god,” you breathe. “I’m so sorry.”

His gaze meets yours, and it’s like you can see the wheels in his head turning before he catches up. “No, no,” he says quickly, and then he starts to laugh. “Wow, I really did not start that sentence well. She’s not dead. She just got married, and she’s on her honeymoon for most of December. The logistics have been hard, is what I meant.”

An embarrassed heat creeps up your neck, and your elbows thud against the countertop as you press your face into your hands, attempting to muffle your own laughter. “In my defense,” you groan, “you really made it sound like you had a dead wife.”

“Not dead! She’s fine!” Namjoon’s dimples are as prominent as you’ve ever seen them when you peek up at him from your full-body cringe. “Very much alive, very much not my wife.” The muscles in his arms flex as he crosses them over his chest, leaning up against the counter next to the register. “Never was, actually.”

“Really?” you answer automatically, your damned curiosity getting the better of you.

He nods, his voice a little more serious when he continues, rambling on in the way that you’ve already started to suspect is his default setting, talking as if to fill empty space. “We were seventeen when we got pregnant. I knew we were young then, but I don’t think I really realized. Now that I’m almost thirty, I know: seventeen is fucking young.”

The line of his jaw tightens, thoughtful, as his gaze sweeps over the floor. “I thought I wanted to marry her, or at least felt obligated to. Like it was the right thing to do, but. We didn’t have any money, and then it all got so hectic after Sol was born. Didn’t even take a year for us to realize it wasn’t gonna work, not for us.”

You blink, trying to take in all the new information. “That sounds really hard.”

“It was,” Namjoon admits. “But we were both on the same page about it. That no matter what, Sol had to come first.” He glances up with a shrug. “It’s all good now. She’s a great co-parent, and her new husband is really good for her. And… well, I have Indigo.”

The tinkling of the bell at the front door snaps you out of a daze, makes you realize you’ve been staring at him, dumbfounded. You do your best to shoot Namjoon a soft smile, and to ignore the pang in your chest as he turns to greet the customer that’s just wandered in, already starting to babble on about the weather.

You find yourself more grateful for Namjoon’s presence with each passing shift, in a way that you try to convince yourself is thoroughly platonic. Between fairly steady work and his very steady chatter, your time spent in the warm, sunny space of Indigo turns out to be a good distraction from your own miserable excuse for a life. The repetitive motions of making drink after drink are oddly comforting, and you have to admit, Namjoon really is good with the customers.

“Peppermint mocha to go.”

You do your best to follow up the sentence with a polite smile as you set a drink down for the customer who has done nothing but scowl at you the whole time you were making it. The silent prayer you’ve sent out to the universe that he’ll take whatever personal problem he has elsewhere and leave you alone has clearly gone unanswered.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” he snaps, and you can feel your shoulders creep up towards your ears in anticipation of nothing good. Here we fucking go.

You blink twice, trying to keep your service persona engaged. “I’m sorry, is that not what you ordered?” It is, you know it is, you heard him say it.

“No, that’s mine,” the man quickly responds, reaching out to snatch the cup in a motion that makes you flinch. “But do you hear this fucking song?”

The honest answer is no: at this point the ever-present Christmas music might as well be white noise, so you have to make a conscious effort to tune back in and listen. It’s a few seconds, and then you pick up on the melody. “…Last Christmas?”

“Uh, yeah,” he continues, explaining like you’re stupid. “The original. Last Christmas by Wham!” When it’s clear you still aren’t putting the pieces together, he scoffs in pure frustration. “You just made me lose Whamageddon! I’ve won every year for the last five years, I can’t believe you would even put this on your fucking playlist!”

Your face pulls into an incredulous grimace before you can think to control it. “Uh, I’m sorry, but I didn’t make the—”

He cuts you off. “First off, I don’t need the fucking attitude. And surely you’re at least capable of checking what songs are on there, right? That’s not too advanced for you to handle?”

You didn’t even hear Namjoon walk up from the back office, but he’s suddenly stepping in front of you, and you’re more than glad to move back and let him handle this dude before you end up in jail. “Woah, woah, alright,” Namjoon interjects, his voice loud enough to carry. “What’s going on?”

The man beats you to it. “I’m trying to file a legitimate complaint and she’s rolling her fucking eyes and getting an attitude with me!”

“It’s the song,” you explain briefly, trying to keep everything about your expression neutral. “He’s mad that we’re… playing Wham.”

Namjoon’s face twists in an expression that you would find funny if you weren’t so fucking livid, one that you’re pretty sure is the mirror image of your own reaction minutes earlier. “The song? Seriously?”

You can see the guy scrambling, clearly starting to get embarrassed at his own dramatics. “Alright, I don’t have time for this. I guess I just need to take my business elsewhere, because this is ridiculous. What ever happened to the customer is always right?”

Namjoon goes silent for a minute, and you try to ignore the way the look on his face makes your pulse quicken, thudding brightly in the hollow of your neck. His voice is deadly serious when he speaks again. “I appreciate that you’re upset, but if you’re going to look my employee in the face, after she just performed a service for you, and disrespect her like that? Over a fucking song? Nah, I’m not gonna tolerate it. Maybe the next time you want someone to make you a toothpaste drink, you should take your ass to Starbucks.”

It takes every ounce of strength you have to keep the reaction off your face until the asshole has stormed out the front door, nasty drink in hand. As the bell finally tinkles to signal his departure, you collapse forward, just barely catching yourself on the counter so you don’t crumple straight down to the floor.

“Oh my god.” Your laugh of disbelief comes out more like a groan, at the ridiculous complaint and your boss’ insanely attractive comeback alike. “I fucking hate this time of year.”

“Hey.” The word is punctuated by Namjoon’s shoulder bumping into yours, and you look back up at him, still laughing a little at your own misery. His eyes search yours, sincere. “Assholes are assholes no matter what season it is. I’m sure that guy finds plenty of things to complain about the other eleven months of the year, too. Don’t let him ruin it for you.”

You can’t help rolling your eyes, if only because you can do it freely now, without a man standing over you and yelling about your ‘bad attitude’. “I guess,” you huff. “And thank you.”

Namjoon shakes his head, like it’s nothing. “Chin up, okay?”

The two of you breeze through closing that night, familiar enough to fall into a steady routine now. You’re wiping everything down behind the counter and humming along to Tupac when Namjoon’s voice drags you back out of your thoughts in a way you’ve already grown accustomed to.

“You know…”

You glance up, only to realize that he’s started to flip chairs on top of tables to clear the floor, and is grabbing them two at a time, one in each hand. The image makes you a little dizzy, and you tell yourself to focus on his words, not his biceps.

“I think we make a pretty good team,” he concludes.

“Yeah,” you breathe, trying to keep your composure at the unexpected compliment. “I was thinking the same thing. And thanks again for, you know. Handling that guy.”

Namjoon shrugs, like it’s nothing. “Hey, you’re doing me a favor, taking this seasonal job. I’m not about to let anyone fuck with you.”

You bite down on a smile as you head towards the back to grab the mop, and then you hear a loud bang on the front door— it’s another sound you’ve gotten used to in your brief time at Indigo. There’s the click of the deadbolt, chased by the tinkling overhead bell and Namjoon’s chiding voice. “Homie, if you break my door I’m gonna make you get a job to pay me back for it.”

“You think I don’t know about child labor laws?” you hear Sol retort, clearly not intimidated, and the attitude in their voice has you biting back a laugh.

Wheeling the mop bucket out of the storage closet, you glance up to see Namjoon jut his chin toward the large front window, indicating Sol to take a seat on the ledge. “Feet off the floor, she’s tryna clean.”

Sol complies, plopping down in the window with their eyes glued to their phone as Namjoon disappears back toward the office to grab his things. You watch as Sol pulls their knees into their chest so their chunky black boots clear the tile, and you can’t help noticing that said boots are adorned with oversized silver bat-shaped buckles, reflecting the amber streetlight gleam that leaks through the window.

“I like your boots,” you say, more to yourself than Sol, half expecting them to be so engrossed in TikTok that they don’t even hear you.

But to your surprise, Sol looks up.

“Thanks,” they say, glancing at their feet. “I just got them. I’m in my post-hardcore era right now.”

The statement is delivered without a trace of irony, and you do your best to hold in another amused giggle as you respond. “Wow, you are… so much cooler than I was when I was your age.”

Sol seems to consider this for a moment, then shrugs. “I mean, you didn’t have the internet back then, right?”

The question hits you like a train, and you have to pause and press a hand over your heart at the impact. “Okay, ouch, I’m not that old.” They grimace apologetically, and you lean up against the mop handle in thought. “But the internet definitely wasn’t like it is now. The only social media that really existed was Myspace, and my parents wouldn’t let me make one. I mostly just used the internet to, like, play RuneScape.”

“Oh shit,” Sol remarks, sounding remarkably like Namjoon in the process. “You played old school?!”

It’s like you can feel your bones crumbling to dust inside your body, and you wince as you resume dragging the mop over the tile. “Hey, back then it was the only kind of RuneScape we had. But yes, you can consider me a… founding father of that game.”

“That’s cool!” they exclaim, sounding so genuine it makes your head spin. When did RuneScape become cool again? “My friends and I play old school all the time. It’s the best, for real.”

You shake your head in disbelief as you continue to mop, and a long pause settles between you, with Sol’s interest clearly returning to their phone.

Fuck, you think to yourself, what else do kids even talk about? Marvel movies? It’s like your mind has gone totally blank, unable to conjure up a single topic of conversation, and you practically huff out an audible sigh of relief when their voice breaks the silence again.

“I think my dad has been happier since you started working here.”

The mop nearly slips out of your hands entirely, and you glance up, eyes wide. “I— really?”

Sol nods, playing absentmindedly with the strings of their black hoodie, then bringing the end of one up to their mouth to gently chew on. “It’s a theory I have. A game theory. I plan to ask additional follow-up questions tonight.”

At this, you can’t help but laugh. “Well, I’m sure your investigation will be very thorough.”

There’s a flash of a dimple in Sol’s cheek, like the mirror image of their dad. “I can tell you what he says, if you want.”

You wonder how telling your own smile is. “I mean… I can’t say I’m not curious.” You’re distantly aware of the sound of the office door closing, chased by Joon whistling to himself, and you lower your voice conspiratorially as you drop the mop back into the bucket. “I look forward to hearing what you find out.”

Monday morning, when you wake up to the omnipresent smize of Nick Jonas, you can’t help smiling back. 

You made it through your first week of work, and it wasn’t even that torturous. And best of all, Namjoon reminded you the night before that Indigo is closed on Mondays, which gives you an entire day to spend as you please. A real day off, which was truly unheard of at your last job, where you’d spend your non-scheduled days still anticipating an incoming emergency text asking you to cover a shift last-minute. More often than not, you’d end up working after all.

“But not today,” you announce to Nick.

A grand plan has already started to form in your head, one that involves a party size bag of Hot Cheetos and all eight episodes of The Fabulous, and yet. There’s a lingering urge at the back of your brain that you can’t quite ignore. With all the day-off energy you can muster, you drag yourself out of bed and tug on a pair of leggings and a sweatshirt, then shuffle into the bathroom to at least make yourself halfway decent.

You’re just going for a quick walk around the block to get some fresh air, you tell yourself. That’s all. Certainly no other reason.

It’s only a few minutes after you step out your front door that a fluffy white blur nearly collides with your shins, and when you stoop down to lift Moni into your arms, you once again can’t keep the smile off your face. Huh, who could’ve seen this coming?

But when you glance up, there’s no hot buff man jogging up the sidewalk after his dog. In fact, you realize as you look back at the ball of fluff in your arms, he isn’t wearing a leash or harness at all, just another cute sweater.

“Are you even supposed to be out here?” you ask Moni. His only answer is to drag his tongue up the side of your face.

You shift him a little in your arms so you can fumble for the tag attached to his collar, and thankfully, there’s an address listed. It takes you a second to get your bearings in the neighborhood, having not lived here for close to a decade, but it eventually comes back to you where the listed street is, and you start to walk. Moni is already blinking sleepily in your arms, clearly enjoying his preferred mode of transportation.

A laugh bubbles up in your chest as you approach the house in question— even if you hadn’t had Moni’s tag to guide you, finding his home would’ve been easy enough as soon as you passed this street, because you can hear old school hip-hop bumping through a speaker despite still being several houses down the block. You suppose Namjoon can get away with it during the day, when all the neighborhood kids are still in school.

As you make your way up the driveway, you realize the music is actually coming from behind the house, and when you follow the path that leads around back, you spot the culprit: a simple wooden-slat fence surrounds the yard, and the gate has been left wide open.

Before you can even make it over the threshold, a familiar voice reaches your ears, sounding much closer than the music. “Ah, shit.”

Namjoon comes barreling through the open gate so fast he practically runs you over, and Moni yaps, like he’s annoyed at being jostled as you quickly try to stumble out of his owner’s path.

“Oh. Uh, hi.”

You wonder if you’ll ever be able to take in how shock looks on Namjoon’s features without giggling a little. Today is certainly not that day. It’s just so endearing, the way his eyes widen and his mouth pulls into a perfect o-shape.

“Hi,” you breathe out around your laughter, trying to ignore the heat that flushes into your face when his dimples appear in return. “I think I found something that belongs to you.”

With a wave of his hand and several profuse thank yous, you follow Namjoon back through the gate, and wait until he firmly shuts it behind you before letting Moni down to trot off across the yard. It’s only now that you take Namjoon in properly: he’s in a gray hoodie under a pair of denim overalls, both of which are splattered artfully with paint in a variety of colors.

“I was just in my studio,” he explains, tipping his head toward the small shed in the yard, which you quickly realize is also the source of the music that led you here. “Doin’ some art. Do you, uh… wanna see?”

“Yeah, okay,” you answer with a nod.

“Fair warning, I’m really bad at it,” he calls over his shoulder as he leads you in the open studio door, raising his voice to be heard over the music. He reaches for his phone, propped up in the windowsill, to turn the volume down a few notches.

There’s an easel up against the far wall holding what must be his current project, a half-finished scene that you realize upon closer inspection is thousands of tiny dots of color, painstakingly blotted onto the canvas to form a mountain landscape at a distance. A few more pieces that he’s already completed have been leaned up against another wall to dry, one featuring an abstract array of featherlight brushstrokes, and another where the paint’s been globbed on in thick layers.

Namjoon is talking a mile a minute as you inspect the canvases. “I thought maybe I’d do cyanotypes today, but it’s not sunny enough, and I’ve made that mistake before. I’m really into texture right now, so I’m trying out some different techniques with paint. I want to get better at pointillism, but it’s a lot harder than you’d think it would be. ‘Cause it’s just dots, right? But you have to be able to see the forest for the trees, too.”

“These are amazing,” you finally manage to murmur, and to your surprise, the compliment actually renders him silent. When you turn back over your shoulder to look at him, he’s glancing down, almost like he’s embarrassed.

“Thanks. But I just do it for fun. ‘Cause I love art.”

“I can tell,” you say, and when he looks up, you offer him a smile you hope reads as encouraging. “Did you make the art at work, too?”

He nods, still sheepish, and that answer also surprises you. You recall thinking on your first day that the paintings hung on the walls looked handmade, but it never crossed your mind that they might have been made by Namjoon’s hands. Maybe because you’ve grown so accustomed to seeing him drop and break things, you haven’t ever considered him as also capable of… creation.

And yet, here he is. Proving you wrong.

“Sorry,” Namjoon’s voice makes you refocus on him, and your brow furrows in confusion at the unexpected apology. “This is literally your one day away from me and here I am, taking up your time. Thanks again for bringing Moni back.”

“It’s okay.” You shrug. “Don’t have much going on today, honestly. I never really know what to do with myself when I’m not working. Which I’m aware is very sad.”

“Well, uh,” Namjoon starts, and when he takes a single step closer, you swear you feel something flutter in your stomach— or maybe lower. “Sol’s got a half-day today, since it’s the last day before break, so I’m picking them up in a bit. And we were gonna go on a hike, probably take Moni too. You’re welcome to join us, if you’d like?”

Your eyes widen at the invitation. “Oh. That sounds great. I mean, if you’re sure I wouldn’t be intruding?”

He shakes his head, the corner of his mouth pulling up just so. “Nah. I actually think Sol really likes you. At least, they wouldn’t stop asking questions about you at dinner last night.”

“Is that right?” You do your best to keep your expression neutral.

Namjoon drives far enough north that there’s actually snow on the ground when you climb out of his front seat. You shove your hands into the pockets of your jacket as you follow him across the gravel parking lot towards the trailhead, a few paces behind Sol and Moni.

Sol shoots an expression of pure mischief at you over their shoulder, and then immediately starts to sprint up the marked path through the woods, Moni easily keeping up.

“Bye, nerds!” you hear them call before they disappear between the trees.

“Stay on the trail!” Namjoon shouts back, sounding as dad-like as you’ve ever heard him, and you can’t help but laugh. The two of you quicken your steps slightly to not fall too far behind, tracking the set of boot and paw-prints they’ve left to mark their trail.

For a moment, it’s silent between you, save the crunching of snow underfoot. It’s nice, being out in nature like this, time spent with Namjoon where you aren’t suffering through Christmas music and ungrateful customers. Where you can just… breathe. It makes you feel a little less sorry for yourself, a little less fixated on your own miserable life.

You glance over at him as that strange seasonal melancholy starts to settle into your bones again. “Are the holidays… better? With a kid?”

Namjoon makes a face, like he’s surprised by the question. “I mean, they’re definitely different. Then again, it’s been a long time since I did the holidays without a kid— not since I was a kid myself. What do you mean by better?”

Self-consciousness washes over you, your gaze drifting down to the path beneath your feet. “I don’t know, there’s just… I can’t shake this weird feeling now that I’m back home. This time of year used to be so exciting for me when I was Sol’s age. Everything felt special. Magical. But now I’m back here, and nothing’s really changed, except me. But I just keep feeling like the magic is gone. It’s… sad.”

He nods, taking a moment before he responds, and he’s chuckling softly to himself when he finally does. “You know, it’s kinda funny. When Sol was younger I actually felt a lot of stress this time of year. I couldn’t really enjoy it, because I was too busy trying to make sure that they had the best holiday I could possibly give them. That they didn’t feel like they were getting any less, since, you know. Their mom and I aren’t together. It’s funny that you bring up the magic, because I put a lot of pressure on myself to make that magic happen. But now that they’re a little older, I don’t know, it’s different.”

“Different how?” you prompt.

A dimple deepens as he hesitates. “It’s gonna sound corny. But really, I realized that the holidays aren’t about the gifts, or the decorations, or every little thing going perfect. You can make yourself sick over that shit, and I did, but kids don’t really care about it.” He pauses, and for a second you think that might be it, but then he keeps going, eyes fixed on the towering pine trees ahead of you.

“The year I opened Indigo, I had sank so much fucking money into it that I was broke. Broke broke. I couldn’t afford a single gift, a tree, not even a turkey. Sol and I sat on the floor of my shitty apartment and ate Chapagetti and watched Friends. And I felt like the biggest fucking failure imaginable. And then you know what happened?”

“What?”

“Sol turned to me, and they said, ‘This is the best Christmas ever, because we get to hang out, just the two of us.’” He blinks a few times, like he’s trying to ward off tears, and his voice comes back slightly less steady than before. “I still don’t know if they said that because they really meant it, or if they could just tell that I needed to hear it. But either way, I thought to myself: how fucking lucky am I, to have such a great kid? Like what did I ever do to deserve them? I still feel that way.”

Namjoon shrugs, as if to shake off the emotion. “I don’t know. Maybe that’s not helpful to you, but. I just see it differently now. It’s not about the what, or the how. It’s about the who. Spending this time of year with the people you care about, and making sure they know you do. That’s the real magic.”

You realize the trail has carried you up the sloping hillside, and is now flattening out at the edge of a clearing, where you can see Moni chasing Sol through the snow, can hear their high-pitched laughter ringing out in the wide-open air.

When you turn back to Namjoon, he’s already looking at you.

“I’m sorry you don’t feel the magic right now. I didn’t either, for a long time. But it does come back, I believe that. It’ll come back for you, too.”

You blink up at him, overwhelmed by his willingness to be so honest, and by the wisdom of his words. “I— thank you,” you finally manage to say.

Namjoon doesn’t answer, just glances up to where Sol and Moni are still playing, and your gaze follows his out over the snow-covered field. Sol is dusting off a sizable stick, and they call out for Moni to fetch before launching it into a dramatic arc, high up in the air.

Moni watches it go, entirely disinterested, then settles onto his haunches in the snow with a yawn.

“You’re so bad at being a dog!” Sol shouts, and that’s enough to make you and Namjoon both dissolve into laughter. They look up at the sound, hands-on-hips, before yelling again, this time in your direction. “My dad said he has a crush on you!”

Your jaw drops open, and Namjoon’s eyes are wide as you’ve ever seen them when you look up at him.

“Damn, dude, you said you were gonna be chill about it!” he exclaims, and you press a hand to your mouth as a fresh wave of giggles overtakes you. Given how long Namjoon’s legs are, it only takes him a few strides to catch up to Sol. You stay a tentative distance behind him, but still close enough to be able to make out their conversation.

“Uncle Hobi says you need to be bolder with women,” Sol chides, matter-of-fact.

“Uncle Hobi says a lot of shit,” Namjoon mutters under his breath.

“He painted my nails,” Sol raises their voice, clearly talking more to you than to their dad, and holds up a hand for you to see, waggling their fingers proudly.

“They look great,” you call out in response.

Namjoon turns back to you as you step in closer, then juts his chin to a bench at the other side of the clearing. “Sit with me for a sec?”

With a nod, you follow him over, and he wipes the metal surface free of snow with his sleeve before gesturing for you to have a seat. For a moment, the two of you sit silently and watch Sol, who is already busying themself with building a snowperson while Moni slow-blinks encouragingly from a distance.

Namjoon’s words chase a heavy sigh. “I’m gonna be real with you, despite the fact that my child just stole my thunder. I like you a lot.”

Your heart swells in your chest, threatening to burst. “I-I like you too,” you stammer back immediately. “Have definitely been harboring my own crush… basically since I started working at Indigo.”

When you turn to look at him, it surprises you a little that he isn’t smiling. You can see a muscle working in his jaw, like he’s nervous.

“That’s the thing,” he finally relents. “Work. I don’t— I hadn’t really planned to tell you how I was feeling, or act on it. Because I’m your boss, and that means, you know. There’s a power dynamic there. And it would be… unethical of me to blur the lines like that, by getting involved with my employee. I wanted you to come out with us today because it was a chance for you and I to be equals, outside of work, but it’s not like that dynamic just goes away, you know? And I feel a little guilty about it now. Because I really like being around you so much, but I just. We can’t. It wouldn’t be right. Not while you’re working for me.”

You stare down at the snow under your boots as you take in his words, and you can’t help it. Try as you might to sit there and take his worries seriously, laughter flutters out of you before you can hold it in.

“What?” Namjoon asks, and you shake your head, trying to compose yourself.

“I really, really appreciate that you gave it so much thought,” you say, willing your voice to stay even. “I mean it.”

“It’s weighed really heavy on me, if I’m honest,” he says solemnly, and you glance over to see him staring into the middle distance, like he’s deep in contemplation.

Before you can stop yourself, you’re reaching out to where his hand rests on the bench between you and covering it with your own.

“Namjoon?” you ask softly, and it seems to snap him out of his trance enough to look back at you.

“Please don’t take this the wrong way,” you preface. “But if I have to choose between you and my stupid seasonal coffee shop job?” The smile starts to flicker over your face again. “Then I quit. I quit right now.”

“Oh thank god,” Namjoon breathes, and you can only make a soft noise of surprise when all at once, he takes your face in his hands and kisses you. You need a split second for the shock to wear off, and then you’re moving your mouth against his, one hand fisting tight in the fabric of his jacket. His lips are full and warm, and it feels like far too soon that he’s pulling back again, his cheeks flushed with color.

“Will you, uh—” he pauses, like he’s remembering how to form a sentence. “Will you still work tomorrow though? Jimin’s back after Christmas, but I really don’t think I can survive a shift on my own.”

“Yeah,” you murmur, still a little breathless from his kiss. “Yeah, I think you’d burn the place down.”

Unable to deny the claim, he laughs brightly as you untangle from each other, then gets to his feet before offering a hand to help you up. “We should head out, it’s gonna get dark soon.”

It’s true: across the wide clearing you can already see the sun threatening to sink back down between the trees, casting a golden-pink light that gleams off the snow and paints the world in warmth.

Sol leads the way back through the woods to the car, tugging Moni along by their leash, while you and Namjoon bring up the rear. You glance over at him a few times to catch him staring, and you scrape your teeth across your bottom lip, unable to keep the smile off your face, unable to stop yourself from mentally replaying the moment when he kissed you, over and over.

Just as you step under the shadow of a large tree, snow-covered branches stretching up toward the clear sky above you, Namjoon stops in the path. It’s so abrupt that you continue a few more paces before you even realize, and then you stop, too, glancing back towards him.

“Hey Sol,” Namjoon calls. “Think you and Moni can make it all the way back to the car in ten seconds?”

“I know what you’re doing,” comes Sol’s cheeky reply, but when Namjoon starts counting backwards from ten, you can hear the crunch of their boots taking off down the path.

“Eight, seven, six…” You watch as Namjoon cranes his neck until he deems Sol far enough out of sight, taking a step toward you as his counting trails off, and you find yourself pulled into him like a magnet. “Come here,” he murmurs, and then his hands are slipping up your waist and guiding you backwards until your back hits the trunk of the tree.

In true Namjoon fashion, he uses way more strength than is necessary for the task, and though your winter jacket cushions you from the impact, you’re smacked against the bark so hard that it knocks a dusting of snow off the branches above you, covering you both in flakes that stick to your hair and eyelashes. The sudden rush of cold makes you gasp into Namjoon’s mouth, but then he’s rolling his tongue over yours and you can’t think about anything else. A heavy pulse has started to thud between your legs at the heat of his breath in your mouth, the way his hips have you pinned to the tree, his body big enough to cover yours entirely.

“Joon,” you find the air to breathe as his lips trail hungrily down the slope of your neck. You rake a hand through his hair, white-blonde strands studded with snow, to try and pull his attention back, despite very much not wanting him to stop. “Joon, we should go. Before someone steals your kid.”

“Yeah,” he murmurs against your skin, and then his mouth is on yours again for one more kiss, like he can’t get enough. “Okay,” he finally grunts as he pulls away, sounding as begrudgingly responsible as you feel. Your head is still spinning; you want nothing more than to stay here and let him kiss you dizzy.

“Let’s go.”

He takes a step back so you can right yourself, reaching out to dust some snow off your jacket, and then the two of you resume walking up the path, sharing a breathless laugh like confidantes. You assume it’s just his standard clumsiness when Namjoon’s hand knocks into yours, but then his fingers are twining through yours purposefully, until you’re pressed palm to palm.

The rush of heat that blooms in your chest at his touch keeps you warm the rest of the way to the car.

Your last shift at Indigo somehow manages to feel exactly like every shift that’s come before it and completely new at the same time.

The work is the same, the steady stream of customers unchanged, the Christmas music still an aggravating soundtrack. But you no longer feel like you have to ignore the butterflies that flutter in your stomach when Namjoon asks you a question, or meets your gaze across the shop.

The only urges you have to suppress are indecent ones, made worse by Namjoon seemingly taking advantage of every opportunity to touch you: hip-checking you when you’re both standing at the front counter, pressing a hand to the small of your back whenever he has to squeeze behind you, leaning in a little closer than necessary to be heard over the noise of the milk steamer. It’s enough to make your breath hitch each time, and you can’t help but wonder if he feels the same relief at not having to hold back anymore.

Towards the end of the night, it surprises you when the typically consistent flow of customers starts to slow down, until it seems to have ceased entirely. You still have two hours to go, but you find yourself staring at the walls, every table empty, having done all the side work you can think of to distract yourself from boredom.

The sound of the front door’s lock clicking shut makes you glance up, only to see Namjoon flipping the open sign over.

“What are you doing?” you ask, blinking dumbfounded, and he looks over his shoulder at you with a shrug.

“It’s Christmas Eve Eve, and I’m the owner, so. We’re closing early. Effective immediately.” The decree makes you laugh a little, and his dimples wink back. “Let’s finish cleaning, I wanna show you something.”

In record time, you find yourself standing outside the front door of Indigo as Namjoon locks up, only tonight your hands are kept warm by the hot chocolates he’d made for the two of you as you closed. He takes his cup back once his hands are free, and you try a tentative sip from yours, now cool enough to drink without burning your mouth. Given what you witnessed of his barista abilities on your first day, you brace yourself for the worst, but your eyes widen in pleasant surprise when the liquid hits your tongue.

“Being a dad means getting really good at a few specific things,” he says by way of explanation as he unlocks his car doors, and you smile as you slip into the passenger seat.

It occurs to you as Namjoon starts to drive that you don’t actually know where he’s taking you, but when you open your mouth to ask at the next red light, he leans over you to fumble open the glovebox and you lose your train of thought. He fishes inside for a few seconds before retrieving a CD case, then makes quick work of prying it open and sliding the disc into the slot on the dash. You attempt to hide your giggle behind the rim of your cup.

“No wonder you like ‘90s music so much. You’re still living there,” you say, nodding to his antiquated stereo, and he smirks as he turns up the volume. 

“This is A Tribe Called Quest,” he remarks, quirking an eyebrow when he looks back at you. “You better show some respect.”

“Yes, sir,” you tease in response, and you don’t miss the color that flushes his cheeks.

The light turns green and he accelerates through the intersection, one hand on the steering wheel, the other reaching across the center console to grip playfully at your leg, a few inches above your knee. You can see his tongue pressed to the inside of his cheek, like he’s considering saying something, but when he finally opens his mouth, it’s just to rap along to the music.

It’s only a few songs later that he’s turning off the main road and following a barely-lit gravel path up to a large grassy parking lot, where he pulls into a space and kills the engine. You squint through the windshield, tucking your now-empty drink into the cupholder, but you can’t make out much except dusk and some vague lights over a hill in the distance.

“Was this crush thing just a ploy to murder me?” you quip, and Namjoon looks a little nervous when you glance over, like he took the question to heart. “I’m kidding,” you clarify quickly.

His voice comes out surprisingly soft. “This is one of my favorite things to do during the holidays. Thought it might help with, you know. The magic.”

Something cracks open inside you as you look back at him. “That’s… really sweet.”

“Ah,” he says, as if to dismiss the compliment. “You haven’t seen it yet. Maybe you’ll hate it. Come on.”

The two of you climb out of his car to start your trek to whatever he has in store, heading in the direction of the lights, and Namjoon’s hand slips into yours, like it’s already second nature. Easy and sweet. You grip tight to him, the night air colder now than it was when you left work, but then you finally crest over the hill, and the temperature is suddenly the furthest thing from your mind.

It takes you a moment to even understand what you’re looking at. The place is clearly some kind of arboretum, as the path ahead of you snakes through a perfectly manicured garden of various plants, but the only thing you can focus on are the lights. Every tree, bush, shrub, and other kind of greenery that lines the walkway has been intricately strung up with lights, each one boasting a different hue. The end result is nothing short of dazzling— a veritable rainbow of light and life and color, glittering diamond-bright against the deep-set night around you.

“Namjoon,” you breathe. “This is beautiful.”

There’s a dimple flickering at the corner of his mouth when you look up at him. “Thought you might like it.”

“I can’t believe I never knew this was here,” you remark, your eyes wide and blinking as you try to take it all in.

“Hey,” he answers with a shrug. “Maybe your hometown still has a few good surprises left in it.” You exhale a laugh as you lean into his side and he squeezes your joined hands; you can’t help feeling like you’ve already found the greatest surprise of them all.

After an hour spent wandering through the displays, each one more breathtaking than the last, Namjoon diverts you toward a small food stand. He comes away from the counter with a paper carton filled to the brim with long ropes of twisted, fried dough, warm enough to release steam into the air when you tear one apart to share, and dusted with cinnamon sugar that sticks to your fingertips.

The two of you take a few steps back down the path until you’re under an archway of glowing golden lights, then eventually come to a standstill, too hungry to do anything except devour your food.

Namjoon speaks first, mid-chew. “Can I ask you a question?”

“What’s up?” you answer as you reach for another piece.

He swallows, swiping the back of his hand over his mouth before he continues. “At your interview, you said your life fell apart. What happened?”

“Oh.” You smirk as you rip the braided dough in two, then in two again, before popping it into your mouth. “It seems a little silly now, but. I got fired from that last job, like I told you. And the same day, my roommate pretty much kicked me out of the apartment, because he wanted his boyfriend to move in. He was also my best friend, so. It stung a little. A lot. Moving back in with your parents at this age is humbling, to say the least. Feels a lot like starting over.”

Namjoon hums, like he understands. “I’m sorry about your friend.”

“Eh,” you respond noncommittally. “I should probably be happy for him. The timing just… wasn’t amazing.”

“You know,” he murmurs, thoughtful. “I thought my life was over when my ex and I got pregnant. Not even eighteen and about to be a dad. I really felt like… I don’t know, like that was it for me.” You nod slowly, unable to even fathom what that must’ve been like.

“But, here I am. Still alive.” Namjoon flashes you a grin, and you find yourself smiling back. “Still figuring it out. I actually feel like I’ve learned a lot from watching Sol grow up. They’re like—” He shakes his head, as if at a momentary loss for words. “They’re like a different person every month, I swear. What they’re into, how they dress. Who they wanna be. It makes me feel, I don’t know. Like it’s okay. Like I can change too.” He shrugs. “That’s the thing about life. It’s long. And even when you feel like it’s ended… it keeps going anyway.”

His words wash over you, and you’re so in awe that you can’t help but laugh.

“Ah, sorry.” He grimaces, suddenly self-conscious. “I know that was corny.”

“No, no,” you interject, trying to keep your composure. “I just think you are like, literally the wisest person I’ve ever met.”

The lights glimmering overhead aren’t enough to hide the way Namjoon blushes at the compliment, and then he pauses, as if recalling something. “Didn’t I nearly run the blender with the lid off on your first day?”

You double-over at the memory, and he’s laughing now, too. “Okay, okay. Fair point.” 

The thought keeps circling around in your brain as you dust cinnamon sugar from each other’s jackets and continue your way around the rest of the gardens, occasionally pausing to trade sticky-sweet kisses in the twinkling glow: you don’t want the night to end. You keep glancing over at Namjoon, wondering if he’s feeling the same way as he drives you back into town, the heat in his car on full blast, the CD player still underscoring your conversation.

“So, what do your Christmas plans look like?” he asks, eyes flitting briefly from the road to meet your gaze.

You fiddle with a button on your coat, wishing you had a less depressing answer. “I was just gonna spend it by myself. My parents already had a vacation in Hawaii planned, so I’m gonna do what I always do: hole up with booze and snacks and wait for it all to be over.”

He chuckles, tapping his fingertips absentmindedly against the steering wheel. “Well, I have about a hundred presents to wrap tomorrow night while Sol’s at their mom’s. Why don’t you come over and help? I can even provide the booze.” There’s a pause, and his voice comes back softer before you can respond. “You shouldn’t be alone.”

The corner of your mouth tugs up at his sincerity, the way he gently cares for you, has since day one. “Yeah, okay. I mean, you had me at free alcohol.”

Just like that, Namjoon is already turning back into the Indigo parking lot, where your car sits waiting for you. The two of you shrug off your seatbelts once he’s pulled into a space and parked, and he reaches to turn down the music before shifting in his seat to get a better look at you.

“So,” he starts, clearing his throat a little. “You are officially no longer my employee.”

“And you are no longer my boss,” you answer back, and a thrill buzzes in your chest at the statement.

“Which means,” he continues, doing his best to lean over the center console, “I can do this.” He barely finishes getting the words out before his mouth is on yours, your eyes fluttering closed, his kisses far less chaste than the ones you shared earlier. They’re open-mouthed and urgent this time, with Namjoon slipping his tongue into the heat of your mouth like he’s been waiting all night for it.

“Uh-huh,” you murmur between kisses, and then he dips his head lower, until his lips find the join of your neck and shoulder.

“And this,” he purrs before kissing you just as hungrily there, tongue-first. You can’t hold back the soft noise his mouth pulls out of you.

“Fuck,” you breathe as he sucks gently over the same spot, with just enough pressure to make you writhe in your seat. A shiver rolls up your spine when he hums against your skin, clearly pleased at your reaction.

“And, uh…” You slowly blink your eyes open when you feel the warmth of his breath dissipate, and he’s looking at you with his brow furrowed, as if attempting some difficult mental math. “Actually—” He reaches down for the lever to adjust his seat, and it drops all the way back with a graceless thud that makes a laugh flutter out of you. “Maybe you could take your jacket off and come over here?”

You don’t need him to ask you twice, and you’re moving quickly as you peel out of the thick material and scramble across the console to straddle him. You both groan a little when you duck down to press your mouth to his again, all of this suddenly feeling much more real now that you’re basically horizontal. His hands alight on your hips, tentative, like he isn’t quite sure what to do with them, and you smile against his lips.

“Touch me, Joon,” you instruct, and he does as he’s told.

His hands are warm as he slips them beneath the hem of your shirt, trailing over your skin until he reaches the band of your bra. When you hum encouragingly into his mouth, he keeps going, pushing the fabric up your chest so your tits spill free from their confinement. He cups one in each hand, and though you might’ve expected him to be clumsy or rough, given everything you’ve seen of him thus far, you’re surprised to instead find that he’s gentle, thumbs circling your nipples with just the right amount of pressure to tighten them into stiff peaks.

Unable to bite back your whimper at the heat that blossoms through you at his touch, at how much more of him you need, you pull away just enough to break your kiss, glancing up through the back window of his car to confirm the parking lot is still empty.

Namjoon groans low in his throat when you reach down to tug up the hem of your shirt, shifting a little on top of him to give him better access. He doesn’t hesitate, thumb still working at one nipple while he takes the other into his mouth, and your sigh of relief comes edged with a soft moan when he swirls his tongue over the bud of your breast.

“Shit,” you gasp. “Feels so fucking good.”

He pulls off with a wet pop to switch sides, and the slick heat of his mouth sends bolt after bolt of arousal through you until there’s a dull ache of need thudding between your legs. As you roll your hips in desperate search of friction, you can feel him beneath you, straining hard against the fabric of his jeans.

Namjoon pulls his mouth off your breast, letting out a hoarse laugh when you shift to drop your forehead against his collarbone with a groan, horny enough to practically be delirious. “I hate that I’m even saying this,” he rasps, “but I really can’t have sex in a car. I’m too—”

“Big?” you offer, and there’s a smile on his lips as he presses a kiss to your temple.

“I was going to say old.”

You can’t help giggling as you lean up to find his mouth with yours again. Namjoon kisses you a little while longer, lazily, his hands still kneading gently at your tits, until he finally tips his head back, heaving a sigh up to the roof of his car. “Okay, okay. You should go.” His tone is reluctant, like it’s the last thing he wants. “It’s late. And my jeans fucking hurt.”

There’s a self-satisfied smirk toying at your mouth as you sit up, tugging your bra and shirt back into place and not missing the bulge in Namjoon’s pants where your hips meet his. “I will take the blame for that one.”

He folds his hands behind his head, biceps and dimples on full display. “Damn straight.”

You lean down for one more kiss, letting it linger before you make your way back over the center console to retrieve your jacket. “Have a good night, Joon,” you murmur as you reach for the door handle, and when you glance back, his eyes are fixed on you, still heavy-lidded with lust.

“Get home safe. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I have booze, as promised.” Namjoon’s voice echoes in from the kitchen as you kick off your boots and hang your coat up at his front door come Christmas Eve. The aroma hits your nose as your socked feet pad down the hall to follow him: the spice of cinnamon and clove, paired with a hint of citrus. It smells like the holidays, like home.

“Mulled wine?” you wager a guess, and he nods, turning away from the stove to retrieve two mugs from a cabinet.

“I halved the recipe, since it’s just us,” he explains, mouth pulling down at the corners as he starts to ladle out servings from the pot full of deep red liquid. “Still made a lot, though.”

Your eyes drift across the kitchen until they land on the two empty bottles of red sitting next to the sink, and that makes you pause for a moment to consider. “So the original recipe called for four bottles?”

Namjoon’s brow is furrowed when he glances up, and then he follows your gaze, and a look of delayed understanding washes over him. “Oh, fuck.”

Your elbows dig into the kitchen island as you press your hands to your mouth, as if to physically hold in your laughter. “Did you… halve everything in the recipe except the wine?”

His eyes drop closed as he nods, his answer a resigned sigh. “Yeah. Yes, I did.”

You can’t help yourself: all at once, you’re circling around to join Namjoon behind the stove, so you can take his face in your hands and pull his mouth down to yours. He makes a soft noise of surprise, but then his lips fall into rhythm, kissing you hard enough to knock the air out of your lungs. Even through the fabric of your shirt, his large hands are warm when they slide over the small of your back, and then they keep going, until you finally break the kiss with another laugh when he reaches his final target and outright grabs your ass.

“Not the reaction I anticipated,” Namjoon admits, paired with a teasing squeeze. “But I’ll take it.”

You look up at him through your lashes, pressing your palms flat to the firm plane of his chest. “A very wise friend of mine once told me that the holidays aren’t about every little thing going perfect. I thought maybe you needed a reminder.”

His dimples deepen as his eyes search yours, and his voice is lower in his throat when he responds. “I think that fool was just sayin’ words because a pretty girl asked him a question.”

Heat flushes your face as you smile back. “Well, they were very good words.” You drop your gaze to the pot on the stove. “Come on, I bet we can salvage this.”

Determined to save Christmas, you throw in another handful of spices, chased with a few glugs from a bottle of orange juice Namjoon heroically digs out of the back of the fridge. After a few more minutes of simmering, you take a tentative sip of the mixture to find it perfectly adequate.

“I guess we just have to drink twice as much now,” Namjoon quips, filling up two fresh mugs with the remedied wine. You raise an eyebrow back at him, as if to accept the challenge, while you tap your drinks together in a cheers.

By the time you realize that a double-batch of mulled wine and gift-wrapping don’t exactly go together, it’s already too late. The booze makes Namjoon’s big hands go even clumsier, the few presents he attempts an absolute disaster, and you can’t stop laughing long enough to be of any help. At one point he reaches up to cup your jaw for a kiss, but completely misjudges the distance, deftly knocking into his half-drunk mug and spilling the contents all over a tube of wrapping paper and the crotch of your jeans.

You dissolve into giggles until you can scarcely breathe, scooting your chair a few inches back from the table as he jumps up to grab something to soak up the mess. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” you manage to gasp when he returns, immediately focused on cleaning you up first. You wave him away as you get to your feet. “Seriously, it’s not that bad, it’s mostly the table.”

“Jesus,” Namjoon groans as he drops the kitchen towels in his hands onto the wooden surface, doing his best to soak up the puddle, though there’s no saving the ruined gift-wrap.

“It’s not a big deal,” you murmur as he turns back, once again examining the extent of the damage done to your clothes. A shiver rolls through you as his thumb brushes over the waistband of your jeans, and he grimaces a little.

“This is probably gonna stain.”

“I mean…” Your pulse starts to quicken as his fingertips linger where they are, and Namjoon’s gaze flits up to meet yours when you speak, clearly hearing a shift in your tone of voice. “I could just… take them off.”

A smile teases at the corner of your mouth when his eyes widen. “Yeah,” he breathes, then seems to self-correct. “I mean, uh. If-if that’s something you would feel comfortable doing.”

You’re already reaching to undo the button, and then Namjoon takes over to tug open the zipper and push the fabric down your legs, and your nipples tighten beneath your bra at the reminder of how gentle his large hands can be. His lips find yours again and you don’t hesitate to lick into his mouth, jostling slightly as you try to make out with him and kick your pants the rest of the way off at the same time. It’s graceless, but you manage to make it work, and then he pulls away from you to glance back down.

“It looks like a little got on your shirt, too.”

He’s right, you realize: there are faint purple marks splattered just above the hem of your long-sleeve, and you smirk as you look up at him.

“If I didn’t know you better, I’d think you did this on purpose,” you tease, and then in one swift move you pull your shirt over your head, letting it drop to the kitchen floor next to your discarded jeans.

Namjoon’s hands are instantly on your bare skin, trailing heat as they trace the curve from your hip to your waist, and your breath hitches as he ducks down to brush his lips over your collarbone. The low tone of his voice reverberates through you when he speaks against your skin. “I like to think I could’ve gotten you naked tonight even without being an accident-prone idiot.”

You run a hand along the line of his jaw, tipping his head up to seek a kiss, before leaning back to murmur, “I guess we’ll never know.”

He kisses you again, and the two of you stumble across the threshold into the living room, pausing along the way to peel off his sweater and then his jeans, laughing into each other’s mouths, just drunk enough to lack any semblance of coordination you might have otherwise had.

When you drop down to lay back on his sofa, you’re both stripped to your underwear, and you can feel the thick bulge of him, pressing firm-heavy heat into your thigh as he settles his hips between your spread legs.

Namjoon’s eyes roam over your body beneath him, and then he’s tugging the lace of your panties to the side to slip a finger into your drenched center, beckoning it up to rub you just right. Your mouth drops open as he traces slow circles against your front wall, and when he adds a second digit, you can’t help but whimper softly at the stretch. It thrums through you like your lingering red wine buzz, hot and thick and good enough to get lost in, your head dropping back on the couch cushions as your hips rock up into his touch.

“Goddamn,” Namjoon groans, and your eyes flutter open again to take him in, his gaze heavy-lidded as he watches his fingers disappear up into you, coaxing slick sounds out with each pump of his hand. “I had a whole plan,” he rasps. “To take my time. But, fuck, I really want to fuck you.”

“It’s okay, Joon,” you breathe, not sure how much longer you could stand the torturous feeling of his clothed cock grinding into your thigh, so close to where you want him. An ache throbs in your cunt, needy, plugged up with two fingers but still begging for more. “Just fuck me.”

Realization flashes over his face, and then he suddenly heaves a sigh, looking defeated. You have to bite back a noise at the loss as he withdraws his fingers. “I— there’s an obvious joke here, but. I don’t have any condoms. Or if I do, they’re definitely expired.”

It takes you a second to process the revelation, and then you reach up to pull him down to you, smiling when he hums surprise into your mouth at the unexpected response. Your lips linger on his, and then you tip your head to press a kiss to the slope of his neck, not quite able to maintain eye contact as you murmur, “I mean. I’m on the pill, and I’m clean. So.”

“Yeah?” he replies, and your nose bumps against his shoulder as you nod. “Me too. Well, I-I’m clean, I mean. I’m not on the pill.”

You can’t help the giggle that slips out as you look up at him. “Right, no, I get it.”

“Sorry,” Namjoon huffs a laugh in return, his face flushing a little. “I talk a lot, when I’m nervous.”

“I just thought it was an all-the-time thing,” you admit, and the color in his cheeks deepens.

“I’m just always nervous around you.”

Your mouth seeks his out for a kiss sweeter than the last, slower for his shy honesty and the hummingbird thrum of your heartbeat behind your ribs. The heat of his breath ghosts over your lips when you tip back to answer, “You don’t have to be.”

“So, you’re okay?” he asks, almost reverent with his question. “If we—if I don’t—”

“Please,” you insist, and it’s all the encouragement he needs.

With remarkably little fumbling, he drags the lace of your panties down your legs, letting you kick them the rest of the way off while he moves up to unclasp your bra. You slip the straps off your shoulders and drop it over the edge of the couch, then watch as he shifts to strip out of his boxers, freeing his cock with enough force that it smacks against his abdomen with a hefty thud.

You swallow hard as you take him in: long and thick, flushed dark. Big, and fuck, you want all of him; you can feel how drenched you already are between your legs at the thought of all that cock filling you up.

When you tear your gaze away to meet his, Namjoon is staring at you just as hungrily, and he brings a hand to pump himself a few times, to coat his shaft in the wetness that’s started to drool from the head of his dick.

“Come here,” he grunts, his voice rough-edged, and you waste no time straddling yourself over his hips.

Given his considerable size, you figured it might take you a second to adjust, but you want him so bad, the feeling of his cock stretching you open is all white-hot pleasure. Your fingertips dig into his shoulders as you slowly lower yourself down on him, inch by overwhelming inch, until your ass is flush with thighs.

Namjoon’s head drops back against the couch as you slowly grind your hips into him, his hands gripping at your waist to guide the movement. You can’t help the soft sound that flutters out of you: he just looks so good like this, white-blonde hair swept off his forehead, beads of sweat trailing down his temples and glistening at his collarbones, his parted lips full and kiss-bitten.

“Baby,” he groans as you start to move a little more intentionally. “Fuck, I’m not gonna last long. Tell me what to do.”

“Touch me,” you breathe, and you close a hand over one of his, guiding him down to your clit. 

Just like the night before in his car, his touch is so gentle when he begins to trace circles into the sensitive nub with his thumb. You can feel the slow-hum build of an orgasm in your core, drawn up by the steady rub of his hand, and you lean back to allow him better access, bracing yourself on his thighs as you rock along his length.

A moan rips through you as the new angle drags the head of his dick just right against your front wall, and it’s good enough to make your eyes roll back. Chasing the feeling, you shove your hips down harder, driving his cock into that spot over and over until your thighs have started to tremble.

“That’s it,” Namjoon grunts encouragingly, his voice husky. “Use me, baby. Look so good when you bounce on my cock like that.”

The words set every last one of your nerve endings alight, and you dig your nails into his skin as your spine arches from the pleasure. His thumb is still working steadily at your clit, and the heavy stretch of his cock has you so wet, you can feel arousal starting to leak down your thighs. Your pussy clings to him like a vice, a throbbing-tight heat, taking him to the hilt every time.

“Oh my god, Joon,” you groan, “I’m gonna come.”

His touch doesn’t let up, and you can feel yourself teetering right on the precipice of it, only able to manage little gasps as you drop yourself down onto his cock again and again and again, with enough force that there’s an audible sound of your skin slapping against his.

Your legs are outright shaking from the effort now, from how close you are, and then Namjoon ducks his head, using his free hand to guide your tit into his mouth. The swirl of his tongue laved across the tight bud of your nipple is just what you need to push you over the edge.

With a moan that’s more like a sob, you drop forward against Namjoon’s chest, sinking all the way down to bury him in your pulsing cunt as you come. He continues to rub you through the waves of your orgasm, breathing ragged in your ear while your pussy gushes around him, until you grab his wrist with a soft whimper of overstimulation, and he relents.

Too gone to get any words out, all you can do is take his face in your hands and kiss him. He rolls his tongue over yours, decadent, as his palms slip down to cup your ass. You groan a little into his mouth when he begins to shift you, your cunt still fluttering-sensitive at every little motion, but he manages to maneuver you onto your back while still keeping himself sheathed in you.

His hands move to your thighs, encouraging your legs to hook over his hips, and his mouth trails kisses down the valley between your breasts before he breathes against your skin, “Can I keep going?”

“Please,” you murmur, and it’s chased with a moan when he starts to rock his hips into you. You feel so full, so swollen from your climax that it’s like your walls were molded to take him, the crown of his cock stroking deep-deep over the place that lights you up inside, shooting sparks of pleasure all the way down to your toes.

Namjoon’s breath stutters on a laugh. “Shit, I’m already close.”

You tilt up to brush your lips against his, humming encouragingly into his mouth, and then he pulls back again, one dimple teasing at the corner of his smile. “God, I— wanna hear you say it.”

Somehow, you know exactly what he means. “Come in me, Joon,” you beg, fucked so good that you’re shameless for it, and you gasp when he bottoms out in you with his next thrust. “Fill me up. Fuck me full of your cum, baby, please.”

It’s like the words send him into overdrive, and he practically growls as he starts to fuck his cock into you forcefully, hard enough to make your tits bounce. Each snap of his hips punches a heady groan from your lungs, and you reach up to drag your nails across the skin of his back as he chases his own end.

“Gonna fucking— give it to you,” he hisses, rolling his hips one, two, three more times, and then you feel his cock twitching, shoved in as deep as you can take him. He heaves a final strangled groan as he comes, rope after rope of his release pumping into you to paint your walls, until you can feel it beginning to spill back down your thighs.

You kiss through the comedown, inhaling shaky breaths into each other’s mouths, your bodies still fitted together like puzzle pieces, sweat starting to cool in the places where skin is pressed to skin. Namjoon finally moves first, giving a grunt of effort as he rolls off the couch, and you throw an arm over your face while the world slowly settles into focus around you.

When he returns, it’s with a towel in hand, and you can’t help smiling as he cleans you up, trailing soft kisses along your collarbone in tandem.

His voice is soft, too, when he finally speaks. “Will you stay here tonight?”

You prop yourself up on your forearms to look at him, and a little glimmer of something lights up in your chest that you can’t ignore. The first spark of an ember, just enough to reignite a flame you’d long since believed to be entirely extinguished. But now he’s shown you: it doesn’t have to be. You don’t have to be alone.

“Of course. We still have presents to wrap,” you say simply, and he huffs a laugh as he leans in to press a kiss to your forehead.

“Joon?” you murmur into the crook of his neck, unable to keep your voice entirely steady.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you,” you breathe. “For the magic.”

[taekooktimeline]

Recap 1 of 2 of Episode 4 -

This episode begins with the three going to an omakase restaurant for some fine dining. At the end of their meal, Tae and Jk act out a skit (from “three meals a day in mountain village), something the two have done since they were younger. 

🐻: this humidity, this ambiance, everything is just perfect right now

🐰: What's the humidity level now?

🐻: .....

Timestamp 12:15 https://x.com/dinilovesart/status/1821859157248516207?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg  https://x.com/taegukkielover/status/1821900802946167045?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg 

When they get back to the rental, we once again see how close Taekook are and how much time they spend together. They performe the “because of you” challenge together, with Tae dancing while the duo harmonize. 

Timestamp 17:50 https://x.com/cupvaketk/status/1826603151971287362?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg  https://x.com/newbuns/status/1826615151392686132?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg 

Tae opted out of joining the others in the pool, citing feeling too full from dinner. Meanwhile, Jk and Jm went ahead and started swimming. It was apparent that Jk, with an anticipatory air, was waiting for Tae to change his mind. During a fleeting moment, Jm was spotted leisurely swimming across the pool in a colorful floatie, while Jk stood at the pool's edge, casting a longing glance toward the house.

Timestamp 19:15

Even though Jk says he’s having fun, Tae isn’t far from his mind, as he mentions audibly he wishes Tae would join.

Timestamp 20:00

Eventually, Taehyung emerges from the house, curious to see what Jungkook and Jimin are up to. Jungkook, with evident enthusiasm, tries to persuade Taehyung to join them and even demonstrates their underwater rock, paper, scissors game, but he still doesn't seem interested and returns inside to prepare for bed. JK is disappointed and cranes his neck to keep Tae in his line of sight as he leaves, informing JM that Tae is going to bed.

He removes his goggles to better watch Tae get ready from the second floor. He tells JM that Tae is combing his hair, and says Tae should look pretty (forever complimenting his good looks). 

Timestamp starts around 20:05 https://x.com/ging_kth/status/1826537233257820345?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://x.com/tcnckclnsmaek/status/1826541115161596231?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg  https://x.com/kookvtwins/status/1826539915783397591?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg  https://x.com/kvtwins/status/1826539430988984778?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg 

After a refreshing swim, Jk and Jm engaged in a lighthearted discussion about whether to prepare some delicious ramen. They opted to freshen up with a shower before finalizing their decision. Jk playfully suggested that if they decided to make ramen, they should enjoy it alongside "Taehyungie Hyung," humorously musing that sharing a meal with a sick person might be a way to perk them up and aid their recovery.

Timestamp 23:42

The next morning, the first thing Jk does upon waking is to take a photo of Tae as he sleeps, even zooming in.

Timestamp 26:45 https://x.com/e8youth/status/1826533494723674332?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg  https://x.com/tcnckclnsmaek/status/1826542835245691144?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://x.com/jungkovtae/status/1826523244289007900?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg  https://x.com/jjkofvante/status/1826624523908907258?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg 

Tae wakes up still experiencing neck pains from Taekook’s enthusiastic head banging. He asks for Jk to massage his neck, to which Jk initially doesn’t hear so asks gently, “Hmm?” As soon as he hears Tae have a cramp, he immediately gets up to massage him. This is sweet in itself because Jk didn’t hear Tae request for a massage, but as soon as he heard Tae say he has a cramp, he was up to massage him. They speak softly through this conversation. As Jk massages him, Tae says, “No more head banging for me,” which causes Jk to gently smile (pic 2, harder to see in a still). 

Conversation -

🐯jungkook-ah

🐯can you massage my neck

🐰what did you say?

🐯I have a muscle cramp

🐰*coming right away to massage his neck*

Timestamp 27:16 https://x.com/bonito_xin/status/1826525743029125341?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg  https://x.com/ging_kth/status/1826539962617266625?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg  https://x.com/kookieantae4eva/status/1826634768630641062?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg  https://x.com/vkkvonly/status/1826881582071738802?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg  Close up - https://x.com/flirtaeguk/status/1826666008486314428?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg 

I always love hearing Jk call Tae “Taehyungie Hyung” so I want to archive him saying this adorable nickname as he talks to his mom.

Timestamp 28:51 https://x.com/jeonives/status/1826521440683802941?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

As they embark on their next adventure, the three of them set off with Jk confidently back on the bike, and Tae skillfully maneuvering the scooter. The sound of music fills their headsets, causing Jk to signal with a raised hand, prompting Tae to imitate the gesture. Together, they sway in unison to the rhythm of the music.

While they were at a stop during their bike ride, Taekook couldn't help but break into an adorably synchronized dance. Jk's clapping caused the music to momentarily stop, but as soon as it resumed, they enthusiastically continued dancing. Jk's second round of clapping was followed by a quick glance back at Tae, accompanied by an apology. Tae, with a knowing look, commented on this being a habitual occurrence, hinting that it wasn't the first time this had happened between them.

Timestamp 33:25 https://x.com/jungkovtae/status/1826526204939161644?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://x.com/tcnckclnsmaek/status/1826543026539561118?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg  https://x.com/recorder331/status/1826645544393150570?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg  https://x.com/flirtaeguk/status/1826637255144079483?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg 

They ride in silence to listen to music, but realize the music isn’t working in their Bluetooth helmets, so Tae proposes a word game, praising Jk at one point for his quick wit, which makes Jk grin. Jk wins, and Tae compliments his quick thinking again. Tae teases they should be quiet and just listen to music, which makes Jk laugh. 

The full conversation:

🐻 Jungkook's final word game

🐰 bike

🐻 Christmas

🐰 Sweden

🐻 Denmark

🐰 Crayon

🐻 Yong-uh... Yong-gary!

🐰 Retire

🐻 Go… . Variable

🐰 Energy

🐻 Weightlifting

🐰 Theft

🐻 Wallpaper

🐰 Endurance

🐻 Force? Force

🐰 Energy

🐻 Oh, you're attacking? Reverse attack

🐰 What is imagination?

🐻 Uh… power… power…

🐰 Eliminated!

🐻 Wow, you're so good. How can you stop the imagination and effort of human resources...

🐰 It's nothing!

🐻 Let's be quiet and listen to music.

Timestamp 33:45 CT to this account for the translation - https://x.com/eri_purpledream/status/1826538468853645554?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg Helmet info - https://x.com/tcnckclnsmaek/status/1826551791414378594?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg 

Seeing them really enjoy their ride brings a smile to my face so I felt compelled to capture this moment, as they walked side by side into the restaurant, inseparable. Jk entered the restaurant with an air of excitement, urging Tae to join him in taking a photo. As they seated themselves, Jk carefully arranged the dipping dishes, indicating his desire for Tae to sit next to him.

https://x.com/recorder331/status/1826651354011763153?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://x.com/vt111111/status/1826652848748462306?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg  https://x.com/kookieantae4eva/status/1826685727616499811?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg  https://x.com/winterkoobear/status/1826678329711460831?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg 

Jk and JM talk about Tae’s “Layover” shirt, with Jk knowingly pointing out that the red hat on Tan is the one Tae always wears. He also praises Tannie’s adorable debut during M Countdown, with Tae and JM agreeing he’s cute. 

JM mused about the remarkable memory retention of dogs, remarking on how they remember individuals who interact with them in their youth. He expressed wistfulness to Tae and JK, sharing his disappointment that Tannie doesn't seem to recall him. JK promptly interjected, suggesting that Tannie would have been too young when he initially lived with the members. Tae chimed in, noting that it would have only been a matter of weeks, to which JM readily concurred. However, Tae quickly revised this to a few days, which JM also acknowledged. Tae offered solace, mentioning that Tannie is now 7 years old, so it would be unfair to expect him to remember. The depth of understanding exhibited by JK and Tae regarding Tannie's behavior further underscores the close bond between JK and Tae. 

The conversation (please note, I’m going off subtitles for this bit as I didn’t see a translation for this, so some nuances may be missed):

🐥 You know, dogs usually remember the people who played with them when they were young, but Tan doesn’t remember at all.  

🐰What do you mean? But Tan was too young then, when we were living in Hannam

🐥But i practically raised him back then. I put him to sleep and all.

🐯That was only a few weeks

🐥Yes a few weeks

🐯A few days actually, not a few weeks

🐥 yes, it was about a week, but you should still be thankful for that week

🐯 Tan is already seven years old, he can’t remember that one week

🐥 I’m just sad

https://x.com/ging_kth/status/1826618526293262450?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://x.com/firewaterkv/status/1826547607965237604?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg  https://x.com/kookvtwins/status/1826545519247675694?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg  https://x.com/tkk_pics/status/1827099632041951266?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg  https://x.com/kvtwins/status/1826545425295228969?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg  https://x.com/mymarkookie0104/status/1827237836032241722?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg Tannie’s Fan Cam - https://youtu.be/GcE6hQOviE4?si=svj14nq5QDADL6yl

I found this lighthearted skit between Taekook, in which they acted out a scene, resonated with me. It brought back memories of similar situations where I found myself nudging my partner to remind them that we needed to settle a bill with cash instead of a card. In the skit, Jk turns to Tae and gently reminds him that the restaurant only accepts cash. Tae playfully teases Jk, asking if he has an app to handle his share of the payment. They engage in cheerful banter about the payment method, exchanging soft smiles as they do so. It’s simultaneously playful and domestic. 

Conversation: 

🐰: we have to pay in cash 

🐻: all right i understand. 

🐻: thank you, do you take kakao pay? 

🐰: no i don't. just wire me the money.

🐻: wire you?

🐰: yes wire me the money 

🐻: ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

🐰: do you want my banking information? 

🐻: ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

Timestamp 43:50 https://x.com/kookvtwins/status/1826547562448372160?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg 

No space magnets - 

Speaking to the level of trust they have with one another (and this isn’t the first time they’ve done this), Tae passes his phone to Jk. You can see he does this because Jk’s hands are originally free, but then we can see his hands grasping a phone.

https://x.com/jungkovtae/status/1826991282163487134?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg https://x.com/myyoukv/status/1826870753918070852?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg  Other instances of phone sharing -  https://x.com/taekookibae/status/1826916090959536292?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg  https://x.com/jiratekoo/status/1826918593768112457?s=46&t=StSwHjW0_Domk_lHUFMaCg

[ugh-yoongi]

Jewel, I know your requests are closed but I desperately need to hear your thoughts on who in BTS would do this: https://www.tumblr.com/writing-prompt-s/739417828719034368/you-a-powerful-demoness-have-just-been-summoned

and why is it Namjoon (the potential for crack with this 148 IQ man who is also way more innocent than we think acc to one park jimin just takes me out)

i'm so sorry it took me so long to finish and post this but thank you so much for sending it bc i have been cackling about this scenario ever since.

the prompt: you, a powerful demoness, have just been summoned to earth. this man, this human, wants you to pretend to be his girlfriend for a few days so his parents will get off his back about it.

the gang summons a demon

pairing: namjoon x f. reader genre: supernatural au; crack warnings: reader is a demon and engages in demon behavior, swearing, namjoon makes mention of not being straight, heteronormative parental expectations, jk learns about arcane things on tumblr (which is not an original idea; i read a fic ages ago where taekook are tumblr witches but i cannot find it, so credit to that author or whoever came up with it first), unedited so any mistakes are mine. rating: e for everyone wordcount: 2k

It’s been years since you’ve been to Earth—even longer since you’ve been to South Korea.

“I haven’t been here since 1910,” you say, staring at the gobsmacked man across from you. He’s tall, with tanned skin and a bleached buzz cut; a smattering of tattoos dotting his toned arms—whites and rich hues of blue, imitations of some kind of ceramic art, you think; a golden hoop through his nose; cheeks with dimples so deep you’re sure they’ll crater. “People here definitely didn’t look like you back then, so I’m going to assume we’re pretty far into the future.”

“It’s 2024,” he answers, seemingly still a little dazed. He’s staring at you with wide eyes, jaw dropped. Normally it’s nice to be looked at like that, with all the reverence and awe you deserve, but Earth is not your favorite place to be. Doesn’t even crack the top fifty, if you’re being honest. “Did you say 1910? As in the beginning of the—”

You sigh. “Uh-huh. Hey, if you wouldn’t mind hurrying this up, I’ve got things to do.” The man continues staring. Could be a trick of the light, but you think he’s turning paler by the second.

Minutes tick by. Nothing but silence.

“Are you even listening to me?” you snarl, quickly losing patience you were never given. “I said I’ve got shit to do. My schedule’s booked solid for the next eight centuries, so I really don’t have time to be dilly-dallying in mundane human affairs. Your problems are always so boring.”

More silence.

Which is irksome, sure, but what’s worse is this stupid fucking circle you’re trapped in. Drawn crudely on the floor of (seemingly) this human man’s actual apartment, which would’ve told you all you’d needed to know, if you’d taken ten seconds to take in your surroundings upon first being summoned. This place has got books stacked floor to ceiling in every available inch of space, but you’re certain this person is a fucking idiot.

“Hello?”

The man shakes his head. “Oh, sorry, I just—I’m Namjoon? Kim Namjoon.”

“I don’t care.”

“Right, right.” He sucks in a deep breath. “Well, you’re probably wondering why I summoned you here today”—you roll your eyes—“and, uh.” Namjoon scratches at the back of his neck, anxiety oozing from every pore on his body. Definitely paler. “I am too, to be honest.”

“You what—”

“I didn’t mean to!” Namjoon hurriedly adds, all of that anxiety shifting quickly into pure panic. “It’s just—it was a joke! Mostly! Jeongguk said it as a joke, because everything he says is a joke, and I should’ve known that, but—I don’t know! I’ve tried everything else, and the longer its gone on the more desperate I’ve become, and suddenly what Jeongguk said as a joke didn’t sound so much like a joke anymore! I’m sorry! I didn’t think it’d actually work!”

It takes your brain a minute to translate and decipher the useless slush that just came out of his mouth, but when it does… oh, when it does, you feel absolutely murderous. “You summoned me as a joke?”

Namjoon must see it, too. There’s no way you’re looking cool, calm, and collected right now, because you’ve seen the faces of others that have witnessed your wrath, and they were almost always on the brink of (if not outright) shitting their pants. This stupid, clueless human in front of you doesn’t appear to be faring much better.

So you continue, just to watch him squirm. “Do you have any idea who I am?”

“Um,” comes his brilliant response. “Yes?”

“And who am I?”

He holds up his pointer finger and digs through the back pocket of his jeans. Pulls out a crumbled scrap of paper, nearly soiled from ass sweat and time, and his eyes squint as he tries to read it. “I—well, it’s probably not an accurate translation, you know, since—”

“What does that piece of parchment say, Kim Namjoon?”

“Nothing,” he lies. “I can’t read it anyway, so… a-haaa…”

Patience officially worn thin, you snap your fingers, delighting in the startled shriek that escapes him as the paper goes up in a plume of smoke. “I am going to give you one chance to be honest with me,” you explain slowly, leveling him with a look. “Who do you think I am, and why am I here?”

Namjoon pales further. Looks like he’s trying to melt right through the floor into a puddle of useless slush, and you’d be more than willing to speed up the process if it weren’t for this god forsaken demon trap.

“Can I—can I sit down for this?”

Kim Namjoon, you learn, has a friend named Jeon Jeongguk.

Jeon Jeongguk, you also come to learn, has learned magic from a website called Tumblr.

“There, uh. There are definitely blogs for that sort of thing,” Namjoon explains, tattooed fingers scratching at the back of his neck. He takes a very quick glance at you. “Clearly not very accurate ones.”

You hum. “That’s the only smart thing I’ve heard you say since I showed up in this shithole.”

Namjoon gawks. “Hey, my apartment isn’t a shithole! It’s the best I could afford, alright? There was just an article in The Business Times about how archaic of a system jeonse is—”

“Uh-huh. And this… website?”

Namjoon goes red. Coughs into his fist. “Oh, right, yeah. I’m gonna be honest with you—”

“I already said that—”

“—my parents are coming to visit from Ilsan in a few days and I need a girlfriend.”

You blink. Once, twice, three times. Long enough to replace the rug that had been pulled from under you, because you’re pretty sure you heard this human man allude to having summoned you so you can pretend to be his girlfriend.

All things considered, you’re impressed by how calm you are. This is not a trait most demons have, you especially, and it makes you nostalgic for the days you used to rip men apart limb by limb for less.

“Are you insane?” you ask simply.

“In my defense,” he explains around a wince, “Jeongguk said it was a love spell.”

“A love spell.” Namjoon nods. “And you wound up summoning a demon.”

“It… appears I may have done that, yes.”

“And you want a demon to meet your parents?”

“I mean… when in Rome, right?”

“I’ve committed at least four-hundred and sixty-seven separate atrocities there, so no, probably not when in Rome.”

Namjoon’s jaw drops. He tucks his knees closer to his chest. “Christ, that’s a lot. How did you have the time?”

“I’m immortal,” you deadpan.

“Right, right. Anyway, to answer your question: yes.”

Your eyes narrow. “How bad are your parents that you’d want me to meet them?”

“They’re fine, mostly. I just… am not what they expected in a son? Like, I have the hair and the tattoos and I dropped out of my engineering program in university to pursue art and poetry, so the least I could do is find a wife and settle down and give them grandchildren, but I don’t even know if I want to ever settle down. I’m also not… heterosexual? Entirely? Do you see that a lot—”

You sigh. “Misconception. Not to launch you into some kind of existential crisis, but the gods really don’t give a shit who you humans sleep with.”

“Gods? As in plural?” You snap your fingers. Namjoon’s fingers immediately go to his temples. “Damn, I have a really bad migraine all of a sudden.”

“Yeah, that was me.”

“What’d you do?”

“Made you forget something.”

“Oh. What’d I forget?” It takes a second. “Oh, right, yeah. Um. What was the last thing I said?”

“Your parents wanted you to be an engineer and have a ton of kids but you like art and also not-women, sometimes.”

He flushes again. “I—yes.”

You sigh, arms crossed over your chest. All you want to do is sit down, or open a window. This apartment smells far too strongly of patchouli. “Look, I haven’t been to this place in a long time, but surely you aren’t undesirable by your society’s standards.”

“Are you saying I’m attractive?”

You scowl. “No. I’m saying there had to have been easier ways of doing this, and also can you open a window?”

“It’s February.”

“That means nothing to me.”

“It’s really cold outside.”

“I’m literally from Hell. Go put on a sweater, then.”

With a roll of his eyes, Namjoon stands and moves to the window. Cracks it open a millimeter, just enough for the cold to seep in, before he’s stalking off toward—you’re assuming—his bedroom. You think he’s shoving a garment over his head when he calls out, “You know, you’re really fucking bossy for someone stuck in a trap.”

You vow to kill him as soon as you’re free.

It isn’t often you’re held hostage.

Usually you can spot a trick coming a thousand miles away, but since Namjoon hadn’t meant to summon you at all, you’d been caught unawares. Doomed to be stuck in a demon trap, just like he’d said, which meant you didn’t have a ton of bargaining power.

At least that’s what you’re telling yourself, because as you sit across from Namjoon’s parents at some fancy restaurant, you aren’t convinced he isn’t a crossroads demon himself.

“So,” his mother begins, turning her attention to you, “what do you do for work?”

Namjoon elbows you beneath the table, giving you a silent warning to stick to the script. You’re only here under threat of force—because Jeongguk had stopped by Namjoon’s apartment, saw you in the summoning circle, and nearly fainted before going back to Tumblr to find a binding spell.

Except that one wasn’t great, either, because it only bound you and Namjoon together for three days instead of forever. And, as penance for all the chaos you’ve sown across the universe, Namjoon’s parents’ visit fell within that time frame, so here you are.

Out to dinner. With humans.

You’re pretending to be someone’s girlfriend.

You’re in for the most embarrassing ribbing of your existence once you’re home.

“I work with idols,” you respond, as convincingly as possible, because Namjoon had thought it’d be really funny. Get it? he’d said. Like false idols? You hadn’t laughed. “It’s very secretive, of course, but—”

You don’t finish your thought, because Namjoon’s mother looks delighted: face lit up with mirth, smile blinding, eyes half-lidded under the weight of her happiness. “Oh, how exciting! Has he told you he used to do performances to old H.O.T songs? Namjoonie, what was that one song you liked—”

“Eomma, please—”

“Wasn’t it ‘Candy’?” Namjoon’s dad offers from behind his menu. It’s the first thing he’s said all evening.

Namjoon whimpers, foregoing all social decorum and lectures on posture to sink further in his chair.

You do not, under any circumstances, feel a hint of fondness.

(Which dissipates not even twenty-four hours later.

“The blog was deleted,” Jeongguk says, eyes wide as saucers. “I—the blog is gone, I don’t know how to—”

“What do you mean the blog is gone?” The poor kid is overcome with panic and fear, tries to stutter out a response that makes no sense to you at all through his sobs. “Jeon Jeongguk, what do you mean the blog is gone?”

“I—it’s—I had it bookmarked, I swear! Once the binding spell wore off I was gonna send it to Namjoon hyung so he could send you back, but the blog is gone so the post is gone, too. I don’t—what do I even search for—oh my god, please don’t kill me, I think I’m having a panic attack, I’m gonna—”

And then this human man vomits all over your feet. Namjoon sighs as he goes to fetch a bucket, and you think it’ll be a miracle if any of these people—yourself included—live to see the end of the week.)

[not-goldy]

If I were Tae biased, I's ship him with Jimin before anyone. Just keeping it real. I know Tae's in timeout right now cause he's acting childish, but Tae solos & tkk DO NOT KNOW HIM. I laugh every time tkk come in jikook spaces cause Taennie and Vmin wipe the floor with Taekook. TK is on the bottom when it comes to chemistry. Tae from the depths of his gut wrote emotions about Jimin in songs. (Never JK. Where is his song about JK?) I'm waiting? When you hear Tae read his letter about Jimin, how can you not cry? When you hear how he requested Jimin's favorite song on the radio on valentines when Jimin was recovering from surgery, how can you not be moved? Jimin said he was watching the Notebook recovering & Tae requests his fav song, which talks about watching the Notebook. How can tkk & Tae solos hear him say he likes Jimin the most & can't live without Jimin, Jimin is his one and only best friend And be so oblivious? HELLO Fri(end)s/Friends. Slow Dance/Slow Dancing And we aren't gonna ignore Jimin wrote that "Cheek to Cheek" line in Slow Dance and Tae at the same time as when Jimin said he finished Muse, covered that song "Cheek To Cheek" & posted it that says "I'm in heaven, my heart beats so that I can hardly speak when we're out together dancing Cheek to Cheek" And tkk think this was random by Tae? No. He did it on purpose cause JIMIN is and has ALWAYS been his MUSE. Shipping Tae with JK over Jimin, you should be jailed and locked up in a hospital. And I don't even mean romantically, but your boy Tae don't like JK like that. He never has. Just point at tkk and laugh. Freaking clowns.

I had a thing for vmin. I don't anymore and frankly I won't ship Tae with anyone but Tuktukkers 😃😃😃😃

[stormblessed95]

https://www.tumblr.com/stormblessed95/758210647707320320/a-humble-request?source=share

Thank you for saying out that loud. I was actually thinking of sending you saying the same thing but i thought you'd say that you can't tell ppl how they should operate their blog and it's their choice etc.

I really want the jikook tag and my tl on Tumblr be fun and positive. Like i was literally thinking if i should just delete twitter and Tumblr so i don't see any negativity. idk if I'll go on twitter or not but i also muted accts i know are the ones that usually replies to antis posts to you know as a clap back n all. Which again ain't probelm for me on other days but really not now. So yeah. Thank you so much. Hope the jikook tag stays safe here.

Block people, mute specific words like anti, tkkr, taekooker, and other variations of the slurs antis turn the boys names into, etc. curate your timeline the best you can. And seriously, if you see someone bringing something you don't want to see into your timeline, just block or soft block or mute them, at least for the duration of the show so that it doesn't happen again.

Good luck 💜

[tkvkfanfics]

ᴛᴀᴇᴋᴏᴏᴋ ꜰᴀɴꜰɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ʀᴇQᴜᴇꜱᴛꜱ 2024 Qᴜᴇᴜᴇ

OPEN

Welcome to ᴛᴀᴇᴋᴏᴏᴋ ꜰᴀɴꜰɪᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ʀᴇQᴜᴇꜱᴛꜱ 2024 Qᴜᴇᴜᴇ!

Below you can find all submitted and accepted requests which include:

genre(s)

theme(s)

rating

plot

the date of acceptance

estimated date of delivery

status > request received 👀 > in progress ⌨

stages of progress idea planning start, first words first draft revising second draft polishing final review > completed ✔️ > delivered to the requester ✉ > uploaded 🌐

Qᴜᴇᴜᴇ!

ᴡʜɪꜱᴘᴇʀɪɴɢ ᴡɪʟʟᴏᴡ requested by ᴇꜱᴛᴀʀ ɢᴇɴʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ Mystery friendships, bonds Teen and Up Adventure mystery, secrets Nothing Explicit Slice of Life Humour ᴘʟᴏᴛ Jungkook arrives in the Village of the Whispering Willow for a summer assignment. Interested in the village's mysterious history. He meets Yoongi. Yoongi helps Jungkook uncover the tales of the Whispering Willow and its secrets. During his explorationJungkook stumbles upon Taehyung's open-air studio. Taehyung's artwork often features that willow, it lures Jungkook in. Their relationship grows as Jungkook becomes fascinated not only with the village's history but also with Taehyung's ability to capture the willow's magic on canvas. Taehyung in turn finds inspiration in Jungkook's passion for uncovering the mysteries of the village.  Bittersweet, open but hopeful ending: Despite a strong connection, circumstances (Jungkook is from another city and Taehyung can’t see himself leaving the village) force Jungkook and Taehyung to part ways.  ᴅᴀᴛᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴀᴄᴄᴇᴘᴛᴀɴᴄᴇ: 3rd January 24 ᴇꜱᴛɪᴍᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴅᴇʟɪᴠᴇʀʏ: 10th January 24 ꜱᴛᴀᴛᴜꜱ: uploaded 🌐 AO3 TUMBLR

2. ᴘʀᴏᴊᴇᴄᴛ ꜱᴛᴜʙʙᴏʀɴ requested by ɴᴏᴏɴᴀᴛᴀ ɢᴇɴʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ Romance Societal pressure Mature 18+ Drama Jealousy F/M Family dynamics M/M Self-discovery Rejection ᴘʟᴏᴛ Jungkook is happily married with children who are his whole world, but when Taehyung unexpectedly appears in his life, and keeps trying to make him fall love in with him no matter what, despite his own stubborn love and mind he can't help but start catching feelings for the boy. As Jungkook's feelings for Taehyung deepen and he can't longer pretend, real problems arise; his own homophobic parents, society, his children... ᴅᴀᴛᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴀᴄᴄᴇᴘᴛᴀɴᴄᴇ: 8th January 2024 ꜱᴛᴀᴛᴜꜱ: idea planning ⌨️

3. BLINDED BY LOVE requested on AO3 ɢᴇɴʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍᴇ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ Angst Loneliness M/M Friendships Isolation Teen and Up Self-growth Regret ᴘʟᴏᴛ Plot can explore the close relationship between taekook in early years and when jungkook starts getting closer to Jimin, V starts feeling sad and left out. Maybe can have Yoongi as a confidant character & reaches out to V to make him feel better. Jungkook slowly realizes he misses V but V no longer feels he can just be his close friend & always feels like a third wheel between him & jimin. So he pulls himself away from them and the story can then explore how V overcomes being depressed over jungkook, finds confidence/comfort in his own self, his art and Wooga squad. Maybe have V find someone else, and jungkook realize that what he felt for v was much more than close friendship but there's nothing he can do about it now.

ᴅᴀᴛᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴀᴄᴄᴇᴘᴛᴀɴᴄᴇ: 18th January 2024 ᴇꜱᴛɪᴍᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴅᴀᴛᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴅᴇʟɪᴠᴇʀʏ: 26th January 2024 4th February 2024 UPLOADED - 30th January 2024 (the first chapter), 15th February 2024 (the second chapter) ꜱᴛᴀᴛᴜꜱ: uploaded 2/2 🌐 AO3 TUMBLR

✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾❀✾

If you have a specific taekook fanfiction idea or theme you'd like to see explored, I am all ears (and keyboards... only one)!

!!!Please follow the guidelines when submitting your request. You can find everything you need HERE !!!

[crystalsnow95z]

This was written long ago that I planned to edit but decided I'll keep it as is since I'm behind on all my requests and its fitting with the season. This is one I wrote just for me.

Sickie; jungkook, Taehyung and Hobi

Warning; vom!t

Caretaker: ot7

Jungkook gathers leaves as Hobi talks to the camera, doing a bangtan bomb after finishing up their latest photo shoot. He first goes after Namjoon, but he notices him and points to Hobi.

Jungkook smiles mischievously, nodding and shoving the leaves into the back of Hobi's hanbok. He giggled loudly as he bolts towards the woods.

"Get back here, you little punk!" Hobi runs after Jungkook, trying to remove the leaves as he runs after the mankae. Jungkook trips, not able to notice the rabbit hole because of the blanket of leaves,tumbling to the ground.

Hobi tries to skid to a stop, but slips on the leaves, falling on his tailbone. "Aiish.. Jaykay are you hurt?"

"My ankle hurts a bit, but I think I'm okay." Jungkook rolls his ankle, checking to see if it was sprained. "Are you?"

"I'm fine..just a sore bottom..You're such a brat!" Hobi throws leaves at Jungkook.

"Are you guys okay?" Taehyung ran to catch up with them when he heard the crash of them falling, relaxing when he saw Jungkook throw leaves back at Hobi, the two playing.

"Yeah. Just be careful.. it's slippery.. it must've rained recently here.." Hobi warns. "I'm surprised you didn't fall too.."

Taehyung offers his hand to Hobi, but when he tries to pull him up, the older slips on the wet leaves once more, bringing the vocalist down with him. "Aiish!"

"I'm sorry, Taehyungie!" Hobi apologizes, hugging him close. "I'm sorry are you okay?"

"I'm okay.. you helped cushion my fall..Ah Jiminie stay away! Its dangerous!" Taehyung shouts fearful of him suffering the same fate as them when he sees Jimin running to check on them.

"We're okay Jimin-sii. Don't worry!" Jungkook reassures him.

Jimin slows down, relaxing. "I got worried when I heard Tete. What happened?"

"The leaves are slippery.. so I fell chasing Jungkook because he shoved dead leaves down my back." Hobi narrows his eyes with mock anger, throwing more dead leaves at the youngest.

"Rapmonie-hyung encouraged it." Jungkook says with a giggle, tossing the leaves back at him.

"Gukkie you got me too!"Tae whines, shoving a handful of leaves down the front of Jungkook's shirt despite the youngers struggle against it.

"You guys are ruining your outfits." Jimin laughs, nearly falling. "Come on we're supposed to be wrapping up."

"They are wrapped up.. in each other." Jin jokes.

Jimin jumps at the sudden sound of Jin's voice. "Hyung when did you get here?"

"Joon-ah sent me to look for you." Jin replies, smiling fondly at the younger members, seeing Taekook double teaming J-hope, burying him with the autumn leaves as he laughs.

"Okay, I'll pull up Tete. You can pull up Jaykay." Jimin and Jin work together to separate the youngest members.

"It's time to go. We still have practice to do." Jin says, brushing leaves from Jungkook's clothes. "You're soaked.. go change so we can go. All three of you."

"Okay Seokjinnie hyung." Hobi takes Jungkook's hand to pull himself up, everyone leaving to continue the rest of their busy schedule.

"5..6..7..8.." Hobi tried counting over the music, but his voice wasn't carrying as loud as it usually does. He thought nothing of it, just motioning for staff to turn the music down. They've been working nonstop for their new album, and between practice, making the studio recordings, music videos, and photoshoots, he wasn't surprised his throat was getting sore.

The team went over the choreography once more without vocals, then again Jimin started the song strong, but when jungkook tried to follow his voice cracked when he tried to hit the higher notes, coughing.

"Jungkook, are you okay?" Jimin quickly finds him a water bottle.

"My throat hasn't recovered since we recorded.." Jungkook frowns, taking the water from Jimin. "Thanks jimin-sii.."

"Sing at a lower range for now, okay? We'll focus on the timing." Namjoon gives him a sympathic smile. He's been doing vocal lessons on top of recordings.. I should've told him to lay off the lessons until we finished recording..

"Alright, Namjoonie-hyung." Jungkook takes a drink of water, the coolness soothing his throat. "I hope it's better by next week.."

"You should be fine by then as long as you rest your voice as much as possible." Yoongi reassures him.

"I'll make you some tea when we get home." Jin offers, looking at both Jungkook and Hobi. Even if Hobi didn't say it out loud he could hear the strain in his voice.

"Thanks hyungie. That'd be great." Hobi smiles.

The seven members start up practice again, changing notes to be lower for Jungkook. Everything was going smoothly until Hobi started slowing down halfway through the fifth song, wrapping his arm around his middle, making Jungkook smack into him, Hobi losing his balance.

"Are you okay Hyungie? I'm sorry I didn't notice you stopped moving." Jungkook dropped to his knees next to Hobi, checking him for injuries.

"Yeah.. yeah I think I just need to eat something..my stomach started cramping up. I should've had something other than coffee.."

"I'll find you something.." Jimin quickly leaves the room.

"Here, drink some water for now." Yoongi gives Hobi a water bottle, helping him take small sips. "Any better?"

Hoseok nods, relaxing with the pain dies down. "Sorry..I didn't mean to worry you guys.."

Jimin returns to the room with a banana, letting go of the breath he didn't know he was holding when he sees that Hobi was no longer clutching his stomach. "Here Hyungie."

"Thanks Minnie.." Hoba gently peels the banana open, taking a few bites. "I'm feeling better now.. let's take a few minutes break and start again.."

Practice started again and everything was fine for an hour, until another member started showing signs of pain. Taehyungs movements started getting smaller and smaller, until it was unacceptable to Hobi.

"Taehyung-Ah, It's fine to practice like that right before a concert but you have to give it your all right now. I know you're tired but so is everyone else." Hobi scolds him, eyes widening when Taehyung suddenly sits on the ground his knees giving in.

"I'm sorry..i can't move well..my stomach just hurts hyung.." Taehyung whines softly,wrapping his arms around his middle. Hobi feels his stomach drop to the floor, feeling guilty for not noticing how pale or how shaky the husky toned vocalist became.

"What? When did it start hurting?" Yoongi blinks slowly, taken back by Taehyung's sudden confession rushing to his side reaching to touch his bloated stomach, feeling his muscles constrict under his hand. "Aiish Taehyungie.."

"This morning it was a little upset.. I didnt want to complain, especially not after Hobi-hyungie and Jungkook not feeling well either, but I can't do this. It keeps getting worse.."Taehyung says groaning when his stomach gurgles.

"Aiigo, Voo, you should've said something earlier.. You shouldn't push yourself so hard.." Jin sits next to him. How could he have missed how quickly his health declined. "Do you feel like you're gonna throw up?"

"I don't think so.. I just want to lie down and try to sleep the pain away." Taehyung whispers, closing his eyes tightly as another ripple of pain hits.

"I'll get someone to take you home." Jin looks to the staff members.

"Can I go with him, hy..hyung?" Jungkook clears his throat when his voice breaks. "I don't think I can continue singing anyway..it was only high notes before.. but now it's hurting to talk.."

"We could end practice early today." Namjoon suggests. "Jungkook and Taehyung both aren't in good condition and I know everyone else is tired too."

Hobi nods in agreement. He didn't think it was just a lost voice with Jungkook. The young vocalist was also out of breath much quicker than usual, and his voice was weakening at an alarming rate and his own stomach was still aching."We got the choreography perfect today and yesterday. We'll be fine if we cut out a few hours."

Jin and Namjoon lead Taehyung to the bedroom, pulling the blanket back, easing him into his bed. "Here Tae lay down, Yoongi is going to get you medicine.." Jin rubs his neck gently as Namjoon gets a trashcan to put by the side of the bed.

I don't understand..just yesterday he was playing with Hoba and Jungkookie..

Jin frowns, feeling sweat on the back of Taehyung’s neck. "Namjoon-ah I think he's starting to run a fever. Could you get a thermometer?"

"Of course Hyung." Namjoon leaves the room, brushing past Yoongi.

"Here I got some medicine for you, Taehyungie." Yoongi presents the medicine bottle, measuring a dosage of medicine out.

While Yoongi preps the medicine, Jin helps Taehyung sit up, feeling his body sway. "Woah, I got you.."

Taehyung felt dizzy when he got up, leaning heavily against Jin's broad shoulder. His stomach churned as soon as he was upright again, pushing up the toast from breakfast. "Hyu..hyung.."

"F*ck..Sh*t.." Yoongi quickly picks up the trash can from the floor when Taehyung burps, pushing up the sick. "It's okay.. you'll feel better once it's out.."

Taehyung hugs the trashcan as he empties his stomach into it with a loud retch, splashing sick into the plastic liner. Jin scratches lightly across his back, feeling his spine arch as his stomach pushes up thick bile.

"Taehyung.." Namjoon stops in the doorway, eyes widening when he sees how pale Taehyung became in such a short time. He thought he was doing better after he was asleep the whole car ride home without any problems, but he was foolish to think a short rest was enough to make a difference.

"Go get me a wet cloth and a bowl of water, please. His temperature is rising fast." Jin orders, Namjoon quickly leaving the room again. "It's okay, hyung will get you feeling better, just try to take deep breaths, okay?"

Taehyung goes to reply, but another wet burp comes instead, more sick filling the small bin. He presses the trash tighter against his stomach, trying to ease the pain with pressure. "It..it hurts.."

"I know baby.. I know.. you're doing so good.. you're almost done.." Jin encourages him gently, rubbing his palm up and down Taehyung’s sweaty back.

Yoongi holds Tae's bangs out of his face. "I'll get you a heat pack when you finish. It'll help with the pain.."

Namjoon returns to the room, giving Jin the wet cloth and placing the bowl on the side table. Jin thanks him, using it to wipe the sweat that was pooling on the back of Taehyung’s neck.

The amount of sick that came from Taehyung started to dwindle down,making the three older men start to relax as the younger took deep breaths, the tension in his shoulders ebbing away.

"I..I'm done.." Taes voice comes out as a hoarse whisper, loosening his grip on the bin. "Water...?"

"Here baby." Jin opens the water bottle for him. "Rinse out your mouth first then drink okay?"

Taehyung nods, taking in a mouthful of water and swishing it around a bit before spitting it out, trying to rid himself of the awful taste, then taking a few mouthfuls, cautious not to drink to much in fear of making himself sick once more.

"Can you swallow some medicine for me, Vuu?" Jin asks gently, rubbing his stomach.

"I think so.." Tae says hoarsely, accepting the medicine cup Yoongi offered him, swallowing it down quickly. "I'm sorry you had to see that.."

"Don't worry about it." Yoongi brushes off his apology. "Do you feel any better?"

"My throat and stomach hurt..and it's cold.. could I have the heat Yoongi-hyung..?" Taehyung asks, rubbing his hand across his sore stomach, muscles screaming in pain from the force of kicking everything out of it.

"Of course. I'll go get it." Yoongi leaves the room without hesitation. On his way to his room, he jumps at the sudden loud coughing coming from Jungkook "Are you okay, Jungkook?"

Jungkook made the 'okay' sign with his hand, continuing to cough into his blanket. Taehyungie-hyung was throwing up.. I can't distract them from taking care of him. Not for a cough.. I'll just take some medicine and go to bed early.. "I took a drink of water, and it went down wrong.." Jungkook says, pointing to the water bottle on the table.

Bullsh*t.. the lid is still on it.

Yoongi didn't call him out on it, though. He could worry about Jungkook later. Right now, he told Taehyung he would get him a heating pad to help his stomach. "Well, take some medicine just in case. Taehyungie is sick, and you were all over him yesterday."

"Okay Hyung."

Yoongi goes back on his quest, getting the item and returning to Taehyung ,plugging in the heating pad and placing it across Taehyung lower abdomen. "You can't use it for too long though, okay?"He says as a gentle reminder he couldn't take heat well.

Taehyung nods, the heat easing the pain away, his body relaxing"Thanks Hyung..that feels better.."

"Good..try to get some sleep, okay? Namjoon-ah." He motions for the rapper to lean closer."Go check up on Jungkookie, please? He was coughing really badly." Yoongi whispers by his ear, not wanting Taehyung to hear.

Namjoon nods,taking the medicine from the table and going to his room. "Tae is doing better. He was falling asleep when I left." He starts the conversation lightly. Jungkook had the awful habit of hiding his pain, not wanting to add more stress to the older members.

"Do you think we need to take him to a doctor?"

Namjoon could hear Jungkook holding back a cough.

"We'll see if the medicine helps. It might just be a stomach bug and he'll be okay in the morning. How about you? You were coughing a lot during practice. Are you feeling okay?"

"I just have a sore throat. My stomach doesn't hurt like Taehyungie-Hyungie, or do I feel feverish. I think I just overdid it." Jungkook tried negating his worries, down playing how he felt. He left out the pounding headache that he had all day and the fact that despite fact he hardly ate anything all day, the smell of Jimin and Hobi cooking in the kitchen made his stomach queasy "But Yoongi-hyung wants me to take medicine just in case.."

"Yeah he told me that, so I brought it with me." Namjoon feels the tension leave his shoulders when jungkook brings it up on his own, relieved he wouldn't have to fight with him to take it. He pours the younger the small cup of medicine, handing it to him

Jungkook takes it with a shaky hand, swallowing the medicine quickly hoping that Namjoon didn't notice.

"I'm tired, so I'm going to rest until dinner is finished. Its been a long week and its rare we get time to rest.." Namjoon says in hopes Jungkook would lay down and get the sleep he needs so he can recover and he falls for the trap.

"I'll lay down too. I'm a bit sleepy.." Jungkook lays down with a big yawn head hitting his makeshift pillow not taking more than a few minutes to fall asleep, snoring softly.

Namjoon gets up from his bed slowly, using the thermometer to confirm the low grade fever jumping back to avoid Jungkook coughing on him. "We're down two members.."

"Jaykay...jungkook-ah dinner is ready. Do you think you could eat?" Hobi goes into the room to check on him. Namjoon told him about his fever and that his cough became worse, but remembering the youngest vocalist only had one piece of toast with jam that morning made him unable to comfortably let him sleep.

"Mm..? Hoseok..ah..hyung..I'm not hungry.." Jungkook's voice sounded worse than earlier, coming out weak and scratchy. He was hardly awake, eyes not even open as he tried to turn him down.

"But you haven't eaten in twelve hours. Could you at least try to eat some soup?" Hobi tries encouraging him, gently running his hand up and down jungkook's side.

Jungkook stretches out, coughing into his arm. "Okay..okay..I'm up.." He could hear the worry in Hobi's voice and the older was right. He couldn't go to bed without eating something. What if I do have what Taehyungie-hyungie has? I don't want to throw up without anything in me..

Hobi helped Jungkook sit up, placing a tray of soup in front of him. "Do you want me to feed you?"

Jungkook tried to eat it on his own, but when he picked up the spoon the itch in his throat worsened, making him cough, spilling the soup onto the tray when it makes his chest rattle. Hobi quickly pulled the tray off.

"Aiish.. you scared me." Hobi sighs in relief when he sees none of the broth got on Jungkook.

"I'm.. I'm sorry.." Jungkook says between coughs.

"It's okay baby. It was an accident. I just didn't want it to spill on you. Let me do it. Okay?" J-hope feeds Jungkook bite by bite.

Meanwhile in another room, Jimin was helping with the second youngest, carrying a tray with him.

"I made you some soup. You don't have to eat it if you arent up to it though." Jimin says sympathically when he sees Taehyung was awake in his room, coughing Into the pillow he wrapped around.

"I don't know lf I can..but..I'll try.." Taehyung sits up slowly, closing his eyes when his head spins."If I don't eat I can't get better..and I feel awful.." He whines to himself, fighting against the dizziness.

"I know.. it's okay. Just a few bites for now okay?" Jimin scoops up some bean sprouts with the spoon, blowing on it before offering it to Taehyung.

Taehyung opens his mouth, taking in the bite, then another instantly regretting the second when he gags, having to force it back down with a hard swallow. He turns away from it, the smell of food making him feel worse. "No.. no.."

"Sh*t.. I'm sorry.. I'll take it away.. I'm sorry." Jimin quickly takes the bowl from the room. "Hyungie, Taehyung’s too sick for food.. His lips turned white after a couple bites, and he hardly forced it down.. what are we gonna do?"

"We'll get him some mineral water or something to replace food until his stomach settles. Why don't you go help Hoba? He didn't eat yet. He said he wanted to check on Jungkookie first." Jin heart sinks at the fact he couldn't even hold down soup, but didn't want Jimin knowing how worried he felt, quickly changing the subject.

"Alright. I'll go check on them." Jimin leaves to Jungkooks room relieved to see at least one of their patients eating. "Hobi-hyungie let me do it. You almost fainted at practice.. you need to eat."

"Oh..right.. I need to eat too." Hobi says, despite the fact he didn't feel hungry. It must be all the stress..

Hobi lied to himself. He refused to admit he was getting sick. Not when the two youngest were coughing up a storm and unable to eat. He leaves to the kitchen to get some kimchi Kongnamul guk.

"Oh good, you are eating. I was worried you'd be too busy caring for the others. I already had to force Jimin to sit and eat before seeing Voo." Jin smiles when he sees J-hope take a bite."

The warm broth soothed his sore throat, taking a few bites before talking. "What about Namjoonie and Yoongi-hyung?"

"Namjoon-ah said he wanted to sleep more and Yoongi went to the store." Jin explained. "I'll get Yoongi when he gets back and Namjoon when he wakes up. He's been working all nighters on the bonus track trying to make it usable before the album drop. I'm surprised he's not the one sick."

Hobi only eats half of the soup he put in the bowl, filling up quickly. The food felt uncomfortable in his stomach. "I'm finished. I'm gonna go lay down too. I want to get up early to help Joon with the song."

"Good idea. I wish I was better at songwriting so I could help." Jin admits. "Good luck."

Yoongi was a light sleeper, jolting awake when he hears the toliet seat smack against the porcelain bowl. "Aiigo..Taehyungie.." he rushed to the bathroom, slowing for a moment perplexed when he heard J-hope gagging, not Taehyung. "Hoba?"

It didn't matter which it was. He still opens the bathroom door, kneeling beside the ailing teammate. "It's okay, hyung is here.." Yoongi gently pulls Hobi's hair back with an elastic hair tie, rubbing his back.

Hobi goes to speak, but ends up burping up sick, eyes watering as the smell of his own Vomit sends his stomach whirling, pushing up mouthfuls of thick bile without breaks to breathe.

"Breathe Hoseok..you'll hurt yourself.." Yoongi urges Hobi. "Please try.."

Hobi tries to obey, but when he breaths in, his throat fills with sick, spraying it all over the toliet. He whimpers, head spinning making it hard to even keep sitting up right. "Hyung.." he whimpered, feeling himself sway despite his death grip around the toliet bowl. Yoongi wraps around him to keep him upright.

"I got you.. it's okay.." Yoongi could feel Hobi trembling in his arms as he pushes up everything he had left in his stomach, continuing to dry heave even after he had nothing left to give.

"Hoba..hoba...Hoseok-ah.... hey..you need to breathe.." Yoongi's voice was filled with panic when he feels Hobi get heavier in his arms. "Sh*t.. Hyungie! HYUNG..."

The sound of Yoongi's scream wakes up the house, Namjoon, Jin, Jimin and Taehyung rushing to see what was wrong.

"What happened Yoongi?" Jin is the first to ask, eyes widening when he sees Hobi Iimp in his arms.

"Hoba fainted.. he just..kept trying to throw up without taking a breath and then he just stopped.." Yoongi explains talking quickly, cradling the now unconscious Hobi in his arms as Hobi's body works overtime to catch up on oxygen it desperately needed.

"We can get him to a hospital if he doesn't wake up within a minute or two.. he probably just hyperventilated." Jin speaks calmly despite his heart thumping hard in his chest, eyes dilated in fear."Taehyungie, you should be in bed." Jin scolds him. "Jiminie, Joonie take him to bed. Me and Yoongi can handle this."

"No.. no let me stay until Hobi-hyung wakes up..I'm okay." Taehyung begs with tears filling his eye,ignoring the fact without the doorframe to lean on he wouldn't be able to stand. "Please..?"

"Tete..Tete, hyung.. is okay..i..I just.." Hobi tried to speak, but he was still struggling to catch his breath, continuing to pant with each word"Go..go..back.. to bed.. I'll..I'll come lay with you in a minute.." The last part came easier, sitting upright to help himself breathe easier.

"Are you sure you're okay Hoba?" Namjoon asks, looking over Hobi. "You still look pale."

"Yeah. I'm fine. I just..freaked out because I couldn't breathe which only made it worse..I'm sorry..I didn't mean to scare everyone.." Hobi bows his head, shakily making it to his feet. "I'm feeling better now.."

"I still think you should go to a hospital.." Yoongi speaks softly, breath still coming out strained.

Hobi hugs onto Yoongi. "I'm sorry I scared you.. I'm okay though. I feel sore, but I don't feel like I'll be sick anymore.."

"But what if it doesn't last? What if you do later?" Jimin frets, eyes widening with fear.

"If I do then I'll go.. until then I'll cuddle with Tete." Hobi smiles.

[goldenhickeysandramen]

Look at k-army LOL (Just go through the answers…😭😭😭)

I’ll give you a summary of the replies: ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ (hahahaha) 😂

That’s enough to understand the situation.

I talk with one of the respondents to this tweet from time to time and she once told me there are not k-Taekookers.. at least not as the ones on the international part of the fandom.

There could be karmy who love both of them (KTH and JK) and have them as their bias.. but none k-army think they could have “sth” cause they know and understand them (and their type of interactions and relationship) better than us, who are at thousands miles from them in distance, language, customs, traditions, etc.

On the other hand, we don't have to be Koreans to understand what's going on here..

There is so much tension that even the furniture were uncomfortable (and not just the camera 🎥 and the closest dancers LOL).

Is it just me or has jikook lost a bit of practice interacting in front of the cameras?

That's fixable, Hybe listen! PUT jikook in a subunit and fix this uncontrollable chemistry issue asap ...cause you're getting a little duster lately.. putting together in the content only the members promoting at the same time.... (some of us don't suck our fingers)

Gonna write them with my request!

Dear BangPD 💜

PS: I think jikook privately root for e/o with hugs, kits and whispers ..That's why in front of the cameras they look a bit stiff when it comes to using words to support the other ..

Any other interaction of them (when they play, when they tease each other ..) does not provoke this level of weirdness that we saw in the Bomb, because this moment of the Bomb - this such an import moment in Jimin’s life - between couples has its particular language.

You can't ask your partner to encourage and comfort you like a friend would, especially with thousands of people/dancers around, because he/she won’t probably know how to deliver it. And he’ll opt for speaking the bare minimum, state the obvious and be cautious.

Plus jikook is shyyyyy 🥰.. let’s thank their hands are not and always find their way to be together 😭

They are so precious! 💜💛

[peachjagiya]

Hey Lady Peach.

I know we are all “obsessed” with the Dream premier, the Hawaii vacation, the Golden photos etc, but what do you think of Tae’s pictorial in W Korea for 14 Feb 2024? I read in W Korea’s insta post that the artist asked that the photos are published on that date. Maybe he didn’t have much to say about the overall photoshoot, but I think he 100% was the one asking for Tiger Lillies in his photos! I know of only 1 person that has that tattoo…. Hmmmm. Tae even has a pair of jeans with Tiger lilies during his Layover promotions. Now! Am I crazy? Or am I right that the photoshoot was also a message for a certain loved one?!? 🤪

Ooh Lady Peach 🤗

I just did a little clicking. Deep diving ridiculous things is my serotonin 🙃

W Korea caption that refers to the date says:

밸런타인데이 선물 같은 방탄소년단 뷔의 화보를 공개합니다.

Deepl says: We're releasing BTS's V's cover like a Valentine's Day gift.

Papago: I'm releasing a photo shoot of BTS V, which looks like a Valentine's Day gift.

Google Translate: We are releasing a pictorial of BTS V that is like a Valentine's Day gift.

I don't think they do refer to this being Tae's requested date.

But there's still a lily involved. This is the shoot from Valentine's Day 2024:

(I could have illustrated the point with one picture but the face card was too insane. 😌)

Other flowers are featured though:

Some dahlias, zinnias, chrysanthemum, gypsophilia - none of them with any relevance as far as I know. I think they've all just been picked for being the same tone of bold orange. But who knows whether the lily dictated that or whether orange was just the chosen colour.

What I will note is that tiger lilies have markings and these don't. JK definitely has the markings on his tattoo:

I think what Tae has is an Asiatic lily:

He posted these in his story though, drawing attention to the flowers:

Then there's the jeans:

This is a bit delulu but I do think things mean things when it comes to Tae. He's very witty and pointed, right? He loves symbols and wordplay. An orange lily is close enough that it might be something.

But in this case, I'm thinking Taekook Maybe. I can see it being a set dressing thing and then Tae grabbed a lily because he was drawn to it due to bias. Ditto styling on the jeans. But to ask for it himself? I'm not sure. I don't know about that.

Thanks anon! 💜