#tbz fluff blurb

[juhakx]

Desi Wedding- Haknyeon

Inspired by and for. @sugarcherriess​ asterisked bullets are directly inspired from our dms <3 ​

Haknyeon at a Desi wedding:

When he enters the venue, his eyes are wide and shining, in awe of all the decorations and the shandash (grand) wedding

When your dupatta (shawl) falls off your shoulder, he fixes it immediately, a small smile on his face as he brushes your bare skin

Everyone comments on the matching outfits you guys are wearing, you wearing a jaw-dropping lehenga that matches his kurta. His kurta is rolled up, just enough so you can see his forearms and something about the outfit has him exuding confidence.*

He’s constantly playing with your fingers, admiring the mehendi (henna), and pointing out how his initials would fit great in certain spots 

As any desi wedding has, there are flower petals littering absolutely anything and it’s his favorite thing to pick them up and smell them, even tucking the most fragrant ones in your hair*

Asking you to feed him. Mithai (sweets), and the actual food itself. His eyes have that familiar glint in it like he knows he can feed himself but he likes the feeling he gets when you smile sweetly at him and place food into his mouth*

He would gladly do a dance routine with you, going all out and making it very clear that your duo had the best choreography 

Humming along to all the songs that he’s heard you play before

Making everyone laugh–the aunties, the moms, the children, the fathers, the grandparents, EVERYONE. 

Pictures. So many pictures. He’s taking them of you, you’re taking them of him, guests are taking them of the two of you together. 

Whispering in your ear claiming how he could see all of this for the two of you and what he would do when it’s your turn to get married to him

And he cries. He claims it’s allergies but in his head, he’s thinking about how lucky he is to experience new culture with someone he loves so deeply. 

And he’s already planning how to propose so he can have a wedding of his own. 

[kimsohn]

𓇼 3:45 am

pairing . juyeon x gn!reader about . 718 words, fluff + angst warnings . none! ↳ dedicated to my beautiful sexy hot wife @juyeonszn

it's cold, too cold outside.

you shiver as you sit on the bench, the sound of rain reverberating around the covered bus stop. your drenched raincoat sits next to you along with your purse, embellished with water droplets on the metal engraving.

you laugh bitterly, seeing your warped face in the shiny hooks of your bag. juyeon gifted you it many years ago, and it still looks the same as it did on your birthday.

you sense juyeon in everything you own. from the cat clip with whiskers in your hair down to your worn-out shoes he'd decorated with a sharpie, he echoes wherever you go. you see his face in the rain splashing down next to you, on the lock screen of your buzzing phone, and in the reflection of the chapped nail polish on your fingertips.

too bad you're pissed at him right now, though. everything that reminds you of him is like a curse.

"y/n!" you hear, and you look up from watching the droplets plink against the ground to register the sound corrrectly.

you blink once, twice, to ensure that yes indeed, juyeon is the one that's running toward you. he's masked by the pouring shower around him, fading in through the reflections of clear water until he's close enough to see visibly. the beloved gray hoodie he always wears is drenched by the water, and the only sign of protection he has is the hood covering his forehead that he's holding up with his shivering hands.

"juyeon," you say, standing up, "why are you here? it's pouring outside!"

"i couldn't- i couldn't leave you like that. i can't let you leave like this."

you watch as he walks to the bench, picking up your purse and swinging over his shoulder. he makes his way over to you, draping the bright yellow raincoat around your frame, tucking your hands into the sleeves. you make no move to stop him.

"let's go home," he whispers, sniffling. "please."

this close to him, you now realize that the droplets on his cheeks aren't those of the rain, that the runny nose he sports is not because of the temperature, and the redness of his eyes is definitely not a result of running here. your heart drops when you realize he's been crying, and it takes everything in your power to not bring him close and give him a hug like it's your last.

"i'm still mad at you, you know?"

"you can be mad at home, where it's nice and warm."

he stares at you so expectantly that your resolve shatters.

"juyeon," you sigh, watching him slide the strap of your bag up his shoulder.

"i'm sorry," he whispers, so silently that you almost can't hear it. "i'm sorry that work got in the way of our anniversary. you were right, you know, about me never being there for you. but i couldn't let you leave like this. you're all that i have."

your mind drifts back to the argument that took place a couple of hours ago, one that resulted in you storming out and slamming the door behind you. he'd gotten worked up over your anger at him not coming home early enough like he'd promised, and you'd retaliated by reminding him how often he does this to you.

they were words of the moment that you'd never meant to say. looking at his face now, you realize exactly how much you'd hurt him.

"oh, juyeon," you murmur, pulling him into your embrace, "i'm sorry too. none of those words were true, at all, and i wish i'd never said them. of all people, i know how your work affects our relationship. it wasn't right of me to get mad at you for it."

"but it was right of you. you can get angry at me a million times for being late and not showing up because it just means you love me. just don't leave home when i don't show up, okay? my heart can't take it. i'm too selfish to let you go."

selfishly, you'd never let him go either.

"i hate you," you whisper, furrowing into his chest.

"i love you too, baby. happy anniversary, my love."

and as the rain sprinkles around you, you know that you love him too.

[sseastar]

best friend!juyeon who knows how bad your allergies are and falls in love with you more and more as spring rolls around because you insisted on playing basketball with him at the park

[hyungseos-cafe]

Pairing: Boyfriend!Kevin x GN!Reader ft. TBZ (mainly Sangyeon) 

Genre: fluff

Warning: babe is used once and sangyeon walks in on them lmao

Word count: 779

Summary: kevin, cookies and poems. what could go wrong? 

Kevin; his smile was like the summer breeze, cool and refreshing, yet warm like the sun that shines brightly upon the waves.

His aura reminds me of the stars that I sit and gaze upon every night. Bright, sometimes almost blinding, but comforting.

His laugh brings me joy, the same joy a child feels after receiving praise.

His kindness warms my heart like a fresh cup of hot tea on a cold winter's morning. Kindness that encapsulates my entire being and keeps me safe.

Kevin is the love that you’ve been waiting your whole life for. His gentle actions and soft kisses bring me back to reality in times of pain.

Y/n journaled intently while staring out the window, the words flowed like water. The atmosphere of the cafe, the light bustling of the workers and him. That was all they needed.  

“What are you working on there, love?” He asked, curiously, placing a gentle hand on their shoulder

“Oh, just writing” they answered simply. 

“Why are you grinning so much then?” He chuckled lightly, gesturing to their notebook “May I?”

Hesitantly, Y/n placed their pen on the table and slid their notebook toward Kevin, “It’s really nothing much, I just like writing about you” 

Kevin sat in awe, silently smiling to himself as he felt butterflies slowly building up in his stomach. The notebook in his hand filled with so much love, so much joy and so much warmth. He was at a loss for words. 

“Y/n, I love you” 

“I love you too, Kevin” 

They sat quietly at the small cafe, sharing loving looks while interlocking fingers. It was their cafe, the same one Kevin accidentally took Y/n’s order instead of his own. The same cafe he expressed his interest in Y/n and the same cafe the two shared their first date. 

After finishing their coffees and wrapping up their cafe date, Kevin pulled out his phone to show Y/n something he had found. 

“Are you ready to go? I found this cookie recipe that I wanted to try with you. I picked up some supplies yesterday while you were out” Y/n nodded and began to pack up. Leaving the cafe, the pair held hands all the way home. After all, the cafe was just a short 10 minute walk from their apartment. 

Unlocking the door to the apartment the pair shared, Kevin headed straight towards the kitchen and began to take out the necessary ingredients. After one too many mishaps, the final attempt proved success, as it came out perfectly circular and soft. 

Y/n began piping the frosting onto the cookies while Kevin was washing the dishes, turning around, his heart nearly skipped a beat. The love of his life standing before him, the concentration in their eyes and the stray hair falling gently on the side of their face proved the perfect view. 

Drying off his hands, Kevin silently waddled behind Y/n, wrapping his arms tightly around their waist and rested his head on their shoulder 

“Hi” he sighed shyly 

“No, hands off! Not until I finish decorating, Mr!” Y/n playfully chanted 

A sly grin made its way onto Kevin’s face as he secretly slid is hand underneath Y/n’s arm to grab a cookie, but unfortunately this scheme soon came to an end when he felt a slap on his arm 

“Ow!” He yelped “What was that for?” He pouted 

“That’s for sneaking a cookie!” Y/n slapped his arm again 

Turning around, Y/n’s heart rate increased, there stood Kevin with a dumb little pout on his dumb little face

“Oh, come on now” Y/n pressed a kiss to his forehead 

“Here” they held out a freshly piped cookie to him 

Gently placing the cookie onto his palm, he examined the roses elegantly piped and took in the subtle rose extract. 

“These are beautiful, babe. I had no idea you were so good at this” 

“Well, I’ve been watching you draw for a while, so I guess I learned a thing or two” 

“Damn, maybe you should start drawing then” Kevin smiled, a mischievous grin grew as he slowly reached his hand behind Y/n to gather a dollop of frosting onto his finger.��

“I feel like it should be the other way around, Mr. Moon” Y/n sighed, resting her cheek on his chest 

“I like this, just me and you with no distraction-“

The warm moment only lasted a few seconds before the door sprang open and in entered a group of rowdy boys 

“Oh- did we interrupt something?” Their leader chuckled, grinning, he pushed past the couple feigning disgust. 

[from-izzy]

"what do you think of flowers/bouquets?" | tbz maknae line

​you were too gorgeous i fell for you all over again

PAIRING » the boyz x gn!reader (not proofread 😭😭😭) TROPE/AU » established relationship au!, non-idol au!, smau! (text messages!!) GENRE »​ most are hurt/comfort, otherwise it's just fluffy fluff fluff with angst, hak is similar to changmin (i see him like this and i'm not sure if people agree or not but i stick by this thought!), i...really poured my heart out for sunwoo, like...i seriously poured my heart out for sunwoo's...it's kind of crazy..., eric being the cute golden retriever that he is hehe WORD COUNT » 317​ ESTIMATED READING TIME » ~2 mins (for all) WARNINGS (lmk if i missed anything!) » none!!

navi/masterlist!! 🤍 hyung line 🤍 98 line 🤍 part of 'especially to you...'

last one! i really loved these little text messages. i think it can be very effective for little blurbs and headcanons like these so maybe i'll make some more in the future? i still kind of find story writing to be easier and more enjoyable but hey! it's all part of the experience!!

thank you for eric's pfp @/sohnric !!

navi/masterlist!! 🤍 hyung line 🤍 98 line 🤍 'especially to you...' tags (send a dm/ask if you would like to be here!): @deoboyznet 📢❤️ @k-labels 💙🤍 @k-films 🤎🎞️ @kflixnet 📺🍿@heemingyu

[luumiinaa]

General Tags

⌞GENRES⌝ NAVIGATION ⌞RECS 1⌝ &TEAM ATZ BND BTS ENHA MISC ⌞RECS 2⌝ NCT RZE SVT SKZ TBZ TXT ZB1

.　 　✦　 　˚　 　 . 🐈 * 　　 . 　 ˚ 　 . 　* 　　. 　 ˚　✦ 　.

BY WORD-TYPE ⌞DRABBLE⌝ less than 1k ⌞SHORT⌝ 1k to 10k oneshot ⌞LONG⌝ 11k to 20k oneshot ⌞STORY⌝ 21k+ oneshot ⌞SMAU⌝ social media series ⋆ text blurbs ⌞SERIES⌝ long series ⋆ mini series ⋆ spinoffs ⌞MISCELLANEOUS⌝ headcanons ⋆ mtl

˚　 ⋆ . ✦ ˚　 📖 ˚ 　 * . . . 　 *

BY SUBGENRE ⌞☾.ᐟ MOON⌝ lumi’s favourite ⌞☆.ᐟ MERCURY⌝ sfw ⋆ all about that fluff ⌞★.ᐟ MARS⌝ sfw ⋆ suggestively everything ⌞✧.ᐟ JUPITER⌝ nsfw ⋆ pwp ⌞✦.ᐟ VENUS⌝ nsfw ⋆ little to no plot, just 𝐹𝐼𝐿𝒯𝐻

˚　 　 ✦　 　.　 　. 　  ˚　 . 🍳⋆ .   　˚ 　 * . ✦

BY GENRE ⌞GENERAL⌝ fluff ⋆ angst ⋆ hurt/comfort ⋆ crack ⋆ slice of life ⋆ slow burn ⋆ dark fic

⌞LOVERS⌝ friends ⋆ strangers ⋆ frenemies ⋆ enemies ⋆ coworkers ⋆ ex lovers ⋆ secret lovers ⋆ friends to more ⋆ established relationship

⌞TROPES⌝ childhood friends ⋆ best friends ⋆ neighbours ⋆ brother’s best friend ⋆ best friends brother ⋆ roommates ⋆ fake dating

⌞SCENARIOS⌝ workplace romance ⋆ arranged marriage ⋆ love triangle ⋆ unrequited love ⋆ mutual pining ⋆ no strings attached ⋆ family dynamics

⌞THEME⌝ mob ⋆ historical ⋆ royalty ⋆ knightcore ⋆ gamer ⋆ sports ⋆ street racers ⋆ cyberpunk ⋆ dystopian ⋆ apocalypse ⋆ summertime vibes

⌞ACADEMIA⌝ highschool ⋆ college ⋆ hogwarts

⌞AUs⌝ spiderverse ⋆ avatar the last airbender ⋆ pokémon ⋆ genshin impact ⋆ star wars

⌞MAGICAL REALISM⌝ superpowers ⋆ soulmates ⋆ reincarnation ⋆ hanahaki ⋆ demigods

⌞SUPERNATURAL⌝ paranormal ⋆ witches and wizards ⋆ urban creatures ⋆ dragons ⋆ aquatic lore ⋆ faeries ⋆ vampires ⋆ omegaverse ⋆ hybrid

[jjacob]

pillow talk

❝ oh my god, you two, jacob said not on the couch! ❞

PAIRING ▸ lee juyeon x fem!reader 

GENRES ▸ angst (with a happy ending), fluff, roommate au, friends to lovers, college au

WARNINGS ▸ profanity, mildly suggestive content, “share a bed” trope !!

SUMMARY ▸ being roommates with lee juyeon was trouble, and that was essentially because you didn’t want to be just roommates.

PLAYLIST ▸ icarus by jo1

WORD COUNT ▸ 2309 words

AUTHOR’S NOTE ▸ sorry all my fics on this acc are gifts for addy but happy birthday @honeyju​ !! ♡ there’s no one else i would stay up until 2 am writing a fic for before a festival i’ve been waiting months to go to 

THERE WAS SOMETHING SATISFYING ABOUT MAKING BREAKFAST FOR SOMEONE, YOU REALIZED. 

You started doing it a little while after you found a place to stay, probably as the only way you could say ‘thank you’ to Kevin Moon and Jacob Bae for putting up with you. Brew some coffee, fry up some bacon, toast some bread, scramble a couple eggs—instant satisfaction.

You attended your college classes from ten in the morning until seven at night; your roommate, Lee Juyeon, worked the night shift at a gas station from midnight until seven in the morning. It was the only job he could snag to pay for tuition, and the graveyard shift was the only shift his boss could give him for whatever ungodly reason.

Sleep was sacred to Juyeon. He hardly got any when he was dealing with college coupled with work. You knew you couldn’t talk him out of being so hard on himself, so you got used to his schedule.

When you got home from school, Juyeon was just waking up.

That was how you started eating breakfast for dinner.

“Doesn’t that keep you up?” Juyeon asked over his plate of pancakes and eggs, watching as you downed the rest of your coffee.

“Nope.” You shook your head, managing a tight-lipped smile. “Perks me up maybe, but I pride myself on my ability to fall asleep in any situation.”

��Good to know.” Juyeon nodded, sipping coffee from his own mug.

Juyeon laughed that sleepy, soft laugh that you adored. His hair still stuck up every which way from sleep, but he was every bit as gorgeous as he was during the first breakfast they’d had together. It had been a long time since they started doing whatever it was that they were doing, and shit, it stuck.

It could be because Juyeon was flat broke on his own and had nowhere to stay but with Kevin and Jacob, that you could indulge in these sweet moments you got to spend with him.

Juyeon nudged your leg under the table with his foot and gave you that smile that lit up his eyes, bringing you out of your head and back into the kitchen. “Are you alright?” he asked, and you nodded in response.

Just peachy, you thought.

Juyeon gave you a calculating look, but ultimately deemed it an acceptable answer. You both finished the rest of your meal in relative silence, Juyeon then breaking off to shower and you settling into the couch. You wondered if you should have been embarrassed by how domestic this felt.

You were in your early twenties, for God’s sake. People your age were getting hammered and blacking out on curbs, partying their youth away, and here you were, watching Masterchef on a Saturday night with every intention of falling asleep right where you sat.

When Juyeon emerged, he was half-dressed for work, a white t-shirt tucked into his black slacks, clean-shaven, and wide awake. He sat beside you on the couch, close enough that your shoulders brushed against each other, and he kicked his feet up on the coffee table.

“What are we watching?”

You didn’t respond.

“Y/N.”

Juyeon leaned over and pressed his lips to the soft spot underneath your jaw. Your resolve faltered just a little, and you leaned into it. Juyeon carefully removed the remote from your hand, set it on the coffee table, and pushed you down. Neither of you spoke as Juyeon’s fingers moved to the zipper of your pants.

This was the confusing part about your relationship with Lee Juyeon. It wasn’t like there was a rule against roommates screwing each other, but it was rather strange that you two couldn’t keep your hands off each other. It was strange that you felt this tightness in your chest whenever you were around him. It was strange that you grew sad when you wondered how long this would last.

For now, though, this was pretty great.

At least, it was, until the front door flung open and you heard Kevin’s very adamant, “Oh my god, you two, Jacob said not on the couch!”

You and Juyeon pushed away from each other, and, to top it all off, Kevin was not alone. With him stood a pretty girl in a denim jacket, looking about as horrified as a person could get.

“I should go”—Juyeon cleared his throat—“get ready for work.”

Juyeon retreated faster than you had ever seen, which was fine, but you had to hold back your laugh when you watched him maneuver around the girl so she wouldn’t see his boner.

The girl turned to Kevin. “Where’s your bathroom?”

You waited until she was out of sight to adjust your clothing, sitting up and running a hand through your unkempt hair.

“Y/N,” Kevin complained.

“I don’t wanna say it’s your fault for not assuming, but…” You didn’t finish the accusation because you really didn’t have to. Also, because Kevin grabbed a roll of newspaper off the coffee table and smacked you with it. “Hey!”

“Do not mess this up for me, Y/N,” he warned.

You cocked an eyebrow at him. “Mess what up?”

Kevin’s eyes flicked from you, toward the bathroom, and then back again.

Oh.

Oh.

You grinned. “Kevin Moon, you sly dog.”

“Shut up.” Kevin hit you again. “Don’t say a word, you hear me?”

“To who?”

“Anyone,” he clipped. “It’s not your place to say. It’s mine.”

“But if I let it slip…”

You probably should’ve seen it coming because you had it coming, but you still let out a groan when Kevin elbowed you in the gut. Your stomach seized—eggs, bacon, and coffee. It almost felt like a tilt-o-whirl in your gut. There was a point where Kevin’s limits were seriously being pushed, and though you had enough air in your lungs to say one more thing, and you knew it should’ve been an apology, that wasn’t what came out.

“You won’t say a word,” Kevin threatened.

“I could.”

Before you could take another blow that you were so poised for, Juyeon and the girl came back out just in time to pull you two away from each other.

Kevin worked a crick out of his neck. “What? You two never had siblings?”

Was Kevin your sibling? Well, not biologically, but they had a similar relationship.

“I’m very sorry you came home when you did,” you heard Juyeon apologize, “and I’m very sorry that we didn’t abide by Jacob’s rule.”

You stiffened as Juyeon’s hand came up to your shoulder, pressing a healing warmth into your tense muscles. However, the silence between the four became way too much for you, and you quickly pulled away.

You had to lie down for a few minutes.

Your room was dark—yours and Juyeon’s room now, you supposed—perfect for hiding. The distinct smell of lavender and ocean breeze was faint. Faint traces of the candle Juyeon lit last night. You both actually knew how to keep a tidy room and liked to keep it like that.

You didn’t know how long you laid there, but you knew it wasn’t long enough to let you feel any better before Juyeon walked in.

“What?”

“I wanted to make sure you’re alright,” Juyeon said softly, and he sat on the edge of your bed. “Should I have Kevin drive me to work?”

You groaned and pushed yourself up onto your forearms. “Nope. You’re driving yourself, come on.” You slid out of bed and pulled on your boots, Juyeon staring at you the entire time. “What?”

“You’re acting strangely,” Juyeon observed.

“I’m not acting strangely,” you spat around the words. Juyeon didn’t relent, though; it wasn’t his style. He just kept staring, and you rubbed your hands over your face. “I’m fine, Juyeon.” You groaned when you realized that Juyeon was still staring.

“We don’t have to talk about it,” he replied, “but I have a feeling that’s why you’re acting like this.”

“Talk about what?”

“About us.”

“Juyeon,” you came back, flames licking at the underside of your stomach, your blood running hot through your veins. You knew this was all you needed, but the conversation scared the wits out of you. “Have Kevin drive you to work.”

“Y/N,” Juyeon called after you, but you were already gone.

It was six-thirty in the morning when Juyeon got home, and you were still wide awake.

You hated yourself for it, but you were awake. You couldn’t get your mind to quiet down after everything that happened last night. Every time you thought you hit the final lull, it all started back up again. All you could hear was the disappointment in Juyeon’s voice, his face, the defeat wilting his muscles.

Perhaps it was seeing Kevin with another girl that made you feel this way. Seeing someone try to commit when Juyeon was doing everything in his power to skirt around the topic. You had to admit that you felt like a side piece, even more so when he would carelessly touch you in front of others without caring about what they’d think.

And, now, he just stood in the doorway, hands in his pockets, watching you with a weary gaze.

“Hey,” you called.

“Hi,” Juyeon murmured. “Can I come in?”

You let out a weak laugh. “Well, this is your room, isn’t it?”

Juyeon cherished his sleep, considering he hardly got any. For him to not crash as soon as he stepped foot in the room was a lot coming from him.

In short, you really had him worried.

Juyeon let out a sigh and flopped back onto his bed. “I’m exhausted, but if you wanna talk, I’m here.”

“We never talk about this stuff,” you replied, gaze fixed on the ceiling. “I’ll leave you alone if that’s what you want.”

But that wasn’t what you wanted. You just wanted to slip into Juyeon’s bed and curl up next to him. You wanted to sleep with him from dusk till dawn, ignoring your terrible, clashing schedules.

Juyeon seemed to have the same idea.

His weight dipped the mattress. He didn’t say anything, but you could hear him slip his jacket off his shoulders and peel off his shirt. Even as he cuddled up beside you, you found the fire under your skin go cold. You rolled over to see Juyeon’s back facing you, probably trying to give you your privacy.

You wanted to be furious. You wanted to leap out of bed and get your day started, but your muscles ached and your head pounded. You only had yourself to blame for that; Kevin decided he wanted to take a few shots of soju with you before he went off to someone’s party—probably Sunwoo’s place. Your heart hammered in your chest, and your gut churned, and fuck, you probably pissed Juyeon off.

That was what was racking your brain the most. The both of you knew that all you had to do was talk, but it was always you who brought it up, and Juyeon would indulge in your conversation before pulling away. You were sick of everything that was happening between you, but neither of you put a label on it.

Juyeon rolled over again, this time into your body heat, tentatively wrapping his arm around your side and nuzzling his face into your neck.

Wordlessly, you turned around so that you could cozy up to Juyeon’s chest and wrap your leg around his hip. Juyeon pressed his lips to the side of your head, then your neck, and then peppered kisses along your throat.

“Sorry,” was all he could come up with.

“I know,” you hummed, letting out a short sigh, and Juyeon held onto you tighter.

You had no idea why or how he dealt with you. If Juyeon wanted someone, he could have them in a heartbeat, but him staying with you and trying for you had to mean something, right? He stroked your hair and minutes stretched on. His presence was comforting, but not enough to lull you back into drifting off.

“I’m scared when we do stuff and never talk about what we are,” you said then. “It makes me feel like I’ll lose you one day, and you won’t care, and I won’t be able to figure out what we were.”

Juyeon was silent for a moment. “I’ve never thought about it that way, but I apologize for not being more aware of your feelings.”

You were afraid to look because you knew Juyeon was staring at you with those big, shining eyes, waiting for you to say something more. You couldn’t, though. You were done with this. Done with feeling stripped bare, guts spilling out and thumping heart exposed, beating for the world to see.

“Y/N,” Juyeon said softly. He tested the waters with one touch, just a brush of his hand against your jaw.

You leaned into it, so Juyeon cupped your face in both hands and brought his lips to your forehead.

“I like you,” he hummed. “A lot.” He pecked your lips softly before he continued, “I just never knew how to approach it. Never thought you’d want to go farther than this.”

“I do,” you reminded him. “I wanna be with you in every way possible.”

Juyeon smiled, and then he stifled another yawn.

“C’mere,” he murmured, drawing your body closer to his. He was pressed flush against your body, holding you close like he was about to lose you. As you two settled in that position, Juyeon pressed a kiss to the top of your head and whispered, “I might love you.”

Though he couldn’t see it, you smiled. “I think I might love you too, Lee Juyeon.”

[soleilhour]

How TBZ would react if their s/o kissed them out of the blue.

ˑ༄ؘ ۪۪۫ ❥ Would suspect something is wrong.━ Sangyeon. Jacob. Juyeon. Kevin.

These 4 would automatically think somethings wrong after you kiss them out of the blue. Especially Sangyeon, cause he's just has that responsibility factor since he was bord. It's just instinct to all of them. Juyeon for who knows why, would probably think that he did something wrong and would start apologizing even when he doesn't know what he's apologizing for, then give you attention for the rest of the day. Jacob already has that sweet caring trait so he would most likely ask if you're ok even if he's super occupied with something else; if he feels like somethings wrong, he’d pay all his attention. Kevin has that anything is possible mindset, and all the possibilities of why you kissed him out of the blue would race through his mind and just think and ask you what’s wrong while bringing you over to sit on his lap. Overall, they all overthinkers.

ˑ༄ؘ ۪۪۫ ❥ Would drop everything. It would not faze him.━ Sunwoo. Hyunjae. Eric.

Sunwoo, Hyunjae and Eric are just so...playful. For Sunwoo, he'd be taken aback for a bit, then stop what he's doing to kiss you some more. Would get up and practically tackle you, showering your face with kisses as well as your neck. And it would bring you to a giggling mess. Same goes for Eric. At first he’d look at you, measuring your expression, before lifting his lips to a playful smile. Then drag you to a couch like he's been waiting to kiss you all day. Now for Hyunjae, it'd probably be different. You'd kiss him, and he'd turned to you giving you that serious glare, like a challenging glare, before grabbing you by the throat to bring your lips to his. Crashing your lips to his and it would melt you, because his kisses are just that good.

ˑ༄ؘ ۪۪۫ ❥ Would question why you kissed him.━ New. Q.

The way New reacts is hilarious. He was probably on his laptop editing with an americano in one hand. You take his face in your hands and give him one fat smooch. A second later, he'd give you that questioning gaze; where his lips are puckered with his eyebrows are furrowed and then would settle to look you bottom to top catching your eyes again, asking you with his eyes, 'the fuck did you kiss me like that for'. It’s that mean mug face because he knows you’re up to something. But ofc that's just how your boyfriend is, and you find it humorous.

For Q, after you kiss him, he'd shake his head in abruptly like he’s trying to process what just happened, certainly taken aback. Or tilt his head like that one vlive with the milk and he wore glasses. He'd look at you confused, then would laugh awkwardly before asking you what the kiss was for.

ˑ༄ؘ ۪۪۫ ❥ Would think he's being tested. ━ Younghoon. Juhaknyeon.

Maybe these two are just too used to having longer kisses that they'd find you smooching them out the blue then proceed to stand there for no reason would mean that they are being tested. Would start chuckling nervously and would ask their whats and whys. And you find joy in seeing them this puzzled so you don't respond. They'd start grabbing onto your wrists for an answer from you or maybe kiss you some more, but you're granted joy from just leaving them rattled so you'd leave without saying anything. And Younghoon and Haknyeon would be flustered and lost. The reason why I think these two act this way is because of how they tried everything to make that girl stop crying in the School maverick episodes.

navi. tbz masterlist.

[hwaflms]

❛ MAKE OR BREAK ! ❜ 𖤐

𖥻 pairing. ex-boyfriend!juyeon x reader

𖥻 genre. fluff with a little angst

𖥻 wc. 2.9k

𖥻 warnings/notes. a little swearing, mentions of alcohol + requested !

"dude, exactly how many people have you invited to this party?", you questioned your best friend haknyeon, eyes widening in shock at the sheer amount of boxes containing alcohol placed on his kitchen counter.

you were used to the various parties haknyeon liked to throw by now, but this seemed like it was going to be his biggest turn out yet.

"well, i really only invited my friends. then they invited their friends, and their friends invited their own friends and so on. you know how this goes", he sighs, running a hand through his brown locks. "i just hate the fact that i'm going to be the one who has to clean up the mess afterwards."

"you can always ask eric, the guy goes manic when he sees places untidy", you shrug, knowing that your other friend would be more than happy to help out. haknyeon nods but then turns to you with a sheepish smile on his face, playing with his fingers.

"...what?", you ask suspiciously, narrowing your eyes at him. "well, there may have been one teensy weensy detail about the party that i left out", he says a little too fast for your liking. you nod your head to urge him on, making him wince. "i might've maybe invited juyeon."

oh. "oh", you clear your throat a little bit, scratching the back of your neck and leaning against his kitchen counter. "t-that's totally cool. i'm totally c-cool with that", you stutter but try to play it off nonchalantly, waving your hand. "you're...cool?", haknyeon raises an eyebrow unbelievingly, and you nod in a way you can only hope was convincing.

he sighs and picks up a carton of beer off of the table top, placing it in the fridge for later. you adjust your position, opting to hop up on the counter and sit there, gathering your thoughts. you were cool with seeing juyeon, your ex-boyfriend again, right? sure, you hadn't seen him in a year, sure, you still thought about him every single day, sure, you tried so hard to forget him but couldn't. but you were cool, right?

"look, we haven't seen each other in like, a year? and we didn't exactly end on bad terms, so there should be no hard feelings", you try persuading your friend, more or less trying to persuade yourself. "no hard feelings?", he chuckles, shaking his head. "well, maybe for him, but you were pretty upset when he left."

"yeah, keyword 'were'. not anymore. i understand that his family had to move to be closer to his brother", you argue. "i'm not mad anymore. we've both moved on, anyway."

"y/n, are you sure you've moved on?"

you stand in front of haknyeon's door hours later, already feeling uneasy. you were never the biggest fan of parties. yeah, you accompanied your friends and went to the ones they threw but you just hated the thick air in the room, the sounds of horny teenagers getting it on in any free space they could find and the overall noisiness in general. you usually sought out a quiet hideaway whenever you came to these parties to just use your phone, or you stuck by whichever friend you came with.

juyeon was the one who did most of the talking at parties. he wasn't exactly the most outgoing person you knew, but he just had that congenial aura that naturally drew people to him; he was very well-liked. you didn't have nearly as much of a social life as him, but that didn't matter, you had him. no one else had him in the same way you did. in that way you were special.

but then he had to move, and you weren't so special anymore. within days of his presence not being there, you realised you didn't know who you were without him. 

shaking yourself out of your thoughts, you began your hunt for your best friend, squeezing your way through numerous groups of people, trying not to bump into anyone and get any drinks spilled on you. "yo, y/n!", you heard a slightly familiar voice call, turning your head in the direction of it. you traced the voice back to its owner, a guy named kevin moon who you knew as haknyeon's friend. he was one of your favourite of his friends, seeing as he was always very nice to you and tried his best to include you in conversations whenever you were at haknyeon's dorm.

you smiled and ploughed your way through the crowd and towards him. upon your arrival, he pulled you into a casual hug, beaming at you as if you had known each other for years and were newly reacquainted. you suppose you could call kevin your friend. you hung out with him a sufficient amount, albeit never alone, but you did usually strike up conversations with the humourous boy.

"are you having fun?", he yelled over the loud music, moving closer to you in order to hear you better. "i actually just got here!", you tried to reply at the same volume. no, you weren't really having a lot of fun, but he didn't need to know that.

"oh yeah, hak was looking for you earlier", he shouted back, moving his body awkwardly to the loud edm beat, making you laugh. "oh okay, well have you seen him-"

"kev, here's your drink-"

and everything feels like it's in slow-motion when you make eye contact with him. which was something you hadn't been able to do in a very long time. he looked the same, if not even better than when you last saw him.

he had always been extremely handsome, but you could say with ease that he looked another level of good this evening. he donned a black tank top paired with slightly tighter black jeans and black boots. his once messy jet black hair was now slicked back and a blueish-silver hue. he had always wanted to dye his hair, but only if you did it along with him. but your hair was still the same shade it always was.

although you knew that he would be here, you couldnt stop your eyes from widening in the plain shock of just seeing him again. he shared a similar expression to you, except he looked even more surprised.

"y/n?", he asked so softly you shouldn't have been able to hear him over the music, but you did, perfectly clear. you meant to respond, you really did, but your words got caught in your throat.

"oh my god, there you are, i've been looking for you for like the past half-"

haknyeon freezes when he takes in the scene in front of him. this was not his plan. he knew that you wouldn't have been able to avoid each other the entire night, but he was hoping your meeting would have gone more smoothly than it seemed to be going now. you were standing there with your eyes darting all across the room, mouth opening and closing like some sort of fish, yet no remotely intelligible sounds were coming from it. juyeon hadn't taken his eyes off of you for even a second, yet, similarly to you, he made no attempt to say anything. in fact, he looked too in awe to speak. and as for kevin, well kevin was just looking between everyone in utter confusion, until his mouth formed an 'o' as if some kind of realisation had struck him.

"oh shit, don't tell me he didn't tell either of you that you'd both be here?", kevin gasped, his closed fist coming up to cover the amused smile his mouth was curving into. turning to you, his eyebrows raised up higher in further understanding. "wait, haknyeon had to have told you, this idiot tells you everything. plus, you don't look as surprised as you should be, just awkward. but you", he turns to juyeon, pointing a finger at him. "damn, you had no idea, huh?"

juyeon shook his head slowly, still staring intently yet softly at you.

haknyeon waves his hands in defense quickly, turning frantically towards juyeon. "shit okay, listen juyeon, i was going to tell you, i really was but i found out that you were moving back really late and the whole break-up thing slipped my mind when i was inviting you-"

"y-you're moving back?", you interrupt him and ask quietly to juyeon, eyebrows furrowing in puzzlement as to why you weren't aware of this yet, sending a glare in haknyeon's direction. "did you just forget to mention this to me, hak?"

"i swear i really did forget-"

"y/n, can we talk?", the voice you were so used to hearing blurted out, making you turn to him. how you missed the way that same voice used to whisper sweet things in your ear, making you giggle because it tickled you. you clear your suddenly thick troat and hold his gaze, which seemed nothing but sincere and genuine, so you give him a small nod. juyeon bobbed his head in the direction of haknyeon's pool and you follow him, but not before giving the owner of the said pool a dirty look, who released a whine that was probably supposed to be apologetic.

to your great relief, the area around and in the pool was empty, though you were definitely expecting to see a number of people skinny dipping or doing something less than appropriate in the water. your eyes trailed along juyeon's figure as you followed behind him, wanting nothing more than to wrap your arms around his waist from behind like you always used to.

"what're you making, baby?", you ask with a smile, walking into juyeon's kitchen. nearing him, you sniff at the air around you, the smell of ramen wafting around. you slip your arms around his small waist, resting your chin on his shoulder as he stirs at the pot in front of him.

"ramen!", he replies, acknowledging your arms by placing his hand on top of yours. he turns in your embrace with a spoon of the noodle soup in one hand, blowing on it and bringing it up to your lips. "careful", he mumbles, placing it against your mouth and feeding you, waiting expectantly for your review.

"it's perfect, ju", you tell him, brushing some hair off his forehead and cupping his cheek, placing a small peck on the corner of his mouth. he beams and returns the favour before turning back in your hold again. "i like when you back-hug me like this. it's cute."

juyeon coughs awkwardly, which snaps you out of the little reminiscing session you were just having in your head. you'll need to get a hold on yourself if you want to make it through the night. "um, hi", you offer him a small smile, placing your hands behind you, cringing internally at the small talk you were forced to make, wishing you could just go back inside and join kevin in his awkward dancing.

he lets out a small sound of amusement, sitting cross-legged on the floor right next to the water, patting the space next to him. you join him, looking at your lap, not knowing what to say. this was very weird and new territory to explore for you. you never used to not know what to say to juyeon. but you suppose things are very different now.

"you look good", you tell him, not looking him in the eye out of sudden shyness. "you look beautiful. you've always looked beautiful", he replies in a nonchalant voice as if he was stating a clear fact, titling his head to look at you properly.you feel your heart doing flips inside of you, knowing that if you two were still together, you'd have given him a peck on the cheek for being so cute.

you gulp, running your hands up and down your arms. you feel cold, but it's not because of the weather, you think. "you know, the cafe still has our spot reserved?", you snort, looking out at the pool. "i still go there sometimes. i don't even order anything. i just like being there."

"i always think of you when i order a caramel latte. i don't even like caramel lattes, i just buy them out of habit", he grins, making you smile as well. "you always used to make fun of me for buying them because they were so sweet. and you'd buy your gross, bitter coffee", you snicker at the memory, feeling like you can taste the flavour on your tongue. "but you'd always end up drinking mine, since yours was way too sweet", he adds on, shaking his head teasingly.

you laugh and turn to look at him with a warm look in your eye, saying, "they don't even sell the caramel lattes anymore. i just get your yucky order."

the air is silent, but not exactly awkward. you tried to think of something to say, but you didn't really feel the need to break the silence, you just wanted to be in juyeon's presence.

"how have you been?", he enquires in a soft voice, resting his chin on his palm. "i'm doing alright, i think", you tell him a half-truth, seeing as you were doing alright, but you know how to read between the lines– he means "how have you been since our break-up?" if that was indeed what he meant, then you weren't really doing incredible, but he didn't outright ask that, so you don't share that with him. "what about you?"

"i'm sorry, that's what i am", he answers honestly, making you look up at him in bewilderment. "what are you sorry for?"

"leaving you."

you sigh, looking at your ex-boyfriend with a sad expression. "ju, you don't need to be sorry, i understood why you had to go."

he smiled and looked at the ground, making your mouth curve into a smile of confusion. "what?", you inquire. "nothing...it's just,", he looks back to you, eyes crinkling happily. "you called me 'ju'. i missed hearing that." you nod understandingly and shrug, mumbling, "it was out of habit."

"i'm still sorry. i regret everything. if i could go back in time, i would've never broken up with you", he confesses, and just with those words, you can feel your heart rate pick up. no one else could make you feel the same way lee juyeon could.

"it wouldn't have worked out anyway. we both know we'd be terrible at long distance. besides, i would've just been a distraction from your studies and stuff", you argue, but you don't know why you were trying to argue, because if it came down to it, you would've never wanted to break up with him either.

"when i was gone, i realised how much i missed this place and how much of a home it was to me. how much of a home you were to me. still are", he states, and you're not sure your fragile heart can take much more of this.

"it's not your fault. besides, you're back now. sure, things have changed, but what matters is you're back", you tell him truthfully, since you really didn't believe that any of this was his fault.

"that doesn't make it okay, y/n. look, i came back for you. i came back because i was so fucking miserable the past year being apart from you.", he reveals, sliding closer to you and taking your hand in his own. "i know you've already moved on, but i'm still where we left off."

you are now at a loss for words. juyeon is looking at you in a scared, vulnerable way, and you feel your heart break slowly for him. you bring your hand to the side of his face, fingers ghosting the skin of his cheek. the internal debate you had going on in your mind suddenly ceased. haknyeon was right, like he usually was. "who said i moved on? fuck, juyeon, i never stopped loving you."

that was all juyeon needed to hear before crashing his lips on to yours. you kiss him back just as fervently, letting out a squeak of surprise as his pulls you on to his lap. wrapping your arms around his neck and legs around his middle, you allow him to slip his tongue into your mouth, kissing him deeply in return. his arms snake around your middle, his big hands gripping on to your hips as his tongue swipes across your bottom lip.

you are the first to pull away, fully breathless, chest heaving as you gaze lovingly at the boy. you feel tears prick your eyes at the intensity in which he looked right back at you, so warm, tender and adoring. "aw, baby", he tuts, pulling you into him so you were buried in his chest, his arms wrapped tightly against you. you sniffle slightly, the sound of your crying being muffled by his broad front. "it's okay, shh", he whispers into your hair softly, petting it soothingly. "i'm here now."

you pull back with a very wet smile, pressing a very wet kiss to his grinning lips. "you're here now", you repeat breathily, not being able to believe that you are actually sat on his lap after a whole year of being away from him. his originally slicked back hair was now falling by his eyes, after the hair pulling from the heated make-out the two of you had. you gently ran your fingers through his hair, making him release a sigh and close his eyes in a relaxed way.

"you changed your hair", you commented with a small sniffle, making him open his eyes and peer at you in a confused manner. "do you not like it?"

you shake your head quickly, leaning in so your cheek was pressed against his, placing small pecks on the side of his pretty face.

"no, god, i love it, you look so hot, it's just that we were supposed to get our hair dyed together", you pout, poking your nose into his cheek, making him giggle.

"well, that's what we'll do on our first date then", he announces proudly, giving your waist a small squeeze. you snort, shoving him playfully. "our first date?", you echo, bemused.

"yep. our first date."

[tbzloonar]

ASHAMED.

PAIRING kim sunwoo x gn!reader. WARNINGS sunwoo kinda being mean and oblivious, angsty GENRE angst ig, established relationship au & secret relationship? WC 524 words. A/N couldn't bring myself to write him more terrible (sorry) but this is requested by anon! enjoy

prompt #11: “are you ashamed of me?”

permanent taglist: @https-loverboy-com @kimsohn

↳ m.list | tbz m.list

YOU PULL ONTO HIS ARM MORE THAN BEFORE, dragging him with you in the hallway. His complains fall silent onto your ears as you keep your focus into finding a room for the two of you to sit in alone, your thoughts flooded your mind and the tears started to sit around your eyes, waiting for the final push to silently fall into your cheeks. But no, you held back and waited.

Finally, after what felt like forever, you found an empty classroom. You opened the door and pushed Sunwoo inside, before opening the light and closing the door behind you. You hoped no one in that empty hallway had seen the two of you go inside.

"What is your problem?" And there he goes, he already started complaining, like he always does. Though this time, his complaints only annoyed you even more, making you disagree with him unlike the many other times he complained about something.

"What is my problem?" You laugh humorously and walk around the room turning around from him, before turning back with a fierce look in your eyes. "You know what, I'll tell you what's my problem."

"Yes well please tell me now 'cause you've been acting weird all day," he sits down on one of the small tables, watching you with his eyes, "I introduce you to my friends and all you've been is silent! Not saying a thing while we're all talking, you made everything so awkward."

You laughed even more, you felt like you were going crazy, did he not hear what he was saying? "Are you blind Sunwoo? Do you not remember what you said then?"

"What did I say?" He asked honestly, before his eyes widened in realization, he sighed and took a deep breath. "Is it because I introduced you as my friend? Come on you know—"

"No I don't know!" A few tears ran down your face, making Sunwoo silently panic, it showed in his eyes. All he wanted to do was to stand up and hug you, shower you in his comforting words, but he knew better than to stay silent, and watch. "All you've been doing is calling me a friend! All you've been doing is treating me like one! I feel like I'm a dirty secret of yours!"

"You're not a dirty secret." He broke his silence, gulping nervously.

You watched his eyes take in your form. You wiped the tears falling down, staying quiet for a few seconds, before finally asking him the question you've been meaning to ask him for weeks, "are you... ashamed of me?"

Sunwoo's panic finally set in, as he shook his head from side to side, disagreeing with you. "No, no I'm not—"

"You are..." You whispered, nodding to yourself and turning to the door, "you're ashamed of being with me."

More tears escaped your eyes. You opened the door and walked out silently, calmer than the way you've gotten in a few minutes ago. Sunwoo's eyes watched your figure leave, as your name hung in his throat, begging to go out and for him to call you and apologize, but he couldn't.

A/N sorry..... LMAO...

[soleilsuhh]

the boyz headcanons .• ✧ ° how they would kiss their s/o

sangyeon

his lips feels like a gentle caress on yours; it’s unhurried and deliberate

lets you take the lead first, hands lightly playing with your fingers

then he deepens the kiss by cupping your cheeks

jacob

sweet and tender kisses

the type to look you in the eyes with so much adoration and gently pushes hair out of your face before pressing your lips with his

younghoon

his kisses start off almost hesitant — soft butterfly kisses, barely touching you, before it becomes deeper and desperate

pulls away mid-kiss just to gaze into your eyes ; then tilts his head and bashfully leaves a peck on your neck before capturing your lips again

hyunjae

loves tilting your chin and taking you by surprise

runs his hand through your hair and gently holds the back of your head while kissing

he can’t help but smile in between the kiss when he feels you move closer or try to take control of the kiss

juyeon

deep and almost-cautious kisses that gradually become all-consuming

puts one hand on your waist and the other on the back of your head as he pins you against the nearest surface

the type to have the biggest, most smitten smile on his face when he pulls away from the kiss before playfully tapping the tip of your nose

kevin

gentle kisses that are littered all over your face, jawline, and neck before his lips ever reach yours

a trace of both eagerness and softness

almost always end in a hug, lazily resting his chin on top of your head or shoulder

chanhee

slow and languid kisses that strangely feel both intoxicating and sensual but casual and playful enough that you’ll break into soft smiles and laughter in the middle of it without ruining the mood

the type to knowingly pull away and leans his head back when you chase after his lips just so that you end up kissing his neck instead

changmin

you’re almost always the one who initiates the kiss and he half-asses it at first just to tease you until he can feel your pout

rough kisses that also has a sense of gentleness at the same time. hand resting on the small of your back so that he can pull you closer

and when he finally pulls away, breathless, he looks at you with a small smile and twinkling eyes before pressing another kiss — this time, soft and sweet

haknyeon

his kisses are so delicate yet filled with so much passion

cups your face at first before his hands eventually move to hold yours, intertwining your fingers together

and when you pull away, he buries his head in the crook of your neck to press light kisses on your skin

sunwoo

kisses that are both light-hearted and intense

will shift your arms so that they’re wrapped around his neck or move your thigh around his waist so that you’re straddling him

sometimes he pulls away just when the kiss is getting heated and looks at you with half-lidded eyes and a smug smile

eric

kisses with him consist of more smiles than anything else

they’re breathless but the giddy kind , accompanied by soft chuckles and a million little pecks

more often than not, you would have mini conversations while kissing and it feels magical in the most familiar and silly way

[juhakx]

Sparkle- Kim Sunwoo

Genre: Angst, fluff, royal!au, princess!y/n

Word Count:15.5k

Inspired by. that one vlive where Sunwoo learns the word ticklish <3

a/n happy birthday to the brightest Sun in the entire world, Kim Sunwoo. your eyes truly do sparkle. 

Being the youngest child of three was extremely boring when it came to royalty. 

“Sangyeon, please escort Yuri out to the gardens before we meet.” Yuri blushes at the King’s command, her hand enveloped by Sangyeon’s when he thinks no one is looking.

“God, they are just–” Chae steals a pastry from the kitchen and twirls, stopping just before her eyes land on Hyunjae. 

You scoff, taking the pastry from her hands. “Both of you, completely incapable of procuring any common sense when men are involved.” 

You’re pleasantly surprised when you take a bite of the pastry, realizing that it was mango-flavored. Your favorite. 

“You’re just saying that because no boy has ever shown interest in you. Nor have you ever shown interest in a boy for that matter.” Chae shakes out of her stupor, eyebrows furrowing when she realizes that her pastry was taken from her hands. 

“I will have you know that plenty of people have shown interest in me,” You scoff, crossing your arms. Your mood had instantly plummeted, Chae’s remarks and the fact that you had devoured the mango pastry within seconds being the cause. 

It wasn’t that men weren’t interested in you. In fact, you and Juyeon had dated for a whole three weeks. That was until you realized you didn’t like him and merely liked that he would bake you cookies. He realized it too. 

Chae’s response is ready on her tongue but she gets cut off. The clock chimes seven, vibrating throughout the castle. The guards begin to escort you to the meeting room as it was the most important day of the week. The weekly briefing happened at the same room, same day, same time, and with, for some reason, the same people. 

You. Chaewon. Yuri. Your father. 

Discussing the kingdom.

For a Friday evening, the content of today's meeting was even more boring than you expected. The rain was making it difficult for the farmers to create good produce. The neighboring kingdom was getting ready for a spring ball. The trip to acquire more horses was a success. If your father wouldn't scold you for it, you might have even let out a yawn.

Peering down at your fingernails, you can't help but pick at them. Your sister's hands were always painted red but because you liked to help the bakers, it would have been redundant knowing how easily they chip amidst the kitchen.

"King! Your majesty!" A royal guard you were somewhat familiar with, Jacob, bursts through the doors, heaving.

"What is it, Jacob?" The King immediately stands, his eyebrows furrowed. Even you shifted to the edge of your seat, ready for something that wasn't the weather forecast. If a guard barged in without permission, something more significant must be going on.

"We found him."

Immediately, your father straightens his back, a grim look on his face.

"Bring him in."

The doors open wide, two other guards dragging in an unidentifiable male. His curly black hair was covering his eyes, and from the looks of his clothes and the shackles around his wrists, he was either homeless or part of the lower class. He was covered in dirt and from what you could make out, even blood. It made you feel silly sitting on a throne next to your sisters while it was clear that this man was in need of dire help–money, a fresh set of clothes, something better than how he was being treated currently.

"So, you're the thief." 

You inaudibly gasp, the reality of the boy standing in front of you settling in.

He had been the topic of many weekly meetings. A thief. First, it started with stealing bread, then it got worse. Suddenly, expensive items from houses were being stolen. Artifacts from libraries. There had been no news of him recently, just that the thievery kept happening. Well, no news until now.

He shakes his head, his hair settling onto his forehead and out of his eyes. You suck in a breath.

He was gorgeous.

His eyes were a pretty brown. Now that you could see them, certain mirth pooled in them. His eyelashes were long, time almost moving in slow motion as he blinked. There was nothing to compare to his bone structure, it was unfair, really.

You snap out of your enamor when he begins to chuckle.

“The one and only,” He smirks.

Chae scoffs from beside you, but you can’t help but examine his face once more. As if he can sense your eyes on him, his eyes snap toward yours.

Your eyes widen, but he doesn’t react. His smirk only widens. When your father realizes he’s looking at you, he walks forward and blocks your view from the chained man.

“If you care about your life even the slightest, then you will look only at me and address me with respect.”

It was times like these when you realized just how intimidating your father, the King, was. He was able to switch from the man who raised you for 13 years on his own after your mother died with so much love and compassion to someone you could barely recognize. He was always cruel when it came to criminals.

“You see, your majesty, when did I ever say I care for my life?” He spits out. Even though there was venom in his voice, the smirk on his face remained.

The King doesn’t say anything in response. Instead, he examines his face as if he was searching for an answer.

“Fine,” The King says, backing away. “Tell me your name.”

Not a question, but a command.

The unnamed man doesn’t respond. You can’t help but mentally plead for him to start listening to your father. He could be a cruel man and there isn’t much you can do if he doesn’t cooperate.

Before you can blink, the King takes his boot and slams it against the thief’s chest, sending him flying backward. The shackles around his wrists remain intact, but the grip the guards have on him doesn’t. He’s closer to the door now and if he wanted to, he could have attempted to flee. But instead, he starts laughing maniacally as he lies on the ground, facing the ceiling. You grimace and look away. 

“You have no right to know my name. You treat your kingdom like shit and leave the poor to fend for themselves. A true king would already know the name of his citizens–” He pauses, cocking his head to the side. “Especially one that’s a thief, no?”

Chae scoffs once again and you wish that sometimes she would simply keep her mouth shut. You glance at Yuri on the other side of the King’s throne. Her gaze seemed analytic as if she was waiting to see how this would play out. As the next queen, she must feel entitled to do so. All you can hope is that she sees the truth behind this as well. 

He, and many others, were suffering and the kingdom was doing nothing to help. 

“Jacob?”

“Kim Sunwoo. Born April 12, age 23. The firstborn with a younger sister, age 11. Both of his parents died when he was 15.”

The thief, who you now know is named Sunwoo, stares blankly at the King���s face. You can tell from where you’re sitting that he’s biting the inside of his cheek as if he was contemplating something. 

“Kim Sunwoo, I think you are underestimating my power.”

“I think you’re underestimating how loyal your dogs are.”

Your breathing stops, ready for the King to do his worst. If he just didn’t fight back. 

“Fine,” The King pauses, walking up to Sunwoo’s sprawled body. “I declare Kim Sunwoo charged with the capital offense of trespassing on private property, stealing food, jewels, and official artifacts. He is to be hung for his crimes.”

Your breath catches in your throat. Even for the King, this was extreme. He hadn’t even heard Sunwoo out yet, not that Sunwoo pleaded for him to do so. It still wasn’t fair. And it made you sick. 

Sunwoo doesn’t react and you don’t expect him to. This seemed like someone who hadn’t been granted kindness before. You wait for Yuri to say something. You had already lost all faith in Chae after hearing her unsaid thoughts earlier. Yuri would say something. You’re sure she will.

You glance over at Yuri but she remains still, her hands clasped over her crossed legs. It’s not until the King mutters something about taking him away that you realize something must be said, and no one would say anything but you.

“Stop!” You find yourself blurting out. 

Sunwoo’s head snaps up to you. However, your face remains on the King whose eyebrows raise at your defiance. 

“You can not do this,” You dumbly say. 

“Oh, I can and I will,” The King shakes his head and glares at you as if to say ‘We will talk about this later.’ 

Well, what could you lose now?

You stand up. “He’s an orphan, Father–your majesty. He has a younger sister who he takes care of. You can not possibly think death is justifiable for someone who is merely trying to survive.”

If Sunwoo won’t plead, you do. 

“Please. I have not asked much from you, your majesty, but I ask you to rethink this.”

It seems to be working for just a second. For just a second, you can see him pondering your suggestion. 

“Take him to the chambers. Y/N, I would like to talk to you privately.”

It didn’t work. 

Sunwoo’s being taken to the chambers where the guards will prep for execution and then he’ll be hung and it will be nobody’s fault but your own for not trying hard enough. 

“Please, Father–”

“I said I would like to talk to you privately!” His voice booms, echoing throughout the room. The guards take that as their queue to leave, taking Sunwoo by his hands and dragging him out much similar to the way they brought him in. His eyes don’t leave your face once.

Yuri and Chae are escorted out as well, but you can’t even focus on the fact that you were now alone with your father. 

Sunwoo is going to be executed. He is going to die and all that will be left of his family will be a little sister who no longer has parents or a brother. One who will have to bear the repercussions of your own father’s doing. 

“You have made a grave mistake, speaking out like that in front of the guards. You have made it look like I have raised an uncontrollable youngest daughter who does not listen to her father, the King,” He scolds, his voice firm. However, even you know this tone well. His earlier mask was removed. He didn’t sound like the King, he sounded like your father. 

“I’m sorry,” You genuinely say. You want to say more, but you don’t. You could say so much more. 

Your father waits for a second, looking at you expectantly. “Well? Is that it?”

You burst. 

“You’re right, you didn’t raise a daughter like that. You raised a daughter who is compassionate and cares for others and doesn’t dismiss the people of her kingdom when there are so clearly asking for help,” You breathe out. Your chest feels lighter as if you had just let out a secret. Finally, you felt like you were working towards something. 

The King thinks for a few seconds, clearing his throat to break the silence. 

“I’m trusting you with this. You have one shot. Any further disrespect from you or him will not be tolerated.” 

-

“No.”

“Sunwoo,” You start, ready to beg. You hold onto one of the bars to crouch on the floor opposite his cell. It was dirty and grimy, but you didn’t care. You can bribe the guards monitoring you to not report this back to the King later.

“You do not know me well enough to address me,” He plainly says, staring into your eyes. Seeing him up close, he was even prettier than before. He was still dressed in yesterday’s clothes, but if you could pull this off, he would be able to completely transform not just his wardrobe, but his life. 

“Fine,” You huff. “Sunwoo-ssi. Mr. Kim. All I ask is for you to think about it. If you don’t agree, he will execute you and this time it won’t just be a bluff or a cover-up.”

Sunwoo straightens his back that’s leaning against the wall. He uses one of his hands to push himself forward so he was sitting directly in front of you. If the bars weren’t between you, you would be merely centimeters away. You can feel his cool breath fan against your face. 

“I will not work for the same kingdom that has put me and my entire family in the situation that we are in. My parents are 6 feet underground because your majesty could not get his head out of his ass for longer than 5 seconds to realize that his people were dying.” His eyes blaze. “Kill me. Hang me. I do not care, but I will never stoop so low as to pretend that I care for the wellbeing of the King.”

You pause, taking in his words. You didn’t realize just how deep his hatred ran for the King. You almost wanted to lash out and explain how your father was nothing like that, but as soon as you took another look at Sunwoo’s face, you couldn’t do it. 

“You can leave now,” Sunwoo tilts his head towards the guards as if you couldn’t find the exit on your own. 

“I know I’m not the future queen, but I have influence,” You reason, sliding your hand down the bar and steading yourself by placing a hand on the ground. Your calves were starting to burn from crouching, but at this point, it didn’t even matter. “I will talk to the King and Yuri. Tell me what you want to be changed and I will help.”

Sunwoo stares at your face, his eyes searching for something. You feel your heart stop beating when he grabs onto the bars of the cell, his left hand just above yours. He scoots even closer, making direct eye contact with you. 

“Why?”

You blink. 

“Why what?”

“Why help me?”

You find it getting harder to think with Sunwoo’s proximity, so you shuffle a bit further before taking a breath. Sunwoo quirks an eyebrow at you, amused. 

“Well, because I want to,” You state simply. “What good are we doing if there are people suffering in our kingdom?”

You notice a quick flash of surprise pass Sunwoo’s face before he responds. “And what about my sister? Right now she’s staying with a friend, but she can’t stay there forever.”

“She can stay here as well. I am not sure of her interests but if she likes to bake, she could always help the bakers with me or she could help you with your daily tasks. You can bring her here yourself.”

Sunwoo seems appeased by the idea, knowing that there would be a safe place for the two of them to stay. 

“But–” You begin, causing Sunwoo to immediately put his guard back up. His face becomes stoic as if the condition you were going to say would counteract everything good you were offering. “I convinced my father to let you go and come back on your own, but that doesn’t mean people won’t be watching your every step. You could–I mean you could try–to flee, but it won’t work. This is all I could do for you and I’m asking you to take advantage of it. The alternative will always be better than death. For you and for your sister.”

Sunwoo’s hands drop from the bars at your words, almost appalled by your honesty. You can even hear the guards shift at your admission. There was no reason for you to be trying so hard for someone you didn’t know, but there was something different about Sunwoo. He could teach you a great number of things, about parts of the kingdom you had never seen before. He could initiate actual change. Whether he knew it or not, his life was worth something greater than simply surviving. 

You rise, dusting your hands off on your dress. 

When you turn to leave, you hear Sunwoo loud and clear. 

“Thank you, Princess Y/N.”

-

Sunwoo comes back. He comes back three days later with one bag in his left hand and his sister’s hand in his right. You try not to breathe out a sigh of relief but it escapes your lips when you watch him enter past the front gates (which you definitely weren’t watching from your window.)

“I can not believe Father let you do this,” Chae mutters under her breath, working her way down the stairs in front of you. You would have pushed her just strong enough for Hyunjae to break her fall if it wasn’t for your guilty conscience.

Even Hyunjae lets out a hum of agreement as if it was absurd for your father to grant such a request. 

“Believe it or not, he has a lot to offer,” You begin, ready to defend Sunwoo. 

“Like the stolen items?” Chae snorts, immediately smiling when she sees Hyunjae smile at her attempt at a joke. 

“He already returned those,” You stop when Chae does, realizing that Sunwoo would be coming in any moment now. It mildly infuriated you that he would have to see people who belittled him upon his entrance. “Also, I would refrain from speaking ill of him around him,” You fade into a whisper, “Because who knows what could fall from my lips in front of Hyunjae.”

Chae gasps but it’s swept into the air as the doors to the main entrance of the castle open. Though Sunwoo came in with no guards accompanying him, as you promised, that didn’t mean that they didn’t stiffen in his presence. 

Sunwoo’s younger sister, Nabi, from what you gathered, seemed to display a million emotions on her face at once. It went from awe to fear to wonder within just seconds. When her eyes land upon you, her eyes widen a little. 

“Sunwoo,” You breathe out, unintentionally forgetting there were people all around you. You clear your throat. “Sunwoo, I am glad you made it back safely.”

Even though Nabi was years younger than you, you barely have to lower yourself to speak to her. She seemed to have the same genetics as her brother–tall, black curly hair, tan skin. The similarities were uncanny. 

“And who might this be?” You ask, wanting Nabi to introduce herself. 

“Nabi. My name is Nabi,” She speaks clearly, her head lifting in confidence. “And you are Princess Y/N.”

You nod your head in assurance, smiling lightly. Nabi smiles back as well, but your attention drifts to Sunwoo. An unfamiliar look crosses his eyes before he shakes his head as if he was breaking himself from a trance. 

“I asked her what she would want to do if we decided to come here and she said she would love to pick up baking. I recall you saying you spent some time in the kitchen because you liked to bake as well so I am sure the two of you will get to know more of each other.”

Nabi shakes her head vigorously, agreeing with him on something that seemed only apparent to her. “My brother told me that the one with long hair and darker eyes was you and that you were the kind one who liked to bake,” She continues to nod, leaning in closer to you so only Sunwoo and you could hear her. “He said the one with short hair was mean and to stay away from her.”

“Nabi,” Sunwoo scolds, pulling her closer to his side as if you would take her away from him because she spoke ill of your sister (not that it wasn’t true.)

You glance over at Chae who was watching your every move. At this point, it was just the guards, Sunwoo, Nabi, Chae, and you left. Hyunjae left a bit ago, probably to inform the King of Sunwoo’s arrival. 

“What did she say?” Chae immediately stiffens, realizing that you were talking about her. 

“She was commenting on how pretty all of us were. She said she liked your hair,” You immediately reply, smiling at Chae. A little white lie won’t hurt. Even Nabi must sense not to correct you because she shyly peeks up from behind Sunwoo and simply nods. 

“Oh,” Chae breathes out. “Thank you.”

When the silence begins to settle in, you reach out for Nabi’s hand, gesturing for her to come forward. “Come, I will show you where you will be staying.”

“Nonsense,” Jacob steps forward, holding his hand out. “I can guide them to their rooms.”

“I will show them,” You tightly smile up at Jacob. Though Jacob was a kind guard, you can’t help but remember the time that he spewed out information about Sunwoo’s past in front of the King for him to use against Sunwoo. 

Sunwoo’s grip on his bag tightens but he gently releases it once Jacob lowers his hand. 

“Yes, Princess Y/N.”

Nabi settles her hand into yours as you begin to lead the way to where the two of them would be staying. The castle itself was gigantic and although you found yourself lucky enough that your father allowed Sunwoo and Nabi to stay here and redeem themselves by working in the castle, he was still wary about Sunwoo’s proximity to your rooms. He pushed for Sunwoo and Nabi to each have their own rooms in a different wing of the castle. 

“This place is so big,” Nabi murmurs. You look back to watch her expression and it seems Sunwoo looks over at her too because a wide grin adorns his face. 

“Wait until you see the kitchen,” You reply. You hear her shriek from behind you. 

Sunwoo laughs and it immediately brings a smile to your face. What a beautiful laugh. 

After a few more minutes of walking, you were brought to the rooms Sunwoo and Nabi would occupy. 

“This is Nabi’s room,” You open the door, and Nabi immediately lights up. 

“Sunwoo,” She stays by his side, tugging at his sleeve. “Am I dreaming?”

“No, Nabi,” Sunwoo chuckles. “Go, check it out.”

Nabi runs into the room, running her hands along everything. The dresser, the bed, the desks. When she opens her dresser, a few dresses litter the inside. 

“I was not informed of your size so I gathered some old ones from the three of us. We should be able to get you tailored pretty quickly so everything will fit you.” You pause, “Well, unless you do not wish to dress in clothes like this because I know they can be quite uncomfortable if–”

Sunwoo's hand brushes your arm and you immediately stop talking. 

“This is great. Say thank you, Nabi,” Sunwoo calls out to his sister who is off in her own world. 

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Nabi nearly shouts, taking out a purple dress that used to be Yuri’s when she was younger. “Don’t you believe this would look amazing on me?”

“Go wash up and try it on,” You encourage, nodding your head toward the bathroom. Nabi gleams in response. “I will show Sunwoo where he is staying in the meantime. He is just across from your room so he won’t be far. Call for me if you need any help, alright?” 

After Nabi basically kicks the two of you out of her room to utilize her new bathroom and try on her new wardrobe, you close the door to give her some privacy. You turn to face Sunwoo but he doesn’t back away, keeping you trapped against the door. 

“Your room is just–” You try, lifting your hand to gesture to the door behind him. Sunwoo stops you once again, placing his hand on your elbow. 

“I might regret saying this, but you were right. Nabi, she–” Sunwoo pauses, looking over at the shut door. “She deserves something like this. She deserves something good and I am grateful for you giving me–us, a second chance.”

He glances back over at you and you pause at the sight of his eyes. His once stormy eyes were brighter. Lighter, even. Like beneath the storm peeked just the smallest ray of sunshine. There was something new in his eyes. 

Hope.

-

Nabi was an extremely passionate baker. 

That did not mean she was any good. 

"How was I supposed to know how much sugar it needed?" Nabi wails, putting her head in your lap when you sit for a break. It had been approximately one week since Sunwoo and Nabi had arrived and four days since Nabi began baking with you.

 You hadn’t seen much of Sunwoo around except in passing. After you showed Sunwoo his room, he almost made it his mission not to interact with your family, especially the King. He kept his distance, still upholding his responsibilities. And because the King had a certain vendetta against him, there wasn’t a second where he wasn’t running from one side of the castle to the other, delivering items, restocking cabinets, or even cleaning after meals. 

He always took two meals into his room, the other for Nabi who also didn’t eat with the other workers. You wanted to ask Nabi about it, but she didn’t bring it up so you didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. However, sooner or later, you needed to talk to Sunwoo. You needed more information on where to start helping the area he was from.

“Nabi, how did you manage to get flour all over you?” You ask, giggling when noticing the absolute mess Nabi had made. Haknyeon, the main baker, left the kitchen as yours for the night and you wanted to give Nabi some extra help so she could be more comfortable in the kitchen. However, it was evident that more than a night’s work was needed before she could get there. 

“Well, looks like Nabi is enjoying herself,” You pause at the voice. 

“Sunwoo! Sunwoo! Look what Y/N made,” Nabi gleams, pointing at the banana pudding you made earlier with Nabi. In the process, flour falls from her hands, littering the floor. 

“Nabi, can you please wash up,” You ask, reaching for a couple of towels to clean the mess up. 

“Let me,” Sunwoo immediately steps forward, taking the towels from your hands before you can argue. 

“Sunwoo, you have to try the pudding Y/N made. I tried to follow the steps and it definitely did not taste the same. Maybe the bananas were better in the other batch.”

“Yes,” Sunwoo elongates the end of his word. “That must be it.”

Sunwoo gets up from the ground after cleaning the mess. For someone who had been avoiding your presence entirely, he didn’t show any indifference. 

“Thank you,” You nod your head at Sunwoo and he smiles. “You should really have some of the pudding.” 

Sunwoo pauses. 

It was impossible to tell what was running through his head. He almost seemed uncomfortable being offered pudding. 

“Here,” You offer, picking up the pudding and taking a spoon of it, holding it to his mouth. “I know I made it, but I promise in my completely unbiased and honest opinion that it is really good.”

A small smile appears on Sunwoo’s face but he still appears hesitant. 

“You don’t have to–” You begin, lowering the spoon. Your lips begin to turn downwards and you’re ready to spin at your heels, highly embarrassed. 

Before you can completely lower it, Sunwoo lowers his head and wraps his lips around the spoon. Your mind blanks for a fraction of a second as you watch Sunwoo’s lips move against the curve of the spoon, pulling away. 

Even though he backed away, the image of Sunwoo’s closed eyes in your near proximity remained. He must notice too, because he lets out a little laugh, snapping you out of your daze. You finally lower the spoon. 

Nabi breaks the silence, her hands finally clean. 

“Well, did you like it?”

You turn around, your cheeks flamed. Oh, that was so embarrassing. It would be surprising if you ever showed your face to Sunwoo again. 

“It was very good,” The smirk on Sunwoo’s face was evident. God, you would rather he go back to ignoring you. How he went from bashful to confident in seconds was beyond you. “Being fed from the hands of a pretty princess, my how my luck has changed.”

Your eyes widen. You decide to make yourself busy organizing the leftover pudding cups. Not that they needed to be organized, but no one needed to know that. As long as your back was to Sunwoo, you were safe. 

“You think Y/N is pretty?” Nabi asks, taking a bite out of a pudding cup she picks up from your tray. 

“Of course, Nabi. I think Y/N is very pretty. Don’t you?” Sunwoo talks as if you weren’t in the room and you’re somewhat glad because your face was burning so brightly that if he was addressing you, he might think you were having a heat stroke. 

“She is very pretty. Is that why you told me that–” Nabi gets cut off, Sunwoo clearing his throat loudly. 

“Now is a very good time for me to make my way to bed. Nabi, you should go to bed soon as well.”

Before Sunwoo can move, you speak up. “Actually,” You begin, “I needed to speak with you.”

Your back was still to Sunwoo so you couldn’t tell his reaction nor even begin to predict what was running through his mind. 

“About what?” Sunwoo’s voice goes back to his ‘I refuse to feel any emotion or acknowledge the fact that I’m living here’ tone.

“I wanted to hear your input, you know, about somewhere we can start. To help the others,” You turn. 

You watch him let out a breath of relief. 

“Tomorrow, at noon. Can you meet me in the gardens?”

Sunwoo hesitates. “I have–”

“I’ll take care of it. You have the day off tomorrow. We need to begin planning,” You smile at him. A genuine smile so he knows you’re being serious.

“Alright,” He breathes out. He repeats, “Alright.”

-

You arrived 15 minutes before you were supposed to. You told Sunwoo to arrive at noon, but when you arrived, you cursed yourself for coming earlier. It was starting to get extremely cold out, and you wished you had chosen somewhere indoors to have this talk with Sunwoo, but no place was as beautiful as the castle gardens. 

That, and after you got permission from your father to speak to Sunwoo, he told you to do it outside so the guests wouldn’t see the interaction. You wanted to say that if the royal guards cared so much at seeing you talk to Sunwoo, they should take a good look at–

“Princess,” Sunwoo greets, causing you to turn around. You immediately flush, or your cheeks were already pink because of the cold, you couldn’t tell.

“Hello,” You greet, sitting down on the bench now that he was there. “Come, take a seat,” You gesture. 

He takes a seat on the same bench as you, but you don’t fail to notice how it’s on the opposite end. You found yourself grateful that he wasn’t any closer. 

“So,” You begin, turning your head towards him. “I was thinking you could tell me about your childhood, or the way you grew up. Or if you don’t want to tell me, you could tell me about what you saw others going through. I just want to know the best way I can help,” You sincerely say. 

Sunwoo nods his head, listening intently to your every word. It takes him a minute of contemplating before he begins. 

“Before my parents died, sorry–” He pauses, clearing his throat. “We were never well off, even before my parents died. My father worked in the fields as a farmer and my mother couldn’t work because after having Nabi, she became extremely weak. Almost as if breathing was enough to make her life tiresome.”

You press your lips into a straight line. Sunwoo refused to look at you, staring at the grass as he spoke. 

“I tried to help as much as I could, but even then it wasn’t enough. One day, my father came back from the fields, coughing terribly. We thought it was just a cold or, sometimes, when he smoked cigars with his friends, his lungs couldn’t take it but he would recover within days. Apparently, there was a disease spreading among the field workers. My father was one of the first to catch it. You don’t understand Princess Y/N,” Sunwoo turns to you, a wild rage in his eyes. “It spread like wildfire. We all caught it. Somehow, it didn’t hit the younger children as hard. After I recovered, I nursed Nabi back but within days, both of my parents were just–Dead. Gone,” Sunwoo’s voice cracks. “Your King–Your father–you know what he did? He called in for more field workers and burned the bodies.”

Sunwoo’s heaving at this point. God, you want to reach out so badly. Put a hand across his for comfort, but there was nothing you could do to make something like this okay. To know this was happening–to know that your father knew this was happening. 

“I had to watch them burn my parent's bodies. I was only fifteen! Fifteen for God’s sake!” Sunwoo gets louder, and not before long, there are tears falling down his face. 

“Sorry, sorry,” He repeats, wiping his face with his sleeve. He turned back so you couldn’t face him. 

“Do not apologize,” You whisper. Your heart breaks at his admission. You feel tears begin to form in your eyes but push them away. This was something Sunwoo had to carry on his own for years. It would be selfish to cry. “Sunwoo–” You frown. You watched Sunwoo’s shoulders slump. 

You scrambled for ways to console him. “I–It’s–”

“It’s okay,” He breathes heavily, turning back to face you. “It was years ago. But if you wanted to know why I–Why I loathe every fiber of the King’s being. Even if he’s provided me with this life, none of it would have ever happened if the conditions he made people work under were safe and provided people with proper care,” A broken smile reaches his face. “You know the rest. I couldn’t care for Nabi and work and still provide us shelter and food and water. So I stole. Then I sold it. And now I’m here.”

His eyes were swollen, and this time you did reach out. You brush a stray hair out of his face and cup his cheek in the process. Another tear rolls by and you wipe it away. 

“I know I can’t make this okay, but I will find a way to help. And I will get you out of here. I know how much it must hurt living here and taking orders from–” You pause, not wanting to speak of him. “Give me some time to come up with something.”

Sunwoo chuckles, taking the hand that rested on his cheek into his hands. “Believe it or not, but this isn’t the worst place I have had to live. Not to mention, Nabi loves it here. I don’t see the King often. I tend to get my orders from Sangyeon and all he does is speak about Yuri. I have you to thank for where we are now and though I would take back what happened in a heartbeat, there are worse fates out there. And you were right,” He whispers. “I was very close to becoming subject to one of those. So thank you. For everything.”

You nod, your cheeks flushing once again. Sunwoo’s effects on you were nearly instantaneous. 

“You have the rest of the day off, to do as you please. I am sorry you don’t receive more of these days. I know my father runs you rampant.”

A small smile appears on his face. He plays with your fingers that reside in his lap. “I am almost thankful for it. It keeps my mind off things. I also run into you every blue moon, which is most definitely the highlight of my days.”

Your eyebrows furrow, confused. “Me? You avoid me as if your life depends on it, Sunwoo.”

This time. Sunwoo appears confused, tilting his head to the side. You try not to notice that he was still holding your hand. 

“Trust me, Princess, I am never avoiding you. In fact, I try to seek you out more days than not.”

Your head falls forward and your lips part. He had to be playing with you. 

“Sunwoo. That can not possibly be true. I mean, every time I even look at you you turn your head the other way.”

Sunwoo’s cheeks darken at your words, and you immediately wish you could take them back. 

“Oh,” He breathes out. “That.” He lets go of your hand.

“I am sorry, I did not mean to embarrass you or–,” You shake your head, looking for the right words. “You are in no way inclined to look at me, I mean–I do not mean that you have to acknowledge me, besides that sounds absolutely outrageous–”

Sunwoo cuts you off. “You intimidate me,” He admits. 

“Intimidate you?” You immediately say, even more confused than before. “Me? I would get it if you said Chaewon intimidated you or even Yuri considering she is in line to become queen, but… Me?”

A shy smile appears on his face. “I can hold myself together just fine with your sisters. Yuri is even kind to me. But…” Sunwoo trails off. “I want to look at you, and trust me, I do. But when you look back–”

Sunwoo gets interrupted by a guard, calling for you. You grimace, wishing you had more time with him. You wanted to know what he had to say even though you had a feeling where he was going. When you looked at him, it always felt like time stopped. Like you were transfixed by the stars in his eyes. 

You begin to get up and Sunwoo watches your every movement as you do. Before you leave, you faintly touch his shoulder. 

“Sunwoo,” You murmur. He looks up at you. “Thank you.”

The stars in his eyes make a reappearance. 

-

It felt like the darkest night of the year. Everyone knew why. When it felt like it got dark much earlier and sunlight rarely filtered in, it could only mean one thing. 

It was snowing. 

You watch the flakes begin to fall from your window. Even though it was dark out and many had already gone to bed, you couldn’t help but watch the snow. Winter was your favorite time of the year, the snow reminding you of the memories you have of playing outside with your siblings and parents before everything changed. Before Yuri had to worry about becoming Queen or Chae’s only focus in life being Hyunjae. Before your mother died. 

If the timeline added up, you realized that Sunwoo’s parents died right after your mother did. You couldn’t relate to Sunwoo in many ways, but you saw the way your father grieved when your mother died. He became angry all of a sudden. To everyone. The last thing you wanted to do was justify his actions, but it pained you to remember him like that. But it also pained you to see Sunwoo the way you did this past week. God, as if your life couldn’t get any messier. 

You had spent the entire week in your room. Contemplating. Thinking. Slowly, a plan began to form in your head. Before you brought anything to your father, you wanted a full-fledged plan ready, all the way down to the minor details. He would have to listen, especially if you got Yuri in on it. 

Something pulls at your heart as you continue to stare outside. It had been years since you last played in the snow. It was with your mother. She would throw a mean snowball. The corner of your lips lifts up at the memory. 

Before you can think it through, your feet are leading you out your door. Yuri would be asleep, an early morning ahead of her. Chae was out of the question considering you could already hear her complaints run through your head. There was only one person you wanted to see anyway. 

When you finally get to the other side of the castle, you raise your hand, ready to knock. It stays there for a second as you contemplate knocking on his door. There was a lot that could go wrong. But, the possibility of him agreeing made your heart surge with hope. 

You knock on his door. 

When a few seconds pass, you realize he isn’t coming out. You frown, disappointed. He was probably asleep. You turn at your heel, beginning to walk away from his door. 

You freeze when you hear the door handle wiggle. 

“Princess?” Sunwoo calls out, confused. 

When you turn, the first thing you realize is that his chest is bare. You control yourself by looking nowhere but his eyes. You did notice the trousers that seemed to be put on in a rush. 

“Sorry–I–” He seemed anything but sorry with a small grin on his face as he watched your eyes accidentally drift below his neck once more. “I was not aware you were at my door. Is something wrong?”

“It’s snowing,” You dumbly say, remaining outside his door.

“I–” He pauses, his eyebrows furrowing. “I know, I saw.”

There was a moment of silence, causing Sunwoo to speak. “Is there something wrong with it snowing? Do you not like snow?”

“I love the snow.” 

Sunwoo lets out a laugh at your answer, realizing you were still mildly in a trance. You shake your head lightly, hating the hold Sunwoo’s stomach had on you. It wasn’t your fault, really, considering his chest was extremely defined and it’s not like you didn’t not expect it to be defined but it was much better than how you imagined in your head and his arms also looked really–

“Do you wish to go outside with me?” You blurt. 

“Now?” Sunwoo asks, unsure. He leans up against his door, rubbing his left eye. 

“No.” You immediately say realizing he must definitely think you’re absurd if he knew you wanted to go play in the snow well past midnight. “I meant– Later..? Or the day after. Anytime. You can. If you want to. That is.”

You feel the earth begin to crumble below you as Sunwoo’s grin transforms into a full-blown smile. “Let me put on more clothes.”

Sunwoo closes the door and you release a breath of air, slouching now that he could no longer see you. 

“So embarrassing,” You whine to yourself, shuffling to the wall next to his door to lean your forehead against it. “You are so embarrassing. It is a shock that you are allowed outside of your room. In fact, you are the furthest thing from royalty this kingdom has ever seen. You–”

The door opens to Sunwoo’s room and you back away acting as if the last minute never happened. 

“Ready?” He asks, holding out his hand for you. 

You smile, letting your worries leave your body. “I will have to lead the way.” You wanted to take Sunwoo through an exit that was unknown to many. 

“Lead the way, Princess.”

When your boots first make contact with the snow, you can’t help but smile at the crunch. Outside, the landscape was even prettier than through your window. There was a certain glow that twined the sky because of the snow. You wanted to stick your tongue out like you did when you were a kid and feel the snowflakes stick to your tongue. 

You turn to Sunwoo and softly smile, noticing the awe on his face. 

It isn’t long until you venture further, feeling the snow brush up against your fingers as you sift through it. 

Whether it was the fact that everyone was asleep but the two of you or that you were playing in the snow like little children, neither you nor Sunwoo could stop laughing. 

“That is a terrible attempt at an angel,” Sunwoo laughs, pointing at the ground. Underneath the moonlight, his eyes truly twinkled in a way that left you breathless. You couldn’t even bother to jab back at Sunwoo for making fun of the angel you drew on the ground with a stick. 

“Try this,” He begins, laying down on the ground. “My mother taught me this. If you just–” He wipes his hands back and forth on the ground and gets up. “Look, an angel.”

You tilt your head to the side, furrowing your eyebrows yet smiling at his creation nonetheless. “It does look like an angel. At least, it does when I tilt my head and then close my eyes.” 

Sunwoo gasps, twirling around so he was face-to-face with you. “Take it back!”

“Absolutely not,” You giggle, realizing he was inching closer to you. You run the other way, knowing his intentions. 

“Get back over here!” Sunwoo laughs, running after you. You attempt to run through the snow however your nightgown made it extremely difficult to do so. Even though you were used to the cold, you can’t help but shiver as you stomp through the snow. The impending presence behind you was definitely a factor.

The side of the wing you were outside of resided for guests, so thankfully no one could hear you shriek as Sunwoo grabbed your hand, causing you to twirl around.

Sunwoo lets go of your hand way too quickly for your liking and you can’t help but frown when he does. 

“Caught you,” He whispers, smiling up at you through his lashes. “An apology is definitely in order. My angel was beautiful.”

You stutter, feeling panic begin to arise at his proximity. He looked so beautiful underneath the moon that it was almost criminal. He brought his hand up, brushing his curls out of his face. “Beautiful, yes.” You breathe out. 

When Sunwoo laughs, you’re almost offended.

“Stop!” You complain, pushing him slightly. “You are so unfair. And–And–Stop doing that!” You turn around, crossing your arms across your chest and frowning. 

Sunwoo ceases laughing after a moment and he gently holds your elbow, nudging you. “Stop doing what?”

“Your eyes,” You move forward, out of his grasp. You flail your arms out, annoyed. “You–Your eyes have–You always–They are pretty. And you look at me and they sparkle.” 

You cover your hands with your face, realizing you were making absolutely no sense and were definitely making a fool out of yourself. You feel him move from behind you, his body heat traveling in front of you. 

He takes one of your hands off your face first, bringing it down and holding it. He repeats the same motion with your other hand. 

He does it again, that stupid thing with his eyes where they twinkle with something that you just couldn’t put your finger on. It was infuriating because there was no reason for you to find this grown man cute but, you do. He was cute but also beautiful but also pretty and it was infuriating. 

“Sparkle?” He questions, a grin on his face. “What does that mean?”

You begin to shy away, thinking he’s making fun of you again but the tilt of his head and the glint in his eyes makes you understand that he’s being genuine. 

“Stars, in your eyes,” You try to explain but it comes off as more of a question than a statement. 

He hums, nodding his head. He lets go of your right hand, brushing a hair that fell in front of your eyes. You pause, holding your breath as if you were afraid to move. 

“If they s-sparkle?” You nod your head, encouraging him with the word. “It is because I am looking at something so bright.” He smiles, letting go of your other hand as well. 

Before you’re even given a second to breathe, Sunwoo backs away. “It is getting colder, you should go inside and get some sleep.”

You nod your head, hoping that he can’t hear the rapid beating of your heart. 

You sneak back in, Sunwoo diverging from your path when he gets to his room, leaving with a lazy smile and a quiet goodbye. When you arrive at your room, you change out of your clothes and lie in your bed, a smile on your face the entire time. 

-

Books littered your bed. You continued to flip through them hoping for something that you could make for Yuri’s birthday that was coming up. There were plenty of cooking books in your library but you had flipped through most of them already with it being a tradition that you bake something every year for your sister’s birthdays. Between figuring out a plan to bring up to your father and Yuri’s birthday, you’ve been extremely busy.

You groan, hitting your head against the bed as you sat on the ground, closing yet another book. When you hear a knock at the door, you call for them to come in, helping yourself up off the ground. 

“Princess Y/N.”

You visibility stutter, looking up to see that Sunwoo was the one who had entered your room. 

“Sunwoo,” You breathe out. “Hello.”

“Hello,” He greets, peeking behind you and smiling at the disaster that was your bed. “Doing some light reading?”

A blush arises on your face. “Well, I have to figure out what to bake for Yuri’s birthday. She’s having a ball in a couple of days and I was going to choose something to serve at the party.”

Sunwoo nods his head, a spark of realization running across his face. “Your father sent a letter earlier? I believe. I was supposed to retrieve it.”

You blink, trying to remember what he was talking about. It didn’t help that as usual, Sunwoo looked devastatingly handsome. He was simply wearing a white tunic, but there was something about the shirt that made him stand out. 

“Oh! Yes, it’s right here,” You turn, aiming for your nightstand before you realize that if you give the letter to him right away, he would leave and you wouldn’t get to speak with him. “Actually, I was thinking earlier.”

“Well that can not be good,” Sunwoo laughs. You roll your eyes, turning back around to face him. You step a little closer.

“This is something that may be of interest to you, Kim Sunwoo,” You pause, smiling at him fondly. “I have a plan.”

“What about?” He questions. 

“I had an idea for helping the farmers and the others in your area,” You pause, waiting to continue. When he gives an approving nod, you begin. 

“I wanted to start with providing the extra produce and food to those who need it. Just as something small. And then, maybe building a few safe houses of sorts with extra food and water. Someplace people can just stay if they need it. With an area for people who need medical attention as well. I was thinking–” You move your way around Sunwoo. You can’t help but be animated, your hands gesturing the extent of your plan. “I was thinking we start by hiring people who need work to run it along with some of our own staff to ensure everything’s being run smoothly. And then others can help farm the food for the shelters and help build them too. Obviously being paid for their work because it would feed into our own economy but also help them and–”

Sunwoo’s smiling so wide that you have to stop yourself from talking. You must be making a fool out of yourself, yet he doesn’t stop you once or laugh. 

“Sorry, I haven’t discussed this with anyone yet. I just started thinking about it. But, I think it’s a place to start,” You breathe out. 

Sunwoo takes a step forward, his hand brushing up against yours. “I think it’s a great place to start.”

It was almost like you were oblivious to the fact that your heart was beating so fast in Sunwoo’s presence but you were so aware now that it nearly hurt to think about it. Sunwoo made no further advances, instead staying rooted in his spot with that stupid loving wide smile on his face and you’re sure if he didn’t back away now, you were going to do something stupid like kiss it right off his face. 

“I didn’t think you had it in you,” Sunwoo says, breaking the silence. 

You furrow your eyebrows at the admission. He didn’t think you had it in you to come up with something like this? You promised you would help and you hadn’t even done much to actually help yet.

“Your standards for what you think I can do must be really low, then.” Though you say it jokingly, Sunwoo must notice the hint of insecurity behind it because he searches your eyes before taking a step forward and taking your hand in his. 

There was no way you were going to make it out alive from this.

“That’s not what I meant. I think you are capable of great things, but I have to admit that you don’t fit the perceptions I had of you in the beginning.”

“And what were they?” You question, tilting your head to the side. Sunwoo squeezes your hand as if to assure you. You wonder if his heart was as beating as fast as yours. 

“How about I tell you what I think of you now?” Sunwoo takes a step closer, his warm breath fanning against your face. Your eyes widen at his proximity and Sunwoo must sense your unease because he squeezes your hand again before grinning. 

“What do you think of me now?” You whisper.

“I think you’re not what you seem. I think people expect you to be docile and obedient and sit there and look pretty. And oh, how well you do the latter,” Sunwoo breathes out, letting go of your hand to trail his finger up your arm. It’s the most you’ve ever heard him say at once and you don’t interrupt him, not even the goosebumps arising on your skin diverting your attention. “But there is so much life in you that it is physically impossible for you to keep it contained. You burn, Princess. You burn so bright that I think it’s stupid that I ever thought differently.”

“Sunwoo,” His name comes out shaky from your lips as if you couldn’t get ahold of it properly. So you repeat his name, firmer this time. 

“Hmm,” He hums, his eyes taking in every part of your face. 

“What are you doing?” You blurt out, mentally cursing yourself when Sunwoo takes a step back, assessing the situation.

“Ah,” He exhales. “I’m sorry. I seemed to have crossed a line that I shouldn’t have.” 

Sunwoo continues to back up, in clear disarray. 

“Sunwoo,” You call again as he turns his back to you, ready to leave your bedroom. “I never–I never said you were crossing a line.”

Sunwoo expels a breath at that, turning back around relieved. You shoot him a small smile because, in the end, you understood where he was coming from. Way too quickly did Sunwoo infiltrate your thoughts, and how badly you wanted him to cross much more than just this imaginary line he had in his head. But before he could do that, you needed something definite. Something that proved Sunwoo wanted you just as much as you wanted him. 

Sunwoo chastizes himself. “I seem to lose myself around–” He pauses. “Pretty. Faces.” He grimaces at his own words, and you were glad that even Sunwoo could make a fool out of himself. 

You let out a laugh. 

“I thought I was more than just a pretty face?”

This time, Sunwoo laughs. A real laugh, one that leaves his cheeks littered with a pink blush. 

A sudden knock disrupts your time with Sunwoo. You want to open the door and tell whoever it is to dare and knock on your door again, but Sunwoo backs away. He picks up the letter from the nightstand before looking at you one more time. 

“Just so you know,” He pauses, smiling. “My heart’s burning too. For different reasons, of course.”

-

It was becoming a regular thing for you to see Sunwoo around. He made frequent trips to the kitchen, trying out what you and Nabi had created. Nabi was also slowly getting better, and her presence in the kitchen less of a hazard. Now, you could joke with her about how truly terrible she was in the beginning. With Yuri’s birthday in two days, the two of you worked diligently in getting the pastries ready and they were finally topped and refrigerated. 

It was a long day and your father was out, leaving just the three siblings to eat dinner. The guards never ate with you and neither did the staff, which left you to sit as you watched Sangyeon and Hyunjae talk to your sisters from the sidelines as you ate. 

Today, however, you invited Nabi and Sunwoo to eat with you guys. Sunwoo was hesitant at first, but Nabi begged at his side, wanting to see what the dining hall looked like. Sunwoo could never say no to Nabi, which you were now regretting as you all sat at the table. 

“Nabi, how is baking going?” Yuri asks, a small smile on her face. Though Yuri rarely acknowledged Sunwoo’s presence and Chae visibly glared at him every time he walked by, the two of them adored Nabi. 

“Good! I truly enjoy it so much.” The smile on Nabi’s face is enough to get you to ease up. 

“You know how I told you I was looking into something you can do in your free time? Well, I’ve been speaking with the King about getting you some educational lessons as well when you’re not baking. What do you think about that?” 

Nabi gasps in excitement and you’re glad that there was someone who cared for Nabi in the same way that you do. You were unaware that Yuri was encouraging Nabi when nobody was looking.

Even Sunwoo sends a grateful smile aimed at Yuri. She shyly smiles back. 

“Well, as long as we’re focusing our effort on Nabi, I think our resources are allocated in a beneficial manner.” There’s a tone in Chae’s voice that has you on high alert. You could tell where this was going.

Sunwoo doesn’t say anything but you can see his jaw clench as he takes another bite of his bread. 

You now wish that he was closer than he was. The one problem with having a large dining space was that there were enough chairs for nearly a village. You sat next to Yuri while Chae was on the other side of her. Sunwoo and Nabi sat opposite the three of you with Sunwoo directly across from you. 

You wished he was next to you so that you could console him better than a reassuring glance. You wanted to put your hand atop his or even intertwine his fingers with yours. Something that reinforced your presence. 

“It would be useless to spend time and money on an educator on someone who–Oh, I don’t know–dabbled in, thievery, for example.”

“Chae,” You snap, dropping your fork onto your plate. “Stop.”

“Oh, please.” She turns to you, rolling her eyes. “One would think you wouldn’t make the mistake of defending a thief twice. What kind of image are you portraying to your kingdom?”

“Can we please just enjoy our meal?” Yuri begins, annoyance laced in her tone.

You remain quiet, looking up. There’s a frown on Nabi’s face as she watches Chae. You glance over at Sunwoo. He seemed indifferent but you could clearly see the resentment in his eyes.

At your lack of commentary, she instigates once again. “Don’t tell me you feel something for this insipid–”

“That’s quite enough,” Hyunjae interrupts from behind Sunwoo, his position at the door wavering. He takes a step forward. “Chae.” A warning flashed across his face and Chae leans back into her chair, Hyunjae using her name in front of everyone being the thing that stopped her from continuing. 

Sunwoo abruptly gets up, motioning to Nabi. He doesn’t say a word but she gets the hint, getting up and taking her half-eaten plate with her. When they’re seconds out the door, you push up out of your chair as well. 

 “I have met dogs more behaved than you,” You mutter. “Next time I expect common courtesy and respect, I will make sure not to expect you to be there.” 

Once you leave the dining room, you search for Sunwoo but it doesn’t take long as he latches onto your wrist from where he was hiding behind the door. 

“Sunwoo, I’m so sorry–”

“Thank you.”

Your eyebrows furrow in confusion. “For what?”

He lets go of your wrist, cupping your face. Your cheeks flush, overwhelmed by the sudden proximity.

“For defending me. For being so kind,” His eyes flicker between your eyes until they finally rest upon your lips. Like he knows that he shouldn’t, his eyes flutter closed, leaning his forehead against yours. Your heart feels like it’s going to burst out of your chest. You were proud of being the one to elicit such a reaction from him, but you don’t think you’re faring any better. He seemed to be at war with his thoughts, trembling. “You make me so weak, Princess. So, so, weak.”

And as if the words freed him, he lets go of you, backing up. 

“So weak,” He repeats, one more time before turning around and retreating to his bedroom.

-

Yuri’s ball was tonight. Typically, you loved dances. They were a night where you could dance, laugh, and enjoy yourself without having too much attention on you. Tonight, however, as you prepped yourself for the ball, you couldn’t help but frown as you waited for the help you asked for to arrive. It was foolish, standing in front of the mirror with your corset wrapped around you, but you couldn’t tie the strings properly. This seemed like the breaking point of your week considering how yesterday went. You didn’t even want to think about what happened.

You talked to the King. To your father. As much as it felt wrong to retell Sunwoo’s story, you had to. The pain behind Sunwoo’s words was real and you had to make the King see. 

And so you did. 

He admitted his faults, which was surprising for you and for all of those present in the throne room that Friday evening. He ended the weekly meeting early after you declared his faults in front of your sisters and the guards, and as much as you thought he was going to yell at you when he dismissed the meeting, instead, he apologized. 

Which was shocking for all. 

But the most shocking part of it all was how easily the King realized your fondness for Sunwoo. Your mind flashes back to his words. 

“Y/N, I hope you do not take my mistakes in the past as a way for you to become careless. I have vowed to make things right, but you have grown too close to Sunwoo too quickly. Sunwoo was and always will be a thief. Until he makes amends for his mistakes and shows that he is capable of something greater, I do not want you speaking to him.”

You begin to interrupt him, but he cuts you off.

“I will look into your request, but if you wish for him to remain in this castle, you will distance yourself from him.”

It nearly repulsed you to listen to his words. The same Sunwoo everyone made out to be a villain was so gracious and kind and loving. You thought back to last night and how you didn’t want to think it in the moment, but you wanted him to kiss you. Just the thought of him doing that now after your father’s warning released a visceral reaction in your head–a pounding that you swear could only heal if Sunwoo actually put his lips against yours or if he once again, like last night, stuttered his weakness centimeters away from your face. 

A knock disrupts your thoughts.

“Come in.”

It was supposed to be a maid, one of your sisters, anyone but who actually knocked on the door. 

“Hello, princess,” Sunwoo grins. You can spot him from behind you in the mirror and you watch his grin falter as he scans your body. He acts, however, like yesterday didn’t happen. You don’t encourage him, letting yesterday fall to the back of your mind.

“I thought you were someone else,” You breathe out, holding tightly onto the strings of your corset behind your back. Your frown grows just a little deeper. Your hair was brushed off to the side, exposing your upper back. You felt trapped. If you made any sudden movements now, Sunwoo would think you were averting yourself from him which is the last thing you want right now. However, it’s what your father would want–would advise. His words repeat in your head. 

Being around Sunwoo was suffocating, and all you could think about was him. 

“Sorry to disappoint,” He scans your body once more, taking a step closer. 

“I needed–I need help,” You clear your throat. “With the strings.”

“Do you wish for me to do it?”

You contemplate all the possibilities of how this could go wrong. Someone could walk in. Your father could find out that you didn’t listen to him. 

The moment of hesitation causes Sunwoo to clear his throat, readying to exit. 

“Yes, please,” You murmur. 

You watch from the mirror as he makes his way forward, an undecipherable expression on his face. 

His hands brush up against your bare upper back, his hands straying from the strings. Starting from the top, he trailed his finger down your spine down to the beginning to where the strings started. Goosebumps arose on your skin and the only sound that could be heard in the room was the two of you breathing. 

“You must realize how hard it is for me to contain myself around you. You make it so hard for me.”

His fingers finally move to lace up the strings. 

When he pulls, you swallow, your mouth suddenly feeling dry. 

“What do you mean?” You whisper. 

When Sunwoo doesn’t answer, you don’t say anything else, almost afraid that if you said something, it would break whatever barrier he had up. Whatever walls you had surrounded yourself with. Somehow, you knew that if either of you made another move, there would be no going back. 

Your father’s words repeated in your head once again. 

When Sunwoo finishes, you realize that Sunwoo’s not moving. He was letting you decide where this was going next. You could either thank him and let him leave, or act on the one thought that has been plaguing your mind since you first saw Sunwoo. 

You turn, facing him. Your faces are mere inches apart. If you wanted to, you could lean in and finally kiss him. After all, it was your decision to make. Sunwoo was leaving it up to you. 

“If you wish for him to remain in this castle, you will distance yourself from him.”

“Thank you,” You say, looking into his eyes. His intentions were clear after those two words, backing away so he can head for the door. You wouldn’t have noticed his disappointment if not for the way he blinked before he moved away as if he was breaking out of a stupor. 

“Sunwoo,” You call out before he can turn his back to you. You had made up your mind to let him go, but it felt wrong with the way he was leaving.

“Don’t do this,” Sunwoo shakes his head. “You thanked me, now I’m leaving.” 

It was as if he was trying to convince himself that this was for the better. You didn’t want him to think you were toying with his emotions, but even you felt torn. 

“Kiss me,” You blurt out. It was the opposite of what you were supposed to be doing. You were supposed to distance yourself from him, but even now, the few feet he was standing away from you seemed too far for your liking. 

When Sunwoo doesn’t move, his eyes wide at your request, you plead, “Please.”

That has Sunwoo moving across the room, closing the distance between the two of you in seconds. He cups your face in his hands and crashes his lips against yours. This was what you had been waiting for. There was no other moment in your life that could be compared to the euphoria you felt when Sunwoo’s lips were on yours. 

He doesn’t waste any time, trailing his hands down from your face so that they’re on your hips. Your hands rested against his stomach, the same one you had been dreaming about since the night you knocked on his door and he answered, shirtless. 

He pulls away, resting his forehead against yours. “Is this okay?”

You nod, kissing him again as he lowers his hands beneath your thighs, lifting you up. He pauses to bite your lip, causing you to gasp against him. He smiles, “Words, Princess.”

“Yes–Yes, this is okay,” You breathe out. 

Sunwoo lays you down on the bed and as he latches his lips onto your neck, you feel your breathing begin to heavy. His shirt rides up as he moves down to your collarbones, kissing down. You try so hard to contain yourself but feel your resolve begin to quickly crumble when you feel the first brush of his bare stomach against your hands. 

“Can I–” You begin, wanting to finally feel him, but Sunwoo cuts you off. 

“Yes,” He breathes out, kissing back up your neck so that he is face to face with you. “Yes.”

He’s kissing you again and you only wish he wasn’t so you could see where you were touching. You moved your hand further up, pushing his shirt higher until you could feel his chest against you. When you rake your nails against him, he parts, gasping. 

“We should–You should,” His eyes dart between yours and the door. “You should finish getting ready for the party. For Yuri.”

You furrow your eyebrows when he pulls his shirt back down, darting for the door. 

“Sunwoo–” You begin. 

“This was a bad idea,” He mumbles, exiting the door as quickly as he got up off you. 

When Chae comes to get you later, you claim to be sick. You make an appearance for the part of the ball where Yuri cuts her cake and tries the pastries you made for her, but when you retire to bed early, you truly do feel sick when seeing Sunwoo unbothered and attending to the guests. 

-

Distancing yourself from Sunwoo came easily after that. Not only because you were extremely embarrassed and didn’t want to face him, but because Sunwoo was nowhere to be seen. Nabi still spent time in the kitchen, finally honing in on becoming a pretty decent baker. She still talked to you as if nothing happened between you and Sunwoo, so you wonder if he even told her anything. It was better this way anyway considering if he did tell her something, it would most likely be to stop spending as much time with you. 

Your father was more than happy. It was almost like the two were inversely related–your happiness and how everyone else was doing. However, you couldn’t complain knowing that he finally began working on your request to help the villagers. The construction had started a couple of days ago and you and Sunwoo were supposed to ride into the site to see everything. You obviously weren’t going to be alone. The King had multiple precautions in place including putting Juyeon in charge of the visit with strict instructions. 

It didn’t matter. The last thing you wanted was to be alone with Sunwoo. 

“You look miserable,” Juyeon says once he enters the carriage. The ride would take approximately an hour, and you were grateful that you overheard your father telling Juyeon to take his place in the carriage. The smaller carriage typically seated two and although you felt bad for seating Sunwoo with the rest of the workers, you knew that even if you wanted to, the King would never allow Sunwoo to sit with you. 

“You have such a beautiful way with words to this day.” It had been a couple of months since you last saw Juyeon and although there was the awkward period of time where you guys tried dating, that never changed the friendship between you two.

“Y/N,” Juyeon states. The carriage finally begins to make its first movements forward and you hope that Juyeon won’t force you to speak with him for the entirety of the trip. 

“Yes?”

“Look at me.” Something about the way he said it caused you to actually look over at him. You don’t fake a smile or pretend to be anything but you truly were–in a constant state of embarrassment and sadness. 

“Do you want to explain to me why the King has detailed instructions on why I am to keep you far away from Kim Sunwoo?”

You turn your head at his name, not wanting your face to give anything away. Juyeon doesn’t let you stay like that, taking his hand and turning your chin towards him, making you look at him. 

“I am sure that the King gave you his reasons. Told you that he was a thief,” You mutter. You found yourself saying thief with malice, unknowingly defending Sunwoo even when he wasn’t here. Even when he wouldn’t care for it. 

“Does he have any reason as to why your hands have been shaking for the entirety of the time that I have been in here? Or why I was able to notice your eyebags and how I can physically see your eyes drifting out of focus.”

“Juyeon–” You sharply state. “I am fine. I am well. You have no business looking for something that doesn’t exist.”

Juyeon scoffs. He was always like this. He was stubborn and never backed down. It’s why you were able to be friends with him after all this time. He always gave you the truth.

“You can’t fool me. I care about you. I always will,” He takes your hand in his. “I’m not looking for something that doesn’t exist, I’m seeing something that exists and could be so good for you and watching you turn it into something that’s hurting you.”

“You don’t understand, Juyeon. The King–” You begin. 

“You know what I have to say to the King?” Juyeon smiles a smile that you hadn’t seen in a long time. The same mischievous smile he would get when you were kids and he knew he was doing something he shouldn’t be doing. 

He lets go of your hand.

“Stop the carriage!” Juyeon yells out. You blink, confused. 

Juyeon exits, talking with the person riding the horse. The bigger carriage behind you stops as well, carrying the rest of the workers. You watch Juyeon smile, turning around and winking at you before making his way past. Your eyebrows furrow.

It’s not until you see someone climbing out and Juyeon taking his place do you realize what he was doing. 

“Oh, if the King finds out about this, we’re both dead Lee Juyeon,” You mutter, watching Sunwoo hesitantly walk towards the carriage. You turn back around, hoping to seem unaffected by staring ahead. 

“I was told to be seated up here. Something about knowing the terrain better..?” Sunwoo, although confused, waits for your permission before entering. You nod your head, not knowing what else to do. 

You stay silent from his entrance up until the carriage begins to move again. 

Sunwoo is the first to break the silence. 

“So, who was that?” He asks with an awkward lilt in his voice. You shake your head, annoyed. 

“Juyeon,” and just to make him angry, you continue. “Chaewon claims we’re going to get married.”

Sunwoo stiffens. “Oh, does she?”

“I’m sure we will. The men I tend to be interested in do not seem to reciprocate, so it only seems fair to arrange to marry him.” This is exactly why you didn’t want Juyeon to leave you alone with Sunwoo. You didn’t have enough time to practice like you didn’t care about Sunwoo or what he said to you. 

Sunwoo’s sharp intake of breath makes you realize that you definitely crossed a line. 

“Sorry. I’m sorry, I should not have said that. Juyeon is just a close friend.”

“Princess–”

“Listen. We should agree to just be civil with each other,” You turn to face him for the first time since he entered the carriage. It takes everything not to tear your eyes away. He was still the same, beautiful Sunwoo. “I understand that you do not want anything to do with me, but I have a standard to uphold so a little civility is needed.”

You don’t expect Sunwoo to argue, and he doesn’t. 

It’s quiet once more. 

“Your hands are shaking,” Sunwoo points out after a moment of silence. 

“Sorry,” You mumble, clasping your hands together. Juyeon was right. 

You notice him continue to stare at your hands, so you attempt to change the topic. 

“Nabi has been doing really well. She seems to enjoy baking as much as I do. Soon enough, she will be able to–”

“I do not know who told you that I do not want anything to do with you, but that is not true,” Sunwoo interrupts. 

The air suddenly feels colder, not helping the fact that you are visibly shaking now, almost like it extended from your hands to the rest of your body. 

“You did, Sunwoo. You told me you did not want anything to do with me,” You blurt, turning to him. “We kissed. And then you turned away like you were disgusted with what you just did. You said that you should not have done that and then never spoke to me again. Tell me, does that sound like you want anything to do with me?” You whisper. 

“I’m so sorry,” Sunwoo whispers back, placing his hand against your cheek. “I’m sorry. I want everything to do with you. I–” It looked like he was fighting with himself. “I tried so hard, but I can’t pretend anymore.

It’s only when you feel his hand on your face that you’re able to relax. You close your eyes, leaning into his touch. 

“I’m tired, Sunwoo.”

“I know. I’m sorry,” He repeats. When you open your eyes, his eyes are searching your face. He leans in, softly placing a kiss on your forehead. He was still cupping your face and you held onto his wrist, hoping to be just a little closer to him. 

“I wanted to apologize the moment I said it,” He whispers against your skin. “When I entered your room, I was just responding to the request for help you called for, but as soon as I saw you,” He pauses, his eyes searching yours to help convey the words he left unsaid. “Your father pulled me aside before the party and told me that I was to not speak to you anymore. If not, the terms were over and I would not be allowed in the house anymore.”

You try to pull away from his touch, shocked by his statement. 

“No, it’s okay,” He reassures as you begin to argue. “I’m done pretending. I hurt you and that is something that I will have to live with. I don’t intend to hurt you again.”

He looks into your eyes, the same sparkle in them that you loved so dearly. 

“Let him kick me out. At least I will leave knowing that I got to know you.”

-

The first order of business once you were back from the visit was the weekly meeting. 

And within that weekly meeting, you were going to tell your father about what Sunwoo liked about the construction and what he didn’t. 

The both of you agreed that there was no point in risking his safety, so you were extremely careful sneaking into his room at night. It was easier to get to his side of the castle without getting caught than risking Sunwoo being in your room. 

It was annoying, being in a constant battle of wanting to be with Sunwoo and then going behind your father’s back. But, there was no denying that you were falling for Sunwoo. You’re sure that if the King knew the real Sunwoo, he would be just as thankful for him as you were. Not to mention, the positive publicity your kingdom was getting thanks to the renovations that were occurring. Sunwoo was bringing so much light into the kingdom. 

As you did any night you couldn’t clear your head, you were baking. You were almost done with your batch of muffins when you hear someone clear their throat. 

It was Chae, in her riding gear. If there was someone Chae loved more than Hyunjae, it was her horse. Like baking was your therapy, riding was hers. 

“Going out?” You question. It was difficult, conversing with her. After that ill-fated dinner, you barely regarded her. However, even you knew better than to disrespect your older sister, even if she deserved it. 

“I just came back, actually,” She trails off, her eyes wandering through the kitchen. It was almost like she was looking for something, but there was nothing in the kitchen that was of interest to her to begin with. 

“What are you looking for?” 

She places her hands behind her back, rocking on her heels. “Oh, you know, just seeing if there was a 5 foot 10 man with black curly hair and really wide eyes hiding in here.��

You furrow your eyebrows. Was she onto you and Sunwoo? And why did she seem almost… shy?

“No, I have not seen Sunwoo–Chae, what is this about?”

“Baekgwang, he… I went riding without Hyunjae–don’t tell him that–and I guess I must not have been paying attention but Baekgwang ran off and Sunwoo…” She trails off as if she expects you to know the rest of the story. 

You shake your head, annoyed. “Chae, please. Did something happen to Sunwoo?”

“He was out there, tending to the garden out there and he got on Yuri’s horse and brought him back. I was looking to see if maybe, he was here. To tell you what happened or–”

You realize what she’s insinuating, but Sunwoo wasn’t like that. Sunwoo did good deeds out of the kindness of his heart, not to gloat or brag to you so that he was favored. 

“I have not seen him, but if I were you, I would thank him,” You shrug.

Chae clears her throat, stepping forward. “I did. Maybe he’s–” She pauses. 

“He’s not as bad as I thought.”

She turns to leave, but quickly adds something else before she does. 

“I saw you both. In the gardens last night before I went out to ride. He looks at you as if the entire world could be seen by looking into your eyes. I think–I think you should tell Father.”

You pause, slightly concerned that you were spotted so easily, but almost glad that it was Chae.

You purposefully face away from her, taking the muffins out of the oven and moving them to the countertop. “It doesn’t matter. Father said he wants me to stay away from him. He doesn’t care that–”

You pause, fiddling with the muffins. To stall, you break a piece off and chew on it. All your attention was on the muffin that you don’t notice Chae getting closer and putting a hand on your shoulder.

“Doesn’t care that what?”

You take a shaky breath, admitting it aloud for the first time to someone other than your own mind. 

“That I’m in love with him.”

-

A week passes since that night. Things have been both the same and different. Still, you snuck out when you could to see Sunwoo. Those were the times you were the happiest. His presence was comforting and warm. You even call him “Sun” now, a nickname that always makes him blush. To avoid the King, you rarely mingled in the public eye, but Chaewon and Yuri had entered the kitchen many times as Sunwoo was “strolling on by.” Chaewon was definitely acting differently. She didn’t glare at Sunwoo every time she saw him anymore, and you had even heard her teasing with Hyunjae–positively–about the two of you. Hyunjae must have heard that the two of you were together through Chae and Yuri told Sangyeon everything, so he knew as well, but neither had made the attempt to tell the King. 

You were content. Now, whenever you baked, you had a lovesick smile on your face. The same smile that adorned your face as you made fruit tarts with Nabi. 

However, the silence and your peace are quickly broken. 

“I talked to the King,” Nabi blurts out, continuing to stir the mixture. “About you and Sunwoo. Princess Yuri and Princess Chaewon were there too. And Sangyeon and Hyunjae. And some guy named Juyeon. And Jacob. ”

“You what?” You look up, alarmed. Nabi mustn’t find the situation as extreme as you did, however, because she continues to stir, without a care in the world. 

“What did you say? What did he say? What did they say? What could you even have talked about?” You ramble, admittedly extremely confused. Your heart was beating at rates that were far from human, but Nabi didn't budge, just standing there. 

“Fruit tarts?” 

You stagger at the new voice, one you know all too well. 

“Father,” You breathe out. “What are you doing here?”

There’s a small smile on his face, one that was reserved for just his three daughters. There was a side to him that no one else knew. 

“I had a chat this evening,” He begins, wandering around the kitchen as if there was a particular interest he found in the cabinets. “Nabi was there and she made some very good points. She was also very convincing.”

“Convincing of what?” You plead, nearly in a frenzy for unsaid words. It was like Nabi and the King were sharing an inside joke which is completely preposterous considering you hadn’t even known they acknowledged each other until this very moment and–

“Chaewon claims that Sunwoo has changed. She entered today with a whole panel of witnesses, actually. All with very convincing arguments on why I should give Sunwoo a chance–a real chance. 

You’re taken aback, shocked by the information. Against your will, your palms begin to sweat and you’re not sure if the room is spinning in circles because you’re dreaming or you were dizzy. 

“I listened to them. But now, I would like to listen to you,” He takes a step towards you, gesturing for you to talk. 

You don’t know where to begin, your mouth dry.

“I–” You look around, your eyes falling onto Nabi’s, the only other person in the room. She sends a small encouraging smile in your direction and it’s all you need for words to flow out of your mouth. 

“I am in love with Sunwoo. Everything he has ever done has been from his heart, whether that be for his parents, his sister, or for me. All he has ever done is love and I wish you could see him through my eyes so you could understand just how bright he shines,” You take a deep breath, continuing. You were sure you looked crazy, but if this was the King’s way of understanding how much Sunwoo meant to you, then you would take the one chance you would get. “He cares about me and this kingdom and I truly think there would be no better person to bring about real change in this world other than him. And if you don’t want us to be together, fine, but you can not deny me that he doesn’t deserve better than the way he’s treated currently. He has done more than prove himself.”

Your mind drifts back once again to those cursed words your Father had spoken–

“Sunwoo was and always will be a thief. Until he makes amends for his mistakes and shows that he is capable of something greater, I do not want you speaking to him.”

By the end of your speech, you're breathing heavily, and you can’t help but want to sit down. The only thought in your brain is that you hope that you’ve done Sunwoo justice. 

Your eyes dart between Nabi and the King. He stays silent, but there’s a smug look on Nabi’s face as if you were missing something. 

“I know I already spoke to you, but anything you wish to add Sunwoo?” 

You pause, watching Sunwoo come out from behind the wall where the King entered from. You feel your face begin to heat up, but you notice the familiar blush littering Sunwoo’s cheeks. 

“No, your highness,” Sunwoo smiles. You raise your eyebrows at the honorific directed towards your father, but he shrugs, mouthing “Talk later?” You nod, directing your attention back to your father with the biggest smile on your face. 

“I believe that settles it then. Sunwoo, you will be moved to closer living quarters, not too close though,” His eyes narrow at Sunwoo. “And your new list of responsibilities begins tomorrow. I think you would do great supervising the new project the two of you have been working on.”

The King turns to look at you one more time, the smile on his face being the same one you grew up with. “Yuri said something to me today that truly helped me gain some insight.”

Your mind wanders to what Yuri could have said. She spent most of her time with Nabi when you weren’t baking with her, but it never occurred to you that she might see Sunwoo on a daily basis when he went to get Nabi for dinner. You wondered what Yuri and Sunwoo could have talked about. 

“What did she say?”

He places a hand on your shoulder, eyes proud. “Your mother would have loved him.”

The King leaves promptly after that, but it isn’t long until you rush over to Sunwoo, wrapping your arms around his neck. 

You laugh as he picks you up, spinning you around. 

“I never got to say this to you directly, but I told your father, who apologized and thanked me, by the way–” The shock must be evident on your face because he says he’ll tell you about it later. “But, I love you. You are it for me, Princess. I want to look toward the future and that’s you. I wouldn’t have a future if it wasn’t for you. So thank you, Angel.”

Your hands were still clasped around his neck, your faces inches apart. You’re not sure if Nabi had left, but you’re sure she would have by now considering it felt like there was no one in the world, let alone the room, but the two of you. 

He places a soft kiss on your forehead, pulling back to look into your eyes again. 

“I love you, too,” You whisper, watching his eyes sparkle. 

 –BONUS SCENE: Nabi’s speech–

“Nabi, go ahead and tell him what you wanted to say,” Yuri encourages Nabi, holding onto her shoulder for support. 

Nabi takes a shaky breath. And then she blurts, “My brother is the best brother in the whole wide world. He helps me and he helped my parents as much as he could. My brother didn’t care that he had to look after me. He didn’t complain to me once. He found me toys and gave me his food and he is my brother. I know I’m a child so you might not believe me. There isn’t much I know, but I do know that my brother is the best person in this world. He cares about me and Princess Y/N even though the way you treated him was terrible. If he was bad, he would be different, but he’s still the same brother I grew up with and I think you need to be nicer to him.”

[kimsohn]

insignificance

pairing . eric x gn! reader about . 2k words, fluff (suggestive) warnings . 16+ cause there is heavy making out at the end, drinking wine, mentions of murder but it's all jokes!!

synopsis . it takes one dinner and a late-night drive for you to fall in love with your fiancé all over again. note . the inspo for this fic was @sohnric's plot twist make-out scene (and this pic) i hope i did it justice 💗 i wrote this on a whim and am posting this at 1am so please excuse me for this monstrosity 😭 tysm @juyeonszn and @mars101 for cheering me on YUPP tagging . @stealanity @invuwrld @gfksn (+ bar)

The background noise of the waiters shuffling around fades away as your two glasses clink together. Vivaldi’s Spring is playing in the background, a piece you’ve only heard once in a blue moon at an orchestra concert. Eric seems to have experienced differently, though, judging by the taps of his dress-shoe-covered foot beneath the table and the twinkle in his eyes.

“Cheers,” you whisper, giddy with excitement.

“Cheers, baby,” Eric whispers back, the corners of his mouth lifting in a grin.

The wine in your glass swishes as you take a tentative sip. It’s sweet and fruity, and you’ve already forgotten the name Eric rattled off to the waiter as if expensive drinks were second nature to him. They probably were second nature to the Sohn family, considering the elegance of this fancy restaurant, the outfit he bought that now adorns you, and the sparkling ring that sits on your finger.

You set the glass down next to you, already a little overwhelmed with the elegance of this atmosphere. You knew you married rich, but it never particularly occurred to you just how rich your fiancé is. In fact, you feel a little out of place sitting in a chair that costs half of your monthly paycheck and staring at a menu that you once never would’ve been able to. Despite already being engaged to the love of your life, you’re not sure you’ll ever find a way to fit into the intricate setting that the Sohns have grown up in.

“What’s wrong?” Eric asks, seeing the glimmer in your eyes dissipate with your overthinking.

He reaches across the table to take your hands in his, running his thumb over your ring. He traces the lines of it, following the swirl pattern as if he were seeing it for the first time. As if he didn’t spend hours agonizing over what design to gift you, so sure that you would reject him if it wasn’t up to your liking.

(You would’ve said yes even if he proposed to you with a lollipop.)

“I feel like I don’t belong here,” you admit, your head hanging low as the embarrassment clouds your features.

He intertwines his fingers with yours, lacing them tightly. Eric is all too knowing of the nagging thoughts in your brain, telling you you’re undeserving of the man in front of you and the wealth that comes along with it. However, you’ve hit the jackpot in the fact that Eric is always ready to argue back with the devil on your shoulder, even if it’s three in the morning and you’re delirious from sleep or if you’re a little bit too tipsy and crying in his lap. Eric, for lack of better words, is always there for you. Even now, as he holds your hands and stares into your eyes as if you’re the only person in the universe, he is here for you.

“I’m going to eat that little voice in your head so it goes away,” he responds a moment later with finality, extremely serious.

The statement is so absurd and unexpected that it has you giggling, and you grip Eric’s fingers tighter as you lean forward and can’t find it in you to stop. All your previous tension disappears when you look into Eric’s eyes, filled with mirth and kindness.

“You’re crazy,” you voice through laughter, reaching for the wine glass to calm your jumbling nerves.

Eric just shakes his head, unable to hold back a smile that reflects your current predicament.

“Crazy for you, babe. Now stop worrying your pretty little head and enjoy your food, okay?”

And enjoy the food you do. The three-course meal followed by dessert has you clutching your stomach after, full and bloated from the amount of delicious food you’ve consumed. You can’t even bring yourself to take a couple more bites of the black forest delicacy that sits on your plate, but luckily, you have the universe to thank for the takeout box that now rests in Eric’s left hand.

His other hand holds the car keys, and as he clicks the unlock button, the Orange Corvette lights up from across the parking garage. Its bright color is exactly reminiscent of the man standing next to you, exuberant and dashing. You felt like a little kid the first time he picked you up in his car, extremely impressed with the interior neon lights he showed off to you in the earlier stages of your relationship. Now, as his fiancé, the car is something comfortable to you, having seen it too many times to count by this point. 

He helps you into the front seat before getting in beside you, one hand on the steering wheel and the other resting on the back of your headrest as he backs the car out. You’ll never admit this to him, but the view of him looking back and inching the car out is devilishly handsome to you, and you have to fight the warmth that rises to your cheeks.

Once he repositions the vehicle and drives forward, the hand that’s behind you now moves to your thigh. The shiny watch on his wrist glints in the moonlight, and he absentmindedly draws circles on your clothed skin to the beat of the song. It doesn’t help that it’s an R&B track, so every movement of his finger is slow and torturous, and every trace ignites fire against the cloth. 

“Eric,” you start, watching as he pulls to a stop before the red light.

“Hm?” he responds, turning his head to face you.

You notice that he’s wearing a singular stud earring on his right ear. You can only pray that you’ll find some strength to survive the rest of this car ride because as soon as it’s over, you won’t let him see the light of day.

“How much longer?” you ask tentatively, like a little kid squirming in their seat.

He rolls his eyes, turning back to focus on the road. It doesn’t help though, because his side profile is just as alluring as his front.

“Couple more minutes, baby.”

True to his word, he exits the main road a few minutes later, driving up a dirt path unfamiliar to you. The road is slightly bumpy, and you’re a little tipsy from the wine so you shift around quite frequently, but Eric’s unwavering, strong grip on your thigh keeps you grounded. The more you stare at his hand, the more sexy you find his hand pressed against the silk you’re wearing.

You’re reconsidering your decision to spend the rest of your life with this ridiculously hot man when he pulls into a forest clearing.

“Are you going to murder me, Eric Sohn?” you tease as he parks the car, swiftly maneuvering the wheel.

You move to step out once he’s done, but he’s faster than you, and he opens the car door before you can even reach for the handle.

“If I wanted to murder you,” he says, holding your arm as you step out, “I would’ve already done so, my love.”

It’s your turn to roll your eyes, but you have little to be annoyed about as you survey your surroundings. The dark forest around you is a contrast to the vividness of the car, but nothing seems brighter than Eric’s smile at the moment and the twinkling stars around you.

Eric leads you to a clearing, his hand pressed against the small of your back. You peer over, fascinated at the realization that you can see the whole city from here. The twinkling lights of the bustling city below you are something of a dream, and as you look towards Eric, you can see the stars reflected in his eyes.

Minutes like these, where you’re not surrounded by extravagance, are when you truly feel your connection with Eric. Raw, unearthed, and simply pure, you feel like you’re stripped of all labels. You both are just insignificant specks in the universe, and he is truly just some guy to you in this moment, but you know wholeheartedly that this very guy is the one you truly love. You would never have it any other way.

The grin on Eric’s face is infectious as you face him with one of your own. You wrap your hands around the back of his neck, clasping them together as his arms find their way around your waist. 

“Found this place the other day,” he explains as if he could hear your thoughts, “I kinda regret not proposing to you here.”

“Don’t lie,” you mutter, knowing that he definitely does not regret whisking you away to his private condo in the mountains just to put a ring on your finger.

He laughs, pressing his forehead against yours. The cicadas chirp around you, and all is silent when he calms down except for your two breaths in unison. His gaze circulates from your eyes to your lips and then back to your eyes, and whatever triangle method he’s using is working because one second later, you lean in to press a sweet kiss to his lips.

He tastes like strawberries, and you smile against his lips remembering that you’d gifted him strawberry lip balm two days ago. Your man, your sexy, diligent man, following your orders to take care of his lips stirs butterflies in your stomach. The fact that you hold some kind of power over the Sohn family’s heir makes you feel a little dizzy, but your only response is to pull Eric closer and kiss him harder.

The sweetness of both the strawberry scent and the kiss fade as he presses back with just as fervor, adjusting his arms around you to pull you in tighter. The space between you feels unbearable, and despite the proximity between you two, the gap is still too big for your liking. You need him viscerally, every part of him on you as if the very concept of distance is poisonous and Eric is your antidote.

“Baby,” he whispers, pulling back with shallow breaths, “the car.”

You end up in the front seat of his car, the seat tilted backward and you in Eric’s lap. One of his knees holds you in place against your back, and his hands rest on your waist. The position is far too intimate that anyone walking by will know exactly what’s going on. Your kisses have turned heady, mirroring the darkness in his eyes and the way you clutch onto the front of his black shirt. You work on unbuttoning his shirt, but Eric distracts you with his tongue swiping across your lips and the way he softly bites when you protest. By some miracle, you finish moments later, and you run your hands down his skin. He shivers, and everything feels like pure electricity between you two the way his fingers press into your sides tighter. 

(It will bruise tomorrow, but you don’t care. You’ll simply shrug on a shirt and try to fight a blush as Eric stares at you from the bed shirtless, a knowing grin on his face.)

His kisses trail down your lips, your cheeks, and your neck, finally finding a home in your collarbone, biting and sucking as if it was his favorite pastime. It probably is, with the way he kisses down your shoulder and tugs the strap of clothing down.

Your fingers trace his collarbone, and you hold his head in your hands as he looks up at you. He’s needy and restless, but he’ll always listen to you when you have something to say.

You may be an insignificant speck in the world, but in Eric’s eyes, you’re the whole universe.

“I love you,” you whisper.

It’s all you have to say before he flips you around, pressing you into the dip of the seat as he slides your clothing down. The air conditioning of the car and the ambient music bring goosebumps to your now exposed skin, but Eric makes everything disappear by resuming his previous ministrations.

He looks into your eyes before pressing a kiss right above your heart. It beats against your chest, heavy, and Eric knows it’s only for him. It will always be only for him.

“I love you too,” he whispers back, smiling against your skin.

“Forever and always.”

[jiminies-ahmee]

💌 [00:02] kim sunwoo

sunwoo rubs your back as you lay beside him, head resting on his chest. it’s quiet between the two of you save for the soft patter of rain against the window and the soundtrack of Your Name playing on sunwoo’s laptop.

“we’ve watched this an unhealthy amount of times, but i never get tired of it.” you sigh against sunwoo’s chest. he smiles with glee. Your Name was a film which sunwoo had loved for a few years now, it had been a source of inspiration for his song-writing recently.

“that means that it’s your favourite too.” he points out, pulling you in a little closer even if you were already impossibly close to him, “my baby’s got great taste - just like me.” he winks, relishing in the sweet laughter you let out.

“sure, sure. just like you.” you repeat, though your words are cut off by a loud yawn, “i’m not tired of the film, but i am tired.” you mumble almost to yourself as you settle your face into the crook of sunwoo’s neck.

the film’s outro song plays gently from the laptop speakers sunwoo looks down at you. perhaps it’s the beautiful sentiment of the film mixed with his uncontainable love for you, but sunwoo feels so warm inside.

“it’ll always be your name, y/n. i love you.”

a/n: timestamp requests are open!!! writing for: tbz, skz, bts, ateez, got7 and nct <3 feel free to send thru

[jukyuu]

[21:05]

pairing: best friend! eric x reader

genre: fluff, slight bff2l!AU? idk LMAO

warnings: none, i think

word count: 300 words

a/n: first work for the boyz!!! hopefully it doesnt disappoint hehe <33

Eric likes it when you come over for movie nights. He likes how excited you look as he opens the door, he likes how you bring snacks and ice cream for you to eat during the movie.

Eric also is very mesmerized by your little signs of affection, laying your head on his shoulder, handing him another bag of chips when you notice him fiddling with the previous one, your fingers that move close to his. He wants to hold them.

But instead, he has them in his hair, running soothingly against his head. Eric relaxes in your hold, sighing at the feeling of you ruffling his hair around, playing around with the soft strands. You're into your second movie, and he's already sleepy. He'll blame it on the warm pastries you brought earlier.

But instead, he has them in his hair, running soothingly against his head. Eric relaxes in your hold, sighing at the feeling of you ruffling his hair around, playing around with the soft strands. You're into your second movie, and he's already sleepy. He'll blame it on the warm pastries you brought earlier.

You continue to rake your fingers through Eric's hair, he realizes he loves how soft your hands are, how warm they always are, how they hold so much care.

Eric loves it when you attempt a small braid, and your chuckle when it falls apart so easily. He loves how you fiddle with the strands that cover his eyes, loves how you mumble out how his hair is so messy because of your doings. He loves it when you push his hair out of the way from his eyes, and he loves how you lean down and leave the softest lingering kiss on the tip of his nose.

And as you throw your head back with flustered laughs, Eric realizes, he loves you.

[kpopsfic]

admit ꩜ jacob bae

pairing: jacob bae x gender neutral reader

genre: angst

warnings: cursing (hyunjae has a horrible mouth), angst, mentions of depression and sadness

word count: 1.3k

written by: ollie

description: jacob bae was your world until the abrupt day that he wasn’t. you thought you would never see him again. you thought you would never learn why, but apparently two certain boys had a different idea

a/n: i wrote this awhile ago, but here’s my first imagine on this blog. please enjoy!

you loved your roommate. sunwoo was your best friend and you knew completely that he just wanted what was best for you. however, hyunjae was different. whether it was for the best or not, he just wanted to be right. 

that was exactly how you ended up locked in your own bathroom with your ex-boyfriend, the mastermind behind the whole plan insisting that all your problems would be fixed if you just "talked it out." 

if only talking it out was that easy.

jacob plopped down on the floor across from you and instantly, you knew you guys were going to be in here for awhile. he wouldn't even look at you. his eyes were focused on his hands, which were wrapped around his knees, pulling them to his chest. the silence was practically deafening. 

what were you supposed to say? what were you supposed to do? this was only the second time you had seen jacob bae since the breakup occurred and the first time involved you running away as soon as you were able to distinguish his blonde head. this time, you couldn't flee. you couldn't run. there was no escape. this time you had to face your problems. 

𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒆𝒆 𝒋𝒂𝒆𝒉𝒚𝒖𝒏. 

as if he was summoned, a voice from downstairs broke the silence. "why don't i hear talking? quit being pussies!" 

a gasp followed hyunjae's remark. "hey, was that necessary?" sunwoo exclaimed.   

"completely necessary."

the room fell into silence once more and you found yourself unable to take it. 

"he's right you know." your voice sounded foreign to your own ears. it was barely raised above a whisper and you swore if you tried to speak any louder that the tears would start to flow. "we're going to have to talk at some point. why not now?" 

jacob let out a sigh, but stayed silent. you surveyed the boy in front of you, pain aching in your heart. he was no longer the boy you fell in love with. the boy in the bathroom with you now appeared broken. dark circles had blossomed under his eyes since the last time you two had crossed paths. he seemed paler and maybe even thinner as well. 

you didn't want to talk. that's what you constantly told sunwoo. what was done was done. jacob broke up with you and talking about it wasn't going to make a difference. it wasn’t going to bring him back. well, at least that was what you kept telling yourself. 

talking about the pain and confusion you felt toward the boy who you loved most in the world was not something that could be talked about easily. 

especially since he was the one who shattered your heart to pieces in the first place. 

but today was different. today, you found yourself needing to talk; needing to vent; needing to find out the reason 𝒘𝒉𝒚. 

"i just don't understand why, jacob," you managed to croak our past the lump in your throat. "i don't understand what i did wrong." 

the tears weren't falling yet, but they were close. crying in front of him was going to make it worse, but it was going to happen. you couldn't avoid it. not after all the pain he had caused. 

"i- i loved you. I loved you so much. I thought the absolute world of you," you whispered. "you made me so happy." 

jacob's eyes were now trained on you. he could feel the pain in your voice and it killed him. however, it was better for you to feel like this than to still be with him. 

"every day i woke up and thanked the world that kevin introduced me to you because what would i be without you. who would i be without you? you were my person, my rock. you were the person who i wanted to spend my entire life with." you scoffed, shaking your head. your right hand ran across your cheeks to rid your skin of the tears. this time anger was in your voice. 

"i can't believe after all that you had the nerve to break up with me over text. what? did a phone call seem like too much? a voicemail would have even been better than a stupid text, jacob." 

the blonde boy flinched at his name. he knew he was in the wrong. he knew the way he broke up with you was wrong, but he didn't have a choice. he couldn't have done it in person. 

your voice was fragile when you spoke next. "was i not good enough? was that it? did a year go down the drain all because of me?" 

you weren't talking to receive a reply, so you were shocked when jacob actually spoke. 

his words were careful. "don't talk about yourself like that. you deserve the world and more." 

"then what went wrong, jacob?"

he sighed, running a hand across his face in frustration. not frustration because of you, but because of himself. 

"look, i know you're still hurt and there's nothing i can say and do that will excuse my actions, but i love you, okay. i just didn't want to hurt you anymore. i didn't want you to suffer because of me and for that, i am sorry." 

jacob's words caused the tears to let loose from your eyes and you tried to hold back a sob. "what do you mean hurt me? you weren't hurting me and I wasn't suffering. what hurt was the fact that you didn't give me an explanation." 

now it was jacob who was trying to hold back tears. how was he supposed to explain to you what was wrong? how was he supposed to explain the fear and self-hatred? 

"i know you were starting to realize that I was acting different. i was acting more distant. it seemed to you that every time I talked to anyone i was irritated or annoyed. you started to see my personality change, but i know you were choosing to ignore it. you figured that if you continued to be nice that everything would go back to normal. but i hated that. i hated knowing that i was treating you horribly, but i couldn't help it. i was just so angry and sad all the time and i didn't know how to handle it." 

you could see the tears coating jacob's cheeks and you had the urge to wipe them away, but you knew that wasn't an option. "so that's why you decided to break up with me? i could have helped you, jacob. we could have gotten through all that together, but instead you pushed me away." 

jacob shrugged. "i wasn't going to stay around long enough to bring you down." 

a sob left your lungs at his words and you buried your face in your hands, unable to even form a sentence to express the internal turmoil you felt. 

"i wanted to reach out to you for so long now, but you know that i always ran from conflict. i'm a coward and because of my cowardliness I couldn't tell you what i was going through. i hurt us both and i just saw no way to fix it. so i just kept running. I am so sorry."

you lifted your head up and almost on autopilot you reached out for him. without hesitation, he pulled you into his arms. 

jacob's embrace felt like home and instantly brought about a sense of comfort. you missed his scent. you missed the feeling of safety he created. you missed him. 

he rubbed your back softly as he waited for your tears to calm down. the burden now felt like it was off his shoulders, but he knew the regret of not telling you sooner would haunt him for all eternity. 

it had to be ten minutes before you were able to speak once more.  

"can we just start over?" 

jacob nodded, his arms tightening around you as he rested his chin on the top of your head. "yeah, i would like that." 

suddenly you heard the lock to the bathroom door click and hyunjae rushed in, nearly jumping for joy. 

"just call me fucking cupid!"