#that took way longer to write than it should have

[mylovesstuffs]

OT13 reactions to your "let's break up" text prank

Request: Hello! I've been reading your stuff, and it's so good. I was wondering if I could request something? A while back, there was a prank on TikTok with girlfriends texting their boyfriends asking/telling them they wanted to break up. I was wondering if you could do Seventeen OT13 reactions to the same scenario? Let me know if this is okay! Thank you! :)

A/N: Ah, this took me longer to complete than I expected. Anyway, this is their reaction to the general, "Let's break up," text tiktok trend. I know it's a really common prompt, but I still wanted to try it out. The videos the anon later sent me of the trend for the request (because I hadn’t seen before) actually had a twist, like, "What do we do when we break up," or, "When we break up, ___." These felt a bit different from the straightforward, "Let's break up," so I’ll be writing that version as well. I really want these to meet your expectations, anon, as well as for everyone else reading. So, if this isn’t quite what you were hoping for, please stay tuned for my next reaction post—it’ll be up soon. Until then, I hope you enjoy this one!

For the sake of the reaction, OT13 are not physically with their s/o at the moment.

Content: A bit suggestive in some members MDNI!, angst if you squint, other than these I think it's cute heheh

This is my personal opinion and perspective. It may not accurately reflect their real-life personalities or behaviors.

Seungcheol: At first, he thinks you're joking, but the tone of your message makes him pause. He’s a natural leader who reads between the lines, so your message would raise a red flag. He’d immediately call you instead of texting back.

"What’s going on? Is this a joke, or are you serious?", "If something’s wrong, we need to talk about it, not text about it." If you stay silent to keep the prank going, he’d start to worry. “Listen, if you’re upset or unsure about us, we should talk in person. Breaking up over text isn’t like you.”

When you finally admit it’s a prank, you’d hear a heavy sigh of relief on the other end of the line. “You had me thinking about where I went wrong. Don’t mess with me like that, okay?” He’d pout and demand extra cuddles, peppered with kisses as apology payments, but it’s not long before he uses this prank against you, teasing about how you can’t live without him.

Jeonghan: He sees right through it. Jeonghan is the master of mind games, he knows exactly how to flip the script. When he reads your breakup text, he’d smirk to himself and reply with something like,

"Oh no, how will I ever survive without you? 🙄"

Or,

“Shit, what did I do? Let me grab my tissues and cry in public.”

If you double down, insisting it's serious, he might add a touch of fake sincerity just to keep you on edge,

“Alright, if this is real, I need to hear it from you in person. But if you’re joking, just admit it already so that you don't have to embarrass yourself before I start planning my heartbreak playlist.”

When you finally confess, he’d grin slyly and shake his head.

“You thought you could out-prank me? Cute. Now you owe me a nice date to make up for trying to stress me out.” (but was he even stressed in the first place?)

He wouldn’t even pretend to be mad, but his devilish smirk would remind you just how much you underestimated him. It was a nice try but you need to work harder to fool him.

Joshua: Joshua’s initial response is shock. He would be one of the most heartbroken, mainly because he wouldn’t immediately assume it’s a prank. His first response would be thoughtful and kind, showing how much he values your relationship He types and deletes messages a few times before sending:

“Is this really how you feel? Did I do something to make you feel this way? I’d really like to talk about it instead of texting.”

If you don’t reply quickly, he’d follow up with another message,

“Please don’t make a decision like this without us talking. I want to fix whatever’s wrong.”

When you finally admit it’s a joke, his relief would be palpable, and he’d laugh nervously. “I can’t believe you’d scare me like that!” He really thought he lost you for a second. You’re lucky he can’t stay mad at you. But just like Seungcheol he'll pout and will have to make up with him for some more~ (You better make this up to me. Tonight.) I'll keep it open to interpretation.

Jun: Jun would be confused and a bit hurt but wouldn’t jump to conclusions. He’d reread the text multiple times, trying to understand where it was coming from.

"I don't understand...."

"Did I do something wrong? I thought we were happy."

"Can we talk about this in person?"

If you keep the prank going, he’d start to blame himself so,

“I didn’t realize I was making you feel this way. I’m sorry.”

“Can we meet and talk about this?”

He was about to bring over your favorite snacks and talk it out and fix things!Then when you admit it’s a prank, he’d groan and playfully pout. His pout would be so adorable that you’d smother him with kisses in apology, and he’d happily take them all.

Hoshi: Hoshi's immediate reaction would be pure panic. He’d spam you with messages, each one more frantic than the last:

"WHAT?!"

"What do you mean break up?"

"Why??"

"Did I do something wrong?"

"I’ll fix it, I promise!"

"Don’t leave me!!!"

When you don’t reply fast enough, he’d call you, his voice would be shaky, “Please, let’s talk it out! I can’t lose you!” so when you finally tell him it’s a prank, he’d let out the most dramatic sigh of relief and switch to playful scolding in an instant saying things like, “You almost gave me a heart attack!” His whole world actually flashed before his eyes. But he wouldn’t let it slide easily, so you better give him cuddles for a week to make up for this!

Wonwoo: Wonwoo would approach it maturely but with a heavy heart.

"Is this really what you want?"

“If this is what you really want, I won’t stand in your way. But I’d like to know why, so I can understand.”

"I just want you to be happy, even if it’s not with me."

If you push the prank further, he’d try to give you space while quietly reflecting on what he might have done wrong.

“I hope you’re okay. Just let me know when you’re ready to talk.”

After this text from him, you'll have to immediately stop the prank because he's actually taking this into consideration for your sake. When you confess that it was all a prank, he’d take a moment before chuckling softly and saying, “You really scared me there. I was already preparing to give you the space you needed. Don’t joke about something like this, okay?” You really scared this man.

Woozi: He would be stunned and would stare at the message for a long time, unsure how to react. He finally texts back:

“Is this real? Did something happen?”

If you keep insisting it’s serious, he’d start overthinking.

“I didn’t realize I was making you feel this way. I’m sorry. Let’s meet and talk, please.”

When you reveal it’s a prank, he’d let out a heavy sigh and come all the way home to roll his eyes at you lmao. He can’t believe you just did that. Do you think he's laughing? No, he's not. But he'll forgive you this time. He’d try to act annoyed, but the small smile on his face would give him away.

Dokyeom: This poor man's heart would break immediately, and he’d call you with his voice trembling, his speech coming in quick succession, "What happened? Why do you want to break up? I don’t understand. Whatever it is, I’m sorry! Please!"

When you finally admit it’s a prank, he’d laugh out of sheer relief, but you’d sense his lingering panic. "You’re so mean! My heart is still racing!" (It is). So please do us a favour, don't do this type of prank with our cutie patootie and save him from a potential heartbreak.

Mingyu: Mingyu would be devastated but would try to keep it together.

"What? Why?"

"Did I do something wrong?"

"Can we talk about this face-to-face?."

When you finally tell him it’s a prank, he’d groan and collapse onto the couch, his hands covering his face. “You scared me so much! I was about to drop everything and come see you. You’re going to pay for this with a date night—and maybe a private encore performance after.” Again I'll leave this up to your interpretation of what happens after he comes back home.

Minghao: Minghao would handle it coolly but with a hint of worry.

"If that’s what you really want, I won’t stop you."

"But I’d like to know why."

When you admit it’s a prank, he’d shake his head and smirk. "Don’t test me like that again." Again, I'm leaving this up to your interpretation of what happens next when he's back home. (He’d pull you close, his lips ghosting over yours as he adds, "Next time you want my attention, just say so. No need for dramatics." — snippet)

Seungkwan: Seungkwan would immediately start spiraling the moment he reads your text. His fingers would move at lightning speed, sending a flurry of messages that progressively show his panic:

"Why??"

"????"

"What happened?"

"Is it something I did?"

"Please tell me we can fix this."

When you tell him it’s a prank, he’d yell. "YOU DID NOT JUST DO THAT TO ME!" He’d immediately start pacing in circles, waving his hands around like he’s rehearsing for a drama, "I was about to cry! How could you do this to me?" while being in call with you. But then he’d laugh, give you a side eye and forgive you.

Vernon: Vernon would be too stunned to react at first. After what feels like an eternity (but is really just two minutes), he’d reply:

"Uh... what? Can we talk about this?"

He's genuinely surprised so when you tell him it’s a joke, he’d sigh and laugh awkwardly cause then it makes sense for you to do a tiktok prank on him. "You’re wild for that. My brain didn’t know how to process it." I mean who can break up with a breathtakingly gorgeous man like him?. Also, you might catch him giving you side glances for the rest of the day, as if he’s still recovering from the fake heartbreak.

Dino: Dino would be heartbroken and immediately reply.

"What? Why?"

"I thought we were happy together."

When you reveal it’s a prank, his gasp would be loud enough to echo. "No way you just did that to me! I was about to cry!" He’d pout and demand endless apologies. His grin would leave no doubt about his plans to make you make up for it. He might be the youngest but again...I'm leaving this up to your interpretation.

[raayllum]

The Mage Wars

How could I not know that? What really happened? History has a way of burying the ugly truths of those who write it.

So it was supremely satisfying to finally have a textual answer to something fans have been curious about since S2 aired in 2019, and definitely after S3. There was speculation at the time that the West being so different from the East was likely due to two options:

Xadian forces took magic out of the west as a preventative measure when the elves / everyone was leaving, and then sent the humans in. This would mean a more difficult path for humanity in terms of stripping away Xadia's natural abundance, but better protect all the unique creatures/beings who lived on the western half of the continent by shepherding them somewhere safer

Xadian forces left the West untouched, and sent humans into that same natural abundance. Humanity consumed and destroyed it over long term dark magic use and infighting (calling back to Viren's line in 2x05 of "After centuries of fighting amongst ourselves...") because dark magic is a personal, subjective morality free-for-all of terror and consequences

We now definitively know it's the second one... but why? Why tell us this at all?

Well there's a few potential reasons:

Now that we're fully opening up the border between the Pentarchy and the Xadia, with the caveat that the Pentarchy can defend themselves from future dragon attacks, we could see encroaching war of more powerful humans who wish to plunder magic from the remaining magical side of the continent. All the previous guardians of Xadia's land and seas (the Archdragons) have also been taken out by Aaravos.

Side note: I forget where, but I saw people speculate that the coral-horned creature could be the Empress of the Deep mentioned in Deep Below, who was a dear friend of Domina Profundis, and who was hunted by a collection of elves and humans.

The history of the Mage Wars is also likely relevant to the Staff of Ziard. We see it featured prominently in the flashback and that it seemed to denote powerful mages in particular. This makes sense as it's something Aaravos crafted and then gave to humanity, along with dark magic itself earlier on. We also know that (particularly human) mages were his preferred prey and that the Mage Wars are exactly the kind of conflict he'd be more than ready to nudge along. His imprisonment being 300 years ago (depending on when the fighting came to an end) could also line up.

Going back to the Staff, we know that the staff metal itself came from the Starscraper (alongside 8 others that remain there), the quasar diamond was stolen from the Corona of the Heavens and placed in the staff, and that it eventually became attributed to the High Mage position in Katolis, passing from generation to generation. We know that traditionally it would've passed from Kpp'Ar to Viren, and has now gone to Callum, who seems to no longer be High Mage, but retains ownership over the staff anyway. We don't know why Kpp'Ar believed that the staff should never be used again, so it seems that's an arc 3 question.

I'm also curious if the end of the mage wars, given the volcanic setting is reminiscent of the arc 1 intro with Avizandum, might be something we see some day / in further detail. If the timeline matches up where it was coming to a close around 300 years ago, that could be part of the reason why the Orphan Queen journeyed into Xadia and why she had reason to be suspicious of Aaravos.

[isak-dot-gov]

Awkward Beginnings

Pairing: Inês Bettencourt x Media Team!Reader

Word count: 1311

My Masterlist :)

The gym was alive with the usual chatter and buzz of sneakers squeaking against polished floors. You moved through it, your camera gear slung over your shoulder, getting used to your new role with the UConn women’s basketball media team. It was a busy but rewarding job, and it kept your mind focused—until a familiar voice stopped you in your tracks.

“Hold up—no way! Is that who I think it is?” KK Arnold’s voice rang out, filled with surprise and joy. You turned, a smile forming as soon as you spotted her jogging over, her eyes sparkling with recognition.

“KK!” you laughed, feeling a warmth of nostalgia wash over you as she pulled you into a tight hug. It was strange but comforting to see someone from your high school days after so long.

“Wow, I can’t believe you’re here!” KK said, pulling back with a wide grin. “How did we not know we were going to the same school?”

You shrugged, still trying to process it. “I guess life just got busy. But yeah, I just started with the media team.”

“Perfect! You have to meet everyone,” she said, already grabbing your arm and guiding you through the gym.

She introduced you to the team, pointing out each player with a little anecdote or joke. When you reached the last of the group, KK motioned toward a girl standing near the back. “And this is Inês.”

Inês looked up, and your breath caught for a second. She was striking, her dark hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, eyes deep and expressive. She nodded slightly, and for a fleeting moment, you thought you saw her jaw tense.

“Hi, Inês,” you said, giving her a warm smile. 

“Hello,” she replied, her voice soft and almost unsure, like she wasn’t quite prepared to speak. Her eyes met yours for a second before skittering away, and she shifted on her feet. The silence felt longer than it should have, and when she didn’t say anything more, KK gave you a playful nudge to move on. But the moment lingered in your mind, making you wonder if you’d done something wrong.

Over the next few weeks, the team became a routine part of your life. You captured candid moments during practices, joked with the players, and even shared post-game pizza nights. Most of the team opened up to you quickly, treating you like you’d been part of their world for years. Except Inês.

The first time you tried to approach her alone, she was tying her shoes on the bench, and you’d wanted to ask her about the latest highlight reel. “Hey, Inês, quick question about—”

“Oh!” She nearly dropped her water bottle and fumbled to catch it, her face going red. “Um, sorry. What did you need?” 

“Just wondering if you could tell me what plays you wanted to feature for the reel,” you said, keeping your tone light.

She nodded so fast it was almost comical. “Yeah, sure. I’ll, uh, write it down for you later, okay?” And before you could say anything else, she was halfway across the gym, joining a group of her teammates.

Another time, you were packing up your camera after a game when you noticed her walking by. You decided to wave, offering her a smile. She hesitated for a second, then gave a small wave back but misjudged her step and almost bumped into a cart of basketballs. You could see her cheeks turning red even from a distance as she mumbled an apology to no one in particular and sped off before you could even say hi.

The moment that stuck with you the most, though, was during a team lunch. The cafeteria buzzed with laughter and conversation, and you found yourself seated across from Inês for the first time. You tried to start a casual conversation, but every question seemed to make her more uncomfortable.

“So, how did you end up choosing UConn?” you asked, genuinely interested.

Inês took a sip of her drink too quickly and coughed, her face going red as she struggled to answer. “Um, I—” She cleared her throat. “I just really liked the program.” The last word came out as more of a squeak, and she immediately looked down at her plate, avoiding your eyes.

The silence that followed was heavy, and before you could say anything to ease it, Azzi leaned over and rescued the conversation with a joke about her own first awkward day at UConn. But the whole time, you couldn’t help but notice Inês sneaking glances at you when she thought you weren’t looking, her expression torn between embarrassment and something else you couldn’t quite place.

Despite these moments, your initial excitement about the job was starting to be tinged with confusion. Why was she like this around you? Everyone else had been so easygoing, so friendly. But Inês’s cold silence—and the awkward moments that seemed to define every interaction—was beginning to make you feel like she simply didn’t want you around.

You started keeping your distance, exchanging polite nods when necessary but otherwise trying to spare both of you the awkward encounters.

One evening, the team gathered at Jana’s dorm for a casual night in. The room was filled with laughter, the smell of pizza, and the background noise of a movie that no one was really watching. Inês sat in a corner, fidgeting with her phone, while KK, Azzi, and Paige bantered loudly.

Azzi raised an eyebrow and leaned over to Jana. “Hey, anyone else notice how Inês goes mute whenever Y/n’s around?”

Jana smirked, nodding. “It’s like she forgets how to talk,” she joked, earning a few chuckles.

Inês’s face flushed, and she put her phone down, unable to ignore the conversation anymore. “It’s not… I just… she makes me nervous, okay?” The words tumbled out, and the room fell silent for a beat.

KK’s eyes softened as understanding dawned on her. “Oh. Oh.”

Inês sighed, her shoulders slumping. “I keep thinking I’ll say something stupid. She’s just… she’s amazing, and I don’t know how to be normal around her.”

Azzi smiled, leaning over to nudge her friend. “Well, you’re definitely not doing yourself any favours by being awkward.”

“Just talk to her, Inês,” Jana added. “Trust me, you’re making this way harder than it has to be.”

Inês nodded slowly, a mix of hope and anxiety flickering in her eyes. Tomorrow, she decided.  Tomorrow, she would find the courage.

The next day, you were setting up equipment by the sidelines when you heard familiar, tentative footsteps behind you. You turned and saw Inês standing there, looking as if she was summoning all her courage just to stay put.

“Hey, Y/n. Do you have a second?” she asked, her voice soft but more determined than before.

You set down your equipment, surprise mixing with curiosity. “Yeah, of course.”

She shifted nervously, but she didn’t break eye contact. “I know I’ve been… off around you, and I’m sorry if that made you feel uncomfortable. It’s not that I don’t like you. It’s… actually the opposite.” She took a shaky breath. “You make me nervous because I think you’re amazing, and I never know what to say.”

A wave of relief washed over you as her words sank in. “Really? I thought you didn’t like me.”

She let out a short, nervous laugh, her shoulders relaxing for the first time. “Not at all. I was wondering… would you maybe want to get coffee sometime? Just us.”

Your smile grew, the tension that had been building for weeks melting away. “I’d love that, Inês.”

Her face brightened, the nervous energy giving way to something softer, more hopeful. And as she walked away, you couldn’t help but feel that this was the start of something new, something that had been worth every awkward moment.

[a-book-of-creatures]

One of the notes on the sea serpent post had this to say and I think it’s a very good point!

I’d say it’s all in how you frame it. It’s the age-old question. Like, what is a dragon? Is it “any large mythical reptile”? Or is it “a mythical serpent from European folklore that originated in the Greek drakōn, itself almost certainly an exaggerated description of a python or other large snake”? The first description could include the Chinese long, the North American horned serpent, the South American boiúna, the Australian rainbow serpent… the second, meanwhile, is a lot more restrictive.

So, in this case, what is “the sea serpent”? If the description is “a serpent that lives in the sea”, then yes, Leviathan could indeed be one of the older versions.

However!

The legend of Leviathan is that of the chaos battle, the defeat of an older water or water-adjacent deity to create order out of chaos. This is derived from the likes of Lotan and Tiamat, and there’s a clear degradation of the concept, from chthonic deities gradually being demoted to dragons/serpents of chaos and eventually great beasts that inhabit our world. It’s complicated. Leviathan also sometimes has multiple heads, something which I don’t associate with sea serpents. Tangential but worth mentioning.

Serpents that live in the sea have existed for a long time. Laocoon and his sons were killed by them. Aelian mentions them. Jormungandr is a big serpent that lives in the sea.

But it was the Scandinavian sea serpent that created the modern conception of the sea serpent as a serpent that lives in the sea which exists, and can be seen. It precipitated the whole sea serpent craze. Sober eyewitnesses reported sea serpents from all over the world.

Also it is literally called “sea serpent”. Not Jormundandr or Leviathan or Tiamat or whathaveyou, but “sea serpent”, not a proper name but the name of an animal. The great Scandinavian sea serpent is, indeed, referred to as such (sjøorm).

It was Olaus Magnus’ account that created a mythic landscape in which just about every unfamiliar thing in the sea became a sea serpent, from decomposed whales to long strands of kelp

to large sea life towing marine debris

to skim feeding sei whales

to whale penises

to stranded oarfishes

to whales tangled in debris (or maybe just another whale penis)

So yes, Leviathan (and Jormungandr) precede the sea serpent, and could be considered the origins of the myth, I agree! But for a more restrictive definition, I would say the sea serpent as we know it was born with Olaus Magnus’ account.

[stardust948]

3 Inch AU

Prequel to this post

Zuko rubbed his aching eyes, praying what he thought just happened didn't. That a bright light did not flash in the middle of his and Azula's spar leaving his body sore and head aching.

He forced himself to open his eyes and found himself in the middle of a strange spirit forest. Great. First the body switch fiasco now this! Why were there so many spirits hanging around the palace?!

"Nice going dum-dum." Azula spat. "You angered the spirits again!"

"Again?! That was your fault! Both times!!!"

"As I recall, no one knows what angered the last one, but you pushed me onto this spirit and now we're 3 inches tall!!!"

"What?!" Zuko shot up.

Azula pushed the vegetation back revealing an oversized throwing star Mai gifted her. The very one Zuko knocked out of her hand when their spar turned into a messy free for all.

Zuko's heart sank.

"Like I said, 3 inches tall. Thanks a lot."

"None of this is my fa-"

A shadow fell over them seconds before a huge bird swooped down. The siblings barely had time to jump out of the way as the bird snatched up the throwing star. The two shared a frightened look. They had to get out of the garden or they'll surely be next.

A brief silent truce was formed as Zuko and Azula began the trek. Thankfully, they were relativity close to the walkway before they were shrunken. After scaling the huge steps, the ground trembled as a massive figure in deep red robes passed by. The siblings gasped.

"DAD! HELP US!"

"WAIT! DOWN HERE!"

They quickly chased after him, but it was no use. Ozai tuned out their now shrunken voices, assuming it was a chorus of summer insects. And there was no possible chance of the siblings catching up to him on foot.

Azula grabbed Zuko's wrist. "Agni's Arrow!"

Zuko skidded to a stop then spun his sister around. Azula produced fire jets from her feet to build momentum. After counting to three, Zuko released her. Azula shot through the air at breakneck speed straight towards her father.

This better work for they were both done for.

~*~

The palace was quiet. Too quiet.

That alone put Ozai on edge. He swore he heard his children out by the garden earlier. It was just another sibling spat but when he decided to check on them, the garden was empty.

A part of Ozai hoped the children settled things on their own and left without a big fuss. The rest of Ozai knew that was wishful thinking. So, he walked the perimeter just to be sure.

Ozai let out an annoyed sigh. The humming bees were a lot louder today. He'll have to talk to the groundskeeper about that least they overrun the whole garden.

Something landed on his shoulder. Ozai tsked and brushed it away. It seemed the infestation already began.

"Dad!!!"

Ozai stopped dead in his tracks.

"Azula?"

It was so faint. Maybe he was hearing things.

"Down here! Hurry!"

A small blue flame shot from his arm. Ozai glanced down and saw his daughter dangling from his sleeve.

"What the-"

Ozai quickly scooped her into his palm before she lost her grip.

"A-Azula?" Ozai gaped at his now tiny daughter trying to get her bearings. "What... how...?"

His eyes widened. If Azula was like this then...

"Where's Zuko?!"

Ozai lifted his feet as horror gripped him. Cool relief washed over him when he spotted a small figure running towards him.

"Dad!"

Ozai knelt down and lowered his hand for Zuko to climb onto. Now that his children were safe, Ozai calmed down enough for his mind to piece together what happened.

"Don't tell me-"

"Spirits." the siblings answered at the same time.

Ozai groaned. "Not again."

[sotteoks]

Just Touch | 🔞

──★ ˙pairing: Kihyun x Fem!Reader ──★ ˙warnings/contents: SMUT, p*rn with just a crumb of a plot, a tiny bit of angst at the end, established relationship, friends with benefits trope, lowkey toxic relationship tbh, soft dom!kihyun, sub!reader, some cockwarming at the beginning, slight overstimulation, light dirty talk, like a sprinkle of dacryphilia, let's assume reader is on some form of contraception bc of the multiple creampies and orgasms, ... please let me know if i missed anything ! ⸜ (｡˃ ᵕ ˂) ⸝ ──★ ˙word count: 2.5k ──★ ˙summary: the boundaries of your relationship with Kihyun always seem to get a little blurry in the heat of the moment. ──★ ˙ a/n: chances of this story having a second part are highly likely. i just need time to brainstorm. keke

When the night is over, where are you going?

It’s a simple arrangement, really. There’s a mutual understanding that no love is involved so there shouldn’t be any sadness when the two of you part. Emphasis on shouldn’t. Though Kihyun knows that neither of you have any romantic obligations toward each other, he does hate the way that he can’t ask you to stay for anything longer than a couple hours. It’s not like he wants you to stay the night because he wants to fall asleep in your arms and wake up to your beautiful face then make breakfast after some tender and slow morning sex. 

Absolutely not. 

That would be crossing into territory that both of you know better than to explore.

Kihyun just hates that as soon as the two of you finish the deed, you run away from him like the two of you weren’t good friends prior to deciding to add some fun benefits to your relationship. You were like Cinderella, running off before the clock hit midnight and always leaving something behind as if you were asking him to chase after you. 

But tonight, he was going to try and keep you around for as long as possible. Even if it was just a few seconds longer than usual.

“We’ve been at it like rabbits and you’re still horny?” You tease Kihyun, albeit a little breathless as his lips press light kisses along the expanse of your chest. At the sound of your words, you feel his lips curve into a subtle smile against your skin. Peeking up at your face through his lashes almost demurely like the gorgeous human he was, Kihyun notices how radiant you managed to look with your makeup streaked and smeared in your post orgasm haze. Just the sight of you in your current state made his cock twitch as it remained buried within your sensitive pussy; pulsing ever so slightly around his length as you were trying to calm down. You lost the energy to keep your legs wrapped around Kihyun’s waist a while ago, but it seems like he’s unphased by that and intended on making himself a home between your spread legs anyway.

“You just feel so good.” Kihyun murmurs in response. His kisses had finally wandered up along your neck and jaw until his plush lips were gently brushing against yours as he wondered if kissing you during sex like this was an act of intimacy he could engage in with you. Not even five minutes ago, he had filled you with his seed; why was there so much debate on whether or not he was able to kiss you on the lips just because of the nature of your relationship?

Before Kihyun could fall victim to his habit of overthinking, the sensation of your walls easing up on him and making it possible for him to move again grounds him back into the moment. Sitting up straight and creating some distance between the two of you, fingers clad in silver rings are digging into the meat of your thighs as he pulls your lower half flush against his hips. As your body slides against the sheets toward him, a small yelp of surprise escapes you at the aggressive action.

The first few thrusts start off slow, but incredibly deep; making your eyes roll back as you feel Kihyun fucking his previousload deeper into you and it’s almost like a knee jerk reaction for you to throw your arms around his shoulders to satiate this overwhelming desire to be close to him once more. Your walls once again start to clench around him trying to hold him in place however it only encourages Kihyun to pick up the pace as a countermeasure to the way you just kept sucking him back in. 

“So cute,” He comments with a sly smirk as he starts to piston into you. “It’s almost like your pussy doesn’t want me to leave.” 

“Just shut up and fuck me.” You groan out, feeling your face start to heat up in embarrassment which prompts you to shyly avert your gaze elsewhere.

It was as clear as day that Kihyun had some stake over your body if every time he called you to come over and fuck, you would literally drop what you were doing. A measly kiss from him was literally all it took to ignite the flames of lust and get you hot and bothered for him. 

But of course, that was something you wouldn’t admit to out loud; the physical reaction he was able to elicit from you should have provided him enough gratification.

However, when it came to you Kihyun tended to become a bit greedy. Being just friends stopped being enough at one point. Then sneaking around having quickies whenever you saw each other at social events didn’t cut it. Currently, Kihyun was in the process of deciding what to ask of you next since having you come over to hook up on the regular was slowly starting to feel stale. Not because the sex was getting boring, the sex itself was amazing, but there was just something missing from the relationship.

The rough thrusts keep coming as Kihyun loves the way your body responds to it. In the moment, it warms his insides with this sense of pride knowing how much you loved the way he fucked you. From the way obscene moans you can’t control pour from your lungs and how you let out little whimpers of his name to the way your tits bounce with every snap of his hips against yours or how your eyes watered whenever you were about to cum; it was all the encouragement he needed to fuck you until the sun came up. When you dig your nails into his shoulder blades the same time he changes the angle of his thrusts, the tip of his cock pressing against your g-spot, it’s like a nice extra treat to him.  

“A-ah, fuck!” You cry out, squirming about and whining as Kihyun’s hips move rapidly with precision; continuously stimulating that sensitive spot within you until you feel tears pricking the corners of your eyes. Through your slightly blurred vision and your hazy brain, you can see Kihyun looking down on you with a smug grin on his face. 

He knows you’re gonna cum again. And he knows your orgasm is building up significantly faster than the last few he blessed you with. He even knows that you’re trying oh so hard to stave off your climax; your body could never lie to him.

“Cum for me.”

Three simple words posed as a demand is all it takes for you to come undone again, your nails raking across Kihyun’s flawless skin and leaving bright red scratches in their wake. Your walls clamp down on his fat cock for the third time tonight, trying to milk for all its worth; but Kihyun’s desire to be with you just a bit longer outweighed his want to cum. 

You hope that Kihyun isn’t too far behind and he’ll finally give you a break. But his movements are relentless and don’t seem to falter one bit despite your pussy desperately trying to hold him in place as he fucks you through your orgasm. Your head is so clouded, it’s hard to get anything out besides broken moans and whimpers. Struggling to find the words to express what you wanted, salty tears stain your cheeks as the sensitivity really sets in; but it barely registers in your mind that you’ve started to cry as you can only focus on the sensation of Kihyun rearranging your insides. Every drag of his cock against your walls sends you stumbling toward another fast, mind-numbing crescendo of bliss. 

“Is it too much for you, baby?” He leans in just to whisper into your ear, grounding you back in reality. You’re suddenly aware of the soaked sheets beneath you. The lewd squelching sounds paired with the sound of Kihyun’s balls slapping against your ass fill the room like some kind of sinful white noise. It’s all so erotic and stimulating, it becomes very clear as to why you filtered the sounds out of your mind. 

“Answer me.” He commands you as one of his hands leaves your thigh to find your clit, the pad of his thumb pressing against the small bundle of nerves and causing your inner thighs to involuntarily tremble every time he applies pressure.  

“Just hurry up and cum.” You whine, feeling your eyes to start to water again. Even in this state of being lust drunk, you know that the words you just uttered aren’t going to do it for Kihyun. “Please, cum inside.” You hastily add on. 

It wasn’t often that you begged for Kihyun. You knew he had a weakness for it but you rarely exploited it to your advantage; even if the little devil on your shoulder constantly encouraged it. 

The movement of Kihyun’s hips fall out of rhythm and become more erratic as your words seem to be enough to push toward the edge. As worn out as you were, watching Kihyun on the brink of an orgasm was something you could never tire of. Head tilted back with soft groans falling past his plush lips as he gets closer and closer until it’s like a dam bursts within him. The most melodic moan leaves him as hips stutter, filling you up with his cum once more. And much to your surprise, watching him orgasm was enough to make you climax for the last time tonight; perfectly in time with the moment you felt the first spurt of his seed splash against your walls. 

Your plans to make a hasty getaway were shattered as you remained under Kihyun, letting yourself be completely carried away by the waves of your intense finish. Finally pulling out of you after what seemed like eons, Kihyun lays down and fills the space on the mattress beside you. A quick glance at the clock on his nightstand lets him know it’s half past one in the morning.

With how tired your body was, you didn’t feel like moving too fast but the mere action of you trying to sit up prompts Kihyun to reach out to you and pull you in to cuddle with him. The layer of perspiration that once covered both your bodies had now dried down to this sticky atrocity, and factoring in the mixture of your cum and Kihyun’s cum decorating your thighs, to say you were uncomfortable would be an understatement. Wriggling out of his hold, you quickly get up into a seated position but remain in the same spot on the bed.  

“What are you doing?” You question him, feeling equal parts confused and annoyed by the clingy behavior he’d been exhibiting all evening. 

“Stay the night with me.” He tells you like it was the most simple thing in the world. 

But it wasn’t.  You could admit that there were some things that you did that blurred the lines of your relationship. Just like how right now, Kihyun was doing something that made the agreement more difficult than it needed to be. It was mutually agreed that if things strayed outside of those boundaries, your only two options were to try and sort it out or call it quits. Yet the two of you just loved to dance around those fine lines and see how much you could get away with before things came crashing down. 

“You know I can’t do that.” You respond as you finally get up and start searching the floor for your clothes.

“We have a relationship based on sex. You think having sex all night is too romantic?” Kihyun laughs, getting up as well and walking over to his dresser to pull out a fresh pair of boxers and sweatpants then quickly throwing the garments on. 

As you pick up the pieces of your outfit you had been wearing before it was hastily pulled off your body upon arriving, Kihyun’s words cause you to freeze in place; taking a moment to not only process what he said, but also think of how to respond. He laughed, so it makes you think he’s joking for a bit. But you also know that he loves to give you a hard time and joke with you as an attempt to lighten the mood during touchy situations. 

You dwell on what he said a bit longer as you take time to redress yourself before you turn around to face Kihyun; finding him stripping the sheets off of his bed.

“I think...” You start off slowly, trying to piece together the ideas in your head. “You secretly want the intimacy of having me as your girlfriend but there’s something holding you back from pursuing a real relationship with me.”

For a minute, you think you have Kihyun figured out. Then you realize you know you have him figured out because prior to this, you considered him your best friend. He wasn’t just a hot stranger you met somewhere and decided to pursue a physical relationship with. You knew every detail of all his past relationships, why they didn’t work out and what standards he had set for future relationships. Despite knowing a bunch of fun facts about him, how he reacted in certain situations, you couldn’t figure out exactly what it was that hindered him from dating you.

“Nice try, but that’s not it.” He scoffs, sounding like he was trying to convince himself of something more so than you as he busied himself with getting new bedding out of the storage closet and dressing his bed in fresh sheets.

You did know that he would deny what you said; which is exactly why you were reluctant to voice your thoughts out loud.

“We used to be friends, you know?” He reasons, continuing to avoid looking at you while he shoved one of his pillows into a clean pillowcase. “You’re always in a rush to leave like you don’t wanna hang out with me if we’re not fucking.”

There aren’t any lies in his statement. In fact, it would be an even bigger, fatter lie to say that you actually did want to hang out with him as just a friend after how intimate the two of you were. In your defense, it felt like it should have been obvious why you couldn’t stick around like he wanted.

Rather than try to explain to him why you felt the way you did since you know...Feelings weren’t really a part of your arrangement with him, you bid Kihyun goodbye and see yourself out without another word. 

Even if the night ended on a slightly awkward note tonight, Kihyun would call you again. You would end up in his bed. And the two of you would have this conversation over and over until one of you realized that things could not continue like this if you truly wanted to keep seeing each other in any shape or form. 

Until then, the single bobby pin you left behind this time would suffice as a conversation starter for when he wanted to see you again.

[flashnthunder]

baberoe priest kink- hello yes please i need this!!!!

(thank you for taggin me <3)

Willow Boughs and Wanting

(mildly nsfw under the cut)

He’s pushed back into the pew, and he goes without much fight. From his position now, Babe is half looming over him. The light through the windows makes his hair even more red, like a halo of fire consuming him. Babe doesn’t leave him to think for too long, slowly straddling himself over his lap until his knees are on either side of Eugene’s legs. He’s still taller like that, looking down at Eugene’s face when he tips his head back.

“I gotta tell you, Father, you’ve made it a helluva time sitting in on your services,” Babe says, and there’s a hint of a smile there that’s swallowed in something more serious. Babe leans down so close that their lips almost touch. He plays it like a waiting game and Eugene is the one to blink first. He doesn’t know who closes the gap first, but they’re kissing and Babe’s hands are on his shoulders.

If there had been a halo of fire around Babe, it’s going to cover him next, spread its fire like a curious flame licking up around dry wood. It dries the muggy air out of him and brings him closer to something real and solid. They kiss until they’re spending more time pulling away to breathe a shared exhale of the same air.

“It just ain’t right keeping you squirreled away in here all by your lonesome,” Babe murmurs, and Gene doesn’t have time to think about what he means before Babe lets himself settle further down in his lap. Only by sheer will does he keep his hands from grabbing him, either to push him away or drag him down he doesn’t know. Babe looks him in the eye, slow and deliberate in his gaze and grinds down onto his lap. Eugene can’t bite back the noise he makes, something choked off and high that escapes his throat.

“Edward, you can't be doing that,” he means it to sound more of a warning than it does. Instead it comes more like a hurried question.

“What's it gonna take to kill that? Need to know me a little more biblically before you call me the right name?” Babe asks, and the smile from earlier is back. He grinds his hips against Eugene, dropping his head to his shoulder for a moment. He nudges Eugene’s head back, kissing right above his white collar where his throat dips with each swallow.

“Want me to stop calling you by your first name, maybe? You prefer Father Roe if we're being formal like?” He rocks into him again, pulling back to kiss along his jaw. He can feel the blood in his cheeks, hot and thruming underneath his skin. Babe winds his arms around his neck, his eyes falling closed when he leans his head to the side and hips still moving.

"Edward," he tries again, and his voice has found no more strength the longer he waits. Babe's eyes come open again at that, and just as suddenly as they'd ended up together he pulls back. Eugene feels something akin to fear flush through him, suddenly wanting to pull him back down.

He doesn't go far, Babe sinks to his knees in front of him, slower than should be possible with how fast everything else seems to be happening to him. Eugene can’t get a good enough grip on the pew under his hands him to steady himself. There’s a wicked look Babe gets now, and he runs his hands down the outside of Eugene's legs, catching halfway down his shin and holding.

“Awful hard, like I was saying. Supposed to be listening and you’re up there, looking like all a’this,” Babe’s hands move back up again to catch his hips, squeezing just a little. Eugene digs his nails into the pew, wishing the wood would splinter under his grip. He presses until it hurts, tilting his head up and screwing his eyes closed.

“Figured yous would be used to seeing somebody down on their knees like this,” Babe’s grip tightens. He pulls him forward a little, pushing Eugene to choose between letting go of his grip on the old wood or letting his hips be moved forward till his back is almost arched.

“No, I ain’t, it’s not- I never,” his voice comes out in more of a stutter than he had expected. Babe’s grin grows at that. Just as slowly as he’d sunk to his knees before, he leans forward till his lips hover about an inch away from the dark fabric. Despite the layers, Eugene feels a hot flush run down his neck knowing that if Babe looked he would probably be able to see him getting hard.

“You good and sure about that? Don’t wanna take my confession like this?” Babe asks, and there's not a prayer in the world that comes to him now.

[aurora-313]

FF.net Chapter 6 here

Title: Once more, if only to see you again Characters: Ichigo Kurosaki, Kaien Shiba, Rukia Kuchiki Description: Fifteen years ago on July 15th, the Kurosaki family was blessed with twin boys. The first was named Ichigo, the First Protector, who carried his mother's strawberry blonde hair and brown eyes. The second son was named Kaien in honour of fallen kin, and wore his father's black hair and dark eyes. How will this drama change with two boys at the centre of fate? [[RE-WRITE]]

[therealnightcity]

Character Study--Ares

Layer 1: The Outside

-Name: Ares Tanner

-Eye Color: Deep brown, 'ganic eyes

-Hair Style/Color: Ares has wavy black hair. She usually keeps it up in a bandana and out of her face while she's working.

-Height: 6'3, 191cm

-Clothing Style: Ares' style leans towards the practical--anything she can get dirty and not worry about it too much. She likes pieces that are well made, and meant to last, sturdy jeans, leather jackets, and hard-wearing nomad tops, and work boots. When she's working she keeps her hair tied up with a bandana and out of her face, and has a pair of goggles hanging around her neck. She keeps buying pairs and losing them, so there's at least 6 different pairs scattered throughout her house. Her preferred colors are earth tones, with flannels mixed in, and comfy, fitted tanktops. She's not afraid to show off her tattoos. They cover her arms and most of her chest, and she likes being able to see them. Most of her clothing is a little worn, a little dusty but she tries to clean up before she goes into the city, even if it's only switching out her jacket for one that doesn't have splotches of oil on it.

-Best Physical Feature: She used to be insecure about it, but over time she's come to love her nose and freckles. It's not the smallest but it has character and she thinks its interesting, and can't imagine herself looking differently. The freckles are little reminders of how much time she spends in the sun, hiking, and exploring and driving--doing the things she enjoys.

Layer 02: The Inside

-Fears: Being alone--it's just her and her dogs and her mechs in the Badlands, and most of the people in her life are temporary presence, and there's the desire to get attached, but the expectation that they'll leave too. It's something she's usually good at ignoring but there's occasionally the fear that she'll never meet anyone, and it'll always just be her.

-Guilty Pleasures: Sleeping in late, campfire coffee (she doesn't like the fancy stuff), and really good melons (she blames Dakota, and her stash of real fruit for that one). She also loves watching the street races in the city--being surrounded by all the cars and people is additctive to her.

-Biggest Pet-peeves: People who try to stiff her out of payment for their cars--happens more than she'd like to admit, especially with a handful of her more unruly clients. It's one of the few ways to genuinely get her mad, and just the absolute disregard that a lot of the people in Night City have for the Nomads--wrinkled noses and passing to the other side of the street. She knows that it's partially a lack of knowing/unfamiliarity, but it doesn't mean it doesn't sting. Or that she's treated differently when she's dressed like someone from the city, as opposed to someone from the Badlands.

-Ambitions for the Future: Ares would like to keep running a garage, but move closer to the border of Night City, and somewhere it's easier to acquire new parts for her job. It's inconvenient to have to keep making trips and they eat through gas like crazy. She wouldn't want to cut ties to the Badlands completely but I can see her settling in the city, or at least nearby if there's enough incentive, and more clients. and she wouldn't be opposed to finding someone to share it with.

Layer 03: Thoughts

-First thought waking up: Five more minutes pleaseeee--and then 10, and then 15, and so on. Her dogs usually get her out of bed, and then her first thoughts are getting them fed and watered and walked before taking care of her/figuring out her plans for the day

-What they think about most: Ares' mind bounces from topic to topic, but she's usually thinking about her cars/work--the hobby and her job tend to blend together, and her work-life balance is dubious at best. And then her dogs--they're basically her children, and you can usually see them hanging around the garage while she works/supervising. She's always planning her next foray into the city, and what places she's going to hit up, or where she's going to hike next--her mind is rarely still.

-What they think about right before bed: Not much, Ares stays up until she's exhausted, and sleeps hard. She has time for couple errant thoughts, usually involving the day she's had or going over earlier conversations before she's asleep.

-What they think their good quality is: Ares is warm, and very engaging. She loves to listen to others talk, and give them a place where they can feel safe doing so, and feel heard. She cares a lot, and this can lead to her wearing her heart on her sleeve a little but it's also a strength of hers too.

Layer 04: Either Or

-Single or group dates: Ares likes either, it depends on whether the mood is more intimate/focused or more adventurous, and the other parties personal preferences. She's always down for exploring the Badlands or Night City, so she'd seldom turn down the opportunity. If it's just her and another person, she prefers to go somewhere more quiet so they can hear each other better, and get the opportunity to know each other more.

-To be loved or respected: Ares would much rather be loved. She knows that's always going to be people that don't respect her, and instead of looking for it in people that she knows she's never going to get it from, she choses to prioritize relationships where it's mutual. She's not someone who wants to have a deal of authority, or be respected in that regard--she'd rather be left to her own devices, than have people she has to manage.

-Beauty or Brains: Ares is fascinated by a good conversation or one that can make her think. It's not to say that she doesn't notice beauty, but it's not the most important thing to her, and her definitions of beautiful have always been a bit skewed anyway, more drawn to gleaming chrome, and danger than what's traditional. And she sees the beauty in being able to understand someone--see how their mind works, hear them reason things out and how the world looks through their eyes.

-Dogs or Cats: Ares is definitely a dog person--she loves how affectionate they are, and loyal, and they're easier for her to travel with than cats. She doesn't have anything against the latter, but prefers dogs. She has two, a pit bull (Luna), and a chihuahua (Jiji).

Layer 05: Do They…

-Lie?: Occasionally--she tries not to, and it's not as if it makes much different because she's not very good at it. She'll tell little white lies to save someone's feelings, or not be rude, but she's not good at coming up with one on the spot, and would rather just be honest. If there's something she doesn't want to talk about, she'll usually talk around it or try to redirect the conversation than outright lie.

-Believe in themselves?: Sometimes. Ares is confident in her physical skills/mostly confident in her appearance, but when in an unfamiliar environment, she's much less confident, and more hesitant. There's a bit of insecurity in who she is as a person, and perceived lack of adequacy--she knows she's not organized, or the most together, and sometimes things slip through the cracks, and it's a source of guilt and worry for her.

-Believe in love?: Yes--she definitely has, Ares loves easily and strongly, and has had her heart broken a couple times. It hasn't swayed her completely, but she tries to keep it more quiet than she had previously, and there's more hesitation

Layer 06: Have They...

-Been on stage?: No, and doesn't have much desire to--Ares doesn't want to be in the spotlight, and would much rather have it focused on someone else.

-Done drugs?: They've never appealed, although this is more from a lack of access than any moral objections to them. They were expensive and hard to obtain, fortunately for her. The Corpo stims and their ability to push productivity would be a little too tempting for her

-Changed who he was to fit in?: She hasn't in the Badlands, but it's something she struggles with more in Night City, and feels awkward and out of place in comparision. The Badlands are what make sense to her, and Night City is so different, with a completely different, unsaid set of rules, that everyone seems to know but her. It's less of an attempt to fit in, and more of one to just avoid trouble, which she seems to have a proclivity for wandering in to

Layer 07: What's their...

-Favorite Color: Earth tones--olive, terra cotta, sage, brick red. She leans towards warmer, more muted colors.

-Favorite Animal: Ares loves dogs, but horses are also another favorite--there's something really fascinating about them to her, even if she'd never own one

-Favorite Book: Ares reads just about anything she can get her hands on--romance, fantasy, fiction or nonfiction, it doesn't really matter to her. Her favorites are romance novels, the trashier the better, and they're definitely a guilty pleasure of hers. She loves poetry too--especially ones about the natural world. Kerouac's particularly resonante with her, and she has a couple verses that she's penned out scattered around her house.

"As I was hiking down the mountain with my pack I turned and knelt on the trail and said 'Thank you, shack.' Then I added 'Blah,' with a little grin, because I knew that shack and that mountain would understand what that meant, and turned and went on down the trail back to this world."

-Favorite Game: Ares likes activities over games, especially because most games necessitate memorizing more rules than she wants to--she'd rather go for a hike or practice her guitar, or read, over playing a board game. She won't say no to an occasional game of cards though, to pass time if someone else offers.

-Day their next birthday will be: March 21st

-How old they will be: 28 (she's the only one out of the three siblings that knows her birthday)

Layer 08: I…

-I Love: Learning, whether it's about people or machines, and figuring out how they work

-I Feel: Curious--my life feels like it's heading in a different direction than I'd expected and I don't know if that's a good or bad thing yet

-I Hide: My fears and worries, that I'll just be alone. I should be grateful to have what I have, and the independence but I wish I could share it with someone

-I Miss: My parents, and feeling that belonging. I couldn't keep moving with the Nomads, but I wish I had a place where it felt like I fit

-I Wish: To find a sense of purpose, something new--I need a change, to unlearn old patterns and discover something else, instead of what's comfortable and safe.

[courtney-deserved-better]

one day. one day i will finish the courtney time travel au.

[chenziee]

Request: Luffy alone and musing on how much he hates Sakazuki and wondering why he feels uncomfortable confiding in his crew on this matter.

Thank you for the request and for your patience!! This got a little bit away from me but I hope it's still something to your liking <3

For unnecessary, unneeded, and entirely self-indulgent context, this happens during A Voice of Dreams :)

Character request: Luffy

Luffy didn’t believe in revenge; punching people who deserved right in the face, fighting for freedom, protecting what he loved… that was what he believed.

He didn’t believe in revenge and yet, every time he woke up panting, with the ghost of Ace’s body slumping in his arms, his hands sticky with blood long since washed off, he wanted nothing more than to get back at the people who did it. But what could he do? Who was it who really killed Ace?

Just like Dadan had told Ace years ago… it was this world that killed Sabo, and it was this world that killed Ace as well. How could he fight something so vague like that?

But the guy who put that hole in Ace’s chest…

His hands curled into fists, a quiet growl escaping him. He shouldn’t be thinking like that; he would just put his crew in danger if he turned the Sunny around to go after him. And what would they say if they knew their captain was hung up on something as pointless as revenge? It wasn’t like that would help Ace in any way.

Not anymore.

“Luffy?”

Luffy jumped, turning around to look at Robin behind him with wide eyes. “Oh, Robin… Sorry, I didn’t hear you.”

“Are you okay?” she asked, leaning against the Sunny’s railing next to him.

“Yeah! Why do you ask?” Luffy replied, his voice maybe a little too loud for the silence of the ship’s deck this late at night.

Robin studied his face for a long moment and Luffy almost thought she wouldn’t react at all but then a soft smile spread on her lips just before her fingers came to gently wrap around his wrist. “Let’s go. I was just going to the library, you can listen to me read something.”

Luffy blinked, not sure what he was supposed to do or say. Robin, however, didn’t seem to need him to. With a small chuckle, she turned away, pulling Luffy with her towards the library.

And Luffy didn't fight her; didn’t protest when she pushed him into one of the large pillows on the floor, didn’t protest when she opened a thick, ancient looking book and started reading in a soothing, melodic voice. He didn’t protest when Zoro carefully opened the door at one point, only raising an eyebrow when he saw Luffy—almost as if he had expected someone else there instead—before he tossed two blankets at Luffy’s head, and he certainly didn’t protest when even later, Sanji came in with a tray of coffee, tea and a few sandwiches.

And when he woke up the next morning, more rested than he had felt in two years…

He couldn’t wait to do it all again.

----------

It's still the 5th in my time-zone but happy birthday to the bestest mom! I love you, Robin, I promise that one day, I will write a proper birthday fic for you... any year now...

[shanghuuo]

OBSERVE >:)

A DRABBLE FOR YOUR TROUBLES / accepting! / @diimsum

early song dynasty, somewhere along the yangtze river 

Snaking his way through the dense thicket of bamboo, Longwei’s discerning eye never remained in a single place for very long. He continuously scanned his surroundings, bracing himself for anything that might jump out from the brush and attack him. A few paces ahead of him, Jialong ran eagerly forward without a care in the world.

“Jialong! I said to stay close. You’ll hurt yourself running off like that,” he begins to shout after him, trying to avoid drawing any unwanted attention towards himself. While the last thing he wanted to do was bring a child on a scouting journey in the ruthless wilderness, Jialong had insisted on coming and as Longwei would find out, he was sadly not immune to his young brother’s persistent and surprisingly persuasive pleas. So here they were, scouting together, although Longwei was sure he was doing most of the scouting between the two of them. He had a light bounce to his step now, trying to remain within at least an arm’s length of the child he was responsible for. And sure enough, as soon as Longwei broke eye contact for just a second, Jialong was out of sight. Luckily, Longwei didn’t have to look much farther. A mere few moments later he heard a faint thud, followed by a muffled yelp. He throws all caution to the wind, and rushes out into the open to find his brother on the verge of tears, examining what appears to be a scrape on his elbow. “Oh, my little dragon…” Longwei sighs in weary relief, kneeling down in front of him to survey the injury. “This is why I told you to stay close to me. You always manage to hurt yourself when you wander off like this.” His gentle scolding is accompanied by a laugh, which perhaps lessens its impact, but that was a price he would pay later on. “Well, you’ll be alright,” he croons after giving Jialong a quick once over, “it’s not much more than a flesh wound. Besides, I’m sure it’ll take a lot more than that to stop a fierce dragon such as yourself! You take after your big brother in that way.” He gives a satisfied little hum, rising to his feet. “Now come along. You know as well as I that a journey only stops when the task at hand is complete.” Jialong is quick to try and take off again as soon as the opportunity presents itself, but Longwei quickly nips it in the bud. “Oh, no you don’t,” he hollers, swooping in and pulling his brother into his arms, nestling him right on top of his shoulders. “You’re staying right here where I can see you.” His hands secured tightly around his brother’s legs, Longwei walks along the glistening river’s bank. His eyes travel up towards his brother, and when they do, the ghost of a small but content smile can be seen lingering on his face— a true rarity for him. Although Longwei had taken on the role of protecting Jialong from harm, he realized then that in some ways, his little brother had done the same for him. At that very moment, amidst the symphony of the babbling brook and the crying ospreys, he mumbles something only he alone would hear. “My little dragon… thank you for saving me.” 

[cozy-the-overlord]

Someone tell me to write

[inkblackorchid]

The final chapter of To Be of Use is here!! I managed to finish it, hope you guys enjoy.

Summary: Yusei and Aki spend a few more hours together before Aki's parents inevitably return in the evening. Or: In which our two lovebirds get some more quality time together and the opportunity to talk about things unrelated to nightmares.

“Ticklish?” he thus asked.

She shook her head. “Not normally. Or, well, maybe a little. But that’s a sensitive area regardless of whether you’re ticklish.”

This only served to spur him on, brushing the back of his fingers over the spot as lightly as he could several times. He was delighted to feel the muscles tense again, her stomach pulling slightly inward while the corners of her mouth twitched upwards.

“How about you, though?” she asked, then.

Too caught up in teasing the patch of sensitive skin, he wondered, “Huh? What about me?”

“Ticklish?” she repeated his question back at him, one of her hands slowly inching closer to his feet while her smile got something devious to it.

Yusei immediately jerked his feet away, as close to the edge of the bed as they would go in this odd position. “Don’t do that,” he told her, trying to sound stern, but unable to keep himself from smiling.

This, of course, only served to make her more interested. “Oh?” Once more, her hand inched towards his legs.

“I’m serious,” he said, hastily, “I’ll kick you on accident. Crow had to find that out the hard way when I knocked out one of his teeth when we were little. We were lucky it was a milk tooth.”

[fingertipsmp3]

That last post just reminded me of something honestly mind-boggling that that friend did

[hueseok]

it was always you.

for as long as you remember, you’ve always had the fattest crush on your childhood friend, jeon jungkook. it never blossomed into something more though, because that’s what happens when life naturally takes it course—you grow up, you move on, and you pretend that those feelings never existed in order to maintain the good friendship that remained between the two of you over the years.

so when he visits you after work one day, asking you to marry him, you do everything you can to refuse, because the reason he’s asking you isn’t due to the fact that he finally realized that he loved you after all this time, but because he thinks he’s doing you a big favor.

or at least, that’s what you think.

pairing: jungkook x reader

word count: 13.2k

rating: 18+

content: fluff, semi-angst, childhood friends to lovers au, pining au | ft. naval aviator!jungkook + brother’s best friend!jungkook; professor!reader + editor!reader | inspired by purple hearts

warning/s: swearing, potentially wrong medical & military information (i’m sorry but i tried to do as much research i can 😭), mentions of having type 1 diabetes, making out, heavy petting, implied sexual content: oral (f. receiving), fingering, penetrative sex, unprotected sex (this is only fiction!)

MINI PLAYLIST: ♫ die with a smile — lady gaga, bruno mars ♫ juno — sabrina carpenter ♫ selfish — *nsync ♫ nandito na ako — benj pangilinan, angela ken

opening note. omg this is my first full length fic in two damn years i think??? certainly took a long time before i had the motivation to write again but i hope y'all like this! to my og readers who still keep up with my shenanigans, this one's for you 🥹💗

“Any questions?”

A boy wearing half-rimmed glasses raises his hand and you gesture for him to speak. “Can we get an extension on the Save the Cat project due tomorrow?”

You sigh, just as several of your students begin agreeing with him and muttering reasons of their own why the extension should be approved. It’s the week before finals, and you’re aware that the class must be packed with assignments and projects for several of their classes because of it, hence the rather last minute request. They look tired and pleading, a complete reflection of how you were when you were the one in their position nearly a decade ago, begging for an extension from a professor who you thought was kind enough to be swayed with the proposition.

You scan the crowd. “How many of you are at least 70% with it, hm?”

More than half of the class raises their hands.

“Okay, that’s honestly unexpected,” you say, pleased to know that they aren’t slacking on your subject. “Does Monday sound good? That’s three more days, to be fair. I don’t want to extend it further because I have to read everyone’s work and you guys know I don’t like rushing it before turning in your final grade.”

A chorus of relief and thanks echoed in the room, all of your students either dramatically sinking in their chair or erupting in an animated conversation with their seatmate or making crying faces to portray how grateful they are.

“Thank you so much, Ms. ____!”

“I love you, Ms. ____!”

“Ms. ____, I will offer my first child to you,” one theatrically adds and you smile a bit, rolling your eyes at students like this one who is now opting to flatter you way too much for your act of kindness.

“Alright, alright. Just get it done and I’m expecting quality work, okay? Class dismissed.”

The whole class begins to gather their things at the cue and you don’t stay there a minute longer after your announcement, exiting the lecture hall to head to the faculty room where you’re certain half of the teaching staff have gone home already. It’s already 8:47 p.m., and all you want to do is head home to get the rest you deserve after an eventful day.

There was a time that having a schedule from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. wasn’t the norm for you. You used to value work life balance so much—it was even a nonnegotiable you used to say in interviews, saying that if you didn’t get enough rest within the week, then the job most likely wasn’t for you. But things have been very different for the past months; you have definitely grown out of that mindset due to the fact that you’re simply in need of another source of income to pay for your monthly rent, utility bills, and now your medication. You’re in a stage of your life wherein you consider working part time as a professor was a blessing rather than a big nuisance.

Making a right turn to where the hallway to the faculty room is, you’re too busy rearranging the papers inside the folder you’re holding to notice a man sitting on the bench placed just beside the entrance. He notices you the second you appear in his line of vision though; he straightens his posture and proceeds on standing up immediately upon seeing you closer, calling your name softly when you failed to look at his direction, too preoccupied with the thought of finally coming home that you’re oblivious that the man trying to catch your attention is Jeon Jungkook.

“____,” he calls again and this time you notice him, your eyes widening instantly.

“Holy shi—” You stop yourself from finishing that sentence. “Jungkook?”

He grins. “Hey, lamb chop.”

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“Is that how you greet an old friend?”

“Oh, fuck off.”

He laughs, following suit to you who’s already giggling just by his presence alone, outstretching his arms then. “You gonna hug me or what?”

You beam and step forward to embrace him. He returns it without hesitation, muscular arms circling around you and squeezing tightly that it lifts you up from the ground for a quick second. The faint smell of fabric conditioner on his clothes enters your nostrils and you feel like a teenager again, warmth rushing to your face while your heart hammers loudly in your chest. Regardless of how old the both of you are, you think your hopeless crush on the guy will forever live on and constantly transform you into a middle school girl whenever opportunities like these to have him near arise. You’re just happy you’ve trained yourself to be better at hiding it now compared to when you were younger.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in base or wherever it is that you’re designated?” you ask, the first to let go from the hug.

“Actually, I returned from deployment three days ago. I’m on leave for two weeks.”

“Wow. Two weeks, huh?”

“Yep. It’s the longest break I’ve gotten in a while.”

“That’s good. Everybody needs a break from time to time.”

“Says the girl has a day job and a night job.” He points out with a smirk; your heart does a little leap at how handsome he looks doing that. “When the hell did you get into teaching, by the way? I never pegged you to be the kind who can tolerate it. You hate kids.”

“You’ll find yourself tolerating lots of things in this economy.” You snort. “And my students aren’t kids. They’re in college.”

“Yeah, which you graduated from six years ago. Still technically kids.”

“Are you seriously jabbing at my age when you’re two years older than I am?”

He rolls his eyes at that one, an indication that you won the argument. “Anyway,” he starts again and you grin, “I didn’t come here to compare how old we are—”

“You didn’t?”

He sends you a look. Your grin gets even wider.

“I’m here because I was hoping to treat you to dinner.”

“Dinner?” you repeat, not masking the surprise from your voice.

Let’s get the facts straight before we proceed to this conversation.

It isn’t a lie when you say that you and Jungkook are great friends. You have been since you were 7 and your family just moved into the house next to theirs. He was a natural playmate, a companion when you couldn’t tolerate the antics of your older brother, the boy who looked out for you aside from said older brother, and the person you’ve shared significant history with throughout your youth that you can never seem to forget nor disregard.

It’s just that you never deemed that you were great enough friends for him to go out of his way and visit you at your workplace, offering to treat you for dinner. Gestures like that were reserved for your older brother, Seowon, who’s the same age as he is and who you’re sure is considered as his best friend. Compared to them, yours and Jungkook’s dynamic shifted slightly after graduating from college. What once was a really close friendship turned into a casual one, with mostly just teasing, light talks, and the occasional welfare checks at times you hear certain news from the other that’s worth speaking directly about.

At the mention of that, realization dawns on you on why he must be here.

“Jungkook…” You’re trying not to sound mad but you can’t hide the exasperation from your voice. “That’s not the real reason you’re here.”

“Of course, it is. Why else would I be here?”

“He told you, didn’t he?” you ask, not willing to drag this out. “You’re just going to give me another lecture that I definitely don’t need.”

Jungkook frowns, like he’s dismayed that you caught on pretty swiftly.

“I’m right, aren’t I?” You pressed.

“He meant well, ____.”

You scowl. To remark that Seowon is unnecessarily nosy and coddling would be an understatement. That man hasn’t left you alone the second he was aware of your condition. Usually, whenever he gets into his ‘big brother tendencies’, his girlfriend Winnie steps in and helps you lay him off your back. However, it’s different this time; no matter how much you reinstill your independence and insist that you’re fine, it’s like you’re talking to a wall.

“What exactly did you hear from him?” you query.

He seems hesitant in answering that. “That you got diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.”

You wince.

“Look,” he steps forward towards you, “I wasn’t going to bring it up unless you did, okay? I’m just here because I’m genuinely worried about you and I want to know how you’re doing.”

“I’m fine.” You murmur. “You don’t need to worry.”

“Worry doesn’t vanish magically just because someone says so.”

“Well, it should—because I’m fine.”

“You sure? I heard that you’re struggling to buy insulin among other things you’re having a hard time paying.”

“Fuck. Seowon told you that too? That’s private.”

“My parents know. He just filled me in because he wants you to have as much support as you can get.”

“I don’t need that. I’m an adult. I’ve lived by myself for years. I can fend for myself just fine.”

“It doesn’t look like it from what I’ve been hearing.”

“All you’re hearing is a warped and exaggerated version of the story told by Seowon who won’t listen to a word I say.” You huff. “I’m fine and I’ve been doing everything I can, alright? I’m taking care of myself. I’m going to the doctor whenever I need to. I’m making ends meet, buying treatment for this goddamn disease and regulating my sugar levels all the fucking time. Why do you think I’ve been working two jobs for the past year? It’s because I’m doing everything I can to stay alive.”

Jungkook doesn’t reply, he only remains gazing at you.

“If you’re here to offer me money or whatever because of what he said,” you add, already embarrassed that you can’t even look at him anymore, “then I don’t want it.”

“That’s not what I’m here for,” he says.

“Then are you really just here to treat me to dinner?” you question sarcastically.

He laughs and you dare return your eyes at him, catching him peering at you with a fond expression. “Yes. It’s my way of doing a welfare check.”

“Welfare check.” You echo with squinted eyes. “Well, in that case, here I am—alive and healthy.”

“I can see that, and I’m glad.” He smiles. “But I need more than just seeing you. I need a conversation and an apology.”

“An apology?”

“For being the last person to know about your condition.”

“And we’re still talking about that apparently.” You mutter under your breath. “Sorry. I didn’t think that you wanted to know.”

“Of course, I would have wanted to know. It’s you we’re talking about here.”

Something about how he said you causes your lips to twitch as you fight off a smile. This isn’t a good time to dive into your romantic feelings for your childhood crush, but when he’s letting go of lines like that which are sure to have your heart soaring out of your chest, it’s hard to keep on a cool and unfazed facade. You just convince yourself that he sees you as a little sister and that’s why he’s so worried; you should already be past your ‘delulu’ phase at this age to be affected by such statements.

“I didn’t want to add to your worries,” you reason. “You already have your life to think about. Add to the fact that you’re a naval aviator—so you literally have your own life first to think about.”

“I can make space for you.”

Is he flirting? Is this a normal thing to say between friends?

You blink. “Okay, uh, that’s… that’s completely up to you, I guess.”

“I just like knowing those things first hand. It makes me worry less.”

“Got it. Next time I learn I’m dying, I’ll tell you.”

“____,” he says your name in warning, and you know he’s serious.

“Sorry.” You heat up. “I couldn’t resist.”

“Don’t be a pain in the ass.”

“I promise that’ll be the last time I make a dark joke, Lieutenant.”

Jungkook’s nostrils flare. You prevent yourself from grinning like a fool again in success of getting on his nerves.

“Are you done here? Because I’m hungry and would really like to get going now.” He changes the subject and gestures to the faculty.

“Yeah. I’ll just get my things and then I can get out of here.”

“Great. You’re letting me take you to dinner, right?” 

“Do I have a choice?”

“No.”

“Fine.” You deadpan.

This time, he’s the one who’s beaming at you. “I’ll wait for you here and we can go.”

“Okay.”

****

When Jungkook discovered that you had type 1 diabetes through a phone call with Seowon, he spent the rest of the night staring at the ceiling, ignoring the snores of his squadmates and overthinking what’s supposed to happen to you now that you had an autoimmune disease which he was told didn’t have a cure. He was assured that you were okay despite it, that there was medication to treat it, and that you had access to them and have been very careful with your lifestyle due to the diagnosis ever since.

He still couldn’t be put to ease though. As ridiculous as it may sound, he had this overwhelming realization that life truly was short, that you had to make certain decisions all the time because you need to adjust to what the universe is only willing to give you. It was funny coming from a person who risked his life for a living. He thinks that perhaps he never understood the philosophy of the quote ‘time is gold’ until he had a loved one on the same trajectory, always one step closer to possible death.

And so that same night, he decided to file a leave for two weeks, effective immediately after his deployment. 

He wasn’t sure what his game plan was exactly in filing that two-week leave. Was he supposed to barge in your life and force you to let him take care of you? Was he supposed to demand why you ended up having diabetes? Was he supposed to act as a big brother like your actual big brother because he was that worried about you? But if Jungkook was going to be truthful, he already had an idea on what he wanted to do in the back of his head—he just didn’t want to execute it because it was absolutely insane.

Until he heard Seowon suggest it himself when they met up at a bar to share a drink together.

“She would never say yes,” Jungkook said, beyond doubt that you won’t be persuaded that easily with a plan like that.

Seowon made a face. “I know. That girl is so hyper independent—she’d rather die than accept help.” He scoffed. “She needs it though. It’ll help with her medication and she won’t have to pay rent for that shit apartment she’s living in. Plus, she'll actually get the chance to take care of her body if she’s not juggling two jobs to have sufficient income.”

“You’re right.” Jungkook shrugged.

“You’ll do it then?”

He took a sip of his beer. “Yeah. I’d do anything for ____, you know that.”

“Even as crazy as marrying her?”

“Sure.”

Seowon stared at him, narrowing his eyes and morphing his expression into a teasing one. “Are you sure you’re not just considering this because it’s a perfect excuse to marry my sister? I know you like her.”

“I don’t like her.” 

“You’re in love with her.”

“I don’t—” Jungkook began to deny but Seowon was staring him down. “Fuck you, man. Don’t make me some kind of pervert who’s trying to lock her into marriage because he likes her. You’re the one who brought the idea up.”

Seowon laughed out loud. “I know, I just can’t believe you’d agree. It’ll benefit ____, that’s for sure—you, on the other hand? It’s career suicide.”

He shrugged. “I’m okay with the thought that she’ll be okay.”

“Because you love her, man.” Seowon pushed. “Why on earth would you consider this if you weren’t? It’s a fraudulent marriage. You’ll be thrown in the brig and be dishonorably discharged if you get caught.”

“We don’t even know if she’ll agree to this whole thing. You said it yourself, she would never say yes.”

“Yeah, unless maybe you’re the one who tries to persuade her.”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want me to buy her a ring and kneel down before her or something?”

“That can work.”

“What?” Jungkook laughed.

Seowon raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you don’t know how she’s been crushing on you since we were kids.”

He barked out a laugh again. That he knew; it was impossible not to when a lot of friends and cousins kept on teasing you before, especially at instances Jungkook was in the very same vicinity. “We’re not kids anymore and I barely see her though.”

“Still, it ought to count to something. It raises the chances of her agreeing.”

“You’re really cool with me marrying your sister, Won?” Jungkook asked.

Seowon placed down the beer bottle he’s consuming on the counter. “Yeah. You’re a good guy. You’re not perfect, but I know you enough to know that you won’t do anything that will purposely hurt her. Besides, if this sham marriage ends up to be a real relationship and then for some reason, you fuck up and decide to break her heart—I’ll easily know what to do, where to find you, and then I’ll do everything I can to fuck you up.”

Jungkook pressed his lips together to stifle a chuckle.

“Noted.”

****

It’s always been a big wonder to you how no matter how long it’s been since you saw each other, it still feels like no time has passed between you and Jungkook. You think that’s why you can never get over him; he always had this comforting and familiar aura that you appreciate—something that you sought for in every other person that you liked. Maybe it was impractical, maybe it was the reason you can never hold a relationship for more than two years, but unless you gain the courage to confront your feelings and tell Jungkook about it, then you constantly dispel any doubts you might have whether this was good for you or not.

You don’t want to lose him. Admitting that you harbored romantic feelings for him would just make it awkward for everyone: your brother, your family, and then his family. You don’t think you can ever trade his smile, the sound of his laughter, and all the good things about him for anything in the world. 

“Are you dating anyone?” he asks.

You choke on your drink, having just poured yourself and Jungkook a glass of water after the server arrived with the pitcher. You’re in a Japanese restaurant near the university, aware that the cuisine was a favorite for the both of you hence why it’s what you recommended when he asked where you wanted to dine. The place is packed with people from the workforce and students; you’re thankful that you don’t see any of your students within the mix.

“We’re getting straight to it, huh?” you say.

Jungkook smirks. “I’m just making sure I’m not upsetting a boyfriend by meeting you tonight.”

“Don’t worry, you’re not upsetting anyone.”

He nods in understanding. You don’t want to add more meaning to his actions for the evening but he seems glad about the information.

“How about you?” you ask back. “Are you dating anyone?”

The ends of his mouth lift a bit upwards. “Nope.”

“Why? You don’t have the time for it?”

“Precisely.”

“It must be really hard dating when you’re in the Navy then.”

“Kinda. We’re away a lot and stationed in different places most of the time. It can get really dangerous for us too and people don’t like the stress that comes with that.”

 You bob. “Does it get lonely?”

“Sometimes, but when you’re on duty, you don’t get to think about those things.” He chuckles. “Besides, I don’t know if this sounds fucked up or not—but it can get exciting. Flying a plane can be fun, you know. Not to mention that it helps when you’re surrounded by good men in your squadron.”

“You’ve always been an adrenaline junkie.”

“And you’ve always been a scaredy-cat.”

You scoff at the declaration. “No, I’m not.”

“Remember when Seowon and I forced you to ride that ship in the amusement park that sways left to right and as it goes on it falls from a higher standpoint?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

But you do, and Jungkook knows you do, it’s evident by how your expression is trying to feign innocence. That memory is your villain origin story; the whole pretext of why you refuse to ever visit the amusement park or ride an exhilarating ride again. Yet you can’t help but recall that it’s one of the rare instances wherein you got to hold Jungkook’s hand when you two were younger, as his hand was the one you were clinging for dear life when it happened while the other was too busy slapping Seowon in irritation.

He snickers, appearing like he’s replaying the scene in his head. “We should do that again with Seowon during my break.”

“Hell no.”

“I thought you weren’t a scaredy-cat?” He challenges.

“I’m not.” You give him a kittenish glare. “But I am busy. I have to send the final manuscript of this book I’m editing to the chief editor next week and it’s about to be finals week for my students as well.”

He fakes a shiver. “I don’t know how you can do two jobs like that, ____. Truly.”

“You work as a naval aviator so I’d say we’re pretty even.”

The waiter arrives with your orders not long after, and you and Jungkook carry on with your conversation, jumping from topic to topic without difficulty. You’re not certain when was the last time you saw each other like this to have so much to talk about—was it last Christmas? Or was it more recent or longer than that? Nevertheless, it feels good and you find yourself blushing multiple times throughout the night, whether it’s because of how his words can have two meanings or how his eyes are staring at you so intensely whenever you’re the one who’s talking.

You like the undivided attention, the back and forth that’s occurring as you discourse, the subtle touches one of you does when something funny arises, how your knees are touching underneath the table. You wonder what’s so different with this encounter that the energy feels so bizarre in a good way? As far as you’re concerned, you’re positive that you’re acting like you always have in his presence—lively, smiley, sarcastic—and aside from the little touches of flirting here and there, Jungkook’s acting like he always has too.

When dinner was done, Jungkook offered to drive you home. You obliged, no longer in the mood to annoy him for you were tired to make the effort. Before stepping outside the restaurant however, you excused yourself to the restroom first, checking your blood sugar with the glucose meter you brought along wherever you went. It’s a hassle but it’s necessary, largely because you’re still in the middle of saving up for the insulin pump that would help you regulate your sugar levels easier.

After administering yourself with the insulin injection you have, you spend a few more seconds inside the enclosed room. You should be past the point of feeling sorry for yourself, but it’s times like this wherein you’re with a loved one that the dejection hits and you wish that you’re in a better predicament than you are right now. You’re close to being broke, you’re overworked, you’re somehow fatigued all the fucking time—those factors aren’t soothing your worries at all. It’s a miracle how you manage to keep an optimistic mind amidst everything.

“Ready to go?” Jungkook smiles at you once you’re back at the table and you nod, clutching your bag tighter against your body and following him to his car.

He drives you to your place, turning the radio on, and letting it play while the both of you sit in silence. You’re both tired and you almost even sleep during the ride. It’s only when Jungkook gently shakes you awake that you realize that you’ve arrived in front of your apartment building.

“I’ll walk you up,” he insists as you’re unbuckling the seatbelt. 

“That’s no need, Kook.”

“Of course, it is,” he says. “I’ll walk you up. That’s nonnegotiable.”

So, you allow him.

It takes five minutes tops to reach the door leading to your apartment. As you rummage through your bag to grab your keys, Jungkook patiently stands there, occasionally glancing around the hallway and even smiling when the old lady that resided in the same floor got out of her room to throw out the trash. He receives a smile in return which you notice and grin fondly at.

“Well, this is me.” You turn to him, done unlocking your door. “I’d invite you inside but you should probably get going. It’s quite a long drive back home.”

“Yeah.” He breathes out a chuckle. “Hey, tonight was fun. It made me realize how I missed you.”

Your brain temporarily malfunctions; you force yourself to recover quickly. “Me too. I had fun tonight. Maybe we should do this again whenever you’re on a break.”

“Agreed.”

You flash him a smile. “You can go now. Goodnight.”

Jungkook nods, however doesn’t move a muscle. He’s looking at you, like really looking at you, his eyes moving from one feature to another, as if he’s memorizing your face or having a hard time arranging the words he wants to say. You guess it’s the latter, familiar with a tongue-tied Jungkook that it takes you a few good seconds before you’re demanding why he’s impersonating a mannequin.

“There’s something I want to say,” that’s what he utters and you almost snort due to your assumption being right.

“Okay…” The smile is still on your lips. “What is it?”

“Promise me you won’t get mad first.”

“Well, if you’re making me promise that then it’s probably worth being mad about.”

“It’s not as bad as you think.”

“That’s not convincing at all.”

“It’s just…” He begins and trails, biting his lower lip, “it’s… it’s why I went here. Why I went here to see and meet you, I mean.”

You unconsciously recoil at the revelation. It’s certainly a rookie mistake to believe that there was no ulterior motive in Jungkook meeting you today. You just didn’t reckon you’d actually be truly disappointed at that—at the idea that he just didn’t randomly decide to visit and be with you earlier until now.

You draw a long breath. “Well, I knew you weren’t just feeling generous and wanted to treat me to dinner out of nowhere.”

There’s a pause and then he resumes. “Just—before I say it, you have to hear me out, okay? You have to let me explain before you berate me.”

“I can’t promise that either.”

“You have to.”

“Why do I have to?”

“Because what I’m about to say is for your own sake. You know I always have your best interest at heart, don’t you?”

You wrinkle your forehead in further confusion. “Can you just get on with it? The vagueness is making me more annoyed.”

“I just don’t want you to misunderstand.”

“Misunderstand what?”

“What I—and Seowon—genuinely think is the best option.”

“Oh, and Seowon is in on this too?” You bellow. “Have you and Seowon just been conspiring behind my back the whole time?”

“Calm down.” Jungkook puts his hands on your shoulders, a chuckle inevitably escaping him. “I’m sorry for dragging it out. You should know I’m high key afraid of you, that’s why.”

“You should be.” You grumble.

Another chuckle, but he’s back to appearing anxious. You want to shout that this isn’t healthy, that you’re close to giving him a real reason to be afraid of you—yet once he blurts the confession out, you’re speechless, gawking at him and staggering backwards in complete shock. Perhaps you would have bolted as far away from him as possible if not for his solid grasp.

“What?” You hiss.

He swallows hard.

“I want you to marry me, ____.”

You don’t bolt away running. You shake off his hold on you though, and before he gets another word in, you’re hastily rushing inside your apartment and slamming the door to his face.

****

Jungkook was your first kiss.

It happened in a game of truth and dare. You were at a party of a mutual friend and when the bottle miserably pointed in Jungkook’s direction, the person who was tasked to think of his dare when it was his pick said that he dared him to do 7 minutes in heaven with you. 

He profusely refused at first, especially since Seowon was in the same party, but everybody began booing and next thing you know, Jungkook was agreeing as long as it was fine with you. When you nodded to make your consent apparent, your friends were quick to shove you both in the closet, some of them pulling Seowon back who was complaining how it wasn’t right to bully you into doing 7 minutes in heaven with Jungkook. They calmed him down once they bullied him into agreeing too.

“We don’t have to do anything,” Jungkook told you in the darkness, his breath fawning over your face. “You don’t have to feel pressured. It’s just a stupid game.”

You blushed.

Secretly, you were hoping that he’d kiss you or touch you. Who didn’t want to do anything with their crush at the age of 15? A lot can happen in 7 minutes. You were aware that sometimes people made out, went as far as third base, and although you didn’t want to go that far with Jungkook, you wanted something to happen while you were stuck in this small closet with him. There weren’t a lot of instances that put both of you in this kind of situation; you wished that you were brave enough to ask him to kiss you or do the first move yourself.

5 minutes in, Jungkook turned towards you.

“Is it true that Taehyung kissed you last week?”

You whipped your head so fast that you might have given yourself whiplash. “That’s—that’s not true. Where did you hear that?”

“During homeroom. Some girls were talking about it.”

Your cheeks burned. “Oh.”

“So, it’s not true?”

“No.” You shook your head. “I haven’t even had my first kiss yet.” You laughed weakly.

It was his turn to seem stunned. “You haven’t had your first kiss yet?”

You shook your head again, then realized he might not see you doing so. “Not yet.”

“Want me to change that?” he asked, grinning.

He said that with a boyish grin and teasing tone, but you sucked at social cues (plus, you really couldn’t see shit that much) that you started nodding.

“Okay,” you told him.

“Huh?”

“You can kiss me.”

“Oh, oh, shit—I didn’t—” He was blabbering, about to take back what he offered. “I mean, I was just joking but—”

You widen your eyes. “You were? Oh my God, I’m sorry, I thought you were—”

“No, it was my fault. That was a little out of line for me. I’m sorry.” He was laughing and you felt like burying yourself 6 feet under. “It was a stupid thing to say. But if you want me to kiss you, it’s cool.”

“It is?” Hope sparked within you.

“Yeah. It’ll just be a peck anyway.” You can tell he was smiling through his voice. “Just don’t tell Seowon because he might punch me in the face for kissing his sister.”

You cackled. “Deal.”

56 seconds before the 7 minutes were up, Jungkook leaned down to match your level and placed his lips on yours. 

****

You’re seething with rage, the embodiment of Godzilla, channeling the God of War, Ares, in your body; you harshly press Seowon’s number on your phone to call him and he answers after three rings.

“What’s up?”

“I will fucking murder you,” you snarl.

A beat. You hear shuffling. Then he answers, “you already talked with Jungkook?”

The nonchalance and calmness in his voice drives you to be more frustrated than you already are. “Yes, I have! What is wrong with you? Why would you plant that idea on his head?” You yell, not caring that your walls are thin and that your voice can probably be heard by the couple that lived next door. You’re feeling a mixture of anger, embarrassment, and every negative emotion that exists at the moment. You’re comparable to a bull who just saw the color red.

“____, it won’t be a big deal if you don’t make it to be.”

“Are you hearing yourself right now?”

“Did you even let Jungkook explain?”

“I don’t need him to spell everything out. I know why he’s asking me to marry him.”

“Then you know too that it’d be good for you.”

“Marrying him won’t be good for me.”

“Why not?”

“It just won’t!”

“You’ll get health insurance benefits that you don’t get with your current jobs. You can pay less rent once you move in at Jungkook’s place—there’s a huge chance he won’t even let you pay him while you stay there too. He’s away most of the time anyway, so staying there wouldn’t be a problem. Plus, you can start studying for a masters degree like you’ve always wanted.”

You groan. “Not like this. This is crazy.”

“The both of you can divorce once you’ve saved up a little. It really isn’t that complicated.”

“It’s a sham marriage!”

“It’s a sham marriage with Jungkook.”

“That doesn’t make it better.”

“Are you sure? Your grade school diary might disagree.”

“Oh my God, that’s fucking low of you to bring that up. You just gave me another reason to hate you.” You stomp around the living room, acting like a teenager because of your brother’s behavior. This isn’t the first time he revealed that he’s read your diary before; that doesn’t mean it’s less infuriating to be reminded that he has. “I swear, you better fucking sleeping with one eye open tonight. I’m choking you to death.”

Seowon laughs out loud. “Just marry him. He’s surprisingly amicable with the idea.”

“That’s because you’re pressuring him! I bet you and Mom devised this entire thing together.”

“Mom doesn’t know. To be fair, she’d probably have the same reaction as you. It’s all me and Jungkook.”

“Wow. You have two brains and yet none of you thought this was goddamn stupid?”

“It’s not stupid. It’s genius if you come to think of it,” he says. “Jungkook just wants to help you, dude. He wants to make sure you’ll be okay and all that shit. You’re the reason he filed for a two-week leave, did he tell you?”

Your heart does that jumping thing again. “No.”

“Well, he did. He’s on a break for two weeks because he wants to convince you to marry him and actually marry you within that time frame.”

“This is nuts.” You sigh, finally flopping down the sofa and rubbing your face with your free hand. “The both of you are nuts. How are you okay with this?”

“It’s Jungkook. I trust him. Don’t you?”

“Of course, I do, I just—” you cut yourself off and frown, “I just feel like it’s unfair for him. I’m marrying him because of military spouse benefits and what does he get?”

There’s a long pause, and you almost check your phone to see whether Seowon has already hung up on you or not.

“It’s better that Jungkook answers that question,” he tells you finally.

“Why? You can’t answer it on behalf of him?”

“Something like that.” You can imagine him shrugging. “All I know is that he’s genuinely concerned about your health and your financial status right now. So, just think about it, okay?”

“God, fuck it, fine. I’ll think about it.” You grimace.

You hang up and glance at the door.

You don’t think the conversation you just had with Seowon took that much time. The initial rush you had upon having your longtime crush propose to you is wearing off and you’re realizing that it was a dick move to literally slam the door right in Jungkook’s face earlier, leading you to stand up from your seat and look through the peephole to check if he’s still there.

He isn’t, which you sigh in relief at.

As you lean against the door and regulate your breathing, you think how funny it is that Seowon is right about one thing—and that was grade school you would have been delighted at the thought of getting married to Jungkook. He’s your dream guy; your parents loved him, his parents loved you, the both of you got along very well, and his personality and looks are everything that you’re looking for in a partner. It sucks that you live in a world where the only reason he wants to marry you is because he’s afraid you’ll die because of self-neglect. 

Your phone pings and you unlock the screen to look at the message that flashes on it.

Jungkook: hey, seowon just messaged me to say that you two already talked Jungkook: i’m sorry for jumping on you with a topic like that… Jungkook: i’m shit at confrontation lol Jungkook: also it’s the first time i’m proposing so give me some slack

You scoff at his audacity to joke about it this soon.

You: it’s okay You: i’m sorry too for what i did You: the answer is no btw

Jungkook: already??? Jungkook: let’s talk about it first

You: no need You: i don’t want to marry you

Jungkook: oof that’s harsh

You: sorry not sorry?

He doesn’t respond and you think you’re safe. Maybe Jungkook does take no for an answer and you’re confused because you’re a little disappointed that he’s not falling on his knees, begging you to marry him like what your imagination is supplying you.

However, after you took a shower and went to check your phone again, you see that Jungkook messaged you a few minutes ago in response to your last message.

Jungkook: give me 10 days and i’ll change your mind

You have the urge to go take a shower again because of how hot your body is feeling at the statement.

You: hate to break it to you but you’re not matthew mcconaughey

Jungkook: 🤣🤣🤣

****

It’s not part of Jungkook’s branding to chase a woman. Typically, women chase him; they chase him in every city and country that he gets stationed in, flirting with him and hoping that they’ll get the chance to take him home for the night for a mindblowing one-night stand. They never succeed though, for despite their pretty faces and sultry gestures, Jungkook only smiles and declines every offer, saying that he had a girl waiting back home that he loved very much.

He used to think that he only used that as an excuse because he’s not the type to hook up with every attractive girl he meets. There are times when he succumbs, when he gives into the temptation of a little fun, especially after a life threatening or highly stressful mission—but most of the time, he thinks he declines and use that pronouncement of his because his mind reverts him to the idea of you, to what would happen if he just gained the balls to ask you out.

Evidently, although asking you out and asking you to marry him are two completely different things, he’s a bit afraid that your answer will always be a hard no. It’s what you’ve been literally spelling out to him since the day he presented the idea, regardless of how he’s trying his best in swooning you or explaining how this is the perfect plan to help you gain an upper hand with your diagnosis.

“I’ll file a restraining order against you, I’m serious,” you say to him when he appears yet again outside the faculty room, waiting for you to gather your things and head home. You’re wearing a white button up shirt and pinstripe wide leg trousers, an outfit combination that he ogles at before he goes down to business.

“You wouldn’t.” He glares at you. He gestures for you to let him take your backpack, and despite what you said, you let him. “Also, what the fuck is in this thing? You’ll break your back if you keep using this.” He swings your backpack on one shoulder.

You laugh. “My laptop, its charger, a couple of notebooks, books, pens, then the outputs of my students.”

“Aren’t they supposed to submit virtually? What happened to Google Classroom?”

“I still use it, but sometimes I like to have their work printed out so I can write the comments better. How do you know Google Classroom?”

“I have a squadronmate whose kid uses it for class.”

“Ah.” You nod in understanding.

You two continue walking forward.

This has been your program for the past few days. Jungkook goes to the university you work at, he’ll wait outside, you’ll threaten him with something ridiculous, he’ll take your bag, he’ll offer to take you to dinner, you’ll decline, and then he’ll drive you home anyways. Before that routine ends, he’ll lean on your door frame and give you his best puppy eyes, asking you to marry him for the sake of your welfare, and you’ll scowl at him, insisting that you don’t need his help to survive.

“Dinner?” he asks, right on schedule.

You glance at him. “No. I want to go home and sleep for 12 hours.”

“Busy day?”

“Yep.”

“You know, if you marry me, you won’t have to work two jobs and overexert yourself.”

He doesn’t need to turn to you to know that you’re giving him a dirty look. “I won’t marry you, Jungkook.”

“Why not?”

“Because marriage doesn’t work that way.”

“It does. Billionaires do it all the time. The mafia does it too. It’s always been some kind of transaction.”

“Well, if I marry you, what do you get?”

“The assurance you’re taken care of.”

“That’s cheesy.”

You share a laugh and he grins.

“It’s true,” he says. “I’ll be fine as long as you are.”

He waits for you to quip back a reply, flickering his eyes to you when it takes longer than usual. Instead of the sneer he’s expecting, you appear to be flustered, an expression that is very recognizable for him who’s known you since forever—an expression that makes it too obvious for Jungkook that the crush you had on him that he thought has been long gone was still there. He’s been seeing it a lot lately, particularly when he’s uttering lines that sound flirtatious on purpose; he’s positive that you’ll threaten to kill him when you discover that he basks on the fact that he can still make you all flustered and cute, which encourages him to do and say anything that would elicit a reaction from you. Was it unethical to seduce you into marrying him? He might have to rethink that part too.

Reaching the parking lot, he unlocks the doors to his vehicle and places your bag inside the backseat. He watches you walk around the car, about to go to the passenger’s side, but then you wobble a bit and his attempt to get inside is instantly forgotten.

“Hey,” he strides to where you are, gazing at you as you now hold onto the hood, “you alright?”

You raise your chin up. “Kook, can you get my bag?”

Jungkook doesn’t need to be told twice. He’s swinging the door again and getting your bag from the other end of the backseat while you get on the passenger’s seat, keeping the door wide and placing your legs outside, your feet planted on the concrete.

“What do you need?” he asks, crouching in front of you and zipping the bag open.

“Glucometer.”

He halts. “What does that look like?”

“It’s in the yellow bag. There.” You point at it right when he rummages through a certain part.

He brings it out and you take it from his grasp. Your movements are sluggish but he can discern that you’re doing your best not to be too slow; he’d present to help but he knows that he might prolong what you’re doing due to his cluelessness, so he just observes, noting how you’re pricking your finger with a device and then pressing it lightly to the glucometer which shows that your blood sugar is low.

“Apple juice,” you mutter to him and he finds it faster than the last one.

You grab the juice pouch from his grasp, prying the straw attached on the back, pushing its end for it to pop out of its plastic cover—then your hand shakes, preventing you from continuing and punching in the straw properly.

“Let me do it,” he says.

You don’t fight him, you just slump against the seat as Jungkook picks up from where you left, and the moment he does the job and guides the straw to your awaiting lips, a long exhale through your nose escapes you.

“How are you feeling?” he whispers. He didn’t notice that he was holding his breath the entire duration of the scene.

Another sigh. “Better.”

“Does this happen a lot?”

You seem to hesitate. “Not a lot. Just when life gets a bit too hectic.”

“____—”

“Just take me home.” You don’t give him the chance to lecture you. “Please, Jungkook.”

Defeated, he nods. “Alright.”

“Thank you.”

He helps you position yourself properly on the passenger’s seat. “But we’re talking about this at your place.”

Before you can protest, he closes the door.

****

Lee Hyunwoo was the name of the guy that you brought home for Christmas Eve eight years ago. It was the first time that you did, and Jungkook hated how Hyunwoo was considerably handsome, intelligent, and kind—the exact kind of person he always imagined you deserved.

In the short time Hyunwoo spent with theirs and your family that night, everybody loved him and was already inviting him to the next gathering, all the while Jungkook avoided him at every cost, puzzled by this strong dislike he was feeling for your guest. He was annoyed at the manner in which Hyunwoo had an arm around your waist the entire evening, how you grinned up to him, eyes sparkling and all that shit. Hell, you used to look at him like that.

“Honey, can you get the mango float we have in our freezer?” Jungkook heard your mother tell you, and without thinking, he stood up from his chair and made a beeline to where you were, telling you he’d accompany you to your house.

“That’s fine,” you told him. “It’s literally next door.”

“Yeah, but it might be heavy.”

“It’s not.”

“Better safe than sorry.”

You rolled your eyes and agreed then, excusing yourself from Hyunwoo who was in an engaged conversation with Seowon. The pair were geeking out because of their mutual love for the MCU and the next film slated to be released the following year.

Upon arriving at your home, you dashed to the kitchen with Jungkook trudging behind you. He wasn’t sure what his next course of action should be now; all he wanted was some alone time with you, away from the presence of that college boyfriend of yours, but now that he had that, he couldn’t think of anything that he wanted to say or do. He wasn’t even sure why he was feeling a bit jealous—was it because of that saying? Wherein people are bound to want what they can’t have? Or was it that you only appreciate what you had when you’ve already lost it?

“How long have you and Hyunwoo been dating?” he asked, leaning against the counter as you pulled your freezer open.

“Four months, I think.”

“Four months? And you already brought him home?”

You snorted at his tone. “His family is in another country so I thought it’d be nice to invite him.”

“You must really like him then.”

“Yeah, but I’m not in love with him or anything.” You placed the mango float on the space beside Jungkook on the counter. “He’s nice, and he likes me too.”

“Does he treat you well?”

You flashed your eyes at him, amusement dancing in them. “What’s with that question?”

“What’s with it?”

“Nothing, it’s just that…” you trailed, a smirk etched on your face. “Wait a minute, are you… you can’t possibly—” Jungkook was widening his eyes, ready to deny your accusation once you questioned whether he was jealous of Hyunwoo or not— “are you pulling an overprotective brother skit on me, Kook?”

Fuck, thank God, he thought.

“I prefer ‘overprotective friend skit’,” he said.

“That doesn’t have a nice ring to it.”

“But I’m not your brother.”

“You don’t have to be, I’m just saying that you and Seowon have been acting similar since Hyunwoo and I arrived.”

“Nonsense. Seowon likes him.”

“Oh, so you don’t?”

He pressed his lips into a tight line.

“Did you just admit that you don’t like Hyunwoo?” you asked, chuckling. He was grateful that you didn’t seem to be offended by it.

“I didn’t say I didn’t like him.”

“Instead you implied it.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“You kinda did.”

He heard you laugh and he couldn’t help but allow himself to laugh as well.

“I’m sorry,” he apologized. “Maybe I’m just not used to you dating anyone. You are chronically single.”

“Can’t say you’re wrong.” You snorted and picked up from the mango float, marching back to his house and gesturing for him to follow you.

He did, no words spoken between the both of you once more. Though when you were entering their place again, with Jungkook holding the door open for you, he mentioned something he never reckoned he’d have the guts to mention out loud.

“When you open my gift,” he began, “don’t do it in front of Hyunwoo, okay?”

“Why not?” You weren’t paying attention to where you were going, intrigued by his warning.

“He might not like it. You’ll see.”

That night, at the comfort of your bedroom, Hyunwoo nowhere near but instead sleeping at the coach downstairs in your living room, you opened Jungkook’s gift and saw that it was a necklace with your birth flower as its pendant.

You smiled, rolling your eyes to yourself, and slept with that giddy look never leaving your face.

****

“Not so fast,” Jungkook grunts.

Did he think that you were going to be less difficult since he was helpful earlier? Yeah, he did. He likes to think that if it wasn’t for him, you would have taken longer in feeding yourself with apple juice, so he at least wanted a thank you in the form of your willingness to have an adult conversation with him tonight. However, that clearly isn’t the case because when he walked you up to your apartment like he always did, you’re attempting to lock him out, shutting the door as fast as you can once you’re inside, thus trying to prevent him from initiating that talk he wanted the two of you to have.

“Seriously?” He successfully pries the door open and you scowl at him.

“Jungkook—”

“No, you don’t get to reason your way out of this. I’m done hearing you out. It’s your turn to listen to me.” He steps inside your apartment.

You groan, striding to the sofa and throwing your bag there. “You can’t force me to marry you.”

“Is marrying me so fucking bad that you can’t get over it for health insurance benefits that can really help you?” He demands, infuriated. 

“That’s not the issue.”

“Then what is?”

“You can get arrested!” you exclaim. “And so can I! Does that not freak you out?”

“We’ll only get arrested if we get caught.”

“I’m not willing to take the risk.”

“I’m not willing to see you die.”

You scoff out a laugh. “Who the fuck said anything about dying? I’m not dying.”

“You almost passed out on me. You almost—”

“It’s an error on my part, I admit.” You sigh. “When I get busy and preoccupied, sometimes I forget to check my sugar levels regularly throughout the day. I’m sorry.”

“And you expect to be convinced that you have everything handled?”

“God, I’m not a child. Stop treating me like I can’t do shit for myself.”

“Please, ___,” he approaches you with the most pleading expression he can muster, and he watches as your hard expression crumbles, “just accept my help. It’s really not a big deal—you won’t even see me often, so keeping up with the whole marriage ploy wouldn’t be difficult. We’ll divorce in two years, we can pretend we never got married after that.”

“You just don’t get it, don’t you?”

“What do I not get? If you think I don’t understand something, then explain it to me—”

“I can’t marry you,” you say. You do so like it’s final, like there’s no point in arguing with you because he can never change your stand on this. As he’s pleading with his eyes to urge you to agree, you’re communicating with your eyes in a similar way that’s wishing he would just drop this. “It’s wrong.”

His eyebrows furrow. “This isn’t the time to go on your high horse and decide what’s wrong and what’s not. It’s a fraudulent marriage—of course, it’ll be wrong to some degree.”

“No, I mean…” You turn away from him, rubbing your face in exhaustion. “It’d be wrong of me to marry you. I’m taking advantage of you if I do, and I don’t like that.”

Jungkook shakes his head, frustration worsening at the childlike excuse. Surely, you weren’t that naive, were you? “You’re not. I’m not doing this against my own will. Besides, we get extra pay just for being married. If it makes you feel better, I won’t split it with you.”

“That won’t make me feel better.”

“Then what will?”

You flop down on the coach and lean back, closing your eyes. He knows he’s being a pain in the ass but he can’t just stand here and do nothing. He thinks he’s already come too far in convincing you, he isn’t going to back out now. Every single day spent together, he can feel you warming up to the idea of marrying him for health insurance. Your connection and entirety of your relationship has been off the charts recently that it’ll be harder for him not to be assured that before he leaves for his job, you’ll be taken care off.

Jungkook goes to the spot beside you, sitting down. Your knees bump together, he keeps on gazing at you, waiting for you to focus on him; a minute passes and his gaze moves to your hand that’s laying on the small space between you.

Without overthinking, he stretches out and clasps it, allowing his fingers to play with yours that finally captures your attention. The moment he glances up, he sees that you’re staring at him and he doesn’t let go, he even smiles, a quiet promise that he’s always willing to listen to whatever you want to tell him.

You hesitantly smile back. “You know,” your eyes train back to your intertwined fingers, Jungkook reveling in the warmth of your skin, gaining more confidence in acting out his feelings, “there was a time wherein I would have said yes immediately if you asked me to marry you.”

He smirks, can’t deny how hearing that inflates his ego a bit although this route in the conversation isn’t where he expected to go. “What changed?”

“For one, I grew up.”

“Ouch.”

You laugh. Then you stay quiet for a while before speaking. “Can I confess something?”

That piques his interest. “Anything.”

“But you have to promise not to make fun of me.”

“That’s impossible.” He teases. “What is it?”

You stall, readjusting your position so that you can directly face him. Jungkook doesn’t let go of your hand, he keeps it in his grasp, his thumb rubbing along the expanse of your knuckles.

“I like you, Jungkook. I really really do,” you finally say and he blinks, startled.

It shouldn’t surprise him, considering that it’s been long established that he knew of your crush already, though he doesn’t seem to have anticipated for you to boldly admit it when all these years, it’s only been some kind of unspoken understanding that neither of you downright acknowledged.

You continue speaking. “In fact, I like you so much that maybe it developed into love at some point—I’m not sure. I’m at this stage of no longer being afraid of what I feel, I think? Most of the time, I just let it occur like it’s something so natural. Like it’s a feeling that I can never get away from? Like whatever I do, there’s no way to shake you.” You chuckle half-heartedly. “Though never in a million years would I have thought that I’d confess all of this. What for anyway? I don’t want you to be burdened with what my teenage heart couldn’t rub out.”

His mind is racing; hundred thoughts, hundred scenarios, hundred experiences he’s spent with you since the day you met. Jungkook never realized how much he needed you to say that you liked him—that maybe you even loved him—until he heard it from your very mouth that you did, causing every inhibition and doubt he had to vanish. Now, he only wants to engulf you in an embrace and shout Yes, I feel the same way! Sorry for being a fucking corward and not doing this first!

He would have done all of that in a flash if it didn’t appear that you still had something to say. Based on your rather constipated posture and the hand he’s holding that’s becoming clammy, he discerns that you’re just in the first part of what you wanted to admit.

“Actually, that’s also why I can’t let myself marry you,” you say. “I know it sounds ridiculous, but I don’t know… it feels really icky somehow. I feel like I’m holding you hostage, or that I’m tricking you because of an ulterior motive, or that I’m defying the laws of the universe by having the chance to marry you. I’m not sure. I just know that I don’t want to marry you if it means I’ll only get to do so because you think you’re doing me a huge favor. I don’t want to be your charity case, Kook—I deserve to be more than that, you know? I’m not traditional or whatever but if it’s not for love, I’m not keen on getting married.” You abruptly pull away from his clutch, embarrassment washing on your features by what you stated. “Plus, two years might not be that long but what happens when you meet someone and you like her? How can you explain that you’re only married to me because I need it for my medication? It’ll just be unnecessarily messy. I don’t want to hold you back from those kinds of things. I don’t want to be a hindrance.”

That’s his cue. That’s when he knows he’s supposed to kiss you and take your breath away, to admit that he’s certain that he has loved you since that one time when he was in the Naval Academy and although the training was hard as fuck, the thought of you gave him strength and he didn’t want to see anyone as much as he wanted to see you after—that when you and Seowon visited him, that familiar urge to have you alone was all he felt the entire time, solidifying the idea that perhaps he didn’t just see you as a friend.

“You’re unbelievably dense, ___,” he murmurs, smirking at the play of events, and you glance at him, expression showing disbelief that he’s somehow treating this matter lightly.

“What?”

“Do you honestly think I go around and offer marriage to every woman out there who can benefit from being a military spouse? Do you think I’m that generous? I’m not. I wouldn’t ask anyone to marry me for the same reason if they weren’t important to me—or if I didn’t like them. I’m not that much of a saint,” he adds. “I mean, I’m taking a two-week break to convince you to marry me. I’m spending time with you every single day. I’m driving for almost an hour and a half, enduring the traffic to get from my apartment to the university you work in to do that—and you think this is because I want to be charitable?”

Silence. Your forehead wrinkles. He thinks you’re still not getting the point.

“I’m in love with you, ____,” Jungkook says.

Your breath hitches in your throat. You’re opening your mouth, then closing it, then opening it again, then pressing it into a thin line. He thinks you look cute, being taken aback like this, and he’s wishing that he’s done this sooner so that the last five days of him chasing you around like a lost puppy was spent with talking more about what’s possibly waiting for yours and his relationship next.

“Are you serious?” you ask after what seems like forever. “Or are you just saying that because you’re that desperate to have me on board with the whole fraudulent marriage thing?”

“God—” He’s inching closer to you now, laughing, watching your lips twitch at his reaction— “I’m convinced that you were born into this earth to drive me fucking crazy.”

And just like that, he no longer restrains himself from kissing you.

It takes you a few good seconds before you will yourself to move. You can’t seem to process the reality of Jungkook admitting that he was in love with you and then taking the liberty to plant his lips on yours. You’re not complaining, of course, but you are a bit overwhelmed that it literally makes you freeze, unaware of what you’re supposed to do now that your fantasies are coming into life.

However, once you feel him angle his head to the side, doing so to deepen the kiss, your reflexes kick in and you’re kissing him back, encircling your arms around his neck and leaning towards him, Jungkook sighing in what appears to be relief. He grips your hips to support you as you try to straddle him, but your movements are so clumsy that you end up sprawling against his chest instead, perched on a leg of his that provides pleasure on the spot you need him the most. He chuckles at your lack of gracefulness, gliding his lips to your cheek and down to your jaw, nipping.

“This okay?” he whispers with a palm drifting to your bottom.

You nod and Jungkook’s mouth is back on yours in an instant. He squeezes your ass, takes his time in fondling with it, cheekily slapping whenever you get brave yourself and push your tongue past his lips, before he skims his hand lower to your thigh and signals for you to mount him. Upon being properly sat on his lap, you get an immediate feel of his hard length through his jeans, prompting your imagination to run wild and induce the filthiest things he can do to you if neither of you stops.

“Holy shit,” he curses, your kisses roaming to the base of his throat where you lap and suck.

It becomes a dirty pattern for a while. The both of you will take a brief pause from making out to remove a piece of clothing or kiss every other exposed skin there is: the cheek, the jaw, the neck, the collarbones, the shoulders. Then one of you hauls the other back for another passionate kiss, hands skating everywhere on your bodies, sounds of arousal echoing inside the room; you’re starting to get lightheaded but you’re positive it’s not because of your sugar levels running low.

“I hate that it took us so long to get to this point,” he mutters.

You grin. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. I’m the man—I should have confessed long ago.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“I don’t know. ‘Was afraid to lose you, I guess.” He draws his head back and admires your blissed out expression. “But then when Seowon told me you had diabetes, I panicked and thought that I might lose you either way.”

You go back to making out, Jungkook guiding your hips in grinding on his clothed length. It’s addictive—the intimate feel of him, how he’s not shy in making sure you know how much he’s craving to be as close to you as you are to him. You think you can spend the whole night just doing this and be okay with it.

“Fuck, Kook,” you groan against his mouth, a hand descending to his stomach and to his manhood, “you’re so… so fuckin’ hard.”

You’re palming him now, tracing the erection evident under his boxers.

He lets out a grunt. “Yeah, baby, I know.”

“Do you… do you want me—” You’re breathless, not able to continue whatever it is that you want to say.

He understands you just fine though. “No.” He shakes his head. “Don’t do anything.”

You’re not sure what Jungkook means by that. How are you supposed to do nothing when you want to do everything to him? You soon comprehend what he means when he guides you to lay down on the sofa, when his lips skim lower and lower, passing your breasts, giving them the attention they deserve, until he goes lower than that and discards your underwear, kissing you in between your legs.

It’s like he’s releasing all the pent up emotions he’s been keeping all these years. His tongue and fingers are relentless, his voice is telling you that he’s eager to coax an orgasm out of you, and as he lifts himself up to return to his previous position, face hovering yours, you’re positive that he’ll get everything he wants because without a doubt you’ll give him everything he wants from you too. Hell, if he uses this opportunity to ask you to marry him again, you might answer yes straight away, no longer bearing in mind the worries you expressed to him earlier.

Although did that even matter anymore? Jungkook said he loved you. He said you drove him crazy. You never thought you’d come to see the day he’d utter those words but here you are. The man of your dreams is kissing you, pleasing you, and looking damn enthusiastic as he does all of that.

“Last chance to stop me,” Jungkook teases. His eyes are glassy and you can feel his cock nudging on your thigh.

You giggle, bringing his head closer to press another long kiss on those pink and plump lips of his. “Please never stop.”

“Never?”

“Never.”

“I’m going to take you up on that.”

“Please do.”

After this night, you’re certain that you’ll never allow yourself to be with another man aside from Jungkook. At the back of your head, you always thought that you were his, regardless if that wasn’t true or that there was no real relationship to prove that—however, at this moment, as he thrusts in and out languidly, you unquestionably know that you are. You belong to him now and he belongs to you; he lets you know through his love-filled gaze, his passionate kisses, and the manner wherein he moans your name.

“I love you,” he says, like he’s still in deep longing for your touch and affection.

You hum, tangling your fingers through the strands of his hair. “I love you, Kook.” You stare at his eyes. “I can’t remember a time I didn’t.”

A boyish grin erupts on his features.

Time passes by quickly. In a few more of his kisses, of the intoxicating slam of his hips, of his seductive whimpers, you’re coming beneath him, Jungkook pulling out and jerking his length until he too comes, his seed landing on the base of your tummy. You have the nerve to giggle at that, grinning at him with low-lidded eyes, and Jungkook hastily wipes his cum off your skin, attacking you with another passionate kiss that leaves you breathless.

“There’s no way you’re not marrying me after this,” he murmurs.

You teasingly graze your teeth on his bottom lip. “I’ll think about it.”

He groans. “Don’t think about it. Just say yes.”

“At least let me sleep on it, Kook.”

“Fuck—fine.” He grabs your sides and pulls you flush against his body. “Guess I’ll have to keep on convincing you until you agree.”

****

“God, why is this so difficult?” Jungkook whines, keeping you in his embrace, head tucked between your cheek and shoulder.

The air is very humid and Jungkook’s in his naval aviator uniform, which doesn’t look cool in a sense that air is properly flowing through the material. He doesn’t care though, doesn’t care that it’s sticking to his skin as he refuses to let you go, not even when you complain playfully.

“Kook, I’m fucking sweaty.”

“I don’t care.”

You laugh. 

He’s leaving to return to his duty and you’re here with him outside the base before he enters, being with him until the last possible minute because that’s how much of a good wife you are.

Yes, you and Jungkook did get married. Three days ago in fact, at the city hall’s courtroom. Neither of you invited your parents; they didn’t know about the occasion and you refused to tell them, afraid that they may be critical about yours and his choices when they discover the true reason why you’re rushing to be wed. The only people that remained to be aware of it was Seowon and his girlfriend, Winnie, who served as the witnesses, which was fine by you. In your understanding, this was just for the papers and your health, and not the real deal yet to be celebrated lavishly.

“I’ll propose to you again after a couple of years,” Jungkook promised after the ceremony. “Let’s renew our vows and I’ll give you an amazing wedding.”

You would have told him that there was no need, but who were you kidding? You did want a proper wedding with Jungkook. The previous week didn’t even feel like you were newlyweds. Yes, the both of you compacted all of the dates you could have if one of you weren’t such a chicken in five days, and yes, though the honeymoon stage was experienced and practiced—it was only because you were a new couple who after years of hiding their feelings for one another, was now finally free to express it as much as they desired.

“Call me everyday?” you ask when he finally pulls back, Jungkook pecking your lips one more time.

“Definitely.” He smiles. “Visit me whenever possible?”

“Of course.” You kiss him too.

His smile transforms into a grin. “Take care of yourself, alright? Keep me updated all the time. No sugarcoating allowed.”

“Yes, Lieutenant.”

Rolling his eyes, he gives you another kiss and engulfs you in a tight hug, lifting you off the ground that causes you to giggle.

“Okay, pack it up, love birds!” Seowon shouts.

The two of you turn to your brother who’s leaning on his car, the vehicle that was used to transport the three of you today. You’re still in the middle of moving your belongings at Jungkook’s place and Seowon was kind enough to volunteer helping, always dubious that you could do stuff on your own. Despite your reluctance, you let him assist you, mostly because you’re trying to make a conscious effort in not upsetting him again.

Let’s just say that when the judge hailed you husband and wife at the civil wedding, Seowon wasn’t thrilled to see that the kiss shared between you and Jungkook wasn’t as fake as the supposed sham marriage, leading him to the conclusion that in the middle of Jungkook’s ruse of convincing you to be his wife, something must have happened that led to your approval and that rather 18+ rated kiss. Mostly though, he’s just offended that neither of you thought of telling him that you were an official couple before the wedding.

Jungkook unwillingly places you down.

“I think I need to go,” you say.

He nods with a sigh. “I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too.”

“Call you tomorrow?”

“Yes.” You affectionately caress his cheek, bringing his face down for the very very very last kiss. 

He leans into it. “Fuck, I don’t want to leave.”

“Seriously—hurry up!” Seowon shouts and you pull back.

“I will kill him,” you tell Jungkook.

“He’s your brother,” he says. “And now, my brother-in-law, so I can’t let you do that.”

“That might be your very first red flag, Jungkook, insinuating that you’re choosing my brother over me.” You cross your arms. “Tell me, if the both of us were drowning, would you save me or Seowon?”

“You,” he answers without missing a beat.

You narrow your eyes. “Is that the truth?”

“Of course. Seowon would probably undrown himself anyway and you’re shit at swimming. It’s an easy choice.”

You punch him hard on the shoulder and he feigns hurt, snickering. “For the record, I don’t think anyone can ‘undrown’ themselves—but fine, you pass the test.”

Jungkook faces Seowon’s direction and does a final salute, your brother returning it swiftly, and just like that, you and him share your last farewells. You watch as he goes through the entrance of the base and sends you a wave of goodbye; you weakly copy the gesture and stand there for a few seconds, just watching him fade from your view the further he trudges inside. You don’t think saying goodbye to him ever felt this heavy, and you blame it on the fact that after all this is the first time you’re saying goodbye to him with the assurance that he loves you too—and that alone weighs millions.

You spin on your heel and go to Seowon who’s already in the driver’s seat. As soon as you get in and wear your seat belt, he’s giving you a dirty look.

“What?” you ask.

“Please never do that in front of me again.”

His statement makes you smirk. “Why? Didn’t you want this?”

“Want what?”

“Me and Jungkook to be together.”

“When on earth did I say that?”

“You previously admitted that you were lowkey playing cupid by suggesting that Jungkook marry me for health insurance.”

A short pause. “Yeah, but that doesn’t mean I have to watch you two reenact a porno every fucking time.”

“We’re not—”

“You are. Don’t deny it.” He grumbles. “God, every time I see you two, it’s like I’m Ross from that one Friends episode where he accidentally sees Monica and Chandler doing it from the window of his apartment.”

“Yeah, I remember that.” You laugh. “In my defense, you haven’t seen me and Jungkook actually do the deed so—”

“Wait, so the two of you have?”

Your expression drops. His tone is approaching older brother protectiveness territory and you’re quick to attempt diffusing the situation. “I will not dive into that. All I’m going to say is that I’m a grown adult and so is Jungkook.”

He grimaces before starting the engine. “Yeah, never dive into that. I don’t need to hear the details.”

You share a laugh and then silence fills the car.

You press your lips together, looking at him while he backs out from the parking spot. “Hey, thanks, by the way. For driving today, and for offering to help me later, and maybe for also never minding your own business.”

You recall how Seowon was the one who couldn’t stop worrying about you and finding a solution when you told your family that you had type 1 diabetes. Your parents were concerned, they pestered you for months to force you to accept financial assistance from them, but they gave up soon after. Seowon though? He never did. He persisted through every outburst you had; he tolerated your bitchiness and your dirty looks all the time. Out of everyone in your life, you always felt like regardless of how stubborn and prideful you could be, Seowon was worse—in the best way possible.

A crooked smile illuminates his face. “You’re my kid sister. It’s my job to never let you experience peace in your whole life.”

You scoff. “Well, you’re damn great at what you do.”

When you reach Jungkook’s apartment, unloading the boxes and arranging your stuff to its designated places, your heart swells in happiness as the reality sinks in that your life is heading in the right direction after months of feeling hopeless. It drives you to be more thankful to the little things, to the people who were always by your side, to your previous circumstance that although wasn’t ideal was still manageable. A lot don’t get to have that kind of privilege and you promise yourself that you’ll make an effort to find more things to be grateful about from this day forward.

“Oh, I forgot to mention,” Seowon approaches in the middle of you arranging your books on Jungkook’s near to empty shelf, “Winnie wanted to give you this. She would have handed it over herself but she’s going to be busy for the next few days.”

You take the frame from his hand and see that it’s the picture Winnie took of you and Jungkook after the ceremony. It’s in the restaurant that you ate at to celebrate the civil wedding. Jungkook was grinning at you with an arm around on the backrest of your chair, you were leaning towards him, smiling at the camera—and the absolute selling point of why this was the best picture ever taken was because of how cake icing was scattered on your faces, places on spots in an artistic manner like it was planted there on purpose for the picture and not because the both of you were being silly that instance.

You think it showcases your relationship with Jungkook marvelously. It’s playful, it’s sweet, and most of all, it demonstrates how you two are clearly great friends.

“This is so beautiful, Seowon,” you say.

You immediately send Winnie a heartfelt thank you message for the gift and continue to take a photo of the frame, sending it to Jungkook as well.

Once you hit send, you type out a message to accompany it.

You: look how cute we look 🥹

You’re certain it’ll take hours before he replies so you keep your phone again, going back to staring at the picture which is now placed on one of the shelves. It’s the sole picture frame you have with Jungkook. In fact, it’s the only picture that Jungkook has in his apartment, and you like to think that this might be the mark of the new beginning you’ll have with him. Even though your relationship wouldn’t be traditionally explored given his occupation and how he’s most likely going to be away a lot, you don’t mind.

If there’s one thing you really believe in, it’s that waiting for Jungkook—whether consciously or unconsciously—always brings out the best outcomes.

gentle reminder: this author loves feedback! let her know your thoughts if you enjoyed reading this fic and you’ll add 100+ points in her writing motivation meter ♡