#the Drabble I mentioned on my main . anyway gaming time bye

[composing-birdsong]

“You aren’t a monster, you know.”

Zeus blinked over at them, seemingly shocked by the break of their silence. Calico simply blinked back, slowly and deliberately. “Miles keeps saying it, but I don’t think it’s true.”

The face on Zeus’ screen turned into one of anger. “Well, it’s the one thing the bastard is right about. Look at me, Whiskers, I’m not exactly a sight for sore eyes. And I’m not a good person, either.”

“But you’re not a monster.”

They could hear Zeus’ tail swishing angrily behind him and the sound of static cracking in the air. “Yes, I am! I am filth and I’ve always known that! You don’t- don’t fucking lie to me.” He yelled, and Calico had to do their best to not flinch or wince. They sat there, next to the angered man, waiting.

“If you were a monster, you wouldn’t have agreed to come along with us. If you were a monster, you wouldn’t be so willing to admit you were in the wrong.” They hummed, internally bracing themselves for the anger that was to come. “You don’t want to be a monster, even if you think you are, do you?”

Silence. Calico looked at the demon, who had practically frozen. Like an animal that would freeze before its fight or flight instance kicked in. “You aren’t perfect. You aren’t really a good person. But if you keep putting yourself down, you’re not going to have the energy to become a better one.” 

Zeus stayed silent. They stood, leaving him frozen as they walked off. Zeus would figure it out, eventually, but he had to do it himself. He was smart enough.

For now, Calico had done their bit. They weren’t quite sure how they got into this situation, giving advice to this group of travellers, but they were in this for the long haul and they would help where they could.

So, instead of joining the rest by the fire, they walked into a nearby tree and decided that today they would rest.

[soranihimawari]

Confessions & Kiss

Welcome back to a short draft/drabble featuring the Karasuno 1st year squad and Delta-y/n (again). This is a continuation of “Constellations & Whistles” where the main pairing is Yamaguchi x Delta-y/n (Hitoka’s childhood friend from elementary - middle school). Time frame is roughly six weeks since Delta was introduced to the team by Hitoka. Enjoy!

Taglist: @m0nstergeneration20xx​ 

<Constellations & Whistles< previous

====

Ever since you came to visit the Karasuno VBC with Hitoka, life for you became pretty rad. For example, you didn’t have to worry about eating lunch alone anymore since you were joined by either Kageyama & Hinata or Tsukki & Yamaguchi on the days Hitoka couldn’t meet up with you; walking in the hallways when you had to deliver the English class notes to the Faculty Room, you were usually stopped by some of the second year senpais like Kazuhito & Ennoshita who would escort you and tell you funny stories about Noya & Tanaka bombing the last exam; and finally on the days leading up to an official match, Shizumi-san asked if you could come watch the match. 

“I-I’m not sure if I should go,” you said. You sighed as you closed your locker after changing out of your uniform shoes. It wasn’t that you were nervous about going, however you saw first hand how much the whole team had improved with the late night practices.

“What?” Hitoka asked. She gripped your shoulders in slight shock. “Delta, I know this would take you out of your comfort zone watching the guys go up against Seijoh, but I think the guys would really appreciate it if you’d come...”

You remove her hands from your shoulder and give them a gentle squeeze for reassurance. You give your best friend a half smile. It’s been about a month since now since that first afternoon and perhaps you thought the volleyball club members were extremely kind and attentive to making sure the bullying you endured was reduced (mostly thanks to Tanaka and Sugawara being the founders of “protect our precious lady manager/s squad”.)

“I know you’re the one inviting me, Yacchan,” you said, releasing Hitoka’s hands. About a minute goes by for Hitoka to acknowledge her friend might have begun liking one of the members of the team.

“But you’d rather have the person you like ask you to come?” Hitoka asks sheepishly. The blush forming on the apples of your cheeks warm your face. “Holy moly, I was right,wasn’t I?”

You nod. 

“Don’t make such a fuss over this development please. Yamaguchi might not even like me back...” 

“Oh, I highly doubt that.”

“Yacchan, I’ll be fine. Besides, did I tell you I’m headed to see the concert tonight at the observatory with Marina-san?”

“Oh? I didn’t know your relative was in town, but have fun! I’m running a little behind to practice anyway.”

“See ya.”

You shake your head to clear your negative thoughts as you turn around mentioning you were heading to the local city science museum since your cousin was taking you to see the Holst Concert ‘Planet’ Series (once or twice a month the local observatory would either stream or have live concerts at the observatory). Your moss green combat boots made you a little bit taller than Hitoka who was gearing up for another last minute practice before the team would be off until game day doing individual practices.

Hitoka pouted, but there was a hopeful expression emerging. Unbeknownst to you, Tsukkishima let it slip during one of the first year study groups his best friend had a crush on Delta. 

Kageyama and Hinata were the ones who flipped out the most, cornering Yamaguchi after morning practice with questions ranging from how he was going to confess, when did those emotions come in, and most of them were positive. Hitoka, on the other hand, had come back to the group catching wind of the endless teasing ways her fellow classmates were giving Yamaguchi. Tsukkishima continued doing his work trying to steer his company back into studying, but Hitoka decided to offer some free advice to the boys when it comes to handling a crush (especially since she would essentially personally involved in making sure Yamaguchi’s feelings go answered):

“Sometimes the simplest ways to get the person you like to notice you is if you’ express interest in learning about what makes them happy,“ Hitoka states, going back to working on preparing the lab report for her preliminary biology class. Judging by the silence she was being given as a response (even Tsukki paused his writing for a moment. Truthfully, he did want to help Yamaguchi, yet he had no clue how).

“Yamaguchi, you know how much Delta loves studying the constellations, right?Have you ever asked her about which ones are her favorite or see how worked up she gets when she found a new part of the city to go stargazing?” Hitoka states in matter-of-fact tone. “I gave you her number a couple days ago, message her and see what she says.”

====

[22:08]

『yamaguchi: hey delta. 』

『delta-y/n: hi yamaguchi! what’s up?』

『yamaguchi: mind telling me about the draco constellation?』

『delta-y/n: sure! did you know that draco means dragon in latin? are you busy after practice tonight?』

====

The days leading up the Karasuno rematch against Seijoh caused all members of the team to practice more intensely than before. There was a sort of electric switch between the students on the team. Even the most rambunctious members were eerily quiet when pondering upon different strategies (Hitoka mentioned it to you Kageyama observed one of the Grand King’s practices where the local university club players played a set against the present team.)

During break, you accompanied Hitoka at the request of Shizumi to the gym. The boys were all seen doing spiking drills with both Sugawara & Kageyama on either side of the net while Noya and the was working on his defense. You quietly observed the ambient sounds of the sneakers squeaking against the polished gym floors followed by the echoes of “toss to me!” from the players’ lips.

“Yacchan,” you whisper to your friend.

“Hmm?” Hitoka replies. Her hands are looking at the notes Shizumi handed her when you both arrived.

“I thought they were on individual practice again?”

“They are, but they do need to practice as a team.”

“Can’t argue that logic, Yacchan. I’m going to head back early. I haveTakeda-sensei’s class next & we’re covering Nakajima works.”

You tap the blonde girl’s shoulder paired with a nod and you left, the commanding sound of Sawamura’s voice echoes.

After classes had concluded, you were once again at your locker switching out your school shoes for your boots again. The skies above were cloudy and overcast with the weatherman stating there would be no reason to bring an umbrella until tomorrow. Hitoka mentioned to you that she was on cleaning duty for her class via text, stating if you wouldn’t mind, she was going to send one of the boys from the club to walk with you in her stead. You were honestly surprised a bit because as far as you knew, not very many of them (with the exception of your fellow first year compatriots) knew which neighborhood your parents house was. 

You were lost in your own thoughts over thinking about how you did on your science exam as well. You didn’t really prepare for it, considering it was going to be about planetary systems, it should be a breeze. Well, except for the physics involved, but who is counting? your inner voice sasses you. You finish tying your laces and closing the door to your locker to let out a surprised gasp when you saw Yamaguchi walking in your direction. Tsukkishima apparently wasn’t with him considering his individual practice was with his brother’s neighborhood team that evening, allowing for this conversation to happen between Yamaguchi & you.

“Hey Delta-chan,” he greeted. Yamaguchi waved and you did the same.

“Oh hi, Yamaguchi-kun. You’re the one who’s gonna accompany me home?” you ask. I am going to get Hitoka back for sending my crush to walk home with me. Maybe she could buy me chocolate milk for a week, you think.

“Is that ok? I was going that way anyway to speak to Coach Ukai’s friend.”

“Sure.” You comb your hair behind an ear and as you turn around, you and Yamaguchi begin the walk home. “So you wanted to learn more about the draco constellation right?”

When you reach the convenience store, Yamaguchi introduces you to his jump-floater teacher: Shimada Makoto. You wave as a silent greeting before humming along with the song on the radio. Your attention was immediately drawn to the connect the dots magazine having an issue for the fall constellations a few aisles away leaving the student and his master to speak in confidence.

“How are your serves coming along?” Shimada asked.

“I’m improving, but I haven’t quite perfected it, but that’s ok,” Yamaguchi answered. His eyes wander to where you were thumbing through another magazine having a featurette on otherworldly planets from neighboring star systems. 

“There is always room for improvement, Tadashi-san,” Shimada explains. Then, he notices how his honorary student glances at his school mate who was thumbing through another National Geographic-Japan issue. “But maybe you might feel more determined after you talk to your friend.”

Roughly twenty minutes later, you and Yamaguchi bid Shamada good bye as you both continue walking to your neighborhood. The sun had already begun to set in the twilight hour. Yamaguchi told you stories of his childhood growing up with Tsukki, being bullied for his timid demeanor; in return you told him about the shared sidewalk chalk with Hitoka and the awkward years in middle school where you found your affinity for studying the heavens. At the park that separates your house from theYamaguchi residence, you fish out your pocket telescope from your bag. 

“Care to stargaze for a while with me?” you ask him extending the telescope out to him.

“Only if you come to the game we have coming up, Delta” Yamaguchi says. 

His cheeks seemed a little more pink because of the way he phrased his statement. In his mind, when Hitoka had told him you might need a little more convincing to come to the match, he wasn’t exactly planning on asking you the week before it was scheduled. To be fair, it was the first time Yamaguchi also took an initiative in asking his crush to cheer him and his team on. His eyes look away from yours for a moment before you answer him. You lower your hand holding the telescope, baffled by his compromise. Your eyes study Yamaguchi’s face, taking into account how the freckles on his face are mini-star clusters you were eager to memorize. He really is good looking up close, you muse thoughtfully as you take a step forward toward him.

With your free hand, you caress Yamaguchi’s cheek so he can turn his face to see yours. He leans into your palm with a surprised sigh escaping his mouth; his blush deepens on the apples of cheeks. The freckles on his skin remind you of the red hues in the photos published on the NASA website earlier that week from the Guggenheim Conservatory. 

“OK. I’ll go,” your voice is gentle like the breeze that stirs the leaves in the park. The time space continuum slows for a bit when Yamaguchi puts his hand over yours to remove it from his face. You don’t tell him how handsome you think he is while being bashful around you nor does he tell you clearly how much he was considering sharing his first kiss with you when you tell him you’d go. He leans his forehead against yours, committing the minute features of your face to memory like the scar on your eyebrow when you fell off your bike in second grade and the beauty mark on the top left corner of your cupid’s bow. With a light touch, he slowly lifts your chin up with the tip of his index finger until your face is uplifted toward his. Your breath hitches in your throat in anticipation when you feel your heartbeat pick up quickens its pace.

Yamaguchi dips his head down as if to kiss you fully, but instead you feel his lips brush against yours in a subtle manner. 

“If you’re actually planning on kissing me, I suggest you do it now,” you whispered as you press your lips against his own lightly. This mutual feeling between you and Yamaguchi was as bright as a solar flare; the mutual pining ceased as soon as you felt him return your kiss. Timid Yamaguchi was grinning against your pout like he won a lottery for every time your lips met his. When you two pulled apart after the last one, he pulled you into a loose embrace.

“I really like you,” he confesses, still holding your hand. Yamaguchi’s voice for once, is not shaking because of nerves. It sounded as though there was an air of confidence emit from his vocal chords.

“Me too,” you confess too. 

Your lips curl upwards into a smile as you close the distance between Yamaguchi and yourself. When you press your lips against his, you feel how well his lips mold on to yours; he catches a whiff of the light mint flavor of your lip balm. The kiss is innocently short when you two break apart. Yamaguchi is quick to notice how smitten he was with you especially seeing your cheeks slightly redden when he kisses your forehead. You glance down at your shoes kicking a small pile of construction dirt away. 

“W-we don’t have to go stargazing today Tadashi,” you offer. “I think I’d like it if you take me to the cafe a few blocks away from my house.” 

“OK.”

===

[19:43]

『yamaguchi: tsukki. i kissed delta this afternoon. 』

『tsukki: : huh?! YOU DID WHAT?』

====

[20:19]

『delta-y/n: i changed my mind. i’m going to the match on saturday, hitoka. 』

『hitoka-chan: oh~? that’s great. how was the walk home with yamaguchi?』

『delta-y/n: fine actually...he confessed if that’s what you mean. 』

『hitoka-chan: wha~?! yamaguchi did what?!』

『delta-y/n: hitoka, he kissed me & then we went to the cafe this afternoon...』

『hitoka-chan: i’m gonna call you right now delta and you’re gonna tell me e v e r y t h i n g.. 』

[jungshookz]

Hey hi um I was wondering how about one where Jiminie had been silently pining over you forever and vice versa but y'all are clueless morons and it's driving the boys mad so they hatch a plan to get you both to kiss under the mistletoe?? Perhaps with a dash of clingybaby!chimchim??? Also je t'aime 💜💜

🎄 pairing: park jimin x reader

🎄 genre: warning this is SICKENINGLY fluffy pls contact ur doctor before proceeding, u and jimin are a pair of shy babies

🎄 wordcount: 3.7k these are getting very long i apologize

note: je t’aime beaucoup!!! this seems to be a very popular request because like eight of u asked for this very specific drabble but u know what i LOVE the enthusiasm also i’m sorry this is a lil late!! 

let’s get to the main focus of this

you’ve had the faTTest crush on jimin for like a year now

you two have only known each other for like two-ish years?? you were introduced to him through kook

anyways

it’s just

it’s so eaSy to fall in love with park jimin

his adorable smile

his twinkly laugh

those oh so pillowy lips of his

face of an angel and body of a greek god

the best of both worlds!!

also

he’s very intelligent

very well-spoken

he’s sweet and caring and funny and uGH he’s just the perFect package

and u bet he has the perfect package too ;-)

bonUS point he’s an amazing dancer and you bust a nut every time you see him do a body roll

ahem

you’re at jin’s annual holiday party and so far things are going great

you’re hanging in the kitchen with kook and the others because there really isn’t anywhere else to go and also the kitchen is where the fOOD is

you’re in the middle of shovelling chips and dip into your mouth and scrolling through your instagram feed while the boys are just chit chatting with each other

yoongi glances over at you and sees that you’re completely entranced by your phone which is certainly noT party behaviour and you promised him you’d try to be a little more social this time around

so he takes action

“y/n” yoongi clears his throat and leans against the counter

“mhm” you look up at him across the table before looking back down at your phone

“oh look it’s jimin” yoongi points to over your shoulder and you immediately scramble to the other side of the counter where he is and duCK down “jeSus y/n i was kidding” he laughs lightly and yanks you back up

at least you’re not on your phone anymore

“don’t do that!!” you hiss and smooth down your sweater before looking to where he pointed and triple checking that jimin’s not actually there

“what’s the matter with you?? you always get so jumpy whenever i mention jimin” he teases and pokes your arm “is it because you have a faTASS crush on him?”

“i don’t- i don’T Have a crush on him!!” you scowl and decide to distract yourself by making a drink

the thing is

whenever you have a crush on someone you like to keep it to yourself

you don’t even tell kook about your crushes because you know you’d have to face endless teasing and you’re just not about that lifestyle

but when someone accuses you of crushing on someone you immediately get all defensive and you’re like pshHHShshs mE? no. no crush. love is dead. i am  ro bot. good bye.

but like

c’mon

it’s pretty damn obvious u have a thing for jimin

the longing gaze filled with love that you only give to him is a dead giveaway

“you gonna talk to him tonight?” yoongi nudges your side and your cheeks flare up immediately

just the thought of having to talk to jimin is making you piss yourself

he’s obviously part of the friend group and he’s known the boys longer than u have and he’s one of the bros but he just..,,. he makes u sO nerVous

you can’t look him in the eye for more than three seconds without blushing and looking away

“what are we talking about?” tae pops up next to yoongi clutching a bottle of beer

“we’re talking about how much y/n loves jimin” yoongi smirks and you whack his arm before scowling

“oOH i loVe talking about th- you guYS WE’RE TALKING ABOUT Y/N AND JIMIN-“

“no doN’T-“

but it’s too late

soon enough you’re surrounded by six idiots who are all making kissy noises and teasing you about your crush on jimin that you keep deNYING

“how about that thing she does where she feeds him a bite of her food like all the time but she nEver gives it to us unless we ask”

“one time she purposely threw out her umbrella so that they had to shAre an umbrella when it was raining”

“my umbrella was broken!!!!!”

“mmmmmm sure it was”

“she always aLways helps him with his homework and all his projects and of course he passes with flying colours”

“i’ve caught her staring at his lips like more than ten times now”

“to be fair his lips are thiCC and juiCY”

“ew tae don’t be weird”

“oH MY go- u know what i’m done with you people i’m going uPstairs” you grumble and shove past the boys and head towards the staircase

all of the boys exchange glances

“how have they not gotten together yet??” kook groans in frustration and pinches the bridge of his nose

all of the boys have been actively trying to get u two together but nothing seems to be working

because you aren’t making a move

jimin isn’t making a move

you two are aduLTs and you’re acting like three year olds

u know what that’s not accurate because a couple of three year olds are probably more ballsy than u and jimin

“hey guys!! sorry i’m late!!” everyone looks up to see jimin

he shivers and shakes some snow off the top of his head

“we were just talking about you” jin hums and pops a cracker into his mouth

“oh yeah? what about?” jimin shrugs his jacket off and puts it on a chair

“we were talking about how wimpy you and y/- mMP” namjoon slaps a hand over hoseok’s mouth

“do you want a drink or anything?? a beer or some punch?” tae clears his throat and gestures over to the ice bucket

“eh it’s alright i’ll get something later”

yoongi purses his lips

hm

he’s going to conduct a little experiment

“oh look it’s y/n” yoongi points to over jimin’s shoulder and jimin juMps and immediately falls to the ground

his hair is a mess you can’t sEE HIM LIKE THIS

yoongi blinks down at a crouching jimin

god

you two really are meant for each other

match made in heaven

“god help me” yoongi grumbles to himself and yanks jimin up to his feet “what’s the matter?? slip on a wet patch??”

“hyung- why do you do that????” jimin reaches up to fix his hair and he scowls at yoongi

yoongi wants to shove jimin’s face into the punch bowl and tell him to just aSK Y/N OUT U WIMP

it’s so infuriating

literally everyone knows about how you and jimin like each other

everyone knows

except for you and jimin

okay listen

jimin’s liked you for like?? maybe a year maybe a little bit more than that

you’re just so….,,. you’re sucH a y/n

you’re so kind to everyone you talk to and you have a great sense of humour and your smile is so cute and that little snort that escapes you when you’re laughing really loudly at something is SO endearing

and you’re so pretty and he thinks you’re so cute when you have your reading glasses on because u look a lil dorky and he loves that

aND not to be that guy but you have a great ass

he likes you so much

he wants to hold your hand and kiss your cheeks and kiss yOu and hug u and snuggle w u and he definITELY wants to- [statement redacted]

“you like her, don’t you?” yoongi nudges jimin and he shrugs casually before heading over to the punch bowl

“so what if i do?” jimin grumbles

jimin’s more open with his feelings than you are so all the boys know how he feels about you

but he’s still pretty shy about it and he gets all weird when someone brings it up

he hates talking about this because he’s pretty sure you don’t feel the same way about him and he doesn’t need the reminder thank u very much

you guys are good friends and he knows for a fact u only see him as a friend

he’s also pretty sure you have a thing for yoongi

you’re always hanging around him n stuff and maybe ur just into older guys

jimin could totally pull off the whole bad boy thing like yoongi

he looks down at his flowy white dress shirt and sensible blue jeans and looks over at yoongi and his loose black tee tucked into a pair of very ripped skinny jeans

.,., ok maybe he can’t

he lets out a breath and looks into his cup

well

now he’s kind of depressed

gr8

speaking of u

where even are you

“just, um, just out of curiosity, where’s y/n?”

“who wants to know?” hoseok wiggles his brows

“oh! i love this game! jimin! jimin wants to know where y/n-“ kook flaiLs his arm a little too aggressively in jimin’s direction and ends up whacking his hand making jimin toSs punch all over his WHITE SHIRT “…oops”

“jungkook! this shirt was new!!!!!!” jimin groans and grabs some napkins to try and dab the punch off

“u should go find y/n and ask her to help u clean it she’s real good with stains” jungkook offers sheepishly

jimin gives the younger boy a pointed look and jungkook shrugs

what it’s true

you’re great at doing laundry!!!

“i’m gonna go clean this mess up” jimin mutters and leaves the kitchen to go find the washroom

“good diversion kook” hoseok pats jungkook’s back and jungkook’s like ?? binch that was an accident i didn’t do it on purpose “i have a plan”

“what kind of plan?”

“a plan of romance”

“is this going to be like that time u put jimin and y/n in the closet for seven minutes in heaven hoping they’d make out but when we opened the door they were just looking at puppies on instagram together”

“well i guarantee this plan is completely fool-proof!!!!!” okay - this is what i’m thinking.” hoseok slams his hands down on the kitchen counter and everyone leans in

commence operation set y/n and jimin up

bit of a lengthy title but hobi will come up with something better laTER

you’re in the middle of a very interesting buzzfeed quiz (pick these items from urban outfitters and we’ll tell u what kind of bread u r) you notice a shadow blocking the hallway light and you look up slowly to see hoseok and jungkook’s smiling faces

hoseok’s holding a blindfold

okay

this is slightly disturbing

“i have pepper spray in my purse” you warn and kook rolls his eyes

“why are you hiding in the hallway?”

“i’m not hiding in the hallway i just needed some peace and quiet and moSt of the rooms are occupied” you mutter and return your attention back to the quiz

“well, stand up! we’re playing a christmas game and you’re not allowed to leave this house until you play one game”

“what kind of game is this?” you ask suspiciously and narrow your eyes before putting your phone down

jungkook and hoseok exchange glances and hobi shrugs

jungkook smiles widely and looks down at you

“it’s a christmas game! we, uh, we blindfold you and you have to guess where you are and, uh.. if you guess correctly you get to… um..,,.”

“you get a prize!” hoseok cuts in and nudges kook out of the way

you furrow your brows and cross your arms

okay

this kinda shady

“what kind of prize?”

“that’s for us to know and you to find out. now, c’mon! up on your feet. let me blindfold ya” he grins and wiggles his brows

you let out a sigh

you know for a fact they’re not going to leave you alone if you say no so you don’t really have a choice right now

“what happens if i don’t guess correctly?” you wonder out loud as hoseok puts the blindfold on you

you feel hands grasp you and kook starts walking you out to the living room

“watch your step- well, if you don’t guess correctly.,., you.,.,., uh.,, we kiLL YOU”

..,.,.kook’s never been good at improvising

“i’ll kill you before you get a chance to kill me” you mutter and blindly elbow kook in the stomach

he groans in pain before playfully pinching the back of your arm

namjoon and tae have taken a different approach with jimin

“ow- oW OKAY I’M COMING” jimin stumbles over his feet because namjoon literally poPPED OUT of a bedroom with a blindfold and tae grabbed jimin’s arm from behind so he couldn’t sprint away

“why do you have to blindfold me now???”

“that’s the point of the game weren’t you listening??”

jimin stubs his toe into the wall and curses loudly and both namjoon and tae hiss in pain on behalf of him

“i don’t like this gaME” jimin scowls and bends down to cradle his toe but tae yanks him back up

he feels like he’s about to be executed that’s what this game feels like

and it seems like the game has started because namjoon and tae set him down in one spot and let go of him

“i-“

“alright! blindfolds off in three, two, one-!”

it takes a second for your eyes to adjust in the light and you blink rapidly before-

“j-jimin?” you choke and he looks just as surprised to see you

“y/n! h-hey.,., hi..” he chuckles and scratches the back of his neck

the two of you turn and look at the croWd of people that are all staring at you

wha,,.,.., what kind of game is this..,,.,.

you feel your cheeks starting to burn up because jimin is literally like onE step away from you

you have no idea what the heck is going on this is a very confusing game

“wait hold on we didn’t get a chance to guess where we were because u ripped the blindfold off before-“

“oh no we just made that up to get the two of you here” jin deadpans and both you and jimin are like ?????

“look. let’s get to the chase. everyone in this room - everyone -“ jungkook emphasises and you look around the room at the faces of some of your classmates and acquaintances “is fully aware that you like jimin-“

jimin whips his head back around to look at you like :00000 but your eyes are glued on kook because it’s taking a second for the mortification of this situation to kick in

you’re going to slaughter jungkook

“-and jimin likes you.”

wait what

wait

what

WAIT WHAT

your heart starts racing in your chest and you feel the butterflies in your stomach

jimin likes you??? he likes you back???

JIMIN LIKES U BACK

“if you pay attention to your surroundings, you’ll notice something very special…” namjoon points out and his eyes flicker upwards before he looks back at you with a knowing smile

“what are you guys talking abou-“ you look up and your heart drops to your stomach when you see it

mistletoe

miSTLEtOE

you are standing under MISTLETOE with park jimin

your heart is racing in your chest and you want nothing more than for the ground to just open up and swallow you whole because this entire situation is just overwhELming like u juSt found out the guy you’ve been crushing on forever likes you back and now you have to kiss him in front of all of your friends and classmates

“c’mon, you two - you know the rules!!! kiss, kiss, kiss-“ taheyung starts chanting and soon enough everyone else joins in and the whole room is just chanting KISS KISS KISS KISS

“we don’t have to- if you’re uncomfortable?” jimin reaches out quickly and his hand brushes over your arm

“i’m- i’m not uncomfortable b-but like if yoU’re uncomfortable than we totally don’t-“

“well i don’t mind! i don’t mind! and like…, i’d hate to break the rules and stuff.,.,” he jokes and the two of you look up at the mistletoe again that just seems to be mocking you guys

“c’mon! just do it you wussies!!!!!!” yoongi groans loudly and you scowl playfully when he tosses some popcorn in your guys’ direction

“like, i, uh… i’d very much like to kiss you if you’d like to kiss me…?” jimin clears his throat

his heart is about to explode and his face is on fire

his ears are burning he can feeL it “BuT idk i don’t wanna pressure you into- mmph!”

jimin’s eyes flutter shut the moment he feels you plant your lips against his and everyone else erupts into victorious cheers and hoots

F I NALLY

FINALLLLLLLLLLLLYYYYYYY

and as cheesy as it is

it feels like time slows down

oh god

you’re in heaven

his lips are so soft and he tastes like sugar cookies

he instinctively reaches out and pulls you closer and his arms snake around your waist

you pull away far too soon for his liking and jimin finds himself chasing after your lips and you can’t help but giggle

he leans down and presses his forehead against yours and he can’t fight the wide smile on his face

your hands are still cupping his cheeks and you lean in to give him another tiny smooch and his heart flutters in his chest

his tongue pokes out and he runs it over his bottom lip before taking his bottom lip in between his teeth

“okAy okay we said kiss under the mistletoe not have mouth sex under it” jungkook clamours over the couch and grabs you and yaNks you away from jimin because even tho he loves u both it’s weird to stand here and watch u make out w each other

you spend the rest of the christmas party snuggled up to jimin on the couch while you and the others listen to another one of kook’s wild stories

truth be told you and jimin aren’t really paying attention to him because you’re so infatuated with each other and jimin keeps peppering kisses on your forehead and your cheeks and your nose and especiALLy your mouth

at one point it gets a little spicy because you guys are sure no one’s paying attention to you

jimin’s cupping your jaw and you have your hand resting on his chest and the two of u are 110% undoubtedly making out on the couch right now

you nip on his bottom lip gently and the arm that’s wrapped around your waist tightens a little bit

“naughty” he pulls away with a dopey grin and nudges his nose against yours and you’re about to lean back in to kiss him again

“ahem.”

you turn to look over your shoulder and you want to shrivel up and die when you see everyOne staring at the two of you and you’re about to profusely apologise because what else do u do in this situation  

jimin on the other hand

this cocky motherfucker

“can we help you?” he raises a brow and reaches up to run a hand through his hair

“i’m starting to regret setting the two of u up” kook raises a brow and the two of you blush and shoot everyone sheepish grins

“oh, leave them alone! they’re in loooooove” jin wiggles his brows

you pull away from jimin and sit up properly

“uh, what are we, what game are we playing?” you clear your throat

“we weren’t playing a game. we’re taking turns telling stories and it’s supposed to be your turn but obviously you’re a little occupied you hoRN-dogs”

whoopsies

at one point u head to the kitchen to grab some drinks for u and jimin

jimin wraps his arms around you from behind and props his chin up on your shoulder

“heY i told you to stay put” you turn and give him a quick kiss on the cheek

“i know but i missed u” he hums and buries his face into the crook of your neck “also you’re awful at mixing drinks so i came to save the day”

“wha- i’m great at mixing drinks!” you pout and look at the concoction you’ve made in your cup

it’s like 96% vodka and 4% peach juice

jimin peers into the cup and wrinkles his nose “how much vodka did you put in- are you trying to kill me?”

“i don’t wanna kill u i like u too much” you murmur shyly and jimin uWus and he can’t help but grAB you and squeeze you in a tight hug while peppering kisses all over your face

“why are you so damn cUTE” he groans in between kisses and you giggle when he smooshes a big fat kiSS on your cheek

he lets out a sigh and nudges his nose against yours gently

wow

he finally got the girl

his girl

“i like u too much too”

🎄the twelve drabbles of christmas! 🎄

❄️do you have a special christmas request? ❄️

[jimlingss]

Rent-a-Boyfriend™

Words: 12k Genre: Extreme fluff for all you bitter people out there (me being included) Read the sequel drabble: here Read more at Service Series 

Cr.

Are YOU lonely? Need someone to cuddle at night? Do you want love?

If you said ‘yes’ to any of the questions previously mentioned then we have a service for you!

Don’t be alone for this Valentine’s Day!

Come Rent a Boyfriend!™

(terms and conditions may apply. we are not responsible for any emotional or sentimental damages. please take caution with rent-a-boyfriend).

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” His voice blares over the phone and you move away, wincing.

“What the fuck Hoseok? Do you even know what time it is over here?” You groan, rubbing the sleep from your eyes.

“Honestly? No.” He laughs. “The time zones over here are pretty different. What? It’s like nine am?”

“Yes. Fuck.” You moan, scratching your bedhead. “I wanted to sleep in.”

“But it’s your birthday!” He whines.

“Exactly. I’ve been busting my ass at work these past few days. Just let me sleep.” You sigh. “Even when you’re half across the ocean, you’re still annoying me.”

“I just feel bad that you’re spending your birthday alone.”

“Who said I’m spending it alone?”

“Well...what are your plans then?”

Netflix. Wine. In your pajamas on the couch all day. “None of your business.” You sharply answer and he giggles.

“Are you planning to just order pizza and catch up on some TV?”

“Hey!” You shout defensively. “What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing.” You can practically envision his wide grin. “It’s just I got you a birthday gift. It should be arriving any second now.”

“Wha-” Right on cue, the doorbell rings and you groan. “Give me a second!” You shout, staggering to your feet and pulling a cardigan over your pajamas. “What the hell did you get me Hoseok?” You mutter and he only laughs in response.

The moment you open the door, you’re met with a taller, blonde boy standing in front of you. He’s looking at you expectantly, suppressing a huge smile with lips upturned. Without a doubt, he’s cute; dashing to say the least and outwardly handsome, even a blind person would agree. But you were too tired to ogle him for long and you were already popping your head out the doorway, darting your eyes around. Where was the package?

“Hello.” The delivery man grins and you look back at him, wondering why he was wearing a fancy, black suit.

“Hi…” You grumble out with your sleepy voice. “Do you have something for me?”

“Have something for you…?” He tilts his head, a bit confused. “Oh! Should I have gotten you flowers?”

“What?”

“I’ll keep a mental note to get you flowers next time.” He beams at you. “What kind of flowers do you like?”

“Wait….” Your frown deepens and your temples begin pulsing. Hoseok giggles on the phone. “I’m going to have to call you back.” You mumble, quickly hanging up. The stranger blinks with a charming smile. “Who are you?”

“Oh!” He jumps. “I haven’t introduced myself at all, huh? I deeply apologize! My name is Kim Taehyung!”

“And…?”

“And I’m your boyfriend!”

You freeze, hand still on your doorknob and mouth drawing open. Maybe this is some sort of dream; you’ve been single for so long, so your subconscious drew up some kind of fantasy of a cute stranger appearing at your doorstep, calling himself your boyfriend. That must be it. There’s no other way.

You’re gawking at him dumbfounded, words repeating slowly in your head as the gears begin to crank in your brain.

‘I’m your boyfriend!’

The last time you checked, you didn’t have a boyfriend.

He grins, looking more adorable than ever at your confusion.

“WHAT?!”

//

Are YOU lonely? Need someone to cuddle at night? Are your parents or family members pestering you? Have aunts that won’t leave you alone? Are you going to a wedding without a plus one? Do you have someone you need to show off to? Have someone who won’t leave you alone?

If you said ‘yes’ to any of the questions previously mentioned then we have a service for you!

RENT-A-BOYFRIEND TODAY!

We tailor everyone’s preferences to match perfectly! 100% of the time! 10/10 rated by all customers! Call 1-800-boy-date today! That’s 1800-boy-date! Don’t waste any tim-

You reach for the remote, shutting off the television before the commercial can even finish. The flashes and neon lights of the advertisement still burn to the back of your eyes.

“Do you get it now?” Taehyung’s eyes twinkle as he grins at you.

You’re baffled, not knowing how to cope when everything was unravelling so quickly in your hands. “Uhhhhh……” He waits patiently for your response, sitting on the edge of your couch. “Just...give me a second. I need to make a phone call…”

You grab your phone off the table, beginning to retreat backwards into your bedroom. “Okay.” He quips with the tilt of his head.

You bolt to your room, shutting the door.

“What the hell Hoseok?” You immediately speak the moment the call goes through.

He laughs over the phone. “I guess he came?”

“Yeah, he showed up all right. The fuck is all this? What were you thinking?! Are you insane?!”

“Hey, hey, loosen up, will you? I thought it was a fun idea. You know it’ll help you relax and chill out. You’re always stressed out anyways.”

You sigh, ruffling your bird’s nest hair. “It’s as sketchy as hell.”

“No it’s not.” He whines in a half grumble. “My cousin used it during her sister’s wedding. They’re legit! You don’t have to worry about your house getting robbed or anything like that.”

“I even personally picked out the guy for you!” Hoseok adds on and your frown only deepens, especially when you’re trying to untangle the knots in your hair.

“What? What did you even say?”

“Well...I requested a fun-loving guy that’s energetic and cute. Your type right?”

“Hoseok. That’s my fucking opposite type.” You run a hand over your face in exasperation. “You know I like chill people! Mellow and not exhausting to be around!”

He laughs again and if he wasn’t across the ocean, you probably would’ve tried strangling him. “At least he’s cute right? I mean, they sent me a bunch of pictures and I picked him.” You groan. “Hey, just think of it as getting a massage or paying for a simple service to just wind down at the end of the day...like an escort?”

“...I’m going to kill you when you come back here.”

“That’s in two months Y/N~”

“I fucking hate you and your shit and the shit you put me through.”

“Trust me, this is good. Have I ever, ever made you do something that wasn’t good?”

“You made me fucking hike up that mountain.”

“And it was fun! Right? …...Aside from the part where you broke your ankle...but everything turned out fine!”

You sigh. “I’m leaving. He’s still waiting.”

“Don’t leave your new boyfriend waiting Y/N~ Bye!”

“Bye bitch.” You hang up a minute later, finally getting yourself up from your unmade bed to the door.

Maybe he’s right, you begin to think to yourself. Your life hadn’t been that exciting in the past few months, especially in the romance area and maybe this is what you needed all along. Maybe a pretend boyfriend will be good practice to somehow reel you into the right path again.

You’re nodding to yourself, walking back into your living room. But the moment you turn your head, he’s still waiting and sitting on the edge of your couch with a huge grin, like a puppy.

That’s when you realize….

You can’t do this.

What kind of person has a fake boyfriend to play pretend?! This is a human life, not the sims game! It’s not like you were even lonely in the first place! You don’t need a man to be happy! Fuck Hoseok and what he thinks is good for you or fun. He can go eat your dirty socks.

“Get out.” You hitch your thumb at your main door.

Taehyung’s eyes widen and his lips fall. He leans forward, blinking once. “W-what?”

“Go away. I don’t need your service. Thanks but no thanks.” You cross your arms. “I’m not interested.”

“W-wait..hold on.”

You eject the cd of the commercial, slapping it into his hands while dragging his arm up and to the door. “D-do you still not understand how this works?”

“Oh. I understand all right. Please leave.” You open the door, ready to shove him out, but he still stands at the doorway, foot blocking so that you can’t slam it in his face.

“Wait! Wait! Your friend already prepaid an entire month!?!!” He’s looking more confused as ever, desperate and shocked.

A fucking month? Holy sh-

“You gotta be kidding me.” You raise your hand to your forehead. “NO! Just get out!”

“Did I do something wrong?!”

The both of you are struggling at the door, you trying to push him out but him trying to push inside. “No! You didn’t do anything wrong! It’s just too fucking weird!”

“I literally can’t go! It’s already prepaid! I’m going to get yelled at and get fired!”

“Can’t you just return his deposit?!”

“No we can’t!”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know why! It’s just policy!”

“Then take the money!” You shout bitterly, still struggling.

“I can’t leave in good moral conscience!” He grits his teeth and finally wins when you take a step back, too exhausted and the door crashes against the wall. You glare at him, huffing tiredly, and he’s breathless too. “I’ll treat..you...well…” He manages. “It’s just...for a...month.”

You’re defeated.

‘It’s a fun idea.’

‘It’ll help you relax.’

‘Think of it as a service.’ ‘Think of it as a service.’ ‘Think of it as a service.’

Hoseok’s voice rings over and over and over inside your head. You scream, whipping your arms to get rid of his chirpy laughter. Maybe you really do have a few loose screws inside your head. Maybe you’re really just losing it.

You stare at Taehyung for a long time, breathing heavily with tired eyes.

“Fine.”

“What?”

“I said fine!” You scream, not believing what was falling from your lips.

His eyes twinkle and he grins. “So I can be your boyfriend?”

“What the fuck did I just get myself into?” You mutter under your breath. You nod before you can take anything back. “Yes. Yes you can.”

The stranger, Taehyung takes your hands suddenly, spinning you in a circle while he giggles. “This is going to be great! You won’t regret it!”

You sigh tiredly.

You really better not regret this.

//

He clears his throat. “So to recap…” You lean your chin in your hand, elbow to your kitchen counter. “We’re going to do everything that is romantic but no physically touching aside from hugs or cuddles, no kisses and nothing sexual or else the contract is nullified?”

Taehyung nods a bit too enthusiastically. For a moment you think he might break his own neck. “Yup! We’ll go on dates and I’ll give you texts and calls too!”

“Uh huh…Great.”

“Do you have any preferences?” He bats his lashes eagerly.

You frown. “...preferences?”

“Dating preferences!” He smiles. “Do you like the caring type? The bad boy type? The cold type? Where do you want to go on dates? Do you like being pampered with gifts?”

“No. No.” You wave your hand exhaustingly. “Anything’s fine. Just be yourself.”

He tilts his head, a slight knot between his brows. “...be myself?”

“Yeah. Just be yourself.”

It seems to take a few seconds before the request registers in his head, as if he’s never heard it before in his career. “Okay…” He nods to himself with pouted lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow then!” He smiles perfectly with a nod.

“Tomorrow?”

“Our first date! A dinner date!”

“Okay.” You sigh. “Sounds good.”

“I’ll pick you up at six!” You nod slightly when he’s at the doorway, flashing one big smile. “See you tomorrow Y/N!”

“Bye Taehyung.”

“Bye!”

“Uh huh. Bye.” You finally shut the door, sliding down the surface and wondering what the hell you just got yourself into.

…...

....

..

You just got a boyfriend, that’s what.

//

It’s a Friday night when you’re lying on your couch, thankful that the weekend is finally here. You’ve poured yourself a glass of wine, watching netflix with half-lidded eyes, dozing off slowly. You’re about to give it to the seduction of sleep, catch up on the many hours that you’ve missed for work but then your phone violently vibrates on the table (scaring the shit out of you).

Unknown number: I’ll be there in ten minutes! ~^.^~

“What the f-” You frown, rubbing your eyes. It only takes you a second before you’re suddenly wide awake again. “Oh my god.”

You rush to your bathroom, looking at the mess of makeup that was still on your face from the workday. You’re absolutely frantic, running to your closet to pull out clothes but that’s when it hits you….who cares?

It’s not like this was an actual date. It’s not like you have an actual boyfriend.

He was probably going to take you out to a burger joint anyways.

You sigh tiredly, slowing down and taking more of your time. You throw a sweater on top of your pajama top, swapping sweatpants for comfortable leggings instead, like the true lazy lifestyle you live. Then you wipe off all your makeup, splashing your face with cold water. The rest of the time, you sit back down on the couch to finish the episode that you were watching, downing the rest of the wine in your glass.

As promised, he arrives….in a fucking suit. “Good evening Y/N!” He exclaims with a grin and you nod reluctantly.

“Hey.” You look at the bouquet of red roses in his hands. “Is that for me?”

He looks down for a moment before meeting your eyes again, handing it to you. “Oh! Yes they are! They reminded me of you because they are so beautiful. And speaking of which, you do look lovely today.”

Was this guy serious? You looked like you were ready to walk to the convenience store and straight back home. “....thanks. Want to come in?”

He smiles as he steps inside your abode, watching as you place the flowers on the counter of your kitchen. “I’ve made dinner reservations at seven.”

“Sounds good.” You sigh. “You should’ve texted me when you got here though. You didn’t need to come all the way up.”

“It’s no big deal. I really don’t mind at all. I’d do anything for you.”

You turn on your heel, glaring at him. “Are you always this perfect?”

“What?”

“Nevermind.” You huff out, waving your hand. “We should get going though, right? You said the reservations were at seven?”

“Oh yes!” He practically jumps.

You usher him out of the house, locking up before the both of you head down the elevators. Like the gentleman he acts like, he opens the car door for you and guides you in. As he drives, you lean to look out the window.

“So...where are we going?”

“To a restaurant.” He smiles, sitting upright while still looking out the road.

“Uh huh…”

“How was your day today?” He asks eagerly.

“Tiring.” You add. “People can be hard to deal with.” He hums in agreement. “How was yours?”

“Me? It was good. It’s even better now that I’m with you.”

You frown at him, scoffing. “Are you being serious? You barely know me.”

He scoffs...or at least that’s what you think he did because then he suddenly turns it into a cough a second later after realizing how unchivalrous the action was. “I mean...I don’t need to know you to know what a wonderful person you are. Don’t worry though. I will get to know you well.”

He adds. “You’re my girlfriend after all.”

You’re about to object but in a way….you guess you were his girlfriend. He was technically your boyfriend.

You arrive at the restaurant soon after, Taehyung quickly exiting the car and making his way around to open your door, despite your protests. He even opens the doors of the restaurant for you and the waitress leads you to the table according to the reservations.

You’re baffled and this time - it’s not because of him.

“Taehyung.” You whisper, lowering the menu from your face. “What the hell.”

“What’s wrong?” He frowns with worry.

“You didn’t tell me that it was a fancy restaurant!” You dart your eyes around at the luxurious tables, windows draped with red curtains, the soft chandelier lights and the people dressed like it’s their wedding. The waiters and waitresses are quiet, dressed in white and sauntering around with trays in one hand. It’s the type of restaurant that people would propose at and it’s as if you were thrown into a James Bond movie.

He laughs. “Where did you think we were going to go?”

You’re still gaping at him. “I don’t know. A fast food restaurant? Somewhere to grab fries and a burger?”

His mouth is still drawn into a huge grin, one of amusement. “Why would I do that?”

“The prices here are outrageous!” You point to the steaks on the menu, costing more than two hours of your pay.

“It’s our first date. I’m not just going to bring you anywhere.” He winks and you roll your eyes. “I need to impress you.”

“And I’m so under dressed.” You look down at your leggings and sweater, your pajama shirt peeking out at the bottom. Your hair is barely put together and your face is completely bare. You can’t help but feel inferior and self-conscious to the beautiful women who strut to their seats, gown sweeping the floor.

“You look beautiful, don’t worry.” He smiles gently.

Before you can respond in curses, the waiter returns with a huge smile, looking like a stiff mannequin. “Here is your sparkling cider.” He pours it in both your glasses. “Are you ready to order?”

Taehyung looks at you and you nod. “I’ll take the chicken marsala.” It’s the cheapest thing on the menu yet it still hurts when you look at the price.

He looks over to Taehyung. “I’ll have the roasted rack of lamb.”

“Okay.” He happily takes both your menus. “I’ll get that going for you two. Please do call me if you would like anything more.”

You watch as the waiter leaves before you turn to Taehyung. You stare at him emotionlessly, and he stares back with enthusiasm. “What’s wrong?”

“From now on, don’t be cheesy.” You tell him, unfolding your napkin to sit on your lap. “I hate cheesy lines.”

He nods with thought. “Okay.”

“Just be natural. Be yourself.”

//

The both of you enjoy dinner in somewhat silence, broken by Taehyung’s nosy questions and charming one liners. You both talk about your likes and dislikes in between mouthfuls before you’re both finished. When the cheque comes, he insists that he pays and you two sit around arguing for a bit.

“I’m a working grown lady! I can pay for my own food! I probably make even more money than you!”

“It doesn’t matter! Just let me.”

“I don’t need your courtesy!”

“Don’t worry about it!”

You finally give up, and he pays, somewhat of a distraught expression on his face despite his words.

As Taehyung drives you home, you talk about Hoseok and how annoying he is even when you met him back in high school. He goes on a long rant about how dogs are better than cats and then you talk about your hobbies (netflix and wine obviously). You contemplate for a moment that it was actually a nice change of pace for once.

“You want to come in?” You ask when you’re both standing in front of your door.

“No I’m okay.” He grins. “It’s the first date so…”

You scoff with a smile. “Suit yourself.” He shifts from one foot to the other and you’re both lingering awkwardly. “Well…” You clear your throat. “I enjoyed myself today.”

His eyes widen, twinkling. “Really?!”

“Yeah...I did actually.” You admit in a smaller voice, more to yourself than him.

“That’s good.” His lips widen even more. “I’m glad. So we’ll do this again?”

“Well…” You hum out. “I’ll think about it.”

“We have a month together left…” He reminds you.

“I’ll think about it.” You repeat back and he laughs.

“I’ll text you. Goodnight Y/N.” Without a moment to think, he leans down and pecks your cheek with his soft lips, only for a mere split-second.

You’re shocked, taken back but before you can say anything, he turns and walks down the hallway. You laugh to yourself, finally entering your abode.

Maybe a boyfriend wasn’t so bad after all.

//

Taehyung texts you several times through your work day. He says good morning, if you’ve eaten lunch yet, what you were doing and a good night every single day. He even goes forth and sends selfies of himself in bed with bed hair to a picture of him drinking his morning coffee to even a dog on the street.

When you don’t respond, message after message, he calls.

“What do you want?” You draw out tiredly.

“You didn’t respond to my texts!” He whines. “I was worried! Are you busy?”

You sigh tiredly, exaggeratedly so that he can hear. “Taehyung.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t text me unless you need to.”

There’s a long drawn out silence. “Am I being too clingy for you?”

“Yes.” You immediately feel guilt, beginning to retrace your words. “I don’t mind. It’s nice actually…..” You admit. “but just less, please. A little less.”

“Okay.” You can already imagine him smiling.

“I have to get back to work now…”

“Y/N?”

“Hm?”

“Let’s go on a date tonight!”

“Date?” You frown.

“Are you busy?”

You contemplate if you should answer ‘yes’. You were tired, wanting to catch up on more tv and hit the sack earlier but you couldn’t help but feel a little bit guilty if you lied to him. Whether you wanted to admit it or not, you did enjoy yourself last time. “....no. I’m not busy.”

“Great! I’ll pick you up at eight! Let’s go to the movies! So pick which one you want! Bye Y/N!” He hangs up before you can say otherwise.

You sigh yet again.

“Your boyfriend?” A co-worker beside you chirps up in interest. She was probably eavesdropping but you don’t particularly mind, it’s not like you haven’t done it before yourself and work was going dreadfully slow today.

You manage a stiff smile and a nod. “Something like that…”

//

He picks you up from your apartment again but this time you’re already outside, so he doesn’t have to make the trip all the way to your door. Seeing you out, he profusely apologizes and asks if you were waiting for long but you answer him with a cold glare and your hand holding your phone, showing the time.

7:50 pm.

He was already ten minutes early.

“You don’t need to apologize. I wanted to wait out here.”

He nods, taking back at how you weren’t receiving all of his bullshit today.

You were just tired, from work and him. He was a bit...no he was too much.

“Are you serious?” You look at him when the both of you are in the car, a bouquet of flowers in your lap.

“Don’t you like flowers?”

“I don’t need them every single time! That’s too much!”

There’s a small, mischievous smile that appears on his lips for a split-second before it disappears. He clears his throat, becoming serious again. “Should I get you chocolates instead? Do you like jewelry?”

“No! No. I don’t want gifts. I don’t need anything.”

He bolts his head over at you with a frown, staring at you in horror.

You were completely different from all his other ‘girlfriend’ clients before who wanted him to act a certain way, give them immense affection and shower them with endless gifts. You were odd. Very odd.

Has there ever been someone like you?

“WATCH THE ROAD!” You shout, pointing out the windshield, and he breaks out of his trance, slightly swerving the car when he regains focus again. “Are you trying to kill us?!”

“Sorry.” He mumbles.

“There’s no sorries when I’m dead.” You pout, crossing your arms. “Thanks so much boyfriend.”

He laughs, genuinely this time and a bit obnoxiously too, ringing in your ears. It’s different from his polite one. You like it better. A lot better.

“So what do you want to watch?” You ask him as the both of you stare at the screen flashing movie titles.

He glances at you. “You can pick.”

“It really doesn’t matter to me.” You huff out. “Hurry up and pick one.”

He hums for a really long moment. “Marley and me?”

“Oh...it’s an old film. Guess they’re replaying it?” You turn to him. “Are you sure?”

He frowns. “Why, do you not want to? We can change it if you want! We can watch whatever! Do you want to see something else instead?”

“Calm down.” You put out your hands. “I’m fine with anything.”

“Okay.” He smiles. “I like dogs anyways.”

“Oh...this movie’s going to be so great for you then.” You smirk, already having an idea what was going to happen. You hadn’t ever sat down and watched the film before but you had an idea of how it ended.

Nonetheless, you bought the tickets this time and the both of you sat down smack dab in the middle of the theater.

You thought he was going to pull some greasy moves like throwing an arm over your seat to slowly and smoothly pull you in or hold your hand or at least whisper seductively into your ear but not at all. He’s transfixed the entire time, eyes glued to the screen and hand burying inside the bag of popcorn to stuff his mouth barbarically. He’s transfixed the entire time, like a child incredibly invested in the movie. It’s like he forgot you were even there.

Not that you particularly mind, if anything you liked it better that way. He wasn’t trying to act as your perfect boyfriend but instead, genuinely enjoying himself.

You find yourself glancing over and smiling several times.

//

“What...the hell was that?” Taehyung chokes out, still sobbing. His eyes are completely swollen red, saliva escaping his mouth and snot dripping down from his nose. You can’t help but laugh a bit, only quickly covering it up as a cough when he shoots you a glare.

As you exit the theater, people are shooting you odd looks. “Taehyung….people are going to think that I bullied you.” You lean over to him, whispering as he’s choking back his wails, still weeping.

“Is that all you care about?” He croaks out at you.

You smile widely at him, taking his arm. “I’m just saying that you should calm down. Are you okay?”

“I don’t know.” He answers honestly, sniffling back.

“Will you be okay?”

“Maybe….probably.”

The both of you decide to take a walk at the small park from across the street since the night weather was rather nice and Taehyung was in no condition to drive.

You both walk for a bit before settling down on a bench together. He’s no longer crying, only cheeks and the tip of his nose tinted rouge, largely from the cool air. He glances at you once he notices you're staring and his eyes almost immediately light up.

“Oh!” Taehyung begins peeling off his jacket. “You must be cold.”

You laugh, stopping his hands. “Calm down kid. I’m not cold. I have a thicker jacket than you do.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

He smiles sheepishly, shrugging his jacket back on and zipping it all the way up. The both of you bask in the silence, cars zooming past, trees rustling and the distant music of the movie theater seeping into the air. Taehyung’s presence seems to comfort you and that only puts you more on edge, alarming you even further.

“So…..how many clients do you have?”

He turns to you, looking taken back. “Clients?”

“Girlfriends.” You add. “People like me.”

“Uhhhhhhh……………………” He frowns in disbelief, almost as if you had uttered it in parseltongue.

You smile, tilting your head. “I’m just curious that’s all. You don’t have to look so afraid. If it’s too personal, you don’t need to answer.”

“No.” He shakes his head. “It’s just that...no one’s ever asked.” No one, especially the clients themselves, want to know how many people he’s seeing aside from them. If anything, they’ve all avoided the topic like the black plague. He shifts, inhaling a breath. “Probably thirty clients?”

“Thirty? Wow.” You jut out your bottom lip in thought, nodding.

“Thirty to forty. Some of them are only a one time thing like to a wedding.” He glances at you to catch any signs of jealousy but you’re a brick wall, showing no emotion but amusement. “I’ve been working there for about a year so it’s an average amount.”

There’s a thought that churns inside your head, making you feel turmoil and unease. You know you shouldn’t ask, that you really don’t want to know but you can’t shake off the question. It lingers and attaches to you. Just ask! Just ask him! Ask him and you’ll know!

“Other than me, are you working for any clients right now?” You stare deep into his eyes, trying to sound light.

There was no reason for you to feel jealous. It was illogical. This was his job after all, he was a boyfriend to countless girls before and you were just one of many. But the past never mattered, you wanted to know right now. While he went on dates with you, did he call someone else afterwards? Did he hold hands with another girl after texting and calling you? You wanted to know if you were the only one. Right. Now.

Taehyung smiles, lifting his hand to show his fingers. “Two.” Is all he says. “Two other clients and you.”

“Ah. I see.”

You can’t answer much, instead ripping your gaze off of him to stare at the lightpost.

You don’t have a reason to be jealous.

So what?

You’ve been on only two dates after all.

He wasn’t really your boyfriend.

Two other girls?

Why doesn’t it even matter?

Somehow you can’t help but feel nauseated. Taehyung is too close for comfort and it feels like he’s suffocating you, smothering you. You suddenly feel disgusted with him, with yourself; anxiety and insecurities swirling in the pits of your stomach. You aren’t good enough for someone like him, for anyone for that matter; you couldn't even get yourself a real boyfriend. And at that same time, you can’t help but feel lied to. All the affections and one liners Taehyung ever spared was because it was his job, not because he genuinely meant it.

You’re on the verge of tears, wanting to burst like a pressurized capsule. You want to demand answers to why you aren’t good enough to slapping him - one or the other, maybe both for good measure.

“Are you okay?” He asks after five minutes of silence.

You bolt your head to him, about to open your mouth to call it off completely but then suddenly his eyes shoot past you, widening in horror. “We need to leave.” He tugs on your arm, making you stand next to him.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Taehyung answers quickly, pulling you along and almost jogging. “We just need to leave. Now.”

You glance behind yourself to see what’s wrong and you catch a woman, jogging behind you two. “Taehyung! Taehyung!” She shouts tiredly, looking haggard and desperate.

“I think she’s calling for you?” You huff out. “Who is she?”

“Taehyung! Tae..hyung..” The strange lady falters, falling to the ground in a sob.

You turn around once more, stopping in your tracks. “Wait. Wait!”

But he’s relentless and after one second, sparing a glance filled with pity, he continues pulling you along. The both of you trudge down the street all the way to his car. “Wait Taehyung! Who was that?”

“She’s an old client.” He huffs out. “I have a restraining order on her.”

“Wait what? An old client? A restraining order?” Your voice moves up several pitches, eyes almost bulging out.

He ruffles his hair tiredly. “We only went out on four dates and that was it, but then she kept on following me around once the contract had expired.” He manages a smile. “Sorry. I hope that it didn’t ruin our date.”

“No...no..” You shift your hand away from his.

You can’t help but feel sorry for the girl. She was in a rugged mess, crying and chasing after him, only to collapse on the ground. All he did was shoot her a pitiful look and then leave. You can’t help but think - what if that was you? What if it will be you?

After everything, will he just look at you in disdain? Will he act like you’re strangers, that the time you spent together was nothing when it meant so much to you?

“What’s wrong?” He asks with a frown at your prolonged silence.

“I don’t think I can do this anymore.”

“What?”

“I’m just going to go home….don’t call me again.” You turn to leave but he grabs your arm.

“Y/N. You’re not making any sense. I thought we went over this.” He pleads, half frustrated and the other half just desperate.

You turn to him, burrowing eyes deep into his skin. “I don’t care about the deposit okay?! I don’t care about the one month!”

“Why are you acting like this?!” He asks, matching your loud tone. “I thought we were having a good time! Was it because of that old client? I already apologized for that Y/N!”

“No, that’s not it!”

“What is it then?” He sighs out frustratedly but then quickly covers it with a strained smile, voice lowering to a normal pitch again. “Our first argument isn’t scheduled for two more weeks Y/N. Don’t be like this. I’m sorry, okay?”

“No! No! This is the exact reason why I can’t do this anymore!” You shove his hand off. “I don’t want some fake ass boyfriend or fake ass cheesy lines! I don’t want a whirlwind romance or to be showered in gifts or compliments! I don’t want to go on perfect dates! I don’t want someone who treats me perfectly or someone who is perfect! I want something real!” You’re rambling, face rising with red and your lips tumble before you can process remotely anything that you’re saying.

“I want the real you! I want you Taehyung!”

He’s absolutely stunned, flabbergasted. His hand drops to his side.

You’re huffing breaths, chest heaving as you gasp for air after your angry tangent. “Y/N..”

“Nope.” You turn on your heel, stomping away. “Bye Taehyung.”

“Wait!” He calls after you. “How are you getting home?”

“Taxi! Bus! I don’t care. You shouldn’t either!��� You shout back.

He watches as you tread away, people shooting you odd looks, and he can’t help but grin. He’s never been screamed at by one of his clients. He’s never been told to stop being the perfect boyfriend when it was his job to be. You’re definitely one in a million.

He can’t help but love it.

//

Three days pass without a word from Taehyung and life returns to normal, to you on the couch with netflix and wine, a shirt that reads ‘who needs men anyways’.

The flowers he got you have longed been trashed and thrown into the dumpster. You’re tempted to delete his contact but you keep it anyways, for reasons that you just can’t bring yourself to delete him completely. In those nights where you can’t sleep, you find yourself going to the messages, only to see that he hasn’t texted or said anything at all.

It’s not that you’re disappointed or anything. You are the one who told him to screw off and never call again. You can’t even blame him.

You’re probably as crazy as that other lady who chased him down the street.

Three days pass and on the fourth day, there’s a knock at your door.

You grunt out tiredly, wondering if it was the pizza guy but you can’t even recall if you even ordered pizza. The wine is really making you tipsy.

Setting down the glass, you pause your episode and tread to the door as the bell rings a second time. “I’m coming! Jeez.”

And when you open it, you’re met with a tall blonde boy, smiling and leaning against the doorframe. This time he’s not wearing a suit but just a hoodie with some light stains and black sweatpants. You’ll admit he looks good. He could probably be a homeless bum and still look good.

“What do you want Taehyung?” You scowl at him.

He crosses his arms with still a smug smile on his lips. “Don’t worry, I’m not here to apologize or to give you flowers.”

“Damn straight.”

“It’s just that…” I really couldn’t stop thinking about you, that’s what. But he’ll never say it out loud, afraid you’ll slam the door in his face from the cheesy line that’s all too genuine this time around. “I enjoyed myself particularly.”

You lift an eyebrow. “I’m serious!” He retorts with some rambunctious laughter. “And I thought you were having a good time too. I wanted to ask if you wanted to give it one more shot.”

“No thanks.” You swing the door closed but he catches it.

“I won’t be fake this time. I swear on my parent’s grave...they’re not even dead yet, I would get killed if they heard what I was saying right now.” He smiles.

“Why should I?”

“Because you want to get to know the real me right? You don’t want a fake perfect boyfriend, so I’ll give you just that.” He slyly adds, moving his brows up and down. “You’ll get to know the genuine Kim Taehyung.” He pounds his chest with his fist and you can’t help but roll your eyes with a small smile.

Since when were you so weak to him? You can’t even put up a fight if you wanted to.

“Please Y/N.” He juts out his bottom lip, widening his eyes cutely.

“You better make this damn worth my time Kim.” You flash him a dirty look, and he bursts out into a huge, wide grin. It’s infectious and within a few seconds, you’re smiling too despite wanting to keep a front.

//

“Where…” You peer out the window. “...the hell are we going Taehyung?”

It’s pitch black outside apart from the headlights of the car. The road is bumpy and uneven, making the car jump slightly. You pass trees and trees, heading to some desolate area at the outskirts of the city. For a moment, you wonder if he’s going to kill you.

You glance at him. His profile is soft with a gentle smile, hints of mischief lingering in the way he tries to repress it. “Oh~” You nod your head, making a sound of recognition as the puzzle pieces fall into place. “So this is the real you, huh? Your real intentions?”

He frowns. “What?”

“Me. You. Alone. You won’t tell me where you’re going, and we’re driving to some desolate dark area, huh?” You sigh out disappointedly. “The car’s not really ideal for getting down and dirty…..but at least I’m glad you’re being honest with your intentions now.”

“No! No!” His cheeks burn, and he glances at you once more before focusing back on the road. “God no! We’re not doing that kind of thing! Who do you think I am?!”

You laugh. “Then where are we going?”

“Farmer’s market.”

Sure enough, it’s not a lie when you see lights in the distance. There are several white canopy tents in a large cluster. Music plays, bass shaking the grassy field that it’s on. Strings of fairy lights hang between the walkways and around the poles.

“Have you ever been here?” He asks, watching your amazed reaction with a swell of pride.

You shake your head. “Why is it so far out?”

He shrugs. “Closer to the farms I guess.” The both of you walk out of the parking lot towards the mini festival, the scent of churros and sweet treats already marking the air. “Actually they have it in the morning too but I never go.”

You stare at him. “I’m not a morning person.” He adds with playfulness.

“Then why did you send me all those ‘good morning’ texts so early?”

“I had to set an alarm for that.” He rolls his eyes exaggeratedly. “Do you know how exhausted I was? I couldn’t even see the bright screen and I had to read it over four times to make sure there weren’t any spelling mistakes.”

“Oh~” You coo at him with pouted lips. “Our Taehyungie suffers so much. Having to send good morning texts when he’s sleepy.”

He laughs with you, reaching up to squeeze your nose before he throws an arm around your shoulder. You flash him a dirty look at the close contact, but he smiles and you turn away, letting him have his way this time.

Despite being far away, the market is bustling with a good crowd of people. The live music thumps loudly, ground shaking when you get closer to the stage but you and Taehyung don’t watch for long. Instead, you weave between the tents, looking at all the produce and goods.

“You know...” Taehyung speaks up as the both of you are looking at the stands of fruit. “My grandmother’s best friend owns a strawberry farm. Some summers I used to work there and wow...it is actually so much work. Do you know how hard it is to crouch down and pick each strawberry one by one? My back was aching when I came home and I made my siblings massage my back.”

“It was hard work but then I got to eat free strawberries, and we made lots of jam. I ate jam for the rest of the year in my sandwiches.” He laughs, reminiscent in thought but after a second, he looks at you. You’re staring at him inquisitively and quietly with a small smile.

“Sorry...am I talking too much?”

“No.” You shake your head. “I like it. I like when you talk about yourself and your family.”

He can’t help but grin at that and when the both of you turn to keep walking, he grabs your hand. You immediately look down at the way he intertwines his fingers into yours. “Taehyung. What did I say about forced affection? I don’t need things like that.” You frown, stopping and he swallows hard.

“It’s genuine though...I really do want to hold your hand…” His voice trails off softer and softer, embarrassed, and he looks down to the ground. “Why? Does it seem forced?”

“I just wanted to hold your hand………”

You immediately feel a wave of guilt but you’re just on edge more than usual, trying to protect yourself. You’re afraid that he’s going to get too close and hurt you without having an inch of remorse. It’s his job. But you wonder if he even realizes what he does to you.

Taehyung lets go of your hand, mumbling an apology and walking ahead. But before he gets too far, you run up to him and catch his hand within yours. He immediately shoots his head up, trying to meet your eyes but you’re staring at something ahead, avoiding his impenetrable gaze. “You don’t need to apologize. I’m just a bit tense but….Iwanttoholdyourhandtoo.” You cough out the last part, a bit too embarrassed as your cheeks heat up like lava pools flush under your skin.

Taehyung grins, tightening his grip on yours and swinging your arm back and forth.

“Do you want some?” You point with your free hand to a booth, selling beer from a keg. “Oh wait. You can’t. You have to drive us back.” You grimace.

“Don’t worry. I can’t drink beer anyways.”

“Can’t?”

“Or coffee. It’s too bitter.” He sticks out his tongue in disgust. “I like sweet things.” He leans on you, shifting his weight. “Sweet things like you.”

You scoff, pushing him off. “I hate cheesy lines.”

“But that’s just part of who I am. Actually!” He defends himself, his bottom lip jutting out and you can’t help but laugh, rolling your eyes in the process.

“Then what do you like? Aside from sweet things.”

He hums, contemplating deeply. “I like meat.” His eyes twinkle brightly.

Following his words, the both of you order hot dogs on sticks, dipped in a honey mustard. It’s delicious and you two are fixed to the side of the stand, ordering more and more as you finish each skewer. The old lady is ecstatic with bursting cheeks as she compliments your eating skills and hands you more.

Taehyung giggles in the middle of a mouthful as he watches you hold nine empty sticks in your hand. You swat your other hand at him and when you become too full, he keeps going.

“You two are making me nauseous.” The old lady quips slyly with a snicker. “How long have you been dating this lovely girl, young man? Thinking about dropping the big question anytime soon? By the looks of it, you two are perfect for each other.”

You almost choke. “Oh. We’re no-”

Taehyung’s boisterous laughter interrupts you. “Thank you, I’d like to think so myself.” He winks at you. “Don’t give her any hints though! I want to keep her on her toes.”

The old lady falls into a fit of laughter, cheeks red, and she covers her mouth with her hand. “Don’t let her get away.”

“I wouldn’t for the life of me.”

The old lady laughs again and then turns back to her grill when someone approaches to order. You shoot Taehyung a dirty look but he grins. “What? Am I wrong? I am your boyfriend.”

You scoff, not allowing the smile to show when it creeps up your face.

By the time you come back from the washroom, he’s standing in front of the stage playing music, watching intently with tight lips in a straight line. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh.” He snaps out of his daze, looking at you with a smile. “I was just listening.”

“That seriously?”

His smile widens. “I used to play saxophone when I was still in school.” You tilt your head in interest. “I was just thinking that they were pretty good.”

“Were you any good?”

“I was the best in class!” He puffs out his chest and you roll your eyes. “I’m being serious! I was the best!”

It feels like you’ve reached a milestone, a turning point. It’s as if you’ve broken a barrier or toppled a brick wall with your bare hands. The bubble of fake facade and perfection bursted in front of your eyes to show someone more or less human like you but even more beautiful with the flaws. You’ve learnt he eats a ton, he loves music, he loves family, and he has a soft spot for all animals. Yet, he is also quite childish and enthusiastic, liking pranks and making mischief.

There’s not a lot that you don’t know about him and not quite enough to say anything at all but at the same time, a feeling swells inside your rib cage, even as you watch him stare at stuffed animals blankly with snot almost dripping from his nose.

You know you want to know more.

“Why are you staring?” He asks you and you finally snap out of it.

“Oh. What? Sorry. What were you saying?” You blink.

He leans in, close; so close that your foreheads are almost touching and you can feel his breath on your lips. “Am I that handsome?”

You scoff, pushing him away and he laughs. “You’re cute.” You tease sarcastically.

“I’ll take that!” He quips with a grin and you roll your eyes.

You turn your head to the stand of plush animals, all lined up next to each other. You catch a bear sitting at the center, the same shade as Taehyung’s soft, yellow hair with a huge smile and round eyes, big and cute. “Hey doesn’t this look like you?” You hold it up for him to see but as he lays eyes on it, he frowns.

“No.” He points to a large, ferocious lion hanging off the canopy. “That looks more like me.” Then he redirects his finger to a huge rhinoceros. “Or that.”

“But this is so cute.” You shake the bear in your hand that’s small enough to sit on your palm.

“If this is a ploy for me to get it for you then I’m not doing it.” He purses his lips. “I spent all my money already.”

You scoff, setting it down. “Fine.”

“This looks like you.” He holds up a similar bear in size.

“But it’s frowning!” You whine out to him in disbelief.

He laughs. “No. It only looks like it’s frowning. Anyways, it reminds me of you.”

The bear’s lips are made in an inverse v, holding a broken heart that covers its body, reading ‘I hate love’.

“You. are. cruel.” You huff out, walking away from him.

“It’s a joke!” He calls after you in the middle of a fit of laughter.

//

Taehyung drives you back home and you tell him that you’ll think about the date and if they’ll be another one or not, much to his dismay. But with your slipping smile and a fleeting goodbye, he already has an idea of what you’ll say. And he isn’t wrong as he watches you enter your building and a few minutes later, his phone lights up with a text.

My Y/N: You did decently today.

My Y/N: I’ll allow a next time.

Taehyung can only grin widely and especially doesn’t tell you how he drives back to the market, running to the stand before it closes; purchasing the two bears that look like you and him.  

He places on his desk at home, staring and marveling at it as the both sit side by side.

//

The next date is a picnic one, courtesy of your choosing and the both of you gobble sandwiches and hot dogs while taking turns telling stories. He reminisces about his best friend Jimin and how the two got in loads of trouble together back during the school days; that he was a pushover until he started working out at the gym with Jungkook and now the two threaten to beat Taehyung up all the time. He talks about almost getting arrested for lighting a trash can on fire during college because of a dare but with a few simple apologies and his charm, they let him go with a warning. That’s when he realized he had a pretty good way with words.

You talk about your family, about Hoseok and how he was engaged to your best friend and for the longest time, they hated each other and you had to stand in the middle of it all. Then they suddenly developed crushes and you had to walk back and forth, like a peasant matchmaker; helping them out without revealing the other’s intention since you weren’t one to break promises and didn’t want to be held accountable for any mistakes.

The picnic ends when there’s a storm swirling in the sky and the both of you gather your things and duck out to a convenience store, drenched and laughing.

The next few times, you’re too lazy to go out so you invite him over and the both of you begin a new tv show. Unexpectedly, it is gripping. It’s suspenseful and half the times, you’re on the edge of your seat in jitters. You both scream together, laugh at the screen or shout curses simultaneously.

There are quick breaks in between episodes where Taehyung runs to the bathroom to relieve himself and you take out your wine, usually saved for your own down times but for one reason or another, you don’t mind sharing with him.

The both of you binge episode after episode until it’s midnight and you’ve both dozed off on the couch. “Fuck. What time is it?” You finally peel your eyes open.

“Taehyung. Taehyung.” You shake him with half open eyes and a rough voice.

“Wha-” He jolts, suddenly awake too.

“It’s one in the morning. Don’t you have to leave?” You ask him, reaching over to shut off the tv.

“I’ll just stay here.” He mumbles.

“What?” You frown, turning back to him, but he’s already passed out on the couch.

The first night Taehyung ever stays over, the both of you are drunk on wine and passed on the couch, heads on different ends and legs tangled together.

“How was your day today?” He mumbles out tiredly one night.

You’re sitting in between his legs, how you got there - you don’t even know. You don’t even question anymore how close he’s gotten or how close you’ve gotten to him. It’s as if all the warning signs and stop signs have fallen every inch he gets closer until the sirens of danger have become muted under his laughter you’ve grown to cherish so much.

“It was fine.” You yawn. “You seem pretty tired though.”

“Not as tired as you.” He smiles.

The both of you continue to watch, it’s become your show with him now. When a new episode’s released and you’re just dying to watch it, you hold back until he comes over. Or sometimes you text him that you’re going to start - only for him to call immediately and tell you that it was not okay and that you needed to wait for him.

But the day was long and so was his. Soon after, you’re dozing off on his chest which snaps him out of his own lull for a moment, and he smiles sheepishly. He lays you down beside him on the couch and pulls you closer so you won’t fall off. Unconsciously, you snuggle into him, and he nuzzles you, falling into his own sleep.

//

You’re defeated.

How is it possible that he’s instantly cuter than you without even trying or batting a single eyelash?

Taehyung is dressed in blue shorts and a simple white sweater, completely blending in with the kindergarten class that’s also peering out the fence. “Taehyung. Don’t climb it.” You scold, and he immediately darts his head around, pouting like you just destroyed his dreams.

You wonder if he’s really a six-year old or not.

You had put in extra effort in today’s date, for no important reasons really….but you were dressed in one of your summer floral dresses with knee-high leggings and you wondered with the way you were both dressed, so youthfully, if strangers thought you were still high school students.

Taehyung walks back to where you’re standing, grinning once more at the kids as they hop away with their teachers. He redirects his gaze onto you but fixes it on your lips. Time draws out and you frown. “Is there something on my mouth?” You raise your hand, but he quickly catches it before you can ruin what he’s so fixated on.

“No.” He quips with a huge smile. “It’s pretty, that’s all.”

“Oh.”

“Did you wear lipstick?” He leans in close with a shit eating grin and you push him away but his feet are rooted solid to the ground. He doesn’t even flinch.

You roll your eyes. “No I didn’t.”

It’s a lie. You did.

You step back and he steps forward. “It looks like you did though…” He hums out. “Did you want to look pretty for me?”

“You’re so full of yourself, aren’t you?”

“I’m the one who should be angry.” He says in a matter-of-fact tone, narrowing his eyes into you. “Do you know how much I want to kiss you right now?”

Your heart feels like it’s leaped up to your throat and you’re stunned, eyes growing wide. Your mouth fills with cotton and you can’t speak, cheeks staining the same shade as the flamingo’s feathers. “But that would be against the rules.” He grimaces with a sigh, admiring your flushed appearance instead.

“S-shut up.” You force your lips into a frown when the smile creeps up.

You won’t fall prey to his stupid one liners.

“What are they doing?” A little boy, up to your knee in height asks and points to you two. He holds a girl’s hand, the both of them wearing the same blue and white outfits. The both of them stare at you curiously with rosy cheeks and big eyes.

“Mae! Jeha! Let’s go!” A taller woman leading a bunch of kids calls, and they take off running.

You huff out, finally gaining composure again after being freed from Taehyung’s unwavering gaze. “C’mon let’s go.” You grab his hand, intertwining your fingers with his and dragging him away.

Today’s date was Taehyung’s idea when you both sat empty in your apartment, waiting for the next episode of your show. There was nothing to do, nothing you wanted to do since you were so emotionally damaged. But he finally managed to convince himself and drag you off from the couch to have a proper date and do something outside for once.

His idea was the zoo.

Twice in a day, you wonder if he really is a six-year-old.

It’s not like the zoo was a bad idea but it’s not much of a date when he keeps letting go of your hand to run to the enclosure and mimic whatever noises the animal he’s staring at makes. He growls at the lions, wails at the elephants, chirps to the birds and screams at the mandrill monkeys.

The train of children that you pass by again giggles.

The zookeeper politely asks him to keep it down.

You facepalm.

“What the hell is that?” You harshly whisper out when Taehyung pulls out a baggie of sliced bread.

He grins mischievously and the grizzly bear in interest or perhaps with a whiff of the snack begins trudging over. “It’s okay. I googled this before I came here.”

“You’re going to get us kicked out!” You chide, getting closer to him to hide the ziplock when some people walk past.

“I’m not going to actually feed him.” He gives you a look. “I just want to lure him to our side.”

“So he can kill us for the food?!”

“He’s not going to kill us.” Taehyung smiles in an attempt to be reassuring. “There’s like two layers of fencing.”

Your jaw drops completely. You deadpan. “Why are you like this?”

“Oh! He’s here!” Taehyung points to the bear that’s right next to you, only a few meters away and you immediately take a step back, only for him to grab your arm. “It’s okay.”

“No Taehyung it is not fucking okay. We’re going to die or get kicked out and I don-”

You don’t get to finish when he suddenly turns around, and he pulls out his phone, quickly snapping a photo of you two with the bear in the background. He taps a hundred times and falling prey to his will, you turn and smile at the last photo he snaps. The bear after a moment walks away and you’re scowling at Taehyung. “What the hell?”

“I realized that we never got to take a photo together before.” He hums out, scrolling through. “I’m going to make one of them my wallpaper.” You scoff but you can’t help leaning over to look too.

“Hey...that’s a pretty good one.” You point to the one where the both of you are smiling.

“Nah.” He scrolls to the top and finds the one where your mouth is wide open, yelling at him with a huge knot between your brows. “I like this one.”

“You’re the only one that looks good!!” You complain, smacking his arm.

“Hey.” He sets it as his lockscreen. “The bear looks good too.”

“I hate you.” You stick out your tongue, stomping away.

“Y/N! I’m just joking! You look average!”

“Shut up Taehyung!”

//

You can feel your entire body shaking from the blaring music, your ear drums threatening to burst with every dropped beat. The place is dark, only lit by the blue hued back lights of the bar, the neon signs lining the wall and the multi colored strobe lights, flashing down at the dance floor. It reeks of sweat and alcohol from the crowded tangled bodies, intoxicated and grinding down on each other without a second look.

It’s not your favourite place in the world, to say the least.

The last time you’ve ever been to a place like this was when your friends dragged you out back in your (not so) wild college days. You remember Hoseok drawing a crowd’s attention with his dancing and your other friends taking enough shots to pass out onto the floor in their own puke.

But when Taehyung begged you and whined to go, wanting to show off what he called his ‘killer dance moves’, you gave in.

You’ll admit...he’s good.

Well...most of the time.

Though his movements were smooth, and he flowed to the rhythm with ease, flashing you seductive eyes in the meanwhile, he also spun around dramatically. He whipped his arms around, hollering and you broke out into a hysterical laughter, which only urged him further. It definitely drove all the girls who had their eyes on him away, almost tripping on their heels as they ran in the opposite direction.

Taehyung spun you around and the both of you moved from the waltz to the tango.

It was the most time you’ve ever had fun in a club. Ever.

After what seemed to be like two hours, the both of you ordered some drinks while taking a break and it only took two glasses for him to begin getting oddly jittery.

He didn’t want to leave you alone, especially not in a place like this where drunk creeps ran rampant but after you saw his legs shaking and asked him what was wrong, he couldn’t deny what his body needed. He sprinted off to the bathroom as fast as he could to take a much-needed leak.

“Fancy drink you got there.” A heavy voice suddenly chimes beside you. He’s a bigger man, lifting an eyebrow at your wine glass.

You weren’t a big fan of any other drinks aside from wine. Unfortunately for you, the bar wasn’t that great with its selection and your drink had a slight bad aftertaste.

“Thanks.” You look away, glancing around for Taehyung.

“Can I buy you a drink?”

“No thanks.”

“Aw c’mon honey, you don’t have to be such a hardass.” He smirks and you send him a sharp glare. “What’s your name?”

“None of your business.”

“Nice to meet you none-of-your-business.” He cocks his head over to his side, scanning you from top to bottom in your black dress. He doesn’t seem to take a hint and it only makes you angrier. “You can call me Bang ‘cause I’d love to bang you tonight.”

You twist your face up in disgust, not even trying to hide how put off you are. “Screw off.”

“Aw...don’t be like that baby.” He steps forward.

You lean into him, boring your eyes straight into his, and he’s taken back. “Get closer to me and I will break your arms, do you hear me? I’ll make sure you’ll get arrested for sexual harassment.”   

The man is baffled, frowning with steam practically coming out from his ears. He clenches his jaw and opens his mouth to go off but then there’s suddenly a hand around your shoulders and a low voice that growls out. “Who the hell are you?”

“Who are you?!” The man screams.

“I’m her boyfriend.” Taehyung declares without his eyes wavering, clenching his teeth and his eyes bulging with anger.

“He’s my boyfriend.” You say in a matter-of-fact tone.

The man glances at you, then back to Taehyung and back to you again. It’s as if the both of you are some scary power couple, either in the mafia or in fury from sexual frustration (none of which are true...maybe only a little of the latter). He doesn’t say anything more and quickly turns, running in the opposite direction, afraid that the both of you will drag him out in the alley to give him a beating of a lifetime.

“Are you okay?” Taehyung grabs your shoulders, turning you to him.

“Yeah..yeah I’m okay.” You nod, heart beating in your stomach. “I had it handled, you know.”

He smiles. “But I am your boyfriend, it’s the least I can do.”

Maybe it’s the alcohol or the sudden tense atmosphere, but you can’t help the words that slip through your lips. “Are you though?” He blinks once, frowning. You sigh, pushing his hands off of you. “Are you really my boyfriend Taehyung?”

“Y/N…”

You sigh, wondering if you should apologize or not. You didn’t mean to say it or see the distressed expression tracing each of his features. But it’s the truth and there’s no point in retracting when the words have been heard. “Don’t say things like that….it makes me…” want you.

You smile, taking his hand and standing. “C’mon, let’s dance.”

//

They say that love and hate have no boundaries, that they’re often blended together, child’s play to step to the other side. Someone you love can quickly become someone you despise with all your heart and vise versa. They are two polar opposites with strong emotions; emotions that drive a person to do things that are not always convenient.  

You don’t know if you love Taehyung or you hate him.

On one hand, you love everything about him. The way he teases you, whines when you’re not close enough and grabs you in a tight hug enough to suffocate you, the way he grins so brightly sometimes when he stares like he’s so proud to have you; how he listened and opened up to you, making you falling deeper and deeper. How only he has that effect, able to glance at you from across the room and send your heart off on a sprint until your breath is drawn from your lips completely.

You love hi-

On the other side, you can’t love him.

He’s not yours and will never be yours. You hate how he has that effect on you. You wonder if he knows, if he’s been playing with you this entire time, altering himself to become your perfect fantasy without you even realizing. You wonder if he knows and the moment the month is up, he’ll leave you in the dust and cut off all contact. Are you just another client? Has everything only been fabricated in your mind? Was it all one-sided?

You hate him because you love him.

“Taehyung…”

“Hmm…?”

The both of you are lying on a blanket, on the cement of your rooftop building. It’s a flat roof that you two snuck up to, to watch the stars that spill over the sky. The longer you stare, the more the darkness uncovers; the more your eyes can see the twinkling lights, delving deeper and deeper. The longer you stare, the more beautiful it becomes.

“How many days are left?”

“What do you mean?”

“The one month. The one month that you’ve been my boyfriend for.”

“Y/N…” He turns to you with a scrunch between his brows.

You turn your head staring back at him. He looks even more beautiful bathing in the moonlight, blonde strands reflecting off the beams and skin smooth along the slope of his nose. Your gaze falls to his lips and when he notices, his falls to yours.

Your heartbeat pounds inside your ears, painfully as it squeezes tight, wrapping around your lungs. “Do you even love me?” You choke out in a whisper.

He looks at you once more, drawing his eyes into your orbs and suddenly you’re too afraid of what he’ll say. You’re too afraid of your broken fantasy and how he’ll step away from you, that you’ll lose everything you’ve created with him.

In an instant, you pull him in for a kiss, silencing his words.

He immediately reciprocates.

He’s leaning up with his elbow, his other hand on the back of your neck, pulling you closer and you’re on your knees, leaning downwards over his body with fistfuls of his shirt.

You don’t know how long the both of you go at it for, mouth on mouth, breathing into the kiss and the both of you each too afraid to pull away. He pulls you closer as his arm loses strength, and he falls back, the both of you still connected as he prompts you to part your lips wider. He wastes no time in exploring, ravishing you with a muffled whimper. He tastes of lemon curd and birthday cake, sweet and a little too overwhelming.

You love him.

You love him so painfully so that in the pull of desperation, with the wave of feelings crashing down on your shoulders, your tears can’t help but trickle out.

You’re the first to pull away, both your lips swollen and your lungs burning for air. He’s gasping and finally sits up, staring at you with a look you don’t understand. You don’t want to understand.

“It’s over.” You manage with a croak. “I kissed you. The contract is over. Don’t contact me again.”

“Wa..it!...Y/N!” He stands up after you but the door is slammed shut and you’re gone.

//

Ten days pass.

After that night and knocking on your door, begging to talk to you, he doesn’t come again. Just like you said, he doesn’t call or text and it’s as if his existence has completely been wiped. It’s as if the memories have completely been pure imagination or a lucid dream. There are only a few traces of him left, physically showing that he was in your life and that you weren’t just going crazy.

You throw the blanket that he used to borrow when he came over into the washer, completely ridding his scent. The second wine glass that you own, bought for him and his lips, is tucked in a box away. The movie tickets that you had kept when you went with him are pressed deep between forgotten books on your shelf.

You don’t have the heart to throw anything away.

Ten days pass and everything reverts to normal, as violently fast as ripping off a bandaid but it stings and it stings; and it stings more because it happened so fast, normal came too quickly.

“Are you okay? You haven’t been returning any of my calls.” Hoseok’s voice encloses marks of concern.

“Sorry.” You mumble.

“Are you still sleeping?” You hum in response. “Isn’t it like noon? Don’t you have work?”

“I took the day off.” Your voice barely manages to croak out.

“What’s wrong Y/N?” When Hoseok doesn’t hear an answer, there’s a long silence. “Was it the rent-a-boyfriend thing? How did it go? Badly?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“If there’s something wrong, you can tell me.”

“I know.”

Just then the doorbell rings and you grumble, wondering if it was the delivery guy here with the pizza you had ordered in bed. You lug yourself upwards, head spinning with the bird nest of your hair but you don’t give a single damn anymore. “I’ll talk to you later okay, Hoseok?”

“Feel better Y/N.”

“See you.” You hang up the phone, throwing it onto the bed before the doorbell rings again. “I’m coming.” You shout with a groggy voice while scratching your itchy head before reaching the door.

The minute you open it, wood swinging on hinges, you’re met with a taller, blonde boy standing in front of you. He’s dressed in a black suit, fitted from top to bottom. He wears a small smile on his lips, eyes softening with tenderness despite the mess you look like. Your heart squeezes again, feeling like it’s rising to your throat and you lose strength to shut the door, wanting to savour the moment. You’re afraid that it’s the last moment.

“What are you doing here Taehyung?” Your voice comes out in a weak whisper.

He holds a bouquet of flowers in his hands, raising it but you can’t take them. “What the hell?”

“I know you don’t like flowers or maybe you do, but they’re genuine this time.” He lowers his hands. After a second, he sighs. “I got fired.”

“What?” You frown.

“I got fired from my job.” He says simply.

“And you came here to tell me that?!” You practically shout at him. “You want me to compensate for you?”

He smiles. “Yes.”

‘What the fuck Taehyung? Go away.” You swing the door shut but he catches it.

“Wait listen!”

“What do you want?!”

“I got fired because I told them I was in love with my client.”

He connects his eyes with yours, lips in a straight line, voice heavy with sincerity. He swallows hard, lips turning into a soft smile as he steps forward into your home. “I got fired because I told them that I wanted to have you as a real girlfriend. I got fired because I told them I kissed you. I told them I didn’t want to be anyone else’s boyfriend.”

“I told them, I think I’ve found the person I want to marry.”

“And you want me to compensate?” You murmur out, looking up at him while your heart leaps inside your rib cage, pattering like raindrops when they fall from the heavens and onto the Earth’s ground.

He grins, lips drawing up in a box. “I want you to compensate.”

“Please Y/N, will you do me the honours of-”

“Wait.” You put your hands out before he wraps his arms around you. “Are you proposing to me?”

“No!” His mouth drops. “If I was proposing to you, do you really think I’d do it in the middle of your apartment?!”

“I’m not complaining or anything but you just went off on wanting to marry me and then you-”

“I want you to be my girlfriend. I want to date you.” He wraps his arms around your waist, pulling you close. “And we’ll see how it goes before I marry you.” He quips but you still swat a hand to his arm. “I still have to meet your parents, and we have to talk about how many kids we want because I know I want like five of them and if you aren’t down then-”

You pull him in for a kiss, silencing him, and he grins against your lips. “I better not have to rent you again.” You mumble.

“I’m not for rent anymore.” He kisses you again and again. “I’m yours.”

[technicallyoneofakind]

Nymph Hugs

Authors Note:

Heyo! It's Yuni! Been a bit since I last updated or posted anything on the site. (Sorry those of you who read Greedy Souls, I haven't gotten back to it… I feel like if I continue I would write myself into a corner and ruin the fic. Hehe.)

I decided to write about Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch. I decided to write about Swaine. I like Swaine. I felt bad for him when I ran into him in game. I played blindly so his introduction in the game came quite surprisingly.

I wondered what he did in the days he "wondered off" after the events involving Vileheart. Oh yes, there are slight spoilers. Forgot to mention.

This is actually inspired by Wherever Girl's "Like a Brother" fic.

Leave feedback. If you don't like something, be sure to leave constructive criticism. I apologize in advance for any OOC-ness- especially anything to do with Swaine as he's the hardest to nail down, characterwise. People who use this as an excuse to insult and harass will be reported.

Anywho. Here's the fic.

Disclaimer: I only own a copy of the disk for the PS3.

~.~.~

He couldn't describe the despair he felt. He couldn't explain why he felt it either. It reminded him of when the three had gone to the past- the scene he had not experienced as a child. The scene that completely blindsided him and sent him into an abyss of grief for the next week after. Difference was, he knew deep down that there was at least a chance his friend could come back.

It wasn't much to go on…

In the boy's current comatose state, he might as well be dead. And if he didn't wake up soon…

The thief slammed his palm into the nearby hill, bracing himself against it as this grim realization hit him. Normally, there would be some sort of remedy to wake him… The rugged man opened his tired eyes, a hint of a smile of that small hopeful thought.

But they had tried everything. Reminding himself of this, his smile sank again, right along with his heart. It's not like the boy was "broken-hearted"… But then again, what would happen if more than one piece was missing? Who would repair him? How would they know what part to fix in his condition? The man clenched his fist, his gunslinging hand grabbing a fist full of grass, pulling a couple of blades out of the mountainside.

Maybe my brother…? Could he help him? The thief thought, his hands beginning to tremble from the sheer stress of it all. Damn it all… Outside the fairy, I'm responsible for those two. I should be able to do something! Anything! Anything to help… He pushed himself away from the hill, but not far. He looked out to the valley that gave Autumnia its name.

He had come out here to think. In times of major stress such as this, he found it better to be alone. The thief was sure Esther had already called him out on his disappearance to the loudmouth fairy. She probably thought he didn't care- an all too wrong assumption. The ex-prince cared more than he let on. The truth is, being around the young wizard in his current state did nothing but remind him of his failure, which only stressed him more. That's why he was away from the inn. Swaine knew if he stuck around, tension would build, and his emotions would get the best of him. He tended to get rather stubborn and irrational in that state, which didn't help anyone.

There were many times where the thief was the last one standing. There wasn't enough time during those types of fights to revive the other two. When the time came, the least heroic of the group was the one that pulled them through. He let a small chuckle escape him, thinking on it. The scrappy Dumbelemur turned Aye-Aye Sir, Vemahl, put up a good fight most of the time. To Swaine's chagrin, Oliver wanted to try something different with his team of familiars, putting Gunther into the retreat for safe keeping. Thinking more about it, he realized part of the reason he lasted so long in battle may have partially been because of Gemini, the Greater Naiad, and her well-timed evasion.

This was a different case altogether, though. This wasn't a fight against wild creatures. This wasn't the case of fighting on behalf of his friends. The pure-hearted one was in a state where even the distilled tears of a phoenix could wake him. The thief thought of asking his brother, but he had a feeling that he couldn't help and leaving to ask him would mean leaving alone, the Al Mamoon girl and Drippy looking after Oliver.

He knew that wasn't a good idea. He had a gut feeling that his younger brother wouldn't be able to help- having lived on the run as a common criminal helped develop a strong trust in his instincts.

He couldn't do anything, he realized. He couldn't return the favor when the time came. He couldn't help the boy that had saved him from a perilous life. He felt his strength leave him, his helplessness in the situation weighing him down. Feeling defeated, he sat down, leaning his back against the offended hill. He looked to the sky, a hand on one knee the other on the ground beside him.

A tear ran down the left side of his face- an action that shocked him. He hadn't cried since that night in Hamelin. He wiped the tear from his face, with the hand that was on the ground and stared at it. He closed his eyes, his body trembling. He felt alone.

There was a tug on his jacket sleeve. He opened his eyes and looked down to see the Greater Naiad in his regime of familiars. She didn't have her usual smile on her face, in fact, she looked rather concerned.

He sniffled. "Wh- What do you want," he whispered, his voice shaking. He didn't remember calling her to action nor did he feel her come out. He must have been pretty distracted.

She let the casting gem she held disappear into her and moved closer to him. The little sea nymph gripped his shirt in an attempt at a hug. Gemini's fluffy bauble gently rubbed his chin as she nuzzled his chest. Her cape and tendrils spread to compensate for her small size.

Swaine opened his mouth in shock, looking down at her attempt in comforting him. Nymphea wasn't a particular favorite genus of his, he recalled, but he also remembered using this particular nymph often in battle. He had unintentionally built a strong bond with her.

It reminded him of his brother, almost. There were times when they were kids that Marcassin would comfort him when he was troubled. Kind of like this, actually, the ex-thief thought.

He felt his shirt dampen suddenly, causing him to look down. Gemini was crying for him, attempting to use a healing ability she had long since abandoned. Despite how odd it felt, he felt some of his frustration leave him. He didn't know if it was because of the ability- it shouldn't have worked considering that he wasn't wounded- or because he had something comforting in a such a trying time.

"You're right…," he muttered, petting the familiar. "There's nothing I can do." He was still frustrated and confused, but less of a mess. He stood up and wiped the tears from his eyes and took a second to look back out at the valley. His spirits were low still, but the worst of the emotional turmoil was over. Going back there won't snap him out of it… He looked back at the still concerned Greater Naiad. But crying over something I can't help? Ha! What good will that do?

He threw a sad smirk Gemini's way and her smile quickly returned, her gem reappearing in her small stubby arms. "Thank you. Needed some relief, I did." He knelt down, stroking the feathery bauble on the nymph's cap. The nymph nodded and returned to his heart, a warm feeling washing over him briefly.

He sighed and put his hands on his hips, shaking his head. He still felt useless, he still felt frustrated. He still felt despair. But he had regained the strength of heart he had recently lost. "Familiars are still creatures with separate feelings from our own. Why do I forget that so easily?"

~.~.~

A/N: Before most of your familiars become your familiars, they are considered beasts. They have feelings, personalities, and histories before they join your team, much like the human members of your party. There's a cave outside of Nazcaa that proves this because there's a bunch of "friendly" beasts that you can go on unofficial quests for, including one of my favorite species line: the naiads. When you consider the way they act in the creature cage, even as familiars, they're still partially separate when it comes to personality and mindset.

Yeah. I switched out Swaine's main one with the lemur. I was experimenting with his set up. He really likes using the nymph, though. It's weird since Gem's not in his "favorite" genus group… I tend to ignore the whole favorite type thing in the game sometimes, though I probably shouldn't. Greater Naiad's are evasive healer types with light magic attacks. I noticed that when I removed Gemini from his team, he seemed to faint more, so it makes me wonder if the ally AI selects the most strategically sound familiar at the time. (In the winter islands, Esther busted out Soliton, the Grandsun, because he had fire affinity.) Most of the time evading and healing is pretty sound strategy and it would explain why sometimes he's the last up to bat.

Outside game mechanics, considering how much he uses Gemini in my version of the game, I always wondered if there's some sort of familiarity between him and the jellyfish. Maybe it reminds him of his brother.

And yes… I do assign genders to my familiars. And now that I really think about it, outside of the undetermined gender of a few, most of my mains are male. I don't know how that happened.

This is a long author's note… Might write another fanfic inspired by a movie I watched recently. Considering how the thief closes himself off, it makes me wonder if there are talents he neglected to mention outright. *Hint, hint*

Anyway. I'm done writing half a page for one lousy author's note. No doubt you've clicked on another story by now. (Might make this a drabble fic named after the first chapter… Watch out.) You're probably bored of me talking. Bye.