#the librarian of burned books
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"I may not have it in me to be the hero of anyone's story. But this time, it's within my power not to be the villain."
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“When you sell a man a book you don’t sell him just twelve ounces of paper and ink and glue—you sell him a whole new life. Love and friendship and humor and ships at sea by night—there’s all heaven and earth in a book."
- Brianna Labuskes, The Librarian of Burned Books
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The Librarian of Burned Books - Brianna Labuskes
4/5 - Engaging read about the dangers of censorship and underappreciated work done by women during the war
The Librarian of Burned Books follows three separate timelines with three separate women narrating. The first, narrated by a young American author, takes place before the war in Berlin. The second, narrated by a Jewish librarian, takes place in Paris during the war but before the invasion of Paris. The last, in 1944, is narrated by a young woman widowed by the war who is trying to get funding for the American Armed Services Editions.
Overall, the book was very engaging! I didn't go in expecting a sapphic relationship but I was pleasantly surprised to find one here! Morally gray characters all around, some more interesting and more forgivable than others. Many of the characters seem to serve as questions of what happens when a person makes x, y, or z choices.
The point on censorship is especially poignant given that it comes from an American author at a time when states are trying to ban books. It makes a fairly good social commentary on the fascist nature of book bannings/burnings and how that information can still be disseminated and used for good.
This book itself goes a bit light on the American press before the war, in that Americans weren't necessarily anti-Nazi until they were involved in the war, but I understand cutting that for the sake of time and plot.
I've also seen a lot of lowered reviews because of the lesbian relationship - if you can't handle fictional gay people and PG-13 could-be-shown-on-daytime-television sex scenes, that's a skill issue. Get over it.
#the librarian of burned books#brianna labuskes#book review#historical fiction#sapphic fiction#WWII historical fiction
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Conservative family isn't home you know what that means
*listens to lesbian audiobook out loud*
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#The New Yorker#Digital Book Burning#Librarians#Archivists#Donald Trump#President Trump#Trump Administration#Department of Government Efficiency#Dismantling the Government#ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES#Julian Lucas
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"The U.S. Department of Education announced Monday that it would continue to operate its online library, known as ERIC, after allowing it to lapse last week. The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had sought significant cuts to the document repository that is used by 14 million people a year, and allowed funding to run out on April 23. That ended the ability of the Education Department to add new research reports and documents to the library that is used by education policymakers, researchers and teachers.
"'We are dedicated to sharing knowledge about the condition of education and ‘what works’ to improve student achievement,' said Matthew Soldner, the acting director of the Institute of Education Sciences, in announcing the continuation of the ERIC. A new, albeit much smaller contract was signed on April 24, according to the Federal Procurement Data System. [emphasis added]
"Soldner said that 'no content has been removed or deleted from ERIC.' He added that the 'preservation policy is unchanged: we will not remove an article in ERIC unless it is retracted by the publisher.'"
A cut to the budget will either reduce the number of papers added to ERIC, or slow its intake. The article above also states that the ERIC helpdesk will now be gone. The ERICA, or ERIC Archive, has been created over at the Data Rescue Project to coordinated copies of materials stored on the Wayback Machine.
#libraries#librarians#library workers#tumblarians#ERIC#Education and Research Information Center#library databases#Department of Education#ERICA#ERIC Archive#Data Rescue Project#digital preservation#THIS IS WHY IT'S IMPORTANT PEOPLE DEAR GODS#censorship#book bans#yeah in the information age this is what a book ban or a book burning can look like
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Some more bookish pins from my Redbubble :)
#bookish#pins#books#booklr#bookblr#litblr#bookworm#bookaholic#banned books#librarians#book tropes#slow burn#enemies to lovers#edgar allan poe#cozy mystery#jane austen#library tag#book club#libraries
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I need to say something, as an archivist.
Please look after your books. Please. Don't throw them in the bin, don't tear pages out, don't screw them up. If you don't want them anymore, either sell them, or donate them, whether it be to a charity shop, a library, or a school or university.
I rescue old books and look after them. I've just been sorting through the most recent lot that I've gotten, and there were books in there - that the original owners wanted to just throw away - that had survived over 100 years, and predated the first (1st) world war.
That in itself, is amazing. Because what most people don't know/realise, is that so many books did not survive the world wars, especially the second (2nd) one. Not only were countless libraries destroyed in bombings, but so many books were burned and eradicated under the Nazi regime.
This is still an issue today, with book burnings and bannings still taking place, such as in the USA; as well as countries being bombed and seiged, destroying so many books containing records of those people's history, culture and lives, such as in Palestine.
I've found books that were printed the year the second (2nd) world war ended, first (1st) editions filled with documents from the war, detailing everything that happened, every action that was taken, everywhere they went, every letter that was exchanged, every soldier that was felled. Documents that would have otherwise been destroyed, if not during the war by the opposition, then by the people who wrote it in the first place, to try to hide certain aspects of the war to paint themselves in a better light, or cover up certains tragedies or mistakes. These are pivotal resources for historians, especially books for time periods less written about/well-documented.
So often, I see books that are on their last legs, falling apart, and most people's reactions are to just throw them in the bin. This breaks my heart. Not only are you destroying a record of something so human - whether that be stories told to children to help them sleep at night, records of a huge historical event that meant the world to the people of that time, poems written by someone painfully in love so long ago - but snuffing out the life that book lived.
Every book I rescue, I check for two (2) things: print date, and notes.
The print date is simple - it tells me how old the book is. But the notes are what I mean by the life of the book. So many books I find have hand-written notes in them, and they give you little hints of the life they've lived. Here are some real notes I've found in books:
"Peter, Chemistry department of [X] university" in a german-english dictionary of chemistry terminology. This book was a gift to a university student, he was studying chemistry, and probably either working with a German team, or maybe leaving home after university to go to Germany, or some other german speaking country. These kinds of books are really specific, and at the time of print (roughly the 50s or 60s if I remember correctly), you couldn't just search for it online (something a good portion of us have never known) - you had to find a specialist book shop or find one that could track it down for you. Whoever got this book, cared about the person they gave it to, and went through the effort of finding this specific book for Peter before he left home. I would guess maybe a family member. Maybe they never saw him again.
"For our 50th anniversary - Annie & Frank" in a little homemade books of recipes. This book had been put together over several years, presumeably over the course of this couple's marriage - 50 years. This book was probably an anniversary gift from one of the two (2) partners to the other. So many recipes, lovingly collected and kept over decades. Probably having been cooked for eachother a hundred times over. These people probably had such fond memories of being sat at the dinner table - maybe just the two (2) of them, maybe with family, friends, and other company - eating the warm, homemade meals from these recipes. Making and sharing food with someone is often a very intimate and loving thing to do. I like to think they loved eachother so very much.
[A double-sided A4 love letter] found in a book of poetry. The letter was faded, and most of it was indistinguishable, but there were little bits that I could read, and they were lovely. This was written more recently (it contained more modern dialect), but was still so precious all the same. I wonder what that book lived through. A spark. An anxious confession. A romance. Perhaps a break-up too. Maybe that's why the book ended up in the donations. I imagine that the recipient of the love letter and poetry forgot the letter was even in there. The book was probably a gift from their partner - maybe specially picked, perhaps because the recipient liked poetry, or that specific poet at least - and that's probably why they used the letter as a bookmark in it. I still think about those people sometimes, where they ended up. Where are they now?
Those are just some of them, and I hope you understand why I care so much about these little bundles of paper and ink. They tell a story, not just in what's printed, but in their age, their condition, in the little notes people leave behind. Even simply the fact that some books' pages are so thin and smooth from being flicked through and read by an adoring reader so many times that the page corners have been worn thin by stroking fingers.
You may feel like nobody cares about that one book you have sitting in the corner of your room, and that "there are thousands of those books, this one doesn't matter", or that it's "ruined" because of that little message your mum wrote on the front page when she got it for you, but what you don't realise is that future historians and archivists are begging you to look after it, and make sure it's given to a good home. It may end up being the last surviving copy of that book. That little message could tell them so much that you don't even notice right now.
It breaks my heart finding old books with pages missing, which may never be recovered - the contents lost to time forever. Finding books whose spines are falling apart and pages are moulded from dampness - having been neglected for years. Finding books whose pages are worn and faded, yellowed and bent - just left to rot.
It fustrates me when I find books that have been poorly or just outright incorrectly handled. You can tell if a book's from a school library, because it has tape all over the cover, hiding the face of the book with a permanent dust jacket, because apparently they decided it ought to stay hidden; because it has check-out pages glued over the print date, because the day somebody borrowed it is more important than the book's birthday. I love libraries, and they're so important, but sometimes I wish some of them took better care of their books.
This is my plea to the people, and love letter to the books.
Please. I love you.
#🌱 talks#🌱 writes#love#books#old books#bookblr#archiving#archivist#archivisation#library#libraries#librarian#documents#documentation#records#history#historical documents#academia#poetry#poems#writings#ww1#ww2#world wars#banned books#book burning#read banned books#banned books are good for you#not sure what else to tag this#docum
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Shout out to every time someone in a book/film/show says "This isn't a movie!" or "life's not a fairy-tale" or as I read recently in an excellent book "we're not in a book."
Gotta be one of my favorite dramatic ironies.
#the book in question was the librarian of burned books#I very much recomend it#stories#characters#irony
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📖✨ Monthly Reading Wrap-Up
October 2024 Edition
📗 I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai Mystery/Thriller | ★★★★☆ (4/5) A true-crime podcaster returns to her alma mater to revisit an old murder case, stirring up buried memories and unexpected revelations. Review: Makkai delivers a gripping and layered narrative that tackles both suspense and self-reflection.
📕 A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny Mystery | ★★★★☆ (3.75/5) In the heart of Three Pines, a hidden attic leads to secrets buried in Gamache’s past, as a new generation wrestles with unresolved mysteries. Review: Intricate and compelling, but I felt like the characters made bad decisions purely to advance the plot and elevate the stakes.
📙 The Librarian of Burned Books by Brianna Labuskes Historical Fiction | ★★★★½ (4.5/5) A captivating read that will resonate deeply with fans of historical fiction, particularly those who appreciate stories about the power of literature to overcome adversity, the resilience of women in the face of oppression, and the beauty of love and hope in the darkest of times Review: A beautiful, moving tribute to the power of books that (surprisingly!) centers queer characters.
Click 'keep reading' for the full list and StoryGraph links.
📘 At First Spite by Olivia Dade Romantic Comedy | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) After a broken engagement, Athena moves into the tiny Spite House she bought for her ex-fiancé, only to discover that his infuriating older brother, the man who convinced him to leave her, lives next door. Review: This story does a decent job depicting depression, but unbelievable scenes and cringe banter pulled me out of the story several times.
📗 The Witness for the Dead by Katherine Addison Fantasy | ★★★★☆ (4/5) Thara Celehar, a Witness for the Dead, uses his gift to bring closure to lost souls while facing dark mysteries in the city of Amalo. Review: A quietly powerful story with heart and compassion at its core, full of political intrigue and mystery.
📕 The Grief Stones by Katherine Addison Fantasy | ★★★★☆ (3.75/5) Thara Celehar, a Witness for the Dead, uses his gift to investigate a noblewoman’s murder, uncovering disturbing secrets within a girls' school and confronting painful truths in the shadows of Amalo. Review: While I enjoyed this book, the pacing was off, and some plot lines were rushed.
📙 A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny Mystery | ★★★★¾ (4.75/5) Gamache takes on the role of commander at the police academy, uncovering corruption and a map that could solve a decades-old mystery. Review: One of my favorites in the series; a beautifully layered narrative with suspense and emotional depth.
📘 Glass Houses by Louise Penny Mystery | ★★★★☆ (4/5) When a mysterious figure appears in Three Pines, it sets off a chain of events that forces Gamache to confront his past decisions and their deadly repercussions. Review: A thought-provoking mystery with masterful tension and a gripping storyline.
📗 Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny Mystery | ★★★★☆ (4/5) Chief Inspector Armand Gamache finds himself named as one of the executors of a stranger’s will, leading to an intricate mystery rooted in secrets and lies. Review: Penny's storytelling shines with rich character depth and an intricately woven mystery.
📕 The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin Fantasy/Sci-Fi | ★★★★☆ (3.75/5) In a vividly imagined New York City, five people embodying the boroughs must come together to defend it from an otherworldly threat. Review: I enjoyed the premise, but sometimes the messages felt hamfisted.
#books#book recommendations#book blog#tpss books#inspector gamache#chief inspector gamache#cemeteries of amalo#the grief stones#the witness for the dead#at first spite#the librarian of burned books#a world of curiosities#i have some questions for you#rebecca makkai#louise penny#n.k. jemisin#the city we became
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Read -> Reading -> To-Read
I am not usually one for horror, terror, gothic, thrillers or anything of the sort, but I've decided to try reading out of my comfort zone!
Read: House of Cotton by Monica Brashears
I read House of Cotton and it is not for the weak-stomached. It was a mix of creepy yet intriguing. Main character Magnolia gets way in over her head throughout the book and it is cringe-worthy to read as she escapes some of her situations.
(Trigger warning: This book does contains instances of assault.)
Reading: As the Wicked Watch by Tamron Hall
Continuing in the path of thrillers, I've just begun reading As the Wicked Watch. Knowing Tamron Hall as a reporter is what drew me to the book, but the Chicago setting and the mystery within has me not wanting to put the book down.
To Read: Murder is a Piece of Cake by Valerie Burns
I came across this mystery series by chance. While this is technically book #2, I am going to start with it. Having a bakery as a backdrop to murders within a small town is just the sweetness I need to not scare me while I read!
See more of Ashley's recs
#read what the librarian is reading#tamron hall#valerie burns#cozy mystery#thrillers#booklr#book recommendations#horror#mystery#murder mystery#house of cotton#monica brashears#as the wicked watch#murder is a piece of cake#LCPL recs#ashleyrecs#read reading to-read#thriller
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Amanda Jones: The Fight Against Book Banning in America
Libraries: A Story of Books, Librarians, and the Fight for Free Thought Since childhood, books and libraries have been my sanctuary, my escape, and my gateway to endless knowledge. It all started in elementary school when I first discovered that pages weren’t just filled with words—they held secrets waiting to be uncovered. Books were my passport to other worlds, my window into different…
#Amanda Jones#banning books in America#banning diverse books#book banning crisis#book bans#book censorship#book challenges#books on race and gender#censorship in libraries#censorship in schools#defending literature#education and censorship#fight against censorship#fight for free thought#freedom to read#intellectual freedom#intellectual freedom crisis#librarians defending free speech#libraries and censorship#library advocacy#library censorship#library role in education#Louisiana Librarian of the Year#modern book burning#protecting diverse perspectives#protecting free speech#role of librarians#role of libraries in society
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I wonder who drives the books from one branch to the other in County Libraries... I wonder if it's a sinch to get if you have a CDL, if you need to volentueer a lot or if you need a degree
#library#ask a Librarian#I would love to work here but I doubt housing is affordable Here dispute how far away everything is#The uhhh library branch here says don't put books in the book drop during summer when it was 108 and well frankly 90 isn't better? Burn gas#Now I could do it I'm in a phase of living to drive I'll do it on Tuesday or something#No I might as well#Spend the day I the library again onThursday. But my focus has been bad lately#Anyways anyways. I would be a boon to my parents County which had 8 normal library and 1 in the mountains which I now rock at driving
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I have a Master's degree in information science, I'm well aware of the difference between boycotting and censorship.
To boycott is to refuse to buy a product as a way of protest.
Censorship is the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc. that are considered politically unacceptable.
Telling someone to kill themselves because of what they read is not boycotting. Sending someone death threats because of what they like to read is not boycotting. Harassing people over their reading choices is not boycotting.
Censorship doesn't start and end with book burning.
For better or worse, Harry Potter won't stop being sold or bought anytime soon -- it's a classic in children's literature, so anyone studying kidlit will need to get a copy at some point in their studies. Libraries will need copies of it because kids still read Harry Potter.
As a children's librarian, people who harass fans of Harry Potter indiscriminately really worry me.
Here's why.
1. The majority of Harry Potter fans are children.
I've had people call me disgusting and scum and an embarrassment to my disabled community. I've been suicide baited and have received death threats. All of this can be heavy enough stuff for an adult to deal with.
And then I think of how most of my 700+ elementary-aged students are huge Harry Potter fans. Because, you know, Harry Potter is a children's series. And they also have access to the internet and social media like TikTok and YouTube.
Now imagine the stuff that's been said to me being said to a kid. Because Harry Potter's main audience are KIDS.
2. This black-and-white mentality isn't healthy.
Very few things in life are cut-and-dry good vs bad. And if you employ this kind of thinking in one area of your life, odds are you'll apply it to other areas too(more on that in a moment).
And people who go out of their way to harass people who like Harry Potter don't seem to particularly care about any context beyond "If you like Harry Potter in any way whatsoever you're scum".
It hasn't mattered when I've pointed out that I absolutely and unequivocally think Rowling's TERF views are awful and scummy and wrong. It hasn't mattered that I try my best to consume the content only in ways that won't monetarily support her, (which kids typically can't do, btw). It hasn't mattered that it's literally in my job description to keep up with children's media to procure content for my patrons as well as to be able to hold conversations with them.
3. Saying "You're not allowed to read this without being harassed" is no different from saying a book should be banned.
This is ironic, seeing as the people doing the harassing are also often up in arms about queerphobic and racist book bans (as they should be) while demanding book bans of their own.
Because in their all-or-nothing way of thinking, book bans are only bad when the "bad" people do it.
No. Book bans are always bad, no exceptions.
Book bans aren't bad because they're banning the "good" books, they're bad because banning access to different ideas is always bad. Because every book has a lesson to teach us (perhaps not the lesson intended by the author, but a lesson nonetheless).
#harry potter#libraryland#librarylife#libraries#school librarian#public libraries#book burning#book censorship#harry potter fandom
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“FLYING KISS”
pairing: childhood best friend! lee jeno x nerd! reader | genre: rom-com | words: 23k
synopsis -> you and lee jeno go way back, as in diapers and all that. before he was known as the chill fuckboy, he was an all time nerd! just like you! tired of being a loser who can’t even get the guy you wanted, you badly needed tips and a makeover. who’s better to ask for help than your childhood best friend, who has proven that a nerd can be hot?
warnings -> guaranteed giddiness! pet name unlocked: bunny, two dumb idiots, jeno is a yearner!!!, slow burn? kinda but once it starts, it starts, mentions of: car crash, a deceased parent, too many side characters from other groups, +18, crude language, mentions of fuck-boys, parties, drinking, a fight between the boys, blood, a nasty cut, heavy on the smut! reader is a virgin, lots of fingering, oral (m+f), handjob, blowjob, mention of mutual masturbation, corruption kink, pop the cherry!, soft sex, exhibitionism, jeno is a dirty dirty boy with lots of dirty thoughts and a dirty mouth.
an -> the second installment of the loverboy series is yours! this one literally just flowed through me, i could not stop writing, squealing and giggling at this trope. i’m dreading leaving them behind. you do not need to read stupid cupid to understand this story but here are some important things to take note of: 1) jeno is the chill fuckboy, he does not like the whole hopping to one girl to another thing so he gets into a lot of meaningless situationships with girls he does not care about 2) jaemin is currently the only happily taken member of the dream fraternity, he calls his gf: angel. k, have fun reading, with love, c!
the library buzzed with the soft hum of university life filled with quiet chatter, the occasional laugh and the rustling of pages. there were small groups of friends in heated discussions, catching up on life or laughing over a joke. some were hunched over textbooks, deep in concentration, others were lost in their books, barely blinking, while a few had surrendered to sleep, heads resting on their arms. and, tucked away in the back, were the ones who thought they were subtle – furtive glances, sneaky touches, stolen kisses.
there was a place for everyone in the library and it was your favorite place in the entire world.
but right now, as you watch your long-time crush, third year business major, the soccer team’s mvp, jung sungchan, stick his tongue down a random girl’s throat, you can’t help but feel like your safe haven has been tainted.
the grip you had on your pencil tightens as your eyebrows furrowed at the scene that played out, jealousy taking over your features. out of all the places on campus, he had to choose your spot. you have half the mind to report to the librarian. you were already classified as the school’s nerd, why not add snitch to your dictionary?
“what’s that look on your face?,” your best friend’s voice pulled you back to earth, playful, as he plopped down on the seat next to you.
jeno has been fated to be your best friend way before you were even born. with your dad’s being the best of friends, it was written in the stars, whether you liked it or not.
but you liked it, and so did he.
if it wasn’t for jeno, you might have ended up a complete social outcast. thanks to his status and the fact that you were always seen together, people decided you were tolerably weird. you weren’t nose-picking weird or talking to yourself in the hallways weird, just…a little awkward.
and if it wasn’t for you, jeno probably wouldn't have made it into university to begin with. you tutored him in almost every class, every time he struggled with anything school related, he ran to you, from elementary school to university, you were practically his teacher.
they say university is supposed to be the place where you let go of your childhood self and finally grow up. yet here you are now, a third year student and you still haven't quite grown into the lady you were supposed to be. trends went over your head, fashion didn’t interest you and makeup was harder than your architect class. half your wardrobe was made up of high school leftovers, you were still sporting bangs that you had from middle school and you never really saw the point in “fixing yourself up.”
at least, one of you did — jeno somehow made his way into the dream fraternity and somehow earned the title the chill fuckboy. it was odd, seeing people start treating him differently. even odder when you started to see girl’s eyes follow him like he was some kind of lead in a main k-drama and then land on you with a confused gaze. like they couldn’t understand why he was friends with someone like you.
“nothing,” you say quickly, finally tearing your eyes away from sungchan and forcing your attention on the assignment in front of you.
jeno, not satisfied with your answer, followed your earlier gaze, a light chuckle slipping past his lips, “aww, does my little bunny wunny have a crush?,” he cooed, reaching over to pinch your cheek, his trademark eye smile on display.
bunny was the nickname he had given you when you both were eight years old. in some twisted doom, like you were always going to be life’s punching bag, all your baby teeth fell out at the same time, leaving only the two front teeth behind. these days, he throws in a ridiculous wunny at the end just to piss you off.
“shut up jeno,” you scowl, swatting his hand away and adjusting your glasses back into place.
he chuckles, unfazed, before pulling out his own assignments and settling in beside you. a comfortable silence draping over the two of you, easy and familiar.
but your mind was still reeling. you wanted, so badly, to be the girl who was kissing sungchan instead of the nerd he only acknowledged when he needed answers for a test. you wanted to hold his hand, to walk around campus with him, to be the one sitting in the back of the library.
you wanted to be the girl that people wanted to be.
your gaze drifts to your best friend. jeno hadn’t always been this effortlessly put-together, with his hair perfectly styled, clothes fitting him properly, and those annoying sculpted arms that somehow always had a girl clinging to them.
you’re reminded of a different version of him – the times when you had matching glasses, his head way too big for his body, the endless rotation of naruto and pokemon t-shirts he always had on and the way he would stutter every time a pretty girl would even look at his direction.
if he could grow into the handsome, confident man he is now, why couldn’t you?
and then, just like that, a lightbulb flickers on.
“...neno,” you call out to him, sweetly.
jeno eyes you with immediate suspicion, you only use that nickname when you want something from him, “what?,” he asks, an eyebrow raised.
“we’re best friends, right?,” you ask, innocently blinking up at him.
“is the sky blue???,” he shoots back, voice dripping with playful sarcasm. you ignore it, too caught up in the plan buzzing in your head.
“so, as my best friend, you’d do anything for me, right?,” you press, excitement coursing through.
he narrows his eyes, “that depends on what you’re about to ask from me,” he says, looking at you with a mixture of suspicion and mild horror.
“make me hot,” you say, dead serious.
jeno chokes on absolutely nothing, eyes going wide as the words hit him, “what?!.” he hisses, half-whisper, half-scream, as if you just confessed to a felony. a few heads turned your way and you can’t help but blush under the sudden attention.
“you’re so dramatic!,” you whisper, shrinking behind your books. all your previous confidence, going down the drain as you finally realized what you just asked him to do.
jeno charmingly waves, muttering his apologies until the curious stares faded and the library’s usual hush returned.
“y/n,” he said, suddenly serious, gaze locked on you, “what do you mean by ‘make you hot’?” his entire focus on you.
you sigh, heat crawling up your neck, “nevermind, jeno, it’s nothing,” you say, grabbing the nearest book, hoping to bury this conversation along with your pride.
before you could turn a page, jeno snatches it away from you, “hey, no secrets between us remember,” he said, gently but firmly.
you stared at the table, lips pressed into a thin line, weighing the embarrassment against the aching truth in your chest, “i just meant…help me be desirable, i’m tired of being a nerd, jeno. i just want someone to look at me and think i’m pretty,” you admit, too embarrassed to look him in the eye.
“i think you’re pretty, bunny,” he says quietly.
you groaned, immediately burying your face in your hands. this was too embarrassing. you felt like you were fishing for compliments.
“ugh, you’re only saying that because you’re my best friend and our dads will literally kill you if you don’t,” you say, voice muffled by the table below you.
jeno chuckles lightly beside you, “i’m not just saying that.”
you sit back up slowly, looking him dead in the eye, “jeno, i’ve never been asked out, never held hands with someone, hell, i’ve never even kissed anyone,” you reason, head plopping back into your chair.
“—that’s not true!, you’ve kissed me,” he points out earning an eye roll from you.
“jeno we were 14 and i kissed you like how i would kiss my mom,” you say, “it doesn’t count,” you shut your eyes, silently begging the universe to erase this entire moment from existence.
but your words lingered in jeno’s head – the quiet desperation in your voice, the way your eyes had pleaded without meaning to and before he could even think twice, his mouth moved on its own.
“i’ll see what i can do,” he said. your eyes flew open, locking onto his with a sparkle that transferred over to his own.
“thank you, neno,” you grinned, ruffling his hair with a smirk, excitement bubbling through you.
he groaned in protest, batting your hands away but the smile tugging at his lips betrayed him.
a second later, his phone flashes on his side. one glance at the screen and he was already gathering his things, “gotta go, lia texted,” he said, slinging his bag over his shoulder.
you nodded, smiling up at him, “have fun, don’t get pregnant,” you teased.
he chuckled, messing your hair up on his way out, “no promises,” he winked, making your face scrunch up in disgust. the image of your best friend having sex was not appealing at all.
₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎
after spending a couple of hours buried in his current situationship’s legs, jeno finally made his way back to the dream house.
the conversation you had in the library constantly playing in his mind as he quickly barges into jaemin’s room, “dude-i oh…sorry!,” his eyes widen, apologizing as he redirects his stare at the ceiling, but doesn’t make an effort to leave.
jaemin scrambles to wrap the blanket around his girlfriend, who is currently face down, ass up with his dick still inside her, “dude!, get out!?,” he yells furiously, throwing a pillow at him.
“i need to ask you something,” jeno says, making jaemin groan, “can you ask me later?, im busy,” he grunts, his girlfriend still clenching tightly around him.
“oh…yeah, sorry…hi angel,” jeno mutters out, a playful smile on his lips before leaving and locking the door behind him, hearing an embarrassed, muffled, “hi jeno,” from jaemin’s girlfriend, on his way out.
“learn to lock the door!,” he laughed from the other side, the sound of skin slapping resuming as he made his way down the living room.
for the past few hours, your words had been playing on a loop in his head. he wasn’t sure where to start or how to go about helping you. not because he didn’t want to but because he’d never realized you needed that kind of help.
sure, he noticed that there were never any boys around, other than him, but he thought you preferred it that way. always scowling in disgust when a guy tries to get near you or even breathe the same air as you.
and besides the fact that he wanted to repay you for always helping him without asking for anything in return, he’d always thought you were pretty.
when you were six, with a scraped knee, and tear streaked cheeks after falling as you chased after his hamster who escaped - pretty.
when you were eight, missing all your teeth except the two in the front, food always ending up smeared all over your face - pretty.
when you were eleven, threatening all his bullies to stay away from him or you would call your dad - pretty.
when you were fourteen and you kissed him because you were curious why your parents were always kissing - so pretty.
when you were fifteen, drowning in a pink puffy dress that ate you up whole - ridiculous, but pretty.
when you were sixteen, at your mom’s funeral, crying on his shoulder, not allowing anyone else near you but him - hauntingly pretty.
when you were eighteen and you both had gotten your acceptance letters for university, excitedly jumping around together - pretty.
when you were twenty and crashed his car because you thought there was a dog on the road, only for it to be the shadow of the tree you crashed into - annoying, but still so damn pretty.
as your best friend, he wants you to see yourself the way he saw you.
if this was what it took to help you finally claim your confidence, then he’d do whatever it takes to make sure it worked. whether or not this was about impressing that boy you liked, he didn’t care. he just wanted to help you feel more sure of yourself.
an hour passed before jaemin finally joined him in the living room, immediately punching him in the arm, “learn to knock,” he huffs out before sitting next to his friend.
jeno chuckles, rubbing his arm, “i didn’t see anything, promise,” he turns to his friend, “you better not have or i’ll literally scoop your eyes out and feed it to you,” his friend grunts making him scrunch up in disgust.
“that’s disgusting,” jeno comments, the mental image making both of them squirm before bursting out into laughter.
“so what did you need?,” jaemin asks as soon as their laughter dies down.
“i actually need your girlfriend’s help,” he smiles sheepishly, piquing the other boy’s curiosity.
“with what?,” jaemin asks.
“with y/n,” jeno says before jaemin nods, getting up to get his girlfriend out of his room and into the living room. the rest of the boys knew who you were, of course, and as jeno had requested, they all looked out for you.
jaemin’s girlfriend listens intently at the plan jeno had - a makeover. he knew he needed a girl’s touch since he didn’t really know anything about the work that girls put into themselves to make them look ‘hot’.
he could argue he thought they just came that way. just like how you have always been pretty.
“well, im kind of done with all of that makeover and stuff,” she briefly smiles at her boyfriend, “but i do know the perfect girl,” shes says smiling, as jeno notes down the girls’ name, paying her a visit.
₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎
two days later, jeno came prepared. plopping down in his usual seat in the library, right next to you, armed with a notepad that was opened to the page:
operation bunny’s glow-up
step 1: the makeover
step 2: closet cleanse and wardrobe upgrade
step 3: posture, confidence and flirting 101
step 4: bunny’s party reveal
you blinked at the notebook in front of you, registering the words written in jeno’s extremely neat handwriting, “what is this?”
“this,” he said, tapping the page, “is how i'm going to help you,” jeno explains.
there were too many steps and you’re suddenly so very aware how ridiculous this actually was, “can we just magically skip to step four where i’m already pretty and perfect and partying?,” you sigh, already feeling exhausted.
jeno almost wants to scold you for thinking you weren’t already pretty and perfect but remembered this is why he was doing this in the first place. to make sure you know you were pretty and perfect.
instead he says, “nope, this is a full process. you asked for my help and that’s what you’re getting, no backing out and definitely no easy way out.”
the sternness in his voice made you realize how serious he was about this. “you’re really gonna do all this for me, neno?,” you ask, a hint of gratitude shining in your eyes.
“of course i am, that’s what best friends are for,” he shrugs, ruffling your hair once again.
which is how you ended up here, seated in a salon chair with the girl you met just a couple minutes ago, your best friend leaving you all by your awkward self with no other than — giselle, third year cosmetology major and one of the school’s hottest girls.
her preppy personality was overwhelming, confidence radiating off her like perfume. you had no idea how to interact with her, no clue how any girl could be so aware of her beauty and completely own it the way she did.
it’s almost unfair how nice she was too. hot, popular girls were supposed to be mean, rude, intolerable. that’s how they’re portrayed in every teen movie you’ve seen. but giselle is kind, easygoing, talked to you like you weren't several social status’ below her in the pyramid you’ve made up.
“alright, so we’re gonna make sure your hair frames for your face perfectly and get rid of all your split ends,” she explains, hands already in motion as she fluffs your hair out, moving it around, parting it here and there to visualize what looks best on you.
once she figured it out, she let out a satisfied hum and got to work. the scissors glide gracefully, almost like they were an extension of her fingers and you can’t help but be mesmerized.
“so, how did you and jeno meet?,” she asks, casually starting the conversation as her hands continue to move through your hair.
“uhm, our parents are best friends,” you mumble, trying not to sound as stiff as you feel.
“ooh, that’s fun!,” she comments and you’re not entirely sure if she means it or if she’s just trying to be polite. either way, you appreciate her effort.
“and you’ve never had a crush on him?,” she adds, eyebrows raised. the shock on your face is evident, the very idea of having a crush on your best friend making your stomach twist.
“uhh no, i’ve never seen him that way,” you reply, a shudder slipping down your spine.
giselle laughs, clearly amused, “i see,” she hums, “your best friend is hot though, you know?,” you smile up at her, nodding, blush creeping up your cheeks.
of course you knew people considered jeno hot but you’re not entirely sure you agree with that statement.
he was the same boy who was crying to you because his hamster escaped, the same boy who got his braces stuck in your sweater, the same boy who ran away when you kissed him, the same boy who almost cried when your acceptance letter came in the mail first, his nowhere to be seen until a week later – your best friend was cute, the same way a puppy was cute.
“soo, who do you think is hot?,” she asks, playful curiosity dancing in her eyes.
is this what girl talk is?
“uhmm,” you shy away under her friendly gaze. you’ve never really had anyone to talk to about boys. with your mom passing away at an early age and all your girlfriends more interested in their anime crushes than real ones, this kind of conversation feels like uncharted territory.
“don’t worry, i'm really good at keeping secrets,” she says, urging you to go on. there’s something about her aura that you trust. and you knew that if jeno didn’t trust her, he wouldn’t have left you alone with her in the first place. so for the first time in your life, you indulge in girl talk.
“i think umm…i think sungchan is hot,” you mutter, shy, eyes immediately darting to the floor.
she gasps, an exaggerated, delighted sound, “i totally agree” she says giggling, “you have great taste,” she giggles. then, leaning in with excitement, she whispers, “i’m gonna make sure sungchan falls in love with you.”
you glance at her reflection in the mirror and despite yourself, a smile appears on your face, giddy and a little disbelieving.
“and…we’re done with your hair!,” she announces, your focus darting at your own reflection. your eyes widen slightly. she made your hair look like what you would see in the magazines – sleek, soft, effortlessly perfect.
the change in your appearance already reflecting back at you.
“this is just the beginning,” she whispers again, a friendly smile displayed on her lips.
she gently reclines the chair you were sitting on then tilts your chin up with practiced fingers, her eyes scanning your face with focused curiosity as she takes your glasses off, “hmm, okay,” she murmurs, turning your face side to side. you can’t help but feel awkward, gaze drifting everywhere else, avoiding eye contact.
“okay…i’m just gonna clean up your brows, and wax a little peach fuzz if that’s okay?,” she asks, voice light and reassuring. you nod, unsure what all that means but trusting her anyway.
giselle gets to work immediately, a new tool in her hand, and wax paper placed on your upper lip and in just twenty minutes, she steps back, satisfied.
your face looks softer…more defined. more you, somehow.
“you’re so pretty, y/n,” she says warmly, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world, “and we barely did anything.”
the compliment hits you harder than you expect. pretty wasn’t a word you would ever describe yourself yet here is one of the most beautiful girls you’ve ever seen calling you that. tears sting the corner of your eyes before you can blink them away.
“c’mon,” she says, voice still gentle but laced with excitement, “we’re not done, grab your stuff, we're going somewhere.”
after spending exactly thirty-two minutes in giselles car, singing along to the radio and laughing at her endless stream of chaotic stories, which you thought was something you’d never ever do, you were now at the mall. more specifically, standing in front of a waxing salon.
you shoot her a nervous glance, eyes wide with suspicion.
“i figured you’d be more comfortable with a stranger you’d never have to see again,” she says with a casual shrug, and suddenly it clicks why you’re here.
you knew what a waxing salon was, you just never thought you’d voluntarily stepped foot into one.
“this is my go-to, they get everything and it doesn’t hurt that bad,” she promises, reassuring, and you swore you look like a tomato with how much you’re blushing.
when giselle said they get everything, she meant they get everything.
even body parts that you didn’t think would have hair on them, body parts that no one else has seen but your own eyes. you almost can’t believe you were in this position right now, but giselle was right – a stranger was better for this. the only thing keeping you from bolting was the comforting knowledge that you’d never have to make eye contact with the person who was currently in between your legs again.
after an hour and several compromising positions later, you were finally done. your skin felt smoother than a baby’s, which was honestly kind of mind-blowing.
giselle was waiting for you at the reception, a bag in her hand, her eyes lighting up as soon as she saw you, “okay!, so i got you a little starter kit filled with makeup, skincare and all the other essentials,” she said, practically bouncing, “let’s go back to my place and i’ll teach you how to use it!”
her excitement was infectious and you couldn’t help but smile just as wide – her bubbly energy sinking into your bones in the best way.
making your way to giselle’s bedroom, you notice how different your rooms were. while yours was covered with posters and music records from all your favorite bands, her’s was covered in magazine clippings of what you assumed are the most popular fashion trends.
while your shelves were filled with books of all genres, she had an entire shelf dedicated to makeup and skincare products. another filled with several handbags and shoes. you weren’t even aware that girls had to have that many.
“sit, my canvas,” she says, lightly teasing, pointing to the chair in front of her vanity mirror as she pulls things out of the bag she gave you.
“we’re keeping it simple, just the basics: primer, foundation, brows, blush, and lipstick of course.”
you nod like you understood anything she was saying. she caught the panic in your eyes and smiled softer this time, “don’t worry,” she said, uncapping a small bottle of primer, “i got you.”
she talked you through every step. primer, foundation, blending like your life depended on it. she filled in one of your brows and handed you the pencil, urging you to try it out yourself. you tried to mimic her, hand shaky, tongue slightly poking out in concentration. this was definitely harder than she made it out to be.
“you’re a natural,” she says, satisfied with your work and you can feel your confidence growing with every second you spend with her. it’s as if she was sharing the amount of confidence she had with you.
by the end of it, you stared at yourself in the mirror and barely recognized your own reflection. not because the makeup was dramatic, it wasn’t, but because you looked like someone who belonged.
like someone who chose how she wanted to be seen.
“there…you look beautiful,” giselle murmurs behind you, chin resting lightly on your shoulder, “i have one last thing for you,” she says, reaching for another bag and you’re not sure how you could ever repay her for all of this.
as if she could read your thoughts, she quickly says, “don’t worry about it, jeno paid for it”
“glasses can be hot, but the ones you have now, completely hides your face so…,” she pulls out two things, “first, i got you these silver ones, they’re smaller but they’ll sit on your face better,” she hands it to you.
you take them, fingers brushing over the smooth metal. the glasses were cute, not your usual style, but when you slipped them on and looked in the mirror, you instantly understood what she meant. they frame your features instead of swallowing them whole.
giselle pats herself on the back, clearly happy with her decision, “and if you’re feeling a little braver,” she trails off, pulling out the last item, “-contact lenses, i asked jeno for your prescription so those should be good, they’re pretty easy to put on too but just in case, i’ll message you a youtube video with step by step instructions,” she smiles at you, soft and sincere.
and you can’t hold it in anymore. her kind actions pull at your heartstrings as the dam breaks – tears sliding down your cheeks before you can stop them.
“thank you, giselle,” you say in full gratitude, voice thick with emotion.
“of course,” she whispers, her eyes matching yours as she pulls you into a hug.
“-now stop crying, okay, makeup is expensive,” she says, laughing as she wipes at her own damp lashes. you both burst into giggles, the room light again despite the weight in your heart.
and then a knock makes its way to her bedroom door, echoing throughout her room.
giselle quickly fixes your tear stained cheeks, “alright, if you ever need anything else, just let me know okay?,” she says, and you nod, thankful for her kindness.
“let's see what your best friend has to say,” she squeals as she rushes over to the door, swinging it open and revealing jeno on the other side.
you hadn’t even thought about how jeno would react or how other people would take in your new appearance. you suddenly felt extremely nervous. he was the first person who was going to see you like this — you wanted him to react well.
jeno steps into the room, hands in the pockets of his hoodie, expression casual until he sees you and suddenly he feels like every air has been knocked out of his lungs.
you have always been pretty but right now you look absolutely, breathtakingly, beautiful.
he realizes he’s been staring in silence for too long when he notices you shift in your seat, the words, “what?,” slipping from your lips, almost harsh, trying to sound casual.
he blinks a few times, gulping “n-nothing y-you just look–,”
“different?,” you complete his sentence, afraid he will start teasing you. his stare becomes more uncomfortable with every second of silence that passes.
“-r-really p-pretty,” he finally manages to say. a smile takes over your features, his compliment completely blowing away the feelings of doubt that were starting to cloud.
jeno almost wants to beat himself up for stuttering so much.
“ahh, my work here is done,” giselle beams, looking in between you with a knowing look only she knew the meaning of. she clapped like she’s the proud host of a makeover show, as she should. jeno clears his throat, immediately reminded that you both had an audience.
₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎
a soft knock echoed at your dorm room’s door, followed by jeno’s familiar voice. when you opened it, you caught the tiny flicker in his eyes. he was still trying to get used to your new appearance. its been two days since giselle’s successful makeover and he still hasn’t fully adjusted to this version of you.
but it was time to start step two of the operation - closet cleanse and wardrobe upgrade.
“wait,” you say, squinting at him, “you’re the one that’s gonna look at my clothes?,” you say, bewildered.
what did jeno know about ladies’ fashion?
“yeah, who else would it be?,” he asks, raising an eyebrow.
“i don't know, i thought you would’ve brought giselle or another one of your lady friends,” you mumbled as he casually made himself at home on your bed.
he grinned, flopping back against your pillows like he owned the place, “nope, just me, don’t worry…i know what looks good,” he says, a playful smile on his lips as you eyed him suspiciously, “and how exactly are you going to rate my clothes?,” you ask.
he shrugs, “i’ll figure it out as we go, now come on, show me what you got,” he says, making himself comfortable in your sheets.
truthfully, his rating was completely unscientific and wildly biased. he was judging your clothes based on the question: if a girl walked by in this outfit, would i say hi?
and he knows damn well that if you ever found out you were being styled based on his imaginary dream girl, you’d kick him right where the sun won't shine. so he kept that little detail to himself.
“ugh, okay,” you groaned, giving in as you started taking your clothes out of your wardrobe and holding them up for him.
jeno leaned back, arms folded behind his head, watching you with an amused glint in his eyes. he was way too comfortable in your space but then again, he always had been.
one by one you pulled clothes from your closet – the shirts you’ve had since middle school, some with funky patterns, others just straight up horrendous. pants with weird patterns and those that didn’t help accentuate your figure at all.
for once, you were thankful for being one of the lucky ones who didn’t have a roommate. no one else needed to witness this humiliation.
jeno, however, was getting the full show. he has never realized how bad your wardrobe was until now. each new item of clothing you pulled out seemed to be worse than the last. and then came the final blow.
the naruto and pokemon shirts. his oversized naruto and pokemon shirts. jeno’s jaw slacks open, like the very memory of those shirts carried his own personal trauma, “why the hell do you have those?!,” he blurted, sitting up like he’d just seen a ghost.
“your dad gave them to me when you outgrew them, i just kept them,” you shrug.
“burn it.” his voice was flat, non-negotiable.
“what?! no!, these are comfortable and i like wearing them to sleep!,” you defend, clutching the shirts like they were priceless heirlooms. jeno stares at you wide eyed, expression teetering somewhere between disgust and betrayal “you cannot let anyone see you in those,” he says, deadly serious, making you chuckle.
“stop being so dramatic, i bet if you wore these now, people would think it’s cool,” you say and jeno shakes his head furiously, like he can't even fathom the idea of ever wearing it again, “no, absolutely not, i’ve buried that version of myself. deep.”
“well, i’m not burning them!,” you declare, shoving the shirts deep into your drawer, making sure he can’t pull it out behind your back.
by the end of it you had two piles. the “i guess that’s okay” pile and the “don’t ever wear that again, that’s going straight to donation,” pile which was unfortunately about three times bigger.
“jeno, i have like no clothes left!,” you say, plopping down on the bed next to him, limbs heavy with defeat.
your room looked like it was run through by a tornado, clothes scattered in every corner.
without a word, jeno pulls you into his arms, fingers brushing your hair out of your face with an ease that only comes from years of friendship, “we’re gonna go shopping,” he murmurs against your temple, “it’s gonna be fine.”
you let yourself melt into his side with a sigh, “okay, but like…in five minutes, i’m too tired to even attempt being a hot girl right now,” he chuckles softly and you feel the sound more than you hear it, sleep tugging you under.
jeno lets his eyes flutter shut too, a small contented smile on his lips.
five minutes, she said. he’d give her ten.
ten minutes turned into three hours and you woke up with your legs tangled with the boy beside you, “neno,” you groaned, shoving him off of you, “you’re so fucking heavy,” you whine.
jeno slowly wakes up, blinking the sleep away as he sluggishly rubbed at his eyes, “fuck, what time is it?,” he says before reaching out for his phone and answering his own question.
it was only 6PM, still plenty of time to run to the mall and get you your new upgraded outfits.
and exactly thirty minutes later, jeno was dragging you around all the stores with the latest fashion trends. you didn’t even know your best friend knew these stores existed, “how do you know so much about this?” you ask him, eyeing him suspiciously.
he shot you a grin over his shoulder, “well, i do listen to every girl i talk to, you know” he points out and you’re reminded of the fact that your sweet, nerdy best friend was also one of the university’s hot, sexy, fuck-boy.
you rolled your eyes, “gross.” you still can’t believe he even has that reputation. wanting to smack yourself every time you get reminded of it. how could your glasses-wearing, braces-clad, cried-over-a-hamster best friend turn into some kind of lady killer? it didn’t feel real.
“hey, it’s called research,” he teased, “gotta keep them interested somehow.”
he grabs a shopping cart, pulling at everything he thought looked nice on the mannequins, as well as a couple of pieces of clothing that fit his previous criteria.
you follow him around like a lost child. you don’t even remember the last time you had a shopping trip and bought something for yourself. you were usually only here to buy gifts or if you’re forced to buy new underwear.
after a while of aimlessly wandering as jeno does all the work, you find yourself in the dressing room, a shopping bag filled with clothes in your arm.
now here you were, staring at your reflection in pure disbelief. the first matching outfit jeno picked out was a tiny pink skirt and an even tinier pink crop top that left your midriff exposed, “uhhm, jeno i dont know about this one,” you say from the other side of the door, nervous.
“step out, let me see,” he says, patiently sitting outside of your dressing room stall, voice relaxed, clearly unbothered.
slowly, hesitantly, your fingers hover over the lock before unlocking the door, debating on whether or not you should let him see you in this ridiculous outfit that is showing way too much skin than you’re used to. before you could completely psych yourself out, you took a deep breath, mentally preparing yourself before finally swinging the door wide open, revealing the outfit to him.
jeno looked up and almost choked on air.
the outfit definitely hugged your curves in all the right places, made your skin glow and your legs look longer, and god, yes, he would definitely go up to you and say hi if he saw you at a party.
but then he thinks about all the other boy’s who would also go up to you and say hi and do god knows what else and the thought almost knocks him out.
“yeah, that doesn’t look comfortable, i don't like it,” he says a half lie. you quickly agree, relieved, as you go back into the dressing room to try on your next outfit.
jeno feels hot.
the air was too thick and he wanted to dunk his head in cold water to remind himself that this was you.
he shakes the thoughts away. these are thoughts he shouldn’t be thinking about, especially with his best friend. but it was no use. because the next time you stepped out of the dressing room you were wearing a white skirt a little longer than the last one and a light blue top that covered what needed to be covered but was just enough to exude that sexiness he liked in a girl and he swore he needed to get into a bathroom. now.
“this one’s a bit better, i could actually wear this,” you comment, innocently looking at him through those silver glasses that makes your eyes pop out, a small smile on display and all he could do was nod, “yeah…t-that one’s nice,” he says, disguising his stutter under a fake cough.
you smiled, pleased with his answer, and he felt his stomach flip.
he was in so much trouble.
this torture went on for a good fifteen more outfits, tiny side comments coming from him while his sanity continues to slip just a little more. his pants feel more restricted every time you walk out dressed in the cutest outfits that looked like they were made for you.
the worst ones were the ones you liked. the ones that made your eyes twinkle in the mirror and made you smile like you were finally starting to see yourself the way he saw you – absolutely beautiful.
there’s a million f words running through his head.
why the fuck did he think this was a good idea? why the fuckity fuck didn’t he just ask giselle to add this to her makeover process? why the fuckity fuck fuck did he throw all those tiny tops and short skirts into your basket? why the flying fuckity fuck fuck fuck shit fuck are you so fucking pretty? and more importantly – what the actual fuck are you, his best friend, doing to him?
after a long three hours of internal screaming – it was finally over.
you emerged from the mall looking like you’d just won a game show, all smiles and sunshine, bubbling with excitement, happy with the outfits your best friend picked out for you while jeno trudged behind you, hauling ten full shopping bags, half amused, half in pain.
he drove in near silence as you yapped on and on about your makeover with giselle, every detail you hadn’t had the chance to spill yet now tumbling out all at once.
in the middle of your yapping session, you noticed the boy wasn’t as active as he usually was, no silly side comments, no teasing remarks.
“neno..,” you sweetly called out to him and jeno nearly swerved.
god, the things that nickname did to him.
“you okay?,” you asked, eyes flicking over to him.
“yeah bunny, just tired,” he said with a small smile, trying to play it cool.
“that was a lot of shopping for a guy, y’know?” he glanced at you quickly, then back to the road, “keep going, tell me more about your day with giselle,” he says.
you eyed him for a second longer, as if trying to read him, then picked up right where you left off.
he dropped you off and made sure you were safely in your room. before he could leave you surprised him by reaching out and pulling him into a hug. with your arm tight around his waist, face pressed against his chest, you let out a soft sigh, “thank you, neno, sorry for taking up so much of your time.”
jeno chuckles, gently smoothing your hair down with one hand, hoping you don’t realize how fast his heart was beating, “you can never take too much of my time, bunny, you know that” he says, reassuring you.
you look up at him, with that sweet, grateful smile that’s currently driving him crazy, “you’re the best best friend in the entire world,” you say, before leaning up and pressing a sweet, innocent kiss to his cheek.
jeno should’ve been used to it.
you’ve been kissing his cheek ever since you were five years old and playing in the mud together. he argues today just wasn’t his day.
maybe it was the outfit? maybe it was the soft curve of your smile? or maybe it was the fact that he hadn’t had sex in so long (two days) it was affecting his logic?
whatever it was, that little peck nearly sent him spiraling.
“go and rest,” you said, pushing him towards your door and out of your dorm room, “thanks for shopping with me,” you ended the night with a lopsided grin before shutting your door as he finally made his way out.
he didn’t go home right away. instead he found himself at lia’s place, hands roaming and mind elsewhere, trying to exorcise whatever the hell was clawing at him from the inside out.
he kissed her like he meant it, touched her like he was desperate – because he was. so, so desperate for release. he fucked the shit out of her, releasing all his sexual urges as he guiltily pictured you in those tight, revealing outfits.
pictured you smiling up at him having absolutely no idea the effect you left behind. pictured your sweet voice calling him that nickname you gave him when you were fourteen before you stole his first kiss.
and when he finally finished, breathless and sweaty, staring up at the ceiling of a room that wasn’t his, next to a girl he barely knew, all could think about was: what the actual fuck is wrong with me?
₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎
the easy part of this transformation was over — the shopping spree, the haircut, the subtle change of your appearance had all been external.
you could already feel the power your new look gave you. for the first time in your life, you realized that pretty privilege wasn’t just some exaggerated social theory. it was real. you felt it in the smallest gestures.
on your way to the library, retracing steps you’ve taken hundreds of times before, everything felt a little different. the way people intently held the door open for you, even if you were still several steps away. the way they’d immediately made space for you in the elevator. and the way someone had already rushed to help you grab a book from the top shelf – you used to have to drag the ladder with you just to get it before.
however, just because life became a tad bit easier, doesn’t mean you felt comfortable.
what had once been comfort in invisibility was now replaced with the pressure of being seen. you weren’t used to the lingering glances or the compliments or the catcalls — it made your skin crawl, making you want to hide under the table until everyone leaves.
when jeno finally walked into the library, his eyes landed on you immediately. you wore a soft white top with jeans that finally hugged your frame and a light blue cardigan around your shoulders, collarbones out for display. it was one of the outfits you bought last night.
the guilt on his shoulders felt heavier as he was reminded of what he did — what he thought of.
forcefully shaking the thoughts away, he quietly sits right next to you. his gaze drifts to your legs anxiously bouncing under the table. a sign that something was clearly bothering you. gently, he placed a hand on your knee. you flinched slightly, then looked up at him, your expression distant – like you just realized he was there.
“bunny, what’s wrong?,” he asks, voice low and tender, threaded with concern.
“they’re all staring, jeno,” you whispered, almost like you didn’t want the words to exist.
he looks around the room, noticing the way everyone was too deep into their own worlds and while he didn’t see anyone obviously gawking, he knew it didn’t matter. it wasn’t about them. it was about what you were feeling inside.
“no one’s staring, bunny,” he murmured, voice delicate, like handling glass.
he knew better than to dismiss it. he recalls what it was like when he stepped out without the comfort of his thick-rimmed glasses and oversized t-shirts for the first time. remembers the way his heart was pounding in his chest, afraid of the judgments he might receive. he didn’t need to guess what you were feeling. he’s sure you were battling the same internal conflict right now. but just like how he got through it, he knows you will too. he’ll make sure of it.
you shut your eyes, taking a deep breath, “sorry,” you whispered, exhaling like the breath had been stuck in your chest all day, “im just- being paranoid, i’m not used to people noticing me,” you say softly.
“that’s okay,” jeno said, a warm smile blooming on his face as his hand moved to your back, rubbing slow, soothing circles, “that’s our lesson for today.”
jeno gave your shoulder a reassuring squeeze as he set his bag down beside you, “okay bunny, first thing’s first is it’s all about your mindset,” he taps his head, pointing to his brain and you can’t help but giggle at the silly antics.
“im serious,” he insisted, lips twitching into a smirk, “if someone stares, don't spiral and think ‘they’re judging me.’ instead think ‘i look good, that’s why they’re staring,’” he says.
your eyes pop out of your head, he says it like it was so easy, “doesn’t that sound a little too egotistical?,” you said, nose wrinkling.
“not egotistical, just confident,” he counters, “there’s a difference.”
you gave him a skeptical look but he was already sitting up straighter, leaving no room for arguments.
“next is posture, stop hiding behind your books and sit straight, shoulders back, chin up,” he demonstrates.
you copied his posture, finding his seriousness amusing as you rolled your shoulders back, “like this?,”
“yeah,” he nodded, approving, “you already look more confident”
you laughed quietly, already feeling silly, “i feel like i’m pretending to be someone i’m not,” you point out.
“well, confidence is pretending, at first anyway,” he replied, shrugging, “eventually you start owning up to it, it starts becoming comfortable.”
you studied your best friend for a minute or two. there was a time where he would hide behind his books as well, would even hide behind you. you realized now that his change didn’t just come out of nowhere – it wasn’t just a random growth spurt. it was something he’d worked on, something that took time and practice, just like you were doing now. you wondered how he ever managed to do this alone.
“and the most important thing to know, bunny,” he adds, voice gentler now, “you’re allowed to take up space, don’t ever apologize for being seen.”
you carried his words with you, tucking them somewhere deep, somewhere that had always longed to hear them.
you sat there in silence for a beat until jeno shifted beside you, nudging your arm lightly, “okay,” he said, eyes glinting with a mischievous spark, “time for your first assignment.”
you turned to him, instantly suspicious, “assignment?,”
he nodded, already scanning the room, “see that guy by the window,” he points to possibly the prettiest boy you’ve ever seen reading a worn copy of the hunger games: catching fire. you recognize him. you’re pretty sure he was in your elective art class.
“you’re going to flirt with him,” jeno smirks and your eyes almost bulge out of your head.
“you’re joking! that’s hyunjin,” you whisper, head whipping toward jeno.
“so?,”
“so, he’s…he’s too cool and i don't even know how to flirt!,” you whisper-shouted, hands flailing helplessly at your sides.
he chuckles, “you were the same girl who threatened to beat up my bullies when we were 11, you’re telling me you’re afraid of a boy now?,” his smile is playful, lightly provoking you. and when you don’t reply, he knew you knew that he was right, “just compliment him, smile, say he has nice hands or something.”
your mouth fell open, staring at him in horror, “that’s so dumb, jeno. what if he thinks i'm hitting on him?”
“...you are hitting on him,” he said slowly, like it was obvious.
you groaned, dragging your hands over your face, “i’m not comfortable with this.”
“that’s the point. confidence doesn’t grow in comfort zones,” jeno says and you wonder when he’s gotten so wise. usually you were the one who had these motivational words ready for him.
staring down at your lap, nerves buzzing like static in your fingertips, you take a moment to think it through. you glanced back at your best friend, he was already looking at you proudly – like he believed in you more than you believe in yourself.
you let out a breathy laugh, the absurdity the situation weighing on your chest, “if this ends in disaster–,”
“it wont,” he cuts you off and you knew there was no way to back out of this situation. besides you were the one who asked him to help you. slowly, you got up from your chair, taking a deep breath and making your way towards the boy.
“hi, hyunjin,” you start off quiet, timid, slightly afraid.
hyunjin darts his eyes away from his book, looking up at you, “hey” he replies. when you don’t say anything else right away, he shifted in his seat, “did you need anything?,” he says, an awkward smile on his lips.
you swallowed hard, nerves tangling in your throat, “i uhm…just wanted to tell you—you have nice hands!,” you say, a little too cheerful for your liking. you were internally screaming. curse jeno for putting that in your head. you actually can’t believe you used it.
he blinked. then a soft laugh escaped him, not mocking, but surprised, amused. “oh? uhm, thanks?,” he said, a playful glint in his eyes, “i like what you’ve done with your hair,” he compliments, leaving you shocked.
“what?”
he points vaguely in your direction, “you got a haircut, right? it look’s nice.”
you blinked, stunned into silence for a second too long. “thank you,” you finally breathed, cheeks warming instantly.
you didn’t realize he noticed you before. let alone remember you enough to notice a change.
“you’re welcome,” he smiles and you awkwardly wave goodbye.
you made your back to jeno, so certain that you looked like a tomato. dropping into the seat beside him, burying your face in your hands, “that was so embarrassing,” you mumbled through your fingers.
jeno tried to hide his laughter behind his fingers, afraid to be called out by the librarian for being too loud, “you actually told him he had nice hands,” he wheezed.
“shut up!,” you groaned, “that was your fault!,” you swat at his arm, “my brain just – stopped working.”
jeno calms himself down, sitting up straighter now, the teasing falling away just a little, “yeah, but you did it…and he talked to you, noticed your hair, said he liked it.”
the memory of hyunjin’s compliment flickers in the back of your mind and a small swell of pride flutters in your chest, “he did, didn’t he…,” a shy smile tugs at the corner of your lips.
jeno nods, eyes full of tenderness, “see? you’ve never been invisible,” he points out.
the words settle over you like a warm blanket and for a moment you just sit with them, the weight of the realization sinking in.
“i still felt like i was going to pass out though,” you admitted, a thin, embarrassed smile on display.
“that’s okay, confidence is scary,“ jeno said simply, “but the more you practice, the easier it’ll be,” he sends you a warm smile, never making you feel like these feelings were wrong.
without thinking, you leaned into his shoulder, seeking the steady comfort he always gave you, “thanks, neno,” you breathe out.
he freezes for a second, just for a second, before bumping his head lightly against yours, “anytime.”
then he pulls back just enough to grin mischievously, “now, go back to hyunjin and say something a little less awkward.”
“wait? right now?!,” you whip your head toward him, horrified once again.
“yes, right now…go,” he’s already pushing you up and out of your seat, laughing under his breath as he watches you stumble forward, nerves buzzing anew.
trying to ignore the way your heart pounds against your ribs, you walk back up to hyunjin, this time with a bit more confidence, capturing his attention once more.
“actually i…i wanted to say that’s a really good book,” you nod toward the hunger games book in his hand and hyunjin lights up instantly.
“right?, i’m on my third re-read,” he says excitedly.
with a casual gesture, he pulls out the chair next to him inviting you to sit as you talked about the masterpiece that is suzanne collins and the hunger games trilogy. the conversation went on for a good twenty minutes, it was easy and light and fun, a little playful sometimes. you lose yourself in the exchange, forgetting the nerves that once clawed at your chest.
when hyunjin bid his goodbye, you practically floated back to your seat. your heart was pounding in your ears but in the best way possible. you can’t believe that just happened. you usually only talk to people in class, if you’re required to.
jeno watched you. watched that twinkle in your eye appear, your smile beaming as the conversation continues and it’s the first time throughout this whole process that he sees the change.
you were slowly bringing back the girl he knew. the girl you lost along the way. the girl he always knew was still there, just waiting for a reason to shine.
when you returned to him, he can’t help but tease you just a little bit, “look who’s suddenly ms. social butterfly,” he grins, earning an eye roll from you as you tried to wipe the giddy smile off your face, “shut up”
“no seriously,” he says, leaning forward now, resting his elbows on the table, “twenty full minutes, i was about to send a search party,” he smirks.
“always so dramatic,” you huff but your smile betrays you, “i didn’t think it’d actually go that well,” you admit, cheeks still pink.
“you flirted, you sat down, talked about hunger games lore like it was natural…if i didn't know you, i’d think you do this every day,” he smirks.
you narrow your eyes, “are you mocking me or hyping me up?,” you say playfully.
“why not both?,” he shrugs, clearly enjoying himself. his tone softens just enough to say, “but seriously bunny, im proud of you,” and you smile at him like he just handed you the stars in the sky.
“thanks…i feel kinda…good.”
“confidence will do that to you,” jeno says, nudging your foot under the table.
₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎
the next few days turn into a full crash course in flirting 101 with lee jeno.
one afternoon, he dares you to make eye contact with the cute guy handing out flyers in campus, not just a glance, real eye contact. it sounds simple but it makes your palms sweat. you were able to managed a flirty smile too and when the boy stammers mid-sentence, jeno practically fist-pumps the air behind you.
another day, he made you strike up a casual conversation with the barista at the cafe. told you to be a little playful, a little flirty. you passed with flying colors, only stumbling over a few words, the barista writing his number on your cup as well as giving you an extra cookie “on the house.” you nearly skip back to jeno, face lit up like christmas morning.
each small win builds on the last, stacking slowly, steadily until the idea of putting yourself out there and owning up to your confidence doesn’t seem so scary anymore.
through it all, jeno watches with the same steady pride adoring the fact that you were learning how to take up space and shine again.
but then comes the moment that even he isn’t prepared for.
it’s a warm afternoon, golden light slanting through the library windows, when jeno leans over the table, a mischievous glint in his eye, “alright, new assignment.”
you smirk at him, accepting his challenge, “what now?”
he tips his chin toward the entrance where sungchan – tall, charming, the boy you’ve had a quite, hopeless crush on for years – walks in, balancing a coffee and his bag slung casually over one shoulder.
the air is knocked out of your lungs and you suddenly feel dizzy, hoping jeno doesn’t follow through whatever he had in mind.
“sungchan,” jeno says, making your heart skip a bit. he grins, already knowing the effect he has on you, “go invite him to the dream frat party this weekend.”
you stare at him like he’s grown two heads, “are you insane?!, that’s sungchan!”
“which makes this the perfect challenge,” he teases.
you open your mouth to protest but jeno cuts you off with a nudge on your arm, “c’mon show me you’ve learned something,” he mocks playfully.
you groan dramatically but your feet somehow move anyway, heart pounding so loudly you’re sure jeno can hear it from where he’s sitting. you were determined to show jeno (and yourself) that you have completely embraced the confidence.
you gather every shred of courage you have and cross the room toward the boy who inspired this whole glow-up.
sungchan looks up just as you approach, his smile lighting up the whole room. you send him a smile – a little flirty, a little too sweet.
“hey,” sungchan says, voice warm, “you’re in my psych class, right? you always ace every test”
you blink, a little thrown by the fact the he paid attention to you, “oh yeah, that’s me,” you say with a soft, bashful laugh, earning a chuckle from the boy in front of you.
he leans against the shelves a little, eyes raking over you in a way that makes your stomach twist. it’s not the uncomfortable kind of stare you’ve been learning to dodge lately. it’s something softer, curious, warm. like he’s seeing you for the first time.
“you look different today,” he says, tilting his head, studying you, “—in a good way.”
you feel the heat rush to your cheeks but you force yourself to stay steady, remembering everything jeno has taught you.
“thanks,” you manage, giving him a more playful, more bold smile, “maybe you just weren’t paying enough attention before.”
this surprises him, eyebrows shooting up before a slow, impressed grin stretches across his face.
“maybe i wasn’t,” he admits, the easy charm in his voice sending your heart into a full sprint.
for a second, neither of you moves. the space between you humming with quiet tension – intoxicating and terrifying all at once.
you clear your throat lightly, breaking the spell, “come to the dream frat party this weekend,” you say it like it wasn’t an invitation. wasn’t a question. didn’t give him any room to deny.
sungchan’s grin turns teasing, a spark lighting in his eyes, “am i coming as your date or…?,” he leans toward you, trailing off, leaving the question open, playful.
you bite back a laugh, finding just enough courage to meet his gaze head on, “i guess you’ll have to come to find out.”
he stares at you for a heartbeat longer. you’ve definitely piqued his curiosity. and then he laughs, easy and alluring, “okay beautiful, you’ve convinced me. i’ll be there,” he whispers for only you to hear before sending you a wink and walking away.
back at the table, jeno watches. something inside him shifts. it’s subtle, a small, tight pull low in his chest but it settles in bitterly.
he pushes it away, refusing to acknowledge it because this wasn’t supposed to matter. he wasn’t supposed to care about anything but seeing you happy.
you make your way back to him, beaming, “he said yes!,” you practically squeal, dropping into your chair like your knees might give out at any second.
jeno chuckles, reaching out to ruffle your hair, a familiar, easy gesture that suddenly feels heavier than it should.
“of course he did, you’re impossible to say no to,” he tries to tease, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes and you’re too giddy to notice any of it. you bat his hand away, cheeks flushed and full of life.
jeno is forced to swallow past the uncomfortable lump rising in his throat.
₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎
tonight is the dream fraternity’s party.
the night where you finally put everything you’ve learned, everything you’ve worked for, to the test. this was it. the final step in your glow up and you felt that electric sense of anticipation crackling just beneath your skin.
you were done waiting. done watching from the sidelines.
you were ready to let loose, to fully step into this new version of yourself.
you stepped into the house, the air thick with excitement. a tight white dress clings to your body, a bold choice you would have second-guessed before. you ditched your glasses for the night, switching it with the contact lenses giselle gave you — embracing the braveness.
this time, when you notice the stares, the double takes, the whispered comments, you don’t shrink back. you don’t flinch. you let them wash over you, feeding the fire inside you.
all those lessons with jeno clearly worked. that change in mindset was all you needed. the attention makes you glow. makes you feel powerful.
looking around the room, you searched for your best friend before finally spotting him in the corner at the back, near the kitchen.
you send him a tiny wave, he sends one back, excitement bubbling through you but before you could make your way towards him, a hand on your arm stops you.
“y/n! you look so pretty oh my god!,” giselle screeches over the loud music, a smile beaming on her face as she pulls you in for a tight hug. she was clearly already intoxicated, her balance a little wobbly but her energy still infectious.
“c’mon,” she says, already dragging you around the room with her, “you have to meet my friends!”
you happily followed her around, giggles escaping your lips, nervousness falling away with every step.
before you know it you were three shots in, dancing with the girls – giselle, somi, and angel, who you already knew before as jaemin’s girlfriend.
the music was loud, your laughters were louder.
and for the first time, you aren’t overthinking a single thing.
₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎
when jeno saw you walk into the front door, it was like time had slowed down, like a thousand cherry blossom petals had burst into the air around you, everyone else blurring into a side character of your story.
you have always been pretty. always been beautiful. but tonight, you were absolutely radiant.
and it wasn’t even the dress, though he can’t deny how much he loved the way white clung to you, soft and luminous.
it was the way you walked around the room with your head held high. the way you glowed with every step, not shying away under anyone’s gaze. the way your smile beamed.
you weren’t hiding anymore.
you have finally stepped into your own skin, finally brought back the girl he knew.
in that moment, it wasn’t just the girl standing in front of him that he saw. it was every version of you that was always beautiful – the girl that was the first one out of the house, chasing after his hamster. the girl that didn’t care if she only had two teeth left, she would still eat what she wanted. the girl who was fighting bullies three times her size just to protect him. the girl who was brave enough to kiss him first. the girl who learned to pick up the pieces.
when you waved at him, he felt like he was on cloud nine. it felt like he had stepped into his shoes all those years ago – a boy hopelessly in awe of the only person he ever wanted to see him.
and when you started walking towards him, it was like his lungs could no longer function. you stole every breath he had.
but before you could give it back to him, giselle pulls you away, spinning you into the chaos of the party, leaving jeno standing there, fighting the urge to follow.
“was that, y/n?,” jaemin says, popping out from nowhere, almost giving him a heart attack as he clutches his chest.
he punches the boy in his arm before confirming that it was in fact, you. jaemin looks at him with a knowing glance. he recognizes the familiar twinkle in jeno’s eye.
“wow,” jisung comments from his other side, making him pause.
when did all his friends show up?
“she looks really hot,” jisung adds, eyes following your figure across the room.
a devilish grin appeared on jeno’s lips and in one quick motion, he had jisung under his arm, ruffling his hair, “no, no, no…not the hair hyunggg!,” he struggled from the older boy’s grip before jeno finally released him.
“point taken, won’t say anything about her ever again,” jisung pouts, fixing his hair back into place.
“i don’t know what you mean,” jeno smiles playfully, “i just wanted to play with you.”
chenle chuckles from nearby, “oh definitely, it’s totally not because you’re possessive and way too protective of y/n,” he points out.
“i am not possessive,” jeno argues, his voice defensive, “protective, sure, but she’s my best friend guys, our parents will kill me if something bad happens to her,” he says.
“she’s also a grown woman,” renjun points out, “you can’t keep pushing away every guy who thinks she’s hot, you know?”
“im not pushing away every guy!…just you guys,” jeno protests. he would never let any of his friends touch you, knowing what he knows.
there’s a pause as the group stares at him, “mhm, cause her really tall, really muscular, really intimidating, doesn’t smile at anyone, guy best friend being by her side almost all the time isn’t pushing away any boys,” haechan adds, teasing.
“it’s not my fault those boys don’t have the balls to ask her out,” jeno mutters, looking at mark for some support, hoping that he’d somehow take his side and tell the others that they were being ridiculous.
mark shrugs in a don’t look at me kind of way and jeno can’t help but groan in defeat.
“well, that boy definitely has the balls,” jaemin nods towards the dance floor as jeno follows his line of vision, his eyes immediately on your figure once again.
you're still with the girls but this time, sungchan and a few other guys from the riize fraternity have surrounded you, laughing and chatting with you.
“shouldn’t you get your girlfriend, jaemin?,” mark asks casually, “i know that wonbin guy has a thing for her,”
jaemin just laughs, completely unbothered, “nah, he doesn't stand a chance,” he says, sipping from his drink as the boy’s laugh.
but jeno knew that sungchan definitely had a chance with you. nothing is funny.
sungchan leans in close, whispers something in your ear and you were laughing. the laugh he thought was only reserved for him. he feels his fists clench up on his sides.
“you gonna push him away, jeno?,” haechan teases by his ear, a smirk playing on his lips, earning him a punch right on the stomach.
“shut up,” he says, haechan clutching over, his laughter mixing with his pain. he totally deserved that.
“c‘mon jisung, let’s find your girl for the night,” haechan manages to say in between choked breaths, before he dragged jisung and mark out of the room, resuming their fuckboy101 classes.
jeno watches as sungchan and you continue to talk, his gaze never wavering from the two of you. every inch of him wants to march over there and pull you away but he doesn’t. instead, he stays rooted in place, his eyes burning holes in the back of your head, feeling his pulse quicken in ways he can’t explain.
lia, his current situationship, walks up to him.
“okayy, that’s our cue,” chenle whispers before all the boys dispersed leaving jeno alone.
he doesn’t even greet her, doesn’t make an effort to say hi, eyes still glued on your figure.
“hi handsome,” lia drags her hands up his shoulders, settling on the back of his neck, her lips finding the side of his jaw.
it all happened so quickly.
one second you were still with the girls, the next sungchan dragged you to the side, his lips on yours. jeno’s jaw clenches. his heart dropping.
he needed to stop looking. he needed a distraction.
he finally acknowledges the girl clung to his neck. she reeks of alcohol and vape smoke. jeno turns to kiss her anyway.
he let’s lia drag him up the stairs, taking one last look at you. he let’s her lead him into his bedroom. let’s her strip off his clothes.
he knew you were going to be okay, knew you could handle your alcohol after many beer nights with him and he definitely knew that you were too smart to get yourself into any real trouble.
he can’t ruin this night for you.
“fuck me like you did last time,” lia whispers in his ear, trailing kisses down his neck, “fuck me like you mean it,” her hand travels down, wrapping around his already hard cock and jeno did.
he fucked her like she was all he needed. abused her hole, used her to release all his sexual tension, trying to push away the image of you from his mind.
but he found that every time you appeared, the better it felt and soon he was clenching, body shaking, his orgasm taking over as he came…with your name spilling from his lips.
₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎
bunny: come over please it’s an emergency.
jeno was banging on your door in under eight minutes of that text. which was absolutely ridiculous considering the fraternity house was a twenty minute walk away from your building. a million thoughts were racing in his head.
what happened after he left you at the party that constitutes this emergency text? were you hurt?
you swung the door open, perfectly intact. no tears, no bruises, just you – in shorts and one of his your oversized naruto t-shirt, blinking at him like he was the one being ridiculous.
side note: it’s insane how you manage to make that shirt look sexy.
he exhaled hard, one hand bracing on the doorframe as he caught his breath.
“did you run here?,” you ask, stunned, noticing the sweat dripping down the side of his face.
“you said it was an emergency,” he shot back, chest still heaving.
you offered a sheepish smile, “sorry, come in,” before walking into your room. jeno followed, shutting the door with a soft click.
“what happened?” he asked, eyes scanning you again, just to be sure, as he sat on the edge of your bed watching you pace back and forth.
“sungchan kissed me,” you tell him.
he blinked, processing, he knew that. he saw you. the reminder leaves a bitter taste on his tongue. he pushes it away, playing the best friend card once more.
“that’s good? right?,” he says cautiously, cursing the fact that he was your best friend right now and had to listen to you talk about another guy, “that’s what you wanted?”
“yeah but,” you swallowed, embarrassment already creeping up your neck, “but i didn’t know what to do!”
“what do you mean?,” he asks dumbfounded, “you just…kiss him back.”
“it’s not that simple, you weren’t there – i panicked! i-i froze! i was too into my head and then i just – i ran,” you ramble, cringing as you relived what happened last night.
a snort escapes jeno before he could stop it.
you narrowed your eyes, “don’t laugh!, it was so humiliating, i can’t believe i ran away like a literal child!,” you groan in your hands.
he tried to control his expression but the corner of his mouths betrayed him, eyes twinkling with amusement, “y/n, it’s not a big deal, you were nervous,” he reassures, “just tell him you were drunk and then try again, it's not the end of the world,” he says it so easily – like you didn’t just go through the worst moment of your life. and that’s saying a lot considering you had a dead mom.
“that’s the problem, i don’t know what i'm doing, i always thought when it happened i’d just know but i didn’t,” you whine in frustration, pulling at your hair.
he must be crazy to think you’d get a different result if you went up to sungchan now and kissed him. you’re almost sure the same thing would happen.
“you’ll be fine next time, you’ll be prepared for it,” he says. the thought of there being a next time makes you panic.
“will i?,” you cut in, “what if i freeze again?,”
“you won’t”
“you don’t know that.”
he opened his mouth to argue, but you beat him to it.
“can you teach me?,” you said, voice quiet.
jeno stills, looking at you with wide eyes like he almost couldn’t believe what you just said – “what?”
“teach me,” you sat next to him, eyes locked on his, “add a step five, teach me how to kiss, teach me how to–” you couldn’t bring yourself to say the other things, the dirtier things you wanted to learn, “–how to do other things,” you mumble.
his jaw tensed. he can’t believe what it is you’re truly asking from him. teaching you how to kiss was already absurd but teaching you how to kiss for another man? it makes him want to throw up.
“bunny –no. i don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“why not?,” your head turns like a genuinely curious puppy.
“because best friends don’t–,” he faltered, “we don’t cross that line.”
“but it’s not like that,” you looked up at him, voice softening, “it’s just…practice.”
he didn’t move. didn’t blink. he can’t fathom the fact that he was actually starting to entertain the idea.
“it’s for educational purposes…just another step in the glow up,” you added, looking at him with those innocent eyes that makes him want to give you the moon, if you asked for it.
his throat worked as he swallowed, holding on to the last bit of restraint he had, “we can’t,” but it came out too quiet, too unsure, his resolve breaking with every second.
“neno,” you whispered, eyes locked on his. it’s not fair and you know it but you’ve already convinced yourself that this is necessary. that you needed to be taught.
“please…you’re the only one i feel comfortable with, just so i could learn, so i could know what to do when these things happen and i don’t make a fool of myself again,” you say, your tone low, almost pleading.
jeno’s breath hitches in his throat. he must be crazy or maybe you truly have him wrapped around your finger because now his eyes are flickering down to your lips and he can’t look away.
he realizes just how close you actually were and just like that, everything else blurs.
he leans in slowly, cautiously, searching your eyes for any flicker of hesitation.
you remain still, you don’t move, you don’t pull away. just watching him, a mixture of quiet excitement, nerves and something warmer, something softer, spreading through you like wildfire.
“just for practice,” he murmurs, brushing his lips against yours.
“just for practice,” you breathe back.
and that was all he needed to finally close the final inch – kissing you slowly, carefully.
it hits him instantly. fireworks. the same ones he felt when he was fourteen. the same one burned at the back of his memory. all this time he thought it was just because it was his first kiss, that feeling never once coming again. but here it is. bright, real and alive in his chest.
and this time he sees it for what it is – it’s you.
he feels you stiffen up and he pulls away softly, “don’t think about it too much, just follow my lead, okay, bunny?,” the once innocent nickname leaves you feeling hot, your heart pounding in your chest as you nod.
his hand makes his way to your cheek, warm and gentle, brushing the soft skin just beneath your ear, the small smile on his lips bringing you a sense of comfort as you as he pulls you back in. lips melting in his. you gave in, shutting the rest of the world out and only focusing on the boy in front of you.
jeno tilts his head, deepening the kiss as you follow his every move. his tongue licks your bottom lip, begging for entrance as yours part on instinct. body reacting before your mind could even process what was happening.
you kiss him back – not perfectly, not practiced but with all the pent-up wonder and want you’ve never let yourself say out loud. it was so natural with jeno. like you were always meant to be kissing him.
you can taste the faint mint of the altoids he always had, feel the heat radiating off his skin.
the makeout session grows heavier and heavier as you continue to keep up with him, learning to breathe through your nose.
you shift slightly and your knees brush, thighs pressing together and suddenly you’re aware of how close you have gotten. the lack of space between your bodies is dizzying. your fingers curl into the front of his shirt, wanting him even closer.
as if he could read your mind, jeno moves his hand from your neck to your waist, fingers splaying wide, grounding you and then in one swift motion, like you had absolutely no weight, he pulls you into his lap.
you gasp softly into the kiss and he swallows the sound, “sorry,” he murmurs against your lips, not pulling back. he was completely lost in you. in this feeling that only you could give him. he swears he could kiss you for hours and it still wouldn’t be enough.
“don’t be,” you shake your head, straddling him now. your hands find his shoulders, wrapping around his frame and threading through his hair. he kisses you harder now, less careful, lips moving in a messy rhythm, teeth clashing.
almost like it had a mind of it’s own, your hips instinctively grind down on his clothed bulge. the action sending jeno into a frenzy, a strangled groan transferring from his mouth to yours, his hold on your waist tightening.
the sound was so addicting, so intoxicating and it wraps around your head like a sweet drug.
you do it again, not entirely sure what you want to achieve but it felt good. it feels like a million butterflies flying in your stomach. there’s a growing tension in your belly that you can’t pinpoint. the feeling is new, exciting, hot.
jeno was right there with you, every boundary, every line he tried to draw was completely vanishing.
his lips trail down to your jaw, then lower, to the edge of your throat and you tilt your head back with a soft breath. your heart’s pounding. his is too. you can feel it, fast and erratic against your chest.
“y/n,” he grunts your name, like a warning – hoping you would stop him because he no longer couldn’t.
“what were the other things?,” he asks you, eyes completely blown out as he looks at you with a kind of hunger. and when all you do is grind against him once more, leaning into his touch, he’s decided he wants to see you on your knees.
“lesson number two, you’re going to suck my cock,” he whispers in your ear. the vulgar words make you feel hot, your body clenching, “do you want to learn that, bunny?,” he says, voice raspier, teasing, waiting for your go signal.
you nervously look up at him, all you could do was nod, an innocent glow in your eyes and jeno swears he could bust right there.
he reaches for one of your pillows, placing it on the floor beside your bed, “get on your knees,” he gently commands. you’re quick to follow, almost like you were in a trance. jeno tugs his sweats down to his ankles, his bulge prominent in his boxers and you can’t help but stare.
“go ahead, bunny, touch it,” he says. you almost can’t believe this is the same boy who was hiding behind your back, crying, every time the older kids would tease him.
this situation was absolutely ridiculous but that doesn’t stop your hand from wandering. following the outline of his cock as you palm him through his boxers. jeno lets out a hiss, the friction already fucking with his head.
“you can take it out,” he says, almost pleading. carefully you push his boxers off, his cock springing free, slapping against his thigh. you can’t help but gulp at his size, “i-its so big,” you say, making him laugh.
“thank you,” he says with a smirk on his lips and you playfully roll your eyes.
“what do i do?,” you look up at him, waiting for the answer. his eyes darken, that simple question snapping something inside of him. you were so innocent. so pure. and he was about to corrupt you.
he gently grabs your hand, redirecting it to your mouth, “spit,” he orders and like an obedient student, you follow, spitting in your hand.
“you can do anything, you can squeeze it,” he says, making you wrap your hand around his cock. your hand looks so tiny around his member and jeno almost just wants to skip this lesson entirely and fuck your hand dumb but he contains himself.
large hands envelop yours as he guides you on what to do, squeezing just the right amount.
“you can pump it up and down,” he says, guiding your hand to slide up and down his throbbing cock. he releases a sigh of pleasure, the warmth of your hand already making him weak.
“you can twist,” he says, twisting your hand around his cock, “you can put your mouth on it…lick it, swallow it, just keep the teeth away,” he smirks and you take a mental note of everything.
jeno releases your hand, giving you the space to experiment on his body. you’re excited, nervous but excited. you wanted to be good at this.
slowly, you continue his previous ministrations, pumping his cock up and down, squeezing and twisting your hand, just like how he showed you. jeno can’t help but let out a shaky breath, and you’re worried “does it hurt?,” you ask.
“no, bunny–feel’s really good, j-just go faster, please,” he begs.
it was sweet torture – how slow you were going, how much you were edging him on and you weren’t even aware of it. you pick up the speed, giving into his request and jeno grunts, his elbows coming in contact with your bed.
his cock looked so pretty, red and swelling, leaking.
your mouth exploringly wraps around his red tip and jeno curses under his breath, “fuuuck, oh my god.”
your confidence grows, feeling your pussy twitch at the sight of him. clenching your thighs, wanting some sort of relief. the sinful sounds he was making goes directly to your senses — the same sound you heard earlier but clearer now, more desperate, more whiny, and it knocks the breath out of you.
your hand continues to pump him, as you start sucking. you wouldn’t describe the taste of his cock to be good or sweet or like candy but it was addicting — it makes you want more. especially when every swipe of your tongue was accompanied by a breathy groan from him. it fuels you.
you take more and more of his length in until you could no longer fit him in your mouth and slowly you start bobbing up and down. his grunts and groans becoming more frequent.
jeno can’t do it anymore. this teasing was killing him. and the worst part is that you don’t even know how much you were affecting him.
his hand finds it’s way to your hair, gripping lightly, controlling the pace, increasing the speed, until you were choking, gagging, tears brimming in your eyes, “s-sorry bunny, it just f-feels so good,” he growls, thrusting his cock down your throat.
it was too much. he was too big. but you don’t care. you shut your eyes tightly, fighting the urge to gag as he continued to hit the deepest part of your throat.
this image of you on your knees, spit drooling all over your chin, tears in the corner of your eyes as you take what he gives you is absolutely heavenly.
jeno feels the coil about to snap, his breaths coming in heavy pants, thrusts getting messier and messier.
“o-open your eyes, bunny,” he orders. he wants you to see it. wants you to see him unravel. wants you to know how good you’ve been for him.
“p-play with my balls,” he instructs. your hands immediately follows through, squeezing him just where he needed it. heat travels all throughout his veins as he pulls you off, not wanting to force you to swallow his cum.
and then he falls apart – hard.
jaw going slack, eyes rolling back as his body fell into your pillows, abs clenching, cock pulsating. his cum shoots out of his tip, messily squirting everywhere, orgasm completely washing over him.
you watch him fall apart and you’re absolutely mesmerized. he looked so beautiful. so fucked out. and there’s that knot building in your stomach that you still can’t quite place.
you lick him clean, swallowing every drop that has landed on his stomach, his thighs, everywhere.
jeno’s eyes shot open as he tried to slow his breathing, slowly sitting back up, watching you clean him up like he was your last meal.
“how does it taste?,” he smirks and you look up at him through your damp lashes, “not very good,” you smile, earning a laugh from both of you. he guides you back up, as you stand in between his legs.
he lifts the naruto shirt off your body, leaving you in your light blue bra, flower patterns detailing it, “cute,” he playfully smirks and you suddenly feel embarrassed, arms protectively going across your chest.
“nu-uh don’t shy on me now, this was your idea, remember,” he says, before pushing your hands away and placing a soft kiss on the flesh on top of your breasts, looking up at you. your breath catches in your throat. that knot in your belly growing and growing making you push your legs together.
jeno notices.
“you did such a good job,” he compliments you, licking and sucking the skin of your breasts as he continues to look at you. your hands find comfort in his shoulders, stabilizing yourself.
“i did?,” you ask, “mhm, you’re such a good girl…made me feel so good,” he groans in between your breasts before traveling lower, placing a soft kiss on your stomach. his dirty talk has your mind reeling, feeling weak in the knees.
“-and good girls, must be rewarded,” he says, his fingers making their way to the hem of your shorts, squeezing the fabric between his fingers.
“how do you like being touched?,” he asks, softly, waiting, looking up at you.
“what?,” you ask, blush creeping up your cheeks.
“when you touch yourself, how do you like it?,” he asks, littering your stomach with soft kisses, his tongue lightly grazing on your skin.
“i-,” you stutter, “i-i dont,” you say, embarrassed of your lack of experience.
“what?” it was his turn to be surprised, gently sitting you on his thigh, like you just said the most ridiculous thing in the world.
sure he knew you were a virgin and had zero experience with men but you had to have touched yourself before? there had to be some part of you that gave in to the desires of the night and experimented?
you groan, hiding your face in the crook of his neck, “i-i’ve tried but nothing ever happens and i just feel silly with my hand down my pants,” you reason out and that very image alone makes his cock twitch again.
you were going to kill him.
“so you’ve never fingered yourself? never had an orgasm?,” he asks, completely shocked.
“i don’t even know how i’m supposed to do that,” you shrug.
“ok,” jeno says, taking it all in.
he thinks for a minute or two before he finally comes to a conclusion.
you stole his first kiss, it was only fair he stole your first orgasm. right?
“lesson number three, i’m teaching you how pleasure is supposed to feel like.”
his strong arms lift you up, making you squeal at the sudden action before he turns around, gently laying you on your bed.
jeno gets rid of his shirt, throwing his remaining piece of clothing over his head and holy fuck…your best friend is hot. his abs are on clear display, his semi-hard cock hung to the side, and you feel very hot as his gaze focuses back on you.
“when did you get those?,” you ask, fingers ghostly dancing over his six pack, trying to push away the nerves you were feeling.
he chuckles before leaning over, body trapping yours, lips finding that spot he left off of, as he continues to trail kisses on your stomach. your body can’t help but react, arching towards him. his fingers tugging on your pajama shorts.
“let’s take this off, bunny,” you comply, hips raising up, shorts sliding down your legs and you almost curse yourself at the underwear you decided to wear – a white one with cute little brown bears all over it.
jeno smirks, “really mature choice of underwear,” he teases and you scowl, “shut up, jeno,” you say, trying to hold onto the little pride you had left. he chuckles until he spots the dripping arousal your underwear has collected and something inside him shifts.
he wants to ruin you…so bad.
“look at you, bunny,” his voice drops an octave deeper, “already so wet and i haven’t even touched you,” he kisses the inside of your thigh and you feel your pussy clench, “you don’t even know what we can do with all this, huh?,” he says, gazing up at you. you watch him, as he got up, pulling you to the edge of the bed.
jeno’s hands wrapped around his cock and you tense up, “neno, are we about to have sex?,” you ask, your voice soft, timid, a hint of fear – it drives him absolutely nuts.
“no bunny, i won’t take that from you,” he says softly, “just want you to feel something, okay? just a little clit stimulation,” he explains and before you could even ask him what that means his cock was inside your underwear — collecting all your juices, tip hitting your clit over and over again as he slides up and down your wet folds.
“ohhh,” you release a sigh of pleasure, eyebrows furrowing as you try to understand this new feeling.
“feel’s good?,” he says, smirking at you.
“y-yeah,” you manage to breathe out and jeno absolutely loves the way your face was contorting.
he was playing a dangerous game with himself and this is supposed to be all about you. all he wants to do is insert his tip. just the tip. before he could lose control he stops, pulling his cock out of your underwear.
“why’d you stop?,” you ask, frustrated, already missing the lack of contact.
he chuckles, “my fingers will feel better,” he says for his own sanity.
he finally tugs off your underwear, the cool air hitting your pussy, before his thumb starts circling around your sensitive bud – rough, slow, precise circles that elicited a loud moan from you.
you slap your fingers across your mouth, surprised at the sound you made.
“don’t do that,” he orders, grabbing your fingers and latching it onto his before bringing it up over your head, a strong hand keeping it there, “want to hear you moan, bunny,” he whispers, sucking that sensitive spot just below your ear, earning another breath of moan from you.
your body arches up towards him, hips raising to his touch and he knew you were ready for more.
“gonna stick a finger in,” he warns, not giving you time to respond as his digit slides inside your hole, making you tense up, “relax,” he places a soft kiss on your lips, distracting you from the stretch, “it’s okay,” even with your dripping arousal, you were so so so fucking tight. he didn’t even know it was possible for someone to be this tight.
with a tiny bit of force, he pushes his finger in through your walls, “gonna make you feel real good, bunny,” he soothes as you slowly relax into his touch.
“gonna add another okay?,” he says and you just nod, trusting him completely. this stretch is definitely larger, and you find yourself biting down your lip. his fingers were so thick.
he slowly, gently thrusts them in and out, giving you time to adjust, “it’ll feel real good soon,” he seals with a kiss to your lips as he continues to stretch you out. fingers scissoring your walls until your pussy finally sucked him in.
the feeling of having something inside you was entirely new, strange, and you’re still trying to figure out if it felt good or not. but then jeno curls his finger and that knot in your stomach is rising faster and faster.
you want to know what happens when it finally breaks.
“ohh…neno,” you breathily moan, the pain completely morphing into pleasure. your walls completely adjusting to him, “please” you plead, not entirely sure what you were begging for.
your sweet, innocent, delicious moans of his name awakens something in him.
“im gonna eat you out now,” he tells you.
before you could protest, the idea of it making you feel embarrassed, he was already in between your legs, sucking on that spot that makes your eyes roll back.
“ohhh fuck, jeno,” you cry out, his tounge lapping up your juices, swirling around your sensitive bud, fingers still curling inside of you.
“neno, s-something’s happening,” you say in heavy pants, your breathing becoming shakier.
“p-please,” you beg, eyes wide, jaw going slack as you start panting, your hands gripping his hair, trying to ground yourself.
that coil in your stomach is hanging on by a single thread.
jeno looks up at you, he can feel you coming to a close. your walls pulsating around his fingers. he decides to finally send you over the edge, fingers rubbing fast, harsh, circles around your clit as the other continues to hit that sweet spot.
“let it happen, bunny,” he whispers, “let go…come all over my hand,” your best friend’s voice was the final push.
the thread snaps. the knot breaks.
you came crashing apart, stomach clenching, toes curling, eyes rolling to the back of your head. vision slipping into absolute darkness, feeling like you were floating.
jeno coaxes you through your orgasm, letting you ride out every wave. the sight of you unraveling drives him completely insane and it takes every nerve of self control to not ram his cock into you.
“such a good girl, bunny” he praises, littering kisses along your jaw, slow, reverent, like he’s trying to memorize the shape of you. your breathing is erratic, chest rising in short, shuddery pulls as you come down from everything.
he shuffles around your room quietly, grabbing a clean towel out of your bathroom before making his way back to your bed, gently cleaning you up.
your eyes flutter open at his touch. your best friend’s smile greets you, safe and warm, “you okay?” he asks and his voice is too tender. too full of something you don’t see.
“t-hat,” you clear your throat, a weak laugh slipping out, “that was a really fun lesson,” you smile, still caught in your daze.
jeno smiles back at you but it’s hollow and empty and he hates himself for smiling at all.
reality slaps him in the face, something in him crumples as he’s reminded that all of this – all the care, all the closeness wasn’t for him. it was all just for practice. a rehearsal for someone else. and now he’s drowning in the realization that he’s just the one you trust, not the one you want.
he’s helping you be prepared for another man, still pretending like it doesn’t kill him.
he almost wants to kill every man in the world for you to finally see him.
he stands, needing to put space between you, between what just happened and everything he’s feeling. but you catch him.
“where are you going?,” you ask, when he pulls his clothes off the ground, pulling his sweats up, getting ready to leave.
“back to the frat”
“jeno, it’s late, just stay the night,” you say, casually, easy. like it’s nothing. like it’s normal. like he didn’t just get a taste of something he’ll never recover from.
and it should’ve been easy. it should’ve been nothing. it should’ve been normal. he has stayed countless nights before.
but it’s not easy. it's not nothing. and it’s definitely not normal.
“please,” you say, moving over, making room for him and patting the space he usually took up.
jeno hesitates for a second or two before doing the one thing he never does if you were any other girl — he crawls back into your bed, your sheets and pillows molding to the shape of his body.
you immediately curl into his chest like it’s instinct. filling in that space that’s always been yours. legs tangle. skin touches skin.
it feels normal but it’s not. not with so little between you. not with everything unsaid.
jeno holds you close like he always does but this time he wonders if it’s the last. the sound of his heartbeat lulls you to sleep but he stays awake, eyes fixed on the ceiling, counting the cracks in his heart, wondering how much longer he can survive being just your best friend.
his fingers thread gently through your hair, slow and careful, memorizing the feel of you beneath his touch. the familiar scent of your strawberry shampoo wraps around him, soft and warm and absolutely cruel. it smells like home, like comfort, like everything he’s always wanted.
and then, in a voice so quiet it barely disturbs the silence, he whispers into the night air, words only for the moon to hear:
“i’m in love you, bunny.”
₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎
the sun filters in gently, casting golden lines across your bedroom floor. you stir before he does, eyes blinking open to the soft rise and fall of his chest, quiet snores filling the air.
jeno’s arm is still wrapped around you, strong and secure, holding you like he didn’t want to let go. his face is relaxed, lips parted slightly, his usually styled hair falls softly on his features — he looks so vulnerable, peaceful.
he looks like the version of himself you remember all those years ago.
you should pull away but you don’t. instead, you study him — every line of his face, older now, more defined, but still him. you’ve seen him like this before, countless times, but something feels different now. you feel different.
and then it hits you, soft and sudden.
the feelings you had for him after you kissed him. the feelings you had for him when you wore your pink puffy dress, him in a pink matching tie as you danced the night away for prom. the feelings you had for him when he held you that night your world was falling apart.
you’ve always just needed him.
all of it crashes back into you at once — feelings you’d buried under years of pretending. years of silence. feelings you quickly tucked away the first time he talked about another girl.
the way you trained yourself to look away. the way you learned to smile through the ache. the way you accepted your fate of being his best friend.
your eyes drop to where your legs are still tangled with his, you notice the bulge in his sweats and memories of last night play in your mind. you feel his warmth everywhere and you wonder how you ever got used to not feeling this. how you ever convinced yourself that this didn’t mean something.
you knew that once he woke up. this would all be over. you would go back to being his best friend. back to the operation. back to the almosts that were always never enough.
so for a moment you let yourself have this, just for a minute longer. the closeness, the warmth, the boy who’s always been there. you snuggle into his side once more, nestling into the warmth of him, letting your eyes fall shut again.
the next time your eyes flutter open, you’re met with the cold reality you’ve always lived in. the warmth that surrounds you is gone. the space beside you is empty.
jeno is gone.
you sit up slowly, a heavy thud echoing in your chest, not of panic or confusion but just that quiet, hollow ache that settles in when you’re reminded that he will never be yours.
your eyes scans the room, no shoes by the door, his shirt nowhere to be seen. no signs he was ever there at all except for the faint scent of his cologne lingering in your sheets.
swinging your legs over the edge of the bed, you wrap the blanket around yourself as if that would fill the space he left behind. you check your phone, hoping for a message but there’s nothing.
something twists in your chest — you were just another name on his list.
₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎
forty-eight hours.
that's how long it has been since you’ve last seen your best friend. forty-eight hours of sitting in the library alone. forty-eight hours of him not showing up to your shared classes. forty-eight hours of absolutely no contact. your messages were left on delivered. no goofy tiktoks. no instagram reels. nothing. and you hated every second of it.
you miss him and you’re not entirely sure why he had suddenly fallen off the face of the earth.
giselle: hey girly! <3 go to the party at the dream frat tonight, the girls and i are all gonna be there! <333
giselle: and sungchan will be there ;)
you stare at the messages.
you had nothing better to do and you’re hoping that maybe you’ll get a glimpse of your best friend while you’re there. just to see if he was doing okay.
you slipped on a light blue mini dress that accentuates your figure, did your makeup, paired it with white heels and you were good to go.
the dream fraternity still had a pretty huge crowd considering it was a wednesday night. bodies pressed together, bass shaking the walls, the usual laughter and shouting blurring into one.
you spot jeno almost immediately, in that same corner he seemed to always be in. there’s a new girl on his arm — pretty, tall, fair-skinned. you don’t recognize her. something in your heart twists.
you knew all the girls he was seeing. every girl he flirted with, hooked up with, even the ones he ghosted. usually you were the first one he would tell it to. the first one to know everything about him.
but now? he’s shut you out. it was loud and clear. he has drawn a line between you. the same line he draws once he’s gotten all that he wanted with whoever was his current conquest.
you felt absolutely sick. the years of friendship going down the drain just like this. your heart splitting into two while he’s just standing there, laughing, flirting, completely unaffected by the wreckage he left behind.
if he doesn’t need you then you don’t need him either. if he can act normal then you can too.
you force yourself to look away, scanning the crowd until you spot giselle and the rest of the girls in the middle of the makeshift dance floor, “y/n! you’re hereee!,” she squeals, giving you a tight, buzzing hug that makes you laugh for the first time in days.
“here! take a shot!,” she hands you a drink and you down it quickly, the alcohol burning your throat in the best way possible.
the dj plays a song that gets everyone hyped up and you feel yourself letting loose, having fun, with the girls beside you, already feeling better than you did when you walked in here.
then a hand taps your shoulder and you turn to see the boy that makes your mind race into a million happy tunes, “sungchan!,” you greet him with a wide smile. he looks down at you, amused.
“hi, pretty girl,” he whispers in your ear, hands settling on your waist. his touch is warm against your skin but it doesn’t burn the way jeno’s did. doesn’t leave you branded.
“you’re not gonna run away this time are you?,” he teases, playfully, earning a giggle from you.
“sorry about that, i was just…too drunk,” you lie. the lie jeno taught you.
“are you too drunk now?,” he asks, leaning in, a twinkle in his eye.
you smirk, biting your lips, “no.”
sungchan kisses you, rough, fast and with no room for gentleness. this time, you don’t freeze. you kiss him just as hard. you let his hands roam around your body from your waist to your hips to your ass.
but kissing sungchan wasn’t like kissing jeno.
it doesn’t feel the same. doesn’t feel as good. there were no butterflies, no fireworks, no dizzy, floating feeling.
you’re still grounded. still painfully aware that you’re in the middle of drunk, sweaty strangers. he didn’t take you to a different dimension. your body was just there – moving your mouth against his like a robot programmed to do so. but your heart? your heart’s somewhere else.
and it was so annoying that at a time like this, your lips on your long-time crush, that you’ve made the realization that your heart was where it always was — in the hands of the boy in the corner.
the same boy whose lips, touch, words imprinted your heart in a way that you could never forget.
the same boy who could never see you the way you see him.
suddenly you pull away, too fast, too sharp – the feelings rushing into you all at once, suffocating, overwhelming.
sungchan stares at you like you were crazy and perhaps you are. “i-i need to use the bathroom,” you murmur, forcing a small, apologetic smile. he nods slowly, “alright, i’ll just be here.”
you quietly slip from his arms, pushing through all the bodies, barely noticing the music or the people pressing in on all sides.
and when you finally push open the bathroom door, it’s like exhaling for the first time in minutes. you grip the edge of the sink, chest heaving, trying to gather the pieces of yourself that scattered the moment you woke up alone.
you wished jeno was here.
₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎
almost like he had a radar that went off, everytime you were near him. the second you walked through the door, jeno felt it. his gaze snapped to you instinctively but he looked away just as fast.
he’s not ready to face you. not ready to continue pretending.
the next time he saw you, you were making out with sungchan. kissing him the way he taught you. and god, he needed a drink. lots of it. the image burns in his mind, cruel and unrelenting.
he wants to chop off the guy’s hands. wants to make sure he doesn’t touch you ever again.
he wants him to know that his hands were on you first. that it was his lips he was tasting. that you were his.
but that’s not the case. so he goes and grabs another drink, another shot, another mix of poison to blur the pain.
the sound of your name snaps him back to reality.
“why do you keep waiting around for y/n anyway, there’s so many hotter girls around,” the voice is lazy, mocking, it was that wonbin guy from the riize fraternity.
jeno leans against the the wall, hidden in the shadows as he listens in on their conversation.
“well, one she’s hot,” sungchan snickers and jeno’s jaw tenses.
“and two, rumor is she’s still a virgin,” there’s a wicked amusement in his tone, “and we all know virgins are the hottest in the room.”
laughter erupts around them, sharp, cruel, echoing off the walls and that was all it took.
jeno doesn’t think. doesn’t hesitate.
in one quick second, he marched over, fist landing right on the sungchan’s jaw, the crack loud and satisfying, sending the soccer player tumbling backwards.
“what the hell?!,” sungchan yells, rubbing at his jaw before his expression twists in rage. in the next breath, he lunges. his fist catching jeno clean across the cheek.
jeno barely flinches. the soccer player was stronger than he thought, he’d give him that. but nothing is getting past his rage, adrenaline coursing through him.
he’s not done. not even close.
he charges forward, ramming sungchan into the wall with a force that rattles the shelves beside them, “don’t ever fucking touch her again,” he growls, voice low and deadly.
sungchan pushes back, shoving him hard, “she’s not yours,” and his words hits deeper than any punch could. because it was true. you weren’t his. and he’s almost sure you would kill him for this but he doesn’t care.
jeno throws another fist, connecting with sungchan’s ribs, making him grunt and double over for a second before retaliating with a wild swing.
more people gather now, phones out, flashes going off, chants of “fight, fight, fight,” increasing all around them.
sungchan, lunges, tackling jeno to the ground as they roll, fists flying, shouts echoing.
₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎
the loud commotion coming from outside the bathroom door forces you to pick up the pieces.
shouts. thuds. chaos.
you quickly gather yourself, pulling open the door and following the swarm of bodies funneling toward the noise like a moth drawn to a light.
and then you see him — you know that figure immediately, even with his back towards you.
your best friend was on top of someone, fists repetitively slamming down. your heart lurches, legs moving before your mind can catch up.
they roll and you see sungchan’s face bruised and battered.
what the fuck?
around them, the crowd erupts in shouts and arguments, phones raised like this was some kind of show.
the dream boys were trying to get a hold of the situation but they too just ended up shouting and arguing with the riize fraternity, voices overlapping in a haze of testosterone and ego.
“your guy started it first!”
“you’re on our turf!”
the room was absolute chaos and no one’s doing a damn thing. you finally push through the roaring crowd, running over to them, until you’re at the center of the storm.
“stop!,” you shout, but your pleas are swallowed by the noise as they continue to take jabs at each other.
with all your strength, you yank on sungchan’s shirt, sending him stumbling off jeno.
you finally take a good look at your best friend, he had a nasty cut forming on the side of his forehead, face flushed and bruised.
“y/n,” he breathes your name like he’s shocked you’re here.
he stumbles to his feet, eyes darting behind you “get out of here,” he says urgently.
you whirl around only to see that sungchan wasn’t done. he was charging at your best friend again.
without thinking, you step in – fist connecting with his throat – sharp, clean, brutal. completely flying him backwards as he gasped for air.
the crowd cheers.
of course you knew how to punch, you grew up with three men three times your size.
“okay, that's ENOUGH!” mark’s voice rips through the room like a whip – loud and absolutely furious. the crowd freezes, the chaos dies down. he grabs sungchan by the arm and shoves him toward his crew.
“get the fuck out of here,” he commands the room, controlling the crowd. bodies scattering like cockroaches under a light.
you turn to jeno, chest heaving, fury radiating off you, “what the fuck was that?”
jeno flinches at your tone like it was more painful than any of the punches he had just taken. you were never mad at each other. not like this.
when he doesn’t answer, you turn around, jaw tight, ready to leave.
“wait–,” jeno jolts back to reality.
you pause, barely looking over your shoulder, “what?!,” your anger is palpable, brows furrowed, chest still rising and falling too fast.
he softens, “your hand is bleeding,” he says gently. you glance down at your knuckles, raw and stained red, the adrenaline fading just enough for the sting to set in.
“c’mon,” he grabs your uninjured hand carefully and without another word, he leads you through the dispersing crowd, up the stairs and into the safety of his room.
₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎
you stand in jeno’s bathroom, the fluorescent light above casting a soft glow on both of you. he dabs the small, barely any, blood that had stained your knuckles, applying ointment on the tiny wounds.
“you’re being dramatic, there’s barely anything there,” you mutter, watching how focused he is.
“just don’t want it to get infected,” he says quietly, his brows still drawn together.
then with a soft chuckle, “i can’t believe you punched him,” he smiles his trademark smile and for a second, you forget you were currently angry at him.
“no one hurts my neno and gets away with it,” you tease, the words light on your tongue, but they steal the air from jeno’s lungs. you were always protecting him.
your eyes meet his and the moment stretches. but then you remember yourself, remember why your chest is tight and your heart is sore. so you press your lips into a thin line, forcing away the smile that appeared.
a quiet silence hangs in the air, heavy, almost awkward, until jeno’s voice breaks it, “done,” he says, turning to leave the bathroom and into his bedroom.
before he could take another step, your hand captures his wrist.
“your face is bleeding,” you point out.
you guide him to sit on the edge of the tub, slotting yourself between his legs. no matter how mad you guys are at each other, this is what you do. you take care of each other. your fingers are careful, precise, as you press a cotton pad soaked in alcohol to the gash on his temple.
a particular swipe on the cut stings him, a hiss slipping past his lips as his hands instinctively finds the back of your thighs, gripping, like he’s grounding himself through you. the small contact is enough to bring back that familiar knot tightening in your stomach.
“stop being a baby,” you say, dabbing again, “this is your fault.”
he smirks faintly, “how are you so sure i started the fight?”
“please,” you scoff, “in what world would sungchan go up to you and punch you? especially since he’s in your territory,” you point out, quite familiar with the whole fraternity rules.
he sighs in defeat.
“what happened anyway?,” you ask cautiously, not sure if you were ready for the answer.
“nothing,” he says, a little too quickly.
you stop, eyes narrowing, “no secrets between us remember?,” you remind him.
right, that silly rule you made when you were eight years old and still held on to to do this day.
jeno sighs, his shoulder falling, “he said something about you. i didn’t like it,” he confesses and you still.
“what did he say about me?,” you ask, curious.
“that he only wanted you because you were a virgin,” he mutters, jaw clenching again like it’s the first time he’s hearing it. the urge to punch sungchan in the face coming back in seconds.
it was supposed to hurt. it was supposed to leave you angry, embarrassed, hollow — to hear those words coming from the boy you’ve had a crush on since freshman year. but that feeling of heartache never came. instead, confusion clouds your chest.
why did he care? that wasn’t supposed to be his battle.
“hmm,” you hum thoughtfully, tone laced with challenge “and what if i was okay with that?”
his hands on your legs twitch, just slightly
“you shouldn’t be,” he snaps, “you shouldn’t lose it to a guy like him.”
and just like that, the anger ignites. your hands finish cleaning him up in cold, calculated movements. you removed yourself from his space, placing the first aid kit back in the drawer with a little too much force, organizing everything just to keep from exploding because who the hell was he to decide who you should have sex with?
“oh? and who should i lose it to?,” you seethe.
“a guy like you?,” there’s a sort of anger in your voice that jeno can’t quite read.
“aren’t you the same?,” you throw at him, voice trembling with fury.
jeno furrows his brows at your insinuation, like he’s been slapped, “y/n–,”
“you left, jeno,” your voice is quiet, but it slices through the space between you like a blade. you give him one last look before storming out of the bathroom. and jeno finally understands it all.
“wait, bunny–”
you don’t stop. not even as you hear his footsteps close behind you, not even as your chest rises with every breath that feels too heavy to hold.
you make it into his bedroom but before you can reach for the door, his hands close around your wrist, gentle but firm and in the next second he spins you around and crashes his lips onto yours.
the fire in your chest blazes and still, you kiss him back.
the kiss melts into something deeper, hungrier. your hands grip his shirt as his thumb brushes your jaw. he pulls away just enough to press his forehead against yours, both of you breathless, hearts racing.
“that’s why i left,” he murmurs, voice barely a whisper between your shared air.
your brows draw together, confusion clouding your gaze, “what does that even mean?”
“can’t you feel it,” he says, guiding your hand to his chest, letting you feel the frantic rhythm beneath your palm, “the way my heart is beating, it only ever races like this because of you,” he confesses.
you swallow hard, barely finding your voice, “but you left,” you remind him, “why did you leave?”
his eyes flicker with something raw, something that’s been buried for too long, “because i couldn’t pretend anymore,” he says, voice shaking with the weight of it, “i couldn't go another day being your best friend–not when im so fucking in love with you that it hurts.”
his confession leaves you stunned and you can’t believe how blind you’ve both been. all these years of mutual pining, years of missed moments, of stolen glances and silent aching all leading up to this moment.
a tearful laugh escapes you, half breathless, half broken, “you’re a fucking idiot,” you whisper, voice shaking with the force of everything you feel, a mixture of love, frustration and the tenderness of finally hearing the truth.
with urgency, a quiet desperation, you pull him back in, leaning up to kiss him.
the kiss is slow but intense, full of everything you’ve both kept hidden, everything you’ve both wanted for so long.
jeno doesn't need to hear you say it. he feels it in the way your lips meet his, the way you kiss him like your very existence depends on it. he knows now that you’ve been waiting for this – waiting for each other, for the truth that was always there.
you deepen the kiss and jeno meets you with equal fervor, tongues moving with an ease that feels natural, as if it’s a rhythm you’ve both known forever.
you guide him towards you, steps slow but deliberate, until the back of your knees hits the edge of his bed, falling into the softness of his sheets, pulling him down with you, lips never once breaking from his.
pushing yourself up until your head hit his pillows. jeno follows your lips like you were magnets drawn together. he couldn’t get enough.
you pull on the hem of his shirt. jeno quickly tugs it off over his head, tossing it to the side, diving right back into you. the kiss is hungry, steamy, full of tongue, leaving you no room to breathe.
your fingers dance through his skin, feeling every muscle. jeno guides you to sit up, quickly finding the zipper in the back of the dress, sliding it off your body, leaving you in a lacy blue underwear that makes his cock twitch.
the dress didn’t warrant a bra, your breasts immediately exposed to the cool air, making jeno groan in satisfaction, his large hand latches on to your tit, loving the way it fits perfectly in his hand.
“you’re so beautiful, bunny,” he praises before his tongue circles against your sensitive nipple. he looks up, not wanting to miss your reaction. light, breathy moans spill from your lips, back arching at his touch, feeling every warmth he left behind.
he moved all throughout your body, taking his time, memorizing every detail, worshipping you with every brush of his lips.
his hand slip under your panties, wet and soaking for him. the familiar circles of his fingers on your clit immediately sends a wave of pleasure through you. you were already shaking, that fire inside you growing.
that delicious stretch of your pussy as he stuck two digits in makes your eyes roll back, overwhelming in the best way possible, a broken moan spilling from your lips. your hips move on their own, grinding on his hand, chasing that friction you can’t get enough of.
jeno has already memorized you. curling his fingers just right, dragging them against that spot that made your thoughts scatter, heat spreading through you so quickly.
“jeno—” his name left you as a gasp, pleasure building deep inside you. this time you knew what it was, “i-m coming,” you moan.
“i got you bunny, let me hear you” he whispered, his pace quickening, matching the frantic way your body moved with his touch, until you were spilling into his hand.
he coaxes you through it, littering soft kisses on your ear, along your jaw, down to your neck — making sure to leave a mark.
making sure everyone knew that you were his.
your eyes flutter open. there was still that growing fire inside you, burning hotter, higher. you needed more.
when you reach down for his belt, fingers clumsily fumbling at the buckle, urgency pushing you faster than your hands could manage, jeno snaps out of the trance he’s in, making his way back to your eyes.
“are you sure?,” he gasped, the words rushed, like he was forcing them out before he lost all sense of reason.
you nodded so fast, so desperate, “jeno, please.”
“we don’t have to do this, bunny, we can take it slow…i don’t want to rush you,” he panted, voice fraying at the edges. the thought of stopping absolutely wrecks him but you are more important than the desire spreading through him.
you refuse to wait any longer, you’ve already waited years. your whole body aches with the need you’d kept buried for so long. the need only he could fulfill.
“neno,” you whispered, voice trembling with need, “i want this…i need you.”
his resolve shattered at the sound of your plea.
“okay,” he breathed, kissing you gently before finally discarding his pants, boxers following suit, leaving him completely bare.
slowly, he removed your panties, the last remaining cloth between you. he reaches over his nightstand drawer, pulling out a condom and wrapping it on his hard cock, a grunt spilling from his lips.
“still sure?,” he searches your eyes for any signs of hesitation because if there was, even the tiniest one, he would stop immediately. no questions asked. no regret. no matter how badly he didn’t want to.
“so sure neno, it’s always been you,” you whispered, threading your fingers through his hair, pulling him closer, letting him know that every single piece of you wanted him — heart, body and soul.
that was his final confirmation.
he kissed you once, slow and tender, before his hands roamed, leaving goosebumps that made you ache even more, “i’ll go slow,” he promised, voice thick with emotion “tell me if you need to stop, okay? at any point bunny, i’ll stop.”
you nodded, your heart hammering against your ribs so loudly you were sure he could hear it. fear and want and overwhelming love swirling in your chest.
finally, he aligned his cock against your hole, hand shaking slightly as he guided himself into you.
the stretch burns — it was nothing like his fingers, his cock was harder, thicker, fuller. and you’re not entirely sure if he could fit.
instinctively you tensed, eyes shutting close at the pain, a whiny hiss slipping from your lips.
jeno immediately froze, his thumb stroking soothing circles against your hip, “you’re doing so good, bunny,” he praises, forehead resting against yours, “breathe for me okay? we can take all the time you need,” he was so soft, so caring, so gentle.
your fingers tighten on his shoulder, just for a second, letting him know that you understood.
jeno fought to stay still, fought to put you first. but god, it hurts. you felt so good around him. so tight. so warm. he needed to move.
you forced yourself to relax, letting out a shaky breath and he pressed forward again, slower this time, giving you time to adjust to another inch of him.
“almost there, bunny, just a couple more,” he says softly, treating you like glass. you were so fragile. so pretty. your eyebrows furrowing in pain, lips parted slightly.
it hurt but it was jeno, and that made it bearable. your tight walls continued to adjust around him, molding to the size of his large cock.
with one final, gentle push, he was fully seated inside you, grunts spilling from his lips onto yours.
he stayed there, not moving, just breathing with you. trying to control his own desires. one hand cradles your cheek, carefully pushing away the hair that has stuck to your skin, “you’re amazing,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to your temple, “taking all of me,” he continues praising, “so perfect, bunny.”
a few tears slid from your eyes. from the sting, from the love, from everything. jeno kissed them away with such tenderness.
“i love you,” you manage to whisper, his lips on yours in an instant, savoring it. the words makes jeno shift inside you.
that small burst of friction is enough to ignite the pleasure. it still hurt but you needed to feel it, to feel more.
and when you finally whispered, “move, please,” jeno felt like the air was rushing back in his lungs.
only then did he start rocking into you — careful, controlled, every movement meant to bring you closer to pleasure.
he angles his cock perfectly, each thrust sending a a wave of butterflies in your stomach. the pain slowly disappeared as your walls sucked him in, until you were only left with pleasure so mind numbing, you can no longer think about anything but the way the tip of his cock kept on kissing that spot that made you see stars. he was perfect.
“fuckkk bunny, you take me so well, pussy was made for me,” jeno grunts hopelessly. he was coming undone embarrassingly fast. for someone who was supposed to be an expert, you had him trembling, shaking.
it was different with you — he loves you.
every emotion hits him to the fullest. he feels you all around him. his rhythm starting to stutter, abs starting to clench as he tried to hold on to the remaining sanity he had left.
“you’re making a mess out of me,” he grunts, “please come on my cock,” he begs, whines, pleading for permission. his fingers finding your sensitive bud, rubbing slow but harsh circles.
you’ve never felt fuller. never felt more satisfied. that heat spreading down to your toes, your head rolling back in complete bliss as the high came crashing over you in breathy, broken moans of only his name — pussy immediately tightening around him, sending him to his own release as he spilled into the condom.
through it all, jeno whispered against your skin, grunts of i love you’s and praises hitting your ears in the most melodic way.
when you both calmed down, he pulled you into his arms, head resting on the heart that’s always been yours.
₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎
you woke up to jeno’s brown eyes already staring at you, his fingers gently threading through your hair.
“good morning,” he murmured, eye smile on display and in an instant the memories of last night came rushing back, vivid and electric.
“good morning” you whispered back, both of you grinning like lovesick fools.
“how are you feeling?” he asks softly, brushing a strand of hair from your face.
you smile at him, “i feel amazing,” you say, leaning up to kiss him.
his hand on your waist is hard to ignore. as well as the bulge that’s currently hitting your inner thigh.
“and you’re feeling excited, aren’t you?,” you pull back, slightly teasing him.
“shut up,” he smiles, cheeks flushing, “it’s not my fault i woke up next to my very hot girlfriend”
your eyes widen slightly, “girlfriend, huh?”
“mhm, is that okay with you, bunny?”
“hmm,” you pretend to think about it but the smile tugging on your lips betrays you, “sounds perfect.”
jeno pulled you in for another kiss, his smile pressed against yours. before he could deepen it, you pushed him down to his bed sheets, hovering over him with a gleam in your eyes.
“what are you doing?,” he rasped, the bold movement catching him off guard, making his breath shift, excitement coursing through his veins.
“girlfriend duties,” you smirk.
you littered kisses down his body until you were head to head with his cock, already flushed, thick and throbbing for you.
without hesitation, you licked a slow stripe up his length, tasting him, humming in satisfaction before wrapping your lips around his tip and taking in as much of his length as you could.
jeno watched you, his hands behind his head, a proud smirk on his face. and when you look up to make eye contact with him, his smirk fades into a helpless groan.
“fuck, you’re gonna kill me,” his hand instantly threading into your hair, bunching it up and pushing it out of your face. he wanted to see you. wanted to see your mouth around him.
you hollowed your cheeks and started to move, bobbing your head at that speed you knew he liked.
what can you say? you’re a quick learner.
his hips twitched, barely holding back from fucking your mouth.
every wet, obscene sound filled the room, and you loved the way he was falling apart for you, chest heaving, hands gripping you tighter. his grunts make you clench around nothing.
jeno came in minutes, gasping for your name as he struggled to breathe. his hot release shoots down your throat. this time, you swallowed every single drop, milking him dry, only pulling off when he whimpered from overstimulation, pushing your hand away.
“how the hell are you already so good at that?,” he groans, the aftershocks of his orgasm still hitting him.
“i have a really good teacher,” you chuckle, making your way back to him, kissing him, making him taste his own juices as your tongues battled for dominance.
jeno flips you over, roughly, quickly, the sudden shift making you squeal in laughter, as he settles in between your legs.
“your turn,” he says, voice low and dangerous.
his mouth immediately laps around you, licking, sucking, spitting — filthy and hungry. it was so messy, so wet, so crude, and yet it felt so so good. your head is spinning, heart racing, thighs trembling
you’re right there, at the edge, ready to fall — and then the door swings wide open. you shriek, arms crossing, immediately covering your chest just as jeno scrambles to hover over you, covering every inch of you with his large frame.
“jeno what do you want for break—?” jaemin barges in, stepping into the room like he hasn’t just shattered the moment.
“oh,” jaemin smirks, this situation extremely familiar, “i see,” he teases, tone dripping with fake innocence.
jeno’s entire body stiffens, his butt literally clenching as he growls, “jaemin, get the fuck out.”
he doesn't spare the boy a glance, focused only on making sure he doesn’t see any part of your body.
jaemin bursts out laughing, “alright alright, enjoy your breakfast,” he says before locking the door behind him and leaving the two of you alone.
the second he’s gone, jeno exhales a heavy breath of relief. you both lie there, faces burning red.
“i’m gonna kill him,” he mutters before the two of you erupted in giggles, your shared laughter harmonizing in the air.
₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎
a week of being jeno’s girlfriend could only be described as pure bliss. the perfect balance of best friends and lovers. you were the power couple, always walking into the room like you owned it.
not much has changed between you two, you still tell him to shut up, he’s still dramatic, still the best of friends, except this time there’s a million shared kisses, lingering touches, whispered confessions and sex (lots of sex).
he’s unlocked something in you. something wild, primal, greedy — desire wrapping it’s hands around you. you can’t get enough of him. you craved him again and again and again.
and jeno was just undone, just as hopelessly in love. he thought his sex drive was bad before, it’s even worse now. every little thing you did triggered him — a smile, a glance, a soft laugh, it all sent him spiraling, desperate to have you. his need for you was overwhelming, a fire he had no intention of putting out.
he taught you how to touch yourself, you watched him masturbate. he kissed you in places you never knew were sensitive, made love to you in so many different positions, locations, each one leaving you breathless and trembling in his arms — making up for all the lost time.
today, when jeno walked into the library, he noticed your figure missing from your usual shared table. you were supposed to be here by now, you were always here at this hour.
his eyes quickly scan the space, feet walking around, searching every corner, every dusty nook, trying to find a glimpse of you. he finally spots you at the corner, tucked away in the back with the old shelves filled with forgotten books.
“what are you doing all the way over here?,” he asks, snapping your attention towards him, as he placed a soft kiss on your temple.
“just wanted a quieter place to read,” you feign innocence, picking up your book and pretending to be interested once more. jeno doesn’t question it, just pulls out the chair beside you and sits, his thigh pressed hard against yours. he pulls out his assignments, busying himself.
“neno,” you call out to him, a playful flicker in your eyes as you put your book down, “want to know a fun fact?,” you say.
he smiles at you, still unaware of what you had brewing in your mind, “sure, bunny.”
you lean in close, your chest brushing against his arm, “i’m not wearing any panties,” you whisper, only for his ear to hear.
he gulps, eyes quickly scanning the room, afraid someone was close enough to hear that. when he realizes you two were definitely alone, he finally takes in the fact that you were wearing a cute pink skirt, “fuck, are you serious?,” he whispers.
you shrug, “why don’t you find out?,” picking up your book, a playful grin on your lips, you flipped through the pages pretending to be interested, excitement bubbling inside you.
you didn’t have to tell him twice.
you flinched slightly when his cold fingertips first made contact with your thigh, slowly slipping underneath your skirt, leaving a trail of goosebumps. you barely had time to react before his fingers slipped between your thighs, urging them apart.
and when he finds you bare and soaked for him, jeno can’t help but let out a groan, his cock twitching in his pants.
you just started a dangerous game and he was eager to play. eager to ruin you in this public space. excited to watch you try and hide your moans.
“so fucking warm,” he muttered, fingers collecting your juices as he slowly swiped up and down your folds, making you feel every graze of his finger.
you grabbed the edges of the book, trying to stay calm, trying to act normal even as jeno slowly, deeply slid a finger inside you.
you choke on a silent gasp, disguising it with a fake cough and jeno finds it absolutely amusing. he has no plans of taking it easy on you, especially since this was your brilliant idea.
he moved lazily at first, curling his finger inside you, feeling every clench, every desperate little twitch of your body. watching you bite your lip as you tried to contain the moans that we’re begging to be released.
“good girl,” he murmured, kissing you on the temple.
his free hand picks up his pencil, as he continued to work on his assignment, like you weren’t falling apart under the table, “just stay quiet for me, yeah?,” he smirks.
you don’t even manage a response. afraid that once you open your mouth, a loud moan of his name would slip out.
he starts writing in his notebook, fingers still moving inside you, edging you on with every second. you shifted in your seat, hips tilting up without meaning to, chasing the rhythm he set. needing him to go faster — to finally take you there.
jeno knew exactly what you needed, even without voicing it. he adds a second finger, stretching you wider, making your eyes flutter shut, your grip on your book tightening, holding onto it as if it was your lifeline.
your boyfriend grinned cockily as he fucked his fingers into you.
you thought you were safe, hidden enough until you heard distant footsteps of someone wandering nearby.
your eyes immediately snap to jeno, silently begging him to stop as you tried to shut your legs close.
but his hand was too strong, keeping you open for his fingers, “you wanted this, you’re gonna take it,” he mumbles into your hair. he didn’t stop. in fact, his thumb brushed against your clit, harsher, faster.
you buried your head in your book, biting your lip so hard it hurt, but still a tiny strangled whimpered escaped.
the footsteps paused, just for a second.
you held your breath, heat traveling up to your head, jeno still working under your skirt. the danger of being caught made it even hotter. your pulse pounding loud in your ears, body burning under his touch. and then the footsteps continued, fading into silence again.
jeno chuckles under his breath, fingers thrusting deeper, faster, his thumb never leaving your clit.
“almost got caught, bunny,” he teased, voice low and thick with lust, “bet you’d love that, huh?”
the thought made you tighten incredibly around his fingers, orgasm crashing over you like a wave you couldn’t stop, body jerking slightly in the chair as you hunched over the table, hiding your moans in your arms, desperately trying to stay as quiet as possible.
jeno’s fingers continued to work you through it until you were limp against the table, panting softly.
he pulled his fingers out slowly, letting you feel every second of it. you already felt so empty without him. he brings his fingers up to his lips, sucking them clean with a soft, sinful groan.
you sit up, watching him, wrecked and cheeks flushed, your heart pounding so hard it was all you could hear, a small satisfied grin on your lips.
jeno leans in, kissing you gently. you taste yourself on his lips, then he smirks, that devilish smirk, whispering against your ear, “next time…you’re sitting in my lap.”
𓏲 the end.
—
18+ only | watch at your own risk | contains mature content
bonus: this is so lee jeno x bunny coded -> click here
—
an: posted this earlier than i planned because if i even spend one more day with this, i’m never gonna stop writing but ahhh i can’t believe my time with this couple is over, i love them so bad!!! i hope you loved them too!
marks story is up next! since he did technically win the poll — pls give me nickname suggestions for mark’s girl! i’m currently thinking kitty but im not 100% sold >.< — she’s going to be a little more feisty than the others! slide in my ask for suggestions or simply comment here! pls!
likes, reblogs and comments are not required but is very appreciated ⏦゚♡︎
tagging: @bluedbliss [if you would like to be tagged in future stories of this series, please let me know <3]
#lee jeno x reader#lee jeno fluff#lee jeno angst#lee jeno x y/n#lee jeno smut#lee jeno#lee jeno x you#nct x reader#nct smut#nct dream x reader#nct dream smut#nct dream x you#nct dream angst#nct dream fluff#nct dream au#nct dream#withloverboyseries
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You don't go to the library to study. You go there to have your cunt stuffed, by nonother than librarian!Gojo.
He works there 5 days a week, and you made sure to be there by your corner every single one of those days, carefully staring at him through the side of your book. Of course, he's well aware of your interest in him. You're so preoccupied with him you don't even realise you're holding the book upside down.
He doesn't realise it yet but he's slow to share the same amount of attraction to you as you are to him. He'd note the way your eyebrows would adorably scrunch together when you're actually doing your assignment for once, and you'd collapse face down onto the table when the frustration and exhaustion caught up to you. Or how your favourite colour seemed to be pink, your stationery and laptop covered in different shades of the colour.
He's used to your presence by now, having spent the last couple of weeks observing you just as you stalked him through the library. And truth to be told, he actually enjoyed it—he's got a cutie following behind him, too shy to strike up a conversation with him and too dumb to hide your little crush any better.
You quickly became the only part of his job he would look forward to, questioning what kind of crap you were going to pull up to just right before his shift. Until you're gone all of a sudden.
Maybe you were just late, he thought on the first day of your absence. Or maybe you're sick by the second day. Perhaps you're just busy with school…or maybe some another guy—
Why does he even care in the first place? You're just some stalker with a pretty face, nothing special out of the sea of girls in his DMs. Gojo doesn't like how he's fretting over a girl who he hasn't talked to before, your presence doesn't control how his day goes anyway.
Until it does.
It exasperated him by how he allowed himself to be subjugated under you. He can't focus on his seminars when the voices in his head wonder about you louder than the lecturer's, he can't flirt with the chicks on campus without thinking about that fangirl from the library and he can't sleep if his head is filled with the images of you with another guy.
What kind of spell have you managed to put him under?
He was completely and utterly chafed by the next week when he entered his shift, a frown seemingly marked permanently upon his face as he went through his chores, putting away the books back to their categorised shelves. That was until he heard a familiar pit-pats of your shoes, and saw your figure stupidly hiding behind a bookshelf from the side of his eye.
His playful spirit returned when he noted your presence, and he wandered further into the library, where no one could see the two of you. As expected, you shuffled along his steps before slipping yourself into the aisle behind him, pretending to flick through the choices of books on display.
Those were Chinese novels, and you majored in Biochemistry. Idiot, he thought with an internal chuckle.
Unbeknownst to you, he had strolled to your back, waiting for you to turn to face him. Your eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when you found him standing right in front of you, and you froze then and there like a deer in the headlights.
"I know you've been stalking me around here," he had a shit-eating smirk on his face as his arms rested by your sides to trap you in between them. "Freak," he whispered next to your ears, sending a tingle through your nerves.
"I-I, ah—" you stammered, trying to collect your words to sound coherent. Your face was flushed bloody red with embarrassment, and Gojo was sure he'd burn himself if he were to touch you.
"But that's okay…" he drawled. "I won't spread the word if you listen to me."
Your eyes were wide, gaping at him through your lashes as you nodded.
Fuck, were you adorable.
"You like me, huh?"
"Uhm…I, uh…"
"Hm?"
"Y-Yes," you blurted with your eyes squeezed shut, too embarrassed. Your breath was hot, and they scorched his cheeks red upon your words.
"What do you like about me?" oh god does he love teasing the hell out of you.
"Your f-face…"
"My face?" he feigned dumb. Of course, he's well aware that girls would only come chasing after his looks. But he absolutely enjoyed torturing you with his stupid questions. "Which part of my face?"
"Huh…?" your eyes were spinning, your hands raising to push his frame a little away for your comfort.
"My eyes? My nose?" his bigger hand captured the two of yours into his grasp, his fingers were icy cold against yours, and his face neared yours once again, merely a breath away. "Or my lips?"
You didn't dare to answer, the sound of your throat gulping filled the air as a few stray hairs of his tickled your cheek. His eyes peered towards yours, catching your gaze that fell upon his lips.
"There, huh?" Gojo's smirk widened, his grip on your wrists tightening a fraction. "Wanna try them?"
You opened your mouth to respond, but no words left your trembling lips, except for a silent gasp. He took the shift of your feature as a sign for him to advance onto you, his lips gently sucked on your soft flesh, the tiniest amount of your saliva flowed onto his tongue and they tasted better than the finest honey.
A string of your mixed essence connected his lips to yours, red and swollen as a sign of his kiss, when he pulled away. Your knees weakened in enfeeblement, and Gojo caught you before you could fall to the ground.
"You're done?" his arms are strong, and you could feel his muscles flex under your hand when you gathered your strength to stabilise on your feet. "I'm not."
His touches slowly trailed down from your arm to your hips, and you subconsciously rubbed your thighs together when his gaze fell onto them. In his eyes you could see a growing hunger that lurked beneath his bright blue eyes, it was the darker gradient that hung low in his orbs.
"Do you touch yourself here when you think of me?" your teeth sank into the flesh of your bottom lip and your eyes peered down to between your skirt, where his hand was as you vaguely nodded; hoping that he didn't see the faint motion of your head.
How wouldn't he know when all his attention is on you? His eyes scanned the faint shifts in your features when he pressed against your heat, making sure there wasn't any hint of dissent to his touch—and mostly searching for the muted salacity behind your pretty eyes.
"Sometimes…" your voice was meek, but it was audible enough for his ear to twitch at your words. His chest almost burst to your confession, and the images of your features twisting into lewd faces flashed past his mind, calling out his name with that sweet voice of yours.
A soft moan left your lips when his fingers slipped past your pink panty, drawing slow circles upon your clit. Your hips bucked as he teased, his other hand coming down to palm your ass.
"What about I make you feel good?" he gently asked, and you drunkenly nodded to your pleasure. His thumb grew charge of teasing your hardening bud, his two long fingers dipped into your already-slick cavern, reaching the sensitive parts of your inside.
Your lips tensed into a line to quell the moans that drew from your itching tummy, and your hands rested on Gojo's chest, gripping onto his shirt for support.
His fingers grew greedy for more of your whimpers, stroking past your walls, searching for the velvety spot in you. You threw your head back when he found the part he was looking for, pumping out and into the spongey surface, stimulating your nerves to their limit.
Your eyebrows furrowed and your eyelids flew shut when he expedited the speed of his slick-coated digits, his arm growing slightly sore as he carried you to the height of your orgasm. His cock twitched when you drew out a cry of pleasure, your breath stuck in your throat as your mind went blank from your high.
Your grip on his clothes loosened, and you panted as you rest your weight against the shelves, Gojo's damp fingers evident of the pleasure he delivered to you. He watched as you collected your remaining breath, your cheeks flushed pink in arousal and your eyesight slowly blinked clear.
A bolt flash of surprise ran through his eyes when you carefully pulled his pants down, gripping his hardened girth with your warm hands. Gojo stopped you with a grab of your wrist, your whole body tensing in creeping embarrassment—he doesn't like it when you touch him?
Your thoughts flew out the window when he spat onto your palm, before guiding your hand back to his throbbing cock. Your mind grew blank as you began fisting his length, his breath hitching when you rubbed over his pinkish-red tip.
Your touches were filled with careful inexperience, and Gojo found it absolutely fucking adorable. The soft squelching of his saliva in your hand as you pumped his cock filled the air, and he inched closer to kiss you once again.
His groans flowed into your mouth as he slipped his tongue into your mouth, drinking in the taste of you as you pleased him. You seemed to be a quick learner on your own, pumping his pulsing cock faster, gripping onto him tighter, and rubbing his sensitive tip of all.
His hips stuttered along with the movements of your hand, a sign of his close release and you were clearly relentless to please him. Your pace doesn't falter, but fastened instead and his moans muffled through your sloppy kiss, your mixed drool dripping down your chin and onto your chest.
"Fuck," his voice cracked as his cock twitched, before ejaculating his hot semen onto your clothes, slowly dripping down to your thigh. Your breaths mingled in the sultry air, the smell of your essences filled your nostrils as the both of you cooled from the aftermath of your highs.
You recognised the dirty smirk on his face when you flicked your gaze up at him, and you sank into the bookshelf in preparation for what he had conjured up in his mind.
"The library closes in 30 minutes, we'll get the whole place to ourselves by then."
#BUNN—nsfw#jjk smut#gojo smut#gojo x reader#gojo satoru#jujutsu kaisen#jjk x reader#jjk gojo#jujutsu kaisen x reader#jujutsu kaisen imagines#gojo x you#jjk#satoru gojo x reader#gojo satoru x reader#satoru x reader#anime#smut
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