#the princess and the frog if it was cringe and gross

[taikk0]

"would you still love me if i was a frog" HELL YEAH????

[konglindorm]

The Frog King

(This month I am reposting relevant blogs in preparation for the release of my upcoming short story collection - every blog shared is about a fairy tale that inspires one of the stories.)

Morality Tale Type: What Not To Do

The first thing you need to know about this story is that this is not the title. Nope. The title is Iron Henry. Now, you may be asking, “Who is Henry?” And you may be thinking, oh, of course, the frog prince must be named Henry.

Nope. Dude doesn’t even show up until the last couple paragraphs. So hang tight; we’ll get there.

Actually, we’ll there pretty fast, because what is there to say that you don’t know already? Princess drops a ball in the water, frog goes to get it—wait. I’ve got this. There is stuff to say.

A ball? Either this girl is involved in the sort of extracurriculars most princesses avoid, or she’s pretty young. So, option 1: we’ve got a chick who plays softball or football or something , doesn’t know how to swim, and is generally creeped out by things that do. Or, option two: little girl drops her favorite toy in the well.

Given that her activity was described, specifically, as tossing the ball up and catching it, I’m putting my money on option two. Plus, I feel like a little girl would be less freaked out than a lady if a frog started talking.

On the other hand, I also feel like a little girl would be less grossed out by the frog than the lady would. Whatever. All I’m saying is, if the chick’s favorite activity is playing catch with herself, she takes a talking amphibian in stride, and she cries over a lost toy, maybe we shouldn’t expect her to be totally on top of the wise decisions.

This is, by the way, not about me rearranging the story so yet another charming prince is a pedophile, okay? We’ve got plenty of that out in the open—I’m not about to go looking for it. This is about attempting to explain the princess’s indisputably horrible behavior. Either way, we can’t win this one. Either she’s a little kid, or she’s a vicious murderer, so pick your poison, I guess.

Back to the story. Girl promises to hang with frog dude if he gets the ball, she runs off as soon as she has it back, and he shows up at the palace and tattles on her. The king, also unfazed by the talking frog, tells her she’d better keep her promises, with the scolding further cementing my child theory. Girl deals with frog until bedtime, and here’s where things get interesting again. (Oh my goodness, I was so wrong about having nothing to say.)

She’s afraid of the frog sleeping in her bed. Five years ago, I would have thought yeah, duh, he’s all wet and boggy and stuff, and what if she rolls over in her sleep and crushes him? Guys, I have done way too much research in college to be that innocent. Does the frog actually intend to just sleep in the bed? I don’t know for sure, but I’m betting he doesn’t.

His intentions here are really important, because the next thing that happens is that she picks him up and flings him at the wall. And he’s a frog, so, you know, splat.

If this was her defense against a particularly cringe-worthy come-on, I’m gonna go ahead and say she’s in the clear here. However, if the blatantly attempted homicide was just ‘cuz he was getting on her nerves, dude, what the heck? You’re the princess. The princess doesn’t kill people.

And in a move that rivals Sleeping Beauty level wtf, the impact jolts him right out of enchantment, or something, and suddenly instead of frog goop, we’ve got a hot prince proposing to our murder girl. I mean, if that’s really what you want in a relationship, man. Your funeral. Maybe literally.

(Sidenote: What were the terms of his spell? You can only be a prince again when you’ve pissed someone off so much she wants you dead? There is no kiss here, people. There is only murder. Someone remind me to come back to this when I do the Lindworm series—I’m just noticing some interesting parallels, although I don’t know what to make of them yet.)

Of course the girl agrees to marry the guy she just attacked in a fit of homicidal rage, because that’s how fairy tales work. And now we finally, finally get around to Iron Henry.

Dude’s a servant of the prince, and he’s been pretty bummed about the whole frog thing. Not even because of his paycheck. He had to get three iron bands put in around his heart, to keep it from breaking over the whole mess.

But now his prince is back and he’s getting married, and Henry’s so happy those bands just snap right off. So Iron Henry really loves his king, is what I’m getting here. I mean, we’re talking literal heart-breakage. He had to get preventative surgery.

Yikes.

If this was a popular story, in the here and now, you know they’d ship it hard. I can already see the fanart. And let me tell you, Iron Man frenching a frog? Not the prettiest picture.

Anyway.

Girls, don’t make promises you can’t keep, and remember, murder is not the answer. Guys, don’t marry someone who tried to kill you, and stay out of other people’s beds. And if anyone’s in the market for heart surgery, hit up Henry for some tips.

(Order The Shoemaker Prince to read a story inspired by this fairy tale, and 13 more!)

[kingneptunesthinninghead]

How much do you weigh? what a weirdly personal question

If you are outside, what are you most likely doing? sitting in the shade reading a book

Do you think you can love someone without trusting them? yes but not in a way that will ever be truly fulfilling

What’s your opinion on people who go hunting for sport? i live in a very rural area so i grew up with hunting for sport extremely normalized but once i actually developed and used my critical thinking skills i realized how morally reprehensible it is. literally just begging these people to use their brains.

Do you have a fairly fast or slow internet connection? eh its pretty fast

Have you ever been someplace tropical? florida lmao

Are you sensitive to caffeine? somewhat. i dont really consume it that much

How do you usually get around? driving myself

Have you ever been accused of being too clingy? no bc i’m generally pretty independent unless i reallyyyy like someone

What do you think about Kim Kardashian? neutral

Can you speak any French? je parle un peu français

Favorite yogurt flavor? i’m lactose intolerant so i recently tried dairy free yogurt and i hated it sooo i guess none

How much money do you have in your wallet right now? i dont have any cash in my wallet rn lol

What bottled water brand do you like? deer park or aquafina

Your favorite way to eat chocolate? brownies

How often do you listen to country music? sometimes.

Linkin Park or Avenged Sevenfold? neither

Last surgery you had? my wisdom teeth surgery

Have you ever played guitar? no but i wish i could

Is there someone in your life whose career/life choices you find immoral/unethical? Have you ever told that person your views? Do you find it difficult to support them (emotionally or otherwise) because of their choices? um i dont think so

What trait do you feel you lack that you wish you possessed? a little more confidence

Have you ever considered writing your memoirs? maybe

Do you find it difficult to stay invested in online relationships? i dont have very many online friends anymore but when i had a bunch i loved talking to them

Are you the type of person who pays close attention to the release dates of movies, music, etc., and will, for example, go see a movie or buy an album on the date it is released? If so, when is the last time you did so? only for something i really like.

Do you have any stickers on your laptop? a bunch

Would you rather have a job for which you had to go in early in the morning or one you had to stay late into the evening at? early in the morning so then i have the rest of the day to myself when i get off

Do you use any apps to track your health or medications? i have a workout app but that’s it.

Whose opinions/recommendations do you value most? my mom, sister, and my 2 best friends

If you could’ve been at any historical event, which would you have liked to witness firsthand? probably the women’s suffrage movement or the civil rights movement

Is there something that you really want to do but are afraid of doing? If so, why are you afraid of doing it?i want to tell him how i feel but i’m afraid i’ll ruin the friendship

What is something society “expects” you to do that you don’t want to do and/or don’t plan on doing? wear a tampon i’m sorry but i can’t do it

Have Jehovah's Witnesses ever come to your door? no

Are you well-known by people in your area? eh somewhat

Have you ever experienced sleep paralysis? no and i dont want to

What's your favourite type of bird? owls!!

What tv show(s) have you been watching currently? i’m watching loki, hsmtmts, planning to watch s2 of never have i ever, and i started one piece but i haven’t watched in a while

Have you ever dated a smoker? no but that might change😳

Do you share a middle name with any of your siblings? no

Have you ever been a member in a band? No.

Can you cry on command? If so, have you ever used it to your advantage? No.

Do you have separate emails for personal and business? i have my school email and personal email

Have you ever missed a flight? no

Have you ever seen a lunar eclipse? i think so.

Have you ever taken a ride in a convertible? i literally rode in my best friend’s convertible last night lmao

Why did you last need to use a band-aid? i dont remember

What fruit do you eat most often? bananas and clementines

Who was the last person you visited in the hospital? maybe my great uncle?

Has someone ever tried to start an argument with you over Facebook? What happened? no but i’ve been in a few on insta and twitter.

Have you ever had an unusual type of milk (eg. oat, rice, almond)? i don’t straight up drink milk but i love things made with almond milk.

If you could experience life as a Disney princess for a week, which princess would you pick and why? elsa i want ice powers

When you’re at home, do you spend most of your time in your room? sometimes but normally during the day i’m in the living room with my family

If you like to sleep in late, have your parents ever told you off for doing so? No.

Do you find piercings attractive? Yep.

Do you like potato chips? Loooove 'em.

What’s the most stalker-like/creepy thing you’ve ever done? If you don’t think you’ve done anything like that, what’s the most stalker-like thing someone’s done to you? i’ve looked up a few people’s houses on zillow in my day.

Do you think it’s a double standard that a woman can hit a man and expect to get away with it, but if a man hits a woman it’s assault? absolutely, you shouldn’t hit anyone

What’s your favorite old Disney movie and favorite new Disney movie? my top 3 are princess and the frog, tangled, and frozen 2. i also love the little mermaid

Name something “trendy” or popular that you dislike. idrk

“Dirty talk” in the bedroom…love it, like it, don’t care, dislike it, or hate it? it depends on what it is. it should also be mixed with some loving or praise talk imo

What is/are your favorite type(s) of ethnic food, and what’s your favorite food within that type? i LOVE italian food specifically fettuccine alfredo and i also love asian food such as general tso’s, sweet and sour chicken, lo mein, shrimp fried rice, LUMPIA 🤤

How would you describe your relationship with your hair over the years? i’ve always liked my hair color and thickness. i always go back and forth between growing it out long and cutting it short bc i can never choose which i like more also it has lots of red undertones so i’m thinking about dyeing it a deep red

How do you feel about your SO daily/regularly checking up on a couple of his exes on social media? hypothetically it would be a red flag to me. a clear sign they haven’t moved on from the past

Do you prefer your guy to wear cologne or not? a good smelling cologne on a man will quite literally make me bust a nut.

Ladies, how important is it to you that your SO wears/would wear a wedding ring? i’d want them to unless it didnt fit or something

What was the turning point that led you to decide for or against having children? i’m very close with my family so i’ve always loved the idea of having one of my own with my future spouse

Is having your “dream” wedding really that important to have? i definitely have ideas for my wedding and i would want it to go a certain way according to our plan but in the end if things go wrong or plans change it wouldn’t matter as long as i’m marrying the loml.

Do you consider it cheating if your SO goes to a strip club and then doesn’t tell you? i wouldn’t consider it cheating if he was just watching but i would be angry that he hid it from me

How old is too old for trick-or-treating? i dont think it matters unless ur posing a danger to little children

Do you sleep with your arms over or under the covers? depends but mostly under

Do you own any t-shirts of your favorite band? i have nsync and harry styles shirts but thats it

Fries or onion rings? Fries.

True/False: you’ve had an odd dream this week. all the time but most of the time i forget them right after i wake up

Do you find tattoo sleeves attractive? depends

Do you like carving pumpkins? Yeah.

What’s an animal you want to have as a pet but can’t? i think raccoons are adorable but its kindaaaa hard to domesticate them

Have your parents ever caught you drinking? no bc my parents let me drink in the house and i’ve told them abt every time i’ve drank at college

How would you react if your celebrity crush came to your door? i would absolutely piss and shit on myself.

Has your mom/dad ever walked in on you kissing or anything more with someone? no

The person you have a crush on is drunk and goes to kiss you, you know they don’t realize what they’re doing, but do you kiss anyways? i would stop it even if i want to bc i don’t want them to regret anything and i wouldn’t want them to kiss me if they don’t like me bc it would hurt too much.

What would you prefer to get from a guy/girl: flowers, a hand written poem, a picture he drew of you or a nice night out? i would love them all but something abt a guy taking the time to write a poem for me makes me melt

Do you any shirts with any kind of images of food on them? no.

Which holiday is the most fun to decorate for? halloween

What was the first website you had an email account on? gmail

Have you ever written a fanfic? YES AHSHDH.

Tattoos or piercings? tats for sure.

What’s the last gross movie/show/video you saw? the scene where alexei breaks the inmate’s wrist in black widow is SO GROSS i cringe every time

Would you rather live in a huuuge house or a little cozy one? definitely a little cozy one

Do you have a tutor for anything? No.

Who’s the best kisser you know? i’ve only kissed one person.

Has anyone ever threatened you with a knife? No. I'd like it to stay that way.

(If you’re a girl) Has anyone ever called you "shortie" instead of girl? no and i hope they dont

Do you have a deep voice? not really

Do you play games with boys/girls, like 'hard to get’? no thats dumb

Is there a Sonic where you live? yes i’m a whore for sonic

What do you like on your pizza? pepperoni or sausage

[snakeassembly]

I Loved and I Loathed Pt.1 BodyPainter! Taehyung x Reader (Angst/Drama)

Summary: You meet Taehyung, a body painter that makes you question everything that you’ve ever believed in. He wants to make you his, but there’s a problem. You’re already engaged.  

 Author's Note: I am still alive. This story will have parts. I’m sorry that it took me so long to upload only for me to come up with this trash.  Enjoy lovelies!

Warnings: cursing, nudity, possible smut in the future (?)

Word Count: 5,221

 //

Your feet were cemented to the dirty concrete floor and you could tell that the bodyguard's patience was wearing thin. However, a quick glance at your face made him hold his tongue from commenting how you were holding up the line. Not that you noticed or cared.

The bright blue neon lights across the front of the grimy building taunted you as your feet shuffled from side to side. You were sure that your once smooth and glossy lips were now chapped and swollen from you constantly biting it. A few curses and yells were heard from behind you, but you paid it no mind. Your focus was solely on the flickering sign, Texture.

You attempted with great difficulty to not roll your eyes at the slightly cheesy name.

However, the sign intimidated you greatly and you were starting to regret taking the card from Jungkook and coming here in the first place. You stuck out like a sore thumb by the way you dressed. Everyone was dressed in t-shirts and sweatpants, clothes that didn't seem appropriate for a place that mimicked the vibe of a nightclub. You were perplexed at their style. A group of girls who were standing in line eyed you up and down before letting out a snotty scoff.

Screw this, I'm leaving.

You turned on your designer's heels and began making your way back to your car where your driver was waiting for you. However, before you could even take 3 steps, a hand shot out from your peripheral vision and tightly grasped your shoulders.

"Annnnd where do you think you're going?" You immediately tensed at the unwelcomed physical contact, but you quickly relaxed after you heard the voice.

"Home," you deadpanned.

You shrugged his hand off of your left shoulder, making the purse that was hanging to fall off. Before you could bend down to reach your bag, your friend quickly swiped it up for you. You turned around and faced the handsome man, who was looking at you with a bewildered expression.

"But you just got here?"

"I know," you continued monotonously. You tried to side step him, but all he did was mimicked your steps, blocking your way.

"Don't be like that; you haven't been out in so long. Ever since you got engaged, you haven’t been hanging out with me anymore," Jungkook whined.

You ignored the mention of your engagement.

"It's night time though," You smirked at him while crossing your arms together. Jungkook pinched the bridge of his high nose in frustration.

"You have no idea how hard it is for me to not hit you right now."

"Hey!" you protested. Without any regard to your wishes, Jungkook steered you towards the entrance of the building and the bodyguard lets both of you guys in without a second glance. Along the way, you were chastising him about how he shouldn't threaten a woman. Jungkook carried your purse with him, effectively preventing you from leaving.

"Oh you're a female?" He glanced towards your chest, "I couldn’t tell."

Your mouth dropped in offense; your hands came up to cross across your chest. But before you could get a chance to defend your acceptable size, you were stopped short when you noticed the scene that you were in.

The interior of the building was a stark contrast to outside. It was not the club vibe that you were expecting. Despite the exterior building being dingy and run-down, inside was almost as luxurious as the finest spas that you've been to. The lights were red-toned, giving off a sensual mood that was starting to affect you. Around the room, there were massage tables, set up with numerous people already on them. But, they weren't getting massages, they were getting painted on.

However, much to your dismay, too many people were walking around. But, that wasn't what was bothering you. It was because of their clothes, or lack thereof.  

People were naked.

Even though silk robes were given out to the customers, it was optional. It seemed like most of them chose to go all natural.

You felt your cheeks warm up, not like Jungkook could tell due to the red lights, and you held up a hand against the side of your face to block the sights of the countless genitals. With wide eyes, you turned to look at Jungkook. He was too busy checking out the girls that were walking past to notice your discomfort.

"Jungkook?" you squeaked out. He managed to tear his eyes away from a dark-haired chick to look at you.

“Oh, I forgot how much of a prude you were,” he teased. His face got closer to yours, making you more uncomfortable. You roughly shoved his face away with two perfectly French-tip manicured fingers.

“Why in the hell did you bring me to this place?” You hissed.

“It’s art, ___.” Jungkook sighed as he rubbed his forehead to soothe the pain.

You quirked an eyebrow in response, “What is?” Sure there was painting involved, but the fact that it had to be so racy, so provoking, artistic was the last word you would describe this ordeal.

“The people,” he gestured to his surroundings, “they’re all art. They’re no longer empty canvases. They’re completed works now.”

Your eyes quickly scanned around the place. He was right. The artwork that was displayed on a person’s body part was detailed and meticulously done. The artists were so skilled that you could even make out the difficult techniques that were used under the terrible lighting.

Your eyes zeroed in on a girl who was currently getting worked on by a guy, who you could only see the back of his head. From where you stood, you could only slightly make out the white tiger that was painted across her back with hibiscus flowers framing its face. It seemed like she was enjoying what the guy was doing to her based on the sounds that were emitting from her mouth, even though he was not touching her in any kind of sexual way.

He gently patted her shoulder to signal that he was finished. The red headed girl stretched out like a cat and draped her silk robe over one of her arms. She held out a hand towards the guy and batted her fake eyelashes. He gently took her hand before leaning down to kiss it. A giggle escaped from her.

You slightly cringed at the high pitched sound. It rang loud and clear despite you being half way across the room.

You finally got a good look at the guy when he turned around and immediately locked eyes with yours.

Oh come on, now that’s unfair.

God was too nice when he created this guy because he was fucking mesmerizing. Even with his shaggy bangs hanging close to his eyes, the intensity that radiated off of them sent shivers down your spine.

Jungkook raised a hand, “Taehyung!”

The guy finally tore his gaze away from you and glanced at Jungkook. A soft smile curled up on his face and he, with the red bombshell, approached you guys. As he got closer, you could make out the shiny lip ring that graced his lips.

Just when I thought he couldn’t get anymore attractive.

The man enthusiastically greeted Jungkook as they both exchange a warm embrace. You were trying very hard not to stare at the girl’s nude body. Jungkook, on the other hand, remained unfazed by the view.

“Texture’s number 1 customer! It’s so good to see you!” His deep and sultry voice placed you under a trance, “You haven’t been coming around lately. What is up with that man?”

Jungkook sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, “Ahh well, Father’s been on my ass about the company. He’s retiring soon and he wants to make sure he’s going to leave it in good hands.”

Taehyung dismissively waved away Jungkook’s excuse.

“You know I don’t get your corporate world. That’s just rich people’s problem.”

Jungkook shrugged in response. You haven’t said a word since the conversation started. Instead, you were too busy admiring Taehyung’s appearance. Dressed in ripped black jeans, and a white Gucci t-shirt tucked in, he was oozing with sex appeal. His aura was striking, but not to the point where it was overpowering. It was more subtle. However, he made sure that he was noticed.

“I see you have a kitten with you,” Taehyung remarked.

“I can say the same thing about you,” Jungkook nodded in greeting to Taehyung’s companion.

He surveyed you up and down, “A spoiled princess?” Your mouth parted in shock at the rude comment.

“What does that make you? The ugly frog?” You rolled your eyes.

“Yes, if that means I can get a kiss from the princess,” he winked in your direction. However, he winced as the red head dig her nails into his arms, not fond of the flirty comment.

Jungkook smirked at his friend’s grimace , “Ooh she’s feisty.”

“You should see how she is in bed.” You almost gagged.

“Gross,” you softly muttered. Unbeknownst to you, Taehyung heard the remark.

“Baby,” the girl whined, “I want to leave.”

“I would love to, but I have a few more clients left before I can leave,” Taehyung looked down at the girl. She pouted and crinkled her eyebrows in disappointment.

At this moment, Taehyung would usually just shoo the girl away. But, he was feeling a bit obnoxious today and wanted to grate on your nerves just for his amusement.

“However,” Taehyung purred, “I’ll make it up to you tomorrow night.”Satisfied with his answer, the woman strutted away. You couldn’t help but be slightly envious of her ass. Taehyung inwardly smirked when you rolled your eyes.

Jungkook snapped his fingers, “That reminds me, do you think you can add another one to your list?”

Taehyung quirked an eyebrow, “For you?”

“Nah,” Jungkook drawled. He jutted a finger in your direction.

“For her.”  

“For ME?”

“For HER?”

Your head and Taehyung’s snapped to each other after realizing you guys spoke at the same time.

“I don’t want him.” You crossed your arms and blew a stray strand of hair out of your eyes.

“You don’t seem to be an ideal customer either princess.”

“You guys don’t really have a choice since I’ll be the one paying,” Jungkook rolled his eyes at your childish antics, “How can you guys hate each other already?”

“It’s certainly not IMPOSSIBLE,” Taehyung scoffed.

“Plus,” he went to stand next to Taehyung before flinging an arm around his shoulders, “you don’t even know her name.”

Taehyung glanced at you, who was awkwardly shifting your weight between each foot. You clearly don’t belong here; anyone could tell. This wasn’t your scene. You looked like you should be at a fancy restaurant, having people at your beck and call. The last thing he needed was an entitled customer to ruin his day.

With an exasperated sigh, he reluctantly agreed. He signaled you to follow him, but before you guys could get any far, Taehyung was stopped by Jungkook.

“Hey, do you think the beauty who worked on me last time is available?” Jungkook grinned.

Taehyung scanned the open area before spotting the girl Jungkook requested for. His whistle caught her attention and she looked up in confusion before spotting Jungkook. She immediately smirked and nodded him over. He threw your purse at you without any regard and you clumsily caught it.  Jungkook advanced towards her before turning around to wink at you guys before leaving the both of you alone.  

You scoffed at his actions and you turn towards Taehyung, who was surprisingly nowhere to be found.

What an asshole.  

You scanned the crowd, making sure to take a double look at the guys who had an undercut. You finally spot Taehyung leaning against the staircase that lead towards downstairs. He smirked at you before raising a finger to beckon you towards him.

“It would be nice if you give me a heads up next time before you disappear,” you snapped.

“Last time I recalled, you’re not my mother,” he retorted, “but then again I was never good at listening to her either.”

He started making his way down the stairs and through the poorly lit hallway. You struggled to catch up to him and by his increasing pace, he had no intention of slowing down to accommodate you either.

With a few more twists and turns and instances where you almost tripped, the both of you finally arrived at the destination.

It was a door. That was it. No designs, no colors, no posters, none at all. It was just plain and…empty. It was a stark contrast to the neighboring doors that were eccentric with bold colors or were littered with posters.

A sense of loneliness settled within your chest and you were confused on why it ignited such a feeling.

“That’s unexpected,” you softly uttered.

Taehyung glanced at you over his shoulder, “What is?”

“How transparent humans really are.” Before he got a chance to probe further into your answer, you brushed past him and into the room.

The lights had a blue tint to it and unlike the massage tables outside, there was a bed in the center. To the left was a small sink and across the bed was a small sofa where a pile of paint bottles were carelessly about.

He gestured you towards the bed, but you switched directions and sat on the sofa instead. It didn’t feel right for you to be on the bed. It felt intimate and you barely knew the guy standing in front of you.

Taehyung rolled his eyes at your action. In his head, he made another note about how highly you must think about yourself when compared to him and he was put off.

“Why are you so defensive?”

You snapped your head up, “What?”

“Your walls are up so high that I can barely make out the top of your head.”

“Well, grab a ladder,” you retorted.

“You don’t have to be such a bitch you know?”

You leaned back against the sofa and crossed your arms in an arrogant manner, “I know.”

Taehyung was about to open his mouth and complain about how he’s never met someone with such a horrible attitude. He was 2 seconds away from kicking you out and telling Jungkook to shove the money up his ass.

However, the playful glint in your eyes made the words in his throat die. Seems like the princess had a sense of humor after all.

“What? Cat got your tongue?”

Without replying, Taehyung snatched a couple of paint bottles from the sofa and grabbed a few brushes from the cabinet above the sink.

Two could play at the game he thought.

With his leg, he rolled a steel stool and settled in front of you. Your thighs were in between his legs and he was so close you could feel the heat radiating off his body. You took a sharp inhale at the unexpected invasion of space.

“Guess whose tongue the cat have now?”

“Is this really necessary?” Your meekly said. You lowered your head, avoiding eye contact.

Taehyung narrowed his eyes before pushing himself a few feet away. “Is that better?”

“Lots.” Your airway seemed to finally open up and you can feel the blood leaving your cheeks.

He started making wild, painting motions in the air. “And how exactly am I going to paint like this, genius??”

You stared at him, “Oh.”

He returned back to his original position and you swear that he moved even closer to you than before.

Taehyung glanced at your finger that was anxiously tapping on the sofa. He inwardly smirked at your discomfort and felt proud of being able to affect you so much.  

“What do you want and where do you want it?”

A puzzled expression etched on your face.

Taehyung made a motion over your body, “The picture, what do you have in mind?”

“I haven’t thought about that…” you rubbed the back of your neck in embarrassment. You stuck out your hand.

Taehyung dumbly stared at it, unsure of what you want him to do before slowly giving you a high five.

You giggled, “No, I mean I want it on my hand.”

Taehyung mentally facepalmed at his own stupidity before trying to save face.

“Oh, I knew that.”

“No, you didn’t,” you teased.

“Yes I—,” a hand covered his mouth.

“Are you going to work on me or not?” You raise an eyebrow in challenge.

You feel something wet swiped across your hand and you flinched back in disgust. He licked you.

“I can work on you in other ways,” he winked. You roughly rubbed your hand on your jeans, trying to ignore the slight pleasant shivers that ran up your spine that his tongue caused.

He grabbed your other hand without permission and firmly grasped it.

How can someone’s hand be this tiny he wondered. His own hand practically engulfed yours.

Not wanting to stay longer than he had to, he decided to put you out of your (and his) misery and made the decision for you.

“Let me surprise you.” Taehyung softly muttered.

“Huh?”

“I’ll paint whatever I want,” he softly smiled at you. You glared at him in suspicion.

“Just trust me and close your eyes.”

What the hell is he on?

Giving him the benefit of the doubt, you did what he asked of you. Taehyung couldn’t help but take the opportunity to study you. You looked so peaceful. Your dark eyebrows were no longer furrowed and your lips weren’t pursed anymore.

Taehyung jerked in surprise when one of your eyes opened and your brown orb curiously peeked from under your long eyelashes.

“Holy shit, don’t do that!” He grasped his chest.

“You were taking too long to start!” You exclaimed.

One of his fingers came up to fold your lid closed. He shushed you. Before long you felt the cool paint on your left hand, but instead of focusing on the brush strokes, you were paying attention to how gentle he was.

Taehyung took notice of how your ring finger was empty. He wondered about what kind of boyfriend you would have. Would the guy be from a well-off family who wear suits and attend luxurious parties with you and take you out on shopping sprees?

Surprisingly, would the guy be normal with a regular day job who showed his love through letters and have cozy nights in as dates?

Why was he interested anyways? It wasn’t like you were kind or as good looking as his red headed friend. He barely knew you. So why couldn’t he swallow the slight hope that gnawed at the back of his head at the thought of you possibly being single?

After half an hour of him working in comfortable silence, you started to become restless. Taehyung had to tug you forward a few times because you started to lean back.

You groaned. “Are you done yet? My back hurts.”

“It depends. Do you want it to look shitty or the best that it can be?” Taehyung hummed.

You let out a whine in response.

Taehyung bit on his lip ring to keep from laughing at your childish antics. You surprised him in many ways. Even though your first impression wasn’t great, he picked up on the subtle details that allowed him to understand you a bit more.

For instance, most if not all female customers do not  hesitate to show off their skin in hopes of getting into his pants. It was normal for Taehyung to see a girl’s chest within thirty seconds of meeting her. Yet here he was painting on your hand and that felt more intimate than any other naked body he worked on.

“How did you end up here?” Taehyung questioned, reaching for the orange paint bottle and squirting it on the palette. “You seem too high end to come to a place like this for entertainment.”

“I didn’t really have a choice in the matter,” you grumbled with your eyes still closed, but Taehyung could see them roll behind your eyelids. “Jungkook threatened to buy my share of stocks if I didn’t come.”

“But that’s not the real reason why you came though because you could always  just buy it back.” Taehyung pulled you forward again, this time with a bit more force.

“Well that’s the only reason I’m giving you.” Taehyung could feel your hand tense up in his, so he decided to drop the topic. He started drawing small circles with his thumb in the center of your hand in comfort.  

An awkward silence settled between you two and you started to feel guilty for snapping at him when he was just curious.

Making up your mind, you took a deep breath. You didn’t want to give him a hard time anymore.

“I needed a change in scenery,” you confessed.

“I’m assuming that you weren’t expecting naked people as part of that scenery am I right?” He chuckled.

Even though all you could see was darkness, you could imagine his eyebrow quirking in amusement and his eyes crinkling in laughter.

Realizing that he wasn’t upset with you, you decided to let your guard down a little. Just a little bit.

“I needed a break from the stack of papers on my desk. Having people barging in and out of your office and demanding for papers to be signed can take a toll. Having family as business partners and employees can blur the line between what you want to do and what you should do. I had to fire one of my cousins a few days ago. Imagine how the Christmas dinner will turn out.” You dryly chuckled.

“I’m sure a side of icy glares will complement your hot dinner,” Taehyung offered.

“Just the thought of her makes me want to fly back to America.”

“You’re from America?” His ears peaked in interest. You felt the brush stopped its motions. Taehyung’s gaze shifted to your face and you fought to not squirm in your seat.

“I grew up there actually. I graduated high school, went to prom and everything. I came back three years ago.” Taehyung hummed to signal you to continue. You feel the brush move again.

“Why did you come back?” It must have been hard for you to leave your entire life and start all over again in a foreign country.

“I had some obligations that needed to be fulfilled as the daughter and assistant director of my Father’s company.”

“Oh? What kind of obligations?”

You thought back to your unexpected engagement. When your Father phoned you while you were in America and demanded for you to get on the next flight back to Korea, you assumed that there was a dire emergency with the company or that your brother’s gambling ways had finally caught up to him.  

“Establishing business connections.”

Taehyung hummed in thought, “And how’s that going?”

“It’s a work in progress,” your lips twisted up in a grimace.

Satisfied with the knowledge that he gained from you, he decided that it was enough for today.

“What about you? How did you end up working here?”

Taehyung spluttered. He wasn’t expecting you to take interest in his life because you seemed to be the type that couldn’t care less. No customer tried to ask about his background; they were either preoccupied trying to bargain the price or shamelessly flirting with him.

“I needed to eat and I didn’t want to rob people or sell my body. Luckily the owner of Texture took me in and became my mentor. I know that the business is unconventional, but that’s what brings people in .” He paused. “Plus, I like to paint. Not everyone is born with a gold spoon in their mouth.”

Anger surged within you and you were about to defend your way of living before Taehyung spoke again, “It wasn’t a jab at you. But I’ve seen wealthy people waltz in here and many of them have been blessed with comfort and luxury at a young age. They reap the fruits of labor their parents sowed and some of them are just wastes of space with no contribution to the company.”

Hearing the description, Namjoon and Hoseok automatically popped in your head. “Yeah, I can see where you’re coming from,” you mumbled.

A comfortable silence settled between you guys once again.

You attempted to take a peek at what he was doing. You saw a blur of different shades of blue before you feel a slight pain on the tip of your nose. Taehyung had caught you red handed and took it upon himself to reprimand you by tapping your nose in warning.

He sucked in a breath through his teeth, “Stop that.”

You didn’t know how much time has passed but you knew that your back was so tense that if you didn’t crack it in the next twenty seconds you’d go crazy.

Taehyung let out a deep exhale. His breath fanned across your face. It replaced the warmth that was no longer present on your hand. “We’re done!” He exclaimed.

You carefully opened your eyes, not wanting to be blinded by the lights even though it was a dark blue hue color. You studied your hand. It was a detailed drawing of a squid. Its slender body stretched to half of your forearm before reaching the back of your hand where you can make out the ocean background. Its legs were tangled  together before spreading out to each of your fingertips. The squid seemed to float on your arm, like it was real due to the dark shadows that provided dimension.

Taehyung wiggled his fingers. “You can make it move too.”

“Holy shit, this is amazing!” Your mouth was opened and your eyes almost popped out of their sockets. This was better than any work you’ve ever seen in museums.

You could barely contain your excitement for you started to jump up and down in your seat. The creativity, the details, the labor that went into painting this work made you all the more appreciate Taehyung even more. Not only that, but it’s on YOUR body. Art is on your body and you get to walk around and show it off instead of carrying a large painting around.

“You’re fucking amazing, Taehyung!”

It was the first time you said his name since you arrived.

You beamed up at him, eyes filled with admiration.

The sight made his heart lurched to his throat and his stomach to drop like lead.

 //

 Later on that night, you couldn’t stop bragging about Taehyung’s art to Jungkook. You stood to the side, watching the girl paint on Jungkook’s hard abs. You wiggled your fingers in his face when he was laying down before abruptly attaching your hand to his face.

The “squid” attacked him.  

“Oh my god. If you don’t stop being a brat I’m going to throw you into the ocean and you’ll have plenty of squids to be your friend.” Jungkook seethed.

Beside you, Taehyung couldn’t help but puff his chest out with pride at your countless praises. Taehyung glanced at you.

You were bouncing up and down from side to side on the soles of your feet like a little kid in a candy shop.

You were…kind of cute Taehyung mused.

A shrilling ring tone sliced the air and he noticed that it was coming from your phone. You fished out the device from your Chanel bag and looked to see who the caller was.

Immediately the bright grin on your face disappeared and your lips set in a thin line.

Who the fuck could that be? Taehyung wondered.

You hesitated on answering the call before taking a deep breath and pressing the green button.

“Hello?” You turned around and took several steps away from the group for some privacy. It was not going to be a pleasant conversation.

Jungkook followed Taehyung’s line of vision before remarking, “You’re staring.”

“No I’m not,” Taehyung denied.

“Yes you are.”

“No, I am not.”

“Yes, you are Taehyung,” the girl who was painting on Jungkook chimed in.

Jungkook high-fived her.

“Shut up, Chungha.” Taehyung snapped.

She raised her hands up in defense. There was a brief moment of silence.

Anxiety was overflowing from you like a broken sink. You were trying to keep your emotions in check, but by the way you roughly ran your fingers through your hair and how your jaw clenched and unclenched, a blind man could see how distressed you were.

“You’re still staring.”

Taehyung didn’t realize he was before tearing his gaze away from your figure. He glared at Jungkook but the younger man ignored it. Instead, he focused on flexing his abs.

Taehyung was too preoccupied with killing Jungkook in ten different ways in his mind that he didn’t notice you making your way back.

“Jungkook, we need to leave.” Taehyung slightly jumped. A hint of urgency was present in your tone and both of the guys caught it.

Without missing a beat, Jungkook jumped off the table and snatched his shirt that was hanging off from an extra stool. Luckily, Chungha was finished.

You didn’t wait for him to finish buttoning up his shirt before briskly making your way to the entrance. The naked bodies no longer intimidated you.

Jungkook followed behind, still struggling with his shirt. Taehyung fell into step with his friend.

“What’s going on?” He inquired. They were all having fun and relaxing until that phone call. Now, everything was in disarray. You were leaving too soon for his liking.

“Priorities,” Jungkook vaguely replied.

After crossing the entrance, you looked over your shoulder to briefly say goodbye to Taehyung.

“Thank you for everything,” you held up your painted hand and wriggled the fingers, making the squid move.

Your driver opened the door for you and you slid in. Jungkook patted the driver on the shoulder. “I’m going with her, make sure someone returns my car back to my house.” The driver bowed in response.

Before going in after you, Jungkook slipped Taehyung a wad of cash. “I’ll see you next week?”

“Yeah of course man,” Taehyung said, straining his head to peek inside the SUV to take a look at you.

“Will she be alright?”

Jungkook paused for a second, which Taehyung didn’t find comforting, “Yeah, she’ll be fine.”

“Hey Taehyung?”

Taehyung focused back to Jungkook. He quirked an eyebrow in confusion.

“Don’t.” Jungkook firmly said.

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t fall for her.” With that sentence, Jungkook climbed into the car, leaving behind dust and the smell of gasoline.

Taehyung stood in the damp and cold street, dumbfounded at Jungkook’s warning. As he watch the car disappear around the corner, he came to a realization.

He never got your name.