#the way his hair falls in front of his face

[pochaccoups]

hhu’s love languages (nsfw)

seungcheol —; biting

oh, how he loves to sink his teeth into your precious skin.

he’ll admit it—it’s a little bit (read: a lot) of a possessive thing. it’s not enough for him to have you face down, ass up, writhing underneath him as he pounds you into tomorrow. he just can’t resist from leaning over you, pressing his broad, sweat-slicked chest to your back, and clamping down on the curve of your neck with his teeth.

it doesn’t help that you say his name so pretty when he does; a breathy, high-pitched moan of two syllables—“cheollie,”—that drives him to insanity.

and it’s not just your neck that falls victim to his bite. it’s his favourite, yes—it’s easily accessible in all of your favourite positions, after all. but no part of you is safe.

when his head is between your legs, he kisses up along your calf, mouths at the fat of your thigh before you feel the soft sting of his teeth sinking into it. only then is he satisfied. only then does he give you what you want: his mouth on your pussy as he eats you out so good it leaves your entire body shaking.

when you’re sat in his lap, bouncing on his cock like a bitch in heat despite the way your thighs burn, his mouth finds your tits like a moth to a flame. they’re sensitive, he knows that, so he’s considerate enough to go a little easier on them, nibbling at the soft skin. he’ll still leave his mark on them, of course, only instead of bite marks he litters your chest with dark little love bites.

he loves nothing more than seeing your reaction to his dirty little habit. when you waddle off to the bathroom and leave him laying there in post-orgasm bliss, a yelp of his name has him grinning and jumping to his feet.

he finds you glaring at the mirror, with your hair a mess and your features flustered from the sight of the perfect teeth indentation on your right shoulder.

“i look like a shark attack survivor! how am i supposed to cover this?” you ask, exasperated.

and the worst thing about choi seungcheol is how hard it is to be mad at him. when he presses himself against you, snakes his arms around your waist, and drops his head to dot kisses all over the mark in question, you find yourself melting into him with an ease like it’s ingrained in you.

eventually, he speaks up, muttering his words into your skin: “don’t cover it.”

wonwoo —; hand holding

wonwoo, your sweet wonwoo. so shy that he gets flustered when you hold his hand in public.

in the dim lighting of your bedroom, though, he’s not so shy. in fact it’s you who’s flustered, your body searing hot, your head spinning from the weight of your boyfriend on top of you.

he’s got you manhandled onto your stomach, kneeling between your spread legs, fucking you like he’s trying to carve the shape of his cock into your very womb. what’s worse is the way his hands, lithe and pretty, take yours, pinning you to the mattress so he can drive his hips harder into you.

“w-wonwoo,” you sob, squeezing and grasping at the fingers that are laced with yours.

“hmm? what’s wrong, pretty girl?” he asks, practically cooing into your ear. “can’t take it?”

“i can,” you whimper, clenching around him, pressing your hips up into his thrusts. to show him.

“yeah, there you go. fuck, take my cock so good, don’t you?”

if you were to try and tell anyone that jeon wonwoo was capable of speaking like this, you’re sure they wouldn’t believe you. the wonwoo who can barely hold your hand in front of others, let alone kiss you? that wonwoo?

it’s the same wonwoo who fucks your face without remorse, who fingers you until you squirt, who eats you out until you can’t feel your legs—that wonwoo. and the best thing about him is that he’ll hold your hand through all of them, even as he abuses your poor cunt, like it’s reassurance. a touch of mercy to remind you he’s still your boyfriend who loves you so much even if he fucks you like an ex.

after all, he is a romantic. what’s more romantic than your pretty boyfriend holding your hands when he’s fucking your brains out?

mingyu —; choking

it may or may not be his habit of playfully grabbing his members by their neck that floods your mind with the idea of being in their place.

you’ve always had a thing for mingyu’s hands, even before you’d started dating him. the sheer size of them, the thickness of his fingers—all of it would have you squeezing your thighs together at just the thought of what he could use them for. (to make you see heaven and above, as you came to find out).

but mingyu is a gentleman in the most literal sense of the word. he’s big, he’s strong, and he compensates for that by treating you like glass. not that he doesn’t fuck you hard when you ask, but putting his hands around your neck is not something that even enters his mind. he’d let himself be struck dead before he’d use his strength to harm you.

fortunately, you’re good at getting your way with him—especially when he’s got his dick buried inside you. every last shred of his rationality goes straight out the window the moment he feels the hot, wet embrace of your pussy around him.

he grabs at your hips, your thighs, your tits; his fingers cling to every inch of your skin to keep himself from falling over the edge of insanity because you’re so fucking tight around him that it’s dizzying.

“gyu,” you moan, and he’s alert in an instant, like a dog called on by its owner, ready for his next command. “choke me?”

his thrusts falter and his features are questioning, yet you don’t miss the way his cock throbs against your walls at your words.

“baby, i don’t know if i should-”

“please, gyu?” you plead, gazing up at him, tightening your thighs where they’re wrapped around your waist. “for me?”

and kim mingyu is many things, but tenacious is not one of them.

when it comes to you he’s hopeless, nothing but a weak fool in love. it’s why he doesn’t stop you when you take him by his wrist and guide his giant hand to sit just above your clavicle. you don’t make him squeeze or anything, you leave that up to him. you just want him to see it, to feel it. to get a glimpse into the fantasy you’ve been keeping from him.

his hips slow, his eyes darkening as he gazes down at you with an affection you’ve never seen from him. gently, his fingers, which almost wrap around the entire circumference of your neck, start to press. it’s barely enough pressure to tickle, but fuck, it’s so hot it sends your eyes rolling back.

suddenly mingyu gets it. adrenaline flushes through his body and goes straight to his cock—it’s a sight he wants etched into his brain forever. your eyes hazy, a tiny, content smile on your kiss-swollen lips, his massive hand gripping your neck as he fucks you with a new kind of fervour. he gets it, and he can’t believe he didn’t get it sooner.

you can see it clearly—how, in just a matter of time, he’ll have his forehead pressed to yours, his cock grazing the spot that has you seeing stars over and over while his hand cuts off your airflow, choking you hard, the way you’ve always wanted.

vernon —; spitting

is it cliche and predictable to assign him this? maybe. but what if he’s not the one doing the spitting?

he’s a little bit obsessed with letting you do what you want with him. it’s not a dom or sub thing—vernon’s an easygoing guy in all aspects of life, and if you feel like sitting in his lap and making out with him until you’re both gasping for air, the last thing he’ll do is complain.

his favourite thing of all is when you ride him. fuck, everything about you is mesmerising; the way you grind your hips over his cock so expertly, the way you brace your hands against his chest, letting your nails rake into his skin ever so often, the way your head tips backwards and your moans spill out in the sweetest song.

vernon gazes up at you like you put the stars in the sky, like you brought about life itself, like he can’t believe he’s the one who gets to see you like this. his eyes, dark, round, and glimmering, are a picture of how enamoured he is with you. he has no idea how crazy it drives you.

it’s natural the way your hand reaches for his cheek, the way your thumb moves to glide over his lips, soft and puffy. vernon falls in love for the millionth time when you dip it inside his mouth, push it gently against his tongue, gathering up his spit on the tip of your finger. it makes his dick jump to be at your mercy like this. his hips buck up into yours, desperate to drive himself even deeper into the addictive heat of your cunt.

you press his mouth open, just slightly, just enough, and lean forward. a pearl of your saliva, of you, lands in the centre of his tongue, and he doesn’t have time to swallow it before your mouth finds his, kissing him with greed. it’s messy—lips smacking, your moans mingling with his, but the thing about vernon is that you cannot get enough of him. even though he’s inside you and you’re skin to skin with and your mouths are connected.

you pull away, your grin cat-like, your attention shifting back to the stretch of his cock as you bounce up and down him with a newfound desperation.

“god, you’re hot,” he whispers, his own lips quirking into a fucked-out smile.

“yeah? you like it when i spit in your mouth, hansollie? so dirty,” you reply.

he doesn’t last much longer after that.

[ink-n-shadow]

i saw this post about types "talking you through your orgasms" and i had to discuss the types that the 141 men would be. i couldn't stop myself

[ TALKING YOU THROUGH IT ] 𝜗𝜚 the one about how the CoD men talk you through your orgasms

𝜗𝜚 characters: john price, kyle "gaz" garrick, john "soap" mactavish, simon "ghost" riley (reader is gender neutral) 𝜗𝜚 cw: smut (minors—DNI), praise kink, dirty talk, slightly mean!simon, unedited 𝜗𝜚 a/n: lmk how we feel about the slightly different format (i'm still making edits but)

john price is definitely cooing softly in your ear about just how pretty you look, just how sweet your hole looks stretched out on three of his thick fingers, just how beautiful you look with drool slicking down your chin and unshed tears clinging to your lashes. “fuck, jus’ look at ya, doll—so fuckin’ pretty all split open on my hand, yeah? no, don't close yer thighs when ya come—wanna see how pretty y'look when ya tighten up 'round my fingers." doesn’t stop praising you or blabbering on about how pretty you look even after his softening cock slips out from between your thighs, his spend tricking out of your used hole and your tearstained face hidden away in the crook of his neck.

kyle garrick is the giggling kind, nose buried deep in the hair at your temple and his lips curled up into a smarmy grin as the rough pads of his fingers glide across the slick, molten flesh of your arousal with practiced ease. "feels good, yeah? got your legs just right tremblin', 'nd I've barely even started, sweetheart. shhh, shhh—'m only teasin', baby. tell me how good it feels." and he's totally the type to make you keep talking as he bullies his fingers into your heat, stopping every single time your words jumble together and your whiny moans begin to overpower your coherence. "keep talkin'—y'don't want me to stop, do you? s'what i thought—go on, then. what were you saying about my fingers hitting something just right?"

johnny mactavish is the condescending kind, azure eyes focusing on the way your eyes slowly cross as another orgasm ravages your nerve-endings and makes a scoff fall from his lips. "again, birdie? dinnae think y'had it in ya—how many's tha'? three, right?" but he's not slowling the pace of his thick fingers as they continue practically carving out your insides, fingertips mashing against that one spot that had your brain melting out your ears and moans slipping off your tongue. even the kiss he leaves against your forehead seems condescending, a knowing grin on his face as he feels your gooey insides gripping onto his fingers tighter. "yeah, tha's right—gimme a fourth. y'can do it, birdie—then i'll fuck my cock into ya, i promise."

simon riley is the (sometimes, not all the time) degrading kind, honeyed eyes meeting yours in the mirror in front of your bed as he forces you to watch the way his fingers disappear between your slick thighs. "look at tha', pet—greedy fuckin' hole, innit? already got three fingers 'nd you're practically beggin' for more, huh?" you would've answered him if he hadn't have stuffed your underwear between your lips, your eyes fighting to stay opened as your toes begin curling in the impending crest of your high—only for simon to rip his fingers from your fluttering hole, instead shoving the lube-covered fingers into your mouth until his middle finger brushes the back of your throat and the underwear slips out amongst the gagging. "didn't say y'could cum, did i? no (shaking your head for you with his fingers still buried in the back of your throat), don't think i did. knew you were a greedy lil thing—c'mere, be a good pet and suck me off."

[1d1195]

Independent

~10.6k words

From me: I know it's a long one, but it's a one-shot.

Warnings: angst, fluff. I've got about a thousand tropes in this one. Coworker Harry, Roommate Harry, love at first sight, he falls first and harder, one bed if you squint.

Summary: “Go on a date with me,” he groaned.

“Because of the cookies?”

“No! Well, yes. Right now, yes, because of the cookies. But s’not usually because of cookies.”

She laughed. “I don’t date, Harry.”

Harry was tall, with soft brown locks that begged to have fingers run through them, and cool green eyes that reminded her of the sage green bridesmaid’s dress she wore to one of her friends’ weddings the year before. He wore a dark purple button down with sleeves rolled up revealing a bunch of tattoos on his left arm but only a few on the right. His voice was melodic. Smooth, like he was going to sing her a lullaby and warm like it could toast a marshmallow.

Her group chat with a couple of her office friends had been buzzing the moment Harry took residence at the desk across the aisle and one row ahead of her.

Holy fuck. Val texted. Office eye candy 😍

Do you hear that thundering sound? That’s my heart 😍 Rachel continued.

She smirked at the desks, shaking her head.

Don’t shake your head. Say something! At least you’re single, you have a chance! Val sent the messages in quick succession, making her desk partner, Hunter, look at her curiously each time it vibrated.

“Do you have an emergency?” He asked her.

She shook her head. “Nope,” she smiled. “Not at all.”

*

Harry met her and asked her out on the very first day he started his new job. They both worked in an office. Their desks only a short distance apart while they worked together. He assumed there were no rules against dating as there were several married couples within the office as he quickly found out from the shared last names and wedding photos of his coworkers lining one another’s desks.

It seemed, as long as it didn’t interfere with their work, there was no issue.

Which was fine by Harry.

He was happy to ogle her all day long and he would spoil her rotten outside of work. “Hi, m’Harry,” Harry took his opportunity to introduce himself when everyone else left for their lunch hour and she was finishing something up. Leaving them alone in the office. Harry analyzed her desk as quickly as he could.

Their office was wide open with desks back-to-back nearly identical on either side with a long aisle leading to the office of their boss at the back of the room. Her desk faced the front of the room while Harry’s faced his boss’ office. He was on the opposite side of the room, and he had a great view all day long to watch her profile as she worked. Her hair was half up, her beautiful eyes hidden behind glasses, and her mouth set in concentration as she focused on her tasks. He couldn’t see her whole body, but he watched her pull her sandy colored cardigan around her white shirt multiple times that morning, like she was chilled by the air conditioner. His eyes were drawn to her. Like she was a lighthouse, and he was out at sea. All he wanted to do was watch her, keep an eye on her, and admire how stunning she was.

She had a little plant near her window—a bunch of red poppies wrapped up in a burlap vase, tied with a red bow. He couldn’t tell if it was fake or not, but he suspected it was. There was a picture of a large group of friends right by her monitor where she was off to the side in it, one of her girlfriends had an arm around her. Her stationery was cool tones of blues, greens, and purples. Her handwriting was scribbled on a calendar in front of her and he thought the way she curved her L’s was loopy and pretty beyond belief and he wished he had one in his name just to see how it looked. But it made him want to know how she would write his name anyway. There was a date at the end of September that was marked with a heart and he wondered why. Was it an anniversary? A birthday? Or the day her favorite movie came out?

A book sat on the windowsill, and he wondered when she had the time to read it during the day or maybe it was a security blanket kind of thing. There were two paper trays stacked on top of one another to organize her work and sticky notes all over her monitor and desk with ideas, reminders, and even a couple that said things like, “we love you” and “you’re so sweet.”

“Hi, Harry,” she smiled up at him to introduce herself. “Welcome to the team, are you having a good first day?”

He nodded, smiled a little brighter and dove right in. “I think m’in love with you,” she released a laugh that was so unbelievably beautiful Harry thought it sealed the deal. “I wouldn’t laugh, kitten. M’serious,” he frowned with faux sadness. He knew he was being a tad bit ridiculous. Maybe it wasn’t right to say it while they were alone, but he didn’t want to say it in front of everyone either. Hopefully he could convince her he was harmless, even if what he said was true.

Her cheeks reddened and she smiled. “That’s... very forward,” she reminded him. “And you don’t know me.”

“I know,” he rubbed the back of his head. “I was going t’hold off on saying it until tomorrow, but m’unable t’contain it. You’re very beautiful and everyone seems t’go t’you when they need help, so I imagine you’re a lovely person,” he pointed at the sticky note that said we love you once more. She snickered again and looked away covering one cheek with her hand. “M’going t’go t’lunch before I embarrass myself further, but I jus’ wanted to tell you,” he shrugged, stuffed his hands in his pockets and turned toward the exit.

“Nice meeting you Harry,” she called after him a smile on her lips.

He grinned and turned briefly to wave before he exited. “Don’t forget t’eat, kitten,” he called.

*

But now that Harry admitted he was in love with her, she couldn’t help but feel like she was being watched while she worked. Her eyes darted to his side of the room often trying to see if he was staring at her. He wasn’t each time which only made her feel guilty and worse. Maybe her standoffish disposition deterred him rapidly. It was probably for the best, anyway. For a lot of reasons.

Was it disappointment she was feeling from his lack of attention? That didn’t seem right.

“Harry!” Val called from behind her. “Are you enjoying your first day?”

“Immensely,” did his eyes drift over to her and her desk? She stared at her screen pretending to work while she listened.

“Did you just move to town?” Rachel was much further towards the front of the room. He turned to give her his full attention. It made her heart skip a beat with how kind it was. His politeness was a massive turn on.

Even if she wasn’t going to let herself admire Harry from across the way just because they worked together.

“I did, m’actually looking for a place t’live if y’know of any places. M’at a hotel until m’on m’feet.”

Her heart started beating about two hundred times a minute because she knew what was going to happen before it did. She could feel the bubbling excitement from her friends on either end of the room. “Mary Poppins has a room!” Rachel shouted.

Her cheeks turned bright red.

“Her roommate just moved in with her boyfriend like last week! How perfect is that, Mary? You were all worried about finding a normal roommate. I even did his background check, so I know he’s good to go!”

Harry chuckled. “Um... who’s Mary Poppins?”

The whole office giggled. “Miss Poppins, did you not introduce yourself?” Someone else called. Hunter snickered across from her and she glared at him.

This was mortifying. Wasn’t this supposed to be a mortifying day for Harry? His first day and all? How come she was being teased? She took a deep breath and turned from her monitor to make direct eye contact with Harry who was already looking at her. Like he knew exactly who Mary Poppins was without his coworkers needing to tell him. “It’s a two-bedroom apartment. One bath. There’s a nice kitchen, all new appliances.”

Harry’s jaw dropped as she spoke. Like he was surprised it really was her. “Val looks like she’s going to bounce out of her seat,” Hunter smirked as he whispered under his breath to her while she tried not to panic at the thought of living with someone so unbelievably attractive and just admitted he was in love with her.

“Tell him about your living room!” Val sounded like she was bouncing.

“Water’s included.”

“She’s the cutest interior designer. It’s so homey it feels like a warm hug when you walk in. Like living with a rom-com character,” Rachel continued.

“Rent would be about twelve hundred,” she ignored her so-called friends.

“She bakes something once a week too, so it always smells like sugar and Christmas. It’s seriously the coziest place I’ve ever been,” Val kept going.

“In-unit washer and dryer.”

“Then she brings whatever she makes for all of us here to devour. It’s incredible,” Rachel’s sentiment was answered with a hum of agreement from the rest of her coworkers. She even heard someone say remember her apple turnover pastries?

“You get your own parking spot,” she tilted her head and looked at the ceiling to see if there was anything else she had forgotten. “I think that’s it,” she met Harry’s eyes once more, holding his gaze briefly before she turned back to her monitor.

“Harry you should totally move in, you will fall in love with the place.”

“M’sure I would,” he chuckled. “Could I see it sometime?” He asked. His attention never strayed from her face. She could sense his gaze on the side of her cheek the whole time her friends embarrassed the crap out of her. “Whenever you’re free. Doesn’t have t’be today.”

“Today’s fine!” Rachel assured him. “She doesn’t do anything on Mondays.”

She rolled her eyes. “Today is fine,” she repeated and smiled sweetly. She scribbled on a sticky note and headed to his desk to drop the address off with him. Then she made her way toward the restroom because she needed to get out of the room. Needed away from everyone teasing her good-naturedly.

But mostly so she could keep herself from telling Harry that she was quite, very possibly, in love with him as well.

*

True to her friends’ words, the place was cozy as hell. There was a basket of throw blankets next to a sofa that looked like it was comfier than his bed currently in his storage unit. Artwork dotted the walls, board games stowed below her TV, and curtains pulled back from the windows letting in the afternoon sunlight. It felt like a home.

There were three boxes in the middle of the living room between the coffee table and the TV, but it was otherwise spotless. “You’re very clean.”

She nodded. “I know, I’m sorry.”

He chuckled. “Y’don’t need t’apologize,” he put his hands in his pockets, so he didn’t do something crazy like hold her hand.

“I don’t want you to think I’m crazy, is all. You can be... messy... I won’t have a freak out or anything. Unless you leave food in the sink then we get bugs. Then I’ll be kind of freaked out.”

He laughed. “I wouldn’t do that. I like t’think m’pretty clean myself,” he assured her. “I also...” he took a deep breath and rubbed the back of his head. “Y’friends kinda put y’on the spot. I know what I admitted at lunch was kinda out of... out of the blue,” he bit his lip. “Y’don’t have t’feel obligated t’house me.”

“I don’t,” she promised. “I need a roommate and like Val said,” she shrugged. “She did your background check so I assume you won’t kill me, probably. At least not because you’re a serial killer. Maybe because I’m too clean.”

He shook his head with a smile on his lips making the most adorable dimple dent his cheek. She wanted to stick her tongue in it. “Thank you, m’really appreciative.”

She smiled. “You’re welcome, Harry. Sorry we’ll be around each other a lot.”

That didn’t seem like a bad thing at all. “I think it’ll be okay. We didn’t really talk much today,” he shrugged. “If y’get sick of me, m’sure I can find another place t’live,” he winked.

She rolled her eyes. “Won’t be necessary. But okay,” she sighed. “You can move in whenever,” she grabbed her keys from the breakfast bar where she ate most of her meals and pulled a key off the ring and handed it to him. “I have a second job some nights, but if you give me a heads up, I can help you move your stuff.”

“S’very kind of you, kitten, but y’don’t need t’do that. M’not going t’have all that much stuff. M’friend Louis lives not too far from here. He’ll come help me.”

“Offer stands,” she assured him.

Harry’s eyes scanned the room again and landed on the three boxes once more. “Are those your old roommate’s boxes?” He asked.

She nodded. “Two of them. I’m supposed to bring them to her, but they’re super heavy so I’m like... working up my mental and physical strength to bring them to my car. It’s going to be two trips and I’m just being a little lazy about it.”

“I can bring them down,” he grabbed one. It was definitely heavy. It was evident Harry had defined biceps and triceps practically outlined by the pretty purple button down, but it was manageable for him while a struggle for her. “Still probably two trips,” he nodded.

“Oh, I can take—”

“No, no,” he shook his head. “Don’t want you t’hurt yourself. Let me,” he offered and snagged her car keys off the counter.

“Oh, thank you that’s... thank you,” she swallowed, feeling grateful.

“Not a problem,” he assured her and left immediately.

When he returned after putting the second box in her car to return her keys, she had opened the third box and begun laying out a bunch of fall items to decorate their place. “Do you mind decorations?”

“Of course not,” he smiled. “Can I help?”

She blinked at him and tilted her head. “Um... I can handle it. If you need to pack or go... get dinner or something.”

“M’fine,” he smiled, setting her keys on the counter and glanced around the room. He noted there were hooks screwed into the wall at various points. “Can I hang something for you? M’good for height.”

Harry wasn’t that much taller than her, she was definitely taller than the average woman, but it still meant she needed to drag out a stepstool when she wanted to put up her art and decorations. “That would be awesome,” she nodded. “Thank you.”

“Not a problem, kitten,” he smiled.

*

Harry had a dreamy smile on his face as they talked and got to know one another. He hadn’t brought up that he was in love with her. Nor did he make her feel the least bit uncomfortable. Like it had never happened.

Why did it feel like she was disappointed about the prospect of that?

Maybe he wasn’t in love with her. Maybe the initial reaction of seeing someone roughly the same age as him at work made his senses a bit wild for a moment.

No. She wasn’t disappointed. Everything about Harry being in love with her would be a recipe for disaster and it was for the best that he didn’t fall in love with her.

It was just something a little bit out of the blue to say to the only person who was single in the office. Everyone had a significant other they had met within the office or elsewhere. She was the last single person. The same was true with her friend group as well. Everyone in her life had been paired off except for her.

He was her coworker. He was going to be her roommate.

But right as he left, he sent her heart into a frenzy. They were by the door. She wanted to make sure he got to his car safely even though it was a safe neighborhood. It was just the way she was. “Will you go on a date with me?” He asked.

She stared at him in shock, her lips parting like she was mid-sentence, and he had interrupted. “Seriously?” She giggled reflexively, but her cheeks felt hot. They had a lovely evening together getting to know each other. Harry helped with all the decorations and yes, in its own way it was a bit intimate. But he couldn’t possibly think that it was a good idea to date his roommate.

“Yes,” he nodded.

“Harry, I can’t date my roommate.”

“Pretty sure s’how most rom-coms start,” he smiled. “S’okay. I’ll ask again later. Have a nice night,” he grinned with a wave and walked toward his car. Leaving her jaw slack, as she watched her roommate head off into the night.

*

Harry moved in later that week. He asked her to come with him to his storage unit to see if there was anything she would want in the apartment, but she had pretty much everything. It seemed silly to bring a double of everything when she owned all of it already.

But Harry would forever be grateful and indebted to his sister for her kindness as he watched her examine some of his belongings. One in particular caught her eye making him think that he had won the lottery with how excited she was.

She couldn’t believe Harry had a stand mixer and she was nearly in awe of all the attachments to help bake and cook easier. “I’ve always wanted one of these. They’re so expensive,” she blinked. “How do you have one?”

“M'sister got one when she got married,” he explained. “But she doesn’t bake and said it was taking up space in her kitchen.”

“Can we bring it to the apartment? Do you mind?”

The way her eyes lit up at the sight of it? Pure joy and happiness? Yeah. It was going to the apartment. If he ever moved out, he would probably leave it with her too just so she could always look that happy. “Course. Anything else?”

She looked around the organized storage room sifting through the items in different bins while Harry searched for some of his own trinkets that he thought he would want after his initial move. His room and bathroom items had already been moved in with the help of Louis. “This is stunning,” her voice full of awe once more, grabbing a print from behind a shelf. Harry wasn’t sure where it was from. He thought his mum purchased it to make his old place feel like home. “This would look amazing in the living room.”

“Bring it,” he smiled. She tucked it under her arm and continued searching. Harry grabbed a few more odds and ends and she plucked out a few more things she thought would work with the apartment’s décor and mainly helpful kitchen tools.

“It’s your place too, Harry,” she reminded him. “Is there anything you want there?”

He smiled, shook his head. “Y’seem t’have everything, kitten. M’not picky.”

“I don’t want you to feel like a guest,” she pouted. “Like you should bring these,” she gestured to pictures of his friends and family in a bin. “I can move some of mine to my room so you can put them up.”

He grinned. “Sure,” he shrugged. “If y’think s’what I should do.”

“Alright, could we come back in a few weeks and see if there’s anything else you want once you’re settled a bit?”

“Course.”

They gathered as much as they could, Harry would have to come back for the stand mixer. Harry closed the trunk and moved to open the passenger door for her before her hand fully pulled it out of the way. He waited until she was tucked into the seat safely and he handed her the car keys. “I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll be here,” she smiled.

“Hey kitten,” he said leaning against the door before he left. “Will y’go on a date with me?”

“Harry,” she laughed the same way she did the last time he asked her. The same way she laughed when he told her he was in love with her. “You can’t be serious!”

“Deadly,” he smiled at the delight on her face. The pretty pink color rising to her cheeks. “Will you?”

“I can’t go on a date with you, Harry,” she looked at him with a bit of sympathetic pity. Like he was ridiculous for asking. Again. Which he was.

“Then I’ll ask again another time,” he shrugged, closed her car door, and headed to get the stand mixer that made her happy.

*

“Hey Poppy, did y’want t’go get lunch with me?” Her eyes didn’t move from her screen. “Poppy,” he repeated. “Poppy,” he sang. She glanced around and realized she was the only one in the room.

“Me?”

He chuckled. “Yes, you.”

Her eyebrows pinched together. “Why did you call me Poppy?”

“Well, m’assuming s’your favorite flower,” it was a safe bet since there was a small bouquet right beside her. “Also, everyone else calls y’Mary, Poppins, or Miss Poppins. Which I still don’t know why, but I wanted t’be different. Want you t’know s’me when y’hear me talking t’you.”

Her heart raced. Harry was utterly adorable. “I see. Sorry,” she smirked.

“Anyway,” he came over to stand by her desk. “Do y’want t’get lunch?”

“Harry, I told you I don’t date.”

“M’not asking as a date. M’asking as your coworker who has never seen y’eat a bite of food while you’re at work. M’asking as your concerned roommate who worries y’don’t eat until y’get home for dinner. And I don’t even want t’think ‘bout how long y’go without eating when you’re at your second job.”

She smiled at his thoughtfulness. “I don’t go out to lunch with everyone,” she explained. “I don’t know if you noticed, but people always seem to need me while I’m here,” she gestured to her desk. “Lunch is the only time I get a minute to myself. And I can get caught up a bit before the afternoon and everyone comes back.”

“Well do you bring lunch?” He asked, his frown deepening still worried she wasn’t eating.

“I do, it’s in the breakroom. I’ll get it in a minute,” she promises. “Go, you’re wasting your lunch hour.”

“Okay,” he sighed. He stopped in the doorway of the entrance to the office. “Hey Poppy,” he smiled.

“Yeah?” She asked without looking up from her screen.

“Now that y’mention it though, will y’go out with me?”

*

At home, Harry took the trash out because he said it was a boy-job and she shouldn’t be out in the dark by a dumpster. It made his skin crawl just to think about it. He made her promise that she wouldn’t take out the trash and he didn’t mind if he had to go out twice in one day. She thought it was ridiculous. But she agreed.

He cleaned up after himself checking with her to see if it was up to her standard. Even though she assured him he didn’t have to meet her standard. His cologne overtook their bathroom, and it was so comforting she took long hot showers at night just to amplify the scent filling her nose. Harry stretched across the sofa and scrolled through various show options but often didn’t find something that piqued his interest. Instead, he would put on some background noise and read on an eReader. His eyebrows pinched together in concentration.

Harry bought groceries and didn’t ask for any money from them. “M’sure you’ll buy stuff too,” he shrugged. Plus, she already had all the cleaning supplies, laundry detergent, dishwasher pods, and the like. Harry hardly had anything useful so buying groceries was the least he could do.

Except the stand mixer. People moaned about her cookies. Harry got to see her make them firsthand and the very scene with an apron around her body, her smile bright as she tested various stages of the dough, it did wonders for Harry. Some kind of nearly pornographic idea that only Harry would think was pornographic. “Will you try one?” She asked, hope in her voice.

Was he supposed to say no to her? Absolutely not. So, he tried one. “Go on a date with me,” he groaned.

“Because of the cookies?”

“No! Well, yes. Right now, yes, because of the cookies. But s’not usually because of cookies.”

She laughed. “I don’t date, Harry.”

He frowned, faking his disappointment (although he was the slightest bit disappointed). “I’ll try again,” he shrugged and took three more cookies from her cooling rack before returning to the sofa to read.

*

“Mary!” Val sang. “Do you have the stain stick?” She called from behind. She opened a drawer, eyes unmoving from her screen and held it out behind her for it to be passed back by her other coworkers. Harry chuckled.

It killed her that she knew his chuckle without looking. “S’impressive,” he murmured quietly. But she could hear it from across the way.

“That’s nothing,” Rachel said from the other end of the room. “Miss Poppins,” she smiled delightedly. “I have a missing button,” she told her.

That was the other drawer, a small little sewing kit to fix a button.

“Hair tie!” Someone called from the other side of the room.

“Lint roller!”

They all called out items and she had every single one.

“Do you have anything stronger to put in this coffee?” Their boss was walking up the aisle and paused at her desk. She smirked, opened the bottom drawer and placed a mini bottle of liquid on the edge of the desk. The whole office laughed as he snatched it and headed to his office. “You’re getting a raise, Poppins,” he called.

Hunter turned to look at Harry. “I gave her the nickname,” he explained.

“I get it,” he chuckled.

“If you need it, chances are she has it.”

“If she doesn’t, she adds it,” Val explained.

Her smile was soft. Harry thought it was sweet how her coworkers adored her. It was clear she was loved by them. Her thoughtfulness was admirable. Harry wondered how he was supposed to top that. No wonder she didn’t want to go out with him. Why would she want to go out with anyone when she was ten times sweeter than anyone she knew?

*

Her best friend Josephine (Joey) was helping her in the bathroom when Harry got home from the gym one Friday evening. “Holy hell you said he was cute, not hot,” she gaped.

“Aw, y’think m’cute, Poppy?” He asked winking at her. Her cheeks flushed red, making it so she didn’t need any of the blush she was putting on her cheeks. He leaned against the doorframe; arms crossed over his chest. He was sweaty and really wanted to get in the shower, but he didn't mind a bit of time to stare at his sweet roommate.

“I should have known. Only a man that uses such high-end cologne would be this hot.”

“Didn’t you buy Matt high-end cologne?”

“Hence why I think he’s so hot,” Joey beamed. Her friend laughed quietly, shaking her head as she finished with her makeup.

“Sorry Harry, we’ll be out of the way in a minute.”

“Take y’time. M’not in a rush.”

“Oh, you should come out!” Joey squealed. “Harry, please! She’s always by herself keeping an eye on us it would be nice to have someone keep her company!”

“Thanks, Mom. I don’t need a babysitter,” she rolled her eyes. “No offense, Harry.”

“S’okay,” he chuckled. “I don’t want t’impose. Plus m’in need of a shower.”

“Don’t let us stop you,” Joey smiled widely gesturing to the shower.

“Can you not?” She rolled her eyes and looked at Harry with apologetic eyes.

He laughed again and shook his head. “Y’can call if y’need something,” he assured her.

“Harry, please come out! You can meet us there!” Joey said again.

She looked at him with a soft smile. A look in her eyes said he wasn’t going to get out of it. Not if he didn’t have a really good reason. But truthfully? He didn’t need a reason to get out of it. Spending time with her outside of work, outside of the apartment, and errands like the grocery store and running to the post office had him excited to see her in another frame of light. Did she let loose? He would love to dance with her. Even if it was only as friends, roommates, fuck as coworkers even. How did she act around her friends versus her coworkers? God, he was obsessed.

“I can wait for you,” she suggested, her voice soft. Harry smiled.

“Thanks, Poppy.”

*

Her eyes scanned for her friends as she sat on a stool at a high top beside Harry. It was like watching a teacher on a field trip counting heads to make sure everyone was still present. The table was littered with drinks all of which she minded just as intently.

Harry just gazed at her as he sipped his drink. He helped as needed pushing drinks toward her friends as they came back from dancing. “Y’don’t dance?”

“Oh...maybe later. I’m not very good,” she admitted. “I like dancing with Joey because she’s worse than me.”

She caught the eye of one of her friends, Hailey, approaching and she reached into her purse strapped around the front of her for something. Harry watched as Hailey made it to her. “Thanks Mary,” she gushed taking the bandage from her and made her way for the bathroom. It was pretty wild she could anticipate whatever her friends needed. It was like at work. Harry was a bit awestruck and looked at her with a surprised expression. She shrugged and continued sipping her drink.

Jaylen was next. Joey’s twin brother; they had the same facial expressions--mainly the smile that Joey had on her face when she suggested Harry shower in front of her and his favorite person.

The same smile appeared on his face and told Harry he was going to say something just as delightful as Joey had said of Harry. Sure enough, Jaylen draped an arm around her and leaned into her ear to whisper something over the sound of the music. She rolled her eyes and shoved him playfully. His face turned serious and he whispered something again.

She frowned. Then reached into her purse again. Out came a tampon which he slid discreetly into his pocket and then she glanced at his outfit twisting her lips to the side in disappointment.

After a brief thought, she pulled her purse over her body and laid it on the table. The long cardigan she wore came off next, leaving her in a black tank top that tucked into her jeans. It hugged her curves like a glove making Harry’s mouth water and he glanced away worried he would look like a creep. He finished his beer before Jaylen grinned and thanked her profusely and walked away. She took a deep breath and put her purse back into position before wrapping one arm in front of he protectively, gripping the front of her shoulder.

“Are y’cold?” He asked.

She shook her head.

But Harry was sitting beside her. He could see the goosebumps on her skin. She selflessly gave her sweater to her friend for whatever reason (Harry wasn’t totally sure, but he suspected it was menstrual related). But she was going to pretend like she wasn’t cold? Harry was definitely in love. In case it wasn’t obvious by the moment he met her. Boldly, Harry reached below her bar stool and tugged it toward him. She jostled a bit but he maintained her balance. Then he draped his arm around her body pulling her toward him further and he couldn’t help but notice she didn’t pull away. She didn’t make a sound and her facial expression didn’t change.

But Harry felt her body relax into his side, her head dipping ever so slightly toward his shoulder. He smiled softly and brought his lips closer to her ear so she could hear. “Y’don’t have t’lie t’me, Poppy. M’your roommate and all. I know y’like the apartment a toasty temperature.”

She smirked and tilted her head up. Their eyes connected, their mouths only two inches apart. “Thank you,” she said kindly.

Harry really enjoyed holding her.

*

At the end of the night, she rounded up her friends ensuring those who said they could drive actually could and if they couldn’t she called for Ubers until everyone was safely on their way home. Jaylen’s girlfriend, Maya, had her green sweater wrapped around her white pants. She thanked her profusely, drunkenly.

Joey and Matt waved goodbye. “Bye Hot Roommate,” Joey called waving to Harry specifically.

“Jesus, Joey,” Matt rolled his eyes. “Nice meeting you Harry,” he called.

Once everyone was gone, she rubbed her hands on her arms to keep the blood flowing and warming her skin. Harry wrapped his arm over her shoulders again and tucked her into his side as they headed for her parked car a couple blocks away. “Go on a date with me," he spoke straight forward. Hoping if he didn't look, it wouldn't seem like as a massive deal--almost like he would trick her into a date.

She elbowed him. “I can’t go out with a coworker, Harry. Or my roommate for that matter.”

He shrugged. “I’ll ask later,” he boldly kissed the top of her head. Fortunately, she didn't seem to mind. Harry was sure to keep that in his head for future reference. He would most definitely be kissing her again. “You’re an extremely sweet girl, Poppy. Selfless, lovely, kind,” he listed. “Whoever y’end up with, m’going t’be very jealous,” he assured her.

She snorted and laughed quietly under her breath. “Thank you, Harry.”

*

For months it continued with similar routines, feelings, and questions. They grew closer as friends. At work he admired her from his desk from across the office. When she didn’t go to lunch, he reminded her to eat and not work too hard. At home, he grumbled that her loophole of taking the trash out in the daytime was not the point of his promise. He still bought groceries each week trying to figure out all the things she enjoyed eating.  

He helped her clean the apartment and when it was getting cooler outside, she asked to join him at the gym. Her outfits were cute and made guys stare at her as she worked out, unbeknownst to her. She asked for help from Harry which made him feel like he won an Olympic medal. His face was smug as the men in the gym finally stopped looking at her. Thinking Harry was lucky enough to be hers.

It made him happy to help her figure out new machines and with her sets of weightlifting (even though she didn’t like it).

Everywhere they went, people ogled her. She was so kind. Little kids would smile at her in grocery store lines and wave like it was a game of peekaboo. Dogs tugged on their leashes hoping to get a pet from her around the loop she ran in the neighborhood. Their elderly next door neighbor tried telling her a hundred times that she had a grandson her age and he would love to date her (that one drove Harry the most crazy).

She had her head leaning in her palm as she watched the stand mixer beat the brownie ingredients like it was the most interesting thing in the world. But Harry was watching her; so he was, in fact, watching the most interesting thing in the world.

He leaned against the wall just beside the kitchen entrance. “Poppy?” He asked. She looked up at him. “Go on a date with me, please," his expression soft.

She was finally getting used to it. She gave herself a lot of credit. It was pretty crazy she hadn’t caved yet. Harry was so lovely. Not to mention attractive. At the gym, his muscles rippled and glistened with sweat. The outline of every abdominal muscle was sinful. It was a miracle she didn’t drop her own weights or fall on the treadmill when she caught sight of him. It drove her crazy that the women there gazed at him longingly; like he was something to eat. But was she really any better?

She smiled, the blush on her cheeks still prominent, but not as deep. She was used to her heart skipping a beat, the butterflies fluttering in her stomach each time he asked. “That's very sweet, Harry. But I don’t date.”

It was six months since he met her when he finally asked. “Why not?”

She shrugged. He thought she wasn’t going to say anything more, so he frowned, sighed, and headed for the living room to get back to his book. “I just don’t date, Harry. I like being friends,” she told him.

He grumbled something about still being friends even if they dated but she either didn’t hear or pretended not to hear. Either way, it was quiet for a few beats. “If I hadn’t told you I was in love with you that first day, would that have changed your answer?”

She giggled and shook her head. “No.”

“Okay,” he shrugged. Ever determined. He smiled widely at her. “I’ll keep asking then.”

*

When she got dressed up for a family wedding and clicked down the hall in heels and a dress that flowed over her like she was the bride (only wearing green of course, not white). Her hair was curled and pinned so prettily Harry thought he was seeing a real angel in the flesh. “Oh, come on, Poppy,” he groaned and covered his eyes with his hand dramatically. “S’not fighting fair,” he frowned.

She grinned, her cheeks warming more than they had in a while. “I look okay?”

“Stunning,” he grumbled. “M’so jealous I won’t get t’dance with you,” he pouted.

She shook her head. “I don’t usually dance at weddings when I go alone,” she explained.

“Well, y’should’ve told me. I would’ve been your date.”

“Harry—”

“Platonic date,” he rolled his eyes. “This is worse than when y’wore that pencil skirt t’work,” he reminded her. She snickered and shook her head while she looked at her phone. She sucked her lip into her mouth and sighed wincing slightly and then turned to her room again. After several minutes she returned in a different dress. She was equally stunning, but she looked a little forlorn. “An outfit change?”

She nodded. “Yeah,” she shrugged. “My sister is wearing green.”

Harry frowned. “So?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know. I just...” she shrugged. “It’s alright. I like this dress just fine.”

But it wasn’t green. She looked so pretty in green. It complimented her skin tone so perfectly. She looked stunning. Like she was a queen. “But—”

“Seriously, Harry. It’s fine.”

The muted purple dress looked lovely on her as well. But Harry thought the green made her look otherworldly. He wanted the happiness back in her eye. The light that sparked when he complimented her. “Well when can y’wear it?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. Season’s almost over for a wintergreen like that,” she shrugged. “Maybe next year.”

Harry frowned. But then he had a wonderful idea to help both her dress and himself. “Go on a date with me, Poppy.”

The smile reappeared on her face, and she shook her head. “I can’t, Harry.”

“Please? Do it for the sake of that dress,” he pleaded. “We don’t even have t’call it a date. An outing. An adventure. Whatever y’want. Y’jus’ need t’wear it before y’can’t.”

She smiled. “Thank you, Harry. But I can’t.”

He sighed. “You’re welcome, Poppy.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow? I’ll steal you a cupcake. I heard they come from this bakery that I love and if it doesn’t make it home to you, then we’re going to have to go there anyway.”

It didn’t replace a date. But he liked the way she smiled. And going to a bakery together was inherently a couple-y thing to do. So he would take what he could get.

“Sure, Poppy. I’d love to.”

*

She didn’t need people. Needing people had only ever broken her heart. She never asked for help ever. Well...only when they were at the gym but that was a safety thing more than anything.

Even when she should have asked.

Harry didn’t notice until he drove her to a house party that her friends didn’t invite her too. She was sleepy, it was obvious. Leggings, oversized sweater. Her hair was braided loosely and falling apart because she had woken in the middle of the night to answer a message. Harry was in the middle of a good book. Unable to put it down when she ventured into the living room. A yawn falling from her lips. Her eyes barely open. It took several questions and repeated convincing to let him drive her since he was awake, and it looked like she was going to pass out while standing.

Harry insisted on coming in even as she told him to stay in the car, but he refused. She found her friends, her voice was soft as she encouraged Jaylen to leave. A little over his limit and Joey and Maya were about just as gone and unable to convince Jaylen to go with them. A guy from across the room made a joke about Mommy coming to save him. As her pugnacious friend made a turn to deal with the offensive person, she stopped him. She was quick, grabbed his arm, and held tight.

When they returned to the apartment she corralled her friends into their sleeping arrangements. Maya and Jaylen in her bed, Joey on the sofa. “Sorry I took your reading spot,” she whispered as she tucked a blanket around Joey. She snagged another blanket and curled into the only other chair in the living room. “Thank you for driving,” she smiled, closing her sleepy eyes.

“You’re gonna sleep there?” He asked. She nodded, barely moving. Like she was already half-way to dreaming. Harry snagged her out of the chair, cradling her and bringing her to his room.

“Harry,” she protested.

“We’re grown adults,” he reminded her. “We can share a bed without it being weird. S’like a hotel room.”

“Harry,” she repeated, her objection evident in her tone. “I can’t—”

“M’not letting y’sleep in a chair or on the floor. So, it’s m’bed or y’aren’t sleeping,” he shrugged.

She sighed. Too tired to oppose any further, thankfully. Harry laid her atop the covers and draped another blanket over her. He went to the bathroom, brushed his teeth, and slid beneath his sheets and glanced at the sleeping angel beside him. He smiled. He liked the way she looked in his bed. Liked the way she seemed comfortable and sleepy beside him. His bed felt warm with her beside him. Even though she wasn’t touching him. She smelled good in his room too.

“Night, Harry,” she mumbled.

“Good night, Poppy,” he answered, reached out, squeezed her hand before releasing it so she wouldn’t break a piece of his heart by telling him they shouldn’t.

It was easy to fall asleep with her beside him.

It was even easier to dream of her with her intoxicating presence in his room as well.

*

Harry noticed how drained she seemed when the weather continued to get warmer. Her friends all had birthdays around the same time, and she was a mess of scheduling and reserving birthday dinners and planning things for all of them. Did Harry miss her birthday? He would have to ask. He hoped he didn’t. He hoped her friends would take the time to plan for her the way she did for them.

Work was approaching a busy season, and everyone kept coming to her more and more throughout the day. He could see the anxiety on her face as her growing to-do list looked nearly unmanageable. Harry tried to go to others if he had issues. But every time he asked someone else a question, they called out for Mary Poppins, and she would glance up and look at Harry with a sad smile asking how she could help.

Harry was worried she wasn’t eating her lunch. When everyone else left, her eyes were hidden behind those glasses, her face concentrating and relieved for the reprieve from people calling her name for help with work or needing something like a pen or a screwdriver. Sometimes Harry hated his job. Not because it was difficult. But it seemed like everyone in the office was incompetent. Or weaponizing their incompetence and foisting their tasks onto the lovely woman who would never say no to them.

Her friends did it too. With all the planning and such.

The poor thing looked exhausted. She didn’t join Harry at the gym and her second job seemed like the only time she got to herself. “I miss reading,” she grumbled when she got home late from her shift. She kicked her shoes off and flopped onto the opposite end of the sofa. “My eyes are exhausted though,” she rubbed them for good measure. “I think I would fall asleep if I tried to read. I think I need to wake up earlier and read.”

Harry snorted. “Don’t burn yourself out, Poppy,” he rolled his eyes. “What are y’reading?”

“I’ve been trying t’read this book for months,” she pulled it from the shelf below the coffee table. He had seen it tucked there for a while. He grabbed it from her, skimmed the back of the book, and opened to the first chapter.

Then, he started reading.

Out loud.

“Harry,” she whispered her eyes wide.

“Yeah?” He asked, pointing at the sentence where he stopped and looked at her curiously. “M’starting over, because I want t’know what’s happening,” he smiled. Her face looked so shocked and confused. Sad even. Like she didn’t know what emotion she was supposed to feel.

“You don’t have to—”

He shook his head, and continued reading before she could finish her sentence.

Harry read three chapters before he carried her sleeping self to bed.

*

Something changed in Harry. He almost turned into a stalker. He tracked her movements and routines for a week. He knew most of them. But he really tracked them. The daily ones were easiest. She went for a run in the morning, he followed her lead and didn’t say a word. He went to her favorite coffee shop and paid for her favorite drink for a week’s worth of drinks in advance.

He wished they carpooled, but she was so busy. So he timed his arrival so that he was at the entrance door holding it open for her. When everyone left to get lunch, he heated up her food and brought it to her desk before leaving silently.

One day, there was a note on her dashboard saying she had a full tank of gas. When she arrived home after her second job, she noted her spare car key was on Harry’s key ring. At home, her laundry was in the wash. The shirts she didn’t like to put in the dryer were hung in the bathroom.

Harry could see it. She was cracking. It was the first time someone had done something for her it seemed. The first time someone so selflessly did things for her, anticipated her needs the way she anticipated everyone else’s.

Her throat felt tight as she looked at Harry in the kitchen, making her favorite dinner—a soup that took hours and hours to make.

He didn’t even know it was her birthday that day which made her heart feel sicker than ever.

“Poppy,” he smiled sweetly placing a bowl in front of her exhausted figure.

“Yeah?” She whispered.

If she wasn't so in awe, she would have realized where his tone was. What was coming next. “Go on a date with me, kitten.”

“I can’t.”

“S’not so hard,” he assured her. “You sit across from me and be yourself because m’already in love with you,” he reminded her sweetly. An impish grin on his pretty pink lips. That dimple she wanted to sink her tongue into on display. “I tell y’how stunning y’look, I pay for you t’eat. I feed you a dessert of your choosing that you’re probably too full t’eat and then I can kiss you wherever y’want. Lips, cheek, forehead,” he shrugged. “Then we come home, and I’ll read a chapter of your book. Y’can decide if y’want t’go on a second date.”

She giggled, her cheeks red. “I can’t, Harry,” she looked at him apologetically, but she felt herself melting as much as the soup warmed her insides. It was ridiculous to eat soup in the middle of the summer. But Harry made it for her anyway.

His heart deflated a little. He wasn't kidding. He was definitely in love. He had to be because there was no other way he could explain the feelings he had for her. Someone so thoughtful, so pretty, sweet, and funny.

Harry had asked her out at least a hundred times. Around Christmas, she got her hair cut and he always found her beautiful, but he asked her almost every day following her new hair style for a month straight. Each time she said she couldn't. She didn't date.

For the first time in the near year since he had first asked her, first met her, he realized she said she can’t go on a date with him. She didn’t date. That he was crazy.

Not that she didn’t want to. She didn’t say no.

Hope bloomed inside him.

*

She didn’t need anything. She didn’t need anybody. It was clear someone or maybe many had let her down so many times. He watched her doing everything she could to make this party as nice as humanly possible for Hailey. Not that Hailey didn’t deserve it, but no one had done anything like this for her. Harry only found out it was her birthday after the fact, and he felt like shit for it. Even though she assured him that was one of the best birthdays she ever had.

All he did was make her soup.

She deserved so much more.

It almost seemed too obvious that they hadn’t done anything for her remotely as lovely as she did.

“You’re staring, Styles,” she murmured without looking up from the chair while he lounged on the sofa.

“Go on a date with me,” he smiled.

She blushed, shook her head. “You’re crazy.”

“You haven’t said no.”

"I've said no about a hundred thousand times, Harry," she rolled her eyes.

Why was it now? Why did he want to tell her what he was thinking about the whole situation now? But it was in his chest. He had to say it. Had to tell her.

“No, you’ve never said no,” he shook his head and looked at her head on, while she continued looking at her to do list, her planner. Her poor neglected book waiting to be read by Harry because her tired eyes couldn’t. She looked up at him and smirked. Ready to protest once more, but Harry shook his head again. “I remember everything you've said t'me. I would remember a 'no,' it would probably kill me t’hear y’say, no kitten. Y'call me crazy, y'say y'can’t or that y'don’t date. Never, not once, have y'ever said y'don’t want t'go on a date with me. Nor a flat out no. So m'going t’keep asking until y'say y'don’t want to. Because I think you do want t'go out with me but for some reason y'don't want t'allow yourself t'be happy. T'let someone else in. M'not going t'stop asking. Not until I hear y'say "Harry Styles I would rather die than go on a date with you. I never want to go out with you." Maybe that makes me conceited or creepy. M’sure it does make me crazy. But I don’t care. I want t'go on a date with you. I want t'go on a million dates with you, actually. So m'not giving up until y'call me creepy or y'say y'don’t want to.”

She swallowed like there was something stuck in her throat. Her eyes didn't move from her lap.

"Kitten," he murmured. She didn’t look up. “Poppy,” he whispered. She finally met his green-eyed gaze again. His expression soft, pleading. “Go on a date with me,” his voice was soft. Harry swore his heart stopped beating because if he was wrong, if she really was saying no all those times, he wasn't sure he could ever stop asking her. The idea he would never get to take her out to eat and order her favorite dessert. He wouldn't see a movie and wrap his arm around her shoulders and that was completely unfair. He wanted to offer his jacket to her when it rained and hold her hand while walking through a museum. "Poppy," he repeated.

She bit her lip, her lips opening and closing like she wasn't sure which word was going to pop out. “I can’t,” she whispered. Her eyes looking at him in a way that he could read right through her. They screamed at him, please don’t stop asking me.

As if he could ever. Harry smiled. "Okay," he shrugged, hope and adoration for her flooding him. "I'll ask again tomorrow."

A sad smile graced her face. "You're crazy," she whispered again.

"Only 'bout you, Poppy.”

*

Harry felt like he was getting sick. Probably due to the sweet girl in his apartment who had worn herself so thin and weary that she had inadvertently brought illness home to him. His head was killing him. His pillow was calling for him the way he wished his favorite stubborn woman would call him.

He didn't even know if she was home. But honestly, he was glad. If she knew he was sick, she would dote on him. Even if she was starting to fell unwell. The thoughts of her were never too far from his mind. He would never be too sick, too lost, too far away from her that she could leave his thoughts.

Sleeping was one of his favorite hobbies because he loved to see her in his dreams. Loved to see the unaffected, carefree, beautiful, stubborn woman. The angel that enjoyed affection both giving and receiving.

It was his nightly dream. The one where she snuggled with him, and it was like they had been together twenty years and not zero. The one where he could taste her lips (even if in his dream she tasted like nothing) he knew it was wrong. She probably tasted like chocolate or caramel or something deliriously sweet.

Unfortunately, his phone vibrated below his pillow pulling him from his perfect beautiful dream.

“Harry?”

He squinted at his phone. Head aching, throat sore. Curious as to why he didn’t have the number saved. “Speaking.”

“Oh, thank god,” the voice sighed. “It’s Joey,” she said. “Harry. Something’s wrong. She won’t stop crying and she won’t say anything but your name.”

He leapt out of bed. Illness forgotten even if he was dizzy. His heart thudded like a chorus of drums, and he didn’t even grab shoes as he raced out of his room, snagging his wallet and keys off the counter as he exited the apartment.

He listened to Joey say a few more things. Something about being out at a club. She never left the bar area. There was no way someone had hurt her. But Harry drove through the night with his heart in his throat like someone had hurt her. He wasn’t sure seeing her would even calm him. He knew where Joey lived, fortunately, so he sped as quickly as he could. The ache in his head and his throat was lost behind him along the drive.

He didn’t knock as he hurried barefoot into Joey’s apartment. Matt was coming from the kitchen and making his way down the hall. He looked at Harry sadly as he approached the main room.

“Poppy?” he whispered as he entered the room, her arms wrapped around herself like she was trying to hold herself together. "Kitten," he frowned and knelt in front of her. He picked her face up between his and he scanned her looking for signs of injury. Anxiety was in every inch of his body. But she fell into his arms before he could look any longer. Sobbing harder than when he entered. “M'here. M'here, baby. It’s okay. M'here," he kissed the top of her head, cupping the back of her head with one hand. The other arm winding around her and squeezing her tight to his body. “Oh kitten,” he sighed, sadness coating his voice. His heart ached. Like it was going to snap in half if she cried any longer. “M’sorry, baby. M'here. S’okay. Tell me. Please. I’ll make it better,” he promised.

Her sobs continued, like she was unable to speak. "Harry," she whimpered.

"M'here, Poppy, s'okay," he assured her even if it wasn't. "Baby," he frowned pulling away to look at her her tearful eyes. He tugged her back to his embrace and continued to soothe her. He rubbed his hand up and down her back hoping it was comforting as he hoped it was.

Harry caught Joey's eye, who looked over from the entryway and smiled weakly.

"You good?" She mouthed. Harry nodded and when he glanced back, her friend was gone.

*

Harry kissed the top of her head for the hundredth time. He continued rubbing his hand down her spine. His head was still screaming.

But she was well worth it. Her cheeks were streaked with salt lines. Her eyes puffy and red around the edges. He had pulled her to him so they could snuggle into the corner of the couch. Her body tucked between the back cushion and Harry's body. Like he didn't want anyone to see her if they entered the room.

“Harry?” Her voice was raw.

“Hmm?” He tucked her hair behind her ear and skimmed his fingertip along the same path repeatedly.

“Will you go on a date with me?” She whispered.

He smiled lazily. His heart exploding in his ribcage. “God, Poppy, I don't know. I have t'check m'schedule.” She smacked his chest with no weight behind it. He kissed the top of her head. “I’d take y’right now. Whenever y’want.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Nothing t’be sorry for.”

"I have issues."

"We can work on them together."

"I don't know if you'll..." She trailed off.

"If I'll what?" He brushed his thumb on her cheek.

She took a deep breath. "I love love, Harry. I love watching people get married. I love when people have babies and grow a family. I want to have babies. I love reading romance novels and watching silly rom-coms where you can predict the ending before the movie even starts."

"Sounds pretty romantic and easy, Poppy," he murmured.

She swallowed continuing. "I will do a lot for you because I believe that's the way love is supposed to be. I want to make your life easier, and I want to do things that make you happy because I think happiness and love are in short supply and I want those books and rom-coms to be real."

Harry nodded. "Well—"

"I've never had that. I had a boyfriend for four years and..." she sniffled. "When we broke up, I said that I wouldn't do that again. I wouldn’t devote myself so completely to someone that wouldn't give me half as much. Then I met my next boyfriend and at first, I thought it was right, finally. It was equal. He loved me the right way, I mean. The way I thought I wanted, deserved... But then it was like he got tired of doing things. I don't know. Maybe my love language is acts of service. I don't know. I’m not making sense, I'm sorry. But..." she swallowed. "I broke it off after only two years that time. I just don't think I can be loved the right way... not forever. I don't know. I sound so selfish, don’t I? I don’t know why you want to go out with me so badly. I want someone to love me the way I love them, and I don’t think that’s...fair."

It was why she always had everything. Why she planned and hosted parties. Why she never drank and always took care of her friends. She loved everyone that was lucky to cross paths with her, with her whole, big, beautiful heart.

Harry tilted her chin up. "M’going to love you the right way,” he promised. “M’going to love you the way y’want because that's what y’deserve. If I love you anything less than you deserve then... well... I don't know what, Poppy. If that’s the case m’probably dead because s’the only possible explanation,” she snorted and tears dripped down her cheeks again but not like the night before. “But it's not going to be a problem, kitten. M’going to love you the way your books love. The way a rom-com loves. M’going to love you the way you love everyone that walks into your life. The way you so selflessly devote your kindness to them. M’going to love you the way you love," he promised. “Because s’an honor to love you,” he assured her. “S’an honor to be loved by you.”

She looked away from his gaze, closed her eyes and pressed her forehead to his chest. His throat was aching again. He was really tired, but he would suffer her wrath and frustration of going on about this later. He knew that she would be beside herself knowing he was sick and dealing with her anyway. But where else would he be? "Harry," she whispered finally. He met her eyes the back of his fingers skimming her cheek.

"What, Poppy?"

"Do you love me already?"

"Of course I do."

She sniffled, her face crumpling with relief. Like all of it had been a trick up until then. "Okay," she whispered. “Can we go home?”

“Course, kitten,” he kissed the top of her head and moved slowly to get up from the sofa. All of his muscles ached from sickness and from the awkward but perfect position of holding her all night in the cramped little space.

He held his hand out for her to take as she stood next. “Harry,” she whispered softly.

“Hmm?” He hummed and looked at her with a soft expression that made her stomach flip, her heart skipped a beat. "Yeah, Poppy?"

“I’m in love with you too.”

--

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[moonstruckme]

CONGRATULATIONS ON 7K MAE THAT’S AMAZING YAYAYAYAYAYAYA 😭 could i please have an apple pie with sirius and prompt 27? 💖

Of course you can!

²⁷⁾ sirens at midnight 

neighbor!Sirius x fem!reader ♡ 528 words

You spot Sirius as soon as he comes outside, though you tell yourself you weren’t looking for him. He’s got a thick blanket wrapped around his shoulders and his hair is disheveled and poofy. He squints in the streetlight, looking through the sea of your neighbors until he finds you, too. 

You wave lamely. 

He makes his way over. The fire alarm from your apartment building is nearly deafening even outside. Even when Sirius is right in front of you, you have to raise your voice to be heard. 

“Glad to see you’re not charred beyond recognition.” 

“I tried to go back to sleep for awhile,” Sirius replies. “I hoped it might shut up. Who set it off?” 

You shake your head, pulling your coat tighter around you as the wind picks up. You’re only wearing your pajamas underneath, much like everyone else here. “I don’t know.” 

Sirius pulls his blanket closer, too, glowering all your neighbors around you. “I’m gonna kill them.” 

“Oh.” You can’t find it in you to be surprised, but you do yawn, covering your mouth with a hand. “I don’t know how you’d have the energy.” 

“I’ll find it.” Sirius joins you, leaning against the side of your building. 

“When do you think they’ll let us back in?” you ask.

He groans. “It’ll probably be forever. The fire department has to come, and they have to sweep everything…I may as well go in to work now.” 

“Dressed like that?” 

Sirius gives you a sideways grin. “They’re lucky I come in at all. And if the blanket slips a bit, it’ll probably just earn me some extra tips.” 

You laugh. “Are you not wearing pajamas underneath?” 

“I’m wearing my pajamas. Some of us choose more modesty in bed than others, gorgeous.” 

Your face heats ferociously, but the silence that lapses between you isn’t uncomfortable. You watch your neighbors try to calm frenetic pets, swap coats and coverings against the chill, fall asleep on each other while sitting on the curb. Despite the wailing of the alarm, your own eyelids start to feel heavy again. 

When it finally cuts out, your relief is so immense you drop your head to Sirius’ shoulder without a thought. 

“Thank god,” you mumble. 

“What was that?” Sirius teases. “My ears are still ringing.” 

In the new silence, you hear sirens approaching. Red lights glow in the distance. 

“That’ll be the fire crew,” he says. You realize your head is still on his shoulder, and you lift it to find Sirius looking at you. He seems more awake than he had been. “Do you want to get out of here for a while? We could grab a coffee and wait them out.” 

“Is anywhere even open right now?” 

“Absolutely.” He gestures down the block with his chin. “That cafe there? Open twenty four hours a day, just for us.” 

“Nice of them. Are you okay to go like that?” you ask, though you’re already walking with him. 

“What, like this?” Sirius spreads his arms halfway open, giving you a brief view of his tattooed chest and boxers. “Sweetness, I might even get us a free meal. Don’t worry about me.” 

[ikeucity]

moonstruck. | chapter one pt 1 - orders from above

𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗲𝘁𝘀, 𝗶 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗻 '𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗸.' 𝗶’𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲—𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮, 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝘀𝘁, 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱. 𝗶 𝗴𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗶 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁. 𝘀𝗼, 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝟮 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟮𝟭𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟏! warning. contains explicit sexual content, drug use, angst, domination, spacestation!au, slight action, slow burn, strong language, intense sexual tension, a more technologically advanced iss, explicit fantasies, and adult themes. reader discretion is strongly advised. mdni.

wc. 32.1k

aboard the iss moonstruck, you're the only woman among a crew of dangerously attractive men. just as the mission winds down, an unexpected event unleashes a flood of hidden desires and forbidden fantasies. the vast emptiness of space only heightens the heat between you. before you touch down, something could change everything. when it’s time to return to earth, will you even want to, or will these passions make you wish you could stay in space forever?

your fingers hovered over the touchscreens, scanning the station’s sensors, eyes skimming through the familiar green blips. each successful ping felt like a tiny exhale—proof that, for now, everything was running smoothly. even in space, monotony had its rhythm, but the flickers of distraction—the pull of daydreams—kept the days from blurring into one endless grind.

around you, the low hum of conversation buzzed like background static. the crew moved like clockwork, each absorbed in their task, but your mind wasn’t on the data in front of you. not even close.

jake caught your eye, sitting nearby, the soft glow from his work lamp casting a warm, golden hue over his face. his fingers moved with precision, tinkering with some device, hair falling into his eyes in that messy way you’d come to associate with him. and then he did it again—biting his lower lip like he had no fucking clue how distracting it was.

your gaze trailed down his neck, catching the subtle shift of muscles, the veins on his arms visible as he worked.

you shifted in your seat, heat coiling in your core as you tried to pull your mind back to the task at hand. but when your eyes lingered a second too long, jake glanced up, catching you. frozen for a split second, you quickly plastered on a slow, innocent smile—though your thoughts were anything but.

his gaze held yours a beat longer than necessary, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. cocky, knowing, like he could see right through you without even trying. a quiet chuckle escaped him as he shook his head, turning back to his work, that damn smirk still lingering.

you swallowed hard, tearing your eyes away, glad for the distraction as sunghoon and jay started bickering over at the navigation console.

“i’m telling you, it’s fine,” sunghoon muttered, running a hand through his sleek black hair, muscles flexing under the tight black tee he always wore. the shirt did nothing to hide the definition in his arms, and you couldn’t help but watch. by the time you realized he’d caught you staring, it was too late. his lips quirked into a subtle smirk before he turned back to jay.

“it’s still off by two degrees,” jay snapped, his voice sharp. “and two degrees might not mean shit to you, but it could fuck us over later.”

you shifted your attention to jay, the tension in his jaw noticeable, his honey-colored skin practically glowing under the dim lights. the way he squared off with sunghoon only made him more intense. the muscles along his neck stood out as he argued, and you bit back a groan. it was hard to stay focused with so much testosterone floating around.

sunghoon didn’t miss the shift in your gaze, his eyes flicking back to you, amusement clear. but he kept quiet, like he was in on some private joke.

“you’re just being a perfectionist,” sunghoon grumbled, rolling his eyes.

“and you’re a lazy fuck,” jay shot back, not bothering to look up. “and yet i’m always the one fixing your shit.”

the argument was almost comical, and you smirked, caught somewhere between entertained and exasperated as you glanced between them. jungwon, who’d been silently jotting notes, didn’t even bother looking up from his tablet. “someone’s tense,” he mumbled under his breath. “maybe the pilot should handle the navigation.”

jay finally looked up, his eyes catching yours. “yeah, well, someone’s gotta stay on top of things.”

you shrugged, licking your lips as you shot him a playful smirk. “you’re both control freaks.”

sunghoon raised an eyebrow, clearly interested. “well, you seem interested in our debate, got something to add?”

heat crawled up your neck, but you weren’t about to back down. “no, sir, just enjoying the view,” you replied, your voice light and teasing.

sunghoon’s eyes narrowed, but the amusement was obvious as he rolled his eyes again. “we’ll see how funny you think it is when we’re off course by a couple degrees and fucking crash.”

jay chuckled low, though you didn’t miss the way his posture stiffened when you called sunghoon ‘sir.’ it was meant as a joke, but it hit harder than you expected. “i’ll bet you anything we end up fixing it—again.”

jungwon, with a sly grin, finally chimed in. “i’m betting on jay.”

before you could respond, jake stretched and made his way over, the air in the room subtly shifting as he leaned against your table like he owned the place, his shoulder brushing yours in a way that didn’t feel accidental, but he didn’t pull away either.

no, he stayed there, closing the space between you bit by bit. it was like he couldn’t help himself. his presence was always impossible to ignore. he always had that way about him, flirting was just in his nature.

“what about you, y/n? who’s your bet?” jake’s voice still carried that amusement, but now it felt thicker, heavier, as he inched hsi face even closer. his arm still brushed against yours, heat rolling off him, and that pull—it was undeniable. you leaned in, just a bit, letting yourself feel it, feel him.

across the room, sunghoon’s jaw tightened, his eyes cutting away, while jay lifted an eyebrow, clearly entertained by the whole thing. but it was jungwon who stood out the most. his eyes were sharp, watching every move, though he kept his expression cool.

“you two seem pretty cozy,” jungwon said, his smile light, but his eyes? dark, calculating. “finished that reactor yet, jake?”

the words were innocent enough, but the way jungwon said them twisted something deep inside you. there was an edge to it, a quiet challenge. jake didn’t miss it, grinning even wider as he slid closer, his arm brushing yours again—this time on purpose.

“almost done,” jake’s voice dropped, low and teasing. “though it might need a little more... hands-on attention.” the double meaning was clear as day, and you felt the heat rising between you, that undeniable tension simmering just beneath the surface.

jungwon’s smile faltered for a brief second—just long enough for you to catch it—before he masked it, turning back to his holo-pad with a sharp click of his stylus. it was like he knew something, but he decided not to say it, keeping whatever it was to himself.

as he worked, you let your eyes linger on him for a moment longer, noticing the way his hair fell over his eyes, those incredibly pretty, cat-like eyes that always seemed to hold more than they let on.

but then there was his jaw—sharp, defined—something about it contrasted with his otherwise cute, almost boyish face. despite that soft look, there was so much quiet masculinity in the way he carried himself. jungwon was always laid-back, more reserved than the others, but you never missed how cheeky he could be sometimes, especially for being the youngest. still, when he worked, it was like a switch flipped—he was as focused and professional as any of them.

he never seemed to pay as much attention to you as some of the others did. sunghoon would steal glances, his gaze lingering on you longer than necessary, sometimes brushing against you in ways that felt more intentional than accidental. jay’s approach was different, more subtle, but still there. and jake—he made it obvious, not even bothering to hide his interest.

but jungwon? he kept his distance, observing from afar. that quiet, unassuming charm seemed to pull you in even more because he wasn’t actively trying. and that somehow made him all the more intriguing. still, you chalked it up to him maybe not being interested in you that way, especially since jake had made it pretty obvious he was marking his territory. it felt like jake was laying claim in subtle and not-so-subtle ways, always the first to lean in, touch, flirt.

but still, shit, if you hadn’t thought about what it would be like with jungwon. you’d caught him sparing glances, his eyes lingering in places they probably shouldn’t. there were times when his gaze dropped to questionable spots on your body, clearly checking you out. then again, maybe it was just because you were the only woman here, surrounded by a bunch of incredibly hot men. anyone would find themselves caught up in the situation.

and it wasn’t just jungwon who had your mind wandering. there was also heeseung—the commander. you swore he treated you differently, always softer, gentler, like he was holding back, but never once had he made a move. no teasing touches, no lingering looks, nothing. yet there was something there, something you couldn’t quite put your finger on. maybe it was the way he spoke to you in that calm, authoritative tone, or how his eyes would soften when they met yours, like he saw you differently than the others did.

you bit down on your own lip, fighting the urge to laugh at the obvious tension. no one was saying it outright, but it was there, hanging in the air, heavy and unmistakable. it felt like the kind of thing that could snap any second, and everyone in the room was feeling it.

sunghoon broke the silence with a dramatic sigh, rolling his eyes. “let’s just make sure we don’t crash before placing any more bets,” he muttered, his tone sharp and a little irritated.

“don’t worry, sunghoon,” jake said smoothly, his eyes locked on yours, his voice dripping with amusement. “i’ll keep things running smoothly.”

sunghoon narrowed his eyes at jake but didn’t say anything else, turning back to his station. jay, leaning against the wall, watched the whole exchange like it was the best entertainment he’d had in days, clearly enjoying the show.

jake took that moment to lean in even closer, his breath brushing against the skin of your neck as he whispered, “you keep looking at me like that, and we might need to place some bets of our own.”

your pulse quickened at the low, teasing edge in his voice, heat crawling up your spine. with him this close, the rest of the room seemed to blur out of focus, your attention solely on him.

your lips parted, the retort on the tip of your tongue, but before you could get it out, the harsh crackle of the intercom cut through the air, yanking everyone back to reality.

heeseung’s voice came through, steady and calm as always, but there was something beneath the surface that made your stomach tighten with unease.

“crew, assemble in the command deck. mission control has an announcement.”

that tone—it was the one heeseung used when things were about to go south, the kind you didn’t want to hear after hours of routine checks and harmless flirting that had clearly gone a little too far. it sent alarm bells ringing in the back of your mind, a subtle but clear shift in the atmosphere.

jake, leaning against the console beside you, let his playful grin drop in an instant. “fuck me, it’s never good when they pull this shit out of nowhere,” he muttered, running a hand through his already messy hair. you could feel the shift in the room like a ripple effect.

the teasing smiles and soft tension that had been lingering between you and the guys vanished. the atmosphere flipped, like someone hit a switch. jungwon’s usual smirk was gone, his lips pressing into a firm line, while sunghoon tensed, his posture rigid. even jay, who had been laid back all day, was now frowning, eyes narrowed in concentration. whatever was coming—it wasn’t going to be good.

you stood, your legs still warm from the low-level banter with jake and testosterone that had been bouncing around, but now? now it was business.

something about heeseung’s voice was bugging you, gnawing at the back of your mind like a bad glitch in the system.

“guess those bets are gonna have to wait,” you said, forcing a small smile as you glanced at jake. you couldn’t ignore the way your stomach twisted with unease.

“shit timing, man,” jake groaned, stretching his arms above his head, muscles flexing under his shirt. “i was just getting comfortable.”

“figures,” jay muttered, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “i was about to call it quits.”

jungwon, already moving, slipped out of his seat with a fluid grace, like switching to serious mode was second nature for him. his broad shoulders stretched against his uniform and lab coat, muscles shifting under the tight fabric as he stood, and for just a second too long, your eyes lingered, tracing the lines of his back, the way everything seemed to fit just right.

and, of course, jungwon felt your stare—because jungwon always knew. the guy was a master at reading people, catching the smallest details. his lips twitched into a ghost of a smirk, there and gone so fast you might’ve missed it if you hadn’t been watching him so closely. then, like nothing happened, he turned back to you, his expression all innocence, acting like he didn’t just catch you in the act.

“something on your mind?” his voice was casual, like he was asking about the weather, but there was an edge to it, like he was daring you to admit it. jungwon was sharp, always pushing just enough to see if you’d bite.

you bit back the heat rising in your chest, letting out a nervous laugh.

“just making sure you’re not dozing off, jungwon,” you shot back, trying to play it cool.

jungwon’s eyebrows raised slightly, that smirk threatening to break free again. “me? dozing off?” he asked, voice light, almost amused. “i’m always paying attention.” his tone was innocent, but his eyes betrayed him—sharp, knowing, like he’d caught every glance, every moment where you looked just a little too long.

“sure you are,” you muttered, trying to sound unfazed, but he wasn’t buying it. you could see it in the way his gaze flickered, like he was studying every inch of your reaction, storing it away for later.

jungwon stepped closer, just enough that you could feel the shift in the air. “i mean, if you’re concerned about someone falling asleep on the job,” he said, his voice a low hum now, “you could always keep an eye on me. make sure i’m awake.” the teasing lilt in his voice was undeniable, that playful edge mixed with something darker.

you raised an eyebrow, not backing down. “oh, i’ve been keeping an eye on you,” you said, leaning slightly into the banter, fully expecting him to pick up on it.

jungwon tilted his head, giving you that same innocent, wide-eyed look he always did. “me? what for?” he asked, voice light and casual, like he had no clue what you were hinting at. but you knew better. the twitch of his lips, the subtle spark in his eyes—he was toying with you, feigning dumb just enough to keep you guessing.

“you know,” you replied, smirking. “just making sure you’re staying out of trouble.”

he blinked, putting on that perfect act, eyes widening in mock surprise. “trouble? me? i’m the last person you need to worry about,” he said with a soft laugh, shaking his head like the whole idea was ridiculous.

you couldn’t help but laugh too, though you knew he wasn’t as innocent as he pretended. you think. “yeah, right. i’ll keep watching just in case,” you teased.

jungwon gave you a grin that almost reached his eyes but not quite. “i appreciate that,” he said, still playing along. “good to know i’ve got someone looking out for me.”

“yeah, just doing my duty,” you replied, leaning back with a smile. “someone’s gotta keep you in line.”

he chuckled softly, still keeping his playful, innocent mask firmly in place. “glad it’s you then,” he said, the teasing tone just subtle enough to be brushed off if you weren’t paying attention.

before you could respond, jay cut in, breaking the tension. “you two done flirting over there, or do i need to remind you that we’ve got work to do?”

jungwon gave you one last glance, feigning complete innocence like it was second nature. “flirting? who, us?” he asked, hands up in mock confusion, acting like he had no clue what jay was talking about. his expression was so pure, so convincing, you almost believed him—almost.

“nah,” jungwon continued, glancing at you with that perfectly innocent smile still plastered on his face. “if anyone’s flirting, it’s jake. guy’s always pushing it, don’t you think?” his tone was light, playful, like he was just tossing out a harmless observation, but you weren’t fooled. the glimmer of mischief in his eyes gave him away, and you knew exactly what he was doing.

jay, standing nearby, let out a quiet chuckle but kept his mouth shut, his eyes glancing between the two of you. he knew what jungwon was up to. jungwon could act innocent all he wanted, and jay would let it slide, just like always.

you rolled your eyes, though a grin tugged at your lips. jungwon’s act might have fooled some, but not you. still, you had to admit, the guy was good at it—too good. maybe he didn’t like you that way, but there was something off about how he was always just a little too nice, too innocent. but every now and then, there were moments, brief flickers in his demeanor that made you second-guess everything.

sometimes, when you caught him in mid-conversation with jay or the others, jungwon had this dark, almost dangerous look in his eyes, something that sent a chill down your spine but also made your heart race. it was quick, barely noticeable, but you saw it. the way his gaze would sharpen, his posture shift, giving him this magnetic, almost sexy air—like there was something much deeper under the surface. but the second he noticed you watching? it was gone, just like that. the sweet, innocent jungwon was back in place, all smiles and charm, as if nothing had happened.

“sure, jake’s the problem,” you teased, crossing your arms and giving jungwon a pointed look, trying to push past the lingering feeling. “and you’re just an innocent bystander?”

jungwon flashed you that same too-perfect smile, the one that made you question everything. “exactly. glad you get it,” he said smoothly, his voice still dripping with that fake innocence. it was infuriating—and yet, you couldn’t look away.

jay smirked from the sidelines, clearly enjoying the back-and-forth, but something about his silence made you think he knew more than he let on. maybe he saw those shifts in jungwon too, but he wasn’t going to say a word. it was their unspoken game, and for some reason, you were caught right in the middle of it.

and as much as you wanted to believe jungwon was just being his usual self, there was that nagging feeling that he was hiding something—something deeper, darker. and whatever it was, he was damn good at keeping it locked away, only letting it slip for those brief, fleeting moments.

the command deck was only a few steps away, the harsh artificial lighting of the station bouncing off the metal walls, making everything feel a bit too sterile. the constant hum of the oxygen recycler, the faint buzz of power coursing through the conduits—it all seemed louder, more oppressive. through the small viewport, earth was a tiny blue dot, so far away it might as well have been a dream.

jake shuffled next to you, still grumbling. “i don’t even wanna fucking know what this is about.”

sunghoon adjusted his belt with an irritated sigh. “they’re always screwing with us. i swear it’s a hobby at this point.” his gaze flicked toward you, lingering a little longer than normal, like he was sizing you up, figuring out where you fit in all this.

you could feel it—the shift that happened when you joined the crew. it wasn’t just them orbiting each other anymore. now they were orbiting you too, and it added a new kind of tension to the mix.

jay, walking ahead, threw out a comment, trying to lighten the mood. “well, let’s hope this isn’t another fucking disaster,” he said with a grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

you chuckled, trying to play along despite the unease creeping up your spine. “couldn’t be worse than the last shitshow, right?”

jake snorted, shaking his head. “you just fucking jinxed it. guarantee it’s something that’s gonna screw us for weeks.”

jungwon, who had been walking silently behind, slipped his holo-pad into his jacket, joining the group with his usual calm, but you caught the way his eyes flicked to you for a moment, like he was gauging your reaction. “maybe they’re sending us home early,” he joked, though his voice was edged with something darker, like even he didn’t believe his own words.

“yeah, right,” sunghoon muttered, clearly not in the mood. “in your dreams, jungwon.”

the tension was thick enough to cut through as you all stepped into the command deck. it felt like heading into a goddamn spacewalk—no tether, just the vast, cold unknown ahead.

heeseung was already at the controls, fingers hovering over the panel like he could feel the tension coming through the damn console. you grabbed the nearest handrail, grounding yourself. things felt off, and you weren’t sure why.

the screen flickered to life, and director park’s face appeared, colder than usual. no smiles, no pleasantries—just straight to the point. “moonstruck crew, we’ve got a situation.” his voice was clipped, professional, but you could tell by the look in his eyes this wasn’t going to be good. “the solar flares we’ve been tracking are escalating.”

jake leaned in beside you, muttering under his breath, “fuck. here it comes.”

park’s voice pressed on, the severity of the situation sinking in with every word. “the flares are causing massive disruptions in our satellite systems. communication relays are going dark, and we’re seeing more anomalies than we can manage.”

“how bad?” sunghoon’s voice cut through the silence, the tension in his posture making it clear he didn’t want bullshit.

park didn’t flinch. “bad enough that we’re preparing for the possibility of losing comms with you entirely. we’re working on solutions, but if things continue at this rate...”

jungwon, who had been silent, gripped the handrail beside you, his knuckles white. “what’s the plan if comms go dark?”

park’s face hardened slightly, but his words carried the weight of what he wasn’t saying. “if comms fail completely, you’re to operate autonomously. same mission parameters. keep the station operational, gather data, and manage any onboard emergencies.”

that word—autonomously—hung in the air like dead weight. you’d trained for this, sure, but knowing you could be completely cut off from earth? that shit hi

jake’s voice was low, barely above a whisper. “autonomously? that’s just a fancy way of saying we’re fucked.”

you didn’t respond, trying to focus on what park was saying, but your mind was spinning. the station was okay—livable, sure—but the entire crew had been counting down the days to go home, expecting to leave this floating tin can behind in a week. now this?

heeseung, ever the level-headed commander, spoke up, though the tension in his voice was clear. “how long are we talking for comms disruption?”

park’s answer was grim. “it’s unpredictable. prepare for the worst.”

the air in the command deck felt thinner, the silence stretching on as you all processed what that could mean. the silence stretched thin, like the air was getting sucked out of the room. you could feel it—the weight of what was about to come next. you glanced at heeseung, and for a moment, his usual unreadable expression cracked, just slightly.

“there’s more,” park continued, his voice dropping, tension thickening with each word. “due to the solar activity, we’re extending your mission by six months, maybe even longer depending on how this situation develops.”

six. fucking. months.

the room went dead silent, the weight of the news hitting like a meteor impact—sudden, brutal, and impossible to ignore. six more months in this goddamn floating tin can, with only the crew and the tension that had been building for weeks.

jake was the first to speak, muttering a curse under his breath, his disbelief clear. “six fucking months? are you serious?”

sunghoon, usually composed, looked visibly rattled. “that’s... a lot. how are we supposed to handle that?”

jay’s voice was low, like he was still processing it, trying to make sense of what park had just said. “this is so fucked. we were supposed to be out of here in a week.”

jungwon’s hand tightened on the handrail, knuckles turning white. “six months? you’re asking for more than just an extension. this is going to fuck with all of us.”

park’s voice softened, but the urgency never left. “i know it’s a lot to take in, but you’re the best crew for this. you’ve been trained to handle high-pressure environments. the station’s livable, yes, and you have everything you need to survive up there. we’ve accounted for every contingency.”

jake scoffed, shaking his head. “livable? sure, for the short term, maybe. but six months? have you ever been up here, park?”

sunghoon added, his voice more frustrated. “the showers barely work half the time, the recycling system is always on the fritz, and we’re running on supplies that are stretched thin. we weren’t built for long-term isolation like this. not in a space this small.”

jay chimed in, crossing his arms, his frustration clear. “and the mental strain is real. sure, we’ve got the simulation pods, but they’re fucking inaccessible half the time. and yeah, we’ve got a gym and a greenhouse, but it’s not enough.”

his words hung in the air, the truth of it sinking in. the pods, meant to simulate different environments, had been glitching for weeks. the gym felt claustrophobic, and the greenhouse, while functional, was no replacement for real sunlight or fresh air. everything was a poor imitation of the outside world.

you glanced around the room, feeling the weight of their words. they were right. sure, the station was technically livable, but it wasn’t built for long-term comfort. the walls were cold metal, the air always felt too thin, and the hum of the station’s machinery never stopped. it was like living in the belly of a beast that never slept. and there was no real privacy. you could hear every breath, every sigh, every murmur from your crewmates. even when you were alone, you never felt alone.

park remained composed, but there was an edge in his voice now. “i understand your concerns, but this mission is critical. the solar flares are causing anomalies that we can’t monitor from earth alone. you’re our eyes and ears out there. without you, we’re blind.”

sunghoon leaned against the wall, his voice low but sharp. “we’ve been holding it together, barely. the systems are breaking down. the food’s already shit, the recycling filters are running on fumes, and we’ve had more malfunctions in the last few weeks than i can count.”

he motioned toward jake, the station’s engineer, who had been pacing the room, his jaw clenched. “jake’s been patching things up with duct tape and prayers. we’re hanging on by a thread here.”

jake stopped, crossing his arms, his frustration palpable. “yeah, and there’s only so much i can do. half of these systems were designed for short-term use. long-term? they’re falling apart, and if something critical goes down—” he paused, shaking his head. “it won’t be a fucking quick fix. if the oxygen recyclers or water filtration systems fail, we’re done. no one’s making it out of here.”

jay nodded, adding to the frustration. “and what happens if something does go wrong? if we lose a critical system or something fails? you want us to keep patching things up with duct tape and good intentions?”

park sighed, clearly trying to remain diplomatic. “we’ve sent additional supplies, and we’re working on increasing your resources. you’re the most trained crew we have for this type of mission, and we believe in your ability to handle the situation. we’re also increasing mental health check-ins to ensure everyone’s stability.”

jungwon, standing quietly near the edge of the group, was silently fuming. as the station’s medic, he had seen the toll this mission was taking on everyone—mentally and physically.

the gym might give the illusion that everyone was staying strong, looking like they spent every hour working out, but he knew the truth. their health was deteriorating. the recycled air, the lack of sunlight, the poor rations—it was all starting to wear them down in ways that weren’t immediately obvious.

jungwon scoffed, his grip on the handrail tightening. “mental health check-ins? you think that’s going to keep us from going crazy up here? it’s not that simple, and you know it.”

heeseung, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up, his voice calm but laced with frustration. “director, we get that this mission is important. we understand the stakes. but you’re asking us to survive in conditions that are barely sustainable. you can’t just push us into six more months without considering the toll this will take—on the station, and on us.”

park’s voice softened further, but the urgency never left. “i understand. i do. but right now, there’s no option to pull you out. the solar activity makes it impossible. we’re doing everything we can to support you, but the reality is, you’re the only ones who can monitor this situation. we can’t afford to lose that data.”

jake let out a bitter laugh. “so we’re just supposed to tough it out, huh? keep collecting your data while we go stir-crazy up here.”

sunghoon rubbed his temples, clearly exhausted by the conversation. “what’s the backup plan then? if something goes wrong, if someone reaches their breaking point, what then? what’s your contingency for when this station becomes a ticking time bomb?”

park paused for a moment, his voice steady but not without empathy. “if things escalate, we’ll do everything in our power to help remotely. but right now, pulling you out isn’t an option. i understand your frustrations, but this mission is critical. i need all of you to stay focused and work together. we’re depending on you.”

the silence that followed was heavy. six months—or more—trapped in this tin can, with no real backup, no escape plan. you looked at the others—jake, pacing, his hands clenched into fists; sunghoon, leaning back with a deep sigh; jay, arms crossed, staring at the ground like he couldn’t even process what was happening. and jungwon, his calm exterior cracking, his knuckles still white from gripping the handrail.

heeseung finally spoke again, his voice steady, though you could hear the frustration beneath the surface. “we’ll make the adjustments. but we need more than promises. we need to know hq is working around the clock to get us out of here as soon as possible.”

park nodded. “understood. i’ll relay your concerns to the team. stay strong, moonstruck crew. we’re with you.”

the screen flickered off, leaving the room in an oppressive silence, the weight of those extra six months hanging over everyone like a dark cloud. you couldn't even speak, you stayed mute, but the reality of it all sank in.

sure, life on moonstruck wasn’t bad—not by space standards. the technology was cutting-edge, the station a marvel of human ingenuity. it wasn’t like the old days when being in space felt like living in a glorified metal box with freeze-dried food and endless isolation. they had advanced systems, better equipment, and theoretically, with the right resources, people could live up here for extended periods. hell, some scientists even argued they could live indefinitely.

but no matter how good things seemed, the world up here still felt too fucking small. the constant hum of machinery, the artificial light cycles, the recycled air—it all pressed down on you, making the station feel like a cage. and it was still dangerous, despite all the advancements. it all relied on the station’s materials holding up and the crew not losing their minds in the process. one critical system failure, one breakdown in the wrong area, and everything could go to shit fast.

but it was the little things that got to you. the urge to hang out with friends, to grab a drink at a bar, to feel the grass under your feet. the constant artificial gravity was great and all, but nothing compared to the feeling of being grounded—literally. you missed the sound of the wind, the way it rustled through trees, the sun warming your face. six months of the same sterile environment, with the same faces, the same endless tasks. there was no escape, no break. not even a weekend to fucking decompress.

even the smallest interactions with normal life felt like a distant memory. you missed your neighbors, the weird small talk you used to have when you bumped into each other on the way to the store.

you missed being able to disconnect, to get away from it all. up here, everything was work. there was no vacation. no breaks. you couldn’t just take a day off to do nothing or have a spontaneous hangout. it was all regulated, down to the very last minute. sure, you were living “great” compared to the early days of space exploration, but that didn’t change the fact that you felt trapped.

and the tension? that was another beast altogether. you could see it in the way the others shifted, their eyes glancing at you, at each other. it wasn’t just the mission anymore—it was personal. the walls of this place felt smaller with each passing day, and with six more months added, the edges were starting to blur.

and you were 100% sure that everyone was feeling the exact same thing.

you could see it in their eyes, the way they avoided each other’s gaze, the way their movements had become more tense, more deliberate. the unspoken frustration was practically suffocating. six more months in this metal cage, with nothing but endless routines and tight schedules, and everyone’s patience was hanging by a thread.

it wasn’t just about missing normal life—it was about the lives they’d left behind. you weren’t the only one who had things waiting back on earth. every single one of them had something—someone—that made their time in space feel like a fucking sacrifice. jake, always talking about wild parties, family, his friends back home, the endless nights of fun. jay, who used to live for adventure, had an entire life built around freedom, spontaneity, and chasing the thrill of life. you couldn’t even begin to imagine how much he missed it all.

sunghoon, with his cool, collected exterior, probably had a circle of people that kept things light, kept things fun. the kind of guy who had it all laid out for him back on earth, able to enjoy whatever the hell he wanted—no limits, no fucking mission weighing him down. and heeseung? he might have been the steady commander up here, but back on earth, he probably had everything under control in ways that didn’t involve space suits and daily checklists. the kind of life where people admired him, looked up to him. and now, here, that meant jack shit.

jungwon was the mystery, but even he couldn’t be immune. nobody could survive this kind of isolation and pressure without feeling the weight of what they’d given up. they all had incredible lives back home—lives filled with excitement, freedom, and people who probably missed the hell out of them. fun times, late nights, stupid laughter. a world that didn’t revolve around mission objectives and the cold vacuum of space.

six more months of this, and none of you would be the same. there was a reason none of you talked much about earth anymore—hell, it wasn’t like anyone needed to ask. you all knew. bringing up the life you left behind, the freedom you once had, would only make the weight of this place heavier. everyone missed it—missed their lives, their people, the things that made everything feel less suffocating. but talking about it? that would just rip open the wound.

so, you avoided it, every single one of you. it was easier to stay absorbed in this tiny, artificial world that had been built around you, where everything revolved around mission objectives and survival. it kept you busy, kept you from spiraling. you clung to your roles, routines, schedules—anything that distracted from the gnawing ache that life outside this tin can felt like a distant memory. even the smallest reminder of earth would hit like a punch to the gut.

there were nights—long, silent ones—where you could feel everyone wrestling with the same thoughts, the same longing for what they’d left behind. but no one talked about it, because what was the point?

the truth was, you weren’t just missing earth. you were missing yourselves—who you were before this mission swallowed you whole. six more months felt like a lifetime.

heeseung was the first to break the silence, his voice calm but heavy with the weight of leadership. “you heard him. jake, run a full systems check. jay, recalibrate the data streams and make sure we’re getting accurate readings. sunghoon, adjust the navigation plans in case we need to change course. jungwon, inventory the medical and ration supplies. we need to know exactly what we have left.”

then his eyes landed on you. for a brief moment, they softened, a flicker of concern flashing before his usual stern expression returned. “and you,” he said, his tone firm, “start analyzing the incoming data for any anomalies. we need to stay ahead of this.”

as you nodded, already preparing to dive into your work, heeseung paused, his gaze lingering a little longer. “you okay, y/n? you’ve been quiet.”

his question caught you off guard, but it wasn’t just him noticing. the others glanced your way, their attention breaking from the task at hand. the air was thick with tension, and everyone had been caught up in their own frustrations and worries, but now, the focus was briefly on you.

you took a breath, feeling the weight of the moment. "yeah, just... processing," you replied, offering a small smile, though you weren't sure if it convinced anyone.

heeseung studied you for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly, like he was weighing whether to press further. but then, he gave a short nod, accepting your response for now. "alright. if anything feels off, speak up."

the others shifted back into their tasks, though you could still feel their glances lingering, especially jake, who had stopped pacing and was now watching you with a mix of concern and curiosity.

"yeah, if you need to vent, we're all stuck in this tin can together," jake added with a smirk, though the attempt at humor felt half-hearted. his eyes softened after the joke, his usual bravado slipping for a second. "seriously, though. you good?"

sunghoon grunted from where he was adjusting the navigation controls. "we're all a little off. six months of this shit... anyone would be.”

jay glanced up from his station, recalibrating the data streams. “yeah, y/n, don't let the weight of this mission get to you. we’ve made it this far. we can handle it.”

jungwon, who had been quiet while organizing medical supplies, looked up, his usual calm demeanor masking whatever thoughts were running through his head. “take it easy,” he said softly, his tone gentler than the others. “don’t let it build up.”

you appreciated their concern, but you knew they were all struggling in their own ways. everyone was dealing with the looming pressure of the extended mission. and now, you were expected to push forward like nothing had changed, but everything had changed. six more months felt like an eternity up here, no matter how advanced the station was.

“i’m fine, really,” you replied, more confidently this time, trying to shake off the tension in the room. “just need to focus on the data. let’s get through this.”

heeseung gave you one last look before turning back to the command panel. “good. because we're going to need everyone at their best.”

the rest of the crew nodded in agreement, but the atmosphere in the room remained heavy. they all went back to their tasks, the sound of beeping consoles and quiet murmurs filling the space once again.

after hours of working in tense silence, the crew finally called it a day. the command deck felt suffocating, so everyone silently migrated to the common room—the one place on the station that still felt somewhat comfortable. it was small but functional—basic chairs, a table in the middle, and a view of the stars that stretched endlessly through a nearby viewport. it wasn’t much, but it was the closest thing to a break they could get.

everyone settled in. sunghoon dropped into a chair with a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair. “i don’t care what park says—this is a goddamn prison sentence.”

jay leaned back in his seat, eyes half-closed as he massaged his temples. “no shit. we’re supposed to be monitoring anomalies, not testing how long it takes for us to lose it up here.” he let out a low, bitter laugh. “we’re stuck playing scientists in a tin can while hq watches us like rats in a maze.”

jake, sprawled out on the small couch, smirked. “at least rats get cheese. all we’ve got is freeze-dried crap and those ancient-ass board games they sent us.” he motioned to the shelf in the corner of the room, where a stack of old, beat-up games sat collecting dust. monopoly, chess, even a deck of cards that looked like it’d been shuffled a thousand times.

“seriously, who the hell sent monopoly? it’s like they want us to hate each other.”

jungwon chuckled from his spot near the viewport, the stars reflecting in his eyes. “you thought the mission extension was bad—try losing your entire empire because someone landed on your hotel.”

jay snorted, shaking his head. “if that’s the best hq can offer to keep us sane, we’re screwed.”

you sat at the table, staring at the games, a small smile tugging at your lips despite the weight of the situation. “they couldn’t even send anything new? these are older than all of us combined. who still plays monopoly?”

sunghoon grumbled, crossing his arms. “i’d rather stare at the stars than lose my mind playing some ancient game.”

jake rolled his eyes. “hey, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. it’s better than nothing. besides, what else are we gonna do? stare at each other for six more months?”

jungwon, still gazing out the viewport, spoke up, his voice thoughtful. “it’s not just the boredom. it’s everything and i cannot stress this enough—the routine, the isolation, the food, the lack of real sunlight. it’s all starting to take its toll. we can joke about board games, but we need more than that to keep it together.”

heeseung, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, nodded. “jungwon’s right. the mission’s important, but we’re going to have to make sure no one cracks under the pressure.”

jay shrugged, looking over at the stack of games. “guess we better get used to those ‘ancient’ games then. might be all that stands between us and losing it.”

jake laughed, shaking his head. “if monopoly’s our only shot at sanity, we’re in deep shit.”

“maybe it won’t be so bad,” you said, trying to keep the mood light. “i mean, we’ve got stars, shitty coffee, and monopoly. what more could we ask for?”

“a way off this station,” sunghoon muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

the idea that at any moment, everything could come crashing down was a fear none of them could shake, no matter how much training they had. sure, they had prepared for this, trained for every conceivable scenario. but no amount of preparation could erase the primal fear of dying in space—the most isolated, unforgiving place imaginable.

it was silent for a moment as they all seemed to realize the gravity of their situation. their gazes drifted toward you, sitting quietly by the viewport, staring out into the endless void. the stars, distant and indifferent, reflected in your eyes. you were a reminder of something real in the midst of all this emptiness. and it hit them all at once—they were royally fucked.

jake, sunghoon, jay, jungwon, and heeseung—each of them felt it. the thought gnawed at the back of their minds, the fear that the station could fail, that one malfunction could spell the end for all of them. dying in space wasn’t like any other death. it was cold, slow, painful. the idea of suffocating in the void, with no one to save them, sent a chill down their spines.

but it wasn’t just the fear of the station failing that weighed on them. it was you.

you were sitting there, oblivious to the way they were all watching you. your presence had become both a lifeline and a source of complication. you were what kept them sane, gave them something to focus on besides the crushing monotony and the constant threat of death in space.

they all stared at each other, then back at you. the tension had always been there, but now, with the mission extended, the cracks were starting to show. you weren’t just a crewmate. your presence was something that grounded them, kept them tethered to reality. but it was also a source of distraction, a reminder of things they couldn’t have.

jake shifted in his seat, trying to break the tension with his usual cocky grin. “so… anyone up for a round of monopoly?” he said, his voice light but with just enough edge to suggest he wasn’t entirely kidding. no one laughed, but the tension broke just slightly as heeseung shook his head with a smirk.

“god, jake, of all the ways to torture us…” heeseung muttered, leaning back against the wall.

jay, on the other hand, sat up straight, cracking his knuckles with a grin. “you know what? i’d rather deal with monopoly than sit here feeling like we’re all doomed. at least i can bankrupt you guys and call it a victory.” he glanced at you briefly, then quickly looked away, his smile faltering for just a second before he shrugged. “but it’s getting harder.”

you turned away from the viewport, catching the tail end of the conversation, your eyes flicking between the guys, sensing something more beneath the surface of their banter. “what’s getting harder?” you asked, your voice steady, but a hint of curiosity slipped through.

“my dick,” jay said, barely suppressing a smirk. the room went dead quiet, the tension thick as his eyes flickered between you and the others. for a second, it was like no one could believe what he had just said.

then jake snorted, breaking the silence, a grin spreading across his face. “jesus christ, jay,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief, though the corners of his mouth were twitching with amusement.

heeseung, leaning against the wall, couldn’t help but chuckle, though he tried to cover it with a cough. “man, you really had to go there, didn’t you?”

sunghoon let out a low groan, rubbing his temples. “we’re losing it already. it’s been, what, a few hours since the mission got extended? this is gonna be a long six months.”

jay, still smirking, raised his hands in mock defense. “hey, i’m just saying what everyone’s thinking.”

you blinked, momentarily thrown off by his comment, but then the absurdity of the situation hit you, and before you could stop yourself, a laugh bubbled up from your chest. it wasn’t just jay’s crass remark—it was everything. the tension, the pressure, the ridiculousness of being stuck in a space station with no real escape. somehow, laughing felt like the only thing that made sense right now.

“well, at least someone’s honest,” you said, trying to stifle the laughter but failing.

jungwon, who had been quiet in his seat, shook his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “we’re doomed,” he muttered, though there was a trace of amusement in his voice. "completely doomed.”

the tension in the room finally seemed to break, the absurdity of the moment lightening the weight that had been pressing down on all of you.

it had been a few weeks since the announcement, and honestly, everyone had settled back into the routine. but the tension, that underlying current of frustration, isolation, and desire, was always there—just beneath the surface. the close quarters, the monotony of work, and the impossibility of real privacy made it harder to ignore the weight of being stuck up here together for six more months.

conversations had gotten more pointed, more loaded with subtext. no one said it outright, but it was clear that everyone was feeling it. little moments became bigger than they should’ve been—brushing past each other in the hallways, stolen glances across the command deck, lingering touches that felt too casual to be casual.

that’s why, as you stood at your station reviewing the latest data, it didn’t surprise you when jake sidled up beside you. his voice was low, teasing but with that same underlying edge that had crept into all your interactions lately.

“so, what’s your read on heeseung?” he asked, his tone almost playful, but there was something more there. “you always seem to know what’s going on with him before the rest of us.”

the conversation didn’t come out of nowhere. tension had been building between heeseung and the rest of the crew for days. he was the leader, sure, but his quiet demeanor had turned into something more unreadable lately. the others had started noticing it too—the way he seemed distant, more focused, like he was carrying the weight of this mission alone. and maybe, in a way, he was. but jake, ever the one to push boundaries, wasn’t content to leave it unspoken.

you smirked, not missing the competitive edge in jake’s tone. “i just pay attention,” you replied coolly.

the room went quiet for a beat, your words hanging in the air like a challenge. jay, who had been lazily flipping through his data stream, suddenly looked at you with new intensity, his usual lighthearted expression slipping for a moment. even sunghoon, who had been running system diagnostics nearby, paused, glancing over at you with a raised eyebrow, clearly impressed.

it wasn’t lost on anyone that your dynamic with heeseung had shifted in recent weeks. whether it was because of the pressure, the isolation, or something else entirely, no one could say for sure. but they noticed. heeseung had been watching you more closely, leaning on you for decisions that seemed to go beyond the scope of your role. and you? well, you couldn’t deny that there was something magnetic about him—the quiet control, the unspoken intensity.

jake leaned in a little closer, his smirk widening. “you sure it’s just ‘paying attention’? feels like there’s more going on there.”

you rolled your eyes, though your heart skipped a beat at the suggestion. “jake, not everything is a competition.”

“maybe not,” he said, shrugging casually, though his eyes flicked to heeseung’s empty chair, “but it’s more fun when it is.”

sunghoon, ever the observer, chimed in, his voice low but amused. “he’s not wrong, though. you seem to have a pretty good read on him. better than the rest of us.”

“he’s not easy to read,” jay finally said, his voice more serious than before. “doesn’t let much slip.”

“he doesn’t have to,” you said, glancing toward where heeseung had been standing moments before. “he’s good at hiding things, but if you watch close enough, you’ll see what he’s trying not to show.”

jake raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued but trying to keep it casual. “yeah? and what’s he hiding right now?”

you shrugged, keeping it vague but knowing full well the answer. “a lot of weight. he’s the one who has to hold everything together when shit goes sideways. doesn’t mean he isn’t feeling it too.”

there was a pause, and the others were watching you now, subtle but noticeable. they didn’t expect you to be this observant, to have picked up so much about their dynamic.

it wasn’t like you were an outsider anymore, but the fact that you could read between the lines—could get a read on heeseung of all people—that was what got to them.

jay’s smirk had all but disappeared, his gaze flickering between you and jake, like he was reassessing the situation. jungwon, who normally wore that smug, knowing smile, was surprisingly quiet, eyes narrowed as he processed your words. even sunghoon, who always played it cool, looked a little rattled.

jay let out a low whistle, shaking his head with a smirk. “shit, you really do have us all figured out, don’t you?”

you grinned, keeping your tone light but teasing. “maybe. or maybe i’m just good at pretending.”

jungwon, who had been quiet for most of the conversation, finally spoke up, though his tone was measured and careful, like he didn’t want to give too much away. “you’ve always been observant. it’s one of the reasons you’re here, right?”

there was no flirtatious edge to his voice, nothing that hinted at anything more, but you could see the way his eyes lingered on you for just a moment too long before he looked away, his smirk fading into something more serious.

you shot him a look, your grin widening just a little. “never said i wasn’t paying attention.”

the air in the room shifted. it felt like they were all starting to realize just how much attention you had been paying to each of them, and not just to the obvious stuff either. the subtle looks, the way they held themselves when they thought no one was watching, the quiet moments when they let their guard down. and somehow, that made them see you in a new light.

the fact that you could read them so well wasn’t just impressive—it was incredibly attractive. fucking intelligent and sexy, and you could feel the change in the way they were looking at you.

they exchanged glances, small, almost imperceptible nods of approval, you were someone who kept them on their toes, someone who saw more than they let on. and that? that was dangerous, in the best way possible.

jake leaned in closer, his voice dropping low enough so only you could hear. “so, what do you think heeseung’s next move is?” his breath brushed against your ear, and though his tone was casual, there was an undercurrent of competition—like he was testing you, wanting to see just how sharp your observations really were.

you smirked, not missing a beat. “he’s going to keep the pressure on, try to make it seem like everything’s fine. but he’s close to breaking. give it a few days, and you’ll see him crack.”

jake raised an eyebrow, impressed but not ready to let you off that easily. “you really think you’ve got him figured out, huh?”

“oh, i know it,” you whispered back, leaning in just enough to match his energy. “watch and learn.”

jake chuckled under his breath, shaking his head but clearly intrigued. “we’ll see.”

as you straightened up, ready to walk toward heeseung, jake leaned in, his voice low and teasing, but laced with genuine curiosity. “what are you gonna do?” he asked, his eyes following your every move.

honestly, you didn’t know. your plan, if you even had one, felt shaky at best. part of you wanted to push heeseung, to see if you could make him crack, but then doubt crept in. what if it backfires?

heeseung was so good at keeping his cool, always composed even when the pressure was unbearable. still, the way he’d been holding himself lately, like he was barely keeping it together, made you think that if anyone could get a reaction out of him, it might be you.

your heart raced as you considered your options. flirting? yeah, that might piss him off. but would that be such a bad thing? maybe you wanted to see what he’d do if you pushed him just a little too far. hell, it wasn’t like you had a better idea.

you shot jake a knowing glance, not bothering to answer as you made your way toward heeseung’s station. the silence in the room felt thick, charged with anticipation.

you could feel everyone’s eyes on you, their curiosity palpable. jungwon, jay, and sunghoon all exchanged glances, clearly wondering what the hell you were planning. even jake, always ready with a joke, was unusually quiet as he watched you approach.

heeseung was barely keeping it together. he was focused on his console, fingers flying over the controls as he reviewed data, his posture tense. he hadn’t noticed you yet, too wrapped up in his work—or maybe just too good at pretending not to notice.

you stopped just short of his station, taking a deep breath before leaning in slightly, your voice soft but deliberate. “everything okay over here, commander?”

heeseung didn’t look up, his jaw tight as he responded. “fine. just keeping things in line.”

you tilted your head, stepping a little closer, your heart pounding. fuck it, here goes nothing.

“you sure about that? you look like you’re ready to blow.” the words were out before you could second-guess yourself, the teasing tone more daring than you’d intended.

shit, why’d you have to say that? his mind raced, heart pounding in his chest. you had no idea what you were doing to him. no fucking idea how close he was to snapping, not just from the mission, but from the way you made him feel. the way his body reacted to every word you said, every time you looked at him like that. and right now? fuck, he was hanging by a thread.

"what are you getting at?" heeseung managed to say, his voice steadier than he felt. he was trying to keep his cool, but fuck, your presence was throwing him off balance. he didn’t need this right now. didn’t need you making him feel things when all he wanted was to keep the damn station running and his emotions in check.

heeseung finally looked up, his eyes locking onto yours, and for a split second, you saw it—a flicker of something darker, more intense. but just as quickly, it was gone, his expression hardening again.

but before you could push him further, an alert blared through the station. the sudden, shrill sound cut through the tension like a knife. the crew jumped into action, immediately gathering around the central console as the error message flashed across the screen.

warning: pressure threshold exceeded in sector 4. immediate attention required.

heeseung’s expression hardened, his jaw clenched as he processed the information. you saw the shift in him—gone was the cool, calm commander, he moved quickly to the console, his fingers flying over the controls as he tried to get more information.

“sector 4? that’s not supposed to be under strain right now,” sunghoon muttered, his tone sharp.

jay was already analyzing the data streams. “it’s a sensor malfunction… or worse, a real breach.”

“fuck,” jungwon added under his breath, his usual calm slipping.

heeseung’s movements grew more erratic as he tried to troubleshoot the issue, but nothing was working. the error message kept flashing, the pressure levels rising dangerously in sector 4. frustration was boiling over, and you could feel it in the air.

“goddammit,” heeseung growled, slamming his fist down on the console with a loud crack.

the entire room froze.

the force of his punch broke one of the buttons clean off, sending it flying across the console. for a second, no one moved, all eyes on heeseung as his chest heaved, the tension spilling out in a rare, explosive moment of anger.

the sound of the button clattering to the floor was the only thing breaking the silence.

heeseung stood there for a moment, staring at the console, the broken button lying pathetically on the floor. his hand was still clenched in a fist, knuckles white. you could see the strain in his expression, the way he was struggling to pull himself back from the edge.

slowly, he exhaled, trying to regain control. his jaw tightened as he straightened up, forcing his voice to sound composed, though it was clear he was barely holding it together.

“fix it,” he said, his tone clipped and strained.

jake, who had been standing just a few feet away, raised an eyebrow. “fix what? the error or… your temper?” his smirk was back, but even he was treading carefully.

heeseung shot him a glare, though there was a flicker of humor behind the anger. “the button, jake. fix the damn button.”

jake let out a breath, shaking his head but smiling as he bent down to pick up the shattered piece of plastic. “you know, breaking things isn’t gonna help, commander. next time, maybe don’t punch the console.”

heeseung’s lips twitched, the tension easing just slightly. “just fix it.”

as jake crouched to start working on the damaged button, the rest of the crew slowly relaxed, the intensity of the moment dissolving into something almost… absurd. jay let out a low chuckle, leaning back in his chair.

“you really went for it, huh?” jay muttered, his voice low but amused. “didn’t know you had it in you.”

sunghoon smirked, crossing his arms. “better the console than one of us.”

heeseung shook his head, finally managing a faint smile. “you want to be next?”

you, still standing nearby, couldn’t help but laugh quietly at the exchange. it was an intense moment, but somehow, the humor in it lightened the mood. you glanced at jake, who was still fiddling with the broken button, and then at heeseung, who was now standing with his arms crossed, his attempt at composure just barely holding.

“what?” jake said, looking up at you with a grin. “you think you can do better?”

you rolled your eyes, but the smile never left your face. “just hurry up and fix it, jake.”

heeseung took a deep breath, shaking off the lingering frustration and straightening up. his shoulders relaxed slightly as he regained control, his usual composed demeanor sliding back into place. "and jake, once you're done with that, finish patching the system. i want that error cleared ASAP." his voice was firm but steady now, the edge of anger gone.

jake gave a mock salute, grinning as he worked on fixing the console. "on it, commander. try not to break anything else while i’m at it."

heeseung shot him a dry look but didn’t bother with a retort, his mind already shifting to what needed to be done next.

he scanned the room, making eye contact with each crew member, his tone taking on a new level of seriousness. "once the system’s back online, everyone meet in the common room. we need to talk."

you felt the weight of his words settle over the room. this wasn’t just a casual debrief. whatever heeseung had in mind, it was clearly something important.

“jay, monitor the pressure levels in sector 4. make sure we don’t have any more malfunctions like that,” heeseung continued, his voice low but authoritative.

“got it,” jay replied, already pulling up the necessary data streams, his earlier humor replaced by focus.

heeseung’s gaze flicked over to jungwon and sunghoon. “jungwon, run a full diagnostic on the medical equipment. make sure everything is in working order. sunghoon, double-check the navigation systems. i don’t want any surprises while we’re fixing this.”

“on it,” jungwon said, his calm demeanor returning as he moved to his station, though you caught a glimpse of concern in his eyes.

sunghoon nodded, already tapping away at his console. “navigation’s been stable, but i’ll make sure everything’s tight.”

heeseung took another deep breath, his hands briefly gripping the edge of the console as if to steady himself. then, his eyes landed on you. “i need you to finish the anomaly report. If there’s anything unusual, anything that looks even remotely off, flag it immediately.”

heeseung exhaled, pushing away from the console. “once we’re done here, meet in the common room. we need to talk through what’s coming next.”

with that, he turned on his heel and left the room, the tension following him like a shadow.

"well, shit," jay muttered, sinking heavily into one of the chairs in the common room. heeseung finally called them for a meeting, one long overdue, and in a way, everyone had been looking forward to it—hoping maybe it would mean things could shift, make the extension a little more bearable.

disappointment and exhaustion clung to every movement, and you could feel the pressure. heeseung was sick of it; you could tell by the way his foot tapped restlessly on the floor, something you rarely saw from him.

you slipped into your seat, feeling the uncomfortable cling of your uniform against your skin. everyone was stealing glances at you—quick, fleeting, but obvious enough to notice.

heeseung sat in the middle, trying to maintain his usual calm, but the tapping of his foot gave him away. "we need a plan," he finally said, his voice clipped, like every word took effort. "they didn’t give us much of a choice, but just following orders isn’t working anymore. we need to gain some control back." his gaze flicked toward you for a moment before settling back on the table, his posture sagging under the weight of the situation.

"eighteen fucking months," sunghoon grumbled, his fingers tapping against the table, frustration clearly bubbling beneath the surface. "twelve was already pushing it, but six more?" his eyes lingered on yours for a beat too long before looking away. "we’re all gonna lose our goddamn minds."

across from you, jake rolled that damn baseball between his fingers, the one he’d brought on board from earth, his constant anchor. his hand brushed yours as he reached for something, and the brief touch ignited a spark of heat between you. you couldn’t help but notice the way his eyes held yours for just a second longer than usual, that unspoken pull between you two bubbling up again.

he smirked, just a hint of it pulling at the corner of his mouth, before he leaned back. "plenty of time to figure out how to keep ourselves entertained." his tone was playful, but the frustration was undeniable, maybe even masking something darker.

jungwon, who had been quiet, crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall. "we can’t just coast through this. we need structure—something to focus on, or we’ll fall apart."

"if we don’t, we’ll all snap," jay said, his voice sharp, his eyes flicking toward you with something else lingering there—something heavier. "maybe even jump out the airlock."

the silence that followed was thick, everyone processing his words. the realization of how much time you’d all be stuck together on this godforsaken station weighed heavily on everyone.

"so what now?" jake asked, tossing the baseball between his hands. "what’s the big plan, commander?"

heeseung looked around the room, scanning each of you before he spoke again. "we start by taking control of what we can. routines, schedules, projects. we can’t control HQ, but we can control how we handle this."

sunghoon let out a slow breath, leaning back. "easier said than done."

"it’s gonna take more than just shift rotations," jake added, raising an eyebrow. "we’ve been up here long enough to know what pushes each other’s buttons. we need something real, something that’ll keep us from tearing each other apart."

"what are we thinking?" jay asked, rubbing his temples. "we can’t just wait for comms to drop and hope we hold it together."

"contingency plans," jungwon said, his voice steady, though there was an unease behind his eyes. "if comms go dark, we divide tasks, no mistakes. we’re in survival mode, not routine."

heeseung nodded, jotting something down on his holo-pad. "i’ll take station control. jake, you stay on engineering, make sure everything stays online. jay and y/n, you’re on data streams."

"and what about the mental side?" you cut in, leaning forward as the weight of the conversation pressed down on the room. "we’re not just talking about system failures. didn’t HQ say they were willing to give us everything we needed, and that they had their own contingency plans?"

jake scoffed, leaning back in his chair, rolling that baseball between his fingers. "yeah, their 'contingency plans'—more like they’ll deal with it when shit hits the fan. remember mr. park’s answer during the announcement? ‘stress indicators, we’ll do whatever we can remotely,’” jake mocked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “fucking whatever."

sunghoon, usually one to stay composed, let out a low sigh, his voice heavier than usual. "they owe us more than just resupply missions if they’re going to keep us here."

“he’s right,” you said, breaking the silence. “let’s fast-track the request for those sim pods… whatever it takes to keep our heads straight."

sunghoon’s eyes flicked to you again, lingering a little longer this time. “yeah, extra time for physical... activity wouldn’t hurt.”

jungwon suddenly shot up out of his seat, making everyone turn to look at him. his eyes were wide with realization, like a light bulb had gone off in his head.

"wait, didn’t HQ put something in the mission manual about requesting extra supplies for extended stays? there’s a whole section on wellness kits. holy shit."

before anyone could respond, jungwon was already tearing through the shelves, scattering gear across the floor as he searched for the elusive manual.

"what the hell are you doing?" jay asked, half-annoyed, half-amused as he watched jungwon make a mess.

"looking for the fucking manual!" jungwon’s voice came from somewhere behind a pile of supplies, his excitement clear. "we need more than just rations and water, and I swear HQ wrote something about extended wellness."

sunghoon snorted, arms crossed, his gaze sharp. "you really think they’re gonna approve that?"

jungwon, always the optimist, finally stood up, holding a beat-up folder like he had just figured it all out. "if there is anything i'm certain about, its that HQ doesn’t want us cracking under the pressure. they need us operational, not losing our minds or they'll never get the data they need."

heeseung was already scribbling on his pad, eyes barely glancing up. "we’ll submit it. but don’t hold your breath. hq’s about keeping us alive, not comfortable."

jay leaned in, eyes locked on the manual. "we’re not asking for luxury. we’re asking to stay sane."

the air in the room thickened, jay’s words cutting through. this wasn’t just about surviving space—it was about surviving each other.

"maybe we can request better gym equipment," you suggested, trying to keep the conversation on track. "more time for workouts, something to burn off the tension."

jungwon nodded, flipping through the manual. "and psychological support. if HQ wants us functional, they need to send more than just food."

heeseung was writing faster now. "i’ll submit the request. until then, we stick to the routine. keep sharp, stay focused."

then, out of nowhere, jay piped up, deadpan. "think we can ask for porn?"

for a second, the room went dead silent. sunghoon, mid-sentence about rationing, let out a snort so loud it echoed. "you’re fucking kidding, right?"

"what? i’m serious," jay grinned, leaning back. "if we’re stuck up here for six more months, might as well keep the morale high."

"yeah, because HQ’s really gonna send us a porn subscription," you laughed, shaking your head.

sunghoon laughed harder, still shaking his head. "yeah, HQ would love that. ‘dear HQ, we’re requesting... supplies for morale. please send fleshlights.’"

the laughter exploded around the room, a much-needed break from the tension that had been suffocating everyone. for a moment, the air felt lighter.

"or toys," jay added, straight-faced. "dildos for the lady, vibrators... you know, the essentials."

"fuck off," sunghoon muttered, wiping tears from his eyes. "you’d probably submit that request too, wouldn’t you?"

the laughter was loud, but it was masking something deeper. everyone knew the humor was just a way to cope with the weight of everything—the stress, the isolation, the unspoken tension that was constantly bubbling beneath the surface.

"honestly though," jake said, his voice low, almost serious now. "we need something. anything to remind us we’re still human."

"or we’ll lose it," sunghoon agreed, his voice suddenly sober. the laughter had faded, the weight settling back in.

"maybe we could request movie nights," you suggested. "old classics, popcorn. like back on earth."

"popcorn? we’re lucky we even get decent fucking coffee," sunghoon shot back, still grinning but the humor wasn’t quite there anymore.

you leaned back in your chair, raising an eyebrow. "well, then i'm definitely putting in a request for a dildo."

the room erupted in laughter again, but this time, there was an edge to it. something darker, something lingering just beneath the surface. the heat in the room was rising, that familiar unspoken tension returning.

"as if we don’t already hear enough through these paper-thin walls," you added, voice teasing but biting just enough to get a reaction. knowing damn well on multiple occasions you'd heard them—grunts, moans, the sound of bodies against tile in the showers.

fuck, it's why everything was always fogged up after. the tension in the room spiked instantly, thickening like the humidity in those steamy moments. you could almost feel their unease, the way their gazes sharpened, daring you to say more.

jake leaned in, voice low, like he was pushing just to see how far you'd take it. "oh, we’ve heard you too. don’t think you’re so quiet either."

your pulse quickened, but you refused to let it show, raising an eyebrow instead. "is that so?"

"oh yeah," jake said, leaning back in his chair, that smug grin playing on his lips like he had the upper hand. "walls aren’t thick enough to hide everything, sweetheart."

you could feel every set of eyes on you, but you didn’t back down. "funny, because some of you sound like you want everyone to hear."

jay snorted, but there was a darker edge to it now, his grin holding something sharper. "that’s because some of us don’t mind if you listen."

"hell," sunghoon muttered, arms crossed, gaze fixed on you. "you seemed pretty into it last time. didn’t even try to drown us out."

your heart pounded, but you shot back smoothly, "wasn’t trying to."

for some reason, it didn’t feel like harmless flirting anymore—it felt like a challenge. everyone felt it. the frustration, the want, the constant pressure building in the room like a ticking bomb.

heeseung hadn’t said a word, but his silence was louder than anything. the way he stared at you, jaw clenched tight, his eyes smothering, like he was daring you to push further. it made your skin prickle, every inch of you aware of how intense he was without even opening his mouth.

sunghoon shifted in his seat, jaw locked, clearly uncomfortable with the way things were unfolding between you and jake. but he didn’t say a word, didn’t jump in.

he just watched, tension rolling off him like he was waiting for something to snap. jay, usually the one to lighten things up with a joke, was dead quiet too, his eyes narrowed, taking in every second of the exchange like he was studying it, waiting for the next move.

you stood slowly, feeling like you might’ve just made things a whole lot worse. shit, this was getting to you. and bad. your heart was pounding, your palms felt clammy. you broke eye contact with jake on purpose, dragging it out as if you were the one still in control, even though you weren’t so sure anymore.

"well, let’s hope HQ sends us something useful," you said, trying to inject some lightness into your voice, but it wasn’t fooling anyone. the tension was still thick, practically vibrating in the air. "i’m calling it a night."

the door barely clicked shut before sunghoon let out a breath, shaking his head, eyes still fixed on the spot where you’d just stood. "she’s totally fucking with us," he muttered, voice low but tight with frustration. "did you see that? deliberate provocation. i swear."

jay ran a hand through his hair, leaning back in his chair, a hint of a grin tugging at his lips but not quite reaching his eyes. "you think? that was more than just fucking around. she knew exactly what she was doing."

"no shit," sunghoon shot back, his voice strained. "i’m telling you, man. we’re all this close—" he held up his fingers, barely an inch apart—"to saying fuck the damn rules. who’s gonna last another six months with her around?"

heeseung, still quiet, finally spoke up, his voice low and steady, but the tension in it was undeniable. "rule three is fucking us all over. and you know it." his eyes flicked to jake, who had been oddly quiet throughout the entire exchange.

"well, shit," jake finally said, running a hand over his face. "i’m fucking pent up. that’s all i got." his tone was casual, but the weight behind his words was anything but. his eyes flicked toward the door you’d just walked through, his frustration clear as day.

then jake leaned back in his chair, a low, bitter laugh escaping him. "cause okay, fine." he straightened up, rubbing the back of his neck like even recalling it was enough to set him off.

"remember when she 'accidentally' spilled water all over herself? walked around for half the day in just her bra, like it was no big deal." his voice dropped, taking on a darker, frustrated edge as the memory played out in his mind—your soaked uniform sticking to every curve, your skin glistening under the ship’s harsh, sterile lighting. "swear to god, i almost busted right there."

jay let out a low whistle, shaking his head. "oh, i fucking remember. she acted like nothing was wrong, like it wasn’t driving all of us insane. that was no accident."

"she knows," jake continued, voice tight. "she fucking knows. and she’s doing it on purpose." he ran a hand through his hair, frustration thick in every movement. "i mean, who the hell just struts around in nothing but a bra for hours and pretends like it’s normal?"

every single one of them had that moment seared into their brains—a shared image that haunted them during their nights alone. professionalism had long since been thrown out the airlock. you’d been teasing them for months, pushing, baiting, playing with their heads just to see how far they’d go.

they were men, starved for any kind of real connection, trapped in this endless isolation with only you to fuel their frustrations. and you? you were having the time of your life, knowing exactly how to wind them up, knowing just how close to the edge they all were.

and you were the only woman in their universe.

every movement you made, every glance you threw, was calculated. you knew how to push their buttons—when to be coy, when to be bold. it was a game, one you were expertly playing, and they were your captive audience, hanging onto every shift of your hips, every subtle smile. you could feel the tension rising every time you walked into a room, the way their gazes would follow you like you were the only thing that mattered. because, to them, you were.

on this ship, isolated from the rest of the world, you were more than just a colleague—you were their obsession. their only distraction from the monotony, the only woman they could see, touch, fantasize about. they were unraveling, one by one, and you could feel it.

"don’t forget yoga day," jay added with a dark laugh. "jesus christ… those fucking leggings. bent over right in front of us, ass up in the air. she’s daring us to look. she fucking knows."

he leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, a smug grin stretching across his face. and he was right—you had to know they were staring, their eyes locked onto every curve, every move you made. but you never said a word. you just kept pushing, acting like you weren’t driving them all to the brink.

"she’s got us by the balls," sunghoon groaned, raking a hand through his hair. "and the worst part? we’re letting her. we’re fucking playing along, and she knows it."

but it wasn’t just that. they weren’t just letting you get away with it. they were playing back, each of them with their own strategy. they'd all tried to figure out what would make you crack, what would make you react. but the truth was, none of them realized just how far gone they already were.

"every time i help her with something, i’m just waiting for an excuse to get closer," jake confessed, his voice a mix of frustration and longing. "those fucking leggings… i’ve jerked off to that more times than I can count."

"and then there’s jungwon," jay smirked, flicking his gaze to the youngest of the group. "mr. saint over here, pretending like he’s all innocent. come on, man, we all know you’re just as fucked as the rest of us."

jungwon didn’t deny it. he just smirked, leaning back in his chair. "hey, someone’s gotta keep her guessing. the nice guy routine? it’s working."

sunghoon scoffed. "you really think she’s buying that 'innocent' act? she’s smarter than that. she can see a wolf in sheep's clothing from a mile away."

jungwon shrugged, unconcerned. "maybe. but it’s keeping her intrigued, and that’s all I care about. we’ve all got our ways of keeping her on the hook. some of us are just better at it."

jake rolled his eyes, the frustration clear on his face. "yeah, you’re lucky she’s into that whole 'nice guy' thing you’ve got going on. but we all know the truth—you’re as twisted as the rest of us."

jay leaned forward, his grin growing wider. "everyone’s got their angle. me? i’m going with the 'bad boy with a heart of gold' thing. act tough, but show her a softer side when it counts. trust me, it’s working."

"and I’m the laid-back, funny guy," jake chimed in, grinning. "makes her laugh, keeps things light. you know what they say—laughter’s the best aphrodisiac."

sunghoon chuckled darkly, shaking his head. "obviously it's the whole 'brooding and mysterious' thing that keeps her on edge. she can't fucking resist me."

jungwon raised an eyebrow, smirk tugging at his lips. "so what, we’re all just clichés now? good to know we’re not exactly original."

"whatever works," heeseung finally spoke, his voice calm but carrying enough weight to make the others shut up and listen. he had that way about him—didn’t need to say much, but when he did, everyone paid attention. "we’re stuck up here for another six months. doesn’t matter what game we’re playing—we’re all feeling it."

heeseung sighed, running a hand over his face, his frustration obvious. the tension in his posture was palpable as he recalled the moment from earlier, when you had stared him down, almost daring him to crack.

"shit," he muttered, the memory still vivid in his mind. "what the hell was that about earlier? i literally stay the fuck away from her because every time i see her, i wanna fuck her brains out. did one of you say something to her?"

the room was silent for a beat too long, and then all eyes slowly turned toward jake, who had been lounging in his chair like none of this was getting to him. but it was obvious, even to him, that he’d been the instigator, the one who pushed it a little further each time. he smirked, shrugging his shoulders like he couldn’t care less, but the tension in his posture gave him away.

"don’t look at me like that," jake muttered, running a hand through his hair. "yeah, maybe i’ve been fucking with her a little. wanted to see how much attention she was paying, you know? but i didn’t expect heeseung to crack the way he did."

heeseung shot him a glare, his jaw still tight. "you think this is funny?"

jake’s smirk faltered, and he sighed, leaning forward. "no, man, i’m serious. none of us thought you’d be the one to snap, not this soon." he looked around the room, finding some backup. "we were just trying to push her buttons, see how far she’d go."

"that’s exactly it," jay jumped in, rubbing the back of his neck. "we all wanted to know how much of this game she’s playing, how much she’s actually paying attention to us."

sunghoon nodded, arms still crossed but his expression softening. "yeah, no one’s blaming you. shit, we’re all on edge. it just hit harder than we thought."

the room fell into a brief silence, the reality of their situation settling over them like a dark cloud. they weren’t just competing for your attention; they were trapped in the same hell, each of them fighting against their own desire, their own instincts. but none of them were backing down. not when it came to you.

jay leaned forward, his usual grin fading as his voice dropped, more serious now. "can i say something?"

immediately, the others exchanged looks, making exaggerated faces as if they were already annoyed. it was a thing they liked to do—teasing jay, especially when he got serious. there was no real heat behind it though; it was all playful, just their way of showing they cared without actually saying it.

"oh, here we go," sunghoon muttered, rolling his eyes with a smirk, while jungwon raised his eyebrows like he was preparing for some kind of lecture.

jake nudged jay, grinning, "go on, professor, enlighten us."

jay just sighed, knowing this was their usual bullshit. "you assholes." but he couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at the corners of his lips. it was their way of showing affection.

"honestly? i’m just glad it’s her," he continued, his voice shifting into something more genuine. "we could’ve been stuck up here with anyone, but we got y/n. smart as hell, sexy as fuck. makes this whole thing bearable."

"yeah," jake nodded, his expression softening as he thought about it. "being trapped in this tin can with her? it’s a fucking miracle, to be honest."

"or a curse," sunghoon muttered, though his tone lacked any real bitterness. "depends on how you look at it. hq knew what they were doing when they sent her up here with us."

jungwon grinned, eyes gleaming with mischief. "maybe they thought we’d be more productive with a little extra motivation."

jay chuckled. "well, mission accomplished. i’ve never been more motivated in my life."

jungwon leaned in, voice dropping, almost conspiratorial. "let’s be real. hq extended this mission. they owe us some kind of compensation. and i think we all know what we want."

"well, looks like we’re never gonna get what we want," sunghoon muttered darkly, running a hand through his hair, eyes still locked on the door you’d left through. "by the time we touch down, we’ll all be lucky if we don’t have fucking erectile dysfunction."

heeseung sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, the tension finally cracking through his usually composed front. "but how the hell are we supposed to get what we want? hq doesn’t give a shit about what we’re going through up here."

the room sank into a heavy silence, the weight of their situation settling back on them like a ton of bricks. they were all feeling it—the frustration, the helplessness. each one of them visibly resigned to the fact that the pressure was getting too intense to keep ignoring.

then, out of nowhere, sunghoon’s eyes lit up, like someone had flipped a switch in his head. he straightened up, practically buzzing with energy. "jungwon, you’re a fucking genius."

jungwon blinked, clearly caught off guard. "huh? what the hell did i say?"

sunghoon, grinning like a lunatic, plopped back down, scooting his chair closer to the group. “okay, listen—it might be a stretch, but remember what jungwon said earlier?”

heeseung nodded slowly, clearly not following. “yeah… that we’re not exactly original?”

sunghoon groaned, rolling his eyes, giving heeseung a playful shove, though there was a flicker of irritation behind it. “no, dumbass. i’m talking about the manual. you said we could request supplies, right? why don’t we get creative with our requests?”

jay nearly spit out his drink, laughing. “yeah, sure. ‘dear hq, please let us fuck y/n. sincerely, your horny, desperate crew.’ good fucking luck with that.”

the room erupted in laughter, the tension easing for a brief moment. but underneath the humor, they all knew there was some truth to what sunghoon was saying.

heeseung leaned back, crossing his arms, a smirk tugging at his lips. “jay’s got a point. we can’t just request something explicitly like that. but if we word it right, we might get something close.”

the laughter died down as they all realized how serious heeseung was.

sunghoon, who had been grinning moments before, blinked in shock. “wait. you’re serious?”

heeseung nodded, his expression sharp. “dead serious. rule three is bullshit. ‘no fraternization’ was fine when this mission was twelve months, but eighteen? we’re not machines. we’re fucking human. and i’m going to tell them exactly that. if they want us sharp, focused, and not sexually frustrated to the point where it fucks with our work, they’re going to have to drop the rule.”

the silence stretched, everyone absorbing what heeseung just said. it was a wild idea, but with how things had been going, they all knew that tension was growing unbearable. they weren’t sure if you’d go for it either, but the way things were headed? it didn’t seem like it would take too long before it got to everyone.

jake let out a low whistle, grinning. “you’re actually going to do it.”

heeseung shrugged. “it’s simple. i’ll put it in the report. we make it clear. this is about crew efficiency. rule three is hurting that.”

sunghoon let out a shaky laugh. “fuck. you might actually get away with it.”

“if hq wants us to stay functional,” heeseung replied, his tone dead serious, “they’ll drop the rule. if they don’t, they risk us cracking under the pressure. it’s their choice, but they’ve already screwed us once with this extension.”

jungwon finally leaned back, shaking his head in disbelief, but a grin tugged at his lips. “and what if they actually say yes?”

jake leaned in, grinning like a kid who just got away with something. “then we’ve got the green light, and i’m calling first dibs.”

heeseung rolled his eyes at jake but didn’t argue. “now that i think about it, i don’t think—" he hesitated, biting his thumbnail, his foot tapping against the floor. his mind was racing, and the reality of the situation hit him—this was a crazy idea. it sounded wild, but something in him had finally snapped.

"ah, fuck it. just leave it to me. i’ll make sure hq doesn’t know what hit them. i'm done. bad enough the mission got extended, but i don’t think i can handle not even getting a fucking touch out of her."

“shit, heeseung, that’s ballsy as fuck,” jake laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. “you’ve been the one keeping up that whole ‘fine line’ act this entire time. you’ve never even flirted with her once! how the hell are you gonna explain this to her? she’ll be shocked you’re the fucking instigator.”

heeseung just smirked, leaning back in his chair, finally allowing himself to enjoy the idea. “that’s the point. she won’t see it coming.”

jay raised an eyebrow, still half-smirking but clearly intrigued. “so, what? you’re gonna go from ‘strict commander’ to ‘hey, hq says we can fuck now, let’s break some rules’?”

heeseung’s grin widened slightly, his voice dropping to a lower, more confident tone. “nah, i’m not stupid. we’re not jumping from zero to one hundred. but it’s obvious she’s been pushing us, seeing how far we’ll go. she knows exactly what she’s doing.”

sunghoon snorted, shaking his head with a smirk. “still, man, you’ve kept your shit together for this long. you’ve been the one keeping everyone else in check. this is a big fucking swing.”

“exactly why it’ll work,” heeseung replied smoothly, his eyes flicking around the room. “you guys have been playing the obvious angles—flirting, teasing. i’ve been holding back. that’s what gets to her. she’s expecting one of you to make a move. not me.”

jake let out a low whistle, leaning back in his chair. “so you’re planning to drop that bomb on her, huh? just come out of nowhere?”

heeseung’s grin sharpened, his gaze locking onto jake. “when the timing’s right, yeah. but first, hq needs to give us the green light. i’m not about to go in unarmed.”

sunghoon leaned forward, clearly intrigued now. “you really think she’s gonna go for it?”

heeseung shrugged, but the smirk on his face didn’t waver. “dude, she’s curious. she’s not playing favorites. the only thing holding any of us back is that fucking rule.”

jake shook his head, the grin spreading across his face unmistakable. “you’ve really thought this through, huh?”

heeseung’s eyes flicked around the room, his voice dropping but steady. “we’re all in the same boat—extending this mission has made everything worse. they’ve put us in a pressure cooker. we’ve got needs, and i’m gonna make sure they realize rule three is more of a problem than a solution.”

sunghoon laughed, leaning back in his chair. “if you manage to pull this off, i’ll admit—this is some genius-level shit.”

jay nodded, his smirk returning. “alright, captain. if hq says yes, we’re behind you. just make sure you don’t scare her off with this shit.”

heeseung’s eyes gleamed with confidence. “don’t worry. i’ve got this under control. when it comes to her, it’s all about playing the long game.”

the guys kept the conversations going, their voices bouncing off the cold, metallic walls of the station, amplified in the stillness of space where time didn’t really mean anything. there was no day or night here, just an endless cycle of tasks, the artificial lights never dimming, only the hum of machinery and their voices breaking the monotony.

this was their downtime, the only chance to let off some of the tension that had been slowly suffocating them. and for a while now, you had been the center of that tension, feeding it like gasoline to a slow-burning fire.

the fucked-up camaraderie they’d built—sharing their thoughts about you like this—was a weird kind of bonding. they were men, stuck in space, starved for any kind of female presence, and here you were, pushing their buttons, teasing them.

at least they weren’t alone in this, all playing the same game, all fucked up in the same way. it made it easier to laugh about the situation, but the weight of their words wasn’t lost on anyone. it wasn’t exactly normal, but what was ‘normal’ anymore? not up here.

they laughed, cracked jokes, but deep down, there was that creeping thought—were they still sane? sitting here, casually talking about wanting to fuck the same girl like it was no big deal. they told themselves it was just lust, just cabin fever, and that they were men starved for any kind of release. you were the only woman in their orbit, so of course they’d all end up wanting you.

it was simple biology, right?

or maybe, being isolated for so long had warped their sense of reality. maybe living in this artificial bubble of constant tasks and forced restraint had twisted their heads. either way, none of them were ready to admit that this had gone beyond harmless fantasy. they weren’t just imagining it anymore—they were feeling it, deeper than they wanted to acknowledge.

jungwon leaned back, a wicked grin spreading across his face. “imagine her doing private ‘stress relief’ sessions. we could take turns, rotate shifts. that’d be a real morale boost.” his voice dripped with playful malice, but the way the others reacted—laughing, smirking—told him he wasn’t the only one who’d thought of it.

a chorus of ‘ohhs’ and chuckles filled the room, each of them nodding knowingly.

heeseung groaned, burying his face in his hands. “don’t even fucking start. i can feel my self-control slipping already.”

sunghoon’s eyes darkened, his voice carrying the weight of months of pent-up frustration. “seeing her in anything smaller than that uniform? fuck, that’s already enough of a dream. i wouldn’t last.”

the guys exchanged frustrated glances, the tension palpable now. they were all chasing the same thing, competing for the same prize. and they all knew it. but no one was backing down. not a chance.

jake, always the one to break the tension with humor, clapped his hands together. “alright, enough of this shit. we’ve still got a mission to finish, remember?”

jay scoffed, leaning back with a smirk. “yeah, but let’s be real—the real mission is seeing who gets to y/n first.”

sunghoon shot him a sharp look, his lips twitching into a grin. “oh, I'm definitely fucking her first.”

“in your fucking dreams, sunghoon,” jay shot back, shaking his head. “you don’t stand a chance.”

jungwon chuckled, rolling his eyes at their back-and-forth. “you guys are ridiculous.”

with that, the group started to break up, heading off to their quarters or back to whatever task needed doing. but the tension? the harsh truth was that it wasn’t going anywhere until someone did something about it.

so they will.

back in your quarters, you sat on the edge of your bed, running your fingers along the cold metal frame, feeling the low hum of the station vibrating beneath your skin. you could still hear their laughter echoing faintly through the thin walls.

they were probably talking about you. they always were, though they tried to hide it. you may not have known the specifics, but you’d heard enough—your “bra,” your “leggings.” all the signs were there.

it had been brewing for months now, and you were the one stirring the pot, feeding that slow-burning fire. there was something intoxicating about the power you held over them, how their eyes followed you with every step, how they hung on your every word. they were wound tight, like strings about to snap, and you had them wrapped around your little finger. the thrill of it, knowing you could push them further, was enough to keep you going.

you stretched out on the bed, closing your eyes, letting out a slow, controlled breath. but the heat still lingered under your skin. your body hummed with the tension, the same electric current that seemed to fill the air whenever you were around them. you weren’t immune to it. far from it. you craved it, the game, the push and pull, the thrill of knowing that at any moment, things could tip over the edge.

the coming days were going to test every boundary, every rule. you could feel it. they were getting closer, their patience wearing thin. soon, one of them would make a move, and when that happened? you weren’t sure if you’d be able to stop it.

but for now, you were still in control. and that’s exactly where you wanted to be.

you were playing with fire. and fuck, did it feel good.

as you stepped into the common room, you were blissfully unaware of the way their eyes followed every movement, the shared smirks, the glances exchanged. beneath their masks of casual normalcy was a barely-restrained hunger. it amused them to no end that you were completely in the dark about their thoughts, their plans. it made the game all the more exciting.

jake moved first, as he always did, his laid-back demeanor never quite hiding the heat in his eyes. he handed you a cup of coffee, his fingers brushing against yours, the touch lingering just a second longer than it needed to.

“morning,” he greeted casually, though his gaze told a different story.

“morning,” you replied, your smile teasing as you took the cup. “thanks, jake.”

jay, leaning against the table nearby, watched every movement you made, his eyes dark with something unspoken. “busy day ahead?” he asked, his voice laced with something raw beneath the casual words.

“always,” you replied, brushing past him intentionally. your arm grazed his, the contact sending a spark through the air. you noticed the slight hitch in his breath before he covered it with his usual smirk.

sunghoon appeared next, setting a report down beside you, leaning in close enough that you could feel the warmth of his breath against your neck. the sensation made you bite back a shiver.

“need a hand with this?” he asked, voice low, laden with innuendo. “i could stay late... help out.”

“i’ll let you know if i need you, sunghoon,” you replied smoothly, your words holding a meaning both of you understood. his grin widened, clearly enjoying the game.

and then there was heeseung. he didn’t approach you like the others. he stayed in the background, observing, but his eyes... his eyes were something else. dark, intense, burning with promises that remained unsaid. his thoughts weren’t innocent.

no, they were filled with images of you—bent over, gasping under him, his hands gripping your hips.

he could almost feel the heat of your skin, hear the sounds you'd make. he wanted to take you completely, to push you to the brink of exhaustion, to bury himself balls deep inside you until the only thing you could do was scream his name.

you caught his gaze from across the room, your heart quickening at the way he looked at you. there was something undeniably raw in his stare, you weren’t sure what it was, but it sent a thrill straight to your core.

“heeseung,” you called, keeping your voice steady despite the flutter in your chest. “any updates from hq about that report on the provisions?”

he blinked, pulling himself back to the present, his expression shifting to something more professional. “not yet,” he replied, though you could hear the excitement under his words. “but i’m sure we’ll hear back soon.”

later that day, the familiar hum of the ship was interrupted by an announcement crackling through the comm system. it was a tone you didn’t hear often—serious, urgent, summoning everyone to the conference room for an important briefing.

the boys exchanged quick glances, barely able to hide their excitement. they knew what this was about. you, however, were still in the dark.

as you all gathered in the room, the screen flickered to life, revealing director park from hq. his face was calm, composed, but there was something else in his eyes—a hint of amusement, maybe even mischief, as he addressed the crew.

“moonstruck crew,” park began, his voice authoritative. “we’ve reviewed your latest report regarding the requested provisions. i have to say, it’s... unconventional, but we understand the unique challenges of extended missions.”

the room went silent. you glanced at the guys, confusion starting to bubble up inside you. their faces gave nothing away, but there was a crack in their poker faces—something was up. they knew exactly what was coming. you, however, had no idea.

park continued, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “hq understands the pressures you’re facing, the isolation, the strain. we take psychological and physical wellness very seriously. and, after careful consideration, we’ve decided to grant certain... accommodations.”

your confusion deepened. “accommodations?” you asked, cutting through the tension, your voice demanding an explanation.

park’s eyes lingered on you for a beat too long before he answered. “yes. accommodations. specifically, we’ve decided to void rule three—no fraternization. we believe that allowing some... flexibility will help maintain crew morale during these extended missions.”

the words hit you like a freight train. voiding rule three? fraternization? your heart skipped a beat as the weight of the situation began to sink in.

“hq has also included a new provision—a prototype contraceptive drug designed to prevent pregnancy. it’s been successfully tested, but there are certain precautions you’ll need to take during the first week. abstinence is advised until the drug takes full effect.”

your mind raced, trying to keep up with what you were hearing. they were approving this? after all the rules, all the fucking warnings? this was real?

the guys shifted around you, their excitement barely contained, smirks tugging at their lips. they had orchestrated this, hadn’t they? this wasn’t just a coincidence. this was their plan all along.

your voice trembled as you blurted out, “wait—did you seriously approve a report for them to have sex with me?” you couldn’t help the disbelief in your tone.

it all felt too surreal.

director park’s expression didn’t waver, calm and professional. “as i said, crew wellness is a priority. we trust that you will handle this maturely and within the guidelines provided.”

you stared at the screen in shock, the absurdity of the situation crashing down on you. you were supposed to keep things professional, follow the mission rules, and now? rule three was just... gone.

it was fucking ridiculous, but the truth of it was undeniable.

his soothing voice low and teasing as he leaned in close enough for only you to hear. “you think this is funny, don’t you? like we’re the ones desperate?”

his breath ghosted against your ear, and you felt the heat of it sink into your skin. but what really caught you off guard—what sent your pulse racing in a different way—was him.

heeseung, the one who had never so much as flirted with you, the one who kept his distance, always professional, now standing inches away, close enough for you to feel the warmth of his body. what the fuck?

you turned your head slightly, meeting his gaze, half-expecting him to crack a smile, to laugh it off as a joke. but his eyes were dark, serious. there was no hesitation in the way he looked at you, no hint of the reserved commander you’d come to know. he was bold, intense. and the shift in him knocked you off balance.

“heeseung,” you breathed, your voice lower than you meant it to be. “you’ve never—” you swallowed, your heart hammering in your chest, trying to wrap your head around the sudden change. “you’ve never even flirted with me-”

his lips twitched into a small, almost amused smirk, but the heat in his eyes didn’t waver. “maybe i didn’t need to, sweetheart. maybe i was waiting for the right moment.”

the words hung heavy between you, the weight of them hitting harder than you expected. waiting? that wasn’t what you thought he was doing at all.

for months, he’d kept that boundary clear, never stepping out of line, never even giving you a hint that he saw you like that. sure you'd catch him staring.

but now? it was like a mask had been ripped off, and the hunger in his eyes told you everything you didn’t know was brewing beneath the surface.

your mind raced, trying to catch up. this wasn’t just some casual flirtation anymore, not with him so close, his voice low and dripping with intent.

and the rest of the guys? they were in on it too, watching, waiting. fuck, were you just played?

“you’re telling me... this was all part of some plan?” you asked, your voice steadying as you tried to grasp the situation, the sudden intensity between you and him.

heeseung’s smirk widened, his hand brushing against your waist as he leaned in even closer, his lips barely an inch from your ear.

“don’t act so surprised. i’ve been watching you, y/n. you’ve been playing this game with all of us, keeping us at arm’s length, teasing. i’ve seen the way you’ve looked at me. but now?” his voice dropped, darker, his fingers tracing the edge of your waist.

“now, the rules have changed. and i’m done watching.”

your breath caught in your throat. this wasn’t just a flirtation. it was a claim. his words, his touch—it sent a shiver down your spine. fuck. how had you missed this? how had you not seen him waiting in the wings, biding his time?

before you could even respond, jake, always the one to break the tension, stepped forward, his voice teasing but laced with that same hunger.

“didn’t expect heeseung to be the one to finally throw the first punch, huh?” he grinned, the challenge in his eyes clear. “figured it would be me, didn’t you?”

you blinked, still reeling from heeseung’s sudden boldness, and found jake standing close too, the space around you tightening with their presence.

the tension thickened as sunghoon and jay exchanged glances, clearly amused by how quickly everything had escalated. but it was jungwon’s voice, steady and calm as always, that cut through the rising intensity.

“it’s quite the surprise, isn’t it?” he said, his eyes locking onto yours, his expression unreadable. “heeseung’s been patient. but now that rule three’s out the window... he’s just catching up.”

where the hell did he fit in? he had always seemed like he was on the sidelines, but now... now it felt like he might’ve been in on it too, right from the beginning.

your mind raced, trying to piece it all together. had you really underestimated them that much? especially him?

and the worst part—shit, he was totally okay with it. jungwon’s calm expression wasn’t the sign of someone caught off guard; it was the face of someone who had been waiting for this moment all along.

you could see it now—he’d been just as involved as the others, maybe more, letting you believe he was the innocent one, the one not caught up in all the tension.

you had completely underestimated them.

“you’re all fucking insane,” you muttered, half to yourself, half to them, the reality of it all hitting hard. “this whole time, you’ve been plotting behind my back?”

jay laughed, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against the wall, watching you with that dark glint in his eyes. “plotting? i wouldn’t say plotting.”

your heart raced, the air between you and them thick with anticipation, your body betraying you as a wave of heat spread through your chest. they were all staring, waiting for your reaction, but your eyes kept drifting back to heeseung.

heeseung, the one who had flipped the whole dynamic upside down in one sentence, with one touch.

and then heeseung spoke again, his voice lower, rougher, dragging your attention back to him. “so, what’s it gonna be, y/n? you’ve been toying with us for months. are you ready to stop playing?”

and instead of fear or anxiety, a sudden, uncontrollable urge to laugh bubbled up inside you. the ridiculous lengths they’d gone to, it was absurd. and you couldn’t help but let the laughter escape.

the sound of your laugh cut through the tension like a knife, echoing in the quiet room. the guys froze for a moment, unsure of how to react. you doubled over slightly, holding your stomach as you tried to catch your breath, the sheer insanity of the situation sinking in.

“what the fuck,” you gasped, still laughing as you straightened up, wiping at your eyes. “you all actually went this far? heeseung, seriously? you, of all people?”

heeseung’s eyes flashed with amusement, his lips twitching into a small smile despite the heat in his gaze. “what can I say? i’m full of surprises.”

you blinked, still caught off guard by how easily he was handling this, how smoothly he’d slipped into the game. it was like the heeseung you thought you knew had been flipped on his head, and you still weren’t sure what to make of it.

sunghoon smirked, leaning against the table, his eyes flicking between you and heeseung. “you really thought you had us all figured out, didn’t you?”

your laughter faded into a wide grin as you glanced around the room, the absurdity of the situation settling in. “honestly? yeah, i did. but clearly, i was wrong. very wrong.”

still grinning, your pulse racing as the reality of the situation continued to sink in. “but don’t think for a second that means i’m going to make this easy for any of you.”

heeseung’s smile turned into something darker, something that sent a shiver down your spine. “i wouldn’t expect you to.”

you stared at him for a moment, the tension between you thickening, the playful atmosphere from earlier fading into something more intense. this wasn’t just a game anymore. they were serious. and now that the rules had changed, it was clear that things were about to escalate in a way you hadn’t quite prepared for.

before you could respond, the intercom suddenly chimed, a loud beep cutting through the tension like a slap to the face. a notice flashed across the screen: ERROR DETECTED: SYSTEM MALFUNCTION IN MODULE B. IMMEDIATE ATTENTION REQUIRED.

heeseung’s entire demeanor shifted in an instant, the playful smirk vanishing as the calm, composed commander resurfaced. “alright, that’s enough,” he barked, his voice sharp and authoritative, snapping everyone’s focus back to the mission.

“jake, get down to module b and run a diagnostic. jay, you’re with him—make sure the power relays are stable. sunghoon, prep the backup systems in case this escalates. jungwon, check on the environmental controls and report back any anomalies.”

he rattled off orders with precision, his eyes already scanning the data on the nearby console. the guys quickly nodded, the lighthearted mood evaporating under the sudden return to station duties.

“and you,” heeseung added, his gaze landing back on you, still intense but now more businesslike. “stay in the control room and monitor the comms. i’ll coordinate from here.”

everyone moved swiftly, their faces now serious as they prepared for their tasks. the tension in the room had shifted dramatically, the heat from before replaced by the cold efficiency of crisis management.

but just as you were about to follow his orders and make your way to the comms station, a sharp slap landed on your ass, the sting of it making you jolt in place.

you spun around, eyes wide, but everyone was already dispersing, their faces unreadable. jake was smirking as he moved towards module b, sunghoon looked all too innocent, and jay’s back was already turned, heading for the power relays. jungwon? he was the calmest of them all, moving towards the environmental controls like nothing had happened.

“really?” you muttered under your breath, glancing around in frustration. you scanned their expressions, but none of them gave themselves away. no one was going to admit to it.

heeseung, already focused on the console, glanced up, his voice still all command. “what’s the holdup, y/n? get to your station.”

you shot one last glare at the group before making your way to the comms, the lingering sting from the slap only making your pulse race faster and you couldn't help the growing smile on your face.

the soft beep of the station’s notification system signaled the arrival of the provisions, a quiet chime that echoed through the walls, letting you know they had landed via the pods in the greenhouse. of course—the greenhouse. easily the most serene spot on the station, where everything seemed less mechanical, less sterile. it was a quiet slice of beauty in the middle of all this metal, with its lush plant life growing under the stars, thanks to the glass ceilings overhead.

and, naturally, it was jungwon’s domain. his clinic was tucked away between the plants he tended so carefully for medicinal use, a space that felt uniquely his. jungwon always had a calm energy about him, a certain ease that contrasted sharply with the others.

even now, after everything that had happened, after all the tension and teasing, you still didn’t know how deep he was in this game. did he want you the same way they did? or was he just going along for the ride?

as you stepped into the greenhouse, the warmth hit you immediately, a stark contrast to the cool, sterile air of the rest of the station. the soft hum of the machines monitoring the plants blended with the gentle rustle of leaves, and for a moment, it didn’t feel like you were in space at all.

jungwon was already there, as expected. he stood with his back to you, bent over one of the planters, his hands gently tending to the herbs he so meticulously cultivated. there was something about the way he moved—calm, methodical, completely at ease in his element. you watched him for a beat longer than you should have, taking in how steady he always seemed. jungwon, the puzzle. he was harder to read than the others, and even now, you weren’t sure what he wanted. but that mystery only made you more curious.

as if sensing your presence, jungwon straightened up and turned to face you, his expression soft, a smile tugging at his lips. “you’re early,” he said, his voice warm but still carrying that professional tone. there was something playful in the way he looked at you, though—like he knew more than he was letting on.

“wanted to see what hq sent us,” you replied, trying to keep your voice casual as you moved closer to the pods. the tension between you and jungwon was always subtle, simmering just beneath the surface, but it was undeniable. you both felt it, even if neither of you acknowledged it.

jungwon stepped up beside you as the pod lids opened with a hiss. “they sent everything we requested,” he said quietly, his eyes scanning the contents. “medication, supplies... everything we need.” his fingers grazed over the medical kits, but when his gaze landed on the more personal items—massage oils, lubricants, silk restraints—you saw the corner of his mouth twitch, a glimmer of amusement dancing in his eyes.

you raised an eyebrow, testing the waters. “everything?” your voice dropped slightly, teasing. you wanted to see how far you could push jungwon, to see if he’d crack.

his gaze met yours, steady, calm. “everything,” he repeated, his tone smooth, but there was a flicker of something playful beneath his words. the tension between you both thickened, and for a moment, you wondered if jungwon was playing a different game entirely.

you let out a soft laugh, stepping back just a little, enough to create space but not enough to break the tension. “guess you’ll be busy then, doctor,” you teased, keeping your tone light even though your heart was racing a little faster. “when do i get my dose?”

jungwon’s lips curved into a small smile, the kind that made it hard to tell whether he was joking or not. “after dinner,” he replied, as casual as if he were discussing routine work. “i’ll be administering them one by one.” his gaze flicked to the kit for a brief second before landing back on you. “including yours.”

you tried to gauge him, biting your lip as you took a small step closer. “what if i want mine now?” you asked, your voice low, testing the limits.

but jungwon didn’t react the way you expected. unlike the others, who would have jumped at the chance, jungwon just smiled, his demeanor unfazed. “patience,” he said softly, his tone almost playful, like he was indulging you. “we’ve got a schedule, remember?”

you frowned slightly, thrown off by how normal he seemed. no tension, no flustered reaction, just the same calm, chill jungwon.

“what exactly do you use these plants for?” you asked, changing the subject as your curiosity got the better of you. the air was thick with the scent of herbs, and you couldn’t help but wonder what role they played in his work.

jungwon’s hands moved smoothly as he worked, plucking leaves with practiced ease. “medicinal purposes,” he explained, his tone still light. “some are for treating injuries, others... for more specific needs.”

you raised an eyebrow at that, intrigued. “specific needs?”

but instead of elaborating, jungwon reached for one of the plants and, in the same movement, slipped a small vial into his jacket pocket. it was subtle, so subtle you almost didn’t catch it. almost.

you didn’t press him on it—yet. but something about the way he did it caught your attention. what are you hiding, jungwon?

he looked back at you, still calm, still composed but playful nonetheless. “i’ll make sure everything’s ready for tonight,” he said, his voice smooth as ever, though there was an edge of something else in his words. “including your dose.”

he moved closer, holding out a small black kit, sleek and unassuming. “this is yours,” he said softly, his fingers brushing yours as you took it. the brief touch sent a shiver through you, and for the first time, you saw a flicker of something in jungwon’s eyes that hadn’t been there before. interest.

“thanks,” you muttered, suddenly feeling shy under his gaze. you cleared your throat, gripping the kit a little tighter. “so... what’s in here? do we have different kits?”

jungwon leaned back against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest, his smile almost teasing. “i already told you, the essentials,” he said, his voice smooth. “syringes, your doses of the prototype drug, a few other... provisions to keep things running smoothly.”

you blinked, feeling your pulse quicken again as you stared down at the kit. “right. the essentials.”

you turned to leave, the weight of the kit in your hands, but just as you reached the door, jungwon’s voice stopped you in your tracks. “one more thing.”

you turned back, curious. jungwon was standing closer than before, his smile still soft, still playful, but there was something else in his eyes now. “don’t overthink it,” he said, his voice low. “just let it happen.”

the words hung between you, thickening the air in the room. was he talking about the injection? or something else entirely?

you gave a slight nod, not trusting yourself to speak, and left the greenhouse, your mind spinning with everything that had just happened. jungwon had always been hard to figure out, but now? he was more of a mystery than ever.

as you made your way back to your quarters, the kit clutched in your hands, you couldn’t help but replay the interaction over and over in your head. jungwon.

you sat on the edge of your bed, staring down at the kit. the essentials. jungwon’s words echoed in your mind, leaving you with more questions than answers.

while the others had been so obvious, their intentions clear from the start, jungwon was different. and the more you thought about it, the more you realized that he wasn’t just playing the same game. he was playing a better one.

you opened the kit, your fingers brushing over the contents— and it was exactly as he said. vials, syringes, sleekly packaged supplies. everything looked so normal, but the weight of it felt anything but. the station’s soft beep signaled that dinner was approaching, and your stomach knotted, not with hunger but with anticipation.

after dinner. jungwon had said. he’d be administering the doses one by one, including yours.

you wondered what he was really thinking behind that calm, almost playful facade. was he holding back? or was he the one pulling all the strings, playing the long game while the others rushed in? you didn’t know.

but you were going to find out.

you stepped into the common room for dinner, and it was already alive with tension. the long table was surrounded by the guys, each one settled in like they owned the space, the air thick with anticipation.

jake was sprawled back in his chair, arms lazily crossed behind his head, grinning like he was on top of the world as he bantered with sunghoon, who had his eyes on a tablet, pretending to be uninterested. but the way his fingers tapped against the screen gave him away—he was barely holding back.

jay was across from them, that usual smirk plastered on his face, but tonight it felt sharper, like he was waiting for something to happen. and at the head of the table, of course, was heeseung, his eyes flicking between his holo-screen and you the second you walked in. he didn’t even bother hiding it, lingering a little too long before forcing his attention back to whatever he was pretending to work on.

jungwon came in right behind you, quiet as always but with that subtle, playful spark in his eyes. the same one that had been making your heart race since this morning. it was impossible not to notice the way his gaze lingered just a second longer than usual, and despite trying to push it out of your mind, his earlier words played on repeat.

“ah, look who decided to join us,” jake called out, leaning forward with a lazy grin. “just in time. we were about to start without you.”

“like you’d ever start without me,” you shot back, sliding into the seat beside jay. the banter was familiar, but tonight, it felt charged, the tension between you all like a live wire waiting to spark.

heeseung cleared his throat, setting his holo-screen aside, his usual commander mask in place. “alright, let’s keep this simple. you all know the deal.” his tone was all business, but his eyes told a different story—there was a glint there, a flicker of excitement that he wasn’t bothering to hide. “we got the provisions we asked for. jungwon will administer the doses after dinner. everything is in place.”

nodding all around the table, but the atmosphere was fucking electric now. you could see it in their faces—the hunger. jake was practically bouncing in his chair, his grin stretching wider, while sunghoon’s eyes were sharp, assessing, like he was already planning his next move.

jay leaned back, but his gaze burned into you, dark and knowing. and then there was jungwon, sitting at the end of the table, watching you quietly, that playful glint flashing in his eyes for just a second before he hid it again.

“so,” jay’s voice broke the silence, his smirk twisting into something darker, more dangerous. “now that rule three’s been tossed out, we can finally have some real fun, right?”

heeseung shot him a warning look, but even he couldn’t hide the amusement tugging at his lips. “don’t get ahead of yourself. we still have a mission to run. last thing we need is for this to spiral out of control. ever heard of push and pull?”

“spiral out of control?” sunghoon raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. “you sound worried, heeseung.”

heeseung’s calm facade slipped for just a moment, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features. “i’m not worried. just reminding you idiots to keep your heads on straight. we’re still professionals.”

jake snorted, rolling his eyes. “yeah, ‘cause nothing says professionalism like asking hq to fuck y/n,’” he drawled, voice dripping with sarcasm. “real fucking professional.”

the weight of what was about to happen hung between you all, undeniable now. no one was pretending anymore.

jay’s smirk widened, his eyes locking onto yours with a look that made your pulse quicken. “so, what’s the plan after dinner, huh?” he asked, his voice low and teasing, but there was nothing casual about his gaze. it was challenging, filled with an intensity that left no room for misinterpretation. “think you’ll be able to handle what comes next?”

you narrowed your eyes, matching his stare, refusing to back down. “you’re asking a lot of questions, jay. you sure you can handle it?”

his smirk deepened, leaning forward slightly, the space between you shrinking. “oh, i know i can handle it,” he shot back, his voice dropping even lower, almost daring you to push back. “the real question is... are you ready for what’s coming?”

the rest of the room had quieted down, everyone watching the exchange unfold, but you could barely register them. it was just you and jay, locked in this silent battle of wills, each testing the other.

“you’re cocky,” you muttered, a hint of amusement in your voice as you held his gaze. “but we’ll see how long that lasts.”

jay chuckled, but there was no humor in it. it was dark, intense, laced with anticipation. “i guess we will.”

heeseung, trying to maintain the last shred of control, leaned forward, eyes scanning the group. “remember, kids, the drugs aren’t instant. they take time to kick in.” his voice was sharp, commanding, but there was an edge to it, like even he couldn’t hold back anymore. “we’ve still got a mission to run, so don’t go fucking everything up before we’ve even started.”

“yeah, yeah,” jake waved him off, his grin turning downright wicked. “we’ve got time. plenty of it.” he turned his gaze back to you, eyes darkening with something more. “and believe me, we’re gonna make every second count.”

you felt the heat rise to your cheeks, your heart racing as the room’s energy shifted even further. it was no longer a question of if something would happen—it was a matter of when. the air was so thick with anticipation you could practically taste it.

jay chuckled softly, leaning back in his chair, eyes never leaving yours. “hope you’re ready,” he said, voice dripping with intent. “this is just the beginning.”

the intercom chimed suddenly, cutting through the thick atmosphere, but even that wasn’t enough to snap you out of it.

attention, crew. an error has been detected at station c-2, the research lab. diagnostic failure on data stream 07. manual override required.

jay’s expression shifted immediately from amusement to focus. he was the lead scientist, after all, and this was his domain. you caught the flicker of concern in his eyes as he glanced in your direction. the playful vibe that had been lingering around the table vanished instantly.

heeseung leaned forward, his tone sharp and commanding. “looks like that’s your station, jay. you better check it out. and you—” he nodded at you, his eyes serious, “go with him. see if you can help get it back online.”

you nodded, the gravity of the situation settling in. despite everything that had changed between you and the crew, the mission still came first. and this was part of it.

jay stood from the table, his earlier cocky grin replaced with something more determined. “let’s go,” he said, motioning for you to follow. “this could be serious.”

the others watched you leave, the tension lingering behind you as you followed jay down the narrow corridor. even with the weight of the station's alert hanging between you, the heat from earlier still simmered beneath the surface.

“think it’s bad?” you asked, trying to gauge just how serious this might be.

jay shrugged, though his brows furrowed slightly. “could be nothing. but diagnostic failures aren’t exactly common. might just be a glitch, but we need to check it manually to be sure.”

you reached the research lab, the door sliding open with a soft hiss. inside, the familiar glow of monitors and equipment greeted you. it was cooler in here, almost clinical. this was jay’s world—his sanctuary. the place where everything was methodical, predictable. except for now.

on the main console, a large screen flashed red, an error code blinking repeatedly: stream 07: failed data transfer. manual override required.

you stepped up to the console, scanning the information quickly. “looks like something’s interrupting the data flow,” you muttered, your fingers moving across the touchscreen. “i’ll need to run a deep diagnostic to figure out where the error is coming from.”

jay stood beside you, his eyes focused on the screen. “yeah, but we’ll also need to reset the sensor array manually. the connection’s probably severed between the arrays and the main system.”

you nodded, already pulling up the sensor data. “i can handle the diagnostic from here, but you’re going to need to check the arrays. they’re on the far side of the station, right?”

jay sighed, running a hand through his hair. “yup. i’ll head out there now. keep working on the override, and i’ll stay connected via comms.”

as jay left to deal with the arrays, you settled into the console, your fingers flying over the screen as you worked to override the error. the hum of the station felt louder here, echoing in the silence of the lab. the tension from earlier hadn’t disappeared—it lingered in the back of your mind, fueling the curiosity that had been gnawing at you.

what if this wasn’t just a glitch?

“how’s it looking?” jay’s voice crackled over the comms.

“i’m running the diagnostics now,” you replied, eyes scanning the streams of data in front of you. “looks like a severed connection between the relay and the sensor array. nothing permanent, but it’ll need a manual reset.”

“got it. i’m almost at the arrays now.”

you continued working, tracing the problem back to a minor software bug in the relay system. easy enough to fix once jay reset the arrays. but your thoughts kept drifting back to the dining hall. the way the guys had been so bold, so raw about what they wanted from you. it left you buzzing, caught between disbelief and anticipation.

“i’m at the arrays,” jay’s voice broke through your thoughts. “give me a minute to reset them.”

you nodded, even though he couldn’t see you. “take your time. i’m almost done on my end.”

the silence stretched on as you worked, the soft hum of the station almost hypnotic. then, suddenly, the error message disappeared, and the data streams resumed their normal flow.

“arrays are reset,” jay confirmed over the comms. “everything should be back online now.”

a smile tugged at your lips. “looks good on my end. diagnostic complete. data stream 07 is back up and running.”

“nice work,” jay replied, relief evident in his voice. “i’ll head back.”

as you sat in the dimly lit research lab, the glow from the monitors casting long shadows across the cold walls, your mind drifted back to the conversation from earlier. everything had shifted between you and the crew, and there was no undoing it.

you hesitated for a moment, your thoughts swirling before you decided to speak. “hey, jay?”

his response came casually, but there was an undercurrent in his tone, something tense, something guarded. “yeah?”

you leaned forward slightly, your tone light, almost playful. “why are you always so hot-headed?” you asked, the question hanging in the air between you two.

“you’ve got this whole tough guy act going on, but... is that really who you are? or is it just a front you’re putting up?”

there was a pause, longer than you expected, long enough that you wondered if you’d pushed too far. when jay finally spoke, his voice was quieter, more thoughtful, laced with something darker. “maybe a bit of both,” he admitted, a low chuckle slipping through, but it lacked humor. “i’ve always had a short fuse, but... it’s not always what it looks like.”

your curiosity deepened, leaning back in your chair. “what does that mean?”

you could hear the faint echo of his footsteps over the comms, signaling he was getting closer. “it means,” he said slowly, “sometimes it’s easier to let people think i’m pissed. keeps them at a distance, you know? better they think i’m mad than know what’s really going on.”

his words pulled you in. “so, what’s really going on, then?” your voice dropped, a challenge in the question. “you hiding something?”

jay let out a short laugh, but this time, it was darker, more serious. “aren’t we all?” he countered, his voice dropping lower. “you’re not the only one playing games up here, you know. we’ve all got our roles to play.”

you couldn’t help the smile that tugged at your lips, even as the tension between you two coiled tighter. “and what role does butting heads with sunghoon fit into?”

his laugh this time was more of a growl, low and dangerous. “sunghoon? that guy knows how to push my buttons. we’re competitive as hell, you know that. it’s about who comes out on top. but trust me, it’s not personal. it's just...”

you leaned in slightly, your voice softening. “just what, jay?”

you could hear his footsteps approaching, slow and deliberate as he finally made his way back to you. his gaze locked onto you with an intensity that made your pulse quicken. he stopped just inches from you, towering over you, his presence swallowing the space between you both.

he sighed, leaning down, his lips brushed against your ear, sending a shiver down your spine. “just two guys who know exactly what we want," he murmured, pulling back just enough to catch your eyes, a confident, lazy smirk spreading across his face. "and it just so happens that we hate sharing. something you might want to keep in mind."

you didn’t need him to spell it out. you knew exactly what he meant.

as he turned to leave, you couldn’t resist, your lips curling into a smirk. “so, are you and sunghoon really going to keep butting heads over me?”

jay paused in the doorway, glancing back at you with a sly grin. “we won't have to, if you'd just make your pick. but i'm sure you don't plan on letting any of us not get a taste.”

his eyes flickered with something dangerous, the weight of his words hanging thick between you. "for someone who doesn’t like sharing," you teased, your voice edged with a challenge, "you guys sure don’t hold back about wanting to fuck me."

jay’s steps were slow but deliberate as he closed the distance between you, his hands reaching out to grip your waist. his fingers tightened, possessive and unyielding, digging into your skin like he had no intention of letting go.

"sure, we don’t like sharing," jay admitted, his breath brushing against your ear, sending a shiver straight through you. "but when it comes to you? none of us are walking away without a piece. we all know it."

his hand slid lower, grazing over your stomach again, teasing but with unmistakable intent. his voice dropped into a low, rough growl, the primal edge of his desire cutting through. "you think you're ready for what i could do to you?"

there was barely any space left between you, the heat of his body searing into your skin, the tension so thick it was hard to breathe. every place he touched burned, your pulse racing under the pressure. still, you kept your voice steady, refusing to show him how much he was getting to you. "i’ve been ready, jay. so what are you waiting for?"

jay’s eyes darkened, his mouth curling into a sly grin. "hmm," he hummed, voice thick with amusement as he leaned in closer, his lips hovering just inches from yours. “what’s with the interrogation, huh? you trying to figure me out? or maybe, just maybe, you’re enjoying how fucking obvious we’ve all been about wanting you.”

you held his gaze, not flinching, even as your heart pounded in your chest. “it’s not about that, jay,” you said, letting the words come slow, deliberate, your lips curling into a smirk. “you make me curious, that’s all.”

you paused, letting the tension stretch before adding, “you remind me so much of my ex. and honestly, not to be a bitch or anything, but i can tell you’d fuck like you really mean it. hard. no games. gets me a little... excited.”

jay’s eyes narrowed, his smile fading as your words hit him, something darker flashing in his gaze. his grip on your waist tightened, fingers digging in, and you could see the restraint slipping as he struggled to keep control.

his eyes darkened, his voice dropping even lower, like he was holding back a storm inside him. really? your fucking ex? did you really have to mention it in front of him.

"i could fuck you right now and give you something to think about," he murmured, his hand sliding up to cup your jaw, his thumb brushing your lips, just enough to make your breath catch. "hard. no games. exactly how you like it."

words hung heavy between you, the intensity of his gaze burning into yours. the heat radiating from him made the room feel smaller, the air thick and suffocating in the most dangerous, tempting way.

"but," he leaned in closer, his lips brushing against your ear, his breath hot on your skin, "i also don’t wanna be swelling up your pretty belly just yet."

jay's fingers dug into your waist harder, his breath hot against your ear as he whispered, “and i'd rather blue ball myself than fuck that tight ass and pussy without being able to pump you full.”

you bit back a moan, your whole body reacting to the rough, filthy promise behind them. he leaned in closer, his lips brushing the side of your neck, sending a shiver down your spine.

"you think i don’t wanna just bend you over and take you right here? believe me, i do. but i want more than that. i wanna feel you clench around me when i’m deep inside, knowing you’re gonna walk out of here dripping with me.”

his hand slid lower, teasingly hovering over the curve of your ass as he continued, voice dark, thick with restraint, “i’m not about to waste that on some quick fuck. i wanna fill you so full you won’t forget it for days. and i know that’s what you really want too, right?”

jay’s eyes glinted with satisfaction as he took in your reaction, the tension crackling between you like a live wire. his hand, now resting dangerously low on your ass, squeezed possessively, drawing a sharp breath from your lips.

"cat got your tongue, baby?" jay mocked, a dark smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth as he watched you fight to hold onto the last shred of composure. "or are you finally realizing what you're asking for?"

he almost groaned, the sound catching in his throat as he took in the sight of you—breathless, lips parted, your usual confident demeanor nowhere to be found. your glossy eyes locked onto his in a haze, like you were already wrecked just from his presence, from the way he could control you without even touching you further. fuck, he could ruin you right now, completely.

his hand tightened against your waist, his body screaming at him to just take you, to give in to the need that was clawing at him, to make you his in the way you both knew you wanted. your soft breaths, the way your body was already responding to him—it was almost too much to resist.

but he had to. fuck, he had to remember the facts.

he swallowed hard, forcing himself to pull back slightly, his grip on you loosening just enough for him to regain some control. the reality of it all settled in like ice in his veins. if he gave in now, it would be dangerous. he could get you pregnant, and that wasn’t something he could risk. no matter how much his body screamed to ignore the consequences, to claim you, he had to hold back.

his jaw clenched, the internal battle raging beneath the surface, and he bit back the groan that threatened to escape. “as much as I’d love to ruin you right now,” he murmured, voice rough, “you know I can’t. not yet.”

on the way back to the dining hall, jay’s presence was heavy behind you, each of his steps deliberate, like he was savoring the tension thickening the air between you. even without turning, you could feel his gaze tracing every curve, lingering like a touch. you knew his game—how to read the shifts in his energy. and right now, jay wasn’t being subtle at all.

“enjoying the view, jay?” you teased over your shoulder, the smirk on your lips unmistakable.

his laugh came out low and dark. “you make it impossible not to.”

just before reaching the door to the dining hall, jay closed the space between you, his hand sliding down your back, fingers grazing the curve of your waist before gripping your ass and giving it a firm, teasing slap. the jolt of it sent a wave of heat through you, and you bit your lip, barely holding back the gasp that threatened to escape.

“can’t wait to fuck that ass.”

his words were almost a whisper, his tone smug as he winked, pressing the button to open the door. jay acted like it was nothing, like he hadn’t just lit a fire in you that left your pulse racing, but you knew better.

as you stepped into the dining hall, the mood shifted instantly. jake, sunghoon, and heeseung were already at the table, their gazes flicking toward you and jay as soon as you walked in. whatever had just passed between the two of you hadn’t gone unnoticed, the tension in the room thick and unmistakable.

you moved deliberately, slow enough for their eyes to track your every step as you slid into your seat. the air still hummed with the tension from earlier, and jay’s little stunt had left you burning, the anticipation coiling low in your belly, your panties uncomfortably damp.

jay sat next to you, closer than before, his knee brushing yours under the table, his presence all-consuming. sunghoon glanced up from his tablet, a smirk playing on his lips, eyes glinting with that familiar mischief.

“you two were gone for a while,” sunghoon drawled, his tone light but with an edge, the glimmer in his eyes daring you to explain.

“everything alright?” jake asked casually, though the curiosity in his gaze as it shifted between you and jay didn’t go unnoticed.

you let the question hang for a moment, stretching out the tension just enough to make them squirm. finally, you answered with a playful smirk. “we fixed it,” your voice low, dripping with suggestion.

jay chuckled beside you, his arm slipping over the back of your chair, his fingers brushing lightly against your shoulder. “nothing we couldn’t handle,” he added smoothly, his voice oozing confidence.

sunghoon’s eyes flicked to jay’s arm, lingering on the casual contact. the tension between the two of them was palpable, simmering just beneath the surface. sunghoon wasn’t one to let something like this slide, especially when it involved jay pushing his limits.

“yeah, i’m sure that’s all it was,” sunghoon muttered, his tone laced with barely-concealed frustration, his gaze lingering on you longer than it should have. the rivalry between him and jay was written all over his face. losing ground to jay wasn’t something sunghoon was going to tolerate easily.

dinner continued, but the atmosphere was thick with unspoken tension. every glance, every remark carried that same undercurrent of barely contained anticipation, the air crackling with the unspoken competition between them. and even though the plates were cleared, the tension never left.

heeseung finally stood up, his voice steady but with an edge of authority that cut through the air. “alright. jungwon, handle the doses. let’s get this done.”

jungwon’s voice broke through the room, catching everyone off guard. the playful banter disappeared in an instant, replaced by a sudden shift in mood. the others turned to face him, the curiosity in their eyes matching your own.

"we should go over the side effects tomorrow," jungwon said, his tone calm but with a certain weight. "but we need to start administering the doses now."

heeseung raised an eyebrow, leaning back, clearly not satisfied. "why not tell us now? is it that bad?" his voice held a challenge, though it was clear he was intrigued.

jungwon shrugged, his usual laid-back demeanor barely changed. "because, if i tell you now, you might chicken out."

a silence settled over the room, the others exchanging glances. jungwon, however, remained cool, almost playful, like he was enjoying how the conversation was turning. you couldn’t help but notice that, even in these moments, he had this air of control—subtle, but there.

heeseung leaned forward slightly, his eyes narrowing. "so, what you’re saying is, it’s better if we don’t know?"

jungwon smiled, that calm, almost teasing smile he always gave. "let’s just say it’ll be easier if you’re not overthinking it."

“i’m not gonna go bald, am i?” jake cut in, his usual sarcasm thinly veiling the hint of worry behind his words.

jungwon’s smile widened slightly, the playful glint in his eyes giving nothing away. “no, jake, your hair’s safe. at least, it’s not one of the listed side effects.”

jake leaned back, sighing in exaggerated relief. “good, because if i lose my hair, i’m done for.”

there was a ripple of laughter, breaking some of the tension, but it didn’t erase the weight of jungwon’s words. his calm, almost too-casual demeanor had a way of leaving everyone a little on edge, like he knew something they didn’t.

sunghoon’s fingers tapped against the table, his eyes sharp as he watched jungwon carefully. “so, what’s the worst that could happen? you’ve been dodging that question.”

jungwon chuckled, light and almost playful. “worst? nausea, dizziness, heightened sensitivity, maybe a little fever. nothing too crazy.” he paused, eyes gleaming with just a touch of mischief. “but, you know, side effects vary.”

“heightened sensitivity?” jay’s eyebrow shot up, a grin spreading across his face. “shit, that doesn’t sound too bad. worth it for a taste of y/n’s pussy.”

jungwon met jay’s gaze, the corner of his mouth lifting into something that resembled a smirk, but there was something darker lurking beneath it. “depends on what you’re sensitive to.”

you shot jungwon a glance, curiosity piqued. there was something in the way he was handling this—so calm, so in control—that made you wonder just how much he was really keeping to himself. "so, after dinner then?" you asked, your tone teasing but laced with intrigue.

jungwon’s eyes flicked toward you, holding your gaze a moment longer than necessary. "yeah."

you leaned back in your chair, a smirk tugging at your lips as you watched him. "guess i’ll see you later, doc."

jungwon didn’t rise to the bait immediately. instead, he gave you one of his usual collected smiles, but there was something darker underneath, something unsettling in its calmness. “oh, you definitely will.”

with that, he stood up, moving away like the conversation hadn’t phased him in the slightest. like this was just another day on the station, but the tension he left behind hung thick in the air.

something about him was different now, a bit subtle but you could see it. as he turned to leave, you felt a shiver of anticipation snake down your spine. there was something there, something darker than the rest of them had noticed. something he hadn’t let slip.

and now, you weren’t sure if you were curious or nervous to find out what it was.

you were seated, gripping the edge of the stool, fighting to keep your composure, but the anticipation was fucking with your head, twisting your gut in ways you hadn’t expected. you’d set everything up like you always did for jungwon—stool, clinical, routine. no big deal, right? like he wasn’t about to inject something into you that would allow them to fuck you and fill you full of their cum. yeah, totally not a big fucking deal.

but the second the door slid open, and he stepped in, syringe in hand, you knew something was off. something was fucking different.

jungwon’s smile was there, like always—easy, familiar, but today, there was something darker lurking behind it. his eyes were sharper, more intense, lingering a little too long, his grip on the syringe a little too tight. when the door slid shut with that soft, inevitable hiss, the room shrank, suffocating under the weight of unspoken tension.

he stepped closer, the air thick between you, stretching the silence to the point of snapping. his eyes flicked down your body, and you could feel it—the weight of his gaze tracing every curve, burning like a physical touch.

“you ready?” his voice was light, friendly even, but there was tightness beneath it, like he was barely holding something back. jungwon wasn’t like the others. he didn’t push, didn’t cross lines. but now, it felt like he was struggling, the cracks in his calm beginning to show.

you nodded, keeping your eyes on him. “yeah,” you replied, trying to sound casual, but your heart was pounding, your pulse betraying you. the tension between you had nothing to do with the injection in his hand.

biting your lip, you stood slowly, feeling his eyes on you, following every movement like a predator stalking prey. you shouldn’t push it—you knew that—but fuck it, you wanted to see where his breaking point was.

you lifted your oversized shirt, letting the fabric slide up, revealing the lace panties you’d chosen just for him. delicate, barely-there, perfectly framing the curve of your ass. you knew exactly what it would do to him.

his smile faltered for just a second before it returned, softer this time, a little too controlled. but his eyes? fuck, they gave him away. something darker, something raw flickered there, barely hidden beneath the surface.

his breath hitched, and his gaze narrowed, tracing the lace hugging your skin. his jaw tightened, and you could see it—the restraint he was clinging to slipping with every passing second. for a moment, you thought he might snap, right then and there.

he stepped closer, his fingers barely grazing your waist—so fucking light it almost pissed you off, because you wanted more. his touch was a tease, a threat, like he wasn’t sure if he should grab you or rip those panties off and take you right there. every muscle in him screamed with tension, and you knew he was holding back by a thread.

jungwon sat down on the stool, the creak of it filling the silence as he prepped the syringe. your ass was practically in his face now, the lace doing nothing to hide how wet you already were. his eyes flicked down again, and fuck, you could feel the war inside him—his hands twitching like he wanted to bury his face between your legs and drown himself in you.

“you good, jungwon?” you taunted, your voice low, dripping with amusement. “looks like you’re about to lose it.”

his eyes snapped up to meet yours, darker, more dangerous, filled with something raw he wasn’t bothering to hide anymore. but he stayed quiet, his hands ghosting over your waist again, fingers trailing lower, brushing dangerously close to your ass. the silence was deafening, goosebumps rising on your skin as his smirk deepened, noticing your reaction.

he was teetering on the edge. you could see it—feel it. his breath hitched, his jaw clenched, and his hands hovered like he was about to lose the last bit of control he had left.

“you know…” your voice dropped lower, daring him, teasing. “hq said no sex… but they didn’t say shit about touching.”

his lips twitched, the warmth in his smile warping into something darker, more dangerous. his eyes flashed with that primal glint, like you’d just given him permission to ruin you right there and then.

his grip on your hips tightened, fingers digging into your skin, making you gasp. the playful warmth that usually lingered around him was completely gone, replaced with an intensity that made your heart race with equal parts fear and desire—but fuck, it was hot.

“let me ask you,” his voice came out rough, low, almost a growl. “what happened when you and jay went to check the arrays?”

there was jealousy dripping from his words, his whole body taut like a coiled spring, just waiting to snap. you hadn’t expected this from him—this overwhelming, suffocating energy. this wasn’t the calm, friendly jungwon you were used to. this was something darker, something possessive, something utterly dominating.

jungwon? jealous of jay? fuck, this just keeps getting better.

you smirked, leaning into the pressure of his grip, relishing the way his fingers pressed harder into your skin. “well, he fixed the arrays, we cleared it out,” you whispered, teasing, taunting. “oh, and he gave me a nice spank. felt fucking amazing, too.”

"really now?" jungwon’s hands twitched, his restraint hanging by a thread, that last shred of control slipping from his grasp. your stomach sank at how his voice shifted, lower, darker, dripping with barely-restrained need.

“you like being spanked?” his voice was rough now, thick with something far more dangerous than anything he’d ever shown you before.

you leaned in close, your lips brushing against his ear. “i can handle pain,” you whispered, daring him, challenging him to show you what he was capable of.

his eyes darkened, and you could see it—the way his pupils blew wide, the tension rippling through his body. he was close, so fucking close to losing control, and the way you stood there, defiant, practically begging him to snap, made him want to ruin you. fuck, he wanted to tie you down and break you, to push you to your limits until you were crying and begging for him to stop—and then beg for more.

it was taking every ounce of his control not to cross that line.

but he held back. barely.

the needle pierced your skin, sharp and quick, making you gasp, the sting sending a jolt through you. and that was when you felt it—his control shattering, piece by piece. his free hand trembled as it slipped into the pocket of his lab coat, fingers curling around the vial he’d been keeping hidden. an aphrodisiac he’d been working on, designed to strip you of every bit of control, to make you lose your fucking mind, make you beg for him.

so fucking tempting.

when he pulled the needle out, your breathing was ragged, your lips parted, your body already wound up tight, a mess just from his hands on you. his cock throbbed painfully in his slacks, and it took every bit of willpower not to shove you down right then and there, to fill you the way he so desperately wanted to.

you stepped closer, deliberately pressing against him, your body brushing up against his hard length, and the way his jaw clenched told you everything you needed to know. you had him on the edge.

“that’s it?” you whispered, your voice dripping with teasing defiance, pushing him further.

jungwon didn’t answer, didn’t even give you the satisfaction of a response. instead, his hand shot out, wrapping around your throat with just enough pressure to make you whimper—not enough to hurt, but enough to remind you exactly who held the power. his other hand slipped around your waist, pulling you flush against him, the heat between your bodies almost unbearable.

before you could react, he yanked you roughly over his lap, bending you with a force that made your breath hitch. you were pinned beneath him, his grip on your throat loosening just enough to keep you gasping for air but never completely letting go.

you gasped, heart pounding as jungwon grabbed the waistband of your lace panties, yanking them up hard, the fabric cutting into your skin, making your thighs burn from the tight, humiliating wedgie. your lips parted with a soft moan, fingers gripping the edge of the stool, his hand now resting on your ass, lingering like he was savoring the way your body shook.

and then, without any warning, his hand came down with a sharp slap, the crack of it echoing in the room. the sting shot through you, blending pain with the heat already pooling between your legs.

"holy fuck," you gasped, breathless, the sharp pain shooting straight to your core, making you arch involuntarily.

he didn’t say anything, just stared at your ass, watching it bounce from the impact, his fingers twitching before gripping your skin harder.

“hurts?” his voice was low, almost amused, as his fingers brushed over the fresh red mark he’d left on you.

you nodded, biting down on your lip, your breath shaky as you tried to steady yourself, even though your body was begging for more.

he clicked his tongue, mocking you. “thought you could handle pain.” his fingers trailed slowly up your back, brushing over the spot where he’d injected you, and then, just as quick, he gave it a sharp pinch, making your hips jerk off the stool.

“want another?” his tone was calm, almost casual, but there was that dangerous edge underneath. he was watching you too closely, waiting for you to give in completely.

you tried to turn your head, needing to meet his eyes, to see just how much he was enjoying this, but before you could move, his hand knotted in your hair, yanking your head back roughly. “i asked you a fucking question,” he growled, voice thick with control. “do you want another?”

“yes,” you whispered, voice shaking, your whole body aching with need.

his hand came down again, harder this time, the sound of it snapping through the room, the shockwave of pain ripping through you. and he didn’t stop. his grip tightened on your ass, squeezing, his eyes rolling back as he watched your skin bounce under his hand, loving the sight of you losing control.

and then, he froze. his fingers slipped down between your legs, brushing against your wetness, and he let out a low groan, completely caught off guard by just how soaked you were. “fuck, you’re dripping,” he muttered, almost to himself, his middle finger sliding between your folds, teasing the slick heat before pulling away.

“lick it clean,” he growled, shoving his fingers into your mouth before you could even respond. your lips closed around them, tongue swirling around his fingers as the taste of yourself coated your tongue, humiliation and heat tangled up, making you burn even more.

jungwon’s eyes darkened as he watched you, a sneer curling his lips. “slut,” he muttered, low and degrading, the word hitting hard.

you gasped, the sound muffled by his fingers still in your mouth, and when he finally pulled away, he stood up, brushing himself off like nothing had happened, leaving you panting, trembling on the stool, completely wrecked.

without another word, he turned and walked out, the door sliding shut behind him.

what the fuck just happened?

you could still feel the sting of his hand on your ass, the taste of your arousal still heavy on your tongue. your heart was racing, body aching, and then you heard it.

a faint beep.

it sliced through the silence like a whisper, one you’d heard countless times before. but this one was wrong. it was past the usual time for the system chime, way past. something was off.

you sat up, skin still tingling from the encounter, and tried to shake off the lingering tension. the beeping was faint but persistent, and your gut told you something was wrong.

but you pushed it aside, trying to focus, calming your breathing. you had bigger things to worry about than some out-of-sync noise.

morning hit the station with the faint, mechanical hum of artificial dawn. the lights inched brighter, the soft beep of panels breaking the silence, but underneath the sterile calm, everything was tense, tight, waiting to snap. you felt it before you even left your room. the enhancements were fucking with everyone, ramping up senses, making everything too sharp, too real. jungwon had warned you, told you how it’d fuck with your body, your mind, but you didn’t expect it to hit this hard. none of you did.

you walked down the hallway, every step echoing, the sound of your boots hitting the cold floor louder than usual. the faint scent of synth-coffee from the galley drifted over, but that wasn’t what had your skin tingling. it was the heat of their stares. they weren’t even trying to hide it anymore. every glance was laced with desire, need, like they were all just waiting for you to give in.

"morning," jake’s voice cut through your thoughts, soft and almost too close. he’d caught up with you just outside the door, his tone sending a wave of warmth through you. you could feel the weight of his eyes on you, the slight shift in his posture as he leaned in, close but not close enough.

"morning," you muttered back, your voice lower than usual, body humming with awareness of how near he was. it was always like this with jake—his presence made everything sharper, like your body was just waiting for him to touch you.

inside, jay glanced up from his seat, his eyes landing on you and staying there longer than they should have. “sleep alright?” he asked, his voice low, the tone holding something beneath the surface, something unspoken.

you shrugged, biting your lip. “weird dreams,” you said, the memory of jungwon’s hands tightening around your throat, the sound of his palm against your skin as he spanked you, still too fresh in your mind. your gaze swept the room, brow furrowing when you didn’t see him.

sunghoon was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, eyes locked on you like he hadn’t blinked since you walked in. his stare was heavy, like he was trying to burn through you. fuck, he was obsessed. everyone knew it, but he didn’t care.

his jaw clenched when he noticed you weren’t looking at him. no, you were looking for someone else. and it fucking ate at him.

his fists tightened at his sides, his whole body itching to grab you, to pull you into him, to remind you that it was him you should be coming to.

the longer jungwon stayed gone, the more sunghoon’s restlessness grew. his eyes darkened, narrowing with suspicion as he watched you, silently piecing together possibilities. had something happened between you two? his mind raced, jealousy gnawing at him, twisting in his gut like a fucking knife. because only jungwon wasn't here.

he couldn’t shake the idea. your glances toward the door, the way your body seemed more tense than usual, it all pointed to one thing: jungwon had gotten to you. the thought clawed at him, feeding the jealousy already simmering under his skin. he shifted against the wall, his jaw clenched so tight he thought his teeth might crack.

meanwhile, heeseung’s hands moved over the equipment, but his mind was a thousand miles away, caught in a filthy loop he couldn’t shake. his eyes kept drifting to you, that twisted hunger he tried so hard to keep hidden now at the surface.

last night had blown the lid off whatever control he thought he had. he realized, finally, just how deep his obsession with you went, how utterly fucked up it was.

he’d watched every second of it—how you’d waited for jungwon to arrive, how you’d carefully chosen which panties to wear, trying on different ones as if the choice itself was part of the seduction. you teased the mirror, posed, knowing damn well what kind of reaction you’d get.

and fuck, if he had been in jungwon’s place, he wouldn’t have left until you were choking on his cock, tears streaming down your face.

when jungwon had wrapped his hand around your throat, making you lick his hand clean, heeseung lost it. he’d been jerking off in the dim light of the monitors, eyes glued to the screen, watching you fall apart for another man. but that wasn’t even the best part. no, the real fun started after jungwon left. that’s when heeseung got the show of a lifetime.

he’d watched you fuck yourself again, your fingers working over your soaked pussy as you moaned jungwon’s name like the filthy slut you were. watching you come apart like that, knowing you were still hungry for more, had pushed heeseung over the edge. he came so fucking hard, his uniform a mess, sweat beading down his forehead as he sat in the dim glow of the monitors, panting, his mind replaying every filthy detail of the night. and of course, he recorded it. he always did. every night, like clockwork. 9 p.m., that tiny red light blinked on, and heeseung had his front-row seat to whatever you got up to.

his personal show. he’d make sure to have it all backed up in the system, hidden away so no one would ever find it. not that you ever caught on. you were clueless.

why did you think heeseung always volunteered for the late shift? the one no one else wanted to take, the one that left him alone in the command center while the rest of you slept, rotating shifts like normal people? he insisted on picking up extra shifts, taking on more work than was needed, all under the guise of being the responsible commander.

but the truth? you fucking kept him alive, and you had no idea.

every night, he sat there in the dim glow of the monitors, eyes glued to the screen as he watched you. sometimes you were just sleeping, your body still and peaceful, and he’d study the rise and fall of your chest, the way your hair fanned out over the pillow.

other times, though, you weren’t so innocent. you’d toss and turn, the sheets slipping off your body, giving him a perfect view of those lace panties you thought no one would see. and sometimes, if he was lucky, you’d do more than just sleep.

now that he thinks about it, he was probably the most pathetic of them all. sitting there night after night, watching you like a desperate fucking creep, jerking off to the thought of having you—knowing you had no clue.

but that’s what kept him going. that secret, that fucked-up obsession. you were his in ways you couldn’t even imagine. and now, more than ever, he was determined to make that fantasy real.

the command center wasn’t just for monitoring missions anymore—it was his personal voyeur’s dream. the tiny red light in the corner of your room? you’d never noticed. you had no idea he was watching your every move.

and the way he got access? it was completely by accident. during the first week on the station, he’d been bored out of his mind, missing the feel of playing games on a computer. as an avid gamer back on earth, he spent hours clicking and typing around, trying to mimic the experience. just messing with the system, he stumbled across the surveillance feeds. at first, it was a fluke—he didn’t expect anything to come from it. but then he saw you.

just a week in, and there you were, already masturbating when everyone else was asleep. the moment he saw your hand slip beneath your sheets, he knew. you were a fucking freak, and he was hooked. from that night on, he couldn’t stop himself. he kept watching, kept getting deeper and deeper into his obsession with you.

he planned to make his move soon, to get what he wanted from you. now that the enhancements were in play, it was only a matter of time.

jungwon’s voice sliced through the tension in the room as he entered, setting down a holo-pad on the table. his calm demeanor was perfectly in place, but you knew better now. after last night, you had seen the other side of him, the one hidden beneath all that composure. the one that left marks on your skin.

“alright, let’s get started,” he said, the professional tone masking everything that had happened between you two. you leaned back in your seat, your pulse quickening as he continued.

"by now, you’ve all noticed the side effects of the enhancements," jungwon explained, his eyes flicking briefly to you before addressing the others. "they’re designed to sharpen instincts and reactions, but with that comes heightened emotions and physical responses."

jake, leaning against the table, raised an eyebrow, his gaze sliding over to you for a split second before settling back on jungwon. “you mean how everything feels… more intense?” his voice held a hint of curiosity, but his eyes were burning with something else entirely.

jungwon nodded. "exactly. it’s an adjustment period. your bodies and minds will acclimate, but for now, be mindful of your interactions."

jay let out a scoff from where he was sitting, staring into his synth-coffee like it personally offended him. “you seem perfectly fine,” he muttered, his frustration sharp as he glared up at jungwon.

jungwon didn’t even blink. “i’m not.”

jay's jaw tightened, but he let it go, muttering something under his breath as he took another sip of his coffee.

sunghoon, still leaning against the wall, wasn’t buying it. his eyes were narrowed, his voice dripping with skepticism. “and we’re just supposed to handle this shit without any real guidance?”

jungwon didn’t flinch. “the side effects should only last until the drug fully integrates with your systems. you can handle it.”

you ran your fingers through your hair, feeling the weight of their eyes on you, the tension in the room heavy and suffocating. it wasn’t just the enhancements making everything feel too much—it was the way every glance burned through your skin, the heat crawling under your flesh, making it hard to focus. all of them knew the truth now: they had the green light. but what good was it when the rules still kept you apart?

it wasn’t even fun anymore, not when they were all staring at you like this, like they were ready to tear you apart but couldn’t. fuck, it was a joke. they were all stuck in the same hell—desperate, but unable to act.

from across the room, jake wasn’t even bothering to hide it anymore. his eyes were locked on your chest, the tension in his jaw unmistakable as he stared like he could burn a hole through your shirt. his frustration was palpable, and you could feel the weight of it pressing down on you, making your skin prickle with heat.

he wasn’t the only one, though. you could feel sunghoon’s eyes too, still sizing up jungwon, like he was seconds away from calling him out on the bullshit.

jungwon wasn’t any better than the rest of them. despite the calm, clinical mask he wore, his mind was a fucking mess, replaying images of last night over and over. the way you had submitted to him, your lips parting, gasping for air as his hand squeezed your throat, your ass reddened from the spanking he’d given you. the memory of your body under his control—marked, claimed—was burned into his brain.

but he had to focus. had to shove that shit deep down and get back to the mission. his voice was steady as he outlined the tasks for the day, even though his thoughts kept drifting back to the silk restraints tucked away in the med bay. soon, he thought. those restraints would see some use soon enough.

but today wasn’t like yesterday. the teasing, the sly remarks, the underlying excitement of finally dropping the professional act—it was all gone. today, the room was suffocating with tension, everyone hyper-aware of each other, of the drug that was hitting them harder with each passing second. every glance felt loaded, every breath too loud. the enhancements were amplifying everything—desire, frustration, need.

they were all on edge, barely hanging on by the thin thread of self-control that told them they couldn’t act yet. it was a waiting game, and every second was making it worse.

jungwon, being in charge of wellness, kept his professional front up as he continued outlining the day’s mission. but the thoughts still creeped in—thoughts of tying you up in the med bay, using those silk restraints hq had thoughtfully included in the kit. his blood ran hot at the idea of keeping you there, bound and helpless, doing whatever the fuck he wanted. he’d make you beg, make you fight against the restraints, shove whatever he wanted into your pussy and fuck you until you were crying, overstimulated, a trembling mess beneath him.

he had to push those thoughts away, force himself out of the dark fantasies clouding his mind. with a rough exhale, he cleared his throat, his voice coming out steadier this time. “right, let’s focus.”

you noticed the tension still lingering in the tight set of his shoulders, the way his fingers flexed around the syringe before he caught himself, loosening his grip. "first up, we’ve got our group activity from hq. simulation pods. we’re scheduled for our first physical training today."

simulation pods. of course. one of the most intense parts of the training regimen. hq never let up when it came to pushing all of you to the limit. today wouldn’t be any different, and maybe, just maybe, it would be a temporary distraction from whatever was brewing between you and jungwon. though you doubted it’d be enough to stop the tension from creeping back in.

the pods were designed to throw you into high-stress environments, to push your physical and mental endurance, to test your reflexes and emotional control. normally, you could handle it, but today felt off. the room was too charged, the air too thick with something else. you weren’t the only one feeling it either.

jungwon gestured for you all to follow, professionalism clicking back into place as he led you toward the training area. still, you caught the occasional flicker of his eyes as they darted back to you, betraying the calm front he was trying to maintain. you smirked to yourself. today’s simulation wasn’t going to be the only challenge either of you were dealing with.

as the doors to the simulation pods slid open, the cold, sterile air did nothing to ease the tension. instead, it seemed to sharpen it, making everything feel more intense.

click here for part 2. (to be released september 21, 2024 @ 9pm pht)

── .✦⸝⸝ 𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 @sol3chu @heesminee3 @riribelle @leov3rse @missoxy @mitmit01 @immelissaaa @phebeedee @simbabyj @ivorybabysworld @firesunflames @gnvi-eve @chubbypeach2111 @tsukisbabydino @he115re @enhasrii @kienhawon @dvalitaes @in-somnias-world @jwnghyuns @inishij @jiryunie @lhspeachie @strxwbloody @nshmrarki @leesura @slvtella @jiminie-08 @wonnienyang @dollyyun @seonghwasbbgirl @doublebunv @yuniesluv @gong-fourz @mavlogist @ckwnsgh @love4hee @nyxtwixx @woniefull @deobitifull @isa942572 @eunmoin @giyuutopfan @vi-ri

[kinardsevan]

i can see the sun

nobody asked for a mini where BuckTommy meet in 2x18, but my brain wrote it anyway? enjoy!

-

Tommy never mentions the first time they met, mostly because he doesn’t think Evan remembers it, and honestly he wouldn’t blame him. That night was—as Evan still defines it today—the worst night of his life, and the last thing Tommy ever wants to do is bring those painful memories back to the surface. Still, in the time since they’ve gotten together, he can’t help dwelling on it from time to time, thinking about the strength he’d seen in Evan that night, the determination. 

“Howie!” 

Chimney spins on his feet, looking around him until his eyes fall on Tommy’s muscular build, the waves of his light brown hair. 

“Tommy? What are you doing down here? It’s not safe-..” 

“I was down the street,” he explains. “Thought I could help.” 

Chimney turns, looks back at Hen and then Bobby, holding his hands out like he’s not entirely sure what the answer should be. 

“We’re gonna need the help to get it off of him,” Bobby states. He looks past his subordinates briefly and then back at them. “Chim, there’s a girl down there with her hand bleeding from twisted metal,” he states, pointing. “Hen?” 

She passes off the bag of IV fluids to Bobby that they’ve hooked up to Buck and Tommy looks around again before glancing down at the man on the ground, shaking his head. 

“What the hell,” he mutters to himself. He shifts backwards and drops down, getting in front of the blonde with curly hair, blood all over his face. “Hey, kid.” 

Buck lifts his head off the ground, groaning in pain as he looks up at him. Tommy reaches out and grabs his hand, squeezing tightly. 

“You gotta fight,” he tells him, running his thumb over Evan’s fingers. They’re cold, and he can see the paleness in his face. Buck groans again. 

“Let’s lift this,” Bobby states, glancing down at them. Tommy looks up at him and nods. 

“Alright, kid, you can do this,” he tells him. They both hear the count off, and then the attempted lift and Evan screams like bloody murder, trying to pull his leg free from where it’s pinned beneath the truck, but barely gains any traction before it’s down again. Tommy glances up at Bobby and shakes his head. “You gotta lift higher. 

“I-…I…” Buck’s voice is choked, pained cries falling out of him faster than he can do anything to stop them. Tommy reaches out and curls a finger under his chin, making him look up. 

“Hey kid, you gotta focus,” he states firmly. 

“M-ma-addie,” he stammers. 

Tommy shakes his head again. “Whatever you have to tell Maddie can wait.” Tommy looks around them again, sees everyone trying to problem-solve the situation. He glances back down at the kid in front of him. “What’s your name?” 

His head bobs up and down weakly and Tommy squeezes his fingers again. 

“E-Evan,” he stammers. Tommy nods. 

“We’re going to get you out of here, Evan,” Tommy tells him. “Just hold on.” 

“One more time guys, ready,” Bobby states. They lift again, and again Evan screams, trying to move and again gaining no traction. Tommy looks up at Bobby again, shaking his head once more. 

“It’s too heavy,” Bobby states, talking to people around them. Evan is gasping for air in front of Tommy, silent sobs coming out of him with the struggle for air. “We need more people.” 

Suddenly there’s a crowd of people lining around them, and Tommy looks back at Evan, brushing a calming hand down his hair. 

“Hang on Evan,” he states firmly. “They’ve got you.” 

“One, two, three!” 

He watches as they lift the truck, higher than they’ve been able to, high enough that he can see the clearance between Evan’s leg and the truck, and he tugs him forward until he’s free of it and the crowd is settling the truck back on the ground. Evan’s team crowds around him and Tommy steps back, moving out of the way. Bobby rests a hand on his shoulder and he looks up at him. 

“Thanks for your help,” he tells him before stepping past him, joining the rest of the 118 as they gather around Evan and move him onto a stretcher. He doesn’t voice it out loud, but holds the notion in the back of his head that in another life, he would’ve been the one pinned under the truck. 

. . . 

“Where’s your head at,” Evan murmurs, late one night as Tommy sets his book on the nightstand. He’s been doing that thing where he read the same page three times over and still didn’t digest any of the information. Tommy looks over at him and gives him a soft smile, lifting his hand to brush along one of the barely-there scars on his chin. 

“Just thinking about you,” he admits. Evan gives him an awkward smile, reaching up and pulling his hand away. 

“Should I be concerned,” Evan asks, adjusting the blankets on his lap. “You seem…distracted.” 

Tommy shakes his head dismissively. “No, no.” 

“Then what’s up,” Evan asks, curious. “Where’s your head at.” 

Tommy looks over at him, contemplatively. He narrows his gaze at Evan briefly before licking his lips. “Do you…remember? The first time we met?” 

Evan squints at him with a curious smirk. “Harbor hangar. Stealing helicopters to fly into a hurricane and break at least a dozen different laws.” He drawls on like it’s basic information. 

Tommy chuckles softly. “Sure.” He nods, biting his bottom lip briefly. “Except, no.” 

Evan still has that gaze on his face, like he’s not entirely sure where Tommy is going with this. “Okay?” 

Tommy takes a breath, lifting his hand to Evan’s chin again, looking at the scar once more. 

“I don’t mention it because I don’t ever want to put you in a painful memory,” he states, thumbing the scar. “But I was there for this.” 

Evan doesn’t need to see his face to know what Tommy is talking about. He stares at the older man for a time, clearly searching his memory, only to come up with nothing. 

“I don’t…?” 

Tommy nods. “You were already pinned under the truck, and I got on the ground with you so that Hen and Howie could help with the truck.” 

Evan’s gaze shifts around at Tommy’s words, still searching his memory. After a moment, he looks up at him. “I always thought I made up someone rubbing my head. I mean, Hen would hold my hand, but-..” 

“You didn’t,” Tommy tells him. He’s quiet for a moment, his expression somber. “I could tell you were getting close to giving up. You wanted to say something to Maddie, and I told you no.” 

Evan nods, having the vaguest recollection of that. He looks back up at Tommy. “But then you just vanished into the ether.” 

Tommy shrugs. “I sent flowers. And besides, you had a girlfriend.” 

Evan narrows his gaze at him again, but this time there’s mirth in his expression as he pushes himself up and slots a leg over Tommy’s hips, straddling him. 

“You mean to tell me I could’ve had you five years ago,” he states, moving his hands down to the hem of Tommy’s shirt, sliding his fingers beneath it. Tommy jolts at the iciness of his fingers. He smirks at Evan as he reaches for his hands, squeezing them. He leans forward, kissing along his jawline. 

“Wouldn’t have been nearly as fun then,” he replies. “We were both still figuring stuff out.” 

Evan pushes his hands further inside Tommy’s shirt, fighting against his loose grip to press his cold palms flat against his abs. Tommy growls softly, biting on his jaw. Evan settles back on his haunches and tilts his head, reaching out for one of Tommy’s hands. He brushes his fingers gently along the scars on his face, down to his chin, and then over his heart. 

“I love you,” Tommy murmurs, brushing his thumb back and forth on Evan’s chest. Evan leans into him, pulls him into a searing kiss as his hands find their way back under Tommy’s shirt with only one intention in mind. 

“I love you too.” 

[jarofstyles]

Strawberry Sunrise 2

Hello my angels, here is part two of gymrry! 💪🏼 I hope you guys enjoy him

Part One

Check out our Patreon with 200+ exclusive writings and early access

Warnings- mentions of violence, stalking, sexism, misogyny, self defense training

WC- 3.3k

Harry was exhausted physically, but mentally he felt more awake than he’d ever been after a long day of sessions. 

Sitting at the smoothie bar, he sipped on a PB Choc shake that Y/N had ready for him after he was done with his last session of the day. He tried to pay her, but she’d insisted yet again that he was helping her out so the least she could do was give him a free drink. Harry was a tad bit pathetic in how much her genuine smile made his heart race, but instead he nodded and let her finish up her closing duties. He’d offered to help but her eyes had narrowed and she had pointed at his drink, so he decided to leave it be.

Besides, it gave him time to observe her. 

The ponytail was slightly falling now, a few pieces of hair around her face and at the nape of her neck as she wiped down counters. Her tank top with the gym name on it was slightly loose on the torso but clung to her chest. Yoga pants were her choice of bottom, which, fuck- he had to avert his eyes from those considering he had to get up close with her soon. He had to teach her so he wasn’t about to have a stiffy when he showed her how to throw a punch. As attracted to her as he was, these sessions were to help her feel safe. He’d rather have an arm chopped off than be another one of those men that she felt creeped around her. 

It was no secret that Y/N was attractive. She was probably the prettiest girl he’d ever seen, if he was being honest with himself. It was discussed between staff and other trainers about how beautiful she was and how her personality was only elevating the physical beauty she had, because the girl was sweet as pie. She was the type that remembered everyone’s birthday and made sure they got a free protein cookie or gym shirt, and put a few decorations in the break room even in the short time she had been here. Y/N was someone a lot of women felt comfortable enough to go to when someone made them uncomfortable, using her power and access to the private security guard (Who unfortunately left before her) to have them escorted out. It had made it all the more upsetting to Harry to know she had felt defenseless over the guy waiting outside the night before. 

Unfortunately he knew it was a reality for all women. He had a sister, a mother, multiple women as friends and it infuriated him to know that her experience wasn’t an uncommon one. It had made him more than proud of her, actually, when she asked him to help her. To take your personal security and safety seriously was a big deal, even if you shouldn’t need it in the first place. The hope was she’d never need to use them, but he was relieved that she trusted him enough to ask him to teach her. 

The doors at the front were locked so no one could get in, Y/N giving them a few tugs to make sure it stuck before she turned on her heels to face him. Clapping her hands together, she nearly bounced over to him with a spring on her step that he envied, grabbing her water bottle she’d left beside him. “Okay! Let’s get started. I promise not to keep you here for a long time, 20 minutes should be fine- but I realized last night I’d probably break my hand if I threw a punch.”

Yeah, that was exactly what they’d want to avoid. 

“We don’t have to rush unless you’ve got to get out of here. All that’s waiting for me at home is a fish tank and some tea.” He assured her, leaving his bag at the smoothie counter as they made their way towards the training area. 

“Oh- I thought you had a girlfriend?” She asked curiously, undoing her ponytail. Hair fell down to her shoulders momentarily as she ran her fingers through the roots, fluffing it out before smoothing her hair back to fasten into a new ponytail. “That girl that came in a few times, pretty red hair?”

“Oh, no.” Harry shook his head. She’d noticed that? It was interesting that she had. “She’s a friend’s girlfriend. Amanda and I go jogging sometimes but she and her girlfriend are my mates. She’s a chef, though, so she brings me stuff to test out since she specializes in health foods.” He could see it seeming much different to her though. “I’m single, chronically.” The need to clarify was there, maybe seeming a little desperate but hey- apparently he’d not made that clear enough.

“She was super nice and pretty, so I assumed. But I made an ass out of myself with that, didn’t I?” Her laugh was lighthearted but he swore he saw her smile get a bit bigger as she raised her arms up to stretch them over her head. “You’ve got fish?” 

“No, I don’t think so. It’s natural to assume things sometimes. But as for the fish- I do.” He nodded, feeling a little happier himself. Y/N noticed that he had a visitor and seemed happy it wasn’t his girlfriend. “It’s a hobby, I’ve got a saltwater tank. I’m not home enough for a dog, even though I really would like one. Fish are beautiful, relatively easy if you make sure you do the cycling upkeep, and don’t need to be brought out for walks. Besides, I don’t think they miss me too much when m’gone all day.” 

“Oh, god. I get it. I’ve got a cat and she’s a menace when I get home. It’s like I’d been off to war, she likes her snuggles but gets mad at me so she grumbles when she sits on my lap.” Her laugh rang through the gym. A beautiful sound he’d love to hear more of. “Fish are cool though! I watch some of those guys who build ponds on YouTube and all of that when I can’t sleep, makes me wish I could have one in my place. I’ve just got a balcony though.” 

“I’ve been saving for a house, so I get it. I rent small because I don’t need a ton of space for just me.” It was clean and tidy, upgraded with the food appliances and a comfy bed, but Harry wasn’t home all that often. Even if sometimes he wished he was. There wasn’t much to come home to. Maybe he’d be more inclined to get the house search on if he had a partner or something, but as of right now he was happy to stay where he was. “Uh, I meant to ask what you know but you said you were worried about breaking your hand during a punch. Let me see how you make a fist, please.”

In all reality he could spend hours just chatting with her, but if he didn’t try and get to the point they’d be there all night. As nice as it sounded to him, he doubted she wanted that. 

“God- don’t judge me too harshly please. I’ve always been a lover, not a fighter.” Y/N curled her hand up into a fist which she could see immediately wasn’t correct by the look on his face. “I appreciate the effort but I can totally see you wincing right now.”

“Sorry! M’sorry, I just… here.” With cautious fingers, he helped her unfurl her fingers. “You don’t want your thumb inside. It’s far more likely to break that way.” He began arranging the fingers as they needed to be. “You’re gonna want t’have your thumb on the outside… like this.” He murmured, the warmth of his hand a contrast to her cooler one. “Between your first and the second knuckles right here…” his touch was gentle as he adjusted her smaller fingers in the fist. “Near your index and middle. There.” Releasing her hand, he showed her on his own hands. “See? Like this.”

“Okay- I see. I always forget if it’s in or out and then I go with it because it feels like it would protect the thumb but, I’ll remember now.” She sighed, mirroring it with her second hand. “Where do I hit?”

“Easy, Tiger.” Harry laughed, letting his hands fall down. “You’re going to want to remember that the first thing you want to try is to get away first. That’s always the first option, escape and run the hell off. Make noise, get attention from other people. There’s power in making a scene.” From self defense classes he’d taught before he decided to take the shorter form and give it to her now. “You don’t know what people have. I don’t want to scare you, Y/N, but people are unpredictable. The most important thing is your safety, so getting away is the most ideal thing. But if you can’t, you want to make sure you have a good stance so they have less of a chance in grabbing you or knocking you over.” 

Planting both feet on the ground, he left his knees unlocked and kept his arms raised close to his body. “Shoulder width apart, arms up at your sides. Try it.” He stood next to her to show her, gently using his foot to nudge her legs a little further apart as he moved towards the front. “Put your dominant side leg out more in front of you. The worst thing to do is to have your knees locked because it’ll be easier to knock you over.” Rocking on his legs he demonstrated the right way to move, which she followed. There had been no doubt she’d catch on quickly, but he was still impressed. “Are you following along? This is just a crash course and we can meet again to go over more specifics but even just a little bit of this stuff can make or break you.” 

“I am. I really am interested in knowing it all, so keep going please.” She encouraged, eyes bright and determined. It was ridiculously cute in his opinion. “So what if someone grabs your arms?” 

 “If someone grabs you? You pull down. There’s more momentum that way and you’re likely to break free versus if you go up- may I touch you?” The permission was granted with a nod, his hands gripping firmly on to her forearms. “Try moving up, and then down.” 

Y/N followed instructions, immediately seeing the difference in it as she got her arms freed from his grip on the down pull. “Okay, I see. I’ve always meant to go to a self defense class but I’ve put it off… I’m really glad you were there last night. I was nervous to ask because I didn’t want to be overreacting but… I wasn’t sure.” A shrug of the shoulders followed her words. “I didn’t think the guy was gonna hurt me or anything but I didn’t know what he wanted. Why he was staying after I already said no.”

“No.” Harry said gruffly. “No. You don’t give them the benefit of the doubt, Y/N. The first priority is always to protect yourself. Even if you find it embarrassing after and no harm was meant, it’s always better to be safe rather than sorry. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help. You should do it.” The idea of her not asking because she worried about how it would come off made his chest hurt. 

“Listen, I think that our intuition is the best gift we have. It’s there to protect us, down to the most biological level. So if you felt the need to have protection it’s because your body knew it needed it. Okay?” His voice softened up at the end. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to sound like that, but I’ve seen what happens when women aren’t taken seriously. When guys think they’re overthinking or crazy. My sister…” he paused. “She was hurt because people told her she was overreacting, so she doubted her intuition. She’s okay now, but I’ve never forgotten about how she asked for help and people assumed that she just didn’t need it.” 

Harry didn’t talk about that period a lot. In all honesty, it surprised him that he’d even brought it up, but Y/N had gotten to that soft spot in his defenses and reminded him that he could be the one to help her avoid that sort of pain that he knew his sister had to go through.    

“I’m so sorry something happened to your sister, Harry.” Y/N whispered. “I promise I’ll listen to you and take your advice. That’s why I asked you. Something felt wrong and it was because there was no reason for him to be there waiting for me like that, and your car was in the side lot so he couldn’t see it… he thought I was alone.” Swallowing the lump in her throat at the thoughts of what If, she wrapped her arms around herself to self-soothe. “I know I watched a lot of true crime a couple years back and I used to think I was just being paranoid, but it was a wake up call. It wasn’t the first time I’ve dealt with a guy not taking no for an answer and thinking persistence was something that would wear me down, but it was the first time I felt that level of unsafe. My stomach hurt just looking out there.” 

Harry could only imagine. As much as it tugged on his heart to grab her and hug her body to his chest, he didn’t have that right. Not yet, anyways. “Christ, I know. He gave me the creeps too, if I’m being honest. If it makes you feel any better, I don’t think you overreacted and I think you’re incredibly brave to ask for my help. It’s exactly what you should do. You need to protect yourself at every turn, even if it’s exhausting.” 

“I know. I do, I did for a while but I didn’t think about it happening while working here. A lot of people ignore me most of the time which is fine, some flirt, but no one’s made me feel outright uncomfortable or unsafe before at work. I used to have one coworker back at a store I worked at that would be a bit too persistent but he left me alone after a while. I realize now that I should have said something back then.” 

“Y/N, I don’t want you to ridicule yourself for your past mistakes or actions in general. You made it here, you’re safe and you made the best decisions you could for the world that’s taught you that. But now, I want to teach you how to make sure you can get yourself out of any situation that could come up.” He felt sick at the idea of her having to use these skills but even for his own state of mind, it would help him feel better. 

“Okay.” She nodded, giving him her eyes. It felt like a hit to his chest, stealing his breath.  “Did you want to do more of this, then? I don’t want to keep you for too long because I know if I’m tired you must be exhausted. Can we plan to meet up again?” Harry was pretty sure his exhaustion had to be on his face for her to say it, but he had to agree. Today had been an unusually filled day, so next time he hoped to be able to do more. 

“That sounds good. We can text about it some more if you want to make a little schedule, but if you’d be comfortable you can meet me out at a park or something. I’ve got a nice one near my building if you want to do something in daylight. I think we’ve both got Wednesday’s off?” It was a wonder for him how luck had been on his side with coinciding days off, but he watched her nod and the ponytail she’d pulled back a few moments ago bouncing along with the motion. It was difficult for him not to be gross and think about holding said ponytail again, but he reminded himself that this wasn’t for his personal wants. She was trusting him with teaching her so he had to keep it in his pants. 

“Yeah! I’d love to do that.” She agreed easily. “Can I see your fish tank, though? Not trying to invite myself to your place, even though I kinda am. I just think it’s really cool that you have one.”

“Course, I don’t mind at all.” His chest felt lighter at her own willingness to go past just a coworker sort of thing and initiating getting to know more about him. “I’ll stay later and work on emails at the smoothie bar for the rest of the week then, make sure I’m here to walk you out. I’ll see if I’ve got some other self defense supplies too. I ordered some a while ago t’keep in my car and I know they accidentally sent me an extra taser.” They didn’t. He’d ordered it last night. 

“Oh, really? That would be so lovely of you to let me use it. I’ll pay you back for it.” Grabbing her water bottle from the side of the mats, she turned and surprised the hell out of him by wrapping her arms around his neck for a hug. It took him a second to reciprocate, blinking a few times in shock as he planted his palm over her back. He hoped to god he smelled decent and that the fact he’d had to use the soap the gym provided instead of his own today had been enough.

“Thank you, H. I really appreciate it. I love working here, but you’re so nice to me it’s crazy. I know you don’t have to do any of this for me but you’re going above and beyond and I.. I can’t think of a way to thank you.”

Harry prayed again that she couldn’t hear how hard his heart was beating- or at least thought it had something to do with the training as she rested her cheek against his chest and sort of snuggled in. It was by far the best hug he had ever had in his life. If he could have one of these a day, the stress level would most definitely be brought down. He’d almost bet on it. The feeling in his tummy swirled as he chuckled to disguise just how much he liked holding her, giving a gentle squeeze to her body. It felt so right to have her body pressed against his own, like she was meant to be there. “You’re lovely, Y/N. Course I’d do it for you. You’re a real gem, y’know that? It’s rare to meet someone with genuine kindness like you’ve shown everyone here.” It was crucial that she knew that he saw it. “As for a way to thank me?” 

He had a lot of ideas on that, but he settled on the more savory and far less inappropriate answer. Y/N was his little crush, but he wasn’t sure she had a clue. “All I want is for you t’keep yourself safe, come to me or call if you feel uncomfortable… and maybe a few extra shakes.”  He’d take a PB Choc or Strawberry Sunrise she made any day. 

“Mmm… You’ve got yourself a deal.” Y/N’s face was bright despite the tired eyes she had, pulling away from the hug. Immediately he mourned the warmth and plush of her body. If he could pull her back into the embrace without it being weird, he would. A new addiction. “But for now, you’ll act like the fierce protector you are and walk me to my car, yeah?”

“Anything for you, pet. Let’s go. Need to feed the fish.”

[innerfare]

Smutty Mihawk Headcanons

Summary: a collection of NSFW Mihawk headcanons

Genre: pure smut (afab!reader)

CW: a little bit of knife play (cutting clothes not skin), dirty talk, low-key masochist Mihawk, exhibitionism on the down low

———

Bisexual icon.

King of sexual tension.

Marine hunter? More like marine fucker. 

Is eternally bored, but has a keen interest in lingerie, and he rather likes cutting it off you. He never thought he would enjoy drawing a knife or sword during sex, but he finds the trust you put in him invigorating. 

A very passionate lover. His insistence on being the best carries over into the bedroom. As such, he’s no fan of quickies. He wants you tied up in his four poster bed, the curtains pulled back to allow moonlight to filter in from the balcony, your naked body sprawled across his silk sheets until the sun rises. 

Talks dirty but getting a moan out of this man is like pulling teeth. Also won’t tell you if you’ve pleased him. Your only indication is that he comes back for more. 

Of course, if you do want to get a moan out of him, the best way is to hurt him. Likes if you rake your nails up and down his back, yank his hair, bite him (especially the spot between his thumb and index finger after sucking his fingers), squeeze his face in your hands, maybe even slap him.

And then there's his bondage kink. If you tie him up, it better be to whip him. He'll start out goading you in that bored tone of his, accusing you of half-assing it, telling you to hit him harder. You know you've gotten to him when the comments cease and he bites his lip, his brow furrowing.

Doesn’t just fuck. He spars. 

Saying it again, cannot emphasize this enough, he loves a biter.  

Wants a partner who wants to be chased, as most people either throw themselves at his feet or run away with no hope of being caught. Will chase you down the halls of his castle and ravage you wherever he catches you. Poor Perona has a list of sofas she no longer sits on, counters she refuses to put food on, and entire staircases she avoids. There are even certain mirrors she doesn’t want to look in, even if the marks have been wiped away. Zoro doesn’t fully believe her when she gives him the rundown, thinking nobody can be that feral, particularly not his stoic teacher, who in his mind is the picture of restraint and civility, until he’s training by himself one day in the courtyard and happens to see you appear in one of the towers, only for Mihawk to appear after you and rather lewd sounds to follow. Also sees Mihawk fucking you hard in a window one time, and over a balcony another time. Zoro quickly learns not to enter the wine cellar between the hours of six and ten PM. 

Lives for dangerous sexual situations. Has fucked you in the woods at night despite the menagerie of dangerous beasts running around, has fucked you from behind in an open window several stories high, your front half hanging out, has even fucked you in his small boat on stormy, raging seas. Every duel he has ever enjoyed has been charged with sexual tension.

In addition to these trysts, he wants you in his bed every night after dinner. You either shower or bathe together, and then he works you into a sweat so you need another one.  

Worries deeply if you ever reject his advances, thinks it must be his fault. “Have I displeased you in some way? Tell me, my love, and I will make it right.” It’s times like this that any veneer of disinterest falls away and you see just how much he cares for you. 

Has certain pet names reserved for the bedroom. “My mewling kitten,” is his current favorite. 

Always does that thing where he strokes your temple with his thumb when he fucks you in missionary. It’s supposed to be a reassuring gesture when you’re struggling to take all of him, but it riles you up more than it calms you down. Uses his other hand to pull one of your legs up as far as it will go, so he’s pinning you down but comforting you about it. 

Loves to feel you up in the bath.

If he has more than one glass of wine, he will be going down on you. The more wine he has, the bigger his appetite for you. It gets worse with stronger liquor. When the Red Hair pirates come to stay and Shanks insists on breaking into the whiskey Mihawk keeps for that very occasion, you know you won’t be sleeping until they leave (and that Shanks will be going down on you, too). 

His favorite is to go down on you on his dining table. It makes you feel very exposed considering he strips you down but remains clothed (as is common with Mihawk when he's domming) and the dining room is very large with many doors that anyone could walk through. But that's what Mihawk enjoys about it.

If you go down on him, his hands will most certainly be in your hair. He loves smoothing your hair, and if it’s long, pulling it back into a makeshift ponytail to get the best possible view of your pretty face. 

Once moaned Shanks’ name in bed. Neither of you ever addressed it, but you do always flirt with Shanks when he and his crew come around because it seems to peak your lover’s interest. You haven’t proposed a threesome because you don’t want to share him with the Red-Haired drunk. 

———

Hope you enjoyed it! If you want more, you can check out my masterlist here!

[cosmicdahlias]

Take Me Under

a ford x reader fic

MINORS DNI

warnings: NONCON, drugging, somnophilia, oral, smut

so this is a spiritual successor to my last fic, it’s not a continuation but the themes are similar

It was a warm summer night in Gravity Falls. The crickets chirped as you sat out on the porch with your research partner, Stanford Pines. You nursed your glass of whiskey that Ford had poured for you. It had been a long night of research, Ford was trying to build an interdimensional gateway, stuff you would’ve thought five years ago only existed in science fiction, but he really was a genius.

His other partner had already gone home for the night, Fiddleford. He was a good guy, a family man with a son, you believed his name was Tate. Tonight you were kind of happy Fiddleford had left already, you liked him just fine but the truth was you had feelings for his cohort.

You blushed whenever Ford looked your way, eyed his hands as they fiddled with the laboratory devices, wondering to yourself how his hands would feel on you. There were so many times you wanted to tell him how you felt, to confess your true feelings. With Fiddleford almost always present the timing never felt right, but tonight you had Ford all to yourself.

Neither of you said much, just taking in the night air. You bounced your leg nervously, you started to feel light headed but decided to ignore it. Ford studied your face, it was clear you were anxious about something.

“Y/n, are you okay?”

You bit the bullet and took a deep breath.

“Ford, I-“

But before you could get another word out the world around you began to sway, the corners of your vision going black, the darkness slowly creeping in. You felt yourself falling forward. The last thing you heard was Ford’s voice.

“Y/n? Y/n!”

-

Ford caught you in his arms, he looked down at you, not sure what to do. He shook you.

“Y/n! Y/n!”

He tried to collect his thoughts, what the hell had just happened? You were fine all day and now you were out cold. He put a hand to your forehead, it felt normal, you weren’t sick.

A chilling laugh that made the hairs on his neck stand on end echoed through his head.

“Well well well well well well well well well, looks like the perfect opportunity is right in front of you, sixer.”

Ford swallowed. “Bill?”

“The one and only. So what do you think of my handiwork?”

“Handiwork? What handiwork?”

“Oh come on, you’ve been pining after this kid for ages and you’ve been too darn afraid to do anything so I figured I’d throw you a bone.”

Ford felt a pit grow in his stomach “Bill… what did you do?”

“It’s really not that big of a deal, sixer. I just had you add a little something special to their drink.”

Ford was horrified. “Bill, that’s- you can’t-“

“Oh come off it Fordsy, you and I both know this is a golden opportunity. Do you seriously think you’re gonna have the guts to even kiss them when they’re awake?”

Ford bit his lip, Bill was right, he was a coward when it came to you.

“Mull it over, I’ll leave you two alone for now, don’t be a pussy. Byyyyyyeeeee.”

And with that things were quiet again, it was just Ford and you lying unconscious in his arms. He felt his pulse in his throat. He had wanted to kiss you, to know you intimately for so long. Would he really get another chance like this?

He stood up, and carried you through the front door. He walked through the dark shack, the floorboards creaking underneath his feet. He opened the door to his room and walked to the edge of his bed, setting you down gently on the plush covers.

He cupped your cheek, stroking it with his thumb. He knew it was sick, but thought you looked incredibly cute passed out. Your lips were parted slightly, so kissable. He couldn’t resist, he leaned down and kissed you deeply and felt himself grow achingly hard. Fuck, this felt so wrong but he didn’t have the will to stop himself now.

His fingers traced the top button of your blouse, undoing each of them slowly, kissing his way down the valley between your breasts as he did so.

He thumbed the delicate lace of your bra, god if you hadn’t planned to be seen like this why would you wear something so sexy underneath? He slipped a hand down your back to sit you up so he could undo your bra.

He sucked in a breath as he laid you back down and took in the sight of your breasts, they were so fucking perfect. He had pictured it in his mind thousands of times but the real thing was even better than he imagined. He took one of your nipples in his mouth, swirling it with his tongue. Taking your other breast in his hand, he circled your nipple with his index finger.

His cock throbbed through his pants. If this was wrong why was he so turned on? Was he really that depraved? He shook his head, trying to escape the thoughts and enjoy the moment.

He ran his calloused hands up your thighs and started to pull down your pants. He let out a small dark chuckle, matching underwear. Yeah, you were asking for this. He hooked his thumbs in the waistband of your panties and slid them off your legs. The sight of you elicited another sinister laugh from him. You were soaking wet, even in your unconscious state your body begged for him.

He pulled his hands off of you and began removing his trench coat, next his sweater vest and collared shirt. He unbuckled his belt, letting it hit the floor with a loud thud. He slid his boxers off of his hips and let them fall over his discarded pants.

He stroked himself absentmindedly as he studied your naked body. He wished he had a polaroid camera so he could save this moment forever. He wanted to ravage you, claim you. Then it occurred to him that it would only be fair to make you cum if he was going to destroy you.

He slid himself down the length of your body, leaving a trail of kisses in his wake. His hot breath tickled your pussy. He took your clit in his mouth, his tongue flicking it rapidly. He moaned into your pussy, you tasted so fucking good. He wished that you were awake so you could tangle your fingers in his hair. He slid his index and middle finger inside of you, pumping roughly into you.

He felt your walls tighten around his fingers, your wetness dripping out of you. He worked you with a steady rhythm, savoring the delicious wet sounds of his fingers sliding in and out of you.

He sucked your clit furiously, his fingers fucking you with a brutal intensity. Your pussy began to spasm around his fingers, he knew you were close. He kept at his pace, wanting to push you to orgasm.

“That’s it, baby, cum for me.”

You began to pulse around his fingers, a small moan escaped your lips. He reveled in your orgasm. His cock leaked precum and twitched wildly. Nothing had ever gotten him this aroused.

He got up, dragging you head first to the edge of the bed, tilting your head back. He swiped his finger on your tongue, feeling the warmth of your mouth. He angled his cock to your lips and shoved himself down your throat.

He fucked your mouth aggressively, panting and swearing. You looked so pretty with his cock in your throat. He bucked his hips into your face, holding a hand to your neck, feeling his cock bulge in your throat.

He felt himself getting close, and pulled out. His breathing was ragged. He took a moment to collect himself before picking you up and laying you back down with your head on the pillow.

He climbed on top of you and kissed you deeply, hands fondling your breasts. He aligned his cock with your entrance and with a loud groan forced himself into you all the way to the hilt. The way your pussy gripped his cock was perfect.

-

Your eyes fluttered open, all you could see from the dim light of the bedside table lamp was a figure moving on top of you. As your eyes adjusted and you started to come back to reality it hit you just what was happening and who it was.

“FORD WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”

“Oh, you’re awake. I’m sorry but you passed out and you just looked so perfect that I had to have you.”

You desperately tried to free yourself from underneath him, you clawed at his arms. He took your wrists in his hands and pinned them down above your head.

“Don’t- ah, don’t struggle. I promise I’ll make you feel good.”

“Ford, stop. Please.” You cried.

“I can’t, nngh, you feel too good.”

He fucked you hard, pumping his thick cock into you. The slick, wet sounds filling the room. He forced his lips on yours and moaned into your mouth, his tongue shoving its way to the back of your throat.

You wrestled yourself out of his grip and pushed him off of you. You scrambled off of the bed and ran for your life for the door, but Ford was faster. He tackled you and pinned you to the floor.

“Baby please don’t make this, ugh, harder than it has to be.” He whispered into your ear as you fought back against him.

He pulled you to your feet and shoved you back down on the bed, pinning your wrists once more. He was going to finish what he started. He violently forced himself into you again, his rhythm punishing. He groaned loudly and bit your neck, you whimpered. His cock twitching at the noise.

He stopped for a second, reaching into the bedside drawer and pulled out a pair of handcuffs that he had stolen off a cop during a night of possession by Bill. He cuffed your hands above your head. His hand now free to travel south, making its way to your clit. He drew circles with his fingers while continuing to brutally fuck you, causing your pussy clench around his cock. The pleasure was indescribable, god he loved it.

You tried to struggle again, but Ford held you down by the waist with his free hand. His breathing quickened, he was close, you were too. He pounded you into the mattress, the bed frame shaking.

“Fuck you’re gonna make me cum, I need you to cum around my cock.”

His fingers didn’t let up, you felt yourself getting closer to the edge. You bit into his into his shoulder and felt the skin break, the sickly metallic taste of blood flooding your mouth. That was enough to send Ford over, he cocked his head back and his moan echoed throughout the shack. You cried out as you came, tears welling in your eyes.

Ford shuddered and panted, he was spent. He rolled off of you and collapsed beside you. You laid there, shaking and crying. Ford took your face in his hand, wiping away the tears with his thumb.

“Shh shh shh, it’s okay, you’re okay.” He cooed. “Let me get those cuffs off of you.”

With a click of the little key your hands were released. You thought about using this as an opportunity to run, but you felt frozen. He kissed you lazily on your lips and neck, then he pulled you against his chest. His big calloused hands stroked your back. You felt strangely comforted, safe almost. You had always wanted this, to be wrapped in Ford’s arms.

Ford had desired you for so long, and now that he finally had you he wasn’t going to let you go.

[alastwhorez]

can I request the reader to help undress Alastor after he gets home late?

A Loving Touch

♡ Pairing: Human!Alastor x Wife!Reader

♡ Summary: Alastor arrives at home late, and you help him undress.

♡ Warnings: None, fluff, Human Alastor, you don't know he is a serial killer.

♡ An: Thank you for the request. I hope you enjoy it! Not proofread, possible spelling errors

You were asleep in yours and Alastor’s shared bed. It was the early hours of morning. Around one to two to be exact. You stirred away at the sound of the front door creaking open and quietly being shut.

Alastor walks into the bedroom moments later, exhaustion written all over his face. His hair is disheveled, and his clothes wrinkled, he has dark circles under his eyes and his posture is slouched.

You get out of the bed and walk over to your husband. He gives you a weak, tired smile. You smile back noticing the time and figuring he must have been at the station late working on his scripts. You know his show didn't run over as you listen to it every night. Wanting to support your husband anyway you can. And you love listening to his voice. You could hear him talk all day and never tire of it.

Alastor lets out a sigh as he tells you to go back to bed and he will be in soon. He starts to take off his clothes but you stop him. Your hands wander around his body before landing on his jacket that he must have forgotten To take off at the door. You grip the fabric and slowly slide it down his shoulders and arms. Then you take off his hat and place both items on the dresser next to your bed.

You back over to him and gently kiss the side of his mouth. His hands find your waist and Squeeze before rubbing circles with his thumbs. Your hands trail up from his waist up his suspenders. Once you reach his shoulders you gently and slowly slide his suspenders down, allowing them to hang at his hips.

You drop down to your knees and help him remove his shoes. Slowly untie and pull them off his feet, then you work on his socks. You place them by your bedroom door and the socks in the hamper. You stand back up and unbutton his sleeves. You trial kisses down his jaw and neck as your fingers work on his shirt. Slowly undoing one button at a time.

Alastor lets a sigh escape from his lips and his head tilts back giving you more room. You trail the kisses down his check as you slip the shirt down his shoulders. You slowly go back down to your knees as you trail kisses down his stomach, his shirt finally falling all the way off hitting the floor.

You look up at your husband as your fingers linger on his belt. He smiles down at you as you undo it and pull the leather out from the loops, sitting it on the bed. You bite your lip and meet his gaze as you undo his pants, pulling the zipper down and slowly sliding them down his hips. He steps out of them once you reach his feet.

You stand to your full height and Alastor pulls you into a kiss. His hands on your waist gripping the silk fabric of your nightgown. The one he surprised you with for your anniversary. The fabric rises higher Up your thighs. Alastor moans into the kiss. Your hands finding his hair and pulling him closer to you.

Alastor swears this is as close to heaven as he will ever come. He is grateful you didn't notice the blood under his nails, or the few spots on his white shirt. He doesn't know how he will explain that to you.

Pulling away from the kiss, he kisses your forehead, then your nose as he tells you to get to bed, he is just going to shower then he will be in.

You nod your head giving your husband another kiss before going back to sleep.

Alastor watches you from the door after his shower, taking in your innocence and beauty. Yes, Alastor is sure you are the closest to heaven he will be, and he is okay with that, as long as he gets nice like these.

[persevereforahappyending]

Luck Runs Out |'I Love You'|

Pairing: Mabel x Reader

Summary: When your luck runs out you unknowingly drag Mabel back into the life, she's so desperate to escape.

Warnings: None

Word Count: 2.9k+

Main Masterlist | Series Masterlist

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Epilogue

Mabel sat on her couch; her legs crossed as she scribbled down stuff in her notebook. She glanced up every few seconds to read from her laptop, which was propped up on the coffee table. She was making sure to copy down only the important information. Her grades were fine, they had been since she started, she was still anxious about falling behind, it didn’t seem like she’d ever stop feeling that way.

Mabel bit her lip, trying to keep herself from smiling when she heard her door creaking open. “Haven’t you learned you should lock this?” You asked.

Mabel leaned back, looking up from her notebook to see you standing in the doorway. You dropped your bag on the floor by the kitchen table as you made your way over to her. You rested your hand on the arm of the couch as you leaned down, seeming to intend on giving her a kiss. Mabel was quick to lean away from you, only laughing at the frown on your face.

“You didn’t miss me?” You pouted.

“I did,” Mabel said. You tried leaning in again, but Mabel was quick to put her hand up, gently resting it on your chest to stop you. “You know the rules.”

You let out a dramatic sigh and stomped your way over to the bathroom. “Sorry for missing my girlfriend and just wanting to give her a kiss!” You shouted before closing the bathroom door.

“Sorry you smell after weeks on a fishing boat!” Mabel called back. You didn’t say anything, but she knew you heard her, she could picture you standing in front of the mirror, mimicking her as you got ready to jump in the shower.

You had been gone for three weeks on a job with the guys. You seemed to really be enjoying it and got along with all the guys, even Charlie seemed to fully warm up to you. You always smelled like fish after you came home though, the first time you came back from a job Mabel had refused to kiss you because the smell was so bad. She hadn’t had to worry about that with Charlie because most of the time she didn’t see him until after he had showered, but you always came right to her place as soon as you docked.

Mabel was thrilled to have you back, she truly did miss you like crazy. She couldn’t lie though; she enjoyed the peace without you. You were great, you had been great since she met you, you made sure to spend time with her when you were home and made sure to take her out to do something at least once during the week. She just got so much done when you weren’t home, you were very good at distracting her, and when you were on a job, she could actually finish her schoolwork early and get a head start on other things.

After you were thoroughly clean and smelled of only Mabel’s soap you finally exited the bathroom, instantly plopping yourself down on the couch next to Mabel. Mabel looked at you, seeing you with your body turned towards her and your head resting on the back of the couch as you just watched her. Mabel tossed her notebook and pen on the table next to her laptop and laid back, mirroring your position.

“Hi,” you whispered.

“Hi,” she whispered back. She flicked her gaze from your eyes to your lips and back, but you were still just watching her. “What are you waiting for?”

You smiled before leaning in. Mabel was quick to meet your lips, as if on instinct she grabbed the back of your neck to deepen the kiss. When she finally broke the kiss the two of you went back to your same position, just looking at each other. Mabel gently ran her hands through your hair, lightly scratching your scalp until you slowly closed your eyes. Whenever you got home after a job you showered, gave Mabel her kiss, and then passed out somewhere. Most of the time it was on the couch, like now, as Mabel did her schoolwork.

The rest of the week went by like it always did when you were home. Mabel would go to class, come home and do her homework, you’d spend the day working on your boat, and then at night you’d come home, if Mabel didn’t have to come get you, and the two of you would have dinner together. Mabel wasn’t sure how you did it, your schedule was already crazy, then when you were home, you were working on the sailboat you got from sunrise to sunset, and yet you still made time for Mabel, you still somehow surprised her, taking her on little dates or just taking her to experience something new in general.

You had enough money to buy a brand-new sailboat, but you went with a fixer upper. Mabel wasn’t sure why you’d want to spend time working on a boat instead of sailing on it, but you said you wanted it to be fully yours. Mabel was with you when you bought it from the guy, it was practically love at first sight and you spent most of your time with the thing, painting it and changing certain things out to something new. Mabel admired the commitment; she might have thought it would be easier to just buy a new one, but she understood your desire to basically get one that needed work so you could do whatever you wanted to it and make it exactly how you wanted.

Finally at the end of the week Mabel burst through the door, tossing her bag onto the kitchen table before walking straight to her bed and flopping down face first. It felt like she had just closed her eyes when you burst through the door. You were either in a rush or excited based on the sound of the door flying back and smacking the wall.

“Great!” you said. Excited, you were definitely excited about something. “You’re home!” Mabel only let out a groan, you might have been excited, but she was tired. “I have a surprise!”

“Is it a nap?” Mabel asked, her voice getting muffled by the mattress as she was too tired to even lift her head.

You didn’t answer her, but Mabel heard you shuffled around then she felt the bed dip next to her. She managed to turn her head so she could look up at you. You had one hand rested on the mattress and you leaned back, her sleepiness not seeming to deter your excitement in the slightest.

“What?” Mabel asked softly. As tired as she was, she didn’t want to be grumpy because you were clearly very excited about something. The last time you had come into the apartment that happy was when you bought the boat.

“Rest,” you whispered, gently brushing a few strands of hair out of the way that had fallen across her face. Mabel opened her mouth to argue but you shushed her. “Take a nap and then I’ll show you.”

“Are you sure?” She mumbled, already closing her eyes.

“It’ll be better at night anyway.” That was the last thing Mable heard before she let sleep take her.

Mabel wasn’t sure how long she was out but when she woke up, she felt much more well rested. She rolled over, furrowing her brow when her face went into a pillow. She sat up and through her sleep filled eyes she could see you had shifted her, so she was properly laying on the bed and you even tossed a blanket over her. When she finally rubbed all the sleep out of her eyes, she finally saw you sitting on the couch, a movie playing in the background as you scrolled through stuff on your laptop.

“Hey,” she rasped out. She quickly slipped out of the bed and went to grab a glass of water from the kitchen.

“Morning,” you said with a teasing tone. “How was your nap?”

“Very needed,” Mabel mumbled as she made her way over to you. She sat her glass on the coffee table then curled up on the couch, burying her head in your neck as she snuggled into your side. She felt, more than heard you chuckle, moving your body to get more comfortable. “Thank you,” she mumbled into your neck.

“Any time,” you whispered. “Are you up for a surprise?” Mabel lifted her head off you but didn’t get out of your space, if you turned your head a little to the right, she would barely have to lean up to steal a kiss. “If not, we can do it tomorrow.”

There was a part of Mabel that wanted to say yes to pushing it to tomorrow. She didn’t know what you had planned and even though her nap was much needed, she could still pass out again in an instant. You were clearly excited about whatever it was you wanted to show her though and she didn’t want to disappoint you, besides she was intrigued by what could have possibly made you so happy.

“Just let me change and we can go,” she said.

You turned your head and gave her a quick kiss. She didn’t miss the way your eyes lit up. She quickly removed herself from your side and got changed. She was pulling down her shirt when she paused and turned back to you. “Does your surprise have a dress code?” She asked.

“Nope!” You said, smiling happily. “Just dress comfortably.” Mabel nodded and continued getting dressed. “Oh, you might want a hoodie as well.” Mabel glanced back at you, narrowing her eyes but you were focused on your laptop again.

When Mabel was all done, she tried to offer to drive the two of you wherever you wanted to go but you refused and begged for her keys. Mabel was beginning to wonder why you didn’t just buy your own car, she didn’t know why they always had to use hers when you always insisted on driving. Mabel handed over her keys though and opted to watch out the window in hopes of figuring out where you were taking her.

Mabel furrowed her brow when you continued to make familiar turns, heading in a direction she had been hundreds of times. “We’re going towards the docks?” she said slowly, though it came out more like a question. You remained silent but Mabel caught the slight smirk on your face.

Mabel couldn’t help but glance at you every few seconds, you weren’t saying anything. You parked the car and ran over to open her door, all without saying a word. She let you take hold of her hand and lead her down to the docks. The more boats you passed Mabel could practically feel you buzzing, if she wasn’t holding your hand, she could picture you running down the dock and jumping up and down.

You finally came to a stop in front of a boat, letting go of Mabel’s hand so she could step forward. She could see you bouncing up and down on your feet as she stood before the boat. She looked up at it, it was nice, in amazing condition. She narrowed her eyes at the name and that’s when it clicked. “You got it in the water?” she asked, spinning around to see her smile matched yours.

You quickly nodded your head up and down and grabbed onto her hand again. “I’m going to change the name,” you said. “But for now she’s officially seaworthy!” You gestured wide at the boat, not letting go of Mabel’s hand in the process. “I’ve already taken her out and she runs smooth,” you smiled up at the boat. “But I wanted to take you out, we can make it a little date?”  You looked down at your feet suddenly getting shy.

Mabel tilted your chin up with her finger and pulled you into a long kiss, she could feel you instantly smiling into it. “Aren’t you going to show me aboard, Captain?” She whispered against your lips when she pulled away.

“Let’s go!” You tightened your grip and dragged her down the dock to board the boat.

You quickly showed Mabel the entire boat. It was a quick tour because it was big enough for only one person to sail it if needed, but it had been a while since she had seen the thing. When she last saw it, it was still a dirty off-white color, all the benches and cabinets were torn out, and most importantly it was not in the water. Everything was put back together now though; the boat was a pristine white with a blue stripe running along it.

After showing off everything Mabel stayed by your side as you backed the boat out of the harbor. She couldn’t help but smile at how weird it felt having the boat moving under her feet. She had never been on a sailboat before, she’d only ever heard your talking about them. She watched how concentrated you got as you turned the wheel, steering the boat in the direction you wanted to go. You took the boat far enough out that when she squinted Mabel could still see the lights of the dock. You dropped the anchor, and Mabel was even more curious as to what your plan was, though she was definitely enjoying it.

“I made us a little picnic,” you said. You climbed down into the boat and a moment later came back up with a little picnic basket.

With one hand you held the basket while the other took Mabel’s once again. She followed you, watching your feet as she carefully stepped where you did. You led her to the deck in the front of the boat. It wasn’t that most ideal place to sit, there were actual seats inside and back by the wheel, but for some reason you wanted to sit at the front. You sat the basket down and grabbed the blanket tucked between the handles before laying it out.

Mabel followed your lead and took a seat on the blanket. It was dark out, but the moon and stars lit up the sky enough that the two of you could see what you were doing. You reached into the basket and pulled out two bottles of soda and she happily took one of them from you. You reached in again and pulled out two sandwiches wrapped in plastic. Mabel happily took the one you held out to her, as soon as she unwrapped it, she knew you had made her favorite.

“When did you do all this?” She asked. It was relatively simple looking, but it was clear you had thought everything through, this didn’t seem to be something you planned in one day.

“While you were sleeping,” you admitted shyly. “‘Made the sandwich’s, got everything in the basket, brought the basket here, came back. All while you were still sleeping.”

“I was tired!” Mabel defended, playfully slapping you on the arm before taking a bite of her sandwich.

You just chuckled and ate your own sandwich. The two of you sat in silence, looking out at the ocean. Mabel had to admit, it was pretty nice, the ocean was truly beautiful even at night, even the way the ship swayed didn’t bother her. When the two of you were all done you put the basket to the side and laid back, Mabel followed your lead and the two of you looked up at the stars. It was slightly uncomfortable since people weren’t meant to be lying on that part of the boat, but it was still somehow perfect.

Mabel had a small smile on her face as she stared up at the stars, she had never been able to see them so clearly. Living in the city, even a small town, meant the stars weren’t as visible, she had never seen so many scattered across the sky. She turned to steal a glance at you when she noticed you were already staring at her.

“What?” she asked with a light chuckle.

You gave a little shrug. Your eyes flicked down, away from her face as if you were afraid of what she might see. She looked down when she saw the blanket moving, seeing you picking at the fabric. It wasn’t often you got all shy on her, you were usually annoyingly confident.

You flicked your gaze back to here and the two of you just stared into each other’s eyes. “I love you,” you whispered. Mabel’s entire body froze, she wasn’t sure if you started rambling because you noticed or because you were just so nervous. “You don’t have to say it back, I don’t expect it, no pressure. I just-”

Mabel cut you off with a kiss. She rolled over so she was practically laying on top of you. She made the kiss long and drawn out, trying to express how okay she was with what you said. When she finally broke the kiss, she looked down at you, seeing you wear that goofy grin you always had after she kissed you. “I love you too,” she whispered, before leaning down to connect your lips again.

She lost track of time after that; she had no idea how long she ended up kissing you. When she was finally satisfied, she scooted closer to you, making sure her body was pressed again yours. You wrapped your arm around her, pulling her closer. She rested her head on your chest as the two of you went back to staring up at the stars, both of you sporting matching smiles.

[thinkinonsense]

SEVEN DAYS

x2!logan howlett x fem!reader

cw: desperate!logan, eating reader out, fingering, squirting?

the mission was only supposed to last for two days. forty-eight hours and he would return home to you. instead it was dragged out much longer than it needed to be.

logan wanted nothing more than to be home in your arms instead of a motel room alone, painfully hard, trying to tune out scott snore on the other side of the wall.

so, on thursday afternoon when him, scott, and storm returned to the mansion, logan wasted no time hunting you down. he could smell you the second he walked through the front door; you were in charles office. charles, hank, jean, and you were meeting to discuss a new experiment when logan bursts through the door.

"logan! pleasure for you to join us." hank announces.

your head snaps up from your scribbling to see that your lover has returned safely. he looked like a lion ready to pounce on a naivë little lamb.

"just came by to pick something up." logan answers, ignoring everyone else in the room as he made a b-line for you.

"hey, baby–"

within seconds, logan lifts you up over his shoulder and out of the leather seat. you squeal, dropping your notepad and pen. your kitten heels kick his abs as your squirm in his arms.

"logan!" you hiss, swatting his toned back as he turns around to walk out of the room, unphased. "what the hell! put me down!"

he ignores you, pulling down your dress to cover your behind from your co-workers. no one was shocked by logan's actions. the man wasn't a patient person by any means. they all watched as you left over logan's shoulder, face blushing with embarrassment.

when logan finally shut your guys bedroom door, he placed you down on the edge of your bed; yet to say a word to you. instead, he falls straight to his knees in front of you. his big callous hands, rubs the soft skin of your inner thighs, opening your legs.

logan couldn't help but moan when he saw the pretty lacy light blue panties you were wearing. you could see the neediness in his eyes as he licked his lips. before he can remove your underwear, you cradle his face in your much smaller palms.

"you alright, baby?" you ask, looking down at him.

similarly to a cat, logan rubs the scruff of his beard against your thigh, pressing his nose against the thin panties; inhaling the scent of your arousal. you run a hand through his hair, scratching his scalp softly before your fingers tugging on the kitten tuffs, making him whimper against your pussy.

"mhm..." he manages to say. "i missed you."

"aw, i missed you–"

"missed your scent, your lips, your mouth..." his words are muffled as he kisses you messily over the lace. "missed this fuckin' pussy so much."

you gasp when he pulls down the soaked material and moves back for a second to look at you. he spreads you apart with his thumbs, watching you twitch and clench at the cool air hitting your pussy. she was warm, wet, and welcoming to him. logan couldn't imagine a better way to spend the rest of his day.

"there's my favorite girl." logan smiles before spitting right on your button and latching his mouth onto you. you moan loudly as he talks to your pussy, acting as if you weren't even in the room.

"you've missed me too, huh, pretty girl?" he moans incoherently as his tongue runs over core.

it's a struggle to keep your eyes open but it was worth the sight of logan's head in between your legs. the noises he made with your slick were unbelievably lewd.

"must've missed me a lot." you giggle, trying to catch your breath as he wraps your legs around his head.

"you've got not fuckin' idea." he mumbles into your folds. spit and slick pooled onto the sheets that laid under you as logan feasted.

logan looks up at you and fears he might cum just from the image of you with your head thrown back, eyes rolled back and mouth slightly parted as you sing his praise of 'right there, logan!', 'such a good boy for me'.

the 'good boy' comment threw logan's mind into a frenzy. he needed to hear you. he needed to be surrounded by your presence. two of his fingers dip into you, fast and rough. your thighs squeeze his head, threatening to pop it right off his body.

there was no time to warn him before your high hit. logan slurped up every bit of honey you had to offer him. you reach down for the hand that wasn't busy locating your sweet spot and place it on your tit. logan could feel your heartbeat and it only sent him further on his spiral, adding a third finger and repeatedly hitting that spot that made you see fireworks.

"i c-can't, logan" you mewl, wiggling back from logan's tongue. he catches you, latching back onto your button. "it's too m-much!"

"she's takin' me just fine." his voice is muffled against you in the dirtiest way possible.

the pressure builds in your tummy. there were no words in your brain at this point, moaning and babbling about nothing.

"that's the spot, huh?" he groan, smirking up at you. logan's fingers twist up, slamming against that gummy spot deep in your walls.

the motion caused you to let out more slick than you ever had before, gushing on logan's face. you can hear him curse as he licks you clean.

“it’s only been seven days, you know?” you giggle, trying to catch your breath.

he climbs up your body to capture your lips, letting you taste yourself. you moan into his mouth, as logan grinds down on you, needing more.

“seven days too long, sweetheart.”

⭒˚‧ ︵‿⭒ཐིཋྀ ཐིཋྀ⭒‿︵ ‧˚⭒

a/n: just something short n sweet before i post part 2 of dad!logan x teacher!reader <3

[sadhours]

the diner - part one

billy hargrove x fem!reader

cw: 18+ minors dni, stalking, murder, toxic relationship, trauma, hallucinations, flayed!billy, peeping Tom, masturbation briefly mentioned, horror

He survived. Somehow— someway. Billy survived. Took care of what he should have so long ago. But that monster lingers, still alive within him.

You’re an innocent girl who works next door to him and he can’t help himself. Could you help him or is he too sick?

read on ao3

part two

Rain slips down, leaving clean streaks across the scum splattered front window of the shop. It’s deep into the evening, town’s asleep except for the truck stop directly next door. Bright lights illuminating the gas pumps, convenience store and the 50’s style diner. The one you work at.

And in the darkness of Route One Garage, Billy stands at the window. Watching. Eyes following as your hair bobs up and down with your steps as you run around the diner. Taking orders, filling coffee cups, carrying hot plates of greasy food made on grills cleaned less often than the health department wants. He’s eaten there, knows you can taste the filth in the food. But it’s the only place to get food this late for miles. The place is full of truckers, different faces but they might as well be the same copy of a person. In and out all day long. Billy’s seen the way they talk to you, been witness to it and just sat there with his blood boiling. Didn’t do anything about it because he’s a pussy and also, because you don’t know him. Sure, he comes in semi-regularly but he doesn’t really talk to you. He can’t for some reason. But before he moved to this teeny, shithole of a place, Billy wasn’t like this. He could talk to any woman. You didn’t look at him like most women did, though.

He watches you like this almost every night. Every night you’re there. Fantasizes about the things he wants to do to you. Sometimes those things are questionable, violent even but sometimes they’re just fantasies of talking to you— making you fall in love.

But he did something that woke up these dark demons deep in him. Well, two things.

Billy still has visions of the shape shifting monster. Haunts his dreams. Recalls each time he led an innocent person to the monster. Regretted not leading his father to the monster. So when he crawled out of the slimy, pulsing portal. He found his dad. Did what he’d always been too weak to do. Billy wonders if that monster still possesses him. If there’s still some of those black, gunky slugs in his stomach. Puked them up for weeks, it felt like.

But he’s thousands of miles from Hawkins. Though it feels like part of him is still contaminated. Made him reclusive, awkward, scarred up. Maybe that’s why he’s scared to talk to you. He knows he doesn’t look like he used to. His hair’s longer, his eyes are darker, his body has starfish shaped scars patterned all over. That charm has been evacuated. He’s not as suave.

Obsessive. That’s how he is now and he knows it but he can’t stop himself.

Billy knows where you work, he knows what you drive and he knows where you live. He has the name of your boss, your parents and your ex boyfriend. He’s followed you to the dive bar in town, walked around the general store and kept his eye on you and the things you buy. He’s full blown stalking you. It’s not his fault, though. That monster gave him this sickness and this town gave him loneliness. A recipe for disaster.

And you’re just so fucking pretty. The way your face lights up when you smile stains his eyes when he closes them. If he focuses hard enough he can hear your voice. Same script over and over.

“Hey, how’s it going?”

“Shop busy, today?”

“Usual tonight?”

“Coffee, eggs over easy, hash browns , extra bacon and sausage, right?”

“Want some more coffee?”

“Anything else tonight? Maybe some apple pie?”

“Ya sure? It’s really good apple pie, I promise.”

“I’ll just get your check, then.”

Sometimes Billy can finish when he’s thinking about those words. Which is sick and he knows that but he feels like he can’t help himself. Wonders what you think of him. You’re not a bitch or anything but you don’t ever look at him like girls used to look at him. Nothing like the moms laid out by the pool. Not like you think he’s good looking but like he’s any other face you see. Which infuriates him but makes him sad about himself more than anything. Occasionally he looks at himself in the mirror until he feels sick. Until he sees his dad. Tells himself he needs a haircut, needs to shave the mustache. Sleep more so he can lose the bags under his eyes. Maybe you’d look at him differently.

The lights flicker, buzz loud enough he can hear it in the shop. He leaves. Locks up the place and his boots take him to the diner. To the same booth he always sits in. Lights up a smoke and meets your eyes from across the place. You don’t flush the way girls used to. In fact, Billy can’t register any kind of reaction on your face. So he flicks his ash on the floor because you’ll have to sweep it up and it feels like he won. Won what? He doesn’t really know, but he wants you to clean up his mess. Gives him some kind of satisfaction.

The script starts when you walk up. A variation of it.

“Late tonight,” you say, filling up his coffee cup without asking. “Must be busy.”

“Sure,” he says. Always keeps it short because you don’t meet his eyes and he can’t meet yours. Instead he stares at your hands, pretty fingers wrapped around the carafe’s handle.

You walk away. To put the coffee away he guesses. Stares at the mug, wraps his own fingers around it and takes a careful sip. His eyes find you behind the counter, giving a look of disdain to your coworker who said something and then you grin. Laugh at whatever she said to you. Then you’re back at his booth and his eyes fall to the table as the script resumes.

“Usual?”

“Yeah.”

“Eggs over easy, hash browns, extra bacon and sausage,” you recite from memory and Billy gets a bit of satisfaction from it. Proud of you for some reason.

“You remember,” he says, low and steady.

You scoff and chuckle, the sound makes his thighs tighten and you say, “Kind of hard to forget it. You’ve never changed it.”

Bold for some reason, he replies, “Maybe I should.”

“We do have a whole six pages on that menu. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you open it, though,” you offer and this is new. It’s off script. Both you and him.

Billy smirks, flips open the menu and peers down at the first page. It’s greasy, a stain of sticky jam at the top left corner and he immediately catches a typo. He purses his lips and continues to flick through it. You pull the notepad from your apron but he’s too nervous to look up at your face. He flips another page and then, finally, looks up at your face.

“What do you like?”

You look shocked. He likes that.

“Uh,” you laugh, a soft little sound and Billy’s skin is hot. “Our patty melt is pretty damn good.”

He closes the menu, slides to the end of the table as he replies, “I’ll have that then.”

“Wow, you’re full of surprises tonight,” you quip, “Fries or potato salad.”

“Why don’t you give me a surprise,” Billy says and then looks away because you’re too fucking gorgeous and he’s on a roll. Kind of feels like his old self right now and looking at you would fuck that up.

You pick up the menu and laugh again, “Sure thing.”

You walk away and he takes a hit of his neglected cigarette, ash falling to the table as he does so. Another mess of his for you to clean. Makes his whole body tingle at the thought. You don’t check on him before his food is done. But Billy keeps checking on you, eyes bouncing up to follow you as you work. Finishes his cigarette and coffee. Takes in the uniform you’re in. The big, bold name on the pin clasped into your blouse.

When you bring his food, you ask, “Got anymore surprises for me tonight?” and his mind runs wild. Sick fantasies. Ideas that make him feel guilty and the charm he’d felt after years slips far, far away.

“No.”

But you say, “Good. Don’t wanna overwhelm me too much.”

You fill his coffee again and walk away. Then he eats and the script resumes as normal. He pays. Sits in his car until all the lights in the diner shut off. Watches you walk to your car, waits a beat after you drive off before he starts his car and follows you. To your house. Keeps waiting until you go inside to park behind your car on the street and watch the numerous lights flick on and off. Aiding in him as he imagines exactly how your night plays out. He thinks you go into the kitchen first. Maybe you get a drink, perhaps a beer. When he’s followed you to the bar, he’s seen you drink beer. Then that lights flicks off and the TV turns on. Can see the variety of brightness and colors through the window. He thinks of what you might watch. Imagines sitting on the couch with you, cuddled up. His thoughts get perverted quickly and before he knows it, he’s staring at your window with his dick in his hand with the fantasy of your mouth on him.

After he finishes, he’s still watching. Until the changing lights of the TV go black and a different light turns on. Bathroom. That window is small. You brush your teeth, maybe wash your face. He takes this time to get out of his car, walk to the window on the side of the house, crouch down and peer through the broken blinds. Your bedroom. You turn the light on, back to the bathroom to turn that light off and return. Close your door and undress. You sleep nude but you keep a robe next to your bed. You flick off the light. Sink into bed and Billy stays for a while. Until he knows you’re asleep. He thinks about sneaking inside but he hasn’t gathered the gusto to do so yet. The whole watching you through the window is new enough. But he’ll escalate soon. Won’t be able to help himself.

Then Billy goes home. Back to his shady little apartment. Falls asleep on the couch with infomercials playing on the TV. He’ll wake up and do the same thing again tomorrow.

—

Dark tendrils wrap around his wrists and ankles. Pull him in opposite directions. His eyes are wide open but his body feels paralyzed. He tries to scream but it’s gargled and there’s a monster limb attaching to his mouth, pulsing down his throat. Fills his belly with baby slugs. The sticky limb retreats him and the constraints on his ankles and wrists unravel and he’s shaking. Thrashing. Screaming. Crying. Pleading.

Then Billy’s awake, sits up straight and pants. Looks around his room and there’s nothing there. Just him and the mess of his belongings. He cries. Then he showers. Makes himself vomit and he sees no slugs. No sludge. Just the dinner and foamy beers he had. Billy showers, water so hot it burns— turns his skin patchy red and tingly. He vomits again. Watches the sick circle the drain. Cries some more. Feels the loneliest he’s ever been. Wonders why he can’t kill himself. Why he doesn’t have the strength to do that.

He’s up too early. Doesn’t work for another three hours. Billy paces his apartment. Chain smokes and pounds coffee. He briefly thinks of Maxine. Stalks over to his freezer and reaches in it for the bottle of vodka he keeps in there and guzzles some of it down. Drowns out Max. Maybe he should make sure you get to work safe. He has to do something. Anything.

The drive to your house is routine, but he doesn’t often do it in daylight. Can’t risk you seeing him, so Billy parks a couple houses down. Chain smokes while he waits and soon enough, you’re walking to your car.

[godmadeaterribleerror]

As Much As I Do - No Love Lost One Shot

Series Masterlist

Author's Note: One-shot request from my love lordofthunderthr! Extra thanks because I've been waiting for the genuine smallest reason to use this gif because it's in no way going to fit into the actual story. Title from Bob Dylan by Fall Out Boy (you guys can pry my Fall Out Boy song titles from my cold, dead hands)

Word Count: 1.8k

Summary/Warnings: Takes place after Chapter 14 and around Chapter 15. It's fluff. Horny fluff.

Ben felt like a fucking cat. She was touching him casually while he “slept” and he was pretty sure he was fucking purring. The Thing was definitely making some sort of goddamn low sound, and Ben couldn’t blame it. She was touching him like it was simple, his head was buried in Her neck, and one arm wrapped was between her body and the mattress while one splayed out across the bed because it goddamn could. He was in their fucking bed and Ben could do whatever the hell he wanted on it. 

Except fuck Her. 

Ben wasn’t allowed to fuck Her. 

He wasn’t allowed to make Her moan and scream and feel fucking good. Fuck Her until she said his name and smiled at him and looked so fucking perfect, undone below him. Or above him. Or against him or in front of him or clinging to his body. He didn’t give a single shit, as long as it was Her. Wanting Ben, touching him, letting him touch her. Like this—where Ben’s breath was in time with her heartbeat and her perfect hands were running through his hair—but until She’d been ruined. Until her beautiful face was flushed and her hands were clawing at his back and her pretty eyes were blown out and lustful and all of it was for Ben. For how he was making Her feel, how she was gasping and begging for him to do it again and again until the only words She knew were Ben and please and everything else was just moans and whines. Until she felt half as damn good as Ben did now, resting on top of Her as she fucking pet him and he had to fight the Thing’s urge to just stay here for the rest of goddamn time. 

“I know you’re awake, Benjamin.” Her voice was so perfect, humming everywhere around him and soothing the Thing, that Ben almost missed her actual fucking words. “I can feel you.” 

He didn’t answer. Maybe She’d just give up, and keep him right fucking here—where they both belonged—forever. 

He should’ve known better. Ben knew Her too fucking well to think she’d ever just let anything go. 

“You’re heavy,” She said, and one hand dropped to the base of Ben’s neck. “And you smell like shit.” 

“Shut the fuck up. I smell fucking fantastic.” Ben didn’t move as he grunted the words against Her skin. He wouldn’t move, not until she damn made him. 

“I knew it.” 

Clever, impossible, perfect fucking woman. With Her happy giggle when Ben squeezed her closer and her gasp when he nipped the skin of her neck.

“That’s a goddamn underhanded move, Sunshine.” He muttered, and when he looked up at Her it was like he’d been struck by lightning. She was smiling at him so gently, eyes still heavy with sleep, and so fucking beautiful. Just looking at him, watching Ben like she’d never want to look anywhere else. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Pretty Boy.” She kept smiling at him, voice smug. “I didn’t do anything.” 

Ben rolled his eyes. “You didn’t know I was awake,” he said Her name, and her smile widened. “You fucking baited me.” 

She shrugged, body shifting under Ben’s and making a small sound that sent a rush of pure fucking hunger through him. “Prove it.” 

Ben had a lot of favorite sounds She made. The small squeak when he flipped her body over his—sitting up with his back against the headboard and sliding her down his chest—was certainly on the damn list. 

“You’re a fucking menace, beautiful.” Ben pulled Her forward slightly, leaning down to growl in her ear. “I don’t think I’ll have to prove it. I think I’ll ask you again and you’ll just tell me.”

When Ben moved back, meeting Her eyes, he could feel her heartbeat under his hands. Resting right at the line of her shirt, never higher. Holding her right where he fucking wanted her. Against him, so when she squirmed he’d feel it. 

“Fuck yo-“ 

He didn’t wait to make a teasing remark or dirty joke. Ben just leaned forwards and touched Her. Kissed her pretty mouth until she opened for him, pushing his tongue in—almost down her throat—and just trying to get closer. As close as he was allowed to be, while still touching her more, making her feel good. Make Her hands pull at his hair, make her whimper a fucking perfect sound from her throat that Ben got to devour. He’d lost sight of his original plan, but he didn’t really fucking care. Not when he bit her lower lip and could revere in the way she leaned further into him, or when he had to try not to lose his fucking mind when she started to grind down on him. Started to practically fucking climb up his body. 

When Ben sucked on her tongue and she made maybe the best sound he’d ever heard in his life—unintelligible and breathless—he had to wrap his arms around Her and pull her into his chest. Hold Her there until he could get goddamn control of himself and not have to explain why he’d fucking cum in his pants. 

“Ben,” She whispered, head in his chest. “You really do smell terrible.”

He chuckled. “Brat.”

“Cunt. Can you please shower so we can train?” 

“I told you last night, we’re not fucking training-“ 

“And I told you, Benjamin, that I do not care what you told me.” She glared up at him, so fucking beautiful, and now Ben had to goddamn pretend he hadn’t already given in. “I am training, with or without you.” 

“You’re a pain in my fucking ass.” 

She smiled at him. “But…?”

Ben rolled his eyes, leaning his head back, forcing himself to stop staring at Her perfect face. “Fine.” 

“Fine?” 

“We’ll train.” 

“Thank you,” She kissed his neck, near his jaw, and hummed against his skin. “Now go shower. You smell like balls.” 

The only thing that kept Ben from taking a year in the shower—letting the Thing grab him and show him all the ways he could’ve just fucked her on the bed, buried himself in her and made her scream—was that sometimes, when they trained her singing, his doppelgänger would appear. It would make Her face flush, make her eyes wide and heartbeat quicken, and Ben would get to taunt her until one of them moved and he was kissing the air out of her lungs. It was something to look forward to. Something that made Ben fucking haul ass, getting in and out of the shower in four minutes flat. 

Ben hadn’t left the room when he realized that She was already singing. She’d gotten more comfortable with it, the longer they practiced, and sometimes would hum softly during movies or while doing normal things. Normal, easy things like laundry or dishes or cooking, simple fucking things that Ben got to share with Her. Got to watch how Her humming would send the world into a spiral of her, all the perfect fucking parts of her cast across the room for Ben to exist in. Colors and lights that he got to watch her sway in. 

This wasn’t that. This was singing. 

With words and instruments and a beat that ran through Ben’s body and bones. With the room turned into a dark club, with lights that flashed and changed in time with the bass. 

And She was dancing. She was singing and dancing and moving with the music like it had been made for Her. Like the rhythm had been designed to follow her legs, and the guitar had been made to move her hips. Like the whole fucking song had been perfectly tailored to her voice and how she moved through it. How she didn’t stop for even a second, never losing a breath, performing for no one like her life depended on it. 

It didn’t, but Ben’s life might. Everything in the world might hinge on letting her just dance like that forever. The Thing wanted all of this. All of Her, forever, like this, or it would fucking explode. Ben had no will to push against it. Not when She was dropping down and twisting and turning her body and so lost in it that she didn’t even see Ben. Falling to her knees and leaning back while her hands gestured with the lyrics. Trailed down her body and up again. Wrapping around her throat before falling to the side. Her whole fucking voice saying every word like it had been written for her, the whole face twisting with the emotions of the song, smiling and dropping into a pout and so fucking perfect. 

She only saw Ben when the song ended. When the club disappeared and they were back in the apartment, leaving Ben no longer hidden in the shadows of her illusion. He should probably feel like a goddamn creep, but Her mouth fell open and her heart picked up, so he couldn’t really bring himself to give a fuck.

“Hi,” She whispered, and Ben grinned at Her.

“Hello.”

“How long-“ 

“About three minutes,” he crossed the room until he was standing above Her. “Almost the whole fucking show.” 

“You, um, you showered fast.” 

Ben winked at Her. “I’d have showered faster if I’d known I was missing something. You do dance like a fucking slut.” 

She scoffed, wrinkling her nose at him. “That’s pretty high and mighty for the manwhore to say.” 

“It was fucking hot,” he lowered himself down until his nose was bumping hers. “I think I prefer your slut dancing, Sunshine. It’s more you.” 

“More me?” She gave him a flat look. “Fucking rude.” 

“How the hell is that-“ 

“You just called me a slut, Benjamin. That’s not very nice.” She whacked his chest, and Ben caught her hand. Held it there. 

“It’s more you because it’s fucking loud. Because it’s fucking captivating and hot. So fucking beautiful and good.”

Because it’s fucking perfect, the Thing rumbled. Because you’re fucking perfect. 

She was watching Ben with wide eyes. Opening and closing her mouth like she was going to say something. 

Instead, she fucking tackled him. Rammed Her body forward, crashed her mouth against his, and let Ben pick her up and carry to the couch. Training could fucking wait. Everything could fucking wait. She was making that same perfect sound from before, and her hands in his hair were making him groan, and when his hand started to kneed at her skin she made such a happy fucking sigh and Ben knew everything could wait. This was just Her. Making the Thing content and goddamn purr in his chest. Making Ben grin against Her neck when he sucked that one spot and she moaned his name. 

The whole world could go fuck itself. This was Her.

End Note: Let's all say thank you to @lordofthunderthr for some easy fluff in these dark times (Chapter 16 to a secret chapter number I cannot yet say).

I'm going to start a separate tag list for one-shots, so lemme know if you want to be added!

If you like this story, reblog, share, or leave a comment! <3

[iamgonnagetyouback]

𝟷𝚔 || 𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇 𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄

♡ ︎ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ: You were high maintenance and Mattheo loved maintaining you; but only on one condition.

♡ ︎ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ: None

♡ ︎ꜱʜɪᴘ: Mattheo Riddle x Reader

Mattheo Riddle is completely infatuated with you, his high-maintenance girlfriend who has him wrapped around her perfectly manicured finger. You live for pink, makeup, long nails, and every glamorous touch, and Mattheo? He adores it. The upkeep, the attention, the endless pampering—he loves treating you like the princess you are. He proudly carries your bags, ensures your makeup is perfectly stocked, and always knows exactly when it's time for a nail appointment.

But there's one rule. Mattheo's just as high maintenance in his own way, only in the form of your undivided attention and affection. The moment you stop pampering him—whether that’s running your fingers through his hair, spoiling him with sweet words, or letting him cling to you like a koala—he turns into the neediest boyfriend alive.

One morning, you’re sitting in front of your vanity, carefully applying lip gloss when Mattheo saunters in, his eyes immediately locking on you. His face falls slightly when you don’t greet him with your usual kiss.

“Why aren’t you paying attention to me?” he whines, crossing the room in two strides and resting his chin on your shoulder. “I’ve been waiting for my turn for ages.”

You laugh softly, twisting in your chair to face him. “Mattheo, I’m just doing my makeup. I’ll give you attention in a sec.”

But that doesn’t fly with him. Before you can finish, he’s scooping you up from the chair, plopping down on the bed with you tucked in his arms. He nuzzles his face into your neck, a dramatic sigh escaping his lips. “I don’t care about your makeup. I care about you.”

You grin, brushing a hand through his messy curls. “You’re being dramatic. And you act like I don’t give you enough attention, Matt."

"Because you don’t," he pouted dramatically. "You can’t just look this good and not let me have you all to myself. It's unfair."

You giggled and kissed his cheek, leaving a faint pink lipstick stain. "I’m almost done. What, you miss me already?"

"I always miss you," he mumbled.

“I need my pampering too,” he murmurs, holding you tighter. “I can’t function without it.”

You know his antics, but it’s still the cutest thing in the world. You lean down and place a soft kiss on his cheek. “Poor baby, did I neglect you?”

He nods, lips pouting in full force. “So much. I don’t know how I’m even surviving.”

You giggle, but comply immediately, peppering kisses across his face until he’s smiling lazily. “Better?”

“Almost,” he mumbles, pulling you even closer. “Don’t leave me.”

"I’m just going to meet up with some friends, Matt," you giggled, running your nails lightly through his hair. "I won’t be gone long."

He lifted his head, giving you a pout that was far too cute for someone who looked as dangerous as he did. "I don’t care. I’m coming with you."

You rolled your eyes, but you couldn’t deny how much you loved his clinginess. He always wanted to be near you, touching you, even when you were doing something as simple as getting ready. It was endearing, the way he never wanted to be without you.

"Fine," you said, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. "But only if you promise to behave."

"No promises," he grinned, holding you tighter. "But you’re stuck with me, princess."

And honestly, you wouldn’t have it any other way.

[thevillainswhore]

Loverboy

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

Word Count: 4.3k

Summary: Bucky, a lovesick, pining super soldier, vows to keep his feelings for you a secret — no matter how obvious his crush may seem. Those plans are ruined between a meddling Sam, an embarrassing fall, and a visit to the medbay with you.

Warnings: Avengers AU, Bucky’s POV, fluff, crack (my lame attempt at comedy), suggestive thoughts (no smut), just our boy being a lovesick little bean with a big ol’ crush.

Author’s Note: Dividers by @saradika. Proofread by @buckys-wintersoldier, thank you so much sweetie, I love you!! This was inspired by a wonderful request from @prettyboy56, thank you so much! Hope you enjoy x

“Hi, Bucky.” 

Instantly, he sputtered over his mouthful of cereal, eyes watering from his food going down the wrong way. 

Bucky knew that melodic voice before his gaze even reached its owner. You entered the kitchen, wiggling your fingers at him in greeting. 

Clearing his throat, he swiped his bowl to the side, his breakfast now forgotten about, and directed his attention solely onto you. “Hi—um h—hello, doll.” 

The muscles of your cheeks lifted up to your eyes in a smile that made Bucky swoon. Hard.

Your eyes fell to Sam then, who stood in the corner, fresh from a workout with a shit eating on his face. “Good morning, Samuel.” 

“Mornin’, beautiful. How did you sleep?” 

Bucky fought the growl rising in his throat, the unprecedented possessiveness caving its way through its internal barriers in your presence. 

You grabbed a bottle of water out of the refrigerator and closed the door, leaning your back against it to take a big gulp. 

“Not bad at all.” You licked your lips, ridding the dryness that came from a long slumber before your eyes lit up. “Oh, by the way! I drank some of that tea you recommended. It’s helped a bunch—”

Bucky zoned out while you continued to express your gratitude to Sam. He couldn’t help the way his eyes dilated as he rested his head in the palm of his vibranium hand, a lovesick sigh escaping his lips. You were just so gorgeous – a deity in human form right in front of his own very eyes. Bucky had never considered himself so lucky in all his time on earth to be within your vicinity. 

In his own world of oggling, Bucky didn’t notice how the conversation fell short between you and Sam. Neither did he realise how the two of you were staring at him; you with concern and Wilson smothering his laughter with his hand. 

“Bucky? Sweetheart?” He finally registered that you were speaking to him and almost choked, again, on his own spit.

“Mhm?” Bucky murmured, drunk off your attention. 

You smiled once again, so devastatingly beautiful that his left arm whirred in stupor. “Are you okay? You feeling alright?” Not waiting for a response, you walked over to him and Bucky almost let his eyes roll to the back of his head when you lifted your wrist to his forehead. “Jeez, you’re a little hot, Buck.” 

Sam keeled over in hysterics, unable to keep his composure any longer. Meanwhile, a bright red blossom of colour rose up from the skin of Bucky’s neck all the way up to his cheeks. 

Had Bucky not been embarrassingly infatuated by you, the throwaway comment wouldn’t have had any effect on him. But this was you. The woman who had the ability to make him melt on the spot. 

While logic and a basic level of common sense screamed at him that you were talking about his temperature, his mind could only conjure up the fact you had called him hot. 

Bucky saw your mouth moving, however he couldn’t concentrate on the sound of the words coming out of it. You were still touching him, patting his cheeks and sweeping the tendrils of hair that had fell out from behind his ears out of his face. The close proximity of your bodies threw him through a loop and without even realising, his thighs spread further, subconsciously begging you to forego all boundaries and smother yourself against him. 

Gently tapping his nose three times, you managed to gain his full attention again. “You seem out of it, sweetie. Maybe you should go down to the medbay. See if you’re coming down with a fever or something.” 

Sam blew out a breath of air. “Yeah, because that’s what’s wrong with him.” 

You threw a lighthearted glare his way before bringing your eyes back to Bucky. “Promise me you’ll get seen to?” 

How could he refuse when you asked so sweetly? “Anything you want.” He vowed sincerely. 

Scrunching your nose, you chucked his chin and whispered under your breath, “Good boy.”

Bucky almost whimpered when you withdrew your hands and stepped back. He so desperately wanted to follow you and nudge your arm until you paid attention to him once more. Your touch was fire and a cool breeze all at once. Electricity that created static across his stubbled cheek, yet also stoked a warmth through his entire body.  

Peace. He’d never felt anything like it. Never before felt drunk from just the delicate essence of a perfume or experienced the loosening of his limbs, relaxing until his legs felt like jelly whenever you so much as cast him a glance. 

You grabbed a piece of fruit from the table, ready to go down to the gym and train. “Catch you later, Sam,” you called over your shoulder. Meeting Bucky’s eyes a final time, you winked while you headed for the elevator. “Bye, sweetheart.”  

Bucky’s gaze was glued to you, following you out hopelessly until you were completely out of sight. 

He was fucked — well and truly out of his depth. 

Sam crossed his arms and smirked. “You are down bad, man.” 

Bucky swiped a hand over his face, sighing deeply. “Fuckin’ tell me about it.” 

“This is serious.” Sam sobered up, his lips softening into an honest smile. 

With an embarrassingly loud thud against the island countertop, Bucky let his head drop. “I have no idea what to do, Sam. I thought this crush would have passed by now but it’s been months.”

“Well,” Sam raised an eyebrow. “Have you even tried asking her out?” 

“And why would I do that?” Bucky asked, genuinely confused. 

Sam sputtered over his words. “What do you mean—Because that’s what people do when they like someone, you dumbass!” 

Bucky had lost enough braincells daydreaming about you constantly. He didn’t need to be told what he already knew. But the pressure of asking you out to then have a chance of being rejected? He would never come back from that. “Yeah, no thanks,” he mumbled.

“Come on, man. What’s the worst that could happen?” Sam asked. 

Bucky lifted his head up and huffed sarcastically. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe she could turn me down and rip my heart out into little pieces, so much that I would hide out in my room for the rest of eternity never to be seen again?” 

“Now you’re just being dramatic.”

Bucky sighed longingly. “Let me wallow in my misery alone, Sam.” 

“Why? So you can spend your days staring at her with your googly eyes and drooling over her.” 

“I have never drooled over her,” Bucky snarled. 

A twinkle shone in Sam’s eye, a mischievous grin donning his face. “Then what’s that on your chin?” 

Bucky’s eyes widened and he quickly brought his hand up to his face to check if he did in fact have any wetness coating his mouth. Finding none, he looked back to Sam with a scowl. “I hate you.”

Sam shook his head with laughter. “You shouldn’t make it so easy to tease you, loverboy.”  

With a growl, Bucky lifted from his seat and stormed out of the kitchen. 

The irritating voice followed him. “Don’t forget training tomorrow morning, loverboy!” 

The sun was shining over the compound the next morning and so came the bright idea from Steve that all exercise activities should be held outside. While the recruits in training buffed up on their sparring with the Captain, the rest of the avengers worked out as they saw fit. 

As usual, Sam took any opportunity possible to annoy Bucky, which brought them together, running laps around the outdoor track. 

“When are you gonna man up and ask her out then, Cyborg? Pretty girl ain’t gonna be available forever.” 

Bucky wasn’t entirely sure why he didn’t run ahead of Sam. It wasn’t as if he couldn’t. Maybe the pace he kept alongside Wilson allowed him to stare at you so clearly in your tight workout leggings and sports bra as sweat sensually rolled over your skin. Maybe. 

“I’m not asking her out, Sam. Drop it.” 

Sam huffed out an annoyed breath. “Listen, man. It’s not as if you’ve got nothing going for you. As much as you’re a grumpy shit, you’ve got them blue eyes the chicks love. Gets them all gooey when you give them intense eye contact, y’know?” He reluctantly added, “And they dig the brooding, bad boy, leather jacket vibe.”

Bucky let out a rare smile within the presence of Sam. “You tryna hit on me, Wilson?” 

“Look, all I’m saying is you have a chance.” Sam slyly glanced over the field. “And if you don’t quit fuckin’ around, that chance is gonna disappear.”  

The smile instantly dropped from Bucky’s face. “What do you mean by that?” 

Sam’s signature smirk came back with vengeance. “Your girls lookin’ kinda cute today. So I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but you ain’t the only one who’s got their eye on her.” 

Naturally, Bucky followed his instinct and let his eyes look over at you. You were a fucking wonder, of course he knew that. But heeding Sam’s ominous warning, Bucky allowed his gaze to venture out, only allowing you to blur into the background for a couple of seconds while he took stock of the other male, and female, recruits. 

Low and behold, plenty of other people wantonly stared at you while you completed your circuit, almost salivating over their barely concealed pining. As much as Bucky hated to admit it, the fucker was right. You were the pinnacle of everyone’s attention. 

With the way you were bending over, squatting and looking like an angel amidst the perspiration the sun brought on, Bucky wasn’t sure if he could actually blame anyone for it. 

That didn’t stop the ugly, green eyed beast within him that wanted to tear everyone’s eyes out for daring to glimpse at you. 

It was silly, he knew he had no right to feel any sort of possessive nature for you. Unfortunately, you didn’t belong to him. Still, he couldn’t control the deep rooted urges that whispered the kinds of fun he’d have gouging out eyeballs that looked where they weren't supposed to. 

Knowing he had stirred the pot enough, Sam figured it was time to try and hit the final nail in the coffin in order to make his friend move his ass. “Y’know what gives you an advantage though, man?” 

Bucky continued to death stare the surrounding agents, while keeping up with his steady jog. “What’s that?”

“Guess who’s making eyes at you right now.” 

At breakneck speed, Bucky snapped his head back around to you, only to indeed find you staring at him with a fire in your eyes and your bottom lip trapped between your teeth. 

A violent shudder ran down his spine and for a moment, the whole world stopped on its axis, allowing Bucky to revel in a daydream brought to life. 

That was until his mind snapped him back into the present. The super soldier was majestic on his feet in a fight, graceful yet utterly dangerous out on the field even with the pressure a mission came with. 

However to his utter bewilderment, you happened to be the most dangerous being he had ever come across, because in all of his years as a trained, professional assassin, Bucky had never, never, tripped over his own feet. 

And so, inevitably, Bucky’s face ungracefully met the asphalt of the outside track with an audible thunk. 

A collective of gasps, oo’s, and ah’s, rang around the large group. Bucky could physically feel the coating of red, hot embarrassment climbing up to his now scratched cheeks.  

Bucky couldn’t see the look of shame and pity on Sam’s face as he dropped his head into his hands. All he was capable of was fantasizing faking his own death and moving far, far away where no one who witnessed his fall could ever find him.  

With a painful, deep groan, Bucky managed to roll himself over. He couldn’t bear to open his eyes and allow himself to accept reality yet and so he kept them closed, waiting for the ground to swallow him up or for the beaming sun to slowly incinerate him, melt him into the ground with his shame and dignity. 

But instead of either of those, a shadow casted over him, the harsh brightness behind his eyelids dulling down. Slowly, he peeked an eye open, only for mortification to kick him in the gut when he found you standing over him. 

“You alright there, Soldier?” Your hands were set on your hips, those deliciously curved grooves of your body that he had shamelessly stared at one too many times during gym sessions. 

“Mhm,” he gulped, his Adam’s apple bobbing roughly. “Just peachy.” 

Even though you’d just seen him eat dirt, in front of hundreds of learning recruits and the rest of the avengers, your smile was kind as you held out your hand. “Need some help?” 

Bucky took your offering, sliding his clammy palm into your dry one and hoisted himself up with your grip. He hadn’t needed your help, he was a super soldier with a metal arm; an agility and strength beyond normal human ability. But he wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to feel your soft skin against his. 

He couldn’t look you in the eye as he stood up, aware of your gaze glued to him. “Th-Thanks.” 

“It’s not a problem,” you said. “Although, you’ve got a few nasty looking cuts on your cheeks.” 

Bucky brought his left hand up to his face, hissing when the cool vibranium stung the open wounds. “Ah, it’s nothin’—don't worry about it. Nothing a few hours won’t fix.” 

You shook your head fondly. “Well, how about I walk you to the infirmary and we get some ointment on them? It wouldn’t hurt to be cautious.” 

Bucky choked on his own spit and snapped his eyes to yours. “W-We?” 

Your smile was blinding — so beautiful with an ability to stop time. At least for him anyway. “Yeah, why not? It looks like you could use a hand—y’know, since you’re a little clumsy on your feet today.” The cheeky smirk that followed your words almost sent him to an early grave.

His cheeks blazed. Bucky was sure he looked utterly stupid, with his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. But he couldn’t help the effect you had on him. “I um—I— ha, I guess.” 

Your eyes glinted mischievously. “I’ll take that as a yes?” 

Not trusting his voice to hold steady, Bucky simply nodded. 

“Great,” you approved. “Just one question though, are we going to keep holding hands on the way?”

Looking down to the space between you, Bucky felt his mouth dry when he saw that he hadn’t yet released his hand from yours. “I’m—oh fuck—I’m so sorry.” 

Still, he made no move to slacken his grip. 

You tightened your lips, and he knew you were willing yourself not to laugh for his sake. Sam would have a fucking field day with this. 

Though to his surprise, instead of pulling away like he expected you to, you began pulling him along, hands still interweaved. “Let’s go get you cleaned up, Bucky.”  

His name on your lips was akin to a siren singing her song; dragging helpless seamen to their deaths. A thought crossed his mind then, that he didn’t think he would mind so much if he sank to his reckoning, not if your voice was the last thing he ever heard. 

“Okay.” Bucky followed you blindly, eyes glued to your conjoined hands and disbelieving of his luck. 

You had led the way towards the medbay and found a cozy, private room that the doctors used for small injuries. Bucky sat impatiently on the side of the medical bed, twiddling his thumbs and fidgeting restlessly. Never had he been so close to you, alone. 

Bucky internally prayed with all his faith that you couldn’t hear the rapid staccato of his heartbeat. He was sure if he was hooked up to a monitor, the doctors would be thoroughly concerned about his health. 

Finally having gathered all the supplies you deemed necessary along with a first aid box, you walked back over to the bed and dumped everything next to him. 

“So,” you began, an uneasy conspiratorial tone to your voice that weirdly reminded him of Sam. “Wanna tell me what happened out there?”  

“I—,” Bucky sheepishly scratched the back of his neck while his cheeks bloomed crimson red. “I must’ve just tripped over my own feet.” 

He tried to shrug off his nonchalance, but he knew by your raised eyebrow you didn’t believe him. “Somehow, I have a hard time believing a big, strong super soldier such as yourself has any trouble finding his footing.”

Before Bucky could muster up any other excuse but the truth, you ripped open the packet of a medical wipe and warned him, “I’m sorry. This is gonna sting.”

“Nothing I can’t handle,” he said with bravado. 

Bucky wasn’t prepared for the twinkle in your eye as you mumbled under your breath, “I’m sure it isn’t, Sargeant.” 

The breath got knocked out of his lungs. Oh did that do things to him. 

Suddenly, vivid images of you spread out on his bed wearing nothing but his old army hat while you screamed out his rank ran wild in his mind. 

Luckily, you were too preoccupied with cleaning the dried blood of his wound to notice him discreetly palming the bulge in his athletic shorts, trying to hide the effect you had on him. 

“Are you certain there is absolutely no other reason as to why I’m playing nurse right now, then?” Your feline grin was sexy and scary. “No possible distractions that led you off path?” 

There was no way you could read minds, right? Bucky doubled down on his denial, shaking his head from side to side and letting the length of his hair hide the truth in his eyes. 

“I’ll take your word for it then.” You finished up and reached for the healing gel. “I know the serum enhances your ability to repair the cuts, but I’d still like to use this.” Looking into his eyes, you asked, “Only as long as you’re okay with that, of course.” 

Time stopped and the two of you were caught in the other’s gaze. It was such a small gesture, one you probably didn’t even realise meant the world to him. But you asked him for permission on something that would affect his autonomy and if Bucky didn’t already have a hundred ways he was falling for you, that would have been the cherry on top. 

“Yeah,” he breathed airily. “Yeah, I’m good with it, doll.” 

Unseen to him before, you ducked your head and sweeped your hair behind your ear and if Bucky didn’t know any better, he was sure you were shy. 

He couldn’t help the large grin he sported. He was always so enamored with you, quick to falter in your presence and become unsure of himself. Right now though, a small bout of bravery returned. “Ready when you are,” he cheekily murmured. 

You hastily rushed to compose yourself. Clearing your throat, you squeezed the tube of gel, allowing a small drop of the cool liquid on the tip of your finger and stepped between his legs to gently dab it onto his cuts. 

“Okay, you’re all fixed up now.” With a last swipe of his forehead, you smiled. “Don’t worry, Buck. You still look handsome.” 

He tugged his plump bottom lip between his teeth. “You think I’m handsome?”

You giggled. “I would be blind if I didn’t.” 

Bucky blinked at you slowly, still processing your words and trying to calm the excited bubble rising in his throat. 

You rolled your eyes playfully. “Oh, don’t act all coy, Bucky. You must have heard the whispers of the recruits. They stare at you all the time, whispering and giggling to each other.” 

With the most confidence he had ever mustered up, he responded, “Truthfully, I’m too busy staring at someone else to notice, doll.” 

The shock of his sudden boldness was glaringly obvious on your face — it was you this time who held your mouth open, lost for words. 

Bucky’s body screamed at him to tell you that he was in fact head over heels for you. That had he known falling over in front of the full compound would lead him within a hair’s breadth away from you, he’d do it all over again. 

But you seemed to recover after a couple of seconds, clearing your throat and making yourself busy to avoid his eyes. “So, I’ve got another question.” 

“Oh?” Bucky cocked his head. 

“Yeah.” You smiled while placing everything back into the first aid box as you found it. “I’ve been hearing a few rumours around the compound recently.” 

Bucky’s stomach dropped with dread. 

“You wouldn’t know anything about those, would you?” 

“I—” Bucky swallowed the lump in his throat. “I have no idea what you mean.” 

“Oh,” you hummed. “So it’s not true then? You don’t have a crush on me?” 

Fuck.

Panicking, Bucky scoffed, though it came off sounding too pathetic, too breezy. “Me? Have a crush on you? That’s—Ha! Nope. No way. Not at all.” 

He watched as you nodded to yourself. Internally, he was begging for the floor to swallow him while he cringed at his own stupidity. 

“Well,” you shrugged. “That’s a shame, I guess.”  

Bucky’s head shot up, eyes wide and shock written over his features. “E-Excuse me?” 

“Oh, it's nothing really.” There was a sparkle in your eye that screamed trouble. “You said you didn’t have a crush on me, so it doesn’t matter.” 

Within seconds, Bucky jumped off the bed and leapt towards you, not even noticing how he had grabbed your hands. “Doll, please. You can’t leave a guy hanging like that.” 

Playfully rolling your eyes, you dramatically exhaled and decided to put him out of his misery. “Leave you hanging? Damn, Buck. It’s not as if I’ve been waiting patiently for you to ask me out for months or anything like that.” 

The air became humid and stuffy and suddenly the clothes attached to Bucky’s body felt too tight and restricting. “You—What now?” 

You rolled your lips inwards, trying to smother your laughter. “Bucky, honey,” you gently murmured. “I’ve heard what the others have been gossiping about. I’ve definitely heard Sam telling the team about your crush on me.” 

Bucky squeezed his eyes shut and groaned. “That fuckin’ punk.” 

You squeezed his hands reassuringly and offered him a warm smile when he looked at you. “I’ve just been waiting to hear it from the horse's mouth himself.” 

Bucky’s eyes darted between yours, trying to find any hint of decievement. “You’re serious.”

“Mhm,” you whispered. “Deadly.” 

It took him a couple of seconds to let the new information sink in. Clearing his throat, Bucky untightened his fierce grip on your hands and hesitantly slid them down to latch onto your waist. “So,” he mumbled. “Say if I asked you out to dinner tonight… You wouldn’t tell me I’m a fool and break my heart into a million pieces?” 

Butterflies erupted in Bucky’s stomach at the sensation of your hands sliding over his chest to rest against his neck. “No, Bucky,” you chuckled. “I would tell you that I’m looking forward to our first date, tonight. Nowhere fancy, just casual. Six o’clock sharp.” 

Bucky smiled, all beaming and ecstatic. “I wouldn’t dream of being late.” 

“Good.” You leaned up onto your tip toes and ghosted your lips over his ear. “See you very soon then, Sargeant.” 

Tingles shot down Bucky’s spine and his eyes rolled to the back of his head. He fought tooth and nail to crush the moan that rose up his throat and in his internal struggle, he missed how you’d sneakily slipped out of his hold and started to saunter towards the door. 

He almost begged you to come back; the thought of having to wait for you until the evening was unbearable. But those pesky butterflies that invaded his stomach came back strong and fierce as his gaze became glued to the sway of your hips and the sweet perfume that lingered in your exit. 

“Oh,” you stopped suddenly at the doorway and looked over your shoulder. “One more thing. Don’t go tripping over again, you hear me?” You raised an eyebrow and grinned. “Can’t have you falling for me.”

Your damn smirk was intoxicating and Bucky thought himself the luckiest fella alive to be the one taking you out. He licked his lips and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m afraid I’m gonna have a little trouble with that request, Ma’am.” 

The clench of your thighs was unmissable. The way your eyes dilated called to him. Bucky had more game than he realised and he kept that new information tucked safely into the corner of his mind for a later date. 

You didn’t reply. You didn’t need to. Your actions told Bucky everything he needed to know and so he wiggled his fingers with a huge grin locked onto his face and watched you longingly as you left his sight. 

The minute he couldn’t hear your footsteps any longer, Bucky pumped his fist up into the air and began dancing on the spot. 

In his own bubble of happiness, he didn’t hear the footsteps of a new person entering the hallway. Only when an amused clearing of the throat echoed from the doorway did Bucky abruptly stop his dancing and slowly swivel to the intruder. 

Sam stood there, all cocky and mirthful with a shit eating grin on his face. “About time you bagged the girl, man. Dont’cha think?” 

Instantly, Bucky growled and grabbed the closest apparatus. With a pair of medical scissors, he charged towards Sam, who was quick to wipe the smirk off his face and skid out of the room with a scream.