#the writers came for my throat with this scene

[preacherboyd]

Black Sails | XXXI

[crushpunky]

drew and actress!readers on hot ones

masterlist | actress!reader masterlist

this is based partially off of the new hot ones interview with the obx cast. just imagine drew and actress!reader are on opposite teams rather than drew being the question person lol. yall really seemed to like the last interview-fic i did so voila <3

“I’m already sweating.” Madison said, fanning herself as they filed into the studio. Lights and a white backdrop surrounded a table covered with wings, four chairs on each side. They’d already been briefed on how things were going to go, the eight of them divided into two teams and answering questions, their answers deciding whether or not they’d be subjected to one of the very hot wings laid out in front of them.

Drew came up behind y/n, pulling out her chair for her before heading to his own seat opposite her. She smiled at him, soothing her dress down as the rest of the cast sat down. Madelyn, Rudy, and Carlacia took seats on her team whereas Drew sat with Chase, Madison, and JD opposite them.

“You better not be expecting me to go easy on you, Starkey.” Y/n grinned, resting her chin in her hands as she looked at the man across from her, his eyes crinkling as a smile crept across his face.

“You better not be expecting me to go easy on you, my love.” Drew raised his eyebrows teasingly.

“Ok, are we ready?” One of the producers asked, to which the cast responded with excited (or perhaps anxious) cheers. The camera focused in on Chase, who reached and spun the bottle of hot sauce sitting in front of them, the ultimate decider of which team would go first. It spun for a moment before landing on Madelyn, her teammates erupting with hollers as Chases picked up one of the cards.

“Alright, Mr. Rudy,” Chase smiled cheekily. “Outer Banks has hooked viewers with its countless twists and turns, however, name one storyline you think should’ve never made it out of the writers room.”

Everyone let out some groans and giggles as Rudy began to lose himself in thought… and continued and continued to think.

“Is there a time limit on these?” JD quipped, causing Rudy to roll his eyes, stroking his chin in playful contemplation.

“This is off to a great start.” Y/n said, elbowing Rudy lightly.

“Ok, ok!” Rudy said. “I’d say… I wish they didn’t switch to the second treasure so fast. They should’ve stuck at the first treasure longer.”

“That sounds like an answer to me!” Carlacia clapped as the team opposite them picked up their wings with a groan. They each took a bite, chewing for a second before they all reached for the drinks in front of them.

“Shit.” Drew swore as he took a long sip of milk, his cheeks already beginning to flush a bright red.

“Don’t worry there’s more where that came from.” Y/n grinned as Drew shook his head. Y/n reached in front of her, grabbing another one of the question cards.

“Oh, JD,” Y/n read in a sing-song voice, “Outer Banks centers around a group of teenagers, but our cast ranges from 24 to 33 years old. Which of your costars is the least convincing teenager?”

The table erupted into “oohs” as JD surveyed his co-stars, a nervous grin on his face before his gaze landed on Chase.

“I think I have to say Mr Chase Stokes.” JD chuckled.

“Is it because of the beard?” Chase teased as y/n and her team picked up the wings in front of them. With a deep breath, y/n took a bite, her mouth immediately bursting with heat. With a groan, she reached for the ice water in front of her, hoping to soothe the fire in her throat as her eyes began to water.

“No more jokes, baby?” Drew asked as y/n fanned herself off with her hand. Y/n rolled her eyes, tossing the old question card at him. Drew picked the next card, his gaze locking onto the girl in front of him.

“Oh, perfect. Y/n,” Drew began, “part of Outer Banks’ charm is the chemistry between the cast. That being said, who here is the worst scene partner?”

“Oh no!” Y/n groaned, putting her face in her hands as the table broke out in gasps and laughter. She stole a glance at the second wing in front of her, royally coated in fiery hot sauce before thinking of an answer.

“Ok, ok! I’m going to answer, but,” y/n said with an anxious giggle, “you have to let me explain!”

Her co-stars leaned in, each of them with looks of anticipation covering their faces as y/n sat up straighter in her seat.

“My answer is…” y/n paused for dramatic affect, chewing at her bottom lip nervously, “Drew, but—”

Everyone erupted into shrieks and laughter, Drew’s jaw dropping at his girlfriend’s answer. Madelyn covered her mouth, locking eyes with Carlacia before they both turned to y/n.

“No, no, no! You have to let me explain!” Y/n reached across the table, grabbing Drew’s hand, his mouth still agape.

“This is going to be good.” Rudy chuckled.

“He’s not a bad scene partner, he is just so different from Rafe and always makes me laugh, so it takes us a million takes to get a scene done!” Y/n clarified, Drew’s shocked expression melting into a small smile.

“See, you’re just such a funny guy and I love you so much that it makes it hard to do scenes with you. It’s a compliment, really, baby.” Y/n finished with a quirk of her eyebrows, her costars swooning as the couple gazed at each other softly.

“Good save, good save.” JD teased as he and his team reached for another hot wing. The game continued for several more rounds, various questions, and, of course, lots of spicy wings, until they finally made it to the finale.

The table was moved out, their seats being arranged in a circle for a cutthroat game of musical chairs that would ultimately determine the winner of the game. Round after round, the numbers dwindled until one chair and two players remained: y/n and Drew.

“No mercy, y/n!” Madelyn shouted from the side as y/n and Drew rounded the chair slowly.

“C’mon Starkey boy!” Chase cheered. Y/n looked up for a moment, her eyes meeting with Drew’s as the music suddenly stopped. Before she knew it, Drew’s arms wrapped around her torso, lifting her off her feet with a shriek. He quickly sat down in the chair, pulling her down with him, and winning the game.

“Sorry baby,” Drew smirked, pressing a kiss to y/n’s cheek. Y/n groaned playfully, tossing her head back to rest on Drew’s shoulder as the two of them laughed in the chair.

“You’re lucky I love you, Starkey.” Y/n grinned, kissing Drew’s jaw.

“Do you? Do you really?” Drew teased, nuzzling his nose into the crook of y/n’s neck, causing her to squeal with laughter. In all her life, y/n would’ve never expected that she in all her competitive nature would be ok with losing a competition, but here she was, happy as ever.

[artbyblastweave]

A few years ago, there was a thread on r/asksciencefiction where someone was fishing for a superhero story with an inverted Omni-Man dynamic, or a setting where Homelander's initial presentation is played straight- a setting where the Superman figure actually is the paragon of morality he's initially presented as, but no other superhero is- a situation where you've got one really competent true-blue hero standing head-and-shoulders in power above what's otherwise a complete nest of vipers.

Someone in the thread floated My Hero Academia; while I haven't read it, my understanding is that that's not really an accurate read of what's going on with Stain's neurosis about All-Might being the only "real hero," that the point of that arc is that Stain's got an insane and unreasonable standard and that taking an endorsement deal, while bad, isn't actually grounds for execution. My own contribution to the thread was Gail Simone's Welcome to Tranquility, where a major part of the backstory involved the faux Justice-League's Superman analogue having a little accident because he's the only one who thought they were morally obligated to go public with the secret life-extending macguffin that the rest of the team is using to enforce comic-book time on themselves and their loved ones; while only a couple members of the team are directly in on it, the rest are conveniently incurious. And Jupiter's Legacy gets tantalizingly close to this- The Utopian, a well-meaning stick-in-the-mud, ultimately gets blindsided and couped by his scheming brother who creates a superhero junta staffed by a Kingdom-Come-style glut of third-gen superheroes, who are framed as fundamentally self-interested because only came onto the scene after most of the situations you legitimately need a superhero to handle have been neutralized. (The rub, of course, is that the comic is also highly critical of the Utopian's intellectually incurious self-righteously 'apolitical' approach to superheroism- if for no other reason than that it left him in a position to get blindsided by a coup!) While Jupiter's Legacy gets the closest, all three of these are only loosely orbiting around the spirit of the original idea, and there's something really interesting there- particularly if the Superman figure isn't hopelessly naive in the same way as Utopian. Because first of all, if you're Metaman or Amazingman or whatever brand-name alias the writer goes with, and you really earnestly mean it, and you put together a team of all the other most powerful heroes on earth in order to pool your resources, and then with dawning horror you gradually begin to realize that everyone in the room besides yourself is a fascist or a con artist or abuser or any other variant of a kid with a magnifying glass eyeing that anthill called Earth- What the hell is your next move?

Do you just call the whole thing off? Can you trust that they'll actually go home if you call the whole thing off? I mean you've put the idea in their heads, are you sure that they aren't going to, like, start the Crime Syndicate in your absence? Do you stick around to try and enact containment, see if getting all of these people on a team makes them easier to keep on a leash? But that's functionally going to make you their enabler pretty quickly, right? Overlooking "should you kill them-" can you kill them? You're stronger than any individual one of them- are you stronger than all of them? The first time one of them really crosses a line in a way you can't ignore- will that be a one-on-one fight? Are they the kind of people capable of putting two-and-two together and pre-emptively ganging up on you if you push back too hard? Do you just start trying to get them killed, or keep them at each other's throats so they can't coordinate anything really nasty? Can you squeeze any positive moral utility out of them, or is that just a way to justify not doing the hard work of taking them down? There've been works where the conceit is to question the default assumption that Superman in specific would be a good person, and there've been works where the conceit is to question the default assumption that superheroes in general would be good people. Something to be done, I think, with questioning the default assumption that everyone Superman becomes professionally close to would be good, and to explore how he'd handle it if they weren't.

[fillinforlater]

On her jeans (Part 2 of 3)

Male Reader x Kim Minji, Pham Hanni (ft. Jisoo, Seungyeon, Seolhyun)

Length: 8018 words

Tags: You know what? How about no tags. Yes, really. This is very similar to the rest of the On her series, especially cuz it's a Part 2. Go have fun, I know you will have it ;)

TW: rushed editing, a terrible friend, nothing but sex matters

Inspiration: @sooyadelicacies

Credit: @sooyadelicacies for being a fantastic co-writer!

-Part 1- -Part 2- -Part3-

(A/N: This fic has it all: from three cameos to rapid fire scene changes to betrayal to an all-time threesome combo. Have fun with these grown-ass women!)

"What the fuck, Unnie?" 

"What?" Kazuha says, not even bothering to turn her attention to the young girl. 

"He… I—" 

The ballerina then turns around to see tears forming in Minji's eyes. This is how so many of them must have looked when the realization came crashing over them like a merciless tsunami. Did I really just do this? Is it worth it? Will he ever have enough?

"As he should." Kazuha's expression turns cold, uncaring.  "I did exactly what you asked me to. I sent you to him. It looks like you weren't good enough for him. That's on you. If you can't stick it out, maybe you aren't cut out for all of this." 

"What—do you really feel that way? Is that why you do it?" Minji sobs.

"At the start sure, but now I know: he is my whole world, all that I could need or want. 

“I love him," Kazuha says with unflinching conviction.

"Really?" Minji shouts and Kazuha quickly shuts her up with a palm on her sore lips.

"Yes, really, and if you screw this up, I swear, I'll make your life a living hell." Kazuha looks around the long corridors of the Hybe building. She then removes her hand from Minji's lips and unexpectedly dives straight to the younger’s ear. "You can be a good girl for him, call him Master or Daddy and get your brains fucked out—but don't ever get in between us. When the time is right, I'll be the only one for him.

"Is that clear?"

"Y-yes, Zuha-unnie."

"Good. Now, what did he say you need to do?"

#

A seemingly never ending, vicious cycle starts for Minji. She works her butt off, dances the entire day, goes through hours of meetings, recordings—and instead of going to bed every day, she takes every conceivable measure to go straight to your office. 

She walks in, lays on the table and waits for you to finish a call. At first, it's a mystery who you are talking to, but she finds out that it's all kinds of producers, managers, executives and most importantly—idols.

"So how is everything going?" Jisoo dreamily asks from the other end of the line.

"Well, I almost fucked up,” you respond in all honesty and drop your pants. “I almost slipped and told one of the new prospects they reminded me of you." 

Jisoo's face softens and smiles. It’s like you can hear every movement of her facial bones. "Oh? Care to tell me who? Is she prettier than I was back then?" 

"Impossible," You say sincerely. 

"You're sweet, but don't think you're off the hook for that little quick tryst you had with Jennie. Rosie's sad about it. You need to make it up to her. And you need to make it up to me too." Jisoo says the last part a bit forcefully and you imagine scrunches on her face to show you her seriousness.

"I know,” you sigh and rub a finger along Minji’s throat and cheeks without thinking about her or the incredible sensation of her skin. “I will, I will. I miss you." 

"I know you do. You tell me every time we talk. I miss you too, Daddy.” That’s always how Jisoo finishes a long distance conversation. She wishes you were there, with a hand in her panties. She wants to moan your name into your ear, your actual name, and not scream it out when rubbing one out under some hotel bed sheets. But Jisoo will have to wait.

The moment you finish the call, you start to pull out your hard cock and press it into Minji’s wide open mouth. She makes sure to keep her lips moisturized at all times, but she can never be ready for the strong impact of your hips hitting her head and rocking her back and forth on the desk.

With every single one of those meetings, Minji's clothes become more revealing, to the point she gasps whenever she sees herself in a public mirror. People on the train start to watch her round ass bounce in short shorts, then in very short shorts, then in a miniskirt.

Minji wonders how she is able to push through this. Her sleep gets shorter, the training rougher, the meetings more intense—worst of all, you become more violent too. It all reaches a peak when Minji is unable to shower because otherwise she would be too late. 

In her dirty, sweaty state, she sprints to your office and bursts through the door, just to be greeted by the sight of you roughly fucking—destroying—the huge ass of a familiar idol.

"You are fuck-ing late!" you growl and slam the bendover idol against the desk a final time. Minji hurries around the wooden monstrosity to get into her, by now well-known position. It is then that she realizes who you are fucking: Seungyeon, the former dancer of CLC.

"What are you?" you shout at Seungyeon and smack her ass hard.

"Your stupid, bubble-butt bitch, Master," she wails in a weird mix of pain and euphoria. She gets a tap on said bubble-butt with your cock.

"How do you want it, bitch?"

"Harder, Master."

"What are you going to get?"

"What Master wants."

"Exactly."

Minji lets her head hang off the edge, only a few inches away from where you annihilate Seungyeon's dignity and her asshole with your inches. Both you and the idol grunt like animals in heat, but for her it sounds blissful, for you more like work.

And so Minji lays there, drenched in sweat, and the weirdness of being forced to watch other people fuck never really fading. It's stranger the more she has seen or admired an idol. No matter who, everyone she saw has folded to you, and Seungyeon might be the most submissive. How she degrades herself and begs for you to ruin and spit on her—

"Good bitch, keep your ass gaping!"

Suddenly, the cock is on Minji's face and she looks past it in shock. Your expression, though a bit exhausted, remains stern.

"Open fucking wide, Minji," you command and Minji gulps. This cock has just been in Seungyeon's ass, maybe for hours, and though it looks spotless, she can't bring herself to—

Minji gasps and that is enough. You push against her lips, into her mouth and start to use it to 'clean' yourself—really, it is just training for Minji to trust you and accept your commands.

Though her first reaction was a gag of disgust, Minji has to admit to herself quickly that Seungyeon's ass on your cock tastes great. It's an embarrassing secret which she will never tell anyone.

You switch between the holes a couple more times before creaming Seungyeon. While Minji has her final cleaning session, you order the older idol to clean Minji's feet and calves off sweat.

No hesitation, Minji realizes, as Seungyeon does not leave out an inch of her skin.

Seungyeon isn't the only one showing complete devotion to you and your every order. You've had a few other idols over before or after Minji's throat-stretching. The young soon-to-be idol knew them, but they weren't the stars yet she saw in your profile list. The thought that you might have been bluffing with controlling the likes of Blackpink, aespa or Red Velvet crossed her mind, but they faded whenever she thought of Kazuha's success.

She wants that too, no, Minji wants to pass Kazuha and so she comes back to you, no matter how hard the companies’ training is fucking her. Then finally comes the day—actually, the day before the day. 

The not-yet NewJeans member lays on your table. She returned from the final pre-debut meeting and was ready for you to quickly walk in and fuck her face, but you never came. For endless hours, the entire fucking night, Minji had to lay there and wait. She could've left at any time, but the gravity of this situation, this presumed test, pulled her down to the flat, wooden surface. 

No matter how uncomfortable it got, she did not stand up. You could be around the corner at any second. The thought of her giving up right as you walk in gave Minji a weird mixture of fear and arousal, further amplified when she had to keep herself from falling asleep. A hand in her soaked panties, Minji played the fantasy out in her head:

You would walk in and find her asleep. Angry by her inability to follow orders and service her Master, you decide to punish her. When you find her panties wet, the desk covered in girl juice, you wouldn't hesitate to plunge into Minji's tight, virgin cunt and fuck her awake. It would hurt, but Minji wouldn't stop cumming!

She can't stop cumming, her fingers rub her clit to completion and now real juice runs down your desk. Minji is wide awake, but an hour later, she does it again, again, again, until you finally enter the room. Casually, as if Minji isn't completely spent and almost fully naked on your work desk.

The sparkle in her eyes is priceless. Out of all the crazy shit you pulled on this formerly innocent virgin, this was the task that broke her. You don't know the exact moment, but you will never forget this moment where you see her orbs and know that she is past her prostitute stage.

"This is actually impressive," you say with a coy smile while gently caressing Minji's forehead. "I see you... had fun last night?"

"Sorry, Master," Minji carefully apologizes and kisses your hand. "I made a mess."

"Don't worry, I'll call someone to clean it later. Now, get on your knees and show me what you have learned."

She is dizzy, barely able to stand, but luckily, Minji's place is at your feet, hands wrapped around your length. Her strokes are soft, careful, and she does not wait to use her tongue on you. After a minute, she sees the impatience in your look and uses her mouth. Quickly it’s wrapped around your tip and for the first time ever, Minji fucks her face on your cock.

"Oh, fuck!" you exclaim. There is some actual joy in that, especially when you can lazily put Minji's hair in a makeshift ponytail and watch her go down on your crotch in surprisingly quick succession. "This is good, this is fucking—great!

"Hold still."

Your heart pumps like crazy, but it's nothing compared to your hips which start to obliterate Minji's throat. Your cock bulges her visibly and she starts to shake. Usually, she'd have her teeth at spots where they don't belong, but at long last, she has learned. 

She takes it well, like a slut should. Not yet one of your perfect sluts however. It's all a bit rushed; her debut, the training, the stretching. Considering this, she is definitely good and her gags sound delicious. 

You pull out of her mouth. Minji triest to catch her breath, instead catches three of your fingers which you also use to fuck her mouth while locking eyes. The salty tears that stream from hers look so delicious and you love how, no matter how many chokes you force out of her, there is no fight or flight response. She takes it.

"Become sloppy, slut, get your drool out. I want to see you become a mess for your Master!"

Minji twitches. She is dazed, your fingers become glazed; then an avalanche spurts forth, of more tears and drool that starts to cover her chin and stain your floor. You want more, so you replace your fingers with your cock and fuck her throat again, never slowly, only hard and fast. At this point, the poor girl beneath you is dehydrated and the pool on her thighs and the tiles excessive. You stop.

"Fuck, this is what I mean. This is how you suck cock, Minji."

"G-glad you l-like it—Master."

"Go clean up your mess."

"Yes, Master."

When Minji goes down to lick and suck her saliva from the floor, you rest your shiny, polished shoe on her cheek and bask in the faint sun, dawning right before your office window.

"You will go home and sleep," you order firmly. "The only contact we will have is when you send me a video of you masturbating in your debut panties. Send me those panties in the mail, and you'll soon lift your first music show trophy."

Lean down after Minji has collected all the slick and press an unmistakable love bite right under her right breast. Minji mewls as you do so.

"The-they'll probably try to hide the mark, Master."

"Good." Pat her head. "No one can know what happened here."

"Of course, Master."

"You've been a good girl, Minji. Now go out there and become a bigger star than you could've ever dreamed of."

"Thank you, Master."

#

Months go by where Minji is mostly a concept for you, some asset to be discussed in meeting with your connections in HYBE. Rarely did she send a direct message to you—except for the video you asked for. It's nice that she didn't totally forget about you. After a busy day that calls for vacation and a nice, warm pussy on your cock, you turn on the TV to watch the most important year-end award show. 

A quick scroll down your contact list, you pick someone you know is nearby, obedient and definitely warm. The calls with Seolhyun are never longer than ten seconds, because she knows she's got to be there for her Daddy.

"You ever miss this?" you ask her when she sits down on your cock, panties still around her ankles, jacket still hanging from her shoulders.

"The awards? Sometimes, but—oh fuck!” Seolhyun is interrupted by you thrusting upwards while you care more for the TV than her. “Yes, more Daddy. They are nothing compared to your cock, your touch, your love!" 

Seolhyun tightens when she moans these words and you give her more of your touch, your thrusts, your cock. Soon she is bouncing in rhythm with it and begs for you to rub her clit. You won’t do so yet, would be boring if she’d get all the things that make her cum so easily.

"What do you think of her, Seolhyun?” You nod towards the screen as it captures Minji in all her beauty and on stage charisma. “Think she can capture the nation's heart like you once did?" 

"Minji, right? I think so."

That is the first time Minji has been in your sight since when her face was pressed to the floor. She looks like a proper star, close to being a super star (their next song will guarantee it) and her attitude reflects that. Don't touch me, I'm better than you, get out of my way, who even are you? - you imagine how she feels towards these other, lesser known people around her. 

Minji's dream came true and you were the pixy dust. Now you deem it the right time to get a hold of her. In between comebacks, right after all the award shows, she will have no excuses. Time to pay up, you text her, with a location, time and date while your finger disappears in Seolhyun’s asshole.

#

The day comes and you've checked into your favorite spa-hotel with excitement. The security and privacy here are top notch, or at least they are for you. See, it’s all about connections and here you have the best connections and can make sure that no rumors spread and that all information comes to you in no time. Minji will be here shortly and you've already painted the pictures of her naked body in your head, scenes where she undresses, spreads her legs and folds, begs for you to part her—

You hear the door open. From your seated position on the bed, you look expectantly at the entrance to the bedroom which Minji finds shortly after, her fluffy, thick jacket already falling from her shoulders.

"Hello, Master," she sultrily says with a smile. You reciprocate it.

"I see you've been doing great," you skip the greeting and walk over to her. A gentle push and the jacket fully falls off. Minji's outfit underneath is surprisingly thin for this season; there could be snowfall outside any day now and she runs around in a white crop and skinny denim.

"Those jeans look good on you." Stare down at her eyes while you check the quality of those mentioned jeans by fondling her butt, then her thighs and lastly her crotch. "Very expensive, HYBE is already paying you?"

"It's all the ads we do," Minji quickly responds, her breath halted while she does the unthinkable and moves your hand away from her crotch. "I... I never thought it would work so quickly."

"Yeah, it feels surreal, almost too quickly," you say with careful annoyance, unsure how to judge Minji's hand on your wrist holding you back from getting to feel more of her body.

"I couldn't have done it without you, Master, thank you very much~"

"You see, Minji..."

Her shoulders in your firm grasp, you move Minji to the next wall and position her in such a way that she is trapped and your knee is able to gradually push up against her covered pussy. The young girl tries to resist, she is suddenly flustered, oh how this should remind her of her success.

"... no one was ever this successful without a big commitment. Your commitments until now were nothing."

"Tha-that's why I'm here. Master, I'll suck your cock as much as you want, I'll let you deepthroat me hard, even for the entire night!"

You scoff and give Minji's cheek a quick, small slap. Your knee has now become the only pillar that keeps her upright. She has to balance and rub her slightly moistened folds on them so as to not to fall over.

"Sucking? Deep throating? Oh you're still so naive. No. You, Minji… belong to me. All of you, which means any hole. You are mine to use however I want."

"Wha—no!" She puts a hand on her cheek and looks at you with puppy eyes that beg so pathetically, like the thought that you took this deal seriously is a shocking reveal. You roll your eyes at her and find the top button of her jeans, but Minji starts to fight back with a loud, whiny voice.

"No, Master, you don't understand! Un-unlike all those other idols, I'm... I'm still a virgin. I don't want to lose it now, not here, not—"

"That is not up to you!"

Your shout halts time and space, only Minji's facial expression matters. She looks honest, absolutely in dread that it might happen at not the moment she wants it to. She cannot fathom giving you or anyone that control, she wants it special and precious and all those nonsense illusions. It's gut wrenchingly annoying but you will not go too far to break her now; you're too fond of her for that. 

Call it your weakness and curse you for that.

"We had a deal."

"I-I know."

"And you don't want to fulfill it?"

"I'm sorry, Ma-Master, please don't—"

"Then offer me something equally valuable." Minji looks at you in confusion. You drop her from the wall and hand her your phone. "Put in the number of someone whose virginity I can take. They have to be your sacrifice, your warrantor, and they have to agree to the same contract.

"You will then come with her to me and will watch how I take her virginity. You will watch every fucking pump I put into her pussy. She will testify, she will call me Master and she will love it. That's your only way, you better bring me someone."

Minji clutches the cell phone, her life-line, her lever to the trolley problem, except the train that was about to hit her can only be directed at another girl.

"And Minji,” you add in controlled yet uncontrollable rage. “I want her here, now. I want someone worthy of my time and touch. Or else. You will call them and then you will be on your knees sucking my cock while we wait."

Sweat comes pouring down Minji's forehead. You can hear the inner workings of her brain scramble, trying to find someone she can push in between you and her. There is no submission to you and there is no urge to flee and break your deal. 

Minji genuinely tries to sell you someone. Despicable, everything for success.

"D-do you know Hanni?" she suddenly stutters, quietly, ashamed but her fingers are already dialing up her friends number.

"I have never met her." You laugh in disbelief and turn your back to Minji. "You're really going to sell your bandmate? Are you not friends?"

"I—she's the only one I know who is a virgin but not... not... not unwilling."

You cock your eyebrow and listen to Minji's call which is surprisingly short. No mention of you or your arrangement, just the location and some details. Definitely no one is allowed to know of this and yes, Hanni has to be swift.

Minji ends the call and you immediately throw her to the ground, her head on the cushions of the nearby bed, your belt already loose, a hand on your pants.

"Pull them down and open your fucking mouth." Minji does so, the shock in her eyes is wonderful when you push past her lips and against the back of her throat in one go. Violent choking. "You are terrible, the worst friend, but at least you know how to make that mouth-pussy of yours work. Go on! Fucking use your tongue."

Minji starts to gag, trying to adjust to your cock, not realizing you weren't even fully hard yet. You never were with her. 

"Good, all the way. Use your tongue and saliva, let me fucking feel it."

You kick off your trousers and put more force in your hips so that your long shaft may fill Minji's deepest depths. It pushes out a lot of saliva, a waterfall that tumbles down her chin and covers her top. From your point of view you may not see it, but you know that Minji's aroused nipples poke through her bra and show that no matter how hard you fuck her face or belittle her, she's yours.

Minji's mind shall only be occupied with satisfying you, so even her still lacking tongue and lips do their best to suck you from tip to base—you make sure she never slacks by pistoning in and out of her.

After about 30 minutes of slowly thrusting in and out of here and replying to texts on your phone, you receive a message from the hotel staff that someone has arrived and come to see you. Minji tries to tap on your leg, indicating she wished to be freed of this position. You shake your head, no. 

"Oh, you don't want your bandmate to see you like this? That's not an option."

The sound of a door opening echoes through the hotel room and Minji panics, flailing wildly, her eyes tearing up and begging, begging so well—maybe she can finally grasp what she has gotten her friend into—

"Hello? Minji, are you here? Is everything okay?"

—but she still has so much to learn. Smack her cheek a final time, loud enough for Hanni to gasp at the front door. Before she can enter the bedroom, you pull out of Minji's mouth and push her towards the door. 

"Minji?" Hanni asks again and rushes towards her. Minji stops her, both of them shriek in shock. "Oh my Gosh, Minji, it is you! You scared me!"

"I-I'm sorry, I—"

"You look... messy. Is everything alright? I'm sorry if I took too long, you sounded so sad and terrified."

"Hanni, I," Minji stutters, hesitates, maybe even contemplates. It all makes her seem as if she has a heart and does not want to use Hanni to keep her virginity, but deep down everyone has to know that she is not a good person. No one would sell their friend for something like this. Minji is cold hearted when it comes to her career and things she believes she rightfully owns. "I have to ask something crazy of you."

"Okay? Look, you need to calm down first, maybe clean your face up and then we can talk ab—"

"Hanni, please." You hear some uncertain steps, as if someone is almost falling over and is ultimately pressed to a wall. You hear a wet sound, then a moan. Your cock is going crazy at all the possible things that might happen right around the corner and later in this bed. "Do you trust me?"

"Why did you kiss me, Minji?"

"Do you trust your leader?"

"Yes, of course. I'm a bit scared though, what have you gotten into?" Hanni's voice is full of concern and so is her face which you see for the first time when Minji guides her into the bedroom, arms around Hanni's tiny waist.

Hanni is in complete shock. 

"Minji, what is this? Who is this man?" You still have your pants down and cock out. 

Unfazed, you smile at the girl. "Minji, tell your friend what you did."

"Have you never wondered," Minji starts right away and tightens her hold on the younger band member. "Why so much changed before our debut, why the success was imminent, why it didn't stop? Have you never questioned all the blessings we received?"

"I-I... what was I supposed to think?" Hanni weakly laughs and tries to avoid the sight of your erection, but she can't because Minji is slowly inching her closer to it. "We are in a gr-great company, smart managers, pro-ducers... so who are you?"

"He is the reason, he is why we did not fail. Look, Hanni, I had to do it, okay?"

"Do what? Sell your body?" Hanni looks over her shoulder at the glassy-eyed leader of her group who gives her the tiniest nod. In those large, round orbs of the young Vietnamese woman you see the realization kick in bit by bit. At first she does not want to accept it, then she cannot believe it—but at last, she has to put it into words.

"You sold your body... and now he wants more."

"He wants something only you can give him," Minji whispers and pecks Hanni's cheek. You are astonished at how she manipulates her dongsaeng, Minji truly is ruthless; but Hanni's calmness deserves an award. She seems to surrender to this idea easily. There is no flight, there is barely any fight—she accepts her situation. 

"Will you give it to him? Your virginity?"

"Minji, I—"

"That's not the entire truth is it, Minji?" You smirk coldly. "You are a pretty thing, Hanni. She's right, I do want more. It's not something only you can give me, rather, it's something Minji refuses to give me. So instead, she offered you to me. Your precious group leader sold you out."

Put her tiny chin into your hand and for the first time, Hanni locks eyes with you. Minji's manipulation roots deeper, as there is not a hint of belief in the words you say. Rather, Hanni listens to the girl in her ear, at her ear, that licks her ear and tells her sweet lies:

"He is playing with you. He likes to play. But don't worry, he will help us.

"Don't you want to be a star, Hanni? The most successful foreign idol?" You hear Minji opening Hanni's belt as she melts in between your thumb and index finger. Her lips look so full and perfect. You'd bet your career that she is already a great sucker, maybe even better than Minji is at this point. "My sacrifice can't be for nothing, and yours won't be either."

Hanni's pants drop to the floor, while you work to get rid of her jacket. She is like a Barbie doll: pretty, clear skin, obedient, ready to be undressed and played with. No matter what you do or where you touch, she just obliges while her features become redder and hotter. Soon, she wears nothing but her undergarments.

"You have an amazing body," you compliment her. She just nods. You order Minji to put Hanni on your bed. For now, you'll not reveal the whole story, the truth: yes, you play games, but Minji clearly is lying to Hanni, trying to get away with more than questionable methods.

You respect Minji for that. Yes, in this dedication, the lies, you see devotion for you. She is willing to sacrifice herself and even her friend for your satisfaction. It wouldn't be long now until she would truly be turned into a loyal one for you. 

You have a suspicion and you would test it out here. 

"Hanni Pham, a bright star plucked out of Australia, a Viet idol with international appeal. And a lovely voice too, dare I say even prettier than Minji's..." 

You smirk, sensing the hurt from Minji without even looking.

"Will you tell me your name?" Hanni asks as you crawl on top of her. Minji placed her in a missionary position and still rubs her hand all over her exposed thighs so she would open her legs for you.

"You don't need my name, you just need to know what I can do and what I want. My deal with Minji benefits you a lot. Tell me, how does it feel to hold a music show trophy or one of those MAMA awards?"

"G-good, Sir, it's quite the," Hanni gasps when you push her legs open and place a finger on her white, innocent panties. You search for a bit until you find her clit and rub it from side to side. "Thrill."

"Drop the Sir, with me Hanni." Lean down to her pink lips, those round, moisturized and smooth lips. "Call me Daddy."

Minji's eyes widen and she almost lets out a whimper as if to object to you. A first encounter and you already let her call you, Daddy? Did you already like Hanni more than her when you haven’t even received pleasure yet? 

"Daddy?" Hanni responds unsure. 

"Yes, Hanni. You'll be a good girl for me won't you? That's all I want. Good, loyal girls. If you do that, you can have anything you desire."

"Daddy, I want to be successful and I want to give you what you need for that." She whimpers when you put more pressure on her nub. "B-but I'm a bit scared. I have never put something inside."

"I think your friend here can help you with that. After all, she got you into that situation." You glance at Minji and she gets what you mean, though the envy at Hanni's preferential treatment is clearly visible on her wrinkled forehead.

Minji leans down and gives Hanni a firm kiss while replacing your hand on the clit that has steadily hardened and is now aroused to the point Hanni's panties become stained with wet spots.

You glance at Minji in thanks. 

"Oh and Minji: no more kissing Hanni unless I command it. Her lips and your lips, belong to me only. Is that clear?" She can only meekly nod. "I hope you haven't been touching anyone else during our time together, Minji. That would really upset me." 

You already know the answer. Given how easily Minji’s and Hanni’s lips connected just this evening, you know it's something they are comfortable with. That would end now. 

Before Minji can answer you, you focus back on Hanni and the sticky sensation spreading over your fingers.

"Already wet for me? You're taking to my touch a lot better than your leader. Tell me, Hanni, you're not afraid of me, are you? Just ask me to touch you more. Tell me what you want."

Hanni is still hesitant, though there is shyness only in the way her mouth doesn't move and admit to her body's obvious reaction. She leaks onto your fingers, her chest heaves heavily, faster. You insert a finger, as well as part of those drenched panties inside her and finally, the right words slip out.

"Your fingers feel so good, fu-uck."

"That's what I wanted to hear." You smile and lean down to Hanni's face. Her lips instinctively pucker, her eyes fall shut, oh, how incredible: she is already yours. You let her wait there, finger twirling, pretending to push aside her panties and go for the real deal, but you're all teasing. Hanni mewls.

"Please, D-Daddy, kiss me."

"I will, when I put it in."

"W-will it hurt? Will you hurt me Daddy?"

"Only if you want me to, baby girl, but you want what Daddy wants, right? It might hurt to begin with, but it will feel so good for both of us." 

The chemistry between you two surprises Minji as she backs off, her hands away from the young women for the first time. Hanni nods. 

"Make me feel good, Daddy. I trust you."

Hook your fingers in Hanni's panties and at last, her soaked entrance is exposed, for your eyes only. You stroke your cock a couple of times, get the fresh girl juice all over it and gaze over the insanely well-trained body you're about to ravish.

Hanni's abdomen is to die for. The muscles on her midriff are absolutely stunning, the same goes for her navel perfectly resting in between them and then further up her subtle boobs, which Minji frees from the bra after your command. It all ends with Hanni’s chin, the sweat that runs down her throat, the faint sparkle of perfection—to sum it up, Hanni is incredibly beautiful.

You take hold of her hips and bask in the way your cock and her hole are magnetically attracted and connect. Hanni throws her head back at the impact and with every inch you stuff into her, her breathing becomes more erratic. Funnily enough, the same goes for Minji, who quietly scoots back and rests at the headboard of the bed.

As you slowly pump half of your cock in and out of the tight cavern, Minji goes for the same rhythm and rubs her clit, hand buried in her pants. She even goes and opens the first buttons. Is it really this girl that wants to keep control over her virginity? Let her have it for now, she'll be yours soon enough.

"Daddy, just focus on me!” Hanni whines out her first words after becoming a full blown woman. “You-you didn't need her, right?"

"Then make me forget, baby girl. Squeeze my cock with your pink little pussy." You go and have a taste of Hanni’s fat lips again, wishing they would suck your balls right now. Hanni could become a whore who would worship your crown jewels like no other. Better than Minji, whose eyes beg to be involved in the action. "Spread your legs more, I want to fuck you harder, Hanni.

"Oh and Minji: Go and suck my balls! That's what you're good for."

"O-okay, Master."

"Be grateful for it. But remember, no cumming."

"Thank you, Master."

"Daddy?” Hanni whimpers softly. “Why does she call you, Master? Is one better?" 

"Oh baby girl. Daddy is more affectionate. It's what you deserve. Minji still has to learn, her heart isn't in this yet."

Minji's heart might not be in the right place (rather the place you intend it to be) but her lips surely are. She gives your swinging balls a good suck and slows done the pace at which your fucking Hanni's pussy. 

It's amazing how well she adjusted to your size, even with your length and girth growing continuously at her fantastic heat and texture. Hanni handles you like a pro, and like one of your pro girls, she is already more drool than straight thoughts.

"Does it feel good, Daddy's hard cock in your virgin pussy? Get used to it because it's the only thing your hole will know. I will be the only one to use your holes, is that clear?"

"Oh Daddy, oh Daddy," Hanni moans and her body rocks violently on the bed sheets. "You-you are so much better."

"Better than what, baby girl?"

Hanni puts both her weak hands on the back of your head and pulls you down to where her lips meet your ears to tell you lewd things that Minji must not hear.

"Better than Minji's fingers."

You take this as a cue to grab Hanni's thighs and angle her in such a way that you can slam into her cunt harder. You let gravity do the work while the force of the entire bed frame shaking has Minji trembling in awe. She rubs her thighs together and tries to keep her hands busy with other spots of her heated body.

You can see that she wants to rub her clit while you make Hanni cum during her precious first time. She is probably projecting, wants you to go softly, then harder, but that is not your game.

"Hanni, no more of that, no more Minji's fingers. Only Daddy shall touch you from now on. You are mine and I'm going to go as hard as I want." You growl out slamming into her even more. "Take it all, Hanni, prove your fucking worth to me."

"Thank y-you, Daddy," Hanni begins her way down the rabbit hole of subjugation towards only you. The new life she will enter, all the changes, challenges and benefits will overwhelm her, but first you overwhelm her with your rod. "Thank you, for help-ing us, thank you for the wins, thank—ah, Daddy, I'm cumming! My pussy is cumming! Thank you for your cock, Daddy!"

You enter a nirvana drilling into Hanni's tight cunt. 

"Good girl, yes thank me, beg me, need me. This is the only cock you will ever have from now on and—" You kiss her with wanton lust, shoving your tongue in her mouth. The next whisper in Hanni's ear is out of Minji’s reach, though she might be too distracted from your delicious balls to get what you were saying either way. 

"Daddy! I understand, yes." 

Without losing focus of your hammering, you give a dismissive order to Minji, who is not worth your eyes on her.

"You can go Minji. I don't need you here. In fact, we can end our deal. You got what you needed right? Wins and fame. I won't meddle with your group in anyway. You are free to go."

"What?" Minji shrieks, completely offended that you could say such a thing.

"You heard me. Fuck. Off." Every word is empathized by a huge thrust that bulges Hanni's tummy. She stares at it in infinite bliss, then throws her head back as you knead her small tits and make the nipples hard like steel.

"B-but Master, you can't just do that."

"You did not keep your part of the bargain and still got what you wanted. Why the hell are you still here?"

"But I did!” Minji argues and climbs in front of you on the bed. “I brought you, Hanni, Master! I—" 

"Hanni, turn around and get in position, I want both of us to look at Minji. I'm going to fuck you from behind.

"What's wrong, Minji? You never truly wanted me in the first place. We both got what we needed from our deal. You don't need my help, your group will be successful. I made sure of it. I am releasing you from our contract with no punishments. Take the fucking deal, Minji."

Minji sits there, on the bed, not moving from her position. In utter shock as she watches Hanni smile and moan as you take her from behind, her pussy stretched again. God, how good she must feel, that face says it all. The pleasure, the desire, all the praises for your cock and it's only because she has her tongue sticking out like it's numb.

Suddenly, it all seems so clear to Minji, so easy to comprehend. She takes a deep breath and learns towards you, her upper body prompted up. All that just to throw her dignity away, to throw herself underneath you.

"Daddy, please! Give me your cock too! Take my virginity, don't push me away!"

You stop thrusting into Hanni right away and pull out for a moment to look at her. 

"Bullshit. I told you we were done here. You don't mean that. You just want my power and connections like everyone else."

"No, I mean it," Minji reassures, but words are nothing when it comes to her current state. She has to follow it up with more, significantly more. You doubt that she can deliver, but low and behold, she unbuttons her jeans and peels them off to show her long legs and the thoroughly drenched panties.

"Mi-Minji, what in the," Hanni moans and goes silent when you smack her ass. It's unbelievable that she is already so obedient and well-trained without training. The more she impresses you, the more Minji has to follow up. Soon she is on her back, jeans on the floor, shut legs turned towards you.

You put your hand on her thigh and though it's tough on her, Minji spreads her trembling legs wide. You poke her lips through her panties and when she squirms you give her a quick slap on her face. 

"Look at me, Minji," you order and she does. "Beg me, call me Master until I have given you, no, until I have taken what is rightfully mine."

"Please, Master," Minji cries out. "Please take my virginity, y-you own it."

"Louder," you growl and smack her covered pussy. Minji cries out, her pleas louder and louder with every new hit you give her cunt. Oh the way her eyes sparkle and body jerks is addicting, you don't realize that you have started to fuck back into Hanni who might have seen Minji naked before, who might have had sex with her—

—but this is new. Minji is a brainless mess, her pussy red from the beating, her face fully in tears. 

"Master, fuck my pussy, please! Fuck this pussy, my worthless pussy, it's yours! Make me full, make me full, I don't deserve it!"

"Now we are getting there," you viciously laugh and grab her chin to aggressively tonguefuck her wet, silly mouth. Minji is such a mess, dazed to the point Hanni's hands undressing her top after your order doesn't even faze her. Her top is gone, her bra as well. All that's left are her panties and Hanni has her fingers already hooked in them.

"Wait, Hanni, she should do it alone."

"Yes, Daddy."

"Ma-Master?"

"Lay down, Minji.

"Pull them to the side.

"Show me your pussy.

"Say it.”

Minji slowly and clumsily works on pulling and getting her wet panties off of her. There is an unfathomable amount of embarrassment in the way Minji’s eyes cannot hold your strong, charismatic gaze for long.

"Shall I feast on your pussy, Minji?" You ask with a smirk and hunger in your eyes.

They all turn eventually. It sometimes sounds so sudden and drastic, but it's all more or less the same. It builds up over time, like an orgasm. Some girls are quiet, until it bursts out of them in a heavy gush that has the entire floor wet. Some are loud the entire way through and what was once only lip service becomes reality, a reality they adore.

They all turn and they all get your cock. So does Minji, with her finger still spreading those sore, red folds and you ignoring her pleasure just to find yours in this wet, messy hole. Minji's cunt is remarkable, cute in the way it ripples and tightens and incredibly lewd in the way it sounds when you slam yourself in and out while holding onto her slim waist.

Now she is part of the loud girls, those idols that suddenly come to worship you more than the career that they fought so hard for. It will be later that they realize that this is the way they get approval from their company, their sponsors, their fans. You are success, the Queen maker for the outside world and a toy maker in your bedroom.

Minji is a great toy. She is euphoric now, the pain already gone. She makes sure to adjust to your will, lifts her hips off the ground when you need to slow down, shows you her tongue when you go for a kiss, and always says the right things. It was so hard for her not long ago, but now she is willing to do it despite Hanni laying next to her and admiring both of you fucking like animals. 

"Hanni," you groan and hammer your cock balls deep into Minji, who throws her head back in another (accidental) orgasm. "I know you want to fuck both of us so bad, but if you don't touch yourself until I'm finished with her, I'm gonna cum on your pretty face and tell you how good you are, okay?"

"O-okay, Daddy," Hanni mewls. Not that she would have touched herself, but you can't blame her for considering it. Caress her cheek softly for being so good, then fucking destroy Minji's cunt because she has been so bad.

"Master, more, pl-please, fuck!" Minji howls with pleasure. 

"You're going to be my good girl from now on, right?" 

"Yes, Master, use me however you want. I-I just want to live to fulfill your desires. Master!" 

You stare deeply at her and pause right before the next spike rattles Minji’s brain. 

"Really? With every atom in your body. Tell me again, Minji."

"Every-thing." Minji can barely talk but does so for you, despite you, despite the large dick that is reshaping her insides. "You own everything, Master. You c-can use me daily, everywhere, any-time. I-I mean it!"

You lean down to her and give her a simple, hard thrust to make sure she gets your point.

"You're a good girl?"

"Yes, Master."

"Then call me Daddy," you whisper into her ear and put a hand on her throat, ready to press down on it.

"Thank you, Daddy," Minji rasps before you choke her hard and fuck her absolutely senseless. Orgasm after orgasm shoots through her frame, her existence becomes numb, she is a fleshlight now. The vibrations of her climax become your stimulation and at the last possible second, you pull out of that twitching hole. 

"Get on your knees Hanni," you order in time. Hanni kneels before you as you somehow slide off the bed, legs a bit shaky and with her head thrown back because you could not resist pulling her raven hair, you cum all over her features. "God, you are such a pretty girl. I can't believe such beauty loves cum on her face."

"It's Daddy's cum," Hanni moans and sucks on your tip to get more on her lips. The rest has mostly covered her nose, her cheeks, her forehead. "Of course I like it!"

"That is right, baby girl, well said," you compliment her and pat her head while she instinctively cleans your cock with superb care. "Did you ever service someone else?"

"No?" Hanni asks and collects your cream off of her stupidly gorgeous face.

"You, I swear to God, you can't be that good right from the start."

Hanni pouts her lips and puts them under your cock. She truly is one in a million, the rare idol who barely hesitates and immediately knows how to do the right things. In many regards, she reminds you of Kazuha, who told you it was her kinks that made her adapt so easily. Maybe this is the case for Hanni as well. Should that make her devotion less impressive?

"Daddy?" Hanni cutely asks and waits.

"Open your mouth, I need to fuck it now."

[melancholy-of-nadia]

the a(myg)dala (explicit) | myg

title: the a(myg)dala (explicit) pairing: mafia leader/detective! agust d x right handman! f. reader ; gang leader! yoongi x right handman! f. reader rating/genre: explicit (18+) ; angst , thriller , smut ; haegeum au , my agustdverse summary: You wake up in a lavish bedroom with no recollection of memories of who you are. The only person who holds the key to this mystery is the owner of the house, Agust D, a mafia boss masquerading as a police detective. He claims you’re his right hand (wo)man and that he needs to protect you from someone who’s after you, as well as a treasure he’s searching for. With danger lurking and your memories a blank slate, can you trust Agust D to uncover the truth, or is there more to his story than meets the eye? note: i have been planning this in my head (like the delusional girly i am) since daechwita came out in 2020, but it wasn't until 2023 with the haegeum mv that it truly solidified me wanting to put together my thoughts to create this. i started out with Distraction and Infatuation as test one shots to gauge at the interest, and now it has lead me to create the first actual chapter of this series. this series is dedicated to my bestie the biggest yoongi smut luvr i know @daegudrama and to my favorite yoongi fic writers @jcoles and @theharrowing. also this is kinda unedited i apologize for any mistakes sndksfjladsafbjka i will edit later on. warnings: the following series is intended for a mature audience and may contain graphic language, graphic violence, weapons (guns/katana swords/chopsticks), blood/wounds mentions, drugs, alcohol, gambling, murder, gang activity, memory loss/amnesia, sassy and on guard reader, unreliable characters, haegeum!agust d, haegeum!yoongi, tale of two MYGs technically, LMAO, TEAM SUGA! appearances as mafia men, assassins, slow burn, fight sequences, power imbalance, future smut scenes that may contain some bdsm elements, multiverse implications, tattoos, etc. drop date: october 29th, 2024, 9:00pm pst word count: 5.5k – –

The world slowly comes into focus, the haze of unconsciousness lifting like a dissipating fog. You blink, your eyelids heavy as if weighed down by lead. The room around you is unfamiliar, dimly lit by a lamp on a nearby table. The scent of damp wood and something herbal lingers in the air. You try to move, but a sharp, throbbing pain in your head forces you to stay still.

Panic surges through you. Where are you? Why can’t you remember anything?

You glance around, the room’s details gradually becoming clearer. It is small and sparsely furnished, with wooden walls and a single window covered by a thick, faded curtain. But the strangest part is that you can't recall how you got here or what happened before. Your mind is blank, a void where your memories should be.

Well, almost blank.

Two things are certain in your mind: your name—whatever comfort that brings—and the image of a man, his face marked by a prominent scar, entering this very room. Yet, in the memory, the man looks different—his features more vivid, his clothing distinct. He is wearing a green jacket. You cling to that detail as if it were a lifeline in the sea of confusion.

Your thoughts are interrupted by the creaking of the wooden floor. You turn your head—slowly, cautiously—and see him. The man from your memory stands at the doorway, his expression a mix of concern and relief.

“You’re up? You’ve been asleep for a couple of days now.”

His voice is deep, carrying a warmth that contrasts with the sternness of his appearance. The scar on his face is unmistakable, and yet something about him seems off, like a piece of a puzzle that doesn’t quite fit.

“Who are—” you start to ask, but the words catch in your throat as a sudden, stabbing pain shoots through your temples. You wince, pressing a hand to your forehead as you try to steady your breathing.

The man’s eyes narrow, his concern deepening. “Easy, doll, don’t strain yourself. You’ve been through a lot.”

Doll?

His tone is soothing, but it only heightens your unease. Why does he look so familiar? And why does the memory of him in that green jacket feel so significant?

“I... I can’t remember… why can’t I remember?” you whisper, your voice trembling with the weight of your fear and confusion. “I can’t remember anything, except your face. But you looked different... the green jacket...”

The man frowns, clearly troubled by your words. He steps closer, his movements slow and deliberate, as if trying not to startle you.

“Listen,” he says gently, grasping your cheek. “You’ve been through something traumatic. It’s normal to feel disoriented. But you’re safe now, alright? We’ll figure this out together.”

His reassurance does little to ease the growing tension in your chest. As he speaks, you can’t shake the nagging feeling that there’s something he isn’t telling you—something important that lies just beyond your grasp.

But for now, with your head pounding and your body weak, all you can do is nod and hope that the answers will come soon.

His phone rings, the sound slicing through the uneasy quiet of the room. The man glances at you briefly, his expression unreadable, before pulling the phone from his pocket. He answers it without a word, his face hardening as he listens to the person on the other end. After a tense moment, he turns away, stepping out of the room.

The door creaks shut behind him.

You wait, the minutes stretching into what feels like an eternity. Ten minutes pass, then thirty, and still, there is no sign of his return. Your unease grows. Why hasn’t he come back yet? What was that phone call about?

The room feels smaller, the walls closing in as your anxiety gnaws at you. You try to stay still, but the silence is suffocating. You need to get out of bed.

With some effort, you swing your legs over the edge of the bed, wincing as your body protests the movement. Every muscle feels sore, as if you’ve been through something physically draining. Your feet touch the cool floor, and you slowly stand, swaying slightly as the room spins for a moment. Steadying yourself, you look around, eyes settling on the door.

You have to investigate. You need to understand what is happening.

Just as you take a step toward the door, it swings open with a soft creak. You freeze, your breath catching in your throat as a new figure enters the room.

It is a woman, dressed sharply in a tailored black suit that contrasts her bright orange bob cut. She moves with an air of quiet confidence, her eyes locking onto yours with a steady, calm gaze. She seems close to your age, though something about her presence feels more mature, more composed.

“Hello,” she says, her voice smooth and professional. “My name is Adora. Apologies, as Mr. Agust had to step out unexpectedly, but he kept me up to speed with everything going on and told me to help care for you in the meantime.”

You blink, taking in her words, still processing the situation.

Mr. Agust? That’s his name?

Adora approaches the small table by the bed and sets down a neatly folded bundle of clothes. “I’ve brought you some clothes,” she adds, gesturing toward the bundle. “I imagine you’d want to change into something more comfortable.” She glances at you, wearing a white spaghetti-strapped nightgown. Yeah, you need to change out of this.

“Who… who is Mr. Agust?” you ask, your voice hoarse from disuse. The question has been burning in your mind ever since you woke up.

“Oh! The man who was just in here before me. Agust D,” she says happily. “He’s been looking after you since… well, since the incident.”

“The incident?” you repeat, confused. “What happened to me?”

Her smile fades, and a shadow of concern crosses her features. “I’m afraid that’s something only Mr. Agust can explain to you. He’ll be back soon, I’m sure.”

She steps back, giving you space, and nods toward the clothes again. “Go ahead and take a shower before changing. I’ll wait outside if you need anything.”

And once again, you are left alone.

You grab the bundle of clothes, the fabric soft under your fingers as you unfold them. A white, long-sleeved collared shirt, a plaid skirt, and knee socks—an odd combination. Your brow furrows. Is this a school uniform? The thought seems out of place, considering everything else, but you push it aside. Right now, getting cleaned up and dressed feels like the first step toward reclaiming some control.

There is a small door beside your bed that leads to a bathroom. You open it and are greeted by a modest, clean space. The tiles are cool beneath your feet as you walk toward the shower. Your mind feels murky, still clouded by the lack of memory, and every detail around you seems both unfamiliar and strangely mundane at the same time.

As the hot water sprays down from the rain showerhead on the ceiling, you stand still for a moment, letting the warmth wash over you. It feels good, the steam wrapping around your sore muscles, loosening the tension that has built up since waking. Slowly, you begin to move, running your hands through your hair, watching the water swirl around your feet. You glance down at your body, your movements still careful, as though you fear something is waiting beneath the surface of your skin.

And then, you notice them—bruises. Small, fading marks dot your legs and arms, some yellowing at the edges, others still dark purple. Scrapes, too, healed over but unmistakable, mar your skin. You gently touch one on your forearm, wincing at the slight sting.

What happened to you? Frustration bubbles up inside you, making your throat tight. Every mark tells a story, a piece of the puzzle that should be obvious. But all you have are fragments, and none of them make sense.

You close your eyes, trying to summon any trace of a memory, something that could explain the bruises, the scrapes, the pain in your muscles. But there is nothing. Just emptiness.

Your hands shake slightly as you rinse off, the water turning from soothing to overwhelming. You finish quickly, the hot steam doing little to quell the storm of confusion and frustration rising within you.

Stepping out of the shower, you catch your reflection in the small, fogged-up mirror. You wipe it with your hand, staring at yourself, but the person staring back looks just as lost. No answers. No clarity.

With a sigh, you turn away and dry off, pulling on the strange outfit—first the crisp white shirt, then the plaid skirt and knee socks. The uniform fits well enough. Did you used to wear this before as well? You're left wondering too many things...

After slipping into a comfortable pair of slippers that you find beside the bed, you step out of the room for the first time. The hallway greets you with a soft, dim glow, revealing that evening has settled in. Shadows dance across the walls as you cautiously make your way forward.

Adora is sitting in a chair by your door, casually scrolling through her phone. At the sound of your footsteps, she looks up, her orange hair catching the light.

“Miss! All done? Do you need anything?” she asks, standing up swiftly with an attentive smile.

“Yeah, all done,” you say, trying to keep your voice steady. “I just... want you to show me around. I’m having a little trouble recalling some things.” You hesitate, wary of revealing too much. If people know about your memory loss, they could use it against you. But surely Adora had been informed by Agust D beforehand, right?

Adora’s eyes softened. “No worries, Mr. Agust did mention this detail to me.”

You’re correct.

“I’ll show you around and get you updated on the things I’m cleared to inform you on,” she adds.

Cleared? The word hangs in the air, making you wonder just how much is being kept from you. Still, you nod. “That’s fine.”

Adora leads the way down the hall, and your tour begins. The mansion is far larger than you anticipate. As you move from room to room, it becomes clear that this place is no ordinary home. The architecture is grand, with high ceilings and long corridors lined with dark wood paneling and expensive-looking art. Every room seems carefully designed, exuding luxury and power.

Your bedroom is relatively simple compared to the rest of the mansion—modest in size with muted tones, though the bed is large and soft. Across the hall, Adora points out Mr. Agust’s room. Unlike yours, it is locked, and she makes no attempt to open it. The door itself is dark wood, with intricate carvings around the frame. You can only imagine what is inside.

Next, she leads you to his office. It’s a spacious room with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, a grand desk made of polished mahogany, and a large window overlooking a courtyard. Papers and files are neatly stacked on the desk, though Adora makes no comment about what they contain. The room has an air of importance, almost like a command center.

The kitchen and dining area are expansive. The kitchen, spotless and gleaming, is staffed with a few workers who nod politely as you pass. The dining room is more formal, with a long table capable of seating at least a dozen people. Crystal chandeliers hang overhead, casting warm light across the room.

The living room is one of the most impressive spaces—a large, open area with plush leather sofas, a marble fireplace, and a large flat-screen TV mounted on the wall. The windows here are larger, revealing a darkening city skyline.

“Where are we?”

“We’re in Bangkok. Thailand.”

Bangkok? You know what that place is, but it’s not a location you expected to be in.

As you explore, you begin to notice more people moving through the mansion—mostly bodyguards, dressed in black and stationed at various points. Most of them seem to be Korean, their stoic expressions and quiet movements blending into the background. It’s strange to see so many of them here. A mansion in Thailand, filled with Koreans—it doesn’t add up.

Your curiosity gnaws at you, but you know Adora isn’t the right person to ask. Whatever this is, it feels delicate. You’ll have to wait for Mr. Agust.

After what feels like hours of walking through corridors and staircases, Adora finally leads you to the dining room, gesturing for you to sit at the long table.

“I received word that Mr. Agust has just arrived,” she says, offering you a gentle smile. “You’ll meet him here. The staff has set out some tea and desserts for you while you wait.”

You look at the table. A silver tray holds a pot of tea and an assortment of small pastries. The aroma is sweet and comforting, but the anticipation makes your hands tremble slightly as you reach for a cup and serve yourself some tea.

“I’ll come back to join you two, along with some of the other guards,” Adora continues. “Mr. Agust will be here shortly.”

Interesting. You’re not sure what to make of this situation.

The dining room grows quieter as you sit alone with your thoughts, nibbling on a cookie to stave off the nerves.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoes through the hallway outside the dining room. You freeze, your pulse quickening as the door swings open. A group of men enters, all dressed in dark suits, their expressions stern and composed. They move in unison, fanning out to take seats around the table, but one man stands out from the rest.

Agust D

He strides in with a commanding presence, his sharp eyes surveying the room as he walks. There’s an air of authority around him that makes the space feel smaller. His dark hair is slicked back, his expression unreadable as he takes the seat at the head of the table.

The sleeves of his shirt are stained red… You don’t want to know if that’s blood, but it’s the only thing you can assume.

 Adora re-enters the room soon after, gliding in with her usual grace. She takes her seat across from you, her calm demeanor unwavering as she folds her hands in front of her. The tension in the room is thick, though it seems invisible to her.

Agust turns to you, his gaze piercing but calm. "I hope you’re feeling a bit more settled," he says, his voice low and even.

Yeah, sure, settled, you think, fighting the urge to laugh. Settled is the last thing you feel in this... “house.” 

You nod slowly, feeling the weight of the room pressing down on you. “Yeah, I suppose,” you mutter, unsure how to respond. You reach for a cookie from the tray in front of you, more out of nervousness than actual hunger.

“I know this place might be overwhelming,” Agust continues, leaning back in his chair. “This is no ordinary home, as you’ve probably gathered by now.”

You swallow hard, the cookie crumbling slightly in your hands. No ordinary home is an understatement. The size, the guards, the secrecy—it all screams something far beyond the normal.

“To formally introduce myself, my name is Agust D. I’m the chief detective for the Asia-Pacific Police Force here in Bangkok. Comprised of officers from all Asia investigating international crime,” he says, a hint of amusement playing at the corners of his mouth as if daring you to believe him.

You nod slowly, though something about it doesn’t sit right with you. “That’s... interesting,” you begin carefully, “but I don’t think that’s all. There’s something else, isn’t there?”

“Smart girl. You’re sharp, I’ll give you that.” Agust’s eyes gleam, and a chuckle rumbles from his chest. “No, that’s not all.”

He leans forward slightly, his gaze locking onto yours. “I am a leader of this mafia family you’ve been seeing.”

Your hand freezes mid-bite, the cookie slipping from your fingers and falling onto the table. Your heart skips a beat. Mafia? Your mind races. Organized crime? How the hell did you get involved in something like this? Fear snakes up your spine as your hands begin to tremble slightly. You can feel your throat tightening, your body responding to the panic rising inside you.

Agust’s eyes soften just a fraction, as if sensing your fear. “Relax,” he says, his voice calm, almost reassuring. “I’m not going to hurt you... you’ve been working for me for quite some time before all of this, after all.”

“Working for you?” you echo, incredulous. None of this makes sense. You shake your head, unable to comprehend. “Me? I... I don’t think so. I mean why would I–”

Agust’s smile returns, and he leans back in his chair, his hand disappearing beneath the table. “It is you,” he says firmly, interrupting you. Without warning, he tosses something across the table.

You flinch, instinctively reaching out to catch it—your hand closing around the handle of a heavy object. What the— A sword? Its weight is oddly familiar in your grip. You stare at it, eyes wide, your breath catching in your throat. The scabbard is intricately decorated with a blossom pattern that triggers something deep within you, something familiar.

You’ve seen this before... You’ve used this before.

Grainy and fragmented memories burst through your mind of a time when you’d used this. “Go ahead,” Agust says, his voice quiet but commanding. “Try it out.”

As if under a trance, your fingers move on their own, sliding the blade free from the scabbard. The polished metal gleams in the low light, its sharp edge whispering of battles fought and blood spilled. Before you realize what is happening, you have gotten onto the dining table, moving with fluid precision toward Agust that startles even you.

The bodyguards around the room react instantly, rising from their chairs and drawing guns, all pointed at you. But you don’t stop. You can’t stop. Your body moves on its own, and within a second, you are standing over Agust, the tip of your blade mere centimeters from his throat.

The room is dead silent. Agust doesn’t flinch. He merely raises a hand, a calm gesture to his men. The bodyguards look at him in hesitation, but slowly lower their weapons, keeping their eyes trained on you.

A chuckle escapes his lips. “Did that jog your memory?” he asks, his eyes gleaming with amusement, as if he has been waiting for this moment.

You stare down at him, your chest heaving, adrenaline coursing through your veins. “I... only a little…?” you admit, your voice barely above a whisper. The weight of the sword in your hand feels so familiar, so right, but your mind is still a blur of confusion.

“So much bloodlust you’ve got hidden in those eyes. Are you going to cut me down this time, doll?” he asks, his voice teasing, yet there’s a glint of seriousness behind his eyes.

This time? What does he mean by “this time”? 

Despite the odd question, your heart skips a beat.

“W-What?!” you stammer, not understanding what he means. You pull the blade away, stepping back and lowering it to your side. Your hands are still shaking.

Agust smirks but says nothing more about it. Instead, he leans back, seemingly unfazed by how close he has come to death. “So, do you want some of the answers I can provide?”

Enough of this cryptic stuff.

You blink, still trying to process what just happened. “Are you actually going to answer me this time?” you ask, your voice sharper than intended.

Agust chuckles, clearly enjoying this more than you are. “That depends on what you want to know.”

“Hmm…” You hesitate for a moment while Agust signals his men to sit back down. They sit down, resume their positions, and the tension in the room seems to dissolve as if nothing happened just moments ago.

“Now tell me, doll,” Agust says, leaning forward, his eyes locked onto yours with a predatory intensity.

“First of all, who am I? Why do you keep calling me ‘Doll’?” you shoot back, your tone sharper than intended.

Agust lets out a deep breath, almost as if your question bores him. “You don’t have a name, as far as I know, so I call you doll. It’s cute, isn’t it?”

You give him an exasperated roll of your eyes, and he chuckles, as if he expects nothing less. “But besides me, everyone else calls you ‘Dove’—your code name.”

“Why am I here?” you press on, hoping for a more substantial answer.

Agust’s grin grows wider. “Great to see you moving on to this point,” he says, resting his elbows on the table and steepling his fingers. “I’m protecting you. Your life is at stake, actually.”

You scoff. “Protecting me from…?”

“Someone.” His tone is vague, and your irritation flares at his refusal to offer more.

“Could you be any more vague?” you mutter, rolling your eyes again, daring him to give you something concrete. “Who is it?”

Agust’s expression shifts, his jaw tightening slightly. He clearly isn’t used to being questioned like this. Just as he opens his mouth to respond, one of the bodyguards at his side, a man with sharp features and an intense gaze, speaks up.

“I don’t think you should ask that right now,” he says firmly. “Just for the sake of your life.”

“Yijeong,” another bodyguard—a much older man with long black locks of hair—warns in a low voice.

Yijeong shrugs, his eyes unwavering. “I’m just looking out for her safety.” It doesn’t sound sincere, to be completely honest.

Agust gives a subtle nod, silencing the exchange with a single glance. Then he turns back to you, his gaze slightly softened. “Anyway, it’s exactly as I said,” he continues, his voice smooth, almost practiced. “As part of my daytime role, I’m a detective. And I’m also an underground mafia boss.”

You stiffen, feeling the weight of his words settle over you like a shroud. He isn’t done. “The person after you wants something that you hold the key to—something that we both want.” His tone is steady, a faint glint of ambition in his eyes. “I met you a few years ago and decided to let you live here, by my side, in hopes of finding it.”

You take a shaky breath, your mind reeling as you try to process this. “And I’ve been here ever since… as your right-hand man?”

Agust leans forward, his voice low yet intense. “That’s right. You were essential to our operations. I need you back in action, though. There’s a lot at stake here. We need to find this thing as soon as possible and get rid of this other person trying to kill you.”

You try to wrap your head around the idea that you’ve been living a life entrenched in the shadows of the criminal underworld, working closely with Agust and his organization—yet you can’t remember any of it. The weight of it presses heavily on you, disbelief twisting in your gut.

“So, you’re telling me,” you begin, your voice slightly unsteady but determined, “that I’ve been involved in this… mafia life all this time and now, because of some freak accident that you won’t disclose, I have not a single memory of it?”

“Precisely.” His eyes are fixed on you, unwavering. “Once you start easing into things again, I’ll tell you,” he says, his voice gaining an edge, “but now, I need you to decide.”

The frustration bubbles up within you, and without fully realizing it, you blurt out the most pressing question in your mind. “And what if I refuse?”

“Refuse?”

“Yeah, I mean, this sounds great and all… but I’m not about this mafia life and fighting whatever gang rival you have. Maybe you are mistaken about me.”

“Then…” A dangerous gleam flashes in Agust’s eyes, and before you know it, his hand moves beneath the table. In one swift motion, he pulls out a sleek, polished handgun, the metallic click echoing as he cocks a bullet into the barrel. You flinch, eyes widening as he aims it in your direction, his expression dark but laced with amusement.

“I’ll just kill you right here.” He pauses, letting the threat hang in the air before he lets out a dry laugh.

Holy shit.

What the fuck is that switch-up!?

You knew this man is insane, from the moment he handed you a katana and nearly let you cut him down.

He chuckles softly, an unsettling sound that made your heart race even faster. “Honestly, this could work in my favor anyway.”

Agust tilts his head, eyes narrowing as he keeps the gun trained on you. "Then he will never get his hands on you. Ending it here sounds like a fine choice, doesn’t it?” His tone is almost casual, as if he were discussing nothing more consequential than the weather.

Your throat feels tight, but you hold his gaze, refusing to back down. His words hang in the air, blending with the heavy silence of the room. The other men seated at the table look on, stone-faced, while Adora remains calm, her eyes studying you carefully. You can tell she’s a little worried for you.

“You really think you can just kill me off?” you manage, trying to mask the tremor in your voice. “All this talk about me being your right hand, about me holding the key to something you need. If I’m that important, you can’t just get rid of me. Then you’ll never find what you’re looking for.”

Agust’s lips curl into a smirk. “Oh, doll, I like that fire,” he says, lowering the gun ever so slightly but keeping his gaze locked on yours. Great, just what you need—a compliment from your potential murderer. “You’re right. I can’t just let you go that easily.”

He leans back, his gaze unwavering as he places the gun on the table, almost within reach yet tantalizingly out of yours. “Let’s make something clear,” he continues, his voice softening yet holding that sharp edge. “You’re right. You’re valuable to me, too valuable to throw away—at least for now.”

For now? That’s comforting. What does ‘for now’ even mean in this context? You thought you were friends for a long time by now. Doesn’t sound like it from this.

The tension in the room lessens slightly, though your pulse is still racing. Agust’s words feel like a reprieve, but only just; you know there’s always another game behind his every sentence, and the stakes are dangerously high.

“Alright,” you reply, forcing a bit of calm into your voice. “Then tell me more. You say I’m the key to something… What is it exactly?”

Agust shrugs, crossing his arms, his expression unreadable. “For now, let’s say it’s a treasure—one that’s extremely valuable to both me and… other interested parties.” He gives a small, almost lazy wave of his hand, brushing off the details as if they’re minor inconveniences.

“Other interested parties?” you press, sensing he’s holding back. “Like the person you’re supposedly protecting me from?”

Agust’s eyes narrow slightly, as though debating just how much he wants to divulge. He sighs, running a hand through his dark hair, and gives a curt nod.

 “Yes, exactly like that person. But don’t worry about…them,” he says, his voice dipping lower, almost like a threat wrapped in reassurance. “With me around, you’re safe. They won’t touch you. Besides, doll, you led them on quite a chase right before the accident that happened to you….And now, they know better than to mess with one of the biggest mafias in Bangkok, especially one that has the police wrapped around its finger.”

The words settle over you like a heavy blanket, the weight of the implications sinking in. You haven’t just ended up here by chance, nor is this some benevolent offer of protection. The people after you aren’t merely rivals—they’re people who chased you, people you evaded in the past. And now, you’re under the protection of not just any organization, but a criminal empire with authority woven tightly into Bangkok’s very fabric.

“Wrapped around your finger?” you echo, incredulous but with a hint of fascination you can’t suppress.

He smirks, leaning back in his chair as though he’s merely recounting a successful business venture. “Yes, Bangkok’s finest wouldn’t dare cross me. I’m a chief detective, after all. It’s all very convenient, don’t you think?”

Right, because every girl dreams of being involved with a chief detective who moonlights as a mafia boss. What’s next? A romantic comedy?

You feel your pulse throb in your temples in disbelief. “So that’s why they won’t come after me here?”

“Exactly,” he replies, his tone almost smug. “To come after you here would be a death sentence for them. And they know it.”

You mean, you can’t argue with that logic. Guess you’ll have to stick around this madness for a while.

You slowly slide off the table, feeling the lingering tension in your limbs as you settle back into your seat at the far end of the dining table. Agust watches you with that familiar smirk, clearly pleased with the subtle shift in your demeanor. Once seated, you exhale, steadying yourself before meeting his gaze again.

“And if you continue to stay here,” he begins, his tone softer but laced with intent, “there’s a chance your memories will eventually come back, piece by piece. Trying to leave and figure it all out on your own would be… risky, to say the least.”

He’s giving you an out, it seems, yet he isn’t. The faintest hint of a choice dangles in front of you, a chance to regain who you are—or escape before you learn too much.

Agust’s gaze never wavers. “If you want answers—if you want to understand what’s locked away in that mind of yours—staying is your best option.”

Adora’s gaze is unwavering as well, as though silently urging you to take Agust’s offer. You glance at the others around the table, all of them still and watchful, a powerful, immovable force surrounding you.

“And if I don’t stay?” you ask, your voice barely above a whisper.

He sighs, though his eyes hold the barest glint of amusement. “Then I suppose you’ll be putting all that fire to good use. Running from a lot of people… including me.” His smirk softens, but his words are as sharp as ever. “The most dangerous game. It’s your choice, doll. But remember, what’s waiting for you out there isn’t likely to be as welcoming as here.”

Nice way to put it. A warm welcome with care followed by a bullet?

You lean back, trying to process everything. It’s surreal—being told you’ve been living some double life as the right hand to a mafia boss, that you’ve led people on a chase through Bangkok, and now, because of all this, there are people actively out to get you. Just yesterday… well, whenever “yesterday” is, you have no memory of this life. And now, Agust is offering you a choice. Either stay here and trust him to help you find yourself again, or leave and risk everything on your own.

You look down, hands fidgeting on your lap as you think it over. Realistically? You don’t have a lot of options. Even if you leave, where would you go? How would you survive with no memory of who you are? Just the idea of stumbling around Bangkok, a city you barely even remember, trying to outwit… whoever is after you seems like a suicide mission.

Besides, there’s something oddly reassuring about Agust, even if his methods are a bit terrifying. He doesn’t look like he’s about to pull any punches, and for some reason, that makes you trust him more. He isn’t hiding who he is or what he’s capable of, and he isn’t sugar-coating the risks. The entire mafia thing is insane, sure, but something in you stirs with a strange familiarity when he speaks about it. It’s as if you’ve known all along, buried somewhere deep down.

You steal another glance at him, noting how he’s watching you, calm and expectant. He isn’t pushing you, just waiting for you to come to a conclusion.

Finally, you sigh and look up, meeting his gaze. “Fine,” you say, exhaling as if to release the last bits of resistance. “I’ll stay. You protect me, and I… I’ll do whatever I did before and help you get what you’re looking for. If this is my best chance at getting those memories back, then I’ll take it.”

A satisfied smile curves Agust’s lips. “Good girl. I knew you’d come around.”

Adora, who’s been watching from across the table, gives a small and excited nod, and the other bodyguards exchange glances. The tension in the room eases, like the whole crew has been waiting for your decision.

“All right, then,” you say, half to yourself. “Guess I’m back to… whatever this is.”

Agust chuckles. “Welcome back to the family.”

–

–

➸ let me know what you think OR join the taglist for this series! ➸ a(mygdala) pilot one shot #1 - distraction and one shot #2 - infatuation ➸ all fics masterlist

a/n: thank you so much reading! apologies for the very dialogue heavy first chapter in this series as I needed to set up the vibe and expectation of reader and Agust D. We'll get more into the mafia bitty gritty in the next chapter as well as eventual smut in later chapaters for these two before shit goes down hehehehe im sorry it'll be a bit of a wait since it's slow burn... but there will be a ton of charged up tension leading into it heheheheh

i had planned to release this earlier this month but after a very intensive job hunt for the past year + 7 months, i finally found a new job! yay! cries... so future updates will take some time. but please please feel free to send me your thoughts or suggestions on things you'd like to see in this series in the future and i will make sure to incorporate it. :) until next time!

[moonrisecoeur]

Ur the best sub Leon writer soooo… idk if you seen these but ppl treat las plagas parasite as sex pollen 😭 and I’m so here for it. Concept : re4 leon infected by the parasite OK but he starts out very agressive but ofc he’s a sub so he does whatever reader wants in order to yk… achieve the goal of the parasite (breeding 😔 who said that? Not me) And pls make the reader mean, I love mean femdoms sm, they are chefs kiss. If you need more clarification post it I’ll send another one idk but I’m just seeing what YOU come up with. LOVE UR WRITING btw I love how it’s pretty in character tbh cuz I read ur bully Leon one and I was like “yeah fr like he’s too caring to be a bully 💀”

OMG WAIT MY DUMBASS FORGOT TO ADD: you said smth so mean to him that he came too early. He was so sorry for coming early and the mess he made in you But then he continued to keep going trying to pump more- OK SORRY

the BEST?? idk about that but i shall take ur compliment and deliver to you only my best work so thank u bestie i appreciate it sm !! ^-^

las plagas is crazy cuz like the black veins, the loss of control with your physical body, the pain it causes… that’s literally so hot. leon was so fuckable all of re4 but especially in the scenes where his body is being controlled that man is SCRUMPTIOUS

also just so you know. the veins on his dick are black as well ♡

no pronouns mentioned, afab parts mentioned, plaga leon has to be a top im sorry (technically in straight relationships men are always topping unless u count pegging BUT in this context i mean he’s a top more like ‘he’s a sub but he’ll fuck u stupid’ like that’s the vibe)

you spot his blonde hair from across the hall, running over to him excitedly. thank god you found him.

“leon!” you call out, grabbing the attention of the man in question, as you catch up to him. finally finding him in this nightmarish place after getting separated was the best thing possible, “holy crap, i’m so- i’m so glad you’re okay— woah, what… what happened to you?”

he takes a cautious step back, still seemingly holding a little bit of control over his body, “they said it was a gift in my…. my blood… don’t know what the fuck that was about..”

you take a step forward, reaching out your hand to touch his face, fingers tracing the black lines that were once veins invisible to the naked eye. but he stops you, his hand roughly grabbing your wrist, “don’t.”

“don’t… what?” you ask nervously, shoulders slumped.

“you need to… stay away from me,” he groans from pain, and you’re too worried to listen to his words, “stop, get away from me, you— i could hurt you! i don’t want to hurt you…”

but you don’t listen to him, betraying his wishes by shaking off his grip and reaching your hand out again. he can’t try to stop you this time. he moans, actually moans, when your fingertips touch his face, caressing him softly.

“really? it’s that good?” you ask with a small smirk on your face. leon thinks he could die.

“f-fuck…” he mumbles, finally coming closer to you. his hands wrap around your waist as he leans in for a kiss that you’re not ready for, and you both stumble backwards while you try to ground yourself.

he’s getting rough, aggressive, and you need to push back a little or else he’ll consume you entirely. not that you’d mind.

“leon, ease up,” you whisper, pushing him back slightly, and when a growl escapes his throat, you know he’s clearly not in any state to listen, “leon.”

he annoyedly makes eye contact with you, trying his best to listen to what you’re about to say. he is trying, and that’s the worst part. this is him at his most gentle, most restrained.

“you need to listen to me, okay? can you do that?” you ask softly, hand against his chest to keep him from diving too deep into you, and pressing a kiss to his lips. it’s softer. he moans into your mouth needily, but you don’t let him get rough. instead you sweetly get the taste of him. sure, it’s not a delicious taste, but he’s a delicious experience.

you enjoy the way he’s trying so intensely to control and contain himself, for your sake. he knows what you want from him is not his full fledged desires out in the open, completely unchecked.

when you pull away, he looks wrecked already, “please, you can’t do this to me, not if you’re just going to walk away and leave me desperate.”

part of you wants to reassure him. i’m not going to leave you. i would never abandon you when you need me most. but the other part just wants to ravage him, take all of him for yourself, leave nothing of him left but the perfection you’ve created. perfection in your eyes. maybe he’s not the only one infected with some kind of tainted desire.

instead, to accomplish both, you kiss him again, letting your own intensity and desire take over, potentially overpowering his. he whimpers, his shaky hands holding your hips for stability. he’s not being grossly possessive and rough like before. he’s softer now, pliable.

when you pull away, you whisper, “we need to get somewhere safe.”

“wha… what?”

“i need to take my time with you, and we’re not safe out in the open like this…” you say, leaning in to press a kiss to that sweet spot right below his ear. it’s so cute how truly weak leon is right now. sure, that’s always been his weakness, but it’s elevated multiple times over by this parasite in his blood. you have half the mind to thank that weird cult.

when you find a safe room, you’re immediately back on him, pushing him against the wall, enjoying the way he whimpers as you kiss him, his need for you multiplying by the minute.

“please, please, i need you, i need you so fucking bad, please, i need to take you, need to make you mine, need to—”

“shut up,” you groan, fingers roughly grabbing his jaw, pushing his head back and away from you, “you’re going to be good, or you won’t get what you want. i don’t care how badly you fucking need me, you’re going to be patient. you’re going to be nice and obedient or you’ll get nothing from me. and that little parasite inside of you is horrified at the idea that you won’t get to fuck my pretty pussy, hm?”

he looks pathetic, moaning like a whore at just some words, but it’s the way you say them, the way you say them, that kills him. he eventually calms himself down enough to nod with his eyes shut tightly, “i’ll do whatever you say. you know that.”

“lay down on the floor,” you command, almost growling back at him, and he opens his eyes in surprise.

“what?”

“you heard me. on the ground, beneath me, right now, leon,” your eyes narrow at him, enjoying the way he weakly sinks to his knees before sitting down completely and laying back.

“like this..?” he asks, confused. he doesn’t know what’s about to happen, and that excites him immensely.

you take off your belt with all your utility tools and your jeans along with it. then finally, your underwear. he looks up at you with wide, delicious eyes.

he asks so sweetly, even though he knows the answer, “are you… are you gonna make me..?”

“yeah, you are. i’m going to sit down on your pretty, pretty face and you’re going to enjoy every second of being beneath me, where you belong, servicing me, and making me cum.”

his heart skips a beat at the thought of belonging beneath you, “yeah, fuck, okay—”

“—and you’re not going to fucking talk until i cum, got it?”

he nods, and once you sit down upon your throne, he gets right to work. he laps up the fluids of your cunt like a dog, working tirelessly, sucking on your clit and tongue fucking you. this is his place. he deserves nothing more than to be here with you, caving to your every desire even if all of his thoughts include breeding you and getting you pregnant with his babies. he’d do anything you asked if he could just have that.

he’d be at your service, at your mercy, until you chose to give him what he wanted.

but he makes you cum so fucking hard that it’s impossible to not give him what he wants, especially when rough hands grab onto your thighs as you’re cumming and he’s still giving you the head of your life through your orgasm. he grabs you just to stabilize you, but also to be possessive.

he can’t help how bad he’s gotten about jealousy and possessiveness with this parasite. he’s never been the jealous boyfriend, knowing you could hold your own and you’re loyal and stuff, but something about the way he looks at you now is different. it’s deep and primal. he looks at you like he needs to have you, and no one else can.

it’s insanely hot, but it’s also inconceivable how uncontrollable those urges are. leon has good self control, and you notice it in how he’s acting. again, this is him at his most restrained. he’s trying to keep himself from pouncing on you, taking everything he wants from you because he knows you don’t want that.

somewhere deep inside of him, he’s still himself, still that awkward and dorky guy that just wants to love you and give you everything you want. you wouldn’t want that.

when you roll off of him, laying down next to him to give yourself a moment to recover, you press a kiss to his shoulder, a sign that it’s an act, your harshness isn’t real. he returns the gesture by kissing the top of your head. a sign that he acknowledges your motives.

“please,” he whimpers suddenly, startling you out of your daze as his hand caresses your back softly, “i’ll let you control everything, you can do whatever you want with me, but fucking please, i’m so desperate to put my cock inside of your pussy, baby. i can’t think straight, and i’m trying so damn hard to control myself but i won’t be able to much longer…”

“yeah? you wanna put your cock inside of me? feel it throb inside the wetness and warmth of my cunt, fill me up with—”

he cuts you off with a loud moan, his hands grasping onto you and his eyes shutting tightly at the thought of such pleasure. he looks wrecked at the mere mention of cumming inside of you. you obviously have to capitalize on this fact.

“oh? so it’s the filling me up part, isn’t it? the ‘gift’ you have makes you really want to cum inside me, hm?” you say, smirking cruelly at him, watching his resolve crumble as he moans shamelessly, “do you want… breed me, leon?”

he gasps, breathing heavily. he’s incredibly wound up, and now you know the real reason he’s insatiable and uncontrollable, “f-fuck, i— it’s not that i want to, it’s that i need to… i need to fuck you and breed you so damn bad, i—”

you cover his mouth with the palm of your hand, enjoying the way he groan in pleasure when you straddle him. god, he’s not even inside of you, but he looks fucked out. he looks he’s about to burst already.

“god, you’re so fucking desperate,” you mumble to him, leaning in closer to whisper to him despite having him muzzled with your hand. not that he’d ever hurt you, he would never even imagine it, “you’re going to fuck me stupid, okay? you’re going to fuck me until my legs go numb and i can’t feel anything but you… and only when i tell you you can, you’ll breed me, fuck your cum even deeper into me and not let any of it escape. understood?”

he breathes shakily, not responding. obviously you forgot you have your hand over his mouth. when you take it off, he nervously says, “got it. i’ll… i’ll be good. i’ll make you feel so good.”

your voice is dark, cruel, full of malicious intent, “you fucking better, or i won’t let you cum. you’ll get to fuck me, sure, but i won’t ever give you the satisfying orgasm your body is desperately aching for. you won’t get to fill me up, and all you’ll have left to fuck for your little orgasm is your hand.”

his heart aches. the idea of disappointing you makes him feel a physical pit of nervousness in his stomach, the same ones he felt when he was more like himself. he just wants to feel like himself again.

“g-got it,” he whimpers. you get off of him, and he’s got you pinned immediately, gently resting you against the ground he was previously laying on. the image of you beneath him has him breathless. he feels like he’s worshipping a god with every move he makes.

he slides his cock into you, groaning at how easy it is, how wet you are. he bottoms out almost immediately, enjoying the way your body wraps around him in almost every sense. he silently adores you. he loves that you want him, crave him just like he craves you. that underneath all of your dominance, you’re his lover too.

fuck, he’s starting to feel possessive again. he beings to thrust into you, his body moving faster than either of you can handle, but you keep your cool better than he does.

“don’t let yourself start to think you’re in control,” you murmur, leaning up to press your lips to his shoulder, baring your teeth but not hard enough to draw blood. just enough to remind him of his place, “you belong to me. not the other way around, got it?” you growl into his ear.

he can’t even respond, too enraptured by your body and the feeling of your control over him leaving him a shuddering mess.

and you can’t even deny it. he’s putting in the work, thumb playing your with your clit just like how he knows you like, and clearly he’s getting the results he’s looking for. his body comes closer to the edge sooner than he’d like, but he tries to stave it off, for your sake.

still leaning into him, you whisper in your darkest voice, “maybe i should leave you like this, so you can stay this desperate… for me. i would try and cure you, but… not sure if i really care anymore.”

he shudders, voice giving out on him as he tries to plead with you. he cums without warning, obviously his body did it without the consent and go-ahead of his conscious mind. he already looks embarrassed at cumming without your permission. you don’t really have the mind to care right now, but you remember it for.. later.

“i’m gonna cum, fuck, leon, give it to me, give in to your cravings, your desires, your needs,” you moan in his ear, desperate for him, only him, and he’s yours, he’s all yours, it’s all he’s ever been and all he’ll ever be. he keep fucking you even after cumming, keeping you filled up, pushing it deeper, “make me yours.”

and he has no choice but to comply.

[savannahsdeath]

hii i love ur stories, and i was wondering if you could do a one-shot where ellie won't admit it, but she LOVES being a sub and just listening to you 🫣

SUB!TOP!ELLIE WILLIAMS X READER

mdni please<3

warnings: 18+!! sub!top!ellie, oblivious!reader, making out, a liiiitttleee of thigh reading, js smut

writers note: im a sucker for dom!ellie but my first req was sub!ellie and now it just has a separate place in my brain.. yeah, i need both. switch!ellie lover i guess💪💪 also this ones sub!top!ellie because im soooo in love w her like awshhzhsv

you always saw ellie as the firm, rough and confident one. as the 'don't tell me what to do' one. and definitely the straight-forward one. you wouldn't even think it's the complete otherwise, especially not while grinding on her lap. your lips were connected for a few minutes now, and everytime you pulled away to catch your breath a line of saliva built a bridge between you. you were needy, ellie desperate and the whole situation really messy. quite a combo.

"ellie..." you whined after freeing your tongue.

she pulled you back into her, holding onto the back of your neck. "what is it, doll?"

"mhh-" a week sound escaped your mouth, as you struggled to calm down and not act as if you just ran a marathon (because you didn't, of course, but that's how you felt). "touch me..."

you didn't realize she kept her hands only on your head because she was shy. you never thought she could be shy at all. your request, though, awakened something in her. she hungrily slid her slim fingers beneath your shirt, where they rubbed soothing shapes into your skin.

"like that?" she laughed, or at least you guessed she did, because the sensations made it hard for you to tell.

your answer was a one word, but a keyword. "more."

with that, her hands unfastened your bra and threw it somewhere on the ground. she turned you around, making you lean your back on her chest. your shirt covered the scene - her playing with your hard nipples, that didn't feel so sensitive until now. her hair fell on your face, slightly covering it, as she bowed her head to kiss your neck. your pussy sent a needy impulse through the rest of your body, signaling you this is what you needed, before the pulsating changed it's message to a 'not enough'. ellie seemed to notice it, and one of her hands untied the knot of your cute pyjama-shorts. the elastic at your hips widened to make room for her hand, and it carefully slipped underneath the waistband, though stayed on top of your underwear. she followed the wet path with her middle finger, arriving to it's source. she didn't put any pressure onto your body, leaving you unsatisfied.

"please- please, do it." you nodded, fighting the urge to press her hand towards you.

she was more than happy to do it, her hand avoiding now also your panties and making contact with your bare body. you shuddered at the coldness she brought with her, but things quickly got heated.

your head found support in her shoulder, resting on it, as her pointing finger rubbed your clit and the next two lazily waited at your entrance, collecting everything that came out of it.

"do you want me to do it?" she asked. it wasn't the taunting, teasing, playful tone. it was a concerned, shy and hesitating one. one you weren't used to hear from her.

you frowned, wiping your wet, drooled mouth with the palm of your hand. "are you... really asking me that?" you wanted to add '...or am i dreaming?' but that was too much for you now, and your throat refused to work.

"i only want to do things you want me to do." she whispered, sounding almost ashamed about admitting that.

she continued the trail of sappy little kissed on your neck, somewhere where the vocal cords are, and you thought that's the main reason they're not working.

you couldn't hide your surprise but stayed quiet, though not really by choice. she thanked god you couldn't feel her own wet spot, which was probably bigger than yours and still growing each time you asked her to do something for you. even if your commands weren't out of your dominance, even if you had no idea how they turn her on, she only waited for you to ask for more, or less, anything would satisfy her, as long as she can satisfy you.

[creamflix]

UNSCRIPTED — toji fushiguro x female reader [chapter 4/5]

summary: you’re a faceless author of scandalous smut — great at writing steamy scenes but totally clueless about real-life romance (and with no one to match your freak). enter toji fushiguro, a hot stranger you (accidentally) throw up on during a drunken night out. surprise! he’s also the future voice actor for your smutty novel’s main character. can you survive the awkwardness of your disastrous meet-cute while keeping your identity (and dignity) a secret? welcome to the chaos of your own erotic fantasy romcom!

content warning & tags: (erotic) voice artist! toji, (smut) writer! reader, smutty content!! [added over the course of this series], sort of workplace romance, secret/anon identity, slight social media au, meet-cute, virgin!reader, single dad dilf! toji, kid! megumi, strangers to lovers (?), she fell first but he fell harder, mentions of other characters (satoru gojo, suguru geto, megumi fushiguro, shoko eiri, brief mentions of ryomen sukuna)

notes: series is coming to a close and all i can say time and time again is thank you <3 this has been such a blast to write and reading all your comments and tagged reblogs makes me beyond grateful. i was going to make this chapter longer but i exceeded the tumblr word break count, so the much awaited smut chapter & epilogue will be next :pensive: anyways, please enjoy!! and let me know if you're a fein for more....ifykyk :3

read on ao3! ● series masterlist

➤ related au: persephone [business tycoon! sukuna x reader]

the day of your book launch arrived like a storm of excitement and celebration, the entire event carefully and extravagantly crafted by gojo-sonic. true to his word, satoru had given shoko a “no limits” budget, and she’d taken full advantage. 

every detail screamed luxury and grandeur, from the sprawling hall draped in velvet and illuminated by chandeliers, to the massive screens flashing animations of your book cover as if it were the latest blockbuster. booths lined the entrance, stocked with merch inspired by mating the dragon king — everything from small trinkets to collector’s editions of the book. readers, critics, and fans alike were buzzing with excitement, filling the air with an electric anticipation.

you took it all in with awe, hardly able to believe the spectacle was for your work. a lump formed in your throat as you realized this was satoru and shoko’s way of supporting you, a grand gesture of friendship and admiration when words alone weren’t enough. 

shoko, dressed to the nines, approached you with a smug grin, handing you a glass of wine, graciously sponsored by persephone wines. 

“told you we’d go all out, didn’t i?” she chuckled, clinking her glass against yours.

“shoko, i don’t even know what to say. this is… i mean, look at all this,” you said, gesturing around you, a little overwhelmed by it all.

“just say you’ll dedicate the next one to us,” she teased, winking. “this was nothing. i didn’t even blow through the whole budget satoru gave me.”

“don’t worry, i’ll get my credit,” satoru’s familiar voice cut in as he joined you, flashing his trademark grin. “i told shoko: if we’re sponsoring the best writer i know, she deserves the best launch.”

“you two are ridiculous,” you laughed, but your heart was full. “thank you. really.”

“hey, you worked for this,” satoru shrugged, his eyes softening. “we just put a spotlight on the star.”

before you could respond, suguru’s voice came crackling through a tablet satoru was holding. he was miles away but, in true fashion, wouldn’t miss the opportunity to chime in. 

along with having persephone wines sponsor the drinks, he’d also sent over an exquisitely tailored gown, just for the night, joking that it was the “least he could do” from afar.

“i may not be there in person,” he quipped through the video call, his voice warm, “but i’ll be damned if i don’t make sure you look like the queen you are tonight. the gown suits you.”

you felt yourself flush at his words, smoothing the luxurious fabric of the gown as you glanced at yourself in one of the mirrors. “you outdid yourself, suguru. thank you.”

“you’re welcome,” he smiled, a soft glint of pride in his eyes. “now go show them why you’re the best.”

the event itself was a whirlwind of praise and conversation, with critics and fans alike coming up to you. several of them took the time to express their admiration for the novel’s heartfelt evolution. 

“the relationship between the dragon king and the princess felt so raw, so beautifully authentic in this sequel,” one of them remarked. “you managed to capture this intense romance in a way that’s rare to see in fantasy. it wasn’t just lust, but something deeply emotional, and it resonated.”

another critic leaned in, smiling knowingly. “and the rivalry turned camaraderie between the dragon king and the knight? you’ve managed to make them compelling foils — layered and nuanced. it’s been a long time since i’ve read such rich dynamics.”

you accepted their words graciously, nodding and smiling, but your mind kept drifting back to toji. 

all the subtle emotional depth in the book — the raw, consuming, and vulnerable aspects of love — it was impossible to ignore his influence on the way you wrote this time. he’d pulled you into a realm of understanding that went beyond mere words, and you’d poured that revelation into every chapter, every exchange between characters.

shoko caught your gaze and sidled up next to you. “sooo, thinkin’ about someone special?” she teased, raising her brow.

you tried to play it off with a shrug. 

“maybe. it’s just… i’m realizing how far i’ve come. a few years ago, i could never have written like this, could never have understood these feelings so deeply. now… i feel like i’ve finally become the writer i always wanted to be.”

she nodded, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. “well, you’ve grown. and you’ve let someone in. that changes things. makes them real.”

as you moved through the event, mingling with guests and listening to the feedback, you allowed yourself a rare moment of pride. you’d worked so hard to get here, navigating the ups and downs of an author’s journey. the countless late nights, the rejections, the criticisms — they all seemed worth it now. 

this was more than just a book launch; it was a testament to how much you’d evolved, both as a writer and as a person.

when you found a quiet corner to catch your breath, you couldn’t resist pulling out your phone, typing out a quick message to toji.

you [7:36 pm]: i owe a lot of this night to you, you know. couldn’t have written this without your… "help." 😌

a moment later, your phone buzzed with his reply.

toji [7:40 pm]: my pleasure, princess. make sure to give me a private reading of that sequel soon ;)

you laughed softly to yourself, tucking your phone away, feeling a rush of warmth that settled comfortably in your chest. 

tonight was a night of celebration, but as you looked out at the gathering of supporters and friends, you knew that the most profound reward was waiting for you at home, ready to be there in ways that went beyond just words on a page.

“daddy, come on! we’re gonna be late!” megumi’s voice rang out through the small house, his small hands balled into impatient fists as he watched his dad struggle with his tie.

“alright, alright, relax, will ya?” toji grumbled, pulling the knot loose for the third time and starting over. his nerves weren’t exactly helping him get ready any faster, and megumi’s impatience wasn’t making things easier.

the babysitter mix-up had thrown a wrench into his plans. 

tonight was supposed to be simple — show up, support you at your big launch, and, if he could work up the courage, propose. 

that was already hard enough without a certain eight-year-old demanding he speed things up. 

he glanced over at his son, who looked like a mini version of himself, decked out in a tiny suit, his hair combed neatly for once. megumi was practically vibrating with excitement.

“you ready for this, buddy?” toji asked, finally getting his tie straight and adjusting his collar.

megumi gave him a big grin, nodding eagerly. “i get to see y/n tonight! and everyone will say i look cool,” he added, puffing out his chest proudly. “do you think she’ll like it?”

toji smiled, his heart doing a weird flip at the thought of you seeing megumi like this. “she’ll love it. you look like a little heartbreaker,” he teased, ruffling his son’s hair before catching himself. 

“but hey, don’t tell her that i messed up my tie like five times, alright? let’s keep it between us.”

megumi snickered, looking up at his dad with mischievous eyes. “only if you promise to hurry up! she’ll be there already! she’ll think we forgot her!”

toji let out a chuckle but felt a swell of something deeper. tonight was big — not just for you, but for him, for megumi, for the family he hoped to make official. he’d been so certain when he got the ring, so sure he’d just hand it over with some smooth line. 

but now, standing here, he realized how real this was. 

he’d spent most of his life with only his son by his side, and suddenly, you had filled in so many empty spaces he hadn’t even known were there.

“you think she’ll say yes?” he muttered to himself, not realizing he’d said it out loud until he saw megumi’s puzzled face.

“say yes to what?” megumi asked, head tilted as he studied his dad. “you didn’t ask her anything yet.”

toji’s heart leapt, but he just shrugged. “oh, just… if she’ll like the flowers, or the dress — uh, the way you’re dressed, i mean.” he rubbed the back of his neck, knowing full well his son wasn’t buying it.

“she’s gonna say yes to everything, daddy,” megumi said confidently, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “everyone loves her. i love her!”

toji’s chest tightened. he didn’t need to ask megumi if he’d be okay with you becoming a permanent part of their family; the kid practically glowed every time you walked into the room.

“alright, alright. let’s get outta here before she thinks we’re ditching her big night,” he said, scooping up his keys and nudging megumi toward the door.

as they drove to the venue, toji’s mind raced. 

he thought about all the times you’d laughed with him, stayed late to watch silly movies with megumi, made dinners feel like more than just a chore. 

you weren’t just good for him; you’d made him want more, to be better. and for megumi, you were the safe place he hadn’t even known he’d been missing.

“daddy, are you gonna kiss her tonight?” megumi piped up suddenly, pulling toji from his thoughts.

toji nearly choked. “uh, maybe, kid. depends on how things go.”

“good,” megumi replied, nodding solemnly. “you should. she likes you. she told me once.”

toji chuckled, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. “yeah? and what’d she say?”

“she said you’re stubborn and don’t listen, but that you’re good at cooking,” megumi recited, looking pleased with himself. “and that she thinks you’re cute.”

toji’s heart soared. the kid had no idea what tonight meant, not really. but he could feel his own nerves steady, knowing he wasn’t alone in wanting this. 

it wasn’t just him and megumi anymore — it was the three of them, and he wanted that, needed that, more than he’d let himself admit.

pulling up to the venue, he took a deep breath, looking over at megumi with a grin. “alright, bud. let’s go make her night unforgettable.”

you were mid-sentence with one of the editors when you heard it — your name, shouted in the unmistakable pitch of a child. whipping around, you barely had a moment to react before megumi, clutching a massive bouquet that nearly swallowed him whole, came barreling toward you.

“megs!” you gasped, and without thinking twice, you scooped him up into your arms, letting out a laugh that was half-surprise, half-joy. the flowers brushed against your face, petals tickling your nose as you held him tight, savoring the moment.

“oh my gosh, you’re here! and look at these!” you pulled back just enough to look at the bouquet, then at megumi, who was grinning up at you with all the pride in the world. “did you pick these out yourself, mister?”

“yep!” he beamed, holding the bouquet up higher, like he wanted to make sure you got a good look. “daddy said we could get the biggest one they had because tonight’s really special.”

before you could respond, toji appeared beside you, keeping his arm low and offering a subtle, one-armed hug — a gentle squeeze at your waist, just enough for you to feel him there. the touch, as small as it was, sent a warmth through you that the room full of people couldn’t rival.

“thought we’d surprise you,” toji murmured, his voice just for you as he pulled back a bit, casting a wary glance around. you knew he was trying to keep a low profile, aware of the eyes everywhere. 

not many people knew about his personal life — let alone that he had a son — and you understood, appreciating the lengths he’d gone to just to bring megumi here tonight.

“you both did a perfect job,” you said, looking from toji to megumi with a soft smile. “you have no idea how happy i am right now.”

megumi’s eyes sparkled, as if he knew exactly how much his presence meant. “i told daddy we couldn’t miss it! i mean, it’s your biggest book ever, right?” he asked, bouncing a little in your arms, oblivious to the attention his enthusiasm was drawing.

“it is,” you nodded, smoothing a hand through his hair, “and you made it so much better just by being here.”

“oh!” megumi perked up, his voice loud enough to turn a few heads. “did you know i brought my special iron-man pen so i can sign books too?”

you laughed, nodding along. “well, with a pen like that, you’ll be the best co-author here.” you glanced up at toji, sharing a knowing look. 

“thank you for bringing him. i know it… wasn’t easy.”

toji shrugged, his expression softening just for a moment. “hey, it’s your night. thought he might make it even better.” his words were casual, but the sincerity in his eyes was undeniable. 

it was like he wanted to tell you so much more, but knew it wasn’t the time or place.

a nearby critic approached, clearing his throat as he smiled at you. “i hope we aren’t interrupting a family moment,” he said kindly, glancing at megumi with a smile. “but i’d like to congratulate you on your incredible work — it’s rare to see such depth in a romance series, truly.”

you flushed, offering him a grateful smile as you shifted megumi in your arms. “thank you so much. that means the world to me,” you replied, feeling megumi wiggle with excitement.

toji, standing just behind you, kept his hand resting gently at your back, his presence grounding you as you navigated the crowd. despite his careful distance, you could feel his pride, his quiet support, and it felt like a shield, like a promise he was making, even in silence. 

you knew how much it took for him to be here, to show this side of himself to the world, and you couldn’t be more grateful.

as you shook hands, exchanged pleasantries, and posed for photos, toji stayed close, always within reach. each time you turned to look at him, he was there with a soft, steady gaze, giving you that silent encouragement he seemed to master so well. with every glance, every small exchange, you could see the admiration in his eyes, like he was seeing you all over again and falling deeper.

megumi, oblivious to the significance of the moment, tugged at your sleeve. “are we gonna eat soon? daddy said there’s cake.”

you smiled, leaning close to him. “oh, definitely. i hear it’s the best cake in the whole city.”

“see, told you we’d get cake,” toji muttered under his breath, ruffling megumi’s hair. you couldn’t help but laugh, seeing the way his gaze softened as he looked at you both. there was so much affection there — unspoken, but understood.

for a brief second, you imagined this was your life every day. not just events and fleeting moments, but nights together, little family moments like this. 

the thought made your heart swell, and for a second, you allowed yourself to imagine the possibility of it becoming real, wondering if maybe, just maybe, toji wanted it as much as you did.

toji leaned back against the wall, his eyes following the two of you as you knelt down to point out the different treats on the table for megumi, who was practically bouncing with excitement. 

the critic’s words kept circling in his mind, replaying over and over, making his chest feel tight: family. family moment. 

the idea of it hung in the air, clinging to him in a way he couldn’t shake off. watching you with megumi like this, it was a glimpse of something he’d never dared to imagine, and yet here it was, right in front of him.

his fingers brushed the small box in his pocket, feeling the outline of the ring he’d agonized over for weeks. it had seemed crazy when he’d first bought it — almost reckless. 

me, proposing? he’d thought, laughing at himself. but now, with you and megumi just a few feet away, it didn’t feel crazy. 

it felt like the most real, most obvious thing in the world.

"daddy! look!" megumi called out, waving a small pastry in the air. “she said i can try whatever i want! even the tiny cake things!”

“the petit fours,” you corrected with a smile, ruffling his hair. “you have great taste, kiddo.”

toji chuckled, crossing his arms as he walked over to you both. “better take it easy, megumi. don’t want you passing out before the cake,” he teased, slipping an arm around your waist without even thinking about it. the gesture was small, casual, but it felt right.

“i’m not gonna pass out! i can eat everything,” megumi declared with a determined nod, his cheeks already stuffed with a piece of macaron.

you both laughed, and toji glanced at you, his smile lingering just a little longer than usual. his heart thudded with a strange, warm ache. 

he could see it now — the life he’d always convinced himself he didn’t need, didn’t deserve. he could see it so clearly: late nights, family meals, hearing megumi’s laughter echo through your home. 

and you… you beside him, every step of the way.

his hand found yours and squeezed it, his voice dropping low, soft, “you’re really something, you know that?”

you tilted your head up at him, a bit of surprise mixed with warmth in your eyes. “what’s got you so sentimental all of a sudden?” you teased, nudging him playfully.

he chuckled, shaking his head. “maybe just… realizing how lucky i am.”

before you could respond, a familiar voice rang out, entirely too loud for the occasion.

“well, well, well, look who finally made it!” satoru announced, strutting over with shoko at his side, her expression mildly amused. “thought you’d skip your own lady’s event, huh, toji?”

toji rolled his eyes but gave satoru a smirk. “yeah, figured i’d let you take all the credit.”

satoru scoffed, nudging toji’s arm. “as if. this isn’t my night, it’s hers.” 

he turned to you with a broad grin. “you’re killing it tonight, seriously. it’s about time everyone realized how much of a genius you are.”

“here, here,” shoko added, raising an invisible glass in toast, her eyes gleaming with that usual mix of admiration and mischief. “you deserve all of this, every bit of it.”

you smiled, feeling a flush rise to your cheeks. “thank you, both of you. really. none of this would’ve happened without you two backing me up from day one.”

satoru scoffed, waving you off. “please, you would’ve gotten here on your own. we just sped things up a little.”

toji watched as satoru and shoko chatted with you, keeping one hand wrapped around yours. satoru and shoko had no idea, of course, that tonight was the night he planned on asking you to be part of his life permanently. 

it was almost funny, seeing them so oblivious, all while toji stood here with a ring in his pocket, ready to turn his life upside down.

“you okay?” shoko asked, raising a brow at him as she noticed his quiet, distant expression. “you look like you’re planning something big. which, if you are, you should probably warn her first.” her voice held a teasing edge, but there was something knowing in her eyes.

he gave a small shrug, trying to play it off. 

“just… feeling lucky,” he said again, and he meant it more now than ever.

the moment megumi’s eyes landed on the enormous dragon hanging from the ceiling, his mouth fell open in awe, and he pointed up with such force it was almost as if he was about to fly off the ground. 

his little voice pierced through the chatter of the room as he shrieked, “look! look! a real dragon!”

everyone turned their heads in unison, drawn to the oversized, intricate dragon decoration that swirled and curled down from the ceiling, its glittering scales catching the light and its wings spread wide like it was ready to take flight.

“woah, that thing’s massive,” satoru said, clearly impressed, even though his voice had the usual playful edge. “didn’t know you were into dragons, megumi.”

megumi, not even listening to satoru’s question, continued to point excitedly, his eyes wide with the kind of childlike wonder that made his enthusiasm contagious. 

“it’s the dragon king!” he announced, as though he were revealing a hidden treasure. “he’s gonna — he’s gonna —”

“he’s gonna swoop down and eat us all up!” toji finished with a grin, playing along as he leaned in to mess with megumi’s hair. “better watch out, kiddo.”

megumi gasped, taking a step back dramatically as if the dragon could really eat him. 

“nooooo!” he screamed, his tiny voice making everyone in the vicinity laugh. “i don’t wanna be eaten!”

“you’ll be fine,” you said, leaning down and pulling him into your side for a protective hug. “but if you’re not careful, the dragon might just come and steal your cookies.”

megumi narrowed his eyes in mock suspicion, crossing his arms. “that’s what he wants? cookies?!” he asked incredulously, his voice loud enough for the entire room to hear. “i can take him! i’m iron man!”

everyone laughed again, and even toji chuckled under his breath, watching his son’s antics with affection.

“you’d better be quick then, iron man,” toji teased, a hand sliding around your waist. “i think the dragon’s looking at your cookies.”

megumi immediately perked up at that, his eyes darting back to the dragon above them. “no! that’s my cookie! he better stay away!” he shouted, before running off toward the table with treats, waving his arms like he was preparing for battle. “you better not mess with my cookies, dragon!”

“he’s serious about those cookies,” satoru said with a grin, chuckling as he shook his head. “maybe we should let megumi take on the dragon first, then we can all get some cookies in peace.”

toji couldn't stop smiling at the sight of megumi racing toward the table. he hadn't seen the kid this excited in a while. it was as if his joy was a burst of energy that spread throughout the room. the love, the laughter — it all felt like a dream to him.

“what about you?” shoko asked with a teasing smirk, looking at you. “are you joining in the battle too?”

you grinned, your gaze flicking to toji for a brief moment before your eyes softened. “yeah, we’ve got to make sure the cookies are safe, right?”

toji’s heart thudded in his chest. he knew that this — these moments with you and megumi — was what he wanted. it wasn’t just about him or about megumi. it was about you three, together, as a family. 

even if no one else knew it yet, it was real in his heart.

“we are the cookie protectors,” you said, straightening up. “and the dragon better stay away from us.”

megumi, now holding a cookie in each hand, jumped up and down. “yeah! take that, dragon!” he shouted, looking back at you for approval. his small face was so determined, so full of confidence, that you couldn’t help but laugh.

“that’s my boy,” toji muttered under his breath, watching the small scene unfold. he didn’t know how it had happened, but somewhere along the way, his heart had found a place with you and megumi — his family. 

and no dragon, real or not, could take that from him.

you looked up at him, and for a brief second, the entire world felt like it slowed down. "we’re really doing this, huh?" you said softly, and toji’s lips curved into a warm, affectionate smile.

“yeah,” he replied, his voice steady. “we really are.”

as the last guests trickled out, toji gave a subtle nod to gojo and shoko, who shared a knowing look. gojo’s grin stretched ear to ear, and he waggled his eyebrows at toji.

“ohhhh, i see what’s going on,” he drawled dramatically, casting a wink your way. “don’t worry, big guy. we’ll keep the little one entertained.”

“so you two can, you know… have a moment,” shoko added, giving you both a half-smile as she nudged megumi’s shoulder. “come on, kid, let’s go see if there’s any cake left in the back.”

megumi’s eyes lit up. “cake? there’s more cake?”

“as much as you want,” gojo said, patting his head. he leaned down and stage-whispered, “besides, your dad probably needs all the help he can get to keep up with his favorite author.”

toji shot gojo a glare as gojo strutted away, dragging megumi with him. but there was a small, grateful smile tucked under the tough exterior as he turned back to you.

“they’re so extra,” you laughed, shaking your head as toji led you out onto the balcony, where twinkling lights and a clear view of the moon made everything feel softer, more intimate.

“think that’s what friends are for,” toji mumbled, scratching his neck, clearly trying to shake off a bit of nervousness. he looked so out of place in a suit but wore it well, in that rugged, casual way that made you feel like you were with him — not some polished version of him. you gave his arm a gentle squeeze as you both settled onto the bench.

“honestly, i still can’t believe how well tonight went,” you murmured, staring out at the moonlit view. “it feels surreal.”

toji chuckled. “yeah, you handled it like a pro. i don’t know how you keep it together with all those people throwing compliments and criticism at you.”

you laughed softly, nudging him with your shoulder. “oh, like you’re one to talk, mr. mysterious voice actor.”

he rolled his eyes, but there was a small, proud grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. “voice actor, huh? kinda takes the mystery out of it.”

“please, i see how they look at you when you talk,” you teased, leaning your head against his shoulder. “if they only knew half the things you say to me, the mystery would be gone in a second.”

toji huffed, his cheeks slightly pink as he wrapped his arm around you. “maybe i like keeping a few secrets,” he said, tone low and soft, like he was letting you in on one right then.

you stayed like that, just nestled against him, and a comfortable silence settled between you. after a moment, you stood and walked to the ledge to snap a picture of the full moon, your phone’s flash catching on something small — a tiny charm dangling from your phone. toji’s eyes drifted to it, and he felt a sudden rush of warmth at the sight: the little origami paper ring he’d made for you months ago, in a moment that felt playful and silly then, but seeing it still there now…

he took a deep breath, fingers brushing over the ring box in his pocket. 

it’s now or never, huh?

“hey,” he called softly.

you turned, your face softly illuminated by the moonlight. there was a kind, patient look in your eyes — the look that he swore could stop his heart — and his own heart hammered as he took a step closer.

“so, um…” he cleared his throat, trying not to let his nerves show. “you remember that first night we met? at the bar?”

“oh yeah,” you said with a little smile. “you were the one looking all grumpy in the corner.”

he chuckled. “yeah, i… guess i thought i was too good for everyone there.” he smirked, shaking his head. “then you sat down and completely threw me off. got me talking more in one night than i’d talked all year.”

you laughed, taking his hand and giving it a small squeeze. “you didn’t seem like the talking type.”

“i wasn’t,” he said, softer now, “until you.”

you tilted your head, brows lifting in surprise as he went on.

“i tried not to make a big deal out of it,” he said, a little embarrassed, “but i fell hard that night. i kept telling myself it was nothing, but then… every time i saw you with megumi, every time i watched you do what you love…” his voice grew softer. “hell, every time you’d hum “dancing queen,” i’d get this stupid grin on my face and just think, ‘yeah, this is it.’”

you couldn’t help but laugh at that, even as your heart beat faster. “dancing queen? really?”

“yeah, laugh all you want,” he teased, shaking his head, “but it’s true.”

then, with a steadying breath, he pulled out the ring box and flipped it open, revealing a delicate ring, the exact same shade of blue as the paper ring on your charm. 

“so… will you let me make this official? be my wife? let me be there for you and megumi, as more than… you know, whatever we’ve been calling this?”

your eyes filled with tears as you stared at the ring, then up at him. without hesitation, you flung your arms around him, hugging him tight as you whispered, “yes. yes, toji, a thousand times yes.”

he exhaled in relief, wrapping his arms around you as if he was afraid to let go. “about time,” he murmured, voice thick with emotion. “thought you’d never give in.”

you leaned back, laughing as you swiped at your tears. “oh, shut up, you were the one dragging your feet!”

“i’m just thorough,” he said with a smirk, slipping the ring onto your finger. he glanced down at it, a proud smile on his face. “looks good on you.”

you admired the ring, then met his gaze with a grin. “it’s perfect. but, uh… i hope you’re ready for a lifetime of dancing queen.”

toji groaned playfully, though his eyes sparkled with happiness. “guess i can handle that… as long as i’ve got you.”

as you stood there, feeling the weight of the ring on your finger and the warmth of toji’s arms around you, the realization washed over you like a tidal wave — you, the anonymous smut writer extraordinaire, the queen of dodging wholesome romance in favor of spicy plots, were now officially engaged. 

engaged, as in, someone actually wanted to put a ring on it.

and that someone just happened to be toji fushiguro, who, at this very moment, had the audacity to be looking at you with that amused glint in his eye, watching your face morph from shock to excitement to full-on teary bawling.

“oh my god,” you croaked, barely able to contain the laugh-sobs that bubbled up. 

“i’m engaged. like, wedding bells and not trolling in the comments sections engaged.”

toji raised a brow, pulling you closer as he chuckled. “i mean, considering half the stuff you write about, that’s a hell of a transition. but hey, you’re handling it… sorta.”

“sorta?” you sniffled, then glared at him through watery eyes. “i’m having a life-altering epiphany, thank you very much.”

he smirked, swiping a thumb under your eye to catch a stray tear. “awwww, poor baby. reality setting in?”

you scoffed, trying to stifle the way your laugh broke into another sob. “look, i just… never thought i’d actually be here, you know? from hidden smut scenes and faceless profiles to… this.”

“hey, hey,” he murmured, squeezing your hand. “if it makes you feel better, i’m here for all of it. the trolls, the, uh… ‘intense fan engagement,’ and whatever’s next. and i gotta say, i think it’s pretty hot my girl’s a smut connoisseur.”

you smacked his arm, laughing through your tears. “you just like that i write things that would make a nun pass out.”

“absolutely,” he grinned. “it’s impressive. educational, even.”

you let out a snort-laugh, wiping your cheeks. “oh my god, toji, please. this is already too much. i’m literally having a moment, and you’re still finding a way to bring up my career in porn literacy.”

he chuckled, pulling you close and leaning his forehead against yours. “is it really a moment if i don’t remind you what a legend you are?”

you blinked up at him, overwhelmed by a mix of hilarity and emotion, the tears slipping down despite yourself. “i… i guess not.”

“see?” he said softly, brushing his thumb over your cheek again. “you’re one of a kind, y’know that? and i’ve loved you since day one — trolls, sarcasm, emotional breakdowns, and all.”

you sniffled, biting back a laugh that still sounded half like a sob. “since day one? you mean since i saw you brooding in a bar and puked on your shoes?”

“yeah, yeah,” he murmured, his voice softer now, almost reverent. “since that night. you took me out of my head, put me right in yours. and now… i don’t think i’d want to be anywhere else.”

that did it; a fresh wave of tears slipped down, and you let out a groan, barely holding back a laugh. “great, now i’m really crying. and it’s all your fault for saying something so sweet.”

toji’s lips curved into a smirk as he gently thumbed away your tears. “i’ll take the blame,” he murmured, then pulled you close again. “so long as i get to see that pretty face of yours every day.”

“ugh,” you muttered, but your voice wobbled, giving you away. “you’re such a jerk. you know that?”

“only for you, babe,” he said, squeezing you. “only for you.”

toji grinned, watching the emotional storm brewing in your eyes. just as you took a shaky breath to speak, he cleared his throat dramatically, adopting a voice dripping with fake sincerity, and intoned, “my love for you burns brighter than the eternal flames of the dragon king’s wrath…”

your jaw dropped, equal parts horror and laughter bubbling up. “oh my god, toji. no. you didn’t just quote one of my lines. that line.”

he smirked, utterly unbothered, shrugging casually. “what can i say? they had those fancy signed copies lying around… thought i’d see what all the fuss was about.”

you were torn between laughing and punching him. “so, you thought you’d quote the cheesiest line in the whole book? i swear, that scene was a joke between me and shoko —”

“hey, don’t knock it,” he said with a smirk, throwing an arm around you. “personally, i think it’s beautiful. poetic, even. you’d make any dragon proud, babe.”

you groaned, burying your face in your hands. “i’m so embarrassed right now.”

“oh, c’mon,” he nudged, pulling your hands away so he could see your face. “if it makes you feel any better, it got me here, didn’t it? my heart’s already caught fire.”

“stop it,” you laughed, finally relenting and pressing your forehead to his chest, a half-hearted punch to his shoulder. “you’re such a jerk.”

he chuckled, wrapping you in his arms. “yeah, but i’m your jerk. and i gotta say, i think we’d make a pretty good team. i mean, after all, the dragon king always finds his queen…”

“i will actually murder you,” you muttered, but you couldn’t help the way your laughter softened, clinging to him just a little tighter.

“that’s my girl,” he murmured, planting a kiss on the top of your head, a warm, knowing smile on his face.

the morning after the book launch, toji was on high alert as he sat megumi down at the kitchen table. the little guy was still bleary-eyed, hair a mess, pajamas slightly askew, but when he spotted his dad’s unusually serious expression, he perked up, looking from toji to the unopened box of cereal on the table.

“what’s up, daddy?” he asked, squinting at him suspiciously.

toji cleared his throat. “listen, kiddo… i’ve got some big news.”

megumi’s eyes widened. “big news?” he asked, already intrigued. “like… big like when we found out that the dragon yesterday was a real dragon?”

toji scratched his head, trying not to laugh. “well, maybe not that big. but it’s important. you know how much i love y/n, right?”

megumi nodded with an exaggerated seriousness that only an eight-year-old could muster. “of course! you guys are always looking at each other, and you smile even when she makes fun of you.”

“oh, she makes fun of me?” toji chuckled, raising an eyebrow.

“yeah, dad. i heard her say you look like a ‘tough marshmallow’ once,” megumi said, and then giggled at the memory.

toji rolled his eyes, but a smile tugged at his lips. “well, anyway… i’ve decided to ask her to marry me. and guess what? she said yes.”

megumi’s eyes grew as big as saucers, and he sat straight up in his seat. “wait, like… she’s gonna be my mama?”

toji nodded, grinning. “yeah, just like that. you and me — we’re gonna be a team with her.”

megumi stared at him in stunned silence, and then, all at once, he exploded with excitement. 

“YES! that’s so awesome!” he yelled, fist-pumping the air. “we’re gonna be a real family, with, like… dinners, and vacations, and… wait, does that mean i can tell my friends i have a mama now?”

toji chuckled. “you sure can, kid.”

“oh man,” megumi squealed, his hands up in the air as he looked around the kitchen as if needing to celebrate immediately. “this is amazing! we need to have a party or something!”

he practically bounced up, reaching for his favorite cereal with such enthusiasm that his elbow knocked a bottle of milk right off the counter, sending it crashing to the floor. they both froze, looking at the mess.

megumi winced. “uh… oops?”

toji just laughed, pulling him into a one-armed hug. “we’ll clean it up together. ‘cause that’s what families do, right?”

megumi beamed up at him, the pure joy in his little face melting every last bit of toji’s tough exterior. “right! and i’ll do it fast, ‘cause i’m excited. i can’t believe this. i’m so lucky, daddy!”

toji ruffled his hair. “nah, kid. i’m the lucky one. and trust me, it’s about to get even better.”

it's barely dawn when your phone buzzes, dragging you out of a warm, blissful sleep. squinting at the screen, you see toji’s name flashing. a sleepy smile forms on your face, but before you can even say hello, a very familiar, very excited young voice explodes into your ear.

“y/n!!! WAKE UP! WAKE UP!!” megumi practically yells, his voice hitting decibels that feel criminally loud this early in the morning.

you jolt, holding the phone a little farther from your ear. “megumi?” you mumble, still half-asleep and trying to process the level of energy he’s throwing at you. “why are you up so early, buddy? did something happen?”

“something HUGE happened! guess what, guess what, guess what!” he shouts, each “guess what” somehow louder than the last.

blinking against the early light creeping into your room, you stifle a yawn. “hmm… did someone find a real-life dragon in our backyard?” you play along, rubbing your eyes.

“even BETTER!” he declares triumphantly. “you’re gonna be my mama!!”

you pause, biting back a laugh, because of course you already know this. but hearing the excitement in his voice, you can’t help but let yourself get a little carried away, too. 

“oh, wow! really? that’s incredible, ‘gumi! i had no idea,” you say, matching his enthusiasm with a gasp.

“i know! isn’t it soo cool?! i told daddy that this means we get to have family dinners and stuff, and now i get to tell my friends that i have a mama,” he babbles, his words running together in his excitement.

toji’s voice, faint in the background, mutters, “megs, let her breathe.”

but megumi, undeterred, barrels on. “and guess what else! i’m gonna help pick out the wedding cake. i already told daddy i want one with dragons on it, so we’ll be like, the coolest family ever.”

you laugh, absolutely charmed by his excitement. “well, i think that’s an amazing idea. a dragon cake sounds perfect.”

“right?! and can we have swords, too? i think it should be like one of those fights, where you and dad have to fight, and whoever wins gets the cake.” he’s practically bouncing off the walls at this point, each suggestion wilder than the last.

“swords and dragons? that might be a tall order, but we can see what we can do,” you reply, stifling another laugh.

toji’s voice cuts in, sounding both amused and exasperated. “alright, kiddo, you’re supposed to let her sleep. remember? that was the deal if i let you call her this early.”

there’s a dramatic pause, and then megumi whispers loudly into the phone, “oops.”

you chuckle. “it’s okay, mumi. i’m really glad you called. now i’m just as excited as you are.”

“good!” he cheers, before pausing. “but, uh… you can still sleep if you want. i can call you again in five minutes if that helps?”

“five minutes, huh?” you glance at the clock, pretending to think it over. “you know what, i’ll take that extra sleep. i’ll talk to you later, okay?”

“okay!” he chirps, clearly pleased with himself for being so “understanding” about your need for sleep.

you hear toji laugh softly in the background, and he takes the phone back. “go back to sleep, sweetheart. i’ll make sure megumi doesn’t actually call you in five.”

“i appreciate it,” you murmur, smiling. “good luck keeping him in one place today.”

“thanks. i’m gonna need it,” toji chuckles. “get some rest. we’ll see you soon, future mrs. fushiguro.”

a warmth blooms in your chest, making it even harder to hang up. “can’t wait. love you both.”

as you finally close your eyes again, megumi’s ecstatic little voice echoes in your mind. it’s the kind of wake-up call you could get used to, even if it means sacrificing a few hours of sleep.

toji grumbled as he held up his phone, squinting against the light from the window. it wasn’t every day he voluntarily subjected himself to a facetime call with those two, but after everything that’d happened last night, he supposed he owed them the news firsthand. as the phone rang, he mentally prepared himself for the inevitable chaos that was about to unfold.

the call finally connected, but there was nothing but… dead silence. neither gojo nor suguru had their cameras on, which was weird because gojo’s face was usually plastered in the frame within seconds, whether he was ready or not.

“uh… you two there, or is my phone broken?” toji asked, furrowing his brow, wondering if it was some kind of network issue.

another moment passed before gojo’s voice finally came through, quiet and almost suspicious. 

“so, toji. you call us this early, just for what? a chat?”

“what, i’m not allowed to check in?” toji countered, unable to keep a smirk off his face. “and hey, it’s not that early.”

“toji, it’s barely eight!” gojo’s voice was dramatic, and toji could practically feel suguru rolling his eyes in the background.

“yeah, yeah, well… it’s important,” toji finally muttered. he knew it was going to sound weird to them, especially coming from him, but he had to bite the bullet. 

“look, i got engaged last night.”

a beat of absolute silence. 

toji even pulled the phone away from his face to make sure the call hadn’t dropped. then, suddenly, he heard a choking noise on the other end, and gojo’s voice came back with a trembling, “what did you just say?”

“yeah. i asked her to marry me. it’s real.” toji’s voice was nonchalant, as if he was just talking about his usual dinner plans, but his grip on the phone tightened. he didn’t know what to expect from them. jokes? a snide comment? but… nothing. 

dead silence again.

“alright, what the hell? you guys hear me, or what?” toji demanded, brow knitting in confusion. were they that shocked, or was the signal just terrible?

and then, from the other end, he heard a frantic scramble, some muffled curses, and then… nothing. his screen stayed black.

just as he was starting to think the call had dropped, there was a loud knock on the door of his house, followed by the unmistakable sound of fists pounding against the wood.

“toji! open up!” gojo’s voice was shrill with excitement, and suguru’s calm, collected voice was barely audible under gojo’s babbling. “we’re coming in!”

toji groaned, rubbing a hand down his face, but he couldn’t stop the grin creeping up on him. he opened the door, and immediately gojo shoved past him, eyes wide and… were those tears?

“toji! no. you did not just get engaged.” gojo looked between him and the empty house as if expecting some kind of confirmation. he grabbed toji by the shoulders, eyes glistening, voice a little thick with emotion. “you… you’re serious? i swear, if you’re messing with us —”

“satoru,” suguru interrupted, leaning casually in the doorway, looking far more composed but with a smirk tugging at his lips. “give the man some space.”

“no! he’s been holding out on us this entire time! and now he’s engaged?” gojo sniffled dramatically, then pulled back and looked around, eyes narrowing. 

“wait. where’s she? she has to confirm this. i don’t believe it otherwise.”

toji rolled his eyes, half-exasperated, half-amused. “she’s not here, genius. she’s at her place. i didn’t drag her along for this circus.”

“circus?! toji, this is a historic moment!” gojo looked as if he was going to cry all over again. 

“you, of all people, settling down with someone — i just — i knew you had it in you! i just thought it would take a lot more time. i mean, do you even know what to do now that you’re —” he waggled his fingers, unable to contain his excitement, “ — engaged?”

toji snorted, feeling a weird warmth settle in his chest. “well, obviously. i got this covered. don’t act like you know everything, gojo.”

suguru chuckled from his spot, crossing his arms and giving toji an approving nod. “i’m honestly impressed. never thought i’d see the day.”

“oh, please.” gojo scoffed, reaching up to dab his eyes with the back of his sleeve. “don’t look at me like that. you’re crying too.”

suguru raised an eyebrow, unaffected. “i’m… not crying, satoru.”

gojo shot him a glare, but then turned back to toji, his face softening. “all joking aside, man, i’m really happy for you. i knew you’d find someone who could handle all… this.” he gestured broadly to toji, grinning. “and that she’d actually make you a better person.”

“yeah, yeah. thanks for the pep talk,” toji muttered, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards as he scratched the back of his neck. “didn’t think i’d be hearing this from you two clowns.”

“hey,” suguru said with a smirk, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “that’s what friends are for, right? to be there when you make stupid decisions… or, in this case, when you make one of the best decisions of your life.”

toji rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t deny the swell of gratitude in his chest. he’d known these two idiots for years, and hearing them actually cheer him on — well, it was something.

gojo sniffled again, clearly still emotional, then let out a bark of laughter. “so, tell us, what’s the plan now, mr. engaged man?”

“plan?” toji raised an eyebrow. “uh, i dunno, man. probably marry her?”

“don’t be sarcastic, toji!” gojo waved a hand. “i mean the details. are you doing it here? is there gonna be a fancy wedding? can i give a speech?”

toji pinched the bridge of his nose. “i’m pretty sure giving you a mic is gonna be the worst decision of my life.”

“that’s what you said about proposing,” suguru chimed in with a grin.

“touche,” toji muttered, though his smirk betrayed his amusement.

gojo, however, was unrelenting. “so, can i give a speech? come on, toji. i can make it classy. well, sorta. at least i’ll keep it pg — ish.”

“we’ll see, alright?” toji finally conceded, shaking his head as gojo cheered like he’d just won a prize. “but don’t make me regret it.”

“you won’t!” gojo promised, practically vibrating with excitement. “i swear, this is gonna be epic.”

as they continued to tease and joke, the weight of the whole thing started to settle in for toji. 

he was actually… engaged. 

and having these two idiots with him, sharing the moment in their ridiculous way, made it feel real.

“seriously though,” suguru said softly, giving him a sincere look. “we’re happy for you, man. she’s good for you. and you’re gonna be an even better man with her by your side.”

toji took a deep breath, nodding. “yeah… i think so too.”

they shared a rare, quiet moment, before gojo predictably ruined it with a loud sniff. “okay, enough of the mushy stuff. let’s celebrate! someone find a cake!”

toji let out a laugh, shaking his head. he’d never admit it, but right then, with gojo’s exaggerated tears and suguru’s approving grin, he realized he had everything he needed — and he wouldn’t trade any of it for the world.

after the chaotic call with toji and, mostly, megumi, there was no way you were going back to sleep. megumi’s squealing declaration of, “you’re gonna be my mama!” had left you lying there, wide awake, in a sort of dazed disbelief. 

and really, who else would you call at an hour like this but shoko?

you dialed her number, tapping your foot against the floor as it rang, and it didn’t take long for her to pick up.

“it’s eight in the morning, this better be good,” she mumbled, her voice groggy but laced with intrigue.

“oh, trust me, it is,” you said, and just like that, all the excitement came rushing back. 

“toji proposed last night.”

there was silence on the other end. just as you started to wonder if she’d fallen asleep, she finally responded with a very eloquent, “wait, what?”

“yeah. proposed. last night. officially engaged,” you replied, trying to sound casual but failing miserably. you were still riding that high, and the fact that shoko, who was usually so cool and unflappable, sounded actually stunned was a bonus.

“no way.” you could hear her sitting up, probably rubbing her eyes in disbelief. “toji proposed? the same toji who spent half his life avoiding commitment like it was a death sentence?”

you couldn’t help but laugh. “yeeeppp, that’s the one.”

“oh my god,” she muttered, and you could practically see her shaking her head. “i knew you two were close, but… this is major. i never thought i’d live to see the day toji fushiguro actually put a ring on someone.”

“honestly, neither did i,” you admitted, smiling. “but here we are.”

“here we are,” she echoed, sounding just as baffled as you felt. 

“man, this is going to throw satoru into a complete meltdown. you know he’s going to act like he’s the one getting married. brace yourself.”

you snickered, knowing she was absolutely right. “oh, i already know. i’m guessing he’ll throw himself a one-man wedding just to feel involved.”

shoko let out a bark of laughter, fully awake now. “and suguru? he’ll pretend he doesn’t care, but deep down, he’s probably lowkey emotional. i mean, it’s toji we’re talking about.”

“oh, i’m sure,” you said, grinning. “they’re probably off somewhere right now, grappling with the news, questioning how this could even happen.”

“please tell me you’re doing something to celebrate?” shoko asked, sounding genuinely excited now.

“well, i haven’t had much time to think about it,” you admitted. “toji’s with megumi at their place, and i’ve been mostly lying here, trying to wrap my head around it. but yeah, we’ll have to plan something.”

“good,” she replied, her tone a mix of fondness and exasperation. “you’re really going through with this, huh?”

“guess so,” you said, letting out a soft sigh. “i mean, the man wore me down with sheer persistence and probably some kind of magic spell.”

“hey, if anyone’s capable of luring you into marriage with his questionable charm, it’s toji,” she quipped. “alright, just promise you’ll let me know when i can start making sarcastic toasts about your love life.”

you laughed, feeling a bit of warmth in your chest. “deal. just, uh… don’t go too hard on him?”

“can’t make any promises,” she said, and you could hear her smile through the phone. “but seriously, congrats. i’m happy for you.”

“thanks, shoko,” you murmured, feeling a little teary-eyed again.

“don’t get all mushy on me now,” she grumbled playfully. “anyway, go get some sleep. you’ll need it to survive gojo’s emotional rollercoaster later.”

“noted. thanks for… you know, being there and everything.”

“anytime,” she replied, voice softer. “and hey, if you need help dealing with him, i’ll bring earplugs and champagne. we’ll get through it together.”

you hung up, a smile lingering on your face as you finally felt yourself relaxing, her warmth and dry wit making everything feel real. there were wild days ahead, but with people like shoko — and, admittedly, even satoru and suguru — in your corner, you figured you could handle whatever this wild journey with toji brought your way.

the planning was barely underway, but with gojo involved, it was already spinning wildly out of control.

“i’m telling you, the whole thing’s on me!” gojo announced, practically vibrating with excitement. he looked at you and toji with a glint in his eye that screamed no room for negotiation. “no expenses spared, no corners cut.”

you exchanged a look with toji, and he rolled his eyes. “we’re not celebrities, gojo. we don’t need you to go full kardashian here.”

gojo waved a hand dismissively. “nonsense! it’s your wedding. our wedding,” he corrected, gesturing grandly to include everyone. “i want nothing but the best for our girl and toji — even if he does look like he’s heading to a funeral half the time.”

toji snorted. “you’d look like this too if you had to put up with you on a daily basis.”

gojo gasped dramatically. “how dare you! i’m delightful!”

suguru, who was sitting back watching the chaos with his usual serene expression, piped up, “you know, he’s technically sponsoring it, so he’s not wrong. though i am begging you to leave the smoke machines and laser lights out of it.”

gojo gave suguru a mock-offended look. “oh, come on! think of the ambiance!”

“i’m thinking of it, alright,” suguru said dryly. “and it’s giving me a headache.”

“how about we go traditional?” you suggested, trying to bring some order to the conversation. “nothing too flashy. simple, elegant, you know?”

“but, mama,” megumi piped up, looking up from the sketches he’d been doodling. “we have to have the dragon fountain!”

toji raised an eyebrow. “dragon fountain?”

megumi nodded, eyes wide with excitement. “a chocolate fountain! but, like, huge and with dragon heads spouting chocolate!”

gojo slapped his knee, eyes gleaming. “genius idea, kiddo! a dragon fountain it is! we could even do white, milk, and dark chocolate heads. maybe throw in a caramel one, too!”

you shook your head, laughing. “and who’s going to eat all this chocolate? because i’m not sure megumi’s digestive system can handle that much sugar.”

“we’ll make it work,” shoko chimed in, flipping through a wedding planner book that she clearly swiped off some poor, unsuspecting bride-to-be. “if gojo’s footing the bill, might as well go all out. i’ll take care of managing his ambitions.”

“exactly! shoko gets it,” gojo beamed, slinging an arm around her shoulders. “and don’t worry, i’ll make sure to throw in an open bar. suguru, back me up on this — no wedding’s complete without one.”

“only if we don’t make it a neon glow theme,” suguru deadpanned. “or i’ll skip town on the day.”

gojo smirked. “okay, fine, we’ll tone it down. maybe we can go with a tasteful theme. you know, candles and chandeliers…”

toji eyed him suspiciously. “you better not pull any of those ‘tasteful’ surprises where everyone suddenly has glow sticks halfway through the reception.”

gojo crossed his heart. “scout’s honor. only sophisticated, adult fun.”

you leaned back with a sigh, sharing an exasperated smile with toji. “honestly, i was picturing something small and simple. i mean, it’s our wedding, not some movie premiere.”

“but that’s so boring,” gojo whined, flopping onto the couch with a pout. “it’s the event of the century! my best friend’s wedding!”

“we’re not giving you a starring role in it, satoru,” you replied, but you couldn’t help laughing. “it’s not the same as one of your campaigns.”

“pfft,” he waved it off, clearly ignoring you. “oh, and i’m bringing in a string quartet. suguru, thoughts?”

“a quartet’s fine,” suguru replied. “as long as you’re not personally conducting them.”

toji raised a brow. “wait, how many musicians do we need? i thought it was just a dj.”

“absolutely not!” gojo interjected. “this is a high-class affair, we need a live band for the ambiance. and maybe — just maybe — a marching band as we enter the reception. what do you think?”

“i think you need to sit down,” toji said, chuckling. “keep it up, and you’ll be banned from your own wedding planning.”

“and i’ll be running the whole show,” shoko added, smirking. “trust me, you’ll thank me later.”

“fine, fine,” gojo sighed, throwing his hands up in mock surrender. “but you can’t deny that i have style.”

you glanced over at toji, trying to suppress your laughter. “so we’re really doing this?”

he shrugged, grinning. “apparently. might as well enjoy the circus. just remember, all i need is you, okay?”

gojo pretended to gag. “gross, i think i just tasted actual romance.”

“you’re just jealous, gojo,” shoko teased. “let the man have his moment.”

suguru smirked, patting gojo’s shoulder. “come on, let’s go look into the dragon fountain, yeah?”

gojo lit up, giving you and toji a thumbs-up. “this is gonna be the best day of your lives!”

you shook your head, feeling a mix of amusement and warmth as you watched them all bicker and plan in their chaotic way. 

sure, maybe you didn’t need the dragon fountain or the live band or any of gojo’s grand ideas, but looking at everyone around you, you knew this was exactly the kind of crazy family you’d never trade for anything.

it was a whirlwind few months of planning, but in the end, everything started coming together…even if it took a little extra wrangling to keep gojo’s more eccentric ideas at bay.

first, there was the venue selection. 

gojo initially wanted a “renaissance castle, with a giant moat and a drawbridge,” which, he claimed, would make a “stunning entrance.” 

shoko quickly vetoed that. “this isn’t a medieval fair, satoru. we’re going for elegance here.”

then came the color scheme. 

gojo suggested “electric blue and neon green,” which he swore was “super chic,” but after he received enough horrified stares, he reluctantly gave in. 

the final choice? 

muted blues and creams, which, as shoko put it, “won’t make the guests feel like they’re trapped in a laser tag arena.”

then there was the music situation. 

“how about we have fien by travis scott for when you walk down the aisle?” gojo suggested with a grin, only half-joking.

“you want travis scott at the wedding?” you stared at him, incredulous.

toji looked equally appalled. “how about we play something that doesn’t have bass drops? we’re not clubbing.”

in the end, they settled on something classier — an instrumental piece by a local string quartet, though toji muttered about how the only reason he was going along with it was because it would make you happy. gojo had to be dragged out before he suggested sicko mode as the first dance song.

despite gojo’s quirks, megumi was probably the most eager of the group. every day at school, he proudly informed his teachers and classmates of the “big wedding coming up.” 

and his absolute favorite title for you?

“oh, my mama’ll be here soon,” he announced one afternoon, shocking his teacher, who had only ever known him as the kid with a hot, single dad.

“your…mom?” she asked, blinking in confusion.

“yeah, she’s coming today.” he said it so matter-of-factly that by the time you actually arrived, half the class was already convinced you’d been hiding in the shadows for years.

and when you walked into the classroom, every pair of eyes turned toward you, wide and incredulous.

“uh, hi,” you greeted, awkwardly waving as megumi bounded up to you, gripping your hand with a proud grin. “this your class, megs?”

“mhm! this is my mama, everybody.” he announced it loud enough for everyone to hear, looking back at his teacher. “see? if you need anything, just talk to her!”

you exchanged an amused look with toji later that day. “our son,” you chuckled, “may or may not have given his teachers a heart attack.”

“good,” toji grinned, ruffling megumi’s hair. “let ’em wonder.”

the pre-wedding festivities were somehow even wilder. 

gojo had gotten it into his head that he should coordinate the bachelor and bachelorette parties, because “who else could bring the flair?” to everyone’s surprise, he actually managed a tasteful, elegant evening — though he did keep his ‘last-minute party favors’ a surprise until the last second.

“here, just a little souvenir.” he handed out tiny, almost suspiciously pristine boxes. 

inside? custom bobbleheads of you, toji, and yes — even megumi, wearing a tiny tuxedo.

toji, upon seeing his, just stared blankly. “satoru, why do i look like a discount action figure?”

“it’s a memento, buddy,” gojo laughed. “something you’ll cherish forever.”

“you’ll cherish it in your nightmares,” shoko muttered, chuckling as she pocketed hers.

then, finally, the day of the wedding arrived, a surprisingly classy affair thanks to shoko’s firm guidance and gojo’s slight restraint. and as you walked down the aisle with the string quartet playing softly, you looked out at everyone — megumi’s wide-eyed excitement, shoko’s small smile, suguru’s approving nod…and gojo, wiping a “single sassy tear” away as he mouthed, “this could’ve been fein.”

and as you met toji at the altar, his smile a mix of amusement and affection, you couldn’t help but be grateful for the beautiful chaos that had led you here.

the ceremony had a cozy warmth to it, one that settled in everyone’s chests as you and toji stood before each other, eyes locked, hands intertwined. but all of it nearly paled in comparison to the pride beaming from megumi’s little face. he stood off to the side, clutching the ring pillow with a mix of fierce concentration and excitement. his little hands gripped the pillow as if it were the most sacred artifact on earth.

“okay, megs,” toji whispered to him, giving a little nod. “it’s your moment, champ.”

megumi straightened up, lifting the pillow and marching toward you with all the poise of a seasoned soldier, chin up and shoulders squared. when he reached you, he stopped and gave an exaggerated bow, then held up the pillow with both hands. 

“tall, just like i promised,” he whispered, looking up at toji with an earnest pride in his eyes. “i drank milk two times a day for this.”

you stifled a laugh as you took the ring from the pillow, smiling down at him. “all that milk’s paying off, huh?”

“mhm!” he beamed. “i think i’m taller already.” he gave a firm nod, looking satisfied with his growth, then shuffled back to stand with gojo and shoko, still watching the two of you intently.

toji grinned at him and turned back to you, holding your hands as he spoke his vows. his voice was steady, but you could see the faintest flicker of nerves — the soft, vulnerable side he only ever showed you.

“so,” he started, a little sheepishly. “i never thought i’d be the type to stand here, saying vows. but then i met you. first night we met, i figured you were just another person at a bar, and i’d never see you again. but then…you became everything. every single moment i’ve had since then, it’s all been better because you were there.”

you felt your heart clench as he continued, his voice soft but filled with a rare tenderness.

“i love you when you’re writing all those silly stories, when you’re with megumi, when you’re just…being you. and yeah, maybe ‘dancing queen’ playing in my head every time you walk in the room is cheesy, but… i’m a sucker for it.” he shrugged, his smile widening. “you make me a better man, even if i’m just a little rough around the edges.”

you couldn’t help the tear that slipped down your cheek as he finished, a gentle squeeze of his hands grounding you. it was your turn, and you took a shaky breath before starting, your voice full of affection.

“toji, i never thought…i’d be here, either. i spent my life writing about love, imagining it, but never really believing it was something i’d have for myself. and then you showed up.” you laughed softly, remembering the times you’d found yourself scribbling little details about him into your stories. “and now…i can’t imagine a world without you in it.”

toji’s gaze softened, his thumb brushing over your knuckles as you continued.

“you taught me to be brave, to open up. you showed me what it means to love someone and be loved in return. you and megumi — you two are my family, and i’m so grateful to be a part of yours.” you paused, swallowing down the emotion in your throat. “and i promise, every day, to be there for you, to love you, and…to keep dancing with you, even when we’re old and gray.”

his grin widened, and he let out a small chuckle. “gray, huh? guess that’s something to look forward to.”

with the vows said, it was time for the rings. toji slipped the ring onto your finger, his hands a little shaky, and you did the same for him, feeling the weight of the moment settle in your chest.

and then, as you leaned in for the kiss, just as your lips met his, the opening notes of dancing queen began to play. you pulled back, eyes widening in disbelief, while toji stifled a laugh.

“oh, come on,” he whispered, trying to hide his amusement. “did you…did you plan this?”

“me?” you shook your head, glancing around as you caught gojo giving you a thumbs-up from the crowd, a wide grin on his face. he’d clearly orchestrated it somehow, probably having the dj on standby.

“you can dance, you can jive…” the music continued, filling the room with a cheerful, infectious energy that made you laugh as you hugged toji tightly.

“guess it’s our song now,” toji murmured, his forehead resting against yours as he held you close.

“always has been,” you whispered back, squeezing his hand.

and as the music played on, megumi sprinted over to you two, tugging on your hands. “dance! we’re supposed to dance now!”

toji scooped him up, holding him between you as the three of you swayed to the song, laughing as megumi did his best eight-year-old version of dancing, wiggling in toji’s arms with unabashed excitement.

“i think i did a good job as ring bearer, don’t you think?” he grinned, looking up at you both with pure pride.

“you did amazing, mumi,” you said, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

“best ring bearer ever,” toji agreed, ruffling his hair. “all that milk really paid off.”

and as the night continued, filled with laughter, love, and a whole lot of dancing queen, you felt an overwhelming sense of joy that this was your family, your life, and the beginning of a lifetime of moments just like this one.

as you and toji stand together on the dance floor, the lights dimmed just enough to give it that perfect, romantic glow, everything felt like it was about to hit a new, sentimental level. the music was supposed to be soft, maybe perfect for a couple's dance — something wholesome and family-friendly to fit the moment. but then —

fein by travis scott. blaring.

you froze, eyes widening as the heavy bass dropped like a wrecking ball to your senses. this was not the song you had in mind for your first dance as a married couple. 

your gaze shot toward gojo, who looked… guilty but also way too pleased with himself as he fumbled with his phone.

“oh, shit!” gojo muttered, his wide grin faltering as he scrambled to fix his mistake, his fingers slipping all over his phone’s screen. “uh, my bad! wrong song, sorry — just — uh — lemme —”

before he could finish, you heard a loud “FUCK!” from across the room, followed by the sound of a chair scraping against the floor. suguru, looking oddly alarmed, had clearly noticed too. you had to hand it to him, though, gojo at least looked mildly embarrassed for the first time that night.

satoru’s hands flew over his phone with the sort of intensity one might reserve for disarming a bomb. “wait, wait, i got this. i’ll fix it — i’m so sorry — one second —”

as if the universe was playing along with your horror, gojo accidentally hit play on fein again, the heavy, thumping beat continuing in the background as you and toji both exchanged a bewildered glance. you could feel the burning heat creeping into your cheeks.

“that’s the one?” you whispered to toji, your voice barely audible over the beat.

toji tried to stifle a laugh, clearly more amused than shocked. “well, it’s something.”

“you’ve gotta be kidding me,” you muttered under your breath, your head turning toward megumi, who was looking at you with wide eyes. “what’s his excuse?” you asked with a sarcastic eyebrow raise, pointing at the very loud song still playing.

megumi, standing off to the side with a cocktail of confusion and excitement, crossed his arms and gave you a very serious look. “uncle gojo played this song,” he announced with pride, causing everyone to stop and stare. 

“you know, at the bachel-her party.”

the room went silent for a brief, awkward second as the realization hit everyone. a few chuckles broke out, with a mix of surprised snickers and a couple of “well, that explains things.”

you could barely suppress a laugh. you were so not ready for that bombshell.

toji’s face went from amused to fully amused, his lips curling into an undeniable grin. “yup,” he said loud enough for everyone to hear, giving a shrug. “that’s our song, apparently.”

gojo, finally managing to switch the song, looked over with actual concern now. “oh god, oh god, i’m so sorry — i swear, i didn’t mean for fein to be — ugh.” he slapped his hand to his forehead. 

“okay, okay, i’m fixing it —”

there was another flurry of frantic finger taps as gojo went into full damage control mode. finally, as the last few beats of fein faded out, gojo hit play on iris by the goo goo dolls, the gentle, familiar melody washing over the room like a sigh of relief.

you and toji exchanged a knowing glance, now suddenly locked in a much calmer atmosphere. the song that toji had actually requested was finally playing, and as he pulled you closer, your heart settled.

“better?” toji asked, pulling you into the rhythm of the song.

“much better,” you whispered with a sigh, your lips brushing against his.

meanwhile, megumi, clearly thrilled by his earlier announcement, grinned ear-to-ear. “this is the song! mama and daddy kissed to this song!”

and at that, you could only chuckle. what a night, you thought to yourself, completely unsure if you’d ever get used to the chaos that surrounded you, but not really minding it one bit.

as the soft notes of iris continue to play, toji pulls you close, his hand resting warm and steady at the small of your back. you sway together, feeling every beat, every strum of the guitar wrapping around the both of you like the sweetest memory.

“so,” toji murmurs, a little smirk tugging at his lips as he looks down at you, “do i still get to be a heartthrob now that we’re hitched?”

you chuckle, rolling your eyes playfully. “only if i still get to be the girl with the cringe smut,” you say, barely holding back a laugh as you remember the early days of your writing. 

“you’ve made peace with the fact that your wife has a, uh… let’s just say colorful bibliography?”

toji’s eyes crinkle with amusement. “you kidding? i brag about it. ‘you know my girl? bestseller, faceless author, author of all those spicy scenes.’ you think it’s cringe; i think it’s hot.”

you snort. “you’re impossible. i still remember you giving me the most unimpressed look when you found out what i actually wrote about.”

“hey, i was surprised,” he defends, grinning as he twirls you out and back into his arms. “who knew the girl who pukes on people’s shoes was writing, uh, dragon-king-mating scenes?”

“oh, hush,” you laugh, feeling your cheeks heat. “i told you, it’s a metaphor for forbidden love and courage in the face of adversity.”

“yeah, sure, it’s all about the ‘courage,’” he teases, leaning in close enough that you feel the warmth of his breath on your forehead. “all i’m saying is, those scenes of yours? they’re, uh, kinda what won me over.”

you hide your face in his shoulder, feeling a happy flush spread across your cheeks as you sway together under the soft glow of the lights. “guess it’s too late to be embarrassed, huh?”

he tilts your chin up with a gentle finger, his gaze softer than you’ve ever seen it. “it’s what made you you. wouldn’t change a thing about it.”

the song swells around you, and as the lyrics hit their most tender line, toji leans down, brushing his lips against yours, a sweet, slow kiss that feels like the first all over again. when you part, he grins, shaking his head. “damn… still can’t believe i got lucky enough to make you mine.”

“only took a few months, a few trolls, and a lot of questionable genre choices,” you say, snickering.

“and one too many ‘dancing queen’ sing-alongs,” he adds, laughing softly.

as the song fades, the two of you stand there for a moment longer, gazing at each other, just happy, laughing, and a little teary-eyed.

the night is winding down, and as you and toji make your rounds to say goodbye, a familiar cluster of chaos catches your attention. gojo, shoko, and geto have managed to gather near the dragon-shaped chocolate fountain, each of them clearly feeling the effects of the open bar in different ways. 

megumi is standing with them, arms crossed, his small face set in a dead-serious expression that would have been almost intimidating… if he wasn’t standing beside a towering chocolate dragon, looking very much like a tiny mob boss supervising his drunk henchmen.

“ahem.” gojo clears his throat, squinting dramatically up at the chocolate dragon, hand pressed to his heart. “‘and so, the beast gazed upon the fair maiden, his molten eyes devouring her with a hunger so fierce, the very heavens trembled —’”

you choke back a laugh as toji groans under his breath, muttering, “for the love of god, not this.”

“that’s one of your lines, isn’t it?” shoko says, smirking as she precariously holds her cigarette in one hand and a half-empty wine glass in the other. “gojo’s been quoting it all night.”

“that’s from the mating scene!” megumi exclaims, clearly unaware of the implications. “that’s where the dragon’s supposed to eat —”

“aaaannd let’s maybe not finish that line, huh?” toji interrupts quickly, clapping a hand over his son’s mouth.

gojo winks, wagging a finger. “hey, let the kid express himself! it’s culture, toji. classic literature!”

“uh, yeah. classic,” you say, trying not to snort as gojo raises his glass to the dragon fountain like he’s toasting it.

geto, meanwhile, is slumped against the fountain, head lolling to the side. he’s still upright — barely — but he looks like he might be one sip away from face-planting into the chocolate. 

“persephone wines, my beloved…” he mutters, raising his empty glass before letting it drop with a sigh. “sweet nectar of the gods.”

shoko snickers, jabbing him in the shoulder. “lightweight.”

“am not,” geto mumbles, eyes half-closed. “i’m… selectively conscious.”

“selectively conscious?” toji repeats, eyebrows raised.

“he means he’s out cold but doesn’t want to admit it,” shoko says, shrugging as she lifts her cigarette to her lips, only to nearly dip it in her wine glass instead.

“don’t mix your drink with your smokes, shoko,” gojo warns, chuckling. “unless you’re going for that extra flavor.”

“yeah, yeah,” she grumbles, carefully balancing the cigarette away from the wine glass. “why does this fountain look like it’s judging me?”

“because it’s a dragon, and dragons don’t approve of your vices,” gojo says, patting her shoulder with exaggerated sympathy. “they are noble, chaste beasts.”

“then why’d it drink all the wine?” shoko deadpans, gesturing to the near-empty fountain where the wine had been topped off earlier.

meanwhile, megumi, still solemn, looks up at toji with wide eyes. “daddy, i don’t think uncle geto’s feeling well.”

“nah, kid, he’s… he’s just really appreciating the art of, uh, selective consciousness,” toji says, ruffling megumi’s hair.

gojo swoops down, putting his hands on megumi’s shoulders. “you’re absolutely right, young megumi. you know, you have a strong sense of observation. very wise of you.”

“thanks,” megumi says, puffing his chest up, as if the compliment has suddenly made him five years older. he looks over at geto. 

“uncle geto, are you gonna fall asleep now?”

geto waves a lazy hand in the air. “nah, i’m just… uh… recharging.” he attempts to give a thumbs up, but it’s more of a half-hearted flop.

toji sighs, looking at you with a smirk. “we’ve gotta start taking megumi to different family gatherings.”

you grin back, watching as megumi, with utmost seriousness, turns to shoko. “don’t let your cigarette fall in your wine, auntie shoko. it’ll taste funny.”

shoko salutes him, barely holding in a laugh. “don’t worry, kid. i got it handled.”

just then, gojo raises his glass to the chocolate dragon again. “to the majestic beast, who has blessed us with chocolate and a fountain! long may it reign!”

“it’s a fountain, not a king,” megumi says, frowning. “and it’s chocolate, not magic.”

“ah, but that’s where you’re wrong, my young padawan,” gojo says with mock seriousness, kneeling down to megumi’s height. “tonight, everything is magic.” he waves a hand around as if he’s casting a spell, and megumi’s eyes widen, half-believing him, even as he tries to stay serious.

toji rolls his eyes, laughing. “all right, let’s wrap this up before someone thinks you’re actually casting spells on my kid, gojo.”

as you lead megumi back, he tugs on your hand, whispering, “mama, are they always this… funny?”

“always,” you whisper back, grinning. “but don’t tell them that. we’ll just let them think they’re profound.”

“okay,” megumi whispers, stifling a giggle as he steals one last glance at the chocolate dragon.

the night’s finally winding down, and somehow, all of you have ended up sprawled in the open venue like you’re camping under the stars. shoko’s leaning back in her chair, taking a deep drag of her cigarette, but she keeps glancing at megumi, who’s sitting between you and toji and nodding off in your lap, his little head bobbing up and down.

“you know, i’m not trying to be a bad influence,” shoko mutters, trying to angle her cigarette away. “but it’s hard being an icon.”

toji smirks, watching her struggle. “yeah, we all know you’re a real role model, shoko. a true beacon of health and wellness.”

“hey, i’ll have you know i haven’t let this thing drop once tonight,” she says, demonstrating by carefully holding it at a ridiculous angle. “takes precision.”

meanwhile, geto’s leaning against the chocolate fountain — completely passed out, slumped over like he’s waiting for the chocolate to baptize him. you can already see a smear on his collar where it’s dripped, and it’s only a matter of time before it’s all over him.

“is he just gonna… sleep there?” you ask, stifling a laugh as you glance at geto’s chocolate-streaked suit.

gojo, lying on the grass like he’s sunbathing, starts belting out, “she thought it was the ocean, it’s just the pool —”

“oh god,” toji groans, “don’t tell me you’re singing sicko mode right now, gojo.”

“don’t disrespect a banger, toji,” gojo says, eyes closed, waving his hands around like he’s conducting an invisible orchestra. “this is the music of our generation.”

shoko snorts, blowing smoke out of the corner of her mouth. “what generation is that? ‘trashy late twenties’?”

“more like ‘perpetual adolescence,’” you add, trying not to laugh too loud, lest you wake megumi.

“i don’t know what you’re talking about,” gojo mumbles, now onto the next verse and fully invested. “i am the culture.”

toji raises his eyebrows, giving you a look. “i don’t remember ‘culture’ looking this drunk.”

“or this dramatic,” you reply, glancing over at geto. “do you think he’ll wake up covered in chocolate?”

“oh, definitely,” toji says, nodding with mock seriousness. “he’ll be sticky for days.”

“wonder what he’ll tell people when they ask about it,” you say, grinning.

“just gotta tell them it’s part of the, uh, life experience,” shoko says, flicking ash off her cigarette. “you know — ‘don’t go to weddings with chocolate fountains.’”

“or uncles with questionable song choices,” toji adds, glancing at gojo.

“excuse me,” gojo slurs, sitting up to squint at you both. “my taste is immaculate.”

megumi stirs, blinking up at you with sleepy eyes. “why’s uncle gojo yelling?”

“he’s not yelling, sweetheart,” you say, petting his hair as he leans back against you. “he’s just… expressing himself.”

“in a way that makes us all wish we were deaf,” toji adds under his breath.

gojo points a finger, swaying slightly. “hey, the kid gets it. you get it, right, megumi?”

megumi yawns, nodding seriously. “i get it, uncle gojo.”

“see?” gojo says, looking triumphant as he turns back to you all, gesturing like he’s just won an argument. “my number one fan.”

shoko rolls her eyes, snubbing her cigarette out and pulling out another. “well, congrats on your massive fanbase.”

megumi glances at you, then at gojo sprawled out on the grass. “is uncle geto gonna be okay?”

you look over at geto, still fast asleep, chocolate slowly trickling down his sleeve. “yeah, honey, he’s fine. just a little… messy.”

“very messy,” toji agrees, chuckling. “just… don’t touch his suit when he wakes up. he might, uh, have some sticky spots.”

megumi nods sagely, as if absorbing some profound wisdom. “got it, daddy.”

gojo squints up at the sky, suddenly philosophical. “you know, someday, this kid is gonna be sitting here with us, yelling sicko mode with his whole heart.”

toji raises an eyebrow. “oh, over my dead body.”

“and shoko will still be lecturing us about cigarette angles,” you add.

shoko raises her glass. “as long as this fountain keeps flowing, i’m here, people.”

you and toji exchange a glance, each of you feeling a little warmth at the ridiculous, messy sight in front of you: shoko trying not to ash on megumi, gojo doing terrible karaoke on the grass, and geto about to wake up covered in chocolate.

“found family, huh?” you murmur, nudging toji.

“the best kind,” he says, slinging an arm around you and giving you a soft smile. “drunk as they may be.”

the hour finally ticks to a close, and as much as you’re all reluctant to end the night, it’s time to gather your things — and your people. the first challenge: waking up suguru, who, by this point, is practically glued to the chocolate fountain.

“alright, gojo,” toji says, clapping him on the shoulder, “time to work that charm of yours and wake him up.”

gojo, slightly wobbly himself, crouches down beside suguru and starts lightly patting his face. “rise and shine, buddy,” he says, voice soft but persistent. “time to say goodbye to your chocolate fountain dreams.”

suguru stirs, eyes fluttering open, and as he groggily lifts his arm, he finally notices the chocolate smeared from his shoulder to his wrist. his eyes widen in absolute horror.

“wha… why am i covered in —”

“chooccoolate!” gojo singsongs, smirking. 

and then, in a flash of inspiration (or tipsy madness), he starts singing, “i get those goosebumps every time —”

suguru visibly cringes, letting out a low groan as he struggles to stand. “i swear, satoru, if you keep singing travis scott, i’m never inviting you to another wedding.”

“but you’re never getting married, suguru,” shoko points out dryly, lighting her cigarette with a sly grin.

toji and you exchange a look as suguru desperately tries to wipe chocolate off his shirt with the tiniest napkin available. meanwhile, gojo’s at his side, still humming “goosebumps,” ignoring every glare suguru shoots his way.

“satoru, i’m going to kill you,” suguru mumbles, half-heartedly, as he inspects the damage.

gojo just shrugs, beaming. “c’mmoonn, sugu boo. who else can say they’ve bathed in chocolate at a wedding?”

suguru gives a low growl, eyeing gojo’s still-grinning face. “considering how close you are to me right now, it might be your last experience.”

“oh, lighten up, chocolate boy,” gojo teases, attempting to wipe some of the chocolate off suguru’s cheek with his sleeve. “besides, what’s a wedding without a little mess?”

megumi, watching this exchange with wide eyes, tugs on your sleeve. “mama, do all weddings end like this?”

you chuckle, ruffling his hair. “only the good ones, sweetheart.”

as you finally start herding everyone out, suguru’s still muttering darkly about chocolate-stained suits and “inappropriate” song choices, while gojo is just barely resisting the urge to belt out the next verse of goosebumps.

“you guys are a mess,” toji says, shaking his head with a smile, his arm around you. “but i guess i wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“same here,” you reply, smiling back. “same here.”

all of you pile into the limo, grateful for suguru’s one stroke of foresight, booking this ride while everyone was still sober. as you maneuver your wedding dress inside, megumi insists on climbing onto your lap, declaring with all the authority of an eight-year-old, “mama knows how to hold me right.” he gives toji a pointed look, as if his dad’s lap-sitting skills just aren’t up to par.

“excuse me, kid,” toji grumbles, adjusting his position to give you both more space. “i think i know a thing or two about carrying you. who else makes you pancakes every sunday?”

megumi shrugs, completely unfazed. “pancakes are great, daddy, but mama gives better cuddles.”

you stifle a laugh, giving toji a look of faux pity. “don’t take it personally,” you say with a grin. “he’s right, after all.”

suguru, meanwhile, is eyeing your dress with near-maniacal caution, inching away as if any move might accidentally graze you with chocolate. “i swear,” he mutters, inspecting his own suit for stray smudges, “if this dress ends up looking like a chocolate fountain threw up on it, i’m sending blondie the dry-cleaning bill.”

“hey!” gojo’s leaning halfway out of his seat, one arm slung dramatically around shoko, who looks five seconds away from needing a cigarette fix. “don’t bring me into this! i’m innocent in all things chocolate.”

“satoru, you literally shoved my face into it,” suguru deadpans, “and serenaded me while you did it.”

gojo waves this off, now onto more important matters as he leans in and rambles, “you know, what’s really baffling is political and economical state of the world right now. that’s the real travesty here. and i’m telling you, if they’d just let me —”

shoko groans, pressing her head against the window. “does anyone have a cigarette? please? my kingdom for a cigarette.”

“sorry, shoko,” you say, chuckling. “think of it as part of the wedding cleanse experience.”

as the limo cruises through the city streets, carrying your chaotic found family toward your new home — the fushiguro household, now your household — you lean back, looking around at everyone. suguru, still chocolate-stained but pretending he’s fine; gojo in full-on philosophical mode about everything from global warming to city planning; shoko, pressing her hands together in mock-prayer for a nicotine miracle; and megumi, snug and content in your lap, his eyelids growing heavy as he fights off sleep.

toji catches your eye and reaches over, intertwining his hand with yours, a soft smile gracing his face. “ready to make this house our home?” he murmurs.

you squeeze his hand, taking in the laughter, the exhaustion, and the overwhelming happiness filling the limo. “more than ready,” you say, your heart swelling as you look around at this motley crew you wouldn’t trade for anything.

it’s a mad, loud family, but it’s yours.

as everyone practically spills out of the limo, gojo’s in full swing with the limo driver, pressing a crumpled wad of cash into the poor man’s hand. 

“no, no, you don’t get it, dude,” gojo slurs, with a look of utmost sincerity. “this — this is not just money. this is… appreciation. this is the currency of human kindness.” he pats the driver on the shoulder, swaying a bit as he leans closer. “use it wisely… maybe buy yourself a castle. or a yacht. or a little… dog. something that’s life-changing.”

the driver gives an awkward thumbs-up, flashing a quick glance at the rest of you, clearly wondering if he needs to call someone to get gojo home safely.

meanwhile, toji’s already wrangling everyone toward the door, shoko dashing past him the moment the suite door opens. “please tell me you still keep an emergency stash,” she says, practically sprinting toward the mini bar. “for my sanity.”

“yeah, yeah, knock yourself out,” toji mutters, eyeing the chaos that’s just ambled into his home. as he does, megumi somehow finds himself perched on gojo’s shoulder, practically screeching as gojo does a wobbly loop around the living room, giggling, “it’s cuddle time! everyone needs to embrace the love!”

“uncle gojo, put me down!” megumi’s half-exasperated, half-amused as he tries to wriggle free. “i don’t need cuddles, okay?”

gojo gasps as if megumi’s words are a personal affront. “excuse me? everyone needs cuddles! it’s essential for growth! and happiness! don’t deny yourself, little one.”

suguru slumps onto the sofa, still blinking himself awake from his chocolate coma. but unfortunately, his landing spot is also where a chunk of melted chocolate has found its new home. 

he sighs in defeat, barely lifting his hand to wave at toji. “i swear i didn’t bring the chocolate here. it… it followed me.”

toji’s had just about enough. “alright, everybody, listen up.” he points at gojo, megumi, and suguru, who all look up like chastened kids caught stealing from the cookie jar. 

“before any of you touch anything else in my suite — or each other — go change. now.”

“but i am changed,” gojo protests, arms flailing out as if to display his wrinkled suit as high fashion. 

“changed by the power of love. and a little bit of persephone wines, which, by the way —”

“clothes, satoru,” toji says, pinching the bridge of his nose as he ushers everyone down the hall. “as in, ones that aren’t covered in alcohol, chocolate, or other questionable substances.”

megumi looks up at you, tugging on your dress. “do i have to change too? ‘cause i’m fine just like this.”

you smile down at him, patting his messy little head. “just pajamas, okay? then we can all cuddle up on the big bed. sound good?”

“okay, mama!” he says, darting off to grab his pjs, excitement back at full force. “hurry up, everyone! daddy said so!”

as you and toji finally manage to herd everyone toward the bedrooms and out of their various states of disaster, you can’t help but laugh. this, somehow, is the perfect end to your wedding night — a makeshift family piled up in a cozy heap, as unconventional and chaotic as ever, but perfectly yours.

in megumi’s room, you and shoko finally get a chance to breathe, away from the chaos. you pull out one of toji’s oversized shirts and a pair of shorts, feeling instantly cozy as the familiar scent of him settles around you. 

meanwhile, shoko slips into a t-shirt of yours and some spare leggings you’d left for nights just like this — megumi’s last-minute “you have to stay!” pleas that always won you over.

as shoko pulls the t-shirt down, smoothing it over her frame, she gives you a little smirk. “well, don’t we look like a couple of sleepover queens?”

“only the best for auntie shoko,” you say, giving her a playful nudge.

shoko rolls her eyes, leaning back against megumi’s wall. “speaking of… i was thinking.” she pauses, letting out a sigh, her fingers absently running through her hair. 

“maybe i could… y’know, try and cut down on the smokes. for megumi. last thing i want is him being a passive smoker every time ’m around.”

you smile at her, feeling a swell of warmth at the thought. “oh, shoko. you don’t have to change anything for him — he already adores you just the way you are.”

“yeah, but…” she shrugs, looking down at her hands, uncharacteristically shy. “i wanna be around. y’know? like, really around. and if that means giving up a little bit of my precious nicotine, then…” she huffs, as if the idea is both noble and annoying. “then i’ll do it. for him. but only because he’s the cutest kid i know.”

“you’re really going soft on me here,” you tease, watching her with a grin.

she laughs, nudging your shoulder. “don’t get used to it. i’ll still talk trash about satoru and his ‘save the world’ speeches every chance i get. but…” she pauses, catching your eye with a slight smirk. 

“i don’t know, this whole… you and toji thing, it’s made me think a little differently. like, maybe i could be the cool aunt without corrupting the kid entirely.”

you chuckle, nodding. “hey, a little bit of corruption isn’t the worst thing. but i know what you mean. it’s nice, isn’t it? having this… makeshift family?”

“nice? it’s downright ridiculous,” shoko scoffs, but her eyes are soft. “i mean, i spent the last hour watching suguru melt into a chocolate-covered mess and satoru wax poetic to the limo driver, all while toji was trying to keep from strangling the lot of us. and now here we are, pretending to be responsible adults.”

“that’s the beauty of it, though,” you laugh. “none of us really knows what we’re doing, but somehow it just… works.”

shoko smiles at that, a real, genuine smile, her usual sarcasm melting away for just a moment. “well, whatever it is, i’m in. auntie shoko, reporting for duty. megumi’s gonna be spoiled out of his mind, and if anyone tries to mess with him, they’ll have to go through me first.”

you laugh, reaching over to give her hand a squeeze. “he’s lucky to have you.”

“nope,” she says, leaning in and bumping her forehead against yours. “we’re all lucky to have each other.”

there’s a comfortable silence, the two of you just sharing the moment in a quiet way that doesn’t need any more words. a kind of unspoken understanding hangs in the air, one that only comes from years of friendship and late-night heart-to-hearts like this.

and as you both start to head out, you catch her glancing back at megumi’s room with a soft expression, the tiniest hint of a smile lingering on her lips.

down in toji’s room, it was another brand of chaos entirely. gojo was sprawled across the bed, bouncing his leg impatiently as he kept knocking — more like pounding — on the bathroom door.

“yo, ruru! you still smell like a candy shop in there, or are you finally coming out as a functioning human?” gojo called, knocking for what felt like the tenth time.

inside the bathroom, suguru groaned, scrubbing furiously at his arms. “if you knock one more time, satoru, i swear, i will dunk you in a vat of chocolate and make you regret the day you were born.”

gojo cackled, delighted. “you’d have to catch me first, chocolate boy.”

meanwhile, toji was across the room with megumi, helping him into his little pajamas. megumi stood still as his dad tugged his pajama top over his head, looking up with big eyes.

“daddy?” he asked, his voice soft and a little curious.

toji glanced down, smiling. “yeah, kiddo?”

megumi fidgeted with the hem of his pajamas. “does mama get to stay forever now?”

toji’s face softened, and he crouched down to look megumi in the eye, his hand gently ruffling his son’s dark hair. “yeah, bud. she’s with us now. part of our family for good.”

megumi’s eyes lit up, and he tried to stand even taller — he was growing, after all. “so she’ll be here when i wake up every day?”

toji chuckled, nodding. “every day. and every night too, so you don’t have to worry about anything. she’s with us.”

megumi nodded seriously, like he was processing the weight of it all. “i gotta make sure i don’t mess up then.”

toji raised an eyebrow, surprised. “mess up? why do you think you’d mess up?”

“well… i wanna make her happy too,” megumi admitted, glancing down. “like you do.”

toji’s heart melted a little as he hugged his son tightly. “listen, kid. you being you? that’s more than enough to make her happy. trust me.”

megumi looked up, reassured. “okay. i’ll be the best son ever, promise.”

“you already are,” toji said, smiling.

right then, gojo’s voice cut through the father-son moment as he yelled through the bathroom door yet again. “suguurruu! come on, we’re all waiting! we’re a family, we’ve got things to discuss, like who’s picking the next karaoke song, and why it absolutely has to be ‘freak on a leash.’”

suguru yelled back, voice echoing through the bathroom, “for the last time, i’m not doing karaoke, satoru! and if you don’t let me scrub off this chocolate smell in peace, you’re gonna be next!”

toji sighed, shaking his head as he looked down at megumi. “and that,” he said with a smirk, “is the family you’re stuck with now, kid.”

megumi grinned. “good. i think they’re funny.”

“funny’s one word for it.”

the morning after the wedding was supposed to be calm and slow, but the second megumi padded down the hall, any hopes of quiet went straight out the window.

"mama, dad, i gotta go to school!" he said, trying to sound all responsible but still rubbing sleep from his eyes. he even brought his backpack to your room, a whole mini-adult, as if that would magically make everyone get out of bed faster.

toji groaned, wrapping an arm around you to keep you in bed. "can’t he just... skip?" he muttered into his pillow, half-asleep.

before you could answer, an all-too-loud, way-too-enthusiastic voice boomed from the hall. 

"time to shine, future valedictorian!" gojo practically sung, bursting through the door in last night’s slightly wrinkled suit, sunglasses on, and his smile at full wattage.

behind him, shoko and geto shuffled in, looking equally disheveled and far too awake for this hour. shoko held up her coffee like it was a badge of honor, and geto just nodded, bleary-eyed, clearly not yet regretting his life choices.

"so," shoko said, pointing to megumi with her coffee mug, "we’re taking the kid to school. it’s what, like, a fifteen-minute trip?"

“yeah,” you mumbled, not even fully awake yet. "are... are you guys seriously doing this?"

megumi's face lit up like christmas. “really? in the limo?” he looked over at his dad with big, excited eyes. "i’ve only ever been dropped off by daddy before, mama.”

toji mumbled something that sounded like, "don't tell your teachers i’m lazy," and rolled back over, pretending to go back to sleep.

"don’t worry," gojo said, waving it off. "cool uncle 1, cool uncle 2, and cool aunty got this."

megumi was practically vibrating with excitement as he tugged shoko’s hand. “can we leave now? pleeeaseeee?"

shoko raised an eyebrow at you and toji. “guess that’s a ‘no’ on you two getting up?”

toji waved them off, still face-planted in his pillow. “take him. we trust you… mostly.”

the limo looked ridiculous in front of the modest little school building.

every teacher on duty stared as gojo stepped out in yesterday’s clothes, still wearing his sunglasses, dramatically opening the door for megumi like he was some hollywood star.

geto leaned out of the window, waving. “our megumi, ladies and gents! future ceo, dragon whisperer, and… what is he into now? legos?”

“legos and iron man,” shoko supplied from the backseat, sipping her coffee and grinning like this was the most fun she’d had in weeks.

megumi hopped out, beaming, as if this was the normal way eight-year-olds arrived at school. "see ya later, cool uncles and aunty!" he called, and waved back at them as he headed up the steps.

one of the teachers, looking absolutely bewildered, approached gojo. "uh, sir? are you megumi’s… guardian?"

gojo held a hand over his heart, like he was moved. "oh, i’m his honorary uncle. the honored one. very honored. super honored. we’re just doing our part as responsible adults, you know?”

shoko snorted from the car. “yeah, responsible adults. let’s not tell his dad about the chocolate fountain incident from last night.”

“or the fact that geto’s gonna have to reupholster his couch,” geto muttered, barely holding back a laugh.

meanwhile, megumi turned back one last time and yelled, “tell mama and daddy i said bye!”

gojo saluted. “will do, young sir! now go conquer the day!”

they all watched him walk in, looking like a pint-sized executive in his little backpack. as soon as the doors closed behind him, shoko sighed. “alright, now who’s up for coffee? because i’m still running on fumes.”

"coffee?" geto asked, deadpan. "we’re gonna need a gallon of it if we’re keeping up with that kid."

as the limo pulled away, gojo turned to them with a grin. “you know, i think we make an excellent drop-off crew.”

“mmhm,” shoko said dryly, shaking her head. “i’m sure the teachers would totally agree.”

as the limo pulled away from the school, gojo, shoko, and geto leaned back in their seats, stretching out like they’d just wrapped up a grueling mission.

“alriiight,” gojo said, kicking his feet up, “where are we headed for breakfast, my esteemed colleagues in chaos?”

“anywhere that’s not serving chicken nuggets or juice boxes,” shoko muttered, eyes barely open behind her sunglasses. “and somewhere with unlimited coffee, because if i have to function at nine in the morning, i need caffeine by the gallon.”

geto chuckled, shaking his head. “how is it that we’re the ones going out for breakfast after crashing their wedding?” he looked at gojo, grinning. “and how are they the ones staying home?”

gojo smirked, crossing his legs. “we’re giving them the gift of peace and quiet. i bet toji’s loving the chance to stay in bed with his lovely wife, all cozy and uninterrupted.”

shoko snorted, leaning over with a conspiratorial grin. “give them fifteen minutes max before they realize we took the limo and left them stranded.”

“oh, toji’s probably still asleep,” geto said, waving her off. “and if not, he’s probably thinking we’re doing him a favor. don’t forget, we’re the ‘cool’ uncles and aunty. we’re just out here, uh…” he paused, raising a brow, “fulfilling our responsibilities.”

gojo cackled. “yeah, we’re absolutely winning the ‘best support system’ award this year.” he held up an imaginary award plaque. “and the winner for best, most responsible friends goes to… the limo crew!”

shoko took a sip of her coffee, laughing. “you’re just mad you didn’t get to be the one carrying y/n in her dress down the aisle yesterday.”

“hey!” gojo gasped, mock-offended. “i was ready, okay? i would’ve been the perfect escort. i even practiced the, you know —“ he mimed holding someone dramatically in his arms. “but no, she insisted on doing it herself.”

geto rolled his eyes, grinning. “it’s her wedding, satoru.”

“yeah, yeah, i know,” gojo said, waving it off. “but it was cute seeing him get all sentimental.” he put on a comically deep voice, imitating toji. “‘come on, baby, we’re gonna go build our life together,’” he said, making exaggerated romantic gestures. “like, okay, toji, way to set the bar high for the rest of us.”

shoko grinned, nudging geto. “hey, suguru, you taking notes? maybe one day you’ll be saying those sappy lines to your wife.”

geto laughed, blushing a bit. “hey, let’s keep the heat on toji, alright? no need to make me the topic of conversation here.”

gojo raised a hand dramatically. “oh, don’t worry, we’ll keep it on toji. like how he’s always acting like mr. tough guy, but the second y/n looks at him with those puppy eyes, he’s suddenly mr. marshmallow.”

“he’s such a marshmallow,” shoko agreed, laughing. “he’ll deny it till the end, but you know he’d do anything for her. i mean, the man threatened a chocolate fountain for her yesterday.”

“let’s not forget he almost punched the caterer over the dessert display,” geto added, grinning. “and that was after he demanded only the best for the ‘mother of his child.’”

gojo clasped his hands together, putting on a dreamy look. “ugh, true love. what an inspiration.”

they all shared a laugh, shaking their heads at the image of toji as the world’s biggest softie for you, his new bride. the limo pulled up to a cute little cafe, and gojo leaned out of the window, calling, “table for the three most responsible adults in town, please!”

as they piled out, geto chuckled. “we are absolutely going to milk this ‘responsible adult’ title all morning.”

“oh, absolutely,” shoko said, walking in. “and i’ll need a bottomless coffee just to keep it going.”

they slid into a booth, ordering way too much coffee and breakfast, ready to dig into a morning full of laughter, snarky jokes, and ridiculous stories.

“to toji and y/n,” gojo toasted, holding up his coffee mug. “may they never know the horrors we’ve saved them from.”

“cheers to that,” shoko said, grinning.

tag: @elysian-chaos @lemonlimecrystal-blog @crunchyholo @cheesecakebroom @inthedarkshadows000 @amayaaaxx @sweetsformysoul @vitoshi @qyuin @mypashionisforfashion @crocodilethesir @starmapz @kyokoyya @lauuriiiz @ciexuvia @blubearxy @coffee-and-geto @lveegsoi @yuminako @cipher-needs-2-sleep

produced by creamflix on tumblr. all rights reserved. do not copy, steal, modify, repost — support your writers by liking and reblogging. ♡

[grandline-fics]

Ohhhh i really really really like your writing, it’s so very good!! Could i request some fluff with zoro? I was thinking about the reader being an artist, and he finds her sketchbook and is impressed by her art, and then he finds drawings of the crew and him. Or something like that, you can definitely change the idea. Thank you very much, i hope you have a good day/night!

DESCRIPTION: You’re an artist and he asks to see your sketchbook

WARNINGS:  none

CHARACTERS: Zoro

WORDS: 680

A/N: Thank you for the request! I've been feeling a bit of writer's block creeping up but hopefully you like what I came up with.

*REQUESTS ARE OPEN*

MASTERLIST

———————

“You’re going to hurt your back if you keep hunching over like that.” Zoro told you as he looked over his shoulder to fix you with a meaningful look, amused to see you snap out of your trance to look up in surprise. It didn’t matter how many times he reminded you to sit up properly, you still ended up in this kind of position when you were intensely set on drawing in the sketchbook that was rarely far from your reach. He didn’t miss how your hand instinctively curled over the pages currently being worked on, protecting them from view but also using practiced care to avoid smudging the drawings. 

Zoro couldn’t help but note you were more protective of your sketchbook around him than you would be with the rest of the crew. Yes, you still would shield it initially from view but if asked you would reveal what you were currently working on. With him? You never showed it unless it was finished products on a canvas. Silently he wondered why he was different. Though he supposed he wasn’t one to ask outright compared to the likes of Luffy who was impulsive and excitable, Sanji, who gushed over the slightest thing, and even Robin who was naturally curious about art and anything intellectual. Compared to them, Zoro never felt the need to ask even when he did want to see your talent. “Can I see?” he asked.

You tensed in surprise and quickly let your gaze flicker to the sketchbook and back to his face. It wasn’t that you didn’t want him to see, it was just you weren’t sure how he would react. Hesitantly you pulled your hand away and let the pages be revealed to him. Zoro stepped closer and lifted the book into his hands, he’d seen how you held it enough times to know the proper way to treat it without ruining any of your hard work. Slowly he started at the beginning, taking in scenes you’d drawn from previous adventures on different islands. 

Some pages held detailed studies of plants and landscapes, each bringing out a memory for him, whether it of a vague feeling of relaxation or a stronger emotion as he recalled the hard won fights they’d engaged on. Most of the pages however he knew had been taken from some place on the Sunny, the focus being some, if not all of the crew. It didn’t take him long to notice that he seemed to feature more heavily than the others. He would be lying if he didn’t feel some sort of satisfaction at that. 

For the first time since you’d let him look at the very thing you were most precious about he lifted his gaze to see you were purposely looking away from him. “It’s not like you to be insecure, you’re talented. Why are you so nervous?” He asked, pretending to be oblivious. Part of him hoped you’d give him an answer he’d been hoping on. Zoro watched you lightly chew on your bottom lip as you tried to form an answer. Finally you cleared your throat.

“I’m not insecure about my skill…” You began simply, slowly building the nerve to look at the swordsman while also trying to stop the growing blush on your face. “It’s just I don’t want you to think I’m stalking you or anything, I know I’ve drawn you a lot.”

“You have?” Zoro couldn’t help the teasing tone creeping into his voice as he looked down at one page in particular that was a study of him training with his swords. “Hadn’t noticed.”

”Oh shut up!” You grumbled lightly, taking the sketchbook back into your hold. “It’s not my fault I can only draw things that interest me. It’s just how I am.” Quickly you clamped your mouth shut, the blush burning on your skin stronger now as Zoro grinned down at you, looking even more pleased with himself. He only wished he’d asked to see your sketchbook sooner had he known this was what he was going to get.

[dandelions-143]

Exile

Changbin Masterlist

All member Masterlist

AN: Sorry I’ve been MIA! I’ve had horrible writers block. Also sorry if this isn’t up to my usual standards. I’m slowly clawing my way out of this damned block. I hope you enjoy!

Pairing:Non-idol,bad boy Changbinxidol/Celebrity Y/n

Word Count: 3,250k

Warnings: this one’s pretty tame (for now) MDNI, 18+ ONLY, Emotional manipulation, Heartbreak and relationship struggles, Implied violence, Alcohol consumption (setting in a bar), Unwanted advances/harassment, Mild physical violence, Intense emotions and confrontations, References to criminal activities

Summary: Y/n decided to end things with Changbin years ago to pursue her dreams. But what happens when she comes face to face with the man she left behind but could never forget?

You sat on the worn wooden steps of your childhood home's front porch, the familiar creaks beneath you a comforting reminder of countless summers past. The warm evening air caressed your skin, carrying with it the sweet scent of blooming jasmine from your mother's garden. As the sun dipped below the horizon, it painted the sky in a breathtaking array of colors - deep oranges melting into soft pinks and vibrant purples. You closed your eyes, inhaling deeply, savoring this moment of tranquility.

The peaceful scene was suddenly shattered by the distant roar of a motorcycle engine, growing louder with each passing second. Your eyes flew open, heart already beginning to race as you recognized the familiar sound. The old black Harley-Davidson - the very one you'd clung to Changbin on during countless midnight rides - came into view, its chrome accents glinting in the fading light.

Changbin smoothly brought the bike to a stop just a few feet away, the engine's rumble fading to a low purr before he cut it off completely. With practiced ease, he swung his leg over the seat and removed his helmet. Your breath caught in your throat as he shook out his dark hair, mussed from the ride. His eyes, deep and intense, found yours immediately. A smirk played on his lips as he approached, and you couldn't help but notice how his leather jacket hugged his broad shoulders, how his faded jeans clung to his muscular thighs.

"Hey, you," Changbin said, his voice warm and rich like honey. He reached for your hands, pulling you up from the steps and into his strong arms. The familiar scent of his cologne - a heady mix of sandalwood and something uniquely him - enveloped you. Your heart raced, squeezing tightly in your chest as he leaned in for a kiss. Despite every fiber of your being screaming to give in, to melt into his warm embrace, you turned your head at the last second, his lips grazing your cheek instead.

Confusion flickered across Changbin's handsome features as he pulled back slightly, his hands still resting on your arms. "What's wrong, Y/n?" he asked, his brow furrowing with concern. You couldn't bring yourself to meet his gaze, knowing that if you did, your resolve might crumble entirely. Instead, you focused on a point just past his shoulder, swallowing hard against the lump forming in your throat.

"I'm leaving," you said quietly, the words hanging heavy in the air between you. "The company I auditioned for... they called. They want me as a trainee." You risked a glance at Changbin's face, watching as understanding dawned in his dark eyes. He knew how much this meant to you, how long you'd dreamed of becoming a singer. You'd spent countless nights talking about your aspirations, Changbin always your most ardent supporter.

For a moment, Changbin was silent, his eyes searching your face. You could almost see the gears turning in his mind, processing this new information. Then, like the sun breaking through storm clouds, his expression softened into that easy smile you loved so much. "You got it?!" he exclaimed, his eyes lighting up with genuine excitement. "Y/n, that's incredible!"

Unable to contain your own smile despite the heaviness in your heart, you nodded. Changbin pulled you into a tight hug, his strong arms enveloping you completely. You buried your face in the crook of his neck, breathing in his familiar scent as he whispered, "I'm so proud of you, Y/n. I always knew you could do it."

"Thank you," you murmured softly, your lips brushing against the warm skin of his neck. The moment was bittersweet, joy and sorrow intertwining in your chest. When Changbin moved to kiss you again, swept up in the excitement, you reluctantly stepped back. The hurt and confusion that flashed across his face made your heart ache.

"What's going on, Y/n?" Changbin asked, his voice soft but laced with growing concern. "Talk to me." You took a deep breath, steeling yourself for the words you knew you had to say, even though they threatened to tear you apart.

"I think... I think it's best if we take a break, Changbin," you said, your voice barely above a whisper. Your fingers unconsciously went to the promise ring on your left hand - the one he'd given you on your 16th birthday. The metal felt cold against your skin as you twisted it nervously. "Just for a while..."

Changbin's face fell, the joy from moments ago replaced by a look of utter devastation. "A break?" he repeated, as if saying the words aloud might change their meaning. "Y/n, we've been best friends since we were kids. We've been together for years. I don't understand..."

Your eyes burned with unshed tears as you struggled to explain. "I can't ask you to wait for me, Changbin. To put your life on hold while I'm off chasing my dreams. It's not fair to either of us." Your voice cracked on the last word, betraying the emotions you were desperately trying to keep in check.

The silence that followed was deafening. You watched as Changbin's jaw clenched, his eyes flickering with a storm of emotions - hurt, anger, confusion, and something that looked dangerously close to heartbreak. The tension between you grew thick, suffocating, as you waited for him to say something, anything.

Finally, Changbin spoke, his voice low and strained. "Is this really what you want?" His eyes bore into yours, a mixture of pain and resignation evident in their depths. You felt your resolve wavering under the intensity of his gaze, but you knew you had to stay strong - for both your sakes.

"No," you admitted, shaking your head. "It's not what I want at all. But sometimes... sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do. For the greater good." The words sounded hollow even to your own ears, but you pressed on. "We both need to focus on our dreams right now, Changbin. Without distractions."

Changbin's head dropped, his gaze fixed on the ground between you. When he spoke again, his voice was barely audible. "What if my dream is you?" The raw vulnerability in his words made your heart clench painfully. You reached out, gently lifting his chin so his eyes met yours once more.

"Changbin, I..." you started, but the words caught in your throat as you saw the depth of emotion in his gaze. How could you explain that your dreams had always included him, that the thought of a future without him by your side felt incomplete? But you also knew that this opportunity was one you couldn't pass up, even if it meant sacrificing what you held most dear.

He took your hand in his, bringing it to his lips and placing a soft kiss on your knuckles. The tenderness of the gesture nearly broke you. "Please," Changbin said, his voice rough with emotion. "You know I don't beg, Y/n, but I love you so much. We can make this work. Long-distance, whatever it takes. I'll wait for you, I'll-“

The intensity of his words, the depth of his love, stirred something within you - a mixture of longing and frustration. You pulled your hand away, taking a step back to create some distance between you. "Changbin, please," you said, your voice cracking. "Please don't make this harder than it already is. We both know long-distance relationships rarely work, especially with the demands of being a trainee. I can't ask you to put your life on hold for me."

Changbin ran his fingers through his hair, messing it up in that way that always made him look irresistibly handsome. His face was a canvas of conflicting emotions - hurt, anger, and love all warring for dominance. He took a step towards you, his eyes never leaving yours. The air between you crackled with tension, a potent mixture of longing and the painful reality of your impending separation.

"But this isn't what you want," Changbin argued, a hint of desperation creeping into his voice. "You just said-"

"Changbin!" You cut him off, your own emotions finally bubbling to the surface. "I want you, but I want my dream more!" The words left your mouth before you could fully consider their impact, hanging in the air like a physical blow.

You watched as Changbin's expression hardened, his loving gaze turning cold as your words hit him. He stood there for a long moment, just watching you, his face becoming an unreadable mask. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and controlled, but you could hear the hurt and anger simmering beneath the surface.

"I hope your dream ends up being exactly what you wanted, Y/n," he said, each word carefully measured. His jaw clenched, and you could see the storm of emotions raging in his eyes. Without another word, Changbin turned on his heel, striding back to his motorcycle with purposeful steps.

The roar of the engine starting up felt like a physical blow. You wanted to call out to him, to take back your words and beg him to stay. But you remained rooted to the spot, watching as Changbin sped away, leaving you alone on the porch with nothing but the fading sound of his motorcycle and the weight of your words.

As his silhouette disappeared into the distance, the finality of the moment crashed over you. Tears that you had been holding back finally spilled over, running hot down your cheeks. You sank back onto the porch steps, your body shaking with silent sobs as the reality of what you had just done began to sink in. The promise ring on your finger felt impossibly heavy, a constant reminder of the love you were leaving behind in pursuit of your dreams.

🥀

SEVEN YEARS LATER

The neon lights of Seoul's bustling streets reflected off the gleaming chrome of Changbin's motorcycle as he weaved through the late-night traffic. The cool night air whipped against his face, a stark contrast to the heat of adrenaline coursing through his veins. He had a job to do, a task given to him by Chan's father - to teach a lesson to someone who had dared to cross their organization.

Changbin's mind raced as he navigated the city, his thoughts a mix of anticipation for the job ahead and memories of how he'd ended up in this life. The years since you'd left had hardened him, transforming the once carefree teenager into a man accustomed to violence and danger. Being the muscle for Chan's father's organization had become second nature to him, each job a reminder of the path he'd chosen after his heart was broken.

As he approached the upscale hotel, its towering structure a beacon of luxury in the night, Changbin's expression settled into one of grim determination. He parked his motorcycle in a secluded corner of the lot, his eyes scanning the area with the practiced vigilance of someone who lived on the edge of the law. The weight of his leather jacket, a second skin after all these years, felt comforting as he adjusted it and ran a hand through his hair, mentally preparing for what lay ahead.

The hotel's opulent lobby was a stark contrast to the gritty world Changbin now inhabited. Crystal chandeliers cast a soft glow over marble floors, and the air was heavy with the scent of expensive perfumes and polished wood. He moved with purpose, his presence drawing curious glances from the well-heeled patrons, unaware of the storm that was about to break in their midst.

The bar, tucked away in a dimly lit corner of the lower level, was Changbin's destination. The muted sounds of clinking glasses and hushed conversations grew louder as he descended the stairs. His eyes, sharp and alert, scanned the room, quickly identifying his target - a man whose hands were wandering too freely over an clearly uncomfortable young woman at the bar.

Changbin's jaw clenched, a mix of disgust at the man's behavior and a flicker of something else - a memory of a time when he would have defended you with the same fierce protectiveness. He strode forward, his presence commanding attention even before he reached the pair. Without hesitation, he gripped the back of the man's neck, his voice low and dangerous as he growled, "I believe she's not interested."

The man's eyes widened in recognition and fear, realizing too late the gravity of his situation. "Hey man," he stammered, hands raised in a futile gesture of innocence, "I just wanted to talk to her, I'm a huge fan of Y/n's."

At the mention of your name, Changbin's world tilted on its axis. His head snapped to the right, eyes locking with yours, and for a moment, time stood still. The years melted away, and he was once again the boy who had loved you with every fiber of his being. Recognition dawned on both your faces, a maelstrom of emotions - surprise, nostalgia, and unresolved feelings - crackling in the air between you.

The moment was shattered as quickly as it had formed. Changbin's anger, fueled by the shock of seeing you and the audacity of the man who had dared to touch you, surged back with renewed intensity. His grip on the man's neck tightened, eyes blazing with a fury that made even hardened criminals cower. "Wait, wait!" the man begged, his voice rising in panic, "Tell the boss I'm sorry, yeah?! I'll have his mo-"

Changbin's fist connected with the man's face before he could finish his plea, the sickening crack of bone echoing through the bar. The man crumpled to the floor, unconscious, as Changbin stood over him, chest heaving with exertion and barely contained rage. Every instinct screamed at him to continue, to unleash years of pent-up frustration and pain on this unfortunate soul, but he reined himself in, acutely aware of your presence and the line he couldn't afford to cross.

Slowly, he turned back to you, his dark eyes burning with an intensity that made your breath catch in your throat. The years had changed him, sculpting the boy you once knew into a man of dangerous allure. His face, once soft with youth, was now chiseled and sharp, a hint of stubble adding to his rugged appeal. The lean teenager had been replaced by a man of solid muscle, his presence commanding and undeniably magnetic.

For a moment, you both stood frozen, the air thick with unspoken words and lingering emotions. Changbin's intense gaze softened almost imperceptibly as he took in your appearance, noting how you'd changed yet remained achingly familiar. The silence stretched between you, filled with a potent mixture of tension and an undeniable spark of the connection you once shared.

“Changbin..” is all you could get past your lips. It’s like all the things you had ever wanted to say to him over the years just disappeared the moment you locked eyes with him. He looked as if he was going to say something but the moment was broken by the sound of security guards rushing into the bar. Changbin's eyes darted towards the entrance, his body tensing as he assessed the situation.

You instinctively stepped between Changbin and the guy lying passed out on the floor. “It took you guys long enough.” Your tone as spoiled and condescending as you could make it. “That guys assaulted me. If it wasn’t for this man here, god knows what would have happened!” you placed a soft hand on Chanbgins shoulder. The security guards looked taken aback by your sudden outburst, their eyes darting between you, Changbin, and the unconscious man on the floor. Changbin's expression remained impassive, but you could sense the tension radiating from him as he stood silently by your side. The head of security stepped forward, his brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of the situation.

“Well?” You said with a bit of annoyance, “take him away!” The security guards exchanged glances before nodding and moving towards the unconscious man. As they hoisted him up and began to drag him away, you felt Changbin's muscles tense beneath your hand. You turned to face him, your heart racing as you realized the gravity of the situation you both found yourselves in.

“Uh, thanks.” Changbin mumbled before heading towards the exit. His stride were wide and rushed. You watched him leave with a mixture of longing and frustration. Your mind raced, trying to decide whether to follow him or let him go. Before you could make a decision, you felt a hand on your arm. Turning, you saw your manager, her face a mask of concern and confusion. “You okay? Let’s get you back up to your room. You have a shoot tomorrow.”

You sighed softly and turned back towards the exit, your heart racing as you caught a glimpse of Changbin's retreating figure. Without thinking, you brushed off your manager's hand and took a step forward. "I'm sorry, I need to do something," you said hurriedly, your voice barely above a whisper. Before your manager could protest, you were already moving, your feet carrying you swiftly towards the bar's entrance.

“Changbin!” You called as you tried to catch up, pushing through the double doors out into the parking lot where you saw Changbin getting onto his motorcycle. “Binnie!! Hey!” Changbin paused, his hand on the motorcycle's handlebar, and turned to face you. His expression was a mix of surprise and something unreadable as you approached, slightly out of breath. The parking lot lights cast long shadows across his face, accentuating the sharp angles that time had carved into his features.

"Y/n, don't call me that. You lost that privilege years ago." His words cut through the air, sharp and cold. You flinched, feeling the weight of time and unresolved emotions between you. Changbin's eyes, once so warm and full of love, now held a guarded look that made your heart ache.

It took you a moment to get the words out but you pushed through, “I know.. I just wanted to give you this.” You took a few short steps towards him. Grabbing his hand that rested on the handlebar and dug in your small bag for a pen. You wrote your number on his palm. Your fingers lingered for a moment, the touch sending a jolt of electricity through you both. "I... I'd like to talk, if you're willing," you said softly, your voice barely audible over the rumble of his motorcycle. Changbin's expression remained unreadable, but you noticed a flicker of something - curiosity, perhaps, or longing - in his eyes.

“And I'll be in town for a week, doing some press and things. Text me or call sometime.. I know we have a lot to catch up on, and... I'd like to clear the air between us if possible." You paused, searching Changbin's face for any sign of receptiveness. His jaw clenched, but he didn't immediately reject the idea. Taking a deep breath, you added softly, "I've missed you. More than you know."

Changbin looked down at the number messily scrawled onto his hand and without another word he revved his bike to life. The engine roared, drowning out any response he might have given. With one last lingering glance in your direction, his eyes a storm of conflicting emotions, he kicked the stand and peeled out of the parking lot. You watched his retreating form disappear into the night, the red glow of his taillights fading into the distance, leaving you alone with the weight of unspoken words and the faint hope of reconciliation.

🥀

The next day you had suffered through three boring and mundane interviews and now you were getting your make up and hair done for a Versace photo shoot. It was an honor of course but, you still felt so caged. Not to mention your mind kept drifting back to Changbin. Your thoughts swirled with memories of his intense gaze, the familiar rumble of his motorcycle, and the electricity that had sparked between you when your fingers touched. As you sat in the makeup chair, you found yourself wondering if he would call or text. The anticipation was both thrilling and nerve-wracking, making it difficult to focus on the glamorous world around you.

🥀

A few hours later the shoot had come to an end. Just as you were changing out of the gorgeous clothes you got to wear your phone buzzed. You fumbled with your bag trying to get it out as fast as you could. An unknown number popped up. You clicked on the message: You want to talk? I’ll be at the hotel around 10 to pick you up.” You automatically knew it was Changbin. Your finger hovered over the keys unsure of what to say so you just settled on: Okay, see you then.

Your manager burst into the dressing room, startling you and nearly causing you to drop your cell phone. "You did an amazing job, Y/n," she praised. "There's a party you need to attend tonight, so we've got to get going." SHe motioned for you to follow her out. As you settled into the black SUV that would take you back to your hotel, your mind raced with anticipation. You weren't just getting ready for a party—you were preparing to meet your long-lost love.

🥀

A couple of hours later, you stood in ripped jeans, a dark red lacy bralette, and your favorite baggy jean jacket. Your eyes lingered on the deep blue sequined dress you were supposed to wear to the party tonight. Your manager would be pissed... your company would be furious... but who cares? You deserved a little fun—a little adventure. Glancing at your phone, you saw it was ten minutes until Changbin's arrival. Your heart raced with anticipation.

You snatched your bag and cast a final glance in the mirror, your stomach aflutter with a cocktail of excitement and nerves. As you strode towards the door, a smile played on your lips at the thought of reuniting with Changbin. The familiar rush of defiance surged through you as you stepped into the hallway, ready to embrace whatever adventures the night held.

You took the stairwell to avoid any potential run ins with the staff or your manger. You let out a heavy sigh of relief once you were outside. The night air was warm and heavy with the sent of rain. You scanned the parking lot, your eyes searching for any sign of Changbin's motorcycle. Your heart skipped a beat when you finally spotted it, parked near the edge of the lot. As you approached, you saw him leaning against the bike, his dark silhouette illuminated by the soft glow of a streetlight.

Changbin's eyes met yours as you drew closer, his gaze intense and unreadable. The air between you crackled with unspoken tension, a mixture of anticipation and uncertainty. As you reached him, he wordlessly handed you a helmet, the gesture both familiar and strange after all these years apart. “You’re not going to put it on me? Like old times?” You were only half joking but, a part of you hoped he would do it again. It’s something you had always missed.

Changbins eyebrows drew together in an annoyed scowl, "Pretty sure you can do that on your own. You're a smart girl." He said gruffly as he put his own helmet on and straddled his bike. You felt a pang of disappointment at his cold response, but quickly pushed it aside. Swallowing your pride, you slipped the helmet on and climbed onto the back of the motorcycle, your arms hesitantly wrapping around Changbin's waist. The familiar warmth of his body against yours brought back a flood of memories, both sweet and painful.

As the engine roared to life, you tightened your grip instinctively, feeling the familiar thrill of anticipation coursing through your veins. Changbin kicked off, and the world around you blurred into a tapestry of lights and shadows. The wind whipped against your body, carrying with it the scent of leather and gasoline, a nostalgic reminder of countless nights spent racing through the city streets together.

His body had changed, more muscular and taut than you remembered, yet the way he leaned into the curves of the road was achingly familiar. You found yourself unconsciously matching his movements, your bodies in sync as you navigated the city streets. The contradiction of new and old, strange and familiar, sent a shiver down your spine that had nothing to do with the cool night air.

All too quickly his bike slowed down, coming to a stop outside what looked like a dilapidated hotel. As Changbin killed the engine, you couldn't help but feel a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. The building loomed before you, its weathered facade a stark contrast to the sleek modernity of your hotel. You hesitated for a moment, wondering what secrets this place held and why Changbin had brought you here.

Once his bike was turned off you you both were on your feet again you could hear the faint thump of loud music coming from somewhere inside the building. "Why are we here?" You asked more curious than you should be. Changbin's lips curled into a hint of a smile, the first you'd seen all night. "You wanted to talk, didn't you? Well, this is where I do my talking." He jerked his head towards the entrance, his eyes challenging you to follow. The pulsing beat grew louder as you approached, and you felt a familiar thrill of excitement mixed with apprehension.

The place was packed with people dancing, talking as they leaned up against the walls. There were people sitting in the stairwells making out, some were snorting some kind of white substance. You smelled alcohol and weed in the air as well. The scene was a sensory overload, a pulsating mass of bodies and vices that both thrilled and unnerved you. As you followed Changbin deeper into the crowd, you couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and trepidation. This was clearly his world now, raw and uninhibited, so different from the polished veneer of your current life.

You grabbed onto Changbins thick arm, worried you may get lost in the sea of people. “What is this place?!” You yelled over the music. “I love it!” Changbin glanced back at you, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes. "It's called The Underground," he shouted back, his voice barely audible over the pounding bass. "It's where people come to forget about the world outside." He led you through the writhing crowd, his hand finding yours in the chaos, sending a jolt of electricity through your body.

There was a room towards the back, there was no door but a dark crimson curtain separating this room from the crowd. He held the curtain open for you and you stepped inside, your eyes adjusting to the dimmer lighting. The room was smaller, more intimate, with plush velvet couches lining the walls and a few low tables scattered about. A handful of people lounged on the sofas, engaged in hushed conversations or lost in their own worlds. Changbin guided you to an empty couch in the corner, his hand on the small of your back sending shivers up your spine.

Just as you settled down on the couch a few people came up greeting Changbin with handshakes and slaps on the back. “Who’s your friend?” A very pretty blond guy with a scattering of freckles across his face asked. His eyes dancing with curiosity as he looked down at you. “Uh, this is Y/n. Y/n, this is Felix.” Changbin half heartedly introduced you to him. As Felix shook your hand his eyes grew wide with recognition. “Wait! Y/n?! The Y/n?!” Felix deep voice grew louder causing other curious eyes to look over at the commotion he was causing.

You blushed and nodded with a soft smile. "Hey Chan, Minho! Come here!" You glanced over at Changbin who was rolling his eyes and turning away. Two more guys approached, their eyes widening as they recognized you. Chan, a handsome man with curly hair, extended his hand with a warm smile. "It's an honor to meet you, Y/n. We've heard so much about you." Minho, standing beside him, nodded in agreement, his cat-like eyes sparkling with interest.

You cocked your head to the side and glanced over at Changbin again.. he talked about me? Or do they just know me from being a public figure? The question burned in your mind as you caught Changbin's eye, noticing a flicker of discomfort cross his face. Before you could dwell on it further, Felix's enthusiastic voice cut through your thoughts.

"Oh man, Changbin used to talk about you all the time! He'd go on and on about—" Felix's words were abruptly cut off as Changbin elbowed him sharply in the ribs, shooting him a warning glare. Chan seemed to notice Changbins discomfort and tugged on Felix’s shirt. “Come on, we have work to do. See you later Bin. Nice to meet you, again.” He nodded in your direction. Changbin's eyes narrowed as he watched his friends leave, a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment evident on his face. As silence fell between you two, the air grew thick with unspoken words and lingering questions. You couldn't help but wonder what exactly Changbin had said about you to his friends, and why he seemed so uncomfortable about it now.

"So… you wanted to talk?" Changbins harsh eyes turned their full attention to you, his gaze intense and unwavering. You felt your heart rate quicken under his scrutiny, a mix of nervousness and excitement coursing through your veins. Taking a deep breath, you steeled yourself for the conversation you'd been both longing for and dreading since you first saw him again.

“I..” you began but then closed your mouth trying to find the right words. “I’m sorry. I know the way I ended things was unfair to you. I was young and scared, and I didn't handle it well. I've regretted it ever since." You paused, searching Changbin's face for any reaction. His expression remained unreadable, but you could see a flicker of something - pain, perhaps? - in his eyes. "I've missed you," you admitted softly, your voice barely audible over the muffled music from outside.

You didn't expect Changbin to except your apology right away but, you didn't expect the words the came out of his mouth. "You're not fucking sorry." His voice was low and harsh, laced with a bitterness that made you flinch. "You left me without a second thought, and now you think you can just waltz back into my life with a half-assed apology?" Changbin's eyes burned with an intensity that both frightened and captivated you, his words cutting through the air like shards of glass.

You tore your eyes from his, “No.. I don’t think I’ll ever see you again after tonight. I just know I needed to say that to you. And to say.. I never stopped loving you.” You kept your eyes on the ground in front of you for a while longer. Unable to look him in the eyes as you said those words. “It looks like you’re doing… well for yourself.” You finally looked up at his handsome face. “Although.. you’re very different than the boy I once knew.”

Changbin's jaw clenched at your words, his eyes flashing with a mix of anger and something else? He leaned in closer, his voice low and intense. "You don't know anything about me anymore, Y/n. The boy you knew? He's long gone." His words hung heavy in the air between you, charged with unspoken emotions and years of unresolved feelings.

You couldn't help it.. one thing that hadn't changed between you two. Is when he pushed, you pushed back harder. "Then show me who you are now." Your eyes locked with his, a challenge burning in your gaze. Changbin's expression shifted, a dangerous glint appearing in his eyes. Without warning, he grabbed your wrist, pulling you closer to him. His grip was firm but not painful, his lips only a whisper from yours. “I don’t think you could handle who I am now.. I don’t fit into your perfect world, Y/n.”

Your breath caught in your throat, the tension between you palpable. Despite your better judgment, you found yourself leaning into him, drawn by the magnetic pull of his intensity. "Maybe I don't want to fit into that perfect world anymore," you whispered, your voice barely audible over the muffled bass from the other room. Changbin's eyes darkened, a mix of surprise and desire flickering across his face.

Changbins hand let go of your wrist, his dark brown eyes still locked on yours as his hands gripped onto your waist nearly pulling you into his lap. “Don’t say shit you don’t mean, little girl. My world is no joke.” His grip tightened, fingers digging into your flesh as he pulled you even closer. The heat of his body radiated through your clothes, igniting a fire within you that you thought had long since been extinguished. "You have no idea what you're asking for," Changbin growled, his voice low and dangerous.

Your eyes drifted from his intense stare to his plump lips, “I think I can handle it.” Your voice came out hushed and breathy. Your heart raced as you felt the tension between you reach a fever pitch. Without warning, Changbin closed the remaining distance, his lips crashing against yours in a searing kiss. The world around you faded away as you melted into his embrace, your fingers tangling in his hair as years of pent-up longing and desire poured out between you.

The kiss depended as he moved to push you back on the couch, his large body covering yours. His narrow hips settling easily between yours and you could feel is very hard cock beneath his clothes. His hands roamed your body, igniting sparks of pleasure wherever they touched. You arched into him, desperate for more contact, more friction. The rational part of your mind screamed that this was dangerous, that you were in a public place, but the overwhelming desire coursing through your veins drowned out all reason.

Changbin's lips traced a fiery path down your neck, his hot breath sending shivers cascading down your spine. You gasped as his teeth grazed your sensitive skin, your fingers digging into his shoulders. The world around you melted away, leaving only the intoxicating sensation of his touch and the thunderous pounding of your heart. As he lavished attention on your neck, your eyes fluttered open, suddenly remembering your surroundings. Some people were watching, their gazes a mixture of curiosity and desire. A rush of excitement mingled with embarrassment flooded through you. The thrill of being observed only intensified your desire, making your body respond even more fervently to Changbin's touch. You couldn't help but wonder if this was part of his world now—this raw, uninhibited display of passion that both exhilarated and terrified you.

Just as Changbin's hands found their way under your shirt, slowly lifting it up and over your bare chest, you suddenly came to your senses. His fingers brushed against the soft skin of your breast, sending shivers down your spine. But as the reality of the situation hit you, a wave of uncertainty washed over you. You gently placed your hand on Changbin's chest, pushing him back slightly as you caught your breath. "Changbin, let's stop."

Changbin pulled back, his eyes searching yours with a mix of confusion and frustration. The sudden shift in atmosphere was palpable, the heat between you cooling rapidly. You sat up, adjusting your clothes and trying to catch your breath. The reality of where you were and what you were doing came crashing down, leaving you feeling exposed and vulnerable. Changbin ran his tongue over his lips, savoring your lingering taste. He was breathless, his eyes still dark with desire. "I knew you couldn't handle it," he said, his voice husky and challenging.

Changbin's words stung, but you couldn't deny their truth. You weren't ready for his world—not yet. The realization settled over you like a heavy blanket, smothering the last embers of desire that had burned so brightly moments ago. You stood up, smoothing down your clothes and trying to regain your composure. His eyes followed your every movement. "Where are you going?" he asked, his voice low and husky.

His voice was low, almost challenging. You turned to face him, your heart still racing from the intensity of what had just transpired. "I'm going to find someone I can handle," you said, your tone sharp with defiance. As you moved towards the curtain, you felt the weight of Changbin's gaze on your back—a mix of disappointment and something else you couldn't quite decipher.

As you slipped through the curtain, the club's pulsing music crashed over you like a tidal wave, drowning out the echoes of your encounter with Changbin. The vibrant lights and writhing bodies stood in stark contrast to the intimate darkness you'd just left behind. Your eyes swept across the crowd, searching for a distraction—someone, anyone, who could help you forget the lingering taste of Changbin's lips and the inferno he'd ignited within you.

There, you spotted a striking man with dark hair streaked with white-blonde. He swayed to the music, his infectious smile lighting up his face. A taller, baby-faced guy stood beside him. Your eyes lingered on the handsome dancer, drawn to his carefree energy. Without hesitation, you made your way through the crowd towards them, determined to lose yourself in the pulsing rhythm and the company of someone new.

As you approached, you noticed his deep dimples as he smiled widely. "Hey! Wanna dance?" you asked without hesitation, hoping Changbin was watching. You weren't trying to make him jealous, but you were determined to show him you weren't some pathetic little girl. The handsome man turned to you, his dimples deepening as his smile widened. "Sure thing!" he shouted over the music, already moving to the rhythm. A rush of excitement coursed through you as he took your hand, leading you further onto the dance floor.

"What's your name?" you shouted, leaning closer to him. The scent of cologne and cigarettes wafted from him—an intoxicating combination that drew you in. "I'm Jeongin!" he yelled back, his warm breath tickling your ear. His eyes sparkled with curiosity and a hint of mischief as he asked, "And you are?" "Y/n!" you responded. A flicker of recognition crossed his face, but he didn't comment further.

You and Jeongin danced for a while, gradually moving closer without quite touching until he placed his hands low on your hips. His touch was warm, but you felt little in response. As you swayed to the music, your mind drifted back to Changbin—the intensity of his touch still lingering on your skin. You tried to focus on Jeongin's friendly smile, but the comparison was inevitable.

Just as Jeongin began pulling you closer, his lean body pressing firmly against yours, someone suddenly yanked you out of his hold. In an instant, Changbin materialized between you and Jeongin, his muscular frame taut with anger. His dark eyes blazed with possessive fury as he glared at Jeongin, one hand gripping your arm tightly. "She's with me," Changbin snarled, his voice low and dangerous, brooking no argument.

"No—" you began, but were cut off as Changbin hoisted you over his shoulder. "I thought friends shared!" Jeongin called out, his tone playful and clearly not serious. "Not this one," Changbin growled before turning and carrying you off. You squirmed in his grasp, trying to break free. "What the hell? Where are we going?" you shouted over the pulsing music.

Changbin's grip only tightened on your body. "To teach your bratty ass a lesson," he growled.

Tagging all the tags I have because I lost my separate lists. So idk who wanted to be tagged in what… I’m sorry!! But please comment if you were someone who only wanted to be tagged in only one members posts! Thank you!

@supernovanetwork @cashtonsbetch @katsukis1wife @hyunjinhoexxx @ihrtlino @breezy-simp @vixensss @yaorzu-blog @tirena1 @whatdoyouwanttocallmefor @chuuyaobsessed @doohnut @babigriin @iovecb97 @kpflyn @rylea08 @sheerfreesia007 @tsunderelino @cookiesandcreammy @rockstarkkami @moonchild9350 @myflowercloud @143hyunes @luvyblossom @shecheatedwithme @antisocialties @akaligogrrr @nicolparadis @thisaintredwine @rose-w-00-d @jisuperboard @heavenlyangelic @dessianna1 @velvetmoonlght @kayleefriedchicken

[tadc-harlequin-au]

Hey y'all, I'd just like to genuinely thank you all for the supportive messages and the donations. Really, I cannot think of words that would justify how grateful I feel for everyone's help. We're still on the waiting list for the police to investigate the break in, opting to check if there were any CCTVs nearby in order to check the criminals fleeing the scene of the crime.

Other than that, I'm doing much better mentally than yesterday, so I can most definitely write the 2000 followers special again.

I also wanna say how awesome and amazing this community is. I've never been a part of a fandom that pushes my creativity to it's highest, while being supportive and not being at each other's throats because being in the FNAF fandom does things to you. I was pretty popular on the fnaf twitter scene, but it was SO TAXING AND DRAINING that I don't consider it worth going back to.

This is genuinely THE BEST community I've ever had the honors to be a part of (Shipwrecked 64 came very close), and I'm very honored to be at the spot that I am at right now, as creator of the Harlequin AU.

Thank you for supporting me, in my best and worst times. Thank you for being interested in the story I want to tell, and even asking about the world of it as well as it's cast. Thank you for always taking the time to reblog and comment in my works, because I love reading everyone's special inputs.

A very, very special thank yous to all my friends who inspire me to become a better writer and artist, to @thescarletnargacuga who is technically the co-writer for this AU at this point lmfao, to @nobody-nexus for being an amazing and loving partner <3, and to @sm-babie for getting me into showtime, which is the major reason this AU and it's story even exists.

And I know I don't always get to see it because of my incredibly short attention span (and tumblr's weird notification system), but I also would like to thank the other artists who've made fanarts, fanfics or OCs for this AU. There's A LOT of them, that it overwhelms my brain and I'm just- wow. I'm just really taken aback at how much people like this small, incredibly canon-divergent AU. My brain is getting FRIED at all this in the best way possible but woo I need a bit of a breather haha-

I hope I can continue to provide quality Harlequin (and showtime) content, and I hope to keep this train rolling. Keep being awesome, and keep being creative, everyone! The regularly scheduled content will be back rolling on track very soon. :')

- Ziku/E-Specter

[badbtssmut]

Hi my love! I missed you and I really wanna request something. Only, of course if you want to take my request. I know they are closed, but I’m hoping once you get your rest you’ll be back cause I NEED YOU BACK. best bts smut writer on this damn platform.

my request is jimin x fem!reader where he fucks her on the couch because they were watching a really sexual movie together. He realizes that y/n made him watch it on purpose just to be fucked so he fucks her rough (when I say rough, I mean fucking ruthless!) maybe he spits in her face (sorry) degrading, and a little slapping/spanking. If you’re comfortable.

ily so xx

Admin: 😍 ily princess, you’re the sweetest, I missed you too, thanks for the request, it’s hot 🤭

Warning: mention of the penetration ‘almost becoming unbearable’ in one sentence

Note: This is a replacement request, anons please remember that requests sent after they’re closed get deleted ❤️

—

“This is what you were hoping for, hm?” You could barely hear his voice above the sounds your bodies were making as they connected again and again, wet slaps punctuating each word. Your body was buried into the couch cushions by the sheer weight of the man above you, the fingers wrapped around your throat keeping you into place as he fucked you into the couch, your body sandwiched in between the soft fabric underneath you and his warm body pressed against yours.

You couldn't move and you didn't want to, instead relishing in the fact that all you could do was lay there and let him use you however he saw fit.

“Dirty whore, your needy pussy was perfectly made to take this cock.” Jimin pulled his hand away from your throat, before his palm came into contact with your cheek in a sharp slap.

“Ah!” You gasped out, surprised at the sudden sting and the slight tingle it left. In the background, you could faintly hear the erotic scene playing on the movie that you suggested to watch with Jimin. You knew that it would’ve worked, but you didn’t realize how quickly he would be fucking you.

“Why are you so good at taking cock, hm? Who else had this pretty pussy, huh?” His words were laced with jealousy, his fingers moving to grip onto your face tightly, watching you in silence. “Well?” Your boyfriend stopped thrusting into you, keeping his cock inside of you as he sat still.

“No… nobody, Jimin. It's only yours, I promise!” You whined, growing impatient at the fact that he wasn't moving anymore. You needed his cock, preferably forcing its way into your soaked pussy and stretching it.

Jimin smirked down at you, leaning down to kiss your lips softly. The sudden gentleness that he showed after being so rough threw you off guard, but the kiss was nice.

“Yeah? So you are naturally this good at taking cock?” He kissed you again, this time with more force and his tongue licked your lips, demanding access.

You granted it, letting him taste every corner of your mouth as he pulled back. Without waiting for your answer, he started to trust into you again. “Fuck.” Jimin breathed out. “You are so fucking greedy, can’t just get enough, always need more cock don’t you?” He taunted you. “Take. It. Take it, whore.” He gripped onto your hips, keeping you in place as he fucked you.

You could barely think straight as you felt his cock pound into you over and over again, your mind going blank with pleasure.

“Mm, look at you, aren’t you the sluttiest girl of town? Fuck, I’m going to fill you up and you’ll take it, no? That's what whores like you are for. Right, baby?” Jimin asked, before he spat in your face.

That was it.

Your orgasm washed over you, and you shook and shuddered in his arms as he continued to fuck you through your climax, not even thinking about stopping or slowing down. You whimpered as you rode out your orgasm, the pleasure overstimulating your senses as he kept going.

You couldn’t speak, your mouth only hung open as you took his cock over and over again, the feeling of his cock stretching out your tight pussy almost becoming a little unbearable.

Jimin gripped onto the couch cushion next to your head, holding on tightly as his thrusts grew uneven and sloppy. He was close, and you could tell by the way he was beginning to moan. With one last thrust, you felt his cock twitch inside of you and he grunted, his hips coming to a slow stop as he stayed buried inside of you. You could feel his hot cum fill you up, and you shuddered, laying still as he filled you up.

You wrapped your arms around him and pulled him closer, peppering his face into kisses.

You didn’t want this night to end.

[j0kers-light]

Dear Chaos, sorry I've been so absent lately. A lot has been happening lately but I just wanted to say that the latest HL chapter is just perfection🫶

I do have another idea for a request. What if HL got in a car accident while on the phone with J? He goes out to find her but she is not at the scene anymore. Maybe because she was taken to the hospital or taken hostage by two face.

No rush my love, take all the time you need. You're the best!

His Lighthouse: Broken Promises (LedgerJoker x f!reader)

Broken Promises - Oneshot

KEEP IN MIND THIS IS NOT A CHAPTER UPDATE!

Hey hi @darthjokerisyourfather 🖤✨

Never apologize for living your life! I should apologize for this crappy title. I don't like it. 🙃 I thank you so much for requesting this! You always manage to pull me out of my writer's block with your beautiful imagination! I also thank you for your patience and your kindness. Just how long did you wait for this? 😖😖😖😖😖😖😖😖😖 ugh, please don't hate me love! *dodges flying tomatoes*

Chaos loves you and hopes that you enjoy! If not, you know I can go back to the drawing board and try again!

More importantly, If you wish to be a part of the His Lighthouse taglist, do let me know via comment, ask, or a quick direct message!

Joker must have forgotten. That was the only explanation you had for his absence. 

You sat in a fancy Gotham City restaurant trying not to let the pitiful glares bother you. The low murmurs of surrounding conversations and the constant clinking of chinaware did nothing to block the embarrassment you felt.  

A giant red, ‘I got stood up’ sign was painted on your forehead. The mocking snickers and pitiful looks became more obvious as time passed.  

You wanted to keep a glimmer of hope that Joker was coming, yet you sat alone at the table, nursing your favorite drink and eating too much bread to be considered healthy.  

During the second, or maybe the third basket, you came to the heartbreaking conclusion. 

Joker forgot about the date that HE organized.  

Why were you not surprised? This was Joker after all and unfortunately, this had become the norm as of late.  

You flicked breadcrumbs from your fingers before smoothing your dress down for the umpteenth time. There were probably noticeable wrinkles with how much you clenched the fabric throughout the evening. More importantly, you hated that you got all dolled up for nothing.  

The formfitting dress in your favorite color was brand new and you spent countless hours taming your natural hair into a new hairstyle to compliment your outfit.  

Your curls were defined and voluminous framing your face and pretty jewelry adorned your skin helped complete the look.  

Just thinking about the time and energy you wasted for this failure of a date made you tear up until you remembered your mascara was not waterproof. You refused to let your emotions get the better of you in public. It was already humiliating enough and a gorgeous blonde two tables away kept rubbing in your embarrassment with her sharp red lips curling into a smirk every time she laughed. 

You would bet a penny she was a true mean girl back in high school.  

You didn’t want to wallow in this misery any longer. Joker was obviously not coming, so it was time for you to leave.  

Maybe on the way home you could pick up some ice cream and perform some self-care to restore your mood. A nice warm bath with candles and a good playlist in the background would clear up the disappointment you felt.  

Oh, but leaving would take a herculean effort. You would have to put on a brave face and walk out with the entire restaurant staring at you. Alone.  

The things Joker put you through.  

You cleared your throat and plastered a fake confident smile on your face to flag down the waiter. She was already on standby. Bless her. She kept your glass following throughout the night and she didn’t judge you with each basket of bread delivered to your table. 

She been in the industry long enough to know you were stood up. It broke her heart to see you, a beautiful woman, plagued by a man and his ignorance. She and a few other waiters would foot your bill. It was the least they could do to help a fellow sister in need. 

The world needed more girls like her in it. Her supportive smile gave you the energy to stand up tall as you walked out.  

But the second you got into the driver’s seat of your SUV, the floodgates opened with no end in sight. Screw your makeup, you were holding this sob fest in for hours.  

You probably looked a hot mess crying in the car but more than anything, you were mad at Joker for not keeping his promise. Again.  

It wouldn’t be as heartbreaking if this was the first time he left you hanging. Oh no, this was a reoccurring issue.  

You were so tired of being treated like the middle child. Joker needed hear about this. It was his fault you were feeling miserable. 

Deep down, you just wanted to hear his voice. Maybe this was all some big misunderstanding!  

Despite arriving at the restaurant ten minute early, (and triple checking to make sure it was the correct one) perhaps you were in the wrong and not Joker. Any and all excuses floated inside your head to cut Joker some slack. Because if he was truly at fault, then your heart would simply shatter. 

You temporarily stopped the waterworks to find your phone and dial a number you knew by heart. It rang until Joker’s raspy voice reached your ears. “Heyy Bunny. What a uhh unexpected surprise!”  

His words made your heart develop a stress crack. You choked back a sob and Joker instantly heard it. “Bun what’s wrong?” 

“D-Did you forget about tonight?” You glanced out the window as a few cars passed by. 

“Uhhhh.. tonight?” Joker mumbled the word over and over trying to jog his memory.  

You didn’t know if he was making fun of you or if he genuinely couldn’t recall. Either way, you were fed up. “Our date night! The one that you made reservations for!” you sobbed. 

“Oh. That. I err.. lost track of time.” You couldn’t take it anymore. Joker’s nonchalant tone was your tipping point.  

“Light, are ya still there?” He asked when you didn’t reply. When you did, you had plenty to say. 

“Lost track of time? You? Lost track of... please tell me you are joking? I sat at our table for two hours waiting for you! Everyone made fun of me for being stood up while you lost track of time!”  

“Aww don’t cryy! I can be there in—” 

Your tone was sharp and firm, “Don’t bother Joker.” you started the SUV as you put your seatbelt on with your other hand. “I’m going home.”  

There was a brief delay in the phone signal as it connected to the car’s system, but you still heard Joker’s string of no’s. “Let me make it up to ya!”  

He really thought you would give him another chance? Your lips silently recited the apologizes that oozed from Joker’s lips like oil. 

“Tonight was supposed to be you making up for ditching me last week or have you forgotten? Urgh! You keep putting me off J, and it isn’t fair!”  

You pulled the car into drive and exited the car park. Joker hated to hear your accusations, but you were right.  

His line of work had recently picked up and every time he made plans with you, they were delayed or flat out cancelled to make way for something more nefarious.  

He was putting work over you, something he vowed never to do. That did not mean he would tolerate you talking back to him like you were. “Y/n, I am—” 

“Save it Joker! Your apologies mean nothing when your actions don’t follow suit.” He heard your blinker on in the background as he tried to make amends.

It wasn’t good to be driving in your current emotional state and trying to tell you what to do would only stir up more attitude from you. 

It was worth a try. He could deal with a bratty bunny later.  

“Doll, can ya pull over so we can talK about thiss? I can uhh, meet up with ya and we can do something. Just. Us.” 

That was new.  

You pondered the suggestion for a second and began turning onto a deserted backroad. It would take you straight to your apartment in a fraction of the time it would take driving on the highway. “No, Joker, I’m done listening to—” 

The unnatural sound of metal clashing and scraping against metal violently pierced through the phone’s speakers and cut you off mid sentence.  

It twisted loudly, making horrifying cracks and pops that lasted for ages—when it was just a matter of seconds. Joker’s keen ear knew what was occurring, but it didn’t seem real.  

These things shouldn’t happen to his Light. Joker made sure your vehicle was military grade. Nothing should have been able to topple it over, much less allow it to roll twice. He just sat helplessly, listening to the impossible unfold.  

As the metal settled, the phone called continued in eerie silence. Then he waited and waited, hoping this to be nothing but a dream.  

Maybe it was another car and you were stunned into silence. The only downside, he couldn’t hear you breathing.  

“Bunny. B-Bun? No… m-my Light? Y/n?” 

Joker used every nickname he had for you but none provoked a response. So, Joker flat out started to beg. “Y/n.. please..  

His pleas died out the moment he heard a new sound. Footsteps on broken glass. Two sets at that which were approaching to wherever your phone was tossed.  

“F__k, did you have to ram her so hard? The boss wants her alive remember? See, she’s unconscious!” A gruff voice said.  

Joker honed in on the voice like a bloodhound and narrowed his eyes when another person spoke up with a much thicker Gotham accent.  

“Even better for us. Grab her feet, I’ll get her shoulders. N’hurry up before someone comes.” 

“Don’t rush me! Agh, I can’t get a good grip, she’s all bloody!” 

Joker’s heart plummeted to his stomach. You were more injured that he thought. His mind already started to visualize the worst scenario imaginable.  

The two men continued to bicker although Joker tuned out their useless chatter. He didn’t want to believe what he just heard.  

Two men deliberately rammed you off the road. Gotham City was vast and Joker had many enemies both local and abroad. Narrowing down exactly who did this would be impossible, although he had a clue who the culprit was.  

Joker was still in lala land when Frost cleared his throat.  

He didn’t care about J taking a call during the meeting, but he could tell something wasn’t right. Joker had frozen up like a statue halfway through and it took Frost kicking J’s chair to snap the clown out of whatever rabbit hole he fell in.  

Before Frost could speak, J beat him to it. “Track B’s car. I need a location, now.”  

The room went silent at the shaky tone Joker used. He could care less about showing weakness in front of his men. He would worry about optics later.  

Right now, you were the only constant on his mind.  

Frost didn’t ask for context; he did what he was told and seconds later, he voiced his findings to the room.

“That’s weird.” He tapped the keyboard again to get more accurate data. “It's on the stretch of Kane St, idle and with the engine off.” 

He looked up into the turbulent waves that made up Joker’s eyes. No words were needed. This was a full-on Nightfall procedure. You were in danger.  

Frost hoped that whoever hurt you had enjoyed their life because the wrath of Joker was coming to reap their soul.  

Not a word was spoken when the four men arrived at the scene.  

All that was left of your vehicle was a mangled wreckage still smoldering in the dead of night. Frost sought out to find any evidence while Neo and Mac took pictures. Joker was like a ghost watching it all unfold.  

He found one of your shoes lying nearby and picked it up with shaky hands.  

It was new with hardly any scuff marks on its lacquered surface despite the crash. He could only imagine the outfit you paired with the designer heel.  

That thought racked him with guilt.  

If only he made time to see you tonight and shielded you from this avoidable fate.  

How could he blow off something so precious as spending time with his Light? Work was never more important than you and Joker was faced with the consequences of not cherishing you while he had the chance.  

He had to get you back and treat you like the goddess you were.  

“Hey Boss, we found something!”  

Joker snapped himself out of his thoughts and walked over to Mac who was holding up something. A hastily written note signed off by Two Face’s gang logo. Joker was right to assume the former attorney had a hand in this.  

“Its Two Face. When do you want to retaliate, Boss?” Neo asked.  

All four men shared a look. What a loaded question. They would act now and show no mercy. Each of them would do whatever it took to get you back safe and sound.  

You woke up with a splitting headache and parched throat. Oh, and you were tied up in some dingy room.  

Honestly, you had to stop winding up in these types of situations. Ever since Joker entered your life, being kidnapped was always a possibility you had to consider occurring.  

Today just happened to be your unlucky day.  

Calming down your heart rate and taking in your surroundings took a bit of effort. It hurt to move your head, and you grumbled under your breath while trying to blink away the unwanted inertia. 

Someone was smart enough to keep you lying down, but you couldn’t move your arms or legs. Not like you wanted to. 

You were still coming to when a presence made themselves known with their loud voice. It made your head pound even worse.  

“Good, good! You’re finally awake. You are very hard to get a hold of, my dear. Always protected. Never alone..”  

You managed to turn your head enough to see Harvey Dent pacing the room, talking to himself. His alter ego, Two Face was currently talking and you heard the not so pleasant choice of words he used regarding you.  

He had quite the colorful vocabulary and it was obvious out of the two men who held a grudge against you. When he noticed your curious eyes on him, he smiled wide.  

Even his voice changed with the change in personalities.

This one was gravelly to match Dent’s grotesque burned face. “I’ve been dying to prosecute you in the court of law.” 

You did not have the mental capacity to argue with a schizophrenic psychopath. All your energy was spent on closing your eyes to block out the headache wreaking havoc on your skull. You didn’t care if you were being rude.  

It was rude to crash into people’s cars and forcibly take them to undisclosed locations so... You were matching Dent’s energy.  

‘Not today, Satan. Not today’ you mentally said.  

Or perhaps you said it aloud since you heard Harvey’s aggravated shouts followed by something being knocked over and breaking.

It seemed that even grown men could throw temper tantrums. That was not your problem. Your problem was trying to stay awake.

You were beginning to suspect you had a concussion, or worse, some kind of neck injury. The last thing you were going to receive was medical attention, so lying still was your best bet until help arrived.  

That thought put a frown on your face. You could not rely on Joker nowadays. 

Would he even notice that you were gone? You abruptly hung up the phone mid argument; he probably disregarded you and became distracted by something more important.  

A time ago, you were the only thing important to Joker. Everything else was secondary. My, have things changed.  

Now you wished that Joker would become the possessive lover you knew him to be and come save you.  

You were certain that he placed a tracker in your lighthouse necklace.. the one you removed since it clashed with your outfit for the night.  

Great. The one time you took it off!  

You felt like such an idiot despite all of this being Joker’s fault. If only he cared more, he would’ve been with you tonight to avoid this. Now you were at the mercy of Two Face and whatever motive he made up to justify abducting you.  

There was nothing you could do to escape your current predicament.  

You were just upset and disappointed in Joker, and with that, you let a single tear slip down your cheek as you fell unconscious.  

The next time you came to, you didn’t bother opening your eyes. You just groaned in defeat and let whoever pick you up and carry you off. And that was probably for the best.  

Unbeknownst to you, it was a literal war zone.  

If you did in fact open your eyes, the carnage that Joker created to rescue you, would have scared you back to sleep. You would declare Joker a monster after seeing just how far he would go for his Bunny.  

Any other day he would deny his true nature, all for the sake of being worthy enough to bask in your light. Tonight, he had no such compulsion. 

He had no shame in carrying his Light while being drenched in blood. He was a fallen angel personified.  

Even as Joker rounded a corner to leave, he helped a man take their last breath by lodging a bullet between their eyes. Quick and efficient, the punishment did not befit the crime of touching what Joker considered as his.  

The two men who initially rammed you off the road got off lucky.  

Joker struck a one-time deal with the Penguin to use the massive great white shark the Englishman kept locked up in a tank underneath the Iceberg Lounge. It was a natural garbage disposal and Joker had two pieces of trash he wanted to get rid of.  

Joker thought being fed to sharks was tame compared to the ideas still swimming in his head.  

His dark smile sent shivers down the backs of his own men and they wisely avoided their eyes as Joker passed. No one was safe from the murderous gleam in J’s eyes.  

That is, all but one. You.  

He was a completely different person tonight. The slaughter was personal, the attacks more brutal and practically inhumane, and it was all done to avenge his goddess.  

Joker was out for blood, and he most certainly collected it.  

He held your slumbering body close as he ordered Mac to detonate the bomb and reduce the building to rubble. If anyone was lucky enough to escape Joker’s initial siege into the building, there was no hope of survival now.  

Just the way he planned it.  

A shame Harvey got an anonymous tip and fled before Joker arrived. J would have loved to see the other side of Dent’s face burn to a crisp for touching his Light.  

Speaking of. Joker’s haunting green eyes looked away from the blazing inferno and down at his sleeping beauty.  

There were minor cuts and bruising forming from being caught up in your car crash, yet he was more worried about the dried blood ruining your once pristine hair.  

Your beautiful features were marred by pain that Joker could have prevented. You needed medical attention and some good old-fashioned love and affection.  

And just like that, all of Joker’s bloodlust was extinguished to devote his attention onto you.  

He had weeks of apologizing to do to earn your trust and love back, but for now, he needed you back in good health.  

Joker softly kissed your forehead and let his goons drive him to the nearest safe house where Sarai would have a look at you.  

It was high time that Joker re-appointed you back as the most important thing in his life, and it started with showing that he cared about you and only you.  

[bvidzsoo]

Compass of our hearts

Author: bvidzsoo

Warning: smut, violence, blood, murder

Pairing: Park Seonghwa x female reader

Word count: 20,7k

Summary: Park Seonghwa was an orphan. The day Captain Kim found him on the shore the only thing he had with himself in the little basket was a golden compass, his mother's name craved inside it. Seonghwa cherished it dearly and worked hard to find out where he belonged to. However, as a pirate, you make a lot of enemies and you decided to make Seonghwa yours the day you stole his compass. It was your first mistake, you messed with a feared pirate. Your second mistake was not realizing that Seonghwa would find you, and take his compass back as well. (Reader is called Kim Bora in the following oneshots.)

A/N: Helloo everyone, the first part of the Black Ocean series is here!! I hope the fight scenes aren't as bad as I personally think they are lol. I'm not a master smut writer either, but I tried my best, so I hope it's not horrible. If anyone wants to be added to the taglist just let me know, there will be seven more oneshots with the other members in this universe. Please leave feedback, reading your thoughts about my work is the best feeling ever. I hope you'll enjoy this little oneshot, happy reading!

Taglist: @pingyu-in-wonderland @marievllr-abg @lelaleleb @loveforred @horanghae8 @jeonghanscarat7 @orshii

Series Masterlist

               I was breathing hard as I tried to gain focus, having been thrown against the wall, again. It was starting to take a tool on me, the pointless tousling and teasing. I did not like fighting this way. I liked getting straight to the point, getting what I wanted. I never played around with my prey, but Seonghwa seemed to enjoy it as a wide smirk decorated his lips, his strides long and slow as he came closer, almost caging me against the wall. I huffed in irritation as he raised my chin with the tip of his very sharp knife, our eyes finding each other’s. Seonghwa was breathing hard too, lips parted and forehead sweaty as his long wavy black hair fell into his sharp eyes, his ponytail messy. His eyes held an intensity which was capable of making me surrender to him, but I stayed collected. Not this time, I wouldn’t give in. My lower left arm was burning from the huge gash Seonghwa’s knife made and I couldn’t ignore the blood dripping down his cheek where I had cut him just minutes ago.

“You could have made this so easy and quick for yourself, Y/N.” His voice dripped with venom and I gulped when his knife pressed harder against my skin, lightly grazing against my neck.

“I like to play around,” I muttered and forced out a chuckle, ignoring the quick pounding of my heart, “But you know that already.”

“Too well.” He snapped and I gasped when I felt blood trickling down the side of my neck, skin slightly burning. He really meant it this time that he’d kill me if I didn’t give back what was his. All of this fiasco for a damned compass. I glared at him and in a swift moment pressed my own dagger against his torso, ripping his shirt open and making it clear that if he were to slice my throat I wouldn’t hesitate in sticking my own weapon into him.

“How are you going to find the compass if you kill me, Seonghwa?” I taunted, mimicking his tone when he said my name. For a split second his eyes turned into slits and I was sure he would kill me right then and there, but the pressure of the knife from my neck disappeared and I felt the lump in my throat disappearing as well. It didn’t mean I was safe, it just meant I wasn’t getting my throat slit open. I lowered my dagger from his torso as well and tried to come up with an escape plan fast. The window was open, if I kicked him hard enough to get him to double over, I could run to the window and jump out. I knew where my sister’s friend lived, I would go there and take her with me. Going into hiding was a must right now.

“Where is it?!” Seonghwa’s voice slightly trembled from anger and I looked behind him, eyeing the window.

I shrugged before looking back at him, having decided what my next move would be, “I don’t know, want to play a game to find out?” And before he could answer, I punched him hard in the jaw, making him stumble backwards. He was flabbergasted as he looked back at me, wiping the blood from his lips, but before he could charge at me, I kneeled him in the stomach, hard. Seonghwa doubled over instantly and started wheezing, face contorted in pain. I didn’t necessarily liked hurting him and I found myself hesitating for a second before I snapped out of it and made a run for the window. The room wasn’t big, I could easily make it out and get away from Seonghwa. But I heard groaning from behind and as I latched onto the window sill, ready to jump over, a hand was suddenly in my long hair, fisting it. I was yanked back harshly and I yelped, eyebrows furrowing as Seonghwa held me flushed against his body, pulling on my hair so hard I thought he’d leave me with a bald spot. I went to fight back, but he grabbed my neck from behind with his left hand, but he didn’t squeeze. He secured me in a firm grip, warning me. I gulped and listened to our rapid breathing, Seonghwa’s chest rising and falling quickly against my back. His body hadn’t changed at all. He was still as sturdy as before, even felt like he had gotten stronger.

“Let me go.” I snapped and turned my head to the side, trying to look at him. Seonghwa watched my face for a second, taking it in, before he blinked and his gaze turned cold. I couldn’t pretend like the warmth of his body and the grip he had on me wasn’t affecting me, but my self-respect would never let me tell him. I had already admitted to thinking about him often back at the Inn.

“I prepared a little surprise for you,” Seonghwa whispered in my ear, my eyes fluttering for a second, before he harshly turned my head towards the window, making me watch what was happening outside. And my whole blood ran cold in me. I froze, almost unable to breathe. My little sister was walking outside, singing to herself as she played around with a pebble. The sight that terrified me wasn’t her being home despite her saying she’d spend the day at her friend, it was the man dressed in all black with a rag covering his lower face following her, knife held very obviously in one hand. Nari was oblivious to him and he was getting closer and closer to her.

“Stop!” My voice raised and I tried to wriggle myself free from Seonghwa’s grip. The man following my little sister, Nari, was Choi San, a ruthless mercenary. She stood no chance against him, I couldn’t stand here and watch as San kills my little sister, the only family I have left.

“Stop him,” I begged Seonghwa as I stopped trying to get away from him, “please tell him to stop. I will give you anything you want, Seonghwa, please don’t let him hurt Nari.” I knew now the two worked together. Seonghwa was the Quartermaster of a very infamous pirate crew whom had been terrorizing the four kingdoms and four seas for a decade now and everyone knew what they were capable of. Even I did now. I would’ve never thought Seonghwa was smart enough to find me as I barely came home, once a week every month, but seeing San trailing my sister woke me up to the reality of the predicament I found myself in. I was careless and dumb; I stole from someone whom I should’ve never messed with.

Seonghwa chuckled and I felt his hot breath on my cheek before he whispered in my ear again, “Never thought I’d hear you begging, love.” And without another word, he whistled loudly and I watched as San placed his knife up his sleeve and turned around, walking off, my sister oblivious to everything that could’ve happened to her due to my stupidity.

“Now, give me my compass.”

            One year ago business wasn’t going as well as at the moment, so I was forced to earn money in questionable ways sometimes. Nari, my little sister, was attending a quite well-known school in our humble city and it cost us a lot. I never complained, I wanted her to have a good life. A life better than mine. We are seven years apart and after our parents one day just mysteriously disappeared, I had to take things in my hands. I had to keep the two of us well fed, clean and I had to earn enough money to pay our monthly payments and schools. However, when things got hard I had to give up some luxuries and one of them was my education. I was only fifteen, but I had no choice. Nari started going to school that year and we wouldn’t make it if I didn’t start working full time. It was a hard choice, I loved what I was doing, I always loved studying. I dreamed of becoming a historian one day, but I placed my dreams aside and worked hard so that my little sister would have a nice life. But even that wasn’t enough, so I decided to try out something new. I wasn’t proud of myself at the beginning, and I was scared too that people would realize I was the one stealing their jewelry. However, nobody seemed to find the thief, and I continued on with my antics until I was almost caught. It was the wake-up call that I needed to move to a bigger city, where everyone didn’t know everyone. And that’s when my hard work started paying off. I became a merchandizer of sorts; I exchanged the stolen goods for gold or money if the buyer paid me well. It was a shady business, but everyone knew how I got the expensive jewelry, it’s not like I had anything to hide. Besides, usually pirates or other criminals were interested in what I had to offer and it was rather easy to trick them into paying me more than the jewelry was actually worth. And just like that, I had enough money to bring back to my sister to pay her school and the utilities at home. She always thought I was working for a wealthy family; I didn’t have the heart to tell her that the money I earned wasn’t rightfully mine. Perhaps one day, when she’d understand why I did the things I did, I would tell her the truth. But the business didn’t always go smoothly, sometimes I needed to do some extra work here and there, that’s how I found myself working at an Inn, dressed in a silk dress with a corset accentuating my waist and pushing my breasts higher up for the pleasure of mostly disgusting men. I refused to sleep with any of them, no matter how many times I was offered a large amount of sum, I wasn’t that desperate. I was just a simple waitress who liked to trick men into paying more for their drinks than the actual price was. But of course, nobody had to know about that.

“Welcome, Sir Edwards!” I plastered on my brightest smile as the constable walked inside, wearing his very expensive fur coat he bought last week from the boutique down the street. I bet he didn’t know it was stolen from a very wealthy man who stopped by here two weeks ago. I was the one who stole it and then sold it to Madam Joy, her clothing was the best of the best, even the royal family would come here to buy her newest gowns. A wide smile appeared on Sir Edwards’ lips, his eyes lighting up at the sight of me. I happened to be his favorite waitress, always humble and sweet; the man loved compliments and a person who would listen to his gloating.

“Ah, Y/N!” He exclaimed and I rushed to his side, helping him out of the fur coat. It was still as soft as last week, however once its white fur was now brown, Madam Joy thought a little change was necessary to it, so its real owner wouldn’t recognize it, “I haven’t seen you here in over a month.”

I looked away, blinking quickly, hoping I looked abashed, “How attentive you are, Sir.”

Sir Edwards chuckle and leaned a bit too close for my comfort, “With my favorites I always am.”

I giggled and grabbed onto his arm, starting to lead him towards an empty table. The other girls I was working with gave me amused looks before turning their heads away, not wanting Sir Edwards to notice them. If he was here, his little officers would be also joining him, and that meant we’d make a lot of profit tonight. These wealthy men always ordered the priciest wines and scotch. The table I led the constable to was close to the opened window and furthest from the bar, he didn’t have to see if we mixed anything into their drinks. Sometimes these men would get rowdy and really loud and since we were forbidden from kicking anyone out as long as they were buying, we’d put a little powder into their drinks which would make them sick or sleepy, depending on how much they’ve had to drink.

“I hope you don’t mind this table, Sir, it’s a bit far from the bar but it’s close to the window and that way you can always catch a whiff of fresh air.” I smiled at the man sweetly as I pulled out a chair for him.

“It’s almost as if you read my mind,” He chuckled loudly as he sat down, placing his hand on mine, making my stomach churn. Sir Edwards was by no means attractive or young, but he paid well and he came in just when I needed it most, “I’ve been craving fresh air all day long.”

“It must get stuffy sitting in your office all day long,” I said with pity lacing my voice, slowly pulling my hand out from underneath his, “May I bring you your favorite, Sir Edwards?”

“Bring five extra glasses too, sweetheart, my boys are joining me soon.” Just as I thought, he was bringing over his favorites from the night watch. The other five guys were regulars too and every waitress hated them. They were relatively younger than Sir Edwards and they were nastier and ruder as well. I usually turned a blind eye to all of their snide remarks, but I promised myself that one day I would punch all of their teeth out. But first, I needed to scam them into giving me all of their money.

            And the night went accordingly to my plan. Currently, there were fifteen extra pennies hidden in my little pouch, all from charging our buyers with some extra pennies. It was hilarious how easy drunk people were to scam, they didn’t even care about the money as long as they had something to drink. During the night, a few women had stumbled inside the Inn as well. Few were wearing quite eye-catching rings and bracelets. That was their first mistake. Their second mistake was letting me fawn over them and touch them, testing whether it would be easy taking it from them or not. And their third mistake was getting so wasted they could barely speak. The musicians were playing a catchy song and a few people were dancing and singing loudly as I made my way through the crowd, almost spilling the expensive wine on my white silk dress. I glared at the man, but he wasn’t paying any attention to me, of course. Fixing my expression, I smiled sweetly as I made my way to Sir Edwards’ table, hearing the front door squeaking as it was opened, nobody wanted to fix it and it was bloody loud.

“And here is your glass of wine, imported straight from France, a little sweet but not too much.” I announced loudly once I reached the table, carefully pouring wine into the six glasses. The men stopped conversing and watched me, some too drunk to actually see me and some merely tipsy.  Sir Edwards was clapping excitedly and he placed a ridiculous sum on the table for me, thanking me for paying so much attention to him that he didn’t even have to tell me the previous glass was empty now. I took the pennies while bowing my head at Sir Edwards, thanking him for being so generous, but he just laughed it off and offered me his glass.

“Why don’t you try it yourself? Tell us whether it’s good or should we just ask for another one?” I blinked surprised at Sir Edwards as he has never offered me his glass previously. I gulped and smiled a little as the six men from the table watched me with curious eyes. So, I brought the glass up to my lips and slowly took a bigger sip, expecting it to be sweet, like I was told. But it was rather bland and strong. I tried not to cough and plastered a wide smile on my lips, acting as if I had tasted the best wine in the whole world.

“Now I understand why these cost so much!” I exclaimed, acting rather daft, making the men laugh. They raised their glasses in the air as I handed his back to Sir Edwards and went to head back to the bar, when I felt a grip on my wrist. I looked down at the man holding me, he was the newest recruit of the night watch. He was rather young, I heard he comes from a wealthy family, probably bought his way in, but he was very rude and violent. I witnessed him beating someone to a pulp one evening, when I was headed home, because they dared bumping into him. I know the man he beat up; he was blind, how could he possibly see him?! Thankfully he survived and was at the infirmary, recovering.

“I’ve got enough money to buy this whole building,” The young officer started, eyeing me up, “How much would it cost to have you for one night?”

I scoffed and looked off in the distance, trying to collect myself. Men would say ridiculous things here, but nobody was as shameless as this disgrace of a man gripping my wrist. So I yanked it out of his hold and leaned down, whispering in his ear, “You could be the richest man of the four kingdoms and four seas, and you could still not afford me for one night.”

The young officer was outraged as his eyes widened and lips downturned, raising to his feet at lightning speed. He wasn’t even taller than me. I smirked at him before starting to walk off, hearing Sir Edwards telling him to sit down and have some manners when his seniors were talking. I probably shouldn’t get on the police’s bad side, but a young officer like him could do nothing to me. I went back to the bar and sighed loudly, pointing at a glass and a cheap scotch for Jongdae to pour. He chuckled and poured just a little bit as the waitresses couldn’t get drunk while working.

“That’ll be five pennies, young lady.” I chuckled as I downed the liquid in one go, cringing at the foul taste of it.

“I’ll give you eight if you pour me another one.” I playfully bargained with my colleague and he chuckled.

“Nine?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Eight, take it or leave it.”

“Fine.” He poured me another one as I placed eight pennies on the surface of the bar, making Jongdae chuckle.

“You sure these are real?” I gave him a look before downing the alcohol again.

“Go ask Sir Edwards if they are real, dickhead.” Jongdae started cackling and I shook my head at him, fixing my apron.

“I’d rather stay here; they look like awful people.” He wasn’t wrong, but to be fair, they could’ve been worse.

“Sir Edwards is alright; the others are the problem.” I muttered.

“It’s always the younglings which are rude,” He said that as if he wasn’t only seventeen years old, making me chuckle, “By the way, that man walked in like five minutes ago, you should go serve him before he leaves.”

I let out a quiet groan as I turned around, looking for the client Jongdae was talking about. My feet were killing me and the corset started being a little too tight, I couldn’t wait for my shift to be over. And just to my luck, the man had to sit the farthest from the bar, right next to the exit. Jongdae poured me a glass half full of scotch and I took off towards the man. He was alone, sitting at a table for ten. I eyed his surroundings, wondering whether he was here by himself or with others. But it seemed like he was alone, looking down at something he was holding, deep in thought. I stopped next to him and cleared my throat.

“You seem like a scotch lover.” I spoke up, a pleasant smile on my lips as I caught the man’s attention. He wore clean but slightly scruffy looking clothes. His waist high pants were of black leather, it was quite obvious he’s been wearing them for a long time now. And his unbuttoned shirt at the top seemed faded in its color. When he looked up, I was speechless for a second. His face was mesmerizing, I could confidently say he was the handsomest man I have ever seen until now. His sharp eyes were dark but they held a soft intensity, rather friendly than intimidating. The bridge of his long nose was straight and his red plump lips formed a small smile.

“I actually hate scotch,” He said softly with a chuckle. His voice was smooth and melodic, I was taken aback by the appearance and aura of the man sitting in front of me, “Do you happen to have beer?”

“We do.” I had to clear my throat as I sounded rather breathless, I tried not to blush out of embarrassment, but the man’s cheeky smile had my heart somersaulting.

“If you could bring me that, I’d appreciate it.” He was so polite, very rare around here, “And you can have my scotch, you look like you need it.”

That made me chuckle as I looked around the Inn, taking in the chaos and drunk people, “Yes, I do.”

But the scotch wasn’t free and I wasn’t about to pay for it, I just gave Jongdae eight pennies, “It’ll cost five pennies, though.”

The stranger’s smile got wider, amused, “Other Inns sell it for three—”

“Quality over quantity, you know.” I cut him off with a nonchalant shrug. The man chuckled and shook his head a little, easing his hand into his pocket before he placed five pennies on the table. I looked at it for a second before I downed the half full glass in two big gulps, instantly regretting it. I shuddered and closed my eyes tightly, waiting for the burn to pass.

“Oh, yeah,” The man chuckled as if he read my thoughts, “I don’t drink scotch for exactly that reason.”

“Noted.” I managed to say hoarsely, taking the pennies and placing them in my pouch, “I’ll be right back with your beer, but that’ll be eight pennies.”

And before he could complain about the cost again, I walked off, shaking my head and massaging my stomach. I haven’t eaten since lunch, one more glass like this one and I’ll be drunk in no time. Jongdae spotted my expression before I arrived at the bar and laughed loudly as he poured water in a tall glass. I took it without hesitation when he handed it to me and cursed loudly after downing it in one go.

“One beer, please.” I placed the glass inside of the bar, where Jongdae worked, and he chuckled, handing me the beer meanwhile I handed him four pennies for it. Yes, I charged everyone double the amount so that I could still gain something. Being smart was necessary at crucial times. Once arriving to the handsome man’s table, eight pennies were waiting on the table for me and I handed him his beer without a word, focusing on other clients in need.

            The handsome stranger ordered five more beers before I was finished with my shift and I threw my apron at Jongdae when he mentioned how my pouch looked heavier than usually. He wasn’t wrong, but it was none of his business, so I waved at him and bid goodbye to my other colleagues before taking off. Sir Edwards and his boys left an hour ago, the Inn was starting to finally quiet down, eight waitresses weren’t needed anymore. But as I was making my way towards the door, the handsome stranger noticed me and smiled at me. I was about to bid him farewell too, but he called me over. I apologized and told him my shift was over but he could ask Yoona for more drinks, and to my surprise, he asked me to join him. I debated on refusing, but my curiosity got to me. I haven’t seen him around here until now, and not many new people frequented our Inn. The compass he kept clutching from time to time caught my eyes and I was curious to see it from up close, but it looked like it was very significant to the stranger, I knew I had to get close if I actually wanted to see it. Besides, he was handsome too and well mannered, I figured sitting down and talking to him wouldn’t hurt anyone. Except that we got extremely drunk, the both of us. The stranger, who’s name I learned was Seonghwa, kept buying beer after beer, he was downing them as if they were water and at some point, we started mixing the scotch with the beer, which was a big mistake. It hit me like a truck and I found myself unable to form coherent sentences. My head was spinning and my eyes were struggling to stay open, but I wasn’t sleepy, it just felt better if I closed them. Anything that Seonghwa was saying sounded funny and I kept giggling as I tried ignoring how hot I was feeling. Seonghwa and I had moved closer to each other sometime during our drunken story-telling and I tried to keep my eyes off his red lips, but they were really plump. And looked really soft. And kissable. And warm. And before I could blink again, those red limps were pressing against mine, not too harshly but not softly either. I was surprised at first and didn’t react, thinking that my intoxicated mind started hallucinating, however, when Seonghwa pulled back I realized it was very real and I quickly leaned forward, pressing my lips against his. He kissed back, his lips warm and soft and as kissable as I imagined them to be. The sounds of the Inn seemed to disappear around us and Seonghwa’s sudden hand on my thigh definitely made me feel hotter. It wasn’t the alcohol only anymore making me feel warm all over. Our lips moved cautiously against each other, curious of the other’s rhythm, slow and exploring.

Before I could form a sentence, I felt myself moving, standing from the chair and walking away from the table, Seonghwa’s arm around my hips guiding us up the stairs, towards one of the many room’s the Inn had upstairs. I was probably the one who mentioned it to him, but I couldn’t be sure as my mind was in a haze, barely registering what was happening around us. It felt like ages, but it were probably just a few minutes before I felt my back pressed up against a cool material, it was the wall of the room we had walked inside. Seonghwa was standing in front of me, taller with a head and it made me giggle as I looked up at him and started playing with his black, wavy hair. It was longer than most men wore it and I liked it as I let my fingers run through it. Seonghwa’s hot breath kept hitting my face as he was leaning down, taking in my face. I didn’t realize it, but he caged me between himself and the wall, acting as if I had in mind to run. When our eyes locked, my giggles died out and I bit my lower lip, taking in the intensity in his eyes. He was insanely attractive and I could feel my body heating up once again as I pushed his head closer to mine, very slowly connecting our lips. There was no softness and curiosity in this kiss, it was needy and feverish as Seonghwa devoured my lips, holding the back of my head as if his life depended on it. I followed his pace and explored his wide shoulders with my fingers, lightly tracing his neck before he suddenly gripped my chin and pulled away, pupils dilated. He was gasping for air and my heart was beating like crazy. His lips opened and quietly whispered if it was alright and I nodded, fingers already unbuttoning his shirt, eager to see what was underneath. Seonghwa’s fingers made quick work with my corset as he quickly undid the string and I was finally able to breathe regularly, that is, until he grabbed my thighs and lifted me up, my legs securing around his hips. I pushed his shirt down his shoulder, biceps, and arm, allowing my hands to roam against his blazing skin. Seonghwa’s lips found mine again and we started kissing as I held onto him tightly, poking my tongue in his mouth. He started sucking on it as he walked us towards the bed, making me sit as he pulled away, my lips desperately following after his, but he stopped me with his finger.

I gulped and watched as he took his shirt off, followed by his leather pants, standing in nothing but his undergarment. His body was lean and smooth, muscles bulging everywhere, showing off the physical effort his work required. I reached out and grabbed his waist, feeling his soft skin. Seonghwa closed his eyes as I leaned forward and started pressing soft kisses against his torso, following his V line, but he stopped me before I could reach his undergarments. His fingers hooked underneath the thin straps of my silk dress and he pulled it over my head as I raised up a bit to help him. Suddenly the cool air of the room hit me, and only now did I notice that the window was open. The salty breeze entered the room as I moved back on the bed, allowing Seonghwa to crawl towards me, eliciting a chuckle. My breasts were perky from the sudden temperature change and I laid down as Seonghwa crawled above my body, a hand grabbing my left breast, kneading it carefully. I closed my eyes and sighed, running my hand up his arm as his other hand trailed my thigh up to my stomach, slowly massaging it. I gripped his nape and pulled his face down, kissing his lips feverishly, allowing his tongue to explore my mouth as he pinched the bud of my breast, making me gasp. My legs went around Seonghwa’s hips and I pulled his body close to mine, as he slowly started grinding against me, building the tension more and more. My mind was hazy and foggy from all the alcohol, I could only remember bits and pieces, but Seonghwa’s groans and moans followed by his rhythmic thrusts were forever drilled in my brain. His pace was slow at first, allowing me to accommodate to his size as I hadn’t done this in a while, but when I faintly whispered to him that I wanted him to go faster he picked up his pace, pulling out and pushing back in, one hand holding my hips fiercely, leaving little fingerprints for me to later find. His other arm rested next to my face and his head was next to mine, lips grazing against my ear from time to time as he whispered sweet nothings to me, my moans getting gradually higher the faster and stronger he slammed back in. My head was thrown back as I whispered his name, but it wasn’t enough, I needed to feel more, so without much thought, I flipped us over, making Seonghwa’s eyes widen.

I groaned at the new feeling, his member reaching deeper inside in this position. I adjusted my knees a bit, making my hips move and Seonghwa’s hands flew to hold them, a whine leaving his lips. I watched him as I slowly started moving, dragging out my movements as best as I could, watching as Seonghwa’s eyes closed and his mouth opened, cursing quietly to himself. Pleasure racked my body as I fastened my pace, gyrating my hips, gasping when I hit the spot I much needed to. Seonghwa’s eyes snapped open and he started thrusting upwards, watching me as I matched his pace, moans getting throatier and whinier as I was chasing my high, stomach tightening and toes curling from the pleasure. We were a mess of moans and groans, chests falling and rising rapidly, holding onto each other desperately, moving messily, chasing our own release. Seonghwa’s head was thrown back as one hand held my breast and all I could remember was the knot exploding in my stomach, making me moan his name again and again, feelings his hands guide me through my high as he came undone inside me, lips parting in a loud moan, hips stuttering for a second before stopping their movement altogether. I was panting on top of him and ran a hand through my hair, missing the warmth of his hand once he release my breast. As I opened my eyes he pulled me down and captured my lips in a passionate kiss, slowly pulling out, and flipping us over, lips never leaving mine for a second. I ran my fingers through his hair lazily and felt the fabric of the blanket being pulled over my body as Seonghwa pulled back, pressing a soft kiss against my lips, then my eyes and my forehead before settling on his back and pulling me into his side. I bit my lip and fought the smile that threatened to appear on my lips, but when he wished me good night, I could hear the smile on his own lips. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I wouldn’t be here when he’d wake up because I wasn’t planning on staying the night. I had to go home and hide the stolen jewelry and money before anyone could come back to the Inn and accuse any of us from stealing it. So I promised to close my eyes and wait until Seonghwa fell asleep, except that I also fell asleep and when I opened my eyes again, the sun was just about to rise. I panicked and groaned when my headache hit me like a hammer, head pounding viciously. I had too much to drink last night, my mind was still hazy, memories after I sat down to drink with Seonghwa unclear.

Slowly, I became aware of the naked body I was sleeping against, of an arm holding my middle lightly and of my own naked body. The activities of last night hit me suddenly and I gasped, carefully getting out of Seonghwa’s grasp. I did not intend on sleeping with the handsome stranger, yet I couldn’t complain. I clumsily dressed myself, struggling with the string of my corset, so I didn’t even bother to pull it together as tightly as I normally would. I looked around for my pouch and found it on the floor, next to the nightstand, where Seonghwa’s pants were thrown. As I bent down and grabbed my pouch, making sure nothing fell out of it, my eyes fell on the golden compass I had seen Seonghwa clutching. He wore it around his neck, but while he was undressing, he took it off and placed it in his pants, it probably fell out when he threw it around carelessly. I took the compass in my hands and stood up straight, examining it from up close, realizing it was made out of gold. I bit my lower lip and opened it, examining it. It was in perfect condition, it looked old and like it cost a lot of money. Squinting a little bit and bringing the item closer to my eyes, I could make out a name on the inside of the compass, Bu Seolhwa. I wondered who that was, but my attention was quickly back on Seonghwa as he sighed in his sleep and shifted, turning around, onto his stomach. I probably shouldn’t have taken an item which looked so personal, but when did I care when stealing from innocent people? Now really wasn’t the time that I would start caring, although I probably should have been wiser and placed the compass back inside his pants pocket. But back at that time I didn’t know who Seonghwa was. I didn’t know the danger I’d place myself and my sister into by stealing his golden compass.

            I pulled on the reins, slowing my horse to a trot as we entered through the gates of the city to which I haven’t been to in six months. There was nothing wrong with it, I loved it here, but for some reason I couldn’t find the power in me to return. It was weird, it’s never happened to me. Suddenly, as if it burned me, I was reminded of the weight of the compass around my neck, indirectly making me think of Seonghwa. There was something particular about him that I couldn’t place my finger on. Perhaps it was his constant politeness while we conversed, his softness and carefulness. It stayed with me, and I often times found myself thinking about him, wondering where he was. I didn’t ask what his occupation was or where he was from, therefore I basically knew nothing of him. He mentioned something about the Black Ocean and then about the Barren Sea being the most chilling experience of his life so far, but I couldn’t be very sure, my intoxicated mind couldn’t pay much attention to his words. Perhaps it was the compass I kept on myself at all times that kept him so alive in my memories or perhaps it was the way he made me feel. Shaking my head, I focused back on my surroundings, slowing my horse to a walk as we entered the heart of the city. It was buzzing with people, merchants shouting and trying to charm people to their stalls, selling their products. Little cafes were opened, ladies in beautiful dresses were enjoying their teas while giggling and gossiping, meanwhile men either read the newspaper or hurried back to their work places as lunch time was over. I pulled the reins to the left and my horse took down on a smaller street, walking us away from the madness. The shop I was headed to was by the heart of the city, but not quite at view as the owner tried to stay away from the watchful eyes of Sir Edwards; the two have always had the ick for each other. I stopped my horse and carefully got off, petting its head before tying her reins against the lamp post in front of the shop. She looked at me and neighed loudly, making me chuckle as I took off the smaller bag from the saddle I carried with myself. From the outside it looked as if the shop was closed, but I knew Mr. Jung kept his shop open at all times, too greedy and desperate for any kind of stock. I pushed the door open and walked inside the dimly lit place, looking around. It hasn’t changed at all. The shelves were still covered in dust and the chandelier hung way too low in the middle of the room; a few candles unlit. I walked around it, eyeing the desk and the empty chair behind it. There were papers scattered around the table and a pen lying messily on a bare paper, the ink creating a small black circle on it. I stopped in front of the desk and knocked on it loudly, waiting for a reaction. And it came instantly as there was commotion behind the door I was facing. After a loud grunt and a crash, the door flew open and out came a middle-aged looking man, beard long and already white, a funny hat resting on Mr. Jung’s head. I chuckled as I watched him stumble through the door, shoe catching in the doorway, and for a second I thought he’d faceplant on his own desk, but he caught himself last minute and puffed loudly.

“What a particular way of greeting your customer.” I muttered amused, throwing the small bag I carried with myself on the desk carelessly. Mr. Jung’s eyes lit up and he was quick to sit down, pushing the papers off his desk and onto the floor. Seems like his business hasn’t been flourishing lately.

“Good morning, Miss Kim.” He said with a sweet tone, his golden tooth showing as he grinned. I rolled my eyes and opened the bag, knowing very well he was being nice only because I had something to offer him. Mr. Jung was a cranky and unpleasant man to be around.

“No need for fake kindness,” I said as I held the bottom of the bag and raised it up, emptying it’s contents onto the table. Mr. Jung’s eyes grew wide and he gasped, hands flying to touch the golden coins. Indeed, I did bring a lot, but not all was his. Unless he paid me well, of course, “How much for these?”

He didn’t hesitate with his answer, “Your bag filled with pennies and two bars of gold.”

I chuckled, crossing my arms in front of my chest. My bag was not a big bag, it wouldn’t work, “Johnny from the little town just two hours away offered me more, Jung.”

“Perhaps Johnny is easily fooled.”

“Perhaps Johnny isn’t on the verge of closing his shop due to losing clients—”

“I did not lose clients!” Mr. Jung exclaimed, cutting me off, pointing his finger at me accusingly.

“Did you not, really?” I raised my eyebrows, taking a coin in my hand, “Because that’s not what Madam Joy said to me last night.”

“Madam Joy doesn’t know anything!” Mr. Jung stood appealed, face going red, “That woman gossips all day—”

“That woman is smart for knowing at all times what’s happening in the town,” I cut him off, throwing him a glare, “your pathetic reasoning leads me to believe that you did lose clients, Jung.”

The man opened his mouth to say something, but quickly closed it and sat back down, rubbing his chin. His reaction said it all. Business was awful and without stock he’d be closing his little shop in no time.

“Give me two bags, full bags, of pennies and I won’t ask for any gold—”

“Outrageous!” He exclaimed again and I chuckled, playing with the coin in my hand.

“Take it or leave it Jung, I can always find a dealer who’ll pay me better than you have been paying me throughout all these years.” I snapped and threw the coin back down on the desk, leaning forward to grab my small bag to start putting away the goods I had to offer. Mr. Jung’s eyes widened in panic and he started stuttering as he tried to stop me from putting the coins away.

“I guess Sir Edwards won’t have to keep an eye on you for too much longer.” I muttered as I made eye contact with Mr. Jung, infuriating him.

“I am not closing my shop!” Mr. Jung slammed his fist on the table and I chuckle, muttering a small ‘sure’ as I closed the bag, tying it tightly and turned to walk away without a word. A shuffle and then the crash of something, probably his chair hitting the floor, echoed behind me before hurried footsteps followed after me. I wasn’t even close to the door when Mr. Jung grabbed my wrist, stopping me from leaving his shop. I looked back at him uninterested, watching him fumble for a second before his eyes fell to my collarbones, eyes narrowing slightly.

“I fill your bag with pennies, give you two bars of gold for now…and in two weeks you can come back for another penny fill, what do you say?” I took a second to think, knowing that this offer was the best. Johnny offering me more was a lie, he didn’t even want to fill my own little bag with pennies, “And…I sell that beautiful compass ridiculously overpriced, giving you half of the money.”

“No.” My answer was instant; I didn’t need to think about his second offer. The compass was not up for sale. It was mine, and I wasn’t giving it to anyone. They could tell me they’ll make me Queen and I’d still not give it away, “The compass is not for sale.”

“But—”

“I said,” I snapped, stepping closer to Mr. Jung menacingly, “It’s not for sale.”

His eyes narrowed again as he looked down at the compass, nose flaring in anger before he shook his head, “But the other offer?”

“That one’s good.” I said with a smile, pulling my wrist out of his grip as I offered him my hand. He didn’t look pleased as we shook hands before he took my bag full of coins, a few watches, and women’s jewelry, “I’ll be back in two weeks.”

“I’ll make sure to have the money.” Mr. Jung grumbled, still eyeing the compass, making me glare at him. I grabbed it and pushed it underneath my white shirt, pulling the collar of the jacket over it, hiding my little treasure from him, “I have seen that compass before, Miss, you should be careful.”

His eyes held no emotion, but his words were threatening as Mr. Jung continued, “Ateez has been asking around about you. Not only here, in neighboring towns as well…”

Ateez? The name sounded familiar yet I didn’t know from where as I racked my brain, knowing that I’ve heard it from Sir Edwards once in passing. He was saying something about a tiara and a ship, pirates too even?

“You should be careful too,” I spoke up as Mr. Jung walked back to his desk and I headed for the door, “Sir Edwards was saying last time I was in town that he’s caught a link of yours, another dealer. Perhaps he’ll catch you before you could close your shop.”

I didn’t wait for Mr. Jung’s reaction as I pushed the door open and walked outside, the closed door behind me muffling his angry shouts. The man had terrible mood swings; he was never able to deal with his anger properly.

I approached my horse and petted her nose again, kissing it before I whispered to her that I would be back. There was a little bakery down the street and I haven’t had breakfast yet, I was craving some freshly baked bread. The weather was pleasant despite it being the beginning of September, if my coat wasn’t so thin I would’ve felt hot by now. I greeted a few people I knew as I walked, smiling and stopping to exchange pleasantries with an older lady who sometimes played the piano at the Inn I would work at when in need of more money. She was always nice but very nosy, I made sure to tell her as little as I could about myself. The bakery was in sight when I heard rapid footsteps approaching me from behind. When I turned my head to see what was happening, it was already too late as my mouth was covered by a rough hand and I was pushed into the dead-end alleyway to our right. I came face to face with three men as I was pushed forward by the one holding me. I glanced back to see two more there. This was bad. I was a skilled fighter, but I was alone and they were five. Two would’ve been good enough already. Damn Mr. Jung. He really hated it when something didn’t go his way. All of this for one stupid golden compass? I sighed and grabbed the sleeves of my coat, the man around me tensing. There was one really tall and really muscular one, I hoped he’d attack me last or at least knock me out fast if he decided to come at me first.

“Relax, boys,” I said with a chuckle, taking the coat off and throwing it to the side, not wanting it to get in the way, “I’m just taking my coat off, why so tense?”

I knew teasing and talking would do nothing right now, but I tried to stall and think of a way of running away. I was quite the fast runner, too many close calls of getting caught do that to you.

“Give us the compass.” The biggest said and I sighed, grabbing the handles of the two daggers hidden in my thick belt.

“There’s really nothing special about it,” I said with a shrug, its weight reminding me of Seonghwa again. Now really wasn’t the time to think about him.

“Boss wants it,” The same man said, “give it to us while we’re asking nicely.”

“No, because it’s mine.” I snapped and the first guy to my right took off running towards me. I quickly took my daggers out and sliced his arm when he reached out for me, making him scream out in pain. I kneeled his stomach and kicked him to the ground as hard as I could. The next one was by my side in an instant, grabbing my arm and hauling me around, making me scoff. I elbowed them in the stomach and sunk my dagger into their thigh, his cries of pain loud as he fell to the ground. I ripped the dagger out and attacked the next guy straight away, not waiting for them to attack first. They had a knife, this time, and he was successful at cutting my cheek, making me hiss. I tried to punch him, but he dodged, when I was whirled around and punched in the face. I groaned loudly, holding my nose in bewilderment. But again, my leg was kicked and I almost lost my balance, turning around in a furry and punching this time successfully the guy in the face not just once, but twice. They stumbled into the wall and as I was about to stab them, my hair was grabbed and my head was yanked back, making me yelp.

“Don’t touch my hair!” I screamed, stepping on the man’s toes hard, twisting my heel and leaning forward to elbow them in the jaw, making them stumble back. I turned around and stabbed them in the stomach, making the man gasp. But I didn’t even have time to pull my dagger out as the last guy standing, the really big one, had me by my shoulder and threw me against the stone wall. I groaned as my shoulder crashed into the wall rather hard, pain spreading through my right arm. Great, now I’ll have to get that fixed probably. But as I looked at him, I was slapped rather hard and accidentally bit my tongue, making it bleed. What a perfect day I was having…and it was only Wednesday. I groaned and straightened up, attempting to punch the guy, but he grabbed my fist and twisted my arm, turning me around as I was pushed into the stone wall, left cheek crushed against it. It was rather painful and I scoffed at how weak I seemed to appear next to this big man. It was really comedic; I could usually protect myself.

“All of this for a compass—”

“Shut up!” It wasn’t enough that I was struggling to speak due to my face getting crushed, he proceeded to smash my head against the stone wall, making me lightheaded too. I huffed loudly, squeezing my eyes shut for a second as I felt so dizzy I could throw up. The man’s right hand raised, leaving my right arm free and despite me trying to push him away with it and wriggling around, he still held me pressed against the wall, hand grabbing the compass around me. I started writhing around more aggressively, trying to squeeze the chain between my chest and chin, thinking it would do anything to stop the man from taking it. I really couldn’t lose the compass; I would never forgive myself. I shouldn’t even have taken it in the first place. The name on the inside made it seem really personal. I had no idea who Bu Seolhwa was, but assuming by their name, it could be a sister or other relative of Seonghwa’s. Perhaps a lover too. I yelped when the man tugged on the string harshly and thanked the Heavens for putting the compass on the hardest metal I owned at home, as it didn’t break right away. The man was grunting as I was fighting against him, trying to get him off pathetically, when suddenly he just stopped moving. The grip around me disappeared instantly. I was released in a blink of an eye; the action startled me. I turned around swiftly, still holding one dagger and pointed it forward, thinking that the man was playing games with me, but he wasn’t. He was dead. Eyes wide with blood pouring out of his jugular. My mouth dropped open when I took in the scene in front of me, all the other four men having suffered the same fate. My eyes fell on the man standing to my left, a thin, little knife in hand as he watched the men on the ground. He was dressed in all black, hands glowed and a hat on his head as the lower part of his face was covered by a black rag like thing. I stepped back when their head snapped towards me, crashing into the wall. I held the dagger firmly, ready to fight them at any given point. When our eyes met, I gasped, holding the dagger higher up, pointed at the person now. The man’s sharp eyes watched me with intensity, rage mixing with bewilderment. His eyes…they looked exactly like…Seonghwa’s? I gulped when he took a step towards me, eyes falling to my neck, but I stood ready to defend myself. When the man and I made eye contact again there was nothing but hatred in his eyes and I felt confused as they approached me, gripping my wrist so hard that I dropped my dagger. I hissed and grabbed his wrist with my other hand, trying to pry their fingers off myself, but the person tugged on my wrist and I looked up at them, eyebrows furrowed. The person looked and felt so familiar. Have we met before?

“Seonghwa?” I whispered startled as the scent of salt and lilies engulfed me. Not many people walked around here smelling like lilies and Seonghwa was the only one I could remember recently meeting who smelled like it. Well, six months ago, that is. But the man said nothing and released me abruptly, turning around and running off, making me run after them, but I realized I couldn’t leave my daggers at the crime scene. I had to leave now if I didn’t want anyone to see us. I was sure someone has already reported to the constable about weird noises, I couldn’t let myself be seen by Sir Edwards here. So I grabbed my daggers and coat and ran off, having long forgotten about fresh bread, as my mind was reeling at the thought of having just seen Seonghwa. Was it really him? Why would he save me after I stole his compass? Right, so then it couldn’t have been him. And who were these Ateez people looking for me? I had to figure it out fast, before I could put Nari in even more danger.

             I barely made it to my horse when the constable came hurrying down the street with a few of his men, searching for the people creating the disturbance. I concealed my face in order to avoid getting seen by him and got on my horse, directing her towards the Inn I was staying at. It was the same Inn I work at, but today I was their client. After making it back there I realized how shaken up I was and the violent thumping of my head. That huge man didn’t go easy on me, I figured I had a mild concussion. I had enough strength to bring my horse to the stable and ask the little boy to take care of her until tomorrow and I’d pay him generously before I made my way inside the Inn, struggling to walk up the stairs. My vision was blurry and the coat around me made me feel hot. The compass seemed to be a screaming reminder of Seonghwa right now, and without thinking much, I took it off, glaring at it.

“Oh my goodness,” I heard a female voice muttering worriedly, coming from the top of the stairs, “Y/N you’re so pale—”

I felt hands gripping my arms and I looked up, but couldn’t see well. It was one of the girls working at the Inn, Yoona. I tried to tell her that I was alright and I just needed to sleep, but my mouth wouldn’t move and my vision was darkening second by second. All I could hear was Yoona’s panicked scream before I felt my body falling towards her.

When I came to it the sun was setting, and there was a damp cloth on my forehead. I rubbed my eyes, and groaned, my right shoulder quite numb at the moment. I looked around and realized I was in the room I was staying at and sighed, closing my eyes for another second, noting that my head was still thumping, but not as violently as it had been previously. There was knocking at the door and then it opened, Yoona walking in with a tray of food. My stomach churned at the smell and I grinned at her, slowly sitting up.

“Figured you’d be hungry,” She muttered, placing the tray on my lap as I thanked her, “How are you feeling?”

“Ugh,” I groaned, grabbing the bowl of rice and the chopsticks, “like I was slammed against a brick wall more than once.”

Yoona chuckled and grabbed the damp cloth off my forehead, “You looked very bad in the morning. I thought you were about to die or something, you’re lucky Jongdae has some little knowledge about diseases.”

I chuckled as I munched on my dinner, looking at Yoona, “I’m not sick, I was beaten up.”

Her eyes widened and she gasped quietly, coming to sit on the bed, “What? By who?”

I shook my head and bit into the chicken wing, “Don’t worry about it, they’ve been taken care of.”

“I heard they found five dead men in an alleyway close to the market…” Yoona’s voice was quiet and I looked up, our eyes meeting.

“It wasn’t me,” I shook my head quickly, “They were the ones who attacked me, but I didn’t kill them—”

“You’re so fragile, how could you kill them?” Yoona chuckled and ruffled my hair, making me glare at her, “I’m just glad they didn’t get to kill you.”

I hummed and drank some water, placing the cup by the bed, on the floor, as Yoona stole some bread from my tray, “What did they want from you?”

Her question made me pause and I looked at her as I swallowed the food I had in my mouth, “A compass—”

When I touched my neck, there was nothing. And it registered that I couldn’t feel the weight of the golden treasure anymore. I panicked as my eyes widened and I placed the tray on the bed next to me, heart racing as I turned to my bedside table, searching my coat for it. Yoona watched me grow more panicked before she placed a hand on my own, stopping me from getting out of bed, “Stop, you didn’t lose it.”

I looked at her confused, and slightly desperate, as she grabbed something out of her pocket and handed it to me. It was the compass. I let out a long breath, opening it and checking the name inside, making sure it was mine, “You dropped it when you fainted and while Jongdae carried you to your room I went back and got it—”

“Thank you!” I whispered as I offered Yoona a quick hug, taking her off guard. She chuckled and patted my back, pulling away.

“I figured it had a sentimental value when I saw the name on the inside.” Her words made me feel bad all of a sudden, making it clearer that I had stolen something from Seonghwa which was very significant to him. Mr. Jung’s words rang through my head for a second and I watched Yoona stand and take the tray with her.

“Wait, do you know anything about—Ateez?” I stopped her with my question. Her eyebrows furrowed and she slowly shook her head.

“I’m not sure, but—” She hummed, pursing her lips, “They might be a Pirate crew.”

“Pirates?” I muttered surprised as she nodded before walking out the door, leaving me alone. I placed the compass around my neck and got out of bed, opening the window to allow the fresh air inside. I leaned against the frame and started thinking. The man which saved me today made no sense. What was his reason? He was clearly hostile towards me so I don’t understand why he ran off. Perhaps he knew the constable was coming and didn’t want to get caught. His eyes flashed in my mind and I sighed, shaking my head. I was confused. The eyes reminded me of Seonghwa, but it couldn’t have been him. The scent was another giveaway, but still, his demeanor and the intensity behind his eyes weren’t like Seonghwa’s. They were menacing and filled with hatred, the man wasn’t gentle nor careful. I glanced down at my right wrist and realized I had bruises from the harsh grip he held me by and I groaned, realizing my right arm and hand were of no-good use for the week. I convinced myself that it couldn’t have been Seonghwa and I was probably hallucinating from getting my head bashed against the wall so many times.

            After washing up and braiding my long hair, I dressed in clean clothes and applied a little bit of blush on my nose and cheeks, making them appear sun kissed. I was feeling better by the evening, having eaten and taken a little medicine for my head, the only give away that I was in a tousle was the cut on my cheek, now all cleaned up, and the bruises around my wrist. My right shoulder looked fine; however it didn’t feel exactly fine. But all in all, after a jug of beer I knew I wouldn’t be feeling the discomfort anymore. And the night was young, I had to use it to my advantage as the Inn downstairs was already filled with drunken people, so easy to trick. After walking around, I found myself sitting down at a table with six men who were playing some card games. They eyed me curiously as I placed three pennies on the table and asked for some cards too. Upon realizing what the stakes were, they each dropped some pennies on the table, the winner would take it all. At the beginning I allowed myself to lose, pretending like I needed to be taught the rules of the game, also waiting for them to get drunker and less aware of my cheating. Yoona came by to give us a new round of beer, I only drank one as I wished to stay sober, and as she was passing by me she whispered that the man next to me had a red heart. I grinned and as it was my turn, I asked the man if he had that specific card, having him hand it over to me. I was the first one this round to have no cards in my hands, therefore I won. The men groaned as they watched me take the pennies, making me chuckle.

“Seems like you learn fast, young lady.” The man to my left said with a loud laugh, patting me on my back. I chuckled and made sure I closed my pouch before taking the cards in my hands to shuffle them.

“The secret is to pay close attention for two or three rounds, mister.” I said as I started handing out the cards for everyone, the six men placing each five pennies on the table. The sum was getting bigger and bigger as the game progressed and I was enjoying it. One of them seemed to be rather cunning and he was always very close to winning, and probably would have, if I wasn’t cheating by Yoona’s help. She’d pass each round by us, when I subtly signaled it to her, and would look at the cards of the men in passing, whispering the missing card I needed. At the beginning it was all for fun, we did this to frustrate men, until we realized we could actually make some plus money by it. So now, the pennies I earned throughout these games were always half mine and half hers. The men I played with got louder and louder the more jugs of beer they kept drinking, and I found myself enjoying their company. They were middle aged men, all happily married and five of them making their living by fishing. The cunning man made jewelry with pearls, he liked going out on the sea with his friends, always bringing them food and more water to drink. I found myself telling them about my sister and how good she was at school, poetry being a passion of hers. They advised me of letting her live her life freely because once she gets married she won’t have the time anymore. While the man sitting in the middle was shuffling the cards for us, I smiled at the cunning man and told him that if he ever needs pieces for his jewelry to make them fancier and pricier, he should let Yoona know about it and I would get back to him. The men were surprised to hear that I was a merchandiser myself and still single, a woman at twenty-four years old was expected to at least have one child. However, they seemed nicer than most men as they just made a joke about it and carried on with their tales about the sea and their fear of pirates. That perked my interest and I found myself focusing more on the conversation than on the game, which wasn’t the smartest as I had placed the compass on the table as prize instead of coins. When the men saw it their eyes had a new glint in them, all wanting it probably.

“Why are you afraid of pirates, mister?” I found myself interrupting their conversation, almost missing my turn to ask for a new card. Thankfully, I got it right and I was still ahead of the cunning one.

“Have you never met one?” The man to my left asked and I shook my head, peaking at the cards of the man sitting on my right as he accidentally placed them on the table. He was rather drunk, he probably didn’t even care about the game anymore.

“I haven’t.” I answered with a shake of my head, “I’ve never sailed out onto the sea…or the Black Ocean.”

“Perhaps that’s better,” The man next to the cunning one cheered as he got one pair of cards right, having to get rid of only two more, just like me. I bit my lower lip and looked around, checking the others cards. They still had plenty besides the cunning one who only needed to get rid of one more before he equals us. That wasn’t the best, but I could still make it, “The sea isn’t for everyone, child, especially not for a lady like you.”

“I’m quite the fighter, mister.” I said with a chuckle, watching the cunning man as he looked around the table and asked the really drunk one if he had the card he needed. I smirked to myself, he probably must’ve also checked his cards while they were on the table as he got it right and the drunk one had to hand it over.

“It’s good to know how to protect yourself,” The cunning one said, giving me a small smile, “Pirates are different, however. They are violent and ruthless. More people die at their hands than at the Justice Court.”

My eyebrows furrowed as I hummed, noticing that he has equaled me and the other man in the cards. Now I really needed to pay attention, so I looked around for Yoona as the front door opened, still squeaking as loudly as ever. My back was facing it and I wasn’t curious to see who entered, I needed Yoona to help me out in these next two rounds. Thankfully, she noticed my stare and started walking towards us, watching for the signs I made. I needed a black leaf in this round and a red clover in the next one.

“Have you met a pirate?” I asked the table, all men nodding grimly. The one next to me, the really drunk one shivered and looked at me with wide eyes.

“This scar,” He pointed at the scar on his chin, it was quite wide, “was made by one of them. Just because they were asking for the fish I caught and I refused to give it to them…I still remember them, Ateez—”

“Ateez?!” My voice raised, which made Yoona look at me as she found the card I was looking for and motioned that it was at the cunning one. She shook her head at me and smiled when she was noticed by one of the men, asking if he needed anything. He said the music should be louder and Yoona walked off with a chuckle, giving me a warning look.

“They are quite known, child, have you never heard of them?” The man to my left said as the one to my right slurred his words, asking for some cards from me, which I didn’t have. I shook my head as an answer to the question and looked at the cunning man, asking if he had the black leaf. He nodded and handed it over, now I only had to get rid of the clover pair and I’ll win.

“It’s said that their initial Captain died when his son was only fifteen and ever since then he’s been the Captain of the ship. He’s called The Slayer, and child, if you ever come across them, just run the other way. They traffic women and not only, steal, and commit crimes no human should—” The man to my left shuddered and took a big gulp of his beer, checking his cards and asking me if I had the black heart, but I didn’t, “They’ve been the kings of the four seas for ten years now, many ships have sunken in the Raging Sea and Icy Sea…yet they somehow always come out unscratched. Constables hate them in each kingdom and people fear them everywhere. You should look for a golden ring with the letter A engraved in it if you want to know it’s them.”

“Didn’t—” The man to my right hiccupped and closed his eyes for a second, “Didn’t their Quartermaster—have a compass?”

“A compass?” I asked surprised, my eyes falling on the one on the table.

“He’s an orphan, child,” The man to my left explained, eyes barely open as he looked at his cards, these men were finished, I had a feeling this would be our last round playing, “The compass he always carries with himself is the only thing he had on himself when the initial Captain found him.”

I gulped and felt a bile rising to my throat, impatiently waiting for it to be my turn, so that I could finish this game and get a fresh breath of air. My heart was beating faster than before and the longer I looked at the compass, the worse the feeling in my gut was getting. It couldn’t have been Seonghwa. He looked nothing like a pirate. And he wasn’t wearing any rings the night we met. It surely must be a coincidence that he has a compass just like the Quartermaster of Ateez.

“Mister,” I smiled at the man to my left, eyeing his cards, “Do you happen to have a red clover?”

The man looked down at his cards with a frown, lips turning into a pout when he had to hand it over. I thanked him and placed my last cards down on the table, raising my palms in the air, showing them that I had finished the game. All men groaned as I pulled the pennies towards me, placing them in my pouch and quickly wearing the compass again. It felt uncomfortable to not have it around my neck, these past six months I have grown quite fond and protective of it.

“I’m afraid I have to say no to a next game,” I said as I stood and waved Yoona over, “But the next round of beers is on me.”

The men chuckled and nodded, one telling me that was only fair after I took all of their money, “Yoona, please serve each one of them a jug of beer, I’m paying.”

“Yes, of course,” She said with a pleasant smile and after biding farewell to the men, I followed Yoona to the bar, “Y/N, listen, there’s a man—”

I looked at her with furrowed eyebrows when she gripped my arm harshly, “He’s been staring at you quite—murderously ever since he entered the Inn, I think you should go.”

“Where’s he?” I muttered and Yoona turned her head, muttering quietly in which direction to look. Following her instructions, I turned my head and gasped. In the same spot where six months ago he was sat, it was Seonghwa sitting again. His eyes were narrowed and a scary smirk formed on his lips when he saw how wide my eyes were. I sucked in a harsh breath and ripped myself away from Yoona, “I’ll find you after your shift is over to pay you, I have to go now.”

Yoona said nothing as I hurried away from the bar and from the following eyes of Seonghwa, up the stairs and straight to my room to pack all of my belongings and leave earlier than planned. But first, I had to wait for the bar downstairs to close and for Yoona’s shift to be over. I couldn’t leave without keeping up my end of the deal.

            I had been a nervous wreck for the past few hours, pacing up and down in my room, checking the door every five minutes to make sure I had locked it. I even closed the window and drew the curtains closed, too paranoid of Seonghwa possibly watching me from the outside. There was one single candle lit in the room, barely creating any light, but it was more than enough. I couldn’t give away which room I was staying in, scared that Seonghwa was here, watching, listening, waiting for the right moment to attack. I had taken the compass off and hidden it deep inside my bag, tucked away in my other pants’ pocket. I knew what he was here for. The sailors tales about the Quartermaster of Ateez kept ringing through my mind and I jumped every time there was the lightest sound outside my door. I knew I was overreacting, but I couldn’t help it. If Seonghwa was here, he was here to take his compass back and possibly kill me. It must’ve been him in the alleyway who killed those men, and he was brutal. He stabbed the jugulars of five men without batting an eye to it and I knew he could do worse to me. I sucked in a deep breath as the clock hit three o’clock in the morning, Yoona’s shift was over and I could finally leave. The bar wouldn’t close for another one or two hours, but that wasn’t a problem, at least I didn’t have to sneak out. I quickly rolled up the tail of my braid in a low bun and pinned it up, making sure it wouldn’t annoy me while riding my horse back home. The ride took about four hours and then I needed a boat to cross to the small island my sister and I lived on. I looked in the mirror and made sure my pouch was secured against my belt before I walked up to the door and paused. I took a deep breath and opened it to a dimly lit hallway. It was quiet and nobody was standing in front of my door, so I allowed myself to relax a little bit. Perhaps Seonghwa wasn’t here for me. I stepped outside my room and turned to the left with the intention to go to Yoona’s room, but my body crashed into a solid one. I gasped at the familiar scent and jumped backwards, body moving on its own before my brain could even register what was happening. For a second, Seonghwa and I stood staring at each other, until both of us snapped out of it at the same time. I jumped back inside my room and went to close the door and lock it, but Seonghwa pushed it open before I could even place my whole wight against it. The door slammed against the wall loudly as I let go of it, grunting due to the force he was using. I walked backwards further inside the room, hand gripping my dagger’s handle. Seonghwa watched me menacingly as he very easily pushed the door closed with his foot only, lips pulling up into a bone chilling smirk.

“Long time no see, Y/N.” The way he said my name made me shiver, I found myself unable to speak, “Six months, to be exact.”

So he was counting the months too. Perhaps he was awaiting our next meeting. Perhaps he’s been planning this for a long time. Perhaps I’d be a dead woman once Seonghwa walks out of this room. I couldn’t let that happen, I couldn’t leave my sister alone. So suppressing a shudder, I tried to gather myself and act fearless.

“I see you’ve been patiently waiting to see me again.” I mocked, body tense as Seonghwa made no moves, just watched me like a predator watches its prey before pouncing on them.

“I wouldn’t say patiently,” He chuckled, eyes taking in my form, searching for something, “you move around a lot, so it was difficult to find you.”

So this would’ve happened sooner if I didn’t travel around the South Kingdom so much to steal, “Why would you want to find me?”

Perhaps playing coy wasn’t the smartest right now, but it seemed to stop Seonghwa from attacking just yet. He chuckled and massaged his forehead for a second. He didn’t look much different since the last time I had seen him. If anything else, his shoulder seemed to have gotten wider, or perhaps it was just the corset hugging his torso perfectly creating that illusion. His wavy hair has gotten longer, though, and it was tied up, the shorter strands falling in his face. I tensed when Seonghwa suddenly approached me with slow steps, and almost took my dagger out when his fingers touched my left cheek. I stared up in his eyes, missing the gentleness in them from last time, now only seeing anger and hatred. I never thought this man was capable of looking at me like that.

“Was it you—” I found myself whispering as his fingers traveled down my cheek and then jaw, “who killed those men in the alleyway?”

Seonghwa smirked again, raising an eyebrow, “What do you think, love?”

Before I could answer him, his fingers just barely pressed against the skin of my neck before his hand wrapped around it, holding it firmly. I reacted instantly, dagger in hand and pointed at his own neck. Seonghwa chuckled, but didn’t squeeze me or even move.

“Where is it, love?” He asked quietly, eyebrows raised as I tried to control my body and stop it from shaking.

“Where is what?” I managed to ask breathlessly, finding myself lost in his eyes. Seonghwa hissed and his grip suddenly turned tighter around my neck, yanking me closer as I pushed my dagger harder against his neck too.

“Don’t act like you didn’t take my compass, Y/N,” He hissed, voice dangerously low and dark eyes boring into mine, “I saw it around your neck earlier.”

“I don’t have it—” His free hand gripped my wrist and twisted it so suddenly, that my dagger fell from my grip as I cried out, a stabbing pain travelling up my arm. Seonghwa looked furious and I tried to free myself, but he started choking me as he whirled us around and walked me backwards until I was slammed against the wall, head crashing against it harshly. For a second my vision blurred and I knew this wasn’t good for the small concussion I got just this morning, and as if a reminder, my head started thumping lightly. With my left hand I tried to push Seonghwa off but he was like a rock, way stronger than I was.

“Stop it!” I choked out somehow as my left hand made it to his face and I started pushing him away by it, turning his head away. Seonghwa still didn’t budge, but when I tried to push his eye with my thumb, he released my right hand and slapped my other hand off his face, allowing me to grip his neck back with my right hand, squeezing as hard as I could. Seonghwa’s jaw clenched as we stared each other in the eyes, both of us fighting to suck in an ounce of air, lungs burning from the lack of it. Of course, I started seeing black spots already, having been restricted for longer than Seonghwa, but I still tried to squeeze him harder, which wasn’t working out too well. He suddenly released me, making me cough as I sucked in a deep breath, glaring at him. Seonghwa had a crazy glint in his eyes as they had widened and he looked at me with a grin that made my skin erupt in goosebumps.

“Stop it?” He asked with a chuckle, getting all up in my face all of a sudden, making me recoil from him as I avoided eye contact, “You took my compass. For six months I’ve been trying to find you to take it back and you’re still playing games with me. I should’ve killed you in that alleyway.”

My jaw clenched and I mustered up the courage to look at him, “Then why didn’t you? The compass was right there, around my neck—”

I jumped when he punched the wall next to my head, face so close to mine our lips were almost touching, “Where did you put it?”

“I don’t have it with me—”

“Don’t lie to me!” Seonghwa shouted, making me jump as I cursed myself for only have one dagger on me.

“I’m not lying!” I screamed back, “Do you see it around my neck?!”

“No,” Seonghwa chuckled, his demeanor suddenly changing, “because you’re not wearing it.”

“Because I gave it—”

“Don’t make me torture it out of you, Y/N.” The sudden sweet tone mixed with the look in his eyes and the caress of my cheek rendered me speechless as a chill ran down my spine. I gulped and opened my mouth to say something, but I couldn’t. Why would I think he wouldn’t harm me just because I was a woman? Just because he slept with me once. If he was who I feared he was, I needed to get away right now.

“Who are you?” I asked in a whisper, flinching when he gripped my chin and raised my head.

“Park Seonghwa,” He leaned down to be eye level with me, “Quartermaster of Ateez.”

I tried to keep myself composed, not give away anything, but for the first time in my life after the disappearance of my parents, I was scared. Seonghwa watched me closely, a smirk appearing on his lips as I gulped and glared at him, calculating my next move. I didn’t miss the subtle glance at my lips and I couldn’t help but glance at his, trying to distract him in any kind of way, but Seonghwa seemed unimpressed.

“Is that supposed to tell me something?” I feigned ignorance, making Seonghwa chuckle. He looked at the wall past me, sucking in a deep breath, and it was the little momentum I needed to take action. I suddenly gripped his head and headbutted him, making Seonghwa yelp as he stumbled backwards. I pushed him roughly and ran to my bed to grab my bag and leave, but Seonghwa recovered faster than I thought he would. I barely grabbed the bag when Seonghwa composed himself and gripped onto my bun, yanking me backwards. I yelped and held onto his wrists, his tug on my hair making my scalp hurt, but he just pushed me forward, making me fall face first into the bed. I tried to break free, but Seonghwa kept me pinned down by my head.

“It’s in your bag, isn’t it?” He asked amused as we both looked at the disregarded bag on the floor.

“No, it’s not!” My answer came too quickly, making it very obvious that it was there. Seonghwa just chuckled and pulled me up, still holding me by my bun. I took my chance and elbowed him hard in the stomach, but he still didn’t release me. My other dagger was on the nightstand table, so I tried to tug us in that direction, but Seonghwa realized what I was trying to do and stopped me, pulling me against his body.

“Love, will you stop fighting back? It’s quite obvious I’m stronger.” He whispered in my ear and I huffed, stepping on his toes, making him hiss. His grip loosened a bit on my hair and I yanked myself free, whining at the harsh pull of my scalp, but at least I was free. I turned swiftly and slapped Seonghwa hard, making him chuckle as he pushed me with such force that I fell backwards on the bed, him instantly straddling me. My hands went to hold his neck, but he pushed them away and pinned them on both sides my head, chuckling. I tried to kick him or do anything with my legs, but it didn’t do much as the position wasn’t favorable for me.

“Will you give up now?” He asked smugly, leaning closer to my face, “It’s embarrassing how many times I overpowered you in the past few minutes.”

“Aren’t you such a gentleman?” I scoffed, lifting my hips and trying to throw him off balance, but it literally did nothing.

“I would be…if only you deserved it,” He said with a shrug, eyebrows furrowing for a second, “Do you know what we do to those who steal from us?”

I remained silent and just glared at him, making Seonghwa roll his eyes, “We cut their hands off—and then feed them to the sharks.”

I scoffed but said nothing else as I stared up at the ceiling, ceasing my resistance. I had to outsmart him somehow, but nothing I seemed to do was good enough, “Did you ever take your sister to the mainland?”

My eyes snapped to his, mouth falling open at the mention of her. How did he know I had a sister? My heartbeat picked up and I started wriggling around again, huffing and letting out a silent cry when he didn’t budge, “Don’t you dare touch her!”

“Oh, she’ll be safe as long as I get what I want.” Seonghwa said nonchalantly, smiling sweetly. I really needed to give the compass back to him, didn’t I? This was embarrassing. I have never been caught by the person I stole from before. I should’ve just given that damned compass to Mr. Jung when he asked for it, then I wouldn’t be in this predicament.

“I sold it already, Seonghwa.” Yet, I still found myself lying to the man holding me down, “A wealthy man is probably sitting at his desk, marveling at the beauty of that golden compass, meanwhile my pockets are filled to the brim with coins.”

“You didn’t sell it.” Seonghwa muttered, eyebrows furrowing.

“Yes, I did.” I taunted him more, smiling when his eyes darkened and he leaned closer. Just a little bit more, and I could execute my new plan. If brute force wasn’t working on him, I had another way of distracting him.

“No, you didn’t.” Each of his words was sharp, eyes narrowed into slits as he stared at me with hatred and I chuckled, abruptly leaning my head up and smashing my lips against his. Seonghwa made a surprised sound and didn’t kiss back, pulling back instantly, but I caught his lower lip between my teeth, refusing to let him go so quickly. Seonghwa hissed and pulled his head away swiftly, glaring down at me as I licked my lips, looking up at him smugly.

“What?” I chuckled, suddenly easing into the bed, releasing all the tension from my muscles, he looked at me as if I was crazy, “Don’t tell me you didn’t miss me. What else would you be here for?”

“I’m here for my compass!” He exclaimed annoyed and his grip around my wrists turned stronger, but I continued to smile innocently.

“Are you, really? Then why didn’t you take it from me in that alleyway? Why are you here, in my room, on top of me, pinning me down against my bed?” Seonghwa’s eyebrows furrowed as he watched me.

“I’ll tell you why,” I whispered, leaning my head up again, looking him in the eyes with the most alluring expression I could muster up, “because you missed me. Because you’ve been thinking about me just as much as I have been about you. Maybe it was because of the compass at first, but then you remembered the way I felt around your body. The way my lips tasted. The way I moved against you and the sounds I—”

I couldn’t even finish my little taunting because Seonghwa crashed his lips against mine, pushing harshly and kissing me urgently. There was nothing soft in this kiss, just us fighting for dominance and teeth crashing against each other occasionally. I moaned into his mouth when his tongue pressed against mine and noted how his body seemed to soften, rather than pinning me down, he was just keeping me in one place. Taking that to my advantage, I sucked on his tongue, making Seonghwa moan into the kiss as I buckled my hips and swiftly pulled my legs out from underneath him. Seonghwa went to pull away, but I didn’t allow him as I sucked his lower lip between my teeth again and he just pressed his body against mine, melting into me. I hooked my legs around his hips and knew the next thing I needed to do was get him to release at least one of my hands, so I started slowly moving my hips against his, moaning to distract him even more. Seonghwa’s lips moved against mine urgently and I started getting affected by his quiet noises and obvious bulge in his leather pants. But I willed myself to stay focused, and thankfully he fell right into my trap when he went to hold my hips down with his left hand, releasing my wrist. I quickly held onto his nape and pressed our lips even more together, lips slightly hurting from his feverish kisses. I didn’t need my other hand as I held onto his hips tightly with my legs as I suddenly pushed him backwards, flipping us around. I tried to continue kissing him, but Seonghwa gripped my neck firmly, pushing me away. Our lips were touching as we breathed out through our mouths, our breaths hitting each others faces. He held my back with his other hand and sat us up, eyes ablaze as he watched me. I couldn’t escape if he held me so close to himself, so I just kissed him again, waiting for him to let his guard down completely. His soft lips fit perfectly against mine and I found myself moving against him once again, subconsciously this time. Seonghwa whined quietly and I pulled back, but he started kissing down my jaw towards my neck, making me suck in a sharp breath when he bit into my neck, probably cracking my skin. I could feel his body getting comfortable, forgetting what he was here for in the first place, but I didn’t. He’d take the compass whether things continued or not right now. So I did the right thing and allowed my hands to trace his shoulder before they settled around his neck, pretending I was just resting them there.

“Seonghwa.” I whispered in his ear when he started kissing my collarbones, making him look at me. His eyes were hooded and I kissed him again, slowly pushing him down against the bed, stroking his jaw with my finger. His hands held my thighs and he adjusted them before he gripped my bottom and harshly pressed me down against him. I moaned again, body begging for any sort of friction as he started grinding my hips against his, panting against my cheek when I pulled away. This was the perfect timing, I had to do it now or else we’d go further. Seonghwa’s fingers were already undoing my belt, lightly biting my cheek and jaw as I slowly started tightening my grip around his neck, hoping he wouldn’t notice. I kissed him again when his hand made it inside my pants, and suddenly he was caressing my clothed core, making me whine into his mouth. I pressed my forehead against his as he slowly started stroking through my undergarments, cursing in my head and wishing I could continue, but he’d still kill me after this. He’d still take the compass. So, without hesitating anymore, I squeezed my hands around his neck harshly, restricting his airway. Seonghwa’s eyes widened as he looked me in the eyes and quickly held onto my torso, trying to push me off him, but I made sure I was placing my weight in all the places where I knew I could pin him down, render him unable to move. Seonghwa’s eyes filled with hatred again and I bit my lower lip, hating that I was doing this to him, but he gave me no choice.

“I’m sorry.” I whispered, but his eyes conveyed the message that I was dead once he’d wake up. He realized I had overpowered him this time and stopped fighting back, accepting his fate making me almost let go of him out of pity, but I quickly reminded myself that I would be dead if I did so. And if I wasn’t alive, Nari would suffer. So I squeezed until I felt his body going limp and eyes closing, face red from the lack of air. I released him quickly and sat on top of him, checking for a pulse. He was alive, I didn’t have it in me to kill him. A part of me would be devastated if he were to die, and I didn’t know why. There was something different about him, I still remembered his aura the first time we met and perhaps if I hadn’t wronged him, we’d be in a different predicament right now. But I knew I had to leave right now and get as far away from Seonghwa as I could. If he was a part of Ateez, he'd find me no matter what and all I could do was brace myself for when the time comes. And of course, protect my sister from any danger. I got off of him and quickly fixed myself, taking my bag and daggers, and hurrying out the door. I entered Yoona’s room without knocking, she was already asleep and placed her payment on her little desk, taking off next towards the stable to get my horse with only one person in mind. Nari. I had to go back home right now and make sure she was alright, possibly hide her so that Seonghwa wouldn’t find her and threaten me with her ever again.

            I was lucky enough to get to the first boat going to my island in time. It was a man I happened to know, a baker who always traveled between the mainland and our island, bringing freshly baked goods for the people living in the town by the shore. He looked surprised to see me so breathless and tired, but asked no questions as he allowed me on his boat. I had to part from my horse, unfortunately, but I knew the stable boy here would take good care of her, I always left the horse with him when I came home. The poor baker tried to make conversation with me, but he realized I was in a sour mood, restless to get to see my sister so he stopped talking…that is until I asked him if he knew anything about Ateez. And the man knew. He knew a lot about them, in fact, and all the tales he told me about them made me feel sick to my stomach. They were ruthless people. They killed without a reason and they enjoyed taunting people. I couldn’t believe my stupidity. Once Seonghwa found me, I was finished, no doubt. I had heard of the menace Choi San was before, but I never knew he worked together with the pirates. I shuddered when the baker told me they killed his best friend too for refusing to help them out with a little food. They killed him, took all of his belongings and then placed his head on a stick for the whole village to see and know how to act when Ateez asked for something. The incident made the baker move to our island, hoping he’d be free from their terror, and so far, he had never seen them. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that they were closer than he thought, thankful that he gave me a ride. I handed him five pennies when we got off the board and I instantly took off, the walk to my town taking two hours by feet.

The sun was blazing by the time I made it home, well around noon, Nari wouldn’t be home and I couldn’t go to her school to check if she was alright, they didn’t accept visitors during teaching hours. I walked inside the house cautiously and took in the surroundings. Everything was in its place, showing no signs of anyone breaking in. I walked to Nari’s room and saw it was clean, bed made and papers full of poetry scattered around her desk. The house still smelled of omelet, so I knew she was home this morning. I walked to my room and made sure it was empty too, releasing a sigh of relief when everything seemed to be just alright. I unpacked my things and took the compass, walking back into the living room and placed it in a vase sitting on top of the fireplace. I started smelling, so after opening the windows to air out the house and eating some leftovers Nari left in the fridge, I walked outside and prepared some water for me to take a bath in. Our house was the furthest up the hill, nobody was close enough to see or hear us, so sometimes Nari and I would take a bath out in the open, behind the house where a few trees still concealed us. It was rather calming and comforting to take a moment to relax and enjoy that you were alive after tonight’s happenings. We still weren’t safe, but here, at home, I felt safe and protected. Seonghwa had no idea where we lived, so we were good for now. After washing up, I dressed in a white simple flowy dress, allowing my long hair to dry by itself, the wind and warm air drying it quickly up here. When I walked back inside the kitchen, I sat down at the table and noticed a note on the table, left for me. I always returned home the second to last week of the month, so Nari would start leaving notes for me a few days prior in case I returned earlier and she wasn’t home. The note said that she wouldn’t return home today as her and her friend planned a sleepover at her house, the mother inviting Nari over for dinner. I smiled and sighed, glad that Nari was living a simple life, filled with happiness and friends. I never wished for her to live the life I was. Constantly in danger and mostly unhappy. Don’t get me wrong, it was a life filled with adventures and treasures, but sometimes I wished I had someone who supported me and offered me comfort. A person whom I could return to and cuddle up to, rant about my day to and laugh about silly things with. Sometimes I just wished to be loved by someone. I sighed and started cleaning my daggers, pushing my wandering thoughts to the back of my mind, because I couldn’t help but picture Seonghwa as the man who would offer me all of these things. He probably hated me and wanted me dead at the moment, yet here I was fantasizing about us living a regular life.

Once my daggers were crystal clean and shiny, I stood from the table and twirled them around in my hands, gripping them firmly and pretending that I was stabbing someone. I rarely killed people. Only if the situation was dire and I truly had no other choice. So far I had only killed three people and I always felt awful. Sometimes I’d go and pray afterwards, but I knew it was fruitless as the sins I was committing wouldn’t allow me to have a happy afterlife. Shaking my head, I held the daggers and walked out of the kitchen with the intention to head inside my room and take a nap, but I froze once I reached the living room. Seonghwa was leaning against the wall in the doorway of our front door, arms crossed in front of his chest, face pulled up in an irritated expression. My heart started beating quickly and I felt at a loss at the sight of him, all feelings of security disappearing. He found me. It didn’t even take him a day, just merely some hours. The grip on my daggers tightened and I stood up straight, looking at him defiantly.

“Thought you’d never return from your daydreams.” He said mockingly as he pushed off the wall and walked further inside the room. I remained quiet and with my guard up, expecting him to attack at any given moment, “That was a nice little escape method you pulled a few hours go, Y/N, render me speechless.”

I gulped, averting my eyes from his as they burned into mine. My body felt hot all of a sudden and I was ashamed that I still wanted him despite of everything.

“I see you’re not wearing my compass anymore, what a shame…” He offered me a smile, menacing, “I wanted to cut off your head while you were wearing it.”

I tensed, shivering at his words, the scene playing out in my head. The whole living room covered in my blood, head separated from my body, Nari’s screams once she found me dead. I bit my lower lip to try and stop it from trembling and willed myself to try and looked fearless, but I was sure Seonghwa saw right through me as he sat on the sofa.

“So…where’s my compass?” He raised his eyebrows and groaned when I remained silent. His leg was bouncing up and down, he was getting restless. I was playing with fire, prolonging my anguish before my death, “Don’t tell me cat got your tongue all of a sudden, love?”

“I don’t have it, I told you already.” I spoke up, voice low and eyes glaring at him.

“Do you want to watch me destroy your house until I find it and kill you after or do you want to die first and for your sister to return while I search for it, only for me to offer her the same fate I offered you—”

“Leave my sister out of this!” I said menacingly, body shaking from anger as I walked closer to him, my grip turning painful on the daggers.

“It’s dangerous to have weaknesses in a world like ours, love.” I scoffed at his words, smirking at him and pointing a dagger at him.

“You should take your own advice, love.” I snapped back and Seonghwa’s jaw clenched as he stood up, slowly pulling his big knife out of its sheath. He came closer but I kept my distance, and soon we found ourselves walking in a circle.

“So…where is it then?” Seonghwa asked, glancing around the room.

“I don’t know,” I answered, pointing my dagger towards him, “Since you think I still have it, why don’t you go find it yourself?”

Seonghwa chuckled humorlessly, “I’m not in the mood for games, Y/N.”

“And I’m not in the mood to be tormented by you, but I guess we can’t have everything we want in life, Seonghwa.” That seemed to tick him off as he lunged forward, aiming his knife towards my abdomen, but I blocked it with my daggers. I pushed back and slashed towards him, narrowly missing cutting his hand. Seonghwa seemed unimpressed as he attacked again, aiming for the same spot, pissing me off. He was playing with me. He wanted to tire me out so that he’d gain the upper hand, but I wasn’t having none of it and charged towards him, fiercely attacking him with my daggers. He was quite good with his knife as he blocked all of my blows, fast on his feet and somehow always knowing my next move. He was pissing me off and I was starting to get frustrated as he managed to make a small gash on the skirt of the dress. He smirked when I huffed and as I jumped forward, his knife suddenly disappeared from his hands and he blocked my blows with his arms, managing to push me and take me off balance ,as I fell against the wall. I gave him a glare and jumped forward, attempting to strike him again, when suddenly the knife was in his hand and all I felt at first was the burn of my skin on my left lower arm, blood slowly oozing out. I gasped at the pain and looked down, blood dropping on the floor and even tainting my white dress. When I looked back at Seonghwa he was smirking and I jumped forward, only one dagger in hand as I dropped the other one due to the pain, and managed to slice Seonghwa’s cheek as he wasn’t fast enough when he tried to dodge my attack. He wasted no second jumping towards me and slamming me against the wall, making me groan loudly when my shoulder got hurt again. I swear to God, nobody even needs to kill me, at this point my injuries will do just that. But I reacted quickly and punched him in the jaw with my left hand, ignoring the pain, making Seonghwa hiss as his head turned in the opposite direction from the blow. He was breathing hard as he turned his head to look at me and he slapped me back, making me gasp.

“What? You can punch me but I can’t slap you?” He mocked and I clenched my jaw, ignoring the slight sting of my cheek, “I thought we were playing fair.”

I growled and kicked his hip, making him stumble backwards and almost fall, but he managed to catch himself in the wardrobe, pulling himself back up. I charged toward him and raised my dagger, but he blocked it with his knife, our faces close when he grabbed me by the hip and pulled me in, eyes falling onto my lips. I scoffed and pushed him off, but he grabbed my arm and squeezed hard as he flung me against the wall, my forehead crashing into it this time, making me hiss as I saw dark spots all around me. My concussion would beat Seonghwa to killing me. I was breathing hard as I tried to gain focus, having been thrown against the wall, again. It was starting to take a tool on me, the pointless tousling and teasing. I did not like fighting this way. I liked getting straight to the point, getting what I wanted. I never played around with my prey, but Seonghwa seemed to enjoy it as a wide smirk decorated his lips, his strides long and slow as he came closer, almost caging me against the wall. I huffed in irritation as he raised my chin with the tip of his very sharp knife, our eyes finding each other’s. Seonghwa was breathing hard too, lips parted and forehead sweaty as his long wavy black hair fell into his sharp eyes, his ponytail messy. His eyes held an intensity which was capable of making me surrender to him, but I stayed collected. Not this time, I wouldn’t give in. My lower left arm was burning from the huge gash Seonghwa’s knife made and I couldn’t ignore the blood dripping down his cheek where I had cut him just minutes ago.

“You could have made this so easy and quick for yourself, Y/N.” His voice dripped with venom and I gulped when his knife pressed harder against my skin, lightly grazing against my neck.

“I like to play around,” I muttered and forced out a chuckle, ignoring the quick pounding of my heart, “But you know that already.”

“Too well.” He snapped and I gasped when I felt blood trickling down the side of my neck, skin slightly burning. He really meant it this time that he’d kill me if I didn’t give back what was his. All of this fiasco for a damned compass. I glared at him and in a swift moment pressed my own dagger against his torso, ripping his shirt open and making it clear that if he were to slice my throat I wouldn’t hesitate in sticking my own weapon into him.

“How are you going to find the compass if you kill me, Seonghwa?” I taunted, mimicking his tone when he said my name. For a split second his eyes turned into slits and I was sure he would kill me right then and there, but the pressure of the knife from my neck disappeared and I felt the lump in my throat disappearing as well. It didn’t mean I was safe, it just meant I wasn’t getting my throat slit open. I lowered my dagger from his torso as well and tried to come up with an escape plan fast. The window was open, if I kicked him hard enough to get him to double over, I could run to the window and jump out. I knew where my sister’s friend lived, I would go there and take her with me. Going into hiding was a must right now.

“Where is it?!” Seonghwa’s voice slightly trembled from anger and I looked behind him, eyeing the window.

I shrugged before looking back at him, having decided what my next move would be, “I don’t know, want to play a game to find out?” And before he could answer, I punched him hard in the jaw, making him stumble backwards. He was flabbergasted as he looked back at me, wiping the blood from his lips, but before he could charge at me, I kneeled him in the stomach, hard. Seonghwa doubled over instantly and started wheezing, face contorted in pain. I didn’t necessarily liked hurting him and I found myself hesitating for a second before I snapped out of it and made a run for the window. The room wasn’t big, I could easily make it out and get away from Seonghwa. But I heard groaning from behind and as I latched onto the window sill, ready to jump over, a hand was suddenly in my long hair, fisting it. I was yanked back harshly and I yelped, eyebrows furrowing as Seonghwa held me flushed against his body, pulling on my hair so hard I thought he’d leave me with a bald spot. I went to fight back, but he grabbed my neck from behind with his left hand, but he didn’t squeeze. He secured me in a firm grip, warning me. I gulped and listened to our rapid breathing, Seonghwa’s chest rising and falling quickly against my back. His body hadn’t changed at all. He was still as sturdy as before, even felt like he had gotten stronger.

“Let me go.” I snapped and turned my head to the side, trying to look at him. Seonghwa watched my face for a second, taking it in, before he blinked and his gaze turned cold. I couldn’t pretend like the warmth of his body and the grip he had on me wasn’t affecting me, but my self-respect would never let me tell him. I had already admitted to thinking about him often back at the Inn.

“I prepared a little surprise for you,” Seonghwa whispered in my ear, my eyes fluttering for a second, before he harshly turned my head towards the window, making me watch what was happening outside. And my whole blood ran cold in me. I froze, almost unable to breathe. My little sister was walking outside, singing to herself as she played around with a pebble. The sight that terrified me wasn’t her being home despite her saying she’d spend the day at her friend, it was the man dressed in all black with a rag covering his lower face following her, knife held very obviously in one hand. Nari was oblivious to him and he was getting closer and closer to her.

“Stop!” My voice raised and I tried to wriggle myself free from Seonghwa’s grip. The man following my little sister, Nari, was Choi San, a ruthless mercenary. She stood no chance against him, I couldn’t stand here and watch as San kills my little sister, the only family I have left.

“Stop him,” I begged Seonghwa as I stopped trying to get away from him, “please tell him to stop. I will give you anything you want, Seonghwa, please don’t let him hurt Nari.” I knew now the two worked together. Seonghwa was the Quartermaster of a very infamous pirate crew whom had been terrorizing the four kingdoms and four seas for a decade now and everyone knew what they were capable of. Even I did now. I would’ve never thought Seonghwa was smart enough to find me as I barely came home, once a week every month, but seeing San trailing my sister woke me up to the reality of the predicament I found myself in. I was careless and dumb; I stole from someone whom I should’ve never messed with.

Seonghwa chuckled and I felt his hot breath on my cheek before he whispered in my ear again, “Never thought I’d hear you begging, love.” And without another word, he whistled loudly and I watched as San placed his knife up his sleeve and turned around, walking off, my sister oblivious to everything that could’ve happened to her due to my stupidity.

“Now, give me my compass.”

And I knew I had to do just that. No more games, no more taunting. Pride placed aside, I waited patiently for Seonghwa to release me and after a second of silence, he did just that. I sucked in a shaky breath and turned to face him, our eyes meeting. My heart was beating like crazy and I was terrified for my sister, but I still managed to give him a glare for even daring to threaten me by harming her. Seonghwa looked back with the same intensity, wanting his compass back right now as he watched me closely when I started walking towards the vase I had hidden it inside. I placed my dagger on the fireplace, not needing it anymore, before I reached inside the vase, fingers touching the golden treasure.

“Will you kill me once I hand you the compass back?” I found myself wondering out loud, hands slightly shaking. Seonghwa remained quiet but I could feel his gaze burning the back of my head, so I just gulped and spoke up again, “Whatever, I don’t care what you do to me as long as you leave my sister out of this. She doesn’t even know I’m a thief, she thinks I work for a wealthy family on the mainland.”

I gripped the compass and took it out of the vase with a sigh, turning around to hand it to Seonghwa, but he was already standing in front of me, making me jump. He looked down at my hand and gripped the compass, ripping it out of my hold. I gulped and watched his expression closely as his eyebrows furrowed, clutching the compass with both hands. He raised it up to his eyes and consulted it closely, hands slightly trembling as he opened it. A sense of relief seemed to wash over his face as he touched the inside of the compass and then suddenly looked at me. I tensed and averted my eyes from his.

“Why did you steal it if you didn’t sell it?” He asked in a whisper and my eyebrows furrowed, feeling uncomfortable by his question. I noticed how numb my lower arm started feeling from the big cut and that the back of my head was thumping violently again.

“I don’t know—” I muttered, wetting my lips as I looked back up in his eyes, “I just—I couldn’t. When I saw the name on the inside I just—I just had a feeling it was a very personal item. I guess…I didn’t have it in me to get rid of it.”

Seonghwa remained silent as he looked down at me and I felt even more guilty when his eyes filled with tears. Why was he the one on the verge of crying? He was about to kill me any minute.

“You have no idea how much this compass means to me, Y/N.” He muttered with a sigh, closing it and placing it around his neck. It looked beautiful. It complimented his complexion and I found myself mesmerized by the man standing in front of me. All the hatred and roughness was gone, the Seonghwa I met the first time was the one standing in front of me. Soft and kind.

“I’m—” I gulped, feeling weird for apologizing, “I’m sorry.”

Seonghwa’s eyes widened slightly and his jaw clenched as his eyes traveled over my face, analyzing whether I meant it or not. And I did, I was genuine with my apology, I shouldn’t have taken it.

“You could’ve given it back the first time I asked for it, you know.” Seonghwa’s eyebrow raised and I looked away embarrassed.

“A thief getting caught and then forced to hand back the treasure is quite humiliating, Seonghwa.” I muttered, looking at him startled when he gripped my chin and turned my head to face his, “When I took it I had no idea who you were, so I thought I could get rid of you fast.”

Seonghwa chuckled and leaned down, eyes at the same level as mine, “I would’ve never thought you were this silly, love.”

“Are you going to kill me?” I whispered as I bit my lower lip, Seonghwa’s eyes falling on them. He shook his head wordlessly, looking back in my eyes when I gasped quietly, “Why not?”

“For the same reason you didn’t sell my compass.” He whispered back and my heart somersaulted when he pressed his soft lips against mine, holding the side of my neck firmly as I kissed him back feverlishly, holding his nape to pull him closer. I had no idea if he figured out that I had taken a fancy to him, but his kiss felt weirdly loving. I allowed this unknown warm feeling overtake my body as Seonghwa proceeded to pull me into himself, almost engulfing me in a hug as he pulled away only to press two more kisses against my lips, making me blush against my will. I refused to open my eyes, embarrassed and shy at the same time, when Seonghwa chuckled and stroked my lower lip with his thumb.

“Who’s Bu Seolhwa?” I whispered, making Seonghwa sigh.

“My mother.” I opened my eyes and looked at him surprised, the rumors said he was an orphan, “I found out five years ago where I come from and who she is. But that’s all I know.”

“Let me help you,” I blurted out before thinking more about it, making Seonghwa raise his eyebrows in surprise, “I mean—I know a lot of people from different circles and ranks. I could help you find her…if you want me to, of course.”

Seonghwa smiled and pulled away, making me yearn for his touch, it was so silly, “Alright, love, at least I’ll have an excuse to see you each month.”

I chuckled and looked away embarrassed, watching him collect his knife as he walked towards the front door, “I’ll see you second to last week of the next month here, love, don’t do anything crazy until then because I won’t be able to save you.”

My jaw dropped as I ran up to the door, watching him leave. He turned back with a cheeky smile and winked as Nari and him crossed paths, she was rather close to the house, good thing we stopped fighting. But how did Seonghwa know when was I home? For just how long has he been keeping an eye on me?

“Y/N?” I heard my sister’s excited voice call out, “You’re home early!”

And I allowed my eyes to fall on my little sister as she ran up to me, completely ignoring the state I was in as she hugged me. My body felt frail in her arms and I allowed myself to breathe in and breathe out, thankful that she was safe and in my arms. My eyes fell back on Seonghwa’s retreating form and I found myself smiling, curious of what the future held for us.

“Who was that man?” Nari asked as she pulled her head back and looked up at me, she was at least two heads shorter than me.

“Just a friend.” I answered her and ruffled her bangs, stepping out of her embrace, “The house is a mess because—”

“Don’t worry, you can clean that up yourself,” She grinned cheekily as she ran inside the house, “I’m only home because I forgot Joohyun’s bracelet at home, I’m still sleeping over at hers.”

“I see.” I muttered and shook my head, cursing the heavens for letting her forget such thing today of all days. But it was alright, because in the end I took care of it. Because in the end, I would do anything to keep her safe and myself alive.

And because maybe Seonghwa would kill anyone who dared harm us.

Next part (divider)

[hainethehero]

Steve Rogers Trauma: A TED TALK

Why is it that any kind of commentary/analysis on Steve Roger's trauma has to be met with comparisons to Bucky or Tony's trauma? Or most of the fanfics I read completely gloss over Steve's trauma?

Some of y'all legit do not care or are blind to Steve Roger's trauma throughout the Captain America & Avengers films and it shows. And this isn't hate to any fanfic writers but rather an observation of most stucky and stony fanfics which seem to minimize Steve's character & trauma in favour of highlighting their fave's. And of course it's fine that people want to write about Bucky or Tony or even Nat's trauma, but MOST TIMES* I've read these fics and they all have an intentional disregard for Steve's traumas.

And this speaks to the wider discourse around Tony, Bucky & Steve- the three characters most written about in mcu fanfics.

Because why is it that anytime I bring up Steve's PTSD or his illnesses or the hell he would've gone through pre-serum, people always HAVE to add in their 2cents about, "well yeah & Bucky went through worse." Like.???? No, I'm not talking about him.

I absolutely love Bucky and he's one of my favourite characters in both the comics and the MCU but, respectfully, this ain't about him.

I'm talking about Steve and his life. The crap he would've had to deal with both in public and at home. Especially the horrors both he and Sarah would've gone through because of Joseph Rogers who was a terrible person and an alcoholic who beat up on his wife and sickly kid.

And even post-serum when he's completely healthy and living in the future now, I'm still seeing popular narratives about "Yeah he's alive now & hasn't gone through half of what Bucky's endured over the past 70yrs." OR "He's had it easy compared to Bucky who was being tortured by HYDRA."

Um, no one's saying Bucky's treatment under HYDRA was a good thing??? But we're talking about Steve here, not Bucky?

And how he was literally frozen in a state of purgatory & how traumatic it would feel to be ripped out of it and then basically thrown to the new world on your ass without any kind of therapy or help. Most people make it seem like Steve was in a Sleeping Beauty kind of sleep and then woke up completely fine. And I will admit the MCU has been the main culprit of that narrative because they deleted so many scenes that humanized Steve Rogers, that now the gen pop thinks:

he's perfectly fine

has zero trauma

should complain about nothing

hasn't had it hard like Bucky or Tony

is a lesser hero because of all of the above

I recently had a convo with a friend & we were talking abt the scene in Avengers 1 when they were all at each other's throats. And they said that Tony was right about Steve being a laboratory experiment & everything special about him came out of a bottle. And I'm like... yeah nah, that's the lazy ass writing that Whedon perpetuated that now makes Steve one of the most misunderstood heroes & people in the MCU. Because he was special before the serum because of his consideration of others. He was special because not only did he hate bullies, but he also went out of his way to protect those that couldn't protect themselves KNOWING what that confrontation might cost him as a chronically sick person. Tony needed a whole ass arc about literally witnessing & living first hand what his weapons were doing to innocents like Yinsen & his people, to change his ways. Steve didn't have, nor did he need any of that to make him special. (AND BEFORE THE TONY STANS COME FOR ME, I LOVE TONY, HE'S LITERALLY ONE OF MY FAVES IN THE MARVEL COMICS & MCU) But this hatred for Steve is ridiculous.

And once again, it's the MCUs fault because they made Tony the ultimate hero of the Avengers at the expense of Steve Rogers' character. Him being able to prove he was "worthy" all along by lifting Thor's hammer was a cheap payoff in the end, much like the entirety of Endgame was. Thanks for coming to my Ted talk.

[dearestgojo]

Let Me See...

Aki x Fem Reader

A/n: Will this be the end of writer's block??? who knows.

Warnings: 18+. Roommate to Lovers (kinda). Mutual Masturbation. Masturbation. Exhibitionism. Spit. Overstimulation.

Wc: 2.3k | CSM Masterlist | Main Masterlist

The tops of your ears burn, your eyes staring down at your hands clasped together in your lap. Your words echo in your head while you stare at Aki's shoes, waiting for him to laugh, to call you a pervert for voicing what you have. But he stays frozen in his spot, the buzz of the open fridge filling in the silence between the two of you. The seconds tick by slowly, an eternity passing before you look up to find him looking at you with the tips of his ear and high of his cheeks painted red, eyes wide, and mouth agape. You realize your mistake and step back, pushing your hair out of your face as you ramble on, "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that out loud. Actually, I shouldn't have even thought about it, I don't know why I did when I could have just kept my mouth shut. Better yet I should have stayed locked up in my room." 

You turn on your heel and hurry back to your room, your request replaying over and over as you bolt towards the door, the warm messy pile of blankets you can hide on until tomorrow, and the rest of your lease. 

I wonder what his dick looks like.

God, you could have asked anyone else. You could have walked out into the street and asked any guy that came across you. You could have walked to the local bar, seduced your way into someone's pants, and asked them to pull down their pants and jerk off in front of you. But no, you'd walked out of your room feeling a little buzzed from the glasses of wine you had been drinking as you binged a few spicy movies. Feeling an insistent ache build between your legs with each sensual scene and glass of wine. 

You hadn't been expecting to run into Aki, who was coming in from work and getting ready to make his dinner, shirt untucked, and hair falling loose. The sight had you squeezing your thighs as you walked further into the kitchen, approaching the fridge that Aki was leaning on. The conversation had started normally before you'd blurted out your inner thoughts as you fantasized about him right in front of him.

There was no way you would ever be able to face him again. You'd remain to holed up in your room until the end of time - or at least until either of you moved out. 

Wrapped in the warmth of your blankets, your face still feeling warm and your ears ringing, the remote to the television digging into your stomach. Above the ringing you can hear soft footsteps approach your door, pausing outside of it. There's some shuffling before a knock on your door and the sound of Aki clearing his throat travels through the tightly closed door. You don't know how many times he clears his throat before he finally speaks your name, slowly trailing off by the last syllable, "Y/n?"

You freeze underneath the pile of blankets, the inside of your mouth becoming dry. The thumping of your heart shakes your ribs, and you feel your breath caught in your throat. Letting out a shaky sigh, you call back, "Yes?"

There's a pause, followed by more shuffling, "Can I come in?"

Swallowing down the saliva in your mouth and pursing your lips, you shift underneath the covers. Your stomach churns uncomfortably, and the corners of your eyes sting. It takes a long time before you respond, you silently pray that Aki's moved away from the door when you weren't paying attention. "Yeah."

The door creaks open, soft footsteps threading over your bedroom floorboards that become duller when they pad over the fluffy carpet that sticks out from underneath your bed. You remain frozen underneath the covers, your body shifting only when Aki sits on the opposite side of you, the mattress dipping under his weight.

"Are you gonna hide under there the whole time?" 

The lump on the bed moves again, the very top of your forehead peeking out, "Preferably. I can't look at you."

Aki breathes out through his nose, his eyes burning a hole through the blankets, "Okay...just know that I know that...you have nothing to be embarrassed about."

"I think I have everything to be embarrassed about," you grumble under the blankets. 

"Trust me, you don't. The amount of alcohol you've had made you say something you didn't mean. We've all been there trust me." 

"What if I meant it? What if what I said is true and I was only able to say it cause of the alcohol?" You ask, your voice muffled by the covers. 

The bed shifts again, and you feel two dips on either side of your body. Poking your head out, you find Aki has caged you down into your mattress, and that his face is inches away from you. 

"Then it means, I should be ashamed too."

~

Aki settles on to your bed, back pressed to your headboard. He slides his pants down his thighs before pulling onto his lap. Suddenly you're highly aware that you're only in an oversized t-shirt with no bra and only your panties underneath. Not only that but you're sitting directly on his groin, folds spread over the covered hardness. 

Your breath hitches when Aki's calloused hands slide up your thighs and back down. "You sure about this?" He asks blue eyes glued on the fat of your thighs, "We can talk about this when you're soberer."

The butterflies in your stomach flutter, heat traveling from the part of your skin Aki's hands massage up to your face. You squirm above him, grinding down on him in the progress, the two of you letting out breathy whimpers. His long and girthy, the head bumping against your covered clit. You tremble in his hold, letting out a sigh, the palms of your hands feeling clammy.

"Maybe we can take things slow," you breathe out, rubbing yourself more on his lap, hesitantly resting your arms on his shoulders.

Aki looks up at you, moving his hands further under your shirt, thumbs grazing the seams of your panties. "We can do things as slowly as you want," he mutters leaning forward to capture your lips in his. 

You return the kiss, tongues become tangled with one another. Teeth bump against each other as the kiss grows more greedy. Your fingers become ensnared in Aki's hair, tugging on the dark strands and deepening the kiss. Aki groans beneath you, his fingernails digging into your thighs. 

"Seeing you onto of me like this, kinda makes me wish you'd drunkenly confessed sooner," he murmurs against your lips.  

Your face becomes even warmer, "I certainly wish things had been done differently." 

Aki's fingers finally touch your clothed sex, his fingers sliding down your slit and pressing down on your clit with the tips, "I don't." Your lips collide once again, and you relax into him, the taste of tobacco lingering on your tongue when you pull back again.

You tug on the waistband of his boxers, sliding your pointer finger beneath the material. Bottom lip caught between your teeth, "I think it's time we lose these." 

One of Aki's arms encircles your waist, pulling you closer to him, his free arm sneaking between your bodies, "I do too." 

You feel him tug his underwear down his legs, kicking them off the rest of the way before his hand goes up your shirt to pull off your underwear. The palms of your hands start to sweat again, and your stomach starts to turn as you feel his cock rest on your thigh. Aki notices your nervousness, and he rests his chin on your chest, his fingers massaging the inner part of your thigh. 

"We'll go as far as you want, y/n, and if this is where you want to stop then we'll stop. Don't force yourself to go further." He presses a kiss on your chin, "We can talk about this tomorrow." 

"No, no, no. I want to keep going," you reply, falling back in the space between Aki's thighs, "but maybe we don't have to...go... all the way?"

Aki gives you a short smile, his hand coming up to cup your face, forcing your head down to kiss you on the lips. "Okay. That sounds good to me." Pulling away he brings his hand up to your mouth, running his thumb on your bottom lip. He pushes it into your mouth, pressing down on your tongue, a groan reverberating from the back of his throat when you wrap your lips around it and suck lightly. Removing his finger from your mouth, he holds his palm open beneath your lips, "Spit," he orders. 

You do as he says hesitantly, gathering a glob of spit in your mouth. Satisfied with the amount, you let it drop into the center of his palm. His eyes never leave yours.  

Settling against your headboard, Aki drops his hand down between your bodies. You don't realize you holding your breath until you hear the soft squelching sounds of something wet sliding along something, but don't feel the calloused touch of Aki's fingers on your skin. Looking down you find Aki's hand wrapped around his member, which makes you feel even more flustered.

You watch his hand glide up and down his cock, his hand twisting as he glides it up his shaft, applying small amounts of pressure on the head. The sight strangely have you squeezing your thighs, and forgetting about the heat you feel on the high of your cheeks. Aki's own face is a shade of pink, small strangled whimpers falling from his lips. He's struggling to keep his eyes open, the fingers of his free hand digging into your thigh.

"You know this isn't fair if I'm the only one," he huffs, biting on his bottom lip. 

You look away from where his touching himself and meet his lust-hazed eyes, squeaking out a small "Oh," before shifting your weight off your calves and slinging them over his thighs. Trying to ignore the heat that's rising to your face, you lift your shirt up to your stomach and lean back, resting all your weight on one arm. 

Taking in a deep breath you let your hand gradually drift down your torso, barely dipping in between your thighs, grazing the inner part of your thighs. Your entire body begins to burn as you tease yourself, squirming in between Aki's spread legs, letting go of his gaze to look down where he's pleasing himself in a similar antagonizing fashion. Mustering enough courage your spread your lips for him with two fingers, giving him a clear view of your clenching untouched hole. 

"F-fuck," he moans, his hand speeding up as he watches the juices spill from your pussy.

Swallowing down the embarrassment from being watched, you dip your fingers down, barely pushing them into your core, letting the heel of your hand stimulate your clit. You thrust them in and out at the same pace Aki moves his hand, your needy whimpers bouncing off the walls of your bedroom. A particularly deep thrust of your fingers has your hand tossing back, a gurgled moan escaping followed by a surprised yelp when you feel an extra hand on your thigh. 

Snapping your eyes open, you look down to watch as Aki pulls your fingers away from your sopping heat to replace them with his own, guiding your now free hand to his cock. He clears his throat before your fingers even graze his length, "Is-fuck you wet- is this okay?"

Your brain is starting to feel foggy as his fingers are already touching places you could never reach with his long fingers, and all you can do is slurp the drool falling from your lips and nod, letting him wrap your fingers around him. 

From there he does most of the work, guiding your hands up and down his dick while fingering you. His long fingers keep thumping up to hit that one spot deep inside you, making 'come hither' motions every time he moves them out. The feeling has your head spinning and unconsciously grinding your hips into his hand, walls clenching on both his fingers as you're propelled to the edge.

Aki notices and increases his effort, speaking through his own haze, "You're gonna come soon aren't you?" He receives a string of jumbled sounds as an answer, "Me too, so just hold on a little longer okay?" 

You nod as your eyes droop, drool coming out of the corners of your mouth. Your hand is slack beneath Aki's, your real effort on your behalf as your touch him, your thumb twitches and gazes at the head of his cock which pushes him over the edge, you falling close behind. His fingers keep moving you, helping you ride out your orgasm while he releases over your sheets and his stomach. Moans echo in the four walls of your bedroom coming out of your and his mouth.

Aki lets go of your hand once he finished coming, letting out a heavy sigh, but his fingers continue their ministrations prolonging your climax. He watches your body tremble long after he removes his fingers, your chest heaving up and down before he gets up to grab a few tissues from your desk to clean you with. Swallowing down the spit that forms in his mouth when you whimper and squirm as he does it. 

He tosses the tissues and get's back into bed with you, pulling the blankets you had used to hide over you. He settles into the bed and turns off your tv and lamp, wrapping an arm around you.

"What are you now?" you yawn, letting his arm pulls into him.

Aki shrugs and stares up at the ceiling, "Whatever you want us to be. We can talk about it in the morning though, you're basically half asleep already."

You nod and settle into his side and let sleep take over your body, feeling at ease around him once more.

© Copyright 2022. Dearestgojo. All rights reserved.

Taglist: @enneadec @neologyro @shan-nein @lottahart @jolynegf @h1gh4ru @mulberrysilk