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everyonewooeverywhere · 7 hours ago

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chapter 3 : old pals, new beginnings

part 1 | part 2 | masterlist

summary: when you come into his shop to get your boyfriend's car fixed, yunho can help but wonder what a hardworking, pretty girl like you is doing with someone so...pathetic. and maybe, just maybe, he feels like he could treat you better.

pairing: cowboy mechanic!yunho x female!reader

genre: non-idol au | strangers to lovers | angst | fluff (no smut yet, but there will be eventually)

rating: pg-13 (18+ for the whole series bc there will be smut eventually)

word count: 5.6k

content/warnings: pet names (sweetheart, doll)

notes: thank you so so much to @yunho-onlyhands & @skzdust for beta reading this for me 🤧 it means so much, and it very much helped me iron out this draft 💗

also thank you so so much for all the love on this series so far! i truly love writing for this couple so much. they make me so happy 😞

Getting up out of bed for the next several days took nearly all of your energy. And unfortunately, “getting cheated on” is not an acceptable reason to get out of work, so you were forced to call in sick. Using up the last of your sick days for the year. Everything was so draining, and somehow every corner of that godforsaken apartment was just a painful reminder of the years you seemed to have wasted.

Your head swelled and pounded from the lack of sleep, and the endless hours of tossing and turning left you unbearably irritable. Even trying to make yourself meals felt like an impossible task.

You basked in the irony that your apartment was messier than ever. You were trying to pick away at Yeonjun’s endless amount of stuff. Throwing whatever you could find in boxes and letting it pile up in the kitchen. But somehow you were constantly finding shit that you had to physically restrain yourself from tossing straight into the garbage.

And you probably would have been living in your mess for days on end if Rosie hadn’t forced herself into your apartment nearly every day. Her cheerful energy never wavering when she burst through your front door. Usually bringing snacks and treats with her.

Today was no different. This time, though, when she dragged you out of bed, she started laying out outfits. A variety of short, fringe skirts and topslined up haphazardly across your unmade bed, complimented by a pair of white cowboy boots tossed onto the floor.

“What is all this?” you asked, brows furrowing while you failed to suppress a yawn.

She grinned at you, “We’re going to a party.”

“Oh, Ro. I don’t know if I’m ready for that,” you grimaced at the idea of being surrounded by sweaty strangers in a house you’d never seen, Rosie’s usual party scene.

“Oh, babe…” She mimicked your tone, “You have no choice.”

You pouted at her, and she mirrored that, too. Before breaking into a wide grin, “C’mon! I know you’ll have fun! It’s not a house party. It’s a barn bash that Mingi invited me to. He said his friend’s family hosts one every year, and he really loves it. And I don’t know what I’d do without my favorite girl there.”

You eyed her suspiciously, “‘His friend…”

She bit her lip in a failed attempt to hide her smile. Her clearly freshly manicured hand swatted at your arm, “Come on! You haven’t seen him in weeks! And you don’t even have to talk to him. I really just want to have you there,” she laid her head on your shoulder, “Between you and me, though, Mingi says he still talks about you a lot.”

You scoffed, but Rosie could tell clear as day how flattered you were by that statement. A heavy sigh fell from your lips, “Can we at least get ice cream after?”

Her face lit up, “Yes! So you’ll come?”

You nodded and smiled softly at her, “Yes, Ro. I’ll come.”

“Oh yay!” She wrapped you in a hug. When she pulled back, her grin was full of scheming. “Okay…let’s play dress up.”

After several hours of letting her dress you up and do your make up and hair, Mingi pulled up outside your apartment. Loud music spilling out the windows of his shiny black sports car.

Rosie grabbed your arm when she saw him leaning against the hood of the car, dark sunglasses covering his eyes. “Oh girl I got so lucky, didn’t I?” She whispers to you.

You rested a hand over hers, “Well I’d say he got pretty lucky, too.”

She giggled and smiled up at you. Letting her head lean on your shoulder as you both made your way down the sidewalk to his car.

He grinned and waved as he saw you both approaching, pushing himself off the car. “Wow, you both look great.” He slid his sunglasses onto his head, and you watched as Rosie ogled up and down at him. You wouldn’t lie, he looked really good. In a tight black t-shirt that didn’t quite reach the waistband of his black leather pants, leaving a sliver of his midriff exposed. The black, studded boots he wore were the perfect way to stay on theme but put his own spin on it. Suddenly, it made a lot more sense why your friend had opted for a black leather miniskirt for a supposed “barn bash.”

You reached your hand out to him, figuring this might be your only time tonight to finally introduce yourself to him, “Thank you, Mingi.” You gave him a friendly smile, “I’m Y/n, by the way. I don’t think we’ve ever officially introduced ourselves.”

He chuckled and shook your hand, “Nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Nice to meet you, too,” you glanced down at your friend, “I could say the same thing about you.”

Rosie just giggled and leaned further into your side. And your heart about melted at the way Mingi looked at her so fondly. Hearts practically forming in his eyes.

He opened the door to the backseat and half bowed, presenting the open car door to you, “Ladies.”

You laughed and slipped into his car, clearly freshly cleaned. Rosie slid in after you, taking Mingi’s hand as he helped her into the car and kissing him on the cheek before he closed the door. She was glowing, and you couldn’t be more happy for her.

As you pulled up to the barn, your stomach fluttered with nerves. The car pulled to a stop before Mingi helped you both out and led you to the door, his hand resting on Rosie’s back.

The atmosphere is much calmer than you were expecting. It was still a party, but the ambiance of the small barn was really nice. There was no DJ, just a playlist playing over the various speakers spread around the building. A small but adequate bar was set up not too far from the door, and you saw many people serving themselves out of the coolers. The lights were low, but it was still relatively easy to see all the way across the small space. And there were hardly more than fifty people here, so you had a lot of room to breathe.

Maybe you were glad that Rosie had dragged you out of the house for this.

“Alright ladies,” Mingi spoke from beside you, his hand on your friend’s lower back, “Everyone is over there.” He pointed to one of the many high-top tables that were spread around the dance floor.

And just like you suspected, Yunho stood beside it alongside a couple men you failed to recognize. He wore the normal cowboy get-up, but it seemed nicer today. Even though he wore the same beige hat you’d seen him in before, he was more dressed up. His jeans were darker, and he wore a white button-up that had clearly been ironed before he put it on. And maybe it was just the low light of the barn or maybe it was your newfound singleness, but something about the way he leaned against that table and the way his head tilted back when he laughed made your stomach flip.

You followed Mingi and Rosie to the table, trailing behind the two of them and trying to catch your breath and calm your growing nerves. Yunho saw Mingi first, his height and platinum hair a dead giveaway, and broke into a huge smile. He pulled his friend in for a hug, with two mildly aggressive pats to the back. And he even pulled Rosie in for a small side hug.

“You guys made it!” He greeted with a huge grin. When he let go of Rosie, he finally saw you over Mingi’s shoulder. For a brief second he looked a little shocked, though you could tell he was trying to hide it. He broke into yet another smile but a softer one, one that was more obvious in his eyes than his lips. “Hey.”

You waved shyly at him, “Hi.”

Rosie and Mingi stepped aside to chat with the others, leaving the two of you alone with each other. “How’ve you been?”

You shrugged and failed to reel back a clearly unsavory sigh, “It’s been alright.”

He raised an eyebrow at you, “You sure?”

The tips of your fingers fiddled with the fringe on your skirt, and you chuckled dryly, “It’s been kinda horrible actually. I haven’t had to deal with a breakup since I was sixteen, so I guess I’m just out of practice.”

He laughed at that, and you were glad, feeling better that you hadn’t brought down the mood. “Try not to beat yourself up about it, alright? Break ups suck, but a lot of the time, it is for the better. And if you ever need anythin’, car related or otherwise, call me. I know you’ve got Rosie to help you out, but if you ever need help when she’s…” he glanced over at your friend who was practically hanging off of Mingi’s arm, “preoccupied, just let me know.”

You looked up at him, grateful for his willingness, “Thank you, Yunho.”

He tipped his hat, in a way that seemed half a joking nod to his cowboy persona and half completely sincere and genuine, “Of course, Doll. Anytime.” He glanced over your shoulder, “Can I introduce you to my friends? Well, most of ’em, anyways. Looks like we’ve got some slowpokes who haven’t shown up yet.”

“Please, I’d love that.”

He holds out his arm for you, and you grasp it gently, letting him tuck your hand into the crease of his elbow. And he guides you back to the table where the rest of the group has been talking.

They all turned to the two of you once they noticed your approach. Waiting curiously while Yunho introduced the girl who'd arrived with Mingi’s date, “Guys, this is y/n.”

You smile, giving them all a small wave, catching the eye of one of the men who was practically beaming at you.

“Well I was wondering when we’d finally get to meet her,” the blonde man said, leaning over the table and shaking your hand when you reached for him, “Nice to meet you. I’m Hongjoong.”

“Nice to meet you, too.”

You went around the whole table introducing yourself. You found out that Hongjoong had been in the year ahead of Yunho and Mingi in high school and had left town for fashion school in New York after he’d graduated. He’d moved back a couple of years ago and opened his own tailoring shop downtown. Bringing his boyfriend, Seonghwa, back with him from school with him. Both of them moving in together in the small studio above Hongjoong’s shop. Seonghwa had pulled you in for a hug immediately upon meeting you, and you couldn’t help but feel a deep warmth at how easily accepted you were.

After meeting Seonghwa and Hongjoong, you were introduced to San. And found out that you and San actually went to the same university. Never once did you cross paths, but it was nice to have the connection nonetheless. He was newer to the group apparently. Only meeting Mingi at a race a little under a year ago. He wasn’t a mechanic but he “knew his way around the cab better than anyone.” Or at least that’s what Mingi had claimed.

And then there was Yunho’s younger cousin, Jongho. Apparently, this whole barn bash tradition had been one started by his parents, and, though he wasn’t super keen on running it, he made sure that the party still happened annually.

When Yunho went to grab you a beer, Jongho nudged your side with his elbow. Smirking at the way you shamelessly eyed his cousin at the bar.

“He’s single, you know?” standing next to you and admiring his cousin alongside you. Watching as he mingled with some other friends beer the cooler.

You laughed, “So I’ve heard. That’s not really any of my business, is it, though?”

Jongho shrugged, “I would say by the way you won’t stop staring at him, it might be all of your business.”

This kid. “I guess it’s kind of on him to make a move then, isn’t it?”

“He won’t.” He took a sip of his beer. Setting it on the table in front of you.

“What?” you glanced over at him, brows pinched in confusion. “What do you mean ‘he won’t?’”

He met your eyes, “You just got out of a relationship, right?” You nodded hesitantly and a bit embarrassed that that was knowledge he had. “Then he’s not gonna push anything. It took a lot of convincing from us,” he gestured to the group, “to even get him to invite you tonight, and he wouldn’t even do that directly. Unless you push for it, Yunho isn’t gonna make a move. He wants to give you the time you need to heal. So the ball is definitely in your court for this one.”

You pondered his words. Turning them over in your head. Part of you nervous at the prospect of being in charge, being the driving force. But another part of you feeling like he just couldn’t get anymore perfect. Already, he had been nothing but respectful and gentle toward you. Helping you where you needed it. But something about the way he treated you…it just made you feel so special.

Your heart tightened at the feeling. Special wasn’t a new feeling. A much younger you had felt that beautifully deceptive feeling before. Because it doesn’t take much to feel special, but it's an easy way to trick the heart.

“Want me to open it for ya?” Yunho gestured to the beer in his hand that he had so graciously grabbed for you.

You nodded, “That would be wonderful.”

“Not a problem, Doll.”

You watched as he positioned the rim of the bottle against the edge of the table. Shamelessly admiring his arms as he did it. You hadn’t noticed it earlier, but at some point, he’d rolled his sleeves up. Revealing his toned forearms. From which you could see his many veins lining his arm. When he brought his hand down on top of the bottle you jumped in surprise, watching the cap pop up and fall to the ground.

Yunho laughed at your jumpiness, reaching the bottle out to you. His fingers brushing over yours when you took it from him.

“Thank you,” you gave him a shy smile.

He opened his mouth to playfully remark over the way you ogled at him, but he was cut off by a voice behind you.

“Y/n!?” shouted a male voice full of obvious surprise. Your head whipped around, recognizing that voice instantly.

You stared at him wide-eyed in shock. Though his hair was longer and his voice deeper, you’d recognize Jung Wooyoung anywhere. And he hardly gave you a second to breathe before his arms were wrapped around your shoulders, practically suffocating you.

He rocked you side to side dramatically when you finally hugged him back, your arms embracing his back. You were still trying to comprehend seeing his face after so long, when he pulled back, hands still resting on your shoulders, “How have you been?” His enthusiasm not once wavering. He playfully slapped your shoulder, “Where have you been?”

Still a bit dazed, you just blinked at him, before pulling him back in and hugging him tighter than before. His giggle vibrated through your chest. A sound you thought you’d honestly never hear again. And though you couldn’t see his face, you could perfectly visualize the way his lips pulled back into that smile that had encouraged you so strongly all those years ago.

Finally, after several long moments, you let each other go. His smile still burning as he repeated his question, “How’ve you been?”

You shrugged, trying not to let the unfortunate question tamper your mood, “Fine. Kind of going through a breakup right now, so it’s been a little rough if I’m honest.” You felt your heart fill with a familiar warmth, though. And you smiled at the memories of your long walks together, the ones where you told each other everything.

“Oh girl, a bad one?”

You nodded, taking a sip of your beer, “He cheated.”

“Shit, seriously!?” he made a face of disgust, “Give me his name. I’ll kick his ass. I swear.”

You sat there for a second silently staring at him. A bit embarrassed to admit the truth he had yet to realize.

Expectantly, he kept his gaze locked onto yours, waiting patiently for your response. Until you saw it click in his eyes, and his face turned to a look of utter disgust. “Please tell me you two did not just break up.” You avoided his eyes. His judgement, “Was there at least a break in there?”

You shook your head, “No…”

“Damn, girl. How’d you put up with that for that long?” Sympathy washed over his face.

Shrugging you offered the only thing you could think of as a reasonable answer, “It was comfortable? I don’t really know.” You leaned against the table, “He’s the only boyfriend I’ve ever had, so I guess I just…didn’t really know when I was supposed to end it.”

“Maybe that’s just the thing with him.”

You hummed.

He continued, “He makes you feel like you’re where you’re supposed to be. With him. And your life revolves around him for so long that it just becomes the new normal, and you struggle to even remember what your life was like before you met him. Was it better? Was it worse? I guess it’s hard to tell when he’s worn you down so much that you can’t even think that hard.”

As much as it was so nice to have someone to understand your pain, your heart hurt for Wooyoung, too. You placed a comforting hand on his back.

He smiled gently at you, “Well, I’m glad you're at least out of it now.”

“I’m glad you are, too.”

Things between him and Yeonjun had ended disastrously. About as bad as things could go. Wooyoung leaving the band had been kind of inevitable from the beginning. With all logic, it was just a fun thing for him to do throughout his university years. He had never planned for it to be a lifelong thing, let alone the career path that Yeonjun seemed to think it was. But when Wooyoung had told Yeonjun that he was leaving the group one month before graduation, it was chaos. A constant storm of accusations. Yeonjun berating his former friend for being a poser and a traitor. And Wooyoung scoffing at the man's delusions.

You remember the countless hours you spent in Yeonjun’s room. In his bed consoling him. Telling him that it was going to be okay. And reassuring him that he didn’t need his help to keep the band together. Though you were secretly hoping to see Wooyoung move on to better things.

Peering up at him, you asked softly, “You don’t hate me, do you?”

He laughed through his nose, tucking you into his side and pressing his cheek into your forehead, “I could never. Actually sometimes I wonder why I never reached back out to you. Maybe I had figured you’d moved on.”

“I missed you, Youngie.”

You felt him let out a content breath, “I missed you, too.”

From behind you, you felt a pair of eyes on you, practically burning into your skull. You glanced over to see his painfully familiar face watching the two of you carefully. You tried to smile and wave at him, but he continued to stare, seemingly uninterested, before returning to his conversation with San.

“Oh, yeah…” Wooyoung muttered, “Yeosang’s here, too.”

“Mhm,” you sighed, a bit defeated, “And he still hates me.”

He nudged your hip with his, “Hey, he doesn’t hate you. You two just…probably have some things you need to work out.”

You glared at him, “That might be oversimplifying it.”

“Seriously, I think you just need to talk to him. At least for closure. Because I know the way you two left things left room for none of that.”

Of course, he was right. The last time you spoke to Yeosang, it was a massive fight. One that had left many wounds, the biggest one being the loss of your closest friend. Someone who had always made you feel complete.

“I’ll try.” It felt like an empty promise. The thought of going over there and talking to him made you honestly sick to your stomach.

“Hey,” Wooyoung slid your beer back into your hand, “Don’t let it bum out your night, okay?” He looked back at the group and then smirking back at you, “So…Yunho?”

You took a sip to try and mask your smile, “What about him?”

“Don’t play dumb. What’s going on there? How’d you two even meet?”

You laughed, “Actually, I think you would really like this story.”

After chatting with Wooyoung for what felt like hours, you found yourself wandering back to Yunho. You could tell he was a bit tipsy from the light flush across his face.

“Small world, huh?” He gestured toward your friend.

“Yeah I guess it is,” smiling fondly at him.

He lifts his hat off to readjust and ruffle his hair before placing it neatly back on his head. God you needed to get over your feelings about that hat. But you couldn’t stop looking at him. Something about the alcohol that was barely in your system and the way the smallest of his actions drove you up the wall had you feeling insane.

But maybe it also had you feeling more confident. Perhaps a bit too confident.

“Hey,” You look up at Yunho apprehensively, “Do you wanna dance?”

His smile makes you nearly melt into the floor as he tips his head to the side, that stupid beige hat lopsided with the motion, “Of course, Doll. I thought you’d never ask.”

He takes your beer from your hands and discards it in the trash. Grabbing your hand and pulling you to the center of the barn where everyone is mingling and dancing together.

You stumbled over your feet and braced yourself on his chest. He grinned down at you, “Well hello pretty girl.”

He placed his hands on your waist to steady you. “Hi,” you whispered up at him.

He held you so gently. Letting you both sway to the song that reverberated off the wooden walls of the barn. But you paid no mind to the music or the dust at your feet or Wooyoung’s eyes that you could feel boring into your back. Too focused on the way you could hear the rustle of Yunho’s shirt as you danced.

As soon as the song picked up its beat, though, the two of you started to really have your fun. His hands found your own and he pulled you to him before spinning you around. He was careful with you, but not in a way that stomped on any of your excitement. You just felt…safe around him. And as many times as he spun you and dipped you and pulled you to him, you never once doubted his ability to keep you upright and in his arms.

Even when you tripped over your feet a couple times, he always made sure you were steady and balanced. And then he would proceed to giggle and tease you for being clumsy.

It was so carefree. Being with him made it so easy to forget that you were rotting in your bed just earlier that day. And it wasn’t out of a place of pity. He was just that kind of guy. The one who was so easily able to make you laugh with just his presence. And one that valued your happiness just because you deserved to be happy, not because it made him feel good to cheer you up.

And as the music kept going you could feel yourself falling deeper and deeper into his big brown eyes. Maybe it was just the alcohol or maybe it was the fact that this man, who seemed to embody everything you would want in man, had you in his arms, but your mind kept flashing with thoughts of lifting his hat off of his head and running your hands through his hair. Brushing your fingers over his cheek. Wrapping your arms around his neck.

As the music slowed, the space between you two shrank until there was virtually nothing between you save for the clothing covering your skin. Yunho’s hands lightly squeezed your waist, his eyes searching your expression for any sign of discomfort, “Is this okay?”

You nodded, letting your hands rest comfortably on his chest, “It’s perfect.”

Your eyes explored his face. Over his lightly flushed cheeks, over his beautiful eyes that tracked your every move, over the soft pink of his lips that made it impossible not to imagine them on your skin. You didn’t even notice when your hands slid from their place on his chest to the back of his neck. Holding yourself closer to him. The tips of your fingers brushing against the pieces of his soft hair that peaked out of his hat.

The sound of the music faded completely into the background. The only beat you could feel was the one of your hearts beating together in rhythm.

“Fuck,” he said in a whispered breath, “you’re so beautiful.”

You pulled a bit of your lip between your teeth, “Yunho…”

He removed a hand from your waist and cupped your cheek, “Doll.”

You could only blink and look deep into his eyes. Trying to ignore the way your heart pounded erratically in your chest. Your ears drowning out anything but his voice.

“Doll,” he leaned in closer, and his eyes flicked down to your lips, “Can I kiss you?”

“Please,” you practically whimpered. Letting him fill the gap between you. Kissing you with so much need and desire. Like he’d been wanting this for months. For years. His arms wrapped around your back. Holding you as close as he could get you.

And you let him kiss you so breathlessly that you had to gasp for air when he pulled away in moments. Grasping tight to the back of his neck. Only to be pulled back in by those deep, beautiful eyes.

His lips were so soft on top of your own. Just like you had imagined. But it was the way he held you that made you feel so safe. His arms around you like he’d never let you go. Like the comfort of having someone by your side for a lifetime.

It felt like a lifetime.

An eternity.

You’d felt that before.

When you had started dating Yeonjun at nineteen it had felt like a lifetime. And the way he kissed you the first time had made you melt into his arms. You’d rushed headfirst into that relationship. So sure that the sparks that flew between you and the tipsy butterflies filling your gut were enough to sustain the feeling you’d mistaken for love.

And here you were again.

Running away from Yeonjun and tumbling into Yunho’s open arms.

Sweet, sincere, and beautiful Yunho who genuinely seemed to want something deeper with you.

Who seemed to truly see you and want you despite knowing so little about you.

God, what the fuck were you doing?

Yunho pulled away from you immediately when he felt you freeze up in his arms. “Hey, what’s wrong?” He asked. His brows furrowed and voice gentle but still piercing through the loud music surrounding you. Concerned at the way you wouldn’t even meet his eyes.

You stumbled away from him, “Yunho, I’m so sorry.” Practically falling out of his grasp and in the next instant you were bolting out the nearest door.

Yunho stared in shock as the barn’s side door slammed behind you. Glancing over at his friends, he saw that none of them had seemed to notice the incident. And with Rosie and Mingi nowhere in sight, he had no choice to run after you. A mix of fear of confusion guiding his steps as he chased after you. Momentarily losing sight of you in the dark expanse of the pasture.

The soft dirt revealed footprints that matched the pointed toe of your heeled boots along the side of the corn field. He followed them without a thought. Only racking his brain for what had gone wrong. Each step he took had him feeling sicker and sicker with dread.

Fuck he had moved too fast.

Never in his twenty-five years of life had he kissed someone without taking them on a date first. Let alone a woman who, before tonight, had not been single every time they had met. He knew he was jumping the gun when he asked Mingi to bring you tonight, though he wasn’t really sure if you were gonna show up. And just the brief idea that he had made you uncomfortable made Yunho want to curl up and die.

As your footsteps made the curve around the edge of the corn field, he finally saw you. Sitting in the old swing that hung from the massive oak tree that loomed over the pasture.

His heart hurt when he saw you there. Hunched over and sobbing into your hands. With your back to him, he knew you couldn’t see him, but he was sure you knew that he was gonna come after you. Nevertheless, he stepped a bit heavier than he normally would, so you could hear him. Not wanting to scare you off another time.

You refused to turn around when you heard him coming up behind you, but you let your thumbs swipe away the tears that threatened to stream down your cheeks, taking a few deep breaths to try and get yourself together.

And when you caught a glimpse of him stepping into your line of sight, you finally dropped your hands from your face. Teeth gnawing at your lip. Trying to think of something, anything, to say to rectify the mess you had just created.

Because, truth was, that was probably the sweetest and gentlest kiss of your entire life, and maybe if you had held it together for two more seconds, you would have been able to explain your worries to him.

But instead, when you looked up from your lap to the man squatting right in front of you, hat clenched in his hands. And you couldn’t even find it in yourself to swoon at his flushed cheeks or the messy hair falling over his face, because all you could see was the distressed look in his eyes.

“Doll–” he shook his head, “Y/n, I’m sorry if I misread…Fuck.” He dragged a hand over his face and up into his hair, pushing the strands out of his face, “That was too soon. I’m so sorry. I should have never–”

“Yunho,” you cut him off. Still fighting back tears, “You did nothing wrong.”

“But–”

You put your hand up to stop him again, “Stop. Please. It’s not your fault. It’s mine. I should’ve never asked you to dance. I didn’t mean to give you false hope.”

His heart broke a little, and you could see it in his eyes, “C’mon, you don’t mean that…”

“I’m sorry,” your words came out in a broken whisper, “I’m just…I can’t do this,” you pointed at him and then yourself, “right now.”

“Sweetheart,” he lifted a hand and cautiously placed it on your knee, and you let him keep it there, “I don’ mean to rush things. We can wait as long as you need and go as slow as you're comfortable with. I just,” he took a deep breath, “don’t wanna let you go.”

You placed your hand over his, forcing yourself to look him in the eyes despite how painful it was, “Yunho, you are such a sweet guy. And I know someday you will make someone so happy.” His head dropped forward, his forehead barely resting against your leg in defeat, “But that someone just isn’t me. Not now. And probably not for a long time. I have too many wounds to heal from Yeonjun, and I just can’t pass that burden on to you.”

He stood up from the ground and you lifted yourself up with him. Your heart nearly cracking in half at the tears streaming down his face, “You won’t even let me try?” His voice came out in a strained whisper.

You reached your thumb up to wipe a tear from his eye, selfishly letting your hand rest on his cheek. You shook your head. “I need time. Too much time to expect you to wait for me.” The hat he dangled in his hands, the hat you’d grown to love, bumped against your thigh. You grabbed it from him and slipped it back onto his head. Smiling sadly up at him “I believe in you, cowboy. You’ll find someone else. I just know it.”

Pushing yourself up onto your toes, you gave him one last kiss on the cheek. Before leaving him standing there in the cool night air. Wishing for a brief second that you hadn’t come tonight at all. But wishing even stronger that you would never leave.

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thecranberriesslut · 2 days ago

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Californication, Pt. 3

Summary: The last part of my mini 'series', it's your last night of vacation and you've got only one thing on your mind, doing Joel.

Pairing: No-outbreak! Joel Miller x Fem!Reader 'Cara'

Wc: 4k

Warnings: Big age gap, but still very much legal, (Joel is 40-something, referred to as 'old man', reader is 18, referred to as 'little girl'), dirty themes, dirty talk, smut.

Notes: Last part of this, enjoy... I wrote this for some closure on the story bc apparently you horny tumblrinas need them to fuck. Jk love you all, more fanfics coming stay tuned.

Suntanned legs, a nose that's a little burnt—just right, so that it looks like you're wearing blush all the time. The smell of nature, heat, and chlorine. You were on your third day of vacation in Palm Springs, California. Everything was right—except for the fact that Joel hadn't spoken to you since your little late-night rendezvous a couple of nights ago. You thought you had finally done it; you'd gotten the man that you had fantasized about every single day since the 7th grade. But no—Joel had left you satisfied, but ultimately, alone.

Palm Springs had still been a blast for you and Sarah. You had tanned, listened to music, explored the area—you even found a couple of cute guys, a few years older than you. But after that night with Joel, you had a gnawing feeling that a boy your age was never going to cut it again. Sure, boys your age could sometimes be sweet, caring, fun… but the thing you had with Joel—it was downright animalistic. The pure desire that had led you to lay down on his bed, pantless, listening to his every instruction like a lost puppy—it was something else. Indescribable urge.

It's not like you didn't try to seduce him. The past three days, you had tried every trick in the book. You'd worn the shortest shorts you owned, dropped things just to bend over to pick them up in front of him, and even pretended to accidentally pour something on your shirt in the kitchen. So, you'd have to take off your shirt and reveal the tiny black bikini top underneath. But regardless of all these borderline pathetic tries, Joel's attitude towards you was more Catholic priest with sworn celibacy than anything else. Although he had had no problem showing off his abs at the pool, asking you to put sunscreen on his back, or walking around the vacation house in nothing but gray sweats that left absolutely nothing to the imagination.

You were fed up.

Despite Joel's apathetic attitude towards you, it still felt like a fucked-up game of cat and mouse—to make matters worse, you weren't entirely sure which one you were supposed to be. Tonight was your last night in Palm Springs before you had to go back to your ordinary, boring life. No more casual flirting with Joel. After tonight, he would go back to being your old neighbor and your best friend's father, and eventually, he would just fade out of your life.

But you needed him.

Something inside you had gotten its claws on him, and they were not about to let go. You had a visceral feeling that if you didn't sleep with Joel tonight, you would regret it for the rest of your life. Be it teenage hormones or the Californian heat… but you had made up your mind.

Now, you were lying on one of the tanning beds by the pool. The sun was scorching down on you, making your skin hot to the touch. You could almost feel the sun lightening your hair even more. Sarah was lying right next to you, drinking a coconut water and reading some book you hadn’t bothered to find out about. Your parents had gone to see some old tree somewhere—you couldn’t care less. Joel was swimming laps in the pool. He already looked like he had been sculpted by a Greek god, but here he was, working out on vacation, occasionally splashing water on you two to cool you down.

“Doesn’t it suck that it’s our last day?” Sarah said, her voice whiny. She sipped her drink loudly and looked at you from under her big brown Gucci sunglasses. You threw your head back in agony. Being reminded of your limited time in this paradise brought all your thoughts about Joel bubbling right back to the top of your mind.

“Don’t remind me. Back home, we have school and work to deal with. Here, we only have to worry about our tans,” you said, pretending to cry for dramatic effect.

“I mean, at least you look tanned as fuck,” Sarah pointed out, a big smile on her face. You held your arm up to investigate. It was true—you were very tanned. You could smell the carrot tanning oil on your skin and see the water droplets dripping off, almost sizzling away. You decided to play a little.

“Hey, Joel!” You yelled loud enough for him to hear you over the splashing of the water. Sarah wasn’t even paying attention anymore—she was headfirst in her book. Joel stopped swimming and popped his head up, giving you a confused look.

“Do you think I look tanned?” You asked, feigning innocence. You sat up so he could “see your tan better,” but truthfully—it was your almost-naked body you wanted him to see. Furthermore, you smiled at him, a sheepish smile. He looked at you knowingly, a tiny smirk painting his face.

“I dunno. Why don’t ya’ come closer?” You got up slowly and walked closer to the edge of the pool. Simultaneously, Joel swam closer to you. He stopped right at the edge, only inches from you.

You were about to ask him again about your tan—but you were cut off by his hand grabbing your ankle and pulling you into the pool. You let out a scream-laugh as you were pulled in. His hand covered your entire ankle easily, with a little room to spare. It didn’t take him much force to pull you in. Your body made a big splash as you fell into the pool, and you could feel your tanning oil dissolving into the water.

“Joel! Now I have to reapply my tanning oil!” You screamed at him, not as much angry as in shock. He just laughed a hearty laugh, insinuating that he didn’t care much about your tanning oil at all. You swam to the pool stairs, leaving behind a slight layer of oil on top of the pool water. You splashed water with your feet, aiming at Joel, annoyed at him for getting you wet.

“Look what your dad did!” You playfully yelled at Sarah, who was still preoccupied with her book. She looked up and laughed at your mad face, covered in wet hair. It was at that moment that you heard the similarity in her and Joel's laughs. It sort of freaked you out, but you brushed it off as you went back to lay on the sunbed.

“Will you try not to kill my dad if I go cut up some fruit?” Sarah asked, jokingly.

“Can’t make any promises.” You furrowed your brows at Joel and gave a quick look of approval to Sarah, who left the patio and went into the kitchen with a sense of urgency. The fact that she left worked out perfectly for you—because now it was time for plan two. You changed position so you were lying on your stomach, and you shouted out to Joel.

“Can you put some tanning oil on my back? It’s your fault I need more!” To your surprise, you heard Joel get up from the pool. You heard water dripping quietly onto the stone patio as he made his way closer to you. You couldn’t see him, but you could feel his presence looming over you as he reached down for the tanning oil bottle and squeezed some into his hands. Furthermore, you braced for impact as his big, warm hands made contact with your back—they felt like they were supposed to be there. He started out rubbing the oil on your upper back, almost carefully. But after you let out a small moan of approval, his skillful hands began massaging the oil onto your back firmly. It felt like one of those massages at your mom’s spa she took you to sometimes. Except now your masseuse was a hot, strong man instead of that old German lady who usually massaged you.

You felt Joel’s hands leave your back, and you groaned in annoyance.

“Hey, if ya’ want a long massage, it ain’t gon’ be free,” he joked.

“Can I get a happy ending if I give you 2 dollars?” He didn’t answer. He only chuckled slightly and gave your back a friendly tap as he got up and left you all alone at the pool.

So much for that plan.

The rest of the day went by fast, just lying by the pool. You and Sarah had ordered some Taco Bell and watched Love Island, but ultimately, it was quite the chill day with not much on the agenda. You had already gone through the shopping, sightseeing, and other vacation activities, so today, you could all use the downtime.

Now it was 7 p.m., the sun was starting to set slowly behind the mountains, and the smell of sunshine and sweat had transformed into the scent of flowers and smoke from nearby houses grilling. Since it was your last night, you had all decided it would be nice to hold a movie night at the villa. Your parents had made nachos, and Joel had made margaritas for everyone. Now you were all sitting on the couch, looking for a movie to watch. You were sitting between Sarah and Joel, and your parents were sitting on the smaller sofa by themselves.

“Can we not just watch Mean Girls?” You and Sarah whined, which didn’t warrant good reactions from the older crowd.

“We ain’t watchin’ some chick flick,” Joel pitched in, sipping his drink and adjusting himself on the black leather sofa.

“Yeah, girls, we’re watching a classic,” your mom said firmly. She rarely left room for debate.

After a while of scrolling through Netflix, you finally landed on a movie. Joel pressed play after getting a few encouraging nods from the “old people,” who apparently knew everything about cinema.

“Dirty Dancing?” You challenged, nudging Sarah, who didn’t seem to have an opinion about the movie choice.

“Yeah? And what about it?” Joel lifted his eyebrow, challenging you to say anything bad about a classic like Dirty Dancing.

You just moaned. You were so used to getting what you wanted that it annoyed you when it came to movies—your parents thought they knew way more than you or Sarah.

“Joel, shut her up!” Your parents joked. They had gone all in with the “fun parent” act. Joel smiled at them and hooked his hand around your head, pulling you into him in a joking way to stop you from whining.

Everybody laughed when he let you go, but you couldn’t decide what feeling you were going to let take control—anger or arousal. So, you decided to shut up and watch the movie.

The nachos were all gone, all the margaritas had been drunk, Sarah had already gone to bed one hour into the movie, and now it was just you, Joel, and your parents. The comforting glow of the television made you sleepy, and you felt safe next to Joel. At some point, he’d put on a blanket, and at some point, you had crawled under it. You were almost half asleep when the ending credits rolled, and you heard your parents get up.

“Well, we’re going to bed. He’s half asleep, so if we stay down here any longer, I’ll have to carry him up,” your mom pointed out with a hoarse, tired voice.

You all said your goodnight wishes, and the TV started automatically playing some random movie. You looked up at Joel, who was already looking at you, his eyes hooded and his face relaxed. The air felt heavy, a lingering tension left from your previous attempts at flirtation—it felt like he could sense another attempt coming his way. But you were tired of this. He’d made the margaritas too strong, and you felt tipsy. The night felt almost unreal, like the strange timelessness you sometimes feel at the airport, where there’s no sense of time or space—just that one moment, stretching endlessly.

“Ya know, it ain’t like I don’t like ya, Cara,” Joel broke the silence. He sounded almost sorry—about what, you didn’t know.

His hand found its way to your arm, and he began drawing slow, random patterns on your skin, gently. He looked lost in thought, as though he were fighting an inner battle.

“Well, if you like me, you sure do a good job of hiding it,” you replied, trying to sound angry or frustrated. It was hard when your head felt so light, for more reasons than one. You weren’t sure if it was Joel or the tequila making you drunk—maybe both.

Joel laughed, so sure of himself. He adjusted himself so he was facing you, looking right into your eyes. The room was dark, but even then, the light in his eyes was almost blinding. You couldn’t explain the feeling of looking into his eyes, even if you tried. It made you forget about everything—it was hypnotic.

“I think you’re great, sweetheart. But you’re so very young,” he said, his eyes now exuding sympathy above all else.

“I’m not that young,” you countered. Of course, you were aware of the age gap—you knew you were young. But did it really matter when it came to you and Joel? Those moments of looking into each other’s eyes seemed to exceed all time, all age… you were one.

Joel smiled. It was the kind of smile older people give when they think about their childhood, or when your grandma tells you that her cat died but is in a better place. That all-knowing smile that’s supposed to comfort you—but you were a stubborn girl. Since you were small, that’s all you’d ever been told. You knew Joel would give in—or, at least, you hoped he would.

In a small moment, you were on top of Joel. Your lips pressed against his, and your hands rested on his chest—you wanted to hold him down, to keep him that close to you forever. This kiss was different from your first one—it felt real.

After a few breathless seconds, Joel lifted you off him. He didn’t do it harshly; he did it slowly, carefully, as if every movement was calculated.

“Oh, darlin’, just don’t go startin’ something that you can’t finish.”

“Joel—I need you.”

“You don't need me, ya just want me.” Joel pointed out, knowing that it was a lie. He knew that you needed him just as much as he needed you, the pull between you two was more than he had ever felt with anyone. The animalistic urge he had towards you, was nothing short of biological, it was meant to be in every sense of the phrase. It was written in the stars, it was purely physical, it was spiritual— it was all-consuming.

“No, Joel… I need you.” The way you said that, was more than convincing for Joel. Truth be told, it had been torture for him to avoid you these past couple of days. Every single time you pranced around him in the house, or at the pool, he was fighting every instinct in his body that told him to have you. But tonight, there was something in the air that made him weak to his own desires. He snapped.

He pounced on top of you, like a hungry lion, ready to devour its victim— but he didn't want to devour you… he wanted to have you slowly, like a 5-course meal. Not only that, but he wanted to make you wait for it, he wanted to make himself wait for it. If this was the only time you ever did this, he was going to make it feel like eternity.

You breathed out heavily, as his hands found your wrists and held them on either sides of your head. He stared at you, he saw you, every part of you, there… for him. He slowly licked the length of your neck, he wanted to taste you— it felt like hours, but when he got to the bottom of your chin… he began sucking on your neck in a sloppy, uncoordinated manner. He found it hard to control himself.

“Fuck… Joel.” You said in a breathy, low voice. You weren't trying to get him to slow down, or speed up— you just found it impossible to control your body anymore, not to mention the sounds that came out of it.

“Shh— darlin', I'm not gon' be able to control myself if I hear you speak like that again.” Joel stated, his voice low and determined. He sounded dead serious, but you didn't have much time to think about it when Joel continued his sloppy kisses all the way down to your chest, and ripped your button-up shirt open, like you were a meal. He was a man starved. He placed his hand on your neck, gently at first— but as he made his way to your lower stomach in a trail of sloppy kisses, with every inch down, his hand tightened. Your head felt lighter than ever, you were gone, off somewhere else, somewhere that only pleasure existed.

“Say no, honey— please.” Joel pleaded to you, wanting you to help him control his sick desires. He loosened the hand on your neck, and eyed your pants, and then your eyes. He squeezed your thigh, to bring you back from wherever you had gone.

You remained completely silent, this was the only thing in you had been this sure of. To you, there was no other option but to give in to your desires, you mouthed a silent 'please' almost undetectable… but Joel saw it, he heard it— he felt it.

He pulled your pants down with urgency, his hands moved in a sloppy, but strong and self-assured way, there was no question in his mind anymore— there was only you. He lowered himself to your level and his mouth found your lower stomach once again, he left soft kisses on your stomach, but to you, they felt electric. Before you were too far gone again in your own land of pleasure, he brought you back. He bit your thigh, not incredibly hard, but so hard that it left a mark. The contrast between pain and pleasure felt so amazing, you could feel your underwear dripping with arousal. You lifted your head to look at Joel, and he was smiling at you devilishly, eyes dark as night.

He moved onto taking off your pink cotton panties, he took the waistline of the panties into his mouth and pulled them down to your ankles with his teeth. When you tried to kick them off completely, he stopped you, he took them into his hands and brought them up to your hands. You looked at him, confused, but you forgot about it when his lips hit yours and his tongue fought its way into your mouth, like he was trying to prove his dominance. He put the panties around your wrists and bound them together, using the panties as a makeshift rope. After he had bound your wrists, he stopped kissing you. He smirked at you enigmatically, before making his way to your slick folds.

“Now be quiet, if your dad finds out, he will kill me.” He said, half serious, half joking. Before his tongue found your most sensitive spot in seconds. You almost let out a moan, but bit your lower lip to stop it— the way Joel's tongue moved on your clit, you had to bite your lip to the point of drawing blood. It wasn't long before you felt a mind-numbing orgasm wash over you, it almost made you lose your head and forget your own name.

Joel kissed your inner thigh tenderly, before returning to your wrists. He released them from the panties, and grabbed your waist, pulling you up and on top of him. You felt woozy, you weren't sure you knew where you were anymore after that orgasm, you thought Joel would've fucked you senseless, him on top, you on the bottom— but his next words exuded so much confidence, you had no room to argue.

“Use me.” Your mouth widened at his words, it seemed like you were in control… but you could feel Joel dominating the situation, manipulating the dynamics between you. But he had given you your chance, and you were going to take it.

Quickly, you pulled his sweats down, with a sense of utter urgency, you removed his shirt, like it was on fire. You could see sweat, glistening on his stomach and chest, as he patiently waited for your next move. You were almost scared to take off his boxers, you could see his bulge through them, and it looked way too big. You looked into his eyes for further confirmation, he was getting impatient.

“Jus' be a good girl, and take 'em off…” He said, his voice low— the kind of voice you'd use to manipulate someone. You bit your lip and freed him of his boxers. He was huge, and evidently, rock hard. He guided you on top of him, letting you take charge quickly after. You lowered yourself on top of his length slowly, inch by inch. Joel sensed that you were going to let out a sound, so he quickly covered your mouth with his hand, and used his other hand to cover his own mouth. Your confidence only grew, you began pumping your body on top of him, the best you could, despite being in a complete haze of pleasure.

Joel couldn't take it anymore, he grabbed your lower waist with force, and guided your body, pumping on top of him, no concern for the sounds that were almost out of your mouth. You had to stop yourself somehow, so you bit down on his shoulder, hard. He let out a guttural growl, that made your orgasm fast approach. You leaned your head back completely, arching your back as the orgasm came flooding through your entire body like you were struck by lightning. Joel came at the same time, his head rolled back and his Adams apple, glistening with sweat, was so prominent, it looked like it was going to rip out of his neck. He let out a quiet, but animalistic moan— and with that, you stopped moving as you both gathered your breath. The room was spinning, time had stood still, you didn't care anymore— not one bit.

“I love you.”

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