#these are your parents too sweetie
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I mean did people think less of me because I had no schooling to do what I do?
That would seem foolish of them.
#time to play whack a mole#ker slap#and he's down screaming about his masochistic tendency#you're also a sadist now get up and go the fuck to bed boy#I legit always hated peoole who tried flexing power they didn't have#hmm#Holly đ¤#mom was a fucking freak smh#hey so remember baby#these are your parents too sweetie#like you mignt as well accept this reality as a thing on this level#it is amusing that the 12 year old at the fair looked more streetwise than a college Freshman#that little#celestial wild fairy I suppose in the club definitely more street smart than that Freshman#if I had stayed in those depths of society I would have fucked even more people up#I legit deapise them#thoughts as deep as the tray they keep under their coffee table#a student#not a very good one#fucking retarded man#she could at least have gotten a girl that could suck a fat dick
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imagine telling me "you're responsible for getting yourself to appointments from now on" and getting angry when I'm responsible and find a way to get myself to my appointment on my own
#i dont even have a car and i found a way#because i am kind to people#and willing to pay gas money#and not ashamed to ask#like somebody i know#...#ugh#âyoure responsible for getting yourself to appointments from now onâ#âi cant book that day off work cause i dont want to ask for too much time offâ#âwhat if i work that day?â#*goes and finds a different arrangement*#âactually i can book that day off!â#âi should really be the one to drive you..â#real quote;#âthat consultation will cover some serious things. that is why i should be there sweetyâ#more serious than me thinking im gonna die cause of celiac???#more serious than our car about to die if we drive it into the wrong pothole??#i have wanted this for 5 years.#i am fine.#it will be fine. you may not be fine but i will be#jesus christ#vent post#narcissist parent
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While I do feel Thor should have insecurities about Frigga preferring the adopted son over himself itâs a given presumption that his involvement with Odin overshadows that largely enough for it to not be mentioned much. But it shouldnât be unless Thor doesnât respect his mother at all.
#This is why Thor has daddy issues while Loki has mommy issues#with minor well-balanced inclusions permitted of course <4#like sure Loki wanted Odinâs approval in Thor 1 but the blame of that itself was partially on Frigga#she didnât handle the conversation with Loki well and perpetuated the idea that he needs to *make* them proud through his actions#because proving your worth is exactly what should be on the mind#like yeah youâd better make your father happy with you :/ sweetie :\#and then Thor who hardly interacts with Frigga too but his interactions are more. I feel Frigga constantly wants something#she speaks to Loki and is trying to get blame off herself and she speaks to Thor like he doesnât know anything#so Thor should hurt about his parents too I think and it should be the inverse of how Loki sees Thor as a symbol for the favouritism/throne#Thor should look at his mother and wonder what made the adopted son worth more to her#not because he doesnât consider Loki his brother but because why does she consider Loki her son#xx
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Weston!Alois got cancelled for making an inbreeding joke in the middle of students from Noble descent.
#redmond : sweetie I love you. but too far.#maurice : my parents are only second cousins like ???#ciel : theres NOTHING wrong with marrying your cousins Trancy.#kuroshitsuji#alois trancy#nana is posting
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My vegan boss: You have to learn about how eating meat pollutes the environment and pass that on to your students
Me: I don't have to do jackshit in fact the more you talk about how I "have to" do that the more I want to go get some very meaty yeero once I'm on my way home tonight
#like. I understand where she's coming from#and I know I like the taste of certain meat foods too much to go vegan#plus I'm broke af and vegan diets ain't cheap chief#BUT STFU MAYBE???#this type of people being vegan is why meat eaters hate vegans#plus she does not understand. CHILDREN HAVE NO CONTROL OVER WHAT FOODS THEY EAT#even if they want to be vegan half of them won't be able to bc their parents will go like#''sure sweetie you want to protect the environment now est your beef meatballs''#why. why are people like her becoming educators. why.#nette speaks
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i've always known - satoru gojo
[ satoru gojo - f!reader ]
⧠summary: you'd known each other since childhood, growing as close as two people could grow. there was not anything you didn't do together. but life doesn't always cooperate, creating hurdles even for the most tightknit relations ⧠cw: [MDNI] childhood best friends, afab!reader, college au, fluff!!, ofc some angst sprinkled in here, mentions of underage drinking, swearing, arguing, slightly ooc satoru maybe you be the judge, jealousy, poorly written eventual smut (be patient), fingering, p in v, unprotected sex, pet names, no use or y/n ⧠word count: 17.0k (yikes sorry)
ââË・â
You were six years old when you met him for the first time.
âBe nice and say hi, sweetie,â your mom spoke softly, only making you squeeze her hand harder and hide behind her.
âHi,â you said more quiet than a whisper, if that was even possible, looking at the two strangers that had made themselves known.
But it wasnât the unknown woman that had you so nervous, she seemed kind enough. It was the little boy next to her, a mop of crystal white hair hanging above his piercing blue eyes that were staring directly at you. With his hands stuffed into the pocket of his hoodie, he flashed you a toothless grin.
âHello, Iâm Satoru,â his tone chipper, almost like the line was rehearsed. You only stared at him with eyes big as globes before turning towards your mom again.
âMooom,â you nagged, pulling at her sleeve. âCan we go back inside?â
âIn a minute,â she reassured you before turning towards the strangers. âIâm sorry, the moving has been a lot for her,â she chuckled nervously, but the unknown lady only smiled at her.
âOh, donât worry about it,â she laughed kindly before turning to you. âIâm sure weâll get to know each other with time.â She shot you a friendly wink, but you only shrunk further being your momâs leg. Instinctively, she began to rub comforting circles on your back.
âWe have no doubt,â she answered for you.
Still feeling Satoruâs eyes on you, you turned to him again. Instantly your eyebrows narrowed in annoyance, not understanding why he was still staring at you, like you were some kind of weirdo.
âI really came by to invite your family over for dinner tomorrow. Wish you welcome to the neighbourhood.â Your mother instantly beamed at the request.
âThatâs so nice. Weâd love too, right honey?â Shifting the focus to you again. You only shrugged, not daring to look away from the strange boy.
âGreat. Just drop by anytime after five and weâll be home.â The genuine smile only amplified the womanâs already gorgeous face.
Your mom broke the intense staring competition you had with Satoru with a slight shake of the hand. âWhy donât you tell them your name?â
Looking between the two strangers standing on your porch, you shyly mumbled your name, earning you another smile from the boy. What was his deal?
ââË・â
âWhy donât you show her your room, Satoru?â The man you assumed to be his dad had said nearly the second your family had stepped into their home.
Youâd given your parents a pleading look, begging them to come to your rescue seeing as you were already attending the dinner against your will. With stern glares, you knew you had no choice but to follow Satoru.
With a safe distance behind him, you reluctantly followed him up the stairs, which lead to a door at the end of the long hallway. He was clearly a well mannered kid, surprising you as he actually held the door open for you to enter first.
Small steps lead you into his bedroom and your eyes instantly grew big in awe at the sight of the huge bedroom. It was probably twice the size of yours, filled with all the toys you could imagine. Strengthening your envy was the queen sized bed in the corner of his room, because you had always been told that big beds like that were for grown ups only.
But what captured your full attention was the bookshelves in the opposite side of the room filled with manga from the floor to the ceiling. Shuffling over to them, you let your eyes travel over the familiar titles, spotting all your favourite stories.
âAre all of these yours?â You asked, turning to see him already looking at you with his hands in his pockets. He simply nodded, a proud smile plastered on his face to reveal deep dimples on each side of his face.
Unfair, you thought to yourself. What you would give to have stacked shelves like that, so youâd be able to pick up a new manga the second youâd finished another one.
âHow old are you?â The random question made you turn to look at him again, his pride shifted into curiosity with his head tilted.
âSix.â He instantly scrunched his nose, seriously unhappy with your answer.
âHmm,â he scoffed, looking down at his feet. His reaction couldnât help but offend you, crossing your arms over your chest and sticking your bottom lip out in a dramatic pout. ââS not fair,â he mumbled as he kicked his feet.
âWhat isnât fair?â You whined, drawing his eyes back to you.
âWell, Iâm eight,â he complained, but that alone didnât explain his tone. âSo why are you taller than me?â Blinking at him in surprise, a small giggle began to take over your grumpiness. âItâs not funny!â
If your parents had seen you giggle in response to someone clearly upset, you would have earned yourself a strict scowl and a lesson when you got home. Lucky for you, they were downstairs mingling with their new neighbours, so the childish giggle came bursting out of you, causing your to slap both your hands over your mouth to contain yourself.
He knew you were teasing him, but he found himself enjoying the sound of your laugh a little too much to stay upset, his shoulders sinking and eyebrows raising in delight. A subtle blush dusted over his cheeks when he began to think he might just be a little smitten by you already.
Nonetheless, it was the start of your friendship. Throughout the dinner, the two of you held a never ending conversation, which surprised your parents considering how hostile youâd been to even the idea of getting to know the young boy next door.
Both of you put up a fight when it was time for you to leave once the clock had passed nine on a school night. You eventually had to settle for seeing each other again tomorrow. Still so excited to have a new friend, you couldnât help but tell your parents everything you and Satoru had talked about.
âAnd he even said I could borrow his mangas if I wanted to!â
âThatâs great, honey, but you really have to go to bed now!â Your mom chuckled as she followed you into the bedroom and tucked you in. âWhy donât you tell me the rest tomorrow, hm?â You nodded eagerly, before she placed a sweet kiss on your cheek and wishing you good night before leaving your bedroom with the door slightly ajar.
You wanted to drift into sleep, but you couldnât find it in your body to rest. So like so many other nights, you walked over to your shelves to find something to read. You didnât manage to get that far, when something outside your window caught your eye. Curiously making your way over, you climbed up on the stool, only to be staring right at Satoru standing in his own window directly across from yours.
It didnât take long for him to spot you, instantly waving at you with his entire arm. With the same toothless grin youâd been greeted with the previous day, you waved back at him immediately before climbing back into bed more than satisfied.
ââË・â
You were ten years old the first time he got grounded because of you.
Over the years, youâd just grown closer and closer for each time you hung out, which was pretty much every day. It was just a given that you would see each other at one point or another throughout the day. And if, for some odd reason, you hadnât gotten the chance to meet up, you would catch up in the evening from your windows.
There was not a doubt that you two had become best friends. His house felt like a second home, nearly spending more time there than your own home.
Sadly, Satoruâs classmates didnât think it was cool for him to hang out with someone who was ten. Unlike them, you were a child⌠and a girl, which meant you brought cooties
âWaiting for your boyfriend,â a taunting voice cooed as it gradually came closer, capturing your attention to meet three boys you recognised from Satoruâs class.
âNot my boyfriend,â you mumbled to yourself, not wanting to give them the attention they so desperately wanted. Turning away from them, you tried to ignore their rapid approach. But before you knew it, they had you surrounded.
âYou know, he doesnât really like hanging out with you.â Glaring daggers at the boy standing right in front of you, you chewed the inside of your cheek in an attempt not to let him get to you. âHeâs got better things to do than hang out with stupid girls.â
You tried to cling onto the advice your mother had told you time and time again; if you donât have anything nice to say, donât say anything at all. But in this moment, that seemed like the worst possible advice. Why should you just stand there and take it when they were throwing all these mean words at you?
âYouâre just upset you canât get anyone to talk to you!â Your voice was venomous, but it didnât seem to have any affect on him as they only snickered in response.
âThink youâre funny?â
��Just leave me alone!â You fired back, challenging his patronising look at you. For a few seconds, he held your stare before he launched forward and yanked your manga right out of your tiny hands. âHey! Give it back!â Despite being as tall as the dumb boy, he managed to keep it just out of your reach, no matter how far you tried to stretch for it.
âIâm just having a look,â he laughed as he began to recklessly flip through the pages. From each side of you, you could hear both of his friends laugh to egg him on.
Panting and whining, you tried to reach for your book, but froze in place when you heard the sound of paper ripping. Staring at the manga in his hands, you saw how he had started to tear crumbled pages from the spine. With fake sincerity, he squeaked a small âopsâ and continued to laugh. Unable to peer your eyes away from your favourite manga in pieces, the tears began to well up in the corner of your eyes. âAwe, are you crying?â
The tears didnât have time to fall, when a familiar figure came zooming in front of you and crashing into your bully, instantly knocking him to the ground, causing him to scrape his knee. While he kept squirming on the ground, Satoru instantly snatched the book from his hands.
âI told you to leave her alone,â Satoru growled at the boy as he stumbled back on his feet, blood steaming through his torn jeans. His brows were narrowed in pure anger, telling you he was about to retaliate towards your friend, but Satoru sported a stern posture and a look that one would be stupid to defy.
Soon enough, it seemed like the pain set in after a few seconds, and the anger in his eyes turned glossy, trying to hide the fact that his bottom lip was quivering and his nostrils were flaring like he was about to cry.
Satoru shot an ugly glare at the two other boys, who didnât seem sure what to do with themselves. âYou want to taste the gravel as well?â Satoru threatened, the three boys sharing a worrying look. It didnât take long before they decided to scatter with their tail between their legs. The boy whoâd ruined your book, trying to conceal a limp but failing terribly.
The second they had their backs turned to you, Satoru turned his full attention to you with a softened expression, genuinely worried. âYou okay?â He hurried to ask, scanning you from top to toe to see if there were any visible injuries. However it was only your pride, and your manga, that was wounded.
Looking down at his hands, the tears came back right away at the scene of the mangled book.
âIâm fine,â you said under your breath, eyes still glued to the manga. Struggling to find the right words to comfort you, his eyes jumped between your glistening eyes and the torn book in his hands.
âI have this one at home! You can have mine, I never liked it anyway,â he rambled as he began to wave the book around, growing more uncomfortable as he saw the small tears roll down your red and puffy cheeks. âAnd donât worry about them! Theyâre just stupid! And jealous. And, and-â his frantic words stopped in his throat, forming into a nervous lump when you flicked your eyes up to meet his.
Despite the redness in them and the sniffling of your nose, he couldnât help but think you looked pretty. Which only made him feel even worse, that someone could be so cruel to you.
You shrugged your shoulders slightly, wiping away the snot and tears from your face. âThank you for stopping them.â In defeat, you grabbed the manga out of his hands and stuffed it into your backpack, not caring if you ruined it any further.
âCâmon, letâs go home.â He placed a friendly hand on your shoulder, and you began to walk home like usual.
The walk home was mostly quiet, Satoru not daring to say anything, not knowing what to say. He wanted to help, make you feel better, but all the things that popped into his head just felt like it wouldn't be enough. So when you reached your house, you simply waved him goodbye before disappearing.
Once he entered his own home, his parents were on his neck instantly. They were furious, because theyâd received an angry phone call from a distraught parent explaining how Satoru had purposely attacked their son.
Satoru had tried to explain the situation and defend himself, saying he couldnât just let them pick on you like that. Somehow, the heroic gesture didnât seem to outweigh when the kid had walked home with a bloody knee, bawling his eyes out.
âYou never resort to violence, Satoru,â his father had yelled at him, before they told him he was grounded for a week. Satoru was speechless. He had never been grounded before, and he didnât understand why he was being punished when he firmly believed he had done the right thing.
Unable to defend himself further, he stomped to his room and started his homework like he had been told to do. He didnât get much work done though, as he mostly moped the entire evening, neurotically tapping his pen against the textbook.
You, much like Satoru, spent the entire evening in your bedroom. For the first two hours, you just laid in your bed, sulking. Eventually you wanted to talk to someone â not just someone, Satoru. You made your way to the windowsill, waiting for him to show. And you waited. And waited. And waited some more.
It wasnât until you were about to head to bed you saw his silhouette cracking open the window slowly. Jumping up, you opened your window immediately. âIâve been waiting all afternoon!â
âShhh, you gotta keep it down,â he said softly, barely able to hear him. âIâm not allowed to talk to you right now.â
You raised an eyebrow in confusion. âWhat? Why?â Leaning forward in the window frame, resting your head on your forearms.
âIâm grounded,â he shrugged, checking over his shoulder every now and then to make sure no one came to check in on him.
âFor what?â
âBecause I shoved him. He ran like a crybaby, making it seem worse than it was.â He rolled his eyes dramatically, so incredibly frustrated by the outcome.
âReally? I can explain what happened to your parents-â he waved his hands out the window to stop you.
âI tried. They were quite upset. But itâs no big deal. Itâs just a week.â
âSo, I wonât be able to see you for a week?â You complained, to which he only looked at you with big eyes. It hadnât really hit him that he wouldnât be able to hang out with you while he was grounded, which only made this terrible situation even worse.
Pursing his lips in thought, he opened his mouth again to speak. âGuess weâll just have to be sneaky with window meetings at night,â he laughed, making you laugh along as well.
âI guess so.â
âI gotta go to bed before mom and dad finds me talking to you,â he sighed. âSo, guess Iâll talk to you tomorrow night.â Before he managed to shut his window, you called his name again.
âHey, Satoru?â Looking back at you with big eyes, you swallowed the lump in your throat. âThank you for today. It really meant a lot!â
Looking at your glowing gratitude, he did not regret his actions for a single second. He even knew, should the opportunity arise, he would not hesitate to defend you again. Heâd risk all the punishment in the world if it meant having you looking at him like that again.
âGood night, âToru,â you smiled sweetly, his heart doing a small flip at the sound of his new nickname.
ââË・â
You were fifteen years old when Satoru finally grew passed you.
And once he passed you, it seemed like he never stopped. It wasnât just you he passed, it was all his peers as well. And as he grew, so did his ego to match it. Of course, this also resulted in him endlessly teasing you.
âImagine you used to be taller than me,â he laughed and placed his hand on top of your head.
âYeah, and youâre the only one who cares,â you sighed, swiftly removing his hand from your head.
This all happened about the time you started high school, something Satoru had looked forward to since he himself first started high school. It finally gave you a chance to hang out during school hours, as youâd mostly been restricted to your classrooms in lower grades. He was also excited to introduce you to the small life he had there, which previously had been separated from you.
There was no doubt that Satoru Gojo, along with his small crew, were insanely popular. They basically ruled the school and they all welcomed you with open arms.
So, by association, you too became popular.
You fitted into his group perfectly, getting along with both Shoko and Suguru pretty much right of the bat. So he shouldnât really have been complaining â except for the unforeseen circumstances that came with other people finally noticing you.
Ever since you were young, you hadnât made a huge number of yourself, remaining somewhat anonymous, happy doing your only thing. Satoru had basically been your only friend. He knew he could never mention it to anyone, but he really enjoyed having you all to himself.
So when he noticed all the lingering looks you received just walking down the hall, some unfamiliar anger began to take shape in him.
Pretty much from your first day, he was bombarded with questions from his classmates. Whoâs your friend? Is she single? Why arenât you dating her? Will you introduce me? It got old real fast, and Satoru only found himself growing more and more frustrated by it, coming up with silly excuses to lead them in the opposite direction.
âYeah, no, sheâs- uhm, sheâs single but her dad promised her a car if she doesnât date âtil sheâs eighteen.â
They all gave him the same weird look. âIf youâre seeing her, just say so.â
âNo! Weâre just friends!â He always rushed to defend himself, which always earned him a roll of their eyes before they shrugged off his weird behaviour. Lucky for him, his reputation saved him from anyone pushing it any further.
Despite his best efforts to keep guys at bay, there were still a few headstrong individuals who didnât care about Satoruâs lame excuses or status, they still tried to pursue you. So to fend them off, he had other ways to make you seem unapproachable; excessive physical touch.
You never thought twice about it, as he had never been a stranger to physical touch. It wasnât unusual for him to throw his arm over your shoulders when walking, or fidget with your fingers when he needed something to stimulate his agitation. Youâd gotten so used to it over the years, that youâd simply grown accustomed to it.
After a while, most of the guys in school seemed to get the message that you were off limits. The hassle of his consistent protection for you combined with his position in the school, it just wasnât worth it â that was ignoring some of the most persistent seniors, but he only found their attempts amusing as you so obviously found them disgusting.
Nonetheless, with time he could deem himself satisfied with the lack of male attention you received.
âSo youâre joining us this weekend right?â Suguru, one of Satoruâs close friends, asked during lunch. You only narrowed your eyebrows at him in confusion. What you didnât notice, was Satoru sitting beside you, furiously trying to stop Suguru from explaining further, glaring at him and waving his hands like a maniac.
âWhatâs this weekend?â
âSatoru didnât tell you about the party?â A taunting smirk danced on his lips as he completely ignored Satoruâs disappointed glare. When you turned to question him, he immediately wiped off his disappointment and flashed you a shy smile.
âParty?â
âYeah, I wasnât really planning on going so,â he shrugged nonchalantly, trying to regain his âcoolâ act.
âThatâs not what you told us yesterday,â Shoko scoffed, a smirk matching Suguruâs plastered on her face.
It was in moments like these, you became incredibly aware of the age difference between the two of you. Sure, it was only two years, which youâd never thought much of â until you started high school. His interests and desires skewed in a more mature direction, which you werenât necessarily ready for. It had become a lot more usual for him to go out with his friends during weekends. Even though he usually returned home early and met you at the window, it still sucked.
Did you want to go to the party? No, not really. But if you were being honest, you were absolutely terrified of Satoru slipping away from you if you werenât able to keep up with him. Besides, you only felt guilt at the thought that he might have changed his mind about going because of you. So what harm could it do to attend, even if it was for just an hour?
âI mean, if you want to go,â you trailed off, wanting so much to seem natural about it all. âI donât wanna stop you.â With a small shrug, you were almost certain to managed to seem casual.
âSo thatâs a yes?â Shoko cheered quietly from the opposite side of the table.
âI guess so,â a small chuckle leaving your lips.
Satoru, on the other hand, wasnât as excited about you joining them as his friends. Nervously bouncing his leg under the table, he began to imagine all the things that could happen. He tried to tell himself the main reason he was so upset about the whole thing was that he was concerned something bad might happen, but in reality, he hated the idea of an arena for random dudes to hang over you all night.
You interrupted his spiralling when you suddenly raised from the table. âI have to run by the library before class,â you sighed before you rushed off, Satoruâs eyes never leaving you until youâd left the cafeteria.
âWhat is your deal?â Shoko laughed, drawing his attention back to the table. âSince when do you turn down a party, even if you leave after an hour?â
âI donât know, just donât think itâll be her scene, thatâs all,â he excused himself, picking at his food, suddenly not having an appetite anymore.
âI know you two, like, grew up together or whatever, and you have this strange need to protect her, but sheâs able to take care of herself. Youâve seen how she talks to Fushiguro,â she laughed again.
âItâs not that,â he sighed, avoiding making eye contact with his friends.
âYou remember what it was like to be a freshman. Things like these are exciting,â Suguru shot in. Satoru simply shrugged at his comment. âLook, weâll all keep an eye on her. And you donât drink anyways, so youâll be more than sober enough to make sure sheâs okay.â
âYeah, whatever,â Satoru mumbled and stood up from his seat, still not looking at them. âIâll see you guys later.â
And before you knew it, the weekend came rolling in and you found yourself clutching onto Satoruâs arm for dear life, scared youâd lose him in the crowd.
âWe can leave if you want to,â he leaned down to say nearly the second youâd entered the house.
âNo, no. Itâs fine. Letâs just⌠find Shoko and Suguru.â
It was a lot to take in. People singing and dancing, chugging drink after drink. But your nerves calmed down when you felt Satoruâs strong hands squeeze yours in reassurance. And once you found the others, your body just felt a lot more at ease. It didnât take long for you to actually enjoy yourself, even though you decided to stay away from the alcohol, at least for this time.
What wasnât as enjoyable, was all the female attention Satoru received throughout the evening. It was no secret he was a popular guy, girls lining up to talk to him. But when it came to the girls at school, they mostly just gawked and giggled while he innocently entertained their interests. No, these girls were different. They had clear intentions of taking it further, giving him looks you did not appreciate.
And it bothered you. Oh lord, how it bothered you.
Sitting so close to you, his leg pressed up against yours, you sadly got a front row view of when the girls leaned over and batted their long eyelashes at him, flashing him seductive smiles. You were beyond uncomfortable, trying to look anywhere but scene taking place mere inches from you.
You had no reason to be upset â you were only friends and youâd only ever been friends. Never had the idea of anything else crossed your mind, but you hadnât ever witnessed ladies glue themselves to him like this before.
âHey, you okay?â Satoru interrupted your thoughts, turning over to see he was focused on you, the girl at his side quirking an eyebrow.
ââM fine,â you mumbled, a small smile drawing at your lips. He scanned your face, taking a deep sigh in thought, reading you so clearly.
Out of nowhere, Satoru jumped up from his seat, holding his hand out for you to grab. He wore that award winning smile of his as he opened his mouth, âcome on.â
A smile grew on your face to match his as you eagerly let him pull you off the couch before he playfully threw his arm over your shoulder, leading you out the living room. As you walked, you swore you could hear the girl he talked to earlier scoff.
âHow does ice cream sound to you?â Looking down at you as he shielded out the tight crowd as he lead you out the door.
And as the two of you left the party, there was laughter on your lips and a genuine, special joy in your eyes you seemed to have reserved only for each other. Shoko and Suguru, however, kept a confused eye on you as you exited the house.
âIâll never understand them,â Shoko shook her head, before turning to look at her friend who seemed just as frustrated by you and Satoru as she was. âI mean, theyâre clearly into each other, right?â
Suguru exhaled sharply through his nose in what sounded like it was supposed to be a chuckle. âItâs weird if they arenât.â
âWhen he talked about her before, I just figured they were best friends, like he said. But after meeting her and seeing them together-â
âNo, I agree,â Suguru laughed before she was able to finish her sentence. âIâve never seen âbest friendsâ act like they do.â Shoko nudged his side with her elbow to bring his attention to the girl Satoru had flirted with seconds before he had just stranded her alone on the couch, to see she was pouting, arms crossed over her chest as she stared at the door like she was waiting for him to return.
âNeither has she,â she laughed.
ââË・â
You were seventeen years old the first time you had your heart broken. Really broken.
Standing outside your boyfriend â no scratch that. Standing outside what was now your ex boyfriendâs front door, you tried to wrap your head around what had just happened, silent tears falling slowly down your face.
It had come out of no where. Yesterday, everything had seemed fine, and now he had suddenly come to the conclusion that you were no longer a good match? It made no sense.
Shaking your head as you took a deep breath, you knew there was only one person who might be able to help you feel a little better. Not to mention, he was probably the only person in the universe right now you could stand to see at all.
The fifteen minute walk from where youâd just had your heart stomped on to your neighbourhood had never felt longer. The silence that filled the dark and abandoned streets was numbing, leaving more room for the self deprecating thoughts to fill your mind. What had you done wrong? What could you have done differently? Was there someone else, someone prettier and funnier than you? Had you not been dedicated enough?
Despite the insane sadness that filled you, you thought if it were to happen, this weekend was probably the best timing, seeing as you wouldnât have been able seek comfort had it happened any other time. Having taken a gap year after high school to earn money, Satoru worked a lot but he had for once gotten a weekend off. And his parents were out of town on some conference, meaning there was no risk of either of them opening the door to greet your grief struck face.
Soon enough you found yourself in front of the familiar front door, a tiny lump forming in your throat as you placed three soft knocks on the door. Before you knew it, Satoru stood right in front of you, his initial reaction of joy melting away once he processed you were upset.
âWhat happened?â His voice was so soft, eyes filled with worry.
âCan I come in?â Your voice was barely louder than a whisper.
âYeah! Of course.â He stepped aside, letting you pass him and enter his home. âYou want anything? Is this like an ice cream kinda situation, because I think we have some cookie dough flavoured in the freezer.â
A broken chuckle slipped out of you, followed by a sob. âNo, thank you, Iâm fine. Just needed to see you,â you sniffled furiously.
âYeah, sure.â Without saying another word, you simply helped yourself up the stairs and to his bedroom. His eyes never left you as you carefully sat down on his bed and he sat down on his desk chair.
Uncomfortable wasnât necessarily the word heâd use for seeing you like this, because it had happened before â just not very often. Youâd always been a quiet charmer, if there was a way to describe it. Out of the two of you, heâd always been the loud and outgoing one, but he definitely saw you as the one who spread the most joy to those around you, a natural sense of cheerfulness radiating from you. Not to mention you were usually the one who stood for the comforting and advice, meaning he was at a loss on what to do.
âWhat happened?â He asked carefully.
âWe broke up.â The words left you so quickly and easily, Satoru had to blink a few times to realise what youâd just said. âOr he broke up with me is probably more correct.â You avoided his gaze, staring directly at your hands tucked between your thighs, the tears leaving dark circles on your jeans.
âI thought things were going well.â
âSo did I.â You wiped your nose with the back of your hand, still sniffling like crazy. âI know you never liked him and didnât get along with him but I really liked him, y'know?â
A pang of guilt came crashing in over Satoru. He hadnât been subtle about his dislike for your boyfriend, and it started before the two of you even became official. He did not miss the opportunity to throw a snide comment about him when you brought him up or constantly quarrel on the few occasions they were in the same room. But he couldnât help it.
Satoru had been so focused on all the guys lining up for you in school, he hadnât even thought of the boys that might find their way to you from elsewhere.
He still remembered the evening you came home from work at the coffeehouse, such a sweet smile on your face and a blush across your nose when heâd met you at the window that night. So giddy over this cute boy whoâd chatted you up and ended up getting your number. Had Satoru known then heâd break your heart this badly, heâd tried harder to shut it down.
âI know I gave him a hard time, but I know you liked him,â he tried to comfort you. âAnd Iâm certain he cared for you too. Itâs hard not to.â
âUrgh, Iâm such an idiot,â you cracked, hiding your face in your hands as the sobs just tumbled out in one steady stream.
âHey,â Satoru said, rushing out of his chair to crouch in front of you. Tenderly he grabbed ahold of your wrists to remove them from your face, carefully trying to dry the tears away. âYouâre not an idiot, okay?â
A small scoff made its way out of you between the sobs. âIâm not even sure he ever cared about me.â
When your name rolled off his tongue with more compassion than youâd ever heard from him before, your eyes snapped up to meet his. âListen to me! I am certain he did. I know what you dedicated to that relationship, and heâd be crazy not to care for you. Not just crazy, but a damn magician as well because itâs genuinely impossible. Believe me, I know.â A small smile grew on his lips when he heard he was able to draw a small chuckle out of you. âYouâre not an idiot. You just have a big heart. And heâs the idiot if he thinks he should let it go.â
He dried what seemed to be one of your last tears with his thumb, before tucking some of your hair behind your ear. His caring gaze traveled your face, taking in every detail he could when the memory from when you were kids popped into his mind. Just like that time, looking at you all red and puffy, he again found himself thinking you were pretty. Not just pretty â beautiful.
âThank you, âToru,â you whispered.
âAny time.â
âCan I stay here tonight?â
âScandalous,â he said dramatically, earning him another shy smile from you. Both of you knew you didnât have to ask, having slept over hundreds of time throughout the years.
âWho knew you were so good at this,â you smiled weakly as he stood up to go get the extra duvet he had in his closet, which was basically just an extra duvet for you.
âPfft, I am Satoru Gojo after all. Is there anything I canât do?â He flashed you a proud grin, instantly rolling your eyes at him.
âYouâre not the greatest cook last time I che-â before you were able to finish your sentence, a pillow came crashing into your face. A lighthearted giggle escaped you, and again Satoru felt his heart flutter a little, so pleased heâd managed to brighten your terrible evening a little bit.
âWatch it, sweetheart, or Iâll have you sleep on the floor.â
âYou would never,â you smiled before grabbing one of Satoruâs t-shirts, like you always did, and headed for the bathroom.
Once you met your reflection in the mirror, your eyes grew as all the signs of tonightâs sorrow was incredibly visible on your face. And to think Satoru had seen you like this, knowing heâd tease you endlessly about it once things settled down and you could laugh about it all.
Your eyes were swollen from all the crying, mascara lines down your puffy cheeks. Still sniffling, you cleaned your face, dabbing a hot cloth in hopes you might redeem some of your dignity as you washed away your heartbreak. Looking in the mirror, a sigh left you knowing that this was probably as good as it was going to get. At least you didnât have makeup smeared all over your face anymore.
Shuffling back into his bedroom, wearing his t-shirt nonetheless, a small lump formed in his throat at the sight of you as he had to fight the urge to let his eyes indulge in your entire figure. What was going on? A million times had you spent the night, and a million times had you gone to bed wearing his shirt, yet tonight felt different. He felt there was something in the air that had shifted, but it went unsaid. So without another word, he simply made his way passed you and to the bathroom. You, on the other hand, paid no attention to his odd behaviour, simply laying down on the bed on the side closest to the wall, your side.
Despite not picking up on his averted gaze, you too sensed there was something in the atmosphere that seemed different than usual, but you couldnât quite put your finger on what. You could easily just blame the breakup, which was definitely lingering in the air, but you knew that wasnât quite it either. There was something in the tension that you felt were directly connected to Satoru.
When you felt his weight press down on the bed next to you, you reactively turned to look at him, surprised to see he was already laying on his side looking right back at you. Staring deeply into your eyes, you felt as if he was trying to tell you something but you couldnât make it out.
Same went for Satoru, as he felt it deep down that there was something he needed to tell you but he had no idea what it was, only that it weighed heavier on him now that the evening had been so emotional and raw.
ââToru?â
âHm?â
âWhat was it about him you didnât like?â Satoru couldnât help but smirk somewhat shamefully.
âItâs not important,â a slight chuckle slipping out of him.
âWith a smile like that, you have to tell me.â Satoru readjusted his head on the pillow, ending up even closer to your face than intended but neither of you pulled away.
âWell, I like it best when I have you to myself.â
âPlease,â you scoffed, tucking one of your hands under your cheek, carefully tilting forward a little. âThatâs ridiculous, even for you.â
âNo, Iâm serious,â he gave you a sweet smile. âWeâve been so close for so long, itâs weird suddenly having to share you.â
You took a deep sigh, your heart skipping a small beat at his answer. âWell, I had to share you first.â
His eyebrows instantly pinched together into a frown, a humorous smirk on his lips. âExcuse me?â
âSo youâve forgotten when you first started high school? It was always âSuguru thisâ and âShoko thatâ.â
âThatâs not the same,â he mocked you.
âHowâs that not the same?â Offended at his disregard for your experience of him suddenly having a bigger social circle, you knew it was all in a playful manner.
âBecause-â was all he managed to get out before you noticed his eyes betraying him as they quickly glanced down at your lips, before looking back into your eyes. Drawing a sharp breath, you swore you might be able to spot a strong blush heat his face, but it was too dark to tell for sure.
He exhaled a shaky breath, which you felt brush against your face making you realise just how close you were to each other.
All the hairs on your body stood up when you felt his light touch brush against your arm that was resting between you. Was this weird? You didnât know. It wasnât like it was the first time heâd touched you like this, so what was making tonight so different?
One slight movement and your noses would grace against each other. He could do it, he could just tilt his head forward and his lips would connect with yours and he was certain it would be delicious. Your eyes had captured his gaze, and he felt as if he could stare into them forever-
No, stop!
You flinched at his sudden movements when he pulled away to turn around, with his back facing you.
His heart sunk into his stomach, mentally cursing himself now that he wasnât facing you anymore. He couldnât believe he had actually wanted to kiss you, his best friend. It wouldnât be right, especially not tonight when you were as vulnerable as you were. Heâd be a complete asshole to take advantage of that. Not to mention how embarrassed he would have been in the morning when you werenât trapped under the haze of heartbreak and would have realised how much of a mistake it had been.
âGood night,â he said in his usual, cheerful tone and the curse was broken.
The next morning, youâd woken up to an empty bed, much like you always did when you spent the night. What was out of the ordinary, was seeing him in the kitchen in full swing serving pancakes and ice cream calling it âthe breakfast for breakupsâ.
You couldnât tell if you were hurt or not by how he was acting, as if last night never happened. Was he not going to mention how close the two of you had been to locking lip? He simply went about the morning, just as happy as he always was.
And never brought it up.
ââË・â
You were eighteen years old when you and Satoru fell apart.
Satoru had left for college, and at first youâd been so lost on what to do. For the first time since you were six, he wasnât immediately at your side.
You remembered the day he left so clearly, clinging on around his neck, refusing to let go because you didnât want him to get in his car and drive off, unsure when youâd see him again. When the two of you eventually managed to break the hug, you heard a not so subtle sniffle and spotted faint redness around his eyes.
âDonât tell me youâre crying, âToru,â you teased in between your own sniffles.
âYou got me there,â he said with a sad chuckle slipping out, surprising you that he didnât even attempt to fire back, just surrendering to his emotions. âGonna miss you.â
âGonna miss you too,â you whispered in response. Not much more was spoken before he drove off, like it all was just too much for either of you to talk about.
The first few days you didnât do much else than lay in bed and wait for him to call, like he promised he would. And exactly at 8 pm, your phone lit up with his name where he told you all about how hectic his days were â and he wasnât sure if heâd be able to have daily calls anymore once the semester started for real.
âNo, of course. I mean, I go back to school soon too so.â
And as the time went on, the calls got more and more rare. From every day, to three times a week, once a week, until you were lucky it happened every fourteen days.
Even though you hated it, you couldnât blame him. Of course he was busy, he had an entirely new everyday life filled with classes and new people. And when he did make time for the phone call, you couldnât help but feel genuine happiness when you heard how excited he was about all of it. But you knew you couldnât keep sitting around sulking as you waited for his call. You decided you had to be okay without him.
It was your senior year after all â it was your time to shine, and you were still with the popular crowd even though Satoru wasnât there anymore. Now you finally had the opportunity to get to know them better.
Turned out you had more in common with them than you thought, getting particularly close with the girls of the group. And it was refreshing to have girl friends, who seemed to match some of your interests in a way Satoru never managed to. Your horizons just expanded, your schedule packed nearly from morning until night. Not to mention your weekends were also busy. The parties you and Satoru usually left early or skipped all together, had become fun.
This weekend was no different. Sitting at your vanity doing your makeup for the evening when you heard your momâs voice yell from downstairs. âThereâs someone here to see you.â
âJust send her up,â you yelled back. But when you turned around to face who you thought was your friend who was coming to get ready with you, your jaw dropped at the sight of the tall figure standing there instead.
âHer? Not the last time I checked,â Satoru smiled.
âOh, my god, âToru!â You squealed in excitement, running at him as you threw your arms around him in a tight hug, smiling even harder when he hugged you back just as firmly.
When he let you down, your eyes was instantly drawn to his. Itâs been so long since youâd been able to stare into those captivating, blue eyes, and now you melted having them look down on you for the first time in months. Now that you were finally able to see him again, to touch him again, it hit you like a semi truck just how much you had missed him. You even found yourself getting a little emotional, blinking away the wetness in your eyes.
âGod, donât wanna ruin my makeup,â you laughed.
âI was just about to say, you look great,â he said, unable to peer his eyes off you, because âgreatâ was an understatement.
âWhy, thank you,â you beamed at him, a smile stretching from one ear to another.
âGoing somewhere?â His eyebrows narrowed, letting his chipper composure slip for just a second but he quickly tried to shake it off.
âYeah, thereâs a party tonight. The groupâs going, but I can cancel if-â
âNo, of course not. Iâm home all weekend.â There was a slight twinge in your heart, disappointed that he didnât have the guts to accept your offer. There was not a single ounce of doubt that youâd drop the party for him in a heartbeat â you had after all longed for him to come home to visit since the second his car had driven out of view the day he left.
âWell, maybe you could come along?â You suggested, grabbing his hands in yours.
âI just think Iâm going to stay home with my parents tonight,â he swallowed, giving you a weak smile.
He knew he should have just taken you up in the offer to ditch the party, but he didnât have the heart to, especially when you were all dolled up for the evening already.
All heâd looked forward to was come home and hang with you and catch up all night, never falling asleep because he had missed your voice so much. But he knew that eventually, the guilt would eat him up, hogging you for the night when you were supposed to be somewhere else.
Now he had to sit at home, alone and bored, because he had lied when he told you about his parents, seeing as they werenât back in town until tomorrow. He knew he would spend the night miserable, but it would beat having to tag along at your heels to a party he didnât want to attend in the first place and witness how close youâd gotten to all your new friends while heâd been away, still preferring to have you to himself.
âWill you at least stay until I leave? And then Iâm all yours for the whole of tomorrow?â For the time being, he managed to let his blues slip away, especially when you gawked at him with a sparkle in your eyes and an infectious smile.
âOf course.â His eyes followed your cheerful walk back to your vanity as he sat down on your bed. Once seated, your conversation flowed like normal, as if no time had passed at all since the last time you saw each other. He told you about classes and how much more difficult it was now, especially seeing as he wasnât the biggest fan of studying.
And he knew he should be excited when you told him everything about your new life. How youâd finally taken the time to get the know the rest of the group and how great they all were, how fun you had it with all of them with all the stuff you guys did in your spare time, but heâd be lying if he said it didnât sting. He felt as if he was missing everything, losing the spot he used to have with you, replaced by his old friends. He knew it was unfair to think that way, but but there was no stopping his doomed spiralling.
âOh, and thatâs probably her coming now!â You perked up when footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs. The next second, a girl he knew used to be in his friend group stood in the doorway.
âSatoru? What a pleasant surprise,â she beamed at him, and guilt hit him when he couldnât even remember her name.
âYeah, just home for the weekend,â he smirked at her.
She flashed him another smile before turning to you. âYou ready?â
âJust about,â you sighed. Quickly, you grabbed your purse and skipped over to Satoru. âSee you tomorrow, okay?â You said cheerfully as you placed a quick peck on his cheek before running out, leaving him standing alone in your bedroom.
He stared dumbfounded at the empty space you occupied just seconds ago, still surprised by the kiss as it was something completely new. Was that something youâd picked up from the group? Did that mean you went around kissing everyoneâs cheeks? His mind ran crazy with questions, all making him equally jealous.
ââË・â
âPick up, pick up, pick up,â you whispered into the phone still ringing. It was the third time you had tried to call Satoru and he still hadnât picked up, which was incredibly unlike him. He always picked up almost immediately, especially when you were calling.
âHey,â you finally heard him sigh on the other end of the line.
âThank god you answered,â you said, teeth chattering in the freezing cold. âCould you please, please, please pick me up?â
âYou okay?â There was a hint of worry in his voice, but you had a sneaking suspicion he was trying to conceal it.
âNo. Or yes. Or I donât know, but Iâm cold and I need to go home!â Another sigh.
âWhere are you?â
âYouâre my angel,â you breathed before giving him the address.
âIâll be there in fifteen.â Before you managed to say goodbye, Satoru had already hung up. You stared blankly at the phone for a few seconds in shock of his abrupt ending, but right now, you were too cold to ponder any further on his behaviour. Tightly having folded your arms around yourself and rubbing your legs together, you desperately tried to get some heat in your body.
Finally, you saw the familiar car pull up in front of you, a sigh of relief leaving your body once you were greeted by the hot air as you sat down in the passenger seat.
âYouâre really a life saver,â you spoke as you leaned your head back on the headrest, waiting to meet his eyes but he never turned to look at you. His eyes were glued to the road, a tight grip on the steering wheel as he kept chewing on the inside of his cheek. âYou okay, âToru?â
ââM just fine,â he answered simply, still fixated on the road.
âThen why wonât you look at me?â You snorted, which made him quickly turn his head to give you a cold glare before looking at the road again.
âHow come you were standing out in the cold all alone?â When he didnât acknowledge your question further, you just fell back into your seat again and decided not to take it any further.
âYou donât wanna know,â you sighed, staring out the window.
âNo, Iâm curious.â If his tone told you anything, it was that he was pissed. You just hoped it wasnât directed at you.
âI was kicked out.â
âWhat, too drunk to be in the house?â His comment caught you off guard at it seemed nothing but spiteful. You flipped your head to look at him again, only to see he was still unwilling to look at you.
âDo I seem too drunk to you?â He only shrugged, knowing the answer was ânoâ. âIf you wanna know, I-â you stopped yourself from finishing, too embarrassed to utter the words.
âDonât get shy on my behalf.â
âI was about to sleep with someone, but after we undressed, something came over him and he just threw me out,â you complained, crossing your arms and staring at the road like he had earlier.
âYou what?â Satoru exclaimed, and now he finally decided to shoot you a glare. âWho?â
âDoes it matter?â You shrugged, avoiding his gaze which you knew was just purely judgemental. It seemed he was more upset about the part where you were going to sleep with someone than the fact that you were literally thrown out, which only ended up fuelling your own anger.
âWho was it?â He repeated sternly.
âJust some guy I met there, I donât know,â you shrugged, and instantly a loud huff left Satoru.
âWow,â he said in utter disbelief. âSo this is who you are now.â Finally turning to look at him again, your face hot with anger, you saw his eyebrows were raised in frustration and his tongue was poking the inside of his cheek.
âWhatâs that supposed to mean?â
âNever knew you to be someone who just spread your legs for anyone.â You gaped at him, not believing the words coming out of his mouth.
âStop the car,â you managed to force out somewhat calmly through gritted teeth.
âIâm not stopping-â
âStop the fucking car, Satoru,â you practically yelled at him, startled when he suddenly slammed the breaks. Once the car had stopped, you didnât hesitate to unbuckle your seatbelt and scramble out of the car, hearing him call your name before you slammed the door shut after you.
With your arms wrapped around yourself, you started to walk down the street in the direction of your house, knowing you were still pretty far from home. But you knew you were too furious to get back in the car with Satoru.
âCome on, get back in the car,â Satoruâs voice complained down the street.
âSo you can slut shame me some more? Think Iâll pass,â you shouted back. It took only a second until you heard the car engine shut off before hurried footsteps against the wet pavement made its way over to you, Satoru positioning himself right in front of you.
âFine, sorry, please get back in the car,â he said disingenuous, scowling down at you with his hands in his pockets.
âYou expect me to accept that apology?â You scowled right back at him.
âStop acting like a brat and just-â
âBrat? Really?â You interrupted him, raising your eyebrows at him. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it just as quickly with a deep sigh. âThought so.â Keeping your mean glare at him, you tried to walk past him, but he surprised you by taking a strong grip of your arm.
âSo is this like a weekly occurrence now?â You forcefully pulled out of his grip.
You simply shrugged while trying to find the right answer, wanting to keep your own anger in check even though you felt you were close to boiling over. âI mean, thereâs something happening every weekend but that doesnât mean I always participate.â He only scoffed, turning away from you and looking around the street. âWhat?â
âSo now youâre just this crazy party girl that sleeps with anyone thatâs available?â
You truly couldnât believe it was Satoru saying these words to you, your best friend in the entire world. The person youâd known most your life, who knew your every deepest, darkest secret and had never judged you in the slightest â suddenly throwing mean words right to your face like you were just some nobody.
âLike youâre one to talk! You flirt with any girl that has a pulse, and not just in school. Remember, you went to parties too and enjoyed wallowing in the attention of anyone whoâd give it to you!â
âI never liked going to parties. I still donât,â he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
âGlad to see some things hasnât changed, unlike the fact that youâve turned into an asshole,â you spat at him, trying to walk away again, but he yanked a hold of you once more.
âWell, Iâm not the only one who has changed,â he said in a low voice, giving you a stern look through his eyebrows.
A light laugh of disbelief escaped you, the tears quickly starting to well up in your eyes. Was this really the same person youâd physically been unable to let go off five months ago? The one person you believed could never intentionally hurt you the way he was now?
âThatâs what this is about, isnât it?â Flickering between his eyes, you knew youâd caught on. âDid you really think I was going to sit around and wait for you?â
âI certainly didnât expect you to go and replace me the first chance you got.â
âReplace you?!â You exclaimed before the entire sentence had left his lips.
âYes, replace me!â He fired back, his tone more angry than he wanted it to be, because sadness was all he truly felt.
âSo you havenât gotten any new friends at university?â
âThatâs different-â
âOh my god, Satoru,â you moaned in frustration, your hands rubbing your face. âI am so tired of you saying it is different for you! Youâve done that for years.â
Satoru had his hands deeply tucked in his pockets, his shoulders up to his ears with tension. He was already filled with guilt for talking to you this way, something heâd never done before. Then again, he couldnât remember having this many negative feelings regarding you running wild in him.
âItâs baffling to me that youâre actually saying all these things to me, like it isnât you that keep postponing our phone calls.â You said, your tone transformed from anger into the sorrow that had taken residence in you instead.
He breathed your name, almost like he seemed disappointed in a way. âClasses are riding my ass.â
âYou donât think I know that?â You fired back immediately, your tone remaining calm as you continued to hold back the tears. âBut truth is, it has caused you to not make time for the phone calls.â
âYou canât expect me to be able to make time-â
What seemed to be the mix of a sob and a scoff parted your lips, cutting him off. It was like talking to a brick wall, because it felt like nothing you said reached him.
Had he always been like this? Too wrapped up with his own idea of being right that he took no regards for your opinion? If so, how had the two of you managed to go all those years without you properly realising it?
âIf you havenât been paying attention, itâs not me thatâs had too many expectations, but you!â
His head fell back, retrieving his hands from his pockets to fold them over his chest. As his entire posture turned loose, you couldnât bare to look at him when the first tear fell. He just seemed to be so sick of this conversation â sick of you â an idea that made you want to throw up on the spot.
âYouâre being unreasonable,â he said in a low voice, as if he knew he was in the wrong but too stubborn to back down. Heâd already been so cruel, a part of him feeling like he had already gone too far to double down now.
âIâm being unreasonable?!â You snapped, walking right up to him, now close enough to feel the heat radiate off him. âYouâve got to be fucking kidding with me?â
Never in a million years could you have predicted your favourite person in the universe to speak to you this way, biting your head off for simply living your life. But it went deeper than being upset about you going to some random party. It seemed like he truly disliked the person you were right now, and nothing had ever hurt you as much.
âFor the record, I did wait. So many nights I just sat in my room, staring at the damn phone, waiting for you to call.â You were sobbing now, all restraints of your tears out the window. âBut I think youâre not half as busy with your studies as you claim to be, but very busy making new friends, which is why itâs nothing but cruel of you to go at me like this!â
âYou always do that!â He snapped, causing your sobs to halt for a second, eyebrows quirking up in surprise. âYou always assume these things about me, paint me out to be this specific person without having all the facts.â
âI know you better than I know myself, for fucks sake! You hate to work, avoid it for all that itâs worth, and now youâre trying to tell me you work so hard?â Silence. âAnd youâve always loved attention. You feed on it, and every single living person on this planet canât help but just give it to you! Iâm willing to bet my last dime youâre surrounded with all sorts of people just fighting for your time!â
Without stuttering, you fired shot after shot, feeling bad even though every last word of it was true.
The reality of the fight washed over you, knowing youâd never fought like this before. A friendship spanning twelve years was doomed to have some disagreements along the way. And with both you and Satoru having such strong personalities, there had been quite a few. But never had either of you ever turned mean, like right now, no matter how serious the argument had been.
âDespite what you might think, Iâm not one of your silly school girls who just follow you around to stroke your ego. Iâm my own person, always have been. And Iâm sorry youâre pissy about the fact that Iâm doing fine without you here and Iâm sorry that the image you had of me is finally shattering.â
You felt youâd gotten what you had on your mind off your chest, and all that fell out of you now were uncontrollable sobs. Not only were you absolutely devastated, but you were scared. The person that stood before you didnât feel like someone you knew, meaning you had no idea what might come out of his mouth next.
âThink I see you clearer than ever.â
Sucking your bottom lip in between your teeth, you tried to choke back your sobs, not feeling he was worthy of hearing the affect he had on you right now. You slowly began to nod your head, looking about for a few seconds before you simply began to walk away without saying another word. And this time you didnât feel his hand grab your arm.
The second your head had hit the pillow after youâd gotten home, you erupted into loud, unruly sobs, that even managed to wake your parents. They stormed into your room, beyond scared something was terribly wrong, and your mom managed to pull your head into her lap, stroking your hair in an attempt to get you to calm down so youâd be able to tell them what had happened, but to no prevail. While she desperately tried to hum you to peace, your dad stood watching in anguish as he had no clue what to do in order to help.
Eventually, the sobs wore you out to the point where you fell asleep in her lap.
Waking up the next morning, youâd felt like it had all been just a horrible nightmare, and in just a few minutes, Satoru would stand at your door, so excited to just do absolutely nothing with you like you had planned.
But you sat in your bed and stared at the door, waiting for him to show up but he never did. When you became restless, you paced around the room, daring to glance out the window in hopes youâd spot him sitting by his windowsill. But here too, you were left disappointed. No Satoru shaped silhouette made himself known, and at some point during the day, he had shut the blinds without you noticing.
Two days later, your mom came into your room and asked why Satoru had left to go back to university already when you guys hadnât hung out yet.
ââË・â
You were twenty years old when you started university.
After a therapeutic gap year of working and travelling, you were finally ready to go back to school, excited to see what the life of a university student was all about.
So far it all seemed to go as smoothly as one could hope for â moving in and setting up in your small dormitory, putting in a lot of effort to make it a space where you could feel at home. Signing up for classes and getting all the books you needed was easier than expected, some kindhearted strangers more than willing to help you get it all right. And lastly, finding your way around campus wasnât nearly the issue you thought it would be. You easily manoeuvred your way around the grounds, quickly coming across spots you could picture yourself just hanging out.
You were more than prepared by the time the first class rolled around, entering the huge auditorium, nervously walking down the stairs and sitting down in an available seat in one of the rows closer to the front.
Suddenly it began to dawn on you that you were actually in university, working your way to a future career like youâd always talked about. All your hard work in school, your academic achievements, finally paying off, letting you be in environment of equally dedicated individuals.
However, even though your peers seemed to be on the same level as you academically, you got the impression they had excelled passed you socially already. As you let your eyes roam the crowd, you noticed how people had already made friends and even formed groups, greeting each other with warm smiles as they sat down together.
You didnât have the chance to brood about it for too long, as a roaring voice spoke up from the front of the classroom, drawing everyoneâs attention to him, the chatter quickly quieting down. The assertive figure introduced himself before heading straight into the plans for the semester, asking if anyone had any questions. While a few students raised their voice, you just desperately wrote down everything being said, just in case it might be useful somewhere down the line.
âI look forward to teach you this introductory class in education. Iâm sure youâll make great teachers one day,â he smiled. âBefore we get started, thereâs someone Iâd like to introduce. I have the privilege of being assigned a TA this semester â come on up.â
Everyoneâs eyes followed the professors gesture towards the person whoâd just gotten up from his chair by the exit. All the air was immediately sucked out of your lungs when your eyes landed on the one person you hadnât expected to see.
âGood morning everyone,â he said in his characteristically suave voice, hearing the girls in the auditorium instantly begin to whisper amongst them at the sight of him. âIâm Satoru Gojo, Iâll be the professors teacher assistant this semester. Any questions you might-â
The words instantly died in his throat when his gaze landed on you, tensed up in your seat. He could almost see you shiver under his intense glare.
Nearly two years had passed since the last time he saw you, and not a day had gone by where he hadnât cursed himself for how he treated you that night. He regretted it all, but hadnât been able to bring himself to face you and apologise, even though you more than deserved it.
Eventually, the days just passed him by and it felt like an injustice for him to just jump into your life again so he decided not to, which resulted in the most miserable two years of his life.
You wanted to look away, but the shock of seeing him again had taken over your body, holding your attention hostage under his drilling blue eyes.
Heâd let his hair grow a little longer, which suited him, even though he didnât need it to improve his looks. It also seemed to have bulked up a little. Not much, just enough for you to notice as his navy, button up shirt hugged his arms in a way his clothes never had before.
âMr. Gojo?â The professorâs voice broke his stare, bringing him back to real world and acknowledging all the faces staring at him.
âYeah, sorry-â he cleared his throat. âAny questions you might have, donât hesitate to come to me,â he stuttered over his sentence, shooting you quick glance even though he tried to keep his attention on the crowd.
With a shy smile, he made his way back to his seat, his eyes once again finding you as he was seated. You shrunk in your seat, your entire body on fire from having his eyes observe you for the first time in so long, sure youâre heart might actually stop from the stress.
Throughout the entire lecture, you both kept stealing glances from one another, an unspoken sensation filling the air between you, like you both could feel how badly youâd missed and craved the other the period youâd been separated.
His eyes carried the same weight they always did when looking at you, uncomfortably restless in your seat, fidgeting with the paper of your notebook and trying to keep the tapping of your foot to a minimum. When your eyes werenât automatically drawn to Satoru, you peeked at the clock hanging above the whiteboard, begging for time to pass so you could storm out of the classroom and finally be able to breath properly again.
You were sure the seconds lasted longer now than normal, but the lecture finally ended and you instantly began to gather your things, shoving them in your bag as quickly as possible. Daring to shoot Satoru another look, you were glad to see heâd been surrounded by students (mostly girls), hindering him from making his way to you â or so you thought.
âI have a meeting to get to,â Satoru lied, looking at you packing up your stuff before rushing up the stairs towards the auditorium exit. âBut hereâs my email. Just⌠send whatever questions you might have and Iâll answer as soon as I have the time.â It didnât seem like anyone picked up on the fact that he was lying through his teeth, but they all wore a disappointed expression when he began to push his way through the crowd, sprinting up the stairs to catch up with you.
You stopped dead in your tracks, even though you wanted to just keep moving, when you heard that silky smooth voice speak your name. You reluctantly turned around to face him, still only managing to let out shallow breaths.
âI- Uhm.â Now that he finally had your full attention, his mind ran blank and his mouth dry, in awe at your familiar eyes staring up at him, lips pressed together in a tight line. âHi.â
âHi,â you tried to reply, but barely a sound could be heard. His eyes shot to your feet, as you kept shifting your weight from one foot to the other, clearly not at ease seeing him again.
âYou look- I mean I didnât know you wanted to become a teacher,â he stumbled over his words, his hand coming up to rub the nape of his neck.
âMe neither,â it slipped out of you, instantly pinching your eyes shut when you reflected on what had left your lips. âWhat I mean is I only decided recently.â
He groaned softly, feeling like nothing he wanted to say would be enough. âYou finding university alright?â
It hurt. Holy hell, how it hurt, not to have the conversation flow as natural. Every atom in your body tried to convince you to just lean into what you were used to, resurrect the friendship just like that.
You nodded frantically at his question. âYeah, much to see.â
Clearing his throat, he gathered up the courage to ask what had roamed his mind since he spotted you at the start of the lecture. âIf youâre ever available, Iâd love for us to grab a coffee or something,â he said it so quickly you were barely able to decode what he even suggested, but once it registered, you drew another sharp breath.
âSure.â
âReally?â Narrowing his eyebrows at you, he hadnât expected you to accept so willingly. He hadnât really expected you to accept at all, if he was honest.
You didnât know if you regretted accepting his invitation so quickly, but if there was a chance heâd apologise, you wanted to hear it simply because you deserved it. Or maybe that was the excuse you told yourself because you so desperately wanted to hang out with him.
âYou havenât changed your number, right?â You shook your head. âIâll just text you.â The faintest smile grew on your lips as you simply nodded, a light blush spreading across Satoruâs face at the delightful sight.
âSee you around, âToru,â you said out if habit, quickly turning around and walking away so he wouldnât be able to see that you too were blushing, regretting the use of his old nickname.
It didnât even take two hours before your phone dinged with a text from him, where he suggested a time and place.
toru <3: how about next friday after the lecture? thereâs this great coffeehouse five minutes from campus
you: sounds good :)
It seemed Friday couldnât come quick enough, your anxiousness building up every lecture you had together. Despite feeling like the worst of the shock had passed as you simply flashed each other a friendly smile and a small wave when you saw each other, your mind would never get peace until everything was out in the open.
And now you finally sat opposite him, a strong grip on your mug to put your nerves somewhere. Satoru was scared you might shatter it, your knuckles turning white by how hard you were clutching at it.
âIâm really glad you decided to join,â he started awkwardly.
In all the years youâd known him, youâd never had the satisfaction of witnessing him awkward. It seemed like his default setting was mr. smooth talker, always able to find the right words in order to get what he wanted no matter how unlikely it seemed. But all that was out the window, staring at you with a sense of embarrassment, looking like a scared, young boy forced to face his stupid crush, waiting to get rejected after a sorry attempt at asking for a date.
âMe too.â
âYou look really pretty- I mean, you look great. Youâve turned out pretty. Not that you were ugly before, youâve never been ugly. In fact-â
His clumsy attempt at talking to you was cute, which was all it took to start chipping away at your cold exterior, the corner of your lips betraying you as it curled up in a small smirk.
âThank you,â you said softly, his shoulders instantly relaxing.
Something about you was definitely different, but the tone in your voice made him realise it was actually you that was sitting in front of him; his best friend. There was no reason he shouldnât be anything but comfortable around you. Especially now when heâd been offered the opportunity to maybe make amends, he couldnât throw it away.
âIâm sorry,â he said genuinely. âI donât want to give you any dumb excuses, because there arenât any. Iâm sorry and you didnât deserve any of what I said to you that night.â
His voice had turned steady now, taking back the assertiveness you were so used to hearing. âIâm sorry too.â
He instantly snorted, much to your surprise. âYou have absolutely nothing to be sorry about.â He seemed to hold back a chuckle.
âWell, duh, but thought it was polite thing to say.â You were surprised by your own words, mirroring his humoured and shocked expression. Maybe he didnât deserved to have you resort to playful banter already, but it just fell out of you so naturally. âYou look great too, by the way.â
âHeavy is the head that wears the crown,â he smirked smugly, while you rolled your eyes at him.
âUneasy is the head that wears the crown,â you corrected him, trying to suppress the smile tugging at your lips.
âOkay, nerd.â
Your lips pursed together, unable to fight it anymore, a sweet smile hiding under the annoyed facade â and he noticed, his heart doing a full flip at finally being able to see it in person again. Heâd only been able to dream of it in the time apart, and a hope began to spring in him that finally he might get you back in his life.
And this was just the first coffee of many. It started as a weekly thing, in the beginning consisting of airing it all out in order to establish the trust again. But it didnât take long until you both fell into an old and familiar pattern.
It started with tagging along to lectures. Next thing, Satoru suggested you ordered dinner while studying, however not much studying was done. The evening was spent sitting on the floor of your dorm, stuffing your faces with take out and reminiscing of your days back in high school, talking about all the gossip and drama that went down.
There was a mutual understanding that you both had to make up for the lost time, both sad youâd wasted so long not being in contact when it could all have been resolved if youâd both been mature enough to just reach out.
But despite both of you resorting to old habits, quickly acting as close as you were back then, things had escalated.
Before, heâd simply thrown his arm lazily across your shoulders without a single thought. Now his muscular arm held a more possessive grip on you like he was preventing another outcome of you slipping away. And unlike before, you matched his energy, letting your arm slide along his back and grab tightly ahold of his waist to secure him close to you.
When he subconsciously began to fidget with your fingers, you eventually let your fingers glide between his to interlock your hands, where both of you just let them rest, his thumb softly stroking you.
And when he was gentleman enough to open the door for you every chance he got, he gawked at you with pure affection in his eyes and he sneakily let his hand rest on the small of your back as you passed him.
Neither of you ever mentioned it. You gladly just let it happen, both leaning into it, getting more and more touchy as time went on. And it didnât go unnoticed by your fellow students, ugly glares in your direction as they wondered how youâd gotten so close to the incredibly hot TA in the matter of weeks, also considering how many people he had throwing themselves at his feet.
You couldnât care less however. You were simply living in the joyful bliss of having your best friend back.
ââË・â
His jaw dropped to the floor when you stepped out of the bathroom, not even noticing his lingering gaze on you, simply walking over to your purse to get your lipgloss.
The sinfully short dress hugged your curves just right, leaving little to the imagination. His eyes darted to the knee high, leather boots that elongated your enticing legs before letting his eyes indulge up your body, tracing your exposed collarbones-
âSatoru?â Drawing his attention to your face, which genuinely left him stunned having enhanced your already beautiful features, hair tucked up messily by a claw clip. âYou look like youâve seen a ghost.â
More like an angel, he thought, trying to snap out of the haze you had him under as he slowly began to approach you.
What was happening?
There was a hunger in his eyes youâd never seen before, at least not looking at you. It was like he moved in slow motion, your heart quickly picking up the pace the closer he got. âSatoru?â You asked again, but a tremble in your voice exposed your nerves. âWhat are you doing?â
A confident, on brand smirk made its way onto his face, revealing his infamous dimples as he let his hand slip to your cheek, sliding it to the side of your throat and letting his thumb draw graciously soft lines along your jaw.
âI should have kissed you that night.â
His quiet confession filled the room, having your sole focus be his eyes, those beautiful, heavenly eyes that always saw right through you. The night in question had often played in your mind, fantasising about what could have happened if either of you had decided to cross the line.
âWould you have kissed me back?â The dominance in his voice had a weird influence on you, causing your eyes to flicker away from his eyes to travel across the attractive line of his curved lips.
âWithout hesitation.â His grin widened, his thumb now moving to stroke your bottom lip. Much like that god forsaken night, he leaned forward, but this time he let his nose brush against yours, his breath brushing against your lips.
âWeâre skipping the party,â he whispered.
âDidnât wanna go anyways,â you huffed before finally being the one to engage the kiss, crashing into his lips, just as soft as youâd always imagined them to be.
Hungrily tying you arms around his neck in order to help deepen the passionate kiss, you felt his tongue slide along your bottom lip as if he was asking for you to open your mouth, to which you happily obliged.
His firm hands slid down your waist before stopping at your thighs, squeezing slightly into your plush flesh. Without breaking the kiss, you jumped into his arms with ease, wrapping your legs around his slim waist as he placed his hands on your ass, not an ounce of fear in you that heâd ever drop you.
Your hands found their way to his soft hair, instantly drawing out a soft moan from him, causing you to smile into the kiss.
âThatâs what you like, huh?â You teased, pulling away from him order to get a look at his face.
âShut up,â he chuckled before reconnecting your lips when you felt he began to walk in the direction of your bedroom.
Since rekindling your friendship, everything had moved at the speed of light. As it all had happened, youâd noticed the increased intimacy, both physically and mentally, but you hadnât wanted to assume it was anything more than just a result of missing each other.
Youâd experienced a new sensation of yearning for Satoru, one that had previously only passed you by in random split seconds which youâd always suppressed to the back of your mind. Never had you wanted to jeopardise your friendship for anything, especially for what you thought was just innocent lust that naturally washed over anyone that was in the close vicinity of Satoru.
But clearly you were wrong. Maybe there had always been a stronger desire to explore him in a different way that had just been buried because it seemed illegal. Not to forget the fact that it was being reciprocated, his strong hands exploring your body with an urgency you had never experienced with anyone before.
The meaningful and deep history only appeared to fuel the hunger you felt for one another, behaving as if neither of you had experienced the phenomenon of another personâs touch in a lifetime â and it was only specifically each other who could satisfy the need.
Still with a tight grip, he hesitatingly let you down, his hands sliding up your body to hoist your dress so it gathered around your lower abdomen. âThis dress need to come off, baby,â he breathed into your mouth as he continued to pull it up your body.
You simply lifted your arms to let him twist the dress over your head, his eyes instantly locking to your perky tits as if they were calling his name. Before he had the chance to give into the temptation of fondling them, playing with your nipples, you tugged at the bottom of his sweater. No way you were going to stand in all your glory while his clothes served as a hindrance to your desire.
Again his alluring smirk greeted you, more than willingly pulling it over his head to reveal his chiselled torso, confirming your theory that he had gotten bulkier, because you would definitely have remembered if he looked like that before.
âIs this crazy?â You asked shakily after having removed your shoes and reaching for his belt buckle. Noticing the slight jitters hiding between your excitement, he snatched ahold of your chin to force you to look at his face.
âNot crazier than the fact that I should have done this ages ago.â
Pulling your face towards him, he had you standing on your tip toes in order to dedicate as much of yourself to the kiss as humanly possible.
Once the pants were off him, your hand found his chest, fighting the urge to dig your nails into his toned pecks, guiding him backwards to sit down on your bed. With glee you straddled him, embarrassment flushed your cheeks as a needy whimper just fell from your lips when his huge bulge ended up pressing against your clothed core, an amused eyebrow quirking up on Satoruâs face.
âDamn, calm down,â he teased, your nose scrunching up to conceal the playful smile that was taking over.
âIdiot.â Grabbing his face, you let your open mouth graze against his when one of his hands palmed your clothed pussy, pulling another moan from your lips.
Without warning, he pulled your black laced panties aside, his thumb rubbing small circles on your clit. You bit your lip to choke back yet another moan. Knowing Satoru, you knew heâd forever hold it against you â how he managed to withdraw those lewd sounds from you so easily.
âSo wet for me already, sweetheart,â he panted, enjoying the view of your scrunched up face of pleasure. âCanât wait to feel you around me.â
ââToru, I-â you forced out when you felt him slip two lengthy digests inside you as he traced soft, little pecks along your collarbone that he had admired earlier. Hearing you barely able to utter his nickname mixed with the low squelching of your pussy, basically drenched already, was something he had only been able to imagine before. And god, was the real thing ten times better than his fantasy.
âGetting shy around me, pretty? Thatâs unlike you.â Again you wanted to roll your eyes at him, because he was even more cheeky when having you at his mercy than normal. But the consistent pressure on your sensitive nub along with the movement of his fingers were too much to even give that a try.
Fingertips clawing at his shoulders, slowly starting to rock your hips as you were being drawn closer and closer to the edge.
His smooth motion had you seeing stars behind your eyelids, the tingle of orgasm bubbling up inside you when he had you gasp in disappointment when you were deprived of his skilled touch.
Motherfucker.
âWhat-â your eyes fluttered open in confusion before you were thrown off his lap, landing softly on your back, sinking into the mattress. Next thing, his boxers hit the floor, exposing his already rock hard dick. Eyeing the size, his cocky personality suddenly made a whole lot of sense.
Hovering over you, he swiftly tilted your head to the side to place a series of open mouthed kisses as he used his leg to spread your legs apart, setting himself up between them, feeling his tip slightly touch your entrance as it twitched.
âI need you,â it vibrated against your skin, one arm wrapping around his back in a desperate need to feel every inch of him, while the other traveled south to lace around his dick. It was your turn to draw sounds from him, a small, satisfied giggle ringing in his ear as a reaction to hearing his pathetic whimper.
âSorry,â your giggle trailed off when he lifted his head to look down at you, the ghost of a smile on his face telling you he enjoyed the small banter during it all.
You gave him a few slow pumps, using your thumb to rub some of his precum across his tip, aligning him with the opening of your cunt as he punished you with a rough kiss on the lips.
Thatâs when you finally let go, your hand finding his back again to prepare yourself to be filled with his dick. He didnât wait to slide into you with ease, gasping softly as you involuntarily clenched around his size, trying to get used to it.
âYou okay?â He mumbled as he rested his forehead against yours. You only nodded before pulling him in for another kiss, reassuring him that you were alright and more than ready.
The line was officially crossed â no going back now. You could never go back to being just best friends, but maybe that was for the best, that maybe youâd always meant to be more. Every fibre of his being had for a long time ached to have you like this, spread out and desperate for him and only him.
At first he moved in a slow and sensual pace, wanting to be entirely sure you could take it. Eyeing your expression in awe, finally being able to be the one to make you grimace with pleasure.
âWanted this for so long,â he murmured, being driven to lose all control hearing all your sweet whimpers, occasionally mumbling his name, which had him buck his hips faster and deeper, desperate to push you to climax.
Taking every inch of him over and over, stretching around him, he glanced down to get a look of the beautiful sight, his cock moving in and out, in and out, like you were made for him.
Your nails burrowed into his back before dragging down, too dazed in the bliss of Satoruâs cock stuffed in you to care about the red lines you knew youâd created, marking him as yours. Your toes curled as he kept feeding you horny affirmations and heartfelt compliments.
âFuck fuck fuck, look at that.â
âGod youâre so beautiful.â
âTaking me so good baby.â
âFuck, should have done this ages ago. Look so pretty around me.â
âHngh, âToru,â you mewled. âIâm gonna c-cum,â you begged, squeezing your eyes shut and arching closer to him to chase your high.
âAs you wish.â Something snapped in him, slamming into you at an unbearable speed, balls smacking your ass as he kept shoving into you. You tried to make out words to tell him you were about to reach your limit, but you were too fucked out to form anything coherent, just a string of cute sounds of pleasure leaving your pretty mouth. âCum fâme.â
His simple command had you nearly scream as the sweet release washed over you, head pushing back into your pillow as he gave you the most intense orgasm you could remember. He fucked you through your high, feeling your body pressed against his until he too reached his climax, filling you with cum, a loud groan left him before his thrusts became lazy and sloppy.
He pulled out, collapsing on the bed beside you. You both turned to look at each other, instantly making eye contact. Whatever flashed between you caused you both to break into a calm laughter. Once it died down, your flipped to lay on your side and rested your chin on his shoulders.
âShould have known youâre quite a talker during sex, it adds up.â
âIs this complaining I hear?â He taunted, pinching his eyebrows together to challenge your statement. âBecause the way you just moaned my name like a slut-â
âOkay, fine, Iâll sush,â you laughed before hiding your face in the crook of his neck in embarrassment. Carefully he nudged his shoulder to have you look at him again, needing to take in your flushed face after it all, eyes roaming every part of it. âSo what happens now?â You breathed softly as your finger began to trace weak circles on his still damp chest.
Without thinking, he tilted your head up and placed an affectionate kiss on your forehead. âI know I donât wanna waste anymore time not being with you.â
âWe really screwed up there, huh?â As his secure arms wrapped around you to have you as close to him as possible, his chest vibrated with a low chuckle.
âNot my fault you were out and about, throwing your phone number at your customers.â
âOh alright, if you wanna blame previous conquests, then thereâs-â he instantly placed his large hand over your mouth to muffle the list of girl names you could remember him being with.
âStill such a brat-â you interrupted his insult by defending yourself the only way you could, sticking out your tongue to lick all over his palm. Before you even had the chance to understand what was going on, it backfired when he instantly rubbed his hand all over your face, smearing your spit.
âSatoru,â you squealed before you both fell into a fit of laughter again.
Well into the night, you just talked and laughed. Sharing every single moment from your friendship that might have been pent of feelings for each other, realising this was how it always should have been. Neither of you had to hold back on the affection or affirmation anymore in fear of jeopardising what you already had. If anything, the relation you already shared only seemed to further ignite what would come to be.
For the first time, you fell asleep in his arms, being his.
ââË・â
You were twenty-seven years old when life was just perfect.
âBut pretty please!â Nobara complained, hands pressed together in prayer, close to falling to her knees to beg you to do her this small favour. It earned her an offended frown from both her classmates standing on each side of her. âItâs a testosterone nightmare.â
Before you were able to give her any form of response, two lean arms came lurking around your waist to spin you around, drawing bubbly giggles from your lips.
âMy god, Satoru, weâre at work!â You managed to force out between your joy, eventually feeling your feet planted safely on the ground again. He lazily rested his arm across your shoulders, towering over the group with a content smile on his face.
âSorry, just got excited.â He placed a small peck on the crown of your head, sprinkling a tint of pretty pink on your cheeks.
Over and over youâd told him to keep his devotion to you on the down-low in public, especially in front of the students but he never managed to follow the simple request, having the two of you act like love sick teenagers. And as much as you pretended not to, you melted as much at his antics now as you did way back when, rarely putting up much of a fight to actually tone down his behaviour.
Looking at the three first years in front of you, both Nobara and Megumi had a hint of disgust at the sight of how mushy Satoru got with you, always having a desire to be in contact with you one way or another. Yuji, on the other hand, always admired the sheer transparency of the relationship.
âSo whatâd I miss?â
âNobara want me to give her private lessons because sheâs sick of you boys.â
âYoung miss Kugisaki, dare I say Iâm disappointed?â Satoru said, acting overly dramatic, sporting pinched eyebrows to have them believe he was actually hurt.
âGojo-sensei, I have reason to believe Iâll learn even more having a female teacher,â she pouted.
âOuch,â he breathed in response.
âYouâll tough it out,â you chuckled, a small thank you whispered from the tall man pressed against your side before you opened your mouth again. âI mean, think about how I have it. At least youâre only linked to him during school hours while I live with the guy. I can never catch a break-â
A grunt escaped you as the arm draped around you tensed up, pulling you into a strong headlock. Endless laughter leaving you as you so desperately tried to pull out of his grip but to to prevail, cheek smushed against his ribs.
âCan you guys believe it?â Satoru gasped before carefully pulling up his blindfolds slightly to reveal one of his eyes to look directly down at you. âMy own wife?â
ââToru!â He just smiled down at you at the happy sounds from your beautiful mouth, also amused by your weak attempt to break free from his hold on you, messing up your hair as you desperately tried to pull your head back.
âYouâre both insufferable,â Megumi rolled his eyes, just wanting to go on with his day.
âAll Iâve done for you over the years, and still you find it in you to talk to me like that,â shaking his head in faux disappointment. You were finally able to pop your head out from his grip, not at all due to the fact that he intentionally loosened his hold on you a little. A low chuckle rumbling at the sight of your pouty lip hidden behind your bristly hair.
Pushing it out of your eyes, you clicked your tongue as you turned your attention to his students again. âDonât listen to a word he says.â
âIâll have you know, Iâm their favourite teacher,â he said proudly, shoving his hands in his pockets, leaning forward a little to me on the same level as you.
âIsnât much competition when youâre their only teacher.â
âYouâre feisty today. Get up in the wrong side of the bed this morning?â
âNo, I think it might have something to do with you hogging the covers all night.â
The bickering continued, bickering only possible to come from two people whoâd been best friends for decades, eventually causing the three friends to walk away with either of you noticing.
âWipe of that grin, sir, or youâre sleeping on the couch,â you threatened, nothing but pure amusement in your tone. His fingers found your face, squeezing your soft cheeks together, causing your sweet lips to stick forward looking more than inviting. A low giggle once again harboured deep in your throat, trying your best not to let them spill.
His face came closer â oh how he still managed to have the butterflies go crazy inside after all these years never seized to amaze you, feeling the alluring look through his blindfolds.
âWe both know youâd come crawling into my arms after an a hour,â he teased, close enough to your puckered lips for you to feel his warm breath.
âNuh uh-â was all you were able to muffle out between his fingers.
âDamn, I love you,â he spoke softly before planting a kiss on your mouth, unable to hold back the smirk that grew when his grip changed to a tender cup of your cheek.
Sometimes it baffled you how you both managed to be so incredibly, deeply and stupidly in love with each other. Youâd think after all those years with so much devotion and admiration shared, you would have grown tired of each other by now.
But you guessed it helped to be best friends with the person youâd chosen to be with for the rest of your life.
ââË・â
a/n hehe this is long... this is basically a love letter to gojo after 261, where i had my heart absolutely shattered like most of us yk. ive been super motivated to write it tho so just last week i had 30 hours screentime on my notes app lol... now, ive said it before and ill say it again, i am NOT a smut writer (clearly). personally, thats the part here i like the least bc i just feel like i cant get it to flow naturally... besides that hope you guys like this
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#â ଠmy creative corner#satoru x reader#satoru gojo x reader#jjk x reader#jujutsu kaisen x reader#satoru imagine#satoru gojo imagine#satoru oneshot#satoru gojo oneshot#jjk#jujutsu kaisen#jujutsu gojo#gojo satoru#jjk gojo#gojo x reader#jjk satoru#jjk satoru gojo#satoru gojo/reader#jjk imagine#jjk imagines#gojo satoru x reader#jjk oneshot#jujutsu kaisen onehsot#jujutsu kaisen imagines#satoru gojo#satoru gojo x y/n#jujutsu kaisen oneshot#gojo
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totally (not) beating the allegations
best friend!takuma ino headcanons
contains... best friends to lovers, mutual pining, casual confession of love, kisses (platonic), kisses (romantic), modern au, high school to university au, living together-ish, fem intended reader, pet names (baby, babe, love, sexy, handsome, beautiful, sweetie, the list goes on and on), lots of physical touch, nicknames (you call takuma, kuma.), reader has a mother and a father, y'all are basically dating just without the label...
word count: 2.3k (this wasn't supposed to be long. i told myself 0.8k maximum...)
riea's comments: all sixteen people living in takuma city RISE UP! i miss my husband of 35 years so much, come back to me loml :(( something to munch on while y'all wait for the next full throttle chapter. also not too much on me if this is a drabble and not hcs idk the difference :))
first off... i just wanna say that i KNOW I KNOW that ino is one of the funniest people in the jjk cast idc idc!!! if he had more screentime (and if the situation wasnt dire) my boy would be crackin some jokes!!!!
you've been friends with takuma for around 7 years, your first meeting happening in tenth grade, when your teacher paired you two up for an interview project. when time came to actually record the interviews, it was hard to edit out you two laughing uncontrollably every fifteen seconds or so
i mean, you two just had so much in common!!! same favorite color, same favorite franchise, same favorite tv show, same favorite video game; it was like yall were the same person. there was just one thing you both disagreed on: whether hex code #286061 was blue or green
your argument ended up being the last ten minutes of the final video you submitted...
without a doubt, after that, you two became inseparable. in school, people would take notice of your closeness. when one of you were absent, teachers would jokingly ask "where's the other one?"
there was not a single thing you didn't do together, homework, go to the gym, gossip, eavesdrop, etc etc. so of course, you ended up applying to the same universities and when it came time for college acceptance season...
takuma invited you over, forcing you to bring your mailed letters from the eight universities. sprawling out over his lap, you took in the all too familiar sight of his room. you've been in his room more times than you've been in your own (and vice versa!)
i mean ino's been over to your place so many times that he calls your parents mom and dad. and you've been over to his house so much that takuma's mom practically jumped for joy every time you burst through the front doors with a "guess who's home!!!" so it was completely normal that you guys knew the ins and outs of each other's rooms, right?
"kuma, baby," you started with a sigh, reveling in your best friend's repetitive motions. running his hand through your hair, ino looked down at you, eyes showing that he was listening. "i'm scared, what if we don'tâ"
"ah-ah-ah! no negativity here!" he cut you off, pushing you off his lap and grabbing the letters you left on his desk. "listen here beautiful," takuma says, bringing a hand to your cheek, his heart swelling when you subconsciously leaned into it, "we're gonna take each other's letters, and open them," he handed you a white envelope, the logo of both of yours dream university on it, "starting with, kyĹmei."
taking a well needed deep breath, you nodded. "okay," you and ino began to open the envelopes at the same time, only looking at each other when you saw the status. "accepted or rejected in 3...2...1..."
"ACCEPTED"
"ACCEPTED"
cue the mandatory silence before the screaming. "holy shit. you got in." "you got in." "WE GOT IN!!! WE'RE GOING TO KYĹMEI!!!!" you two practically flew off the bed, jumping up and down in celebration. peppering his face in kisses, you nuzzled your face into takuma's neck. "i'm so proud of us! i mean, kyĹmei," you pulled away from his neck, shaking his shoulders harshly, "the kyĹmei?!!!"
anyways, soon enough, you both realized that you'd have to move away, resulting in a seven hour search for apartments near the university's campus. and just as takuma was about to give up, you found a listing for units 19A and 19B, right in the heart of the city and just a five minute walk from kyĹmei
and with that, it was moving day, well, days is more like it considering that the whole process took like ten days... finding cute furniture is really hard! and moving all of it is even harder!! and don't even get me started on the appliances! although, you and takuma found a way around it
like what do both of you need a microwave for? and there isn't a reason to have two dishwashers, there wasn't even a reason to have one! y'all kept your fridges though... who was gonna be banging on the other's door in the middle of the night for some cold water??
with time, it came for the highly anticipated freshman formal, an welcome event hosted by kyĹmei itself, and of course, you had to go. so here you were, staring at your figure in the mirror as your best friend's large hand rubbed your shoulder, the other zipping up your black dress. "all done!" he breathed, taking a step away so that you could see for yourself. "i look so cute~" you giggled, hearing the clack of your heels as you twirled. "you do!" he paused, looking you up and down, "when did you get that dress?"
"your mom gave it to me a couple days ago! where'd you get that tux? i don't think i've seen it before," you walked over and straightened takuma's suit, as he laughed in response, "your mom gave it to me..."
"this was planned."
"this was definitely planned."
"we should send a picture in the family group chat!"
"we should!!! but, hair first!"
notice how i said family group chat, singular, not plural. and that's because there's a gc for both of your families! it's name was a mix between "ino" and your last name, since, in all seriousness, your families were close
so here you were, sitting pretty on takuma's lap as you focused on straightening the front pieces of his hair, because that's what best friends do!
"okayyyy sexyyyy," you squealed, moving out of the way so that takuma could see himself in your vanity mirror, "damnn, i look hot!" he smiled as he checked himself out, his hand firmly on your waist (to make sure that you wouldn't fall, of course!). "i knew i was fine but, did i always look this fine?" he asked, looking up at you with his big dark brown eyes, a playful smirk evident on his face. "yes, takuma. you're the sexiest man ever. just a bit of eyeliner on you and we'll be on our way, okay?"
turning back to your station, you grabbed some brown and black pencils before starting to lightly draw over ino's outer eye corner, "do men as sexy as me really need eyeliner?" a look from you was all he needed to know to shut up and close his eyes
and oh, how he loved being so close to you. not just emotionally but physically as well. like, not every duo can say that they barge into the other's apartment to steal snacks! and speaking of snacks... let me just say, there's a whole cabinet in his kitchen reserved for your favorite foods and! he keeps your favorite ice cream flavor stocked in his freezer
you, on the other hand, have a little space where you hide takuma's favorite anything. chips, gummies, takeout menus, you name it, you have it. because your best friend is oh-so-optimistic, it can be harder for him when he's just not having the best of days. which is why when you go your (not so) separate ways at the end of the day, you pack up a basket for him. ribbons in his favorite color, his top 15 favorite snacks from that one time y'all bought one of everything in a nearby convenience store and ranked them, takeout on the way, horror flicks he's been wanting on dvd because he said "its cooler that way", and a handwritten letter from you, for my kuma, scribbled on the envelope
dropping off the basket at his door and retreating back to your place, you'd press your ear against the wall separating your units, physically feeling your heart break when you heard sniffles. that was all you needed to practically fly over to his, a few boxes of tissues in hand. because that's what best friends do!
and don't even get me started on how many belongings y'all have at the other's place... like that one time takuma walked into your apartment announcing his presence, only to be met with silence. let me set up the scene for you. you are taking a relaxing shower when you hear a knock on the door followed by four more and then three more. "come in!" you called out, unbeknownst to you, ino's voice was closer than you thought
"already in here..., anyways. is my shampoo in there?"
"the one with the purple cap?"
"yeah, thanks babe!"
"wait, can you get me my towel?"
or that time when you causally opened the door to his unit (because it was basically yours too) and greeted him with a simple pat on his head before skipping off to find those jeans you thrifted
slight cohabitation aside, the university life was definitely... something. it was clear and obvious that you two were close, a blind man could see it. but close is a really really really vague word, and it's surely not the word that describes the way the two of you act. in this friendship, terms of endearment drop like rain from clouds. every. other. sentence. contains a "babe" or "baby" or "sweetheart" or "darling" WE GET IT OKAY...
and it seems like if y'all go a single day without touching each other, a bomb will fall from the sky and earth would blow up. his hands are constantly on you, his favorite places (when in public) being your shoulders and arms, and when at home it was without a doubt your waist and thighs. just imagine how difficult it must be for people speak to you both on campus when his arm is slung around you and your hand is holding onto his side. the rumors practically created themselves....
and when i say people were shocked, i mean they were SHOCKED when y'all were like "haha, no, we're not dating!!! we're best friends!" everyone was thinking: yeah best friends who FUCK. best friends who are IN LOVE WITH EACH OTHER. y'all became the campus' it couple without being a couple. how does that happen??!??
however... there were a couple of people who were particularly excited to hear that you both were single. a few girls approached you one day while in the general area, asking if it was true that you and ino weren't dating. "we aren't... why?" one of the girls shifted on her feet, clearly nervous. "well... could you um... give this to him for me?!" she bowed, presenting a pretty pink envelope. you froze, staring at the item before giggling. "i see what this is about! don't worry! i'll make sure this gets to him safely!" long story short, that letter was never delivered
and on ino's side, he had some classmates pestering him about you. asking for your favorite show, candy, date style, everything under the sun. "guys, guys! she doesn't even want a boyfriend right now!" takuma shouted, even though two days prior you were complaining about how spending too much time with him was scaring all the hotties away
but let's get into the real stuff... the realization of love
for takuma, there wasn't a "wow, i'm in love with her" moment. what he does know though is that he started feeling something different for you a few months before college admission season. to him, the world was always bright with you by his side but now... it was so much brighter. it was like looking directly into the sun; it hurt but he couldn't look away, he doesn't want to look away. you're the best thing to ever happen to him, and the mere thought of ruining what you have just for some feelingâno matter how intenseâisn't... right to him
and you figured it out after a dream you had one night back in high school. you dreamt of being in takuma's arms, the ones you snuck glances at when he wasn't paying attention to you. in not dream world, all you had to do was ask and he'd gladly envelop you but the vibes in this dream were different. there was tension. and it was thick. his beanie was off and thrown somewhere on the bed, your bed. looking back at him, your breath caught in your throat, "hey pretty," he slurred, drunk off tiredness. ino's called you beautiful more times than you can count; he made sure to do it at least once a week, so why... just why did this time make your stomach heat up and your heart race? you woke up with a flushed face, queasy feeling in your gut, and a deep understanding. it wasn't just platonic love anymore
"hey," you started, eyes trained on the movie in front of you, but your mind was focused on something else, "y'know how everyone thinks we're dating?" ino nodded as you reached over to grab the bowl of popcorn. "i've been thinking... maybe they're onto something..."
takuma's gulp could be heard from miles away, "wh-what are you trying to say?"
"what are we? seriously. because i can't sit here and pretend like i don't wish we were something more."
"something more like...?"
"now's not the time to be oblivious! don't you get it?! i'mâ"
"i'm in love with you,"
it was like time stood still as you looked at your best friend. his face was lit by the tv screen a couple feet away, his hair was a mess, and slightly prominent dark circles were under his eyes, but... he's never looked more beautiful to you. "have been. for a long time. we've basically been dating for like four years already. four more and then we'll get married?" he flashed his signature smile
"oh, shut up," he brought your face millimeters away from his, whispering "make me." before kissing you deeply, not on your cheek, or your forehead, or your shoulders, but on your lips this time. and all the times after that too
because that's what best friends lovers do, right?
jjk taglist
@blendingcaramal @gzchaos @theamazingrain @woah-girlz @voloslobotomyservice
@kyozvy @obessionofagrl @bubybubsters @sugurusbaobei @raindropsonrwses
@c-moon20-12 @saltynanobeanie @theamazingrain @synthiiiiis @ghostlyluminarycloud
@poopyyy @supernatrualqueen @bxrbie-jadeee @laitifly @discipleofthem
@cheesecake95 @strawberry-cherrypie @makeshiftproject @magiamad0ka @ncitygreen
@stillnotherapy @oniondrip @cloudy-yyy @definitely-not-leena @kidd3ath
@atigerandabear @russianremy @ohnoitsamistakee18 @ivy-vivii @ourfinalisation
@1ndee @yourhornysister @ancientimes
#â â rieamena writes!#rieamena#riea#jjk#jjk x reader#jjk ino#ino x reader#ino x black reader#jjk x black reader#ino fluff#ino takuma#takuma ino#takuma ino x reader#takuma ino x black reader#ino x you#takuma ino fluff#ino hcs#ino takuma x reader#ino smut#jujutsu kaisen#jujutsu ino#jujutsu kaisen x reader#jujusu kaisen x black reader#jujutsu kaisen imagines#jujutsu kaisen ino#jjk ino takuma#jjk ino x reader#ino takuma fluff#ino takuma jjk#sorry this took a bit ijbol i had the idea from so long
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Baby Blues
Pairing - Sylus x f!MC
Summary - In the first two weeks of being new parents, the dynamic hasnât been quite what you and Sylus expected. Heâs eager to be involved, but your daughter doesnât seem to have warmed to him.
Word count - 2.7k
â ď¸Warningâ ď¸ - Mentions of pregnancy and childbirth. Hurt/comfort, fluff, and a little sprinkle of angst.
Your newborn didnât like Sylus.
It sounded ridiculous, but you know he was thinking it too. You didnât have the gall to say it out loudânot that it even needed to be said. The fact was definitely lingering between you both.
You never thought much of why she would wriggle and kick up a storm in your stomach whenever he touched the swell of your belly, but you now had an inclination that it was because she didnât like his hands there.
It was strange and upsetting, but he didnât seem too hurt by it so far, only silently helpless as he watched you do everything. You were two weeks postpartum, so your emotions were already all over the place. It seemed as though Sylus was holding his own feelings back to make room for yours, and when you had asked him about it, he simply kissed your forehead and reassured you that he was fine. All while your screaming daughter cried for you against his chest.
Not that he opened up to you all that often. You did manage to get things out of him with a push sometimes, but he was like an unyielding gate, refusing to open to anyone.
Your exhaustion was only adding to the toll on your fragile emotions. The baby only wanted your touch, and sleep was almost impossible for you because of that very reason. Only you could feed her. Only you could soothe her. Only you could touch her.
That was one thing that was really getting to Sylus. The bloodshot whites of your eyes as you rocked the fussy newborn to sleep and fed her at all hours of the morning. The barely touched plates of food that ended up stone cold and in the bin. Not to mention the completely non-existent ten minutes you needed to at least have a wash without having to run out of the shower to her aid.
He must have felt quite useless in the weeks where you should be recovering, but he didnât want you to worry about his feelings by indulging you in his thoughts.Â
Your pregnancy had been smooth, ending with a good twenty-seven hours of rather torturous labour, and pushing that went on for an agonising two hours. It had all been worth it, though. Your little bundle of joy with tufts of platinum hair had finally greeted you both with a piercing wail, but eased her protests once placed against your heaving chest.
You just wished she would settle with both parents.
It was another day of desperate wailing, your arms becoming so heavy with the exertion of having no option but to hold her. You tried to put her in her pram for Sylus to push her around for a while, but her cries only increased to the point of her little face turning purple. You couldnât sit and just listen to it, and you absolutely would not ignore herâno matter how much Sylus pushed for you to go and get some sleep.
âShe wants me,â you say for what felt like the millionth time that week.
Sylus was evidently reluctant to stop trying, but he wouldnât keep you from her. He conceded with a defeated huff, watching your every move as you gently lifted your screeching daughter out of the plush pram. Her screams died down quickly as you placed her against your chest, her ear-piercing wails whittling down to soft whimpers.
âOf all the dangerous paths Iâve crossed and violent challenges Iâve encountered, itâs our newborn daughter who finally defeats me,â he mumbles quietly, trying to make a lighthearted joke about it.
You tried to smile at his attempt to add a bit of humour to the situation, but the comment only made you cry. Hard.
âHey.â He immediately stepped toward you, rubbing a large hand up and down your back soothingly. You had to give it to him, his patience with you in the last two weeks had been immaculate. âDonât cry, sweetie.â
You couldnât stop, your ragged breaths and shaking shoulders refusing to relent. âI d-donât get it,â you bawl. âWhat are we doing d-differently?â
Sylus sighed, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. His hand continued to rub soothing circles against your back to ease your upset. âWell, she did live inside you for nine months. Besides, you didnât exactly like me either when we first met.â
He smiled faintly, tilting his head down to capture your gaze. Despite the obvious tease, he still seemed to be holding himself back. It was frustrating him more than he wanted to admit to you. You knew he was protecting your feelings, but you wished he would just show some sense of vulnerability.
You donât dare set your sleeping daughter down in her moses basket, knowing full well that she would just wake straight back up. So the rest of the afternoon is spent with your tiny newborn curled up against your chest, a few feeding and changing breaks in between.
Once the day turned into night, nothing in the world sounded more appealing to you than a hot shower, a hot meal, and a hot cup of tea. But letting her scream and cry while you did that was not an option. It wasnât fair on her, and it wasnât fair on Sylus.
He didnât leave you unless he absolutely had to throughout the day. You watched him every time he heard a little whimper from the baby, his hands flexing and twitching. Every time you had to get up to do something for her, he was either at your back or side.
He wanted to help.
The chef brought through a very large bowl of marinated chicken and pasta for you, upon Sylusâs instruction. As soon as the bowl was set on the little table beside your recliner chair, you almost began drooling. You hadnât managed to eat much at all in the chaos, and Sylus wasnât amused when you didnât even get the chance to finish the two biscuits heâd brought you earlier in the day.
You reached a careful hand over to the fork, not even lifting it before your daughter began to wriggle and whine in your other arm. Dropping it immediately, you retract your hand, only making it halfway back to the fussy newborn before long, slender fingers wrapped themselves around your wrist.
âNo,â Sylus says firmly. âAbsolutely not.â
Your initial response is to immediately go on the defence. âSheâs cryââ
âI know sheâs crying,â he interrupted tightly. âI know. But youâre going to eat while your food is hot, and youâre going to do it without our screaming daughter on your chest.â
âButââÂ
âNo buts.â
He had that commanding look in his eye, the one that would intimidate most, but was only used on you when he was especially adamant on you doing something necessary for yourself.Â
You were a little relieved to see him so passionate, if you were being honest. He had been treading on eggshells to not upset you or the baby for fourteen whole days, and it wasnât good for anyone. You felt the tension on him every time you both managed to get into bed together for more than five minutes. He needed this little outburst.
âThis needs to stop now. Iâm going to figure her out, and you are going to eat. Alright?â His tone left no room for argument, and the more your daughter protested against your intention to eat, the more hungry and tired you felt.
It wasnât easy, but you handed her off to him carefully, swallowing a lump in your throat. You couldnât take your eyes off of her distressed little face as Sylus attempted to cradle her.
You were practically twitching, your legs about to push the footrest of the recliner down to retrieve her in the first thirty seconds she was away from you. Sylus noticed immediately, and pushed it back up with his foot before you could close it down fully.
âSheâs not in any danger,â he said calmly, but his whole body was visibly tense. âSheâs right here, I wonât leave the room. Just eat, sweetie.â
You wanted to protest further, but he wasnât going to yield this time. His eyes remained trained on you until you finally sagged back into the chair, and it wasnât until you picked up your fork that he finally turned away, focusing on the distraught newborn kicking up a storm against his chest.
He held her the way you did, one hand cupped over her head to keep it steady while the other hand softly patted her back. Why she didnât want to be near him was an utter mystery to you, he wasnât doing anything incorrectly.Â
You couldnât eat while the two most important people in your life were quite clearly in a distressing situation before you. âAre you alright?â You asked him gently, hoping that he would answer you.
âI will be if you eat,â he quickly responded, not looking at you.
Sighing, you stab a slice of the chicken onto your fork, just looking at it for a moment. Your brain had managed to kick itself into gear as you forged a new approach to his silence.Â
This was an opportunity to head in the right direction.
âIâll eat if you speak to me.â
Blood red eyes shot in your direction, an eyebrow raised. âBlackmail?â
You quickly shook your head. âYou were right, this does need to stop. Starting with you shutting yourself off from me.âÂ
âEat.â
The forked piece of chicken points straight at his unamused face. âTalk.â
He shook his head a little in clear annoyance, the stress consuming him. Your daughter continued to wail, immune to the warmth and safety of his arms. He was basically trapped after promising to remain in the room with you.
Your bleary eyes held his irises of rubies, neither of you conceding. It was a mental challenge to ignore the fragrant aroma of garlic and fresh basil beneath your nose, but you were not eating until at least one of the two beautiful people before you had calmed down.
Sylus visibly swallowed, finally giving in as he noticed your lack of a bluff. âDo you think she knows?â His voice was quiet, barely heard over your newbornâs cries.
âKnows what?â
He opened his mouth to speak, but shut it again, nodding his head towards the piece of chicken on your fork. You shovel it into your gob, eager for him to continue.
His eyes flicker down to your daughter before he speaks again. âDo you think she knows that Iâve done terrible things? Do you think thatâs why she doesnât like me?â
âIââ you grumble and roll your eyes as he nods to your plate of food again, waiting for you to take another mouthful that you end up having to speak through, âI donât see how she could. Is that why youâve been so quiet?â
The corner of his mouth curled upward ever-so-slightly. âMissing my tongue, kitten?â
You couldnât help your own smile as his shoulders sagged a little from where they were practically touching his ears. It wasnât often that he opened up to you like this. You almost always had to pry or throw in a proposition to coax him into speaking.
You took another bite of your food, moving the plate from the small table to your lap. âDo you really think she doesnât like you?â
His smirk faded away quickly, a gentle thumb brushing over your daughter's head. She continued to cry, but the volume had dropped a little. âDo you not think that?â He asked.
You didnât know how to answer that question. To tell the truth, you did think that, but not for the same reason he was thinking.
âI think she may be a little attached at the moment. Weâre very different shapes and sizes. Maybe she feelsââ
âUnsafe?âÂ
His tone had dropped an octaveâsomething you didnât think was possible considering the already bone-chilling vibrations of his voice. Never before had you witnessed him in a state of such vulnerability. He was insecure about this, and it was finally starting to show.
You went to stand up to be near him, but he immediately stepped forward to halt your movement.
âEat.â
Not wanting to lose this free-speaking Sylus you had barely met before, you did as he said, twirling a fat mouthful of pasta onto your fork for extra brownie points.
You both remained in silence for a few moments, only your fork scraping against the bowl in your lap marrying with the sounds of your babyâs cries surrounding the small sitting room.
Sylusâs gaze didnât leave the newborn cradled in his arms, a gentle sway in his hips as he tried to keep her moving. All you could do was study his composure, seeing it as it cracked.
After a moment, he looked back at you. âI donât want to keep failing you.â
You coughed on the mouthful of the creamy pasta at his words, completely in awe of his confession.
Failing you? How did he get to that conclusion?
âYouâve done everything for her,â he continued, not allowing you to immediately reassure him. âI want to be able to do everything, too. For both of you.â
The all too familiar sting in your wet eyes built in intensity by the second, and you quickly found yourself sniffling.
Not only was he insecure about your daughter not feeling safe in his arms, but he felt that heâd failed you both in the past two weeks. It was heartbreaking for you to hear.
âDonât cryââ
âYouâreâŚfuck, Sylus. Youâre not failing anyone,â you tuck your fork back into the pasta with a loud sniffle, ignoring his glare that silently demanded that you continue to eat. âHow the hell did you come to that conclusion?â
He looked entirely reluctant to answer, his head dropping back down to stare at his tiny twin. You didnât want him to stop speaking again, so you quietly picked your fork back up, hoping it would capture his attention.
The silence stretched between you as you made the effort to eat for his sake. Even your daughter's cries became a little weakerâlike she was pitying him.
He didnât look at you as he said, âIâm the bad guy. The boogie man. The kind of monster that parents threaten their kids with visits from in the middle of the night if they donât brush their teeth before bed.â
âNot in our story, youâre not,â you quickly reassured him earnestly. âYouâre the husband and father who keeps the monsters away from your family. Thatâs the only Sylus she will ever know. The real one.â
He still didnât look up from the newborn, now almost completely silent in his arms, but you catch a subtle bob in his throat. You didnât need him to respond to you. You knew you had said the right words to soothe that self-deprecating thought in his complicated mind. You could see it.
âHave I told you how perfect you were two weeks ago,â he asked, knowing full well that heâd told her every day since then.
Your mouth curled into a soft smile. Even after all these years togetherâafter welcoming your first child into this scary, yet beautiful worldâSylus had no trouble giving you butterflies.
âI think you mightâve mentioned it,â you hummed softly.
And on that very note, the baby was fast asleep in his hold for the very first time in two whole weeks. His face didnât reveal anything, but you knew he was relieved. All he wanted to do was make this easier for the both of you.
Finally, you had managed to figure out what the problem had been all this time.
âYou were too tense,â you point out quietly, noticing how openly at ease he now was. âThatâs what she didnât like.â
He hummed in response, unable to tear his gaze away from the sleeping babe in his arms. You didnât say anything further, letting him enjoy that special moment in peace while you proceeded to enjoy the rest of your meal.
Despite the challenges of becoming new parents, things were going to be alright from that point onwards.
A/N - Hello! I hope you enjoyed this oneshot, thank you so much for reading. Just to let you know, I do take requests â¤ď¸
#love and deepspace#sylus#sylus x mc#sylus x reader#sylus hurt/comfort#sylus fluff#sylus angst#sylus x you#love and deepspace sylus#lads sylus#lnds sylus#l&ds sylus#love and deepspace mc#sylus x y/n#sylus love and deepspace#love and deepspace imagine#sylus fanfiction#sylus fanfic#lads mc#love and deepspace fanfiction
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but daddy i love him!
âno, iâm not coming to my senses. i know heâs crazy but heâs the one i want.â
pairing: rafe cameron x innocent kook!reader
word count: 5.8k
warnings: smut, minors dni!!! dry humping & fingering. corruption kink of sorts (rafe and an innocent reader has taken over me fully i apologize). parental violence/verbal abuse. fighting. rafe showing his true colors but quickly hiding it from the reader because rafe is a big softie for them. pet names (sweetheart, honey, darling, baby, pretty/good girl). aftercare. let me know if i miss any!
mood board!
rafe cameron was bad news.
anyone in the outer banks could tell you that.
he was a fighter, a shit-talker, a guy who you couldnât trust.
but there was something so intriguing about him that you just couldnât turn away.
from the day you moved to island almost 10 years ago, you havenât been able to get him off your mind. you would see him at parties, the country club, when you would hang out with his sister, around town on his motorbike with his buddies. but you had to push that crush deep down because no one in their right mind would go after that boy.
except you.
you stretched yourself on the court, waiting for your dad to come out with drinks before your tennis match. thatâs when you saw him and his friends making their way to the locker room. they had just got done their round of golf, you could tell by their bags. you tried not to stare, but your eyes seemed to have a mind of their own.
âhey, y/n.â you heard him call, with a smirk painted across his face.
your face blushed and you waved to him. âhey rafe.â play it cool, play it cool.
you can see him look you up and down, staring at your legs. ânice skirt.â
you looked down at the new, white tennis skirt your dad had bought you for your report card. your fingers found a loose thread, beginning to toy with it to deal with the embarrassment you felt. ât-thanks.â
he nods before looking behind you. âmr. y/l/n.â he nods with a quick wave. you turn around to see your dad with two waters and a stern look on his face. âenjoy your game.â he says before going inside.
your dad stands over you as you sit, handing a water bottle over. âthat cameron boyâŚâ he lets out a deep sigh.
âwhat?â you question, getting up and brushing your legs off.
your dad pinches the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. âheâs not the kind of guy you want to be friends with, sweetie. heâs a bad seed.â
âbut how do you know that?â you question, trying not to sound too suspicious.
your dad picks up his racket and makes his way over to his side of the net. âi know ward cameron. and i know how rafe is just like his dad, thinks he can get anything he wants. thinks there is no consequences to life. but there is. there always is.â your dad shakes his head. âi saw him beating up some kid here not that long ago. sure, he was a pogue but doesnât give rafe the right to walk around like the king of the outer banks. but until someone stops him, humbles him, thingsâll never change.â
you stand there, uncomfortable. all you wanted to do was defend rafe, though you werenât close like that. but your dad is a one way street. itâs his way or no way. so all you can do is nod. âohâŚokay.â you say simply, getting ready for the match.
âjust promise me you wonât get mixed up with the likes of that boy, please?â your father looks sincere.
you bite your lip and look down at your clean, white shoes. âyes sir.â
âgood, now watch me beat you in tennis.â he says with a laugh. i fake a smile, getting on with the game, but still have rafe in the back of my mind.
ââââą*.・:・âą*.:・â§*.・â°*.:・â§*.・:・*.・⹠âââ
you didnât see rafe again until the night of a house party at topperâs house.
your friends and you walk in, buzzed from the pre-game. they immediately all go their separate ways, looking for drinks, boys, or both. this leaves you standing awkwardly by a table, talking to some people from school. they talk about prom, their grades, and teachers, making you mentally check out from the conversation. thatâs when he catches your eye, he is talking to topper and kelce with a red solo cup in his hand. you watch his every move, how big and veiny his hands are, practically cover the entire cup. how he constantly pushes his hair back while he talks, almost seeming like a force of habit he has. he also licks his lips a lot, sending a very graphic image of rafe between your le-
he looks up, meeting your gaze. a blush forms on your face as you try to hide your embarrassment but taking a sip of alcohol from your cup. you give yourself some time, staring into the cup before looking up again. but when you look at him, he hasnât stopped staring at you. the blush you fought so hard to keep away makes your face feel like itâs on fire.
you watch as he excuses himself and makes his way over to you. this has to be a dream? or some prank, right?
âhey there, y/n.â he snaps you out of your spiraling thoughts. every person who you are talking to looks over to rafe then back at you. âdidnât know you were coming.â
you awkwardly shrug. âlast minute choice by my friends.â
his eyes burn holes into your body as he looks you up and down. âwell, iâm glad youâre here.â you nod at him, offering a shy smile. âlooks like you need another drink, come inside and iâll get you one.â he nods his head towards the kitchen door. the group you're with is watching this conversation like itâs a TV show. you make my way through them and stand next to him. he automatically puts his hand on your back and leads you inside. the feeling of his touch sends chills down your spine but it almost feels like his hand is meant to be there. like his touch is the missing piece in your life.
you get into the kitchen and he heads towards the fridge, grabbing juice and handing it over. âyou strike me as a vodka and juice, girl.â he says with a smile, making my insides melt.
âand what makes you say that?â you ask, putting your hand on my hip, playing into his little game of flirting.
âwell, youâre sweet and you seem to play it safe. you donât really drink a lot but when you do, youâre never blacked out.â he admits with a laugh, giving his diagnosis. âjuice is sweet and vodka is the safest way to get a little drunk, in my opinion.â he stares at your face, waiting for a response.
âyouâre good, rafe cameron. a little too good.â you admit, grabbing the juice and filling up the cup. he stands over you, giving me the vodka next. âdidnât know i was that easy to read.â
âyouâre not.â he admits, staring down at you while you drink. âi just think i have a special interest in you.â
you freeze in place, thereâs no way heâs admitting this to you. right now. the boy youâve been pining after since the first grade. you can tell you're shutting down but you need to play it cool. âoh really?â you look up at his blue eyes, getting lost in them instantaneously.
âreally.â he steps closer, inches away from my face. you know you are not that drunk but your head feels like itâs spinning under his gaze. he leans in a little closer, your noses brushing, when the kitchen door slams and topper can be seen stumbling in. his obnoxious laugh fills the room, making rafe close his eyes and sigh. âwhat could you possibly want right now?â
topper laughs and comes up beside rafe, heâs clearly fucked up. âiâm just looking for some weed, man.â he hits his chest playfully. âdonât let me get in your way.â
rafe pushes him away, making topper laugh harder at us. he looks at you before speaking. âsorry for being a cockblock.â
rafe narrows his eyes at him. âjust get the fuck outta here, top.â
topper staggers into the other room, still laughing.
âsorry about him. when he drinks, he becomes an asshole.â he says, running a hand across his face.
âis he drunk all the time?â i ask with a new found confidence in my voice.
rafe looks at me and laughs. âseems to be.â
you both stand in silence, not moving away from each other but unable to bring the moment back.
âi like you.â he admits.
you stare at him, unable to speak. âw-what?â
âi think you heard me, y/n.â he smiles cockily, looking into your eyes.
you look back at him. âyou barely know me, rafe.â
âdoesnât mean i canât like you.â he sips his cup and nudges your shoulder with his. âi think you could say the same about me.â he gets closer, whispering into your ear. âdonât think i donât notice how you stare at me when iâm around.â
you feel the air leave your body and you bite your lip. you feel like your cornered and have nowhere to go. âi-i-uhâŚâ
he brushes his finger against your lip, almost like heâs shushing you. but you canât even fight the way your body reacts to his touch. âitâs okay, honey. i like it. i like it a lot.â he says in a whisper, almost making you forget you arenât the only two people in the world. it feels like you can read his mind just by looking into his blue eyes. he wants youâŚscrew that, rafe cameron needs you. and you need him. forget what your father says, or the town, or even your friends. this seems to be all you need.
how am i ever going to recover from this? you thought to yourself.
you hear your friend call your name from outside. rafe looks over as they yell from outside. âiâll see you around, howâs that sound?â you look at him, unable to think when he looks at you like this. his hand brushes against your face before walking back out into the party.
you stand there, still as your friend comes in. âyou alright? looks like you seen a ghost or something.â she asks you, laughing a bit.
âall good.â was all you can get out, staring straight ahead at the door rafe just left in.
ââââą*.・:・âą*.:・â§*.・â°*.:・â§*.・:・*.・⹠âââ
ever since the party, rafe found little ways to be around you.
whether it was joining you at the country club while you played tennis or hanging around you when he saw you at the beach reading. he even started knocking on the front door of your mansion to just talk on your porch, something you had to hide from your dad. with these interactions, you had no idea what everyone was warning you about with him. he was one of the sweetest guys you ever met. for weeks, you and rafe had begun a nice friendship.
but the almost kiss at topper's party was never spoken of again.
the two of you sat on your porch swing, the air was warm as summer was slowly approaching. your legs laid flatly across rafeâs lap, looking directly at him. you poured a glass of lemonade for you both, sparking rafe to hit you with a âyou sure you donât want some vodka in this?â
when youâre with rafe, the conversations seem to just flow like you are the oldest of friends. you could talk about anything and nothing at the same time. he went on for the past five minutes about how he used to love playing lacrosse but one injury affected his whole career for him.
âit sucked, ya know? i never felt like i belonged anywhere, or had a close bond with anyone like i did on that team. then one fucking torn acl later and itâs all gone for me. i had college scouts looking at me and everything. i couldâve escaped this place and lived the real college experience.â he looked out into the water that faced your house. he turned to you and smiled awkwardly. âjeez, iâm sorry i just donât shut up.â
you chuckle at him, loving how he put some of his walls down around you. âitâs okay, i like hearing ya talk. itâs soothing.â you smile innocently at him.
he gazes into your eyes and nods, his expression softening. âreally?â you nod and he just stares at you. âyouâre one of a kind, ya know?â his fingers start to rub innocent circles on your leg.
âand whyâs that?â you ask him.
âi-i donât know, i feel like i can be myself around you.â he admits. âdonât ever quote me on that because iâll deny that shit.â he points, gaining a laugh from you.
âdonât want anyone to know rafe cameron can be a softie?â you tease him.
âshut up, iâm not a softie.â
âi think you can be behind close doors.â you say.
he stops rubbing your leg and turns to you. âoh shut up.â
âwell, youâre gonna have to make me then.â you say without thinking.
rafe looks at you with a fire in his eyes that you havenât seen since the party. âwhat was that?â he cocks his eyebrow at you.
you just stare into his eyes, straightening your shoulders back. a confidence striking you like never before. âi think you heard me, rafe.â
without missing a beat, rafe connects your lips. all of that pent-up tension, gone within that very second. his hands found his way to your face, cupping it ever so lightly like you were a delicate flower he was so lucky to have found. his hands slowly slid down your body, like he was trying to memorize every inch of your skin. "jesus, this is all i've been thinking about." he said breaking away, looking into your eyes.
"then, don't stop." you say breathlessly, climbing on top of his lap, kissing him again.
you can tell this move took rafe by surprise as he let out a soft moan in the kiss. the innocence he once thought you possessed was now all gone. you slowly began grinding yourself against rafe's clothed cock, which was slightly hardening. "fuck, who knew you had it in you, honey." he said as he kissed down your jaw. you never felt so needier in your life chasing a high with rafe that you thought you could only dream about.
your face blushed as you looked down at rafe who was staring up at you like you were a painting held high in the louvre. the more you looked down, the more self-conscious you became. your pace which was rapidly increasing started to falter. "hey, hey, sweetheart. don't stop now. what's wrong? talk to me." he caressed your face so lovingly.
you bit your lip and closed your eyes, still out of breathe. "i-i-i don't know. what if i'm doing this wrong? or it's weird for you? i'm just nervous, i never did this before."
"did what, sweetheart? dry humped?" he almost laughed, pushing hair out of your face.
you shrugged. "well yes and no..." your voice started to trail off.
"yes and no?" rafe stared at you with a puzzled expression, trying to crack the code. you watched as he deciphered your words and the gears started to turn. "y/n, have you ever been with someone like...sexually before?"
you wanted to cry, the embarrassment being too hard to handle. you just laid your head against rafe's chest and sighed. "please, don't think of me any differently. i just...i just haven't found the right person to do all this with, ya know? i used to be scared but with you...i don't know, i feel ready." rafe sat there in silence, his hands falling to your waist and gripping them. you break away from his chest and stare into his eyes, which have seemed to darken. "rafe?"
"you trust me?" he asks simply. you nod shyly, causing his breath to hitch. you can feel his pants grow tighter under you. "i want you to keep going, do you hear me? don't stop until you cum on my pants." it sounds like he is giving you orders. he brings his thumb across your lip and gives a menacing smirk. "you wanna be all mine, huh? you pretty girl. show me your mine."
with his reassurance, you pick up you begin to rub yourself against his pants. your hands grip his shoulders as he holds you down on him. "good girl, keep it going." the material of his jeans feel rough against your clothed cunt but it adds a sensation you have never felt before. "shit, look at how pretty you look on me. can't wait to bury my cock inside you. would you like that? my cock being so far inside you, you can feel it in your stomach?"
you let out a pathetic whine, your head falling back from the pleasure you have building up inside. "y-yes."
"good girl, but we gotta start with the basics, right?" his hands start to trail up your body, stopping at your closed breasts. he cups them with his hands and smiles when you cry his name. "i got you, baby. c'mon, you know you wanna cum."
you quickly grind against him, feeling desperate as you chase your high. with his words of praise and reassurance, you can feel yourself ready to release. with one quick movement, you feel the tension building up in your stomach release as you cum on rafe. tears prick your eyes as you repeat his name over and over again. "rafe, rafe, rafe."
he stares at you in awe as you finish on him. the sight of your teary eyes and his name falling from your lips in such a needy way pushed him over the edge. he found himself cumming in his pants like he was a high schooler all over again.
you both stayed there, out of breathe, not moving once. you felt like a whole new person even though barely anything has changed.
"you alright?" he asks, pushing hair away from your face.
you tiredly nod, not knowing how to form words. your hooded eyes just take in the view of rafe, his face read and sweaty with a cocky smirk painted across it.
he bites his lip and kisses you gently. "there's more where that came from, you know?" he says and your head reels. "i've been waiting for so long to have you to myself, sweetheart. i don't plan on letting go now."
you giggle into his chest and nod. "don't gotta worry about me leaving, trust me. i've never felt so good in my life." the sweet yet sensual moment you two shared came to a halt when you heard your dad's truck pulling up the gravel road to your house. "shit." you quickly climb off rafe, trying to compose yourself.
your father quickly exited the truck, slamming the door behind him. he seemed to race up to the two of you as you sat there. rafe's hand protectively went over yours as your father approached. "the hell is he doing here?" he fumes.
"d-dad, we're just hanging out." you lie to his face.
"yes sir, that's all we were doing." rafe says camly, looking at him in the eyes.
your father head snaps towards rafe. "was i talking to you, boy? no. stay outta it." his attention focuses back to you. "i told you to not mess with the likings of this boy and what do you do behind my back?" he screams at you. "you go around with this...this hooligan! i want him off my property now. acting like some easy girl, i raised you better."
"b-but, daddy." you pout, trying not to cry as rafe squeezes your hand.
"sir, you're being too hard on her. it's not her fault." rafe tries to calm him down.
your father's finger rests on rafe's chest as he gets close to his face. "oh i know that, rafe. it's you and your typical bullshit. my daughter wouldn't act this way if it wasn't for you. look at you, you're probably using her."
rafe's fists clenched as your father talks down to him, no one does this to him and gets away with it. "sir, i suggest you put that finger down."
"or what?" your father snickers in his face.
rafe's whole demeanor shifts, the sweet boy you were just talking to now gone. like he was never even there. it honestly scared you how fast rafe can change personalities. "you don't even want to know." he grits his teeth. you hate to admit the affect this took on your body, clenching your legs together.
your father drops his finger and turns to you. "inside, now." he says, grabbing your arm. before you can fight him off, he's dragging you away from rafe.
"it's okay, baby, we'll figure this out." he reassures as you are being brought into your house. "fuck!" he screams as soon as the door slams shut.
you watch as rafe makes his way to his truck, slamming the door shut and driving away. you turn to your father who just stares at you as you cry. "screw you!" you say before running upstairs and locking yourself in your room.
you finally had him and now you lost him.
ââââą*.・:・âą*.:・â§*.・â°*.:・â§*.・:・*.・⹠âââ
the days past since you saw rafe.
your father grounded you and cut you off from the outside world.
you sat by your window and waited, having some false hope that rafe would be your knight in shining armor and take you away from this place. your father pulled up the driveway and seemed to struggle getting out of his truck.
you met him at the door, ready to deal with the bullshit he would throw you today. when you opened your door, your father seemed battered and bruised.
"holy sh-i mean...what happened?" you asked, holding the door open for your dad as he sat on the recliner.
"nothing." he shuttered. "nothing happened."
you stood there and crossed your arms. "clearly something happened."
he shook his head, seeming almost fearful. "nothing happened, now drop it." you stood there as he turned to you. "you aren't grounded anymore. your phone is on my dresser." he seemed almost defeated.
you stared at your dad trying to understand what the hell is going on. are you in the twilight zone? you knew you wouldn't get an answer out of him so you grabbed your things and raced out of the house before he could change his mind. the sun was setting but you didn't care, you had one thing and one thing only on your mind.
you got on your bike and raced towards tannyhill. when you finally got there, you threw your bike down and almost ran to the front door. with two knocks, wheezie opened the door.
"y/n?" she said with a smirk.
"hey, wheezie, is rafe home?" you say, snooping around the insides of the home.
she rolls her eyes and opens the door. "in his room."
you walk up the stairs and stop right before his door. your fist hovering over it before connecting it to the wood. after a few seconds, rafe stands there in the almost dark room.
"y/n." he says, almost as though he was expecting you to be here.
you quickly jump into his arms, holding onto him by his neck. you missed this. the way he smelled, the way he felt, everything about this boy drive you wild. "i missed you."
"i missed you too, honey. come on in." he lets you into his room. this was your first time being in here. sure, you've seen it through snapchat and pictures he sends but that's it. it's the typical boy room but it felt authentic. it felt like rafe.
you sit down on his bed as he walks around, picking up clothes off the floor. "didn't think i'd be having guests." he doesn't seem like his usual self, maybe you caught him at a bad time? but he invited you in, so you stayed.
you laugh at him. "no big deal, the old man let me off the hook tonight. it was weird, he came home all messed up. i tried asking but he kinda pushed me away. it was weird."
rafe stood there, silently. "oh really?"
"yeah, super strange. he's not usually the fighter type. never has been." you watch him stand there. "you all good?"
he nods and turns to you. "i am, now that you're here."
you smile at him as he approaches you. you open your legs so he can stand in between them, looking down at you. he traces your face with his finger, stopping at your lips. "all mine, sweetheart. all mine." he says before bending down to kiss you. the kiss feels rough, almost as though you are a fresh breathe of air that rafe has been waiting for. he pushes you down onto his bed and crawls on top of you.
you break the kiss and look into his eyes, his room is dark so you can only make out certain features. but you bring your hand to his face and hold his cheek, which makes him wince. "oh, i'm sorry, did i hurt you?"
"n-no, it's all good." he tries to kiss you again but you stop him.
"rafe?" you ask him, making him stop once again. "what's wrong? tell me."
"goddamn! nothing is wrong, okay? i can't miss you." he says, running a hand through his hair. you try to study his face but can't even see him. you reach over for his bedside lamp. "no, no, leave it of-" before he can stop you, the light is on. his beautiful face has a large bruise under his right eye and cheek. his lip busted and knuckles bruised.
"rafe?" you question, sitting up.
"y/n, i can explain." he pleads.
then it all makes sense. your father coming home all battered and bruised, rafe's current state, you being let off the hook too easily.
"you don't even want to know."
"it's okay, baby, we'll figure this out."
his words from that night ring through your head. the way his whole demeanor changed that night into a person you've never seen before.
"d-did you?" you ask with teary eyes.
"baby, look at me. i can explain." he begs you but you start to get up.
"explain what? how you beat up my fucking dad!?" you yelled, trying to grasp the millions of thoughts you had. "h-how could you?" you stand by his door, pacing, with your head in your hands.
he walks up to you, grabbing your hand. "look at me, honey, please. look at me." he begs you, trying to grab your attention.
when you finally turn to him, you see the cuts and bruises again. "rafe, why?" you say with a tear slipping down.
"because i love you, honey. you're my girl and i don't give a fuck who it is, they cannot talk to you the way your own father did. calling you easy, acting like your dumb for being around me. nobody should ever talk to you like that, ever." you stop and he cups your face in his hands. "i just wanted to talk to him, okay? all i wanted to do was talk. but then he started again with how i'm a bad person and how you were being stupid for even acknowledging me. he said he didn't need a guy like me corrupting his daughter and i snapped."
you gazed into his eyes, they looked as though they were pleading with you to see why he did what he did.
"please, say something. please." he states.
you sigh and close your eyes. "rafe, i don't need you going around defending my honor, especially to my dad. it's not worth it."
"not worth it? sweetheart, look at me." you open your eyes. "you are worth everything to me, you hear me? everything. i would kill for you if you asked me to. i never had someone care for me the way you do, have someone listen to me, or even treat me normally. you mean the world to me, y/n. i love you."
and there it was.
rafe cameron, for once in his life, showed affection.
he told someone they love them.
"i'm sorry it was your dad, okay? sometimes, i black out and can't remember things when i'm angry. i act on my impulses. but with you, i never feel that way." he shakes his head, trying to contain all his emotions. your eyes water again, causing him to wipe the tears. "what's wrong, baby? talk to me."
you smile through the tears. "i just, i love you too." no one has ever made you feel so safe and loved in one moment than rafe has this past month. he's all you could ever ask for.
he beams down at you, shaking his head. "you mean that?"
"with every ounce of my body, i love you." you admit.
his heart swelled as he connected your lips once more to his. you were all his, all he ever needed in life to feel whole.
rafe pushes you against the door, a light moan slipping from your lips as he presses himself against you.
"you like that?" he asks, a satisfied smirk on his face as he kisses your cheek and goes down your neck.
you nod under his touch, like you're cast in his spell. "y-yes."
"you want more?" he asks, sucking on one spot of your neck for a long time. all you can do is nod, already becoming a mess because of him. he pulls away, having you almost whimper from the lack of contact. "not uh, baby, gotta hear some words out of that beautiful mouth of yours. i'll repeat myself, do you want more."
"y-yes, rafe, yes please."
he groans at your begging and nods. "good girl." he pulls you over to the bed and guides you toward it. you feel the bed hit the back of your knees and you sit down, looking up at him. he quickly takes his shirt off and tosses it to the side.
he kisses your lips lightly as his hands find the end of your shirt, lightly toying with the fabric. "y-you can take it off." with the reassurance, he slips the top off and leaves it next to you. his eyes take in your body, your breasts pooling out of a flimsy green bralette. he sucks his tongue and gently runs his fingers over your tits.
"so pretty and they're all for me." he slowly reaches behind your back and unclasps the bralette with one hand, letting it fall down your body. you could swear rafe has tiny hearts in his eyes as they bore onto your half-naked body. "lay down." you follow his orders and lay against his pillows. his bedroom light shines over his features and the cuts from the fight. you bring your hand up to touch them and he gives into your touch. "you okay?"
"more than okay." you tell him.
he kisses your hand then his lips meet with yours once again. he then lets his lips trail across your cheek, jaw, neck, and down to your chest. he stares at your tits before peppering them both with kisses. he then takes one nipple in his mouth, slowly, and grabs your other one with your free hand to give a squeeze. your body instantaneously reacts to rafe's touch, moaning at the sensation of his lips. "you like that, huh?" he almost teases, switching to the other nipple.
"m-more." you whisper out, clenching your eyes.
"what was that, honey? need you to speak up for me." he grins.
"please, i want more, rafe. touch me more." you raise your voice.
"you got it." his hand leaves your tit and trails slowly down your body, resting at the hem of your jeans. he unbuttons them and lets his hands slide down your underwear, his hands automatically getting soaked. "shit, baby, all this for me?" he runs ins finger down your cunt and gathering your slick, bringing it to his mouth. he sucks it off his fingers as you watch in awe. "you're just too sweet for me, you know that?"
he doesn't even give you time to think before he puts his fingers back inside you, swirling your cunt. your hands grab his shoulders, holding onto them for dear life. "it's okay, i got ya, i always got ya." he reassures as he slowly slips one finger into your tight hole. "jesus, honey, with a hole this tight i don't know how long i'll last." he says as he slips his finger in and out of you, his thumb still toying with your clit.
your head falls back as more moans fall from your lips. "more, rafe, please give me more."
he laughs slightly. "cocky little thing, aren't ya? if you insist." he adds one more finger, your hole clenching around him as his finger slip in and out. "look how pretty you look with my fingers inside of you." he says before kissing your mouth, collecting your moans. you're so wet you hear the noises your pussy is making around him. you feel overstimulated as rafe keeps going, not stopping once. tears prick your eyes as you feel your high approaching. his thumb rubs harder as your nails connect to rafe's chest, dragging them down. "my pretty baby, i just love you so much." he says, staring at you.
with those words, you feel yourself being pushed to pleasure. you cum all over rafe's fingers, crying out his name. "rafe!"
he lets you ride out your high before taking his fingers out and putting them in his mouth like he did before. "never gonna get tired of that."
he gets up and heads to the bathroom. you want to talk to him, ask him where he's going, but you're too tired. you've never felt this good, not even from your own fingers. rafe comes back with a towel in his hand, gently, he pulls off your shorts and panties, cleaning off your pussy. the water is nice and warm as he gets you situated. he drops the rag and crawls into his bed next to you, holding you tightly.
"you know, if you want me to go dow-" but before you can finish that sentence he kisses your forehead.
"no need to rush there, honey. i wanna take my time with you, wanna show you how good i can make you feel." your heart melts in your chest as he rubs your back lightly. "get some rest, alright?"
you fall asleep fast in his arms, he holds you there the entire night and doesn't plan on letting go.
#obx#drew starkey#obx fanfiction#rafe cameron#rafe cameron x reader#rafe cameron x kook!reader#innocent girl#rafe obx#rafe cameronâËŕˇ#obxâËŕˇ#kailaâs ficsâËŕˇ
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JJK MEN AS DADS
How they are with their kiddos/babies ! ft. gojo, geto, choso, toji, and nanami
content: no curse!au fluff, established relationship (marriage), children, families.
Gojo Satoru
"Look at my little boy, he looks just like me, what a heart stopper you'll be when you get older!" He praises his two year old, Kenji Gojo.
"'Toru stop trying to manifest our son into a hoe." Satoru turns to you with a loud gasp, eyes wide, and it causes your little boy to giggle.
"How could you say such words, in front of him? Don't listen to Mommy. Daddy was never a player. Never ever!" Kenji has no clue what's happening he just laughs at his father's dramatics.
"Oh brother, I hope he doesn't turn into a drama queen like you. And yes you were a player before I got with you. Remember when you kissed my friend then like ten minutes later tried to kiss me?" Satoru was a menace in college. Every time you bring up that specific college memory he always says-
"Ugh, blame Suguru! He was the one who made me take shots when I didn't like to drink." There it is. That was excuse for two-timing you and your best friend back then.
"Save it for someone who believes you. Kenji, don't be like Daddy when you grow up, okay?" Your husband knows you're joking but he can't help but whine and feel like you're being against him.
"Otay Mommy! Daddy is hoeeee. Hoe hoe hoe. Merry Christmas!" Your poor little boy thinks he's saying the noise Santa makes instead of a derogatory term and it's hilarious.
Of course you encourage him, "Daddy's a what?"
"Hoe!" Kenji screams out with a smile on his face. Satoru frowns loosing his playfulness.
"I-i guess my family just hates me... no one loves me." He sighs loudly to sell it to you guys but you don't buy it. He sits in the corner pretending to cry. "Boo hoo..." Kenji waddles his way over to his father patting his head.
"No cry Daddy, you not a hoe. You Daddy." Satoru fakes a loud gasp when he hears his son comfort him, thinking Satoru is actually crying.
"Really?!" He asks the little boy standing next to him.
"Yeah, Daddy is cool!!" Satoru chuckles, picks up is little boy and tosses him into the air. The small white haired child screams in delight as his father catches him, and you can't deny that all the trouble you and Satoru had in your relationship was worth seeing this.
Geto Suguru
"And then, the monster ate the twin girls who didn't go to sleep at their bed time-"
"Ooooookay. I think that's enough bed time stories from Papa." You say ushering your girls to bed, Hana looks scared out of her mind but Kana's eyes are sparkling with curiosity.
"Awww, Mommy, it was just getting good!" Kana whines, you know she wants to hear whatever else Suguru makes up on spot but he scared Hana who looks like she wants to cry.
"I know sweetie, but I don't think Hana really liked that story." The girls are six and full of energy at any given time.
"Come on baby, let me tell Kana the rest." Suguru matches his daughter's tone, knowing you'll give in.
"Alright, fine, but you need to apologize to Hana, look at her." Your husband looks at his younger twin daughter and he does feel kind of bad for scaring her like that. Suguru likes telling scary stories and myths to his girls just like his father had done to him. He always thought they were super cool.
"Oh, Hana, sweet girl. Papa's sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that. How about I tell you and your sister a different story?" Hana looks a little doubtful as do you, but Suguru grants you a smile. He knows you trust him so you give him a stern look before kissing his forehead.
"Don't take too long, I need my cuddles." He smirks, kissing your hand, "Of course my dear."
The twins coo in unison at their parents romantic gestures, they think it's the coolest thing ever. "You girls have your stuffed animals?" He asks them and they nod together waiting for his story.
He tells the two about a princess who needed saving. Her long lost sister came to save her from a scary dragon and they lived happily together.
"That sounds like me and Hana!! I fought the scary dragon and Hana was the princess!!!" Kana says with excitement. Sometimes Suguru sees two little girls he used to foster in his own girls. He wonders how they're doing these days. They're probably grown up by now or at least in their late teens.
"I really wish Mommy had let me name you guys Nanako and Mimiko." He whispers with a soft smile. Kana looks at him in confusion rubbing her tired eyes, Hana's already asleep.
"Huh?" Kana asks.
"Nothing my dear, good night, little one." He tucks her into bed and gives her a tend kiss on the forehead.
"Night night, Papa." She says with a yawn and Suguru makes his way downstairs to join you.
Kamo Choso
Choso bites his lip looking down at his son, the boy looks a lot like you he thinks. Ryuji is his name, you let him name him. "I didn't mean to break it." He whines to his father. Choso has a soft spot for his boy. He reminds him a lot of his little brother Yuji.
"I know bud, but what will we tell Mom when she gets home?" Ryuji had accidentally broken your favorite ceramic mug. Choso was not sure what he signed up for when he got you pregnant but it sure wasn't this.
He and his son were always getting scolded by you. Every time Ryuji gets into some kind of trouble it also happens to be Choso's fault for not watching him closely as you always say. The truth is, Ryuji seems to get into trouble even with his father watching him closely.
"Um... we can tell her it was at the edge of the counter and i walked past it and it fell down. Then it will be her fault for leaving it by the edge." Choso smiles at his devious ten year old. He knows lying is bad but if you heard what really happened you'd scold both of them.
What actually happened as that Ryuji was playing in the kitchen, even though you've warned him against it many times and he knocked your mug down onto the ground.
"Good idea, kid. I don't want to hear Mom yelling again. I might get couch treatment again." Choso shivers at the idea of sleeping on the cramped couch rather than in his warm bed with you.
"You remind me a lot of your Uncle Yuji." Choso says ruffling his son's hair. "You and Mom keep saying that and I don't know if that's good or bad."
"It depends. Yuji can be both." Choso chuckles. His son gives him a crushing hug.
"I love you dad, you're doing great." And Choso didn't know how much he needed to hear those words but they were getting to him.
Fushiguro Toji
"Quit kicking your Ma, ya little brat." He threatens your swelling belly. He gives you a questioning look when you glare at him. Those emerald eyes challenge yours in a staring contest.
"What is with you and threatening our unborn children?" Your question is followed by a giggle.
"Gotta let the brats know who's in charge." He blows out a breath and puffs his chest, you find the whole ordeal ridiculous. The man is a girl dad for crying out loud. Even his oldest, your step-son thinks his father is a clown. And before Tsumiki died there were three daughters in his life.
He thinks your third one is bound to be a boy, but you're secretly hoping for a girl just to further sink Toji's idea of having a little boy to boss around. Megumi comes around maybe twice a month to see his little half-sisters, which means Toji is surrounded by girls all the time.
You like to joke around with him and say, "What do you know? Girls seem to follow you wherever you go." He always grumbles about it being stupid and unfair.
"As I was saying-"
"DAD!!!!! MY HAIR OH NOOOOOOO." Toji's up off the couch in seconds answering at his daughter's beck and call.
He walks into her room to see her braid was messed up. "What happened, Doll?" He asks her, undoing the braid so he can redo it.
"Yui undid my braid!! She took my hair tie and ran to her room!!!" She squeals, in horror at her little sister's thieving.
"Oh did she now? I'll go have a talk with her once I braid this back up." He's gentle with his tender-headed daughter. He quickly braids her hair back up, the pattern memorized. 100% self indulgent bc im tender headed.
"I have this green hair tie, is that okay, sweet girl?" She sighs quietly. "Where are the blue ones?" Toji clicks his tongue. "I can go get one real quick if you hold the end of this braid." He tells her and she's quick to do it. Her favorite color is blue after all.
She cheers when her father returns with a blue hair tie. He ties it up quickly, "Okay let me go talk to Yui." Nami nods brushing out her baby doll's hair.
Toji makes an appearance in front of his four year old's door, she's making her dolls scream at each other. "What was da reason?!!!!" She screams pretending to be one of the dolls, "I had a reason." She makes the other say.
Toji rolls his eyes, his daughter has been watching too much TV with you. "Excuse me miss Cardi B, why did you steal your sister's hair tie?" His hands are on his hips and his eyes are squinted to add to his authority.
"Whattttt, Dad, you know dat?" She asks as if her dad lives under a rock.
"Tch I'm not old, I know what memes are. Now answer the question." She rolls her eyes. You tell Toji she gets her attitude from him.
"If you haf to know I needed it, so I could give Sprinkles a ponytail." Sprinkles is the dog Toji said he was NOT going to get for his girls but caved in and got anyway.
"Ya coulda asked me or your Ma for one rather than stealing it right from your sister's hair." She shakes her head in disagreement. Toji wonders what's going on in her head right now.
"Dad you don't get it! It had to be that one!"
"Why that specific hair tie?" She goes silent turning away from her father and mumbling something Toji can barely hear.
"Speak up, princess." She scoffs and sighs and folds her arms. Wow the sass is unreal.
"Sprinkle thinks Nami is super cool so she wants what Nami has." Toji isn't stupid he knows his daughter is using the dog as a place holder for how she admires her older sister. Yui doesn't like to admit it though.
"Are you sure it's Sprinkle who thinks Nami is super cool?" He gives her the chance to be open with him and she sighs taking the bait.
"I guess. I think Nami is super cool." She murmurs and Toji smirks.
"It's alright to think your sis is cool, Dad didn't get to grow up with any cool siblings. Just annoying cousins."
"Mai and Maki are cooler than you, Dad, not annoying!" The man in question raises his brow his smirk never leaving, "Okay since I'm not cool. I guess I won't take you out for treats anymore when Ma says no."
Little Yui gasps, bursting upward like a rocket and running toward her dad. She hugs his leg, her little head looking up at him, "I was kidding Dad. You're super cool. Please don't stop taking me for treats!!"
Toji smiles, picks up his little girl and tickles her. She screams out for him to stop, "Huh? I can't hear what you're saying."
"Nami help!!!!"
In seconds Nami's attacking her father in a playful manner, "Let go of my sister!!"
"Okay then." Toji holds his daughter upside down by her feet, as she screams some more. "MA!!! HELPPP!!!!"
"Toji put her down." You say in a half-hearted manner.
"She is down. Upside down."
Nanami Kento
"See, you're getting the hang of it, Hiro." Kento softly encourages his son who's struggling with his math homework. You had tried to help him but he screamed that what you were saying didn't make sense. So of course you yelled back, letting your emotions get the better of you.
Kento had stepped in to keep you two from ripping each other's heads off. Plus all that screaming had woken up the baby. You could hear her crying.
That was about an hour ago. You quietly walked into the dining room with your seven month old baby girl cuddled up to your chest as you held her tight.
The sight of your husband helping your son warmed your heart, but you also felt guilt hot in your stomach for yelling at him, he's only twelve.
"Hey, Hiro. Can I talk to you, hon?" You ask softly. Both your son and Kento turn their heads upon hearing your voice. He nods at you and you inhale deeply, "I'm sorry for yelling at you, bud, I didn't mean it."
His eyes soften as do Kento's.
"I'm sorry too, Mom. I started it. You were just trying to help me." Kento's smile encourages you to walk closer to the table which you do.
"We should have had Dad come help in the first place, huh? I'm not good at explaining." Hiro shares a laugh with you, and Kento cups your cheek.
"Explanations might not be your strong suit but you're still a good mother, baby." Hiro gags at his father calling you "baby" he hate when you two get sappy.
You move your head a little so you can kiss his palm. As expected Hiro covers his eyes and making more throwing up noises.
"Oh hush, one day you'll find someone for you, and you'll be just like me and your mother." Kento says rolling his eyes and you giggle. Even though you guys have your differences you guys always forgive each other at the end of the day.
Your little girl coos quietly and Kento holds out his arms gesturing for his little girl.
"She's just had dinner, so she might fall asleep on you." Your warning doesn't bother him at all, if anything, you'll probably have more pictures to add to your baby gallery on your phone if she falls asleep in his arms.
She's already a dad's girl and she's only seven months old. You thought maybe Hiro would be a mama's boy but he's definitely his daddy's son.
You don't mind though, well, sometimes you're a little jealous that you have to share your man with your kids. Kento's a very lovable man though, so you can't blame them.
#jjk#jjk fluff#jujutsu kaisen#jjk x reader#jujutsu kaisen x reader#jjk as dads#jjk!dads#jujutsu kaisen as dads#dad!au#gojo x reader#gojo satoru x reader#geto x reader#geto suguru x reader#choso x reader#choso kamo x reader#toji x reader#toji fushiguro x reader#nanami x reader#nanami kento x reader
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hello, if you still take requests, please hear me out
reader is roommates with a guy. a rather hot guy, to be honest
reader is in denial whenever someone asks if he's attracted to his roommate, but it's obvious he is, he can't take his eyes off him... taking quick looks at his crotch...
anyways, unfortunately the room only has one bed, in which they sleep on together. normally, they sleep each on each side of the bed, but tonight, roommate hugs reader from behind, sleeping spooning
reader won't admit, but he's sooo horny. he just lowers his hand and starts jerking off right there and then, careful not to wake roommate up
little does he know his roommate was just pretending to be asleep and is well sure of what he's doing. now, roommate will show reader what he's made of
would you mind writing something like this?
ŕ° đđđđđđđđ
W.C âş 9.2k
Warnings âş this is a random oc. Bottom male reader!!! Changed a few parts of the plot and added kinks since there wasnât any. Get ready for me using song lyrics, just for a little bit. Anything not translated will be translated at the ending notes. if I have any Korean wrong correct me! I appreciate feedback, Iâm not fluent!
Kinks âş dubcon, lite somnophilia, dom/sub, manhandling, predator/prey, size difference, blood, possessiveness, dacryphilia
Words to know âş ěę¸°ěź (jagiya/jagi) means âbaby/sweetieâ. ě ë°° (seonbae) title for someone older in school/work. í (hyung/hyeong) name for older male from a younger male. ě/ěź (a/ya) showing closeness to someone. ëě (Dongsaeng) little brother/sister, doesnât have to be a biological sibling/can be a friend.
ŕłŕžŕż ËË-
â ęšě§ě° â
Those words were practically all that you heard these days. You know, when you originally came to this university, you had big plans. Plans to date as much as possible. Finally lose your virginity!
But theyâre nothing important compared to who you unfortunately got paired to dorm with.
Kim Jinu.
A third year at your university. You felt bitter, to say the least. Of course you would have to unlucky chance of being paired with an upperclassman than another freshman. Gah, you wanted to cry.
Anyone that came up to you was always asking about Mister Kim Jinu! What about you?! You were handsome too!
Well, you were a potato next to Jinu.
The Korean beauty standards just had to pick favorites.
A slow soft sigh left your lips as you stared at your empty screen in front of you. Your fingers twiddled with your pen before you leaned over and pressed it against the screen, attempting to finish the outline of your sketch. You were an art major, dreaming of being an animator or even a comic book artist.
Much to your parents dismay. You havenât had your motherâs signature kimchi in almost two months now due to your choice. But you tried not to dwell on it! You wanted to be happy.
And if being a starving artist is the only way, so be it!
Speaking of starvingâŚ.
Your stomach growled as you whined and tossed the pen onto the desk, lying back in your chair as you swirled around. Youâd have better luck being a Kpop idol at this point. Maybe itâs not too late. Who doesnât like a filler member?
You glance in the small circle mirror resting on your desk and probe at your cheeks. Plastic surgery isnât too much, right? Maybe a slimmer nose? Double eyelids?
â(Name) Oppa..? What are you doing?â
A shriek left your lips as you looked back at Cho Yoona, your classmate. A tight smile pulled on your lips as you took the iced coffee she had in her hands.
âNothing, nothing. Oppa is just having a mental breakdown.â You said, quickly taking a sip of your coffee to gain some energy back.
Yoona grabbed a chair and pulled it close to your desk, sitting down next to you. âHm. What are you doing now?â
âAh? Well, the theme was something out of our comfort zone, so I was trying to create⌠uh⌠nude portraits..â
âHuh? Nude? Will Professor Lee Hyunki approve that?â
You shrugged, placing the coffee down onto the desk. âI have a backup plan. I havenât been able to get in touch with him anyway.â A groan left your throat as you saved your draft before shutting off your computer. âAnyway, letâs go. Itâs getting late.â
As you and Yoona packed up, she suddenly looked over to you with a big smirk.
âOppa⌠are you⌠close to Kim Jinu Seonbae?â She asked, looking up at you with wide eyes.
âNo.â You quickly said, rolling your eyes. âWeâre just roommates. Not close at all.â
âOh.â She muttered, pouting. âYouâre lucky, Oppa. You get to be so close to Jinu Seonbae. Isnât he handsome up close?â She squealed, clutching her notebook tight against her chest. âIâd die if I get to see him right after he takes a shower!!!â
âGet your mind out of the gutter.â You muttered, playfully flicking her forehead. The two of you left the classroom, turning off the lights and closing the door.
Once Yoona went her own separate way to her own dorms, you couldnât help but think about what she said. Jinu⌠in just a towel..?
You heaved as you accidentally swallowed your coffee a bit too fast, pounding at your chest once you finally reached your dorm. Your hands fiddle with your keys while you fight off the harsh coughing burning at your chest. The door swings open as you struggle inside, slamming the door behind you.
Tossing your bag onto your side of the room, you make a beeline for the mini fridge and pull out a water bottle, downing it in seconds. As the cool refreshment calmed the coughing beast within you, you suddenly realized you werenât holding your coffee anymore.
Your eyes trailed down to see it lying spilled on the floor not too far from your feet.
And unfortunately, it spilled right on a stake of papers near Jinuâs backpack. A shrill girlish scream right of a horror movie leaves your throat as you collapse to your knees and pick up the coffee cup, seeing the damage.
Your fingers felt numb as they slowly peeled the notebook open, seeing the pages stuck together like glue. The once white sheets dark in black, ice cubes coating it like sprinkles. Holy fuck.
Fuck fuck.
Jinu was going to kill you!
With the coffee coating the paper, you could hardly read what was written in it. But judging from the top cover, it looked to be a study guide or something.
Your eyes squinted as you tried to read what you could in hopes of gaging just how bad you fucked up. The words that you could only read were: âë°ëł´âŚí ëźâŚě기âŚâ
What the fuck?
Idiot, rabbit, babe?
What the hell was Jinu writing about?
Jinu was a business major. You couldnât recall him taking any classes dealing with animals. Maybe it was a code word? Well, all that mattered was that it didnât seem too important so you quickly grabbed the notebook. Drying it with a hair dryer seemed like your safest bet.
The room door opened, catching your attention as you shoved the notebook behind your back. There stood Jinu, obviously waving bye to someone before finally looking into the room. His eyes zoned in on you, face just frozen for a solid second.
You panicked, thinking that he could possibly see the notebook behind your back. Not the fact you were on your knees, staring up at him with wide cute eyes, and plump lips pulled into a slight pout. Especially with your sweater that was large and baggy, something you preferred, with one of the sleeves downâshowing your bare shoulders.
Why would you wear tanks underneath the sweater? The buildings here arenât that cold.
âJinu Seonbae..!â You whisper, giggling nervously as you pressed the notebook tight against your back, taking a peek to make sure it didnât stick out. âHow.. was your day?â
Jinu blinked. Once, twice, before a large grin pulled onto his face and his eyes practically closed into those crescent moons girls swooned about. Whatever he was thinking about was long gone.
âI thought I told you to call me hyung, (Name). Weâre going to be roommates for a while anyway.â Jinu said, closing the door behind him as he slipped off his shoes and put away his jacket.
You wanted him to stay as far as possibleâyou couldnât have him seeing the mess you made! Your eyes trailed around the room, looking for something to distract him with. The floor was feeling sticky from the coffee, its spill coating the floor and now your knees. You didnât even noticed you had accidentally knelt in the damn puddle.
âH..Hyung! Uhm, can you⌠get me some napkins?â You yelled, stopping Jinu just as he began to walk past the bathroom door. He balked at your raised voice but simply hummed, turning on his heels to grab some from the connected bathroom.
Your hands gripped the sticky notebook and shoved it underneath one of your old textbooks on your desk, standing up just as Jinu came back.
âSpilled something?â
âMhm⌠just some coffee.â You muttered, thanking him for the napkins as you kneeled back down to wipe it up. âI donât think it got on any of your things.â
Jinu let out a noncommittal hum, standing just inches from you as you bent over. You felt watchedâto a strange and uncomfortable amount but you didnât want to say anything. Once you finished, you glanced up at him, hoping he possibly didnât notice his missing notebook.
But this position.
No.
No, it was his stare really. You felt yourself squirm, wondering how a guy could look so cute not too long ago and watch you like a hawk the next.
âAh, (Name), did you eat the sandwich I bought you?â Jinu suddenly asked, his gaze shifting to his desk as he moved past you, sitting down on his chair. âI tried to remember what you liked.â
âOh uhm. I gave it to my dongsaeng.â
The soft taps on the desk stopped, causing you to look over at Jinu. He was facing the window so you couldnât get a read on his face. But the total silence made you feel as if what you said was the wrong answer.
âDongsaeng? Biological?â
âUhm. Yes. My little brother came to visit me.â You muttered, feeling a bit weirded out he asked that. âHe skipped school to see me, but I didnât have enough money to take him out so I just gave him my lunch. Sorry, Seonbae.â
Jinuâs light tapping on the desk began again as he let out a laugh. âItâs okay! Iâll just make sure to get you two next time.â He turned to face you, a large grin on his lips. Any tension in your body slipped away as you couldnât help but smile back.
Kim Jinu wasnât too bad of a roommate.
Just a shame he kept cockblocking you.
ŕ˝ŕ˝˛â¤ď¸ŕ˝ŕž
âWa, Hyung, these lover letters are all for you?â
On your desk, covering your keyboard and almost the entire space area, was a small mountain of love letters. In your classroom for art major, you all had small little cubicles that was essentially your work station. Unlucky for you, many people found out exactly where yours was to leave gifts.
Oh but not for you.
Are you kidding?
They were all for Jinu.
Your classmate, Im Taeil, reached over and grabbed one of the food that were left, reading the sticky note attached to it. âOh. This one is for Kim Jinu Seonbae.â
âTheyâre all for him.â You muttered bitterly, grabbing a heap of them and stomping over to the trash, dumping them with no remorse. Taeil watched you in awe as you cleaned your desk in seconds, leaving just the few snacks.
âWhy do they give them to you instead of Jinu Seonbae?â Taeil asked, pulling at the rest of the sticky notes to read what was on them. âWouldnât it be easier to just confess to him? Wow, these notes leave nothing to the imagination. I think some of these are from guys too.â
You rolled your eyes, grabbing one of the chocolate bars and pulling it open, taking a big bite. âI donât know! Maybe they canât handle rejection. I hope they know Iâm not his damn servant!â You plopped down onto your chair and sighed, wanting to just drown in your sorrows.
So much for getting laid or finding a partner.
All that anyone wanted was Kim Jinu!
Agh!! You just wanted to say, âęşźě ¸!â But you knew saying âgo to hellâ to everyone was a bad idea and would practically send you into the shadow realm of no friends.
Though your only friends seemed to be Taeil and Yoona. But you didnât really think they liked you as a person. You were just the easiest to talk to.
âHyung, can IâŚ?â Taeil suddenly whispered, catching your attention. His hands made a grabby motion as he inched close to one of the snacks on your desk. You mutely waved and allowed him to grab whatever he wanted. Youâd probably just give the rest to Yoona or something. Ah, maybe your little brotherâŚ?
âOh, Oppa! Taeil!â Yoona greeted, the door pushed open as she carried a bag filled with goods. She skipped over, a bright cheery grin on her lips as she stood right in front of you and Taeil. âLook what Jinu Seonbae gave me! Ah, heâs so cool!â
Taeil peaked into the bag and pulled out a bag of chips. âWow. He really got these for you?â You couldnât deny the slight twitch in your lips at his wording. Her? Just for Yoona? No way. No wayâŚ
Yoona shook her head. âNot just for me! Itâs mainly for (Name) Oppa!â She took out another pair of chips and two sodas, handing one over to Taeil. âThe rest is for you! Thereâs a note inside.â
The bag was practically thrusted onto your lap as Yoona walked over to her desk across from yours and plopped down, eagerly chowing down on her snacks.
Taeil looked curious on what the note said but seemed to know there was limits to his nosy behavior as he sat down at his desk two seats away from you. Huh. Mainly for you?
Weird.
You pulled open the plastic bag and pulled out a soda and chips, similar to what he gave Taeil and Yoona. But there was more: two turkey sandwiches. You pulled out the one that had a sticky note on it, tilting your head as you read his handwriting out to yourself.
â ěŹę¸°, ěëěěš ë ę°ě. ě¤ě§ í ëźë§ě ěí! ěë ëě! â
â Here, two sandwiches. For Bunny only! No Dongsaeng! â
âNo dongsaeng?â
You shrieked, looking back to see Taeil suddenly standing behind you. He grinned sheepishly, taking a step back.
âSorry, Hyung. You got so quiet⌠I was a bit worried.â
Yoona perked up from her desk, tilting her head. âWhat does it say?â She walked over and glanced down at the note. âWhoâs bunny?â
You shrugged, ânot sure. Iâve never been called a bunny before.â You let out another pathetic cry of shock when Yoona and Taeil were suddenly close to your face, eyes wide as if they were examining you like a piece of meat.
âReally? You look more like a deer to me.â Yoona muttered.
âNo⌠I see the bunny. Ah, but maybe hamster too. You have chubby cheeks, Hyung!â Taeil chimed in.
You rolled your eyes, wanting to push them away but you kinda enjoyed the attention. You werenât really into the whole animal representative thing that a lot of Kpop idols did. Just didnât see the purpose, especially after you grew up. But you wouldnât lie and say you didnât like being referred to as such cute animals.
You couldâve gotten an insect!
The rest of the day was uneventful. You actually ended up eating both sandwiches Jinu gave you, slaving away at your project. It wasnât going as great as you envisionedânowhere near. You had no problem creating a nude body it was just difficult to make it⌠artistically pleasing and not full on horny.
â ě ęšë§ě ěę° ěëě?âŚ. â
Yoonaâs Bluetooth speaker sang the melody of AOA - Excuse me as you stared at the rough draft in front of you. You wished you didnât pick digital art for this project and stick to traditional but there was no use complaining now.
Your wrist tensed as you zoomed in on the face of your modelâcreating the soft brush strokes of his hair. Sharp eyes, black in color. The outline of lips that you would paint in pink. Maybe even red. Earrings? No, he doesnât have any.
Heâs gotten bigger. Definitely compared to the pictures youâve seen of him last year from his friends. Weights..? Boxing? His knuckles looked bruised sometimes when you saw him.
Red, aching. Cuts of skin. Bright and glossy from the ointment heâd put on it. Tanned skin. Red against tanned skinâa perfect contrast.
Does it hurt to move? If you kissed it, would the blood coat your lips?
It was such an edgy thought but you wondered how itâd look to use his blood as lipstick.
His thumb pressed on your bottom lip, slowly smearing it. Would he call you pretty? Kissing you so you both can taste the metallic rush of blood. Maybe you can taste something else. White, maybe?
Your breathing shuddered as your grip on your pen tightened, legs pressing tightly together. Red and white. Would he like you in that? Pretty and pliant just for him to claim. Your free hand gently pulled at your pants, alleviating some pressure against your crotch.
Bunny. Were you his bunny?
Is that what he thought of you? Helpless and defenseless? His fingernails digging into your soft skin as blood spilled, your soft moans teetering on the verge of tears.
What did he remind you of?
A fox?
Donât they eat bunnies?
You didnât know why the thought made your whole body spasm. Your breathing getting heavy as the pen began to slip from your hand. Heâd chase you. Yeah, thatâs what a fox does to their prey. Chase you until couldnât run anymore, huddled in a dead end as he got closer.
Youâd cry and beg but heâd take you. Because he wants youâwants you so bad he canât control himself. Heâd always wanted you beneath him screaming his name for all to hear. As you became his prey.
â ë˛ě´ë ě ěë 깸 â
âOh! I love this song! Taeil, do you like The Boyz?â Yoona said, turning up the volume. Taeil hummed, looking up from his screen. His eyes looked bloodshot at this point. How long have you guys been here?
âI prefer girl groups. Like Red Velvet!â Taeil said, proudly showing his phone that had a Lock Screen of Seulgi. Yoona cooed and showed her Lock Screen of Kevin. Wow, youâre stuck with Kpop fans. You rubbed your eyes, looking away from your screen to stop seeing the dark spots appearing in your vision.
Taeil and Yoona began talking about their favorite groups while you listened to the song. It felt oddly fitting for the mood you were in right now. Youâd have to ask Yoona for the name later. Right now you need a drink, stat.
You grabbed your water bottle and took long gulps as you finally glanced back at your drawing. It took a moment for it to fully register before you let out a scream.
No it was certainly manly.
âHyung?!â
âOppa?!â
Thereâright in front of youâwas Kim Jinu staring right back at you. YouâŚ
You fucking drew him?!
â ě¨íľ ëëĄ ëŹźë¤ěŹě§ í
ë⌠â
No way. No fucking way.
But there it was, staring back at you. His fluffy black hair slicked back as if he was drenched in water. Black eyes with his signature big nose. His lips werenât pulled into his usual smiles. You had drawn him with all of his features except that damn smile.
Damn Kim Jinu⌠he was affecting you in ways you didnât think was possible.
You quickly saved your draft on the tablet and turned it off, needing to just go to your dorm and sleep this daze off. âYoona⌠Taeil⌠I need to sleep.â You muttered, Yoona and Taeil staring at you with worried looks. âYou guys should go sleep too. Itâs late.â
Yoona and Taeil didnât fight it. It looked as if they were waiting for you to give them permission. You waved them off, stating you needed to clean up a bit before leaving. Your professor didnât like crumbs. But you didnât clean, you just stared at your tablet. The large tablet that the school provided that was now logged on into your account, holding a secret.
Your breathing slowed as you reached over and pressed the power button, waiting as it lit up. The soft taps filled the room as you logged back in and clicked your recent save. He appeared in front of you again.
That fox.
A shudder left you as you pulled down your pants, along with your boxers, as your cock plopped out against your tummy. It was small. Smaller than most. Around 4 inches. Possibly 3 really. But it didnât matter to you reallyâyou didnât think youâd ever want to top anyway.
Your hand grasped your cock as you began to pump it slowly, staring straight at the drawing in front of you. His cock. You wondered what it looked like.
You respected his privacy so you never dared to stare at him whenever he came out of the shower.
But you wish you did. Wish you could have an accurate picture of how it would look. How it would be deep inside of you. Would it make a bulge in your stomach?
Is he thick? Long? Maybe both.
You arched your back against the chair as you took shallow breaths, your whimpers filling the empty room. Your toes curled as you whined and mewled, wishing someone else was jerking you off.
Oh who were you kidding?
You wished it was Jinu.
Even as you reached your orgasm, cum coating your tummy, you didnât feel any relief.
What fun was it if he didnât chase you?
ŕ˝ŕ˝˛â¤ď¸ŕ˝ŕž
âJagiâŚ.â
A hum left your throat as you buried your face into your arms, shivering slightly from the cool air that tickled your stomach.
âJagiya.â
Puffs of air brushed against your cheek. It was warm, a nice contrast compared to the cool air that covered you. A finger gently touched your cheek. Poking and doing small circles around the outline of it. The hand trailed down your face to your back, rubbing circles as it started a slight rhythm.
â ë ë댏ë ęą°ěź, ěě ě기ěź. â
Despite the taps jolting against your skin, it almost lulled you back into sleep. It was something you missed, the touch of someone special. Slowly, it inched further down, moving to the end of your sweater. Your body flinched at the hand now teasing your skin directly as it grazed it your stomach.
â ëŹ´ë°Šëš í ëź. ë´ę° ë뼟 먚ě´ěšě¸ę˛ â
It felt sticky. A deep chuckle reverberated against your back. The touch on your skin was possessive, rubbing and massaging your stomach. Your body flinched as your breathing began to stutter. A hand slipped further down, easily squeezing its way into your pants. The sensual touchâit felt as if you belonged to them and only them.
â ëë§ę¸°ëŠ´ ěŤě´ę°ęą°ěź, í ëźěźâŚ â
A gasp left your lips as your eyes opened, looking around to notice that you were still in the classroom. Fuck. Your body tensed as you moved away from your desk, groaning at the awkward position you slept in. As you stretched, your gaze flickered to an ice coffee on your desk with a sticky note attached to it.
It had a badly drawn bunny on it with a heart next to it. The words: âfighting!â were scribbled beside the crude drawing. You couldnât help but smile, placing the note on small bulletin board near your desk.
It mustâve been your hyung, Lee Minjae. Or who you affectionately called, Minnie Hyung. He was the one who pushed you to pursue your major instead of what your parents wanted. Such a great hyung.
The whole thing about Jinu felt like a distant memory. Youâd have to change what youâre submitting for the project, immediately.
No way in hell were you going to submit a nude of your fucking roommate.
ŕ˝ŕ˝˛â¤ď¸ŕ˝ŕž
There was a something wrong with your bed.
After you took your shower and changed into comfy pajamas, you noticed there was something wrong your bed. Well for one the fucking mattress was missing. You had called Jinu if he knew what happened but all he said was that he found a nest of spider eggs in it so the school confiscated it.
Unlucky for you the school were cheap stakes and it was gonna take a bit of time before you got a new mattress. Jinu had said you would be sharing with him but you didnât necessarily think you could survive something like that.
Him pressed up against you.
Would itâŚ
You pushed the thought away. Your eyes trailed off to your desk when you suddenly remembered the ruined notebook. You walked over and grabbed it from beneath one of your textbooks, seeing it in its fully ruined glory. There was no salvaging it at this point. You hoped Jinu didnât care for this dumb thing.
But you were curious to see if you could read it fully now.
You slowly peeled it open and bristled at just how bad the damage was. Half of the pages were stuck together and when you tried to part it they tore. The pen he used to write it had smudged from the liquid so his handwriting was ineligible.
Right before you had given up to just toss it, you came across the last page, seeing a word you could understand. âJagi.â Huh. Who was this babe of his? You tried to push away the slight bitterness in your throat the thought of that.
Of course heâd have a girlfriend. He was Kim fucking Jinu.
Itâd be a shock if he didnât.
You tossed the notebook into the trash can and made sure to put your food snacks on top of it just in case Jinu decided to accidentally look in there. If Jinu ever asked about his notebook, youâd pretend you never even seen him with a notebook before.
Now all you had to deal with was the problem of sleeping in the same bed with Jinu. Youâd survive.
Hopefully.
ŕ˝ŕ˝˛â¤ď¸ŕ˝ŕž
You havenât survived. Itâs been two weeks and it felt as if you hadnât slept in years. Jinu keeps two pillows between the both you while you slept but somehow the two of you always end up close. It wasnât even a day ago when you woke up to yourself resting right on Jinu, your cheek pressed against his chest while your hand palmed his neck.
He had a big chestâyou wished you had a little bit of a degenerative attitude to feel him up.
But youâd rather not be known as the perverted roommate.
â(Name)-Ah? Something wrong?â A hand gently rests on your shoulder as you glanced up to see Lee Minjae staring down at you. A cute grin pulled on your lips as you placed your pen down to grip one of his hands. You just liked touching him.
âMinnie Hyung! What are you doing in the art department?â
Minjae smirked, leaning down as your noses touch. âCanât check in on my dongsaeng? Your classmates have been telling me that youâve been cooped up in here. Itâs not good for you to stare at the screen for this long.â You giggled, watching as he pulled away.
âMhm. Iâm okay, promise!â You could feel yourself acting cuter in Minjaeâs presence. It wasnât shocking. He always made you feel safe to act how you do behind closed doors. You could wear whatever you wanted around him without being judged.
A perfect, perfect hyung.
âAh, Hyung, thank you for the coffee last time! I enjoyed it.â
Minjae hummed. âCoffee? I didnât bring you coffee.â
âWhat? You didnât? ThenâŚâ You pulled your lips into a pout as you thought about who would do something like that for you. It couldnât be Yoona and Taeil. You werenât close to anyone else.
âAh, did my pretty dongsaeng finally get a secret admirer?â Minjae grinned, playfully pulling at your cheeks while you whined. The two of you began to giggle like little boys as you stared up at Minjae with a look of pure content.
You hoped you had Minjae with you forever.
A soft knock on the door caught your attention as you and Minjae glanced to the right to see who it was. The position you were in was almost of that of a couple. Your hand grasping Minjaeâs as they rest on your shoulders. The previous nose rubbing and even just you looking up at him like he hung up the moon.
Were you two a couple?
â íě¤ëĽ¸ ě´ ę°ě ě⌠â
Jinu was having a terrible day. First he had to entertain a few random teachers with something he didnât even care to remember. Second he was bothered by some fourth years about a project they needed help on. And now, he had to deal with Cho Yoona and Im Taeilâs yapping about their favorite song while he walked to your classroom.
That song Yoona was playing just made him angrier. Insanity was the name of the song, at least thatâs what she said. Jinu felt the same and thought if he had to see something else that pissed him off heâd die a slow death.
So of course he had to see you, his bunny, making fucking whore eyes to some random seonbae.
What the fuck?!
Jinu forced a tight grin and held up a bag filled with food. Food that was just for you but of course he canât say that. Despite himself, he tried to keep an easy going and fun attitude when speaking to other people. Though he was wondering if he should forgo that for punting Lee Minjae into the sun.
That stupid pig.
You wouldnât even look at Jinu, you havenât been looking at him often these days. He knew it was because you were embarrassed about the sleeping arrangements. But it was the only way he believed you could get closer to him.
So what if he deliberately put a spider and other insects in your mattress in hopes they laid eggs and ruin it so then it would force you to sleep on the same bed with him?
You donât understand any of his other hints or flirting attempts.
He needed results fast!
You were hopping away to any other dick that wasnât his and he couldnât have that.
This chase he was having with you was starting to make him insane. If he didn't have you beneath him soon he wouldn't survive another night with you. His whole plan about having you sleep on his bed honestly felt as if it was back firing on him. You were so cuddly when you slept, always finding a way to move over the pillow barrier.
He always pretended he was asleep when you woke up in a panic, always pulling away before he could truly saver your touchâyour warmth.
He was truly going insane. All he could remember was the first time he ever saw you. But he couldn't think about it further when he felt Lee Minjae's hand pat him on the back. Jinu fought every muscle in his face to not immediately grimace at the other's touch.
"(Name)-Ah, Yoona, Taeil, I'll take my leave now. I don't wanna bother you guys any longer." Minjae leaned down towards you and Jinu felt his upper lip twitched as he watched the older with his stupid dyed blonde hair that looked fried and crispy nuzzle his nose against yours.
If that wasn't enough, Minjae wrapped his arms around your neck and held you close as he pressed a wet kiss on your cheek. You shrieked and struggled against his hold, trying to avoid the kiss. But you hardly put up a fight, all giggly and smiley. You looked so small in Minjae's arms, so pliant and easy to hold.
Jinu pulled at his sweatpants, coughing slightly. That seemed to catch Minjae's attention as he stopped his childish assault and gave (Name) a cheeky smirk. Yoona began cooing at how cute you and Minjae looked together.
You didn't. No way. Jinu fought the urge to pull Minjae away from you.
Taeil tilted his head, "Jinu Seonbae, are you okay? Your eyebrows are so furrowed. You might pop a blood vessel."
The others looked over at Jinu, Yoona and Minjae questioning if he was alright, you especially with a look of concern in your doe eyes.
Good.
Worry about him and him alone.
Pay attention to only him.
"It's nothing," Jinu said, puling out his signature lady killer smile. "I think I just need to eat something, I haven't had a proper lunch in ages." Yoona immediately swooned while Taeil rolled his eyes. Minjae seemed in deep though as he stared at Jinu, the fourth year tilting his head as if he was digging deep into Jinu's soul. Figuring him out with a just a look.
Minjae grinned. "Let your seonbae take you out, yeah?" He suddenly said, catching everyone's attention. "I know a place not too far from here that sells great tteokbokki."
Like I'd want to be caught dead with you... Jinu thought to himself but he simply hummed. "Sure, Seonbae. Bye, Yoona, Taeil..."
Jinu stared right at you as Minjae pulled away from you. Your eyes flickered over to Jinu and you offered him a tight smile, waving slightly. "See you, Jinu Seonbae."
"See you, (Name)." He whispered, mostly just happy you even looked him in the eye.
But his happiness was short lived when you looked at Minjae and offered him a cute smile. A smile that youâve never gave him. "Bye, Minnie Hyung!"
Minnie Hyung?!
Jinu followed Minjae out of the classroom, curses swirling in his mind as he stared at the man beside him. Minjae chuckled after a moment or so and looked over at Jinu with a smirk. "Y'know, you can't blow my head off with just your stare. I didn't know you were into my (Name)-Ah."
His? Jinu was fine with being expelled at this point but Minjae suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Jinu-Ya," he placed his hand on Jinu's shoulder while Jinu wondered what gave the man the audacity to use such a title with him. "If you want (Name)-Ah, you have to take him. There's so many wolves that want him." He smirked knowingly, his finger tapping Jinu's shoulder.
Just as Jinu was about to speak, Minjae pressed his finger on his lips. What the fuck? "Listen to your hyung, Jinu-Ya. With someone so naive like (Name)-Ah, you just take him like you own him. Chase after him, there is a dead end soon."
With that, he pulled away and smirked. "Tell me how the chase goes. I've been waiting for someone to snatch up my dongsaeng."
Jinu just stood there blank faced in the middle of the hallway as Minjae walked away. Just what the fuck was that? He didn't even think too hard about it when he realized he didn't have to worry about you and Minjae. Phew, that stress was short lived.
But what did he mean by dead end?
ŕ˝ŕ˝˛â¤ď¸ŕ˝ŕž
You were going insane.
It felt you were being watched these days. You had finally finished your project, having going with another idea and completely abandoning the whole nude thing. But it still sat in your drafts, practically calling you everyday. Sometimes you'd go back...
You'd finish certain parts of it. His body fully detailed expect that dreaded crotch. His dick. You wouldn't dare make what you believed his dick to look like. There was still some sense of self respect deep inside you.
Just not strong enough to not pay attention when you were drawing something for fun. You had a art account that you posted on like once every month of gay art you drew. So you were creating the piece, feeling in the mood to do something with oral fixation.
Only for you to notice instead of the usual two same characters you stuck to, it was Jinu as the top. Which, fair, it wouldn't be too different from what you had literally done weeks ago.
No, the problem was the partner.
You drew yourself.
You fucking drew yourself.
The drawing felt so real compared to the others you've made. Drawing Jinu between your legs, holding you up, bending you over on the bed. Your shoulders rest on the bed while your legs curled into yourself. His mouth biting the flesh of your ass, his eyes staring right at you, the real you.
Of course you had to angle it this way. Fucking pervert.
You tried to salvage the drawing but each stroke on that cursed tablet just made the partner look more and more like you. Okay, you were desperate for sex at this point. It was too much. You pressed the delete button on the sketch and powered off the tablet.
"I'm going, Taeil. Don't stay too late."
With lighting speed, you rushed to your dorm, trying to ignore the growing boner in your pants. Why did you have to like someone like Jinu? Out of all the people at this stupid university. Even Minjae would've been better than Kim Jinu of all people. But you couldn't complain any further because when you stormed into your dorm, fucking Kim Jinu was there, sitting at his desk.
Jinu glanced over at you and grinned, taking off his glasses as he shut off his laptop. "You're back earlier than normal. Did you end up finishing quick?"
You numbly nodded. "Yes... I just need to sleep. My eyes hurt." You couldn't even look at him. His gaze followed you as you grabbed your pajamas. Wherever you stepped, eyes were right on you, watching you like a predator does his next prey.
Bunny and fox.
That's what you imagined him as.
A fox.
It felt so hard to breathe with him near.
Why did it feel like there was no escape?
â ě§ę¸ ë뼟 미ěšëëĄ â
The soft sputtering of the fan filled the room as you laid there right awake on Jinu's bed, wondering why you couldn't sleep despite your tired eyes. Jinu was fast asleep, his back pressed your own back. You didn't know why the usual barrier wasn't here tonight but you couldn't care too much about it right now. Not with your growing boner.
You haven't masturbated in two weeks. It's not a shock that the stupid art from earlier was still affecting you like this. You wondered if you could just sneak into the bathroom and quickly jerk one off. Would he notice? Just as you made the decision to get up, strong arms suddenly wrapped around your waist. Your body stiffened as you felt Jinu snuggled against your back.
His face buried in your neck, his nose and bangs softly tickling you.
What...the...fuck?!
Your legs subconsciously clamped shut at him so close. Okay, you were fucking screwed. The thought of moving seemed impossible now with him so close. His grip was so strong that you didn't understand how someone asleep could have such strong coordination.
Despite being cuddled by your crush, your cock was more alive than ever, leaking against your pajama pants. You let out a stifled whimper as you reached down and gently rub the bottom of your palm against your bulge. The relief was almost instant as a guttural groan escaped you before you could stop yourself.
Fuck.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
Were you really going to do this?
Yeah.
Yeah you were.
Soon the fan wasn't the only one making noise. Your soft and breathy moans filled the room as you jerked off. Your body flinched from the pressure causing your butt to rub against Jinu's front.
Wait.
He was... hard...?
A wave of fear washed over you as you stilled your hand. No, no. He must be having a wet dream or something. Yeah, he can't be awake hearing you. No. No way. You needed to reach your damned orgasm and just go to sleep. You'd deal with the shame in the morning. You finally decided to pull down your pajama pants to grasp your cock and not just rub it anymore.
You pumped your cock, making sure to still your body so you don't accidentally rub your bare ass against Jinu's clothed crotch. He'd hate that. No, he'd hate to learn what you're doing. Fuck. The shame was already affecting you. Stray tears fell down your cheeks as you bit down at your pillow, still chasing your orgasm despite the shame filling your lungs.
Embarrassment. This was so fucking embarrassing.
It was close-- your orgasm. Inches away, dancing on the tip of your fingers as your moans began to reach a crescendo. So much for muffling yourself. Your edge to your orgasm was wrecking youâsending you to a mental space you couldn't imagine in any other circumstance.
Was this how sex with someone you liked felt?
Could Jinu make you feel this way?
Was... him being here making you this way?
It wasn't enough. You wanted more. Your legs shifted as you subtly pulled your pants down, kicking them off without a care. You didn't have any lube but you had no time. The tease of ecstasy was whispering your nameâcalling you to go further. So you did. You suckled two of your fingers, getting them as wet as possible before slipping down between your legs.
The two seconds of pain as you pushed them inside did not deter you. You could deal with a little pain. It was rough. Your fingers rubbed against your inner walls, searching for those bundle of nerves to drive you wild. But it was difficult in this position. You usually masturbated on your back or while sitting up.
You wondered if you should go as far as to shift positions. That'd be too much, right?
The shame was finally catching up to you. You couldn't do this. This disgusting and degrading action towards both you and Jinu. Your eyes closed as you sighed, eyes fluttering shut. It was too much.
"You're done already, (Name)-Ah?"
A chill crept up your spine as those three words were whispered right into your ear. Your eyes widen but you couldn't move. It was as if his words just took out any sort of life within you. His arms around your waist tightens as you feel him nuzzle himself further on your neck.
Your breathing feels erratic. You can't breathe. It feels as if you'd die right here, right now.
You looked down to see his hands. They looked recently bruised from his usual boxing. But now they felt different. As if it was a show at just how durable his body was. His arms slowly began to tighten around you only to you let out a sharp cry at the pain, earning a pleased grunt.
"You're awake, yeah? Are you ignoring hyung?" He whispered, his lips trailed your neck, stopping right at the tip of your air. "You can masturbate right beside me but can't even answer me?"
A pathetic whine left your throat as you tried to wiggle from his grip but it proved to be futile. You gasped, arching your back as you felt Jinu rub his crotch right against your butt. He began to hump you ignoring your shocked gasp.
Was he...?
"So selfish, bunny. Chasing your own release. Not even thinking about what your moans were doing to me." His right hand trailed down and pushed you to lay on your front, his body following to lay on top.
You cried out, gripping the bedsheets like a life line. "You.. were awake...?"
"I never went to sleep." He said honestly, spanking you right on your ass. You squeaked, back arching to get away from another spank. "I never knew you would do something like this. I was beginning to think you hated me."
"I neverââ
"âbut you never listen to me, do you? I tell you everyday to call me hyung but you never let it stick. What, do I have to force you to say it?"
"We aren't close!" You whined, whimpering at another spank. Your lower hips wiggled but you didn't make any effort to truly push Jinu off of you. You didn't understand yourself sometimes.
"What? But you call Lee Minjae hyung without any problem." Jinu grunted, his hand reaching over to grab something from the slim nightstand next to the bed. You couldn't tell what he grabbed until something cool and slimy was drizzled onto your ass. A whine left you from the coldness. "What'd he do? Fuck you? Chase you like you so desperately want?"
"Nooo," you whined, screaming when he shoved in two fingers inside your hole. Your hands dug into the bedsheets as he thrusted his fingers in and out, a constant rhythm with no sign of stopping despite your pleas for him to slow down.
Jinu chuckled, leaning down as he used his free hand to push your hair away from your face. "You act so innocent but you want this. I'll show you that I'm the only one for you. No other man can chase you like I can."
"What... ngh!!! are you talking... about..?" You manage to ask, wishing you could silence yourself. Your neighbors will certainly be having a long talk with you and Jinu tomorrow.
"Oh, bunny. My bunny, you really are so naive." Jinu whispered, pressing a kiss on your cheek. "You don't even know what you crave. It's okay, hyung will take care of you now. You won't ever have to think again."
Your body began to spasm as you felt a finger graze that bundle you tried to reach earlier. Jinu stilled for a moment, a look of slight worry in his eyes before he noticed what had just happened. A cruel smirk pulled on his eyes formed those crescent moons you once associated with his innocence.
But it didn't bring any sort of serenity to your body.
You were flipped onto your back with ease as Jinu grabbed your thighs and pushed them forward, effectively blocking your view from him. Desperate and pained moans left your lips as he continued to finger you, fingers gunning consistently at your prostate.
A loud scream left your throat as your back arched against the bed, your cock finally releasing the weeks long pent up lust you've stored for awhile now. Your stomach slowly rose and fall, coated in your sticky cum. All you could think about was your orgasm back in the classroom.
You were right.
Jinu made you cum harder than you could ever do by yourself.
You expected him to pull away but instead you felt a tug on your cock. A whine of overstimulation left your throat as you parted your legs and looked at him with wide doe eyes, confusion written all over your face.
A cruel smirk pulled on his lips as he tilted his head. "I've wanted you since I first saw you. You really think I'll let our first time be so lackluster?"
Lackluster?
He thought that was lackluster?
A pained cry left your lips as he began to thrust his fingers inside once more, leaving no sympathy as he immediately went for your prostate. You were going to die. You were going to die being fingered by your roommate. Kim Jinu was going to be the death of you.
It didn't take long for you to cum again and again, your fifth orgasm not even releasing anything. Your body twitched as your eyes watered, tears streaming down your face from the constant overstimulation. You weakly pulled your legs away from Jinu's grip after your fifth orgasm, muttering something about dying from his touch.
Jinu chuckled, allowing you to pull away. "Ah, Jagi," he whispered, causing you to blush at the title. To use such a term for you... You shamelessly felt your spent cock twitch. No, no, no! You absolutely couldn't do anymore. "You're so cute. I wanted to wait but I can't. You'll forgive me, right?"
You watched with wide eyes as he grabbed your waist and pulled you down towards him, earning a shriek from you. Your legs moved up to hide your aching and loosened hole but he was quick, spreading them wide. His eyes were like a predator, watching your every move as you tried pulling down your shirt to cover your weeping cock.
"SeonâHyung... No more... No more, please." You whispered, looking up at him with pleading eyes.
Jinu's gaze narrowed in on your face. You could see him think. Your body was aching and praying Jinu did what you asked. But your heart....
Your heart wanted him to take you without a second thought.
"Hm. No." Jinu laughed cruelly, flipping you to rest on your knees. You cried out at the sudden movement but could only whimper as he pushed your back down, lifting up your hips. Your face pushed into the bed while your thoughts rushed at the position. It felt so humaliting to have sex without looking him the eye. You felt like an object. A prize he just won.
Your dick twitched.
So much for self respect.
"Hyung's gonna take good care of you." Jinu whispered, spreading your ass apart as he rubbed his cock between the cheeks. "You'll be good for hyung, mhm? No more seonbae."
You only whined, wiggling your hips, your ass rubbing Jinu's cock.
Jinu teasingly slapped your ass. "You complain about it being too much... But look at you now, begging for my cock. I should just stop listening to what you say and take what I want. Would you stop me, (Name)-Ah? Would you run away?"
Run away?
Run away from the man you've had wet dreams about since you came to this damn university?
"Mhm. I'll run..." You whispered, a strangled moan leaving you as he began to push his cock inside of you. The stretch was difficult and you briefly wondered if this was how you'd die.
Heart attack from a thick cock.
Despite your answer, Jinu hummed. "Good. I'll chase you until you're beneath me, shaking in fear as I take you." His hands gripped your waist as he slammed the rest of his cock inside, earning a gargled cry and scream from you.
Jinu was anything but sweet. Fucking you like a beast as you withered and cried from the constant pressure against your prostate. After this, you weren't sure you'd have sex again. This could be enough for a life time.
"Sorry, (Name)-Ah. I can't last long." Jinu suddenly grunted, pulling out. You whined at the lost but didn't have to mourn it for long as he pulled you onto his lap, making you face him. Your arms subconsiously wrapped around his neck as he easily slid back into your tight heat, gripping your thighs as he bounced you on his cock.
Jinu smirked, his eyes trained right on you. "You look so pretty when you cry." He said, pressing soft kisses on your neck. "Next time, you'll be crying from just my cock. I'll make you scream my name."
You whimpered, arching your back as you pulled him closer, another dry orgasm creeping on you. You'd be sleeping well for nights to come. Jinu grunted as he began to thrust upwards into you in tandem with bouncing you up and down, causing you to cry at the sudden pressure. You were close. So close.
A sharp feeling in your shoulder caused you to spasm as Jinu's thrusts became desperate. It took you a moment to even think about what just happened--so focused on Jinu's cock stretching you out. Until you noticed red dripping down your right shoulder.
He bit you.
The delayed reaction to the bite made you scream out, tears streaming down your face you reached your six orgasm of the night. You went limp in his arms, just letting him chase his own orgasm. Teeth sharp enough to break skin wasn't something you ever imagined Jinu could do. But there it was, a rare and sore bite on your right shoulder. Blood slowly trickling down to your chest.
Jinu finally reached his orgasm after a minute or so, holding you close as he cummed deep inside. You shuddered, feeling his cum coat your sore tight heat. He didn't wear a condom. If you weren't fucked dumb you would've yelled at him about it but all you could do was hum as he pressed soft kisses against your wet and sweaty skin.
You glanced down and noticed blood coating the bottom of Jinu's lip as he pulled away from you.
He did end up coating you in red and white.
But your blood was the lipstick. You couldn't help but laugh at your cringy thought, groaning as Jinu pulled his cock out.
"You did so good, (Name)-Ah." Jinu whispered, kissing you on the lips. You tried to return the kiss but could only purse your lips against his.
Your breathing was harsh and quick, your body battered from Jinu's claiming.
This wasn't normal. Wasn't conventional at all. You were sure that if you told Yoona and Taeil about this they'd be worried for your safety.
You were prey to Jinu
But you were okay with that.
â ě¨ě ě´ ě ěę˛ ěí늴ě íŠííěě â
"You're going to roommate with a first year? Wow, good luck!"
"I didn't know they could do that."
"No one would willingly room with a first year. They're the worst."
"Aw, c'mon, Oppa! They're usually just nervous."
"Well, our Kim Jinu will have no problem. Who doesn't love him?"
"Ah, true. Good luck, Jinu!"
Kim Jinu pulled out his keys, unlocking the door to his new home for the rest of the school year. He'd be the one to get unlucky for his previously planned roommate to drop out of schoolâleaving his room open for a late transfer freshman. He didn't want to deal with first years, they were annoying.
He opened the door, shocked to see the room already having someone by one of the beds. The first year was knelt beside the bed, looking through the suitcase that was filled to the brim with clothes. Clothing that looked more feminine than anything but Jinu didn't judge.
He forced his usual carefree smile, ready to greet his new roommate when you finally turned around. His breathing stoppedâhis smile dropping at the sight of you. You... You were different from anything he imagined.
Your look of innocence. Your body suddenly becoming fidegty the longer he stared at you without saying a word. Your sweater drooping on your shoulder, showing off your bare shoulder. Your skin looked so soft, so plain. It needed something on it.
It looked too bare.
"I'm... Kim Jinu. Who are you?"
"Park (Name)." You whispered, your eyes flickering up and down his body.
Love at first sight wasn't real to Jinu. He wouldn't lie and say he felt love towards you when he first saw you.
He felt lust.
An urge to completely ruin you.
And by the look in your eyes, the not so subtle glances at his lower half of his body. You looked to be such an easy catch.
"Stop looking at me like that." You suddenly said, your lips turning into a slight snarl but it hardly held any weight. Jinu couldn't help but tilt his head. He could tell you wanted him but you were holding back?
Actively pushing him away as if you didn't look at him with the same lust he felt. Running away?
Like a game of cat and mouse.
No...
Fox and Bunny.
He was going to devour you.
Even if he had to chase you.
â ë¤ę˛ ëš ě§ ěę° ëë 결밹íě§ ěě ë â
ŕłŕžŕż ËË-
WOW!!! Gosh, this was way longer than it needed to be. I wanted to try something new lmao. Doubt i'd do it again, i was listening to kpop while writing this so it kinda just happened. Translations at the bottom! Yes, i did it for a reason, made it more fun if you didn't know what he was saying. Red is lyrics, pink are jinuâs words
I might make him an oc, i put too much effort into him for it to be a one time thing, smh... primal play is so fun.
tag list: @iwishtobeacrow @flurrina @chill-guy-but-cooler @mello-life25 @the-ultimate-librarian @kiiyoooo @ofclyde @love-kha1 @star-3214 @mooncarvers-world @smellwell @tehyunnie @remdayz @rhetorical-conscience @tomoeroi
Translations:
â ë˛ě´ë ě ěë 깸 â â I canât escape
â ě¨íľ ëëĄ ëŹźë¤ěŹě§ í
ë⌠â â everything will be colored with you
â ë ë댏ë ęą°ěź, ěě ě기ěź. â â youâre teasing me, pretty baby
â ëŹ´ë°Šëš í ëź. ë´ę° ë뼟 먚ě´ěšě¸ę˛ â â defenseless bunny. Iâll eat you up
â ëë§ę¸°ëŠ´ ěŤě´ę°ęą°ěź, í ëźěźâŚ â â if you run away, Iâll chase you , bunny
â íě¤ëĽ¸ ě´ ę°ě ě⌠â â this burning feeling
â ě§ę¸ ë뼟 미ěšëëĄ â â i'm driving you crazy right now
â ě¨ě ě´ ě ěę˛ ěí늴ě íŠííěě â â it hurts so much that i can't breathe, but it's ecstatic
â ë¤ę˛ ëš ě§ ěę° ëë 결밹íě§ ěě ë â â the moment i fell for you, i was no longer innocent
Songs used: Insanity - The Boyz & Criminal - Taemin
#bottom male reader#x male reader#sub male reader#uke male reader#male reader#mlm ns/fw#male bottom reader#oc x male reader#oc x reader#smut drabble#x male smut#original character#mlm nsft
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heyyy can you write smth about matt calling the reader "my baby" in podcasts, videos and even in front of their families without caring who's around?
MY BABY - MATT STURNIOLO
warning: very very soft matt, so if youâre not into pure fluff then this story is not for you!!
â
matt never fails to express his love for you. heâs so passionate about loving you, and making sure you know that. one day around the beginning of your guysâ relationship he had accidentally let a new nickname slip, and you fell in love with it.
you were wrapped in his arms cuddled up in his bed as both of you were dozing off. âi love you. youâre my baby,â matt had groggily let slip out of his mouth. the corners of your lips had turned up when he said this.
âi love that nickname,â you had said. so then it became yours. all yours.
~
the guys are recording a podcast episode on happiness and your name is brought up per usual. mattâs face lights up immediately and a big smile appears on his face.
âoh yeah sheâs a huge form of my happiness. itâs like an instant serotonin boost whenever sheâs around, sheâs my baby.â he smiles, not at all ashamed that both of his brothers are around, as well as all of the viewers who will be listening to the podcast episode.
âitâs so cute that you call her that,â nick smiles in awe.
âitâs disgusting nick, donât lie to him,â chris groans.
âshut up chris, youâre just mad that youâre single,â matt retorts.
~
mattâs phone rests on the center console of the car facing with the screen up. heâs in the middle of talking to nick when he feels a buzz and notices his screen light up out of the corner of his eye. his head turns and he notices that itâs a snapchat from you.
he grabs his phone and leans back in his chair as nick and chris bicker, opening the photo from you and immediately blushing. he bites the insides of his cheeks to prevent a smile, but ultimately fails when chris calls him out on his so called âantisocialâ behavior.
âdude get off your phone, stop being antisocial! weâre filming!â chris rolls his eyes.
matt shuffles to put his phone away, not enjoying the sudden spotlight on him. âsorry sorry, i was just snapping my babyyyy,â he sing-songs to piss chris off.
âew dude! i hate couples,â chris huffs and crosses his arms as he slides down in the passenger seat.
âyouâre just mad that matt is cheating on you with y/n,â nick chuckles from the back seat.
âyou know what, youâre right!â chris says as he sits up and gets close to the camera shaking his finger at it, âyou know what y/n! iâm mattâs passenger princess not you! and i was his baby first too!â
âoh my god,â matt laughs and rolls his eyes playfully at his brothers antics.
~
you were visiting his parents in boston for the first time, and you were beyond nervous to say the least. it was such a nerve wracking feeling to be meeting the most important people in his life besides you and his brothers.
âtheyâre gonna love you, y/n. youâre my baby, they know how much i love you. theyâre gonna love you just as much, maybe even more!â matt reassures you as you both walk a few paces behind his brothers in the airport.
you give matt a nervous smile as you both approach the car where both of his parents are waiting in the pickup line. mary lou quickly gets out of the car and hurries to hug her boys, before approaching you and matt with a big smile.
âhi sweetie,â she smiles to matt
âmom, meet my baby y/n!â matt smiles as mary lou wraps you in a tight hug.
âitâs so nice to meet you, mrs sturniolo,â you smile.
âoh please honey, call me mary lou,â she smiles at you. you then walk off towards the trunk and put your bag into it. as you walk off, mary lou turns to matt, ânow i see why you call her that. sheâs such a sweet and pretty girl. you did good, matt.â
â
iâm sooo sorry if this is bad it was so rushed đ
#matt sturniolo#matthew sturniolo#matthew sturniolo x you#matthew sturniolo x reader#matt sturniolo x reader#matt sturniolo x you#chris sturniolo#christopher sturniolo#nick sturniolo#sturniolo triplets#nicolas sturniolo#sturniolo x you#sturniolo x reader#sturniolo fanfic#matt sturniolo fluff#matthew sturniolo fluff
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Another short DP X DC prompt
Shared custody au and divorced energy Danny x Val with Ellie being a new member of yj and them meeting her parents seperately and together making different assumptions all together.
They thought Ellie is a child of a messy villian/hero union. Ellie doesn't correct this. Too busy laughing at the thought. The feral gremlin then FULLY leans to it. Calling hero Red Huntress mom and ghost menace Phantom dad then vaguely mentioning how hard it is when mom and dad fights. Doesn't help that they saw how Phantom and Red Huntress immediately drop their arguing whenever they think Ellie is looking and restarts fighting after sge turns her back.
D & V: *fighting, gun shots, explosions*
Ellie as Wraith: hey mom! Hey dad!
D&V: *drops fists and weapons* *smiles attentively* hi sweetie! How are you? Are those your friends? Are you having fun?
Ellie: Yeah! The yj is really fun little guys. Theyre nice!
D&V: oh thats nice sweetie!
Ellie: haha yeah *turns her back to YJ*
D&V: *immediately starts fighting again with even more gun shots, explosions*
Ellie to YJ: they're ok.
YJ: *seeing them fight behind her* what the fuck
When they had to summon the ghost king for help for something and Red Huntress stomped away and came back into the room angrily drawing a summoning circle with spray paint. She said the encantations before anyone can stop her and threw in her necklace with a ring on it. It glowed instantly and came the glorious intimidating ghost king.
Before Constantine could bullshit his way to a contract, Red Huntress aimed her plasma gun and shot at the king. JLD paled at that and tried to stop her but the king just instictively dodged.
"Valerie."
"Phantom."
"How is our Ellie doing?"
"Wouldn't you like to know, your highness."
*Cue divorced energy bickering*
What the fuck is going on with their vibes.
Meanwhile...
John: Wait, Phantom is the ghost king?!?! You married the ghost king?!?! Wraith is a realms princess?!?!
#constantine doesnt really have any flak to call her out on the theoretical monsterfucker vibes#when he's THE monsterfucker of all time#grey ghost#dpxdc#dcxdp#dpxdc prompts#DP X DC#DC X DP#dc x dp crossover
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DP x DC prompt [6]
Weapon design always came easy to Jack Fenton. He grew up with it, all the way back in Atlantis, when he was just a little guppy.
What he wasnât aware of at the time was that his parents were from a long and prestigious line of scientists and weapon manufacturers in Atlantean society. But things had been getting dangerous.Â
The King at the time cast them out when they refused his demands of greater, stronger, deadlier weapons. The kind of weapons they knew would not only destroy their enemies, but themselves as well.
They fled and went where they thought they would never be found, the surface.
Jack had the easiest time adapting, being as young as he was getting used to breathing air was a lot less of a struggle.Â
He adopted one of the most generic male names he could, and adapted the family name of Fenestratus into Fenton. And then it was just living as a human, as humanly as possible, nothing to see here.
By now Jack basically doesnât know any better. but this piece of heritage is coming back now all these years later, when his son is looking to him for help from the government.
But first he holds his boy close and apologizes, because he sees the fear, and he understands a little too well, and he doesnât like the picture heâs seeing now that all the puzzle pieces are falling into place.
âI almost became the thing I hate the most. Iâm so sorry Danny, Iâm sorry I made you feel unsafe in your own homeâ
The hug is long and warm and tight and Danny isnât ashamed to admit he might have clung a little bit.
Then Jack holds Danny tightly by his shoulders and gives him a big grin, âGood news though, youâre only half ghost, the other half is not only human but also Atlantean, and there are laws protecting us nowâ Jack mutters to himself, âI wonder if the whole ghost stuff would actually be put under the meta protection thing⌠hmmâ
Danny blinks for a moment, Jazz gapes, Maddie is suddenly no longer spiraling about how her baby boy got in a terrible accident in their lab and she didnât know.
âIâm also what?â
âDad!?â
âoh did I forget to mention that? I thought I did, I know for certain that I had been meaning toâ
âJack sweetie, are you-â
âoh yes, and I remember now, I decided to tell you after our big breakthrough because I didnât want to distract you, and-â Jack looks sheepish, âI hope you arenât too mad at me Maddiecakesâ
âmad? oh I would never be mad at you about this but we could have- I donât know, accommodated- Atlanteans are aquatic, well I guess that explains how you could always put away so much water, and when you gave me your umbrella and I thought you were just making an excuse when you told me you didnât mind and in fact loved getting pelted by the rain-â
Maddie goes on, and Jack thinks to himself that this is exactly the reason why he kept it to himself at the time, Maddie never half asses anything, heâs sure a lot of things are going to change in the house now, it honestly only makes him fall in love with her even more.
Meanwhile Jazz had filled up a bucket of water and then dunked her head in, then came back out not even slightly gasping for breath, just saying âoh my godâ over and over.
Danny timed it, âyeah okay, I guess that proves it. now Iâm starting to wonder if my weird relationship with air is ghost related at allâ
#dpxdc#dcxdp#danny fenton#danny phantom#jazz fenton#jack fenton#madeline fenton#good parents jack and maddie#Atlantean Jack#dp x dc crossover#dp x dc prompt#I like how Atlantean heritage explains a lot of the enhanced super human abilities the Fentons seem to have#also history repeating itself yadda yadda#Danny is actually a triple hybrid#Danny eventually becoming friends with Garth because of all this would be really sweet I think
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the essence of youth is summers with you
genre: poly!surfers!ateez x fem!reader, childhood best friend!san, sort of college!au, slice of life and coming of age, slow burn, fluff, angst
length: 38.7k
c/w: surfer!ateez (deserves a warning), explicit profanity, hella angst, mentions of alcohol, themes of sexuality and homophobia, arguments, implied toxicity (not the boys), miscommunication, kissing, m x m interactions
synopsis: when you move away from your hometown at the age of six, you discover that summer in namhae takes the form of a skinny, dimpled boy who loves the sea and holding handsâ choi san. but as the summers go past and he goes to seoul for college, bringing back new friends each year, you start to develop feelings that run deeper than just friendship. will your summers of youth become ones of love and dreams, or will they end in pain and heartbreak?
a/n: i owe the biggest thank you to yumi @sorryimananti-romantic for making this fic possible and for all the support she's given me in the last three months. this fic has quickly become one that i hold dearly in my heart because of how healing it has been to write, so i hope this is also healing to read âĄ
itâs the first day of summer when you move to namhae.
the houses and trees flicker past and eventually peter out into vaster fields, mudflats and stretches of beach as your father drives through the countryside from yeosu to namhae. you idly wonder if summer in namhae will be like what it is back in your hometown.
it isnât very comfortable wedged between your parents in the middle seat of the mini-truck, especially when some of the roads become unpaved as you arrive closer to the village. but youâre wearing your cute, yellow sundress with bumble bees across the front pocket, which is your big-girl dress, so you can deal with the bumpiness a little longer without complaining. the truck sounds like itâs going to give out as it groans and sputters to a stop in front of what will be your new home.
tentatively, you hop out and look around. itâs a quaint beach house that rests along a modest coastal embankment. when you walk closer to the edge of the port, you see that thereâs a stretch of sand that leads to the ocean, and a little further down the coast is another beach houseâ your new neighbours.
the rattle of your truck must have alerted them to your arrival, because they come out with warm smiles and even warmer greetings. they exchange handshakes and hugs with your parents, then the attention falls to you. thereâs a boy who peers out from behind his motherâs legs as she compliments your dress, his round eyes brimming with curiosity at the sight of a potential playmate other than his sister. you cling onto the side of your motherâs dress and the adults share a laugh.
the boyâs mother gently nudges him forward. âgo on, sweetie. say hi.â
with another nod of encouragement, the boy shuffles closer to you with an impish grin. you realise heâs shorter than you are. âhi, iâm san. iâm six years old and i like the sea!â
the grip you have on your motherâs dress loosens a little as you mumble shyly in return, âiâm y/n. iâm six and i like the sea too.â
his smile grows impossibly wider, and his eyes and remaining reservations disappear at your words. reaching out, he grabs your hand in a physical declaration of friendship. your other hand falls away from your motherâs dress.
âweâre going to go play at the beach,â he announces, because youâre his friend now and friends play together.
on your first day of summer in namhae, you find that summer takes the form of a skinny, dimpled boy who loves the sea and holding hands.
âsannie!â you skid across the wooden floorboards of his living room in your sock-clad feet, startling his father who is sitting on the couch with a newspaper.
he peers at you from above his glasses with the smile that stays consistently warm, be it from him or his son. he chuckles, âhello, sweetheart, here to play with san again?â
you bow slightly in greeting and nod before you whiz off once more in the direction of sanâs room. summer vacation has only just started and you and san have already spent seven summers together, but there are crabs to chase and waves to splash and sandcastles to build so thereâs not a day to be wasted.
âchoi san!â you holler again, thundering up to his door. youâre about to yank it open when san opens it from the opposite side, excitement already plastered across his face as he starts to yell your name too.
the moment he appears, you hurtle into his chest for a hug that ends up knocking you both off-balance. he stumbles backwards with you in his arms and rebounds off the edge of his bed, sending you both sprawling onto the floor in a fit of laughter. youâve become familiar with the way his bedroom floor feels from these exact moments, and youâve also become familiar with the way sanâs arms feel around you from being wrapped up in his tight cuddles. you may love the sea, but you love being with san just a little more.
âdo you have your bucket?â you ask, still tangled together on the floor in a mess of limbs and untamed hair.
san props himself up on an elbow and reaches behind you to reveal a large, plastic bucket. itâs purple with a white handle and it matches yours; blue with a white handle and still lying on its side from when you dropped it in favour of hugging san.
you sweep up your bucket with a cheeky grin, ârace you to the beach!â using sanâs chest as leverage to stand up, then pushing him onto his back again by his shoulders for good measure, you take off for the door.
âthatâs cheating!â he yells after you.
you sprint with glee back through the living room, barely managing to brake in time to avoid running headfirst into his mother. you greet and farewell her in a single breath before youâre off again, forgoing your sandals when you hear the thundering of sanâs footsteps and a warbled bye mum! bye dad! catching up behind you.
the pavement is hot under the bare soles of your feet but soon enough you leap off the sidewalk, bucket clattering in your hand, and the ground turns cool and soft as you run across the sinking sand. san jumps after you with a battlecry of his own and you scream when you feel him right on your tail. he catches up as you near the waves and with a final burst of energy, he grabs your hand and tugs you along with him.
your grip on your bucket is lost once more when you yelp and focus on keeping up insteadâ sanâs only got an inch on you now but why is he so much faster than you? the wet sand starts to grow colder, salty water splashing everywhere the further you sprint. neither of you slow downâ not that you could with san dragging you along right into the thick of the crashing waves as he whoops.
you dread the day san will actually be tall enough to pick you up and toss you into the water, but for now, you give him the satisfaction of pretending. you wait for him to bend down a little, then you kick the water right into his face. he splutters indignantly and blinks the sting away until he can see the wide smirk on your face. his tongue pokes his cheek as he gives you a scandalised smile, before he cocks his head and sniggers, âyour turn.â
you take that as your cue to run. san dips his bucket into the water, scooping it up full to the brim, then starts chasing you with faux anger that makes you shriek in delight. you yell breathless apologies over your shoulder in between giggles but they all fall upon deaf ears as he continues streaking after you, bucket held high like a madman with an axe.
you end up slowing down because itâs hard to run through water, and youâre met with the icy downpour of water over your head. san laughs triumphantly when you look at him with the ferocity of a soaked kitten. you eye his bucket and weigh up the odds of snatching it out of his hands versus dunking him headfirst underwater through sheer force. realistically, you have no chances of doing either. plus, san knows you too well.
âuse your own bucket, you loser,â he banters as he hides his. and yet, he walks back to retrieve your bucket for you before itâs swept out by the waves.
âare you cold?â san asks whilst passing it to you.
thereâs vigour and liveliness thrumming through your every vein. âno,â you answer, ââm not cold.â never with you.
he nods, âlet me know if you do get cold, okay? iâll grab you a jacket or something.â
âmy house is literally next to yours. i can get one if i need to,â you chuckle.
âi know, but itâs the principle of it. just shut up and let me have my chivalrous moment.â san sits with the characteristic huffiness of a teenager who thinks heâs all grown up now that heâs in high school. but itâs not very convincing when he immediately starts to shovel sand into his bucket with the enthusiasm of a puppy.
âokay, thank you, sannie. iâll let you know if i so much as shiver,â you dotingly appease him.
he nods diligently, then pats the sand next to him for you to sit down too. you join him in filling up the buckets with sand so that you two can make your thirty second attempt to build a five-tiered sandcastle pyramid. so far, youâve only ever gotten to the third layer before it starts to crumble apart.
âwhatâs wrong?â you ask when san stops packing the sand into his bucket.
you realise heâs distracted by something in the distance and you follow his line of sight to find a lone surfer riding a wave in the horizon. san watches as the manâs body becomes an extension of the oceanâ a dancing duet with the rolling waves as he stands steadily on his board with powerful elegance. when the board glides towards the shore, the man spreads his arms like an eagleâs wings and lets himself fall backwards into the sway of the water.
san is suddenly filled with yearning to learn of the seaâs choreography. he declares, âi want to become a surfer.â
âwhat happened to becoming a dancer?â you raise an eyebrow. because if thereâs one thing that san loves just as much as the sea, then itâs dancing.
âbecoming a dancer is still my dream. i meant surfing as an interest,â he breathes out. âjust look at him. he looks soâŚfree.â
you can see it in the way sanâs eyes follow the surferâs movements and sparkle with wonderâ the moment he falls utterly and hopelessly in love. âthen try it,â you encourage, âwhatâs stopping you?â
san tears his gaze away from the ocean to look at you instead. the same, loving gaze stays on his face. ânothing,â he proclaims with a growing smile. âabsolutely nothing.â
san has all the summers in the world to surf. and youâll be there with him for every single one.
you watch as san fixes his surfboard to the top of his black jeepâ the last of his luggage to be loaded.
âi donât get why youâre taking that with you. thereâs probably nowhere to even surf in seoul.â you know you sound like a snobby six-year-old and not the eighteen-year-old that you are, but you donât really care right now. not when san is leaving and you wonât be able to attend college together like you thought you would be.
tugging on the straps once more to check that theyâre secure, he chuckles, âdoesnât hurt to take it just in case.â when he sees the forlorn look on your face he adds, âiâll be back every summer, yeah?â
âit wonât be the same. who am i going to hang out with every day?â you grumble.
san laughs endearingly, âitâs only until i graduate.â
âor you find a job or a girlfriend and then youâll stay in seoul forever.â you cross your arms defiantly as san steps closer and reaches out to ruffle your hair. where you had stopped growing at fifteen, san is still growing and he now towers almost half a head over you.
âjust four yearsâno job, no girlfriendâand then iâll be back. i promise.â he opens his arms a little, ânow, do i get my goodbye hug or do i need to tickle it out of you instead?â
you huff before uncrossing your arms and sinking into his warm embrace. he folds you into his chest as your arms wrap around his waist. closing your eyes, you memorise the feeling of his back muscles flexing under your hands while he gently rocks you side to side. you soak in his body heat that swaddles your entire being in safety and home. you breathe him in one last time when you bury your face in the crook of his neck, nuzzling the steady pulse that beats there.
âiâll miss you,â you whisper, because you donât trust your voice not to crack if you speak any louder.
san presses a soft kiss against your hairline and admits, âiâll miss you more.â
you bite back the urge to respond with âthen stayâ, cherishing the moment for a little longer instead, before you step away so that he can say his goodbyes to his family. he hugs them one by one; his father, his sister, haneul, and lastly, his mother. sheâs discreetly wiping at her tears and you have to look away so that you donât start crying too. because if you start crying, everything will become blurry, and you canât afford that when this is the last time youâll see san until next summer.
you all gather around the driverâs window thatâs rolled down to the very bottom when san is finally seated. seeing him buckle his seatbelt ready to leave overwhelms you with a sense of finality and your eyes well up before you can blink the hotness away. san stretches a hand out to thumb away your tears and makes a sad noise, âdonât cry, please? we can call whenever you want.â
you sniffle, âcall me when you arrive?â
he nods with that dimpled smile you are already starting to miss. and then just like that, your best friend is gone. you stand outside his house for a stretch of time, even after the outline of his jeep has long since disappeared into the distance. it may be the last week of summer, but it feels like itâs the middle of winter today.
sanâs eyes flick upwards to look in the rearview mirror, even though he hasnât been able to see your reflection the last three times heâs looked. he had tried to appear as collected as he could to avoid making it any harder for you, but now he regrets not holding your hand a little longer; a little tighter. and if san tears up a little as he starts the four-hour drive up to seoul, then thatâs between him, the car, and the playlist you made just for him.
you absentmindedly tug on a crease in your bed sheets as you laze on your bed, phone on speaker so you donât have to hold it. âwhat was that?â you pull your device closer to your ear. âare you going somewhere?â
there it is againâ the beeping sound of a car in reverse. the warning signal stops as san answers vaguely, âhome.â
you jolt up into a sitting position, a growing sense of excitement making its way across your face as you dare to ask, âhome?â
âyeah, home,â san confirms, and you can hear the smile in his voice this time. âi told you iâd see you soon, didnât i?â
âi didnât think you meant in five literal minutes,â you almost trip over your own feet in your hurry to slip some shoes on. âoh my god, is that why you said you couldnât facetime me?â
you can hear his answer this timeâ not the scratchy voice that comes from your speaker, noâ the smooth deepness of sanâs voice close by. and there he is. after almost a year of freezing days, absent dimples and longing calls, choi san is finally back in namhae for the summer.
in quick succession, you notice three things. one, san has returned from seoul with triple the number of surfboards that he left with, strapped to the top of his black jeep. two, said man is now almost a whole head taller than you as he watches you with a smirk and disconnects your call. and three, heâs not alone.
if you think that san is tall, then the two guys that hop out of the jeep after him are even taller. one of them runs a veiny hand through his dark brown locks, which fall back down to softly frame his face. the other turns in your direction after closing his door and you realise youâve seen him beforeâ both of them, actually.
on top of your spontaneous calls with san, you facetime him every friday afternoon after your own classes have finished. heâs usually in one of the universityâs dance studios because, as a dance major at kq university, the studio is basically his second home. san mentions his friends every now and then and theyâll appear behind him to say hello to you or youâll be able to hear them in the background of the call.
quite frankly, the crusty quality of sanâs front camera hardly does them justice because wow. theyâre hot. and tall. theyâre not letting you forget that fact when the three of them step away from the jeep and closer to where you and sanâs family are waiting to welcome them.
san greets his parents with a hug before he gestures to his friends one by one, âyunho, mingi. the friends i was telling you about.â
yunho and mingi thank sanâs parents for letting them stay the summer and apologise in advance for the inconvenience. but from the way theyâre immediately told that their extended stay is more than welcome and that hopefully the drive down from seoul wasnât too tiring, you know sanâs parents have already adopted the two well-mannered boys as their own sons.
âhey, pipsqueak,â san sidles up to your side whilst his parents fuss over his friends.
you look at him, appalled by the sudden nickname, and even more so as you swat his hand away when he playfully ruffles your hair to tease, âlooks like youâve been busy doing everything but growing.â
âon second thoughts, maybe i donât really miss you.â
san laughs, the tinkle of the sound like the crisp smell of the ocean during sunrise. he pulls you into him and thatâs all it takes for you to melt in his embrace. despite your earlier quip, youâve missed san terribly. it finally feels like namhae now that his familiar arms are around you again.
the rumble of sanâs chest is soothing as he says, âwell, i miss you. itâs good to be back home.â
you pull back a little to look up at him and god, heâs gotten so much taller. âitâs good to have you back home, choi san.â
the sound of approaching footsteps breaks your hug apart and you give the two boys a friendly smile as san roughly introduces your names, âbut you all already know that, considering you guys basically see each other every week.â
âon top of the fact that san doesnât shut up about you,â mingi jokes.
san punches him in the arm and mingi amends himself with a laugh, ânamhae! he doesnât shut up about namhae!â
yunho snorts, then offers you a small hug as he properly introduces himself. he leaves enough space between your bodies for the holy spirit to boogie when his arms encircle you, and you honestly find his courtesy extremely endearing.
âare you two also dance majors?â you ask.
âyeah, so we share some classes together,â yunho explains. âmingi and san are in the department of dance performance though, whereas iâm in choreo, so they have all their classes together and i only share the core ones with them.â
âgood thing, too,â mingi joins the conversation and rests an arm around the otherâs shoulder. âiâve known him since high school and i was honestly starting to get a little sick of his face.â
he earns himself a jab to the side and he keels over with a dramatic groan. both san and yunho ignore him in favour of stepping back towards the jeep to unload their surfboards. you eye the boards with curiosity, recognising the white deck with the yellow and blue tail to be sanâs. the design is simple, but san had used his own money to purchase it as his first transition board after the beginner-level mini malibu his parents had gifted him, so itâs his baby.
âare these all yours?â you question as san rests the tail of his board on the ground.
he shakes his head with a flustered laugh, âthe guys brought theirs along too.â
mingi reaches for his board after yunho takes his and your jaw drops to the ground. âyou all surf? wait, so you can surf in seoul?!â
âno, you were right. you canât,â san chortles in embarrassment. âbut there are a couple of indoor surfing places that we can go to.â
mingi hikes his surfboard against his hip, âdoesnât beat the real thing, though.â
ânope, which is exactly why weâre crashing. sorry, by the wayâwe probably shouldâve asked you whether we could come,â yunho scratches the back of his neck.
you frown, âof course you can. itâs not like iâm the town head of namhae or anything.â
âbut they know we spend our summers together,â san lightly bumps you with the side of his hip.
âoh,â you can feel heat creeping across your cheeks, so you force it away by jumping on the opportunity to tease, âyou know what? mingi was right. you donât shut up about me, do you.â
mingi hollers at the ammunition you have just given him for future use and even yunho slaps his hand over his mouth to hide his smile. itâs amusing to see san flustering so easily now that thereâs a new dynamic of friendship between you and the other two boys, and san resorts to giving both of his friendsâ asses a good-natured kick in the direction of the beach.
as they lumber off with their boards sniggering, san effortlessly hoists his own board up and sideways and beckons, âletâs go.â
âyou know i canât surf, san.â
he flicks your nose fondly with his free hand, ânot to surf, silly. letâs go get our buckets.â
your eyes widen and you stand on your tiptoes with excitement, âbuckets?â
âof course,â san waggles his eyebrows up and down with his dual dimples. âweâve got some serious sandcastle-building to show off.â
half an hour later, all three surfboards are tossed to one side in the wet sand as you share the buckets for an intense showdown between the ânamhae ninjasâ and the âhighschool homiesâ. san had shot down your suggestion to alliterate your team name with the word âneighboursâ, claiming it was an insult to the bestfriendshipness between you two, but hadnât been able to come up with a much better alternative himself.
san holds his breath as you upturn another moulded bucket of sand onto the third tier of your sandcastle pyramid. with little surprise, the foundation starts to crumble and triggers a chain reaction that topples it all over. as always, some things just donât change, even over time.
mingi laughs at your sandy ruins with an awful lot of audacity for someone who had watched yunho build most of their sandcastle, only to then add a little stick at the very top as a finishing touch. he grabs his phone from where he had left it on the safety of his discarded towel and holds up the front camera to take a photo of you all.
where there used to be two sandcastles between two friends, there are now two sandcastles between four. mingi snaps the photo, eternalising the moment. some things do change over time, and sometimes, change is just the beginning of a new chapter.
âwhich one do you think looks better?â
your mother takes a step back to scrutinise yunhoâs pick. âthis one,â she points, âthe other colour palette clashes too much.â
san nods solemnly in agreement and mingi squints at his own choice from beside. with the seriousness of their expressions, one would think that theyâre discussing investment properties. in reality, youâre watching your trio of friends and your mother earnestly matching and colour-coordinating the floral prints of your fatherâs flowy farming pants to their button-up shirts.
noticing the dubious frown on mingiâs face, your mother nonchalantly skims her fingertips over the pants heâs holding. âthis is one of my favourites because it has little leaves on it,â she remarks, before dropping her voice to a whisper so that only mingi can hear her next words. âit matches your shirt. i think youâll look the best in it.â
he immediately perks up and you canât help but compare him to a sunflower that thrives the most under a loving hand. itâs incredibly cute and you can also tell that your mother feels the same, if not obvious from the way she has been giving him extra hugs and compliments all summer.
you rejoin the boys after you have all changed into your pants. it takes a lot of self control not to laugh when you see how seriously they are taking their get-up; rubber boots hiked up to their knees over their floral pants, and their straw hats secured snugly with the chin straps. even as disinterested as your father originally was when the trio had first arrived at the beginning of summer, he now lingers behind the sliding glass doors to watch you and san attempt to teach the tall boys how to plant rice seedlings in the paddy field.
yunho grabs a small, prepared bed of seedlings and turns to look at you cheekily. âwant to be a rice friend and show me how to plant these?â
you level him with a stare that makes him chuckle and apologise, âsorry, i wonât say that a-grain.â
he looks awfully pleased with himself, so you turn on your heels in pretence to ditch him for mingi instead. you let out an involuntary yelp when yunho prevents your escape by quite literally manhandling you back next to him. he dares to up his charm by using his wide, sparkling eyes on you as he thrusts the seedlings into your hands, like a child waiting for you to open a bag of snacksâ how could anybody say no?
you talk him through your demonstration, separating a small cluster of seedlings from the seedbed before transplanting it into the field. once he seems confident, you let him take over. itâs mesmerising to watch yunhoâs hands as he deftly carries out each stepâ the way his long and slender fingers move with coordination and grace. despite it being his first time, he works skillfully like someone with years of experience. youâve come to realise that yunhoâs good at doing things that involve physicality, like dancing, surfing, and now farming.
âhow did you start surfing?â you wonder.
yunho stills momentarily, before he separates another cluster of seedlings and runs his fingers through its green shoots. âi actually started surfing because mingi wanted to try,â his voice is fond. âitâs been four or five years now.â
âthatâs really sweet of you.â
he ducks his head bashfully, then asks, âwhat about you? how come you donât surf?â
âsan roped me into his first few lessons, but i never got the hang of it so i stopped,â you reveal. âi prefer watching, anyway.â
âmaybe you just didnât have a good teacher. i could teach you one day?â
you donât doubt that he would make a good teacher, but you would most definitely be a terrible student. the shirt and board shorts that leave very little to imagination when heâs soaked, and the water that drips from the ends of his hair down his jawline and neck are distracting enough as they are from a distance.
you chuckle, âyouâre going to need a lot longer than just a few days to turn me into a surfer. you guys leave this weekend, donât you?â
âthatâs true,â he hums. âbut thereâs always next summerâŚif youâd like that?â
at his words, you suddenly donât know where to look. the rosiness that starts to colour your cheeks makes a small part of you hope that there is an underlying hint of flirting in his question. before you can answer though, youâre interrupted by san peering over your shoulder to look at yunhoâs progress. âof course youâre good at this too.â
you crane your neck to look around san, where you find mingi squatting and planting seedlings in the rows that are within armâs reach.
âhowâs he going?â
san glances back, âheâs, uhâwell. heâs trying.â
âmy hardest!â mingi yells across the field.
with a laugh, you stand up and slowly make your way towards him, leaving san and yunho to lay down the rules to see who can plant the most seedlings in the next half an hour. because apparently, everything needs to be a competition between them.
the seedlings that mingi has planted donât look that bad, honestly. theyâre a little lopsided, the spacing and height of each seedling a little inconsistent, but for his first time it really isnât all too bad. you tell him such and squat down beside him. âhere, let me show you.â
you gently remove one of the seedlings from the watery mud whilst talking, âthey may just be plants, but theyâre like people, too. if you treat them with love and care, you can see the same reflected in them.â you neaten the sides of the hole as you add, âyou know, itâs kind of like how yunho loves and cares for you.â
having spent all summer with the pair, you notice all the times yunho subtly perks his head up to locate where the other boy is. all the times yunho brings him into conversation or back into the little huddle youâre all standing in. all the times yunho will wait for mingi to say what he wants or thinks before saying the same thing himself.
your fingers ease the seedling into the hole, then you fill it with soil and pat it down firmly to give the shoot the support it needs. âyunho told me he started surfing because you wanted to.â
at your words, mingi nods with a wistful smile; completely different from his characteristic cheerfulness. even the brightest of stars have moments where their twinkle dulls. âi was going through a rough time at home and i wanted something to distract myselfâŚgive myself a reason to get out of the house, even if just for a few hours,â he reveals. âsometimes, yunho and i skipped our morning classes and he would take me on long trips to the beach just so that we could surf.â
âiâm glad you had him to help you through that.â
âyeah, heâs helped me a lot,â mingi agrees. âhe still does. sannie too.â as he talks, mingi attempts to plant another seedling the way you have shown him, and this time, it stands tall and proud amongst the other shoots beside the one you have planted.
âhow are things at home now?â you ask.
he shrugs aloofly, an indirect answer that tells you everything you need to know. his gaze settles on the other half of your little summer quartet, who are now in heated debate over the winner of the planting competition. âboth of them knew that i didnât want to go back to my hometown over summer. thatâs why san asked if we wanted to come here with him. thanks for letting us stay this summer, y/n. itâs meant a lot to me.â
your heart breaks a little at his words and you nudge him playfully, âstop treating me like iâm the head of namhae. thereâll always be a place here for the both of you.â
he lets out a laugh, a glimpse of his usual self. âwe just know how much summers mean to you and san.â
âand meanings can always change for the better,â you counter with a smile.
mingi feels warm from the very inside. for a moment, only you and him exist in this bubble of comfort as you simply gaze at each other. and it doesnât go unnoticed. yunho stretches his back with a satisfied exhale at sanâs admittance of defeat before glancing at the two of you looking nice and cosy in the exact same corner of the paddy field you were working on half an hour ago.
âhave you two just been sitting there this whole time?â yunho narrows his eyes as his words draw sanâs attention.
âno?â you flimsily say, at the same time mingi confidently declares, âyes.â
the man beside you is back to his usual antics as he giddily fans the fire by gloating, âwhat are you going to do about it?â
yunho and san glance at each other and you start rising to your feet at the foreboding of danger. they nod.
thatâs all the warning you get before they lunge in your direction. as dorky and harmless as the two of them look in their styled outfit of farming pants and straw hats, they are anything but that as yunho and san take frighteningly large steps through the rice paddy with their long legs. and just as your luck would have it, yunho is the one who is closest to you out of the two predators. you hardly think that itâs a fair chase between the tallest and the shortest.
âyun, we can talk this out like adults,â you try to distract him.
whilst youâre struggling for your life to pull your boots out of the squelching mud as fast as you can, yunho easily moves towards you with a devilish grin. you see his outstretched hands, covered in mud, and you decide right there and then that youâre not above begging.
âdonât come any closer! please, iâm sorry! iâmââ your pleads are cut off when he grabs you by the waist and hauls you over his shoulder.
for a brief second, you almost slip right over him face-first into the mud from the momentum and your life flashes before your eyes. but then yunhoâs arms flex as he steadily grips your thighs and readjusts your weight, and you resign your fate to his shoulder and his prettyâ but grubbyâ hands.
you twist your head to the side when a husky screech alerts you to victim number two and you find mingi at the mercy of sanâs headlock. he rapidly taps the latterâs forearm, yelling mercy as you all burst out into laughter. very soon, the field turns into a playground of childish liveliness as all intentions of farming are tossed to the wind.
mingi was right in saying that summers mean a lot to you and san. but as you all chase and run away from one another around the muddy field, smearing loving handprints of dirt over each otherâs faces and clothes, sounds of happiness loud enough that your parents can hear it from back inside the house, summer takes on a new meaning in the shape of you four.
in hindsight, it makes a lot of sense now why sanâs parents had knocked on your door earlier this morning, entrusting you with the spare key to their house and waving goodbye as they drove away in their rented campervan. they had let you know that they would be going on a road trip along the coast this summer so that san and his friends could have the house to themselves.
you hadnât thought much of itâ just excitedly counted down the hours until the reunion of your little quartet. yunho had been texting you updates as he, san and mingi finally made the four-hour trip down to namhae now that they were on summer vacation. one of the last texts you had received had been a picture of mingi in the backseat, head lolling and mouth open in deep slumber, with the caption, âgonna need to wake sleeping beauty up soon XD weâll be there in about twentyâ.
this time, you had opted to wait for their arrival by sitting on the embankment outside your houses. your legs had dangled off the ledge as you looked out towards the beach, and at the telltale noise of their arrival, you had excitedly hopped up to your feet, only to be met with a sight that had your steps halting in fluster. and oh, this is why sanâs parents had decided to yield the house. because this time, not only have the number of surfboards doubled, but so have the number of cars and boys that are suddenly in front of you.
as san turns off the ignition to his jeep, youâre dazedly swept up into a sandwich of hugs between yunho and mingi as they greet you eagerly. itâs good to see them again in the flesh instead of their measly five-inch-tall selves over facetime, and youâd be a little overwhelmed by their height on either side of youâ having forgotten just how tall they really areâ if your attention isnât distracted by the opening doors of the banged-up ute behind sanâs jeep.
either seoul has water thatâs doped with something, or birds of a feather flock together, because each of the three boys that step out are equally as good-looking. youâd be lying if your heart didnât skip a beat at the sight of them. youâre a simple girl with hormones weak for eye candy, after all.
yunho slings an arm around you and walks you a little closer as the new faces turn to look at you with friendly smiles. âthis is y/n,â yunho introduces. âand these are our friends, jongho and yeosang.â
you notice that he skips over one of the boys, who starts to open his mouth in complaint, but then yunho continues on, âand this short one is hongjoong. we keep him as our mascot.â
hongjoong gives the taller his middle finger with practised ease and counters, âand we keep you as our tall circus freak.â
the way everyone snickers, yunho and hongjoong included, tells you that this is just about as average an interaction can be. after the boys properly greet themselves and pleasantries are exchanged with you, they decide to unload all their luggage so that they can rest for the afternoon. you walk over to the open boot of the black jeep, reaching for the last duffel and hoisting it into your hands.
before you can so much as take two steps, thereâs a hand carefully taking the bag from yours. when you tilt your head up, itâs sanâs kind eyes that are gazing back at you. âhere, let me do it,â he casually tells you and then he walks towards the open doors of his house.
left with the outline of his back, you have a clear view of his shoulders flexing under his white shirt and you wonder when he started to fill out his clothes with muscle. you become conscious of the way youâre subtly ogling at your best friend, so you shake your head and walk over to the back of the ute instead where there are still a few bags left in the open bed.
thereâs a small duffel that looks relatively light. as you drag it closer, you quickly realise itâs heavier than it looks. âwhat the hell is in this? weights?â you mutter to yourself.
thereâs a giggle beside you, âsorry, thatâs probably yeosangâs bag. he brings his supplements with him everywhere.â
itâs jongho this time, with his gummy smile and crescent eyes, who takes the bag handles out of your hands. he extends a brown paper bag out to you instead. âwe can trade. this is much lighter.â
he easily picks up the bag of supplements and then reaches for a second bag to sling over his shoulder. for the amount of adorableness he exudes from his smile and laugh, the strength that he seems to have is on the complete opposite end of the spectrum. as he walks away, thereâs the crunch of approaching footsteps and you see that itâs the short boy, hongjoong. heâs only short relative to his friends, because when he comes to stand beside you heâs still easily taller than you.
âmaybe you could help me hold this, too.â heâs holding his closed fist out, making it impossible to discern whatâs in his hands.
âwhat is it?â you ask as you open your hand, palm upturned for him to drop whatever he is holding into yours.
except he simply uncurls his fingers and intertwines them with yours, shit-eating grin plastered all over his face. a laugh erupts from your throat, only growing in volume when yeosang appears and interrupts by stepping between the two of you, forcing his friend to let go of your hand.
as yeosang grabs the last suitcase and closes the tailgate, he deadpans to the other, âsanâs going to chop your hand off when he sees,â then he slings his free arm around hongjoong and ushers the both of you back into the house.
âitâs okay, i wouldnât let san do that to you,â you reassure.
hongjoong smirks triumphantly at yeosang, only for you to wipe the expression off his face when you finish, âbecause thatâd be animal abuse.â
âitâs been five minutes and youâve already picked your side,â he laments dramatically, before nodding. âi see how you play. i like you.â
âitâs a shame i donât,â you quip back immediately.
âfuck, did i just get rejected?â
yeosang shoves his friend through the doorway, âstop digging yourself a deeper hole.â
you all laugh as you shut the front door behind you to stop the cold of the air conditioner that san has turned on from escaping. youâre definitely starting to see the appeal hongjoongâs friends have in teasing him.
you take the bag of snacks still in your hand to the kitchen and you set it on the counter where san is drinking a glass of water. heâs watching the rest of the boys play âscissors, paper, rockâ over room allocations now that all their luggage has been piled up in the living room. he raises an arm and you easily slot yourself into his side and slide an arm around his waist. relaxing into the touch of his hand slowly rubbing up and down your arm, you also watch as the boys grow increasingly rowdy with each emerging winner.
youâve had the fleeting thought before, but now that youâre seeing all the boys together, you realise just how attractive they all well and truly are. even san, youâre slowly starting to notice, does not lack in the face or body department.
âdo you guys have a rule where you have to be attractive to be friends or something?â you ask, only half-jokingly. even though you had directed the question at san, itâs not him who answers you.
âaww, stop. you think weâre attractive?â of course hongjoong would be the one to overhear.
immediately, the feistiness in you appears. âyeah, and iâm wondering why they made an exception for you.â
he takes on the jest easily, âgod, youâre obsessed with me.â
âyouâre right, iâm a little crazy for dogs,â you shoot back, and you can feel the shake of sanâs chuckles from next to you.
âgood thing iâd bark for you, then.â
âwhat the fuck, guys?â mingi interrupts, âget a room.â
at that, san steps forward protectively and shoos his friends away, âhurry up and put your bags in the rooms so we can go surfing.â
yunho and yeosang take their bags towards the small guest room down the hall, whilst the remaining three head for sanâs room. you turn to san incredulously, âyouâre fitting four people in your room?â
he shakes his head, âof course not. iâm going to sleep in haneulâs room. sheâs on a trip with her friends for most of the summer.â
âshe can stay at mine when she comes back. until you guys have to go back to seoul,â you suggest.
âoh, thatâs right. your parents are in yeosu now, arenât they?â
you nod. you had told san a couple of weeks ago that your parents had moved back to your grandparentâs house for the meantime. theyâre not sure how long they will be staying in your hometown for, but considering the deteriorating health of your grandparents and the fact that you are independent enough to take care of yourself, itâll likely be for a while.
san doesnât tell you, but thatâs part of the reason why he has brought so many of his friends back this summer. he knows that youâre silently struggling to adjustâ even if his parents take care of you like their own daughterâ so he hopes that he and his friends can fill in some of the silence, even if just for the summer. he wishes it didnât just have to be summer.
âdo you need to change into something else before we go?â he asks you.
you look down at the t-shirt and shorts that youâre wearing. you donât mind getting them wet, but you canât say the same about your underclothes. âyeah, iâll quickly go and change first.â
he nods and watches as you head towards the door to toe on your sandals. when you pull the door open, he gently calls after you, âitâs good to see you again, pipsqueak. iâve missed you.â
you smile, âiâve missed you more.â
even after the door closes behind you, sanâs smile stays on his face. âiâve missed you the most.â
no matter how many times you experience the thrill of getting tossed into the ocean, you still cannot fathom the fact that the once short, skinny boy who used to pretend to pick you up is now tall and strong enough to actually do it.
âyou cheater!â you screech when you feel sanâs arms snake around your waist from behind, lifting you up off your feet. âyou said youâd give me a ten-second head start!â
his gleeful laugh rings in your ears as he ignores your flailing limbs and teases, âi did! your little legs are just too slow.â
you start to feel the coolness of waves splashing your ankles and toes the further san carries you out away from shore and your grip on his forearm tightens in anticipation. with a slight swing, he lets go of your waist and tosses you into the water. the next thing you know when you regain your balance and wipe the water from your face is the sound of sanâs yelp as he disappears underwater. jongho grins from above, having leapt onto the olderâs back, who in turn has crumpled under the unsuspecting weight.
san emerges with a hulk-like roar absolutely soaked to the bone, his black t-shirt clinging to his torso. the clear outlines of his chest and broad shoulders set off an unfamiliar skip in your heart yet again, and san lifting the hem of his shirt to wipe his faceâ revealing his abs in all of their wonderâ does the complete opposite of calming you down.
you're fucked. there's no way you're attracted to san like that. in the form of petty revenge, said man brings his hands down to slap the surface of the water, splashing it right in your face and jonghoâs andâŚyeah, that flutter of butterflies is gone.
san is caught right in the middle of the crossfire as you and jongho splash him, drowning his figure in torrential rain. the sounds of his choked laughter draw the attention of everyone else too, who have no idea why san is the target but are more than willing to join in. but with the plethora of water being splashed and the chaos of hands coming from every possible direction, the three of you end up drowning under the attacks.
hongjoong quickly loses motivation when his arms grow tired from doggy-paddling the water and yunho and yeosangâs attempts also slow down. they snicker at the aftermathâ your trio absolutely drenchedâ and then rapidly skitter away before any of you decide to retaliate in vengeance.
at their cowardice, san bites the bait and goes hollering after them, leaving you with the youngest of your group of friends. jongho beckons towards the shore with his head and youâre momentarily distracted by his wet bangs falling over his forehead and eyebrows.
âup for more surfing?â he grins at you. and if thereâs one thing youâve learnt over the summer, itâs that you would kill for jongho if he asked you with his gummy smile.
jongho is a surprisingly good surfer. as the only one in the group who grew up in seoul with limited exposure to the beach, you can hardly tell that heâs a relative beginner in comparison to the rest of the boys unless you were a surfer yourself.
once they had become their close-knit group and they realised that most of them had a shared love for surfing, they had colloquially formed their own little surferâs club, knighting jongho as their honorary member. he learnt to surf in indoor centres, during the occasional beach road trips they would make and through the experienced guidance of his friends.
of all six surfboards they had brought to namhae, jonghoâs softboard is the one that is the most ideal for you to learn with. true to his words, yunho had attempted to teach you how to surf but on his own boardâ a shortboard great for experienced surfers to catch steep and aggressive waves, but terribly hard for a beginner to control. jongho had offered his board and so under his and yunhoâs careful hands, you had spent your summer practising on the beach before slowly transitioning into the water.
which is where you find yourself now, on your stomach as you slowly paddle out. jongho stands close by and waist-deep in the shallow waters of the spot that he has led you to where the waves are few and calm. just a couple of metres away, yeosang idly straddles his longboard as he watches in support.
âyou remember how to push through the waves?â jongho checks and you nod, gripping the rails of the surfboard and straightening your arms to lift your torso upwards.
âyeah, hang on,â he says, moving closer. jongho rests his hand gently on the small of your back to steady your body and you have to focus on what heâs telling you instead of the feeling of his warm hand. he taps the sides of the board a few inches in front of where your grip currently is.
âhold it here, otherwise your centre of gravity is too far back,â he explains as you shift your hands forward. âthe board might end up tipping backwards when you go through the wave.â
you retry the movement with the new positioning and jongho nods in satisfaction, removing his hand and stepping back again.
âthereâs a wave coming in we could try,â yeosang suggests.
the slight swell of a forming wave starts to appear in the horizon. it doesnât increase much in size the closer it gets, but as it reaches its peak height, the top breaks and turns into a whitewater wave. yeosang is out a little further and so he demonstrates how to push through first, lifting his torso above the break as his surfboard cuts through the wave.
âokay, ready? hold steady, steady,â jongho encourages, helping you time the movement, âand push up!â
you follow his call and straighten your arms to lift your upper body out of the waveâs trajectory, guiding the nose of your surfboard through at the same time that jongho dives under the wave. although your face still gets splashed with some water and your board trembles slightly in your grasp, you make it through the wave without tipping over.
âi did it!â you yell, shakily sliding yourself further up your board so that you can straddle it.
âyou did it!â the boys respond excitedly.
jongho jumps up and down beside your board, prompting yeosang to slide into the water to join your side. you laugh brightly at the sense of achievement and at the sight of the two boys bobbing around you in a merry-go-round of exuberance.
âjust a little more practice and youâll be taking on the monster swells in no time,â yeosang declares. you know heâs exaggerating, but it makes pride bloom in your chest regardless.
somebody calls out your names and you all turn to look. itâs san standing near the waters, gesturing behind him as he yells, âweâre going to walk to the mart to get some ice cream. do you guys want to come?â
âyes!â you shout back, âwait for me!â
ungraciously tumbling off your surfboard in a hurry so that you can pull it back to shore, the boys chuckle at your eagerness. jongho grabs his board from out of your grasp so that he can carry it instead and the boys all trail behind you as you bound past san towards the pile of your belongings on the sand. while you sift through the heap for your sandals, your other hand subconsciously peels your clinging shirt away from your body. you feel the presence of someone coming up behind you and assuming itâs san, you straighten your back with a phone in your hand.
âsan, you left your phââ you start, except itâs yeosang, who bends down to pick up his towel and drapes it around you. itâs warm from the hours itâs spent in the sun and you canât help the pleasant shiver that runs through your body. yeosang tugs it snugly over your shoulders and then takes the phone from your hand.
âhere,â he tosses it to its owner, who falls into step behind you.
san nods his head in thanks and rummages under a towel where your sandals have been hiding before placing your shoes by your feet. âthe groundâs pretty hot,â he says as he offers you his forearm to steady yourself with, patiently waiting for you to do up the buckles around your ankle.
âwait, i forgot my wallet,â you tell him once jongho and yeosang rejoin you after putting their surfboards away.
âdonât worry about it,â san reassures, âhongjoongâs buying.â
your ears perk up and he laughs because he knows exactly what youâre thinking. âyes, y/n. bleed him dry and order whatever you want."
"even a doubleâno, even a triple scoop?" you exclaim scandalously.
san's eyes drip adoration, "yes, even a triple scoop."
you run ahead with a cheer, blabbering jonghoâs ear off about how if you get three different flavours and he also gets three different flavours, then you guys get to share six flavours, before yeosang joins in with excited chatter about how you guys can make it nine flavours if he does the same. you catch up with the rest of your friends and somehow, like a devilish cult, you all start to chant, âbleed hongjoong dry! bleed hongjoong dry!â
the oldest jokes that he only offered to pay for yours, not everybodyâs, so mingi starts to tell you what he wants so that you can order in his stead, setting off a chain reaction as everyone else places their orders through you. they surround you, happy jostles and raucous snickers as you disappear in the middle of the group.
from behind, as san watches you grow closer and closer with his friends each summer, he canât help but feel like heâs going to burst from affection and pride. he knows it will be a while until your parents move back to namhae, as is the same for himself until he graduates. but between his group of sixâ which will hopefully become the full eight next summerâ and the group chat that you all made within hours of meeting each other, san is confident that youâll never feel alone.
âif only wooyoung was here, then weâd have someone to grill the meat properly,â yeosang muses as he watches jongho flip and examine the packaging of the beef. âheâs the best cook out of us.â
âtrust him to be a good cook, too,â you comment.
when you had first met yeosang, jongho and hongjoong, they had told you that there were two other friends who werenât able to make it to namhae with the rest of them this summer. one of them was wooyoung, who naturally became part of the group after attending the same dance club as yunho, mingi and san. wooyoung had then been paired up with jongho during an inter-department project between the department of film & multimedia and the department of drama, growing close to the younger and by extension, to hongjoong, a senior in jonghoâs drama society.
their other friend was seonghwa, they had told you; the oldest in their group and also in the year above like hongjoong. however, seonghwa attends a completely different university along with yeosang, the both of them undertaking a degree in education at seoul national university. they share some senior classes together, as yeosang had transferred from a law degree and had some of the credit prerequisites to jump ahead. and since yeosang is a close family friend of wooyoungâs, the three of them gradually became well-acquainted with each other.
itâs a running joke that you donât need to remember how everybody knows each otherâ you just need to know that wooyoung is the common factor between them all, the person who decided that all of his friends should be friends with each other. so not only is wooyoung a social butterfly, seemingly charming and witty with good looksâ should the boysâ track record stay trueâ but apparently heâs a good cook too. some people really just have it all.
âwhat else do we need?â jongho asks, haphazardly placing a few packets of the meat into the shopping cart heâs pushing.
âmingi said it would be good to make smores at the end of the night,â you answer.
last summer, during the final week that mingi, yunho and san were in namhae, you had all decided to have a barbeque feast and then spend the rest of the night huddled around a small campfire on the shores of the beach. it had been one of your favourite memories, simply basking in the peaceful buzz of summer and slowing your lives down just for one night to do nothing. you had suggested turning it into a tradition, and now that the final week of this summer has arrived, youâre all at one of the few grocery stores in namhae to stock up on food, snacks and drinks for the night.
âletâs see if they have marshmallows, then,â jongho makes a move to walk away.
hongjoong suddenly interrupts the conversation, appearing with an empty trolley in front of him. âget in,â he tells you.
yeosang helpfully points out, âthat sounds like something a man with a tinted white van would say,â at the same time you question, âare we even allowed to do that?â
he beams, âi like to think that until somebody tells us weâre not allowed to do something, we are allowed to do it.â
âi can think of fifteen different reasons right now why thatâs terrible life advice.â
the man simply nudges your side with the end of his trolley and you half-heartedly frown, âiâm really hoping this seonghwa friend is more responsible than you are, seeing as heâs older.â
âi hate to break it to you, but seonghwaâs worse,â jongho grimaces. âmaturity ages backwards in this group, unfortunately.â
at jonghoâs words, you turn to look for yunho, hoping that as the next oldest down the line he can talk some sense into hongjoong. only youâre met with the sight of the overgrown man pushing his own shopping cart with a very cramped but happy mingi sitting inside.
you sense defeat when hongjoong nudges you once more. âi canât believe iâm doing this,â you mutter to yourself as he holds it steady for you to climb into. after all, you think, whatâs life without breaking a few rules?
except nothing prepares you for the absolute madness that unfolds the moment your bottom touches the cold, metal gridding of the trolley. hongjoong quite literally revs the handlebar with engine sound effects, before charging through the aisle at full speed in an apparent race against yunho and his passenger princess. you hold on to for dear life, thinking that this will be over once you reach the end of the aisle. but both racers show no signs of stopping, instead drifting with sharp cornering into the next aisle as you screech. half of you is terrified, but the other half of you is starting to seek the thrill.
âfaster, joong! faster!â you goad when you can see san standing at the end of the frozen section, waving an imaginary chequered flag.
both carts rattle past him in a close match, and as opposed as you were to the idea at first, you argue passionately against the honorary referee and the rival team over who won first place. even jongho and yeosang pick a side and claim that their eyesâ from three aisles overâ are as trustworthy as VAR playback.
itâs no surprise when the ruckus youâre all making gets a store manager sent your way. but by some saving grace, most likely the begrudging understanding that everyone has done this exact thing at one point or another growing up, the store does not kick you out. they let you finish shopping for the supplies you need, but not without the glares of the retail workers following you and your friends regardless of which aisle you try to duck and disappear behind.
with hushed giggles and not-so-subtle elbows in each otherâs sides, your group hurriedly pays and places the multitude of plastic bags back into the trolley. san and jongho take one of the trolleys each and you all walk back to the cars to load the shopping. you would think that a scolding would deter any further misbehaviour, but when you all see the relatively empty parking lot, thereâs only shared smiles of deviousness and glints of mischief.
if anyone were to look at the parking lot outside the grocery store that tuesday morning, they would see a group of seven friends, clad in an eyesore disarray of sweatpants, shorts, pajama tops and slippers, pushing each other around in shopping carts like bumper cars with shrieks of joy, circling around the dusty jeep and banged-up ute that has become an enabler of their connection and happiness.
you may all be doing the very things that your older selves will look back on with exasperated smiles and disapproving head shakes in ten years. but in the moment, you are unafraid; uncaring of what others think, because you have your friends by your side. and this, you think to yourself, is the essence of youth and summer.
you wish you were older. because being older means that youâll have graduated, and being graduated means that you wonât have to fucking study for your fucking exams. you let out a groan and drop your head onto the table, making an audible thump when your forehead misses the thick textbooks and scattered notes, and hits the solid surface instead.
âhey, you need those brain cells,â someone gently chides. haneul stands at the doorway to your bedroom, watching your misery with a fond smile.
âcanât lose what i donât have,â you mumble back.
âtake a break,â she suggests. âdo you want me to get you something from the bakery?â
haneul laughs when your head immediately turns to look at her, your left cheek pressed against the table by the cheeky smile that adorns your face. she chuckles again, âgot it. iâll be back.â
you absent-mindedly listen as the lock of your front door clicks shut and then let out a deep sigh at the silence that follows. itâs been a few hours since you first sat down and started studying but it feels like youâve been reading the same sentence over and over again with no progress. pressing your forehead into the table again, you groan in frustration.
your ringtone goes off and your hand blindly fumbles around for your phone, sliding what youâre relatively sure is the answer button. âyeah?â you say into the receiver.
âsomeoneâs a little grumpy today,â a teasing voice sounds.
âhwa?â you sit up instantly, looking at your phone properly.
it is him, not only blessing you with the deep richness of his voice but also the visual of him in a black tank top as he looks amusedly at the facetime you have answered. âare you still studying?â he asks.
you deflate a little, reminded of why youâve been creating a crater in your table with your head for the past ten minutes. âmhm,â you hum affirmatively. âexcept nothingâs going into my brain anymore.â
âsounds like you need a break.â
âthatâs exactly what haneul said,â you grumble, although youâre not entirely sure why youâre so opposed to their suggestions to stop studying.
âbecause weâre right,â he quirks his eyebrow. âwhatâs haneul doing at yours, anyway?â
âtaking advantage of my netflix while i slave away to pass my exams. but sheâs forgiven since sheâs buying me snacks.â
âthen take a break until she gets back and you finish eating. itâll only be an hour, tops,â seonghwa convinces. âiâll even set an alarm to let us know when time is up and iâll keep you company when you study.â
you sag a little into your chair, shoulders relieving of their tension as you concede, which makes him smile sympathetically, âjust a few more weeks to go until summer and then youâll be free.â
âare you taking up summer school again?â you ask.
after san had added you and all the boys into a combined group chat, you had made friends with the two that you didnât get to meet. you discovered seonghwa hadnât been able to make the trip to namhae last year because he had chosen to take summer school instead. he had wanted to complete some of his degree requirements earlier in hopes of working part-time during his final year to gain practical experience. wooyoung, on the other hand, had had a portfolio due for his film class that required the majority of his summer if he wanted to complete it in time.
seonghwa grimaces at the memory, âno, not this time. it was a mistake, honestly. i burnt out so fast the first semester back that i didnât even end up applying for any jobs.â he points a stern finger at you and warns, âdonât ever think about doing summer school.â
âtrust me,â you laugh, âi have no intentions of ever doing that.â
you appreciate his advice regardless, because as immature as the other boys had made him out to be, seonghwa really does look out for all of you as the oldest of the group. and more often than not, you find yourself gravitating towards him when you need comfort or reassurance. âdoes that mean iâll finally get to meet you?â
seonghwa nods, âwoo as well.â
the screen of your phone suddenly splits to make room for an additional video as somebody joins the call. you hear his voice before his video even buffers. speak of the devil.
âoi! why are you all calling without me?â wooyoung complains.
contrary to the roll of your eyes, a smile makes its way across your face as you respond, âweâre literally calling from the group chat. no oneâs leaving you out of anything.â
and as if his appearance is some sort of talisman, more of the boys start to join the call one by one. even hongjoongâs profile picture appears, camera off and on mute, wanting to feel included even if heâs in the middle of class. yunho and mingi pop up from behind wooyoung, so youâre guessing theyâre busy practising in the studio. you wonder where san is.
someone asks you a question about how your exams are going, but youâre momentarily distracted by the buzzing notification of a text. âhang on,â you mumble, âlet me justâŚreply to this.â
itâs one of your classmates, johnny, asking whether youâre home right now. you had accidentally slept through one of the review lectures earlier in the week and he had offered to give you a copy of his notes. from his text message, it appears heâs close by and able to drop them off now. you reply an affirmative and then click back into the video call, asking, âsorry, what were you saying?â
the drone of shared chatter about exams and the upcoming break fills the silence of your bedroom, like the fluttering breeze of a pleasant spring day. if they were not already so closely correlated to the warm, golden rays and salty spray of the summer ocean, your friends would be springâ the season of fresh air, blooming flowers and thriving vitality.
âsomeone looks happier. who are you talking to?â haneul emerges in your bedroom having come back from the bakery, holding a pastry box.
you didnât even realise you were subconsciously smiling. âiâm facetiming the boys.â
she smirks, eyes glinting with mischief as she waggles her eyebrows suggestively and drags out her words, âi see. so who is it that you like? or is it all of them?â
âquit it!â you pretend to shove her. âwant to say hi?â you turn the screen of your phone in her direction and thereâs a chorus of obedient hi haneulâs as you turn up the volume.
she waves and peers at wooyoungâs video. âwhereâs the baby brat?â
from somewhere within the call, san yells out indignantly, âstop calling me that!â thereâs a slight rustle as he walks closer to take the phone out of wooyoungâs grasp and when you peer to have a look, you can see that heâs sweaty and red-faced from finishing up a routine.
âyou still respond to it, so,â haneul shrugs.
she disregards her brotherâs continued complaints to drop the box onto your table along with a neatly-stapled stack of handwritten notes. âi bumped into johnny outside and he said this was for you,â she explains as you take it gratefully.
at the mention of a boyâs name, wooyoung shoves his nose towards his front camera. he rapidly asks, âwhoâs johnny? is he haneulâs boyfriend or what? whyâs he giving you something?â
even hongjoong flicks a message into the group chat to ask, âwho tf is jonnyâ.
you hold up the paper to show the boys and laugh, âheâs my classmate, guys. and he gave me notes because i missed the lecture.â
wooyoung frowns at your answer, clearly dissatisfied as he complains, âwhy is he giving you notes. andâwhat the fuck? did he hand write them? what a pretentious prick.â
you ignore him in favour of opening the pastry box to see what else haneul brought back for you. âhow did you know i love these?â you exclaim.
she gives you that same, mischievous look from earlier and as she starts to exit your bedroom to leave you to your call and sweet treat, she vaguely answers, âhow do you think?â
from over your phone, the others start to ask what youâve got in the box, allowing a certain boy to easily slip unnoticed into the background. but it doesnât take a detective to work out howâ or perhaps you should say, whoâ told haneul about your recent cravings.
because if thereâs one person who knows you the best, one person who takes notice of even the littlest of things, then it would be him.
hongjoong lightly slaps your thigh in retaliation as your laughter jostles his head thatâs resting on your stomach, which only serves to make you laugh even harder. he lifts his head to grumble, âstop encouraging him, y/n. heâs going to think heâs actually funny or something.â
with a shaky exhale, you wipe a stray tear away, because you donât think youâve ever laughed this hard in your entire life. now that you see their whole group dynamic in action with the complete eight of them, itâs like watching a live sitcom.
wooyoung looks at him with a smug expressionâŚthen proceeds to yank the olderâs sock right off his foot before throwing it into oblivion. hongjoong jolts up and dives for him and they immediately tussle about on the floor of sanâs living room. amidst all of the commotion, san sneakily goes for seonghwaâs socks and youâre glad that you had peeled yours off the moment you had walked through the front door because suddenly everyoneâs socks are a target.
the successful harvests that are tossed away are immediately snatched up by mingi, who hurls them under the table, behind the couch and on top of the television. you think you can see one dangling off the lights too, but youâre not about to snitch. jongho joins the corner you have taken refuge in and yeosang follows soon after, content to stay far away from the havoc that has quickly turned into wrestling. unfortunately, wooyoung is unable to let the three of you watch the world burn peacefully. he yells at the boys, who choose this to be the time to actually listen to him for once, and youâre all left scrabbling in different directions when they dive for you three.
itâs only the first day of summer and the second hour of officially meeting the boys as their full group of eight, but you can already tell that the next few months are going to be filled with absolute chaos and mayhem. and so the summer that marks sanâs third visit back to namhae passes by quickly as you and the eight boys fall into an easy routine. hours turn into days, days turn into weeks, and weeks turn into months. summer revolves around each other and there is never a moment spent apart.
you join the boys at dawn every day, clad in only a pair of shorts, a tank top and a light cardigan to shoulder because thereâs still a slight nip of the early morning before the sun appears. you watch contentedly as they dance with the ocean on their surfboardsâ a duet of paddling out into the deeper waters and catching the breaks of the swells back towards shore.
the more you watch them surf, the more you start to realise just how much san has improved. you still recall the day san had fallen in love with the way the surfer used his own body and surfboard as an extension of the ocean, and you still have early memories of sanâs lanky limbs flailing as he lost his balance over and over again, trying to replicate the same gracefulness. now, san is not just a dancerâ he is the choreographer; the one who controls the ocean under his board.
as the early morning wears on, the serene crash of waves and intermittent squawk of the soaring seagulls are gradually interspersed with the boysâ rings of joy as they become more interested in pushing each other off their boards and splashing each other, rather than surfing itself. the strongest trio easily overpower everyone else and you shake your head fondly when the others donât learn their lesson regardless of how many times they are suplexed underwater.
when the sun starts to wake up, they join you on the sandy shores, surfboards placed in a rough row so that you can all share them like seats. you lean against whoever is sitting beside you and watch the sunrise until your stomachs start to growl for attention.
greasy takeaway is always the foolproof solution. you share hearty burgers that are too tall to bite into and salty fries that are slathered in dipping sauce, sprawled out on the cool floorboards at sanâs or yours, soaking in the refreshing coldness of the air conditioner on high without a care in the world for the electricity bill that is racking up.
afternoons are for the second round of the meal; bingsoo from the cafe, pastries from the nearby bakery or cheap ice cream from the mart. and after all the food, the best way to digest before you go out again at dusk to catch some of the waves is to take a nap.
the giant puppy pile of tangled limbs and human pillows is arguably your favourite part of the day. even if the ends of jonghoâs hair tickles your nose and your arm goes a little numb from the way san hugs it and your neck feels cramped from resting on seonghwaâs shoulder, you wouldnât have it any other way.
sometimes, when youâre all feeling rejuvenated, youâll clamber into their three cars or happily pack yourselves into two and drive down the coast to one of the other beaches. the drive there is music blasting and scratchy singing at the top of your lungs with the windows rolled down, your flyaway hairs caressing the cheeks of the boys beside you. itâs rest stops to fill up on drinks and dessertâ any excuse for more ice cream and a chance to make hongjoongâs wallet cry.
the trip back, on the other hand, is quiet, the designated drivers pressing softly on the pedals and turning with care so as not to jostle the sleeping passengers. youâre all exhausted and passed out against one another, faces pressed against a shoulder or the crown of someoneâs head. slow music plays lowly in the background as the streetlights start to turn on like a warm greeting to welcome your group home.
and just as yeosang had once said, wooyoung is a good cook. dinner time becomes a bonding activityâ as if every second of summer isnât already a bonding momentâ where you all experiment with different and increasingly complicated recipes. it usually ends up with him and seonghwa actually doing the cooking whilst everyone else eats the ingredients and tries not to accidentally stab someone with the knives, and dinner doesnât usually actually become dinner until eight or nine oâclock.
but it doesnât really matter when, half the time, the post-meal conversations turn into a slumber party after time slips away. if you retire early, youâll sometimes be joined by haneul in your bedroom, who has stayed in namhae this summer. sheâll spill her workplace tea and youâll gossip about your college peers late until the stars have long started to twinkle in the sky.
there are no scheduled bedtimes, no proper mealtimes, no time limits to complete things nor niggling guilt not to complete thingsâ there is no formal routine. but when spontaneity and carefreeness become the everyday occurrence, that becomes the routine.
and as with any sort of routine comes the familiarity. familiarity finds itself in the way san sing-songs wake up, sleepyhead whenever you accidentally sleep in, and instead of shying under the covers at the sight of him in your bedroom, you whine for five more minutes. familiarity finds itself in the way yunhoâs hands hover around the small of your back whenever youâre all walking to the mart for snacks and in the way wooyoung immediately reaches for the flavours he knows you like.
familiarity finds itself in the way you and hongjoong will bare puppy teeth at each other one moment then naturally use the other as a human pillow the next. itâs in the way jongho hides you when san tries to throw you into the water; the way mingi tucks your head into his shoulder when he spins you around in a hug; when seonghwa reminds you to reapply sunscreen whilst dotting the lotion along your cheeks and when yeosang quietly drapes you in his jackets after you get out of the water.
but the thing with familiarity, though, is that itâs easy for it to overshadow other things. rather than realising that there is a shift in dynamic or a change in heart, other growing feelings can be mistaken for familiarity instead. and you donât understand this until you least expect it.
your hands fumble to catch the bottle of sunscreen that yunho has thrown in your direction before it ends up landing on yeosangâs face. heâs taking a nap on the towel next to you, disputing against everyone elseâs remarks that he should take the opportunity to surf considering youâve all made the two-hour trip to dadaepo beach.
you adjust the small umbrella that he brought along so that it covers his upper body, then uncap the bottle and lather the sunscreen over your arms and legs. itâs when you get to your back that you realise you wonât be able to reach all of your skin. san or seonghwa are usually around to help if you decide to forgo a cropped shirt over your bikini top, but theyâre already running far along the shore and you canât be troubled to yell out for one of them.
youâre starting to wonder whether you can get away with not applying sunscreen on your back if you just make sure you lie on it the whole time when hongjoong spots your plight in the form of a blank stare and squeezed lotion in the palm of your hand.
âyour short arms canât reach your back, can they?â
you imitate his laughter with an exaggerated tone, âwho was it that needed my help yesterday putting sunscreen on his back?â
âmaybe i just didnât want you to feel too bad about yourself,â he shrugs and walks over to swipe the glob of sunscreen out of your hands. you roll your eyes, knowing fully well heâs incapable of taking care of you without pretending to cover it up with an insult.
âstop squirming,â he chides. the contrasting cold of the lotion and warmth of his hand sends a shiver down your spine and you try not to dwell on his gentle rubs for too long. heâs meticulous in making sure he doesnât miss a spot, but heâs also careful and deliberate with his touch around the knotted strings of your top so that you donât feel uncomfortable. hongjoong and the word âuncomfortableâ could never be in the same sentence though. but he doesnât need to know that.
âthere,â he pats your back twice like a mechanic would with the hood of a fucking car to signal that heâs finished his job and then callously walks away.
you decide to let him off the hook and settle down on your stomach to rest your eyes for a bit. yeosang knows what heâs doing, because the combined warmth of the sand beneath your towel and from the overhead rays makes you drowsy almost immediately.
youâre flicking your salt-crusted hair out of your face when a voice interrupts, âhi, iâm sorry to bother you.â
lifting your head up to look, youâre met with the sight of a girl around your age, timidly fiddling with the popsocket on her phone. you sit up and give her a polite smile, âthatâs okay. can i help you?â
âum, i was just hoping to ask if he has a girlfriend?â
the boys are all scattered along the length of the beach, save for yeosang next to you, so youâre not entirely sure who the girl is referring to until you follow her finger. sheâs pointing in the direction of hongjoong, whoâs joined some of the others along the shore.
âthe short one?â you clarify, smile fading a little as you shrug, âiâm not too sure, sorry.â
the girl shakes her head, âoh, no. i meant the boy on his left.â
choi san. you now fight to keep the smile on your face friendly when you reply, ânot that i know of.â
the girl thanks you excitedly, walking off back to her group of friends who immediately huddle around her to hear your answer. you look away.
you donât realise youâre staring at san until he turns in the distance and makes eye contact with you. his entire face lights up, eyes disappearing and shadowed dimples revealing themselves under the gleaming sun. wooyoung takes the opportunity whilst san is distracted to swing a handful of limp seaweed straight into sanâs face and a laugh escapes you before you can hold it in. your best friend looks more betrayed by your laughter than by wooyoungâs antics.
the younger turns to look at you with pride and when he sees that youâre laughing, he blows you an exaggerated kiss and sends it flying in your direction with a teasing flurry of his hand. yunho charges in from out of absolutely nowhere and pretends to tackle the kiss mid-air, throwing the imaginary show of affection into the sand where hongjoong immediately joins in and stomps on it with his foot, before sending you a flying kiss of his own instead.
chaos ensues and both hongjoong and yunho run for their lives as wooyoung chases them with his deadly seaweed whip. he quickly realises that the taller of the two will be impossible to catch, so he locks in on the easier target and hongjoong screeches in fear.
you canât help but shake your head adoringly as you continue to watch, eyes landing on san once more when the cat and mouse go tearing past him in a whirlwind of sand. san holds your gaze with a fond smile of his own and you have to remind yourself that itâs normal for the boys to have suitors.
youâre not dating san. youâre not dating hongjoong. youâre not dating any of the boys, and theyâre certainly not yours. so then, why does it feel like they are? but most of all, why does your heart feel equally bitter at the thought of someone asking about any of the boysâŚnot just your best friend?
the sight of the tube of aloe vera gel in the fridgeâ likely placed there by seonghwaâ is a welcome sight. you had diligently reapplied sunscreen to your body with the boysâ constant reminders to reapply but you had carelessly forgotten about your face. youâre paying the price of your mistake now and the red skin across the apples of your cheeks and forehead is tight with a constant, dull throb.
grabbing the tube, you walk into the bathroom where hongjoong is currently blow-drying his hair, having callen dibs on the shower after the beach trip.
âhey, lilâ tomato,â he jests before he gets a good look at your face. âwoah, that looks worse than it was an hour ago.â
you hum as you peer closer into the mirror, âthis is probably the worst sunburn iâve ever gotten before.â
hongjoong ruffles the back of his hair one last time under the dryer before unplugging it and setting it on the rack. he slips the tube of ointment out of your hands and then turns you by the shoulders to face him. thatâs how you find yourself between hongjoongâs front and the porcelain sink, the edge of the countertop digging slightly into your lower back as you watch him squeeze a generous amount of aloe vera onto the tip of his finger.
he murmurs, âhold still.â with a light touch, he tilts your chin up so that he can see the angry skin of your face. the stark contrast between the characteristic roughness of his edges and the tenderness with which he applies the soothing gel on your face right now has you itching to tease him.
âadmit it. you like taking care of me, donât you.â
he rolls his eyes, âand you like being taken care of, donât you. like when you needed your notes handwritten by johnny.â
ever since that one incident, the boys have never let you hear the end of it. they may not realise it themselves either, but really, theyâre just trying to keep low tabs on thisâŚclassmate. even if the way they go about it reflects the emotional maturity of somebody half their actual age.
âi admit itâs nice to be taken care of. what about you, huh?â you challenge, poking his side testingly. âyou like taking care of me, donât you?â
you giggle when he squirms and you try it again to elicit another response, until he suddenly grabs your hand by the wrist.
âand so what if i do?â his words come out easily, but unlike the usual cockiness and flirtatiousness that he jokes around with, his tone is low and serious.
you donât respond because you donât know what to respond; youâre suddenly walking in uncharted territoryâ both in regards to his feelings and your own.
when his fingertips brush the area of your cheeks just below your under-eyes, you canât help the instinctive flutter of your lashes. his eyes stare into yours and you swallow, noticing the way his gaze flickers down to follow the movement. thereâs hunger in his pupils and longing in your chest. you donât move away when he moves closer in.
your eyelids flutter closed once again, except this time in anticipation. his hands still cup your cheek and hold your wrist and when he brings his face down towards yours, you can feel the warmth of his body surrounding and intoxicating you. but as his nose starts to nudge the softness of your cheeks, hongjoong pulls away.
âsorry, iâthis was a mistake. i shouldnât be doing this,â he stutters. and just like that, the moment shatters.
âthâthatâs okay,â you awkwardly smile. âthis never happened.â
he nods without looking at you, âthis never happened.â
youâre glad your face is sunburnt because youâre certain your face would be glowing from the embarrassment and shame you are overwhelmed with. hongjoong turns around before you can say anything else and leaves the bathroom, closing the door behind him and leaving you alone.
quickly, you lock the door and then stand there stunned into a stupor. because hisâŚwhatever the fuck that was, has given you startling clarity that he is right. you shouldnât be doing this. you shouldnât be kissing him when you want san and your six other friends equally as much.
and most of all, it was foolish of you to assume that he actually wanted something more than friendship. if hongjoong, the most flirtatious of them all, doesnât have any romantic interest in youâ or at the very least enough to want to pursue something moreâ then what makes you think you have a chance with any of the boys? what makes you think that any of themâ much less all of themâ would want you in the same way that you have now realised you want them?
in a way, your heart feels more at ease now. knowing that your feelings for the boys will be unfruitful one way or another, itâs much easier to ignore the now obvious lurch in your heart whenever they pull you into an easy hug or tell you that you look pretty. itâs easier to repress the longing you have for them when they help you put on sunscreen or surround your house with mischief and laughter.
you canât tell whether hongjoong is actively avoiding you or whether he is conveniently busy with the other boys, but you suppose time apart right now is good for the both of you. after all, time is supposed to heal everything. and so even as the end of summer approaches and the much anticipated night of the barbeque and campfire tradition arrives, you keep your distance from hongjoong and he keeps his. simply two friends coexisting within the larger group of friends; nothing more, nothing less.
youâre all sitting on a patchwork of picnic blankets and beach towels spread around the small fire that san has constructed, now experienced from having made one three years in a row. haneul shares the towel with you on one side and yunho on your other.
dinner had been greasy meat grilled by wooyoungâs skilled hands paired with cheap alcohol that made you all wince when it went down. it had been finished off with skewered marshmallowsâ the most vital part of the night, as mingi had fervently reminded everyone.
someone had then suggested a round of âtruth or dareâ, which most definitely did not stop at one round. the flushed cheeks and tipsy slurs not only made the dares increasingly bizarre, but it made everyone daring enough to actually do them. as the night had continued on, the outlandish dares slowly trickled off and more of you picked to answer truth questions. with the mellowing ambience of the campfire and the clearing buzz of alcohol in your systems, it was only a matter of time before the night fizzled into calm.
âmingi,â haneul directs her question at the taller, â if you were to date one of us excluding me, who would it be?â
his eyes dart from her to you and then to every single one of his friends. âiâd date you all,â he shrugs. âbut if i had to pick one person, then probably yunho, since heâs been there for me from day one.â
yunho knocks shoulders with him appreciatively whilst joking, âyour parents would love to hear that answer.â
you spot san and wooyoung cringing at the thought and youâre reminded of snippets of a conversation about surfing as a distraction and escape from home.
moving the game on, mingi asks seonghwa when he picks truth, âif you had to pick between love and friendship, which one would it be?â
seonghwa hums for a while, watching the dancing lick of flames. âi think it depends on the situation, because in the end, theyâre not that much different from each other. in love there is friendship, and in friendship there is love. itâs impossible to say that one is more important than the other.â
thereâs a collective boo as he skirts around the question, but you all understand where heâs coming from. it still doesnât stop san from retorting, âthe whole point is to pick one.â
seonghwa chuckles and downs half a shot to appease the other of his apparent half answer, then tosses the same question at him. âwhat about you, then?â
much to his disappointment, san actually has an answer.
âi would probably choose love. i think youâre right in saying you canât separate love and friendship, but the thing that sets a romantic relationship apart is being in love,â he muses. âitâs hard to find friends you love, but itâs even harder to find a friend you fall in love with, so i would probably hold onto that no matter what.â
a few of you subconsciously nod along, words resonating with yourselves. haneul nudges you curiously, âwhat do you think?â
you relax into her side as you slowly formulate a cohesive answer from your thoughts. âi think i would choose love, too. iâll admit itâs a much more difficult relationship than friendship and it often requires sacrifices to be madeâŚit can even mean having to let go of somebody completely.â
hongjoong glances at you, guilt pricking at his chest.
âbut at the same time,â you continue, âwhen you love somebody that much, sacrifice becomes something you want to give and are willing to offer to the other person, and you develop a depth of understanding, connection and intimacy strong enough to overcome anything that isnât always possible with friendship.â
âyou and san are both such gross romantics,â haneul pretends to gag.
âyeah, shoot us for it,â you poke her in the side. âwooyoung, truth or dare?â
âsince everyoneâs picking truthâŚtruth.â
âwhoâs someone youâre sorry towards or thankful for?â
he whines indignantly, âwhy are we suddenly getting so personal,â but proceeds to think about his answer seriously. âif iâm honest, iâm sorry towards everyone. i know there are times i fall short as a friend and make mistakes, but you all always forgive me and embrace my imperfections so graciously. sometimes it makes me wonder if i even deserve you guys.â
there are immediate noises of protest and wooyoung smiles, waving away their words of objection because he knows that heâs wrong. itâs just that knowing doesnât always stop him from feeling a certain way. âand of course, what iâm sorry for goes hand in hand with what iâm thankful for. but iâm also especially thankful for y/n,â he reveals.
your body reacts instantly to his unexpected answer, blood rushing towards your cheeks and ears as he looks at you appreciatively.
âi havenât known you for as long as most of the other boys, but iâve seen how happy and vibrant they are whenever they return to seoul or whenever they talk about you. and i can definitely see why, now. you make them happyâyou make us happy.â
mingi clears his throat, jumping in to add to the youngerâs answer, âwhen iâm here in namhae with you, with everybody, it feels like home.â
a home that heâs never really had until yunho, san, you, and the rest of the boys came along.
âso thank you for giving me a home here,â mingi looks at you earnestly.
if he were sitting closer, you would reach over and squeeze his hand reassuringly. instead, you tell him, âno matter how many years go by, youâll always have a home here.â
âand the rest of us?â yunho jokes, lightly slapping your knee where your legs have slowly made their way into his lap over the night.
âyou all have a home here,â you amend. because namhae is not the same without san, and namhae is not the same without the rest of your friends, either.
you continue asking each other questions, even after midnight has long ticked past and haneul has retired back to the beach house for some sleep. nobody wants the night to end, because despite already having been attached to each otherâs hips all summer, the time you are spending now around the campfire is different. life slows down and the nine of you are the only ones to exist along with the stars and the ocean waves.
âyou know what we should do?â wooyoung pipes up when you are all quietly watching the fire. he grins, âwe should do that thing where we shout at the ocean.â
âjustâŚstraight up scream?â hongjoong frowns.
a smile starts to spread across sanâs face as he understands wooyoungâs vision. âno, like our dreams. regrets. confessions,â san elaborates, making a move to stand and brushing the sand off his shorts.
seonghwa questions, âare we really doing this?â and yet he stands up as well.
âwhen will we ever get a chance to do this again?â
one by one, you all get up on your feet and wander down the beach closer towards the water. itâs silent, save for the crash of waves, while you eye each other and wait for somebody to start it off.
yunho clears his throat, then yells his next words from the very depths of his chest, âi want to become a famous choreographer!â
there are shared giggles at the striking contrast in volume after hours of low, heartfelt conversation, but itâs enough to fill the rest of you with courage and desire to do the same.
âi want my parents to accept that i wonât be a lawyer like they wanted me to be!â yeosang calls out.
mingi takes a huge breath with his entire body, âi hope iâll win the lottery one day!â
you all break out into laughter, happiness and vigour running high through your veins. it definitely feels a little silly and a little childish, but is that not the charm of living in the prime years of your youth and spending it with your friends?
reservations now completely thrown to the wind, the boys holler and yell both serious and unserious aspirations with their entire soul, cupping the sides of their mouths with their hands to carry their voices further out across the waters. you watch them with deep affection and tenderness and your eyes suddenly start to well up with the intensity of your emotions.
thank you for showing me what love feels like. you can continue to love them as friends, and that is already more than you could ever ask for.
taking a deep inhale of the chill of emerging dawn and blinking away the blur in your eyes, you join the boys and yell your heart out to the ocean. your screams blend together into a symphony of dreams and hopes; the swell of the chorus and the pinnacle of the movie.
and even though youâre all half-delirious from the lack of sleep, hair ruffled and mismatched pajamas wrinkled, it feels like anything and everything is possible in this moment. from here on, itâs the nine of you against the world and whatever it may bring.
youâve known johnny since you started attending namhaeâs provincial college. being from a relatively small cohort and the same degree no less, you share most of your classes together. thereâll be a few times throughout the month that youâll find yourselves sitting in the seat beside each other and maybe once a semester that youâll complete a group task together.
heâs easy enough to get along with, conversation sprinkled with terrible jokes and random puns that remind you of yunhoâs silly humour. you know for a fact as well that theyâre the same height too, which sort of makes you wonder whether being tall has something to do with the way their funny bone develops, considering mingiâs humour is just as questionable.
you and johnny arenât exactly distant enough to only be classified as classmates, but youâre not exactly close either. so itâs a surprise when, after summer ends and it marks a new semester, johnny asks you out on a coffee date on the weekend. (except the more you think about it afterwards, the more your seemingly random interactions make sense. why he asks for your number even after the group project is over. why he offers to drop off handwritten notes for you. why he sometimes favours sitting with you as opposed to with his own friends.)
initially, you tell him that youâre not interested, any potential awkwardness dissipating the moment he dramatically wails that heâs been rejected, much like hongjoong had when you had first met him. but then a week later, johnny coolly slaps an envelope onto the surface of your lecture table and struts off without looking back. when you open it, you realise itâs a three-page handwritten essay detailing his pros and cons in an attempt to try and win you over.
it reminds you of wooyoung, when he had made a whole presentation on his laptop complete with photographic and videographic evidence to try and convince you that he was the best dancer out of himself, san, yunho and mingi. like your friend, johnnyâs efforts are honestly a little too hilarious and a little too endearing to reject for a second time, and itâs not like johnny has done anything to suggest that heâs a creep or murderer. so you let him take you out on the date.
he chooses to go to the small, quaint cafe thatâs about a fifteen-minute walk from campus. coincidentally, itâs the one that you and san used to frequent before he moved away to seoul. johnny tells you to try the chocolate hazelnut dacquoise slices, which you do even though you know you prefer the strawberry ones more. the sweet mouthful makes you think of san, always offering you the first bite of his chocolate dacquoise in hopes of converting you to the flavour.
johnny pays for your dessert and drink and you two end up sitting in the cafe long after your plates have been cleared and mugs emptied to their bottoms. it turns out he likes spending time at the beach just as much as you do and he tells you of his summer trip to the maldives for his casual modelling gig. youâre not entirely surprised to learn of his part-time endeavours, considering youâve never seen him dressed in anything less than loafers, chino shorts and a neatly-pressed button-up shirt. plus, johnny is objectively very attractive with his strong brows, chiselled jawline and dark locks of hair.
he offers to walk you home after your date, shrugging off his white button-up and passing it to you when you exit the cafe. itâs still warm enough in the afternoon to not need the extra layer, but youâre reminded of yeosangâs quiet yet perceptive gestures and it makes you smile nonetheless.
the weekend leads to a second date, followed by more time spent together. he finds reasons to see you throughout the weeksâ the sunâs out which means you two should take a walk along the beach; he fell asleep during yesterdayâs lecture which means you two should study at the cafe; he has a basketball match on the weekend which means you two should practise shooting hoops together.
and when youâre not physically spending time together, johnny likes to facetime you just so that he can âsee your pretty faceâ. the frequency with which he compliments you randomly throughout the call is almost on par with seonghwa, who always sweetly observes when you're wearing a new lip tint or different hairstyle.
johnnyâs laugh, be it in person or over video call, never fails to make you laugh with him. itâs boisterous when he doubles over with laughter and his eyes disappear when he chuckles. you canât help but see jonghoâs own adorable giggles in him.
after several months of courting advances, johnny asks to make it official. you say yes, because you have fallen for him.
and so, like the dwindling campfire that had marked the end of summer, you snuff out the remains of the fire in your heart that has been burning for san, hongjoong and the six other boys, leaving the last of the embers to their fate. left alone, they will slowly die out, completely extinguishing the flames and leaving only ashen remnants behindâŚor the sparks will continue to fight unnoticed; until they rekindle and turn into an uncontainable inferno.
âwith all due disrespect, his parents donât fucking deserve to be parents,â wooyoung spits out.
yunho tucks the blotchy aftermath of mingiâs heartbreak a little tighter into the crook of his own neck, other hand softly tousling the ends of the youngerâs hair. the boys have only just managed to settle mingi into one of the beds in their shared dorm rooms after he had shown up at the dance studio barely holding it together by his last thread.
âi donât think any of us had high hopes for them, considering the things heâs told us about them over the last few years,â seonghwa sighs as he pulls the blanket over mingiâs shoulders.
âbut for them to just fucking disown him like that? do they even realise how much it took for him to come clean about us?â
san gently pulls wooyoung away from the bed, lest he wake up the boy in question, and massages his clenched fist open. yeosang sidles up to the pair, âdo you think we could go down to namhae a few days earlier this summer?â
âthat actually might be possible,â san chews on his bottom lip and takes out his phone to text his parents. âitâll be a nice surprise for y/n, too.â
âsheâs in for a few surprises,â jongho comments before nudging the boy next to him. âhopefully you didnât scare her off after what you did.â
hongjoong scratches the nape of his neck at the jab, âyeah, i hope i didnât fuck things up for all of us.â
âyou still havenât talked it out with her?â san looks up from his phone.
hongjoong grimaces, âno, but how could i? she said to pretend that it didnât happen.â
âand you just took her word for it? god, thatâs literally the universal response anyone would automatically give in a situation thatâs utterly and mortifyingly embarrassing,â wooyoung throws his arms up into the air. âi wouldnât be surprised if she says no to us after all.â
âlook, iâll talk to her when we see her again. the semesterâs nearly over, anyway.â
san nods, âmy parents are fine with us going down a weekend earlier. and i agree with hongjoong on this oneâitâs probably something they should talk about in person, not over the phone. letâs just hope we havenât missed our timing with this.â
thereâs only a few more weeks left until summer, minus one week now that they have decided to make the trip down to namhae earlier for mingiâs sake. and regardless of what your answer will be to the question that theyâll ask youâ be it yes or noâ it still wonât change the fact that everything will be okay once they get to namhae. because everything is okay as long as you are by their side.
thereâs a man standing by your side, and itâs not one of them.
itâs strange to see you holding hands with someone that they donât know. of course, itâs inevitable that you would have your own friends in namhae and from college, and of course itâs inevitable that you would have friends of both genders. but the way you have your fingers interlocked with his looks anything but platonic.
the boys are familiar with the way their own hands feel with yours nestled in theirs; from when you squeeze yourself between two of them and happily swing your intertwined hands back and forth; when a large wave threatens to topple you over and you instinctively reach for them for support; when youâre curled up against them and absentmindedly fiddling with their fingers whilst watching a cheesy summer romcom. but right now, their own hands feel unfamiliarâ oddly empty and unable to make up its mind as to whether it wants to relax or tighten into a fist, even more so when you make eye contact with them standing outside sanâs house and freeze.
you havenât told the boys about johnny yet, only that you had news you wanted to tell them in person once they came for the summer. but now that they are here, standing right in front of you and your boyfriend, you suddenly feel a prick of guilt that you hadnât given them a heads up of some kind.
you slip your hand out of johnnyâs grasp under the guise of tidying your hair. if johnny notices, he doesnât comment on it. instead, he asks, âyou know them?â and settles his arm heavily over your shoulders. the action probably looks as territorial as it feels.
âyeah, theyâre my closest friends,â you answer louder than you need to, because you feel like you have to defend themâ or yourself. âsanâs from namhae, too, and the others are from different provinces. they go to college together in seoul.â
âoh,â your boyfriend makes a noise, âitâs them.â
hongjoong feels awfully smug at that comment, because it means that youâve talked about them before. he feels even more pleased when you slightly step out from under the manâs arm. but then your next words have his expression darkening again.
âi was going to officially introduce him to you guys on your first dayâŚi just wasnât expecting it to be today,â you gently place your hand on johnnyâs forearm. âthis is johnny, my boyfriend.â
immediately, the boys recognise his nameâ how could they forget, when the name has never once left their subconscious since the moment he was mentioned. a fleeting thought enters hongjoongâs mind. if he had not pulled away that nightâ if he had kissed you instead of being a cowardâ would it be him standing by your side as your boyfriend right now?
and hongjoong is not alone in his thoughts. wooyoungâs teeth grit together as he wonders how different things may have turned out if only the older or he himself had been bolder with their feelings. if only any of them had plucked up the courage to make the first move. because you dating any of them would automatically put their heart infinitely more at ease than the literal fucking stranger who is standing by your side.
youâre about to tell your boyfriend the names of the eight boys in front of you when he raises an eyebrow at you, âyou didnât tell me your friends were all guys.â his tone isnât accusatory, per se, but itâs definitely not cordial, either. this side of johnny is completely new to you.
seeing the flustered look on your face irks wooyoung in every way possible so he interrupts, âand why does it matter to you?â
johnny levels him with a look for several seconds before smiling placatingly. âyouâll understand when you get a girlfriend,â he dismisses.
immediately, thereâs a palpable spike in tension. âsorry?â wooyoung scoffs.
san sets a firm hand on the back of wooyoungâs neck and you lowly murmur your boyfriendâs nameâ respectively scruffing the two men. you didnât know what to expect introducing your friends and boyfriend to each other. but the start of what looks like it has the potential to turn into a fight was definitely not on the list.
in a lame attempt to change the topic, you comment, âyou guys are here early this year.â
thereâs a beat of silence thatâs a split second longer than you deem comfortable and yunho clears his throat, âyeahâŚthings ended up this way.â
the vague comment and pointed look in your boyfriendâs direction tells you that thereâs more to it than they are letting you onto right now. you make a mental note to talk to them once johnny leavesâŚif he ends up leaving. but the heavy weight that is still draped around your shoulder shows no intention of removing itself.
even though your instinct is to run up to the boys and receive all the hugs you have missed, and their instinct is to pull you away from the unfamiliar man and back into the intimacy of their group, the arm around you is a stark reminder to everyone that youâre not single anymoreâ that there are now boundaries to respect. instead, your friends are left to shuffle awkwardly on the spot with wavering gazes as if they have caught you doing something they werenât supposed to see.
âdo you have classes today?â san dares to ask.
ânot today. we were justâŚout,â you reply. on a date, it goes unsaid.
âwell, weâre headed for the beach,â san hates the fact that he even has to ask his next sentence, âdo you want to join us?â
looking at johnny, you hate the fact that your immediate answer isnât to say yes. he glances at you and then answers on your behalf, âweâll join. itâll be nice for us to get to know each other, since it seems like weâll be seeing each other often this summer.â
ânot if you donât show up,â wooyoung mutters under his breath, but heâs not really trying to be quiet about his disdain.
you fake a smile and push your boyfriend towards the entrance to your house. âweâll get changed and then meet you guys down at the beach.â you donât wait for an answer before shoving the front door open and shut again in quick succession behind you.
âwait here,â you tell johnny, âiâll get you a spare pair of shorts,â then you disappear into your bedroom and let out a deep exhale, closing your eyes to clear your head.
you had spent the last few years embracing the changes in your relationship with san. every summer marked a change in your friendship groupâ a new chapter each year as you rewrote the group dynamics with additional people to love and be loved by.
this summer, like the others, also marks a change and beginning of a new chapter, but now youâre realising that not all chapters in a story will always be happy. instead, some chapters will mark the beginning of the complication.
it feels like an unusual mix between deja vu and an out-of-body experience as san straps the leash of his surfboard around his ankle. his gaze follows your form and he watches silently when youâre picked by the waist and tossed into the ocean. it looks all too familiarâ except instead of him being the one who brings the laughter out of your squeals, itâs that annoyingly tall and irritatingly jacked dude that is your boyfriend.
san canât help the sigh that escapes his lips as he peels his eyes away. if johnny makes you happy, then objectively, san wants nothing more for you. but he cannot help but feel that you are undeserving of anything less than the entire world; something he and his boys are willing to give to you. but life is all about timing and it seems like theyâve missed theirs.
heâs distracted by the sight of you and johnny in his peripheral vision, even as he paddles out into the deeper waters with yunho. the taller is uncharacteristically quiet, his eyes repeatedly flickering back and forth between you and mingi. mingi needed this trip more than any of them combined, but thereâs an uneasy feeling in the pit of yunhoâs stomach thatâs telling him the appearance of your boyfriend is only just the beginning of a rocky summer.
regardless of their combined years of surfing experience, both yunho and san seem to continuously lose their balance on their boards today. and despite the saltiness of the sea water that flows into sanâs mouth each time he fallsâ no longer the graceful choreographer of the seaâ thereâs a bitter taste on his tongue that he cannot get rid of no matter how many bottles of water he drinks over the rest of the day.
it follows him even when the sweet fragrance of fresh pastries and syrupy drinks permeates the air the moment he walks into the bakery you so adore after your group walks from the beach. san pulls the glass door open for you, wind chime tinkling softly overhead, and he has to resist the urge to let go of the door handle when your boyfriend also walks through without so much as a word or glance of gratitude.
before san walks up to the counter, he instinctively turns around to check your order before he adds it to his own like he has always done. âstrawberry dacquoise and grapefruit ade?â
youâre about to nod when johnny steps into place beside you and asserts, âshe likes the chocolate ones.â
san keeps his voice as even as he can and refutes, âno, y/n prefers the strawberry ones. i would know, considering weâve been going to this cafe together since we were twelve.â he emphasises the last word, clearly telling the other that he is the one who has known you since you were young and therefore knows you the best out of anyone, boyfriend be damned.
not backing down, johnny turns to ask, âis that true, babe?â
you swallow uncomfortably, mouth suddenly dry. âi like both,â you evade.
but your lack of denial says more than enough and johnnyâs frown deepens almost immediately. at his expression, you rush to amend, âi know you like the chocolate ones more. it makes me happy sharing them with you.â
âyou shouldâve told me,â johnny fusses. but opposed to disappointment at not having known your preference for strawberry, he seems more displeased at having discovered this fact through your male friend.
san notices how apologetic you start to feel and he absolutely despises how unfamiliar it looks on your face. if this is the type of boyfriend that he is giving you up to, then san is not prepared to let go of you at all.
âor maybe you shouldâve noticed,â he shrugs nonchalantly in your boyfriendâs direction before smiling tenderly at you. âiâll order your food. go find a seat with seongââ
johnnyâs voice is heated when he interjects, âno, you wonât. iâll pay for my girlfriendâs food.â
youâve never heard him talk with this tone before, much less seen him act this way, but his words suddenly strike you with clarity and reasoning. with a relationship comes adherence to mutual boundaries and expectations, and although san is used to doting on you, the reality now is that johnny currently fulfills that role as your boyfriend.
âitâs alright, san. thank you,â you give your friend a soft smile. âjohnnyâs got it for me.â
san nods, defeated. your boyfriend gently nudges you in the direction of the tables, âgo sit down. iâll bring our order over when itâs ready.â
on edge, you walk to where some of the boys are already seated and slide in beside seonghwa, who has been watching the entire exchange silently. ây/n,â he starts.
you plaster on a smile, âitâs okay.â
seonghwa studies you carefully for a moment, then appears to make up his mind about something and returns your smile. except anybody can see that it doesnât reach his eyes. âdo you want to swap seats with me? that way you and johnny can sit on the same side.â
grateful for his thoughtfulness, you change seats and sit on his left just as wooyoung joins the table with an iced americano in his hand. he sets it down to drag a spare chair beside him, offhandedly commenting, âwhy are you even dating him? i donât get what you see in him.â
he hisses when seonghwa kicks his shin from under the table, shaking his head, and you just give the younger a tight-lipped smile in response. youâre distracted by the buzz of your phone in your pocket. a quick glance downwards tells you that itâs a text from san.
sorry for putting you between your bf and i
you look up in surprise and find that heâs already gazing at you from where heâs waiting at the counter. his eyebrows knit together in apology and you shake your head, mouthing that itâs okay. san has always been the bigger person in any situationâ with you, with friends and family, and even with people he doesnât necessarily see eye to eye with.
your phone buzzes again, twice in succession, but this time the notifications arenât from him. itâs johnny.
whatâs his problem, god wants to get into your pants or sth
your boyfriend continues to tap away at his phone, expression marred with poorly concealed irritation. but he doesnât seem to be referring to your texting exchange with sanâ you donât think heâs even noticed. instead, heâs still hooked on the ordering incident.
slipping the phone back into your pocket and pretending you have not noticed the messages yet, you simply wait for johnny to grab the tray with your pastries and drinks before he slides into the chair next to you. and for the first time since dating, you find yourself comparing your boyfriend not to san, but against him.
it feels like you have spent the last two months treading carefully on eggshells. there are days you spend with both johnny and the boys and it becomes clear to everyone pretty quickly that theyâre not warming up to each other. despite your best efforts to bring them closer, there is unmistakable tension that underlies every interaction that they have and donât have with one another.
then there are the days you spend with just your boyfriend. he doesnât mention your friends and neither do you, but you notice the way his gaze flickers to your phone whenever it lights up with a notification. like a mutual taboo, he simply continues the conversation after a pause and you donât point it out.
and then there are the rarer days that you spend with just the eight of your friends, like todayâ the ones that feel like the old summers that you have started to yearn. and yet, even with the familiar essence of the past, you start to notice them. the subtle differences.
itâs not obvious at first. the casual displays of affection that have extended beyond habitual touches and have just become who they are are still there. but thereâs something about the attentiveness with which seonghwa dusts the powdered sugar off of yeosangâs cheeks when heâs eating. or in the naturalness with which wooyoung moulds himself into sanâs side when they sit on the couch. something in the way mingiâs entire body relaxes whenever yunho gently thumbs the nape of his neck, and in the softening of hongjoongâs eyes when jongho speaks up in conversation.
maybe itâs because you find yourself no longer a part of their shared love, regardless of how platonic it may be between you and the boys. ultimately, itâs easier to notice things when youâre watching on as what feels like an outsider. and it makes sense that the dynamics of your friendship would change, considering how deeply embedded physical affection is within your group and the fact that you now have a boyfriend, but thereâs something more to their interactionsâ youâre sure of it. you just canât put your finger on what exactly.
itâs that thought that reminds you of yunhoâs words when he and the rest of your friends had turned up a week before the start of summer. âwhat did you mean about things having ended up this way when you guys came down to namhae early?â you suddenly ask, eyes looking away from the television screen where the round of their game has just ended. âand wasnât there something else you guys had wanted to tell me about?â
clearly not having expected your questions, yunho blinks as he formulates a response, âyeah, there is. justâmaybe talk to mingi first. youâll probably want to hear it directly from him.â
and hongjoong needs to talk to you first, too, yunho thinks to himself. except, he wonders whether there is even a point to it anymore.
your heart sinks at yunhoâs words because you have a feeling it has to do with mingiâs parents. and his parents are never good news. right at that moment, mingi emerges through the doorway after his shower, a towel draped over his shoulders as he uses its ends to roughly dry his hair. he stops in his tracks when he notices you and yunho staring at him.
âi know iâm hot but you donât have to make it that obvious,â he jokes.
you snort and shake your head, getting up to your feet and walking over to him as yunho watches knowingly. âcome sit outside with me for a bit?â you ask mingi.
he agrees, pulling the towel off and tossing it onto the back of a chair to dry. you catch a whiff of sanâs shampoo when he moves, the fragrance of cedarwood and bergamot that all the boys end up being scented with each summer filling your nose.
the two of you sit on the embankment just outside sanâs house, legs dangling off the edge of the port. you can just barely toe the start of the sand but mingi easily shuffles his feet in it, drawing lazy patterns in your company. after a few minutes of peaceful silence, he nudges you gently albeit playfully, âdid you want to ask me something?â
you chuckle at having been exposed and nudge him back in response. he never budges, torso bigger and more muscular than you can move, but it doesnât stop you from trying and him from laughing endearingly.
âi asked yunho why you guys came down earlier this summer and he said to ask you,â you peer at him, treading carefully with your next words, âis everything okay?â
he takes a breath, exhaling long and slow. âi came out to my parents,â he reveals. âtold them iâm bi andâŚthey didnât take it well.â
mingi doesnât need to elaborate for you to understand that his parents didnât just ânot take it wellâ. you can only imagine the hell that broke loose. âoh, mingi,â you sigh, eyebrows knitting together with hurt.
âi also told them that iâm datiââ
the sound of the door opening and the call of your name stops mingi from finishing his sentence. itâs yunho with a ringing phone in his hand. âyou might want to take this call,â he alerts you.
frowning, you make a stand to reach for your phone, asking, âwho is it?â
he glances down awkwardly at the screen that is still on. âyour boyfriend.â
youâre just about to slide the answer button when the call disconnects and you see that including the one that has just ended, you have four missed calls.
âoh, shit,â you canât help the curse that slips out of your mouth. four missed calls is never a good sign from anybody, much less your boyfriend, who has also sent you several texts asking where you are.
seeing the darkening of your expression, yunho misses the girl whose biggest worry was the number of ice cream scoops to scam hongjoong out of. he misses the girl whose smile was brighter than the reflected sun on sanâs surfboard. most of all, yunho misses the girl he has fallen in love with.
ây/n, iâm going to be honest with you,â he hesitates slightly. âi donât think heâs the right one for you.â
you know that yunhoâs looking out for you and his heart is in the right place, but itâs not what you want toâ or need to hear right now. and perhaps, thereâs an inkling of you that already knows. still, you try to keep your voice even when you reply, âiâd know if heâs not.â
you turn to mingi next and shoot him an apologetic look, âiâm sorry but i should probably call him back. weâll talk later, yeah?â
mingi doesnât know when later will be and neither do you. but he simply nods and lets you go, watching dejectedly as your form disappears back into your house at the same time san steps out of his. he had been carefully observing from the window the moment yunho had walked out with your incessantly ringing phone in his hand.
âguess he takes priority over us now,â mingi sighs.
san looks at him bittersweetly, âthatâs what happens when you find somebody you love. like johnny is her priority, you are my priority and yunhoâs. in fact, youâre the priority of five other people as well.â despite the fact that he is shorter, san still reaches up to flick mingiâs nose affectionately as he fondly states, âarenât you lucky.â
mingi scrunches his nose in retaliation and san diverts the topic, ânow come on, are you going to just stand back and let yunho win the game again?â
the younger grins, light returning to his eyes as he cheekily suggests, âyou distract him while i cheat?â
âiâm right here,â yunho protests, but heâs shaking his head dotingly. together, he and mingi make their way back into the house, hands finding each other as they pass through the threshold.
san lingers behind and stares at the closed door of your house. for the longest time, you have been one of sanâs priorities, if not the priority. over the last few years, the number of his priorities have steadily grown and you now share the top of the list in his heart with seven other boys. your happiness is sanâs priority, as is the happiness of the others.
but what happens when interests start to conflict and your boyfriendâ and by association, youâ becomes a reason for unhappiness amongst the people he cares so dearly for? what happens if there comes a day where he must choose between his priorities and push somebody down the list, or worseâŚcompletely out of his heart?
youâre just as troubled when, half an hour after his missed calls and your subsequent response asking to meet up, you and johnny aimlessly wander the streets of the neighbourhood. the air is tense and despite the cry of cicadas, the silence from the lack of conversation is the only sound that you can hear. you can tell that heâs displeased by the fact that you had been with your friends, but youâre not exactly happy with him right now either.
you know an argumentâs brewingâ one that has been long coming, perhaps since the start of summer. you could have chosen to take the night to cool down, but it will eventually boil over one day, be it him or yourself. better to address it now than wait until itâs too late, and perhaps you can salvage it before it does boil over.
âwhy did you call me so many times?â
johnny knows youâre not only asking about tonight, and definitely not only about his phone calls. and yet, your tone is not accusatory, only genuinely curious and open to understanding his reasoning and emotions. solely because he feels guilt starting to prick his insides at your question does he make an attempt to reign in his childish jealousy that has reared its head so many times in the last two months.
âi didnât know where you were,â he halfheartedly answers. âi thought something had happened.â
you both know itâs a lieâ a pretty bad one at that. you had texted him just mere hours ago telling him that you would be at sanâs. at his excuse, you raise an eyebrow.
âi donât like the way they look at you,â johnny finally admits, partially showing his true colours. âespecially san.â
you had guessed just as much and you can see why he might feel that way, but you want him to see where youâre coming from, too. âwe grew up together, johnny. weâre each otherâs best friend and he doesnât like me like that.â
warm breath ghosting over your lips and then disappearing just as fast flits across your memory. ânone of them do,â you emphasise. âand iâve been transparent about hanging out with them when youâre not there, havenât i? i literally texted you a few hours ago.â
he hesitates, âi was busy playing basketball with my friends. i missed your text and then you didnât reply or answer my callsâŚâ the way his voice drops off the more he talks is a good indicator that he knows the patheticness of his justification.
âand i was busy with my friends, too,â you reason. âyouâre not glued to your phone, and neither am i.â
you continue when he stays silent, âyouâre my boyfriend and i understand that it can make you feel uneasy when i hang out with so many guys, but you have to understand that theyâre my friends, and my closest ones too. i would appreciate it if you give me more space when iâm with them, but iâll also try to make sure iâm reachable on my phone so you have a piece of mind.â
you look at him and search his eyes for any indicators that he has more to say. from the way his jaw clenches subtly, you know that heâs disgruntled at best. but to your surprise he does not protest, instead nodding and walking you back to your house. you canât tell whether the silence this time is slightly better or just as suffocating.
when you reach your front door, the lights are still on in the neighbouring house and you can hear the muted ruckus of laughter. as you unlock your door and pull it open, your boyfriend surprises you once more by calling out, âi love you.â
you learn a lot about a person simply from the things that they say, and sometimesâ
âi know,â you reply gently, before shutting the door.
âyou learn even more about a person simply from the things that they donât say.
itâs two weeks after your conversation with johnny when he runs into some of the boys at one of the beachside cafes without your presence.
with autumn just around the corner, youâre spending the day transitioning the rice seedlings, now almost at the height of your thighs, from the wet paddies to the drier fields since your parents arenât in namhae to do it. only mingi, yunho and jongho are helping you out; you had discovered the hard way last summer that letting all eight of them help you was, in fact, counterproductive when there were more plants being trampled on than safely moved.
and so while the four of you are working in the rice paddy, the remaining boys sit on the cafe terrace that overlooks the beach about a ten-minute drive from your and sanâs houses. a hush suddenly falls over their conversation, elbows inconspicuously nudging one another and shoulders tensing when they spot your boyfriend making his way towards the cafe with a small group of his own friends.
a smirk graces johnnyâs lips when his gaze falls upon the five of your friends, ignoring the courteous nod of acknowledgement that seonghwa attempts to make on their behalf and instead walking closer onto the cafeâs terrace. itâs not clearly audible, but itâs definitely direct enough for the boys to make out the words when johnny walks past and mutters, âfuckinâ pussies.â
wooyoung immediately reacts. âwhat the fuck did you just say?â he growls threateningly as seonghwa squeezes his thigh in anticipation of him standing up.
johnny pauses to look at them with faux innocence, âi wasnât talking to you guys, but i guess if youâre offendedââ
itâs hongjoong who rises to his feet first, chair screeching as it slides out from under his knees along the wooden deck. âyou say one more fucking word,â he starts, eyes thunderous and fists turning white at his sides.
âand youâll what,â johnny sneers, ârun to my girlfriend crying? ask her to have a little talk with me?â
at the mention of you, both san and wooyoung join hongjoong on their feet. âwatch what you say,â san looks at him dangerously. âdonât bring y/n into this.â
the commotion is starting to attract the attention of the staff and other customers in the cafe. seonghwa slowly stands, preparing to step in before it can escalate into something physical as yeosang grips the seat of his chair.
johnny steps closer and scoffs, âthatâs bullshit. you guys canât even take care of your own feelings so you have to hide behind my girlfriend like a bunch of pathetic losers. it makes no fucking sense for her to ask me to leave her alone when sheâs with you guys.â
âand i bet itâs never fucking crossed your mind that maybe itâs an issue with something youâre doingânot us,â wooyoung reciprocates with his own bold step closer.
heâs suddenly jerked forward when johnny fists the front of his shirt and instantly everyone moves in towards the two. seonghwa wedges his arms against their chests to prevent wooyoung from getting dragged further forward, though the younger is fiercely standing his ground, teeth bared and eyes murderous. save for yeosang, who comes to stand protectively behind him, the remaining two boys are swept up into the beginnings of a scuffle as johnnyâs friends step in as well.
âlook at you, all riled up,â johnny goads, ignoring the hands that are trying to keep him subdued. âand she tells me that you donât all want to fuck her?â
seonghwa inhales sharply as he attempts to overpower both wooyoung and hongjoong, who is now extremely determined to connect his fist with your boyfriendâs face. but to many of their infuriation, the fist doesnât get a chance to hit its well-deserved target when thereâs a firm shout over the commotion.
the cafe manager harshly warns, âweâre going to have to ask you all to leave the premises, otherwise weâre going to call the police.â
âwooyoung! hongjoong!â seonghwa hisses. âitâs not worth the trouble. stop!â
there are a few tense seconds of heaving chests and grinding jaws before johnny lets wooyoung go with a shove and hongjoong begrudgingly and slowly lowers his raised fist.
âyou bitches got lucky this time,â johnny glowers. he beckons to his friends with a jerk of his head, still glaring at wooyoung, then kicks a chair out of his way as he leaves the cafe. in the wake of the confrontation, seonghwa turns to look at the manager and creases his eyebrows in apology, bowing multiple times to the other employees and customers too.
the manager nods wryly, âyou and your friends are still going to have to leave.â
âwe understand,â seonghwa replies, beginning to usher hongjoong and wooyoung towards the exit. âweâre truly sorry.â
as the five of them walk out, his eyes dart around anxiously in case your boyfriend and his friends are still lingering around. muscles taut and on edge, seonghwa makes a decision as the oldest. âletâs go home,â he declares, âwe can wait there.â
they pile into the jeep wordlessly and san turns on the ignition, pulling out of the small car park and heading back to his. theyâre only a few minutes away when wooyoung breaks the silence, âso whoâs gonna tell y/n that her boyfriendâs a fucking asshole and that she needs to break up with his sorry ass?â he fumes. âbecause if no oneâs going to do it, then iâm going to tell her the moment we get home.â
âwooyoung,â seonghwa starts.
âno, donât wooyoung me,â he snaps. âheâs a fucking pretentious dickhead and she needs to know that. i donât even care if we donât ever get to talk about that other thing with her anymore. all i care is that he never gets to show his face in front of her ever again.â
seonghwa rubs his temples in frustration. he argues, âlook, i agree with you and iâm not saying we shouldnât tell y/n. but we need to put our feelings aside and think about this rationally, otherwise we could end up hurting her.â
âi think sheâs going to get hurt regardless of how we approach it,â hongjoong snarks as the other levels him with a look.
âthe campfire night is only a few days away,â yeosang points out. âmaybe we should wait until thatâs overâŚyou know how excited she and mingi get about it each year.â
hongjoong protests, âand wait for her to bring johnny along on the day? sorry, but not even seonghwa is going to be able to stop me from sucker-punching him to the ground.â
âsurely sheâs not going to bring him. itâs a day just for us,â yeosang frowns.
san feels their questioning gazes settling on him and he glances in the rearview mirror to confirm his hunch. âi donât know, probably not?â he answers whilst shrugging, turning into the small street that leads to your house. âbut honestly? i think we should wait until after that day to talk to her. i donât see the point in ruining it for any more of us.â
seonghwa agrees and adds on, âand only one of us should have the conversation with her. san, youâre probably the best person out of us.â
san hums in agreement, slowly braking the car to a stop before he turns in his seat to look at the rest of them. âiâll find a time to talk to her and in the meantime,â he looks at wooyoung and hongjoong gently, knowing how frustrated they must be feeling, âwe wait.â
thereâs only a few more days until the campfireâ they only need to hold out for a little longer until then. what could possibly go wrong?
âare you sure itâs a good idea to leave hongjoong and y/n to get the snacks together?â
seonghwa tenderly thumbs yeosangâs lips from out of his teeth, where he has been biting the corner of his lips in worry, and answers, âheâs hopeless at buying all the other things and she knows what snacks we like the best.â seonghwa knows hongjoongâs way of being confrontational is stark and direct, but he also has faith in the other that he wonât prematurely bring up your boyfriend and risk hurting you with the conversation.
you make your way down the snack aisles of the grocery store with hongjoong and it feels both familiar and foreign. there are no shopping cart races or invisible finish flags this timeâ only the two of you and the baskets in his hands as he carries whatever you pluck off the shelves. itâs been a while since youâve had time alone with hongjoong; not since the incident last summer.
looking down at the shopping baskets, you put another packet of banana crisps in before commenting, âletâs get some sweet things and then that should be enough for the ten of us.â
hongjoong cocks his head, âhaneulâs coming?â
â...no,â you look at him carefully, âjohnny is.â
âjohnny? youâre joking.â
you frown at the sudden coldness in his tone, âheâs my boyfriend, hongjoong.â johnny had been strangely adamant about going today and you had also noticed he seemed to be irritated about something. so quite frankly, you werenât about to tell him no.
âand heâs also an asshole, you know that? why are you even dating him?â
you know your boyfriend and your friends still arenât on amicable terms, but youâre honestly getting tired of feeling like you have to justify yourself and your dating life. and considering you have just had a talk with johnny to try and make things better for everyone, you canât help but feel like you are being pushed into a corner yet again.
âasshole or not, at least heâs honest about his feelings for me,â you retort pointedly.
âoh?â hongjoong scoffs in disbelief, âis that what this is about?â
you challenge him with a glare, âwhat do you think iâm implying?â
âso iâm the bad guy now? i thought you liked me. since when did you stoop so low as to throw yourself at any guy who makes a move on you?â
your jaw drops. âyou know what? what the fuck is your problem?â you shove his chest in anger. âletâs not forget that you were the one who tried to kiss me first and you were the one who also stopped. yeah, i did like you, but at least iâm willing to admit it.â
you step in closer, breathing heavy as you continue heatedly, âwhat about you? what the fuck have you done that makes you think you have any right to say that my decisions are wrong.â
hongjoong grits his teeth, âyouâre making a mistake dating him.â
âyeah, you would know something about mistakes,â you throw back sarcastically. âbut then again, you were probably happy to pretend it never happened and forget about it.â
âdonât fucking put words into my mouth,â he warns.
âit seems to be the only way i can get you to talk about us. you have no issues giving me shit about my relationship with my boyfriend, but when it comes to our relationship itâs radio silence for a year.â
hongjoong at least has the decency to look guilty when he declares, âi was going to talk to you about it face to face.â
âwhatever, hongjoong. itâs too late,â you brush him off.
you snatch the baskets out his hands and walk away, no longer concerned over what snacks the boys will have for the campfire later tonight. you just want to get away from hongjoong, so you do exactly that. you leave him alone in the aisle to stare at the view of your back walking further away from him. life is all about timing and hongjoong has long missed his.
hours later, mingi scans the room from where heâs perched on a stool at the kitchen island in your house. everyone is either lounging around, preparing the meat and cutlery or setting up the grill and table outsideâ everyone except for one.
âwhereâs hongjoong?â he asks nobody in particular. he doesnât think heâs seen the other since theyâve all come back from the grocery store.
âheâs resting in my room,â san answers. âsaid he wasnât feeling too well but heâll join us later.â
you roll your eyes at the knives youâre counting out, opting to keep your mouth shut. what san doesnât say either, though, is that he knows something is offâ hongjoong was completely fine this morning and you were definitely in higher spirits.
thereâs an abrupt knock at your front door and you put the cutlery down, saying, âiâll get it.â you know itâs probably johnny so you donât bother squinting through the peephole before pulling the door open and blinking, âyou look nice today.â
your boyfriend has styled his hair so that it slicks back from his forehead, parted down the right side of his scalp. heâs dressed in his usual smart casual fit but has chosen to pair it with accessories to accentuate his collarbones and wrists. he shrugs, âwanted to look good.â
you lead him to the open kitchen and immediately, you notice the shift in the air. a few of the boys give a tight-lipped smile in acknowledgement, but the expressions on wooyoung and san, and even yeosang and seonghwa go blank or two shades darker. hongjoongâs uncharacteristic cold feet suddenly makes a lot of sense to san now.
âyou invited johnny?â sanâs question is eerily monotone. a blunt knife may not be able to cut through rope, but with continuous abrasion and chafing, even the thickest of ropes will eventually sever.
your voice is not entirely friendly when you reply, âyes, san. i invited my boyfriend.â
âand why the fuck did you do that?â
sanâs swearing has you reeling in surprise, but itâs quickly replaced by pent-up stress and anger that has been lingering for weeks and exacerbated by your argument with hongjoong mere hours ago. your entire body starts to heat up when san continues to criticise, âweâve put up with him for long enough, donât you think? itâs one thing for you to date him of all people, but itâs another thing to bring him to this.â
you laugh bitingly, no longer concerned about trying to deal with this maturely. all you can think about is how san is hurting you and how you want to hurt him back too. âso you can bring whoever the fuck you want each year, but i canât bring my own boyfriend?â you retort.
the silence is deafening. nobody moves as they try to process the words that have just been thrown at them. yunhoâs eyes are wide with confusion more than hurt at how quickly this argument has escalated, and he slowly raises his arms out in front of him, âokay, i think we all need toââ
âwhoever the fuckâare we just âwhoeverâ to you?â wooyoung harshly interrupts. âweâve been trying to look out for you and this is what we fucking get in return?â
you know that you wonât be able to take your words back after you say them, but they slip out anyway as you counter, âi didnât ask any of you to look out for me.â
yunhoâs arms fall limply to his sides and seonghwa looks away. wooyoungâs words are resigned and stony when he stares at you dead in the eye and says, âyou know, y/n. we needed this trip this summerâŚmore than anything. but thanks for ruining it for all of us.â then he brushes past your shoulder and slams the front door on his way out.
one by one, the boys follow him out of your houseâ first yeosang, then seonghwa, neither of them able to look you in the eye. when yunho and jongho hesitantly walk past you as well, they give you a small, apologetic wince.Â
mingi still stands in the room. he has been quiet throughout the entire argument but his eyes tell a story of a million words. heâs filled with hurt and sorrow if not obvious by the wetness that starts to well in his eyes. âi guess you were just saying it when you told me i have a home here with you in namhae,â he chokes out.
your own eyes grow hot as you shake your head, âmingi, thatâs notââ
but he leaves before you can say anything else. turning back towards the interior of your houseâ now looking far too spacious and vast without one of your friends occupying every available surfaceâ you are left alone with just san and johnny. the heat of the fight is quickly slipping away, instead rushing all towards your eyes, and you call out sanâs name. what for, you donât know, but your cry is timid and desperate.
as much as it pains san to make a decision, mingi needs himâ his boys need him, and they are his priority now. right there and then, san discovers for himself his final answer when it comes to choosing between love and friendship. he walks out of your house, turning his back on you.
you jolt awake feeling disorientated. your head feels clouded, eyes blurry from swelling and youâre still in the clothes from last night that you donât recall falling asleep in. reaching for your phone, you wonder whether it has already ticked past noon for you to have woken up on your own, except you find that its dead. you roll over with a groan and plug your phone into its charger, then haul yourself upwards.
you rinse the stale taste out of your mouth before walking out to the living room and immediately, youâre hit with the memories and intense emotions of last night. there are packets of raw meat still unopened and bottles of soju still littering the table that you hadnât tidied up. in the aftermath of the argument, you had told johnny to give you some space and to go home. you had then gone straight to your bedroom, covering yourself with the blankets in an attempt to hide yourself from the world and cried out your sorrows until you exhausted yourself to sleep.
you let out a long and heavy sigh, soul still exhausted to the very core, so you turn back towards your bedroom. youâll clean everything up when youâre feeling a little more confident to face the consequences of last night. sitting on the edge of your bed, you reach for your phone. there are a few texts from johnny that you scroll past when something else catches your eye.
itâs a text from jongho, timestamped for 1:17 am. you and the boys rarely have a reason to message each other individually, preferring to use the group chat since there are no secrets shared. although, you suppose, none of you will be using the group chat for a whileâŚ
you tap on jonghoâs notification. instantly, your heart drops all the way to the bottom of your stomach and past it. you think your heart is down in the fucking ground, becauseâ
hey, wasnât sure if youâd want to know or not but i think weâre going back to seoul in the morning
the numbers in the corner of your phone tell you that itâs already eleven thirty, and thatâs when you hear itâ the noise that had woken you up earlier. the distinct slam of a car boot closing shut. you jolt up to your feet, panic coursing through your veins as blood rushes to your ears and drowns out all rational thoughts. you forgo any shoes and throw your front door open to run outside, uncaring of the grit that digs painfully into the soles of your feet.
a brief flash of relief flickers across jonghoâs face at your appearance but you miss it in your frenzy to make sense of what you are seeing. all three of their cars are parked in a line, their surfboards already strapped and secured to the car hoods or in the bed of the ute. the last of their luggage and duffel bags are being loaded and san is locking his front door.
every summer, the boys wait until the last possible second to leave, to the point where you have to forcibly push them towards their cars with fond laughter. itâs only thursday today and summer doesnât end for another three days, and yetâ
âyou guys are leaving?â you ask apprehensively.
nobody answers you immediately. the only sound that punctuates the silence is the forceful slam of a door as wooyoung enters the car. hongjoong accidentally makes eye contact with you and his eyes narrow before he opens the door to his ute and also disappears.
jongho clears his throat awkwardly, âyeah, weâre heading back early.â
âohâŚâ youâre at a loss for words, unsure of how to react to this situation. âdrive safe.â
like a parallel of last night, the boys enter their respective cars one by one, jongho giving you a subtle wave. guilt stifles you for the things you have said to the boys and youâre also consumed by hurt from the things they have said to you. but you know for certain that you cannot just let this friendship fall through the cracks like this.
as san makes his way to his jeep, which is parked at the front of the line as the lead driver, you watch carefully for any sign that things are still salvageable for your friendship. a smile, a glance, a nodâ anything. but he simply pulls his jeep door open like you are invisible.
you hesitantly ask him, âiâll see you next summer?â
san is expressionless but he may as well be glaring at you when he replies, âdonât count on it,â and for the second time of your life, he turns his back on you.
as san buckles his seatbelt in, trying his goddamn hardest to pretend he doesnât see the tears now beginning to fall from your eyes, he tells himself that youâve made your decision and heâs made his. he has chosen his priorities and will give you up, and yet, still he hopes that one day youâll realise you deserve better and break up with johnny. san hopes that youâll come across somebody more than better, even if it cannot be him.
before yunho also gets into the jeep, he pauses in front of you. he fists the sides of his pants to stop himself from reaching out to wipe your tears away. instead, he consoles, âi think we all just need a little bit of time, yeah?â
you nod numbly at his words. youâre forced to take several steps back out of the way after yunho also shuts his door closed and the engines hum to life in succession. unable to do anything, you can only watch helplessly as sanâs jeep starts to pull away and the other two cars also follow.
âtheyâre finally leaving, huh.â
thereâs only one person who would have amusement laced into those words. refusing to turn around in your state, you exhale shakily, ânot now, johnny.â
âyou honestly need better friends. everyone has a stick up their ass in that group,â he comments.
âi said not now,â you warn again, blinking the rest of your tears away when you feel anger creeping up in its stead.
âi shouldâve just punched them when i had the chance to.â
you whip around to face him and yell, absolutely appalled, âjohnny!â
âwhat?â he scowls. âthey were the ones who started it.â
you grow deathly still. âstarted what?â you interrogate, and when he doesnât let up, you step in closer. âjohnny?â
âlook, i ran into some of them the other day. that little fuckerâwooyoung? he was basically asking to be punched. heâs lucky i let him off the hook,â he sneers.
youâve known wooyoung longer than you have known johnny and you honestly find your boyfriendâs recount hard to believe. yes, wooyoung is hot-headed and rash, but he never reacts unless he has been provoked. or in other cases, his loved ones have been provoked.
âdonât you fucking dare call my friends fuckers,â you growl. is this who your boyfriend truly is? is this the person who your friends have been able to see through all this time?
âare you fucking serious right now?â johnny spits in your face, âyouâre defending them? you always take their fucking side even though iâm your boyfriend.â
you spit right back, âand you know what? that was my biggest mistake. i should have never made you my boyfriend.â
johnnyâs expression drops entirely. âare you breaking up with me right now?â
âyes, i am.â you confirm. âweâre over.â
you turn on your heel and for once, you are glad that he has shown up at your house, because it means you are a mere ten feet away from shutting your now-ex out of your life. you fumble with the door, vision rapidly blurring, then walk through and close it behind you. slowly, you lean back against the door. with nothing grounding you anymore, the tears escape your eyes once more and you donât bother trying to hold back your cries.
all too fast, everything has come to a full circle of hurt. johnny turned his back on your friends, your friends turned their backs on you, and you have now turned your back on johnny. your chest shudders and heaves at the realisation, wondering where it all went wrong.
you want to seek out one of the boys for comfortâ seonghwa or sanâ but you only end up dropping to your hands and knees, head dizzy from how hard you begin to sob, when you realise that thatâs no longer an option. you all need time apart, both yourself and the boys. you know. but itâs much easier for them because they are going back to seoul together as their group of eight. they still have each other to lean on for comfort, whereas you are left behind to nurse your own wounds by yourself.
in the quiet of your house with the end of summer approaching in namhae, for the first time since meeting san, you are truly alone. it no longer feels like the nine of you against the world and whatever it may bring. instead, itâs you against the worldâŚand the eight of them.
haneul takes all but one look at you before sheâs making herself comfortable on your couch, tugging a cushion into her lap and patting the space beside her with a commanding air of authority. her expression tells you that thereâs no room for argument, so you sink into the couch next to her.
the bewilderment must be obvious on your face when she asks you to spill what happened with san, because she simply reveals, âsan messaged the family chat when he arrived back in seoul. and we all know he would give up surfing before voluntarily leaving namhae early.â
you slouch in on yourself, âwe fought.â
as surprising as it is to hear, since sheâs never seen you and san argue before, haneul had an inkling that that was the case after her little brotherâs vague reasons. she probes, âabout what?â
you tell her about everything. how you started dating johnny, how the boys came early for the summer and how you tried to get them on friendly terms. how your friends were constantly telling you to break up with him and how your boyfriend was always unhappy about you spending time with them. you tell her about the near-kiss with hongjoong last summer and the confrontation you had with him this summer. the argument you had with all the boys and the break up with johnny. everything.
haneulâs quiet for a while as she tries to piece together your story and her own thoughts. âdid they ever tell you why they were so against you dating him?â she finally questions.
you shake your head and she asks, âthen did you try talking to them about it?â
you slowly shake your head again, slightly ashamed by your own answer. you had been so focused on finding fault in the different ways the boys could have expressed their disapproval regarding your boyfriend that you didnât think of the multiple opportunities you had to work out why those opinions existed in the first place.
âwhat do you think of it all, then? obviously, you would have broken up with johnny for a reasonâor did the criticism from the boys just become too much?
fiddling with the hem of your shirt, you look down at your lap. âhe was a decent guyâŚup until summer and the boys came over. thatâs when he started acting differently and,â you pause, trying to find a nicer phrase before giving up and settling on, âbecame an asshole.â
she nods, waiting as you elaborate, âhe became more overbearing and possessive, especially when i was hanging out with them when he wasnât present. and he was just always so pissed. he was dead serious about getting into a physical fight with wooyoung. and we both know that none of the boys would ever start a fight for no reason, much less a fistfight, so johnny had to be the instigator.â
the way that you are solely picking out the faults of your ex does not go unnoticed by haneul. ây/n,â she stares at you seriously. âare you upset about your break up, or your argument with the boys?â
her question stuns you because itâs quite obviously both, but she stops your reflexive response with the instruction, âthink about it before you answer me.â
you close your mouth and look at your lap again to actually process your own thoughts and feelings. what are you thinking and feeling? johnnyâŚyou had sort of known already that he would not be a constant in your life for much longer. from the moment you had started comparing him against the other boys, it was already the beginning of the end.
but san and the others? they are and have been the sun to your solar system for years; your providers of vitality, warmth and summer who you cannot live without. thereâs a constant, gravitational pull that keeps you all together, except the balance has now been thrown off entirely. you realise what the answer was all along and you quietly admit, âthe argument.â
she places a hand over yours, comfortingly stroking your knuckles as she sympathises, âi think so too.â
promptly, you feel your eyes pricking with the sting of tears and in a moment of fragile vulnerability, you plead to haneul in a shaky voice, âwhat am i going to do without them?â
âcome here,â she whispers.
she pulls you into her, your body immediately going slack in her embrace. you cling onto her like a lifeline, afraid that you are going to drown in your cries of anguish. you donât know how long you stay buried in her chest grieving for the friendships you have lost, but your neck and back are sore with stiffness by the time you calm down. still, she doesnât let go of youâ not until you make the first move to pull away.
haneul continues to stroke your hair, soft shushing noises as she rocks you back and forth with her. when your shuddering breaths have resided and steadied out, she breaks the silence softly, ây/n, i think thereâs more to your heartache and regret than just feeling like youâve lost your closest friends.â
your throat is scratchy when you mumble, âwhat do you mean?â
âi canât tell you because thatâs something that youâre going to have to work out for yourself. but after you figure out your own feelings, talk to them. communication is the first step to solving any problem, and i think youâve realised just how much miscommunication could have been avoided leading up to the argument.â
you know sheâs right, but your chest shrivels up on itself in fear. âwhat if they donât answer my messages or calls? what if they really donât come back next summer?â what if they hate me forever?
haneul rests her cheek on the crown of her head, âif they take a step back, then why donât you take two steps forward?â
her words slowly sink in and when they do, you inch out of her embrace. haneul cannot help the smile that adorns her own face in tandem with the one that starts to peek out along your lips. your face is still red and blotchy but there is now a ray of emerging hope as your voice trails off, âyou meanâŚâ
âyes, y/n,â haneul nods. you feel goosebumps spreading across your body when she affirms your thoughts.
âgo to seoul and talk to them.â
summer passes and autumn comes. the days grow shorter as the nights become longer and the weeks blur into a haze of monochrome darkness. the leaves and flowers fall off the trees, nature gradually stagnating and waning into nonexistence, much like the groupchat you share with the boys that has remained untouched since summer.
in a feverish state of resolution the very same day you had cried in haneulâs arms, you had booked an express bus trip that would take you directly from namhae to seoul. yet, despite telling yourself every weekend that youâll make the trip, the ticket remains unused. whenever you see your last message to sanâ a meek question asking if he had arrived back in seoul fineâ that continues to stay unread, your courage crumples and you reschedule the date for the following weekend.
the cycle repeats itself well into autumn. that is, until he breaks it.
youâve spent the last few days thinking about this very moment. there are only a few minutes left until midnight, which will mark the end of jonghoâs birthday. youâre unable to count the number of times you have opened his chat, typed out a message, then exited without actually sending it.
currently, the text cursor in jonghoâs chat blinks back at you like your own indecisiveness wavering back and forth between messaging him and not. the minute ticks over once moreâ itâs now or never. you let your thumbs skim across the surface of your phone before you can contemplate any further. itâs a simple message; only reading two lines.
happy birthday jongho how have you been?
really, you mean âhow have you all been?â because you cannot care about one of them without also caring about the others.
you lock the screen and toss your phone to the side, pretending you donât care whether he replies or not, as if your phone is capable of sensing anxiousness and will sabotage his incoming messagesâ that is, if any come at all. but jonghoâs last messages to you had been the ones alerting you that he and the boys would be leaving namhae prematurely. surely an indicator that this friendship isnât entirely lost.
the lecture slides on your laptop may as well be written in a foreign language as you restlessly eye your phone, wondering if he has seen your messages. you know it will be fruitless to continue studying, so you steel yourself for disappointment and reach for your phone. to your surprise, thereâs a reply waiting for you.
thanks y/n, iâve been good
itâs simple and only five words, but that in itself speaks volumes to your relationship. your heart skips a beat when the messages in his chat shift upwards once more as a new text comes in like an afterthought.
i miss you
really, jongho means âwe all miss youâ because you can be angry at someone, feel hurt by them, yet still love them all the same.
his confession stuns you frozen, your fingers hovering in place over your keyboard. it fills you with longing for more and hope for what may come, but also fear for what could happen. jongho has taken a small step to meet you halfway and you are absolutely terrified of messing things up once more. with your heart pounding in your chest, you carefully type out your next message, send it and then hold your breath.
can we call?
your fingers repetitively trace the rim of your phone case back and forth as you wait for a reply. thereâs a rising swell of panic that continues to grow when nothing comes and you even exit and reopen the app. what you donât know is that jongho almost trips onto his face in his hurry to untangle his legs from out of his blanket so that he can lock himself in the bathroom to call you without waking the others.
the phone nearly falls out of your grasp when the screen suddenly lights up not with a message but a call. you let it ring for a few seconds to gather your own composure before sliding the button to nervously answer, âhello?â
âhello?â comes jonghoâs reply.
your voices overlap as you both simultaneously talk, âcan you hear meââ âhiâyes, can you hear me?â
âyeah, i can hear you too, hi,â you breathe out, face breaking out into a smile.
the exchange has jongho letting out a giggle and the sound immediately releases all the tension that has built up in your body. your eyes start to mist over as you let out your own bashful laughter, because it is so much more than just missing the sound of jonghoâs happiness. youâre reminded of crashing waves and windswept fringes; heavy surfboards and helping handsâ the summer days when everything was happier and simpler. how did everything end up the way it has?
âthank you for replying to my message, jongho,â your voice is unsteady.
he must hear the way your throat threatens to close in on itself, because his voice is warm-hearted when he tells you, âno, thank you for reaching out first.â and as much as he finds it difficult to express himself, his next words spill out easily. âsorry i didnât do it firstâŚit must have been hard for you all this time.â
and just like that, so comes the first of many owed apologies. it doesnât matter that you have to be awake in five hours to make it to your first lecture, nor that you donât have a perfected script for all the things you want to apologise for. and it doesnât matter that jongho is starting to feel cold sitting on the bathroom floor, nor that he canât hold you like he wants to do. what does matter is that youâre both talking again.
as the night grows older, the conversation eventually flows away from raw confessions of your hearts to familiar topics of your mundane lives. it feels like the normal phone calls you used to have with the boys, except this time itâs only with jongho.
âwhat about you? have you been busy?â
you nod, even though he canât see you over the call, âiâm trying to keep up with classes but itâs hard with all the assignments due soon.â
âyeah, i have another huge film project and itâs taking up all of my time, too,â he exhales, then tentatively asks, âwhat aboutâŚhowâre things with johnny?â
itâs strangely exciting to clarify, âwe actually broke up a few months ago.â
you can hear jonghoâs sharp inhale even from over the phone. the conspiratorial tone of his voice painfully reminds you of wooyoungâs nosiness as jongho asks, âplease tell me you broke up with him and not the other way round.â
âyes, i broke up with him,â you chuckle. âhe talked shit about you guys the moment you all left, so i dumped him.â
âhe deserved it,â he gleefully states.
âonly i get to mess with my friendsâŚliterally.â
the joke is at the expense of yourself, but it feels uplifting to be able to start laughing about it now that you have started making amends, even if it is only with one person so far. knowing you have somebody on your side makes all the difference in the world.
âitâs actually sort of funny you say that,â jongho muses over the phone. âremember that truth or dare question? the one about choosing between love and friendship?â
you hum in affirmation, âsan and i picked love.â
âand look at you, picking us over johnny,â he teases.
huffily, you banter, âpicked you guys even though you all left me.â
thereâs the tinkle of laughter from over the receiver, but itâs cut short by a faint knock. you hear jongho murmuring to somebody before his voice becomes audible again, âhey, sorry, i need to go now. someone needs to use the bathroom.â
you resist the urge to ask why heâs even there in the first place, but you just tell him that itâs okay, considering how late the time is anyway.
âiâll talk to you tomorrow?â
âyeah, tomorrow,â you affirm. the wide smile on your face makes your cheeks ache as you grip the phone to your ear and wait for him to hang up. you hear the sound of rustling as he stands up and turns the doorknob, then thereâs a voice in the background asking, âis that y/n?â
but before you can try to discern who the voice belongs to, the call ends. you donât let the slight disappointment dampen your spirits though and you fall back to lie on top of your bed. jonghoâs last words to you have made you feel like a giddy teenagerâ tomorrow feels too far away.
but his words before his last words also make you feel like a teenager. only itâs not giddiness but the uncertainty and confusion that comes with adolescence as you try to navigate and understand your own feelings about something. in the face of the situation, had you truly chosen friendship over love contrary to your own expectations?
it makes sense at first to think thatâs what has happened, but youâre suddenly reminded of haneulâs wordsâ that there is more to your heartache and regret than just feeling like you have lost your closest friends, and that you need to figure out your own feelings before talking to the boys. if you have stood by your own values and chosen love over friendship, then that meansâŚthe heartbreak that you feel is grief not for lost friendship, but loss of your first lovesâ because you are in love with all of them.
that spark of feelings that had remained for the boys had never become fully extinguished. when you agreed to date johnny, perhaps it was only because he had reminded you of them and you had mistaken the flutters in your stomach for romantic attraction to him. and so, left unattended, that very spark has now flourished into a wildfire that can no longer be controlled, neither can it be containedâ itâs time for you to talk to them.
you pick up your phone again and send out a message, this time with no hesitation. it reads, âi need your helpâ.
and the reply is immediate.
anything you need
itâs the first day of winter when you arrive in seoul.
you get off the express bus at the terminal with both hands empty and only the bag on your back; you donât plan on staying for long so you didnât bring much with you. immediately, your breath fogs up in the frigid air and you nestle more snugly into the warmth of your coat. thereâs a reasonable crowd of people at the terminal, so you crane your neck in search of jonghoâs familiar tuft of brown hair, who had offered to pick you up knowing that this was your first time travelling up to seoul.
the last text he had sent told you that he had arrived and was waiting for you at terminal six. as you make your way closer, eyes squinting to discern whether you are seeing things correctly, you think youâre able to make out jonghoâs side profile leaning against a brick wall.
except, heâs not alone. your footsteps start to falter because seonghwa is also there. ironically, heâs the one who spots you from afar. he pushes himself away from the wall and turns his body towards you as jongho questions whether he has spotted you.
ever since the night he had overheard the younger on a phone call with you, seonghwa has been aching to make things right with you again. he had been afraid that you would want nothing to do with them anymore and that you would slip away from their fingers just like that. but here you are in seoul, just a mere distance away from him.
seonghwaâs eyes start to water and your expression crumples almost immediately with his when he opens his arms with an offer of an embrace. his feet rush to close the distance when you throw yourself into his chest, the cashmere of his coat rubbing softly against your cheek.
âiâm sorry, hwaâ you murmur.
âi know,â he whispers, stroking the back of your head, âme too.â
jongho silently watches with a small smile and allows you both to have your moment of reconciliation with each other. as you breathe in the comfortingly familiar scent of seonghwaâs cologne, you gesture for the other to come closer so that you can pull him into a group hug. and here, surrounded by both of them, despite there being several other things you want to sayâ poems of apologies and ballads of confessionsâ for now, this is more than enough.
seonghwa is the first to pull away suddenly as if he has been electrocuted. âhang on, are you and johnny stillâŚâ he trails off.
despite the snort of amusement that leaves you, youâre touched by his thoughtfulness to maintain respectful boundaries. âdonât worry, we broke up,â you reassure him, then you jokingly turn to jongho with an incredulous look. âyou told him i was coming up to seoul, but didnât tell him that johnnyâs my ex now?â
he rolls his eyes good-naturedly, âthat wasnât in my place to reveal. plus, seonghwa was the one who looked over my shoulder and saw your text asking for my help.â
said man pretends to walk away innocently. you and jongho laugh, trailing after him towards the carpark as you ask, âwhat was he doing in your dorm anyway?â
âhe crashed for the night. our dormâs close to his workplace.â
when you reach their parked car, seonghwa tugs the passenger door open, but instead of hopping in he gestures for you to go first. you indulge in his chivalry with a chuckle, even more so when he places a hand along the top of the door frame in case you bump into it.
âthanks, hwa,â you say sweetly, shuffling in further when he scoots in after you and leaves jongho alone to sit at the front of the car.
âgreat, not even ten minutes of making up with each other and iâve already become the third wheel,â jongho grumbles as he turns the ignition on.
despite the huffiness in his voice, jonghoâs heart sings with happiness to see you and seonghwa already getting along like normal. he is willing to be the third wheelâ even the ninth wheelâ if it means that you and his boys can shine together every day. but for that to happen, it all rests on how the next hour unfolds.
âready to go?â jongho asks, eyeing you from the rearview mirror.
are you? are you ready to talk to all of the boys at the same time? seonghwa gives your hand a gentle squeeze, and jongho nods at you reassuringly from the front; youâre not going into this alone anymore. you nod, âiâm ready.â
the drive takes less than thirty minutes and before you know it, youâre standing right outside the door to jonghoâs shared dorm with wooyoung and hongjoong. jongho swipes and unlocks the door with his access card, however makes no move to push the door open. the fact that neither of the boys say anything to rush you spurs you on with enough determination to enter the dorm. the volume of their chatter increases immediately without the barrier of the door, and you take slow, hesitant steps along the short hallway towards the direction of the sound.
you appreciate when jongho takes the lead to subtly show you where to go but it still feels like you are intrudingâ which, you technically are, considering two out of three people who live here donât know that youâre in the dorm right now. rounding the corner of the hallway, you discover that it leads straight to the living room where all of the boys currently are. so itâs fucking awkward when the sight of you emerging completely kills the conversation and a collective hush settles over the room.
you have to fight everything within you not to turn on your heel and just flee, because nothing has prepared you for their initial reaction. you hate the fact that you cannot tell whether the shocked expressions on yunho and yeosangâs faces are ones of delight or displeasure. you hate the way that wooyoung and hongjoongâs bodies tense and become guarded, ready to tell you to leave their dorm. but more than anything, you hate the way that san and mingi cannot even look at you.
âholy shit,â yunho whispers.
thatâs enough to set off the others and hongjoong angrily questions, âwhat the fuck is she doing here?â
wooyoung looks at jongho, âis this why you told everyone to come over?â
you defend, âi was the one who asked jongho for help.â
âi wasnât talking to youââ
you cut wooyoung off, contrary to your next words, âcan you just shut the fuck up for once? iâm not here to start another fight. justâhear me out, please. iâll leave as soon as i say what i need to.â
he glares at you and everybody holds their breath as they steel themselves for another full-blown argument. but wooyoung does as you ask and folds his arms angrily. nobody speaks, waiting for you to talk as you finally put your bag down and sit a safe distance away.
you close your eyes and take a breath to compose yourself. you refuse to let yourself cry this time. youâve done plenty of that in the last few months and you have finally come to terms with your own feelings. âiâŚiâm sorry,â you start.
somebody scoffs, but you ignore it and let the words from your heart take over. âiâm sorry for being such an asshole over the summerâfor letting my ex get in between us and for ignoring all the times you told me he wasnât a good guy. i shouldnât have assumed that you were all okay with me bringing him along whenever we hung out and i should have asked before inviting him to the campfire. that was something special for us and it was selfish of me to do that.
âin particular, iâm sorry for how that night went down. i know it doesnât excuse what i did, but i had an argument with hongjoong earlier that day and i was feeling strung tight. i wish i had handled the situation better when i felt confronted about bringing johnny along, and i acknowledge that the words i said canât be taken back, even if i didnât mean them.â
nobody needs reminding of the words that you are referring to, because it has sat just as heavily in their hearts as it has your own. the sight of mingi ducking his head down even further has your heart clenching painfully.
even if he isnât looking, you apologise to him directly, âmingi, iâm sorry we never got to finish our talk. i know that you were going through a hard time and that that trip was meant to be something healing for youâfor all of you. namhae was meant to be an escape, but it probably didnât feel that wayâŚbecause of me. i mean it when i say youâll always have a home in namhae and i hope that one day, youâll be able to trust me on that. in fact, i hope that you all know that namhae is not the same without either one of you boys.â
you hesitate, because not even jongho knows about what youâre going to say next. you avert your gaze to focus on the carpet just in front of you so that you donât have to see their expressions. âitâs taken this fightâalmost losing all of youâand breaking up with my ex to realise just how stupid and blind i am to my own feelings. i always thought i would be happy with just being friendsâŚbut you are all so, so much more to me than just friends and âwhoeverâ. i think iâm in love with all of you and i know itâs unconventional, butâŚi guess love has no limits.
âbut iâm also going to be honest. iâm still hurt by the things some of you said or did. it hurt that some of you criticised my decisions without thinking about how that might have made me feel. and i know it wasnât your intention to, but i felt like i was being backed into a corner multiple times when you kept repeating the same things over and over again about my ex without any real constructiveness to your words.
âi donât expect you to apologise right now, nor accept my apology, and i donât expect any of you to respond to my confession. i want you all to have enough time to work out your own feelingsâŚif you want to. if you find it in your heart to forgive me and if you want to apologise, pursue friendship again orâŚmaybe something more, then come to namhae and tell me in person.â
thereâs half a year left until summer, and as much as things can change in six months, you also hope that this gives you and the boys time to work out what you all truly want from one anotherâ be it friendship or love. nobody moves or says anything, trying to process everything you have said so you decide to leave them to it, having done your part. you make a move to stand and sling your bag onto your back.
âyouâre leaving already? where are you going?â yeosang abruptly asks, standing as well.
âback to namhae,â you explain. âi booked a return ticket for the same day.â
san frowns and for the first time since you arrived, he looks at you. âyou came all the way hereâŚjust to talk to us for half an hour?â
you give him a bittersweet smile, âthatâs how important this is to meâhow important you all are to me.â
he looks away, unable to hold your gaze. you turn to jongho to ask if he is still happy to drop you back off at the terminal, who nods and begins to pull on his puffer jacket.
âwait,â yeosang calls out. he skitters off down the corridor, socked feet pattering against the floor as he grabs something from his bedroom and hurries back in front of you. âhere.â
he has a thick scarf that he holds out for you to take, but as you start to reach for it, he changes his mind. you hold your breath as yeosang carefully reaches over your head to drape the scarf around you. with tender hands, he wraps it around your neck before securing it with a knot. he continues to fiddle with the ends of the scarf and youâre starting to wonder why he is hesitating when he looks at you shyly and mumbles something under his breath. before you can make a noise of confusion, he darts off once again back into his room. seonghwa cannot help but smile fondly, because even if he is unable to hear what the other said either, he knows what yeosang means purely by his actions.
youâre accompanied out of the door by jongho minutes later, carrying a plastic bag of snacks and drinks from their dorm that seonghwa has rushed to put together for you to have on your way back. when youâre in the car, you also find a pair of black gloves in the pocket of your coat. you have no idea who put it there, but the sentiment of one of the boys trying to ensure you are not cold is enough to fill your entire body with warmth.
you may have arrived in seoul with both hands empty and only the bag on your back, but you leave seoul with their quiet acts of apologies and forgiveness on your hands, neck, and in the plastic bag sitting on your lap as your bus pulls away back to namhae.
a lot can change in six months, but a lot can also stay the same. it all balances on the peak of the fulcrum, waiting to teeter either way as summer arrives.
youâve kept in touch with jongho and seonghwa, so you havenât been left in the dark anxiously wondering whether they will be returning to namhae or not. but even with their arrival, the uncertainty remains as to which way the scale hasâ or will tip.
so you donât walk out to greet them when you hear the resounding slam of shutting doors and the low hum of exchanged conversation, because you don't know whether the other boys want to see you or not. plus, thereâs something embarrassing about seeing them for the first time after apologising, much less confessing to them without any certainty as to their feelings, and much much less to eight people at once. youâre doing a pretty good job at hiding and pretending you are completely oblivious to their arrival in namhae.
that is, until mingi knocks on your door. mingi feels like heâs fourteen again, knocking on yunhoâs door and crossing his fingers hoping to god that itâs his friend who opens it and not his parents, because mingi feels embarrassed asking them every day if yunho can come out to play. this time, though, mingiâs nervous because itâs you and heâs nervous because six months is a long time where feelings can change. he hopes that yours are still the same.
youâre greeted by a shock of platinum white hair when you open your door and you realise itâs mingi with freshly bleached hair. it looks goodâ a little too goodâ and you have to force yourself to peel your eyes away. except your eyes travel down involuntarily to the contrasting black of his tank top, which is at least two sizes too large and dips down dangerously to reveal the shadows of his chest. youâre down bad, and itâs only been ten seconds since youâve laid eyes on him since seoul.
mingi is looking at you amusedly when you finally lock eyes with him and he seems to stand a little straighter with confidence. he beckons with a gentle tilt of his head, âcome surf with us?â
the casualness of his invite throws you off and you wonder if youâve somehow missed the memo that heâs forgiven you. âyouâre all okay with me coming?â you blink confusedly.
âthe others can speak for themselves,â he puts it plainly, but then smiles, âi want you to come, though. itâs not the same without you. plus,â his voice mellows out earnestly, âsomeoneâs gotta welcome me home, donât you think?â
home. home is where the heart is, and for mingi, regardless of the arguments and fights, his heart will always be with the boys and you. because in anger, hurt and love, there is always forgiveness, and mingi has forgiven you.
shyly, you return his smile, âiâll go get changed, then?â
âis that an invite inside?â mingi leans against the doorframe with faux coyness that manages to make the rounds of your cheeks heat up. you shove him back lightly with a laugh, trying to ignore the firmness of his chest under your touch.
he grins boyishly, utterly pleased with himself, but steps back so you can close the door. âtake your time,â he reassures. âiâll wait for you.â
and he does, just so that you donât have to walk alone to join the rest of the group. even after you have thrown on a swimsuit and slathered yourself with sunscreen as best as you can, mingi is still outside and yunho has also joined himâ you know because you can hear them talking as you search for your house keys in the hallway.
âwhat if itâs too late?â yunho asks.
âyou donât know that, not until you try,â mingi replies. âhere, a kiss for good luck.â
you have no idea what the context for this conversation is, but it suddenly strikes you that apart from mingi, youâve never discussed sexual orientation with the boys. you may have asked them to consider you romantically, but you canât say for sure if they even like girls. from what you know, none of them have dated before, and now youâre suddenly wondering whether any of the boys are dating within the group. mingi and yunho are certainly a possibility.
but regardless, you realise this is probably not something you should be discovering by overhearing a conversation, so you deliberately drop your keys to alert them of your presence and wait a couple more seconds before you open your front door.
for the second time of the day, youâre absolutely floored. yunho has dyed his hair an ash grey and it falls over his forehead and down the nape of his neck in messy locks. there must have been a fucking enticing buy-one-get-one-free deal, because heâs also wearing a black tank top much like mingiâs, except his is form-fitting and putting every damned muscle of his upper body on glorified display.
not that youâre complaining. but itâs also very distracting when youâre trying to focus on what mingi is saying as you all make your way down the beach towards the shore, their surfboards hiked against their hips.
âyou guys go ahead, i think jonghoâs calling for me,â mingi suddenly announces before darting off.
youâre left alone with yunho, and from the back of jonghoâs head who most definitely doesnât even know you three have joined the group, mingiâs plan to slip away has succeeded.
âum,â yunho hesitantly starts, âdo you want to try paddling out on my board? iâll stay close.â
the last time you had attempted anything on his shortboard, you had flipped over and swallowed several mouthfuls of salt water. although youâre not particularly keen on repeating the experience, some things donât need to be spelt outâ the reason for his offer. only one foot is needed to push a bicycle into motion, but two feet are needed to keep it in motion. so you nod and let him drag his surfboard towards the shallow waters for you.
as you trail beside him, seonghwa and jongho greet you enthusiastically on their own boards out in the horizon. yeosang waves too from further down the shore and you lose some of the tension in your shoulders when you know that the intention behind his scarf was not misinterpreted. only san and wooyoung do not directly acknowledge your presence, but unbeknownst to you, the younger is carefully observing your interactions with the others.
âhere,â yunho says, garnering your attention.
he holds the surfboard steady in the water, waiting for you to lie on top. his hands stay even after you gingerly shift and balance your weight onto your front. with his guidance, you slowly paddle out past the rush of whitewater waves. yunho is barely waist-deep in the water so he easily manoeuvres you and the board as you try to recall the familiar motion of paddling against incoming swells. but both of you know that youâre not really trying to paddle and heâs not really watching for mistakes.
eventually, you languidly let the waters caress your body as you still, letting the slight waves gently rock your surfboard. one of yunhoâs arms have shifted over your back to support the opposite side of the surfboard and your body tingles whenever his forearm brushes over you. his other hand rests near your own, your fingers grazing together whenever the board dances over a swell.
it is within the serenity and solitude of the ocean, and the warmth and proximity of each otherâs presence that the conversation happens. yunho apologises and you forgive. it occurs as simply as that, because actions speak louder than words and you have already shared a library of novels with your bodies.
from afar, wooyoungâs internal debate continues to teeter on its fulcrum as he watches the moment you share with yunho. wooyoung may be fast to talk, but he is also keen to observe. he sees the glow of relief and happiness returning to the faces of the boys. what he said to you summers ago still stands trueâ you make the boys happy and itâs obvious they make you happy too. and all wooyoung has ever wanted is to protect the smile of his loved ones, including you.
the radiance of the smile you give when yunho pretends to flip your surfboard over reminds wooyoung of his failure to do just that. in his blindness for the others, he had sacrificed your smile. the scale teeters over the fulcrum and he follows the momentum of his heart to wade out into the waters where you two still are, his apology ready to spill out.
and so you discover that a lot can change in six months, but a lot can also change in one day. with each relationship that stitches back together, rips now reinforced and sturdier than before, namhae almost feels the same againâ summer almost feels the same again. you may still have the two hardest conversations left to be resolved, but if more time is what they need, then you are willing to wait for san andâ
yunho and wooyoung scramble to steady your surfboard before you actually tip over when you suddenly move to kneel, head whipping around to confirm your fears. you hadnât initially noticed as the boys had been scattered, intermittently ducking back into the house, but your heart sinks as you count the number of heads again. youâre unable to fight off the dread in your voice when you dare to ask, âwhereâs hongjoong?â
yunhoâs eyes donât meet yours and wooyoungâs mouth thins out tightly before he cautiously answers you, âhe didnât come.â
san likes to think that heâs patient. ever since he was young, his father had made sure to raise him to wait. wait for elders to eat before picking up his own chopsticks; wait for others to walk through the door before he enters; wait for others to choose their preference before he picks his. and san likes to think that he has diligently applied this principle to his relationships too. wait to understand someone before criticising; wait for his own anger to subside before talking; wait to reflect on his own wrongs before expecting an apology.
but right now, san is impatient. he catches glimpses of the sweet messages you send jongho and seonghwa and the joyous cackles you share with wooyoung when you prank yeosang. he notices the way yunho and mingi are attached to your hips, and san wants all of that and more. he wants to tell you heâs forgiven you and that heâs sorry too; he wants to cup your cheeks and thumb away the phantom tears he caused; he wants to love you.
but his body is acting as if itâs an entirely separate entity from his heart. heâs unable to approach you, even as he watches everyone else do what he wants to and it frustrates him to no end. and itâs as if the gods themselves also became impatient with his pathetic attemptsâ or lack thereofâ because they drop the perfect opportunity right in front of him.
a quick look at his phone tells san that heâs been tossing on the couch for the last two hours. sleep fails to take over, so he hauls himself up and pads softly towards the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water. he stares out of the window above the sink, where he can just see the stretch of beach towards the right. the moon shines brightly tonight and the rays decorate the sand and sea foam with dreamy tranquillity.
thereâs a quiet rustle above the stillness of the night. when san turns around, his heart immediately clenches at the sight. youâre sleepily rubbing the bleariness out of your eye as you shuffle your way into the kitchen. thereâs a stray tuft of hair that san wants to reach out and smooth down for you, but he opts to grip his glass of water tighter.
you startle, not having expected someone to be awake and most definitely not san. you had stayed over late into the night watching a movie marathon with the boys, and despite your protests, they had convinced you to crash in haneulâs room. tension doesnât exist between you and the boys anymore, only awkwardness with san andâŚavoidance with hongjoong.
âcouldnât sleep?â you murmur, voice unguarded and still thick with sleep.
san shakes his head, âyou?â
âgot thirsty,â you explain, grabbing a glass from under the counter.
he hums at your answer and then it grows silent again. itâs only after you drowsily blink at him that he realises why youâre not making a move to get waterâ heâs still standing in front of the sink. san starts to step out of the way but thinks better of it. reaching out to grab your glass, he fills it up with water and then returns it to you.
âthanks, sannie.â
it doesnât register in your head that the nickname has slipped out. for him, though, it echoes and ricochets in the very caverns of his ribcage. hesitantly, he mutters, âyouâre welcome, pipsqueak.â
it tugs a smile out of your lips. âhavenât heard that in a while,â you muse. âkind of miss it.â
and i miss you. san is impatient, and he finally decides that he cannot take it anymore. âiâm sorry, y/n,â he whispers. âi know how badly i hurt you.â
the haze in your eyes immediately fades away at his words and he takes it as a good sign to continue. âiâll be honest. i hated that the person next to you as your boyfriend wasnât one of usâwasnât me, because it didnât look like he was making you happy at all. and that day you were out working in the field? some of us actually ran into johnny.â
you acknowledge sadly, âseonghwa told me what happened. iâm sorry he was like that.â
âthatâs not on you to apologise,â san refutes. âi was the one who asked the boys to keep it from you until we could properly talk after the campfire night, but along with everything that had led up to that point, all my frustrations accumulated without even realising it.â
âi guess that makes the two of us, then. there were arguments you and i both werenât aware of, and we ended up being the last straw for each other,â you chuckle wryly.
his voice wavers, âiâm meant to be the one person who is always there for you, but i made it feel like you were pitted against the eight of us instead and iâm so sorry for doing that. it should never have been me against you, nor us boys against you. it should have been all nine of us against the problem.â
you canât help but take the opportunity to tease lightly, âare you calling my ex the problem?â
âexactly that,â he deadpans. âwe all did.â
you nod, âthank you for trying to let me know, even when i didnât listen.â
âno, iâm sorry we didnât explain ourselves more clearlyâor earlier.â
âbut you have now, and i understand,â you reassure.
he nods gratefully before hesitating, âthereâs something else behind all this that i canât tell you yet, not without the others here. but when things areâŚokay with hongjoong again, thatâs when weâll tell you.â
something about his promise tells you that it has to do with the other part of the conversation everyone has been skirting around so farâ your confession. faint memories of the interactions observed between the boys last summer and the brief exchange you overheard between yunho and mingi flicker across your mind.
perhaps you should steel yourself for rejection. you donât dwell on it, though. this may have been the first time your friendship with san had been so close to shattering, but you know that it will take more than the entire universe to completely break you apart; you still trust himâ because before it was the nine of you, it was you and san against the world.
âthen are we okay now?â you ask, needing the confirmation.
âyeah,â he smiles breathlessly, âmore than okay.â
the caverns of sanâs dimplesâ the ones you love so muchâ shyly peek out to greet you in the faint glow of the moonlight coming in from the window. he reaches out silently and you understand immediately. you intertwine your fingers together.
san wants to ask you to go to bed with him. not to do anything sexual, but to simply hold you against his chest; trace the curve of your nose; wake up to your sleepy smile in the morning. but he canât, not yet. not until youâve worked things out with hongjoong, and not until youâve had a talk togetherâ all nine of you.
he settles for tugging you in the direction of haneulâs bedroom, hand never letting go of yours as he softly ushers, âlet me tuck you back into bed.â
and so fifteen years after your first day of summer in namhae, you find that summer still takes the form of a sweet, dimpled boy who loves the sea and holding hands.
your instinctive reaction is to shut the door in hongjoongâs face.
when seonghwa had texted you asking you to open your front door, you had been expecting said man for obvious reasons. so when you pull the door open and see kim fucking hongjoong at your doorstep in fucking namhae instead, of course you slam the door shut. because why the fuck is he here?
âoh shit,â you curse, when it registers in your brain.
hongjoong is here and youâve just shut the door in his face. if you had even an ounce of collectedness in you, you would realise that the boysâ initial and very much candid reaction of shock to seeing you randomly show up at their dorm in seoul is suddenly very relatable. you yank the door open again.
âsure, why donât you just go ahead and punch me in the fucking face too,â hongjoong scowls.
immediately, you furrow your eyebrows, âwell, if youâre offeringâŚâ
âoh, fuck off,â he raises his middle finger at you.
you raise both middle fingers in retaliation, âyeah, back into my house that youâre standing in front of.â
âfor godâs sakeâkim hongjoong!â seonghwa hisses in exasperation, head poking out of sanâs door as he eavesdrops to make sure this exact thing doesnât happen. âyouâre here to apologise!â
hongjoong appears rightfully berated, then he looks at anything but you as he huffs, âcan i come in?â
âdepends,â you cross your arms defiantly. âare you going to try and kick me out?â
despite the prickliness of the conversation, it almost feels right in a sense. as if thereâs no real heat behind your words and you two are back to the easy banter you used to haveâ before your near-kiss with him. this time, though, seonghwa hisses your name in frustration.
âgeez! okay!â you fluster as you step back and open the door wider, letting hongjoong in and away from the prying ears of the older.
you sit tentatively on your couch and he mirrors you, scratching the back of his neck as he perches himself on the edge. itâs awkward and tense when it becomes apparent to the both of you that youâre alone. âi didnât think you would come,â you break the silence.
he hums softly, âme neither.â
you donât know how to respond so you donât, allowing the quiet to settle over your living room once more. eventually, hongjong opens his mouth quietly, âi wasâam ashamed of myself.â
youâve been there beforeâ on the other side of the conversation as the one doing the apologising. you know how difficult it is to be honest about your own emotions, particularly the negative ones, so you wait patiently for him to find the right words.
âiâve been ashamed ever since the night i tried to kiss you. i was a coward and i did nothing to change it. i only ended up hurting you and iâve regretted it every single day. i think about why i didnât talk to you afterwards, why i said those things about you and your exâŚwhy i didnât just kiss you.â
you canât help but inhale sharply at his confession, because that can only mean one thing.
hongjoong gathers the courage to look at you as he admits, âi did like you. i still do. but i was an idiot and thought that i was doing the best thing for everybody. i shouldnât have made that choice for you nor tried to have a say in your love life. i was jealous and i know now how toxic i was being, which is why i was so stubborn about not coming to namhae because i didnât think my apology would be good enough. so iâm sorry for all the things i said and did, but iâm also sorry that it took me this long to talk to you.â
he looks so uncharacteristically unsure of himself as he timidly asks, âwill you forgive me?â
thereâs not a moment of hesitation before youâre closing the gap between the two of you on the couch so that you can wrap your arms around him. and in a rare display of vulnerability, he tucks his face into the crook of your neck. you comfort, âi forgive you. there are a lot of things iâm ashamed of doing too. but we all make mistakes and thatâs what helps us to grow.â
âyou still like me?â he mumbles into your neck.
you laugh at the ticklish feeling, âvery much so, hongjoong.â because in forgiveness there is love, and you have years of owed love to show the boys.
only when your sides become cramped and your necks become stiff do you finally pull away from each other. as you make eye contact with him though, youâre suddenly reminded of his confession. you know that you will need to have another talk with hongjoong about it, and you still donât know where the other boys stand in terms of pursuing something romantic with you, but that will be for later. right now, you are content and at peaceâ the nine of you against the world once more.
âletâs go find the rest of the boys?â you ask.
he grins, holding a hand out to pull you up with him as he answers, âletâs go.â
just as hongjoong puts on his shoes by the doorway, he distractedly questions, âwhy are these here?â
you frown and follow his line of sight, settling on the top of the cabinet in your hallway where a pair of gloves sitâ the ones you had discovered in your coat on your way back to namhae. âyou know who they belong to?â
âyeah,â he nods, absentmindedly touching them before walking out the door. âi bought them last year, but they were too big so i gave them to san.â
it was san who hid them in your coat.
you numbly follow his steps outside where the boys have gathered in waiting and are sitting side by side on the embankment, facing the ocean. they are simply living in the moment, basking in the golden rays of sunlight and the warm touch of the person by their sideâ an arm around a waist; a head on a shoulder. you almost donât want to disturb them, but you know the seven of them are not complete. not without hongjoong, and not without you.
and as your gaze meets san who smiles at the both of you, his chest swelling with relief, pride and love, you realise that san had bared his heart out to you long before you even knew.
once you fall back into routine with them, it starts to become obvious. the way the boys naturally gravitate towards one another with doting gazes and lingering touches; the casual use of a pet name or flirtatious joke; the shifts in dynamic you had noticed before that seem to extend beyond friendship. it starts to make sense when you realise that thatâs exactly the reasonâ no longer are their relationships purely based on platonic love, but romantic love.
itâs why yunho knocks his forehead against mingiâs just to see him smile, and why san pretends to grumble when wooyoung kisses his cheeks, only to give the younger a proper kiss mere seconds later. itâs why jongho never lets yeosang carry his own surfboard even if heâs just as strong, and itâs why seonghwa and hongjoong like to disappear into the shower together.
but the longer you mull over these interactions for, the more you realise that they donât seem to be simply âpaired offâ. you notice how jongho refuses to be cuddled but will nestle against seonghwa when heâs tired, and how yunho and yeosang seek out each otherâs company before bedtime. you notice how wooyoung squeezes hongjoongâs ass underwater to make him yelp, and how san and mingi are content to just sit together on their surfboards on the sand.
rather than a question of who is with who, it becomes a question of who isnât with who, and this time, you also find yourself mixed into the equation. but it confuses you whenever they treat you the same and you find yourself holding back despite your feelings, because itâs much harder to tell what kind of love theyâre giving you when you yourself yearn for the intimate type.
san notices the change in your demeanour, as small as it may be, and decides itâs time for the talk. so here the nine of you sit on the beach that stretches in front of your houses. the sand is still warm from the sun even as it starts to dip towards the horizon of the sea. yeosangâs jacket lays over your bare legs and a slight breeze tugs delicately at your clothes.
âokay, so whoâs telling her?â yunho elbows wooyoung as soon as the words leave the latterâs lips.
âwhat? how else are we meant to start the conversation?â wooyoung complains before mocking, âthe reason i have gathered you all here todayââ
rolling your eyes, you cut to the chase, âare you all dating each other?â
wooyoung chokes on his own words and everybody else looks at you with wide eyes.
âhowâd you know?â yeosang startles.
seonghwa agrees, âi didnât think we were that obvious,â but when you simply raise an eyebrow in response, heâs quick to amend, âokay, maybe we were.â
san eyes the others to see if anyone wants to step in and lead the conversation, but when nobody does, he speaks up to explain, âweâve been dating each other for just over a year nowâso before last summer. it took a bit of time to work everything out, establish boundaries and communicate what we wanted from one another, but weâre happy like this.â
âonce our relationship had settled down a little, thatâs when i came out to my parents,â mingi adds, âwhich didnât go down well. we wanted to tell you last summer too, butâŚother things happened and it all fell through before we could talk about it.â
yeosang meekly scratches the back of his neck as he says, âitâs long overdue, but weâre telling you now.â
the chuckle that comes out of you is light and carefree. âiâm happy for you guys,â you affirm sincerely. âi donât think thereâs anybody else who is more perfect for you guys than each other.â
you truly do. youâre thankful that they have one another and you finally understand how hard it mustâve been for san during your argument to pick a side. his boys were and are his priority and you cannot fault him for putting them first. but then youâre reminded of hongjoong and his confession. are the others aware of his feelings?
said man has the audacity to frown at you in confusion. âwhy does it sound like youâre just wishing us well?â
âam i not allowed to do that as your friend?â you mirror his expression.
âgod,â hongjoong exhales. âdo you think weâre telling you this just to reject you?â
âof all people to say thatârub it in my face, why donât you,â you grumble.
he starts to grasp the situation as he looks at the rest of the boys, âwait, did nobody fucking confess to her apart from me?â
the explosion of responses to his question is immediate.
âyou confessedââ ââi thought we agreed to confess togetherââ ââtrust you to cut in line! thatâs not fair!â
your eyes dart wildly from side to side, unsure of who to focus on as they all start to passionately talk over one another. at one point, someone tries to chuck a handful of sand in hongjoongâs direction, but it scatters innocuously before it can even get close.
âhold the fuck up,â you yell over the commotion. âconfess what?â
âhow did you figure out that weâre in a polyamorous relationship but not that the feelings extend to you as well?â yeosang judges you.
âi didnât want to project my own feelings and misconstrue anything. plus, none of you have actually mentioned liking or dating girls before, so i justâŚâ
âassumed we didnât have feelings for you,â seonghwa concludes as you laugh awkwardly.
wooyoung deadpans, âwe may have wanted to punch your ex in the face for his shitty-ass personality because we were your friends, but we were also jealous as fuck.â
âall of you?â you ask in disbelief.
âall of us. some of us were just better at hiding it,â mingi looks pointedly at the boy sitting on his left.
âyouâre one to talk about hiding your feelings,â hongjoong counters before turning to you to expose, âmingi wouldnât shut up about you after he met you.â
mingi immediately shoves him backwards into the sand.
âlook,â jongho cuts in, âwhat weâre trying to say is that weâve all liked you for a while now, and if you still feel the same way about us, then weâd like to take our relationship with you to the next step.â
how many times have you wanted this momentâ for all of them to return your confession. but now that itâs actually becoming a reality, itâs honestly a little daunting. âyouâre all serious about this?â
a lot will change over the next year. most of you will join hongjoong and seonghwa as postgraduates and start full-time work. san will move back to namhae, but whether the others will follow or stay in seoul is unknown. there are a lot of uncertainties regarding the future and the relationship will only work if everyone is serious about making it work.
yunho answers on everyoneâs behalf, âweâre very serious.â
you take a moment to look at all of them one by one, only to find the same promise within their gazesâ that even if things become difficult, they want to face it with you by their side.
it feels right when san is the one to officially ask the question, ây/n, will you be our girlfriend?â
like san once said, itâs hard to find friends you love, but itâs even harder to find a friend you fall in love with, and youâve been blessed with not only one, but eight of these people. between friendship and love, you already know from experience what you will decideâ so you make your choice.
âi forgot, are hongjoong and wooyoung coming down this weekend?â san pokes his head in through the doorway.
you eye him from the mirror, face void of expression to reply, âdonât count on it.â
sanâs pout is immediate and you laugh, shuffling over to console your boyfriend from where you had been getting ready in your shared bathroom. he grumbles, âyouâre never going to let me hear the end of that, are you?â but he canât hide the way his lips pull upwards the moment you press a chaste kiss against his cheek in apology.
âhongjoong said that there were a couple of delays with filming, so he and wooyoung canât step away just yet. but theyâll come back next saturday if they can wrap things up by then.â
as you talk, san takes the halter straps out of your grasp so that he can help secure your top around your neck. âitâs so hard to align everyoneâs schedules together. i miss the long holiday breaks we got in college,â you absently complain, body relaxing under the ministrations of sanâs hands as he gently squeezes the nape of your neck.
âme too, love,â another voice joins the conversation. seonghwa walks up to tenderly ruffle sanâs hair and nuzzles your temple with his nose. âbut we have to work hard to pay off this house and to spoil you with whatever you want.â
seonghwa has grown out his hair and has kept it long since, and you love running your fingers through his silken waves before he goes to work every morning. he always looks so soft and cosy with his round glasses and fluffy sweaters that you know his school kids adore just as much as you do. but right now, his face bare of makeup and hair pulled back into a messy updo, wearing nothing but a pair of board shorts to show off his upper build, he looks the complete opposite of what youâre used to seeing and you feel your stomach doing flips in response.
you lean into both of their touches as you giggle, âwe could have bought a smaller house. nobody sleeps in their own bedroom anyway.â
âwell can you really blame us for being madly in love,â seonghwa grins, stealing a kiss from you that only serves to elicit more giggling.
âthatâs true. your beds are always warmer than mine,â you agree.
âexactly. now come on, are you ready to go?â
the three of you walk downstairs to the living room, where the rest of the boys are waiting around in various mismatches of shirts, tank tops or only shorts. after two weeks of attempting to keep everybodyâs clothes separate once youâd all moved in together, they had simply given up and made their wardrobes communal.
as you drop a spare bottle of sunscreen into your tote bag, a pair of arms snake themselves around your waist. you turn around, sweet smile ready to greet whoever it is. your jaw drops, âwooyoung?â
his eyes sparkle with mischief, even more so when your eyes grow even wider at the sight of hongjoong perched on the edge of the couch in the background and you exclaim, âhongjoong? i thought you two werenât coming until next week?â
wooyoung takes the opportunity of your dazed compliance to pull you into a bone-crushing hug. âwe caught up with the schedule,â he exclaims happily. âyou shouldâve seen hongjoong though. director kim made sure to work us hard.â
you playfully wriggle yourself out of the vice-like hug youâre in to bound over to the older, who automatically opens his arms to welcome you. you slot easily between his legs and his hands rub the sides of your back fondly as he looks up to ask, âdid you miss me?â
forgoing an answer, you lean down to kiss him. wooyoung immediately complains, âwhy didnât i get a kiss?â so san pulls him in for one to appease him. youâd never be able to leave the house otherwise, because then everyone would start demanding your kisses. and considering that it has been a few long months since you last had quality time with all eight of them at the same time, there would be too many wanted kisses to count.
one thing you had all agreed on prior to buying a house in namhae was to ensure it had a beach front, just like your and sanâs old home. so it doesnât take long to carry your surfboardsâ save for you; the boys like it when you use theirsâ and towels down to the shore.
you close your eyes, inhaling the familiar scent of salt and subtle feeling of ocean spray on your skin. itâs a bittersweet emotion, knowing that itâs already the last day of summer, but only today have the nine of you been able to align your schedules this year. it makes you appreciate these fleeting moments of rest though, and you learn to find rest in each other too.
some of the boys start slipping off their tops, dropping them onto the sand to keep them dry as they surf. youâve found that the greatest perk of dating them is that youâre allowed to openly and unashamedly ogle at them. the rigid shadows of their muscles reveal the discipline and hard work they put into maintaining their bodies despite their busy jobs.
san had also been monitoring his protein intake leading up to his recent dance showcase, so itâs very hard to look at the expanse of his broad chest and prominent dip of abs down his hips without feeling a rush of heat in your lower stomach. if the boys know that you offer to help them reapply sunscreen just to get a little handsy with them, then nobody says anything. (they offer to help you reapply your sunscreen as well.)
youâre content to just lie down on your towel and watch the boys, yeosang in his usual place by your side as he presses lazy kisses to your shoulder and traces the names of his lovers onto the skin of your stomach. mingi starts dragging his surfboard into the water, but when wooyoung attempts to push him in insteadâ and fails miserablyâ all thoughts of surfing are quickly forgotten. it becomes an absolute shitshow when hongjoong gets mistaken for the culprit and mingi picks him up.Â
âit wasnât me!â the older shrieks, but mingi has no ears for reasoning and prepares to drop him into the water. unwilling to go down by himself, hongjoong grips mingiâs neck at the last second and successfully drags him underwater with his weight. as wooyoung runs away absolutely delighted by the outcome, his trajectory unfortunately runs into jongho, who cuts off his cackles with a giggle, a simple shove sideways and a resultant splash.
not even bystanders can catch a break, and seonghwa screams for mercy as san and yunho suddenly grab his arms and legs. they sway him from side to side before letting him go with the momentum of the last swing to fling him into the ocean. everyone erupts into a united clamour of glee at the dunking of the eldest and you find yourself shaking your head at their unchanging antics.
you donât think you can ever get tired of watching their radiant smiles of happiness and shared touches of sun-kissed skin, nor can you ever get tired of hearing their tinkling chimes of laughter and rowdy shouts of mischief. you may all grow older and there may not be as much time or luxury to simply bask in the joys of summer any longer; these golden hours that you are living in right now may forever remain as your sole memories when you reflect back on the essence of your youth.
on this dayâ the last day of summer in namhaeâ you find that summer takes the form of shared ice cream with sticky kisses, long showers with warm touches, and hushed pillow talk with synchronous heartbeats. but it doesnât matter to you, not anymore.
the seasons will change and the years will pass, but so long as you are with your boys, every day will be summer.
#loren writes#ateez fics#ateez fic#ateez x reader#ateez ot8 x reader#poly ateez x reader#hongjoong x reader#seonghwa x reader#yunho x reader#yeosang x reader#san x reader#mingi x reader#wooyoung x reader#jongho x reader#ateez fluff#ateez angst#ateez oneshot#ateez scenarios#ateez au#surfer ateez
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Taste | 18+
ă pairing:Â c.san x f!reader
ă genre:Â fluff, smut, angst if you squint really hard
ă warnings:Â friendâs brother!san, female reader, general silliness, stubborn reader, san loves to tease, hes a sweetie too ofc, smut, piv, oral (f. receiving), fingering, pet names (angel, baby, etc.), coworkers, san bites reader one (1) time, barely proofread, unprotected, lmk if i missed any
ă wc:Â 5.2k
ă hello! i am back from the dead with my second fic and second installment in the senses series. i do apologize that this took so long, but i do plan on releasing more stuff soon-ish. i'm working on a longer series, so who knows what'll hapen lol. also! i am cross posting on ao3 now. the user is femdoms, so check it out if you are interested. finally, i just want to say thank you for reading and i hope you enjoy this!
 âGod, I really canât stand you, San! Stop following me, pervert!â
âYeah, whatever, just get in so we can talk,â he yells to you with his arm hanging out the window of his car, an annoyed, yet amused smirk covering his face.
âNo way!â You yell over your shoulder, too embarrassed to face him both physically and figuratively.Â
Really, how could you? Not after you found him with your diary in his hands, reading it like it was his favorite novel. At first, you tried to convince yourself that he didnât see those pages, but the blush on his cheeks told you otherwise.Â
And thatâs why youâre here: running away from San in the middle of the night.
âIâll make you a milkshake,â San coos from the car, causing you to turn your head in interest, âYou know you love âem,â he offers, as if youâre a dog and heâs holding a treat in front of your face.Â
And god damn it, it works.
âFine, but Iâm not talking to you until I get one,â you say, opening the car door and climbing in.
âYouâre talking to me now,â he quips, earning a look from you that he thinks wouldâve killed him if it had the ability.
âAlright, tough crowd,â he murmurs to himself with a dry laugh, hoping to earn a giggle- or at least a smile- from you, but to no avail.
The whole situation was so embarrassing. And degrading, and stupid, and embarrassing-
âStop thinking so much,â he swats at your arm playfully, noticing the clear look of discomfort and sheer, unabashed embarrassment on your face, âyou donât even know what I have to say yet.âÂ
You answer him with a small hum, deciding against giving him a verbal response, because no matter how much youâd like to curl up in a hole and die, youâre still as stubborn as the day San met you.Â
You officially met him the first day you worked at the diner. Your best friendâs family had owned it since the old owners left, leaving the significantly smaller family of four looking for new employees. College debt had already begun sneaking its way into the back of your mind, and Eunbi needed to work with someone other than her nagging parents or annoying older brother. It was the perfect opportunity for you.
âCâmon! Just try it!â The boy working with you begged.
âI already told you, I have trauma with milkshakes!â
San laughed to himself, trying to hide the amusement evident on his face.
âLook, Iâm sorry you found a hair in your milkshake however long ago, but I can assure you that my milkshake is hairless,â he held his little finger up to you, âpinky promise.â
Rolling your eyes, you locked your pinky with his. Your hands lingered together for a moment too long, until San pulled his away to push the drink closer to you.
âSan, you know, Iâm not really a huge fan of chocolate-âÂ
âDidnât you and Eunbi make chocolate cupcakes for your birthday though?â
You freeze, cheeks heating up at his question, unsure if it was the fact that heâd caught you in a lie or that he knew and remembered what you and Eunbi had done for your birthday bringing the blush to your face. Attempting to hide your embarrassment, you shot him a small smirk, gently pursing your lips.
ââGotcha there, honey.â
Ever since that day, San always had a milkshake waiting for you at the end of each shift. And maybe it was that kindness that made you blush, or maybe it was the fact that his eyes smiled along with his lips every time he greeted you. It couldâve been the way he always knew how to make you giggle, but whatever it was, it was clear that youâd fallen for San.
Which is weird. Weird because heâs older than you, heâs your coworker, heâs out of your league, and worst of all: heâs Eunbiâs brother.
Really? How cliche is that? Itâs not even like you could tell Eunbi about it. That wouldâve made everything so much worse. Itâs embarrassing enough to be so head over heels for a guy who just sees you as his little sisterâs best friend, but to have people know about it too? Thereâd be no coming back from that.
And thatâs exactly why you decided to start keeping a diary, or mindful journaling as you called it. That sounded better than keeping a diary.
You originally started it to confess some of your feelings about San. You wrote how embarrassed you were to have a crush on him. You wrote about the milkshakes he made you and the times he defended you against angry customers. You wrote about how stressed you felt about life in general. Your worries, your fears, the moments of your days that you wanted to forget, but your mind wouldnât let you. You wrote about anything you couldnât confess to another person.Â
On particularly late nights full of hopeless pining and horny desperation, youâd write about your fantasies, some involving random celebrities or TV characters, but most involving San.Â
It was nothing too in depth, it was more about how much you wanted just a taste of him. You knew you could never have him for good, but if you could just feel his strong arms around you or his lips on your skin just once, maybe thatâd be good enough. Just a little taste. It felt dirty thinking about him in that sort of way, but who would see it anyways?Â
Little did you know, San himself would.
It had slipped out of your bag. And being the kind, and relatively organized coworker he is, San picked it up to put it back in your bag for you. The way it landed on the floor, though, left it open on its spine with its pages just begging to be read.Â
He wasnât going to read it. That would be an invasion of privacy, and San wasnât that kind of guy. He wouldnât do that.
But when he picked it up, he couldnât help but notice his name on the page. And unfortunately, as it does most of us, curiosity got the best of him.Â
San tried to stop himself, he really did. But, knowing just how eager you were for him put his head in a spin. He just couldn't help but picture you underneath him, with that adorable blush and shy smile that only appears when he starts teasing you. He wanted so badly to hear how you whimper, to feel how warm you are, to see how sweet you taste. He had a feeling you liked him, but he never would've guessed you reciprocated the feeling so strongly.
He saw this as more of an opportunity for you two. He wasnât going to tell you what heâd seen; heâd just confess to you one night. And maybe itâd have to be secret for a bit, but eventually you could be his, and he wanted nothing more than that.
No big deal.
But, as soon as he heard a small gasp from the doorway and looked up to see your eyes welling with tears, he knew that plan was well fucked.Â
San always thought you were pretty. From the moment Eunbi first brought you over, he couldnât help but notice your expressive eyes and beautiful hair. But what he liked most was that shining smile you had. And seeing that heâd wiped it from your face as soon as you walked in, he just had to chase you.
And so, as you sat across from him in a booth in the dimly lit diner, he studied your face: the embarrassed blush and sweaty gleam sheening your forehead, your pouty lips wrapped around the straw of a chocolate milkshake as your eyebrows furrowed.
Even your beauty was stubborn.
He began softly, so as not to scare you, his fingers drumming against the table in a gentle rhythm, âSo⌠do you like the milkshake?â
You looked up at him, an eyebrow quirked, âYeah, itâs good.â
San pushed out a sigh at your icy reply, settling back in his seat as he let his palm fall flat against the table. He knew what he wanted to say, he just couldnât find the words. You broke the silence a moment later.
âLook, we can both pretend like you saw absolutely nothing at all and Iâll ask to work different times of the day so we wonât even have to see each other. Iâm not weird, I promise, I just-â
âShh,â he cooed, grabbing one of your hands, his thumb rubbing soothing circles into the back of it, âyou didnât even let me talk yet.â
Sanâs gaze scanned your pretty face for a moment, falling onto those eyes and lips he adored. His heart pounded against the back of his ribs, and yet, you seemed so nervous. Had he read it wrong?
âDid you mean it? What you wrote?â he asked, his voice holding a subtle tone of insecurity. His gaze fell to the table where your hands met, his grip tightening just slightly.
You looked up at him, your wide eyes sweeping over his strong face and your breath picking up. Of course you meant it, but did he want you to mean it?Â
âWhy are you asking that?â you mumble, pulling your hand from his shyly. Your entire face was tinged pink from embarrassment and guilt, so anxious. San couldnât stand it.
He made an effort to grab your hand again, his other hand lifting your chin gently so youâd look at him. He shook your head a little, trying to bring out a tiny smile again.Â
âYou said you needed my face between your thighsâŚâ
Your body went rigid. Out of all the entries, he just had to read that one? You remember writing it after watching him open something with his teeth one day, his jaw flexing as he used his teeth to rip open the plastic packet. Unfortunately, your mind was clouded by unsavory thoughts later that night, and so, into the journal those fantasies went.Â
âIâm just saying, Iâve needed a taste for a while now, too. Just give me a chance. Donât run, please,â he pleaded softly, his grip tightening on your hand ever so slightly. He gave you that look, the one where his eyebrows would furrow so gently and his eyes gleamed softly, a desperation hidden in them. San wasnât one to beg, but he couldnât let you think he didnât like you.
To his surprise, the confession didnât make you smile. Instead, you felt your eyes well up with tears and a heavy weight lift off your shoulders. Slowly, you snaked around the table to Sanâs side of the booth, immediately wrapping your arms around one of his as you cried into his shoulder. He received you warmly, his free hand coming up to pat your head softly with sweet coos leaving his mouth, calming and affectionate.
âI thought you were gonna hate me forever, Sannie. Iâm so sorry,â you sobbed, hiccuping softly, no even noticing your snot blotting Sanâs shirt. Such a mess.
San let out a breathy laugh, guiding your face up and off of his shoulder. He grabbed a napkin from the holder at the end of the table and wiped your nose with it gently, an affectionate air about him. Heâd never seen you so emotional, and though his heart constricted seeing your tears, he was just happy to be the one taking care of you: his precious one. In a way, seeing you so worked up over something he saw as no big deal was endearing. Then again, almost everything about you was endearing to San.Â
He smiled down at you after wiping your nose, mumbling, âPretty girl.â You could feel your cheeks go red instantly, feeling like it was your first time having a crush all over again.Â
He continued, his deep voice soft and sweet suddenly, âI could never hate you. Never, never,â he shook his head a bit, leaning in so that your foreheads were pressed together, âwhat I read only surprised me, but it would never make me hate you. So, donât apologize for liking me. I like you, too.â
You swore your heart skipped a beat as he said that. In fact, it seemed like cardiac arrest would be the next step if he didnât stop looking at you with those soft eyes.
âNever knew you had such a dirty mind,â he teased, rubbing your arm with his free hand gently.
And just like that, your eyebrows furrowed again and you hit his arm gently, too embarrassed to be sappy for long.
âStop that! Itâs not good to hold in all your thoughts, you know. You should write your feelings down,â you scolded, face bright red and lips pouting. San took the scolding at first, but it wasnât much use. He was too focused on how cute your face looked all scrunched up.Â
And, he couldnât deny it. Being scolded was pretty hot.
âThere you go again,â San interrupted, sighing playfully. He couldnât help but tease. You stopped mid-sentence, unsure of what you were even scolding him about now.
âHm? What?â you asked softly, a little pout remaining on your lips.
San giggled a little, his eyes squeezing shut as he threw his head back. It was just too much fun for him. He leaned in closer to your face, close enough that your noses nearly met in the middle, whispering, âYouâre too busy being angry to let me give you a taste of me.â
That cocky bastard. Cocky, and teasing, and sexyâŚ
Your eyebrows quirked up and your cheeks burned even hotter as he leaned in closer, his mouth just next to your ear.Â
âThatâs what you wanted, right? What you wrote in your diary⌠ahem, journal,â he whispered, need dripping from his words.Â
And yet, you were too embarrassed to speak. Or, maybe flustered was the right word. Either way, your brain didnât quite work when San teased you normally, and especially not when his hands traveled to your waist, thumbs pressing into you gently.
âW-well, yes, but it was just a fantasy! I was just imagining! If you read more, youâd see I wrote about celebrities alsoâŚâ you stammered, your hands searching for a place to rest along with your eyes.Â
âOh, so youâre saying Iâm not special?â San asked, biting his lip to hold back a cocky smile.
You gasped a little, hands instinctively finding Sanâs firm chest, âNo, no! I just meant, just,â you panicked a bit, somehow losing your words yet again as San put his hands over yours.
âSo, I am special? Am I special enough to have a taste of you?â San asked softly, still teasing, though there was an undercurrent of seriousness in his voice, something like an invitation.
âI donât know if itâs a good idea, Sannie⌠What would Eunbi think?â You ask softly, eyes round and full of worry. Unintentionally, you leaned further into Sanâs chest, prompting him to pull you into a hug. He cradled the back of your head, petting your hair softly.
âShe doesnât have to know yet. And you can always say no, baby. I know I tease you a lot, but itâs just because youâre so cute when youâre worked up. We can take things slow if you want. Itâs just that journal entry⌠it made meâŚâ San trailed off towards the end, his own cheeks getting pink now.
Softly, you reached up and ran your fingers through Sanâs hair, finally offering him a big smile, âLook at you blushing now.â
San blew a bit of air out of his nose, suppressing a shy laugh. âHow couldnât I blush? The thought of you wanting me that wayâŚâ He trailed off again, voice high and squeaky now that he was being teased. He pulled you close and buried his face in your neck, letting his lips place a soft kiss before he continued.
âI want to hear you say it, angel. Tell me Iâm special and itâs more than just a fantasy. Tell me how you want me,â he mumbled into your neck, using every ounce of self restraint to stop himself from kissing it again.
And, in that moment, months of yearning for, pining over, and wanting San in every way came back to you. Your heart ached a bit, and so did the space between your legs. Everything you had imagined and told yourself was just a dream was coming true. It was true that it would be difficult to hide this whole thing considering Eunbi could read you like a book, but you couldnât let this opportunity go.
âGod, San, I want you in every way possible,â you breathed out, tilting your head back to give him better access to your neck. As soon as you did, he latched on to it, sucking a small bruise into it. You trembled a little, involuntarily letting a tiny whimper cross your lips as you whispered, âBut I really need you to fuck me right now.â
âThatâs all I need to hear, baby. Here,â he murmured, detaching himself from you quickly. He swiftly switched spots with you, leaving the booth seat and pulling you to the edge of it. He kneeled in front of you, one hand on your thigh and the other gripping the table still. Pushing the table towards the other side of the booth, San ran his hands up and down your thighs, eyes pleading and lust filled. âItâs alright if I taste you?â
âPlease, need it so bad, Sannie,â you pleaded as he slowly undid your jeans, pulling them off your legs along with your panties in one fatal swoop. You were already dripping onto the seat and he hadnât even touched you yet.Â
San pressed gentle kisses up your bare thighs, using a thumb to rub gentle circles into your clit. You gripped the top of the seat, already feeling a pulsing need in your heat as Sanâs mouth inched closer to it. His breath tickled the area, making your squirm, but what was worse was the look in his eyes. He stopped just in front of your cunt and looked up at you with dark, lustful eyes. In that moment, you understood San wanted this just as much as you did.
It was true. San couldnât even recount the amount of times he pumped his fist in bed or in the shower thinking about you and your sweet pussy. And as much as it made him blush just thinking about it, he wanted nothing more in life than to bury his face in between your thighs some days, making you squirm and hearing what noises he could pull out of you. He wanted to have you, to know you on a deeper level. And what was more intimate than knowing the way a person tastes?
âPretty,â he murmured into his direct line to heaven, his nose nudging your clitÂ
gently. A long, hot stripe was licked up your pussy, making you twitch expectantly. Instantly, your mind began to grow foggy and your hips bucked, San whispering, âItâs alright, just relax, baby.â
And so, you did. You let your torso fall all the way back against the booth seat and your fingers tangle in his hair, a soft grunt leaving him as he dove in deeper. His tongue swirled around your entrance, dipping inside every once in a while as a quiet hum vibrated against you. He kept up his agonizingly slow pace on your clit with his thumb, savoring that way you tasted on his tongue.
Soon, though, San needed more of you. He needed to see you squirm more, hear you moan just for him. He pulled you even closer to the edge of the booth, another grunt leaving him as he had to pull his face away for a moment. He hoisted your legs up onto his broad shoulders, instantly attaching his lips to your clit, kissing it softly before sucking it.Â
A thick finger found its way inside of you, knuckle deep and wriggling. You squirmed, unable to hold back your noises. Even with just one finger, he filled you up better than youâd ever been before. He added a second finger a moment later, getting familiar with your body inside and out. Scissoring his fingers, he stretched your pussy out, mumbling something about how perfect it was.
âFuck, San, even your fingers are big,â you slurred, back arching up in the air. San answered with another hum against your pussy, one you could tell was a shy giggle. He curled his fingers, letting his lips pulse around your clit now that he could tell you would finish soon. He slowed his pace down for a second, lifting his head to look up at you.
âYou wanna cum? Want Sannie to make you cum?â He asked with a condescending pout, mirroring the one on your own lips. You nodded fervently, but it wasnât enough for San.
âGotta hear you say it, angel,â He furthered, eyes darkening as he held back another sly smile. You whined, kicking your legs gently. San tutted, swatting your thigh gently, âDonât be so stubborn. Just tell Sannie.â
âPlease, San, make me cum. Wanna cum all over your tongue,â you relented, hips bucking back up towards Sanâs face, nudging his chin against your clit. San cooed gently before diving back in. Lapping at your hole, he circled your clit relentlessly with his thumb. He wasnât going to let you cum anywhere but his tongue.
It didnât take long for you to do just what youâd asked for. Suddenly, your entire body began to tingle, radiating from the place between your thighs. Your toes curled and your knees tried to squeeze together, locking Sanâs head in place so that he could lap up every last bit of your essence that was flowing out of you. He made sure he got every last bit, taking his time to lick and kiss every last part of your slick, throbbing cunt.
Eventually, he pried your legs open and helped you sit up, smiling hard at your flushed out face. He swiped his chin with his thumb, bringing it up to his lips before licking off that last bit of you. He sighed, âCould live in that little hole forever, baby.â
You blushed gently, turning away from him shyly, prompting him to sit next to you. He grabbed you by your waist, pulling you onto his lap so your back was flush against his chest. âHey, you canât get all shy on me now. Whereâs the feisty girl I know, hm?â
âHow could I be mean after you just did that to me,â you pouted, making San laugh.Â
âYouâre always mean to me,â he told you dramatically, grabbing your chin and turning your face towards his. Carefully, he grinded his hips up so that you could feel how hard he was. And he was. Just the taste of you had San throbbing, and the only reason he let you cum so quickly was so that he didnât cum in his own pants.Â
You gasped softly, feeling Sanâs cock pulsing against your ass, then again when his thick fingers began circling your clit again. He rested his chin on your shoulder, speaking so softly into your ear, âAnd whatâs really mean is how you made me so hard, I almost came from how good you tasted. You wouldnât leave me like this, right, baby?â
You scoffed, rolling your eyes and turning around in Sanâs lap. His hands went straight to your ass, cupping it and pulling you down to grind against the tent in his pants. Your eyebrows furrowed gently as your hips moved back and forth on him, concentrated huffs falling from your tongue.
âGreedy girl,â he teased, nudging your jaw with the side of his head gently, âyou want my cock in you?â
You nodded, pouting at him, âPlease, San. Need you in me bad.â
San just laughed, guiding your hands to unzip his pants. He lowered his voice, looking down at where your crotches met, âAlright, you can have it. But, you gotta do the work now. You really tired me out there before.â
You whined again, this time out of pure exhilaration. Wasting no time, you unzipped Sanâs fly, yanking down his pants and boxers as best as you could. His cock sprung out, hard and red, begging you to take it.
But first, you giggled mischievously as you gave it a few pumps, enjoying its weight in your hand. San groaned, throwing his head back and cursing under his breath. It didnât take long for him to grow impatient. He grabbed your waist and guided you to sit up better, right above his manhood.
You moved your hips around just to antagonize San as heâd done to you so many times. He let out a frustrated groan, burying his face against your neck yet again, kissing it softly as he pleaded, âCmon, baby, donât make me crazy here.â
âWanted this for so long, Sannie,â you breathed out as you finally sunk down on him, his hips thrusting up to meet yours. San chuckled, pushing a loose strand of hair behind your ear.
âI know, baby, read all about it,â he smirked, that smug look on his face melting into a lovesick smile as you swatted at his chest. He couldnât help but suck another bruise into the side of your neck before chiding, âJust teasing you, been thinkinâ about this for a while, too.â
He rutted up into you, hungry and needy, filling your slick heat completely. Your body twitched with each thrust, languid and deep, Sanâs silent confession. He was savoring his meal, taking it slowly and enjoying it wholly.
The only sound in the room was that of skin on skin, Sanâs hips snapping up into yours. He knew just the spot to hit inside of you. You cried out in pleasure, prompting San to speed up. The two of you, hungry and desperate to cum, moved together in a near perfect harmony.Â
âFuck, this pussy was made for me,â San stuttered, trying to keep himself inside you, but it was hard with your bouncing and his thrusts, not to mention the wetness you spilled each time he left your body for a moment. San grunted in your ear, biting down on your shoulder a moment later. He was close. It didnât help that everytime he thrusted up into you, you let out the sweetest sounds. San wanted to listen to them all the time, but even the thought of doing this again with you made him harder.Â
Honestly, his cock kept getting harder with each second it spent inside you. You were so warm, so tight. San was normally a patient man, but it was hard to take his time with you.
You couldnât be helped either. As soon as he sunk his teeth into you, you came all over him. Wetness poured out of your cunt, coating San as you cried out his name. He followed suit soon afterwards, pulling out and cumming on your thigh. Quickly, San pulled you into a hug, still heaving as a big hand came up to cradle your head.Â
For a few minutes, the two of you sat together, your form still tucked into Sanâs warm embrace as he rocked you back and forth. You both tried to regain your breath, but every little touch made either one of you gasp softly before you turned your head the other way, embarrassingly lovesick.Â
San was warm, physically and figuratively. Sweat dripped off his forehead and fell onto yours, but you couldnât care less if it meant being held by him. It was strong, secure, surreal⌠it was everything you had written about before. There were days when all you needed was a firm hug, to be held without the fear of falling, somewhere warm and safe. San was all of that, and you could feel it now. It wasnât just something you wrote about anymore. It was real.
San noticed the face you made when you were thinking and his heart rate picked up. Was it not good? Did he disappoint you? He nudged your head with his shoulder, pouting, âWhatâs wrong? Was it not good?â
âWhat? No! It was amazing, I just⌠I like you a lot. And I like that I donât have to imagine things anymore⌠Well, that is if you want to continue this,â you trailed off, blabbering embarrassedly. Maybe all he wanted was a hookup. Uneasiness settled into your features while amusement settled into Sanâs.
âSilly girl,â he scoffed, enamored by everything you were, âDo you want to be my girlfriend?â
Your eyebrows shot up and your heart fluttered. You were never one to get so worked up so easily, but San had a way of making it happen. You cleared your throat, trying to regain some composure.
âDo you want to be my boyfriend?â you mirrored, acting coy now. San cupped your face, dimples on full display as he smiled at you, meeting your gaze. He leaned in and gave you his first real kiss of the night. Your lips molded together perfectly, Sanâs tongue swiping across your lower lip occasionally. You felt his warm cheeks against yours, which made you giggle sweetly. Sanâs heart melted.
The boy pulled away a moment later, letting his forehead rest against yours, âDoes that answer your question, baby?â
You snorted in response, shaking your head bashfully. You wanted to hear him say it. San rolled his eyes in response, his hands moving down your back to rest on either side of your ass. Still, he smiled and whispered, âYes, I want to be your boyfriend.â
You sighed sweetly, unable to hold back the big smile on your face. San delivered a little spank to your ass, playful and teasing, âHappy now?â
You nodded, allowing a little squeal of excitement to leave you. âVery happy, Sannie. Very happy,â you whispered back, laying your head on his shoulder to look around the dark diner.Â
Just then, your eyes spotted a little red light up in the corner of the diner, seemingly connected to a security camera. You jumped, whisper yelling at San, âFuck! Fuck, the cameras, San!â
San jumped as soon as you did, following your gaze up to the security camera. He mirrored your panic for just a moment before pulling you further into the booth, pulling his jacket off to cover up your still bare bottom half.Â
And just as you thought you were going to have a heart attack, San laughed, and somehow, the uneasiness melted away. He ruffled your hair playfully, moving you off his lap and onto the seat before zipping his pants back up. He stood up, leaning down to your level, âI'll go take care of it, honey. Just clean up and get dressed. And finish your shake,â he told you, motioning to the table where your half empty, half melted chocolate shake sat.
But as soon as he turned around, he turned back and pressed a chaste kiss to your lips before scurrying off to the office, ready to delete the footage. You couldnât help but smile knowing San would take care of it. What a dream boy.
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