#whoa why am I making smiling friends content

[alexkittyandra]

so my sibling got me to watch smiling friends and I wonder

Pim was depressed/in shock/having a multiple day long existential crisis for long enough for Desmond to get his life back together and grow a full head of hair, so like... did they still do missions and stuff during that time?

anyway it can't be that easy to make people smile when one of the people working is... like this.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Just Friends: Isn't It Fun?

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Character: Bucky Barnes

masterlist

Summary: You make a new friend.

It’s giving

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging ❤️

You hum as you come up the walk of your building. It isn’t in the best location. In the dark, it’s scarier as a shadow overhangs the door beneath the awning. You reach into your knapsack, hanging from one shoulder, as you eke out the tune to Easy Street offkey.  

As your keys jingle, a shape pops out of the bushes and you scream, throwing the keyring as you turn to sprint back down the pavement. You’re caught from behind as a familiar chuckle rolls up into the moonlit sky. You grunt and elbow Bucky as you realise the trick he’s pulled. 

“Ah, why would you do that?” You wriggle until he lets you go. 

You face him and try to snarl but you’re so relieved it’s just him, you can’t help but smile. 

“Just having some fun. At your expense,” he chuckles and bends to pick up the keys. “Can I give you some advice, dreamy?” He raises your keys and holds them so one points between his fingers. “Keep your keys out, hold em like this and if some creep jumps out of the bushes, stab em good.” 

“Stab-- Buck,” you shake your head. “I can’t do that.” 

“You can if it’s life or death,” he swings the keys around to hang from his thick fingers, “here.” 

“What-- what are you even doing here?” 

“Huh. You didn’t let me ask my question first,” he huffs as he stands back and waves you past. “Why didn’t you tell me you were working late?” 

“Well, firstly, you got lots going on,” you say. “And I didn’t think of it. I’m fine.” 

“Fine, I could be a real bad guy waiting for you out here in the dark,” he taunts. 

“But you’re not. So now my turn, why are you here?” 

“Well, I was wandering by on my way to see a Buster Keaton marathon and thought maybe you’d be up for it...” 

“Tonight? Right now?” 

“I see,” he grabs the door as you opens it and holds it, “you’re too busy. Or maybe you’re too good for me.” 

You enter and he follows. It’s that familiarity that you just sort of fell into with him. He’s like a wise big brother, even if he really is older than your grandpa. It’s the most unexpected bonds that are the strongest. 

“No, not at all, Mr. Hero,” you climb the stairs as he stays a step behind, his hand on the railing right by yours. 

“Ugh, why doesn’t this place have an elevator?” He whines. 

“I thought the serum would give you extra strong legs,” you toss over your shoulder. 

“Whatever.” He clucks, “so how about it? You wanna fall asleep in the theatre with me, dreamy?” 

“Dream-- why do you call me that?” You head down towards your door. 

“You got your head in the clouds. Also, when you watch movies, you get this look in your eyes, like you’re living on screen. Dreamy. See.” He explains. 

“Mm,” you grumble. 

“You don’t like it? I put up with Buckaroo.” 

“That was once and it was a slip-up,” you unlock your door. “Fine, I’ll go with you since you don’t have any other friends.” 

“I have friends.” 

“Sure you do,” you snort and turn to give him a playful wink. You put your keys and bag down on the tall table. “You and Cap, the superfriends. Heroes and buddies til the end—whoa!” 

You hit the shoe rack and stumble, landing on your ass. Bucky is quick enough to save you but he doesn’t. He watches smugly and cackles as your cheeks burn up. 

“Not funny,” you pout. 

“Oh, it is very funny,” he approaches and offers his hand. “How’s that humble pie taste?” 

“Fine. I was being a meanie. I admit it but you got my adrenaline up. I can’t help it.” 

“Ha, yeah, that was good. You shoulda seen the look on your face. And that noise you made.” He hauls you up as his vibranium thumb rubs between your knuckles. “Ayeeeee!” 

“I don’t sound like that.” 

“You do.” He grins. You scowl and he laughs again. “You know I love that face. The day you actually get mad at me, I’ll be down on my knees, dreamy.” 

“Ugh, you are such a...” you let the sentence trail off and the dimple stays in in his cheek as he crosses his arms. 

“I’m a what?” 

“Nothing.” 

“No, say it,” he goads. 

“No.” 

“Come on, I can handle it. You know, I got hit by a truck the other day, I think I can take a few words.” 

“Hit by a truck? Bucky?” You squeal. “Are you okay?” 

“Ah, look at me. I’m fine. Not a scratch. That you can see,” he shrugs. “So what am I? Tell me.” 

“No,” you turn your nose up. 

“Say it. You’ll feel better.” 

“It’s... not nice.” 

“Come on,” he unfolds his arms and flutters his fingers at you, “I am trained in torture.” 

“No,” you grab his hands, his skin rough, “no tickles.” 

“So, tell me.” 

“Not fair,” you struggle to keep his hands away from your sides. 

“Almost...” he wiggles his fingertips a half-inch from your middle. 

“Brat! You’re a brat!” You step back, out of his reach. “Okay, and if you keep being one, you can go to the movies alone.” 

He laughs and grips his hips in victory, “wow, you know, I’ve actually never got that one. Creative.” 

“Right, well, I can’t sit in the theatre in this get-up,” you look down at your frilly plaid overall dress and white blouse.  

“I didn’t get to mention that yet. It’s a choice, as the young ones say.” 

You cringe, “it’s my work uniform.” 

“Uniform?” He squints. 

“Don’t, okay? I get enough guff from the customers.” 

“Guff? Oh, that’s language I understand.” 

“Ergh,” you stomp your foot. “You are so... so... old.” 

You turn and march away. He laughs and you turn into your bedroom. He just loves to tease you and despite your efforts, he always gets to you. At least he’ll have to be quiet during the movie. 

[felice-jaganshi]

His Pet

Alastor X OC

Chapter 10

Content Warning: drugging and discussing SA intentions. Also abandonment issues.

I also took some liberties with what Val's powers do, so don't mind if it's not fully accurate.

_-_-_--_-__--_-__-_-_-_-_-

The club was loud and Zariah immediately felt out of place.

“Oh… I think I know why my friends never invited me out clubbing.” Her ears laid flat, and her tails were wrapped tight around her waist to keep them from being stepped on.

Angel smiled and wrapped an arm around her, “Eh a drink or two and you'll feel just fine!” He led her to the bar. “What do ya usually drink?”

“Oh, something weak. I got a low, low alcohol tolerance. I also like fruity flavors.”

Husker sighed, “Fucking great. A weakling with poor taste.” He ordered for all three of them before handing over the money.

“Why's that a problem?” Her ears twitched back up, getting used to the loud noise.

“Because the boss asked me to let him know what you like.” He huffed and took his bottle. She took her drink and sipped on it.

 

Angel frowned and took his, “I was meaning to ask you about that too. You and Al, you good? Like, he doesn't hurt ya or anything, does he?”

She shook her head and smiled, “No, I'm fine Angel. If I wasn't, I promise I'd tell you. Swear on my soul. Actually, he can't hurt me. Part of our deal. I made sure to be careful. So don't worry.” She took one of his hands.

He sighed in relief and smiled back, “Okay, glad you learned from my mistakes at least. You know you're like a sister to me… I had one of those when I was alive too, so you can count on me to be a good brother.”

Tears immediately flooded Zariah's eyes, “I- I'm like your sister? I love you too!” She set down her drink and hugged him tight! Husk's hand immediately went to cover her drink with his hand and he rolled his eyes.

Angel was surprised by the tears, “Whoa whoa, is it really that big of a deal to ya?”

She nodded vigorously. “My real brother abandoned me when I was young, and I kept trying to find a replacement all through life and kept getting hurt by people. But now I have you!” She laughed and carefully wiped at her eyes, trying not to mess up the make up he had done for her.

 

“Oh? And who is this little treat?” Pink smoke suddenly blew towards them.

Angel's eyes dilated immediately, “Shit shit shit!” He covered her face quickly to try and block the smoke from her. “Uh, nothing Val! She's no one!” He sounded terrified.

Husker got caught up in the smoke and was dazed by it.

“Oh, don't try to hide her from me, Amorcito. With tails like that, she was made for the screen! How about it, dollface?” Val tried to reach out to her, but she shrank away with a hiss and a growl. She then tried to hide Angel behind her. “Fuck off creep! I don't do sex, and I don't do films!”

Val raised an eyebrow, “What's that supposed to mean? Everyone ‘does sex’, you mean you're a virgin? Oh even better. You should come back to my office then, pretty kitty.” He blew more smoke at her and she started coughing from it. Angel pushed her aside and swung a fist at Val's face. His fist connected and Val was caught off guard. “Augh! This again?! You ungrateful whore!”

 

Angel didn't listen, just grabbed Zariah, yanked out some of husk's feathers to break his trance, and ran for the door! 

Once the three were outside, Angel looked Zariah over. “Hey! You didn't breathe any of that in did ya?!” He looked into her eyes, growing more worried when he saw how hazed they were. “Shit, you did. Husk! We gotta get her home, Now!” He picked her up and carried her off, husk followed shaking his head, “What's the big deal? She's always walking around dazed anyway.” 

“This shit's different! Val's smoke and saliva act like a roofie if ya ain't used to it like I am. Asshole uses it all the fucking time in the studio for newer employees…” He frowned, “You weren't his target, so you didn't get hit full force like she did. You're also a former overlord, so you're probably strong enough to resist it like Charlie can.”

“Fucking dickbag…” Husk swore under his breath. “He's not gonna be happy about this. Might just rip my soul apart for fucking failing him this time.”

 

“Blame me then, he can't do anything permanent to me.” He smiled at Husker, “She's my sister now, so I'll do whatever it takes to keep her safe.”

Husker shook his head, “We're in this together, Angel. We were both responsible for her tonight, and we dropped the ball.” He took one of Angel's hands that wasn't holding Zariah.

 

Once they made it back to the hotel, and Alastor was sitting in the lobby with a newspaper, waiting for them. He set it in his lap, and eyed the three. “Husker, I thought I said to keep an eye on her. I trusted you to keep an eye on her drinks.” He sounded like a disappointed father.

“I did. It wasn't her drink. Valentino approached us, and you know he's stronger than I- augh!” He was dragged to the floor by his chain suddenly appearing. 

“I don't want excuses, Husker! I want her safe, even if you have to die to accomplish it!”

Angel stepped forward, “Hey, stop it Al! Zariah will be upset if you hurt him, she's become friends with him too! We acted fast enough and she'll be just fine, I promise! We did what we-!” He was cut off by Alastor suddenly getting in his face and scaring him speechless. 

“Give. Her. To. Me.” He growled. 

Angel was shaking and held her tighter, “Promise me… promise you won't hurt her or touch her in a way she doesn't want!” He said she was his sister now, and he wasn't going to let her down. Not without dieing first.

Alastor raised an eyebrow, but calmed his tone. “I promise that if you don't give her to me, you'll lose all four of your arms. I'd never assault her in the ways you're implying.” He held out his arms. 

Angel took a deep breath before handing her over, he then went to husk and helped him to his knees, wrapping his arms around him, “I got you, whiskers.”

 

Alastor looked her over, she was sleeping, but not peacefully. His eyes held worry, and his smiling was barely held together. If he could drop it, this would do it. But he physically couldn't.  

He turned to them and let husk's chain disappear. “Did he touch her?”

“Nah, I got a sucker punch in before he could. I'll definitely pay for it at work, but she's fuckin’ worth it.���

Alastor turned from them, and used his shadow to immediately enter her room. He went to her bed, pulled back the curtain and laid her down, taking note of the soft, fluffy stuffed animals in it. He started to pull away, only to find he couldn't move. She had a death grip on his shirt. He sighed, well, where was the harm? He laid down beside her and she immediately nuzzled into his chest with a whimper. He wrapped his arms around her.

“There there, my darling… I have you, you're safe now.” He didn't feel the usual skin crawl he got from being touched. She truly was a unique creature. He rest his chin on top of her head and hummed a lullaby to her, one his mother had used to sing to him. She started to relax and one of her tails laid across them both, the other falling off the edge of the bed.

“That's a good girl. Sleep well, and I'll stay right here till you're better.”

[faegoddessog]

 Seventy Two Hours of Bliss Ch. 19/41

Chapter 19: Over and Over and Over

Chapter Warnings: Explicitly mature content, 18+ only unprotected PIV, sleep sex(consensual), masturbating, Unprotected PIV (play safe ya'll!), food play, fingering, biting, cunnilingus, topping from the bottom, male dominant, pussy spanking, overstimulation, forced orgasm, vibrator, ejaculate on body

Series Masterlist

Series Summary:

You are neighbors with Austin Butler on the Gold Coast of Australia just prior to shooting Elvis. You become just friends because he is taken. However, after he is single again, you both find out just how attracted you are to one another and things get unrelentingly hot.

SERIES WARNING: Explicitly mature content, 18+ only,  here there be lemons.

Authors Notes: I started writing this while remodeling my kitchen, so that informed the slightly quirky narrative. It starts slow, but once it heats up, it is on fire. I have tried to pull facts from RL as much as I could, but obviously there are some assumptions and flat out dreamy wishes  involved here. 

Chapter 19: Over and Over and Over

“I swear, I have never showered so much,” you say to Austin as the water runs down your chest, rinsing away his sticky cum. He is leaning against the tile watching you wash yourself.

“Could you really have gone again?” he asks.

“Oh, intrigued now are we, why you wanna fuck me in the shower?” you shoot him a look over your shoulder.

“Well, yes,” he wraps his arms around you from behind, rubbing the soap into your breasts, “although we’ll save that for another time.”

“Mmm, You keep doing that and there will be no waiting babe,” you warn him.

He stops with a tweak to your nipples, making you inhale sharply and give him a look of pure devilry.

The water rinses away the soap and you give him a turn under the water.

“I mean it, are you ever like totally satisfied?” he asks as he rinses off.

“Whoa there Mister. Do you think that you have not satisfied me?” you put your hand up with a slightly concerned look.

“Well, not that exactly, clearly you have been having orgasms…intensely." his lip curls in a smile, "but… to want more... after all that? Wow, that’s a fierce sex drive,” he turns off the water.

“It’s not like I HAVE to have more,” you hand him a towel, that he immediately opens and wraps around you before taking another for himself. Such a fucking gentleman.

“Thank you,” you tell him for the towel, “I can honestly say that in the past three days I’ve been living in a constant state of sexual satisfaction. It’s just the more I get off, through sex or masturbating, the more sex drive I have. The less I get, the less I find I crave it,” you shrug, drying off.

“Huh, I have never heard that before. The less I get off, the more I want it,” he says.

“What are you? A human male in his prime?” you make a fake shocked face, “and the more you get?” you hang up your towel.

“Well… this is the most I've gotten in so short a time, so I'll tell you tomorrow,” he smiles at you.

”It’s not like the first orgasm isn't enough,” you explain watching him dry off and hang up his towel. “It’s like climbing a mountain, only there are several summits in a row,” you draw jagged peaks in the air, “and I’ve already made it most of the way up after the first one, I could go back down, but the other peaks are right there, so why not.”

You follow him into the bedroom, where you both start blowing out candles and picking up petals.

“Plus, I feed off you. Austin you are so..." you close your eyes and crease your brow for emphasis, "hot when you are fucking me or jerking off, especially when you are about to cum. I just don’t stop being aroused around you, even after I cum. And honestly, "you stop and look at him with a sly half smile, "sometimes I am just an insatiable whore. Like, I would have totally let you fuck me in the shower just now.”

“Really? I thought you were sore?” he says, gathering up the sheet he had lain on the bed with all the petals on it. Brilliant.

You shrug, “Meh, not really. You’ve kept me too wet for friction to be an issue. Mostly my muscles are sore.”

“Well damn,” he stops and looks at you, “if I wasn’t so tired, I’d make you get back in there.”

For the span of two heartbeats, you both stand on opposite sides of the bedroom, naked and staring at the other. You cock your eyebrow at him, indicating your willingness. He seems to be weighing the options when a huge yawn hits him. Of course, your mirror neurons activate your own yawn.

The yawns end in laughter.

“Yeah, let’s put that on the rain-check list for now,” he says stretching. You nod in agreement.

“So, um. Yeah, you clearly need rest, and if you need some space…I can go back to my place tonight, if…. Y’know, you want that?” you ask a bit awkwardly.

“Well, if YOU want that… it’s fine… but I... I don’t want that. Unless," a small awkward smile spreads on his face, "you let me come with you."

“I do not want that,” you say assuredly.

“Oh." he looks down, "Ok. It’s ush fine,” thinly veiled disappointment on his face.

You aren’t sure what just happened, then it dawns on you.

“No, No!!” you rush to him, ‘I meant I didn’t want to go, not that I didn't want you to come with me." You rub his arm reassuringly, "I like sleeping with you.”

“Oh! Geeze, stupid abandonment issues,” he says under his breath and puts his arms around you. “Good cuz I sleep better with you around, no matter where we are.”

You lean up to kiss him.

You both climb into bed and click off the lights. You are curled up on his chest, he plays with your hand, outlining your fingers and interlacing them with his own. You both take big deep relaxing breaths.

“Night sweets” you say, kissing his chest.

“Love you.” he murmurs. He kisses your hand then curls it in his own.

Warmth spreads in your chest, “Love you too.”

He squeezes you to him and promptly drifts off. How did you get so lucky? You wonder to yourself, a smile on your face as you snuggle in deeper and fall asleep.

....

It’s still early dawn when you wake up with Austin curled around you. You slide quietly out of bed to pee, then slip right back into his arms and feel his hardness. He stirs as he feels you press against him.

“Mornin’ booful, ”he mumbles.

“No,” you murmur back, “sleep still.”

“Can I just be inside you?” he pushes against you.

“Sure baby, give me a sec.” You reach over and get lube, spread a little on your outer lips, You reach back to his hard wood, spreading some on his tip. He sleepy moan gritty in his throat. You press your ass back to him, lifting your top leg a little to give him access and guide him.

He slides in sucking his breath in through his teeth. You sleepily groan as he moves in and out a couple times, before pulling you close and falling back to sleep.

His movements felt so good inside you. Apparently you are still an insatiable whore today. You lick your finger and reach down to rub around your clit. Thinking back to the heat of him spanking you, to him eating you out on a bed of rose petals, his cock in your ass, his hands on your tits in the shower, his mouth on yours.

Your breath starts to come in short bursts. You slowly rock yourself on his length while your fingers get faster. Your mouth clenched shut. You can feel his hips gently rocking, pressing his cock further into you then pulling out again. You shudder as a little orgasm overtakes you.

“Thank you baby,” you whisper in an outbreath.

“Mmmnnghf” and soft snoring are all you hear. Your chest jiggles in a silent laugh… even asleep Austin can satisfy you.

.....

You wake up with him still inside you, but much softer.

You wonder if you can get him hard again. You start clenching around his tip, gently at first and having to hold him in a bit with your hand. As you feel him get harder and you get wetter, you tighten around him. His sleepy hands start rubbing your waist, as he starts awakening.

The rhythmic grasping of your muscles is starting to give rise to waves of sparkles from your seed to your fingertips.

You hear his contented sigh and “Mmmm” as he comes to realize what is happening. His body awakens with a big stretch, legs pushing straight and arms over head, which pushes his cock further into you.

“Oh yeah,” you murmur breathily.

“Good morning love,” he says, wrapping his arms around you.

“Indeed,” you respond.

“I dreamt that I slid inside you last night and you came on my cock,” he whispers in your ear.

“That wasn’t a dream baby. You asked to be inside me in the wee hours and I did cum on your cock,” you smile, reaching up, pulling his head to you from behind.

“Really? Insatiable indeed,” he says, stopping his movement.

“Yes and yes.”

Austin pulls out and rolls you on your back, climbing between your open, welcoming legs.

You are both hit with the reality of morning breath

“Oh babe, maybe we should brush our teeth, cuz I want that mouth on mine,” you say.

"Wait,” he reaches over to the bedside drawer and pulls out mints, he gives you a couple and you both crunch them greedily, little peppermint sparks dancing on your tongue.

“Better?” he asks.

“Better,” you say, pulling him down to your mouth. His soft lips press to yours in an almost chaste kiss, then open revealing the wetness of his inner lips as they press into yours. Moving your mouths to close the kiss only to open them again, this time with tongues tentatively probing each other.

His hips start moving, his dick searching for your warm wet hollow again. You reach to guide him in, but he holds your hand.

“No, Let me play,” he says into your mouth, hips rolling.

You start moving your hips to try and catch him. Suddenly there he is, poised on the brink. You both stop moving for a breath. He looks into your eyes and a warm, soft-eyed smile spreads across his face.

“I’m so lucky,” he says in a whisper.

“Same,” you whisper back.

His hands slip under your arms to grip your shoulders, holding himself up on his elbows, he slides into you all at once. Your head tilts back as a whimper vibrates from your throat. His mouth latches onto the side of your neck as he buries himself with a soft, throaty groan. Goosebumps spring up on your arm as he bites your neck.

For a long while, his strokes in and out of you are long and sensuous, with pauses for his mouth to wander from your neck to your mouth and back again. Your hands go from combing through his hair to massaging the muscles of his neck and shoulders. No hurry, no pressure. Just languid emotion made physical.

“I love how good you feel on top of me, inside of me,” you whisper in his ear, “I love how wet I am with you. I want you in me all the time.”

“That’s good cuz, I want to be in you all the time,” he murmurs back. “I want you when we eat dinner, or watch movies, I want you in the shower, when we cook together, and apparently even when I’m asleep," he chuckles.

“You can have me anytime, anywhere, Austin. And right now, I just want you deep in me.” You wrap your legs around his waist, then reach up and grasp your feet, pulling your knees down to your sides. You are as wide open to him as possible.

“Yes M’am,” is all he says. He lifts his head and captures your mouth, deep and passionate. His leisurely pace gives way to a steady rhythm.

He is buried so deep in you, his pubis grinding into your spread clit with each deep thrust. You feel the rise from deep in you. He keeps his mouth on yours, his tongue flicking against yours as his hips rise and fall.

“Uh huh, uh huh, uh huh,” Your breathy moans delivered into his mouth with each thrust.

“I’m so close,” he breathes into you.

“Me too. Don’t stop,” you reply.

You start clenching, hard around him, trying to drive him over the edge.

It works.

It works for you too.

A barrage of obscene, articulate sounds roll from his chest and from your throat. Your orgasms crash together like two opposing waves. He keeps riding you hard through his orgasm. You told him not to stop.

“Oh god, oh god, oh god,” he is panting into your neck, overstimulating himself to make sure you cum.

Your hands grasping at his neck and shoulders, ankles hooked onto one another, legs squeezing him to you as you convulse under him.

“Ok, ok ok ohmygod!” you pant in his ear.

You feel his cum leaking out and down your crack as he slows his movements. He lays on top of you, shivering in overwhelm.

You clench down on him, making your own eyes roll back.

“Holy fuck,” he jerks up arching his back.

You snicker.

“Woman!” he exclaims. So you clench down again, moaning.

“Ahhhhh, yeee stop that!!! he shivers.

“Tee hee, how fun,” you giggle.

“Watch it or I’ll-”, you clench down again, biting your lip.

“Fuck!” he pulls out of you and kneels between your legs, “That’s it!” he says in mock anger.

You can’t help but laugh. Then he starts tickling you mercilessly.

“Sorry, sorry sorry!!!” you wheeze, laughing.

You two end up in a pile of giggles and limbs. He stops tickling you and wraps you in his arms.

You stay in bed a long time, kissing, cuddling, simply enjoying being together. You order coffee and pastries to be delivered from your favorite coffee shop. You tell him to stay put when you get the notification that your food is at the front desk. Slipping into one of his shirts, doing up one button at your sternum, and a pair of workout shorts, you are very aware that it looks like you are only partially dressed.

You run down to the front desk to get breakfast. The doorman looks knowingly at you as you pick up two cups of coffee and a whole bag of goodies. You just smile and wink at him.

When you get back, Austin is partially sitting against the headboard. One arm is up, supporting his head. The sheets are pulled up to cover his crotch, hinting at the sexy little trail under his belly button. Damn, he is frightfully gorgeous.

You drink him in with your eyes, the corner of your bottom lip trapped by your teeth. He is doing the same as you stand at the foot of the bed holding breakfast. The shirt having slipped down over one shoulder, your hair is all tousled from his tickling of you earlier.

“Mmmm, Austin, you are lucky I am hungry, or our coffee would get very cold,” you say to him, handing him his favorite coffee and a pastry. Then you let the shorts drop to the floor and sit cross legged on the bed. You both devour breakfast. As he takes his last bite and sets his empty coffee cup on the bedside table, you pull the sheet down slowly. Licking your lips, watching his treasure trail appear. The muscles of his lower abdomen and hip bone begging to be touched as you expose him.

“I’m sorry babe," you lean over and kiss his hip bone, "but you are far too hot," you plant kisses on the ridges of his abs, "to just" you kiss his nipple, "let you sit here," you climb up to sit astride his lap, "unmolested.” You press your lips to his in a simple kiss.

“Mmmm, I was thinking the same thing," he replies, hands on your hips. "My dirty girl," he kisses your mouth," that shirt barely closed," he kisses your cheek, "running off," his lips brush under your ear, "smelling like sex," he nips your neck" making people think you are half naked," he lifts his head up straight. “To be honest, I'm not sure I can cum again right now, but I want to make you moan over and over and over until you beg me to stop.”

Fuck. That is a hot sentence.

You let the shirt slip off your shoulders but he stops you.

“No, leave it on. It’s hot on you,” he says, pulling it back over your shoulder, running his hands along the edge. He undoes the one lone button, pushing the material away from your tits, dragging his fingertips across your nipples.

Then he leans over to the bag of pastries on the bed. He opens it and pulls out a cream filled donut.

“I know, not in your pussy,” he says, as your mouth opens to remind him.

He pulls the donut apart, scooping out the creamy white filling deftly with his finger. He slathers it on your nipples then licks his finger while gazing up at you through his eyelashes.

You know its mad, how many times you’ve fucked this man, yet you still start to feel the wetness seep between your labia. He is intoxicatingly addictive.

He puts one hand behind your back, pulling you up onto your knees and your chest closer to his mouth. He starts that magic tongue on your nipples, licking the cream off in swirls. He switches back and forth between your breasts. Putting as much of your breast in his mouth as he can, then sucking and pulling backwards letting the flesh slide out of his mouth. He watches as the cooler air hits the wetness, making your nipple pucker. He takes your nipple into the warmth of his mouth again, this time between his teeth. You suck in air through pursed lips as the tip of his tongue flickers across the tip.

You feel the flat of his hand gliding along your lips. When he feels the wetness there he smiles and chortles against your breast. Then he pulls your nipple and areola in and starts sucking in earnest while rubbing your pussy harder, front to back. Your head is thrown back and you are moaning. His other hand is pinching your other nipple hard.

Sharp bolts of pleasure radiate from your nipples, it hurts, but so, so good. The middle and ring fingers of his right hand slide up into you and he starts brushing them against your g-spot. You feel like a string puppet, your breath bursting out, as your abs contract with each flutter of his fingers.

“Oh whoa d’ ahhh,” you utter senselessly.

“You like that? You want more?” he asks. You nod, unable to form proper words.

The heel of his hand starts thumping against your mound. Your hips start quivering against his hand. You can feel little droplets splashing on your legs. He switches his attention to your other nipple, biting down this time. The pain/pleasure unexpectedly shoves you over the edge.

“Oh fuuuuuuck,” you cry out. Your thighs and glutes strain in orgasm.

He is still slamming into you, with wet squashy sounds. You clench on his fingers, filling his palm with wetness

“Oh that’s coming next, baby girl,” his voice is hoarse with desire, “but first you gotta clean these off.” He pulls his fingers out of you and offers them to your mouth. You indulge in sucking them, working them like they were his cock, cleaning them off.

“Good girl,” he says, “now get up on that cock, it’s hard and ready for you.”

You move your feet under you, squatting on top of him, using the headboard to help hold yourself up. He uses his hand to guide himself into you as you lift up to accommodate his length. Your wet pussy slides easily down onto him.

“Oh my god you feel so good,” you moan as you take him deep.

“I want you to ride me ‘till you cum again, hunny,” he says with a wicked smile.

You start gliding up and down on him, savoring every inch. You grab his fingers, bringing them to your mouth. He moves them back and forth as you lick and suck.

You are fixated on his cock that fills your cunt and his fingers filling your mouth. You are barely off that first orgasm when you feel the second one building. You start popping your booty faster on his shaft.

“Fuck you feel good,” he moans.

You go to reach down to your clit, but he’s already there, grinding his thumb against you.

It’s all you need to crash over the edge again.

“Oh yeeaah,” you moan around his fingers. Quickly, you stand up over him pressing your hips forward and rub yourself hard, spraying him with droplets.

He sits up and opens his mouth like a baby bird, flicking his tongue. Grabbing your ass, he pulls you to him. You step forward, catching yourself on the wall with one hand, feeding your orgasming pussy to him. The other hand on the back of Austin’s head, you grind into him as he laps greedily.

You squat back down to his level, holding his head. He is panting, juicy faced, and smiling.

You are not smiling, your Succubus has gotten ahold of the reins and levels a searing gaze at Austin. Your nostrils flared, your chin tilted down, lips parted, breath coming in short exhales. You lick your wetness off his chin and lips, catching his mouth in a deep kiss. You are on fire. You are feral.

He pulls away, cocks one eyebrow and says, ��You need tamin’.” Without warning, he grabs your legs out from under you, pushing you back on the bed forcefully. He climbs on top of you. Grabbing your two hands in his one, he holds them above your head. He sinks his cock into you and starts fucking you, hard.

“YES YES YES,” you growl. You are about to cum again when he stops.

“You want more, baby?” he asks with that devious smile.

Your breath is heaving through clenched teeth. Pupils blown, in your wild eyes.

“Fuck me, dammit!” you demand.

“Then you gotta do what I say, you understand me?”

“Yes, Just fuck me. Now.” your voice is threatening, topping from the bottom.

One eyebrow arches up, his lips purse and he huffs out though his nose, slightly shaking his head with narrowed eyes. Gripping your wrists tighter, he slllllooooowly pulls out. Your hips arch up to keep him in you as long as possible.

“Nononono,” you hear someone whining.

It’s you.

You struggle against his hand holding yours. You inner demon thrashing in a tantrum, unable to regulate your reaction and how much you want him right fucking now.

He grabs your chin hard and forces you to look at him. His fingers clutching at the side of your throat. His eyes are intense and dominating. It stops you short, breathing heavy.

“Fuckin’ stop it, or as God as my witness I will tie you to this bed and walk away, leavin’ you wantin’. You git me?” his voice is deep and quiet and powerful; and oh so southern.

There is no doubt in your mind that he would do just that. You take a shaggy breath, and nod. Still you hips move and shake.

“Now, I promise I’ll fuck tha’ pretty pussy as hard as I can, long as you do as I say,” he asserts.

You nod again, licking your lips.

“Reach up ‘ere and grab th’ foot board, like a good girl," he lets go of your face and stretches your arms back with both hands.

Not quite able to reach, he pushes you back a little as you wriggle so you can grasp the low bars.

“Mmmhmmm, now keep 'em ‘ere,” he commands.

You nod, adjusting your grip.

He sits back, sliding his legs under yours so your legs are spread apart over his thighs, hips tilted up.

‘Mmm, fuckin’ gorgeous spread on ma lap ‘ike ‘is. All red n’ swollen n' ready for me ta play.” He is petting your lips, pulling them apart and pinching them together, inserting his finger in your vagina just enough to make you squirm.

He starts rubbing and gently patting your mound. Fuck. You know what is coming and you start quivering in anticipation.

He grinds his palm into your pubis and your legs jerk towards each other, almost hitting him in the face.

“Keep 'em legs apart or I’ll have to hol’ em down,” he warns, pushing them back down. He pulls your labia apart and pinches your clit between his fingers.

Your legs try to slam together again.

“You know I never warn twice lil’ darlin,” he untangles his legs from under yours and puts them on top, holding them down.

Oh. My. God. This is gonna be good. You might have done it on purpose, wanting him to hold you down.

“Now I’m gon’ whup that naughty pussy. I wan’ it nice and juicy, cuz after I’m gon’ give you my cock.”

He knows how fucking hot his dirty Elvis talk makes you. Your hips are moving of their own accord, desperate for his attentions.

He looks down on you, the edges of his mouth curled up wickedly.

Tap , tap, tap, smack!

Your legs jerk under his, as hot electricity shoots through your clit.

He administers one, two, three good slaps on your mons, interspersed with little ones and soothing rubs and clit pinches. All designed to make you moan and cringe in pleasure.

“You like it when I spank ‘is ‘ere puss,” SMACK, “don’ you babeh.” SMACK. You nod.

“Tell me you like it.” SMACK

“I fucking love it,” you moan.

“That’s my dirty girl,” that wicked smile is back.

He starts a series of relentless lighter slaps, tossing in hard thwacks. Each hard slap makes you moan and jerk under him. It feels so deliciously naughty to feel such pleasure from this assault on your cunt. Your hips are pulsating under his ministrations.

“You like gettin’ that pussy nice and juicy for ma cock?” Austin drawls as he rolls your clit between his fingers.

“Uh huh” is all you can manage as you writhe under his legs.

He slaps a rapid-fire light staccato as he slides fingers into you. The delicious stings are lightning to your core, your clit is on fire in the best way.

Austin gives you several hard, wet smacks in a row that, in the back of your mind, makes you realize he could’ve been hitting you much harder than he has been. The thought is both nerve wracking and delicious.

He flicks his fingers in your swollen slit. Your body convulses under the sweet torture of his hand slapping your pussy. You are so close to cumming, it’s insane that you haven't yet.

“You did so good babeh, takin’ ma whuppin’,” he has stopped spanking you, his palm pressing down on your hot, wet, throbbing pussy, “Yer so wet fo’ me, such a dirty, dirty girl.”

He slips a single finger into you. You writhe, desperate for more, teetering on the edge of reality.

“Are you ready fo’ my cock naw?” he slaps you one more time, the hardest yet

“YES!” you shout, arching in pleasure filled agony.

His throat rumbles with a deep laugh, “My fuckin’ dirty girl.”

He gets off the bed. Standing at the side, he grabs your legs.

“Let ‘er go,” he says.

You had forgotten that you were holding on to the footboard.

He yanks you around to face him, until your ass is on the edge of the bed. Still holding onto your legs, he spreads them apart.

“Wha’d I tell you I’d do if’n you were good?” he asks.

“Fuck me as hard as you can,” you answer immediately. You need him inside you, you need him hard and fast.

“That’s right. You wan’ it still?” his cock is rubbing against your wetness.

“Fuck yes,” you exclaim through clenched teeth, pelvis quivering.

“Good, cuz yer gonna get it’eether way,” he pushes into you.

“Oh yes!” you moan.

“Now,’ he is sliding in and out of you at a regular pace, “you betteh tell me if ya’ll ‘bout to cum sos I can do you right.”

You nod, licking your lips and watch his face through half closed eyes.

Smiling, he starts slamming into you, hands holding tight to your bent knees.

You are in fucking heaven, breasts bouncing as he pistons in and out of your wet cleft. You reach down and hold the edge of the bed so you don’t slide away from him with each deep thrust.

Austin is full-body fucking you, arms pulling you onto him as much as his hips are pounding into you. He is vocalizing in deep rage-like tones. It’s everything your demon wanted: deep, hard, fast, merciless. The world starts to lose shape as all your senses converge onto one pinpoint deep inside you.

“I’m. I’m-” You can’t even get the word ‘cum’ out before it explodes into an enormous collage, barraging your senses in gorgeous ecstasy.

You are so far gone right now, you don’t even register that he slowed down until he pulls out and is gone. You whimper at the sudden nothing. Your knees flop towards each other, hips shaking. Breathing deep, you know it’s not over yet, you are so fucking insatiable right now.

“It’s ok baby I’m coming back,” he says from across the room. You hear the soft whirrr of your vibrator. The curvy one, that goes inside and on your clit. He pulls your legs apart and slides his cock into you once more. You moan and smile at having him back inside again.

He holds the long part of the vibe on your mound and starts his dogged pummeling of your pussy again. The combo of his dick impaling you and the vibrator takes no time at all to have you peaking again. Your mouth is open in a silent scream, as your muscles contract in a wave from your pelvic floor, up your spine, arching your back and neck to your eyes rolling back in their sockets, hands pounding the bed.

“Yeah baby, that’s what I want to see, thrash on that cock,” he is saying.

He takes his cock and the vibrator away. You are panting back, eyes to the ceiling.

“Look at me,” he says raggedly .

You tilt your head forward, taking in the sight of him from head to cock. His eyes are savage, his tongue darts out to taste the sweat that is running down his face. His chest expands with his puffing breath. His abs slick with perspiration. His hand on his cock.

Holy Mother of FUCK. He is beyond sexy.

“Do you want me to cum all over you?” he asks, hand sliding in your wetness covering his red, hard cock.

You nod, “Yes, fuck yes, right here.” You reach down and pull your lips apart, hoping he’ll jizz hot on your clit.

That wicked smile spreads on his face as he grabs the vibrator and flips it over. Pushing it into your well fucked pussy, the top head nestles onto your exposed clit.

Shit shit … Each orgasm is getting stronger than the last. You aren’t sure if you can take another. You are shaking your head and grabbing his wrist.

“Oh yes, you are gonna take it baby, one last big one for me as I cum on you.”

His left hand covers the vibrator, pushing it down onto your clit, making your whole body jerk forward, His right hand pumps away at his own cock. Your hips jerk back and forth under his hand driving you back up. Then you are floating, suddenly levitating out of your body in a euphoric trance, tethered only by his hand trapping your quaking pussy.

You hear a loud grizzly “awwwww fuuuuck yeahhhh!!” The sensation of hot cum spurting in ribbons; all over your belly, your hands, your cunt; slams you back into your body. Still holding onto his wrist, you jam it back and forth, forcing him to fuck you with the vibrator, deep friction on your clit. You are full on screaming, every muscle writhing in the ultimate crescendo. You aren’t sure if you are coming still or coming again.

“No more. Please," you pant, pushing his hand away.

He pulls the vibrator away, turns it off and tosses it aside. He sits down heavy on the bed next to you, and flops back, grabbing your hand in his. You are just laying there completely wrung out, shivers of aftershocks periodically coursing through your body.

As your breathing slows, you fall completely asleep. You don’t notice how he moved your arm around him and curled up on your chest.

[giggly-squiggily]

Marks Of Progress (Black Clover)

Heyo! I'm home today! (Weather chaos), I felt a bit inspired as of late and decided to take a mini break from Candy Hearts to write about Asta and Luck! I need to do more Lee!Asta content, and here we are! I hope you like it!

CW: Scars, body insecurity

Summary: Asta's feeling a bit off regarding all his scars from battle. Thankfully he has someone like Luck to make him feel better.

Cloud 9 (Taglist peeps)

@duckymcdoorknob (Thank you for the inspiration, friend!)

“Asta! Asta Asta ASTA!” Luck all but bolted at him the minute he saw the shorter wizard, bouncing on his heels. “I’ve been looking for you! Come on- let’s fight!”

“Heh? But I just got back-” Asta barely had time to respond before Luck’s hand was on his wrist, pulling him with him towards the door. “At least let me shower first!”

“No way! You’ll only get sweaty all over again! It’ll be a waste!” Luck grinned over his shoulder at the other, pausing when his eyes landed on his arm. “Whoa- what’s that?”

Along Asta’s arm stood a brand new scar. Long and curved, it raced up the side of his arm from mid-forearm to elbow. The color indicated it wasn’t fresh, but there was no denying it was there to stay.

“Oh that?” Asta nodded at it. “Got it the other day during a mission. I forgot to duck, hehe.”

“Pfft! Why would you need to duck? You’re already so short!” Luck cackled at his joke, choking on it when he saw Asta’s face. “Eh…ehem. Sorry.”

“No, no you’re fine. It’s just…” Asta rubbed the back of his neck, eyes trained on his arm. Alongside his new one, faded scars lined his once smooth skin. Short ones, long ones, curved marks and fresh wounds. It wasn’t just his arms- he felt them all over. Memories of powerful enemies and near death experiences ached with each phantom pain. “Do you think it’s a bad thing? How scarred up I am?”

“Why would it be?” Luck asked, tilting his head in thought. His smile shrunk to a more curious one, brows furrowing as he took in the question. “I think scars are awesome! Well- the pain isn’t great. And healing can be a real pain in the butt…” Luck hummed, rocking on his heels. “But each one tells a story! When you’re the Wizard King, the kingdom will want to know about all of them!”

“You think so?” Asta looked up, starting to smile at Luck’s words. “You don’t think they’re…I don’t know…ugly?” Asta flushed at the word, hating how subconscious he suddenly felt.

Luck tsked, releasing his hand before shrugging off his Black Bull vest. Now derobed, he yanked up his shirt, baring his torso to the other. “Check me out! I got scars too!” He pointed at the one along his stomach. “That one’s from that one guy we fought- the one who sent me flying. Oh! And this one-” He pointed at his hip, gesturing to the curved burn creeping up from his waistline. “This is when me and Magna went into that super cool dungeon! I walked into a trap, hehe!”

“What about that one?” Asta pointed at the scar just beneath Luck’s belly button, a mark so faint you almost didn’t see it.

“That…I don’t remember.” Luck blinked, poking at it some. “I think I got knocked out- somebody probably harvested my organs. The point is-” Luck smiled at Asta as he let his shirt fall. “Our scars don’t make us ugly! They’re marks of progress! Little reminders of the progress we made in our journey to get stronger! Nothing about your marks are ugly, Asta. Remember that.”

Asta blinked, letting it all sink in. He didn’t expect to receive a pep talk today- from Luck of all people too! It made him feel all sorts of feelings- the biggest one was loved.

Giving him a wobbly smile, Asta nodded, not trusting his voice. “Thanks, Luck…”

“Hehe, no problem! Now that we’ve talked about mine, what about yours?” The blonde reached out, poking Asta’s upper arm. “I know you got one here from that battle with the witches! Oh, and this one!” He poked his shoulder. “That was when you were training with the Vermillion captain! How cool!”

“Ah! Luck, what are you do-ihihng?” Asta jerked with a giggle when Luck’s fingers poked down his back. “Stop it tihihihckles!”

“This one, and this one, oh, can’t forget about this one!” Luck danced around him, prodding at the back of his ribs and hips. “All reminders of how badass you are, Asta! What’s this one? Or this one?”

“L-Luhuhuhuck! Luhuuhuck, cohoohohme ohohohon!” Asta giggled helplessly, wrapping his arms around himself as the older Bull relentlessly tickled him. “I geheheheht it! Now stahhahahap!”

“But I’m not done! There’s one here- move your hands!” Luck laughed, abandoning all sense of oblivion as he grabbed Asta’s sides, worming his fingers against the fleshy parts. “I wanna see those battle scars!”

“Ah! Ahehahahhahaha! Luhuuhuuhck!” Asta cried, grabbing at his friend’s hands as he squirmed. “Nohohohohow yohohoohu’re just behehehehehing stuhuhuuhuhpid- Ahehahhhahah dohoohohohon’t!” Luck’s fingers charged, little tasered zaps further electrified his nerves, sending fresh waves of ticklishness up his body. “Yohohohohohou suhuhuhuhuuhck!”

“Aww, so mean! And after I made you feel better!” Luck giggled like a child, bouncing with Asta as he worked his hands up to his ribs, zapping him here and there to get those loud cackles and squeals from the swordsman. “You’re just like Magma! He calls me all sorts of things when I do this!” His eyes danced as he shot his hands up all the way to Asta’s armpits, buzzing the tips of his fingers there.

“AHEHAHHHAHA LUHUUHUUCK!” Asta all but shrieked, spasming so hard he fell backwards. Luck followed him down, saving him from a concussion with a leg slide. This also trapped Asta in his lap. Two for one! “COOHOHOOHME OHOHOHOOHOHN! DOHOOHOOHN’T TIHIIHIHIICKLE MEHEHHEHEHEHE!”

“Why not? It’s so fun!” Luck giggled, amused by the way Asta’s cheeks pinkened, his smile massive. He curled and squirmed like a bug, feet kicking and hands balled up into fists. And his laugh- loud and happy sounding! If Magma’s wasn’t hilarious to listen to, Luck would say this was his favorite sound yet. “You sound funny, hehehe!”

“LUHUHUHUUHUCK ENOHOOHOHOOUGH!” Asta wailed, the hairs on his arms starting to stand from how much charge he collected. Seeing this, Luck retreated his hands, letting Asta roll off his lap and into a ball on the floor. “Ehhee…eheehhehe…thahahahnk you.” Asta huffed, spreading out like a starfish.

“Aww, you’re welcome Astar!” Luck cooed. “If I knew you’d thank me for tickling you, I’d do it more often!”

“Thahahat’s not what I mehaant!” Asta glared some, the look lacking any real malice. “I meant…Thank you. For what you said about my scars. It helped.”

Luck nodded, smiling to himself. If you looked close enough, you could see the faintest blush touching his cheeks. “It’s just something a good friend always told me. SO!” Luck shot to his feet, bouncy energy returned. “Let’s go train! I wanna show you my new magic!”

“Okay okay.” Asta snorted, reaching out a hand. Luck took it-

ZZZZZZPT!

“AH WHAT THE HELL?” Yami roared from what sounded like the toilet as the entire base went dark. Muffled screams and yells could be heard around the space, Noelle’s shocked squeal and Finral’s cry of surprise. Upstairs, something thumped loudly, Magma cursing up a storm could be heard seconds later.

“LUCK!” A chorus of voices all yelled, making the blonde pale.

“Asta…” He turned to the smaller man.

“RUN!” Asta grabbed his hand, booking it to the exit. They broke out into the sunlight, laughing like children as the rest of the Bulls hollered after them.

Thanks for reading!

[snappedsky]

Fanatics 99.20

Everyone leaves the planet Tourney and returns home.

There will be a short break before the next- and final- chapter as I am going away next weekend and won't be able to post.

*Links to previous and next chapters in reblog*

--

The Greatest in the Galaxy Part 20

“What...a...show! I knew this would be the best competition we’ve ever seen, but I could never have predicted this! This will go down in history, folks, and I’m so happy to have presented the majority of it. Well, for all of us here at Tourney, and every competitor, thank you for watching The Greatest in the Galaxy! This is the AI announcer M1-C, signing off for the very last time.”

Across the galaxy, all televisions tuned into the competition channels lose signal. Viewers turn their screens off and return to their day-to-day lives.

On Tourney, the Resisty ship is parked in a giant parking lot, surrounded by other large ships. In its infirmary, the Battalion are seated on the beds, after having spent the night healing and recuperating. They also turn off the TV.

“That was a good show we put on,” Zim remarks.

“Too bad we couldn’t win though,” Gaz sighs.

“What do we mean?” Squee questions. “We did win. It was like a whole thing yesterday, remember?”

“No, I mean, the competition,” she replies, “we didn’t finish it so we couldn’t win it and get a trophy. We won’t get a trophy for winning a revolution.”

“No. We just helped free countless of beings from the Irkens’ tyranny,” Dib says, “but we won’t get a trophy.”

“I thought the whole point of this was we get a trophy,” Gaz grumbles.

“She’s got a point,” Tak agrees.

“I tell you what, we may not get a trophy, but those two over there can get an award for most injured,” Pepito grunts, pointing to Dib and Squee. Both of their torsos are wrapped up in bandages to cover their burns.

“Pepito, you really gotta let this go,” Dib groans.

“You’re just lucky with Shmoopy’s advanced alien healing you don’t need skin grafts,” he snaps, “I say we ban bombs from the team.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Squee says quickly, “this wasn’t because of my bombs. My bombs are fine.”

“You blew yourself up twice this week!”

“And that was not the cause of this injury.”

“Too bad those cam-bots are gone,” Tak grunts drily as the pair argue. “They’re missing some quality content.”

“I swear, if you two keep this up, you’ll be riding the ship home instead of using the teleporter,” Zim warns.

Squee and Pepito quiet down and grumble, their hands linked together.

The door suddenly opens to Kio, who’s smiling excitedly. “The Irkens are leaving. Do you guys wanna see them off?”

“Yeah,” Zim says and everyone quickly throws on some proper clothes, wincing from their still tender injuries, and hurry out of the ship.

The Massive is parked on the other side of the lot, taking up more space than anything else. Irken soldiers are filing inside, many of them cuffed. Civ and Viv fly around them, making sure everyone behaves themselves. At the back of the group are tallest- only in size now than in title- Red and Purple. Their hands are cuffed and their PAKs have plates drilled over them to keep them from opening. Rory and Zinather stand behind them, surveying everybody. Rory hurries over when he sees the Battalion.

“You got your work cut out for you, Tallest Rory,” Dib remarks.

“No doubt,” he replies, “but it’ll be worth it. It’s time for a major change on Irk.”

“There’s no one else I would trust with this project,” Zim says.

“I appreciate that,” Rory grins. “So when are you finally gonna rule your planet?”

“Eventually,” he replies, “why rush it? It’s not going anywhere, not as long as we’re around.”

“Well, I look forward to the day we become true planetary allies.” The new Irken leader steps back and bows regally. “Until then, my friends.”

The team smile and wave as he follows the rest of the Irkens onto the Massive. Zinather is the last to board. He looks back at Zim and nods. Zim nods back.

Everyone watches as the Massive lifts off, disappearing slowly into the atmosphere.

“Looks like everyone else is leaving too,” Squee says as he looks around. Around the parking lot, countless different species are boarding their various ships and leaving the planet. He spots the Swifs, particularly Nimbel. She meets his eye and he waves. She waves back.

“I guess it’s about time we leave too,” Kio says.

The team head back to the Resisty ship. Shmoopy is in the infirmary, putting together a kit.

“In here are all the salves you need for your injuries,” she explains, handing a duffle bag to Zim. “As well as instructions on how to use them. Follow it diligently, especially you two.” She points to Dib and Squee.

“Yeah, yeah,” Dib grunts.

Kio faces the team, smiling sadly. “I guess this will be the last time we all meet up like this, at least for a while. You’re all gonna be doing your own thing back on Earth.”

“That’s why we did this, right?” Squee asks. “One last hurrah.”

“And what a last hurrah it was,” Pepito adds.

“What about you?” Zim asks Kio. “What are you and the Resisty gonna do now that you won’t need to resist against the Irken Empire?”

“I’m not sure,” she replies, “we haven’t really had a chance to talk about it. I don’t think everyone here actually believes it’s happening. But I doubt we’ll split up. Many of the species on this ship don’t have a planet to return to. And even those of us who do might not consider it home anymore. I’ve been gone from Vort for so long, I don’t think I’ll recognize it.”

“You could always come to Earth,” Dib suggests.

Kio smiles. “I’ll consider that.”

An awkward silence fills the room as nobody knows how to proceed. Then Zim clears his throat.

“Well, Kio, Shmoopy, as always, it’s been an honour,” he says, bowing his head. They both smile softly at him.

“Why you being so respectful?” Tak asks suspiciously.

“It’s creepy,” Gaz comments.

“He’s just feeling uncomfortable,” Dib chuckles and the others laugh.

“Enough,” Zim snaps, “let’s go already. Ready the teleporter.”

“As you wish,” Kio nods and rests a circular device on the floor. It lights up and whirs with energy. “Battalion.” “Resisty,” Zim bows.

With a wave, one by one the Battalion steps onto the teleport pad and transport to its twin on Earth, in Tak’s house.

Johnny, Devi, Tenna, Colton, Carmen, Maddie, and Skoodge are there to meet them. Colton immediately hugs Squee, making him wince painfully.

“Owwwww I’m still so tender,” he whimpers.

“Sorry,” Colton says quickly, letting him go.

“So did we put on a good show?” Pepito asks cheekily.

“You guys were awesome!” Tenna cheers.

“It wasn’t the worst thing I’ve ever watching,” Johnny grunts, ruffling Squee’s hair.

“I cannot believe what you accomplished!” Skoodge exclaims, “you revolted against the Irken Empire! You ousted the Tallest! This is...inconceivable!”

“He’s right,” Devi agrees, “it was a helluva fucking show.

“Everything is going to change because of this,” Skoodge adds.

“Yeah, but not here,” Tak points out, “Earth will remain the same as it always has.”

“Maybe,” Gaz grunts, “but starting next week...we won’t.”

She looks up at Pepito and Squee, who glance at each other. A heaviness suddenly hangs over the air.

“Nah, we will,” Zim argues, “even with you three leaving, we’ll still be the same team.”

Just like that, the heaviness dissipates and everyone smiles because they realize he’s right. No matter what changes they go through, or where they go, they’ll still be a team.

[more-mitaori]

Chapter 6

An energetic young teacher's waving followed Hanako as she left his office, a heavy sigh escaping as she started to walk away. She wouldn't get very far before another familiar voice caught her attention. "Yo, Hanako!"

Hanako turned, a calm, neutral expression on her face. "Hello, Shinju."

"Hey, what're ya doin' over on this side of the school? Pretty far from the exit, right? You're usually one of the first students out of here." Shinju started walking beside Hanako, the two making their way down to the exit.

"I... well, um, promise me you will not laugh, but..." Hanako hesitated with a little sigh. "I've... joined the Fencing Club."

Shinju stopped dead in her tracks, eyes wide. "Whoa, really? I never figured you for the sporty type! Hey, if this is for the paper, you know I can cover all the athletic clubs just fine, right?"

"Ah, no, um... it's... well, my current therapist thought it... might help lift my mood, if I were more... physically active." Hanako, as always, lamented what she saw as poor excuses and even poorer lies, but as usual, Shinju hadn't seen through them. How could she, Hanako thought? Shinju didn't know anything about Magical Girls.

"Ah, yeah, that makes sense to me. I guess it's not too different than 'Haku telling me to go make friends. Tripped and fell into a rock band!"

Hanako chuckled just a little, almost under her breath. "I... I suppose it's not too far from... why I did this, then."

They reached the doors leading out from the school, making their way outside. Hanako paused, taking a deep breath of air, closing her eyes. She appeared rather tranquil in this moment, a fact Shinju had noticed. "Heh. Seem like you're in good spirits today, after all."

"Mm. I... I guess I am," Hanako admitted, a tiny, almost unnoticeable smile lighting her face. It was true. Hanako felt better today than she had in a long time. For once, despite the tumultuous nature of her life now, she felt content. She had friends, something she couldn't say too terribly long ago, and she had a purpose, something that gave her life meaning.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a camouflaged military vehicle pulling up beside them on the road. Shinju immediately made for the passenger-side door, waving to Hanako as she got in. Hanako had never seen Kohaku in person before, let alone gotten the chance to meet her, but every story Shinju told of her made her sound like someone nice enough. At least, for someone climbing the ranks in the Japan Self-Defense Forces.

As Shinju and her sister pulled away, Hanako began walking down the road towards her apartment building. She lived in a tall, skyscraper-like complex in the Amakusa district. It was convenient for her father's work, as it cut down the commute entirely down to a short walk. He would often joke that it took more time to get out of the building than into his office.

Hanako's calm, peaceful lack of thoughts were interrupted as she bumped into someone on the sidewalk. A tall, lanky girl, at least a head taller than Hanako stood before her. Straight, yet dissheveled, dark hair hung from her head. Hanako recognized her uniform right away, though the girl was wearing a short, black leather jacket over it. "Ah! U-Um... I'm sorry. E-Excuse me..."

As she tried to walk around her, the girl held out an arm to stop her. "And just where the hell do you think you're going?" From this angle, Hanako could see a wet spot on the front of her jacket, a small stain bleeding onto the uniform itself. On the ground, a half-empty soda can, the rest of its contents spilling onto the sidewalk.

Looking up into the stranger's cold, nearly lifeless eyes, Hanako felt a shiver run down her spine. She often had the sense that Yui would be a bully to her from the first time they had met, but Yui's eyes were alive and even a little gentle, depending on the day. Yui's voice was brutish, but through her bluntness, Hanako had felt a desire to at least help those around her, to the extent that they wouldn't be a burden to her or themselves, anyway.

But this girl was different. In her hard, sour expression, Hanako saw only malice and hostility. She would back away, looking down again. "I... I said I was sorry. Um... I-I'll... get out of your way now."

"Oh? Just gonna spill my drink all over my jacket and walk off like nothing ever happened?" Before Hanako could get away, she felt herself pulled by the collar of her uniform and dragged closer. A sinister grin lit the girl's face. "If just saying sorry took out stains like that, I wouldn't be so bothered. But unfortunately, we live in reality. So you're going to have to make this right."

"A... Are you... trying to get money out of me, or something? I... I'm not a bank. Besides... th-this was... an accident." Hanako was struggling a little, trying to pull away, but the girl's grip was locked tight.

A few loose strands of dark hair came down across the girl's left eye, and her smile faded. "Unbelievable. First you ruin my jacket. Next, you half admit to it, but then you call me an extortionist. The absolute nerve of freshmen these days."

Hanako pulled herself free, jumping back a bit. For a moment, her sense of dread compelled her to transform and fight, but logic took over right away. This girl might be a bully, Hanako thought, and though she certainly gave off the impression of a cold, heartless beast, it didn't mean she was one. Not one that Hanako had made a contract to fight, anyway.

Besides, Hanako's mother had taught her how to deal with situations like these before. As she analyzed her surroundings, she noticed a name on the jacket. Her heart sunk as she realized that this was a custom article, but the name stood out more than anything else. "...I'm sorry, Rui Tomatsu."

The girl, Rui, stared at Hanako, incredulous, not making the connection to the name on her jacket. "You know me, kid? You think you know me?" Her right hand curled into a fist, and she hooked it swiftly towards Hanako's head.

Hanako just barely ducked under the punch, and instead of jumping back, she instead leaned into the motion. Rolling around Rui's side, she quickly made her way behind her. For a moment, from this position, Hanako considered countering the attack, but thought better of it once again. Instead, she used her chance to gain some distance, stopping a few meters behind her.

"...Everyone knows, Tomatsu," Hanako said, a bit more maliciously than she intended. "Everyone knows... that it was you who broke that window."

Rui wheeled around in an instant, but Hanako had vanished from sight. Her eyes were wide, wild with anger, and now with nowhere to place the rage. "Tch. Damn kid. ...I'll get you yet. Just you wait and see. All of you. Every last one of you fucking bastards are gonna pay this time."

Hanako had managed to duck into a bush, and with Rui's confusion, managed to slip from one hiding place to another along the road. By the time Rui would calm down, Hanako would be long gone, having used the blind spots in Rui's rage to slip away. This worked for now, but Hanako knew that it wouldn't work a second time. And she still had to go to school with this girl. What was the point of saying that, Hanako thought? What did she have to gain by tipping her hand, or provoking someone like this? Over something so small, no less.

Time passed, and distance would follow. There wasn't any sign of Rui following behind her, and the rest of Hanako's walk was uneventful. Slowing her pace and relaxing a bit, she pushed open the doors leading to the lobby of her apartment building, though she looked over her shoulders before stepping inside. A short elevator ride later, and Hanako was home once again.

"...I'm home." Hanako quietly announced herself as she walked through her front door. Despite how small she made her presence, one of two familiar voices called out in reply.

"Welcome home, Hanako." It was her father's voice this time. He was working from home, and since he answered, it meant that her mother was working late tonight.

Ren Sasaki worked for a large technology company, one that had its hands in many smaller corporations around the world, and was slowly growing into an entity that could shift the very direction of electronic devices and communications. Ren himself wasn't too important in his position, but he was climbing the corporate ladder quickly enough to provide more than enough for his family His was also not the only source of income in Hanako's family. His wife, Katsumi, was equally successful in her own field. Between the two of them, Hanako had everything anyone could ever ask for.

"...Is Mother running late... tonight?" Hanako carefully removed her shoes, leaving them by the door before making her way into her living room proper. A vaulted ceiling hung above the room, a large window on one side overlooking Mitakihara City's skyline with a hallway leading to the rest of the apartment on the other. Opposite the window sat a cozy kitchen, though more than spacious enough for multiple people to cook without tripping over one another.

"Yeah. Shouldn't be too long now, though. She said she's picking up dinner on the way back. Why not go relax for a bit?" Ren's voice was deep, yet soothing and quiet. He sat on a pearl white sofa, which faced a large television mounted on the opposite wall, perpendicular to the window. The television, much like Hanako's, was currently turned off. In Ren's lap, a laptop, one in which he worked frequently. Hanako's mother often joked that it was surgically attached to him.

He wore a brown, checkered shirt, and was still wearing his beige slacks, despite lounging around at home. Ren would always dress for work, even when working from home. He often said it kept him focused.

"...I think I will. Thank you, Father." Hanako gave a polite bow towards Ren, who waved off somewhat sheepishly at the formality, and she quietly slipped down the hallway towards her bedroom.

No sooner than Hanako plopped down onto her bed did her phone light up, buzzing in her pocket. She took it out, staring for a moment at the screen. ["hanako. any updates?"] The message was from Koharu.

Hanako wasn't able to reply, however, as she heard a knock on her door, followed by another quiet, soothing voice, higher than the first. "Hanako, dear? Your father told me you just got home."

The source of the voice was obvious by the tone alone. "Y... Yes, Mother. I'm home." She sat up, anticipating her door opening.

Sure enough, it did, and in the doorway stood Katsumi Sasaki, clad in a jet black three piece suit. Her chestnut colored hair was tidy, held in a tight bun on the back of her head. She hadn't even had time to remove her scarlet tie, and even though she looked like she just ran home, she still carried herself like a consummate professional.

A gentle smile was resting on her face, and she made her way into Hanako's room, sitting beside her on the corner of her bed. "How was your day, dear?"

"Oh, um... i-it was fine, Mother." Hanako's tone was a little unusual this time. Every day, Hanako would answer completely neutrally, but today she had hesitated. After all, she joined a more physically active and demanding club. She couldn't very well hide this from her mother. She looked up to her far too much to lie, and Hanako was far too easy to read to get away with it. But something like this was a vast and sudden departure from the status quo that Hanako was caught off guard by how this news would be received. "I... I joined the Fencing Club today."

As expected, her mother's eyes widened in surprise. She knew this was far too much, too fast, but the reaction she got wasn't quite what Hanako expected. "That's great! The doctors often say that physical activity would help lift your spirits. I wasn't sure you were ever going to take their advice. Ah, but why fencing, exactly?"

"W-Well... I'm not really suited to running, or anything... high impact. Fencing felt like... like a good compromise. It's active, but..." Hanako naturally trailed off. If Yui's tendency to come up with a good answer from nowhere was rubbing off on her, it wasn't doing it effectively enough just yet.

Her mother, however, simply nodded. "I understand, I think. It's a great start. You'll be using your mental strength as much as your physical strength. You're still pretty small, but this gives you a bit of an advantage. Swift movements are more important than powerful ones."

"How... do you know so much about fencing, Mother?" Hanako was a little taken aback by her mother's words on the subject. "Did you...?"

"Oh, no dear, not at all. But it's come up in cases from time to time. It pays to have basic knowledge about a wide variety of topics." Katsumi Sasaki was arguably the single most successful defense attorney that Mitakihara had ever seen. More than once did she receive offers from her colleagues to go into private practice, but she refused the offer each and every time. She was a public defender, and she believed that everyone deserved fair and just representation, regardless of financial status.

Katsumi was driven by an unshakeable sense of justice, and she had always hoped that this passion had passed down to her daughter. While Hanako's condition was often difficult, Katsumi never faltered in her patience. When she needed to be close, she was there. When Hanako needed space, Katsumi would give it gladly, despite her natural worry. While Hanako's progress was slow, her mother was comforted by the fact that Hanako never lashed out, nor did she blame anyone, including herself for her circumstances. Perhaps, she thought, she really was instilling the proper morals into her daughter after all.

If Hanako wanted anything, Katsumi would provide it. Not because she wanted to spoil her daughter, or lead her into a life of luxury, but because Hanako seldom asked for anything she didn't directly need, such as school supplies. The television and console were the lone extravagance that Hanako had ever asked for, and even then, she had barely touched them. It was the advice of a long-distance friend of Hanako's that pushed for the gaming device in the first place, but Hanako hadn't brought the girl up in awhile, and Katsumi knew better than to push, in case there was an unpleasant, or even traumatic incident behind it.

"I... I see." Hanako was staring up blankly at the ceiling. She was quiet for a long moment before speaking up again. "...How was your day, Mother?"

"Oh, uneventful. Just preparing for some simple, low-profile cases for once." Katsumi gave a little chuckle before standing up. "I brought home a variety of treats from the bakery, and I daresay your father and I will have trouble finishing them on our own. It's not the healthiest of dinners, but indulgence every now and then isn't the end of the world, right?"

Hanako sat up, only to remember that she had received a text from Koharu before her mother came in to check on her. "Th-that sounds great, Mother. I... I'll be along shortly."

"Take your time, Hanako." Giving Hanako a little pat on the shoulder and another gentle, reassuring smile, Katsumi left her room, closing the door behind her.

Hanako wasted little time in replying to Koharu. ["I encountered Rui. Things are more complicated than we realized."]

Almost an instant after Hanako sent her message, her phone buzzed once more. ["call me."]

* * *

The front door to a small, older house opened with a creak. Behind it, a middle-aged woman stood, somewhat apprehensive for a brief moment before she recognized the person who knocked. "Oh, Yui. Do come in, won't you? Alice told me you would be coming by today after school."

Yui gave a large grin towards Alice's mother, bowing her head just a bit before slipping inside, gently kicking her shoes off near the door. "Thanks, Mama Rinju. Oooh... makin' tea, huh? Lemme guess. Uh... Chamomile?"

Marian Rinju chuckled softly. "Sorry dear, Earl Grey."

"Shoot. Ah well, I'll get it right next time." Yui never could place what type of tea was brewing just by its scent, but the little guessing game often helped build rapport between Yui and Alice's mother, and it almost never failed to start a nice conversation. Yui would take a seat at the small, wooden table in the kitchen, at Marian's invitation. Marian followed close behind, then poured out four cups of tea. This was normal for Yui. Marian would pour one for herself, one for Yui, one for Alice, and then one for Esther, though she seldom joined them for Yui's visits.

Esther and Yui had only met briefly over the years. The two were civil, seemingly getting along well enough, but didn't really have a lot in common. The day after Yui made her wish, Esther had joined them for tea. Afterwards, Esther had invited Yui to their backyard, and challenged her to a friendly spar.

It wasn't often that Yui lost a fight, especially to another Magical Girl. But Esther was in a league of her own. Yui had no shame in admitting her loss, even to Alice. In a way, Yui thought, it established a clear pecking order, at least as far as everyone else was concerned. Alice looked up to her sister more than Yui, and Yui wasn't bothered by this.

Overall, Yui and Esther maintained a healthy, respectful distance from one another. Neither seemed to mind the other's company, yet neither side made any effort to bridge the gap and establish a proper friendship. Unspoken as it was, the rule seemed to be to not upset Alice by causing tension between her two most cherished people, even if they had no reason to dislike one another.

Esther was more composed, a little more proper than Alice, but she wasn't stuck up enough to look down on anyone. Even as a Magical Girl, Esther had, at one point, been Kyubey's go-to backup if a newly contracted girl had lost her way on a hunt. Esther never seemed to mind this role, either. But after the incident with her father, Esther had become more distant. Yui, naturally, understood this, and she didn't stick her nose into her senior's business.

Yui would sip her tea, with Marian sitting across from her, as if trying to read her youngest daughter's closest friend. Yui was used to this, as it happened with every visit ever since Tomozaku's arrest. She was never sure if Marian was trying to see if Yui intended to try and date Alice, and she was even less sure if that was something Marian was trying to encourage or dissuade. The gaze lasted only a few moments, and soon, Marian was sipping her own tea.

"So how is school, Yui?" Marian's tone was compassionate and motherly, but an undertone of scrutiny was always present in her voice.

"Ah, y'know... year's still pretty fresh, so my grades are okay. Better than last years'," Yui added quickly, anticipating Marian's follow-up. "But no clubs or anything. The band's taken up most of my free time."

Marian chuckled, setting her cup down. "I see. From what I hear, you lot are making a good deal of progress."

"Hey hey, 'bout time someone had some faith in us! See, this is why you're my favorite parent, Mama Rinju." As Marian beamed, Yui continued. "But yeah. We're gettin' there. It's slow going, but we're getting there."

"Do you have a name for your first album, then?"

"In Euphoria Clad." Alice's timid voice called from the stairs in the hallway, small footsteps following before she poked her head in around the corner. "I came up with it, and no one shot it down." She then sat down right beside Yui, sipping her own tea.

"Oh? I like it, dear." Marian's smile was wide and warm. "I'll buy your first t-shirt."

Yui scoffed. "As if we would make you pay for it! Mama Rinju gets the VIP treatment forever." Alice and Marian both chuckled. A few quiet, pleasant minutes of light conversation and tea would follow. The room went quiet, however, when another set of footsteps descended from the stairs. A head of neat, blonde hair wrapped in a ponytail peered into the kitchen from the living room. First gazing upon her sister, then her mother, then the visitor.

Alice bounded from her seat, throwing her arms around Esther's waist, a sheepish, childlike expression on her face. Marian simply smiled, and Yui showed no outward reaction, sipping from her tea again. Eventually, Alice let go of her sister after receiving a pat on the head, blushing a bit as she sat back beside Yui.

Esther herself had a neutral expression, save for the tiniest of smiles at Alice's affection. She sat down, taking a sip of her tea before turning her head slightly to glance towards her mother. "Earl Grey? What's the occasion?"

"There's not an occasion, Esther. I just felt like it, that's all. Sometimes, we all deserve the nicer things in life just for their own sake."

Shrugging just a bit, Esther didn't ask any further, instead turning back to face Alice. "Need any help with anything? Any major projects, or maybe homework you're stuck on?"

"N... No, I'm fine." Alice's voice was lowered, nervously kicking her legs a bit under the table. "I finished my homework right after I got home."

"Whoa, seriously? I still need to start mine." Yui rubbed the back of her head, avoiding Marian's frown.

"You don't want to fall behind this early in the year, Yui."

"Yeah, yeah." Yui finished her cup with a contented sigh. "I'll get started when I get home." The rest of the impromptu tea party was quiet, a little awkward. Yui and Esther were cordial, yet seemingly avoiding talking directly to one another. Neither Alice nor Marian seemed to notice. Eventually, two more empty cups were set down on the table. Yui did not take a refill.

Alice stretched her arms, setting her half-finished cup down on the table. "Mom, need help with the dishes?"

"Well! What kind of alien came down to replace my daughter, hmm?" Marian chuckled, though relented as soon as Alice shrunk back into her chair. "Since you're offering, I can't really say no, can I?"

"I guess I oughtta get going, too. I don't wanna fall behind..." Yui's dread was heavy, if not exaggerated. She stood up, stretching her arms as well and turned to leave the kitchen. "Call me later, alright babe?" Marian chuckled at this, while Alice blushed. Esther stood up soon after, still stoic as always.

Yui made her way to the door, slipping back into her shoes and stepped outside. She didn't get more than a few steps away from the house before a hand came to rest on her shoulder.

"...Thanks for watching over Alice while I was gone this week." It was Esther's voice, and Yui turned slowly to face her. Again, Esther showed no outward expression, and she was keeping her voice down, perhaps to make sure Alice didn't hear her. "But, I'll handle things from here, okay?"

Yui matched Esther's poker face before responding, "I'm not sure I get what'cha mean, Esther. Mind dumbin' it down for me?"

"There's an idiom along the lines of 'too many cooks will spoil the broth'. Alice doesn't need two Magical Girls in her life, just to keep the Incubators away. It's overkill, no?"

Yui's voice lowered as her eyes narrowed. "Yeah? She sure did while you were out at wherever-the-hell you were all week. If I weren't around, she would've made the dive for sure."

"Don't you lecture me about what my sister may or may not have done in my absence," Esther hissed. "Where I was and what I was doing is none of your business."

"Sure it is. I don't like seein' my best friend hurtin' because the other most important person in her life just up and vanishes right before her abusive dad's trial's about to go down."

Esther took a more pointed step closer to Yui, her hand balled into a fist. "You would do well to stay out of my family's affairs, Yui. You're already in way over your head. So do us all a favor and back off, okay?"

Yui didn't budge. "If you're gonna go around all threatening-like, you might wanna be more direct about it. C'mon, just spit it out and save us both the time."

"Fine, then." Esther's gray eyes flashed a bit as she stared into Yui's violet eyes. "...Stay the fuck away from my sister, and my family. If you know what's good for you, you insolent punk." With that, Esther turned with a flick of her ponytail, making her way back inside, the door to her house closing quietly behind her.

~END OF ACT 0~

<= Chapter 5 ~ * ~ * ~ Act I: Bipolar Nightmare =>

[domjaehyun]

all these years → j.jh

PAIRING: jaehyun x fem!reader

GENRE: fluff, smut, angst; childhood friends-to-lovers!au, college!au, neighbors!au

WORD COUNT: 34.5k

CONTENTS: loss of virginity, unprotected sex (reader is on birth control), oral (giving and receiving), fingering, breast/nipple play, praise kink, and probably some more things i’m forgetting whoops

AUTHOR’S NOTE: it’s out!! this was anonymously commissioned, and i really hope you guys like it! i am on my knees begging you for feedback; i worked super hard on this story and would love to hear what you thought! okay; enjoy your read!

Summer.

Jeong Jaehyun is four years old. Well, he’s four and a half years old, and if you were to ask him about his opinion on girls, he’d tell you that they’re gross and full of cooties. 

You are four years old, and your mom told you that if you want a bike that badly, you’d have to raise at least $10 of it by yourself. That would explain why you’re standing behind an upturned box with a sweating pitcher of lemonade and cups, a sign saying “Lemonade, 50¢” attached to the front of the box.

When Jaehyun sees you for the first time, he’s struck with a childlike wonder. He tugs on his mom’s dress and gestures in your general direction. 

“What’s wrong, Jaehyun?” His mother coos, and he points more insistently. 

“Can I have some?” He points directly at the pitcher, and his mother smiles fondly down at him before nodding, letting the young boy grab her hand and tug her over to you. You smile a toothy little grin at them, eyes squinted from the brightness of the sun and your tongue poking out between your teeth, and nod eagerly, reaching for the pitcher and a cup. Your tongue poking out in concentration, you carefully pour out the liquid into the cup, smiling proudly when you don’t spill any. Your mother watches on, pleased, behind you as you pour a second cup and hand them out, clearly satisfied with your work.

“Ta da!” You giggle, and Jaehyun can’t help but match your expression, your glee contagious. He takes the cup from your outstretched little hand and—

“Why’s it pink?” He asks in confusion. “Lemons are yellow.”

“It’s pink lemonade,” You reply, nodding seriously. “It makes it taste better.”

“Really?” Jaehyun asks, and you nod your head. (Above you, your mothers share a knowing look. The flavor does nothing to alter the taste.) He takes a tentative sip and smacks his lips loudly. “It’s yummy!”

“I know! My mommy bought it at the store,” You say proudly, and your mother chuckles fondly.

“What’s this money going towards?” Jaehyun’s mom asks you with an endeared smile, and you beam up at her.

“Mommy is having me raise money to buy a new bike. She says it’ll teach me asponsability.” You recite, and your mother chuckles.

“Responsibility.” She corrects you gently, and you furrow your brows.

“Responsibility,” You repeat with some difficulty, and Jaehyun looks at you in awe. 

“Whoa, cool.” He mumbles in wonder, and you nod solemnly.

“Very cool.” You agree, and Jaehyun’s mother can’t suppress her laughter at your conversation. She pulls out a dollar from her purse and hands it to Jaehyun, whispering in his ear. 

“Give her the dollar, sweetheart,” Jaehyun’s mother urges softly, and he nods, balling up the dollar in his sweaty fist before handing it to you. You take it eagerly, smiling and waving at them.

“Thank you!” You chirp, and Jaehyun’s smile returns. 

“You’re welcome!” He replies happily, and he and his mother walk away, a hop in Jaehyun’s step as he sips at the lemonade.

Jeong Jaehyun is four and a half years old and if you were to ask him about girls, he would say that maybe not all girls have cooties.

Autumn.

Jeong Jaehyun is four and a half years old and his first day of preschool isn’t going so well.

He cried for twenty minutes when his mom left him with the teacher, he dropped two of his apple slices during lunch period, and now there’s a much larger, meaner looking kid sneering in his face.

“You look like you were crying. Were you crying, you big baby?” The other kid taunts rudely, and Jaehyun sniffles as he feels another rush of tears approaching, shaking his head in the hopes that his bowl cut will cover the tips of his ears. 

“Why are your ears so red?” 

The bowl cut lets him down. 

“We should call you Pink-Eared Crybaby,” the cruel child snorts derisively, and Jaehyun drops his head in shame, tears welling up in his eyes.

Everything happens so fast, he remembers it taking place in a matter of seconds. One second, Jaehyun’s bully is standing tall and proud in front of the dejected boy, and the next, there’s a whirl of pink and white floral print and the bully crumples to the ground with a cry. Jaehyun looks up, bewildered, to see a girl of smaller stature sitting on top of the bully’s back and gripping his hair.

“We can call you Sand Mouth,” You huff before smushing the taller boy’s face into the sand. He wails and struggles under your grip, and you hold firm, glowering at the male. “Say sorry!”

“S-Sorry!” The boy whines, and you climb off of him, dusting off your pretty little pink dress with white flowers. The boy shoots you a terrified glance before running off, and you shrug, turning to face your company.

“Hi,” You greet a guarded Jaehyun, and he just looks at you. You give him your name, and he gives his in return, briefly making eye contact before looking back down at the sand, where he thinks there might be an imprint of the boy’s face if he looks hard enough.

“Did you do that for me?” He asks softly, and you nod, shooting him a toothy grin. 

“My mommy says that if I ever see a bully, I should do something about it.” You state proudly, nodding resolutely. The pink bow in your hair dangles precariously on the side of your head and Jaehyun pulls it out carefully, handing it to you. 

“But he’s big,” Jaehyun mumbles, and you shrug, placing a hand on your hip. 

You act awfully grown for a four-year-old, Jaehyun thinks to himself, but says nothing.

“Yeah? And I’m mad.” You counter, your eyes going wide suddenly. “I remember you! You bought lemonade from me!” You chirp animatedly, and he nods slightly, slowly starting to let his guard down. 

“I did!” He agrees, nodding harder. “Did you get your bike?”

“Mhm,” You reply, wiggling your eyebrows excitedly. “We can have a playdate and you can ride it if you wanna!” 

Suddenly, a teacher strides up to you, crouching down to your level and looking at you with a serious expression. 

“My dear,” She starts carefully, “Did you rub that boy’s face in the sand?” She finishes, gesturing to a couple of feet behind her, where the bully from earlier stands, his face still red and wet with shedding tears.

You nod proudly, pointing an accusing finger at him. “He was being mean to my friend.”

Friend, Jaehyun thinks. We’re friends.

“Honey, hands are not for hurting other people. We go and get a teacher next time, okay?” The teacher informs you, and you nod, pouting slightly. “Can I have you say sorry to him?”

“But I’m not sorry,” You say plainly, and the momentary look of shock on the teacher’s face has Jaehyun cracking the first smile he has all day.

Jeong Jaehyun is four years old and his first day of preschool is starting to look up, thanks to a girl in a pink bow and matching floral dress.

Winter.

Jeong Jaehyun is five years old and if he could surgically attach himself to your hip, he would.

Ever since the playground incident, the two of you have been completely inseparable. From desk buddies––

(“Jeong Jaehyun, do not share that lollipop!” Your teacher exclaims, and Jaehyun just giggles along with you as he stuffs the sweet treat into your mouth.

“What am I going to do with you two?” Your teacher laments as you both laugh, the sweet treat resting against your tongue.)

––to coordinated Halloween costumes––

(“Do you think they look enough like peanut butter and jelly?” Your mom asks worriedly, and Jaehyun’s father nods immediately.

“If that weren’t enough of a hint, the two of them announcing themselves would be a pretty good giveaway.” He says comfortingly, and your father and Jaehyun’s mother hover around you two, taking pictures. 

“I’m peena butter!” You exclaim, jumping once, and Jaehyun mimics your actions, smiling from ear to ear. 

“I’m jelly!” He calls loudly.

“And together, we’re…” You two say excitedly, running in quick circles around each other. Finally, when you’re good and dizzy, Jaehyun grabs your wrist and pulls you to him, the two of you bonking your heads against each other loudly and making all four of your parents gasp. “A PB&J sandwich!” You scream happily, the throbbing pain in your forehead not even registering among your glee.

“Baby, you’re peanut butter,” Your mom reminds you, and you frown pensively as you mull the words over in your head.

“Peanut butter.” You say slowly, carefully, and Jaehyun smiles even wider than you thought possible.

“It’s okay,” He says happily. “I like the way ‘peena butter’ sounds better.” 

You smile back at him, your toothy grin full of childish glee, and your mother coos fondly, raising her camera. 

“Can you two hug again? I didn’t get a picture of you two as the assembled sandwich.” She asks, and you gladly pull your best friend into a tight hug, squeezing him tightly until you hear a small distressed grunt from him. Camera flashes go off, blinding you, and you’re practically suffocating him, but the two of you couldn’t be happier.)

––to late nights at school––

(“Lovebug, we should go, it’s getting late.” Your mom says, placing a sympathetic hand on your head, but you shake your head resolutely, sitting firmly next to a downcast Jaehyun on the steps leading up to your school. “Jaehyun, Mommy texted me and told me she’s working late, but she should be on her way soon.” Your mom says to Jaehyun, who frowns, his macaroni art drooping in his hand.

“Mommy, can Jaehyun stay over at our house until his mommy can come and get him?” You beg, giving her your best sad face. As if reading your mind, Jaehyun squishes his cheek to yours, mimicking your expression as you both plead silently with your mom. She sighs, looking between the two of you, and dials a number on her phone, turning her back to you briefly as she walks away and talks to the person on the other end. Meanwhile, your teacher shoots you both a comforting smile that raises your spirits. Despite your Thing 1 and Thing 2 statuses of troublemakers in her classroom, your teacher saw the kindness in your hearts and that your childish disobedience was just the refreshing zest for life that was the exact reason why she decided to teach in the first place. 

“Jaehyun, come on,” Your mom calls, reaching out for your hand. You shriek happily and bounce around a beaming Jaehyun, taking his hand and pulling him after you to your mom. Waving goodbye to your teacher, you both climb into the backseat and your mom straps you both into the booster seats before driving off.

“Jae, Jae, Jae, guess what?” You chirp excitedly, bouncing in your seat at the chance to spend more time with your best friend. 

“What, what, what?” He asks with matching enthusiasm.

“We can eat chicken nuggets and watch a movie until your mom comes to get you!” You cheer, and he smiles widely, eyes crinkling happily.

“With chocolate milk?” He asks, and you both look at your mom expectantly. As she’s driving, it takes her a minute to realize that the silence is waiting for her response.

“Hm? Oh! Sure thing, darlings.” Your mom agrees, and your cheers are so loud that your mom has to shush you both gently, chuckling fondly at your excitement.

When you pull up to your house, you wiggle in your seat as you wait for your mom to come around and unbuckle you both. When she does, you practically bolt out of the car, tearing down the front lawn and barging into your home, Jaehyun hot on your heels. You kick off your shoes, taking Jaehyun’s macaroni art and gingerly placing it on the coffee table, smoothing it out. 

“Why don’t you tell me about your art, Jaehyun?” Your mom offers, crouching across from you two, and Jaehyun smiles and nods, pointing at each blob of uncooked pasta glued to the paper.

“That’s me,” He explains, pointing at a small blob of macaroni. “That’s Mommy, that’s Daddy.” He points at two larger blobs of penne pasta and moves his small finger over to point at three other blobs, two identically large blobs of penne and one blob of macaroni covered in gold glitter. “That’s you,” He says to you, pointing at the glittering clump of pasta, “And that’s your mommy and that’s your daddy.” He points to the last two blobs, and you smile, happy to be included in Jaehyun’s family portrait.

“Why is she covered in glitter?” Your mom asks Jaehyun while pointing at his picture of you, her heart clenching as she anticipates his answer. For a kindergartner, the glitter is carefully applied, no other globs of pasta even touched by the glitter. Your representative mass of macaroni is the only thing on the paper that stands out, and your mom is quick to figure out why.

“Because she’s special,” Jaehyun answers simply, and your mom’s breath catches in her throat. 

“Oh,” She finally says softly, her eyes crinkled at the corners and bright with emotion. “That’s beautiful, Jaehyun.”

“I’m special,” You announce proudly, hugging Jaehyun tightly. He returns your hug, his ears dusted pink, and your mom stands up, turning on the television and heading over to the kitchen to make you two some snacks. You and Jaehyun lean on each other as you watch reruns of Spongebob, giggling at the silly humor and snacking on the dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets your mom eventually brings to you, until a ring of the doorbell interrupts you. You and Jaehyun look at each other, frowning as you realize who could be at the door, before taking off running to your room. Without a word, you both dive under the bed, shuffling next to each other and holding your breath. There’s silence for several minutes, then footsteps make their way closer and closer to you before your bedroom door opens and two pairs of nice, heeled shoes plant themselves in front of both of you. You look at each other with wide eyes only to groan in defeat when both of your moms bend down and make eye contact with you. Taking their hands, you let them lead you out from under the bed and back downstairs to the front door. 

“Say your goodbyes,” Your mom says warmly, and you huff petulantly before an idea comes to you. You run over and grab Jaehyun’s macaroni art and carefully swipe your thumb over the gold glittering blob that’s meant to represent you before smearing the glitter and thick, mostly dried glue onto Jaehyun’s nose.

“What was that for?” Jaehyun whines, and you just smile at him widely.

“I put glitter on you because you’re special to me, too.” You say plainly, and your mom gasps softly, clutching at her heart. Jaehyun blushes something terrible and stuffs his hands into his pockets before looking up at you with a bashful smile.)

—to endless afternoons and evenings spent laughing together on your squishy warm couch, you’re five years old, and you are sure of just a few things in your young age: the sky is blue, Spongebob is funny, and Jeong Jaehyun is very special to you. Jaehyun, too, finds you special and a treasure he can’t imagine losing—even if he doesn’t have all the words to express himself yet.

Autumn.

The leaves falling outside in the brisk autumn air fascinate you as you’re perched in your windowsill, drinking hot chocolate and eating a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie. Jaehyun’s watching television on the couch, something you can’t seem to find any interest in. Your mom’s in the kitchen cooking dinner for your family and Jaehyun, who’s spending some time at your house while his parents are at work, and you were more than happy to have his company. You notice distantly that the television sound is much quieter than it was, and you turn to see Jaehyun standing right beside you. You jolt and let out a squeak of surprise, pushing him slightly as he laughs.

“You scared me!” You huff, crossing your arms, and he shrugs, coming to take a seat beside you on the windowsill.

“Didn’t mean to.” He says dismissively, with all of the sass that a seven year old could muster. “Whatcha doin’?”

“The leaves are pretty,” You mumble, pointing at a red leaf slowly drifting to join the other multicolored leaves on the ground, the green of the grass just barely peeking out. Jaehyun mutters something back, but you’re too busy watching the leaves to hear what he’s said. “Hm?”

“Nothing,” He mutters, the tips of his ears turning red.

“What?” You whine, shaking his arm, and he sighs deeply before turning to face you fully.

“I said you’re pretty.” He mumbles shyly, looking away.

“Ew, Jaehyun.” You scoff, laughing, and he laughs with you, playing with his fingers. The two of you resume watching as the sun sets, streaks of golds, pinks, and purples illuminating the sky, and you look over at Jaehyun to see him already looking at you with a strange look on his face. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

The words are barely out before he’s leaning over and pressing his lips to the corner of your mouth. You freeze, stunned, and give him a suspicious look. “What was that?”

“Wait, I missed,” He mumbles nervously, rubbing his hands on his pants. “Lemme try again.” He licks his lips and leans back over, pressing his lips square against yours. He lingers for a second or two before pulling back, eyes immediately darting to look out the window. 

“What was that?” You ask again, and he bites his lip awkwardly.

“I kissed you.” He answers slowly, and you furrow your brows.

“Well, what’d you do that for?” You question him, and his ears get even redder.

“I saw it on TV once, and I wanted to try it.” He mutters, and you pause thoughtfully before you tap his shoulder to get him to look at you. 

“I think I’ve seen it on TV, too,” You say. “But their eyes are usually closed.”

“Yeah, they are.” He agrees.

“My eyes were open,” You pout. “Try again, I’ll do it right this time.”

“Oh? O-Okay.” He stammers, looking at you seriously. He licks his lips again and leans in, pressing his lips to yours. The two of you just kind of…sit there, eyes closed, until you pull back, blinking once, twice, and a third time. “How was that?”

“Wet,” You reply simply. “You licked your lips a lot.”

“Well, I didn’t want them to be dry,” He defends. “But–but…was it good? Did you like it?”

“I guess so.” You say slowly, confused. He nods, and the two of you sit there in a comfortable silence, watching leaves fall and birds fly about. 

Later that night at dinner, you turn to your mom. “Mom, why do people kiss?” 

“Don’t talk with your mouth full, baby,” She reminds you with a small smile. “People kiss when they like each other a lot. Or even love each other.”

“Oh. What’s love?” You ask her, and she puts her fork down as she looks up pensively. She looks over at your father and smiles, reaching to take his hand.

“There are different kinds of love, but mostly, it’s when you really, really like someone. You would do anything for them, and you just want them to be happy. For example, I love your father.” She says with a warm smile in your father’s direction.

“And I love your mother.” He replies in kind, his eyes twinkling as he looks at her. 

“And we love you. And Jaehyun’s parents love each other and they love Jaehyun.” Your mother continues, and you nod, taking it all in.

“I love you,” You say sweetly, and your parents beam at you.

“We love you too, darling.” Your father says, and you resume eating.

Before Jaehyun goes home that night, you sneak up on him in the hallway and tap his side to get his attention, the boy turning to look at you curiously. You press a kiss to his cheek, and his eyes go wide, his ears immediately flaming red.

“What’d you do that for?” He asks, and you shrug.

“Remember what my mom said about love?” You say, and he nods. “Well, I love you. In the way where we’re best friends.”

“Oh,” He replies in a small voice, a smile tugging at his lips. He gives in finally, letting his mouth part into a toothy grin, dimples poking into his cheeks. “I love you, too.“ 

“Good. I’ll see you later, then!” You chirp, just in time as your parents finish their conversation. You two round the corner and Jaehyun runs to his parents, giving them a tight hug and taking his mother’s hand with a smile as they bid their goodbyes. “Bye, Jaehyun!”

“Bye!” He calls out over his shoulder, waving to you. They make their exit, and your mother locks the door before she turns to you.

“You’re just Little Miss Inquisitive today, huh? What was with all those questions?” She chuckles, crouching to bring you into a hug and stroke your hair.

“What does inquisitive mean?” You ask curiously, and your parents share a laugh.

“It means you ask a lot of questions. But did I answer them enough for you, baby?” She says, and you nod.

“We were watching a movie and they kissed in it.” You answer, and she nods thoughtfully.

“I see, I see.” She hums thoughtfully. “Well, I hope you keep asking good questions like those, okay?” 

“Okay,” You smile, and she stands back up, cupping a hand under your chin affectionately. She leans down and kisses you on the forehead, and you close your eyes, trying to remember the feeling of love.

You’re seven years old and you love Jeong Jaehyun—and he loves you.

Alas, all good things must come to an end. As the seasons change and you and Jaehyun age, you start to drift apart.

You’re not sure when it started, but you remember that Jaehyun was at your eighth birthday party and you his, and…that’s all you recall. Just like that, the dimpled boy becomes more of a fond, distant memory in the back of your mind. You miss his ninth birthday party because of a dentist’s appointment, and he misses yours, leaving a store-bought card in your mailbox with his name messily scrawled at the bottom. It screams insincerity, of a child too busy living his life to write his name nicely on a card for someone who once meant the world to him. 

Nine turns to ten, and you slowly stop dragging your feet in front of Jaehyun’s house in the hopes of catching a glimpse of your childhood friend.

Ten turns to eleven, and you don’t bother inviting him to your birthday party, feeling guilty when his invitation appears in your mailbox. 

Eleven turns to twelve, and you start taking a different route home altogether, finding friends to walk home with from school. 

Twelve turns to thirteen, and you don’t receive a birthday party invitation from the dimpled boy. You don’t throw a birthday party that year. You find out from listening to your mother on the phone that Jaehyun transferred schools to get into a better basketball program, and you can’t help but feel a pang of sadness at the lost prospect of seeing him around your school anymore.

Thirteen turns to fourteen, to fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen, and you grow up, as one does, blossoming into a wonderful young woman. You’re polite, witty, and clever, albeit a bit shy. You and Jaehyun still live next door to each other, but you couldn’t feel further apart, swearing you haven’t caught a glimpse of Jaehyun since you were ten and your moms ran into each other at the supermarket.

(“It’s been so long!” Your mom squeals excitedly, hugging Jaehyun’s mom with all the renewed passion of an old friend. 

“We absolutely have to catch up sometime. I bet they miss being around each other.” Jaehyun’s mother murmurs to your mother conspiratorially, just loud enough for you to hear. At her words, you look up from your beaten up Converse and make brief eye contact with the slightly stocky boy, feeling as awkward as a ten year old can possibly feel.

“Mom, can we go?” You mumble quietly to your mother, and sadness flashes across her eyes too slowly for you to miss it before she nods, bidding Jaehyun’s mother a goodbye. As you two walk away, it dawns on you that you and Jaehyun hadn’t even said hello to each other.)

At eighteen, Jaehyun is the last thing on your mind as college acceptances roll in from the early decision batch of applicants. The ecstasy you feel when you read the “Congratulations! You have been accepted…” from your top choice of colleges is unparalleled, you and your parents celebrating loudly.

Jaehyun can hear your whoops and cheers from his room and can’t help the smile that tugs at his lips. You’re happy. That’s good. 

As his mother brings up a slice of cake to celebrate his admission into his top college, he’s overcome with happiness, but is unable to shake the nagging feeling that something…something is missing.

Summer.

The sun beats down on your backs as you make your way into the university where you’re going to be spending your next four years. You go through the monotony of the name tags, the icebreakers, and the orientation speech, and are about to go and mingle when you feel a pair of eyes on you. You turn around, confused, and lock eyes with an unbelievably handsome, familiar face. His black hair is parted down the middle and partially slicked back, and his dark eyes are focused right on you. His eyes light up when you make eye contact, and he smiles widely at you. 

When you see his dimples poking into his cheeks, you gasp in realization. “Jaehyun?!” You exclaim across the crowd, completely ignoring the people that turn to look at you. His eyes go wide in surprise and he’s crossing the crowd of people and stopping right in front of you.

To say Jaehyun’s grown well would be a huge understatement. The previously short, somewhat fat-cheeked boy is now tall and toned, with charming dimples and high cheekbones that have you sucking in a breath. His toothless grin is secretive, eyes glinting with a promise he’s yet to make. He’s downright stunning, and you weren’t prepared to see him, let alone him looking this good.

“Hey.” He’s smirking at you, his tongue swiping over his lips so quickly that you think you’ve imagined it. His eyes are twinkling down at you and for you to say you’re absolutely dazzled by him is yet another understatement.

“Hey,” You reply, cursing yourself inwardly at how breathless you are. “You changed,” You mutter dumbly, and you’re vaguely aware of  your parents mingling with each other behind you, all four pairs of eyes trained on you two.

“You changed too,” He says, and his voice is so deep that it damn near knocks the wind out of you.

“You’re, like, tall now.” You stammer, gesturing at his body. “And toned, and…” Knowing you were about to gush to him how attractive he’s become, you change the topic. “How are you?”

“You got hot,” He remarks plainly, and you squeak in surprise at his boldness. “Like…really hot.” 

“I, um. Thank you.” You mumble quietly, and he chuckles fondly at you.

“Shy?” He teases, and you glower at him.

“No,” You retort, narrowing your eyes. 

“Sure, you’re not, sunshine.” He says with a grin, clearly not believing you. 

“Shut up,” You grouch, and he laughs, his eyes crinkling in amusement.

“How have you been? It’s been, like, what…eleven years?” He says, and you nod, causing him to let out a low whistle. “Jeez. Well, we’re going to be seeing more of each other I guess. Given, you know…that we’re going to the same university.”

“Yeah! I look forward to it.” You reply sincerely, and he gets a funny little look in his eyes.

“I look forward to seeing your pretty face all over campus,” He coos with a teasing lilt, causing you to narrow your eyes despite the heat rushing to your cheeks.

“Shut up,” You whine, and he just smirks down at you before feigning a pout.

“What, do you not want to see me?’ He frowns cutely, and you huff dismissively.

“Of course I want to see you.” You grouch, and he chuckles at your reluctant admission.

“Here, give me your number,” He offers, pulling his phone out. 

“Why?” You ask curiously, and he gives you a funny look.

“Just so we can hang out over the summer before college. I’m not gonna stalk you or anything,” He chuckles, and you raise an eyebrow.

“You are my neighbor,” You retort, plucking his phone from his hand and putting your number in. “You can never be too careful.”

“You’re right,” He agrees, a dimple poking into his cheek as he shoots you a lopsided grin. “I’m texting you now so you’ll have my number.”

“Aw, shoot,” You huff, and he looks at you, face contorted in confusion. “I gave you a fake number.” You tease, and he narrows his eyes.

“Well, I caught you right in your lie,” He murmurs conspiratorially, shooting a wink in your direction as he sends his text. After a moment of silence, your phone buzzes from your back pocket. “Well, well, well. Look who didn’t give me a fake number.”

“What do you know?” You hum nonchalantly. “I guess I didn’t.”

“You’re gonna text me back when I text you, right?” He presses, and you nod obediently. “Good. Then I’ll talk to you soon, alright?” You nod again with a smile and he mirrors your expression before touching your upper arm gently and walking off towards his parents, still immersed in conversation with yours. You head over right as they’re all saying their goodbyes, and his parents wave at you excitedly as they make their exit.

“That Jaehyun really grew into a handsome boy,” You mom remarks, nudging you with a smile. 

“Mom, stop, don’t be embarrassing,” You whine, and your parents chuckle. 

“I swore you two were going to end up together eventually; you two were attached at the hip growing up.” Your dad chimes in, and you look at him incredulously.

“Not you, too.” You complain, and he snickers. “And I remember, you don’t have to remind me.”

“Aw, don’t be so huffy. You had a cute little reunion and you two can bond more over the summer before college. Get that friendship back to where it was.” Your mom suggests, stroking your hair, and you lean into her touch, still pouting slightly.

“Yeah, I guess.” You mumble, trying to stifle your excitement at the prospect of seeing Jaehyun more often. 

“Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do,” Your mom scolds you playfully, and you scrunch your face up in disgust, complaining loudly as your mom laughs at her own joke.

“Mom!”

Jeong Jaehyun is nineteen years old, and he has a plan that’s sure to work. 

“Mom, please?” He asks his mother, who sighs, giving him a tired smile. “I really want to get to know her again.”

“And this wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact that she grew up to be a beautiful young lady?” His mother replies cleverly, and he blanches, not expecting her to have pieced together the clues so soon.

“I miss her,” He mumbles mostly to himself, and his mother looks at him with a sympathetic smile. “I just––I feel like I have to know ‘what if,’ you know? Like, what if we had never grown apart? What if we reconnected?”

His mom doesn’t say anything, just watches him with an unreadable expression before she sighs heavily and nods.

“Fine,” She agrees at long last, and Jaehyun perks up. “I’ll make the muffins.”

“Thank you! I love you, Mom.” He says sweetly, swooping down and kissing her on the cheek. He dawdles around in the kitchen as his mother makes the chocolate chip muffins you used to love when you were younger and would stay over at Jaehyun’s house. Before long, there’s a fresh batch of muffins on the counter and Jaehyun is neatly placing them in a basket and carrying them over to your house.

He knocks once, twice, and a third time before standing back and waiting patiently. 

He hears your voice faintly call, “Coming!”

When the door opens, he’s leaning against it casually, and he grins down at you. 

“Well, hi there, sunshine.” He greets cheerily, and you make a funny face at him, but a smile wins over your lips.

“Hi, Jaehyun!” You reply, equally as happily, and he lifts up the basket, offering it to you.

“My mom made you these as a congratulations for getting into college.” He fibs, and your expression turns touched instantly.

“Oh, that’s so sweet. And they’re the chocolate chip muffins I used to love, wow!” You exclaim, clutching your heart with one hand as the other reaches out for the basket.

“You think that was kind and thoughtful of her, right?” He asks, a cheeky smile turning up the corners of his mouth. When you nod, he smiles wider. “It was my idea to bake you muffins.”

“…But you made your mom do all the work.” You reply, shooting him a wry smile. 

“I—well, when you put it like that,” Jaehyun stammers, and you wave him off dismissively with a laugh.

“I’m kidding! This is really sweet, Jaehyun. Thank you,” You say sincerely, and he smiles, rubbing the back of his neck. “Is that all you came over for?” You ask, and he swallows, looking around for an excuse to stay.

“Well, it would be good hospitality to let me in and share the muffins with me…” He suggests, looking around innocently.

“Mm…” You hum, visibly thinking it over. You look up at him, watching how he nervously nibbles at his lower lip while awaiting your answer. “I guess it would be, you’re right. Come on in,” You invite him, moving to make room in the doorway. He steps in, kicking his shoes off, and you shut the door behind him. Jaehyun freezes, and you look up at him questioningly to see that he’s staring at his surroundings as if he’s drinking in the sight of everything.

“It’s like I never left.” He breathes, pleasantly surprised.

“I don’t know about that,” You chuckle, patting his chest as you walk by him to the kitchen. “My room is different.”

“Ooh, I just got in your house and now you’re luring me up to your room?” He teases, and you suck your teeth, rolling your eyes to hide your amusement.

“Shut it, Jaehyun.” You scoff, and he chuckles, sitting at the kitchen island. “Oh! I totally forgot, I have something for you!” You exclaim, setting the gift basket down and walking over to the oven to open it. As you’re bent over in front of the oven, Jaehyun’s eyes rake over your frame; your grey sweatpants are rolled up at the ankles, the baggy pants hugging your hips nicely, and you’re wearing a short sleeved t-shirt from a summer camp you must have gone to at some point. “Stop staring at my ass, Jaehyun.” You call out, and he chokes briefly on air, coughing as you pull out a Tupperware from the oven and bring it over to him. You place the container in front of him with a flourish, and his eyes go wide.

“Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies,” He says, slightly breathless. “You remembered.”

“Yeah,” You smile bashfully, and he beams at you before he opens the container. pulls out a cookie—which is still warm—and takes a bite, his eyes rolling back into his head before his lids slide shut. “Good?” You ask nervously, and he nods vigorously.

“They’re even better than I remember,” He replies blissfully, and you shift anxiously from foot to foot, stopping when he opens his eyes and looks at you curiously. “What is it?”

“I, uh, made them for you,” You mumble. “I even altered the recipe a bit to make them my own.” Jaehyun swears his heart could just burst.

“Oh, yeah?” He teases, smirking slyly at you. “You made this whole batch of cookies, extra special, just for me?” 

“…Yeah,” You reply shyly. 

“Does someone have a crush on me?” He sing-songs, and you shake your head vehemently before pointing at him with an accusing finger.

“You probably begged your mom to make these muffins just so you’d have a reason to come over.” You say indignantly, and Jaehyun blushes as you hit the nail right on the head.

“Yeah, well, so what if I did? Maybe I just wanted an excuse to see my childhood best friend.” He counters, and you raise an unimpressed eyebrow.

“That’s it? That’s all you wanted?” You reply skeptically, and that’s when things take a turn. Jaehyun licks his lips, crossing around the kitchen island and moving closer to you. Slowly, he places his hands on the counter on either side of your body and you gulp as his scent brushes past your nose, filling it with something familiar and yet entirely new, the mix of aromas of his body wash and cologne creating a heady blend that has you reeling internally.

“Maybe…I want something else.” He purrs, leaning closer to you. “Maybe I want something that I’ve been thinking about ever since I saw you at that admissions event.” When you duck your head down to escape his probing gaze, he lowers himself so he’s looking up at your shyly downcast gaze. “Would you let me have it?” He’s speaking slowly and deliberately and you swear that his low voice is going to drive you insane.

“What is it?” You breathe, tilting your head back up to its normal position. He straightens up and leans closer, letting his thigh, clad in basketball shorts, brush against your sweatpants-clad thigh before he gently parts your legs with his knee, resting his leg between your thighs. You come to the torturous realization that his thigh is but inches away from your core, and if you’d just sit down on it, you could relieve so much of the pressure slowly building in your head. Meanwhile, your stomach is an absolute mess of flurrying butterflies and your heart feels like it’s going to beat out of your chest with every inch closer he gets.

“Mm…what do you think it is?” He puts the ball in your court, either taking pity on you due to the slight audible wheeze of your hyperventilating lungs or handing you the key to your own destruction. 

“…A high five?” You guess, knowing full well that’s not what he was looking for. At his expression of disbelief, you bite your lip nervously and try again. “A hug?”

“Warmer,” He coos, and your cheeks heat up in response.

“A kiss?” You blurt out, and he grins at you.

“Mm, sunshine, you’re so hot,” He purrs, his forearm brushing against your side as he brings his arms in closer.

“H-Hot?” You squeak, and he chuckles softly.

“Yeah, hot? We’re playing Hot or Cold, and your guess was hot.” He says with a hint of obviousness, and your cheeks are practically blazing at this point.

“Oh.” You mumble, and he leans down so your lips are but a breath apart, taking you completely by surprise.

“Hot isn’t the word I’d use to describe you,” He hums, and you’re frozen, hanging on his every word. “Stunning? Yes. Gorgeous? Yes. Beautiful? Absolutely. Hot’s too shallow for someone like you.”

“Gotcha,” You reply, your voice a bit thick. “Are you going to move away now?”

“Mm, do you want me to?” He asks.

No. “Yes.” You lie, and he frowns disapprovingly before stepping back.

“Your wish is my command.” He says in a jocular tone, and you crack a relieved smile at the newfound distance between you two, glad he moved back before you did something you might regret.

“…So.” You mumble, avoiding eye contact until the very last moment. You spare him a fleeting glance and barely manage to hide your jolt of surprise when his dark eyes are staring into yours intently. “Wanna watch some TV and eat these freshly baked goodies?”

“You’re inviting me to hang out now?” He asks suspiciously, and you shrug, pushing off of the counter, picking up the basket of muffins, and heading over to your living room couch.

“I figured you weren’t gonna leave anyway, and you know what they say—if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” You call over your shoulder, and he snorts loudly before he follows after you.

Jeong Jaehyun is nineteen and his plan has gotten him exactly where he wants to be—next to you.

He can’t stop thinking about you. No matter what Jaehyun tries, his thoughts always wander back to you. He’s dribbling down the court in his backyard, making a fast break, and shoots an easy layup before he realizes he has to see you again and decides to think fast. 

Catching the ball on the rebound, he looks over at the fence separating your two houses and takes a deep breath.

“Please don’t break anything.” He pleads quietly before chucking the ball over the fence into your backyard. It lands with a muted thud on the grass, and he sighs with relief, waiting a minute or two before heading over to your house.

This time, he barely has to knock, as his knuckles have barely rapped the door before it’s opening to reveal you leaning against the doorframe with an amused smirk.

“Hi, sunshine,” He greets warmly, and you roll your eyes but smile fondly.

“Hi, Jaehyun. Are you here to get the ball that just landed oh, so conveniently in my backyard?” You ask, and his mouth opens and closes in shock, but nothing comes out.

“Y-Yeah,” He finally ekes out, and you chuckle before turning on your heel and beckoning him in. He follows after your frame like a devoted puppy, hot on your heels as you head to your backyard. You open the sliding door and point at the offending object, looking back at Jaehyun with a brow raised.

“Well? Aren’t you gonna go get it?” You ask, and he nods for a lack of words and heads into your backyard to retrieve the ball. Tucking it under his arm and turning around, he’s surprised to see you standing less than a foot away from him, watching him with intrigue. “I’m guessing you’re waiting for me to ask: ‘Oh, Jaehyun,’” You say in a mockingly sweet voice, “‘I’m dying to know how your ball got all the way over here.’” 

“Well, since you asked so nicely.” He smiles at you sweetly and ignores how your own smile turns mocking back at him. “I was trying to see how high my ball could bounce, and it just…bounced over the fence.” He says, lying through his teeth.

“Oh, yeah?” You hum mockingly, and he nods back at you. “I thought you were just a bad shot.” You chuckle, and he gasps in faux offense.

“I’m the shooting guard,” He replies indignantly, and you raise your eyebrows, impressed.

“Oh, really?” You can’t help but tease him, and he glowers at you before turning to face the basketball hoop in his own backyard and setting up his shot.

“If I make this, you have to give me a kiss.” He says, smirking, and shoots the ball, which goes in the net cleanly. 

“I didn’t agree to that!” You splutter indignantly, and he shrugs. 

“Rules are rules. Pucker up, sugar.” He taunts, pulling you in closer to his body. His lips do look inviting as he gazes down at you, but you’re wholly unprepared to feel a pair of lips against yours, so you whine and wiggle out from his embrace, hurriedly fixing your hair. 

Thankfully, Jaehyun doesn’t look hurt at your self-removal, only amused, and he just smirks. 

“It’s okay; you probably couldn’t handle kissing me.” He remarks casually, and your brows furrow at the sound of a challenge.

“I could, too.” You retort, and he arches his brow. 

“Prove it. Kiss me.” He challenges, and you balk.

“No!” You protest, and he shrugs with mock indifference.

“Okay, chicken.” He teases, and you huff indignantly.

“You know what? Teach me how to shoot.” You say, and he nods in agreement, heading back into your house. You follow after him as he puts his shoes back on and heads over to his backyard.

“Okay, show me your form,” He suggests, handing you the ball. You set up your arms, and he coughs in a poor attempt to conceal his snort. 

“How wrong can it be?” You ask incredulously, and he just gestures to the hoop.

“Take your shot if it’s not wrong.” He offers, and you do, wincing when the ball falls short of the basket. “Do you want my help now?” He asks, and you nod begrudgingly as he comes up behind you. He lowers himself to your height and places his hands over yours, gently positioning them properly, and his breath fans over your neck lightly, sending shivers down your spine. “You have to square your hips, too,” He murmurs, his hands moving down to your hips. He rests his hands on you surprisingly gently and angles your hips just right. 

“If I make this shot, I don’t have to kiss you.” You say, turning back to face him with an innocent smile and bright eyes, and he narrows his eyes at you.

“I can’t believe I’m helping you win when that means I don’t get my kiss.” He complains, and you giggle to yourself. When he steps closer to you to guide you better, his chest brushes against your back, and goosebumps erupt up and down your arms. He chuckles, the sound low and breathy, and he brushes his lips against the base of your neck. 

You whimper softly, shifting in his hold, and he smiles against your skin.

“Yeah?” He whispers, and you nod, swallowing the lump in your throat.

“Yeah,” You give him your consent, and he sighs blissfully, parting his lips and pressing them to your neck in a slow, feather-light, open-mouthed kiss. Your head dips back, and he drags his lips against your skin, up your neck and to your jaw before pulling back.

“Make your shot now.” He murmurs in your ear, and you do your best to try and focus and clear the clouds of desire in your mind before bending slightly and springing up as you release the ball. The ball hits the rim and rolls around the diameter of it, and you two wait with bated breath before the ball goes in the net. You cheer loudly, jumping up and down in excitement, and he just chuckles, shaking his head from side to side slowly. “Good shot.” He congratulates you, and you smile up at him.

“I had a good teacher.” You say softly, and he grins.

“Good enough to get a kiss?” He asks hopefully, and you tap your finger on your chin thoughtfully.

“Mm…” You hum as you turn to face him, leaning in slightly. He’s quick to mirror your movements, eyes searching yours, and his gaze drops to your lips. You wait until your lips are practically touching to pull back and shake your head teasingly. “Nope.”

“Aw, come on!” He whines, and you burst into laughter at his distressed expression. “You’re a little tease, you know that?” He groans, and you shrug indifferently.

“Mm, maybe. Either way, I gotta go; I have popsicles and Netflix calling my name.” You chirp, wiggling your fingers in a goodbye before heading back to your house.

“Ooh, can I have a popsicle?” He asks excitedly.

“No!” You call over your shoulder, and he can’t help but chuckle at your response.

Jaehyun’s plan worked to an extent, but now he’s missing you even more than before, his mind littered with thoughts of your body pressed against his and your lips ghosting against his.

Jaehyun’s got it bad.

You’re lounging on your front lawn in shorts and a thin tank top, sunglasses shielding your eyes from the sun beating down on you, and reading a magazine. The summer heat is blazing and humid, making it hard to breathe anything but hot air, which you find far from relieving. You give up on trying to focus on your magazine in your sweltering surroundings and instead start to fan yourself, your eyes closing as you experience the first semblance of a breeze you’ve felt all day.

“God, that feels so good,” You groan softly to yourself, slowly reopening your eyes. You flinch hard at the sudden appearance of Jaehyun, who’s standing right in front of your chair, eyes squinted from the sun’s rays and a smile on his face.

“Not how I thought I’d hear you say that, but I’m not complaining.” Jaehyun jokes, and you shoot him a playful scowl.

“How is it that you just showed up and I’m already rolling my eyes in my head?” You remark, amused, and he shrugs, mimicking your smile. “Hey, Jaehyun. What’s up?”

“Other than trying not to melt in this weather?” He winces, and you snicker, nodding. “I was going to go for a walk to try and find somewhere cool to relax. I’d ask you the same, but you chose a pretty shit chilling spot.”

“In my defense, this is the coolest place on our property, save for the bathtub, and I’m trying to leave my house more nowadays. You know, get myself in the outgoing, adventurous mood for when college starts.” You reply, craning your head up to look at him. His smile is every bit as radiant and almost as blinding as the sun itself, his dimples making their home on his cheeks as he smiles down at you fondly.

“I see, I see.” He replies with a jokingly serious expression. “Does your house not have air conditioning?”

“It does, but the one in my room is broken,” You pout, and he mirrors your expression before offering you his hand. You take it and he pulls you up to your feet so you’re standing in front of him, the male a good head taller than you. 

“Aw, poor baby.” He coos, and you narrow your eyes at him. “Maybe I can help.”

“How could you help?” You ask, intrigued, and receive no response, instead watching as Jaehyun sets off towards your house. You hurry after him, opening the door when you reach it, and follow him inside. “Jaehyun?”

“I can try and fix your air conditioning unit,” He offers, and your eyes widen.

“I would owe you big time.” You inform him, and he raises an eyebrow, his eyes dropping to take in your scantily clad frame. A small smirk curls the corner of his lips, and his tongue darts out to lick at his bottom lip quickly.

“Oh, yeah? Don’t get my hopes up until I actually fix it,” He chuckles, and you can’t help but feel shy as the taller male towers over you, almost caging you against the front door. He kicks off his sandals and follows you upstairs to your room to the air conditioning unit in question which is whirring and clicking suspiciously. A loud clank sounds from the machine, and you yelp, darting behind Jaehyun and peeking out from behind his frame.

“See? It’s been doing that all morning, and all I did was turn it on!” You exclaim, your fingers wrapping around Jaehyun’s bicep as you peer around him to inspect the uncooperative hunk of metal. You’re distantly aware of how firm and muscular his arm is, but you don’t let yourself dwell on it, instead releasing his arm and messing with a lock of your hair.

“Sounds like something’s stuck in the fan.” He mumbles, stepping away from you and closer to the machine. He walks over to the outlet, unplugging the device and waiting as it whirs to a stop. “Do you have a toolbox?” 

“Yeah, hold on,” You reply, turning on your heel and heading downstairs. You retrieve the toolbox and head back upstairs to Jaehyun, who’s running a hand through his damp hair. The humidity is causing the sweat along his scalp to slick his hair back–quite attractively, you might add–and he lets out a loud breath as he pushes his hair off of his forehead. He turns to look when you re-enter your room and takes the toolbox from you, opening it and pulling out a screwdriver. 

“Now you relax and don’t worry a hair on that pretty little head,” He coos fondly, tucking a finger under your chin and bringing his face closer to yours. “I’m gonna fix this for you and then you’ll owe me big time.” He wiggles his eyebrows at the last words, and you roll your eyes, pushing his hand away lightly and collapsing onto your bed. You watch, fascinated, as Jaehyun unscrews the screws holding the air conditioning unit closed and removes the front of the air conditioning unit. He sticks his arm into the mess of gears, poking his tongue in his cheek in concentration as he rummages about in the machine, and you wince, sitting up in fear.

“Careful!” You gasp, and he chuckles, turning back to look at you with an amused smirk.

“Aw, is my little sunshine worried about me?” He teases, and you narrow your eyes defensively, shaking your head quickly.

“I just don’t want your parents to come and press charges if you lose an arm trying to help me.” You lie through your teeth, but judging by the look on his face, Jaehyun doesn’t seem to buy it.

“Sure, sunshine.” He chuckles, the last syllable swallowed by a grunt of effort that you’re ashamed to admit sent a wave of arousal through you. He retracts his arm from the device, holding two plastic objects that you think might be marker caps, and you gasp, clapping in excitement. “What are these doing in here?” He wonders aloud, and you pause to think before snapping in realization.

“It must have been from when I babysat a couple of weeks back and I let her play hide and seek. She probably jammed them in there when I wasn’t looking.” You explain, and he nods in understanding, stretching out his hand to you. You place your open palm under his fist and he drops the marker caps into your hand, his fingertips brushing your palm and sending a series of tingles down your spine. He grins smugly when your breath audibly catches in your throat and tugs you closer.

“Are those goosebumps on your arms?” He points out, and you push him back with a scowl as he laughs loudly. “I’m kidding. God, you’re so sensitive.” He chuckles before stepping closer, ignoring the hand you’ve placed on his chest as a light warning. “Makes me wonder…just how sensitive you are.”

“Sh-shut up.” You stammer, and he raises an eyebrow, his smile only widening when your hand leaves his chest to fall limply at your side. His gaze darkens slightly, and you swallow thickly as his lips part subconsciously. His eyes drop to your mouth and he swipes his tongue over his bottom lip slowly as he watches you curiously.

“Do you really want me to?” He asks, his voice husky, and your mouth opens and closes as you attempt to get words out. “I don’t think you do,” He breathes, and when his breath fans lightly over your upper lip, you realize with an internal jolt just how close he’s gotten.

“Jaehyun,” You whine softly in protest, and his brows raise in shock.

“You sound so pretty saying my name, sunshine,” He teases, and just like that, the trance is broken, the male stepping back and returning to the air conditioning unit. He screws the front back on and plugs the device back in, grinning proudly when it whirs to life, a gust of cool air hitting your body. 

“You did it!” You squeal, wrapping your arms around him in a tight hug. You squeeze him tightly, and he grunts in surprise before wrapping his arms around your waist and returning the hug.

“I did it,” He chuckles, and you hesitate for a moment, realizing how comforting his embrace is even in the summer heat. You don’t know how long you’ve been standing there in each other’s arms, but when you realize that it’s been an inordinate amount of time, heat rushes to your cheeks and you move to pull back. “No!” He protests quickly, pulling you into his embrace tighter. “Just another minute.” He mumbles into your hair, and the heat in your cheeks only intensifies as he starts to sway you from side to side. Jaehyun releases you after what feels like a painfully short time (even though you’re sure it’s been at least five minutes total) and smiles fondly down at you, his eyes twinkling. “Your hugs feel like kindergarten all over again.” 

“Oh my God, kindergarten.” You chuckle, shaking your head as the memories come rushing back. “God, don’t you kind of miss it sometimes?” 

“Yeah. Everything was easier back then.” He murmurs, sitting on the edge of your bed. You move to sit next to him and he continues, “I miss when my biggest concerns were when my mom was coming to get me from school or whether or not I put enough glue on my macaroni art.” He laughs softly, and you giggle as you recall Jaehyun’s numerous macaroni artworks. 

“Remember when you made a family portrait that included me and my parents?” You reminisce, and he nods, his finger brushing against yours. You’re not sure if it was an accident or not, because a moment later, his hand has left the bed entirely to run through his hair. 

“Yeah, and I covered you in glitter because you’re ‘special,’” He says, shaking his head as he laughs. “My mom still has that on the fridge.”

“No way!” You exclaim incredulously, and he nods vigorously.

“Yes, way!” He insists. “I’ll show you next time you come over.”

“Who says I’m coming over?” You tease, looking at him with a brow raised, and he just smirks.

“Remember you owe me,” He reminds you, leaning into your ear and purring, “I think the words you used were…big time.”

You gulp–loudly–and he lets his lips brush your ear lightly, a soft chuckle leaving him as a violent shudder runs down your back. 

“What, um…what did you want in return?” You mumble nervously, and he hums thoughtfully.

“What do I want?” He asks innocently, and you glare at him, hoping he’ll just get to the point. “I want you to come to the beach with me and my friends tomorrow.”

“Oh. That’s it?” You ask in relief, and he arches a brow at you.

“Did you want to give me something else?” His seductive voice is back, and you groan loudly, falling backwards onto your back and covering your blazing hot cheeks. “I’m kidding, sunshine. You can even bring friends; I think there’s room in the car for two more people besides you.”

“Well, I don’t know…” You say nervously, and he pouts at you.

“What happened to becoming more ‘outgoing and adventurous’ this summer? One of my friends, Johnny, is already on the basketball team at our college, and Lucas is a bubbly guy just one year below us.” Jaehyun tells you, and you nod pensively as you think it over. “Come on,” He whines, shaking your arm, and you laugh as you tug it away from his grip.

“Okay! I’ll go.” You mumble, and he beams at you. 

“Yay! We’re leaving from my house at noon tomorrow and we should be heading back home by ten, but if you want a ride earlier than that, I’ll take you.” He explains, moving to lie down beside you, and you nod in understanding. 

“Sounds good.” You agree, pulling out your phone to text two of your friends and invite them to the beach tomorrow. When you’re done, you turn to look at Jaehyun to see that he’s already looking at you, his eyes scanning your body briefly. “My eyes are up here.” You say pointedly, and his gaze snaps up to yours. 

“Sorry. Was just thinking about how great you’d look in a swimsuit.” He jokes, and you groan, pushing his shoulder.

“Jaehyun!” You scold, and he shrugs. 

“Oh, like you weren’t thinking about me shirtless?” He counters, and you blanch, closing your mouth and saying nothing. “Exactly.”

“Shut up,” You grumble.

“Exactly.”

“Are you gonna film us the whole time?” Soojin asks Jaehyun’s friend Lucas, and he nods, bringing the camera up to his face again and zooming in on Soojin. She laughs and swats him away good-naturedly before loading her day bag in the trunk and moving around to stand by the back left door of the car.

“I’m chronicling my last summer before everything goes to Hell,” Lucas informs her, and she raises an eyebrow.

“You do know that senior year isn’t the end of the world, right?” She says slowly, and he frowns. 

“Senior year just breaks up friendships.” He complains. “Johnny already left us a year ago; Jaehyun’s leaving now—”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Jaehyun points out. “You’re more than welcome to come crash in my dorm room whenever you want.”

“You’re just saying that,” Lucas says, frowning. 

“I’m not! Come stay with me whenever you want.” Jaehyun promises, and Lucas’s slightly gloomy demeanor brightens immediately. 

“Okay!” He chirps, moving to sit in the car on the other side of the back seat. “Who’s middle seat?”

“I just realized we have five seats and six people.” You point out, and Soojin shoots you a devilish smile.

“You can sit on Jaehyun’s lap.” She suggests, and you glare at her with wide eyes, shaking your head as subtly as possible. Her smile widening, she nods eagerly and walks up to Jaehyun, tapping him on the shoulder. When she’s got his attention, she jerks her head towards you and says, “I think you should let her sit on your lap.”

“Okay.” 

“Okay?” You exclaim, and he smiles innocently at you.

“Yep. Come sit on my lap, sunshine.” He coos, opening the car door and sliding in to stop at the middle seat in the back. You glare venomously at Soojin, who just smiles innocently, and you look at Minnie for help, but she just shrugs helplessly, frowning sympathetically. 

You sigh. “I hate it here.” You mumble to no one in particular before you climb into the car, carefully perching yourself on Jaehyun’s lap. As if to further cement your decision, Lucas slides in to sit to the right of you and Soojin sits beside you on your left. You’re slightly trembling with the effort of holding yourself up so you’re barely resting on Jaehyun’s knees, and he seems to notice, as he wraps his arms around your waist and pulls you back so you’re fully sitting on his lap and your back is flush against his chest, Jaehyun taking the opportunity to rest his chin on your shoulder.

“Is this okay?” He murmurs, and you nod, trying to calm your pounding heartbeat. “Cool,” He hums, and his grip tightens around you slightly. The car is filled with amiable chatter as Johnny gets into the driver’s seat and Minnie sits in the passenger seat, plugging the aux cord into her phone and starting to play music as Johnny pulls off. Midsummer Madness by 88rising starts to filter through the speakers, and the car instantly starts singing along excitedly, Jaehyun gently swaying you to the beat.

“Minnie’s already starting off doing an excellent job as the shotgun DJ,” Johnny praises her, and she smiles widely, a light blush rising to her cheeks.

“Minnie has an excellent taste in music!” You supply helpfully, and her smile widens as she looks back at you gratefully.

“Aw, shucks,” She giggles, and you smile sweetly at her.

“How long of a ride is it to the beach?” You ask curiously, and Soojin holds up a manicured finger, tapping on her phone rapidly.

“About ten minutes.” She replies, and you nod curtly, still a bit peeved that it was her idea to place you on Jaehyun’s lap. She looks over at you, her eye as keen as always, and nudges you gently to get your attention. “Sorry,” She mouths, pouting, and you sigh, unable to stay mad at her. 

“It’s okay,” You mouth back, and she beams, resting her head on your shoulder.

“Aww,” Lucas coos, putting the camera in your face abruptly.

“Lucas!” You admonish, and the younger male blinks in shock before slowly moving the phone back to his face.

“Sorry about that...I guess some people are camera-shy.” He jokes, and you stare at him impassively, the smile slowly dropping from his face. “...Sorry.”

“You’re fine,” You say after a beat of silence, and relief flashes across his face before he leans forward and puts the camera in Minnie’s face, who plucks the phone from Lucas’s hands and starts to lip-sync into the camera eagerly, much to your surprise. “Minnie, have you been drinking?”

“What?! No!” She squawks indignantly, and you purse your lips, holding up your hands defensively.

“Just thought I’d ask. You’re super...bubbly today,” You remark, and Soojin nods eagerly, sitting up in her seat.

“You’re, like, chirpy!”

“I’m always bubbly,” She frowns, and you return the expression, upset that she’s misconstruing your words.

“Not that you’re not ever bubbly, it’s just—you’re extra chipper today. I love it, don’t get me wrong, I’m just curious why.” You explain, and she pauses, looking pensive.

“I guess it’s because it’s kind of our last hurrah as a group of friends; you, me, and Soojin, you know? Like, you and Soojin are going to college soon, and then it’ll just be me holding down the fort in senior year.” She says thoughtfully, and you make a small noise of understanding.

“I get that! Well, carry on being bubbly, Min,” You encourage her, and she smiles brightly, nodding before turning back to face the front. The song fades out, replaced by comethru by Jeremy Zucker, and you gasp, starting to bounce excitedly in your spot until you remember where you’re sitting and who exactly you’re sitting on. 

“I love this song,” You gush, and Jaehyun chuckles from behind you.

“Me too,” He agrees, and you turn back to look at him with a warm smile, which he returns earnestly.

The rest of the car ride is filled with an alternation of excited chatter as you all get to know each other and comfortable silence as the music plays. The last song comes on just as the beachfront comes into sight, and you smile excitedly as Mood by 24kGoldn plays. The six of you sing along loudly and emphatically, the ruckus no doubt audible to any passerby, and Johnny pulls into a parking spot as the song ends right on cue. Everyone piles out of the car, Jaehyun bracing you as you climb off his lap and get out of the vehicle, and Johnny pops the trunk to allow everyone to grab their bags and towels.

“Want me to carry that?” Jaehyun offers, and you shoot him a funny little smile.

“I can carry it.” You assure him, and he nods in understanding.

“Okay, cool. Just figured I’d offer,” He replies, and your suspicious expression only intensifies.

“Why? Why not ask Soojin or Minnie?” You ask, and he looks at you, honestly, like you’re stupid.

“Because I don’t want to hold their bags. I want to hold yours.” He says slowly, and you get the sense there’s something more to what he’s saying, but you choose not to dwell on it, instead shrugging and handing him your bag. He takes it and slings it over his shoulder before setting off towards the water, everyone following in his wake. You all set up your towels and stuff before stripping down to your swimsuits and heading into the water. While the guys have all opted to strip their shirts off, leaving them in their swim trunks, you, Minnie, and Soojin have elected to wear large t-shirts over your swimsuits that cover down to the middle of your thigh. You’re standing in the shallower area of the water and mumbling to Soojin and Minnie about how distracting it was to sit on Jaehyun’s lap for ten minutes straight when two cold, wet hands grab your sides suddenly. 

You shriek in alarm and whirl around to come face to face—well, chest, given his height—with a mischievously beaming Jaehyun. 

“What was that for?” You complain, and he shrugs, the smile never leaving his face.

“Just felt like scaring you.” 

“Well, I just felt like doing this,” You say, splashing him. He looks shocked for a second, coughing and spluttering as the water hits his face, and you giggle, amused. When he looks at you with a challenging brow raised, you balk and shake your head, slowly backing up. “I’m so sorry.”

“Too late for sorry.” He chuckles, wading closer to you just as slowly as you’re moving. You yelp and shield your face as he splashes you with a huge wave, the cold water drenching your shirt and soaking through to chill your skin.

“I said I was sorry,” You whine, pushing him back as he comes closer. “You’re so mean.”

“Maybe I just wanted to see you all wet.” He says suggestively, and your pout drops from your face, replaced with a shocked expression, your eyes and mouth wide in round circles.

“Stop doing that!” You huff, and he raises an eyebrow as he tries and fails to hide the smirk appearing on his face.

“Doing what?”

“Saying and doing things that make me nervous.” You gripe. You don’t even realize he’s been moving closer to you the whole time you’ve been speaking, only made aware of his proximity when his chest brushes against yours lightly. He leans down so you’re face to face, locking eyes with you and licking his lips subtly. 

“Maybe I like how cute you get when you’re nervous.” He breathes, and you swallow hard, your heart thudding in your chest. 

“You’re evil,” You mutter, pushing him back as he laughs.

The six of you frolic about in the water, getting into splash fights and dunking competitions, until the sun starts to set and Johnny heads out of the water to start setting up a bonfire. When it’s ready, you all make your way to the fire, sitting around it on your towels and using the heat to warm up and dry off. You’re alone on your towel, stretched out on the fabric, when Jaehyun appears and sits next to you. 

“Hi,” He coos, and you smile, amused.

“Hi,” You echo, and he grins. “Are you having fun?” 

“So much fun,” He confirms, and you nod, hugging your knees to your chest. “Especially because you’re here.”

“There you go again, trying to make me nervous.” You sigh, and he chuckles.

“Can’t help myself. Are you having fun?”

“I am! Today was a nice way to get rid of all the pre-college stress that’s been eating me alive for, like, weeks.” You explain, and his brows furrrow.

“Stress? What are you stressed about?” He asks, and you chuckle, the sound a bit bitter as your worries start to return.

“What am I not stressed about, honestly?” You mumble, and he tsks disapprovingly, standing up with a grunt and reaching his hand out to you. “What?”

“Come take a walk with me.” He offers, and you look from his hand to his face before thinking, fuck it, and taking his outstretched hand, letting him pull you to your feet. 

You two start walking away from the group, their chatter fading into silence as you get further and further away. 

“So—hit me. What are you worried about?” He asks, and you sigh heavily, looking down at your hands.

“What if I have a hard time making friends?” You ask softly, and he scoffs in disbelief.

“You? I don’t buy it.” He says simply, and you frown up at him.

“Why not?” 

“Well, first of all, you’ll have Soojin. And you’ll have me!” He says helpfully, and you look at him out of the corner of your eye.

“Oh, yeah? I’ll have you?” You ask with a teasing smile, and he nods, his expression far more serious than you expected.

“You’ll always have me.” He assures you, and you can’t handle the warm rush of affection that floods your insides, awakening the butterflies in your stomach that you’d rather just do away with altogether.

“Thanks, Jae.” You hum, and he stops short, looking at you with a smile.

“Jae?”

“It...it’s, uh. It’s a nickname. You always call me sunshine, so I figured I would just–”

“I love it.” He assures you, and you smile, relieved. 

“Cool.”

“Cool. Second of all, about the possibility of not making friends; what’s there not to like about you?” He asks incredulously, and you give him a funny look.

“Sure, Jae.”

“I’m serious! You’re funny, you’re smart, you’re kind, and to top it all off, you’re gorgeous.” He says sincerely, and you blink twice, stunned into silence momentarily.

“Wow,” You chuckle, looking up at him. “Jae, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you have a crush on me.”

“What if I said I do?” He says softly, and it’s your turn to stop in your tracks. “What if I told you I’ve been dreaming up ways to get to see you this whole summer?” He continues, and you’re silent, truly taken aback. “What if I said all I’ve wanted is to get you alone? What if, now that I’ve gotten my wish, all I can think about is how...stunning you look in the sunset?” He murmurs, stepping closer to you and resting his hands on your hips. “What if all I can think about is how badly I want to kiss you?” He breathes, stepping towards you and guiding you backwards. He backs you up against the large formation of rocks behind the two of you and stares down at you intently. 

“Jae…” You whisper, trailing off as you realize you don’t know what to say. On one hand, your heart is doing backflips and somersaulting all over the place from excitement, but on the other hand...your heart is doing backflips and somersaulting all over the place from anxiety. 

“Is it bad that I can’t stop thinking about how sweet your lips probably taste?” He mumbles, brushing his thumb against your lower lip gently. 

“I—” You start, but the words die in your throat when he leans in slowly, and you’re shocked to find yourself mirroring his actions. You breathe in deeply in an attempt to calm yourself and are welcomed with the salty aroma of the ocean and the faint scent of Jaehyun’s cologne, your lids fluttering closed as his lips near yours. You’re both so close, so painfully close, and your lips are just about to touch, and you don’t know how long you’ve been waiting for this moment, and––

“There you guys are!” Lucas yells loudly, and, just like that, the trance is broken, the two of you jumping apart suddenly, your face on fire and Jaehyun’s ears a dark shade of red. “What were you guys doing all the way over here?” He asks, grinning and wriggling his eyebrows suggestively.

“Nothing,” You both answer quickly, and Lucas’s suspicions seem to be only heightened as he looks between the two of you; between Jaehyun and his nervously rubbing the back of his neck and your awkwardly fiddling with your fingers, you’re not sure you paint the most convincing picture.

“Okay…” He says slowly, skeptically, before gesturing for you two to follow him. “Johnny made hot dogs!” The two of you share a lingering look before you reluctantly trudge after Lucas.

You’re not sure what to do with the information that Jaehyun wants to kiss you...so you push it to the back of your head. You have other things to worry about right now.

But why can’t you shake the persistent thought of what his lips would feel like against yours?

Late Summer.

The drive up to your university is quick—a bit too quick, your mother would argue, what with the way she fights back tears when you all pull up to your dorm building. 

You all get out of the car and busy yourselves with unloading boxes on boxes of your stuff.

“Can I ask you a question?” A familiar voice sounds from behind you, and you turn, already fighting back a smile when you recognize the source. Jaehyun’s leaning against his parents’ car, smiling playfully at you. “I’m all for fashion, but…do you really need four boxes of clothing?” He pushes off the car and walks over to you slowly, his eyes dark and mischievous to match his grin.

“Mm, no,” You hum, looking up as you regard him. “I need six. There are two more boxes in the backseat.” 

“Sheesh,” He lets out a low whistle, and you giggle. “Well, luckily for you, you have a strapping young man at your assistance to help you carry in your boxes.”

“Wow, lucky me,” You feign a gasp. “I think we’re good, though.” As if the universe was destined to prove you wrong, your mom and dad finish unloading the last of your boxes and call your name.

“We’re going to run to the supermarket and get you some supplies and snacks for your mini-fridge, okay?” Your mom says, and you pout, gesturing at what must be twenty boxes of things around you, along with suitcases.

“But—but what am I gonna—?” You start to whine, but Jaehyun drapes an arm over your shoulders, using his free hand to wave at your parents.

“Don’t worry; she’s got me.” Jaehyun assures your parents, and they wave excitedly at him, giving you a look as if to say “See?”

Your parents drive off, and you’re left alone with Jaehyun, whose smile still hasn’t dropped from his face.

“So…what was that about not needing any help?” Jaehyun teases, and you narrow your eyes at him, nudging him with your hip.

“Shush. Can you help me?” You pout up at him, and he visibly softens, smiling back down at you.

“Maybe if I get to hear that pretty voice beg for me, I’ll consider it.” He coos, and you gasp, heat rushing to your cheeks.

“Shut up, “ You whine, and he just chuckles, cupping your face in his large hands. 

“Your face is on fire, sunshine.” He points out with a taunting smile tugging at the corners of his lips. 

“Well, you said—well…you know what you said,” You grumble, swatting his hands away and turning to pick up a box. You manage to hoist it up and place it on a second box, getting ready to lift both of them until Jaehyun stops you.

“What are you doing?” He asks, amused, and you look at him, blinking slowly.

“I’m bringing my stuff up to my room?” You say just as slowly as you’d blinked, and he just snorts, plucking the boxes from the grass with ease. “What are you doing?”

“I’m helping?” He mocks your tone, and you splutter awkwardly as he starts walking towards the front of your dorm. “I can’t bring these to your room if I don’t know where it is, you know.” Jaehyun remarks casually, and you snap out of your reverie, having previously been distracted by the sight of his toned muscles moving under his skin with every readjustment of the box—why did he have to wear a sleeveless shirt and make your task of focusing that much harder?

You pick up a box labeled ‘Clothing’ and hurry after him, shifting the box to your hip as you open the door. The two of you pile into the elevator, and he places the boxes down on the floor gently. You do the same and press the button for the eighth floor, leaning back against the railing in the elevator as the doors close.

“You live on the same floor as me,” Jaehyun remarks, his tone surprised. “You just can’t stay away, can you?” He teases, wiggling his head teasingly at you as he invades your space, getting in your face.

“More like get away,” You tease back, and he gasps loudly, clutching his chest.

“But—but I helped you with your boxes!” He whines, and you laugh.

“And I didn’t even have to beg,” You point out smugly, and he narrows his eyes at you playfully.

“Well, you know what?” He asks, voice lower than usual. You blink in surprise and turn to look at him just in time for the elevator doors to open. “I’ll get you to beg for me eventually,” He promises, his lips grazing just behind your ear before he dips down, picking up his share of your boxes and walking calmly out of the elevator, leaving you a spluttering mess. He pauses just beyond the doors, regarding you with an amused expression. “Are you coming?” At his words, you snap out of it, just barely catching the doors as they close when you desperately stick your foot between them. You pick up your box and lead Jaehyun to your dorm room, only for him to chuckle.

“What’s so funny?” You ask curiously.

“We’re neighbors,” He replies, grinning from ear to ear. “Again.”

“You’re kidding,” You exhale in a chuckle, and he just grins, shaking his head.

“It’s fate. I get to live next to a pretty girl like you all over again.” He coos, and you groan loudly at his cheesiness as you open your door and push your box in with your foot, Jaehyun following you into the room and placing the boxes. 

“Sounds great,” You reply, tone playfully sarcastic.

“Ouch.” He winces, frowning at you. He steps closer to you until a mere breath would have your chest brushing against his. “That’s not very nice.” He pouts, and you blink slowly at him, stunned by his sudden proximity.

“I—I was joking,” You mumble, and he brings his hands to your hips, backing you up against the bed frame. 

“You hurt my feelings,” His pout only deepens, and he’s brushing right up against you, his toned thighs pressing into yours. “How are you gonna make it up to me? Hm?”

“Uh…I—I don’t know,“ You stammer, and he just chuckles, the low sound making your heart rate spike.

“I think I have an idea of how you could make me feel better.” He breathes softly, and his hands move to rest on either side of you, caging you in between his arms as he leans down.

“Jaehyun…what are you doing?” You ask carefully, and he smiles, the corner of his mouth quirking upwards.

“I’m about to ki—“ He starts, but the sound of a car honking downstairs cuts him off. He pauses, and you take that as an opportunity to let out a breath you didn’t even know you were holding. 

“We should, um…finish bringing up my stuff.” You murmur, but he still seems to be in the mood for…well, whatever he’s got going on in his mind. “Jae?”

“Mm?” He asks softly, and you bite your lip when you realize he’s watching your mouth intently, his tongue swiping along his lower lip. “Don’t do that.” 

“Someone’s gonna take my stu—do what?” You ask curiously, and he groans softly, pressing you into the bed frame a bit harder. 

“Don’t bite your lip,” He grunts, bringing his lips to your ear. “That’s my job.”

“Wha—what?!” You exclaim, and he giggles, pulling back slightly, but not before letting his lips graze against your earlobe. 

“I just like making you squirm,” He chuckles. “The effect I have on you is cute.” 

“You suck,” You groan, pushing past him with a huff. He trails after you giggling, following you back down to your boxes, still settled on the sidewalk. The two of you make quick work of bringing the rest of the boxes up, and to your surprise Jaehyun decides to help you unpack, the two of you working on unloading your clothing.

“Why does this box have a star on it?” Jaehyun asks curiously as he moves to cut it open. In a second, you’re throwing yourself on his back, wrestling the scissors from his hand. “What’s gotten into you?” He exclaims, fending you off with ease.

“Don’t open that box!” You yelp, finally prying the scissors from his fingers and sitting up on your knees. “It has my, uh…delicates in it.”

“Your delicates?” He snickers, before a light of realization turns on behind his eyes. “Sunshine…”

“Oh, God.” You groan. 

“…Does this box have your pretty little underwear in it?” He teases, and you groan, yanking your hand holding t5he scissors away from him as he reaches for it. He turns around to face you on his knees and a devilish grin on his extremely, unbelievably handsome face. He reaches for your hand again, and you snatch it back, causing his eyes to light up with glee. “So you wanna play.”

“I don’t wanna play, just don’t look in there,” You frown, and he shakes his head. “Please?”

“You’re so cute, sunshine.” He smiles widely at you, jerking his hand out towards the scissors again. “Come on, let me see and I’ll shut up.”

“…You won’t comment?” You ask slowly, and he shakes his head. You sigh and gesture for him to hand you the box. He does, and you cradle it to your chest before standing up. “Okay, stand up, turn around and close your eyes.”

“Okay.” He says excitedly. He does as you ask, and you cut the box open and take out a pair of underwear. They’re a plain shade of black with lace around the waistband and a small bow right in the center of the waist, and you scrunch them up in your hand as you walk towards Jaehyun. You tuck them into your back pocket and place your hands on his shoulders. 

“Take three steps forward.” You urge, and he complies, bringing him right to your open door.

“Turn around and take two steps backwards.” You say, and as he obeys, you see his brows furrow.

“You’re confusing me,” He whines, and you giggle, moving to put your hand on the doorknob. 

“Open your eyes,” You lilt, and he does only to see you flash a brief glimpse of your underwear and shut the door in his face, quickly locking it. From behind the door, you can hear him whining, a soft thud signaling he’s put his back to the door. 

“Sunshine,” He pleads, “Let me in, please? I didn’t get to see properly.”

“And you won’t get to see them properly,” You insist, giggling when his whining only intensifies. “Thank you for your help!”

“But—“

“Bye, Jaehyun,” You coo, and he thumps the door once in protest before you hear him move away from it. You smile to yourself and wait until his shadow disappears from under the door to flop onto your partially made bed and sigh heavily. 

What are you going to do with him?

Jaehyun’s munching on an apple, waiting patiently for your class to get out. The hands on the clock have never seemed to move so slowly, yet time ticks on in its weary pace. 

When he hears several chairs scraping back, Jaehyun perks up and finishes off his apple, holding the core between his thumb and forefinger. Not long after the door opens, a swarm of students exit the classroom, your resting face standing out to him as particularly lost and confused. He calls your name, not too loudly, and you look up to lock eyes with him.

“Hey, Jae!” You chirp, and he grins down at you as you make your way over to him. He waits until you’re looking directly at him to toss the apple core into the garbage. “You missed.” He turns to look in shock and you snicker. “Kidding!”

“You’re so evil.” He chuckles, falling into step beside you. 

“Am not.” You protest, and he licks his lips as he looks down at you. “I’m not! I just think you need to get knocked down a few pegs.”

“God, just like I said. Evil.” He nudges you slightly, and you huff, sticking your tongue out.

“I’m not evil,” You whine, stamping your foot. “Strategic…maybe.”

“Oh, is that what the kids are calling it these days?” Jaehyun jokes, causing you to snicker. 

“Hush.” You giggle, and he grins, leaning down to your ear.

“Your laugh is so cute.” He hums, and you feel heat rushing to your face as you bite back a smile. “Like music to my ears,” He muses softly.

“Uh–shush!” You hiss, and he laughs loudly, his head tossing back as his dimples press into his cheeks.

“How was your class?” He changes the subject with ease, and you take the new subject gratefully. 

“It was good! My professor seems cool, but he has a whole vendetta against technology, so no phones in class, no devices; that kind of stuff.” You rattle off, and Jaehyun winces.

“Oof, that sounds rough.” He sighs sympathetically before stopping you in your tracks and sliding your bag off your shoulder, taking it in one hand.

“I can carry my own bag, you know.” You point out, and he shushes you.

“I want to help.” He replies smoothly, and you shrug. 

“Fine. Your burden now.” You chirp, skipping ahead several paces. You’re halted only by a hand wrapping around your wrist and tugging you back to him. As you two resume walking, you’re aware suddenly of a light shape being drawn on your wrist. You look down subtly to see Jaehyun’s index finger tracing lines on your wrist and palm before he, hand shaking, slips his fingers in between yours. Your breath catching in your throat, you do what comes naturally and curl your digits around his, shooting a small smile up in his direction. “What are you doing?” You ask curiously, and he looks off to the side, a thoughtful expression on his face.

“I figured if I carry your bag, I at least get to hold your hand.” He muses, and you fail at biting back a giggle. 

“No one made you carry my bag, you know.” You remind him, and he shrugs dismissively.

“I know. I want to. Just like I want to hold a pretty girl’s hand right now and cherish the moment.” Jaehyun responds calmly, the pink of his ears betraying his confidence. 

“Okay,” You mumble shyly, your smile stretching so wide it almost hurts. He squeezes your fingers enough to catch your attention and, when you look up at him, he grins widely.

“Doesn’t this feel nice?” He coos in your ear, and you grimace, elbowing him off playfully.

“You’re cheesy, Jae.” You snicker, and he tugs you a bit closer, starting to trace small circles into the back of your hand with his thumb.

“Call me crazy, but I think you kinda like it.” His voice is right back in your ear, warm and sweet and low, and you yelp, tugging away from him.

“Stop it,” You protest half-heartedly, and he snorts derisively when you’re done speaking.

“Stopping,” He teases, and you huff through your nose loudly. “Isn’t this you?” 

“Oh, yeah! I didn’t even realize you were walking me to class, sneaky.” You say with a crooked grin.

“I’m just that smooth, baby.” Jaehyun lilts teasingly, and you stare at him with a flat expression. “Or…not?”

“I’m thinking not,” You hum as you turn to face him completely. “Bye, Jae,” You say, pulling your fingers from his grip. He lets you go at first before he loops his fingers back around yours, tugging you into his embrace. You yelp at the sudden impact of your face buried in his chest, breathing in his cologne. Your free hand curls in his shirt and you look up at him, eyes unable to focus on his as they dart around nervously.

 “Just wanted a little hug.” He mumbles into your hair, and you make a soft sound of comfort.

“I gotta go to class,” You muffle into his chest, and he sighs, releasing you. “Wanna…maybe…get lunch after this?” His face lights up the second you’ve asked, and he nods eagerly, squeezing your hand in a rhythmic pace.

“Yeah, lunch sounds good! I’ll, uh, see you after class, okay?” He says, and you nod back, smiling brightly. You hesitate, not knowing if what you want to do is appropriate in the moment.

There’s something in the way his eyes twinkle in the harsh lighting of the college building, something in the almost neon pink of his ears in the fluorescent white light, and something about the hope his every exhale carries. You’re not sure what exactly it is, but you find yourself flustered and nervous as you lean up on your tiptoes to press a soft kiss to his cheek.

He claps a hand over his cheek like you’d burned him, eyes bright with amusement and glee. 

“You just–“

“Don’t mention it. Bye, Jae!” You say quickly before turning and heading into your classroom. 

Jaehyun can’t tell what burns more, his cheek, his ears, or his fingertips.

“You know I’m not a child, right?” You laugh as Jaehyun holds a small handful of fries to your lips.

“I know,” He complains, pressing them against your mouth insistently. “But open up!”

Rolling your eyes, you oblige, and he places the fries in your mouth, smiling brightly.

“Want some?” You ask, offering him a piece of a peach speared on your fork. He opens his mouth and takes the fruit happily, his cheeks moving endearingly as he chews.

“Food tastes better when you share it with someone you care about, I think,” Jaehyun says thoughtfully, and the plain confession has you freezing in place, looking at him out of the corner of your eye. He seems not to notice the gravity of what he’s said, still chewing his piece of peach, so you decide not to comment, willing away the butterflies in your stomach.

It’s no big deal...right? You two were best friends in your childhood, practically attached at the hip. Of course he cares about you; he’d be a downright psychopath if there were no residual feelings there. Before you can fully settle into the spiral of overthinking, Jaehyun nudges your thigh with his knee and you turn to look at him. 

“Do you wanna go to Walmart with me later today?” He offers, and you think about it, chewing your forkful of food thoughtfully.

“Sure.”

“I just don’t want to go alone, y’know, and–wait, you said yes?” He says, surprised, and you laugh, nodding.

“That I did.”

“I totally thought you were gonna turn me down.” He chuckles, relieved. “I had a whole speech ready.”

“Well, you can save that for another time,” You smile, amused as you pat his arm comfortingly. “Luckily for you, I’m bored and I need fairy lights for my room.”

“Fairy lights are pretty,” He hums pleasantly, and you nod, taking a bite of your sandwich. “They’re good mood lighting,” He notes, and you shoot him a glance out of the corner of your eye.

“What do you mean by that?” You ask cautiously, and he smiles secretively at you, his eyes twinkling with mischief. 

“I mean what I said. Unless...there’s something else going on in that pretty little head of yours?” He teases, practically purring in your ear. His hand snakes onto your knee, causing you to jolt and choke on your food, coughing until your eyes start to water. Jaehyun thumps your back in a panic, clearly worried but still unable to stifle his laughter. When you’ve calmed down, Jaehyun offers you a sip from his water bottle, and you take it gratefully, glowering at him over the bottle. “Don’t look at me like that! It’s not my fault that I make your mind go haywire.” 

“Oh, shut up. You just lost your Walmart buddy.” You croak, sipping from his bottle again. If you weren’t so wrapped up in your near-death experience, you would have noticed the way his eyes darken as they watch your lips wrap around the bottle and the way his tongue slowly swipes over his lower lip.

“You know...I drank from that already.” Jaehyun points out, and you look from him to the bottle back to him with a blank look on your face.

“I figured as much, yeah…” You trail off as you wonder where exactly he’s going with this.

“We’ve practically kissed at this point; why don’t we just do it for real?” He suggests, and you blink impassively at him. “You already kissed me on the cheek earlier,” He reminds you, and you groan, hiding your face in your hands. “Just move a couple of inches over and bam, jackpot.”

“How about...no,” You reply dryly, and he frowns at you.

“You’re mean,” He huffs, and you scoff.

“At least I didn’t make you choke.”

“That was hardly my fault!”

“If you had kept your hand off my knee, there would have been no need for my food to lodge itself in my windpipe.” You gripe, and he raises his eyebrows as a slow smirk spreads across his face. “What’s up with that face?”

“So you admit that you get all...weird when I touch you.” He says, and you blink twice, stunned by your accidental admission. “What if you let me find out what happens when I touch you in other pla–”

“Okay!” You exclaim, hurriedly packing up your food. “I’m gonna go to my next class.”

“Next period doesn’t start for another fifteen minutes.” Jaehyun says, that smug smile still on his face. 

“I like to be early.” 

“Fine. One last thing before you go, though?” He calls out as you stand up, quickly following your lead. When you turn back, he dips his head down and plants a loud kiss on your cheek. He straightens up, grinning from ear to ear as you splutter incredulously, your face feeling like it’s on fire. “See you after class,” He murmurs in your ear before picking up the remnants of his food and tossing it in a nearby trash can, shooting you a wink before striding off.

As you stand there, desperately trying to regain your composure, you’re sure of one thing: Jaehyun is, without a doubt, out to get you.

“Who knew it would take you twenty minutes to pick out a set of fairy lights?” Jaehyun chuckles, and you huff, narrowing your eyes at him.

“Shut up,” You gripe, swatting at his arm. He jumps away in time, and you grumble incoherently as he snickers. “I didn’t expect them all to have different vibes to them.”

“Different vibes?” Jaehyun laughs, and you whine, shoving him away.

“Listen, are you gonna mock me or are you gonna help me put them up?” You complain, and he frowns at you cutely.

“I can do both,” He whispers in your ear, and you splutter indignantly before stomping up to your room and opening the door, waiting begrudgingly for Jaehyun. He breezes past you, making himself comfortable on your bed, and you scowl at him. 

“Please just—help me,” You request, and he pauses, his expression thoughtful before he hops off of the bed and moves over to you, holding out his hand for the lights. You open the box, slitting the tape with your room key before pulling out the lights and handing them to him. He kicks off his shoes and stands up on your bed, placing the end of the lights up on the wall and looking down at you for your reaction. “That’s good! Here, take a command hook.” You say, going to your drawer and pulling out a small box of command strips and hooks, handing him a strip and a hook. He attaches the hook to the wall with ease and wraps the end of the lights around it. You hand him another hook and he hangs the next portion, the pattern repeating until he’s climbing off your bed and moving around your room, smoothly setting up your lights. 

“Okay, is it just me or is it incredibly hot in here?” He pants, looking back at you.

“It’s not just you—my window is jammed, so I can’t open it.” You sigh, gesturing at the window in question, and he frowns at your defeated expression, walking over to the window and grunting as he pulls it up, your cheeks heating up as you watch his back and arm muscles flex and tense with the effort. You clear your throat quietly and shake your head slightly to rid yourself of the intrusive, far from innocent thoughts now swimming in your brain, jolting out of your daydreams as the window makes a terrible creaking noise before it slides open. Your jaw drops and Jaehyun can barely turn around before you’re practically tackling him with a hug, bowling the tall male over as he staggers back from the force of your affection. 

“You’re welcome, sunshine,” He laughs, moving the two of you so he’s leaning against your bed. 

“God, I’m—you just—I’m so happy, I could just ki—” You start, but freeze. Jaehyun goes still in your arms and you avert your gaze, now staring resolutely at the carpeted floor. 

“You could what?” He asks softly, but there’s something laced in his tone that has a small thrill running up your spine. 

“Nothing,” You reply, voice muffled by his chest, but he shakes his head. “Nothing.” You insist, and you feel his chest vibrate as he chuckles, snaking a hand between the two of you and tucking his fingers under your chin to tilt your head up so you two are making eye contact.

“You could what?” He murmurs, and you realize with an internal jolt that the “something” laced in his tone is desire—not even just desire, but need. You’re downright entranced by how dazzling he looks, staring down at you with dark eyes, and you find yourself speaking before you can stop.

“I could kiss you.” You whisper, and he licks his lips so subtly that you think you’ve imagined it. He swaps your positions so he’s pressing you into the side of the bed, his hands on either side of you as he leans down closer to your face.

“You could kiss me?” He echoes, and you whine, moving to hide your face in your hands. He reacts instantly, catching your wrists in his hands and pinning them to the bed. “If you could kiss me,” He starts, leaning even closer, so much closer that you can feel his warm breath fanning over your lips, and continues, “I’m wondering why you haven’t done it yet.”

“I’m shy,” You mumble nervously, and he makes a sound of understanding, his head lowering even more until his breath is tickling your neck. You suck in a sharp breath when he grazes his lips against your heated skin, slightly sweaty from the almost sweltering heat of your room, and he’s emboldened by your noise, pressing his lips to your neck in an open-mouthed kiss. “Oh, shit.” You squeak in a whisper, and he smiles against your skin, placing another kiss, and another, and another until he’s lifting you onto your bed and kissing your neck openly, groaning softly in response to your every small noise of pleasure.

“You’re sure it’s not because you don’t want to, right?” He asks, pulling back so you two are face to face once more. 

“I’m sure,” You reply a bit too eagerly for your liking, and his resulting grin is so dazzling that it takes you aback.

“Well, in that case…” He murmurs, one hand releasing your wrist and moving to rest lightly on your knee. Your gaze drops down to his hand on your skin for a second before sliding back up to meet his eyes, which have darkened considerably in intensity. “Hope you don’t mind if I just take the initiative for a second.” Before you can ask yourself what that even means, he leans in and captures your lips in his. You freeze, eyes wide, but he persists, moving his lips against yours purposefully. It’s not until his hand not on your leg rests on your hip and pulls you closer, not until he nips softly at your bottom lip, until he lets out a soft groan that you realize—Jaehyun is kissing you. 

Jaehyun, your childhood best friend that has grown into an incredibly handsome, charming individual, is kissing you—and doing a damn good job of it, too.

With your realization comes a whimper of pleasure from you and it’s like a switch is flipped inside of Jaehyun’s mind. He groans again, nudging himself between your legs, and deepens the kiss, his lips taking yours with what can only be described as a hunger. The hand on your knee glides up your leg until his fingertips are teasing the frayed hem of your shorts, his tongue slipping between your lips when they part in a silent gasp. He slips his fingers under your shorts, stroking your skin with a sort of languid indulgence, and you keen softly into the kiss, your hands remembering their purpose as they wrap around his neck, pulling him closer. 

He breaks the kiss for a painfully long second to whisper, “Lie down for me.” You oblige instantly, practically scrambling to rest your head on your pillow and lie down on the bed. You fiddle with your legs awkwardly, not sure if you should cross them at the ankles, the knees, or just lie straight. Jaehyun answers your unspoken question as he moves to lie on top of you, gently parting your legs and reattaching his lips to your neck. His hand finds your side, slipping under your shirt and lightly stroking your hip, and you exhale shakily from the gentle touch.

“I’ve thought about doing this for so long,” He murmurs against your skin, kissing down your neck until his teeth graze your collarbones. “Being with you like this.”

“Yeah?” You whisper back, worrying your lower lip with your teeth as the pressure sets in. What if you aren’t as good as he imagined you to be? What if he’s disappointed? What if he changes his mind—

“Stop worrying.” He mumbles, lifting his head to look at you. “You’re better than anything I could have ever imagined.”

“Oh,” You whimper, touched, and lean up to kiss him again. You’re gradually growing drunk on his kisses, his tongue bringing some level of intoxication that you can’t seem to get enough of. With difficulty, he breaks the kiss to pull his shirt off, the muscles of his defined abdomen tensing as you experimentally run your fingers over them. 

“Can we take this off?” He asks softly, fingers playing with the hem of your shirt. You nod and sit up slightly for him to pull it over your head, Jaehyun discarding the garment somewhere on your floor. “You’re incredible,” He whispers in awe, sitting up on his knees to glide his hands up your sides until they’re gently cupping your breasts over your bra, squeezing carefully. When you arch your back into his touch, he smiles, leaning down and peppering soft, slow kisses along the swell of your breasts, one hand slipping under your body to unclip your bra. The action comes almost naturally to him, and you’re rendered insecure once more as you realize that this is probably not his first time doing this, whereas it is most definitely your first time. “What’s wrong?” He asks immediately, looking up from your chest to meet your worried gaze with a concerned look of his own.

“I’ve never, um...done this before.” You mumble, and his face softens into relief and then to something resembling fondness. 

“Don’t worry, sunshine,” He soothes you, lowering his head back down to your chest and resuming his kisses. “I’m gonna take such good care of you.” His words send warmth down from the top of your head down to your toes, a small reassured smile appearing on your lips.

“That feels good,” You whisper when he squeezes your breast and grazes the tip of his tongue over your skin. 

“Yeah? Sunshine likes that?” He asks sweetly, and you nod, your brows furrowing in confusion when he shakes his head and looks up at you. “Use your words.”

“Yes,” You exhale, and he smiles. 

“Does my sunshine like this?” He breathes before pulling the cup of your bra down and sucking the now exposed nipple into his mouth. You let out an unexpected moan and he swirls his tongue around the bud, sucking on the now erect nipple eagerly. Your back arches off the bed, your chest pressing into his mouth, and he takes the opportunity to suck more of your breast into his mouth, only pulling off occasionally to pepper wet kisses around the areola. His hand pulls down the other cup and he starts rolling the nipple between his fingers, pinching lightly but with just enough pressure to make you gasp. “You make the most beautiful sounds, sunshine,” He coos affectionately, looking up at you. “I could listen to you all day.”

“Jaehyun,” You whine, not even sure what you’re asking for at this point.

“What is it, baby?” He asks, and you just whine again, reaching for him and pulling him closer.

“Touch me,” You plead, and he hums thoughtfully, his fingers still playing with your nipple.

“I am touching you.”

“You know what I mean,” You huff, and he smiles widely.

“I don’t think I do.”

“T-Touch me…” You trail off nervously, and he nods encouragingly.

“Say it, sunshine.” 

“I can’t,” You complain, looking away as your cheeks heat up with embarrassment.

“If you can’t tell me,” Jaehyun starts, moving his free hand to link your fingers together, “Can you show me?” At your slow nod, he smiles even wider than you thought possible, gesturing for you to move his hand. “Go ahead, baby; show me where my beautiful sunshine needs me to touch her.”

“Here,” You whisper, grazing his hand down between your breasts, along your stomach, and stopping when his fingers brush your clothed sex. “I want you to touch me here.”

“Oh, sunshine,” He groans, his voice thick with arousal. He slips his fingers from yours and guides them under your shorts and into your underwear, a small gasp leaving his lips when his digits stroke along your slick folds. “Oh, sunshine. All this for me?”

“Yes,” You breathe, and you could swear a growl leaves his lips as he continues stroking your core, experimentally pushing his fingers into you. When you breathe in sharply, he looks up to gauge your reaction, his eyes lighting up when he notices your face is contorted in pleasure. He starts to move his fingers in and out of your entrance and small whimpers slip from your lips freely, an occasional moan of his name slipping out as well. “Yes, yes, yes, don’t stop doing that,” You moan when he curls his fingers inside of you, the pads of his fingers reaching places you’ve only ever dreamed of touching. “Oh, my God.” You swallow thickly when his fingers press insistently into what you assume can only be your g-spot and he rubs the palm of his hand against your clit, the pressure such a relief to you that you let out a choked whimper of ecstasy.

He keeps pumping his fingers into you and massaging your clit with the palm of his hand even as you hit your climax, your hips lifting off of the bed as you cry out loudly. “Jaehyun, shit,” You hiss, and he pulls his fingers from you slowly, marveling at the clear strings connecting his fingers together. When he brings his fingers to his mouth and licks them clean, you’re taken aback when he moans, his eyes closing for a second before they reopen and fixate on you.

“Can I taste you, sunshine?” He asks throatily, and all you can do is nod, transfixed by his intense stare. Without another word, he’s pulling your shorts and underwear down and off your legs, throwing them over his shoulder and lying down between your legs. He hooks your legs over his shoulders and leans in, immediately dragging his tongue up your folds and swirling his tongue around your clit. 

“Oh, shit,” You groan, and his fingers dig into the supple flesh of your thighs, his lips moving to kiss along your inner thighs, his lips grazing your skin with what you would dare to call a reverence. “Please don’t tease me, Jaehyun,” You plead, and he looks up at you, bright eyes shining.

“My sunshine doesn’t want me to tease her? Hm? Does my sunshine want me to eat her pretty little pussy?” He murmurs against the heated skin of your inner thigh, and you whine loudly, frustrated by his teasing.

“Yes, Jaehyun, please?” You beg breathlessly, and he pouts up at you before lowering his head once more and licking your folds, dragging his tongue over your clit repeatedly until you let out a cry and throw your arm over your face, your cheeks heating up in embarrassment.

“No, no, no,” He protests instantly, gently moving your arm from your face and bringing your hand down to rest by your hip. “I want to see your face when I make you come.” He loops his fingers with yours and resumes lapping at your core, low groans leaving him freely. “So good,” He moans, and you realize that he’s grinding against the bed, his hips rutting against your comforter as he eats you out. He’s so loud, so clearly indulging in and aroused by the taste of you that it only heightens your pleasure, a small whimper leaving your lips as he brings you closer to your second climax. 

“Close,” You moan, and he nods, sucking on your clit and flicking the bundle of nerves back and forth with his tongue. “Oh, fuck,” You cry out as the pleasure hits, your fingers tightening around Jaehyun’s. If it hurts him, he doesn’t show it, instead continuing to suck on your clit and humming around it, resulting in vibrations being sent through the nub. Your cry chokes off into a squeal as he moans and grazes his teeth over your clit lightly. Your eyes shut tightly as you succumb to your orgasm, shaky gasps leaving you as you come down from your high.

“Good?” He asks sweetly, and you nod vigorously, slipping your fingers out from his own and cupping his face with both hands, pulling him up to your face. 

“Kiss me,” You pant, and he complies immediately, connecting your lips feverishly as he opens his pants and maneuvers his length out of his boxers. “Do you have a condom?”

“Uh–no,” He mumbles against your lips, pulling back with a frown. “Hold on, I bet I have one in my room.”

“No! No, don’t leave, it’s fine, I’m on birth control anyway,” You whisper hurriedly, and he groans. 

“I can’t believe I get to feel you–all of you,” He moans, positioning the head of his cock at your entrance. “Let me know if it hurts, and I’ll stop, okay, sunshine?” He murmurs soothingly, and you nod, taking a sharp breath in when he starts to push into you. The feeling isn’t painful like you’d expected, just uncomfortable and foreign, but when he bottoms out in you, the feeling is so overwhelming that you gasp softly. “Too much?” 

“No,” You’re quick to answer, shaking your head. “Just weird for a second.”

“I’ll wait until you’re ready, sunshine.” He reassures you sweetly, and you take several deep breaths, trying to focus on relaxing around his girth. A peek up at Jaehyun reveals that he’s clearly struggling to stay still, his brows furrowed as he nibbles on his lower lip. 

“Move,” You finally tell him, and he sighs in relief, pulling out slowly before guiding himself back in. “You can go faster, Jae,” You urge him, and he looks down at you to watch your reaction as he pulls out again—painfully slowly—and pushes his hips into yours quickly, repeating his actions and building a quick pace that has your breath coming out in stuttered little gasps. 

“Does that feel good, sunshine?” He asks sweetly, and you nod, clutching at his arm.

“Feels––so full, Jae,” You pant, and he grins, thrusting into you and rolling his hips upwards with every stroke inward. The new movement has his tip rubbing against that textured patch of skin within your walls that has your eyes rolling back into your head and your jaw dropping open.

“You’re so good, baby,” He grunts, leaning down to kiss you. “So tight for me, you take my cock so well, sunshine.” He’s mumbling against your lips, groans and sharp breaths punctuating his every word, and nonsense is spilling from your mouth with reckless abandon; you’re not even sure you’re speaking English anymore, honestly.

“So close, Jae, please,” You whimper, and he licks his thumb before bringing it to your clit to rub it in quick circles that have a weak cry leaving you. “Jae, Jae, Jae––” You chant as you reach your climax, your walls clenching around Jaehyun’s length as he drives his hips into yours. 

“That’s it, sunshine,” He breathes, grinning. “So beautiful when you come for me, baby.” 

“Are—are you close?” You ask weakly, and he nods vigorously, his hips starting to stutter as if on cue. He thrusts into you slowly, finally coming to a jerky stop as he releases inside of you with a moan of your name that has desire pooling in your belly. His head droops down as he cums, his length throbbing inside of your walls, which are greedily clenching around him, milking him for all you can get out of him. He finally freezes, pulling out of you slowly and flopping onto his back beside you, his chest heaving. 

“Oh, that was a bad idea,” You mumble as you sit up and look behind you at the window. You turn back to face Jaehyun, who looks positively heartbroken. “What?” You ask, alarmed, and he looks at you with wide, hurt eyes.

“You said this was a bad idea.” He replies slowly and sounding more than a bit pained. At your wide eyes and frantic head shaking, his desolate expression turns to confusion.

“I meant the window! We opened the window and proceeded to...you know,” You mumble, gesturing between the two of you. “People probably heard us.”

“Oh. Oh.” He says, sighing in relief and beaming at you.

“No, yeah, I was talking about the window,” You clarify seriously, and he nods in understanding. “I don’t regret what just happened at all.”

“Good.” He hums, smiling widely. “Neither do I.”

“Cool.”

“Cool.” 

“Great.” You nod awkwardly, pursing your lips and blowing air out slowly.

“So...what do you wanna do now?” He asks, and you point up at the ceiling.

“Put batteries in my string lights.” You answer honestly, and he stares at you blankly before chuckling and shaking his head. “What? What did I say?”

“You just...I was kinda hoping you’d say you wanted to do a little bit of this,” He murmurs, pulling you closer and kissing you softly. Your smile into the kiss is less than subtle, and he mirrors your expression, brushing his nose against yours lightly before pulling back.

“Well...we could definitely do that after I set up my string lights.”

“You and these string lights––“

“They’re useless without the batteries, Jae!” 

“You’re brighter than all the string lights in the world combined, sunshine,” He coos, and you just blink at him slowly. “Too much?”

“Too much.”

As you lie there with Jaehyun, both of you realize that your hearts may never have felt more full.

“Stop teasing me with that popsicle,” Jaehyun groans, tossing his head back in anguish, and you blink at him innocently, confused.

“I’m not doing anything,” You defend yourself, and he raises an eyebrow.

“I keep watching you lick and suck on that popsicle and I can’t help but imagine it’s my cock you’ve got in your mouth.” He admits, and you freeze, heat making a beeline for your cheeks. “Now do you get it?” He asks simply, smirking, and you nod slowly.

“I’ve never done that before,” You mumble thoughtfully, and he looks at you in intrigue. “Had a…you know…in my mouth, I mean.”

“Oh, yeah?” He hums in interest, his gaze darkening right before your eyes. “Do you want to?”

“Yeah,” You say, sounding just a bit too eager for your liking. “I mean…sure.” 

“It’s okay to be eager, baby.” He chuckles, taking the mostly finished popsicle from your grasp and popping it in his mouth before moving to unbuckle his belt with his free hand. You move his hands away and replace them with your own, your fingers carefully unbuckling his belt and opening his jeans button, dragging the zipper down so slowly that the sound of it drones on in the thick, anticipatory silence. He lifts up his hips and helps you tug his jeans down his legs before he wraps a hand around his length in his boxers and squeezes it firmly, grunting softly at the pressure. 

Unable to wait anymore, you hook your fingers in the waistband of his boxers and pull the front down enough for him to maneuver his cock out into the open air of your dorm room. You gasp softly at the sheer size of it, your hands reaching to touch him. He wraps a hand around the base and starts to pump up and down slowly, watching you with hooded eyes bright with intrigue as your hand rests delicately over his own. Gradually, he slips his fingers out from under yours until it’s just you stroking his length diligently.

“Can I?” You ask tentatively, and he nods, sucking in a deep breath when you shift forward on the bed, bringing your mouth to the head of his cock. You give the tip a tentative lick, and he exhales loudly in relief, his hips quivering slightly under your touch. You go for a longer lick, this time from his base to the tip, and he shudders when your tongue brushes against the slit in the head of his cock, so you do it again, lapping at the clear, salty beads of precum carefully. “Do I put it in my mouth now?” You ask him, and he nods, running a hand through his hair.

“You can,” He grunts, not without effort. “If you want to, babe.” The simple pet name has heat rushing to your cheeks and the urge to please him glows inside of you like a brightly lit lantern, warm and comforting. You lean closer and wrap your lips around the head of his cock, sucking gently. His reaction is instant and oh, so rewarding––he shifts his hips forward, pushing another inch into your mouth and a sort of choked moan slips from him before he pulls back and tries to compose himself. “Shit,” He curses in a low whisper, breathing in sharply.

You’re fascinated by how sensitive he is, and you’re compelled to take more of his length into your mouth, the weight of him heavy on your tongue. He hisses loudly in surprise and if you could smile around his length in self-satisfaction, you would. However, you can’t, so you focus your attention on taking in as much of him as you can fit in your mouth, and he seems to appreciate your efforts, what with the way his breathing shallows and his eyelids droop down to half-mast. 

When your lips meet the base of his cock, you’re not sure who’s more surprised—you or Jaehyun. Regardless, he lets out a loud, low moan and his head tips back, hitting the wall behind him. You giggle in satisfaction and pull off, slightly embarrassed by the string of spit connecting your bottom lip to the head of his cock. As the heat of shame rises to your cheeks, it’s mingled with confusion and slight shock at the darkening of his eyes as they refocus on you.

Jaehyun thinks he may have never seen a prettier sight, with your wide, eager yet innocent eyes, your wet, shining lips, and the glistening line between his cock and your mouth. He attempts to bite back a moan that slips out anyway, and his fingers are twirling around the strand of spit, marveling at the cool sensation of it on his fingers.

“So messy,” He purrs, pushing his fingers against the seam of your slightly parted lips and looking at you expectantly. You part your lips further and let him dip his fingers into the wet heat of your mouth, press the pads of his fingers against your tongue, and you whimper softly before swirling your tongue around the digits and sucking on them. It comes to you surprisingly naturally, the urge to suck on the intrusion, and you’re only marginally surprised when Jaehyun groans in ecstasy and his length twitches. He moves to pull his fingers out and you whine, your hand catching his wrist. His eyes widen and he stares down at you with such unbridled desire that you falter for a moment.

“You like my fingers in your mouth, hm? Like sucking on them?” He asks, his voice huskier than before, and you nod, realizing a moment too late that there’s drool pooling atop your tongue, and you feel shame heat your cheeks once more as he seems to notice, a slow brow arching. “You’re drooling around my fingers—did you know that?”

“Mhm,” You mumble, and he smiles widely, stroking your chin with his free hand. He pulls his fingers from your mouth and watches as spit drips down in an inverted arch between his fingers and your lips. 

“Here,” He says sweetly, throatily before pushing the head of his cock between your lips. You take the intrusion eagerly, sucking on the head of his cock before lowering your head down and taking more of him into your mouth. He groans loudly and his hips buck upwards, suddenly shoving more inches down your throat. You gag slightly around him, your throat tightening, and he hisses sharply. “That feels so good.” He grunts breathlessly, and you smile internally. You swallow around him again, trying to recreate the feeling, and it must work because he lets out a curse and his hand flies to your head, hovering over the back of it.

You take his hand and rest it on the back of your head, where he curls his fingers into your hair and tugs gently to ground himself. Even though you’re enjoying yourself, you don’t want to leave him suspended on the edge for long, so you start to bob your head up and down his length, lewd wet sounds leaving your lips as you suck him off. He’s breathing heavily and groaning nonstop, and every sound he makes just strokes your ego that much more. 

“Gonna—fuck,” He grunts, his hips bucking up into your mouth again. You move with him this time to prevent the coughing fit you suspect would have been inevitable and he hisses when you start to lap your tongue over the slit of his cock, your hand pumping the inches not in your mouth. His grip in your hair tightens not uncomfortably, and he tugs slightly as his climax approaches, his head tipping back and his lips spilling forth praises and swears. “Feels so good, shit, babe.” 

With a drawn out moan of your name, he’s releasing into your mouth, warm strings of cum painting the inside of your mouth and his grip relaxes on your hair as you feel his body go limp, his cock the only thing still hard and moving as it throbs against your tongue. When you pull off, he opens his eyes with difficulty and stares down at you with an intense gaze that has you averting your gaze shyly. “Look at me and stick your tongue out before you swallow,” He murmurs, and when you oblige, revealing the mess he’s made of your mouth, he whines, stroking your chin. “You gonna swallow?” He asks curiously, and you do, the salty taste registering in the back of your mind as his release slides down your throat. “Good girl,” He praises in a low voice, and you preen under the compliment. “Come here.”

He gently tugs you further onto the bed, positioning you so you’re lying down on your back with your head on the pillow and moving to lie next to you. He brings his lips to yours, moving them languidly but with a hint of urgency, and your skin starts to crawl as you anticipate his next moves. He brings a hand down your torso to rest on the hem of your shirt, playing with the fabric before pulling back from the kiss and looking at you for permission. “Can I?” He murmurs, and you nod, so he smiles softly, his dimples just barely denting his cheeks, and lifts your shirt up over your bra. 

If you’d known this was going to come about, you would have worn cuter undergarments, your plain black bra and underwear appearing, in your opinion, underwhelming. However, from the look on Jaehyun’s face, you would swear you were wearing the finest of lingerie, his eyes hungrily roving over your figure before he brings his gaze up to meet yours. 

“Beautiful.” He whispers, reverence laden in every syllable, and his fingers splay out over your stomach, gliding up to cup your breast. He squeezes experimentally, and you shift under his touch, humming softly in satisfaction. “Let’s take this off.” He murmurs, slipping his hand under your body and unhooking your bra. You arch your back to help him, and your breast brushes against his warm, soft lips. He dips his head down and presses soft, feather-light kisses to the swell of your breasts, smiling into your softly scented skin as you sigh faintly. 

He pulls the bra off of you and lets it fall off of the side of the bed before he cups your breast in one hand and squeezes harder than before, a soft moan leaving your lips. His gaze flicks from your eyes to your breast back and forth before he licks his lips and leans his head down, sucking a nipple into his mouth. You cry out weakly and arch your back into his face, and he sucks on the stiffened peak harder, swirling his tongue around it. Releasing your breast and continuing to suck, his free hand trails down to your pants, undoing your button and zipper with ease and slipping his hand into your underwear. When his fingers make contact with your clit, you whimper and roll your hips into his hand, hoping he’ll get the hint and apply more pressure. Jaehyun picks up on your telepathic message and obliges, fingers tweaking your clit before pressing the palm of his hand into your clit as his fingers busy themselves with your entrance.

“Oh, God.” You whine, your hips moving against his hand desperately and without your control. “Feels so good, Jaehyun.”

“Yeah, baby? You like that?” He coos sweetly from around your nipple, and you nod, your eyes barely able to stay open from the pleasure. He presses a careful finger against your entrance, pushing it in slowly, and you mewl at the feeling, your hand moving to run your fingers through his thick locks. He doesn’t hesitate to push a second finger into you, smiling proudly when you cry out feebly and tug on his hair. 

His fingers move in and out of you at a quick pace that has your breath coming out in quick little bursts, and you swear stars are coalescing in the corners of your vision, your mind completely void of any thoughts that don’t center around Jaehyun, his mouth on you, or his fingers inside of you. He switches breasts after a while, sucking on your other nipple and digging his palm into your clit insistently. Your free hand comes up to rest on his arm that’s moving his fingers inside of you, and he brings you to a powerful climax, your eyes rolling back into your head as broken moans spill from your lips. As you’re climaxing, he keeps his eyes trained on you, fingers and mouth never stopping their movements, and you feel, truly, like you’re floating as he works your body up, winding it up as tightly as it can go. When you feel like you really can’t take anymore, you shakily nudge Jaehyun’s hand moving purposefully in your underwear, and he retracts his hand, his gaze on his glistening fingers. He sits up slowly, never breaking his gaze away from his hand, and you can’t help but feel a bit embarrassed by how wet his fingers are.

“Do you wanna––I mean––can I…” He murmurs distractedly, eyes darting between you and his slick digits. 

“Can you what?” You ask as you sit up, confused, and then you notice the way he’s licking his lips as he stares at his fingers. “D–Do you want to lick it off?”

“Yeah,” He mutters huskily, and your eyes widen as a fresh wave of desire washes over you. 

“Go for it,” Your voice is throaty, thick with arousal, and he swallows loudly before bringing his fingers to his lips and licking them clean. The sight of his pink tongue darting between his fingers makes your face heat up and you’re sure Jaehyun can tell how bashful you’re feeling, as he smiles fondly at you. “Jaehyun?”

“Yes, baby?” He asks, and you nibble at your lower lip nervously.

“Can I ride you?” You blurt out, and immediately clap your hands over your mouth, in disbelief that your thoughts made it past your lips. He doesn’t speak for a moment, and you avert your gaze, clapping one hand over your eyes and keeping the other one over your mouth. His hands rest over yours delicately, and you shake your head vehemently. “Sorry, I don’t–I don’t know where that came from. Pretend I didn’t say that.”

“But you did say it,” Jaehyun points out, and you don’t even have to look to know he’s smiling. You feel his body lean in closer to yours, and you squeak and lean back, your back pressing into the pillows as he hovers over you. “We’re in the wrong position if you want to ride me, baby.”

“Jaehyun, I didn’t say anything. Pretend I didn’t say anything? Please?” You whine, and he chuckles softly, pulling your hands away from your face and beaming down at you.

“You sound so sweet when you say ‘please,’ baby. But I loved hearing you ask to ride me. And,” Jaehyun purrs, his dark brown eyes staring into yours, “I’d love to have you on top of me.”

“Yeah?” You mumble shyly, and he nods. “Okay,” You say, doing your best to shake off your nerves. Jaehyun hugs you to his chest and rolls over onto his back so you’re lying on top of him, and he scoots up so he’s sitting against the headboard and he guides you to sit on top of him. “Wait one second,” You mumble, bracing your hands on his shoulders as you wiggle out of your jeans and underwear. 

“You ready?” He asks, and you shrug with a light chuckle.

“As ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.” You say, and start to ease down onto his cock, your mouth falling open into a gasp as he bottoms out in you, with you now sitting nicely on his lap. “Oh, shit.”

“You okay?” He asks worriedly, and you nod as your eyelids slide shut, the sensation of feeling so damn full fogging your brain so you can’t think clearly. 

“I feel like you’re splitting me open in the best way possible,” You breathe with difficulty, swallowing thickly as you try to center yourself. 

“Yeah?” He sounds like he’s smiling, and when you open your eyes, he’s smirking at you with a prideful air about him. “Can you handle it, baby?”

“I think so,” You reply slowly, and he nods in understanding, his hands moving to your hips to help guide you up his length before he snaps his hips up into yours and you cry out loudly.

“Fuck, Jaehyun!” You whine, and he chuckles, pulling out slowly before repeating his previous action, his smile widening as he watches you slowly lose your mind. “So full,” You whimper, and he coos at you sweetly, using one hand to cup your chin and bring you in for a kiss. 

“Gonna fuck you now, okay?” He mumbles against your lips, and you nod. He exhales slowly before starting to fuck up into you, his powerful, quick strokes sending you closer and closer to the brink of insanity. You match his thrusts, bouncing up and down on his cock, and he groans in pleasure, the hand on your hip squeezing your flesh tightly. “God, you’re so tight.”

Your only reply is a weak moan, and he licks his lips as his brow furrows in concentration, all his attention going towards making sure you’re getting fucked just right. The sounds of skin meeting skin mingle with the melodious moans leaving his lips and the desperate whimpers leaving yours, and you think for a minute that this is the closest to Heaven you’ve ever been.

“Baby, you’re doing such a good job,” He praises you over the sounds of your keening and moaning, and your insides bloom with warmth at his compliment. “Feels so good, baby, you take my cock so well.”

“Jae––hyun, you’re so––good, oh, shit,” You breathe, and he chuckles, tsking softly at you.

“I just started, and you’re already forgetting how to speak?” He teases playfully, and you nod vigorously, your nails biting into his shoulders. He hisses in a mix of pain and pleasure and moves the hand from your chin to rub little circles into your clit, not stopping even when you cry out and jerk away from him. “Stay, baby; let me make you feel good.”

“It’s––so much,” You whimper, and he nods, shushing you softly before kissing you sweetly.

“I know, baby, but you can take it, right? You’re so good for me; I know you can take it, baby.” He purrs so sweetly that you can practically hear honey dripping from his words, and you nod, tears welling up in your eyes as the pleasure builds to a point that you’re not sure you can take much more of.

“C-Can’t, Jae––’m gonna––oh, fuck, fuck, fuck!” You sob, your head falling forward to rest on his shoulder, and he immediately pulls you back and tilts your head so you’re looking at him. In your opinion, you must look a mess with your hair all over the place and tears streaming down your face, but Jaehyun stares at you with such reverence that you’re momentarily convinced you rival Aphrodite’s beauty.

“Come for me, baby. It’s okay, you can come.” He assures you, and the spring wound tight in your abdomen snaps, your body freezing and curling in on itself as he fucks up into you quickly. A loud series of moans of his name leave your lips along with a string of curses you’d rather not have repeated back to you, and, when you finally reopen your eyes, Jaehyun’s jaw is clenched as he focuses on chasing his own release. His fingers never cease rubbing your clit, and you cry out loudly, the sound choked as he presses his fingers into your hypersensitive bundle of nerves even harder. 

“You––I––oh, God,” You stammer, and he laughs breathlessly before his thrusts slow dramatically and you start to feel warmth spilling into you, his cock still moving inside of you with slow, messy strokes as he climaxes with a groan of your name. “Oh, shit,” You whisper as his cum starts to leak down from inside of you, mixing with your arousal to drip down your thighs and his length.

“God, that was amazing.” He pants, and you nod, watching him. If you’re Aphrodite, he’s Adonis, glowing underneath you as he tosses his head back and lets out a relieved laugh. Your gaze scans his face before moving down to observe his smooth, unmarked neck, and you let out a soft huff before leaning in and kissing along his neck. He wraps his arms around your lower back and just holds you gently, his cock gradually softening inside of you as you suck, nibble, and kiss along the smooth column of skin, leaving pink marks in your wake. “You marking me?”

“Mhm,” You hum pleasantly, and he chuckles, moving a hand up to stroke your hair as you work away at his neck. Finally pulling away, you observe the pinking, reddening blotches on his neck with satisfaction before you brace yourself and ease your body up and off of his cock, a shudder of discomfort leaving you as his length slips out of you and leaves you feeling bereft. You collapse next to him, and he looks over at you with a fond smile. “What is it?”

“You’re just beautiful,” He says honestly, and you smile bashfully.

“Thank you,” You mumble, and he leans over to peck you on the lips. The chaste kiss turns into two, three, four before he’s leaving soft kisses all over your face anywhere and everywhere he can reach, and you burst into giggles, fending off his affectionate attack. “Stop!” You squeal, shielding your face with your hands, and he shakes his head before diving back in, kissing the backs of your hands and any exposed surface on your face.

“You’re so sweet, I can’t get enough.” He groans happily, pressing a loud, wet kiss to your cheek and laughing as you cry out in disgust and rub your cheek. “Well, when you do that, you know I have to do it again,” He teases before repeating his earlier action and capturing your hands in his when you go to wipe it off. “Keep my kisses on you.” He says with a hint of seriousness, and your eyes flick up from your joined hands to meet his startlingly intense gaze. “I want you covered in my kisses, baby.”

“O-Okay,” You stutter slightly on the word, and he smiles, endeared by your shy demeanor.

“Do you need anything?” He asks, concerned, and you shake your head, scooting closer and resting your head on his shoulder tentatively. He wraps his arm around your shoulders and moves your head onto his chest, rubbing your back with one hand while reaching for his laptop.

“What are you doing?” You ask curiously, and he cranes his head down awkwardly to look at you. 

“Putting on a movie. What do you wanna watch?” He asks, and you giggle, unable to help yourself. “What?” He asks, clearly confused.

“Didn’t we do this backwards? Aren’t we supposed to watch a movie and then end up having sex?” You ask curiously, and he looks at you as offended as if you had just stabbed him.

“No.” He says firmly and resolutely, and you raise your brows in surprise.

“Well, damn, okay,” You mutter, and he continues on.

“You–You mean way more to me than that. Just a random Netflix and chill hookup. You mean way more than that.” He says sincerely, and heat floods your cheeks as you look away shyly. “Now, what movie?” He asks, starting to scroll through the options, and you snap out of your bashful state before refocusing your attention to the screen. 

You’re nineteen years old, and you’re pretty sure that your crush on Jaehyun just got much bigger and much more difficult to handle.

Autumn.

“This essay might just be the death of me,” You groan, flopping onto your back onto your soft rug. Jaehyun chuckles sympathetically, nudging your side with his knee.

“Don’t quit on me now, sunshine,” He says, smiling down at you. “We’ve only been working for...what? It’s been 45 minutes!” He laughs, and you whine loudly, throwing your arm over your face in defeat.

“What if I dropped out?” You propose, and Jaehyun snorts.

“Your parents would kill you.” He reminds you, and you sigh heavily, holding out your hands like plates on a measuring scale.

“My essay killing me,” You say, shaking your left hand, “versus my parents killing me…” You shake your right hand and compare the two, letting your right hand raise up as your left sinks down. “At least I don’t have to finish my essay if my parents kill me.” Jaehyun stares at you blankly, and you wiggle your eyebrows teasingly. He sighs and leans forward, pushing both of your hands down. You ignore the little sparks you feel at his casual touch and frown up at him as he smiles innocently down at you.

“If you just finish your essay, you get to carry on living, though; now, doesn’t that sound nice?” He coos sweetly, and you huff and puff but come up with no witty retort.

“Whatever,” You grumble. “But when I finish this essay, there’s just going to be another essay to write,” You wail in despair, and he sighs, lying down beside you and turning onto his side so he’s facing you.

“Okay, Ms. Drama Queen,” He says slowly, looking around pensively. “What if I said that if you finish your essay by tonight before I leave your room, I’ll treat you to food for the whole week?”

“Not worth it,” You say immediately, and he frowns, back in thought. 

“What if I treat you to food for the week...and kisses whenever you want them?” He ups his proposal, and you pause to think about it.

“Who said I want to kiss you?” You reply casually, looking away from him before your face can give you away. The resulting chuckle from his lips has heat rushing to your face instantly, your body tensing as he suddenly moves on top of you, hovering ever so slightly to avoid putting his whole weight on you.

“Baby,” He purrs, stroking your cheek with one hand. “I can see it in your eyes.”

“What eyes?” You retort, closing them tightly and shrugging in mock cluelessness. He snickers and leans down, pressing a soft kiss to just above your eyelid, repeating the action for your other lid. Your breath catches in your throat and he presses another light kiss to the tip of your nose, his breath fanning over your lips now as he brings his head lower. You wait for a second, expecting to feel his lips on yours, only to whine in frustration when his lips never meet yours. Opening your eyes and glowering at him, you cup his cheeks and pull his face down to yours, connecting your lips in an impatient, eager kiss. He grunts in satisfaction and runs his tongue along your lower lip, sucking on it gently as he nibbles at it.

“Tell me again how you don’t want a kiss,” He breathes against your mouth, and you stammer pointlessly, your mind going blank as he peppers kisses down your jaw to your neck and collarbones.

“I–oh–I d-don’t want a k–iss,” You say unconvincingly, barely able to get the lie off your tongue and out of your mouth.

“Liar,” He chuckles, and you huff petulantly, nipping at his bottom lip a bit more sharply than you usually would. He winces and pinches your side in retaliation, laughing when you yelp and squirm away from him. He cups your face in his large hands, pressing slow, lingering kisses to your lips repeatedly before sitting up and moving back over to his computer. “Finish your essay, and we can do that all you want.”

“I can’t believe you’re trying to seduce me into doing my essay.” You complain, sitting up and pulling your laptop back onto your lap.

“I can’t have you flunking out, babe; I need you here with me.” He states simply, and you look over at him curiously.

“Why?” 

“You’re my little sunshine; without you, I’d have cloudy skies all day, every day.” He replies earnestly, not even looking up from his laptop as he types a few words in. The sheer sincerity in his voice and the casual delivery has you utterly stunned, blinking at him blankly as your mouth opens and closes much like a goldfish’s.

“Oh,” You say softly, and he finally looks up at you, brow raised expectantly as his gaze darts pointedly between your face and your class book. You sigh loudly and dramatically, opening your book for your English Literature class and leafing through the pages for more sources.

“Good girl,” He praises, leaning in close to your ear and smirking when a slight tremor runs through your body. “If you finish two paragraphs, we can take another break.” He hums in a sing-song voice, and your eyes widen, your room suddenly filled with the sounds of pages flipping and your fingers clicking away at the keyboard. “That’s what I thought.”

“Shut up.”

“Make me.” He retorts, and you scoff.

“My pleasure.” 

“Oh, it will be.” He promises, his voice dropping in pitch, and you squeak in surprise, clapping your hands over your ears. 

“Jaehyun!” You exclaim incredulously.

“You started it!”

You’re relaxing in the library, trying your best to get some work done, when a pair of hands grabs your sides. It takes everything inside of you not to scream, but you do whip your head around to glare at your assailant, your gaze softening slightly when you see a beaming Jaehyun staring down at you. 

“Hi, sunshine,” He coos fondly, moving your bag out of the seat beside you and sitting in it.

“Who invited you?” You joke, and he pouts before turning your chair to face him. 

“You did...in your head,” He says with a small, sly smirk, and you shoot him a confused look. 

“Literally what are you on about?” You laugh, and he just flicks his eyebrows upwards, leaning in closer. 

“I could tell you missed me,” He coos, and you narrow your eyes. “But it’s okay, sunshine; I’m here now.” His smile is infectious, and you can’t help but return it before looking down bashfully. 

“You’re insufferable,” You scoff, and he raises an eyebrow before leaning in even closer so his lips are brushing your ear.

“You weren’t saying that yesterday.” He teases, and you huff.

“I’m saying it now.”

“And I don’t care.” He darts forward and kisses your cheek, smiling when you splutter indignantly. “What are we working on?”

“I’m trying to work on my homework.” You gripe as you reach for your pen. Jaehyun plucks it off of the table and holds it out of reach, smiling charmingly as you whine quietly. “Jaehyun, give it!”

“Kiss,” He says, tapping his lips with his free hand. 

“No.” You reply flatly, and he pouts. “Give it!”

“One kiss, and I’ll give it to you.” He bargains, and you growl under your breath before leaning closer and pecking him on the lips. His hand flies up to the back of your head and pulls you back in as he murmurs,”Oh, baby, I’m gonna need more than that.”

You can’t even keep up your reluctant facade, his kisses too sweet and his hand on the back of your head too gentle as he takes your lips in his, your mouths moving smoothly against each other. Against your better judgment, you let out a content sigh, and he smirks against your lips, his tongue parting your lips and dipping into your mouth.

“Okay, okay, stop,” You gasp as you pull back, tucking your bottom lip between your teeth and nibbling on the soft flesh. “We’re gonna get kicked out.” 

“Mm, so?” He smiles devilishly, leaning in for another kiss. “Who cares?” Your lips connect, and a small moan slips from your lips when his fingers find your upper thigh, squeezing it gently and tracing circles into your leg with his thumb. 

“I care,” You whisper urgently as his lips travel lower to your neck, kissing and licking and sucking. “Jaehyun,” You groan, and he grunts in response, tugging your chair closer.

“Love hearing you say my name,” He purrs, nipping at your jaw. Your eyelids flutter closed as he works at your neck, attacking it with heated kisses. Your eyes open slowly as you try to regain your sensibility, only to lock eyes with a group of students not so subtly looking in your direction with obvious distaste. 

“Jae,” You whisper, your face heating up as you push him off gently. “People are looking.”

“So?” 

“So, I don’t need an audience and neither do you.” You complain, pouting up at him. His face softens instantly, and he smiles down at you fondly before handing you your pen and leaning back in his chair. “Thank you,” You say, relieved, as you lean over and kiss his cheek softly before returning to your work. The whole time you’re working, you can’t seem to focus fully on the task at hand, ultimately distracted by Jaehyun, who’s resting his cheek on his hand as he watches you work fondly. You giggle quietly to yourself as you meet his gaze out of the corner of your eye and he grins at you. “Do you...have any work you can do?”

“Nope,” He replies, popping the p. A longer, cursory glance at his surroundings gifts you the realization that he didn’t even bring a bag.

“You’re incredible.” You chuckle softly, and he shrugs shamelessly. A small scoff of amused disbelief leaves you before you return to your work. His gaze on you sends warmth throughout your body, and it takes you about ten minutes to give up on your work entirely, turning to face him completely. “Can I help you?”

“Come get coffee with me.” He proposes, and you shake your head firmly, turning back to your laptop.

“No. Gotta finish my work.” 

“Come on,” He whines, slumping down to rest his head on your shoulder. “I’ll buy your drink and I’ll even throw in a snack.”

“Ooh, a snack?” You reply in mock intrigue, and he sits up, his eyes bright.

“But wait, there’s more!” He says excitedly, and you can’t conceal the giggle that bubbles out of you. “If you go get coffee with me, I won’t bug you for the rest of your study session.”

“You promise?” You ask skeptically.

“I’m giving my word.”

“Fine. Let’s go.” You sigh dramatically, and he’s springing up, grabbing your hand and tugging you to your feet before helping you pack your bag quickly. He slings it over his shoulder and leads you out of the library, past the disdainful eyes of the group of students that were watching you earlier. You don’t know what comes over you, but you lock eyes with one of the students and stick your tongue out from behind Jaehyun’s back, the girl’s eyes widening before her brows furrow, her expression indignant. A satisfied feeling bubbles up inside of you and you find yourself matching Jaehyun’s steps eagerly as he leads you to the nearest cafe on campus. 

“What do you want, sunshine?” He questions as you reach the counter, and you hum thoughtfully, looking at the menu.

“May I have an iced caramel macchiato, please?” You ask the barista, who nods with a smile, grabbing a cup and writing your order down. Jaehyun gives his order and the barista takes it down, taking Jaehyun’s card from his hand and going to swipe it before Jaehyun stops him. 

“Do you want a snack?” Jaehyun inquires, and you think about it for a second before nodding and pointing to the thick slice of marble loaf cake you see in the display. “Can we get two of those, please?” He asks, and the barista nods, taking them out and finally swiping Jaehyun’s card. When the barista hands Jaehyun his card and the receipt, you take the cake slices and move out of the way for the next person to order. In no time, Jaehyun’s name is called, and he retrieves the drinks, following after you to a table close to the corner and taking the seat next to you.

You two sit down and Jaehyun hands you your drink, you handing him a slice of cake. 

“What drink did you get?” You ask Jaehyun, and he holds it up with a smile.

“An iced latte with sugar,” He replies, scooting closer to you. “I’m just craving something...sweet.” Your face heats up, your expression most likely scandalized, and he chuckles before taking a sip from his drink as casually as if he had never spoken.

“You’re too much,” You mutter, trying to calm the fire in your cheeks, and he makes an intrigued sound. 

“I think you like it,” He teases, and you roll your eyes before breaking off a piece of cake and stuffing it into his mouth.

“I like it better when you don’t talk sometimes.” You giggle as he chews, and he snickers, nudging you with his shoulder.

“That’s okay. I’m more of a man of action, if I do say so myself.” He lilts, and you gasp, much to his amusement.

“Shut up,” You whine, and he holds his hands up in surrender. You stare at him skeptically, only for him to wriggle his eyebrows suggestively, and you groan, hiding your face in your hands.

“Okay, I’ll stop,” He says immediately, and you peek out at him with a puzzled expression.

“Why so sudden?” 

“You hid your face from me,” He frowns, and at your questioning look, continues on. “I love seeing your beautiful face.”

“Oh…” You mumble, cheeks blazing once more, and there must be something in the air, something in your drink, or something in the way his eyes twinkle as he gazes at you, but you lean in and kiss him sweetly on the lips. A small grunt of surprise leaves him, but he’s quick to react, sliding one hand into your hair as he wraps the other arm around your waist, pulling you closer. Every time you try to break the kiss, he just surges forward with a series of small pecks that grow in intensity until you’re giggling against his mouth in delight, eagerly returning his kiss.

“Can’t–get–enough–of you,” He mutters between kisses, and you sigh as a realization comes to you.

“We’re never making it back to the library, are we?” At his silence, you let out a small chuckle. “Thought so.” And his lips are on yours again.

“Wait,” He finally gives you a second to breathe as he looks at you, eyes earnest and hopeful. “Do you wanna come to my basketball practice tomorrow?” He asks, and you can’t contain the smile that stretches your lips as you nod eagerly.

“You want me there?” You question, just to confirm, and he shoots you a funny look.

“I want you everywhere I am. Everywhere.” He says seriously, and your eyes widen slightly at his sincerity. A rush of affection overcomes you, and you lean in for another kiss, your drinks starting to leave little rings of water on the table as they sit forgotten.

Jaehyun is happier kissing you in this little cafe than he ever thought he could be, and his sweet tooth is more than satisfied.

“Jae, on your left!” Johnny calls out, and Jaehyun catches the ball Johnny passes to him, making a quick layup. You gasp from your spot on the bleachers, catching the attention of Jaehyun and some of his teammates. Your face heats up as he looks at you, grinning widely, and you give a small, shy wave, which he returns before a teammate calls his name and he has to return his attention to the game. 

“You’re drooling,�� Lucas whispers in your ear, and you wipe your mouth, horrified. “Kidding!” He snickers, and you glare at him before laughing nervously.

“You suck,” You complain, shoving him, and he laughs delightedly. You make a mocking face before returning your attention to the practice. They seem to be practicing shooting now, all of them lined up in front of the basket. They each take turns making shots, some of them going in and some of them missing, but you’re only half paying attention, perking up when it’s Jaehyun’s turn. He looks over at you and you could swear he smirks slightly before he backs up to what you think might be the three-pointer line and takes his shot, looking over at you when it sinks neatly into the hoop. “Holy shit,” You exhale, giving him a big thumbs up, and his smile is radiant, his eyes lighting up happily.

“You know he’s just trying to impress you now, right?” Lucas chuckles, and you sneer at him mockingly.

“So? It’s working. I’m impressed.” You huff, and Lucas laughs, nudging you with his shoulder.

“You know what would really make his day?” He asks, and you look at him, curious. Jerking his chin towards Jaehyun’s jacket resting neatly on your lap, Lucas says, “Put it on.”

“The jacket?” You ask, confused, and when Lucas nods, you shrug and don the jacket, looking back at the court and pausing when Jaehyun freezes at the sight of you. His face lights up and he dashes off the court, rushing up to the bleachers and climbing them quickly. You don’t even get a word out before he’s crouching down so you’re face to face and cupping your cheeks, bringing you in for a dizzying kiss. “Hi,” You giggle breathlessly when you two break apart, and he grins.

“Hi. You look so cute in my jacket,” He coos, and turns to Lucas, gesturing to you excitedly. “Doesn’t she look so cute in my jacket?”

“She does,” Lucas agrees good-naturedly, and Jaehyun smiles wider, bending down to peck your lips briefly before heading back to his teammates, most of whom are now staring in your direction.

“Told you it’d make his day,” Lucas reminds you, and you bite your lip to hide a bashful smile that peeks out anyway as you realize that Jaehyun keeps stealing glances in your direction, a similar smile making its way to his lips as he struggles to focus on the game.

Jaehyun thinks it’s safe to say that he’s whipped for you, and he hopes that you feel the same way.

“These are really good seats,” Soojin marvels, and you smile in lieu of a response, your attention on the court as you scan the players to find Jaehyun. You spot him before he does you, his hands on his knees as he looks at the enormous crowd of people. You smile fondly at his unsuspecting frame and look around you, your brows furrowing when you see a group of girls sitting behind you and slightly to the left. Tracking their gaze with ease, you figure out that they’re staring intently at Jaehyun, and the realization leaves a bad taste in your mouth. “He’s looking for you!” Soojin whisper-yells in your ear, and you smile bashfully, turning away from the girls and facing front again. 

Sure enough, his gaze finds yours and he beams widely, standing straight up and waving. You wave back shyly, your stomach dropping when the girls behind you start to whisper amongst themselves. You’d almost say you’re overreacting, that they’re not talking about you, but a quick, surreptitious peek behind you reveals that they’re staring daggers into your back, one of them having the decency to look away when you two make eye contact.

“What’s wrong?” Soojin asks, concerned, and you smile tightly.

“Nothing,” You lie, and she raises a skeptical eyebrow.

“I’m not dumb.” She says flatly, and you wince at her less than pleased tone. “If you don’t want to talk about it, just say so, but you don’t have to lie.”

“Can we talk about it later?” You ask in a soft voice, your chest tightening as anxiety starts to settle in. Your best friend, ever so perceptive, scans your face, her displeased expression softening immediately.

“Sure, babe.” She agrees, wrapping an arm around your shoulders and squeezing gently. You do your best to focus on the game, your eyes trained on Jaehyun’s jersey, the number 14 staring back at you as he moves across the court confidently. You’re just starting to feel better when the girls behind you cheer loudly as Jaehyun makes a basket, and your heart clenches uncomfortably as you peek over your shoulder again.

The girl sitting at the top of their cluster, most likely their queen bee due to her haughty demeanor, locks eyes with you and shoots you a venomous stare. Your eyes widen and you scowl right back before turning back to face the court. 

You can’t help but compare yourself to the girl sitting a few rows behind you, your eyesight blurring as you wonder if Jaehyun would like her. You know he doesn’t like mean girls, but her features are so prettily crafted that you can’t help but beat yourself up slightly.

Jaehyun looks like a Greek god, if you’re being honest, and you’re not sure you measure up. Are you smart enough? Funny enough? Pretty enough? Are you good enough for him?

“Get out of your head,” Soojin whispers, squeezing your hand gently. You look down at your hand to realize that it’s clutching the wooden bleachers so tightly that your fingers are starting to hurt. “The game’s almost over,” She points out, and you’re shocked to realize that you’ve been so busy worrying about Jaehyun that you completely forgot to watch him. You frown and do your best to push the invasive thoughts to the back of your mind, instead focusing on the last five minutes of the game.

Jaehyun is positively dominating the court, receiving Johnny’s pass and dribbling down the court so quickly that you struggle to track his movements. He stops right at the three-pointer line and shoots, the audience going dead silent as the ball soars through the air. Just as the timer hits zero, the ball sinks through the hoop, and cheers erupt from every end of the gymnasium as people flood the floor, eager to congratulate the winning team.

You hang back slightly, still a bit in your head from earlier, and the girls from behind you shoulder past you brusquely as they rush towards Jaehyun, surrounding him and squealing excitedly. He offers them a tight-lipped smile, his eyes very visibly looking for someone else, and he pauses when he spots you, his face lighting up. He makes his way through the crowd (not without difficulty) and is finally standing in front of you, his chest heaving as he catches his breath. 

“Good job out there,” You start to say, but he’s wrapping his arms around you and pulling you into a tight hug, swaying you from side to side. You’re just about ready to melt into his embrace when you make the mistake of opening your eyes, your attention directed to the group of girls that seem to have made an enemy of you as they glare at you. “Jae–” You protest weakly, but he doesn’t let up, his hand rubbing circles into your back that would normally be soothing, but now just make you all the more aware of your audience. “Jaehyun,” You complain insistently, breaking away from the hug and wrapping your arms around yourself.

You absolutely do not miss the way his face falls, but you ignore it. 

“What’s wrong?” He asks, and you shake your head dismissively.

“You’re just...sweaty. And people are watching.” You mumble, and he pouts at you.

“Since when did my sweat bother you?” He asks, confused. “And who cares about all these other people? It’s just you and me, sunshine.” He says warmly, and you swallow the lump in your throat, your chest tightening as your vision gets blurry. “Do you wanna get something to eat after I shower and change and stuff? I won’t be sweaty anymore, I promise.” He asks hopefully, and you give him a thin-lipped smile. 

“Sure,” You murmur, and he grins, swooping down and pecking you on the cheek. “See you soon,” You say, stubbornly blinking back tears that are threatening to fall. 

“Later, sunshine.” He coos, turning to head to the locker rooms. The gaggle of girls follow after him, and Soojin finds you just in time for the first tear to fall.

“Oh, babe.” She tuts sympathetically, offering you a tissue from her purse. The simple act of kindness is too much for you in your emotional state, and the tears begin to fall freely. Soojin goes into instant bodyguard mode, stiffening and leaning closer to you. “What happened?”

“Can we get out of here? I promise I’ll explain after.” You sniffle, and she nods solemnly, blocking your face from any potential prying eyes and leading you out of the gymnasium. “Can we go somewhere?”

“Where?” She asks.

“Anywhere but here. Or my room.” You mutter, your lips trembling with the pressure of restraining your frown. She nods once more and leads you to her car, not saying a word as she drives through town while you cry quietly to yourself, finally pulling up to a diner she’s taken you to numerous times. 

“Wait here,” She tells you, and you nod, bringing your knees to your chest and hugging them. She disappears into the restaurant, appearing about 10 minutes later holding two cups. “Milkshake,” She informs you, and you blink up at her through your tear-studded lashes. “Drink,” She orders gently, bringing the straw to your lips. You nod obediently and suck on the straw, the sweet, cold vanilla milkshake sending a shiver down your spine. “Now, what happened?”

“...Do you think Jaehyun is out of my league?” You ask quietly, and her face contorts into confusion.

“No? Why would you even think that? Did he say something to you? I swear, I’ll castrate him–” She’s talking a mile a minute, snarling her last few words before you shake your head in a panic, cutting her off mid-sentence.

“No! He didn’t say anything, I just...there were these girls at the game today.” You start, and Soojin listens intently as you launch into your recollection of the events that transpired no more than an hour and a half ago. “So, I said I’d meet him for something to eat, but it got to be too much, so I had to go.” You finish in a whisper, and her sympathetic face is enough to bring more tears to your eyes.

“No, don’t cry!” She urges frantically, dabbing at your eyes to wipe the tears away. She opens her mouth to speak, but she’s interrupted by your phone ringing. You both freeze and you pull the device out from your bag, staring at Jaehyun’s name on the screen until the call times out. “If he thought you weren’t good enough for him, he wouldn’t have spent all this time wooing you. You two have history and chemistry; it doesn’t get better than that!” She nods confidently, and your phone buzzes once, causing her gaze to fall to your phone.

Checking the notification before you open your phone and send a read receipt, your heart drops at the text.

jaehyun [4:51pm] hey sunshine! johnny said he saw you and soojin leaving the game earlier and you didn’t say bye :( is everything okay?

You nibble at your lower lip, staring at Soojin as if the answer to your problems would appear on her face or emerge from her red-lipsticked lips. However, such salvation never comes, as she just looks as shell-shocked as you do.

“Answer him!” She whispers, and you shake your head vehemently.

“What am I supposed to say? Oh, sorry I left early; I had an existential crisis about whether or not you’re out of my league.” You whisper back sarcastically, and Soojin glowers at you.

“Just—lie if you have to, but answer him!” She hisses before stopping herself short. “Why are we whispering? He can’t hear us.”

“I don’t know,” You mumble, cracking a small smile. You unlock your phone and type out a reply.

you [4:56pm] hi jae :) sorry i realized i have a bunch of work to do so i just thought it’d be better if i went to soojin’s room to study!

jaehyun [4:58pm] oh :( okay

jaehyun [4:58pm] without saying bye, though?

You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding as you type out another reply.

you [5:01pm] sorry :((( it’s a lot of work

you [5:02pm] i’ll see you soon, though! congrats on today’s game; you did a great job :)

jaehyun [5:03pm] thank you sunshine :) see you soon

Jaehyun stares down at his phone, unable to shake the feeling that this is the beginning of the end.

Winter.

A sea full of bright faces, eager to see his team win, and Jaehyun’s only focused on the one face who’s not there.

“She’ll come, dude; she’s probably running late.” Johnny says comfortingly, patting Jaehyun on the shoulder, and he nods, craning his head from side to side to get himself into the zone and free his mind of you.

You don’t come. Despite Jaehyun’s frequent checking every time he makes a shot, your frame never walks through the door, and you never get to see Jaehyun play his heart out. 

They win; not that Jaehyun really cares. He makes the winning shot, and the crowd goes absolutely wild, students rushing the court and surrounding his team as they jump around and cheer. It hurts to do at this point, but Jaehyun can’t help but scan the smiling faces around him in the hopes that maybe, just maybe, he missed watching you come in. 

He didn’t. He knew he hadn’t missed you in the first place—he could never miss your presence, the way you calmly light up a room with your soothing aura and radiant smile—but he still hoped he had. His teammates wrap him in a bearhug, Johnny’s hug a bit tighter than usual, and jump up and down, sending Jaehyun bouncing up and down in reluctant celebration.

“Cheer up, Jae, we won!” Johnny exclaims, and Jaehyun fakes a smile. “Don’t give me that weak smile, I know you better than that.”

“I just—do you think something happened to her?” Jaehyun asks worriedly, and Johnny makes a sympathetic face, brows furrowed in concern.

“I doubt it, but, hey—why don’t you text her?” Johnny suggests, and Jaehyun nods, perking up a bit as he follows his teammates to the locker room. He makes a beeline for his locker, opening it and taking his phone out.

jaehyun [6:18pm] hey! i didn’t see you today :(

At the immediate three dots popping up, Jaehyun’s heart swells with excitement and relief.

sunshine [6:18pm] oh my god i’m so sorry jae

sunshine [6:18pm] i was working in the library and completely lost track of time :((

Jaehyun instantly feels better, just talking to you having made his day all the happier. He quickly types out a reply, dimples poking into his cheeks as he grins widely at his phone.

jaehyun [6:19pm] don’t worry about it! i just wanted to make sure you’re okay :)

sunshine [6:20pm] i’m very okay, thank you :)

sunshine [6:21pm] how about you? did you win?

jaehyun [6:22pm] i’m great :) we did win, yeah

sunshine [6:24pm] YAY!!! congrats, jae; i knew you would :D

jaehyun [6:25pm] would have been better with my good luck charm there, though ;)

sunshine [6:26pm] but you clearly don’t need me there ;)

But I want you here, Jaehyun thinks to himself, but thinks it too much to send over text. 

jaehyun [6:28pm] but still :( 

sunshine [6:30pm] i can practically see your pout right now

jaehyun [6:31pm] i'm not pouting :(

sunshine [6:33pm] sure you’re not

sunshine [6:35pm] i gotta finish this assignment so i won’t be up all night :( but i’ll talk to you later, okay?

jaehyun [6:37pm] okay :( if i don’t get to talk to you later, good night :) sleep well~

sunshine [6:40pm] you too jae :)

His spirits lifted slightly, Jaehyun locks his phone and puts it back in his locker, heading to the shower to wash off and change. He passes Johnny, fresh out the shower, who stops him.

“Was she okay?” Johnny asks, and Jaehyun nods.

“She got caught up in work at the library.” He explains, and Johnny smiles comfortingly.

“See? I told you it was no big deal.” He reminds Jaehyun, who nods. “After this, the team’s gonna go grab food; you in?”

“Yeah! Lemme just shower and get ready first, okay?” Jaehyun replies easily, and Johnny nods, clapping him on the shoulder.

“I’ll wait for you, okay?” Johnny says, and Jaehyun nods again in agreement.

“I won’t be long!” He calls over his shoulder as he jogs to the shower. In the intimacy of the shower, Jaehyun’s thoughts are filled with you, but not in the way he’d expect. His mind is racing with thoughts of your smile, your laugh, the way your hand feels in his, and the way your frame fits so perfectly in his arms. 

Jeong Jaehyun is nineteen, and he’s coming to the realization that he might be just a bit in over his head when it comes to you.

If warning flag one was when you missed his basketball game the other day, Jaehyun thinks warning flag two might be showing itself right now, as he frowns down at his phone.

sunshine [4:47pm] hii jae ❤️ i’m so sorry but i have a class project to work on with my group so i can’t meet up in the library today :(

Jaehyun does his best to mask his disappointment, thanking the heavens that you’re communicating through text only as he types back a response.

jaehyun [4:48pm] okay :( i’ll miss you! we can hang out some other time :)

sunshine [4:50pm] sounds good to me :)

“Hey, man, are you going to the library still?” Johnny asks, walking up behind Jaehyun and slinging an arm around his shoulders. Jaehyun shrugs dejectedly, and Johnny stops in his tracks and regards the younger male carefully. “What’s wrong?”

“She has a group project to work on.” Jaehyun mumbles, unavoidably bummed out. “I said I’d see her later.”

“Aw, don’t beat yourself up! I bet she’d much rather be hanging out with you.” Johnny comforts him, and Jaehyun shrugs despondently. “Come on, maybe we’ll see her in the library and she can come hang out when she’s done.” Johnny doesn’t wait for another word from Jaehyun, steering him to the library. 

Jaehyun doesn’t expect to run into you at the library. Jaehyun definitely doesn’t expect to come across you sitting—pretty closely—next to some guy and giggling at a joke the unfamiliar male is murmuring to you. Jaehyun’s brows furrow and he stops right in his tracks, Johnny bumping into his back suddenly.

“Oh, shit.” Johnny mumbles, looking at the scene unfolding before him. “It’s just a group project,” He tries to comfort Jaehyun, but the younger male is simply not listening, his eyes trained on the gentle curve of your lips into that smile that he loves bringing to your face.

“He’s making her laugh,” Jaehyun remarks flatly, unable to look away.

“It’s okay, Jaehyun.” Johnny consoles the other male, and if matters weren’t already bad, they rapidly grow worse when you look up and lock eyes with a brooding Jaehyun.

“Hi, Jae!” You chirp happily, and Jaehyun can’t tell if he’s happy that you’re so happy to see him or not. “This is Shinwon,” You introduce the unfamiliar male, who smiles warmly and waves in greeting. “He’s the only one from my group project who didn’t bail on me.” You sigh dramatically, and Shinwon rubs your back comfortingly. 

Instantly, Jaehyun is practically green with envy, and Johnny, sensing a problem starting to brew, hooks his arm in the younger male’s arm, waving goodbye and steering him away.

“Good luck on your group project!” Johnny calls over his shoulder just loud enough for you to hear.

“Yeah, good luck,” Jaehyun mutters bitterly, his hard gaze still on you as his head turns at an awkward angle to continue watching what he can only describe as a disaster. You frown, confused by his moodiness, but eventually shake it off, going back to your laptop as you and Shinwon continue joking around and working on the project.

Jaehyun has no idea how he got himself into this mess, but, frankly, he’d like to get out.

It’s Jaehyun’s birthday. 

It’s Jaehyun’s birthday, and you’re nowhere to be found at his basketball game.

It’s Jaehyun’s birthday, and the one person he wants to see most is nowhere in sight.

He’s about to give up hope when he hears your voice yelling his name excitedly. His head whips around to lock eyes with you and his heart soars, an imaginary symphony playing as he stares at you with dreamy eyes. He waves at you happily, and his heart swells when you return the gesture, only for reality to come crashing down as he notices who’s next to you.

It’s Jaehyun’s birthday, and you’re at his basketball game with another guy. Not just any guy; the guy from the library. He frowns instantly, turning away from the upsetting scene and trying his best to focus on the game. 

Jaehyun plays his heart out, as usual, and helps bring his team to yet another victory. As the gymnasium roars with cheers, his mind is on one person only: you. 

Like clockwork, you shoulder your way through the crowd to him, wrapping him in a tight hug. He returns the hug, embarrassingly desperate to feel you in his arms again, and inwardly laments when it ends far too quickly for his liking. 

“You did an amazing job! As always,” You congratulate him, and Jaehyun can’t help but smile at how happy you are. You suddenly jump as if shocked and start to rifle through your bag, pulling out a medium-sized tin and a small wrapped gift box. “Happy birthday, Jae!” 

He opens the tin curiously, his smile widening when he smells the present before he sees it. 

“My special recipe,” You say warmly, and he nods, hugging you again. “The gift box is that cologne I know you like; I know you ran out a while ago, so I thought I’d save you the trouble of getting another one!”

Your thoughtfulness takes him by surprise, and he’s stunned into silence for a second before an even wider smile takes over his face.

“I love it.” He assures you, and you beam at him, practically vibrating with excitement. You lean up and kiss his cheek, and Jaehyun’s heart clenches painfully.

If you’re so happy to see him...then why does this kiss feel like a goodbye?

“I’ll see you around, okay, Jae?” You say, and he finds himself nodding, watching helplessly as you turn to make your way through the crowd back to the guy—Jaehyun would probably remember his name if he cared enough, but he doesn’t want to think about him—and exit the gymnasium.

That evening, at the after party, Jaehyun’s surrounded by copious amounts of alcohol, which he’s more than indulged in, judging by his blurry surroundings and muted senses, and no shortage of pretty girls, but he can’t help but crave the phantom taste in his mouth of your pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. 

“Cheer up, bro; we won!” Johnny cheers, draping an arm around his shoulders sloppily. Jaehyun gives a tight smile, and Johnny’s brows furrow. “Fake smiles don’t work on me, bud.”

“I miss her.” Jaehyun mumbles, and Johnny nods understandingly, patting his shoulder.

“If I bring you another drink, will you try and have a good time?” Johnny asks, and Jaehyun pauses before shaking his head.

“I just kinda want to go home.” He sighs, and Johnny echoes his sound of disappointment before he stands up and helps Jaehyun to his feet, bidding him goodbye with a tight hug. 

Jaehyun makes his way home, passing by your room and feeling his heart shatter at the muffled sound of your laughter through the door. He gets inside his dorm room and makes a beeline for the metal tin, taking a cookie out and biting into it. As he chews, he notes that they’re saltier than before, and looks at the cookie curiously before realizing that the salt is from the tears slowly streaking down his face.

It’s Jaehyun’s birthday, and the person he wants to see the most has unofficially bid him goodbye, so he spends the rest of his birthday alone, tearfully eating cookies and wondering where he went wrong.

Walking across campus with Johnny, Jaehyun viciously regrets trying to drink all his thoughts of you away. His head is pounding, his muscles feel like they’ve turned to bags of wet sand, and, honestly, has the sun ever shone this brightly in the winter? His mind is racing and his head is aching, and it doesn’t make it any better when Johnny nudges him gently to get his attention.

“Jae,” Johnny murmurs, voice soft, “I think that’s…”

Jaehyun follows Johnny’s surreptitious gaze over to your walking figure. This time, the sight of you doesn’t make Jaehyun feel like his insides are alight with warmth. It may have something to do with the fact that there’s a hand looped with yours; it probably has something to do with the fact that the hand belongs to that guy from the library—Shinwon, was it?—but it definitely has to do with the fact that you walk right by Jaehyun, seemingly not even noticing his presence.

It’s like being hit by a truck. Jaehyun feels like he’s breaking with every step you and Shinwon take away from him. His mouth is dry, his eyes are stinging, and his thoughts are going a mile a minute. From a distance, he hears you laugh, watches your head toss back the way he likes, and his heart aches that he wasn’t the one to elicit such joy from you. 

Johnny doesn’t speak, respectfully holding his tongue, and Jaehyun’s suddenly aware of something dripping down his hand. In his distraction, he’s squeezed his energy drink so harshly that the bottle’s popped, pale blue liquid streaming down his fist and dripping onto the concrete. 

“Do you wanna get breakfast?” Johnny asks tentatively, and Jaehyun nods, feeling very far away from himself as he trudges after Johnny. “Come on. My treat,” The older male says, draping an arm around Jaehyun’s shoulders.

Jaehyun barely eats a bite at the diner, simply pushing his eggs around on his plate until his stomach churns with distaste.

“Do you…” Johnny says carefully, testing the waters, “Want to talk about it?”

“What’s there to talk about?” Jaehyun laughs bitterly, shrugging. “She doesn’t want me anymore.”

“Oh, don’t say that—“ Johnny starts.

“I just wonder what I did.” He sighs deeply, putting his fork down and entwining his fingers behind his head. “Like—did I say something, do something—“

“Stop that,” Johnny says sternly, and Jaehyun balks at the older male’s suddenly serious expression. “It’s not your fault. If anything, she just…doesn’t know a good thing when she has it.”

“But that’s the thing,” Jaehyun groans, sitting forward. “Shinwon seems like a really great guy. They’re even kind of cute together.”

“Stop it.” Johnny orders, and Jaehyun frowns. “They may be cute together, but you two were cuter.”

“Yeah, to you—“ Jaehyun starts to protest.

“No, not just to me,” Johnny replies, a hint of fierceness in his tone. “You two were very cute; the team agreed, you agreed, and I’m sure everyone agreed. So for her to break things off with you like that? It’s just ridiculous.”

“…I didn’t think it would hurt so much.” Jaehyun says softly. At Johnny’s sympathetic expression, Jaehyun continues. “It feels like she just broke me into pieces, dude. Why does it hurt so bad?”

“I could be wrong,” Johnny says slowly. “But it sounds like you love her, man.”

The realization comes several moments after Johnny’s spoken, the truth of what he’s said sinking in. Jaehyun’s stunned at first, not sure what to say; but then he starts to laugh. He laughs, laughs until his sides hurt, until his eyes are watering, until the strangers in the next booth shoot him a look. He laughs until he can’t, even though there is nothing funny, and until all there is left to do is cry. And cry he does, much to Johnny’s surprise given that he’s never cried in front of him before. 

Jeong Jaehyun is twenty years old, and he’s remembered what it feels like to love you. Jaehyun is twenty, and he wishes he could forget all over again.

It’s been two weeks since you and Jaehyun have spoken to, let alone seen each other. Jaehyun feels a bit like there’s a grey cloud following him wherever he goes, and it dawns on him one day that you really might just have been the sunshine he didn’t know he had until he lost it.

Finally, one day, Jaehyun is dragging his feet to his dorm room and he hears your voice as you have a one-sided conversation.

“Yep!” You chirp, holding your phone to your ear with one hand as you root through your bag for your room key. You walk right by him, your familiar scent wafting past him and making warmth flood his body, and stop in front of your door, finally procuring your key and sticking it in the lock, ready to turn it. “Okay. See you soon! Bye,” You say sweetly into the phone, and he wishes more than anything that he was the one to be talked to so sweetly by you. You laugh, the sound bringing a bittersweet smile to his face, and say, “I know, Shinwon. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

Just like that, the cloud is back with a vengeance, thunder rolling above his head, and he frowns. Realizing it’s now or never, he picks up his pace, eager to speak to you, to part the clouds above his head and bring back the sunshine.

“Hey,” He calls, and he realizes his hands are shaking slightly. You turn around and look at him, smiling as sweetly as ever.

“Hey, Jaehyun!” You reply happily, and he smiles a bit nervously, adjusting the strap on his bag. “What’s up?”

“It’s, uh, it’s been a while.” Jaehyun chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck and praying his ears aren’t giving him away. “I missed you.” His voice is smaller than usual, but if you notice, you don’t say anything, frowning slightly at his words before the smile returns on your face.

“I missed seeing you, too,” You say with a smile, and he does his best not to let his own face fall. That’s not the same. He knows it’s not the same, and you know it’s not the same. 

“I was wondering if you’d wanna catch up sometime…talk about classes and stuff.” His voice is softer than he knows it to be, a distant quaver in the sound as he reaches out to you, hoping you’ll reach back out to him. 

“That would be nice,” You muse softly, and he feels a relieved smile dawn on his face before you bring down the hammer. “I’m going on a date with Shinwon in a couple of minutes, but I’m free tomorrow after class!”

“D- Sh- …You have a date.” He says flatly, and your brows furrow as you nod. “With Shinwon.” He doesn’t mean to, but the other male’s name is drenched with contempt, and your eyes narrow.

“I don’t think I like the way you said that.” You respond slowly, staring at him blankly. 

“Do you blame me?” He scoffs, and it’s like he’s having an out-of-body experience, his astral projecting self screaming at him to slow down and take a deep breath before something unkind slips from his lips. “Where did Shinwon come from?”

“We’re dating.” You retort, and Jaehyun blinks, fighting back the urge to flinch as if he’d been slapped. “So I don’t think I appreciate you talking about him like that.”

“Since when were you two dating?” Jaehyun blurts out spitefully, and your frown deepens even more than he’d thought was possible. He hates seeing you upset, and he hates, more than anything that he was the one who upset you. “One day, you’re walking around with me, and the next, you drop me like cold turkey and start hanging out with him? Do you think that’s fair?”

“Jaehyun, people grow apart.” You say coldly, and he really does recoil this time, words unable to express the immense hurt that shoots through his heart. 

“So that’s what’s happening here? We’re growing apart?” He bites back, and you raise an eyebrow, gesturing between the two of you.

“I mean, I certainly don’t feel too chummy with you right now.” You snap, and he blinks twice, stunned.

“Okay. Well, in that case, I wouldn’t want to force you to get coffee with someone you don’t feel too chummy towards. Forget about it.” He retorts, and you huff, readjusting the strap of your bag on your shoulder. 

“Whatever. Bye.” You retort, visibly displeased, and turn your wrist, unlocking your door and stepping inside, slamming the door behind you. 

As Jaehyun stands there staring at the wooden door with your name neatly printed on a cheesy decoration your RA had made, the cloud above his head starts to rain.

Late Winter.

Jaehyun is going through withdrawal, to put it simply. He hasn’t spoken to you in over a month, and to make it worse, every time he’s seen you, you’ve been giggling with Shinwon or blatantly ignoring him. He’s suffering, frankly, and he misses you so desperately that it hurts.

So imagine his surprise when there’s a knock on his door and he opens it to see your uncertain face, drying tear tracks streaming down your pretty cheeks. He’s stunned into silence, staring at you with wide eyes for a minute before he remembers that, yeah, people typically speak to one another.

“Hey,” Jaehyun says carefully, unmasked surprise still in his voice. 

“Hey,” Your voice is much smaller than usual, and his brows furrow in concern as he takes in your defeated posture and your desolate expression. You make the mistake of looking up into his eyes, and immediately feel tears welling up once more. “I’m so sorry, I don’t know why I came here, I just–you were right here, and I figured I could–I’m so sorry, I’ll just go.” You stammer through your sniffles and whimpers, hurriedly wiping at your eyes before turning to leave. 

Jaehyun’s quicker than you, his fingers looping around your wrist and pulling you into a tight hug.

“It’s okay,” He shushes you gently, rocking you from side to side as you sob freely into his chest, your fingers bunching up the fabric of his t-shirt. “Come inside.”

“No, it’s okay, I’m okay,” You insist unconvincingly, and Jaehyun just squeezes you tighter when you move to wiggle out of his grasp.

“Please? Come inside.” Jaehyun whispers into your hair, and a beat of silence passes before your muscles relax and you nod, letting him bring you inside and shut the door, all without breaking the hug. He leads you to his bed and lifts you onto it, sitting down beside you and looking at you inquisitively. “What happened?”

“It’s stupid,” You mumble, feeling a bit stupid all of a sudden.

“No, it’s not. Tell me what’s wrong.” He presses gently, and you take a deep, shaky breath before turning your head to look at him with glassy eyes and a trembling bottom lip.

“Shinwon broke up with me,” You explain, and Jaehyun has to temper his response, internally doing a backflip of celebration before feeling guilty about how upset it’s made you. “I mean, I guess he did? We weren’t officially together, but we were as good as, you know? But, yeah, he broke up with me because he said it felt like I was ‘holding out for someone else.’” You explain tearily, and Jaehyun’s heart soars to the heavens with hope.

Was he the someone else Shinwon was talking about?

“But, I mean, that just–it doesn’t seem fair, and everything is so confusing, and–I’m sorry, I’m rambling.” You mutter, calming down and fiddling with a loose string of your sweater sleeve. 

“Was he a jerk about it? Do you want me to get some friends and go talk to him?” Jaehyun asks seriously, and you crack a small smile, shaking your head and sniffling. 

“No, that’s okay. Thank you. He was really sweet about it and super understanding, which makes me feel even worse, like I was leading him on somehow, and just–ugh, God, this sucks.” You sigh, and Jaehyun drapes an arm around your shoulders, letting you rest your head on his shoulder. 

“You weren’t leading him on,” Jaehyun assures you, but you shake your head adamantly.

“What if...what if I was?” You ask quietly, and Jaehyun looks down at you, clearly confused. “What if there was someone else I was holding out for?”

Jaehyun sucks in a breath, realization dawning in his eyes, and he doesn’t know who moves first, but your lips are on his and his shirt is scrunched up in your fist and both your minds are racing a mile a minute as you greedily grab at each other, pulling the other’s body impossibly closer.

Jaehyun comes to his senses faster than you do, breaking the kiss with a gasp and looking at you, his chest heaving. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

You’re barely listening, your hands slipping under his shirt and moving to lift it over his head. He groans when you start to kiss his neck before he snaps out of it once more, catching your wrists and pulling them away from his body.

“Jaehyun, please?” You whine, and his cock twitches at the desperation in your voice, but he fights the fog of arousal away, determined not to take advantage of you in your emotional state. If he’s being honest with himself, he also wants you to want him because you want him, not just a warm body to comfort yourself.

“Stop,” He says gently, and nothing on earth could have prepared him for the heartbreak he feels when your face falls, your expression hurt and devastated.

“...Sorry, I just thought–I thought you might still–that was so stupid of me, I’m sorry–” You stammer, and his eyes widen as he realizes what’s going on in your mind.

“No, you did nothing wrong–” He tries to explain, but you’re already wrenching your wrists from his grip, wiping the fresh tears that fall and hurrying out the door with one last tearful, muttered apology and not sparing a single glance back. 

Jaehyun falls back onto his bed, his eyes stinging as he rubs them quickly.

“Of course, I still want you,” Jaehyun mutters to himself bitterly. “I couldn’t stop if I tried.”

Jaehyun lies there for the rest of the night, staring at the ceiling and wondering if there was something, anything he could have said or done to change the outcome of what’s just happened.

Late Winter, Early Spring.

It’s been over a month since you and Jaehyun have spoken. Even though you live literally right next door to each other, you always find a way to slip out of your room in the early morning and sneak back in late at night to avoid seeing him. 

Jaehyun misses you. He misses your laugh, your smile, your voice, the way your hand feels in his—his every waking thought is consumed with intrusive thoughts of you, of memories from a time much less complicated.

So when he spots you running a lemonade stand with your friend—Minnie, was it?—he has to do a double take to make sure he’s not seeing things. But lo and behold, there you are, smiling and handing out lemonade in paper cups while Minnie holds a glittery sign saying “Buy lemonade, end world hunger.” 

At first, Jaehyun just watches you from afar, not wanting to alert you to his presence lest he spook you away. But as your radiant smile becomes even more vivid in his mind’s eye, the urge to make things right with you grows to be unbearable, and he sets his notebook down beside him in the grass, alerting the attention of Johnny, who promptly looks up and around, his eyes following Jaehyun’s gaze before widening.

“Is that—?” Johnny asks incredulously, and Jaehyun nods distractedly. He’s staring at you so hard you must almost be able to feel it, staring as desperately as if you’d disappear if he looked away. 

“Yeah. You have a dollar? I have a plan.” Jaehyun mumbles, his gaze still trained on you. Johnny fishes out a crumpled dollar bill from the bottom of his bag and hands it to Jaehyun, who takes it gratefully and makes his way to his feet, taking a deep breath and approaching your lemonade stand before he chickens out.

“Hi, can I interest you in some lemo—oh,” You greet, the words turning into a stammer as you look up at the newcomer, your smile fading in favor of a deer in the headlights expression.

“Please don’t run away from me,” Jaehyun pleads, holding the dollar out as some semblance of a peace offering. You eye the wrinkled dollar bill and Jaehyun’s hopeful face before sighing softly and taking the dollar from his hand, pouring him a cup of lemonade. “It’s not pink,” He remarks in surprise as he looks down at the cup’s contents, and you look at him, confused.

“No, they were all out of the pink lemonade mix,” You say softly, and he nods, tossing his head back as he downs the cup in one go. 

“Shame. Someone very important to me once told me that the pink color makes it taste better.” Jaehyun muses, giving you a pointed look.

“Mm, they must be very smart.” You hum, averting your gaze as you wipe up the condensation from the pitcher off the table. “Look—“

“I just—“ He starts to speak at the same time as you, and you both freeze, chuckling awkwardly.

“You first?” You offer, and he nods, looking around until he finds what he’s looking for. He reaches over and runs his thumb over the glittery border of the lemonade stand sign and smiles in satisfaction when gold glitter appears on the pad of his thumb. 

Taking a deep breath, Jaehyun leans forward before swiping his thumb on your nose to leave a smattering of gold glitter in its wake. You stand there, mouth opening and closing as you try and fail to formulate sentences.

“Please tell me you get what I’m trying to do here,” Jaehyun chuckles desperately, and you nod, a small smile turning up the corners of your lips.

“I do,” You reply quietly, the previously small smile on your lips widening and growing until you can’t contain it anymore.

“You’ve always been special to me.” Jaehyun confesses, and you take your bottom lip between your teeth, biting down nervously. “This past month and change has been hell without you, and I…am hopelessly in love with you, so please accept my apology and…come back into my life?” He asks anxiously, and your eyes widen at his admission.

“I was going to say that I’ve never missed someone as much as I missed you––nor have I ever been more in love with someone,” You say slowly, and a dimple pokes into Jaehyun’s right cheek as he starts to smile excitedly. “I was also going to say that, if you can forgive me for being quick to jump to conclusions and not hearing your side of things, I would really like to have you in my life again.” You aren’t even aware you’re avoiding his gaze until you realize your eyes are trained unwaveringly on your own hands, and you peek up at him to see his brilliant smile rivaling the sun’s rays. 

“Deal,” He sighs in relief before reaching for your hand and guiding you out from behind the lemonade stand. “One condition, though.”

“Hm?” You ask curiously, and he looks down at you with so much adoration in his eyes, it’s almost staggering.

“I’ll only come back in your life if I can do it as your boyfriend.” He bargains, and you giggle, letting him pull you into his warm, welcome embrace.

“That’s good, because I was only going to come back in your life if I could do it as your girlfriend.” You hum pleasantly, and he beams down at you, brushing the tip of his nose against your own before capturing your lips in a sweet kiss.

“Glad we’re on the same page.” He says breathlessly when you two part, and you just smile widely, kissing him again. 

“You taste like lemonade.” You point out, and he chuckles.

“So do you. Sampling the merchandise?” He teases, and you look around conspiratorially before leaning up to whisper in his ear. 

“Maybe. Maybe I’ve been drinking it and thinking about my secret stash of pink lemonade mix in my room.” You muse, and his face lights up. You fail to bite back a snicker, and he narrows his eyes at you playfully.

“What are you giggling about?” He laughs, hugging you closer to him, so close to his chest that you can feel his heartbeat.

“You have glitter on your nose now.” You point out, and he swipes it off with the back of his hand, doing the same to your nose before kissing the tip of it lightly.

“Better?” He asks, and you nod, finally feeling at peace.

“Perfect.”

Jeong Jaehyun is twenty years old and he loves you––and, thankfully, you love him too.

[dangandeez]

Izuru Kamukura x excited!reader!

Reader gets excited over EVERYTHING and Izuru finds it amusing

notes: snail mention + toad / frog mention ? other than that it’s just wholesome Izuru shit because I am a simp for scary-god-man

“Look!! It’s a little froggie!” You gasped, letting go of Izuru’s hand to crouch down and admire the little creature with stars in your eyes.

“That’s a toad.” He remarked, crouching down beside you. It was, in fact, a toad.

“Look how cute he is!!” You cooed. You didn’t want to stress it out by picking it up, but you spent several moments admiring the small creature.

“I fail to see the appeal.” Izuru replied, standing, and helping you to do the same. “Though you always seem to see the appeal of most simple things.”

You giggled, squeezing the hand that was still holding yours as the two of you continued your hike. You’d tied his hair back into some braids beforehand, making use of your ultimate cosmetologist talent, and convinced him to come with you. He had no complaints on the matter, Izuru was content to do most things you’d ask of him. You’d stopped several times on this hike already, and you always made him watch the sunsets and sunrises on especially “pretty” days. He never minded, he found your fascination with mundane things to be interesting.

“Well, if you don’t appreciate the little things in life, the world seems a lot more dull. Don’t you think?” You asked teasingly, giving him a quick boop on the nose as you continued on.

“Hm. I guess you’re right.”

“Look!!!” You gasped, releasing his hand yet again and crouching down to a fallen tree, covered in moss and mushrooms, with a snail crawling on it. “Whoa.” You marveled at the sight, pulling out your phone and taking a picture.

“Why is that picture-worthy?” Izuru asked, a small smile on his face at your purely innocent excitement.

“It’s just!” You gestured at it, turning to look at him with a bright smile. “It’s cool! So many living things, on something dead! It’s kinda like a metaphor, you know?” You mused, sticking your hand in front of the snail’s path, causing the creature to crawl onto your hand.

“Can we keep him?” You asked, turning back to Izuru with a pleading look in your eyes, sticking your lower lip out a bit for emphasis on the begging.

“Why?”

“Because he looks like a friend.” You announced proudly.

“Are you experienced in snail care?”

“I am! I’ve kept several!”

“Well then, I see no reason why you can’t keep your ‘friend’.” That rare smile of his was once again present as you stood, a bounce in your step as you walked up to him, kissing him on the cheek as a means of saying thank you.

“Should we turn back then?” He asked.

“Ah.. I guess we should. They get stressed out if you hold them for too long.”

On your way back, Izuru did something that utterly shocked you.

“Wait.” He said, crouching down to pick a small wildflower, and carefully placed it behind your ear. There was the softness in his eyes, the softness that was always reserved just for you. Your cheeks were burning up at the romantic gesture. “I thought it was pretty.”

[hisunshiine]

To All The Men I’ve Fucked Before ; (M) jjk

↣ When your secret 'sex' journal entries are somehow texted to the people they were written about, including a couple of coworkers and your best friend, you find your quiet work existence turned upside down. based off of TATBILB.

moodboards | playlist | Netflix ReImagined BTS Masterlist | TATMIFB masterlist 

↳ #NetflixReImaginedBTS: Jeon Jungkook x Reader starring in a fake dating au, photographer!JK, stylist!Reader

⟢ pairing: photographer!jungkook x stylist!reader

⟢ word count: 30.7k

⟢ genre + warnings: nsfw 18+, fake relationship, smluff © & angst, kissing, fluffy fake relationship cuteness, jealousy, jungkook needs help with feelings, clothed humping, explicit sexual content in the form of unprotected sex, multiple orgasms, body worship, cunnilingus, fingering, handjob, hickies, blowjob, creampie, begging, strip tease if you squint, baby petname, crying, feelings of heartbreak, oh did i mention angst? namkook fist fight, minimal arguing, minimal blood, other idols make brief appearances, OT7 is present 

⟢ summary: When your secret 'sex' journal entries are somehow texted to the people they were written about, including a couple of coworkers and your best friend, you find your quiet work existence turned upside down. based off of the netflix film and novel by jenny han, but different.

⟢ an: hello, hello! this is probably my favorite story to date that i’ve written and the longest one shot! I am so grateful to everyone who helped me by reading this (most are not on tumblr), but especially my baby hana, @taestulip​, who always reads and hypes me up. the movie/book series it’s based off of is honestly one of my faves, and turning it into an adult version was a lot of fun! I know i took out some characters and changed a lot of the plot devices, but for good reason, as it is it’s own novel, I did not want to encroach on that territory. fake dating au’s are some of my absolute faves and so i hope you enjoy this! sorry for the length, sksksks.

⟢ prologues: NJ & Reader | Love Triangle (coming soon) |

The large glass building was located on the corner of the block, in the heart of the city. A sight to see from all corners of the downtown area, you loved that you worked at BigHit Music. Of course, housing the globally recognized idol duo, SeoulM8, made working there fun. You walked into the building, and swiped your badge as you made your way through the secured entrance and up the elevator to your office. 

The gold plaque on your door highlighted your name and position. To this day you’re still in awe to see your name engraved in sans serif with the words “Lead Wardrobe Stylist” written beneath it. You entered the office, flipping on the lights and smiling at the large board along the back wall. It was covered with the designs you would need for the upcoming shoot for SeoulM8’s fan content, first single off their newest album, and plans for the concert wardrobe as well. 

Placing your empty insulated coffee tumbler on your desk, you set down all of your belongings, organizing your design tablet, notebook, and favorite writing utensils before once again taking the tumbler in hand. A cup of coffee would be perfect to start your busy Monday before your meeting with Jimin and Taehyung about their wardrobe later today. 

Walking into the employee lounge area, you set about making your coffee. Others walked in and out, dropping off packed lunches and grabbing coffee as well, so you can’t help but hear the gossip as two of the women who work with SeoulM8 discuss the latest office drama.

“I can’t believe it. She broke up with him!” Becca said, her colorful pixie cut swaying slightly as she shook her head.

“She’s crazy, Jungkook is gorgeous; have you seen his thighs?” Theresa responded, twirling her dark purple curls in wonder.

You stirred in the caramel creamer slowly, listening to their conversation. Jeon Jungkook and Jeon Somin (no relation) had been dating for almost as long as you could remember. It was surprising to hear that they were broken up. 

“Somin is really pretty too, though, she could have any guy… What if that’s what it was?”

“You think someone better than Jungkook came along and wooed her?”

“I mean… I swore I heard a rumor that she went out on a date with one of the actors, but who knows. All we know for sure is that Jungkook is single.” 

Finishing your coffee, you closed the lid to your favorite cup and left the room, smiling politely to Becca and Theresa who provided you with the information that had your head reeling. The entire walk back to your office, and even once you were seated at the desk, you couldn’t stop thinking about Jungkook and Somin.

Somin was one of the first friends you made at BigHit School for Music and Artists when you transferred in after completing your AA requirements at another university. BHSMA operated differently than traditional universities, converting students to employees at the company associated with the school. It was where you met Jungkook, Jimin, and a few other people that you worked closely with at the company. After that first year though, you grew apart from some of the people you spent that entire first year with, making new friends, like the one walking in through your office door.

So lost in thoughts of the past, you almost knocked over your perfectly made coffee onto your design tablet, where you had been sketching aimlessly. A dimpled smile was the cause of your quickly beating heart, complimenting the face of Namjoon, who startled you when he called your name loudly.

“Joon, I swear, one day, you will be the death of me, and my electronics.”

“Listen, you dropped your phone all on your own, no one told you to be scared when I walked into the room.”

“Stop being so fucking loud when you enter, you startle people!”

He just laughed, his pretty eyes disappearing as he expelled joy. Namjoon was glowing, his tanned skin looking healthy and youthful. You couldn’t help but smile at him as he pushed his falling platinum hair out of his dark eyes and set his gaze on you.

“I think I’m gonna do it today, Y/N.”

You froze, smile still on display, but a little less enthusiastic than when he had first walked in.

“Do it?” You asked, wary as you saw his hand drift to his inside coat pocket.

“I love her, Y/N. I think I’m gonna ask her to be mine, always.” Namjoon removed a small velvet box from his pocket and you reached for it, hand trembling slightly. Namjoon, in his excitement, was oblivious to the way you shook, as well as the sound of your heart splintering. “Do you think Jennie will like it?”

Looking at the ring tucked into the box, you nodded, not trusting your voice. Of course Jennie would. It was beautiful. A rose gold band with an opulent Moonstone set in the middle, and two smaller diamonds set on either side. You knew that the moonstone was Joon’s favorite, he talked about how much he loved the moon countless late nights that you would sit with him in his studio.

“It’s gorgeous, Namjoon.” You said quietly. This time, he noticed the tremble of your voice, and stood worriedly from where he was perched on the corner of your desk.

“Whoa, what’s wrong?” He asked you, concerned by your demeanor.

“Nothing, I’m just so happy for you.” You lied, tilting your head back to blink away the forming tears. Believing you, he enveloped you into a hug and you hugged him back tightly, afraid to let go.

“Ah, you have a meeting soon and I’m here making you cry… I’ll see you after and tell you how it went! Good luck, Y/N!”

Namjoon exited your office, footsteps light as he headed towards his future… and away from you. Sinking into your chair, you take several steadying breaths in order to settle your heart. Why did it hurt so much? You had given up on the idea of you and Namjoon a long time ago. This wasn’t what you expected to have to deal with when you arrived to work, but you were a professional. Wiping your smudged eyeliner to clean up your makeup, you looked down at your design tablet, where you see the sketch of a professional camera held by a large hand up to a large doe eye half finished on your screen. 

Hitting the “new” button, you begin to draw anew on a clean canvas creating the concept for the concert design for your meeting with SeoulM8 later on.

—

Sitting at home, you massaged the soles of your feet as you rested on your couch with your younger sister, Yuna, who was doing her homework at the coffee table. It had been a long day, but Jimin and Taehyung loved your idea for their concert concept: young guys traveling Seoul for group songs, and angelic, soft individual images of them with feathered outfits to match their solo songs. 

“Yuna… Namjoon is getting engaged today.”

Your sister stopped working, turning to look at you with eyes wide. She had been diligently studying for the cosmetology courses she was taking at your alma mater in hopes of getting hired at the same company as you. This news threw her off track.

“What? He—wait, what?”

You nodded, letting out a deep sigh as you turned towards the floor to ceiling windows in the living room. Rain was steadily falling, the perfect backdrop to your mood.

“Both of our dreams are shattered. He showed me the ring and said he was proposing today. To Jennie.”

Yuna flung herself onto the couch dramatically. 

“Can we please drink to drown our sorrows? This homework can wait.” 

You nodded, turning on Netflix before getting up to grab the wine and glasses. While you stood on tiptoe at the edge of the counter, reaching up into the tall cabinet for the long stemmed glasses, the doorbell to your apartment rang.

“I’ll get it!” Yuna yelled, and so you clambered onto the counter, knees digging into the marble as you finally managed to reach your goal. 

“Oh! Namjoon?”

You almost slipped from where you were perched, confused as to why your newly engaged best friend would be loudly squelching his tennis shoes into your apartment and not ravishing his fiancee. You expected a text or call about the engagement, not a personally delivered update. 

You wouldn’t be able to pretend this time. 

Turning to look at the entryway, you see a downtrodden and sopping wet Namjoon, eyes rimmed red from crying.

“Joonie?” Your voice was soft, questioning. He maneuvered across the kitchen with just three big steps and pulled you into his arms. His body slotted between your thighs where you sat on the counter after almost falling, and he let loose a sob that broke your heart even more than earlier.

“Joon, what happened?” You asked, scared.

“J-Jennie… she said no.” Your eyes widened in shock, but you waited patiently for him to continue. “She’s moving to Japan, she took that expansion position… She broke up with me.”

—

It was a long night to say the least. 2 wine glasses turned into 3 once Namjoon had shown up. You grabbed some of his spare clothes for him to change into, threw his stuff in the washer, and joined Yuna and him back in the living room where they had both curled up and began watching The Start Up on Netflix. 

Climbing onto the couch, you wrapped your arm around him and placed your head on his shoulder. He kissed your forehead before settling in to watch TV, and you couldn’t help the way your heart reacted to it. He had always been affectionate with you during your time as best friends, though it had lessened some the more serious he and Jennie became. The difference now was that this time, he was single. A part of you hoped it could mean more in the future. 

By episode 2, Namjoon was asleep on Yuna’s shoulder; no surprise considering how tired he must have been. He had cried on his way to your apartment, and the last of his tears onto your shirt when he arrived. Luckily, you hadn’t yet changed out of your own work clothes, so when you grabbed his garments, you took the opportunity to change into a spaghetti strap tank and sweatpants for couch cuddling. You turned off the TV as you untangled yourself from him, stretching as he roused slightly from your movements. 

“Don’t you two just look like the sweetest couple,” you say yawning, gently teasing your sister who was beet red from your words. Her crush on Namjoon was nothing new, but not something she wanted him to know about. She already knew she was too young for him; seen as nothing more than his best friend’s little sister. A part of Yuna was jealous that you had better chances with him than she did.

“Shut it!” Her whisper is harsh, but Namjoon slept on, unaware of the sisterly teasing. “I already know you’re gonna write all about this in your sex book!” 

You rolled your eyes, having forgotten about your old journal that you kept. You just shrugged, leaning down to gently wake Namjoon so you can put him to bed.

“Come on sleepy… Let’s get up and go to bed okay?” 

His large frame shuffled across the living room and down the hallway to your room. You heard him plop heavily on your bed, probably already asleep without having pulled back the covers. You put the empty wine glasses into the sink and straightened up the living room a tiny bit before you went to your room as well. 

Not yet ready for bed, you sat at your desk with the small lamp on, staring at the old journal your sister reminded you about. The image on the front is faded; you can barely make out what it used to be as you’ve covered it with doodles and stickers that are peeling at the edges. Opening it, you turned through the pages, taking in the lengthy entries about the boys you’ve slept with, starting with the one you lost your virginity to. 

Your finger grazed across the fancy calligraphy where you wrote his name at the top in a purple gel pen in. Jeon Jungkook. You laughed at the way you wrote about him, first describing him as a person before giving the intimate details of the experience, and finally ending it with a brief message of what you had wanted to say to him. Your eyes scanned the page, certain sentences catching your attention as you read it. 

“...and the way he held my neck when he first entered me, I think I’m in love.”

“He said it was his first time too. Does this mean something?”

“Jungkook, having you as my first… I want you to be my last. You looked at me as if the galaxies were reflected in my eyes. I want to feel the way you make me feel all the time. I hope that this does change things between us, but in a good way.”

You cringe a little, remembering how it didn’t turn out that way. Instead, after that night 5 years ago, you didn’t talk to Jungkook for a couple of days due to exam week. You texted him after your last test and he told you to come over; he wanted to talk to you about something too. But when you went to his dorm to see him and confess, you found him with Somin, your best friend at the time. They weren’t doing anything outrageous, just sitting on his twin bed in his dorm room talking, but you heard what she was saying through the door that was cracked.

Somin was confessing. You had no idea that she liked him too. It made your heart tight knowing that he had slept with you a week prior, and now your best friend was confessing to him. To be fair, neither of you had told the other about your feelings towards him. So instead of walking in and telling him how you felt, you left. He had texted you later asking what happened to you coming over but you lied, saying you had gotten busy. 

On the last day of the semester, Somin shared that she was dating Jungkook. Shocked and heartbroken, you wasted no time packing up your dorm for the summer and traveling home. Phone calls, texts, and plans to meetup became less frequent between your group of friends over the following semester until they eventually stopped. Did you stop talking to Jungkook and Somin… or was it them that stopped talking to you? 

Turning the pages, you move on from the thoughts of the photographer and stop at the next blank page. Grabbing a blue gel pen from the cup on your desk, you write with flair. 

Kim Namjoon.

How do I even begin to express how I feel about you? God, you make my heart flutter. I met you at a time when I needed someone. You were the bane of my existence at first, blasting your loud music from the apartment under mine. Going to yell at you turned out to be the best thing. You turned out to be the best thing. Of course, you had just started going out on dates with Jennie and you would be graduating a year ahead of me, but I knew that we would stay best friends. I mean, most BHSMA students intern at and get hired by the company. So for the longest time, I hid my feelings from you. That one night, before you and Jennie were exclusive… when we had sex, I thought my heart would burst. I never wanted a man so badly before that night. You are the moon in my sky, Kim Namjoon. What other body could pull an entire ocean from shore to shore? What other being could wrap me in love from beginning to end? Tonight you have just lost your moon. I am a terrible person because a part of me is happy to not be losing her moon. So now, I will climb into bed next to your sleeping body and hold you close as we sleep, and pray when the morning comes, in the light of the day, you will open your eyes and see me—the faint moon in the sky that has always been there for you. Maybe you will finally see me—and decide you want me too.

Setting the pen down, you reach for your phone. In your slightly drunken state, you decided to take pictures of each entry, in order to move these to a more secure environment and take your journal digital. You snapped a picture of each page (not that there were many) before you checked your phone for messages and plugged it in. You left your room to shut down all the lights now that Yuna was finished putting away her stuff and making her way to bed as well. 

“Hey, can I grab an extra notebook from your stash? I need to finish taking these notes on mixing hair colors.”

“Sure, it’s under the desk in the blue bin.”

She nodded and you continued past her, double checking the door to make sure it was locked before moving to throw Namjoon’s clothes into the dryer. Once satisfied that the house was in order, you went to your room. Yuna was standing over your desk, eyes reading your latest entry into the journal.

“Yuna! Get out!”

“This is beautiful though, he should see it. You need to tell him how you feel!” 

You shook your head.

“No. He just got his heart broken. It’s not the time to tell him.”

“You’re stubborn,” she whispered back at you, “you’re gonna lose him again!”

“Then that’s how it was destined to be. But I am not taking advantage of his vulnerable state.”

“You’re gonna be single forever. Spending every night with your baby sister, drinking wine because all the men you have ever loved have moved on!”

“Go to bed, Yuna!”

She shrugged as she walked out of the room, knowing that she was right. Deep down, a part of you felt like she was right too. 

Climbing into bed, you struggled to lift the covers over Namjoon’s slumbering frame before it pulled free and you could cover the two of you. As you settled into the bed next to him, he instinctively wrapped his arm around you, pulling you to his chest in his sleep. 

You knew that his dreams were imagining Jennie in his arms instead. 

—

That next morning, you checked Namjoon’s phone for his calendar. Having known him for several years, you know his passcode and that he keeps his work schedule exclusively on his cell. Typing in the code, 0613, you saw that his calendar stated that he didn’t need to go to the office until around noon. 

Lucky, you thought, eyeing the time on the phone. It was a little past 6:45am, and you had to wake your sister for her hands-on class before you got ready for the day. 

“Yuna! It’s almost 7,” you say as you knocked on her door and heard a muffled response. You headed back to your room and chose your outfit, knowing that the day would be busy and long with the concept photoshoot for SeoulM8 starting today. Choosing your outfit wisely, you climbed into the shower a few minutes later and spent at least a half hour just trying to cure the small hangover from the wine. 

Once dressed, you found Yuna packing her bag for class. It was getting close to 8, which is the latest that you could leave to be at work on time, so you wrote a quick note to Namjoon and ran back to leave it on the bed. His hand snaked out of the covers just as you were pulling your hand back, a gentle grip to your wrist holding you there.

“Y/N, thank you for last night.” His voice is like a bullfrog’s croak, and you chuckled. 

“Let me get you some water and some pain meds, okay? And of course Joonie, I’m here for you.” You leaned onto the bed with one knee, smoothing his hair back from his face once he’s released your wrist. “Always.”

Pressing your lips to his warm forehead, he pulled you down onto the bed with a hug and you can’t help but laugh.

“I’ve got to go! I’ll see you later, okay?” He nodded before he grips your neck, bringing his lips to your forehead this time. His lips linger longer than usual, and you shut your eyes at the tenderness of his kiss. 

“Go back to sleep, now.” You pulled away from him, going to grab the medicine and water before you and Yuna leave the apartment. 

—

You made it to work with extra time to make your coffee, so after you dropped off all of your extra stuff, you grabbed your tumbler and work tablet with all of your drawn designs for today’s shoot and made your way through the busy halls to the employee lounge. Today, the door was propped open for ease as it was a busier day in the building. 

You stood at the counter, stirring in the caramel creamer that you loved, when you felt a presence enter the room behind you.

“Y/N.”

Turning lazily, you cocked your eyebrow at Jungkook, who was standing awkwardly behind you. He had kicked the doorstop, allowing the door to close so that the two of you stood alone in the small staff kitchen. His hands were tucked into his joggers, while a white button down hung loosely from his frame. 

“Whats up JK?” You asked, expecting him to address something about the shoot. You hadn’t yet seen the men you were to dress, so you couldn’t fathom he was here to complain already about the costuming. “If it’s about the wardrobe, I haven’t even seen Tae or Jimin yet, so—”

“Actually, no. Um,” he rubbed the back of his neck before making eye contact with you, “I know that when we had sex that one time, it was great—”

Instantly, alarm bells went off in your head. What the actual fuck was Jungkook doing talking about the night you lost your virginity to each other?

“—but I just... don’t feel the same way that you do about me. You know? That was years ago, and yeah while it was just as good for me as it was for you, I’m not in love with you or anything, I just broke up with Somin too, so—”

“Jungkook! Wait—what are you talking about?”

“The text you sent me.”

“Jungkook, I haven’t texted you in weeks.” You looked down at the phone you had pulled out of the back pocket of your ripped black jeans, and opened up the messages. You noticed his text thread was now at the top. “Wait, what?”

Opening his specific thread you see the screenshot of the page from your journal that you took last night, sent to him. How the fuck did this happen? In your drunken state, did you send it to him? You begin to ramble as you throw the spoon in the sink with a loud clunk and begin screwing the lid on the coffee.

“Jungkook, stop. That was from a long time ago, it’s not recent at all, oh my god. I am so sorry you had to read that—you know what, I’m just gonna head to the set now. Okay, bye!” You breezed past him, feet carrying you out of the employee lounge with a swiftness. Once back in your office you stared at the horrid message, outraged at yourself for your drunken antics.

Drunk you must really hate sober you.

—

Work was just as hectic as you thought it was going to be. After the most embarrassing morning, you were summoned right away to a last minute meeting with Jimin and Tae, where you made minor changes to their wardrobe. 

“Y/N, you were always good at this in school, but damn. You are amazing now.” Jimin stared at you reflected in the mirror after you had turned his outfit into something fit for the concept with a few movements of the material that wrapped his body. Park Jimin, one of the few people you were still somewhat close with from that first year of school, was now a big shot idol, and one-half of SeoulM8. Kim Taehyung, his best friend, was the other part of the duo. He had met him after everyone split off after that first year. Going by the stage names Jimin and V, the two had met in their vocal lesson classes when Taehyung had switched his major, and BigHit saw potential in them. 

You walked with Jimin towards the set of the photo shoot, one of the bigger production rooms today due to the use of the second level. They would be posing next to a hole in the floor, feathers falling around them. Taehyung was already antsy to get started, and was playing around with Somin, who was one of the group’s managers, while he waited for Jimin to arrive back to the set. Now, it looked like the only person missing was the photographer. 

Walking to the fold out table set up at the back wall, you heard your phone chime. Opening to your messages, you saw a text from someone you hadn’t talked to in a while. 

“Seo Joon?” You question quietly to yourself, but before you could even read the message, you saw a similarly embarrassing photo above his reply.

“Oh God, oh God...” You clicked out of his message thread, ignoring the reply because you honestly didn’t care. What you actually cared about was if you had somehow sent the most recent entry of your journal to the last person on Earth who was ready to read it. Namjoon.

“Fuck. Oh no. Oh no.” Sitting there, you saw the message clear as day with the small read receipt that it indeed had been read by him. The door to the set opened and Jungkook came waltzing through with his assistant. Before the door had a chance to swing closed all the way, you saw Namjoon’s form enter the room. 

“Alright, let’s get started!” Jungkook’s voice was loud and called everyone’s attention except for Namjoon. His eyes were on you. He beelined your way, and you readied yourself to apologize to him, but before either of you could say anything, Jungkook interrupted.

“Hey Joon, good to see you hyung! I’m so sorry though, we got a closed set and need to get started… tight time schedule and all.”

“I just need to talk to Y/N.”

Jungkook took in Namjoon’s demeanor; eyes red, hair disheveled, voice wobbly. It was so unlike Namjoon to look this way that Jungkook looked at you before speaking. Your expression was confusing to Jungkook, as he knew Namjoon was your best friend. Your eyes were wide in fear with tears forming… when you didn’t say a word, Jungkook took charge. A part of him saw that fear in your eyes and wanted to protect you.

“Look Joon-hyung, normally I wouldn’t mind, but we need Y/N on set the entire time today. Wardrobe is important for concept photos, you can understand right? Maybe at break time or something?”

Namjoon nodded as Jungkook’s arm wrapped around your waist and he led you away from the table and back towards where the staging was set. When you finally chanced a look back, you saw the assistants leading Namjoon and a few other non-essential workers out of the room. Everyone else on set had watched the exchange between the three of you, including Somin. Her eyes narrowed as she took in the way Jungkook’s fingers curled around your frame.

At break time, you hid out, avoiding Namjoon who had, reluctantly, waited several hours until break was called. He would have to go into the studio soon, which you knew since you saw his calendar, and after the short 30 minute break, Jungkook retrieved you from the small side room you were hiding in when they resumed the next set of shots using black leather and wings. 

The shoot kept your thoughts off of the incident, as you so aptly decided to call it in your head, until it was time to leave. You walked out with a large group, stealthily making it to your office. You sat on the floor with your back to the door, reviewing how many received these drunken messages of yours, happy to see that only 3 actually went through, since most of them were no longer in your phone anymore or had changed their numbers. 

Park Seo Joon, an ex from your second year at BHSMA, had moved to Japan for work, and while he did respond, he figured it was a mistake and as the smart person he was, he noticed the date in the corner and was aware that it was old. You breathed a sigh of relief, glad to have avoided that potentially awkward scenario.

Hearing your phone ping, you checked the message and saw it was Jungkook. A series of messages came in from him, and you read them in succession.

Shaking your head, you stand, grabbing the white outfits from the rack an assistant had brought in earlier after the set change. Throwing them over your arm, you head off to the set in a rush, shooting back a quick text to let him know you were coming.

Most everyone from earlier was back on set, expressions showcasing various stages of irritation. You handed the clothing to an unusually quiet Somin, and lifted your now free arm to wave at the artists. Somin walked away, throwing quiet looks over at you and Jungkook, who you were standing near now that you had approached the table. Jungkook was leaning on that same table, arms crossed as he reviewed the printout of what was needed.

“You know they sent us an updated list 2 hours after we started shooting? While we were all here, they thought that we could somehow read their minds. Then when I uploaded and sent the file over to have them double check, they responded that we had to finish it tonight.”

“It’s annoying for sure, JK, but you know Jimin and Tae will deliver. Once they’re dressed I bet we’ll be done in like 15 minutes, max.”

He nodded, smiling at your optimism.

“Hey, are you gonna tell me what earlier was about? With Namjoon hyung?”

You froze, not expecting the question, but you were saved from having to answer right then, since Namjoon walked in at that moment. It was too late for you to go anywhere; you were standing too close to the door, trapped between the table and Namjoon, who looked hurt. Jungkook read the situation and took several steps away to give you some privacy with Namjoon. 

“You’ve been avoiding me all day. After that message—did you think that I wouldn’t read it? I just broke up with Jennie, Y/N, it’s… I’m not… You can’t just say this shit to me right now.”

“Namjoon—I didn’t mean to, I was drunk and I promise you it’s not what you think, I don’t feel that way, okay?” You try and take it all back, wishing more than anything that he hadn’t read what you had written the previous night. 

“You don’t feel that way? Are you kidding me? I read it!”

“No, I don’t feel that way, okay? I’m with someone else.” You lied. You hoped that he would buy it.

“Y/N, I’m your best friend. Don’t you think I would know?”

“Yeah, you're my best friend, but you and Jennie are always together, it’s been forever since we actually caught up, so yes, it’s recent okay?”

“Who are you dating then?”

You say the first name that popped into your head. The person closest to you.

“Jeon Jungkook.”

“I don’t believe it.” His words come out harsh, and a part of you, the part that already feels like shit because Namjoon chose to be with Jennie a couple of years ago, lashes out in hurt.

“Why? Cause someone like him could never date someone like me?”

“Yes, Y/N. You guys are too different!” His voice was getting louder, and you knew that you had to do something in order to get him to believe your lie. So you do the only thing you can think of in your heated state. You take the several steps needed to cross the space between you and Jungkook, who looked up from where he was absorbed into his phone. 

“You ready?” he asked, looking down at your small frame. 

“Yeah baby, I’m ready.” Your hand snaked behind his head, and firmly grasping his neck, you leaned up on tiptoes as you pulled his mouth toward yours. You kissed him, and in his surprise, his free hands gripped your waist and he pulled you closer to him, before you were separating from him, slightly breathless. His grip tightened before it rested gently on your hip and you settled back onto your heels. 

You see the back of Namjoon’s coat trail behind him as he disappeared out the doors, pulling them shut loudly behind him.

You look back up at Jungkook, whose fingers squeeze your sides quickly to grab your attention.

“You’re definitely gonna have to explain after that kiss... baby.” 

—

Later that evening, you sat with Jungkook in his car. A black Mercedes Benz GT63S to be exact, with dark grey leather and a small bit of wood grain along the spacious dashboard. Your fingers trailed along the wood grain as you explained to Jungkook what happened, starting with the accidental drunk text messages, leading up to the reason behind your kiss. 

“So now what?” Jungkook asks, looking sideways over at you.

“I don’t know. I feel so stupid.”

“Look, Y/N… I think this could be mutually beneficial.”

You meet his eyes, a look of incredulity across your face.

“Please explain Jeon.”

“Look, earlier when I stepped in and kicked hyung off set, Somin was already eyeing the way we were behaving. She may or may not have texted me about it. Of course, I told her we were broken up, so she didn’t need to concern herself with my business. And then, when we came back to set, she made a face when they asked me to text you to come back too.” He smirked.

“I may or may not have peeped it, and may or may not have used it to my advantage. Of course, you kissing me definitely helped.” He glanced down at his phone as it lit up. Once again a message from Somin tiled above 17 other messages from her. He had been actively ignoring them while the two of you talked.

“So I say that we date.”

“We what?”

“Date. I can teach Somin a lesson about how to treat me and you can keep hyung off your back.”

“Teach Somin? I thought she broke up with you?”

“It was mutual. But this always happens. And I for one am tired of the back and forth. So this can teach her that other people want me, and I can move on, or she can stop with the drama and we stop breaking up every other week.”

You nodded. It sounded like a feasible plan, and you told him as much.

“So it’s agreed. We’re now together.”

“Not so fast, Jeon… I think we should have a backstory, get some things straight, set some rules.”

“Rules, Y/N? You sure know how to take the fun out of it.”

You rolled your eyes.

“When did we start dating?” you asked, ignoring his snide comment.

“We got together… at the beginning of the week. Somin and I broke up 2 weeks ago, though we didn’t make it public because she always does this shit...” he trailed off, before smiling back at you. “So yeah, let’s say we’ve been talking here and there everytime me and Somin would break up, and then we went on a couple dates during that first week we broke up and made it exclusive this week.”

You commit this to memory, then pull out your tablet and begin jotting it down with the stylus.

“Okay, so this is new, but we’ve been on each other’s radar for a bit. I think that’s believable, especially since we’ve known each other just as long as you and Somin have. How do you plan to make her jealous? It has to seem real, you know?”

“Trust me, she already thinks this is real,” he nods to his phone again, now at 28 unread messages from Somin, “so I think something that we can do is start arriving together. Maybe do little things for each other that are cute coupley things, be seen together. Kiss at work. Maybe I can sleep over a few nights or you at mine?” He winks at you.

“I thought you didn’t see me that way, Jeon.” You looked down at the tablet, furiously scribbling what he said in order to avoid looking at him and showing the way he caused your cheeks to warm.

“I said I wasn’t in love with you, babe, not that I wasn’t interested in sleeping with you again.”

“Yeah, well that’s off the table Jeon. This isn’t real.”

He just wagged his eyebrows at you seductively, but you laughed and moved on from it, reviewing the list you wrote out.

You made sure to underline number seven so he could see it easily. 

“And when does this end?” You asked.

“Um, I don’t know. I guess we just play it by ear. Let it be natural. Obviously not too early or too late, and it should be mutual. I mean, if Somin learns her lesson, we would obviously have to end things, but I don’t see that happening sooner than a month.”

“Okay,” you tilt your head, thoughtfully, “So we can re-examine this in like a month then.”

“So is this like a contract or what?” he jokes. “Want me to sign it?”

“Sure,” you say, playing along and offering him the stylus. He took it from your hand and signed his signature, and then handed you back the pen, gesturing for you to sign as well. You followed suit, a quiet chuckle as you saved the page to your tablet’s files.

“Wanna drive me home, boyfriend?”

—

Dating Jungkook was… interesting, to say the least. You were a little surprised when he texted you the next morning asking what your coffee order was, and you weren’t expecting him to be so punctual when he pulled up to your apartment. But as you and Yuna exited the apartment that morning, he was already parked at the curb, music a little too loud for the early morning transit, but you were thankful nonetheless. 

“Why are you taking us?” Yuna asked in her very blunt manner. She, of course, had heard of Jungkook, more so due to your falling out with Somin, but Jungkook took her question in stride.

“Because I’m dating your sister.” 

He handed you an iced caramel latte with a soft smile that you couldn’t help but return. Jungkook looked stunningly handsome, hair floofed to your desired preference and an all black outfit to match. His pants were the perfect fit to his well-toned body and the black bomber jacket gave him a bad boy edge that was softened by his doe eyes.

Yuna coughed, choking on her strawberry flavored poptart as you turned to look out the window. Yuna, seated behind you, hit the back of your seat.

“You’re dating him? And you didn’t tell me?”

“I wanted to be sure it was going to work out this time… He and his ex used to be on and off a lot and I didn’t want to tell you if they got back together.” You answer, mixing the truth into it.

“Ohhhh, I see. You a player Jeon? Gonna break my sister’s heart?” Yuna eyed him, pupils narrowed as they stared at him. 

He cleared his throat, not expecting to have to defend himself against the small pitbull in the backseat.

“Not planning on it, Yuna.” Jungkook reached over and took your hand into his large one, interlocking your fingers before he kissed the back of your hand sweetly as he released the brakes and pulled off. 

Walking into the BigHit building, Jungkook held the door open for you before placing his hand in the back pocket of your black skinny jeans as you walked to the elevator. You wore a black knit sweater that fell slightly off the shoulder, and you knew it looked like you two had coordinated outfits. His other hand held the strap of the backpack he had slung over his shoulder while you clutched your coffee and your bag. 

You started to walk off towards your office once you made it to your floor, but Jungkook’s hand on your ass pulled you back towards him. He leaned down to your ear, whispering quietly.

“Where are you off too in such a hurry?”

“Um, my office… why?”

“Come with me to mine first, let me drop off my bag and I'll walk you back.”

“Oh-kay?” 

Letting his pocketed hand guide you, you fell in step with him down the hallway. You passed several other people, including Jin, an actor signed to the company who was known for his gossip, who nodded their hellos to Jungkook before ducking their heads together or reaching for their phones. It felt like high school all over again. Jungkook removed his hand from the warmth of your ass in order to open his office door, to which he then pulled you inside. Closing the door, he backed you into it rather loudly. The windows in the door are frosted, but you knew that pressed to it like this, anyone who looked could see your outline against it. 

Jungkook pushed his body into yours, lips following suit as his hands found purchase on your hips. He kissed you languidly, the mint from his toothpaste clashed with your coffee, though not unpleasant. You kissed him back, enjoying the feel of his soft pout as it glided to your neck. He wasted no time in latching on, suckling your neck for a few seconds before he pulled away with a loud smacking noise. 

“I must say, we put on quite the show this morning. My roommate was out there, and he will definitely have everyone talking about our PDA.” He grinned, eyes still glued to your neck. “Once that hickey sets in, it will really be the talk of the town.”

You blinked, finally coming back to your senses. Of course. This was all a part of the plan. Jungkook stepped away from you, moving to put away his belongings in his office. You stepped away from the door, looking around as you willed your body to cool down. That kiss had been quite an experience, and you yourself had gotten carried away with the plan. 

Turning on the spot, you notice all the different camera equipment lining the walls, the beautiful still photography of various buildings throughout the city, but the most surprising was a photo from the first year you had all met. The picture had you, Jungkook, Somin, Jimin, and a few other friends in it; smiles wide as you stood at the fairgrounds you attended, ferris wheel lighting up the sky behind you. You walked towards it, taking in how carefree you looked, arms wrapped around Jungkook’s waist and his arms thrown over your and Somin’s shoulders, who was making the peace sign with both hands at her eyes. Jimin was making a silly face, arm wrapped around Somin’s waist. Simpler times.

You moved on, turning to the small polaroid camera and you couldn’t help but grab it. Turning, you snapped a photo of Jungkook, who was caught off guard. You took the developing film from the camera and set it down on his desk as he smiled at you.

“Hmm, that’s a good idea. Let me take a few photos of you, I can place them around my office.”

You tried to reject his idea, but he takes the photos anyways, pinching your cheeks and tickling you until he gets what he wants. Finally, 6 clicks later, he stood next to you, facing the camera to the two of you before he said your name softly. You looked up at him, and he surprised you with a kiss. That 7th click captured a kiss, and he placed that one in the back of his phone case.

“You are such a… a lover, Jeon.” You say, pointing at his phone. He shrugged, ignoring your jab.

“It’s something Somin always wanted me to do… I never did though. So seeing this will piss her off.”

You nodded, understanding. Everything he did had a purpose for getting at Somin in some way, shape, or form. You chided yourself that you would do well to remember that. 

—

Lunch was a whole new ball game. Used to sitting with Namjoon and Jennie, or some of your assistants, you were now eating lunch with Jungkook, who ate in the employee cafeteria. You followed his request to meet him there and stood in the doorway lost until you heard his voice call out to you.

Noting his waving hand, you wove through the circular tables until you reached the one he was at with Jimin, Taehyung, Jin, and Yoongi, a producer friend that you knew through Namjoon.

All of the seats were taken, but before you could stand there looking out of place, Jungkook scooted his chair out and all but pulled you onto his lap. Wrapping his arms around your waist, he nuzzled into your neck, breathing in your clean scented perfume and strawberry shampoo.

“Get a room, JK.” Yoongi said, face contorted with a mock look of disgust.

“What? She’s just so cute and warm.” His fingers drifted towards the hem of your sweater and disappeared up into the material, cold fingers pressed against the soft skin of your belly and you shivered with a giggle, pushing his ice box hands away.

“You’re cold as fuck, Jesus Jeon! Were you hanging out in a freezer?”

“You could say that...” Taehyung laughed while elbowing Jimin, and you raised an eyebrow at them, wanting in on the joke, too.

“He was reviewing pictures with us and our managers.” Jimin clarified, and you nodded. 

“I take it that Somin wasn’t very warm?” You asked, leaning more into Jungkook.

“Not at all,” Tae disclosed, “she was very icy, had a lot to say about our dear JK over here, didn’t she?”

“Nothing we haven't heard before.” Jimin answered, and the two laughed, but you didn’t find it all that funny. Hearing that Somin trash talked Jungkook to his friends while working didn’t sound like the kind of person anyone would want to date. 

“Well she can talk shit all she wants, she’s just mad he’s moved on.” You defended, and are surprised to hear a quiet ‘thank you’ just for your ears as Jungkook tightened his hold briefly.

“I really dislike that girl,” Jin said, “I for one will be glad to not see her trashy ass around the apartment anymore. You are a breath of fresh air, Y/N.”

You smile shyly at Jin, enjoying how well everyone seemed to have welcomed you into their group.

“So, Y/N, we were just talking about the party Yoongi was throwing. He and Hobi live together, and they’re throwing a small rager this weekend. You’re coming with JK, right?”

Oh, this was not something you were expecting. You hadn’t gone to a party with co-workers in a long time…

“Um—”

“Of course she’ll be there, she’s coming with me. Right, babe?” Jungkook’s doe eyes looked up at you and you couldn’t say no. It’s not like you had plans anyways. You nodded and smiled at him, and he leaned into you, lips seeking yours in a quick kiss. You feel your body react to it, like it had been doing since this started, and pulled back before he could turn it X-rated. 

“Okay, seriously you two, get a room.”

—

Standing in the mirror in your bedroom, you turned from side to side to take in your outfit. As a head wardrobe stylist, you had a pretty good sense of fashion, but liked to stick to basic pieces and blacks, dressing up your look with delicate jewelry or layered pieces. 

Tonight was no different. With the beginnings of winter creeping in, you wanted to be comfortable in the weather once the sun set. You had on black sheer leggings that disappeared into a cute black skirt with thin white lines that had a revealing thigh split. Your top was an asymmetrical design, having one long sleeve and turning into a bandeau style on the other side. You paired it with black velvet boots that had crisp white laces, then finished the look with a matching set of simple dangling skinny diamond earrings, bracelet, and necklace. 

Despite this thing with Jungkook being fake, you wanted him to still feel proud to showcase you on his arm at this party. People were already talking about the two of you, and tonight would fuel the gossip even more. You were nervous of course, knowing who typically attended these types of parties, but Jungkook had assured you that he would keep you safe tonight.

The polite knock on your bedroom door had you turn your head to the sound, a tossed “come in” over your shoulder to who you thought was Yuna, but revealed a very handsome looking Jungkook, who was in his typical all black attire. You stood there, body warming as you took in his height, broad shoulders, and long legs. 

“Wow.” 

His voice was low, but his eyes looked like they sparkled as he took you in. 

“You don’t look too bad yourself, Jeon,” you responded, reaching to grab your bag off of your bed.

Jungkook snapped out of the daze he was in and pulled his phone out of his pocket. 

“Let’s take a photo for the ‘gram.”

You nodded; for a second you thought he wanted to have a photo of you because you looked good. Posing in the mirror, he pulled you close by your waist and adjusted his phone to capture both of you in the frame. He took a few photos, switching poses slightly each time.

“Hey,” he said, gaining your attention. You turned to him, shocked when his lips met yours. You melt easily into the kiss, hearing the camera shutter click several times as you tangled tongues, his hand sliding from your waist to cup your butt and pull you closer. You were unable to stop the moan from his action, and when he pulled away, lips a bit fuller and pinker from kissing, he quirked his eyebrow at you, paired with his signature smirk.

“Y-You messed up my lip gloss,” you fake huffed, turning away from him to rummage through your bag to grab your gloss and reapply. Your attempt to avoid him from seeing the way he affected you didn’t go unnoticed, but Jungkook kept quiet on it.

“It was worth it, these pics are hot. Plus, you taste good. What flavor is that?”

“Strawberry,” you mumbled, still feeling the heat from the kiss warm your neck and face.

“Strawberry is slowly becoming my new favorite.”

—

Yoongi and Hobi knew how to throw a party. The music was playing at the perfect level that you could still hear people talking to you, a variety of alcoholic beverages were supplied in ample amounts, and several games were being held in various rooms of their home. 

Currently, you were seated on the couch with a few other women from the office. Unfortunately, one of them was Somin. Across the room, your ‘boyfriend’ was engaged in a game of beer pong against Taehyung and Jimin. They had challenged him solo, citing he was good at everything and didn’t need a partner. As you watched him toss the small ping pong balls into the same cup, you knew their concern was right. 

“Y/N, you and Jeon?” Seline, one of the girls seated next to you, asked suggestively.

“Yea,” you giggled, the cup of something or other making you a little... giggly.

“Color me a little surprised. He’s like, such a social butterfly, and you’re...” 

“Oh, Y/N used to be a social butterfly, but she thought she was too good for us back in college.” Somin piped up. 

Her statement caught you off guard. Somin was once your best friend, but when she started dating Jungkook, she had distanced herself from you, not the other way around. 

“I never thought that. Some people act differently once they start dating people though. I never changed.” You sat back with a huff, crossing your arms. She ruined the buzz the alcohol had given you. 

Seline leaned closer to you, interested to hear more. The other’s seated nearby also tuned in with interest.

“Oh, you knew them in college?” 

You nodded, and Somin got up and walked away from the couch, seemingly annoyed at the attention you were getting for being Jungkook’s new girl.

You told the brief backstory of your friendship, leaving out the obvious part of losing virginities and finding out your best friend confessed to Jungkook when you were on your way to do the same thing, but ending it on good terms, saying that it was just the process of naturally growing apart. 

Seline nodded, and you saw her eyes widen as she looked past you. Following her gaze, your eyes narrowed at the view. Somin was all over Jungkook. You weren’t exaggerating; both of her hands were holding on to him as if she was too drunk to maintain her balance. She was falling into his arms and he was holding her, one of his large hands pushing her hair back from her face and a look of concern etched upon his own. 

Two feelings hit you at once. Nausea at the sight of him looking so tenderly at her, simultaneous with a boiling fury of jealousy that it wasn’t you. 

“Looks like Somin wants him back.” Seline snickered towards the other girls, and you stood up abruptly. You made eye contact with Jimin, who’s eyes were unnaturally large as he registered the scene before him.

Jimin was relieved that Somin interrupted the end of the game so that he could escape before he had to drink more, but he also felt annoyed seeing her all over Jungkook. Jimin had been glad when Jungkook told him and Tae that he was done with Somin; even more glad when he heard that Jungkook started seeing you. 

Back in college, Jimin was the only person, other than you and Jungkook, who knew what happened between you two. Both of you had confided in him your actions and feelings for one another. Color him surprised when he found out that Jungkook was not dating you, but instead your best friend, Somin. He wasn’t sure what happened but soon after, you stopped being around as much and Somin was around all the time. 

Watching Somin pretend to be too drunk to function and fall all over Jungkook made Jimin purposefully search the room for you. Watching you stand, drink clutched in your hand, Jimin had a feeling something was about to happen.

The drink you were nursing was downed in its entirety within a single swallow. You were now several drinks in, and you were feeling the alcohol start to hit as you stood up fast. Pushing your shoulders back, you walked over towards your ‘boyfriend’, whose back was turned towards you, and slid your arm around his waist.

“Heyyy babe,” you leaned into his body, staking claim on Jungkook as you stared daggers at Somin. She had taken a few steps back when you had approached, but now, seeing the challenge in your eyes, she stepped closer once more.

“Ggukk-ah, I don’t feel so well...”

“Min,” Jungkook stepped out of your hold, hands moving to cup Somin’s face as she feigned weakness in her knees. The level of concern in his voice let you know exactly how he felt. You scoffed, not believing Jungkook would behave this way in front of everyone. He was the one who had came up with this idea for ‘mutual benefit’ and here he was fucking it all up.

“She’s fine, babe. She can handle her alcohol.” You felt yourself growing hotter, the alcohol actually having an effect on you, as it always had. Your increasing body temperature only made you more frustrated.

“Seriously Gguk, I’m getting so hot...” Somin reached for the hem of her shirt, and in one fell swoop she had exposed the lacey bra she wore underneath. You could hear people talking over the sound of the music, taking in the scene of a shirtless ex making a brazen show.

“Jungkook!” Your voice is no more than a harsh whisper, but he’s so scandalized at Somin’s action, the protective boyfriend in him coming out to aid in shielding her body from onlookers, he doesn’t hear you. 

You hate the sick feeling bubbling in your stomach, unsure if it's from watching your ‘man’ flirt with his half naked ex or if it’s from the alcohol not sitting right with you.

Throwing the scene one last look, you turned on your heels and headed off to the kitchen for a bottle of water, or perhaps, another cup of something stronger.

Walking past him and Taehyung, Jimin caught sight of the look on your face before you blew past on your way towards the kitchen and he knew he should warn his friend.

“Jungkook, hey.. Jungkook!” Jimin yelled, his voice louder the second time he called his name. 

Jungkook had been leaning towards Somin, hands cradling her face as he continued to speak quietly to her. When he looked up at Jimin, his face appeared slightly annoyed at the interruption as he was taking care of her.

“What, bro?”

“Um, your girlfriend? Y/N? She just went into the kitchen and she looked a little upset.” Jimin said, his face trying to communicate to Jungkook what it looked like that he was holding his ex that way and his new girlfriend had stormed off. 

“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Jimin, can you?” Jungkook gestured his head towards the kitchen and Jimin thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head.

“How about I take Somin and you go find Y/N? Your girlfriend. Remember?”

Jungkook paused for a millisecond before depositing Somin into Jimin’s arms. He made his way to the kitchen, where he found you engaged in taking shots with Yoongi, Hoseok, and Jin, the latter of which was shit talking Somin with a smile. When you felt his presence enter the kitchen, you ignored him, gesturing for your now fourth shot in as many minutes.

Sensing the tension, Yoongi decided against more shots, instead leading Hobi and Jin out of the kitchen, much to Jin’s complaints of having to be around the ‘trashy tramp’. The three headed back to the party, a bottle tucked under Yoongi’s arm as Hobi carried the shot glasses out. 

“We were enjoying our new friend, JK. Stop keeping her to yourself,” Jin said with a drunken glare. 

Sighing audibly, you turned to walk out of the kitchen but Jungkook’s grasp on your wrist stopped you.

“Hey, why are you ignoring me like this?” He asked, confusion tinting his voice.

“Um, maybe because you’re supposed to be dating me and you were too busy with Somin to remember you even had a girlfriend.” You said back harshly, spitting the words at him with such vehemence you wobbled precariously on your heels.

“Come here.” Jungkook said, dragging you behind him through the bodies in the hallway until you had made it into one of the unoccupied back bedrooms. Shutting the door, he turned to you as he dragged his hand through his hair. The action only made him more handsome, tousled hair falling gently to frame his face.

“Look, it’s... complicated with Somin right now.”

“I get that you’re trying to teach her a lesson, see if you want to be with her or whatever, but not at my expense. You said mutually beneficial. Making me look like your second choice and embarrassing me does not benefit me.”

During your speech, you poked him in the chest several times, the alcohol starting to take its effect on you. Stumbling slightly, Jungkook caught you to steady you, keeping his hands on your waist. The warmness of his palms felt nice as he helped keep you balanced.

“You’re right, Y/N. I’m sorry. Like I said, it’s complicated. We dated for a long time. I still care for her. She’s... been making this difficult.”

“Oh? Difficult how? By faking being drunk so you can take care of her?”

“She’s a lightweight, that’s not fake,” he defended.

You were once close enough with Somin to know that she was not a lightweight, since she had been drinking at parties since she was 14; her earlier interaction was indeed, all an act.

“Whatever, Jungkook. So what is she doing that’s so difficult?” you asked, cutting him a look of narrowed eyes until he answered you.

He walked backwards, tugging you gently along until he was seated on the bed. You stood between his parted knees, waiting patiently for his answer. Realizing you weren’t going to drop it, he rubbed the back of his neck gingerly.

“She’s, you know.. She still texts me all the time, saying shit and sending pics and stuff. She says she wants me back, but I just,” he looked up at you, his doe eyes unable to hide his emotions.

“I don’t know if I believe it. I want to. But she’s hurt me, and I’m tired of it. I want her to feel how I felt.”

Your ire towards him faded as he opened up to you. Cupping his face gently, you leaned in and rubbed his nose with yours softly back and forth.

“You’re amazing Jungkook. Until tonight, you’ve treated me like a princess the entire week we’ve been dating. But she won’t learn if you give in. You’ve got me now, okay? When she texts you, text me instead. Don’t entertain her. She’ll think I’m not enough for you if you keep responding, and that doesn’t show her you can move on.”

You had sunk into him the whole time you talked to him, and he shifted your body so you were now straddled over his lap, head resting on his shoulder. You yawned sleepily, the loss of the anger leaving you feeling the tired effects of the alcohol. Unlike Somin, you were a lightweight, and 3 shots was over your limit.

As you got comfortable on Jungkook, he thought over what you said, smoothing your hair carefully.

“You’re right. You always were so smart in school... ” Jungkook said, and you nodded your head on his shoulder in agreement, humming an affirmative.

“Let’s get you home though, you’re halfway to passing out anyways.” Pulling out his phone, he ordered an Uber. He held you like that, your strawberry scent surrounding him until the Uber driver was outside. His hands gripping you under your thighs, he stood up and carried you out of the party, nodding bye to his friends and hosts of the party.

Placing you into the Uber, he climbed in after you and you curled into his lap, seeking his warmth in your drunken half-slumber. Jungkook chuckled, noticing the way his chest reacted to the action but ignored it. This was an arrangement, you seeking him out wasn’t real, and your anger earlier wasn’t jealousy, he told himself. You were worried about being embarrassed. He still loved and wanted to get back with Somin, right? 

As he looked down at you in his lap, enjoying the weight of you pressed against his body, he wasn’t so sure. 

“This the correct address, sir?” The Uber driver asked, verifying with Jungkook once he shut the SUV door.

“Yea, both of us are headed there.”

—

The weekend passed by fast. Waking up at Jungkook’s place Sunday morning had been a little shocking, but his bed was soft and clean, and smelled of him. You had snuggled deeper into the sheets until he woke you up to go get breakfast and get his car from Yoongi’s place. He detailed to you what had transpired to you being in his bed, expressed that he had not taken advantage of you, per rule number 7, plus the basic concept of consent, and promised to take you home as soon as Jin was awake and could take the two of you to go get his car. 

He gave you some clothes to change into, and while you weren’t surprised to find he had jeans to fit you, neither one of you asked or shared the obvious: they were Somin’s. At least the shirt he gave you was his, and you also stole a hoodie to wear. December may have only just started a week ago, but the cold was pervasive.

Breakfast with him was fun. Getting to know Jungkook again was just as exhilarating as it had been the first time, during that first year at BHSMA. He had changed, but in a good way. More mature, but still playful. An adult who was a hotshot photographer, but still humble and considerate. How someone could be built like that and have such a big soft heart was beyond you. 

The trip to get his car was slightly awkward, as Jin, Jungkook’s very nosy roommate, commented on how bad drunk sex must be with Jungkook if you were able to keep so quiet. 

“Somin was always so loud, I swear she was exaggerating. No one’s dick is that good; sorry JK.”

Once Jin dropped the two of you off at Yoongi and Hobi’s, it ended up turning into hanging out with them for a bit, talking about work and your relationship with Jungkook. Hobi swooned with oohs and ahhs while Yoongi cringed, faking disgust at such a cute story, as was his trademark. 

Jungkook apologized once the two of you escaped to his car, for both Jin being cringey, and for staying longer than anticipated with Yoongi and Hoseok, but you weren’t mad. You enjoyed meeting his friends and getting to know them. You were only a little concerned because Yoongi was also friends with Namjoon, who worked in the same department as him.

Jungkook turned to you before you climbed out of the car, not wanting to say goodbye just yet, but unable to think of a reason to get you to stay. Afterall, the relationship was fake. 

“Hey, thanks for your advice last night.”

“Honestly, I barely remember what it was, but if it helped you, I’m glad.” You smiled at him, and he had to blink a few times to remember what else he wanted to say.

“So, um—I was thinking we could go on, like, a formal date Monday? After work? Monday should be a chill day. I know the comeback is planned for January, so going out sooner than later is best, right? Get it out of the way? That way we won’t forget, and we won’t be too busy with work to try and squeeze it in, and—” 

Jungkook knew he was rambling, feeling nervous despite it being you, someone he had known for several years now. For fucks sake, he’s seen you naked. He felt his cock twitch and internally scolded himself. This was not the time for remembering the way you felt beneath him, the sweet sounds he had pulled from you as he learned your body, shared with you in giving each other your virginities. 

When his cock twitched again, he took a deep breath and tried to focus on your answer.

“You okay, Jeon?” you asked, noticing he had zoned out slightly.

“Yeah... ” he responded, shifting as if uncomfortable.

“Well, I said I would love to go on a date with you. What did you have planned?”

“It’s a surprise. Just dress for the weather.”

You nodded thoughtfully, a small smile gracing your face as you gathered your purse and stepped back out of the doorway of his car to shut it. He rolled the window down, smiling back at you.

“Can’t wait,” you say, standing outside his car on the sidewalk through the rolled down window, waving your fingers at him cutely.

Jungkook’s signature smile spread across his face as he winked at you just before he pulled off, turning his music up loud as he whipped his Benz out of your complex. 

—

Now sitting at your desk, you clicked through the selected shots that Jungkook emailed you of the photo shoot from last week as you reminisced on the weekend. You were supposed to be checking the outfits, detailing the different designers for the credits. But your thoughts kept drifting to Jungkook, and what should have easily been a 15 minute task took 45. 

Finally sending the email, you stood to stretch when a loud knock announced a visitor. Walking to the frosted door of your office, you opened it and revealed a large bouquet of tiger lilies. 

“Delivery for Y/N Y/L/N,” Kim, one of your assistants sing-songed as she walked into the room.

“Where did you get this? And why?” You searched the flowers until you found the card inside.

“I’m not supposed to give any details other than to read the note!” She pranced away, a smug smile on her face for knowing the secret you wanted to know.

Opening the envelope, a small polaroid fell out, fluttering to the ground. You picked it up, noting the image of a small park nearby. At the bottom, in Jungkook’s neat writing was a time. 2:30PM. Glancing at the clock, you see that the time listed is in roughly 15 minutes, so you gathered your purse, plucked a flower from the bouquet and headed out to meet Jungkook.

Walking into the elevator, Namjoon suddenly entered just before the doors shut, trapping you inside with him.

“Why are you avoiding me?” He asked. You studied him, momentarily at a loss for words at his ambush.

“Joonie, I—I’m not avoiding you. I’ve just been busy...”

“Too busy for your best friend? Jennie left me, and now I feel like I’m losing you too.”

Hearing his voice crack as he mentioned his ex hurts you more than you let him know. In all of the panic of the secret sex journal being released and fake dating Jungkook, you had forgotten what Namjoon had been going through.

“I promise, you’re not losing me, Joonie. You’re my best friend. I’m sorry that I haven’t been acting like it. I swear, I have been busy.”

“Yeah, busy going to parties with your new boyfriend. I saw him carrying your wasted ass out of Yoongi’s house.” Namjoon sounded a little irritated as he spoke.

“Listen, it’s complicated.. Can we talk about this later, please? It’s not a conversation for the elevator.”

“Okay, where are you going? I’ll go with you.” The doors opened and you both stepped out, Namjoon following you like a lifeline.

“Joonie, I—Look, I’m going on a date with Jungkook, I’m sorry!” you halted your steps and explained to him as a look of hurt flashed across his face.

“You know what? Forget it. Hit me up when you remember your best friend, if I’m even that.”

Namjoon walked away from you, ignoring you as you called after him. You sighed, giving up as he disappeared around a corner of the lobby, guests and coworkers looking at the exchange with interest.

You rubbed your temples and took a deep breath before braving the cold to walk to Ttukseom Park.

The walk was surprisingly pleasant. Despite the temperature, the sun was warm on your face whenever you were able to evade the shade along the sidewalk. It may have been the very beginnings of winter, but the scenery was anything but the cold melancholy you tended to associate with this time of the year.

The grass was vibrant still, and as you made it to the spot that matched the small photo you still had clutched in your hand, you noticed how the butterfly art installation along the wall of the J-Bug Cultural Complex glittered in the sunlight seeping in. Jungkook was seated on a bench right underneath the art with his trusty camera hanging from his neck, a picnic basket next to him.

“This is beautiful,” you said in awe, taking in the entire view. Jungkook followed your gaze, humming his agreement before picking up his camera. You heard the shutter of the camera several times. You looked over to him glancing at the small screen on the device before adjusting the lens and taking several more. 

“Have you never seen this?” He said as he stood and grabbed the basket. You stood as well and followed him, falling into step beside him as he walked out from the shade and into the grassier area.

You shook your head no. “Don’t really have the time I guess. I’ve always wanted to explore the J-Bug though; Namjoon said the museums all along the Hangang are amazing.”

“I’ve taken photos at several of the murals nearby, they’re some of my favorite locations actually.” He smiled at you, and you can’t help the way your heart squeezes. He nodded his head to an area that had a decent amount of sunlight to combat the winter chill.

“Yea, I remember seeing some of them in your office. You’re really talented Kookie, I remember how passionate you were about photography even back then.” You helped spread the blanket he produced from the basket and once seated you leaned back on your palms, eyes closed. 

Jungkook looked at you, taking in the way the midday sun made you glow, how pretty your lashes looked leaving shadows across your content cheeks. He couldn’t hold back the smile that took over his face upon hearing you use the endearment he hadn’t heard since that night so long ago.

“Ah, yeah, but my photography wasn’t that good then.”

“Stop being so humble, the photos you took were amazing, even then.”

You opened your eyes, catching him staring at you, and you felt yourself grow self-conscious.

“What? Is there something on my face?”

“Oh—uh, no sorry, it was just the sun—you know, lighting and all.” He gestured to his camera.

“Ah, I guess the talented eye never rests. Though I don’t know why you would want pictures of me,” you laughed and Jungkook tapped your knee in reproach.

“You’re a pretty good subject, don’t downplay yourself.”

You nodded, looking in the basket to hide the way your cheeks had warmed at his comment.

“Seriously, Y/N, I used to want to take photos of you all the time back then... you should’ve seen my camera roll. It was embarrassing. Jimin used to tease me all the time.” Jungkook helped you set up his small spread of food and you used the meal as a distraction.

“Ooh, did you prepare all of this?”

“Ah, some of it,” he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “I had some help from Jin hyung.”

“It smells delicious.” You took the proffered chopsticks from his large hand and dug into the bowl of japchae before placing it on your rice to gather for one bite; Jungkook followed suit.

The rest of the lunch date went incredibly well. Jungkook was just like you remembered him to be, except he was more filled out, and a little taller with a jawline that could cut glass. But his humor, his compassion, his deep thoughts that led you to fall for him all those years ago were still painfully there. Spending more time with him one on one did nothing but show you that the feelings you once had for him were still easily accessible. 

As he led you back to the office, his hand swinging yours between your bodies, you couldn’t help but wish this was real. How nice it would be to just pretend that Jungkook really was yours, allow those creeping feelings to spread like spring, blooming across your chest until it was vibrant and unforgettable. You couldn’t imagine what it would be like after; after when you were single again and Jungkook had either gotten back with Somin or moved on to someone else.

“What are you thinking about?” Jungkook squeezed your hand. You hadn’t even noticed that you were not only back at the office, but standing at the door to your locked office.

“Oh, sorry. Honestly, that lunch date was just so nice… It felt good to get out and do something different for a change.”

“Oh, well yea, I remembered you used to like stuff like this, I figured you probably still did.”

You nodded, hope blooming. 

“Take a look at this post, let me know if it’s okay.”

He handed you his phone, and you admired the way he had caught you off guard, a photo that looked like it could be moving, the way your hair frames your face as you looked longingly off into the distance. The caption was simple. “It’s not about where you go or what you have, it’s about who you’re with along the way.” 

“It’s perfect.”

“Okay, post it then. And post a few more pics of me on your page too? I’ve been posting and tagging you...”

If you didn’t know any better, you would think that Jungkook sounded… upset? You nodded as you clicked the post button, and as it loaded, the phone vibrated in your hand. Thinking it was a like or a comment on the image of you, you glanced at it. His phone had locked by this time, and instead of seeing notifications for Instagram, you saw a message notification instead. 

Handing him back his phone, you push down that blooming sensation. It would be foolish to think Jungkook was upset that you hadn’t posted him as much as he had posted you. Clearly he must’ve spent time with Somin after he dropped you off yesterday. 

“You got a message. Umm, I’m gonna finish up here and then head home, you don’t need to wait for me. See you tomorrow?”

You wanted to get away from him desperately. Jungkook looked at you, confused at your sudden shift in mood.

“I thought I was driving you home? Jin said he was staying out late tonight, I figured we could hang out for a few—”

“We’ll see! There’s still so much to do for the album release.” You leaned up and kissed his cheek chastely before unlocking your office door and all but disappeared inside of it.

Jungkook stood there, staring at your closed door for a few more seconds before he felt his phone buzz in his hand. Checking his notifications, he saw a series of texts from Somin. 

Looking around confused, he noticed Somin standing across the office area, a deadly smirk on her face as she waved her phone at Jungkook. All Jungkook could do was sigh. Somin wouldn’t leave him alone long enough to sort out his thoughts, and now she was sending purposefully misleading texts? Jungkook didn’t know how to explain to you that what you saw was untrue.

You clearly believed it.

—

Jungkook gave you two days of space before he decided to track you down. He always hated that Somin would know he was upset (typically because it was her fault) and immediately pounce on him, forcing her company upon him and not allowing him the ability to forgive and move on. He wanted to give you that time, so after two days, Jungkook felt that it had been long enough, and the two of you should reconcile whatever misunderstanding there had been.

You posted a photo with him yesterday, and from the caption you wrote it appeared like you had a fun time with him on Monday despite the way you left him standing at your office door. 

The image you posted on your Instagram with Jungkook was a candid shot; he hadn’t realized you had taken a photo. While it brought about that warm feeling in his chest seeing the photo appear in his feed, it didn’t clearly depict his face. 

Instead, the focus was on your fingers intertwined. Jungkook’s profile could be seen, blurred from lack of focus, but it matched the caption you had chosen so well. “Even if someone shakes this world, please don’t ever let go of this hand you’re holding...”

Motivated, Jungkook made sure to be bright and early at your door ready to drive you and your sister. 

You weren’t expecting to see the flashy Benz outside of your apartment. Yuna was excited to not have to take public transportation, leaving you behind as she all but ran to the passenger rear door.

“Morning JK! We missed you these past few days.”

“Ah, sorry about that, I had to be at the office way earlier; didn’t want to make you guys wake up even earlier than you already do.”

Yuna waves off the apology and you finally followed; feet moving across the pavement until you’ve climbed into the car and buckled your seatbelt.

“Morning princess,” Jungkook says, leaning towards you and pecking your lips. You were caught off guard, not expecting him to be so lovey, but you returned the kiss, a double peck that you started and continued on as the traditional way you greeted each other.

“Morning.”

“Didn’t sleep well?”

“Yea, been a bit out of it these past few days...” You trailed off, not wanting to talk about it in front of Yuna. Catching on, Jungkook turns up the music and shifts into drive, pulling off towards the University for Yuna.

The drive to the office isn’t too long from the school, so once Yuna was out, Jungkook wasted no time in asking you to talk.

“So, can we talk about Somin?”

You huffed out a sigh. It was too early in the morning to deal with the Somin issue, but you nodded, allowing Jungkook to breach the topic.

“I know you saw her message. I want you to know that nothing happened. She sent that text because she saw us. She was doing the same bullshit she always does, part of the reason I don’t think she’s learned anything yet, like you said.”

You nodded, still not sure what to believe. He had no reason to lie to you, it’s not like you were actually in a relationship. He could go back to Somin anytime. 

“I hate that you’re mad at me.”

You turned your body towards him. 

“I—Look, I’m not mad, okay? Not at you. I just hate that Somin gets under my skin so much. That she’s a bitch to you. Neither of us deserve it, especially you.”

Jungkook reached over, encasing your hand in his.

“I’m learning that now. We’ve been together so long, I never noticed at first what she was doing. But I think subconsciously, it was making me resent her. And you really said some shit that had me thinking. And you’re right. I—I’m really glad to have you back in my life, Y/N. Having you in my corner has made all the difference.”

You looked down, eyes staring at the tattooed hand to hide the warmth on your face. 

“After work, come over. Let me buy us dinner and we can hang out.” You felt his smile as he stared at you while pausing at the red light before your office, and you met his gaze.

“Okay.”

“Good, we need to make Jin believe we’re having hot, loud sex, since rule 7 prevents you from experiencing the real thing.”

He let out a shout of pain as you punched his shoulder.

—

Walking to get food was not the smartest idea for 3 reasons. First, because neither of you checked the weather. Second, due to number one, neither of you had an umbrella. So naturally, third, running in the rain while carrying takeout was almost a disaster.

And still, the two of you laughed the entire way, bag clutched in one arm while your fingers were intertwined between your sprinting bodies, one block left to get to Jungkook’s apartment. By the time he’s unlocked the door, you're both sopping wet, rain water dripping onto the floor of the entryway to the apartment. After getting the food situated to stay warm while you guys got cleaned up, Jungkook gave you a towel and led you to his bathroom.

You appreciated that he was such a clean guy, his apartment and subsequently, the bathroom was pristine, and he actually had a trashcan and stocked toilet paper, unlike some men you knew. He planted folded clothes for you to change into on top of the sink counter, and surprised you with a kiss.

“What was that for?” You asked, dazed.

“Practice.” He said with a wink, and he backed away, closing the door as he left you alone. 

—

While Jungkook showered, you heated up the food, your mostly dried hair now up in a messy bun as you danced around his kitchen. His sweats were a little (a lot) too long, so you had rolled them up so you could avoid tripping. 

A knock at the door made you jump, before you moonwalked over to the entryway, now clean of the rain water the two of you had trudged in. Thinking it was Jin, you didn’t check to see who it was and opened the door. You froze as you took in a young man that was not your ‘boyfriend’s’ broad shouldered roommate. Instead, doe-eyes similar to the man currently naked in the shower stared back at you.

“Oh, hey… I thought my brother lived here. Sorry about that!” The man stepped back, checking the number on the apartment again before his eyes landed on your shirt—or rather, his brother’s shirt.

“You’re not Somin...”

“Hi, and no, I’m not,” you laughed, “um, but this is Jungkook’s apartment.”

“Ahh, okay. I’m JungHyun. His older brother.”

“Oh! Come in!” You stepped back so that he could walk past you, and you led him into the living room once he had shed his shoes. 

“Oh, did I interrupt dinner?”

“Oh, no we haven’t even started eating yet. No worries.”

The two of you sat down, and you tucked your feet up under your bottom, turning to face Jungkook’s older brother.

“So, I know who you’re not...”

“Oh, fuck, manners.” The look on your face is sheepish, and you smiled to cover your nerves. “I’m Y/N, Kookie’s girlfriend.”

“Oh, you’re the famous Y/N! Finally got you, did he?”

His words confused you, Jungkook had been with Somin since forever, when had he ever wanted you? Smiling to cover your confusion, you’re saved when Jungkook appears in the hallway, a loud laugh as he barreled over to his brother and all but jumped on the man.

“Hyung! What are you doing here?!”

“Oh, I finished that project at work early, so I’m headed to visit mom and dad. Staying with them through Christmas before the next contract at work starts.”

“Ah, it’s good to see you!”

Jungkook’s enthusiasm is abundant; it’s clear he loves his brother dearly and misses him. He pulled back from a hug and sat comfortably in the space between you and JungHyun, his palm resting lightly on your leg absentmindedly.

“So, I’ve met your new girlfriend. I must say you didn’t do her justice when you described her to me.”

You felt the blush creep across your face, and Jungkook also seemed to turn red, his fingers rubbing at the skin on his neck.

“Yea, seeing her in person is best.” He says awkwardly, and you can’t help but laugh.

“So? Does dad know? Mom is gonna be so excited. She hated Somin.”

“What?” Jungkook says at the same time that you say “Really?”

JungHyun nodded, sitting back into the couch comfortably.

“Yea, no offense, lil bro, but Somin was a bitch. Mom thought she was so fake.”

“Wh-why didn’t you guys ever say anything?”

“Eh, you know, cause you were in love or whatever.”

You get up and go to the kitchen, grabbing bowls and the last of the heated food, hoping to avoid being present for this part of their conversation, but still curious all the same.

“Definitely not.”

“Mmhmm, sure.”

“Seriously. I wasn’t actually in love. Or if I was, it faded. I think for a lot of it I was just… dependent or whatever. I thought it was love, sure. But it wasn’t; I know that now.”

“Ah, so Y/N showed you what love is?”

“She definitely cares more about me and my happiness than Somin ever has.”

You cleared your throat as you walked back into the living room.

“Ready to eat?”

Dinner with Jungkook and JungHyun is, in so many words, fun. They bantered and joked and you spend the time eating and laughing, enjoying your time with the brothers. You didn't even realize how late it had gotten, not until Jin waltzed into the apartment, noting the late hour for you all to be chatting so loud. 

“Shit, Yuna messaged me an hour ago.” 

“Just stay here. We can pick Yuna up in the morning when you go home to change.”

“Are you sure? Your brother’s visiting, I don’t want to be in the way.”

“Y/N, don’t worry, I’ll take the couch. I was going to anyway.” JungHyun smiled at you, and you nodded back. Standing up, you stretched, not realizing how tired you were. Jungkook took the opportunity to tickle your exposed sides, and you squealed, causing the brothers to laugh as you squirmed away from Jungkook, who didn’t let you get far.

“Let’s get you to bed, princess.”

Turning in Jungkook’s arms, you looked over his shoulder at his brother.

“Good night, oppa.”

Jungkook stiffened as JungHyun and Jin laughed, enjoying the way the youngest one reacted to your words.

“Ah, if it doesn’t work out between you two, hit me up.”

“Hyung!” Jungkook glared at his brother, not enjoying the joke.

“What? At least she wouldn’t need to meet our parents twice! She is coming for Christmas, right?”

The two of you looked at each other, a little thrown off by the question. The holidays were coming up, but you hadn’t discussed this far into the relationship. It wasn’t real after all, did you have to go through such lengths to teach Somin a lesson?

“I haven’t told mom and dad yet about her...”

“No worries, I text them ages ago. They’re expecting her for Christmas.”

Jungkook sighed, dropping his forehead to yours, so all you could see was his eyes staring into yours.

“Is this okay? Do you wanna, you know? Meet my parents?” Jungkook’s voice was low as he whispered the question.

“I—Yes.”

The look on his face when you agreed was beautiful, a scrunched-nose smile that is reminiscent of a bunny. You couldn’t help but smile back, lost in the mahogany of his eyes.

“Are you guys over there kissing when I’m waiting for an answer?” JungHyun broke the tension filling the air between you and his brother.

Jungkook smirked before capturing your lips with his own, a breathless kiss that lasted only a couple seconds before he pulled away to smirk at his brother.

“You can tell mom and dad I’ll be bringing her home for Christmas.” With those words, Jungkook whisked you down the hall and tucked you into his bed before climbing in behind you. Wrapping his arm around your waist, he pulled you closer to him. His hands skimmed your body before he began tickling you again, a squeal leaving your mouth. You retaliated, hands attempting to tickle him before he pinned you to the bed, and the two of you began to wrestle for a bit. 

You were unaware of how sexual the wrestling sounded; his headboard hitting the wall roughly and the two of you grunting and groaning as you fought for dominance, some added squeals and moans when Jungkook decided it was a good idea to bite you in his quest for submission. Finally winded, you gave in, laying back on the mattress in defeat. Jungkook tugged at your sweatpants, removing them swiftly and throwing them onto the floor, his own joining the pile. He then grasped your face, peppering it with kisses.

You were about to ask him what he was doing, when someone knocked. Jungkook called out a ‘come in’ and his brother walked into the bedroom, his sights set on the bathroom.

“Don’t mind me, just gonna wash up before bed. It seemed safe to enter now.”

He disappeared into the bathroom as Jungkook continued to hold you, affectionate even after his brother was out of sight. Even if this relationship was fake, you could pretend in this moment that it was real, that Jungkook pulled you closer, not to fool his brother, but because he wanted to be close to you, that he was falling in love with you. 

For one night, it should be okay to pretend it was something more, right?

—

The next two weeks passed by in a blur. Namjoon had basically confined himself to his studio at work, intent on avoiding you. Seeing you hand in hand with Jungkook seemed to bother him, and because you couldn’t tell him the truth (or wouldn’t), you left him to his own assumptions. He ignored all of your texts attempting to reach out to him, despite him saying he wanted you to let him know when you had time for him. This just made you more frustrated, and you were done trying to chase Namjoon, romantically or otherwise. When he was ready to behave like an adult, you would be willing to talk to him. 

After telling Yuna about how you were asked to go home with Jungkook and meet his family, you received a call from your own parents. Yuna had told them about Jungkook, and you were bombarded with questions until you too agreed to bring Jungkook home.

It took some discussing, but it was finally decided: the 23rd and Christmas Eve would be with your family, and Christmas Day and the 26th would be with Jungkook’s. You were a little worried that the parents would be able to see through your ruse, despite having fooled everybody else at work, but Jungkook assured you that it would be easy enough to trick his parents. 

On the train ride to Daegu, you sat a few rows away from your sister, who had her headphones in as she watched the latest K-Drama she missed due to her busy school schedule. The ‘arriving soon’ message plays throughout the cabins of the KTX, and you figure it’s important to bring up your parents. 

Turning to Jungkook, who was drawing on his iPad, you removed an airpod from your ear, pausing the music. You take a moment and admire his face, the way his jawline was so angular, the sharp planes of his cheekbones, the concentration held in his eyes.

“Like what you see?” Jungkook’s voice is teasing, but you still felt embarrassed at being caught staring at him.

“I just think we should talk about the next 2 days.”

“Y/N, listen. Parents love me. Despite the tattoos and long hair.”

“Cause you’ve met so many parents? You’ve been dating Somin since we were 20.”

“My friends have parents too, you know. Don’t worry. Just be like we always are and it’ll be fine.”

“Your parents may be easy to trick, but mine? They’re a bit more… scrutinizing. Plus, they’ve heard me talk about Namjoon, and probably don’t remember me talking about you...” you trailed off, a slight warmth subtly coloring your cheeks.

“So you used to talk about me?”

“Well, yea, first year, you know? I had a crush on you, so my mom heard all about it. Not about—you know, but I told her I thought we might date.” You buried your nose in your phone to avoid looking at Jungkook. 

“You know, you never told me why you nev—”

Jungkook’s words were cut off by an attendant walking through the aisle, asking everyone to start packing up their belongings as the train would be pulling into the DongDaegu Station momentarily.

“My dad should be here to pick us up—Yuna!” Your sister turned to you, a smile on her face as she waved her phone.

“Dad’s here!”

The drive to the house was short, and you spent most of the time taking turns with Yuna filling in your dad on your life in Seoul. Your mom was busy in the kitchen when you arrived, and she shooed you all upstairs to your rooms. Unsurprisingly, your parents were having you and Yuna share her room while Jungkook would be across the hall in your room. 

Your parents were more conservative, and while you were an adult and perfectly able to do as you pleased in Seoul, while under their roof, they wanted to make sure that you remained as pure as they could keep you. 

Dinner that first night went well. Jungook and your dad bonded over sports, despite Jungkook not playing any team sports, he was still well-versed on the topic and joined your dad in watching a basketball game while you, Yuna, and your mom cleaned up after dinner and then sat in the sewing room. 

Your mom asked you all about Jungkook, which she surprisingly did remember you talking about. It seemed you had her and your father fooled, but while you sat at her embroidery machine, she shared she was confused about the lack of presents you had for each other to open tomorrow night. Saying it was because you still had to wrap them and she would find them under the tree tomorrow was an easy enough excuse, and paired with a very real yawn, you excused yourself to get ready for bed.

Sleeping with Yuna was uncomfortable; she was a wild sleeper. Restlessness won over sleep, so you got out of bed and made your way downstairs to grab a bottle of water from the kitchen. Your parents were already in bed in their first floor room on the other side of the house from the kitchen and the stairs.

When you returned back upstairs, you noticed the light on in your bedroom, so you knocked softly.

“Come in,” Jungkook’s voice was subdued, and you pushed the door open gently.

“Hey,” you said, eyeing Jungkook’s lean, topless form as he sat at the edge of the bed. You never tired of the view when you would sleep over at his place. 

“Can’t sleep?”

“Yea, Yuna isn’t the best person to sleep next to, flops around all night, hogs the sheets.”

You walk into the room, joining him on the bed. He’s swiping through images from the SeoulM8 shoots he’s recently done. You watched his finger move across the iPad leisurely.

“Ahh, sounds like you miss sleeping next to me.”

You scoffed, shoulder bumping into his.

“You snore a bit. And your body temperature runs pretty hot. I wake up sweating half the time.”

“Ah, not the first time I’ve made you sweat, love.”

You raise your eyebrow at his insinuation of your loss of virginity.

“Kidding, babe,” he jokes, locking his iPad and setting it down to charge on the bedside table.

“Can we go into town tomorrow? I want to do some last minute shopping.”

“Sure.” Jungkook yawned and you took that as your cue to leave so he could get some sleep after your journey across the country.

“Where ya going? I thought you couldn't fall asleep with Yuna?”

Jungkook pulled the covers back, making space for you to climb in in front of him.

“Well, yes, but my parents—”

“Sleep downstairs and wholly expect us to pretend to sleep apart but know that you’re going to sneak in here anyways because we’re madly in love.”

You had to cover your mouth to keep from laughing loudly.

“And how do you know that?”

Jungkook smirked, still waiting for you to get into bed.

“You’re dad told me. He also said we need to give him grandchildren, sooner rather than later.”

Stunned silent, Jungkook leaned forward and grabbed your wrist, pulling you towards him. He turned off the light and you climbed in over him, keeping him at the front just in case. 

“C’mere,” he rolled over and pulled you to his chest, snuggling into you as he got comfortable. “We have to look madly in love. No funny business though. I know you think I’m irresistible, but we are in your parents house and must be respectful.”

You elbowed him in the rib, and settled into the comforting darkness of your childhood bedroom with Jungkook’s arm wound around your waist, holding you close. 

——

Christmas Eve, in your family, is the night that presents are opened. As a child, this tradition was done in order to make room under the tree for Santa’s presents. As adults, your parents keep the tradition alive, instead putting stockings with 1 or 2 of the more expensive gifts for you to have on Christmas morning. 

After shopping in town and spending time wrapping, you had finally placed a few gifts for Jungkook under the tree that Yuna was now passing out. You were surprised to see a couple gifts for you from Jungkook in the small pile you amassed, and when you caught his eye, he winked at you. 

Yuna opened her gifts first, then you and Jungkook, where you saw that he gave you a matching jewelry set: necklace and earrings in a soft rose gold, a small cherry blossom bloom dangling from the small hoop of the earrings and from a small hoop on the necklace. It reminded you of your date at the park. The two of you sat under the winter sakura tree that day, the only blossoms that bloom twice a year, where you told him how much you loved cherry blossoms in passing. 

“It’s beautiful, Jungkook.” You almost can’t believe it, but he just smiles softly at your gratitude and helps put the necklace on you. Your parents looked happy, enjoying seeing their daughter so happy. Jungkook was excited to see what you had gotten him; a special lens for his camera that he had talked on and on about purchasing soon. He was giddy, running upstairs to grab his camera, testing out the new lens on pictures of you and your family.

Once again, you found yourself in your old room, curled up with Jungkook, but this time you were unable to sleep. Rolling over, you faced Jungkook, who cracked one eye and peeked at you.

“What’s wrong, babe?” he asked, voice laced with sleep. You noticed how easily the endearment rolled off his tongue even with no one around to convince.

“I—the gift you got me,” your fingers fidgeted with the small cherry blossom on the necklace. “I hope it didn’t cost too much. You can return it once we break up if you need to.”

“Y/N, that gift is for you. For being such a great… friend. Helping me do this. I really think it’s working.”

“You deserve to be happy Jungkook. I’m glad you were able to get space long enough to work out how you feel, and that you’re working your way to being happier.”

“Yea, I think I’ve been much happier lately...”

You watched his tongue run along his lips, and you couldn’t help but train your eyes on the movement. He caught your eyes, his hands gripped you a bit tighter as the tension in the dark room grew.

“...much happier...”

You weren’t sure who moved first, you or Jungkook, but at that point, it didn’t really matter. The way your lips sought his, the way his hands pulled you closer, the two of you were acting on instinct. This kiss wasn’t for practice or for show, who was to know what happened here, in this room tonight, but the two of you?

You let out a moan as he dipped his head lower, tracing kisses from your neck to what was exposed of your collarbone. His touch is impatient, tugging and kneading, unable to stay still on your body. His scent alone, a musky vanilla scent, engulfed your senses and you wanted… more.

You threw your leg over his body, turning the two of you until you’re straddled on top of him, able to press your core down onto his very firm cock. His boxers and your sleep shorts are the only things holding it back from assaulting you, and you’re annoyed that they’re in the way. Reaching down, you slide your hand roughly into the waistline of the boxers, fingers gripping him.

Jungkook groaned into your neck, the feel of your hand as you palm him building the craving he had for you. He wanted you. Not just physically. But you had those stupid rules, and he couldn’t just break them. He respected you more than that, and falling in love with you? Well that wasn’t part of the plan.

Jungkook slows the way he’s kissing you, slows the way he was thrusting into your hand and pushes you gently off of him and back to your side of the bed. You’re both panting, barely able to catch your breath as he pulled your back to his chest and held you close.

“We’ve got a long trip tomorrow morning to Busan, babe. Let’s get some sleep.”

“Oh… okay?” You were so confused. You had never been turned down before, especially not when you were so far into the act, practically ready to pull your panties to the side and ease him into you. You were throbbing, body aching with want, and you knew he was too; could feel the hardness as it nestled in the dip between your cheeks.

You felt him kiss your head, followed by a soft double peck to your neck, and not 10 minutes later his breathing slowed as he drifted off to sleep. 

You, on the other hand, laid awake, thoughts running wild.

——

Christmas morning you had an early breakfast with your family before opening stockings. Your parents had only a couple of weeks to prepare for Jungkook, but they had prepared a stocking for him as well; your mom embroidering his name onto it and stuffing it full to the brim. 

You were surprised at the gifts; a couple boxes of polaroid film, a bag of banana kick chips, individually packaged egg snacks, and colorful candy canes. Yours were similar as well, a small collection of sewing items for designing, and your favorite snacks. Your mom ruffled Jungkook’s sleepy-head hair as he offered his thanks to your parents, and you couldn’t help but feel your heart swoon at the sight. You realized something heartbreaking at that moment: breaking up with Jungkook once this was over would hurt more than just you. 

Heading to Jungkook’s parents house was a different experience after the previous night. Yuna had obviously stayed with your parents, and would be catching the train back the same day you left Busan. 

This was the first time the two of you had been alone since the rejection the night before, and you were doing your best to ignore the hurt feeling that would bloom every time you caught yourself dwelling on it. You focused on your phone instead, posting a few photos on Instagram so that you were sticking to your end of the deal. Somin would see these posts some way or another, and it would hopefully do what it was intended to.

Jungkook didn’t seem to think twice about the rejection, wrapping his arm around your shoulder and treating you like you were really together, a true couple going to meet his parents for the first time. 

“Nervous?”

“A little. I’ll be meeting your parents, and we’re not really together,” you looked down at your hands, missing the way Jungkook’s face fell for a few seconds before working it’s way back to a smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes.

“I think we’re together enough where it counts. No one watching us would doubt it,” he intertwined your fingers and gave it an encouraging squeeze, “sometimes even I forget you’re not my real girlfriend.” He laughed, and the sound leaves an ache in your chest.

“Same, haha...” You looked out the window of the KTX, ready to breathe the fresh air of the nearby sea. Jungkook released your hand and you both went back to your tasks, Jungkook reading emails and you sketching designs for work.

Jungkook’s parents treated you much like yours had treated Jungkook. Like you were the greatest thing to happen to their child.

“Y/N, you’re so pretty! Oh, thank heavens, we have a chance at cute grandchildren now.” Jungkook’s mom bowed her head in thanks to a higher power, and you couldn’t help feeling a little bad that you weren’t actually dating Jungkook. You would have liked to deserve the praise she was giving you.

“He looks so much happier, happier than we’ve seen him in a long time.” She smiled at his father and their eyes, so similar to their two sons, crinkled in the corners. JungHyun greeted you with a hug, and you reciprocated it.

“Hi, Oppa,” you teased, and Jungkook glared at you. 

“Yah! That’s Jeon JungHyun to you,” he leaned closer to your ear in a mock whisper, “only I get called Oppa.”

JungHyun cringed back in mock disgust.

“I do not need to know about your ‘Oppa kink’ in the bedroom.” He shivered as he walked back to the living room, where he put away his laptop to make space for gifts.

Their dad, who you were very glad had not heard his eldest son’s comment, gestured to you to leave your suitcases in the entryway and come sit down.

“Kookie, pass out the gifts please. Your mom has been waiting all morning in excitement for you two to get here. We can have lunch after you guys get situated.”

Jungkook, ever the dutiful youngest son, began to distribute gifts amongst you all, while you handed your own gifts that you had gotten for his family out to them. 

“You didn’t have to get them anything,” Jungkook whispered as he dropped a gift off for you from his own parents.

You gave him a pointed look, gesturing subtly to the gift.

“I did.”

He shook his head with a smile and continued until the space under the tree was empty.

“So, we just open them all at the same time! Save your thanks for the end, ready?” His dad looked at you, and you nodded.

“Let’s get it!” Jungkook shouted, and everyone laughed at his phrase as you began to open your gifts. You didn’t have many, one from his parents and JungHyun, and 2 from Jungkook. His family had given you a Pantone Color Swatch book that was easy to carry around, to help while on set working. It was very thoughtful, and you knew it could not have been cheap. You bowed deeply, on your knees and forehead to their floor as a show of your gratitude and respect.

They motioned for you to sit back up, waving off your thanks as if it was no big deal for them to get this gift for you. You turned to Jungkook’s gift, eyes already threatening tears at their sincere treatment of you, and once opened, you did cry.

Nestled inside a satin lined box was a beautiful set of Dwikkoji, traditional hair pins, that came with a small card identifying them as from the Joseon era.

“Jungkook!” you gasped, sure that they couldn’t be real.

“Don’t worry. I didn’t have to pay for them. But they would look much better displayed in your office as our head fashionista then collecting dust in storage.”

You couldn’t hold back your feelings any longer. Acting on instinct, you tugged him towards you, wrapping your arms under his own and around his frame as you let your tears fall.

“They’re beautiful, Kookie.” 

Jungkook reciprocated your embrace, his hand smoothing down your hair as his parents smiled at the scene in front of them.

“Ah, young love, remember when that was us?”

—

Unlike your parents, who wanted to pretend that the two of you were a modest young couple, Jungkook’s parents assumed that the two of you would room together. His dad had clapped him on his shoulder and congratulated him on bringing home such a fine woman. Apparently in the two weeks that JungHyun had been home, he had raved about you to his parents, showing pictures from your social media accounts of the two of you together, as well as your fashion talent. Jungkook too had talked on the phone to his parents, you came to find out, which was why his parents were so enthralled by you, despite only dating Jungkook for a short time.

Lunch was fun. Spending time with the Jeons was full of laughter. His family was like him, generous and kind hearted, and you enjoyed spending time with his mom in the kitchen making cookies for dessert.

That night you went out for a drive to look at Christmas lights, before you all stopped off at the town center where they had outdoor ice skating set up. Jungkook had his camera with the new personalized strap you made him (yay fashion classes!) around his neck, taking photos of you and his family as you glided across the frozen water. You spent an hour there before heading home to warm up with hot cocoa and Christmas movies. You found out that this was their tradition every year, and it made you happy to know they wanted to share it with you. Even if it was only for this one Christmas.

Having showered first, you traveled down the hall to get water from the kitchen while you waited for Jungkook to finish his. His family had a one level house; His parents’ room was located on one side of the living room and kitchen, while Jungkook and his brother’s room was on the other side. 

You heard his parents talking at the table and you slowed down, resting the back of your head on the wall as you heard them say your name.

“Oh, honey, Y/N is so darling! I haven’t seen him this happy in years.”

“He looks so in love with her.”

“Well, remember, he used to have the biggest crush on her.”

“But that was years ago. They were what, 20? And somehow he chose Somin?”

“Sometimes, people aren't ready. Now, they’re older. Better chances of them working out. Oh, honey, I hope they work out. She would be such a cute daughter in law.”

“I know, but don’t pressure them. Let them realize how in love with each other they are on their own.”

“Do you think she loves him too?”

“I don’t have a single doubt in my mind. I saw the way they were together.They’re in love, whether they realize it or not.”

“Ahh, so we could have grandchildren soon? JungHyun seems like he’s never going to settle down... ”

“Aish, grandchildren? I’m too young to be a grandpa!”

Instead of interrupting them, you headed back to his room, mind racing with their words. Jungkook had a crush on you? They thought the two of you were in love? Daughter in law? Jungkook chose that moment to come into the room, towel wrapped low around his waist as he checked his phone and you couldn’t look away.

“You’re starting to drool there, babe.”

You swallowed and looked away, grabbing your hair and running your fingers through it to put it into a bun on your head.

“I just uh—I wanted to talk to you about the contract.”

Jungkook, who was facing his dresser where his suitcase was opened up, froze. His eyes sought yours in the mirror, his reflection giving away nothing.

“Oh? What, uh, what about it?”

“Well, our parents seem to like us together, I mean, they’re talking about grandkids, and well, I would hate to break up so soon after having met them. I know this was only supposed to go on until you figured out what to do about Somin, but if it’s alright with you,” you look away, twisting your fingers in nervousness, “I would like for us to continue to date.”

Jungkook’s mind was racing. He understood what you meant. Your parents seemed to love him, discussing future visits for the holidays and his family had been no different. And thinking about ending the contract? Well, he had already been thinking about doing that. So he could date you, for real. Somin texted him while he was in the shower, upset about missing Christmas with his family. Jungkook thought that it would bother him, his first holiday without her, but he realized he couldn’t care less. 

Somin treated him like a prize to be toted around and shown off. He was good for bragging; his face, body, high paying job, it all granted her status. She had no ambition to grow within the company, still a one act manager after graduating as an interning manager’s assistant. But you? God, you were different. You had ambition, you didn’t care about what Jungkook could provide for you, and you listened to him, to his dreams. You were thoughtful, appreciative, and everything you had done was to help him be happy. Even fake dating, while it benefitted you as well, you had gone above and beyond for him.

You stood up, walking closer to him where he was lost in his thoughts.

“Jungkook?” you intoned, your fingers softly settling on the back of his shoulder, waiting for his response.

“I think, yeah. I think that would be a good idea. My parents and brother love you.”

Your heart soared. He wanted to continue this. Not go back to Somin right away. He barely brought her up this whole trip. You felt giddy, hopeful that maybe one day, this could be something more.

“So then, it’s settled.”

Jungkook turned around, catching your hand before you could drop it back to your side.

“I think we should reexamine that contract, but tonight, I’d really like to say fuck it.”

Jungkook stepped into your space, and in a heart’s beat, he had ensnared your lips, his arms pulling you closer to him. Your own arms snaked up his body, hands pulling his head closer to you, your fingers playing with the wet strands at his nape. His kisses were fervent, lips almost rough as he pressed them to yours before he was swiping his tongue across the opening of your mouth, seeking entrance. 

You groaned as you arched your back, seeking to deepen the kiss as you pressed higher on your tiptoes, wanting more of him. His palm skimmed your back down to your butt, where he applied pressure and lifted you with brute strength. You pulled away with a gasp, not expecting to be lifted up. He just looked at you with pupils blown, one eyebrow raised suggestively as he carried you to his bed.

“I think we should practice making ‘grandchildren’ for them.”

He set you down, long enough to grip the hem of your shirt before he pulled it over your head. His eyes moved to your chest, and he closed his eyes as he sighed in defeat.

“You’ve been keeping this from me?”

“You’ve seen me naked before,” you remind him, but he just shook his head.

“Years ago, Y/N, and let me tell you, my memory didn’t do you justice. I think I need a reminder.”

You throw him a suggestive look, knowing that you’ve both had some experience with sex since your shared first time all those years ago. This time, there was no fumbling, no nervous laughter, or apologizing. This time, Jungkook was in command of his body, and of yours too. He rid you of your shorts, leaving you naked on his sheets as he dropped his towel. 

You marveled at how his body had changed: the muscle gained and the chiseled jaw you loved to admire. Jungkook bit his lip and did the same to you, eyes roving along your curves, the way you weren’t shying away from his touch as his fingers trailed up your thigh.

“You’re beautiful, Y/N.”

You didn’t get a chance to respond, as Jungkook kissed you again, this time with less fervor, his body crawling above yours as he joined you on the bed. His hands touched you everywhere, fondling your breasts and your ass as he kissed down your neck, nipping the skin and leaving marks along your neck. You feel the ache as your wetness pools between your legs, and Jungkook’s growing member sits heavy where it’s pressed against your thigh. 

“Jungkook, please—”

He nips a bit harder, the sound of you begging for him made him infinitely larger. He wanted to be in you, but he didn’t want to rush it, wanted to savor you for as long as he had you under him. Kissing down your body, his tongue leaves a cool, wet trail and you writhe, ticklish to his tongues path to your core. 

Parting your legs wider, he smirked at you from where he's sat on his knees, your thighs on either side of his gloriously naked body. Leaning forward, he never breaks eye contact as you watch his lips meet your mound. Gentle kisses pressed to your lips, and then his tongue is parting them, flicking your clit in greeting. Your head is thrown back, you know you should be quieter, but the onslaught of his lips and tongue as they pleasure your sweet spot has you reduced to base instincts only. And right now, they want Jungkook to know that he had better not stop.

You rolled your hips, seeking more, and he gives in, thick fingers immersing themselves inside of you. You clench, walls shocked at the intrusion but welcoming it all the same. He felt so good, and you tell him as much, so he continued to finger fuck you as he lapped up your release, carrying you through your orgasm.

He was so hard, cock throbbing as he kissed back up your body, and after spitting into your hand, you reached down to stroke along his shaft, palm twisting and gliding as he nuzzled his face back into your neck, quiet little moans rolling out of his mouth with each stroke. You made him feel so good, your body warm and soft as your smaller hand stroked his larger ego, in more ways than one.

Without preamble, you positioned him at your opening and lifted your hips, allowing him to feel how warm your walls were, waiting for him. He pushed up on his palms on either side of your head and the look he gave you was indecipherable before your own eyes shut; he engulfed his cock in the swollen velvet that was your cunt, buried to the hilt.

He had tried his best to prepare you, but every glorious inch stretching you out was a breath you needed to take in order to grow accustomed to his size. You counted nine breaths, then opened your eyes, taking in the trembling of his arms as he held himself back from pounding into you.

“Move, Kook, please,” you whine, and he wasted no time following your orders.

His hips grinded into you as he rolled them, angling himself to take you as deep as humanly possible. His pace started off fast, but soon he was slowing down, head dropped into the crook of your neck as your nails dragged red marks down his back. You rocked your hips in time to his thrusts, using your grip on his back as leverage to meet him halfway. 

“You feel so good, so wet for me,” he murmured with each thrust, and you bit his shoulder, afraid if you didn’t gag yourself, you would say the wrong thing.

Everything about you enveloped him, your scent, your arms and thighs that were holding him close; he could barely think straight as he tried to get you to cum again before he got himself off. But you felt so good, tight clenches as your arousal gushed and coated his cock, he didn’t know how much longer he could last. Then you bit his shoulder, and he sped up his stroke, hips rolled in fast succession as your body jostled underneath him.

“Fuck, fuck, I’m so close baby,” you mewl into his ear, and he lifted his head up out of your neck, resting his forehead on yours. 

“I want to watch you, don’t close your eyes,” he pleads and you try your best to keep them open, not closing them for long as the coil builds in your lower abdomen. He adjusted your bodies, lifted your legs up slightly which allowed him a deeper angle that hits your g-spot. Your mouth hangs open, a fucked out expression on your face and Jungkook loses it.

The first spurt of his hot cum sends you over the edge, and you're spiraling down, pussy contracting around his cock, milking him for every drop. You maintain eye contact, watching each other for a few seconds before you can’t help but close them, the pleasure too great.

Jungkook pressed his lips to yours as you both cum, using them to cage in the words he wanted to say, wanted to shout from the rooftops, but wasn’t yet sure you felt the same way.

——

Waking up in Jungkook’s arms, you felt sore. So sore, but also satisfied. You hadn’t slept this well in ages, and if Jungkook’s deep slumber and dead weight arm draped over your waist was anything to go by, he hadn’t either. You moved his arm slowly, headed for the shower, and let out a small gasp as JungHyun also exited his bedroom at the same time.

“Well, don’t you look... rested,” he trailed off, a look of knowing on his face.

Your face burned in embarrassment.

“Don’t worry, as soon as I heard little brother start to get a little… feral, I turned up my TV while I gamed. Parents didn’t hear a peep.”

“Thank you, oppa.” You bowed, gratitude seeping out of each of your pores.

“Now, those marks on the other hand,” he gestured to your neck, “might I suggest an ice pack for 20 minutes and then some really good makeup?”

You hurried into the bathroom as he laughed his way towards the kitchen. A minute later he knocked, passing you a small ice-pack through the cracked door.

“20 minutes,” he reminded you with a wink, and went back into his room with his cereal.

—

Saying goodbye to Jungkook’s parents after a late breakfast was tough. His mom cried, saying her baby son did not visit enough and that she would miss him. She also said she would miss you greatly, and that you better come back with him soon to visit.

It was tough to promise her that you would, knowing that there was a very real chance that you wouldn’t. This was fake after all. You had just agreed to extend the contract briefly, to get through the holidays and while Jungkook said ‘fuck it’ last night, with the rising of the sun came the clarity of the situation. 

Jungkook behaved much the same, holding your hand and showering you with PDA, and while you reciprocated, you couldn’t help but feel like the magic of Christmas was over. Heading back to Seoul meant back to reality. You weren’t sure you were ready for that. For the first time in your life, you felt like you could see a future with someone, with him, despite the relationship being fake thus far. To be honest, it hadn’t felt fake since the night of the party. 

The entire trip, all 3 and a half hours of it, you ruminated on last night and what it meant. You hated to admit that you had fallen for Jungkook, and had given up rule number 7 on a whim. For all you knew, he would be going back to Somin at the end of this. 

In his own little world, Jungkook too couldn’t stop thinking about you and what last night meant. He wished he had said to forget the contract all together, instead of just for the night. He wanted to see if you felt the same way, but he wanted to be sure that his Somin chapter was done. He needed to see her and make sure he was over her, and not just using you as a rebound. You didn’t deserve that.

Jungkook’s body language had you on edge, as his foot tapped incessantly as the train got closer and closer to Seoul. You placed your hand on his knee, a reassuring move for both of you. 

“Jungkook, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I just—Somin messaged me.” He had been thinking about it the whole trip back to Seoul, about how her messages didn’t affect him anymore. Before, he could barely go a few minutes before responding. Now, almost 18 hours had passed and he wasn’t bothered.

“When?” Your voice came out sharper than intended, and Jungkook flinched back from you.

“Uh, last night, right after I got out of the shower.”

Your brain began to connect dots that you didn’t want it to.

“Oh,” you respond, trying to keep your voice light. Jungkook was confused at your reaction; usually you were jumping to keep him and Somin apart. This response felt like you didn’t care, like if he met up with Somin, it wouldn’t impact you at all.

“She just… I think that you’re right. The plan is working and I’ve been happier than I’ve been in a long time. But I guess there’s that part of me that needs to talk with her, express how I feel. I want to be sure.” Before I confess my feelings to you, he thought.

“Right. Well, that was the goal, getting you to figure out what you want.” You turned your head away from him and deeper into the neck pillow, trying to get this conversation done and over with before he said something that really broke your heart.

“I know. I guess I’ll meet up with her when we get back? The sooner the better I guess.”

“True, the faster you meet with her, figure it all out, the faster we can move towards breaking up.”

Jungkook freezes, but you don’t notice, too focused on not looking at him.

“At breaking up?”

“Yea, that was the plan right? We date for a couple more weeks, then break up, so you can get back with Somin, if she’s changed, you know?”

“You—”

“Hey Jungkook? I’m really tired, can we talk about this later?”

Jungkook stared at your form, taking in how closed off you were from him. He didn’t understand what changed. He sat back, finally replying to Somin’s text, agreeing to meet at a cafe by his apartment later that evening.

—

Jungkook saw you home, worried the entire ride to your place about what was happening between the two of you. He thought everything had been going well, and after last night, he didn’t know how he could have possibly fucked up. He hoped you were just PMS-ing, like Somin used to always blame moods like this on. 

You let him carry your suitcase upstairs to your apartment and when he leaned in for a kiss, you kissed him back, but he felt it was almost out of obligation; your sister was sitting on the couch watching the two of you. Jungkook paused at your door, but you had turned away from him, so ready to be alone. So he let you close the door in his face, let you have time to yourself.

Jungkook got to the cafe, eyes searching for the long black hair of his ex. When he approached her she smiled at him. Jungkook saw the way her face lit up, the way the smile graced her pretty face, and felt nothing for it. Sitting down, a cafe worker took their drink order and left them alone.

“So, you said you wanted to talk?” Jungkook asked, fidgeting with his fingers drumming on his knee.

“Kookie, I miss you.” Somin leaned toward him, chest pushed out in her off the shoulder zebra print dress. Her black heel nudged against Jungkook’s leg, rubbing it suggestively.

Jungkook moved his leg out of reach and sighed.

“Somin—”

“Minnie.” She pouted, red painted bottom lip jutting out after she cut him off to correct her name.

“Somin. I—I’m sorry.” Jungkook felt awkward. Here he was, sitting in front of his ex, who was undoubtedly a gorgeous woman. But after all they had been through—all she put him through—and all the healing you had done to his heart, he realized he had fallen out of love with her a long time ago. “I know you had hopes of us getting back together.”

“Well, of course we’re getting back together Kookie. We’re made for each other. Since we were 20! I know this thing with Y/N is just revenge. You wanted to make me mad, teach me a lesson,” she said as she reached out and grabbed Jungkook’s hand in hers, “and I have learned it. Christmas without you was so sad. I had no one to go out to all the holiday parties with.”

Jungkook shifted in the metal chair. “Look, Somin—”

“Why do you keep calling me that?” she interrupted again, and Jungkook let out a loud sigh as he tried to maintain his cool.

“Because, I’m trying to tell you that I—”

“Jungkook! Somin!”

The loud yell of the barista reading out orders cut Jungkook off for the third time, and he groaned, running his tattooed hand over his face. With a huff, he stood up, walking through the crowded cafe to get the drinks so he could just tell Somin the truth; he may have initially wanted to teach her a lesson, but he ended up being the person who learned something from it. He was in love with you; wanted to spend more holidays like the one that just passed, with you. He truly didn’t feel anything for Somin anymore, other than friendship.

While Jungkook was up, Somin noticed his bag was open, a fancy camera strap hanging out of it. It was embroidered; the phrase ‘you shine brighter than anyone’ apparent once she pulled it free from his oversized black backpack. Somin threw a glance over her shoulder at Jungkook, seeing him still busy, so she stuffed the strap into her purse. Grabbing her phone, she sent a text to Taehyung.

Jungkook set down the drinks before sitting down himself and commanding the attention of his ex. 

“Look, Somin, I just—I’m sorry.” Jungkook looked down at his hands before making eye contact with her. “I don’t see us getting back together. I—” he paused, taking a deep breath before he spoke his truth, “I’m in love with her, Minie. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but I want to be happy. I want you to be happy with someone who feels about you, how I feel about her.”

Somin stared at Jungkook before she laughed. He was unsure of the emotions she was actually feeling; perplexed by her reaction to what he just told her. He didn't want to be with her anymore, and he wasn’t looking for her to beg, but he expected a little more... sadness? Push back? Once she was done laughing, she leveled her gaze at him.

“You, you’ve barely been seeing her Jungkook. How can you love her?”

Jungkook took a sip of his drink, gathering his thoughts before he answered her. The judgement that laced her tone made him angry, but he didn’t want to give Somin the upper hand. He wanted to be an adult about the situation. In retrospect, he hadn’t been honest with Somin when she first confessed to him, and you deserved for him to share that honesty now, even if it was coming 5 years later.

“I think—I think a part of me has always loved her. Since that first year. Don’t get me wrong, I think I loved you too and at some point we just… I think we just broke up and then made up too many times because it was easy… familiar. I love you Minie, and you were a huge part of my life. I’m just not IN love with you.” Jungkook leaned forward towards Somin, placing his hand over here, hoping that she would see and feel his sincerity and his benevolence. 

“Wow, I—You’re serious?” Somin’s voice was quiet as she questioned him. “I guess I didn’t think I’d be starting the new year without you.”

Jungkook watched as she slid her hand out from under his and placed it in her lap.

“Please, be happy for me Minie, and when you’re ready, I’ll be happy for you too.”

The loud chime from Somin’s phone went off. Jungkook watched as she looked at her screen, eyes growing wide.

“Shit, an emergency with Tae.” Somin looked up at Jungkook, her face soft and apologetic.

“Koo—I mean Jungkook, I was just surprised is all. I—I am happy for you and Y/N. Or, I guess it’s more like, I will be. I’m sorry, I have to run, but thank you for meeting with me.”

Somin gave him one last smile, as if showing she was throwing the towel in, before she stood up and left the cafe in a hurry. Jungkook watched her as she dashed off, disappearing down the sidewalk towards the nearest bus stop. He thought the meeting had gone well, or at least better than expected. Maybe Somin has grown up, he thought to himself, unaware of the way she made off cunningly with his gifted camera strap, using a text that confirmed the time for the next morning’s meeting with Taehyung as an excuse to escape.

——

After closing the door in Jungkook’s face, you retreated to your room, claiming that a headache was creeping in from the long train ride. Your sister nodded, engrossed in her latest K Drama. You rolled your suitcase into your room, stripped your travel clothes from your weary body, and entered your shower. 

Free to do as you pleased, with the water to cover the sound, you wept. How foolish you felt, letting Jungkook close to you once again, only to see him rush off to Somin. It was almost like what happened 5 years ago, when you had gone to his dorm room and found her confessing. Just like then, Somin was winning Jungkook; once again he had slipped through your grasp.

That night you texted Jungkook to tell him you would be going to the office early and that he needn’t pick you up.

Jungkook was relieved upon seeing your text. He had spent the better half of the evening and the morning tearing apart his apartment. He had called his parents, his brother, and overturned his luggage onto the floor. He could not find the camera strap you made him. 

He knew that he shouldn’t have taken it off the camera, but he spilled a bit of leftovers from his mom on it while on the train and removed it to make it easier to clean once he got home. 

Unfortunately, it was nowhere to be found. 

Jungkook was frantic; he knew that you made it for him that night you sat in the sewing room with your mom and sister while he was with your dad. Your mom had an embroidery machine, and so you snuck in there under the premise of bonding time and worked on it. He loved the phrase you chose for him; it reminded him of your love letter to him, the way you had written about him making you feel as beautiful as a night sky. “you looked at me as if the galaxies were reflected in my eyes...”

Dumping out his black backpack for the umpteenth time, Jungkook sifted through notebooks, film, wrappers from snacks, a small hygiene bag, and loose photos. He doesn’t know why he continued looking through the same places. It’s not there. Glancing at the clock, he realized he would be late to the Monday morning meeting. Giving up and putting everything he needed back into his bookbag, he stepped over the mess and headed out to his car.

Walking into the conference room, everyone looked tired from their holidays, but with the New Year around the corner, it was important for everyone to attend before January. SeoulM8’s comeback was fast approaching, and making sure everything was moving smoothly was imperative to whether the next holiday was spent relaxing or spent stressed out. 

Stirring your coffee, you walked through the propped open door and maneuvered your way over to where your assistants sat. Kim, the same one who brought you the tiger lillies several weeks ago, smiled at you as she slid you the stapled packet she printed out from the email.

“I think we’ve done all our parts, the photos Jeon emailed over have been approved by the boss, and we double-checked the designers they are wearing. I think all that’s left is to get final approval on the outfits for their comeback shows and interviews during comeback week.” 

You nodded, sipping the still hot coffee as Kim spoke quietly about the role you played for SeoulM8, eyes on the printed email. It didn’t help the way you could feel the mocha eyes of a certain ‘missing in action’ best friend burning into the side of your face; or the way the empty seat across from you saved for a certain ‘boyfriend’ of yours had your anxiety on edge.

With 5 minutes left until the meeting commenced, you had done a pretty good job at tuning out all of the mindless chatter around you, that is until Somin’s nasally voice interrupted your response to Kim.

“Oh, this? It’s just a little gift for JK.”

“But you broke up? He’s with Y/N now...” Hobi said, cutting off a reply from one of the assistants sitting near Somin.

“But we dated for 5 years, he’s still important to me. I think he’ll love it.” She turned her back to Hobi, who tried to make eye contact with you. You looked down at your coffee instead.

When Jimin and Taehyung walked into the room, everyone quieted down and took their seats if they weren’t already, assuming Bang PD, the head boss, would be quickly approaching behind them. Before the glass door could swing fully shut, Jungkook sprinted into the room, out of breath.

“Oh Jungkook, here!” Somin stood up, making a big show out of handing him the small gift bag that had been on the table in front of her. 

“Oh? Uh, thanks Minie.” Jungkook said, looking for the head boss. Bang PD was still missing from the room, so he grasped the colorful tissue paper from the bag and removed it in one swift pull. As the paper fluttered to the table, Jungkook’s eyes lit up as he took in the present.

“Oh my God, thank you!” Jungkook wrapped his arms around Somin in a huge hug, surprising everyone in the room watching, including you. Despite all of your negative thoughts about you and Jungkook’s future, seeing him react that way was unexpected and you felt your heart ache seeing him hold her in an embrace.

Sitting down, Jungkook turns to talk to Somin when you notice Bang PD walking down the long hallway towards the closed glass doors. 

You turned to the front of the room where SeoulM8 was seated next to the only empty chair in the room, fully intending to pay attention, but Jungkook’s movements directly across from you pulled your attention away. When you see the embroidered strap that YOU had given to him for Christmas a mere 2 days ago slide free from the bag, you see red. Before Bang PD can enter the room, you’ve already stood up. 

Both Namjoon and Jungkook look at you, followed by everyone else’s gaze; it’s too late to hide the tears that fall down your face. 

“Y/N, I can explain—” Jungkook said as you make your way around the table toward the door. He grabbed your wrist to stop you, but you pulled it from his grasp.

“Save it, Jeon. It’s over.”

You leave the meeting, walking brusquely past your boss with your head down. You type out a quick text to him as you take the elevator down, apologizing for leaving and saying that an emergency came up. Bang PD responds within a few moments.

Back in the conference room, Jungkook attempted to call you, but you sent him to voicemail twice. Giving up, he grabbed his bag, fully planning to follow you, when he saw Namjoon stand before he could. Throwing a dirty look at Jungkook, Namjoon shook his head at him before quickly following you out the door. 

You haven’t gone far, making it only to your office where you gathered up the rest of your belongings when Namjoon burst in.

“Y/N,” he sounded a little out of breath, probably from running to the elevator and then to your office, you assumed, “I—”

“Save it, Joon. You didn’t want to talk to me these past few weeks, so I don’t know why you’re here now.”

“Because I realized I love you.”

You stopped packing up your laptop, eyes slowly moving to meet his.

“What did you say?”

“I said I love you. I didn’t realize it until you started dating Jungkook, but I do.”

You shook your head back and forth, unable to hear or deal with his feelings right now.

“No, Namjoon, you don’t. You just miss Jennie.”

“Y/N, listen, I should’ve realized it was you. It’s always been you. You can’t honestly tell me that you’re in love with Jungkook?” Namjoon said this last part with contempt.

Tears fell once again, and you dropped your hands uselessly to your side.

“I do, Namjoon. I honestly love him.”

“Well, I hate to say I told you so, but-”

“Then don’t,” you voiced, cutting him off with an edge to your voice.

“You and Jungkook? Please. Anyone can see how different you are. You and me, though? We’re better for each other.”

“How different we are? Why? Am I too out of his league? Not pretty enough?”

“No, that’s not what I’m saying, and you know it. You guys just aren’t compatible—”

“And how the fuck would you even know?! You saw us together at what? One party? And then at work? What do you even know about our relationship, Joon?! You’ve been angry at me ever since you found out!”

“Because you and him together isn’t right! It’s supposed to be you and me!”

“Oh please, Namjoon. If Jennie hadn’t taken that Japan job and dumped you, you wouldn’t even be here right now. I wouldn’t have even crossed your mind. This is a pointless conversation.”

You walked towards the door, bag over your shoulder and laptop case in hand. Namjoon blocked the doorway, and behind him you could see nosey coworkers watching the interaction. 

“Move, Namjoon.”

“Not until you talk to me.”

“No,” you go to shoulder past him, and you were able to back him up into the common area outside of your office. He grabbed at your shoulders, holding you still. 

“Namjoon, let go of me!” At this moment you hated that you had dressed up for this meeting; a tight a-line pencil skirt and heels that don’t allow you the movement that you needed.

Before you can shimmy from his clutches, he’s leaning forward, his lips meeting yours in a kiss. In shock, you don’t move at first, not until your free hand shoved his shoulder and pushed him a step back.

“I can’t believe you.” 

The look you gave him could burn the sun, and this time you were able to push past him; the elevator getting closer and closer as you approached. You saw Jungkook, motionless, at the platform in front of the elevators; his eyes low in a glare aimed at Namjoon, who had followed you in your haste to escape.

“Hyung, you need to leave her alone.”

“Me? I’m her best friend. I would say you were her boyfriend, but we all heard her break up with you when she left the room crying.”

“That was just a misunderstanding. So like I said, leave her alone.” Jungkook stepped forward to his full height, chest to chest with his hyung, who prior to watching him force a kiss on you, he respected a lot. The tension on the floor was thick. You were mere steps from freedom, from Namjoon and Jungkook, when his words stopped you dead in your tracks. A misunderstanding? 

Did he not understand what the words ‘It’s over’ meant? That the contract, the relationship between the two of you, however real or fake, everything was null and void? 

“It wasn’t a misunderstanding, Jungkook.”

Big, confused, doe eyes turned to face you. “Y/N, please let’s just talk about th—”

“Why don’t you take your own advice and listen to her, Kook. You could never treat her how she deserves.” 

“Why don’t you go mind your own business Namjoon.” Jungkook bit back, fists clenched as he shook, holding back his anger. He just wanted to be alone to talk to you, but Namjoon was making it difficult.

“She is my business, she’s my best friend. She’s nothing to you now. Though, knowing you, that’s probably the reason she broke up with you. I bet you didn’t treat Somin right, and now you fucked up with Y/N. Can’t do anything right, can yo—”

Jungkook’s fist flew through the air before you could tell either of them to stop talking about what they don’t know. The sound of Namjoon’s jaw connecting to his fist echoed through the large room, and the crowd of bystanders yelled out in shock at watching a full on fight start in the building.

You yelled as Namjoon tackled Jungkook around his middle, tackling him to the ground before he reared back his fist to punch him back. 

“Namjoon, stop, STOP!” you yelled as Jungkook flipped Namjoon onto his back, swapping places as he took the liberty to return the blow. Putting down your laptop and bag haphazardly, you rushed closer. Leaning down, you grabbed at Jungkook’s arm that was cocked back to throw another punch, yelling his name frantically.

“Jungkook, Kookie, PLEASE STOP!”

The two men looked at your face, their chests rising and falling rapidly as they tried to catch their breath. Jungkook’s eyes were dilated. As he took in your state, he seemed to come back to his senses. He started to climb up off of where he straddled Namjoon, pinning him to the floor, his hand reaching up towards you from where he was kneeled on the ground.

“Y/N, I’m sorry baby, please just talk to me.” Jungkook’s bottom lip was split, a small bit of blood leaking from the cut. His cheekbone was red; you knew a bruise would form there. Namjoon too tried to sit up, leaning on his elbow as his split eyebrow spilled his blood down the side of his face. He too would be sporting a shiner for the next week or so. 

You almost reached for Jungkook, returned the gesture to cradle that beautiful face, but you couldn’t. Him fighting Namjoon changed nothing about the fact that Somin had the present you gave him, that she brought it to him as if she had given it to him, let alone the response he gave her when he saw it. Backing away, you almost tripped over your belongings before you thought to collect them, and then dashed into the elevator, leaving the two men bleeding on the floor as the doors shut, cutting off the view.

——

Dealing with the aftermath of the fight was not something you thought would be so difficult to do. 

Working remotely meant not being able to turn off your phone so you didn’t miss any important calls or texts. Unfortunately, it also meant you had to deal with the barrage of texts and calls from friends and co-workers wanting to know about the fight. 

According to Jimin, the only person other than Kim who you were responding to, the whole office heard about the fight. With Jin being Jungkook’s roommate, and of course being the resident gossip, news traveled fast that the two men got into a fist throwing match over you. This only had you double down on avoiding messages, calls, and not posting to social media. It was unlike you; as a fashionista who worked with models and artists like SeoulM8 and Kim Seokjin, people looked to your accounts for updates. 

Your silence was killing Jungkook, the one person who had not given up. Jungkook hated to not give people time, but he had the feeling like the more time you had, the faster you would slip from his fingertips. You stared at your phone, watching his name light up on the screen as a picture of the two of you, set as his contact photo, taunted you with memories. 

All you could do was lay there, curled up on your bed in your pajamas for the second day in a row, hating yourself. Hating the fact that you allowed yourself to break your rules, that you let Jungkook into your heart for a second time, only to watch it all come crashing down because he couldn’t let go of Somin. What did Somin have that you didn’t? How was it that she always won?

5 years ago you lost Jungkook to her, after giving him your virginity, something he knew was a big deal, as he had given his to you in exchange. And now again, you had so foolishly fallen into bed with him again, and he ran back to Somin. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice? You were already blaming yourself heavy for this one. 

Another day passed before you finally pulled yourself up out of bed long enough to shower and get dressed in a different set of sweats. A knocking sound at the front door had you tense up. Luckily, your sister answered the door, able to field away anyone who wanted to see you.

Creeping silently to the door of your bedroom, you cracked it open and listened to see who was there. From the angle you could see your sister, but not who was outside, nor could they see you. The warm tone was instantly recognizable, and your eyes widened as your sister looked back at you. Shaking your head profusely, she denied entry and shut the door, walking over to you. You back away from the door, letting her in as you sit on your bed. Crossing your legs, you grabbed a stuffie and clutched it to your chest.

“Hey, can you tell me what happened? Why are you hiding out at home and not answering Jungkook’s calls? What’s going on?”

You sighed, taking a much needed breath before you recounted the whole story. You told her about the journal entries being sent out, about how Namjoon had confronted you leading to you lying and saying you were with Jungkook, who came up with the plan to fake date each other until the Somin and Namjoon issues calmed down for both of you. 

She listened intently, shocked to hear that it was all fake, and she told you as much once you finished sharing about the fight that ensued on Monday.

“Sis, that man loves you. I could see it when he came to the door. I think you should talk to him.”

“No. It’s all my fault all of this happened anyways. If I hadn’t been drunk and sent those messages out, I would have never had to lie to Namjoon and start all of this.”

Yuna squirmed in your computer chair, her mouth twisted as if holding herself back.

“Actually, you didn’t do that.”

“What are you talking about Yuna? I saw the messages. I took the photos the night before because I wanted to upload them to an online journal platform.”

She nodded her head, wringing her fingers in her hand. “I know that, but you didn’t send them… I did.”

You stared at her, anger silently rising as you waited for her to continue. 

“I waited until you got into the shower. You know I read the entry to Namjoon, and so when you got into the shower, I used your phone and sent a message to each guy who’s name was both in the book and in your phone. I wanted you to have someone, instead of always spending your evenings at home, bored.”

“Yuna, you knew that I did not want Namjoon to know, he and Jennie had just... and I was trying to protect him, do you see what this did?!” You threw the plushie at her angrily, standing abruptly.

“I can’t believe you would invade my privacy, you could have ruined my career, if one of those messages had been sent to the wrong person, god damn it Yuna! You’ve ruined my fucking life!”

Yuna was crying, but she set the stuffed bunny back on your bed gently before she got up and headed to leave your room. Pausing at the door, her hand poised on the door knob, she turned back to face you.

“I didn’t ruin your life. You finally had a life. You’re the one running away from it now.”

With those parting words, she left your room, closing the door and leaving you alone with your thoughts.

After Yuna left you, she went to her own room, where she scrolled through social media to find Jungkook. You already blamed her, though she felt like it was misplaced, but she felt like she might as well do something to help fix the situation. Finding Jungkook’s IG account from the photos you tagged him in, she followed him. When he returned the follow, she messaged him to contact her. 

It didn’t take long for him to respond, and she asked him to meet her out somewhere. Agreeing on a local park, Yuna changed her shoes and left you moping in your room, a note on the counter that she was headed out.

Sitting on the bench, it wasn’t hard to spot Jungkook. His tousled black hair peeking from under his black beanie and the familiar black jacket was easy to spot against the white snow that had recently fallen, but like a Seoul snowfall, it wouldn’t stick for long. Carrying a hot cocoa for him and herself, Yuna held it out to him before she sat down, sipping on the warm drink.

“Yuna, I will say I’m surprised you reached out to me.” Jungkook’s usually bright voice was tinged with sadness as he looked over at her.

“I have something to tell you.” Yuna started, and Jungkook’s nerves grew.

“I was the one who sent the journal entry to you. Not my sister.”

“Oh? Okay. Thank you for telling me I guess.” Jungkook took another deep pull from the drink, letting the heat fill his body as he swallowed.

“I mean, I sent it because I didn’t want her to grow old and be alone. Every night, coming home bored to drink wine with her baby sister and watch reruns on Netflix? I wanted her to fall in love. And she did. With you.”

“I don’t think so, Yuna. She wasn’t in love with me.”

“She was; she still is! She told me everything that happened. About how dating you was all fake. But I know it wasn’t. Not for her. And not for you. No one acts the way you two acted. I know my sister; when she told me what happened, I knew that she was hurt because she’s in love with you. Like, still in love with you. She just doesn’t believe you love her back.”

Yuna stared at Jungkook, watching the way her words sank in, waiting to confirm what she already knew: Jungkook was in love with you, too.

Jungkook’s voice was quiet when he finally spoke. “How do I convince her? That I love her back?” 

“I wish I knew Jungkook. I wish I knew. But if you don’t do something soon, I think you’ll lose her.”

——

Friday was New Year’s Eve, and you had to put up with Yuna running around like a lunatic cleaning the apartment to ring in the new year. You had finally resigned yourself to forgiving her for sending the journal entries. It was over and done with, and there was nothing more to do. Monday, you would be back at work like nothing happened, and didn’t want to go into the new year holding onto this year’s anger or sadness.

Yoongi, surprisingly, had reached out to you the day before about a party he was having to ring in the new year, and at first you didn’t want to go, but the longer you thought about it, you figured you should. Why spend the new year at home, where your sister would relentlessly tease you until she left. She had her own plans this year, going to a classmates to drink and watch the fireworks; so if you stayed home, you would be alone.

And you were tired of being alone. Sleeping in, you didn’t get up to join your sister in cleaning until later in the afternoon, going through your closet, bedroom, and bathroom.

You were scrubbing your shower when you heard the doorbell, but your sister, ever the nosey one, yelled that she would get it, so you continued cleaning, forgetting that someone had come to the door by the time you finished cleaning the bathroom. 

When you finally stopped cleaning for the day, it was close to 9 PM, so you decided to get ready for the night out at Yoongi and Hobi’s place. After about an hour and a half, you were dressed, makeup done, and ready for the party. You ventured out of your room, noticing a large blue hatbox on the kitchen counter.

“Yuna! What’s this blue box?” you yelled, and her reply carried from down the hall.

“A delivery, for you, from earlier!”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” you grumbled, cursing your sibling as you reached to remove the lid off of it. Inside was what looked like a photobook, a beautiful ombre of pinks and purples decorating the cover. Removing it from the box, you flip it open, noticing right away the neat handwriting that could only belong to one person. 

Sighing, you carry it to the couch, where you read the inscription he penned inside. 

“Right at this moment, I think of you.” 

Flipping through the pages, you see he’s created a scrapbook of the past month spent together. Pictures of the two of you at work, the park, each other’s places, and visiting each other’s families. Pictures of you sleeping in his arms, candids where you aren’t even aware of him taking the photos.

Each photo is vibrant, in his style of catching the light just right as it caresses your face, and you’ve never seen yourself look so beautiful. He’s scribbled little notes here and there, of what he noticed or what was happening when he snapped the camera, and you can’t help but blush when you see a photo in there of you after the two of you had sex. 

“I reach out my hand, and feel your breath. With eyes closed, before we know it, we’re together.”

Your fingers trace over the photo, where Jungkook’s face is, looking at you so lovingly as you sleep on his chest, the bed sheets from his childhood bedroom covering you both strategically so nothing indecent shows. 

The last page has a handwritten letter, not unlike the one you wrote for him all those years ago, with a tiger lily pressed inside. You looked up the meaning of the flower earlier in the day when you found the large vase while cleaning. Please love me. With shaky hands, you held the photobook and began to read.

Y/N, 

5 years ago, you thought you were in love. I can tell you with certainty that 5 years later I pray that you are, because I am so in love with you. The way you see me, I don’t think I’ve ever been seen before. My whole life I’ve been behind the camera capturing others. And somehow you have taken the camera from me and now I’m the one being captured and seen. And I love it. You make me feel like I’m not just made up of the same ingredients that make up the stars in the sky, you make me feel like the very galaxy reflected in your eyes when you look at me. You’re beautiful, and I, Jeon Jungkook, am so in love with you. When I say I’ve always loved you, that there is no start, so there can be no end: we are fated—destined; you are mine as much as I am yours. These photos are only a fraction of the way I see you, the many shades that make up who you are, how could I ever capture them all? Please know, I want to spend the rest of time trying. So in case you didn’t see it, or weren’t sure: I love you. I want to be with you. No contracts, just you, wholeheartedly as mine, and me as yours.

——

It was nearing 11 when you reached Yoongi and Hobi’s house, leaving the Uber driver with a confused look at the way you dashed out of his car. You could care less; the man you were in love with was inside that house, right now, and you would be damned to let him get away again.

Pushing through the crowd of bodies, you looked side to side, searching for the familiar black tresses, ears straining to hear his musical laugh or catch someone saying his name. Entering the living room, your eyes fell on the beer pong table, where Jimin and Taehyung were playing against Yoongi and Hobi. 

Destination set on getting to that table, you wade through the throng of people with the obligatory happy new year. Some attempted to stop to ask you how you’ve been, fill you in on the latest office gossip, or inquire about the exact relationship status of Jungkook. Those in the latter category were met with major side-eye. Plastering a fake smile on your face each time, you finally shake the last of them, jogging the last few steps until your right on the edge of the game.

“Y/N! Glad to see you!” Hobi was his typical cheerful self, greeting you with his signature smile as he watched Taehyung try and line up his shot in the cups Yoongi just re-racked.

“Hey Hobi, Happy almost New Year! Have you seen Jungkook?” you asked, skipping straight to the point.

“Um, yea, he came by earlier to drop off a few kegs for us, helped us move the furniture, but he went home. Said he wasn’t really feeling like celebrating.”

Yoongi, who had just grabbed the ping pong balls before they bounced off the table, handed one to Hobi as he gave you a pointed look.

“Yea, looked pretty heartbroken all week, if you ask me.”

“Well, no one did Yoongi. Give her a break,” Hobi answered before turning to you, “he’s probably at home. You can get there before midnight if you get an Uber quick.”

Thanking him, you threw your arms around him and Yoongi in a shared hug before waving to the other two on the far side of the table. You had someplace to be.

Outside in the quiet, you requested an Uber, happy to see one not even 2 minutes away. Thankfully, Jungkook only lived 10 minutes or so from the guys. You hoped traffic would be on your side. You knew you were cutting it close; 11:30 was approaching fast.

The ride to Jungkook’s apartment gave you too much time to think. Those 15 minutes (thanks drunk pedestrians) on the car ride over allowed the nerves to settle in, along with the doubt and fears. What if he didn’t feel that way about you anymore? What if he just wanted to bring you the photobook as a goodbye?

Shaking the thought from your head, you took a deep breath before you climbed out of the car and into the hushed cold of the last day of December. You had never shown up to his place unannounced like this, so used to trailing him into his apartment. The closed door was daunting to you, but you didn’t have much time now.

Knocking louder than you needed to due to those pesky butterflies in your stomach, what feels like an hour is only 10 seconds or so until Jungkook is standing before you. 

“Hi,” you said, breathless from the cold and from the sight of him after so many days apart.

“Hi,” he responded, looking just as mesmerized to see you at his doorstep, “uh, wanna come in?” Jungkook took a step back, giving you space to come in and you stepped forward into the welcomed warmth of his home.

The scene before you is not what you were expecting. Jungkook had been sitting in the dark, a half eaten pizza and a beer bottle on the coffee table, with his favorite blue and grey plaid blanket haphazardly cast aside on the couch; most likely from when he stood to welcome you.

Shucking off your boots, you walked into the living room, Jungkook silently trailing you.

“I—I’ve missed you.” His voice is low, as if afraid he would spook you.

“I’ve missed you too.” You turned to face him, the light from the paused Netflix show reflecting in his beautiful orbs. You took in his face, split lip mostly healed and the bruise faded along his cheek.

“I got your gift.”

“I’m glad.”

The conversation between the two of you was static, neither sure of what to do. The silence ticked on for a few more seconds before you decided to stop being a pussy.

“Did you mean it? What you said?”

“Of course I did.”

“I’m glad,” you repeated his earlier phrase, stepping closer to him. You placed your hands on his chest, solid muscles reacting to your touch as he subconsciously flexed them. “Because I love you, too.”

Rising on your tippy toes, you pressed your lips to his, your body relaxing when you heard the sigh he let out from the contact. His hands pulled you closer, deft fingers gripping you in all the right places as he deepened the kiss. He tasted faintly of pizza and beer, and smelled so strongly of his vanilla musk. You couldn’t believe how much he felt like home to you. Being in his arms felt right. 

Bending slightly, Jungkook wrapped his arms under your thighs and lifted you up, never breaking the kiss. Hoisting you up, he carried you down the hall to his room, foot kicking the door shut behind him. So turned on by his show of strength, you rolled your hips down onto what was his growing length, seeking any friction that would help ease the ache between your thighs. 

Letting out a groan, Jungkook’s hands guided your hips roughly to where he wanted you, lining up your sweet spot so you could grind on him better. Licking into his mouth, your hands tangled in the hair at the nape of his neck. A slight tug exposed more of his neck, where you planted markers of your territory as you continued rolling your hips in time to his movements. 

“I want you.” The whispered words went straight to your core; hearing Jungkook’s voice break with need, need for you—you couldn’t get out of your clothes fast enough.

“Bed. Now.” You demand, and he laughs as he follows your directives, setting you down once he approached the edge of his queen sized mattress. You tug your jacket off, tossing it to the foot of his bed before peeling your shirt up over your head to reveal your bra to him. He doesn’t get to look too long; you’ve gripped the waistband of his grey sweatpants and pulled them low enough to free him from it’s confines. His cock sprung free, and, licking your lips, you switch positions with him. 

With his back to the bed, you pushed him down, and he went easily. Pressing your hand to his chest, you lay him back as you bend at the waist, bringing your mouth to his leaking head. You lick the bottom of his shaft up to the slit, collecting the pre-cum with the tip of your tongue before you take the head into your mouth, swirling your tongue around the sensitive tip. Under your hand, you feel his abdominal muscles contract as he lets out a moan letting you know how good you feel as you take him farther into your mouth. 

Speeding your ministrations, you hollow your cheeks as you slurp around the head, using your hands to massage the dripping spit along the exposed skin you can’t reach. His hands grip your hair creating a makeshift ponytail to keep it out of your face so he can watch you. And wow, does he love the sight of your lips wrapped around his cock, innocent eyes blinking coyly up at him while your mouth is stretched around him. Keep it up and he could cum too quickly in your mouth.

When your free hand traveled to his scrotum, he jumped, feeling an overwhelming sense of pleasure as his sack tensed up.

“Wait, baby, I don’t want to cum yet.” Jungkook panted, and you pop off of him with a lewd sound that filled the quiet of his room.

Tugging you towards him, he scooted back on the bed until his head was flush with the headboard. 

“Strip for me,” he urged, and you did, undoing the button on your jeans and sliding them down until you were naked from the waist down. His eyes stared pointedly at your chest and you unclasped your bra, adding it to the growing pile of clothes the two of you had made. Watching as he shed his shirt before laying back fully, kicking his sweats free from his body, you climbed onto the bed, and he directed you farther up his body until he could maneuver your thighs to either side of his face. 

“Jungkook—”

“I’ve wanted you like this for so long, baby, please.”

Giggling softly, you lowered yourself slowly and he wound his arms around your thighs until his palms were wrestling lightly on them. The slow caress as he drew patterns on your skin matched the same pattern he drew with his tongue, you realized once he had you fully seated. Gripping the headboard, you threw your head back, rolling your hips as his lips and tongue ravaged you, the sexual sounds of him eating you out creating more for him to drink down. 

Curving your back to make you hunch forward, you adjust as the pleasure builds and you see his eyes, those bright galaxies staring at you as he pleasured you to climax and you tensed as the coil in your abdomen snapped, a mix of curse words and his name pouring from your lips as he worked you through it.

Placing your hands on his sweat laced forehead, you pushed to try and pull away from the overstimulation as he let out a laugh.

Scooting yourself down his body once he released you, you fell back and to the side of his muscular thighs, trying to catch your breath. You feel him moving, a low chuckle released as his hands grasped your wrists. Pulling you up, you see he’s now seated flush to the headboard, back against the soft grey padding. He guides your hips so that you straddle him, sitting your still sopping wet cunt onto his cock. Pressed against his stomach, he can feel the warmth emanating from your opening, and groaned, wanting to be inside of you.

Pressing his forehead to yours, his eyes meet yours as he intertwines your fingers before resting your interlocked hands behind your back at the curve of your ass.

“I love you.” His voice is strong, sure and confident in the words he says as he bares more than just his body before you. “I wanted you so badly back then, I want you even more now.” He presses a kiss to your lips, causing you to grind down on him. 

He kisses down your neck, hands still holding you in position over him. “Want to be inside of you, baby.” He nips at your neck, making you gasp, and when you rock forward, he’s rocking his hips down. 

The head of his cock presses against your core, and you settle back onto it, walls stretching to accommodate his girth. The two of you move in tandem, lips once again reunited in a raunchy kiss that only serves to turn you on more, sending enough slick between your lower lips to allow him to slip further into you until he’s bottomed out, a snug fit as the tip of his cock kisses your cervix. 

Releasing your hands, his large palms hold your back to pull you closer to him as you swivel your hips, rocking so the shaft slips in and out of you in short bounces. You rock, arms wrapped lazily around his neck as you play with the wet locks of hair as you ride him at your leisure, just enjoying the feel of your bodies connected as one. Chest to chest, you can feel the speed of his heart beat; it matches your own. 

“Can I go faster?” you asked, not wanting to go at a pace he wasn’t comfortable with.

“You can use me however you want, baby,” he replied, eyebrow cocked smugly as he gripped your waist tighter, “but please tell me I can cum inside.”

Nodding as you sped up, you bounced with more friction, his pelvic bone rubbing against your clit as you chased your high, fucking yourself on his formiddable cock.

“That’s it, fuck, baby, right there—” Jungkook’s moans, musical as he egged you on, brought you to your peak for the second time that night. Your walls clenched around him, and as your body froze, he took advantage of the moment to shift your bodies so you were on your back with your head to the foot of the bed. Bracing his feet on edge where his mattress met the headboard, he began to piston his hips into you, chasing his own high.

“Fuck, Jungkook, I’m gonna—again—” You can barely get the words out when your third orgasm is crashing around you, legs shaking from where they’re wrapped tightly around his narrow hips. Your release makes it wetter, and your swollen walls ache to feel his cum fill you.

“Gonna fill you up so good, baby, fuck a—baby into you, fuck, I want to see you carry my—my kid,” Jungkook’s cock is drowning in your essence, and hearing him talk about kids with you causes you to tighten around him, and he’s cumming, long ropes of his hot cum filling you until it’s seeping out around him as he continues to thrust indiscriminately, velvet muscle milking him dry.

Laying skin to skin in his bed, you laugh as the alarm clock numbers alert you to the fact that you had missed the New Year by 38 minutes. 

“What’s so funny?” Jungkook asked, eyes alight as he takes in your smile. 

“We missed New Year’s.”

“We didn’t miss it, we were simply enjoying our New Year’s kiss for longer than most.” He quipped back, fingers tracing patterns along your back. Your own nails were lightly scratching shapes into his chest as you rested your head on his shoulder. You spent the next 20 minutes of the first hour of the new year listening to him explain what happened with the camera strap, though you had already forgiven the incident. 

He wasn’t sure how Somin had the camera strap, though he suspected she stole it from his bag at the cafe. Jungkook told you about the meeting, how it helped him see that you weren’t a rebound; he was in love with you and while it was obvious to him, a part of him wanted to be sure before confessing to you. He didn’t want you to think he was rushing into things to get over his ex. He also apologized for fighting Namjoon, saying he was worried that seeing him fight would change how you viewed him, change his chances of being with you, this time for real.

“I love you, Jungkook, in case you didn’t know.”

“I love you too, in case you didn’t know.” 

“Hmm, but, I think we need to talk about children though, I think it’s a little too soon, despite our parents' ideas.” You giggled, and his cheeks turned red in embarrassment.

“It was just sex talk, we’re still just practicing, okay?”

Stretching, you roll away from his body, and he follows your body heat subconsciously, his body not wanting you far from him after almost a week of radio silence. 

“Hey, get back here, you’re mine.”

“Oh am I?” you teased, staying just out of his reach.

He pouted, accent slipping out as he moved closer to your retreating body.

“Yes, you’re mine, no rules, no contracts; just mine.”

“ ‘m all yours, baby,” you mumbled as you rubbed your nose to his in an eskimo kiss as he gathered you up in his arms, “and you’re mine.”

UPDATE (5.18.21): 1st Prologue is Out Now!

BTW, ily ⟢ summary: Taking place in the To All the Men I’ve Fucked Before (TATMIFB) AU, this pre-story is the backstory to you and Namjoon’s friendship. A year after losing your virginity to Jungkook, you meet Namjoon, who becomes your best friend… and who you want so much more with. Before you and Jungkook get it together in To All the Men I’ve Loved Before, there was BTW, ily.

Thank you all so much for reading! I plan on doing an epilogue and some drabbles to get more insight into the pasts of these characters! I love them so much, I don’t think I am ready to let go. The masterlist will be updated as more are added! TATMIFB Masterlist

↣ all rights reserved © hisunshiine 2021. please do not repost. translations & modifications are not allowed.

[wkemeup]

Sunrise (5)

summary: After an explosion takes his arm and his only sense of belonging, Bucky is content to live out the rest of his days in the hollow comfort of the dark. This is, until Sam drags him down to the local VA and he meets you. (Modern AU) pairings: bucky x reader chapter word count: 4.3k warnings: really flippin sweet fluff, more book recs a/n: to avoid confusion - the manner in which Bucky lost his arm is different in this series than in canon  🧡 series masterlist / series playlist

For the first time since Bucky was discharged from active duty, he had a routine again.  

The curtains were open before he took a shower in the morning; sunlight streaming in through the windows and casting a gentle glow over the apartment. It touched over books piled high on the coffee table, pillows neatly lined on the sofa, and blankets folded over the arm rest. Steve had nearly done a double take the first time he made his usual beeline to whip open the curtains to expose a dusty and unkempt apartment, only to find Bucky making coffee in the kitchen, freshly showered, and the sun shining high in the sky.  

It had been almost a month since his first attendance at book club and he’d gone through nearly a book a week just to have the excuse to visit you at the library again for another. You’d given him your number after his first trip to the library with a binding promise to text you if he was held up in his apartment in pain again. You’d sworn to bring books straight to him and read them aloud if you had to.  

You had laughed as you said it, like it was only a joke. Bucky had nodded along, but if he were honest, he would have liked that very much.  

He’d arrange for times to meet you at the library at the end of your shift where you’d always have a book waiting for him. There’d be a few sitting on the shelf you’d set aside, but without fail, he always opted for the first one you presented to him. You hadn’t led him wrong so far.  

After, though neither of you directly proposed it, you’d often find yourselves back at Luciana’s. It was like your feet simply carried you there, a silent agreement to spend as much time together as you could, even if you were both too afraid to admit it out loud.  

He came to understand why Sunday was your favorite day of the week. Bucky started to take it upon himself to meet you at the library to walk you to the VA where he fulfilled his word to help move the couches before the usual members arrived. The look of surprise on your face when you bounced down the library steps and caught sight of him leaning on the pillar a few steps away from the busy sidewalk had been enough to convince him to never leave your side again. 

Your smile was one he’d learned to memorize. He conjured it when the strangers bumped into him on the sidewalk threatened to collapse his racing heart entirely and it pushed him further. It was enough to convince him to keep going beyond the safety of his apartment walls and it was worth it every time. Just to see you smile at him like that.  

***

“Have you started it yet?”

Bucky blinked a few times, reminding himself of his surroundings. You stood on his right side in line at Luciana’s behind a couple of tourists who were having a hard time discerning the difference between a cappuccino and an americano. He raised an eyebrow, confused, and you gestured to the book in his bag.  

“Oh, I just flipped through the pages so far,” Bucky said, pulling the book from his bag; thick black cover with a small white illustrated creature staring up at the stars. Everyone's a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too written by an author that seemed to go by a name as misspelled as the title, Jomny Sun. “It looks like a children’s book?”

You grinned and your shoulders lifted in a shrug. “It’s somewhere in between. You have to trust me on this one. It may seem young on the surface but it’ll tug at your heart strings. Hold your judgement until you’ve actually read it, Barnes.”

Bucky chuckled, nodding. “Hey, I never said I didn’t trust you. Just curious where you’re leading me on this one.”

“Be blind, Bucky,” you sang, teasing him. “I won’t guide you into a creepy forest or the bottom of the ocean, I promise.”

“Oh good. I was starting to worry.”  

It was strange to feel so light again, but there was something about your presence that allowed him to let go of all the weight he carried. He could set down his baggage at his feet for just a minute to give his back a break, to stretch out his muscles and find relief in the solace. You would have offered to carry some of it yourself if he’d asked— of that he was certain. But it was a heavy load, and he wasn’t sure he was ready for you to see what was inside just yet.

The bell to the café rang behind him and a mother and her young son walked inside. The little boy held the woman’s hand as he scrunched his nose at the smell of the coffee, pouting up at her. A bright red backpack hung off his shoulders, Velcro ties over his tiny sneakers. The soles lit up as he walked.  

“Mommy, I want to go to the playground,” the kid whined and Bucky watched you laugh to yourself from the corner of his eye.  

“We will, sweetness,” the mother replied calmly. She bent down to brush the hair from the boy’s eyes. “Mommy just needs a bit of caffeine before we—”

“Whoa! What happened to that guy’s arm?” the kid gasped, a mixture of shock and amazement in his tiny little voice.  

Bucky tensed up immediately, every muscle in his body turning to stone. When strangers noticed his arm, he was usually met with unwanted stares and hushed whispered, but children were a whole different story. They had no filter, no sense of the unspoken rules garnered by society; they were driven by their own curiosity and something as trivial as politeness did not get in the way of that.  

“Oh, honey,” the mother gripped tight to the boy’s arm, lowing her voice in hopes Bucky hadn’t heard him, “you can’t ask things like that.”

“Why not?” the boy replied innocently. “Where’d it go?”

Bucky could feel your eyes on him, studying for his reaction, but he couldn’t offer one. He was stone, after all. A frown tugged at your lips to see the sudden distress wash over him and he felt an aching puncture of embarrassment deep into his stomach. It only took the mere mention of his arm to wipe him to a blank slate, to throw him back to the battlefield where it was torn from his body. Any unexpected reminder of it usually did.  

You nodded at him, offered a small smile, like you were trying to tell him it would be alright. Then slowly, you turned around and knelt in front of the boy.  

“Hi,” you said sweetly, catching the mother off guard.  

“Do you know what happened to his arm?” the boy asked, must to the dismay of his mother.

“Mason! Oh God, I am so very sorry,” the mother quickly apologized, flustered as she desperately tried to hush the boy. He pressed his face into his mother’s arm.  

Bucky stole a glance over his shoulder to find you kneeling on the floor beside the boy, smiling at him as he clutched a plush triceratops to his chest. You tilted your head at him, trying to get a better look at the boy.  

“You want to know what happened?” you asked softly. He nodded, arms wrapped tight around his stuffed toy. You glanced up at Bucky and his eyes narrowed on you, heart beating a little faster, stomach twisting, before you turned back to the boy. “He did something really brave.”

Fuck. 

Did you know? 

Did Sam tell you? 

Bucky’s legs started to feel weak.  

“You like superheroes, huh?” you continued, pointing at the image of a man in a red cape flying on the boy’s t-shirt. The boy nodded shyly. “They swoop in and save the day with their super strength or magic powers, right?”

The boy started laughing, he was smiling again, standing free from his mother’s hold. She was staring at you like you were akin to one of the characters on the boy’s shirt. Bucky felt the stones cracking around his body, freeing him from their grip.  

“Is he Super Man?” Mason whispered, glancing up at Bucky with such wonder, it took him by surprise. The boy was so small, no older than four years old. Bucky didn’t know the last time he’d even talked to a kid that young and yet here you were, at the boy’s level, making him laugh and smile and easing the concerns of his mother.  

“No, he’s not,” you laughed for a moment. Then, you softened, gathering the boy’s attention again. “My friend here doesn’t have super powers. So, when he saved someone, he got hurt. But I think that makes him very brave, don’t you?”

The boy nodded enthusiastically, grinning so wide Bucky wondered how it was possible your smile could be so infectious. The mother mouthed a soft ‘thank you’ in your direction as the boy quickly changed subjects to the sprinkled donut he was going to eat for snack. She caught Bucky’s eye for a minute and nodded at him, almost in appreciation. He pressed his lips to a thin line. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to say anything back.  

You ordered his usual coffee and one of the freshly baked muffins, then a drink and a pastry for yourself. In Bucky’s distraction with the kid, he hadn’t noticed you pay before he had a chance. He felt like he was in a bit of a trance as you led him back to a table in the far corner of the shop, away from the windows and the customers.  

“You alright?” you asked as you slid into your chair opposite him.  

“Did Sam tell you?” Bucky blurted out before he had a chance to bite his tongue. It was the last thing he wanted you to know about and he had half a mind to storm up to the VA just to rip Sam a new one before he shut himself off in his apartment for a few weeks.  

It was the reason for the reoccurring nightmares that hadn’t let up in the last month, even when he’d started to have more good days than bad. They’d celebrated him for what he’d done, given him a medal, and thanked him for his service. The very thought of it made him want to vomit.  

“Hey, hey, Bucky look at me,” you called gently, your voice at the end of a dark tunnel. He blinked, adjusting to the light. “Sam didn’t say a word about what happened. I had a theory and I made a guess. You’re clearly a good man. It didn’t feel like much of a stretch. That’s all.”

Bucky clenched his jaw, staring down at the muffin as he picked at the paper cup. He heard you sigh, surprised that he couldn’t find a single sliver of impatience in your voice. When he looked up again, you smiled sweetly at him and asked him about Alien – Aliebn? – book; quickly lost in tangent of your favorite pages and moments you were excited for him to read.  

He was grateful for the change in subject, but more than that, it gave him a chance to just admire you. There was nothing strange about watching a woman, studying the intricacies on her face and the passion in her voice, when she was speaking right to him. He nodded along, doing his best to actually take in what you were saying, but he was so easily distracted by the brush of steam touching your nose, the press of your lips into your cheeks, the lines on your forehead, and the way your eyes seemed to light up the entire city block.  

The kid, his arm, and nearly six years of combat were quickly forgotten when he had the chance to watch you like that. You hardly let him get a word on, too caught up in your own excitement for the novels you placed in his hand, but he didn’t mind. He preferred to listen to you anyway. Your voice had a calming presence about it; soothing and gentle, loving and joyous. If it weren’t for the clock hanging on the wall above your head, he might have sat there all night with you.

“We should probably head over,” he pointed out reluctantly, gesturing to the clock as it approached six.  

You frowned, following his gaze to see the time had slipped by quicker than you realized. As you began to clear off the table, throwing the scraps in the garbage and setting the mugs on the counter for Luciana, Bucky began to wonder if maybe you would have sat there all night with him, too. If only he could find the courage to ask.

***

Bucky removed the clip from the book, closed the back binding, and slumped back into the cushions. The room was still pretty quiet, everyone’s noses still down in their books as the soft strum of Simon & Garfunkel played from the speaker by the coffee table. He glanced over at you as you sat beside him, a little closer than usual, though he didn’t mind. Your hip brushed his every so often when you adjusted position. It was a kind of closeness that left him wanting more.  

You were only halfway through your own book, but you could clearly sense him watching you because you slowly looked up in his direction, a pointed smile on your face.  

“You were right,” he admitted, his voice a hushed whisper in effort not to disturb the other members. “Surprisingly deep considering it’s a children’s book for adults.”  

“Hey maybe we need pictures on our pages, too,” you whispered back, teasing him with a nudged to his right shoulder. He laughed, leaning back comfortably against the couch as Tony’s eyes glared over in his direction from the top of his book. He pressed his lips together to keep quiet.

You snickered into Bucky’s shoulder, lips pressing against the sleeve of his jacket and he had never wanted to remove that layer more in his life; to actually feel the imprint of your mouth instead of just the press of your face, to feel the heat in your breath breathe through the thin layer of his t-shirt. He shivered.  

“Alright kids,” you said aloud, setting your book on the table. “Times up for today.”

“Oh, come on, Y/n! I’ve only got one chapter left!” Clint whined, stretching out dramatically along the table he was laying across.  

“Glad to hear it, Clint,” you smirked, hands planted firm on your hips. “Finish on your own time.”

A couple of ‘ooo’s rang out and it reminded Bucky of his days sitting behind a desk in class in grade school and a kid would get called up to the principal's office. Clint took it in stride though and seemed to bask in it, throwing up a pose in face of the chorus.  

The crowd quickly dispersed after that, though a few of the older members lingered behind to update you on how far they’d gotten in their books. Bucky watched you from a distance as he started to move the couches back into place, mesmerized by the glimmer in your eye as you spoke to them, a soft hand resting on the crook of their arm, nodding along with a smile on your face – always so genuine in every interaction, in every bone in your body.  

Bucky had practically finished arranging the entire room by the time you walked back inside. Your jaw dropped, wide eyes meeting his.  

“You didn’t have to do all that by yourself!”  

Bucky shrugged. “How long were you doing it on your own before I came along? Take the help when it’s offered, Y/n.”

You smiled at that. “Still. I appreciate it.”

“It’s really nothing,” Bucky said simply.

He hadn’t felt a drive like this is years. Not even before his final tour and the destruction that came with it. He hadn’t remembered what it felt like to want to lift even the smallest of burdens for someone else just to see the weight slip from their shoulders, just to see them smile. He found himself wanting to carry everything you had, even if it started with arranging the heavy furniture of the empty VA library.  

You chewed on the edge of your lip as you watched him approach the door, your jacket in his hand. He had wanted to hold it open for you, to let you turn your back and slip your arms through the sleeves, but it just wasn’t something he could do with one hand, and instead, he placed it to hang over your forearm. 

A longing for a world in which you met him before his body had been put through the shredder ached deep into his gut. It started to push a frown onto his lips, but then your voice broke through and he shook it away.  

“Ready?” you asked, gesturing to the door and he nodded, following closely behind.  

There was a sudden nervous energy in the air he didn’t expect, and for once, it wasn’t coming from him. He glanced over at you as you walked in line with him to find you fidgeting with the zipper of your jacket, hands wringing into the fabric, and hair falling out of place and down into your eyes. You exhaled a few tense breaths as Bucky opened the main door for you, following behind as you stepped out onto the side walk.  

The two of you stood there for a minute, neither one making a move to leave. You kept glancing back at the VA, then to your watch, barely able to look in Bucky’s direction and he started to feel that familiar twist of anxiety in his stomach.  

“Hey, are you oka—”

“Do you want to go for a walk?” you blurted out before he could finish, biting down quickly on your lip as if to stop yourself from saying more.  

Bucky froze, confused. He glanced down at his watch. It would be dark soon. “Now?”  

A flash of embarrassment quickly passed over your features and Bucky’s stomach dropped. 

Was it possible that you just wanted to spend more time with him? That maybe you could crave his presence the same way he did yours?  

“N-No, no, you’re right. It’s late. I’m sorry,” you muttered quickly, arms folding protectively over your chest. You kicked at a stone on the sidewalk, watching as it rolled over on its side. “I should, uh, I should head home then. I’ll see you later, Bucky.”

“There’s a park nearby,” Bucky offered before you could turn away. You lifted your head.  

“Yeah?” A cautious smile hung on your lips as you stepped closer to him.  

Bucky nodded, trying to push away the shaking in his hand. “Yeah, come on.”

A couple minutes passed by in silence as you walked along his side. Every so often, your knuckles would brush up against his hand, a nervous laughter between you as you pulled away. It happened so quickly each time, he never had a chance to respond. Even if he did, he wasn’t sure he would have had the courage to twist his fingers into yours, hold your hand tight to his own, feel the warmth of your palm and guide you along the cobblestones to the small space of greenery amongst brick and steel and concrete.  

“I hope you don’t mind me keeping you out late,” you said slowly, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear as you waited at the intersection to cross the street.  

“Not at all,” Bucky replied sincerely, offering you a small smile in hopes to ease your nervousness. Part of him wished he said more, maybe told you that spending time with you was the best part of his day or that you were the reason he was getting out of bed most mornings, but it was too big of an admission. It could scare you away and that was the last thing he wanted. Before he had a chance to decide, the light turned and you stepped out onto the street. Bucky followed closely behind.  

The entrance to the park was bordered with a dark metal fence, an arch way carrying over the brick walkway decorated with flowers and vines. You crossed underneath, pausing to stare up the twisting of the leaved through the pattern in the arch, a delicate finger reaching out to touch the tip of a petal. You looked back at Bucky with a smile twice as wide on your face and he hung his head, a breath of a laugh in his chest.  

The park was mostly empty for a Sunday evening. The last remaining streams of sunlight lit up the greenery, touching over the flowers and the reflecting into the pond at the center where a family of ducks were waddling along the edge. You seemed to like that, watching how the babies followed the mama along the rim of the water. Bucky turned to his right to find you imitating their walk, chasing after them until they stepped into the water.  

Meanwhile, Bucky found a bench sitting under an old oak tree. Its branches hung draped over the bench enough to provide a shadow from the closing sun. It faced the west side of the park, where the sun was setting just over the tops of the buildings and illuminating the sky in brilliant shades of golden orange and vibrant reds.  

“You want to sit for a bit?” Bucky asked, gesturing to the bench. His feet were a little tired from walking through Brooklyn all day with the library, the VA, and now this. It was more than he usually did these days – not that he minded. He’d happily allow his legs to be a little sore if it meant more time with you. He’d walk through busy streets for miles if it was you he was walking towards.  

You plopped down on the bench on his right, sinking into the old wood. You glanced over at him, hiding behind a strand of hair that had fallen down into your face.  

“Thanks for amusing me.”

Bucky raised an eyebrow, chuckling to himself. “You act like I don’t want to be here.”

“I know, I know,” you laughed, swinging your feet off the side of the bench. “It’s just... and I hope this isn’t a strange thing to say but... I just like spending time with you. Wanted a little more of it today, I suppose.”

Bucky swallowed, his throat feeling suddenly very dry. His heart stammered a bit inside his chest, butterflies causing chaos in his stomach, but it didn’t make him want to run. He felt no drive to escape, to push those sensations so far out of reach he turned back to the numbed and empty version of himself he’d been occupied by for months before he met you. They were frightening feelings, yes, but they were pleasant ones, ones he welcomed and invited inside.  

“You can have as much of my time as you want,” Bucky said as the words fell off his tongue. No filter, no second guessing. No chance to bite his tongue. You looked up at him with a kind of hope in your eyes that made his cheeks start to hurt from how much he was smiling.  

You settled back in on the bench, gazing up at the sunset as it lowered behind the buildings. Brush strokes of softer tones blended into the fading blues in the sky, giving way to the moon and stars as they emerged beyond the clouds.  

He glanced down at your hand as it rested on the bench by your thigh. There was hardly even a breath of air between his pinky to yours. You were so close; it would only take one instant of courage to bar the space between you.  

Be brave, Barnes.

Testing the waters, Bucky allowed the very edge of his fingers to brush over your knuckles. Your skin was softer than he’d remembered from that first handshake in the VA nearly a month earlier. He felt your breath hitch like a jolt of electricity had rushed though you, though you didn’t tear your eyes away from the sunset. Your thumb ran a tender line along his hand as you turned your palm up. Bucky swallowed.  

He slipped his hand into yours, curling his fingers to the space between your own, and for a moment he just let himself feel.

He felt for the slight give in your hand, the twitch in your movements as you settled in against him. He felt the gentle sway of your thumb as it painted a line along his, comforting sweeps like you were reminding him you were there. He felt the chill in your skin – cold hands, like he remembered from before – and the heat of his own.  

Then, your head on his shoulder. Your legs crossed towards him as you leaned in closer and he made no efforts to move. A gesture like that would have thrown him in a tailspin before he met you; to be this close to someone, to anyone, to sit in the vulnerability of allowing someone to know and feel him.  

He looked back up at the sunset. It had nearly dipped below the horizon now; only a few glimpses of color remaining in the sky and the shine of the lamppost just a few feet away.  

You sighed in a contented hum, circling your free hand to rest on the inside of his bicep, hooked around his arm. You held him against you like a teddy bear, just wanting to feel more of him. 

It was a strange sensation, he thought; this new urge to want to give you as much as his body could offer.  

[donutloverxo]

Just for Mrs Barber

Note - Written for @chrissquares @drabblewithfrannybarnes and @amythedvdhoarder 's hoelentine's fic swap challenge! My giftee was the beautiful @kaminorogers . I hope you all like it.

Shoutout to beard kinks resident hoe @sweater-daddiesdumbdork for all her help with this and to my dear friend lizzygal (link to ao3) for the beta.

Dividers by @whimsicalrogers.

Summary - Your husband buys you kinky gifts (and a whole ass house) for your anniversary/valentines.

Warnings - 18+ only please! Explicit sexual content, beard kink, bondage, blindfold, dom!Andy.

Pairing - Andy Barber x reader

Word count - 2.6k

You were sure you heard Linda say something, her voice was mixed up in the background noise of everyone chatting and some music. You couldn’t really listen, not when your husband decided that he was going to look that good and distract you, keeping you from being a good hostess.

Andy always looked good. He could roll out of bed and look good enough to eat—although maybe you were a bit biased. He was one of those people who just didn’t realize how handsome he was.

Maybe he had some sort of eyesight problem, because looking at him now. With his hair made up and beard neatly trimmed, wearing a cream sweater and some dark jeans, the whole ensemble was so basic but he pulled it off so well. His pink lips looked so delicious as they sipped on a beer.

“Mrs Barber.”

You gasped when you heard Linda call out to you, clearing your throat you looked back at her. “Yes?”

“I love what you’ve done with the house, it’s so beautiful.”

A genuine smile graced your face as you thanked her. Andy had asked you what you wanted for your first wedding anniversary, you nonchalantly told him that you wanted the most picture perfect and cosy house in the suburbs. That you were too tired of the noise and pollution of the city and longed to have a garden of your own.

Also, a bigger house would be much better if you ever have any youngins. But you didn’t tell him that. Not yet.

You were just being yourself--kind of a spoilt brat. Which shouldn’t have surprised him because he was the one to spoil you with his love and affection and the occasional material gifts.

You absolutely did not expect him to actually buy you a big ass house. It wasn’t too big if you thought about it. Just a master and two smaller bedrooms, which was what you preferred. You didn’t want to have any distance from your husband. Be it physical or emotional.

The backyard was most spacious. You could probably fit a beautiful gazebo there. But you planned on growing your own vegetables and make delicious meals as a thank you to Andy everyday for the rest of your lives. You had put your heart into decorating every single nook and cranny of the house. Having it be appreciated was most flattering.

“Thank you,” you smiled.

“Your husband is so handsome,” she observed and you only hummed as you looked over at him. He most definitely was. “And he helped you with cooking and setting up.”

“Yes, he did. He always helps. He isn’t one for parties but he indulged me by letting me throw this one,” you told her.

Andy wasn’t that enthusiastic about hosting a barbeque for neighbors who were basically still strangers for your anniversary/valentines. He preferred to have you to himself but with some kisses and cuddles, batting your brand-new eyelash extensions, and convincing he finally gave in.

“Mrs Barber,” Linda grinned, putting her hand on your elbow, “You’re drooling.”

“Oh, I am?” you quickly looked over at her, after admiring how perfect your husband’s ass looked in those damn jeans.

“That’s alright, I promise I won’t tell,” she winked, “you’re both so cute.”

You were gushing some more about Andy, how amazing he was and how the honeymoon phase never seemed to end for you both. But you straightened up when you saw him approaching you.

“Honey,” he said, “We’re out of ice.”

“Oh, I thought we had enough... I’m sure we could do without it,” you shrugged.

Andy snaked a hand around your waist, sipping on his beer as he looked down at you, so much more comfortable by your side. He frowned when he heard the guys calling for him, reluctant to leave your side but you nudged him and told him to go socialise.

“I’ll make it worth your while, later tonight,” you whispered to him.

He pressed his lips to your temple, the scratch of his beard against your skin making you gasp. “I’ll hold you to that,” he said against your face which was heating up by his uncharacteristic public display of affection.

After cleaning up you were finally getting ready for bed. Wiping your make up before taking your diamond studs off.

“We made so many friends too,” you wondered out loud. “It was a success in my book! I hope I was a good hostess.”

“Don’t worry, sweetheart, you were. Come here now.” You saw him in your dressing tables mirror, extending an arm to you and inviting you to him.

“Um, well, maybe give me a moment,” you stammered, heat creeping up your neck as you scurried off to the bathroom while he called out for you.

He frowned, you never had any problem changing clothes in front of him or being naked and in so many compromising positions before him, so why now?

“Honey, I appreciate this, I really do, but.. maybe we can just do something else,” he told you, holding onto your hand which was massaging his shoulder and kissing your knuckles. He thought it was nice of you to offer a back rub, after the day he had had he needed it, but he wanted something more than that... “I’m hungry,” he licked his lips.

“I can cook something up for you, a post-dinner snack maybe,” you offered.

“No baby,” he chuckled, “Hungry for YOU.”

He kissed the crook of your neck, sucking on a spot he knew drove you wild but then frowned when he didn’t get the reaction he desired from you, in fact you felt a little... stiff.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” he looked into your eyes.

“I was actually wondering if we could try something new...”

“Like what?” he pouted. He was a bit concerned, whenever you both had tried something new, it didn’t really go well.

There was that time you slipped and sprained your ankle during a very taxing session in the shower, when you surprised him at his office but then you were caught by his assistant—to this day he still can’t look her in the eye, when you insisted on tying him up but he ended up breaking free of the cuffs and spending the night ravaging you instead.

His unenthusiastic response was clearly not what you wanted as you blinked, disappointed evident on your face, “Nothing,” you shook your head, “now, where were we?” a salacious grin on your lips.

He hadn’t really tried to press on to see what your new suggestion was. He knew he wasn’t the most interesting man in the world. He wasn’t always as easy going as you were. How he even managed to get someone like you was something he could never comprehend.

“Are you ready for your surprise, baby,” came your voice from the master bathroom, “Here I come.”

You twirled before him, showing off your brand new fiery red babydoll. Which cost a pretty penny since it was the season of love.

“Whoa, you look gorgeous... what did I ever do to deserve you...” he wondered as his gaze raked you over.

“It’s actually the other way around,” you waved him off, climbing on the bed, “It’s time for your gift, Mr Barber.”

You took the book he was reading from his hands, setting it beside him and he hummed as you kissed his cheek.

“Actually...” he held onto the curve of your hips, squeezing just a little bit.

“Hm?”

“I have a surprise for you, sweetheart.”

That got your attention. You pulled away from his face, your soft lips still tingling from the coarseness of the hair on his face. “Oh?” Your heart fluttering in excitement. “You didn’t have to. You already bought us a home...” You said in a small voice, your fingers playing with the collar of his t-shirt.

“Oh, believe me, honey, it’s not just for you,” he smirked.

You watched, your fingers drumming along your bare thigh in anticipation as he went through his dresser.

“Since you want to try new things,” he said with his back to you, pulling something out of the dresser, “I figured this might be the perfect opportunity.”

You gasped when you saw, what looked like was a red silk tie and a dark blindfold.

“Wow.” Was all you could say. You had tried to get Andy to watch fifty shades with you and while he didn’t really say it, you knew that he wasn’t really into the movie or the kinky sex. He could barely stay down when you used cute pink fluffy handcuffs on him.

“I hope you can be a good girl for me,” his eyes dark as he stalked towards you, “and stay still. You never do... I always have to hold you down so this should make things easier... hands,” he commanded, his authoritative tone leaving no room for disobedience, as you held your hands out for him, gulping a lump of air and watching his hands tie an intricate knot around your wrists.

“It’s soft...” You wiggled your wrists testing the ties strength.

“Of course it is, I want you to be comfortable, princess,” he kissed your forehead, smoothing a hand over your scalp, he looked at the blindfold and then at you, “It’ll be kinda hard for me to not look into your eyes,” his brow furrowed as he put the blindfold over your head, the elastic stretching and then settling behind your ears till you all you could see was black, “Let me know if you need me to stop... or if you need anything.”

“Yes,” you nodded, pouting when you heard him pulling his tshirt off. You were so excited about the dirty sex that you didn’t even think about this--not being able to see Andy naked. You were about to whine about it but he pushed you back till you were lying on the mattress.

“This is all so exciting...” you whispered, having no idea what he was doing or was about to do, if he was looking at you or elsewhere.

“I know, honey, now you just let me take care of you.” You nodded, shivering when you felt the coolness of his wedding band against your thigh, “Sorry baby, are my hands cold?”

“Just a bit...”

You heard him rubbing them together to heat them up for you, before he touched your inner thigh, parting your thighs to make room for him, he pushed your nightie up, exposing your breasts and stiff peaks to him, “So beautiful... and all for me.”

“All for you, Andy,” you tried to close your legs to rub them together, to create some friction to calm the heat between your legs but his hold on you wouldn’t leave you any room to move.

“You need something, honey? You’ll have to use your words to tell me.”

You huffed, although you couldn’t see him you just knew he had a shit eating grin on his face. “Want you to make love to me, Andy,” you fessed up anyway.

“That’s exactly what I’m doing though. This is how I make love, honey,” you gasped as you felt his warm mouth latching on your nipple, his leaking manhood on your thigh.

“Oh...” you tried to arch your back, to pushed more of you into him.

He released your nipple with a pop, “You like that?”

He had never seen you like this, never knew he wanted you like this--so helpless and completely at his mercy. Writhing under him and craving him so badly, snaking a hand between your legs, “You’re so wet, honey,” he observed as he spread your slick around your lips, pulling a desperate whimper from you.

He sucked his fingers clean, you tasted so sweet, like honey.

He pinned your tied hands above your head when you tried to raise them to touch him, “No baby, you know the rules for tonight. I thought you wanted to be my good girl.”

“I do!” you whimpered again, your body shaking and writhing in his hold.

His poor girl, he knew how hard it must be for you. How you were obsessed with his beard. Sometimes He wondered if you loved it more than you loved him. He hadn’t shaved it off since he had met you.

“Then stay still, and you will be rewarded,” he promised you, pushing a finger inside you as he rubbed his beard against your sensitive nipples which seemed to set you off.

“Oh god,” you shrieked but didn’t dare move your arms.

He trailed kisses down your stomach, on your belly button, before settling between your legs and staring at your bare, glistening cunt.

“All this for me?” he wondered again, he didn’t need for you to answer, you were tied up and presented before him, just for him to feast on however he pleased. He sloppily licked as much of your juices as he could.

“All for you...” you shuddered as he rubbed his beard against the skin of your thigh.

Temporarily losing your vision seemed to have heightened everything, was it always so intense when his calloused fingers touched you? When he pushed three of his fingers inside you while whispering the dirtiest things in the world in your ear, rubbing his beard into the crook of your neck till you came around his fingers.

You were still dizzy from your high, you hissed out his name when he pulled his fingers out of you, leaving your cunt so void and empty.

You didn’t have the opportunity to tell him just how amazing that was, “You ready, babe?” You heard him ask as you nodded, his leaking tip against your opening.

He pushed into you, slowly and steadily to draw it out, he always liked taking his time, a woman like you deserved to be treated right. He hovered over you, staring at your face, your sparkling eyes covered by the blindfold, your bottom lip between your teeth, he pulled it out of your mouth with his thumb

“Don’t want you hurting yourself, honey,” he tutted, shaking his head as be sucked on your bruised bottom lip, fully sheathing himself inside you.

You wrapped your legs around his hips, hooking them behind his back, he was so big - the biggest you had ever had and yet it was never enough. Your cunt was greedy. You needed him deep, as deep as he could go. Exploring parts of you no one had seen or touched before. Only he ever would.

His hand circling your hips to pull you up against him as he rocked his hips against yours, “You’re so tight... squeezing me so tight,” he groaned. “You wanna come for me?” He whispered in your ear before nibbling on your earlobe.

“Yes,” you furiously nodded, your orgasm washing over you, dark spots in your vision as you felt your limbs loosen up.

“Hang on for me,” he warned you, holding onto the headboard as he chased his own end.

You sighed, hooking your tied-up hands around his neck as you felt his warm spend fill you up.

“Feels nice,” you mumbled, nuzzling his beard.

He hushed when you whined like the needy little thing that you were as he pulled out of you, untying your bound wrists.

He dimmed the lights before removing your blindfold, “There she is,” he smiled, kissing your temple as you rubbed your eyes. “Did you have fun, honey?” he held onto your chin as he made you turn your head to him, so that he could look into your eyes.

“Mm-hm. We should do this again sometime,” you yawned. You were better at being tied up than him anyway.

“We will. Happy anniversary.”

“Happy Valentine’s.”

Tags will be in the reblog! Comments and reblogs are really appreciated! ❤❤

Please note that my work is not to be reposted or published anywhere other than my Tumblr or AO3 account without my permission. Reblogs are most welcome though!

[leossmoonn]

Lucky [Stefan Salvatore]

masterlist 

pairing - stefan salvatore x fem, human!reader

type - fluff, light smut

note / request “okay i have one, how about stefan gets super drink and is making super suggestive jokes on the reader and is flirting w her and she has to take care of him?” since stefan is a vampire i figured the side affects of being drunk would be different for him. he’s not so much like tired and can’t-walk-straight drunk, he’s more i’m-very-horny-and-annoying type of drunk lol. also i apologise if this isn’t very good. i was really excited to write this but it didn’t come together like i hoped. anyways, enjoy!

 summary - you take care of your boyfriend, stefan, when he gets drunk at a party

warnings / includes - language, mention of alcohol and anxiety, vomiting, very suggestive and flirty content, lots of kissing and making out, stefan being a cranky and cheeky little shit lol. this takes place after klaus has stefan become the rippahhh 

————

*gif isn’t mine*

When Caroline called you, you didn’t think anything of it. You just thought that she was calling to try and convince you to come to the party at The Grill for the fifth time. When she started shouting at you about Stefan was when you started to get worried. 

“What did you say, Care?” You asked. It was hard to hear her over the music in the background. 

“One second!” Caroline exclaimed. 

You waited a few moments before Caroline spoke again. There was no sound in the background this time. 

“Sorry, I had to go outside,” she apologised. “It’s alright. Um, what’d you say about Stefan?” You asked. 

“He’s drunk and he needs you to come and pick him up,” she explained. 

“Oh,” you frowned. “Well, why can’t you drive him home?” “Trust me, we’ve tried, but…. but he only wants you.”

You couldn’t stop the smile that was spreading across your face. “Oh, really?”

“Well, duh. You’re his girlfriend,” Caroline chuckled. 

“Right, right,” you nodded. You got up from your kitchen table, shutting your textbooks and putting them away. “Well, I’ll be over soon.” “Okay, thank you. Also, brace yourself for when you see him. Drunk Stefan is fun, crazy Stefan,” Caroline warned. 

You chuckled and went to put your shoes on. “I bet he’s not that bad.”

“Oh, you’ll be surprised. Anyways, I’ll see you soon,” Caroline said. 

“See ya,” you hung up the call. You set your phone dying, tying your sneakers. You grabbed your jacket and car keys, about to make your way to your car, but your mom stopped you. 

“You going to the party?” She asked. “Um, not exactly,” you started. “Stefan needs to be picked up.”

“Oh, why? Is he okay?” Your mom crossed her arms over her chest. 

“Yeah, he’s just had a little too much to drink,” you explained. 

“Hm, alright. Well, if you need any help, call me. I know how drunk, horny teenage boys can be,” she chuckled. 

“He’s not like that, Mom,” you shook your head. “I know, I know, but you never know,” she tsked. 

You gave her a small smile, “I’ll see you later.”

“Text me if you’re staying over at his place!” She reminded. 

You nodded in reply and opened the garage door, stepping out and heading to your car. You drove to The Grill, your anxiety spiking as you thought of what Caroline meant. You had known Stefan for almost three years and had been dating him for five months, but you had never seen him drunk. Sure, you’ve seen him tipsy because all Damon and he did for fun was drink, but he always kept his ground. You hoped Caroline was just overreacting. 

You parked in the parking lot of The Grill, hopping out of your car and entering the restaurant. You were met with eardrum-rupturing music and the scent of sweat and alcohol. You smiled and greeted a few friendly faces before looking for Stefan. As you walked through the ground, a hand grabbed your forearm. This caused you to jump and spin around your heel, holding up your fist in defense. 

“Whoa, calm down. It’s just me,” Jeremy chuckled. 

“Oh,” you chuckled and put your fist down, relaxing your body. “Sorry, you just never know.”

“No worries. I take it you’re here for Stefan?” Jeremy asked. “You are correct, Jer,” you nodded. 

“He’s playing pool,” he said, leading you over to the back of the room where the rest of your friends were. 

You furrowed your brows as Stefan looked pretty normal and relaxed. He actually looked like he was having fun for once. Just as you began to think Caroline was exaggerating, Stefan then drank three shots at once and jumped on top of the pool table. 

“O-Oh,” you gasped, your eyes widening in surprise. 

“Yep,” Jeremy sighed. He then went in front of you, giving you an encouraging, sarcastic smile. “Have fun!” Jeremy then fled the scene, walking over to a table of girls. 

You rolled your eyes and looked back at Stefan, sucking in a breath as you saw Damon and Caroline struggling to get him off the table. You decided that you should go up and help them. 

“Oh, thank God!” Caroline exclaimed as you walked over. 

“Hey,” you smiled at them. You looked up at Stefan, giving him a soft, caring smile. “Hey, you.”

Stefan looked down, grinning from ear-to-ear once he saw you. “Y/n! You’re here!” He jumped down from the pool table, engulfing you in a tight hug. 

You let out an ‘oof’ as you were pulled flush against him. You wrapped your arms round him nonetheless and hugged him back, burying your face into his neck. Your eyes fluttered close as you breathed in his scent. It masked the smell of the sweaty, intoxicated teens that surrounded you two. Stefan pulled away after a few moments, his eyes meeting yours.

“You look so pretty,” he muttered, his hands coming up to cup each sides of your face. 

You smiled, “Thank you. Now, c’mon, I’m here to take you home.”

His head started to shake furiously. “No, no. Let’s stay. Let’s party. Let’s have fun.” As he said the last few words, one of his hands went from your face to your waist. He gripped your side, pulling you impossibly closer. As his hand stayed cupping your cheek, his head dove down to your neck where he started to kiss the area under your ear. 

You gasped softly, your eyes fluttering close as him kissing your neck made your skin tingle. You put your hands on his chest, though, pushing him back slightly. You looked him straight in the eyes, letting him know that you didn’t come to play. 

“We can have fun at home.”

“No, we’re just gonna go to bed,” he whined. “And would that be so bad?” You chuckled. 

“Yes because you look so fuckable right now,” he growled. He hooked his fingers in your belt loops, pulling you close to him once again. Your hips met and you gasped as you felt his hard on through his jeans press just next to your core. 

“Stefan,” you protested. He looked up at you with big, green, innocent eyes. “Something wrong, sweetheart?”

Heat rose up your neck and you felt like the whole room was watching you. You definitely knew all your friends were. 

“We’re in public. We can’t do this,” you shook your head. 

“Let’s go somewhere more private then,” he muttered. 

Before you could speak, he took you in his arms and sped you out of the restaurant. Your back hit your car once you stopped.

“Sorry, did hurt you?” Stefan asked, concerned eyes looking over you. 

“Not, but-” you started, but Stefan cut you ooff by kissing you. 

You melted into him, kissing him back with the same amount of need and passion. Your hands went up to his hair, entangling your fingers in his soft locks. Meanwhile, Stefan’s hands roamed your body. His left hand went down to your ass as his right slid under your top, running the pads of his fingers across your skin. He gripped your ass as his fingers went up higher to your bra.

“U-Oh, Stefan,” you gasped in-between kisses. 

“I missed you tonight,” he mumbled against your lips. 

“I missed you, too, but you’re drunk. We can’t do this. Especially not against my car,” you sighed, pulling back from him once again. 

He frowned, “But you’re so pretty. I just want to kiss all over your beautiful body.”

You let out a breathy laugh, trying to slow your racing heart. All the sweet talk and kissing made you very flustered. “Thank you, Stefan. I appreciate it, I really do, but you’re drunk.”

“I can smell your arousal though,” he stated, his fingers coming down your bra to your legs. He ran his fingers over the front of your jeans, pressing down just ever-so-slightly. 

“A-Ah!” You squealed. Stefan gave you a satisfied smirk as he pressed down further. More wetness pooled between your legs as he was pressing down on your clit. 

“See? Now, tell me you don’t want to do anything.”

You looked him in the eyes, your pupils dilated and full of lust. It took everything in you to shake your head. Because as good as it felt to have his hands on you, you knew that having drunk sex with him was not the best idea. 

“I do, but,” you said sternly, “Not right now.”

Stefan hands fell to his side immediately. He stepped away from you, “Then what do you want to do right now?” 

“Get you home and in bed,” you stated, reaching for your keys that was in your pocket. 

“But that’s so boring! Can we at least, like, make out?” “Nope,” you shook your head. 

“When did you ever get so mean,” he pouted. You rolled your eyes with a smile, “I am not mean. I’m being responsible.” “Being responsible is boring!” He objected. “That’s not what sober Stefan would say,” you remarked, turning to open the door. 

“Yeah, sober me is boring.”

“And it’s my favourite you,” you smiled, opening the car door. Before Stefan would say anything, you shoved him inside. 

“Rough, huh?” Stefan gave you a cheeky smile. 

You gave him a long eye roll, shutting the door and walking over to the driver’s side. You stepped in and started your car, ignoring Stefan’s burning stare. 

“Why are you ignoring me?” “Because I know you’re gonna try to butter me up and convince me to have sex in this car,” you explained. 

Stefan scoffed, “Pfft, what! I would never ever do that.”

“Sure you wouldn’t, lover boy,” you retorted as you started up the car. 

Stefan set his hand on your thigh as you started driving. You didn’t move it as this was something he did every car ride whether you were driving or he was, but once he started to inch his fingers up your leg was when you knew you had to say something.  

“Stefan,” you wanted. “Yes, honey?” Stefan asked innocently, stopping his hand immediately. 

You rolled your eyes with a small smile. You could not believe the games he was playing. 

“Nothing,” you muttered, paying attention to the road as you turned into the gates of Stefan’s house.  

Stefan grinned as he knew that you would let him get away with anything. As long as it wasn’t actual sex, of course. You both knew a little teasing never hurt anybody, and you both definitely knew you liked it, too. You parked at the entrance, getting out and walking to Stefan’s side. You opened the door, holding your arm out like chivalrous men did on dates. 

“Here you are, m’lady,” you grinned. Stefan’s rolled his eyes, “Ha. Ha. Very funny.” 

“Oh, I know.” 

You held his hand as you walked to his door, unlocking it and stepping inside. 

“I’m going to get some water for you and me, go upstairs and get changed,” you directed.  “Yes, ma’am,” he smirked, slapping your ass as you walked by him. 

You turned to him, scoffing and giving him a glare. He winked at you and made his way to the stairs. You shook your head with a flustered smile, going to the kitchen and getting a few water bottles. You got out your phone and texted your mom that you were staying the night. You then climbed up the stairs, entering his room and getting even more flustered once you saw him in his bed, the only clothing on him was grey sweats. 

“Like what you see?” Stefan teased, putting his hands under his head so his biceps were flexed.  

“Very much,” you nodded, walking over to him and setting the water bottles down on the nightstand that was next to his bed. 

Stefan put his hand on your waist, pulling you to sit on the bed. You complied and sat down next to his legs, putting your hands on his chest and tracing patterns over his abs. 

“You’re so beautiful,” Stefan marvelled at you. His hands went up to your cheek, his thumb running over your cheekbone. You smiled and nuzzled into his hand, looking at him through your lashes.  

“And you seem to be a lot more sober now,” you commented.

“Yeah, well, vampires sober up fast,” he shrugged. “Oh, is that so?” You asked 

“Yep,” he grinned proudly. “So you don’t have a headache or anything?” You wondered. 

His smile faltered and he averted his gaze from you. You chuckled, “Thought so.” You grabbed a water bottle, opening it and putting it up to his lips. 

“Here, drink this. I’ll get you some Tylenol,” you said, beginning to sit up. 

“I’ll be fine,” he waved his headache off. “Stefan,” you frowned, “I know you’re immune to sickness and death and whatnot, but that doesn’t mean you’re immune to headaches.”

“I’m serious, I’ll be fine. Stop worrying so-” He stopped speaking, closing his mouth immediately. He made a sour face, his eyes widening. 

“About to throw up?” You guessed. He nodded his head furiously, putting his hand up to cover his mouth. 

“Let’s get you to the bathroom,” you pulled him up, walking him across the hall to the bathroom. You both dropped to your knees and Stefan immediately started to vomit. 

You cringed, but rubbed his back nonetheless. “There you go. Get it all out.” Your hand went up to his hair and you twirled his hero hair in-between your fingers. You put your forehead against his temple, kissing his cheek to comfort him. 

After a few minutes of him throwing his guts up, he threw his head back and groaned. “I’m so sorry you had to see that.”

“Don’t apologise. It’s all part of being drunk,” you kissed him on the cheek again. You then got up, pulling him up with you. 

“Let’s get you cleaned up, yeah?” You hummed, walking him to the sink. 

“Yeah, okay,” he nodded. 

You looked up at him, running your fingers through his hair. Throwing up had taken a lot of his energy, and now he was all worn-out. He went to grab his toothbrush, but missed by a few millimeters. 

“Why don’t I do it for you,” you stated more than suggested. 

“No, no. You’ve done enough tonight, take a break,” he shook his head. 

You smiled, “It’s okay. I like taking care of you. It’s kind of my job as your girlfriend, after all.”

He smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, I guess.”

You nodded and hummed in reply, turning him around so his back was against the sink. You took his toothbrush and and squirted toothpaste on it, stepping in front of Stefan and holding it up. 

“Open wide,” you sang. Stefan followed your orders and your stuck the toothbrush in his mouth, beginning to circle over the left side of his mouth. 

Stefan’s arm went around your waist, pulling you closer to him lazily. You smiled as your hips met his. You leaned into him, switching the sides of his mouth that you were brushing after a minute. 

“Alright, time to spit,” you ordered. 

Stefan turned around, spitting the out the foamy toothpaste. He hung his head low to get some water to swish in his mouth to get the remaining toothpaste out. He sat back up and you put his toothbrush back on the sink. You grabbed a towel and wet it to wipe off the excess toothpaste that was on the corners of Stefan’s mouth. 

You straightened back up and went in front of Stefan, running the towel over his lips. You moved slowly, your eyes roaming his face. He looked so handsome, even when he was sweaty and slightly disoriented from just throwing up. Your eyes wandered up to his, his green eyes stared at yours back. The deep, unwavering eye contact both made you two flustered and nervous. Butterflies swarmed in your stomach while the tips of Stefan’s ears turned pink. 

You lowered the towel, placing it back onto the sink counter. Your eyes never left Stefan’s as you did so. Shivers ran up your spine as Stefan’s hand snaked up to the small of your back. He pulled your chest closer to his, leaving little to no room between your lips and his. 

“I thought you were all tired and tame,” you muttered, your eyes flickering down to his lips and back up to his eyes. 

“I’m never tired and definitely never tame when I’m around you,” he whispered, leaning in. 

You hummed in reply, fluttering your eyes close as you leaned up to kiss him. You wrapped your hands around his neck, taking a fist full of his hair and twirling it. You kissed him slowly and gently, each of you taking your time to savour the feeling and taste of the kiss. 

You pulled away after a few moments, setting your forehead against his. You licked your lips, staring into Stefan’s green eyes. 

“Let’s get you into bed,” you whispered. 

Stefan shook his head, a coy smile playing on his lips. Before you could scold and protest, he lifted you up from your waist and ran over to the bed. He threw you down, climbing on top of you. 

“Stefan!” You giggled. “What?” He asked. 

“We have to go to bed,” you said. “We are in bed,” he gestured to the pillows. 

You rolled your eyes, “Stop being a wise ass. You’re still drunk, whether you want to admit it or not.”

“I’m half-drunk,” he shrugged. “Really? That’s the best you could do?” You snorted. 

“You know me, anything to be able to have sex with you,” he grinned. 

“Mhm, well, nothing can sway me and you know it.” Stefan looked into your eyes, studying you for a little. He knew that no matter how much kissing, touching, sweet-talking he did, you wouldn’t give in. He decided to give up and cuddle, which was honestly what he needed after a long, tiring night. He got off of you, laying on his back. 

“Seems like you’re learning,” you remarked. 

“Well, I know that if I’m good, I’ll get a reward later,” he quipped. 

You chuckled, turning around so now your face was met with his. You propped yourself on your elbow, putting a hand on his chest. 

“You’re lucky, you know?” You said. 

“Yeah,” he sighed with a smile, “I know.” “Yeah, well, so am I,” you smiled, moving closer to him. You gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and laid back down on your back. 

Stefan rolled over and he laid his head on your chest, wrapping his arms around your middle. You smiled contently and ran your fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp. 

“Thanks for taking care of me,” Stefan mumbled. 

“No problem. I love you,” you said. 

“I love you, too,” he sighed, closing his eyes and falling asleep. 

————

Like and Reblog!

taglist is open, lmk if you want to be on stefan’s!

@123cxcv​ @kaitieskidmore1​ @stefanswhcre​ @fives-cup-of-coffee​

[skellebonez]

Happy Birthday Winter!

Hey @winterpower98 it's your birthday! I really hope you enjoy this, I know I had a ton of fun writing it for you! Actor AU is one of my favorite AUs you've made and coming back to play around with it again was a blast and a half!

Painter MK cackled, taking the brushes filled with bright pink paint into his fists.

“Yes, yes!” He exclaimed, brushing them against his cheeks and bringing another to run up the center of his face. “The art is-OW! OW, THE ART IS IN MY EYE!”

“Cut!” The director yelled, bringing the entire film production to a halt in an instant. “Xiaotian, what happened?”

The young actor dropped the paintbrushes into the hands of a stage worker to rushed over to help him, one hand covering his right eye as he tried to keep himself from laughing. “I think some of it splashed when I waved the brush at my face. I guess the art really IS-”

“Don’t say it,” Heshang said from the other side of the set, doing his best not to join his co-star in laughter.

“-seeping into my pores!”

The entire cast and crew groaned as Xiaotian cackled again, with a few added ows, before another stage hand came by with a bottle of water.

~3…2…1~

“Uh…” Xiaojiao pulled, attempting to pull the prop sword from above her head out of the wall only to be met with… a lot more resistance than should probably be there. “UH…? It’s stuck?”

She stood, attempting to pull it out normally only to be met with just as much resistance.

“It’s stuck!” She laughed, out, bracing a foot on the wall with no change.

“Let me try,” General Ironclad, or rather Red in the costume of General Ironclad for the episode, offered, attempting to do the same with the exact same result as his co-star. “What did you use to hold this in place? Cement!?”

“It should have only been stuck in with force!” A stage hand yelled as Xiaotian and Heshang joined in, both failing to pull the sword out from the false wall and Heshang nearly toppling over backwards with his additional costume pieces.

“Whoever stuck that in there needs to be moved to making sure the safety equipment stays connected!” Xiaotian offered, watching as even more people tried to remove the sword. “That is not coming out.”

~3…2…1~

Heshang held Mo in his arms, waltzing around the set as he waited for places to be called for with the shockingly content feline in his arms.

~3…2…1~

“You are selling beautiful vegetables today?” Pigsy said, leaning over the the display to give an awkward smile to the disguised Spider Queen.

Tang looked over the produce from where he knelt, looking back up at his companion with a concerned and confused look. “Are you… a-are-PFT-FUCK.”

Everyone on set burst into laughter as Tang did, both of his fellow actors holding back from laughing themselves.

“Why is it this line!?” Tang yelled in frustration as he continued laughing. “It’s not a hard line! I wrote this line! Why do I keep laughing at the last word!?”

“Maybe if Ganglie wasn’t making goo-goo eyes at me you’d keep straight face,” Zhi-Zhu Jing managed to get out through her laughter.

“That’d be the only thing straight about me.”

~3…2…1~

Dicky Cheung, or the actual Sun Wukong disguised as a human actor in full costume of himself, took a running leap and jumped onto the counter of Pigsy’s noodles, sliding to a perfect stop with a wink toward the camera.

~3…2…1~

“MK, there’s something I wanted to tell you…” Mei said, looking at MK with sparkles in her eyes before snickering. “Stop looking at me like that, it’s hard enough to keep a straight face during this scene!”

“Sorry!” Xiaotian yelled to the camera. “I can’t help it! How are Jin and Yin this wrong about these two in the show?”

“Himbos!” was the shouted answer from Tang at the other end of the set.

~3…2…1~

“One of the rare talents that no one knew the great Sun Wukong possessed…” Xiaojiao said ominously, camera panning over to Mr. Cheung in full costume. “Surprisingly good peach juggling!”

“Gotta keep myself occupied somehow!” The actor laughed out, catching two peaches in either hand while the last one was caught perfectly in his mouth to the applause of everyone watching.

~3…2…1~

“Thanks for the Key los-AH!”

Red flung his arms wildly, key flying into the air as Tie Shan rushed forward and caught him just before he face planted into the ground.

“Mine!” Mr. Cheung yelled as he caught the key mid air and rushed through the frame.

“YOU’RE NOT EVEN IN THIS EPISODE!”

~3…2…1~

“Thank you… for giving me all o-ooh, whoa!” Lui Er Mihou, or unbeknownst to nearly all Six-Eared Macaque in disguise much the same way as Sun Wukong was, yelped as the cable that was supposed to gently raise him and make him look like he was floating yoinked him as good 4 feet off the ground way too fast. “That’s too much power!”

“SORRY!” The line operator shouted, fiddling with the controls. “Someone loaded the weight setting for Xiaotian into your line instead of yours.”

“I already feel bad enough treating him like garbage and beating him up in this role, this is just rubbing salt in the wound,” Liu Er muttered, leaning back and swinging limply much to the amusement of everyone who couldn’t hear him before raising his voice. “When will my beloved friend Sun Wukong come to rescue me?”

“SPEAK MY NAME AND I SHALL APPEAR!”

Liu Er yelped in surprise as Mr. Cheung rushed in and grabbed him from beneath to hold him bridal style with a shit eating grin. He couldn't help the flush on his cheeks in response.

“HOW DO YOU KEEP SHOWING UP IN SHOTS WHEN YOU AREN’T SUPPOSED TO BE THERE YET!?” The director yelled with more than a little amusement in his voice despite the disruption.

~3…2…1~

“You!” DBK said, rounding on Red Son. “You have brought me nothing but failure! Time and time again! I keep telling you I… shit, I can’t remember the next line when you look that sad, I am so sorry.”

“Nothing but disappointment?” Red offered helpfully, immediately breaking out of his downcast somber gaze to the floor with a wide smile.

“It is scary how fast you get in and out of character sometimes, kid,” Niu Mowang laughed out, clearly resisting the urge to ruffle the younger actor’s hair lest he ruin the styling job that took far too long every time they got dressed.

~3…2…1~

The White Bone Spirit stood at the entrance to the Silken Web Cave, looking at the camera before far too much time passed from when she was supposed to say he line. She moon walked backwards out of the frame without changing her expression one bit as the other actors devolved into cackles.

~3…2…1~

“The Year of the Spider starts tonight!” Spider Queen proclaimed from her high vantage point before she muttered something under her breathe, narrowing her gaze and then looking off to the side. “Or next year ‘cause I don’t remember my line.”

~3…2…1~

Huntsman slowly lowered into frame, upside down and gripping the rigging holding him up like Spiderman.

~3…2…1~

“Oh yeah?” Sun Wukong said, appearing in frame as he walked down the wall MK was embedded in. He grabbed his staff, yanking it out of the wall and jumped down and smacked the wall with it.

… only for it to go through the wall once again and crack it. Or, rather, the false wall that was on a tilted angle to make it look like he was talking down it, rather than a heavily slanted floor.

“I’m sorry!” Mr. Cheung yelled, looking at the damage he caused. “I must have hit at weak spot!”

He hoped no one noticed that when MK offered to get the prop staff for this shot and put it into the wall… he grabbed the real one by accident.

~3…2…1~

Nui Mowang held the little bird that was Wukong’s transformation stand in for one of the final scenes, gently petting the little head with a big goofy smile on his face.

~END~

The entire cast sat around on various travel tables right outside the small Lunar New Year Festival set they had set up, various extras that had answered the open invitation for the shoot going about and getting the free food that was available at the functional stalls provided by the catering they had hired.

It was an odd sight to see Red Son and Spider Queen and Sun Wukong and everyone else sitting around together, but Liu Er Mihou being there outside of his Macaque costume broke the illusion a little bit.

It was the final day of shooting for the season 2 opening special to Monkie Kid, Revenge of the Spider Queen, and everyone was there. Even people who didn’t have to come in wanted to give a temporary farewell to Tie Shan, Nui Mowang, and Red before season 2 proper began shooting. There was still a chance they could bebcalled in for bit roles, the scripts weren’t entirely finished yet, but as far as anyone knew the Demon Bull Family wasn’t going to be returning properly any time soon.

Maybe in season 3, Tang had teased, holding the begun scripts for that in his little tablet away from prying eyes. And they were always welcome to help out in bit roles, background characters or voice over or to use their other talents to work other jobs that were needed around the set.

But even before then it would be a while.

And so that’s how Red found himself sandwiched between Long Xiaojiao and Qi Xiaotian, with the newly added member of their quartet in her full White Bone Spirit costume hanging over his shoulder to watch the compilation that Xiaojiao had expertly edited on her phone for them all.

“The director gave me permission to use whatever I wanted and I though that… maybe we could all have it for ourselves,” Xiaojiao offered, pulling up the wireless transfer option on her phone. “To watch when we miss each other being on set together. I know we’re going to probably be back together with Red Son eventually! But…”

“I’ll miss shooting with you too,” Red said smiling softly as he pulled out his own phone to accept the file. “Hopefully Mr. Tang isn’t just teasing us about season 3.”

[randomshyperson]

hi! hope you're alright! love your writing!! ~

can you do a fluffy sexy one where R and wanda are really close friends (not those secret crushs kind of friend - neither has realized that they are too close to be just friends) until one-day the avengers find out about fanfics and shipps and loose their mind over it cause they are all grown up and didn't know this was a thing, they are all reunited at the living room looking online what are the shipps and, let's say Tony is the one looking while they are all gathered listening, he says like "oh apparently everybody thinks Wanda and R are a couple" and someone -thor, bucky or Sam of course- gets surprise like "they are not dating???" (Wanda is even sitting on R lap and playing with her hair!!) the girls deny and the turns out all team thought they were together, later they are reading some fic about them cause they're curious and its a smut, R gets shy and wanda gets a little turn on about it and says "you know if I was to date anyone here it would be you" so R realizes the same and they eventually get together

I think it has way too much details, sorry

Hello anon! Hope you’re well. This took me long enough i know, but i hope you like it. It’s really short, but it’s all you asked. 

Wanda Maximoff x Reader - The fandom knows best

Summary: Prompt based “Reader and Wanda are best friends who are one of the popular ships from the Avengers, but they have no clue. It takes one fan fiction for things to work out.”

Warnings: Fluff, humor, brief hint of smut (it’s nothing really), (brief) kissing.

Words:  1.400 k (Drabble i think)  // Read on AO3

Marks:   @mionemymind @abimess

Wanda Maximoff is your favorite person in the world.

You are colleagues on the Avengers team, and clicked together the very moment you first saw each other.

Everyone on the team knows that you are inseparable and if someone is looking for you and can't find you anywhere, it's because you are sleeping in Wanda's room.

You never really thought about what this implied, so during the Halloween party that Tony planned, you were very surprised when this subject came up.

The avengers were gathered around the table, a few hours had passed since the party had ended, and Tony was beginning to feel bored. So he grabbed the tablet on the table and announced it to everyone:

- I made a very interesting discovery this weekend! - he says with a mischievous smile. - Tell me Avengers, have you had a look at the work of our dear fans?

The team let out a chorus of apprehension. Tony laughed.

- God I'm surrounded by old people. - He comments as he activates the hologram playback function on the tablet on the table. - I found some interesting content about the Avengers. Say, folks, have you ever heard of fanfiction?

The group let out a chorus of excitement, and Tony giggled.

- I should have known you would eventually make us watch porn. - Natasha laughed, making everyone laugh. And then Tony was running through some files, mostly innocent artwork, of the team on adventures or facing supervillains, and you all looked excited. Then Tony let out a little laugh.

- Whoa, I found something interesting. - he says with a mischievous smile. - It has the hashtag "NSFW”.

- What does this mean? - Steve asked curiously.

- You're going to love it, Cap. - Tony retorted, and then there is a not-so-innocent artwork of Steve in the hologram. The shield being the only item he is wearing.

The team lets out a mixed exclamation of surprise and laughter, and Steve turns bright red.

For the next few minutes you laugh and are embarrassed by various more adult art that people have done, and then Tony lets out a wry chuckle.

- Look, this is interesting. - He starts.  - The best couples from the Avengers.

- This is going to be good. - Nat mocked, crossing her legs and taking a sip of her beer. 

- I am surprised that Potts and I don't come first, it is disappointing to know that people don't recognize a love as amazing as ours. - Declares Tony and everyone laughs lightly. He moves his fingers again, reading something on the screen. - Check it out, Romanoff. Your affair with Banner is in fourth place.

Nat laughs, and Bruce gets a little embarrassed, but he doesn't say anything. Tony continues.

- That is funny. - Tony says with a chuckle. - Apparently all the fans think that Wanda and Y/N are a couple. They are the most popular.

You let out a short laugh, surprised at the insinuation. Wanda follows you, settling better on your lap as she laughs.

- Wait, Tony, what do you mean they think? - Bucky asked with a confused expression. - Aren't you two dating?

You and Wanda frown confusedly in his direction, and you notice that Thor has the same confused expression as Bucky. And then you look around and everyone, except Tony, has the same look on their faces.

- Who else thought we were dating? - Wanda asks and the whole team choruses in agreement. Tony says "I thought you were playing along".

You and Wanda laugh awkwardly.

- Where did you get that from? - you ask in surprise. Then the team shares a wry laugh and you frown.

- Really Y/N? - Bucky replies. - Wanda is literally on your lap! And you've been playing with her hair all night!

You and Wanda shake your heads in denial, laughing lightly.

When you return to your room however, you are thinking about it.

- Hey, stop overthinking it. - Wanda jokes as you walk together down the hall toward your room, and you laugh weakly.

- Stop reading my mind. - You retort without any hint of aggressiveness. You loved to provoke Wanda, and you had no problem if she used her powers on you.

When you arrived at your room, Wanda threw herself on your bed, and you went to find something comfortable to wear.

- Lie down here, I got curious. - She says as you are putting on your pajama pants. When you are finished, you lie down next to her on the bed, stomach down on the mattress, mimicking her position. Wanda is on her cell phone, and holds it out a little to the side so that you can see it. She starts typing something next, and you laugh lightly.

- Why are you researching this? - you ask as you read "fanfic Wanda Maximoff and Y/N".

She shrugs, smiling.

- I want to know what people think we do. 

- Wanda. 

- Shh, look at that. - She says, holding her cell phone up to her face. She laughs lightly, and then pulls it away showing you a text. 

- "Wanda and Y/N have always been in love with each other." - You start reading and Wanda lets out a giggle. - Wow, that is a surprise.

- "In the Avengers tower, they have always gotten along much better than any other member of the team." - Wanda continues reading and you make a noise of agreement with your mouth. 

- Technically, I get along with everyone. - You comment and Wanda laughs, pushing her shoulders against you lightly.

- "However, the nature of their relationship changed during a particularly physical training session." - Wanda continues reading and you raise an eyebrow. - That sounds promising. - You laugh half-heartedly, but Wanda continues reading. - "The redhead had been assigned to train with her friend, and during that training she realized the undeniable attraction she felt for the other girl”.

- Oh my god. - You mumbled in embarrassment, trying to snatch the cell phone from Wanda's hands, but she just laughed, moving away. When you insisted, she stood up, laughing lightly as she continued reading.

- "When Y/N made a move that knocked Wanda to the ground, the witch couldn't help but kiss her passionately."- She read aloud and you let out a grumble, getting up. - "Their tongues fought together as Wanda let her hands go up the inside of her shirt to her breasts, making Y/N moan"

Wanda's reading died in a laugh as you tickled her to reach for the cell phone. She threw her body at you next, but you didn't return the device, laughing lightly.

- Stop it, this is embarrassing. - You say with flushed cheeks, dodging the girl's hands as you get back into bed. Wanda grumbles, but follows you.

You sit side by side, and you only hand the phone back to her when you close the page.

- You know what? - She says after a moment, her cheeks slightly pink. You look at her curiously. - If I were going to date anyone here, it would be you.

You blink in surprise, feeling your heart race at the phrase, and look away from Wanda quickly. 

It takes a moment, but you finally speak.

- Yeah, I... I would date you too. - You confess, looking forward. To try to relieve the tension, you quickly add. - Maybe Bucky or Nat too, but my first choice would be you.

Wanda laughs, turning to you and ruffling your hair. Your natural instinct is to grab her by the wrists, and throw her on the bed. You laugh for a few seconds, but something has changed. The closeness of your faces makes your breath catch.

- Wanda... I...

- Are you trying to figure out the ending to that fic? - She teases breathlessly, and you laugh, letting go of her wrists. But Wanda uses her freedom to pull your face against her, kissing you softly, and making you sigh in surprise.

- Wow. - You say as you walk away, feeling your lips tingling.

- I know. - she whispers. - Why did it take us so long to do this?

You smiled, kissing her again, properly this time.

When you two parted again, completely out of breath, and with your clothes crumpled, you threw yourself next to Wanda on the bed, laughing lightly.

- I can't believe that the fans knew that you were in love with me before I did! - Wanda then announced.

- And you call yourself a telepath.

You scoffed next, and she laughed as she slapped you on the shoulder. It didn't take long before you were laughing together.

[bonnymori]

𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲

Word count: 2760+ (i'll try to keep bigger lengths such as this one!)

Synopsis: You meet a new classmate who's working along Nanami, you think he's fun to be around, it stands the same to him about you. Later, feelings unravel.

Contents/Warnings: (1) Itadori Yuuji x gn!reader (2) FLUFF, TONS OF FLUFF - and some comfort (3) With the small participation of... Ino Takuma!! I really like him too, that's why <33333 (4) This is pretty platonic, but also not? (5) Ending turned sorta cliché... but I liked it u.u

A/N: This boy made me run rampant... to fhe point it's not single attraction anymore I just wish him happiness (smh if only my parents knew...) also next post will be Toji's fic pt. 2! Y'all see the first part is almost reaching 100 kudos????? I'M SO HAPPY EHSODJWKDKSJD- thanks for all the new followers and the support!! <33

Ever since his fake death, Itadori has been training alone with the help of Gojo - and now, he works along a freshly new face, who belongs to a senior, founds out ex-salaryman named Nanami Kento. He's far a thousand times more strict than Gojo. Itadori doesn't really likes the change, because Nanami is a person he can't get along. This whole guy's appearance scream "work 4 life"; he has proved different, now he screams "work is shit - but I gotta do it because others won't".

They've just finished cleansing the outside of a movie theater off a few curses, when Itadori hears shouting from far behind them. Two figures approach, waving excessively. He quickly picks on Nanami's tired sigh beside him.

"Nanami! We figured out you'd be here! Our mission has been finished and we wanted to catch up to have lunch together!" A male clad in a full black outfit shouts, he has brown hair and a beanie on top of his head, looking quite content.

The other person simply trots next to him in silence, approaching with a friendly smile. They notice Itadori faster than the male, smile widening and quickly waving hello, suddenly eager to reach up to them. The gesture makes the pink haired boy perk up, curious to why the other person looked so joyful. His question is easily answered, when they tug on the man's sleeve and motion to him.

"Ino, we have a third buddy!" The dude looks at him with widened eyes. "So nice to meet you, I'm Y/N L/N! It's great to see new faces around!"

Itadori smiles at your energy, knowing already he would click with you very well.

"I'm Ino Takuma, sorry for not noticing you before! Your uniform looks cool." Itadori exchanges a few compliments with Ino, before the man turns to talk with Nanami, leaving him and you together.

"Yes! I'm Sukuna's vessel, Itadori Yuuji-desu! My type of woman is Jenn-"

You turn to him. "So, are you a first year?"

"Geh? Weren't you dead though?!"

"I was!- I am!- Please keep secret."

"Okay!"

"Ahem." Nanami coughs, drawing attention. "I requested you two to not come after me today. Itadori here is the reason why."

"That's no problem, we're very capable of keeping secrets." You threw your arm over Itadori's shoulder, him nodding along with you.

"Oh really, then remember to keep quiet about it. I'll let this slide." The group of students nervously at Nanami's intimidating tone. "But, I'll get to have my break alone."

"Gah!" Ino exclaimed, watching Nanami walk away; he also left the responsability of taking care of Itadori for you two, leaving without a word. "It really had to be today, when Nanami would take us to his favorite bakery..."

"Crybaby." You teased. "Itadori here can't go outside where anyone can see him, he's dead. So, we were to order food either way because he shouldn't be left out."

"Augh okay, it would be unfair."

"So, where are you staying Itadori?"

"At Gojo's state!"

"Whoa, I've never been there before." Ino commented, waiting as you sent a message to Ijichi to pick them up.

"He's my teacher, a very cool one!"

"I imagine! Ooookay, once we get there I'll get the food."

Itadori felt as his chest would burst of excitement, finally there was people around him again, he couldn't be less happy about it.

"Sharing is caring!"

Itadori laughed as you wrestled with Takuma for some fries, netflix long forgotten in the background, as watching the banter was way more entertaining. Most of the time, Ino rambled a lot about Nanami, while he rambled a lot about Gojo. The guy even showed him the cool scar under his beanie. He felt kinda upset after explaining the exchange was just temporary, his stay under Nanami's wing wasn't decisive, and therefore, he was more like a classmate than a partner.

Itadori also learned a lot about you. He was surprised to find out that you, although energetic, was the one to speak the lesser in conversations. His surprisement grew even bigger when you told him you're a exchange student from Kyoto, arriving Tokyo about the same month as him - thankfully, you were to say for good.

Conversations flowed easily in the air, until a voice from the doorway barged in.

"Yuuji-kun! Don't forget about your lessons! Hi kids! Bye kids!" Gojo said playfully, throwing the familiar punching bear to Itadori before leaving.

"What's this thing?" Ino asked.

"It's to help me control my cursed energy. So while I watch the movies, if I don't charge it with cursed energy it punches me square in the face. I thought I had mastered this thing already, but he insist I keep training with it." Itadori grumbles.

"At least it's cute." You commented, taking a sip of your drink.

"Until it punches you in your face without warning!" The pink haired boy barks.

The talks died down, the three of you eating quietly when another movie is played on the screen. Itadori didn't bother reading the title, it was a plain one about a zombie apocalypse that got him extremely bored, yet he kept watching still so the plushie didn't punch him in the face again; he's been keeping a record since all his last cursed energy training lessons were a sucess to this day. When his head started nodding and eyelids dropping Itadori can't remember well, about fourty five minutes of movie perhaps? Make it fifty, the second slumber took over his body completely.

When he awoke once again, it was near midnight, the clock on the wall told him so. He also noticed a soft and warm surface supporting his head, figures, it's your shoulder he's resting into, he feels an arm around his own shoulders and your cheek placed upon his hair.

"Hey, it's late." You immediately notices he's awake, calling out softly. "You should sleep on your room, or something, better to your spine."

He chuckles when you poke his side. "But I'm comfortable here."

"I'm surprised, you just met me today, and now is sleeping on my shoulder."

"I'm not, that happens often to me."

"Sleeping on people's shoulders?"

"No! Making friends quickly." Itadori likes your gentle warmth, your hug, everything makes him feel at home. "I met two more people before you for two weeks, but they can't see me, because I'm dead."

"So I'll keep you company, that's my new mission."

His eyes widen at that, a oh so little blush covering the tip of his ears.

"For how many time I slept anyway?" He asks.

"About two- no, three hours. You missed two movies, and this one is about to end."

"And you stayed here the whole time?" He motions to your shoulder.

"Yep. That reminds me I gotta pee."

Itadori grumbles, but quickly lifts himself off you, respecting your needs. That gives him some time to look around, he notices Ino is gone, and the plushie sits quietly at the other side of the couch, unmoving.

"Y/N! How did you manage to make it quiet down?" He's beyond bafflet.

"...que."

"What!"

"I said!" You arrive quickly at the doorframe, hands still wet from when you washed them. "I used my innate technique."

"Oh! How is it like?"

"It's kinda funny, gimme a moment." You left to wipe off your hands, coming back in a second. "So, just like Shoko, I produce reverse curse energy, but it's quite different than hers, I can't heal people. That's why we often call it positive energy instead. I can use it to soothe off negative energy, so the bear has no cursed energy right now."

"How does it works on people?" He felt very curious about everything, asking away like a kid.

"Since everyone has negative energy, it just makes you sleepy really. But when it comes to curses it's really practical, I can either weaken it or, if the curse is like grade three or four, I can slap them off existence completely by wiping all their energy." You were naturally proud of having a such versatile power, your own energy swirling with pride around you.

"That sounds amazing! Is it why I fell asleep though?"

"Nah, only if I did it on purpose. I guess you were just tired, hope you don't mind I decided to let you rest today."

"No way, it was a good nap."

You nodded. "By the way, Ino left to attend to a drinking party, he paid for our food."

"Drinking? Is he old?"

"Yeah, he's twenty." You chuckled, already expecting that kind of reaction.

"No way! He looks young just like us!"

"That's totally my reaction after I learned he's twenty!"

After that day, you started visiting Itadori weekly to daily, after exchanging numbers he made a little group with you and Ino, naming it the "Nanami trio". But really, he exchanges more texts with you in private, be them memes, cool images he wish to share, etcetera. Although, Ino wasn't left excluded, he ofter brough his xbox to connect to Itadori's tv room and you all would spend hours playing together; he just didn't spend much time with both of you as much. And that was okay.

For a few days, your connection with Itadori died down when he didn't reply to your texts. They would remain unread for some time, the longest being half a day, until he would spam apologies then move on with the topic. That became a routine until one day when you came over to check on Itadori unnanounced, needin to ease off your worries about the boy, only to find him sobbing in the middle of a hallway, staring ahead and beyond, his back to you.

"Ita-?"

"Egh!" Startled, he scrambled to wipe his eyes, turning to you. "H-hey, um, hi."

"What happened?"

"I- he-" His eyes didn't met yours, knuckles white in a death grip. You notice he has a few bandages thrown over his face and arms. The way his shoulders are drawn, as if he wants to shrink into himself is something you've experienced before.

"Something hard to talk about?"

He nods almost immediately, head still facing down.

"It's alright, come with me." You reach for his hands, grimacing slightly when his forceful grip is now on your hand, yet you don't comment on it. He follows you through the state wordlessly.

You two stop on the same tv room, sitting down on the couch. You then guide his head to your shoulder, gently massaging his scalp with the free hand.

"It's alright."

Those two words are chanted like a prayer for the next half hour, at some point, Itadori twisted his body towards yours and unknowingly caged you between him and the sofa arm. He embraced you with a force you didn't have in you, like he didn't want to lose one another. Painful or not, not a muscle moved on your body. He needed a shoulder to cry on.

Thirty minutes passed like seconds, you peered down only to find the boy confortably napping against your bosom; at some point you just became the cold side of the pillow to him. That's alright. It brings you joy to be the mom friend anyways. So you decided to join the sleepland aswell, arms still secured around his shoulders and the back of his head.

It feels like the nap hasn't been long, though, because you can feel Itadori's grip loosening and therefore, you're awake.

"Sorry if I broke any bones, in advance."

"Wow, and you only warn me now."

He laughs at your comeback, hands still secured around your waist.

"I'm surprised you let me uh, cuddle you for comfort - and sleep. I don't understand it? You just make me sleepy." He rambled, keeping eye contact with you while his head still rests on your chest.

"That's a piece of cake when you have younger siblings who seek for you every night they get a nightmare."

"Does that mean I can come to you again if I have a nightmare?" There it is, his togepi-kirby cutesy face.

"Are you four?"

"That's mean!" Itadori blushed, squeezing you on his arms. "I like the contact. It puts me at ease."

"Mm, do you want to talk about it?"

He gulped. "No, not really."

Your peach haired friend remained silent, and so did you. It seems he doesn't intend in letting you go soon, or he just really forgot to mention it. It gives them time to think, your younger sisted used to do that sometimes, back in Kyoto.

"Y/N, wanna watch anything?"

"Sure, have you watched Parasyte before?"

"No, let's give it a try then!" Itadori glances at the remote, then back at you - making you confused over his hesitation to move. He notices you noticed it, chuckling nervously. "To be honest, I don't wanna let go."

"It's hurting my back."

"SORRY I'M SORRY!" He jumped away from you like a cat would jolt away from a cucumber, making you snicker.

"It's okay, I just wanted to change positions."

And to tease you, but he didn't need to know that part.

He glared at you with a small pout, typing the initials of Parasyte on the search bar. Outside his line of vision, you were grinning like a idiot, his sweeteness took a tow on you. All the people of Tokyo you met really held a way different spirit from your classmates in Kyoto, Itadori being the nicest of all. It's surprising him being Sukuna's vessel to begin with; being honest, you felt drawn by it.

"Y/N, it's startiiiiing." He cut your daydreaming short, slumping on your side and propping his head on your shoulder.

"This again?" You throw an arm around his shoulders, very much like the first time he cuddled himself on you.

"Don't blame me, you're the one who wanted to change positions. Guess I'll just make some alterations since I'm awake this time!" One of his arms went behind your back and circled your waist, hand resting at your hip.

"It's definely different, since the other time you drooled on me."

"Hhgh, okay okay! Let me enjoy this." For perhaps the actual first time, you're able to watch without exchanging words with one another.

And this time, it's you who's head loll to the side, nose buried on his soft rose perfumed hair. Itadori doesn't comment on it yet, his free hand moves under your legs to lift your whole body up efortlessly when he senses you have fallen asleep.

"I remember you said it's bad for my spine, I wouldn't mind it... yours however."

The boy makes a beeline to the guest room, he sighs when there is no choice but open the door with his foot. Inside, he places you carefully in the soft bed.

Before he could leave, a hand reaches up for his sleeve.

"Itadori," He turned, looking at you. "Make me company?"

He giggles softly - you think it sounds like a highschool girl. "You should start calling me by my first name!" Itadori rambles as he climbs on the bed, arms wrapping around your waist in a motion you're familiar with.

"Yuuji, I'm tired, let me sleep."

"But I wanna talk more..." He pouts. "Also, are we, um, dating?"

You wriggle around, bringing his head down to peck on his forehead, teasing. "Correction, I want to date you."

"Uh, oh." A blush coats his face so quickly, you'd say someone dumped a bucket of red paint on his face.

"Is that a no?"

"No!"

"So it is a no."

"Christ, will you stop teasing for a second, I'm trying to talk here." He makes an angry version of his togepi-kirby face, you can't help but grin.

"You amuse me, but okay. I'll do it for you."

"Thanks." He blinks, the blush slowly fading away. "You know, I lied, not about the contact, I like the contact nonetheless-"

His hand moves to play with yours, such as tapping his tips against yours, or meassuring the palms.

"-it's you who brings me comfort."

It's also your turn to blush, that line was seriously charming.

"Yeah."

"Yeah?"

"Yes, we're dating now." You respond, a little eagerly. "Can I kiss you?"

"Please."

This is the best person I could ask for, Itadori thinks, keeping his eyes open as yours shut during the kiss, whom I won't change for anything else in this world.

When you both separate, Itadori feels drowsy and sleepy. His face fits perfectly on your shoulder as always.

"Goodnight, my favorite person."