#itzy college

[chimivx]

nice for what. ~ ITZ.

Congratulations! Welcome to one of the best chapters of your life! " It is our mission, our duty, to honor the members of ITZ, our sisters, by living up to the standards set in place by our sisters before us. Leading by example we support, encourage, and lift our fellow sisters up. In doing so we support, encourage, and lift the world up. One person at a time. We promote unity, and friendship, while receiving a higher education, to relay to women everywhere that, ‘Yes, we can.’ " est. 1917

nice for what. masterlist

<- back to Nasara Home

[elryuse]

Pt. 3 About Him

BABEL'S CHAINS MASTERLIST : HERE

Wonyoung's Pov

A Breath Of Fresh Air

The warm sunlight bathed the pristine walkways of Babel University as I walked alongside my group. Yujin, our confident leader, led the conversation as usual, her sharp voice cutting through the air. Beside her, Gaeul and Liz giggled at something Rei had just said, while Leeseo scrolled on her phone, only half paying attention.

"Can you believe him?” Yujin scoffed, her expression one of disdain. “Bumping into Wonyoung like that and not even apologizing? It’s just pathetic. And Karina’s group didn’t even acknowledge it. They just walked off like they own the place.”

My heart tightened at the mention of him.

I knew who she was talking about—Y/n. The quiet scholarship student who had somehow, unintentionally, thrown my entire world into chaos.

“I mean, seriously,” Yujin continued, her arms crossing over her chest. “It’s one thing for some nobody to be clumsy, but for Aespa to not step in? Unacceptable.”

Gaeul nodded in agreement, her brows furrowing. “Karina and her group think they’re untouchable. Just because they’re gorgeous and rich doesn’t mean they can act like they’re above everyone else.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re just keeping him around for entertainment,” Rei added with a smirk. “Karina probably sees him as her newest plaything.”

Their words buzzed around me like static, but I barely registered them. My thoughts were somewhere else—on Y/n.

A Quiet Obsession

It had been a week since the incident. A week since Y/n had accidentally bumped into me in the crowded hallway, scattering my books across the floor. I’d been furious at first, glaring at him as he stumbled over his words, apologizing profusely.

But then… he had knelt down to pick up my books, his hands trembling slightly. His expression had been so earnest, so genuine.

“Sorry,” he’d said again, his voice soft and sincere. “I didn’t mean to…”

It was such a small moment, barely a blip in the chaos of Babel University, but for some reason, it had stuck with me.

I couldn’t stop thinking about him.

His quiet demeanor, the way he seemed so out of place among the arrogant and flashy students of Babel—it was intriguing. He wasn’t like the guys here, who spent their nights partying and their days bragging about their conquests. Y/n was… different.

Innocent.

Soft-spoken.

A breath of fresh air.

And that terrified me.

A Mask to Hide Behind

“Wonyoung?” Yujin’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.

I blinked, realizing the group had stopped walking. They were all looking at me expectantly.

“What?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.

Yujin raised an eyebrow. “I said, what do you think about it? About him?”

My heart skipped a beat. “Who?”

“Y/n,” Yujin said, her tone laced with annoyance. “The guy who bumped into you. Or have you already forgotten?”

“Of course not,” I said quickly, forcing a nonchalant shrug. “He’s… just some random guy. Not worth talking about.”

Yujin smirked, clearly pleased with my response. “Exactly. He’s irrelevant. Let Karina’s group play with him if they want. It won’t end well for him anyway.”

The others laughed, and I forced myself to join in, even though my chest felt tight.

What was wrong with me? Why did I care about him so much?

A Moment Alone

Later that evening, I found myself sitting alone in the campus gardens. The sun was setting, casting a warm orange glow over the perfectly manicured hedges and fountains.

I took a deep breath, trying to clear my mind. But no matter how hard I tried, Y/n’s face kept appearing in my thoughts.

I didn’t understand it. I barely knew him, yet there was something about him that drew me in. His innocence, his kindness—it was like a beacon in the darkness of Babel’s cutthroat world.

But I couldn’t let myself feel this way. I had a reputation to uphold. I was Jang Wonyoung, the princess of Babel University. I couldn’t let a scholarship student like Y/n derail my carefully constructed image.

And yet…

I found myself smiling at the memory of his awkward apology, the way his cheeks had flushed when he realized who I was.

“Maybe…” I whispered to myself, “just maybe…”

But I didn’t finish the thought.

The sound of footsteps approaching snapped me out of my reverie. I quickly composed myself, slipping my mask of indifference back on.

“Wonyoung,” Yujin called, her voice carrying across the garden. “What are you doing out here?”

“Nothing,” I said, standing up and brushing off my skirt. “Just enjoying the sunset.”

Yujin gave me a curious look but didn’t press further. “Come on. The others are waiting.”

I nodded, falling into step beside her. But as we walked away, I couldn’t help but glance back at the garden, my thoughts once again drifting to Y/n.

Y/n’s POV

The library was quieter than usual, the hum of whispers and the occasional rustling of papers filling the air. I sat across from Karina and Giselle, a project we’d been assigned in full swing. Despite the peaceful surroundings, my mind was elsewhere, wandering to the events of the day and the strange attention I’d been receiving since arriving at Babel.

“Y/n,” Giselle’s voice cut through my thoughts like a knife, “are you even paying attention?”

Before I could react, she snapped her fingers right in front of my eyes. I flinched, blinking rapidly as my focus returned to the table.

“Ah! Sorry!” I stammered, rubbing the back of my neck.

Giselle chuckled, her grin mischievous. “There you are. We’re supposed to be working on this together, remember?”

Karina, sitting beside her, let out a soft laugh as well, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “Don’t be too hard on him, Giselle. He’s probably overwhelmed being in such prestigious company.”

I felt my face heat up at her teasing tone. “I’m not overwhelmed,” I muttered, looking down.

Karina smiled knowingly and slid a stack of papers toward me. “Here, this might help. And take this.” She handed me a sleek, expensive-looking pen.

“Thanks,” I murmured, taking the pen and quickly jotting down the notes they’d been discussing.

The atmosphere at the table was surprisingly light. Karina and Giselle seemed relaxed, chatting easily about the project and occasionally throwing in a teasing remark. For a moment, I almost felt comfortable.

But that moment didn’t last long.

Unwelcome Interruptions

The sound of heels clicking against the polished library floor drew my attention. I looked up just in time to see Yujin and Gaeul approaching our table, their expressions sharp and unyielding.

My heart sank.

“Here we go,” Giselle muttered under her breath, exchanging a glance with Karina.

“Y/n,” Yujin said, her tone clipped as she stopped beside the table. “We need to talk.”

“Now’s not really a good time,” Karina interjected, her voice cool and calm.

Yujin’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t address Karina. Instead, she focused on me. “You owe Wonyoung an apology,” she said bluntly.

I blinked, taken aback. “An apology? For what?”

“For bumping into her last week,” Gaeul added, crossing her arms. “And for not showing proper respect to her afterward.”

“Are you serious?” Giselle said, leaning back in her chair with an incredulous look. “It was an accident. Let it go.”

“It’s not your business, Giselle,” Yujin snapped, her gaze icy. “This is between him and us.”

Karina let out a low laugh, leaning forward slightly. “You’ve got some nerve barging in here and making demands.”

“Stay out of this, Karina,” Yujin said, her tone full of warning. “We’re not here for you.”

Caught in the Crossfire

I could feel the tension in the air thickening, like a storm about to break. My stomach churned as I glanced between the two groups, unsure of what to do or say.

“I… I didn’t mean to offend anyone,” I said finally, my voice hesitant.

“An apology isn’t just about meaning well,” Yujin shot back. “It’s about showing respect. Do you even understand who Wonyoung is?”

“Enough,” Karina said sharply, cutting Yujin off. “You don’t get to lecture him like he’s beneath you.”

“Because he is beneath us,” Gaeul said, her tone dripping with disdain.

My hands clenched into fists under the table, frustration bubbling up inside me. “I don’t think anyone’s beneath anyone,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “And I didn’t mean to bump into her. It was an accident.”

Yujin scoffed. “Accidents don’t excuse rudeness.”

“Rudeness?” Giselle said, raising an eyebrow. “You’re the ones barging in here and causing a scene.”

Gaeul ignored her, stepping closer to the table. “We’re not leaving until you apologize properly.”

“Then you’ll be here for a while,” Karina said coolly, folding her arms.

Unexpected Words

I felt trapped, my mind racing for a way to diffuse the situation. Just as I opened my mouth to say something, a new voice cut through the tension.

“Enough.”

We all turned to see Wonyoung standing a few feet away, her expression unreadable.

“Wonyoung?” Yujin said, surprised.

“Let it go,” Wonyoung said, her voice calm but firm. “He doesn’t need to apologize.”

“But—” Yujin began, only for Wonyoung to hold up a hand to silence her.

“It was an accident,” Wonyoung continued, her gaze briefly meeting mine before shifting away. “And I don’t want to make a big deal out of it.”

The room fell silent, the tension slowly dissipating as Wonyoung’s words sank in.

“Fine,” Yujin said reluctantly, though her glare made it clear she wasn’t happy about it. “Let’s go.”

With one last look at me, she turned and walked away, Gaeul following close behind.

Aftermath

As the door to the library closed behind them, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

“Well,” Giselle said, breaking the silence, “that was… dramatic.”

Karina chuckled, her smirk returning. “You’re handling the chaos of Babel better than I expected, Y/n.”

“Thanks, I guess,” I said, my voice shaky.

Karina’s smirk softened into a smile as she slid the papers back toward me. “Come on. Let’s finish this project.”

And just like that, the tension was gone, replaced by the comforting rhythm of work. But even as I focused on the task at hand, I couldn’t shake the image of Wonyoung standing there, her voice calm and commanding.

What was going on in this university?

The streets outside Babel University buzzed with life as I followed Karina toward her apartment. She’d insisted I come over to help cook for Winter, who was down with a nasty cold. It wasn’t exactly how I imagined ending my day, but I couldn’t refuse her request—especially after she mentioned she didn’t know how to cook.

“Do you cook often?” Karina asked, glancing at me with a curious smile as we walked.

“Not often, but I know the basics,” I replied. “Enough to get by.”

Karina nodded approvingly. “Good. Winter’s picky, but I’m sure she’ll appreciate a home-cooked meal.”

As we continued through the quiet streets, I noticed a small minimarket nestled between apartment complexes. “I’ll need to grab some groceries if we’re cooking,” I said, pointing to the store.

“Good idea,” Karina agreed. “I’ll wait outside.”

A Heated Argument

The minimarket was surprisingly empty, save for the faint hum of a fridge and a heated argument near the counter. As I moved toward the produce section, the sharp voice of a young woman caught my attention.

“What do you mean this store doesn’t accept black cards? Do you even know how much money I have on this card?”

The cashier, a middle-aged man, looked exasperated but stood his ground. “I’m sorry, lady, but we only accept cash. It’s store policy.”

“Aishh…” The girl groaned, rubbing her temples. “I don’t carry cash. And I’m thirsty as hell. Are you seriously telling me I can’t get this stupid bottle of water?”

I paused, watching the scene unfold. The girl was tall and striking, her dyed blonde hair tied in a messy bun. She wore a designer tracksuit, and the way she spoke made it clear she was used to getting her way.

The cashier shrugged. “I don’t make the rules.”

The girl sighed dramatically, muttering under her breath. She looked genuinely frustrated, and for some reason, I felt compelled to step in.

“Excuse me,” I said, walking up to the counter. “I can pay for it.”

She turned to me, her eyes wide with surprise. “Huh? No, you don’t have to do that.”

“It’s fine,” I insisted, already pulling out a few bills. “It’s just water.”

She hesitated, her pride warring with her obvious need for the drink. Finally, she relented, crossing her arms with a small huff. “Fine. But just this once.”

The cashier rang up the water, and I handed over the cash. The girl grabbed the bottle, taking a long sip before turning back to me.

An Unexpected Introduction

“Thanks,” she said, her voice softer now. “I was about to lose it back there.”

“No problem,” I replied, feeling a bit awkward under her intense gaze.

She straightened up and gave me a small bow, her expression shifting to something more genuine. “I’m Yuna. Thanks for helping me out.”

“Y/n,” I replied.

She tilted her head, studying me for a moment. “You’re not from around here, are you?”

“Uh, no. I’m a scholarship student at Babel,” I explained.

Her eyes widened slightly. “Babel? Huh. You don’t look like the type to survive there.”

I chuckled nervously. “Yeah, I’ve heard that a lot.”

“Well, Y/n,” she said, her tone turning playful, “I guess you’re alright. Maybe I’ll see you around.”

Before I could respond, she turned on her heel and sauntered out of the store, leaving me standing there in a daze.

Groceries and Questions

I quickly grabbed the ingredients I needed—some chicken, vegetables, and a few seasonings—and headed back outside, where Karina was waiting.

“What took you so long?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“There was… a situation,” I said vaguely, not sure how to explain the encounter with Yuna.

Karina gave me a knowing smile. “Let me guess. You got caught up helping someone again?”

“Maybe,” I admitted.

She laughed, shaking her head. “You’re too nice for your own good, Y/n.”

Cooking with Karina

Back at their apartment, I got to work in the small but well-equipped kitchen. Karina hovered nearby, watching curiously as I chopped vegetables and seasoned the chicken.

“You’re surprisingly good at this,” she remarked, leaning against the counter.

“Thanks,” I said, focusing on the task. “I had to learn a bit growing up.”

As the aroma of the food filled the apartment, Karina’s phone buzzed. She checked it and frowned.

“Winter’s asking if it’s ready yet,” she said with a sigh.

“Almost,” I replied, plating the food carefully.

When it was done, Karina helped me carry the dishes to Winter’s room. The sick girl looked up from her bed, her face lighting up at the sight of the meal.

“You actually cooked?” Winter asked, her voice hoarse but teasing.

“Don’t get used to it,” Karina shot back with a smirk. “It’s all thanks to Y/n.”

“Thanks, Y/n,” Winter said with a small smile.

As I sat down to eat with Karina and Giselle in the living room, my thoughts drifted back to Yuna. Something about her stuck with me, and I had a feeling our paths would cross again.

The warm glow of the apartment lights felt cozy as we finished the meal together. Winter, now looking much more energetic, leaned back against the cushions with a satisfied sigh.

“This was amazing,” she said, looking at me with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “You’ve got some serious cooking skills, Y/n.”

“Thanks,” I replied, rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly.

Out of nowhere, Winter leaned forward and planted a quick kiss on my cheek. My body froze, and I felt my face heat up instantly.

“Winter!” Karina and Giselle exclaimed simultaneously, their voices a mix of surprise and disbelief.

Winter just smirked, leaning back and crossing her arms confidently. “What? I can’t kiss the man who cooked this wonderful meal for me?”

I stammered, completely caught off guard, while Karina and Giselle exchanged an unspoken look. It was quick, but there was an undeniable tension in their gazes—something between annoyance and amusement.

“Don’t scare him off, Winter,” Giselle finally said with a laugh, trying to lighten the mood.

“Scare him off?” Winter chuckled, making a funny face as she watched how red my face had become. “Come on, he’s fine. Look, he’s blushing like crazy!”

I sighed in defeat, shaking my head. “You’re impossible.”

Karina and Giselle burst into laughter, and Winter joined in, clearly enjoying the chaos she’d stirred up.

Where’s Ningning?

As the laughter settled, I glanced around the apartment. “By the way, where’s Ningning?” I asked.

“She had a family dinner tonight,” Karina explained, brushing her hair back casually. “Otherwise, she’d be here causing even more trouble.”

“Lucky me, I guess,” I said with a small smile, earning a playful nudge from Giselle.

“She’d probably make you cook for her too,” Giselle teased. “You’d never get out of here."

A Late Night Departure

After the meal, I insisted on helping clean up. Karina handed me a dish towel while Giselle worked on packing away leftovers. Winter sat on the couch, scrolling through her phone but occasionally tossing in snarky comments.

“You’re really something, Y/n,” Karina said as I scrubbed a plate. “Most guys wouldn’t bother helping.”

“I’m just doing what’s right,” I replied, trying to keep my focus on the task.

When the dishes were done and the living room tidied up, I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was getting late, and the thought of cycling home in the dark didn’t exactly thrill me.

“Well, I think I should head out,” I said, grabbing my jacket.

“What? Already?” Winter asked, pouting dramatically.

“You could stay a little longer,” Karina suggested, her voice light but her eyes almost hopeful.

“I’m pretty tired,” I admitted. “And I still have an early class tomorrow.”

The girls exchanged looks before reluctantly agreeing.

“Fine,” Giselle said, leaning against the counter. “But next time, you’re staying longer. No excuses.”

Winter made another funny face. “And cooking for all of us again.”

I laughed softly. “We’ll see.”

The Reluctant Goodbye

As I moved toward the door, Karina walked me out, her hands resting casually in her pockets.

“Thanks again for helping out tonight,” she said, her tone more sincere now. “It really means a lot.”

“Anytime,” I replied, smiling. “Take care of Winter. And yourself.”

She nodded, giving me a small wave as I stepped out into the cool night air. The city streets were quiet, save for the distant hum of cars. As I pedaled home, my mind replayed the events of the night.

Winter’s unexpected kiss, Karina’s subtle glances, and Giselle’s teasing comments all swirled in my thoughts. It felt like I was stepping into something I didn’t fully understand—something dangerous yet oddly enticing.

I shook my head, focusing on the road ahead. Whatever it was, I’d have to figure it out one step at a time.

To be continued

[krisstheidiot]

× CAMPUS CRUMBLE ×

Pairing: Seungmin x Reader

Genre: Best friends to lovers au, College au, SMAU

Disclaimer: this does not reflect the real life personalities of the Stray Kids members (or any other idols) that will appear in this fic i tried my best to portray their go selves.

SYNOPSIS:

Y/N, Seungmin and Han decide that they are too bored and the campus life is too stagnant so they whip up a crazy idea to bring everyone closer by being an anon group/club called Campus Crumble who arranges meet ups at nights and delivers food inspired by people's daily life struggles in hopes to make their days better.

College isn't just studies so why not shake the whole campus up.

Join them on the adventures of cooking, sneaking around anonymously and making people's lives a little better somehow.

Will the "Food Santa Clauses" as the students refer to them stay anonymous or will they be found?

A.N:

This is a fic I came up at 3 am with no sleep whatsoever during exam season so if its inconsistent or anywhere cheesy please don't hate me ;-;

Reblog, comment, send a message guys!!

SERIES TEASER:

Moodboard

Trailer

SERIES DIRECTORY:

Icon:- 🖍️(written part)

INTROS/GROUPS/HANDLES:

Intro 1.0

Intro 2.0

The Groups 1.0

The Groups 2.0

Twitter handles 1.0

Twitter handles 2.0

SET 1.0

Series Taglist:- @hyunverse , @nujeskz , @queen-in-the-shadows , @phtogravi , @authentic-65 , @rylea08 ,...

[sanrio-grl]

<< back - masterlist - next >>

WARNINGS: none :))

12 screenshots

y/ns sweets

l/n y/n

shen ricky

park wonbin

nishimura riki

lee chaeyoung

naoi rei

TAGLIST !! @agicheetah @gigisdoll @geeminz @leeohknows (OPEN)

PERMA TAGLIST !! @haechansbbg @gtfoiydlyj (OPEN)

[callikari]

0FF THE REC0RD — yang jungwon ⊹₊⟡⋆ ᯓᡣ𐭩

SYNOPSIS — running off the record, your university’s anonymous podcast, was supposed to be your secret—until yang jungwon, the student council president and your academic rival, figures out it’s you. after you may or may not have exposed some unflattering truths about him in your latest episode, he gives you a choice: he keeps your identity a secret, and in return, you pretend to be his girlfriend to kill a certain campus rumor. fake dating him is supposed to be simple, but between forced study dates, unexpected late-night talks, and the way he starts looking at you like it’s real, you begin to wonder—who’s really exposing who?

PAIRING — yang jungwon x fem!reader

GENRE(S) — college au, fake dating, academic rivals to lovers, slow burn, humor, light angst

WARNING(S) — mild swearing, blackmail (lighthearted), fake dating antics, academic stress, denial of feelings, suggestive in some chapters

FEATURING — enhypen, yunjin (le sserafim), rei (ive), liz (ive), chaewon (le sserafim), yuna (itzy), wooyoung (ateez), jiheon (fromis_9), karina from aespa, beomgyu from txt, xiaoting from kep1er, seungkwan from svt, felix from stray kids, winter from aespa, huening kai from txt, soobin from txt

PROFILES — gossip girls | alpha energy | extras 1 | extras 2

STARTED — 02/22/25 - tba

TAGLiST iS CLOSED

UPDATES — discontinued

🗒️ = written chapters

📱= social media

# chapters

1. WHAT?

2. things are about to get fun 😈

3. interesting..

4. nah this is insane

5. BLOCKED

6. yn blink twice if u need Help

more chapters to be annouced !! ⋆˙⟡

© callikari -- all rights reserved

[woollypoison]

Pearl Necklaces

IVE wonyoung x reader (but also all of IVE is in this so...) a/n: I've had this idea of starting a fic with a terrible blowjob for a really long time already. I woke up really horny with tons of free time on my hands and with the puzzle pieces clicking in my head. Thank you, wisdom teeth removal surgery. Anyways, I KNOW I promised full focus on itzy miniseries next AND YOU'LL GET IT!!! I'm working really hard on it, just accept this little out of control dribble as a free gift. Shout out to @valentinedrifter and @kwilquib for the beta read, much love amigos <3333 Word count: 2.2k

This is, by far, the worst blowjob you’ve ever had.

Wait, does this even count as a blowjob? Wonyoung’s just sitting there, knees on the floor, legs spread apart. Her tongue’s out, sure, and the tip of it is touching the underside of your cockhead. The eye contact is making it work, and the way she’s jackhammering her own cunt is a sight to behold, but can you really call it a blowjob if the only thing rubbing your cock is your own hand?

Isn’t this more like an assisted hand job?

“Can you hurry the fuck up? I have to be out—on fucking stage—in 10 minutes in front of a crowd full of horny college students,” Wonyoung barks at you, retracting her tongue, causing you to whimper for losing the only source of contact you still had. “And you know I orgasm a lot faster with a load on my face.”

“I’m sorry Wony, but this is my fourth time already today. I’m not some endless fountain of sperm,” you say. “It would go a lot faster if you helped out some more.”

“What the fuck do you mean, fourth time today?! You should be saving up for me, you dog!”

“It’s not my fault,” is the weakest form of an excuse you could come up with. You’re IVE’s manager. It’s all your fault. “First was this morning… You know how ridiculous Gauel’s been lately.”

And of course she knows. Gaeul’s been playing the part of a bratty sleeping beauty.

“I can’t believe that bitch is still saying she refuses to wake up unless you cum on her face,” she spits back, and it really does sound ridiculous when she says it out loud.

“What about the other two?”

“Well,” you start, but you already know you’re going to get chewed out. “I was having trouble getting everything ready to wake Gaeul up—”

“Just like you are now, right.”

“Right. And I accidentally left the door open, and when Yujin saw me struggling, she came to help out.”

Wonyoung rolls her eyes with a sharp flick, finally sticks her tongue out again but still too far to touch, and twitches her eyebrows to let you know to continue.

“She helped jerk me off onto Gaeul’s face. Said it was her responsibility as a leader as well.”

“That still makes just one load blown, right?” Wonyoung intervenes.

“Yeah, I’m getting there,” you continue, seeing the way her eyes refuse to let you know she’s really enjoying your retelling of the defiling of her members, but doing a terrible job at keeping it hidden.

“After I came on Gaeul, Yujin dragged me out towards her room. Said she was expecting a ‘give and take’ for her help.”

“What kind of ‘give and take’?”

You sigh. She pretends to want to chastise you, but with the way her hand is pounding into her sloppy cunt beneath you and how she’s dripping on the floor, it’s obvious to see. She’s just getting off on this. “I ate her out until she came and then she jerked me off onto her face. Load two.”

“That slut,” Wonyoung murmurs with a smirk. “What about the last one?”

“Okay, I admit, this one might be my fault,” you meekly let out. Wonyoung raises one eyebrow, like she can’t wait to find out what kind of dumb shit you did. “I was helping Rei and Liz clean up the breakfast table, and they were talking about what kind of snack they could still have.”

“Okay?”

“So I jokingly said I had a delicious snack tucked away in my pants for them.”

Wonyoung looks at you like you’re an actual idiot. Look. You might be. “You’re serious?” she asks, almost in disbelief.

“I didn’t expect them to jump me like that. It only took a couple of seconds before they had my dick sandwiched in between their lips,” you explain, getting lost in the thought of how great they felt.

“You’re a pervert,” she snidely remarks.

“God they looked good, licking my seed off of each other’s faces. IVE really is the best…”

Your reminiscing and your pace get interrupted as the door behind you opens, and Leeseo pops her face in with a loud message. “Wonyoung-unnie, it’s 5 minutes till showtime,” she cheers gleefully before opening her eyes, and taking in the sight. You, towering over Wonyoung with your cock out, her on her knees with her mouth open.

“Get the fuck out, can’t you see we’re busy? I’ll be right there,” Wonyoung snaps at Leeseo.

Leeseo just holds her hand in front of her mouth in mock surprise. She giggles a small melody to your ears, before taking her leave, but not without a final remark. “Okay, but don’t forget I finally get manager tonight. Don’t wear him out too hard for my first time, please!”

Wonyoung rolls her eyes again, and looks towards you as you slowly start pumping your cock again. “So, where were we? You were telling me about how you already came three times today, and making excuses for why I’m still waiting for my share.”

“It’s a lot faster if you help, Wonyoung…”

She gasps in shock, looking at you like you’re not only an idiot, but actually insane now. “There’s no fucking way I’m touching your filthy cock. Not after everywhere it’s been today.”

“I don’t think I can finish in time if it’s by myself,” you plead, and it’s not even a lie. If anything, you’re more scared of how upset Wonyoung will be if she has to go on stage without relieving her usual tension.

“Ugh, fine! But only if you ditch Leeseo tonight for me,” she argues back, and it’s a grin that tells you everything. You have no real choice when it comes to Wonyoung’s tantrums.

“What? I can’t! She’s been looking forward to this for months,” you try to argue nevertheless.

She negotiates a better deal back, the desperation of having to go out on stage any moment getting to her. “No condom this time. So what will it be? Paint our maknae’s face, or get me to touch your dick and fill my insides up as much as you want?”

“Deal, but I’m not letting you off the hook for that,” you reply in an instant, so eager your cock twitches at the mere thought of it. The glint in her eye says enough, her two hands balling into little fists as she shakes them, heralding her victory.

She forms a circle with her left thumb and index finger, wrapping it around the base of your cock and presses tightly against you. Her other hand is still occupied with her own needs. Her mouth opens up, hot breath heralding your end. You wish it took more, but the moment she plants a kiss on your cock, you burst.

It’s a full-body, shuddering embarrassment of an orgasm, the kind that makes your knees buckle and your face hot with shameful delight. Wonyoung doesn’t break eye contact—not once.

Your cum splashes out in a blinding, white arc, catching Wonyoung square on the tongue, painting her lips, her nose, even a bit on her lashes. Wonyoung squeals at the sheer volume, and then, with a balletic flick of her wrist, jerks you out for the last spurt, milking every drop onto her own eager face. She scoops up a glob with her pinky, pops it in her mouth like it’s frosting, and lets out a theatrical moan.

“God, you’re such a fucking mess,” she says, but she drags her hand down to her slit and starts furiously rubbing, as if her own orgasm is right there, like a red button she can’t stop slamming. You’re still dizzy, your vision swimming, when she shoves her face against your softening cock and lets out a high, tight whine. She cums like a disaster: messy and loud, bucking her hips so hard she nearly topples backwards, her legs kicking out and slamming the top of her head against your thigh, making you nearly collapse on top of her. She’s painted and panting, mouth slack, chest flushed scarlet. You’ve never seen her look so proud, so utterly victorious. “I’m going to look so hot on stage,” she says, but she’s smiling now, the kind of mischievous, post-orgasmic smile that could start wars. Then, she wipes the semen off her cheek with her thumb. “Is this look too much for university boys?” She chuckles, then licks her thumb with a showy little curl of her tongue in front of you, eyes locked on yours, as if daring you to disagree. You manage a shaky breath, still not recovered, and watch her collect herself with the efficiency of an idol who’s both a world-class diva and a world-class pervert.

She’s in full glam: lashes thick enough to sweep the floor, cheeks rouged to cartoonish perfection, and now this decadent pearl necklace of your making as her accessory.

“You can’t go out there like that,” you manage, voice hoarse and a little too loud.

Wonyoung’s standing, one foot in her heel, blouse still wide open, neck and chin and cheek freckled with the evidence. She stares at herself in the mirror, cocks her head, and lifts her phone. 

Snap. Snap. Snap. 

She’s taking selfies, for fuck’s sake. Her tongue pokes out, cute and obscene above her ruined makeup. “Why not?” she purrs, not even pretending to button up. “It’s a good look. Besides, the fans would fucking die.”

The front-facing camera captures the whole tableau: your deflated cock wilting against her cheek, the ropes of cum criss-crossing her face, and her absolute, shameless delight at the mess. And just like that, you’re incriminated.

“I’ll die if you get in trouble for this,” you hiss, glancing at the door as if Leeseo might be waiting with a live feed. “Please, just clean up.”

She’s not even listening. “Oh, don’t be a prude, manager. I’m doing this for you,” She winks, then switches to video mode, recording a quick little snippet of her slurping a glob of cum off her own chin, then blowing a kiss to the camera. “If you’re a good boy, maybe I’ll let you watch it later.”

You’re about to protest, but then she’s shoving the phone in your hands, angling her face for you to get the best shot. “Take one for me. I want to remember how you love me the most.”

You do as you’re told, because you always do, and she’s right: this is her at her best, her most dangerous. The flash goes off, and she shivers at the sound. “God, you’re lucky,” she purrs and you know it.

“Here, let me—” you start, reaching for the tissues on the table.

But Wonyoung’s already got her own solution. “No, no, no. If you really want me cleaned up, you have to do it.” She tilts her chin up, eyes fluttering closed. “With your tongue. Or I’ll tell everyone in the company you’re a chronic masturbator who can’t keep his hands off his own dick around us.”

She grabs your chin and pulls you into a kiss, her tongue pushing past your lips, and you can taste yourself, bitter and astringent, and her, sweet and sharp. She bites your lip, hard enough to sting, then breaks away and wipes the rest off with a practiced hand. “You’re such a pushover,” she says, patting your cheek with the now-ruined tissue.

You just watch as she stands, legs shaky as she fixes her hair, retwists her ponytail, and tugs her miniskirt down over her thighs, still glistening from her own mess. She checks herself in the mirror, then gives you a once-over, eyes lingering on your still-exposed, still-leaking cock.

She’s devilish, a forbidden fruit, the kind of ice cold beauty typically reserved for fairy tales. “Now, here’s your job,” she says, wagging her finger at you. “Go to the green room, watch my performance, and edge yourself until I get back. I want you leaking for me all night, so when I get back, you can fill me up for real. If you cum before I’m done, I’ll make you eat it off Yujin’s shoes.”

You sputter, “What?”

She grins, all dimples and devilry. “You heard me. And don’t even think about cheating. I’ll know.”

She blows you a kiss and flounces out, heels clacking, leaving you dazed and semi-hard in the aftermath.

You could’ve been a manager in any group, for any label in Seoul, but fate delivered you into the hands of the most terminally horny, irrepressible, and power-mad girl group in the country. You can’t even process it. You just sit there, cock in hand, trying to figure out how your life turned into a kpop bukkake sitcom. You ponder briefly if this is a privilege or a curse, and then, as your thumb scrolls aimlessly through the photo log on her phone (she left it behind by “accident”), you realize you don’t even care anymore.

The latest shot is still her, tongue out, glazing herself like a goddamn donut, winking at you through the digital shrapnel of your own undoing. Your cock jumps, traitorously.

Whatever Wonyoung wants, she gets.

[odaengz]

TAKE A CHANCE WITH ME

fresh out of a horrific break up, yn gets invited out to the club by her friends. on the other hand, tokuno yushi, the quietest in his group of friends, is dragged to the same one.

after spending a night filled with a whirlwind of emotions together, they both make the mistake of never formally introducing themselves. they are both determined to find each other again. after all, if they were really soulmates, fate would take over again, right?

yushi x fem!reader

genre. half smau/half written, angst, fluff, lowkey crack, set in college/university

featuring. sion, riku, ningning, yuna (itzy), rei, wonbin, sohee, gyuvin, jungwon, jaehyun (bnd), leehan, taesan, & more!

content warning. LOTS of cussing (sorry im a potty mouth 😭), maybe bad grammar/lack of punctuation, very very mild suggestive language, kys/kms jokes, i tried making all the idols around the same age so i picked some that im not too familiar with- taesan is an asshole and i make the introverts into extroverts in this story so sorry </3

author’s note. hii i have no expectations of this popping off i’m honestly just writing this because i dont see a lot of wish on this app </3 i haven’t written an actual story in like 4 years so it might be hot garbage .. but i hope yall enjoy anyways <3 if you want to be in the taglist lmk !

navigation !

too many cats | sion’s minions

prologue . everyone’s invited

chapter 1 . fated (written, 2.3k words)

chapter 2 . good morning freaknation

chapter 3 . MINIONS! TONIGHT! WE STEAL! THE MOON!

chapter 4 . don’t you worry your pretty little head (short written, 621 words)

chapter 5 . chat am i cooked

chapter 6 . denial is a river in egypt

started — 032625 + ongoing

© odaengz 2025

[siilent-wanderer]

One More?

Pairing: actress! aespa x actress! reader

Prompt: The script said one kiss, the drama showed one kiss. But the leaked behind-the-scenes footage? Hmm...

ive version | itzy version | le sserafim version | masterlist

Jimin

The Nation’s Cold Yet Lovable It-Girl

slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers drama

Jimin is the ruthless CEO of a top fashion brand

you’re the passionate, rebellious designer she just can’t seem to fire

the script said just a brief, hesitant kiss

ONE kiss filled with tension and unsaid emotions

but the leaked behind-the-scenes clip??? LMAOOOO

Jimin doesn’t just kiss you

her lips stay, barely pulling away before she goes in again, tilting her head slightly, like she’s savoring every second

her fingers graze your jaw, as if she forgot where she was for a moment

“CUT!”

Jimin just stands there, her gaze flickering down to your lips

"Should we… run that again?" she asks, voice lower than usual

ofc the internet loses it:

"Y’ALL SHE WAS STILL STARING AT Y/N’S LIPS AFTER THEY SAID CUT" "Karina redefined ‘method acting’ because sis was NOT acting." "Her hands?? The way she leaned in for more?? Ma’am, we SEE you" "i know what you are, yu jimin"

during an interview, when asked about the extra kisses, jimin just smirks and shrugs???

"I was in character. What can I say?"

Aeri

The Laid-Back, Effortlessly Cool Lead

modern college romance

Aeri is the flirty bad-girl lead

your characters spend the whole drama dancing around each other

until one night, you finally confess

the kiss is supposed to be one slow, meaningful press of lips before you both part, eyes heavy with emotion

but in the behind-the-scenes footage, Aeri doesn’t move away

she presses another quick kiss

and another

then, she grins — all mischievous and unbothered — before leaning in once more

"Oops," she murmurs against your lips, eyes playful. "Guess I got carried away."

Fans immediately go insane:

"CARRIED AWAY??? GIRL YOU KISSED HER LIKE FOUR TIMES WTH" "That little smirk? That extra kiss? GISELLE" "Ma’am, this is a workplace"

In an interview, Aeri just laughs

"I mean, if you have the chance, wouldn’t you?"

the host stares at her while the fans are SCREAMING

Minjeong

The “Accidentally” Romantic Soft-Hearted Lead

heartwarming, small-town romance

your characters reunite after years apart, realizing they were always meant for each other

Minjeong is the clumsy but utterly lovable childhood best friend who has always been in love with you

the kiss is supposed to be one sweet peck. nothing more.

but in the leaked video, Winter kisses you

then laughs nervously against your lips

then, without thinking, she kisses you again but a little firmer this time

then she pulls back, blinking like she just realized what she did

"Oh. Uh. That felt… nice?"

the crew bursts into laughter because that was the gayest thing they'd witness the entire shoot

the internet immediately eats it up:

"SHE JUST KEPT GOING HELPPPP" "Winter.exe stopped working after kissing Y/N" "someone please tell this girl she’s in LOVE"

in an interview, Minjeong turns completely red and waves her hands frantically

"I-It was just… I wasn’t thinking! It was… ahhh!"

Yizhuo

The Shamelessly Bold Scene-Stealer

passionate, high-stakes romance

Yizhuo is a fearless rockstar who falls for the quiet, reserved lyricist a.k.a. you

the kiss is supposed to be a brief, heated moment, before she pulls away, looking conflicted

but in the leaked behind-the-scenes clip???

she doesn’t pull away

she kisses you once, twice, three times

her hands tangle in your hair as she deepens it just slightly, her body pressing closer

“CUT!”

she finally breaks away...

only to wink at you

"I think we got that scene, right?" she teases, biting her lip

fans go feral:

"NINGNING. WHAT WAS THAT." "She wasn’t even pretending bruh that was REAL" "I want what Y/N has. Immediately. Like RIGHT NOW."

in an interview, Yizhuo just smirks

"I guess I got too into the moment"

she says it so casually, twirling her hair like she didn’t just rock the entire internet

A/N: here's a little something while I wait for the poll to end

[duskidolsmut]

Masterlist

Masterlist updated every Monday, as well as a poll to decide the posts of the week!

How often do I post? Read here

I'll be posting longer series soon…

Primum: Groups and Soloists

Blackpink

“Flirting and Fucking with the Old Man in the Store” (Here we have Jennie)

“Lisa Tortures the Friends and Cums on Her Boyfriend” (Here we have Lisa)

“The Rosé Wet Throne” (Here we have Rosé)

"Lust Leaked" (Here we have Jisoo)

"Admired under the skirt" (Here we have Lisa)

"A Blackpink Experience: Five Men and an Unforgettable Gangbang" (Here we have Rosé)

"A Hungry Gangbang at the Diner" (Here we have Jennie)

"Coachella Whore" (Here we have Lisa)

STAYC

"The Pain of Feeling Pleasure" (Here we have Isa)

LE SERAFIM

"The Frenzy of the Celestial Dawn" (Here we have Kazuha)

"Chaewon: Digital Whore, Brutal Revenge" (Here we have Chaewon)

IU

“Slutty IU Gets Banged by 5 Guys in the Agency’s Secret Gangbang!” (Here we have IU)

NewJeans

"The Dark Symphony of Success" (Here we have Hanni & Haerin)

Twice

“Slutty friend fucks her friend’s parents in front of her” (Here we have Tzuyu and Nayeon)

“Busty Jihyo Smashed by Horny Fans on Stage” (Here we have Jihyo)

Itzy

"Blonde College Slut Fucked in Anal Gangbang" (Here we have Yuna)

Aespa

"Fucking the Dirty Neighbor" (Here we have Karina)

Red Velvet

"Betrayed and Fucked" (Here we have Irene)

IVE

"Cumshot in the naughty escape" (Here we have Wonyoung)

The End?

Do you have a fantasy in mind? Send it to my ask and maybe I'll write it for you.

[chimivx]

nice for what -> 'smarteez'

the playlist ⭒❃.✮:▹ masterlist ⭒❃.✮:▹ NU Home Page

That one fucked you over last year, this one is fucking you over this year, you had no idea she was involved with him, someone over here has been lying to you, you didn't mean to end up in that ones bed, he told you he loved you... Does anyone even trust anyone anymore?

[one] - 'i can do it with a broken heart' ~ taylor swift

[two] - 'we can't be friends (wait for your love)' ~ ariana grande

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ [san] - 'rush' ~ troye sivan

[three] - 'tell ur girlfriend' ~ lay bankz

[four] - 'nonsense' ~ sabrina carpenter

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ [yunho] - 'under the influence' ~ chris brown

[five] - ‘teenage dirtbag’ ~ wheatus

[six] - 'because i liked a boy' ~ sabrina carpenter

[seven] - ‘no church in the wild’ ~ jay-z/ye

[eight] - 'call it what you want' ~ taylor swift

[nine] - 'move along' ~ all american rejects

[ten] ~ 'hot to go!' ~ chappell roan

...up next: home;run ➳ isla & vernons story

read it on ao3 ✧ talk to me ✧ my masterlist ✧ plumverse

[elryuse]

Pt. 6 Temptation

BABEL'S CHAINS MASTERLIST : HERE

Y/n's Pov

Next Morning

The walk to campus felt unusually lively. Surrounded by Yuna, Ryujin, Yeji, Chaeryeong, and Lia, you couldn’t help but feel a strange mix of comfort and unease. The streets buzzed with morning energy, yet the stares you received from passing students burned like daggers. You could hear the whispers—rumors and mockery circulating like wildfire.

"Is that him again? The guy with Itzy now?"

"First Aespa, now this? What's his deal?"

"Does he think he's some kind of celebrity?"

The voices echoed in your ears, and you instinctively lowered your gaze, wishing you could disappear. But before you could take another step, you felt a hand slip into yours.

"Don’t pay attention to them," Yuna said with a warm smile, her fingers interlocking with yours.

You turned to her, shocked. "Y-Yuna, what are you doing?"

"Walking with you, obviously," she teased, leaning closer to you. Her giggle was infectious, but it only served to make your face burn brighter.

Ryujin chuckled from your other side, then linked her arm with yours as well. "What? You think we’re gonna let them get to you? Nah, not on our watch."

"Guys, this really isn’t necessary," you mumbled, your voice wavering as your embarrassment grew.

"Shut up and enjoy it," Ryujin said, smirking. "You're practically a part of the group now."

Yuna nodded enthusiastically, tugging on your arm. "Yeah, we protect our own."

Despite their confidence, the attention only grew. Students around you whispered louder, their eyes wide with disbelief. The sight of two members of Itzy clinging to you like this was enough to send the rumor mill into overdrive.

What you didn’t notice was the pair of eyes watching from a distance. Giselle, leaning casually against a tree, froze as she saw the scene unfold. Her jaw tightened as she pulled out her phone, her fingers flying across the screen.

Worries

Back at the Aespa apartment, Giselle burst through the door, startling Karina, Winter, and Ningning.

"You’re not gonna believe this," she said, shoving her phone in Karina’s direction.

Karina frowned, taking the phone and staring at the screen. Her heart sank when she saw the photo Giselle had taken. You, walking with Yuna and Ryujin, their hands linked with yours, their expressions carefree and happy.

"Is this... today?" Karina asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"Just now," Giselle confirmed. "I saw it with my own eyes."

Winter leaned over to look at the photo, her eyes narrowing. "What the hell is he doing with them?"

"Exactly what it looks like," Giselle said bitterly. "He’s with Itzy now."

Karina’s grip on the phone tightened. Her mind raced, memories of your shared moments flashing before her eyes. The way you used to cook for them, laugh with them, how you always made them feel special. But now...

"Do you think..." Ningning started cautiously, "he’s moved on?"

Karina didn’t answer. She couldn’t. Instead, she handed the phone back to Giselle and stood up, pacing the room.

"This isn’t right," Winter said firmly. "We need to talk to him."

"Talk to him?" Karina snapped, her frustration boiling over. "We told him to stay away, remember? For his own good. And now look at him! He’s... he’s happy without us."

The room fell silent. The weight of her words hung heavily in the air.

"You think he’s really happy?" Ningning asked softly.

Karina didn’t respond. She didn’t know the answer. But the ache in her chest told her that whatever was happening, it wasn’t something she could ignore any longer.

Classroom

You entered the classroom, letting out a soft sigh of relief as the noise from the hallway faded. Turning to Ryujin and Yuna, you gave them a small bow. "Thanks for walking with me."

The duo giggled in unison.

"Anytime," Yuna said cheerfully, stepping closer to fix your slightly crooked necktie. "You’re so hopeless sometimes."

Ryujin smirked, brushing invisible dust off your shoulder. "Gotta make sure you look sharp, our guy."

You couldn’t help but chuckle at their antics. "Alright, alright, I get it. Thanks."

As they waved and headed off down the hall, you found yourself smiling faintly. For a moment, just a moment, it felt like things might actually be okay. Maybe the whispers and rumors wouldn’t matter as much as you feared.

Taking your seat in the classroom, you noticed the desk beside yours was still empty. It was unusual—someone usually occupied it. The bell rang, signaling the start of class, and students began filing in. You glanced around, only half-paying attention, until she walked in.

Karina.

Your heart skipped a beat as she scanned the room, her expression unreadable. For a moment, she stood frozen at the doorway, her eyes locking onto yours. Then, slowly, she made her way toward the empty desk beside you.

Without a word, she pulled out the chair and sat down.

The air felt heavy, charged with unspoken tension. Neither of you said anything. You glanced at her from the corner of your eye, unsure of what to say. She looked the same as always—stunning, poised—but there was something different in her demeanor. Her fingers fidgeted slightly with the edge of her notebook, a sign of nerves she rarely displayed.

Minutes passed in silence. The professor began the lecture, but the awkwardness between you and Karina remained palpable. You wanted to say something, anything, to break the ice. But every time you opened your mouth, the words caught in your throat.

Finally, Karina leaned over slightly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Are you… doing okay?"

The question caught you off guard. You turned to her, surprised. Her eyes met yours, and for a moment, the cold distance she’d been keeping melted away. There was concern in her gaze, genuine and raw.

"I’m… fine," you replied hesitantly. "What about you?"

Karina hesitated, then nodded, though her expression told a different story. "I’m fine too."

Another silence settled between you, but this time, it didn’t feel as heavy. Something unspoken lingered in the air—a connection neither of you could fully articulate.

As the lecture droned on, you couldn’t help but steal glances at her, wondering what was going through her mind. Perhaps she was doing the same.

Lunchbreak

The lunch bell rang, and you quickly packed your things, determined to find a quiet spot to eat alone. After the morning's awkward interaction with Karina, you needed time to clear your head. Wandering through the bustling cafeteria, you scanned for a corner table away from the noise and stares.

Just as you thought you had found the perfect spot, a familiar voice called out.

"Y/n! There you are!"

You barely had time to react before Yuna appeared, her radiant smile beaming as she grabbed your arm. "Nope, not today. You’re eating with us."

"I was just—"

"No excuses!" she said cheerfully, tugging you along before you could protest further.

As she led you to the table, you saw the rest of her group—Ryujin, Lia, Yeji, and Chaeryeong—already seated, chatting and laughing. They lit up when they saw you approaching.

"There he is!" Ryujin teased. "We thought you were gonna ditch us."

Lia patted the empty seat beside her. "Come on, sit down. We saved you a spot."

Reluctantly, you sat down, feeling a bit out of place at first. But as the girls began pulling out their lunches and offering you snacks, the atmosphere shifted.

"So, what’s on the menu today?" Yeji asked, glancing at your tray.

"Just the usual cafeteria stuff," you replied, shrugging.

"Here, try this instead," Chaeryeong said, sliding a box of homemade kimbap toward you.

"Wow, thanks," you said, taking a piece. The flavor was rich and comforting.

As the meal went on, the girls kept the conversation lively, sharing stories about their classes, hobbies, and random memories that had them laughing uncontrollably. Yuna, as usual, was at the center of it all, her energy infectious as she nudged you to join in.

"You’ve been so quiet," she said, leaning toward you with a playful pout. "Come on, tell us something about yourself!"

"Uh, I don’t know," you said awkwardly. "I don’t really have any interesting stories."

"That can’t be true," Ryujin said, smirking. "Everyone’s got something."

They kept urging you until you finally relented, sharing a small anecdote from your childhood. To your surprise, they listened intently, laughing at the funny parts and nodding along.

For the first time in a while, you felt… at ease. It wasn’t forced or awkward like so many other social interactions. These girls genuinely seemed to want you there, to include you, to hear what you had to say.

It felt strange—warm, even. Like you belonged.

As the lunch hour ticked by, you found yourself smiling more and more, the earlier tension from the day fading away. Maybe, just maybe, this was a place you could call home.

As the lunch hour came to an end, you began packing up your things, ready to head back to class. Just as you were about to leave, Yuna grabbed your arm with a mischievous grin.

"Hey, you’re coming over tonight," she declared, her tone making it sound more like a statement than a question.

"What? I didn’t say anything about—"

"Come on, it'll be fun!" Yuna said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "We’re planning a movie night, and it wouldn’t be the same without you."

"Yeah, you have to come," Ryujin chimed in, leaning on the table with a sly smile. "Who’s gonna make the popcorn if you’re not there?"

Lia added her two cents, clasping her hands together in an exaggerated pleading gesture. "Please, Y/n? It’ll be nice to unwind. You’ve been looking so stressed lately."

You opened your mouth to politely decline, but the combination of their hopeful gazes and Yuna’s persistence made it almost impossible to say no.

"I don’t know," you hesitated. "I really shouldn’t…"

Yuna tugged at your sleeve, her pout growing. "Please, Y/n? You can’t break my heart like this."

"Yeah, don’t make her cry," Ryujin said with mock seriousness, earning a laugh from the others.

You sighed, defeated. "Alright, fine. But just for the movie, okay?"

The group erupted into cheers, with Yuna clapping her hands triumphantly. "Yes! You won’t regret it."

As the school day wrapped up and you followed the girls back to their apartment, you couldn’t help but feel a mix of anticipation and nerves. Spending the night with them again? It felt surreal.

When you arrived, the girls immediately got to work preparing for the movie night. Yuna busied herself picking out movies, Ryujin set up blankets and pillows, and Lia started assembling snacks.

"You’re in for a treat," Yuna said, grinning as she held up a stack of her favorite DVDs. "We’ve got everything—romance, comedy, even a little horror if you’re up for it."

As you helped Lia in the kitchen, Ryujin leaned into the doorway with a teasing smirk. "You’re not backing out now, are you?"

"No, no," you said, shaking your head with a small laugh. "I’m here, aren’t I?"

"Good," she said, winking. "This is going to be fun."

With the apartment buzzing with energy and laughter, you couldn’t help but feel that same warmth from earlier. Maybe this was what you needed—to let go, even if just for a little while, and enjoy the moment.

As the movie preparations were underway, Chaeryeong walked into the living room with a casual air, but her words hit you like a thunderbolt.

"Hey, just a heads-up, we’re gonna have some guests tonight," she said, plopping onto the couch.

You raised an eyebrow, confused. "Guests? Who’s coming?"

Yuna, who was fluffing a pillow nearby, froze for a second before exchanging a quick glance with Ryujin. A mischievous grin spread across her face as she casually dropped the bombshell.

"It’s Wonyoung and her friends," Yuna said, her tone light but her eyes sharp as they darted toward you.

Your heart sank. Wonyoung? Here? Tonight?

You felt the color drain from your face as you processed her words. The last thing you needed was Wonyoung, of all people, showing up here. Especially considering the complicated history between you two.

"You okay there, Y/n?" Ryujin teased, noticing your stiffened posture. "You look like you’ve seen a ghost."

You tried to play it off, clearing your throat. "I’m fine. Just… surprised, that’s all. Wonyoung, huh?"

"Yeah," Yuna chimed in, tilting her head with a playful smirk. "Why? Is that a problem?"

You hesitated, trying to keep your composure. "No, not at all. Just… unexpected."

Chaeryeong laughed lightly. "Relax. It’s not like she’s gonna bite or anything. They’re just joining for the movie night."

But you knew better. Wonyoung’s presence always came with complications, especially now, given the messy web of emotions and rumors swirling around.

Lia, sensing the tension, smiled reassuringly. "It’ll be fine. Wonyoung and her friends are fun. Besides, the more, the merrier, right?"

You nodded weakly, though your mind raced with questions. Why was Wonyoung coming here? What did she want? And more importantly, how were you supposed to survive the night without things getting awkward—or worse, chaotic?

As the evening progressed, you found yourself anxiously glancing at the clock, dreading the inevitable arrival of Wonyoung and her entourage. You could only hope that the night wouldn’t spiral into a complete disaster.

IVE In The House

The doorbell rang, and the sound immediately brought a sense of tension to the air. Yuna and Yeji rushed toward the door, excitedly swinging it open to reveal Wonyoung and her group: Yujin, Gaeul, Rei, and Leeseo.

"Finally! You guys made it," Yuna chirped, pulling Wonyoung into a friendly hug while Yeji welcomed the others.

"Traffic was insane," Wonyoung said with a small laugh, adjusting her jacket as she stepped inside. Her gaze flickered over the room until it landed on you.

You mustered the courage to wave at her, adding a polite smile. "Hey, Wonyoung. Good to see you."

Her eyes softened briefly, and she returned the gesture, her smile almost sincere. "Hey, Y/n."

But Yujin wasn’t as cordial. Her sharp eyes swept over you with clear disdain, her lips curling into a faint sneer. You felt her judgment like a heavy weight, and despite your effort to stay calm, your confidence faltered. Your gaze dropped to the floor as an uncomfortable silence stretched between you.

Yuna, ever the energetic host, noticed the tension and quickly intervened. "Alright, let’s get everyone settled! Drinks are in the fridge, snacks are on the table, and we’ve got a great lineup for the movie marathon!"

The girls began to mingle, and Wonyoung moved toward the couch, sitting gracefully beside Yuna. She glanced at you again, her expression unreadable. Meanwhile, Yujin walked past you with an audible scoff, muttering something under her breath that you couldn’t quite catch but knew wasn’t flattering.

Chaeryeong approached you, nudging your shoulder gently. "Hey, don’t let it get to you. Just have fun tonight, okay?"

You nodded, forcing a weak smile. "Yeah, I’ll try."

As the night progressed, you tried to blend into the background, but it was impossible to shake the feeling of being watched. Wonyoung seemed to keep a subtle eye on you, and Yujin’s cold demeanor only made the situation more awkward. Despite this, Yuna stayed close to you, her warmth and energy keeping you grounded.

Even though the apartment buzzed with laughter and conversation, the undercurrent of tension lingered. You couldn’t help but wonder if this was just the beginning of something far more complicated.

The kitchen was a hub of activity as you carefully popped the last batch of popcorn and arranged the freshly made nachos on a large platter. Lia was beside you, helping to organize everything with a casual ease.

"Thanks for the help, Lia," you said, offering her a small smile as you wiped your hands on a towel.

"No problem," she replied, grinning. "You’re seriously a lifesaver for doing this. They’ll love it."

As you worked, you heard the soft sound of footsteps approaching. Turning slightly, you saw Wonyoung standing in the doorway, her arms crossed as she leaned against the frame with a curious smile on her face.

"What’s cooking?" she asked, her voice light with curiosity.

"Popcorn and nachos," you replied, holding up the tray. "Figured it’d go well with the movie marathon."

Wonyoung giggled softly, stepping closer. "I have to say, it’s refreshing seeing a guy doing all this. Usually, it’s the girls fussing over snacks. You’re really something, Y/n."

Her words caught you off guard, and for a moment, you felt yourself blush. "I just like to help out," you said modestly, trying to shrug it off.

Before Wonyoung could respond, another voice joined the conversation. "What’s taking so long in here?"

You turned to see Yujin sauntering in, her sharp gaze locking onto the tray of nachos. Without waiting for an invitation, she grabbed a chip, dipped it into the melted cheese, and popped it into her mouth.

"Hmm, not bad," she said, smirking as she reached for another. "Didn’t think you had it in you, chef."

"Thanks, I guess," you replied, unsure whether her tone was teasing or mocking.

Wonyoung chuckled at the interaction, shaking her head. "Don’t mind her. She’s just hungry."

Yujin gave a playful shrug, but her smirk lingered. "What can I say? Good food is hard to resist."

As they bantered, Lia nudged you gently, whispering, "Looks like you’ve got their attention."

You glanced between Wonyoung and Yujin, feeling the weight of their presence. It was a strange mix of tension and camaraderie, but you couldn’t deny the small flicker of pride at their approval of your cooking.

"Alright," you said, lifting the tray. "Let’s get these snacks to the others before the movie starts."

As you walked back into the living room, Wonyoung followed closely behind, her gaze lingering on you with a thoughtful expression. Meanwhile, Yujin trailed a few steps back, her smirk never fading. You couldn’t shake the feeling that the night was far from over—and that these small moments were setting the stage for something much bigger.

Horror Movie?

The living room was packed with the sounds of crunching popcorn, muffled gasps, and the eerie soundtrack of the horror movie playing on the screen. You found yourself in quite possibly the most awkward yet oddly comforting position of your life—sandwiched between Yuna and Ryujin, with Wonyoung nestled on the floor near your legs.

The movie was ramping up, with tension building as the characters on-screen crept through a dark, abandoned house. The occasional scream from the movie made Chaeryeong and Leeseo jump, both hiding their faces under their blankets.

Yuna nudged your arm, grinning. "You don’t seem scared. Are you secretly immune to horror movies?"

"I wouldn’t say immune," you replied, chuckling softly. "I’ve just seen a lot of them."

Ryujin leaned closer, her voice low. "I bet he’s just trying to act tough for us," she teased, giving your arm a light pinch.

"I’m not acting," you shot back, but your grin gave you away.

Meanwhile, Wonyoung sat on the floor by your legs, clutching a blanket as she peeked out occasionally at the screen. Every jump scare made her flinch, and more than once, she buried her face completely, muttering, "Why did I agree to this?"

You couldn’t help but smile at her reaction, finding it oddly endearing. Noticing your gaze, Wonyoung glanced up, her cheeks slightly flushed. "What?" she asked, feigning irritation.

"Nothing," you said quickly, shaking your head. "It’s just... cute."

Her eyes widened slightly before she looked away, hiding her face again, this time out of embarrassment rather than fear.

The movie continued, and as it grew darker and more suspenseful, the girls’ reactions became more animated. Yuna grabbed onto your arm tightly during a particularly tense scene, while Ryujin leaned in closer, trying to act unbothered but clearly on edge.

When a loud scream echoed from the TV, Chaeryeong shrieked, pulling Leeseo closer, while Lia and Yeji laughed nervously. Wonyoung let out a small yelp and instinctively gripped your knee for support before quickly pulling her hand back, her face burning with embarrassment.

"Are you okay?" you asked, leaning down slightly.

"I-I’m fine," she stammered, avoiding your eyes.

By the time the movie ended, the room was filled with nervous laughter and sighs of relief. Chaeryeong declared that she was never watching another horror movie again, while Ryujin insisted it wasn’t that scary, despite how tightly she’d clung to you.

"Alright, next time," Yuna announced, "we’re watching something fun. No more nightmares for Chaeryeong."

As everyone began to unwind and talk about the movie, you couldn’t help but feel oddly at home. Despite the chaos, despite the unusual dynamics, this moment felt warm. Comfortable. Like maybe, just maybe, you belonged here.

The warm water cascaded down your back as you tried to relax, letting the events of the evening play over in your head. Staying the night again wasn’t part of your plan, but Yuna’s pleading eyes—and the chorus of agreement from the others—had made it impossible to say no. Still, you couldn’t help but feel a little overwhelmed.

As you lathered soap into your hair, you suddenly heard a faint noise outside the bathroom door. It sounded like a creak, followed by a hushed whisper. Instinctively, you called out, "Hello? Who’s there?"

Silence.

You frowned but shook your head, dismissing it as nothing more than your imagination or the girls playing a prank. "Focus," you muttered to yourself, finishing up quickly.

When you stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around yourself, the faint noise returned. This time it was clearer—soft footsteps retreating down the hall. You sighed, shaking your head again. Probably Yuna or Ryujin messing around, you thought, smirking slightly.

You dried off, changed into some comfortable clothes, and exited the bathroom, only to be met with the sight of Wonyoung standing at the end of the hallway. She seemed startled to see you and quickly turned away, her long hair swishing as she disappeared back into the living room.

Weird, you thought but decided not to dwell on it.

When you returned to the main area, the energy in the apartment was as lively as ever. The girls were scattered across the room—Yuna was talking animatedly with Yeji, Chaeryeong was busy arranging blankets, and Ryujin was scrolling through her phone, looking utterly relaxed. Meanwhile, IVE’s Yujin was helping Lia stack some pillows, while Wonyoung sat quietly on the couch, her expression unreadable.

"There you are!" Yuna called out, spotting you. "We thought you drowned in there or something!"

"Very funny," you replied, rolling your eyes as you walked over.

"Well, now that you’re out, it’s official," Yuna declared. "Tonight’s going to be one to remember. And don’t even think about trying to leave early."

The other girls laughed, and you couldn’t help but chuckle along, despite the slight unease lingering in the back of your mind. Something felt... off. But as you settled back into the group dynamic, that warmth you’d felt earlier began to creep back in.

For now, you decided to let it go. Whatever the noise had been—or whoever it had been—it wasn’t worth ruining the night over. Tomorrow was another day, and judging by the sheer number of girls sleeping over, you were going to have your hands full in more ways than one.

The clock on the wall ticked past 3 a.m., and you finally managed to corral the girls into settling down for the night. After hours of laughter, conversations, and chaos, the apartment was now quiet except for the soft sound of their breathing. Blankets were scattered everywhere, and the air was filled with a comfortable warmth from everyone being so close.

You stretched and let out a tired sigh, glancing around to make sure everyone was accounted for. They were all asleep—except for one. Yujin.

Sitting by the window, her figure was illuminated by the soft glow of the moonlight. She looked peaceful but alert, her gaze wandering outside. You walked over, careful not to disturb the others, and quietly asked, "You’re not tired?"

Yujin turned to you with a faint smile. "A little, but... I wanted to say thanks. Tonight was fun."

Her tone was sincere, catching you slightly off guard. This was a stark contrast to how she’d acted before.

"It’s no problem," you said, smiling back.

There was a pause before she added, "And... I’m sorry. For being so harsh before. I judged you too quickly."

You blinked, surprised by her admission. "It’s alright. I get it, honestly. It’s not easy trusting someone you barely know."

Yujin nodded, her eyes softening. "Still, I shouldn’t have been so mean. You’re... different. In a good way."

The sudden shift in her tone made your heart skip a beat. You chuckled nervously, trying to lighten the mood. "Well, you should get some sleep. We all have class tomorrow, and it’s already late."

Yujin smirked, leaning back against the wall. "Yeah, about that... There’s no room left out here. Looks like I’ll have to crash somewhere else."

"That’s not a problem," you said quickly. "You can use the guest room. It’s quiet, and you’ll have plenty of space."

To your surprise, Yujin shook her head. "Nah, I’m fine sleeping here. Or better yet," she teased, "how about I sleep with you?"

Your brain stuttered for a moment, unsure how to process her words. "Uh, I don’t think that’s a good idea. You know, appearances and all."

Her smirk widened as she leaned a little closer. "What, are you scared? I promise I don’t bite."

"Yujin..." you started, but her teasing gaze silenced you.

In the end, you relented, too tired to argue anymore. You led her to your spot in the living room, making space for her.

"Fine, but no funny business," you muttered, earning a soft laugh from her.

As the two of you lay down, Yujin shifted closer, wrapping an arm around you. "Relax. You’re so stiff," she whispered, her voice carrying a hint of amusement.

You lay there, wide awake, staring at the ceiling as she snuggled against you. Her warmth was undeniable, and the rhythmic sound of her breathing made it even harder to focus.

Yujin, on the other hand, seemed to drift off almost instantly, her grip on you loosening as she settled into a peaceful sleep. You couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, knowing it was going to be a long, sleepless night.

Breakfast Anyone?

The soft chirping of birds outside was the first thing that broke the peaceful silence of the morning. You stirred awake, stretching your arms as you yawned, feeling the weight of a sleepless night. The events of yesterday, and the overwhelming presence of everyone in the apartment, made it difficult to rest, but you did your best to ignore it.

Rubbing your eyes, you slowly got out of bed, careful not to disturb Yujin, who was still peacefully nestled next to you, her arm draped across you. You smiled softly at the sight of her, before slowly slipping out of bed and heading to the kitchen. The quiet hum of the apartment was a welcome change to the chaos from last night.

Opening the fridge, you pulled out some bacon, eggs, and hash browns, and set to work. You decided to make something simple yet hearty—a classic breakfast with pancakes to top it off. The sizzling sound of bacon hitting the pan mixed with the delicious aroma of butter and eggs soon filled the room. The smell was mouth-watering, and you couldn’t help but smile at the simple pleasure of cooking for everyone.

It wasn’t long before the first person woke up. Lia, who seemed to have the most natural rhythm in the mornings, shuffled into the kitchen. Seeing you busy with the breakfast, she chuckled lightly. "I should’ve known you’d be up early cooking for everyone," she said with a playful grin, grabbing some plates and utensils.

"Well, I wasn’t going to let anyone go hungry," you replied, appreciating her help.

Lia flashed you a smile as she helped prepare the plates and set the kitchen table. It wasn’t long before the sound of doors creaking open echoed through the apartment, signaling the others waking up. Yuna, Ryujin, and Wonyoung all made their way into the kitchen, rubbing their eyes and yawning. They immediately started helping, grabbing condiments, setting out glasses for juice, and arranging the food.

It was oddly satisfying to watch everyone working together. Despite the tension in the air from the night before, there was a certain warmth now, a comfort in the familiarity of this routine.

Soon, the table was set and everyone gathered around, with chairs pulled up to accommodate the entire group. As you served the food, everyone murmured their thanks, and you couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride. It wasn’t just about the meal itself—it was about the gesture. Cooking for everyone felt... nice.

Once everyone had their plates full, the chatter began. Conversations flowed freely, a mixture of gratitude for the food and discussions about the day ahead. You quietly ate along with the others, enjoying the moment of calm before the chaos of another day.

But as you looked around at the group of girls, there was a sense of something deeper, something unspoken. You were surrounded by people who were, in their own way, becoming a part of your world. Despite the awkwardness, despite the tension and confusion, you couldn’t help but feel... connected.

And for once, you let yourself relax, letting the warmth of the moment sink in. Maybe everything would be okay.

As the girls got ready for the day, the apartment filled with energy as everyone began to prepare for college. Each of them dressed up in their college uniforms, looking sharp and polished. But it was Wonyoung who caught your attention the most. The way her uniform fit her, paired with the soft glow of her skin and confident posture, made her look absolutely stunning. You couldn’t help but feel your heart skip a beat, despite trying your best to stay composed.

Yujin, noticing your lingering gaze, smirked playfully as she approached you. "So... Do I look good?" she asked teasingly, leaning in slightly, a glint of mischief in her eyes.

You felt your face flush slightly, and without thinking, you nodded. "Yeah... you do look good," you said, trying to keep your voice steady.

Yujin's smile widened, clearly satisfied with your answer. But before you could react further, the rest of the girls began to gather around, all asking the same question.

"Do I look good?" Ryujin asked, with a playful smirk.

"How about me?" Yeji chimed in, leaning in with an exaggerated pout.

Chaeryeong, Lia, and even Wonyoung joined in, all waiting for your response. You could feel your face getting warmer with each girl asking the same thing.

"Y-yeah, you all look great," you stammered, still flustered by the attention.

Ryujin laughed softly, shaking her head. "Such a playboy," she teased, raising an eyebrow as she watched your reactions with amusement.

The other girls joined in with laughter, making light of your discomfort. But despite being flustered, you couldn't help but smile at the playful energy they brought. It felt... nice, in a way. The tension from the past days seemed to be easing, and for a moment, everything felt normal again. You just hoped this moment of calm wouldn't be interrupted by anything else too complicated.

"Alright, alright," Lia said, grinning. "Let’s not keep him all flustered. We need to head out soon."

With that, the girls gathered their things, ready to head out to college. You, still feeling the lingering effects of their teasing, grabbed your own things and followed them out, unsure of what to expect for the rest of the day.

Unexpected Encounter

As you walked to college with ITZY and IVE, you couldn't help but notice the eyes on you. Everywhere you went, students stopped talking, watching as you walked confidently beside the girls. The whispers started almost immediately. The whole campus seemed to be shocked by the sight of you walking so closely with not just Aespa anymore, but now ITZY and IVE too. It was no secret that these groups were incredibly popular, but seeing you so integrated with them was something none of the students had expected.

"Thanks for the amazing night," you said as you walked with the girls, feeling the weight of the stares. You couldn’t ignore how it felt like everyone was talking about you. "I really needed it," you added with a small smile.

"Anytime," Yuna said with a grin, her hand gently resting on your arm. "But don’t get used to it. We like having you around."

You nodded, feeling slightly overwhelmed, but grateful for the warmth they gave you. As you walked towards your class, you excused yourself from the group and made your way to your seat.

But as you entered the classroom and sat down, you were caught off guard.

"Yujin?" you muttered under your breath. What was she doing here? The familiar face had no place in this particular class.

Yujin, ever the free spirit, scanned the room with her eyes until she spotted you. A mischievous grin appeared on her face as she made her way towards you. Without hesitation, she dragged an empty desk next to yours and placed it right beside you, settling into the chair with a satisfied look.

"Yujin, what are you doing here?" you asked, a bit confused. The last thing you expected was for her to show up to your class.

With a playful laugh, Yujin leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms behind her head. "I’m bored," she said casually. "And well, being the powerful daughter of one of the college's biggest stockholders has its perks. I get to pick and choose my schedule." She winked, clearly enjoying the look of confusion on your face.

Before you could respond, Yujin, without warning, placed her head on your shoulder, seemingly getting comfortable as she pulled out her phone to scroll through it. You couldn’t help but feel a little awkward, but you didn’t want to push her away either. It felt strange, having her so close, especially when you were trying to focus on class.

As you tried to settle in and prepare for the lecture, the door to the classroom opened. The students filed in, chattering amongst themselves. You weren’t paying attention at first, but then you heard the sharp intake of breath from someone entering.

You turned your head slightly, and your heart skipped a beat as you saw Karina standing by the door. She had just walked in and, like everyone else, seemed to freeze at the sight before her. Her eyes were fixed on you and Yujin.

Yujin, oblivious to the tension building in the room, casually looked up and waved at Karina, a playful glint in her eyes. "What’s up, Karina?" she said with a smirk.

Karina stood still for a moment, her expression unreadable. She glanced between you and Yujin, her gaze lingering longer on the two of you than usual. The tension in the air was thick. You could feel her staring at you, questioning the closeness between you and Yujin. But before anything else could be said, Karina quickly turned her head and made her way to her seat, still not breaking her gaze from you.

As she settled into her seat, you couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Karina seemed… hurt, maybe even confused. But it was hard to say for sure.

Yujin, noticing the brief moment of tension, giggled softly. "What’s the matter? Did I steal your girl’s attention?" she teased, nudging you with her elbow.

You chuckled nervously, not knowing what to say. "I… don’t know, Yujin."

"Well, don’t worry," she said with a wink. "I'm not trying to take anyone’s place, but… I’m definitely enjoying the ride."

With that, the class began, but the awkwardness lingered. The sight of Karina’s lingering gaze still haunted you, and you couldn't help but wonder what was going through her mind. Was she upset? Or just curious?

Yujin continued to rest her head on your shoulder, seeming completely comfortable in the space between you two, while Karina sat quietly, her eyes darting between you and Yujin every now and then. You couldn't help but feel the weight of the situation pressing on you. What had you gotten yourself into?

The class slowly began, and you tried to focus on the professor's lecture, but the sensation of Yujin's presence next to you was undeniable. She was getting more comfortable by the minute, her head still nestled on your shoulder, but now, she had moved her hand into yours. She lightly traced her fingers over yours, playfully twirling them as if this was some casual moment between two close friends.

You, still trying to concentrate on the lecture, couldn't help but sigh quietly. It was hard to ignore her touch, especially with how bold and forward she was being. Yujin’s teasing nature was something you had grown accustomed to, but you still weren’t sure how to handle the situation.

Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed Karina. She was seated a few rows ahead of you, her expression stone cold. It was impossible to ignore the way she glared at you. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, and her eyes kept darting between you and Yujin, a quiet storm of emotions brewing behind her gaze. She looked angry, almost like she was holding back from confronting you.

You tried to ignore it, focusing on the lecture, but it was difficult when Karina was so clearly upset. She had her airpods in, isolating herself from the rest of the class, almost as if she was deliberately shutting out the world. You felt the tension building between the two of you, but there was nothing you could do. You weren’t sure what was happening, but you could feel the weight of Karina’s silence pressing down on you.

The professor, noticing the quiet tension, scanned the room. His eyes landed on Karina, who seemed oblivious to the surrounding noise, lost in her own thoughts with her music blaring through her airpods. The professor cleared his throat, his gaze sharpening as he asked, "Karina, could you answer this for us?"

For a moment, the room fell silent as Karina slowly took out her airpods and glanced at the professor. Without missing a beat, she answered the complex question with ease, her voice steady and confident. The class was taken aback by how flawlessly she handled the question.

The professor, clearly impressed, gave her a small nod of approval. "Very well, Karina. Please keep your focus for the rest of the class."

Karina merely nodded in response and placed her airpods back into her ears, retreating back into her silent world. She didn’t even acknowledge anyone else around her, making it clear that she was closing herself off again.

You felt a strange pang in your chest as you watched her. Something had shifted between you two, and now you were unsure of how to bridge the gap. The distance between you and Karina felt wider than it ever had before, and the tension between her and Yujin wasn’t helping.

Yujin, still leaning into you, seemed oblivious to the storm brewing just a few seats away. She kept her head comfortably resting on your shoulder and continued to play with your fingers, her actions lighthearted and playful.

Despite the strange mix of emotions and the unspoken tension with Karina, you found yourself unable to push Yujin away. Maybe you were just trying to keep things normal, but you couldn’t deny how comforting her presence felt—at least for the moment.

As the class continued, you realized that this tangled web of relationships was only becoming more complicated, and you weren’t sure how much longer you could keep everything in balance. Would you ever figure out how to manage the mess you were in, or was this just the beginning of something even more complex?

Hard Situation

As you sat down with the group, the usual warmth of their company filled the space. Yuna, Wonyoung, Ryujin, and the rest of the girls were all happily chatting, laughing, and sharing their plans for the rest of the day. You tried to join in, but your mind kept drifting back to Karina. The way she had been watching you from across the room, her gaze sharp and intense, felt like an invisible weight on your shoulders. It was as if she was studying you, waiting for something.

You couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. Karina had always been a little hard to read, but today, she seemed different. Her eyes were filled with something that you couldn't quite place—was it jealousy? Anger? The tension between the two of you had been building, and you weren’t sure how to handle it. You hadn’t said anything, but the pressure of her stare was undeniable.

Just as you were about to look away, Karina suddenly stood up and left the cafeteria. Her departure only left you feeling more unsettled. You watched her walk away, unable to shake the feeling that something was about to happen.

Yuna, noticing your distracted gaze, turned to you with a concerned expression. "What's wrong?" she asked, her voice soft but with a hint of worry.

You hesitated for a moment, not sure how to explain what you were feeling. You didn’t want to add to the already complex dynamic between you and Karina, especially with how things had been lately. So, you just shrugged it off. "Nothing. I'm fine," you replied, forcing a smile to cover up the unease swirling inside you.

Yuna seemed to accept your answer, though you could tell she wasn't entirely convinced. She and the others returned to their conversation, talking about where to hang out after class or what activities they should do together. You tried to listen, tried to focus on the fun ideas they were throwing around, but your mind kept drifting back to Karina.

The way she had looked at you, like a predator eyeing its prey, sent chills down your spine. You couldn't deny the unease that gnawed at you. There was something in her eyes, something that felt dangerous, and you weren't sure whether you were ready to face it. You didn’t want to overthink things, but with everything that had happened between you two, you knew that things could easily spiral out of control.

As the conversation continued around you, you couldn’t shake the thought that this was far from over. Karina might have walked away for now, but you had a feeling that something big was on the horizon, and you weren't sure if you were prepared for it.

As you were ushered into the car by Yuna, you couldn’t shake off the gnawing feeling in your stomach. The words Karina had said to you echoed in your mind, repeating over and over like a broken record. "We should cut off contact for now. It's for the best." The hurt behind those words, the cold finality of them, made you feel like something important was slipping away, and you weren’t sure if you could get it back.

The drive to the girls' place felt long, even though it was only a short ride. The lively chatter of Yuna and the others did little to ease the tension building in your chest. You could hear them laughing and talking about what board games they were going to play, but your thoughts kept drifting back to Karina. What was she thinking? Why had she said those words to you?

Once you arrived at the apartment, the girls immediately got to work setting up the board games, but you were distracted, your mind still lingering on Karina. You tried to focus on the present, knowing that the girls were expecting you to join in and have fun, but you couldn’t escape the sense that something was missing.

Yuna seemed to notice your distant attitude. She gave you a concerned look as she set up the game pieces. "Hey, what's up? You look a little out of it," she said, her voice soft but worried.

You forced a smile, trying to brush off the feelings. "I'm fine. Just... thinking about something," you said, not wanting to admit how much Karina's words had shaken you.

"About what?" Yuna pressed, clearly sensing that there was more going on.

You hesitated. The words Karina had said to you were still so fresh in your mind, and you didn’t want to drag the conversation down with something so heavy. "I was just thinking about some stuff with Aespa," you said vaguely, hoping to change the subject.

Ryujin overheard and chimed in, "Are you worried about Karina? You two had a bit of tension earlier, right?"

The mention of Karina's name made your heart skip a beat, and you nodded quietly. "Yeah... she... she said we should cut off contact for a while. I don’t know what that means," you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper.

The room fell silent for a moment. The others exchanged glances, unsure of how to respond. Finally, Yuna broke the silence. "Karina is complicated, Y/n. But, you know, she wouldn't say something like that unless it meant something serious. I don't think she wants to hurt you, but maybe she's just... confused. Sometimes, we just need space to figure things out," she said gently, her voice full of empathy.

You nodded, but it didn’t make the pain any less real. The thought of losing Karina, of not having her in your life anymore, left an empty ache in your chest. You couldn’t ignore it, no matter how hard you tried.

"Don’t worry too much about it," Yuna continued, trying to lighten the mood. "You’ve got us here, and we’ll keep you busy with some fun games tonight. Plus, if Karina really wants to talk, she’ll reach out, right?"

You managed a weak smile, grateful for the support, but the weight of uncertainty still lingered. The fear of losing something that had meant so much to you was hard to ignore, no matter how much you tried to distract yourself.

The game night began, and the laughter and playful teasing from the girls helped to pull you out of your head, even if just for a moment. But deep down, you knew that things with Karina weren’t resolved, and the question of whether or not you’d ever get the chance to make things right weighed heavily on your mind.

Meanwhile

Karina sat in the corner of the apartment, her arms crossed tightly across her chest, her face a mixture of fury and frustration. The rest of Aespa sat around her, their silence filling the room as she simmered with anger. She couldn’t help but think about you, about the way Yujin had been getting closer to you, her proximity to you that felt like a constant reminder of her own inability to be there for you.

It hurt, it really did. Seeing you slip away from her grasp because of a single post, something so insignificant compared to everything you had been through together. All of the late-night talks, the support, the moments of laughter and comfort—they all seemed so distant now.

She turned to Ningning, her voice sharp. "How could you even suggest that we abandon him?" she snapped, her anger bubbling over. "He’s been there for us. Through everything. And now we’re just supposed to forget about him?"

The tension in the room was palpable as Ningning shrank back, feeling the weight of Karina’s words. Giselle and Winter exchanged uneasy glances, but Karina’s frustration was evident.

"Karina, calm down," Giselle said gently, trying to placate her friend. "There are still ways we can fix things. We just need to take a step back and—"

"Fix it?" Karina interrupted, her voice rising. "How are we supposed to fix something that's already broken? How are we supposed to fix him? We used to be fucking happy together! And now—just because of one stupid mistake, we’ve let this whole thing fall apart. I can’t just let it go. I won’t."

Her voice cracked with the weight of her emotions, and the room fell into an uncomfortable silence. The girls didn’t know what to say. They all knew she was right. They all knew how much you meant to them, how much you had done for them over the years, and how much you had given without asking for anything in return.

Winter, in particular, remembered all the little things about you—the way you had made them laugh during their darkest moments, the way you were always there when they needed someone. She remembered the times when you would listen to them vent about their problems, and how you would just be there, offering your support. Karina’s words struck her deeply as well, and it was hard not to agree.

"I know," Karina said, her voice quieter now, but still tinged with frustration. "I know we’ve fucked things up. But... we can’t just give up on him. We can't just throw away the best thing we’ve had in the last three years."

The others remained quiet, reflecting on the truth in Karina’s words. They all remembered the good times, the bond they shared with you, and it hurt to see it unravel because of a single misstep. Karina was right—they had messed up, but they still had a chance to fix things. Or so they hoped.

Then, Karina’s expression shifted. There was a dangerous glint in her eyes as she looked at the group, her frustration turning into something else. Something darker. "I have an idea," she said slowly, her voice low and serious. "A plan. A way to get him back."

The others looked at her, wide-eyed. "What do you mean?" Winter asked, hesitant but intrigued.

Karina leaned forward, her eyes never leaving them as she spoke. "I know it’s risky. But we can’t just let this opportunity slip through our fingers. I’ll make him see that we’re the ones he needs. That we’re the ones who understand him. I’ll make sure of it."

The room was silent for a moment, everyone digesting the weight of her words. Giselle raised an eyebrow, concern etched on her face. "What exactly are you planning, Karina?" she asked cautiously.

Karina smiled, but it wasn’t a kind smile. It was something more sinister. "Let’s just say... we’re going to make sure he has no choice but to come back to us. To me."

Her words sent a chill through the group. No one spoke. Karina’s plan was dangerous, and they all knew it. But at the same time, they all understood the desperation in her voice. She was willing to go to any lengths to fix things, to make things right. Even if it meant crossing some lines they’d never considered before.

"Karina, this could go wrong," Winter finally said, her voice shaking with concern. "What if we push him away even further?"

"I’m willing to take that risk," Karina said coldly, her tone unwavering. "Because if we don’t do something, we’ll lose him for good."

The others exchanged uneasy looks. They knew Karina wasn’t going to back down. And in some twisted way, they understood. They just weren’t sure if her plan would work—or if it would make everything even worse.

[krisstheidiot]

1-Character Intros 1.0

A/N:- It's a lot but I thought this would be more of an effective background and context than in pics so yeah spare me guys I wrote this with half my usual braincell lol

@series directory

Name: Y/N Holmes

Age: 18

Year: Freshmen (Fall Sem)

Major: Double major in Computer science and Film Studies with a minor in Fashion Design.

Extracurriculars: Student Rep in the student council, Tennis, Theatre, Writing.

Vibes: Chaotic Academia, Occasionally casual chic, Smiley, Crack most of the time, Spontaneous, Very Indecisive, Sarcasm goes undetected as jokes, Every word is laced with sarcasm so good luck, history is full of how to pull off crimes but its for research nothing much.

Background: Part French(Maternal) and part British-Korean(Paternal), Skipped two years when she was a kid but then took a gap before applying for college, met Seungmin and Han in 7th grade, Mom is a famous fashion designer, Dad a surgeon, during the gap she took she had gone on a trip around Europe with her mom and made friends in France during the month she stayed there.

Name: Kim Seungmin

Age: 20

Year: Sophomore

Major: Double major in Journalism and Media Arts.

Extracurriculars: Treasurer(Student Council), Runs the campus newsletter, Photography club, Baseball.

Vibes: Smart Casual look, Citycore, Straightforward, does not believe in delulu, Sarcastic mean but funny in a way, will sassy shit on people who bother the people he cares about, pretty smile, is very sentimental inside, book boyfriend coded to the T. (*Mom I want one*)

Name: Han Jisung

Age: 20

Year: Sophomore

Major: Double major in Audio Engineering and Music Technology

Extracurriculars: Extra curriculars head(student council), Music, Part of the band called 3racha on campus, Also the campus radio show host with the other two from 3racha called "Racha Talks"

Vibes: Grunge, graphic tees with blazers, Beatles, Chaos, Very shinchan coded lol, Sirius black outfits, Emo boy x Indie, funny but the stupid kind, Will snort at a funeral, under the surface he is very feeling like very, likes anime, will force you to watch silent voice and then proceed to cry like a baby though ofc you would too, Taps his knee to calm his anxiety.

Name: Bang (Christopher) Chan

Age: 22

Year: Senior

Major: Double major in Music Production and Audio Engineering.

Extracurriculars: President(student council), Music, Part of the band called 3racha on campus, Also the campus radio show host with the other two from 3racha called "Racha Talks".

Vibes: Black, Casual Neat, Comfort is fashion core, Protective, Nice, sweet, Caring, will smile at you for no reason at all, Cry and the person who did it will be 6 feet under, Mans is a walking green flag y'all, Father of 7, Aussie Aussie Aussie, Kangaroo, Very huggable.

Name: Lee Minho

Age: 21

Year: Junior

Major: Major in Dance and Minor in Culinary Arts

Extracurriculars: Vice president(School council), Dance team, Volunteers at the animal shelter.

Vibes: Casual comfortable, does not like being extravagant, add cat fur on every piece of clothing, Convenient chic fashion, Sass in a very aggressive manner, Mans has evil written all over that attractive ass smirk on his face but in a good way ofc, Will not take anyone's shit, prefers cats to humans but honestly who doesn't, Cat butler to his three fur babies(we Stan).

Name: Seo Changbin

Age: 21

Year: Junior

Major: Music technology and Production

Extracurriculars: Secretary(Student Council), Music, Part of the band called 3racha on campus, Also the campus radio show host with the other two from 3racha called "Racha Talks".

Vibes: Black again, But make it more edgy, beanies, gym buddy, will fight someone for you, Mans is strong and fit, intimidating at first look but girl don't kid me he is the sweetest when you get to know him, Badtz Maru but slay, will bring you to eat with him because why the hell not.

Name: Hwang Hyunjin

Age: 20

Year: Sophomore

Major: Fine Arts and Dance.

Extracurriculars: Arts, Dance team, Soccer team.

Vibes: Artsy light academia, Fancy, luxury, part times as a model(flex), Sassy, Judgy sometimes, Side eye 10x, Fears Minho, Sad eater, Seungmin biased, Procrastinates too much, Laughs at every thing you say, Laughing while clapping 100x.

Name: Lee Felix (Yongbok)

Age: 20

Year: Sophomore

Major: Culinary arts.

Extracurriculars: Gaming club, Dance team, E-culture club.

Vibes: Fancy, colourful, pastels, bright, Deep voice baby face, So sunshiney all the time that you might melt from the warmth he radiates, mans is fixated on levelling up in his games, will help you build your pc, rgb went brr, streams a lot on twitch, shouting ensues whenever he is playing headphones recommended to protect your eardrums.

Name: Yang Jeongin

Age: 19

Year: Freshmen(Spring Sem)

Major: Fashion Design

Extracurriculars: Soccer team, Theatre(Costume design), Campus volunteer for extra merits.

Vibes: Modern chic, very stylish, ootd's all the time, very confident somehow and will judge people just because, Sass king, Baby bread, is very much the maknae on top even if he isn't the youngest in a setting, also models part time yay!, this guy will bully you about your height ofc in association with Seungmin.

Name: Simon Daneu

Age: 25

Occupation: CEO of a company specialising in Games and Software called Solyx.

Background: Y/N's Cousin brother but is closer to a real one because of their bond, Part French(Paternal) and part American-Korean(Maternal).

Vibes: Formal casual, Polo shirts, Button ups, corduroy pants, very chic, very overprotective as well, will spoil with no hesitation, still will bully as well with no hesitation whatsoever, likes mocking his younger sisters and brother, will pull out his card even you need the most trivial things because with him no one pays.

Name: Noelle Daneu

Age: 20

Occupation: Famous chef/baker, Owns a line of cafes and bakery/patisseries called 'The Dusk' around that are viral for their desserts and specials, also a model.

Background: Simon's younger sister, Y/N's cousin sister but is closer to a real one because of their bond, Part French(Paternal) and part American-Korean(Maternal).

Vibes: Light academia, Boss girl look, Is very funny, will spoil her younger sibs, Y/N is her baby sister and will be spoiled to bits, besties, Is very sassy which is very much a family trait honestly.

Name: Theo Holmes

Age: 9

Background: Y/N's lil brother, is a elementary student, lives in Seoul, very much rich kid but the good kind.

Vibes: Whatever mom buys lol, acts way too smug for his won good, will get bonked if he doesn't behave, finds it funny when y/n is annoyed and it makes his life a bit better to see her irritated, will tease y/n and then will whine when faced with retaliation, fights like they were enemies and then the very next minute will be giggling around like idiots.

Name: Amelia Wallis

Age: 19

Background: Y/N's bestie from Paris(met when y/n was on the Europe trip)

Vibes: Confident, cool, fashionable, always looking out for y/n, will hit someone for her.

Name: Mattheo Grey

Age: 20

Background: Y/N's bestie from Paris(met when y/n was on the Europe trip)

Vibes: Dark academia, poems, research papers, theatre kid, Hamilton.

Name: Elliot Wesley

Age: 19

Background: Y/N's bestie from London(met when y/n was on the Europe trip and then proceeded to become friends with Mattheo and Amelia)

Vibes: Smug, confident, bold, proud, country club fashion, tennis partners with y/n when she was in London, is very annoying when he wants to be.

Series Taglist:- @hyunverse , @nujeskz , @queen-in-the-shadows , @phtogravi , @authentic-65 , @rylea08 ,......

[faebled-stories]

No Strings, No Heart

Kinkvember Day 23: Friends with Benefits

ITZY Lia (Choi Jisu) x Male reader

13.3k words

You and Lia had been friends since high school, back when neither of you had any idea what life would have in store. She had been the new girl, fresh from Canada, with a soft-spoken voice and an air of quiet confidence that intrigued everyone, including you. You’d been assigned seats next to each other in English class, and what started as casual small talk soon grew into a friendship you hadn’t expected.

Lia, or Jisu as she’d been known then, had dreams even back then that set her apart. While most of your classmates were focused on cramming for college entrance exams or deciding what clubs to join, Lia was already chasing something bigger: a career in music. She was always humming under her breath, jotting lyrics in the margins of her notebook, and rushing off to auditions after school.

When she finally became a trainee, it wasn’t a surprise, but it did mark the start of a more distant phase in your friendship. She spent most of her time at the company, training long hours, while you finished school and moved on to university.

Despite the distance, you kept in touch—texts here and there, occasional coffee meetups when she had a rare free day. When she debuted with ITZY, you were one of the first to congratulate her, your heart swelling with pride as you watched her music videos and performances from your tiny apartment.

Even as her life grew more hectic, Lia never let go of your connection. Whenever her schedule allowed, she’d call you up, sometimes late at night, her voice exhausted but warm as she asked about your day, complaining about the pressures of idol life in the same breath. She was still Jisu to you, your old high school friend, even as the world knew her as Lia.

-----

It was one of those late-night meetups—a rainy evening in her cozy Seoul apartment—that changed the dynamic between you. Her space smelled of vanilla candles and faintly of jasmine tea, her usual go-to after a long day. You sat awkwardly on her beige couch, holding a mug that was almost too hot, watching her as she lounged on the floor, cross-legged in an oversized sweater and shorts.

“You’re always so tense,” Lia said suddenly, her voice cutting through the soft patter of rain against the windows. Her damp hair fell in natural waves around her face, framing her features in a way that was almost disarming. This was not the poised, camera-ready idol the world saw. This was the Lia you knew—barefoot, casual, real.

You chuckled nervously, unsure where she was going with this. “Work’s been crazy, I guess.”

“That’s always your excuse,” she teased, setting down her mug with a soft clink. “But honestly, you’ve been like this since high school. Always wound up. Always overthinking.”

“Well, sorry for being consistent,” you shot back, a smile tugging at your lips.

She smiled too, but there was something different in her expression—something calculated yet sincere. “You know, we could help each other out.”

Your brow furrowed. “Help each other out… how?”

Lia tilted her head, studying you with an intensity that made your pulse quicken. “I don’t want anything complicated,” she began, her tone careful but confident. “No drama, no commitments. Just… something easy. For both of us.”

The words felt surreal, hanging in the air between you. “Wait, are you saying…?”

“I’m saying,” she interrupted, her voice softer now, “that we’re both stressed. Both stuck in our own routines. And you’re… safe.”

“Safe?” you echoed, unsure whether to feel flattered or insulted.

Lia rolled her eyes, laughing. “You know what I mean. I trust you. You’re not going to do anything stupid like fall in love with me. And let’s be honest—you’ve never been great with relationships.”

“Wow, thanks,” you muttered, though you couldn’t deny the accuracy of her words. Dating had never come easily to you, and Lia knew it better than anyone.

“I’m just saying it makes sense,” she said, her smile softening into something almost reassuring. “We’ve known each other forever. We trust each other. And I need… an escape, you know? A way to blow off steam without it becoming a mess.”

You hesitated, turning the idea over in your head. “I don’t know, Lia. Stuff like this—doesn’t it get messy?”

“Not if we’re honest with each other,” she said simply. “We set boundaries. We stick to them. And if it doesn’t work, we stop. No harm, no foul.”

Her words were logical, almost too logical, and the idea of being close to someone you trusted—someone who understood you without the usual complications—was more tempting than you wanted to admit.

“I… guess,” you said finally, your voice tinged with hesitation. “If you’re sure about this.”

Lia’s smile widened, a spark of relief and something else—satisfaction?—in her eyes. “I’m sure.”

And just like that, the boundaries of your friendship shifted. You told yourself it was perfect—a way to connect without risking anything deeper.

The first few times were… great. Better than great. There was an ease to it that neither of you had anticipated, a natural rhythm that made it feel less like a new arrangement and more like something that had always been there, waiting to be discovered. The way your bodies fit together was effortless, as though they’d been designed for this connection, every touch and movement aligning perfectly. It wasn’t just about the physical pleasure—though that was undeniable—it was the comfort of being close to someone who understood you in a way no one else did.

Lia had a way of melting into your arms, her laughter and sighs carrying a vulnerability that made the moments feel intimate even in their simplicity. You liked similar things, and exploring that together felt easy, seamless. The way her breath hitched against your skin, the way she responded to every touch with a soft moan or a shiver, made it feel less like an arrangement and more like a quiet escape for both of you.

When she reached for you in the stillness of her room, there was no hesitation, no awkwardness—just a mutual understanding that you could let go with each other.

It was everything she had promised: no drama, no complications. It was a release, a way to step outside the stress of your individual lives and find solace in each other. You told yourself that this was enough, that it didn’t need to mean anything more. And for a while, it didn’t.

But then, one night, everything shifted.

The atmosphere in Lia’s room felt thick with the unspoken, a cocoon of warmth and intimacy as the world outside faded away. The soft scent of jasmine and the lingering notes of her perfume were a quiet contrast to the faint tension in her voice as she spoke.

“It’s been… such a day,” she said with a sigh, leaning back against the headboard, her oversized sweater slipping from one shoulder. Her fingers idly played with the hem, a distraction as she tried to put her thoughts into words. “I feel like everyone wanted a piece of me today. The schedules, the cameras, the smiles—they don’t stop.”

You nodded, sitting close enough to her that the faintest brush of her knee against yours sent sparks up your spine. “You don’t have to explain. I can see it,” you said softly, meeting her eyes. “You’re always carrying so much.”

Her lips twitched into a small, tired smile. “Sometimes, I wish I could just turn it all off. Just… for a little while.”

“You can, here,” you offered, your voice steady despite the way your heart was racing. “You don’t have to be anything but you.”

Her eyes softened, and she reached out to touch your arm, her fingers grazing your skin. “That’s why I asked you to come tonight,” she admitted, her voice quieter now, almost fragile. “I need this. I need you.”

The weight of her words hit you with a force you weren’t entirely prepared for, but you nodded, leaning in slightly. “I’m here,” you said simply, your hand finding hers and squeezing gently.

The next moments unfolded slowly, deliberately, as if neither of you wanted to rush. Her sweater slipped further, pooling around her elbows as she lifted it over her head and let it fall to the floor. Her body, bathed in the soft glow of the bedside lamp, was breathtaking. She looked up at you, her eyes steady but vulnerable, as if daring you to say something, to break the spell.

“You’re beautiful,” you murmured, the words escaping before you could stop them.

A soft laugh escaped her, and she reached up to brush your cheek. “You’re such a sap,” she teased, though her voice was warm, her expression soft. “But I like it.”

You leaned in to kiss her, your lips meeting in a slow, deliberate connection. It started tenderly, a gentle brush of warmth, but quickly deepened, your hands finding her waist, her hips, exploring the curve of her body. She gasped softly against your lips, her hands sliding under your shirt to tug it off, the cool air of the room making your skin prickle as she traced patterns along your chest.

Guiding her back against the bed, you hovered over her, her hair spilling across the pillow in soft waves like a dark halo. The soft glow of the bedside lamp illuminated her features, her flushed cheeks and slightly parted lips evidence of the moment’s growing intensity. Her hands found your shoulders, her touch steady but eager as her breath quickened. The feel of her bare skin against yours, the warmth of her body beneath you, sent a rush of heat through you.

Before moving further, you paused, reaching for the small foil packet on the bedside table. Lia watched you, her chest rising and falling in shallow breaths, her gaze steady yet filled with trust. You slipped the condom on quickly, her hand brushing lightly against your arm in a silent gesture of reassurance.

As you align yourself with her, you paused again, your gaze locking onto hers. “Are you ready?” you asked softly, the weight of your question hanging in the quiet space between you.

Her lips curled into a faint smile, and her legs wrapped around your waist, pulling you closer. “Absolutely, I need this,” she whispered, her voice barely audible but filled with unmistakable longing. “I need you.”

The moment of joining was slow, deliberate, her body tensing slightly as you pressed into her. A quiet gasp escaped her lips, her fingers tightening on your shoulders, her nails faintly digging in as she adjusted to the closeness. You paused, giving her time, your heart pounding in sync with hers. Her breaths quickened, each rise and fall of her chest matching the rhythm you were beginning to create. The heat of her skin against yours was all-consuming, grounding and electrifying all at once.

You began to move, slow and measured, each motion deliberate. Her soft moans and quiet gasps filled the air, small sounds that spurred you on, each one sending shivers down your spine. Her hands roamed your back, nails occasionally dragging across your skin, her hips lifting instinctively to meet yours. The connection between you was unspoken but undeniable, a rhythm building that felt less like something physical and more like a quiet surrender.

Her lips parted as she whispered your name, her voice soft and trembling, a plea that made your chest ache. The way she looked up at you took your breath away. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes fluttering open and shut, and the vulnerability in her gaze made you falter for a moment. You’d always thought Lia was beautiful, but here, now, she was something more—raw, open, and completely unguarded. Every quiet sound she made, every brush of her hands against you, seemed to weave a thread between you that went far beyond the act itself.

Your pace deepened, becoming more deliberate as you leaned down to capture her lips. Her response was immediate, her mouth opening to you as her hands slid into your hair, pulling you closer. The heat between you grew, a symphony of gasps, moans, and murmured words filling the space. Her legs tightened around your waist, her body pressing into yours as if to pull you even closer.

You pulled back slightly, your lips trailing down her jawline to her neck, brushing over the delicate curve of her throat. Her skin was warm and flushed beneath your touch, and you felt her shiver as your mouth moved lower, pressing kisses behind her ear. The spot you’d discovered during your time together—the one that always drove her wild. Her reaction was immediate, a soft gasp escaping her lips as her body arched into you.

Her hands clung to your shoulders as your lips continued their path, down her collarbone and toward the swell of her chest. You paused for a moment, letting your tongue flick gently over the sensitive skin there, before capturing one of her nipples between your lips. Lia let out a low, trembling moan, her nails digging into your back as you lavished attention on her. You alternated between gentle kisses and firmer, more deliberate nips, her body responding to each one with a sharp intake of breath or a soft cry.

Your free hand roamed over her body, sliding along the curve of her waist and the dip of her hips. You teased her other breast with your fingertips, rolling and brushing against her skin in time with the rhythm of your lips. Her body writhed beneath you, her hips lifting instinctively as if to draw you closer, the heat between you growing with every touch.

From her chest, your lips traveled downward, leaving a trail of warmth across her stomach. Lia’s breathing grew heavier, her hands tangling in your hair as you moved lower, savoring the way her body reacted to every press of your lips, every flick of your tongue. Her quiet whimpers and soft moans filled the room, a soundtrack to the intimacy building between you.

You moved back up, your mouth returning to the curve of her neck, brushing kisses along her jawline before finding her lips again. The kiss was deep and consuming, her hands pulling you closer as though she couldn’t get enough of you. Her legs tightened around your waist once more, her body pressing into yours as the rhythm between you grew more urgent, more deliberate.

Her reactions—each shiver, each soft cry, each whispered plea—fueled you, blurring the line between physical connection and something deeper. You knew every spot that made her tremble, every touch that left her gasping, and you used them all, the intimacy between you growing with each passing moment. It wasn’t just her body you craved—it was her trust, her surrender, the way she opened herself to you completely, leaving you breathless and wanting more.

Her voice broke through your focus, her breathless words trembling as she gasped, “You feel so good… Don’t stop.”

“I won’t,” you murmured, your voice hoarse and strained, barely able to contain the emotions coursing through you. Her flushed cheeks, the vulnerability in her gaze, the way her body clung to yours—it all struck you in a way you hadn’t prepared for.

The tension between you built steadily, every motion pulling you both closer to a precipice. Her moans grew louder, breaking into desperate cries as her body moved in sync with yours. Her hips met you with an urgency that matched your own, and her hands tightened their grip on your shoulders, her nails dragging against your skin.

“I’m so close,” she whimpered, her voice trembling and raw in a way that sent shivers through you. Her head tilted back, her body arching beautifully beneath you as she clung to you like you were her lifeline. “I—oh my god, I’m cumming… I love it, don’t stop, please.”

The words hit you harder than you expected, the raw need in her voice breaking through every wall you’d built around your feelings. Her climax overtook her in a wave, her body trembling violently as she cried out, her voice unguarded and desperate. The sight of her face, twisted in pure ecstasy, sent a jolt through you. Her name fell from her lips like a prayer, her body shuddering as she reached the peak, clutching at you with a force that left no doubt of the depth of her release.

And then, it hit you—seeing her like this, so open, so completely undone, you realized something you couldn’t ignore. You wanted to be the only one to give her this feeling. The thought struck like lightning, leaving you trembling even as your own release loomed. It wasn’t just about the act—it was about her, about how much you wanted to hold onto this moment, this connection, this vulnerability that was uniquely hers.

Your climax followed, surging through you in powerful, unrelenting waves as you buried your face in her neck. A guttural groan escaped you, your body trembling with the intensity of it. The warmth of your release pooled into the condom, each pulse carrying with it the weight of everything you’d been holding back. The sensations were overwhelming, magnified by the realization that this wasn’t casual for you anymore. Maybe it never had been.

Even as the waves subsided, you stayed close, holding her tightly against you. Her fingers traced lazy, soothing patterns along your back, her touch grounding you as your heart pounded against hers. Her breaths were soft, mingling with your own in the quiet aftermath. The intimacy of the moment was almost too much, yet you didn’t want it to end.

Finally, you pulled back slightly, your heart still racing as you pressed a kiss to her damp forehead. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips curved into a faint, tired smile, her eyes fluttering open to meet yours. For a moment, neither of you spoke, the silence between you filled with unspoken emotions that neither of you seemed ready to name.

You leaned back carefully, slipping out of her with a quiet groan as her body shuddered at the loss of closeness. Reaching down, you removed the condom, tying it off as you moved to the side of the bed. Lia’s gaze followed you, her cheeks still rosy from the exertion, and when her eyes landed on what you held, her lips quirked into a teasing smile.

“Wow,” she said, her voice still breathy but laced with playful amusement. “You’ve been… pent up, huh?”

You couldn’t help but chuckle softly, the tension between you easing slightly at her tone. “Yeah, maybe a little,” you admitted, your voice still low and rough from the intensity of the moment.

She laughed, a soft, light sound that made your chest tighten again, her fingers brushing over your arm as if to reassure you. “I’ll take it as a compliment,” she said, her smile widening slightly as she leaned back against the pillow, her gaze softening.

In that moment, as you looked at her—flushed, vulnerable, yet teasing—you couldn’t ignore the shift that had happened. Whatever boundaries had existed between you before were gone, and the weight of that realization lingered, pressing gently against your heart.

You stood, disposing of the condom in the bathroom, your mind still reeling from everything that had just unfolded. The intensity of the moment lingered, but it wasn’t just the physical closeness that consumed you—it was the emotions swelling in your chest, threatening to spill over. You tried to push the thoughts aside as you cleaned up, focusing on the simple motions as a way to steady yourself.

When you returned to the bed, Lia was already nestled under the blankets, her cheeks still faintly flushed, her hair spilling over the pillow in soft waves. She looked up at you, her eyes warm and inviting, and without a word, she lifted the blanket in a silent invitation. It was a gesture you’d grown accustomed to—a familiar rhythm that had followed these nights together. But this time, something about it felt heavier, weighted with an unspoken shift between you.

You climbed into bed beside her, the mattress dipping slightly under your weight. She moved closer almost instinctively, her body curling into yours, her head resting against your chest as her arm draped across your stomach. The warmth of her, the way she fit so perfectly against you, was both comforting and terrifying.

Her breathing began to slow, her body relaxing as if this was the most natural thing in the world. And it was—for her. For you, though, the usual ease wasn’t there. You lay stiffly, staring up at the ceiling as a moment of dread washed over you.

You’ve broken the rules.

It hit you with the weight of a confession you’d been avoiding for weeks, maybe months. You’d convinced yourself this was fine, that you could keep things casual, that it was just a way to connect without getting too close. But tonight had shattered that illusion. You weren’t just drawn to Lia—you’d fallen for her.

Your chest tightened as the realization settled in. The way she laughed, the way she trusted you enough to let her guard down, the way she made you feel seen in a way no one else ever had—it wasn’t just something you could brush aside anymore. It was real, and it was terrifying.

You glanced down at her, your heart aching as you took in the soft curve of her lips, the peaceful expression on her face. She looked so at ease, so content, and you couldn’t bring yourself to disturb that. But the weight of your feelings pressed heavily against your chest, threatening to suffocate you.

Lia shifted slightly, her arm tightening around you as if sensing your tension. “You’re quiet,” she murmured, her voice drowsy but laced with curiosity. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” you lied, your voice barely above a whisper as you forced yourself to relax beneath her touch. “I’m fine.”

But you weren’t fine. Because as much as you wanted to stay in this moment—her warmth, her closeness—you knew that everything had changed. You’d crossed a line you couldn’t uncross, and now you weren’t sure what to do.

-----

The weeks that followed were an emotional minefield. Every stolen glance, every shared laugh, every moment Lia curled up beside you after an intense night—all of it dug deeper into the growing pit in your chest. It wasn’t just about intimacy anymore; it was everything. The way she smiled at you, her guard let down for just a moment. The way she playfully mocked your quirks, grounding you with the ease of someone who knew you better than anyone. You craved her in ways that went beyond physical. You wanted all of her—her bad days, her hopes, her fears, and everything in between.

But you couldn’t say it.

The rules had always been clear: no emotions, no strings, no complications. Lia had built walls around herself, walls you understood were necessary given her chaotic life. Your arrangement was her sanctuary, an escape from the pressures of her career, her fame, and the unrelenting expectations placed on her shoulders. You told yourself that being her safe space was enough. It had to be.

That night had started like many others, but it carried a weight you couldn’t ignore. As the moment reached its peak, Lia shifted downward, her lips trailing across your skin with a deliberate slowness that sent shivers coursing through you. When her mouth finally enveloped you, a deep groan escaped your lips, your hand instinctively tangling in her hair.

Her movements were teasing but purposeful, each flick of her tongue measured to drive you closer to the edge. Her eyes flicked up to meet yours, glinting with mischief yet laced with something softer, something deeper. “You’ve been so stiff lately,” she murmured, her breath warm against you before continuing, her voice low and sultry as her tongue worked with maddening precision.

The intimacy overwhelmed you, her familiarity with your body leaving you utterly undone. She knew exactly how to unravel you, to find the places that made you tremble, the rhythm that pushed you to your breaking point. When your release finally overtook you, it was overwhelming, waves of pleasure crashing through you with an intensity that left you trembling. Your fingers tightened briefly in her hair as a hoarse gasp escaped you, the heat of the moment leaving you breathless.

Lia pulled back gently, her lips curling into a satisfied smile as she wiped the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand. She moved back up to lie beside you, her body fitting against yours with an ease that should have felt comforting. But this time, it didn’t. This time, it felt different.

She settled against you, her head resting on your chest, her breathing steady and calm. Her hair tickled your skin, her warmth both soothing and torturous as a quiet dread began to build in your chest. It wasn’t just physical anymore—this was heavier, filled with emotions you couldn’t keep bottled up.

Before you could stop yourself, the words rose in your throat. “Jisu,” you began softly, her name catching in your throat.

She hummed in response, her eyes still closed, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Hmm?”

“Do you ever think…” You hesitated, the words feeling too heavy, too dangerous. But they pushed forward anyway, your voice barely above a whisper. “Do you ever think this could be something more?”

Her eyes opened slowly, the smile fading as her expression shifted into something unreadable. She propped herself up on one elbow, her hair falling in soft waves around her face, the sheets slipping slightly off her shoulder. Her gaze met yours, searching and cautious, and the seconds stretched into an eternity.

“Why are you asking?” she asked softly, her tone carrying a mix of curiosity and caution.

Your heart raced, panic rising in your chest as you scrambled for a response. “I was just thinking,” you lied, the words tumbling out too quickly. “It’s nothing. I don’t know, just… a thought.”

Her expression didn’t change, her gaze lingering on yours for a moment longer before she sat up fully. Wrapping the blanket around herself like a shield, her voice was calm but resolute as she said, “Hmm, no, I don’t think so. The reason this works is because it’s casual. If we start complicating things, it’ll ruin everything.”

Her words hit like a punch to the gut, sharp and cutting in their finality. You nodded slowly, forcing a smile you didn’t feel. “Oh… yeah… You’re right. Forget I said anything.”

She smiled faintly, but it didn’t reach her eyes. She lay back down, resting her head on your chest again as if nothing had happened. Her breathing evened out, her warmth against you a cruel comfort. But for you, everything had changed.

The words you’d been holding back, the feelings you’d buried, wouldn’t stay quiet anymore. They clawed at you, louder with every passing day, until the very thought of continuing like this felt unbearable. You had broken the rules, and the weight of that truth suffocated you in ways you hadn’t thought possible.

-----

Over time you tried convinced yourself to accept her boundaries, telling yourself that being with Lia on her terms was better than not having her at all. But that fragile resolve cracked wide open the day you saw the article.

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon, the kind of day meant for doing nothing. Sunlight spilled through your apartment windows, painting the floor in golden streaks as you scrolled absently through your phone. Outside, the faint hum of the city mixed with the rhythmic ticking of the clock, a peaceful backdrop to your aimless thoughts.

Then your phone buzzed, pulling you from the haze of routine. Without thinking, you tapped the notification.

The headline hit like a physical blow: "ITZY’s Lia Spotted on a Romantic Date with beloved Idol."

Your stomach tightened instantly, a sharp ache blooming in your chest as you scrolled through the accompanying photos. Each swipe felt like tearing open a wound. There she was, walking arm-in-arm with another idol. The soft rustling of the park’s trees in the background, the dappled sunlight falling on their faces—it all looked so serene, so effortless. Their casual clothes hinted at an attempt to keep things discreet, but the atmosphere around them screamed intimacy.

And then one photo stopped you cold.

Her head tilted slightly, her hair catching the sunlight like a halo. Her eyes—soft and filled with a warmth that felt painfully familiar—were fixed on him. She was smiling, bright and genuine, the corners of her lips curving in a way that was devastatingly effortless. That smile was reserved for someone special. Someone who wasn’t you.

Your chest ached, a dull yet unrelenting pain spreading through you as you stared at the screen. The world around you seemed to fade, the sunlight that had once felt comforting now harsh and uninviting. The faint hum of the city became muffled, replaced by the deafening rush of your own thoughts.

Has she ever looked at you like that? Has she ever smiled at you in that way, with that kind of quiet adoration? A part of you knew the answer, even if you didn’t want to admit it. The answer cut deeper than anything she’d ever said or done.

The seconds stretched into minutes as you stared at the image, the knot in your stomach tightening with each passing moment. You could almost hear her laugh in your head, see the way she looked at you during your private moments together. But it wasn’t the same. It had never been the same.

The sharp buzz of another notification snapped you out of your spiraling thoughts. Lia’s name flashed across the screen, her message simple: “Are you free?”

The words sat at the top of your screen, directly above the article. The juxtaposition was cruel, a perfect encapsulation of everything that had been tearing you apart. Your thumb hovered over the notification, your mind swirling with a chaotic mix of emotions—anger, hurt, jealousy, longing. Every rational part of you screamed not to reply. To protect yourself. To draw a line before it was too late.

But as always, your heart betrayed you.

The faint sound of your breathing filled the room, shallow and uneven as you tapped her message. You opened the chat, your fingers trembling slightly as you typed the only thing you knew how to say to her.

"Yeah, I’ll be there."

The moment you hit send, the weight in your chest seemed to shift, but it didn’t lift. Instead, it settled deeper, anchoring itself to the realization you were too afraid to face: no matter how much it hurt, you couldn’t walk away. Not from her. Not yet.

-----

Lia greeted you at her apartment door with the same casual ease as always, dressed in a loose sweatshirt that hung just off one shoulder and shorts that left little to the imagination. Her hair was tied back loosely, and the faint scent of her lavender body lotion hung in the air as she stepped aside to let you in. She smiled, warm and familiar, but to you, it felt like a knife twisting in your chest.

“Hey,” she said softly, leaning casually against the doorframe. Her tone carried a cheerfulness that felt almost jarring compared to the turmoil swirling inside you. “Rough day?”

You swallowed hard, your thoughts tangled with the image of the article’s photos. The memory of her walking arm-in-arm with someone else clung to you like a shadow, an ache that wouldn’t loosen its grip. “Yeah,” you said finally, your voice flat. “Something like that.”

Her brows knitted slightly, a flicker of concern crossing her face before she masked it with another smile, softer this time. “Come in,” she said gently, stepping aside. “Let me fix you some tea or something.”

You followed her inside, the familiar warmth of her cozy apartment stirring something deep and painful within you. The dim lighting, the scent of jasmine mingling with lavender, the soft hum of a playlist you knew by heart—it should have felt comforting, but tonight it only made the ache worse. To her, everything seemed normal, unchanged. But to you, every gesture, every laugh, felt magnified, a sharp contrast to the images still burned into your mind.

She led you to the couch, her steps light and unbothered, her usual ease a stark reminder of how differently you were experiencing this moment. She sat close to you, her knee brushing against yours as she turned to face you fully. “You seem tense,” she said softly, her voice lowering into something soothing. Her hand rested lightly on yours, her touch simple yet disarming, as if she could sense the weight pressing down on you. “Let me help.”

You hesitated, the memory of her smile in those photos flashing through your mind. The warmth she had shown to someone else, the intimacy of it, felt like a stark contrast to the Lia sitting here with you now. Part of you wanted to pull back, to say something, to ask her what that meant, but the words wouldn’t come. Her touch, her presence—it was too much to resist, and before you could think better of it, her lips were on yours.

The kiss was familiar, practiced, but this time, it felt different. Your movements were slower, less certain. A part of you wanted to push her away, to demand answers, but the other part—the part of you that craved her touch, her presence—won. You kissed her back, the frustration and longing coiling tightly in your chest, fueling your every move.

Her hands slid beneath your shirt, tugging at it with the ease of someone who knew you too well. Your resolve crumbled under her touch, the confrontation slipping further from your mind. It could wait, you told yourself. For now, you let the emotions swirling within you��frustration, jealousy, and something darker—take over.

By the time you reached the bedroom, something inside you had shifted. The weight of your suppressed emotions guided your actions, a storm of unspoken feelings driving every touch, every motion. You turned her toward the bed, your hand firm on her shoulder as you eased her down to her knees.

Without a word, you unbuttoned your pants, the sound of the zipper cutting through the quiet room like a spark igniting the air. Lia’s eyes followed the motion, her gaze flicking downward before snapping back up to meet yours. Her lips parted slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing her features before melting into something softer, almost eager. When you pressed yourself to her lips, her hesitation was brief. Her hands found their place on your thighs, steadying herself as she took you in.

The shift in her was immediate. This wasn’t like before—this wasn’t the usual playful or restrained dynamic between you. You gripped her hair firmly, the silky strands slipping through your fingers as you guided her movements. Lia’s soft, muffled moan against you sent a shiver down your spine, the vibration electrifying. The control you felt, the way she surrendered so willingly, was intoxicating, and you couldn’t help but give in to the moment fully.

Your hips began to move, your thrusts deliberate but rough, each one pushing deeper as you set the rhythm. Lia’s hands tightened their grip on your thighs, her fingers curling slightly as her body swayed to match your motions. Her cheeks flushed a deep pink, and her breathing grew heavier between moments when you gave her just enough time to adjust. She looked up at you, her wide, watery eyes filled with surprise and a growing hunger. This wasn’t what she’d expected, but the way her body responded told you everything—this was what she wanted, what she craved.

Her moans grew louder, though muffled, as her lips and tongue worked in perfect sync with your movements. Her usual confidence had melted away, leaving behind a raw vulnerability that only fueled you further. This side of you—assertive, unrelenting—was something she hadn’t expected, and the way she gave herself over to it was driving you wild.

You tightened your grip on her hair, guiding her more firmly as her hands clutched at your thighs for balance. Her breathing was heavy, her moans blending with the wet, rhythmic sounds that filled the room. Tears began to streak her cheeks as her throat constricted around you, her body tensing slightly as she fought to keep up. Still, her eyes never left yours, wide and watery but filled with trust and unmistakable arousal.

Her muffled cries grew needier as your rhythm intensified, her nails digging into your thighs as her body trembled. The tension coiled tighter and tighter in your core, every sound she made pushing you closer to the edge. When her moan vibrated against you again, it sent you spiraling, your hips moving faster, rougher, with a desperation you couldn’t suppress.

You felt yourself reaching the breaking point, your control slipping entirely. Lia’s breathing hitched, her hands shifting to grip you tighter as you thrust one last time. Your release hit like a flood, overwhelming and unstoppable. A guttural groan tore from your throat as you came, the heat surging through you in waves. Lia’s body instinctively tensed beneath you. Her throat worked desperately, swallowing each hot pulse as it filled her mouth. Her gag reflex kicked in more than once, her soft, choked sounds blending with the wet, rhythmic movements that echoed in the room. Despite her efforts, some of it spilled from the corners of her lips, trickling down her chin in thin, glistening streams. Her hands gripped your thighs tighter, her nails pressing into your skin as she did her best to keep up, her flushed cheeks stained with tears and exertion.

Her breathing was uneven, her body trembling with the effort to take everything you gave her. When you finally pulled back, a string of fluid connected you briefly before breaking, her tongue darting out to clean her lips as she gasped for air. Lia’s eyes lifted to meet yours, glassy and dazed, her expression a mix of exhaustion, surprise, and something playful.

She wiped at her chin with the back of her hand, her lips curving into a faint, teasing smile. “Fuck that was hot,” she murmured hoarsely, her voice laced with mischief despite her breathlessness. “What's gotten into you?”

You didn’t respond, the fire in your chest still burning too hot for words. Instead, you leaned down slightly and tapped your member against her cheek a couple of times, the wet sound punctuating the charged silence. Lia blinked up at you, her flushed face lighting up with surprise, a soft gasp escaping her lips.

Without a word, you reached down, your hands finding hers as you pulled her to her feet in one smooth motion. She let out a soft, surprised laugh, stumbling slightly against your chest. Her body was still trembling, her knees unsteady from the intensity of what had just happened. She clung to you for balance, her breath brushing against your neck as she steadied herself. 

Before she could add anything else, your hands moved to her sweatshirt, gripping the fabric at the hem. Her laughter faded into a small, knowing smile as she raised her arms without hesitation, letting you strip it off her in one smooth motion. The air between you felt charged, electric, as the garment fell to the floor.

Her shorts followed quickly, her own fingers fumbling with the waistband as though eager to match your urgency. The two of you moved in tandem, discarding every barrier until she stood before you, bare and breathtaking in the dim light. The soft glow illuminated every curve, every flushed detail of her skin, making her look impossibly beautiful.

You climbed onto the bed, hovering over Lia as she lay beneath you, her chest rising and falling rapidly, her body still trembling from the intensity of earlier. Without a word, you captured her lips in a bruising kiss, pouring all the frustration, anger, and sadness you’d been bottling up into the connection. Her soft moan was muffled against your mouth as she melted into you, her hands reaching up to grip your shoulders.

You didn’t stop there. Your lips trailed away from hers, moving down the curve of her jaw to her neck, where you nipped at her skin with sharp, deliberate bites. Lia gasped and squirmed beneath you, her body reacting instinctively to each sting of your teeth, her fingers clutching at you for balance. The sound of her soft whimpers drove you on, each one fueling the storm raging inside you.

Your hands gripped her thighs, holding her steady as you moved lower, leaving a trail of heated kisses down to her collarbone. You didn’t hesitate to bite there too, hard enough to make her arch her back, her body pressing closer to you as though craving the sting. Her breaths grew quicker, her chest heaving as she writhed beneath your relentless attention.

Her squirming only pushed you further, your need to control, to channel the storm within you, manifesting in the way you held her down. One hand moved to her neck, wrapping around her throat in a firm, deliberate grip. Lia’s reaction was immediate—her body froze for a second, her breath catching, before her eyes fluttered open, locking onto yours. There was no fear in her gaze, only surprise and raw, unfiltered desire.

You didn’t pause, letting your other hand slide down her body, brushing over her stomach before reaching her folds. The heat and slickness there were undeniable, and it made you tighten your grip on her neck as your fingers teased her entrance. Lia gasped, her body jerking at the touch, her hands clutching at the sheets for balance as her hips instinctively pressed toward you.

You didn’t slow down, slipping two fingers inside her in one swift, deliberate motion. Her reaction was instant—a choked moan escaping her lips as her body arched against your hand, her thighs trembling uncontrollably. You tightened your grip on her neck, holding her firmly in place as you set a rough, relentless rhythm, each thrust of your fingers matching the intensity of your emotions.

Her breaths came in short, desperate gasps, her body completely at your mercy. You didn’t let up, your fingers curling inside her, hitting all the right spots as her moans grew louder. The way she reacted—the way her body writhed and her voice broke with every movement—pushed you further into the haze of emotion driving your every move.

Lia’s hands gripped the sheets tightly, her knuckles white as she clawed at the fabric, her head tilting back as her lips parted in a silent plea. Her hips began to shift, trying instinctively to pull away from the overwhelming sensations, but you didn’t give her the chance. Each time her body tried to escape, you followed her movement with ruthless precision, maintaining the relentless pace that left her gasping and trembling beneath you.

“Please,” she choked out, her voice cracking as her hips jerked sharply against your hand, torn between chasing the pleasure and trying to find relief from the intensity. Her thighs quivered as the wet, obscene sounds from her folds filled the room, mixing with her soft, desperate whimpers.

Your fingers thrust with relentless precision, plunging deeply while curling just enough to make Lia cry out with every motion. Her gasps turned into desperate, broken cries, the sound spilling from her lips in sharp, uneven bursts. The way her body tightened and arched against your hand drove you further, your thumb brushing over her clit—first in slow, deliberate circles, then pressing firmly and flicking sharply as her hips jolted against you.

The hand around her neck tightened slightly, your fingers pressing just enough to make her breath catch. The mix of pressure and roughness sent her spiraling, her voice breaking into a low, guttural moan as her eyes fluttered open briefly, wide and glassy, before rolling shut again. Her legs trembled uncontrollably, her entire body trembling as your thumb quickened its pace, alternating between firm, relentless circles and sharp, deliberate flicks that made her hips buck wildly.

Her thighs tried to clamp shut around your hand, her body instinctively attempting to shield itself from the overwhelming sensations, but you didn’t stop. Your pace only grew faster, harder, as though chasing something deeper. Her moans turned into broken cries, her hips jerking helplessly against your hand as you pushed her closer and closer to the edge.

The slick heat from her folds coated your fingers as her walls tightened around you, her body reacting to every motion. Her breath hitched, her cries becoming louder, more desperate. Her hips jerked erratically, trying to escape your relentless pace, but you didn’t let up. The grip on her neck tightened again, her breath coming in shallow gasps as her eyes snapped open for a moment, unfocused and dazed.

“God—” she managed to choke out, her voice breaking as her body convulsed. “I—can’t—”

Her body tensed beneath your touch, her breathing erratic as she teetered on the edge of release. Just as the moment was about to break, you pulled your fingers out abruptly and delivered a sharp smack to her folds. The sudden sting and shock sent a jolt through her entire body, her back arching violently off the bed as a strangled moan tore from her throat.

That was it. Lia shattered beneath you, her climax crashing over her like a tidal wave. Her thighs clamped around your hand, trapping you there as her cries turned raw and broken, each sound carrying the intensity of her release. Her body convulsed, trembling violently as wave after wave of pleasure overtook her. Her hands clutched at the sheets, her nails digging into the fabric as her hips jerked uncontrollably, seeking and shying away from the overwhelming sensations.

You held her firmly, your grip on her neck steady, grounding her as your hand returned to her folds. Your fingers worked with deliberate precision, prolonging her climax as her cries grew louder, more desperate. Her hips bucked wildly against your hand, her body writhing beneath you as she gave in completely to the pleasure overtaking her.

Her release seemed endless, the intensity of it leaving her gasping for breath as her body quaked under your control. The room was filled with the sound of her broken moans and the rhythmic slap of your palm against her oversensitive lips. Each touch seemed to reignite the flames, drawing out her pleasure until her body collapsed back against the bed, trembling and spent.

As the aftershocks coursed through her, her breaths came in ragged, uneven gasps, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Her skin glistened in the dim light, her face flushed and damp as she tried to catch her breath.

You loosened your grip on her neck, your fingers brushing lightly against her skin as you leaned over her. Lia’s eyes fluttered open slowly, glassy and unfocused, her lips parting in a faint, breathless smile. Her body continued to tremble slightly, the lingering sensations leaving her utterly undone beneath you.

You guided Lia’s trembling, sensitive body onto the bed with deliberate intent, her flushed skin glistening as she struggled to catch her breath. Her wide, dazed eyes met yours, still hazy from the intensity of her previous climax, but you weren’t done—not yet. Slowly, you lay down and pulled her back against you, arranging her pliant body with steady hands.

Her back pressed firmly to your chest, her legs spread wide and bent at the knees, her thighs trembling as you slipped your hands beneath them. Your grip steadied her, your fingers curling securely around the back of her thighs, holding her legs in place and spreading her open. The position left her entirely vulnerable, every inch of her body on display. Her arms rested near her sides, loosely pinned between your bodies, emphasizing her complete surrender to you.

Her head tilted back against your shoulder, her neck fully exposed, giving you an unobstructed view of her flushed cheeks, parted lips, and the faint sheen of sweat that glistened on her skin. Lia let out a soft, breathless gasp as the new position registered, her body tensing briefly before relaxing into your hold.

The vulnerability of it, the way your grip anchored her while she was spread open, only seemed to heighten her arousal. “Where did you learn this?…” she murmured, her voice trailing off into a whimper as she felt you press against her entrance. The sensation made her hips shift instinctively, her body eager and trembling as she surrendered completely to the moment.

Without hesitation, you entered her in one deep, deliberate motion. The pace was fast and unrelenting from the start, your thrusts deep and purposeful as you held her firmly in place. Lia cried out, her voice breaking into a desperate moan as her body responded immediately. The position allowed you to reach depths you hadn’t before, and her body clenched tightly around you, the new sensation overwhelming her.

Her head tilted back against your shoulder, her eyes fluttering shut as she gave herself over to you completely. The sheer submissiveness of her posture, her willingness to let you take control, drove you on. You leaned down, your lips brushing the curve of her neck as you pressed open-mouthed kisses along her flushed skin, your teeth grazing lightly before biting down just enough to make her gasp.

Lia let out a trembling gasp as your hand found her clit again, circling it with a firm intensity that made her entire body jolt against you. Her thighs quivered uncontrollably, her hips writhing in an attempt to escape the relentless stimulation. “Wait—” she whimpered, her voice breaking as she tried to shift away from your touch. “I’m sensitive—too much…”

Her words barely registered, muffled by the storm in your mind. The frustration and anger churned like a relentless tide, the image of her smiling, her hand entwined with someone else’s, replaying in your head like a haunting refrain. It consumed you, fueling the roughness in every movement.

You tightened your hold, your hands locking her helplessly in place. Her legs trembled, trying to close against the overstimulation, but the position left her completely vulnerable. With her legs spread wide and pinned by her own weight, she had no leverage, no way to resist as you drove her higher. Her body squirmed, her hips shifting desperately, but your arm around her wrists and your thighs holding hers apart ensured she couldn’t escape.

You leaned in, pressing your lips to the back of her neck where you could reach, the soft curve of her skin damp with sweat. The kiss was possessive, claiming, and when you bit down, she let out a sharp cry, her body arching against yours. The sting of your teeth sent a fresh wave of shivers through her, her voice breaking into a soft whimper as you soothed the bite with another heated kiss.

Lia’s body trembled, her reactions raw and desperate. Each time you bit down, harder now, her cries grew louder, her head tilting back to expose more of her neck as though surrendering completely. Her thighs tried to press together again, but the position made it impossible, leaving her entirely at your mercy.

Her pleas melted into choked moans when your hand left her clit briefly, only to return with a sharp slap. The sound echoed in the room, followed by her broken cry as her body jolted against you. The sting sent her closer to the edge, her breath hitching in ragged gasps as her hips jerked involuntarily.

The relentless combination—the deep, fast thrusts, the circling of your fingers on her clit, and the sharp bites you pressed to her shoulder and neck—pushed her further into a haze of overwhelming sensation. Her cries grew louder, her body trembling violently as she fought against the intensity. Even as her hips shifted and tried to twist away, her body betrayed her with every shiver of arousal, her movements weak and yielding to your pace.

Just as her body tensed in anticipation of release, you pressed harder against her clit, your fingers moving in swift, relentless circles. Lia gasped, her walls clenching tightly around you as her entire body strained, her climax teetering on the brink.

When you sensed she was at her limit, you delivered a sharp, deliberate slap to her clit. Lia screamed, her voice raw and broken as her body convulsed violently. The sharp sting mingled with the overwhelming pleasure, the combination tearing through her with a force that left her trembling uncontrollably. Her thighs twitched against your hands, her chest heaving as she sobbed softly, her cries a mix of pleasure and surrender.

You didn’t stop, your fingers continuing to flick and slap her nub while your thrusts maintained their relentless pace. Her body collapsed further against yours, her legs trembling as the overstimulation sent her spiraling beyond her limits. Another broken scream tore from her throat before her body finally gave out, her muscles going slack as she slumped back onto you, her head falling onto your shoulder.

Her breath came in ragged, uneven gasps, her body trembling as aftershocks coursed through her. You released her wrists, your hands smoothing over her legs as you pressed soft kisses to her temple and along the marks your teeth had left on her shoulder. Her breathing gradually steadied, her skin still flushed and damp as she tried to catch her breath.

Your pace didn’t falter, even as Lia slumped further against you, her body trembling and utterly spent. The overstimulation of her climax had left her broken in the best way, her cries now soft whimpers, her breath hot and uneven against your neck. Her legs remained pinned, trembling as your relentless thrusts sent aftershocks rippling through her. Each deep motion made her body react instinctively, her hips twitching as though trying to pull away, but the position left her helpless, completely at your mercy.

As the intensity built, her breaths grew sharper, her head tilting back against your shoulder. The haze of her earlier release lingered in her glassy eyes, her thoughts slow and unfocused. Yet, as your thrusts grew faster and more erratic, realization flickered faintly in her expression. She gasped softly, her thighs twitching against your hold.

“Wait…” she murmured, her voice trembling and breathless, her mind catching up to what her body already knew. “Don’t… don’t cum inside me,” she pleaded, her tone cracking under the weight of her exhaustion and arousal.

Her words were faint, almost drowned out by the rhythmic sound of your hips meeting hers. Her protest lacked strength, her body betraying her as her warmth clenched tightly around you, pulling you deeper with every motion. Even as she tried to speak again, her words dissolved into soft, broken whimpers, her thighs trembling violently as her overstimulated body refused to resist what was coming.

You could feel the tension coiling tighter, the edge drawing closer with every thrust. Her whispered plea echoed faintly in your mind, but the overwhelming heat, the way she writhed beneath you, the way her body pulled you in, made it impossible to stop. The last thread of your restraint snapped as her walls tightened around you one final time.

“Fuck…” you murmured hoarsely, your voice trembling with the urgency of your release. Her body stiffened briefly, her lips parting in a faint gasp of realization, but she couldn’t move, her legs pinned wide and her body limp in your hold.

With a guttural groan, you pressed as deep as you could, your release surging into her in powerful, shuddering waves. Lia’s breath hitched sharply, her fingers weakly clutching at your arms as she felt the warmth spreading inside her. “Oh my God…” she whispered, her voice barely audible as her head fell forward, her body twitching in response to the unfamiliar sensation. The flush on her cheeks deepened, a mix of disbelief and something unspoken as she lay trembling against you.

When the last tremors subsided, you loosened your grip slightly, your hands smoothing over her legs as they remained draped across your hips. Her breathing was ragged, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she tried to catch her breath. The room was quiet except for the faint sound of your mingled breathing, heavy with the weight of what had just happened.

Lia’s voice came out as a whisper, trembling with exhaustion but edged with frustration. “Too much… it was too much…” Her body twitched beneath you, her trembling legs sprawled limply against your hips. Her chest rose and fell in uneven gasps, her gaze hazy but laced with something sharper as she tried to steady herself.

Then her eyes locked onto yours, and the flush on her cheeks deepened, no longer just from exertion. “I can’t believe you came inside me,” she muttered, her voice low but biting. “You know we can’t do that.”

Her words cut through the heavy air, and for a moment, her expression hardened as she tried to assert control over the whirlwind of emotions swirling between you. But the tension in her brows faltered as her body gave a faint, involuntary shudder, the lingering sensation of everything pooling inside her impossible to ignore.

She shifted slightly in your hold, her thighs twitching, her skin hypersensitive and her mind torn between anger and something much more confusing. Her lips parted as if she wanted to say more, to reprimand you further, but no words came. Instead, she turned her head to the side, her expression tight, though not entirely resolute.

Inside, you could tell she was battling herself. The heat spreading across her neck and cheeks, the way her legs trembled against yours, betrayed a truth she didn’t want to face. Even though she was angry—she had every reason to be—the intensity of what had happened, the rawness of being completely at your mercy, lingered in ways she couldn’t deny.

Lia let out a sharp exhale, her body relaxing slightly against you as her anger seemed to ebb, replaced by a reluctant acceptance. Her head fell back onto the pillow, her breathing still uneven, her lips pressing together in a faint line. The silence between you was heavy, her internal conflict palpable, as the reality of the moment settled over both of you.

Her eyes met yours, and for a moment, the air between you was filled with something unspoken, a tenderness that lingered even as exhaustion pulled at you both.

“Jisu,” you said suddenly, the word breaking the silence like a crack of thunder.

She turned onto her side, propping herself up on one elbow to look at you. “Hmm?”

“Can this ever be more?” The question came out unsteady, raw with emotion, as though it had torn its way out of you.

Her smile faded, replaced by something gentler but distant. She sighed softly, the blanket slipping slightly as she shifted to sit up. “We’ve talked about this,” she said, her tone careful but firm. “The reason this works is because it’s casual. It’s… uncomplicated. That’s why it’s good.”

You turned your head to look at her, searching her expression for something—anything—that might suggest she felt the same way you did. But all you saw was a calm resolve. “You’re great,” she continued, her voice quieter now. “You really are. But if we start complicating things, it’ll ruin what we have, could you imagine even trying to do this while one of us has feelings.”

Her words struck you like a punch, each one cutting deeper than the last. You forced a small, hollow smile, nodding as if you understood. “Yeah,” you said quietly. “You’re right…”

Lia’s hand brushed over your arm lightly, reassuringly, before she lay back down beside you, curling into your side as though nothing had happened. But something had. For you, the illusion that this could be enough had shattered, and no matter how hard you tried to tell yourself otherwise, you couldn’t shake the feeling that this was the beginning of the end.

As Lia slept peacefully beside you, you stared at the ceiling, your mind racing. You couldn’t keep doing this—not when your feelings for her only grew stronger with each passing day, and not when she had made it clear she would never see you the way you saw her.

You slipped out of her bed quietly, careful not to wake her. The city lights outside her window cast long shadows across the room as you let out a soft apology,dressed and left. You told yourself that it would be the last time, that you couldn’t go back—not for her, not for anyone. You needed to find someone who would value you, who would want you the way you wanted them.

-----

The next morning, Lia woke up alone, sunlight filtering softly through her curtains as the warmth of the day began to creep into the room. She stirred slowly, her body aching in unfamiliar ways—her neck, her thighs, her core—all reminders of the intensity of the night before. She shifted slightly, wincing at the tenderness, and as the memories flooded back, her cheeks flushed with heat. The rawness of how you had been with her, the way you had consumed her so completely, lingered in her mind, each thought sending a fresh wave of warmth coursing through her.

Reaching for her phone, she hesitated for a moment, her fingers hovering over the screen. After a deep breath, she typed a quick message: “Last night was amazing. Thank you.”

She hit send, expecting the usual quick reply. You were always good at responding, rarely making her wait more than a few minutes. It was one of the constants she had come to rely on—your availability, your attentiveness. But as the minutes stretched into hours, her screen remaining frustratingly blank, she shrugged it off. You’re probably just busy, she told herself, though a faint unease began to creep into her thoughts, like a whisper she couldn’t ignore.

Life moved forward, as it always did, her schedule swallowing her days whole. But the unease grew, a quiet nagging in the back of her mind that wouldn’t go away. Still no reply. No follow-up. No late-night texts asking about her day or teasing her about something silly. It was unlike you, and with every passing day, it became harder to shake the feeling that something was wrong.

Desperate for distraction, she agreed to another date with the idol, convincing herself it was the right thing to do. But from the moment they sat down at the trendy café, everything about the evening felt wrong. The vibrant chatter of the other patrons blurred into background noise, his words barely registering as she stared down at her phone, her thumb hovering over the unanswered message. It sat there, unopened, like a stark reminder of your absence.

He tried to make conversation, asking about her work and cracking lighthearted jokes, but her responses were flat, distracted. Her mind kept drifting—back to you. She could almost hear your laugh, picture the way you would have teased her about spending too much time scrolling on her phone. She thought about the little things you did, the gestures that had woven themselves into her daily life: bringing her food after late practices, the way you always seemed to know when she needed comforting, and the talks that stretched into the early hours of the morning when her world felt too heavy.

Her chest tightened as she realized it wasn’t just about the sex anymore—though that had been incredible. It was everything else, the way you had quietly become her anchor without her noticing. She missed you, in ways that went beyond physical, in ways she couldn’t ignore.

As the date dragged on, her unease grew heavier. She looked at him across the table, saw the effort he was putting into keeping her attention, and felt the guilt creep in. He wasn’t the problem. He was polite, charming even, but he wasn’t you. He didn’t make her feel grounded the way you did. He didn’t know her tells, didn’t know how to navigate her quiet moods or the way her smiles didn’t always reach her eyes.

She excused herself earlier than planned, her heart heavy as she walked out into the cool night air. Her fingers hovered over her phone again, the thought of calling you overwhelming her. But as she stared at your name in her contacts, she couldn’t bring herself to press it. Not yet.

Days turned into a week, and Lia’s desperation grew. Every thought of you tightened the ache in her chest, the longing building until it was impossible to ignore. It wasn’t just about the intimacy anymore—it was everything else. The little moments, the times you made her feel understood, cared for, seen. The absence of those moments was suffocating.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that something inside her was shifting. Something she hadn’t wanted to see before but now couldn’t deny. You weren’t just her escape, her comfort—you had become something so much more. Finally, she turned to someone she trusted: Yeji.

The three of you had always been close, bonded not just by your ages but by a shared sense of humor and camaraderie. After practice one evening, Lia found Yeji in the lounge, scrolling through her phone. Her heart pounded as she sat down across from her, working up the courage to speak.

“Yeji,” Lia began, her voice quieter than usual as she fidgeted with the edge of her hoodie.

Yeji glanced up, raising an eyebrow. “What’s up?”

Lia hesitated, her usual confidence replaced by uncertainty. “You know about… my arrangement, right?”

Yeji set her phone down, her gaze sharpening slightly. “Oh, yeah,” she said, a hint of amusement in her tone. “I know about it.”

Lia’s fingers twisted the fabric of her hoodie, her nerves fraying. “Have you… talked to him lately? Do you know where he is?”

Yeji’s expression softened, the teasing fading as she leaned back against the couch. “Yeah, we’ve talked,” she admitted, her voice even. “But I don’t think I should tell you more than that.”

The words hit Lia harder than she expected. Her stomach twisted, and her voice dropped. “Why not?” she asked, almost pleading. “I just… I miss him. I didn’t think I would, but I do. I didn’t realize how much he meant to me until he wasn’t there anymore.”

Yeji sighed, studying her closely. “Lia, you have to ask yourself why he’s not here right now,” she said, her voice steady but not unkind. “You had to know how he felt—maybe you didn’t want to admit it, but it was obvious.”

Lia looked down, her throat tightening as Yeji’s words sank in. “I didn’t mean to hurt him,” she murmured. “I just… I didn’t know.”

Yeji leaned forward slightly, her voice softer now. “I think he needed space, Lia. He couldn’t keep pretending to be okay with what you two had. And now? I think you’re realizing how much he really means to you.”

Lia’s fingers curled tightly around her hoodie, her heart sinking further. “I miss him,” she said quietly. “Not just… what we had. I miss everything. I don’t know what to do.”

Yeji shook her head gently. “I’m not going to tell you where he is—it wouldn’t be fair. But if you feel this way, you need to figure it out before it’s too late.”

Lia nodded slowly, Yeji’s words settling heavily in her chest. For the next few days, she replayed every moment in her mind—every late-night talk, every thoughtful gesture, every quiet look that made her feel safe. The realization of how much she missed you, how deeply she cared, grew sharper with each passing day.

Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore. Lia grabbed her phone with trembling hands and called. The first call went to voicemail, then the next, and the one after that. Still, she didn’t stop. Each unanswered ring only heightened her desperation. She began texting, her messages growing shorter and more frantic with each passing hour.

“I need to talk to you.”“Please, can you call me back?”“Just… say something.”

When the texts went unanswered, she left voicemails, her voice cracking under the weight of her emotions. “I… I really want to talk. Please, can we meet? Just let me know.” Every message sounded more raw than the last, the silence on the other end of the line gnawing at her chest like an open wound.

She lost count of how many times she called—her phone logs a mess of missed attempts, her inbox filled with drafts of unsent messages she couldn’t bring herself to delete. Each night, she lay awake, staring at her phone, willing it to light up with your name. The waiting was unbearable, each moment stretching endlessly as hope began to waver.

Just when she was on the verge of giving up, her phone buzzed. Her heart skipped a beat, and she scrambled to pick it up. It was you. A simple message: “Okay. Let’s meet.”

Relief and apprehension washed over her in equal measure. She stared at the screen, her fingers hovering over the keyboard, unsure how to respond. After a long pause, she simply typed, “Thank you.”

-----

When you finally met, the air was heavy with tension, every unspoken word between you settling like a weight in the small café. Lia sat across from you, her usual poise stripped away. Her hands fidgeted in her lap, twisting the edge of her sleeve, her eyes fixed on the untouched coffee in front of her. The faintest hint of color rose in her cheeks, betraying the vulnerability she was trying to hide.

You watched her carefully, your own nerves coiling tighter with every second of silence. Her lips parted slightly, as though she wanted to speak, but the words didn’t come right away. Finally, she took a deep breath and looked up at you.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice trembling but steady enough to hold your gaze. “For everything. For not seeing how you felt, for taking you for granted.”

Her words caught you off guard, the raw honesty cutting through the tension. You blinked, unsure how to respond at first. “I should be the one apologizing,” you said after a moment, your voice quieter than you intended. “For ghosting you, for catching feelings in the first place. I—”

“Don’t,” Lia interrupted gently, her voice firm but laced with regret. Her eyes finally met yours, and the warmth there made your chest ache. “Don’t apologize for liking me. Please. I need to say something first.”

You froze, her words silencing the flood of guilt that had been building inside you. She fidgeted with her sleeve, her gaze flickering downward for a moment before she looked back at you, her expression unguarded.

“I like you,” she said softly, the words landing with a weight that made your breath catch. “So much. I think I have for a while, but I didn’t know… or maybe I just didn’t let myself realize it. I got so comfortable with you always being there, and when you were gone, it felt like a piece of me was missing.”

Her cheeks flushed deeper, and her hands stilled as she continued, her voice trembling but resolute. “I thought keeping things casual was easier—safer—because I didn’t want to risk losing you. But I was selfish. I didn’t think about what you needed or how much it might be hurting you.

Her voice cracked slightly, but she didn’t stop. “I’m so sorry for everything. For not being considerate of your feelings, for pushing you away when you tried to tell me how you felt. You deserved more than that—more than I gave you—and it kills me that I hurt you because I was too scared to be honest.”

Her words tumbled out in a rush, raw and vulnerable. She took another breath, her eyes glistening as she looked at you, waiting. “Do you still…” she began, her voice quieter now, hesitant. “Do you still like me? Because if you do… I promise I’ll be better. I’ll try harder. I won’t take you for granted again.”

The question hung in the air, heavy and trembling with sincerity. You stared at her, the tight ache in your chest threatening to spill over. The vulnerability in her eyes, the way her fingers nervously twisted at her sleeve, the unsteady rise and fall of her breath—it was Lia, stripped of all pretense, offering herself to you in a way she never had before.

“I miss you,” you said, your voice thick with emotion, the words spilling out before you could stop them. “More than I can even say. And yes, Lia, I still like you. I don’t think I ever stopped.”

Her lips parted slightly, her eyes widening as relief and hope washed over her face. A small, trembling smile broke through her uncertainty, and she reached across the table, her hand brushing yours. You didn’t hesitate, your fingers curling around hers as the tension between you seemed to dissolve, replaced by a quiet, tentative warmth.

For a moment, neither of you moved, the air between you heavy but no longer with tension—this time, it was full of possibility. Lia’s fingers tightened slightly around yours, her gaze searching your face as though she was committing this moment to memory. Then, softly, she asked, “Can I… kiss you?”

Her voice was quiet, almost shy, a stark contrast to the confident Lia you had always known. You felt your breath hitch, the question catching you off guard even though you knew the answer. You nodded, unable to form words, and her lips twitched into a faint, nervous smile.

When she leaned forward, the world around you seemed to still. The noise of the café, the clinking of dishes, the hum of conversations—it all faded as her face came closer, her hand still firmly in yours. The first brush of her lips against yours was tentative, testing, but the moment they met, something shifted.

This kiss wasn’t like the others. You’d kissed Lia before—passionate, heated, messy kisses in the haze of your arrangement. But this? This was entirely different. This kiss wasn’t rushed, wasn’t fueled by lust or need. It was soft, deliberate, full of emotion you hadn’t allowed yourself to name before. It felt like kissing her for the first time, like discovering something new, something sacred.

Her lips were warm and inviting, moving against yours with a tenderness that sent shivers through you. There was no urgency, no pretense, just the quiet connection between you as the kiss deepened, your free hand instinctively reaching up to cradle her cheek. She leaned into your touch, her fingers threading lightly through your hair as she let out a soft sigh, her body relaxing into the moment.

For Lia, the kiss was no less transformative. She’d kissed you countless times before, but this—this felt like peeling away every wall she’d built, every mask she’d worn. This was the kiss she hadn’t let herself imagine, the kiss she hadn’t realized she needed until now. It wasn’t just the physical connection—it was the way your hand trembled slightly as you cupped her cheek, the way you held her like she was the most important thing in the world.

When you finally pulled back, both of you were breathless, your foreheads resting against each other as your eyes met. Her lips were parted, her cheeks flushed, her gaze full of something you couldn’t quite describe but felt deep in your chest. You could see it reflected back at you: this wasn’t just a kiss. This was everything.

“That…” Lia murmured softly, her voice trailing off as she searched for the right words, her fingers brushing against your jaw. “That felt… different.”

“Yeah,” you whispered, your voice low and raw with emotion. “It did.”

Neither of you moved to pull away, the space between you too fragile, too precious to break. For the first time, it felt like you were both on the same page, and the weight of everything that had come before fell away, leaving only the warmth of this moment.

The silence stretched again, but this time it felt less heavy, more open—like the air between you had shifted, lighter somehow. You cleared your throat, your fingers drumming lightly against the edge of the table as you searched for the right words, your heartbeat quickening with each passing second. “So, um…” you began, awkwardness thick in your voice as your eyes darted away from hers. “If you’re free later… I mean, after this—if you want, we could, I don’t know, grab dinner or something?”

Lia tilted her head slightly, her lips curving into a small, knowing smile that widened just enough to let you know she understood exactly what you were trying to say. Her cheeks flushed faintly, the color rising against her soft complexion. “Are you asking me out?” she teased lightly, her tone warm, her eyes sparkling with a mixture of amusement and curiosity.

You let out a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of your neck as you tried to play it cool. “Maybe. I mean… yeah, I guess I am.”

Her smile softened into something more genuine, more tender. “I’d like that,” she said quietly, her voice carrying just the right hint of sincerity to make your chest feel lighter. “I haven’t eaten yet.”

The relief that washed over you was palpable, and without a second thought, you stood, holding out your hand. Lia’s gaze flicked down to your outstretched fingers, hesitation flickering for only a moment before she reached out and took your hand, her fingers curling around yours in a gesture that felt at once familiar and entirely new. Her touch sent a warmth through you, steadying your nerves as the tension between you eased further.

As you walked out of the café together, her hand warm in yours, the world around you seemed to blur into insignificance. The usual noise of the city streets—honking cars, chatter from passersby—faded into the background as the two of you fell into an easy rhythm. Lia’s steps matched yours, her shoulder occasionally brushing against your arm, and every now and then, you glanced at her. Her soft smile, illuminated by the golden glow of the streetlights, carried a quiet promise that made your heart ache in the best way.

You gave her hand a gentle squeeze, testing the waters, and she looked up at you, her eyes bright with a mixture of shyness and excitement. The small action spoke louder than words, her slight squeeze in return confirming what you both already knew: this wasn’t just two friends reconnecting. This was something new, something fragile yet full of possibility.

By the time you reached the restaurant, the hesitation you’d felt earlier had all but melted away. The hum of the city was a distant backdrop as you opened the door for her, gesturing for her to enter first. She smiled, murmuring a quiet “thank you” as she stepped inside, her gaze lingering on yours for just a beat longer than necessary.

Inside, the warm, inviting glow of the restaurant felt like an extension of the moment you were sharing. As you sat down, the conversation flowed more easily, the earlier tension giving way to lighthearted laughter and comfortable silences that spoke of a connection neither of you could deny. And as you watched her, her smile radiant and her eyes sparkling across the table, you knew without a doubt: this wasn’t just a return to what you had before. This was the beginning of something real.

[peterm4rker]

CAN I MAKE IT ANY MORE OBVIOUS? ── a maeda riku smau

in which maeda riku just wanted to have a nice summer out at the skate park with his friends once again without thinking of the girl that broke his heart back at college, but he finds out shes dating the guy he has hated his entire life and will be joining his trip.

or

in which yn ln is prepared to have another boring summer at home, but is rudely interrupted by one of her brother's friends skating up to her and calling her babe with what seemed like plea in his eyes and the most stunning smile she's ever seen.

ᯓ pairing ;; skater!riku x reader

ᯓ genres ;; social media au, written parts, summer au, fake dating au, slowburn, fluff, acquaintances to fake dating to friends to lovers.

ᯓ featuring ;; xikers, itzy, le sserafim, other nct units.

ᯓ warnings ;; profanity, sexual jokes and innuendos, death jokes, alcohol use, maybe weed consumption, let me know if there's more!

ᯓ status ;; ongoing!

ᯓ updates ;; new chapters on mondays (inconsistently im sorry) !!

ᯓ taglist ;; open!

ᯓ authors note ;; once again here advocating against the insane lack of content for certain ppl in this app! my goal is to have at least one for each nct unit before i move on to other groups, and who better than riku to make that happen! this is dedicated to the loml @lyvhie btw. also, if i forgot to add someone to the tl OR you want to be added for the profiles coming out next monday let me know under this post!

ᯓ please do not copy, adapt or steal any of the content !!!

ᯓ reblogs and comments are much appreciated !!!

ᯓ taglist ;; @spacejip @dudekiss3r @neozon3nha @winwintea @lyvhie @yizhrt @sibwol @kkukkurookkoo @jeonghansshitester @flaminghotyourmom @synthwxve @haechology @taroddori @jaelvr @mae3xoxo @morkiee

outfit repeaters || brochachos

zero. MY babies

one. we're out.

two. the creature feature

three. almost normal (written)

four. FUCK YEAHHH

five. new gf kinda nervous🤭

six. soft launch😋

seven. get used to it!

eight. its friday🐶👅

nine. cough.

ten. half bad (written)

eleven. he exploded

twelve. pinky promise

thirteen. On Our Way!

© peterm4rker, 2025

[lcvclywon]

─── ⋆ HE WAS A JOCK, AND SHE DID BALLET

back to masterlist

playlist

where...

Jake sim was a loser. Frat boy persona and charismatic antics aside, the moment Jake was alone with a girl he would freeze. Which explains his track record of having only slept with one girl all throughout college. That was until, you came in: Decelis' top ballerina and prized possession. Following a drunken one night stand and some (shitty) advice from his friends, Jake hopes you could help him out.

pairing ── jake x female reader

genre ── strangers to lovers, fwb (no smut tho!), college au, obvious x oblivious, denied feelings, veryyy lengthy fic

wc ── 16.6k

featuring ── jay, heeseung and sunghoon of enhypen, kazuha and yunjin of lesserafim, yuna and ryujin of itzy, seunghan of riize, soobin of txt, karina and winter of aespa, jisung and hyunjin of stray kids

warnings ── mentions of sex and hooking up, implied sex, suggestive at some parts, cursing, mentions of underage drinking, mentions of family issues, yn is kinda mean and bitchy (i tried to base her off of jo yi seo so!), mentions of crying and breaking down, mentions of blood and periods, kms jokes used, mentions of food, mentions of kissing, use of the word whore once i think, jake and yn arguing a lot

DISCLAIMERS! i'm not trying to sexualize jake nor any other idols, this is a work of fiction

Beep beep beep!

Groggily you startled open rubbing your eyes trying to locate where the hell that blaring alarm sound was coming from. Finally finding the small slim black clock atop the nightstand you muttered a string of curses below your breath, slamming your hand down on it putting a stop to the shrieking rings. You immediately closed your eyes and attempted to lull yourself back to sleep pulling your black comforter over your head, arm grabbing for the pillow beneath you then- wait, you don’t own black comforters? 

Neither did you own a black alarm clock (not to be rude but who the hell even owned alarm clocks in this day and age?). Slowly you realised, you didn’t own any of this…fuck. 

Looking around trying to collect your thoughts you scanned the room to try and get a clue of which dude your drunken self managed to have a one-night stand with this time. Noticing a sleek leather wallet on the nightstand next to the alarm clock, you immediately grabbed it trying to see if there was a student ID, driver's licence, hell anything. Imagine your surprise when the first thing you saw was none other than a Decelis student ID laminated and shining with the name Jake Sim printed on it. Oh shit.

You muttered strings of curses under your breath, did you seriously have a one-night stand with Jake Sim? The proclaimed loser of the Decelis Soccer Frat? The same dude who had the reputation of trying (and failing) to let alone hold a proper conversation with the girl's gymnastic team? That Jake Sim? You scoffed under your breath, god you couldn’t believe this. Fuck you seriously needed to get a hold of your drinking problem. 

“Oh, you’re up” oh great. You were too busy trying to figure out how you got yourself into this problem that you failed to notice that said problem was standing there leaning against the bathroom door frame right in front of you. 

Whipping your head up you were greeted with the sight of Jake Sim, toothbrush in mouth, dishevelled mess, awkwardly smiling right at you. “Uh, Hi Jake.” you looked around awkwardly trying not to stare at him since he was practically half naked “Could you um, put on a shirt?” 

“Yeah, you’re kinda wearing it though…” 

You glanced down to see that you were indeed wearing his shirt, the large oversized plain black tee was so big it hung over you like a dress. 

“Right.” you said in an exasperated sigh walking past Jake into the bathroom with your clothes in hand to change

“Uh do you want breakfast? Tylenol? Are you hungover?” He was only met with the door shut in his face. 

“Yeah uh” you called out, muffled and in between grunts trying to change into your clothes as fast as possible, “No, not really! I kinda, you know, have to get back to my dorm.” 

“Oh yeah totally,” Jake replied awkwardly fuck how do you even talk to someone you just had a one-night stand with? Jesus, how did Heeseung do this shit. “Here.” you said opening the door to hand him his shirt. 

“Ah, thanks” Jake said quietly as he draped the shirt over his body. He stood there still brushing his teeth as he watched you pack your things up, shooting your head back to ask “Are the other guys still here?” 

“Nah, they all left to practise earlier” he replied watching you let out a slightly relieved sigh as you stood in front of his mirror tying your hair into a loose ponytail and touching up your makeup slightly “So…” he attempted to start before being cut off by you.

“Yeah um, thanks for whatever last night was Jake. Can’t really remember most of it, I’m sure it was good,” briskly lacing up your shoes you mentally cursed yourself for deciding to wear docs last night, “but maybe let’s not bring this up like, ever.” Finishing off with a tight knot and immediately pouncing up to only be met with Jake’s lost eyes and mouth slightly agape.

“Anyways! I really need to get going now so I’ll see you around ‘kay?” You walked backwards until your hand reached the door handle and turned it. The moment you stepped out you practically ran down the steps, cheeks and ears red, still muttering curses quietly, and regretting all the decisions you made last night. 

And there Jake Sim stood, hopeless as ever, watching the second woman he’d ever had a one-night stand with leave running. Fun. 

Not to be full of yourself but you kinda had a reputation in Decelis, top ballerina, rich mother, the whole shebang. 

And well Jake on the other hand,

Me 

I think I just slept with Jake Sim

Kazuha Nakamura

EXCUSE ME 

Me

Yeah hahaha.. LISTEN I WAS DRUNK IDEK WHY I DID IT

Kazuha Nakamura 

SOCCER PLAYER JAKE SIM? THE FRAT BOY JAKE SIM? THE APPOINTED LOSER OF DECELIS SOCCER TEAM? ARE WE THINKING ABOUT THE SAME JAKE SIM HERE.

Me 

STOP YES THAT JAKE SIM. I KNOW i’m gonna kms 

Kazuha Nakamura 

Okay but was it good at least?

You paused, well it was good, but you shook your head remembering who you were talking about here. I mean it’s not like you and Jake were complete strangers, you went to high school with him, so yeah you knew Jake. But imagine the whiplash you got entering college realising you now attended the same school as Jake Sim the scrawny physics nerd, except now he was Jake Sim, star soccer player who grew up and gained some charisma. However, all you could see was teenage prepubescent Jake who used to rant about Einstein’s law of relativity. 

Yeah, not happening, you thought to yourself closing your phone as you headed into practise desperately hoping to drown out your memories of this morning with endless classical music and exercises. 

Jake however, was still sprawled out on his bed even though it had been hours since you left. Face buried into one of his hands while the other scrolled through your Instagram profile, occasionally letting out annoyed sighs before groaning into his hand. How the hell did he even manage to screw this up.

“Jake, get up. I’m starting to actually feel bad for you” Jay let out at the sight of his friend curled up in agony, watching him with a mixture of sympathy and disappointment painted on his face.

“Dude you don’t get it, she RAN.” Jake cried out loudly sinking even deeper into his bed 

“Okay, I’m sure it wasn’t that bad. Maybe she just was startled, and like seriously you couldn’t have been that horri-”

“The one-night stand isn't the problem, the problem is that it was YN!” 

From what Jake could remember you, L/N Y/N, were basically untouchable in high school. I mean head of the dance club, straight A student, and not to mention you were one of the prettier girls that attended school with him; you were practically on a pedestal. The one chance he had to interact with you when he was 1. Not drunk 2. Not surrounded by his friends giving him an extra boost of confidence, he blew it. 

“Okay, so it was YN? So what man, I think you’re overthinking this” Sunghoon chimed in from the back 

“Hey I mean, I think you’re judging the situation way too early dude. If I were you I would see this as an opportunity!” Heeseung declared as he pranced into Jake's room

Briefly looking up from his phone, Jake shot Heeseung a judgemental glare before asking with a scoff “Okay well, since you’re the self-proclaimed expert here, mind letting me in on what you mean by ‘opportunity’”

“Okay listen,” Heeseung said while sitting on the edge of Jake’s bed “Here's what you’re gonna do: you’re gonna go up to her, start small talk, then you’re gonna ask her if you guys wanna do something casual-”

“Are you seriously suggesting I ask a girl to be friends with benefits after she RAN out on me” Jake screeched throwing his pillow at Heeseung (who thankfully caught it) 

“Hey let me finish!” He replied tucking the pillow under his arms “Yeah ask for something casual, and if she was so embarrassed and humiliated as you claim she’d reject you outright, but if not you get a casual fling with a cool girl. What’s not to love?” 

“Maybe the part where this whole thing is stupid, ” Jake grumbled, adjusting himself to sit upright to face Heeseung “, and why would I listen to you exactly?”

“Because a) as you said I am the expert,” Heeseung said before tossing the pillow under his arms back at Jake “and b) you genuinely need to gain some experience talking to girls. And this gives: you said experience, no strings attached!”

Jake leaned back on his headboard sighing to look up at the ceiling. God this was stupid, Heeseung seriously just wanted to make a fool out of him. How much experience did Jake seriously need, couldn’t he do that without this whole thing? I mean he had plenty of other girls to talk to right? Well…wrong. I mean, you couldn’t be that embarrassed, could you? What other chances did he have, hell this was the second person he’d ever slept with since entering college (an astounding fact even to Jake). Was it worth a shot? 

“Fine.” Jake replied with a sigh. Fuck he was really doing this.

Closing the door behind you, your hands fiddled through your bag trying to find your pastel pink airpods, ready to blast music in your ears after a long chemistry exam. Putting them on, finger hovering over the play button, you were suddenly interrupted by a small tap on your shoulder. Turning around to see the one person you were trying to avoid all week, Jake fucking Sim.

“Oh Jake, I didn’t know you took chem?” 

“Yeah, I didn’t, well last year I didn’t…but I had to bump up my GPA a bit so I thought chem would be easy enough. But it’s,” Jake replied looking up and recalling the questions of that harrowing exam he just took “Yeah it’s ass.”

You let out a slight chuckle, well he’s funny at least. “Yeah, that test was not my best work…”  

Jake grinned at your comment, speeding up a bit to match your pace. “Hey wanna go grab some coffee?” His words laced with nervousness “I’ll pay! Well, I was the one who suggested it so I really should be paying, shouldn’t I… Anyway, my treat.”

And that’s how you found yourself seated across from Jake sipping an iced americano, legs crossed, looking around awkwardly, in dead silence. 

Jake had tried to start some small talk but was met with nothing but concise and quick answers from you. Fuck you Lee Heeseung, he mentally cursed. “So..” he awkwardly started “How was your weekend?” 

“I think you know how my weekend went Jake” you said in between sips 

“Oh, right.” Jake said remembering how it was just this Sunday when you booked it out of his apartment. “Uh about that-”

He could barely finish his sentence before you rushed to reply “I thought we weren’t going to bring that up”

“Yeah but-” 

“Listen, Jake” you let out with a sigh, placing your drink down on the table in front of you “You’re like, a nice guy and all. But I just really really can’t do relationships right now, like I’ve got a lot going on with ballet- seriously my mom is on my fucking ass about recitals…”

You realised you were rambling and looked down after briefly pausing “Anyway, you’re seriously great. I’m just not looking for anything serious right now an-”

“Me neither” Jake cut in nonchalantly while nodding diplomatically and taking a sip of his drink

“Yeah, an- wait what?”

“I mean, I’m not looking for anything at the moment either. That night was nice, I had fun” Jake explained while fiddling with the paper wrapper of his straw “And if you haven’t noticed I kinda don’t have a lot going on with me right now” 

You took a moment to register what he just said before deadpanning “Are you trying to use me for sex.” 

“What no!” Jake exclaimed a bit louder than he realised, making a few heads turn “Um, no I’m not. Seriously. I’m not a douche, I’m just…I don’t know how to really- talk. To women at least… I was hoping, well I was told, having casual hookups would fix that. Like, exposure therapy, I guess?” 

This man seriously did not just describe hooking up with you as exposure therapy. 

“You can totally decline! I was just suggesting it because a friend told me to, oh wait fuck you didn’t want anyone to know. Sorry, Jay, Heeseung, and Sunghoon know…I seriously didn’t mean to tell them it just slipped out and- yeah sorry. Uh well, Heeseung suggested it so…” Jake rambled on with his hand absently reaching for the nape of his neck, only to be met with your blank expression, mouth slightly agape, and iced americano in hand. God your face was practically a human adaptation of the Windows error screen. 

“Ummm” you trailed off playing around with the straw in your drink. Well nobody’s ever asked you to be friends with benefits, so your brain was admittedly still buffering. “Don’t you think it’s a little…weird? I mean we’ve known each other since high school, like granted we didn’t talk but- yeah you know? And like I’ve just, never done this before. Like ever.” 

“I mean I haven’t either,” Jake paused to put down his drink “Worth a shot though right?” 

Jesus Christ were you seriously going to be friends with benefits with the physics nerd? You mentally weighed out the pros and cons of his little proposal. It wasn’t like the last time was bad or anything, you just couldn't shake off the image of sixteen-year-old him at the back of the physics classroom playing with the Newton’s cradle while your teacher lectured on about waves. Recalling this you looked up at Jake sitting in front of you right now, he still had the same face but his features matured, his body was more built (probably all the training) and you couldn’t deny that even with him nervously picking at his fingernails…he definitely did grow up well. 

“I’ll-” you said with a slight sigh “I’ll get back to you on it Jake.”

“You’ll get back to him on it?! What is this a corporate meeting?” Your roommate Zuha said in between handfuls of chips.

Eyes shifting to the side to snap a dirty glare at her, you sighed in frustration before joining her atop your lofted bed. Kazuha and you were complete opposites: she was arguably way more bold than you and had an impressive list of friends spanning across the three different universities that neighboured Decelis. To be honest meeting her when you were six at ballet lessons might have been the sole reason you were able to get through university with a thankfully active social life. Truly you didn’t think your bond over Ever After High dolls would take you so far; but there you were in your second year of university, lounged across your mattress while she berated you for your lacking conversational skills.

“Hey! I was trying to be polite for your information,” you defended whilst burying your head into your pillows 

“I mean why not?” Zuha asked with indifference 

“Oh I don’t know, maybe because we went to high school together, he was and still is a huge dork, and he’s Jake Sim. Yeah just a thought.” you snapped back while digging your hands deeper into Kazuha’s bag of chips

“Well to me those all sound like pros.” she had reached in to grab a fistful of chips before munching on them between sentences, “Plus what’s the big deal, you hooked up once why can’t you do it again” she asked, tugging away the bag from you as it reached near emptiness. 

God you wished it was that easy. You sometimes envied how little she thought of things. 

“Yeah, I guess…” your hands reach for the ends of your hair, twisting them around your fingertips. “Okay but how do I even get back to him on it?” 

“Yeah well your first mistake was responding with that, but like just text him? We’re not living in the fucking 19th century, sms exists.”

“Yeah okay, am I just supposed to send ‘Hi Jake! So after much consideration, I am now getting back to you on it! And yes I would totally love casually fucking you xoxo yn!!’” you replied sarcastically 

“Okay, you know that’s not what I mean. If you’ve got the general premise down, just send it. Not like you’re opposed to it so…” Zuha said handing you your phone with her Calbee chip dust-covered fingers. 

Taking the phone and wiping the grime off, you opened your chat with Jake. Typing and retyping over and over again trying to form the perfect message your finger hovered over the send button while you battled your internal warfare. 

Too immersed in the constant back and forth fogging your mind you failed to stop Zuha from taking the phone from your grasp and sending the message for you.

“KAZUHA NAKAMURA. UNSEND THAT SHIT RIGHT NOW” you frantically cried out ripping the phone from her hands, you scrambled for the unsend button but were disappointingly greeted with a notification at the top of your screen. 

Jake Sim (Hookup)

Cool! So this Friday?

What the hell did you just get yourself into

Sure enough, Friday came and you found yourself stretched across Jake Sim’s bed dressed in one of his oversized shirts. God, you didn’t think you would be here again. Mindlessly scrolling through Instagram while Jake pulled a grey hoodie over his body before adjusting himself next to you, subtly inviting you to lay your head on his shoulder. (Obviously, you didn’t get the hint)

Putting down your phone to the side, your hands reached to fidget with the seams of his sleeves. 

“Do you-” you were cut off by the embarrassingly loud rumble of your stomach.

“Oh, are you hungry?” Jake glanced down, eyes widened and head slightly cocked to the left. 

“Um, kinda..” you responded, god wasn’t he supposed to be the awkward one. 

“Do you want some ramen?” He said propping himself a bit more before mentally cussing at himself realising the implication of his words “I mean, not in like- that way. Well I guess kinda in that way, we did just-”

“Ramen sounds great!” you quickly cut in before he could finish his sentence, ripping the comforters off your bodies already heading towards the door. 

To your surprise, Jake Sim was a pretty good cook. Well, that was a bit of an exaggeration considering it was just Chapaguri and steak, but hell was that one good bowl of Chapaguri. Spooning the noodles into your mouth, Jake placed a cut of steak onto your plate. Weird. That was, thoughtful. Probably a force of habit you reasoned to yourself. 

“So um can I ask,” you paused to wipe your mouth “Am I seriously the only other girl you’ve slept with, or is you sleeping with only 1 person before me just a rumour?”

Jake’s arm stretched towards the nape of his neck while the other placed another piece of steak onto your plate before answering. “Uh, I mean in college, yeah. I haven’t had much luck seeing too many people. Kinda the reason you’re here” 

“Well I guess that’s not too surprising” 

“Oh yeah?” Jake asked tauntingly leaning back into his chair “What’s that supposed to mean hm?”

“I’m just saying I’m not surprised that the dude who spent his free periods researching Quantum mechanics can’t pull.” you teased back with a sly smile 

“Uh-huh,” he replied putting another piece of food onto your plate “Well I’ll have you know I managed to hook up with at least like- 2 people in high school” 

“Yeah and I don’t do ballet.” you came back snarkily 

“Hey! I can even list them for you if you don’t believe me.” Jake chuckled slightly while adjusting the collar of his hoodie

“Yeah, and I bet it was real hard remembering that list of 2 people” Laughing in response Jake reached for a can of coke before opening it and placing it in front of you.

Again, weird. As you got talking you realised Jake Sim maybe wasn’t as awkward or dorkish as everyone claimed him to be. Okay well partly your fault for believing assumptions and jumping to conclusions, but after the initial nerves wore down he was pretty chill. Which led you to wonder, “Hey why don’t you talk to girls? I mean you’re pretty much a natural at this.” 

“Oh.” Jake replied a bit flattered, “Well, I don’t think I’m a natural, like when I tried to talk with Minyoung after we hooked up it was a mess.” hands now fiddling with the skin at his fingertips, “I guess with you it’s sorta, comfortable?” 

Your actions came to an instant halt, comfortable? You shook it off thinking it was because you guys knew each other beforehand, yeah definitely that. 

“So you did manage to get with one of the gymnastic girls.” you said trying to divert the topic

“Well not really, she kinda ghosted me after that..” Jake answered looking down at the marble countertop

“Why?” 

“Well as you said, I can’t really pull” you giggled in response while still forking down mouthfuls of chapaguri 

“Hey, don’t laugh with your mouth full.” Jake scolded before taking his thumb to wipe the corner of your mouth, an action you once again brushed off to be a force of habit. Still, you couldn’t deny, if you actually did like Jake in that way you would’ve folded instantly.

He smiled slightly and ruffled your hair before taking your empty bowl and beginning to wash it, weird.

Hooking up with Jake became more natural and common as time went on, it somewhat integrated itself into your routine:

Hook up, go eat, then go about your separate ways. 

Over time you got to know Jake more and more, past his initially dorky interests you learned a few things about him: 

He was a huge dog lover - similarly to you - and had a golden retriever named Layla 

He was surprisingly funny, if he got comfortable with you at least 

Despite being awkward as fuck, he was way more extroverted than you. He just needed to be around one of his friends for that to shine through.

He wasn’t called a star soccer player for nothing, you’d initially never expected scraggly little Jake Sim to win so many medals and trophies in high school. No wonder he got in with a scholarship.

It wasn’t like Jake told you these things outwardly, but you never failed to catch onto how his eyes had a slight glimmer within them when describing his ‘best friend’ who you later found out to be his childhood pet. Or how whenever there was a short silence between you two he took it as an opportunity to crack a small joke. And you knew on a surface level that Jake was a pretty friendly guy, but you just never realised how long his social battery truly lasted; that man had a motor mouth. The soccer thing however was something you always had a slight clue about, in high school most of his lunch breaks and evenings after school would be spent in the field with Jay, Heeseung, and Sunghoon. Back then you assumed he didn’t have anything better to do, so the numerous medals that spanned across the walls of his room were a bit of a shock to you. 

But it’s not like you cared about Jake like that, you were just…observant. 

Jake was nice, it was fun being his friend but you didn’t go out of your way to try and hang out with Jake in real life. Really, it’s not like you guys were close like that. Neither of you bothered to try and cross that boundary, that was until today at least.

“Hey.” Jake said, smiling as he sat down in front of you. Your eyes faltered from their usual unbothered gaze, your pupils dilating a bit in shock. Hell, there are around 200 other seats in the athlete’s dining hall, yet he had to sit in front of you.

Maybe your pastel pink Lululemon jacket was the drawing point, probably so bright it made you the first person he noticed making him sit with you out of convenience, at least you would like to tell yourself that. “Oh, hi Jake. Uh- don’t you have practice? I mean usually I never see you at the dining hall when I come to eat” You slowly realised how stalker-ish that sounded “not like. I’m tracking your schedule or anything like that. don’t get the wrong idea”

Jake let out a breathy laugh in hopes of breaking the awkward tension surrounding the table (he remained unsuccessful) “Yeah, uh practice got cancelled. So I’m here earlier than expected.”

“Cool cool” you let out nonchalantly. And there you were back to square one, the same awkward tension overwhelming the atmosphere. God how could you be this awkward with a guy you basically had a bi-weekly fuck schedule with. “So uh, you going to Soobin’s party this weekend? the whole soccer team is gonna be there, including me” he said the last part in almost a whisper.

“Oh uh, I haven’t really thought about it. Kazuha is going, so I’ll probably go with” You replied still staring down at your measly plate of japchae, barely touched. “Uh I think I should go study-” you frantically said in an exasperated sigh in hopes to remove herself from any more unwanted conversation starters you would have to pull out of her ass.

“But you haven’t even touched your food?” Jake said clearly not getting the hint. But also he was genuinely worried, I mean yeah typically soccer players and ballerinas' diets are obviously different with their portion sizes, but he still took health very seriously. “I’m not that hungry anyway.” you said slowly getting up to leave

“Wait, do you do this often? skip meals?” Jake asked, his eyes glazed over with a concerned expression, one you hadn’t seen before.

“Oh I mean, most times it's not intentional, I get busy with practice”

“Hold on” Jake muttered before getting up and heading outside. Leaving you haphazardly standing up holding your plate of food. You sat down again poking at the unfinished scraps of carrots, “This man cannot take a hint” you muttered. 

Jake then returned pocky and Pocari sweat in hand. “Uh here, it’s good for electrolytes” he said while handing you the bottle “Oh and, eat this after practice or something, you need carbs and sugar”. Slightly taken aback you slowly took both items in hand, a slight warmth forming in the pits of your stomach. “oh you didn’t really have to-”

“I wanted to.” Jake replied cutting you off, suddenly embarrassed at his boldness he absently reached to the nape of his neck (a habit you noticed he did when he was flustered) “Uh anyways, I’ve gotta go to office hours now. But try not to skip meals, it’s not that good for you, you’re an athlete so..” he trailed off mumbling the last bits to himself, all while looking down to the floor. The weird tension in the air was still there but, somehow it was a little more bearable, well for you at least. “Thanks, uh I’ll pay you back-”

“Don’t bother!” he scrambled to say shooting his head up, pushing your approaching hand back. Fuck that reply was way too quick. “Uh, it’s on me! Don’t worry about it really.” slowly backing away he failed to notice how his legs seemed to trample over each other almost knocking himself down. He (thankfully) regained his balance “Bye YN!”

Blinking in what you think is a mixture of disbelief, amusement, and confusion you managed to mutter out a small “Thank you”

Safe to say that interaction left you both pretty embarrassed.

Most times you went to Jake's house it usually ended in lighthearted conversations over a plate of food. However, some nights were just spent as the two of you lay in his bed looking up at his ceiling talking about everything and anything; these were the nights you found yourself enjoying the most. Tonight luckily happened to be one of them. 

“Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask,” Jake said before settling down next to you “Have you seriously never had a friend with benefits before?” 

“Hm? Why do you ask?” you said before moving to lay between Jake’s legs, head resting upon his thigh. 

“Ah you know, Just curious” He replied looking down at you with a slight smile. Did his eyes always look that pretty?

“No actually, I wasn’t really one for keeping a casual relationship with one person for a long time. I got bored too quickly, not that I’m bored of you. I did have a lot of hookups though, those were a bit more fun” you replied; a small smile formed across your face while recalling nostalgic high school memories. 

“That’s interesting…” you noticed a slight hesitation lingering in his words. 

“Why d’you sound so confused huh” Gently nudging his thigh you laughed. 

“Nothing nothing! I just, you know, didn’t really expect that from you. I don’t know in high school you were kinda- perfect? Like the captain of the dance team, student council secretary, and straight-A student; not to mention you were practically already on the road to Decelis with a scholarship. I didn’t really expect you to…”

“What, be a whore?” you butted in jokingly 

Jake’s hand reached out to run through your hair, grinning softly before responding “You know that’s not what I meant.” 

Chuckling in response your hands reached to fiddle with the ends of your hair. “Kidding, I get what you mean though. I - well my mom - tried hard to keep up the good girl act. But I was a teenager with the whole house to myself and a huge lack of self-discipline so…yeah”

“Was your mom never really there or…” Jake asked looping your hair around his fingers, shit was that too invasive?

Thankfully you responded whilst twiddling with the hem of your (well his) t-shirt. “Uh, no not really, I guess. Well, she was there, but just always working” Jesus why were you telling him this shit, not like you wanted to it was all just kinda- spilling out. “I mean I don’t hold it against her, it’s literally the reason I got to do ballet and attend this school in the first place”

“But?” Jake asked expectantly. Fuck why was he asking you this shit? Did he seriously think trauma dumping would fill the void of intimacy you two shared? 

“No I mean there isn’t really a but- well there kinda is. I don't know, it gets kinda lonely…only child and all. But I know she did it all for my own good, she knows what's best for me” the last part coming out a bit strained, “I just was kinda on my own for a while I guess… that’s probably why she signed me up for ballet classes when I was younger”

“Oh, she was the one who signed you up?”

“Yeah, she was, actually!” voice slightly perking up as you recalled fond memories of six year old you lacing up your first ballet flats, “When I was younger I loved dancing so ballet kinda came naturally to me I guess, but yeah ballet was really fun” 

“Was?” Jake inquired curiously, his head tilting down to meet his glossy eyes with yours. 

“Oh well, I guess it is still kinda fun- but like as I got better at it there seemed to be more expectations from people. It gets kinda stressful you know” you replied with a slight chuckle, hands picking at the skin on your fingers. “It’s partly my fault for not wanting to practise so much anymore, but sometimes it's hard not to notice every little mistake I make when dancing.”

“Well,” Jake began before taking your hand in his and lacing your fingers together “, I think you’re doing just fine. Trust me I’ve never seen a better dancer than you, like you’re seriously amazing”

You giggled slightly while staring at his hand intertwined with yours. Funny, you didn’t think he’d notice that.

“You sure you’re not lying about the whole bitchless thing? Because this,” you said while gesturing to his hand holding yours “, totally not bitchless behaviour” 

“Hey, I never said I was bitchless! Just no girlfriend you know.” Jake laughed nervously , becoming all too aware of his actions. He slowly lets go of your hand. A slight blush formed across his face before he cleared his throat to ask “So what about you, no boyfriend?” 

“Well, I did have one or two. But as I said, I get bored easily” you answered, still twiddling the hem of your shirt “I dumped both of them, not like there was anything wrong with the relationship- I just kinda have this bad habit of running from things when I notice something just slightly goes wrong. Yeah, it’s stupid really I don’t know why I do it.” Trailing off you slowly became aware that you were crossing the imaginary line you established between you and Jake. Wait, what the fuck were you saying? Why were you telling him this? You didn’t tell anyone this shit. No way Jake Sim, the dude who you were casually hooking up with, was going to be the first person you let in on your issues. Nah, not happening. 

“Um anyway! Maybe I should get going now, you have practice anyways.” you sighed, frantically getting up and grabbing your clothes. 

“Oh uh, yeah sure…” Jake said slightly startled, his hand reaching for the back of his neck and scratching it while he tried to look the other way as you changed in front of him (not like his head was in between your thighs a few seconds ago)

He walked you out to the doorway of his apartment, keeping a somewhat awkward distance between you guys as he waved while watching you walk out. 

“Bye!” he called out delayed, giving you a slight jump. 

“Oh, bye!” you said awkwardly facing him, immediately turning back around to  speed walk down the hallway.

For some reason even though you had already left he couldn’t get rid of this slight buzz in his stomach, his heart racing ever so slightly while he felt his cheeks heat up. Fuck I’m an idiot, Jake sighed to himself.

“What do you think? Too much?” you asked Kazuha whilst standing in front of her to show off your outfit. You were trying to dress out of your comfort zone by switching up your usual white tank and low-waisted jeans combo to a black tube top paired with a leather miniskirt. 

“You look the same YN.” your roommate replied stoically “And what are you so nervous for anyways? What, is it because Jake is picking you up?” she added between snickers. 

“What no!” you rushed to respond “And might I remind you that the only reason he’s picking me up is because you ditched on me last minute.” 

“Heyyy, I told you I was sorry! But Yunjin won’t be in Korea for much longer and I promised to have a sleepover with her before she leaves!” Kazuha whined in a pout “Promise, next time I get invited to a party you’re number 1 on my waitlist. I swear” 

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure I’m the only one on that waitlist right now.” you muttered before reaching for your phone after noticing a notification popping up on your screen. 

Jake Sim (Hookup)

Hey I’m waiting outside btw! Also, I brought a jacket just in case you were cold but I realised you might bring your own so uh

Jake Sim (Hookup)

don’t bring a jacket lmao

You smiled to yourself slightly after reading that, to which your roommate seemed to catch.

“Oh lover boy here already hm?” she teased in a playful tone. “Ew god don’t call him that.” you deadpanned before heading out the door. 

Now in all honesty you were perfectly fine with going to the party yourself, Soobin’s apartment happened to be a 15-minute walk away from campus and it’s not like the area was relatively unsafe. However, Jake insisted that he pick you up and drop you off, saying something along the lines of it weighing down on his conscience. You can’t say you weren’t thankful to see him jacket in hand and waiting for you in front of the doors to your dorm after you were unpleasantly greeted by the bitter wind blowing in your face. Totally just grateful for the jacket, no other reason. 

The walk there was filled with the usual lighthearted jokes and updates on your days, nothing new. You grew to truly enjoy these moments with just you and him, it somewhat felt like it was just the two of you and time stopped. It was nice, you never had someone to listen to you the way he did. However, the peaceful moment shared between you two vanished the minute you stepped into Soobin’s apartment. For a while you forgot that Jake Sim, though being called a dork by half the campus, was still a frat boy and admittedly pretty popular. So imagine the whiplash you got when he was immediately dragged away by Jay, Yuna, and Soobin before he could even say goodbye to you. Not like you cared though, you had plenty of other friends.

A couple of hours had passed and the ‘other friends’ in question seemed to disappear one by one as the night went on. Which is how you winded up in Soobin’s living room on the couch, beer in hand whilst scrolling through TikTok. That was before you heard someone clear their throat. Looking up you were met with Lee Heeseung standing in front of you, head cocked slightly to the side. 

“Hey YN, mind if I sit?” he didn’t really wait for your response before plopping himself right next to you.

“Oh, hey Heeseung” you muttered, eyes not leaving your phone. You had talked to Heeseung a couple of times before when you went to meet up with Jake, but you wouldn’t really consider yourself besties with the guy who was the sole reason Jake had even offered to hook up with you. 

“What’s up, are you bored? I assume you didn’t come here to scroll TikTok alone.” He joked with a quick chuckle. 

“Yeah well I would leave but Jake insisted on taking me back home so it feels kinda rude to leave without him. And he’s obviously very,” you shot your head up to glare at the sight of Jake chatting it up with Jay, Yuna, and Ryujin. What happened to the whole ‘bad at talking to girls’ thing now huh? You scoffed before completing your sentence with a grimace “Preoccupied.”

Heeseung seemed to catch onto your change of tone as the next thing he said was, “Don’t worry Jake’s normally just chatty like this when he’s got one of us around, he really really can’t talk to girls otherwise. Well, obviously not you though, actually he can’t shut up about you.” 

Your head perked up at Heeseung's comment “What do you mean?” 

“I mean, the guy can’t stop talking about you even when you’re gone. Like telling us about how cool your recitals looked, your favourite foods, what you guys did that day, hell he brings you into practically anything it’s kinda annoying. ‘Oh YN loves that drink’ ‘Oh can you buy one for YN too?’ ‘Hey, this is YN’s favourite song!’ ‘Hey don’t touch that, it's for YN’” Heeseung said in a mocking tone, his hands coming up to mimic small puppets pretending to be Jake.

“Really? You’re probably exaggerating, me and Jake aren’t even that close.” you commented

“Trust me YN, you don’t live with that guy. I feel like I’m even in on your whole friends-with-benefits situation by how much I know about you. Seriously I think he's obsessed-” 

“What’cha guys talking about!” you were too engrossed in your conversation you hadn’t noticed that Jake had left Jay and his friends to come join you. 

You shot a glare at him before tilting your head down at your drink “Oh you know, just keeping myself entertained” you replied before whipping your head up “Since you were obviously, pretty busy.”

Before Jake could defend himself, Soobin drunkenly called out from the kitchen “Hey guys! Who wants to play spin the bottle!” his words slurred as he held up an empty beer can. 

Great, drunk college students and spin the bottle, what could go wrong? 

Hesitantly you and Jake made your way to the circle formed on the floor sitting across from each other while everyone else gathered in.

“Okay, so the rules are: you kiss or you drink. Three shots worth of soju may I mention! Who wants to go first?” Soobin asked gesturing to the bottle

“Oooh me me me!” Yuna replied eagerly before placing the bottle down and spinning it, landing on Jisung. One after the other everyone took turns spinning the bottle whilst the rest of the crowd let out shouts and claps of encouragement. You frankly thought this whole thing was stupid. I mean, spin the bottle? What was this a cheesy highschool movie? The bottle eventually reached Karina, she took it in hand and spun it vigorously.

Karina, god how could you even begin to describe Karina? Yoo Karina was top of her class in rhythmic gymnastics, led the student body org, and not to mention was absolutely drop. dead. gorgeous. You concluded in your mind that anyone who got to kiss that woman would be the luckiest person on earth, but that was before the bottle landed on Jake. 

“Well pucker up loser” Karina said before moving towards Jake to grab his face and press her lips onto his. You tried to cheer and clap with the rest of the group but you couldn’t ignore the dreadful feeling of your heart dropping to the floor. Pulling away from Karina, you couldn’t brush off how Jake’s eyes immediately came into contact with yours causing your pupils to dilate slightly before you shot your head down to the ground. 

Why the hell did you even care this much, wake up YN! It’s Jake, so he kissed another girl, who cares? You guys aren’t even exclusive, pull yourself together! You quickly shook off the awful feeling in the pit of your stomach and joined in with the others chanting “Spin, spin, spin!” as Jake whirled the bottle around with a quick flick of the wrist.

The bottle seemed to spin in slow motion before coming to a reaching its delayed halt and pointing directly at you. Oh fuck. 

You braced yourself for the awkward aftermath of the kiss you were bound to face later tonight, god how were you even supposed to face Jake after this? I mean yeah you guys had sex, but you would argue kissing is far more intimate. Your gaze lingered on jake and you watched how his eyes widened in anticipation, his hand again reaching to the nape of his neck absently while the other grabbed the red solo cup and-

Wait what, Jake was taking the drink?

Let it be known that Jake Sim had an infamous reputation of never drinking at parties, for a while people thought he was heavily religious; until it was revealed by sunghoon that in highschool Jake was unexpectedly a huge party animal and no one could possibly keep him away from a beer. Getting into college, he apparently tried to drop the heavy drinking and decided to take his athlete career more seriously. If you were to take Jake's drink at a party you would find either 1 of 3 things: coke zero, a mixture of random fruit juices from a punch bowl that 80% of the party did not touch, or kombucha (surprising to say the least). Yet there he was, drinking about 3 shots worth of soju all in one go. All to avoid kissing you. great.

A pit formed in your stomach as the loud chants seemed to die down, somehow this made you feel like the world's biggest loser. Was kissing you that bad? Hell he was in between your thighs half the time but he would rather drink than kiss you? Why didn’t he kiss you? Why did you want him to kiss you?

Jake let out a slight groan after downing the drink whole, the circle erupted into laughs and whoas but he could only focus on the one person who hadn’t said anything, the one person who was staring straight at him in what Jake could only assume was a mixture of disbelief and anger. Fuck, this totally did not go to plan. Why was she mad? I mean you didn’t say you were mad, but the look in your eyes somewhat gave it away. Jake thought the last thing you wanted to do was kiss him, I mean this whole time you would preach about how you guys were strictly casual and how you wanted nothing to do with him romantically. Jake thought he would save you the trouble, and partly save himself from the prolonged silences on the walk back to your dorm. It’s not like he didn’t benefit from this too I mean, Jake totally could go without kissing you. It’s not like it was a piece of intimacy your “relationship” lacked, not like it was the one thing he’d been longing for. Yep, totally not. 

You broke the gaze abruptly when you soon realised how long you’d been staring. Fuck did he notice? He definitely did. Your eyes now fixated on the floor while he stared off awkwardly to the side.

“Your turn YN!” Yuna cheerfully said handing her the bottle, her breath reeked of alcohol it was making you dizzy.

“Uh I think I’ll skip, I’ve had enough drinks for tonight” you replied, accompanied by a nervous chuckle. God, why was the room suddenly spinning? “As a matter of fact,” you quickly got up from your position slowly moving away from the circle, “I think I need to use the bathroom, I’ll sit out this round, you guys can continue though”

“Okay!” Yuna responded, obviously she was too wasted to notice the hesitation lingering in your voice.

You quickly stole a glance at the group behind, more so at the man you were sitting across from a minute ago. Lo and behold, Jake was laughing hazily and chanting encouragements with the others as Ryujin and Hyunjin messily made out. His eyes had a shine which was all too familiar to you, his grin was one you recognised countless times before, and to your dismay: he was completely unaffected by the whole situation.

Great, so he couldn’t give less of a fuck. You thought to yourself. Normally this would be a relief to you, I mean you said yourself you wanted something casual, but if that was the case why did you feel so embarrassingly hollow and empty inside?

You groggily stumbled away from the corner of the room and headed over to the kitchen, maybe a drink would drown out the noises of them chanting “Kiss kiss kiss” Pft, what are they grade schoolers? You snatched a red solo cup and started pouring whatever alcohol was closest in reach, vodka, tequila, soju, beer, you did not give a fuck. You downed the drink whole, slightly gasping for air as you polished it off. Grabbing for another bottle, your hands seemed to meet another. Looking up to see who had a shared interest in… absolut vodka? God you hated that shit, but well right now it seemed tolerable, however you were greeted by the disappointing sight of none other than: Seunghan.

God what was Seunghan doing here, he didn’t even fucking go here. To give some context, Seunghan happened to be your last boyfriend; a senior you used to date who at the time was a huge ego boost to you since you were a year younger. But you inevitably broke up with him before he left for university, even though you promised you would try and make things work long distance. Hell who were you kidding, staying with a highschool senior as a college freshman? Who would want to do that? The last excuse you could spit back at his pathetic face while ending things was “You aren’t even a good fuck” safe to say that bruised his ego a bit.

“Hey YN” he looked at you with an expression you can only make out as: egoistic. You wanted to smack that smug grin off his face, but you weren’t really the one with the upper hand here. I mean who wouldn’t smirk at the sight of their highschool ex absolutely fucking hammered at a college party.

“Hi” you replied coldly, his grip on the alcohol bottle slightly loosened, which you took as an opportunity to snatch out of his hand and pour yourself another drink (probably double of what you were originally planning to pour)

“So,” He paused for a second waiting for you to finish drinking “How's it going, what are you doing here?”

“I kinda go here.” you said in between sips “and shouldn’t I be asking you that, you don’t even go to Decelis.”

“Well someone’s hostile” he let out a chuckle, face still smug “Ah yeah, my friend Soobin, actually invited me. Swim team captain, ring a bell?”

“That's nice Seunghan” your face obviously painted that you didn’t really think so. You started to slowly make your way to the bathroom, not knowing how much longer you could stand being in the same proximity of this asshole.

“Is that it?” Seunghan called out expectantly. What the hell did this man want jesus. You could feel your anger just about boiling over, that and the 4 cups of alcohol in your system just about tipped you over the edge”

“What the hell do you want, Seunghan? An apology? You see me after what 2 years and expect to coax an apology out of me? Yeah not happening. I don’t even know what you’re doing here because clearly last time I checked you didn’t go to Decelis. So yeah, I don’t really know what you want from me but if it's an apology or something, sorry to disappoint.”

“Woah woah, calm down there” Seunghan said, arms up seeming to gesture he meant no harm, the smirk on his face displayed otherwise.

You were ready to spit out another insult at him, maybe add a punch into the mixture, until a pair of hands gently grabbed your shoulder. You whipped your head backwards to see Jake smiling awkwardly at Seunghan and scratching the back of his head nervously. “Sorry about that, she's kinda drunk right now so I think we’ll get going!”

You want to retort back that you aren't, but before doing so Seunghan cuts you off “who are you again.” 

Instead of the smug grin that adorned his face earlier, a weirdly serious expression was now plastered across him. Weird. Was he trying to assert dominance or something? You giggled to yourself a bit at the idea, slowly looking up at Jake to see what his response was. Maybe they would have a standoff, battle it out like in the movies. Instead a grin was still shining on his face, except something was off. His gaze looked harsher, juxtaposing the warm smile on the lower half of his face. Something behind his eyes signalled that he wasn’t going to take any bullshit, funny you thought. You weren't used to seeing this side of Jake, it was an amusing sight to say the least.

“Jake her,” he hesitated for a second “boyfriend. But I don’t think that matters really, I've gotta get YN home now” He quickly grabbed your wrist to lead you away and out the door, seemingly a bit too quick that it had you stumbling over your steps, or maybe that was the alcohol talking.

“Woww, look at that you can actually stick up for yourself! You know that was kinda funny, what were you trying to assert dominance or something? Thanks for saying you were my boyfriend though, god I don’t think he would be able to leave me alone otherwise” you said in between chuckles whilst shutting the door behind you, but jake remained silent. Weird, was he just drunk too? 

It’s not like you weren't used to the silence, hell it’s what took up most of your conversations (well lack of conversation more like). You remained quiet until the both of you got back to your dorm, you were weirdly too intimidated to say anything. Not intimidated by him, god no. More so the situation, you’d been used to the awkward silence, the post sex silences, the comfortable silences, but this was a different silence, one you weren’t really sure how to react towards. Once in your dorm, Jake finally said something to break the tension.

“Who was that guy?” he asked, gaze averted down to the floor and hand absently reaching for the nape of his neck, there he goes again you think. ”Seunghan,” you said while pulling over your tube top to change into an oversized shirt, which you realised was one you stole from Jake a while back “, just some ass I dated in highschool, doesn’t really matter.”

Jake's gaze was still stuck on the dorm carpet, his hand now picking at his cuticles. “Was he bothering you? I mean I couldn’t really tell but you looked uncomfortable, so like…yeah I don’t know”

You chuckled, cute you think. Wait fuck did you really just find what he did cute. Did you just fucking giggle. A flustered blush seems to form across your face whilst thinking of your actions. Get a grip YN it’s jake fucking sim, hes an awkward mess, an awkward mess you’re casually fucking. You can’t be doing this.

“Uh, I mean kinda. I was going to punch him so you probably saved me the collateral. Thanks though, it was nice” you said, tucking away your boots still facing away from him; embarrassed at the thought of you being the least bit flustered over his actions.

“Ah…” Jake trailed off. Fuck what was he meant to say now, well he knew what he wanted to say. He wanted to ask if it was weird that he called himself her boyfriend, but you didn’t seem to care so it would be weird if he brought it up now. I mean, not like he cared. a little white lie to save you some trouble, no biggie.

“Are you down to..” you asked nonchalantly, turning your head around to face him. He adorned his typical lost expression, god he was really clueless.

“You know, fuck.” you assumed it was the alcohol in your system talking, you were clearly very tipsy, that plus your pent up frustration from tonight was the perfect mixture for a good hookup. Or maybe you were just plain old horny, probably the case you thought to yourself. Definitely wasn’t the way Jake's hair was a perfect fluffy mess, or how his face seemed to have a slight glow to it (probably the drinks), or his eyes that were weirdly more iridescent than usual, yeah totally not that.

Jake's eyes widened a bit, taken aback by the request but definitely not surprised. “YN you’re drunk,” he said with a sigh, grabbing your shoulders and sitting you down on the edge of your mattress, “I'd love to but, maybe next time?” he said with a gentle grin, his dimples slightly poking out.

fuck was he leaving already? Before he could go any further you quickly grabbed his wrist. Jake, startled, looked back at you like a deer in headlights. Only to be met with an equally as shocked gaze, shit all this alcohol was making your body move before you could even think.

“Uh, can you just…” you wince a bit at the thought of what would come out next, “stay. Just until I fall asleep, I feel kinda…lonely?” The end came out in a mumble as your eyes laid fixated on the floor. A blush formed across Jake's face, but he quickly snapped himself out of whatever haze he was in. She’s drunk jake. It doesn't mean anything.

He plastered on the gentle grin that adorned his face earlier, smiling at her with endearment. “Alright, uhm just scoot over a bit”

Moving awkwardly to the side to make room for Jake on the bed he shortly joined you, adjusting himself next to you moving your head to atop his arm while the other pulled you in closer allowing him to rest his chin on top of your hair. Everything about this moment felt much too intimate to be shared between two people who were just casually fucking. You could feel your heartbeat slightly quicken and your breath hitching in your throat. However as time passed on you began to feel yourself slowly relax into Jake’s touch, allowing yourself to enjoy the feeling of his hand combing through your hair whilst the other reached to trace circles along the small of your back. His warmth next to you felt all too natural, like this was meant to be. Like you weren’t just two strangers who decided to hook up, like you two were everything and more.

“Sometimes I wish this was real” you sighed out, clearly letting the liquor in your system do the talking

“Don’t know how hammered you got but you’re definitely not dreaming right now YN.” Jake said in a low chuckle. Fuck you could listen to his laugh for ages. 

“Not this, I mean us.” 

“Oh.” Jake could feel his body go stiff as heat rushed up to his cheeks. He knew you were drunk, but some part of him hoped this was sober you. 

“You’re too sweet for me sometimes you know? Makes me wish you weren’t my friend and my boyfriend instead, then again don’t think I’m ready for that either. Well sometimes you make me feel like I’m ready, I don’t know, it's weird. Being with you feels so…natural? Like I’ve known you since we were kids- I guess we kinda have known each other for a while, makes me regret not talking to you enough in highschool. You were always pretty cute despite being a dork” rambling on you nuzzled your head closer to his chest. Fuck Jake was practically begging you couldn’t hear the intense racing of his heart. 

“How much did you drink YN?” he stuttered out

“Oh you know, just enough to make me forget everything about that party. Stupid Seunghan ruined my night. You know when you called yourself my boyfriend, yeah I really liked that, some part of me hoped you meant it. I guess I like you a little more than I expected, super stupid right…” you said trailing off as you fell further into your slumber; words slurred as a mixture of drunkenness and exhaustion took over your body.

“You like me?” Jake asked stunned, after garnering no response he tilted his head down slightly to face you. Your face looked so peaceful sleeping he didn’t have the heart to wake you up. How cute, he thought to himself.

“Goodnight YN.” he whispered before pulling you closer to him and dozing off himself. 

As the sun rose, beams of light made its way through the curtains to shine brightly on your face rudely waking you up. You slowly opened your heavy eyelids before stretching out your arms, only to be met with the shocking sight of Jake passed out next to you. 

Jolting up immediately, you had to do a double take to make sure you weren’t seeing things. Unfortunately this wasn’t a dream and you really did wake up next to Jake Sim, this being the second time you’ve done this with no recollection of what happened the night before. Frantically you tried to recall all the events that happened after Seunghan approached you; slowly but surely everything from last night rushed back to you in an instant, including your drunken confession to Jake. 

Fuck fuck fuck FUCK. What the hell was your issue? Why would you say all that? Jesus you seriously needed to stop drinking, you always ended up in Jake’s bed hungover. God could he have remembered anything that happened last night, he couldn't have right? He was probably drunk too, fuck you hoped he was drunk. 

“YN, you’re up already?” Jake said as his hand groggily rubbed his eyes, the other reaching over to your wrist. 

“Oh uh yeah!” you replied, face flushed with embarrassment before you quickly snapped your hand away from his touch “Hey this is weird but did I happen to say anything weird last night, I was like really drunk.” You winced expecting him to answer with a harsh reminder of your drunken words but instead he only uttered a small “Nope, not anything out of the ordinary”

Sighing in relief you let out a small thank god before getting up to go get dressed, Jake shortly following you like a lost puppy. Still yawning out and half asleep he groaned out a small “Hey, what time is it, by the way?” 

“Oh um,” you quickly grabbed your phone to check “9:30.”

Jakes seemed to immediately wake up, shouting “Oh fuck, I’m late!” He quickly grabbed his belongings before rushing out the door, before haphazardly rushing back in quickly to tell you “Uhm if you need Tylenol let me know I’ll go pick it up for you, bye YN gotta go!” 

Despite being in a rush, Jake was always so attentive towards you, something you were always grateful for; another habit you grew to love about him. 

“He's so sweet” you whispered under your breath to yourself before snapping your head up to face yourself in the mirror. Splashing water on yourself you pointed at your reflection before reminding yourself how badly this would end if you kept going on with this little crush. 

You do not like Jake Sim. You will not like Jake Sim. 

Days passed and after that night it was safe to say things got pretty awkward between you and Jake. You were in desperate hopes of avoiding him any chance you got, that of course was a lost cause as you guys still were hooking up every other week. However, you made it your mission to not interact with him outside of his apartment, not in classes, not in the gym, not at parties, nowhere. This seemed to be your brain's deluded way of trying to help you get over your crush on him. 

Jake on the other hand had a sense of why you were avoiding him, the whole drunken confession probably didn’t sit right with you. Jake didn’t really want to push it and force his way into your life if you weren’t comfortable, even though he desperately missed the days you spent every second together like best friends, he knew he wasn’t in a position to be complaining. But as time went on your missing presence began to eat away at Jake’s mind, he couldn’t take it anymore. 

Which is how he ended up rushing to move seats over to sit next to you when you entered the chemistry classroom. 

“Hey YN.”

“Oh, Jake hi…”

“You ready for today’s presentation?” he asked after noticing you diligently reading over your flashcards.

“Oh god no, I’m cooked.” you replied with a nervous laugh. 

“Don’t worry I’m sure you’ll do great, you always do.” Jake reassured with a warm smile. How did he always manage to say the right things? 

You flashed him a quick smile before whispering “Thank you.”

Sure enough a few minutes later you found yourself in front of the three hundred students in that lecture room trying not to stumble over your words as you presented about Electrochemistry. Everything was going fine at first, not to toot your own horn but you were pretty much guaranteed an easy A for this project. That was all until it came crumbling down. You stopped dead in your tracks as you felt a familiar warm feeling gathering between your thighs. Fuck, did you just get your period? 

“And u-uh, as I was saying…” you tried to continue the presentation and ignore the fact that your period was looming over you like the grim reaper, threatening to drip down your legs and publicly embarrass yourself in front of the whole class. 

The easy A you were so sure about now seemed out of reach as a lump formed in your throat while you stuttered with tears threatening to spill over your eyes. Quickly finishing up your half assed paragraph on Faraday’s law you bolted out the classroom the moment you were excused back to your seat. 

Rushing down the hall into the bathroom to clean yourself up, you were frustratingly met with the sight of blood stained jeans. Trying to pull down your shirt to hastily cover up the stain was no use, god out of all days to not bring an extra pad. Why did it have to be today? 

Sighing in agony you decided it would be a good idea to just head home instead of returning to class, hell you’d embarrassed yourself enough after that how could you even walk back into the lecture hall after that mess? 

Leaving the backroom with your head down and hand searching your bag hoping a spare pad would manage to appear out of thin air, you failed to notice Jake standing right in front of you (well that was until you bumped into him).

“YN, you okay?” his eyes graced with concern, oh so he’s still attentive as ever it seems. “Was it your presentation? I thought it was great-”

“I got my period.” you blurt out in a rush at the same time, eyes still stuck on the ground as you didn’t have the guts to face him right now “and like, yeah it's a mess so…I kinda just want to get home and change.” you finished with a frustrated sigh. 

“Ah I see” Jake replied before looking down to notice the dark patch on your jeans. 

Before you could go any further he wordlessly stripped off his hoodie before wrapping it around your waist. No words were spoken between you two but the tension arguably spoke much louder than words ever could. 

“I’ll come get it back later okay? Don’t worry about it” he said before knotting it a final time around your waist to secure it in place. 

“Oh, thank you Jake…” you mumbled 

“Hey YN.” he started, making you finally whip your head up to meet his eyes. His face detailed with hesitation, mouth slightly agape, eyes glossed over with doubt and hand again reaching for the nape of his neck nervously, “um, sorry it’s nothing actually- just uh, don’t be a stranger you know?” he continued with a slight shrug. So he did notice you distancing yourself. 

“Oh,” you stuttered, not really sure of what to reply with “alright…”

And with that you made your way back to the dorm, uncertainty lingering in the air around you following its way back to your dorm. Sprawling across your mattress you stared up at the ceiling lost in thought. This wasn’t going to end well. 

“YN you keep doing this!” your dance teacher snapped before banging a ruler on the metal bar in front of her. You flinched slightly as the loud bang rang through your ears before going to pause the music. 

“How many times do I have to remind you?” she let out in an exasperated sigh, fingers reaching up to pinch the bridge of her nose, “your legs aren’t straight and your feet aren’t pointed either! These are basic things even beginners could get, I expect more from you! What would your mother think, hm? She invested all this money in you just for you to fall short of your abilities. You’re my top student, you cannot be performing like this when the recital is just a few months away! Pull yourself together before I choose another person to take your place, lesson dismissed.” she bellowed out before storming out the classroom. Leaving you collapsed on the ground, face flushed with disappointment as you stared at your dishevelled reflection in the mirror. 

Fuck she was right, what were you doing? You should be better than this, why weren’t you improving? God your mom spent so much time and money on this and you were just letting her down, you couldn’t do anything right. You were becoming a bigger failure than you realised and you didn’t know how to stop it. How were you meant to be the perfect ballerina when you didn’t even know how to be the perfect daughter? You knew you were better than this but why couldn’t you live up to it. Why did you keep messing up?

Slowly tears began pouring out your eyes before the practice room was practically engulfed in your sobs. You however stopped your crying when you noticed the door crack open. 

“YN?” Jake murmured out with a worried look painted across his face, “what happened, what’s wrong?” he asked while rushing over to your side. 

“Oh Jake, god please don’t look I’m a mess right now” quickly you tried to wipe your tears and nervously laugh before Jake stopped you and took your hands in his. 

“YN, honestly I couldn’t care less about how you look right now. What’s wrong? Why are you crying hm?” His face had the same serious gaze from the party when he confronted Seunghan, “It’s okay, you can tell me.”

Hearing that you finally broke down sobbing as he pulled you in closer to his chest, hand running through your hair while whispering small words of comfort. “Jake I can’t do this anymore, I keep messing up in everything I do! I don’t know why I can’t just be the person everyone wants me to be, I’m a failure.” you cried out between sobs.

“Hey hey don’t say that, look at me.” he gently took your face in his hands before tilting it up to meet his gaze, “Okay so maybe you’re not the person everyone wants you to be, and hey maybe you aren’t perfect-”

“Not helping.” you deadpanned 

“Yeah well, I wasn’t done. Point is you’re not that but, you're YN. You’re exactly who you need to be right now, and you’re doing your best. Maybe that isn’t perfect but hey nobody’s perfect, you just keep such high standards for yourself you can never get a chance to breathe. It’s okay to make a few mistakes here and there, we all do, we’re only human. If it means anything, in my eyes you’re doing everything right. You’re perfect, okay YN?” 

This only made you sob harder into his chest. Jake wasn’t complaining though, he only brought you closer and tightened his grip around you. Hands still running through your hair to lull you back into a relaxed state. 

After finally calming down you wiped the remnants of tears on your face before loosening yourself from Jake’s embrace. Awkwardly laughing before asking “Uhm, why did you come here in the first place again?”

“Oh right that. I needed to get my hoodie back and Zuha said you’d be here, didn’t really expect to see you crying all alone though” he commented with a quick chuckle 

“Oh shit yeah,” you said before reaching over to your bag to try and find his hoodie, Jake however grabbed your wrist to stop you, “Never mind that okay YN? You had a pretty rough day, let’s just get you back to your dorm alright?” 

“But your hoodie-”

“And up we go!” he exclaimed before lifting you up by the arms and pushing you to get out of that practice room. 

The walk back to your dorm was filled with Jake endlessly checking up on you, asking “Are you sure you’re okay” every five minutes. You reassured him time after time that you seriously were fine before finally losing patience and snapping “Jake Sim. If you don’t stop, I will actually not be okay.” 

“Okay okay! Just checking!” he said before whipping his arms up to feign in defeat. 

Reaching your dorm, you awkwardly stood at the doorway waiting for Jake to leave and bid you goodbye but instead he just sorta awkwardly stood there staring at you.

“Yes?”

“Oh um just- call me? If you ever need someone to talk to, you know?”

“Thanks Jake, but I’m not really looking to make my friend my pseudo therapist right now.” you joked. 

“I know I know, just reminding you. You’ve got me, ‘kay?” Jesus, you could never get over how warm his smile made you feel. 

“Alright, thanks Jake” You sighed out before slowly closing your door. After shutting it you immediately dropped to the floor, head buried into your knees. You hated this. You hated how without fail, no matter how long you avoided him, Jake Sim always managed to make butterflies spawn in your stomach and your heart to beat out of your chest. He always knew the right things to say and how to make you feel like the world stopped and purely revolved around the two of you. You hated how badly you’ve fallen for Jake Sim.

To give some preface, the only times Jake and you had kissed were: 

The first time you’d two ever hooked up when you were drunk out of your mind and too blacked out to remember a thing

The second time you’d hooked up; which technically wasn’t even a kiss because you stopped him as his lips ghosted over yours, almost connecting. You argued that it would be weird for you two to kiss since you only agreed on hooking up with each other, which you added did not involve kissing. 

You two mutually agreed that your relationship would involve no kissing between the two of you. This however did not stop the fact that Jake refusing to kiss you at the party bugged you more than it should have, leading you to blurt out on a random Wednesday afternoon: 

“You didn’t kiss me.”

Jake stopped midway through unbuckling his belt. “What?”

“I mean, at Soobin’s party, you didn’t do it” your eyes glued down to the bed sheets while your hands came up to fiddle with the ends of your hair “I mean you kissed Karina, why not me?”

“I mean…I can kiss you now if you want?”

“Yeah but then you’d only be kissing me because I asked you to do it.” you grunted out in annoyance “But when you were told to kiss me in front of others you didn’t, but you could kiss Karina so easily”

“I thought you didn’t want me to kiss you?” Jake countered, his tone becoming more argumentative. 

“When did I ever say that?” you tried to say nonchalantly, but instead your words spat out like an accusation. Fuck what were you doing? 

“Yeah okay well, kissing her meant nothing” Jake said in a bit of an exasperated sigh, his brows slightly furrowing together. Well Jake knew it wasn’t just that, but hell who was he to bring that up right now

“Yeah well, we’ve been fucking for 6 months, not like that means anything” For some reason this stung a bit for Jake, god he hated that it did.

“YN why does it matter.” he retorted back, the question coming out sharper than he intended

“Technically I’m saying it doesn't.” you let out a slightly stifled breathy laugh in an attempt to break the tension, obviously it doesn’t work “What do you not want to kiss me or something?”

No. God no it was the complete opposite. That was practically the only thing he’d thought about for the past month. But Jake couldn’t admit this now, first off to save him from looking like some desperate loser, and second: you just went on to elaborate on how kissing him meant virtually nothing to you. That them kissing was nothing. Jesus, how could he tell you only now that to him, it was something.

The silence filling the room meant one of the two things you concluded: Jake was either mustering up the courage to give you the best kiss of your life or he did not want to be anywhere near your lips. You opted for the latter.

“I’ll take that as a no.”, you swiftly got up from your previous straddled position to grab your designated ‘walk of shame’ hoodie and collect your things. Clearly, this wasn’t going anywhere. “It's fine Jake really. Just forget I ever asked. It was stupid, and uh, I’ve got practice so I think i’ll get going” you said absently while touching up your makeup

Jake hastily buckled his jeans back up and pulled his grey crewneck over his head. But you were practically out the door before he could finish. “Wait, YN…” he called out stumbling behind you trying to catch up

“Jake, seriously just drop it. It was stupid okay. And I’ve actually got a lot of stretching to do today, so I’ve gotta get going.” You attempted to make the end sound cheery and like you totally didn’t have a lump forming in the depth of your throat. To your dismay, emotions ended up getting the better of you and the words left your tongue stung with bitterness.

“YN I’m sor-” he attempted to stutter out, but you were obviously not hearing him through. “Bye Jake.” 

God, she couldn’t even look at me when leaving.

“Bye.” Jake let out defeatedly, only to be met with the slam of a door in his face.

“fuck…” you both thought.

“YN come on you’ve been cooped up in the dorm for weeks! Let’s go out tonight, I doubt Jake will even be at the party. Besides you were on my ass about not going with you last time, now the invitation is practically handed to you on a silver platter and you don’t even accept it?!” Zuha said as she rolled next to your curled up body that laid like a corpse on your bed. She was right though, you spent the next few weeks skipping all your classes and only going out to eat and go to practice that the colour from your face was practically drained. You looked like a total zombie to put it lightly. 

“Yeah I won’t, I’m not in the mood to go out tonight” 

“You’re never in the mood! Come on, what good is it to stay stuck in your room pitying yourself while bingeing K-dramas? That’s never gonna help you get over it, a couple of drinks is what you need!” you partly blamed Kazuha for your excessive drinking, she always managed to help you get out of a heartbreak by getting you blackout drunk. 

“Ugh Zuha, who's even going to be at this party anyways? Isn’t it the same old people?” you argued before pulling the covers over your head in hopes it would magically make you disappear from sight. 

“No actually it’s not, a couple of people from SM are hosting. You know, the uni Minjeong goes to? I heard SM parties are like, next level. And besides you can meet some new people, don’t you think that’s the perfect way to help you get over this loser?”

“Hey, he isn’t a loser!”, you quickly argued, springing up from your previously snuggled position, “just like- yeah anyways not the point. I guess, maybe…it would help?”

Before you could even finish your thought Zuha immediately pulled you up and sprung into action. “Okay, perfect. Here, wear this.” she said before tossing pieces of clothing at your face. 

Holding them up you weren’t even sure if she gave you a proper shirt, it was way more revealing than you were used to. “Did you cut this shirt up or something?”

“No, I didn’t you prude. And besides, don't you wanna look cute? Those SM guys won’t know what’s hit them. Trust me.” she said while absently applying lip gloss. 

Hesitantly you wiggled into the outfit before checking yourself out in the mirror. No matter how hard you tried you couldn’t even convince yourself that you felt confident. Maybe some makeup would help. Propping yourself on the bathroom counter you began to cake on layers of foundation, blush, and eyeshadow. Finishing it off with a muted pink lip. 

This is good, you’re fine! You’re going to have fun tonight. You muttered under your breath, repeating it like a mantra. God you hoped you could have fun tonight. 

Entering the apartment you were immediately hit with a wave of loud music blaring through your ears, god you couldn’t even hear what Zuha was saying right next to you. She was right, SM parties are next level. You could see a couple people gathered round a table playing beer pong, seeing Minjeong and a few other familiar faces. You decided to join them, and despite being the worst one there you had to admit it was really fun. Now that a few drinks were in your system you seemed to loosen up, completely forgetting about the worries that had plagued your mind this morning. You grabbed a drink and made your way over to the kitchen where you spotted Zuha and Heeseung talking. Hold on, Heeseung? If he’s here then… 

You scanned the apartment, eyes wandering to the living room where numerous people seemed to be chatting away enthusiastically. Moving further into the area your eyes darted across each face trying to spot your target, and that was when you saw him. There he was, red solo cup in hand, looking directly at you. 

Shit, you were gonna kill Zuha, what was Jake doing here? You scrambled to try and get away from him after making eye contact, but before you could slip away you felt a hand grab your wrist. God damn it. 

“YN, can we talk?” Jake begged with pleading eyes, fuck you’d never seen him this desperate, “please.” 

You nodded your head slightly before he dragged you to an empty room.

“Okay you said you wanted to talk, so talk.” you demanded, still slightly buzzed. Your confidence fueled with alcohol and sheer pettiness

“Listen,” Jake said before pausing to collect his thoughts, “I’m sorry for, well yeah all of it. I shouldn’t have kissed Karina that night, it’s just we aren’t exclusive or anything so I figured-” 

“Yeah we weren’t, but honestly Jake I couldn’t give less of a fuck” a bold-faced lie. Jake scoffed, he was trying to patch things up and you were seriously giving him this attitude? 

“Yeah sure sounds like it” 

“Yeah I don’t, I just think it’s messed up that you don’t kiss me and then proceed to call yourself my boyfriend” 

“Please, that was because Seunghan was bothering you! What was I supposed to do just let a creep keep harassing you? Do you even remember what happened that night YN?” 

“No and as I said I couldn’t give a fuck” 

“Well, I do. You can’t just tell me you like me and pretend it was nothing” fuck so he did remember

“Okay well,” You stuttered out, anger simmering within you “I was drunk. I wasn’t in my right mind that night, so yeah it was nothing. Why does it even matter if I like you or not, you said from the start that what we had was casual.” 

God were you serious right now? Jake could feel his heart hurt a little and his previously confident stance faltering, “Yeah well we obviously haven’t been acting very ‘casual’ as of late.” 

“Why does that even fucking matter Jake, I don’t know why you care so much!” 

“Obviously because I fucking caught feelings!” Jake’s mouth seemed to work faster than his mind. Shit did he seriously just admit that. 

Everything stopped, and your gaze softened for a split second. What. He likes me? He likes me. Fuck, why would you even say all that shit in the first place? You couldn’t even sustain a casual relationship how the fuck were you meant to maintain a real one? This is stupid.

“This is stupid.” you blurt out finally “I can’t handle a relationship right now Jake, hell I couldn’t even handle a casual one. No way we could ever be a real thing.” 

“I thought you liked me.” Jake muttered

“So what if I do Jake? Look at us right now, I can’t even confess to you without running away from it. I’m not good for you Jake. I wouldn’t be able to make us work and-”

“Are you not even willing to try!?” Jake interrupted, tears slowly brimming in his eyes. Fuck, you couldn’t bear seeing him cry.

“Not if I’ll just hurt you in the process!” you shouted meeting his glossy eyes with your own “I’m sorry Jake.” And with that, you stormed past him out the room, out the door, down the stairs, and booked it back to your dorm.

Much like the first time you met, Jake Sim stood there watching you run out on him, again. Fuck.

Ice cream, americanos, and 2521.

This was how you would spend your days now that you and Jake were officially over. Well it’s not like you didn’t hangout with your other friends as well, you tried really, but even with them you couldn’t get rid of the sickeningly hollow feeling that brewed in the pit of your stomach. You felt much more content alone in your dorm room accompanied by Nam Joo Hyuk and Kim Tae Ri. Or maybe you were just trying to ignore the empty feeling in your chest for as long as you could before heading to sleep. Whether it be escapism or satisfaction, you’d become accustomed to your new little routine. That was until one fateful Saturday afternoon. 

You begrudgingly got up from your comfortable position after hearing a couple of knocks on your dorm room door. Hair a mess and wearing a 2 week old set of pyjamas, you honestly couldn’t care less who was at your door. Expecting to see Kazuha you unlocked it without thinking too much, however you were only greeted with Park Jongseong staring straight at you. 

“Oh Jay! Hey,” you exclaimed suddenly, becoming all too aware of your unkempt appearance. “What are you doing here? Were you looking for Kazuha or something because she just left for practice an-”

“Actually I’m here for you.” Jay cut in, “Could I come in?” his lips pressed together in a thin line and his hands were tucked away in his pockets.

“Oh, um” taken aback slightly by the question you stumbled over your words as he watched you expectantly “...yeah yeah sure, it’s sorta a mess though.” you admitted before moving aside to let him in. 

“So, what’s up?” you exhaled before returning to your position leaning back on your headboard

“Have you um, talked to Jake at all recently?” 

And there it was. Fuck you knew he would ask about Jake. “No, actually.” “Ah yeah, I figured.” his eyes still awkwardly scanning the room “He’s been kinda out of it too, not really going to out with us anymo-”

“If you’re just here to tell me about how badly I hurt him, you can save it.”

“Wait wait no I wasn’t! Just, okay- hear me out” he reasoned before grabbing a chair to sit in front of you 

“I know you guys had that whole argument before. And I don’t blame you, I probably would've been pissed too. But as I said, Jake is an absolute mess. And in no way am I here to make you feel bad for him, or anything! Just like- YN I’ll be straight with you. Jake has never liked a girl this much. Like, ever.”

Feeling your heartbeat flutter more ever so slightly, you glanced up to make eye contact with Jay. “Ah…”

“Yeah and, considering the fact I had to basically nurse him through his first breakup in highschool where he claimed his life was over. I think I’m a pretty reliable source right now. Point is, Jake was like head over heels over you. Still is. Despite being really tired from practice he would always try and run to the convenience store to stock up on your favourite foods. And even before you guys started this whole thing, the day you ran out of his dorm room, I swear that man was an inconsolable mess. Every moment not spent with you, he spent with us talking about how much fun he had with you.” he paused briefly to let you soak in all the things he had just admitted

“And I know I don’t know you as well as he does, nor am I close with you like, at all. But from the look in your eyes you had whenever you were with him, I think you liked him a lot too. And just saying, I don’t think Jake is totally opposed to the idea of you guys dating even after that whole incident at the party. He’s still willing to try…” he trailed off before getting up from his previously sat position, “He’s playing in tonight’s game so, think about it?” he concluded with a slight shrug

Quite honestly you were at a loss for words here, I mean you knew Jake liked you but you didn’t truly know the extent of it. You were obviously still scared about meeting Jake again but a small part of you had hope he was still as forgiving as Jay claimed.

“Thanks Jay, I’ll see.”

This was a bad idea. 

You couldn’t believe Jay Park had convinced you to dress up all pretty just to sit through an insufferable game of soccer where you had no idea what was going on. Well, he didn’t really tell you to do all that, but you reasoned to yourself passing the blame would probably make you feel better about the fact that this was how you were spending your Saturday night. 

Legs crossed over each other and eyes shooting across the field, you couldn’t really make out anything that was happening. Despite going to a university for sports you sadly had no interest in anything that involved throwing, kicking, or hitting balls around a large empty space. 

You were internally debating whether any of this was worth it in the first place, the game was almost over there was so there was really no harm in leaving now anyways. That was until your eyes locked with an awfully familiar face. There he was, clad in a navy blue jersey, sweat making his skin glisten and a few strands of hair stick to his forehead, running across the field chasing after the ball. And just like that, you felt like you fell for Jake Sim all over again. 

You could deny that even if you had no interest in the sport, Jake made it look infinitely exhilarating. Suddenly drawn in you found yourself at the edge of your seat the entirety of the last half of the game, cheering and clapping whenever Decelis scored a point. It was the final few minutes and Decelis and SM were neck and neck, both scoring a total of 10 points each. 

The ball spiralled across the field before landing in front of Jake. Steps fueled with determination he dribbled the ball further and further across the court with speed and intensity you’ve never witnessed before. Fire blazing with every step he took, he skillfully planted his foot on the ball before striking it in the opposing team's goal post. 

“And a score from Jake Sim! Ladies and gentlemen with only 20 seconds remaining of the game we may have our winners!” The commentator's voice echoed across the stadium, the crowd erupting into shouts and cheers. 

After what seemed like an eternity, the referee finally blew the whistle to announce the end of the second half, crowning Decelis the official winners of this match. The team rushed towards Jake before engulfing him in hugs and showering him with compliments. Jake let out a wide grin in response, his smile beaming brightly across the field. You missed seeing that side of him.

Making your way down the stadium steps, you rushed over to the field in hopes to catch him before his team swept him away. Unfortunately, around 20 other people seemed to have the same idea as you. Being drowned out by the crowd gathered around Jake Sim you somewhat lost hope in any chances of you speaking to him tonight. It’s fine, right? You had plenty of other chances to talk to Jake. However, whether it be fate working in mysterious ways or the glint of your silver hair clip, Jake's eyes caught sight of someone tucked away behind the crowd. 

Recognising you instantly, his heart began to palpitate ever so quickly and the confidence he adorned earlier vanished in an instant. Not wanting to ignore the other people surrounding him he mouthed a quick “Wait” before politely finishing up his conversation with the rest of his team. 

Pushing slightly through the slowly diminishing crowd Jake made his way towards you and tried to ignore the way his hands instantly became clammy while his heart was beating out his chest. Mustering every bit of courage he had left of him he let out a strained “Hey YN.”

“Hi Jake,” you started awkwardly, “Could we um, talk for a bit?”

“Yeah sure but-” he reached to the nape of his neck beginning to look around, “maybe not here? We could go back to my apartment if you want, the guys are going to the afterparty and I’m not really interested.”

“Oh uh,” your heart jumped a bit at his sudden request but after calming yourself down you responded, “yeah, sure. That sounds good.”

The walk back to his place was admittedly one of your more awkward ones, silence filling the atmosphere as you two were both obviously too scared to start any conversation before reaching his apartment. Said silence remained as you made your way into his building, following him around while your eyes layed fixed to the floor. 

Clearing his throat as he shut the door, he decided he should be the one to break the awkward tension between you two. “You wanted to talk to me about something?” 

“Oh right. Um about the other night, I’m really sorry I just…” all the lines you had practised earlier in the shower now had completely slipped your mind, leaving you to run short of things to say, standing there after an uncomfortably long pause. 

“YN it’s fine, I totally understand you not wanting anything between us anymore I get it really-”

“NO THAT’S NOT IT!” hands reaching up in front of your chest before you noticed how disastrously frantic you sounded, “What I was going to say was-” you started before letting out a deep breath. God you really had to get a hold of your nerves.

“What I wanted to say was, well what I’ve been planning to say- is that I was wrong. And I’m sorry for saying all that shit that night, I was scared shitless if I’m gonna be honest. Also admittedly, really buzzed. That obviously doesn’t really make up for it, but, yeah. Anyways– I’m getting side tracked.” you mumbled before shaking your head to snap yourself back into it.

“I told you before, but I have a very big problem with running away from anything that doesn’t have a solid 100% success rate. And relationships kinda are a big part of that? I think I’m seriously out of my mind for saying this, and hell all of this seems incredibly crazy to me. But I just…have to get it out. I’m willing to bet on, maybe not a 100% percent success rate for you Jake. I don’t care if it’s 10, 20, 30 or in the negatives. I’m willing to take that risk for you Jake.”

One beat passed, then two, then another. You stood there in agony waiting for Jake to respond with anything. A yes, a no, a laugh in your face, god you just wanted him to speak. 

“Please say something” you winced. 

“Sorry I’m just- I just- well I’ve never really had anyone ask me out before? So, I kinda am at a loss for words right now, you know?” Jake paused to look up at your hopelessly distraught image, “You are asking me out… right?”

“Yes…I think so and I’ve truthfully never done this either.” you replied sheepishly, eyes still stuck on the hardwood flooring. 

“Well YN,” his hand reached for your chin to lift your head upwards so you were eye level with him, “I would love to go out with you.” he said with a gentle smile. The same smile that had you weak in the knees everytime. 

“Oh thank fuck.” you sighed out in relief. Jake couldn’t help but giggle at the sight of all tension leaving your body. He moved his body closer to you to corner you against the kitchen countertop before moving in to whisper, “Can I do this now?”

“Do what?”

“This.” and with that he slowly closed the distance between you two to press his lips gently on top of yours before his hand reached over to cup the back of your head. It took a moment for you to register what he was fully doing, but as if he had full control over your body you melted into the kiss like butter. Lips moving feverishly against his, your hands reached over to grab his arm and pull him even closer towards you. There was barely breathing room between the two of you, your bodies moving perfectly in sync. Sighing into the kiss as his mouth parted against yours; you swore you weren’t religious but if this was what heaven felt like, you were willing to rethink your choices. 

Slowly parting from him, his lips seemed to still chase after yours as if it was attached to your mouth with a string. You let out a small giggle, redirecting your gaze at his eyes. They were glistening with a warmth you’d seen countless times before, except this time you truly knew it was meant for you. You moved your arms over to loop around his neck whilst cocking your head to the side in amusement. 

“Guess people can’t call you a loser now?” 

“You know damn well I never was,” he chuckled out, tone still low and hushed, “C’mere” he exhaled before kissing you again with even more passion and intensity than before. You smiled into the kiss allowing him to manipulate your body like butter. 

Who knew the physics nerd had it in him huh?

thoughts frm yuya 💭 hai everyone! omg this is finally out 😭 i think i grinded this fic out in like a week so i do apologize if it's bad 🙏 anyways i hope you guys enjoy it since it's my first really long fic ^^ i said this before but i'll prob go on a short hiatus since i've got my finals coming up, maybe coming back by the end of may or middle of june? nonetheless I will still try and be active on here, just no posting or new works, but i might try to queue some works up so TT hope you guys enjoyed the fic >< feedback and reblogs appreciated !

taglist ─── ⋆ @yerisrev, @nwjws, @jlheon, @k1ttylvr @iiaweirdo @mokangelic @jvjsssnaa @ms-no1kpopstan @caeqey @saursoob @shinrjj @m3chigo @eneiyri @shnnzsworld @heelariously @felixslove @vixensss @laurradoesloveu @atrirose @anormieee @jaklvbub @leep0ems @river-demon-slayer @minniejenseo @thing89 @ineedsomezzz @riksaes @iheartjayke @jinnibug @kookify @roastandtoast @fakeuwus  @junityy  @ak-aaa-li @letwiiparkjay @kashuannn @floweryang @bywons @dimplewonie @ginakam @hearts4itoshi @nctislifue @chaeyunloveeee (if ur name is bold that means i unfortunately couldn’t tag u TT)

[woollypoison]

Lia miniseries: The last time

Itzy Lia x m reader a/n: go stream gwbg Word count: 16.5k words

The music is loud, but not loud enough. This place smells like sweat and cheap alcohol, the exact same mixture you can find at any college party. People shout over each other, cups crinkle under people’s dancing feet, and everyone is touching everyone.

You should be enjoying yourself, but even the loudest distractions can’t prevent your eyes from being locked on to Lia.

She stands near the edge of the room, far away from the life of the party, arms crossed, tears swelling in the corners of her eyes but refusing to spill over. Her boyfriend—the eternal class act that he is—leans in close, probably spouting some bullshit. His expression is all smooth confidence, but hers is hurt. You don’t need to hear what he’s saying. You already know. You saw him, lips on another girl, bodies flush against each other like Lia never existed in the first place. And now, he’s feeding her some excuse, no doubt in his mind that she will just swallow it like she always does.

But something’s different this time. She’s not buying it, and she’s not giving in. And then, just like that, he sighs, throws up his hands, and walks away. No fight, no desperation. He just walks away from her like she was never worth the effort.

You don’t even hesitate. No time to. She’s your best friend after all. You move.

Lia barely reacts as you step in beside her, but when you nudge her arm, she exhales, already privy to your antics. “Not now.”

“If it’s up to you, it’s not ever,” you correct. You don’t wait for permission. You snag a bottle of whiskey from the counter next to her and pop the cap. “Drink with me!”

She hesitates. She’s reluctant. “I don’t feel like drinking.”

“And I don’t feel like letting you mope tonight.” You take a swig straight from the bottle and hand it to her. It burns, but it’s bright and distracting. “Come on. When was the last time you lived a little?”

She eyes you, then the bottle, then you again. Something shifts in her expression—anger, defiance, something that reminds her of memories long buried. She snatches the bottle from your grasp and takes a drink. It burns, and she coughs, but she doesn’t hand it back.

You grin. “That’s the spirit!”

She scoffs through the coughs, but the corner of her lips twitch. “Shut up.”

You’re already scanning the party, looking for something to pull her out of her own head. There’s a group playing beer pong, hyping each other up like they’re at the Olympics. Perfect.

You drag Lia along with you, as you approach the would-be champions. Without warning, you grab a ball off the table and line up a shot. The guy who was about to throw blinks at you. “Dude, what the hell?”

You ignore him and flick your wrist towards victory. The ball arcs, bounces once, and lands straight into a cup. The crowd reacts with a mix of cheers and protests, but you don’t care. You turn to Lia, smirking with satisfaction, and hand her the next ball. “Your turn.”

She stares at you. Her body is shrinking, and it looks like she might retreat into her shell. “You’re insane.”

“And you’re up.”

Lia glances at the crowd watching, the challenge hanging in the air. She looks at you, your smile going from one ear to the other encouraging her to partake. She takes a deep breath, takes the ball, straightens her shoulders, and throws. The ball drops into a cup flawlessly.

The room erupts. The guy whose game you interrupted throws his arms up in disbelief. “Are you fucking kidding me?”

Lia doesn’t gloat. She just picks up the cup, downs the beer inside, and wipes her mouth with the back of her hand like she’s been doing this her whole life. Then, she looks at you.

You whistle. “Damn.”

She smirks. “What can I say?”

You step in close, voice level adjusted to be just for her. “This is fun, isn’t it?”

She exhales, something loosening in her. “Yeah. It kind of is.”

But you’re not stopping here.

You scan the room for the next move. You spot it, your next target—an old speaker, unattended and inviting on a counter, playing the same overplayed pop song. With Lia in tow, you stride over and connect your phone. The music cuts off, and a few people groan, but you just open your library and hit play.

A completely different song blasts through the room. Something more obscure, something wilder.

People react immediately, some booing, others cheering. Lia’s eyes react instinctively. “Wait, this song—”

“You like this song,” you fall in, leaving no doubt about the reason for your choice.

She laughs, the sound light, unburdened but restrained. “I do.”

“So dance.”

She hesitates, but you grab her hand, spinning her once. She stumbles into you, laughing despite herself. The party moves on around you, but for a moment, it’s just the two of you, caught in your own little world.

You can see it on her face. For the first time tonight, Lia isn’t thinking about him.

But the moment shatters. Your efforts were beginning to bear fruit, but they were spoiled too soon.

From across the room, he approaches. Her boyfriend’s voice, loud and annoyed, pierces the carefully crafted atmosphere. “Lia, what the hell are you doing?”

You don’t even have to turn to see him pushing his way through the crowd, eyes locked on her, clenched fists like he was preparing for a fight. The fun, the freedom, it all fades from existence, from her face—hesitation, guilt trying to creep back in.

Not this time. You’ve seen it happen countless times before now.

You lean in close, voice out her boyfriend's reach. “Let’s get out of here.”

She looks at you, uncertain of it all.

Then, her boyfriend calls her name again, sharper this time, as if she’s making another mistake. But she knows better.

Lia grabs your wrist in her first act of defiance. “Let’s go.”

You don’t need to be told twice. You let her lead you outside the house, but once outside, the roles reverse. You don’t let her pause, let her stop here. Instead, you take her even further away from the party to the first and best thing your mind can think of.

The arcade is alive with flashing neon lights, the chaotic symphony of electronic jingles and mixed reactions filling the air. You shove a few bills into the token machine, spilling a handful into your palm before tossing a few to Lia. She catches them like it’s a practiced act, but her expression is skeptical.

“You seriously dragged me to an arcade?” she asks, raising an eyebrow at your great escape.

“You seriously gonna tell me you’re too cool for this?” You grin, nudging her towards the air hockey tables. “Come on, we’re settling this once and for all. Air hockey. I used to smoke you all the time. Loser gets a punishment.”

Lia chortles, but there’s a flicker of amusement behind her eyes. “You’re on.”

You pick your table, and from the second the puck drops, it’s war. Lia is fast, but her shots are wild. She misses easy blocks, fumbling the paddle once, but she’s so caught up in the fun she doesn’t notice how you start easing up, letting her slip goals past you. When she scores the final point, she throws her arms up, victorious.

“Destroying you has never felt better,” she teases, gloating as if she just settled a lifelong rivalry.

You roll your eyes in mock annoyance. “Alright, alright. Fair’s fair. What’s my punishment?”

She taps a finger against her chin before smirking. “Close your eyes.”

You sigh but comply. You’re not a sore loser, not after choosing to be one. A few moments later, she presses a cold can into your hands. You pop it open and take a sip—immediately regretting it. “What the hell is this?!”

Lia bursts into laughter. “Carbonated milk. Consider it payback.”

You sputter the concoction, wiping your mouth of its filth. “That’s foul.”

Her grin is as proud as it was mischievous. “Exactly.”

You shake your head, laughing despite yourself. You’ve missed this. Missed spending time with her. “Alright, let’s move on. I’m winning you something.”

You drag her to the claw machine, and she crosses her arms, unimpressed. “Please, these things are rigged.”

“Not when you’ve got my skills.” You crack your knuckles, putting on an exaggerated show of focus as you deftly maneuver the claw. Lia observes your performance, still skeptical, until the claw actually snags onto a small stuffed bear and holds on long enough to drop it into the chute.

You scoop it out and hand it to her, the bravado of a man who won a teddy bear ten times the size you just had. “Told you.”

She takes it, eyes softer than before. “I… didn’t think you’d actually get it.”

“Guess I’m full of surprises.”

She holds the bear against her chest for a moment before stuffing it into her bag. “Alright, I’ll admit. That was kind of sweet.”

“Kind of?”

She rolls her eyes in the same mock annoyance she must have learned from you. Or was it you who learned it from her? Either way, she doesn’t argue any further.

Eventually, you both step out of the arcade looking for your next distraction, the night air cool against your skin. Lia stretches her arms over her head, exhaling. “Alright, what’s next?”

You glance around, spotting a near-empty grocery store parking lot, an idea sparking in your mind. A childish smile spreads across your face. “I think I see our next challenge.”

Lia follows the direction of your gaze to an abandoned shopping cart and lets out an incredulous laugh. “No way.”

“Oh, come on. You trust me, right?” Your rebuttal is tempting, tempting enough to get her to hum as she considers it.

She shakes her head but, to your delight, climbs into the cart. “Alright. Just don’t kill me.”

You take a running start, the wheels rattling as you push her through the empty lot. Lia shrieks high pitched and filled with life, clutching the sides as you pick up speed, laughter bubbling past her lips. It’s reckless and stupid, but it feels good—feels free.

When you finally slow down, she’s breathless, her face suddenly inches from yours. She doesn’t move away. You don’t want to either.

The cool air becomes heavy, something new unraveling in the little distance between your eyes.

Before you can say something you didn’t stop to think about, Lia clears her throat and looks away. “We should—keep going. What’s next?”

You nod, shaking off the moment just as easily as it came. “Let’s go find something else to conquer.”

You end up outside a rundown photo booth near an old convenience store, its flickering sign barely hanging on. The joy on your face says everything Lia needs to know. She eyes it, then you. “Seriously?”

“Come on. Gotta commemorate the night somehow!”

She huffs, exhaling air through her nose in a quick burst but follows you inside. The cramped space forces you close, her shoulder pressing into yours as she scoots barely into frame. The first flash goes off as she makes a face, sticking her tongue out.You paint a big smile on your face for the picture, throwing an arm around her to pull her into the frame for the next one.

Then, right before the third flash, you can feel Lia’s body tense up against yours. She’s planning something. She looks at you, really looks at you, before smirking mischievously. You can’t help but wonder what prank she has planned to pull on you, but you’ll let it happen nonetheless. Cheering her up was worth it all.

And then, instead of some grand, over-the-top stunt, she does something quieter. She leans in, sliding deeper under your arm, her head resting against your shoulder. Her fingers interlock with yours, and she doesn’t let go.

The camera flashes.

You glance down at her, your chest squeezing tighter then when you were pushing her around in a cart. She doesn’t say anything, just stays there, close, warm. The playful air shifts—becomes something calm.

She doesn’t move away, doesn’t laugh it off. Just holds your hand a little tighter, waiting. You rub your thumb over hers. It’s soothing. You’re just friends. You had never even considered Lia as something else. But what if…?

The next flash of the camera captures the sudden stillness, the quiet storm brewing between and inside of you.

You let out a breath, finally looking away. “Come on,” you murmur, squeezing her hand once before standing. “I know where we can go next.”

As you step out into the night, Lia doesn’t let go of your hand right away. She lingers, thumb brushing against your skin before finally, hesitantly, letting it slip away. Neither of you comment further on it.

After a few moments of walking in silence, you glance at her. “You remember the old jungle gym?”

She blinks, then lets out a soft laugh. “From middle school? The one we used to sit at, talking about nothing for hours?”

“Exactly, that’s the one! Haven’t been there in years.”

Lia tilts her head, considering. Then she smiles, a green light signal to go ahead. “Let’s go.”

You climb to the top of the jungle gym together, the city humming in the distance, but here, beneath the stars, everything feels still.

Lia stretches out, staring up at the sky absentmindedly. “It’s weird. I can’t remember the last time I’ve done this.”

“What? We used to climb this thing all the time.”

She chuckles and shakes her head. “No, not that! Just… let go like this.”

You watch her, the way her hair falls against the worn metal, the way the moonlight catches in her eyes. “We used to do that too all the time,” you remind her. “Back when we had nothing better to do than waste time here.”

She smiles faintly. “Yeah. Before everything got… complicated.”

You don’t say anything, only offering a smile that reaches half of your lips. You just watch her as she rolls onto her side, propping herself on an elbow facing you. “Why are you doing this?” she asks suddenly, eyes searching yours as if they’ll provide the answer.

You blink, caught off-guard by the sudden question. “What do you mean?”

“This.” She gestures vaguely around her and towards you. “Dragging me around, making me forget about him.”

Your throat tightens. You think about saying something inflammatory about her boyfriend, but don’t even want to let a thought of him taint this place. “Because I hate seeing you like that.”

She studies you, her gaze flickering over your face. She looks down. Her smile is small but real. Like she’s happy she’s here now, but already mourning the fact that it won’t last. “You make it sound easy.”

“It’s easy when you’re with me.”

When you’re starving, and you have a bite, you only end up craving more. That same hunger is consuming Lia right now. She’s feasting on this moment, indulging in every reckless, fleeting moment like she's been starving for it. Watching her like this, so alive, enjoying each minute she has—you can’t help but feel the hunger too.

It quickly gets overtaken by quiet, only interrupted with the creaking hush of the metal under your combined weight and the cricket-thick dark all around. Then Lia speaks, softer still: “Do you think I made a mistake?”

You turn on your side so you’re facing her, knees drawn up, hands dangling in between them. “Yeah, I mean, you should have dumped that guy ages ago.”

She makes a face and you know you deserve it. “No, not that. Just—leaving like that. Walking out.” Her voice is directed away from you. She sounds ashamed to even be asking the question.

“Honestly?” You lean back against the cold rail, letting your head tip to watch the sky. It’s easier to be honest that way. “Nah. If anything, you should’ve gone harder. Made a scene. Gone full dramatic. Hell, even kiss someone else in front of him. Get even.”

“Yeah, because you know me as the type to kiss random dude at parties.” She’s grinning, a little, but she clearly thinks you’re ridiculous.

“Not random,” you say, and waggle your eyebrows. “I could’ve volunteered.”

She laughs, easy and bright, the sound running up your spine like a dare. “Oh, right,” she says, “Because that wouldn’t have made things weird between us?”

“Sure. It could have.” You nudge her with your shoulder. “Or you could have totally fallen for how good I am with my tongue.”

She hums, draws little circles on the chipped paint with her finger. “Yeah, well, maybe I should have. But I’m warning you, you’re the one that would end up smitten with me, not the other way around.”

You chuckle in response, but you don’t think you can say much more without fully tipping your hand, and this night isn’t about you.

You let the silence settle again. Can’t keep yourself from looking at her in it, and the way she looks at you makes you think you should stop joking around and actually fall for her. Just give in.

She just sighs when you don’t. You’re not sure if it’s because you don’t or some other reason that has yet to reveal itself. “I’m hungry.” The likely answer is that she’s just hungry, then.

You slide down the bar so you’re parallel to her, feet dangling above the mulch. “Let’s get pancakes. I know a great diner, within a diner’s capacity to be great.”

She sighs again, this time with more drama. “I’m also exhausted. Like, terminally. What if I can’t make it to the diner? Will you leave me here to be eaten by raccoons?”

You give her a look, one eyebrow up. “Do you want me to carry you or something?”

Lia scrunches her nose. “That’s so childish.”

“You’re right,” you say solemnly. “Better to perish on the mulch.”

She smacks your arm, but she’s smiling. “You won’t make it a block.”

You position yourself in front of her, crouching, arms out. “Now I need to prove myself.”

She hesitates just long enough for you to think she’s going to refuse, but then she’s climbing onto your back, arms slung around your neck. She is lighter than you expect, which is nothing to start with, all angles and heat and the faint citrus of her shampoo. “Don’t drop me,” she says, but there’s laughter in her ear, right by yours.

“Only if you don’t give me a reason to,” you say, and start down the sidewalk, Lia’s breath hot against your cheek.

The first step makes her arms grip your neck so tight you nearly choke. You consider dropping her then, but you have a reputation to uphold. Eventually, you manage to start up a rhythm that allows air into your lungs despite Lia’s best attempts. Her thighs clamp around your hips, and you can’t help but think that the last time you carried Lia like this, she didn’t have tits pressing into your back. It’s distracting. Every few feet, Lia shifts to keep from sliding, and every time she does, her body presses tighter into yours.

“You’re struggling,” she teases, but it’s breathless.

“Having less issues with the carrying than I’m having with your bratty comments,” you shoot back, and she pinches your ribs hard enough to make you yelp.

It’s only a seven-minute walk, but you are both panting when you spill into the fluorescent refuge of the twenty-four-hour diner, giggling like absolute idiots. A bored waitress barely looks at the two of you as you enter and drop Lia onto a vinyl booth seat before climbing the seat across from her.

You try to stifle your body’s reaction to the feeling of her hips and chest now that it's in vision of her, as you focus on the menu. Lia’ is already tracing the patterns on the scarred tabletop, her mind drifting towards what to say.

“So,” you say, when the pancakes arrive. “Why did you stay with him this long?”

She stares at her pancakes, then the syrup bottle, then you. Her mouth twitches. “He made me feel wanted, I guess. Like, he paid attention to me. Like I was—” She shakes her head. “It’s stupid.”

“It’s not stupid.” You’re gentler now, picking up her wrist and tracing the raised vein with your thumb. “But you’re still allowed to be pissed. Or sad. Or both.”

She shrugs, but she’s not pulling away. “He was hot. That was probably part of it. And he was so, I don’t know, confident? Like, he’d just do shit and not care what anyone thought. I always cared too much.”

You cock your head. “You ever think maybe you liked him because you wanted to be like that? Like, less afraid.”

She chews her lip. “I guess so. But his reason for not being afraid was because he didn’t care about anything. There’s a difference.”

You nod. “Yeah, you actually give a shit. Which is why you might be the only decent person left on the planet.”

She laughs, but then her eyes go soft and wet. “That’s so sappy. You’re sappy.”

You stick out your tongue and make a face, syrupy affection and all. "I am what you need me to be."

She chuckles, shakes her head with her eyes closed, and goes back to her pancakes. You do too.

For a second or two, and then you’re back to making sure she doesn’t get in her own head. You have a mission, after all. 

“C’mon,” you say, “you gotta give me something better than ‘he made me feel wanted.’ There had to be stuff you hated about him.”

She doesn’t answer right away. You watch her work through it, chewing each word. “Sometimes I felt like… a prop. Like, I fit into his world, but he didn’t really care what I was thinking. Or what I wanted.” She looks up, eyes somber and level. “You ever get that?”

You nod. “Yeah, with my parents. Or group projects. Or… you know, every time I’ve ever hooked up.” You regret it as soon as it’s out of your mouth. Lia’s eyes spark with curiosity. “Wait, you’ve hooked up? You don’t just—” she gestures at your outfit, at your face, “—go to your classes, eat lunch with your less attractive friends and then go home and read books?”

You snort. “Nah. I’m a total slut, actually. I just don’t tell you because you’d judge me.”

She leans in, elbows on the battered Formica. “I would be so proud of you if I weren’t jealous, actually.”

You swallow, hard. That’s a lot to process. “Good to know. But that’s not the point. The point is, you deserve more than being some guy’s prop.”

Her plate gets pushed aside, her chin now resting on her hand like a flower. “Can I ask you something embarrassing and you promise to not laugh?”

“Sure.”

“Does it make me pathetic that the thing I’m most mad about is that he never once went down on me?” She says it low, but not embarrassed. Just quietly furious.

You almost spit coffee over the table. “Wait, never?”

She shakes her head, hair falling in her face. “Not even once. But I gave him blowjobs all the time.” Her eyes flick to yours, and she’s smiling, but her teeth are bared. “I’m good at it, too.” She tacks it on so nonchalantly you’re not even sure what to think.

Shock is evident on your face, and you can’t help but think about it. It’s not even your fault. “How do you… know?”

She shrugs, taking a sip from her coffee before giving her answer. “No gag reflex. Plus, I did all my research.” 

You nearly choke on your coffee. "Okay, before I get a stiffy in a worn down diner with all your bragging, why did he never go down on you?"

She shrugs, and speaks matter of factly like it’s normal. “Said he didn’t want to. That it was gross.”

You don’t even have to ask if she’s fucking kidding you, it’s written all over your face. “Wow. Not even once? Was he, like, afraid he’d have trouble finding the clit?”

The edges of her mouth corner upwards, tilting, and she’s thinking if she should or shouldn’t say. “Maybe? Who knows. All I know is I’ve given more head than a guillotine and never once—”

You hold up both hands, surrendering to the image. “Okay, okay, point made. But, for the record, that’s insane. You should sue for emotional damages.”

She giggles, then sobers. “I know. But it’s not even about the sex, really. It’s the principle. Like, why is it only okay when it’s for him? Because you should have heard how whiney he gets if I tried telling him no.”

You click your tongue. “It isn’t okay? Fuck that noise, you deserve so much better. Like, at the very least, a guy who knows what a clit is, where to find it and how to spell it with his tongue.”

She laughs hard at that, but her eyes glint. “You volunteering again, manslut?”

You make your face very solemn, steeple your fingers like a cartoon therapist. “Lia, as your friend, it is my sworn duty to ensure that you, specifically, are not denied any life experience. I’d take one for the team.”

She stares at you, a little wide-eyed. Is she considering it? The tension is steeped in it, and you’re trying to balance on top of it. She grins, slow and dangerous. “You would not survive me reciprocating the favor. And I always reciprocate.”

You lean in, close enough to feel her breath on your chin. “Please. I’ve never cum from a blowjob before, I doubt even you and your boundless talent could change that.”

She eyes you, pupils blown wide, the tip of her tongue darting out to wet her lower lip. “That sounds like a challenge.”

You rest your elbows on the table, interlacing your fingers and staring her down. “It’s not, Lia. It’s literally impossible.”

She leans in until you’re nearly nose to nose. “You think you could still say that after experiencing someone without a gag reflex?”

The heat that shudders up your neck is involuntary. You force a grin, deflecting with bravado. “Maybe. I’m just saying, it’s not for lack of opportunity.”

She cocks her head, lashes low, voice a purr: “So you’re saying you’ve had chances, but no one could get you off?” Her hand is on the battered edge of the table, three inches from yours. There’s a beat where she just watches you, then she slides her pinkie across, hooks it in yours. “That’s really fucking sad,” she says, and you get the sense she means it. “But not as sad as me, never even getting head.“

“Tragic, really.” Your mouth is dry but you keep your tone light. “Honestly, I think we’re both lost causes at this point.”

She leans back, stretches with her arms above her head, arching her back forwards, and it’s on pure instinct you suddenly notice her breasts pressing against the thin cotton of her shirt. Something shifted.

Her eyes flick up to yours, and for a second, it’s all too hot in the booth. “You know, I really don’t like people doubting the skills I’m confident in.”

Your foot, under the table, finds her shin. You graze it, just lightly, and feel the need to press her buttons some more. She doesn’t move away. “Fine,” you say, “you want to prove your skills or something?”

She laughs way too confident, her hands already in motion, eye contact established and unbroken as her fingers pull her hair back into a messy ponytail, exposing her neckline. “Sure! You want to do this here?” she asks, incredulous but not like it bothers her. It’s painfully obvious this should be a bluff. It should be.

You, bravest of cowards, glance around the diner. The waitress is behind the counter, scrolling her phone. There’s a guy in a hoodie two booths down, asleep with a plate of fries at his chin. The world is asleep or indifferent. “Unless you’ve got a better idea?”

You nearly choke. “You wouldn’t.”

She arches a brow. “You don’t think I will?” You stare her down. “Not a chance.”

She slides out of the booth and stands, stretching like a cat in the sick diner light. Her gaze flicks to the denizens of the diner, and then back to you. “Bathroom. Five minutes. If you dare.”

You laugh, convinced there’s no way she doesn’t chicken out. “You’re bluffing.”

She shrugs like she’s already won, the fire in her eyes burning with something brave. “You really want to take that risk? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

You watch her saunter to the bathroom, legs crossing with each step, her hips swaying in a way she knows has you following her with your eyes. She doesn’t look back, but you can’t stop watching her go.

The first two minutes are spent waiting for her to return. The third minute is considering your possibilities. The fourth and fifth minute are spent realising you’re actually keeping track of the time. You slide out of the booth, your hands shaking inside the pockets you hide them in. This is a terrible fucking idea.

The optics aren’t great. Stepping in reveals two truths. One is that it is exactly as disgusting as you’d expect. Cracked tiles, a hand dryer that’s more sickly than anyone daring to touch it, and one overhead bulb casting a yellow light over it all.

The other is that Lia isn’t using the bathroom for its intended purposes, but was also checking her phone, waiting for you. She’s in front of the mirror. She meets your eyes in the reflection and she almost looks stressed that you did.

“You came,” she says, and instantly makes a face, regretting her choice of words.

You lean against the door, arms folded. “Yep. So, here we are.”

She spins to face you, hands bracing behind her on the sink. “Here we are,” she echoes, and the words hang between you, heavy with implication of what you’re both doing there

There’s a second—or a couple, or who knows how many—where you both wait for the other to chicken out, to call bullshit, to undo this and retreat to safety. Neither of you does though.

You clear your throat awkwardly, like this is your first time being in a tiny bathroom with your best friend you might have started developing feelings for when she’s about to prove to you she can make you cum from a blowjob. “You know, we don’t—”

She cuts you off, eyebrows raised at what she thought you would say. “Do you want me to?” She doesn’t look away from you though. She even forgets to blink, and that’s her tell. That’s how you know she’s shitting her pants, that’s she in way over her head, and that she’s hoping you’ll pull the plug so she doesn’t have to.

You think to oblige, a forced smile that is all too easy to read shows up on your face. “Don’t feel like you have to, you have nothing to prove to me. What do I know.”

She shrugs, digging the hole she’s stuck in a little deeper. “I want to.” She pushes herself up higher, sitting on the edge of the sink with more confidence than this kind of bathroom should allow, legs slightly apart, feet dangling off the edge. “Do you not want me to?”

Her cheeks are pink, even under the sickly yellow light. She’s not only messing with you—she’s also messing with herself. Testing if she can, testing if you would, the way she always does when she’s about to rationalize a mistake or say something she knows she shouldn’t. It’s a staple of hers at this point.

“I mean,” you say, “I don’t think I’d hate it? I’d probably like it. But I don’t think I’d cum from it.” Your voice is a little too honest, too floaty, and she catches it.

You get lost in looking at her for just a moment. Her knees slightly apart, the way her knuckles go white with how hard her hands grip the edge of the sink, the way her lips part every time she takes a breath.

You snap out of it and speak again. “Wait, Lia… are we really about to do this?”

She blinks, startled. For the first time since the challenge, the mask cracks and the real Lia steps out. Her face softens, small and vulnerable. “I—” She looks down, hands twisting together. “I don’t know. Are we?”

You exhale, relief and regret pouring out in equal measure. “I mean,” you say, “if somebody told me a week ago my best friend was going to try and deepthroat me in a public restroom, I would’ve called them a liar.”

She laughs, but the sound is threadbare. “Yeah. It’s kind of insane.”

You lean back against the cold cinderblock, arms crossed. “You don’t have to prove anything, you know?” The words feel stupidly sincere in the archipelago of dried vomit and mystery stains, but you say them anyway. “I mean it. If this is just… I don’t know, some kind of rebound performance review—”

She shakes her head, forceful. “It’s not. I just…” She trails off, and for a second she’s the same girl who used to triple-dog-dare you to eat glue, who overthought everything and then did it anyway. “I guess I wanted to see if I could be as spontaneous as you, for once.” She chews her lip, then lets out a nervous giggle. “But also, this bathroom is so gross I’m pretty sure I just caught tetanus from sitting on this sink.”

You hold up your hands, surrendering. “Yeah. Not like this. This is so—” You gesture around, taking in the cracked tiles and the ancient tampon machine stuck with a chewed wad of gum. “I mean, if we’re gonna do something dumb, shouldn’t we at least pretend it’s romantic?”

Her shoulders drop. She huffs a breath, then laughs. “Thank god. I thought you were gonna make me actually do it in here.” She rubs her palms over her jeans, eyes squinting in relief. “I was like, I will, but before we even kiss?”

You lean in. “For what it’s worth, if anyone was going to be the first to, uh, make me actually finish from that, I’d be honored if it were you.” You flick your gaze to her mouth, then back. “But not in a stinky diner bathroom, okay?”

She grins, genuinely this time, the tension breaking. “Deal. I’ll save the unwrapping of my talents for a more… prestigious venue.”

“Noted,” you say. You’re close enough now to see every fleck of gold in her irises, every ragged end of her ponytail. Something clicks into place in the air as you realise the implication of what you and what she just said. Technically, it could count as a confession. “But, uh. While we’re here—”

She doesn’t wait for you to finish. She grabs the front of your shirt and tugs you in, kisses you hard enough you nearly bruise your teeth on hers. It’s not romantic, not gentle; it’s hungry, desperate, tasting of syrup and coffee and the hours of wanting you both pretended didn’t exist. Her hands go straight to your hair, fingers tangling at the base of your skull, and your hands find her waist, yanking her off the sink until her legs wrap around you.

You barely have enough sense to lock the door behind you before her mouth is on yours again, hot and insistent, her breath loud in your ear. 

You both pull back in sync, breath staggered and eyes wild, twitching to find each other. It takes a moment to understand what you just did. She’s breathing hard, laughing against your throat, her arms still cinched around your neck like she’s afraid if she lets go she’ll wake up in her old life.

“You did say you’d volunteer,” she muses, slightly raw. She tries to sound like she’s joking, but it catches in the back of her throat.

You nuzzle her ear and whisper, “And I don’t regret saying it.”

She snorts, the sound dangerously close to a giggle. “You’re such a dork.”

“And you’re such a good kisser for someone who only ever dated selfish morons,” you say, still holding her, still feeling her pulse through your joined bodies.

You both collapse into laughter again, and then, like nothing happened, she’s smoothing her hair back into place and you’re straightening your shirt, already conspiring over the next thing to do. You slip out of the bathroom, Lia a half step behind you, and return to your booth. As you pass the counter, you catch the waitress’s knowing smirk, but you don’t care.

You slide into the booth. Lia joins you on your side this time, thigh pressed to yours, close enough that it’s basically an admission of intent. She grabs a strip of bacon from your plate and chews it like she’s mad at it, her leg drumming against yours under the table. You can’t stop touching: knees bumping, hands fiddling with the same syrup bottle, pinkies hooking and unhooking. If anyone saw you, they’d assume you were already together, some weirdly codependent pair of lovebirds, and you suddenly get why people always accused you of being “basically dating, but not admitting it.”

You’re texting under the table, a quick message to your friend with the backyard pool and the parents who are never home: “still cool to use your pool? need to impress a girl, promise no one will drown.” He replies fast: “go wild, just don’t get anything weird in the water or be too loud. neighbors know nobody is home so they might call cops.”

By the time you’ve finished that thread, Lia has finished your pancakes. She wipes her mouth and leans back, looking at you bright-eyed. “You got any plans for what’s next?”

You smirk, already one step ahead. “You ever broken into a pool before?”

She raises a brow. “Isn’t that illegal?”

You shrug. “Only if you get caught. Besides, I think it’s a rite of passage or something.”

She hesitates, chewing her lip, and you wonder if you’ve overplayed it. But then she squares her perfectly ninety degree shoulders, grabs your hand, and says, “Fuck it. Let’s do something stupid.”

You grin, adrenaline blooming. “That’s the spirit.”

The walk is long, and you’re both too keyed up to say much. Lia swings your hand, humming a song under her breath, and you realize you’ve never felt more alive than right now, running through the dark with her, doing something so aggressively pointless. The house is a monster in the darkness, all big windows and a backyard made for rich kids’ parties. The side gate is exactly where you said, the latch loose. 

You sneak in, and Lia—in a surge of confidence—leads to the pool.

“This is so illegal,” she whispers, giggling as she steps out of her shoes.

You glance around, the no lights on in any of the houses. “Keep it down and nobody will call the cops. And even if they do, we look way too good to be criminals.”

She rolls her eyes, but she’s already at the edge, and then she stops, frowning. “Wait,” she says. “We don’t have swimsuits.”

You look at her like you can’t believe it took her this long to realize. She takes you in, judging her a little, and then shrugs, defiant. “Fuck it. I didn’t walk all this way just to chicken out now.”

You agree, and this time, you take the lead. You start with your shirt, because, well, it’s easy. It only takes a second for it to be gone and be just the first of many fabrics strewn across the floor. The cold night air hits your skin, and you hope the pool’s heated.

Lia, meanwhile, is watching you. Her mouth is pressed into a firm line, arms folded over her chest like she’s caught between moving forwards and regressing.

“Don’t look at me as I undress, you perv,” she warns. “I mean it. You get even remotely creepy and I will drown you. And then tell everyone you had a microdick.”

The threat is so perfectly Lia you have to fight down a grin. You stand with your back to her, taking off your jeans with exaggerated, cartoon modesty. “You’re the one who made this weird.”

She snorts. “Need I remind you that my truth is having a sexual history of one person?”

You hear the soft scuffle of fabric. And now you’re the one making it weird. Your mind does a dangerous trick, imagining the sound in freeze frame: her pale skin catching moonlight, the careful way she’d cross her arms to peel off her shirt, the way she’d maybe even blush, even if you weren’t looking. You keep your eyes laser-focused on the pool, but your entire brain is on fire with the idea of Lia, naked except for the confidence she’s wearing like a new suit.

You hear her step up behind you, breathless. You don’t look. “Okay,” she says. “Count to three?”

You both count off, but on “two” she shoves you, and you hit the water in a flailing, gasping mess. She follows not long after, so close to your landing zone that you feel her feet brush you as you go under.

The water is cold, but not as cold as the outside air. As you surface, (sputtering, thanks to Lia) you hear her treading water not far from you. She’s laughing so much she can be found through echolocation. You dog-paddle closer, the splash of the water still too alive to make anything out under the waves and she holds up a hand, palm out.

She slicks her hair back, shivering, but her eyes gleam, catching you getting closer with your eyes clearly open. “Hey, no. That’s not enough. You have to swim with your eyes closed. Like, the entire time.”

You shake your head. “That’s insane.”

“Trespassing into some random person's yard is insane,” she says, grinning now. “Eyes closed, or you’re getting your dick twisted off.”

You squeeze your eyes shut, then roll your them (behind closed lids), floating backwards on your back, arms splayed. “If I drown, it’s your fault.”

She huffs. “I’m an amazing lifeguard. I know how to perform mouth-to-mouth.”

You drift a little, keeping your limbs extended to try and not drift into any pool edges. You think you can feel her watching you, and you know you can hear her moving away. She’s got something planned.

“You’re not looking, right?” she calls.

“Only if you’re not either,” you shoot back, the words a little louder than they needed to be. You, good boy that you are, keep your eyes shut, but something tells you she’s smirking. You can taste it in the air.

“Eh, I don’t think I agreed to that rule,” she answers, and it’s enough to send a shiver down your spine, the way her voice is seeped in mischief. “Besides, you’re the one floating proudly with your dick above water like you’re trying to show off. I’m keeping everything nice and clean underwater.”

You blush, swearing at the way your body betrays you, heat blooming under your skin even though you’re half freezing. “You’re bluffing again, I know you wouldn’t look—”

“Wouldn’t look? Couldn’t help but look,” she nonchalantly intercepts, “I didn’t know you were packing. Isn’t it supposed to be tinier in cold water?” A beat passes where you’re lost for words. It’s still too generic, it’s a classic Lia bluff. “I half regret not taking care of that in the diner bathroom.”

You choke so hard on your own spit you almost dip under again. “You’re fucking with me.”

Her voice is lower now. “You wish I was. Also, you’re clean shaven. Didn’t expect that. Thought you were all hot and heavy for the vintage look.”

You open your eyes, protests be damned, and there she is, half-sprawled on the steps at the pool’s shallow end, arms propped behind her, legs out like she’s posing for a calendar. The moon catches on the water beading her skin, and for a second you’re sure you’re hallucinating her: you’ve never seen Lia look so open, so unguarded, so absolutely fucking beautiful.

She tilts her head. “I didn’t give you permission to look, pervert.” She stretches, toes pointed, and looks at you like you look at her. “But since you have, what do you think?”

You don’t have the words. You never have the words. You just swim closer, one hand out for balance, until you’re in front of her on the steps, knees bumping. “I think,” you say, “it’s taking everything I have to keep me from jumping on you.”

She rolls her eyes, but she’s shivering, and you can’t tell if it’s the night chill or something else. “You’re such a dork.”

You risk it all. “Yeah, but I’m a hung dork.”

That gets her. She bites her lip, eyes gone dark and wild. “You’re such a slut.”

You haul yourself up onto the steps, water sluicing down your back, and she laughs as you nearly slip. “Careful there,” she says, softer now. “It’d be a shame if you broke your neck before I broke your little head problem.”

You pause, kneeling between her legs, and she doesn’t flinch, doesn’t look away. You reach for her, she bites her lip, and it’s all culminating in skin touching and bodies trembling.

You look up. “You trust me?”

She laughs, but it’s honest and her gaze can’t keep up with yours. “Don’t fail me.”

Your hands slide up from her lower legs to her calves, cradling her hips, and the water makes it even easier to lift her. You stand, walking with the steps in the shallow end, carrying her above the water and she squeals right before you put her down on the edge of the pool. Perched on the concrete lip with her feet still in the water, and your head taking its place in between her thighs.

She’s clean shaven. She looks so fucking delicious and easy to devour you almost want to thank her boyfriend—or ex-boyfriend—for letting you be the first to get to taste this.

You rest your cheek against her thigh, and she goes very still.

You’re not expecting it to be so easy, how her legs melt open in invitation, how the scent and heat of her rolls over you like a sunrise. She’s blushing, hard, hands fidgeting on the concrete behind her, like she can’t believe you’re about to make her lose her mind.

You kiss the inside of her knee first, and her reaction is electric. She whimpers, softly, and it’s a promise of the sound she’ll make when you give her what she wants. You move up to her thigh, tasting chlorine and humid skin beneath it. Her eyes are wild, nervous with joy, unsure if she should stare at your eyes or your mouth.

She shudders with every touch, but her legs don’t close. Every inch you take, she parts them wider, pleading for you to continue, greedier to get her world rocked.

You glance up. “Stop me if you want.”

She shakes her head, breathless. “If you stop, I might cry.”

You slide higher up on her thighs, nudging her gently with your nose and lips, and her hands find their place in your hair where you wanted them all along. You let your tongue follow her horizon, and for a second, she goes so quiet you think you might have short circuited her. Maybe it’s internal water damage. But then she makes a soft, desperate sound, the kind of noise you can get addicted to.

So you do it again, and she does too. Then again, slower, letting your tongue linger at the place where her thighs meet her center, teasing the crevice where her legs meet her crotch with the tip of your tongue before finally letting yourself taste her for real.

She bucks up so hard you almost lose your grip. “Oh my fucking god,” Lia says, using her words for the first time since you started. “This is—shit, okay, fuck, okay, don’t—” she babbles, gasping, then giggling and going back to gasping again, like she can’t decide if this is so hot she should melt or so insane she can only laugh.

You break contact, looking up to her just to ask, “You good?” but she’s not having it, pushing your face back down like she’s needy for it, muttering, “Shut up, don’t please, you’re perfect, I’m just—”

You lap at her, soft at first, then harder, then you flatten your tongue and drag it in slow, deliberate circles around her clit, just to see what color she turns when she’s about to lose it. Her nails scratch at your hair, then her thighs, then the concrete. She’s so fucking unbelievable, shaded in the moonlight and the light coming from the pool. Her head is thrown back, her mouth wide open, Her tits peaking forwards, eyes squeezed shut towards the stars and her whole being is pink and wet and trembling.

You hum, sending a pulse up through her, and she shudders hard. “Are you—holy fuck, are you humming?” she asks, voice going all high and incredulous.

You pull back just enough to say, “Wouldn’t want to deprive you of the full experience,” then dive back in, tongue working faster, pushing her closer and closer to the brink.

She’s full on babbling now, none of her usual slick responses, her guard fully down. “fucking fuck fuck, that’s—yes, this feels so fucking, fuck, fuck, don’t stop, don’t you dare—” She’s stringing words, not making sentences, mewling and desperate.

You only hold on to the edge of the pool with one hand now, pushing two fingers inside her, and she makes a sound so high pitched you worry there’s more she’s yet to experience. Worry she might break.

“Do I feel that good?” you ask, the sound muffled against her skin.

She just nods, gasping, “The fucking best,” and you take it as motivation to draw this whole thing out.

You edge her, just a little, slowing down until she’s whining, then ramp up again, alternating fast and slow until she’s cursing at you, tears leaking out from the corners of her eyes. “You’re such an asshole,” she sobs, “just let me—”

You glance up, a wicked smirk on your lips. “You want to cum?”

“Please,” she whispers, voice gone small and desperate for air. “I’m not trying to become you, I need to—please—”

You look up. “What’s the magic word?”

She opens her eyes, glaring down at you through a curtain of messy hair. “I will actually murder you,” she says, but she’s grinning, and that’s all the permission you need.

You let her have it, then. Fingers, tongue, everything, all at once, relentless and hungry and absolutely shameless in how much you want to taste her finish. She’s not quiet, not even a little. The sound she makes when she finally comes is a full-body event, a yell that echoes off the water and the fence and probably into the neighbor’s bedroom. A small prayer goes out to not having them interrupt you.

She falls backwards, upper body limp as her legs shake so hard you keep them steady just to keep her from sliding into the pool. She lies there for what feels like longer than an orgasm could last, shivering and laughing and gasping, and you think about telling her she needs to be quiet. You could never.

When the air returns to her lungs in full, she pushes herself up by the elbows. Fully upright, and she cups your cheeks in her hands, pulling you up, but it’s more so you pushing yourself up. She kisses you, and you’re mixing her tastes in your mouth.

You keep yourself pushed like that until her pulse slows. Then she buries her face in your neck and whispers, “You have to do that again. Like, right now.”

You’re about to oblige when the neighbors backyard security light clicks on with a loud mechanical whine, flooding the deck with off-beat white-hot illumination. For a split second, you freeze, Lia’s body still limp on the concrete, both of you utterly exposed for every constellation above to take in.

She starts to laugh again, then clamps both hands over her mouth, eyes huge. “Oh my god, oh my god, we’re going to die—”

You grab the nearest towel, wrap it around her, and half-carry, half-drag her behind the pool shed. She’s not helping at all, still giggling uncontrollably, but you manage to get her sheltered, both of you pressed close, hearts pounding in sync.

For a minute, you don’t say anything. Just breathe together, trying to calm down. Then she whispers, “Best night of my life. Even if we get arrested.”

You kiss her on the forehead, no words, just hoping she gets the message to keep quiet. She doesn’t. “But like, let’s try not to?” she says, and you look at her like you’re trying, but she’s making it hard. “You know, cus I technically owe you a blowjob now.”

You’re stunned. It feels only minutes since you didn’t consider Lia a sexual being and now you’re whole beings on fire because of her. “You’re absolutely insane and insatiable,” you say, and her shoulders just rise and fall.

“What can I say? You liberated me. It’s your fault, with that damn mouth of yours.”

You peer out from behind the shed. The light is still on, but nobody’s come outside, so you motion for her to follow you back to the pool deck. You towel off, putting your boxers on backwards in your haste, and she does the same, wrapping her hair up in a makeshift bun.

You wait for the light to disappear, and when it does, she glances at the fence, then at you. “Should we go somewhere we won’t get a permanent record for if we get caught?”

You consider the options, then grin, because you already know where to go.

“Love hotel?” you suggest, the words a joke but also not.

She doesn’t miss a beat. “Only if you pay for the good room.”

You salute. “What, you think I don’t want the best room available for when I celebrate my first time finishing with a blowjob?”

You escape, and walk through the sleeping streets. Your hands are entangled, no longer shy about what they want. Your clothes are messy. Who cares, they’ll be on the floor again in no time.

When you finally reach the love hotel, buried under all its glorious neon signs, you can’t help but get a little nervous. It’s easier to do things for Lia, but sitting back and having her take care of you feels dangerous.

She doesn’t seem to think so. She jumps on the bed and flops back, arms and legs spread like she’s trying to take up as much space on the bed as possible and failing at it.

You find enough space to crawl up next to her, and she turns her head to look at you, full of giddy joy. “Can I tell you a secret?”

“Always.”

“I think I’ve wanted this for a while now,” she grins, shy and proud swirling into one. “I just didn’t know if I could get here.”

You nudge her with your shoulder, smiling back. “Really? You’ve wanted to fuck your best friend in a love hotel for a really long time?”

She socks your upper arm, hard enough to sting, and you yelp. “Asshole. You know what I meant.”

“Yeah,” you say, rubbing the spot, “but I like hearing you say it anyway.”

She makes a face, then rolls onto her side, hair fanning over the hotel’s surprisingly clean sheets. “Fine,” she says, voice gone soft and hoarse. “I want you.” She looks at your mouth, then your eyes, then back to your mouth. “And not just tonight. I want… all of it. The weird, the stupid, the you.” Her cheeks pink up, but she doesn’t blink. “I want to be yours. And I want to do all the stuff with you that I was too scared to even ask for before.”

You just pull her in and kiss her, soft at first, then harder, until she’s clutching at you like she’ll float away if she doesn’t anchor herself in your skin. When you break apart, she’s smiling, all half-moons with her eyes, the way she used to when you’d stay up too late and make each other laugh until you were delirious.

You nudge her, voice low: “So, what now?”

She grins, a new wickedness there. “Now?” She rolls onto her side, mouth at your ear. “Now, I want you to lie back and let me suck your dick until you cum like you’ve supposedly never done before, and then, when you’re still all shaky and ruined, I want you to use that tongue of yours to fuck my clit up until I’m a groveling mess. Once your cock is ready for another round, and only after you’ve begged for it, I’ll let you fuck me. Dealer’s choice of how.”

You blink.

You can’t help it. The way Lia is talking—direct, filthy, like she’s trying to say every single thing that would make your pulse snap—is so far removed from the Lia you know it’s almost like you’re talking to a different person. Or maybe, just maybe, this is the real Lia, the one who’s been stifled for years by her self-obsession with being the “good one.” The “steady, reliable one.” Blinking turns into staring, and she picks up on it instantly. She turns inwards.

“Too much?” she asks, voice suddenly small, a hiccup of uncertainty behind the wildness in her eyes. Maybe the real Lia is somewhere in between all that, and there’s no point in trying to categorize it. Maybe, you just need to experience it.

You shake your head so fast you nearly give yourself whiplash. “No, I just… wow. I’m impressed. Didn’t know you had it in you to talk like that.”

Her palm splays on your chest, like you just gave her permission to sink in, and in a way, you did. “You also still believe I don’t have it in me to make you cum with my mouth.” She glances up, searching your face for a response, a snarky remark, a stupid joke, but you miss the timing entirely. Too busy recalibrating your entire image of her.

You flop back onto the pillows, getting comfortable, stretching out in full anticipation. “Right. Do I need to beg for that too, or…?‘

She bites her lip with a smirk, shifting so she’s straddling your knees, and begins fully undressing herself. Even without the moonlight, she’s ethereal. “Don’t cum already,” she taunts, but if anyone could make you just from sight, it’s her. Then, she reaches for the edge where skin meets waistband of your underwear with both her hands.

She’s not slow about it at all. She yanks them down in one rough motion, laughing as it flies across the room. You help, taking off your shirt as well, both of you equally nude now. But only one of you is under attack. “God, it’s even bigger up close,” she crows, eyeing your dick up and down, and she’s such a loser about it that you want to bottle it forever.

She gets on her stomach, chin propped on your thigh, and looks up at you, resting her cheek on your hip. “You’re sure you want me to?”

You grab a pillow and stuff it behind your head, a throne for the king you’ve become. “If you don’t, I might actually die.”

“Noted,” she says, and then she wraps her hand around the base of your cock, squeezing lightly, and gives you a look that could set the room on fire. “Ready?”

You nod, speechless.

She starts at the bottom, tongue touching your balls, licking a stripe up the underside, eyes peering past your cock to yours, slow and deliberately showy, flicking her tongue as you realise how badly you underestimated her. She takes your head in her mouth. She won’t let you look away. Her hands are on your thighs, nails biting skin. She starts slow, then slides a little farther, lips tight and glossy around you.

She’s not kidding about the lack of gag reflex; she takes inch after inch until her nose is pressed against your stomach, then pulls back, hollowing her cheeks with a practiced, obscene pop. She repeats it, faster, then slower, then faster again, alternating pace like she’s reading a manual on your pleasure, waiting for you to flinch, to break, to do anything but bite your own knuckle and pray you don’t embarrass yourself.

It’s good—almost too good, actually. She’s not shy about it; there’s no over-the-top porn performance, just pure, unfiltered focus on the task at hand. You glance down, and you can see the pride in her eyes, the spark that says she’s not doing this for you, not really—she’s doing it for herself, to prove something about who she is on the other side of all that old inertia.

But after a minute, you notice she keeps pausing, glancing up, waiting for you to… what? Give her directions? Yell encouragement? It’s not what you expected at all.

She pulls off, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. “Am I doing it wrong? You can… you can grab my head, if you want,” she says, a little breathless. “You’re allowed. I can handle it.”

You blink again, like she just suggested you recite the national anthem. “Why would I do that?”

She hesitates, uncertain. “Isn’t that what guys like? My ex always did that—like, he’d hold me down, or guide me. I figured you might want—”

You shake your head, reaching down to stroke her hair, gently, more to comfort than control. “Lia, you were going to make cum, weren’t you? I have no intention of using you to get myself to cum.”

She blinks, digesting this for a second, then lets out a tiny, nervous laugh. “Okay. That’s… weirdly nice. Not used to it.”

You smile, then, letting her see how much you mean it. “You’re in control. Seriously.”

She looks down, cheeks flushed, and then squares her shoulders. “Alright. But if you don’t cum, I’ll never forgive you.”

You have to laugh at that one, and try to make sure she does too.. “Balls are in your hands, sweetie.”

She does, and then goes straight back at it. There’s a silent confidence to it. Experimental rhythms, new techniques—twisting her tongue around, letting only her tongue linger until you’re about to lose your mind. She even tries humming, just to see what happens, and when you gasp, she grins around your cock, the vibration sending a pulse up your spine.

She doubles down, working your cock like she’s got something to prove to her universe (right now that would be you alone), and by the time she starts talking, you’re already lightheaded. 

“You’re so fucking hard,” she whispers, pulling off just enough to stroke you with her hand, tongue circling the tip like she’s painting it with precision. “God, I love how you taste. I want you to cum for me. Right in my mouth.” She breaks up the words with slow, deep sucks, gripping your thighs to pin you down when you start to squirm. “Bet you didn’t think you were going to blow your load in my throat tonight, did you?”

She moans, soft at first, then louder, so performative but fucking hot, not even a slightest hint of a gag. You moan too, can’t keep it in when she’s wrangling it out of you. Lia catches the sound, doubles down, then pops off with a wet, obscene slurp, catching her breath before diving back in.

You’re going to die. You’re going to die in a love hotel, and when they find your corpse, it will be smiling.

She alternates between deep, slow bobs that have you seeing stars and quick, greedy flicks of her tongue that make your whole body arch up off the bed. She’s methodical about it, as if there is some secret, sacred geometry to the way she works her hand and mouth in tandem. You watch her, rapt, as she salivates over you, hair falling out of its ponytail and sticking to her cheeks, her eyes darting up to check your expression every few seconds. It’s obvious she’s cataloging your every reaction and making little mental notes. Every time you twitch or gasp or say her name, she smirks just a little and doubles down.

You want to hold out, to prove you have some measure of control, but she’s relentless. You bite your forearm to keep from moaning loud enough for the whole building to hear, but she just laughs around your cock, wicked. You can feel the vibration all the way down your legs.

“Fuck,” you gasp, “I—if you keep doing that—”

She pulls off, making a mess of your lap, then kisses the tip lightly, eyes huge and wet and so fucking hungry. “What? You’re gonna cum?” she whispers. “That’s the whole point.”

Her throat makes you feel like you’re drowning in sweet honey.

She already knows you won. You’re not as unbreakable as you proclaimed. She’s just taking victory laps now. Losing track of the amount of times she brings you to the brink of painting her white and then backing off, her tongue ghosting and taunting you as she lets you calm down before she starts again.

Every tease lowers the time she has to pull back. She finally holds you there, right on the brink, and then—as the throbbing begins to signal the end—she pulls off, eyes never having left yours. Her lips are slick with spit, parted, and her tongue flicks delicately over the tip, collecting the drop of precum that’s already there.

“Do it,” she whispers, and then she takes you all the way in, nose pressed to your skin, hands gripping your thighs so you can’t move. You’re helpless to stop it; you groan, involuntary, loud enough to scare the birds off the roof.

You cum—hard, so hard it’s embarrassing, and the first spurt catches her off-guard, but she laughs and swallows, eyes crinkling into half-moons again, this time with victory. She powers through the second, the third, but by the fourth one she’s not ready, and it spills out over the corner of her mouth, streaming down your cock, pooling on your stomach. She keeps you in her mouth until you soften, then finally pulls off, licking her lips with a devilish little smile.

She pulls off, coughing a little, then wipes her chin with her palm, grinning like a champion. “Holy shit,” she says, “I did not know you could cum that much. Is that, like, normal for you?” Another string of cum ropes onto her wrist as she laughs, and with obscene showmanship, she licks it off, slow and deliberate. “You realize if you actually shot that up me, I’d probably be pregnant with triplets?”

You stare at her, still slightly dazed. “No, that was—fucking insane. You’re a goddess.” You’re still trying to recover, but she’s trying to prevent you from it. She’s busy leaning down, and her tongue tips out, licking your abs clean, not missing a single drop. And if that wasn’t enough, she takes your softened cock back into her mouth, sucking soft pressure on it, like she’s determined to get every hidden drop. When you beg, and you do, she sits up, opens her mouth wide, and vocalizes to show you how empty it is.

You stare, awed. “That was the best blowjob of my life. By, like, a factor of ten. I might have to marry you now.”

Surprisingly, that’s the point she finally breaks eye contact, pink-cheeked, and it's clear how little she expected that, even if she plays it off.

You reach for her, but she stops you with a palm to the chest as she ducks, suddenly bashful. “Wait—hold on.”

You frown. “Why? What’s wrong?”

She covers her mouth and looks at you like you’re an idiot for not getting it. “I’ll probably taste like, you know… you.”

Now it’s your turn to look back at her like she’s an idiot for not getting any of it. “And?”

She looks at you, then away, then back again, sheepish but not ashamed. “I mean, guys think that that’s gross, right?”

You blink. “Gross?”

She stares at her hands, twists the comforter between her fingers. “You know. Kissing after—” Her voice drops. “After giving a blowjob. My ex always said it was a turn-off. He wouldn’t let me kiss him, after.”

You sit up, propped on your elbows, and the look you give her is so incredulous it’s almost cartoonish. “That is, with all due respect which is none, the dumbest fucking thing I’ve ever heard. I want to kiss you more than I want to breathe right now, I don’t give a shit if you taste a little like me.”

Her face turns bright red at the admission, and laughs, but a little shaky. Cute, but shaky. “That’s new. My ex used to make me go brush my teeth. Or at least rinse. Otherwise he’d, like, dodge me. Like kissing me after was…” She trails off, eyes shining. “You actually mean it?”

You grin, and pull her in, and she lets you. The kiss is messy, a little salty, a lot desperate, and as you taste yourself on her tongue you can’t help but think she tastes good no matter what. She opens to you, greedy, and you let her climb into your lap, hands in her hair, your own still trembling from the aftershock of her mouth.

She’s not even subtle about what she wants to happen next. In her defense, she did spell it out for you. She’s grinding down on your thigh like she’s asking you to feel how wet she is. Her lips are on yours, desperate, insistent, tongue chasing every last taste of you. She’s moaning into your mouth, open and honest in a way that makes you want to ruin her, or maybe just worship her, or figure out a way to do both. You realize she’s been holding back for hours, maybe years, and now it’s all coming out in the fevered way her hands are clawing at your back.

You break the kiss, just to breathe, and she chases your mouth, gasping, “Please don’t make me beg. Please?” and then devolves into a fit of giggles because even at the edge of a nervous breakdown, Lia is still Lia. Still the girl who’d dare you to eat glue, then do it herself just to one-up you. Only now, she’s out of glue and onto something infinitely more addictive: you.

You slide your hands down her back, over the curve of her ass, and she arches against you, body curving like she’s trying to become a permanent part of you. She’s still laughing, but it’s all breath and need, the sound a little unhinged. “What’s so funny?” you ask, voice low, half teasing.

She pants, “I just can’t believe we’re—” but then you’re kissing her again, and she forgets her sentence halfway through, hips jerking forward in search of more.

She’s so wet, you can feel it through your thigh, hot and slick and spreading, and every time you flex your quad it makes her gasp. “Oh my god,” she says, “I’m such a slut,” but she’s smiling when she says it, proud and wild and alive.

“Jesus,” you murmur, mouth at her ear. “How long have you been this wet?”

She rolls her hips into you, grinding shamelessly. “Since the diner,” she admits, breathless. “You kept talking about making me cum and I—fuck, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.”

You don’t want to tease this out any more than she does. You flip her, rolling her onto her back so fast the sheets threaten to tangle her up, and she shrieks in delight, hair fanning out behind her on the pillow like a halo. There’s a second where she just looks at you, all reverence and disbelief, and then she grabs your shoulders and pulls you down to her chest, wrapping her legs around your hips, locking you in.

She’s so open, so ready, it makes your head spin. You kiss down her neck, tasting the salt and heat, then down between her breasts, which she arches up for you like an offering. You take your time here, letting your tongue circle one nipple, then the other, and she’s whimpering, writhing, her hands never still as they alternate between your hair and your shoulders and her own mouth, like she can’t decide what she wants more: to pull you closer, or to muffle her own noises.

You work your way lower, kissing down her stomach, nuzzling your nose in the soft flesh just above her hipbone. She’s trembling now, and when you slide down between her legs, she whimpers, puppy-like, knees falling apart on either side of your head. This time, you don’t tease. You dive straight into the main course, finding her previously established weak spot, and making sure she gets all the rounds she needs.

It’s almost impossible how sensitive she still is, every lick causing her thighs to shudder against the sides of your head. But you want her ruined—so fuckign addicted to getting head that nothing else matters to her anymore—so you don’t let up, alternating between the blunt, relentless pressure of your mouth and soft, delicate circles with the very tip of your tongue. This time, too, you add a finger into the mix. She’s boneless the second you curve it.

You’re stealing her tricks like she stole yours. Eyes trying to find hers, but hers are rolled back, her mouth hanging slack. You want them on you, so you click your tongue and insert another finger, curl it inside her. Her eyes shoot open and lock onto yours like you just stole the last piece of pizza and she just can’t believe you got away with it.

She tries saying your name a couple of times, but all that amounts to are wet, choked gasps. She doesn’t let that stop her though. She’s losing control like you’ve never seen before, and she’s dragging you into that rhythm.

She tightens, and it happens faster than at the pool. She cums, hard, her whole body locking again, shaking so hard you’ve got to pin her down, and her back arches off the bed. But only for a moment. You never stopped, not as she squirms from overstimulation, not when she begs you not to.

As her back finishes it’s bow and she goes flaccid, you give her a minute, just to catch her breath. Just to start again. Don’t even let her ask you to, there’s no room for jinxes or invading neighbors now.

At first, she giggles, thinking you’re just returning the favor she performed on your limp cock. But when your tongue circles her still-throbbing clit,her whole body buckles for you. Hyper-sensitive and desperate, but you know what her hands in your hair are telling you.

You keep going. You don’t know how to stop. The taste of her is a current that runs straight to your skull and shorts out the last vestiges of your self-control, the raw, aching want to see her undone all you can think about.

And she continues to impress, sweat glimmering at her hairline, two perfect tears tracking down her cheek. She tries to say something coherent, but it never arrives. Might have been your name. You think a curse could also be an option. Doesn’t matter. Her tongue flattens against her teeth and the sound transforms as the next wave hits her.

You revel in her clenching and spasming, hips smashing into you and arching away, her own body unsure of where to go or what it needs in the most beautiful dance you’ve ever seen.

You don’t let up. Three is not enough. You ease your fingers out of her, making a direct connection between the nerves feeling her every twitch and your brain stem as her body seems to rewire itself with yours. She’s so sensitive now, every touch igniting some kind of fuse.

And you’re greedy to see her burn.

You kiss her clit, just once, and she yelps, a raw, startled noise. “Wait—” she gasps, but you don’t. Can’t. Not yet, anyway. “I’m gonna, I—” she gasps, but then you suck her clit between your lips and play with it with your tongue and she’s too deep, spiraling into another orgasm she didn’t know she could handle.

 This time, she sobs your name. And it doesn’t sound like desperation, not exactly. More like surrender. Like relief.

And that’s your cue. You ease up, mouth and chin slick with her juices, and take it in. There’s not a hard muscle at work there, arms and legs trembling on instinct, spread out wide, chest rising and falling again in frantic, uneven tempo. Her eyes are glassy, staring upwards with hooded lids that could close every second. She’s gone, ascended somewhere, and for a second you think you’ve overplayed it. But she returns with a laugh—just a single one, mind you, scraping breath in deep after it, filled with disbelief, delight and the undertones of a new addiction.

“I eh, I can’t—” she breathes out, voice strained from all the muffling, and she grabs a pillow, hugging it close to her chest, just to have something to bury her face in. “Holy shit,” she curses in full now. “My legs won’t stop fucking shakin, you prick.”

You move up, slide in next to Lia, careful not to cause any more explosions. Her face still glows with the aftershock as she’s clutching the pillow like it’s some kind of stuffed animal you won for her at a carnival. You make a mental note to add that to a bucket list.

You reach over to the nightstand, pour a glass of water from the pitcher provided, and push the glass gently against Lia’s lips. “Drink,” you say, and she does with a big smile, tipping her head back and gulping like her life depended on it. She splutters the last mouthful, wipes her mouth on the pillow, and collapses again.

You stroke her head, slow, patient. “You’re a fucking rockstar, you know that? Not just for being so free tonight, but… man, the way you cum? You’re a miracle.”

She groans into the pillow, mortified. “Shut up. You’re being such a loser right now.”

“Ouch,” you say, cheeky, “And here I was thinking we had something special.”

You lie there, sticky and messy and sweaty, just appreciating the way you fit into each other. A minute drifts by, two. Then she cracks open an eye and grins. "Kind of unfair of you, by the way."

You blink. "What is?"

She reaches over, wraps her hand around your cock who is valiantly refusing to give up the dream, and gives it a languid, teasing pump. "That you’re literally hard as a rock again. I mean, you just ruined me. My legs still don’t work. And you’re just… ready to go."

You can’t deny it’s what you want, but she looks like she might evaporate if you try anything on her. “Oh, you don’t have to—”

She stops that thought before it’s fully formed, squeezing your hilt enough to silence you. “You’re fucking kidding me, right? I’m not doing anything because I have to, it’s because I want to. And that’s thanks to you. You don’t really think I’m going to let you walk out of this place without actually fucking me?”

You open your mouth, but she slides her thumb over your slit, slow, and your brain disconnects from your body for a second. "Lia, you need to recover—"

She cuts you off with a glare. “If you don’t fuck me right now, one of us will die. But—” She holds up a finger, doing her best to get her breathing under control. “Condom. I know you’re a cum fountain, and I am not going to be that cliché.”

She leans over to the nightstand, rummages through the basket of “romantic amenities” and yanks out a foil packet. She tosses it at your chest. “Pick your position,” she says, rolling onto her back and spreading her arms in a gesture of reckless generosity. “Dealer’s choice, remember? But if you do missionary, I swear to god—”

You catch the foil packet with a smirk, weighing it in your palm. The options tumble through your head, a dirty montage: you could go classic, split her open missionary just to see the look on her face and violate her threat; you could get her on her stomach, ass up, push her down and rut her until she’s drooling into the motel comforter; you could even force her into lotus, making her do some of the work and test out her jellied legs some more. All tempting, all hot, but you hesitate. Something about the way she’s looking at you—equal parts challenge and naked trust—makes you want to ask.

“What do you want? I can’t decide,” you say, tearing the foil but waiting.

Lia props herself up on her elbows, squinting like the question is a trick. “What do you mean?”

You shrug. “I mean, if you could pick anything. Any position. What’s your fantasy, Lia?”

She opens her mouth, then shuts it instantly with a glare, very aware that you’re the type to use this against her. She’s not wrong. She considers her options, bites the inside of her cheek, and acts against her better judgement. “Well,” she starts, “You fucked my legs out of commission, so I can’t be riding you.” She pauses briefly. “But, honestly? That thing you did earlier. Piggyback ride. I don’t know why, but it was… really fucking hot. How easy it was for you to hold me. I’m still thinking about it. Like, you, holding me up while you do what you want to me.”

You blink, surprised, but so fucking down. “You’re telling me you want to get fucked without your feet touching the ground?”

She shrugs. If you’re going to use it against her, she might as well mix some defiance into her guilt. “Maybe.”

You slip away from her, standing upright, towering over her with that cock she thinks is so unfair. She doesn’t back down. Her breathing is fast, and she’s waiting to see if you’ll indulge or if you’ll run from the challenge.

Obviously, the only right answer is to hook your hands under her knees, dragging her to the edge of the bed. You move fast, but there’s no roughness. You scoop her up, hands cradling her ass and thighs, hoisting her into your lap like she belongs there. Her arms find your shoulders in an instant, hooking around your neck, legs bracketing around your waist. For a second, you gloat, just holding her, proud of how easy she makes it. Chest to chest, you stare into her eyes, and she blinks, caught off guard by how tender you’re approaching this.

You push her up against the wall, one hand under her ass, the other working together with her hand to tear the condom wrapper. She helps putting it on, fingers trembling as she rolls it down your length.

Her legs clamp tight around your hips, grinding down until she’s got herself just so with the head of your cock pressed in between you. You pull back, line up, then sink in very slowly. You want to savor the way she stretches and molds around you. She’s so fucking tight.

“Holy fuck,” she groans out, eyes pleading, “You’re fucking huge, I don’t know if I— I can’t—”

You keep pushing, not rough but insistent, sliding in and she nearly claws a chunk out of your shoulder for it. “You can,” you whisper back, “you feel so fucking good, Lia, and you’re taking all of me.”

Her hips shift to let you in easier, back arching against the wall, and you take the hint, finally entering fully. She’s panting in your ear for it, but she settles into you.

She twitches every time you throb, the slow and grinding rhythm overtaking her. You’re not rough with her. Maybe next time. Tonight, you want to take her in a way that makes her fall in love with you forever.

“Okay—Okay, it feels good,” she pants, and you believe her, because she’s looking at you like you have light in your eyes. You can’t stop looking at her. “I’m fucking yours,” she somehow manages to push out between her moans. “Don’t fucking stop, it feels so fucking good.”

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck—” is all she can mumble now, and it’s more fucks than you’ve heard from her before this night combined. You grip her ass, holding her steady, and fuck up into her until she shakes, her head dropping onto your shoulder as she cums again, harder than before.

This time, she doesn’t stop. She keeps moving, rocking against you even as you piston in and out, her body greedy for more. She’s a mess—hair wild, mascara running, sweat beading on every inch of her—but she’s never looked better. You kiss her, deep and dirty, and she moans into your mouth.

Even as your hips jackhammer into her, she’s clawing at your back, nails biting in time with your thrusts, leaving raised red gouges like she wants to sign her name in your skin. She’s a machine of noise—every time you bottom out, she yelps, a cracked mewl that might be pain or pleasure or both. You can’t tell the difference anymore.

“Fuck,” she gasps, “fuck, fuck, fuck, you—” Her head thuds against the wall, her hands locked like a vice behind your neck. “I can’t believe you fit,” she cries, “I can’t believe—holy shit, you’re going to break me.”

 Her head lolls, hair fanning over her eyes, but she doesn’t let go. Every time you drive in, she squeezes with her legs, trying to take you even deeper, her cunt milking you so greedily you almost lose it right there. You hold on, wanting to keep this going as long as possible.

“Fuck, Lia—” you grunt, and the way she’s still looking at you, with her lips saying more than her words ever could, make you want to fuck her until she’s sobbing your name and can’t remember hers.

She bites your shoulder, hard, and then whimpers, “I want this every day. I want you to fuck me so stupid I can’t even think. Please, please, stay with me—” She’s babbling, words slurring into each other, punctuated by the wet slap of your bodies colliding. There’s nothing left of the old, careful Lia; she’s a mess, running on pure animal need, and you love her for it.

You slow down, just to tease, and she claws at your back. “Don’t—don’t stop, I need you, please—” Her voice is high and shaking, every syllable a desperate plea. You push her harder into the wall, cock grinding up against her cervix, and she comes again, a high shriek that starts in her chest and ends in your mouth as you kiss her through it. She’s sobbing, laughing, cursing you out, and you’re right there with her, barely holding on.

“Inside—inside, please,” she gasps, “please, I want to feel it pulse, want to made I made you—fuck, fuck, fuck, cum in me—” She’s so far gone she doesn’t even care about her own orgasm anymore. Just begging for yours, spasming around you, aftershock after aftershock.

“God, you’re a mess,” you groan, but you love it, love every ruined, wanton inch of her.

“Yours,” she pants, “I’m your mess, I’m fucking yours, so fill me, please, please—”

Your control snaps. You pin her to the wall, driving in with a force that rattles the whole room, and she shrieks, both hands grabbing your face to keep from floating away. You feel it start low, a static charge building in your spine, then sparking outward, white-hot and blinding.

She kisses you this time, and you’re coming, hard, groaning into her mouth as you burst everything you have and fill the condom inside her.

You somehow stay standing, keeping Lia’s body squished between yours and the wall, a sweaty mess. She bites your bottom limp, then slumps back, limp and boneless. “Oh my god,” she sighs, “I can’t decide if I like the feeling of your cock or your tongue more.”

You stagger back to the bed, collapsing with her still wrapped around you. She clings to you. Even as you lie, she doesn’t let go. You just enjoy the breathing, the returning to life, the existing.

Eventually, she breaks the spell. “So,” she says, “are we dating now, or what?”

You look down at her, and she’s biting her lip, trying not to laugh.

You kiss her, soft and slow. “Yeah,” you say. “We’re dating.” You twist around, finally removing the condom and tossing it in the trash, and collapse back next to her, where she’s waiting for you.

She turns onto her side, snuggling in. “I still have to tell him we broke up,” she says. “He’s probably going to be so pissed.”

“Think he’ll try to win you back?” you ask, rubbing lazy circles into her shoulder.

She groans. “He always does. He’ll probably try to make me feel like I’m the one overreacting, saying he loves me so much, tell me to stop being dramatic and to not throw away what we had.” She pauses, rolls her eyes and continues. “He’s probably blowing up my phone already, like, ‘Where are are, let’s talk about this, it’s not a big deal.’”

You reach for her phone, unlocked and abandoned on the nightstand, and sure enough: seven notifications, all his name, as if he could will her back through volume alone. She silences her phone just as easily, and tosses it on the nightstand.

Almost as if spurred on by an extra need for vengeance, she smiles. “Hey,” she asks, “you got anything left in you?”

You blink, then glance down at your thoroughly spent cock, and laugh, embarrassed. “As much as I want to, I think I’m drained.”

She grins, baring her teeth, and leans down to kiss your chest, then your stomach, then lower, tongue trailing lazy circles. “You sure? Because I could probably get one more out of you if I tried.”

You squirm, half-ticklish, half-hopeful, but after a few minutes of her best efforts, all you manage is a halfhearted salute and a dizzy giggle. “Sorry,” you say, “system rebooting. Please come back when my balls aren’t thoroughly drained.”

You lie there, entwined, for as long as you can get away with. The hotel clock ticks over every excruciating minute, reminding you that you’re on the clock, that this freedom is paid for by the hour and will end as soon as your wallets or bodies run dry. You don’t care. You let the minutes drain from you, marking time by the lengthening pattern of Lia’s fingers tracing the line of your ribs.

Eventually, you both get up, shower off, and put yourselves back together. You’re still trembling a little, a pleasant aftershock, as you walk into the dead of night. The world looks different, like the universe has been rerouted through your joined hands.

She’s got her hair in a messy bun, your hoodie over her shirt, and she’s still not wearing a bra. You follow her down the block, back toward campus, the old world waiting where you left it. You’re halfway there, Lia chattering about nothing, when you hear a voice behind you—loud, sharp, the vocal equivalent of a car alarm.

“Lia! What the fuck?”

You turn. There he is: the ex who doesn’t know it yet, still looking the same as he did when he kissed that girl at that party, like he missed a couple of seasons of Lia.

Lia flinches at the raised volume, some vestiges of his control. You squeeze her hand, once, a silent reminder that you’re here as well. She stands, just a little behind your shoulder, but her chin is up, her spine straight.

He’s got it all loaded: the hurt, the entitlement, the performative anger. “Wow, Lia,” he spits, loud and rattling the air. “This what you do now? Run off with some fucking loser? Real mature. Real classy.”

You brace for impact, for the flinch and the apology and the slow-motion collapse, but Lia just shrugs, all slow confidence. “You don’t get to be mad,” she says, voice steady as a rifle shot. “Not after you did what you did.”

He tries again, louder. “You’re making a fucking scene. You want this guy to see what a goddamn psycho you are?”

And you’re about to step in, to body-block or at least escalate with some well-timed sarcasm, but Lia beats you to it. Her voice is steel and glitter: “Eat shit, asshole.”

She turns to you, and just as he draws a breath to retort, Lia kisses you with a force that feels like it could break your teeth. It’s not gentle, not even a little; her hands are in your hair, her mouth insistent, hungry, and you can feel her ex’s ego shriveling up and dying at the sight.

He stands there, a monument to every mediocre boyfriend in history, jaw working, hands twitching. You almost feel bad for him, but then Lia pulls back, breathless, and you see the look in her eyes and you know the only person in this story worth rooting for is her.

Lia wraps herself around your arm, tucking in like it’s her natural place, and for once you see the boyfriend—ex, you realize now, it’s official—deflate. He opens his mouth, then closes it, then shakes his head, half-laughing and half about to lose it. “You’re a fucking joke, Lia,” he says, voice cracking, “I hope you’re happy together.”

She doesn’t even look at him. She just leans into you, hand spread wide over your stomach, and says, “I am, actually.” She glances back, a parting shot gleaming in her eye, and adds, “He knows how to make me cum. You could learn a thing or two.”

His face goes blotchy-red, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, and for a second you think he might take a swing at you. But then he just shakes his head, mutters the word “sluts,” and shoves his way past, storming off down the block.

You and Lia stand there, your laughter coming out in hiccups, barely able to breathe.

“Holy shit, did you see his face?” She clutches your shirt. “I thought he was going to try and hit you.”

You both laugh at how ridiculous it was, how she revels in her victory. She scrunches up her nose, looks at you with all the love she can give, and there’s no grief.

When you finally reach her dorm building, she hesitates at the door. She turns to you and asks, “So, I’ll see you tomorrow morning then? Promise?”

You nod. “I’ll be here.”

She grins, then pokes your chest, hard. “And not just because I’m the only one that knows how to suck your dick?”

You salute, dead serious. “It helps, but the fact that you’re my favorite person was established before I found your hidden talents.”

Her lips form a tight line, she staggers a bit as she ducks inside and waves over her shoulder, and then the door closes. It takes a minute for you to start walking away.

You eventually make it back to your place, and the clock reads past 4 a.m. as you let yourself into your room, flop face-first onto the bed, and become dead asleep in seconds.

You wake up to a dozen of texts from Lia, all time stamped between 8 a.m. and the current 9 a.m., each more unhinged than the last:

“my thighs are bruised and whose fault is that? yours. youre officially an abuser…”

“jk they’re good bruises”

“remember when i said i wanted u i was serious don’t be a dick about it”

“fuck i can’t stop thinking about your mouth”

“are you awake. please be awake. i want to see you right now. but i also want to sleep for 1000 years. what do i do”

“hey my legs are working again”

“nvm im on the floor SEND HELP”

“my roommates are gone till 5 btw just saying”

“so have you got any juice back in those balls of yours?”

“i havent washed my face yet and i desperately need you here to give me a reason to”

Then there’s a picture. Lia’s on her dorm floor, hair everywhere, face grinning up at the camera, eyes soft with sleep but lit with mischief. Her shirt is one of those oversized, thin things that’s only oversized if you’ve never actually tried to contain anything with it—her nipples show through, and the neckline is so wide it’s sliding off one shoulder, hinting at the curve of her collarbone and the warm, pliant skin below. You can’t tell if she’s wearing anything under it, but that’s probably the point.

“im trying so hard to look good for you so youll finally get the hint and come over to fuck me (multiple holes ready for use btw)“

“just imagine how much better id look if you were here with your cock in my mouth… like??“

You text back: “just woke up. im there in 10. youll look even hotter after i rip those clothes off of you.”

The little typing bubble appears, and three seconds later: “run. i needed you inside me like an hour ago already.”