pcr-sanzu

[pcr-sanzu]

𝐉𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐘 𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐄

- sylus x reader

more than friends with benefits, definitely lovers. your relationship is one filled with banters, steamy nights, and secret strings attached... but when someone shows an interest in you, sylus won't hesitate to stake his claim for everyone to see

genre/warnings: 18+ suggestive content—minors do not interact!—jealousy, crack, fluff, smut, a dash of comfort, assassin!reader (not l&ds mc)

note: loosely a sequel to strictly (un)professional. how this snowballed into 3.8k... i don't really know :')

“Missus, please spare us!”

You shot an unamused look at the twins before you, who clasped their hands together, pleading for you to let them go.

“Why is it so difficult for both of you to say?” you hissed, crossing your arms together. “I’m not asking for much—just a recount of what happened!”

“Boss will have our tongues for this!” Kieran looked up at you, quivering. “No way, I want to live!”

“He’s terrifying…” Luke shuddered in fear, hugging himself. “You don’t know how frightening he is!”

You were holding both Luke and Kieran hostage, the tender preys, all because Sylus refused to reveal what you had been wanting to know these past few weeks.

“So you’re afraid of Sylus…” You fixed them with a steely glare. “But have you ever thought that if you don’t spill it now, I will be the one taking both your tongues?”

“—?! Missus, please!”

“Why are you bullying the twins?” A deep voice cut through the twins’ pitiful laments, and you let out an exasperated huff as your chance slipped away once more.

Speak of the devil, and Sylus shall appear. He looked at the scene before him as if you were all a bunch of kindergarteners.

Luke and Kieran immediately flocked to him. “Boss! Save us! She’s scary!”

And now you were suddenly the scary one. You rolled your eyes. "Your henchmen are useless."

Sylus glanced at you with a half smile, knowing what information you were squeezing the twins for. "Sweetie, just give it up. You'll find peace faster that way."

Was it wrong to be curious about what Sylus had been up to during the three weeks you were unconscious after the attack that literally took your life? Why was he being so secretive about it anyway?

“I know, you were so worried sick you didn’t even eat or sleep,” you taunted your lover with a wicked smile. “That’s why you won’t tell me about it.”

Sylus laughed outright. “Pftt. You’ve got quite the imagination. Good to know.”

Nothing much changed after that night of his confession—if you could call it that—to you. You were indeed no longer strictly his bedwarmer, but your banters stayed the same, if not even more sarcastic now.

“Chop chop, we have an auction to go to, sweetie.” Sylus placed his big hand on your head, amused. “Stop being a hissy kitten towards the poor twins and get ready, hmm?”

“I’ll definitely uncover it,” you shot him a resentful glare. “Just you wait and see.”

Such were your days with your true kindred-spirits lover. He would tease you during the day and turn you into a hot mess at night, and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

In tonight's auction, you had one target: the broker for a new rising star firearms dealer. Sylus had been eyeing him, deducing his goods could be a nice addition to his armory.

And so, you went up to him. However...

“...Are you single, miss?”

Here we go again.

You forced a tight smile. “Sir, I’d appreciate it if we can stick to subject at hand.”

The man blinked, then quickly plastered on a wide grin to mask his surprise. “Oh yes! Yes, I-I’m sorry, I got distracted— well, I’d say this is a pretty solid MoU... but I’ll need to contact my boss first.”

This weirdo... you thought with boredom, is so transparent.

This wasn’t the first time you’d dealt with a situation like this. Granted, you were pretty and you knew it, but usually, more distinguished men would be a bit more subtle about it.

“Take all the time you need,” you encouraged smoothly, your eyes crinkling in an attempt to look friendly. “As you can see, Mr. Sylus has proposed the perfect bargain for this kind of dealings.”

“I wouldn’t argue with that. I assure you we’ll certainly try to accommodate his request.” The man nodded and gave you a meaningful look, before coughing awkwardly. “Uh, sorry, what was your name again, miss?”

Your faux smile remained perfectly still as you replied, “Mephisto.”

The man’s eyes roved over you, and he grinned roguishly. “Right. Still, I never expected Mr. Sylus’ secretary to be as beautiful as you, Miss Mephisto...”

This was tedious. Your patience was tested with every leering look he gave you. Sylus must know this already, and he's somewhere laughing at the sight of you dealing with this creep.

“You flatter me too much, I’m average.”

“No, no! I mean it!”

He knows... yet he wouldn't do anything about it. Not that you would expect Sylus to barge in like a man blinded by envy, but still, he was insufferable for not coming to you just like he had for Miss Hunter back then.

The man kept droning on and on about himself and everything else that had nothing to do with the business deal, and you were this close to dropping him and using your Evol to shut him up when—

He then turned to you expectantly. “Oh, there is a dance! Miss, would you mind if I have your first dance?”

“Oh...”

And it occurred to you... why not spice things up a little?

Sylus’ dark crimson eyes narrowed silently as he watched both of you from the island table while savoring his glass of wine, before he let out a loud snort.

That vermin doesn’t have a clue he is playing with fire.

For most of your interaction, the firearms dealer’s broker kept giving you suggestive looks, and occasionally brushing his hand against yours on purpose. He wasn't even trying to hide it, and it was amusing to see how aggravated you looked the entire time.

Adorable. Sylus found you incredibly endearing these days, from your pouts to your glazed eyes whenever he thrusted into you—

You were oh so delectable… at least until he saw you holding that lesser man's arm, as he led you to the dance floor.

A deep frown immediately formed in his forehead.

“What are you scheming now?” Sylus scowled, half exasperated and half in disbelief. “You naughty cat.”

He was even more irked when he saw how casually you wrapped your arms around that vermin, twirling and pressing yourself against him in a waltz. Seeing him trying to hit on you was one thing, but for you to reciprocate was just plain unacceptable.

—and to his ire, your audacity continued throughout the night.

. . .

“Miss Mephisto, do you play pool?”

“I do.”

“Then, will you play with me?”

Sylus was now burning with tendrils of anger, watching you from a closer corner. He had seen the broker put his hands on you so many times that he had lost count—during the dance, mingling with other guests, and while sharing hearty laughs. All in all, you were acting as if you had forgotten he was even here.

You were threading on a very thin ice and whether you realized it or not... you didn't seem to care.

"Ah, I think your stance is a bit off..." And to make it worse, the broker was definitely seizing every chance he could, as there was nothing wrong with your form—you often accompanied Sylus playing pool, so you were a pro—and yet he still got behind you, trying to drape his arms around your body.

That was the last straw. Enough is enough.

Before Sylus realized what he was doing, he stormed over to where you were, yanked your arm forcefully, and effectively separated you from him. He didn’t give a damn about the horrified shout from the broker or the judging looks from other partygoers as he dragged you by the hand out of the ballroom.

“Sylus!” you nearly shrieked when he kicked open a door to a meeting room and locked it with his black-red mist. He pinned you against the wall, and crashed his lips against yours in a searing kiss.

“Mmph!” You tried pushing him back, but he was stronger and held you in place, his tongue forcing your lips open as he pressed the back of your head toward him. His other hand slipped inside your dress—between your legs— two fingers in—

“—!” you couldn't even squeal as he devoured your mouth and the shock set in, feeling yourself getting aroused by the minute when his fingers did that scissoring thing and edged you further.

After he was done with your mouth, his hot lips trailed down to your neck and shoulder blades, sucking hard on several spots, making you gasp and moan.

"Hah... this... is the price to pay for testing me, sweetie," your lover growled his nickname for you with satisfaction as he noticed you trembling body, nibbling on your shoulder. "You want to get punished so badly, huh?"

"Ahh..." you threw your head back, clinging to him, grinding yourself against his fingers.

"Is it funny to you? Watching me see him touch you?" Sylus' unforgiving ruby eyes stared down at you like a lion eyeing its prey. "What an insolent little kitten you are..."

His fingers kept moving and thrusting inside you in an alarming speed, mercilessly hitting that one spot that could make you cry. He was seriously teaching you a lesson by forcing you to come undone right then and there.

"I-I...!" you tried to refute, but then you felt the knot inside you burst, and in the next second, you could feel yourself coming all over his fingers, shuddering, your breaths coming in pants.

Feeling faint, relief washed you when he pulled out his fingers. You leaned and clung onto him, pulling him closer, and Sylus finally saw what a mess he had turned you into.

Your glassy eyes focused solely on him, seemingly pleading—and those swollen lips, as well as the sizzling heat creeping up your cheeks—

“Ha,” he let out a low chuckle, a wicked grin curling his lips. “If I can still make you look like this, then I suppose I can forgive you.”

“You’re a meanie,” you mumbled breathlessly.

“You’re the mean one,” Sylus tutted with narrowed eyes, starting to pull away from you.

But then you pulled him close again and pressed your lips to his, this time with a gentleness that surprised him.

There was no malice or burning desire in your kiss. Strangely, it felt far more intimate. You pulled away, the heart-stopping swirls of his red eyes captivating you as you pressed your foreheads together.

“Needy, aren’t you, sweetie?” Sylus whispered, holding your gaze, his breath hot against your skin.

But right now, all of a sudden, you looked so vulnerable to him, as if any wrong word from his lips would shatter you. It made him almost feel guilty for manhandling you so roughly.

You didn’t respond, just wanting this closeness with him. Behind your snarky words and little schemes, this was what you wanted more than the release you just got. Sometimes, you still worried—did he want this too?

“What is it?” Sylus asked with a frown, seemingly concerned. “Talk. Tell me.”

“Nothing…” you replied in a small voice.

“Do you feel sick? Want to go back?”

You shook your head.

You weren’t usually this quiet. Sylus couldn’t help being restless at your sudden change. It felt awkward for him to do what he was about to do next, but instinctively, he figured it would comfort you a bit.

You felt a pang in your heart when he pulled away, but in the next instant, a wave of warmth enveloped you as he pressed you to him, burying your head against his sturdy chest.

For someone who deals with blood and gore, your body felt too soft and fragile, yet still fit perfectly in his arms. Though he had held you and made love to you many times before, it was only now that he truly noticed how small you were.

“You’re warm…” you murmured, your voice carrying a hint of a whine.

So needy and pliant… for him.

“My woman is such an enduring mystery.” Sylus mused, sounding almost as if he were lamenting. “Sometimes she’s a brazen kitten without a shred of shame, but then she pulls stunts like this.”

Your heart picked up the pace. You are... his. That was right. You were his woman in every sense of the word now, and he wasn't shying away from it.

But to cover your embarrassment, you could only come up with, “Can you not refer to me as cat...?”

He shot you an irked glance. “No.”

“He calls me by your bird’s name.”

“...”

“Sylus, you can’t murder him. Your deal will go down the drain.”

“Tch.” Sylus blew out an annoyed sigh, glaring at you. “By the time I get back here, you’re going back with me.”

You rolled your eyes. “Yes, yes.”

Honestly you were exhausted, and you wanted to nothing more than a good sleep. But you couldn't just leave the broker without preamble because this deal depended on him, and Sylus too had some loose ends he had to tie before the two of you left.

Strangely, all eyes were on you when you returned to the ballroom. You wondered why as you navigated the crowd until you met the broker you had fooled in so many ways.

“Oh, Miss Mephisto, you’re back!” he was visibly and utterly drunk, and you cringed at the strong smell of alcohol on his breath. But then you noticed his eyes seemed to be fixated on your—

Neck. You realized in horror.

“Oh... hic, t-that... I-I see,” he blabbered, coughing awkwardly as he stared at the marks on your neck. “Miss... so that man is... y-your lover...?”

“Uh...” It was a wonder he didn’t recognize Sylus at first glance. Perhaps it was because he was so infamous, but it astounded you how this person couldn’t even tell that it was him.

"I-I thought... w-we..." he hiccupped again heartbrokenly, before snatching a glass on the table. "Oh, I need more drink!"

You observed him, half cringing. "Sir, I just want to remind you that once the documents are signed—"

"Yeah, yeah! It will be done by the end of the week!" he yelled at you. "Miss, how about you have a drink too!?"

Suddenly, a glass of gin was shoved into your hand, and you let out an irritated sigh. Yeah, he might be right. A glass of alcohol would help you sleep better tonight, you figured, so you chugged it down.

"Huh...?" And it didn’t take you long to realize something was amiss. The dizzying sensation set in far too quickly, you felt so hot, and you had to lean on the table next to you to keep from falling.

“Are you okay...?” a waitress asked you with concern, but the only sound you could hear was your own violent heartbeat. Before you knew it, the glass in your hand slipped from your grasp and crashed into the floor.

"Oh, miss! Are you okay?!" the broker suddenly got a hold over your body. "Oh! It seems you aren't feeling well! Let me escort you to you room!"

Room? You barely discerned what happened when he led you out of the crowd. Your head spun terribly, and then suddenly throbbed, making you clutch it and cry out in pain, "Ah!"

It didn't make sense, no matter how you saw it. You had a pretty good tolerance, so for you to get hungover from a gin was just—

“Oh, does it hurt much?” he suddenly asked in your ear, making you shiver. “Don’t worry... it'll be bearable soon enough... I’ll make sure you will feel good…”

It's him! You realized. He spiked your drink!

His arms were now locking yours, steering you to go into the elevator. You took a deep breath before directing your speech manipulation evol on him— "Let go!"

He was immediately jerked away from you, but as a result, you almost crumpled, your vision swimming and your head pounding intensely. The pain made you feel close to passing out, and yet you managed to trek forward, leaning on the wall for support.

You had to get away from him before he could catch up to you. Panic set in, and when strong arms caught you, you convulsed, thinking he had grabbed you—

“Stop thrashing!”

“S-Sylus...?” You looked up, trying to focus on his face, but everything was so blurry.

“I’m here.” His voice was ragged, and you’d recognize it anywhere. “What happened to you? Are you hurt?”

“M-my head...” Your voice came out as a broken whimper, clutching at your throbbing head. “Hurts...”

You were feverish, trembling against his hold, and you reeked of alcohol. Sylus instantly realized something was seriously wrong and pressed your head into his chest to provide comfort. “Just a little bit longer—” his deep voice carried a subtle hint of alarm as he hoisted you up to his arms. “Hang on, alright?”

But just as he was about to bring you back, he caught the sight of a fleeing silhouette in the corner, and realizing who it was, his right eye blazed, black and red mist swirled in the air and restrained the broker, engulfing his screams.

“S-spare me! P-please!” the man pleaded tearfully, pinned on the ground, and Sylus approached him silently, looking down at him with so much spite in his eyes.

“A roach that doesn’t seem to know his place…” The corners of his lips twisted into a sadistic smile. “Whether you survive or not depends on you. Best hope you’ll last.”

Despite his pleas, he paid it no mind as he walked away with you in his arms.

When you awakened, your head was no longer pounding.

It took you a moment to realize there was a cool compress on your forehead, you were now in a clean oversized sweater, and someone was holding your hand.

Sylus. You looked up to find him asleep, sitting with his back against the headboard beside you. It was rare to catch him sleeping. In this moment, he looked defenseless, yet a faint frown lingered on his handsome face.

Has he been waiting for you like this, holding your hand all night...?

You tried to get a better look at him, but the rustle seemed to wake him up instead, as his eyes cracked open.

“You awake?” he asked, voice so sultry it woke all your senses up. “I was just shutting my eyes.”

“Aren’t you uncomfortable sleeping like that?” you asked.

Sylus turned toward you, his eyes still hazy from sleep. “What about you? Feeling better?”

“Mm-hmm.”

He placed a hand on your head, ruffling your hair gently.

“Really, you...” His stare was so withering it made question marks appear in your head. “I took my eyes off you for one minute, and you ended up with alcohol poisoning?”

“—? I didn’t know! But wait, what happened to that bozo?”

Sylus gave you a deadpan look, and you gasped. “You… didn’t kill him and have his body secretly disposed of, did you?”

“Just who do you think I am?”

“…a kingpin of an illegal syndicate?”

Your lover’s scowl deepened further at your response. “Nah, he got lucky. I only returned him with a broken jaw, broken hips, and two missing teeth.”

“Sylus!”

If he looked sleepy before, now he definitely looked wide awake. Sylus always sleeps at dawn, and you wanted him to rest more than anything, but now you were itching to ask him...

“Say... were you waiting for me while sitting like this too when I wasn’t conscious for three weeks?” You avoided his gaze, the question burning on your lips. Sylus had never given you a straight answer whenever you asked him about this.

This time too, he grumbled, “Why do you keep asking that?”

“Because I can’t ask Luke and Kieran, they look as if you’d set them on fire.”

Sylus went silent, not giving you any affirmation at all, and you huffed and unclasped his hand, pursing your lips together. “I see. You don’t care about me at all. Noted.”

You heard him sigh, before his red eyes squarely landed on you.

“When I was shot, you worried about me even when you know I’m going to be alright,” he suddenly posed the question on you. “Didn’t you?”

You nodded, and he tousled your hair again—the action alone somehow made you feel warm.

“Whatever you felt that day, that’s the same to what I went through during those three weeks. Multiply it by ten.”

“Huh!?” you rose up from the sheets in surprise, facing him.

Sylus then turned away from you, crossing his arms and shutting his eyes. “That’s it, sweetie. I’m going back to sleep now.”

“Wait!”

You scrambled into his lap, clinging to his shoulder. Sylus begrudgingly opened his eyes again, a look of irritation on his face. “What?”

Multiply it by ten…? Heh. At this moment, you felt light and giddy, knowing that the two of you were now true lovers in every way that mattered even when you were faced with his sourness.

“Don't scowl too much!” you giggled merrily. You placed your fingers on the corners of his lips, gently lifting them to force a smile. “Honesty suits you much better, Sylus. It’s recommended.”

This cheeky woman... Sylus never thought the day would come for him to experience these myriad of emotions, much less for them to be incited by you.

He pulled you close, one arm around your hips and the other around the back of your head. Your lips met his in a passionate kiss that left no room for further conversation, only parting when you both needed to catch your breath.

“If you want me to, then don’t make me relive those nights,” he said with a sly smile, his crimson eyes glinting in the light and his voice like silk against your ears. “Can you?”

His tone softened your gaze, a warm sensation spreading through your chest. You responded with a playful snort, wrapping your arms around his neck and giving him another peck on the lips.

After your innocent make-out session, you nestled closer to him with a contented sigh, savoring the reassuring warmth of his embrace as you both drifted off again into the morning.

Epilogue

"Do you hear anything?"

"No, nothing..."

Luke and Kieran whispered amongst themselves as they tried to hear anything of importance beyond Sylus' bedroom. After their boss went back home with you passed out in his arms last night, they had totally expected the worst.

“Seems like she’s alright then…” Kieran concluded, stepping away from the door. “We should just go. If Boss catches us, we’re dead.”

The twins backed away from the door and went back to the living room, sighing in relief.

"But honestly, Boss has changed lately, hasn't he? He looks kinder, somehow."

"Are you sure, Luke? Maybe it's just when he looks at the missus. With us, meh."

“I still get chills thinking about when he destroyed the Protofield to dust after he found her following the explosion,” Luke gazed off in wonder. “It was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen, but it was also heartbreaking—especially when he tried to wake her and realized she was beyond help because the steel had pierced her heart…”

Luke and Kieran went quiet at the memory.

“Anyhow!” Kieran suddenly exclaimed. “All’s well that ends well! To be honest, I totally saw it coming that they'd end up together!”

“Ooh, you're right! They did a bad job of hiding it too, no less! I mean, one time, the missus came out of his room while—”

As the twins gossiped about their master and mistress, they were unaware that Mephisto the crow, perched nearby, was dutifully recording their conversation and would report it all to his master later.

[pcr-sanzu]

a sexy syndrome is a syndrome where you're incredibly sexy and not many people can resist it

[pcr-sanzu]

Imagine request please. Sylus is frustrated that someone he's fond of always looks away from him. But one day, she turns away and is facing a window/mirror; he catches her reflection and discovers she only does that because she's trying to hide her blush from them. What happens next?

sylus imagine with blushing reader

Sylus paced the room, his frustration barely concealed behind a mask of indifference. You sat across from him, nervously fidgeting with your hands. It wasn’t the first time he noticed this—the way you always avoided looking directly at him. It grated on him more than it should, a sting of rejection he couldn't shake.

Why did you always look away?

“Sweetie” Sylus’s voice cut through the tension, low and commanding. “Why do you always turn away from me?”

You stiffened at the question, the heat rising to your face. You kept your eyes on the window, the glass reflecting both the stormy cityscape outside and the quiet intensity of Sylus’s gaze. His question hung in the air, demanding an answer but your heart raced too fast for you to respond.

“Don’t pretend you didn’t hear me.” Sylus’s tone had that teasing edge he always used to rattle you. He approached slowly, a predator in control of the space, the moment. “You do this every time. I talk, and you look away. Tell me…” He paused, leaning against the table behind you, his voice dipping lower, “Why do you act like you’re afraid of me?”

Your breath hitched but before you could muster a reply, Sylus’s eyes flicked to the glass of the window where your reflection was faintly visible. And there it was—your blush, unmistakable, painting your cheeks a soft pink. His eyes narrowed slightly, a slow realization dawning.

A smirk tugged at his lips.

“Well, well…” he muttered, pushing off the table and moving closer until he stood directly behind you. “You’re not afraid at all, are you, kitten?” His hand gently slid to your waist, fingers brushing your side. You stiffened at his touch, feeling the heat rise to your face even more. “You’re just trying to hide that blush from me.”

You froze, caught in the moment, the warmth of his body so close that you could feel his breath on your neck. Sylus’s lips hovered near your ear, his voice a soft tease. “Isn’t that right?”

You tried to stammer out a denial, but words failed you. Sylus, however, wasn’t going to let you off that easily. He turned you around, forcing you to face him.

“Let me see that cute little blush you’ve been hiding,” he whispered, his tone both mocking and playful. He tilted your chin up so you couldn’t escape his gaze. “You thought I wouldn’t notice? You’re adorable.”

Your eyes met his for just a moment before you instinctively tried to turn away again, but this time he wasn’t having it. He caught your chin between his fingers, holding your face firmly in place, his dark eyes gleaming with amusement.

“There it is” he said, his tone softening ever so slightly as he took in your flustered expression. “You look so sweet when you’re embarrassed. Did you think you could hide that from me forever?”

Your heart pounded in your chest and the intensity of his gaze made it hard to breathe. You wanted to look away again but Sylus wasn’t letting go. His thumb brushed over your lower lip and the touch sent a shiver down your spine.

“You’ve been trying to avoid me, huh?” he murmured, his voice lowering to that dangerously soft tone he used when he was completely in control. “But now I know. You’re not scared—you’re just flustered. How cute.”

You swallowed hard, your body betraying you as your face grew even warmer. Sylus leaned in closer, his lips just a breath away from yours, his hand still resting on your waist. The teasing glint in his eyes only deepened.

“You’re adorable when you blush like this, sweetie” he whispered, his lips brushing against your ear as he spoke. “But don’t hide from me. I like seeing you flustered.”

His fingers traced a line down your neck, slow and deliberate, leaving goosebumps in their wake. The touch was almost gentle, but there was an underlying intensity to it that made your breath catch in your throat.

“Maybe I’ll have to tease you more often if this is the reaction I get,” he continued, his smirk widening as he watched you squirm under his gaze. “You look so pretty when you’re like this.”

You couldn’t form a coherent response, not with the way he was looking at you, the heat in his eyes and the teasing lilt in his voice making your mind go blank. Sylus seemed to sense this, and his amusement only grew. He leaned in even closer, his lips barely brushing against yours.

“Tell me, kitten” he whispered, his voice like velvet, “why hide from me when you look so cute being all flustered?”

Before you could respond, his lips met yours in a brief but heated kiss. It was soft at first, teasing, like he was savoring the moment of catching you off guard. But then, the kiss deepened, his hand tightening on your waist as he pulled you closer, his lips demanding and firm against yours.

When he finally pulled away, you were breathless, your heart racing, your cheeks burning even brighter than before. Sylus chuckled, his forehead resting lightly against yours as he whispered, “There it is again. That blush. You can’t hide from me, sweetie.”

His thumb gently brushed your cheek, the touch almost tender, though the playful smirk never left his face. “You’re mine” he murmured, his voice soft but possessive. “And I’m not going to let you forget that.”

Still flustered and speechless, you could only look at him, your heart pounding in your chest. Sylus gave you a satisfied smile, clearly pleased with how thoroughly he’d unraveled you.

“I think I’ll keep you blushing like this,” he teased, his voice low and promising as he pulled you closer again. “I like the way you look when you’re all flustered for me.”

[pcr-sanzu]

Sylus would sometimes intentionally keep his hair messy while going out. It wouldn't be much maybe a cow lick or one of Mephisto's feather sticking out of his head. He knew it would bother you.

"I think you have a feather in your hair? Shouldn't you remove it before we head out?" You pointed out, trying your best not to be rude.

"Hmm fix it for me" he says bowing his head in front of you. But this cheeky crow intentionally didn't bend far enough. He enjoyed seeing you on your tippy toes with absolute concentration on your face.

"You know I can't reach you like this! Why are you so tall? For all I know you might be the descendant of a titan" you grumbled trying to pull him down.

Sylus leaned forward, his breath fanning over your face, his lips hovering over yours "is it that I am tall or that you are tiny, kitten?" His eyes sparked with mischief. Darting between your eyes and your lips. The slow caress of his hand on your back didn't go unnoticed either.

"I am not tiny. You are just a behemoth of a man. Now get lower and let me fix your hair" you tried to seem stern while fighting all those butterflies in your stomach and honestly you were losing.

He didn't say anything nor did he back away from you. He gracefully began dropping to his knees while keeping his eyes glued to yours. His hand slowly traveled from your back to settle on your hips and held on to you like a devotee praying

"You are the only one in this world who is able to order me around like this" he drawled seeming almost intoxicated just by the sight of you. You couldn't help but notice how his words seemed more like a confession than a statement. And that fact flooded your heart with warmth.

"And you wouldn't have it any other way" you said smiling and fixing his hair.

"And I wouldn't have it any other way" he repeated with absolute devotion and adoration in this eyes

[pcr-sanzu]

[pcr-sanzu]

There for you

genre: angst, fluff, hurt/comfort, established relationship

pairing: Jeonghan x reader

summary: You were there for people when they needed you most, but when you desperately needed someone, anyone—no one was there. That is, until you met Jeonghan.

warnings: mentions of reader being in a dark place mentally (Jeonghan comes to the rescue though)

note: For those of you who have been there for others when no one was there for you. I hope that you know you're not alone, there will always be someone willing to listen <33 This fic is so self-indulgent omg 😭. Enjoy reading the fic <3

You have always been there for everyone. You're the type of person to lend a shoulder for someone to cry on while rubbing their back comfortingly. Heck, you've even been coined the "emotional support" role in your friend group.

But you had always wondered why when you were the one needing help, no one would notice.

No one would be there to give you a hug while assuring you everything would be alright. No one would be by your side when you let out your sobs at 12 am, muffling your cries with your pillow so you didn't wake anyone up.

You were there for people when they needed you most, but when you desperately needed someone, anyone—no one was there.

That is, until you met Jeonghan.

Jeonghan had appeared into your life like an angel.

Your life that felt like it was pitch black became brighter when Jeonghan appeared. He saved you from the darkness that once had consumed you.

Jeonghan was there for you when you felt dead inside. He made you feel alive with the way he listened intently to your every word, something that not many people had done before. He made you feel alive with the way he gently gave you comforting touches, silently assuring that he was there with you.

Jeonghan was there for you when you didn't even realize how much you needed him.

You snap out of your thoughts the second you hear the shuffling of sheets as a half-awake Jeonghan scoots closer to you on the bed.

"Morning baby." he mutters with a smile, the effects of sleep making his voice all gravely and deep.

You let out a smile at the sight as you gently trace Jeonghan's features. From the curve of his lips to the roundness of his eyes, every part of him was beautiful. "Thank you."

"What? All of a sudden?" Jeonghan says with a laugh as he wraps his arms around your waist with a fond look in his eyes.

"Thank you for being there for me when no one else was," you explain while carding your fingers through Jeonghan's hair as Jeonghan tugs your body closer to his with a fond smile in response, his eyes so full of love and pure adoration for you.

"I'll always be there for you," he whispers into your ear as he gives you a soft kiss on the cheek.

[pcr-sanzu]

" i will never be too mad to take care of you "

pairing : yoon jeonghan x gn!reader

"13 ways to say "i love you" with seventeen"

warnings : language , descriptions of a wound , blood

word count : 0.5 k

a/n : last minute i actually decided to flip jeonghan's and joshua's prompt , we'll see if i regret it

Your eyes follow Jeonghan carefully, tracking his movements throughout the kitchen. Waiting for him to say something. Anything. But he doesn't, he simply continues to mull about his business. Completely ignoring your presence and the tension that hangs heavily in the air as a result of your recent argument.

It wasn't the biggest fight you've ever had, but it was surely up there. In the heat of it, you said some things you didn't mean, things that seemed to hit Jeonghan in just the right spot to set him off. You felt bad at first. The moment tears began to gather in his eyes and his face dropped you felt the urge to apologize. But then he opened his mouth and shot some choice words back at you in a way that hit just as hard. All thoughts of talking it out ceased then and there, and so ensued the ongoing silence between you two.

Even just his lingering presence as you try to prepare dinner has you on edge. So much so, that you focus all your attention on what he's doing and what he could be thinking rather than the onion you're chopping up. With your mind split, it only takes a few seconds before you feel the knife slice into your hand. It clatters to the ground as you cry out and cradle your injured hand.

"Ah– shit!"

Jeonghan is at your side in half a second, maybe less. Reaching out to take hold of your hand so he can examine it. "What happened?" His voice is urgent, but his grip is gentle as he hovers over the bleeding wound.

"Ow– I'm fine, it's fine—"

"No, you're not. Just take a seat, I'll be back in a second." He's gone and back in under a minute, the first aid kit from the upstairs bathroom tucked under his arm. You sit in the nearest chair and Jeonghan kneels in front, delicately taking your hand into his palm.

It stays silent as he cleans around the cut and begins to tenderly wrap the fluffy white gauze around your hand. "It looks pretty deep. I think it'd be best if we go to the emergency room and have it looked at, I can drive."

"Why?" The word slips out before you can stop it.

Jeonghan gives you a funny look. "Um, because you might need stitches?"

"No. I meant why do you care?" Tears brim at your lashes and you can feel the tidal wave of pent-up emotions ready to crash down. "I said some really awful things. You should be mad right now, not helping me—"

"Woah woah woah, hey," He soothes. His palm softly cups your face while the other rests on your knee, squeezing it. "I will never be too mad to take care of you." The sincerity in his sparkling gaze never falters.

"I'm really sorry, Jeonghan. I promise I didn't mean what I said."

"I know," he smiles, rising to his feet to press a chaste kiss on your forehead. "I'm sorry as well. We can talk about it once you're better."

[pcr-sanzu]

❁ pictures you've taken of your boyfriend, jeonghan

More of the boyfriend pictures series

[pcr-sanzu]

nightmares no more

pairing: yoon jeonghan x reader

genre: fluff, ceo au

w/c: 0.8k

summary: everyone wants yoon jeonghan and you were lucky enough to score him.

warnings: none

a/n: this right here is my man, love of my life, aaaaa i love him so much, also disclaimer this post used to be under my old url httphannie <3

It was already well past midnight and you were still sitting at your desk, paperwork laid out in front of you. To anyone it would look like an uncoordinated mess but you had everything in the right place. There were the legal documents that you were settling for the contract with another company and there were the marriage plans over there. Your bulletin board behind you was pinned with various arrays of dresses and contracts. 

You rubbed your eyes, tired from the work. If you went to sleep now you wouldn't have the preparations for tomorrow's meeting ready, not to mention you had to go see the venue for the wedding with Jeonghan. Your week had been busy and you hadn’t gotten a good night's sleep in what seemed like forever. 

Being the secretary of the CEO of the biggest company in the country and trying to balance planning your wedding was hard. You were constantly rushing everywhere; trying to get everything perfect. Not to mention the nightmares you had been getting. It was a big enough scandal when the press found out you were dating your boss but now they knew you were engaged to him. 

Yoon Jeonghan was one of the most sought out bachelors in the country and even when the both of you had announced your relationship, there were still some delusional girls who would try to hurt you. Every night you woke up in a cold sweat, the same image of not being able to breathe and hands grabbing you from every angle haunted your mind. That was partly the reason why you were still up working.

There was a knock on the door and Jeonghan popped his head around. “I thought I told you to take a break.” You rushed to him, embracing him tightly, inhaling his comforting scent. “I missed you too, my love.”

It was as if the barriers that were protecting you fell apart and you felt tears start rolling down your eyes. You couldn’t stop them from falling while you hiccuped continuously. Jeonghan hugged you tighter, running his fingers through your hair, untangling the kinks. 

“Why’re you crying? You're making your beautiful face look sad.” He pressed a kiss on your forehead as he stared at your glassy eyes. 

“I don’t know.” You sniffled. “It’s just that I’ve got the contracts to prepare and then we have the wedding, not to mention all the nightmares I’ve been having. I just feel like I can’t do anything, you’re the one handling all those people, Hannie.”

Your fiance frowned, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. “That’s not true. Who’s been handling all these business papers, even though I told them not to worry, and who’s been holding this wedding on their shoulders?” Jeonghan smiles. “There’s so much light in you that it blinds me sometimes. You’re a wonderful person and I love you, so it doesn’t matter what people think. Much less people who don’t even know you.”

“Why are you like this?” Your cheeks were still stained with tears but your lips were curled into a small smile.

“Like what?” Jeonghan gave you a cheeky grin, he blinked innocently up at you. “I’m just telling the truth. You stole my heart the moment I saw you.” He gasped dramatically, clutching his chest, before giving you a wink.

You giggled, pulling him in for a kiss. It was sweet when your lips touched, both of you had been so busy that it had been so long since you shared such an intimate moment. His lips were warm and you couldn’t help but feel at ease when he was with you. 

Jeonghan picked you up suddenly which made you squeal. He didn’t let you say anything, carrying you out of your office and into your shared bedroom. He threw you down on the bed, arms pinning you both sides. A second of silence ticks by. You stared lovingly at your fiance before tugging him down onto you.

“Are you trying to seduce me, Yoon Jeonghan?” 

“And what if I am, Y/n? Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for my charms already.” His tongue flicked over his bottom lip. You didn’t get to reply before a yawn escaped your mouth, your cheeks flushed and you diverted your eyes. 

Jeonghan grinned and he leant down so his forehead was touching yours. He let out a light laugh. “Sleep, my love. I’ll keep the nightmares away.” 

You knew you didn’t have a choice by the way he was looking at you, it was the same way he’d stare down his partners to get a good deal out of them. Reluctantly, you nodded, letting him tuck you in and kiss you goodnight.

“Take two weeks off, the company can survive without you 24/7.” Jeonghan placed a finger against your lips, knowing you were going to start protesting. “That isn’t a question, you’re far too stressed, just let me handle things.”

“But Hannie-”

“No.” He placed his hand on your cheek, the warmth spreading through his palm and across your face. “From now on, you’re not allowed in that office, you leave all the work to me. I’m the CEO for a reason Y/n. Promise?”

You sighed, knowing it was no use to try and protest. “Promise.” 

Jeonghan smiled, placing a kiss on your cheek. “Sleep well, my love.”

[pcr-sanzu]

smitten

pairing: yoon jeonghan x fem!reader

genre: fluff

w/c: 0.7k

summary: jeonghan is completely smitten for you and he refuses to admit it.

warnings: noneee

a/n: aaa i hope you guys like this <3 i wasn't gonna post two fics in a row but i whipped this one up in about half an hour so i hope you guys enjoy it! not sure if i should make it a mini series, lmk!

Jeonghan found it hard to breathe with you around. He found it hard to focus, to concentrate. He had always been one to keep his cool, to stay calm and collected but ever since he met you all logical thinking had been thrown out of the window. He wasn’t a type of guy that would get nervous and he certainly wasn’t the type of guy that would get distracted. Jeonghan prided himself in being the stoic and very attractive star student at Seoul National University. 

So why did he find himself completely befuddled in front of you?

You who were so beautiful, so pretty, so gorgeous yet so annoying. He had never met another girl who would claw at his bones more than you. Your tinkling laugh and bright shiny eyes. It all made him go positively crazy and he couldn’t do anything to help that. You had this magnetic pull that would drag Jeonghan along despite his protests. 

His friends had all teased him for it. They had seen the way his cheeks would flush whenever you stared at him or the way he would look at you with the most lovesick eyes. Nevertheless, he continued to deny his affections. 

It didn’t matter anyway. You were too dense to notice how everyone seemed to snicker whenever you went up to Jeonghan or the way everyone would peer over their textbooks whenever you asked to partner up with the infamous student. You, who’s smile was so bright, failed to see how everyone could tell how smitten Yoon Jeonghan was for you even if he denied it. 

“Hannie!” Your voice echoed through the hallway and Jeonghan winced at the loud sound. His expression remained neutral as you came bounding up towards him with the most adorable grin on your face. “Guess who just got full marks on her test? Me!”

The test paper you shoved in his face made Jeonghan go cross eyes as he struggled to decipher your scrawled answers and the red pen the professor had marked with. The biggest thing that caught his eyes was the 100 in the top right hand corner. 

“That’s good Y/n.”

“Is that all you have to say?” You pouted as you removed the test paper from his face. “I worked so hard for that Hannie, I pulled all nighters and everything! I didn’t even ask you for any help, isn’t that impressive?”

“Yeah.” Jeonghan felt the cage of butterflies fly open in his stomach and he gulped. “That’s amazing Y/n but you really shouldn’t stay up revising, it actually decreases the chance of taking information in. You can enter sleep deprivation and it has a really high chance of simply going blank in exams and that’s not good at all you know.”

Your smile remained on your face as Jeonghan continued to rattle off the side effects of lack of sleep. You stepped closer towards him, only inches away. Jeonghan’s breath hitched as he stared at your pretty face. His eyes flickered to your lips and then your eyes. The eyes he could stare into forever and not get bored with. 

“Then you help me revise. I could use help from that brain of yours. I actually did go blank in my exam but it wasn’t because of sleep deprivation.”

Jeonghan knew better than to ask what but he couldn’t help the curiosity that was gnawing at his mind like a beast begging to be set free. He stared at you, your bright expression rendering him speechless as he tried to come up with words to say.

“What was it then?” He croaked out, voice trembling at the close proximity. “Why did you get distracted?”

You giggled leaning in closer so that your lips were brushing his ear. “You.”

Jeonghan froze, his whole body stood still like ice and you continued to giggle and he saw the way your smile seemed to grow bigger. His heart pounded in his chest as he watched you step back, the test paper still clutched in your hands. He felt his cheeks burst into flames as his jaw hung open in shock at your words. 

“See you later Hannie! I’ll pop over so we can exchange notes.” 

You waved him goodbye before skipping away as if you hadn’t just caused the poor guy to melt in his shoes. Jeonghan gripped his textbooks tightly and he tried to breathe in through his nose and out through his mouth. The beating of his heart could be heard in his ears and he tried desperately to calm himself down.

You were the only one capable of making Yoon Jeonghan grow completely flustered and he hated it.

[pcr-sanzu]

It's Nice To Have A Friend | yjh x f!reader

It's Nice To Have A Friend Masterlist

Playlist: It’s Nice To Have A Friend - Taylor Swift | Ribs - Lorde | Headliner - Seventeen | Thinkin Bout You - Woodz | All 4 Nothing - Lauv | 17 - Pink Sweat$ feat. Seventeen

Rating: T | WC: ~2.8k | Genre: romcom, best friends to lovers, unrequited love(?)

Warnings: alcohol mention, suggestive thoughts

Jeonghan wakes with a start, your body heavy with sleep on his and your warm breaths puffing out over his chest. He was having the most incredible dream and, for once, he remembers every bit of it. 

You, in that white dress he’d seen in the store window. You, walking down petal littered cobblestones to meet him at the end of an altar. You, vowing to be his wife and sealing it with a kiss. You, telling him you love him and never want to be apart. 

He wants it, desperately. And not just the wedding part, but the married life part too. The grocery shopping together, the decorating the house, the dinner parties where your friends get too wasted and have to sleep over. The brushing teeth side by side, the waking up together every day, the going to sleep side by side every night. 

He knows there’ll be hard parts, fights and stress and difficulties to face, but it’ll be the two of you against the problem and you’re a team that never loses. 

And maybe he’s a bit hasty in deciding to marry someone he hasn’t even dated, but you’re his best friend in the whole world. There could be nobody better for him than you, and nobody better for you than him. He knows this, and he hopes you know it too. 

He also hopes you won’t be too upset if you wake up alone. He’s got some jewelry shopping to do. 

Jeonghan can tell you’re confused when he returns to the hotel. He was gone a bit longer than he meant to be, missed breakfast without even leaving a note, but if you were really worried you would have texted him. It appears you’re only slightly worried, waiting for him on the couch as you are with a furrow between your brows and your lip caught between your teeth. 

“Where’d you go?” You ask as he lets the door close with a click. 

“Just for a walk, I woke up early and didn’t want to disturb you,” he lies, with probably not enough guilt but more than he’d feel for lying to anyone else. 

“Oh,” you deflate in relief, “How was the weather? Do you think we could get one more beach day in?”

One more. Right. This trip ends tomorrow, meaning the bubble will pop and you’ll return to your normal lives. Jeonghan can’t stand the thought of going back to a reality where you’re not his wife, but if today goes well, he won’t have to. 

“It looked a bit cloudy, but it may clear up in a couple hours. Do you want to go to the farmer’s market at the piazza? We could get lunch and walk around,” he offers, wanting to save the beach until later. 

“Yeah! That sounds so nice, let’s go,” you beam, shooting up off the couch to skip to the bedroom and pick out an outfit. He follows at a sedate pace, almost nervous to see what you’ll choose to wear. You only have sundresses left, and those are deadly to him. They were even before he figured out he has feelings for you, but now he really will be in danger of pulling you into some dark alley and ravishing you. 

You pick one of the less harmful options, a floral dress that flutters about your thighs but doesn’t cut too low in the front, giving him a chance to not lose his mind today. He thanks you with a kiss and a, “You’re so pretty,” before taking your hand and pulling you to the door, eager to get to the market and find something to eat. 

Jeonghan pats his full belly and looks around serenely. You’re next to him on the bench, your face tilted into the sun and your eyes closed as you bask. He’s basking too, but not in the sun. 

He’s basking in your presence, in the ability to sit so close to you and hold your hand like this, in the security of knowing that you’ll still be his when you go home, even if his plan doesn’t work out. 

Obviously, he hopes it does, but he doesn’t want to push you into anything you’re not ready for, and if you don’t want what he wants, he’ll just have to live with it. 

He thinks you might, though, want what he wants. You haven’t taken your ring off once, you’ve adapted incredibly quickly to being called Mrs. Yoon, and you’ve already been bickering with him like a married couple for your whole friendship. He knows those things don’t necessarily mean you want to marry him, but a man can dream. 

It almost feels like he is dreaming. He’s sitting here on a bench in a piazza on an island off the coast of Italy. You’re here with him. There are wedding rings on your fingers and your thigh is pressed up against his. He can smell coffee and salt on the wind, the sky is completely clear and the bluest he’s ever seen, and every color seems more vibrant, from the teal of the sea to the ruby of the tomatoes for sale 10 feet away. 

Your voice stirs him from his thoughts, “I wish we could stay.”

One side of his mouth lifts in a half smile before he presses his lips to your temple, murmuring, “Me too, baby, me too,” as he pulls back just far enough to gaze at you. Your eyes are still closed, the apple of your cheek and slope of your nose naturally highlighted by the sun. You’re wearing a little grin, as if you feel his eyes on you and know exactly what he’s doing. 

He doesn’t mind and he definitely doesn’t stop, moving his focus from your face to the elegant arch of your neck and the curve of your collarbones, the spaghetti straps of your dress laying delicately on your shoulders. He wishes he could let his eyes travel lower but, considering the fact that it’s barely noon and you’re in a very public place, he supposes he shouldn’t. 

“You gonna stare all day?” You ask teasingly, your head lolling to the side as you peek one eye open at him. 

“I just might,” he teases back, knocking his knee into yours and pointedly returning his focus to your face. There’s a zip down his spine when your gaze locks with his, a jolt of electricity that used to feel more like static shock.

You nudge back and soon enough, you’re bumping elbows and knees and giggling like kids, completely unaware of the (mostly) fond looks you’re getting from other people. You spend half the day on that bench, just talking and laughing, before Jeonghan realizes you should probably be getting to the beach. 

He jolts to his feet and takes your hand, tugging you behind him to the bus that will take you down to the shore just as it rolls up to the piazza. He’s not tentative about wrapping his arm around you this time, nor is he shy about pulling you into his side when the vehicle jostles you as it makes its way down the narrow streets of the town. 

The sea comes into view slowly, as do the duo of lounge chairs Jeonghan requested. The area around the chairs is clear, an almost comical radius of ten or so feet empty before the sand is filled with umbrellas and loungers. The empty space just makes the duo stand out more, and he winces, wishing there was a bit more privacy. 

He would have taken you out on the charter again, but the captain wasn’t available on such short notice and they wouldn’t give him a boating license after he admitted to intentionally capsizing four jet skis at once, so the beach it is. 

Leading you to the pair of loungers, Jeonghan tries to ignore the shaking of his hands and the unsteadiness of his breaths, hoping you don’t notice either. It appears he gets away with his nerves, your focus on the drink tray and the book waiting for you in your bag. You settle in quickly, reclining in the chair and getting right into the next chapter, leaving Jeonghan some time to get things arranged. 

Okay, he’s got the limoncello, he’s got the ring, and he’s got the list. It’s something he put together this morning because he knew you’d need some convincing of the logistics. You can be a very romantic person but you’re not known for your spontaneity, and getting married last minute on a trip to Italy seems like something that requires a bit of that. So, he put together this list addressing everything from what you’ll do when you get home to how many rooms your future house will have. It’s the most planning he’s ever done and his hand aches with all the writing, but it’s worth it if it helps convince you even a little. 

He lets you read for a while, knowing you have four chapters left to finish so you can read the sequel on the plane. Your distraction gives him some time to try to calm the racing of his heart and the trembling of his fingers, though no amount of deep breathing seems to be helping. 

All he has to do to execute his plan is drop the ring in the limoncello waiting for you. It should be easy, should be stupidly simple, but suddenly, it feels just that - stupid. 

Why would he put the ring in alcohol? You’d have to rinse it clean before you could wear it and then you wouldn’t want to drink the limoncello because the ring was in it, and also what significance does limoncello even have? Yes, you’ve been drinking it this whole trip and yes, it may have fueled some of the heat that pushed you to confess to him, but does he really want to include it in your proposal, a story you’ll tell for the rest of your life?

His method of asking you isn’t even the only problem with his plan. It’s far too hot and far too bright, and there’s too many people on this beach, and you’re too exposed thanks to the radius he’d requested and everything is wrong, and he can’t ask you like this, but then how will he ask you? 

All Jeonghan wants is to be married to you, he doesn’t understand why getting there has to be this difficult. It should be as simple as just telling you he wants to be with you for the rest of his life and asking if he can be your husband for real. 

…

Wait. Why can’t it be that simple? 

He turns to you, his mouth open to speak and change both of your lives, and finds you… sleeping. You’re sleeping, your book facedown on your chest and your head tilted towards him. 

Jeonghan supposes he can wait a little bit longer. 

Something buzzes on Jeonghan’s chest, stirring him from a dreamless slumber. His body feels warm despite the umbrella, the sound of the waves soothing him before he can even get annoyed about being awoken. The first thing he does is check to make sure you’re still there and when he looks over to find you unmoved, he breathes a sigh of relief. 

He must have gotten a text, but he’s unsure who might’ve-

Oh. OH. 

This is perfect, he thinks, reading the message and reaching over to nudge you awake. There’s not a lot of time to get to the hotel and then to the docks, but he’ll just have to make it work. 

“Jeonghan, you don’t even walk this fast in the Lego store, what’s going on?” You huff, trying to keep up with him as he speeds down the wooden planks, your hand held tightly in his and your footsteps sounding behind him. 

“You’ll see,” he teases, slowing his pace until you can walk next to him instead, the La Luce Stellare waiting for you just at the end of the dock. The sun is slowly sinking, the warm reds and oranges painting the sky into a perfect backdrop to the gently bouncing boat. It looks like the captain made it even more romantic somehow, with a sheer white curtain arch and fresh flowers all over the deck. 

“What’s all this?” Your voice wavers, your steps slowing to a stop as you near the boat. He tries to tug you further, but you’re frozen where you stand. 

“Jeonghan?” 

He sighs, turning to pull you into his arms and sway you gently, hoping the contact will help you swallow his next few words. 

“This is me trying to marry you.”

Your eyes grow wide, your mouth dropping open as if you want to speak but no words come out, just a strangled sound. 

You cling to him when he pulls away, shock filling your face as he sinks down to one knee with a shaky grin and both of his hands grasping your left one. 

“Y/n… I’m sorry you loved me by yourself for all this time, but I’m here now and I’m so in love with you, I feel like I could do anything. These past few days of being your pretend husband have been the best of my life, and I’m hoping you feel the same way. I’m also hoping that you’ll agree to marry me because I don’t think I can go one more second without being your real husband and having you as my real wife. I’m serious, I’ll throw myself off this dock right now.” 

He relays all of this with tears in his eyes and a sincerity that almost scares him, but what’s scarier is the fact that he has no idea how you feel. You’re just standing there, your mouth open and your fingers trembling in his, as you process his words. 

The longer he waits, the louder the roaring in his ears gets, the sound eventually overtaking his own shallow breathing and the crashing of waves in the background. He thought you were on the same page, but maybe that’s not the case. If this is too much, if he’s scared you off, if he’s ruined everything, he’ll-

“Yes.” You sound quiet, your voice barely discernible with the buzz still filling his ears.  

“Y-yes?” He questions, swaying slightly where he kneels. 

“Yes!” You’re more resolute now, with obvious joy in your voice, and through his watery eyes he can see that yours are shining. 

The next thing he knows, you’re sinking to the ground and pulling him into a kiss, one that feels like more than a promise, more than forever, one that feels like everything. It sweeps him away before he can anchor himself, has him delving his hands into your hair and pulling you tighter against him as he sighs into your mouth. 

He forgets time exists, forgets where he is, what he was doing before, what he’s doing after. 

All he knows is you and the taste of your lips and the scent of your hair and the weight of the ring in his pocket. 

Oh, right, that’s what he was doing. 

He breaks away from you slowly, reluctantly, before reaching into his pants and pulling out the box he’d chosen this morning. It feels like eons ago, as does the clumsiness of his first plan, and he can only hope he still agrees with his choice of the ring that fills it. 

It’s simple, elegant, but intricate enough to be interesting, just like you. He thought of you as soon as he saw it, and though he’s never been privy to your engagement ring preferences, he did happen to know your size. His fingers tremble as he plucks it out of the box and slides it onto your fourth digit, the diamonds glimmering in the waning light of the sun. It looks perfect on you, and he drags his eyes away from your hand to seek out your face, unsure of whether or not you’ll agree. 

“Do you like it?” He asks apprehensively, brushing his thumb over your knuckles and biting his lip as he waits. 

“It’s gorgeous, Hannie. I love it,” you whisper in response, your voice thick with tears. Relief floods his system, almost as much as when you agreed to marry him, and it’s like the last barrier to being with you forever falls away. 

Well, the second to last barrier. 

Now that the asking is out of the way, he needs to get you on that boat, exchange those vows, and kiss you for the first time as husband and wife. 

Should be easy enough, only the slightest bit life-altering, right?

AN: surprise! if i kept this till i was happy with it, it would never see the light of day, so here we are!! there will be a smutty epilogue!!

[pcr-sanzu]

Don't Touch Mine | Y.Jh

Pairing: ceo!Jeonghan x secretary!Reader

Genre: romance, friends to lovers, angst, smut

Words count: 1k

Summary: Jeonghan had hid his feelings for you, but he had been in denial. Then, an unexpected event occurred, and everything changed.

Joshua nudged Seungcheol, subtly signaling towards their best friend, who had been casting his gaze across the entire ballroom. The two of them exchanged glances, sharing an inside joke known only to the trio, including the man himself, Yoon Jeonghan.

"Looking for Y/n?" Joshua chirped, his voice lightly teasing. It seemed to slightly irk Jeonghan, who promptly redirected his attention towards his two closest companions. He raised his glass, taking a sip of the wine that had been resting there.

Seungcheol let his eyes wander and easily spotted you standing with none other than Chwe Hansol, a budding businessman bearing a striking resemblance to the young Leonardo DiCaprio.

"Absolutely not," Jeonghan mumbled, offering a smile to the other guests who passed by and recognized the three of them.

"Then you should be alright with Y/n talking with Chwe," Seungcheol remarked, motioning towards you and Hansol. From Jeonghan's perspective, you two seemed a bit too friendly.

Jeonghan swallowed hard, a lump forming in his throat. "She's my secretary. It's my responsibility to ensure she doesn't make a fool of herself," he explained, eliciting chuckles from Joshua and Seungcheol.

"She's the one who saved you from that. Remember the charity ball at Jeon's group?" Joshua reminded Jeonghan of a minor chaos he had caused last time.

Jeonghan closed his eyes, trying to push away the sudden surge of old memories. Blame his low alcohol tolerance that led him to take an unplanned dive into the pond in the middle of the ballroom. He was thankful that the event had been private, sparing him from any media scrutiny.

"I hope everyone's forgotten it, like I've tried to," he sighed.

Seungcheol suddenly cleared his throat, nodding towards your location. "Kim Mingyu is approaching them," he said, an alert tone in his voice. That was enough to snap Jeonghan back to attention.

Jeonghan turned his body, observing how the casanova attempted to flirt with his secretary. Could he blame the guy? He wasn't sure. Or should he blame you for looking absolutely stunning tonight in that black dress that hugged your figure little too tight? Since he'd seen you step into his office before the ball, Jeonghan hadn't been able to shake off the effect.

"Look at that guy, he's got such a cheap stare," Jeonghan remarked to his friends, his distaste evident on his face as he observed Kim Mingyu.

Joshua playfully elbowed him in the stomach. "Alright, you're being a bit too loud, but I agree, man."

Seungcheol chuckled softly. "But the guy does have a certain charm, you've got to admit." His comment earned an eye roll from Joshua. "Are you on his side or Jeonghan's?"

Jeonghan turned to Joshua, a protest forming on his lips. Joshua simply shrugged and continued, "To make Y/n yours?"

Jeonghan scoffed, "She's already mine," he declared, before striding away from his best friends.

*

As you drove back to Jeonghan's home after the event, he couldn't help but ask, "What were you discussing with Hansol and Mingyu?"

"We were talking about our latest ad project for the release. Hansol expressed interest in a collaboration," you explained, opening your iPad to show him Chwe Hansol's company profile.

Jeonghan leaned in, genuinely intrigued by the conversation, engrossed in the work that C.Creative had accomplished. He instructed you to delve deeper into the company's projects that could potentially be worked on with Hansol and compile a report.

As you diligently took notes, he suddenly inquired, "What did Mingyu talk to you about? Is he bothering you?" You shook your head, reassuring him.

"Absolutely not. He just had some questions about our app, which I already addressed," you reassured him.

Jeonghan's brow furrowed, curiosity piqued. "What did he say?"

"Um... Just about our system on Nevitech and... some personal matters," you replied.

"Did he ask you out?" Jeonghan's direct question caused you to bite your lip, and with a hesitant nod, you confirmed it.

Jeonghan sighed, his concern evident. "Do you want me to talk to him? I can make it clear if you're not interested..."

You interrupted him, "I am actually interested in him."

Jeonghan was taken aback, blinking in surprise. He leaned back in his seat. "Oh... I didn't know you liked him."

"Like is a strong word. I'm just open to the possibility of dating... you know, it's been a while," you explained, trying to be reasonable.

Jeonghan had to admit, your dedication to him and the company was commendable. It was one of the reasons he always tried to keep you low-profile or shielded at business gatherings, out of concern that someone might try to recruit you. It spoke volumes about your potential as his secretary.

He still remembered that you had a boyfriend when you first joined the company, but after a few months, he noticed the absence. Jeonghan was never one to cross professional boundaries, especially at work. But when he finished his work and saw you waiting for him, he felt a pang of guilt. It was a Friday, and you should have been spending time with your significant other.

"You're not home?" he inquired.

You shook your head and replied, "I was waiting for you, sir."

Glancing at his watch, Jeonghan realized it was well past dinner time. "Have you had dinner?" Another shake of the head from you.

That night, you both shared a meal, and it was during this time that he learned about your breakup due to your busy schedule. He also discovered you were from the same high school and that you were his junior.

"You should call me by my name, Y/n," Jeonghan suggested casually, not expecting that this casualness would lead to whatever he was feeling these days.

"Jeonghan..." Your voice saying his name brought him back from his reverie. Those were simpler times, when nobody knew you, and he had you to himself.

"Jeonghan, we've arrived," you informed him. He turned to you, realizing you were now in the basement of his penthouse.

Nodding, Jeonghan stepped out of the car. You gave him a respectful bow before he started to walk away. Just as he took his fifth step, he turned back to you. "Y/n... Could you come in for a bit? There's something else I'd like to discuss."

You glanced at your watch, then nodded. After grabbing your belongings, you followed him inside.

*

Jeonghan awoke with a pounding headache, his reminder of his abysmal alcohol tolerance. However, he couldn't forget everything that transpired the night before.

"Y/n, I like you. A lot.'"

Immediately, he sat up, surveying the disarray he had left in his wake. He cursed himself, realizing he hadn't bothered to put on any clothes, and now you were gone. As the memories flooded back, he buried his face in his hands, anxious about how to handle the situation with you after what had happened.

A confession had led to a heated night that Jeonghan never anticipated. He berated himself, trying to dismiss any foolish thoughts, and checked the clock on his nightstand. It read 7 am, meaning he'd see you in the office in an hour. What should he do? Act as if it never happened? Apologize and insist it was a one-time thing? Jeonghan took a deep breath, resolving to go with the latter option. He was your boss, and you were his secretary. A romantic relationship between you two was impractical. It was definitely a one-time occurrence. You wouldn't see him as a man, would you? He reasoned that emotions had gotten the best of him last night, and you had been intoxicated.

That's all it was.

"Yeah... Right there... Please... J-Jeonghan..."

He groaned in frustration.

Walking into his office, he saw your silhouette already seated at your desk. He tried to steady the pounding in his chest and let out a deep sigh. He swore he'd never felt so on edge before. When he stepped into the office, you promptly stood and gave him a respectful bow. He paused in front of your desk, debating whether he should broach the subject of last night.

He gave you a nod before walking into his private room, finally able to breathe a bit easier. The knowledge that you were just meters away from him was torturous. He set his things down and sat at his desk, only to be jolted by a sudden knock. Acting out of character, he permitted you to enter with breakfast in hand.

"You got this for me?" He asked, puzzled. You blinked, as this was the usual routine every morning.

"I-I mean, you... you were gone this morning... to get this for me?" He stammered, audibly swallowing.

You nodded, "yes, please enjoy your breakfast," you calmly replied, bowing, and started to leave the room.

Jeonghan cleared his throat, "Y/n..." He hesitated, "whatever happened last night was a mistake. I'm sorry for that. It's so unprofessional of me," he began.

Your gaze met his, a pregnant pause hanging in the air. Slowly, you nodded and turned away, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

Days melted into weeks, the air between you and Jeonghan growing fragile. With a major project on the horizon, you both became engulfed in a whirlwind of activity, leaving little room to address the events of weeks past. Jeonghan found some solace in this.

But there was a noticeable shift. You weren't as talkative and lighthearted as before, which tugged at Jeonghan's heart. He cherished your jokes, a beacon of levity during the exhaustive whirl of meetings and paperwork. Now, your words were dominated by work, a change he couldn't help but take note of.

After a meeting with a foreign client, all Jeonghan yearned for was some respite. You both traversed the hotel corridor, you leading the way to his room.

"If you need anything, you can call my room," you offered, and he nodded, promptly entering his room.

As Jeonghan settled in for some rest, the night wrapped around him. It was nearly 10 pm when he ordered room service for dinner and summoned you to join him. When you knocked on his door, he welcomed you in, preparing the table. Just as he was about to pour the wine, a wave of memories crashed over him, stalling his hand. You looked at him with curiosity, but Jeonghan shook it off and poured the wine.

"Please, enjoy," he said to you as you both savored the meal.

The dinner continued with a brief discussion about the next day's schedule, as Jeonghan had several engagements in Singapore.

"What about the project with C.Creative?" Jeonghan reminded you about the upcoming project with Chwe Hansol's advertising company, currently working on their new release.

"I contacted them yesterday, and they're working on the proposal. When do you want them to present it?"

Jeonghan wondered, checking his schedule on his phone. "I think Friday would be great." You nodded and quickly jotted it down. "I'll email them tomorrow morning."

"Did you bring the MoU for tomorrow? I want to double-check," Jeonghan asked for the MoU file with the Singapore client to be signed the next day.

You reached for your things. As you searched for the file, an envelope labeled 'Resignation Letter' flew to Jeonghan's attention. His brows furrowed. Before you could retrieve it, Jeonghan quickly snatched it and opened it.

"You're about to resign? Why?" Surprise painted on his face, he inquired seriously.

You glanced around, avoiding his eyes, still searching for the reason you hadn't fully formed.

"I... I think it's been a while since I started working for you. I need a new experience, a new challenge to develop myself," you explained.

Jeonghan didn't seem entirely satisfied with your answer. He looked at you again and said, "Is it because of the salary? Do you want a raise? How much?"

Your eyes widened. "No, Jeonghan. You pay me more than enough. It's not about the money," you clarified.

Jeonghan tilted his head, a tinge of concern. "I don't find it reasonable for you to quit, Y/n. You know better than anyone that being my secretary in this industry is quite challenging."

You sealed your lips and let out a sigh before revealing the real reason. "I don't find it enjoyable anymore, working with you, Jeonghan."

Jeonghan felt a small twinge in his heart at your words. He slowly prodded further, "Is it... because of what happened last time?" He asked cautiously.

You nodded slowly. "I know you made it clear it was a one-time thing. But, I think it's changed a lot, between us," you said, finally expressing what was on your mind.

Jeonghan took a deep breath. "Then what's your plan?"

"Kim's Property has sent me a proposal to work for them."

Kim's Property? Kim Mingyu?

"Wait!" Jeonghan began, "You want to quit because you find that we've been unprofessional, but you want to work with Kim Mingyu? The guy who's been hitting on you?" A sudden surge of anger filled Jeonghan.

"I'll be his father's secretary, so we won't work directly with each other."

Jeonghan couldn't help but chuckle, finding it rather perplexing that you were willing to work with Kim Mingyu despite the perceived unprofessionalism. He felt a sense of injustice in this situation.

"Why? What's the real reason you don't want to work with me?" Jeonghan pressed, feeling that your previous explanations were merely excuses to distance yourself from him.

"We're being unprofessional, Jeonghan. I don't think I could continue working with you," you asserted.

Jeonghan scoffed, frustration and confusion coursing through him. "Tell me the exact reason, Y/n! You don't like me anymore? Suddenly you don't enjoy working with me?"

"It's because I do like you."

Jeonghan's mouth hung open, stunned by your candid admission.

"I've liked you since you took me to that dinner five years ago. And when you finally confessed that you liked me that night, I was over the moon. But the next morning... you said it was just a one-time thing, a mistake, and I... I couldn't look at you the same way again. I'm sorry..."

"What?" Jeonghan's voice was barely above a whisper. He rubbed his face, finally connecting all the dots from the strange tension between you two in recent weeks.

You took a deep breath before continuing, "I hope you can understand, Jeonghan," and with that, you rose from your chair and headed towards the door.

As Jeonghan saw you walk out, he immediately pulled your arm and landed his lips on yours. He pushed your body against the wall while his other hand reached the nape of your neck to deepen the kiss. The kiss lasted for seconds before he pulled away. Jeonghan looked into your eyes before pulling you into another kiss. In this moment, you raised your hand to cling to his neck, savoring the intimacy you shared in the room.

"I like you. No, I love you, Y/n," Jeonghan whispered in the midst of your shared kiss.

He pulled away from the kiss and looked into your eyes, "that time wasn't a mistake. It was stupid of me to say that."

You stared at him and felt tears welling in your eyes. Your heart pounded so much when Jeonghan pulled you into another kiss, but this time with so much passion and lust. His kiss slowly trailed to your neck as his body pressed you against the wall, almost enveloping you. He tapped your thigh, motioning for you to jump on him, and you hugged his waist with your legs. His hand roamed your figure, and his other cupped your cheek.

"May I?" He asked, his gaze never leaving yours. You nodded slowly as he took your shirt off and unclasped your bra. He kissed your chest as one of his hands went to one of your breasts.

"You're mine, Y/n. You're mine."

*

Jeonghan's eyes wandered across the ballroom, searching for your figure as Seungcheol spoke to him. "Are you even listening, Yoon Jeonghan?"

Seungcheol's words pulled Jeonghan's attention, causing him to turn his head towards his friend. He hummed in response, nodding as if he had been listening. Seungcheol chuckled at his best friend. "Looking for Joshua?"

"Yeah... Is he late? He said he'd be here in ten." Jeonghan muttered, glancing at his watch.

"There he is," Seungcheol said, motioning towards Joshua, who was approaching them.

"Alone?" Seungcheol asked Joshua. Joshua shook his head. "She was talking to someone earlier," he said, pointing to where his secretary was. Jeonghan immediately turned his head in that direction.

"Stop looking for my secretary!" Joshua nudged Jeonghan's arm.

Jeonghan scoffed, "She was mine before yours," he mumbled, finally spotting you in conversation with a woman.

"How can she look that stunning?" Jeonghan remarked to Joshua and Seungcheol when he saw you in your silk red dress with your hair down.

As he watched the tall Kim Mingyu approach you, Jeonghan promptly handed his glass to Seungcheol and made a beeline for your location.

"Hi honey, you look gorgeous," Jeonghan interjected, interrupting your conversation with Kim Mingyu. The Casanova seemed taken aback by Jeonghan's bold move as his hand gently reached for your waist and he planted a sweet kiss on your shoulder.

Mingyu let out a chuckle. "Is this the reason you joined Joshua's company? Because you're together."

Jeonghan smiled at Mingyu and pulled your body closer to his, gazing at you tenderly before leaning in to plant a kiss on your cheek.

"Yeah, she's mine."

[pcr-sanzu]

when i say jeonghan needs more recognition i mean he needs more fanfics bc at the same time im tryna gatekeep 🤫🤷‍♀️

[pcr-sanzu]

[pcr-sanzu]

mitsuya 😌🖤

[pcr-sanzu]

Deadend || Y.JH

† genre: horror

† word count: 1.5k

† warnings: heavily insinuated murder (not explicitly shown), labyrinth, persistent predator/hunt, fear

† synopsis: he seemed nice, but then again, you should never judge a book by its cover.

† (a/n): my brother actually instilled this fear into me and I just thought the concept of it was pretty interesting ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ also now we've caught up w all of my prewritten stuff so now comes the ✨delayed writing✨ pls bear w me 🙏

† taglist: @scuzmunkie @hipsdofangirl @hydroyaksha (I forgot to tag you guys last time lol my bad)

anthology | main masterlist

The sound of her feet stamping against wet concrete filled the humid atmosphere around her. Deep and violent puffs of air expelled from her lungs as she barreled down yet another alleyway. The labyrinth-like layout of the city had proven itself nothing short of confounding, though it seemed that facet alone was the sole reason she was even still alive. Still able to outrun the man hunting her.

He had been seated at the bar as she danced along with her friends. As subtle as her friend could notify her, she was informed of a man who had been watching her for quite some time. Upon first impression, Jeonghan seemed to be the definition of charming. Handsome features with polite mannerisms, attention solely on her as they spent the next few hours of their night together. Luring her into his car was a significantly easy task, as she would have perhaps gone anywhere he went off to at this point.

Things had gone awry the further along their journey they got. Jeonghan's answers grew more and more blunt, and the momentary glances he spared her way as he drove were reduced to nothing. By the time she realized something was amiss, he had parked on the side of an abandoned road in a part of the city she had never seen before.

Before she could ask where they were, he was opening his center console rummaging for something as she watched in mystified, confused terror. His hand retracted from the unit to reveal a large butcher knife, glinting in the spare moonlight washing into the vehicle. That charming smirk that had swept her away all night long suddenly shifted with her burden of knowledge, now twisted menacingly with this sickening, psychotic undertone that had (y/n) near gasping.

"Run."

Those were his last instructions before she had all but bolted out of the vehicle in a full on sprint. She didn't know for how long she ran, but she knew he was somewhere behind her. Somewhere close. Somewhere hunting her in such a disregarding and relaxed manner. Taking his sweet time in pursuing her, preserving his energy for the final kill.

By the time she realized she was very nearly trapped in this sector of the city, she understood his motives quite well through the haze of panic muddling her mind. He wouldn't exert anything beyond his capabilities. He wouldn't reduce himself to chasing after her with the same determined vigor she retained. He didn't need to. As if it was a certainty that he'd eventually catch her at the end of the night, no matter how far she ran.

The thought alone terrorized (y/n)'s already frightened mind, though she continued to stumble through the barren streets with a determination she hadn't thought she possessed in the first. She was greeted by not a living soul, a truly desolate concrete jungle, its only purpose seemingly to be the playground of the crazed maniac looming within its shadows. The residual humming sounds of the amber lit lampposts lighting her way through the maze of dilapidated infrastructure served as the only source of feedback in an otherwise deadly silent environment, accompanied by her own ragged breaths that made her cringe with every huff. Any noise from her could be her last. A beacon to Jeonghan guiding him directly to her.

Bolting down yet another alleyway, a sudden guttural gasp was ripped out of her throat when she was met with the unfortunate sight of a brick wall, looming above her as this impenetrable barrier to her path. A dead end. Shaky hands pressed upon the fortress, seeking out any compromised brick she could use to her advantage. Whether to dismantle the structure as a whole, or use it to climb over its daunting height. A momentary scan of the area in search of any tools she could utilize had her heart dropping to her stomach. The alleyway was as desolate as the rest of the city. Like this place swallows anything which enters its grasp, and eventually will have her, too.

She went to turn around dejectedly with her only solution being retracting her steps, but she froze as her eyes landed upon the other end of the alley. A cold sweat dabbled across her skin, heightening the sensation of the chill now running down her spine. Her body trembled with unabashed fear, and her once frenzied mind suddenly went blank as she stared helplessly at the dark silhouette staring back at her.

Jeonghan stood impassively at the entry, the orange glow of the lampposts dispersing against his back and casting him in an ominous shadowed ambience, like he absorbed every ounce of light which dared to touch him; like death himself, he was brandished with the darkness of night. His features, once undoubtedly handsome to her though now warped into an imposing and deviant facade, were momentarily shrouded to her in the perspective he stood in. Though the one defining trait she could identify in all of his ambiguity was that of the knife gripped securely in his hand, glistening in the light and reflecting back to her her impending doom.

His head quirked to the side as (y/n) stood there motionless.

"You didn't get as far as I thought you would." His voice easily carried to her in the still silence of the night, however low he opted to convey his message, yet still causing her to all but tremble at his foreboding presence. "Quite disappointing."

"Please," (y/n) found herself muttering back, voice weak, words indecipherable through the rapid inhales she now took. "Please don't do this. Please."

He began walking towards her at a steady pace, and the sight of him approaching brought (y/n) into hysterics. Pleas growing louder and more desperate, knees buckling until she had collapsed on the floor, left only to crawl away desperately from the domineering figure heading her way.

When her back met the roughness of the brick wall, her fingers had clawed at the masonry, hoping for any weakness in its stature she may have missed upon first scan—anything that would guarantee her freedom and give her a chance in fleeing from the man drawing ever so closer.

Though her prayers fell upon deaf ears as she felt his hot hand grasp her face, cheeks squeeze together in his hand as he yanked (y/n) his way.

His gaze bore into her own. Dark, sinister eyes, heartless as they stared at her, uncaring in a way one would look at a pest. The lack of emotions crossing his face, the near impossible feat of deciphering what his motives and feelings truly were, had been the cause for her onslaught of tears to finally take place.

"Why are you doing this?" It was the only thing she could think to say. Limbs aching from running, muscles burning as the adrenaline which had once coursed through her veins finally dissipated, leaving her nothing more than a debilitated state of what once was.

He was silent for a moment more, just staring like he was studying her. Observing what she had been reduced to throughout the night's events. And then he smiled. A purely vindictive grin filled with malice, contorting his handsome face into a nightmarish sight. Perhaps the last thing she'll ever get to see in this lifetime.

"Because I love it." He responded, as if answering a simple everyday question. "Your fear. Your desperation. Holding the very essence of life itself in my palms. Your life. Don't you see it?"

His grip around her face grew tighter, drawing her closer to him.

"That primal beauty of struggling for survival? The raw, unbridled terror as you run for your life? Thinking you have a chance if you just run fast enough, but you don't. You never did."

(y/n) whimpered as the pressure began to grow painful, his fingers digging into her sore jaw.

"The illusion of safety being a viable option, but it wasn't. I never gave you that choice. I hold the fate of your life in my hands. And I love it."

He let go of her and she all but scrambled to the furthest corner of the alley she could manage, pressed as tightly against the wall as she could be. Jeonghan followed after, crawling her way until he was face to face again, though this time with his arms caging her in her position.

"I hold the power to end your life. The moment I looked at you, I gained full control over it all. I am the harbinger to your inevitability."

The cold tip of his knife glided across her face, and his eyes trailed after, his smile growing wider by the second.

"Please." A final attempt at sparing her life. But at this, he began chuckling.

"I let you go now, I'll just follow you all over again. No matter where you run, no matter how far you get from me, I'll eventually make my way there. I'll eventually catch you. You can't escape from me no matter how much you try. No matter how much you beg." Pressing the tip of his knife into her body, arm retracted enough for the final plunge, he pressed his mouth against her ear, breathing in her scent as she wept with reckless abandon.

"I will always be the one to end you."

[pcr-sanzu]

checkmates

synopsis : cold. apathetic. indifferent. arrogant. self-satisfied. those were the words the court used to employ when they were referring to you. l/n y/n, duchess of the hasting estate. you were well known in the whole kingdom for your cleverness at chess, not to mention your dancing skills and precision at archery. you also had a strong reputation because of your lack of conversation or interest in anyone or anything apart from books. and if it seemed like the ton got used to your attitude, yoon jeonghan didn’t look fazed in the slightest.

genre : regency!au, viscount!jeonghan x duchess!reader, your family name is hasling and joshua is your cousin but none physical description, fluff, angst (slightly), childhood friends to strangers to lovers, just jeonghan being a menace

word count : 1,8 k

mini-series masterlist

a/n : if this fic seems familiar to you, it’s normal i actually posted it a while ago but decided to rewrite it. i hope you will enjoy!

cold. apathetic. indifferent. arrogant. self-satisfied.

those were the words the court used to employ when they were referring to you. l/n y/n, duchess of the hasting estate. you were well known in the whole kingdom for your cleverness at chess, not to mention your dancing skills and precision at archery. you also had a strong reputation because of your lack of conversation or interest in anyone or anything apart from books. but, because you were a duchess and the heir of a huge fortune, your parents still received ton of marriage proposals which you all declined with a sweep of the hand. you didn’t care about the opinion the court could have about you or about all the gossips whispered mentioning you and, since you still had the queen’s grace, you never bothered to try changing your name by acting friendlier.

with time, the ton became used to you behaviour and gossips slowly faded, outrage moving on to custom and the rare people who’d still get upset at you cold manner were new people around the court. well, at least almost everyone was used to it. there was still one exception who wasn’t fazed in the slightest by your notorious nickname by now as the duchess of the ice’s estate : jeonghan, viscount of the yoon’s estate. he was a close friend to your cousin, hong jisoo, and, during your early years, a close friend of yours too. the three of you used to hang out a lot during your childhood and, you had to admit it, were almost inseparable.

things abruptly took a u-turn when you were kingly told that girls couldn’t become knights and had, instead, to drink tea and gossip all day. even you couldn’t convince your father to skip your classes during which you learnt how to fake smile and that you needed to find a rich and high ranked husband because, as a woman, your title as a duchess wasn’t fully yours and you’ll have to share it with your carefully chosen husband.

if you had managed to keep good relationships with your cousin, you couldn’t say the same for jeonghan. the young man became, for lack of better words, the cause of all your irritation. always planning on making pranks on you during dinners, trying to show how great he was during chess games or how better of a dancer he was. you started to hate his deceitful smile, which used to be the source of your laugh, and his insufferable habit of cheating at each and every game. nevertheless, you couldn’t ignore his cleverness and sharpness which were far above from the gentlemen’s ones among the court. but also, you couldn’t help but wonder how thing would have been if you had stayed by each other side.

today was your twenty-fifth birthday, which meant, to the court and its members, that it was your last year as a marriage material and, as an only child, your parents couldn’t afford themselves to lose the title their ancestors worked so hardly to gain. that’s how you found yourself in the hall of the earl lee’s ballroom, all eyes on you. for the first ball of the season, you were supposed to open the reception with a solo with your pianoforte and share all the dances with a different gentleman. hopefully, you asked your cousin to minimise your pain by reserving your first dance and planned to flee to the impressive library the earl owned. this last consideration made you think that if you really didn’t have any other emergency exit from marriage, proposing lee seokmin was a great idea.

well, this was your original plan.

everything went as you planned, as always, until you closed the oak doors. when you did a u-turn, already going to the history section, you heard a mischievous voice asking:

"well well well, who do we have here? isn’t it the lovely duchess y/n?"

after unintentionally starting, you sighted deeply, recognising your interlocutor by his voice before seeing his face: the viscount yoon jeonghan in person. when your eyes met, you couldn’t prevent yourself from holding your breath. even you couldn’t deny that he was unquestionably the prettiest man out of all the gentlemen gathered tonight. his hair was prettily styled and his doe eyes where a spark of craziness was shining were watching you intensely. he was wearing a beautiful brown suit and, at his chest was hooked a brooch made in pure gold representing the wings of an angel and a lyre at its centre.

were you still able to recognise the boy you used to play with during your childhood, with whom you always came up with new plans to tease jisoo? you weren’t so sure anymore.

"nobody told you it was rude to stare?" he asked maliciously.

you rolled you eyes in annoyance but couldn’t stop your cheeks from burning with shame after being caught so easily. pointing nonchalantly at the chess board neatly placed on the marble table, he suggested:

"would you like to play with me? you’re the only opponent that i hold in high esteem here."

sweeping his compliment -which brought you more joy than you wished- away with a wave of your hand, you retorted coldly :

"i will pass, i hate playing with people who go against the rules."

raising his hands to his heart, he replied falsely affected:

"your grace, are you, by any chance, implying that i am a cheater?"

"i’m not implying anything because this is who you are, you countered irritated, you cheat all the time but since you’re so lovely, people always turn a blind eye to your behaviour."

"you think i’m lovely?"

you held yourself back from screaming out of frustration and started to leave. you won’t stay in the library tonight, fine, but it didn’t mean you couldn’t escape yourself from the ball at all. you hated modifications in your plans but you were able to adapt quickly. the gardens were as beautiful as this room, you could probably flee to the observatory if you asked a maid. you were already holding the handle when you felt jeonghan’s hand on your wrist. you turned your head toward his, your eyes filled with surprise and embarrassment, like a deer caught by hunters. two young peoples who weren’t engaged couldn’t do things like this. besides, if anybody entered here, you knew that neither your high position in the queen’s court nor your parents’ influence would save you from any scandal. you removed your hand abruptly, visibly distressed, and were even more startled when jeonghan bowed and murmured:

"i’m sorry if my manners disturbed you in any way, your grace, i should have been more thoughtful."

the ton of his voice, sincerely sorry, left you speechless. you never saw anyone showing you its vulnerability since a very long time, it was something people liked to hide in order to avoid being the centre of future gossips. yet, jeonghan did it without any hesitation.

it reminded you of the only time you had allowed yourself to cry in front of jeonghan. you had been seven at that time and had been used to get scold if you showed any sign of weakness. but the moment your knees had been skinned after a fall, you hadn’t been able to hold your tears.

"it’s okay y/n, jisoo is looking for a maid, we will heal you," jeonghan had told you softly.

with a single nod, you had pleaded :

"please jeonghan don’t tell my mother that i cried, please."

"why would i? the young boy had asked, plus it’s not like crying is a bad thing, is it? my mom says it can be really relaxing to do so when you bottle up too much pressure."

"are you sure?" you had asked dubiously.

"of course i am. so don’t worry anymore and cry as much as you need."

a wave of nostalgia overwhelmed you and, after getting your composure back, you answered with a pensive tone :

"well, i don’t think prison would be sufficient for your prejudicial act. however, a simple chess game should be enough, what do you think?"

a smile lighted his face up as he agreed, his smirk matching yours. moving back one of the two chairs surrounding the board, he indicated it to you and invited you gallantly:

"after you, your grace."

you couldn’t suppress a smile and complied graciously. the young man imitated you across the table and declared dramatically:

"for your information, this game holds a decisive influence on my future."

"really? how so?" you teased.

"well… it will determined if i am able to propose to you."

"if you are able to what?" you choked on your breath.

"what? my grace, are you, by any chance, feeling intimidated? he playfully asked, raising his eyebrow, don’t frown so much, why are you so concerned? remember, you’re the greatest chess player in the whole country, hence you deserve someone on top of your game. i swear i won’t cheat."

after an hour and a half and sixty moves, you sighed deeply as jeonghan announced proudly:

"and this, is a checkmate."

you buried your head between your hands at his words, groaning with annoyance. you had to admit your complete defeat: each and every strategy you had carefully put in place had been all swept away by jeonghan and his tactics. and yes, he didn’t cheat.

you both stood up and you had almost forgot the stake of your game when jeonghan kneeled before you, a jewellery box in his hands.

"well, i guess it means i can ask to become your love-mate."

rolling your eyes mischievously at his play on word, you sighed while suppressing a smile on your lips :

"i guess it would be a shame if i acted like a poor loser, wouldn’t it?"

while putting the ring in your fingers, jeonghan confessed:

"i loved you since the first day we met twenty years ago, i fell in love with the girl who entered into my heart like a storm. i fell in love for the girl i met twenty years ago who wasn’t afraid of showing how she truly felt. i fell in love with the girl i had the chance to admire in the queen’s throne room when you entered into the court. i fell in love with the girl who beat all the gentlemen at chess during viscount choi’s ball ten years ago after she had been introduced to the court. y/n, you truly are the cleverest and most breathtaking girl i ever met."

"i- i never knew you were such a poet," you murmured slightly taken aback.

"i can be so many thing, duchess, a poet, a viscount and, sometimes i must confess, a cheater," he retorted with a wink.

you wanted to protest at his final comment but was cut off by his lips softly pressed against yours.

it seemed after all that you may have another interest in your life apart from books from now on. but losing your title as the duchess of the ice’s estate didn’t sound like such a hassle.

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