#( last of us au / jooheon ) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

nocturne-overtures · 6 months

Text

𝑵𝒆𝒘 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔

𓆩⟡𓆪Summary: You decide today's the day you try a bit of role reversal in the bedroom. It takes some...encouragement, but you don't think your boyfriends are opposed to trying a few new things if it feels this good

𓆩⟡𓆪Pairing: Fem! Reader/ Jackson Wang (Got7)/ Johnny Suh (NCT127)/Lee Jooheon (Monsta X)

𓆩⟡𓆪Genres/Aus: Non-Idolverse, Fluff, Romance, Humor, Smut, Polyamorous Relationship

𓆩⟡𓆪Tws: Swearing, Light Anxieties

𓆩⟡𓆪Sws: Role Reversal, Switch Idol, Switch Reader, Hickies, Hair Pulling, Praise Kink, Teasing, Handjobs, Cunnilingus, Blowjob, Riding, Unprotected Sex, Creampie

𓆩⟡𓆪Rating: Explicit/Mature (18+)

𓆩⟡𓆪WC: 3.3k

𓆩⟡𓆪A/n: *crawls out of hell with an upload finally* the following is one of the commissions from the lovely and every paitient @jacksons-goddess-gaia I hope you enjoy it as I get back into the swing of things mwah

𓆩⟡𓆪AO3| Taglist Form (Please make sure your urls are updated and able to actually be tagged) | Commission Sheet𓆩⟡𓆪

𓆩⟡𓆪Network Ping- @kwritersworld | @k-vanity |⟡𓆪

𓆩⟡𓆪©nocturne-overtures. do not repost, translate, or use my works𓆩⟡𓆪

★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★・・・・・・★

"They’ll never let me do something like this. I’m going walk in there and they’re gonna be like; ‘haha! Just kidding, bend over kitten.’”

Jooheon watched you pace back and forth in front of your shared home, puffs of vapor leaving his lips as the occasional snowflake fell into his hair. In his hand, a bag is steadily collecting a small pile of snow the longer you two stand outside in the chill of November.

“For someone who challenged them to let you take charge this time, you're freaking out more than expected.” His voice is even, but you can see his lips twitch up as you whirl around to face him, indignant.

“You’re supposed to have my side!”

“Why? It’s not as hard as you’re making it out to be. Just say you’re nervous.”

You feel the heat of embarrassment creep up to your ears as you huff and unlock the front door, finally stomping inside. Jooheon could tease, sure. He’d taken charge and let himself be taken care of countless times in this relationship, more than anyone else. To him, this was second nature.

As you toe off your shoes and shrug off your jacket, you begin thinking back to how these thoughts came to be. It started with a show the four of you were watching. It was cheesy and quite a predictable drama. The pushover of the main pairing had been insulted by some side characters only for that to devolve into some misunderstanding argument between them and their partner which ended up in the roles being the same as they always were.

Heaven’s forbid one of those dramas change up the status quota and have a switch couple, right?

So, like the genius you were, as Jackson was making a comment on the location of the shot in the drama and Johnny was laughing at the ridiculousness of the whole conflict, you spoke.

“I bet I could take charge next time and not immediately fold like Yu Han here.” You proudly state while tossing a piece of popcorn in your mouth. The conversation around you seemed to fizzle out instantly and it took you a bit longer than you cared to admit to notice the three pairs of eyes locked onto you.

Lifting your gaze, you blink.

“....what?”

“Are you saying that’s what you want to do?” Jackson inquired. You replay the last thing you said in your head and sit with your lips parted. Johnny cocks his head from his spot on the loveseat, running his fingers through Jooheon’s hair.

“How about the next time we fool around, we let Y/N take charge, then?”

None of them look like they’re mocking you for the suggestion, but the idea itself makes a mixed sense of anxiety and excitement float through your veins.

So, of course, you went to the internet to try and figure out how to smoothly transition into the position switch.

And, naturally, that ended up in you being more stressed out than ever. Some of them were endearing stories of success, while there was also a fair share of failure stories of someone ruining the mood or accidentally injuring their partner during play and it all made you way more nervous.

Jooheon put his hand on the small of your back, kissing your cheek before he looked into your eyes.

“It’s okay. Just take your time. None of us are going to laugh at you or something if you don’t find that it comes easily to you.”

You smile at him and take his hand, raising your voice to call into the home.

“We’re home!”

The sound of a door opening and closing somewhere catches your attention. Johnny emerges from down the hall, hair tousled and a wide smile on his face as Jackson pushes past him, face ablaze as he muttered something about someone not having any self-restraint.

You can see the fresh dark red marks along his throat that told you everything you needed to know about what they had been doing.

“Took you guys a bit to get back home. Was the drive alright?” Jackson inquired, straightening out and smiling when he spotted the two of you dusting snowflakes out of your hair. Johnny turned on his heel, jogging down the hall to go get some towels to help you dry off.

“It was alright. Had to drive a bit slow but we got everything we needed.” You inform him, making your way to the kitchen. Johnny stops you, putting a towel over your hair and rigorously ruffling your hair while laughing at your shrieks of protest.

“You gotta dry off properly babe.” He grins, laughing as you swat at his pectoral the moment he let you go.

Jooheon had an easier time, humming as Jackson helped dry his bright orange hair. He was rewarded with a kiss before Jackson shook his head and pointed towards the bedroom.

“Change, both of you. I will not have you both getting pneumonia.”

You and Jooheon march off to the bedroom, neither of you keen on trying to argue with Jackson knowing he was 1000% right. Jooheon glanced at you once the door closed, pulling his shirt over his head.

“Are you going to do it tonight?” He inquired. You bite your lip, fingers fidgeting with the hem of your shirt.

It’s not that hard.

Jooheon sees the anxiety that’s taken hold of you and comes closer, kissing the top of your head and sending you a dimpled smile.

“There’s no rush, you know that, right? We’re not going anywhere.” His smile melts your heart a bit, and you nod, taking a calming breath. Jooheon stayed to ensure you were alright before leaving first in his fresh clothes.

You head out not too long after, wearing several articles of clothing from them.

Johnny’s button up, Jackson’s t-shirt, and Jooheon’s basketball shorts, the drawstring tied extra tight so it stayed on your hips.

When you come back, you walk up to Johnny, tugging at the waistband of his sweatpants. He looked down at you and blinked before he saw you subtly pucker your lips. A smile stretched across his lips and he leaned over, kissing you slow and deep. There’s something about the way he slots against you that makes you want to buckle on instinct. Not just him, all three of them. You wanted to push past this feeling and be able to give them the same sensation.

Your mind wanders, and so do your hands, tracing over Johnny’s muscles, pressing yourself to him as you pushed back, giving slight challenge in this kiss. Johnny let out a muffled hum, hands finding their way to your waist, kneading.

Your body is flush against his, and you lose yourself in the kiss, mind wandering, thinking of all the ways they’d gotten you completely turned out for them. Every touch, every kiss, every chuckle, how could you do the same for them-

“Mmph-’

Your eyes crack open halfway, and you look up, locking eyes with Johnny.

That was a whimper.

Your mind focuses and you take inventory of the situation. He’s panting, looking at you in surprise, his lips swollen, red from where you had bit him, and your hand was tangled in his hair, pulling him enough to make him tilt his head back.

Your lips part, and you almost apologize, but you stop short seeing the look on his face.

Dazed, flustered .

You hold his gaze, and there's a pleasant tingle that runs up and down your spine as you tilt your head slightly. Johnny moved to speak, but you experimentally push your weight against him ever so slightly, tugging his hair.

“Tilt your head for me.”

He doesn’t hesitate, his Adam’s apple bobbing as your lips brush along it. His breathing is shallow, and you can feel he’s stirring slightly against your thigh as you try to lean more into the feeling that had gripped you.

“ Good. Just like that. Good boy.”

Johnny’s knees actually buckled for you, and he looked at you out of the corner of his eye, letting out a shuddering breath. You can tell the words had their intended purpose as you hear him let out a small, off-guard chuckle before he murmured a breathy ‘ fuck’ .

“You two gonna dry hump in the kitchen or get something to eat?” Jackson inquired, curiously looking at the two of you. You bite the inside of your cheek to keep back the whine of disappointment at being interrupted, but instead, you push off of the counter behind Johnny, smiling and running your hand down his body, over the telltale bulge in his pants for a brief moment before making your way over to the dining room.

“Coming~”

Jackson glances between you and Johnny curiously and blinks at the flustered mess you’d made of your boyfriend. Jooheon smiled at you as you sat down, subtly nodding.

‘You did it’.

You smile and sit beside him, listening to your boys as they begin to recap and talk about their day. Normally you were just as chatty as they were, but you spend your time watching them subtly. Johnny’s blush had only slightly gone down, but he had kept casting glances at you, subtly touching his neck every now and again.

You catch him one of these times, smiling and blowing him a small kiss before you turn your attention to Jooheon, hooking your ankle against his and tugging slightly.

The move made him stop mid-sentence, but he caught your eye and cleared his throat, continuing and not resisting the move and letting you tug a bit further, spreading his legs apart. You smile around the rim of your water glass, setting it down and listening more, your hand finding its way to his thigh, squeezing and kneading. Jooheon took it in stride, though you can see red creep up to the tip of his ears as your hand inches higher, squeezing and kneading the toned muscle there. He kept his eyes on Jackson and Johnny across the table, but at this point, you’re sure both of them knew what you were up to.

Especially after you make eye contact with Jackson while you squeeze and stroke Jooheon through the sweatpants. Jooheon jolted beside you before letting out a needy groan, spreading his legs and pressing into your hand.

You remember past experiences, personal experiences, even the filthy novels and audios you indulge yourself in, and you find yourself speaking while holding Jackson’s gaze.

“ Sit still.”

Jooheon shuddered and planted his ass flat into the chair, biting on his chopstick with an audible ‘clank’ as he forced down his usual bratty challenging sass. As much as he liked to do so with the other two, he knew it took a lot for you to build the confidence to take control like this. He wanted to see how far you'd go and didn't want you to lose confidence in the middle of it.

“Yes ma’am.” was his response instead. Your lips curled up and you turned your head, kissing the underside of his jaw as a reward.

Jackson looked between the two of you, brows up in interest before he wiped his mouth, cocking his head to the side.

“What should we do next?” the question is open-ended, but he’s staring directly at you. He’s picked up on the vibes of the night and you smile, the last of your lingering anxieties melting away as you realize you were a lot more comfortable with this than you originally gave yourself credit for.

“Jackson, come with me. I need a shower. Johnny, Jooheon, we should get ready for bed.” You stand, gathering your dishes and casting a glance over your shoulder.

“Make sure everything is ready for us. We wouldn’t want to be cold this evening.”

The youngest duo of the three men perk and look at one another, smiling and nodding, darting past you to put their dishes away. You set yours aside and turn to Jackson, reaching down to hook your fingers into his, pulling him toward the bathroom.

In no time, you have him against the shower wall, placing biting kisses along his soaked skin as you grab and stroke his cock in slow, methodical strokes.

Jackson kept his eyes on you, nearly mirroring Jooheon earlier and bucking into your hand, but you push down on him, eyes flicking up and pinning him with a heated gaze. He finds himself speaking before he can think, throbbing in your hand.

“I’m sorry, I’ll be good.”

You smile, your face flushed but that sweet, powerful tingle of electricity runs up and down your spine.

“Good, I’m going to take care of all three of you tonight.” You whisper against his damp skin, feeling your confidence swell now that all three of them had responded well to your actions and what you had been trying to do all night.

You carry that with you into the bedroom, where you find both Jooheon and Johnny rutting against one another, throbbing and nearly ready to cum already as they traded feverish kisses. You watch them for a moment before biting your thumbnail, cocking your head to the side.

“I sure hope you two weren’t intending on cumming without me telling you to.” Your voice is cheery, bubbly, but has an underlying warning in it. Both of them stop short, looking at you while panting.

“S-sorry, Y/n.” Jooheon licked his lips, eyeing the towel barely clinging to your body while Johnny ran a hand through his hair, remembering the sensation of you tugging it earlier. He decided to push back a bit.

“You took a while to come back. Tell me what you want.” He smiled, eyes glinting. Jooheon glanced at him and Jackson looked at the side of your face, ready to step in at any time if the challenge made you lose confidence.

His worries were unwarranted as your lip quirks, making your way over to him and smiling. You grab a pillow from the bed, one of the longer ones, and drop it to the floor at your feet.

“On the floor. Get on your knees.”

Johnny stared at you with a spark of chaos in his eyes, but he slowly peeled himself off of Jooheon, kneeling before you. You make your way over to him, standing in front of him and grabbing a fistful of his hair once more. A loving look crosses your face as hold each other’s gaze.

“You know what to do if it’s too much or I go too far, yes?” You question tenderly. Johnny smiled and nodded, raising his chin to kiss your wrist, right over your pulse. He can probably feel how hard your heart is pounding at this moment, but he doesn’t comment on it.

“Yes, ma’am.” He nodded. You don’t respond, raising your leg and planting it over his shoulder, pulling his face directly into your pussy, holding him still as you look up at Jooheon and Jackson.

“Come here. I have something for you two to do.”

The four of you fall into a rhythm, with Johnny’s tongue buried between your folds and both Jackson and Jooheon’s cocks in your hands as you traded sloppy kisses with them. You alternate between slow strokes and quickened ones, a purr and a giggle falling from your lips as you break the kiss, hovering just shy of Jooheon’s lips.

“You sound pretty like this, you know.” You praise him softly, gripping and pulling Johnny’s hair as you feel him change pace.

“Ah, ah. Slow down.”

He shuddered and nodded, spreading his knees apart, his cock standing tall against his abs as he greedily ate you out. You hum and moan breathlessly, letting him know how much you are enjoying it.

“M-More…please more…” Jooheon shuddered, fingers trembling along your skin. Jackson nodded from beside him, his precum dribbling down your fingers. You smile, nodding your chin towards the bed.

“Come on, we’re getting to the best part. You all are doing so well for me.” you praise.

A bit of shuffling about later and you’re seated in Jooheon’s lap, riding him while Johnny greedily licked and kissed at the mess being made of your pussy and his cock. Jackson stood on the bed, holding his arms behind his back as he watched you alternate between teasing kisses and deep, throaty swallows, all while holding smoldering eye contact with him.

“T-Thank you, thank you, please-” Jooheon groans, his cock curving just right. It was almost enough to turn your mind off, almost enough to flip the switch back, but you hold firm, clenching tight and smiling around Jackson’s cock before pulling off with a wet pop.

Jackson whined in complaint as you caressed Johnny’s face until he noticed you wanted him to lift up. When he does, you kiss him deep and slow, tasting you and Jooheon on Johnny’s tongue before turning his head to Jackson, smiling sweetly as you whisper in his ear.

“Be a good puppy and hold onto this for me, okay? Keep it nice and warm for me.”

“Fuck,” Johnny let out a breathy laugh and nodded, leaning in to swallow down Jackoson’s cock, his tongue curling against the underside. You press your back against Jooheon’s back, rolling and grinding your hips as he rocked his own up into you, balls slapping against your ass.

“Thank y-you, Yn~ Fuck, it feels so good, thank you for, ah- taking care of us” Jooheon keens, eyes fluttering as he throbbed inside of you. You feel a wave of pride wash over you as you clench around him. You were sure he had been close to cumming inside of you, but he stilled his hips, sending you a pleading look over your shoulder.

“Please, can I cum inside? I did well, right?” He pants, practically begging as your ass jiggles every time it made contact with his thighs. You run your fingers into his hair, pulling and leaving dark hickies along his neck as you still your hips.

“If you want to cum so bad, go ahead. Get yourself off. Milk yourself for me so the other two can see.”

You keep your lips against his neck, moaning in delight as you feel his hands land on your hips, a whimper of need leaving his lips as he sped up, thrusting into you and chasing his orgasm with near pleading desperation in his voice.

You close your eyes, listening to the wet sound as goosebumps rise up along with sweat and precum running down your skin. Had you had looked behind you, you would have noticed Johnny had been pushed down fully onto Jackson’s cock, throat squeezing and constricting his cock as both he and Jackson watched you and Jooheon mere feet away.

“Y/n! Fuck! Yes yes yes, thank you! Fuck!” He whimpered in need and finally pressed deep, throbbing, and trembling as he came inside of you. You moan, gripping him like a vice as you cum shortly after, hearing the sound get even sloppier as he milked every drop inside of you.

You push his chest when he’s finished and spent, rolling your hips slowly and smiling with a glint in his eye as you look back at Jackson and Johnny.

Both of them have their eyes locked onto your pussy and the messy creampie Jooheon had left behind. When you still yourself, they glance up, meeting your fervent gaze.

You’re unsure where this strong wave of confidence came from after the earlier anxieties, but now that you’d let it wash over you, there was no stopping you now.

You raise your hips, sighing in displeasure when Jooheon’s half-hard cock falls out of you, messy and covered in both your and his juices. You roll over onto your back, spreading your legs and rubbing your pussy, not minding the mess at all. Your next words cause both of them to surge forward eagerly;

“Well? Who’s next ?”

☆○o。Tag 　List　。o○☆

@jacksons-goddess-gaia @kimnamshiks @atiny-dazzlinglight @angel0taiyo @gettin-a-lil-hanse @dreamyinception-world @yunhofingers @violetwinters @babiebumm @seomisaho @drunk-on-hwa @twistedsiren @shymexican

#fie writes #k-vanity #kwritersworldnet #kpop smut #got7 smut #monsta x smut #nct smut #nct 127 smut #jackson wang smut #lee jooheon smut #johnny suh smut #kpop member x reader #kpop member x member #crossover smut

45 notes · View notes

sweetestofchaos · 1 year

Text

Blackthorn Ch 8 | M.YG

Hate Me - Dealing with the aftermath of their engagement, the Princess takes time to better understand her emotions; while the Prince confronts his own feelings.

a/n: As always thanks to @sailoryooons for being my beta and making the banner. Minors do NOT interact with my work, please and thank you.

Taglist: @thickemadame

Series Masterlist | Masterlist

Previous | Next

Diffused sunlight filtered in through the hanji on the latticework window in the room and roused the Princess from her restless slumber. As she slowly started to wake, the events from the day before settled on her shoulders and the Princess winced as her eyes started to burn. She blinked rapidly and turned onto her side with her back towards the main door of her room. The tears streamed down her face silently and the Princess clutched a pillow tightly to her chest. Her head, temples and right in the center of her eyes throbbed nonstop. The pain was unrelenting and the Princess bit her lower lip to keep from making any sounds of distress.

The early morning light darkened outside. The rising sun now hid behind thick grey clouds and the scent of rain carried on the wind. From under the roofing of the butterfly house, Chan and Jooheon frowned as it started to rain heavily. Mingi, Aga and Hoseok cursed as the rain had interrupted their early morning sparring session.

“It wasn’t supposed to rain today,” Mingi sighed with a frown as his hair poked him in the eye.

Aga grunted in response and tossed the weapon in his hands towards Hoseok. Hoseok easily caught the weapon and watched as Aga rushed off in the direction of the butterfly house. Mingi, who was now soaked, offered to tidy up the training area since Hoseok needed to get back to the Prince before he woke. Hoseok thanked Mingi and took him up on the offer as he headed into the palace to get out of the rain. He was soaked as well, his hair was plastered to his face but he didn’t really mind. It was all part of his job.

On his way to the Prince’s chambers, Hoseok greeted Minho in the halls and the older man bowed before he hurried off, out of Hoseok’s sight. Hoseok clicked his tongue and swept his wet hair from his face before he continued on his way to the Prince’s chambers. He wasn’t surprised to see Prince Yoongi standing by an open window in nothing but a loose pair of dark gray trousers and a red kimono robe with gold larch flowers embroidered on the fabric.

The Prince’s blond hair hung nearly at the middle of his back and Hoseok took notice. By now the rain came down in droplets the size of cherries and the gray overcast turned into a murky smoke color. A thick layer of fog rolled over the land and settled around the palace. Hoseok squared his shoulders and stepped farther into the room. He stood beside the Prince and watched as the fog seemed to devour everything it touched.

“Do you bring news of the Princess?”

Hoseok kept his focus outside of the window as he clasped his hands behind his back.

“The Princess dismissed everyone last night after she asked to be alone. Aga stood guard with Jooheon to follow the Princess’ request.” Hoseok sighed as he spoke, he knew this information would upset the Prince. “Mingi spoke with the Princess last night as an ear-”

“Does she hate me as much as I hate myself?”

Hoseok whipped his head to the side to gaze at his friend and Prince Yoongi’s face was twisted in anguish. His lips were downturned and his eyes were dull and muddled with a layer of unshed tears. This was the face of a man deeply hurt and betrayed. Hoseok reached out and placed a hand on the back of Prince Yoongi’s neck in comfort.

“Yoongi-”

Prince Yoongi held up his hand as he silenced Hoseok and turned away from the window. “You’re dismissed, Lieutenant.”

Hoseok pressed his lips in a firm line and bowed deeply, “As you wish, your Highness…”

Hoseok left the Prince’s chambers and clicked his tongue as he thought back to the sorrow on his friend’s face. He understood the inner workings of the palace, Hoseok wasn’t an idiot. Power plays were a must to secure a better future for those next in line. However, he couldn’t shake the image of the Prince’s sullen face from his mind. What price had been paid for the future?

A loud crash sounded from behind the door and Hoseok waved off the guards as their hands went right to the hilt of the swords.

“Give his Highness...privacy. Call me if the situation becomes dire.” Hoseok inhaled deeply and racked his neck before he walked off in the direction of Seokjin’s office. He hoped his friend would be able to shed more light on the situation at hand.

In the Prince’s chambers, Prince Yoongi paced back and forth as he chewed on the bitten skin of his thumb. His other hand was tangled tightly in his hair and his vision was blurring as he replayed the events of the day prior. There was no way that Princess Keena did not hate him and he couldn’t find fault in her feelings. It pained the Prince to think of that sweet smile and bell-like laughter that he grew so fond of becoming a distant memory. Would the Princess forbid him from ever seeing her again? Would their last moments together be a sunny and clear picture ruined by the water of fallen tears?

Prince Yoongi grabbed the closest thing to him - a vase full of cherry blossoms - and threw it in the direction that Hoseok had walked. The vase crashed against the main doors to his chambers and Prince Yoongi shouted, the ragged and watery sound morphed into something much more smokey and submerged as it tapered off into a roar.

Black patches of scales started to form on the Prince’s body and his nails elongated, no longer blunt but razor sharp. The Prince clenched his teeth and hissed as the sudden fangs pierced his tongue. The metallic taste of blood was a welcomed flavor and Prince Yoongi licked along his teeth with a twisted smirk on his scaly face. Agust hadn’t come to the surface. The Prince had full control of his emotions, but Agust did lend the Prince more of his rage to physically show that the Prince himself was more than distraught.

Confront them!

Agust’s voice was loud, so very loud as it echoed in the Prince’s mind. As the Prince’s animal spirit, Agust was tasked with protecting the hatchling. The Prince’s rage was Agust’s rage and he wanted the Prince to make his displeasure known; more than anything he wanted to see the carnage of the Prince’s fury.

Confront them!

Prince Yoongi caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror and he stood frozen. Golden eyes glared at him as he flinched at the mere sight of himself. Agust was right, Prince Yoongi needed to confront his parents but not like this…not with Agust so close to the surface. Agust hissed deep within the Prince’s soul and sneered as he poked at the open wound that grew on the Prince’s heart. He pointed out the Prince’s weakness and laughed mockingly as he wrapped his black claws around the Prince’s heart. They dug deep into the bruised and battered muscle and the Prince winced.

They lied! You are nothing but a pawn. Confront them!

In the butterfly house, Princess Keena sat dressed in a dark grey kaftan made of muslin cloth. The v-neck of the robe was lined by thin braided fabric that went over the shoulders and hung loosely from the ends of the wide half sleeves. The dress covered the Princess’ feet as she sat curled in on herself once again outside on the engawa. The rain showed no sign of stopping for the day and the Princess sighed. Her gaze turned towards the sky and she imagined herself sitting on the back of a cape teal duck on her way back to her homeland. Her lower lip started to tremble and the Princess shook her head.

She refused to cry again, her whole face hurt from her tears and the skin had been rubbed raw from all the wiping. The handmaidens had come by the Princess’ room with food and she turned them away. The knot in her stomach wouldn’t allow for food. Princess Keena closed her eyes and silent tears fell against her will as she failed to recall the happiness she had felt when she first arrived in the Min empire. Chan walked a lap around the home and he bowed low to the Princess who hadn’t seemed to see him. He took in the Princess’ ragged appearance, her face was swollen and her eyes were glossy; Chan frowned.

“Excuse me, Princess?” Chan called softly so that he wouldn’t startle the young woman.

Princess Keena’s eyes found Chan’s and he noticed a silver ring around the brown of her irises.

“Would you care to take a walk through the grounds? I passed Namjoon in my rounds. I am sure he would enjoy showing you the beauty of the butterfly house.”

Princess Keena blinked slowly as Chan’s words rattled around her mind. They were jumbled and watered down but after a moment they became clear and the Princess stared at Chan silently. Was this the first time he had spoken to her? Princess Keena took in his long midnight blue hair that was always pulled off his forehead and out of his face that exposed his cider brown eyes. Chan’s face was pleasant to look at with a wide nose and thick, mauve lips. He was strong and capable, with wide shoulders and a tapered waist. Princess Keena found herself nodding her head at Chan’s words. Chan smiled, a closed mouth grin that didn’t reach his eyes, but was friendly nonetheless.

“Please prepare yourself and I will fetch Namjoon.” Chan bowed once more and headed off in the direction that he last saw Namjoon.

Princess Kenna rubbed at her eyes and hissed as she irritated the tender skin. She rose to her feet and stepped back inside of her room, sliding the door closed for privacy. Most of her clothing was located in another room, but her handmaidens were smart enough to keep a few simple pieces of clothing close by. The Princess pulled on a thick robe to keep the chill of the rain from bothering her. It was a plain navy colored robe with silver angelfish and storks embroidered onto the fabric. The sleeves were long and hung past the Princess’ fingers, reaching mid thigh with a thick silver silk band around the hemming. Slowly the Princess slipped her feet into a pair of navy shoes and she pinned her hair into a bun at the back of her head.

Princess Keena didn’t bother with jewelry nor did she ask her handmaids to help her get ready for her walk with Namjoon. There was no makeup or extravagant hair ornaments. Once ready for the walk, Princess Keena made her way to step back outside through the door but Namjoon’s presence was announced from the door that led into her room. Princess Keena allowed for Hyejin to enter her room and Hyejin said nothing as she beckoned for the Princess to follow her to the main foyer of the butterfly house. At the main entrance of the butterfly house, Namjoon stood with two parasols in his hands. His light blue hair was pulled out of his face and tied into a high ponytail while the outfit he wore was simple, much like the Princess’.

Namjoon wore black hakama pants, a black nagajuban with a dark grey kimono over it that had large navy flowers patterned on it and white matching flowers stitched along the hem. His obi - belt - was dark grey with the same navy flowers. Namjoon smiled softly and bowed when he saw the Princess and she bowed her head.

“The weather is a little fickle today, so please accept this-” Namjoon offered the Princess one of the parasols, “and enjoy the tour around your new accommodations.”

Princess Keena stared at Namjoon and her lips twisted into a scowl. “Is this extravagant prison supposed to smother the flames of my ire?”

Namjoon’s eyes widened at the Princess’ words and Yongsun stepped in. “Mind your words, Princess.”

The Princess narrowed her eyes at Yongsun but kept silent. She took the proffered parasol and walked out the front door silently. Mingi and Minho both straightened up at the sight of the Princess and she paid them no mind as she stepped into the rain. Namjoon and Yongsun shared a look before Namjoon cleared his throat, bowed and hurried after the Princess.

“Princess, if it would please you…I would like to show you the main garden and then show you the rest of the structure.”

The Princess nodded her head and remained silent as Namjoon led her to the center of the courtyard. There in the corner sat a garden of bamboo surrounded by snapdragons, azaleas, lupines and rock cress. There was a small stone path that led to the garden and broke off in another direction that led to a stone garden in the center of a koi pond. It was beautiful, the bright flowers stood strong in the rain and Namjoon noticed that the rain had lessened a little.

“If you would like to add or remove any of the flowers, please do not hesitate to ask, Princess.” Namjoon watched as the Princess knelt down and ran her fingers over the petals of a dark blue lupine.

“My mother loves lupine…” The Princess stared at the flowers and the frown on her face slowly started to melt away. “When I was younger, my mother snuck us out of the palace and she took me to visit a friend of hers from her childhood. They owned a lupine field and I ran through those flowers for hours.”

Princess Keena slowly pulled her hand away from the flowers. “My mother chased me and we played hide and seek…it was one of the happiest days of my life.” Princess Keena stood to her full height and didn’t take her eyes off the flowers. “I have woken up to lupine flowers at my bedside everyday since then.”

Princess Keena turned to Namjoon with tears gathered at the corner of her eyes and she smiled as her bottom lip trembled. “I forgot how beautiful they were.”

Namjoon stepped forwards and bent at the knee. He carefully plucked a lupine from the bunch and stood before the Princess. “May I?” Tears fell from the Princess’ eyes as she nodded her head and Namjoon gently tucked the flower into her hair. The dark blue petals glowed against the Princess’ skin and Namjoon cupped her cheek lightly before he thumbed away her tears. “I cannot tell which is the flower.”

Minho rolled his eyes at Namjoon’s words and Mingi coughed loudly to cover his laugh. Princess Keena shook her head and Namjoon pulled his hand from her face with a wink.

“Is that one of the royal gardener's best lines?” The Princess teased and Namjoon threw his head back with a laugh.

“So far it has only worked on one person.”

Princess Keena’s smile was teasing as she patted Namjoon’s chest. “I think I would like to meet the person that worked on.”

Namjoon’s face heated for a moment and he rubbed the back of his neck. “I think the two of you would become good friends. He should be here within a fortnight to start on artwork within your home.”

“You are in love with an artist?”

Namjoon toed at the stones underneath his shoes and smiled shyly, his dimples out for everyone to see.

“May I know this mystery artist's name?”

Namjoon nodded his head and cleared his throat, “Jungkook…Jeon Jungkook.”

The Princess smiled and motioned for Namjoon to continue the tour of the butterfly house. As they put some distance between Minho and Mingi, the Princess glanced at Namjoon and looked around the rest of the garden.

“You are different from when we first met Kim Namjoon. You have a gentle and powerful soul within…”

Namjoon nearly tripped over his own two feet at the Princess’ words and she was quick to grab hold of his arm to keep him upright. Namjoon looked at the Princess and his eyes flashed a striking forest green before they changed back to their warm brown. Princess Keena smiled and Namjoon stared at her with wide eyes.

“I’m an impundulu, one of the most powerful beings that has ever lived…I know when I am in the presence of an old soul.” Princess Keena glanced over her shoulder to make sure that Mingi and Minho were far enough away to speak. “You have nothing to fear from me, Namjoon. I will keep your secret and honor your wishes, whatever they may be.”

Namjoon squinted his eyes in thought and raised a single eyebrow. “Can you call off the rain? You’re drowning my seedlings.”

The Princess laughed for the first time since yesterday and the rain slowly lightened up and it stopped once they were back in front of the butterfly house. The sky above was a faint blue with soft white clouds scattered all over. Namjoon grinned and bumped his elbow into the Princess’ arm before he spoke up once more.

“Let me properly show you the butterfly house, Princess.” Namjoon offered his arm and Princess Keena placed her hand on Namjoon’s lower bicep.

“Thank you, Namjoon…I missed the blue sky.”

In the innermost walls of the palace, Emperor and Empress Min sat once again in a room before their friends and allies in the Escistan kingdom. Queen Tiali and King Baasi’s forms were clear with a faint glow as they were shown with the sight gem. Empress Min sat with her hands in her lap and a tight smile on her face. The war with the west had started earlier than what was planned for. The west struck fast in the night once they caught wind of the Min Empire sending aid and support. Two of the Princes of Escistan had gone to fight while the oldest and youngest princes stayed behind to help with royal affairs and train with the rearguard.

“What aid do you require from us?” Emperor Min questioned as he watched the youthfulness in his friend’s eyes dim.

“For now our defenses will hold until more troops arrive. It was ignorant of me to assume the west would not act once news reached them of our alliance.” King Baasi frowned as he spoke and Queen Tiali grabbed hold of his hand.

“No, no,” Emperor Min spoke up with a shake of his head. “This fault lies with us. It seems we have an enemy within our walls.”

The silence that followed the Emperor’s admittance was louder than any sound.

“How is Keena? Have you given her the good news?” Queen Tiali spoke up to change the subject to a lighter matter and the expressions on the Emperor and Empress’ faces were less than pleasant.

Empress Min fisted her hands in her lap and cleared her throat before she spoke clearly. “The Princess excused herself before we were able to fully explain the betrothment-”

“Our son, the Prince as well, ran off soon after,” Emperor Min huffed as he sulked and Empress Min sighed.

“Give them time to adjust, they are still young after all.”

“Yes, I am sure with time they will grow to love each other.”

The King and Queen of Escistan offered their friend’s a smile and Empress Min nodded her head.

“Do not fret over this minor setback, my friends. As you said they are young. I am confident that this will not keep them apart.” Empress Min held up her hand to pause the conversation as a knock sounded throughout the room.

The door opened and the Empress noticed that the guard who entered was from the Prince’s section of the palace. He whispered into Emperor Min’s ear, bowed and left the room silently. Emperor Min scratched at the tip of his nose and his copper eyes glowed that familiar molton brown.

“We will reconvene at another time. I apologize for ending this meeting abruptly but the Prince has requested an audience with us.”

“Yes, yes. Go and speak with your son, Chungho. Please give our warmest wishes to the Princess.” King Baasi bowed his head and his image quickly faded away.

Empress Eunkyung watched as her husband slumped in his seat and rubbed at his temples.

“What is it that our son wishes to speak to us about?”

Emperor Min’s laugh was bitter and he slowly rose to his feet. “Our son is currently rampaging through the palace halls demanding our presence in the throne room.”

Empress Eunkyung’s lips twitched as the sudden memory of the Prince in his early toddler years ran amok through the palace in search of his parents. At that time the Prince had fallen from a tree and refused anyone’s aid unless it was his mother or father. Empress Min stood from her seat and held out her hand towards her husband.

“Let us not keep our son waiting much longer.”

Hoseok was pulled from his discussion with Seokjin by a frantic looking guard. He looked ready to keel over as he stumbled over his words and he wasn’t even half way finished when Hoseok took off running towards the throne room with Seokjin right behind him. They arrived in front of the throne room just before the Prince and Hoseok intercepted him.

“Your Highness? W-What are you doing? You are not dress-”

“Where are they?” Prince Yoongi’s voice was coarse, hardened into sharp weapons possibly aimed at the wrong people.

“Your Highness, why don’t we get back to your cham-”

Prince Yoongi snarled as Seokjin stepped up beside Hoseok and blocked his way to the throne room.

“If you don’t want your head removed from your shoulders I suggest you stand down,” the Prince glared at his two friends and they both frowned. “Now!”

Seokjin flinched at the mere volume of the Prince’s voice while Hoseok stood his ground.

“Stand down, Lieutenant Jung.”

Hoseok’s eyes flashed a smoldering ember for a brief moment before he closed them and inhaled deeply. Hoseok slapped a smile on his face and placed his hands on the Prince’s shoulders. “Now, now your Highness. You cannot hold an audience with the Emperor and Empress looking like this.” Hoseok jerked his head towards Seokjin and the older man stared at the two confused. Hoseok pressed his lips into a tight line and begged for Seokjin to help him with his eyes while the Prince stared at Hoseok unimpressed.

“Oh! Y-Yes, Her Majesty would have our heads if she saw you in such a state of undress, your Highness.” Seokjin quickly stepped forward and pulled the front of the Prince’s robe closed before he tied the belt neatly around the Prince’s waist. As the Prince stood still, Seokjin stepped behind him and combed his fingers through Prince Yoongi’s hair before he plucked the silver hair pin from his own hair and twisted the Prince’s hair into a messy topknot. Seokjin pinned the hair in place and stepped back around, his own brown hair hung around his shoulders while the Prince looked more put together before them.

Seokjin glanced over the Prince’s appearance and raised an eyebrow at the sight of the Prince’s bare feet, his toenails were pitch black and jutted out in sharp points. Hoseok followed Seokjin’s line of sight and he snorted, “Your Highness…can you put your claws away? I would like for my shoes to be returned in their pristine condition.”

Prince Yoongi glanced down at his feet and huffed, a black plume of smoke fell to the ground around his feet. “Keep your shoes, Hoseok.”

“Oh, it’s Hoseok now, is it?”

Prince Yoongi glared and Hoseok grinned. “Yes, I know, silence.” Hoseok mimed zipping his mouth shut and he playfully tucked the key away into Seokjin’s robes.

The doors to the throne room opened and Hoseok’s smile dropped while Seokjin stepped back away from the Prince.

“Mind your temper, your Highness…we will be right here when all is said and done.” Seokjin offered a smile and the Prince nodded his head once before he waited for Hoseok to step aside.

Prince Yoongi held his head high as he walked into the throne room and the door closed behind him with a soft thud. Emperor Chungho and Empress Eunkyung sat beside each other in their respective seats and watched as the Prince walked up the carpeted aisle. Prince Yoongi stood before his parents and refused to bow his head as he glared at them both. Empress Eunkyung cleared her throat gently and stared down at the Prince.

“You requested an audience and you have our attention. What is it that you wish to discuss?”

Prince Yoongi clenched his hands into fist at his sides, his nails dug into his skin and drew blood as he licked over the fangs in his mouth. Emperor Chungho scratched the tip of his nose and rested his chin on top of his knuckles as he clicked his tongue to gain his son’s attention.

“Is this about the arrangement between our empire and the Escistan kingdom?”

Prince Yoongi scoffed, “Arrangement? That’s what you are calling it?”

“We all have a duty to the Empire, Yoongi. As the first and only Prince, you are no different,” Emperor Min spoke with a firm voice and Empress Min scowled.

“Yoongi-”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” The Prince looked between his parents and they both faltered at his question. “All this time, you - you knew and, and you said nothing….” Prince Yoongi scratched at the scales on his neck, his golden eyes narrowed at the silence.

“My sweet boy, it was never a secret we meant to keep from you,” Empress Min stressed and Prince Yoongi shook his head.

“That’s a lie-”

“Yoongi, we did not lie to you.” Emperor Min stepped in and motioned between himself and his wife. “Why don’t we discuss this elsewhere?”

"Discuss what?!” Prince Yoongi’s voice rose and broke as his eyes burned bright. “You lied to me a-all this time. You lied to me!"

Empress Min stood from her seat and the Emperor was quick to grab her wrist and hold her in place while the Prince started to fall apart before them.

"S-She hates me and I have done nothing wrong!” Tears welled in the Prince’s eyes and the tip of his nose started to flush scarlet as he struggled to even look at his parents. “I am not the one at fault!"

“I am sure the Princess does not hate you,” Emperor Min spoke slowly as he stood and placed himself in front of his wife. “Give the Princess time and she will come around, I promise you.”

The laugh that spilled from the Prince’s lips was venomous as he dug his nails into his hair and pulled. The pin from Seokjin clattered to the floor and the Prince’s long blond hair flowed down his back, bright spots of red streaked throughout. "She has my heart!” The Prince’s words stung and clawed at his throat as he stumbled forward towards his parents. “I-I gave her every piece of me in our letters and she hates me!”

The Prince stood at the bottom of the steps in front of his parents and he glared, as the unshed tears in his eyes started to stream down his face silently. “Not you-” he pointed one long clawed finger at his father and mother and the blood from the cuts in his palm splattered at their feet. “-Not the people who ruined whatever chance we could have had together.”

“Oh, Yoongi…” Empress Min’s own eyes started to burn with tears and she squeezed her husband’s arm.

“She hates me…” Prince Yoongi’s voice broke into a watery whisper submerged in a never ending sea that waded between grief and self loathing. “A-and I love her still."

Empress Min pushed her husband from in front of her and rushed down the steps. She threw her arms around the Prince’s shoulders and pulled him into a tight hug. Prince Yoongi stood frozen as the tears from his mother soaked into his kimono and damped his skin. Emperor Min watched from the top of the steps as his wife fussed over their son, she cupped his face in her hands and pressed their foreheads together as she spoke.

“I wanted the feelings between you and the Princess to grow and form organically,” Empress Min admitted softly as she sniffled. “I never wanted to hurt either of you and for causing such damage, I am forever at fault.”

Slowly, the Prince raised his arms and hugged his mother gently, the blood on his hands stained her robes but she didn’t care as she allowed for her son to sob into her shoulder. Empress Min shushed the Prince and ran her hand through his hair as he cried. Emperor Min sighed and plopped down on the steps, he winced as his head started to pound and rubbed at his temples.

“She hates me,” the Prince mumbled into the Empress’ shoulder and she shook her head.

“No, no, my sweet hatchling. The Princess does not hate you…I am sure her anger is pointed at us as well as her own parents.” Empress Min pulled the Prince out at arms length and smiled softly. “Give her time and she will come to terms with it all, even just a little. The Princess is in a unfamiliar land for what she thought would be a short trip…and now-”

“She’ll feel trapped here, won’t see?” Prince Yoongi asked and pouted as the Empress wiped at his face with the sleeves of her robe. Again the Empress was reminded of the sweet child that would pull at the ends of her skirts and whine with chubby cheeks for sweets.

“If I remember correctly there was word that a seventh garden was added to the grounds and it had been completed.” The Emperor’s voice flouted from behind the Empress and the Prince nodded his head slowly. He understood what his father had meant and the Prince pulled away from Empress Min.

Prince Yoongi cleared his throat and picked up the silver hair pin from the floor. Empress Min took the pin and easily styled the Prince’s hair into a neat bun that sat in the middle of his head.

“Use the secret route, go back to your chambers and clean yourself up. You will join us for supper tonight.”

Prince Yoongi bowed to the Empress and cleared his throat, “Sorry for yelling at you both.”

Empress Min smiled and tapped the tip of the Prince’s nose with her index finger. “There is nothing to apologize for. Your feelings are valid and you were heard.”

Prince Yoongi bowed once more before he left and disappeared within the shadows.

In the morning after the audience with his parents, news of the Prince’s engagement to the Princess spread throughout the palace and was stopped at the palace gates. No one outside of the palace was permitted to know of the engagement until it was publicly announced for the safety of the Princess. In a subtle and silent protest to the engagement, the Princess refused to wear anything other than her boubou, dashiki, and kaftan. The colorful hanboks, hanfus, and kimonos were ignored and stored away out of the sight of the Princess. The gifts from the Prince were stored away in the chest they were received in and the night the Princess removed the golden rings from her fingers, she cried herself to sleep.

The Princess was to resume her lessons at once and she welcomed the distraction. The tutors were to come to the butterfly house and the Princess would let them occupy her time and mind with new and old knowledge. As the First Princess to the Min Empire, the lessons were altered to reflect Princess Keena’s new standing and title. The Princess ignored anyone who referred to her as the First Princess and she forbade the royal bloodline of the Min empire to enter the gates of her dwelling place. The Emperor and Empress allowed for the Princess to have her way and they kept it to themselves that the Princess had been moved outside of the palace into her own estate.

Empress Min knew that once Prince Yoongi was aware of the butterfly house, he would drop his princely duties and try to find a way into the home of the Princess.

Today was the first day that the Princess’ lessons would resume and Princess Keena was woken up early to eat and get ready for the day. Byulyi and Hyejin dressed the Princess in a pale orange buba made of linen with the matching pale orange iro - wrapped skirt - with soft red and yellow undertones mixed into the flowered embroidery. A cream colored lace pele that had tiny golden woven tassels that hung two inches off the hem pulled the Princess’ outfit together as the finishing touch.

Wheein was tasked with styling the Princess’ hair and she took her time as she braided six medium sized braids and then wrapped them into bantu knots in equal sections on the Princess’ head. She then added golden clips that dangled with orange tourmaline and amber jewels to the large knots. Princess Keena sat quietly as Wheein and Hyejin poked thick golden jhumka - bell shaped with suspended beads that jingle - earrings into her lobes and paired the earrings with layered gold necklaces in different lengths and thickness. Thick gold rings with rutilated quartz, green amethyst, and scales made of diamond adored the Princess’ fingers, the index finger on her right hand remained bare while beaded and golden chain cuffed bracelets hugged her wrists.

Yongsun soon appeared with the Princess’ meal in tow behind her and she watched as other maids set small trays down on the table. The meal was plentiful. Rice porridge, red bean sweet cakes, a fruit medley, fried tofu, sausage links and meat dumplings with a cucumber salad and pickled bean sprouts on the side. While the Princess ate her breakfast, Yongsun made sure that the lesson room was properly prepared for each tutor. The room itself was decorated in calm and soft colors that were meant to provoke the feelings of trust and security. Beige, light grey and cream tones filled the room while dark wooden furniture added to the depth.

A settee was pushed up against the farthest wall, a large oversized persian rug rested on the floor while two chabudai tables sat low on the floor with pale yellow zabuton cushions around them. Four prairie style chandeliers hung from the ceiling with sunstones inside that casted the room on a warm yellow glow while tulips in the early shades of dawn rested in beautifully decorated vases in the corners of the room.

Outside of the Princess’ room, Mingi stood at attention as he waited patiently for the Princess to start her lessons. Aga had to train the troops and he gave Mingi the task of watching over the Princess in his absence while Minho patrolled the outer perimeter of the home. Jooheon stood at the main gate with a new guard, Kai, by his side. Kai was a descendant of the great dire wolves, a halfling with short green hair, cropped close on the sides, rose red eyes, tan skin and a teasing smile that often showed his silver fangs.

Chan showed two more new guards, Wonho and San, around the inner walls of the butterfly house. Wonho was a halfling born of a mountain dwarf and came with his younger cousin Jooheon to the Min Empire at a young age. He had short black hair that hung in front of pale green eyes, pale skin covered his large muscular body and his smile was charming and wide. San was a kitsune with unique hair, it was all back with snow white bangs that contrasted his honey calcite eyes. His features were fox like and sharp, his skin was warmer than most in the Min Empire and his smile was surprisingly childlike.

The new guards were strong, competent and held a lot of promise for protecting the Princess. Aga and Hoseok spent time together and handpicked the new guards to ensure that the Princess would be protected at all times, no matter the situation.

A familiar figure stood by the front gates of the butterfly house and Jooheon watched as Kai questioned the tutor, excessively. Jooheon stepped in and pulled Kai to his side and he bowed his head to the tutor. “Welcome to the butterfly house, Lady Zarrin.”

Inside of the butterfly house, Mingi led the Princess to the tutoring room and he entered the room first, his green eyes gleamed as he searched for any hidden threat. The Princess entered silently behind him and was surprised to see that Zarrin was already in the room. At the sight of the Princess, Zarrin rose to her feet and bowed deeply, the brown and yellow two piece trouser outfit that she wore covered almost every inch of her skin, with a soft crew neckline to the tunic. The contrast in colors was stark against her grey skin and the Princess wondered if Zarrin cared at all.

“Good morning to you, Your Highness. I hope you slept well last night.”

“Good morning to you, Zarrin. I slept well, thank you.”

Zarrin smiled her sharp toothed grin and motioned for the Princess to take a seat across from her.

“Today I thought we would pick up from where we left off but first I would like to see what you remember and answer any questions that you might have.”

The Princess nodded her head and swept up her skirt before she lowered herself onto the floor across from Zarrin. Mingi rested against the wall and kept his eyes trained on the door and windows in the room. Princess Keena and Zarrin went back and forth during the lesson and their time together passed in the blink of an eye. Mingi watched as Wen entered the room next in a colorful hanfu with bright yellows, bold blues and radiant reds. His snow white hair was blinding as he greeted the Princess with a low bow and sat across from her. His robes fluttered around him as Wen spoke with his hands, his red nails glimmered in the natural light that spilled into the room.

The Princess was having a small break in between her next lesson and she stood up to stretch her legs. She stood by the window and bowed her head when Chan walked passed with two unknown faces beside him. Princess Keena turned her attention to Mingi and waved him over. “Who are the men with Chan? I’ve never seen them before.”

Mingi glanced at the two men that were following Chan and he tried to recall their names. “Aga thought it best to increase our security. We now have eight guards, including myself and two more will join us at a later time. They are currently outside of the palace walls,” Mingi explained as he watched the two men disappear farther out of sight.

“The man with the bulging muscles is Wonho, he is a halfling born from a human and mountain dwarf. He is also the older cousin of Jooheon. The other man is San, he is a kitsune.”

Princess Keena’s head whipped around to face Mingi and she stared at him with wide eyes, “A kitsune? I-I thought they were a tribe in the southeast that never left their land.”

Mingi frowned and hummed in agreement, the Princess wasn’t wrong. “San’s parents gave him away when he was a child. They wanted him to have a better life and it was forbidden to leave the village. A group of traveling merchants passed through the village and his parents snuck him in the caravan.”

Princess Keena bit the inside of her cheek and watched as San’s black hair vanished from view as he turned a corner. She wondered how he ended up here in the Min empire as a royal guard and if he missed his family. Was he tricked into joining the travelers like she was tricked into coming to the palace?

“Mingi?”

“Yes, your Highness?”

“Do you think he feels lonely?”

The question hung in the air between them and Mingi crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned against the window frame. Princess Keena looked away to stare out the window and watched as a small white butterfly landed on one of the snapdragons outside.

“Do you feel lonely?” Mingi watched as the Princess’ shoulders tensed at his question and her jaw clenched as she wrapped her arms around her chest to hug herself.

"Pi bon poukont ou pase nan move konpayi." Princess Keena mumbled under her breath and slowly uncrossed her arms with a tight smile. She patted Mingi’s chest and walked over to the chabudai table without a second glance as she sat down. “Who would feel lonely with you by their side?”

Mingi raised an eyebrow and before he could respond, there was a soft knock at the door and in walked the human and elf couple, Kwangseon and Ellarian with bright smiles on their faces as they bowed low to the Princess.

“You look as beautiful as ever, Princess Keena!” Kwangseon pulled his instruments into the room as he spoke and Princess Keena smiled as she bowed her head.

“Thank you for coming today. I apologize for the change of location,” Princess Keena spoke as the couple started to set up the instruments.

Ellarian waved off the Princess’ words and shook her head. “Nonsense, your Highness. Your safety is of the utmost importance. Besides, this one-” Ellarian jabbed her thumb over her shoulder at her husband. “-could use a few extra steps in his day to day routine.”

Kwangseon swatted at his wife and the Princess giggled behind her hand as she watched the couple playfully bicker with each other. Mingi moved to take his post back against the wall and Kwangseon stopped him.

“Hey, no! You are going to help us.” Kwangseon sat on the floor and pulled a drum into his lap. “Can you foxtrot?”

Mingi stared at the short and stocky man with wide eyes. He wanted him to dance with the Princess? What was a foxtrot? Mingi must have looked like a deer caught in a hunter’s trap because Ellarian shook her head with a laugh and offered her hand to the Princess. “Ignore my husband. He forgets that not everyone in the palace is skilled in dance like me.”

Princess Keena got to her feet and Ellarian instructed her to hold onto the ends of her skirt with one hand. “This will keep your feet visible and the movement of the skirt will add flare to the dance steps. Now…”

Princess Keena followed Ellarian’s instructions and the lesson went on for a little over an hour. The couple gave the Princess music to study before they departed for the day. Princess Keena graciously accepted the tea that Hyejin carried in and she whispered with Mingi to learn how the Princess’ lessons were going. The Princess excused herself from the room and Hyejin led her to the restroom. Alone in the room, the Princess washed her hands once she was finished and stared at her reflection in the large mirror that hung on the wall. The smile on her face was tight and forced, but still pleasant enough to not have anyone questioning her state of mind.

Once the Princess stepped back out into the hall, she followed Hyejin to the lesson room and thanked the woman before she stepped back inside. Mingi bowed his head and the Princess sat down at the chabudai once again.

“What is my next lesson, Mingi?”

“You will meet the last three of your tutors today. History is next and his Majesty has requested one of the finest to tutor you.”

The Princess nodded her head and fiddled with her earrings as she waited for the next person to enter the room. When the door slid open, Princess Keena rose to her feet before she turned around with another practiced smile on her face. Princess Keena stared unblinking as a rather large tortoise walked into the room on two thick, stocky and heavily scaled legs. The tortoise stood well over six feet, the Princess thought he was at least seven or so feet. His tawny colored skin looked rough and he was covered by a simple forest green tunic that wrapped around one of his large shoulders.

His eyes were a deep green with flecks of blue and gold; it reminded the Princess of a hidden oasis in the middle of a forest.

Princess Keena bowed her head and the tortoise spoke, his voice deep and brittle with his age, “I am Tempus, druid of the Wonnip tribe from a time long forgotten. It is an honor to assist one of the great impundulu.”

Princess Keena crossed her arms over her chest and gave Tempus a proper Escistan greeting to which the great tortoise made a happy grumble in the back of his throat.

“Please, have a seat, your Highness. I would like to learn what you know of the Min empire’s history. Once I have a gauge of your knowledge, we will move accordingly as I see best.” Tempus walked across the room and sat across from the Princess. His large form towered over the Princess and his eyes glimmered in the lighting of the room. “I believe that history is a story best told when its linear timeline is parallel to ours.”

Tempus waved one of his large webbed hands and a green orb started to form. As it grew in size, the Princess watched with bated breath to see what the orb would hold inside. The orb started to harden and rested in Tempus’ hand, clear as crystal and no larger than a honeydew melon.

“This-” Tempus lowered the orb onto the table between them and it rolled towards the Princess, “is nothing more than crystallized moisture from the air around us. As you can see, it is clear with no traces of impurities.”

Princess Keena reaches out and touches the orb, it is colder than she thought it would be but smooth and slightly heavy as she picks it up.

“History is what people make of it. No two tellings will be the same, much like the orb you hold in your hand. I can make it again but it will be slightly different, maybe not as large or not as clear.”

“How can one teach history if there are two sides to every story?” Princess Keena quipped as she placed the orb back onto the table.

Tempus laughed and bobbed his head up and down as he grinned, all gums and not teeth. “Exactly! That is what makes history so fascinating!” Tempus crossed his arms over his hardened chest and his eyes sparkled as he stared at the Princess. “What I will teach you is everything I have gathered from across the world. I have heard and seen many, many events of the past and yet, history continues to repeat itself. The world continues to grow and move backwards simultaneously.”

The Princess’ eyes flash a murky silver and Tempus closes his eyes with a deep hum. “Tell me, your Highness…what do you know about your own history? The story of the lighting birds?”

“The impundulu was around long before humans came to be. They lived in harmony with dragons in the sky and gave those on land the water that maintained their crops in times of need.”

“What else?” Tempus slowly opened his eyes and tilted his head to the side as he stared down at the Princess. “Do not quote the scribbles of man that you read from a book. What has the spirit inside shared with you?”

“The spirit? Ceyeh has not shared much with me.”

Tempus uncrossed his arms and stood from his seat. The Princess watched as the tortoise moved around the room and grabbed a few books and scrolls from a set of shelves on the wall.

“You have much to learn my dear.”

Princess Keena listened to every word that Tempus spoke, she wrote down subjects, stories and words that she did not understand fully and eagerly asked questions. Tempus took his time as he introduced the Min empire to the Princess. Their history was vast and went back thousands of years in the past. Soon Tempus started to clean up and the Princess was ready for her next lesson.

After Tempus left the room, Mingi announced that it was time for the Princess to have lunch and she chose to have her meal outside in the courtyard. A soup with tandoori momos, dan dan noodles, hard boiled eggs, mushrooms, leeks, cabbage and a curry coconut broth was the main dish with kimchi, sauteed green beans and tuna poke on the side. An individual portion of flan with fresh raspberries and cream was for dessert and it made the Princess smile. Flan was dessert from Escistan that she did not know she had missed.

The weather was beautiful, the sun shined brightly in the ocean blue sky and thick white clouds passed by slowly. Princess Keena sat alone while Mingi and Byulyi both stood a reasonable distance away. The Princess watched as four butterflies made themselves comfortable on the flowers around her and she inhaled deeply. The floral scent was strong but not overpowering, the Princess enjoyed the mixture of sweetness that settled in her chest.

Princess Keena enjoyed her meal in silence as she allowed for her thoughts to run away from her. Tempus’ words as well as Zarrin from their first lesson swirled in the Princess’ mind and she stared into the pool of water before her. What was her history? Why did it seem like such an important thing to know? History repeats itself, the good and the bad and the Princess wondered if maybe, just maybe Ceyeh had been placed in the same kind of situation before in a different lifetime.

“Beautiful weather today.”

Princess Keena turned her head at the sound of the voice and was overwhelmed by the green, pink and cream hanfu that Saina wore. The colors were vibrant and stood out against her warm skin tone that glowed with its own natural pink hue. Saina grinned at the Princess and bowed low before she spoke up once more, “Good day to you, your Highness.”

“Have you enjoyed the weather so far, Lady Saina?” The Princess asked as she gave her tutor her full attention. Byulyi quickly cleared the table in front of the Princess and Mingi moved to hold a parasol over the Princess’ head but she waved him off.

Saina’s large galaxy eyes shined brightly and she nodded her head, which sent her pink hair flying about her head. Today Saina wore her hair in twin ponytails on either side of her head with a few strands braided together with beads of pewter green and grey woven in. Princess Keena rose to her feet and motioned for Saina to join her as she walked back to the house. Inside the butterfly home, Saina followed the Princess and Mingi to the room where lessons were to be held and she settled into her new role as tutor to the first Princess easily.

Saina was hired to teach civics, the rights and duties of citizenship; which was broken down into the many structures of the government and the procedures within those structures. The Princess took many notes and asked questions because she knew nothing of the Min empire. Saina was pleased with the Princess’ questions, it helped Saina plan for the next day and figure out what she wanted to incorporate into her lessons so that the Princess could reach her full potential.

“Your Highness, may I ask a personal question?”

Princess Keena looked up from the notes in front of her and Saina had a soft smile on her pretty face. Her eyes weren’t guarded and held no ill will towards Princess Keena, so she nodded her head and folded her hands on the table.

“I noticed that you are not wearing rings on your right index finger.”

Princess Keena pulled her hands into her lap and thumbed at the bare skin before she offered Saina a tight smile.

“You have keen eyes, Lady Saina. The rings I once wore were a gift and I do not believe it appropriate for me to continue to wear them at this time.”

Saina frowned at the Princess’ words and folded her hands on top of the table. “Your Highness…I cannot begin to imagine the war your heart is battling with your mind, however in times of uncertainty it is best to surround yourself with the things that bring you the most joy and peace of mind.”

Princess Keena pursed her lips and swallowed down the pungent words that threatened to do more harm than good. They stuck to the walls of the throat heavy and rough as she tried to speak. “Well-” the Princess cleared her throat lightly and licked her lips, “what does one do when the things that once brought joy and peace are what caused the pain?” Princess Keena raised her eyes and looked Saina straight on, a thin silver ring glowed around her brown eyes.

“Let them bring joy and peace once more.”

Saina bowed and rose to her feet before she left the room silently and Princess Keena sucked her teeth before she tapped at the bare skin of her index finger.

“I would be a fool to allow the Prince such grace after all of his lies,” the Princess grumbled to herself and looked over her shoulder at Mingi. “Please have them bring green tea, my throat is sore.”

Mingi stepped out of the room for a moment and Princess Keena inhaled deeply, the sweet scents of the flowers outside the window filled her senses and she sighed on exhale. Forgive the Prince so easily? Accept his hand in marriage and then what? The Princess shook her head and folded her legs underneath her skirt more tightly.

"Mwen ta yon moun sòt padonnen l '." Princess Keena tapped her fingers on the table top and rolled her tongue inside of her mouth. Bitter, every inner thought tasted bitter and she wanted to spit them out. Silently, the Princess hoped that the tea would wash the taste away or at least mask it for now.

#blackthorn ch 8 #bts fantasy au #dragon yoongi #emperor yoongi #soc yoongi #bts soulmate au #yoongi x black oc #bts ambw #kpop ambw #daechwita yoongi

62 notes · View notes

imagine-korea · 1 year

Text

Jooheon - Fate

MonstaX Mafia!AU: Their wife running away again

Genre: fluffy angst or angsty fluff, you be the judge

Word count: 1633

You and Jooheon met when you were still teenagers in the same school. He was part of the bad boys of your year and you were the perfect and kind a student.

One day when the teacher asked for a tutor for Jooheon as some kind of second chance, you were the only one that volentered. Not to the surprise of your teacher or classmates, but definitely to his. He had always been enthralled by you but he didn't know you were just as intrigued by him.

Though your classmates hadn't been surprised by you offering to help him, they were shocked when you two started dating. It was the typical good girl bad boy romance.

It went as far as a long distance relationship when you went to college and he started to work. And after college getting an apartment together to finally getting engaged.

Sadly fate didn't take it further than that.

"When we're you planning on telling me Jooheon!?" you yelled, luggage in hand, standing in front of your now ex-fiancé.

"Tell you what?" you could see clearly that he was trying to keep his voice calm. To think clearly and not let your raised voice get to his head. This only made you more angry.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe the fact that our WEDDING is being paid with f*cking BLOOD MONEY! I can't believe you jooheon!"

His face wasn't as steady anymore, he was clearly frustrated, pained. Yet he still did his best to keep his voice steady and low. "Just baby, drop the bag, we can talk about this."

You didn't drop your bag. You only tightened your grip. Your eyes slowly drifted from fury to regret and sadness. "I don't think we can." was the last thing you said before making your way to your car.

He wanted to stop you. More than anything in the world, he wanted to come after you. But maybe the best thing he could do for you was let you leave. Maybe in another life, maybe one day, he could let himself be happy with you. But he couldn't make you accept what he did, who he was. He couldn't make you love him.

To stop himself from going after you he decided to drown his sorrows instead. Sitting on the living room floor in the apartment you once shared. But no amount of alcohol could wipe the memories off every inch of the place. Even a years after it still reminded him of you. He didn't understand why he couldn't just relieve himself from his misery. He hadn't moved on, he couldn't get himself to move out. Sometimes, like today, "see you later, baby" still quietly rolled off his lips before closing the door on the empty apartment.

"Finally, I've been waiting for 10 minutes" Chankyun muttered when Jooheon got to his car. "Sorry, hadn't noticed that much time had passed." he muttered back. Chankyun rolled his eyes and drove off.

"We can't be late for this. I know it's a party but Shinee will be there and Shownu wants us to get along with them. We can't afford a fued with another gang. Especially of that status." Chankyun usually wasn't the one to lecture in the group but the rest had given him the clear assignment of keeping an eye on Jooheon. They couldn't afford a slip right now and Jooheon had been slipping one too many times lately.

But when they walked in, Chankyun immediately saw 'getting along' wasn't going to be an easy task.

There you stood in the middle of the room talking to none other than Shinee's Minho. Jooheon was just as enamoured by you as the first time he saw you. It didn't matter what Chankyun said, he wasn't listening.

He had to have you back. Or in the least talk to you. His feet seemed to be moving toward you out of his control. That was until he witnessed Minho's lips placed on your forehead. He was boiling inside, but on the outside he was stoic. More stoic than his group members had seen him in a while. Shownu debated going to stop him after hearing from Chankyun what was going on. In the end he decided to see how this was going to play out. Maybe it could be good closure and they could get back to work.

When Minho left your side his place was quick occupied by Jooheon. For a split second you seemed surprised. If Jooheon wasn't taking in every curve of your face, he would have missed it.

"Jooheon." you nodded in his direction.

"You don't seem that surprised to see me." his smile, or smirk even, reminded you of your first meeting as well.

"I figured this would be your scene." you looked around at the men in suits, many with beautiful women on their arms, ignoring the loud music as if it was part of another party.

"Maybe you wanted to see me." he said cockily. You looked at him with raised eyebrow, yet your look soffened when you took in his features. Yes, his smirk said he was confident but his eyes told you another story. You knew those eyes, not from your first meeting, but your last. Those were the eyes of a broken man, a man with regrets, man you wanted to console. You restrained yourself, looking at your feet rather than his eyes.

He had noticed you averting your gaze and knew exactly why. You knew him through and through, even now, but he could read you just as well.

"Do you regret how things ended between us?" he blurted out,though he looked like he knew exactly what he asked. It took you a moment to answer, as if you still needed to build the courage to form the firm "No." that finally left your lips.

"Just grant me a dance then. Prove it, that you have no regrets, no feelings. We can take it fast or slow. Just dance with me tonight and we'll let fate decide." he stretched out his hand to you and you hesitated.

"One dance and you'll let me go after that?" When he promised with a simple nod you took his hand and he led you to where few people were actually dancing. Lucky for you, a slower song was playing. It was almost sensual. Jooheon had agonizing timing.

He wrapped your hands around his neck, almost like he was teaching you how to dance. In that you could actually use the lesson. You had forgotten everything but him in that moment. You fought the urge to pinch your eyes closed and physically shake the thought from your head. You swore to yourself you wouldn't fall for his charm again.

But when his hands met your hips, your body seemed to disagree. From the spot where he touched you, shivers ran up your sides and down your legs. You had the unholy thoughts of good times once spent from entering your mind. How could he still have that effect on you.

"You seem deep in thought, baby." before he knew it, the word had slipped and seeing by your reaction, it had been a mistake.

Your hands shot from his neck back to your sides, taking a step back. His face for the first time that night showed what he was truly feeling. Worry.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean..." he tried to explain himself, but you interrupted him. "Just, let me go." tears brimmed your eyes and you ran off. He couldn't let you go, not like this, not again.

"What do you think you're doing?" an angry Minho was now blocking him from going after you.

"Look, I'm not looking for any trouble. I just need to talk to Y/N. We know each other." he tried to explain himself without causing trouble with who he assumed was your current boyfriend.

"I know who you are." oh shit "you broke her heart, I'm not going to let you do it again."

No matter how much Shownu wanted MonstaX and Shinee to become allies, they stood behind Jooheon as soon as they noticed trouble. "neither will I" Jooheon answered Minho, pushing passed him. Minho meanwhile being stopped by Shownu.

"Let this play out. You knew what you were getting into when you brought her here."

Lucky for Jooheon, you hadn't gone far. You were instead walking in circles around the fountain nearby, staring at your reflection in the water until his joined it. You faced him, not knowing what you wanted to tell him, even when your heart was screaming it.

"I can't let you go." he whispered "if I let you go again, I might not survive it."

You didn't have to say it for him to know you felt the same way.

Why?

Because as soon as he said it your lips connected with his in a hungry kiss. A kiss that told him how deprived you had felt in those few years apart. And he responded with just as much feeling.

When you broke apart it took a moment of staring into eachother's eyes for the both of you to catch your breaths and get back to reality. Jooheon pinched his eyes closed, creating a pained expression.

"What about your boyfriend?" he asked, honestly wanting you to be happy and worried of the trouble the kiss could bring you. Especially in these circles.

"I never really started dating again after you." you cheepishly admitted.

"Then Minho..."

"is my brother." you finished, not all that surprised by his assumption. But the truth shocked him more.

"I thought you wanted nothing to do with... My kind of people." he didn't want to say it. Like he was ashamed of it.

"I was born into it, I tried to escape it but instead ran straight back into it with you. I've realized now it's not something I can escape." you gave him another deep kiss "and now I don't think I want to anymore."

♥ Thanks for reading! ♥

Wife running away again mafia!AU: Part1, Hyungwon

masterlist

70 notes · View notes

shadowkoo · 7 months

Text

mini requests

open | CLOSED

Hi! I'm opening my requests for the first time in nearly three years! I'm hoping by doing this sort of drabble game / mini fic requests that I can ease my way back into writing after my long hiatus. If you are interested in sending in a request, please continue reading for all the details. Thank you!

Rules + Requirements :

Follow me (if you are not already)

Reblog this post (boosts are appreciated)

Must be 18+ (minors please dni)

To Request:

Choose a group & member (1 only please)

Pick a genre (max of 3)

Select a prompt (max of 2)

Visit my askbox and use a similar format like this: "Can I request Taehyung (BTS) fluff, smut, and coworkers au with prompt #4"

*please make sure that you include the group in parenthesis after stating which member you're requesting

Groups + Members:

BTS - Seokjin, Yoongi, Hoseok, Namjoon, Jimin, Taehyung, Jungkook

EXO - Kai, Baekhyun, Sehun, Chanyeol, Chen, Suho, Kyungsoo, Xiumin, Lay

NCT - Taeyong, Taeil, Johnny, Yuta, Jaehyun, Doyoung, Ten, Winwin, Kun, Jungwoo, Mark, Xiaojun, Hendery, Renjun, Jeno, Haechan, Jaemin, Yangyang, Jisung

SVT - Vernon, Mingyu, Jeonghan, Wonwoo, Minghao, Woozi, Joshua, Hoshi, Junhui, Seokmin, Seungcheol

GOT7 - Jinyoung, Jackson, Bam, Yugyeom, Mark, Jaebeom, Youngjae

ATEEZ - Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung, Jongho

MONSTA X - Shownu, Minhyuk, Kihyun, Hyungwon, Jooheon, Changkyun

STRAY KIDS - Bang Chan, Minho, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, Jeongin

Genres + AUs:

Fluff

Smut

Angst

Enemies to lovers

Friends to lovers

Friends with benefits

Roommates

College

Coworkers

Meet Cute

Meet Ugly

Athlete (you may specify in your request)

Exes

Idol

*idol au means that they will be depicted as their real identities (as actual kpop idols & famous celebrities)

Prompts:

"Don't look at me like that. You know what that does to me."

"I wish I never met you."

"It's your lucky day."

"I'm sorry, who are you?"

"I can't stop thinking about you."

"Open your mouth."

"Why do you even care?"

"You're more important than you think."

"What do you need me to do?"

"Please leave."

"That's my final answer."

"Did you see that?" "See what?"

"What do you want from me?"

"God, you look so fucking good."

"You're unbelievable."

"Isn't that your mom?"

"I swear I've seen your face somewhere before."

"You're such a tease."

"Don't you dare lie to me."

"Who are the flowers for?"

"Don't forget that we're in public, baby."

"Are you scared? You should be."

"Please say something. Anything."

"Do you forgive me?"

"You forgot."

"You're crazy and I like it."

"Where are you taking me?"

"I think I'm in love with you."

"I need you. Now."

"What did you say?"

"Did you miss me?"

"I dare you."

"I bought you something."

"Is it supposed to taste like that?"

"Ew. Why does it look like that?"

"Baby are you close?" "No but the Uber is."

"How many doughnuts can I stack on it?"

"This is why no one likes you."

"Put your dick away, this is a Lowe's."

"Stop yelling at me!" "You’re panicking, you’ll crash the car." "It’s not everyday a demon crawls out of your trunk!"

"Who the fuck did I marry?"

This is the fifth letter you will write to them, and it will not be the last.

Six days after they left, the ticking behind the wall began.

A mob boss with a black eye and a jagged scar over his wrist sits alone in a dingy motel room. The kitten stares at him affectionately, oblivious to the danger they both are in. Oblivious to the mess it caused.

It happened concurrently, and so quickly. The moon started getting closer and brighter in the sky, and you started hearing them in the radio static.

With a palpable fury, the demon turns to you, ignoring the rubble of your kitchen, and sneers. "How did you summon me? You've pulled me out of chains centuries old." Frantically, you skim through your cookbook. "I don't know! I was trying to make soup!"

They held out a hand, an echo of the melody playing from their fingertips. "The world seems to dance to your tune," they spoke, their voice a captivating blend of amusement and intrigue. The silence that followed was heavy with unspoken questions.

Sometimes you question how everything could have turned out if that day had gone differently.

Chills creep down your spine as you peek through the cracked doorway. You're not supposed to be witnessing this. They'll kill you if they find out.

Free Space - send in your own prompt! Please keep it relatively short!

Disclaimers:

Not every request may be fulfilled, it is up to my discretion.

Word count may vary between requests (300 to 3k, etc.).

Unless requested otherwise, all fics will be written as female reader insert.

Please refer to the top of the original post to know whether requests are open or closed (reblogs may show something different).

Things I will NOT write: suicide, self-harm, animal abuse, underage sex, pedophilia, incest, vore, rape, non-consensual, or dubious sex.

#requests #fanfic requests #kpop requests #bts requests #nct requests #exo requests #got7 requests #drabble game #drabble requests #kpop drabble game

14 notes · View notes

rubyreduji · 1 year

Text

eat your young | the before pt 3

tags: hunger games!au, fake dating!au, kinda fluff warnings: mentions of death and killing in accordance with the hunger games wc: 4.0k an: actual plot is finally starting to pick up yay!

m.list

“Interview training day!” Jennie enters the dining room, even more peppy than usual. “Are you two ready for a wonderful day with me?”

You don’t even try and hide your disdain at the idea.

“You will also have time with your mentors as well. I’m sure Momo will-”

“Actually,” Soonyoung cuts in, “I’d like to oversee Y/N’s interview training.”

Now that’s something that interests you. Especially after your conversation with him and the other mentors that you had yesterday.

“Soonyoung…” Jihoon warns, but Soonyoung brushes him off.

“Jennie, you can start with Jihoon and have Y/N in the afternoon,” Soonyoung continues on. You raise an eyebrow at him. That has to be good as you’ve never seen Soonyoung be commanding once in his life. Jennie looks taken aback by this as well but Soonyoung doesn’t get a chance for her to talk as he leaves the room, gesturing for you to follow and you’re too interested to not follow.

Soonyoung leads you into an empty sitting room inside the Training Center.

“So, do you have any ideas on what your approach to your interviews is gonna be?”

You turn towards Soonyoung. “You actually want to talk about my interview? I thought you wanted to talk for another reason.”

Soonyoung looks sheepish at you calling him out. “Aish, you’re not wrong. I just wanted to ease into it more.”

“This is about Jihoon, isn’t it?”

“Yes and no. I just wanted to talk to you before you, you know.”

“Die?”

“I was gonna say enter the arena,” Soonyoung corrects you.

“It means the same thing, one just sugarcoats it more than the other, and I don’t mess with bullshit like that Soonyoung, you know that.”

“I wanted to apologize,” Soonyoung moves on, ignoring your words. “For what you heard me saying about you yesterday. It wasn’t fair and it wasn’t right. I don’t wish ill will to anyone, especially my tributes, which you are. I’ve been acting like Jihoon is the only person I have to look out for in this situation, but you’re from District 7 too and I have a duty as a mentor to train and help you as well.”

“Don’t bother Soonyoung,” you tell him. “I don’t care what kind of personal guilt you have but you said what you meant and that’s that. I’m not mad at you, I’d honestly be more mad at you if you didn’t care about Jihoon more than me. He’s your best friend. Not to mention I know Jihoon needs all the help he can get.”

“Is that why you told us to look after him more than you?”

“I told you that because I want Jihoon to win. Oh why do you look so scandalized by that, you want him to win too.”

“I mean, yeah, but…why don’t you want yourself to win?”

“I have my reasons and I don’t have to share them with you.”

“Do Jooheon and Momo know?”

“No, nobody does.” That’s a lie. Jihoon does. But you’re not going to tell Soonyoung that. “All that you need to know is that while you’re keeping Jihoon safe out here, I’ll be keeping him safe in there. Don’t think of me as one of your tributes, think of me as another person helping Jihoon win.”

“You know you don’t have to do this. I don’t know what your reasons are but you can play your own game. I want Jihoon to win, trust me I do, but you shouldn’t be giving up your own game in favor of him.”

“Jihoon already tried to talk me out of it, but it didn’t work, and he has a hell of a lot more chance of convincing me to do anything than you do. I’ve already decided last two people standing in that arena are going to be me and him, and he’ll be the final one to come out.”

“Do you have feelings for Jihoon?”

“Excuse me?” You feel your face heat up.

“I’m just trying to reason why someone like you would want to help Jihoon win.”

“‘Someone like me’ what does that mean?”

“It means that you could win this whole thing, but you’re letting Jihoon win instead. Do you have the hots for him or something?”

“Stop saying stupid stuff like that,” you hiss. “I…don’t like Jihoon.”

“You’re getting defensive.”

You glare at Soonyoung. “Even if I did have feelings for Jihoon, which I don’t, that’s not the reason why I want him to win. Just drop it Kwon.”

You don’t have feelings for Jihoon…but you don’t not have feelings for him. It’s stupid, especially since you don’t know him well and you two are about to be thrown into a killing game within two days, but it’s not like you can help it.

You think Jihoon is admirable, and kind of cute. It doesn’t matter though. The only thing that matters right now is being able to get Jihoon out of the arena alive.

“Now that that’s out of the way, can you actually help me with my interview? I need as many sponsors as I can get if we want Jihoon to win this thing.”

“Yeah about that…my interview actually didn’t go so well…”

“Is that why you hate Boo Seungkwan?”

“Yes! He’s a terrible person and he did nothing, NOTHING to help me out. It was humiliating!” Soonyoung cries.

Back when you were just a viewer of the Hunger Games you were never big on watching things like interviews or opening ceremonies as they were target more towards the Capitol citizens than the districts. Even if you did watch the interviews, you rarely remember what is said in them.

“Have you ever considered…it was just you who was the problem?”

Soonyoung gasps. “How dare you? I was being perfect and charming as always, but he made a fool out of me in front of the Capitol.”

“But you still won.”

“That’s besides the point.”

“So, you’re not going to help me? Because if not, I’m just going to go find Momo.”

“Yeah, it may be best if you do that.”

Jihoon is sweating bullets.

“You’re going to do great Jihoon-ah. You’re already so cute, use it as an advantage when charming the crowd,” Junhui tells Jihoon as he gets dressed. The older man has styled Jihoon in a brown suit tonight with green leaves embroidered into the suit.

Jihoon tries to remember all of the pointers the Jennie and Momo gave him earlier, but they’re all starting to muddle the more Jihoon thinks about them.

Be humble. Be emotional. Be innocent.

Junhui leads Jihoon to the waiting area where the tributes are being lined up in district order to wait for their turn for their interview. You’re already there, speaking to Minghao in a hushed tone. Jihoon has to take a moment to take in your beauty.

Jihoon’s eyes trace over the golden branches that accent your outfit and when you turn to face Jihoon he notices you have gold eyeliner around your eyes to match.

Jihoon still has no clue what you and Soonyoung talked about earlier, but he does know that your advising session with Jennie went…less than exemplary. Jihoon doesn’t exactly blame you for that one though, as he wasn’t quite comfortable with that Jennie was asking of him either.

Jihoon is ushered into his spot in front of you in line and soon after the interviews start. Jihoon can barely pay attention to everyone going in front of him, too worried about his own interview to care. It isn’t until you nudge him in the back that Jihoon realizes the second District 6 interview is almost over.

“Lee Jihoon,” one of the backstage people call his name and Jihoon jumps. Jihoon moves to the edge of the stage and he takes a deep breath.

It’ll be fine. Just be natural.

“Next up to the stage from District 7, Lee Jihoon!” At the call of his name Jihoon starts to walk onto stage. His legs feel like they’re moving through jelly as he walks. The roar of the crowd and the blinding lights distract him for a few seconds, before Boo Seungkwan’s voice is calling out to him.

“I’m sorry?” Jihoon looks over and Seungkwan laughs.

“I was just telling you don’t be afraid to sit down.” Seungkwan gestures to the chair that Jihoon is standing in front of.

“Oh.”

“Isn’t he just adorable?” Seungkwan turns to the audience who uproars in applause. “And we’re not the only ones who thinks so. You’ve caught the hearts of many with your reaping footage. Right away we were captivated by your adorable presence.”

“Oh, uhm, thank you?” Jihoon’s not sure how to respond to Seungkwan’s statements.

“Now a little birdie has told me that you’re a songwriter, is that true?” Now this is subject Jihoon can talk about.

“Yes, it is. I spend most of my time writing music. It’s one of my favorite things to do. I think music is so important to bringing joy to mundane lives.” The crowd awes at Jihoon.

“Well, isn’t that special. You know, song writing is a very…intimate process. Is there anyone who inspires your music?”

“Like…a significant other?”

“Yes! Exactly like that. I guess what I’m asking Jihoon is…are you dating anyone?” Good. Seungkwan went down the exact path Jihoon was hoping to.

“Make up a story,” Momo told him yesterday. “Doesn’t matter if it’s true or not, just make yourself the sole focus of their attention. You evoke so much emotion in them that they can’t root for anyone but you.”

“Well…there may be someone. It’s fairly new, only about a month or so, but I’ve been…really happy with them.” Jihoon tries to put all of his (minimal) acting knowledge into this performance.

“Then I’m sure you’ll be fighting to get back to them, won’t you?”

“Not exactly Seungkwan.”

“Oh? Why not?” Seungkwan leans in, like he’s fully invested in what Jihoon has to say.

“Well because, they’re here with me.” The crowd and Seungkwan both gasp and Jihoon hopes that you’re not going to kill him after this.

“Do you know what your approach for tomorrow is?” You asked him last night.

“No,” Jihoon lied. “Do you?”

“No, but I’m sure Jennie will kill me if I come off as even a smidgen of intimidating.”

“Wait, wait, are you saying that…your district partner is your romantic partner as well?” Everyone in the room is captivated, exactly like how Jihoon hoped.

“Yes I am.”

“I- we have run out of time for you interview Jihoon,” the crowd boos, “but fortunately up next we will be talking to your partner. So, let’s her it for Lee Jihoon!” The audience goes wild and Jihoon can feel himself shaking as he walks off the stage.

Shit, shit, shit, what did he just do?

Soonyoung looks like he’s about to jump Jihoon but Jihoon can’t bother to deal with Soonyoung right now, his eyes plastered to the monitor screen as you walk on.

“L/N Y/N! What a joy to have you on my stage tonight. So, Lee Jihoon, huh?”

“What a guy, am I right?” You have a smile playing at the corner of your lips and someone in the audience gives a small whoop.

“What was going through your head during your reaping? I remember you looking quite…constipated.” Seungkwan laughs and you give him a pity laugh back.

“Well, Jihoon and I had a conversation a few days before the reaping about everything. I told him that if I get reaped, that I’ll do my best to get back to him, and if he got reaped, I’d volunteer for him. You’d imagine my horror when we both got pulled.” Jihoon is amazed by how you were able to think of that on the spot. He was expecting you to be a bit more shaken.

“Oh, I’m sure. That truly is a travesty. But what a promise, I mean, offering to volunteer for him? You must love your boyfriend very much.”

“The feelings I have for him are…immeasurable.” There’s a softness to your tone as you say the words and you almost have Jihoon believing what you’re saying is true.

“That is adorable. Now, not to get depressing or anything, but both of you can’t win the games.” The crowd boos. Seungkwan gives them an empathizing look. “So what are you plans for going forward?”

“Well, I vowed to Jihoon that I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure he gets back home. That will be my final gift to the world. The gift of Lee Jihoon.”

The whole audience coos at you, but your face is completely serious. That is one thing that Jihoon knows you’re not making up.

“That’s a very…chivalrous act, Y/N.”

“Anything for my Ji.”

“So, would you consider yourself someone fit to be able to win the games? Or, in your case, help someone else win?”

“Yes Seungkwan, I would. I mean, look at me.” You flex an arm real quick and the crowd goes wild at the sight. “I’ve been swinging an axe since I could walk. I can make a fire and find water. Jihoon is truly in safe hands.”

“It seems Jihoon has good taste.” Seungkwan winks at you.

You smile softly. “I’d like to think we both have good taste.”

The crowd screams again. “Thank you for your time, Y/N, it was truly my pleasure. Everyone give up for L/N Y/N from District 7!”

The crowd is still in an uproar by the time you make it backstage. Jihoon’s nervous. Are you going to attack him? Yell at him? He deserves it, no matter what it is. Even though you were able to work on the fly out there, he still sprung it on you and that’s not fair.

“Y/N-”

“Let’s get out of here,” you say before walking off. The trip back to the 7th floor of the Training Center is quiet and Jihoon’s nerves grow worse and worse the longer the silence goes on.

Once everyone steps off the elevator the mentors shuffle around awkwardly before Jooheon says, “I’ll leave you two to discuss this.” Everyone quickly makes their leave while you stand there in silence.

Once they’re gone you move towards Jihoon and he braces himself for you to smack him, but instead he’s being pushed up against the wall. You lean down, your mouth brushing against Jihoon’s ear. “You know Jihoon-ah, you could have just told me you have a crush on me. You didn’t have to pretend to be my boyfriend on live television, but it was quite the proposal.”

Jihoon feels his whole body heat up. “No I-, uhm, I-”

You pull away from Jihoon, laughing as you do. It’s the happiest Jihoon has seen from you since your name was reaped. “I’m pulling your leg, Jihoon. You should have told me though, really made me think on my feet there.”

Jihoon is still pressed up against the wall as he stares at you incredulously. What just happened?

It takes Jihoon a little too long to recuperate before responding. “I’m sorry Y/N-ah, please forgive me. You’re right, I should have told you.”

“You know, I wasn’t lying out there,” you say to him. “I’m going to do everything I can to get you home.”

Jihoon sighs. “Yeah, I know.”

“Well, I guess now that all of Panem thinks we’re dating, we’ll have to act the part.”

“I’ve never dated anyone before…” Jihoon admits.

“It’ll be easy. Just be…cute together? I don’t think anyone will call us out for not being all lovey when we’re literally fighting for our lives,” you say. “In all honesty though, good call on that move. It was smart.”

“Uhm, thanks.” Jihoon is so relieved you’re not upset about it. He finally did something right to help both you and him out.

“Oh my god,” you groan suddenly. “Josh is gonna be so confused.”

Jihoon is suddenly mortified. “Oh no, my whole family saw that.”

“Don’t worry Jihoon, I’m sure you can explain it to them when you get back home.”

Yeah…maybe Jihoon could.

You can’t sleep. Why could you? You’re about to be fighting for you life in less than twelve hours. There’s not much you can do about anything anymore though. The plan is set, all that’s left to do is wait.

“When the games start, run in the direction of where the mouth of the Cornucopia faces,” you told Jihoon earlier.

“What about you? Aren’t you gonna be running too?” You didn’t respond and Jihoon frowned at you. “Don’t tell me…”

“We need supplies. I’m the most capable out of our group to go in, get what we need, and get out. You have to trust me on this. Jihoon, do you trust me?” You bored your eyes into his soul, staring him down. Jihoon shifted around in his seat for a moment before sighing and nodding slightly.

“I trust you.”

“Good. Make sure the other two are with you and wait for me to come find you guys. If you run into trouble try to lose them before circling back to a place where we can meet up.”

You think about the events of this evening and how you now have a boyfriend. You were…shocked, to say the least, when you hear the words come out of Jihoon’s mouth. You didn’t get it at first. Was he making fun of you? But then Seungkwan kept talking and you understood. It was a tactic.

All of the mentors seemed shocked as well, so you guess that was an all Jihoon choice. You’re not mad at it. If anything it’s going to help you and Jihoon out loads. You’re just worried about every other factor of going into the arena.

One thing that you’ve been worried about, that you haven’t voiced to anyone yet, is allies. Seokmin and Wonwoo are both good people, you like them, but the hard truth is that they’re going to have to die in order to get Jihoon home. You just hope you won’t have to kill them yourself.

“Y/N, go to bed.” You look to see Soonyoung standing next to you.

“I could say the same to you.”

“I’m not the one going into the arena tomorrow.”

“No, not this time,” you say, without really meaning to. Soonyoung just chuckles.

“I don’t think I ever thanked you for that.”

You turn to look at Soonyoung. “For what?”

“For helping me win my games. If it wasn’t for you and your makeshift training I probably would have been toast out there.” Soonyoung was one of the winners who won by out surviving the arena, rather than the people.

Soonyoung knows how to use an axe, just not as well as you do, so he was able to make by. The careers, while they’re very physically powered, they’re not taught survival skills, so when Soonyoung was able to make a fire and find shelter, they had to rely on what they had on the Cornucopia. With Soonyoung’s games though, he was also lucky that the careers eventually took each other out after one too many disagreements.

“I also should thank you for helping Jihoon win his games as well. I know I won’t be able to thank you when Jihoon does win so, thank you.”

“Don’t thank me,” you tell him. “Just do your end of the job and we’ll be even.”

“So…you and Jihoon are ‘dating’.” There’s a sly grin on Soonyoung’s face and you have to restrain yourself from smacking him.

“Oh, shut up. If you want to hear all about it, ask your best friend,” you huff.

“I’m just messing with you. I’m not joking about going to bed though. I was going to say you have a long day ahead of you, but let’s be honest you have a long week ahead of you.”

“I know. I’ll try again soon, I promise.”

“Promise me one more thing?” You’re expecting him to say something about Jihoon, but he doesn’t. “Take care of yourself as well, yeah? I know your new focus is on Jihoon, but you’re important too.” That’s all Soonyoung says before leaving.

Unfortunately for Soonyoung, his words keep you up the whole night.

You’re still sitting in the living room when everyone else starts to wake up.

You’re swept away by Minghao before you even set your eyes on Jihoon, or your mentors for that matter. The hovercraft comes to pick you and Minghao up. You try not to wince when the tracker is placed in your arm. You’re then guided to a table with an array of food laid out. Your own personal last meal.

“You should eat up,” Minghao says to you, in a gentle tone. You remember that this is his first-time styling for the games. You’re hist first tribute and you’ve already claimed you’re not coming out. He’s not like the other Capitol citizens either. He has humility.

Instead of saying anything to the older man you just start to eat your breakfast. Halfway through you get a lump in your throat but force yourself to keep eating. You’ll need the energy, especially since you didn’t get any sleep last night.

When you get to the Launch Room Minghao leaves you to take a shower and brush your teeth. You stand in front of the mirror, naked, as you stare at yourself. This may be the last look you get at yourself. Your eyes have small bags under them, and your skin looks smooth and clean from all of the Capitol products, but it’s still you.

Knock, knock, knock. You jump. “Y/N? Are you ready?”

“Yeah.” You open the door and Minghao hands you the clothes to get into.

Over your underwear you’re put in a skintight dark gray jumpsuit that covers your legs and arms. On top of the jumpsuit you’re given a thick belt, a dark green jacket, and lightweight black boots. You’re happy for the boots. They’re the first shoes you’ve put on since you’ve left District 7 that don’t hurt your feet.

“Don’t forget this.” In Minghao’s hand he holds out a beaded bracelet to you. You stare at it for a moment. It’s your district token that Joshua gave you before you left on the train. You nearly forget about it because it was taken from you to be inspected.

You gently take the bracelet in your hand. It’s Joshua’s ‘thing’ that he makes bracelets and sells them in the market. The beads can be hard to come by at times, but that never stops Joshua.

“Thank you,” you say in a soft voice. You slip it around your ankle before slipping your foot back into your boot. The bracelet will be safer tucked into your boot rather than on your wrist.

“All set?” There’s worry in Minghao’s eyes.

“All set,” you whisper to him.

“You’re going to do amazing out there.” Minghao reaches out to straighten your jacket, even though it doesn’t really matter. You let him do it though. Neither you nor Minghao address how this will be the last time he sees you.

“Tributes please report to your launch pad. Launching will commence in one minute.” You’re not expecting to hear the voice come over the intercom and your throat tightens up when you hear it. You force yourself to breathe. Everything is going to be okay. You just need to get through the bloodbath and find Jihoon and everything will be okay.

Minghao helps you step onto the plate and you turn to face him. Minghao leans in and presses a kiss to your forehead and you close your eyes and accept it.

“Thank you,” you tell him. You’re not sure what you’re thanking him for, but Minghao seems to understand.

With one final good luck from Minghao a tube comes down around you and your plate starts to lift into the arena. Hot air hits your skin and you can already see the sun shining down onto you. Your plate finally finishes rises up from the ground and you get your first look at the arena. As you look around at your surroundings there’s only one thought on your mind.

What the actual fuck?

taglist: @hotricewoozi @embrace-themagic @066hc @biromogeulworld @cinnamoroxie @hoeforcheol @milkyruins @famouspoetrydinosaur @bigtittycommitte @belladaises @candidupped @justwonus-recs @im-gemmy

join the eat your young taglist: here!

#woozi #lee jihoon #woozi fanfic #woozi series #woozi x gn reader #seventeen #seventeen fanfic #svt woozi #woozi x reader #gn reader #kpop #kpop fanfic #rru.fics #rru.eyy #★ sfw #rru.writes

48 notes · View notes

blizzardfluffykpop · 10 months

Text

Never Enough

Summary: A beautifully decorated dorm for Christmas, features the one thing you wish to avoid most. Mistletoe.

Oneshot

Fluff, Established Relationship Au

Word Count: 1,555

Kihyun X Reader

Requested: for the 12 days of winter, can I request #10 “Mistletoe… my arch enemy” with Kihyun? Thank you!! ☃️

Prompt: 9. “Mistletoe… my arch enemy”

------

Kihyun spends every year decorating the dorm for their annual Christmas party. It’s something that he enjoys. So, when he invites you, it's not only to celebrate the holiday together. It's also to show you his hard work. And honestly, you couldn’t wait to see all his decorations. He came over to your house the night before brimming with excitement, “I want to see your reaction firsthand when we walk in together.” You shook your head at him but couldn’t help but grin, knowing how much hard work he put into it.

While Kihyun is getting dressed for the festivities, you're sitting at your desk doing your last-minute wrapping. You hear him hum and turn towards him. He asks, “Ready, baby?” You look down at your outfit and wipe off a few pieces of wrapping shred, “Yeah!” He pulls you up from your chair, spins you into his arms, and kisses your cheek. You blush as he leads you to the front door. You both pull on your shoes and coats before walking hand in hand to the party.

You gasp as you reach the outside of the dorm. He decorated the outside with Christmas trees wrapped in garland and ceramic snowmen holding welcome signs leading toward the entrance. He unlocks the door, and you notice the beautiful wreath outside the door. You grin before seeing his holy grail: the living room. It looks like he’s been working on this for months. When in reality, he texted you that he was starting to decorate the dorm last Monday. He went full out from white Christmas string lights that line the room and hang down from the ceiling to hanging ornaments and stars from the string lights, making it look like a Christmas wonderland. He watches you with delight as you let out little oohs and ahhs as you take in everything.

And that's when you see his miniature village that lines the wall. He smiles and leads you closer to it, “There’s a house for all seven of us that live at the dorms.” You nod, and he smiles, “That’s our house.” He points to a beautiful two-story miniature with little dogs in Santa hats and two village people kissing. And you giggle before saying, “You made us so cute. Oh, it’s all so lovely, Ki. You've worked so hard.” He fills with pride as he points out each little thing he did. Like how he made the mixture of snow with cotton and glue. And how he used fishing wire to hang the bulbs and stars.

You watch him excitedly tell you about it all. And you hang onto his every word, “What about the Santa hats on each photo frame?” He smiles, “I used that blue putty to attach each hat.” He leads you to the photo you both took together last Christmas, “You gave me a (f/c) hat?” He nods, “I tried to get everyone’s favorite color hat, but I made yours and mine specially.” You look over at him, “Seriously?” He smiles, “I used the regular foam colors for everyone but yours and mine.” You nod, and he continues, “I mixed acrylic paint to make the colors of our hats.” You blink your tears back to avoid them rolling down your cheeks. But you smile at him and kiss his cheek, “I love all of your decorations, but your attention to detail is my favorite.” He smiles, and you pull him in for a hug. He wraps his arms around you, and you squeeze him.

When you pull away, he leads you down the hallway and shows you the pine-like garland he looped along the walls and each wreath he hung on every door. You ask, “Did the boys help you at all?” That’s when Jooheon comes out of his room and says, “He never lets us do anything past putting out the boxes and decorating the main tree together.” You shake your head at him, “He’s a cute perfectionist, ain’t he?” “He’s a perfectionist, alright.” You hide your laugh as Jooheon continues, “Definitely not as cute as me.” You laugh, and as he leaves, Kihyun pouts, and you kiss it away. “You’re way cuter.” He nods, “And?” You sigh, “And handsome.” He smiles, satisfied with your answer, “I swear you learned that from Joo and Min.” He shrugs, “It comes in handy.” You shake your head, and you continue your tour.

You both exit the hallway, and he walks you through the living room to the kitchen. The party was starting to get into full swing when you see it, “Mistletoe…” You glare at it as you grow closer to it. And continue, “My arch enemy.” He raises his eyebrow and gives you a confused look, “What? Why is that?” You shrug at his question and put your hands in your pocket. “I’ve never been kissed under it.” He laughs and shakes his head, “I’m surprised. Someone as cute as you should have been already.” He pulls your left hand out of your pocket and goes, “Come on.” You tilt your head at him, “Why?” He grins, “You’ll see.” He has you follow him to the opening and stops under the mistletoe. “Would you mind if I was your first?” You blush and shake your head, and he holds your cheek in his free hand and brings you in for a short yet sweet kiss.

You hear loud cheers of “(Y/n)!” and “Kihyun!” You turn beet red as you look over to see Hoseok holding a camera and taking a photo of you while Minhyuk cheers for you two to kiss again. Kihyun leans in to ask, “Want to give them a show?” You smirk, your confidence soaring with him in front of you, and give him a nod. He moves his hand from beside your jaw to underneath and kisses you deeply. The two hoot and holler as you move your free hand into his hair and weave your fingers through, deepening the kiss. When he pulls away, you’re both left breathless. The other two are busy looking through their camera shots, but you can only see him. His cheeks are a rosy-red, and he’s grinning at you, “How was that for your first time under the mistletoe?” You mirror his grin and say, “I hope it happens many more times.” He smiles and squeezes your interlocked hands as you release your grip on his hair.

You kiss his nose for good measure before you both walk into the kitchen and grab some snacks to eat. He carries your shared plate, and you get your first drinks of the evening. As you walk back underneath the mistletoe, you grin as you pull him into your arms, and he gasps as you pull him into a kiss this time. You linger in the passageway before pulling away to continue walking and laugh, “I didn’t know my arch enemy could become my most revered friend.” He smirks, “You know that’s not the only time you can kiss me, right?” You shrug, “But it’s more special that way.” He shakes his head and kisses your forehead as you sit together on the couch. You crack open your drinks and say, “Cheers to many more mistletoe kisses?” He laughs and cheers, “To many more!” You clink them together before drinking from them. You smile and snuggle into his side as you both eat your snacks.

You both end up under the mistletoe many more times. For something you hated before because you never experienced it, you certainly couldn’t get enough of it now that you had. And as long as it was making you happy, Kihyun was more than happy to oblige. Although you partake in games and feast, the plant is the most exciting part. And who were you to resist, especially when you get to kiss a guy like Kihyun?

As the last few guests filter out and all of you have rid the dorm of litter. And the rest of the members have retired to their rooms. You dance with Kihyun to the Christmas music that's softly filtering out of the speakers. You sway in his arms as you look over to the mistletoe. He whispers, “You wish to be kissed under there again?” You shrug as you look into his eyes, “Here’s fine, too.” He gives you a small kiss before spinning you underneath the mistletoe and kisses you again. When he pulls away, you wait a moment before pulling him back in, “Because one is never enough.”

You continue swaying underneath the mistletoe before hearing something clattering. You catch Changkyun sliding through the space between the island and cabinets to get a glass of water. You two snicker as he mumbles, “I can’t wait for you two to get tired of the mistletoe.” Kihyun smirks, “You’re just jealous you didn’t get to kiss anyone under it this year.” He scoffs as grabs his glass of water, “Good night, (Y/n). Good night, Ki...” You two giggle at Changkyun as he scoots back through the way he came. When he's made it safely back into his room, Kihyun asks, “One more, for good ole time's sake?” You nod, “Yeah, and then you can put it away tomorrow.” He smiles and brings you in for one last kiss underneath the mistletoe.

14 notes · View notes

jooheonspinky · 1 year

Text

Monsta X Masterlist

Welcome: Thank you for stopping by.

*all works are complete unless otherwise stated*

Shownu x Female Reader

So Beautiful[09.10.2021] {Angst, Smut} After having your first child, you no longer feel sexy with your new mom bod.

Wonho x Female Reader, ft Jooheon x Reader’s Female BFF

Stuck[04.08.2018] (a collaboration with @millie-ionaire05) {Smut}: Your best friend and you work for the most amazing company ever, hiring Kpop artists for events. When fraudsters come into play, the two of you will be stuck scrambling to appease the client and either losing your jobs, or striking on luck.: 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 |

Wonho x Female Reader, ft Kihyun

The Mummy Prince [10.30.2018] {Halloween Thriller, Smut, one shot}: Y/N starts working at a museum of ancient artifacts. She is excited to put her studies of old languages to use as a new object is brought in.

Losing You [12.21.2020] {angst, magic!au}: Wonho must choose between you or saving the world

Minhyuk x Female Reader

The Black Ribbon[06.12.2018] {Horror/Thriller!au, one shot}: Minhyuk returns after an accident wearing a black choker that he insists must never be taken off.

Enchanted Night [03.30.2020] {Fantasy; one shot}: Accepting an invitation to a Halloween beach party, Y/N tags along with her best friend. There, she meets a young man with whom she hits it off with right away. But he is not all that he seems.

Kihyun x Female Reader

Ghost Tour Surprise [10.31.2021] {Halloween, Spooky}: Y/N takes a haunted tour of historical downtown, meeting a strange, yet handsome passenger along the way.

Hyungwon x Female Reader

Rumors[06.19.2018] {Smut, one shot}: You never thought you’d find yourself pinned between the sinks in the women’s bathroom by your crush offering you what you’d always wanted, but here you were, staring up into his face scrambling to keep your cool.

A Midnight Ball on Hallows' Eve [10.16.2019] {Spooky!au, one shot}: You share a dance with a mysterious stranger.

Jooheon x Female Reader

Tamed Hearts: [09.28.2018] {Angst, Fluff}: Do past lives really exist? It’s difficult for Y/N to cling to her beliefs when so much has her leaning towards a yes.: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Regrets: [10.31.2020] {Fantasy, angst, one shot}: This was a ‘finish the story’ challenge using this prompt: Part of me was hoping the ground would just open up and swallow me whole as I watched him approach me. I hadn’t seen him since that night we parted ways, and I was hoping I never would. Seeing him brought back all of those memories that I fought so hard to repress, to forget. ”Hello dear, I thought I might find you here.”

No Regrets: [04.24.2022] {Fantasy, vampire!au, angst, fluff, smut, one shot}: When I can’t let our last goodbye be for forever.

Got my Number: [08.23.2022] {idol!au, fluff, smut, one shot}: A trip to see Monsta X in concert turns out to be so much more than expected.

Jooheon x Gender Neutral Reader

Disturbance:[08.13.2021] {Angst}:A waking nightmare shakes you to your core and Jooheon is there to help calm you afterwards despite the fact you two had not been talking to each other all day.

Changkyun x Female Reader

The Spirit Board[10.29.2018] {Halloween Thriller, one shot}: When Y/N finds an old spirit board while cleaning out her attic, will she still believe that spirits aren’t real?

OT7

Wonho X Female Reader, ft BFF Changkyun, BTS

Lure of the Lore [01.30.2019] {Werewolf, angst, fluff, smut}: Y/N‘s never been a believer in lore, unlike her best friend Changkyun. That is until he drags her to yet ANOTHER exhibit where there is a supposed werewolf locked in a cage made of silver and steel. 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |

Monsta X Cabin in Lure of the Lore [11.25.2019]1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |

Jooheon X Female Reader

The Draco Prince [09.12.2020]{Fantasy; Inspired by The Witcher series}: Y/N sets on a quest to find the dragon prince. Her goal is to break the curse and return him to his family. This journey finds her befriending several creatures and humans which turn out to be essential to her quest. 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11

#Monsta X Masterlist #Wonho Masterlist #Son Hyunwoo #Shownu #Lee Minhyuk #Minhyuk #Yoo Kihyun #Kihyun #Chae Hyungwon #Hyungwon #Lee Jooheon #Jooheon #Joohoney #Im Changkyun #I.M #Changkyun #wonho #Lee Hoseok #Monsta X Hoseok

50 notes · View notes

sotteoks · 2 years

Text

˚ ༘♡ ·˚ ₊˚ˑ༄ؘ

note: even though i try not to use too much gendered language, my reader usually has female genitalia because i often write to fill my own silly daydreams

Key: [M] - Mature [TW] - Trigger Warning [A] - Angst [F] - Fluff [AU] - Alternate Universe

(let's keep it real...anything marked with [M] is probably gonna have smut in it.)

──★ ˙ ̟ More Than A Helping Hand [M] [AU] summary: your university roommate Hyunwoo is everything you wanted and then some.

──★ ˙ ̟ Fresh Meat [M] [AU] summary: adjusting to the modern world as a centuries old vampire has been mostly easy for you. however, you can't recall the last time you've had a meal that makes you want to go back for seconds.

──★ ˙ ̟ untitled [M] [AU] coming soon! summary: your best friend Minhyuk has been crushing on you for a while but there has never been a good time for him to try confessing to you. all it takes is one conversation for Minhyuk to say fuck it and let you know how he feels about you.

──★ ˙ ̟ Just Touch [M] summary: the boundaries of your relationship with Kihyun always seem to get a little blurry in the heat of the moment.

──★ ˙ ̟ Right Here [M] summary: Hyungwon doesn't expect you to be able celebrate his special day with him but you end up surprising him.

──★ ˙ ̟ No Time [M] coming soon! summary: you've been such a good sport about how busy your boyfriend Jooheon has been with work but he starts to feel guilty about not giving you enough attention.

──★ ˙ ̟ Playing with the Prince [M] [AU] summary: you're a mischievous maid who's a fiend for the prince's attention.

──★ ˙ ̟ Nevermind [M] [AU] coming soon! summary: your playboy roommate Changkyun mistakes you for his hookup and starts seeing you in a different light.

credit to ciaracoloring for the banner template !!! a true life saver for my lazy ass

#masterlist

30 notes · View notes

capricornwriter5 · 1 year

Text

Always On Time - Chapter 18

Pairing: Jooheon x female OC

Genre: childhood friends to enemies, enemies to friends, friends to lovers, smut (later chapters), fluff, angst, slow burn, idol AU!

Warning: mentions of mental health issues, mentions of workaholic disorder, curse words

Words: 5.8k

« Previous Next »

Chapter 18

"We’re almost there," Julie said as she looked at the map on her cellphone. "According to this, we’re 20 minutes away".

"Jeez, Jules, couldn’t you find a more distant place to go on a Monday morning?" Jooheon teased her. "We’ve been driving almost two hours and..."

"Don’t start complaining," Julie cut him. "I offered to drive an hour ago and you refused because, quote on quote, 'my Precious is not used to being handled by strangers'"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, fine, fine, it’s my fault..." Jooheon accepted.

In those last two hours of travel, the rapper had felt back in school. The situation was not entirely natural, as Jooheon knew that Julie was forcing some conversation topics, but at times like that her true self came out and Jooheon was happy that, at least at times, the girl would relax and stop thinking about everything that was going on.

"Jules, by the way... what are you doing here?" asked the rapper. "It’s about two hours from Seoul without heavy traffic".

"It’s my plan B," she replied. "We need a hall of mirrors to replace the club set and yesterday I found the invitation of some friends for the inauguration of their new gallery-museum. They won a contest a while ago, earning the favor of several wealthy families, married, and now manage the private collections of their investors. Recently, they built the gallery that we are going to visit and today is the pre-opening".

"Pre-opening?"

"It is a private party that they organize with their main investor and first exhibitor of the gallery" she explained. "It’s basically a party where investors flaunt their money behind closed doors before it’s open to the public".

"And they invited you?"

"Not to this party, to the general opening next week, but I asked for a favor and... here we are," she explained. "In the photos, I saw that they have a hall of movable mirrors that form a maze of reflections. I thought we could use it to record and give exposure to their project to other audiences... Turn here to the right and... there it is, a bit ahead".

Jooheon entered a private street and as he approached he could see a dark brown building with a single large window going from side to side of what would be the second floor. It was a fancy place... although Jooheon thought whoever designed it was a little desperate to show off his money.

"Jooheon-ah," Julie called him before she got out of the car, "don’t take this the wrong way, but let me do the talking, okay?"

Jooheon just laughed and nodded.

"I wasn’t going to open my mouth, Jules. Don’t worry".

*****

Almost three hours later... Jooheon had done most of the talking.

It turns out that Jules' friend was a Monbebe and Jooheon was her bias, so when the rapper got out of the car, the girl almost fainted from the excitement. Jooheon was only relieved that her husband would laugh and not be jealous.

Julie, for her part, could not say anything at first because her friend kept asking her why she didn’t tell her Lee Jooheon was coming along. After that, she could not talk much either, because her friends were more interested in the idol than in her. In the end, she sighed and decided to use that to her advantage. The result? They managed to secure the last filming set.

"God, my head," Julie said after saying goodbye to the couple and getting in the car with Jooheon.

"I liked them," Jooheon said closing the door.

"Ha, your ego liked them, doesn’t it?".

"Auch, Jules" the rapper said. "Don’t tell me that you became the jealous type in these years" he bothered her.

"Shut the fuck up and stop talking shit".

"HAHAHAHAHAHHA you started... Well, now what?"

"Now, let’s go to Seoul to..."

"Wait, what about lunch?"

"Lunch... we can eat something on the way, right?" she said.

"The last time you ate anything was 6 hours ago, Julianne," Jooheon said. Julie looked at him again in amazement as Jooheon hardly ever called her by her full name. "We’re going to have a real meal. I asked your friend for good restaurants and she recommended the hotel nearby. After that, we go to Seoul".

Julie was going to protest, but her stomach tricked her at the time, so she decided to shut up and lay her head on the seat while Jooheon drove.

******

"IS THAT I.M.?" Julie asked in surprise. She was having lunch with Jooheon at the hotel’s restaurant and they started talking about all the things that the rapper had done, and what they had forced him to do, during those years. Naturally, they ended up talking about his members and Jooheon was showing her a video of I.M. dancing on their first reality... one of those videos that the maknae had begged him to delete from his cell phone, which Jooheon clearly did not do.

"The same one".

"The same I.M. who’s with Liv?... the Liv I know?"

"Well... yes" Jooheon laughed. "In his defense, Changkyungnie has matured a lot in recent years. He’s still an idiot and he’s still capable of making ridiculous things like this, but meeting Liv made him grow up".

"I see... well, I guess some people change".

"All people change, Jules" Jooheon corrected. "Although some, like I.M., need a strong slap to do so".

"Poor thing... but if that got him where he is, good for him, I guess?"

"Yes, I think so," Jooheon conceded. "Changkyungnie and Liv went through a lot, although if you asked me, a conversation would have saved them a lot of trouble, but the important thing is that they are already well. They even act like a married couple".

"You say it like it was something bad".

"Nah, it’s not bad," Jooheon said. "It’s just... strange? I mean, although there’s not much age difference, I.M. is still my little brother. Sometimes I find it hard to believe he’s grown so much".

"Don’t tell me you’re one of those people who feels bad because their younger brothers have a partner before them," Julie teased him.

Jooheon knew it was a joke but decided to test the waters and give a serious answer.

"No, not at all, I’m very happy for them," he said. "But having a couple like them around all the time makes you think, you know? And... want things".

Julie didn't say much to that.

"Don’t mind me," Jooheon said, cutting off the moment. "I guess I’m so full that I already talk nonsense".

"You always talk nonsense," Julianne responded.

"Well... more than usual" he relented. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, we should be getting back," Julie said, raising her hand to get the check.

*****

"Closed?" Julie asked the traffic officer in front of them. "What do you mean the road is closed? It was perfectly fine when we came in the morning".

"There was an accident about half an hour ago," the officer replied. "There was a landslide, and some cars were buried under the dirt and there were some collisions between the cars that stopped suddenly. No fatalities, but no one can pass until we finish treating the wounded, clear the road and secure other parts of the route. We do not want something similar to happen".

"And how long do you think it will take, officer?" Jooheon asked.

"Well... at this rate, the road will probably be completely ready tomorrow morning, considering the cleaning and general inspection work that needs to be done".

"This is not happening," Julie sighed. "Do you know if there is another route to Seoul?"

"Not by land," the officer said. "There is another option which is to take the ferry, but due to the closure of the route there must be more demand than normal and I know that the owner does not like to make trips after sunset".

"No problem," said Julie, "we’ll try to get there, could you tell us which way to go?"

*****

Twenty minutes later, Julie was ready to throw a tantrum in the middle of the harbor. They had arrived as quickly as possible, but, as the officer had told them, there were many people trying to reach the city, and the ferry was overloaded. They had organized two more trips and were giving tokens to those who arrived so that they knew on which trip they would go... Unfortunately, Julie and Jooheon arrived very late and the last seats of the last trip had been filled long ago.

Julianne swallowed her anger and frustration and headed to the car with Jooheon behind. The least she could do was to maintain her dignity.

Upon reaching the car, she opened the passenger door and threw herself into the seat. Jooheon closed the door and walked slowly toward the driver’s seat. When he got in the car too, Julie was talking to herself:

"This is a joke... that’s it, it’s a joke... no, it’s a test, the company is testing my patience... Which is the stupidest idea I’ve ever had in my life, why the fuck would an entertainment company do that?... No, no, no, this is... this is a meme... that’s it, it’s a meme, because there’s no other way that this last week was really my life... argggg... now what do I do?"

"Well, for starters," Jooheon interrupted, "I already called Wonho-hyung and explained the situation. Areum-ah and Ivy are covering for you and told me to calm down. We have no equipment to work with, so all we can do is wait until tomorrow for the road to be clear again".

"I’m going to be late in everything... tomorrow we had the final presentation and I have to edit it... And I also had the last round of package reviews, so if we were too late, they might not be ready for the comeback and that would be a problem... AND THE PRINTS. Today they had to get to the office and I had to send them to..."

"Julianne" Jooheon said, cutting off the girl’s line of thought once more. "Calm down, will you? A vein will explode if you continue like this".

"How can I calm down if..."

"Don’t you trust your team?" Jooheon threw. "Look, I know you feel bad about not being able to do everything you had to do, but Areum-ah and Ivy know what you know, I’m sure they’ll take care of everything... We can’t do anything, but at least you can spend this time without falling into a stress coma".

Julie kept quiet. Jooheon was right, but her mind was spinning and she didn’t want to accept that the rapper was right.

"Well, since we agree" continued the rapper, "how about an ice cream?"

Jooheon and Julie spent the next few hours getting to know the small, yet exclusive, coastal town. At first, Julianne was not very happy, but Jooheon convinced her and they had a pleasant afternoon. Jooheon called the hotel where they had lunch and booked two rooms. Julie objected as it was a very expensive place for the budget she had, but had to give in when Jooheon told her that he had already paid for the rooms.

After walking along the beach, both went on to buy the essentials to spend the night: pajamas, toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant... After that, they went to dinner and returned to the hotel around 8 p.m. When they entered, they saw many people dressed in gala outfits in the lobby and apparently there was some kind of party. Music was coming out of one of the rooms and there was almost no staff in sight, which probably meant they were in the lounge attending to the guests.

"What is the occasion?" Jooheon said in awe of the hustle and bustle.

"I think it’s the pre-opening after-party," Julie said, recognizing some faces. "I knew they were going to do it in a hotel, but I didn’t know it would be in this one".

"Well, apparently they did well with the event," he said. "Here, wait for me here, I’ll go get the keys to the rooms," said the rapper giving his bag to Julie and heading to the reception.

Julianne stepped aside and was admiring one of the paintings hanging in a section of the lobby that the girl assumed was a waiting room. It had armchairs, tea tables, magazines, a coffee machine...

"Julie?" said a voice at her back.

On hearing her name, Julianne froze in place. She felt a chill running down her back and tears threatening to build up in her eyes. She never expected to find Kang-Dae there, wasn’t he supposed to be out of the country? Besides, he never really liked these social gatherings, so what was he doing there?

Slowly, Julie turned and looked straight at him.

"Kang-Dae-ssi" she greeted. "I... I did not expect to see you here".

"Neither did I," he said.

After that initial greeting, neither of them knew what to say. They both had their last conversation in mind and Julie was still upset about his almost intervention, not to mention she was still recovering from her breakup a few months ago.

"Well, I think..." started Julie before another female voice cut her off.

"Oppa! There you are," said a girl dressed in yellow who came to Kang-Dae’s side and intertwined her arm with his. "I was looking for you inside, did something happen?"

Julie felt nauseous and the tears she had swallowed were threatening to fill her eyes again. She didn’t know the girl’s name, but she knew she was the daughter and heiress of one of the largest textile conglomerates in the country. No wonder they were together at the party...

"Who is she, oppa?" the girl said with a defiant look at Julie. That look told her that she knew exactly who Julianne was, but she wanted to hear her "oppa" answer. Julie did not give her the pleasure.

"I was Kang-Dae-ssi’s college classmate," she said briefly. "A pleasure".

"Julie, are you here alone?" Kang-Dae began, ignoring his companion’s question. "Did something happen in...?"

"Jules!"

The three of them turned to see the owner of that voice and Julie thanked Jooheon for the excellent timing.

"There you are," the rapper added as he walked up to Julie’s side and put his hand around her waist. "Oh, Kang-Dae-ssi? What a surprise"

"Jooheon-ssi" replied the businessman without taking his eyes off Jooheon’s hand.

"Do you have the key?" asked Julie approaching Jooheon and seeing the rapper in the eyes. The girl wasted no time and decided to continue the game Jooheon started. It was a completely childish move, but how good it felt.

"Yes, here it is... it was tough, but I managed to get one of the suites," continued the rapper without losing sight of Kang-Dae’s face. "Give me the bags, they must be heavy".

"Did you come together?" Kang-Dae asked.

"Oppa!" her companion said with laughter. The girl seemed much more relaxed now. "Don’t be like that, don’t ask those things... Sorry, he can be very direct sometimes".

"Don’t worry," Julie replied. "It was nice to see you, Kang-Dae-ssi, but we’re a little tired, so..."

"Oh, sure, go ahead," replied the other girl before Kang-Dae could say anything. "Oppa, come on, they’re waiting for us inside..."

The four said goodbye with nods and Julie and Jooheon headed to the elevator holding hands. Jooheon could feel Julie shaking, so he brought her closer to him, put his hand on her back, and directed her all the way. Once inside the elevator, Jooheon kept his hand on her back and left it there until they reached the room.

Only upon entering and seeing the suite they were in, Julie reacted:

"You told me you had booked normal rooms," she told the rapper.

"I did... but at the reception, they told me they made a mistake and gave me this one"

"It’s ridiculous, we have to go to..."

"Calm down, Jules," Jooheon said, taking her by the shoulders and looking at her face. "I promise it’s nothing, okay? And look, you see that door? There’s my room. It’s a double suite, so we’ll sleep in different beds... in case you were worried..."

"I’m not 5, Jooheon," Julie replied.

"Mphf, no, I guess not," Jooheon said with a dry laugh.

The rapper lowered his arms when he saw that Julie was calmer, but both stood there, not knowing very well what to do.

"Jules..."

"Thank you" she cut him. "Thank you for what you did down there".

"Tha-... Uff, I thought you were going to be mad at me," Jooheon said relieved. "It was nothing, Jules... And I know you probably don’t want to tell me, but... are you okay?"

Julie laughed low and turned to sit on the bed. Jooheon followed her and sat next to her.

"Do you remember what you told me the day of Minhyuk-ssi’s inauguration?" Julie asked.

"If it’s going to make you angry with me now... no, I don’t remember".

"Don’t be an idiot" Julie said. "What you said to me... hurt, Jooheon-ah. I really did... but I think what hurt me most was that you were right".

Jooheon never expected Julie to tell him that, so he was caught off guard.

"You know? I had a plan... it was a very nice plan and all I had to do was keep walking in a straight line," Julianne began. "At first everything was wonderful. I know it doesn’t seem like it and you probably won’t believe it, but I was genuinely happy with the plan I had... the problem was that the plan changed and I refused to see it. I just... I was afraid of what would happen if I went another way and..."

Julie’s voice broke and she could no longer speak. Jooheon wanted to hug her, but Julie straightened her back and the rapper understood that she needed her space.

The girl got up and went to the suit’s window. The hotel gardens were visible from there and with the lights on it looked like it was a scene taken from a book.

"There’s nothing wrong with changing plans, Jules," Jooheon assured her. "Especially when the path you were following was hurting you".

"Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if... if..."

"If we hadn’t met again," Jooheon finished for her.

Julie did not respond. Both remained silent for a while until she spoke again.

"I feel on the edge of a cliff, Jooheon-ah" Julie admitted. "I’m afraid to jump, but I’m also afraid to go back..."

"I know what that feels like" said the rapper getting up to get closer to Julie. "Lose control or go back to the safe zone..."

"What would you do?" Julie asked him, turning around to look him in the eyes. "What did you do to feel better, Jooheon-ah?"

The plea in Julie’s eyes was more than what Jooheon could bear. The rapper felt this need to hug her and tell her that everything would be okay, but he knew that it could pressure Julie in the wrong way, so he held back. But he felt his hands burning.

"I... well... you know me, Jules. I decided to jump and lose some control".

"And... did it work?"

"Mmmmm... something like that?" said the rapper. "But that doesn’t mean you have to make hasty decisions. I know you prefer to think things over and..."

"All my life I’ve thought things through" she cut him off. "I feel comfortable with that, but when I decided to take a leap and quit my job, for example, I felt... alive".

Both were silent again. Jooheon didn’t know where this conversation was going and Julie was dizzy from so many things going through her head.

No, no more, she thought. I don’t want to think anymore...

"Jooheon-ah..."

"Yes?"

"That day at the gallery... you told me things could be different," she said. "You told me you could show me how I could feel every day".

In saying that, Julie was a little... scared?... for saying what she was thinking, but she knew she had to say it.

"Show me" she finished.

"Jules..." Jooheon said after swallowing the knot in his throat. That was the last thing he expected from Julie. He knew it was probably the vulnerability talking and the last thing he wanted was to take advantage of that. But he had a hard time ignoring Julie’s gaze at the moment.

"Please, Jooheon-ah," she said approaching. "I just... want to take a leap".

"Jules... in other circumstances, believe me that I... but, today you’re not thinking straight with everything that happened and..."

"I want to stop thinking," she insisted.

Jooheon said nothing and just looked at her face. He was having an internal battle because he felt his heart was going to explode, but at the same time, he was afraid to hurt her.

After a few minutes, Julie stepped back and looked down.

"I’m sorry," she said. "I shouldn’t have put you in such an uncomfortable situation".

Julie did not look up and Jooheon approached her:

"Jules, look me in the eye," he said and she did. "Jules, the last thing I want you to do is wake up regretting what might happen today. I don’t want to hurt you like this".

"Jooheon-ah... I’m sure," she replied. "But I know it could be awkward and..."

Julie stopped talking when she felt Jooheon’s hand on her lower back. The other hand was caressing her cheek and Julie could feel the heat left by the caresses of the rapper.

"Jules... take a deep breath first, okay?" he said. "Okay, now… tell me, are you really sure? What do you want?"

"I... I’m sure," she said sincerely as she looked down. "But, it’s been a while... and I don't…".

Jooheon understood perfectly, but he still needed to know if there was something the girl felt uncomfortable with.

"Jules..." he said as he looked down at Julianne’s lips. "I want to kiss you. Can I?"

Jooheon ran his thumb through Julie’s lower lip to separate it slightly from her upper lip and approached slowly. Julie hadn’t given him an answer, but she hadn’t walked away either.

Jooheon stopped just before their lips touched and it was Julie who erased the distance between the two.

Julie hoped it was an intense kiss, but Jooheon had other plans. To him, time didn’t matter, nothing mattered in those moments and he wanted Julie to feel the same.

Jooheon kissed her slowly and it was the softest kiss Julie had ever had. The rapper knew what he was doing, because soon after he could feel Julie relax and that’s when he knew that the girl was enjoying the moment. At least he knew he was.

After a while, they broke the kiss, but neither wanted things to stop there.

"Jules" Jooheon said. "Tell me if you’re uncomfortable with anything and I’ll stop, okay?"

"Mmm-kay" she said before kissing Jooheon again.

Now Julie’s hands were also on Jooheon. They ran down his back, his abdomen, his neck...

Jooheon began to walk backward pulling Julie with him until he bumped into the bed and sat on it. Without breaking the kiss, he had Jules open her legs to sit on top of him and put the girl’s knees in the bed. In this position, Jooheon ran his hands across Julianne’s legs and felt the girl’s tremors as she felt the caress. That motivated him to continue.

Jooheon broke the kiss to see Julie sitting on his lap and convince himself that he wasn’t dreaming. He put her hair behind her ears and went down to kiss her collarbone. When he reached the collar of her shirt, he began to unbutton the buttons one by one at a speed that was giving Julie anxiety.

"Are you going to last all night taking off my shirt?" she asked when she could no longer take it.

"Calm down, Jules" he reassured her. "I’m just taking my time to think about what I should do to you first".

Julie had no answer for that. Jooheon’s eyes told her that the rapper was not lying, which only increased the girl’s heart rate and she could already feel how wet she was.

She could not stand still, so she bowed and kissed Jooheon at the corner of his lips, cheek, cheekbone, jaw, clavicle... while also unbuttoning his shirt.

Jooheon only laughed at Julie’s impatience.

"Jules... let me take care of you" he asked. "I promise you won’t regret it".

Julie got the hint and stopped trying to rush things. Jooheon then resumed his task and, now with her shirt open, left a kissing path all over Julie’s chest. Soon, the shirt was on the floor and Jooheon unbuttoned the bra.

Upon hearing the click, Julie leapt, so Jooheon stopped, looked into her eyes, and kissed her again on the lips until he felt her relax in his lap again. As he kissed her, he removed her bra and began to stimulate one of Julie’s nipples.

The girl couldn’t help the moan that came out of her mouth and upon hearing it, Jooheon felt his cock instantly harden. So much so that the pressure on his pants became almost unbearable. This made Julie moan again, as in the position she was in she could perfectly feel what her moans were causing in Jooheon.

They both needed to change positions, so Jooheon turned around so that now Julie was lying on the bed on her back and he was on top of her. He took off the shirt Julie had unbuttoned and began to caress the waist of Julianne’s pants.

Minutes later, the girl’s pants were on the floor and Jooheon could feel the moisture in Julianne’s underwear.

"This is for me, Jules?" he whispered in her ear as he made a little pressure above the fabric in just the right spot.

Julie couldn’t help but arch her back and moan a little.

"That’s my girl," he said, before continuing to kiss her.

Julie was lost in a cloud of pleasure. She hadn’t felt like this for a long time and every touch of Jooheon seemed to hit the most vulnerable spot, only to feel her head explode from all the sensations she was having.

Before Julie could get used to Jooheon’s new strokes, the rapper pushed aside the underwear, without taking it off yet, and ran two fingers along the opening. Again, Julie moaned with pleasure and Jooheon took it as a signal to push the two fingers into Julie’s center and begin slow but steady movements.

Julie moaned again as she felt the intrusion and grabbed one of Jooheon’s arms. The rapper was watching Julianne’s every move, and seeing her writhing with pleasure from his caresses only excited him more and more. The lump between his legs hurt, but he refused to take care of it until Julie came at least once.

"Jooheon-ah" she said. "Jooheon-ah... more"

"More?" he asked. "You just have to ask, Jules".

The rapper removed the two fingers, but before the girl could protest, Jooheon made the last piece of cloth on her disappear and now it was not his fingers, but his tongue that Julie felt inside her.

Like his hand, the rapper’s tongue was not rushed. Julie felt the pressure and heat in her abdomen and legs slowly grow, and so did Jooheon.

When he was sure that Julie was sensitive enough, he put his thumb over her clit and started moving it in circular motions that were driving Julianne crazy. The pressure she felt was just enough for her mind to be clouded by pleasure and Julie felt every movement and caress of Jooheon that made her closer and closer to her climax.

Jooheon knew the girl was on the verge when he felt her muscles tighten. At that point, he began to make faster and more aggressive movements. Julie’s moans increased in volume until she felt all the pressure released in tremors and spasms.

Jooheon continued working until Julie’s orgasm ended. After that, he caressed Julianne’s inner legs and began to trace a path of soft kisses along her body until reaching her lips. The orgasm had been intense, and both were breathing loudly.

"Are you all right, Jules?" Jooheon asked as he lay next to Julie.

She nodded and turned to kiss him again.

Jooheon didn’t plan on taking things too far, especially since he wasn’t ready and wasn’t going to be irresponsible... but Julie had another idea.

Without breaking the kiss, Julie began to run her hands across Jooheon’s chest and arms until she reached the waist of the underpants peeking above the waist of his pants. The girl was fully aware of the state of the rapper, so she began to lower the zipper of the jeans, but the rapper stopped her.

"Jules... wait" he said with a gasp. "Wait... if you keep this up I don’t think..."

"Jooheon-ah... are you going to make me beg again?" Julie cut him with a whisper.

Jooheon swallowed the knot in his throat. He could feel the pressure between his legs increase, but the little control he had stopped the girl’s movements once more.

"Jules... wait" he asked again. "Not that I don’t want to, I just don’t come prepared".

"Open the last drawer of the nightstand," she said.

Jooheon did what Julie said without understanding, but seeing what was inside he was surprised...

"What the hell?" said the rapper when he saw the variety of condoms, pills, lubricant, and some other sex toys that were there. "How...?"

Julie did not respond. She had Jooheon lie down on the pillows and extended her arm herself to get one of the condoms out of the drawer. She started kissing Jooheon again and put the little package in the hand of the rapper. After a few minutes, she separated a little from him and looked him in the eye.

She didn’t want to force him to do something he felt uncomfortable with, she had pushed him enough and wanted him to make the final decision now.

The rapper held her gaze and asked her one last time if she was sure. Julie nodded and Jooheon wasted no time. With faster movements than the last time, the rapper made Julie lie on her back while opening the package.

Julie helped him get rid of his remaining clothes, and Jooheon was relieved when he was finally free of the pressure from his pants. They both started kissing again, but now the kiss had nothing soft or sweet about it... it was intense, it was full of the expectation they both felt.

Before putting on the condom, Jooheon made sure Julie was ready not to hurt her. He kissed her on the lips, the collarbone, the neck, the chest and slowly went down to the abdomen. He then ran his fingers through the opening and smiled as he felt Julianne’s center completely wet again.

"Jooheon-ah" Julie moaned suddenly.

Jooheon stopped and looked her in the eye.

"Jooheon-ah... I’m going crazy," she admitted. "I need you... fast".

"Whatever you order, Jules," said the rapper as he positioned himself right at her entrance and began to enter slowly.

With small movements, the rapper was breaking through little by little and every inch sent shocks of pleasure through the body of both. Jooheon was in the clouds, for a moment he thought he would end up just by being inside Julie, but he managed to maintain control and not make a fool of himself.

Little by little, Jooheon’s careful movements increased in speed and Julie followed him until both reached a pace that was pushing them further and further to the edge. They were both moaning and panting, but that didn’t stop Jooheon from repositioning Julianne’s legs so she could go deeper.

The change of position made Julie feel spasms of pleasure all over her back and as a result, the moans that came out of her mouth were stronger and stronger. These sounds were driving Jooheon crazy to the point where his movements threatened to become erratic.

"Jules... Jules" Jooheon whispered in gasps.

"Jooheon-ah... I think that..."

Julie couldn’t finish because she felt Jooheon’s fingers right where she needed them. Julianne’s back arched with the new sensations and she felt the pressure on her abdomen and the heat between her legs rise again. Jooheon could also feel the girl’s muscles contracting and sending him to the edge as well.

Soon after, Julie felt her orgasm coming down her abdomen, legs and arms, and by making sure she reached her climax, Jooheon also let himself go. Julie felt him tighten up on her and they both got carried away by the pleasure-filled muscle spasms. Gradually the spasms were decreasing and both were in a state of stupor and pleasure.

Jooheon kissed Julie again as he pulled back carefully. The rapper laid down next to her and put an arm under Julianne’s head. She sighed and laid her head on Jooheon’s chest. For a few minutes, all they did was catch their breath and cuddle.

"Jules" Jooheon said after a while breaking the silence. "How do you feel? Are you okay?"

"Mmmm, I’m fine," she replied quietly.

When Jooheon saw her again, he noticed that her eyes were closing from exhaustion. He didn’t blame her, he felt he was seconds away from falling asleep, but refused to do so until he made sure Julie was okay.

"Are you cold? Does anything hurt?" he continued with questions.

"Hmm? No, I’m fine... although I have to go to the bathroom," she replied as she stood up.

Suddenly, Julie became aware of her naked body, but before she could do anything about it Jooheon put a blanket on her shoulders and helped her to her feet. He also gave her pajamas and a tired smile that Julie returned.

When the girl came back from the bathroom, Jooheon had put on the pajamas he had bought and replaced the sheets with a clean set he found in the bedroom closet. He was just finishing rearranging the duvet when he felt Julie hugging him from behind. Not expecting the gesture, Jooheon stood still as he stroked Julianne’s hands.

"If I ask you to stay, will you be here tomorrow when I wake up?" Julie asked.

Jooheon wasn’t expecting the question either, but he didn’t hesitate to answer:

"If that’s what you want, Jules, I’ll be here".

Julie just nodded and as he felt the nod, Jooheon turned to face Julie.

"Tired?" he asked.

"A little," she said.

Jooheon just laughed and helped her get under the sheets. Then he climbed on the other side of the bed and put his arm under Julianne’s head.

The rapper felt how the girl’s breathing was getting slower and deeper.

"Sweet dreams, Jules," Jooheon said as he kissed the top of her head and was carried away by exhaustion.

« Previous Next »

#monsta x #monbebe #monsta x fanfic #jooheon fanfic #monsta x lee jooheon #monsta x scenarios #monsta x jooheon

5 notes · View notes

iibonniee · 2 years

Text

RM1515: Criminal Law

Pairing: Chae Hyungwon x Reader (Slight Jungkook x reader but nothing explicit or romantic happens)

Genre: College AU/smut

Rating: M

Word Count: 4k (I wish I was joking)

Warnings: teacher/student relations, jealous!hyungwon, fingering, unprotected sex, slight angst, jungkook being the bestest best friend (theres sarcasm that warning)

Masterlist | The Faculty Masterlist

This is the third installment for a collaboration with @wordycerty. Both Jooheon and Changkyun's parts are posted on her page!

Taglist: @appachicken @dandelion-aj @xrubyrosex @babykyuniee @bekah931215

Y/N knew about a week in, that the relationship she had with Mr. Chae was anything but normal. That was about a two and a half years ago, and the secrecy and hiding all but made their relationship thrilling.

She wasn’t sure how it started, or how they met. But if she put just enough thought into it, she could remember her sophomore year in her music theory class. It was a class she had randomly signed up for (she wouldn’t admit that her friend merely peer-pressured her into it because “the professor was gorgeous”).

Y/N had known about five minutes into class on the first day, that the class wasn’t for her. The only upside to the boring class was the professor, Mr. Yoo. He was charming, had killer vocals and was everything she could think of in a man. But he was smart and saw through the little façade she had put up.

She remembered clearly when he pulled her to the side, his question was genuine but, to her, she felt like a fraud for being in a room where she shouldn’t be.

“You can be honest with me.” Mr. Yoo urged, his smile was small showing her that he wasn’t a threat.

Her mouth opened, wanting to reply, but it snapped shut when she realized there was nothing she could say. She thought she only did it for her friend. But, she mainly did it for her own selfish reasons.

Mr. Yoo was deadly attractive.

At the end of the day, Y/N should sit him down to thank him for pulling her to the side at the end of his boring lecture to ask her that silly question. If he hadn’t, she wouldn’t have met Mr. Chae.

Mr. Chae’s interruption was unplanned, but definitely not unwelcome. The wave of surprise that flashed in his eyes was evident, although it didn’t last long. A guilty smile was replaced as apologies flew from his mouth. Yet, Mr. Yoo laughed it off, offering the male to come in to meet her.

After that day, everything seemed to fall into place.

Their meetings were often unplanned, but it was far too unbelievable that they’d run into each other more than five times a week - given his classroom was set across campus and he was the senior law teacher.

She didn’t complain, however. His gaze was intense, smirk faint, but there. Y/N never asked for it, but Mr. Chae surely agreed to it.

Mr. Chae’s pattern was all the same; never unchanging even when she walked to her boring Music Theory class. So, she never stopped greeting him a good morning - or a good afternoon if given the time.

But, as the weeks passed, she forgot how long it took until he finally broke, forcing her into a small study room and confessing that he was growing tired of all the formalities and occasional talking.

“Hyungwon.” His confession was abrupt and he was panting with nervousness at the lack of her answers. “My name is Hyungwon. I want you to be in my class come your senior year. I want something between us. I don’t want a fling, I want a relationship.”

His confession was met with silence. Even with the knowledge of running late for that stupid class, his whispering words rang through the air and beat around her pounding heart.

Yet, as she thought of his abrupt confession that happened two and a half years ago, she still couldn’t thank Mr. Yoo. Simply because their relationship was meant to be a secret. But the line between secrecy and truth was what made their relationship slightly crumble.

Y/N knew her patience was cracking, the knowledge that he was trying to protect her and their relationship was flattering, but it was also that same acknowledgment of him spilling such a secret to his close coworkers that had her seething were she stood.

“You did what?” The question was supposed to be calm, but her teeth were beared together in a hiss as her mind tried to process his words. “Are you - and you told me that I wasn’t supposed to say anything to anyone!”

She noticed the way his eyes did a quick scan of her face, trying to gauge out her emotions carefully. But his next words weren’t carefully picked out, not as he mumbled, “We aren’t fighting about this.” as he continued to clean his desk.

For a moment, the girl was blown away at the lack of care he held. His subtle reply was a practical smack to the face. Her laugh was forced - mainly to try to break the unwelcome tension that Hyungwon had welcomed into the room with such a blunt answer. Either way, the laugh came and it didn’t stop.

“I’m done.”

Those two words seemed to halt her lovers movements, his once blank expression all morphing into surprise, then shocked, then worry all at once.

“What do you mean, “You’re done”? You’re done with what?”

“This conversation! This! I don’t know!” Y/N gasped, the sudden frustration brewing through her blood faster than she could have imagined. “I need a break.”

“So that’s it? You’re leaving because I want to keep you safe. To keep US safe? Y/N, some of your friends are my students too! If word gets out about us, I’ll be the one taking the heat, not you.”

“Oh, but it’s ok for you to tell how many of your “friends” about us?!” At the end of the day, Y/N knew she was blowing this out of proportion. Maybe they could be trusted. Maybe they too held secrets that couldn’t be told. “Who are they?”

“You know I can’t tell you-“

“Right.” Once again her laugh held no amusement. “I think I should go.”

“Y/N wait,” Y/N heard the panic that broke through his voice. His desk was no longer a concern as his eyes were set on making it to the door just before her. “Are you still planning on coming over tonight?”

Maybe she’d slap Mr. Yoo too for having her meet such a selfish man.

“Goodnight Hyungwon.”

If Y/N knew one thing, it was that whenever Jungkook was deadly silent, his mind grew focused on things that shouldn’t be talked about. So, upon noticing his close friends sudden mood change and avoidance of him, the library silence that grew around the pair almost felt suffocating.

Jungkook was no doubt smart when given the right motivation. And when he had discovered her strange behavior, his mind tried to work out what exactly made her fall short in their close-knit friendship.

In truth, his silence made her uncomfortable.

Clearing her throat, she glanced over at her friend who had his head tucked in his arm, his eyes drifting towards the many books that surrounded their little corner. For a moment, she thought he had stopped breathing. His eyes remained unblinking as his breathing was almost too shallow for a healthy athlete.

But, the moment he shot up with an excited and knowing smile, her heart raced all the more. His eyes finally locked onto hers and that same smile shined so bright as if he had just figured out a prize winning riddle.

“You know that rumor that’s going around?” Jungkook’s first question was rather dumb seeing as they were in a university that was undoubtedly filled with plenty of rumors to share.

“Kook, there’s so many rumors. Even our professors share rumors.”

“That’s exactly what I’m getting at.” The moment he finished his sentence was the moment her heart started pounding in her chest. “I know you aren’t oblivious to the fact that Professor Chae has been even more moody lately. Now that I finally had time to think, you have been pretty moody, too. Almost as if you went through a fight.”

Now her heart was in her throat as she watched her closest friend piece together a puzzle that should never have been solved. Jungkook knew just about all the ins and outs of her. Her secrets could never be held for long, for even a little slip around him would have him catching on.

“Jungkook, I've just gotten back from Calculus. You know how Professor Im is and how ungodly the class is. Of course I’m going to be moody.” With a wave of her hand, she attempted to whisk his accusation out the window, but his head shaking only furthered her panic. “What? Do you really think I’d be caught in a stupid rumor? You know the Dean himself denies that those aren’t true. Why would I date one of the professors?”

“Then tell me this, why haven’t I met him?”

Y/N’s mind tried to scramble for some answer. Anything that would prove her innocence in the lie that she started drowning in. Yet, as the silence passed with the seconds, the smirk that grew on Jungkook’s face grew. That’s when she knew that he had figured it out and the Dean was one of the people that had known.

The mix of emotions that flashed through her body made her blood run cold. Almost as if she had caught her lover cheating except Hyungwon was loyal to her. Even amidst the fight, Hyungwon was suffering, too. But she couldn’t even confirm to her closest friend that Hyungwon was the man that stole her heart.

“Oh my gosh.” His smile was too bright, too excited for anything other than the fact that he had just learned her biggest secret to date. “You’re in a relationship with Pro-“

“Shut up.” Y/N hissed as her hand covered his blabbering mouth. She knew their corner was secluded, but the mere fact that anyone on campus could hear such a secret worried her even more. “You have to promise to keep this a secret!"

Even hours later, with the truth being brought to light, she couldn’t help but cuddle close to Jungkook. Her apartment was silent besides the tv that softly played in the background. With a groan, her hands fell limp on her side, while her head relaxed on his chest.

“Why am I so stupid? Oh course the Dean knows! Who else is in that little circle? God — who else knows? Why didn’t I tell you sooner? Why did I believe he’d truly keep his word?!”

Y/N knew the more she thought about it, the more frustrated she’d become. She knew that much the night she got home after her argument with Hyungwon. She knew he was a man that often kept his own secrets. Yet, she blamed herself for allowing him to do so.

Part of her felt dirty. That maybe those people knew a lot more than what she had told Jungkook the moment they got to her apartment. She only grew more frustrated at the man she called her boyfriend. At how his messages never even seemed to stop even when if she had continued to ignore him.

Y/N couldn’t blame her friend for the silence he provided. He was her temporary therapist while she spilled her life problems to him. After all, that’s practically what he signed up for the moment he deemed himself her best friend.

“Kookie, did you fall asleep?” Upon her calling his name, Jungkook gave her arm a slight flick, causing the girl to softly giggle to herself at her friends answer.

“I was falling asleep,” He joked, “What do you need?”

“Grab my phone and go through our messages. I just want you to see them.”

If Y/N could see the amusing smirk that spread across his face, she’d instantly regret the access she had given him.

Her phone was in his seconds, the same password being typed in almost immediately. It didn’t take long to find Hyungwon’s messages. Only instead of following her request, he aimed the camera down so he could capture the almost romantic gesture shared between the two.

With the picture saved and sent, his smirk continued as it showed “delivered”. He just needed to give her boyfriend that little push.

Y/N knew Jungkook shouldn’t have been trusted. Whether he had accidentally sent something to Hyungwon and deleted it mid-panic while she was asleep or deliberately taunted him behind her back, she knew he was the culprit behind the mass of angry texts that came from Hyungwon throughout the night causing her to turn. off her phone in the middle of the night to avoid the heat.

She wasn’t naïve about how her friend really was. When he wanted to test the water to see if it was just right, he would. If it was, hell would certainly break loose and she’d be there to pick up the pieces. That’s usually how it all went, anyways.

Her second mistake was turning off her phone. She had to admit she was an idiot to think that was her best bet, but her brain at 2:56 in the morning wasn’t really awake, so that idea of foolishly turning off her phone was the best she could think of. Her only class started at 2:00 so there was no need to worry.

Except, she should have worried. It wasn’t the chirping birds that woke her up around her usual 8:30 a.m time, rather it was the brightly held sun that found no issues in invading her privacy to wake her up. The panic that rushed through her bones was worse than the truth being revealed.

Not only had she fought with Hyungwon, dealt with the backfire of Jungkook’s stupidity, but she was well late for his class.

The halls were deadly silent as the time hit just shy of 15 minutes passed her due time. She hardly had time to look at her phone as she threw on a freshly washed dress, threw on some shoes and booked it out the door, but upon finally turning on the thing, the messages the never felt ending didn’t come from Hyungwon, this time they were from Jungkook.

Kookie: Hey, I got you coffee! Meet in the quad? [Sent: 1:30 P.M]

Kookie: You awake? It’s almost time for class and your coffee is getting cold. [Sent: 1:55 P.M]

Kookie: Oh god, Y/N. He was watching me come in. Like - his eyes were glued to my movements. Where are you?? [Sent: 2:01 P.M]

Kookie: Are you skipping class or just dead asleep? Professor Chae is so angry today. He just told Wendy to quit talking to Irene. She was just asking for a pencil for notes! [Sent: 2:10 P.M]

Reading over his texts made her all the more nervous and she hated how she stood outside of his classroom door - room 1515: Criminal Law - with her heart racing as she watched her boyfriend’s movements, fingers fast as he wrote on the chalkboard.

Sneaking into the room could be easy with his back turned to the board lecturing about whatever. So, with a deep breath, she took the opportunity to slip into the room where her eyes immediately found Jungkook's, who noticeably perked up at the sight of her.

“Miss L/N, you’re 15 minutes late.” Hyungwon’s tone was set in stone. The anger that kissed his lips and slipped out of his mouth to yell at her caused her to halt her movements. She turned to him, his own eyes narrowing wanting an explanation, maybe more if class wasn’t fully in session.

She didn’t reply to him. What was she to say exactly? “Sorry I’m so late, Hyungwon! I fell asleep cuddling up to my best friend Jungkook who did something he wasn’t supposed to and because of that I turned off my phone to ignore your questions?”

Yeah, right.

“You're never this late.” Jungkook started the moment she sat down, “What happened?!”

“You, you dickhead!” Y/N whispered through grit teeth. “Whatever stunt you pulled last night pissed him off. He was blowing up my phone until the dead of night. What the fuck is wrong with you?”

Jungkook’s smile was sheepish. He knew what he had done, and the outcome was what he wanted it to be, but he had hoped the fallout wouldn’t fall on him - especially if the Professor had any part in it.

“It was to give him a push!”

“A push for what?!” Y/N seethed, hating how close Jungkook moved his seat. “To piss him off? To grow suspicious? I couldn’t even see what you sent him-”

“You’re 15 minutes late and you want to interrupt my lecture, Miss L/N?” No matter what it was, Y/N hated when he referred to her by her last name - and when he suddenly threw the class' attention on the two of them.

Even when she wanted to say something, her mouth remained shut and her head fell limp in defeat.

“He was staring at us the whole time since you came in.” Jungkook whispered to her the second Hyungwon turned his back to the class. “I fucked up last night and forgot to cover my tattoos. I think he realized it was me.”

Fucking idiot.

Silence soon filled the space between the two. It wasn’t like she was actually paying attention anyway; her mind fell between deep thoughts and observing Hyungwon's mood. The past few days of ignoring his texts seemed to affect him more than she had thought, and the once-kind Professor Chae had no care of who he snapped at and why.

It was easy to see it was her fault. After all, her ignoring him and everything that fell afterwards was mainly her doing. She could understand why he was so upset.

The sound of chairs moving and people starting to talk is what had her snapping from her thoughts. Glancing around she spotted Jungkook already by the door, instead of waiting for her, his smirk was evident as he slipped out amongst the crowd.

Bastard.

“Miss L/N, can I have a word with you?”

Jeon Jungkook. That bastard planned everything.

Cursing under her breath, her eyes followed as her boyfriend walked to the door waiting for the last student to leave with a smile so forced she was sure the student would’ve noticed it. As much as she tried, she couldn’t tear her eyes away from him as he shut the door almost too calmly, the lock echoing across the room.

It was then that she noticed his face was void of any emotions, his eyes were blank and a scowl adorned his face.

“So,” He began, not moving from the door. He wasn't going to give her the chance to run. Not this time. “I see you’re quite friendly with Jungkook. Didn’t think we were on a break. I just thought my girlfriend wanted to be a brat because I wouldn’t let others know.”

“A brat?” The new nickname flew from her mouth in utter disbelief. “A break? Hyungwon, what the fuck are you talking about?”

“Oh, don’t be asinine,” Hyungwon hissed. The moment his eyes met hers she felt a slight panic rush through her bones. “If you think for one second that I’m stupid, you’re wrong. I tried time and time again to have you come talk to me. But you continued to ignore me as if I didn't matter. How long did it take for you to run to him? You seemed pretty close to him according to that picture he sent.”

No matter what it was, she would find a way to ruin Jungkook's life. Not only for what was happening right now, but for deleting the picture off her phone. She hated how she wasn't aware of what the picture entailed.

“He’s my best friend, Hyungwon. The one I pushed away so he wouldn't grow suspicious of our relationship. What? Do you think I just went to him to get fucked? Grow up, Hyungwon. If I did, it wouldn't be your concern. After all, I’m “single” and everyone knows I’m not seeing anyone.”

She watched as something in Hyungwon snapped. His once almost-composed nature fell and something switched.

“Get on the desk.” His request was simple, yet it took her a moment to process it. Her eyes were wide and their staredown felt endless and suffocating from the silence the room provided. “I said, get on the fucking desk, Y/N.”

“Hyungwon-” Her words were cut off by his fast movements. In three quick strides his hands found her waist, pushing her back until her butt hit the back of his messy desk.

His lips were on hers the second she was forced to sit on the desk. The kiss was heated, the passion behind the millions of kisses they once shared gone with the past days. Hyungwon lips showed her no mercy, not once allowing her to catch up with the air that she might need.

A few days was far too much for Hyungwon.

He didn’t care how his tongue was forced into her mouth, he just enjoyed the moans that came from the back of her throat as she tried to fight him. He wasn’t letting her win this time.

“I don’t think you really fucked him,” He growled out the moment he broke the kiss. His fingers were now focused on her covered pussy, “I think you enjoy my cock too much. You just love to piss me off, huh? Love working me up so I can take my anger out on you.”

Even as he spewed words out, his mouth left bruises across her neck, done caring and done letting her walk around knowing that others didn’t know he fucked her raw.

Hyungwon showed no mercy the second he inserted two fingers into her. The feeling of his fingers pumping in and out of her drove her wild and she invited the feeling all the more.

Hyungwon had no care in the world about the mess he’d make.

Even with his eyes never leaving her own and her cries growing louder, it wasn’t enough for him. He wanted everyone to know that she was his.

“Fuck Hyungwon, I’m close—“ Yet, even the whine that she let out never deterred Hyungwon from feeling bad for stopping. He wanted her to cum around his cock, not his fingers.

Wasting no time, his cock was in his hands, positioning himself at her entrance. He was done waiting. He’d be damned about the consequences.

“This pussy is fucking mine.” He growled, enjoying the way her body moved with his. His thrusts were relentless and so were her moans. “Don’t you dare hold back. I want you louder than my fucking desk scraping this damn floor, understand?”

Even in her moaning state, Hyungwon heard the soft “yes” that left her lips.

Hyungwon watched as she threw her head back, the pure ecstasy flowing from her mouth and meeting his own for an unkept song. His own moans were animalistic, untamed, and unbothered about how loud he was being. His mind focused on how nice her pussy was feeling around his cock.

“I’m about to cum. Please, Hyungwon, let me cum. Please please please.”

The grunt that came from her boyfriend told her that it was ok, and in seconds the waves of her orgasm hit her strong and hard. Falling limp in his arms, Hyungwon soon reached his climax, cumming inside her with soft curses.

“Are you alright? I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Hyungwon was the first to speak after they both caught their breath. His lips left soft kisses along the inside of her wrist, showing her that he was no longer angry at what happened.

Though her smile was lopsided and her nod was tired, Hyungwon could see that she was alright.

“I think I’ll be a bit sore, but other than that, I’m ok.”

“Hey,” Now his attention was fully on her, “I’m sorry for everything. If you want to tell Jungkook about us I won’t stop you. It isn’t right for me to be allowed to have my friends know and yours not.”

“Oh, baby, he already knows.”

Previous | Next

#kvanity #hyungwon smut #monsta x smut #hyungwon imagines #hyungwon x reader #monsta x imagines #monsta x professor au #monsta x au

366 notes · View notes

sugasgrowl · 2 years

Text

Duplicitous [Chapter 5: Mole]

It’s been SO long since I’ve posted a fic, let alone updated for Duplicitous. The last two years have sucked the life out of me, and I’m just now in a place where I’m feeling creatively inspired again. Expect updates for this story, I don’t plan on letting this baby go anytime soon! As I mentioned in a standalone post, I have edited all previous chapters of this story and tweaked some of the plot points. If you want a detailed explanation as to why I did this, please check out my post.

AO3 link: here

Chapters: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 (coming soon)

Pairing: Jungkook x named OC (Oh Nari), Jooheon x named OC (Oh Nari)

Genre: Mafia au, multigroup (Bangtan and Monsta X focused. A few other idols mentioned.)

Word Count: 15,257

Warnings: Mentions of guns and knives, alcohol use, smoking, Taehyung has a Hard Time, mentions of death, mentions of of gore, toxic relationships, (attempted) emotional manipulation, as usual Jooheon is a massive piece of shit, some moments of fluff :’)

Fic Summary: For the past eight years, Oh Nari has not existed. Instead of being a person, she has been a shadow eternally indebted to the Monsta X crime family for getting her off the streets and away from her murderous father. But when using her skills in covert operations to help take down a rivaling mafia known as Bangtan, information comes to light that changes everything she’s ever known. Loyalties are tested, alliances are formed, and lives are at stake as Nari fights for family, truth, and freedom from the duplicitous life she’s been forced to live.

Chapter Summary: Nari learns life changing information. Teahyung reveals what happened the night of Leah’s death. Things take a turn with Nari and Jungkook.

Nari felt like she was going to throw up the entire flight home.

Paranoia gnawed at her like a starving hound, made her stomach churn as she sat silently curled up in one of the luxurious leather seats of their private jet. Her back was rod straight and her eyes flitted anxiously from face to weary face. No one gave her a second look. Not even Yoongi as he stretched out across his seat, shoes tucked in the compartment under his seat and sock clad feet barely hanging off of the foot rest.

Had he not told anyone after they parted ways to pack up?

Her brows furrowed as she blankly stared at him resting so unperturbed in the beige oasis that was the cabin. Baseball cap pulled low over his eyes. Arms crossed as he dozed. He was a cat stretched belly up in the sun. Relaxed. Unbothered. Why wouldn’t he immediately gather the others and let them know that she was a rat? That she was the mole? The second he had suspicions that anyone else was against them, he would have done that. He did do that. It just didn’t make sen--

She jumped when Jimin slid into the seat across the table from her.

Stunned and wide eyed, she expected him to scream at her. To confront her about everything she knew to be true--that she was the one who unknowingly got Kim killed, that she was the one who should have died instead of Son. That the basis of her entire relationship with Bangtan was built on a foundation of lies. She expected him to yell until he was red in the face and those veins bulged in his forehead and neck and spit gathered in the corners of his mouth. Her heart was a cold, unforgiving hand wrapped around her throat.

Jimin cleared his throat and awkwardly scratched at his nose. Shifting in the seat, he licked his lips and looked at her with the softest eyes she’d ever seen on him. “I...um…”

His nervous chuckle made her blink in surprise. “Well. Tonight was...intense.”

He didn’t know.

“Yeah,” she managed to say with a steady voice. Her small smile felt stiff. Fake. Because it was. “It was definitely something, that’s for sure.”

“And on top of that shit with Monsta X, you busted your face,” he half teased. “At least the meeting with Zhang went well. Now Choi will be off our asses.”

Oh fuck. Oh no. Oh fuck.

“I--”

“Yoongi told us about what happened.” He winced as he shamelessly eyed the cut on her brow and the darkening bruise billowing out around it.

She froze. So they did know? Why would they--

“The timing had to have been perfect for that.”

She hummed with a nod and a plastic smile. Palms sweaty and heart hammering in her chest. “Yeah. It hurt like a bitch, too. What’d...What’d Yoongi say about it?”

Jimin’s angelic face broke out into a full on, blinding smile as he bent one knee and hugged it to his chest. He hadn’t smiled at her like that since she seduced him at the Galaxy. “He said he came to find you in the bathroom and tell you that we were about to get changed and head home, and he opened the door just as you were about to walk out and ended up hitting you. Said he felt like shit, since you just essentially saved Tae’s life and handled that shit on your own.”

So….he lied. For her? Yoongi lied about her injuries? Why? Why would he do that when she deserved to be ripped limb from limb?

Maybe he just wanted to keep things stable until they were on their home turf. She suspected that as soon as they walked through the door, he would expose her for what she was. And as terrified as she was, she couldn’t blame him. Not in the slightest. He trusted her and gave her this opportunity with the hope and confidence that she would make them even more successful than they already were. She betrayed him.

“Which is kind of… well..” Coffee colored eyes fell to the table as his full, pillowy lips curled in an uncertain grin. “Um...I… I’m not good at this, Jesus--”

When he looked back up at her, she couldn’t help but stare back at him curiously with her brows knitted together and her face twisted in confusion.

“Nari…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I think I owe you an apology.”

“Wh...what?” She nearly choked, head tilting slightly as she leaned a bit closer.

“I’ve been a dick to you since you got here.” His grin widened, flustered. If she looked close enough she could’ve sworn his cheeks grew pink, that faint flush of color spreading like strokes of watercolor paints. Like a freshly blooming peony. If she didn’t know him personally, she would never have believed that he had taken the lives of countless men into his own capable hands. He was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, the Serpent that convinced Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. As dangerous as he was, Nari still couldn’t wrap her mind around it when he looked so cherubic.

His smile faded as he forced himself to swallow the lingering, bitter taste of the anger he tried to hang on to for so long. “Tonight you… I dunno, tonight you stepped in and made sure to diffuse the situation. That’s not something most people in our line of work do. Most people like us just...they just react. Guns blazing, knives out, ready to kill the first person who pushes their buttons.”

He was right, she knew that. She knew that better than anyone. If this very situation happened, if she was still with Monsta X, she would’ve slashed their throats and blown their brains out before they even realized she had moved. She wouldn’t have diffused a goddamn thing.

But she was different now. She cared about Bangtan differently than she had cared about anyone since her mom died. And it was all so fucked. She was so fucked.

“You kept him from getting himself killed,” Jimin murmured, quiet enough that Taehyung wouldn’t hear him from where he was curled up and facing away from everyone. He hadn’t spoken a word since Nari instructed Jimin to take him back to his room, but he most certainly threw her a withering glare as they made their way out of the hotel. “He’s my best friend. I’m...I’m thankful that you stepped in like you did. Anything we would’ve done would have just made things worse.”

He was...thankful?

“Don’t thank me.” She let her fake, brittle mask fall away. Seriousness made her tone heavy. “Really. I just...I was just trying to keep everyone safe. I’ve seen a lot in my time as a hitwoman, and guys like Jooheon just want to raise hell. Wanna keep slicing until they hit that soft spot so they can watch you bleed.”

He shrugged. “Still. We’re safe because you acted fast and restrained Taehyung.”

Nari didn’t want to accept the compliment. She wanted, much to the more logical part of her brain’s dismay, to tell the truth for once. She wanted to own up to her shit. A part of her found comfort in the promise of well deserved punishment. She deserved to be crucified for putting them all in danger. Every day she lived in that house, the day Jooheon would undoubtedly burst through the door with all of Monsta X to slaughter them crept closer and closer.

Maybe they’d do a drive by. Just get it over with.

Unwanted images of their inevitable demise flashed behind her eyelids. Of them crumpled in heaps on the floor, half their skulls missing and their blood shining on the linoleum of Sejin’s like a menacing lake. Jaws slack, skin too pale. Shards of glass and debris scattered around their slowly stiffening bodies.

The mental image of Jungkook’s empty, glassy, unseeing eyes made her sweat.

She forced herself to send Jimin an appreciative nod.

He left without saying much else, but soon Jungkook came and took his place. He settled into the seat across the table from her and reclined back in it, a small and thoughtful smile spreading across his face. Seeing him alive and well calmed her uneasy stomach and racing heart.

He looked exhausted but ethereal. Hair grown far past his cheekbones and messy like he’d just pulled his sweatshirt over his head and run out of his and Hoseok’s hotel room without a second thought. The oversized hoodie hid his sculpted chest and arms, made him look smaller and softer. The ghosts of dark circles were just beginning to show beneath his doe eyes, that all too familiar sleepy pout etched into his rosebud lips.

He didn’t praise her. Didn’t comment on the damage to her face. He was just there, a warm and familiar comforting presence. He knew her well enough to know that she didn’t want to talk in that moment. But she could tell from the tightness around his eyes that he wanted to check on her. He wanted to ask a million questions, wanted to know what really happened. If she was okay. But he didn’t. He simply passed her a bottle of water before laying back to stretch out just enough to prod her knee once with his Pokemon-themed sock covered foot.

When he closed his eyes, relief flooded Nari’s chest at the silence that settled like fresh fallen snow. She didn’t want to talk. She didn’t want to be praised or thanked. She wished Yoongi would have told them the truth about her. She wished Jungkook knew. She wished everyone knew. She hated not knowing what game he was playing.

But at least she was prepared to lose. She could handle not knowing the game, as long as Bangtan won.

The air in Yoongi’s office was frigid. Stagnant. Jooheon’s office was cold--icy even. But it was like the unwavering chill of permafrost. Constant. Yoongi’s cold was a deadly frost sweeping across the world while you slept.

She sat in his desk chair, heart flopping helplessly against her ribcage. Her hands tucked themselves between her bouncing legs.

She barely had time to put her bag on her bed before he was knocking on her door and telling her to follow him down to his office. His tone was...unreadable. Not angry. Not clipped. If anything, he sounded almost gentle. No tightness around the eyes. He was just Yoongi.

He leaned back against his desk, towering over her and making her feel microscopic.

Being inside that room with him felt like being inside a vacuum. Soundless, breathless. Even her thoughts felt too loud in the thundering silence as they stared at each other, waiting for the other to speak.

He didn’t. He watched. Calculated. Nari could feel him dismantling her bit by bit, wearing her down. Taking her apart, taking notes, and putting the pieces back where he found them. She could feel it as if he were doing it with his own hands. She was a specimen to be studied.

“Why aren’t I in the warehouse right now?” She pressed, quiet but fierce. She couldn’t take the silence any longer. His smirk sparked heat in her stomach, annoyance she couldn’t stomp out with the toe of her boot. “Why haven’t you gathered everyone yet? Why am I not dead yet?”

“Do you want to be?” He tilted his head, brows lifting beneath his fringe. A glimmer of amusement shone in his onyx eyes.

She couldn’t fight the scowl curling at her mouth. “I’d rather get this over with than drag it out. We both know what you saw--”

“What did I see, Nari?” He crossed his ankles and settled into the dark wood of his desk. All too comfortable with this game.

Her lips pressed into a tight line. She didn’t want to say it. Before that moment, she expected him to just drag everyone to the warehouse and wipe her off the planet. She hoped for that.

Her jaw clenched. “What do you want me to say, Yoongi? That I got drilled by Jooheon two minutes before you came in? That we had sex, that--that I’ve--”

“That was more than just sex,” he dumbfoundedly scoffed, satoori dripping from his every word. His eyes narrowed. “He nearly fucking killed you, you idiot.”

She ran a hand through her hair, eyes widening in disbelief as she gestured wildly. “Why does that matter? Why does that matter to you when I’ve been the mole this entire time--?!”

“I know,” he gritted out, glancing at the office door. “I’ve known since the beginning that you were a mousy piece of shit, you rat. How stupid do you think I am?”

She recoiled. Had she been that transparent? Was she that bad at her job?

He chuckled, eyes tearing away from hers as he scratched at his jaw. “Surprised?”

“How did you know?”

He shrugged. “I knew you wouldn’t just show your face and expose yourself after all that time unless there was an ulterior motive behind it. I was curious. So I took a shot in the dark and waited to see what it hit.”

Her mouth was cotton and sand. “You knew from the beginning?”

“I had my suspicions. They were just confirmed when you went and met Jooheon. Not to mention, my desk chair was out of place after your little attempt at digging up information.”

She silently cursed his perceptive eye.

“You had me tailed.” She all but growled, fingers digging into the arms of his chair.

His smug grin made her bristle. “I tailed you myself. If my suspicions were wrong, I didn’t want to cause any tension or distrust with the guys. Couldn’t risk anyone talking and word reaching the rest of the group. But I was right. As usual.”

Months. He’d known for months. She’d been tiptoeing around like a fucking fool, and the whole time he knew everything. He kept up the whole fucking act, even killed one of his own men for no reason. Kept his closest men in the dark.

A tense, angry quiet settled over them as she struggled to smother the prideful work ethic throwing a tantrum in her mind.

“Why didn’t you kill me?” Her nostrils flared as she ran her hand down her face.

“Because of how you reacted to killing Son.”

“That was three days ago. I’ve been here for months. Why the fuck would you kill Son if you knew it was my fault?”

His cocky expression faded and melted into an odd twist to his pink mouth. His gaze dropped to the floor as he unfolded his arms and gripped the edge of the desk. “Son had been stealing from me and talking shit for I don’t even know how long. I’m not happy about it, but it had to be done. Just a two birds, one stone kinda situation.”

He took a moment and let the truth settle in their bones. His eyes were staring past the office and into memories of when he first met Nari. “I wanted to keep an eye on you. See what Jooheon was planning. And those other fuckers. My gut told me you’d change alliances.”

“Why?”

“Because of Jungkook,” he replied, a frustrated edge to his voice. “Because every time he’s part of the equation, you let your guard down. Because the more time you spend around him, the more human you get.”

She simmered. Furious. She did not. She was more professional than that. She’d never let a man sway her alliances.

But she did. She did with Jooheon, and now she was doing the same thing with Jungkook. Was she really that easy to manipulate? Was she that easily driven by men?

No. Jooheon manipulated her. Jungkook softened her. There was a difference. Yoongi was right. Jungkook was a weakness, she’d known that from the beginning. He changed her. They changed her.

Yoongi shook his head slightly, sucking on his teeth with a hiss. “I am surprised that the Dragon has kept such a distance from you, though. As much money as he’s poured into your training, I’d assume he would be on your ass.”

Nari wheezed with a punched out breath. The mere mention of his name made her lungs tighten. He was the noose around her neck, cinching tighter with every wretched memory replaying through her mind.

The blood drained from her face in a sickening chill. “What?”

He looked at her from the corner of his eye and took in her rattled appearance. “You mean you don’t know?”

“Know what?” Her voice was a breathy, shaky rasp.

She was standing in her living room again. Years prior. Heart skipping and fingers trembling and numb as she looked on at her father. Everything in slow motion. Everything frozen, hands of the clock hovering motionless in stunned fear. She was looking on at her mother, icy, deadly gunmetal kissing the pale skin of her forehead. Her father’s mouth twisted into a wolfish smile. It was all happening again. She was helpless--almost eighteen and powerless. Defenseless. Everything painted red.

The low rumble of Yoongi’s voice made her snap back to reality, sweat prickling at the back of her neck and her breaths ragged.

He made his way over and reached over her to log in to his desktop. The blue light of the monitor illuminated his face as he typed away, eyes tense with concentration. He clicked on the file. The password protected file.

After typing in the code, he tapped on the screen with a finger and looked down at her. “You mean to tell me you didn’t know about this?”

A picture. Two men lounging at a club, both with drinks in front of them. Clearly in a deep discussion as dancers and scantily clad women traipsed around with trays of more drinks. There was no denying that it was Jooheon and her father. Even if it was dark and a little grainy, she knew those faces anywhere.

It made her stomach twist.

“When was this?” She could hear the clench of her jaw in her voice.

Yoongi crossed his arms. “The night before Kim was found dead.”

No. No. This couldn’t be happening.

“I don’t believe you.”

He knew? Knew all along that it was Jooheon who fucked over their arms deal. Knew what she was. Knew her plan.

If it was true, if Jooheon was working with her father, it made perfect sense as to why he would risk her life and take out Kim. Her father couldn’t have more competition.

He snorted and clicked to the next image. The same club, but a different day according to their change in outfits. His eyes stayed on the screen. “The day after the bank robbery.”

The next photo was in a different location. The very park where she and Jooheon had met. The quality of the picture was startlingly clearer than the previous ones taken from security camera footage--clearly one of Yoongi’s men had followed them and hidden somewhere to take them. “The day before we met at the Galaxy.”

She wanted to throw up. That was the day that she and Jooheon had their last night together. The night where he took her to that lavish Italian restaurant and fucked her senseless when they got home. When she let him touch her and kiss her and feel her. She worshiped him that night, and he let her. He let her do it after meeting with her father, knowing what that monster did to her. To her mother. Not a flicker of guilt or remorse on his face.

Yoongi clicked through the contents of the file. Photos, call logs, text messages, even bank statements. All available thanks to none other than Kim Taehyung, Nari guessed. Her father had been paying Jooheon off for years.

The last photo in the album--the first photo, chronologically--made her eyes burn.

The same Italian restaurant that Jooheon often took her to. Her father sat across from him, his hands steepled in front of his face. He always did that when he talked business.

The date was stark white against the low lighting of the photo. January 15, 2014. That was just a few short days after she fled to Korea. Maybe two weeks after she turned eighteen. She was still on the streets then.

“Do you really think it was coincidence that someone in the same field as your father just happened to find you and recruit you?” Yoongi lowly said, eyes hard and glinting with a look Nari couldn’t quite put her finger on. “He’s power hungry and greedy--he wanted as much of a guarantee for success as possible. What better way to do that than to become an illusionist? Watch one hand while the other slits your throat.”

She couldn’t move. Frozen. “What are you saying? Why do you even have all of this?”

“I’m saying that Monsta X has been the face of your father’s operation. Jooheon’s men take the fall when things go south, while your father’s men do the heavy lifting behind the scenes.” He enunciated every word, every syllable, like he wanted each one to cut. “Monsta X is the face, and Lotus is the fucking brain.”

The world spun. Tilted harsh and unforgiving before her very eyes. She’d been working for her father since she was eighteen years old. She’d been killing for him. Stealing for him. Committing sins--unforgivable, nightmare inducing sins that had begun haunting her more and more after her conscience arose from its dormancy. All she’d been doing was his bidding, following his orders. Jooheon was merely the messenger. Everything she’d known was a lie. Everything she said she would never be, she became overnight.

“Don’t worry. No one knows that you’re the Dragon’s daughter but me.” Yoongi rolled up his sleeves. “I’ve been accumulating this information for years because I knew there would be a time when Lotus would try to eliminate us. Bangtan hasn’t always been a threat, but now we are. And clearly your father predicted that, and wanted someone he could train specifically to get rid of us. Taehyung hacked what I told him to hack, found everything I asked him to look for. But I made sure to keep you out of the eye of the others. Because I knew they would want to kill you. You know Jimin and Hoseok. They’d want to find a way to kill you before you ever snuck in. I thought it would be best to wait. Because if we waited, we could either turn you and use your information, or I could kill you myself.”

Yoongi knew what she was and plotted her death in case he couldn’t turn her. He manipulated her, too. But his manipulation didn’t feel like Jooheon’s. It didn’t feel like the cold, biting prick of a blade edging her towards a certain way of thinking.

Her mind drifted back to the day that Jooheon found her. He strolled up to her shivering body with purpose. On a mission. Somehow, he seemed taller than all the bright and shining buildings towering around them. His confidence was an entity of its own, added what felt like ten feet to his height. Power radiated from him in waves, and she was immediately awestruck.

Back then she thought he chose her because he had been watching, because he thought she was everything he needed--that Monsta X needed. It seemed too good to be true, too perfect even then. Him with his designer suits and shining shoes that reflected the helpless, cornered girl that she was in the glint of their leather. But she never let herself think about the truth that stared her in the face. Because that meant that there was no escaping him. There was no freedom, no getting out of this lifestyle. There would be no peace. Her father would always find her.

Jooheon lied to her. There was no love. There had never been a relationship. Every single moment with Lee Jooheon was a ploy to manipulate her and further her father’s agenda. For money, for power. The few good memories, although sterile even when she was blissfully ignorant, were lies. The words he whispered to her as they made love were poison meant to weaken her enough to comply without question. The reason she had been so tightly woven in Jooheon’s clutches was because she was meant to be.

Nari’s gaze was focused on Yoongi, unwavering. Hardening with each passing second. “So you’re not killing me?”

“Not unless you ask me to,” he softly muttered.

“What does all of this mean for my position in Bangtan?” The almost excited, furious sharpness to her tone made his lips curl at the corners.

“Well,” he smirked, chuckling with a slight tick of his head. “How committed are you to eliminating this threat, Nari?”

Her eyes glowed. “I want to watch the light leave Lee Jooheon’s eyes.”

Yoongi grinned then. Pride showed through the subtle cracks in his nonchalant exterior. “Then none of this will affect your position in Bangtan.”

He pushed off the desk and headed towards the door.

“Yoongi,” she called. When he stopped in his tracks, fingers wrapped around the knob, she bit back a cold half-smile. “I’m pulling the trigger.”

Jungkook lured Nari into the soft glow of his bedroom before she could slink past undetected. All it took was the soft, honeyed way he called her name as she left Yoongi’s office for her to follow the sound and shut the door quietly behind her. Sora greeted her excitedly at the door, tail wagging and eyes bright. Her happy bark got Jungkook’s attention more than Nari’s presence. When he looked up from his phone, concern creased his brow, made his gaze heavy as his kind eyes locked on her bruising face.

There were a few beats of stunned silence as she stood, awkward and still overwhelmed from her conversation with Yoongi, in the middle of his room. He looked like he had so much to say, so much he wanted to ask. Understandable, considering she truly did look like she’d been chewed up and spit out.

Although there was no malice in his stare, it still made Nari’s stomach dip with guilt. The weight of it was a coin free-falling down a well, finally breaking the water’s surface at the bottom with a light plunk. She lied to him for people who didn’t give a shit about her, for people who just saw her as a pawn. For people who wanted him and the rest of Bangtan dead. By the look in his eyes, it was obvious that he knew the excuses for her injuries were less than truthful. He deserved better. She wanted to be better.

As she broke the frozen atmosphere and slid into bed next to him, he pulled back the covers to make room. As always, he was a human furnace. She didn’t realize she was cold until she was pressed thigh to thigh with him and nearly melting.

He was quiet, contemplative. Despite being a grown man, there was something childlike about the way he was sitting cross-legged in the sheets and how he ruffled his dog’s golden fur as she jumped onto the bed to nudge his face with her head. Strong, tattooed arms hugged a pillow to his chest. Something about it made her chest ache in a way she didn’t know how to process.

Curling up on her side and peering up at him through her lashes, she bit back a chuckle at the look of absolute worry plaguing his handsome features. “Stop it.”

“I’m not doing anything.” His slow, lopsided, lazy grin seemed to make the world stop turning. “I’m just thinking.”

“A lot of good that’s done us tonight.”

“Does it hurt?” It was immediate. Like he’d been holding it in for hours. Like it had been gnawing at him.

She doubted he meant the sting of betrayal. The reminder of her wound had the raw, aching skin throbbing as she nodded. “Yeah. Jin hooked me up with a couple of little stitches at the hotel before we left. Nothing serious, I’m fine. Just have a headache is all.”

His silence was anything but quiet, Nari could nearly hear how quickly his thoughts flipped through questions like a revolving door.

“Are you okay?” He was almost hesitant to ask. After seeing her handle pain, sadness, and discontent in a variety of ways, his least favorite way to see her was masking that pain. He knew she was hiding something, he just wasn’t sure what. “Tonight was scary.”

Humming and scratching at her nose, she avoided his gaze and instead traced the ink that decorated his arm. “Of course I’m okay.”

“Yoongi didn’t just hit you with the door.” Doe eyes flickered to her injury. “Did he?”

“Why do you wanna know?” She joked. “Jealous? I mean, I get it. He’s a good looking guy. I’d probably want to be me, too, if I were in your shoes. Beautiful man all worried and in a tizzy over me.”

His lack of response made the smile melt off of her face and twist into a sour purse. Her fingers never stilled, still trailing along his tattoos. “No. He didn’t.”

“What happened?” His voice was soft, but there was a hidden edge--something in the vicinity of fear, maybe just west of it. When she didn’t respond, he wrapped his fingers around hers to deprive her of the one distraction offered her when his face was so damn close to hers. “Nari?”

She couldn’t tell him, not yet. Not without Yoongi by her side, anyway. Not only was it risky because she was unsure of how he would react or if he would tell everyone else, she was also ashamed. The longer she spent away from Monsta X, the more she realized that she didn’t like the person she had become. The things she’d done were terrible even for those in the mafia. Yes, Jooheon and her father had done a fair bit of work to instill fear when people heard her name, but she had to hold herself accountable for the sins she willingly agreed to commit for the same reason.

Mouth curling into a scowl, she tried to hold back the frustration in her tone. “Why do you want to know? Why do you care, anyway? I’m a big girl, Jungkook, I don’t need you to worry over me all the time.”

Hurt toed along the edges of his expression. The sharpness that hardened his sweet voice made her shrink--she didn’t like seeing someone so good verge on anger because of her. “Why do I care? Nari, we’re friends! Of course I care about you, I-- I know you’re an adult, I know you’re strong and independent. I admire those things about you, but you shoulder all of this shit alone and don’t ever talk about it. I care about you, whether you like it or not.”

She opened her mouth to respond, but he cut her off in an irritated snap. “Let me finish.”

“We’ve shared a bed together, we’ve talked, we’ve gotten close, hell, I’ve even held you as you cried. I care if you’re hurt, and I care if someone hurt you. You don’t have to like it, that’s fine. But you can’t stop me from being scared shitless when you randomly come back from the bathroom after all that tonight looking like a battered housewife. I gave you space and didn’t say anything on the plane because I knew you needed time, but if-- I mean, did Yoongi--? No one laid a hand on you on that terrace, so something must’ve happened--”

He cared. He truly, genuinely cared. He was kind, and funny, and warm. If she was a snake, then he was the sun protecting her from the creeping cold. He wanted to protect her--even put himself in danger to keep her safe tonight. He was so beautiful, and finally she realized love didn’t have to hurt. It didn’t have to be manipulation and hollow promises.

Her body acted on its own accord. His voice faded to a startled and confused silence when she sat up to be nose to nose with him. Heart galloping in her chest, she hesitantly touched his cheek. When she spoke, her voice was shaking. “Would you still care about me if I kissed you?”

Blinking, his eyes widened. His voice cracked, and had Nari not been so nervous, she might’ve laughed. “I said you couldn’t stop me from caring about you.”

How long had she been wanting to do this? Since that night at the Galaxy? How long had she been ignoring the way Jungkook made her feel just because she was scared that he would treat her like Jooheon did? Thinking back, she supposed part of it was that she was scared of leaving the life she was led to believe was good for her and that she had always known.

Heart hammering, she slowly leaned forward until the tickle of their lips brushing sent a faint chill down both of their spines. The smell of his eucalyptus shampoo and remnants of the cologne that clung to him made her let out a shaky breath. Nerves electric.

Jungkook’s large, warm hand slowly slid up her side, thumb stroking comfortingly through her shirt. If Nari didn’t know better, she would say that he was a little shaky. The tip of his nose grazed hers, eager but hesitant. Waiting for her lead. Almost pleading. Gentle, respectful as all of his touches were and had always been. Wordlessly, he gave the faintest nod, a breath fanning out across her skin, as if he was both giving permission and begging for her touch.

Taking the plunge halted time. His lips were warm and inviting, the soft sigh of relief against her mouth had them both melting into each other. His lip ring’s biting chill stole her breath away. The kiss was tender and slow, like both of them were scared of popping the bubble and overstepping.

Nari was falling. Plummeting through space and time. Finally getting to taste him, to let him in, had her chest aching and twinging. She prayed that he meant what he said and that he wouldn’t hate her after it was over. That he would stay.

Jungkook couldn’t take it anymore, the hesitancy and restraint making his nerves hum with static. Both hands slid up Nari’s arms to cup her face, to hold her closer. To kiss her deeper.

His tongue teased along the seam of her lips, drew a shudder from her and made her heart stutter in her chest. Nari felt the thrum of his pulse beneath her palm when she rested her hand on his neck--racing. Nervous. Excited. He was excited to kiss her, something so gentle made him weak.

Something about it made her feel like she was on fire, threatened to consume her.

Their breaths fanned out across each other’s skin as she pulled back just enough to let her eyes flicker up to his, reeling.

He was pink in the cheeks and ears, eyes somehow both soft and glowing as he looked down at her with pupils blown. Caught between warmth and a sensual pull, an air about him that seemed to shift as her taste lingered on his tongue. He looked sinful, but the purest form of it. Man’s first sin--curiosity. Temptation. Not tainted and corrupted by malice.

Shoulders shaking in a breathless chuckle, he gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. His voice was a low murmur. “You didn’t answer my question.”

Nari took a deep breath, thumb lightly running along his pink lower lip as she gathered her bearings. “Don’t ask questions you don’t want answers to, Jungkook.”

Before he could speak, she pressed her lips to his again in a soft, lingering kiss. She pulled away with a wet smack and gave a small smile when his brows furrowed, gaze confused. “I’m okay. That’s all that matters.”

He didn’t move when she got up and made her way out, didn’t say goodnight. Mentally, she swore that she would tell him everything as soon as it was safe.

Nari couldn’t sleep. At the third hour of trying to find shapes and faces in the shadows thrown across the ceiling, she sat up with a sigh. Although it was the witching hour, the house seemed to hold its breath in wait for something. As if anticipating, uneasy. As if the house itself couldn’t find itself able to sleep, either.

On top of things changing between her and Jungkook, knowing that her role in Monsta X and Lotus was what got Leah killed had guilt slithering in her stomach like a bed of snakes. Seeing Taehyung so broken and emotional felt like he was accusing her directly. Of course, she knew that that wasn’t a productive way of thinking. She didn’t know. Jooheon and her teammates kept that from her in an attempt to hide the truth--that Nari was working for her own father. If she had found out…

She thought it over for a moment as she sat staring blankly into her moonlit bedroom.

What would she have done if she found out? Would she have done anything at all? Before starting this job, she was so blinded by Jooheon’s manipulation that she would have believed anything he said. A part of her questioned if she would’ve just stayed and continued to work for her father with no question.

Until Jooheon and her father were rotting, she supposed she still technically worked for her father. She always would, unless she put bullets in their brains. Her father would find her, always. She remembered what happened to her mother when he found out she was trying to leave him.

Kissing Jungkook was a mistake. Getting too involved with him like that just put him in even more danger, it was entirely selfish.

Nari threw her legs over the side of the bed and shivered at the bite of cold hardwood under her feet. If she wasn’t going to sleep, maybe she could at least binge something on Netflix. Maybe get her mind off of the memory of Jungkook’s lips on hers and the way his hands felt on her skin.

But when she slowly, quietly padded into the hallway, she halted in her tracks and stood staring at the sliver of light flickering underneath Taehyung and Namjoon’s door. Normally at this time of night, they would both be asleep--TV acting as a nightlight to protect the younger of the two from the demons under his bed. But the tone of the voices, the lilt in them, the slight waver, made her chest clench in a painful vice.

Taehyung was crying.

Creeping closer to the door and trying to ignore Cheddar happily rubbing between her legs, the wood met her temple with a cool and gentle kiss as she listened in. The voices were muffled, but she could still make out what they were saying.

“Taehyung, it wouldn’t have solved anything. You know that,” Namjoon’s deep voice rumbled.

He sniffled, voice ragged and shaking. “I kn-know. I know. But I just-- He took everything from me. It’s just s-so unfair-- Why-- Why does he get to live when Leah’s f-fuckin’--”

He couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence before he was taking in a gasp of a breath.

A moment of silence passed before Namjoon spoke again, quieter this time. “You knew what you were signing up for when you joined Bangtan. She knew what she was signing up for when she stayed with you. We made it clear from the jump that there’s always the chance of shit hitting the fan. You remember that conversation.”

“Yeah, but--”

“There’s nothing you could’ve done,” Namjoon insisted slowly, enunciating every word. “There’s nothing you can do. What’s done is done. Killing Jooheon won’t bring Leah back.”

It won’t bring her back. But it’d feel good. It’d make Taehyung feel good to sink the sharpest blade he could find into that motherfucker’s chest. To scoop his eyes out with a melon baller. To crush his skull with Jimin’s bat. To make him pay.

Nari knocked on their door before she could stop herself.

The soft murmurs halted for a few brief moments. Namjoon opened the door a crack, sharp eyes meeting hers. The half second of silence was deafening.

“Can I talk to him?” She nearly whispered, chest aching.

The nod came after a few heady, thoughtful seconds. His voice was but a low plea breathed out into the dark hallway. “He needs to know that it wasn’t his fault. I...I’ve been telling him. But he needs to hear it from someone else.”

He slipped past her and made his way downstairs without another word.

Taehyung stared at her through the open door, puppy eyes glassy and lips curled over his teeth to hide the way his chin quivered. He looked like a little boy then, broken and in desperate need of reassurance. Like if she even looked at him wrong he would start sobbing. She didn’t even blame him, she would do the same if something happened to the people she loved.

Out of fear of the tremble in his voice, she walked in and shut the door behind her without asking for permission. Neither of them said anything, neither really meeting each other’s eyes as she swayed on her feet. Something in her wouldn’t let her move farther than standing in the middle of the room.

“I’m sorry.” The remorse in her voice was thick enough to cut with a knife.

He didn’t look at her. Just sniffed and wiped at his nose with the back of his hand. She almost didn’t hear his response. “Don’t be.”

She bounced a little when she sat down on his mattress, eyes locked on the creases and hills in the twisted sheets.

His eyes were somewhere else, elbows propped on his knees and hands dangling between his thighs. The long wispy curtain of his lashes shone with remnants of tears, lips still swollen and nose red in the flickering glow of the TV. Undoubtedly, he was thinking back. Thinking back to earlier in the night when he first caught sight of that inked dagger on the inside of Jooheon’s wrist. The one that scarred her hip. She wondered what horrors that sight dragged from his memory.

“You know that’s not who I am,” he murmured, quiet and heavy from the weight of his heart. His chocolate eyes gave her a quick glance. “‘M not the kinda guy who...who loses his shit. I don’t know what happened--”

“You got angry.” Her smile was miniscule, just the subtle lift of the corner of her mouth.

Taehyung nodded, overgrown waves falling in his eyes. Clearing his throat, he finally looked at her with eyes that swam with hurt.

“I know this is weird.” He tiredly gestured to Namjoon’s side of the room.

Neither side was impeccably clean, both had a few pieces of dirty laundry strewn across the floor. Taehyung’s side was mostly littered with the clothes from that very night, but the older man’s side of the room was a bit more untidy and lived in.

Namjoon had a mini trash can by his desk that overflowed with crumpled pieces of paper--all failed ideas or angry, emotional letters to people that would never actually be sent. Jungkook once told Nari that was something Namjoon did. Writing letters to people who he was on bad terms with. He said he’d never been a violent guy, but being wrongfully accused of rape and murder and serving time for a crime you didn’t commit changes a person.

Namjoon wrote letters to cope with his anger so he wouldn’t lash out. Tae bottled his up.

Adam’s apple bobbing, he forced away the lump in his throat. “I just-- I couldn’t s-stay in that room. Couldn’t sleep in there. Had...had night terrors ‘n shit.”

She put a comforting hand on his knee. “I don’t blame you. I’d be the same way.”

He was barely hanging on, close enough to tears that they slipped over his waterline and dripped from his eyelashes despite how hard he tried to keep his composure. Large, tan hands trembled as he clasped them tight.

All Nari wanted to do was make it right. She just wanted to right the wrong she helped take part in causing--she wanted justice for Tae. For Leah. And she would get it. At first, all she wanted to do after hearing the truth about Jooheon and her father was kill Jooheon herself. But after seeing and hearing the heartbreak that crippled Taehyung, all she wanted to do was ensure that he got revenge. She wanted to make sure that he got his chance to kill the monster that murdered the love of his life.

“It’s not your fault, Tae,” she softly said, sliding a hand down his forearm to rest on top of his clasped hands. “You couldn’t have changed anything about how it would’ve ended.”

And that was truth. Both her father and Jooheon were unstoppable forces when it came to the family business. If her father told Monsta X to kill Leah, she was dead. There was no saving her.

“You d-don’t know that,” he whimpered, eyes sliding shut and head falling forward so his chin nearly kissed the warm, honey skin of his chest. His phoenix tattoo curled and rippled along the curve of his shoulder with the clench in his muscles as he moved, bright reds and oranges and yellows muted from the glow of late night infomercials. The feathers seemed to brush his collarbone.

“I do know that.”

“No you don’t,” he hiccuped, pitifully wiping at the wetness streaming down his cheeks. “You w-weren’t there-- You don’t know what happened.”

Her throat tightened, eyes threatening to burn.

He took a deep, shaky breath and lifted his head to look at her. “I’d b-been looking into other crime families for Yoongi and j-just giving him all the information I found. I guess I got too close because--”

His handsome face twisted then, too overcome with emotion to finish his sentence.

“You don’t have to talk about it.” She rubbed at his back with what she hoped was a comforting touch. His skin was cool under her palm, soft and smooth. Part of her wondered if she should get him a blanket, but before she could go looking for one, he spoke again.

“That night Leah and I were the only two at h-home. It was so rare, y’know? There were e-eight people living in one house, so she wanted to take advantage of it. I was trying to finish up some work on my laptop downstairs, and she’d been begging me to just slow down ‘n spend time with h-her--” His voice broke at the end of the word, chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath.

Nari could practically see it. The sweet, angelic face of the woman in those pictures, smiling and teasing Tae for working too hard. Maybe pestering him as she tried her best to get his attention. She could see Taehyung’s grin as he batted her away, hear the whine in his voice when he insisted that he was almost finished. For her to be patient. The epitome of domestic love, albeit in an atypical situation.

Taehyung’s shoulders shook as he tried to compose himself enough to speak. “I f-finally caved ‘n followed her upst-stairs. But when we got to the top there w-was this-- Fuck--”

He knotted his hands in his hair, elbows back on his knees as he sobbed at the memories replaying in his mind.

“There was a crash. They just— came r-right through the door.” He sat up, glassy eyes meeting hers in a desperate plea to understand. “I told her to h-hide in the closet-- I thought she’d be safe, Nari! I t-told her to h-hide-- In our cl-oset-- So I g-got my gun-- ‘N-- ‘N I went to see what it was.”

Taehyung’s bone rattling inhale made tears spring up in her eyes. “The guys always tol’ me not to c-call the cops if somethin’ happened, s-so I didn’t. W-why didn’t I j-just call the f-fuckin’ cops--?!”

“Tae…” She reached up to gently wipe at his tears, the slightly stubbly skin of his face burning hot. “You just did what they told you to do--”

Long fingers tightly wrapped around her wrists where she tended to his wet cheeks. “S-someone-- One of ‘em f-fuckin’ pistol whipped me in the back of the head when I turned the c-corner. I just fell like a useless sack of shit, I-- I couldn’t even defend myself--”

“You shouldn’t have had to,” she hushed.

He broke then, a sob wracking his body so hard that he folded forward and rested his forehead on her shoulder. Although he was much broader and larger than her, he seemed so small in that moment. Almost fragile, like he needed to be protected.

She wound her arms around him and squeezed. Maybe if she held him hard and long enough, she could pull his broken pieces back together. Maybe she could ease the ache.

“I w-woke up-- Tied to my desk ch-chair, ‘n they--” She could barely understand him, his sobs nearing full on wails. The pain of remembering was too much, that unforgiving, sharp, and slicing bite of nightmarish memories flashing behind his eyelids in startling clarity.

Long fingers fisted her shirt as he tried to anchor himself, hot tears soaking through the fabric and stuttering breaths huffing out against the skin of her neck. “They m-ade me watch--”

Her blood went cold. Having to watch them kill her. It wasn’t unheard of for that to be a method of punishment for Jooheon--for the mafia in general--but the idea of Taehyung being on the receiving end was like being dunked in an ice bath. She had never taken part in something like that simply because Jooheon wanted her to remain faceless, so she could leave no witnesses. But she would have if he’d told her to. She would’ve done it gladly.

Her stomach twisted.

“Shhhh,” she softly hushed, easing them down to lay on his mattress. Guilt gnawed at her. Had her palms and mouth sweating. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I know it hurts--”

He gasped for breath through a slick of tears, drool, and snot. “She was screamin’-- She wouldn’t stop screaming, and they-- There-- Was so much blood-- ‘N-- I couldn’t do anything! It’s my f-fault--!”

She could so vividly see it. The flash of terror in both Tae’s and Leah’s eyes as they realized what was about to happen. She could hear the wet, sickening schlump of Jooheon’s knife as it sank into her flesh. The audible slice of skin, the splatter of blood on the hardwood. She could see in her mind’s eye the way blood would’ve splattered across Taehyung’s face. His lips, nose, and cheeks marred with the stain of his lover’s blood. The way Leah’s face would pale as thee seconds ticked by. She could see the way Jooheon’s eyes would’ve been shining behind his mask, glowing bright and lethal.

She could see it, because she had committed so many sins similar to what was done to Leah. She had spilled so much blood on her own.

“Taehyung, listen to me,” she muttered as she pulled back to hold his burning face. “Look at me. Breathe with me, I need you to listen.”

The wheeze of his struggle to slow his quick and uneven breathing was a deep, phlegmy rattle. When the rise and fall of his chest somewhat matched Nari’s, she nodded at him and held his watery and defeated gaze.

“Good. Now listen to me.” Her tone was almost stern, that slight urgency there to hopefully edge him out of the spiral he was in. “What happened to Leah was horrible. It was absolutely horrific, and I can’t even imagine how guilty you must feel. But there is nothing on this Earth that you could have done to stop it.”

His round eyes welled with tears, swollen and pouting lips parted to speak before she put a gentle finger up to silence him. “Jooheon wanted Leah dead. He wanted to hurt you. You were just doing your job. He decided he was going to kill her to get to you, and you and I both know nothing would’ve changed his mind or stopped him. This is not your fault.”

His lower lip quivered, brows slanting as he took a moment to sniffle through a whimper caught in the back of his throat.

“Do you understand?” She asked.

He nodded.

“I need you to say it out loud.”

“No.”

“Say it.” She pressed, adamant.

The heavy pause between them was filled only by the quiet background noise from the TV and Taehyung’s hesitant squirms.

“Taehyung.” He looked up at her through a thick spray of lashes, sheepish. “Say it. It’s not your fault.”

“‘S not my fault,” he murmured, gaze falling to the sheets.

She fought to meet his eyes. “Louder.”

He pulled his face from her hands with a turn of his head. His mouth twisted in what was a weak, angry, heartbroken snarl as he furiously wiped at his face. “It’s not my fault, okay?! I get it! I know there was nothing I c-could’ve done. But, goddammit! I miss her!”

There he was.

She understood. Blaming himself was easier than to just accept the fact that nothing could have been done. That Leah’s tragic fate was inevitable. She probably understood more than most. She still blamed herself for her mother’s death. For what she prayed she could prevent happening to Bangtan. It was easier than digesting the idea that she was set up to fail from the beginning. That her poor mother was destined to die the moment she stayed with a kingpin.

Sitting up on her elbow, she nodded slowly. “I know you do. And you’re going to miss her every day. But I’m making a promise to you right now, Tae. You’re going to get even. I don’t know how. But I’m going to make it happen.”

His dark eyes hardened. “I’m gonna be pissed if you break that promise.”

“I would never.”

Flopping onto his back, he looked up at the ceiling and fisted his swollen eyes with a groan. “Seeing him tonight… Realizing it was Monsta X who did it… For the longest time, I thought knowing would give me closure. But all it really did was piss me off.”

“Knowing is just knowing. Knowing doesn’t do anything,” she sighed, laying on her back beside him and sliding one of her hands behind her head. “It just gives you more things to hate. More things to wanna rip to shreds.”

He hummed deep in his chest.

They both fell asleep as the sun began to rise.

Nari didn’t want to keep the truth hidden away from Bangtan anymore. She wanted to tell everyone more than anything. Keeping it from them was like a constant stone weighing in the pit of her stomach, a constant heaviness in her bones. She wasn’t sure what telling everyone would do. It would probably cause more problems than solve them. But the guilt was taking its toll on her.

When she brought the idea up to Yoongi as he readied a wire for her to wear to her meeting with Jooheon, he scoffed. “Do you know how fast they would snap your neck?”

Her brows furrowed. “I don’t think they would kill me--”

“Jungkook, Namjoon, and Taehyung wouldn’t kill you,” he corrected. Nimble fingers taped the wire to her bare chest as she stood in the middle of his office in only her bra. “Hoseok and Jimin would lose their minds.”

He was quiet for a brief moment before letting his eyes flicker up to meet hers. “Jin would want to kill you just because of your blood.”

“But I hate my father.”

“Do you think that matters to someone who had their entire family slaughtered by him?” Pale blue bangs fell into his eyes as he finished the last of his taping and shook his head. As he walked over to sink into his desk chair, she pulled her shirt back over her head. “Do you not see how this looks? Yeah, you didn’t know that he conned you into working for him. But convincing them that that is the honest to god truth is going to take time. A lot of time--”

“They deserve to know who’s living under the same roof as them.” She adjusted her collar and gave him a look. “We don’t have time to keep them in the dark, Yoongi. This could all go to shit before they found out. How would we explain ourselves if something bad happened? You’d look just as guilty as me if we don’t tell them.”

Dark brows sat low on his face as he thought it over. The subtle downturn of his sour pout gave away the bitterness burning in the back of his throat.

“If something goes wrong and they find out you’ve known who I am the whole time, the guys would never trust you again.” She crossed her arms. “You can’t run an operation like this without trust, Yoongi. We both know that.”

Rubbing the stubble on his chin, he exhaled through his nose and sucked on his teeth with a hiss. “I’ll think about it. It’s just…there are a lot of people in this family who have been fucked over by your people, Nari--”

“They’re not my people.”

“They were your people.” The relaxed way he leaned back, spineless, in his chair was a stark contrast to the way she fought the irritation of being associated with Lotus. “I mean… Jin and Taehyung both have had the people they loved most stolen from them because of your father. Jimin and Hoseok would never trust you again. That’s over half of our most important men.”

“They deserve to know.”

He waved her off dismissively. “I heard you.”

Before she could say anything else, he took a deep breath and heaved a sigh. “See what you can find out. I trust that you won’t do anything stupid.”

Scowling, she crossed her arms. “Have I done anything stupid up until this point?”

“Well.” He pointedly raised a brow. “You let Jooheon fuck you silly and batter the shit out of you. That pretty little goose egg on your face should be a reminder of that.”

He had a point, but she was bitter about it. The swollen and healing bruise throbbed as she bit her tongue.

“Just don’t get anyone killed.”

The only person that would be dying would be Jooheon. But even that would have to wait until everything fell into place. She couldn’t just kill him, he would have at least one person watching their meeting from afar. To make sure no one interfered. To make sure no one tailed Nari. If only they knew.

The knowledge that her whole existence for the last eight years had been a lie, had been a ploy to trick her into working for her father, made her blood boil even as she made her way towards the door. She trusted Jooheon. She pledged fealty to him, swore that she would do whatever he asked without question. The longer she thought back and remembered their time together, the more she saw just how fake everything was. He lied to her, manipulated her, threatened her, hurt her. He shrank her universe down to the size of a pinhead and made her believe she had the world at her fingertips. It was all a sham, every single bit of it.

Anger swirled in the pit of her stomach as she reached for Jungkook’s keys in the bowl by the door.

Warm fingers wrapped around her wrist just before she could grab them. Jaw clenched, blood pressure spiking, she knew her gaze was cutting when she whipped around to see who dared to stop her.

Jungkook’s doe eyes twinkled with something she couldn’t put her finger on. It disarmed her enough that she had to fight to keep her angry expression. It was useless.

“Why are you touching me?” she nearly whined.

His slight smile stretched wider, gaze soft. “How often are you going to steal my car before you go get your own vehicle like a big girl?”

Her lips pressed into a thin line. She really didn’t have time for this. Jooheon would have her head if she was late. Tiredly, she scratched at her forehead and sighed, keys in hand. “I just need it for a couple of hours. I’ll get a new one soon, I promise.”

His grin widened further. It infuriated her how handsome he could be without trying. How he could make her heart stutter in her chest. She didn’t want to be lovestruck, she wanted to be furious with Jooheon. But the lopsided way he smiled and her inability to bury the memories of how he tasted made that increasingly difficult.

He knew something she didn’t, and it didn’t help her shitty mood.

“Come with me.”

“Jungkook, I really can’t. I have an appointment--”

“It can wait five minutes.”

He was already traipsing off towards the garage, a happy little skip in his step. Rather than fight him, Nari decided to go along with it.

Before she could pass through the garage door, he turned towards her and gave a sheepish, anxious smile. “Close your eyes.”

“Seriously?” she laughed, rolling her eyes when he moved behind her and shielded her vision himself. Without her sight, her hands automatically drifted out in front of her. “You’re freaking me out a little bit.”

He cautiously began to lead her towards the garage, a breathless giggle sounding just behind her. “Don’t be freaked out.”

She shivered, a faint flush tinging her cheeks.

A moment later he was removing his hands from her eyes. “Ta-da!”

Nari blinked, adjusting to the sudden brightness. Her jaw dropped, eyes widening. “Holy shit--”

A motorcycle. The one she’d been wanting, similar to Tae’s. Matte black and sleek, like something out of Batman.

“Jesus Christ, I kiss you one time and you buy me a fucking motorcycle?!” She choked, whipping around to give him a bewildered look. “Jungkook, what the hell did you do? How much money did you spend on this?”

He shrugged, obviously flustered by the way he fingered at his red ears. “I got tired of you stealing my shit.”

Shaking her head, she crossed her arms. “No. Absolutely not.”

“What do you mean no--?”

“I can’t accept this, Jungkook!” She gestured to the bike just a few feet away. “This isn’t just like-- a fucking bouquet of flowers! This is a lot of money!”

“Nari, I think you’re forgetting that I have money,” he sniggered, baffled. “Like. A lot of it.”

She sent him a look, stern. “What, do I get a yacht if I suck your dick?”

His laugh was loud and unabashed, head throwing back.

She glared at him and took the keys from his hand. “I’m only accepting this because I have to be somewhere important and I’m running late. When I get home, we’re having a serious conversation.”

“Yeah. Okay.”

The world looked so much better when it was smeared before her at high speeds. Like art, like a painting. Shops and neighborhoods were streaks of color, all sounds faded to nothing but the consistent growl of the engine. Everything became so insignificant when she leaned down and zipped through the streets. The fear she felt to see Jooheon again melted away, left behind on the roads of Seoul. Exposed to the elements, she had wings. Riding a motorcycle was liberating, but actually driving one… She felt free for the first time in so long.

The bike below her hummed, nearly purring at finally getting to stretch its muscles. It felt like both an extension of her and its own living entity.

Maybe she would have to thank Jungkook after all.

The park was empty and eerily still. The only person for what felt like miles was Jooheon, dressed in his usual sleek suit and gleaming shoes. He stuck out like a sore thumb, too dapper and put together for a place with rusting garbage cans and disk golf baskets.

When he heard her approaching, his head snapped up, coal black eyes narrowing. His slicked back and inky hair seemed to shine even in the overcast afternoon. “You’re late.”

She checked her watch as she eased onto the picnic table’s bench across from him. Late by just two minutes. But two minutes was two minutes too long when she was already on thin ice with Jooheon. “I’m sorry. I was trying to get out the door, but Jungkook got me a gift, and I didn’t want to seem suspicious by being urgent.”

He nodded in the general direction of where her bike sat. “That your little gift?”

“Yes sir.” She didn’t dare look away from him. Hatred rolled her stomach and made her blood boil. Swallowing the urge to draw her gun and shoot him dead right then and there, she forced herself to be as truthful as she could. “He has feelings for me.”

“Did you fuck him to get there?” He asked, serious.

“No.”

“You should.” He was matter of fact. Like Jungkook wasn’t a person who deserved real love, like manipulating him should have been as easy as ordering coffee at Starbucks. ”You need to solidify that. Make him fall in love.”

She bit her tongue and clenched her fists below the table until her nails threatened to cut into her palms. “I plan on it. I’ve been in too long with too little payoff, I need to get as much information as I can so we can just end this shit.”

“You’ve given me almost nothing to work with.” He lit up a cigarette and carelessly blew smoke into the wind. “If you really wanted access to information, you’d fuck Min.”

Her jaw tensed. “Yeah, you’re right. I’ll have to consider that.”

How dare he. Yoongi had been nothing but good to her, he’d been the only leader she’d ever known to show her what truth looked like. She wondered if he heard Jooheon say that through the wire under her shirt.

Black eyes locked with hers. “I expect real information this time.”

“Taehyung is shaken. He’s not at his best right now. The gala messed with his head.” The bullshit story she and Yoongi crafted rolled off her tongue with ease. Lies, but close enough to the whole truth that Jooheon wouldn’t ask too many questions.

“Good.” He smirked. Cocky as he took a lazy drag from his smoke. “Fucker’s too good at his job. Maybe he’ll stay distracted this time.”

She wanted to strangle him.

“The meeting with Zhang went well,” she continued, somehow able to keep her composure despite the screaming desire to make him pay. “He agreed to help get our hands on enough guns to appease Choi. He’s shipping them straight to a dock in Busan. Min lost a shit ton of money in all this, Zhang only agreed because he would be getting sixty five percent of the money from Choi for the sheer inconvenience. Yoongi didn’t want to fight him and end up creating more bad blood, he has enough of that.”

She pulled a sheet of paper out of her pocket and placed it in the middle of the table. “Here’s some of the information for one of their accounts. I snuck back into Yoongi’s office and found some paperwork locked away in his safe. Nearly got caught, too, but I saved myself.”

He eyed the numbers carefully before folding the scrap of paper and hiding it away in his jacket pocket. “How much money is in this account?”

“I don’t know,” she answered honestly. Yoongi gave her the information for one of their oldest accounts, one that had a large chunk of money, but not enough cash that would completely drain them. They had more money than Jooheon or her father would ever know, more than she would know. Jooheon was just arrogant enough to believe that they raked in less cash than Monsta X or Lotus. “I think he opened the account in 2014, so it’s probably got a decent amount of money. But who knows how much.”

Nodding slowly, he thought over her words. He flicked ash from his cigarette and gave a cold smile. “This is a good start. You’re finally making progress, and a decent leap at that.”

He took her hand and pressed his lips to her knuckles. The sensation made her skin crawl. “This will all be over soon. They’ll be dead, and you’ll be on your way back home.”

She prayed the loathing in her gaze came across as excitement. “How much longer?”

“A few weeks,” he clipped. As he stood and adjusted his jacket, he barely gave her a second glance. “You should talk to a plastic surgeon about your face. That cut will scar, and I can’t have you looking like you’ve been so stupid as to get your head smashed on a counter for future jobs. You have to look perfect and nonthreatening.”

She bit her tongue so hard she tasted blood. “Yes sir. I’ll talk to someone, I’d hate to look like someone had ever wanted to hurt me.”

He walked around the table and leaned down to grip her chin. “You’re finally doing your job. All it took was a big cock for you to act right. I’ll have to keep that in mind for the future.”

The next few days Nari spent fuming over the things Jooheon said to her. The way he spoke to her as if she were nothing, like what happened in the bathroom was nothing out of the ordinary. Truthfully, nothing had ever been normal between them. That was becoming more and more apparent the longer she was away from him. He was manipulative, cold, using her for his own gain. But the way he reacted at the gala was like he was losing it at the mere thought that he could lose all sense of control over her.

He had always been terrible, but it was obvious that he was spiraling--slipping further into his darkness. Maybe he could feel that he was losing his grip on her despite her having every right to throw herself into seeming as if she were one of Bangtan. Sure, she had switched sides. But he had no way of knowing that. At least not for sure.

In the Bangtan house, all had been quiet since they came home from Shanghai. No passive aggressive comments, no distrusting glances from Hoseok or Jimin. Yoongi carried on as normal, keeping all of his and Nari’s secrets tucked away. The others were none the wiser.

Things with Jungkook were…good. It was almost dizzying how different things were when she was around him. After their kiss, he respected her space and didn’t push anything, but there was a constant lingering tension that left them hovering around each other without either of them ever acknowledging what had happened or Nari’s injuries. Mere days passed before one of them cracked, and it certainly wasn’t her.

He came to her as she was on her laptop going through their records to see who still owed them money. In Yoongi’s words, she was to “make note of who needs their cages rattled.” They’d handle it at Cards the following week.

She didn’t notice Jungkook walk into the living room until Sora pranced in behind him, collar jingling and tongue hanging out of her mouth happily. He was dressed in nothing more than athletic shorts and a baggy t-shirt, but she couldn’t stop her eyes from wandering across his muscled frame.

She ripped her gaze away and continued with her work.

Leaning down over the arm of the couch, he bit back a smile. “You’re very focused.”

The corners of her mouth twitched as she glanced up at him, blue light shining on her face from the screen. It didn’t take much to rid her facade. “And you’re very observant.”

He wanted something. She could tell. Whenever he wanted something, he had this excited energy like it was taking everything in his power to coolly and smoothly lead into his pitch. Eager and nearly vibrating, like an untrained puppy fighting the urge to jump on strangers.

She narrowed her eyes in playful suspicion and slowly closed her laptop, crossing her arms. “You want something.”

He scoffed and made a dramatic show of looking around the room to find where on earth she would’ve been inspired to have such a thought, eyes twinkling and teeth on full display in a sly grin. “Who? Me?”

“You’re bursting at the seams. Out with it.”

There was a brief moment where he simply stared at her, gaze soft. It made her cheeks warm. “Are you hungry?”

Nari blinked, confused. Her eyes flickered to her plate on the coffee table where the crust of her sandwich from lunch less than an hour prior remained.

Jungkook’s eyes quickly followed, widening as his cheeks flushed pink. “Oh. Uh--”

“I just ate. Um…why?”

His brow pinched, expression perturbed.

Why was he looking at her that way?

“Really?” He asked after a stretch of silence. His smile faltered the slightest bit, and she worried that she had done something to offend him. He shrugged then, gaze falling to the floor as he let out a strained chuckle. “Okay then.”

“What? What did I do?”

“I just thought you might want to grab a bite with me,” he shyly muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. His weight shifted from foot to foot, unable to stay still. “You know…after the other night.”

Oh.

She blinked in surprise, lips parting. He wanted to go out with her. On a date. Because they kissed, and he liked it.

“Oh-- Oh. Oh my god--”

He waved her off and headed towards the kitchen, eyes never leaving the hardwood beneath his feet. “Don’t worry about it. It’s fine, I just thought--”

“I’m not hungry,” she blurted, skin crawling in humiliation. “But I will be. Later. Tonight.”

His head snapped up, that beaming smile back on his face. “Yeah?”

Her face hurt from the way it grinned back at him. “Yeah.”

Strong, tattooed hands shoved themselves into his pockets as he nodded, pursing his lips in an amused line. “Cool.”

Later that night, she had to calm herself as she got ready. Which was dumb. She was an assassin, she shouldn’t turn to mush when a pretty boy with soft lips wants to take her on a date. But everything with Jooheon was so different, even when they were starting their relationship it was a part of work. They slept together to celebrate her first kill, and a few weeks after that he began treating her as his significant other. If he wanted to go out to dinner, he simply told her they were going out. There were no nervous smiles or giddy laughter.

As she put on her lipstick, she realized Jooheon never even officially asked her to be his girlfriend. She just…was.

Fuck, was she nervous. She didn’t know why, she knew Jungkook wouldn’t do anything to hurt her. But clearly she didn’t know how to navigate any real romantic connection, and she really didn’t want to embarrass herself in front of him again.

Which was also dumb. He was just a man.

When she met him in the kitchen at 8pm sharp, he was leaned up against the countertop scrolling through his phone. As she entered, he glanced up, only to do a double take. Immediately, he tucked the device away into his pocket and stared at her with a look that could only be described as awe.

“You look beautiful,” he breathed. The way her eyes nervously glanced down at her clothes, he immediately cleared his throat and collected himself. “You look nice.”

Thankful that he reeled it in a bit, she gestured to him across the way. “So do you, holy shit. You clean up nice.”

And she meant it. It was just a fitted button up tucked into ripped black jeans, but the perfect way his hair was swept off his face to reveal his dark brows led her to believe that he spent just a little too long standing in front of his closet and mirror to get it all right.

The ride to the restaurant was awkward for all of ten minutes before Jungkook was blasting some bubblegum pop song and singing as loud as he could. At first it was clear he was trying to at least carry the melody, if not actually sing well for his own enjoyment. But once he realized she was paying attention, he started putting on a show. He sang passionately, voice cracking in tuneless, giggly shouts.

As she sat there grinning at him over the console, he glanced at her with both hands on the wheel and hollered over the music. “Come on, you don’t know this song?”

She never sang, never bellowed lyrics on a midnight drive as glowing street lights whirred by in neon smears. But something about the unbridled glee that illuminated his dark eyes made her join in. She barely knew the lyrics, but he didn’t seem to mind. The garbled way she shouted the melody in a string of vowels and misplaced consonants made him throw his head back and laugh, and that made the embarrassment worthwhile.

It was hard to stay nervous when he had a way of dissolving tension.

When they got to the restaurant, he opened both the car door and the front door of the establishment for her. It didn’t surprise her very much, just because of course he was a perfect gentleman. But even though she almost expected it, even though she wasn’t surprised, there was still a brief moment of her muttering out a flustered thank you. Unable to look at him longer than a brief second.

It was a small place sandwiched between a cafe and a cosmetics store. One corner of the sign was dim, a single bulb blown after countless years. Through the window she could see other customers gathered around grills and drinking together, too caught up in meat and liquor to give a damn what happened beyond the entrance. It had been a while since she went out for barbecue, let alone somewhere that was such a little hole in the wall.

Sitting across from him at the restaurant was almost bizarre. The only times she had ever been out with anyone in the last eight years, man or woman, was merely a precursor to killing them. Other than Jooheon, of course. Looking back, their outings were just for show. To flex his money and power. He never held the door open for her. Never gazed at her with soft eyes. He never even asked her what she wanted to eat or gave her the opportunity to decide what she wanted.

It was in that moment that she realized she’d never been on a real date at all, and that brought the nerves that buzzed like electricity under her skin back full force.

“This place isn’t super fancy, but their food is amazing,” Jungkook shyly said as he hungrily watched the group of older men one table over flip their pork belly with a mouthwatering sizzle. “I know you’ve probably had barbecue a million times, but--”

“I love barbecue.” Her lips twitched in a guilty smile. “I just have never manned the grill.”

His eyes widened, flickering to the waitress as she brought them their drinks. He thanked her, quickly turning his attention back to Nari. “You’re Korean and you’ve never cooked your own meat?”

“No, I haven’t, thank you very much.” She narrowed her eyes playfully. “I didn’t know it was required upon receiving your birth certificate.”

He took a sip of his beer. “Oh yeah. It’s definitely government mandated. There’s a card for it and everything.”

She rolled her eyes. “If you must know, I…I was never allowed. My ex was controlling.”

Curiosity bloomed in his gaze. She had never mentioned any past partners before.

She couldn’t help but feel a weight lifted off her shoulders just from referring to him as her ex. Obviously he wasn’t aware she’d decided they were no longer a couple, but he’d find out soon enough. There was something liberating about keeping something for herself for now.

Jungkook leaned his elbows on the table, not looking up when the waitress brought their meat. “And grilling was where he drew the line? That was his schtick?”

“Everything was his schtick,” she deadpanned darkly, popping one of the complementary puffs into her mouth. “I wasn’t allowed to do most things.”

He sensed her change in tone. Sensed the subtle way she retreated into herself, into whatever memories of this ex plagued her. Maybe even haunted her. He knew she had some trauma--he just assumed it was all because of what happened to her mother. The thought that someone would control her, or would even be able to, baffled him. She was so strong, powerful. She commanded a room.

Whatever asshole tried to control her was probably not one to be trifled with.

He took the tongs from the plate and slid around the booth to sit beside her. He held them out to her, brows lifting expectantly. “You wanna learn how?”

She stared down at the metal tongs. Something spread throughout her chest and crept up to make her throat tighten. Dark eyes peered up at him as she hesitantly took them. “Really?”

His hair bounced in an emphatic nod. “Absolutely. I’ll walk you through it all, you can do everything.”

Everything?

He must’ve taken her silence as disgust or maybe rejection, because after a moment he shrugged with pink cheeks. “Or not-- I mean. I can do it, I’d be more than happy to--”

“No.” She was thankful she managed to keep herself from getting teary at the small freedom offered to her. It felt so stupid, the whole thing. Not knowing how to do something so easy and that everyone else around her knew. The fact that that was something Jooheon tried to control in the first place. That she would let him have that much control to begin with. “Teach me. Please, I wanna do it.”

Jungkook taught her everything--when to cut the meat, when to flip it. Just the right amount of pork belly to put on the grill at a time. It was all so simple, she probably could have figured it out herself if given enough time. But what mattered was that he let her do it. He gave her the reins and merely directed her, always gentle, always warm. He never made her feel like a child for not knowing how to do something that seemed to be common knowledge. His toothy grin was ever present, encouraging her.

They sat thigh to thigh in the booth, laughing and eating together. It felt so normal. Not at all like just days prior they were in a standoff with seven wolves and praying they made it out alive. Like they were just two people, each intrigued and enthralled by the other’s presence.

He tried to feed her a lettuce wrap, his own cheeks stuffed round and bulging as he held it out to her.

She cut her eyes at him in exasperation. “Now what about me says that I’m a woman who likes to be fed?”

He nearly choked on his food, that endearingly ugly laugh slipping out for all to hear as he covered his mouth and put the wrap back on his plate. After he swallowed, he shrugged and wiped his hands. “I dunno, I thought you’d like it.”

Nari took a drink, soju burning all the way down to her stomach. She smirked. “That’s your move, isn’t it?”

“My move?”

“The thing you do to really make the ladies go wild on a first date.”

His head tilted guiltily, tongue rolling against the inside of his cheek as he pushed up his sleeves. He gestured lazily, holding back a laugh as his arm draped across her shoulders. “Not just ladies, I don’t discriminate.”

She was surprised by his honesty. Not because he should keep that information secret--hell, she was the same. But it was something they’d never discussed openly before. It was probably just the alcohol in his system making him loose-lipped, but he hadn’t drank much at all. A part of her deep down hoped that maybe, just maybe, he felt safe around her.

She grinned and crossed her legs. “And how well does this usually work out for you, lover boy?”

“Fifty-fifty.”

Grimacing, she leaned back against the seat and relished in the warmth of his skin radiating into her frame. “Sounds like you need a new move.”

Looking down at her with an amused smile, his gaze flickered briefly from her lips to her eyes. They shone in the overhead lighting, as bright and sparkling as the night sky. If she looked hard enough, she could just make out the Big Dipper. There was a brief pause that made her stomach climb up into her mouth. His face was so close to hers.

Lowly, he murmured, “Maybe you’ll have to give me some ideas.”

The ride back to the apartment was painfully tense. Nari felt like her body was on fire. It took everything in her to hold herself together, and that was something she’d never experienced before. She’d felt desire, but never…this. It was excruciating, and she knew it would end badly. Jungkook didn’t know the truth, and she couldn’t let this go further than it already had until he did. Going on a date with him was a mistake, it was selfish of her to go when so much of her was still hidden from him. He would feel differently about her when he knew, she couldn’t let it escalate. She felt bad enough.

Initially, the ride home was tense because of how he looked at her like she could do no wrong. Because his hands were strong but gentle. Because of the lazy, lopsided, crooked smile he wore as he spoke. The way his dark hair swept off his forehead and behind his ears. But the realization that acting on any of that tension before telling him what she was would be misleading and deceptive quickly shifted the tension from sexually charged to a stiff silence.

She stared out the window and cursed herself for the pain she would eventually cause him.

As they approached the door to the penthouse, Jungkook gently wrapped his fingers around her wrist as she began punching in the keycode as soon as it was within reach. Worry creased his brow, lips parted as he tried to find the right words.

She waited, gave him the time to piece together his thoughts.

“Are you okay?”

It caught her off guard, the genuine concern in his voice. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

He let her go, hand instead rubbing at the back of his neck. Broad shoulders raised and dropped in an uncertain shrug. “I dunno. You just got really quiet. I just thought we both were having fun, and then it was like… I don’t know, like nobody was home.”

She couldn’t fight the thaw in her facade.

Softening, she gave a small, reassuring smile. “I had a great time, Jungkook. Promise.”

The tension in his shoulders eased a bit, a subtle and almost imperceptible sigh of relief breathing out through his nose. He bit his lower lip with hopes to contain his smile, nodding as his eyes looked at anything but her. His hands made their way into his pockets as he let a teasing grin slowly spread across his handsome face. “Me too. Even if my move didn’t work on you.”

Awkward, hesitant, she leaned closer and craned her neck to press her lips to his cheek.

The moment her pink lips met his warm skin, her heart skipped. The proximity of him, his warmth. It made something in her defenses lower. It made her crumble. The familiar scent of eucalyptus and his cologne made her linger there, fighting the urge to touch him. To taste him. To do what she wanted.

He turned his head when he sensed her hesitation, lips suddenly a breath away from hers. Smile fading as his eyes grew heavy lidded. The air was thick and heavy with everything left unsaid. The entryway seemed all too silent, the walls even holding their breath in wait. Any noise could tip the scales, jerk them back to reality.

He seemed to draw her to him like a magnet, that invisible pull that’s unquestionable and undeniable. She felt that tug just beneath her ribs. She wanted so badly for things to be different. To be able to just give in without second thought. To live without that shadow lingering in the back of her mind and controlling her thoughts. Influencing her happiness.

Tattooed hands freed themselves from his pockets just so he could gently brush a strand of hair from her face. She felt herself let him. Let him tuck her hair and softly carress her cheekbone with the backs of his fingers. She let him slowly, cautiously walk her back until she arched into his chest from the chill of the wall as it nipped at all her exposed flesh. He was so warm, it was like standing on the sun.

Their breaths mingled, parted lips catching on each other as they restrained themselves. Neither was courageous enough to take that next step, to take the plunge. They hovered there in the painstaking, magnetic abyss--noses brushing each other, eyes fluttering closed. Her hands slid up his chest, and he sighed at her touch. Her touch alone literally drew breath from his lungs. It set her ablaze, made her ache.

Strong hands drifted down her sides and made her shiver, so patient in their slow descent. One anchored at her waist to ground her. The other slid up her neck, burning hot and scorching her eager, sensitive skin.

When he kissed her, dread swirled in her stomach. She couldn’t do this. As much as she wanted to, as good as he was, he had to know the truth first. He deserved that.

At the faint brush of his lips, Nari pulled back, heart hammering in her chest.

The spell was broken by the sharp, unforgiving prick of reality’s thorn. The walls sighed in disappointment, all air rushing back into the world. Stale and stagnant.

As if he knew it was coming, Jungkook rested his forehead on hers in defeat.

“Goodnight, Jungkook,” she whispered with a small, apologetic smile.

Without another word, she unlocked the door and went inside without him.

#jeon jungkook #jungkook fic #jungkook x oc #bts fic #bts fanfction #monsta x fic #mafia fic #bts mafia #bts mafia fic #gang au #fic: duplicitous #mobster jungkook #mobster yoongi #mobster jooheon

28 notes · View notes