#and the packaging is so appealing and her voice is so soft and expressive and there is none of that weird experimentation

[itspileofgoodthings]

Taylor returning over and over to the falling through the ice accident in the Bolter—everything to me

[hollandsmushroom]

Could you maybe do a smut where the reader never had a big o, and Sarah and kie got her a vibrator, and she thinks no ones home while she’s using it but jj is home to check on her and they end up doing a mutual masterbaustion

First Peak || JJ

okay but literally i feel so attacked by this because my friend told me that and i straight up pulled up bellesa asked her about her vulva and then picked out the vibrator i thought she would like best lmao. (not me answering this imediately)

word count: 1366

warnings: Smut, mutual masturbation, use of a toy

"Wait wait wait" Sarah stopped, looking at you with wide eyes and her mouth dropped open. "You are telling me that you have never had an orgasm?" Kie was looking at you with a similar expression to Sarah. "JJ has never given you one?" she clarifies.

"Um" you stuttered, stalling with heat rising through your body, you were embarrassed at yourself, the fact that you had never cum, never made your own toes curl. Your hand brushed over the back of your neck anxiously, worried about their reactions. "No, we um, we haven't really gotten their in our relationship" you muttered it, they had heard you earlier when they were talking about their best highs and you had blurted out that you didn't have any to rank.

"Oh we need to fix this, Kie, give me a phone" Sarah stuck her hand out, still intently wanting you as she waved her hand around gesticulating for a phone which Kie promptly set in her hand.

"We gonna find them a toy?" Kie inquires, scooting closer to Sarah on the log. Your eyes widened at her words, this wasn't the way that you thought this was going to go, you thought that they would be shocked and then they would move on but alas your friends were too good, they wanted to assure you felt good in every way possible.

"You bet your ass" Sarah exhales as she taps violently away at the screen before turning the phone to you "Which one do you like?" you were speechless at the sight in front of you, the screen filled with so many toys of all shapes and sizes, it was nearly intimidating and also...arousing?

"I don't exactly know what I am looking at" you mutter, scrolling through the options, was that a...tentacle shaped dildo? Some toys looked more appealing than others but you didn't wanna get too adventurous, you wanted to play it safe, not get too adventurous with something that you were going to have to learn the basics with.

"Just choose whatever you think will feel best" Sarah suggests, nudging you with her shoulder "And don't worry about the price, I'll just use my dad's card"

"Won't that show up on his credit card history that like...you bought a vibrator?" you looked at her in shock.

"Nah, it usually just says that I bought like a really expensive blouse from a boutique or something" she laughs before pointing back to the phone. "Now chose something!"

"Okay okay, I think I like this one" you spoke as you clicked on the icon of small bullet type vibe and handed her back the phone.

"Good choice for your first toy, I think you are gonna have A LOT of fun" she chuckles, adding the item to the cart and typing in here fathers credit card number. "It should show up at your house soon, let us know how it goes after" she wiggles her eye brows at you and returns to the previous conversation.

A week later the small unmarked package arrived on your front doorstep and even the concept of it had you fluttering in between your legs as you ran back to your room, closing the door and falling onto your bed, tearing open the cardboard and pulling out the small oblong with a soft button on the bottom to control the speeds, pressing the button and feeling how it shook in your palm.

"Oh fuck" muttering to yourself as you examined the object, feeling how it felt as it rolled across your skin before apprehensively rolling the plastic toy between your legs, your eyes immediately rolling back at the sudden pleasurable sensation. It felt like nothing you had ever felt before this insane sensation of a cold burning and it made you want to scream, so that is exactly what you did, letting the euphoric sounds escape your gaping mouth.

"Y/n? Are you okay? Why are you screa-holy fuck" a familiar voice came into your pleasure filled haze making you shoot up, your eyes rolling back and settling on a slightly burnt and sandy looking JJ leant against your doorframe with his arms crossed, his eyes wide as he examines the scene in front of him with joy.

"Fuck-uh-JJ!" you cry out, pulling the toy from between your legs and eyeing your boyfriend timidly.

"Don't stop on my account, seems like you were having fun" He was smiling at you, a genuine smile that also contained strong hints of temptation and arousal.

"Are you serious?" you gape at him, the toy still vibrating against your thigh, still tempting you, any apprehension that you would normally have melting away by the pure horniness that was burning against your skin.

"Oh yes, you think I am gonna pass up the opportunity to watch you get yourself off? You are strongly mistaken" he mutters, leaning down and pressing his lips to yours, pushing you back with the force of his kiss. His fingers were dipping beneath your waistband, teasing the heated skin with his calloused touch. “Can we talk these off, wanna see you” he mumbles, pulling back and toying with the buttons on your shorts, you couldn’t form words, too wracked with lechery to truly convey how much you wanted him to take them off, to leave you bare for him to see. “Words, babe, need words”

“Yes, JJ, fuck, please” you groan and he doesn’t waist a second, pulling you off your clothing and letting your core become exposed to the air, the coolness of the room reaching your heat and making you gasp. 

“You look so pretty, baby, so fucking pretty” JJ sighs, examining your cunt as he pulls back, tugging at his own shorts catching your attention. 

“Wait, J babe, I am not ready for us to um” you stutter.

“Oh no, baby, no I know, I just um, I was gonna get myself off while you do you, like if thats alright” his ring clad hand scratched at the back of his neck anxiously thinking that he had overstepped. 

“Fuck yes please” you whimper, setting your toy to the side and undoing his cargo shorts, tugging them down as he watched but you were intently eyeing his hard cock, your mouth watering. “Oh fuck yes” falling back against the bed you pull him down with you his cock brushing your stomach before he wraps a hand around it, tugging at the flushed flesh as you grasp out for your vibrator, bringing it to your now exposed cunt making your cry out, JJ watching you with hungry eyes as he kissed your lower lip passionately, drinking in the sounds of your moans as he groans against your chin. 

“Fuck fuck fuck” moaning against your skin, it was burning everything was burning for the both of you and JJ was fighting a fast approaching orgasm, it was hard not to rush to the peak when he was watching his beautiful partner fuck themselves beneath him, he could hear the sounds your cunt was making and watched the way that your face pinched as your wrist hit his thigh while moving your toy.

“JJ, fuck, I-I-I’m think I’m cu-” you cut yourself off mid word with a loud cry, your back arching up into his chest as he sped up the pace of his hand, spilling his seed onto your bare abdomen, milking himself for everything that he had as he heard you get wetter and wetter, it was nearly overwhelming how hot it was. 

When everything calmed down, JJ rolled off of you panting as he looked over at you with inquisitive eyes. 

“What did you mean you ‘think’ you were cumming?” he asks, brushing his hand over your cheek(the on that wasn’t just on his dick)

“Oh uh, I had never had an orgasm before” you mumble, looking away from him as not to see his judgmental face but when he was silent you looked back at him, finding a soft smile on his face. 

“Well I am glad I was here to experience it with you” he grins cheekily as he moves to press his hot mouth to yours. 

♡Taglist♡

@hollandsvogue

[sukiglycerin]

yours, senpai || katsuki bakugou.

* pairing: pro-hero!katsuki bakugou x manager!reader (gender neutral!)

* genre: kind of,,, angsty not really, fluff

* words: 1,884

* warnings: all i can say is sorry shouto, usage of sEnpAi (used for upperclassmen) and kOuhAi (used for underclassmen), i keep doing manager!reader nd bakugou, reader has a bad day, cussing, bakugou being soft

* original request:  okay so i’ve seen so many bakugou fics about him getting jealous but I remember having an idea to write about the reader getting jealous over bakugo for something so little because of them having a rough day i don’t really have the time to write it but if you get around to it and actually wanna write it i’d definitely give it a read

* a/n: this is finally here! i’m really happy with how it turned out. ngl, this was almost named “y/n and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day” but be glad i didn’t LKDSLFSL there will be a second part to this that’s just,,, pwp for fem!reader. so, look forward to that next week! @toishi is the best for proofreading this~~

bakugou always had girls over him. it was just a thing, a norm, that had come to be as a pro-hero. that didn't make you like it more, or anything, but you had to accept it. you knew it would never really change; even in your high school days, the kouhai named bakugou would be the talk of the girls in your year, fawning over his smooth skin and rugged look. (it was as though they'd completely forgotten the sports festival in your second year.) you never understood the appeal; to you, a third-year in the business course, bakugou was just an immature hero-wannabe, one of the boys that came a dime a dozen in japan. heck, this was a hero school; you were surrounded by them.

your first interaction with bakugou was in your third year. you'd been partnered up with a hero course student as a project, learning the ins and outs of marketing to a hero's strengths and managing said hero. girls absolutely ogled you for being partnered up with the bakugou, but you found it slightly revolting. to idolize a second year, a kouhai, who had anger issues and a terrible fashion sense? you did not see the appeal. if anything, you were concerned about how to contain the explosiveness of his personality and package it into a pretty looking present. his face constantly made the crudest of expressions, and the words that fell from his lips were completely vulgar. 

after the project, your perspective of bakugou slightly changed; his face wasn't always unpleasant to look at (typically when he was off-guard) and his personality had softened a bit. he, at least, had the decency to call you senpai; according to a rumour from your friend, class 2a's infamous pretty boy, shouto todoroki, spoke quite plainly. too plainly. it was like he had a bone to pick with every upperclassman he talked to, not bothering to use the proper honorifics and talking shit when upset (the latter, though, wasn't confirmed by your friend, you'd just heard it around).

you kept in touch with bakugou, and the honorifics never really dropped, even though you'd told him it was fine to speak casually. you'd both graduated from high school, thus bakugou became a pro-hero and you started an office job at a hero agency. you worked your way up through the company, though it was an incredibly slow process due to the sheer size of it. it was then bakugou offered you a position at his agency; as his manager.

manager was a heavy word in your mouth. the only times you'd even echoed the job were your school project with bakugou and the one time you'd handed a schedule to a sidekick during one of your internships. besides, you didn't want to earn the job simply because you had the right connection; you wanted to earn it, and as of then, you didn't quite feel you had. when you'd voiced this concerned to bakugou, he bluntly told you that he believed you were fit. (your first reaction was: what kind of reasoning is that?) he then followed up that he was in desperate need of a competent manager, and that if you could do one day he'd be grateful and pay however much you asked. it was a surprising request from such a popular, in-demand hero, but you supposed it wouldn't hurt.

it has not hurt at all in the five years you've been his manager. the closest thing that has come to hurting would be the fangirls, and even then, most mean no harm. somewhere in the middle you'd started dating bakugou, and it was almost as if you were dating his fangirls as well, with the way they always tried to contact you or hammered you if they recognized you in public. thankfully, the latter was extremely rare.

however, today was not a particularly good day for the appearance of fangirls. whatever power in the universe had decided to awaken you on the wrong side of bed (literally, you found yourself face-to-face with a spider and two alarms too late), and now you were blessed with a meet-and-greet for bakugou. 

fanmeets were held once in a blue moon for bakugou (thankfully), because he was more concerned about his hero duties than how his fanservice would make some girl's heart burst out of her chest. lucky for you, the universe blessed you to have one today.

really, the only thing you can think of as you drive to work is the sight of bakugou's face. he's always quite cute in the mornings; the rasp of sleep on his tongue and a slight pout he has when talking. it would be enough to reenergize you for the day, you know for sure.

conveniently, he is nowhere near his office when you arrive to work. you pull out the calendar on your phone and realize: he's currently being styled for his fanmeet, and you definitely won't be seeing him for another hour. you sigh, heading to the lounge to make yourself coffee. this was gonna be a long day.

conveniently, you burn your hand in the slightest making your coffee, and it seems to have started a time bomb of your patience. careful not to burn your tongue on the godforsaken coffee, it gets cold. you're stuck in an elevator with a bunch of stockholders who do not smell pleasant (a potpourri of conflicting fragrances is not ideal), and somehow, you almost trip up walking while fuming about the horribleness of your day.

conveniently, you forget where you put the paper copy of today's schedule and must begrudgingly adhere to the plain, unannotated one on your phone. the hold time for the fanmeet venue takes far too long for a priority customer (such as yourself and ground zero), and listening to eine kleine nachtmusik for the billionth time as the same monotone voice apologizes for the wait does nothing to brighten your day. damnit, mozart, it's morning, and you have 8 more hours of this shit. thankfully, the venue has not completely forgotten about your existence and you're able to confirm everything, and then you find yourself driving to said venue to meet up with staff. traffic is one hell of a nightmare to someone having a bad day.

you sit in your car, which seems extremely cramped and humid because you've been sitting in it for too long, clicking on and off radio channels to the point you make a rhythm based off the clicks and somehow your radio hasn't broken and traffic hasn't moved an inch.

you arrive at the venue on time with no bakugou in sight; ah, right, he's retouching his makeup and hair. he doesn't even need makeup, in your humble opinion; his natural skin is literally glowing. you're just about to approach bakugou (who, maybe on second thought, needs the makeup, considering how angelic he looks) when one of the staff asks that you check that the projector is on the right channel, and then the fans pour in. you try to convince yourself that each fan has spent an abhorral amount of money to get into this event and that you should treat them with respect, but it's so damn hard when they're all nosebleeding and making grabby hands at bakugou. you're grateful you're not a bodyguard, or you're sure you would've decked the teen with the green shirt who attempted to full-on makeout with bakugou before being politely escorted out.

you could barf at the fanservice so gracefully sown into the fanmeet; the way bakugou so effortlessly intertwines with a fan's, or how he ends a smooth line with a heart-killing smirk. it's absolutely disgusting recalling that you taught him all of that.

needless to say, you have a lot of pent-up frustration by end of the day. the fanmeet ended smoothly, though halfway in, you considered ditching your position as manager to become a nosebleeding, crying, grabby-handed fan just to make contact with bakugou. perhaps the last straw for you was after the fanmeet; as the two of you exited the venue, tired, a fan (probably around bakugou's age) approached bakugou for a picture. bakugou accepted, and she apologized profusely for bothering the two of you. you were stuck behind the camera, grumpily watching as she put her hands on bakugou. a rational part of your brain knew her touches were as polite as possible, but the rest of your brain selectively ignored this fact. you fumed taking the photo, gritting out a smile as you handed back the fan's phone (stopping yourself from smashing it on the pavement). who were these fans, taking away you from bakugou? 

"senpai," bakugou deadpans as the two of you drive home. the word brings a sense of comfort to you; strange to an outside viewer, you know, but it somewhat acts as a pet name bakugou used on you. the word brings you back to simpler times, when you and bakugou were clear-cut senpai and kouhai, nothing else. even when you became his manager, the word "senpai" rolled so smoothly off his tongue, despite the roles being switched. you started having a penchant for the word, it becoming a word of comfort to you. for you, entangled in a strange manager/lover position to bakugou. senpai. it reminds you of who bakugou was, and how much he means to you now.

"eh? what's wrong? you've been lookin' upset all day," bakugou grunts.

"it's... trivial," you say. you rarely get jealous; you trust bakugou, and know he'd only ever have eyes for you. "let's talk about it when we get home." you make up your mind to discuss it rationally with bakugou when you get home. very rationally, with cuddles and all.

one thing that fans will never ever get are bakugou's cuddles, and you smile to yourself at that. they'll never know what it feels like to feel safe in bakugou's arms, to be enveloped in his scent, to feel home with bakugou, and be able to call him only yours. in that way, he's your little secret.

when bakugou asks what's wrong at home, you simply reply, "missed you." the two words are enough; he's stepping towards you, a little hesitant, and then his arms are around you, and the familiar scent of caramel greets you.

"had a bad day," you confess, "and watching all the fans and the fanservice..."

"fuck the fanservice," bakugou says, and his grip gets slightly tighter. "i'd leave it all for you, in a heartbeat. i'm... i'm only yours." you look at him, and he's looking away, face scrunched in a frustrated expression and cheeks dusted pink.

"you should know that, idiot," he grumbles. 

you smile. "love you," you say, pecking his cheek softly. he flushes deeper at this, glancing at you then away again.

"don't make me say it back," he mumbles. "you know i love you too."

it's at night when the feelings of jealousy bubble again. you can't help but feel insecure, replaying the day's events in your mind. those girls had so much that you didn't - surely, they were much more attractive, much more sweet and kind. 

"mine," you mumble, pressing yourself against bakugou.

"stop thinking, moron, and sleep," bakugou grunts. "of course i'm all yours."

[ficsnthings]

Sweet Love┃Ash (Supernatural) x Reader

Summary: Alternate first meeting between the Winchester brothers and Ash, featuring the Reader, Ash’s plus size wife.

Rated: Mature - sexual references/situations

Read on AO3

Please consider buying me a coffee

y/h/l = your hair length

y/h/c = your hair colour

y/e/c = your eye colour

“We could really use all the help we can get.”, Sam said.

“Well, we can’t.” Ellen told them, “But Ash will.”

“Who’s Ash?”, Sam asked.

“Ash!”, Ellen hollered.

The man who had been asleep on top of the pool table when the brothers had entered the bar abruptly awoke, briefly thrashing in disorientation.

“What?”, The recently awoken man called back, “Closing time?”

Sam looked to Jo in disbelief, “That’s Ash?”

“Mhm.” She replied, “He’s a genius.”

Just then a woman emerged through the swinging kitchen doors. She was beautiful with (y/h/l), (y/h/c) hair, (y/e/c) eyes, and a full figure that boasted of wide, voluptuous hips. Her thick thighs were wrapped snugly in dark, high-waisted denim paired with a cropped black tank, and a plaid long sleeved shirt draped around her waist.

And she was carrying a full plate piled high with sausage, bacon, eggs, toast and hashbrowns.

Dean had never been in love, but he thought this might be what it felt like.

Ash smiled when he caught sight of the beautiful creature gliding across the floor towards him, “Is that my gorgeous wife, my Goddess of Sunshine, bringing me breakfast?”

Dean was pretty sure that his brain straight up short circuited when he heard the dishevelled man before him refer to this absolutely indescribable creature as his ‘wife'.

You giggled at your husband's antics, a light blush rising to your cheeks and a cute little skip invading your step as you closed the remaining space between yourself and your mullet-rocking love. You paid no mind to the Harvelles and the Winchesters, too caught up in the warmth of Ash's smile, the little spark in his eyes. Life around hunters was short, and since you knew these guys weren't a threat you weren't going to waste time worrying about them when you could be spending these precious moments with the man of your dreams.

As soon as you were within range, Ash’s hands automatically reached out to grasp at your alluringly wide hips, using them to pull you toward him, thumbs rubbing gentle circles into soft, pliable flesh. His legs spread at the knees where they dangled over the edge of the pool table he was sitting on to accommodate your form stepping between them.

You set the breakfast plate down beside him on the table, one arm reaching up to wrap around the back of his neck, fingers delicately gliding through the long hair at his nape. You plucked a piece of sausage from the large plate you had made and held it up in front of him. Feeding each other was just one of the many public displays of affection that the two of you frequently engaged in with a disgusting lack of shame. He quickly took the hint and parted his lips, taking the bite into his mouth and groaning as the flavor hit his tongue.

He swallowed the morsel, then leaned forward to press dozens of playful, nipping kisses into the crook of your neck, causing your giggling to recommence as he cooed, “You’re far too good to me, My Love. Don’t know how I got so lucky to end up with someone so wonderful as you.”

Dean was honestly wondering about that as well.

Seriously, the dude had a freaking mullet and looked like he belonged on the road with Lynyrd Skynyrd. He was scrawny, of average height and had a mullet. It was strange (but also kind of awesome) enough to warrant mentioning twice. Dean had no idea how a guy like that could end up with someone like you. He couldn't decide whether he should be jealous or declare the other man his hero.

Ellen, while used to the cloying PDA that the two of you shared as a couple, had clearly decided that was enough of that and said dryly, “Alright lovebirds, if you could pry yourselves away from one another for a few minutes, these boys need some help from you, Ash.”

* * * *

“Sorry, I guess I haven't introduced myself, yet.” You apologized, holding out your arm towards the Winchester brothers for a handshake as you took your rightful perch upon Ash's lap. “I’m (Y/N),” you informed them. “Married to the genius.”

Sam accepted your proffered hand and formally introduced himself in turn, where as Dean scoffed as he dropped a folder to land with a smack! onto the bar top, “You gotta be kidding, this guys no genius. He’s a Lynyrd Skynyrd roadie.”

His dismissive tone immediately made you bristle. You hated when jerks would come in here looking for Ash's help only to then completely dismiss and underestimate his intelligence based solely upon his appearance. It pissed you off every time, though it amused Ash to no end.

As if to prove this, Ash smiled, eyes narrowing on Dean in a look of assessment, “I like you.”

“Thanks,” Dean muttered, no further convinced that this dude was anywhere near the ‘genius’ Ellen and Jo claimed he was.

You, less than impressed with Dean's attitude, snorted, “You know, Asshole, Ash is the one meant to be helping you, not the other way around. Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to judge a book by its cover? Just because the genius comes wrapped in this sexy, mullet rocker package doesn’t negate his intelligence. And again, you asked for his help, so a little respect would go a long way.”

The reprimand left Dean's mouth agape, his expression becoming thoroughly dumbfounded upon hearing you utter the words ‘sexy, mullet rocker package’ with such conviction and clear lack of humor. If he'd thought his mind had short circuited earlier after hearing Ash call you his wife, at this point Dean would be surprised if his brain hadn't begun leaking out of his ears.

It was all proving to be a little too much for Sam, who had to turn his face away in a desperate attempt to try and cover up his uncontrollable laughter, both in response to his brother's expression as well as the absolute seriousness with which you referred to your husband's sex appeal.

While the majority of the time you were Ash's sweet girl, his Goddess of Sunshine, that didn’t mean that you were weak, or that you couldn’t or wouldn't stand up and stand your ground when challenged. You were actually quite protective over those you loved and wouldn’t hesitate to defend them in any way you deemed necessary. Though this was a very mild example of this trait, the point still stood; His girl wouldn’t stand for anyone disrespecting the man she loved, especially on their own territory. It was something that always filled him with warmth and pride to witness, and just another of the many things he absolutely adored about his wife.

Ash’s arms squeezed your waist in a comforting gesture, hands lightly skimming up and down your sides soothingly. “It’s okay, Baby Girl, the man hasn’t seen my work before. The skepticism, while a bit irritating, is expected.”

Dean shrugged, sitting himself down on a bar stool, “Well, alright then. This stuff’s a year’s worth of our Dad’s work.”, he placed one of his palms atop the folder, smirking as he slid it toward Ash, “So, uh, let’s see what you make of it.”

Ash opened the folder and pulled out the contents. His chin rested comfortably in the junction between your shoulder and neck, eyes quickly scanning over the pages as he leafed through the documents. He shook his head, confounded, before pulling his gaze back to focus on the Winchesters.

“C’mon, this crap ain’t real. Ain’t nobody can track a demon like this.”, Ash said, not quite believing what he was looking at.

The brothers shared a knowing look, before Sam turned back towards Ash and simply said, “Our Dad could.”

Ash’s eyebrows rose a bit before furrowing slightly, his hands returning to leaf through the papers in front of him with renewed interest, “These are non parametric statistical overviews. Cross-spectrum correlations. Jeez, I mean… damn. They’re signs, omens. If you can track them, you can track the demon. You know, like crop failures, electrical storms.”, He glanced up and said, “You ever been struck by lightning? It ain’t fun.”

His voice was practically a growl by the end of his monologue and you couldn't help the way heat began to pool between your legs, core clenching around nothing. You shifted a bit in his lap, just barely grinding against his thigh before settling again. Ash was still focused on the information before him, though his head did turn slightly to press a brief kiss to your neck while one of his hands absentmindedly drifted down your body to rest on your inner thigh, causing your breath to hitch in your throat.

“Can you track it or not?”, Sam asked impatiently.

Ash cleared his throat, “Yeah, with this, I think so. But it’s gonna take time. Uh, gimme…”, he paused, taking a moment to calculate, “51 hours.”, he decided, eyes meeting Sam and Dean’s head on.

Sam and Dean shared another communicative look while you carefully gathered the papers and slipped them back into their folder. Once all were back in order you rose from Ash’s lap to allow him to stand as well, his arm immediately returning to once again wrap around your waist after taking to his feet. Meeting seemingly adjourned, the two of you began striding towards the back room that you called home.

“Hey, man,”, Dean sounded from the bar, causing Ash and yourself to pause and turn back towards the elder Winchester, “By the way, I, uh, dig the haircut.”

Ash practically puffed out his chest with pride as he hammed, “All business up front, party in the back!”, you can’t help but giggle as he flourishes the long ends of his hair dramatically.

As the two of you turned to continue on your path towards your room, Ash leaned down, lips brushing against the shell of your ear as he practically growled, “Don’t worry, Baby Girl, I haven’t forgotten about you. Gonna spend at least 23 of those 51 hours makin' you come apart underneath o' me.”

A shiver ran up your body, shots of arousal pooling low in your core at the implication. Ash really was the sexiest mullet rocker/genius, and you were so proud to get to call him your husband.

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[royallyprincesslilly]

Title: Sin In The City {3}****

OFC Nalani x Lewis Tan x OFC Lynix Mini Series

Warning: Cursing, NSFW AT ALL, SMUUUUT, FILTH, Threesome, Girl on Girl Action, PLENTY OF WORDS, Grocery Eating 😉, First Person POV

Words: 12.9k 🤣🤣

Summary: Nalani and Lynix have been friends since they first grew hips and tits. They do everything together. When Lewis tells Nalani that he’s in Vegas for the weekend and invites her to come out, she jumps at the chance, especially when Lewis says the more, the merrier to bringing Nix along. The long weekend goes from a fun time to putting the “sin” in Sin City thanks to a secret plot Nalani concocts.

Note: As you know @munteanhorewrites and I are HUUUUGE Lewis Tan fans. The man is just absolute deliciousness and the whole entire package. So, Ru and I got to talking about him currently being in Vegas for the long weekend, and we thought, why not treat you guys while indulging ourselves. This is going to be a four-shot miniseries where Ru and I will each write two chapters for the four-day weekend of sheer debauchery. Thank you @munteanhorewrites for suggesting we combine our evil powers. Mwhahahaha! 😈😈

We hope you enjoy this. As always, thank you guys so much for reading. ❤️❤️

If you enjoyed this, please, LIKE, COMMENT, REBLOG.

Note 2: Bold Italics are an internal thought. Plain Italics are a memory. Plain Bold text messages. Please excuse the slip ups with “I” and “your”. I would have checked it but I was exhausted! 😭

Chapter Legend:

-Chapter One: @royallyprincesslilly

-Chapter Two: @munteanhorewrites

-Chapter Three: @royallyprincesslilly

-Chapter Four: @munteanhorewrites

***NOT Edited/Proofread***

***Interactive***

~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter Three: Thirst Comes at You Fast

 -Nix-

Groaning, I rolled onto my back for the umpteenth time. The brightness of the sun was blinding, and it was even worse because you had barely slept a wink. Thanks to what I’d seen last night, I tossed and turned and had the most salacious dreams I’d had in a long time. If I were honest, those dreams were downright filthy even by your standards. Now I wasn’t some innocent little thing. Not in the least, but over the last night, I’d dreamt of so many things.  

 It began with sitting on the couch right in front of those large windows and watching the show Lani and Lewis were putting on. I imagined sitting there with one of those expensive bottles of champagne just sipping as Lani took every inch of him down her throat. From the looks of him, she was taking quite a few inches and then some. The way he stared at me was unlike the way anyone had looked at me.

 I could tell that Lani was doing an excellent job from how his lips curled up at the side and how every so often his he grunted, making it echo over the waters of the pool. It was the sexiest sound I’d heard in a long time, and it should have been shameful how quickly it made me wet, but I felt no shame. All I felt the entire night was the slickness between my thighs that never seemed to go away, the heat in the bed though the air conditioner was on all night, and the sheets were silk and always remained cool. Whenever I found a comfortable spot, I had to roll seconds later because of the intense desire that coursed through me. It was frustrating, to say the least.

 There were three things that made me cranky and bitchy. One, when I was over hungry. Two, when I was exhausted. Three, when I was horny with no way to relieve myself. This morning I’d found myself struggling with numbers two and three, and one was steadily creeping up on me. As I showered, I still couldn’t get what I’d witnessed last night out of my mind. This time I zeroed in on the way Lewis had gripped Lani’s head and fucked her throat. The sounds coming from her made it seem like he was hitting places in her throat she’d never known.

 Without even realizing it, my hand crept down my belly to the apex of my thighs. Quickly, I pulled my hand away and hit the tiled wall.

 “Fuck! This cannot be happening.”

 My head ran to Lani’s words from the other day.

 “How would you feel about a threesome with me and Lewis.”

 She was serious. I knew it from the look in her eyes. When Lani was serious about something, she had this determined look.

 “You don’t need to be alone. It can be a one off thing. I’ll take care of you; Lewis will take care of you. It’ll be fun.”

 The thought of that had me pausing as the soap washed from my body. If I was honest with myself, that didn’t sound half bad. There were benefits of threesomes; I thought to myself as I tried to formulate a list of pros and cons.

 “Pro, complete pleasure on all fronts.”

 Just thinking of the possibilities for pleasure had goosebumps peppering my skin. As soon as I began thinking about that pleasure, I thought of a con.

 “Con, pity fuck.”

 That was all it took for me to eighty-six the idea and finish up with my shower. Once out, I tackled the daunting task of my hair. That alone usually took me almost an hour, depending on the style I chose. Today I wanted something sleeker, which meant busting out my flat iron. Deciding on a chill look for the day, I opted for as little makeup as possible before making it to my luggage to choose my outfit for the day.

Once I made it downstairs, I could smell the food and coffee and knew that Lani and Lewis had probably already started without me. It was fine. I needed that extra time to myself to steel myself to be in the same room as him, especially after last night. When I descended the steps and turned into the dining area, Lani was the first to see me. Her face brightened like the sun after a sun shower as she got up and made her way to me.

 When she threw her arms around me, I returned the embrace. From behind her, Lewis sat at the table still. His eyes met mine, and again, the look in them was enough to light a match on sight. He was the one to look away first, though.

��“You decided to take your sweet time this morning,” Lani teased.

 “Yeah, I just needed some me time.”

 Lani peeped into my eyes while crinkling her brow, nonverbally asking if I was okay. Giving her a soft smile, I rubbed her back.

 “I’m good best friend.”

 The two of you walked back to the table. Lani walked around it to sit beside Lewis again.

 “Good morning Nix.”

 The way he said my name made butterflies flit in my belly. Swallowing the small lump that had formed in your throat, I spoke. “Good morning.”

 Once I was sitting, I reached for the orange juice pitcher. If I were lucky, it would be mimosas. Pouring it into the glass, I took a small sip and sighed. Bingo, I thought.

 “How’d you sleep?”

 Glancing at him, I nodded. “Great. I mean, not great, but fine.”

 “What happened?”

 Lani was pouting now.

 “Nothing really, just tossed for a bit. It was so damn hot,” I informed as I piled my plate with an assortment of the food on the table.

 “I wasn’t hot last night. It was cold. I had to snuggle close to Lew,” Lani expressed.

 “Yeah. We were fine. Maybe it’s one of those things you just have to—ride,” Lewis suggested.

 I could feel his eyes on me, and ninety-five percent of me said don’t look up, don’t chance it to find out. The other five percent said just take a peek; that one peek won’t hurt.  It was that five percent I listened to. When I looked at him, he’d just popped a strawberry into his mouth. My eyes instantly dropped to his lips, and I watched him chew the fruit. He did it impossibly slow. When he snaked his tongue out to lick his lips, I could have come just like that. When I looked back to Lewis’s face, his eyes were on me.

 The way he looked at me had a fire creeping up my spine so slowly that its burn felt like a blaze that fanned out throughout your body. He knew he had sex appeal, and from his look alone, he knew how to use it as a weapon.

 “So--,” Lani stretched out bring my attention to her.

 “Maybe we should talk about the elephant in the room.”

 Crinkling my brow, I put a piece of the strawberry pancakes that were in front of me into my mouth.

 “Last night. Me and Lew. You saw,” Lani enlightened.

 My eyes dropped back to my plate as I pretended to intently focus on swirling the strawberries around in the strawberry syrup and powdered sugar mixture.

 “It’s okay, Nix; you don’t have to be embarrassed about it. We didn’t think,” Lani explained.

 “It’s fine. It’s his penthouse and your—you can do whatever.”

 “Funny choice of words,” Lewis murmured before he tilted his head back and dropped a few blueberries into his mouth.

 Glancing at him, I saw Lani rest her hand atop his chest as she smiled then whispered something in his ear. Lewis smiled and kissed her. Watching the carnal kiss between them, I couldn’t look away. As I was going to, Lewis’s eyes met yours again. It was probably one of the most sinful things you’d seen. As he was passionately kissing Lani, he was giving me eyes that said come join in.

 I have to be imagining that.

 Lowering my eyes, I focused on the food and tried to ignore the moans across the table. I usually wasn’t a prude, I was pretty free with my body and inhibitions, but I felt as if I were crowding them for some reason. Like I shouldn’t be there.

 “So--,” Lani began again a sing-song in her voice.

 She was in such a good mood. Why wouldn’t she be? The effort I’d seen her put into getting all that thing in her mouth said he gave her several inches of reasons to be happy.

 “It’s cool, Lani, I understand. What’s the plan for the day?”

 Lewis and Lani looked at each other and smirked before Lani sly shrugged.

 “I thought we could hop on some ATVs and ride through the desert,” Lewis piped up.

 Lani’s eyes widened at the same time mine did.

 “That sounds so fun but dirty,” Lani said.

 “Getting dirty is all the fun,” Lewis said at the same time I did. Our eyes met again, and I saw the playfulness in them.

 “See, Nix gets it,” Lewis added, making you smirk.

 “Okay, ATVs in the desert it is,” Lani confirmed at the same time my phone rang.

 Glancing down, I realized it was Cesar. I would have rolled my eyes, but right now, I needed the distraction.

 “I’m gonna--,” I began pointing to my phone.

 “Yeah, you can use the office around the corner if you need some privacy,” Lewis offered.

 I rose from the table with my phone in hand and made my way to the office. Before I turned the corner, I heard Lani shout after me.

 “That better not be Caesar’s clingy ass. I rebuke him!”

 Pinching my lips, I dipped into the room but heard Lewis’s voice before I pulled up the door just a bit.

 “Who’s Caesar?”

 Leaning on the edge of the executive size desk, I looked out the window and answered.

 “Hey, Caesar.”

 “Hey there, angel face.”

 The sound of the pet name he’d always called me had me smiling for a few moments.

 “I went by your apartment earlier. Were you asleep?”

 “No, I’m not in Miami.”

 The silence on the line stretched.

 “Oh yeah? Where you at?”

 I thought about it for a little while. Caesar was a jealous guy. He was also territorial. It always led to an argument of some sort. At times I didn’t mind it, but other times, it was a pain in the ass.

 “Nix,” Caesar breeched.

 “Vegas for the weekend,” I replied.

 “You alone, or is Lani with you?”

 “What’s with all the questions?”

 “I just miss you. I wanted to spend some time together.”

 I walked closer to the floor to ceiling window and gazed out over the view of Vegas. The sin in sin city was resting for now, but I knew it would awaken once again by the time six hit.

 “C, we talked--,” I began before he cut me off.

 “You’re tryna tell me you don’t miss me?”

 I almost laughed out loud. I didn’t miss him per se.

 “C, let’s not do this.”

 “Wow, Nix. Are you fucking kidding me? For the last month and a half, we’ve been working on getting back together.”

 “You’ve been working for that, C,” I thundered before lowering my voice a tad bit lower to continue. “You’ve been the one fueling this. I told you that I wasn’t sure. I told you that it might not be a good idea.”

 “What am I supposed to listen to? Your words or you spending nights at my apartment?”

 He was right. I’d muddied the waters by turning him into my sporadic fuck buddy even though I knew it was a bad idea.

 “Horniness was the root of all evil and bad decisions,” I whispered out, pressing my forehead to the glass.

 “What was that?”

 “Nothing, C. Look, how about we talk when--.”

 “Everything okay in here?”

Glancing back, I saw Lewis filling the doorframe. He wore a pair of dark ripped jeans that hugged his long legs so well and a black short-sleeve Henley that accentuated the size of his biceps and showed off how good of a shape he was in. Unconsciously my teeth sunk into my bottom lip. He looked fucking good.

 “Who the fuck is that? You said it was you and Lani.”

 Cesar’s voice was so loud it had me coming to my senses. I pulled my eyes from Lewis and looked back out the window.

 “Yeah, everything is fine,” I replied to Lewis before responding to Cesar. “C, we’ll talk when I get back.”

 “No, who the fuck is that? Nix, don’t play with me,” Cesar cautioned. I could hear the jealously in his voice.

 “We’re ready to go. Thought I’d come to get you,” Lewis informed.

 “Yeah. C, I gotta go.”

 Before Cesar could respond, I ended the call and sighed out.

 “Are you okay?”

 His voice was coming from behind me. When I turned, he was resting on the desk with one leg up and the other planted on the floor.

 “Uh—yeah, fine,” I lied.

 “You don’t look okay. You didn’t sound okay a little while ago. I hear you shouting.”

 Nodding, I shrugged, trying to play off your annoyance. It was your own fault.

 “Boyfriend?”

 “I told you, I don’t have one of those.”

 Lewis nodded and sipped from the glass I just realized he held. From where I stood, it smelled tropical, and you guessed it was some fruit juice.

 “Okay, so not a boyfriend—maybe a friend with benefits?”

 Lewis quickly clenched his jaw. It was so quick I almost missed it. That one action had my interest piquing all the way up. What was that for?

 “I don’t have one of those either. He was a horny mistake,” I admitted before turning my back to him again.

 “Ah, horniness. I see. You settled, and now you can’t get rid of him. Sucks to be you.”

 I felt his breath brush against my ear, and the scent of pineapple and grapefruit hit your nose. I could also feel the warmth from his body. He was close. Holding my breath, I kept my body as still as possible and waited for the moment to pass.

 Lewis now stood beside me, looking out the vast windows you were. Neither of you spoke. You focused on the tease in his voice. He was taunting me. Every so often, the soft clinking of ice against crystal echoed in the room, reminding me that I wasn’t alone. Not that I could ever think that. His scent was too powerful. He smelled earthy like he walked through the thick of Guam's forests, then went to the mountains of Tibet to soak up the scent of freshly fallen snow and fresh air. To top it off, I could pick up faint traces of salt. Not cooking salt but the salt of the ocean. The other subtle hints of rose and some exotic flower only made him that more delectably alluring. It was such a good scent.

 “In life, I’ve learned that lesson. Never settle. No matter what it is, never settle. You deserve the best, and the best will come.”

 I looked at him at the same moment he looked at me. Our eyes lingered, but we didn’t speak. There didn’t feel like there was a need to.

 “Plus, you’re too beautiful for the universe not to bend to your will,” Lewis finished.

 My belly fluttered, and without even realizing it, my body swayed sideways. By the time I realized it, I was leaning so far sideway that I lost my balance. With reflexes like nothing I’d ever seen before, Lewis reached out and caught me, pulling me to his body. That was when my skin decided to shoot fire throughout my body. The beauty in his cognac eyes only served as another distracting factor. Now that I was closer, the scents that were subtle before were now more prominent.

 I wonder if he tastes like the sea.

 The thought was a quick one, but it also quickly ruined you. Feeling my nipples bead underneath my thin shirt, I silently prayed he was none the wiser. A flicker of fire sparked in his eyes that made them appear slightly darker. I watched his tongue slowly snake across his full bottom lip. He was wiser. He’d noticed.

 Before he could speak, I pulled away but did it a little too quickly. Lewis’s hand slid from my back to my hips and steadied me. Once I was steady, he didn’t lower them; instead, I felt him squeeze my shapely hips. I thought of moving but I couldn’t. Seconds later, it was Lewis who stepped back, dousing that magnetic energy between you that had encompassed the room.

 “Em—you might wanna--change for the desert,” Lewis suggested.

 Without a word, I walked out of the room and hurried to my room, the whole time admonishing myself for whatever the hell that was.

 Once the three of us got into the chauffeured car, I’d managed to pull myself together and find my chill and detachment. I kept one ear on the conversation in the car, so I could respond when needed. For the most part, I was lost, creating a new blog post about your weekend while going through comments on your post on IG yesterday. You were going to ignore the hot man in the car as long as you could.

 When the car rolled up to our destination, my jaw dropped. For as far as I could see, there was nothing but sand. It gave me a sense of peacefulness.

 “This is gonna be so lit,” Lewis said as he clapped his hands before he dropped a heavy-handed slap to Lani’s ass, making her squeal and giggle.

 “Lewis,” Lani whined as he led the way chuckling to himself.

 For the next fifteen minutes, we listened to the rules, safety precautions, and expectations. After there was a quick demo on how to operate the ATV, then we all signed waivers. Once the formalities were out of the way, each of us ran to an ATV. The one I chose was a camo printed one that looked so badass. I was so excited, and once I climbed on, I glanced over to Lewis, whose eyes were already on you, but they were not looking at my eyes. They were much lower on your ass. Scoffing, I shook my head then revved my engine.

 “Get into it!”

 With that, I sped off, leaving Lewis and Lani in my wake. It didn’t take long for Lani to pull up beside you. she shouted out into the open air then sputtered, spitting out sand.  I couldn’t help but laugh at her. Hearing a sound on the other side of me, I turned and saw Lewis. He was now in a tank with his shirt tied around his mouth like a mask. Genius, I thought. I could hear his muffled words but couldn’t make them out. Shrugging, I spoke into my helmet mouth guard.

 “Sorry, can’t hear you above the sound of you eating my dust!”

 Picking up the speed, I pulled ahead. When they caught up again, I swerved in another direction and did it again and again. Each time I swerved, someone took over the lead. Neither of us kept lead for long. Each one of us had a strong competitive side.

 A few hours passed with desert riding. Lewis was the one to be the show-off. He did flips, standing tricks, and other dangerous stunts while Lani and I looked on with our mouths wide. His adventurous side called to me, making it impossible to steer clear of your rapidly increasing thirst for him.

 It also didn’t help to watch on as he and Lani kicked up the PDA. Almost every time I glanced around, Lani was either hugging on him from the back of his ATV, or his tongue was down her throat. They were cute, but it only made me think of watching them last night, and that made me think of Lani’s suggestion for a threesome. That suggestion hadn’t left my mind all day. I was still so frustrated that the idea of it was not as gobsmacking as it had been. The more and more Lewis’s eyes found you or parts of my body from across the desert, the further away from shocking you got.

 Because of Lani’s whining over how sandy she was, we took a break letting her clean off a bit. I didn’t mind the dirt. While she cleaned up, it left Lewis and me alone. We played around on the ATVs, just acting like kids. It was a lot of fun. After a while, I suggested we stop to capture some of our surroundings for my blog and social media. Lewis agreed, wanting to get his own shots.

 I took video after video and even recorded a few short ones before taking several selfies. When I looked over to Lewis, I watched as he unbuttoned his jeans to peel them off quickly. There was no way I could look away. I was confused as to what he was doing and, honestly, who would look away. Once free from the jeans, he pulled off his tank leaving the scarf he’d worn from before.

 “How is it possible for him to look like he belongs in the desert too?”

 The wind picked up, and the sand blew around him as he stared out toward where the sun shone. My eyes traveled over every dip and curve of his perfectly lean and toned body. No wonder Lani was in heavy lust. He looked like he not only broke backs but possibly parts of the female anatomy.

 Lewis looked back, and for a few moments, it looked like he was walking in slow motion.

Holy Shit.

 Before I even realized it, he was standing in front of me.

 “You got a little drool,” Lewis teased before he hopped onto the bumper of your ATV.

 “Whatever. You wish.”

 It was a weak rebuttal and nowhere near believable. We sat in silence for a little while, taking in the scenery.

 “It’s beautiful huh.”

 “Yeah. Makes you feel like the only human left on earth,” I added.

 “Well, if I were the only human left on earth, I’d want you with me.”

 Our eyes met again, and my heart raced, making me look away. Again, the silence stretched until you found something to say.

 “I’m really sorry about last night,” I began.

 Lewis snorted, making you look at him again with confusion etched on my face.

 “What’s so funny?”

 Lewis didn’t speak right away; instead, he studied me as if he were looking for something. He sighed then licked his lips.

 “Do you know what I see in your eyes?”

 “What?”

 “You’re not sorry.”

 My jaw dropped, and my eyes bugged. “What!”

 “Yeah. You’re not sorry you saw. You’re sorry you got caught,” Lewis cockily informed.

 “Caught? What am I a child? It’s not like I snuck out there to spy.”

 “No, I know that. I do know, though, that if I hadn’t looked up and seen you, you probably would have continued watching.”

 He got me there. I probably would have. It was a good show.

 “Again, your eyes say it all. Not only are they completely hypnotizing, but they’re also very expressive.”

 Was he hitting on me?

 The look on his face said he might have been, but his eyes were masked. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

 “All day, I’ve been trying to figure out if your physical reaction to my touch is an instinctual thing or if it’s more.”

 Wow, I thought. The man was so self-assured. He didn’t come off insecure at all. It was both attractive and slightly annoying. No man should be that confident. I looked away and hopped off the ATV, sinking into the sand. Before I could walk off, I felt his body behind me, barely touching me, and his hand spread across my stomach, keeping me in place.

 Oh, fuck. This is not what I needed right now.

 Lewis didn’t speak. He just remained perfectly still. The longer his hand remained on my stomach, the hotter it seemed to get. I didn’t know how long passed with us standing like that, but I was sure it was long enough for the heat from his hand to sear away the high waist of my biker shorts. It had to have been. It felt like there was no barrier between his hand and your skin.

 On your left, you felt his other hand slowly snake up the length of your arm. Where it went, it left an agonizing burn that slowly at away at you. By the time Lewis’s hand made it to your shoulder, he moved your hair so his head could gently touch the side of your face. Still, the smell of his skin wasn’t masked by the sand all around him. It hadn’t done anything at all. I heard him take a deep inhale before he moaned.

 “I know what you want, Nix. I can see it every time I look into your eyes. Fuck I can feel it. All you have to do is say the words.”

 I could feel his touch on my neck as if he really did touch me, but alas, he never did. He was so close. All he had to do was tip out his tongue. Lewis released a guttural groan.

 “Put us both out of our misery, Sunshine,” Lewis finished before he released you and walked away toward an approaching Lani.

 “Son of a bitch.”

 ~~~~~~~~

It was lunchtime, and I was starving and hornier than I’d been before we left. Only now it wasn't because I’d inadvertently saw Lewis and Lani together, no it was because of Lewis’s words. I had no idea what he meant by he knew what I wanted. How the hell could he know that? I didn’t even fully know what I wanted. Every few hours, it changed.

 When Lewis, Lani, and I got back to the penthouse, we showered and changed, then made it to another beautiful restaurant. Deciding not to pretend I were less hungry than I was, I ordered whatever I wanted. As we all ate, the conversation was never strained. Lani told stories of the countless adventures we’d had, all the while never leaving out not one embarrassing detail. Throughout the stories, Lewis looked genuinely interested. He listened with a tuned ear and sincere interest. I liked watching the different emotions light up his face. It was like reliving the memory but through someone else’s eyes.

Every once in a while, Lewis’s eyes found mine, but again they were masked and almost detached. It was an interesting change from earlier, one that had me doubting what I thought I saw and heard.

 At times when he spoke to me, his choice of words always threw me. When asked if he wanted more of the dim sum, he looked at me and said, “I want it.” When Lani complimented her food, Lewis looked at me, bit his bottom lip, and said, “Bet it tastes good.” I squirmed, shifted, and tried to handle it throughout lunch, but the last thing he said threw you. We were all eating dessert. I’d chosen something simple like a sorbet while he and Lani went in on some decadent chocolate, vanilla, and cherry concoction. They took turns teasing me about wanting it. It was Lewis who locked eyes with me and rocked all reserve with his “you want this deep inside.”

 What the fuck was I supposed to say to that? I had no idea, and he knew I had nothing. He also knew he’d had an effect. He’d had such a profound effect that my panties were now uncomfortably soaked. Asshole, I thought. He knew he was one; the sly smirk on his face said it. You watched him dip his spoon into his mouth and moan. He was pleased with himself.

 After lunch, I had steam to blow, so gambling was my suggestion. What else would bring almost as much pleasure as sex than winning more money than you came with? We went from table to table, placing bets, dropping chips, and claiming double what was wagered. Lani was a pro at Roulette, which she proudly showed off, winning two grand like it was easy. I was a monster at Blackjack. No matter the casino, or the deck of cards, or even those around me. I dominated the Blackjack table for almost two hours, winning hand after hand until management capped my winnings at six grand. I understood. They didn’t want me cleaning them out. Lewis was an ace at Poker and Craps and gladly let his cocky side.

 Before every roll of the dice, Lewis held them out for both Lani and me to blow on. The first time he held them out to me, I was confused. That was when he said, “Blow me.” The look he gave me had way too much effect on me. His amusement from my delayed reaction was evident, and he enjoyed making you pause. Roll after roll had him winning game after game at the Craps table. Every time he won, Lani wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged his head to her breasts.

 Their antics brought so many eyes, including mine, but I was having so much fun winning that I didn’t care when Lani pulled me into a sandwiched hug with Lewis in the middle leaving his head was pressed between yours and Lani’s breasts. Lewis crept his hand around my hip, resting it right at my hip bone. That was when I could have sworn I felt lips slide across my nipple. The instantaneous reaction began with my nipple hardening and my back arching slightly, all while a soft moan rolled from my lips. When I glanced down, Lewis was looking at me, and for a second, I forgot where I was and who I was.

 Lani cleared her throat, pulling my attention to her. The look on her face said all you needed to know. She was liking the way things were going.

 When I shied away from Lani and Lewis, I tested out a few of the slot machines wanting to try your luck there. It took some time for your streak to start, but there was no stopping it once it did. You struck gold every time you pulled down the handle on the side of the machine.

“Either you’ve got the Midas touch, or you’re rigging the machine.”

 You turned and saw Lewis standing there looking at the machine.

 “How would I have rigged it?”

 He shrugged and leaned on the seat I was sitting in. “There are ways.”

 “I just have the Midas, I guess.”

 Lewis smiled and nodded. “Looks like it. How much have you won today?”

 “More than you make in a month,” I teased.

 The laugh Lewis let out brought so many eyes to us, and he didn’t seem to care. I liked that he didn’t pay attention to others and focused on being himself.

 “Wow, you have quite the sass, huh.”

 I shrugged and pulled the lever again. We watched the screen as the images rolled in, showing off another win.

 “I should keep you by my side at all times. You just may be the luckiest woman I’ve ever met.”

 Before I could answer, another voice to my left drew my attention.

 “I second that.”

 He was tall, with a perfect jawline that was so chiseled it could have cut steel. His eyes were a deep green close to the color of seaweed, and his smile said he should work as a game show host or something.

 “Name’s Brian. I couldn’t help but watch you. You’re gorgeous.”

 On your right, Lewis scoffed in such a way there was no misinterpreting what it meant.

 “Uh—Lynix,” I replied.

 “Such an exotic name, almost reminds me of a Lynx cat, of course, sexier,” Brian added.

 “Oh boy, here we go,” Lewis chimed in. I glanced at him with a curious look, wondering why he was acting like this.

 “You are?”

 Lewis turned to the newcomer crossing his arms over his chest, making his biceps pop in the polo shirt he wore.

 “Don’t worry about all that. No one asked you to come over here.”

 My jaw dropped because that sound a lot like possessiveness. Brian stood tall and turned to Lewis as well.

 “Who can stay away from a beautiful woman like her? All I wanted to do was get next to greatness,” Brian slid in, making me smile. He was smooth. Looking at Lewis’s face, he didn’t look amused.

 Right when Lewis was about to say something, Lani came by giving Brian the once over.

 “What’s going on?”

 “Nothing,” I answered before Lewis could. Lani looked at me then, Brian. It was her asking if she wanted him gone. I slightly shook my head. I wanted to play this out.

 “Who’s your friend?”

 “This is Brian. He was just about to take me for a drink. Right, Brian?”

 Brian looked surprised by that, but not for long. A few seconds after I said it, his smile spread again.

 “Absolutely.” He held out his arm and waited for me to take it. When I did, I glanced at Lewis, whose jaw was clenched and eyes blazing. You knew a displeased man when you saw one, and he was definitely displeased.

While I had a drink with Brian at one of the bars and listened to him talk about his time in Vegas, I saw Lani and Lewis at the bar as well. They were drinking and whispering, having a grand ol’ time, but every so often, Lewis glanced over to you with the only annoyed look on his face. When he did, Lani looked amused, giving me a look that said she peeped it. Halfway through my drink, my phone went off.

 MSG Lani: Pity fuck huh. 🙄 

 I looked at her, narrowed my eyes then gave her the same eye roll she gave me in text. She wasn’t funny, not one bit. However, she might have a point, I thought. As I continued my conversation, Lani and Lewis came over to join you. Lani went on Brian’s right while Lewis came up to your left. He was close enough for me to smell the dark rum that swirled with his cologne. While Lani talked to Brian, he focused all his attention on her.

 “Another horny mistake?”

 His voice was a whisper that made it easier to smell the rum he was drinking. Lewis took another sip from his heavy crystal glass, but he didn’t look at me. He kept his eyes on the plethora of bottles decorating the wall of the bar.

 “Who said I was horny?”

 Lewis then looked at me and smirked. “Aren’t you?”

 I looked over the features of his face and got lost on his lips. They looked soft and well cared for.

 Jesus, I’m lusting.

 “Are you?”

 Lewis took another sip then sucked in a slow breath through his mouth. He didn’t speak for several moments. He just stared into my eyes like he was looking for something.

 “If you only knew,” Lewis whispered before looking away to finish his glass of Rum this time.

 “I’m sure Lani can help with that. There are plenty of corners, although I doubt you two need corners or privacy.”

 In seconds you felt Lewis’s breath on my ear. “What do you need, Nix?”

 Holy Shit!

 Though I tried, I couldn’t get any words to pass my lips. Not one.

 “All you have to do is say the words, tell me,” Lewis whispered again, his lips softly grazing my ear.

 My heart was racing so fast that I was sure there was no way he didn’t hear it. I was also sure that he could smell my arousal. I was that wet. Someone’s phone went off, and the unexpected sound broke the tension of the moment. Clearing my throat, I stood and adjusted my skirt.

 “Dinner. I think we should get to dinner,” I stuttered, walking away.

 I needed to get upstairs to that bedside drawer, and I needed to get there now. The car ride was the longest. As I sat there beside Lani, I couldn’t stop squirming. Every move I made, the slickness between my legs only turned me on more.  

 MSG: Did you tell him?

MSG Lani: Tell who what?

MSG: Don’t play innocent with me, Lani. Did you tell him?

 Lani looked at me, and I narrowed my eyes. There was no way she didn’t bring up her threesome plan to him. He’d gone from mildly seductive just from his aura to extremely panty soaking in one day. Lani rolled her eyes and tapped into her phone.

 MSG Lani: I did, but before you get mad, it wasn’t any serious. I just said I mentioned it to you.

MSG: Lani!

MSG Lani: Don’t be mad. It’s no big deal.

MSG: What did you say?

MSG Lani: That I’d asked, and you turned me down. He wanted to know why, and I said you had your reasons.

 I didn’t fully believe her.

 MSG Lani: I promise it’s no big deal.

 Sighing, I slipped my phone between my knees, leaned back, and willed the car to hurry up.

 Once we got back to the hotel, Lani said she’d meet us upstairs because she wanted to book a spa treatment for tomorrow. I didn’t need to be told twice. The elevator ride with Lewis wasn’t uncomfortable; it was more tense than anything else. Both of our eyes remained on the changing dial as the floors ticked away. Neither of us spoke. When I did have the courage to look over at him, I saw that his jaw clenched, his arms crossed, but his back was straight as an arrow.

 Unexpectedly Lewis looked over to me, and it felt like he was daring me to do something. His lips were curled into a sly sort of smile before he bit his bottom lip. My belly fluttered, making me drop my eyes, but when I did, it landed it on something unexpected. The bugle in his pants had almost all of your reserve falling, leaving only one measly ounce. Thankfully, the doors opened into the hall leading to the penthouse. I made a mad dash toward the door and inside. Not sparing another look at Lewis, I hightailed it to my bedroom.

 Once inside, I stripped and hurried into the shower, hoping that the water would help with the slickness I felt that only fueled my arousal even more. It was next to impossible to stop thinking about someone bending me over in the shower, but somehow you managed to focus on getting clean rather than getting dirtier.

 After my shower, I only felt less wet but still horny as ever. I was barely able to get through putting on my makeup. My hands kept shaking at the worst times, and my concentration was shot to shit. I’d wanted my makeup to match the dress I planned on wearing, but I couldn’t even get that together for the life of me.

 “Get your shit together, Nix.”

 Another few minutes found me just giving up on the elaborate eye makeup I’d wanted and dropping my brush in frustration. I rested my forehead on my hand and took a few deep breaths.

 “Fuck it!”

 I got up, walked over to my bed, and laid down. Once I reached inside the drawer to get my vibrator. Instead of using it our the gate, I slipped my fingers between my legs, only becoming half surprised to find I was already as wet as I’d been before I got into the shower. I ran my fingers up and down my slickened slit once, then twice and third. Each time I shuddered from the delicate pleasure that rolled through me. A soft but husky moan escaped my throat.

 Dipping my fingers into my heat, I brought the slickness back to my clit and circled the desperate bud. It wasn’t long before I’d closed my eyes and focused on the pleasure that was increasing by leaps and bounds with each passing second. Dripping my thighs back to the bed, I sped my movements making tight circles rather than the bigger ones from before.

 “Oh my god, yes!”

 There was no way I was going to last much longer. I could already feel the tension filling the pit of my stomach. Dipping my fingers back inside my cavern, I used them to replicate what I imagined Lewis did. At the thought of him, my eyes flew open to stare at the ceiling. While Lani was giving him head, I hadn’t been able to see just what he was blessed with. The only indication I’d gotten was from the constant gagging Lani did. She had said that he was more endowed than anyone she’d been with. I was curious now.

 My fingers had sped their plunge, and with it, so did the moans that fell from my lips. Soon your moans and whimpers cascaded from you. By the time I wondered if Lewis could hear me, I was too far gone. It was then I looked down my body to find Lewis at the door watching me. I should have screamed and clamped my legs shut or even hid from shame or embarrassment, but I didn’t do any of that.

 Instead, I bit my bottom lip and slowly took my fingers from my body to bring them back to my clit.

 “Mmmm, yes.”

Lewis took a few steps more into my room and toward the bed. Our eyes never left one another, and the longer he stared, the more turned on you were becoming. When Lewis made it to the bed's foot, his eyes dropped to your sex, and another whimper escaped you.

“Fuck!”

 His voice was strangled, and his eyes on fire. Earlier it looked like it was anger or annoyance, but now it was neither of those.

 “Fuck, you’re beautiful, Nix.”

 Lewis dropped to the floor, coming eye level with your sex. He then took a deep inhale.

 “Mmmm, you smell incredible. Do you taste as good as you smell?”

 The combination of his voice and his words had my back arch slightly off the bed.

 “Does it feel good, Nix?”

 I nodded.

 “Tell me how good.”

 “So—So—good.”

 Lewis groaned, focused on your pussy. He looked almost transfixed. After a few seconds, his jaw dropped, and I could have sworn I saw a little drool at the corner of his mouth, but before it dribbled, he closed it again.

 “Goddamn, you’re so wet. Be a good girl and show me.”

 I brought my hand away, dipped it into my heat, and pulled it back to show him the slickness that coated my fingers. I heard an audible growl fill the room. The fact that it came from him only ruined me more. Dipping my fingers back inside, I did what I knew would get me off.

 “That’s right. Fuck that pussy, Sunshine. Show me how you like it.”

 Bringing my other hand into the mix, I circled my clit then looked at Lewis again. He looked like he’d inched closer, and I wanted him to bury his face in to take over.

 “Mmm, you’re so tight, I can tell. Spread that pussy open for me.”

 Doing as I was told, I spread it, but I never slowed the tight circles around my clit. I was so close.

 “You’re gonna come? Come for me, Nix. Let me see how beautiful you are when you come.”

 My whimpers turned into whines, and my tight circles turned sloppy and staggered as did the speed of my fingers thrusting in and out of my sopping core. In seconds my toes curled, and I’d bent off the bed as if I was a bridge.

 “Fuck, fuck, fuck Lewis!”

My body shook for several long moments as I rode the waves of ecstasy and relished the tingles that spread through my body. I’d been holding a lot of tension, and now I could feel the little bubbles popping in thin air as they exited my body. When I looked back at Lewis, he was so close. Inching up, I withdrew me soaked digits and brought them to Lewis’s lips. Without needing to be told, he opened his mouth and sucked each and every one of my fingers clean.

 “Mmm, you taste amazing. Let me clean you up and eat that pretty pussy baby. I want it so bad.”

 That was what you wanted to. It amazed you how badly you wanted him to clean up the mess you’d made of yourself. As you opened your mouth to speak, you heard Lani shout your name. Lewis looked as if he’d found his senses. He rubbed his forehead and sighed before he stood from your bed foot.

 “I’m—sorry.”

 With that, he was gone. Though you were satisfied, I could feel the heat rising again.

 An hour later found me dressed, collected, and at a steakhouse with Lani and Lewis. Thank to my release, my body was more relaxed now, but my mind was a chaotic erotic nightmare. I couldn’t stop replaying what happened in my bedroom and he gall I’d had to feed him my fingers to clean off. The fire I’d seen in his eyes and the yearning I’d head in his voice was something I hadn’t expected.

 Would it really be a pity fuck?

 Lani flirted with Lewis using her seductive touches and whispers, and I could tell that he was hanging on but barely. Deciding to toy with him a little, I did what Lani did, but more subtly. When she ate off his plate, I did too. When she held his hand on top of the table, I slyly allowed my body to touch him underneath the table. When Lani leaned into him, I leaned over him to take a piece of food from Lani’s plate. The whole time I knew that he could see my cleavage.

 By the time we’d moved on to dessert, Lewis was the one squirming and downing his drink like his thirst was unquenchable. I loved seeing him squirm. He thought he had this power and control. He needed to be humbled to realize just which sex had the power in the world. When Lewis went to talk to the owner of the restaurant, I filled Lani in and tried to get whatever information she had. I knew she couldn’t be an innocent bystander, and she wasn’t.

 “I can’t believe you told him that.”

 Lani nodded. I saw the remnants of his drink and finished the glass.  The burn of the dark liquor was intense against my tongue.

 “So, he’s been acting like this all day on purpose?”

 “Lani smirked, giving the answer away. I couldn’t help but snort, bringing my hand to my head, smacking myself.

 “If you needed more evidence that you’re attracted to him or him attracted to you, then you have this entire day. Hell, you have the casino.”

 I looked at Lani silently, asking her to continue.

 “I saw how he was when that guy came over and flirted. Lewis can keep his cool about a lot of things, but I can always tell when he’s jealous.”

 “Jealous!? Lani, get real. That’s yo man. He wouldn’t be jealous.”

 Lani pulled me closer to her and rested her chin on my shoulder. “Why do you think I was so adamant about you coming this weekend?”

 Glancing to her, my brows crinkled, wondering what the hell she was talking about.

 “As I said, I’m only cool with sharing with you. A while ago, I knew Lew would like you, and I couldn’t think of anything better than having you by my side while we have some fun.”

 Snorting, I shook my head. “Lani--,” I began.

 “Stop frontin. You know you like him. You know this whole day you’ve been horny and wet for him.”

 At that moment, a thought filled me, making me gasp loudly, snapping my head to Lani.

 “Oh my god, did you put him up to this Nalani?”

 “Damn, my whole name, huh.”

 “You did!”

 I dropped my forehead into my hands while resting my elbows on the table. I couldn’t believe this. It kind of felt like my best friend was pimping me out to her sexy as hell fuck buddy.

 “Lani, you’re pimping me out.”

 “I am not. Think of this as more than sex. This could be something.”

 Rolling my eyes, I sighed, “Like what, a contractual fuck buddies situation?”

 “Shut up. No. Like he flies us where he goes, and we soak up the culture of the world while enjoying his company and the perks of it,” Lani explained, raising her eyebrows for emphasis.

 “Oh my god. We don’t need anyone to help us soak up the culture of the world, Lani. We do good on our own.”

 “True. It’s just—sometimes, it’d be nice if someone took care of us the way we take care of ourselves. Ya’ know?”

 I did know. I understood her completely. While it was great being able to do things and get things for yourself, it was also nice to be taken care of by someone on a different level. Sighing, I sat back and pondered her words. She had a point. Maybe I needed to just give in to what I really wanted. From across the restaurant, I could see Lewis talking to the owner. They were laughing like they’d been long time friends. The comfort between the two was evident. When he glanced back to Lani and me and pointed us out, the owner said something to him with a smile on his face—a smile Lewis returned with a nod.

 “Let’s head out. I think we can find a club that’s more up to our speed,” I said to Lani, raising one of my eyebrows.

 The excitement on Lani’s face said it all. She knew what time it was.

 When Lewis came back over, we took a picture with the owner. Lani and I were in front, stooping down like the Charlie’s Angel’s Charlie’s Angels wished they could be, while the two of them stood behind us. It was a dope picture.

 In the car, I whispered to the driver where to take us while Lani distracted him so he wouldn’t suspect a thing. Thankfully the drive wasn’t too long since everything in Sin City was in short distance. When the car pulled up, and we piled out, I watched Lewis’s jaw drop when he saw the name of the establishment.

 Treasures.

 Lewis looked at both Lani and me as if we’d grown a pair of extra heads. Lani wrapped her arm around my waist and led me to the door.

 “Enter if you dare,” I teased, walking inside with a giggling Lani.

Once inside, we waited for Lewis to catch up. It was only a few seconds before he was behind us, draping his arms over both our shoulders.

 “Now, why would you ladies lure me here?”

 “Lure? Did we lure, Nix?”

 “Not at all. If we were to lure you, it would look like this.” I began turning around to face him while walking backward.

 “Are you coming?”

 Lani was the first to join my side, and then Lewis did the same with a wide smile. We walked to one of the empty lounges and sat with him in the middle.

 “Hi there, welcome to Treasures. I’m Pinky,” began a beautiful woman with pink hair, cheek piercings, and deep brown eyes.

  As I looked lower over her mahogany skin, my eyes couldn’t help but take in her incredible breasts that were barely concealed by her bedazzled bikini top. I didn’t know if they were implants of natural, but it didn’t matter. I bet they brought in plenty of horny men.

 “Hello, Pinky,” Lewis replied, leaning back on the lounger with a smile.

 “What can I get you three? Food, drinks, one of the girls?”

 Lewis looked at Lani, then me licked his lips and smiled again. “Whatever you ladies want.”

 Lani and I exchanged looks for a few moments communicating nonverbally.

 “How about a bottle of dark rum to get us started and maybe a girl for a dance,” Lani requested.

 “Sure thing? Any preference?”

 Lani and I smiled and replied, “Black and beautiful.”

 Lewis chuckled, “I third that.”

 When Pinky left, Lani leaned to Lewis and took out something rolled from his sports jacket's inner pocket. Lewis offered her the light, and I watched as she took a few puffs then released the smoke. When she did, I could tell just what it was.

 “Who knew weed was your cup of tea,” I said, leaning back and crossing my legs.

 “Ha, there’s plenty you don’t know about me,” Lewis answered before he took a few puffs of his own. When he finished, he held it out to me.

 “Let’s hope by the time the sun comes up; you know me a lot better.”

 Those were more than empty words. I took the blunt and took several long drags from it, closing my eyes to allow the substance to work its way to my brain.

 Who knows, the odds of that statement becoming true were getting more and more likely.

 Fifteen or so minutes later, once the three of you had the bottle of rum open and taking turns gulping from the three hundred dollar bottle, a dancer named Lioness was doing her thing on the small table before us. Her outfit was perfect and showed off all her best assets—everything. When she approached Lani, she shook her ass in her face, to which Lani slapped one of her cheeks. Almost instantly, she gasped and held her hands back in an apologetic way. Lioness didn’t seem angry; instead, she sat in Lani’s lap and proceeded to give her a lapdance. Lani’s squeals said she was having a good time.

 “Oh no,” I whined, holding up the blunt that was now too small to hold.

 “Not to worry, sunshine, daddy’s got more,” Lewis said, showing the inside of his jacket.

 I smiled and reached for one coming even closer to his face. Glancing up, our eyes met, and that’s where they stayed.

 “You’re blazed,” Lewis said with a wide smile, one I returned.

 “Don’t laugh at me.”

 His smile softened, and his hand came to my cheek. “I’m not babygirl. I have better things I’d rather do than laugh at you.”

 From the side, I saw Lani nod her head, and Lioness approaching like a predator coming for her prey.

 “I hope this lapdance is one of them,” I said, nudging my head, making him look back to see Lioness approach to dance in front of him.

 “Wow.”

 Lewis leaned back and looked over her body, which gave me the time to light the new blunt. After taking a few puffs, Lani whined for her turn. We traded her for the blunt and me for the Rum. When Lioness sat in Lewis’s lap, he laughed. While he looked to be having a good time, he didn’t look to be on the brink of losing control. I got up and slinked around Lioness to Lani. As she took a puff, she held it out to me to take one. After I did, I gulped a mouthful of rum and moaned as it burned its path down my throat.

 Lani stood and began swaying to the music in front of you. The instrumental version of Desperado was blaring in the club with a slowed-down dub. It sounded a lot more seductive than the original.  Lani took the rum and handed me the blunt. As I took another drag, I leaned my head back and moaned. When I looked over to Lewis on the couch, his eyes weren’t on Lioness. They were on Lani and me. That was when the most devious idea popped into my head. Whispering to Lani to clue her in, she looked at me and gave me her sinister smile.

 I dug into my clutch, took out a few bills, then walked over to Lioness, tucked it into her jeweled thong, and whispered a thank you. Her smile was soft. She got the hint. Lani and I walked toward Lewis, held out our hands, and waited for him to take the bait. It wasn’t long before he did. Pulling him to us, Lewis’s body collided with ours.

 “Not interested in the dancer, baby?”

 Lewis smiled, took the blunt from my lips, and took a long pull from it then smiled.

 “How can I be when you two are right in front of me.”

“I think he wants a show of his own, Lani.”

 Her smile widened before she bit her bottom lip. “Then follow us, daddy. We’ll give you a show you’ll never forget.”

 Lewis’s smile slipped as he looked between the two of us. We’d sure gotten his undivided attention now. We turned then walked away to one of the rooms that were marked “private.”

 Once inside, the mirrored walls threw our reflections back. I walked to the mirror and fluffed my hair, and rubbed my lips together. My body was tingling, which was normal for when I drank and smoked. It was a pleasant tingle, one that had me feeling loose.

 “Oh Nixy,” Lani sing-songed making me turn to see her at the music player.

 The song that she’d chosen was a personal favorite. She walked to me while circling her hips. Once to me, she walked around me once, then went around to my back and placed her hand on my hip. Following her rhythm, I circled my hips with her and handed her the rum bottle. As she drank, I bent forward just a little, poking my ass out and onto her. Lani quickly slapped my ass, making me laugh. Soon we were both giggle loudly until Lewis’s figure in the center of the room caught our eye.

 “Forgot about me?”

 “Never, daddy,” Lani said as she walked to him, making me follow.

 Once in front of him, Lani rolled her hips, turning her back to him to bend forward. Lewis groaned then slapped her ass, making her moan. When he looked at me, I walked to his back then bent over his shoulder, making my breast press against him. Looking at him, I saw the desire in his eyes. I smiled and took the blunt from him, then went beside Lani. As I puffed, she went behind me to trail her hands down the center of my body until she turned me to her. The look on her face was easy to read.

 We both looked at Lewis before our lips met in a slow and teasing kiss. This wasn’t the first time we’d kissed. It wasn’t a big deal for either of us. When we pulled apart, we both looked back to Lewis and blew out the smoke we’d transferred and split. He didn’t look like he was breathing, but the bulge in his pants said he was alive.

 “Like what you see, daddy?”

 “Come here, princess.”

 Lani walked to Lewis. Once she was before him, he pulled her down by the back of her neck and kissed her intensely, making a slow heat roll through your belly and across your limbs. Before the kiss got too hot, he pulled away, looked at me, and smiled.

 “You too, sunshine.”

 I slowly walked toward him and stood beside Lani again. He didn’t touch me, though. His eyes slowly roamed my body, drinking in every curve. Lani sat on one of Lewis’s spread thighs.

 “Dance for us, Nix.”

 Not needing to be told twice, I turned my back to them and swayed to the music and slowly wined my hips, bringing myself to the floor to slowly stand up while bending, giving them a good view of my ass.

 “Goddamn, girl,” Lewis groaned out before he moaned.  

 Looking back at them, I winked then faced them to continue my seductive dance. Lani stood and joined me, poking out her ass onto me. I brought my hand down to return the slap she’d given me earlier. The action had her moaning. Slowly I brought my hands up her body, all the while never taking my eyes off of Lewis. He smiled and blew out the smoke making the room even hazier. With every breath I took, my high was only increasing, and my inhibitions decreasing. Bringing my lips to Lani’s ears, I whispered.

 “Let’s do it.”

 By the time we made it back to the penthouse, we were all higher than before and laughing up a storm. Once inside, Lani was the one to shout for the pool before she took off. Lewis was right behind her, leaving me to walk behind them. When I got outside, they’d already gotten into the pool, and Lani was in Lewis’s arms. The two were heavily making out. Their moans echoed off the water, leaving me to stand and watch for a few moments.

 When their eyes turned to me, Lani slipped from his arms to disappear under the water. His eyes drank you in, and the way he looked at me made boy heart race, my belly knot, and my sex quiver.

“The water’s great. Come in,” Lewis beckoned as he approached the edge of the pool.

I stood at the edge, watching him swim to me. Before he got there, he stopped, and I could see Lani under the water claiming his cock as her mouth’s possession. She sure wasted no time, I thought. Lewis moaned then rolled his neck. With his head dropped back, I was able to take in the way his shoulders stretched out and how his arms were the perfect combination of power and beauty. The glow of the blue light that was in and around the pool only accentuated his sexiness. When Lewis looked at me, I was about ready to see what the fuck Lani’s screams were all about and if he deserved such praise.

 I unzipped the side of the dress and allowed it to fall from my body to reveal the neon green of my lacy thong.

 “Jesus, you’re gonna kill me, sunshine.”

 I sat at the edge and dangled my legs in the water, and watched the wavy image of Lani, giving him head.

 “She sure can hold her breath long.”

 Lewis smiled and bucked his hips forward. Lani came up a few seconds later.

 “Lew, not fair. You could have killed me,” Lani whined to a smiling Lewis.

 “Look.”

 Lani looked back at me and smiled. Lewis leaned to her ear and spoke. “Told you, daddy would make you get what you wanted.”

 Lani smiled wider and swam to me. When she got close, she flung water at me, leaving it to train down my body. Lani hopped up onto the stone beside me and sat down as well. She was completely naked.

 “I remember these,” Lani began snapping the waistband of my thong.

 “You should. It was barely two weeks ago we got them,” I replied.

 “They still look cute on you, especially against your skin. Uugh, so fucking gorgeous, right daddy.”

 Our eyes went back to Lewis, who still hadn’t moved. His eyes were looking between us as if he didn’t know what to say or do. He slowly approached us, then stopped. His eyes roamed my naked upper half until they dripped to the garment in question. When I saw him bite his bottom lip, he nodded.

 “So fucking gorgeous.”

 I couldn’t help but smile. He had a way with words.

 “Can I?”

 He looked as if he were holding his breath, waiting for my answer. When I nodded, he closed the gap between us. Trailing his finger from my shin up over my knee and along my thigh, they reached the waistband of my underwear, and he snapped them purposefully. Lewis kissed my knee then moved over to Lani. He hoisted her legs out of the water, pressed them back, and got up close and personally with her pussy.

 His eyes locked with mine before he licked along her sex, making her moan. He did it again and again, then sucked Lani’s clit into his mouth. Her gasp was loud. He sucked her like there was no tomorrow, and with every move he made, Lani whimpered before her hand dropped to the top of his head.

 “Right there, daddy.”

 As he lapped at her core, he kept his eyes on me. The longer he gave her pleasure, the wetter I became, and the wetter I became, the more I wanted him to touch me. After several long minutes, he still hadn’t, and my frustration was beginning to show. Cupping my breast, I tweaked my nipple at the same time Lani’s whines increased.

 “Fuck, you’re gonna make me come, daddy. Right there!”

 Lewis’s eyes were dark, and when he pulled back from Lani, his lips were wet. Lani whined.

 “Lewwww!”

 He dropped a slap to her clit, silencing her completely while having her drop her head back.

 “Oh, fuck.”

 Lewis smiled and came back over to me while cleaning his lips.

 “Do you remember what I told you this afternoon?”

 Thinking back, I remembered. When he saw that I had, he smiled again.

 “All you have to do is say the words,” Lewis repeated.

 The way he looked at me only solidified my decision and fueled my desire.

 “I want you,” I said. His smile widened, but he didn’t move.

 “While I love the way that sounds. Those aren’t the words.”

 “Lew, you know she wants you just--.”

 Again Lewis slapped Lani’s clit, and her body jerked, and a hand instinctively dropped between her legs. Lewis shot her a warning look, and in seconds she’s put her hands back on the stone surface. Lewis looked back at me and released a breath.

 “I want you to fuck me.”

 Lewis smiled, showing his perfect teeth. He approached, sliding his hands over my thighs to the waistband of the thong to pull it off of me. When he did, he tossed it behind him, not caring where it landed.

 “Show me that pretty pussy, sunshine.”

 You spread your legs but not entirely. Lewis tsked.

 “I know you can do better than that.”

 I fully spread them and watched him gawk at me like he hadn’t seen it before. When he brought his lips to my skin, he kissed my inner thighs, prolonging my desperate need for contact.

 “You’re so wet, babygirl. Is this for me?”

 I bit my bottom lip and nodded. “All for you,” I whispered.

 “Mmm, I’ve been thinking about this pussy all day.”

 Once the words were out, Lewis buried his face between my thighs. Once I felt his lips, I dropped my head back to the stone and allowed the pleasure he gave me without much effort to fill me. Moaning loudly, my body quivered. Cupping my breast, I tweaked my nipple again, edging my arousal higher.

 “Fuck I was right. You do taste incredible.”

 Lewis quickly flicked his tongue against my clit, making me whimper louder. It felt as if his tongue moved at lightning pace, and with every flick, he somehow made my body even hotter. I felt like I was on fire, but I didn’t hate it. I loved it. Dropping my hand to his head, I held on because I felt the stirs of an unexpected orgasm. Lewis moaned against my skin, making me tumble off the into ecstasy.

 “Fuuuuck!”

 My scream was not alone. Looking to my right, I saw Lewis plunging his fingers in and out of Lani’s core as his mouth still worked magic on you. Lani panted, writhed, and screeched.

 “Yes, daddy. I’m gonna come. Yes!”

 Lewis didn’t slow his fingers or his tongue. Instead, he continued and sucked the soul out of your body while having Lani cream all over his fingers.

 When he pulled back, we laid there panting, trying to catch our breath. Once I did, I looked down, expecting to see Lewis, but only saw an empty pool. Looking to my right, I watched as he approached in all his glory, finally getting my answer I’d been wondering about. He was hunger better than Seabiscuit.

 “Holy Fuck, Lani.”

 “I’ve been trying to tell you.”

 “No need to tell her anything. Seeing is believing. Your knees,” Lewis instructed.

 Lani seemed to know the drill, but I did not. I watched Lani get on her knees then I looked back at Lewis. He just watched me and waited for me to obey. I mirrored Lani and feasted my eyes on his manhood. It looked heavy, long, and thick. Lord have mercy, I thought.

 “I know you want this princess. Do you, babygirl?”

 Deciding not to answer, I wrapped my hand around his shaft, drawing a strangled groan from Lewis. It was as heavy as it looked. I ran my hand up and down, familiarizing myself with him, then I tipped my tongue out to swirl around his swollen head.

 “Aaah, yes, babygirl,” Lewis whispered before he whimpered.

 I moaned on him then dipped my mouth down his length taking him as far as I dared. Lodging him in my throat, I tightened it and hummed. Lewis groaned deeply, then laced his hands behind my head, keeping him snugly where he wanted to be. When his groan turned to a whimper, he released me, making me pull back to catch my breath.

 Lani rose onto her knees and took over, mirroring her same movements from the night I’d seen her. Instead of sitting there and letting her have all the fun, I dipped under her mouth to capture one of his balls in my mouth to suck on it gently. Lewis sighed out long and loud and placed a hand on the back of both Lani’s and my head.

 “Mmm, that’s it. Suck this dick, Lani.”

 She moaned her acceptance.

 “Mmm, yes, Nix. Just like that.”

 Lani pulled back, and we switched positions. For the next few minutes, Lani and I alternated between her at his balls and me on his dick and vise versa. When Lewis pulled away and stepped back, he helped us up and led us upstairs to the bedroom. Once inside, Lewis pulled me into his body to kiss my lips. His moved expertly over mine, sucking, nibbling, and teasing as he pleased. When he wrapped his tongue around mine, I moaned, clinging to him.

As I was getting used to kiss—our first, Lewis abruptly pushed me onto the bed. While he kissed Lani with the same fire he’d kissed me. When he came over to kneel on the bed, I watched him stroke himself. The way he did it had my mouth watering. I knew what was next, and I wanted it so badly my sex quivered.

 “You ready for this dick, Nix?”

 I nodded.

 “I can’t hear you. Tell daddy how bad you want this dick.”

 Nah!

 I dropped my hands between my legs, bringing his attention to it, and circled my clit. That was when I spread my lips so he could see just what he was doing to me. Lewis groaned but didn’t tear his eyes away.

 “Are you ready for this pussy, Lewis?”

 Lani giggled behind me from her spot on the bed by my head. Her laughter only emboldened me.

 “Hmm? I can’t hear you.” I dipped a finger inside my heat and raised it to my lips to suck it clean.

 “Mmm, this pussy is so good. Do you want it?”

 Lewis smiled then hovered over me to take one of my nipples into his mouth to swirl his tongue around the peak before nibbling down. I whimpered again then squirmed when I felt him swipe his cock across my slit.

 “Lani was right about you,” Lewis whispered.

 “I told you, daddy. I hope you can handle two of a kind,” Lani teased.

 Lewis leaned over my head and kissed Lani fervently. The view from underneath was a sensual one, and as I was getting lost in it, Lewis thrust forward, connecting our bodies in one swift move.

 “Fuck!”

 Lewis and I shouted the same thing at the same time. With him buried to the hilt, he didn’t move. He waited, allowing me to adjust to the size and girth of him. The stretch was the most sinfully delicious thing I’d ever felt. Unable to take the maddening pressure, I began pushing Lewis back at his hips, but he didn’t budge.

 “Oh no babygirl, don’t push me away. Take this dick. You wanted it, right?”

 With that, he retreated only to thrust forward again, nudging that special spot within me.

 “I can’t hear you? You gonna tap out?”

 Another retreat and thrust forward sent my breasts swinging and my head angling back.

 “We’ve just begun. You hadn’t even screamed my name yet.”

 Another retreat and thrust forward had me clenching around him and panting to catch my breath.

 “Fuck, Nix. You’re so fucking tight. It’s taking everything not to come.”

 Three thrusts followed, and before Lewis slowly rolled his hips, making me moan deeply.

 I could tell he wasn’t going to go slow anymore, and a few moments later, it was like a beast was released. His thrusts sped, his moans increased as did mine.

 “Mmm, Sit that pussy on her face, princess. Give her a taste of what’s mine.”

 Lani looked at me, seeking permission. Giving her a slight nod, she moved to angle herself over my mouth. This is a first, I thought to myself as I tipped my tongue out to lick across her flesh. Lani moaned softly, making me do the action again and again. After teasing her flesh, for a few moments, I sucked Lani’s clit into my mouth. It was an interesting experience, to say the least, but it wasn’t one I was against.

 Lani jerked forward before she cursed.

 “I got you, princess. Does it feel good?”

 “Mmm, yes, daddy, it feels good.”

 “Is she licking that pussy, right?”

 Lani exclaimed again as I pulled her lower onto my mouth so I could have more access. Mimicking the same thing Lewis did to me, I flicked my tongue against her in a pattern of flicks and swirls, each pattern changing, never the same. Lani whimpered and hissed.

 “Fuck, Nix. That feels so good.”

 Lewis’s thrusts sped, and my whimpers picked up, breaking my concentration from what I was doing.

 “Shit, you’re close huh, babygirl,” Lewis said through clenched teeth.

 Before I knew it, a violent orgasm was ripping through me, making me see stars, rainbows, heaven, and hell. That was when Lani began bucking against my mouth, using my lips as her personal toys.

 “Shit, I’m coming too,” Lani screeched out.

 Lewis pulled from me, then rolled me to the side, pulling Lani to him to plunge into her depths.

 “Fuck, Lew!”

 He groaned loudly and set a fast pace. He had no intention of going slow.

 “Your turn, babygirl.”

 I knew what he was instructing. Crawling to Lani, she nodded at me, allowing me to swing my leg over her face while still kneeling with my ass facing Lewis.

 “Clean her up for me, princess.”

 Lani sucked my sex into her mouth and lapped at mine and Lewis’s combined juices, instantly making me moan and whimper. As Lani moaned her pleasure, I dropped my head to the bed and focused on the orgasm that was bubbling within me. Lewis’s hand dropped to my ass, making me whimper again.

 “Goddamn, this ass is something else!”

 He slapped it again, this time a lot harder than I felt his lips against the most taboo part of me, which made me fling my head back. Not only was Lani underneath me making it damn hard for me to go back to strictly dick, but Lewis was behind me, showing me the pleasure I’d been missing out on.

 That was the last straw for me before I came undone. Dropping to the bed on my stomach, I tried to catch my breath from the sheer force of my orgasm. Lewis kissed my ass, then rolled to the side to lay on his back. The three of us panted in the elegance of the room. I don’t know how many minutes passed before any of us moved, but when I moved, I saw the sun rising through the window and groaned.

 “Oh god, the sun, make it stop,” I whined.

 “Two of a kind indeed, Lewis said on a scoff before he clapped his hands, bringing the blinds to a close, darkening the room.

 We all slithered to the covers slipping underneath them. Lewis laid in the middle while Lani and I climbed on either side of him. When I rested my head on the pillow, I sighed, and Lewis kissed my cheek.

 “Thank you for putting us out of our misery,” he whispered into my ear, making me smirk before I rolled my eyes to focus on sleep. I was exhausted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TagList:

@maxcullen @night-of-the-living-shred @chaneajoyyy @queenoftheworldisdead @shar74nett @raveviolet @dangerouslovefanfic @caramara3 @sonjashuterbugjohnson @emjayewrites @blumeesworld @tashawar @thevintagelover @nachtaiwrites @imanerdychubbyqueen @tinydramatist  @aquarious-smr-writing @ellixthea @kaiya- ch4n @zeelmol @xsweetdellzx @labella420 @coldmuffinbanditshoe @areubeingserved @caplover22​

Chapter Four, the final chapter will be on @munteanhorewrites page.

[vminity21]

Even in the Rain | knj [Part 1]

Pairing: friend!Namjoon X female!reader, exboyfriend!Jimin X bakeryreviewer!reader, friendshiptolovers!au, bakery!au, forbiddenlove!au

Word Count: 18,482

Genre: Fluff/Angst

Warning(s):  foul language use, angst involving an ex-boyfriend, mention of alcohol on multiple occasions, mention of infidelity, mention of smoking, eventual smut (potentially in part 2), slow burn, taehyung and jimin are jerks in the story, based on the kdrama, Something in the Rain, i do not own the rights or the show; Rated: pg 13

Summary: Namjoon has been in love with you for what seems like forever. Despite you being five years older, him being your best friend’s brother, on top of your brother, Kim Seokjin, being one of Namjoon’s best friends- nothing will stop him from getting you to notice him, and he also will not let your relentless ex-boyfriend stand in the way of him winning your heart. You, on the other hand, an observer of bakeries notices the feelings Namjoon is starting to etch upon your heart; amidst this budding love, your mind is also confused upon the strange incidents happening between the bakeries planning to franchise together. But, who would want to jeopardize the businesses?

Credit to: @suhdays​ for such a beautiful cover!

The dreary clouds serenade the atmosphere with panging rain droplets while a faint brush of a sigh escapes your lips. Shoving loose hair from your ponytail behind your ears, you steady the umbrella above you- knuckles white from the grip you have on the handle. Once again, you’re scheduled to observe Jeon’s Bakery in downtown Busan- a thriving shop owned by the richest couple ever known, soon being passed down to their eldest son, Jung-hyun, whom you’ve had the pleasure of knowing throughout the years.

Stepping into the bakery- the cozy atmosphere brings a warmth you’ve been needing since you woke up this morning- shaking your umbrella through the crack of the glass door onto the sidewalk, you then return to face the dimly lit décor, leaning your umbrella along the wall. Aromas of freshly baked pastries waft in your direction while you inhale a hint of strawberry. Glistening sweets line beneath the glass cases while heated lights keep them appealing; the other side holds numerous cakes, decked with different colors or flavors- your stomach growling at the desire to purchase a treat or two before leaving.

“Ah, welcome,” Jung-hyun greets with a brief handshake and bow, though the nervous tension crinkles at the edges of his eyes. You, being one of the top members of the corporation, who franchises with Jeon’s Bakery, your reviews are very important- and, with the plans of opening another bakery along with a competing bakery on the other side of town, Jung-hyun is aware of the pressure his family line has to maintain a clean, yet successful business. Of course, with the hopes of the competing bakery, Ji Woo’s Café, signing the contract to officially set the opening date.

“How do you do,” you nod, hearing the padding footsteps of the employees rushing to stand at your presence. One, you recognize to be the youngest brother, Jeon Jungkook, folding his hands in front of him, while his eyes remain cast downward- brown hair swooping over his forehead while he timorously chews at the corner of his mouth. “My, how he’s grown,” you smile, his wide stare greeting yours with a timid bow.

“Just turned eighteen nearly two months ago,” Jung-hyun nods at his brother with pride before returning his gaze to you, “Next thing I know, it’ll be me handing the business to him,”

You can’t help the feeling of dread at how many years you’ve been a part of your job- essentially instructing cleaning reviews or food violations that are still not being met- and you hardly ever admit the gray hairs that you’ve remained to consistently pluck since your twenty-eighth birthday not too long ago. With a long glance around the bakery, you bring your clipboard forward while the click of your heels gives some sort of sound other than the rain prodding the rooftop.

“It is a bit dusty in this section here,” you run a finger over a shelf dawning coffee mugs and other trinkets, rubbing your fingertips together while an employee sprints with a damp cloth to clean the area you pointed out, “And the floor needs to be swept more thoroughly, I can see some crumbs even from this distance,” you hate sounding so nitpicky, but your boss Kim Taehyung, can be, and he expects a lot out of these businesses, so you maintain your duty in making sure everything is spotless, especially since you don’t want anyone, especially the Jeons’, to have to deal with Taehyung’s wrath.

Reaching the cold foods section, you tamper through the packages to check expiration dates, noticing a few will be out of date within the next week, “And, also, Mr. Jeon, make sure to check the expiration dates often, we want customers to be given exactly what they’re paying for without the risk of stomach upset,”

“Yes ma’am,” he bows obediently, while you study the rest of the store before turning to face every employee. A young girl, one who has avoided eye contact nearly your entire visit, cuddles into her thin sweater, your eyes falling to notice her open-toed shoes, “I know accidents may happen from time to time, but with heavy machinery, we use in the back to create such desserts, closed-toed shoes are a must,” though when first starting the job, you used to be afraid to single individuals out, with so many years of experience, it has become immune. “Let this be a warning, okay?” The girl nods in shame, though you give her a look of understanding.

One more detailed sweep, you give Jung-hyun a copy of the notes you made with the direction to continue his work. Reaching for your umbrella, you notice the heavy rain has died down to a soft sprinkle, and once the smell of the rain fills your nostrils, you still open your umbrella in an attempt to protect your outfit since you will be returning to work to finish out the day.

The familiar ‘ding’ of a text tone distracts once your clicking heels round a street where Jeon’s Bakery officially disappears behind you- retrieving it from your pocket, you realize it’s a text from your almost year-long boyfriend, Park Jimin.

Jiminie: ‘Dinner tonight? I think we need to talk,’

Just the simple text, with just a simple intent, with a simple meaning- or what is supposed to be simple- brings a strange feeling the moment you read it. Hardly watching the direction you’re heading, you’re very thankful when the ringtone assigned to your best friend jingles, prompting you to answer immediately,

“How, did you know to call me, right at this exact moment?” Your fingers feel ice cold upon your cheek once the phone is at your ear- and the tiny pain in your stomach is hard to ignore mingled with the bundles of nerves fluttering within your system.

“Glad to know I’m number one on your mind,” your childhood best friend, Monica, teases while a knowing smirk tugs at the corner of your lips. “I’m assuming something’s up?”

“Yeah,” you exhale, brushing past a few pedestrians while your eyes cautiously trail the sidewalk to prevent from tripping over something, “It’s Jimin,”

“Hm,” Monnie hums, the crunch of a carrot sounding through the staticky phone line, “Please tell me you two didn’t fight. Again,”

If the humiliation rising within your chest isn’t obvious enough, you squeeze your eyes shut momentarily, trying to suppress the memory of the past month or two within your conscious, “He’s been going on and on about that promotion,”

“And,” Monnie adds, “Let’s not forget you’ve made it clear that you’re not planning on leaving Busan.”

“I know, I know,” the solitude of the area you’re in seems silent, way too silent, and maybe it’s due to the budding sadness. Jimin’s job is wanting to take him to Seoul- nearly 325 kilometers away from where you’ve grown up- where you’ve held a successful job- and, where your family and friends reside. The two of you have been battling it out for what feels like too long, emotionally draining you just as evenly as the stress from your job, “I just wish he would just understand my side for once,” your voice is hushed as if he can hear you, Monica nodding on the other end though you cannot see it.

“Well, how about you change his mind,” a devious tone evident in her voice, “Give him something he wouldn’t want to miss out on if you catch my drift,”

“You are such a tease,” you shake your head incredulously, “But, you have a good point,”

“Uh-huh, when do I not?”

Sauntering minutes longer past the numerous rows of shops, you end the phone call with Monica before your eyes fall upon a small boutique with mannequins adorned in glimmering dresses poised behind the glass window. Maybe an ounce of hope decides to arise, especially the second it leads you into the shop, trying on a few dresses in the mirror until you’ve made your decision.

The dress hugs all the right curves while you run your hands over the fabric- loose curls tickle your shoulders, yet the dress is modest enough to leave mystery- leave eyes lingering whilst you walk by. Except, the moment Jimin takes a seat before you, across the table within your favorite restaurant, his eyes seem to pay more attention to his wine glass rather than sweeping you. His thick lips lay in an obvious grimace, disinterest in his expression to every word you say, yet you remain unaltered, showing him no sign of notice, until he interrupts you,

“I received news today,” he clears his throat, your mouth slightly agape while your eyes widen in anticipation for what he’s about to say next, “They’re promoting me. It’s official,”

“Oh, Jimin,” you breathe, though you’re happy his job is recognizing him for his outstanding work in his job field, you can’t help the sorrow plaguing you at what you know is considered the next step, “I’m so happy for you,” you feign enthusiasm, but he sees right through you, especially when his brown eyes nearly smother your gaze with disbelief, “When- when is the big day?”

“Two weeks,” He counters, eyes falling back to his drink, “Have to clean out my apartment, and leave within two weeks,”

“Two weeks?” You’re caught off guard by the sudden answer, not even giving you enough time to process, one- that your boyfriend of nearly a year will be leaving so soon whether you move with him or not, and two- the realization that maybe, no matter how hard you try to get him to understand you, he just simply won��t. “But that’s so sudden-”

“Just come with me,” he’s exasperated, waving a hand once in the air, “If you’re really as happy for me as you say you are, you’d come,”

“Excuse me?”

“What is it about Busan that you just can’t seem to let go? We will be able to visit family if that’s what you’re afraid of,”

“Jimin, we’ve already discussed this,” you run your hands over the bridge of your nose propping your elbows onto the table, while you try with all your might to calm the anger, “I have a steady job here, one I will not be able to transfer. I’m not ready to just give up my life like this, what part of that do you not understand?” You peer through your hands, “And, I mean, if there’s anything I don’t understand, is if you can visit as often as you say you can, then how come a long-distance relationship sounds so revolting to you?”

Frustration drips from him when he leans back into his chair, eyes scoping the side of the restaurant while his lips press into a firm line. A thought that failed to occur to you from previous arguments dawns,

“Wait,” you inhale, “Are you afraid… that you’ll start seeing someone else?” When he abruptly meets your gaze, your elbows fall to your sides, “Jimin?”

Shaking his head, “Forget it,”

“Then what is it?” You question, “If not that, then what is it?” Investigating his eyes, you’re nearly brought to your knees from the heartbreak wrenching within you, “If this is something that leaves such distaste in your mouth then why not just break up with me?” Without a second thought, you stand to your feet, not even sure how you’re able to with how your body is trembling, but you maintain your balance while you thrust your trench coat on, “You know what? I’ll do the honors,”

He follows you out the door in a mild panic, though he remembers to leave cash behind to pay for the meal. Declining the ride, he offers, you can’t even speak nor look in his direction, your heart-shattering in a million pieces especially when his presence leaves without even a speck of desire to fight for you. You’re rendered speechless the entire walk of the chilly night- shooting a text to Monnie to meet you at a local bar- her treating you to multiple drinks- gulping them down with the intention of drowning in your sorrows.

“Okay, I’m going to need you to stop,” she motions for the waiter to scatter any empty glasses he can before you down your final drops, “Besides, you’re the one who dumped him, so am I missing something?”

“No,” you drag out the word, your head dizzy from the heavy buzz you feel, “You and I both know this is something that’s not easily forgettable,”

“Maybe you’re right, but really, [Y/N], you’re going to make yourself sick,”

“And what if I do? What’s it going to change?” Your words slur, while you lean onto your knuckles- your eyelids squinted in a hazy glance. Mo’s concern is all you can envision while she lightly taps your arm.

“If he were worth it, he’d stay in a relationship with you despite any distance,” her voice softens, her turning to get you to rest on her shoulder, “Besides, if I were him, I wouldn’t have let you walk away, especially with how that dress snugs your ass,”

Cackles erupt from your throat while you lean more into her frame for comfort, “Shut up, no it doesn’t,”

Flabbergasted, she pulls away just enough to stare down at your glossy eyes, “Girl, you look like a twelve outta ten, would recommend, and any asshole would be stupid to let a dime piece like you go,”

“You mean it?”

“Of course,” she wraps an arm under your shoulders to help you steady on your feet, “Now, I’m going to take you home. Your brother is coming home tomorrow as well as mine, and the last thing I need is for them to smell alcohol on your breath,”

“But, but- I’m- I’m not done yet. Just one more,”

“No! Are you insane?”

“Monnie, please, just one more. Just one-”

“Drinking isn’t going to make Jimin’s absence any less painful, now come on, you need to get home,” Reluctantly, you obey, faltering into your home while your parents, who are retired, stare at you with mirrored worry, you immediately bowing in apology before stumbling to your bedroom. The following morning hits you like an ocean wave, your head thudding while you force yourself to sit up- the shower awakens you just enough for you to function, and the minute you’re dressed with a towel wrapped around your drenched hair- you open the door to be greeted by your younger brother, Kim Seokjin.

“You look like you’ve been trampled by ten elephants,” his arms outspread while you gasp,

“Seokjin! You’re home!” Crashing into his arms, he hugs you tight, the safety you feel with him finally returning home brings serenity to the household. You haven’t seen your brother in four years with him studying abroad in America, which reminds you that it must mean Monnie’s brother, Kim Namjoon, who studied the same program as Seokjin, is home, too- though you vaguely remember your best friend making that statement last night before taking you home.

Leaning back to playfully smack his shoulder, you tease, “Don’t think I forgot about what you just said a second ago! Remember, I am your elder,”

The familiar windshield wiper laugh sounds while his shoulders shake, “By what, a few years? And don’t think I didn’t hear about you coming home wasted last night,”

With a roll of the eyes, you hear your mother starting up food in the kitchen, “It’s complicated, but,” with a quick sweep, you notice, Seokjin is wearing an outfit as if he’s about to head out, a backpack still hanging off his shoulders, “But- wait, aren’t you staying?”

“Mom, didn’t tell you? I’m moving out with one of my past friends. Remember, Hoseok?” 

“Ah,” a lightbulb clicks, “The one whose parents own the competing bakery? The one we used to raid when we were children?”

“Yes, that’s the one,”

You remember Seokjin and Hoseok were thick as thieves growing up, so with a curt nod, you elbow your brother’s side, “Good idea rooming with him, but you better visit me. I literally haven’t seen you other than through a phone screen,”

“You know I will,” He promises, “No more phone screen,”

As much as the two of you love your mother, she can be overbearing at times- and, you can’t help with how hard it is to stifle laughter as you watch her pester Seokjin as he’s leaving, “Please eat once you get there since you won’t stay for the meal I cooked- and, please text me once you arrive- remain in good health for me okay- don’t do anything you will regret-”

Seokjin waves goodbye before your mother follows you to the kitchen. Of course, she isn’t going to ignore the incident of you rummaging to make a cup of coffee in an attempt to remedy the hangover you know you deserve after how much you chugged the night before. Unaware of the situation that caused your drunken state, your shoulders tense the moment you hear his name,

“I thought you were with Jimin last night? He’s never let you drink more than one glass. Very insolent of him if you ask me,”

“I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that anymore,” you mumble against the rim of the coffee mug.

“I guess I can forgive him this one time, invite him over sometimes so I can cook you both some dinner. It’s about time for you to settle down and marry-”

At this point, you’re increasingly aware of how late you will be to work if you continue to listen to your mom banter about your ex-boyfriend, one you can’t bring yourself to reveal in fear of disappointing your mother. Although, your father offers to give you a ride, you politely decline, making your way to the nearest station before sprinting into the building of your job.

From the poker face, Taehyung has while everyone files in to their seats, your coworkers LenLen and Shai take a quick seat on either side of you- Yoongi, handy with the technological side of the business gets the screen to load to where everyone can see it. Chairs turned in the same direction, you swallow nervously when a picture of what looks to be bags of flour are revealed to have picked up pesky moths, and the horror you feel when it’s the same store your brother’s childhood friend has grown-up knowing: Ji Woo’s Cafe.

“This,” Taehyung’s voice booms while gesturing toward the screen, “Is unacceptable.”

With slumping shoulders, everyone knows he isn’t wrong, but it’s the embarrassment of knowing this has been missed.

“Who is in charge of keeping up with this particular franchise?”

LenLen hesitates beside you though you’re of knowledge that she is, in fact, the supervisor of the Jung’s shop. You don’t even hesitate to stick up for her, promising you will get to the bottom of this ordeal being that you know the Jungs’ personally. The bus ride over doesn’t take long, but you figure it’s from the trepidation of having to face a family you haven’t seen in so many years over something that wasn’t necessarily in their control. When arriving, the first face you see is Jung Hoseok, messy hair frilly across his forehead with your brother rounding the corner putting on his apron. It takes a prolonged second for everyone to register each other’s presence, and you factor in that maybe they hired a moving company to assist in helping them unpack their belongings. Or, perhaps, Seokjin is staying with Hoseok’s parents for the time being until the two can find a place of their own. Either way, your eyes flicker between the stunned pair prompting you to clear your throat- pressing the tip of your pen onto the pad of paper upon your clipboard.

“Hello, Gentlemen, you may have been aware, but it has been brought to corporate’s attention about flour bags being infested with moths?”

Hoseok wets his lips, frantically looking over at Seokjin who shrugs his shoulders, completely oblivious to the scenario that may have taken place prior to his hiring, “Uh, yes- yes ma’am,”

“And please tell me such a discovery was not, in fact, served to our consumers?” Palms clammy, you’re surprised at how intimidating you can be but with the way Hoseok’s panicky eyes scream innocence, you know that he didn’t do anything of the sort.

“Of course not,” he stammers, your brother glaring a look though he knows you’re merely doing your job.

“Good,” you scribble a few notes of areas you noticed may need to be tidied up before handing it to him, “Just remember to always, always, keep things clean, and to always store packaging in the correct areas. I agree sometimes we can’t prevent everything, but from what I could tell from the picture, the flour wasn’t stored properly.”

“I’m so-”

Gesturing a hand to stop him, you continue, “No need for apologies, just make sure staff is trained to follow protocols. And if I overheard correctly, Jeon’s Bakery may want to franchise along with Ji Woo’s Cafe for the opening of the new store. If that’s the case, then everyone must be on the same page in order for that contract to be signed. Do I make myself clear?”

Hoseok timidly nods, you being grateful that customers haven’t waltzed in especially with it being close to afternoon; glimpsing at your brother, he swallows, nodding once in understanding. In this circumstance, guilt wedges in the crevices of your mind, especially with it, now, involving a blood relative who works within one of the stores your company partly owns. Coming off harsh isn’t who you really are, but the job forces you to be this way, especially when stressing the importance of cleanliness and statistics of sales.

You’re nearly lost in thought- reminiscing on unwanted memories of Jimin, avoiding the ache in your soul when you can’t remember the last time, you’d seen him smile. Blisters form on your feet from your heels, the pain thudding to the point you hardly notice the tall figure inching closer to your frame. In fact, you choose to ignore whoever it is, keeping your eyes ahead with the goal of making it home.

“Is that how you treat a friend you haven’t seen in years?”

“Whoa!” You jolt, whirling in the direction of the deep voice- heart hammering against your sternum while your hand flies to your chest. Dimples immediately appear in your vision while hearty laughter escapes the handsome face of none other than your best friend’s brother, Kim Namjoon. “Namjoon?” Your voice raises in glee, his trench coat loose on his frame, while his wide smile remains on his face, “How long have you been following me?”

“Who said it was me who was doing the following,” he teases while you open your mouth in fake offense,

“Kim Namjoon, yes you were!” Your smile hasn’t been so genuine other than when your brother returned home and reaching forward to playfully smack Namjoon’s arm, he promenades around you while he dodges your every move. The view to outsiders looking in would appear to be a happy couple especially with the way you chase after him, with the contrived promise of embracing him, when really you plan on tackling him for following you for however long he did.

The teasing soon leads to the pair of you agreeing to drinks and dinner- planning to catch up over the four years lost between your friendship.

“So,” your voice is chirpy after taking a long sip of your beer, the waitress settles the entrees in front of you and Namjoon, your elbows resting on either side of the plate while you peer at him over your folded hands. Seeing his face brings a spindle of turning memories- laughter with him and Monnie alongside you, getting into mischievous spouts, causing both pairs of parents in continuous bouts of worry- and the way his brown hair is neatly styled to the way his brown eyes study your every move, you are thankful for his presence, along with your brother’s, being returned to you, “Meet anyone you’ve taken a liking, to?” Namjoon’s only five years younger than you, but with the pressure of marriage being a thought- you’re uncertain if he’s tied the knot- or, more so, your question is directed to if he’s fallen for an American girl, something you’re curious to know about your friend.

A breathy laugh escapes him while he sips his drink, grabbing his fork to play with a vegetable on his plate, “Unfortunately, you’ve remained at the top of my list,” reaching for his drink, he lifts it toward you while you mimic his gesture, clinking them together while you shake your head at him,

“That mouth of yours is going to get you in a lot of trouble, you know that?”

“Can’t remember a time it hasn’t,” he takes a bite of his pasta while you conjure up another question,

“Are you ever planning on going back? To America?” Honestly, you’re afraid of the answer, because if he says yes, then that could mean Seokjin will be following suit.

“Actually,” Namjoon carefully places his fork back on the napkin beside his plate, running the back of his hand at the corner of his mouth, “I hope to live there one day. But that’s only for when Korea gets too small for me,”

“Does Monnie know?” Crossing your arms, your appetite is suddenly lost, for the time being, the subject of anyone else disappearing from your life for a while making you feel a small wave of nausea. Namjoon’s eyes flicker to his plate before returning to your gaze which gives you an answer without any words, “You know she cares a lot for you. She’s been talking non-stop about your arrival since you left.”

“I know,” his voice trails, while he clenches his jaw, “I almost didn’t tell her Seokjin and I were coming back,”

“What? Why?”

“I just didn’t want her to worry,” his long fingers grip the handle of his mug while he swirls the contents within it, “She’s already busy enough with work, and my coworkers I’ve returned to have done enough for me, and I don’t want her to feel like she needs to contribute anything,”

“That’s her choice to make you know. You’re her brother,”

“And I care for her a lot, too. Hence, why I refuse to stress her out regardless of my arrival,”

He’s always had this aura about him that you’ve admired since knowing him. The way he refuses to let his burdens be known to the people he loves- he doesn’t want to put anyone through the trouble that he feels they shouldn’t go through. He’s so young with so much to learn, but yet, he is the one that you look up to the most, physically and figuratively, “You’re a good man, Kim Namjoon,” you coo, “Since when did you grow up so fast?”

Tilting his head, he leans forward with a taunting smirk, “And since when did you start getting gray hair?”

Gasping, you grasp a bundle of hair between your fingers while your eyes widen at him, “You take that back!” You threaten, “Are you asking for me to dig your grave?” The laughter that builds between you two is much-needed medicine that you’ve been longing for, and as the playful banter simmers, he takes a bite of his food, dapping the napkin onto his lips before speaking,

“How about you, by the way? Is there a man whose ass I need to kick?”

Squinting at him, you carefully chew your food, “Plenty.”

Offering to pay the bill, he objects, you mentioning how his sister may be upset if she were to hear that, but you make it clear that you will treat him to a meal the next time you two are to hang out. The night falls quickly, the city lights distracting visions of the stars, yet Namjoon leads you to the direction of your home, making jokes on how you never seem to break rules- or, at least, ever since you’ve gotten “old.”

When the city continues to disappear behind both of you, his large hand gently grabs yours, “Follow me,”

“Hm, what? Where?”

“Must you always question everything? Now, come on,”

Muttering under your breath, you squeeze his hand in a way to show your trust, him spreading a wired fence while you squeeze through the opening, him turning to tangle the brush along the fence as if nothing has been disturbed. “Now, can you tell me where the hell we are?”

“Behind the library. Beyond that, passing the bus station is your home,”

“How-?” You can’t help the surprise, especially when your voice carries just enough to interrupt a couple lip-locked in the distance. You’re nearly floored when you recognize the coworker being LenLen while the male, she’s clinging to happens to have strands of blonde hair revealing the face of Min Yoongi. “Holy shit,” you whisper, though it’s dark enough for the couple to not be able to see who has disrupted their peace. They jog away from the scene, while Namjoon chuckles, you wondering how long this has been going on without the corporate’s knowledge, “How did you know about this shortcut?” You change the subject, gulping at the lump in your throat.

“Do you really want me to answer that,”

Furrowing your eyebrows, you glare a suspicious look, “Oh?”

“Other than sneaking kisses to impress the ladies, I also taught Seokjin how to smoke cigarettes in high school,”

“Nam. Joon! You rascal!” You gape in surprise, “I’m telling Mom,”

“Aren’t you too old to tattle?”

“Oh, you smart ass-” He dodges your raising hand as you chase him down, “Come here you brute! Wait till I get my hands on you!” His joke brings you back to the exposed couple from earlier, which then gives you a steady reason on why you should keep your mouth shut- if anything, you are too old to dabble in drama- and if LenLen has finally found a lover who potentially will be her forever- then you will leave it as is, despite it being a work violation of dating someone within the workplace. When the jog slows to a steady pace, your home welcoming your sight, Namjoon speaks,

“Not sure if we ever get lunch breaks at the same time, but if so, you may need to remind me of all the restaurants around here,”

“Is that so?”

“Unless you want to avoid your promise on treating me,”

“How did you know?”

Eyes locking, chuckles reverberate into the breeze while he shakes his head at you, “I’m just kidding,” you finally say once you regain your senses, “Of course, I’d love to. Just text me every day when you start your lunch break. If there’s a time I happen to be heading to lunch too, then we will meet up. Sound like a plan?”

“Sounds like a plan,” he nods, watching you sprint to type in the security code, you whirling around to wave goodbye while he returns the same gesture.

It’s crazy how beautiful you were before he left for America, and how you’ve remained with the same beauty inside and out as if he never truly left. Other than his family, your face never left his mind the moment he stepped off the plane- some may say it’s because your brother sat right beside him on the plane ride home – but, that’s not exactly the only reason.

Entering your room, your mother bombards you repeatedly with the same conversation on why you reek of alcohol, and why Jimin would let you take it too far. Openly admitting, you happened to be with someone else, your mother continues to pester on how you and Jimin need to find a compromise in order for marriage; how his family are known for their efficacious jobs, how they’re made of money, and that you would be a fool not to marry into his family. Making the excuse that you’re tired and ready for bed, she mumbles that you’re always tired, before departing your room.

Work comes with the presence of Taehyung telling everyone to go to lunch with him, all your female coworkers throwing excuses from left to right about how they can’t make it; which he demands you to join, your coworker Shai promising to tag along, so you won’t feel so alone.

Namjoon: 11:49am- Starting lunch, want to join?

Though you wish you could say yes, you avoid the text message. Following your coworkers into an elevator, surprised to discover Namjoon standing in the corner, realizing his job happens to be within the same corporation but deals with different topics. It’s awkward when your coworkers ask what food you’d like, which you say you’re not particularly picky, Namjoon shooting you a text in a tease of how your taste has even aged. You retort with a text saying to ‘Shut your yapper.’

A few days pass when you’re scheduled to visit another bakery within the city where Monnie sends you screenshots of Jimin’s Facebook page exposing that he has found another girlfriend- one he’s apparently been spoiling before his supposed trip to start a new life in Seoul. The pain seers through every inch of your chest, and it’s hard to recollect yourself enough to return to your job- admitting to yourself you probably missed spots that needed to be cleaned, yet the only tornado jumbling your thoughts are the haunting ones involving Jimin’s face- and the feelings of love you once had for him, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

“According to one of the captions, she’s moving with him,” Monica exhales, “Because dating someone for a week means you should follow them all across Korea. Honestly, [Y/N], I bet this is all a show he’s putting on, or maybe he really has been cheating-”

It doesn’t take long until a recent post is made with the location of their current date- sneaking into the parking lot, you hastily find the valet, asking for the number matching the parking spot where Jimin’s flashy car glistens beneath the starry sky. You’re uncertain of this feeling you hold, but with the anger bubbling within your pounding heart, you know you can’t let this go. The way this girl on his page praises his every move, you even noticing how young she appears, and the lingering fact of him taking her to places you’d always begged him to take you. Nor the pictures he’s flaunting of her that he never once did when he was with you, nearly brings you into a stream of unwanted tears. With all you are, you know it’s not fair. And for that, he needs to pay.

The valet hands you the keys while you ploy your happiest smile. Stepping into Jimin’s car, you pull out the gooiest lip gloss you never use, planting it beneath the passenger side along with the tearing of black pantie hose you purchased from a convenience store on your way here; even laying out a semi-tattered bra you’ve been meaning to throw away, but instead relics beneath the back seat of Jimin’s car. Returning the keys to the valet, you thank them before hiding into the brush a distance away from Jimin’s car where you watch the whole scene play out before you. Watching the girl stampede away while confusion is etched in Jimin’s staggered expression, as his mouth remains agape, doesn’t leave you with the satisfaction you hoped to gain. Instead, you find yourself sitting across from your best friend, gulping down an alcoholic beverage, her moving the glass beside her when she sees the way your eyelids flutter.

“Shouldn’t you be rejoicing?” She questions, your chest feeling emptier than it had before you gained your buzz, “You got your revenge for goodness sakes!”

“Oomf,” you plop your head into your palms before rubbing them slowly along your face, “It’s not that. I mean, Jimin got what he deserved, but that’s not the reason I feel like shit,”

“Okay?” Mo shrugs, “Then, what is it? I know I’ve pestered about your needing of higher standards of men, but really, [Y/N], you deserve so much more than a player like that,”

“I just,” you lazily sigh, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, “I really thought I knew what love was, you know?” You pause, “With Jimin, the way we met, and the way we clicked at first… I guess I just don’t understand where it all went wrong. Or, what made us fall apart… Maybe, we were never in love after all,”

“Let me ask you this,” your best friend leans forward, playing with a loose string from her sleeve, she tilts her head while she investigates your hazy stance, “What is true love?”

The question isn’t one to shock you; it’s one to make you think, really looking into the depths of your memories to a person you may have experienced love with, and as your eyes flicker upon her face, the answer becomes quite clear, especially when you lean back, the realization bringing the truth you never thought you’d find, “I… I-I don’t know,”

“Exactly,” Monnie points a quick index finger in your direction.

“I’ve never been in love,” you murmur, trying to make sense of this, and wishing you would have realized it sooner.

“If you were in love with Jimin, you would have left Busan behind in a heartbeat. And, if Jimin really had been in love with you, he would have settled for a distant relationship until you made your choice. So why couldn’t either of you find a compromise?”

“Because… we didn’t want to,”

“Because neither of you wanted to,” Monnie smiles deviously before sliding your glass back to your hand that curls around it instinctively, “Now, drink up,” she says, refilling your glass to the brim. Light giggling sounds for the next hour until Namjoon walks in with the intent of checking on his sister. It’s a surprise when he sees you occupying the seat across from her, and as he teases lightly at why Monnie let you get so wasted, she then asks him to give you a ride home.

His heart flutters at the thought of once again getting to spend time with you but he refuses to show it in the slightest; hugging onto Monnie tightly, you drunkenly plant numerous kisses upon her cheeks while she ushers you into the passenger side of Namjoon’s car- you uttering slurred words of songs you hope to karaoke to whenever you see your best friend again- her punching Namjoon’s shoulder for making a joke on who’s going to pay him for being your chauffeur which then prompts him to joke on how violent the two of you are.

Silence becomes too overwhelming while Namjoon keeps his focus on the road, yet all you can think about is how the alcohol hasn’t done its job in letting you forget about your breakup with Jimin. When tears stain your cheeks, Namjoon pulls over, leaving the car until your tears dry- not wanting you to feel embarrassed for crying in his company. Though he wishes nothing more than to hold you in his arms, he knows he can’t.

Your whines to why he stopped the car are what brings him back to the driver’s side, you falling asleep the rest of the way home while he lovingly stares at the peace on your slumbering face. The way your mouth hangs open, cuddled into the corner of the window, he can’t help how cute you look, pulling out his phone to snag a quick picture.

Forgetting his ringer happens to still be on, the sound of the camera jolts you awake, you groggily wiping at your mouth while glaring a hole through his head, “Did you just?”

“No,” Namjoon nearly drops his phone from being caught in the act, sliding lower into his seat as if to hide from you. Sitting up slowly, your eyes dazed from still overcoming your nap, you peer at him shadily,

“Yes, I did, I saw it,”

“Then, why did you ask?”

“I- Hand it over,” palm up, you reach over with the operation to delete the picture, chagrin flooding your features humorously of the thought of him using it against you by posting it on social media for all your mutuals to see.

Jumping out of the car, he can’t help but laugh at your tiny frame, yet again, chasing him down while he holds the phone high above his head. There’s no hope- you can’t reach it- but that doesn’t stop you from trying, “Namjoon, you better delete it, or-”

“Or what? If only you could reach it, then I’d let you win,”

“Oh,” you groan, pressing your forehead into his chest from the exhaustion of the exercise you didn’t plan on doing, “You do realize you are disparaging your elder, correct? My bones feel cracked now thanks to you, Legs,”

He can’t help the way he smiles at you, so wide, that he nearly catches himself, hoping that you will not notice the longing he has to tilt your chin up and plant a sweet kiss to your rosy lips. The rest of the walk to your home continues in spirited bickering- him refusing to delete the picture of you until you accept the fate- igniting the promise you will get him back eventually.

It’s hard for you to look away from him once you type in your security code- the strange jitters you have in your heart at the thought of parting from him- the feeling of missing him, though you know you will see him again. He smiles at you with the same dimpled grin he always gives when looking at you- waving goodbye, you trying to decipher these feelings you’ve never felt before.

The persistent thoughts soon leave, especially when greeted at work with the panic of finding out the contract has yet to be approved for the Jeons and the Jungs to open the new bakery together.

“I thought Taehyung said it would be taken care of?” Your eyes are frantic while you search LenLen’s- her hand running through her hair to then pressing her fingertips to her lips.

“He handed me the documents to give to Yoongi to sign for the approval. I don’t- I don’t understand how it wouldn’t have gotten signed- I highlighted the words for an immediate agreement.”

The tension you bury from the knowledge of LenLen and Yoongi’s relationship makes you think he would have gotten the papers considering it was a love interest who delivered them to him. Shaking your head, you briskly walk to his office, him immediately standing to his feet- numerous folders holding documents crowd his desk, “Hello, Mr. Min, I gather you’re doing well?”

His brown eyes seem alarmed, his shoulders tensing in your presence from the way you hold your stance, “Why, yes, yes I am,”

“And I’m assuming you know why I’m here?”

“Word- word gets around,”

“Mhm, I see,” you nod, though you refuse to cower, “So, did you or did you not receive a document regarding the franchise of the Jeons and the Jungs?”

When an ���oh’ falls on his lips, his eyes enlarge in confusion which you can’t help, but furrow your eyebrows at the sudden shift in his expression, “Mr. Min?”

“I thought- I thought you were referring to the coffee stain in the break room,”

You wish you could feel a hint of laughter upon this misunderstanding, but instead, you clear your throat while you wave away the reply, “No, Mr. Min, I am addressing the documents of approval in order for the Jeons and the Jungs to be able to open up the new bakery on the other side of town. Now, it has come to my attention that LenLen brought you the documents to sign?”

“Not-not to my knowledge,” he stammers, scratching at the back of his neck while sweat beads form along his forehead. In the end, the discussion results in Taehyung’s office, him harshly accusing the ordeal to be your fault, though you callously want to reveal LenLen and Yoongi’s affair being you have a theory as to why he wasn’t aware of the document. Yet, you can’t bring yourself to do it. Ultimately, you hope everything will get taken care of with the promise that it won’t happen again, LenLen texting you an apology for not double checking on whether Yoongi received the papers or not.

When faced with Seokjin, who continues to ask you for updates, just to be let down again- you can’t help the frustration building to the point you want to explode. It’s when the next day comes, and lunch break finally rolls around, that there’s only one person you want to see. Sending a quick text, Namjoon meets you at a local restaurant, one he happens to pick out, the sight of him bringing a breath of fresh air you desperately needed.

Just a dull, thin sweatshirt and jeans, yet he shines more than anyone else bustling on the streets. When the waitress seats both of you- each ordering- Namjoon makes a joke on if you’d want wine, of course, you wanting to object since you are working today, yet he teases the thought of you needing to break a rule already.

“You are just out to get me, aren’t you?” You say between slurps of your noodles.

“The day that I’m not is the day you should be worried,” he counters with a side grin poised upon his thick lips. Sitting back, he moves his sleeves to rest mid-arm while he continues to watch you.

“Worried? I think I’d throw a party,”

“What?” He gapes, “A party without the main attraction?” He jabs a thumb at himself, “We will see how many will even show up,”

“Must you always have the last word?”

You’re grateful he was able to join you for lunch, especially when he listens to your vague rant on the stress your job holds, walking with you to the elevator of your work building before the two of you part ways. When night comes, you clocking out to head to the bus station, you make your way out into the warm breeze, when the figure of a familiar face nearly knocks you off your feet, yet you stand firm, swallowing the lump in your throat until his steps halt before you.

“[Y/N],” Jimin’s eyes hold worry while he stares into your hardened gaze.

“Jimin,” you grit your teeth, biting back the foul words wanting to tumble off your tongue. You’re not surprised when he asks why you haven’t returned his calls, because, with every message he sends, you delete it, refusing to let him get to you. “What are you doing here?”

“Can we- can we go somewhere with fewer people?” He pleads which you directly decline. Initiating an argument, both of you are unaware of the gathering audience, standing behind the glass doors, watching the flustered pair of you whispering frustrations that sail off with the wind. LenLen and Shai happens to be two witnesses, joining them Namjoon, whose heart nearly breaks from the man, he can tell, will not leave your side unless you comply.

The rage is unsettling, especially with the way he sees you trying to break free from the man’s grip- prompting Namjoon to come to your rescue, wrapping his arm around you to free you from Jimin’s relentless remarks.

“What- what are you doing?” You whisper in surprise, swiping your hair from your vision while your widened eyes sweep along Namjoon’s unreadable face.

“I’m your boyfriend, okay? Act natural,”

You can hardly process what he’s trying to do, especially when Jimin becomes an object in the path causing you and Namjoon to pause in place.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Jimin gestures a stiff digit toward Namjoon, whose jaw clenches in return, “Who is this?”

“I- uh- I- yes, I-” You stutter, uncertain on if you even heard Namjoon right to begin with. Did he just call himself your boyfriend? And, how come that sounds like such wonderful music to your ears?

“Pretty sure that’s my question to ask,”

Jimin’s taken aback, waving off Namjoon’s statement as if it’s useless, “I’m [Y/N]’s boyfriend, so, therefore, it’s my right to ask, you bastard,”

“Mm, is that so?” The tension is smothering especially when Namjoon takes a small step forward, his arm guarding you while he holds an angered glance- not breaking eye contact with Jimin whose shoulders slump with the slightest fear he doesn’t want to show. “If I were you, I would fuck off,”

“Excuse me? What the hell did you just say?”

“I said to fuck. Off,” Namjoon’s voice is thick with vile, your hand tightening around his wrist while you gulp over the pounding of your heart.

“Who are you telling to-”

“Unless you want to be reported to the cops for harassment, I would advise you to walk away,” it doesn’t take but a millisecond for Namjoon to slip out his phone, immediately calling his sister, unbeknownst to you and Jimin, Monnie’s voice in a panic when Namjoon continues talking over her as if he is speaking to the authorities. Jimin, reluctantly, scampers off- Namjoon repudiating to leave your side when you lower your glance, gradually walking in the direction of your home.

“Hey…” His voice is soft after a few minutes of silence- you’re so lost in your thoughts, it’s hard to distinguish the fog wanting to encompass your mind. When you don’t hear him at first, he merely pauses, placing his fingers underneath your chin in a manner to get you to face him. Meeting his eyes, there’s a concern there that you’ve never seen a man hold for you, and it takes you a second to fully understand it. “Talk to me,” he murmurs- his frame so close to colliding with yours in a warm embrace, you nearly give in.

“I’m sorry,” you whisper, trying to look away, but Namjoon tilts his head until your eyes meet again,

“Why are you sorry, [Y/N]? There is not a thing you have done wrong here,”

You sigh in exhaustion, wishing nothing more than to slip underneath your covers where you long for Namjoon to hold you, though you continuously deny it.

“[Y/N],” the way he says your name in such an eloquent whisper brings you to hushed tears, “I don’t think you realize how lucky you are. You could have married the man for the rest of your life, but you didn’t,”

Never thinking of it in that way, relief floods your senses when Namjoon reminds you that indeed, you are lucky, “Maybe, I shouldn’t have such bad taste in men,” you mutter, him chuckling at you before ghosting his fingers from your chin, giving you space enough to back away.

“Monnie and I have been saying the same exact thing for years, it’s about time you join our side,”

You nudge his arm with your knuckles while you glimpse at him with a hearty smirk, “Why do you make everything so much better?”

“Because I’m the best,”

His gloating is typical Namjoon- humorous, yet charming- causing contagious laughter the rest of the walk, leaving your heart with the subtle longing even when his presence leaves to return to his own home- you wishing nothing more than to follow him instead. Because for once, after years and years of knowing him, you ponder: he always finds a way to make your world brighter, even if he is nearly falling apart- it’s you who in return molds the halves of his heart together- signifying that there is something special – something that flickers the hope that maybe you do have feelings for him you have yet to admit.

It’s the meeting your work holds that ends with Shai timidly glimpsing at you here and there; your shoulders tensing especially with the rumored whispers of theories as to what was witnessed from the previous night with Jimin. Scattering bodies heading in different directions to their office leaves a lingering Shai behind in your presence, still feeling her stare while you compile your things to carry,

“Shai, I appreciate the recognition of the makeup I actually put on today, but is there a reason why you’re acting strange?”

Caught off guard, her mouth becomes agape, her cheeks reddening while she keeps her eyes panning the table, “I just have a question, um, so you know the man from last night?”

“Yeah?” You drag out the word slowly, shoulders rigid as you’re uncertain as to which man she could be referring to.

“Not-not your ex, but-but the tall one,”

Nodding, you bite the corner of your lip, urging her to continue whatever point she’s trying to make,

“Are you interested in him?”

The question hasn’t been asked of you, though you’ve realized you have spent a lot of time with Namjoon ever since his return from America. Why you feel so cornered, you can’t quite pinpoint? Because is it wrong to say no when in fact, it’s possible?

“Well, if not, it’s okay for me to, you know, ask him out, right?” She proceeds to ask if he’s single- waiting for your confirmation as if that’s information you would happen to know. She offers to help carry your things to your office once you answer her question with a terse nod- giving her permission to talk to Namjoon, though it’s not really your place.

As if the day couldn’t get any ‘worse’, or in a better term, ‘annoying’, Taehyung invites the staff to another luncheon, this time involving alcoholic beverages, him getting tipsy enough to subtly make a rude joke toward you. Though you’ve grown used to him over the years, you’ve learned how to tolerate him despite the gossip from the women of the workplace who deem you his favorite due to the fact you handle his demises. After the gathering ends, he proceeds to invite everyone to a karaoke bar not far away- all the women making excuses, in which you make mention you have a lot of work to finish.

“It’s not like you have a man waiting on you at home, come on, let’s go,” he counters- Shai standing beside him helpless while she watches your expression harden in offense.

“I’m pretty sure I never refused to go even when I was in a relationship,” you retort, rendering him speechless, leading him to shove his hands in his pockets out of discomfort. Prancing away with your head held high, you stop to purchase a few of your favorite beers before entering the work building. Stunned the moment you recognize the slim legs of Namjoon who you figure has gotten out of work late.

“Namjoon? It’s late, what are you still doing here?” The happiness exuberating from your smile flickers a hope you can’t bring yourself to ignore.

“Boss had me doing a few extra things, but what are you doing back at the office? Isn’t today your half day?”

“Ah,” you shake your head, “I know, but I still have a few notes I must finish. Also, times I need to schedule to evaluate more bakeries… Are you doing anything later?” Wanting to be in his company is the first thing on your mind, yet your face falls in disappointment when he mentions he has plans.

“Yeah, actually I’m going to the club tonight. Seokjin called asking if I’d like to go with him and Hoseok,”

Curse you, Seokjin, you cringe mentally, but you put on your best smile in an effort to hide the pathetic hope you can’t believe you’re feeling.

“Oh, I see, planning to pick up a few ladies?” You say the word as if it’s a song, though you want to regurgitate at even saying out loud. Shrugging his shoulders, a grin tugs at the corner of his mouth,

“I have plenty of those, so no,”

In your mind, you know it’s just a light-hearted joke, so why does it hurt to think of him with another woman? Fresh out of a relationship, and yet, you’re upset about a childhood friend wanting to mingle with women with the possibility of finding the one, he will marry. When his phone begins to ring, he gives you an apologetic glance which you return with a nod of understanding, Parting ways, he stares after you while you power walk to the elevator, him unaware of your eyes turning to stare at his back while he heads out of the building.

When in the realm of safety, called your office, you switch on music from your favorite KPOP band letting the music flow through the room. A buzz forms after you gulp the first beer, swaying your body with the music. Namjoon, can’t bring himself to leave, and last minute, he texts your brother and Hoseok, canceling for the evening, not revealing the reason out loud that his heart wants to be planted right next to yours.

The elevator seems to be against him, especially with how slow it rises to your floor, him exiting the moment the doors open. Rounding a corner, his eyes scan the glass windows until he sees your silhouette- twirling around the room, flipping your hair from side to side, completely lost in your own little world- oblivious to the now smiling Namjoon whose heart dances with joy overcoming his countenance at seeing you frolic among the room.  

There’s the woman he’s fallen so deeply in love with, and there’s the woman, he one-day hopes, he will hold in his arms for the rest of his life. Besides, one would find it blatantly obvious, as an outsider looking in, especially with the shiny smile plastered upon Namjoon’s face that he is irrevocably entranced by the soul, being you, dancing from side to side unaware to his presence outside your office walls. There is no one like you- there has never been anyone like you in his eyes- someone who he’s secretly admired from afar for all these years but remains to bury his feelings for the fear of what you would say. What your family would say. What his sister would say.

While you continue sashaying to the rhythm of the song echoing in your office, Namjoon disappears out of sight from the glass windows to dial your number. When the screen lights up with his name, you have the inkling to answer, but deciding to ignore it, you whirl around to sway your hips to the beat wondering why he would be calling with the supposed plans he has with your brother. It doesn’t take but a second before you hear a voice overpower the pounding music,

“Why aren’t you taking my call?”

Your heart, as if on cue, thrums whilst a look of shock overwhelms your expression, prompting you to hide at first in embarrassment before rising gradually to face Namjoon who is stifling a laugh while waving slowly to greet you.

“Kim Namjoon! What the hell are you doing here?” You simulate as though you’re annoyed, but the joy of his arrival isn’t something you necessarily want to admit, for you too, have the uncertainty on how to explain the way he’s stirring such feelings you’ve never considered before. With his sly smile, he repeats the question that interrupted your distraction from “work”, but you won’t let him win this argument that easily, “Excuse me, sir, I was working until you decided to intrude on my vibe,”

“Vibe? Is that what the cool kids are saying these days?”

The offensive gape you glare amuses him that you can’t help but boop his smirk with your fingertips- chasing him down with the threat of catching him, yet he zigs zags through your office effortlessly without even an ounce of exhaustion. When the unexpected arrival of a drunken Shai echoes within the hallways, the panic that overwhelms you is enough to shove Namjoon to hide behind one of the bookcases aligning the wall far enough to where Shai may not notice. Namjoon, who is unaware of Shai’s attraction to him, you suppress the thought while you usher her to take a seat, swiping her hair out of her face while tears stream down her cheeks,

“Shai? What’s going on?” When you remember Taehyung, along with Min Yoongi, and other coworkers had an alcoholic planned evening, your heart pangs with guilt for leaving Shai alone. She silences the moment she recognizes the knowledge behind your almond eyes, “It’s Taehyung, isn’t it?”

She nods quickly, keeping her head lowered, fiddling her fingers while her hazy eyes sweep along her tense lap, “He wouldn’t stop talking about my sister and how she broke his heart,”

“Damnit,” you whisper, knowing very well Namjoon is uninformed of the mean words Taehyung flaunts toward you every now and then due to his personal pent up anger. Though you decided not to attend the event tonight, you highly regret having Shai fend for herself. “Shai, I’m so sorry,”

“It’s not like anyone will stand up to him. He literally insults you about your break up with Jimin all the time, yet you let him,” you know she’s intoxicated, especially with the way her words slur, but despite her state of mind, you know what she’s saying is right. Namjoon’s chest fumes with anger at what he’s hearing- wishing nothing more than to approach your boss with the sheer intention of slamming his knuckles into his face; but, for the sake of your job, he knows you may be angry with him if he were to jeopardize that. “And,” Shai presses her fingers to her forehead, “LenLen apparently couldn’t come pick me up because she had some business to attend to. I asked Yoongi about it, but he was no use,”

“Yoongi?” From the way Shai talks, it seems as if she is aware about the relationship you accidentally stumbled upon. When she slowly meets your gaze, her eyes scream that she may have said too much, but you politely urge her to continue, “Yoongi would know about LenLen’s whereabouts?”

“Shit,” Shai sighs, “I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone,”

“Anyone what?”

It’s a strange way that she changes the subject, bringing up Jimin which you are not happy about, leading you to stand to your feet while frantically ushering her out of your office, “I know you were in love with him,” she whines, “So why do you let Taehyung make fun of you for it when my sister dumped him-”

“Let’s be clear,” your hands squeeze her shoulders, “I was not in love with Jimin,”

The tension that had consumed Namjoon’s shoulders from the mention of your ex-boyfriend’s name eases into relief at your words. The hope he has to one day tell you how he feels finally comes into view, which he dismisses for now. Once you finally force her into a taxi, her mumbling her adoration for you-you jog with as much speed that you can gather, return to your office to unlock Namjoon from the trap you didn’t mean to set. He watches you from the window at how adorable you look running across the parking lot- all with the excitement of returning to his rescue- he can’t help himself but throw subtle teases at you for ‘taking so long’ which you reiterate with comments saying ‘well if I would have known you were going to be that way, I would have strolled with the speed of a snail.’

He walks you home as he normally does, refusing to let you be alone at night. He can’t help but bring up the conversation he overheard about the knowledge of your coworkers.

“LenLen doesn’t know that I know,” you confess, running a cold hand through your hair. You cuddle further into your trench coat, wishing the breeze would bring warmth to your aching frame. “In the end, I don’t care if they’re dating, it’s just if the company were to find out, it may not end well for either of them,”

“Yet,” Namjoon tilts his head while his eyebrows furrow, “Taehyung can harass women on multiple occasions and get away with it?”

A sigh of shame escapes past your pouting lips, shaking your head at the truth you wish wasn’t real, but it very much is, and without realizing, you inch closer to Namjoon, his arm brushing yours, bringing a coziness you’ve needed. “He hasn’t touched anyone inappropriately whatsoever; he just has a mouth he can’t control when he’s angry,”

“Still doesn’t make it right,”

“I know,” you wince knowing that not any excuse will make this situation any better.

“I can call and file a complaint. I’m pretty sure it’s anonymous,”

“No!” You gasp, lowering your voice once you realize the volume you held for that split second, “I can- I can handle this on my own,”

“If that’s the case, then how long has this been going on?”

Pausing, you don’t really want to answer because you know how protective Namjoon can be- you’ve seen it with his sister, and with how he became at the presence of Jimin- you will not be surprised if his protective instincts arise if you were to admit it. Instead, you mildly change the subject, “I just- I tolerate it okay? And this whole ordeal at work has been strange anyway. With Yoongi and LenLen dating and not completing documents that Yoongi needed to sign- to the moth infestation at JiWoo’s Café. It just- it reminds me of the time a few years ago when Jeon’s Bakery went through similar instances… Taehyung almost lost his mind to the point he nearly fired the whole staff,”

“I remember Monnie telling me about it. She said she’s never seen you so stressed out in her life,”

“Yeah,” your laugh is breathy, but in an exasperated sense while you shake your head at the memory you have tried to forget about, “the Jeons’ nearly lost their business, but I refused to let it happen.”

“Did you ever consider foul play?”

The thought hadn’t necessarily occurred to you, it’s been years since everything happened, but the survival of Jeon’s Bakery thankfully lives on. When the conversation dies, leaving minds fogged with deep thoughts is the moment you realize you’re nearing your home- Namjoon respecting the fact of not pressing the subjects any further. Freshening up for the evening, the gentle recall of his face smears your mind while you press a plush towel to dry your face; you reach for your phone almost instantly to wish him a good night. If only you could see how giddy he becomes at receiving your message, cuddling into his covers with nothing but the anticipation of getting to see you the next day.

And, if only, he could tell you that.

The following morning, he arises in preparation for work, leaving his apartment to find his sister doing the same, “What are you doing up so early, you ham?”

With a swift roll of the eyes, he waltzes to her side, joining her with the offer of dropping her off at her job, “What do you think? I’m not dressed to impress for the hell of it,”

Eyeballing him, she punches his arm while he fakes pain, Monnie knowing good and well, her punch didn’t have as much impact as it could, “Watch your tone with me, Peasant.” Stepping into his car, she buckles into the passenger side, making herself comfortable before speaking up once more, “Besides, I’m surprised you’re even capable of awakening at such an ungodly hour. Didn’t you just party the night before?”

“Is that what you think I’ve been up to? Since when has your brother been deemed a slacker?”

“Oh, are you really gonna go there?”

The bickering transitions to the mention of Namjoon hardly ever being at home, which Monnie ponders the question on why he can’t just live with her, being the two can save on rent, “Can’t you just respect my privacy?”

Suspicion crosses his sister’s sneer while she raises an eyebrow, “Privacy. Since when does one avoid his sister like the plague without a reason to claim why they need privacy?” You appear on his mind because when is there a time that you’re not on Namjoon’s mind? A tender smile tugs at the corner of his lips which Monnie observes almost immediately, “There’s a girl isn’t there?”

“Which one?”

Grasping Namjoon’s earlobe, Monnie pulls at it, causing Namjoon to panic, “I’m driving! I am driving!”

“And?” She ultimately lets go, turning to face the windshield while droplets of rain become evident on the glass, “Speaking of a girl, do you know how freaked out I was when you called me pretending to be [Y/N]’s boyfriend? I seriously thought Jimin was going to kick your ass,”

“Hmph,” Namjoon switches his hold on the steering wheel, unintentionally pressing down on the gas pedal, “I’m pretty sure that was the least of my worries,”

“Jimin has a history of self-defense classes, I wouldn’t completely dismiss it,”

‘Yeah, but he doesn’t know what I’d do if it means protecting her,’

“And while we’re on the topic,” Monnie waves a quick index finger, “if you ever bring home a snotty thot, I will suffocate you both with my bare hands,”

Namjoon shakes his head at his relentless sister though he knows she has not an idea of his undying crush on her best friend, “But… What if she’s attractive?”

“Can’t be more attractive than I,” Monnie gloats, tracing a finger to place a strand of hair behind her ear.

“What did you say? I think my ears have gone deaf,”

Monnie captures his earlobe tightly within her grip once again, Namjoon pleading sorry until she lets go, “Mhm, about to mute that mouth of yours while I’m at it,”

Another meeting takes place the second your clicking heels sound within the workplace, you retrieve your notes before taking a seat before Taehyung whose lips close in a firm line. The rest of your coworkers file in, hardly making eye contact, and with this meeting not being on the schedule, you’re anxious to know what caused such a last-minute gathering. When pictures of Jiwoo’s Café appear on the monitor above, your mouth drops while your eyes scan each picture. Water has flooded every inch of the place, ruining some of the storage from what you can tell, and though your eyebrows crease with the thought that maybe pipes have busted- you notice in the corner of the photo that the sink had been left running all night. Worry consumes you, especially with the thought of your brother and Hoseok, whom you know were out clubbing last night without a care in the world.

“It would be one thing if this situation was not preventable,” Taehyung folds his hands before him in an ill manner, “But, clearly, it was. And the food cost on top of the cost to get everything cleaned? We’re talking thousands.”

LenLen doesn’t appear as nervous as she had before which you take a mental note of. With her in charge of the store, shouldn’t she at least show some concern? Taehyung continues with his angered rant, threatening to fire someone as he always likes to do, which you choose to ignore, happy to leave once the meeting is over when LenLen and Shai invite you to join them for lunch.  The conversation about the frustration with Taehyung is vague, but you assure the two that you will get to the bottom of this when you can, though you can’t help but wonder why your brother never contacted you about the scenario. Stepping into the restaurant, you’re taken by surprise when you notice Namjoon, who is sitting across none other than Jung Hoseok, who is leaned forward, pressing Namjoon to set him up with Shai which you are unbeknownst of. When greeting the gentlemen, you decide to not ask Hoseok about the mini flooding being you’re off the clock as well as he. Namjoon and Hoseok stand to their feet, telling all three of you to take a seat. An uneasy feeling settles at the bottom of your stomach, leaving a sour taste in your mouth once you notice Shai timidly flicking glimpses in Namjoon’s direction. And, not making it to your knowledge, Hoseok kicks at Namjoon’s foot under the table with the hopes of him conniving on gaining Shai’s attention.

“So,” Namjoon prepares his noodles with the goal of consuming them, but with Hoseok playing footsies, he decides to break the tension, “Where are you from?”

Shai pauses mid-chew, scouring for a napkin to dab her face, “Are you talking to me?”

She wasn’t the only one who stopped mid-chew at Namjoon’s sudden question- your eyes peering at the overly excited girl with the denial that you’re not sure how you feel about her. LenLen remains quiet- solely concentrating on her bowl of noodles in front of her.

“I’m from the city originally, but now, I reside in Busan of course. Alone,” Cringing at what Shai is trying to hint, you barely notice Hoseok immediately jumping at her answer, though she returns the question to Namjoon, “What about you?”

“Sangdo-dong, but moved to Busan with my family at a young age,” Namjoon’s mouth is full of food at this point, but Hoseok isn’t about to give up,

“I live across town in Busan,” his dimples show with his determined grin, “Alone,”

Choking on some broth you slurped, you bury your mouth into the crook of your arm while Namjoon pats your back in a way to calm you, “You alright, [Y/N]?” Taking a moment to recuperate, you nod toward a concerned Namjoon, clearing your throat in an attempt to suppress the tickle.

It’s later that evening when you approach your brother, anxiety apparent upon his face and frame as he paces back and forth within the living room, “So, do you want to explain what happened at work last night?”

Seokjin huffs, leaning his head back while slamming his eyes shut, “[Y/N], I swear to you, Hoseok and I always do a sweep of the store before leaving. I swear to God the sink was off,”

Crossing your arms, you carefully lean against the wall, not letting Seokjin get off so easily if he’s fibbing, “Were there a lot of dishes or something?”

With wide eyes, Seokjin whips his head to stare at you incredulously, “No, we’re not a restaurant, we’re a café, meaning we serve finger foods and desserts, why the hell would we have a lot of dishes?”

“I don’t know! For all I know, the café was busy yesterday! And we’ve already discussed protocol on storing items properly, so what gives, Jin!?”

“Look, I’m just as mind blown as you are. Also, the flour was stored correctly- Hoseok just didn’t have the balls to admit that he doesn’t know how they got moved,” Seokjin’s confession does pang surprise, your hands folding across your chest while trying to make sense of it, “I actually googled if there was a horror story that happened at JiWoo’s Café because how else can I explain to corporate about the sink randomly turning on in the middle of the night?”

Your fingers press against your lips that are pursed in concentration, “Because it didn’t,” you murmur.

The ring of the doorbell jolts you and Seokjin out of your conversation, him sharing a look with you before prodding to the guest bedroom. Overall, you know corporate is going to take care of the water issue regardless, so ultimately there isn’t much to worry about, but the gnawing feeling that something just doesn’t sit right with you seems to bring your suspicions back to light.

Upon opening the door, your eyes widen in sheer incredulity at a nervous Jimin, dressed in a snug tuxedo, who’s lips are quivering with what to say.

“What the hell are you doing here!?” Teeth clenched from the anger boiling within your system, Jimin’s eyes widen with panic as he raises a hand as if to stop you.

“Please [Y/N], hear me out,”

“Hear what out? Clearly, you do not understand the process of a breakup, do you?”

“Listen, just give me a chance to take you to dinner. Let me explain myself-”

“Good night,” his hand stops the door from shutting and with the strength you know he holds, you no longer feel the need to fight; and from the desperate way his eyes flicker between yours, the seriousness behind them unwillingly convinces you to join him, “I just want to make things right, again, just-just please,” Maybe for once he will indeed explain himself; maybe even apologize for making you feel so low all because of a long distance relationship he refused to try; or, maybe he will admit to cheating on you, although you’re highly confident he had been with how fast he seemed to move on. Lost in thoughts, the sight of a familiar restaurant peeks into view, your mouth falling open while your eyes widen disbelievingly.

“You have got to be kidding me,” you mouth, turning to face Jimin who’s eyes sweep outside the car and back,

“What? Do you not like it here?”

It’s not just a restaurant you know all too well; it’s the restaurant- the one specifically raising the memory of a tattered bra, red lipstick and black stocking used to the advantage of Jimin’s second breakup, “Have you been here before?”  It’s a trick question, one Jimin does not seem to pick up on, but he’s smart enough to not answer you with his most recent event regarding this restaurant.

“Yeah, with coworkers forever ago. The food here is pretty decent, but, I-I, we can go somewhere else if you’d li-”

“It’s whatever,” Fumbling with unbuckling your seatbelt, the anger is burning hot upon your chest- you could scream, you could cry, you could pull your own hair out with how inconsiderate a man can be. Bringing an ex-girlfriend to the same restaurant he recently brought another woman- how is that okay? Evidence continues to pile, especially when the waiter greets with a ‘Welcome back’, one Jimin awkwardly dismisses.

“Forever ago, huh?” Gulping, Jimin steps ahead of you while you follow him to the numerous tables- you precisely pick out the table Jimin had sat with the last woman a week ago, you ask the waiter if that’s okay which he nods. Settling down, you fold your arms across your chest once you hang your purse on the back of your chair- Jimin scrambling to unfold the menu which covers half of his face.

“Everything sounds good tonight. I wonder what we should order,” Jimin purposely keeps his attention on the menu to avoid the daggers you’re glaring into his skull. Tilting your head, you set your jaw, tightening your already folded arms in irritation,

“Cut to the chase, Jimin. Why did you come to my house? Aren’t you leaving for Seoul soon?”

His fingers grip tighter onto the menu, his eyes peek nervously at you before wetting his lips, “Uh, can we, uh, order first?”

“Okay then,” you lean forward, clasping your fingers together, eyes refusing to leave his tense frame, “Let’s have what you’ve ordered recently,”

“I-I haven’t been here recently,” Jimin still scanning the menu- the screech of your chair surprises him to the point the menu falls from his hands, you hovering above him with a taunting sneer, “I’m going to use the restroom,” Any excuse that leads you to dial your best friend’s phone number is the ultimate excuse. The moment you hear Monnie’s voice over the line, it soothes you enough while you force a long sigh,

“Are you kidding me right now? Jimin showed up again?” The muffled sound of a car is heard over the line which you assume to be a taxi, except it’s not a taxi, it’s Namjoon, who’s ears tune in when he overhears Jimin’s name.

“You won’t even believe where we are right now,”

“What I don’t understand is why you’re even wasting your time with him. Have you ordered wine yet?”

“…No?”

“Water will have to do. Pour it over his head and leave!” Namjoon’s smirk is hidden in the evening, Monica’s attention remaining ahead of her where the streetlights glisten beneath the moon, it’s what she says next, that nearly shatters Namjoon’s heart to smithereens, “Wait a minute, what did you just say? You’ll see how it goes? [Y/N], whatever he has to say is bull shit. Do you plan on seeing him again?” Eventually hanging up the phone, Namjoon’s knuckles are white from the grip upon the steering wheel, Monnie rambling about the news she has just received, “Jimin showed up again, I swear he needs to let her go,”

“Does she not see what he’s trying to do? Why does she keep giving in to him?” Jutting his jaw, his eyebrows furrow, his concentration on the road becoming hard with the irritation he withholds.

“Well, it’s not like she can help it. The asshole keeps showing up without her permission,”

“She just needs to learn to stand up for herself. She just lets men walk all over her like it’s nothing,”

“Calm down, Joon, I’m sure she’s not going to give him another chance,”

“Yeah, sure,”

Confused, she turns to face her brother, wondering why he’s getting so worked up over her best friend- though she wants to ask out loud, she decides against it, more worried about their safety with him driving more than anything.

Pained silence still has a hold at the dinner table, the waiter placing you and Jimin’s meals before each of you, yet your stiff digits can’t even fold suitably around the fork. Instead, you observe Jimin, who clears his throat before taking a sip of his wine- him mirroring the same rigidity. Shaking your head slowly, his shoulders slump, because he knows it’s now or never- and he knows the only reason you’re here is because of the promise of him explaining himself. When a few more minutes pass, the quiet is filled with a clinging fork against his plate before dropping it onto the napkin.

“I turned down the promotion. I’m not leaving Busan,”

“What!?” Gasping, that is the last thing you want to hear, in fact, you stand to your feet, shuffling for Jimin’s phone, “What do you mean you turned them down!? Call them back! Tell them you’re just kidding!”

“[Y/N], I can’t do that right now, they’re closed! Don’t you want to work things out? I thought this would be the best! For me, and for you!”

“Work things out?” Still handing his phone towards him, he stares up at you in apparent shock which shows he did not expect your reaction to be like this, “How come me not leaving Busan was such a sin when we were together? And working things out? You want to work things out in the same place you brought another woman?” Realization dawns his entire expression, his eyes glued to the table while his thick lips poise in surprise before his eyes trail to lock with yours- he’s speechless because he knows he’s been caught, and you’re not done with what you’ve kept buried within your heart, “Oh, what, you gonna press charges against me? Cause if so, I can do more to add to them,” your fingers curl around the shaft of the wine bottle, Jimin throwing his hands up in defense,

“[Y/N]!”

Fingers slipping to return to your side, you attempt to calm yourself for a moment, realizing maybe assault is not such a good idea, “Originally,” you sigh, “I wanted us to be civil. But you’re so deceitful. And,” you throw your purse over your shoulder, “I would take my advice and call your job back. Seoul has plenty of women for you to fish for,”

Stomping out of the restaurant, you’re taken aback when a strong hand whips you around- Jimin’s frantic, yet you stare at him- air escaping your agape mouth into the icy weather.

“It’s not entirely my fault!” His voice raises,

“Excuse me!?”

“Who was that guy you were with the other day?”

“Wow,” you look away, wishing with all your heart Namjoon was by your side, but that’s not something you will reveal, especially not in front of Jimin.

“See!? I’m not the only one who cheated! You were seeing someone else too! Can’t we just say we both are at fault and move past it? Why are you making me the bad guy!?”

“You know what?” You murmur- gathering your bearings, swallowing the lump in your throat while you cuddle more into your coat. He just admitted he cheated on you- something he’s lied about countless times before, and at this point, you’ve been given enough proof. You can’t do this anymore, and the truth is you don’t want to- he’s done enough, and you’ve had enough, “Jimin, it isn’t your fault. It’s mine,”

When his expression softens, he inches forward, but stops abruptly the moment you finish your statement,

“I’m the one to blame for dating you in the first place.”

Crying isn’t something you typically do, not in this case, and the march home seemed much longer than usual. Tossing and turning all night, you force yourself to get ready for work, going through the same routine of taking the bus, heels clicking into the work building to see Hoseok, coffee in hand, conversating with Namjoon along with a smiling Shai while they’re waiting for the elevator to be available. Hoseok must have picked up a temporary job for the time being until his parents’ café is back in business; and, little do you know, Namjoon’s heart still weighs heavy at the knowledge of you being with Jimin last night. He can’t stop himself, continuing to ask Shai questions upon where she resides, her mentioning a pizza place to which they should visit sometime.

Jealousy rears its ugly head when you grimace at Shai asking for Namjoon’s number, Hoseok immediately grabbing her phone to put his first before handing it to Namjoon. Your eyes remain focused on your cellular device the entire time to the point you almost miss Namjoon’s invite to come with them. He’s visibly hurt when you retort that you didn’t hear him, sauntering off the elevator with Shai trailing behind you. Taehyung isn’t in a good mood which you’ve expected, and he sends everyone on a wild goose chase about another bakery that apparently hasn’t been open for a few days, except he asks for LenLen and Yoongi to stay behind- something that catches you off guard. Shoving the questions subconsciously, you and Shai squeeze into one of the vans when the ring of her phone causes your ears to perk up.

Why are you so angry when you hear Namjoon’s name slip off Shai’s lips? And why do you feel so territorial when it comes to him? Shai cancels plans with him from what you’re gathering, apologizing to him repeatedly. If only you were aware of Hoseok’s ear is pressed to the back of Namjoon’s phone- fussing at him to tell Shai that the two have time this evening to accompany her- Namjoon shrugging off Hoseok’s desperation, wishing he could just be with you instead.

“What happened to the approval that was supposed to be signed?” Taehyung’s eyes steadily observe the employees before him- shoulders tensing while LenLen carefully chews her spoonful of rice. Yoongi raises his head slowly, turning to her with nervous eyes.

“They didn’t make it to Yoongi’s desk,” LenLen’s curt smile could fool anyone, yet she remains unphased, “I’m sorry, Mr. Kim.”

“Is there a reason why they didn’t make it to his desk?”

Yoongi’s heart thuds, wondering if Taehyung is suspicious upon his relationship with LenLen. Never in his life has he been so enchanted by a woman as much as he has her- and, he remembers, despite the confusion, of her saying not to worry about the papers- setting them aside before she distracted him with devious kisses. How he forgot about the documents is something he will take with him to his grave, yet he could have sworn they remained on his desk even after she left his office.

“I must have misplaced them,” LenLen’s voice lowers, digging another spoonful of her meal to distract herself from the way Taehyung’s eyes sweep her fidgety fingers.  

Exhaustion seeps through every bit of your limbs- offering to take the van back to work while your coworkers bid you a good night. The moment you park, you’ve fought to keep your eyelids open the entirety of the drive, slumping into your seat before slumber takes over. Namjoon has worked yet another late shift, ambling to his car to notice someone sleeping in one of the company vans. Recognizing it to be you, he watches while you’re leaned against the car door peacefully, mouth slightly ajar, and he longs for a day where he can wake up next to you- your pinned hair frilly from the touch of the pillow, while the bed covers bundle underneath your chin. Just the thought of your almond eyes fluttering to find him- corners crinkling from the smile that will fill your lips.

Waking up, you return loose strands of hair behind your ear before embarrassment knocks on your door at the discovery of Namjoon who is now giggling at your widening eyes. “Oh, no,” you moan, pressing your head onto the steering wheel, the honk of the horn causing Namjoon to lean back. Of course, his presence includes an evening out to dinner, the two of you ordering your meals- holiday lights dazzling outside the tiny restaurant.

Running his chopsticks along his food, Namjoon swallows in frustration at the memory of last night, Monnie later informing him that Jimin isn’t planning on leaving Busan. Wanting to ask you about it, he does- his tone sounding a tad bit harsh compared to what he was intending, “So, I hear that asshole isn’t leaving Busan after all,”

“That asshole?”

“Ah,” Namjoon lays his chopsticks onto the napkin next to his plate, leaning back in his chair, “Am I supposed to be respectful considering the way he treats you? Or the fact that he’s your boyfriend again,”

“What?” You murmur, though it’s hardly audible- your folded arms slipping from the table while you investigate Namjoon’s stern gape. “Is that what Monnie said? That I’m dating him again?”

“Well… No,”

“Okay, then what is the problem? I don’t understand why you just jumped to a conclusion like that,”

“Because maybe you have a hard time telling him to back off,”

“And is that any of your business?” Silence takes hold upon the tension while Namjoon lowers his head, biting the corner of his lip in culpability.

“I just heard about it all last night, okay?”

“Then that’s something you should have approached me about first before accusing that asshole of being my boyfriend,”

Namjoon finds joy in hearing you curse Jimin’s name, but he knows now that he did approach the subject inappropriately, “Hey,” his voice softens, your lips falling in a saddened frown before meeting his eyes, “I’m really sorry for upsetting you,”

Huffing quickly, you nod your forgiveness, Namjoon awkwardly taking a swig of his beer. The sound of water droplets on the rooftop of the joint prompts Namjoon to turn his head to face the window- eyes flickering around the atmosphere while you take in how handsome he is. Gentle brown eyes shiny against his tanned skin, his full lips parted with the amazement of nature outside, while the line of his jaw sends a desire that causes you to look away.

“It’s raining,” he murmurs, “You have an umbrella, right?”

Peering up at him, you shake your head leisurely, cringing when you remember that you left it at home, “It’s okay, I’ll just walk home in the rain. I’m used to it,”

“But why would you do that?”

The comment rolls off your tongue before you can stop yourself, “You upset me so much that maybe I need it to cool me off,” you take a shot of your beer, keeping your eyes peeled in a direction away from Namjoon’s jaw falling open.

“I’m sorry, okay?”

“No,” you shrug, pouring some more beer into your glass, a smile of annoyance planted on your face, “I should be apologizing for you missing your date with Shai,”

“I invited you to join. You’ll come, correct?”

“And what makes you think I should? I don’t necessarily feel like being a third wheel,”

A subtle smirk pulls at the corner of Namjoon’s lips because seeing how you’re reacting to the idea of him being with Shai ignites a hope that maybe you do have feelings for him. Something he’s been dying to gain since returning home from America, “Why would you feel like a third wheel? Maybe I wanted you to be my date,”

“Oh, don’t start with your sarcasm. I’ve seen Shai, and you’re not the only guy who goes smitten over her. I get it, she’s pretty, but is appearance all that matters to the male population!? Goodness, men are-”

“You’re prettier,” Mid-sip of your alcohol, you nearly choke, especially when the words leave Namjoon’s mouth, making your heart flutter in a way you haven’t felt in such a long time. He timidly avoids further conversation while you pat at your loose strands, him paying for the meal before the two of you step outside. A storm brewed during the dinner to the point the rain is panging heavier than when it started.

“Shit,” you whisper, dreading the idea of walking in the rain though you made mention of being used to it. Namjoon doesn’t even hesitate, telling you to remain under the awning of the restaurant while he sprints to the nearest convenient shop. You gape after him, tilting your head wondering what he has up his sleeve. The ding of the door alerts the employees of yet another presence, Namjoon’s hands scrambling along the umbrella rack- originally picking out two just to return one to the rack, a tight-lipped grin planted upon his face. Once the purchase has been made, he returns to your side- your eyes showing the confusion that he’s holding only one open umbrella, “Why just one?” You laugh, Namjoon gesturing for you to step closer while he holds the umbrella higher, “Aren’t we going to get soaked?”

Both turning in the direction of your home, it’s unexpected the way Namjoon’s expression glows, “I think I have a way to fix that problem,” his arm drapes around your waist; he pulls you much closer to his side showing a perfect way to prevent rain from drenching the pair of you. You’re astonished, but in the most glorious way, you can even imagine, his warmth smothering your chest with giddiness- rain pouring on all sides, yet the smiles upon both of your faces light the world much brighter than even the orange streetlights decorating the paths.

“Want to call a cab?” He peers down at your tiny frame- something he made a joke about earlier where you fended for yourself claiming you’re of average height. His question stirs a mild panic, because for once, the walk in the rain isn’t so bad, especially with the way Namjoon’s arm remains planted around you, your head cuddling into the side of his chest after both of your steps cease.

“No,” you tenderly reply, “I think I want to keep walking… With you,”

There’s a magic in the air that outsiders could feel even a mile away from the couple embraced underneath the crying night. Even when you make it to your doorstep, Namjoon insists on watching until you’re safely inside- him gifting you the black umbrella that you reluctantly accept, thanking him for the evening. His trip home ponders him to settle onto his bed, gazing at the picture he never deleted from when he first watched you fall asleep.

A misunderstanding does fall into place the next evening- one where Shai receives a text from Namjoon in regards of the pizza plans that happened to be missed the day before. You, being informed of it by Shai, pauses, wondering how such a great night with Namjoon could shatter your heart in just 24 hours of time. Unaware, Namjoon has made plans with your brother, bailing out last minute with Shai who is walking alongside Hoseok- expression falling in disappointment at the knowledge that Namjoon will not be attending the pizza date as she hoped.

“He’s going clubbing,” Hoseok nods swiftly, her giggling that she enjoys clubbing as well in an attempt to win Namjoon’s interest. Namjoon politely declines, shoving his hands into the pockets of his trench coat while he watches Hoseok, who came up with the plan this morning, joyfully dancing by Shai’s side while they disappear farther into the glistening city.

Heartbroken and confused, yet again, you make plans with LenLen who sees you’re not okay- the two of you enjoying your meals despite the hushed banter, “I can tell you still think about Jimin,”

“If I told you that I don’t, you wouldn’t believe me,”

“Maybe you should date around? Live a little,”

The conversation turns into LenLen giving dating advice- saying not to take men seriously- how they most likely flirt with every female in order to keep their options open- you biting your tongue about her secret she still has not an idea that you know about it. Doubting everything that has been happening with Namjoon, now the uncertainty of him having feelings for you plague your thoughts. Were you stupid to fall for another man’s tactics? But you’ve known Namjoon most of your life, and he’s never been one to cause toxicity amongst others, and you’ve always admired his maturity in situations. So, why can’t you come to terms that maybe he’s not like any other guy? But, then again… What if he is?

Namjoon bends onto the pool table while he squints his eyes at the ball, he’s planning on hitting. Seokjin waves the video games Namjoon surprised him with from America, thanking him once again while he awaits his turn.

“You know, I was going to invite you over to visit my parents with me, but apparently, Mom invited [Y/N]’s boyfriend over for dinner. And, of course, I’m aware of Hoseok ditching me for some girl my sister works with,”

Namjoon’s heart falls to his feet while he leans against the pool table, Seokjin’s focus remaining on his pool stick as he jabs it- the clacking of the balls sounding through the ringing in Namjoon’s ears. Jimin. Again?

“Boyfriend?” Namjoon tries to keep his emotions at bay to prevent any suspicion from your brother, straightening his back while his hands grip the wooden stick in frustration.

“Oh, I figured Monica may have mentioned him, but he’s some guy my mom won’t shut up about. He comes from a rich background. I could care less about the bastard, but I would never tell [Y/N] that. You know how she is about reminding us she’s our elder,”

“Yeah…” Namjoon takes his turn, head spinning from the news he’s receiving, “He comes over a lot?”

“Unfortunately,” Seokjin murmurs, “Just glad I’ve moved out with Hoseok so I don’t have to deal with any of it,”

“We can still go by there,” Namjoon says it without thinking, Seokjin nodding in agreement while they finish up their game. Why he feels the urge that you may need him he doesn’t know. Maybe if he sees Jimin in person again, he can feel some type of closure in letting you go. If Jimin is who you want, then maybe you should be with him in the long run.

Waltzing through your door after spending the evening with LenLen, your auditory senses are greeted by the familiar clinking of silverware mingled with the voices of your parents. At first, you assume that they’re talking to each other until a third voice makes an entrance, your body rigid from the rage rising within your chest. You’re relentless as you stomp to the living room- Jimin’s blonde hair glistens beneath the chandelier, while he sits at the table before your parents. He nods at you when your eyes lock, him timidly looking away when he sees the pure anger resonating from your stance. Your mother joyfully sprints to you, shoving you towards your room to change into something ‘better’ as she proclaims- spinning around dramatically to tell Jimin to continue with his meal.

When ten minutes pass, you haven’t budged from where you’re frozen before your mirror, the black umbrella Namjoon had given you just the night before leans against your desk. Your mother doesn’t even bother to knock, carefully shutting the door behind her while you immediately tilt your head up, “Why the hell is Jimin here!?” You raise your voice, her shushing you abruptly as her hands' fan in front of your face.

“First of all, I asked you to get ready! And I don’t understand why you’re being so damn selfish! Jimin is perfect for you in every way, and you should be very grateful to have found a man like him,” at some point, during your mother’s pointless banter, it all goes in one ear and out the other, and the relief of her leaving your room sends a frustrated exhale from your lips. You did all that you could when you were dating Jimin; you’ve even dressed up to the point of winning his affection in the bedroom which failed miserably as you recall the night of the breakup. And, you know what? Why not flaunt yourself like you did that night? You’ll show him. You’ll show all of them who is really missing out on who.

The smear of blood red lipstick decorates your lips while dangling pearl earrings match the lacey dress that now hugs your figure. Cleavage prominent, you swiftly straighten your hair, making the last task on your list to be a fresh pair of stockings- the intent of the article of clothing to remind Jimin of the night he was with another woman- the numerous nights he had been with other women.

Head held high, you gradually step into the living room, your father gulping at the sight of your bold choice of an outfit, while your mother gasps in disgust. Jimin doesn’t know where to look- trying to keep his gaze away from the tops of your bosoms squeezing together in the nicest bra you could find in your closet.

“Well?” You spread your arms while you sway to your side, “Is there a reason why you all seem appalled?” You gloat, “I’m sure I’ve put every woman in Busan to shame with this dress, isn’t that right Jiminie?” you’re acting obnoxiously, yet you don’t care, seductively tilting your head while you glare at the back of Jimin’s head, “Why are you sitting away from me, Honey? Look at me,” when Jimin glances at your wide-eyed parents, he cautiously turns to face you, wiping the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, “What? Do you not like it?” You bend slightly, showing the size of your ass to remind Jimin of the nights he turned you down, muttering on how your sex life was boring due to the lingerie you refused to buy, “Should I have worn an even tighter dress? How about the stockings? Remind you of anything?”

“[Y/N]!” Your mother snaps, you straighten your frame whilst an exasperated giggle escapes your shiny smile,

“Oh, I forgot my parents were here. Oops,” you slur- your dad gesturing for you to take a seat which you do, Jimin having a hard time processing whatever you are doing. Beer is crowding the table with the many different plates of food your mother prepared, yet you turn to Jimin with a whiny request for wine.

Namjoon rests the side of his head on the window of the passenger’s side while Seokjin keeps his attention on the road, “So, have you been seeing anyone since we’ve been home?” He glimpses over to see his friend- distance in his expression which brings a concern to Seokjin.

“No,” Namjoon says after a moment.

“Okay,” Seokjin says slowly, “What about interest? Anyone, that you’re interested in?” He notices the hint of a smile on Namjoon’s face from the corner of his eyes, “Ah, there’s a smile. So, you do have an interest in someone,”

“You caught me,” Namjoon raises his hands in self-defense, “Ask away,”

“Tell me about her. What’s her name? How old is she? Is she from Busan?”

Namjoon contemplates his answers since he doesn’t want to reveal to Seokjin that it’s you, Seokjin’s sister, that Namjoon is hopelessly in love with, “She’s 28,”

“Dude,” Seokjin is shocked from the obvious tone of his voice, “That’s five years older than you, have you gone mad? That’s our sisters’ age. That’s like you dating my sister,” Namjoon glances at Seokjin while he proclaims on how creepy it is to date an older woman- Namjoon remaining silent for the rest of the drive, pain evident on his face now knowing your brother would disapprove if Namjoon’s feelings for you were to be made known.  

Chugging half of your second beer, since Jimin failed at bringing wine, you wait for the perfect opportunity of Jimin’s lips molding to take a sip of his beer when you face your mother, “So, mom did dad ever cheat on you at any point in your relationship?”

Coughing, Jimin buries his mouth into his hand that curled into a fist, sliding his beer further from him while your mom’s eyebrows furrow at your random question, “No. No, your father’s been faithful. Wh-”

“What would you do if he wasn’t?”

Your father stares at you in distraught, yet he seems to catch where your conversation is headed.

“I’d smack him upside his head-”

Hesitation is not part of your vocabulary in this section of time, for your palm, with all the strength you can muster, slaps the back of Jimin’s head while he cringes beneath your touch. The burn of the hit lingers within your palm, while your parents freeze in realization- your dad raising his voice to ask what you’re trying to get at.

“Wait a minute,” your mother counters, while Jimin rubs the back of his head, “Did you… Were you seeing another woman while courting my daughter?”

Jimin drops his gaze to the table, running the tip of his tongue over his lips in panic.

“I’m- I’m- I don’t know what to say,” your mother says in obvious disappointment. Your father rises slowly while he glowers at Jimin who raises his arm in a plea to your father, but it’s too late, he attacks Jimin, slamming him onto the table while bowls of food hit the floor- your mother getting in between the men while Jimin begs for your father to let him go.

“When is everyone going to start acting like adults in here!?” She bellows whilst scampering for cloths to clean the food stains off your father’s sweater.

“Look,” Jimin’s hands fly before him, “I messed up, okay? But I am not the only one to blame here! [Y/N] cheated, too! She’s seeing someone now!”

“Jimin!”

“Oh, are you going to deny it!? Do you think that it’s simple for me to come here? Your parents practically begged me to-”

“Then why the fuck did you not say no!?” Gasps escape from both of your parents at the choice of words you have chosen. But you are so livid, you could care less. “For heaven fucking sakes, Jimin, where is the respect? If only I had a few more drinks in me, I’d smack the shit out of you even more!”

“You know what?” Jimin clenches his jaw, settling to his knees before you, “Hit me then. Put me out of my misery. Do what you need to feel better, I just want to fix things here.”

“Like you’ve had such luck with patching things up before,” you mutter, “It’s not happening, Jimin,”

“Why?” Jimin taunts, standing back to his feet, “How about you tell your parents why you no longer want to be with me, huh? Who’s the man who told me to fuck off at your work? You dodge the question because you’re just as guilty as I am!”

Crossing your arms, you inch closer, a sneer present on your red lips, “Accusing me makes you feel so much better, doesn’t it,”

“Then why can’t you admit who he is? I’m going out of my mind about it, just fucking tell us already-”

“I like him, okay! But that was after my relationship with you!” Your voice is loud- so loud it carries throughout the house, stunning your parents as well as Jimin as they gape at you, “I really like him, you have an issue with that Jimin? Huh?”

“Oh no,” your mother groans as she collapses on the couch, “No, no, no, no-”

Seokjin bursting through the door makes matters worse to your mother as she clambers to tidy the table with whatever she can salvage while everyone’s attention turns to see not one, but two men, joining everyone in the living room. When Namjoon trails behind a wide-eyed Seokjin- Jimin’s expression shows astonishment as he points a shaky index finger toward Namjoon, whose eyes are too busy looking at the ensemble he has never seen on you before. A look that’s distracting him from the tension smothering the vicinity.

“That’s- that’s him! That’s the guy!” Jimin’s desperate- desperate to clear his name of any negativity, though he truly is the only one at fault for infidelity. Grasping your arm tightly, he drags you an inch forward while you struggle to get out of his grip, “You need to explain to everyone!”

Your parents are jumbled with who Jimin is exclaiming about at first, but when they realize his crazed eyes have yet to leave Namjoon’s, they know exactly who he’s referring to- but, Namjoon is more focused on the tightening grip Jimin has on your arm, Namjoon grits his teeth while he swallows slowly, “Let go of her.” Stepping forward, nobody has time to blink when Namjoon clutches the front of Jimin’s suit, dragging him roughly toward the outside of the house while Seokjin hysterically chases after them. Panicked voices of your parents scream towards what seems to be the start of a feud.

You can’t move. You just remain speechless while your hero intervenes once again. 

[shyneanon]

I don't know what type of prompts you're looking for, but this idea has been on my mind for a while: swap MfSans and Princess. Where Sans is the one who's sick of mafia life and wants to leave, but his bro won't let him. On top of that, this flirty human woman won't leave him alone, even though he's told her a hundred times his bro will kill her if he finds her hitting on Sans.

Ahhhh an AU of my AU fanfic, that sounds so fun! I’ve been wanting to write this but was having a hard time thinking of the details, but I finally have something done. They’re not completely swapped in personalities or anything, mostly just in their roles in the story, but I hope you enjoy it.

---

Sans didn’t like going for walks.

But it was something Paps insisted on. Several times he’d tried shortcutting to cheat, but Paps always caught him. He was smart. So eventually Sans had given up.

Instead, he would head for the park on evenings when he wasn’t on the job (so to speak), sit there awhile, and then come back. Paps always thought he’d been walking all that time. Sometimes he even got nice cream, and Paps was none the wiser.

As usual, he found a park bench— one that he took up most of the room of— and sat. It was nice to be alone with his thoughts for a while. The park was a lot emptier and quieter at night. No kids. Most people at home with their families.

Their peace-loving, law-abiding families.

Sans did more thinking than most people realized. He had a lot of thoughts and opinions on things, he just… wasn’t very good at expressing them. He didn’t like talking— not even with his brother. Sometimes Paps didn’t really listen to him. That was particularly the case with Sans’ suggestions about how they could get out of the mob. He’d hatched several plans, but Paps told him they were too risky. It was best, he said, that they stay where they had money and power and could live comfortably.

Sans didn’t find the mob life particularly comfortable.

Quite the opposite— it felt stifling. And Paps wasn’t helping. He tried to stop Sans from talking to women— or, fun women, at least— because he had his own idea of what kind of girls Sans should be talking to. Girls in the mob, who were raised to be boring and submissive, and to lie through their teeth to avoid bothering their boyfriends. Being with someone who’d basically been trained like a dog to only do what would make him happy would just make him feel like trash.

Besides, if he married some mob boss’s girl, then there would only be more incentive for them to stay. And he didn’t want incentive to stay.

“Sans?”

Oh shit.

Sans would recognize that voice anywhere. It was so… silky. He looked over and sure enough, there you were, a shopping bag in your hand. Probably having bought a dress for one of those fancy parties folks in the mob loved so much.

Sans hated you.

Well, he hated you because he liked you. You were exactly the kind of girl he didn’t want, and yet at the same time, you were everything he wanted in one… really sexy package.

Talking to you was a really bad idea. So he just tipped the brim of his hat slightly, looking away in an attempt to look uninterested. “Heya, doll.”

Much to his dismay, you sat next to him on the bench and smiled. The way you moved drew attention to your curves…. Were you doing it on purpose?

“It’s good to see you,” you told him. A playful smile. “I was feeling bonely.”

Sans tried— and failed— to stop himself from laughing a bit. Fuck, you were funny too….

“So?” You batted your lashes-- it was clearly playful, but it still made his soul flutter slightly, and he inwardly cursed himself for it. “How are you?”

You were smirking. He was pretty sure you reveled in driving him insane.

“Not as good now that you’re here,” he returned, and you snickered. Why was it cute?

“Aww,” you said. “I’m hurt.”

Sans didn’t reply, just forced himself to look away, despite how much he enjoyed looking at you.

“Hey.”

He turned just a little, raising a brow. You had a massive grin on your face.

“Knock knock.”

He blinked and did his best not to look alarmed. Goddammit, no.

Not a knock knock joke.

“You’re supposed to say ‘Who’s there,’” you teased.

Fine. He would indulge you. The joke probably wouldn’t be that funny anyway. “Who’s there?”

“Nana.”

“Nana who?”

“Nana your business.”

Before he could even try to stop himself he snorted loudly, slapping his knee a little. “That was fuckin’ stupid, doll.”

“That’s why it’s funny.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Aw, c’mon. You agree with me. Admit it.”

Your tone was so smug. Dammit, he was terrible at pretending he didn’t like you, wasn’t he?

“Besides, yours are dumber.” You nudged him. “C’mon, tell me one. You always have some.”

His face grew warm. He wasn’t used to people wanting to hear his jokes. Sure, making people groan was half the fun, but… making you laugh…

After an attempt at a nonchalant shrug, he said, “Knock knock.”

“Who’s there?”

“Cash.”

“Cash who?”

“Nah thanks, I prefer walnuts.”

You snorted and gave a giggle. Sans didn’t notice his smile soften. What he would give to make you laugh like that more often….

If only you weren’t in the mob.

He was lost enough in thought that he didn’t notice when you began to slip into his lap, only when you were about halfway in it. It wasn’t inherently sexual, but Sans’ mind was the type to go into the gutter easily, and… His face grew hot, and you raised a brow.

“Oh my, someone gets turned on a bit easily, huh?”

His face only got hotter. “S’just a blush,” he protested.

You clearly didn’t believe him, but you shrugged, still smiling. “Oh, alright. My mistake.”

“Yeah,” he said, furious that his face was still warm. “Yer mistake--”

“I’m sure you won’t mind if I do this then.”

You wrapped your arms around his neck and pressed your body against his, giving him a wink, and he could feel himself growing warm… somewhere else.

“Y’know my brother wouldn’ be happy if he saw you here like this.” He kept his own hands from touching you, holding them out so that if Paps did suddenly show up for no discernible reason, he would see that Sans was clearly not reciprocating.

“Well too bad for him.” You leaned up, getting closer. “You can make your own decisions.” With a slight purr in your voice, you added, “You’re a big boy.”

You were close enough now that Sans could hear you even when you spoke softly.

“I’m sure there’s all kinds of things a big boy like you could do to a tiny girl like me….”

Why did everything about you… your voice, your body, your eyes… have to appeal so much to his most base instincts…?

And why’d you have to be so… wonderful?

“Just one kiss?” you whispered.

Sans didn’t protest when you pressed your soft, perfect lips against his teeth. In fact, he wrapped both arms around you, returning the affection. Your hands cupped his face and the touch sent shocks of electricity through him. He growled, his more aggressive instincts beginning to surface.

“Baby,” he purred, and you kissed him again, with more fervor this time. His hands went to your waist, and his mind began to slip into an incredibly racy fantasy. “Baby, I’m gonna…”

“You’re gonna what?” you asked, clearly excited.

His mind indulged itself in some very vivid imagery and he thought of a dirty response. He let out a predatory growl again, opening his eyes so he could make eye contact…

And then he realized what he was doing. He paused.

When he didn’t respond, you breathed, “What are you going to do to me, Sans?” and the primal part of him immediately started to dive back into its very explicit daydream, but the logical part of his mind managed to reel the rest of him in.

“I’m gonna… move ya back onto the bench,” he answered lamely, gently pushing you off his lap. Your flushed face (fuck, it was hot) quickly started to return to its usual color and you blinked, looking confused. Still, you complied, and to his surprise, looked away.

“Sorry,” you said. He wanted to tell you that yes, you should be, but instead it took all of his energy not to so much as put a hand on your shoulder. As much as he didn’t want to, he did like you.

Why did he have to like you?

“I, uh… jus’ gotta go, s’all,” he said, standing up. He turned away and tipped the brim of his hat. “See ya, dollface.”

“Actually…”

He looked back over, a brow raised in suspicion, to see that your more mischievous smile had returned. Oh, what now?

“It’s getting dark,” you told him, getting up and picking up your shopping bag. “And I think that, being the small and helpless little lady I am… I could use an escort home?”

Sans felt the corner of his mouth quirk up. “Yeah? Worried for your safety?”

“Of course. The city’s big, and full of… unsavory characters.” You put a hand over your heart in mock fear. “One of them could get me, and… do things to me.” Another wink, and a sly smile. Sans struggled not to let himself slip into more fantasies. Thankfully, your mock concern was funny enough to keep him more or less grounded.

“Well,” he said, playing along with a shrug. “We can’t have that. I s’pose it would only be gentlemanly of me to take you home.”

“Yes, it would. And we both know you’re quite the gentleman.”

“Always.” His grin had returned-- in fact, he could swear he was grinning even more than usual-- and he held out his arm. “Madame?”

You locked arms with him, beaming. “Merci,” you said, and he laughed. All thoughts of avoiding you were ignored.

He was too busy having fun to care.

[mlqctranslations]

Lucien 贪恋 SP Date

Reposted from my instagram account, @mlqc_translations!

Chapter 1

The inside of the traditionally styled room was warm and dry.

I changed into a yukata and sat down on the tatami, taking a deep breath as I tapped the news notification on my phone-- "The announcement of the Kelawo award list has been postponed. Can the genius scientist Lucien Xu become the youngest winner in history?" The large bolded words on the news notification were dark and obvious. ......Postponed? I paused, surprised, and then immediately tapped on the notification to find out more. "...Today, the most renowned award of the scientific realm--the Kelawo Life Science Award, is about to release their winners list. This caught many people's attention both nationally and internationally." "Scientist Professor Lucien Xu's innovative work in the neuroscience department has convinced many to clamour for his nomination." "However, according to the information disclosed, the requirements for this year has changed, and there may be strong competitors in the mix." "The Kelawo Award Committee has also recently announced that, since the opinions of the judges were divided, the release of award list will be delayed until this afternoon today..." I swiped through the news article, wrinkling my brow more and more as I scrolled down. I was so focused on my phone that I didn't notice someone walking towards me. ??: Why are you still looking at the news?

Lucien spoke as he covered my bare legs with a blanket, his gaze sweeping over the screen of my phone. Lucien: You said you invited me to go on this vacation so I could relax and forget about my work... Lucien: But you've been staring at your phone this whole time. He paused, and he looked slightly dejected and sad. Lucien: Does the Professor Lucien in the news appeal more to you than the one in real life? I was momentarily dumbfounded, and then quickly turned off my phone. MC: Of course not! I just...coincidentally came across this news article. I accidentally tapped on it. MC: And...I was mostly looking at the weather report anyways. I widened my eyes in an attempt to seem more convincing. MC: Look, it's snowing so much today. The Innkeeper even suggested that we try the hot springs another time... MC: But according to the weather report, it might stop snowing later. So we might still be able to try it out today! Lucien was silent for a second, and then let out a soft chuckle, nodding his head. Lucien: Mn, it looks like I misunderstood. I didn't think you'd be so thoughtful and considerate. MC: Of course I have to be! It's rare that we both have time off. I was looking forwards to this vacation a lot. It was the truth. In the past few days, Lucien and I were both so busy that we didn't even have time to share a meal together. That's why I chose a hot springs resort. I wanted to stay with Lucien in a room together, relaxing and spending our time with each other peacefully. I raised my head and took Lucien's hand. MC: You've been so busy with your research these past few weeks. You haven't been resting well. MC: Leave the traveling planning and arrangements to me. Your only job is to relax and enjoy the vacation. Lucien: Alright. The corners of his mouth turned up in a faint smile. The sunlight streaming through the window landed on him, coating his body in a soft glow. Lucien: Then...I'll leave it all to you? MC: Yep! Leave it to me. I glanced at the time on my phone, and an idea popped into my head. I raised my head and spoke to Lucien. MC: Since the luggage has all been unpacked and put away, you can go change now! Lucien nodded and walked towards the door. I took this opportunity to pick up my phone secretly, planning to finish reading the news article I just closed. Lucien: Oh, and one more thing. MC: W-What is it? I didn't expect Lucien to turn around and scrambled to hide the phone behind my back. Lucien's gaze flicked back and forth between the phone and my face. He seemed to have something to say, but he just gave a soft chuckle. Lucien: Nothing much, I just wanted to tell you...

Lucien: I'm also looking forwards to this vacation with you a lot.

Chapter 2

While Lucien was changing, I quietly sneaked out, waiting by the door. As expected, an attendant came walking in my direction, holding a rectangular wooden box in her hands. Attendant: Miss, the hotel owner's wife asked me to bring this to you. Attendant: As for the other package you ordered...we express our apologies. Since the product has to be made fresh, we tried to send a driver to pick it up just now, but it's snowing too heavily for them to get down the mountain. MC: That's okay. Thank you for your hard work. Please give my thanks to the owner's wife. I took the box from her and returned to the room, my heart overwhelmed with a flurry of complicated emotions. This is the gift I prepared before we even set off for the resort. I had originally planned to surprise Lucien with it when the Kelawo award results are announced. I was not expecting the award requirements to change. The Kelawo Award announcements were postponed, and my carefully devised plan was disrupted. I stared at the box in my hands, and the thought of a result that I've never expected before appeared in my mind. What if...... My heart sank. Now, I wasn't even sure if this celebration could happen at all... Lucien: What are you thinking about? I turned towards the direction of his voice, and then froze. Lucien was wearing a dark-coloured yukata. The loose collar of the clothing exposed his chest and collarbones. He leaned against the doorframe, looking more casual and relaxed compared to his normal state. His gaze found the wooden box in my hands, and I could see a hint of curiosity in his expression. Lucien: What's that? MC: Um, this...... I searched my mind for a proper explanation. Just then, his phone rang and our conversation was interrupted. Lucien looked at the glowing screen of his phone and wrinkled his brow slightly. After a brief pause, he answered the call. Lucien: Hello? Lucien: ......Yes. His tone was light, but his expression grew serious. The news article from before flashed through my head, and I couldn't help feeling a bit anxious. Lucien: My apologies, I'm on vacation right now. I'm afraid I don't have time for that. Lucien: I look forward to working with you next time. His voice was calm and soft, and he immediately hung up after that sentence. I was caught off guard by the swift action. I looked at him quizzically. Before I could say anything else, Lucien spoke up. Lucien: It's from HuanQiu News. I widened my eyes. HuanQiu News is a well-known weekly magazine in China that mainly reports international issues and major events. It has great influence and fame. MC: And they want to work with you? Lucien: Yeah, they want to interview me. MC: Wow, really? That's great! I felt relieved when I heard that it wasn't the bad news I was expecting, and set the box down on the table beside me. MC: It's such an influential magazine. If you accept their invitation, you can let more people know about your research results. Lucien looked at me, surprised, and then the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. Lucien: Why do you want more people to know? MC: Because......I think...for most people, your research results are just a string of boring, meaningless scientific terms. MC: But I know, you put a lot of work and effort into it. MC: Even if you have the title of "Genius Scientist," your determination and perseverance is no less than anyone else. The memories of the time I spent beside him flashed through my head as I spoke. Because of some small data error, he would have to put the papers of his experiment report--that he spent months working on--into the shredder one by one; He would be unable to hide his joy if he got the desired results for his experiment, even suggesting--somewhat childishly--that we go for a movie to celebrate the occasion. I smiled at Lucien and spoke to him in a lighthearted, playful tone. MC: So, I want you to be rewarded for your efforts...that's probably my only wish. My only selfish wish. Lucien stared at me quietly, and a soft, gentle emotion seemed to slowly melt in his eyes. After a while, he gave a quiet laugh and smiled in resignation. Lucien: Dummy. He reached out and gathered me into his arms. Lucien: I declined their invitation. MC: Huh? Why? Lucien didn't answer, and instead, gave a soft chuckle. Lucien: Do you want to know what my selfish wish is? Lucien: You always joke that my time and energy is endless and never used up, but that's not true. They have their limits, too. Lucien: It's just that, I need to save them up and use it all on the person who's most important to me. He paused, gently rubbing the top of my head with his chin. Lucien: This is our vacation. I want to spend it with you, and you alone. I could feel his familiar body temperature on my skin. It felt as if his warmth was slowly seeping into my heart. I couldn't help but wrap my arms around Lucien, wanting to be closer to him and wishing the moment could last longer. MC: Yeah, me too. My gaze landed on the wooden box on the table. I closed my eyes and came to a decision.

MC: Lucien, the belt of your yukata seems to be a little loose. I noticed that the strip of fabric at his waist wasn't tight enough, and subconsciously reached out to help him fix it. MC: Hmm...this doesn't seem to work either...... MC: I'll just help you redo the knot! I untied Lucien's belt, planning to redo it for him. Lucien: It looks like you're very experienced with this. I heard the faint trace of a smile in his voice. I raised my head and met his gaze. Only then did I realize how close and intimate we were. MC: I-I'm not really experienced. It's just that I learned a bit from the attendant when she helped me put my yukata on. MC: Plus, the way girls wear yukata is more complicated than the way guys do. So, tying your belt...it's not very hard for me. I lowered my head, trying to hide my blushing cheeks. Lucien: I see. He nodded and then spread out his arms, allowing me to retie the belt. I tried to concentrate on the task at hand, but the breathing at my neck made it hard to focus. The atmosphere was filled with an indescribable feeling. I pressed my lips together, and when I was about to say something, Lucien spoke. Lucien: I didn't notice before now, but there's a few sentences written on that hanging painting over there. MC: Eh? I raised my head and followed his gaze to the wall behind me. A traditionally styled painting was hanging there. Bright red leaves floated down and landed on the clear spring water. They looked like the flames of a raging fire, dyeing the water around it red with warmth and passion. I hadn't paid much attention to it when I first entered the room. Now that I looked at it carefully, I realized that there really were words written there. I was about to examine the sentences, but Lucien beat me to it and read them out loud. Lucien: "The matters of the gods, never concern the humans." Lucien: "The maple dyes the river red, the flowing waters run deep..."

(I’ll leave the original sentence here, since this is a poem and I might have made some translation errors: 悠悠神代事, 黯黯不曾闻, 枫染龙田川, 潺潺流水深)

MC: I think I've seen these phrases before... MC: Is it from that really famous love song? I turned to look at Lucien quizzically, and he nodded. Lucien: Well, it's definitely filled with lots of emotion. Lucien: I think it's probably here to set the mood for Valentine's Day. That's why the wife of the owner put it here. Lucien: And if you look at the writing...it seems it was added not too long ago. I studied the painting again after Lucien's comment. MC: I didn't expect the owner of this hotel to be so considerate and attentive. It looks like a normal painting if you don't examine it carefully... MC: There was a hidden meaning all along... I tried to feel the emotions hidden in the lines and strokes of the painting. This piece of art, originally just used as a normal hanging painting, now had depth and concealed meaning thanks to the added sentences. My attention was all on the painting when I heard a voice by my ear. Lucien: It looks quite beautiful... Lucien: But, aren't you forgetting something? His gaze landed on the belt in my hands. I realized I still didn't finish tying Lucien's yukata. The fabric was draped loosely over his body. The low neckline fell even lower, and more of his chest was exposed. My face grew even warmer. MC: ...I'll finish it now! I tried to ignore my quickening heartbeat and finished tying Lucien's belt. When I was done, I couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. I raised my hand to try and fix the low neckline of the yukata, but to my surprise, I discovered that it was just designed that way. MC: Was, was this neckline always so low?

My voice was quiet. Lucien looked down at his yukata, and then a smile of understanding spread across his face. Lucien: Yes, that's how it was when I first put it on. Lucien: I'm pretty sure all men's yukatas here are in this style. MC: That's strange, I think I remember seeing a different type of yukata on the official website... MC: Unless...this is also part of "setting the mood" for Valentine's Day? In order to cover up my flustered feelings, I spoke in a joking tone. Lucien gave a soft laugh, going along with my jokes. Lucien: Yeah, that's possible. He blinked and seemed to think of something. He bent down, leaning close to my ear, and spoke to me in a soft voice. Lucien: I think... Lucien: This counts as setting the mood as well.

Chapter 3

Lucien and I sat opposite to each other on the tatami. He took the sake out of the wooden box and uncorked the bottle, pouring its contents into two cups. Lucien: So this is why you were talking with the owner's wife today... Lucien: Is there a reason for this sudden surprise gift? I answered him calmly, trying to hide my nervousness and anxiety. MC: It's not really sudden, just part of the series of things I planned for this trip... MC: Just think of it as a reward for your past months of hard work! I tried to steer the conversation away from this topic and pointed at the sake cup, gesturing at him invitingly. MC: Apparently, this kind of sake is very popular here. I was afraid that it would be all sold out by the time we arrived, so I ordered it half a month in advance! Lucien's eyes filled with the faint trace of a smile. Lucien: I guess I'd better taste it, then. You worked so hard for it. He lifted the cup to his lips and took a sip. MC: How is it? Lucien: It has a slightly sweet flavour...quite delicious. MC: That's good! Drinking wine in winter can warm you up. The memories of Lucien drinking wine flashed through my head, and I couldn't help adding to my sentence. MC: ...and its alcohol content isn't very high, so you don't need to worry about getting drunk. He raised an eyebrow. Lucien: It seems like I'm being underestimated. He poured some more sake into the cup, and then sipped at it unhurriedly. Lucien: I've had sake before. I didn't get drunk. MC: I think you've mentioned it to me over the phone before... I felt even more curious after he brought the incident up again. My impression is that he almost never drinks alcohol, but instead, loves tea. MC: Why did you try sake that time? Lucien: Mm...let me think. He set down the cup, propping his head up on one hand, and lifted his gaze to stare at the leaves in the yard behind me. Lucien: It was back when I was still a student. We were celebrating because we won a contest with our project. MC: Huh? Lucien: Didn't expect that, right? His gaze met mine for a split second, and then he continued speaking. Lucien: I had worked with my classmates on a very challenging scientific research project. We finally got our ideal results after a year and a half. He sighed, seeming to remember the scenes of the past. Lucien: They were absolutely overjoyed...dragged me to the tavern to celebrate...... He spoke with resignation, but I could see the corners of his mouth turn up in a small smile. I've almost never seen him celebrate his own achievements. The thought I had suppressed earlier was appearing in my mind again-- I want to stay beside him, celebrate with him, and witness the moment his hard work blossoms and he's rewarded for his efforts. A tangled mess of emotions spread across my chest: anticipation, anxiety, and even a hint of worry... Lucien: You're zoning out again. A light tap landed on my forehead, and I came back to my senses, smiling apologetically at Lucien. He narrowed his eyes, staring at me silently, and then spoke. Lucien: Oh, I remember a game we played back then... MC: A game? Lucien: Here, I'll show you. I watched with interest as Lucien took an empty cup and placed it upside-down on the table. Lucien: It's pretty simple. We take turns, you can either choose to tap the cup with your fingers, or take the cup away. Lucien: If the cup is taken away, the other person has to knock on the table with their knuckles. Touching the cup or tapping the table both count as losing. MC: This game seems to rely heavily on reflexes... Lucien smiled at my slightly confused state. Lucien: Yes, but it isn't very hard. You'll get the hang of it after a round or two. Do you want to give it a try? MC: Sure! I nodded eagerly. A streak of emotion flashed through Lucien's eyes, and a smile appeared on his lips.

MC: ...... MC: That's impossible! I took another sip of sake in frustration. Apparently, the "It isn't very hard" of this game is only directed at Lucien. Aside from having great reflexes, he always seemed to know my thoughts, and predicted my movements ahead of time... MC: It's like you can read my mind... Lucien just smiled in response to my complaint. Lucien: Or maybe it's because I know you so well. Lucien: That's why it's not hard to figure out what you're going to do next. He didn't seem to notice how his words made me flustered and embarrassed. I muttered under my breath. MC: That's not fair... Lucien: Why don't you try putting all of your attention on me as well?

MC: Huh? Lucien tilted his head, supporting his face with one hand. He studied my face curiously. Lucien: Maybe this strategy will be more effective. My heartbeat sped up uncontrollably. For a split second, I couldn't tell if he was teasing me, or being completely serious. I still decided to give it a try. I was losing right now, but this method would give me a chance to turn things around. I have nothing to lose, anyways. We soon started a new round. I followed Lucien's advice and stared at him intently, trying to find loopholes and weak points in his gestures. Lucien was smiling the entire time. He seemed to be in a good mood. It was now my turn to tap the cup. I noticed Lucien wrinkle his brow, and I suddenly decided to change tactics. I grabbed the cup and took it away. MC: ...! Lucien: I lost. He looked at our hands, both touching the top of the cup, and sighed. Lucien: It looks like...I was too careless. Lucien: I shouldn't have told you about that strategy. He looked a little sad and regretful. Lucien took the sake and downed it in one go. MC: Does it really work that well? I was a little surprised by the sudden victory. I wasn't sure if it was just luck or not, but I still grinned and felt excited at finally winning against this flawless person. The game went surprisingly smoothly for me after that. I didn't think I would ever experience such a day, where I was always winning against Lucien. The smile on my face grew wider and wider. It stayed that way until Lucien had to drink another cup of sake as punishment. Looking at his reddish ears and smiling lips, I suddenly realized something. I stopped smiling immediately and walked up to Lucien, looking at him sternly. MC: I nearly fell for your tricks again! His gaze flickered, and he reached out for me. Lucien: What's wrong? He looked at me, blinking innocently. Lucien: Why do you look so angry? Did I do something wrong? I couldn't help but laugh somewhat angrily. He already knew the answer...but he was asking anyways. I squeezed his hand. MC: You're letting me win on purpose, right? Lucien didn't respond, but hooked his fingers around mine, wrapping his palm around my hand. Lucien: Who said I let you win on purpose? Lucien: I'm losing to you willingly. He reached out and brushed his finger against my nose, a smile appearing on his lips once more. Lucien: I can finally see your genuine smile. MC: Eh? Lucien: You've looked worried ever since this morning. Lucien: I had originally thought that I shouldn't pressure you into telling me and wait for you to talk to me yourself, but on second thought, it's not good for you to bear this on your own. Lucien: I'm guessing...the thing that's bothering you... is something concerning me? He looked lost in thought for a second. Lucien: Is it that article from the morning? The determined look in his eyes and his behaviour just now made me suddenly understand. MC: So you wanted to play this game so I could relax more? MC: I should have known...I can't hide anything from you. He laughed and wrapped my hand into his palm, speaking in a teasing tone. Lucien: Tell me, how did the Professor Xu on the article trouble you? I laughed, amused by his words. Since my inner thoughts have already been exposed, I decided to just be honest with him. MC: Well...actually, this bottle of sake was originally a gift for you to celebrate your victory. I didn't expect the list to be postponed... MC: I still want to celebrate with you, but if......the results aren't good, I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. MC: ...So, I didn't say anything. I sighed with relief, feeling more at ease after admitting everything to Lucien. MC: But now I think...it's more important to cherish the time we have together. I picked up my phone and turned it off without hesitation, trying to show Lucien my determination. MC: I won't get distracted anymore! The light in Lucien's eyes flickered and, he too, turned his phone off. He wrapped an arm around my waist, and lifted his head. Lucien: Then it's a promise. From now on, don't let anything disturb out time together. Lucien: ...not even humans. I couldn't hold in my laughter when Lucien made another addition to his sentence. MC: ...But it's still my fault for getting distracted before. Now, we can make up for lost time. Lucien: Oh? What do you have in mind? I glanced at the courtyard and raised my eyebrows at Lucien. MC: Didn't you notice? The snow outside is getting smaller. He looked puzzled for a second, but then understood what I was implying. The corners of his mouth turned up in a smile. The heavy snow storm outside had turned into light, soft snowflakes-- Drifting into the steaming hot springs, and melting away silently.

After having our meal, Lucien and I walked on the stone pathway in the courtyard. The sound of tricking water reached our ears. MC: It looks like the weather report was accurate. The snow is much smaller and lighter than before.

Lucien: Yes, but are you still drunk? We could come back later. MC: Don't worry, I'm totally awake and sober. MC: Plus, I already did my research. According to the internet, the best time to take a soak in the springs is two hours after a meal! Lucien opened his mouth to say something, but then suddenly stopped in his tracks. He stared at the hot springs in front of us, and a streak of shock and surprise flashed through his eyes. I followed his gaze to the outdoor springs, and my eyes widened. MC: This is... To my utter surprise, I realized that this private hot spring didn't have any sort of barrier separating the two sides!

Chapter 4

MC: That's strange...I clearly remember that the pictures on the website had the hot springs separated with wooden boards... I stared at the water, feeling my ear tips turn red. I couldn't help feeling nervous at the thought of two people in the same pool... Just as I was about to say something to break the awkward silence, Lucien spoke up. Lucien: ...I'll just go back to the room. Lucien: I'll come back once you've finished. MC: Huh? I raised my head. Lucien's expression was still calm and gentle, but his eyes avoided mine. Could it be...... ...I'm not the only one who's nervous? Looking at the steaming hot spring, I swallowed and steeled myself. MC: I mean, we've already changed into new clothes and everything...let's just do it together.

Lucien and I sat across from each other in the hot spring. The clear, rippling water came up to our chests. Lucien: Do you think the water temperature is too hot? I raised my head, and my gaze slid disobediently from his bare chest to his collarbones, his Adam's apple, and then his lips...I didn't dare look up any further. MC: No, it's perfect. I shook my head and tried to suppress my rapid heartbeats. I lowered myself a bit more, submerging my shoulders in the warm water, and couldn't help giving a soft sigh. Snowflakes landed on my face, making my skin feel cool and icy, but melted soon after due to the hot air and my warm body. Lucien's hand swept over the surface of the water, making the water splash. He closed his eyes, tilting his head up, and leaned against the rock wall. Lucien: I remember the last time we took a soak in a hot spring. It was snowing...like today. MC: Yeah, I remember that too. My heart warmed as I remembered the last time I celebrated Lucien's birthday. MC: It feels like all of my happy memories about snowy days are spent with you. He slowly opened his eyes. Droplets of water clung to his eyelashes, and the shape of his lips looked attractive and alluring. Lucien: To me, it's not just snowy days. The sound of flowing water overlapped with his voice, reaching my ears through the misty air. The distant memories in my mind seemed to be lit up little by little under Lucien's gentle gaze. My throat felt a little dry after being stared at for so long. My gaze landed on the tray, and I looked over at the wagashi and cups of hot tea. I picked up a cup and took a sip. It wasn't alcohol or sake, but I somehow still felt slightly drunk. I patted my slightly hot face and tried to stretch my body a bit. My foot accidentally touched Lucien's leg. Lucien: ...... MC: ...... My heart skipped a beat and my breathing quickened. The water of the hot spring seemed to make every part of my body more sensitive. I looked up at Lucien. His gaze flickered, and then he looked away. Lucien picked up the other cup on the tray. Lucien: ...The aroma of tea is very strong. MC: Yeah... MC: T-This kind of opportunity is rare, why don't we replace alcohol with tea and give a toast? I bit my tongue in embarrassment as soon as the words were out of my mouth. The hand Lucien was using to hold the cup seemed to shake. He studied my red cheeks for a second, and then couldn't hold in his laughter.

Lucien: Yes, that's a good suggestion, but...... Lucien: Toasts are usually for celebrating. What are we celebrating right now? I was at a loss for words. While I racked my brain for things to say, a thought flashed through my mind. MC: To celebrate- Lucien: I'm going to be very disappointed if you say something like "to celebrate your prizewinning ahead of time" again. MC: Uhm... This man definitely has mind-reading skills! I looked at Lucien's smiling eyes through the white mist, and then couldn't help smiling as well. The snow floated down from the skies, the clear water rippled, but nothing could compare to his shining eyes. Everything in front of me suddenly felt unreal, like a dream. An amazing man was right in front of my eyes, sharing tea and the wonderful snowy view with me. I could see my figure reflect clearly in Lucien's eyes. I suddenly realized that...to me, this moment with him surpasses everything. I instantly spoke without thinking. MC: Then, let's celebrate the moment we share right now. Underneath the water's surface, our touching skin lightly rubbed against each other. The distinct touch made me feel like there were electric currents coursing through my body, the sensation causing ripples in my heart. I no longer avoided his eyes like before, but looked at Lucien quietly. His Adam's apple moved slightly. The pale, warm mist made his dark eyes twinkle with the lights reflecting off the water. I suddenly had the feeling that Lucien could somehow see past the hazy mist and stare straight into my heart. After a while, he gave a soft laugh. Lucien: Only the moment now? MC: What? Lucien didn't answer, but instead, got up and leaned towards me. His chest, originally submerged in the hot spring, was exposed above the water. The temperature of the hot spring made his skin slightly red. The water rippled and splashed, the droplets falling back towards the spring. Slightly nervous, I touched the ground with my foot. I was a little unstable due to the buoyancy of the water, but Lucien grabbed my waist with one hand just in time. I lifted my head, bewildered, and stared at the defined line of Lucien's jaw, my fingertips digging into the tight and strong muscles of his shoulders. His hand slipped over my back and he held me even tighter in his arms. I subconsciously put one hand at his shoulder and pressed the other against his chest. MC: Lucien...... The soft waves of the water lapped against our bodies. Lucien bent down, and his lips moved close to my ears. His voice was slightly hoarse. Lucien: What I want to say is, not only should we celebrate this moment, but also... Lucien: Every single second we have together. A light touch landed on my earlobe, and it felt as if tendrils of fire were lit up there, one by one. The cups collided with a clear, crisp sound. Lucien drank a mouthful of tea, held my chin, and leaned down. I watched his face come closer and closer. I had no time to think, all I could do was close my eyes...... And...experience the numb sensation on my lips and taste the fragrant sweet tea in my mouth.

There was the sound of splashing water as Lucien got up and walked out of the pool. Lucien: Our clothes were left out and now they're wet from the snow. I'll go back to get new clothes. MC: Wait, I'll go with you. I stood up and tried to follow him. Lucien stood frozen in place, and his gaze wavered slightly when he looked at me. I followed his eyes and looked down. The wet towel clung to my body, clearly outlining my figure. Water dripped down from the soaked fabric. A cool breeze blew past, and I suddenly noticed something. I quickly sat back in the hot spring. MC: I-It's so cold... Lucien laughed softly and nodded. Lucien: Yeah, it would be cold for you if you go back like this. Lucien: So, can you wait for me here? I touched my slightly hot face, and nodded at him, smiling. MC: Okay!

When Lucien returned, I was eating the wagashi in the tray. He laughed when he saw me. (Wagashi are traditional Japanese sweets that are typically enjoyed with a cup of green tea. In Chinese, they're called 和果子.)

Lucien: Are you hungry? MC: A little bit. Look, these desserts are all so detailed and beautiful. I pushed the platter towards him. He crouched down and examined them carefully. Lucien: Yeah, you're right. Lucien: I once heard a really skilled pastry chef say that wagashi desserts can express and reflect anything, whether it's from nature or human emotion. MC: Really? I put my arm on the stone edge surrounding the hot spring and started studying the wagashi in the tray curiously. MC: These are made for Valentine's Day. I wonder if they're special in any way. Lucien: I think they are. He leaned down and examined the desserts along with me. Lucien: Maybe...we can use our imagination to take a guess? He smiled and picked up one of the sweets. The shape and design was fairly simple compared to the others. It was round like a small steamed bun, and there was a circular yellow label stamped in the centre. Lucien: I'm sure they made the label yellow for a reason. He looked at it for a while and then handed it to me. Lucien: Can you think of anything? MC: Um...yellow circle...... MC: Like a full moon? I looked up at Lucien. The corners of his mouth turned up, hinting at me to continue on. I stared at the seemingly plain and ordinary wagashi, and suddenly realized something. MC: The moon is a very important symbol of love and can be used to express many different emotions... MC: So, it seems that this wagashi really fits the theme of Valentine's Day. Lucien: Do you want to taste it? I leaned over and bit into the wagashi in his hand. The sweetness melted in my mouth. I was pleasantly surprised to see the red filling underneath the white outside layer. MC: It's red bean paste...! A flash of surprise crossed Lucien's eyes, and after a while, he nodded thoughtfully. Lucien: To choose red filling for the inside... Lucien: That's probably because the person who created it wanted to express the sincere emotions between lovers. MC: So wagashi can really express human emotion... I looked at the emotion-filled dessert, and a warm, gentle feeling grew in my heart. I spoke to Lucien without thinking. MC: You try it too! I remembered something as soon as the words left my mouth, and quickly changed my words. MC: Oh, you don't really like sweets...then I'll take it! I reached out to take the wagashi away from him, but Lucien moved his hand away and out of my reach. MC: Huh? He gave a light laugh at my puzzled look. Lucien: I don't really like sweet things, that's true. Lucien: But...a dessert with such beautiful meaning...I still want to give it a try. MC: But...... Lucien's face appeared in front of mine before I even finished speaking. He put his hand behind my head and leaned down. In the blink of an eye, I felt a sudden warmth on my lips. His hot breath fell on my face, making my skin feel both itchy and numb, dispelling the coolness in the air. The snow on the edge of the pool melted into water and fell into the spring, causing little splashes where they land. After a long time, Lucien finally let go of the hand behind my head and looked at me, a faint smile tugging at his lips. Lucien: Mm, it's sweeter than I imagined.

Chapter 5

After taking a soak in the pool, Lucien and I walked back to the room. We both froze when the door was pushed open. A gaudy “prize cake” was sitting on the table.

The word "AWARD" was written in large block letters using red chocolate, and right underneath it, was a sentence written in black chocolate-- "The Best Scientist Award". Lucien raised an eyebrow, glancing lazily towards me. I coughed awkwardly. MC: Cough cough...would you believe me if I said the attendant sent this to the wrong room? The door was pushed open again, and the attendant came in with two sets of cutlery. Attendant: You're back, Miss. Did you enjoy the hot springs? Attendant: This is the special cake you ordered. The driver was able to get down the mountain to get it since the snow's smaller now. Please enjoy. The attendant gave me a meaningful look, as if saying "I won't disturb you any longer", and then bowed and walked out. After a short silence, a soft chuckle came from behind me. MC: ......Okay, I'll admit it. I prepared this for you...a present to celebrate your victory in winning the award. MC: I think there's more of a celebratory atmosphere if we eat cake. MC: Well...I know the appearance of the cake is sort of...weird and exaggerated, but it probably tastes okay... Lucien nodded, laughing softly. Lucien: Yes, I think this cake will be delicious. And...... Lucien: Now, I'm convinced that you really do care a lot about this topic. He paused, and then took out his phone, turning it on. Lucien: Since you want to know so badly...let's find out together. MC: ......What? Lucien: Didn't you want to know the results? I remember it said in the article you read this morning...it was going to be delayed until the afternoon. Lucien: It should be the right time now. MC: But...! I watched his unhurried movements, my eyes wide. I seemed to be more nervous than he was. Lucien: If I don't let you know now, you'd be worried over it for the entire day. Right after he finished speaking, his phone buzzed continuously for a few minutes, and endless messages flooded the screen. My heartbeat sped up as I stared as his vibrating phone. Lucien also seems somewhat surprised by the amount of notifications. Lucien: ...A Ming, sent fifteen text messages and called me six times. He wrinkled his brow. Lucien: It looks like he didn't take what I said about "focus on the key points" to heart. MC: I'm currently also questioning your ability to "focus on key points"! Finally, his phone calmed down. Lucien lightly tapped the screen, his face expressionless and emotionless. I looked at him with mixed feelings of anticipation and anxiousness. After a few minutes of silence, Lucien suddenly leaned towards me, burying his head in my shoulder, and let out a soft sigh. Lucien: ...... My heart stopped. MC: I-It's okay...... My mind was blank, and I was stumbling over my words. MC: Maybe it's because they changed the requirements for this year, they need to consider other elements, and...... MC: This is their loss! You're so talented and smart, they're going to regret it for sure! Lucien: ...Really? MC: Yes!! I replied instantly and was about to continue on when my ears caught a low laugh. I suddenly realized that something wasn't right. MC: ......You're tricking me again! I immediately straightened up, trying to escape his embrace. He caught my wrist, laughing, and pulled me into his arms again. Lucien: I didn't trick anyone...it's kind of unfair for you to say that. Lucien: I don't think I actually said anything about the results yet? I bit my lip, pouting slightly as I looked at the triumphant smile in his eyes. Suddenly, an idea popped into my head. I dove into the blankets on the bed and pretended to be angry. Even though the news of Lucien's success made me smile from ear to ear, I tried to control my expression and spoke in an upset voice. MC: I was so nervous, yet you still tricked me! MC: I had prepared a third gift for you, aside from the cake and the sake...but now I'm going to reconsider if I should give it to you or not! His low laughter immediately stopped, as if someone had pressed the pause button. I secretly giggled to myself and counted down silently. 3, 2, 1...as expected, I felt a pair of hands hug me from behind when I counted the last number. Lucien: I'm sorry. You were so cute...I couldn't help teasing you. Lucien: So, can you tell me what the last gift is? Lucien waited, and when I didn't respond, he started coughing. Lucien: Cough cough... Lucien: I think I caught a cold from staying outside for so long... I listened to Lucien's coughing. At first, I was startled, but then couldn't hold in my laughter. I didn't think he'd resort to such childish tactics. Lucien also started laughing when he heard my laughter. The hands around my waist tightened, and his voice was more serious when he opened his mouth. Lucien: MC. Lucien: Actually, I don't really care about this award that much. My heart skipped a beat. It was the first time I heard him say something like that. Lucien: Because, everything that I wanted to have......I got it when the research results were announced...maybe even earlier than that. Lucien: Any praise from the outside world, to me, is nothing but icing on the cake. He paused, as if suddenly remembering something, and then started laughing softly. Lucien: But, everything that you've done for me today...I'm very happy about it. Lucien: Whether it's the gifts you gave me, or the sincere words you spoke...all of that made me feel how important I am to you. Lucien rubbed his chin over my forehead through the blanket. Lucien: The only one who would feel happy, nervous, or even sad for me from the bottom of their heart... Lucien: It's probably only this silly girl in front of me. His soft, gentle words fell over my heart, splashing up waves of emotion. Lucien: I think...the reason I keep teasing you is because I want to see more of the reactions and feelings...that you only display for me. Lucien: I guess I'm also a "collector", of some sort-- Lucien: It doesn't matter what form of MC...I want to have them all. Lucien: Will you forgive me now? His tone was filled with tenderness and gentleness. I still didn't respond, but instead, answered with my actions-- I threw off the blankets, and kissed Lucien's cheek as he froze in shock. My fingers swept over the strands of his hair, stopping on his face, and  I held on to him tightly, pulling him towards me. The sound of heavy breathing filled the room. As if in a trance, I kissed him over and over, and then pressed my lips against his ear. MC: I'm not angry, you're the silly one here... My lips made their way down the edge of his ear. He gave a sharp intake of breath, and I stopped my kisses and instead, rubbed gently against his ear. After a long time, my eyes met Lucien's, and I finally realized how bold and embarrassing my actions were. I tried to pull away from him. But Lucien didn't allow me to hide. The hand on my waist tightened, and he pressed his forehead against my forehead, his dark eyes staring deep into mine. Lucien: Is this the third gift? Our breaths mingled, both of us breathing hard. I shook my head. MC: ...It's a promise. I tried to calm my breathing, and slowly said the words that had been fermenting in my heart. MC: I was planning to wait until the results were out...no matter if you won or not, I would still say this to you-- MC: In the future, I'm going to stay beside you and spend every memorable moment with you. MC: ...Do you still remember the crystallized flower you gave me? MC: My thoughts are the same as yours. Every single second we spend together is precious and special for me. I don't have a gift as beautiful and romantic as the one you gave me, so I can only express my feelings in words... MC: But this truly is my most genuine and sincere thought. The evening air swept past. Behind Lucien, the flaming red maple leaves fluttered down from the sky. I suddenly had the feeling that Lucien and I were closer than ever. He lowered his gaze, staring at me for a second, and then let out a soft laugh. Lucien: Your romantic sentences have improved a lot since the last time. My face felt hot when I met the mischievous look in his eyes. MC: I was only speaking from the heart! Lucien: Yeah, I know. Lucien: I don't think your words are plain. In fact, I believe the opposite...your words are of great significance and importance to me. Lucien: But, even if I receive such a wonderful vow, there's still one thing... Lucien: Aren't you giving me an empty promise? MC: !... I... I was at a loss for words. Lucien smiled, his gaze traveling down to slightly open lips, emotion wavering in his dark eyes. Lucien: Sometimes...actions speak louder than words. He lifted his arm, brushing his thumb against my lips. Lucien: The sincerity in your promise...maybe I'll understand it better if you express it in a different way. His voice was low, and he lifted his gaze to look at me, lights shimmering in his eyes. Lucien: Are you willing to give it a try? My face turned red, and my thoughts were a mess. The next second, Lucien grabbed my wrist and pressed me to the tatami. MC: Uhf...! His soft tongue pried my teeth open little by little, rubbing against the inside of my mouth gently and delicately, as if trying to rub away all the heat and lingering feelings. I tasted the faint, pleasant flavour of tea in his mouth. It somehow tasted like wine with an incredibly high alcohol content...I felt slightly drunk. He lifted my chin with one hand. Lucien's eyes were half-closed, and he loosened his grip on my hand. His fingers gently caressed the skin of my wrist, slowly and tenderly, making my body gradually relax. The temperature around us rose quickly, and I instinctively threw my arms around his neck, responding to his actions with another kiss. He let go of me just when I started feeling a little dizzy. His familiar soft laugh sounded by my ears. When he saw I was slightly weak from his actions, Lucien held on to my waist and let me sit on his lap. One of my hands were pressed against his sturdy chest, and the other was weakly grasping his already messy and disheveled clothes. MC: Lucien...... I lowered my head and stared into his eyes. I could see some sort of suppressed emotion in his dark eyes, and I leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to his chin. Lucien: ...... The light reflected in Lucien's eyes seemed to flicker, and then suddenly darkened. The hand Lucien was using to stroke my hair suddenly moved, giving me no time to react, and he pulled me towards him, kissing me once more. Unlike the gentle, tender kiss from before...this one was filled with overwhelming passion and a slight hint of greed. The tingling sensation from my mouth seemed to course through my body like an electrical current. Lucien's warm palm made its way down my back, making me shiver. My senses and emotions were all occupied by him. I could feel the kiss gradually deepen. I felt a slight pain at my collarbone, and I cried out. I could feel a warm, moist touch appear over that area. A layer of fine sweat appeared on our touching skin, and with it, came an intimate, sticky feeling. I ran a hand through the sweat-drenched strands of Lucien's hair and lowered my head to look down at him. His eyes were closed, and his face was slightly red with the colour of maple leaves. I didn't know where to put my eyes, and my face turned hot again. As if feeling my nervousness, the corners of Lucien's mouth turned up slightly. He lifted a hand and covered my eyes. Lucien: Close your eyes. His voice was commanding, but also extremely gentle and tender. I slowly closed my eyes and surrendered myself to him. The last image remaining on my eyes was Lucien's dark, unfathomable eyes... ...And a brilliant red.

- End -

[koreaweeb]

Red Strings - Twenty-First String (NSFW)

@underc0vercryptid-reads @laraplisetski @omegahighendpro @thooo0t @t3sselated @youngestdelacour @sadeyesgf

TW: SWEARING, VIOLENCE, ABUSE, MENTION OF SUICIDE, MENTION OF SELF-HARM, SEXUAL CONTENT

-

-

Home alone, Niragi was in the kitchen checking through the cupboards for any food that appealed to him. Chishiya had a strict policy of ‘If you want food, buy it yourself’. However, he was also too busy to be there constantly to reinforce that particular rule.

Seeing a jar of peanut butter in one of the cupboards, Niragi grabbed it and popped the lid open, dipping his cracker straight into the jar and scooped the spread out then threw it in his mouth and chewed. That was when the door opened and he froze on the spot. It was too late for him to hide, and he was preparing himself for a lecture from Chishiya.

Except he was not alone. 

Following behind was a woman. 

“Hey,” Niragi greeted. They kicked their shoes off and Chishiya pulled the woman with him into his room, slamming the door and Niragi could hear the door locking. “Huh...that nerd’s gonna get laid.”

As soon as they were in his room, Kurenai threw her arms over his shoulders and held the back of his head while her lips were upon his. She jumped onto him and Chishiya carried her over to his bed, laying her down. 

“It hurts, Doctor Chishiya,” Kurenai whispered, between kisses.

“Hm? Where does it hurt?”

“Everywhere. I’ve been aching for you.”

“Let’s see if you’re telling the truth.”

He had his hand under her dress between her legs, and he brushed against her already soaking wet underwear. Reaching inside, he pushed a finger in her and it easily slipped in. Kurenai arched her back, letting out a soft moan, gripping the bedsheets under her. 

Using only his finger, Chishiya was enjoying the expressions on her face. The way she would let out a gasp then bite her bottom lip to stop herself from moaning. She held onto him, biting into his shoulder while grinding her hips, like she was asking for more. When it seemed like she was near the end, he pulled his finger out and licked it clean. 

Kurenai sat up, pulling him in for a kiss while she worked on undoing the buttons on his shirt. She fumbled a little, getting frustrated that the top button was not coming undone. Chishiya laughed, holding her hand and guided her slowly through all the buttons. His shirt was eventually thrown onto the floor a minute later. 

“You know…” she mumbled, planting several kisses on his neck until she found a spot she liked. “I really wanted to have sex with you last time. When we were interrupted.” She nibbled on his skin, sucking and biting until a bruise was left behind.

“I really wanted it too,” he said, lifting her chin. “No one’s going to interrupt us tonight.”

“Then what are you waiting for?”

Leaning back, Kurenai laid on his pillows. She held her dress in her hands and was slowly pulling it up, keeping eye contact with Chishiya the entire time. She knew he could never resist her, not that he wanted to anyway. 

Chishiya placed his hand on her thigh, caressing as it traveled further up her leg until he found her underwear. He hooked his finger around it and pulled, watching as it was sliding down her legs. He flung it over his shoulder and tugged Kurenai by her legs, pulling her down. He did not bother taking her dress off, he had no time for that. 

Reaching over to the nightstand by the bed, he pulled the drawer open and grabbed the box of condoms that Niragi got him as a joke. ‘Not that I think you’re gonna get laid, but better safe than sorry,’ was his roommate’s exact words. Well, the joke was on him since Chishiya was having sex before he did. 

Once he was ready, he positioned himself between her legs and pushed into her. She let out a moan with her sweet voice and Chishiya could not stop his hips from moving. He wanted to hear her moans more. He wanted to hear her call out his name in pleasure. 

“Shit...Shuntarou! Fuck...it feels so good.”

“How good?” he asked, leaning down with each arm on either side of her head. His face was inches away from hers and Kurenai had her eyes closed out of embarrassment. “Come on, as your doctor, I need to know the details. Tell me.”

“Damn you, Shuntarou…”

She turned her head to the side but Chishiya grabbed her face, making her look at him. The Kurenai underneath him right now, the one he was thrusting into, was different to the usual Kurenai. Compared to her normal dominant personality, she was rather submissive in bed, which was a pleasant surprise for Chishiya. 

“Come on now, tell me,” he whispered, kissing along her jawline. “Does it still hurt? Or do you feel good?”

“It feels...feels good.”

“How good?”

“So good!”

“And who’s making you feel good?”

“You! You are! Shuntarou, you are!”

“Good girl.”

He quickened his pace, and Kurenai’s moans were getting louder as she called his name. Chishiya was letting out a few moans himself and he could feel himself getting close to an orgasm. So was Kurenai, judging by the way her nails were digging into his back, and how her teeth were sinking into his shoulder. 

A few more thrusts later, she dug her heels into the mattress and her toes were curling. She pushed her hips down onto his, while Chishiya was riding his orgasm out.

They were both out of breath by the time he was pulling out, but Kurenai was looking at him as if she wanted more. He wanted more too, as his body was responding honestly to her. With a new condom on, they were ready to go for another round. 

So engrossed with each other and the amorous activities, they soon lost track of time. By the time they were finally satisfied, there was only about another hour before the sun was coming up. Falling asleep in each other’s arms, when Kurenai woke up, it was still early in the morning.

Chishiya’s face was right next to hers when she opened her eyes, and she could not help the soft smile spreading on her face. She never thought there would be a day when she would be happy to wake up next to someone. She stroked his cheek gently, moving a little so she could kiss him. 

“Did you not have enough last night?” Chishiya suddenly opened his eyes, rolling over so he was on top of her, pinning her hands over her head. 

“I had plenty last night,” she grinned. “But I’d gladly have more of you whenever.”

He leaned down as if to kiss her but instead, he kissed her nose before rolling out of bed, grabbing a t-shirt on the chair. Kurenai pouted, sitting up and watched Chishiya walking out of his room. She grabbed his shirt off the floor, buttoning it up and followed after him. 

While he was making coffee and a simple toast breakfast, she wrapped her arms around his waist and placed her head on his back. If this was what domestic life was like with someone, she would not mind at all. 

A wolf whistle from behind interrupted the couple, and Chishiya instinctively hid Kurenai behind him. The fact that he had a roommate completely slipped his mind, and Kurenai only had on his shirt that just about covered her bottom. 

“You guys were loud last night,” Niragi said, walking over to pour himself a cup of coffee. “Didn’t know you had it in you, nerd.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”

“Hey missy, if you think this nerd is good in bed, you’re really missing out with me.”

“No thank you,” Kurenai said. “Shuntarou’s the only one for me.” 

“Let’s go out for breakfast instead,” Chishiya said, taking Kurenai’s hand.

-Later that night-

Niragi knocked on Chishiya’s door, walking in with a package in his hands. Chishiya looked up from his desk with a frown. So many times he had told Niragi to wait for permission to come in. So many times he simply ignored Chishiya. 

“Hey, your girl sent me a package,” he said.

“Kurenai?”

“That’s what it says on the card,” Niragi said, showing Chishiya the card that came with the package. 

Sorry about last night. This is compensation. - Chuya Kurenai

Opening the box, Niragi reached in and pulled out a pair of brand new noise cancelling headphones. Chishiya smirked at the present, while Niragi was less than impressed. “Your girl’s really something else.”

[katsukiboom]

Dance The Night Away || SeroMina

the second and last commission I worked in for the last month! @xpegasusuniverse asked for a SeroMina piece and the prompt was so cute, I enjoyed writing it so much! I hope y’all like it <3

Ko-Fi || Commissions

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“You want me to do what?”

Mina’s loud voice was heard all across the 1-A dorm, her disbelief more than apparent in her tone. “Please,” a desperate-looking Sero begged as he sat next to her on one of the common room’s couches, and he hoped none of their classmates would come in and hear what they were talking about. “You’re my only chance to learn; besides, I know that you’ll be patient enough. Please?”

The boy dragged the e just enough until her rolled her eyes and looked away, a small smile appearing on her lips as she brushed her pink hair – he knew he could appeal to her softer side so he tried to give her the best puppy eyes he could make, and when she gazed at him again a laugh erupted from her. “Oh my god, okay, I’ll do it as long as you don’t make that face again.” Sero chuckled as well and then reached for her hand with both of his, shaking it lightly and feeling his heart beat just a little bit faster.

They agreed with the teachers they’d get one hour and a half after classes on Friday to practice on the main auditorium with the excuse of wanting to fix some more things for the upcoming spring ball UA’s first years were organizing – it was just an excuse to have a night off even when at the school grounds, but they were all beyond excited to see what would come out of it. For Sero, it felt like a chance to ask none other than the one and only Alien Queen out. He had never met someone as nice, cute and confident as her, and from the very first moment they met he knew he wanted to be close to her in whatever way she allowed it. He was quietly hoping he could confess at the ball, but the practices opened a whole new door for him to use if he felt courageous enough.

It was 3 PM when they met on Friday, the nice warm weather that was starting to fall over town already giving him an excuse to cover up for his constant blushing. “So, are you familiar at all with what we’re going to do now?”

“Can’t say I’ve ever done it,” he admitted as they reached the small stage, shyly scratching the top of his head as he remembered the only time he tried to slow dance – he ended up stomping on both of his partner’s feet, the second time actually managing to ruin her shoes. It was definitely not something he wanted to recall or let her know. “You can just teach me from the top if it’s not too much of a hassle.”

“You got it,” Mina replied as she turned back to go backstage to put the music on. He looked around the place, and wondered just how pretty it would look with all of the decorations the classes were creating; recalling just how good the ones from the school festival had been, his hopes were as high as they could be. “Okay, we’re ready,” his friend said as she came back to his side, startling him a bit as he came out of his thoughts. When he turned to her, he noticed she was a bit too close. “Music will start in a few seconds – we’re going with the box step for now. To start off, you need to know how to place your hands on your partner’s body.”

“I t-think I got that one covered,” he replied quickly, taking a deep breath before placing his left hand on Mina’s waist and grabbing her left with the other. Her skin felt soft and he sort of regretted not wiping his palms beforehand as they felt sweaty when compared to hers. “Is this right?”

She let out a chuckle and with her free hand pressed his left on her a little bit more. “You need a firm grip to lead your partner, Sero,” she explained, apparently oblivious to the growing blush on his face. “If you don’t, your movements could look a bit sloppy, and you definitely don’t want that.” He only nodded in time for the music to start; it was a simple waltz that sounded nice and calming. “Now we give the first step to your right – it’s one step, you bring the left in and then one step forward with the left. Remember it’s all trial and error, so if you don’t get it at first it’s alright.”

She counted to three out loud yet with a gentle voice and then…

It worked.

Somehow he had gotten it right without stepping on anything that wasn’t the floor, and he felt beyond proud of himself until he noticed once more just how close their bodies were. “D-did I do it right?” he asked, the tremble in his voice far more apparent than he had intended to.

“You’re just a little stiff but we’ll work it out,” she remarked playfully. “Now to the other side and we’ll close the square – left, right, right, left.”

He didn’t count on his left side being too obedient when it came to smaller physical things but he breathed in deeply and, as she counted down, they made the mirrored steps with almost perfect synchronization. “Yeah!” he exclaimed once it had been done, making her hug him enthusiastically yet he froze in place for a few seconds before hugging back. She felt warm and her hands wrapped gently around his shoulders, bringing him close in what he was mostly sure was just a friendly gesture. “You’re a really good teacher, you know? You could even become one in the future as a side thing… or something,” he said with joy when they pulled away after a few seconds

“Oh, I know,” Mina joked, her lips curving into a big smile as she gave him thumbs up afterwards. “We still have a lot to do, so, are you ready?”

And oh boy was he not ready at all.

She decided to go with the progressive basic step next which involved moving around the stage with easy yet firm steps, in contrast with the stationary box step. After performing it one time on her own she motioned for Sero to mimic her movements, something he truly didn’t want to attempt – he was surprised when he did it right, but beneath his calm façade he was trying his best not to stare at her directly in the eye to avoid any potential uncomfortable moments.

After practicing both steps for about five minutes straight Mina decided to do it all together, and while she went backstage once more to restart the music he took the chance to wipe his hands on his pants just in case they were actually sweaty. The waltz started and he watched as his crush hopped back to where he was; “now, we’re doing from the very top,” she said as she put her hands on her hips and took a few steps back. “Do it like I’m the one you want to ask out to the dancefloor.”

“What?” he exclaimed with a bit of exasperation in his tone, but she quirked her eyebrow with a defiant gaze. Sero sighed and went up to her, feeling his heartbeat pick up with inch he moved closer. He closed his eyes for a second and, in his mind, pictured the whole room decorated and everyone else around them. “H-hey Mina,” he started, “you look really good tonight.”

“Hey there~!” it felt like some sort of roleplay and he wasn’t sure if it would be like that the night of the ball, but deep inside he wanted to practice that part as well. Her happiness was as contagious as always and her eyes shined bright under the auditorium lights.

“I was wondering if… y-you would grant me a little da-dance?”

The embarrassment felt strong as he stuttered but she clapped with excitement as she grabbed him by the hand and almost dragged him back to the middle of the stage – she waited until he placed his hands on the right places then silently counted to three, and they started dancing along the wooden surface. “I have a little question,” she said as the steps progressed into a wider range. “You told me you wanted to learn how to do this, but you never clarified the reason why.”

Sero remained silent for a bit as he thought about what he could say without being too obvious, yet he wasn’t sure if it would even be a good idea. “I just… I didn’t want to embarrass myself at the ball I guess,” he replied, choosing to go with a half-truth that he hoped would be enough. “It would’ve been bad if I asked someone to dance without knowing how to do so, hahah.”

“So there is someone you want to ask for a dance.”

With a mischievous glance, he knew Mina had seen right through him with a speed that amazed him – a perplexed expression on his face, he almost lost footing as his mouth opened and closed a few times before he chuckled. They now went to the last step they had practiced, and as they waltzed around the floor with ease he said, “Well… yeah, there’s this really, truly amazing girl I wanted to go to the ball with.”

She cocked her head to the side a bit, confusion written all over her face as they stopped dancing. “Is it someone I know? Is it a girl from our class?”

“Y-yeah, I guess.” He hesitated a bit as he let go of her hand to bring his to his nape. “I was thinking about, maybe, asking her out after the dance but I’m not sure she even thinks of me as any more than a friend.”

“Ooh, ooh, is it Uraraka? Momo? Or maybe it’s Jirou?” she started throwing names around but he only shook his head, amused with the way she tried so vehemently to know who the object of his affections was. When she noticed his focused gaze, she muttered, “Am I pressing too much? I get excited, imagine a whole new couple in the school! That would be so cool!”

He thought about it for a moment and while the prospect of everyone around knowing about something so private didn’t completely sit well with him, Sero still felt good with the idea of Mina being with him one way or the other. “Do you think she’d like me?” he ventured to ask as he noticed his hand was still resting on her waist, but he also saw she didn’t pull away either.

Her eyes opened wide as she brushed her hand through her hair and said, “What’s there not to like, dude? You’re funny, very cute and honest and to be fair, you have one hell of a quirk. You’re like, a whole package.”

A blush spread all over his face with those words but he didn’t want to think anything of it yet – he knew she had a habit of being completely transparent about how she felt, yet something about it gave him a bit of hope. “Would you… go to the dance with me if I asked?” he teased, wanting to know her opinion as much as he wanted to ask her for real.

“Of course I would, I mean…” And she gazed right into his eyes only for her smile to drop little by little when she processed what had happened, and Sero pulled his hand away from her shyly in fear that he had just ruined the whole mood. “Oh, I see.”

An awkward silence fell over them as the music reached its end, the dancing already forgotten as both of them stared in opposite directions. In his mind, he cursed at himself for even voicing his feelings so casually without waiting for the right chance, though he also knew here was never a truly ‘perfect’ moment to do so. “Listen,” he started saying, “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable – if you want, we just forget this happened at all and I won’t bring it up again.”

It took him a few more seconds to look back at her yet Mina was still looking away, her arms crossed over her chest and her expression unreadable as she turned to him. “Did you mean it?” was the only thing she asked.

“Uh, what exactly of everything I said?”

“The ‘really, truly amazing girl’ part. Did you mean it?”

She had already been honest with him so it only felt right to do the same back. “I did,” he replied. “I t-think you’re… great, funny, smart… cute…” his voice turned into a whisper as he numbered a few things he thought about her, but this time he didn’t hesitate on looking straight into her eyes. The yellow in her irises had never seemed so bright. “It would be an honour if you came to the spring ball with me.”

Another short silence spanned between them, staring at each other as if trying to understand what the other was thinking. Sero bit his lower lip and couldn’t help but tap his feet on the ground a couple times before she reached her hand out, a gentle look on her face and a light blush on her cheeks. “Okay, let’s call it a date then.”

Joy exploded within him as he grabbed her hand and gave it a light squeeze, both teenagers smiling at each other in expectation of what was to come.

[theluckyyyoneee]

holiday magic

pairing: Baekhyun x reader

genre: fluff

word Count: 2.99k

not my gif^

“How can you hate Valentine’s Day?!”

Rolling your eyes, you slammed your locker shut with more force than necessary, gripping your textbooks tighter in your arms as you huffed out an annoyed sigh as you repeated to your best friend for the nth time. 

“It’s not like I hate Valentines Day, okay? I just...” you trailed off, shrugging your shoulders as your unfortunate eyes were met by pink. A scowl adorned your lips as you eyed the paper hearts and the annual special event dance posters covering every available inch of the hallways. “I just don’t see the appeal.”

His expression conveyed adorable shock and confusion. “What do you mean you don’t see the appeal? It’s a day where you get handfuls and handfuls of free candy and gifts!” His face now expressed childlike wonderment, spreading his arms wide and his head tilted back in what you assumed was excitement or contentment.

Irritation surged through you at his words. “Yeah, maybe for you.” You scoffed, shaking your head as you recalled all the Valentine’s Day’s from years prior leading up to this upcoming one.

“Y/N, Y/N, look! Look at all the stuff I found in my locker!”

“I gave like half of my gifts away, look how much stuff I have left!”

“You didn’t get anything? Well don’t worry, I have more than enough to share with you!”

Pushing the doors that led to the sweet freedom that was the outside, you escaped from the prison that was school and carefully made your way down the stairs with Baekhyun right beside you. “You always get candy and bears and cards, I’m sure you’d love it if Valentine’s Day was everyday.” You grumbled, the familiar jealousy enveloping your form, what kind of jealous you were currently feeling you weren’t sure of yet. 

Suddenly surging towards you, he threw his arm around your shoulders and squeezed all the while teasing, “Aw, is that why you hate it? Cause you don’t get any letters or chocolates that come in a heart package?” His lips were in that signature pout, his eyes wide and you sneered at him, pushing him away.

“You know I don’t even like chocolate.” You retorted, trying your best to not let his close proximity get to you, willing yourself not to become a stuttering mess, even when your brain was having difficulty forming simple words. 

Sticking out his tongue, he jumped the last three steps and blocked you from moving forward. “Whatever. This year, I will convince you that Valentine’s Day is by far the most superior holiday there is.”

“Hmm, I think the best holiday is Halloween,” you argued, side stepping his form to continue the short walk to your house. 

“Both involve candy, only your favorite holiday involves unnecessary horror and annual pranks!” He argued, using his slender fingers to count the atrocities that was your preferred holiday. “Which I don’t understand how you like by the way,” he added with usual sass which you didn’t acknowledge, as usual. “you willingly sit through watching something you know will scare you.”

Huffing out a sigh, your house came into sight and you couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped your lips at his words and the slight whine in his tone. You shrugged your shoulders as a nonverbal answer to his question. “It helps me sleep at night.” 

Expression bordering along distraught and fearful, he created some space between the two of you to which you playfully shoved him as he continued to walk straight when you turned into your driveway, his house right next to yours. You heard his next words loud and clear. 

“I will convince you that Valentine’s Day is the superior holiday!”

To which you uttered an unimpressed hum and waved your hand in his direction as you entered your home, shaking off the residual cold from outside as your body accustomed to the warmer temperature in your house. Dumping your unnecessarily heavy books on the counter, you raided your fridge, not taking Baekhyun’s words seriously.

You were never a huge romantic, never felt any envy or longing when spotting a couple nearby lock arms and exchange cheesy words to one another. It’s been ages since you’ve had the interest of dating anyone, and while all your friends all had their special one’s to spend the damned ridiculous holiday, you were content to spend the night at home, binge watching some of your favorite horror flicks.

Of course, none of that happened. 

Reason: As If You Don’t Already Know

Friday, February 14th. 

You awoke like every other school day, with a groan you silenced your alarm and battled with your motionless limbs, willing your hands to grasp the edge of the covers and sit up to start the day. 

From: Byun [7:19 AM] can’t walk w u to school today

A slight frown adorning your face, you shrugged on your coat and braced yourself for the harsh wind of the early morning. Something felt off, you just didn’t know what it was or why you felt that way. Sticking your earbuds in your ears, you shrugged and brushed the feeling off as best as you could. It wasn’t as if you two had to walk together every day anyway.

You had forgotten the date until you had double checked the date on your phone and you still had seen no sign of Baekhyun and you wondered if he had also forgotten, or had just given up trying to convince you of the ‘superior holiday’.

Entering your first class with a smug grin on your lips, the few students who were already present eyed you strangely the whole way, you sat down quite happily and put your backpack on the floor besides you, taking out the necessary materials when you felt something stuck to the underside of your desk on the back of your hand.

You recoiled and hoped it wasn’t dried gum or anything of the sort and leaned to the side and down to identify the mysterious object and instead was completely puzzled at the strange sight of your favorite candy taped to the dull metal attached with a folded up note. You knew instantly who was responsible.

Byun Baekhyun.

So he hadn’t forgotten or given up after all like you had hoped, you pouted as you slowly opened the folded notebook paper, heartbeat increasing as you pondered what could be written on it. 

i don’t know why you like [candy name] so much, when you know i’m sweeter

You eyed the note for a longer time than you would like to admit, and when you snapped out of your daze, you immediately folded the offending piece of paper back up and shoved it into the back pocket of your jeans, wondering why you were so warm all of a sudden, cursing yourself at the bitter taste in your mouth as you wondered if Baekhyun would use a similar line to another girl once this was all over. 

You rolled your eyes as you popped a piece of the candy into your mouth.

So this was his tactic. To sweeten you up with your favorite candies and flirty little notes. Well.... that was just unfair. Not to mention very creative, note the sarcasm. 

Every class you would find your favorite candies used against you taped to the underside of the desks with cheesy and absurd lines that made you go red in the face. You wondered when he even had time to do all this, you hadn’t seen him all day, not even at lunch and you were sort of grateful for that. 

sorry i’m such an airhead sometimes, i get lost in thoughts of you

you’re hotter than these hot tamales

wish i could give you these kisses in person

he knew you didn’t like chocolate, you just didn’t think he was able to resist the obvious pun

You didn’t think you could look him straight in the eyes after reading his lame attempt at romantic poetry, even if you found it the tiniest tiniest bit cute. You sat with your other friends and decided to keep quiet about the whole thing, not wanting them to tease you about your obvious (you were the only one oblivious to it) crush. 

Until he switched it up the last period of the day. You entered the classroom leisurely, totally not speed walking to see what awaited you next, and immediately reached down under the desk, only to feel nothing but the cool metal. 

Slight disappointment filled you and you tried your hardest to shake it off. 

Get a grip, you scolded yourself silently, all he’s done is write some lines he probably looked up on the internet and here you are where he wants you, hooked and awaiting for the next thing to happen. 

Well, this was rigged from the start. Who wouldn’t be happy receiving gifts of free candy, all from an attractive boy at that. You sighed in defeat, when he was right, he was right. You grimaced as you could just imagine his damn smug grin as he danced around you and sang “I told you so~” a billion times. You were doing your best to imitate what you were sure what his face would look like when a soft voice interrupted. 

“Excuse me?” A light tap on your shoulder made you jump out of your embarrassing thoughts to find your classmate who sat behind you with the most beautiful bouquet you had ever seen in person. She blinked a few times and slowly offered them to you.

You two had never really spoken before, as she was obviously a very shy person and you, who wanted to respect her privacy, you eyed her and the flowers strangely before gently taking them out from her grasp with an awkward smile. 

“Baekhyun asked me to give them to you when you got here...” she whispered with a small smile on her face and you were too shocked to say anything in return before she quietly added before returning to her book, “I think you two look good together.”

You were shaking your head furiously but of course, she wasn’t paying attention to you anymore now that she had done what was asked of her and you ignored the oohs of your classmates as class started, your eyes drifting to the vibrant colors of the flowers multiple times when you were supposed to be writing down notes. 

Your thoughts were instead filled with visions of a boy who you had known all your life, who had a smile and attitude brighter than the sun in the sky and a heart of gold, no matter how much he infuriated you and teased you. The thought of him picking this bouquet with your favorite flowers made your heart flutter in your chest.

You had thought it was over.

The magic had worn off and you were never going to receive such sweet and special treatment from the person who had always just been your best friend who now, you weren’t sure if you wanted him to be just that anymore.

School had ended with the ringing of the final bell and you were aching to see him, usually he’d be annoying you at your locker but he was nowhere in sight. Blowing a breath out of your nose, you decided to just go home and see if he wasn’t already at his, smiling to yourself fondly as you thought you should hurry and put your flowers in one of your mother’s vases. 

Rushing home to see a note taped heavily to your front door in familiar handwriting, the harsh wind already chipping at some of the corners, you eagerly plucked it off.

meet me at the tree i fell from when we were nine 

The tree in his backyard. You remembered that memory very vividly, the two of you had climbed his gigantic tree, you sat on a thick branch and he was following you up when his foot had slipped and he had to be taken to the emergency room for a sprained ankle while you were positively terrified of moving from your spot on the tree. It took an enormous ladder and you clinging to your father as he rescued you, crying and panicking about Baekhyun’s sprained foot the whole time.

Nobody was home and you felt weird entering from the back gate but knew he had left it open for this exact reason, lighting up when you saw a similar note also taped to the bark of the tree.

How long did it take him to do all this?

There were two more locations before the final one, all within the general vicinity of your small neighborhood, the two of you really hung out on the streets or in front of small convenience stores down the blocks, each location bringing back fond memories of when you two were younger, as close as you were now.

lastly, head to the place where we spent our summer afternoons

You were tired and cold and as much as you wanted to hate this, you eagerly headed in the direction the note told you to, anticipating to what was at the end of this, all the while remembering all the years you had spent with Baekhyun.

“You found me!” An adorable smile lit his face as you looked at him for the first time today after envisioning his blinding smile a thousand times in your head. Looking as cozy and as comfortable as ever, he sat on a swing, feet planted on the ground as he slowly rocked himself back and forth, letting you make your way to him.

Wanting to reciprocate his smile, but not letting yourself break your cool, you acted, or attempted to, all tough and annoyed instead. “Yah! Byun Baekhyun! Do you think this is the appropriate weather for a damn treasure hunt? You could’ve just told me to meet you at the park, and I would’ve said no because who goes to the park in this cold?” You were sure your ears and nose were as red as a cherry from the constant wind and the slight drop in temperature. 

“I forgot what a big baby you were,” he casually commented as he strolled toward you, a small smile gracing his lips as she unwrapped his scarf from his neck and gingerly fixed it around yours, slender hands finding your shoulders and ran them down your arms to take your frozen hands in his warm ones, placing them between his to warm them a bit. “So?” He raised his eyebrows cheekily, “have I changed your mind about this lovely holiday?”

Rolling your eyes, you tried not to fixate on how warm and soft his hands were as they held yours and refused to look him in the eyes, no matter how hard he was currently trying to meet yours. “Well, who wouldn’t like getting free candy and flowers?” You huffed shyly, before pouting slightly. “So fine, you win. It’s the best holiday.” His thumbs were now rubbing circles on the backs of your hands.

“Shouldn’t I get a wish?” He teased, leaning closer to you, his warmth radiating onto you and you backed away a bit, deeming your hands warm enough as you pulled them from his grasp, noticing his expression fall a bit at the loss of contact.

“What do you want?”

“Be my valentine.” He stated it so plainly, so confident that you stood there dumbfounded and figured he was trying to be witty with some clever wordplay.

“What?” Was all you could ask, heart beginning to thunder in your chest, warming up your frozen limbs at the insinuation of his words.

“I could make you as happy as you were today every Valentine’s Day if you agree to be my Valentine.” You almost couldn’t take it, the way he was gazing at you with that tenderness and adoration in his expression, how your parents looked at each other across the table.

“Why does it sound like you’re confessing right now?” You joked nervously, trying to rid the atmosphere of its awkwardness and you did a shitty job of it.

The expression he gave you made you feel like the world’s biggest idiot. “Do you really think I did all of this just to get you to like Valentine’s Day, or me?”

“Huh?” You offered dumbly, not comprehending his words correctly.

“I could care less what your favorite holiday is, as long as I get to spend it with you, dummy. I swear, I knew you were dumb but I didn’t think it was this bad. At least you’re pretty.” He teased, doing his part to help ease the vulnerability of his confession. 

“...Are you serious?” You muttered in a small voice, to which he couldn’t help but chuckle at how cute you were and offered an encouraging nod. “Really? Because, I’ll be your valentine. You won’t be able to get rid of me, and you won’t be able to accept any other girl’s gifts, you know that, right?” He saw right through your brave facade and took you in his arms, and you hid your face in his neck. 

“You’re so cute,” he couldn’t resist teasing you once again to which you gave him a smack on the back as payback for making you run around the whole neighborhood in this weather.

He squeezed you tighter and screamed in mock pain, not being able to look him in the eyes as he softly kissed the top of your forehead before taking your hand in his once again and headed for the direction of your house to walk you home. 

Halloween was still your favorite holiday, much to the dismay of Baekhyun. The fear that entered his eyes as he realized he was now obligated to watch your favorite horror movies will forever be one of your favorite memories. 

bro im srry if this is trash, literally had no will to write and my internet was out for like a week and i almost went insane w/o it. anyways i’m spending valentines day writing this and bout to get drunk lol as always pls lmk what u thought in the comments and pls give lots of love!!!

[fletchphoenix]

What I’ve Been Looking For

Hey Gamers! Here’s Chapter 8 of the Varigo Coffee Shop AU and I’m gonna be honest - I think this is my favourite chapter yet! It’s certainly the longest so I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!! Thank you for your support and ON WITH THE CHAPTER!

Word Count - 4853

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A week had passed and it was finally Christmas - aka Hugo’s least favourite day of the year. Passing through his lips was a groan as he turned to his side on his bed, which was only a few bad days away from giving up on him completely. He felt around on the bedside table for his glasses, placing them on his face and laying back again, his head resting against the moss green pillows. Picking his phone up, he smiled at his phone screen - a photo of Varian at the library which was almost completely covered by the wall of text messages from said boyfriend. He let out a small sigh - his boyfriend absolutely adored Christmas, but...he didn’t get the appeal.

  At the orphanage, Christmas wasn’t really celebrated at all, it being far too expensive to buy presents for all the kids there. The only real indication he’d had that it was the streets being decorated by a ridiculous amount of lights, a giant pine tree placed in the centre of town with a mass of baubles scattered amongst the branches. Ever after he’d left, living on the streets for a while and after Donella took him in, she’d never been caring enough to celebrate the holiday. In her eyes, it was a ‘useless, excessively capitalised holiday used to manipulate the poor into spending a mass of money at one time’ and ‘a waste of money’. It wasn’t that he didn’t agree, the holiday was vastly overrated and had turned into a way to swindle money from the poor, manipulating the true meaning, but it wouldn’t hurt to get him a gift one year. It could’ve been a small one or something work-related, he wouldn’t have minded, but he never got one. 

  But that was the kind of woman Donella was, always cold and unfeeling towards everyone, including her son. Kind of. Did she even see him as her son? I mean-he’d always seen her as a mother to him, since she was the one to take him in, give him a home and a purpose...but that was because, in her eyes, he was a valuable asset. She’d only taken care of him, because she could get money from his skills. He knew that - she’d always been transparent about that fact with him - but there were plenty of instances where she’d contradicted herself. Where she’d actually cared. For example, when she’d brought him his jacket.

  She’d initially shoved it into his chest, wrapped in a plastic bag with her usual scowl and folded arms greeting him as his eyes met hers in confusion. Her grey hair was perfectly kept, behind her back in a braid which left the scar on her chin on full display as it jolted up towards her lip. She’d never told him how she’d got it, but he had his theories. One of his most outlandish scenarios was trying to trap her old research partner in a magical library, her partner using magic and a knife to scar the skin (11-year-old him had a wild imagination, okay?). Her sickly green eyes held annoyance in every last nook and cranny as she examined the boy in front of her’s confused expression at the package that was thrust towards his chest. “Well, aren’t you going to see what’s inside? I don’t have all day to be standing around waiting for you, Hugo.”

  “Yes ma’am.” He replied hastily, hands fumbling as he unwrapped the bag and took out the cargo. It was a green jacket, a grey hood at the top of it. He raised it to his eyes and tilted his head quietly. It was a little bit, but he’d grow into it. The second thing he’d noticed was that it was really, really soft, like..absolutely amazingly soft. Like fur! He pulled the jacket’s sleeves over his arms, noting how they covered his hands completely, before he rolled the sleeves up to his elbows. It was comfy - a childish grin covering his face as he looked up at his mentor, grateful for his gift.

  “Your clothes looked ratty,” she said, looking away and trying to suppress her soft smile with a hardened expression. “I got you new ones. Maybe now you’ll look even slightly presentable.” she slowly walked away, Hugo knowing her true intentions behind the present. He let out a small yet happy sigh, his hand trailing through his hair as he walked down the hall towards his workshop again. He’d have to thank her later, he noted as he pushed open the door. He guessed that all the thanks he could give would be finishing off this commission they’d been working on for the past week...that would satisfy her more than a gift or hug or anything. He hung the jacket up on a peg, sitting down on the leather stool by his desk before leaning over and getting to work. 

  Hugo sat up in bed, finally deciding to get up on this cursed day and standing. He stretched his legs and arms, walking to his desk to give Olivia her daily helping of sunflower seeds, which the mouse graciously accepted with a happy squeak. He yawned and grabbed some clothes from the closet, heading down the hall towards the bathroom for a shower, passing framed photos of him, his boyfriend and their friends along the way. They all got along just fine - them being Hugo, Varian, Nuru and Yong, however him and Nuru did have the occasional sarcastic quip aimed at each other, much to Varian’s annoyance. Despite the playful banter though, they got along well considering the short amount of time they’d known each other, with Varian always taking pictures so Hugo would have to ‘frame his memories’ and place them on the wall. It was sweet, especially how he’d exclusively picked frames that were painted green - a nice little detail that didn’t go unnoticed by Hugo. Still, it felt strange. He thought Varian’s dad had grounded him, so why was he allowed out so frequently to meet up? The thought weighed heavy in his mind, although it disappeared as he arrived at his final destination.

  Varian sat up in his bed as soon as he’d woken up, a large smile on his face as he realised the day. “It's Christmas...It’s Christmas!” He yelled as he jumped up, startling the obese cat who was sleeping quite satisfied on his legs, curled up in a ball. The cat mewled and batted at Varian’s arms in response, the teen too excited to care as he threw open his door and sprinted down the stairs. He must’ve moved at the speed of sound, because he swore it only took him a few seconds to arrive in the kitchen, where his father stood preparing some hot chocolate and pancakes. He felt out of place in his teal pyjamas, but nonetheless he still took a seat at the table. “Good morning, Dad. Hey, that smells great!”

  “Good morning to you too, son. And thank you.” he replied, placing the pancakes on a plate, picking it up in one hand and the hot chocolate in the other before setting it in front of his son. Varian wasted no time, swallowing it all down so fast, Quirin could’ve sworn he’d just inhaled the things. Chuckling at the thought, he moved and sat down beside his son. “So, we’re stopping off at Rapunzel’s for Christmas dinner aren’t we?” A nod of confirmation came from his son, who was sipping his hot chocolate. “Okay, will we be picking up your boyfriend on the way?”

  Varian spat his hot chocolate out in shock at his father’s latter question. What? How did he know about Hugo? He’d never told him about the other boy before...maybe Rapunzel had told his father? No, she wouldn’t do that to him. Eugene? He scrapped that thought as soon as it came. Those two would never do that to him...would they? “No Varian. You need to trust them.” his inner voice reminded him. He composed himself as his eyes met his dad’s, who was quite obviously holding back his laughter. “I...how do you..know about him?”

  “Remember the night I grounded you? Last thursday? Yeah, that's how I know.” He explained nonchalantly, leaning back in his chair and sipping his hot chocolate quietly. “I went upstairs with the intent to apologise and saw you two fast asleep and cuddling. You both looked so peaceful that I didn’t want to intrude on your moment, so I left you be and wanted to wait until you were ready to tell me.” He suddenly leaned forward, taking his son’s hands in his own with a serious expression on his face. “Son, you know I love you no matter who you’re attracted to, whether it be boys or girls. You’re still my son and I love you unconditionally. So will your Aunt Adira and Uncle Hector. And we’ll support you no matter what. Although...it would have been nice to have a formal introduction with the boy, he seems very nice.”

  A smile crept onto Varian’s face as he rose to his feet, moving around the titular table to embrace his father. “Thank you so much, dad. And yes, we will have to pick him up. I want him to celebrate Christmas - it’ll be his first time celebrating too, which makes it even more special!” he paused. “I’ll let you know where his apartment is. I have a present that I...desperately wanna give him.”

  “Speaking of presents..” Quirin began, rising from his chair to look down at his son. “I haven’t given you yours yet. So, follow me.” He declared, leading the way towards the basement door. They hadn’t been down there since his mother left - it used to be her old workspace for anything science related. Varian used to love going down there and watching as Ulla would experiment, combining different elements in processes he didn’t even understand. Their son would watch in wonder as, with one ribbon of metal being added, an acid would change colour, and he’d cheer so loud with the biggest smile on his face whenever Ulla let him act as her ‘lab assistant’ and let him perform his own experiments (supervised, of course). 

  He did miss the woman and her presence in the house. She brought so much joy to everything she passed, making even the worst of days become one of the best. It was because of her that they even celebrated Christmas, her introducing the holiday to him and the various traditions that came along with it. She really was a loving and caring woman in every way there possibly was - Varian taking after her in that department. She’d sing to their son to help him sleep as a newborn and sit by his crib all night in case he woke up in the night and needed her for anything. But they never saw the stress wearing her down, causing her to become more and more confrontational as the days went on. Hell, the divorce came out of nowhere, Ulla one day stating that she wanted one and was leaving. Nonetheless, Quirin had supported her and let her go, because she was the woman he loved. If that’s what she wanted then fine, he’d let her leave. He bit the inside on his cheek. No time to think of that - it was Christmas and by god, he was gonna enjoy himself.

  The door to the basement opened and Quirin gestured for his son to go down the steps before him. Varian obliged, walking down the steps that threatened to break. They’d have to get them replaced one day, he thought as he reached the floor below and flicked on the lights. He was met with the sight of a truly magnificent sight. Tables were pushed up against the walls, a wheeled office chair placed under one. Beakers and a Bunsen burner sat on the side, beside a large stack of drawers that, upon closer inspection, were labelled and filled with all the equipment he needed, such as burets, test tubes, pipettes and micropipettes...it was simply breathtaking. He travelled further around the home lab, a coat peg in the corner with a single, white lab coat hanging from it. He immediately knew it was his mother’s from the small blue patch on the elbow of the left sleeve - a hole caused by 7-year-old him accidentally changing the Bunsen burner from the safety flame to the blue flame, his mom lunging over it to stop him from burning himself. After that, he was terrified of the burner for years after that. 

  “Dad, this is...this is amazing!” he gasped, running over and giving him a tight hug. “Wow! I love it so much!” he cried as he moved away and excitedly explored the room even more. Pulling on the lab coat, he flattened the creases of the lab coat. A perfect fit, he thought, before he turned to his dad with a smile. “How is it? Do I look alright?”

  “You look great son, but go upstairs and get dressed. We need to pick up your boyfriend and drive over to Rapunzel and Eugene’s house, okay?” He commented, watching his son’s excitement as he placed the lab coat back on the bed and sprinted upstairs. Quirin’s gaze drifted to the lab coat. He looked just like his mother in that lab coat, it was almost uncanny. He always thought about her this time of year and how much different life was without Ulla’s constant presence in the house. Nevermind,he muttered as he walked to the stairs, flicking off the lights and travelling up the stairs. It was in the past. Now, time to prepare himself to meet his son’s boyfriend.

  Hugo sat on the couch, his arms folded and pouting. There was nothing on but stupid goddamn Christmas movies! He hated them! All they did was brag that they had everything he didn’t have, like a family or gifts..it sucked. He especially hated them as a kid, wishing every year that he’d get adopted and have that one day. He’d always imagined his mom being a tall, gentle woman, who’d pick him up and put him on the counter if he’d fallen over while playing, placing a gentle kiss to his wounds before covering them with a bandaid, giving him a hug and sending him off to play. He’d also imagined his dad - a stern, blonde haired man with a soft side, who would always make time for him and show him what he did for work. They’d have good paying jobs too - his dad being a mechanic for some high-class company and his mom being a nurse. He’d had it all planned out. Especially Christmas, where he’d run down the stairs to be greeted with the sight of endless towers of presents, hugging and kissing his parents on the cheek after each one. Instead, he’d been ‘blessed’ with Donella, who couldn’t care less about him or Christmas. No parents, no luxury life, no Christmas. She snuffed out his dream on the final one really quick, being the one to tell him Santa wasn’t real (even though he already knew that, but the confirmation hurt).

  He was so lost in thought that he almost missed the sound of frantic knocking at the door to his apartment. “Who the hell is that?” he muttered under his breath as he sauntered down the hall. He ran his hands over his clothes, trying to flatten any creases that might be seen before opening the door. Varian stood, his hand raised as though he was about to knock the door again, with a goliath of a man behind him, causing Hugo to swallow thickly. Oh fuck was that man large. He could probably snap Hugo in half over his knee if he felt like it. ‘Please don’t call him dad, please don’t call him dad…’ Hugo found himself praying.

  “Hugh!” his boyfriend cried as he lunged forward and wrapped his arms round the blonde’s neck, who was still in shock at the sight of the man accompanying the titular teen. “Dad, this is my boyfriend, Hugo! Hugo, this is my dad!” he explained. Brilliant. Now he knew if he ever broke up with Varian (“Pfft, as if that’s gonna happen.” his inner voice reminded him, yet again butting in rudely.), he’d be assured a quick death at the hands of this titan of a man crushing his skull.

  “It's a uh-a pleasure to finally meet you, sir.” he finally stuttered out, trying to uphold his usual relaxed attitude, however judging by the crack in his voice, he’d failed miserably. He held out his hand, the older man exchanging his greeting and virtually concealing Hugo’s hand in his own, it being barely visible as it was shaken before being mercifully let go. “Why are you two here, by the way. In like-the politest way possible.”

  “You’re spending Christmas with us! Speaking of which, we’re meant to be at my sister’s like-right now! So! Let’s go!” he grabbed his boyfriend’s arm, only giving him enough time to grasp his coat, which had Varian’s present concealed in it, and scarf before pulling him out of the apartment and down the stairwell to the street below. Hugo listened to Varian’s rambling about their christmas traditions which didn’t seem to stop even as they got to the car and were heading towards Rapunzel and Fitzherbert’s house. Speaking of which, he’d never seen it, the only conversation he’d had with them being the...rather awkward one the day he’d asked Varian out. What a wild day that had been...it felt like forever ago, if he was being honest. It didn’t seem real that they were together at all. He gave the raven haired boy’s hand a gentle squeeze, his thumb rubbing circles into the back of his hand with a smile tugging at his lips again. He really was helpless for this boy.

  The car came to a halt outside a small cottage, very different to the one he had imagined the couple would live in. It was a surprise, albeit a pleasant one - what, a cottage out here in the middle of the countryside seemed like the best place to settle down. He just couldn’t believe someone like Fitzherbert would’ve settled for that. It admittedly looked kind of cute though, lights hung from the roof carefully and around the gate. Varian, however, gave him no time to admire the beauty of the cottage, grabbing his hand and pulling him through the white-painted fence and rushing up the steps before opening the front door. “We’re here, guys!” he declared and almost immediately they were swarmed by a mass of people.

  The only four people he’d noticed were Rapunzel, Eugene, Cassandra and Irene, pulling them into hugs and exchanging Christmas greetings with each other. The other three he’d recognised as Kiera, Catalina and Lance from all of the stories Varian would tell him randomly during their dates, such as how Lance had adopted them after they were orphaned (“Lucky kids.” Hugo had muttered to himself bitterly before turning away and staring out the window again). Hugo winced and grimaced at the exchanges, awkwardly returning them before heading towards where he thought the living room was. 

  Luckily, he was right, and he moved quickly to sit on the couch, immediately cringing at the sight of an excessively decorated and obviously fake Christmas tree sitting against the wall with a mass of presents underneath it. More reminders of the things he’d lacked all his life, he thought bitterly, before a warmth beside him broke him out of his thoughts. Varian cuddled into his boyfriend’s side, kissing his cheek gently with a soft, loving smile on his face. “Hey there, sweetheart..you enjoying yourself?” he asked, an eyebrow raised.

  “Yeah, definitely. Don’t you worry your pretty little head over it.” he lied over his teeth, praying his boyfriend didn’t notice his discomfort. It must’ve been his lucky day as, other than a concerned noise, Varian seemed to take this answer as gospel and just cuddled into his side further. Hugo thrived in their moment of peace amongst the madness of Christmas, almost like the week before where they sat in the park at almost midnight just cuddling on the park bench. This only lasted a moment, however, as Rapunzel called them all in for dinner as she placed various dishes onto the table. 

  Everyone crowded around it, Varian holding Hugo’s hand under the table as they sat side by side (the fact that Varian was left handed helped tremendously, considering Hugo was right handed and both could hold each other’s less dominant hand) with a shy smile on his face as he, once again, answered the numerous questions on how they met. All the while, Hugo sat uncomfortably. It was all too much for him - the family, the food, the absolute love...he couldn’t take him. “Give me a minute.” he muttered as he let go of Varian’s hand, standing up and excusing himself. Hurriedly, he left the room and sat outside on the steps up to the house. 

  He didn’t get it. How did he deserve any of this? He was a bad person and didn’t see how someone like Varian could look at him and think that he warranted any of this. He was a thief and a liar and messed up everything good in his life. Varian would realise that one day and leave him, just like everyone else in his life did. He didn’t want to admit it but..he knew he wasn’t good enough for someone like Varian. Someone so sweet despite everything he did in his past - someone so forgiving...he didn’t deserve that. The door opened behind him, quickly shutting before footsteps stopped beside him and none other than Fitzherbert sat down beside him. “What. You come to laugh at me or something?”

  “Nope. I don’t know why you’d think that.” Fitzherbert commented, looking at the troubled teen and sighing, seeing himself in the boy. He took a deep breath and looked directly ahead as he continued to talk. “I know how you’re feeling. I was an orphan too. You feel as though you don’t belong - like you don’t deserve any of this and you never will. But you do, Hugo. I know I don’t really know you that well, but I’ve been in your boat before and I know Varian well enough to know he adores you. Varian thinks the world of you and looks as though you put the stars in the sky. I’m not trying to invalidate your feelings - you deserve to feel however you want and that's okay, but you need to know that we all care about you so much and...for the record, Rapunzel was really excited to meet you again. Just letting you know, she literally texted Varian asking everything about you like your favourite flavours, colors..hell, even smells!” He let out a laugh, and so did Hugo, albeit a little weak. “You don’t have to come back in..but you can if you want.”

  Hugo bit the inside of his cheek before leaning and resting his head on Eugene’s arm, letting the older man put his arm around him before bringing him into a long embrace. One that he didn’t know he needed, especially from someone like Eugene. He let out a breathy chuckle before standing up with Eugene, making their way inside and sitting beside his boyfriend again. Varian gave him a concerned look, Hugo nodding in reassurance and raising his boyfriend’s hand to his lips, kissing the back of his hand before they smiled and continued to eat.

  As soon as dinner was over, Hugo found himself sitting down beside Varian on the couch yet again as the others exchanged presents. Eugene had got Rapunzel a purple frying pan (he didn’t question why, the woman seemed eccentric enough to adore the gift, gifting her boyfriend with a mass of kisses), Rapunzel bought Eugene a small ring to match her engagement ring, Irene gave Cassandra a leather jacket and Cassandra gave Irene a pink helmet to wear on the motorbike, Lance got the girls MANY presents that Hugo didn’t have the energy to remember. And that left him and Varian to exchange gifts.

  Carefully they both took out their boxes for each other, trading them and opening them at the same time. Both gasped when they saw they’d both bought each other a pair of goggles! Hugo gazed at the goggles Varian had bought for him. They were circular - big enough to fit over his glasses - with orange lenses and spikes around the rim, being painted grey all over. A leather strap connected them at the back, him placing them round his neck. Varian, on the other hand, stared at his in disbelief. A small, extra magnifier was attached to the left eye of the goggles, the rims painted bronze and gold with clear, colourless lenses. They were perfect, he silently decided, leaning in closer to Hugo to place a gentle kiss to his jaw.

  “These are perfect, Hugo..I..thank you so much!” he said with love and affection dripping through his words as he put the goggles on top of his head, his hands drifting to the vial around his neck and fiddling with it. It illuminated, shining a soft light across his chest and hands as he gazed down at it in wonder. He looked up at the blonde again, who looked at him with the utmost affection and a dorkish smile on his face. “Anyway, we should be heading back. It’s kinda late and I need my beauty sleep!” he joked, standing and pulling Hugo and Quirin along with him. They bid their farewells, Rapunzel extremely reluctant to let Hugo leave as she hadn’t learnt absolutely everything about him, but she let them leave after a while. They all got into the car and drove back towards Hugo’s apartment complex.

  After Hugo left the car, Varian walked beside him hand in hand up to his apartment. “Hey, look at this.” Varian said as they got to the door, bringing a piece of branch out of his pocket and raising it above his head. He raised an eyebrow in confusion, looking down at his boyfriend who quickly elaborated. “It’s mistletoe so you have to kiss me!” he declared, raising himself onto his tiptoes and puckering his lips. His eyes shut and Hugo’s face took on a grin, leaning down to kiss the boy in a long, sweet kiss, pouring every bit of affection they had for each other into it. 

  The kiss eventually broke and Varian headed down the hall and away from Hugo for the night, the blonde sighing. He pushed open the door, however it stopped part way due to a weight in front of the door. “Huh? Weird.” he muttered, sliding in through the thin gap between the door as his eyes met a package at the door. It was green and moderately large and, after Hugo had kicked the door shut, he crouched down and reached out to read the tag on the box. 

  ‘Merry Christmas - Donella’

  Huh. That was weird. Donella ACTUALLY getting him a Christmas gift? That was unheard of in his world up until now, but he still picked it up and carried it into the living room before placing it on the glass coffee table. He slowly untied the bow and raised the lid, noticing what was inside the box. It was a new laptop - one he had been working to try and get for months now. He didn’t think she’d actually listened to him when he talked to her about it. “Well, that’s a welcome surprise.” he whispered under his breath, lifting it out to see something else tucked at the bottom of the box. Setting the laptop aside, he raised it to see another jacket - this one he immediately recognised. She’d worn it all the time when he was younger and he’d always loved it, but now..she was actually giving it to him. 

  This one was a dark green with a few gold and grey accents across it, the crest of her company embroidered onto the arm only as big as his thumb. He smiled happily, his fingers tracing over the material as he carried both the laptop and the jacket upstairs to his room. He’d always loved the jacket, and usually Donella was overly possessive about her property, so the fact that she was willingly giving it up for him...it was a large statement for a woman like her. 

  He pushed open the door and placed the two items onto his desk, changing into his pyjamas and laying down on his bed. He took off his glasses and set them aside onto his bedside table, moving to hug his pillow close to his chest and imagining it was his boyfriend. He’d have to thank them both for their gifts when he had the time.

  “Y’know...maybe Christmas isn’t so bad after all.” he whispered to himself before letting himself fall asleep, a smile still plastered on his face.

[komahinasecretexchange]

Title: Traditions

Author: @dailyservingofhope

For: @hiddenkamukuraproject

Rating/Warnings: PG-13 (A few vague sexual references, Nagito joking about death, alcohol mention)

Prompt: Going out on Halloween and having fun

Author’s notes: AU where the tragedy didn’t happen. 100% pure organic fluff.

“You’ve never been trick-or-treating?!” Nagito smiled and raised his hands in a placating gesture, “Sorry, I had no one to take me when I was a kid. But it’s fine! It ended up being good luck!” “‘Good’?” Hajime asked pointedly as he rested his coffee mug on their kitchen counter. Nagito had a way of twisting things to fit his strange worldview. “I gave out candy instead. Since I could afford full bars of chocolate for all the other kids, I became sort of popular for a little while… at least until they got to know me better.” “That’s not the point,” Hajime said, “I just get upset when I think about your childhood. It’s not fair that you missed out on so much.” He felt robe-cloaked arms wrap around his waist and a soft peck on his forehead. “Don’t worry. I’m fine, promise,” Nagito reassured him. Hajime grumbled in response, wondering if it was okay to be annoyed at his partner’s cute attempt at deflecting. Sometimes Hajime felt that he was more bothered by Nagito’s troubles than Nagito himself. 'Fine’ to him often meant 'Not in the hospital’. How much disappointment and grief did he suffer in his youth before the bar lowered that much? This wasn’t about some silly holiday tradition, this was about making him feel included, and giving him access to experiences that most people took for granted. “You shouldn’t feel sorry for me, you know,” Nagito gently chided him. “I don’t,” Hajime said, worried that Nagito noticed his increasingly pitying expression during their conversation. “Good. Because I secretly switched your coffee with decaf.” “What?! Nagito!” “I’m just kidding. You always look at me like I’m a kicked puppy when I tell you about my past. I prefer it when you’re annoyed with me. Your voice gets this adorable lilt to it.” “No, it doesn’t! I… think?” Nagito chuckled. “Look, it’s not pity,” Hajime sighed, “I’m just worried you feel like an outsider because you had such a different childhood experience than many of us. It’s important to me that you feel welcome and have lots of happy memories. And if I have to take you trick-or-treating this weekend to make that happen, then I’ll do it.” Nagito’s face lit up, “You want to go trick-or-treating with me?” Aware that he just invited Nagito on a date involving an activity generally enjoyed by children still in the single digits of age, Hajime backpedaled, “Wait! I-It’s okay if you don’t want to! I know we’re too old for it, and we told Ibuki we’d be at her Halloween party, so we’ll get to dress up, anyway. There’s no pressure-” “I would love to! We can pick out costumes this afternoon!” Fear of embarrassment ranked high on Hajime’s list of top motivators, but it was nothing compared to Nagito’s sweet face. He couldn’t back out now. “O-okay! Sounds great!” ___ Hajime pulled a scarf around his mouth to warm the crisp, fall air flowing into his lungs. Yellowed leaves danced on the sidewalk with every breeze as he and Nagito strolled through the city. Their destination was a costume shop located in a quaint, less-trafficked district, popular among the dating crowd for its restaurants and shopping. They found it nestled between a cafe and a boutique clothing store. Walls painted black and covered in wheatpasted underground band adverts gave an eccentric touch that made it stand out from the conservatism of the surrounding businesses. Through the windows, there was a display of the typical bats and pumpkins, along with more unnerving props like costumed mannequins covered in fake blood and gaping wounds. Cosplayers and street fashionistas were the store’s year-round clientele, but nearing the holiday, they widened their selection to include Halloween costumes. Hajime pulled open the door for Nagito, “Have any ideas about what you want to be?” “Dead?” Nagito offered. “I really wish you wouldn’t joke about that.” “Aren’t ghosts popular this time of the year?” With a deadpan expression, Hajime poked Nagito in the belly. He then turned his attention to the racks and shelves, not wanting to take the bait. As they perused the aisles together, Nagito suddenly snatched a large package off a rack and hid it behind his back, “I’m going to try something on. No peeking!” Hajime continued to browse while his partner thrashed around in the fitting room. A rather seductive vampire costume caught his attention, and he briefly lost himself in a daydream involving Nagito and lots of sexy nibbling all over his body until he heard someone walk up behind him. He glanced over his shoulder. The glance turned into a double take. To say that Nagito was dressed up as a dog was about as true as saying The Big Bang Theory was a comedy. There was an element of objective truth to it, but it failed spectacularly to articulate that everything else about it was an abomination. The costume was like a long fuzzy tube, white on the belly and black and tan along the back, indicating it was probably intended to be a corgi. The head perched on top of Nagito’s head, its mouth gaping around his face as if it were a python swallowing its prey whole. His feet, which were only just visible from the bottom of the tube, were adorned with paw slippers. The hand-paws were so padded and fluffy that they appeared useless for any practical purpose other than being cute. “How do I look? Wanna be my owner for Halloween? I’ll let you walk me on a leash and give me commands! I know how to beg and lay down!” Nagito said as he shook his rear to make the stubby tail wag. Hajime blushed, looking around to see if anyone overheard, “Shhh! There will be kids around, so nothing… kinky!” “I would never do something I thought was weird around impressionable youth!” “That’s the problem, what you think is weird is a whole world away from what everyone else thinks is weird…” Hajime looked him up and down, “So why this, of all things?” “Most of these costumes aren’t really appropriate around children. What did you think I’d be? A sexy demon? A sexy cat boy? A sexy werewolf? A sexy…” “I get the point… they are a bit provocative, aren’t they?” “Don’t use big words like 'provocative’. I’m just a silly little dog!” he whined, covering his face with his paws in mock shame. “God, Nagito, can you be normal for like one second?” Hajime said, turning away to hide his laughter. Nagito closed the distance, picking up his hand and kissing it. He looked down into his eyes with a charming smile and whispered, “But this is what you like about me, right? There’s no way someone would ever go out with me for any rational reason. Doesn’t that make you abnormal too?” Hajime shivered at his touch. Even dressed in the most absurd getup he’d ever seen, Nagito was still hot, and when he cranked up the charm, he had a terrifying ability to render Hajime as helpless as a fawn. He pushed Nagito away, hoping he didn’t notice, “I-I guess I just don’t know how you do it. You can be so confident sometimes. I’d be afraid of wearing that in public.” “There’s a difference between confidence and being so resigned to loss that you stop feeling anxiety over the little things,” he said, a bit sadly. “Besides, it’s fun!” He waved his paws comically to accentuate the point. “Now we have to find something fun for you to wear.” “Okay, but let’s go by MY definition of fun.” “Whatever you say, Hajime,” Nagito beamed. His eyes darted around, then settled on a mustache and beard set which he handed to Hajime, “How about this? You can go as a grumpy old man. Bonus! You won’t have to be seen with me.” “Oh, come on.” Hajime said, snatching it from him. He looked it over then held it up to his face in front of a mirror. “Hey, I could go as Izuru Kamukura,” he joked, referencing their old high school’s founder. Nagito folded his arms and side-eyed him, “Don’t get all full of yourself now, Hajime.” He then backed away as Hajime approached him with a toy sword taken from a rack. “Wait! What do you plan on doing with that?!” ___ “Happy Halloween!” Hajime, who had been sleeping quite peacefully until then, would have fallen out of bed in fright if a heavy weight had not subsequently landed on him. He opened his eyes to find Nagito sprawled out over his lap. “Sorry, I missed you. I couldn’t wait any longer,” Nagito said. Hajime slammed Nagito on the back of the head with his pillow, “Being cute won’t save you this time.” “Noooo, don’t kill me! I’ve never been kissed!” “Yes, you have.” “Could you remind me?” Nagito said, puckering his lips. Hajime played along and kissed him, “There, now I can kill you.” Moments later, Nagito flew through the air from a good whack from the pillow. Their day went on with the two enjoying horror movies playing in the background as they enjoyed a peaceful afternoon together. After the sun set, they prepared themselves for the night ahead. Hajime had settled on being a black cat, largely because it worked as a couple’s costume, but also just looking at Nagito’s cumbersome outfit made a simple and light costume seem more appealing. The set consisted only of ears and a tail, with a fluffy black sweater and black jeans from his closet to complement it. There was also ancient makeup in the back of a drawer from his scene kid phase which was totally just an ironic experiment and definitely not anything he ever took seriously. He leaned over their bathroom sink to get a better look in the mirror as he used an old eye pencil to draw whiskers, a nose, and thick eyeliner with wings that swept out half an inch. “Who said scene was dead?” Nagito said, as he smirked at him in the mirror. “Hey, I can’t help it that I can do a perfect cat-eye.” “Can you do my makeup sometime?” “Oh please, Nagito, you don’t need it. People would kill for your lashes.” “You know, you’re starting to sound a little… catty.” Hajime groaned at the pun. He reached an arm behind him to blindly swat at his partner, only succeeding in stirring the air around as Nagito dodged the attack, “Is being sarcastic the only thing you’re good for? Why aren’t you dressed yet?” “I will, it’s just hard to move very well in it and I wanted to bother you more effectively.” Nagito draped his arms over Hajime’s shoulders and leaned in. “Actually, I’d like to thank you. I know you get scared of embarrassing situations, so for you to take someone like me out doing something meant for kids, knowing people will look at us funny… It’s sweet of you.” “Why do you think I’m putting on makeup? If all goes well, I won’t even recognize myself.” He chuckled, “But in all seriousness, you know I’d do anything for you.” Nagito buried his face into Hajime’s neck and said nothing. ___ “Everyone looks so happy!��� Nagito said, gazing at the lively scene. Costumed kids flocked together at doors or ran around screaming and laughing in excitement. With jack-o’-lanterns on every porch and fake spider webbing drooping from trees, the neighborhood oozed Halloween spirit. Hajime caught himself staring at his adorable partner, “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself. Are you ready for some trick-or-treating?” “Tell me what to do! I’ve never done this before!” “Come on, you know what to do. Here, try this house.” “What if they yell at me because I’m too old?” “In that case, we threaten to egg their house, then run away.” He responded, hoping Nagito wouldn’t take it as a serious suggestion. Nagito’s eyes swirled. “I wonder if we’ll get chased. That would be exciting,” he said breathily. “You seem a little too excited by that…” Nagito wasn’t listening, he was already halfway up the driveway of a house. Hajime remained by the street to watch while Nagito knocked on the door. An old woman appeared. She looked him up and down as his outstretched arms presented her with a wicker basket ready for filling. “Trick-or-treat!” She gave a tactful, patient smile, “You’re so cute, but aren’t you too old for this?” “My boyfriend is forcing me to do this,” Nagito said, “He’ll be angry if I don’t come back with anything.” “Oh my… well, here…” She dropped a few pieces of candy into his basket, “You look like a sweet boy, you should get away from that awful man. Good luck, dear.” “Yes ma'am! Thank you!” Nagito chirped as he skipped back to the street, somehow managing not to trip over his slippers. “I couldn’t hear you guys, but it seemed to go well?” Hajime asked. “She wasn’t going to give me a treat, so I tricked her.” “Nagito, she was like… 80.” “It’s the Halloween code. I don’t make the rules.” “What did you say to her?” “Nothing to worry about. Let’s go on to the next house!” ___ “Really? You’re trick-or-treating at this age?” “I’m dying of lymphoma, it’s my final wish to trick-or-treat one last time.” “Oh my goodness, of course! Have as much candy as you want!” “Thanks!” Nagito said graciously as he took a few pieces. Hajime looked at him askance when he returned. “Wow, you’re getting a lot of candy. I… honestly wasn’t expecting this…” he said, gesturing at Nagito’s nearly overflowing basket. It seemed like every house in the neighborhood was eager to give him everything they had. “Yeah! Everyone has been so nice!” “I’m glad you’re having a good time, but what are we going to do with all this candy? You don’t even like sweets.” “I had no intention of keeping the candy, Hajime, this was all just for fun.” Nagito’s smile transformed into a grin. “But now that you’ve brought it up, there’s something I’ve wanted to do all night.” Hajime watched as Nagito trotted towards a group of teenagers. Sneaking up behind them, he reached into his basket and tossed a chocolate bar over their heads. They jerked back in surprise, and as they turned to see where it had come from, they were immediately pelted with handful after handful of candy. The next minute was pure pandemonium. Children ran from across the street to join in the fun, grabbing as much candy as they could while it rained down on them. And somehow in that moment, with the kids cheering and Nagito laughing joyfully among that beautiful chaos, Hajime swore his boyfriend never looked so handsome. Yeah, even despite the costume. ___ Ibuki’s Halloween party was well underway by the time Hajime and Nagito arrived. Blaring music greeted them at the door before she did. “You made it! Look at Nagito, so cuuuute! And Hajime, Ibuki loves your makeup! Meowwwww!” Being a world-famous musician, she could afford the finer things. Her house, which better resembled goth night at a club than a habitable dwelling, boasted enough space to host a party with room to spare for dancing. Witch-house played from an expensive sound system that cost more than Hajime and Nagito’s annual rent. It went without saying, Ibuki threw the best parties. Hajime hardly had a minute to take in the surroundings before Nekomaru had him and Nagito locked in a crushing hug. “Hahaha! We’re all here now!” Nekomaru beamed. “You made it, I am so happy!” Sonia said. “Yay.” Chiaki added in her trademark 'not sure if sincere or not’ tone of voice. “Look at you losers wearing a couple’s costume.” Saionji sneered as she eyed them up and down. Mahiru cleared her throat, “We are too, Hiyoko,” remarking on their Sailor Moon outfits. Saionji pouted, “But it’s cute when we do it!” “It’s too bad Teruteru died in that freak accident involving the helicopter tour over that active volcano, he would have liked to be here right now.” Souda said, idly scratching his head. Tsumiki dropped a piece of food on the floor and bent over to pick it up, showing her rear to everyone, “I’m sorry I’m so clumsy! I’m ruining everyone’s good time! Don’t worry about me!” “It’s okay, no one is worrying about you. No one is thinking about you at all!” Saionji cheered. “Waaaaaaaaah!!” Byakuya shook his head in disdain at Hajime and Nagito. “You’re late for the party, you missed out on donuts. Where are your priorities?” Akane’s mouth was too stuffed to respond, so she waved the last donut at them in greeting instead. Gundham held out his arms, letting his hamsters crawl up into his hands. “My Four Dark Devas are enraged at your tardiness for the most evil night of the year. Now the ritual can begin in earnest. Count yourself lucky that they have chosen not to kill you where you stand.” Peko had the eyes of a predator fixed on Nagito’s fluffy animal costume, while Fuyuhiko grinned and raised a shot glass containing an orange liquid, “Hey guys, come drink up! I brought juice!” Ibuki squealed, “Baby gangster is so adorable, only drinking mixer!” “I don’t need to drink alcohol to be cool!!” Amid all the shouting and arguing, Nagito turned to Hajime, “You know, this might be the best Halloween I’ve ever had.” “Same here. And I think you actually taught me a thing or two about the spirit of giving. Wrong holiday though.” “Yeah, too bad it doesn’t count.” Nagito grinned. “I’ll just have to fill up a stocking for you when Christmas comes around.” “I’d love that, Hajime! I’ve never had a stocking for Christmas before!”

[northernxstories]

Mating Rituals

For a human, their ship seemed grand. Given that the average height of their species was between 2 metres and 2.5 metres, with some a little taller and very few much shorter, the open space made sense. Multigenerational space travel was required as their species was almost always born as the implanter and not the seeded. That was how they distinguished. The seeded as the one who took the seed into their body during the mating process and later produced the infant. The implanter was the carrier of the genetic line. So long as the minimal requirements were met, they could seed a number of bipedal species. Their mating process was rigorously slow however, which was irritating to those who were not accustomed to it. 

Stumbling across the planet known as Earth, the Gravitorians were pleased to determine that the young females of the species were capable of being seeded by their implanters. Unfortunately there was no open market, no ease of acquisition to obtain these human females as was common in most worlds. They tried speaking with various members of government (there was no single body, which was irksome to be honest) and little effective result was achieved initially. It was frustrating as preliminary tests had revealed that this particular species was receptive and the young females were, generally, aesthetically appealing.

A bipedal species as well, the Gravitorians had skin colors that ranged from a soft shade of blue to the deepest violet. There were several skin colours that could simply not be perceived by the human eye. However the humans were receptive to the cloaking technology that would allow the Gravitorians to appear as if they were particularly tall humans. Their frame was larger than the average human but there were a few humans who were nearly as tall.

B’orju found the humans to be quite remarkable. He was weary of waiting for the leadership to provide them the seededs they required. He was weary of watching his packmates mate with their pretty creatures. Engaging the cloaking device, he became a male in appearance with sickly white flesh and hair that appeared to lack much in the way of colour. The eyes remained a familiar shade of blue, which was comforting. He tried not to grow repulsed by his own cloaked appearance. 

Instead, he walked until he spotted a group of females entering a large building comprised of small rectangles of dirt that appeared to be fused together in some way with a sort of paste in between. Interesting. The sign said, “S-O-R-O-R-I-T-Y” which appeared to be a gathering residence for this species’ humans of breeding age. How convenient for the implanters of this world! To have them so conveniently presented. This species was really quite clever. At first he wasn’t sure how to enter the residence and he contemplated this for several turns until the sky grew dim. Then festive lights and cheerful noises began to issue. Someone called it a ‘party’ which was quite similar to one of their joyful occasions. He walked in with a group of other males, reminding himself that he bore the appearance that would allow him to pass undetected by the others who would surely not ask him to strip, since he was never good at masking his breeding appendages. Some of his packmates were significantly more adept at such things.

He selected a beverage but did not care for the flavour or its smell, both making it hard to mask his disdain. He circled through the social gathering until he spotted a small female sitting alone. She had a soft fulness to her face and body that he found appealing and a cascade of dark curls that his tactile digits would like to caress. She was a pleasing female in appearance and he approached with an offer of the beverage. He didn’t care for it but he assumed someone of her species might enjoy its flavour. Only a few words needed to be spoken on his part for she seemed to enjoy expressing her thoughts. He found this pleasing. Her voice was engaging and although he only understood approximately half of the words, it was still interesting. 

As the time progressed, he still found himself contentedly speaking to the curly (that’s what her species called them - curls. Curly. Wasn’t that a most adorable word? he liked it very much. CURLS. It made a pleasant sensation in his throat when he said it) female - although several others tried to draw his attention. Apparently he had chosen a more appealing exterior package than intended in this location. 

She advised that she did not reside in this unit but in another. She was only here for the gathering. He offered to escort her back to her own unit of residence and she agreed. These human females were disconcertingly trusting. They had encountered far more suspicious species previously.

Still, he escorted her to residence, marking her unit and confirming once again she had no other partner or intended partner. This was positive. He asked her if he could attend again and she consented. Then she ‘kissed’ him. A most pleasant sensation in which this species pressed the speaking parts of their bodies together and shared their fluids. It was intriguing and he enjoyed the sensation. His species generally showed such affection by pressing their upper portion of their face together. When he did this to her, she did not seem to disdain the show of affection but quickly she returned to the ‘kissing’. He did not object. It was very pleasant.

The next day he returned again, this time in daylight hours. He found her equally appealing in daylight hours. In fact, her curls seemed all the more shiny during these times. For several weeks, while the leaders of his people continued to negotiate with the governments of this world, B’orju regularly engaged in local social outings with the small female. In this form, she was more petite than he was. This would make the mating more simple for he would be able to easily bear her small form during this lengthy time frame. Finally he began to tell her who he was. At first she did not believe his words, thinking he was unwell in his mental faculties. To finally assure her that that he was speaking the truth, he brought her to the ship, cloaked as if it were a derelict shopping facility (fairly common in this area). 

Seeing his ship, his packmates uncloaked as well as several species of seededs and of course a few currently in the midst of a mating was initially distressing for his small human. The human female began to leak water from her eyes, especially when he advised that he had grown very fond of the female and would like to mate with her. She indicated she was fond of him as well but said this was too much and asked to leave. 

It was distressing.

He was reluctant to part with her but although his leadership had bargained for seededs sold or traded from their world previously, they did not engage in kidnapping. Consent of the governing force or the individual entity (rarely both occurred although that would be ideal) was mandatory. Since her system of government had yet to consent, he had to acquire his seeded with her acquiescence. It was a lot to ask. To leave this planet. To be subject to the mating, which was a prolonged and exhausting situation for any seeded, much less one of the more independent species.

There was some prospect of success in another territorial unit on this planet when he received a message from her. In some haste, he attended at her residential unit to find her putting items of personal possession in a storage container than facilitated transportation. She was coming. With him!  She had chosen it. She had chosen him. There were no words to describe his delight at this turn of events. 

He stilled her with gentle digits. She seemed uncertain as to his intention but understood as he slowly removed her garments from her soft form, a form she frequently criticized before he indicated to her that her words on this matter were distressing and unacceptable to him. He liked her form and her softness. She flushed as he washed her in the bathing area of her residence, gentle touches on all parts of her skin, even those that seemed to make her blush. He laid out the mating garment upon the bed and had her lie upon it. She was now rosy in her cheeks and there was a gathering of heat and wet between her thighs. 

Slowly he let his cloak fade until she saw his actual form. Bigger. Taller. His skin a warm shade of blue. Only his eyes remained unchanged. “You consent.” It was a statement and a question. Small wandering hands grazed his flesh and he was charmed by how tentative it was. As if she could do him harm in some way and she feared doing so. He waited, hovering above her, his sexual appendages trying to remain discreet despite their desire to be encased in the heat of her. She nodded, a little uncertainly now, but only gasped as he started to fill her. One tendril stroked over the soft wetness of her heat while the other sought the smaller puckered passage. The nodule locked over that little bundle of nerves at the apex of her prime sexual organ. A lubricant was excreted, bathing the nerves in a tingling sensation. The explorations were gentle at first, his digits merrily play in her wonderful curls, as his organs began to expand.

“Ohh ... that’s too much.” She whimpered and started to wiggle away. Unfortunately there was no wiggle that would allow her to escape now. She could not remove herself from his organ. Once he had filled her completely, he adjusted the mating blanket so that she could be carried by him while pierced in this fashion. 

Her eyes were wide as she seemed to realize the predicament she had gotten herself into and was terrified of his intentions. Withdrawing a small object, the end of which was shaped like the thick head of one of his sex organs, he slid it between her lips and bound it behind her head. Her rear passage and her channel leading to her uterus were now painfully full. Secretions were absorbed by his body and the corresponding deposits were paired with agents that filled her with intense pleasure. She came, unwillingly, unhappily, and then met his eyes even as she came down from the high of such pleasure. 

“Please.” She begged. “I can’t take this.” His response was also soft as he adjusted the tassels so she would no longer be able to speak around the gag filling her mouth. “It is done. The only way the mating may end is to kill me and I assure you there are few weapons on this planet’s surface that could do me harm.” He brushed his cheek over her wonderful curls, now messy due to his bathing of the female. Her whimpers faded as others of his species came into the residence. Every personal item was removed and returned to his living quarters on the ship. Even if she did not care to retain it, she could give it to others. Once every movable piece was stripped, he started to carry her back to his waiting ship. The movement of his body as he walked drove the overstuffed female into another spasm of liquid pleasure warming her very bones and sending another flood of pleasure through to his sex organs. 

Her distress was evident but he was in bliss. She felt marvellous around his sexual appendages. He had no idea such pleasures were possible. He carried her everywhere with him, frequently driving her to orgasm such that she hung limply around him, relying on the mating web to hold her in place. The orifice opened in her gag wide enough for him to press a feeder bottle between her lips and provide her sustenance. He rubbed tingly lotion into her dusky rose nipples daily because it made her writhe and whimper behind her gag. If he did it just right, she would release for his pleasure without further effort on his part. 

When he met with his packmates or superiors on the ship, they all complimented him on acquiring a human female to accept her position willingly as his seeded. They stroked her curls and down her bottom, offering her praise and compliments for her obedience. She hung her head in shame and he delivered another rush of secretions designed to force her to orgasm just as his packmates stroked her bottom and called her a good girl. He made her sit back just enough to allow those of his immediate pack, family she called them, to suckle her nipples. Sometimes doing this made her eyes leak water again but she also cupped the back of their heads and held them in place as they fed from her. 

She settled quickly into their routine on the ship. After thirty earth days on her world, he finally removed the gag. She whispered her gratitude and remained quiet for a time. Finally she asked when the mating might end and he shrugged, uncertain. It usually took at least a full mating cycle but he was unsure how the time compared to her world. He told her to remain accustomed to it and while her leaking grew heavier, it eventually stopped and she settled. He offered the gag again but she said she would be a good girl. In reward, he made her cum again, enjoying the way her body arched in release and her now open mouth called out in pleasure despite herself. He bound her more tightly to him, adjusting the mating web so that she was settled and thickly full of his appendages at all times. 

Finally negotiations were completed and sixty volunteer human females joined the crew. They were claimed quickly and soon he was not one of the few with a mated female balanced upon him. It surprised him that it did not seem to bring her relief to see the others. He was confused by this and said so but she couldn’t explain why it bothered her. Annoyed, he inserted the gag again and kept it in until the ship was some distance from her home world. 

Finally, in the middle of a rest cycle, his appendage released its hold on her. Pushing her over and nudging apart her thighs, he explored with long digits and confirmed that yes, indeed, she was carrying his young. Such a good female. She seemed relieved to have her own body back to herself and no longer be carried by him any longer. To be honest, he missed the delicious weight of her and getting to make her release whenever it pleased him to do so. 

However, her freedom from his penetration seemed to restore some of her good feeling toward him. She started to talk again, asking questions about the infant and its appearance and needs. In this their species had few differences.  The only significant difference to note was the length of the child’s growing years, taking over a decade to be out of the stage that she called a toddler. In seeding her, her own life span would be greatly lengthened to allow her to raise her young.  She curled up with him at night, allowing him to stroke the curve of her abdomen and play with her sex as he wished. The feeding from her breasts occurred regularly as well, by him and by his immediate packmates. She flushed deeply when he insisted upon this but appeared to have accepted it, especially now that she was starting to produce more consistently to prepare for the arrival of the infant. She had long since learned to be subtle when she did not wish for his touch in order to avoid the binding and the gag, something which might happen intermittently when he felt she needed the lesson.

B’orju found that by stroking her sex and playing with it just so, he could still draw out her release, even when she attempted to fight it. The secretions from their bodies made human females far more pliable than most other species they had selected to be their seeded. It appeared likely that in future, they would be revisiting his seeded’s home planet often to acquire more females. They were simply so pliant and yet also resilient. 

Perhaps their own young would find their mate there and claim her as well. This would be pleasant for his female - to have others of her species in their immediate packmates. Surely that would be the case, he mused to himself as he slid two long digits into her channel and forced out another orgasm as others around them contented themselves with their mid-day repast and toying with their own seeded. Her cheeks warmed in embarrassment so he reached for the gag. Her whimpers delighted his auditory channels as he pressed it between her lips and buckled it again. “Shhhh...” He made a gentle soothing noise as he settled her against him once again. Obedience was required after all. Such a good little human. 

[tysonrunningfox]

Ripped: Epilogue

Last year, the day after Thanksgiving on vacation in London, I went on a Jack the Ripper tour, thinking it would be a fun, goofy adventure, but instead it planted the seeds for the first time I ever made plot work on purpose.  This has been so much fun and I’m so grateful for how involved so many of you lovely people has been, it has made something that I took on with a lot of personal rigor doable.  

Ao3

“You were short on rent.  Again,” Snotlout leans against the doorframe of Hiccup and Astrid’s shared bedroom, arms crossed, and Astrid rolls her eyes, pausing halfway through trying to tie Hiccup’s tie to answer him. 

“No, I’m not, I told you I’m not paying for half of your NFL package.” 

“You watch it too!”  He insists and she pats Hiccup on the chest, wordlessly assuring him that she’ll be back focused on his nervous expression soon. 

“That’s because you sit on the remote,” she reminds him, “I’m not paying for it.”

“You look like an adult,” Snotlout changes the subject, gesturing to Hiccup’s new khakis and dress shirt under a borrowed blazer.  The tie is proving more difficult, but she’ll figure it out.  “Where’d you get the jacket?” 

“Astrid,” he says, voice pinched as he adjusts the sleeves, looking over her shoulder into the mirror she’d salvaged from her apartment that’s still propped against her bookcase, which is stocked with the overflow that wouldn’t fit in the office when they combined libraries.  He touches his hair and a piece at the back pops straight out. 

“Why did Astrid have a men’s blazer?”  Snotlout laughs, “unless it’s a woman’s—”

“Tuff and I are the same size, ok?”  She glares at him, “shut the door on your way out.  Please.”  She adds the last word to make it happen faster, even if her voice isn’t polite enough to let it carry any weight. 

“Quickie before the interview—”

“Shut the door.”  She smiles, patronizing and not letting it reach her eyes, “or you’ll see something you don’t want to see.” 

“Guess it’s my last chance to say good luck,” Snotlout directs that at Hiccup, “you’re going to kill it—”

“Snotlout!”  Astrid takes a pillow off of the bed and throws it at him, hitting him squarely in the face, “shut the damn door!” 

“I’m keeping the pillow until I get the twenty bucks,” Snotlout waves the pillow that he barely caught in the air before shutting the door, mouthing ‘good luck’ at Hiccup through the gap. 

“Then I’ll buy a new pillow,” Astrid doesn’t care if he heard her last dig and she refocuses on Hiccup, adjusting the untied tie under his collar, “he’s right, you’re going to do great.” 

He smiles, cheeks tight under the beard that’s thankfully finally filling out, especially since he decided he’s determined to keep it during his job search.  She gets his motive and is frankly a little jealous that he can stop shaving and suddenly he won’t look like the suspect whose picture spent weeks all over the news while she’s stuck with a baseball cap and a glare to not look like the student temporarily presumed missing in association with the same case.  He’s lucky that it’s starting to look good, official, aging him a few years in a way that makes his green eyes more vulnerable as he catches her hands, tugging them away from the tie she’s been tangling more than knotting. 

“I look like I’m wearing a costume,” he gestures at himself and she tilts his chin down to force eye contact. 

“Aren’t you?”  She points at the top hat hanging on the side post of the headboard with her chin, “you aren’t exactly in your natural state.” 

“I knew I should have rented a tux,” he jokes, voice shaky along its edges, almost fluttering, “gone full white tie with the hat and a monocle.” 

“Maybe I’d have better luck tying a white tie.” 

“It’s fine,” he pulls the tie off entirely, throwing it on the bed and running a frustrated hand through the hair they just got done trying to comb.  He instantly looks more like himself and she sighs, unbuttoning the top button of his shirt. 

“You’re right, it’s the historical society, not a bank.” 

“Yeah, at least a bank would have to google my name to learn about that time I was framed for murder, I’m sure everyone at the historical society was following the case independently.”  He laughs, sitting on the edge of the bed, face in his hands.  “Thousands of blogs and websites and comment threads with advice about how to dress for an interview and how to introduce yourself, but there’s not a single Buzzfeed list about how to conduct yourself after being wrongly and publicly accused of serial murder?  That seems like an irresponsible knowledge gap.” 

“Maybe you can write something up,” she sits down next to him, wishing there was something real she could do to help.  “Look, Hiccup, they wouldn’t have scheduled an interview if they didn’t think you could do the job.” 

“Or maybe they just want gory details,” he says before groaning, sitting up straight and squinting his eyes shut for a second, “you’re right.  I know you’re right.  Somehow filling in the non-existent work experience on my resume with claims that I’m a self-starter and quick-learner made them call me.” 

“I think it had more to do with the cover letter,” she rolls her eyes, out of gentle reminders after a week of his mounting anxiety, “I don’t think most applicants make a case for a building to be declared historically significant before they’ve even been interviewed.” 

“Gruff’s should be preserved,” he insists, “especially since Tuff took out the drop ceiling and found that art deco pressed tin—”

“Hiccup.” 

“And not only is it one of the last authentic speakeasies we have left, since they tore down the building on third, and even there the drug store using the space tiled over the original wallpaper—”

She kisses him to cut him off, laughing and wrapping her arms around his neck when he keeps trying to make his point, mumbling about hidden cabinets against her lips.  It takes a minute, but he relaxes with a sigh, hand sliding to her lower back to pull her closer, thumb dragging slow and sweet against her spine.  His muffled sound of disappointment when she tries to pull back keeps her there another second, dropping two soft pecks on his lips before anchoring him with her hands on his cheeks and looking seriously into his eyes. 

“Save it for your interview, ok?” 

“Save the kissing for my interview?”  He grins, lopsided and relaxed, at least momentarily.  “I thought I was moving on from my sordid past, prostituting myself in the alleys for a few bucks.” 

“Save your lectures on old buildings for your interview,” she kisses his forehead and stands up, offering him her hand and pulling him to his feet, “I can’t think of any audience more primed to hear them than the Berk Historical Society.” 

“You know, Tuff did manage to turn a profit this month,” Hiccup’s eyes flicker unsure, “bartending is a viable trade, it’s going to be around as long as people numb their feelings with alcohol.” 

“But historically significant buildings won’t if someone doesn’t start advocating for their wallpaper,” she reminds him why the job appealed to him in the first place and he sighs. 

“And if they just want to talk about Grimborn?”  He refers to the original killer but points to recent memory with his tone and she thinks for a second before picking up the hat and offering it to him. 

“Give them a tour.   Prove that you know more about this city than anyone else.” 

“I don’t need the hat to do that,” he sets it on her head with that crooked smile, “plus, it just makes me think about you now and I don’t need the extra distraction.” 

“You should probably get going,” she checks the time, pushing him gently towards the door before he can invent any other reasons to delay. 

“Right,” he leaves the room and she pauses to put the hat back on its unofficial headboard hook before following.  Hiccup is standing in the middle of the living room with the TV remote in hand, paused mid-step to watch something. 

“…recent events, it was decided that the apartment complex at 324 Harbor Road would be converted into low income housing, however when renovation began in the second-floor apartment where Grimmel Grisly’s last murder recently occurred, a possible clue to a much more famous murder at the location was discovered.” 

Hiccup looks at her, eyebrows raised as the anchor continues. 

“…possible forensic evidence found at the Elizabeth Smith crime scene could potentially reveal the true identity of Berk’s most famous outlaw, Viggo Grimborn, The Harbor Street Killer.  We have an expert here to discuss the—”

The TV screen turns black and Hiccup tosses the remote onto the couch, where it bounces off of a throw pillow and onto the floor. 

“You don’t want to watch that?”  She cocks her head, his suddenly self-assured, almost peaceful smile catching her off guard. 

“I like the mystery,” he repeats the words that infuriated her when a nuisance from another era stood in a courtyard and shouted them.  “So, I’ve got to go convince a room full of architecture nerds that I’d really love to help them save some of the old buildings that Berk has left, especially if they pay me.  Wish me luck.” 

“You don’t need it,” she insists, “you’re going to do great.  I love you.” 

He stands up a little straighter when she says it, like he always does, and she believes her own assurance even more. 

“Cool, I’ll call you when I’m done.”  He points at the TV and whispers, conspiratorial tone lighter than she would have expected, “don’t go solving Grimborn without me, ok?” 

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” 

[its-max-okay]

MIXED BLESSINGS || lughnasadh festival

The tarot booth.

In all her century of life, Max never pretended to be a person of faith, nor was she terribly superstitious beyond the good luck tokens she kept at her wrist. Despite the esoteric appeal of fortune telling booths and tarot readings when she was younger, Max hadn’t indulged in decades, figuring she’d long outgrown the pomp and eccentricity.

Now, though, with the echoes of Asclepius’ two-fold blessing and gentle warning still echoing in the back of her mind, Max couldn’t help but slow her steps in front of the ornately decorated tent. Chewing indelicately at the inside of her cheek, she paused for a moment of consideration before gesturing for her companions to go on without her; she’d catch up.

The clean scent of burning wax permeated the air as Max ducked into the tent, her eyes taking a moment to adjust to the candlelight and focus on the curiously ageless woman in front of her. She had that quiet, borderline smug look on her face that told Max, ‘I’ve been expecting you.’ Max rolled her shoulders and shrugged it off with a smile, like she did so many things, and set a pair of silver coins in a small weathered dish with a handful of others.

Everything in the tent seemed muffled, sleepy; Max blamed it on the candles and the comfortable resonance of Tyrian purple. Her boots sank into the plushness of the carpet, and for a distracted moment she felt blasphemous for not removing them.

Before Max could follow through on that particular train of thought, her cards were being laid out. Gold twisted in the designs and caught flickers of light, muted and mesmerizing. Max was lost in the art of the cards by the time the woman started to read them, her low, smooth voice sending a shiver down Max’s spine in distraction.

‘You like running, moving forward, being in the action, meeting new people, traveling the world and discovering new things. Your daily life is filled with dreams and disappointments, desires and needs. You have to live it fully and unhindered in order to live your life completely fulfilled.’

Max’s lips curled with a muted amusement; she’d be impressed with the assessment, if it weren’t something anyone walking down the street could suss about her. It was written in her shoulders, her body language, her very being; moving forward, recklessly, for better and for worse.

‘Although you are a thoughtful person, sometimes your character pushes you to live at a frantic pace, from which you find it hard to escape. You could consider meditation.’

Now Max actually snorted, the sound terribly out of place in the solemnity of the room. The reader paused for half a second, and Max had the wherewithal to turn the snort into a more polite clearing of her throat, allowing the woman to continue.

‘You have arrived at a key moment in your life. A period during which you’ll take the time to observe your past in order to grasp its meaning. This spiritual step is indicated by the association of the Knight of Wands and Ten of Swords--’

There it came -- not the doom and gloom, necessarily, but the gravity. Any leftover frivolity Max was feeling slipped from her expression, brow knit in gentle consideration. A spiritual step. That seemed to be putting it lightly, and despite not being a terribly god-fearing woman (before recent events, anyhow), it was easy to assume they could have a sense of humor.

‘On the emotional level, Knight of Wands and Ten of Swords evoke someone who is dear to you. A man whose presence brings you the balance and stability you need to feel content. He is someone who is intimately linked with your life path who occupies a prominent place in your draw.’

A smile teased its way back onto her features and a pit of warmth nestled in her chest as Max immediately thought of Jihoon. Balance, stability, an inexorable connection; the teller may as well have mentioned him by name. Only the briefest pang of guilt followed when Max considered how she hadn’t yet come around to telling him about her blessing, either uncertain about what it could mean or too tentative to bother him with something that could be construed as silly superstition. Now, though, as Max unconsciously flattened her palm below her ribcage to feel the strength of her manacore thrumming just beneath her skin and muscle, she made a quiet promise to herself to try and broach the subject soon.

‘Love: the Emperor.’

Max would later be embarrassed to admit how her ears perked at the prospect.

‘This card has extremely positive connotations with regard to romantic relationships. It reflects the existence or the emergence of a lasting relationship in which tenderness and communication make it possible to consider the future calmly. This card refers to the protective side of the patriarch, whose primary function is to take care of the needs of his family.’

A quiet exhale, and the tarot reader’s eyes flickered briefly up to meet Max’s. The healer’s answering smile was a private one, which the reader mirrored without asking for more.

She continued.

‘Destiny: the Seven of Cups. This card is closely related to the ideas of abundance and choice; each one of the cups is full of a substance that is capable of hurting or satisfying you.’

The hand Max already had settled over her core pressed down with a newfound insistence, coupled with the edge of her teeth catching her lip. Not noticing, the tarot reader continued, even if Max was no longer properly processing the words.

Abundance and choice; hurting or satisfying. The mixed nature of her new blessing in a conveniently contradictory package. ‘You will have to grow to new heights,’ her new deity’s words echoed in an unhelpful reminder. Max wondered if his hand guided her cards. Briefly, she rebelled against the concept of being owned; just as quickly she was grateful for his blessing and what it meant for keeping those close to her safe.

Belatedly, Max realized the tent was quiet and the reading was finished. She stared almost dumbly at the teller for a moment, the look reflected back to her with a soft patience. Shifting from foot to foot Max hesitated, not wanting to break the spell by leaving the tent but not wanting to overstay her welcome with questions she assumed would go unanswered. A muted, conflicted sort of smile was all she had to offer, along with her thanks.