#babytaes works

[kwanisms]

Did You See That? — l.jihoon

«« part one | seventeen masterlist | end.

➮ producer!Jihoon × f!Reader wc: 18.1k (I have no words but I'm not sorry lol) summary: After discovering that Y/N isn’t dead but actually in a coma, Jihoon is determined to get her spirit back into her body. What neither he nor Y/N are prepared for is what happens when she finally does wake up. genres/themes/au: angst, fluff; supernatural themes, ghostly themes; non idol au, ghost au warnings: adult dialogue, mentions of death, alcohol consumption (there’s a lot of wine and I’m not sorry. I’m just that bitch), a lot of angst

special tags: @peachescherryheart @steamingramyun @studiogiblhi @bunnyjaycheoluwu @bri-brithebumblebeee @helloitsai @shez-kindathat-hot1995 @mvltimoon @justasoftstan @wonugyu @vernongyu @babytaes @mysafehaneul @jisooxxi @seodami @burningupp @rubyreduji @sea-gyu @hittwon @seokgyuu @baby-chocolat @my-bias-list-is-ruined @3sriracha @justapotatonow @han-hoshi @johfaam @donotmindmeiamembarrassing @bbsmxlming @stilesbff @lunaryoongi permanent tags: @yoonguurt @wonderfulshinee @candidupped @dejavernon @violagoth @tigermoonbiss @katsukis1wife @luvsooby @thesolarplanetarysystem @salty-for-suga @devilsmatches @dmnspiit @simeonswhore @yangracha @atinypurr @aikyubi @labyrinthonmymind @bintificreads @toxic-babexe @plutoneu @mistlightmoonlight @pristineaugustine @imwhoever join my taglists! Strikethrough means I cannot tag you. MINORS WILL BE BLACKLISTED & BLOCKED. AGELESS BLOGS WILL ALSO BE BLOCKED.

a/n: I am so sorry it took so long to get this done and that y’all have been waiting literal years for this but it’s finally here. The long awaited sequel to Did You Hear That? I hope it lives up to your expectations and that you all enjoy the finale! Thank you so much for reading as always, this is a work of fiction and all characters are not reflective of their respective irl counterparts. for entertainment purposes only.

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“That makes no sense,” you whispered. “If I’m not dead, why am I a ghost?”

Jihoon shrugged his shoulders. “I can’t answer that either. I have no idea how any of this works but Jihyo said you aren’t dead. You’re in a coma.” 

You stared at Jihoon for a few moments before looking away, your mind spinning with this revelation. If your old roommate said it was the truth, who were you to deny it?

Clearing your throat, you turned to look at Jihoon. "If I'm in a coma," you started, your voice soft. "Can you… I don't know, go see my body?" You cringed after asking the question. It sounded completely ridiculous.

Jihoon nodded silently. "I think I can do that," he answered, his voice equally as soft as yours. Your eyes widened, lips parting in a small O. "I'll go tomorrow," he added. You felt a rush surge through your body, almost like electricity. To say you were excited would be an understatement.

The next morning, Jihoon got up and headed into the kitchen to make his morning coffee. You had been sitting outside on the balcony, watching the sunrise. If Jihoon and Jihyo were right and you weren't dead, then that changed everything. 

It meant your body was out there somewhere and you needed to find your way back to it.

The sound of the sliding door caught your attention and you turned to see Jihoon peering out onto the balcony. "Y/N?" he asked softly. You shifted into his view and felt the same feeling of electricity surge through your body when he smiled.

"Hey," he said softly as he stepped onto the balcony, sliding the door shut behind him. "Hey," you repeated as he took a seat. You watched as he took a sip of his coffee. "I miss that," you admitted as he lowered his cup. Jihoon glanced down at the black liquid in his mug and smiled sheepishly. "I'm sure there's a lot you miss," he replied, eyes shifting back to you.

A small chuckle escaped you as you looked out into the sun rising over the city. "Yeah," you replied, holding back tears. "So," you said, inhaling deeply and turning to face Jihoon. "When are you going to the hospital?" you asked, hoping to change the subject and turn the focus away from the fact you almost started crying.

"In a few hours. Jihyo said she'll meet me there and take me up there. She has a class this morning," he said before taking another sip of coffee. You nodded silently, unsure of how to respond. "Since we're up," Jihoon added. "You wanna just hang out?" he asked. "Just… talk?" he added. You smiled shyly before nodding.

"Yeah," you replied. "I'd like that."

The two of you sat on the balcony, the sun rising in the distance, bathing your little sanctuary in sunlight. You missed the warmth from the sun and looked up sadly at it. Jihoon noticed and wanted desperately to reach out and take your hand, to comfort you.

"You miss it, don't you?" he asked.

You nodded. "I miss a lot of things," you repeated his words from earlier. Jihoon nodded, taking a final gulp of his cooled down coffee. "What else do you miss?" he asked as he set the mug aside, pulling the blanket from the living room further around his body.

"Truthfully?" you asked before looking at him. "I miss a lot. I miss sleeping, I miss petting dogs and cats, I miss cooking and eating, I miss taking baths," you admitted, not looking at Jihoon as you listed off the things you missed about being in your body. "Anything else?" Jihoon asked, tilting his head. You nodded silently.

"I miss being held," you answered quietly. "I miss… being kissed," you added in an even quieter voice. You saw Jihoon’s ears turn pink but chose to ignore it. "I can't imagine spending so much time without being touched," he replied. "That sounds awful," he added.

You nodded. "It's been tough," you admitted. "Especially now," you started before trailing off. Jihoon’s eyes flickered up to meet yours and you knew that he knew what you were going to say. You could see in his eyes that he wanted the same thing. A few silent moments passed before your unspoken bond was broken by the ringing of Jihoon's phone. He pulled the device out and glanced down at it. "Oh, it's Jihyo," he said and answered.

"Hello?" 

You watched with curious eyes as he listened to what your roommate had to say. "Alright," he replied. 

"Sounds good. I'll be there soon." 

Jihoon sat upright, saying goodbye and hung up, placing his phone back into his pocket. "She's out of class," he explained. "I'm going to go meet her at the hospital."

You sighed as he stood up, grabbing the blanket and moving towards the door. "I wish I could go with you," you said, looking out at the city. Jihoon grimaced, uncertain of what to say. "I'll be back soon," he finally replied. When you didn't respond, he decided to let you be and stepped into the apartment, sliding the door shut behind him. 

In the kitchen, Seungcheol was sipping on some coffee while he made some eggs, Soonyoung sat at the island, scrolling through his phone. Both men looked up at him as he entered. "Is Y/N outside?" Soonyoung asked. Jihoon nodded. "But it's best to leave her alone right now," he added as he set the blanket on the couch.

"Where are you going?" Seungcheol asked as Jihoon set his mug in the sink and turned to grab his keys and walked over to the front door. "I'm going to meet Jihyo, (Y/N)'s old roommate," he said as he opened the closet and grabbed his coat. "Are you going to the hospital?" Soonyoung asked. Jihoon nodded. "Yeah," he replied. "Where her…” he trailed off, glancing out the window to the balcony. “…body is?" Seungcheol asked softly. Jihoon nodded again. 

"I'll keep you guys updated," he added.

Neither one said anything as they watched Jihoon slip on his shoes and exit the apartment. Once the door shut behind him, Soonyoung and Seungcheol exchanged glances before they both looked out the sliding glass door at your silhouette sitting out there.

Jihoon pressed the elevator button, zoning out as he waited for the lift to arrive. His thoughts swirled in his mind as he wondered how, if at all, he could get you to wake up. He thought if he could get you to wake up, maybe you could slowly get back to your life and if you could get back to some semblance of normalcy, then perhaps there was a chance for the two of you.

He stepped onto the lift when it arrived and pressed the button for the lobby. The ride down was quick as he followed autopilot, walking into the parking garage and to his car. He wasn't sure how he functioned on autopilot but it seemed to take no time to get from his apartment to the hospital. Almost as soon as he left the apartment, it felt like he was pulling into a parking space at the hospital.

He parked and turned off the car before pulling out his phone and sending a text to Jihyo that he was at the hospital. He sat for a moment, waiting for a response. He was glancing at his reflection in the rear view mirror when he felt his phone vibrate.

Seo Jihyo: I'm in the lobby in a long tan coat

Jihoon got out of his car and made his way towards the main entrance of the hospital. Following the automatic spinning door in, he saw a tall slender woman with shoulder length black hair, soft features, and wide, doe-like eyes. She was wearing black ankle length pants, a cream turtleneck sweater and… a long tan coat. 

Jihoon walked over slowly. The woman made eye contact and watched as he approached. 

"Jihyo?" he asked. She nodded, looking him up and down. "Jihoon, I presume?" she replied to which he nodded. She bowed politely, a gesture Jihoon returned. "It's so nice to meet you, " he said. Jihyo smiled at him, flashing a set of brilliant white teeth. “Likewise,” she said, before motioning for him to follow her.

They walked through the lobby, greeting the receptionist behind the front desk as they headed for the elevators. Jihyo pressed the button, returning her hands to her pockets and watching the floor indicator countdown. “She’s up in the coma ward,” Jihyo started to explain.

“She’s been there since the… accident.”

Judging by the look on her face, Jihoon could assume she didn’t like to talk about the accident or what happened to her friend. He didn’t blame her one bit. If something traumatic happened to Seungcheol or Soonyoung, he wasn’t sure he’d want to speak about it either. Glancing up at Jihyo’s face, Jihoon tried not to stare at Jihyo but he couldn't help but notice how pretty she was.

But he still thought you were prettier. 

The doors opened, allowing the two to step inside. The doors shut behind them and the lift began moving immediately. "So,” Jihoon started, clearing his throat. “Do you come here often?" Jihoon asked. Jihyo nodded. "As often as I can,” she answered. “It’s difficult sometimes as I'm working on my master's degree but I like to come here and read to her," she admitted. Jihoon smiled. 

"What do you normally read to her?" he asked. Jihyo returned the smile. "Usually poems,” Jihyo replied, a dreamy tone in her voice. “She really likes romantic poems.” Jihoon tried not to chuckle as Jihyo talked. It sounded just like you. At least the you that he had come to know. “Has she always been a romantic?” he asked suddenly, catching Jihyo by surprise.

“Uhm,” Jihyo hummed, nibbling on her bottom lip. “She’s never mentioned it before but she’s always been a huge fan of romantic stories. Books, movies, poems. She loves all of it,” she continued. “So I guess you could say she is a bit of a romantic.”

Jihoon nodded, glancing up at the number indicator inside the lift as it counted up.

“What else do you read to her?” he asked softly.

Jihyo paused, looking deep in thought but answered him nonetheless. “Mostly just the poems,” she replied. “But sometimes I'll read the news. She doesn't seem to like that as much," she said with a chuckle. Jihoon joined in as the elevator reached the tenth floor. The doors opened and the two of them stepped out, Jihoon following Jihyo out of the lift and through the hallways. She stopped at a desk where a nurse sat behind.

The nurse looked up and smiled at Jihyo, seeming to recognize her. She then looked at Jihoon. "This is my cousin," Jihyo said, gesturing at Jihoon. "He's been out of town but wanted to come see Y/N. They used to go to school together," she explained. 

The nurse nodded and asked for Jihoon's ID. He handed it over and waited while she made a copy. She then printed a visitor pass for him and gave that to him along with his ID. Jihoon thanked her and put on the pass, following Jihyo through the door after it buzzed open.

Jihoon followed Jihyo down the corridor, keeping on her heels. “You don’t get a visitor’s pass?” he asked softly as they strolled down the hallway passing nurses and doctors as they went. Jihyo shook her head, showing him a different kind of pass. It was laminated and on a lanyard. “I have a permanent pass,” she explained. “Y/N’s parents asked since they don’t live in the city and I’m almost like a daughter to them,” she continued. 

“They made a special exception based on the circumstances. Here we are,” she said suddenly as they approached a room in the corner. Jihoon felt his chest tighten. He wasn’t sure how he would feel on his way here but now that he was here, it felt surreal. He wasn’t sure if he was ready.

Whether he was ready or not didn’t matter as Jihyo opened the door and peered in. “Come on,” she whispered, leading the way in, allowing Jihoon to catch the door before it shut behind her. He followed her in, noticing two nurses. One was checking the monitors while the other was writing notes.

The two smiled as Jihyo and Jihoon entered the room. "We were just finishing up," one of the nurses said, scribbling hastily on his clipboard. "I already read the news to her," he added. "She definitely did not like it," he said as he moved to walk past them, offering Jihyo a wink.

Jihyo chuckled and moved around to sit beside the bed. Jihoon watched as Jihyo took your hand gentle, holding it between hers as she looked at you. The second nurse excused herself and left the room, shutting the door behind her. Jihoon stared in awe at the body lying in the bed. There was no doubt about it. It was definitely you.

He took note of how peaceful you looked. Like you were in a deep sleep. 

There were all kinds of wires connected to you and it shocked him how similar it seemed to any of the doctor shows he’d seen on TV. An IV was attached to your arm, running across the linens and up to a bag with clear fluid, hanging from a stand by the head of your bed. 

There was also a tube down your throat and a smaller breathing tube taped under your nose. He felt his heart clench at the sight. Despite how jarring it looked, you still looked so beautiful. The slow rise and fall of your chest as the machine helped you breathe.

Jihoon moved slowly and stared down at you. He was tempted to reach out and take your hand or stroke your cheek but he refrained from doing so. Instead, he sat down across from Jihyo. She watched him as he watched you. She could see the recognition pass over his features. He knew you somehow, there was no denying it. Jihyo glanced at your form, blinking back tears.

"How long has she been asleep?" Jihoon asked suddenly. Jihyo blinked more tears away as she composed herself. "Almost a year," she said, her voice wavering. Jihoon glanced over at her. He couldn't imagine seeing your best friend like this. He didn't even want to imagine something like this happening to Seungcheol or Soonyoung.

He cleared his throat, the sound louder in the empty room.

"And has there been any improvement?" he asked. Jihyo nodded. "They’ve noticed that in the last couple months, her brain activity has spiked on several occasions. The doctors said it could be her trying to wake up but they said not to get our hopes up," Jihyo answered. Jihoon frowned. "Why?" he asked. Jihyo sighed heavily.

"Basically, they said as quickly as she's been improving, she could decline just as fast," Jihyo replied, sniffling slightly. Jihoon glanced from your face to Jihyo. He felt for her, he really did. He looked back at you. "I hope that's not the case," he said softly. Jihyo nodded. "I hope so too," she stated.

Silence fell over the two as they watched your sleeping form.

You sat on the balcony, peering over the railing at the busy streets below. You sighed heavily and strained your ears, hearing voices in the distance. You blinked slowly, still staring at the lively city streets.

The voices in the distance started to grow louder. You lifted your head and tried to focus on the voices. You couldn't tell where they were coming from at first. They weren't drifting from the street below nor were they coming from another apartment. You glanced behind you to see if the boys were watching TV but they weren't.

You then realized the voices were coming from inside your head.

"How long has she been asleep?" you heard a familiar voice ask. 'Jihoon?' you wondered. "Almost a year," another familiar voice replied. You sat up, looking around quickly. "Jihyo?" you whispered. You got to your feet and walked back into the apartment, sliding through the door. "And has there been any improvement?" you heard Jihoon's voice ask.

'He must be in my hospital room!' you thought to yourself. "They’ve noticed that in the last couple months, her brain activity has spiked on several occasions. The doctors said it could be her trying to wake up but they said not to get our hopes up," Jihyo answered, her voice echoing in your head. "Why?" Jihoon asked. 'Yeah, why?' you thought as you listened to the conversation, starting to feel dizzy.

"Basically, they said as quickly as she's been improving, she could decline just as fast," Jihyo replied. You could hear her sniffling slightly. It was a moment before Jihoon responded. "I hope that's not the case," he said softly. Your vision started to grow dark as you stood still in the front room. You saw at the edge of your vision, Soonyoung walking toward you. He was speaking but you couldn't hear him. He stopped just before you. You saw his lips moving, repeating your name, trying to get your attention.

Jihyo's voice in your head spoke. "I hope so too," she said. Your vision went black with your head swimming.

Soonyoung had just walked into the room, seeing you standing in the living room. He watched as your head moved as if looking around but your eyes were unfocused, blinking rapidly. He walked over slowly. "(Y/N)?" he asked softly. You didn't respond, but your eyes started rolling around in your head. You continued to look around as if trying to find something. "(Y/N), are you alright?" Soonyoung asked.

He repeated your name a few more times, Seungcheol walking into the room behind him. "Is she okay?" he asked. Soonyoung glanced over his shoulder and shrugged. "I don't know," he admitted. He turned back to you. "Y/N, are you okay?!" Soonyoung asked again but you didn't respond. Instead, your eyes rolled back into your head and your image shook visibly until you just vanished.

Soonyoung and Seungcheol both shouted in shock, looking around frantically. "What the fuck was that?" Seungcheol asked. Soonyoung shook his head, turning to look at his roommate. "I have no idea!" he answered. "I'm gonna call Jihoon," he said, pulling his phone out, and dialing his friend's number.

Jihoon felt his phone vibrate and quickly pulled it out of his pocket, checking the screen.  Soonyoung was calling him. Jihoon glanced up at Jihyo who gave him a curious look. "I-I’m sorry,” he stammered, looking up from the device. “I need to take this. I'll be right back," he said, getting to his feet. Jihyo nodded, gesturing for him to do as he needed. Jihoon thanked her and stepped out of the room, answering the call. 

"What is it, Soonyoung?"

Soonyoung started talking immediately, his voice loud in the receiver but Jihoon couldn't discern what his friend was saying. "Soonyoung, you need to calm down," Jihoon said softly. He plugged his free ear, trying to hear his friend better. "Explain that to me again," he added. 

He heard Soonyoung shush Seungcheol in the background.

"Something’s happened to (Y/N)," Soonyoung started again. 

Jihoon felt his heart drop into his stomach. 

"What?" he asked. "What do you mean?" 

He heard Soonyoung shush Seungcheol again. "I don't know but I walked into the living room and she was standing there, her eyes were going all crazy. It looked like she was having a seizure but I know that's not possible," he explained.

Jihoon could feel his heart start to race and his breathing quicken. "Alright," he finally said. "I'll be there as soon as I can," he answered. He said goodbye and hung up before returning to your room where Jihyo was waiting patiently. Jihoon walked over to your bed and grabbed his coat. "There's an emergency at home," he explained. Jihyo nodded understandingly.

"Would it be alright if I came back tomorrow?" Jihoon asked. "I have another day off and maybe I could try to wake her up?" he added. Jihyo gave him a small smile. "I have classes all day but it should be fine," she said with a nod. Jihoon gave her a thankful smile.

"Thank you," he answered. "I'll come back tomorrow morning," he stated. Jihoon exited the room and made his way to the waiting room, giving his pass back to the nurse behind the desk and headed for the elevator, pressing the down button.

Once on the lift, Jihoon pulled on his coat and waited for the elevator to reach the lobby. He headed out of the hospital once the doors opened and headed out to his waiting car. He got into the driver's seat, buckling his seat belt and starting the engine.

He wondered what could have happened to make you disappear like that. Was it your body pulling you back? Trying to wake you up?

Once he pulled out of the space, he pulled onto the street and made the drive back to the apartment. 

In record time, Jihoon was pulling into his parking space and headed into the building. He nodded a silent greeting to the concierge desk, heading to the elevator and pressing the call button. The doors opened quickly and Jihoon stepped inside and pressed the button for his floor.

The ride up was quick and uneventful and soon he was walking up to the front door of his shared apartment. He unlocked the door with the keycode and pulled the door open, stepping inside. Soonyoung and Seungcheol were searching the apartment frantically as he slipped off his shoes and coat. "Okay," Jihoon said as he walked further into the apartment. "Tell me what happened again."

Ten minutes later, he sat on the couch blinking as he tried to process the story Soonyoung told him. He glanced from Soonyoung to Seungcheol. "And you haven't seen her since?" he asked. The both of them nodded quickly. Jihoon sighed and leaned back against the couch, thinking deeply. 

“What do we do?” Soonyoung asked, glancing from Seungcheol to Jihoon.

"Let’s give her some time and let her come back to us on her own," Jihoon said after giving it some thought. “Maybe she was feeling overwhelmed? It might have something to do with her brain activity spiking at the hospital,” Jihoon explained. “We can’t know for sure until she reappears.”

‘If she reappears.’

Soonyoung nodded slowly. “Okay,” he replied, leaning back in his seat while Seungcheol looked deep in thought. “She will come back, right?” Soonyoung asked suddenly. Jihoon shrugged lightly, shaking his head as he pulled his bottom lip between his teeth. “I don’t know,” he answered.

“I don’t know.”

A few hours had gone by and Jihoon was sitting at his desk, working on a new project. One he’d started last week. His head bobbed slightly as he listened to the beat he was working on when he heard another sound over the music. He turned and looked behind him, nearly jumping out of his chair when he saw you standing behind him.

Pressing pause and pulling his headphones off, Jihoon stood quickly as you looked up at him. "Are you okay?" he asked. You looked around, confused as to how you ended up in his room. The last thing you remembered was standing in the living room before blacking out. Jihoon sat on the edge of his bed and patted the spot beside him. You sat down next to him.

"What happened?" he asked. You shook your head. "I-I don't know," you stammered. "Explain what you experienced. What do you remember?" he added. After collecting your thoughts, you started to explain about hearing his and Jihyo's voices and how you were standing in the living room and blacked out and then came to and was standing in his room. 

Jihoon listened intently until you finished. When you were done, he explained what Soonyoung had told him. You listened in horror as he told you Soonyoung and Seungcheol's side of the story. "Oh my god," you whispered, mortified. "That must have been terrifying for them," you admitted. Jihoon shrugged but you remembered what he had gone to do that morning.

"Wait,” you said, perking up. “How did it go at the hospital?" you asked. 

Jihoon sat up a little straighter. "It, uh.. It went well. I'm actually going back tomorrow," he replied. 

"Tomorrow?" you asked, tilting your head. "Why?" 

Jihoon reached up, scratching the back of his neck. "Well, I'm gonna try to wake you up," he admitted nonchalantly. You felt a smile spread across your face. 

"Really?" you asked excitedly. Jihoon nodded, returning the smile. "I'm not really sure what I could do, but I'm gonna try," he said with a shrug. You smiled wider. "I hope it works," you said softly. "Me too," Jihoon replied. You sat on the edge of Jihoon's bed as he slept. You smiled, watching his peaceful expression, wishing desperately to be able to reach out and touch him. You let out a soft sigh.

'Soon.'

The next morning, Jihoon got up and downed his coffee and a quick breakfast. You sat with him, talking about what happened the previous day. When he finished, he rinsed his plate and put it in the dishwasher. He turned to clean the counter before walking over to the door, pulling on his coat and slipping his shoes on. 

You walked over, leaning against the wall and crossing your arms over your chest. Jihoon glanced back at you, giving you a warm smile, one which you returned. “Hey,” he said softly, glancing down. “If I succeed in waking you up," Jihoon said softly. "I just want you to know that," he added, trailing off softly. You stared at him curiously.

Jihoon looked up from the floor, taking a deep breath. 

"I just want you to know that I love you," he admitted, his cheeks turning pink. 

You bit your bottom lip, trying to fight a huge grin threatening to spread across your face. "Really?" you asked breathlessly. Jihoon nodded quickly. You couldn't stop the smile from spreading this time. "I love you, too," you whispered. It was Jihoon's turn to smile.

"If I could touch you, I'd kiss you right now," he said softly. You giggled and waved your hand at him, shooing him away. "Well then, go, wake me up and you'll be able to kiss me a lot sooner!" you squeaked. Jihoon laughed and pushed open the door, stepping out into the hall and making his way down to the lobby as quickly as the lift would allow.

The drive to the hospital seemed to fly by and soon he was stepping off the elevator and greeting the nurse behind the desk. She handed him a visitor pass after checking his ID and buzzed him through the door. Jihoon made his way down the hall towards your room.

He entered, shutting the door behind him and peered at your still form, smiling as he took a seat beside your bed. He shrugged his coat off and leaned forward, resting his forearms on your bed.

"Hey, Y/N," he said softly. I hope you can hear me."

You had just stepped out onto the balcony when you heard a whisper in your head. "Jihoon must be there," you whispered to yourself as you took a seat. You stared out, watching the sun rise.

"You've been asleep for so long, it's time to wake up," Jihoon whispered, moving his hand to place it softly over yours. Feeling your hand under his was unreal, something he never expected to feel. He glanced up at your face, watching for any sign.

You felt your hand tingle and glanced down at it. "What the hell?" you whispered. 'Is he… holding my hand?' you wondered.

Jihoon gently stroked the back of your hand with his thumb, speaking softly as he tried to bring you back. "Please wake up, baby," he whispered. "Wake up so you can leave this place." 

You enjoyed the feeling in your hand, knowing Jihoon was holding your hand. You heard his voice again, your eyes fluttering shut as you focused on his voice. "Please wake up, baby." You smiled when he called you baby, feeling a warm sensation throughout your body.

"I want to come back," you whispered. You felt a whooshing feeling, a rush surge through you, the sounds of the city fading away, replaced with a soft beeping. "Y/N?" you heard Jihoon's voice clearly and your eyes snapped open. You were sitting across from him, his eyes were wide open. 

You looked down and saw your body lying between you. Your eyes widened and your lips parted in shock. You were seeing your body for the first time in what felt like years. Looking back up at Jihoon, his look of shock morphed into delight. "You're so close!" he whispered. You looked back down at your body.

He was right. Your body was right here. All you had to do was figure out how to get your soul back inside your body and wake up. But you had no idea where to begin.

You looked back up at Jihoon. "I have no idea what to do," you said softly. "Try touching your body?" Jihoon asked. You nodded and looked back at your body, reaching out slowly, you touched your hand, shutting your eyes but nothing happened.

Opening your eyes, you were still standing beside your bed, your hand passing through your body, Jihoon watching you closely. You let out a sigh, disappointed. Jihoon visibly slumped. 

"Wh-what am I supposed to do?"  you whined. Jihoon shook his head. "I'm not sure," he whispered. The two of you stayed silent as you mulled over what you could try to reunite with your comatose body.

Minutes ticked by while you watched Jihoon as he held your hand, still watching your sleeping expression. The only sounds that could be heard were the beeping of your monitor and the breathing machine. He let out a sigh, his breath fanning over your comatose arm, causing a tingle to run up your arm. "This is so frustrating," you whined, taking a seat. Jihoon glanced at you, a grimace on his face.

"I wish I could help," he said softly. "Maybe try touching my face or something?" you asked. Jihoon nodded and leaned forward. His fingers brushed against your face as he cupped your cheek, his thumb stroking the skin lovingly. "Anything?" he asked, glancing up at you. You shook your head in response.

Jihoon let out a sigh and stared at your sleeping face. It was a moment before he spoke again. 

"I'm gonna try something, but I need you to look away. I can't do it with you watching." You gave him a curious look. "Please just trust me," he said. You stood up and turned away slowly, moving behind the curtain.

Jihoon stood up, taking a deep breath and letting out before leaning over slowly. He placed his hand on your cheek, checking your eyes before leaning in closer. He hesitated for a moment before pressing his lips to your forehead.

You stood behind the curtain, waiting for something to happen, anything at this point. You suddenly felt a tingle in your cheek and wondered what Jihoon was doing when you felt your forehead tingle. Your eyes widened when you realized what he was doing.

Was… was he kissing you.

A surge of emotion and electricity flowed through you. The monitor in the room started beeping faster. Your heart was starting to race. The tingling spread throughout your body. You tried to move but you couldn't. Your head was growing more and more dizzy until your vision grew dark.

Jihoon pulled back as your heart monitor started to beep faster and faster. He stood up and glanced at it. After a moment, he glanced down and saw your eyes start to flutter open. “Oh my god,” he breathed.

Scrambling past the chair he’d been sitting on, he rushed to the door, yanking it open, and looked into the hallway. 

"Nurse!" he called out. “She’s waking up!”

A nurse hurried over and followed him into the room. She came in to check your vitals. "Oh my god," she whispered as you were slowly starting to rouse. She hurried to the door and called for a doctor as a couple more nurses came in. 

You started to gag against the tube in your throat. “Y/N,” the doctor said as he came in quickly. “I need you to stay still for me,” he continued, walking over to your side as the nurses tried to hold you still as you fought against the tube. “You’ve been in a coma for ten months. You have a tube down your throat.”

Jihoon could see your eyes widening, tears filling the bottom of your lash line.

“We’re going to remove the tube, but you need to calm down and be still for me.”

You started to stop moving. “Very good,” the doctor said calmly. 

One of the nurses noticed Jihoon still standing there and walked over, gently taking his arm. "You'll need to leave," she said. “We’ll call you back in when we’ve had a chance to look over her,” she added with a gentle smile. Jihoon nodded. "Can I just stand outside?" he asked. The nurse nodded and Jihoon thanked her, stepping out into the hallway.

He paced slowly while the doctor and nurses worked. He pulled his phone out to text Soonyoung and Seungcheol, telling them you were waking up.

Soon: oh my god! Tell me this isn’t a joke!

Cheol: when was the last time Hoon told a joke?

Cheol: and why would he joke about this of all things?

Cheol: come on Soon, use your brain, I know it’s there

Soon: 😤

Jihoon: they’re gonna call me back in when they’re done

As he was typing another message, his phone started ringing. The screen displayed Jihyo’s name. He answered it with a quick "hello?"

Jihyo spoke quickly. She sounded out of breath. 

"What’s going on?! I just got a call that Y/N is waking up?!" she asked. 

Jihoon let out a huff. "Yeah. I uh… I don’t know what happened or how but she just woke up. The nurses and doctors are in there right now. They're taking the tube out of her throat," he said. He heard Jihyo sob softly. "Okay, uhm," she said in a wavering voice. "I-I'm on my way now."

Jihoon nodded.”Okay,” he answered. “See you soon,” he added before hanging up. 

The wait was excruciating while the nurses and doctor worked on you. All he could think about was how you were now awake. After ten months. Almost a year after your accident. You were finally awake. He let out an incredulous scoff, covering his mouth with his hand as he tried not to break down right then.

He couldn’t wrap his head around it. You were awake.

About 20 minutes later, Jihoon heard footsteps rushing down the hall and looked up to see Jihyo had arrived and was walking briskly down the hall towards him. 

"How is she?" she asked as soon as she was in earshot. Jihoon was about to answer when the door opened and the doctor followed the nurses out. Jihyo rushed forward. "What's going on? How is she?" she asked. The doctor gave her a faint smile.

"Your friend is awake. We took her off the breathing machine and her vitals look good. We’re going to do some more blood work but you can go in for now," he answered. Jihyo thanked him and hurried into the room, Jihoon following closely behind her. Jihyo took a seat beside you while Jihoon stood near the door, smiling as he watched you give your friend a weary smile. 

Jihyo who had tears streaming down her cheeks, smiled back.

"I thought you'd never wake up again," Jihyo sobbed, taking your hand tightly in hers. You reached up and placed your hand over hers. "Well,” you whispered, your voice extremely hoarse. “I'm here now."

Jihyo let out a sound that seemed to be a mix between a laugh and a sob, tears still streaming down her face. “You’re not allowed to use the stairs ever again,” Jihyo said sternly, making you laugh which turned into a cough. As if on cue, a nurse appeared with a cup of ice water, a bendable straw poking out the lid.

“Thought you might be thirsty,” the nurse said as he moved to place the water on the table but instead handed it to Jihyo when she held out her hand for it. “I’ll make sure she drinks it,” she said, voice wavering. “I’m not going anywhere.” The nurse smiled and exited the room, nodding once at Jihoon who returned the gesture before turning his attention back to you and Jihyo.

You took several long sips of water, swallowing thickly as you got the liquid into you. “God that tastes amazing,” you said weakly as Jihyo set the cup on the bedside table. You suddenly glanced over at Jihoon, eyes wide before looking back at Jihyo. 

"Do you recognize this man?" Jihyo asked. You looked back at Jihoon, brow furrowed as you looked over him. You turned to look at Jihyo, silently shaking your head. Jihoon felt his stomach sink as he watched the exchange. ‘Oh no,’ he thought. ‘Please no.’

"No," you finally whispered. "Who is he?"

Jihoon felt like he'd been stabbed in the heart but did his best not to show it. Jihyo glanced at him, her eyes apologetic. "I'll uh… give you two some privacy," Jihoon whispered, backing towards the door. Jihyo noticed and  stood quickly, telling you she'd be right back. She hurried after Jihoon as he left the room.

"Hey,” she said, grabbing his arm and turning him towards her. “I’ll take care of it,” she added.

“Take… care of it? How?” he said with a scoff. The woman he’d fallen in love with didn’t recognize him. She had no idea who he was. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. She was supposed to wake up and then everything would be just fine.

“I'll explain everything to her when she's fully conscious," Jihyo explained, pulling him from his thoughts. 

Jihoon forced a smile. “You don’t have to,” he said softly. “If she doesn’t know who I am, it’s fine. At least she’s awake now, right?” Jihoon turned to leave but Jihyo grabbed his wrist gently. “I’ll keep you updated,” she said softly before letting go.

Jihoon nodded wordlessly and made his way down the corridor, returning his pass and heading for the elevator to head down to the lobby. He was silent the entire time, keeping his eyes forward and trying not to think, not to break down. The doors opened with a ding and he stepped onto the thankfully empty elevator.

When the doors shut behind him is when he lost his composure, slowly sliding down the wall and ducking his head as a soft sob ripped through his chest. 

He hadn't expected you to not recognize him and now he didn't know if you would ever recognize him.

---------------------

The drive home was silent. Jihoon hadn't bothered with the radio, preferring the silence. He pulled into his usual parking space, cutting the engine and sitting in the now completely silent car. He stared at the steering wheel, his mind blank before he sighed and leaned forward, resting his forehead against the leather.

His thoughts and emotions came rushing back to him, the corners of his eyes burning, tears threatening to spill. He figured he’d better let it all out now before he went back inside to tell Seungcheol and Soonyoung the news.

He opened his eyes, staring blankly at his jeans, hot tears flowing freely as he let himself be vulnerable in the comfort and privacy of his car. If he had done this in the apartment, he’d never hear the end of it. At least in the car, no one knew.

He allowed the gravity of the situation to finally wash over him. You didn’t know him. You didn’t recognize him. Like the last several months hadn’t happened. Jihyo had promised to handle it. To take on the task of explaining everything to you but Jihoon didn’t feel the least bit hopeful.

How could he? When he knew it was useless. Whatever had happened while your soul was outside your body hadn’t transferred over. The late night talks, the jokes, the accidental summoning, the morning conversations on the balcony, the notes back and forth on post-its, all of it. It seemed he would be the only one to remember it all.

His eyes widened as another revelation hit him, fresh tears spilling down his face, staining his cheeks.

Your voice, soft and almost distant in his memory. “I love you, too.”

You’d never remember the confession this morning. How you reciprocate his feelings. Then another voice, his own, spoke in his mind. “No matter what happens, I just want you to know I love you.”

A soft smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. He needed to keep that promise alive. He’d love you no matter what. No matter the outcome. He had to hold onto that. Even if he felt hopeless you’d never remember. He could remember for the both of you.

He would remember.

Dragging his feet, Jihoon found himself outside the apartment door, not remembering the walk here nor getting on the elevator. He’d blocked it all out. Taking a deep breath he resolved himself to opening the door and let himself in rather than turning around and running away, never to be seen again.

Inside the apartment felt different. It felt… empty. Your presence was gone entirely. The warm feeling Jihoon felt upon entering in the past was gone, replaced with a cold, uninviting space. The way a home felt when there was no longer any life or joy in it. And it was true.

With you gone, there was no longer any life or joy in the home. Not for Jihoon.

He silently made his way through the apartment, trudging down the hall like the weight of a million worries and thoughts had all piled on top of him. He reached his room and looked inside. It too felt cold and empty. He sighed heavily, stepping into the room and shutting his door to the hall.

Cutting himself off from the rest of the apartment. He needed to be alone. He couldn’t cope with it all at the moment. He needed solitude. He let his bag drop to the floor with a heavy thud, dropping into his chair at his desk and staring blankly at the wooden surface. He didn’t know what to do with himself. Usually he’d throw himself into his work to avoid these situations.

To take his mind off it all but now… he feared not even work would be enough to distract him.

What was he going to do now?

When Soonyoung finally arrived home, it was dark and seemingly empty. It had felt the same since that morning when your soul had disappeared from the balcony, taking all the warmth with it. He’d decided to leave, spending the day at the park and out running errands to distract himself from the weird feeling of the apartment. Seungcheol had left shortly after Jihoon but hadn’t returned home either.

Turning on the kitchen lights over the island, Soonyoung shrugged off his coat and set it on the back of the nearest stool, setting a black plastic bag on the counter. He’d stopped to grab some chicken and beer, hoping the familiarity of the food would bring back some of that warm homey feel.

He wandered through the apartment in search of someone to share his meal with, not wanting to eat alone. He continued down the hall, noticing Jihoon’s door was shut. ‘I’m sure he left that open when he left this morning,’ Soonyoung told himself as he walked towards the door.

He raised his fist, knocking softly three times.

There was no answer. He tried again, straining his ears for any sound on the other side of the wood.

“Go away,” said a muffled voice. Soonyoung perked up, having found someone else home.

“I brought chicken and beer,” Soonyoung said through the door. “I don’t want to eat alone,” he added.

“Please don’t make me eat alone.”

He heard a shuffle on the other side and the door opened, revealing Jihoon. He had dark circles under his eyes which were red and his hair was tousled, no doubt having been in bed. Soonyoung had half a mind to ask what happened, his mind jumping to conclusions at the state of Jihoon’s appearance.

“She’s not…” he whispered, causing Jihoon to look up at him. He shook his head. “She’s fine,” he answered, voice hoarse. “She’s awake.” Soonyoung’s eyes widened. “What?” he whispered. Jihoon shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about it right now,” he added. “Where’s the beer?”

Soonyoung nodded down the hall towards the living area. Jihoon ran his fingers through his hair in an attempt to tame the locks before stepping out of his room, shutting the door behind him. Soonyoung followed as Jihoon trekked down the hall sluggishly.

He walked around the kitchen island to open the plastic bag and produced the beer. Jihoon grabbed one and popped it open, taking a drink immediately as Soonyoung unpackaged the chicken. “Will you tell me what happened tomorrow?” Soonyoung asked as Jihoon took another sip.

He nodded silently. “But not tonight,” he replied in a soft voice. Soonyoung knew better than to pry but he also knew Jihoon really well. Well enough to know that the younger man had been crying for probably most of the day. Soonyoung reached across the kitchen island, grabbing the can of beer from Jihoon and pulled it away. He then grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and set it in front of his friend.

“Drink the water first,” Soonyoung said, nodding towards the bottle. “Then you can have your beer.”

Jihoon unscrewed the cap of the bottle, glaring at Soonyoung as he did so. Satisfied when his friend downed half the bottle, Soonyoung returned the can and started opening the chicken containers.

The front door opened and both men looked up as Seungcheol arrived, struggling to keep the door open as he stumbled in, flecks of white littering his coat and hair. “It’s snowing!” he exclaimed as he looked up and saw both staring at him. In one hand he carried a 6 pack of beer and in the other, a togo bag with no doubt more chicken. Seungcheol looked at the food on the counter and laughed.

“I guess it's a beer and chicken kind of night!”

“No, no, no!” Soonyoung said, shaking his head, forcing down a smile as Jihoon and Seungcheol stared at him incredulously. “It’s not the Lion King!” Soonyoung added angrily as he lifted the small note in his hand. Seungcheol glared at him angrily. “There’s no way it’s not the Lion King! I’ve seen that movie hundreds of times, I’m telling you it’s the Lion King!” he roared, hand slapping the counter as Jihoon cackled loudly, lifting his third can of beer to down the rest.

“It’s not!” Soonyoung yelled. Jihoon waved his hand at the two. “You’re-” he was cut off by a burp. “Ugh,” Jihoon groaned before returning to the conversation. “You’re gonna get us in trouble. Stop. Yelling.” Soonyoung narrowed his eyes at Jihoon. “Are you drunk?” he asked. Jihoon rolled his eyes. Or attempted to. His head moved in the same motion, almost as if he was exaggerating the motion.

Only he didn’t realize he was doing it.

Seungcheol watched the spectacle before letting out a laugh. “He’s so drunk right now,” he laughed. Soonyoung clicked his tongue, taking the now empty can from Jihoon. Upon realizing it was empty, he tossed it and immediately his hands shot out to stop Jihoon from grabbing another.

“You’ve had enough!” Soonyoung growled, wrestling the can from his friend who whined loudly.

“Come on!” Jihoon protested. Soonyoung shook his head, pulling the case away. “No,” he answered.

“You’re cut off!”

Jihoon picked up a napkin, wadded it up and threw it at Soonyoung. “My ghost girlfriend doesn’t recognize me now that she’s not a ghost!” he blurted out. “I think I’m allowed another beer!”

Both Soonyoung and Seungcheol hesitated mid action to look up as Jihoon grumbled to himself, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting like a child. Soonyoung glanced over to meet Seungcheol’s gaze before turning back to look at Jihoon. Soonyoung cleared his throat, leaning against the counter as Seungcheol sat up a little straighter.

“What’s this about Y/N not recognizing you?” Soonyoung asked, drawing Jihoon’s attention. “She doesn’t recognize me. Which means she probably doesn’t recognize either of you,” he said, blinking slowly. Soonyoung looked at Seungcheol who looked back before speaking.

“Are you sure she didn’t recognize you?” the older man asked. Jihoon turned his head to study Seungcheol. “I’m sure. Jihyo asked her ‘do you recognize him?’ And she shook her head! The nerve! I confessed my feelings to her this morning and she now doesn’t recognize me!” Jihoon scoffed, he leaned forward and grabbed another can in Soonyoung’s momentary lapse in attention. Just as quickly, Soonyoungwas on him, trying to wrestle the can away.

Seungcheol was about to join in when Jihoon’s phone started buzzing on the counter. He grabbed it while the two were distracted and answered it, not bothering to read the name on the ID.

“Hello?”

There was a brief pause before the caller answered. “Is this Jihoon?”

It was a woman’s voice. Seungcheol frowned and pulled the phone back to look at the screen. The name read Jihyo. His eyes widened as he brought the phone back to his ear. “Oh sorry!” Seungcheol said softly, getting up from his seat as Jihoon and Soonyoung’s wrestling match moved to the floor. “This is his roommate. I’m Seungcheol.”

“Well, where is Jihoon?”

Seungcheol glanced down at the floor where Soonyoung had managed to pull the can from Jihoon’s hands but now Jihoon was biting Soonyoung’s arm. “Uh.. he can’t come to the phone right now. He’s… wrestling.”

There was a brief pause before Jihyo spoke.

“Wrestling?” she deadpanned. “Yeah,” Seungcheol answered. “It’s a long story. Is there a message I can pass on for you?” Jihyo was silent for a bit more as Soonyoung screamed in pain and tried to fight Jihoon off him. “Uh… can you just tell him I’m working on what I told him earlier? Tell him Y/N is more lucid and I’m going to keep my promise.”

Without another word, Jihyo hung up and Seungcheol pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it in confusion. Jihoon looked up and noticed his phone in Seungcheol’s hand. “What are you doing?” he asked suddenly and scrambled to get up but not before lightly kicking Soonyoung and taking the can of beer for the win.

“Your phone was ringing so I answered it,” Seungcheol answered, holding the device out when Jihoon silently asked for it. “Who was it?”

“It was…” Seungcheol trailed off, contemplating if he should tell Jihoon. “Jihyo,” he finally answered, deciding lying wouldn’t look good. Jihoon perked up visibly. “What? Jihyo? Are you sure? What did she say?”

Seungcheol held up his hand. “She said to tell you that Y/N is more lucid, that she’s going to keep her promise, and that she’s working on what she told you earlier,” he answered, repeating what Jihyo had said to him. Jihoon frowned, not looking exactly at Seungcheol before glancing down at his phone.

“What’s she talking about?” Soonyoung asked breathlessly and getting up. Jihoon said nothing, instead handing the unopened can to Soonyoung and then turning around and wordlessly leaving the room. Seungcheol and Soonyoung watched him until he disappeared into his room, the door shutting with a soft click. Soonyoung glanced at Seungcheol. “What just happened?” the younger man asked.

Seungcheol shook his head, staring at the end of the hall where Jihoon had disappeared.

“I have no idea,” he answered. “But we’ll find out tomorrow.”

The next morning, Jihoon woke up with a raging headache. He was tangled up in his bedding, hair sticking up in all directions as he opened one eye. Sunlight filtered into his room from the window and he lifted his head, squinting as he looked around for his phone which he found plugged in on his bedside table. He grabbed the device and checked the screen.

It was just past eleven in the morning. He’d slept in later than he intended. Getting up, Jihoon managed to untangle his legs as he pulled himself from his bed. He rushed into his bathroom to do his business. Once he was done, he headed out into the hallway where the smell of breakfast and coffee greeted him.

Following his nose, he ambled into the kitchen where Soonyoung sat at the island already dressed for the day and sipping on his coffee. Seungcheol was standing at the range, chopsticks in hand as he made an omelet. “Morning,” Seungcheol said softly as Jihoon walked over to the coffee maker to fix himself a cup. “You sure slept late,” Seungcheol addressed him.

“Rough night?”

Jihoon turned to glare at Soonyoung over his shoulder. “Shut up,” he snapped before turning to the coffee pot. Soonyoung didn’t take it personally. Jihoon was often grumpy in the mornings but add in a hangover and whatever happened at the hospital last night to the mix and he was bound to snap.

“Look,” Seungcheol said as he plated the omelet and set the plate in front of Soonyoung who thanked him with a “yum,” before digging in. “Obviously something happened yesterday and we don’t know because we weren’t there. You aren’t the only person here who cares about Y/N so start talking,” the older man said, turning to Jihoon and pointing at him with the chopsticks.

Jihoon glared at him as well prompting Seungcheol to come up with a threat.

“Talk or make your own omelet.”

Jihoon grumbled as he moved to sit at the kitchen island, leaving a seat between him and Soonyoung.

“Fine,” Jihoon said as the pair stared at him. “Fine, I’ll talk.”

Half an hour later, Jihoon was finishing his omelet as Seungcheol plated his own.

“Honestly, I don’t know how the rules work,” Seungcheol said as he picked up his chopsticks and started to eat. “None of us knows how any of this works. So let’s just trust that Jihyo will handle it. And who knows,” he added, taking another bite of omelet. “Maybe Y/N’s memories of living here will come back to her!”

Jihoon said nothing but nodded nonetheless. It was normal for Seungcheol to be the optimistic one out of the three of them although Soonyoung was generally optimistic as well. Soonyoung, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke. “What if we visited her?”

Jihoon rolled his eyes. “You think her memories will come back just cause she sees us?” Jihoon snapped angrily. “If that was the case, don’t you think her memories would have come back when she saw me standing in her hospital room?”

Seungcheol swallowed his food before interjecting. “Don’t be nasty,” he said sternly. “She was just waking up,” Soonyoung reasoned. “She wasn’t fully there.” Seungcheol nodded towards Soonyoung.

“He’s got a point. And Jihyo said she was more lucid last night. Maybe before she was still fuzzy because her soul had just jumped back into her body. Maybe now, she’ll be more receptive.”

Jihoon said nothing, processing their words instead. It was a valid point to make. He was just mad that he didn’t make it yesterday when he was sobbing in his car. “It’s worth trying,” Seungcheol added while Soonyoung nodded persistently. Jihoon again said nothing. Maybe they were wrong. Maybe you’d never remember the things that happened when you weren’t in your body.

But maybe… just maybe they were right.

You sighed heavily as you watched Jihyo get ready, pouring her coffee into a travel mug. 

“I miss having a job,” you said softly as you watched her bustle about. Jihyo snorted as she grabbed her toast. “If it were me, I’d love not having to get up every morning and go to work,” she said. She no longer glanced at you as if your coma was some sensitive subject and you were both able to make light of the situation. Once you were deemed fit to leave the hospital, Jihyo insisted you move in with her. She had a nice apartment downtown close to the hospital where you’d have to go for your check ups on your road to recovery.

She had converted the den into your room, apologizing that there was no closet. You assured her it was okay. All of your things had either been donated or taken to your parents place in the country. All your clothes were there and your parents had sent you some of your money they’d put in a savings account for if you woke up again. 

It was all prepared carefully. 

You were able to use that money to buy some essentials and some clothes as well. Jihyo had also taken you to get a new phone and number as your parents had canceled your previous plan. You were fully set up minus your things from home within the week from being discharged.

Since you’d lost your job after the accident, you were now unemployed again and had taken to doing the household chores to earn your keep, despite Jihyo telling you not to worry about it. It had been two weeks since you left and you were starting to get bored. You needed a job.

So after Jihyo left, you got dressed and ready to go out and hunt for a job. Even if it was a part time job, you needed something to get you out of the house and keep you from going insane.

After trying several ads in the paper you’d seen, you found yourself stopping outside a cute cafe and glanced up beside it at the highrise building it was nestled into the base of. It was clearly some kind of office building and you decided to go in and see what businesses were there. Hopefully find a place you might be able to snag a job.

With your little notebook and pen in hand, you started to scribble down the names of the various firms and corporations as workers moved around you, not noticing you as they arrived for work. You were halfway down the list when the security guard approached you.

“Can I help you find something, miss?” he asked. You turned to look at him, noticing he was a kind looking older man. You smiled at him. “Sorry,” you said softly. “I probably look really suspicious,” you added, prompting him to tilt his head at you. “I just got discharged from the hospital a couple weeks ago and I’m looking for work,” you explained.

“What were you doing in the hospital?” the guard asked. “I was in a coma for ten months,” you answered, chuckling at the shocked expression on his face. “I fell down the stairs at my old apartment building,” you continued. “Fell into a coma at the hospital and just finally woke up.”

“I’m sorry to hear about your accident but glad you’re still with us,” the guard said with a kind smile. “If I may,” he added, stepping forward to point to a name on the directory. “I know this place is looking for some assistants. Mainly to help with filing and other clerical work,” he explained.

You jotted down the name before smiling up at the directory and then turning to beam at him. “Thank you very much!” you replied happily. “I can let you up to see the receptionist. They can direct you where to go to fill out an application and you could turn in a resume if you have one on you.” 

You nodded quickly. “That would be so helpful, thank you!”

The security guard walked you to the elevators and once you were on, he pressed the button for the eleventh floor and told you where to turn and which suite to go to. You thanked him and were on your way up. The small crowd in the elevator thinned out as the lift rose up further until you were the last on the elevator when it arrived at the eleventh floor, doors opening with a ding.

You stepped out of the lift and looked around for the suite number the guard had told you. ‘Eleven-eighty-two.’ Your eyes were met with texture glass windows framed with black steel and a matching door with black painted letters at the top that read one one eight two. At eye level were the words “MM&C Management Firm.” You pulled open the door and stepped inside where you were greeted by a small white desk and a very pretty young woman who sat behind it.

“Hi,” she said as you approached, giving you a warm and friendly smile. “How can I help you?”

“So, I just got out of the hospital a couple weeks ago and I’m looking for work. The security guard downstairs told me this firm might be looking for help with clerical work?”

The woman smiled at you and turned to pull open a desk. “Here,” she said softly as she pulled out a small paper packet and set it on the top of the desk. “Fill that out and bring it back. I will make sure it gets to the right person,” she added with a wink. You smiled and looked around. “Any chance I could fill it out here?” you asked softly. “I’m not in any hurry,” you added.

The receptionist pulled out a pen and handed it to you. “Take your time,” she said and gestured for you to pull up a chair next to her desk and fill out the application.

You were impressed by the volume of questions and how thorough the application was. It took you several minutes to fill out and when you were finished, you handed it back to the receptionist with a copy of your resume. She promised to get it to the read of human resources as soon as possible and that most likely she’d hear back within the week. You thanked her one last time and headed out of the office feeling more confident than before as you pushed the elevator call button.

Back out on the street, you decided to stop by the cafe and grab a coffee and maybe a muffin as you hadn’t eaten breakfast yet. You made your way through the busy sidewalk as you headed for the door before bumping into someone. The motion caused you to spin 180 degrees as you collided with the man.

Looking up, your eyes met his and you noticed how they widened. His lips parted and he stared at you in what you could only assume was shock. “I’m so sorry,” you said, bowing politely. He stood unmoving, staring at you. “I should have been watching where I was going,” you added. Still he did not move.

You were starting to get worried when a familiar face strode up beside the shocked man.

“Soonyoung,” he said, grabbing the man’s shoulder and giving him a slight shake. “You’re staring,” the man whispered. It was the same man from your hospital room. The one Jihyo had asked if you recognized. He managed to pull his friend, Soonyoung out of his trance. He whispered something to Soonyoung before turning to give you an apologetic look.

“I’m so sorry,” he said softly. “He’s…” he trailed off. “Uh. Yeah. Sorry again.”

Before you could say anything else, the two left, the man pulling his friend along and out of sight.

You weren’t sure what it was but something was familiar about Soonyoung. You couldn’t tell what. You knew you’d never seen him before but the feeling you got when you saw him felt oddly… comforting.

After getting your coffee and muffin you continued about your day, applying at various firms and dropping off your resume until you returned home to shower before Jihyo got home.

As you were starting dinner, Jihyo arrived. She changed out of her work clothes and joined you in the kitchen as you were putting dinner in the oven. She moved over to the fridge to grab a bottle of wine and two glasses before asking how your day was. You told her about your job hunt, thanking her for the glass before setting it down and looking up at her.

“I saw him again,” you said suddenly. Jihyo looked at you. “Saw who?”

“That man from my hospital room. I saw him today while I was looking for jobs.”

Jihyo’s eyebrows raised. “Really?” she asked before taking another sip of wine. “Where at?”

You explained about the highrise building you’d visited and went up to fill out an application. How the security guard had been very nice and told you where to look. You minced on the details of the place in favor of explaining what happened after you left the building.

“I bumped into this guy,” you continued, staring at your glass of wine. Jihyo had already almost finished her glass and was watching you intently. “Oh?” she asked. “Was he cute?” You didn’t miss the way she wiggled her eyebrows at you, prompting you to roll your eyes. “Not the point, Ji,” you answered.

Jihyo’s eyebrows shot up. “So he was cute!”

You waved your hand, trying to dismiss this part of the conversation. “Again, not the point! What is the point is that he was friends with the man from the hospital,” you added. Jihyo nodded, downing the rest of her wine. “Jihoon,” she said suddenly, pulling you from your thoughts just as you were sinking.

You looked up quickly. “What?” you whispered as she moved around the island to the fridge, grabbing the wine to refill her glass. “His name is Jihoon,” Jihyo explained. “The man from the hospital. Lee Jihoon.” You turned away from her as the name rolled around in your head like clothes in the dryer.

‘Jihoon? Why does that seem so familiar?’ you asked yourself. ‘And his friend. Soonyoung, he was familiar, too.’ You looked up as Jihyo returned to her seat, picking up her wine. “Tell me about the accident again,” you said suddenly.

Jihyo coughed, setting her wine back down and placing her hand over her mouth as she tried to cough up the wine she accidentally inhaled. “We’ve been over this, Y/N,” she explained.

“You fell at the old apartment. The elevator was out of service and you must have been late for work. One of the tenants on the bottom floor heard your scream and came out to find you at the base of the stairs. He called the paramedics.” You listened intently as Jihyo went over the events again.

It sounded the exact same as the first few times she explained it. “I don’t remember falling,” you whispered. Jihyo grimaced and reached across the countertop to take your hand in hers. “I wouldn’t want to remember falling down an entire flight of stairs, would you?” she asked softly.

Looking up, you met her gaze and finally shook your head. “No, I guess not,” you replied.

Your conversation was interrupted by the timer going off. “Dinner!” Jihyo exclaimed excitedly, getting up and rushing around to grab the oven mitts.

You stepped out of the way as she pulled open the oven door and carefully pulled out the dish, setting it on the counter. “Can we go see it?” you asked as Jihyo pulled off the oven mitts, shutting the door and giving you a perplexed look. “See what?”

“The apartment,” you answered. “I want to see it again. It’s been what? Almost a year since I last saw it.”

Jihyo looked nervous as she turned to face you. “I don’t think that’s possible,” she answered. Your smile fell. “And why not?” Jihyo sighed, turning to open a drawer and produce a spoon for the casserole. “Because!” she retorted. “Someone else lives there now.”

You shrugged as Jihyo started plating the food. “We can tell them what happened!” you pressed. “Tell them we used to live there. Maybe they’ll let us in!”

Jihyo slammed the end of the spoon on the counter top. “Y/N! Just… stop it,” she said, her tone exasperated. “It’s just not possible. Someone else lives there now. Would you want some stranger showing up and wanting to come in here to look around?”

When she put it like that, you saw her point. You hung your head dejectedly. “You’re right,” you whispered. Jihyo set the spoon down and sighed, taking your hand in hers. “I’m sorry I yelled,” she started. “That wasn’t very Cash Money of me.”

You snorted at her comment, a smile spreading across her face as well. “It’s in the past though. There’s nothing left for you there. All your things are gone or at your parents house.”

You nodded again, taking in a deep breath before exhaling. “You’re right,” you said with a firm nod. “No point dwelling in the past,” you continued. “I just feel a pull to go back. I’m sure it’ll pass though,” you said as you picked up your fork and took a bite of the casserole you’d prepared.

Jihyo took a bite as well. The two of you looked at one another before each spitting your food out.

“Pizza?” Jihyo asked to which you nodded, picking up your phone and pulling up the website of the closest pizza place. “Yeah,” you replied softly. “I’m never cooking again.”

---------------------

The following week, you were surprised to receive a call about a position at the MM&C firm you’d applied to. They wanted to schedule an interview and have you come in to meet with HR and that the head of the department would actually be conducting your interview.

You looked up at the same high rise from the other day and smiled nervously. ‘You’ve got this!’ you told yourself before taking your first confident step towards the front door. Once inside you met the gaze of the security guard who smiled at you as you approached his desk. 

“Well, hello again,” he said brightly. “What brings you back?”

“I actually have an interview with someone at MM&C Management,” you explained. He gave you a high five and wished you luck. “You’re gonna knock ‘em dead!” he called as you walked towards the elevator, prompting you to wave at him before stepping onto the elevator.

As the doors were shutting, a hand shot out, stopping the doors and a man entered the elevator, pressing the button for the tenth floor. He gave you a polite smile as the doors shut and the elevator started to climb. You could sense he was glancing at you out of the corner of his eye but you tried to pay him no mind, instead staring at yourself in the reflective surface of the elevator interior.

You’d chosen this dress specifically for this interview, having gone out the day you’d gotten the call to shop for more appropriate attire. Jihyo had to work so she couldn’t be there in person but you sent her pictures of each ensemble and she helped you narrow down your options.

You left with three outfits with shoes and accessories to match. Once Jihyo returned home, she looked over the outfits with you and helped you settle on a cream and black colorblock dress. It was form fitting and the hem stopped just above the knee. With it you’d paired simple black heels that were nice but still comfortable. You’d worn one of Jihyo’s long coats and borrowed a hat and scarf to protect against the cold weather.

The elevator doors dinged and opened, allowing the man off who gave you a smile and a wave. The doors shut before you could return either, not that you particularly wanted to. The ride from the tenth to the eleventh floor lasted all of ten seconds and soon you were stepping off the lift and making your way to suite 1180. You pulled open the doors and were greeted by the same receptionist who beamed as you approached the desk.

“Told you I’d get those papers to the right hands,” she said with a wink. You smiled shyly as she glanced down at her papers. “Miss Y/N, I presume?” she asked, glancing up. You nodded and watched as she pulled out a visitor pass and handed it over. Just have a seat and someone will be here to escort you shortly,” the receptionist said, gesturing to the seats against the wall.

Thanking her, you moved to sit down and now had the chance to actually look around the office. It looked like any other office. Plain walls, plain floors, fluorescent lights, office cubicles. What separated it from most other offices was the openness that came with the large windows and all the natural light.

To your left seemed to be the main office space although it was on the smaller side. You looked to your right and saw a long hallway that led to a black door with three horizontal rectangular windows. As you stared down the hall, a door opened and another woman appeared. She was tall and slim, sporting a plain white blouse with a high neck, cap sleeves that showed off her toned arms. Her shirt was tucked into a khaki pencil skirt with shiny gold button details.

She approached the reception area, her black stilettos silent against the carpet as she walked. Her long black hair was styled into a half updo, soft curls flowing down her back. She stopped as she approached you, prompting you to stand up quickly. “Y/N?” she asked with a smile, a set of dazzling white teeth appearing from behind her soft pink lips.

You nodded wordlessly, bowing when she bowed to you. “Mr. Choi is ready for you,” she said softly. “If you’ll just follow me.” You shot a glance at the receptionist who mouthed a quick ‘good luck’ offering a thumbs up as you followed this well put together woman down the long corridor.

About halfway down, she stopped and opened a door with the words ‘Human Resources’ etched onto textured glass. As she opened the door, she stepped in, gesturing for you to follow. Inside was a smaller office space, much like the one you’d seen before at reception. She led you through the office which, while being on the smaller side, was much different from the office cubicles you’d seen before.

Instead of cubicles, there were walled off spaces with glass. Somewhat private but still not entirely closed off from the rest of the department. At the end of the room was no doubt the head of HR’s office, where you were heading. Counter height windows dominated the wall except for the door which also had a large window. The blinds were half raised but closed completely to give off a private but not isolated vibe.

The woman leading you paused at the door, knocking lightly. A voice rang out, asking the two of you to enter. The door was opened and you peered from closely behind the woman.

“Y/N is here for her interview,” she announced to the man who sat behind the desk. He was ducked behind his PC, typing away. “Perfect,” he said. “Please take her to the conference room and I’ll be with her in just a moment,” he instructed. The woman nodded, pulling the door shut and smiling at you, guiding your way to one of the longer office spaces which was currently empty.

A long black wooden table stood in the middle of the room with enough chairs to seat ten people which seemed to be all that worked in this department from what you saw. “Mr. Choi will be right with you,” the secretary said. “You’re welcome to have any of the refreshments from the fridge,” she added, gesturing to a fridge in the corner.

You thanked her and just like that, you were alone.

Seungcheol finished the email he’d been working on before sending it and stretching. ‘Thank god that’s over,’ he mused as he shut down his computer and got up, grabbing his phone and checking the time. He slipped the device into his pocket afterwards and headed out of his office, stopping by his secretary’s desk as he exited his office. “Do you have that file for me?” he asked softly.

His secretary smiled, pulling open the top drawer of her desk and handed it to him. “Perfect,” he said with a grin. “Thank you, Hana.” 

Taking the file, Seungcheol headed for the meeting room, looking over the file. He stopped in his tracks as he read the name on the application. “Y/N?” he breathed. ‘It couldn’t be, right?’

He looked up from the papers and into the meeting room, his eyes widening and heart skipping into his throat at the same time his stomach dropped into his shoes.

It was you.

He froze in place, unable to move or speak as he watched you sitting behind the glass. You obviously looked quite different from what he was accustomed to but there was no mistake. It was you.

Your hair was a little different and you weren’t wearing the same outfit he saw you in day in and day out.

You were corporeal. Living, breathing. There was color to your complexion. A natural glow to your skin. And makeup. There was makeup. It was almost surreal seeing you in this state when he’d been used to seeing you the other way for so long. He managed to regain his composure and started walking towards the door, pulling it open carefully.

He’d have to make a mental note of this to tell Jihoon and Soonyoung later.

“Hi,” Seungcheol said as he shut the door. You stood quickly, bowing respectfully as he did the same before moving to sit adjacent to you. “I hope you don’t mind me sitting here,” he said as he set a folder, no doubt your file, on the table. “I find sitting so far down at the head of the table informal and really awkward. I almost have to yell all my questions,” he added.

You smiled back at him, nodding silently. “Okay, so,” Seungcheol started. “I’ve gone over your application and your resume so I’m not going to waste your time with the information on that. Tell me a little about yourself,” he said, hoping to use this opportunity to get to know you a little more.

You looked taken aback but got right into it.

“Well, I’m returning to work. I’ve been unemployed for ten months,” you explained. Seungcheol leaned in as you explained about the accident, your fall down the stairs that landed you in a coma for ten months. He’d heard this story from Jihoon already but didn’t interrupt.

“I figured it’s time to return to work. I moved in with my best friend after the hospital discharged me but I’m starting to feel like a burden. I want to help out.” Seungcheol nodded as he listened.

“And what about your family? Do they live in the city?”

You shook your head. “No, they live in the country. I would have moved back home with them except that my doctor is here and it’s better for my check ups to stay close to the city center. I haven’t been approved to drive yet so I actually live very close,” you explained.

Seungcheol nodded, looking down at the paper, eyes scanning the sheet.

“Well, you’re more than qualified for the job and you have excellent references,” he stated before looking up. “I’m not one of those people who asks why you want to work for us. I can guess that the location is convenient for you and that you need a job. Otherwise you wouldn’t apply, am I correct?”

You nodded silently. “Is this line of work similar to your previous job?” he asked, not looking away as you nodded. “Well,” you cut yourself off. “Sort of. I was a paralegal before,” you added.”Which is fancy for ‘lawyer secretary and assistant,’” you continued with a chuckle.

“But I have a lot of clerical experience.”

Seungcheol smiled and nodded. “Your resume and application definitely tells that tale. It also tells me that you’re a loyal employee with several years of clerical work under her belt at the same firm.”

He glanced down and shut the folder, looking back up. “There shouldn’t be any reason why we wouldn’t hire you,” he added. “I’m supposed to tell you to expect a call back within a week but don’t be surprised if you hear back tomorrow or the day after,” he added, standing up.

You followed suit as he grabbed the folder and gestured to the door. “I’ll walk you out,” he added, pulling open the meeting room door and allowing you to leave first. He followed you to the office door that led into the hallway and walked you down to reception. 

“Did you have any questions for me?” he asked, looking up as you walked.

“Uh,” you hesitated. “I don’t think so, actually.”

“Well, if you happen to come across any questions you’d like to ask me,” he started as the two of you stopped. “Don’t hesitate to reach out.”

He handed you a card with his name and number on it. “That number is my office number but under it is my personal cell. You can also always reach me by email.”  You took the card, thanking him for his time with a bow. He returned the gesture. “Thank you for coming by and I hope to see you again soon,” he added. You thanked him again and he watched as you headed towards the door and out of sight.

‘What are the odds?’

Soonyoung reiterated his sentiment later that night as Seungcheol recounted the interview and his interaction with Y/N. Jihoon was surprisingly silent as Seungcheol and Soonyoung chatted.

“Is she qualified for the position?” he asked, lifting his glass to his lips. Seungcheol nodded, chewing his food thoughtfully. “More than qualified. It’s simple clerical work. She used to be a paralegal,” he answered, drawing both Soonyoung and Jihoon’s attention.

“She did?” Soonyoung asked. Seungcheol nodded. “She’s perfect for the position.”

Jihoon said nothing, taking another sip of his drink. Soonyoung noticed Seungcheol’s gaze shift ever so slightly to look at the youngest of the group. “It feels weird though,” Seungcheol continued. Jihoon looked up from his food.

“What does?”

Seungcheol didn’t meet his gaze. “Being in control of her career like this. It feels… I don’t know…” Seungcheol trailed off as he tried to find the right words. “Wrong. It feels wrong.” Jihoon snorted, returning his attention to his food. “If she’s qualified for the position, or overqualified as you’ve indicated, then it can’t be helped. It’s not like she knows who you are,” he added.

“We don’t control where she applies. It’s not like we told her where to go nor are you pulling any strings to get her in.” Seungcheol watched as Jihoon continued to eat.

The younger man looked up, finally meeting his gaze. Jihoon merely shrugged at him.

“It’s a coincidence.”

You flopped down onto your bed, letting out a sigh. Your shower felt nice. Like you were washing away your worries for the day. It had been a couple days since your interview at MM&C Management and you’d had a couple other interviews but none of those had made you feel as at ease as Mr. Choi at MM&C. You couldn’t shake the feeling that you knew him though you knew you didn’t.

He wasn’t familiar. At least not his face. But the way you felt around him was comforting. He was comforting. It was almost the same kind of feeling you got around Soonyoung the other day outside the high rise. How could two strangers’ presences feel so… comforting?

It made no sense to you.

You were pulled from your thoughts by the ringing of your phone. Without sitting up, you reached for the device and checked the screen. It was an unknown number. You answered it hesitantly.

“Hello?”

“Hello, is this Y/N?” asked a voice. ‘Wait, that voice sounds familiar!’

“It is,” you answered.

“This is Hana from MM&C Management. We met just before your interview the other day.”

The woman with the long black hair came into your mind’s eye. ‘Of course!’

You sat up quickly. “Y-yes! Hello!” you said, attempting and failing to keep your voice calm. Excitement was written all over your face.

“I have Mr. Choi on the line, he would like to speak with you,” Hana explained. “O-of course!” you replied, waiting for the line to switch.

“Hello? Y/N?” His voice brought with it a soothing comfort and you were able to relax a bit. “Hello, Mr. Choi,” you replied. You heard him chuckle over the line. “Seungcheol is fine,” he retorted. “Mr. Choi is my father.” You let out a nervous chuckle. “Of course, sorry. Seungcheol. How can I help you?”

“Well, for starters, you can accept this offer of employment. That would really make my superiors happy,” he said, that same amused tone in his voice. “So, what do you say, Y/N? Feel like joining MM&c Management?” Your heart pounded in your chest as he spoke.

Before you had time to process or think your lips parted.

“Count me in.”

The call ended after Seungcheol had gone over as many of the details he was authorized over the phone to do so. For the rest, you would have to come in for orientation and finalize everything by signing some paperwork which was scheduled for the following Monday.

You heard the front door open and got up quickly, scrambling out of the den door to meet Jihyo as she entered the apartment. She looked at you with a peculiar expression as she set some takeout on the counter. “What on earth has gotten into you?” she asked, trying to suppress her laughter.

“Please tell me you have another bottle of wine,” you started as she untied the black plastic bags and started to pull out the food. “I do,” she said hesitantly. “Why?”

You beamed at her as you moved to sit at the kitchen counter.

“Break out the wine,” you announced. “This bitch just got herself a job!”

Filling out paperwork and signing proved to be just as taxing as you remembered but Seungcheol made the process as smooth as possible, explaining everything in the simplest terms he could.

After what felt like two hours of paperwork and signing, your picture was taken for your new work badge, and next came the tour. Not only did Seungcheol take you through the suite, showing you each department, but he also took you to a couple other floors where the firm worked closely with the others.

You learned of the twenty floors in the building, five of them were associated with MM&C. He also showed you where the employee cafeteria was located and promised that the food was well worth it. You were then shown to your workstation. You were not going to be working on the eleventh floor with him but instead you were on the nineteenth. You’d be doing clerical work and errands for the secretarial staff on that floor. 

It didn’t take you long to fit into the staff and get into the swing of things and even though you weren’t working on the same floor as Seungcheol, you surprisingly made a lot of trips down to human resources for your clerical work. It was nice to see his comforting face occasionally when you came to drop off files and got to chat for a bit.

Lunch was another time you got to visit with him, eating in the cafeteria and talking about more than just work. Seungcheol was easy to talk to and you really enjoyed talking to him.

So when he didn’t show up for lunch one day, you wondered if he was okay. You hadn’t seen him all day, your tasks keeping you moving from floor to floor except for the eleventh. You were picking up some files that needed to be scanned and digitized on the fifth floor when you ran into him.

Lee Jihoon. The elevator opened and the two of you made eye contact. He visibly tensed as his eyes met yours. You offered him a polite smile and stepped onto the elevator. The atmosphere between the two of you was tense. Something unspoken between the two of you but you couldn’t discern what.

Jihoon on the other hand knew exactly what it was.

Sexual tension. He’d never experienced it with you. It had never been very tense between the two of you before you woke up, so he didn’t have much to go off but he’d felt sexual tension plenty of times in his life. And elevators had a way of bringing it out in people.

“How have you been?”

Your voice was so soft that if this was the sort of building to play elevator music, Jihoon is certain he would have missed your question. Instead, he heard it crystal clear. It dawned on him that this was the first time he was hearing your voice since you woke up.

He turned to glance at you. ‘How have you been?’ It was such a simple question but he couldn’t answer it right away. Not the way he wanted to. ‘How have I been?’

Truthfully, he’s been better but rather than telling you that, he came up with a bullshit answer. Hopefully you couldn’t read him as well as you could before. “I’m alright,” he answered, surprised by the softness of his own voice. “I remember you,” you said suddenly, making his heart skip a beat.

“From the hospital,” you added. His heart slowly sank back into its usual position. ‘Of course.’

“Ah,” he said simply. A beat of silence fell over the two of you before you spoke again.

“Why were you there?” Jihoon hadn’t been prepared for this question. In all honesty, he hadn’t been prepared to see or speak to you ever again so he wasn’t sure how to answer it. Deciding vagueness had always been his strong suit, he tapped into that.

“It’s… complicated.” You tilted your head, like a puppy does upon hearing its own name.

“Complicated how?” god you sounded so child-like and innocent. How could he possibly begin to even explain it? There was no easy way to do it, not without sounding like a total nutcase.

“I… can’t really explain it,” he finally settled on. Was it a lame answer? Of course. Did you deserve a better answer? Absolutely. So why couldn’t he give you one? Perhaps because he was a coward.

The elevator dinged, pulling both of you from your thoughts and the unaddressed tension as the doors opened. Jihoon stepped forward without another word. “It was nice seeing you- oh! Seungcheol!” you said as the man in question appeared.

Seungcheol turned to find both you and Jihoon. “You didn’t come to lunch today,” you noted, a hint of sadness to your voice. Jihoon felt his stomach sink and his blood start to boil as he turned his head slowly to look at Seungcheol who offered a sheepish smile. “Sorry, Y/N,” he said.

“I made plans with a friend for lunch,” he said, clapping Jihoon on the shoulder.

The shock on your face was evident in the way your brows rose and your lips parted.

It looked as if you hadn’t known Jihoon and Seungcheol were friends and Jihoon would have to give the older man a piece of his mind about eating lunch with you.

Seungcheol gestured for Jihoon to go ahead of him. “Sorry again, Y/N,” he said with a smile. “Maybe tomorrow?” You nodded, the smile returning to your face. “It was nice seeing you again, Jihoon!” you called, noticing how Jihoon visibly stiffened before turning to look back at you. “You, too,” he replied softly.

You watched as they disappeared past the suite door and stepped back to allow the elevator doors to shut. ‘So they’re friends, too?’ you wondered as the elevator started to ascend to the nineteenth floor. You crossed your arms over your chest, holding the folders of papers to be scanned close to you, almost hugging it. Just how many people in your life were he friends with?

As soon as the door to his office shut, Seungcheol expected Jihoon to pounce but instead the younger man sat down and glared at him. He glared but said nothing until Seungcheol couldn’t take it anymore.

“Will you at least yell at me or something?” he asked. Jihoon shook his head silently.

“Are you seeing her or something?” he finally asked. Seungcheol was so shocked by his question that his jaw actually dropped. “You honestly think I’d do that to you?” Seungcheol asked incredulously. “I know how you feel about her. You really think I would just swoop in and steal her from you?”

Jihoon sighed heavily, leaning forward to hide his face in his hands. “No,” he groaned before sitting back. “No I don’t.” Seungcheol nodded slowly. “Well good. Cause I wouldn’t. You’re one of my best friends, Ji. I wouldn’t dream of hurting you like that.”

“Why are you eating lunch with her? How often have you been doing that?”

Seungcheol hesitated for a moment. “For a while. Since she started. I wanted to make sure she was comfortable and she had a familiar face around,” he answered. “It might make it a lot easier.”

Jihoon narrowed his eyes. “Might make what a lot easier?” he asked. Seungcheol sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “I thought that if she and I spent some time together, even in a work setting, we’d become friends and then through me, she could meet you again. Maybe it might trigger some memories or something!” Seungcheol explained as Jihoon groaned and got up, beginning to pace.

“Did you hire her specifically to do this?” Jihoon asked angrily. “What?” Seungcheol asked, looking indignant. “No? I didn’t hire her! I just do the interviews!”

Jihoon groaned and turned to face the office door. He pressed his fingers against his temple on either side of his head. “This has to stop,” Jihoon said softly before turning to look at his friend. “We can’t interfere with her life. We have to move on.” Seungcheol’s expression morphed into one of sadness.

He knew where Jihoon was coming from and he understood it but he also felt there was something more to this. Like you were meant to be in their lives still. If Jihoon was willing to give up that was fine, but he wasn’t. Not yet.

“I’m sorry,” Seungcheol said softly. “I should have told you from the start.” Jihoon shook his head. “It’s okay. I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions and accusing you of being a bad friend.” Seungcheol smiled at him. “So,” he said, leaning forward.

“You wanna get sushi?”

The entire rest of your day at work was hell. You were distracted and couldn’t focus on anything. All you could think about was why Jihoon was there. Had he and Seungcheol been friends all along? Was he following you? Just who was he? As you gathered your things at the end of your shift and headed to the elevator, you knew just who to ask to get your answers.

Jihyo was already home when you got there, dinner in the oven as she poured two glasses of wine. She wanted to celebrate your first week of work at your new job. As you entered, she welcomed you home cheerfully, smile fading as she watched you hastily tear off your hat and coat, tossing them on the bench by the front door before slipping your shoes off. 

“You have a lot to answer for, Seo Jihyo,” you said angrily as you stormed over. Jihyo shrank against the kitchen counter. “Wh-what are you-”

“Who the fuck is Jihoon and why does he know the guy who hired me? Why is he everywhere? Why was he in my hospital room when I woke up?”

Jihyo stared at you, eyes wide. “I-I…” she stammered, trailing off. “Tell me now or I swear to god-”

Jihyo held out her hands. “Okay, okay!” she said quickly. “I’ll tell you but you have to listen to everything I say and wait until I’m done before you speak.”

You narrowed your eyes at her before moving to sit at the kitchen island, grabbing your glass of wine and downing half of it in one go. “Talk.”

Jihyo sighed before launching into explanation. She explained how she met Jihoon. How he contacted her to ask about your accident. He was under the impression you had died. Before you could interrupt, Jihyo explained that Jihoon, Seungcheol, and Soonyoung were the new tenants of your old apartment.

Jihoon wanted to know details about your death because he and the others were experiencing… supernatural activity. They were convinced it was your ghost. Upon hearing this, you had a sudden flash, a memory, of you standing in the apartment, surrounded by furniture that did not belong to you.

You snapped out of it as Jihyo continued. “So when he called me and asked for details about your death I told him you weren’t dead. You were in a coma. He asked if he could meet me and at first, I was hesitant but I agreed. He was adamant he’d seen your spirit. Spoken to it. Had full conversations with you. I thought he was crazy,” Jihyo laughed, downing the rest of her wine before pouring another glass.

“But then he started to tell me things about you. Things he couldn’t have known. That was when I started to believe him.” She continued on, telling how Jihoon came to the hospital to see you. The day you woke up and that he somehow managed to wake you up. “He had said he wanted to try,” she said with a far off look in her eyes.

“And they live in our old building?” you asked. She nodded, closing her eyes. You sat silently as you made up your mind. It sounded ridiculous but then again, you couldn’t shake the unmistakable feeling you got around Soonyoung or the comfort of Seungcheol. Even the unaddressed tension between you and Jihoon in the elevator.

And there was only one way to know for sure.

You got up from the island, walking to the door. Jihyo sat up. “Where are you going?” she asked as you slid on your shoes and pulled on your coat. “To our old apartment,” you said simply, pulling on your hat and gloves, wrapping your scarf around your neck. “You can’t!” Jihyo protested.

You turned to her. “Don’t try to stop me, Jihyo,” you warned. “I have to do this. I need answers.”

Jihyo stared at you blankly. “I just gave them to you,” she replied. “No,” you started, turning to face her.

“I know but I need more answers. Ones you can’t give me. I need answers from…” you trailed off.

“From Jihoon.” Jihyo finished your sentence for you. “Yeah,” you nodded. “From Jihoon.”

You pulled open the door and stepped out into the hall.

You barely knew how to get to your old apartment from where you were but you knew you’d manage. You had your phone after all. You could just look up the directions. 

Once you were gone, Jihyo ran to the kitchen, snatching her phone off the counter and started scrolling until she found what she was looking for. She pressed the little green button and waited for an answer while it rang. After a couple rings, someone picked up.

Jihoon had just arrived home and was the first one there. Seungcheol had gone out for drinks with coworkers and Soonyoung had left for the weekend to stay with his parents. He’d finished dinner early and was cleaning up when his phone vibrated on the counter. He dried his hands and picked up the device, reading the name Jihyo flash across the screen.

He answered it, confusion rampant on his face and in his voice.

“Jihyo?” he asked. “Why are you-”

“I told her.” Those three simple words were enough to send Jihoon’s heart into a panic. ‘Told her? Told her what?’ He cleared his throat. “Wh-what did you tell her?” he asked, deciding context was important. “Everything,” Jihyo whispered on the other end. “I told her everything. She’s on her way there now. She needs more answers. Answers I can’t give her.”

Jihoon’s heart pounded in his chest. ‘She’s on her way? She’s coming here?’ He licked his lips and looked around quickly. “Uh… okay. I’ll uh… I’ll take care of it.” Jihyo thanked him before hanging up. Jihoon finished cleaning up at record speed.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed between Jihyo’s call and the knock at his door. He walked over to the door, checking his reflection in the mirror before peering through the peephole. You stood on the other side of the door, bundled to the max with tiny flecks of white dusting your clothing.

Jihoon unlocked the door and pulled it open, eyes meeting yours as you turned to look at him. Neither one of you said anything at first until Jihoon finally broke the silence. “You want to come in?” he asked, his voice soft as he stood aside. You thanked him quietly and stepped over the threshold.

Jihoon stood back as you removed your shoes and pulled your hat off your head, stuffing it and your gloves into your coat pockets. Jihoon moved to the kitchen, watching as you started to look around. Your eyes were full of both sadness and curiosity as you scanned your surroundings.

You said nothing as you looked around and took it all in. It was your old apartment but it also wasn’t at the same time. The furniture wasn’t yours but it was familiar all the same. A nagging and pulling at the back of your mind telling you this was home. This was your home. Yet it wasn’t, you told yourself. It was Jihoon’s. It was Seungcheol’s. It was Soonyoung’s. It wasn’t yours anymore.

Without asking, you walked over to the windows looking onto the balcony where you and Jihyo had kept your plants. There were still plants but they weren’t yours. And the chairs weren’t yours either.

As you started to turn away from the balcony, you had a sudden memory. Sitting on the balcony and laughing as the sun came up but it was with Jihyo. It was with…

You turned around to look at Jihoon who was watching you with a guarded expression.

You said nothing, too stunned to speak as you walked through the living room, stopping to look at the living room set. The coffee table brought another memory.

Seungcheol and Soonyoung kneeling around the table with a Ouija board and a dark foreboding presence. You snapped out of it and continued on, passing the main bathroom. The first room you reached was Nari’s. You peered in and saw the furniture was definitely not Nari’s. It was completely different from how you remembered it.

Another memory manifested itself as you peered into the dark room. Sitting in the desk chair and talking to someone who wasn’t Nari. It was Soonyoung. You blinked, the scene fading from in front of you, almost like you were observing it instead of experiencing it.

You continued down the hall, peering into Jihyo’s old room. ‘This must be Seungcheol’s room.’ You decided not to enter as you worked with him and it felt wrong to enter his space like that. Although this whole situation felt wrong, it also felt right. Like you were meant to be here.

You saved your old room for last, pushing the cracked door open and looking into the room. It wasn’t yours anymore but for some reason, it still felt familiar. Like you’d spent enough time here to know that the placement of everything was where it should be. The bed, the desk, all the desk supplies. Everything was in its rightful place.

You walked into the room slowly, looking around, eyes landing on the bed. Walking over cautiously, you sat on the edge, running your palm over the sheets as another memory flashed before your eyes. Late nights lying on this bed, talking to… him. Sitting on it against the wall, watching him work at his desk.

Getting up, you walked over to the desk and looked around the details, everything was where it should be. Finally, you noticed the notepad and reached for it hesitantly. You grabbed it carefully, bringing it up to flip through the pages, your breath catching in your throat as you noticed something.

Your own handwriting.

Little notes to the owner of the desk saying things like “don’t give up!” and “you can do it!” You didn’t realize tears were spilling from your eyes, staining your cheeks until a drop fell onto the notepad page you were looking at.

Setting the pad back down, you exited the room and headed back into the living area where Jihoon was still standing behind the kitchen island. He glanced up as you walked in. Noticing your tear stained cheek, he started to move but hesitated, ultimately deciding against it.

As you looked at Jihoon, another memory made itself known. You were looking at Jihoon, standing in the exact same spot as he sipped on a cup of coffee. He glanced up, smiling at you. You couldn’t remember exactly why but it was a very important day that day.

You remembered very clearly what he said to you. And more importantly, what you said to him.

You cleared your throat, drawing Jihoon’s attention, the memory fading and allowing you to see him standing before you. “I…” your voice trailed off as your words failed you. How could you even begin to explain what you’d just experienced? Lucky for you, Jihoon needed no explanation.

“You remember, don’t you?” he asked softly. You nodded, a soft sob escaping your lips as your knees buckled. Jihoon was quick, rushing to your side as you started forward and caught you, the two of you falling to the wooden floor, kneeling as he pulled you into his arms.

You remembered wanting this more than anything. Wanting him to be able to hold you. To feel you.

The reality of it was surreal. He was holding you. He was holding you. He was holding you.

“Do you remember that last morning?” he asked softly, his voice barely above a whisper. You nodded, fresh tears flowing as you looked into his eyes. “Do you remember what I told you?” he asked. Again, you nodded, the words clearer in your mind than anything else.

“And do you remember what you said to me?”

You nodded once more, the tears flowing freely.

“What did I say to you?” Jihoon asked, his eyes looking into yours, brimming with unshed tears.

You took a deep breath.

Instead of answering him, you leaned in, your lips pressing against his. It was as if everything fell into place at that moment. Your life suddenly made sense. All your feelings since waking up made perfect sense; why Jihoon was in your hospital room; why Soonyoung seemed familiar; why you found comfort in Seungcheol’s presence. This is where you belonged. This was your home. Jihoon was your home. 

And it was time to return.

fin.

ⓘ All graphics made by me. Content and support banners made using a template made by cafekitsune. I do not allow reposts, translations, or continuations of my works. All writing and graphics are ©️ kwanisms.

[babytaes]

The Drunk & Dazed Series

𝚊/𝚗:  this is a series of oneshots that are inspired by Enhypen's song Drunk & Dazed. I knew I wanted to do something dark and supernatural when I first heard it. they will be listed in order of age, starting with the oldest and ending with the youngest. I truly hope everyone enjoys this series; there will be many more in the future, much love from Babytaes!!

☆ ҉ ◢▅◣

✯ - angst | ♦ - suggestive/smut | დ - slight fluff  | 

(Suggestive/smut scenes will most likely only be shown with the older members. That isn't something I'm writing in the younger line.)

†hê Ðêmðñ {Hêê§êµñg} ✯ ♦

↷ ɪ ꜰᴇᴇʟ ɪᴛ, ᴍʏ ʜᴇᴀᴅ’ꜱ ɪɴ ᴀ ᴅᴀᴢᴇ ᴅᴀᴢᴇ ᴅᴀᴢᴇ ɪ’ᴍ ᴀᴅᴅɪᴄᴛᴇᴅ...

↳  You're a guardian angel who's never been tasked with protecting anyone. Since you've been here since Creation, sitting around in heaven hasn't brought you any rewards. You were looking forward to the day when you'd be assigned a human to look after. When that day finally arrives, things take an unexpected turn when you are assigned to Heesequung, a demon from the underworld.

  †hê Grïm Rêåþêr {Jå¥} ✯ დ

↷ ɪ ʀᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴘᴀꜱᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏᴄᴋᴇᴅ ᴅᴏᴏʀ, ᴘᴀɪɴ ᴡᴇʟᴄᴏᴍᴇꜱ ᴍᴇ, ᴀ ꜰᴇᴀꜱᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜɪʀꜱᴛ...

↳ Everyone depicts the Grim Reaper as a bad character, but he didn't kill you. It's just a trip to the afterlife, and he's actually being helpful by walking you there. Consider what it would be like if you had to travel alone. 

†hê Örïgïñål§ {Jåkê} ✯ ♦ დ

↷ ʜᴏɴᴇꜱᴛʟʏ ɪ’ᴍ ꜱᴄᴀʀᴇᴅ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ’ꜱ ᴅʀᴜɴᴋ ɪɴ ᴀ ꜱᴡɪʀʟɪɴɢ ɢʟᴀꜱꜱ...

↳  The Mikaelsons family stumbles across a plot to assassinate the Prince. Despite Klaus' judgement, you are determined to take on that challenge with the help of some magic. You demonstrate to them and to yourself that you BELONG!

†hê Hµñ†êr {§µñghððñ} ♦ ✯

↷ ɪɴ ᴀ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ɴᴏ ʀᴜʟᴇꜱ, ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ’ꜱ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴛᴜʀɴᴇᴅ ᴜᴘꜱɪᴅᴇ ᴅᴏᴡɴ...

↳ You are in a typical awkward elevator ride with a group of people, suddenly a man says “So I bet you are wondering why I’ve gathered you here.” Before hitting the emergency stop button, you glance at his wrist and eye a tattoo. One of the Hunters.

†hê Gh𧆠{§µñðð} ✯ 

↷ ᴍᴍᴍ ᴄᴀʟʟ ᴍᴇ ᴏᴜᴛ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴀᴄʀᴏꜱꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪɴᴇ, ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇꜱ, ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴄʀᴜᴍʙʟᴇꜱ...

↳ You find yourself in a city you've never visited before but you've dreamed about hundreds of times. The person you constantly see in your dreams is also there, gently turning around and asking, “Is it really you?”

†hê Wêrêwðl£ {Jµñgwðñ} ✯ დ

↷ ᴛʜɪꜱ ꜱᴡᴇᴇᴛ ꜱᴄᴇɴᴛ, ꜰᴀɴɢꜱ ɢʟᴏᴡɪɴɢ ʀᴇᴅ...

↳  “Dogs are man's best friend,” they constantly say. What happens if one of them turns out to be your best friend, and this one bites?

†hê §ðr¢êrêr {Rï-kï} ✯

↷ ᴍʏ ʀᴇꜰʟᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍɪʀʀᴏʀ ɪꜱ ᴜɴꜰᴀᴍɪʟɪᴀʀ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴘɪᴛɪꜰᴜʟ ᴛʀᴜᴛʜ ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ ᴛʜɪꜱ ᴍᴀꜱᴋ...

↳  You're a hero who falls in love with the Dark Lord. That's wonderful of you. You always lose to his excellent brains and spectacular looks, while being one of the strongest heroes on the planet. Although the continual rivalry between you and him is entertaining, you don't want it to end. Are you prepared to risk it all, even your title: Hero.

◥▅◤ ҉ ★

[babytaes]

the originals (you belong)

summary: The Mikaelsons family stumbles across a plot to assassinate the Prince. Despite Klaus’ judgement, you are determined to take on that challenge with the help of some magic. You demonstrate to them and to yourself that you BELONG!

paring: jake x female reader

genre: angst, slight fluff, slight smut/suggestive

word count: 7k

warnings: suggestive scene

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖗𝖆𝖎𝖙𝖘: click me before reading!

➳ part of the drunk & dazed series

a/n: i’m not a big fan of this work, i don’t know what it is but i feel like it could be better. I didn’t do my routine thorough read so forgive me for any mistakes. thank you for waiting for this member. enjoy and much love from babytaes. :)

☆ ҉ ◢▅◣

"This is not allowed, Your Majesty. This is not something I believe we should be doing, "You began to walk out of Jake's regal room, shaking your head.

Hearing footsteps behind you, a hand touches your shoulder as he turns you around, shutting the door behind you as he gently pushes you up against the wall.

"Don't pretend you haven't been keeping an eye on me for the past few weeks. I'm sure you want it as much as I do, y/n.”

Licking your lips, you slap his hands off of you and make your way to his massive bed as you fall back.

"It's not like I don't want to do it. It's just your royalty, and I'm not the Mikaelson type."

Jake snickers as he approaches you and raises you up by your hands, bringing you face to face with him. He touches your cheek in his palm and caresses it as he moves closer to your face.

"Well, we're notorious for occasionally breaching the rules. Why don't you give it a shot?" As you yanked his hand away from you and dashed to the door, you snapped back to reality.

Your heart ached as you turned back to see a befuddled Jake, and you cried out to him before closing the door.

“Jake, please stop. You and I both know I'll never be good enough for your family"

It wasn't the finest decision to leave him standing there, but it was necessary for your protection. You wouldn't want to jeopardize the next person in line.

Even if something might have worked with him, the risk was too high.

Everyone should be cautious when they're among the Milkasons, including the youngest.

It wasn't all bad being with the Mikaelsons. They were like a second family to you, despite the fact that you had only met them millennium before. It was strange to find them on that fateful day.

You never know when the all-powerful Originals will appear on your doorstep and request to look after their brother.

It seemed strange. Right?

"Calm down, brother; we'll find a place." We wouldn't be in this situation if you quit yelling and spreading mayhem all over the place."

Klaus ignores his brother and knocks on a cottage door, rolling his eyes at him.

"Oh, Elijah, just shut up; you're just trying to prove me wrong."

Elijah straightens himself as he hears light footsteps approaching the door and approaches the madam who opens it.

"Hello-, your mother bowed down to them and swiftly looked down."

Elijah takes a step in front of his sibling, who is rambling to your mother. Nothing is audible to you. Even so, you see a boy from behind the corner. He appears to be your age and is hidden behind the towering man.

As he moves from behind the man and toward the back, you snicker and watch him through the windows as he approaches the back door.

As you walk through it, you come face to face with the curious boy.

"Hello, my name is Jake; how about you?" He extends his hand, and you eagerly examine it.

"My name is y/n."  Do you want to join me in my game? "I don't have anyone to play with." As you drag him to your makeshift playhouse, you grasp his hand in yours and shake it hard.

You and he hit it off right away when you were outside. You didn't have many friends, so having someone to play house with was very entertaining at your young age

"Hey, come back," He said as he snatched your toy vehicle, making you and him giggle. "Give it back," you insist  

The two men and your mother were standing by the rear door, staring at you two. 

"I believe he will be a perfect fit. Don't worry, I'll do my best." Before summoning Jake over, Klaus and Elijah thanked your mother one again.

They said their goodbyes and walked away, and your memories were about to start.

---

You and Jake have been inseparable since then; it's always been you two against the world. Despite the fact that you and he come from two different worlds, you manage to make it work on occasion.

You stood far away from the commotion, watching the royal family squabble over royal matters. Jake had just been summoned, and you took a step back, not wanting to cause any disruption.

Despite the fact that they could clearly hear and see you, you continued to stand there.

"Brother, we wouldn't be in this stupid situation if it weren't for your inconvenient behavior once more."

Life is always tumultuous when you basically grow up with a group of originals. I don't think there has ever been a moment when someone wasn't screamed at, killed, or cursed.

It's always something with them.

Jake looks at you, rolling his eyes and making a variety of facial expressions. He loved his life except for this part.

His family 

Your mother took him in and practically raised him when you were younger. You never understood why his family always left him behind. It seems like just because his family was on the run at the time they couldn't or didn't have time to look after him.

As a result, when he reached adulthood, he was able to take his rightful place in the kingdom, and because your family took on that responsibility, you were granted permission to remain in the kingdom.

I mean, the enormous rooms and countless bathrooms never get old, noo. Even though everything appeared to be all in good humor, you felt a sinking feeling in your stomach.

Feeling as if you've never belonged there 

You were a vampire with most of their powers, but you lacked the "royal," and no matter how hard you tried, you could never fit into their mold.

You take one last look at the family, shake your head, and then walk away. You still have a lot of work ahead of you.

You arrive at your mother's room slowly and open it to see her folding laundry. As you approached her and sat down on her, her demeanor brightened.

"You do know you're pretty heavy, sweetie?"

"Mmh," you mutter under your breath as you roll away from her and to the ground. To pass the time, you take a shirt and begin folding it.

"Mom?"

As she continued to fold, she hummed a quiet yes.

"What made you decide to take on such a difficult duty as raising Prince Jake?" She let go of the blouse in her hand as she came to a halt and stared at you. She sighs as she takes a seat next to you and tells you about that fateful day.

Your mother was inside talking to the royal family as you played in the backyard with your new friend.

She dropped her head and gazed up at Elijah and Klaus, saying, "It is such an honor to have you both in my company."

Making their way over to the table, they all sat down and discussed ways of how you could best protect him.

"We don't know when or for how long we'll be on the run, but we're prepared to pay any charge if that time comes."

As Klaus' voice boomed over the table, she shook her head at them, her hand trembling.

"We have to get out of here; I sense them." Elijah gave his troubled brother a stern look and motioned him to leave. He was in a hurry and dashed out of the house.

Elijah reached into his back pocket and placed a bag of coins on the table. He swiftly thanked you after scouting the front entrance.

"I apologize for the inconvenience, but forgive our ill-timed intrusion. I'll make arrangements for payments to come from the castle every week. I'd like to thank you in advance for everything you've done for us."

Elijah nodded before sprinting into the woods in pursuit of his brother. She smiles as you take it all in and grab the bag of coins from the table.

"This is for you, love, Rest in peace, my dear."

As she make her way to the back, she calls over the two rowdy children and embrace them in a hug. As she looked at them both, they both smiled. You watched as she squatted down and spoke, holding them in her hands.

"So those two lovely gentlemen who just came by were members of the royal family, as you may know y/n, and they have entrusted us to watch and maintain track of this handsome little boy," Jake squirmed around as his face reddened as you pinched his cheek.

"For the time being, we'll do our best to make this the best time for him." Before embracing Jake in an embrace, your daughter cast a glance at him. As you gazed at the scene in front of you, a warm flush spread across your chest as you imagined the days you three would spend together..

"So it was difficult at the time, and due to your father's death and financial difficulties, it was only a matter of time before we were thrown out on the street. So, aside from the age-old law of not disobeying the royal family, it was now or never."

Your smile crept across your face as you shook your head up and down. Your mother was your role model, the woman who always wore a grin on her face and never let the world bring her down. She was daring, loving, and brave, and she did it all despite the fact that she had recently become a single mother. Moms have a lot of strength.

"Ahh, I see. Dad would be incredibly proud of you and all of your efforts."

She grinned as she threw her shirt in your direction.

"Ahh- stop"

*Knock Knock*

As you and your mother stood up to tell them to come in, a guard approached you both and communicated a message.

"You are required in the Prince chambers, Ms. Y/n." You bowed down and pecked your mum on the cheek before taking your place behind the guard.

---

You thanked the guard as you entered inside the familiar area after arriving at the enormous set of bronzed yet golden doors. When you peek inside, you notice him lying on the floor; as you carefully approached his side, you smiled and hovered over him.

"You asked for me, right? I'm going to leave if this isn't something significant." Jake gently rises, his head resting on his gigantic bed.

"It's nothing major, but I do have a request," he says. As you faced him, your eyes widened. As he turned to face you, he exuded a princely radiance. He leaned forward and lingered near your lips, his gaze fixed on you.

You leapt to your feet, terrified and intrigued, and shoved him back as you took a step back.

"Excuse my language, Jake, but what the hell was that?"  As he got up and approached you, he cocked his head to the side.

"My request?" He snatched your hands and held them in his. You'd never been caressed with such gentleness before. It was an unfamiliar sensation that made you feel warm but strange.

"This is not permitted, Your Majesty. This is not something I believe we should be doing, "You began to walk out of Jake's regal room, shaking your head.

A hand touches your shoulder as he turns you around, shuts the door behind you and gently pushes you up against the wall, hearing footsteps behind you.

"Don't act like you weren't eyeing me these past weeks. I know you want this just as much as I do y/n."

You smack his hands off of you and make your way to his large bed as you fall back, licking your lips.

"It's not like I don't want to do it. It's simply your royalty, and I'm not the Mikaelson type."

Jake snickers as he approaches you and raises you up by your hands, bringing you face to face with him. He touches your cheek in his palm and caresses it as he moves closer to your face.

"Well, we're notorious for occasionally breaking the rules. Why don't you give it a shot?" As you shoved his hand away from you and opened the door, you snapped back to reality.

Your heart ached as you turned back to see a befuddled Jake, and you cried out to him before closing the door.

"Jake, please stop. You and I both know I'll never be good enough for your family."

As you turned the corner and ran down the corridor, you left him stunned and in disarray. You didn't stop running until you were outdoors, far away from the castle, in the fabled garden.

As you fall on top of the fountain, the tears won't stop flowing. The day was slipping away as your sobs drew the attention of a curious woman. It wasn't until she sat next to you and spoke to you that you realized it.

"One of those days, huh?"

As she stretched her hand to you, you shrieked and fell back on your hands, frightened and terrified.

"Sorry for scaring you, hun; I didn't intend to. Haven't we all had awful days? My name is Davina, by the way." As she helped you up to the edge of the fountain, you took her hand in yours.

"Thanks for asking, today is one of these days." "So, may I ask what the problem is?" she asked, smiling as she moved closer to you.

"I miss my father and all that made up his eccentric character. He would know what to do." you sniffled as you glanced up at the girl with a welcome atmosphere.

She leapt to her feet and squealed, extending her hand "I enjoy helping others. In this area, I do have the upper hand. Allow me to demonstrate." You took her hand in yours after a brief moment of hesitation.

You had never expected a witch to be able to assist you, but you were willing to try. She waved to her neighbor across the street as she unlocked her door. As she arranged her stuff, she turned on the lamp and signaled for you to come sit at her table.

"Please take a seat; I won't bite. Maybe" You chuckled as you sat in the wooden chair, having forgotten that the witches lived in this neighborhood. It's not like they were exiled, but you hardly had time to check in on them and the rest of the group.

Everyone looked to be so comfortable in their own little world. Why couldn't you seem to fit in anywhere?

"All right, all right, we're ready; don't worry, it won't hurt."

"What might hur-'' As the knife quickly passed across your palm, you felt a searing feeling.

'What the hell, Davina,' you exclaimed." She chuckled as she put yout palm over a stone bowl and watched the blood drip into it.

"Sorry"

As the blood began to bubble up in the stone bowl, you pouted. As her hands swiveled around the bowl, Davine began to speak phrases you couldn't comprehend. As your eyes blinked quicker, your head began to spin.

"What's going on?" you exclaim. When she opened her eyes, you could see white orbs replacing her natural ones.

"We're ready."

---

You passed out as you receded back into your chair. Awoken Davina took your hand in hers and escorted you outside. This time, though, things were different; the day had turned to darkness, and everything appeared to be dissimilar. The town has turned completely around.

"Where are we?" As she turned to face you, she laughed.

"A better question is when are we. The spell I casted transported us to a time when I hoped you would learn something new and put things into perspective." For the 23rd time today, she began to tug you. Your heart began to drop as you arrived at your house, well, the one in the past, as you beamed at that. As you let her hand fall from yours, your nerves were heightened. As you took a step back, you began to feel panicked.

"Noo-nooo wait, how did you do this?" you say as you fall to your knees and cover your eyes. You could feel her hands on your back as she gently caressed it.

"I know, it's crazy, y/n. I just pulled some old memories back to life. I won't leave your side if you're afraid." As you saw the familiar image in front of you, you slowly pushed forward.

"Just don't leave." As you walked through the front door, you held her hand in yours. Everything seems so blurry at this point; you were just a small child, and your life was about to alter dramatically.

"Hey sweetie, go tell your father to go get some firewood. Okay?" As you crawled down off the stool and out the door, you smiled. As he turned to face you, your little feet found their way to your father's side.

"There's my little princess. What exactly do you need?" He massaged your backside as he hauled you onto his lap.

"Mommy said to get wood, and I wanna come too, daddy. May I, pretty please." He sighed as he looked at his watch, it was fairly dark, but the wood wasn't far away.

"Yes, you are welcome to join me. You're a big girl now. So you gotta help daddy out, okay?"

As you and Davina stood on the sidelines watching everyone make their way to the woodpile, you wished you had done more for him.

"All right, sweetie, you can carry one and I'll take care of the rest." You squealed as you clutched a small, almost insignificant log in your arms. As he placed a twig in your batch, he gazed down at his girl.

"Daddy, I think that's all I can carry." As he and you both began heading back to the home, you both laughed.

As the horror grew, you turned around and began crying on Davina's shoulder. You knew what was going to happen, but you couldn't bear the thought of having to go through it again. As Davina turned to face you, you felt her hands on your shoulders.

"You must see for yourself. It is the only option."

As tears flood down your cheeks, you slowly open your eyes and look at the scene.

"Thanks for helping daddy, sweetheart." "Mommy would be so proud of you." He kissed you on the head as he knelt down to you.

"You're welcome, Daddy. "Now that I'm a big girl, I can do huge things." He smiled as he took another glance around. " As your mouth enlarged, you dropped your logs. Your father's life vanished before your eyes in an instant.

As his body went slack, he fell to the ground, and you began to scream. As words slurred from your mouth, he began to shiver.

"What's the matter, Daddy?" HELP, MOMMY." As he held you in his hug, your small body slumped forward into your father's chest.

Your mother's footsteps were quick to arrive as she knelt down and took up your father, holding him in her arms.

"Honey, I'm right here," she says. A tear streamed down his cheek as he glanced up at his beautiful girls.

"Never forget that I love you all." And then, as he fell limp on your mother's lap, life left his eyes. As you gazed up at your mother, the screams resonated across the forest. Her eyes were welling up with tears.

You had no idea what was going on, but you knew something had changed.

"What's wrong with daddy, Mommy?" She slowly turns to you, pulling you closer to her breast and kissing you on the head with moist lips.

"He's gone, daddy's gone."

----

"NOo, noo stop this. I don't want to remember this." As Davina chases you down, shouting out to you, you begin to flee the scene. You come to a halt and turn to face her, yelling at her.

"Is this a joke or something? Your spells, you witches." As you fall to the ground grasping your arms and gently rock back and forth, tears begin to flow from your eyes.

Davina finally reaches you and attempts to calm you down by wrapping her arms over your shaking body. Your heart felt like it was racing at 100 miles per hour and you couldn't stop it. Everything seemed a little too real. You didn't want to think about it.

It's not that you didn't believe it; it's just that you didn't want that memory to resurface in your life.

"Just wait and listen to me, y/n. I know it's horrible, but something good came out of it." You push her away from you as you leap to your feet, tears streaming down your cheeks.

"How did something wonderful emerge from my father's death, who died in my arms? DAVINA, HOW DAVINA." Davina frowns as she walks around, taking your hand in hers and leading you somewhere.

"You weren't the only one whose loved one was taken from them." You look up at her and stare blankly at her as she comes to a halt at a familiar location.

"How did we end up in front of the castle?" As inaudible sounds flow from her mouth, she begins to swirl her hands around. You stand there in astonishment as you are whisked away to someone's private quarters.

You and Davina both walk into a room where a young boy is crying into the chest of someone. As you recovered consciousness, you noticed that you were surrounded by the Original family, or at least some of them.

"We couldn't get the remedy to her in time." You stood there watching Klaus thrash around as he collided with a vase that shattered on the ground.

You shifted closer to the young kid as you observed him as his brother shouted out to him, "Niklaus." As the rest of the family walked out in tears and small sniffles, you shifted closer to the young child.

Jake was there; you had no idea his mother had died. It had never been mentioned before, so you were taken aback.

The little boy crawled onto his mother's chest as he sobbed into her chest.

"Mommy, come back to me, please."

"I'm ready to leave right now." You took her hand in yours and gripped it strongly. You were prepared for anything the world could throw at you now that you had this new knowledge. Although it was painful to revisit that memory, you chose to use it to your advantage.

Your father raised a fighter, not a wimp. You wanted to honor his memory rather than mourn it, and I feel Jake should as well.

"This is for you, Dad,"

With that, you were transported back to reality, and you found yourself back where you started. You instantly stood up and exited her room.

"Hey, where are you going?" 

You came to a halt, raised your head, and shook your head, saying, "Acceptance."

She waved you off with a smile on her face. You brushed yourself off as you walked out of her house, mentally preparing yourself for the road ahead.

----

You felt more alive when you woke up in this house. Although the work was endless, you earned something greater than it all, A friend. Your mother groaned as you rolled over and landed flat against her backside.

"Mmmh, mom, I think it's time for you to get up." "Mmmh, five more minutes," she mumbles as she yawns on your shoulder. As your body moved up off the bed and towards the blinds, you giggled. You chuckled as you let the blinding light move into the room as you heard your mother's nasty shrieks.

"Sweetie, it's Saturday; it's a free day today. Go hang out with your friends." As you fall to the floor, she kicks your body off the bed. You giggle as you walk towards the shower, scoffing at her acts and mumbling words to her.

"Have you noticed, Mom, that I only have one friend?" You chuckle as you take a step into the shower and let the suds run down your body. As you wash slowly, your thoughts begin to wander.

You were reminded of your previous outburst with Jake as the water flowed over your body.

"Shit"

You felt the chilly air hiss against your body as you stepped out of the shower and hastily wrapped a towel over your body from the shelf. You noticed that the girl in the mirror had a different smile. She felt happier and more grateful.

You cried out to your mother as you opened the door and entered the frame.

"Yes, darling?"

"Get ready. I'd like to take you out for a picnic." She grinned and drew you in for a hug while cocking her head to the side.

"That would be fantastic. I'll take care of everything. You don't worry, okay?" You grinned as you shut the door behind her and returned to your self-pampering.

"It's going to be a terrific day today."

As you rested your head on your mother's shoulder, you held the picnic basket tightly in one hand and your mother's hand in the other. It was moments like these that made you long for your small family. You spread the blanket on the ground and placed the goods on it as you chuckled.

"My two lovely ladies are here."  When you raced towards your father, he stretched his arms open wide for you. Your mother took out her little camera and snapped a candid shot of you two.

"Don't forget about me," as she made her way over, your father pressed a kiss on her lips as you all sat down on the grass.

As you stumbled towards the basket, your little fingers pointed to it, saying, "Mommy, open". Before you saw the glorious fruit in front of you, a small pebble made its way in your path as you trip on it.

As a result, your father gracefully caught your small body in his grip while you giggled.

"My princess, you need to be more cautious. I can't have my pretty girl all beaten up."

You chuckled as you kissed his forehead and said, "OK, daddy, me be careful." You dashed over to your mother's side as he let you go, and she handed you a strawberry.

Your smile widened as you jumped up and did a small dance as you bit into it. Your parents stood there in astonishment as they watched you eat some more fruit.

"Is it good y/n?" You giggled as you ran around them, shaking your head up and down, as they simply watched their exuberant kid spout forth incoherent words. They smiled.

'I love you, honey,' she said. Light kisses on her temples were exchanged by your father while your mother rested her head on his lap.

"I will always love you."

Finally, with everything in place, you sniffle and wipe a stray tear from your eyes. Your mother immediately turned to you and rubbed your arm as she drew you closer to her.

"Hey, sweetheart, what's the matter?"

"I miss him," you said as you drew closer to her.

She smiled as she rocked you back and forth, kissing you on the head.

"I miss him as well. This brings back memories of our picnics with him." As you reached for the basket, you shook your head. Before removing the famed strawberries, you smiled. You chuckled as tears streamed down her cheeks after delivering them to your mother.

"Thanks for this, y/n." You were both crying as you rested your head in your mother's lap before entwining your hands.

"Anytime mom, but I do have to get going. I need to speak with someone, and I'd prefer to do so now before the situation escalates."

Before biting on a plump strawberry, she laughs and smirks.

"Tell Jake I said hi." "Wait, how did you know?" you start to stand up as you freeze in place.

As she pushes you toward the gate exit, she shakes her head at you. You blow a kiss to her, embarrassed and honestly surprised, as she yells at you.

"Use protection."

You cringe as you race towards the gate, not even looking back. You came upon a guard at the entrance who winked at you as you stared at him.

"Oh, Mark, shut up." After saluting you, he chuckles and returns to his former stance. Making your way to his chamber, you slowly knock as you hear his voice on the other side of the door.

As you slowly come in, you notice him at his desk, working, and you move your glance in his direction.

"Oh, look who it is?" As your lips fell, his eyes rolled at you.

"Hey," you say as you approach him and take a seat in one of his sofas. They felt like marshmallows, and you spent your days and some nights in them.

"Let me explain before you go all pouty and stirred up." He doesn't even move as he goes about his business. You kick his chair while rolling your eyes at him, eliciting a yelp from him.

"Fine, I'm listening, what?" he says, smiling as he scoots over to you and places his hand on his lap.

Not only did the close proximity make your heart race, but his position didn't help matters either.

"So, for starters, I'd like to apologize for my outburst. We both know if they're a problem we can freely discuss it. That's something that's been on my mind for a while and has now exploded, but it's not your fault. I just don't think I belong."

He approached you with a puzzled expression on his face as he moved forward. You look around, worried, as you cough.

"What?"

"What you just said made me pause because you and this family know how important you and your mother are to all of us, especially to me. I'm sorry you feel that way. My family can be difficult at times."

As you push past him and land on his colossal king-sized bed, you scoff "Yeah, tough how about, protective, vengeful, murderous, and hot-headed? That's a lot better." He laughs as he pushes you over and lays down next to you, a little closer this time.

"I can't argue with that, but you still love us. Right?"

"Yeah, I do love yo-" As you rolled over and smacked your hands in your face, your eyes widened.

"Yeah, go ahead and spill your secret y/n."

You kicked him as you rolled back on your side, facing him, rolling your eyes. As his hand landed on your leg, the newfound electricity between you two shifted.

Before his hand lightly moved up your leg, he grinned at you. He came to a halt and stared at you, waiting for a response. You softly shook your head as he continued as his hand came to rest on your chin.

"You must have been waiting a long time for this one, dude, ain't I so attractive," you chuckled before scooting closer to him. Before extending his delicate hands towards your lips, he reddened.

"Shh, also what happened yesterday? You said this wasn't right, didn't you?" As your desire overtook you, you became irritable.

"Oh, shut up and kiss me, people change Jake." you said as you drew him closer to you and your lips smashed together furiously. As he pushed you over, you both synced up quickly, and he was on top of you in no time.

"Oh how the tables have turned," says Jake. You had definitely changed as your body craved for his touch even more. As you threw your arms around his neck, pressing him closer to you, his lips never left yours.

His shirt was ripped off and dropped to the ground in a flash as he touched yours, hoping for a response.

"Yes, you may remove it." He stopped and peered at you, chuckling, as he slowly pulled it above your head. You subconsciously flew your hands to your chest, concealing your body.

This was the first time a boy, much less a Mikaelson, had seen you half-naked. Jake's mouth falls open as he rushes to unlatch your hands.

"Hey, don't hide your beauty, because I love each and every part." That made you grin as you approached him and kissed him on the lips.

"You haven't even asked me to be your girlfriend yet, and already you're behaving cringy. Maybe this was a mistake." As you begin to rise, you smirk. Jake grabs you and pins you down before you can even get a foot off the bed.

"Wait- stop, wait, don't go" You chuckle as he kisses your frigid body while you squirm under his touch.

"Ahhh, please stop tickling me...ahh." He comes to a halt in his actions to look at you for a little moment.

"I can't believe we've reached the point where we've gone from friends to lovers. It feels like some teenage drama."

(Am I right readers, don't we all love a trope like this... I know I do.)

This isn't a book; it's real life, and can we please get back to making love? Jake, the readers are waiting." He continues to laugh as he gently removes your bra as he completes the last clip.

He didn't have time to marvel at the beauty in front of him as you placed your hand on his hardening spot. This elicited a tiny moan as he swirled his lips around your soft nips.

"Mmmh, wow, don't stop, that feels great." You quickly remove your jeans and underwear while his tongue works its magic, placing his hand within your folds.

"This is my first time; wow, I'm not sure whether I'm doing it correctly." Wow!" As a moan explodes from your throat, you laugh.

"Stop playing me; you're making me laugh. I'll show you the way." He finds a groove in your folds as he pushes faster and deeper, striking a familiar area, while your eyelids roll back.

"AHHHH, Jake, right there."  As your back arches off the bed, thrusting deeper into his finger, your body reacts perfectly.

A knock on the door is heard just as your high reaches you, and you both pause and look behind you.

"Prince Jake, you have been summoned to the royal room to receive a message." Before Jake speaks to him, you both remain silent for a few moments.

"Thank you very much; I'll be out for a minute."

Before he turns to face you, you cover your lips with your hand. Before pulling away, he bends forward and kisses you on the forehead.

"You're not going to finish me off, are you? You can't stick and dip; it doesn't work like that." You start arguing with him before he bends in and kisses your folds.

"I have to get going, and if I'm late, I'm toast. You did mention that my family is what now-" You shake your head as you push him off your body and start putting your clothing on.

Another knock is heard as the door slowly begins to open and a familiar face appears. Jake rushes to conceal your half-naked body as Elijah walks in.

As you lowered your head and snickered, it felt like a million pairs of eyes were on you. Jake covers your body with a blanket before pulling up his pants and walking towards the door.

He flashes a big grin at Elijah before crossing his arms and stepping closer to him. "My dear brother, keep your indiscretions to yourself," he yanked his handkerchief from his pocket before handing it to Jake. Another familiar figure arrived in front of the entrance as he saw the chaos unfold before his eyes.

Kol appeared behind Elijah before chuckling as he crossed his arms, "well, well, well looks like someone having fun." He gave you a wave as he walked out of the room, smiling to himself. You turned away and mentally slapped yourself as soon as he said it.

"We'll be out in a second. Please visit us again." Before turning around, Jake slammed the door shut. While yelling under his breath, his reddened face brought you your garments.

"Please forgive them; they enjoy barging in here unannounced. I'm sorry if they saw anything." You're hauled up by him before you can secure the button on your jeans. He kissed your lips as he assisted you in putting on your shirt.

"Okay, I'm definitely not going to get tired of those." You kiss his lips once more as you pull his shirt closer to you.

"Mmh, your lips are soft. As you approach the door, you take Jake's hands in yours before gently pushing it open.

“We will definitely finish this later.” As he plants a kiss on your hand, he smirks. Before enlarging your gaze, you licked your lips.

You moan under your breath, "Oh, I can't wait," as Jake discreetly lays his palm over your mouth.

“You’re already a mess for me, aren't you?” He comes to a halt in front of the door and cups your face in his hands, kissing your hungry lips.

“As much as I would love to kiss you,” you say as you rest your palm on his chest and giggle. "Let's hurry up because I don't want them to come back and dagger you." He took your hand in his and led you to the throne room.

---

Jake strides over to his family's gathering and excuses himself, letting go of your hand. You took a step back and stood next to Mark, who was looking at you with a curious expression.

"So...how did it go?" Then, after a brief scan of the area, you struck him across the shoulder with your fist.

"Aren't you guards supposed to be quiet? You do know we all have vamp hearing." After chuckling at your remark, he returned to his job.

Besides Jake and I, Mark was the only person around our age with whom we both became close as we basically all grew up in the castle. Although being the only female in the group, they made up for it.

We all had our own ways of having fun in those late evenings, so there were many nights of loud laughter and sticky fingers. Those were the days, but now Jake had his royal duties, they were a thing of the past. Everyone seems to be set in their ways.

When your name was called, you were swiftly brought out of your thoughts. They didn't seem to know you were there, but you knew it was true when Mark bumped your arm.

"Uh.. yes. I'm here, your majesty."

Walking over to the gathering, you stood next to Jake as you heard his booming voice; still to this day, you could never get over that.

"So, y/n, you and your family have been so kind to not only the Mikaelson family, but the entire kingdom. And we thank you for your service, but we've heard rumors that my father is planning to travel to our country to assassinate our future heir."

You exhale, your body trembling as you clasp your hands behind your back. You weren't old enough to recall certain details of the attacks.

This was how horrible it was 

As he gazed down at you and winked at you, he entwined his fingers behind your back and whispered, "It's going to be okay."

As he stepped up from his throne, Klaus began again, "So, once again, I'd like you to protect and guard him while we're out; you've had plenty of training for this, so I'm confident you'll do fine. Finally, you are responsible for whatever happens to him."

He was now directly in front of your eyes as he kept a wary eye on your flimsy frame.

Thanks for the extra pressure. 

Jake gave him a gentle push back as he walked in front of you and coughed "Okay, don't scare her. We've got a lot of security in place, and I'm an original here who can take care of myself. I don't want to put anyone at risk, especially y/n."

As he acknowledged you specifically, it warmed your heart. He squeezed your hand not only to show that he was paying attention, but also to make you feel comfortable and secure.

Klaus grinned as he walked away from you, both of you speaking in a condescending manner.

"Our father has not and will not stop if we are alive in the past centuries, and now that you are of legal age, he is coming to take advantage of that opportunity. Our father's reign is far from done. After all, it's more for y/n than for you. Take a look at her. Do you believe she'll be able to defend YOU?" 

Your heart stung as you gasped in pain as you yanked your hands from his grasp. As you took a step forward, tears welled up in your eyes. You coughed as you drew Klaus' attention, enraged and honestly taken aback.

"No one has the right to treat me like an outsider just because I'm not a member of this family. Instead of making trouble and fleeing, why not stay and fight like a brother once in a while?I've done more for Jake than YOU could possibly do.

You turned and walked away from the family, tears streaming down your cheeks. A hand grabbed your wrist as you flung it off of you. Before exiting the room, Elijah caught Klaus just as he was ready to explode with wrath.

"This meeting is over. After 30 minutes, we'll be on our way." As you raced away from Jake, he called your name.

You heard shouts of anger from Jake as he yelled at Klaus.

However, he has never been able to see what you and your family went through to safeguard his prized heir. They were going to get a guard if they wanted one, and a good one at that.

You vowed to prove to them, and particularly to Klaus, that you belonged here.

You got to a familiar area and pounded on the door, enraged, as she approached the door.

You hurried by her and sat down, your hand outstretched as you glared angrily at her. "Oh hey—," she said. As she sat down gently across from you, she rubbed her chin and arched her brows.

"Okay, no hello or nothing. That's awesome, what's up?"

"I'd like to see him; please, show him to me right now." She chuckled, as if she'd read your mind. You wanted to prove yourself to someone. And he was the only one who had a clear idea of what needed to be done.

She sliced your hand and poured the liquid into the stone bowl as she spoke. You sat up straight and became ready. As soon as you closed your eyes, you were transported somewhere else.

---

Davine touched you on the shoulder as you sat up straight and followed her instructions by moving forward.

"You just have a few minutes, so work quickly. This is a difficult spell that becomes weaker by the second."

You stood up, shook your head, and walked over to the man perched precariously on the ledge, his feet dangling dangerously in the air. After a few minutes of sitting next to him, you began to become worked up.

"I was curious as to when you planned to pay me a visit. Princess, how are you?" As tears welled up in your eyes, you turned around in astonishment. He looked exactly the same as he did that night. His black slacks matched his stained white collared shirt.

He was perfect, still 

"I miss you, dad." Upon entering his embrace and taking in his smell, he extended his arms and welcomed you in. The lingering woody smell filled your nostril as you held onto him tighter.

"Hey, love. Whatever you're going through right now, I have complete faith in your ability to get through it. I didn't raise a wimp; instead, I raised a powerful warrior. Don't allow them get to the point where they're controlling your thoughts. What is it that I usually say?"

"Life struggles are necessary for growth."

You continued his sentence with the words "life struggles are necessary for growth." He pecked your head and held on for a little bit more.

"Y/n we have to go; the spell is slipping."

When your father saw you, he got to his feet and stood up. His hand went to your face as he noticed all your new features. He seemed intent on studying you, as if he wanted to make up for the time he had lost by not seeing you.

"I'm very proud of the women you've grown to be. I'm so proud of you, y/n. Remember that and know that I am always here for you." As a tear rolled down his cheek, he pointed to your chest.

You gave him one more hug as you raised your eyes to see his face.

"I love you, dad."

"Princess, you have my undying love. Now go out there and confront the world. Fighting for you always."

Davine held your hand as she guided you back to the present moment in time. You observed his disappearance as you bid him farewell by waving.

As soon as you regained consciousness, you hugged Davine and thanked her for her time. Afterwards, you left.

"Don't worry, y/n you got it. I've had my fair share of the Mikaelson family, so don't fret. I'm here for you."

You took a deep breath and then made your way back to the castle, smiling as you did so.

You already knew who you were on the inside; you didn't need an all-powerful family to confirm it for you. You only needed a little nudge to remember who you truly were on the inside.

The princess in your father's eyes.

"Thanks, Dad, this one for you."

[babytaes]

reaction to roller skating| en- ─ ot7 ˎˊ˗

✧ heeseung ∘*

I'm certain he's the sort to tackle anything if he's prepared. Why would he be looking up youtube videos while you're driving to the rink?

"Do you think we'll have enough time to learn the grapevine?"

You chuckle and press his shoulder to the point that you almost swerve off the side of the road.

“Do you think we'll have time to go to the hospital as well?” he laughs as he searches for other videos to practice.  

As you hold his hand, you see him struggle to skate while he murmurs words aloud. You think it's funny how he concentrates on his feet first, then his body.

He was skating all by himself before you knew it, and you were out of breath when you came to his side.

"We definitely have time to master the grapevine," says heeseung.

Pushing him away from you causes both of you to burst out laughing.You finish the night with the delectable but familiar taste of roller rink pizza.

✧ jay ∘*

He's the type of person who believes he knows what he's doing and laughs at you when you fall, yet he'll be on the floor in seconds.

When he tries to go faster than you, he hits a couple kids on his way down.

“Oh no, I'm very sorry; do you need any ice?” As you move away from the scene, children begin to wail to their mothers.

Jay is scared as he sees the children scream, rather than you helping, in the background you record him and the chaos.

Starts to skate away as he faces you, embarrassed and honestly scared. Not the best at having balance

Tied to your arm until he finds his way 

Brags about how “easy” it was

✧ jake  ∘*

OHH MY JAKE is thrilled; he's the one who's looking forward to skating. You couldn't care less cause you and balance was NOT friends.

As Jake slowly regained his balance and skated around you, you kept to the wall.

Would pout when you wouldn't do the cute couple moves with him

Catches you when you trip but ends up both on the ground

“Jake, you're not a pro.”

Scoffs at your remark as he assists you to your feet as he tries again and falls on his butt.

"I'll be better than Sunghoon one day."

"Well, I'm going to the arcade," you say as you skate away, shaking your head.

As Jake walks slowly to his car, he says, "I think we all know who the real skater in the bunch is, and it's absolutely me."

✧ sunghoon ∘*

Mr. The Ice Prince is now an expert at this activity. You remind him that you have to go slow or it won't be fun.

When he enters the lane, he scoffs, but he feels at ease. As you shake your head, you notice him inhaling the "skating rink" area.

As you stagger on the floor, he carefully holds your hand, and before you can say his name, he's off skating around the floor doing all sorts of flips and tricks.

"Sunghoon, I said slowly,"

"Sorry," he glides over to you as he frowns.

You couldn't watch him being sad so you let him go. You watched in awe as he glided across the ice like the pro he is.

✧ sunoo ∘*

Why can I see this kid crawling towards the skate rink....He would be tearing up but still wanting to prove to himself he could do it.

You start to record.

"Get off the floor, Sunoo, you're an adult." As he sits on the shiny floor, shaking his head you laugh.

"You go first, that's an accident waiting to happen."

As you chuckle and see little kids glide over the floor, you want to slap him. Kids as young as second graders were doing better than him.

After a few laps around the track, you return to him and extend your hand; he examines it with concern before entwining it.

"I promise we'll take it slow. You can’t let a child show you up.”

As he nodded, a bright smile crept across his face.

The kids did in fact laugh at him and all of his falls

But he did try his best and that is all you could ask for.

✧ jungwon ∘*

Now, both of you were average skaters; this isn't your first rodeo, and jungwon is the kind to try new things all the time.

As he skates around the floor, his instant leader senses kick in. He stumbles once as he swiftly jerks his head around looking for bystanders.

"Not him falling on his first time" you said as you skate over to him and offer your hand.

As you both skate around, he blushes as he takes it and holds it for a bit. He urges you to try some stunts, but you know you'd bust your ass if you did.

He refuses to listen, and he spends the night in the hospital with a broken wrist.

"I told you,"

"Oh, shut it and kiss it to make it feel better."

✧ niki ∘*

Now niki is the one who wants to try it out and he couldn’t care less if you fell or hurt himself. He was determined to make it around at least once without falling.

And you were watching him do it from the side wall as he carefully made his way to that spot.

You're not one to back down from a challenge, so after strapping on your skates, you gently approached him on his path, your gaze meeting.

The only thing that could be seen were determinations.

As you skated by him, you both laughed as he reached out and held your hand.

"No, do it this way," 

‘I didn’t know you were the roller skating police." you say

He laughs as he skates away while doing a turn.

‘HEyy teach me that.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

➳ Navigate to the Maze

[babytaes]

†hê Ðêmðñ (the beauty of sin)

𝖘𝖚𝖒𝖒𝖆𝖗𝖞: You're a guardian angel who's never been tasked with protecting anyone. Since you've been here since Creation, sitting around in heaven hasn't brought you any rewards. You were looking forward to the day when you'd be assigned a human to look after. When that day finally arrives, things take an unexpected turn when you are assigned to Heeseung, a demon from the underworld.

𝖕𝖆𝖎𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖌: heeseung x female reader

𝖌𝖊𝖓𝖗𝖊: angst, suggestive/smut

𝖜𝖔𝖗𝖉 𝖈𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖙: 4k

𝖜𝖆𝖗𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖘: profanity, smut scenes, bad boy heeseung (lol), 

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖗𝖆𝖎𝖙𝖘: click me before reading!

➳ part of the drunk & dazed series

☆ ҉ ◢▅◣

Sin is a spiritual virus that invades the whole being. It makes you morally and spiritually weak. It’s a deadly disease that infects every part of you: your body, your mind, your emotions, and your motives—absolutely everything. Nobody has the strength on their own to overcome its power.

Nobody should ever commit sin, never giving in to their worldly and sinful impulses. It's unjust and wrong. However, what is it about sin that makes it so fascinating and enjoyable?

It gave you joy to see it in his smile or the way his hands caressed your body. What a lovely thing sin is!

Even though some sins are innocent and enjoyable, sometimes regulations are supposed to be broken. Everyone, after all, is a sinner.

“WHAT!?,?” You began to sweat as you worriedly communicated your concerns to your overseer, “You must be mistaken, High Lord.”

“I understand the protocol; angels are supposed to serve as "guardian angels" to beautiful or broken souls on Earth. You know we're expected to look after them and keep an eye on them to make sure they stay on track. With all due respect, ma'am, I don't believe I'm qualified for this position; at the very least, someone of level 10 would be ideal.”

Her cream-colored wings swept her off her feet as she chuckled and waved for you to follow her. You sighed as you flutter up and away with her, trailing behind her, feeling a twitch in yours.

As you eventually caught up to her, dodging angels left and right, you apologized to random angels in your path, uncomfortably smiled at the people you bumped into with your wings.

You retracted your wings closer to you and walked uneasily beside your overseer as you carefully stepped down on the golden road.

Before you could say anything, she quietly took your hand in hers and gently kissed it, assuring you that everything would be alright. As you approached the center of the commotion, you bit your lower lip and remained silent.

Looking around at the community, it warmed your heart to see so many people, young and old, out here. Some you've known since the beginning of time, while others were born only last week. Everyone had gathered to witness the masterpiece that would emerge in an instant.

“You know Y/N I have complete faith in you that this first expedition will be a breeze,” you smiled, looking up at her with excitement and a tinge of fear in your eyes. “We wouldn't have suggested you for the job unless we knew who you really are, and you've earned it.” Don't worry, you were expecting this; now have a look.”

With her finger pointing to the stage forward, you were treated to yet another spectacular show. They're known as the "Grand Turning" in Heaven. This is where a new or seasoned angel has completed his or her training with a human or demon and earned their proper place in the community.

It could be a badge, a ribbon, or something more unique, such as the opportunity to talk with the all-powerful, our God.

Despite the fact that you were assigned to him, you were determined to get those jobs because they were the only way for you to ever get that honor. You weren't going to allow Mr. Unperfect take away that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Nobody could and will ever be able to make you fail this assignment; you were meticulously prepped. You were taught the correct and only way to do things, and now was your opportunity to shine. You were not going to be a Lucifer, cast from Heaven

“I'll do it,” you said to your supervisor, a smile on your face and confidence in your eyes. She turned to face you and hugged you passionately, rubbing your wings with a motherly devotion.

“I knew you could do it; now it's time to get you ready.”

---

When people have a near-death experience, they always remark that life flashes before their eyes. Unfortunately for angels, it's the contrary; when we're approached with a high-alert danger or warning, it's more of a gentle whisper in our ears. Normally more attentive while traveling to Earth.

The best place to be humans say.. What is with these fickle minded words?

You take a deep breath and turn to face your overseer, who is polishing her wings to ensure that they are kept in order. When having wings, a routine is taught from the beginning to keep them in a good up do. Nobody wants to look simple when you can look stunning.

She took your hand in hers and walked toward the end of the route, issuing some documents to the Pearl City Gate guards. You noticed the circular orb while glancing around.

"How can some humans believe in the world being flat, we literally have an air-like view. To me, it's definitely round.” She chuckled as she pinched your cheeks and turned your puzzled face to her.

“When you get down to earth, you'll see a lot of that, people with a lot of opinions. But what did you learn in your training?”

Standing up and smoothing your wings, you calmly shouted out the words as if they were written on the back of your palm.

“Although humans are the destroyers of their own precious planet, everyone's opinion matters, regardless of race, gender, or identity.”

“Well, not all,” you began scratching your head, “I've seen some harsh individuals in our study books, God should strike them down-“

“Um no ma'am, let us put it aside for the time being and focus on what needs to be done.” She started going over a list of laws and regulations for your descent to Earth. As you gave her a thumbs up, you were attentively listening and mentally bookmarking everything in their designated area.

I believe I have a good understanding of everything, and I think I am prepared.” She offered you a short hug before letting you go, showing her affection for you. You were going to miss her, despite the fact that it was a mutually-surface relationship.

“Last but not least, this ordeal will be different in that people will be able to see you. But if you have to use your wings, the lad is the only one who can see you. When you arrive, he will be waiting for you. My child, best of luck and may God bless you.”

You let go of her and moved toward the road's edge, gripping your bag as you turned to face her and waved farewell as you stepped over the brink.

“Wait a minute, what if-“

When you felt a push from behind, you tumbled off the ledge and spun around in the sky, where you saw a smiling face as you glanced up. They didn't tell you that you'd have to be pushed. As you plunged to Earth, you closed your eyes, terrified. Oh, how nice.

Screaming, you descended into the atmosphere, your narrowed eyes seeing glimpses of land here and there. Not letting up you let your wings cover your whole body as you plopped down onto soft green grass.

You peered out from your wings, gasping for air, and glanced up.

“Oh, Heavens”

His physique was slender, active, and well-groomed, with a trace of bad boy behavior in his scent. The first thing that struck your eye were the rips in his jeans. How could a man-made mistake seem to be so appealing? As you raised your eyes, you noticed tattoos splattered across his arms and up to his neck. His black velvet-like wings fluttering in the breeze, he raised his palm to his hair and stroked through the old curls, deconstructing the pattern they had once formed.

“Did you just pull a Lucifer or was this all planned?” he coughed as he put out his hand to you, taking a good look at you.

Stuttering in your words you quickly got up and patted yourself off and finally looked him in the eyes, noticing his dark eyes.

“Well, that wasn't supposed to happen, I hoped to fly down here and appear more Angel-like, but I think my overseer had other ideas.”

He said, "Ah," with a bored expression on his face.

“My name is Heeseung, and if you don't mind, I assume you don't.” I guess my name is well-known in Heaven. You're probably the fifth Angel who has appeared in the last year to “assist me.” What a load of bullshit; you can't hide what's already there, you know.”

He made a pouty look as he smirked closer to you before covering his hand with his mouth and saying, “oh forgive me, I suppose I have a potty mouth.”

Panicking at this new light, you smiled and coughed loudly and suddenly, “Before you say anything else, I'd want to inform you that I'm not like those angels we don't talk about. I have a holy standard that I adhere to.

He rushed to your face, rolling his eyes at your innocence, and murmured to you, "well see about that little Ms. Purity."

As you moved back and shook your head, spurring out prayers, you tugged the strings of your bag close to you, seeming irritated. Looking up, you noticed him hovering in mid-air with his arms crossed, waiting for you.

“Whether you're coming or not, I'm in the mood for a cup of coffee. Allow me to go fetch you one so that this whole ordeal between us may be over soon and we can both return to our respective worlds.”

You instantly snap open your wings and shot up into the sky, scoffing at his rudeness, and dash by him, racing to the left.

“It's this way, dummy,” he cackled as he immediately shot out. Embarrassed and annoyed, you flipped over to his side and flew alongside him, praying to the Lord for peace as your rage subsided.

“Lord, so help me”

---

 “So, what's on the agenda, Ms. Purity? There are a lot of things I'd want to do with you. You know, if you just ditch this whole act, we might be able to have some fun. He winked at you as he sipped his drink while peering across the table.

You shook your head and chuckled, gagging at his remark, "You must get all the girls, you appear really, what's the word, competent" I'm astonished since I assumed everyone down under was inept.”

He smirked and crossed his legs as he lay startled in his chair, cocking his head to the side. It's not that you were trying to be mean; it's just what you were taught. There are no hard feelings.

“Well, as much as I'd like to keep this delightful little date going, I have a commitment to fulfill. You know, duty calls.” You quickly got up and hurried after him, confused as to where he was going, as he shot up in the air and chuckled, waving farewell to you.

“Wait, Heeseung, you can't just go away like that. We need to figure out how I'm going to find you. You're being impolite by getting up and leaving.” You made yourself look insane since you didn't realize no one could see him. You wouldn't want to be labeled as one of these Earthlings.

You beckoned him down, mentally terrified, “Please can you just come down for a damn second.” Your jaw dropped as you hurriedly covered your mouth. Heeseung's jaw dropped when he appeared in front of you, stunned.

“Gasp, I'm hearing a term I'm sure they don't say in Heaven. Hmm, I suppose the Earth changes people.” He went closer to your ear, his warm arm bouncing on your skin as he giggled, his lips inches away from yours.

“I've already entered my phone number into your phone; you do understand what a phone is, right?” Doesn't matter,  I have to get somewhere, and you can locate me later. Okay, I'll see you later.” He swept up in the air and rushed over to the bridge as he vanished into the horizon, rushing out in a haste once more.

You sat back in the coffee chair, wiped your brow, and focused mentally and spiritually, pleading with the Lord for help and forgiveness. You had a feeling this mission was going to be a disaster.

Whining, you threw your hands in the air and sat face down on the table, groaning as you realized this trek. It's no surprise that these honors are well-deserved; it takes a lot of effort.

You cautiously lifted your head and faced the barista after hearing a soft tap on your table. She smiled at you as she set down a piece of paper. You scowled as you inspected the weird set of paper.

“What a jerk, he didn't just leave me to pay for both drinks.” With a shake of your head, you reached inside your bag and drew out a wallet. Your overseer informed you that many people like flaunting and spending their money, so she provided some for you just in case.

As you cleaned up, you began to mentally map out your route through town, mentally picturing the locations and navigating your way home. As you walked over to the cashier, you handed her some money and thanked her before heading out the door.

At the very least, you landed in a fantastic location. It was in the heart of South Korea, and the city was called Seoul, a wonderful metropolis to be sure. You were taught to master specific languages for specific tasks, so communicating wasn't a problem. Despite the fact that you were new in a strange place, you were determined to make the most of it. The first step was to return home and examine the situation.

How to manage Lee Heeseung. 

Arriving at your small abode was an adventure in itself; it didn't take long for you to connect your GPS and get going. It was actually fairly pleasant and provided a change of scenery to enjoy. It's not quite Heaven, but it's still lovely. When you finally arrive at your destination, you look up to see a little, charming apartment in front of you.

They really went all out for you, and it's very much in your style. You'd felt right at home as soon as you stepped inside, as it was more modern and sophisticated.

To be honest, you had no idea what you were doing, but it felt good to have your own little place to do anything you wanted. You could get used to this, no wonder why humans never leave their house. Who would want to leave when you have everything here. Food, entertainment, and a BALCONY!!

As you finished exploring the apartment and basked in its magnificence, you laughed to yourself as you made your way to the couch, sinking into its coziness as sleep took over your mind and body.

*Crunch, thud, bang*

As you lurched forward, you flew up your wings in defense mode, trying to understand what you'd heard.

“Who's there? I have a weapon, and I'm not afraid to use it.”

When you hear a familiar giggle, you look up and see the attractive intruder. Walking over to you and snatching the pillow from your grasp he took your hand and pulled you over to the island where he had prepared some food.

As you took it all in, you smelt familiar scents and smiled, completely forgetting about it until you were reminded again.

“Wait, what are you doing in my apartment, and how did you get in?”

He began to remove some pots and pans from the stove while he placed some food on a platter, saying, "I have my methods."

“I'm not sure what you eat up there in Heaven, but I'm guessing it's all healthy and nutritious food.” You laughed and shook your hand in disbelief while shaking your head.

“I don’t think out of all places we would be eating so strictly. It's basically whatever you can get your hands on.. It's guaranteed to be better food than what you'll find in Hell.”

Pulling the dish away from him, you began to pick at the fries, popping one into your mouth and savoring the flavor, “not bad.”

He bowed in front of you, wiped the sweets from his brow, and returned to sit next to you, grabbing a dish and feeding himself some. As the night progressed, you told him the rundown for the next three months.

“So, despite the fact that you're definitely one of the worst jerks I've ever encountered. For this to function, we'll need to create certain ground rules.” Aiming a finger between you and him. “I'm not sure whether you've ever had to do anything for anyone else in your life, but it's all about serving people around here, and that's why I accepted this assignment. Even if you don't want to help yourself, I want to help you.”

As Heeseung shuffled around in his chair, avoiding eye contact with you, the atmosphere became tense.

“Harsh, but keep going.”

Smiling you continued as you tried to wrap your head around this complex creature.

“I understand that we are supposed to protect and guide you to do good, but it appears that we have progressed far beyond that, and we need to start at the source of your problem, which is most likely your heart or mind. What's going on in both?

As his words danced across your lips, he smirked and drew you closer to him.

“Now there's a secret.” 

Smirking as your face felt warm, you cocked your head to the side and touched his shoulder before getting up and setting your dish in the sink, cleaning up as piercing eyes stabbed your back.

“I understand what you're thinking, and I've got it all under control.”

He approached you and said, "If you say so," as he put his head against your ear.

2 months later 

Everything was certainly out of hand, and he was to blame. Your strategy not only failed, but it was only a matter of time until your overseer found out. And you didn’t want to end up like the last guy tossed from Heaven.

It wasn't all that bad, but who were you kidding, it was a disaster. It wasn't a major shift; rather, it was a series of modest changes. Things like accidentally cursing or hanging out with him at ungodly hours. You convinced yourself that everything was OK.

He drew you into your room and sat you down while hovering over you, gently caressing your body and kissing you.

You smiled and drew him closer to you, wrapping your legs around his waist and bringing him down on you, closing the distance between you.

Heeseung has been on a mission to damage your "innocent demeanor" for the past two weeks. He intended to show you that it was all a charade and that no one is actually perfect. Despite not knowing what he was going to do, you were up for the challenge. That core part of you didn't take long to succumb to his immoral impulses.

What was the problem as long as you were both happy?

“Heeseung,” you say as he draws you closer to him and unclasps your bra with his free hand. As you slowly rise to assist him, you toss the material to the ground and reach for his sweatpants.

“Someone a little needy, but we are not doing that today. Today is all about pampering my lovely angel. Is it all right?”

Nodding your head, you keep an eye on him as he goes between your legs, halting at the bottom as he eyes your breast and grasps softly as your body adjusts.

“Hurry up,” you grumble as you stare at his sinister grin. As you moan, he places gentle lips along your folds, leaning down to your core. As you twitch under his touch, his finger makes a fast dive between your folds, inciting dampness.

As you whine from the pressure, your eyes flutter shut as he switches his finger out with his tongue, softly licking up your surface.

“mm, close,” you exclaim, your lips wide open as he notices your clit, tongue flicking lustfully against it. As he presses harder on your sensitive region, he laughs as you break apart under his power.

“Oh God, right there.” 

“Please don't involve Him in this.” He hits a place as your high comes crashing down on you, chuckling at your reaction. Heeseung is holding you down and watching you quiver wildly as you release juice, which causes him to swallow it before wiping his mouth. As you fall onto his body, overwhelmed and still sensitive to the sensation, he pulls you up.

He lays your exhausted body next to his and wipes any excess arousal from his mouth before kissing your lips.

You both lay in a comfortable stillness for the remainder of the night, your breathing slowly returning to normal as you sign into his arms.

“Perhaps you're right; we're all just horny, messed-up creatures; I mean, even though what we're doing is completely wrong, it was fun to break the rules. My entire life has been focused on doing the right thing and being this upstanding angel. It's fun to deviate from the norm.” As Heeseung witnessed you erupt in rage, you became agitated.

“You’re cute when you’re mad, also I told you.” You both chuckled as you pushed him to the side before coming to a halt in the middle of your conversation, looking concerned at him.

“However, I leave tomorrow and I don't think I'll be ready to see you off, and this was not in my plan.”

“Shhh, I figured it out; just stick to my plan and we'll both come out on top.”

You sat closer to him, nodding your head and clasping your hand in his as you allowed sleep to take over your body.

As you may know, angels and humans have quite distinct punishments; some humans are never punished for their wrongdoings, whereas angels' actions are usually discovered one way or another.

And you were terrified that they would find out. The person who fell from the edge was not the same person who was returning back and everyone was going to know it. Just not right now, you had to maintain your composure as you approached your overseer.

As you were greeted with the overseer and some guards, you held Heeseung by his chains and whispered something into his ear.

“I see you were having a good time?” You shook your head and looked down, worried. You looked up at her with sad eyes.

“Yes, High Lord, I am aware of my error and what needs to be done in order to be purified once more. I accept complete responsibility for this assignment, but I crack him first, and we have all the secrets we need.”

As he observed you return to the opposite side with the overseer, Heeseung's gaze shifted up in fright. Fearing for his life, he flailed his wings in an attempt to flee.

“What the hell, Y/N, I thought we were on the same team.” How could you betray me in such a way?” You walked over to his trembling body and pushed him down so you were above him, laughing loudly. You patted his shoulder as you cackled.

“And they said angels could be trustworthy. I know what I'm worth, and it has nothing to do with you. Heseeung, please accept my apologies. Get him out of here.” The guards grabbed his chains and dragged him to a chamber across the room from you.

As she began to compliment you on your efforts, the supervisor wrapped her arm around your shoulder.

“I'm proud of you, Y/N, even though you used some terrible techniques. I knew you'd be able to pull it off.”

You grinned joyously and thanked her for her faith in you as you looked up at her face. You cast another peek at Heeseung as she stepped forward, and he winked at you. Smirking before he disappeared into the room you chuckled at his behavior.

Everything was going swimmingly, and no one had a clue. I suppose taking over Heaven would be a simple task; if you can blow up the inside, everything will fall apart on its own.

"How could you hide this from all of us?" "Oh God, you underestimated me."

The Beauty of Sin.

☆ ҉ ◢▅◣

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[babytaes]

forever mine

pairing: eric x reader

genre: fluff.... with a side of fluff

warning: bits of profanity

part of the welcome to the forest series- serenity

As the tires slid across the hard gravel, laughter erupted throughout the van as Eric cracked jokes.

"Guys, I'm confident I can put up a tent in less than 30 minutes. Back in the day, I was a Boy Scout."

Sunwoo responded, shaking his head at Eric, "Eating boxes of Thin Mints does not make you a boy scout."

As you listened to his friend's banter, your face brightened up. Eric was the type of person who was extremely...what was the word? Overconfident. Well you did give it to him some days. But you know this challenge will only result in him begging his friends for assistance.

At this point, it feels like a never-ending cycle. You heard the ruckus, which drew you back from your thoughts by younghoon's snickers.

"Let's bet, and you know what I'll add y/n to this task." "It's better to have two hands than one."

As you turned your head to face him, the silence was stifling.

“Ha, you’re funny.”

His face was stone cold as you heard a muffled laugh in the back. Your eyes shoot back to that person as they quickly quiet down.

“Come on, y/n, it'll be a blast.” He encircled you with his arm as he drew your annoyed presence closer to him.

“Fuck you.”

That was yours and Eric's life, full of endless games and raucous laughter. Even though he were annoying half all the time, you loved every bit of him...

It didn't faze you that he had just thrown this task in your lap, beside you liked hanging out with him.  As the rest of the commotion subsided, your head rested on Eric's shoulder, his hand wrapped around you like clockwork.

As he leaned in closer to you, his remarks were barely audible.

“Sorry if I pulled you into all of that.”

Your heart sounded like a train as it slowly chugged along the tracks of uncertainty. You never gave it any thought because it was normal for you two. It was always Eric and y/n. 

It was all blurry as you tried to see it envisioned in your brain. But it faded out as you heard a loud yelp.

“WERE HERE!”

As the noisy atmosphere resumed, the van came to a standstill. As you step out the door, you take a deep breath as you insert your headphones in your ears. As the rest of the gang exited the car, the other van pulled up alongside it. Not only did you all deserve a well-deserved holiday, but you were all in desperate need of one.

“LETS GET DRUNK!!” As he fumbles forward, a hyperactive man leaps from the back. As he talked in languid phrases, his arms fell over you and Juyeon's body.

“I think you should take a nap before you start getting all worked up.” Hyunjae sighs as he makes his way back to the car, crawling inside and taking a nap.

"Hello, no assistance," Sangyeon's voice rang through the camping area as he shook his baffling head. 

Pressing play on your music is hindered as you feel a hand on your shoulder. Your body goes cold as you turn around and face him. His grin melts your chilly attitude as he motioned you forward. 

"I'll begin the clock." 

The sound of wind in the trees and the stirring of leaves captivated your body as you stood and watched. The little animals of the woodland bounced and dashed around the woody region. Taking a look at the campsite you saw the various gatherings of individuals spread out as you laughed

The oldest we're attempting to get everybody on board to set up before it gets dark. While the most youthful ones were going around making recordings as different young ladies snickered in a distance. Hyunjae was still sleeping in the van as you turned to face Eric. His arms were completely out to the sun as he pulled some metal shafts from the pack. 

It seemed like you were spellbound as he shouted to you. 

"Y/n, hello, earth to y/n." 

"Yes, sorry," you shook your head as you strolled over to his side as he talked a few directions to you. 

*Just to clarify the tent did NOT get made in 30 minutes.*

--

The air had fundamentally gotten colder as we all assembled around the fire pit. You looked as the sets sat together and laughed while Eric battled to toast his marshmallow. 

"Y/nnn help me, please. It's falling off the stick." He whimpered as a portion of the individuals recorded his upheaval. The camera panned to you as you shook your head and feigned annoyance.  

"I'm dealing with children." 

Eric moped as he plunked down close to you. You took his stick from his hand and tossed the consumed one into the fire as you set a new one on. He watched in wonder as you painstakingly turned the stick toasting it delicately.

*it has to be lightly toasted, no other way.*

Cautiously snatching a graham wafer you gradually positioned the cooked marshmallow on the chocolate. You crushed the sides together as you snickered. The hug it always needed.

"There you go, Eric. Perfect and lightly toasted." 

You stood up from your spot and rested where you were regularly at as Eric laid his head on your shoulder. 

"I can always count on you y/n. Thanks." 

His eyes sparkled by the firelight as you glimmered up at him, grinning ear to ear. Gazing down at his delicate dotted face you giggle as you draw nearer to him.

“Friends don’t look at each other the way you two do.” Sangyeon said as he raised an eyebrow.

Pushing his shoulder you rolled your eyes as your heart beat quicker. He was right on the money.. the relationship had been changing and you didn't have the foggiest idea what to do. 

You did not want to lose him.

As the night fell quicker and the sky sparkled with spots of stars, the group gradually began to scatter. A small bunch of them remained by the fire as you pulled Eric to follow you. Eric frowns as he takes cues from you.

His soft feet make its way over to you as you chuckle at his movement. He was consistently the mindful one. You rested by the lake as you tapped the seat close to you. Eric listened mindfully as he sat down close to you.

“Eric.. what are we?”

His head gradually turned as he murmured, you could see his wheels turning in head as his brain began to exhaust itself.

“umm, well-“

“I mean you don’t have to answer now.” You pushed his arm as he fell back.

“Hey!”

As Eric set his arm around your shoulder, you hurried nearer to him as you gazed up at the brilliant sky. 

"How about we simply see where this night takes us." Confused and stunned you peer down at him as he smiles 

His hand reaches your chin as he turns it to you. Closing the distance between you takes centuries as you hear a scream.

"Y/N AND ERIC ARE HAVING SEX IN THE DARK," you don't arrive at his lips as you both whipped your head around to see hyunjae rushing to the group. 

Everything happened so particularly quick as you pecked Eric's lips and dashed after hyunjae tossing slews of curse words towards him.

Eric looked as he grinned at the wonderful sight.

“I can’t believe she’s all mine now.”

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

taglist: @eternalhongshine (message me if you also want to be added!!)

[babytaes]

and then there were 3

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

The kitchen filled with his cheerful hum as he set down the bags filled with bottles of alcohol, wrapping his arms around you.

"Hi baby, miss me?" 

He was incredibly touchy this evening as you felt his giggles against your cheek.

"I just saw you 10 minutes ago, honey. I wasn't the one who forgot about the dinner we were hosting today."

You rolled your eyes when he expressed disapproval so quickly. As you released his grip from your body, you heard his cries.

As he rested his elbow on the marble table, he sighed and smirked.

You laugh as you pass the table and add, "I don't know why you host these events." "You aren't really... "fond of get-togethers like this" is a phrase that comes to mind.

Snickering, he drew you closer to him, his face inching closer to yours.

As you took in all of his features, your breath caught in your throat. It was as if you were falling in love with him for the first time.

His black curls fell over his worn coffee-stained eyes, but his boyish smile remained.

"At the very least, you get to meet Seungcheol's little kid." As he whirled you around like a princess, he raised his brow.

For a moment, it seemed like you were back at college with him. He often invited you on impromptu outings to Chick Fil A or talked about his "raggedy professors," as he called them, late at night when you were studying.

Time stopped for a second as your hand rested on his shoulder, and his arms snaked around your waist.

As he spilled out, he gently pressed a kiss to your forehead.

"Perhaps seeing Si-woo will put you in the mood for... oh, I don't know, making one."

As you took a step back, you gasped. You had never actually discussed this topic before. It's not like you didn't see jeonghan in YOUR future. It's just that he wanted YOU in his also.

"Jeonghan, are you serious? If this isn't a joke, You’ll be in real trouble at couples counseling this weekend."

"I would—" his remarks were cut short when the doorbell rang.

"We will talk about this later," he smirked as he placed a peck on your cheek.

As he approached the door, he opened it for the visitors and their spouses, leaving you stunned and struggling to process everything.

"A baby? He wants a family!" Tears welled up in your eyes as you smiled warmly at him as he welcomed the visitors.

As he turns to face you, your gaze is fixed on his frame. He blew you a kiss while smiling at you like he did back then.

You couldn't wait to start your life with him.

He is everything to you, and you are everything to him, and one day it will be a little boy or girl life for both of you.

The dinner party had begun before you realized it, and his arms were webbed behind your waist as he spoke into your ear.

"We could just ditch them and start trying now.. I'm willing to take on a challenge." He smirked at you as he tightened his grip on you.

As you kissed his cheek, you brushed it aside.

"That is, of course, something you would recommend. Come on, we have visitors to entertain."

As he wrapped you in his arms, he pulled back your hand, lips ever so close.

"They'll have to wait. The baby business is up and running, and I'm excited to get started." As you shushed him down, you rolled your eyes.

"Keep it in your pants," you said, rolling your eyes, while introducing yourself to everyone Jeonghan stood next to you.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to." Before you nudged him in the back, he mumbled in your ear.

Just so we're clear... The dinner definitely ended a few hours earlier than expected.

As he covered you, your giggles echoed around the room. He encased you in a blanket while kissing your lips.

It was baby-making time!

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[babytaes]

reaction to build-a-bear workshop date| en- ─ ot7 ˎˊ˗

✧ heeseung ∘*

“You know, I think I could stuff you a lot better.” You quickly spun around and struck him on the shoulder, gasping.

“We're in public, heeseung” As you watched the worker giggle from the side, you averted her gaze. When she noticed the disturbance, she pulled the bear from your grip and went on with the rest of the task.

As you walked away from him, he became perplexed and swiftly returned to your side.

“What, did I say something wrong?”

You couldn't believe this kid; had he said something inappropriate? You were astounded by his idiocy, but you still adored him and his peculiarities.

“No love, don’t worry about it,” pushing him to the side you heard the lady call you as you went to grab your bear. As you thanked her, you proceeded to the clothing aisle and grabbed some clothes to put on her.

Hearing his breath as he whispered in your ears, you felt a pair of hands on your waist.

“I wasn’t joking what I stated before.”

“Keep it in your pants, Lee,” you said as you pushed him away and marched up to the cash register to pay.

“Y/N come backkk”

✧ jay ∘*

On most days, an unexpected date surprised you, but this one threw you for a loop. Build-A-Bear was the last place that came to mind.

As we walked into the store, you could feel his energy pouring from his body, as his eyes gleamed.

As you've seen your fair share of bears and already have one at home, the various sizes and hues do their best to get your attention.

“I didn't think you were the kind to like plush animals.”

From across the room, you could hear him chuckle as he touched all of the bears, making sure he got the right one.

“The more you know, the better.” As he plucked a tan bear from the shelf, he smirked. As his eyes lit, you could see his entire body take in a breath of life. It was like you were looking at a child in a candy store.

Unless he wanted to start having date nights at Victoria Secrets, you weren't going to ruin this moment for him.

You would have definitely seen a different person then, oh my.

✧ jake  ∘*

“You're lying, I have a lot more bears than you have, and if you have a lot more, I'll buy you one to prove that I lost.”

Extending your hand to his, you firmly shook it and chuckled as you thought about the new bear you were going to have.

You were both on your way to Build-A-Bear, and Jake was still surprised that you had 25 bears. Yes, he did count them.

“All right, let's call this a date. It seems to me that it would help you feel better.” Jake's ears perked up as he smiled broadly at you with that perked up puppy stare.

“Deal”

You grabbed a pre-stuffed bear from the shelf and held it in your palm. You hugged it warmly as you held it under your fingertips.

“This is the one!”. He took your hand in his and went to pay for the bear, and you smiled brightly at him as he did so.

“Quit smiling at me; I can't concentrate while you're staring at me like that.”

“Thank you, babe,”

As he walked out of the store, he grabbed the bag and thanked the lady, saying, "Anything to make your addiction bigger."

✧ sunghoon ∘*

You glanced at Sunghoon as he struggled to come up with a recording for your twin bears, “Is this your first time doing this?”

“I promise you, this is the last one. It has to be perfect. On the last one, my tone was off.” You laughed as you walked away from him and his recording.

As you walked throughout the store, you selected different clothing for sunghoon's bear, including a fashionable suit for his bear. In suits, he always looks good.

You heard his cries as he motioned you over to the cashier, and as you approached him, he snickered as you showed him your teddy.

“Wow, I look really good in a suit.”

“That's what I said as well,” taking your hand in his, you both paid for the different bears and exited the store, stopping immediately next to a chair area.

He took out the bear and motioned for you to gently squeeze her paw, fearful for the message, you softly squeeze it.

“I love you, my princess.”

You pulled him in for a hug as you kissed his lips, tearing up as soon as you heard it.

“I will treasure her for the rest of my life.”

✧ sunoo ∘*

“Hug it whenever you miss me and think of me.” The boys were about to embark on a tour, and not seeing him on a daily basis was going to break your heart.

So sunoo decided to take you on a date to Build-A-Bear Workshop to get you both a bear so you can have one made as a couple. Having one that was ours, even when you had one at home, was special.

“Pick whatever you want, my treat,” says sunoo. You squeal and jump about the store, looking for a bear, while smiling brilliantly.

Not just any bear, but one made with the love of both of you.

You whirled around and placed a strawberry spotted one in Sunoo's hands after picking it up. He adored it when he saw you doing something you enjoyed, and despite his sadness at having to leave you, he felt you were strong enough to overcome it.

“sunoo look at this outfit; let's choose two. Oh, and they've got caps, too!”

He stepped up and gave a kiss on your forehead as he continued to assist you in finding an outfit for our bear!

✧ jungwon ∘*

“Can we please get a cat? He looks exactly like me.” You came to a halt and took the cat-like one from the shelf, inspecting him for a moment.

“I mean”

As he swung around, he pouted in front of you and grabbed your arm. A trick he used where he got his way most of the time.

Who could possibly resist his pouty eyes, right? It worked for the members, and it worked particularly well for you.

“All right, but don't start meowing or anything else, or I'll put you up for adoption.” He leaped up and down like a child, grabbing the cat and sprinting to the stuffing department.

As he giggled, you swear you heard a meow come from his mouth.

“I'm not going to play with you, jungwon; I'm going to give you up.”

“Like you could get rid of me”

✧ niki ∘*

Even though he put on this act for enhypen, you could see the true youngster behind the mask as his eyes literally glowed as we approached the Build-A-Bear store.

You can't blame him; his adolescence was put on hold at such a young age, and in this field, you have to mature faster, therefore the thrill was definitely desired.

“Pick what you want, I want to treat you today, okay?”

“You sure?”

You pecked him on the cheek and pushed him towards the wide bear options, saying, "Go for it child."

Despite the fact that this day was intended for him to relive some childhood memories, he showered you with affection as you returned to the staff car.

“Thank you very much, y/n; I couldn't have asked for a nicer date.”

You put your head on his shoulder and grinned as he pulled you into another hug. “You better not love her more than me,” you said.

He smirked as he held onto the bear, “hmm?”

“NIKIIIIIII”

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

➳ Navigate to the Maze

[babytaes]

The Kickback

summary: What happens when your long-life crush's secret is discovered? In hopes of not wanting him to find out, what do you do... nothing.

pairing: dk x female reader

genre: fluff, slice of life, crack lol.

warnings: profanity

word count: 3k

a/n: today is my birthday and I wanted to share this one that has been in my drafts for so long. this campus life is stressful but I’m finding time to upload here and there. I hope you enjoy and have a great day/night. Much love from Babytaes! :) Also I really didn’t read this over sooo... if it doesn’t make sense. Take it up with corporation. 

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

“Dear diary, I saw my crush today. I saw him in the living room after my brother invited him over with another friend. It's not as if I'm scared of him. I've spoken with him numerous times. I mean, I'm almost fluent in his language, lol. Seeing him and hearing his boisterous laugh was still entertaining. I'm wondering if he'll be at the kickback this weekend; if so, maybe I'll have the bravery to approach him. Okay, goodbye journal, love y/n.”

Your life consisted of short, insignificant interactions with him; however, when you had a crush, life was exciting and unpredictable. Since you're so near to him on a daily basis, your crush increased exponentially as you couldn't control your intrusive thoughts.

Yes, you did think of him, probably 25/8. It's not like you didn't know him, but you only knew the head version of him. And we all know they could be two different people. So the only thing left to do is keep it secret.

It's impossible for your secret to come out when you're the only one who knows about it. Right? Unfortunately, this isn't a movie, and your secret was revealed, and the perpetrator was none other than your arch-nemesis, Boo Seungkwan.

Okay, not quite that far, but you and him frequently collided because you and him could never agree on anything. He's just Boo, and he has his own behavior category.

He was the second-to-last person you wanted to find out about, after your crush, of course. From this point on, your life was not going as planned.

Your secret would never be revealed to Lee Seokmin, and you would do anything to protect it.

“What are you doing?” You leapt to your feet as you hurriedly closed your diary, terrified of prying eyes.

You rolled your eyes and stuffed your journal into a drawer with random papers, saying, "Shit, why don't you ever knock."

“Well, this is my shared dorm, and you're basically free living here,” he chuckled. You gave him a sidelong glance.

He was right.

“Is that a way you treat your twin? Is it now.”

He strolled away, completely oblivious to your yelling, and into the kitchen.

“Shut up, and get your ass out here we have to go shopping for the kickback. If you’re not out in 10 I’m leaving your ass.”

Great sibling love, what more could you ask for.  As much as you know that this is the way he expresses his love, you still got up and started getting ready for the day despite his warning.

Amidst your constant disagreements with him, you still loved him. The only problem was that you had to keep your love interest hidden from him. You could see it now and the big brother trying to protect and all that annoying shit.

You were old enough to take care of yourself and you didn’t want unruly men to ruin something that you wanted for so long.

“Coming, if you leave me, I'll tell Mom.” And I think we can all agree that I am the favorite twin.” As he slammed the fridge door shut, you could hear his huge scoffs.

You hurriedly grabbed your purse and beanie as you dashed for the door, laughing at his tantrums. He had a habit of leaving you behind.

We will not speak of March 5, 2017.

“Hey, wait up,” you said as you ran to his car and jumped in before him, grabbing the aux before him.

He started the car and sped out of the dorm parking lot on his way to the store, saying, "You're such a pain in the ass."

“Oh, don't act as if you don't love me.”

“Whoever said I did must have lied to you. Mingyu laughed as he accelerated through Seoul's crowded streets.

The jokes, the laughter, and the love were all part of the experience of living with one of the biggest Kpop groups.

You wouldn’t have it any other way!

While listening to your playlist, the song "Come to You" perfectly complemented the mood.

You smiled as you passed many streets and watched the busy lives of many different people. You could say you had an imaginative mind.

We arrived at the store a long way down the road, grabbed one of the carts, and proceeded to a separate aisle of the store.

Buying stuff was always expensive with a party of 13 and more friends on the way. Almost everything had to be doubled, and the meat had to be tripled. When throwing a party, everyone is required to provide a dish.

You didn't seem to mind; after all, you weren't paying, so you just chilled on the cart while you watched Mingyu placed the goods in neatly.

You told Mingyu to grab a specific chip as you walked to the chip aisle, and he furrowed his brow.

“What are those? I've never seen them before.

"Dokyeom likes them," you blurted out without a second thought. As you mentally processed what you had said, you stared at him with wide eyes.

Shit.

“When they're not there, Dokyeom and Soonyoung get upset.” You shook your head and scooted by him, tossing two bags into the overflowing shopping cart.

“Oh-okay I guess you can get them.”

As you pushed the cart toward the cashier, you mentally slapped yourself in the face. You were certain that you would not crack.

The ride home was silent as the only noise was the continuous taps from Mingyu's fingers on the wheel.

Mingyu called wonwoo on his phone as he drove up to the dorm and asked him to help with the groceries.

As you heard Mingyu pout over the phone, he refused, and not even minutes after, wonwoo is strolling down the driveway on his way to the car.

“You shouldn't even have picked up I know I wouldn't"  Wonwoo pushed your shoulder and chuckled at your humor. “I know”

“Heyyy I'm right here,” Mingyu began to sulk as he observed his sister speaking without him.

You and wonwoo both chuckled as you gathered your belongings and began walking away from Mingyu.

---

The days went by slowly as you reached the door. It was time to leave the house. You grabbed a jacket and purse. Today, the boys went to Hybe for a quick practice session before heading out for the weekend.

Because you are such a good friend and thoughtful person, you decided to buy them a few drinks as a gift. It wasn't anything special, you didn't want to see anyone, noo.

It took some time to order everything, especially with the large number of 13 items. Since you've known each other for most of your lives, the drinks on the list haven't changed. Ice Americanos and Frappes were the most popular drinks.

As soon as you arrived at the Hybe building, you swiftly grabbed the bag containing the drinks and proceeded to their floor. You finally made it to their practice room after thanking the employees for their assistance.

Slowly pushing the door open, you drew the attention of almost everyone as they turned to face you. As a number of them raced over to you and took the beverages from you, smiles crept across their faces.

As they sipped their drinks, the room was filled with thank yous and hellos.

The voice of an angel said, "Thanks again, y/n." He gave you a short smile before returning to his practice. Oblivious to people around you, words spilled out.

“Fuck, he's so attractive.”

“Whose good looking?” As you slowly turned around, you heard a voice speaking to you from behind you.

Fuck

It's Boo Seungkwan. He smiled at you as he grabbed a drink from your hand. He cocked his head as he sipped it, and his eyes widened.

“Don’t tell me you said dokyeom is good looking, no fucking way.”

As you coughed to relieve the high tension in the air, you started to mentally sweat.

“That's insane, I said the room was in good condition," you said as you slapped his shoulder and shook your head.

Come on, y/n, that didn't even make sense.

“You know you're not going to fool me, y/n?” Afraid that someone would find out, you dragged him into a back room and locked the door behind him

“Shit..shit..shit. If you tell anyone, I swear I'll -

Laughing, before raising his eyebrows after taking a sip of his americano, he cut you off.

"You're right, this is important information. But you already know that I'll keep my mouth shut about the situation. I don’t even know what we’re talking about right now.”

Seungkwan heard dokyeom announce that practice had resumed as the door opened. Before he left, he smiled at you and waved goodbye.

“Y/n and dokyeom in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. As you were about to leap across the couch to silence him, he jumped up and ran out of the door laughing.

All of a sudden, your mind was filled with confusion and paranoia.

It became increasingly difficult to watch them practice as the session progressed. Your thoughts were not positive, and your attitude was slowly deteriorating.

Imagining the worst-case scenario. You paced in the back room when you heard a knock at the door. As you mentally prepared yourself, it caught you off guard. While walking side by side, Hansol and Seungkwan were whispering.

“Did they know?” You didn’t want anyone to find out so you ran, and didn’t stop running. To avoid society, you hurried out the door after saying a quick goodbye to the boys.

The goodbyes were not even heard as you hurried out of the Hybe parking lot without looking back. In a small group, information spreads quickly. And he was bound to find out.

Flushed and worried, you staggered into the dorm room. You knew your secret was going to get out eventually. In the case where Hansol and Seungkwan knew, Joshua is likely to know.

And since Joshua is close to the older boys, Seungcheol and Jeonghan know. The news would then spread to Hoshi, and then the entire performance team would be in the know.

The only remaining candidates are Mingyu and dk. If Mingyu finds out, it's game over for you at that point.

There was no point of living any more. Having completed a full loop of the house, you had come to your room for the final time. You slowly melted to the ground and fell out.

Dokyeon is more likely to know if Mingyu knows.

"What went wrong?" Unable to control yourself as you rolled around the floor, you erupted into a tantrum.

You sat up and shook your head, "I'll just have to leave the country," you said. "Man, you're so smart. Your plan y/n is fantastic."

You ran to your room, grabbed your suitcase from your closet, and began tossing things into.

No need to pack everything since you were only going to be gone for a year. As soon as your adrenaline slowed down, you began packing.

(A few hours later)

You were relieved when your clothes fit into your luggage when you had finally done packing. You were on your way now, and as long as it wasn't here, everything was good.

“Ah, I figured it out; now let's book it.”

When you approached the door, you unlocked it, and we were greeted with a pleasant surprise.

You walked up to the door and opened it, where you were greeted by Mingyu and his gang. Outside the door, you could see him, hao, dk, and wonwoo. They stared at you as they looked you up and down, perplexed as to why you appeared to be departing.

“Um, what is going on and where are you going?” Mingyu reacted with a rejoinder of his own.

Your throat felt as though it was clogging up, and you began sweating furiously under your armpits. Thank god for hoodies.

“Well, I was simply going to visit a friend's house,” you explained.

You knew he wouldn't believe you; he knew most of your friends, and they didn't live that far away for you to be carrying that much.

“First, that's a lie, and second, I need to speak with you, so your "buddy" will have to wait.” You sighed and closed your eyes.

Your escape had to wait.

Mingyu took your suitcase and slid it near the door, while the other members shuffled awkwardly into the room. While the other lads sat in the living room, Wonwoo went to his room.

“Maybe I could escape now?”

“What did you say y/n?” minghao said as he glanced at you.

You waved your hand in front of them and did a walk of shame to your room as you physically and mentally prepared yourself for whatever Mingyu had to say.

So much for your crush now.

Mingyu sat on the edge of your bed, arms crossed, staring at you.

“Sit down, he patted the bed on your side before lightly coughing.

"Some rumors have been going around, so I wanted to clear the air."

Seeing what he was about to say made your heart race, and you couldn't take it any longer. Does anyone else hear their loud banging, could Mingyu hear it?

You leapt to your feet and shouted at him before apologizing on your knees.

What a sight to see, a grown ass woman on her knees apologizing to her twin brother.

“I apologize; I should have told you first, but I was afraid you'd tell him. That's why I kept it a secret and plus dating a member of seventeen. That's dangerous enough-“.

Mingyu's "WHAT" cut you off.

You came to a halt as he got up, slowly staring up at him.

“Wait, weren't we discussing my crush on Dokyeom or something else?” Worries began to creep in as sweat began to accumulate on your brow.

“What the fuck, you have a crush on do-?” you exclaimed as you jumped to your feet and tackled Mingyu to the ground.

“Don't say it so loudly; he'll hear you.” As Mingyu began to pace around the room, as he pushed you off of him.

You could see his anger as he panicked, and his small rage tantrum was truly uncomfortable because he couldn't communicate his ideas to you because he was afraid of his companions' sensitive ears.

He pointed to the door and said, "Wait, so you do have a crush on him." You sighed, shaking your head.

As he walked away from you, he had another outburst.

Everything is now turning to shit, this was your only chance.

“I have to escape” you said as you dashed out the door and to your suitcase. Mingyu was standing behind you, staring at you in terror.

It wasn't in the plan for you to fall on him, but it was still nice. Focus y/n.

“I’m sorry, dokyeom; it was my fault. I didn't realize you were there. “Are you okay?” As you extended your hand to him, you pushed yourself off of him.

“Yeah, I'm OK, are you okay?” he asked. You've had quite a tumble.”

“Yeah I’m good, I live with a clumsily brother so I’m fine”

“Hey!"

You swiftly let go of each other and placed your hands behind your back as you became embarrassed.

“Hey, Seungcheol texted the group chat and said he wants to go out to eat. He said whoever can come.”

The boys instantly got ready as they wanted to eat, food is a great scapegoat. As you saw them exit the dorm, you took a step back and found your way back to your room.

“Is leaving still an option?” you murmured into your pillows, plopping your exhausted body on your bed and overthinking life.

---

You rolled over and looked at the clock, which reads 9:30 a.m.

You turned over in your bed, unable to yell, and trudged to the bathroom to make yourself presentable.

“What have you gotten yourself into, y/n?” You stripped off your clothing and stepped into the hot water after turning on the shower.

You didn't spend much time in the shower, but today you were engrossed in how your plan had devolved into this ordeal.

Resting your head on the tile as the hot water traced down your back, you contemplated on what the HELL you were going to do.

*BANG BANG*

“Y/n hurry up, we have to prepare.”

Hearing Mingyu's voice drew you back to reality as you turned off the water and got out of the shower, unlocking the door and letting him in.

“Hey, no snarky remark?” he said as he watched you walk to your room with your head down. You ignored him as you closed the door and prepared for the party.

It didn't take long for your calm disposition to be noticed, since you were the outspoken one. Even if you tried to fake it, it didn't work out.

You grinned as you walked through the background of Seungcheol and Jeonghan shared housing, looking at the celebration.

There were groups of people near the pool, at the grill, and even by the chairs, as you could see.

“Hey, bring the food inside; I'll take the meat to cheol,” mingyu said, shaking your head as you picked up the bags and headed to the kitchen, where you recognized some familiar faces.

“Y/nnnnnnnnn, heyyyyy, I’ve missed you.” When you saw her, you put the bags on the counter and hugged her, smiling into her embrace.

“It's great to see you again, yeji; how are you and the rest of the group doing?” Are the others here?” As she led you back outside, she interlaced your hands in hers.

You saw dokyeom and a few other people descend the steps before you left, as he waved and gave you a quick glance.

As you reach for a drink from the cooler, your heart begins to race. Something had to be turned off if you wanted to make it through the night, and this was the only way.

You took a sip and coughed loudly as you followed Yeji to the poolside.

It was going to be a long night for you.

---

As you and a group of individuals began to dance uncontrollably, the effects of the alcohol in your system began to show as you staggered to the grill.

“HeEeeyyYY, Wheeeere d'ya think yeeeeer goin’?” you slurred, jabbing a finger into seungcheol’s back

The other members laughed as they glanced at you, plainly detecting your intoxication.

“I forgot how drunk you can get, so why don't you take a break,” your overprotective brother says, making you scream within.

He always did this.

Gerroff me!” you said. “I’m ash sober ash ’m gonna git. And nuffink I - wait wait wait - nuffink you can do ‘boutit.” As you ambled back to the kitchen without so much as a hiccup in their direction, they laugh.

As you struggled to reach the door, you fell forward and were grabbed by a hand. As he lifted you from your imminent doom, his hold felt warm. With your eyes enlarged, you focused on the individual and stared at his face.

As you grabbed on to him, your words tumbled out of your mouth, “Ohmygoshimsosorry.” He drew you closer to him by taking your hands in his.

Saying your heart was racing was an understatement, it was literally pounding out of your chest. You were hand in hand with your crush, who you believed was exceptionally attractive and talented, and you wished he knew more about your sentiments or could somehow fill them.

But you know no huge idol like him would go for you. Feeling that made you sober up real fast as you felt your arm being pulled upstairs, you had no idea where you were going but it looked like someone's room.

Dokyeom eased open the door as he sat you on the bed and went to get some water from a little fridge. He handed it to you and sat next to you.

“Thanks”

“No problem, also I've been trying to talk to you all night but you appear to be occupied.”

As you took a sip of water, your heart began to beat faster; “waitttt, we donthavetotalk. Let’s dance! As he chuckled at your erratic movements, you began to wander around the room, pulling your hands into yours.

The alcohol was definitely making its way out of your system.

As he spun you around, his body in tune with the music, the bass of the song could still be heard. Even though this felt like a dream you didn’t quite care at the moment. Was it because you'd finally met the boy from your dreams, or was it because he wanted to meet you in person?

Your connection with him got stronger by the second, as did your heartbeat, which began to rise steadily with it. You couldn't keep stalling any longer; you needed to listen to what he was saying.

“I think I'm sober up for now,” you said as you let go of his hand.

Dokyeom chuckled before tossing his head back, “I didn't realize you could move like that” he said as they sat back on the bed, a little closer than before.

“I guess I learnt a few things along the way when you're friends with the best dancers out here.” As you finished your sentence, he peered into your eyes, making no sound as the room fell silent.

“Soo, what did you want to talk about?” you awkwardly state to relieve some tension in the air.

“I don't know how to explain it, but I kind of heard your "secret" as it passed through the practice room, and I simply wanted to be the first one to tell you about it because-

Your heart stopped pounding as your world came crashing down around you. You didn't want to hear it; the rejection; you'd rather live in your fantasy world, where you don't have to worry about anything. It wasn't true if you didn't hear it.

“Wait, if you can't reconcile those feelings, don't say anything; just let me go.” They're probably curious about our whereabouts anyway.” And with that, you stood up and walked towards the door, but you were pulled back by his hand.

He kissed you as swiftly as his hands linked with yours. You were taken aback at first by his passion, but you regained your calm and reminded yourself of what was going on: he was really kissing you, and you were really kissing him, and the rest of the world was inconsequential.

You were chilling on the outside while shouting for joy at the top of your lungs on the inside, as if your inner child had been set free. You had to be sure if this was a dream or if it was happening in real life.

“Ouch”

“Why did you do that?” Dokyeom asked as he gripped your arm in his.

“I had to double-check that I wasn't dreaming; this isn't the first time something like this has happened to me.”

“So you're saying I've been in your dreams?” he laughed as he cocked his head to the side and placed his hand in yours.”

You smacked your forehead and shook your head, realizing you couldn't get out of this one, and now he knew you fantasize about him. You didn't mind because the lad of your dreams was right in front of your eyes.

AND HE WAS HOLDING YOUR MF HAND. It was clear that your diary needed to be updated.

Stopping at the door, you placed your palm on his chest and worriedly stared at him.

“Wait, how did you find out?” 

“Well, a tiny birdie was chattering loudly about it, his name rhymes with coo,” he said as he grabbed your hand in his and opened the door and began the walk downstairs.

“Fucking Boo Seungkwan”

[babytaes]

afterglow

➳  summary:  You, too, lived in a colorless world, trying to connect with it. How long would you have to wait for that one to brighten it up and let you see the real world?

❥  pairing: wonwoo x female reader

❥ genre: angst, fluff, kinda soulmate au.....?

❥ word count: 7k (sorry, mans is my bias and I had to ;)

❥ warning: mentions of death.

➳ part of the song series

↳  Imagine a world like that,

We go like up 'til I'm 'sleep on your chest

Love how my face fits so good in your neck

You had a twin brother who was everything to you. Everything was always you two, from the endless amounts of laughter to the sneaky efforts to take Christmas cookies early in the morning.

With him, everything seems to be so colorful; in your lifetime, everyone was given a companion who may be a friend, sibling, or lover. It was simply something that you treasured. As a result, the alternatives were numerous.

You had no idea how much his life meant to you. He was your second half, and now you'd been split in half, with one gone and the other remaining.

Months passed, and your relationship with him became increasingly dimmer and dimmer. The brilliant hues faded in and out, with black and white patches becoming more prominent.

That awful day, unfortunately, was the last time you saw color. His light had faded from the world, and all that was left was black and white.

With him gone, your entire life seemed pointless, even your day-to-day existence. No splash of color to brighten things up.

“Y/N, I'll never forget you, big sister. Thank you for the enjoyable and considerate memories, and don't let this stunt your growth, please do that for me. As the beeper went off, he began to cough incessantly.

“Helpppp anyone.” As your parents draw you back into their arms, you hear many doctors rush into the room.

There was nothing they could do; his hue had vanished from this world. When you opened your tear-streaked eyes and examined your hands, you noticed that the formerly vivid cream palms had turned gray.

As if all colors were abruptly bleached out of the world, revealing a universe of whiteness—the rainbow, flowers, trees, and art, everything freshly bleached and pearled. The last vestige of color had vanished from your life, and you had been broken since then, heartbroken over the loss of your dearest friend.

“Y/n, hey you're good, we could use your help.” As you glanced to the side, you noticed that one of your employees had just spilled some water from the mop bucket.

As you approach their side, you assist them in mopping up the mess while sweeping aimlessly across the floor, making sure to get every spot. Due to your new life of no color it reflected on your life emotionally.

As the days passed, you became increasingly depressed and unmotivated. There wasn't a single day when you didn't feel mopey or lonely. It wasn't like anyone could help me; it was just the challenge of living a life without color.

Although you sincerely desired to overcome this phase of your life and simply find the right person to fill that void, life did not work in your favor at the time. Everyone around you seemed to be looking for or had already found their "person."

All you wanted was to find the person who could restore your hope and love, which had been taken away when your brother died. Your parents did everything they could to assist you, including setting you up on strange and ineffective dates that just added to your unhappiness.

Nobody could replace that color that your brother provided for you, or maybe someone could? 

"I'm off," you remarked as you pulled off your apron and clocked out in the back. As you stepped out the door, you heard a flurry of goodbyes before closing it behind you.

The world never shifted when the clock struck five.

As you strolled down the crowded streets, the sky before and above you remained grey, never letting up that cloak of shade. A melodious music gradually pours into your ears as you go down the bustling sidewalk.

You follow the dazzling yet tranquil sound of the guitar aimlessly as you imagine music notes flying through the fall air. You cautiously open your tired eyes and spot the crowd to figure out where these tunes are coming from.

Looking up, you spotted a swarm encircling a male, but you couldn't tell who it was. However, it was the music that drew you in; you'd heard that melody before. Even if you weren't musically inclined, you could hear that tune anywhere.

It was his, the one he wrote for you.

--

You dashed outside to see your brother strumming a tune on the grass with his guitar. Your brother possessed a talent for music. It is a condition that many people are born with, and you were fortunate that your brother was one of them.

He didn't go a day without making up or humming something he'd learned. It was frustrating to hear it every day, but it was still lovely to witness his enthusiasm for it.

“Hey, what are you cooking up this time?”  As he began to strum the guitar, he turned around and grinned at you. You couldn't understand what he was mumbling, but it sounded lovely as his fingers casually slid across the strings.

“I don't have the lyrics yet, but I'm sure they'll come. You laughed and nudged his shoulder.

“Just don’t go play at 3 in the morning. Okay?”

“It's not my fault that's typically when the inspiration comes,” he grumbled as he rolled his eyes.

As you raced away from him, you swiftly took his guitar, saying, "Well, I guess that inspiration will have to wait." He leapt from his seat and dashed towards you, yelling your name.

You had no idea that would be his final song; you regret not listening to the finished product; you never knew if he finished it. However, when you got closer to the enticing sound, you observed a young man strumming a guitar, and your ears perked up.

A slender man with long fingers and a quirky side smile, perhaps a musician, delicately touched a golden acoustic guitar, playing her ever so elegantly. You stand there, enthralled by the song, as his hands strum and tug the steel strings of the guitar. You take a cautious step closer to him in order to get a better look.

Allowing the music to take control of your body, you take a deep breath and allow an ounce of hope to creep in. From miles away, the formerly lovely and alive girl could be seen racing to you as you opened your arms to her.

You tried desperately to reach her before she vanished into thin air. The glint had disappeared. As you slowly open your eyes, you notice the man stop playing and gazes up at the audience.

As a smile crept across your face, the edges of your lips began to curl up. You'd forgotten what a smile looked like; you hadn't seen one in a long time, and it just felt natural. Even though he was gone, you could sense his presence. As you began to back away from the mob, tears began to flow freely from your eyes.

As you faded from his view and moved away from the crowd, the boy cast a peek at you. You swear you saw a glimpse of color rushing through your orbs, even if it was just for a split second. You couldn't tell if this was a joke or a new experience for you because you were more terrified than excited.

Could you trust that vision? Would they leave your life like he once did or would they stay? (IT)

Although you wanted to stay and figure it out you had somewhere to be and you didn’t want anyone to waste that special time.

(1 hour later)

Opening the rusted gate and looking at the wrought iron fences sends shivers down your spine as you are whisked back to that tragic day.

--

As you headed towards the pit, a crack formed in your heart. As they lowered his casket into the black abyss, the steady steps of feet carried it there. Countless shadowy figures form a procession, speaking in unison to pay their respects to the one you cherish. Your inner essence is corrupted by despair, and your heart bleeds like a river inside. Nothing could ever make you feel better.

As they began to fill the hole with dirt, tears welled up in your eyes, prompting you to lower your head. He didn't want you to be sad; he knew his time was coming to an end, yet he felt so safe in his final days.

He wasn't going to abandon you; he'd promised you that he'd left you something to aid you along the path. Even if that were the case, you never discovered it after four years. You rummaged through his room and tore it apart.

You quickly recognized that he was either joking or that the drug had taken effect in his brain and he was talking gibberish. In any case, you made a pledge to visit his grave every day from that day forward to keep him company and to keep yourself sane.

---

Clutching onto your bag, the leaves crunched beneath your feet as you peered about. You see specks of people strewn throughout the cemetery as you hear some speak in low whispers. It didn't take you long to find his gravestone.

You noticed the dead flowers drooping over as you took them out of their vase beside the tomb. Replacing them always brought joy to your heart as the sight of a fresh bouquet of flowers brightened the somber ambiance, which contrasted with the mold-infested tomb.

Taking out your cleaning supplies and speaker, you start working on his tomb while listening to his favorite music. As you hummed along with the song, your soft-bristle brush softly scrubbed the headstone in an orbital motion from bottom to top, carefully avoiding the fissures.

As you finished the soap, you began to rinse the stone as dirt and debris began to fall off the tomb. Although you couldn't determine if everything was off, you could plainly see the phrases and symbols, which was a good hint to stop cleaning everything off.

You wanted to do more for him and not leave any dirt on the surface. But because everything was gray, you couldn't tell, which made you sulk as you put down your brush. As you check the clock on your phone, you exhale a sigh of relief.

7:23p.m

Looking around, you noticed the stragglers had dispersed, leaving you alone as you gazed up at the sky.

“I hope the sunset looks beautiful today, I do miss it.”

The late evening sunset was the one thing you missed more than your brother; you had always admired how everything just flowed and fit together in the evening sky. It's almost as if someone began painting and simply let their hand float through the air.

As you turned to face his tomb, another smile appeared on your face, prompting you to go into your bag for something. As you placed down a cup for you and him, you chuckled at the bottle revealed beneath the sky.

“Lucas, here's to another day. It's been difficult in recent years, but today was a good day. I sensed your presence through the music of some random person; it was strange, but I'm glad I was there to see it. So thank you,” you say, raising your shot glass in the air and taking a sip.

As you heard a voice, you wiped a stray tear from your face.

“I'm sorry for bothering you.”

“Shit, what the hell,” you cursed the dark figure, startled and terrified. Who is there? As you squint your eyes at him, a male emerges from the shadows.

It's him.

----

You cough as you stand up and face the nameless man, he extends his hand as his glasses slide down his narrow nose, “Hi I’m Wonwoo.”

You take his hand in yours and shake it slowly, his grip firm until you let go.

“Hi..wonwoo? “I'm Y/n.” As the boy grinned at you, your voice was barely audible.

He takes a careful step alongside you and sits down close to your brother's grave, placing a case beside him. As you enlarged your eyes and sat down next to him, still observing him, the atmosphere felt reassuring but strange.

“I apologize for startling you; I didn't know that you were there. I’m not sure if your brother mentioned me but I was his friend, we used to write songs together.” As he turned to face you, you noticed the tall man attempting to cross his legs.

You shook your head as you began to gather your belongings, unsure of who this man was. For all you knew, he may be lying to you, so you needed to get out of there as soon as possible. You rose up and began walking away after securing the zipper on your backpack.

“Wait, you don’t have to leave. I can come back another time. I am truly sorry if I interrupted anything."

“No, it's fine,” you say with a shake of your head and outstretched hands.

“Are you sure?”

You walk away again, nodding your head as you hear his voice and a familiar tune.

You came to a halt in your tracks as you slowly turned around to face the boy after hearing a faint melody. As your ears perked up, you heard a low voice.

‘I stand still before you before me. I’m okay, not okay..” The lyrics faded out as you started to find your bearings again as you made your way out of the cemetery. As you stepped toward the road, you strapped your bag on, making sure you had everything you needed.

A girl out on a walk is something you can see every day, yet you were unique. You walked as if you and the road had reached an agreement, as if the concrete was more than eager to support your feet.

The road understood you.

*Ping*

The light of your phone lit up as you clicked on the message.

Mom: Hey sweetie, I dropped off some food at your apartment and did some tidying up. Get home safety. 

You: Thanks mom.

Her message brought back memories of days when you and her would cook together and simply bond over the end result. You missed it. Because you live in different places, you don't get to see your parents very frequently, yet they always made time for you.

I wish you could do the same; home is just too much for you to stomach, and you'd rather avoid it.

You reach the corner street after a few more steps, ready to begin your one-mile trek home. As you look back after exhaling a sigh, you hear rumbling on your feet. An automobile approached you, its bright headlights blazing directly at you.

You shifted to the side, squinting your eyes at the sight, and wonwoo greeted you again before you realized it. He grinned at you with his dazzling whites as he bent his head down.

what is with this guy?

Hey, hop in, I'll give you a ride. It's becoming late, and I don't want you walking through here.”  As you took a step back, wary of the stranger, he moved his hand closer to you.

“Um.. No-no I’m okay. However, thank you.” As you heard his engine trailing behind you, you began to walk faster. He followed you for a few seconds longer before you came to a complete halt and stared at him.

Through the windshield, you could see him smirk as he waved his hand to you.

“It'll be a lot faster, and if you're worried I'll kidnap you or anything, don't fret. I'm allergic to cats, and I'm a cat person myself. As a result, I assure you that I will not harm you. I just wanted to help a friend.” You moved over to his car, smiled a little, and hopped in, securing yourself with your seatbelt.

“If you do anything I have some bleach and I’m not afraid to use it,” he chuckled at you as he started the car and proceeded to exit the cemetery.

“You’re funny.”

As you gave wonwoo your address he proceeded to drive out of the rural neighborhood as you put your head on the window. You didn't realize it at the time, but you could feel his penetrating glances.

The car was quiet as the low sounds of music vibrated through the car. When you weren't driving, car journeys were the best since they enabled your mind to fantasize and paint over the enormous landscape you were seeing. That haven you built in your imagination calms you and makes you feel protected. The place where you may get away from reality.

As soon as your eyes close for the night, you hear him humming a familiar tune. Rather than remaining silent, you begin a conversation with him, inquiring as to how he learned the song.

“So how did you meet Lucas?” As he laughed, he cast a peek at you.

“Well, I met him at a college party a long time ago and discovered he makes music, so we used to meet up at a friend's studio and just create.” You lightly chuckled as a tear fell down your face as you nodded your head.

It was good to hear other people talk about your other half; it was almost as if he was there with you right now.

You were worried when he gave you brief glances since his eyes were off the road, but as he spoke, you felt protected because he spoke highly of your brother.

“Well, I'm not sure if he mentioned you, but the last song we were working on was one he wrote for you, and he said it was a gift.” As you turned to face him after hearing that final statement, your eyes widened.

“He—he said those exact words, a gift?”

As he rounded the corner and approached your apartment complex building, he shook his head. You could see his shoulder resting on the window sill as he put the car in park.

You hesitantly walk out of the car, stuttering as you gather your belongings, and turn to face him.

“Thank you for the ride; did Lucas mention anything else about the song?” “He wasn't quite finished with it, but he did give me and my other friend some crucial stuff to get it done,” he said as you pressed your face closer to the window.

Your heart began to race as you realized that things were beginning to turn around for you; perhaps this wonwoo boy was destined to be in your life. Lucas' way of demonstrating that he took great care of you.

“Would you like to work on it together sometime?”

Inside, it felt as if the creatures were finally waking up from their rehabilitation and making their way into the real world. Even if it took a while, this new form of relief made you feel alive again. You were adamant about working more to reclaim your color.

In some way, wonwoo was the key to it all. 

“Yes, a hundred times yes,” you answered, smiling like a kid in a candy store as you handed him your phone. “Just let me know when you're free.”

Wonwoo returned your phone to you, which you joyfully accepted and placed in your pocket. As you walked to your door, you waved your hand at him and cried out to him one final time.

“Thank you”

“For what?” As you entered the flat and locked the door behind you, you waved your hand at him. You let out a sigh and shake your head as you slid down to the floor.

“What a day” 

---

(4 weeks later)

It seemed like you and wonwoo had entered a very unique connection in the last few weeks. He made every effort not to cross any boundaries, both physically and emotionally. Regardless of the fact that you were his closest friend's sister, he was always respectful to you.

Even if that is what he sees from his perspective, you felt more alive when you were with him. Although you could still see gray and couldn't bask in all of his glory, it gave you hope that one day, whenever that time came, you'd be able to see him and everything else.

That was something you lacked previously: hope. Everyone around you including your parents could see a significant change in your life.

--

“Hey, honey, how's it going at work?” Before taking your purse, your mother kissed your cheek and opened the door for you.

As you met her at your old house, a smile emerged on your face. It was your first visit home in a while, and seeing you there brought joy to their hearts, despite the difficult years you've had.

“Everything has been going well, and I just wanted to drop by and see how you're doing. I miss seeing you and dad.”

“Is that my beautiful daughter, am I seeing things right?” your father exclaimed as he emerged from the back. As a tear trickled down your cheek, you watched as he raced over to you and hugged you.

As he stared at your face and admired it, the hue in front of you remained gray.

“Such lovely brown eyes,"  It pained your soul that you couldn't remember what they looked like since gray dulled everything and made you forget.

“Thank you, dad, but instead of fawning me, let's play some games. Just because life is bleak doesn't mean I can't be your ass at Monopoly.”

Your mother, gasping at your remark, watched from the back, her eyes welling up with tears as she marveled at a sight she hadn't seen in a long time.

“Moooom, don't start sobbing or dad will start crying,” you said as you turned around.

She comes over to your side and wraps you and your father in a hug, sandwiching you between them. It felt good because you were missing these times with your folks. You couldn't stay at home when your brother died; you had to leave and get away. Everything was just too much for you as things started to remind you of him.

You couldn’t take it anymore.

“I'm really proud of you for coming here and having the confidence to do so. I understand how difficult it must be for you, but thank you.” Through the loud sniffles between you all, you started to feel warm as you wiped your tears.

“All right, no more crying; let's get down to business.” You dashed over to the couch and snatched up Monopoly from the board game box, motioning for them to join you. They chuckled as you began to pull everything out as they made their way over.

As loud yells and laughter echoed out throughout the home, the night was fresh and enjoyable. There were times when you were terrified you'd lose, but you couldn't let your champion status lapse.

Your mother said, "Noo, you're cheating."

“No, I'm not; there's a house there, and you need to pay up or I'll put you in jail.” Between the two, your father snickers and keeps his mouth shut. He was well aware of the rules.

“All right, but that wasn't there before.”

With a chuckle, you shook your head and held out your hand, saying, "excuses excuses."

As you turned off your alarm, it rang at 8:00 p.m. You wouldn't have realized the difference between night and day if it hadn't been for alarm clocks. You jumped up in triumph after placing one more piece on the board.

“And that's why I remain Monopoly's ruler.”

You witnessed your parents give up as they lifted their hands in surrender. They both remark, "Fine, you win," as they begin to clean up the mess. Taking the stray cups and bowls from the tables you set them in the sink as you turned to watch your parents.

It's been a long time since you've been back here, and you've certainly missed the atmosphere. Lucas wouldn't want me to miss out on this opportunity.

“Why don't I come on weekends and bring back board game nights?” As your parents turned back, you uttered, "Next time, I'll bring a friend."

“Oh, it would be wonderful; the more the better.”

As you walked back over to them, you hugged them as they kissed your head.

“You go, we'll take care of this; the drive back is long,” your father remarked as he took your bag and handed it to you.

“Thank you guys, and I love you and the night we just had.” As you approached the door, you waved goodbye before closing it.

“No thank you, love,” your mother said as she and your father watched you leave the home and get into your car.

After one last look at the house, you back out of the driveway and go down the street, looking forward to the day ahead.

Studio day!

--

You yawn as your body startles you up after taking a deep breath of fresh air. As you slowly open your eyes and look out the window, you breathe a sigh of relief. Something felt different. The chirping of the birds outside made you feel cheerful, not sad.

As your vision remained a little lighter, you began to blink your eyes faster. It wasn't your typical gray morning, and you thought it was growing lighter. The gray was gradually dissipating. You grinned as you considered your color returning.

What prompted this?

It didn't matter because today was dedicated to finishing your song; you, wonwoo, and his friend Mingyu had completed all but the title. You stretch one more time before heading to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

When you get to the mirror, you take a look at yourself. The person in front of you had radically transformed; she had forgotten about her flaws and insecurities, and her heart now held more love. This woman didn't pick apart everything that was wrong with her; instead, she supported herself.

She was unrecognizable, and the old girl in the mirror was finally slipping away. You began to smile more frequently and laugh a little more, and the air around you became warmer rather than frigid. Someone's love had seeped into her heart and begun to unfreeze its hardness.

And that person was wonwoo, which you didn't realize until you looked in the mirror. If you've observed it, chances are that others have as well. And you were grateful for his help in getting you out of that gloomy situation. You were able to regain your trust and begin letting people in again, which made you pleased.

Lucas would be incredibly proud of you, and you didn't want to disappoint him again. You intended to honor his memory and keep him alive in your heart, rather than allowing the past to plague you and prevent you from living your life.

He would have wanted that. 

As you stepped inside, you turned on the shower and stripped off your clothing. You had to find a method to repay wonwoo for his compassion. You would not have gotten this far without him and his musical gift, and you were grateful for him.

"I could take him to our place," you offer as you turn off the water and grab a towel from the shower.

“Yeah he would like that.”

----

Work seemed to fly by as your mind raced at a hundred miles per hour. You had everything planned out and had recruited the support of your parents to help you set up.

Your manager tapped your shoulder and asked, "Hey y/n, you okay?" As you dropped the pencil, you flinched.

“Oh sorry, just spacing out.” He shook his head as he spoke out, “For the rest of your shift you can take off if you want, we’re going to close earlier than usual. If you're leaving, clean out the coffee machine and be on your way.”

You enlarged your eyes as your jaw dropped, and you raced into his arms, squeezing him tightly. Your boss chuckled awkwardly as he gently pushed you away from him. For some reason, everything seemed to be working in your favor today. As you rush to get ready, you begin working on the machine, your smile never leaving your face.

You sped to the back room, clocking out and placing your apron into your locker, as you were done in no time. As you walked to the front, you waved goodbye to your manager before heading to your car in the parking area.

“What's the matter with her? That's the first time I've ever seen her that happy. Hmm”

And with that you were on your way to your parents house as you sent a quick text to wonwoo. As you grinned as you placed your phone in the dash holder, you came to a stop light.

You: Hey cancel today's session, I have a place to go to. It may also provide us with better title recommendations. You down??

Wonwoo:) Yes, that sounds excellent; the studio can become claustrophobic. Send me the address and a time frame for my arrival.

You: *address name*. Bring your guitar and meet there in 2 hours.

Wonwoo:) Oh okay. Can’t wait to see you there!

(read 5:45 p.m.)

Even though you weren’t nervous you wanted everything to be special, wonwoo deserved it for all that he has done for you in the past weeks.

You let yourself go as you blast songs down the road, pressing play on your playlist. You didn't notice it at first, but the color was gently sneaking in as you drove around. As creams and beige colors drifted in and out, the outsides of your eyes began to lift.

As you turned off the headlights and opened the door, it didn't take long for you to arrive at your destination. You smiled as you got your belongings from the car and made your way up the hill, finding your parents already set up.

You drop your belongings on the blanket and walk up to hug them, saying, "Hey guys." As they begin to chat with you, they embrace you in a friendly hug.

“So we set up all of the essential elements, such as lighting, a seating area, and refreshments in the cooler and basket.” As she began to indicate the various components, your mother explained. As she brought you around the hill to the tree, she took your hand in hers.

“You remember when you and Lucas did this?” You laugh as you remember that day as you place your palm on the antique carving.

-- “Noo I'd like to go first; you always go first.” You sighed as Lucas took up the knife and began carving his name into the tree.

“You better not cry and tell mom,” he remarked, turning to face you and seeing your glum demeanor. As you passed past him, you stood up straighter, rolling your eyes at him and snatching the knife from his grip.

“I'm not a baby like you,” you say. As he huffed and hurried toward mom, you heard him scoff.

“Mommmm y/n referring to me as a baby. And I'm not one of them. You stood there watching as he stomped his foot and landed on Mom's lap. Your father chuckles, rubbing his back and shaking his head at his wife.

As you return to the blanket, you cross your arms and say, "Well, then, quit acting like one."

That erupted in an outburst as he started to whine on mommy lap.

He did, in fact, act like a baby. Wiping a tear from your eyes as you chuckle, you hold your mother closer as you kiss her on the forehead.

“Hey we have an hour left before wonwoo get here, I'm going to head to the house to clean up. If he arrives early, keep him entertained.” As she watches you descend the hill, your mother shakes her head.

As you pull out of the parking lot, you put your foot down on the accelerator and drive over to your parents' house.

(45 minutes later)

Wonwoo approaches the destination, looking out the windshield as he spots some lights on the hill. As he steps out of the automobile, he notices two people moving around. He smiles as he collects his guitar from the rear and walks up the hill, noting the serene atmosphere.

“Those should go over by the tree and make sure they don't fall.” Wonwoo enters the place, his eyes widening. Fluorescent bulbs fanned out along the tops of the trees, each with a different picture on it, surrounding him.

As he looks down, he notices a blanket with a speaker playing music and the champagne.

Your parents finally turn around, gasping, when your mother rushes over to welcome him, saying, "Forgive us, we didn't hear anything, you must be wonwoo." That's y/n father over there, and I'm y/n mother.” As she introduces you to your father, she smiles and gives you a motherly look.

On this magnificent evening, only a few minutes had passed when you approached the hill once more. You take a brief glance in the mirror before applying some Chapstick. Rubbing it in you open the door as you look up on the hill, you hear conversations as you panic up the hill.

“So this is y/n, she was quite the messy twin when she was a baby-”

“What are you doing, Mom?” You walk over to her, ashamed, and place yourself between you and wonwoo, speaking quietly to her.

“I said to entertain him not embarrass me.”

“Oh, you're overthinking things; did you know he's friends with Lucas?” You chuckle as you grab your father and mother and begin bickering as you force them out of the location. As they descend the slope, they wave goodbye to you and wonwoo.

Taking one look at him, you notice his amusing state; he was cheesing so hard that his rosy cheeks were visible.

“Sorry about them.”

“It's fine; all parents do it.” They simply adore you.” You cross your legs and shake your head as you sit on the blanket, passing him a wine cup.

“To another wonderful day and a wonderful friendship.” Wonwoo takes out the champagne from the cooler as he opens it and sprays the excess in front of you.

“Ahh, you're spilling it” As you giggle at his action, the extra juice pours on your face. You reach for a napkin to wipe the wetness off your face as he takes one in front of you.

“Here, let me take care of it.” He leans in closer as he wipes the liquid from your face before resuming his seat. As your stomach begins to become a #1 gymnast, that simple action sends you spiraling.

“Th-thanks”

He smiles as he pours you a drink for both of you, and as he does so, you grab his guitar box and pry it open, admiring the golden beauty inside. Picking it up, you begin strumming a few chords of the nameless song while moving your head to the beat.

“Wow, you're actually pretty good.”

“I did have a good teacher, Lucas taught me a few things, but I only recall a few chords, so it may become irritating after a while.”

Wonwoo hands you the glass as you take it in your hand, and as you take a sip of the bubbly drink, you hand him the guitar.

As you take another sip, your spirits lift as you stare out at the scenery in front of you. You hear wonwoo begin to play the tune while you stare off towards the colorless world.

“Ruinous imagination consumes me. Makes me dream sweeter dreams, I close my eyes but thoughts of you. Bring noisy night, to you & me, real and dreamy.” 

You sway back and forth as his voice soothes your body, his palm brushing over the guitar while his eyelids close, taking in the lyrics.

As you look up at him, you say, "Thank you." It's unavoidable, but tears stream down your face with no attempt to wipe them away.

“Th-thank you foreverythingyouhave-“ you say quickly and brokenly.

“Hey hey, calm down, I can't understand what you're saying,” he says as he scoots over to you and pats your shoulder. You both laugh as you start over, this time with more poise.

“I wanted to express my gratitude to you for genuinely improving my life. You probably don't know, but my relationship with Lucas was incredible; we were never apart, and when he passed, I couldn't live without him. I've struck rock bottom a few times and done some unfathomable things that I'm ashamed of, and I'm sincerely grateful that I've survived another day.”

Wonwoo drew you into a hug and caressed your back as he ceased patting your shoulder. As you sob into his shoulder, the tears begin to flow again.

“Sorry for interrupting, but it seemed like you needed one,” he says as you continue, releasing leave of you.

“To put it simply, you have brought me so much joy and optimism that I am overwhelmed. It's not the same without Lucas, but I'm grateful you entered my life at this point. So thank you; I don't know how to express my gratitude.”

You come to a halt as he looks at you through his round spectacles, and as you become concerned, you begin to look down.

“Sorry if I just spewed all that out.”

“No, it's fine.” I truly appreciate it, and I'm glad I was able to restore a sense of hope in your life. I may not be Lucas, but I will do my best to pay tribute to his memory.

You smile as you feel a wave of self-assurance and an overpowering sensation of bravery wash over you.

When you bring wonwoo closer to you and kiss him on the lips, everything inside of you turns on, and your body begins to feel alive again, exactly like it did before.

“I'm sorry I should have asked you first-“ You release him and lean back as you watch him.

He silenced your words with his lips as his hands wrapped around your neck.

Everything comes rushing back to you in an instant, like a blanket being pulled off of you. As you open your eyes again, you let go of each other. The difference this time is that you can see him.

As he smiled at you, you could see his cheeks flush with scarlet. You can see his silver rings around his slender fingers as his hands slip away from your neck.

You slowly turn around to face the sinking light on the horizon. As if a million scarlet petals have ignited, the sunset blooms on the horizon.

You expected the tears to flow this time as you stood up and walked closer to the cliff's edge. As you stared at the gorgeous view in front of you, you undoubtedly looked a mess.

You collapse to your knees and exclaim, "I can see it!"

Wonwoo approaches you slowly, bending down with you and holding you in his arms.

“See what?”

As you held him again, your snot-filled tear-streaked face turned to his.

“The color has returned, and I can see it now.” As he gasps, he pulls you back.

“Wait, are you serious, what color shirt am I wearing?” 

“IT'S GREEN, YOUR SHIRT IS GREEN!!” Wonwoo scoops you up and spins you again in an instant. You lay another kiss on his lips as you chuckle into his lips, unsure of what to do.

The clouds floated into my life, not to bring rain or storms, but to add color to the sunset sky.

He picks up the polaroid camera off the ground and takes a candid shot of you. After he pecked your cheek once more, he smiled as he wanted to remember this special day.

You send wonwoo off to find a knife from the basket as the photo develops. You observe him as he runs around the area like a child, and you smile as the photo develops.

You've probably seen images where the background is blurred and the only thing in focus is the subject of the photograph. That was us. Every other detail became hazy as I concentrated on every facet of him.

You didn't realize how fortunate you were until now; he was the special someone you had wished for eons ago.

Everything felt even better when your color returned, and you knew deep down that everything was going to be well.

It was all because of wonwoo.

Your brother left you a gift, the lovely gift of music, which was seen via wonwoo.

Yes, your brother had been your best friend, and yes, he had left you. But, as you found a great friend, the life he presumably wanted for you had only just begun.

You hoped that with him, you would be able to treasure the love you had just as much as you did while you were together.

“Hey, wonwoo, I have a song title, also follow me.”

As he began heading toward you, he turned around and looked at you. You've both arrived at the same tree that was planted many years ago.

He gives you the knife as you start placing your name under your past self. As he watches you cry, Wonwoo does the same.

*Forever, Y/n, Wonwoo, and Lucas*

As he finishes up, you grab his hand and stroll back to the blanket setup. He takes a seat beside you and wraps his arm over your body.

“So, what are your thoughts?” 

“Bittersweet, that's the title,” you said as you turned to face him.

“I love it,” he says as he pulls you closer to him with a nod of his head.

And with that, your brother's memory was carefully preserved, shared, and intended for all to hear.

“Lucas, I'll never forget you.”

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

➳ Navigate to the Maze

[babytaes]

reaction to playing video games | tbz- ─ ot11 ˎˊ˗

𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐: a few curse words, quite lengthy 

requested (anon)

✧ sangyeon∘*

Not only did whining get you places, but it also warmed your boyfriends' stone cold heart. It's a perk.

“Baby...I'm dying to play. You and the others never let me play.” You moped over to his setup and pouted as you sat at the edge.

“All right, I'll let you play once, but if you lose. So, please-.” You winked at him as you pressed your finger to his lips and grabbed a remote, settling in for the game.

“What the fuck was that, Y/N? You never told me how good you were.” He exhaled deeply and lowered his headphones. You strode out the door laughing, pushing his chair away and saying.

“See, should let me play more."

✧ jacob∘*

“DID YOU SEE MY CONTROLLER, Y/N?” As he rummaged through his room looking for it, Jacob yelled out to you.

Hearing his shouts from the living room, you swiftly grabbed the controller from the stone table and laughed your way to his man cave.

“You always leave it by the living room set up,” You say. He chuckled and kissed your forehead, thanking you as he pulled the controller from your grip.

Jacob called out to you just as you were about to walk out the door.

“Hey, want to play with me? Today, the boys are offline.” You rushed over to the chair and snuggled up close to him as you grabbed your red controller, smiling at his request.

“Mr. Bae, are you ready to be demolished?”

✧ younghoon∘*

Over the facetime call, he whispered something and pointed the iPad at your screen, tapping it to make it clearer.

“I need help with this level; I've literally asked the guys and they haven't been able to assist me. So I figured I'd consult the master.”

You let out a gasp and shook your head.

“Not sure why you didn't ask me FIRST,” you remarked, rolling your eyes, “but I guess I'll help you.”

He finally made it to the boss level after minutes of discussing the level and advising him where to go. Before kissing the screen, he turned to you and smiled broadly.

"Thank you, Y/N."

"Anytime Younghoon"

✧ hyunjae∘*

As you sat your headset down and spoke into the mic beside you, you heard a knock on the door.

“Hey guys, I'll be right back. Leave some suggestions for places to visit in the game in the chat.”

You walked out and unlocked the door after turning off your microphone and camera. Hyunjae stood in front of you, holding some containers, much to your astonishment. He strolled in with a joyful smile on his face.

“My mum insisted on me bringing some food over since you know how they are.”

You kissed his temple and went to get some chopsticks and bowls while putting some food on the table for him.

“I only have a few more rounds on my server before I can leave. You are more than welcome to observe; you may certainly benefit from it.

As he scoffed, he glanced up with a wide mouth and noodles in his mouth.

“Wow.. some sort of friend you are.”

✧ juyeon∘*

“So you're a gamer,  Not like those people who do "games" online."

Before displaying your Twitch, you pushed Juyeon and laughed. He appeared intrigued as he scanned through the videos before selecting one.

He leaned back,  head resting on your lap. As the demon rushed toward the screen, he was already dying from your reaction. You asked him a question while rolling your eyes at his state.

“Hey, do you want to be a part of my broadcast one day?” I'd be happy to show you some things.”

Before returning to his comfortable position, he glanced up from his seat and nodded his head.

“I'm thinking about subscribing because this is high-quality content.”

✧ kevin ∘*

“Have you played Animal Crossing: New Horizon?” Kevin poked your side from his laying down position, waiting for your answer.

Your eyes widened as you lowered your phone and slowly turned to face him, jaw wide open.

"Don't tell me you play Animal Crossing too?"

He showed you his Switch with a laugh and a nod of his head.

You sprung off your couch and dashed to your bag, returning with your Switch.

“You should have told me earlier; you must see my house!”

✧ new∘*

“Why don't you stop being so bad, then we can talk about my techniques.” As you scoffed, you turned your head sideways to look at New.

“Says the person who recently finished last in our team's tournament. Do you want me to check the scoreboard one more time, or are you finished?”

Sunwoo shook his head as he walked back to his room, looking at the two kids arguing.

“This is the 20th time the kids have fought this week, Sangeyon. If you don't want to do anything, I'll do it for you.”

You both turned around to see an agitated Kevin with twitching eyes.

“Forgive me, Kevin, but I'll be more mature and quiet.” As you pushed the play button on the game, you laughed.

“Bitch” New whispered under his breath as he “accidentally” killed your character off.

“OH NOW IT'S ON.”

✧ q∘*

“Please let me play one more time, Y/N. I'll do better. “I will vanquish the Evil.” Not amused by his confidence, you rolled your eyes and crossed your arms.

“All right, but don't injure my ears for the 4th time today. I will smack you."  He gave you a wink and walked up to your game set. As he watched you set up everything, including the Oculus, Changmin tapped his legs. That dreadful thing.

As you finished prepping everything, you switched off the lights and set your LED's to purple. You took his hand in yours and kissed it many times while rubbing the back of your neck.

“I'm sure you'll be fine.” Changmin turned to face you and said "fighting" before putting on the headphones.

As you observed him, you noticed that he was doing fairly well; he was approaching a new area of the level as he frantically looked around. As his scream echoed throughout the house, you clenched your hand and squeezed your eyes.

You quickly grabbed the Oculus and yanked it off, only to be confronted by a frightened boy.

“At the very least, you made it past the first section. I'm proud.”

✧ juhaknyeon∘*

“You're killing me, Love; it's not fair.” You tossed the controller on the couch and pouted at him with your arms folded.

He laughed and walked over to your side, pausing the game.

“How about a hug and a kiss as an apology?” Next round, I'll take it easy on you.” He smiled and drew the two of you closer together. As your eyes opened, he held onto you. Grabbing your controller, you tossed a knife at his character as he collapsed to the ground. 

“BABE... “What was the point of that?”

You returned his controller to him, smirking.

“You always gotta be ready, learn from the best.”

✧ sunwoo∘*

“Babe, it's only a simple tap, hit, and swing,”  Sunwoo fought to breathe as he rested his hands on his knees.

“Wait..I-..just give me like 10 minutes,”   As you stood over his large figure, laughing at his antics, he dropped to the carpet.

“So you can dance for hours at a concert, but you can't get past the first two levels of Just Dance? Sunwoo, make it make sense.”

You watched as his face lit up with a smile and his chest rose and fell as he chuckled.

“That's different; these dances are crack. Who comes up with it?

You looked up at the TV, shaking your head, and chuckled at the title song.

*The Stealer* 

“What an ass.”

✧ eric∘*

“So, according to your buddies, you're a Mario Kart "master,” is that correct?” Eric spun around and clasped his hands together in his fancy gaming chair, cocking his head to the side.

“It depends on your willingness to face him.” He chuckled and sat you down in front of one of the monitors.

You strolled up to his setup and sat down, laughing. You took the controller and customized your bike while choosing your character, Pink Toad.

“First and foremost, ladies, I'll let you choose the level.” You chose Rainbow Road and started your engines, smirking at his arrogant face. As you thought about how this was going to be the ride of a lifetime, he winked at you.

“FINISH... AND THE CROWD GOES CRAZY. What's the number on the scoreboard? PINK TOAD TAKES FIRST PLACE AGAIN!!”

Before resetting his controller, he rolled his eyes.

“Rematch?”

“Will you be able to handle the Master for the second time now...?” you smirked.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

➳ Navigate to the Maze

[babytaes]

strawberry kisses

genre: fluff & suggestive 

pairing: jake x reader 

word count: 0.4k

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

“I like the way your hand fits in mine!” You raised your eyes from the ground, staring into his puppy-like gaze. It glistened a little brighter than normal, and it had nothing to do with the fact that he was among his special ladies.

Smiling at his cheesy remark, you decided to give him a kiss on the cheek while lavishing many kisses on his hands.

“God… you always make me blush so damn much. Your words and you.” As Layla barked ahead, announcing that we were at the dog park, he chuckled. You stood there watching her wag her tail furiously. You patted her head while unlatching her collar and releasing her to the other dogs.

You jogged up to a nearby bench, taking Jake's hand in yours as you took in the scenery.

Spring was in full bloom all around you, with birds chirping and small squirrels fleeing from the sticky kids. As you reminisce about old times with Jake, it brought you comfort.

“Jake, the blanket is moving; catch the strawberries,” The wind started to pick up on your short but enjoyable picnic date in a flash. It wasn't every day that you and Jake got time to yourself, but Mother Nature had other ideas.

When you spotted Jake holding an empty container that had formerly been packed with wonderful fruit, you both burst out laughing.

“Rest in Peace 2021-2021, you will be much missed.”

As you both proceeded to clean up the catastrophe, the wind had slowed significantly. As you both lay back on the blanket, soaking in the events of the day before, pouty Jake emerged.

‘Sorry, Y/N, the wind and weather aren't cooperating with my plans. I'm sure I'll be able to make it up to you.” As you rolled over and rested your head on your hand, your curiosity was piqued.

“I'm all ears.” He pulled you into a deep kiss and smiled as you giggled against his skin, quickly closing the distance between you and him.

You moved across his lap, pulling him into your lips as you craved more. He took a step back and studied your new expression. He was well aware of your desires.

“I see someone who is a touch too needy...” You laughed and pushed him away from you, standing up and offering your hand.

“How about we settle that then?”

As you turned to face him, you felt a poke. He looks at your expression, which is blank. "You good?"

“Yeah, I was just remembering the last time we were here together.”

He smirked as he smiled and nudged you before whispering in your ear.

“I think we all know you’re thinking about the aftermath of that date.”

Layal barking interrupted your thoughts as they left your mind; fortunately, this date finished with ice cream. You, on the other hand, would choose the latter.

➳ Navigate to the Maze

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

[babytaes]

reaction to s/o falling asleep while taking to them | en- ─ ot7 ˎˊ˗

✧ heeseung ∘*

“Have you heard our new album? As he looked up at you, Heeseung paused in his vegetable cutting for the soup.

You leaned your head against your hand and nodded.

“Yeah, despite the fact that I was in class when it was released. I figured out a way to hear it.”

He laughed as he watched you slur your words while explaining the songs' concept. You had a bad habit of staying up too late, leaving you exhausted all day. So this was nothing out of the ordinary for you.

He put down the knife and went to the refrigerator to get some more vegetables. As he turned around, he saw you snoozing with your head on your arm.

“I guess I'm eating all of this then."

✧ jay ∘*

You stepped off the bus and softly knocked on the door of the boys' dorm. All could see your eye bags; even the critters came to a halt and looked at your tired face.

Jay swept you up in his warm arms as soon as he opened the door. His hand found its way to your back as he rubbed it.   As he watched you fall deeper into a slumber, his heart ached.

As you rocked back and forth, you both stayed quiet. He patted your head as you raised your head to look at him.

“Hey, Y/N, it's been a long day. “Do you want something to eat?”

As he took your hand and led you to the sofa, where your tired body found warmth, you mumbled a low "yes." As soon as Jay returned with some ramen, he discovered you had fallen asleep. He softly kissed your brow and drew you closer to him in his arms.

“Sleep tight y/n."

✧ jake ∘*

As Jake rambled on about his day with Layla, you laid your head on his shoulder. Even though you wanted to hear more, your eyes began to close as each word from his mouth became slower.

“We went to a dog park a few minutes away, and Layla was overjoyed to see and play with the other dogs.  Despite the fact that she's a little frightened-.”

Jake looked down and saw you struggling to stay awake before dozing off. As he rested your head on his shoulder, he chuckled.

“If you're tired, I will tell you the rest tomorrow.”

“No, keep going; I'm curious to hear it.”

He paused again when he saw you had completely dozed off. He lifted his arm and wrapped it around your body as your snores got quieter as you cuddled more into his chest. 

“The story can wait.”

✧ sunghoon ∘*  

You entered the HYBE building and waved to the employees as they led you to the Enhypen lounge. You thanked the lady and walked through the door to see the band members rehearsing for their upcoming release.

When you walked over to the back room, you nodded to everyone and shushed them so they could concentrate on their practice rather than on you. You unpacked your belongings and sat down on the plush sofa, immediately falling in love with its comfort.

You heard footsteps at the door and saw a smiling Sunghoon standing at the frame, arms outstretched to greet you. You immediately approached him and embraced him as he kissed you on the head.

“I don't know when it'll be over, but I'll call you in 15 minutes if you need anything.”

You thanked him and forced him out of the room, returning your focus to the sofa. You removed your shoes and grabbed a pillow before putting your head down.

“Y/N, we also have snac-“ he said as he stepped back from the door and closed it as he watched you fall asleep on the couch. He grinned as he walked back to the boys, grinning as he thought of you.

✧ sunoo ∘*

As you stared at the rowdy partygoers in front of you, you yawned. When you walked out of the living room, a wave of exhaustion washed over you. As you stepped into the kitchen and rested your hands on the table, a cheerful Sunoo greeted you.

“You look like you're about to fall asleep, Y/N.” What time did you go to bed last night?”

You laughed as you rolled your eyes at him.

“Well, if you're curious, I worked until 9 p.m. and then had to finish homework until 2 a.m. I'm not sure why I came to this party in the first place. Jay is to blame.

Sunoo smiled and took your hand as he led you into a back room through a crowd of buzzed teenagers. He motioned you to the bed as he opened the door. You hurried over to the bed, removed your shoes, and jumped into the bed.

“I'll come to wake you up when I leave. Just get some rest because it seems that you are in need.”

Before turning over and shutting your eyes, you flipped him off and laughed.

✧ jungwon ∘*

“Y/NNNNN, could you please come here real quick?”

Jungwon was startled by a staggering shout from the sofa.

“Yeah, I'm coming”

Jungwon chuckled as he waited for a few more minutes in his room before becoming concerned. He sprang to his feet and walked into the living room, smirking as he hovered over the sofa.

“And you said you were coming."

✧ ni-ki ∘*

The comfort of Ni-arm ki's around your back offered a comfortable place to sleep, one that was familiar to you. Any place where Ni-ki was present made you feel safe, which had both positive and negative consequences. One of them was that you fell asleep quickly in his arms.

Ni-ki handed you a glass of water, which you slowly drank as you returned it to the table, both of you watching the movie. The movie created some decent white noise for you as your head slowly fell on his shoulder as Ni-ki hugged you closer.

“Thanos has really got to go. He's just getting on my nerves Y/N.”

As sleep hovered over your eyes, waiting for their turn to take over your whole body, you looked up at him and nodded your head.

You drew your blanket around your body and laid your hand on Ni-ki's lap allowing sleep to take over. Ni-ki was alerted by a slight snore coming from your mouth.

As he quickly lowered the volume of the TV so that it doesn't disturb your sleep, he glanced over at your peaceful body and gently kissed your forehead.

➳ Navigate to the Maze

[babytaes]

reaction to s/o water breaking | svt- ─ ot13 ˎˊ˗

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

✧ seungcheol ∘*

You and Seungcheol had just finished the night with a quick drink, and the night was quiet and calm. You with your water and him with his wine.  You never imagined that tonight would be the night that all would change.

Something didn't feel right, as a moan escaped your lips you clutched your stomach. When you jumped to your feet, more liquid poured out from your thighs. You called for your husband as you gasped at the puddle in front of you.

As you realized it was time, Seungcheol awoke quickly and smiled. As you wobbled around the kitchen, processing the journey ahead of you, you dashed to get some slides on.

Before running to get everything else, Seungcheol grabbed the baby bag. As you all hurried to the car, giggling at the thought of the little life that would soon join this world, he shut the door and grabbed your side!

✧ jeonghan ∘*

You got up from the sofa and grabbed a bottle of water to cool down the oncoming heat from your forehead. As you staggered towards the counter, a wave of exhaustion washed over you. As you heard trickling liquid leaving your body, you looked down.

“BABEEEE, I THINK MY WATER JUST BROKE."

As he hurried over to you, he ran into the room, worried. You were taken aback by the fear in his eyes, as you had never seen him in this way before.

“All right, you put your shoes on. I'll get the baby bag, and you should hurry to the car. THE BABY IS ON THE WAY!”

You chuckled as you watched him frantically search the house for everything. As you got closer to the car, you turned around to see his disheveled self sprinting towards it, clearly out of breath.

“Love, we have to leave right now.”

As you backed out of the driveway, heading towards the hospital, you strapped yourself in and kissed his hand.

✧ joshua ∘*

As you sipped your lemonade in the backyard at Joshua's parents' home, the atmosphere was very relaxing. His parents have invited the two of you over for dinner and a fun get-together.

You took Joshua's hand and rested your head on his shoulder. When he noticed your odd facial expression, he stared down at you. Your hand flew to your stomach as you examined your pants, as if something had popped inside of you.

Joshua took your hand in his and helped you out of the lawn chair. You and he were both aware of what had occurred. As you tried to catch your breath, Joshua called out to his mother. You weren't expecting your water to break when you weren't at home, so you were caught off guard.

Joshua's mother bolted from the kitchen, alarmed at the state you all were in. As you took her hand and raced you to the car, her maternal instinct kicked in.

“Go get the extra baby bag from my place, Joshua. You never know, so I was ready for anything.”

A tear streamed down your cheek as you clutched his mother's palm, gripping it tighter as the pain increased. She embraced you tightly and kissed your brow.

“Don't worry, sweetie; I'll be by your side until the very end.” You've got this!”

✧ jun ∘* 

As you put the spoon on the stove, Jun walked through the door. He approached you and embraced you, melting into your touch.

“Long day love?”

You kissed his forehead and he nodded before letting go and going to the shower. As you returned your attention to the stove, you heard the water running. When you heard water trickling, you let out a yawn.

He must have left the door open for you to hear it that clearly.  Your foot stepped into a puddle of water without even looking down. Slowly peering down, you noticed that the trickling water wasn't coming from the shower, but from you.

You were in a panic because the due date was next week, not today. You stumbled around the house, looking for your stuff. Jun emerged from the bathroom, towel on, and turned to face you.

“Are you okay, y/n, do you need something."

You had forgotten that Jun was here as you quickly spewed out.

“THE BABY IS ON THE WAY; WE MUST LEAVE RIGHT NOW.”

As he rushed into the room, towel fully off and now rushing for his clothes, he looked at you in surprise.

“I GUESS I'M GOING NAKED.” Jun screamed as you laughed and dashed to the door.

✧ hoshi∘*

“Should we bring the tiger or the adorable tiger onesie with us for our little cub?” You chuckled at his question as you gently pushed him, laughing at his antics.

“Why don't we bring both just in case?” 

He grinned as he stuffed some spare socks, underwear, and hygiene items into the baby bag. You got up to go get some diapers, but you came to a halt in the middle of your tracks. As he gasped, Hoshi looked up from his seat and moved his hand to his mouth.

“IT'S TIME, OUR CUB IS ON THE WAY.”

As he hurried over to your surprised state, he quickly zipped up the bag and threw it around his shoulder, motioning you over to the door, putting light pressure on your back as you slipped on some slides.

You sniffled as you imagined the moment you'd have with your daughter and Soonyoung shortly. As you opened the door, rocking back and forth towards the car, you wiped your tears and heard your enthusiastic husband running after you.

“Please, Love, don't run; we've got time.”

Soonyoung chuckled and motioned you into your seat while holding your hand.

“You have no idea how long I've been looking forward to this moment; our little baby is on the way!”

✧ wonwoo ∘*

“How did your day go, love?” As you slid your dish into the sink, you posed.

As he sat back on the sofa, he looked up from his computer screen. You approached him and placed your hand on his lap. He gently rubbed your shoulder with his hand.

“Well, my members and I were ready for our recent comebacks. We decided to do something special for Carats because it's been a few years.”

“I'm curious as to what Jihoon is up to right now. I'm sure it'll be as fantastic as the others.”

He kissed your temple before returning his gaze to the screen in front of you.

Your hand flew to your stomach as you quickly sat up running towards the bathroom. As you flew into the toilet, water trickled down your leg.

“WONWOO, MY WATER JUST BROKE.”

He yelled back in confusion as he looked around.

“WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO." 

You chuckled as you exited the bathroom, staring at him in shock.

“We literally just practiced the procedure yesterday."

He sprang to his feet, shaking his finger in the air as he realized what had happened.

"TO THE CAR IT IS!!"

✧ woozi∘*

The amount of time you and your husband spend in his studio was natural.  It was you guys  second home. As he turned on the latest video that Jihoon had made the other day, you chuckled at Bumzu.

“I mean it's getting there.”

“Hey,” Jihoon said.  As he moved Bumzu away from his keyboard, Jihoon turned around and put his hand to his hurting heart

You laughed at them as they started to argue over some cords. You walked over to Jihoon's fridge and grabbed some water before returning to the couch. As you shone your phone light on it, you noticed something wet running down your pants.

The worry in your voice alarmed Jihoon as you spoke out to him.

“I think my water just broke, love.”

He called for Bumzu to get the spare baby bag from the closet as he stopped tapping on his keys and pulled you off the sofa, motioning for you to get to the car.

As he raced you down the hallway to the car, you turned to look at him in wonder.

“You never know, now let's get you to the hospital now.”

✧ minghao ∘*

You walked into the practice room, waving to everyone as they hurried over to give you hugs and smiles.

Mingyu grinned as he looked at you, and Minghao rushed over to your side, concerned.

"When the deadline is again? I'm looking forward to meeting my favorite child.”

Minghao smiled as he pushed him away from you, chuckling. 

“You're referring to our child.” When you glanced over at the other guys doing random stuff, he motioned his finger between the two of you.

Your hand flew to Minghao's shoulder as you grabbed your stomach, the room came to a halt as you looked down to see water dripping from your leg. As you squeezed Minghao's hand for help, he grabbed your belongings while the member rushed around.

“Wait, I apologize for the mess."

As he motioned you guys to the car, Mingyu waved his hand.

“Just get to the hospital and do whatever needs to be done; we'll take care of it.”

You smiled as you ran to the car, waving to everyone!

✧ mingyu ∘*

As you thanked him for the meal, he put your plate down. You didn't always have time to eat as a couple, but you took this opportunity and ran with it, even though your son had other plans.

“While you get the bread out of the oven, let me get some napkins.”

He nodded and walked over to the oven, while you walked over to the pantry to get some napkins. When you looked over to Mingyu, you felt water trickle down your leg before you could reach the dining table.

He panicked as he ran over to you, his eyes widening as he placed his trembling hands on your stomach.

“I guess baby boy wanted to come out tonight.” As you walked over to the door, laughing as you awaited Mingyu, you said.

He hurriedly placed the food in the fridge and took the baby bag from the room before rushing over to the door and locking it, chuckling.

“He chose tonight out of all the days to come. He would undoubtedly follow in his father's footsteps. As you walked toward the car, you laughed at his joke and kissed his hand.

✧ dk ∘*

As you looked at your husband's antics behind the camera, a loud laugh pierced throughout the studio. He was currently discussing his highly anticipated comeback with BooSeokSoon.

You chuckled when you noticed his frequent glares when you looked in his direction. As the due date drew nearer, the love in his heart for you and your daughter grew stronger.

He'd always wanted a little girl, and his wish would be fulfilled in a few days, unless it was today.

You staggered forward, quickly looking down at your trousers, the wetness rising as you motioned over to Seokmin's manager, whispering that your water had broken.

As you called out to Seokmin, she called over the producer and informed him of the situation. With fear in his eyes, he ran over and grabbed you.

“Is everything alright?"

“Well, your wish is about to be fulfilled. She's coming”

As he ran over to tell the boys, his eyes lit up as he embraced you and kissed your cheek. As he drove to the hospital, they all joined you in the car, babbling about various topics.

“Our princess is on her way,” 

✧ seungkwan ∘*

As Seungkwan rubbed your stomach, you ran your fingers through his hair. As he sighed, he had just completed another OST for an upcoming drama and was exhausted.

“I have so much on my plate that some days all I want to do is hang out with you.” Simply take a few deep breaths and spend time in each other's presence. Is it really too much to ask?”

You crossed over to his arms and rested your head on his chest, your hand entwined in his.

“Well, technically, this is your job. And it's not all bad; at the very least, we'll have more time to devote to this little one soon.”

When you inhaled deeply, he grinned and laid his head on your head. As you quickly stood up and rubbed your stomach, a cough escaped your throat. Seungkwan became aware of your erratic motions and fixed his gaze on the wet spot forming on your jeans.

“Hun, I believe we should go to the hospital.”

As you staggered back from the oncoming motion, you were engulfed in an embrace. He snatched your hand and raced out of the room, thanking the managers as he went.

“Do you think we'll have time for an Iced Americano?”  You chuckled as you turned and smacked his arm.

“No, we don't have the time,” you said, rolling your eyes. You and your obsession.”

✧ vernon ∘*

As Hansol turned on the movie, you sat on the rug, resting your head on his leg. Hansol pressed play on the movie, while the other members and their girlfriends/wives rushed over to the living room and secured their place. As you looked at the scene in front of you, he rubbed your head.

When you saw your favorite actor on tv, a huge grin appeared on your face. Mr. Song Joong-Ki crawled out of the shadows, his pistol aimed at the intruders.

Hansol was shaking his head at your love interest, knowing that you had a huge crush on him. You stared up at him. He said to himself, "He's just an actor."

You slowly rose to your feet and excused yourself to use the restroom. You walked in and drew your pants down, but before you could sit down, liquid poured from your core as you examined the puddle underneath you.

You yanked your pants up and dashed out of the restroom, sprinting into the crowd.

“I apologize for interrupting, but my water broke and we need to get moving before it gets worse.”

As hoots of congratulations were yelled out, there were mixed emotions flowing through the room. As you waved goodbye to everyone, Hansol arrived with the baby bag and all of your belongings.

Hansol kissed your hand and laughed.

“I guess Mr. Vincenzo will have to wait,” 

✧ dino ∘*

You removed it from his grip as you pushed the paintbrush around on Chan's canvas.

“You must do it in this manner, in a circular motion, okay?”

As he whispered into your ear, he smiled and kissed you closer.

“Oh, I can do better than circular motions,” When you lightly shoved him back to his canvas, he kissed your forehead.

“Focus Chan,” 

He chuckled and looked around for more colors, seeing a puddle by your leg on the ground.

“Hey, did you drop your water cup? There's a puddle by your leg. As you jumped to your feet, he pointed to the ground, and you looked down at your soaked shorts.

“It wasn't the paint cup that dropped, it was my water.” We need to get to the hospital now!"

As you wobbled towards the car laughing, he dashed into the room, gathered the supplies, and dashed out the door.

“Imagine if you hadn't noticed, we'd be expecting a baby boy at the house right now.”

As you held onto his side, he shuddered at the thought and started the car.

“Let's focus now, because we all know that would have been disastrous.”

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

➳ Navigate to the Maze

𝚊/𝚗: who else is obsessed with Vincenzo or is it just me. I had to get this done before I watched the newest episode!! Also Seventeen as DADSS, my heart can’t take it- BT

[babytaes]

{08:56}- mine

“If you interrupt my reading again, this book will turn into a lethal weapon.”

Juyeon stepped back from your enraged body and stood pouting behind the table in front of you, murmuring to you.

“Why won't you let me sit with you? I'd like to cuddle.”

You raised your eyes from your book and smiled as he leapt into your embrace, wrapping his long arms around your waist and smiling as you stroked his curls.

“You should have told me that because you know how much I love cuddles, particularly from my baby.”

He pecked your kiss before lightly taking your book and setting it down on the table, wrapping his arms around your frame and kissing it.

He pulled your shirt to the side and chuckled as he stopped kissing you.

“I'm not sure whether I want kisses or hugs; we'll have to see how this plays out. Won't we?”

He leaned over with a smirk on his lips, pulling your face towards him, kissing you as you moaned into his grasp, giggling against his skin.

“I think you wanted something more than kisses.”

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

➳ Navigate to the Maze

[babytaes]

a touch of cinnamon

pairing: changmin x reader

genre: fluff, fluff, and more fluff

warnings: none

part of the welcome to the forest series- serenity

As you watched him enter the muddy driveway, the rain pattered lightly against the windowsill. You leaned your arms on the edge of the window while you watched his movement.

As he drew up to the driveway, you watched as his car sink into a memory-filled hole. As you watched his garments cling to his damp and chilled body, his little stature leaped out of the car quickly.

Changmin cursed under his breath as he reached into the backseat for the food. The bag brought back memories as it filled your thoughts, despite the fact that you couldn't smell it.

Food with changmin brought back memories for you both. After devouring his meal, he would often say, "Nothing brings people together like delicious food."

You watched as he fumbled with his extra key and smiled as he entered the house. You didn't seem bothered by the fact that he had one. You and your families were practically family to each other.

As you heard his soothing footfall, your heart froze and an incredible feeling of love ran through your veins.

Slowly opening the door brought you out of your thoughts as you heard his hellos.

“there’s my favorite person ever.”

As you watched him take his usual seat, a smile crept across your face. You shifted in your seat, gnawing on your inner lip as you stared into his eyes.

“Have you had a good day? I'd like to hear about your day before we start digging in.”

As he squealed, he looked up for his palms. You watched him move around to your side, his spontaneous noises made you laugh. He nestled his head on your lap as you rested your palm on his head and twisted your fingers through his soft locks like clockwork.

The sun began to set, as the crisp and fresh air began to blow a little colder, making it feel as if the world had come to a halt.

While you gazed up into the enticing sky, a contented sigh escaped your lips.

Changmin raised his eyes to you, his kind features catching his attention. His heart fluttered at the sight of you, so it was swift but not unexpected.

He turned your face to him and grinned as he placed his palm on your chin.

As you cocked your head to the side, you felt instantly secure as you met a pair of doe eyes looking up at you.

“Yeah, what’s up?”

Changmin's lips gently pushed against yours before you could grasp what was happening.

He held onto your chin for support, as his stance shifted. You pulled back as his hand left your face, giggling in between kisses.

“changmin, do you have a crush on me?”

Interlacing your hands in his, he brushed pepper kisses over it, his face flushed.

As he hovered near to you, the cool air contrasted with the heated energy between you two.

“the truth is that I’ve always loved you. I just didn’t realize it until now.”

You fling your arms over his neck and lock him in with your hands, as he carefully wraps his arms around your torso.

As he laughed into your embrace, you retorted, "Kiss me again."

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 　　 *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

taglist: @eternalhongshine (message me if you also want to be added!!)