#but then he got that new job (the first one where he only ended up working for 2 days)

[lividstar]

干満 — ♡ GOLDEN HOUR.

៚ wc: 31k (idk what happened)

៚ fluff, barista!seonghwa x florist!reader, slowburn, friends to lovers, mutual pining, woo is your bff, copl joong cameo

៚ You’ve always had a knack for finding beauty in the most ordinary of things, a trait that serves you well in your work as a florist at your grandmother’s flower shop. Every petal, every stem, holds a world of wonder in your eyes. It’s this appreciation for the exquisite that draws you to the quaint café just a stone’s throw away from your apartment. The cozy ambiance and friendly staff have made it a home away from home, but even so, it’s the long-haired boy who works behind the scenes in the kitchen who truly catches your eye. You long to unravel his being like a delicate bloom waiting to unfurl its petals, but you do so in silence, never being brave enough to make a move. Yet fate has decided it has had enough of you being a coward. As Valentine's Day approaches, your world is thrown into chaos when your grandmother’s flower shop is tasked with providing flowers for a special event at a café, which just happens to be the one where Mr. Pretty Boy™️ works at.

The intoxicating aroma engulfing the interior of the coffee shop gave you a warm welcome, the scent immediately finding itself brushing past your nose as the bells hung from above the door clink against each other, signaling a new arrival to the employees, making them look up from what they’re doing to briefly greet you before going back to work. Upon recognizing you immediately, the smiles on their faces when they greeted you were far different from the ones they gave to other customers—this is something that you never fail to notice, and you believe that perhaps it’s because you’re one of their most loyal customers, having been visiting the place since the first day they opened.

The coffee they brew and the pastries they bake are already good by themselves, so the fact that they’re located near where you live is just all but a bonus factor. You think that even if you were to live from a farther distance from the café, you’d still end up visiting the place just as often as you do now. Your eyes scanned all over the place, looking for an empty seat to occupy—ones that are near the window, preferably.

Finally spotting a vacant seat at the very back of the café, you hurried over, not wanting anyone to occupy it before you did. Only after you placed your bag on the sofa and sunk yourself on the cushion did you realize that this seat wasn’t exactly going to be able to provide you a… proper view for what, or who, rather, you actually came for.

He rarely ever comes out from where he works inside the back kitchen, and if he does, usually, it would be whenever one of his co-workers would request for his presence, most of the time the reason being them needing help with either cleaning, taking out the trash, so on and so forth. He’s never been tasked to take up the job of taking customers’ orders, let alone deliver it to their tables, and you’d know, since you’ve been visiting their café before he even started working here. All you knew about him was his name, thanks to the name tag attached to his uniform.

Park Seonghwa.

The first time you saw him was about five months ago, and his hair wasn’t as long as it is now. You were able to tell him apart from everyone else as a new employee with the way the older ones were guiding him with all the basics, and also because you know you’ve never seen such a face like his amongst the other workers before. It felt like you were in a western romance movie from the 90’s locking eyes with your love interest for the first time while he was shown in every angle as you sat there with comically widened eyes and a mouth left agape, the world around both of you coming down to a stop.

You didn’t see him often anymore after that, and you actually believed he already got fired at some point, but it wasn’t until you saw him closing the shop one evening when you passed by it on the other side of the road on your way home from your grandmother’s flower shop where you worked.

It’s safe to say that you’ve been captivated ever since then. It was just too bad he was given a position that doesn’t require him to head out and socialize with customers, but you figured things would be better the way they were meant to be. He doesn’t seem like someone who’s much of a talker, and neither were you.

He’s meant to stay in the back kitchen, and you’re meant to stay sitting by the tables. It wouldn’t be hard for one to tell that future interactions between both of you would be impossible, but perhaps you like things better that way. He gets to be paid by doing his job, and you get to make your days better by admiring him from afar silently.

Just then, one of the café’s workers approached your table with a familiar smile.

“The usual for Saturdays?” she asks, already aware of your preferences. You nod with a smile, appreciative of how well the staff knew your routine. They have gotten to know you so well over the months that they’ve even memorized your orders depending on the day of the week. “Yes, please.”

As she walks away to relay your order to the coworkers behind the counter, you watch her figure become descending with each step. Your mind wanders as you pull out your phone and begin typing a message to your best friend, Wooyoung, who always enjoys hearing about your experiences at the café.

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤWooyoung: Going to assume you haven’t seen Mr. Pretty Boy yet?

You recall the day Wooyoung had dubbed Seonghwa with the nickname. It was the first time Wooyoung had seen him when you tagged him along to the café, and you both watched Seonghwa step out from the back kitchen to temporarily take over his co-worker’s duties at the counter. He nudged your shoulder, looking at you with a teasing smile, saying, “Didn’t know you had a thing for pretty boys.”

Wooyoung's playful comment had taken you by surprise, but as you thought about it, you realized how true it was—Seonghwa was undeniably a pretty boy with his soft features, elegant demeanor, and long, smooth hair. With the way he carries himself, it wouldn’t take much for one to notice he takes self-care seriously.

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤYou: How am I supposed to know when I can’t even see the counter from where my seat is?

After sending the message, you look up, scanning the café once more in case Seonghwa was around. Realizing he wasn’t after looking around the place for about three times straight, you sigh and plop your elbow down on the table, placing your hand on your chin as you look to your left, busying yourself with watching people walk by, going by their different routines and plans for the day.

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤWooyoung: How tragic. Must suck to be you.

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes at Wooyoung’s playful remark, already picturing the mischievous grin on his face as he typed the message. Sometimes, you find yourself questioning how you ended up being friends with someone who seems to enjoy teasing you so much.

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤYou: At least I’m

Before you could finish typing your response, your gaze drifts up from your phone to see the boy you’ve been hoping to see ever since you first stepped inside the café, eyes widening in realization when you see the direction he is headed to. Getting your nerves tangled with each other, you weren’t sure what to do, accidentally sending the unfinished response to Wooyoung.

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤWooyoung: You’re what?

His apron was tightly knit on his back, accentuating his lean figure while his hair was tied neatly in a half bun, a few stray strands of his hair hanging off the sides of his face. He was as beautiful as ever. Your breath catches in your throat, feeling a mixture of nervousness and excitement, and you quickly look down, pretending to focus on your phone even though you were literally just scrolling back and forth on the weather app.

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤYou: OhmygODWOO

“Here’s your order,” he offers you a polite smile, and his voice sounded as soft as the calm waves of the morning sea. He looks even more breathtaking up-close, you thought. You were quick to put your phone face down on the table, ignoring the notification of Wooyoung’s message you saw before turning it off.

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤWooyoung: WHAT?

You look, feigning surprise as if you hadn’t noticed him until that moment. “Oh, thank you,” you reply, your words coming out rushed.

He politely nods while smiling, his eyes holding a hint of curiosity as he observed you—but you failed to notice it, as your eyes were fighting to look anywhere but at the boy standing right in front of your table. “Enjoy your meal,” he says before turning to walk away.

“Thank you, you too-” Fortunately, he was already a distance away when you spoke, and you thanked the heavens for not letting him hear you express your stupidity through words.

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤYou: YOU’RE SO NOT GONNA BELIEVE WHAT JUST HAPPENED.

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤI’M SO STUPID OH MY GOD.

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤI’m gonna need you to bury me 6ft under, please.

The contrast between the three messages you sent within five seconds surprised you, whereas it made Wooyoung laugh from the other side of the screen.

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤWooyoung: Now why are you letting all of your personalities take over at once?

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤJudging by the way you’re talking, I think this is something that requires a face-to-face discussion.

A few minutes later, Wooyoung was now sitting across the table, eating the cinnamon roll in his hands while listening to you ramble about what just happened before he arrived.

“-He told me to enjoy my meal, and I said, ‘Thanks, you too’! Like, I’m not even kidding! The only saving grace I had was the fact that he was already walking away when I muttered that out… But I can’t help but overthink that maybe he did hear it and just ignored me to save me from embarrassment, you know? I mean, come on,” you talk endlessly without taking a breath, careful not to speak too loud in case one of the employees, or worse, Seonghwa himself, were to walk by and overhear your conversation.

Wooyoung chokes after taking another bite of his cinnamon roll, covering his mouth with his hands so his loud laugh wouldn’t disturb the other customers. He disappears from your line of sight momentarily, head underneath the table as he struggled with containing his laughter. “Now you’re just overreacting. It’s really not that funny,” you deadpan, arms crossed as you looked at him, your annoyed face a huge contrast to his close-eyed smile.

“It is that funny!” Wooyoung sputters out in the middle of his laughs, hands on his stomach as he laid his head down on the table. Clearly, telling him about it was a very regrettable decision. You were certain he wasn’t going to let go of this anytime sooner. “God, no! It’s embarrassing! I was so nervous earlier I ended up pressing buttons on the weather app pretending I was on my phone, you know?” You sigh, taking a sip of your coffee that has now slightly gone cold.

Wooyoung finally stops laughing, sighing as he dramatically wipes a stray tear on the corner of his eye. “If I were him and I heard you say that, I would’ve been so weirded out I’d never think of leaving the back kitchen again,” he teases, earning a hard kick from your feet underneath the table.

“Ow!” Wooyoung grimaces, looking down to massage his leg that now had a sore spot, thanks to you. “Okay, now that was unnecessary,” he whines, glaring at you. “So is fueling up my embarrassment even further, but I can’t bring that up, can I?”

“Alright, alright! I’m sorry,” he grumbles under his breath, downing the last cinnamon roll on his plate. “I mean, I’m not, but I’ll let you hear what you want to hear since I’m such a good friend.”

“I wouldn’t call a boy who visits me during my working hours at the flower shop just to sweet-talk my grandmother into treating him to lunch while leaving her granddaughter all alone to handle the shop a good friend, but whatever you say,” you shrug, snickering after seeing the annoyed look on his face.

“Now you’re just twisting the story! Mind you, she’s the one who offers to treat me to lunch whenever I visit you, not the other way around…” Wooyoung whines once more, nearly making you laugh at his childish antics.

“You know, since she clearly cares for you more than she does for me, why not take over my shifts for the upcoming week? I could really use some rest,” you suggest, leaning forward as if forcing him to consider the idea. But Wooyoung only shoos you away, turning his head to the side while avoiding your gaze. “No can do, I’ve got dance lessons with Yeosang for the whole week. Schedule’s packed,” he deadpans, leaning his back against his seat.

“And you call yourself a good friend,” you jokingly sigh, shaking your head in disapproval. “You should totally join us sometime, though. I think you’ll like it there,” Wooyoung smiles at you, and the way it surprisingly looks genuine was what now had an eyebrow of yours arched. “What do you mean?”

“What I mean is that you’re really horrible at dancing and the heavens are begging for you to sneak dance lessons in your schedule.” Seeing the annoyed look on your face, Wooyoung huffs in triumph.

You stand up, slinging your bag on your shoulder while looking down at Wooyoung. “Don’t even dare to show up at the flower shop again starting from today,” you say, making a beeline to the doors without even looking back at Wooyoung, who was now scurrying over to catch up to you. “I was joking!”

Just as you opened the doors to step outside of the café, you nearly bump into a tall man who was heading inside. Looking back to apologize to the said person, you were met with the sight of Wooyoung briefly greeting the said man, making you wonder if they knew each other.

Wooyoung was struggling to find out whether he was supposed to push or pull, making you snicker as you yell from where you stood, “Catch up and I’ll forgive you!”

Two people from inside the cafe watch the scene unfold in amusement by the counter, one being an employee and the other being his friend who stopped by to visit. “Are your customers usually this chaotic?”

To which the man only laughs at, saying, “The girl is usually quiet when she comes here by herself, but whenever she tags her friend along with her, all hell always breaks loose.”

“You’ve got one hell of a job, Seonghwa.”

****

The flower shop is quiet in the evening, the only sounds to be heard being the faint sounds of your favorite song playing on your phone. Your grandmother had already headed home hours ago, and as Wooyoung said last weekend, his schedule for this week is entirely packed with dance lessons with Yeosang, which is why he can’t accompany you tonight, leaving you alone to tend to the shop for the rest of the night. It’s peaceful here, a sanctuary amid the day’s chaos, and you savor the tranquility as you wander through the aisles of blooming arrangements.

Closing time isn’t until 10 p.m., but it’s only 9 now, meaning you have some time to kill. The floral scents fill the air, each bouquet and arrangement contributing its own delicate fragrance. Half of them are your creations, while the others were lovingly crafted by your grandmother. You pause at the sight of a bouquet of gypsophila nestled at the very back of the shop, a recent addition, perhaps.

The sight of gypsophila brings back memories of your mother. Your grandmother once told you it had been her favorite flower, and her love for flowers was what pushed your grandmother into opening up this shop a year after her passing.

Your mother would always speak of how she wanted to build her own flower shop when she was young, a story that would never fail to bring tears to your eyes, despite the fact that you’ve been told of it multiple times already.

She had fallen ill when you were just seven years old, facing a battle with a disease that couldn’t be cured. Your financial situation had been tough, and your grandmother juggled multiple jobs to keep her daughter alive. Despite the hardships, your mother’s spirit remained bright, and she imparted her love of flowers to you. You remember her last words, spoken with tenderness.

“Continue my dream, my lily. Fill the world with the beauty of flowers, just like these. And remember, even when I’m not with you, my spirit will be there, like the soft touch of gypsophila in the air.”

Those words resonate deeply with you even up to this date, guiding your life choices and strengthening your passion for floristry. Your mother often compared you to a lily, symbolic of purity and beauty, and you hold on to that connection to her as you nurture the shop.

Your phone's notification ring echoes around the empty flower shop, pulling you away from your thoughts. You walk over to the counter and glance at the notification on your lock screen. It was a message from Wooyoung.

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎���‎ㅤWooyoung: Dance lessons finished earlier than usual. Are you still at the flower shop? I'll be on my way if you are.

You check the wall clock above the counter. It was 9:24 p.m., giving you enough time to hang out with your best friend before you had to close the shop for the night. Looking back down at your phone, you quickly type out a response.

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤYou: Still here :)

After sending the message, you turn off your phone and let out a soft yawn. You couldn’t wait to get the day over with. Whenever Wooyoung stopped by the shop, he always brought your favorite food with him. It was an unspoken gesture that you always appreciated. Knowing he would arrive soon with food in hand, you return to your spot behind the counter and began tapping your finger lightly on the surface, patiently waiting for your friend to show up.

On the other side of the city was a boy who is in the same situation as yours. He was mopping the floor of the café, humming along with the song playing through the speakers when he heard the familiar jingle of the bells hanging above the door. He looks up with a smile as he saw who had entered.

“I thought your dance lessons usually end at 11 p.m.?” he asks, setting the mop aside for a moment. The boy sighs as he plops himself down on one of the café's couches. “They decided to call it a day earlier than usual. I’m not sure why, though,” he shrugs.

“You know what, Seonghwa? You should definitely tag along with me there sometimes,” he speaks up again, resting his elbow on the table with his chin in his palm.

Seonghwa chuckles. “Enough with that, Yunho. You know it’s been years since I last danced,” he says, lightly groaning as he stretches his back, which had been sore from mopping the floor for quite some time. His coworkers had already left, leaving him to finish up.

“That’s the point! You’re there to re-learn the basics, not to impress everyone with amazing dancing skills right off the bat,” Yunho replies matter-of-factly.

Seonghwa sighs, shaking his head. “Still not interested. Plus, our café will be holding an event soon. My schedule will be even busier than usual—you know I can’t sneak dance lessons into my routine.”

Yunho perks up at the mention of an occasion. “An event? What’s it for?”

“Valentine's Day,” Seonghwa explains. “We’ll all have to work overtime starting next week to prepare the decorations for the shop. We’re facing a bit of a challenge, though.”

"Why? What's the problem?" Yunho tilts his head, curious. Seonghwa sighs again. “We need to decorate the shop with flowers, but we don't know where to buy them in bulk.” Yunho remains silent for a few seconds, but the moment he finally spoke up, he did so with enthusiasm. “And if I tell you that I know where you can find them?”

Seonghwa eyes Yunho suspiciously. “Something tells me there’s a catch to this offer.” Yunho raises his hands in defense, a wide-eyed look on his face. “What? No! No catch at all.”

“You’re not going to make me attend your dance lessons in exchange for you telling me where I can buy flowers for our café’s upcoming event, are you?” Seonghwa raises an eyebrow, but Yunho only shook his head in response. “I wasn’t even thinking of anything! But, now that you mentioned it-”

“Don’t even dare.” Yunho raises his hands yet again, lips pursed as he nodded. “Got it, got it. How does giving me a 99% discount for everything I’ll purchase from your café for a whole week sound?” Yunho smiles, tilting his head as he leans closer, as if trying to convince Seonghwa to agree to his proposal.

“Saying you want a 99% discount is basically demanding to be given your orders with no charges,” was all Seonghwa said in response. “If you think about it, that’s kinda like the point.” Yunho shrugs. “So… are you in for it?”

Truth be told, covering for Yunho’s purchases does sound better than attending dance lessons Seonghwa was certain he really does not need. So, being left with no choice, all he could do was nod. “I hate how you always know how to play your cards right.”

Yunho grins in triumph, standing up. “You’ll always let yourself fall victim to it no matter what, anyway. That’s on you,” he looks at the wall clock of the café, noticing that it was now past 10 in the evening and Seonghwa’s shift was finally over.

“No I don’t-”

“-think you can get away with this!”

You were nearly out of breath, chasing Wooyoung in circles at the park nearby the flower shop. You’ve been doing this for about five minutes now, nearly forgetting the reason behind it in the first place.

When he first showed up in front of the shop’s transparent window doors with a box of donuts in his hand and a can of your favorite soda in the other, you were more than excited to let him in, a smile gracing both yours and his lips. You hung out inside as he sat on the surface of the counter, feet hanging off as they swung back and forth while he told you all about how his day went. It was how you both preferred to hang out, him doing all the talking while you sat back and listened attentively.

He loved being able to ramble on for hours on end, and you loved not having to talk as much, only having to listen quietly while throwing in short reactions in the middle of him telling stories every once in a while. You were both content with each other’s presence, and the atmosphere in the shop was nothing short of peaceful. It wasn’t until he absentmindedly reached for the last piece of donut inside the box, only realizing it was the one you loved the most the moment you gasped out of shock and the pastry was already far down his throat.

“I didn’t mean to! Cut me some slack, I can barely even feel my legs anymore!” Wooyoung yells, looking behind every now and then to check if the distance between both of you was growing wider or if you were drawing closer.

“Not until you say sorry!” you say in response. Wooyoung looks back once again, supposedly about to stop in his tracks and just allow you to catch up to him because he swears his legs will literally detach themselves from his body if he were to continue running for the next few seconds.

But he was met with the sight of an annoyed look on your face, and things took a turn for worse—for you, and for better—for him, as he pushes himself enough to quicken his pace even more. “Catch up and I’ll apologize!” he echoes your words from the day he chased you out of the café. The sound of him mischievously giggling while you struggled to match his pace made you even more annoyed, and at this point, you didn’t even want to catch up to him anymore. You just wanted to throw him off a cliff.

Suddenly, Wooyoung stopped in his tracks, making you do so as well. He was now facing you, catching his breath as he held his arms up in defeat. “Okay, okay! I give up-”

Wooyoung cut himself off, earning a confused glance from you as he looked behind you. “Hey, isn’t that your Mr. Pretty Boy over there? And that’s—Yunho?” he squinted, leaning his head forward. “Cut it out, Wooyoung. I’m not falling for your tricks,” you said, crossing your arms. “But I’m not! Look behind you!” he whisper-shouted, stealing a few glances at the two men behind you who were now inching closer as they walked side by side. “No way in hell-”

“Oh, Wooyoung?”

Looking behind to see who the person who just greeted your best friend was, you found yourself at a loss for words with your eyes comically widened over the sight you were met with.

It was Seonghwa, along with the man you almost bumped into earlier—the one Wooyoung greeted in the middle of struggling with opening the café’s doors.

You immediately turned your head back to Wooyoung, who was now looking at you with an ‘I told you so’ gaze. Your best friend’s attention was now taken away by the two men drawing closer to where you both stood.

As Seonghwa and Yunho approached, you couldn’t help but feel a rush of nervous energy coursing through you. You shifted slightly, feeling nervous. The last thing you expected was to cross paths with your crush in the middle of chasing your bestfriend for eating the last piece of donut you saved for last on purpose because it was your favorite.

Wooyoung and Yunho seem to have been talking about something, and you heard the words ‘dance lessons’ being thrown around here and there. You eventually figured out that Yunho goes to the same dance workshop Wooyoung attends, their brief interaction at the café last weekend now making perfect sense.

But you couldn’t find it in you to pay attention, their conversation going in one ear and out the other—not when the boy you’ve been crushing on hard for five months now was standing in the same space you were. The only thing you could focus on was trying to keep your composure and not make a fool out of yourself.

Yet all attempts to do so immediately crumbled down when he smiled briefly in your direction, catching you off guard. And for a moment, time seemed to slow as you locked eyes with him. His smile was warm, genuine, and it sent a flutter through your chest. You managed to return the smile, although you did so a bit awkwardly, before quickly averting your gaze, cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

As the conversation between Yunho and Wooyoung continued, you found yourself stealing glances at Seonghwa whenever you thought he wasn't looking. There was something captivating about him, something that drew you in despite your efforts to remain composed.

He wasn’t clad in the uniform he usually wore for work—this was something you noticed soon after taking note of how pretty he looked with his hair down. He wore a white dress shirt with its first two buttons undone, layered with a sleeveless dirty white knitted sweater on top. His pants were loose and in the same color as the apron that came along his uniform—chestnut brown. To top it all off, he wore white converse shoes, perfectly completing his look.

And here you were, thinking he couldn’t look even more beautiful than he already does.

When it was time for Yunho and Wooyoung to part ways, Seonghwa looked at you once more, giving you a small, polite wave. It was a simple gesture, but it sent a surge of warmth through you. You hesitated for a moment before raising your hand to return the wave, a shy smile creeping up on your lips. As Seonghwa turned to walk away with Yunho, you couldn't help but feel a sense of longing wash over you. The brief interaction had left you wanting more, craving the chance to get to know him better. But for now, all you could do was watch him go, still trying to process what on Earth just happened.

“You’re not slick,” Wooyoung snickering out of the blue dragged you out of your thoughts, and the first thing you see after snapping back to reality is your best friend wiggling his eyebrows while giving you a knowing look. “I saw that very, very clear, just so you know.”

“W-what?” Even though you knew what he was referring to, you couldn’t find it in you to come to terms with the fact that what happened was actually real and not just a fragment of your imagination—the living proof being Wooyoung and his teasing smile.

Wooyoung rolled his eyes, “You were looking at him like you were planning your wedding in your head! You were like,” he shifted, mimicking the way you were standing still with your hands intertwined in front of you, staring at him with stars in your eyes when he wasn’t looking, “and then when he waved at you, you were like,” he raised his hand, waving awkwardly with a shy smile on his face. “You couldn’t have been any more obvious!”

“I was not acting like that!” You placed your hand on your chest, a look of disbelief on your face. “Tell me you’re exaggerating right now. You’re lying, right? Like, I didn’t actually act like… that, right?”

“I’m not gonna tell you the false truth you wanna hear,” he said with a teasing grin, crossing his arms. “All you can do now is to hope he wasn’t being attentive earlier.”

“Oh God…” you sighed, dramatically crouching down on the ground with your hands covering your face. “This is the second time you’ve embarrassed yourself in front of him, you know. Remember when he told you to enjoy your order and you said-”

“Just stop!”

****

As the clock struck past closing time, the atmosphere in the café shifted from lively to quiet as the last lingering customers bid their farewells and the staff began their post-closing routines. Chairs were stacked, floors were swept, and the air was filled with the anticipation of the impending meeting. An hour later, the café was transformed into a makeshift conference room, with the tables pushed together to form a large communal workspace. The employees, along with their manager, gathered around, ready to discuss their plans for the upcoming Valentine’s Day event.

"Alright, everyone," she began, her voice commanding attention as everyone fell silent. “Valentine’s Day is fast approaching—we only have a month left to prepare, and we need to ensure that our café is ready to enchant our customers with romance. I know some of you may be thinking preparations seem far too advanced, but I’d rather start working early on than to rush things and end up making us look like we aren’t capable of doing any better. Any ideas for what we can do in order to achieve our goal?”

“How about we switch things up and focus on creating a cozy atmosphere?” suggested one of the employees. “We could set up small seating areas with plush cushions and warm lighting, perfect for couples looking for a quiet spot to enjoy their coffee. Maybe even hang up fairy lights or something.”

“I like that idea! We could also offer special dessert pairings, like chocolate fondue or dessert platters,” another chimed in, their voice filled with excitement. “It’ll give our customers a chance to indulge in some sweet treats while they soak in the romantic ambiance.”

“We could also set up a photo booth corner with props and backdrops," one employee said, leaning forward as they began to explain their idea further. “It’ll give our customers a fun way to capture memories and share them on social media—which could also be a way to promote our café, if you catch my drift.”

“And to add a personal touch, why don’t we encourage customers to write notes to each other as the last part of the event?" another employee proposed. “We could provide stationery and pens, and then display the notes around the café. It’ll spread love and positivity throughout the space.”

“I’ll make sure to keep your ideas in mind. Now, as we discussed in our group chat last week,” the manager said, looking up from the notepad she wrote everyone’s ideas on, “we want to incorporate flowers into our décor to enhance the romantic atmosphere. Have any of you been able to find a supplier?”

With the sudden opening of the discussion regarding the manager’s idea to decorate the café with flowers, everyone fell silent—a clear indicator that the answer was clearly a no. Despite the manager’s earlier directive, no one had been successful in finding a supplier for the flowers they needed. Just as the manager was about to let out a disappointed sigh, their youngest employee, who hadn’t muttered out a single word so far, raised his hand, making everyone look towards where he sat.

“I, um, I have, but…” he wasn’t even finished talking yet, but a smile was already gracing the manager’s lips. “Is that so, Seonghwa? Tell us about it! We’re all ears,” she grinned, and the other employees glanced at him with a hopeful smile, as he was their only saving grace that could prevent their manager from firing them all.

“My friend told me about it a week ago, but he said I’d have to cover his expenses for everything he’ll be purchasing here for an entire week before he gives me the location. It’s only Wednesday today, so he won’t fulfill his end of the deal until Saturday…” he trailed off, giving his manager an apologetic smile. “Oh, why didn’t you say so sooner! Do you think it’s possible for him to give away the location now if you tell him his expenses will be covered by us—you as an exception, for the rest of the year?” she smiled, but Seonghwa’s eyes were quick to widen at the suggestion. “A-A whole year? I don’t think that’s…”

But one of his co-workers immediately agreed with their manager’s suggestion, not wanting to lose their job that paid them well enough to survive a day just yet. “Yeah! We’ll, uh… we’ll pay for all of his orders for as long as he wants!” they regretted saying those words as soon as it slipped out of their mouth, but they didn’t have it in them to take it back now.

“See? Even your co-workers agree. Now, why don’t you try ringing up this friend of yours?” Seonghwa believes the idea of paying for Yunho’s orders for an entire year sounds absolutely absurd, but he couldn’t bring himself to disagree when everyone gathered around the table was looking at him with hopeful gazes. Seonghwa’s phone rang for about a few seconds while everyone waited patiently, and after dialing Yunho for the third time, he finally answered the call. “Seonghwa? What’s up?”

He wasted no time in getting to the point, wanting everyone to take their eyes off of him as soon as possible. “Would you be willing to fulfill your end of the deal right now if I tell you all your purchases from the café will be covered by my manager and co-workers for the rest of the year?” Yunho went silent for a few seconds, as if trying to process Seonghwa’s proposal. “Okay, now, hold on—where is this coming from? Are you being held at gunpoint?” Technically, yes.

“What? No, just answer the question, please.”

“I’m starting to doubt if you really know me because first of all, why should you even be asking me that? You know I’ll never turn such a good offer down. I mean, a whole year? Come on, that’s like heaven on Earth!” With the positive response from Yunho, everyone let themselves loose, letting out a breath they had no idea they were holding.

“I’ll take that as a yes, then,” Seonghwa replied. “I’ll text you the location. Does that sound good?” Yunho asked, and Seonghwa didn’t even take the time to respond, immediately hanging up on him. “The deal is sealed,” Seonghwa playfully saluted, as everyone started praising him for saving their jobs without even realizing it. “Great! Just forward the location to me once you receive it from him. You can all go home now,” she smiled at everyone, who stood up one by one, returning the chairs to their respective places, packing their things afterwards.

As Seonghwa made his way home, the weight of the day’s events hung heavy on his mind. The responsibility of securing the flower supplier for the café’s event had unexpectedly fallen on his shoulders, but he couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride knowing he had come through for his team. Lost in his thoughts, Seonghwa was startled when his phone buzzed in his pocket. Pulling it out, he saw a couple of notifications from Yunho.

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤYunho: The flower shop’s located at 1117 Paradigm Street.

The first message was the address Seonghwa had been eagerly waiting for. Upon reading the next messages Yunho sent within the same minute, a soft smile crept up on Seonghwa’s lips.

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤYunho: Dance lessons for the day will last way past 11. It’s by choice, though, so don’t worry.

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤWanna stop by and wait for me? We can hang out at my apartment afterwards.

It had been a long day for Seonghwa, so the idea of spending time with his friend to unwind and release all the stress he had bottled up for the whole day brought him a sense of comfort.

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤSeonghwa: Sure :)

Minutes later, he was now standing in front of the building where the dance lessons Yunho attends were held. He stuffed his hands inside the pockets of his dark brown coat, lightly shivering due to the cold air of the evening. The building had a sign that says “KQ Fellaz” atop the doors, the lights of the first letter slightly flickering. Tapping his foot on the ground, he looked around, patiently waiting for Yunho. Visitors were prohibited from entering the building alone, hence why he had to remain frozen where he stood until Yunho would fetch him.

The doors in front of him opened, revealing Yunho, who was nearly soaked in his own sweat. Do they not take breaks in the middle of their lessons? “You’re a little earlier than I expected,” he managed to let out, although he did so with huffs in between. Clearly, he was still trying to catch his breath.

“Jesus, are you alright? You look like you just ran five laps in a row,” Seonghwa chuckled, not used to seeing Yunho in such a state because he’s the one who’d always visit Seonghwa at the café after his dance lessons, and not the other way around. “Think of it as having to interact with customers by the counter continuously for a whole day,” he shrugged. “Oh. It’s that bad, huh?” Seonghwa replied, to which Yunho only sighed. “See? Now you get me.”

Stepping aside to let Seonghwa in, Yunho closed the doors behind both of them once Seonghwa had entered the building. “So…”

“So?” Seonghwa tilted his head, taking his hands out of his pockets to put his hair up with the tie on his wrist. “Were you being for real earlier? Like, you know, the whole thing about covering for my purchases for a whole year?”

“You heard it loud and clear earlier already, Yunho. My manager was dead serious—she doesn’t play around when it comes to her business, so I guess it makes perfect sense for her to just air out such a proposal so casually just so you’d give me the location of the flower shop you were talking about a few days ago.” Seonghwa shrugged, the sound of his and Yunho’s footsteps echoing through the empty hall of the building.

The atmosphere surrounding them was peaceful, yet the building’s practice room, which was now only a few steps away from where they were at, was the complete opposite. Even from a fair distance away, they could hear the distinct yelling and laughter from inside the room.

“What?! What do you mean ‘Modern Seoul Gracias’? What are you even talking about?!” Wooyoung yelled, not even being able to hear his own voice regardless of how loud it was due to the song playing through the headphones he was wearing that Yeosang set on full volume.

“No, no! Pay attention, you dummy! This is a place people often visit during weekends!” you yelled back even louder, saying each word slowly so Wooyoung could read your lips. From behind him, Yeosang held up a piece of paper with the words ‘amusement park’ written on it. You and Wooyoung had been stuck on this round for a while now, and what’s worse is he had to guess 5 words within 5 minutes—you only had a minute left.

“My… what? What does that even mean?! What on Earth is the keyword for you to be describing it like that?!” The look of frustration on both your faces was evident, making Yeosang burst into a fit of laughter.

Your grandmother decided to let you off your duties for the day, hence why you decided to tag along with Wooyoung on his dance lessons. Fortunately for you, a few familiar faces other than your best friend’s were around, namely Yeosang and the guy named Yunho who happens to be a mutual friend of Wooyoung and Seonghwa, making you feel a little less awkward inside the crowded space.

The field wasn’t really something of your expertise, so all you did for the day was record their practice performances for them and head in and out every now and then to buy them some snacks so you could at least offer a little bit of help. The rest left the building earlier at 10 in the evening already, but Wooyoung, Yunho, and Yeosang chose to stay overtime—you don’t know why, but you promised Wooyoung you’ll spend the whole day with him today to make up for not being able to hang out with him for a short while, so you had no choice but to stay longer as well.

At first, the three of them were just practicing some of their choreographies while you sat on the floor at the very back as you browsed the internet, but one thing led to another, and Wooyoung ended up suggesting the idea of playing the infamous Whisper Game. He, of course, chose to pair up with you, while the opposing team consisted of Yunho and Yeosang.

Yunho and Yeosang were kind enough to let you and Wooyoung play first, but their willingness to step down and offer a gesture of kindness has been proved to be completely useless, seeing how your team has barely even made any progress. “Pass, pass! I can’t do this one anymore!” he yelled, stomping his foot on the ground twice in frustration. “We’re not allowed to pass! You proposed that rule earlier before we started playing, remember?” Wooyoung, however, thought you were still trying to describe your given keyword to him, making him shake his head quickly with his brows furrowed.

“Get it over with! I can’t-”

The door swung open all of a sudden, and even though neither you or Wooyoung heard it, the door was near enough where you were for you to be able to see it in your peripheral vision. However, what you weren’t expecting was your eyes to lay upon Yunho with another person trailing behind him.

The world—for you, at least, came to a stop, and suddenly, the loud music from the headphones you wore no longer rang in your ears. You found yourself in a temporary state of shock, the day seeming to have done a 180 out of nowhere. Behind him was none other than Seonghwa, and God did he look even more ethereal than you can last recall.

The long coat he wore was shrugged off his shoulders, revealing the fitted black turtleneck he wore underneath. His pants were of the same color, and the reflection of the lights on the practice room’s roof shone perfectly on his shoes.

“You still haven’t gone past that word?” Yunho said, though it was more of a statement than a question—the answer was already laid out in front of him, anyway. Yeosang knew both you and Wooyoung couldn’t hear him, so he took it upon himself to speak on your behalf. “I’d say it’s Wooyoung’s fault. He’s been reading her lips incorrectly the whole time,” he said, laughing afterwards.

“By the way, time’s up! Congratulations for scoring zero points,” he followed, taking off Wooyoung’s headphones for him, while you remained in a trance, blanked out while staring into the depths of nowhere. Wooyoung stood up, walking towards you while waving his hands in front of your face. “Hello? Earth to my best friend?” he said, having to repeat it a couple more times before he got tired and straight up flicked your forehead, making you flinch as you hurriedly took the headphones off your head, hanging them on your neck. “Ow! What the hell?!”

“Game’s over! We scored zero points,” he said casually, as if the prize on the line for the winners wasn’t a whole pack of what just happened to be your favorite food. Soon enough, a frown has already made its way to your face. Being all too familiar with the expression you held, Wooyoung was quick to throw his hands up in the air, an apologetic look on his face. “I’m sorry, okay?! I genuinely had no idea what you were saying!

“Then maybe you should’ve considered suggesting a different game—one you aren’t absolutely horrible at.” Yunho and Yeosang watched in amusement, while Seonghwa remained curious, trying to figure out whether you two were actually arguing or if this is simply how your friendship goes.

“Do they normally…?”

“Yeah.”

Meanwhile, Wooyoung was still trying to find a way to receive your forgiveness. “I’ll just stop by the convenience store near my apartment and I’ll buy you a whole pack—two, even! Just forgive me and don’t get rid of my free food privileges at your grandmother’s shop!”

“No can do, Woo. You promised me you’d win the prize for us! That’s so, so different from buying it from some convenience store down the street, you know?” Wooyoung knew you were just messing around, yet he failed to notice you were doing it on purpose to get him to play the game all over again just so you didn’t have to head home early and miss the opportunity to be in the same space as Seonghwa.

“Okay, look, I’ll just,” Wooyoung turned around, facing the three men who were watching you two bicker just now, locking his eyes with Seonghwa, who stared back at him with brows slightly raised in curiosity. “Seonghwa, right? Do you know how to play the Whisper Game?”

What?

“Me? Oh, yeah, I’m pretty decent at it, I guess,” he responded, nodding. You, however, watched the scene unfold with widened eyes. Your plan did work, but at what cost? Was Wooyoung going to ask him to-

“Can you take my place for tonight? I mean, if you haven’t already noticed from my bestfriend’s glares, I’m really, really terrible at it, and clearly, she values the prize more than she does with me,” he explained, making Seonghwa chuckle lightly at the last part. You, however, were quick to interject with Wooyoung’s idea, knowing there was no way you’d be able to focus on the goal of winning if Seonghwa were to be your partner for the game. “What? No, that’s… that’s not necessary. Woo, we could just try again-”

“Sure thing,” Seonghwa slid between your words with a soft smile on his face, immediately shutting you up. Even though Wooyoung was facing away from you, you could still feel the sinister smile on his face begging to be released.

Wooyoung took the headphones off his neck, giving it to Seonghwa as he stepped aside so he could sit down on the chair facing you from a fair distance across the room. Trying your best not to melt down to the ground right there and then, you held back the urge to glare daggers right into where Wooyoung was standing, replacing it with a sarcastic smile instead, making your bestfriend lightly flinch—he was not going to get away with this.

“Are you ready?” Seonghwa asked, looking at your face to search for any signs of discomfort as he patiently waited for your response while holding a soft grip on the headphones hanging off his neck. It was most likely due to the fact that you always have your heart-shaped glasses on whenever he’s in the same space as you are—you were well aware of that, but part of you hopes you weren’t just being delusional over thinking his voice softening ever so slightly when he spoke to you was intentional.

“Yeah, um, I’m good,” you slipped a small chuckle in the middle of your words, the sound of it coming off awkward being completely unintentional—to be fair, anyone would be nervous as well if they were to be put in your shoes, so who’s to say it wouldn’t have happened with other people?

“Why don’t we switch it up this time? I’ll give Seonghwa the keyword instead,” Yeosang chimed in, walking around the room to stand behind where you sat. “Is that alright with you guys?” To which you all agreed.

There was never any specific category you all agreed to follow before playing, so Yeosang let his mind wander as freely as possible while thinking of a word to scribble on the blank paper he held in his hands. Wooyoung, Yunho, and Seonghwa watched him in both curiosity and anticipation as he started writing on the paper, while all you could do was stare down on the ground and fiddle with the hem of your sweater. It’s not like you could look behind you, anyway, and neither do you have enough courage to stare right into Seonghwa’s eyes.

“Okay, here we go,” Yeosang announced, holding the paper up for everyone except you to see. The word, scribbled in Yeosang’s handwriting, was “The Gingerbread Man.”

Wooyoung's jaw dropped, crouching down while the sounds of his hysterical laughter and his claps echoed all over the room. “No way!” Yunho chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. “This is going to be one hell of a round,” he said, his laughter joining Wooyoung’s in a chorus of amusement.

Seonghwa, however, had his eyes widened in disbelief as he scanned the word. “You’ve… got to be kidding me,” he muttered under his breath, running his hands through his hair. “How on Earth am I going to describe this?” he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. His brow furrowed in concentration, trying to come up with a plan.

“Hey, it’s a word that’s pretty easy to guess,” Yunho offered him some encouragement, patting him on his shoulder, “it’s just hard to describe. Well, not really, but you get what I mean.”

Meanwhile, you watched the scene unfold with growing nerves, your heart pounding in your chest as you anticipated what was to come. You weren’t sure how to feel about the variety of reactions. From Seonghwa’s reaction alone, you could already tell the word given to him was a difficult one. As he began to describe the word, you quickly realized just how difficult this was going to be. Seonghwa stumbled over his words, struggling to find a way to explain the complex term without making it too easy or too hard. His brow furrowed in concentration as he tried to come up with the perfect description.

“It’s like... something you often see during Christmas,” Seonghwa started, his voice hesitant as he searched for the right words. He glanced at you briefly, his eyes filled with uncertainty, before continuing with his description. “A see-through crisis… What?” you replied, brows furrowed in confusion while you tried to read his lips. “No, no! It’s often seen during Christmas,” he repeated, this time speaking more slowly than before. “It’s, like… ah, how do I…” he sighed, staring above the ceiling while trying to come up with an effective description.

Wooyoung couldn’t contain his laughter, rolling on the ground as he clutched his stomach. “This is gold!” he exclaimed between breaths, his laughter echoing through the room. He wiped tears of laughter from his eyes, struggling to catch his breath as he continued to laugh uncontrollably.

“A see-through crisis? What does that even mean?” Yunho said, his laughter contagious as he joined Wooyoung down on the floor. He placed his hands down on the surface for support, his laughter mingling with Wooyoung’s as they both struggled to catch their breaths. Seonghwa sighed in frustration as he struggled to find the right words. “I have no idea how to describe this,” he admitted, his voice tinged with defeat. But even his frustration couldn’t dampen the mood, and soon enough, everyone was laughing along with him.

“No, no, come on, you’ve got this! Just come up with whatever you can, and I’ll try my best to make a word out of it!”

Maybe it was because you were getting too lost in the moment, or perhaps it was because you really wanted to win the prize. Eitherway, you failed to notice the fact that you were no longer acting so awkward and bashful around Seonghwa like you usually would.

Wooyoung didn’t, though. And maybe that’s why he was no longer laughing, instead just focused on both you and Seonghwa trying your best to guess the keyword correctly with amusement filling his eyes, grinning while doing so—he was definitely never going to let you hear the end of it after this.

Seonghwa took a deep breath, determined to give it one more shot. “Okay, let’s try this again,” he said, his voice more determined this time. He squared his shoulders, steeling himself for the challenge ahead as he prepared to make one final attempt.

“He’s leaning forward now!” Yeosang pointed out, slapping his knees while laughing. “He’s like those dads leaning forward with their elbows on their knees the moment the basketball game they’re watching on the television comes near the final stretch,” Yunho followed his commentary, leaning to the side after Wooyoung slapped his shoulder playfully over his remark.

“Okay, okay, it’s like... it’s edible, and it can be made through baking. Edible, can be baked.” Seonghwa's brows furrowed in concentration as he tried to articulate his thoughts, but his vague descriptions only left you more confused. “Edited by a candidate…?” you whispered, turning to the others for help. But their faces only mirrored your confusion, refusing to lend you a hand, leaving you feeling even more lost.

Yunho chuckled, shaking his head. “I think he’s just as lost as she is,” he joked, earning a laugh from Wooyoung and Yeosang. Seonghwa sighed in frustration, running a hand through his hair as he tried to regroup. “Okay, okay, let me try again. He’s a little guy who’s edible.” he tried, his voice faltering as he struggled to find the right words.

But as you tried to decipher his words, you found yourself completely off track, misinterpreting his descriptions in the most absurd ways possible. “A little time for enigma?” you guessed, earning a round of laughter from the others. Seonghwa blinked in confusion, his lips quirking up in a small smile despite his frustration. “Uh, no, that’s not quite it,” he chuckled, shaking his head.

As the game progressed, Seonghwa's descriptions became more refined, each one inching closer to helping you unravel the mystery of the keyword. With each new attempt, you found yourself getting closer to understanding, the pieces slowly falling into place.

"It's like, okay, it’s edible, often seen during Christmas, and takes up the form of a little guy,” Seonghwa’s voice was more confident now, his eyes alight with determination as he tried to guide you towards the answer. Well, realistically speaking, he’s only been giving you the same description for the whole time—the only thing that differs each of them from one another being the arrangement of words. You furrowed your brows, mulling over his words carefully. “Christmas, edible, little guy…” you murmured to yourself, trying to make sense of it all.

And then, it clicked.

“Oh my God. Please don’t tell me it’s The Gingerbread Man,” you deadpan. Seonghwa’s eyes lit up with joy, a wide grin spreading across his face. “Yes! That’s it!” he cheered, his voice filled with pride as he nodded enthusiastically. With a rush of adrenaline, you tore off your headphones and stood up, turning around to see Yeosang holding up the paper with the word “The Gingerbread Man” written on it. The sight only fueled your excitement further, and you couldn’t help but let out a triumphant laugh.

“Whoa, they actually got it!” Wooyoung exclaimed, his eyes wide with disbelief as he exchanged stunned looks with Yunho and Yeosang. The room erupted into cheers and applause, everyone celebrating the unexpected victory. As the cheers and laughter filled the room, Seonghwa’s eyes sparkled with joy. Caught up in the excitement of victory, he turned to you with a beaming smile, his hand raised for a congratulatory high five.

Without a second thought, you mirrored his gesture, reaching out to meet his hand with yours. But as you were too lost in the moment, already thinking of eating the prize once you get home, your fingers intertwined with his, the touch sending a jolt of electricity through your veins. Seonghwa’s expression softened, a hint of surprise flickering in his eyes at the unexpected connection. Yet, instead of pulling away, he gently tightened his grip, intertwining his fingers with yours. Seeing others happy had always been his personal source of joy.

For a fleeting moment, time seemed to stand still as you both stood there, excitedly shaking both your hands while they remained within one another’s grasp. It wasn’t until you caught a glimpse of Wooyoung’s teasing glance in the blurry background of your vision.

A warm flush crept up your cheeks as you finally became aware of the intimate gesture, wasting no time to let his hands go. But before you could muster a response, Seonghwa's smile widened, his eyes crinkling at the corners with genuine warmth. “Great job! I didn’t think you’d actually get it, since, I was, like, really bad at coming up with descriptions, you know,” Seonghwa chuckled, rubbing his nape sheepishly.

“What? No, I, it was probably on me—I mean, I literally misread your lips so many times. Great, now I feel bad for yelling at Wooyoung when he made the exact same mistake earlier…” you trailed off as your gaze found its way to your best friend, who was still looking at you and Seonghwa teasingly, this time with both his eyebrows wriggling.

Seonghwa laughed, the sound echoing in your ears, leaving you in a trance for a fleeting moment. How come even his laugh is so beautiful? At this point, you were certain the heavens above took their time with him.

You and Seonghwa looked around, noticing that Wooyoung and Yunho were now the ones seated on the chairs facing each other. It seems like their turn to play the game has finally arrived, and instead of a word, they had to guess a proverb.

As you both turned your gaze to Yeosang who was standing behind Yunho, you waited in anticipation for what he was going to write—bursting in a fit of laughter the moment he held the paper up, the words “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” written on it. Normally, it would be easy to describe it for anyone else, but you knew your best friend well enough to be sure he was not going to be able to describe it correctly to Yunho. This time, you both chose to let them have a moment of their own, being kind enough not to distract them unlike how they did with you earlier.

“You know, I was supposed to ask you this question earlier, but I was unexpectedly caught up in the whirlwind of your game, so I couldn’t…” Seonghwa spoke up all of a sudden, leaving you hanging off his words in curiosity. “Oh? What is it?”

“I might be mistaken, but… you’re the girl my co-workers claim as our café’s most loyal customer, right?” he asked, head tilting to the side slightly as a strand of his long hair got carried along, framing the middle of his face. God, must he really have a face people would go to war for?

Your eyes widened slightly at the mention of the nickname, finding it unexpected. “That’s what they call me?” you asked, a smile finding its way to your lips, with Seonghwa mirroring it with one of his own after hearing your answer. “Oh, so it is you.”

“Anyway, to answer your question, it’s a yes. My duty lies in the back kitchen, so I’m not really updated on who visits our café the most and who doesn’t, but they talk about you a lot, especially during the after-hours of work,” he replied.

“Oh, really?”

You weren’t exactly good at everything, and there’s a fair amount of things you were absolutely horrible at. If you were to be asked to list them all down, lying would definitely hog the first spot. Not only did your attempt to sound like you had no idea he works in the back kitchen as if you haven’t had your eyes on him for months on end now come off as you only pretending to be interested, your blank facial expression—which, in your defense, is an attempt to act clueless of the “newfound” knowledge beforehand, also ended up not being able to offer any help.

Afraid to rub off the wrong impression on Seonghwa, you were quick to steer away and focus on another thing that’s remotely related to the topic at hand. Opting to start talking about the café itself instead and neither the workers nor the customers, you picked back up on your words, the sound of Wooyoung’s laughter blending in the background.

“You know, the reason why I visit the café often is because it’s only a few steps away from my apartment. Not only that, everything you guys offer in the menu just never seems to miss, too,” you smiled, searching his gaze for any signs of whether you had successfully driven his attention away from your terrible response earlier or not. Seeing the way his eyes started to look like they were sparkling, you sneakily let out a breath of relief. “Really? That must be nice… There aren’t really any cafés near where I live—in fact, the one where I’m working is the closest a café can get for me,” Seonghwa jokingly put on an angry expression, making you laugh.

He didn’t have to know you did so not because he looked funny, yet rather because you found it adorable how the front of his eyebrows had risen ever so slightly with his cheeks puffed along with his nose scrunching.

“But you don’t really have to live near a café when you already work at one, don’t you? Makes me wonder if you’ve ever taken wrong orders with you on your way home,” you teased, although a bit hesitant—afraid he’d get the wrong impression and assume you were being passive aggressive somehow. Much to your fortune, he laughed at your comment, holding up both his hands in the air. “Guilty as charged,” he joked, playing along with your antics.

Mulling over the topic at hand, a question suddenly appeared in your mind. And as if Seonghwa noticed it immediately with the way your eyes widened ever so slightly, he tilted his head to the side, asking, “Something on your mind?”

“Were there ever times you got your customers’ orders wrong on purpose just so you could indirectly make yourself a drink without having to pay for it?” you asked, hoping it didn’t sound like you were making accusations. Yet, to your surprise, you were met with the sight of Seonghwa in a state of disbelief. “How’d you know?” he said, making you mirror his expression. “No way! You’ve actually done it before?”

“Done it before? Please, I do it all the time,” he said with a smug look on his face, yet was quick to take it back, “I mean, well, I mean, not all the time, because, like, that’s kind of evil, you know, but like-” Seonghwa gave up in explaining himself, putting his hands up in defeat once more. “Okay, fine, maybe I do. But in my defense-”

“I’ve got it! I’ve got it! I’ve got it!”

The sound of Wooyoung chanting like his life depends on it and proceeding to throw away his chair across the other side of the room along with Yunho yelling in victory cut your conversation short, both you and Seonghwa immediately turning your heads to Yeosang, who looked at you with an expression just as bewildered as yours.

“Don’t ask me, I don’t know either,” he mouthed, letting out a sound of surprise when Wooyoung and Yunho suddenly lifted him up and started throwing him in the air back and forth. Exchanging concerned glances with Seonghwa, both of you were certain that from this point onwards, it was going to take you two a lot more time to calm your bestfriends’ energies down. Can the night take any longer to go away?

****

You were shocked, to say the least.

Well, in much more… realistic terms, it’d be better to use the term ‘annoyed’. It all started earlier in the morning, when your grandmother called you just when you were about to take a 5 minute nap after your alarm woke you up, telling you that you were going to have to work overtime for the following weeks. It would’ve been the trigger for your sour mood long ago, but at this point, you were already used to being greeted by such announcements.

You were certain it was most likely because she was planning on taking a break from work and letting you handle everything for a while as she gets her well-deserved rest, so you didn’t really mind it at first, immediately telling her “alright, got it,” before she could even finish speaking.

What you weren’t expecting was the bomb she had dropped down on you just now as you both indulge in a conversation regarding your work by the counter.

“You mean I need to make how much of what in how many days because it’s due when exactly?” you bombarded her with questions, leaning forward from outside the counter as you rested your shoulders on its surface while staring at your grandmother who stood inside the counter in disbelief, your expression growing more frustrated after each inquiry spoken. Great—just when you thought the gods will be nice enough to grant you a peaceful week for once.

Your grandmother held your hand laying down on the surface, looking at you with an apologetic gaze. “I’m sorry, dear, but I really wasn’t expecting it either. She only came in last night during your rest day and told me everything about what she wanted to happen and wanted us to do a minute before the shop was supposed to close, and she seemed to have been in a rush just as I was to close the shop. It seemed like it’s an urgent matter, so I couldn’t turn her down…”

Snapping back to reality and realizing that perhaps you were being a little too dramatic, you were quick to shake your head, placing your other hand down on hers. “No, no, grandma, I’m not upset at you, you don’t have to apologize. It’s just… who exactly is this person, and why did they only visit our shop now that the deadline for whatever they need our services for is nearing and not when they could’ve done so in advance?”

Your grandmother furrowed her brows, a puzzled expression crossing her face as she tried to recall the details of her conversation with the manager from the previous night. "Hmm, let me think... She mentioned something about being the manager of a café, but I'm afraid I can't quite remember the name of the place. My memory's not what it used to be, you know.”

With the mention of a café, your mind instinctively drifted off to Seonghwa—perhaps it was because you haven’t seen him for quite a while now.

For the past few weeks, you couldn’t exactly say you were in a good state. The reason why your grandmother has been taking care of the shop all by herself lately is because she refuses to let you work—not when you were severely ill. Each day felt longer to you than it usually would, as the only things that have been keeping you entertained within the confines of your apartment were your phone and Wooyoung himself.

Not a day during the time you were sick felt enjoyable to you, especially since Wooyoung was the one who had been taking care of you through it all. Sure, you appreciate the gesture more than he believes, but you couldn’t exactly say his countless amounts of teasing you for being ‘born with a respiratory system that wouldn’t survive a horror house’ weren’t annoying. It didn’t help that you couldn’t see Seonghwa for three weeks straight, either. Ever since you got sick, all you could think of was every interaction that happened between both of you that night when you chose to accompany Wooyoung with his dance lessons. You couldn’t get him off your mind.

From the way his brows were furrowed ever so slightly while trying to describe the keyword given to him to you, to the way his hands squeezed yours for about two times at most when you were both celebrating your victory—all of it.

Snapping back to reality after hearing the shop’s door open, you were quick to compose yourself and greet the customer who came in, before turning your attention back to your grandmother. “That’s okay, Grandma. Do you remember anything else she said?”

Your grandmother tapped her chin thoughtfully, her eyes scanning the ceiling as she searched her memory. “Well, she barely gave me a chance to ask any questions before she started laying out her plans for the Valentine’s Day event they’re hosting. Apparently, they want to go all out with the decorations this year, and she thought our shop would be the perfect fit to sponsor the flowers.”

“And did she mention anything about why she waited until the eleventh hour to ask for our help?” you asked, both your curiosity and annoyance getting the better of you. Your grandmother frowned, her brow furrowing in thought. “Not really,” she admitted. “She was so focused on getting everything organized that she didn’t offer much in the way of explanation. But I got the sense that she’s under a lot of pressure to make their event a success.”

You sighed, massaging your temple. You had just recovered from your illness, yet it already feels like it’s crawling its way back to your senses. “Alright, um…” you trailed off, trying to think of how to proceed with the situation at hand.

Suddenly, your grandmother’s face brightened as a memory surfaced in her mind. “Ah, I almost forgot! She did leave me something before she rushed out.” With a sense of urgency, she rummaged through a drawer under the counter, finally pulling out a crumpled piece of paper. She smoothed it out carefully before placing it on the counter for you to see. “This is what she left me,” she explained, pointing to the phone number scrawled on the paper. “She said she was in a hurry and couldn’t specify which café she manages or where the event would be held. So, she asked me to call her today so we could discuss the details properly.”

“Huh…” you hummed, lost in thought as you looked at what was written on the crumpled paper. “Well, why don’t we call her now? The sooner we start, the sooner we can get this whole thing over with.”

“No, no, I’ll do it myself, dear. I’ll just let you know of all the details later. For the meantime, help out that customer over there,” she said, pointing to a man with split-dyed hair wearing a black leather jacket who was scanning the rows and columns of various bouquets sprawled out in front of him, “he looks like he needs a little assistance.”

You smiled, pushing yourself off the counter. “Got it,” you said, playfully saluting before heading towards the aforementioned man at the corner of the shop. “Would you like some assistance, sir?” you asked politely to grab his attention as he turned his head behind to look at you. “Oh, uh, yeah… Do you have any suggestions on which bouquet in this section would be best to give to my girlfriend for Valentine’s Day? They all look beautiful, but I don’t know which one to choose…”

Ah, that’s right.

Valentine’s Day, the sweet old event held annually every February 14th you never had a chance to participate in. With all the heavy workload and life burdens you’ve been carrying on your shoulder lately, you didn’t even realize the said day was fast approaching. Just a day ago, when you were taking a stroll around the city, couples were all over the place—not too much of a rare occurrence, yet it was strange all the same—you thought you were going crazy and were just seeing different versions of the same couple everywhere. Now, it makes perfect sense.

You wonder if Seonghwa has a date planned with someone for Valentine’s day, too. It would be funny if he were to suddenly enter the flower shop asking you the same question Mr. Cruella De Vil had asked just now—the humorous effect of it would definitely wear off later in the evening if it were to actually happen and you’ll most likely end up curled up in your blanket with tears in your eyes, but hey, it would definitely be a fun story to tell Wooyoung about.

“Well, let’s see…” you trailed off, scanning the bouquet flowers presented in front of you. “I think it would be pretty basic if you were to just pick one of these. I mean, think about it. What are the odds that another girl or guy out there already has this in their room?” you said, pointing to some random bouquet.

“Like, 7.5/10?” the man answered, his face looking as if he was actually thinking your little subtle marketing strategy through. “Exactly. That’s more than 5, which means you definitely shouldn’t be opting for any bouquets displayed here in this aisle.”

“Don’t you think it’d be better if you, perhaps,” you spread your arm to gesture to the little synthetic decorations of varying flowers by the counter, “search up different flowers and their meanings and choose the ones with a description that matches your partner’s vibe the most? And then onward, I’ll take care of the rest and make sure I’ll be able to compile them and turn them into a beautiful bouquet as soon as possible.”

He seemed to have been lost in thought for at least a few seconds, making you second-guess whether you were promoting your business correctly or if all you were actually doing was blowing his socks off out of pure fear, yet all your worries fell silent the moment a smile started to form itself on the corners of his lips, “I’d like that. That sounds like something she would definitely appreciate.”

****

The wall clock on top of the counter has once again hit the after-hours of work. The bells hung on top of the café’s doors keep clashing with each other each moment another fellow employee of Seonghwa calls it a day and heads out, their need for a rest as clear as day with the way their voices would sound as if they’ve just finished carrying the weight of the whole world on their shoulders. Face buried in his palms with his hair all disheveled, Seonghwa left the counter and dragged his feet against his will to one of the couches, laying on his back on its soft surface, initiating eye contact with the warm fairy lights hung by the ceiling.

He found himself lost in thought, trying to decipher why exactly the past few days have felt so flavorless and dull for him. He doesn’t even know when or how it started—one minute, he was just playing video games on Yunho’s PC, then the next thing he knew was suddenly he needed a thousand years of rest, away from everything. He knows it’s normal for people to feel down out of nowhere for no reason at all, but it wasn’t the same case for him, not when he doesn’t usually find himself struggling with such a feeling. Out of all the times he could’ve felt it, like when he once had to balance 4 jobs at once just so he wouldn’t find his things in a trash bag outside his door with a note from his landlord way before he started working at the café, why now?

“Seonghwa? Why are you still here?”

The familiar voice of his manager woke him up from his daydream, making him immediately sit up straight. “Oh, uh, they said I was on duty for closing up the café tonight…” a lie. “But they told me you haven’t gone home yet, so I thought of waiting for you to leave before I’d start cleaning up,” another lie. “I was just laying down because I figured I should charge up my energy before working on tonight’s duties,” why is he lying when it isn’t even necessary at all?

“Is that so?” she asked, raising an eyebrow as if she’s not buying his excuses—well, to be fair, who in their right mind would? “You know you can just tell me you’re tired, Seonghwa. Admitting to that wouldn’t be a crime at all,” she gave him a reassuring smile, walking towards the couch from across the one Seonghwa was sitting on, placing her phone down on the table in between them. “I mean, I don’t even know what to call what I’ve been feeling for the past few days,” Seonghwa sighed, shrugging as he leaned back against the couch. “When did it start?” his manager asked, as if trying to help him out with piecing two and two together.

“That’s… I honestly don’t know either. All I know is I feel like everything has been so dull and gloomy lately, like something in my life I never knew existed has disappeared behind the scenes,” he said, stopping in between a few parts as if he’s not sure if what he’s saying even makes sense. “Well, uh,” she pondered, tapping her index finger on her cheek while her eyes examined the roof absentmindedly, “I don’t know much about you and what goes on in your life, so forgive me if this is a ridiculous theory, but.. perhaps what you’ve been feeling lately is caused by a person?”

“A person?” Seonghwa echoed her words, as if even he himself is unsure if a person is actually capable of making him feel strange emotions–without him noticing until the effects of it have finally taken place, too, if anything. “I’m not sure, I… don’t know how that could happen.” His manager was quick to wave her arms off in front of him, retracting her theory. “Well, I’m not sure! After all, it’s just a theory. Maybe it’s true, maybe it isn’t. I’m only throwing that assumption out there because I know that feeling very well, but hey, things are different for each of us,” she smiled, attempting to drive him away from stressing himself out further.

“Yeah, yeah, I agree. Let’s just… maybe not talk about it for now?” Seonghwa politely requested, to which she happily followed. “Of course! Which reminds me, I forgot to tell you about this earlier in the morning, but I went to that flower shop your friend recommended yesterday.” “How’d it go?”

“Well,” she clasped her hands together, smiling so wide Seonghwa swore the distance between her eyes and the corners of her lips was little to none, “I’ve got it sorted out! I may or may not have felt really bad after leaving the shop, though…” she trailed off, frowning. “Why?”

“I thought the owner would be a pretty girl around our age because well, you know, every girl dreams of opening up a flower shop at some point in their lives, or a sassy bald man with glasses who dresses like Edna from The Incredibles, but it was neither.” Seonghwa tilted his head, “What was the owner like, then?” “A sweet old lady who looked like she wanted to turn me down yet didn’t do so because she probably has a heart of gold and I’m pretty sure it’s also because I gave off the impression that I might just die then and there if she didn’t accept my proposal,” she said.

“Oh, really?” Seonghwa looked genuinely surprised. “I’m sure Yunho wouldn’t have thought of recommending that shop to us at all if that was the case, though… Maybe she has someone who’s helping her out? Like, a grandchild of hers or something?”

“I don’t know, I was in too much of a rush when I went there so the thought didn’t really cross my mind. I really hope that’s the case,” she sighed, looking over to her phone on the table. “I’m still waiting for her to ring me up, though. I told her to call me yesterday, but I haven’t received anything at all.”

“Maybe she’s taking her time thinking about it? It’s a pretty huge proposal, anyway,” Seonghwa guessed. “Yeah, maybe that’s it. I’m hoping she’ll dial my number by tonight, though… Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, and I really can’t afford having any last-minute issues with our plans-”

The manager’s phone suddenly rang, cutting her and Seonghwa’s conversation short. She quickly picked it up, glancing at the screen. “Oh, it’s the flower shop! Talk about perfect timing,” she smiled, tapping the answer button as she set the phone call on speaker so Seonghwa could listen in on the conversation as well. “Hello? This is the manager of the café you visited yesterday.”

“Good evening, dear! Apologies for the delayed call, I’ve been pretty busy here,” your grandmother’s voice came through clearly, her tone both polite and professional. “I just wanted to discuss the details of your request for the Valentine’s Day event, if that’s alright with you?”

“Ah, yes! Thank you so much for getting back to me,” the manager said, her tone as bright as day. “I’m really excited about this collaboration. We want to go all out for this event and make it really special for our customers.”

“Of course, I understand. Could you remind me of the name of your café again? I want to make sure I have all the details right,” your grandmother asked. The manager hesitated for a moment, “Actually, I didn’t get the chance to tell you yesterday, my apologies. The café is called ‘Heavenly Brews’. We’re located just a few blocks away from your shop.”

“Ah, I see. Thank you for letting me know. Now, regarding the flower decorations, could you tell me more about what exactly you’re looking for?” your grandmother asked, pulling out a notepad to jot down details. “We’re thinking of something that really captures the essence of Valentine’s Day,” she began. “We’d like a color scheme that gives off those classic Valentine vibes—reds, pinks, whites. Perhaps some heart-shaped arrangements or something that really stands out and adds to the romantic atmosphere.

“That sounds lovely. I can definitely work with those colors and themes,” your grandmother said, scribbling down notes. “Do you have any specific types of flowers in mind?”

“Well, we were thinking of using roses primarily, but we’re open to suggestions. Maybe some baby’s breath or lilies to complement them? Something that looks elegant and sophisticated, but also warm and inviting,” the manager replied. “I can certainly arrange that. Would you prefer more traditional arrangements, or are you looking for something more modern and creative?” your grandmother inquired, her mind already running like a train off the rails with ideas.

“A mix of both would be great. We want the café to have a cozy, welcoming feel, but also something that catches the eye and feels special. It’s a big day for us, and we want our customers to feel that love and effort,” the manager explained. “Understood. I’ll start working on some designs and get back to you with a few options. When would you like to see the samples?” your grandmother asked, feeling more confident now that she had a clearer idea of what was needed.

“If possible, could I visit your shop tomorrow? It would be great to discuss things and see the process in person,” the manager requested, tone so bright your grandmother swore she could practically hear her smiling from the other end of the line. “Of course! That sounds like a good plan. What time would work best for you?” your grandmother asked, flipping to a fresh page in her notepad to note the appointment.

“How about around noon? That’s usually a quieter time for us, so we can discuss everything without too many interruptions,” the manager offered. “Noon works perfectly for me. I’ll see you then,” your grandmother confirmed. “Great! Thank you so much for working with us on this. We’re really looking forward to seeing your designs,” the manager said, her relief evident in her voice.

“It’s my pleasure. I look forward to working with you as well,” your grandmother replied warmly before the call ended. The manager looked over at Seonghwa, who had been listening intently. “Looks like things are starting to come together, huh?” she said with a smile on her face. “That’s great news. I’m sure the event will turn out amazing,” Seonghwa said, mirroring her smile with one of his own. “I hope so. It’s going to be a lot of work, but I think it’ll be worth it,” she replied, her enthusiasm evident in her voice. “Thank you for sticking around, Seonghwa. You should probably head home and get some rest now.”

****

The night had long since then passed, and Seonghwa was now already on his way to work, tapping his foot on the ground while waiting for the stoplights to turn green so he could cross the street. He pushed the long strands of his hair that were framing his face back, fingers getting slightly wet since his hair was still quite soaked. Why, must you ask? His decision of staying overtime at the café last night was made on a whim, because he wasn’t really thinking straight yesterday due to his strange emotions taking a toll on him. Had the manager not been met with the sight of him looking absolutely disheveled laying down on the couch, he probably might’ve even considered staying the night.

He was too busy trying to untangle his feelings to even remember that he hadn’t gotten any sleep the night before—and so, as a result, Seonghwa ended up oversleeping yesterday. Yet one thing about him was that he was either gonna show up fashionably late, or not show up at all. Despite knowing he should’ve resigned from wearing a stylish fit and making an effort to fix himself up at least just for today, Seonghwa does not want his customers to say in their thoughts, “He looks like he just came back from a war.”

Today, he chose to wear an oversized checkered brown and white cardigan on top of a plain white shirt, paired with black pants with converse shoes in the same color as the brown hue of his cardigan. He didn’t have much time left for fixing his face up—everyone believes this is totally unnecessary for a face as beautiful as his, but he insists—so he decided to just wear a pair of glasses with a brown frame, remembering what Yunho used to say about glasses perfectly suiting him.

The stoplights had finally turned green, and he wasted no time in practically running towards the coffee shop he works at. He knew his hair would end up looking like a flock of birds had just nested on it by the time he’d reach the café’s front doors, but at this point, he was too late to care. Stopping in his tracks by the time he saw the large signage of the café he works at, Seonghwa decided to take a break from running and started walking slowly towards it, heavy breaths getting released with each step. The familiar ringing of the bells echoed in his ear the moment he opened the doors, the warm scent of various brews making its way to his nose.

“Oh, hey, Seonghwa!” a coworker of his called for him by a table, motioning for him to come over. “Our manager left a note for you by the counter. She said it was about something urgent, so you might wanna take a look at it,” he said, pointing to a small folded piece of paper pinned by the corkboard. Seonghwa nodded, immediately making his way to the corkboard by the counter. Taking the piece of paper off the corkboard, he carefully unfolded it, reading the words that seem to have been hurriedly written on it:

“Seonghwa, before anything else, I deeply apologize for the late notice. Remember when the sweet old lady from the flower shop asked me to stop by today so we could discuss our plans for the event further? Well, the thing is, something urgent came up and I can’t visit her today. If it won’t be too much trouble for you, could you please be the one to visit her this afternoon instead? You’re free to have the rest of the day off after doing so for compensation. I’ll make it up to you once I get things sorted out.”

For at least a few seconds, all he could do was stare at the scribbled words on the paper blankly. Part of him wonders what came up for his manager to have to skip work for the day, but then he eventually realizes that it’s probably something regarding her personal issues, so he shouldn’t really meddle about it. A detour to the flower shop in the middle of the day sure does sound a little hectic for him, especially since it’s a last-minute request, but being given permission not to continue working at the café afterwards and just spend the rest of his day to his liking does sound like a good deal to make it up for him, too.

You, however, were not exactly feeling the best of the best.

Unfortunately, your grandmother couldn’t go to work today due to having a fever you swear she got from not listening to your consistent reminders to take her medications regularly, so it was all up to you to manage the shop all by yourself. It didn’t help that your duties for the day were of a higher amount than the usual, either. Earlier in the morning, your grandmother called you to inform you about the phone call she had the night before with the manager of the café whose Valentine’s event your shop will be sponsoring, informing you that the manager had already told her about specific designs and patterns she thought would fit the theme of their event.

Their requests were highly specific, too, which only ended up making things harder for you—as now, you’re still stuck on completing the first set of decorations. It wouldn’t be an issue at all, had you not been working on it since the brink of dawn, and had the manager not been supposed to stop by later around 1, which is currently half an hour away from now. So, as a result, you decided to close the shop for the day and solely focus on getting the decorations done. Of course, you made sure to leave a little note by the front doors for the manager, telling her to disregard the “CLOSED” signage and just barge in as she wishes.

The first set of decorations consisted of a series of small floral arrangements designed to be hung from the ceiling. You were envisioning these hanging arrangements as delicate bursts of color that would gently sway above the heads of the café’s customers, creating a romantic atmosphere.

Each decoration was to be composed of a variety of flowers, with a strong emphasis on pink and white hues to match both the manager’s requests and the event’s theme. You had chosen to use a mix of roses, peonies, and baby's breath, carefully arranging them into small, rounded bouquets. Each bouquet was tied with a length of white ribbon that would be used to hang them from the ceiling. After finally finishing the first batch of decorations, you gathered them all together on the ground, carefully examining it as you can’t shake the feeling that something’s missing—it exceeds beauty yet lacks character. As you were thinking of what to add, the sky suddenly turned gloomy, with droplets slowly starting to stain your shop’s glass door. The weather forecast for today said today would be a sunny day, so this was completely unexpected.

You absolutely dread days like this. If there was one thing you hate more than the feeling of wet socks on your skin, it would be none other than rainy days. You just don’t have any good memories tied with it, is all. And it seems as if the world hates to be in your favor, as it’s been raining for weeks now. From your view inside the shop, citizens were either hurrying to the nearest area of shelter, while others were normally continuing their strolls, only having to take their umbrellas out of their bags. You wonder if the manager brought an umbrella with her.

Suddenly snapping out of your thoughts due to thinking about her, you immediately looked up to the wall clock by the counter, only to find out that there are approximately a few minutes left until she arrives. You then hurriedly get back on track, thinking of what additional decoration to add to the small bouquets.You wanted to add a unique touch, and after some thought, you decided to incorporate tiny heart-shaped ornaments, each one nestled among the flowers. These ornaments were delicate and glittery, catching the light in a way that would add a touch of magic to the decorations.

You were carefully adding them onto each bouquet, making sure that the flowers were perfectly arranged and that the ribbons were tied securely. The process was moving slowly yet surely, and you found yourself frequently glancing at the clock, anxious about the manager’s arrival. As you were carefully attaching a heart-shaped ornament to one of the bouquets, the bell above the shop door rang, signaling the arrival of someone. You looked up, expecting to see the manager, but instead, you saw a young man with soaked hair and a stylish yet slightly hurried appearance, dark spots on his cardigan which you could only assume were from the pouring droplets outside. He looked around the shop, his eyes eventually landing on you.

Your breath caught in your throat. There, standing in the entrance of the flower shop, was Seonghwa. You hadn’t seen him since the day you accompanied Wooyoung to his dance lessons, and now, here he was, looking as effortlessly stunning as ever despite being soaked by the rain. His presence was so unexpected that you felt like time had stopped for a moment. The world outside seemed to blur, and all you could focus on was him. Seonghwa, the guy you had been crushing on for what felt like forever, was standing in your flower shop. The same Seonghwa who worked at the café you loved to visit, the café you had no idea was the one your shop was sponsoring for Valentine’s Day—at least not until now. This wasn’t what you had prepared for. You were expecting to see the manager, not the man of your dreams.

“You know, I’m so close to fully believing we’re destined to know each other—with how many times I’ve unexpectedly crossed paths with you,” Seonghwa said while shrugging his hair out of his face, his tone clarifying that he was clearly just throwing in a harmless joke to ease your nerves.

Yet despite this, you find your brain short-circuiting as the only thing you heard clearly was him saying you were destined to know one another.

“If that’s the case, I hope you remember me as the girl who did well on a whisper game round with you and not as whatever else God knows you witnessed me doing,” you replied with a laugh, trying to appear as if you weren’t going absolutely insane deep inside. “Well, unfortunately, I do know you as the girl who said “thanks, you too,” when I placed her order on her table-”

“I don’t even know who you are.”

He suddenly starts laughing, and for a moment, you ponder if this is what lone souls headed to heaven hear on their way there. You find yourself joining his fit of laughter, dropping the act of being annoyed by him—an act not even one person would’ve bought anyway, because even if you were rolling your eyes at him, it was still painfully obvious you were trying your very best not to smile. “The weather forecast is an absolute liar for stating it’ll finally be sunny today,” Seonghwa said while placing his things on the counter. You couldn’t agree more.

“I’ll get you a towel you can dry yourself with real quick,” you hurriedly said as if it’s a line you’ve been practicing and preparing to say for the past few seconds, placing the bouquet you’re holding down on the floor to look for a towel in the somewhat clean storage room. As you entered the area, you were quick to close the door behind you and lean your back against it, dramatically sliding down with your hands covering your mouth. Searching your pockets for your phone so you can message Wooyoung about it, your eyes widened as you suddenly remembered that you left it by the counter.

Sighing, you stood up, silently squealing while burying your hands in your hair. At this point, you were so close to just kneeling down and begging the ground to eat you alive. The fact that Seonghwa has this much of an effect on you leaves you appalled. Finally getting it together after what seemed like a pretty long while—at least to you, your eyes started searching the room for a clean towel to give Seonghwa as if you weren’t just going insane over him a few seconds ago.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, Seonghwa was walking through the shop, admiring every creation of both yours and your grandmother’s settled down by the aisles. Spotting a bouquet of gypsophila in the middle of his stroll, Seonghwa immediately stopped in his tracks. Somehow, he feels like this bouquet in particular holds a meaning more special than the other ones he has seen. It holds a beauty other bouquets don’t seem to have in them, too.

“Seonghwa? Where are- oh...”

Seonghwa’s head then turns back, only to find you standing by the end of the aisle with a towel hung by your shoulder and a hair comb within the grasp of your hand.

“Oh, hey, I was just checking out the place. I hope that’s alright with you…?” Seonghwa trailed off, unsure whether he should be where he is right now, given the look on your face. Upon this, you were quick to wave him off, shaking your head with a small laugh. “What? no, no, I don’t see why it wouldn’t be at all,” you said, walking towards him. “Do you like this one?” you asked, pointing to the bouquet of gypsophila you saw him staring at earlier. “Yeah, it’s really pretty. It has this ring of uniqueness in it that the others don’t seem to have,” he replied, smiling at you.

Silence then engulfs the room, and the only thing you could hear were the muffled sounds of raindrops harshly falling down to the ground from outside. The humming buzz of the shop’s air-conditioner was another thing, too. While Seonghwa was busy looking at the other sets of flowers in front of him, you were busy contemplating on whether you should overshare a piece of information regarding the bouquet of gypsophila your conversation with Seonghwa would still be perfectly fine without.

Well, it’s either one step forward or three steps back.

“My mother’s favorite flower was gypsophila. She always wanted to build a flower shop of her own, too,” you spoke up, breaking the chains of silence binding itself around you and Seonghwa. It takes him a few seconds to put two and two together, and once he finally did, it was as if you already saw the look of pity on his face coming ahead.

Yet much to your surprise, you were proven wrong, as the moment he turned his face towards you, a soft smile was gracing his lips. Seonghwa glanced at the bouquet of gypsophila again, then turned back to you, his expression gentle. “You know,” he began, “the reason this bouquet holds a different vibe is probably because your mother’s soul has chosen to reside in it. Maybe she did so to ensure that, even as a soul now, she can still watch over you.”

His words made your heart skip a beat, and you felt a different type of warmth spread through your chest—something you haven’t felt in quite a long while. You weren’t sure if it was the sentiment behind his words or the sincerity in his eyes that moved you so deeply. Perhaps it was both.

“I… I never thought of it that way,” you replied softly, feeling a lump forming in your throat as memories of your mother suddenly began to resurface in your mind. “It’s a beautiful thought, though.” Seonghwa smiled, his gaze still as soft as ever. “Sometimes, I think the people we’ve lost find small ways to let us know they’re still with us. Your mother must have had an incredible spirit to leave such a beautiful mark behind.” You looked at the bouquet, blinking away the tears that threatened to spill. “She did,” you said, your voice barely battling with the muffled sounds of raindrops outside. “She really did.”

For a moment, the two of you stood there in silence, the soft glow of the warm lights of the flower shop casting a comforting hue over everything. It was oddly peaceful—an almost sacred moment.

Seonghwa gently placed a finger on the bouquet, his touch as light as a feather falling down the ground. “I’m sure she’d be proud of everything you’ve done here,” he said with a smile. “This shop, these flowers, they’re a testament to her legacy and to your hard work.” You nodded, a small smile tugging at the corners of your lips. He returned your smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners. No words needed to be spoken at all. After a moment, you remembered the towel you were holding and handed it to him. “Oh, uh, here, you should dry off before you catch a cold,” you said, hurriedly wiping a stray tear the moment he took it from your hands.

Seonghwa took the towel with a grateful nod. "Thanks," he said, starting to pat his hair dry. As he did, he glanced around the shop again, his curiosity piqued. “So, what’s the plan for the decorations?” You perked up at his question, eager to shift the conversation to something a bit more practical. “Well, the manager had some specific requests for the event. I’ve been working on a set of decorations that’ll be hanging from the ceiling. They’re meant to create a sort of canopy effect with flowers and lights.”

"Oh, right, I saw those. They’re the ones on the floor by the counter, right?” Seonghwa asked, genuinely intrigued. "What kind of flowers are you using?”

“A mix of roses, lilies, this and that,” you replied, gesturing to a nearby arrangement outside the aisle. “They all complement each other well and give off a really romantic vibe, which is perfect for Valentine’s Day.” Seonghwa nodded, his eyes lighting up with interest so much the lights above were even reflecting on his eyes—as if his gaze held the night sky within them. “Do you need any help with them? I’ve got the rest of the day off after this, so I’d be happy to lend a hand.”

The offer took you by surprise, and you felt your cheeks turn warm again. “A-are you sure? I mean, wouldn’t you want to use your free time to yourself?” you asked, feeling hesitant to accept his offer because 1. He’s not even supposed to be here in the first place, and 2. You don’t think you can last a few more hours in the same space as him without fainting somewhere in the middle of it.

“Don’t worry about it! I don’t have anything else I want to do, anyway, and what you’re doing genuinely seems fun—minus the stressful part of having to come up with ideas, of course,” Seonghwa said with a grin, making you laugh and nod in agreement. “Anyway, I insist. Plus, these decorations are for the café I’m working at, anyway, so why shouldn’t I help you out?” he said, tilting his head. After a few more seconds of him trying to convince you to accept his offer, you finally caved in. “Alright, fine.”

You led him to the workspace where you had been preparing the decorations. You decided to start with demonstrating the process, and as you were doing so, you found yourself stealing a few glances at him, feeling a mixture of excitement and nervousness. It was surreal to have him here, helping you with something so important, and you couldn’t help but feel a little flutter in your chest every time he smiled at you or complimented your work.

The conversation you’re about to have with Wooyoung later in the evening will definitely last for hours on end.

“Wow, you’re really good at this. Did you always have a knack for flower arranging?” Seonghwa asked, his voice filled with genuine admiration as he watched you skillfully weave the flowers together. “Oh, uh, thanks,” you replied with a sheepish laugh, trying not to make it obvious that a simple compliment for him is enough to drive you on edge.

“I guess it runs in the family. My grandmother taught me everything I know," you replied with a smile, your hands moving deftly among the blossoms. Seonghwa observed you closely, his eyes tracing the movements of your fingers as you arranged the flowers with such ease. “She must be really proud of you, then. This shop is amazing,” he said, glancing around at the various floral displays that adorned the room. “I’ve never seen someone handle flowers with so much grace. It’s like you’re conducting an orchestra,” Seonghwa says as he turns back to you with a lighthearted laugh, making you smile. “I can’t say I’ve heard such a compliment before.”

Finally down to the last touch, you finished making the bouquet after adding the little heart-shaped ornament on it. “And, there you go! All done,” you said, handing it to Seonghwa for him to observe while you busied yourself with stretching your arms. Seonghwa observes the bouquet, turning it gently in his hands to take in every detail. The arrangement is perfect, each flower meticulously placed, and the heart-shaped ornament adds a charming touch. “This looks amazing,” he said, genuinely impressed. “It’s pretty and definitely matches the Valentine’s vibe we’re aiming for at the café.” You felt a swell of pride at his words, your cheeks warming slightly. “I’m glad you think so. Now, it’s your turn.”

Seonghwa blinked, taken aback. “My turn?”

“Yep, your turn, Seonghwa.” you replied with a playful grin. “You saw what I did. Now, you get to try making one of the decorations on your own. Don’t look so nervous now, I’ll guide you through it. And then, after you’re done, we’ll start working together.” He looked a bit apprehensive but nodded, rolling up the sleeves of his cardigan as if preparing for a challenge. “Alright, let’s do this.”

You handed him a bundle of flowers and some tools, stepping beside him to offer guidance. “First, you need to choose a few flowers that complement each other. Think about the colors and how they’ll look together.” Seonghwa carefully selected a few blooms, his brow furrowed in concentration. “Like this?”

“Perfect,” you encouraged, your fingers brushing against his as you helped him arrange the flowers. Seonghwa took a deep breath and began the process of making the bouquet, following your instructions step by step. You watched him closely, offering guidance when needed.

“Start with the largest flower in the center,” you said, handing him a beautiful red rose from the set of flowers he picked. Seonghwa carefully placed the rose in the center, arranging smaller flowers around it. He was surprisingly focused, his brow furrowed in concentration as he tried to replicate your earlier demonstration. His hands were a bit clumsy at first, but he gradually got the hang of it. “This is harder than it looks,” he muttered, a lighthearted frustration in his voice. You laughed softly. “It takes practice, but you’re doing great. Just be patient with yourself.”

“Now, add some greenery to fill in the gaps,” you instructed, handing him a few sprigs of baby’s breath. He nodded, his hands moving more confidently as he worked. Just as he was placing a delicate spray of baby’s breath, he winced, jerking his hand back. “Ouch!” he hissed, looking at his finger. You quickly moved closer, concern etched on your face. "What happened?”

“I think I pricked my finger on a thorn,” he said, holding up his hand to show a small drop of blood forming on his fingertip. “Here, let me see,” you said, gently taking his hand in yours. Your touch was light, but it sent a jolt through you, your heart racing. You tried to focus on dabbing at the small wound with a tissue you found by the counter, all while trying not to think of how close you were to him. Seonghwa watched you, his gaze fixed on your face. He noticed the way your brows knitted together in concentration, the gentle way you handled his hand. He found himself unable to look away, somewhat mesmerized.

“You’ve got to be careful,” you said softly, finally looking up at him. “Roses are beautiful but tricky to work with.” Seonghwa cleared his throat, snapping out of his trance. “Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks.” You smiled, giving his hand a final pat before letting go. “Alright, back to work. Just a few more touches and you’ll be done.” He nodded, still a bit confused by the strange flutter in his chest. He resumed his task, this time more mindful of the thorns.

After a while, Seonghwa was now nearing the final stretch, now getting down to the step of binding the bouquet with a ribbon. He took a deep breath and tried to tie a neat bow, but somehow ended up with a tangled mess. He looked at you silently, his eyes pleading for help. You couldn't help but laugh gently, “I think you just invented a new kind of knot, Seonghwa.” He chuckled, slightly embarrassed. “Yeah, tying bows was never my strong suit.”

“Let me show you again,” you said, moving closer to him. You demonstrated the technique, your fingers deftly working the ribbon into a perfect bow. “You see? It's all about making a simple loop and pulling it through.” Seonghwa nodded, but when it was his turn to try again, he still ended up with another tangled mess. Seeing his frustration, you decided to guide him more closely. “Here, let me help you,” you said softly, positioning yourself behind him. Kneeling down, you leaned forward slightly, so your face was level with his from behind. You reached forward, your hands gently covering his.

“Okay, just follow my lead,” you instructed, guiding his hands with yours. Your proximity made your heart race, but you focused on the task at hand. “Make a loop with this end,” you said, your hands moving his fingers to create the loop. “Now, take the other end and pull it through here.” He followed your movements, feeling the smooth texture of the ribbon under your combined touch. “See? Just like that,” you whispered, the bow finally taking shape. As Seonghwa turned his head slightly, he suddenly realized just how close you were. In that brief moment, he swore he felt your breath on his skin, and for an instant, it seemed like your lips were almost touching.

Quickly, he turned his head back to the front, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment. He cleared his throat, trying to push aside the sudden rush of emotions that had flooded him like a waterfall in that moment. “Uh, thanks again,” he managed to say, his voice in a slightly lower octave than usual. You nodded, trying to appear unbothered. “No problem,” you replied. For a moment, neither of you spoke, the air heavy with unspoken tension. Then, with a shaky laugh, you stepped back, breaking the spell. “We should probably finish up this bouquet,” you said, your voice slightly higher than usual. Seonghwa nodded, grateful for the change in topic. “Yeah, we should.”

A few hours have passed, and as the last bouquet was finished, neither of you realized just how much time had passed. When you finally glanced outside, you were surprised to see that it had already gone dark. Turning to check the wall clock, you noted that it was now 6 in the evening. Leaning back to admire your handiwork, you and Seonghwa exchanged a satisfied glance.

Then, almost as if in unison, you both high-fived each other, a sense of accomplishment filling the air. As you sat beside each other on the floor, a comfortable silence settled between you. Gazing at the tiny bouquets neatly sprawled on the floor, you couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. “Wow, they're beautiful, aren't they?” you remarked, your voice filled with awe. Seonghwa's eyes softened as he looked at you, a gentle smile playing on his lips.

“Yeah, beautiful.”

You turned your head to look at him, only to find him staring at a bouquet he’s holding. “So, have you got any ideas for what other decorations you can make yet?” he asked, laying down on the floor. You decided to mimic his actions, laying down in the opposite direction yet still remaining at face level with him. You sighed. “No, my mind’s at a dead end right now,” you said, staring at the lights hung at the ceiling above. “Any suggestions?”

“Well…” Seonghwa trailed off, raising his hand to look at his wounded finger you gently wrapped with a daisy patterned baby blue bandage earlier. “How about heart-shaped window displays?” he suggests. “You could make them from a mix of red and pink roses, with ribbons and laces for that extra touch of romance.”

“That sounds perfect,” you say, trying to sound enthusiastic. “But... I’m not sure how I’ll finish everything in time for Valentine’s Day. There’s still so much to do.” A flicker of uncertainty crosses Seonghwa's features as if he’s unsure whether to say what’s in his mind or not before he offers you a smile, tilting his head to the side to look at you. “Well, I’m here now, aren’t I?” he says, with a voice as soft as water running through a river in the morning. “I can always lend you a hand if you need help. All you need to do is ask.”

“Seonghwa, you have to go to work, too,” you said in a matter-of-fact tone, tilting your head towards him—and suddenly, you’re reminded of the moment your lips nearly touched when you were teaching him how to tie a knot earlier. “Don’t worry about it. It won’t be hard to talk my manager through letting me get off the hook of which I call my working hours a little earlier than usual, trust me,” he said with a smile.

You sighed, finding yourself caving in to his plans once more. “Okay, okay, fine. You know, I’m starting to think you’re casting a spell upon me that makes me unable to say no to you in all aspects,” you joked, earning a laugh from him. “Maybe, maybe not,” he plays along, sitting up after glancing at the wall clock hung on the wall by the counter. “So then, if you don’t mind, may I have your number?”

The world stops all of a sudden, and not even the buzz of the air-conditioner was able to help with making your surroundings a little less silent. “I mean, just so we could keep in touch in case you need my help, of course,” he said, faster than the speed of light to clear himself up after realizing what impression his last words just gave off.

“Oh, yeah, uh, sure,” you stumbled upon your words, sitting up from the ground to reach for your phone so you could exchange phone numbers with him. Opening your phone for what feels like the first time today, you were bombarded by countless message notifications from Wooyoung all piled on top of each other in your lockscreen. You’d have to tell him to come over once you get home.

“Seonghwa, it's getting late. You should probably head home. And take this,” you add, handing him your umbrella, “just in case it starts raining again on your way home.”

Seonghwa's eyes widen slightly in surprise as he tries to refuse, “Oh, no, I couldn't possibly-”

“I insist. Besides, I have plenty at home. You might need it more than I do,” you said, inching the umbrella closer to him.

You did not have plenty at home at all, and the umbrella you were holding in your grasp was literally the last one of its kind in your possession, but hey, we all have our moments, don’t we?

"Well,” he started as if there was an idea brewing inside his head, “your shop's closed for the day, anyway, isn't it? I can just help you with cleaning things up here, then I'll walk you home afterwards."

Your heart skips a beat at his unexpected offer, and you can feel a blush creeping up your cheeks. “Oh, Seonghwa, you really don’t have to do that. I can manage on my own.”

But he mirrors your earlier insistence, his voice gentle yet firm in a way that indirectly implies to you that there’s no room left for saying no. “I insist. Like you said earlier, it’s getting late.”

As you and Seonghwa stroll along the quiet streets, the evening air crisp and cool, you find yourself engaged in conversation, the words flowing easily between you.

"So, where do you live?" you ask, curiosity bubbling up as you realize you don’t really know much about Seonghwa's personal life. He gestures towards a direction, “I live a bit further from here, actually.”

You nod, a hint of surprise clouding your features. “Oh, really? Now I feel bad for agreeing to your offer of walking me home,” you said genuinely, but all Seonghwa could do was let out a soft laugh. “Don’t stress it out. It’s no trouble at all.”

As you continue your conversation, you eventually bring up his best friend, Yunho. “So, tell me about Yunho. How do you two know each other?”

Seonghwa's expression lights up with fondness as he reminisces. “Yunho and I go way back in high school. I was the president of the high school dance club named Dilettante, and it was a small group at first, just a few of us who shared a passion for dance. Yunho joined us early on, and from the moment he stepped into the studio, I knew he was something special—that’s when we started getting to know each other.”

You can't help but be surprised by this revelation. “Wait, you used to be a dancer?”

He chuckles softly, shaking his head. “I know, I don’t exactly fit the stereotype. But yeah, I was. Although I stopped dancing after entering college. Just lost interest, I guess.”

You furrow your brows in curiosity. “But Yunho still dances?”

Seonghwa nods. “Yeah, he’s still really into it. Funny how things turn out, huh?” he said, making you nod in agreement. Silence then fell between both of you for a short while, but it wasn’t until Seonghwa picked the conversation back up.

“What about you and Wooyoung?” he asked, “you both seem to have quite the friendship.”

You chuckle, nodding in agreement. “Yeah, we’ve been through it all together. We actually go way back, too, but instead of high school, we’ve been friends since childhood. He’s the son of a family friend, so we practically grew up together.”

Seonghwa laughs at the image painted by your words. “Sounds like quite the dynamic duo to me.”

You nod, smiling. “You have no idea. Our childhood friendship mainly consisted of arguing and making each other cry over toys, candies, and who gets how many turns on playground rides, though…”

Seonghwa chuckles, shaking his head in amusement. “Well, it appears some things never change. Remember when Yunho and I walked in on both of you yelling at each other on top of your lungs while playing the whisper game?”

“Unfortunately, I do.”

You both then burst into a fit of laughter, and for a second, you wish time would just stop running so this moment could last longer than it’s meant to be.

Finally reaching your apartment, you turn to face Seonghwa. “Thank you for walking me home and for everything else you helped with today. I appreciate it a lot.”

Seonghwa offers a warm smile, shaking his head slightly. “It’s nothing, really. I’m glad I could help.”

Then, unexpectedly, he adds, “And I don’t mind doing it again. Even every day, if you’d like.”

His words catch you off guard, and for a moment, your heart skips a beat as butterflies spread all over your body like wildfire. Could he be implying...? No, you chide yourself, not wanting to let your assumptions run wild.

But it wouldn’t hurt to try and push a few buttons to see where it’ll lead you, right? So, you laugh lightly, trying to brush off the sudden flutter in your chest. “Um… see you again soon, then?” you said, hoping he catches your drift.

Seonghwa’s smile only widens, his gaze softening. “See you again soon.”

****

You wake up to the symphony of birds chirping outside your window, the gentle gap between your curtain binds allowing the sun’s rays to spill into your room, casting a warm, golden glow. A smile graces your lips; what better way to greet the day than with the embrace of a sunny morning? This has always been your favorite kind of weather.

Sitting up, you lean against the headboard, hugging your pillow, reluctant to leave the cocoon of your bed. Your gaze falls upon the flower vase on your nightstand, and your thoughts, as if by instinct, drift to Seonghwa and the time you both spent together yesterday.

It feels surreal. Just months ago, he was merely the pretty boy working at your favorite café, someone you admired from afar—nothing more, nothing less. You always believed your lives were like parallel lines—close, yet never meant to intersect.

And now, that same pretty boy had walked you home last night. The series of not-so-coincidental events and the threads that wove yesterday into being seemed almost dreamlike.

It’s amusing, really. Since the last time you saw him, rainy days have been relentless. But after last night, the sun shines as brightly as a daisy.

Your phone then suddenly rings, jolting you from your thoughts. The name on the screen makes your eyes widen—Wooyoung. You suddenly remember the flood of messages he sent you yesterday, messages you had promised yourself you'd respond to once you got home. But after a whirlwind of a day and feeling utterly exhausted, you had gone straight to bed.

You quickly answer the call, trying to sound as awake as possible. “Woo, hey!”

“Why on earth haven’t you been picking up or answering my messages?” Wooyoung’s voice emerges from the other end of the line, a mix of annoyance and concern.

You sigh, feeling a pang of guilt. “I’m so sorry, Woo. I was super busy yesterday working on decorations for a café’s Valentine’s Day event—the one I told you about, remember? I saw your messages but didn’t have a chance to reply.”

“Oh, right,” he said, his tone eventually softening as he remembered. “What café is it, anyway?”

Fully awake now, you suddenly recall you haven’t told him about the big twist. “Oh my gosh, Woo, I haven’t even told you the craziest part yet.”

“Wait, what? Tell me!” His curiosity is piqued, and you can practically hear the eagerness in his voice.

You take a deep breath as if to drive Wooyoung on edge and dive in. “Okay, so, the thing is… the café I'm doing the decorations for is the one Seonghwa works at.”

There’s a brief pause before Wooyoung exclaims, “Wait… Seonghwa? Like, the Seonghwa from your favorite café? The one you’ve been crushing on for ages?!”

“Yes!” you laugh, feeling the excitement bubbling up again. “It was so surreal. He came to the shop because his manager wanted to check the progress of the decorations, and my grandmother was supposed to handle it, but she was sick, so I was there instead.”

Wooyoung then cuts you off. “Wait, wait, wait! This is too good to just talk about over the phone. This is a gossip conversation we need to have in person.”

You laugh, amused by his enthusiasm. “Seriously, Woo?”

“Seriously! Hold on, I'll be there in a few,” he said, and you could hear the sound of his bedsheets rustling in the background. “Don’t say another word about it until I get there.”

A few minutes pass, and you and Wooyoung are now sitting on the sofa, munching on snacks he bought on his way to your apartment. The cozy familiarity of his presence fills the room, and you feel the excitement bubbling up again.

“Okay, spill,” Wooyoung says, leaning forward eagerly. “Continue your story from where you left off.”

You sit up straight, ready to tell him all about it. "Alright, so I was just working on the hanging ornaments when he suddenly showed up in the shop. And, oh my gosh, Woo, his hair and part of his clothes were all drenched from the rain.”

“It’s like what they all say,” he says, “you can take Seonghwa out of the K-drama male lead, but you can never take the K-drama male lead out of Seonghwa.”

You nod, laughing. “That doesn’t make any sense at all, but it’s exactly like that. And he looked so beautiful, I swear I nearly died yesterday.”

Wooyoung lets out a low whistle. “Man, if that’s not straight out of a drama, then I don’t know what is. What happened next?”

“So,” you start, “I went to the storage room to fetch him a towel. I was in there for, like, a minute or two? Because I couldn’t regain composure and was just straight up walking back and forth without even daring to look for a towel. And when I came back, I saw him admiring a bouquet of gypsophila that my grandmother made.”

Wooyoung’s eyebrows shoot up. “Gypsophila? Isn't that...?”

You nod, the memory making your heart ache. “Yeah, it was my mom’s favorite flower. I got a little emotional when he said something sentimental about it.” Wooyoung leans in, his eyes glistening with curiosity. “Wait, what did he say?”

You then recall the moment vividly. “I told him it was my mom’s favorite flower and how she always wanted to build a flower shop. And instead of looking at me with pity, he just smiled and said, ‘You know, the reason this bouquet holds a different vibe is probably because your mother’s soul has chosen to reside in it. Maybe she did so to ensure that, even as a soul now, she can still watch over you.’”

Wooyoung's mouth drops open. “Wow, that’s beautiful—definitely one way to look at things. Now I get what Yunho means by calling Seonghwa a token sweet boy. So, what happened next?” he asks.

“I told him I never thought of it that way, but it was a beautiful thought. And he said, ‘Sometimes, I think the people we’ve lost find small ways to let us know they’re still with us. Your mother must have had an incredible spirit to leave such a beautiful mark behind.’”

Wooyoung leans back, seemingly impressed with Seonghwa’s mindset. “That’s pretty profound. How is this guy real? Seriously.” You smile, feeling the warmth of the memory. “I know, right? It was such a beautiful moment.”

Wooyoung nods thoughtfully. “Okay, what happened next?”

“He offered to help me with the decorations,” you continue. “I showed him how to make them, and then told him it was his turn. But he kept messing up.” Wooyoung snickers. “Messing up? Like, how bad are we talking?”

“Pretty bad,” you laugh. “And then, he accidentally cut his finger on a rose thorn.” Wooyoung gasps, eyes wide with a mix of shock and amusement. “Ouch. What did you do, then?” he asks in a teasing tone.

“Well, I bandaged his finger up,” you say, your cheeks warming at the memory. “We were so close, I could barely even look up at him! It felt so surreal, Woo. I can’t believe it all actually happened.” Wooyoung nods vigorously, still buzzing with excitement. “This is the best thing I’ve heard in ages! You have to tell me everything else that happened.”

So then, you recount the moment when you were teaching Seonghwa how to tie a knot on the bouquets. “So, I demonstrated it to him first, but he couldn’t quite get it right,” you say, a fond smile finding its way to your lips. Wooyoung leans in, his eyes wide with anticipation. "So what did you do, then?”

“Well,” you continue, "I positioned myself behind him, kneeling down and, like, leaning forward slightly so my face was level with his from behind—if you get the image I’m trying to paint. I reached forward, my hands gently covering his, guiding him through making the knot.” Wooyoung's eyebrows shoot up. "No way, you were that close to him? Wow, you never striked me as the type to be brave enough to pull that kinda move.”

You roll your eyes at his comment, yet still feeling the heat rise to your cheeks. “Yeah, and then, you’re so not gonna believe this, but then Seonghwa suddenly tilted his head, and then our lips almost touched-”

“Shut up! Are you serious?!” “Dead serious, Woo!” you confirm, your heart still racing at the memory. “It was so awkward, you know. Like, I wasn’t expecting him to look behind at all so I didn’t bother much about keeping a distance between our faces, and there was this tension and silence before we both cleared our throats and went back to work, trying to act like nothing happened!”

Wooyoung bursts into laughter, doubling over with amusement. “Oh my god, you and Seonghwa are literally the embodiment of a slowburn trope, you know?” You join in his laughter, feeling lighter than you have in a long time. "Yeah, tell me about it. It's been quite the rollercoaster.”

“So, what else?”

“It was already getting late that time, so I told him he should probably head home. Since the weather was acting up yesterday, I offered him my umbrella in case it would rain, but he refused,” you start, continuing after getting a hum from Wooyoung, “I kept insisting, and he suddenly came up with something.”

“Something?” Wooyoung tilts his head.

“He said that since the shop was closed for the day last night anyway, he can just help me with cleaning up, and then he’ll walk me home afterwards,” you said, a warm rush creeping up to your cheeks once more. “Please tell me you said yes,” Wooyoung pleads, leaning forward with widened eyes. You sheepishly chuckled, earning a raised eyebrow from him.

“I mean, I was kinda hesitant at first, but he kept insisting, tossing my words back to me and saying it’s already getting late and it wouldn’t be safe for me to head home alone.” Wooyoung then nods thoughtfully. “He’s right.”

You smile in return, being reminded of how it’s what Wooyoung would always tell you whenever he insists on walking you home during the times you’d head home a little later than usual. “So, did you accept it?” You nod in confirmation. “Yeah, I did. And as we were walking, we started talking about all sorts of things, this and that. I asked him about Yunho, and it turns out they go way back in high school. Seonghwa used to be the president of a dance club named Dilettante, and Yunho was its first member.”

Wooyoung's eyebrows shoot up. “Wait, Seonghwa used to be a dancer?”

“Yeah, I know, it surprised me too. He stopped dancing after college, but Yunho still dances,” you said, shrugging. “That’s new. How come I never heard anything about this from Yunho?” Wooyoung furrows his brows slightly.

You shrugged, “It was totally unexpected on my end, too. He doesn’t really strike me as the type of guy who’d be interested in such a hobby, but he did say he stopped dancing after entering college due to losing interest. People just change over time, I guess.”

Wooyoung smiles, his eyes sparkling with excitement. “Sounds like he’s doing a great job at keeping your spirits up, huh?” he says, glad you seem like you’re finally starting to find the light inside you again.

Seeing you so happy over your interactions with Seonghwa fills Wooyoung with a profound sense of joy. He’s known you since childhood, when you were a bright, bubbly spirit untouched by sorrow. After your mother’s passing, he watched that light within you begin to fade. Though you remained optimistic, something essential seemed to have dimmed. Over the days since you first saw Seonghwa at the café and developed a crush on him, Wooyoung noticed a subtle yet beautiful transformation. You began to heal, bit by bit. Now, as you recount your moments with Seonghwa—the way you smile, your laughter ringing through the room—it all reminds Wooyoung of the carefree child you once were.

He realizes that, without knowing it, Seonghwa is helping to rekindle the light inside you. Watching you return to that vibrant, joyful person is more than enough for Wooyoung. Your happiness is his own, and seeing your spirit lift once more is a gift he treasures deeply.

Wooyoung’s smile widens as he speaks up once more. “So, did anything else happen?” You nod, feeling a blush creep up your cheeks again—you swear you’re about to explode any minute now. “Uh, actually, yeah. When we reached my apartment, I thanked him for helping me with the decorations and even offering to walk me home, and…”

“And? Now’s not the time to keep me waiting,” Wooyoung playfully says, impatiently tapping his finger on his thigh. “He said he didn't mind walking me home again. Even offered to do it every day,” you say, sheepishly rubbing the back of your neck. Wooyoung’s eyes light up with mischief. “Don’t play with me right now! Oh, I’m telling you, that man definitely has a thing for you.”

You wave your hand dismissively. “I don’t want to assume anything, Woo. I mean, maybe he’s just being nice.” He gives you a skeptical look. “Nice? Yeah, sure,” he deadpans, rolling his eyes in disbelief. “But hey, you should've asked for his number or something.” You laugh, feeling a bit flustered. “I mean, actually, he asked for mine back at the café.”

Wooyoung’s eyebrows shoot up. “Really? Then why not send him a message and see where you’re both headed?”

You open your phone, searching for Seonghwa’s contact number, feeling Wooyoung’s curious eyes on you. Finally, you find it and click on his name, typing out a simple “Hi,” but then immediately delete it. Shoving the phone into Wooyoung's chest, you exclaim, “I can’t do this!” as you stand up and start walking around.

Wooyoung eyes you with a raised brow as you pace around the living room, wringing your hands. “Would you stop pacing around and just sit down? Just send Seonghwa a ‘hi’ already.” You glance at him, biting your lip.

“But what if he’s busy doing something? What if he only asked for my number for matters related to their café’s Valentine’s Day event? What if he only asked for my number to be polite and didn’t actually want me to hit him up?”

Wooyoung rolls his eyes, exasperated but amused. “Seriously? You’re overthinking this. Remember, he literally said he doesn’t mind walking you home again. Even every day, if you want. Tell me, does that sound like someone who's just being polite?”

You stop pacing, feeling the butterflies in your stomach go wild. “I mean… I know, but what if things don’t go well?” Wooyoung stands up, placing a reassuring hand on your shoulder. “If things don’t go well, I’ll be here for you. But you won’t know until you try. So just sit down, open up your phone, and send that message already,” he says while handing you your phone. You take a deep breath, nodding. “Okay, okay. I’ll do it.”

With shaking hands, you take your phone back from Wooyoung and start typing out a simple message: “Hi, Seonghwa! It’s me. Just wanted to thank you for helping me out with the ornaments and walking me home last night :)”

Before you can overthink it again, you hit send and look up at Wooyoung, who gives you a thumbs-up with a toothy grin. “There, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” You laugh nervously. “No, but now we wait.”

Wooyoung grins, settling back on the sofa. “And while we wait, let's talk about something else to distract you. Got any good gossip?”

A few minutes pass, and while you and Wooyoung are talking about the latest town gossip, your phone on the table suddenly lights up with a message notification. Both of you sit up straight, eyes wide with anticipation. “Check it out!” Wooyoung urges, almost bouncing in his seat.

You grab the phone with trembling hands, reading the notification on your lock screen. The moment you see Seonghwa’s name, you throw your phone at Wooyoung’s chest, hiding your face in your hands while kicking your feet back and forth in a mix of excitement and anxiety. Wooyoung catches the phone, surprised. “What did he say?” he asks, but upon seeing your state, he decides to check the message himself. As he reads it, his eyes widen and his mouth falls open in astonishment.

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤSeonghwa: Anytime :) How have you been?

Wooyoung gasps, looking at you with a mix of disbelief and glee, “Shut up right now. He asked how you’ve been! That’s a good sign!” Peeking through your fingers, you finally lower your hands, a grin breaking out on your face despite your nerves. “Wait… really?” “Yes, really!” Wooyoung says, excitement lacing his voice as he hurriedly hands you your phone. “Now, what are you going to reply?”

You and Wooyoung then go on a debriefing session, debating intensely on what to reply to Seonghwa. You squeal like a teenage girl, barely able to contain your excitement, while Wooyoung rolls his eyes, urging you to snap out of it. “Come on, we need to keep the conversation going!”

After much back-and-forth, you finally settle on a reply. Wooyoung insists on something that implies you’re free for the day, hoping to hint at an opportunity for Seonghwa to make a move. “Tell him you’re feeling well but a little bored because you don’t have work today and have nothing else to do,” Wooyoung suggests, his eyes glimmering with mischief. “If he follows the script in my head, he’ll ask you out.” With a mixture of both nerves and excitement, you type out the message and hit send.

‎‎‎���‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤYou: I’ve been feeling well, but I’m a little bored since I don’t have work today. There’s nothing else to do…

You and Wooyoung hold your breaths, watching the screen intently. A few moments later, Seonghwa's reply lights up your phone.

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤSeonghwa: I know how you feel. My schedule isn’t packed today, either. Wanna go out and do something fun together?

The two of you burst into squeals, jumping up and down with hands intertwined like teenage girls. “He followed the script!” Wooyoung exclaims, eyes wide with excitement. You can't stop grinning, the butterflies in your stomach turning into a full-on swarm. “I can’t believe it, Woo, oh God. He actually asked me out!”

Wooyoung laughs, giving you a playful shove. “Well, don’t keep him waiting. Say yes!” You quickly type out your response, heart pounding in your chest. You made sure not to sound too excited, afraid you’d be too obvious.

‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎ㅤYou: Oh, I’d love to :D

Seonghwa replies almost instantly, setting both the time and place for your meet-up.

Seonghwa: Great! How about we meet at 2PM at the park near the café? There’s a festival happening there today.

You can't help but smile at his initiative. Don’t we all love a man who plans everything out?

You: Sure. See you later!

Wooyoung claps his hands together, already in full planning mode. “Alright, go take a shower. I’ll pick out your outfit and even find a matching hairstyle for you. We've got to make you look stunning!” You laugh, feeling a wave of gratitude for having such a supportive friend. “Thank you, Woo.”

“Anything for my best friend,” he says, pushing you towards the bathroom. “Now go!”

After a refreshing shower, you step out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around you. Opening the door, you're met with the sight of a perfectly coordinated outfit laid out on your bed—cute but comfortable, perfect for a day out at the festival. The outfit Wooyoung chose for you is a mix of sweet and stylish. It includes a crisp white ruffled blouse paired with a soft yellow cardigan for a touch of warmth. You’ll be comfortable and chic in a flowing brown maxi skirt, complemented by white ankle ruffle socks peeking out of a pair of brown doll shoes. To tie it all together, there’s a cute crochet beige crossbody bag to be slung over your shoulder and a brown beret to match with your skirt. It’s definitely the perfect blend of casual and cute for your day out with Seonghwa. As always, you could never go wrong with trusting Wooyoung to pick your outfits for you.

Wooyoung looks up from his phone with a grin, gesturing towards the outfit. “Well, what do you think? Am I qualified to be the next Yves Saint Laurent?” You chuckle, admiring the outfit he's put together. “Definitely! I couldn't have picked a better outfit myself.

He beams with pride, crossing his arms. “I knew it! Now, let’s get you ready. We have a date to prepare for!”

After Wooyoung leaves the room, you quickly slip into the outfit he's chosen, feeling a surge of confidence as you catch a glimpse of yourself in the mirror. Heading to the living room, you find Wooyoung sitting on the sofa while scrolling on his phone. Upon hearing your voice, his head shoots up, a wide grin immediately finding its way to his lips. “What do you think?” you beam, doing a little twirl as your skirt flows gently around you.

“Oh, you’re definitely gonna blow his socks off.”

He then proceeds to style your hair, showing you a few different options he found online. After settling on a hairstyle that completes your look, Wooyoung takes a step back, appraising his handiwork. “You look amazing,” he says with a grin. “Seonghwa won’t know what hit him.”

You smile gratefully, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness spreading through you. “Thanks, Woo. I don’t know what I’d do without you.” He waves off your gratitude with a grin. “It’s so weird hearing you say nice things to me. Now, go knock Seonghwa off his feet—and make sure to tell me all about it once you head back home!”

Just as you’re about to twist the doorknob open, you turn your head back, flashing him a huge smile. “You bet I will, Woo. And you better not gobble up my whole fridge while I’m away!”

“I can’t promise you anything!”

****

You’re on your way to the park, the anticipation buzzing in your chest like a swarm of butterflies. The sky above is a patchwork of gray clouds, partially obscuring the sun’s warm rays. You hope it won’t start raining all of a sudden like what happened yesterday. With each step, your mind races, rehearsing what to say when you see him. Waiting for the stoplight to turn green, you then find yourself in an internal monologue battle with yourself.

“Okay, so... casual greeting or something more enthusiastic?” you ponder, your thoughts echoing in the confines of your mind. “Laid-back might hide my excitement, but would it come off as disinterested? What if I appear to be too enthusiastic and scare him off?” You shake your head, dismissing the first idea. “No, too casual. I want him to know I’m excited to see him, but not like... overly eager,” you mutter to yourself, a faint frown creasing your brow.

A gust of wind ruffles your hair as the light turns green, signaling it’s time to move forward. Hurriedly crossing the street, you make your way to the park beside the café where Seonghwa works. With each step, your heart pounds against your ribcage, a mix of nerves and anticipation swirling within you. Reaching the park, you find the area filled with lively decorations and a varying amount of stalls, swarmed with people who look like they're having the time of their lives. You’re glad this is the occasion Seonghwa chose to invite you to; you could really use a festive celebration to brighten up your mood. Your eyes search the place, looking for him.

As if on cue, the moment he entered your line of sight, the clouds part, and a radiant beam of sunlight breaks through the gray expanse. There he is, sitting on a bench, his figure illuminated by the soft glow of the newfound sunlight. Your breath catches in your throat as your eyes lock with his, and a smile graces his lips as he stands up and walks towards you.

“Hey,” he says, his voice warm and inviting, and suddenly, all the words you had meticulously crafted in your mind evaporate into thin air. “Hi,” you reply, your voice coming out softer than intended, your nerves palpable. You mentally berate yourself for completely forgetting your practiced dialogue.

Seonghwa’s eyes sweep over you, and a genuine smile lights up his face as he takes in your appearance. “You look lovely,” he says, the words slipping from his lips with such ease, as if he's just making casual conversation with an old friend. Your heart skips a beat at his compliment, and you struggle to maintain your composure, trying to contain the whirlwind of emotions threatening to burst forth. His nonchalant delivery of such a heartfelt compliment only serves as the cherry on top.

“Thank you,” you manage to reply, a blush creeping into your cheeks despite your efforts to appear composed. Inside, you’re anything but calm, your heart racing with a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

It’s unfair, you think to yourself, how effortlessly he can make you feel like you’re walking on air while he remains so composed and unruffled. But then again, maybe that’s just part of his charm.

You take your time to look at him, unsurprised that he’s dressed fashionably—yet at the same time, his beauty always feels so new to you. Seonghwa is clad in a clean white dress shirt, topped with a cozy yellow sweater vest. On top of it is a brown leather jacket with a matching bow tie for style—it’s cute, you think. His attire is completed with brown trousers, black docs, and a simple beanie of the same color for a casual touch. He’s wearing his glasses from yesterday, too.

“You look great,” you say, offering him a genuine smile.Seonghwa chuckles, glancing down at his outfit. “Thanks. Funny how we unintentionally ended up matching, huh?”

You laugh along with him, feeling a sense of warmth spreading through you at his playful demeanor. “I guess great minds think alike,” you play along with him, hoping it would suffice to hide the butterflies swarming in your stomach. Looking around your surroundings, you can't help but feel impressed by the park’s lively atmosphere. “This festival is amazing,” you remark, turning to Seonghwa with admiration. “You’re pretty good at picking the best occasions to attend.”

Seonghwa’s smile widens at your words. “I’ve been coming to this festival for a few years now,” he admits. “But this is actually the first time I’ve attended with someone.”

You raise an eyebrow in surprise. “Really? What about Yunho?”

Seonghwa shakes his head. “Yunho’s always busy with his schedule during the festival,” he explains. “So I usually end up coming alone. I’m excited to finally share this experience with someone, though. I promise you this’ll be worth your time.”

“Any time with you is worth my time,” was what you wanted to say, “I’ll trust your word, then,” was all that escaped from your mouth.

Seonghwa starts with leading you through the bustling festival, making your way through the crowd until you reach a row of vibrant food stalls. The air is thick with mouth watering aromas of mixes of grilled meats, sweet pastries, and exotic spices. Each stall is brightly decorated, and vendors call out to passersby, showcasing their culinary delights. “Wow,” you say, your eyes wide with excitement. “I don’t even know where to start.”

Seonghwa grins, clearly enjoying your enthusiasm. “How about we try some tteokbokki first? It's one of my favorites.” He points to a stall with a cheerful sign advertising spicy rice cakes. You nod eagerly. “Sounds perfect.”

You both join the line, and as you wait, Seonghwa explains the different foods on offer. When it's your turn, Seonghwa orders a generous portion. The vendor scoops the tteokbokki into a paper bowl, the vibrant red sauce glistening under the festival lights. Seonghwa hands it to you with a pair of wooden chopsticks.

“Here, try it,” he says, his eyes twinkling with anticipation.

You take a small bite of the chewy rice cake coated in spicy sauce. The flavors explode in your mouth, a perfect balance of heat and sweetness. “Oh my gosh, this is straight up heaven on Earth!” you exclaim, your eyes lighting up with delight. Seonghwa chuckles, clearly pleased with your reaction. “I knew you’d like it. Want to try some hotteok next? It's a sweet pancake filled with brown sugar, honey, and nuts.” You nod eagerly, already hooked on the culinary adventure.

You move to the next stall, where the vendor expertly flips hotteok on a griddle. The sweet, nutty aroma is irresistible. Seonghwa orders two, and you watch as the vendor wraps the golden pancakes in paper, handing them over with a smile. You take a bite, and the warm, gooey filling melts in your mouth like honey. “This is incredible,” you say, savoring the rich flavors.

Seonghwa takes a bite of his own, nodding in agreement. “It really is. I love the mix of textures—the crispy outside and the soft, sweet inside.”

As you continue to explore the food stalls, you come across a vendor selling fresh fruit skewers. The colorful display of strawberries, pineapple, and melon catches your eye. “These look so refreshing,” you say, pointing to the skewers. “I’ll get us some, then,” Seonghwa responds almost immediately. He buys a couple of skewers, and you both take a bite, the juicy fruit a perfect palate cleanser after the rich, spicy food.

You stroll through the festival, sampling different dishes and sharing bites of everything. Seonghwa tells you stories about his favorite festival foods and the memories they bring back. You share your own experiences, bonding over the simple pleasure of good food and company. At one point, you come across a stall selling unusual snacks like fried insects and durian. You wrinkle your nose at the smell of durian, and Seonghwa laughs. “Not a fan?”

You shake your head, grinning. “Eh, not really. But I’ll try anything once.”

He raises an eyebrow, impressed. “Brave. Maybe next time.”

As you and Seonghwa continue to walk through the festival, you come across a section filled with colorful carnival games. The area is alive with the sounds of laughter, ringing bells, and playful shouts. Brightly colored booths line the path, each offering a different challenge or prize. The enticing smells of popcorn and cotton candy fill the air, adding to the festive atmosphere. Seonghwa’s eyes light up like stars in the night sky when he spots a ring toss game. “Hey, let’s try this one,” he says, gently tugging you towards the booth.

You glance at the game, noticing the bottles arranged in neat rows, each waiting for a ring to be tossed around its neck. “Sure, why not?” you reply, matching his enthusiasm.

The booth attendant, a friendly woman with a wide smile, hands Seonghwa a few rings. “Good luck!” she says cheerfully. Seonghwa takes a ring, carefully aiming at one of the bottles. His first toss misses, bouncing off the edge and landing on the ground. “Ah, so close,” he mutters.

You try your best not to laugh, but Seonghwa was quick to notice, playfully shooting you a look of disbelief. “Second time’s the charm, maybe?” you try to lift his spirit up, although not without snickering in the middle of your words. You watch him try again, this time with a bit more focus. The second ring lands perfectly around a bottle, and you both cheer in unison. “You did it! See what I meant by second time’s the charm?” you exclaim, clapping your hands.

“Beginner’s luck,” he says modestly, but you can clearly see the pride in his eyes. He hands you a ring. “Your turn.”

You take the ring, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness. “Alright, let’s see if I can match your skills,” you say, positioning yourself in front of the bottles. Your first toss goes wide, completely missing the target. You laugh, shaking your head. “Please tell me no one saw that.” Seonghwa steps behind you, placing his hands gently on your shoulders. “Try aiming a bit lower,” he advises, his breath warm against your ear. His proximity sends a pleasant shiver down your spine, and for a moment, you completely forget about the game you’re currently playing.

Following his advice, you adjust your aim and toss the ring. It flies through the air and lands around a bottle with a satisfying clink. “I did it!” you shout, turning to face him with a triumphant smile. “Nice job! Second time’s the charm indeed,” he says, giving you a high-five.

The booth attendant claps her hands together. “Congratulations! You both get to pick a prize.”

You look at the array of stuffed animals, keychains, and toys hanging above the booth. Your eyes land on a small, pink bunny plushie. “I’ll take that one,” you say, pointing at it. Seonghwa chooses a cute plush squirrel. “I think this little guy will keep me company,” he says, showing it to you with a grin.

Walking through the rest of the carnival games, you try your luck at various booths, from shooting water guns to popping balloons with darts. Each game is an adventure, filled with laughter and playful teasing. Seonghwa’s competitive side comes out, but he never lets the fun turn too serious. He’s always there with an encouraging word or a lighthearted joke whenever you miss a shot or drop a ring.

At one point, you find yourselves at a booth where you have to knock down stacked cans with a ball. Seonghwa lines up his shot, eyes narrowing in concentration. He throws the ball, and the cans topple with a satisfying crash. “Yes!” he exclaims, turning to you with a toothy grin.

“You’re on a roll today,” you tease, giving him a playful nudge. He laughs, a sound that blends seamlessly with the joyful noise around you. “Just lucky, I guess.”

As the evening progresses, you both accumulate a small collection of prizes: a rubber duck, a keychain, and a tiny toy car. Each one feels like a memento, a small token of the wonderful time you’re sharing.

Finally, you come across a photo booth, decorated with twinkling lights and festive banners. “We have to take a picture,” Seonghwa insists, pulling you towards it. You step inside the booth, squeezing together on the small bench. The screen flashes a countdown, and you both make silly faces for the camera. The machine whirs and clicks, producing a strip of photos that capture your laughter and joy.

Seonghwa looks at the photos, smiling fondly. “We look good together,” he says, handing you the strip.

For a moment, you had to do a double take and make sure you heard him correctly.

“Don’t we?”

You did.

You take the photos without a word, feeling a blush creep up your cheeks. You decide not to bring it up for now, as you’re certain that if you do, you might very well start showing signs of being qualified enough to be put in a psych ward. As you move from one attraction to another, the crowd seems to grow thicker. The once exhilarating hustle and bustle starts to feel overwhelming. Seonghwa immediately notices the shift in your demeanor. He gently places a hand on your arm, leaning in to ask, “Are you alright? We can find a quieter spot if you need a break.”

You appreciate his concern, shaking your head. “I’m fine, don’t worry. I want to push myself to get used to these kinds of experiences. Besides, I’m having a great time with you,” you say, giving him a reassuring smile. Seonghwa hesitates for a moment, clearly worried, but nods in understanding. “Alright, but remember, we can always step away if it gets too much.”

Seonghwa guides you through the festival crowd, his hand hovering near your elbow to ensure you don’t get separated. You find yourselves in front of a small stage where performers, dressed in vibrant hanbok, are preparing for a traditional dance. The area is buzzing with anticipation, and a soft hum of excitement fills the air.

“Let’s sit over there,” Seonghwa suggests, pointing to a spot near the front but off to the side where the crowd is slightly thinner. You both make your way over and settle down on a blanket spread out for spectators. The moment you sit, you feel a bit more relaxed, grateful for the brief respite from the overwhelming throng of festival-goers. The performers take their places, and the music begins. The rhythmic beats of the janggu and the soothing melodies of the daegeum fill the air. The dancers move gracefully, their sleeves flowing like water with each elegant gesture. You can’t help but be mesmerized by the beauty and precision of their movements.

“This is amazing,” you whisper, leaning slightly towards Seonghwa so he can hear you over the music. “Have you ever done anything like this?” you ask. Seonghwa’s eyes are fixed on the stage, but he turns to you with a soft smile. “Not traditional dances like this, but I did dance in high school—like I told you yesterday. I leaned onto modern styles more, though.”

“I’d really love to see you dance sometime,” you muse as your eyes fixate on the dancers.

A blush creeps up Seonghwa’s cheeks, and he chuckles softly. “Now, that’s one thing I can’t promise you.”

The performance continues, each movement more captivating than the last. You’re drawn into the story the dancers are telling, feeling the emotions conveyed through their expressions and steps. Seonghwa seems equally entranced, his gaze following the dancers with admiration. At one point, a dancer spins close to the edge of the stage, and the flow of her hanbok sends a breeze in your direction. The cool air is a welcome relief from the warmth of the crowd, and you take a deep breath, savoring the moment.

Seonghwa leans closer, his shoulder brushing against yours ever so slightly. “Do you come to festivals like this often?” he asks, his voice gentle. You shake your head. “Not really. I’m not great with crowds, to be honest. I’ve been having a lot of fun so far, though.”

There’s a comfortable silence between you as you both watch the dancers. You can feel the heat from Seonghwa’s body next to yours, and the subtle brush of his shoulder against yours sends a pleasant shiver down your spine. You sneak a glance at him, and catch him doing the same. Both of you quickly look away, a small, awkward laugh escaping your lips.

The performance reaches its climax, the music growing louder and more intense. The dancers move with even greater fervor, their expressions fierce and passionate. The audience claps along, the energy infectious. You join in, feeling a sense of unity with the people around you, despite the usual discomfort crowds bring. When the performance finally ends, the dancers take a bow, and the audience erupts in applause. You clap enthusiastically, genuinely moved by the beauty and skill of the performance. Seonghwa joins in, his smile broad and genuine.

“That was incredible,” you say, turning to Seonghwa once the applause dies down. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

He looks at you, his eyes warm and earnest. “I’m glad you enjoyed it. I always find these performances inspiring. They remind me of the passion and dedication that goes into art.” You nod, feeling a deep appreciation for the experience. “It’s amazing how something so traditional can still feel so powerful and relevant today.”

After the performance, Seonghwa suggests visiting a section of the festival dedicated to local history. “How about we check out the historical exhibits? It’s usually less crowded and quite interesting,” he proposes. You nod eagerly, welcoming the idea of a quieter area. “That sounds perfect. Lead the way.”

The transition from the lively stage area to the more subdued history section is like entering a different world. The noise of the crowd fades into the background, replaced by a calm atmosphere filled with the soft murmur of people quietly reading plaques and admiring exhibits. The path leads you through a series of well-curated displays. Old photographs of the town, artifacts from bygone eras, and detailed descriptions of significant events line the way. The lighting is dimmer here, casting a warm, almost nostalgic glow over everything.

Seonghwa stops in front of a large mural depicting the town’s founding. “Did you know our town was established over a hundred years ago?” he asks, his voice low and reverent as if he’s afraid to disturb the solemnity of the place. You shake your head, genuinely intrigued. “Really? Tell me more.”

He gestures to the mural. “It started as a small trading post. The river nearby made it a key location for trade and transport. Over time, it grew into the town we know today.” As he speaks, you find yourself drawn not just to the history but to the way Seonghwa talks about it. His passion and knowledge are evident, and it’s clear this is something he cares about deeply.

“Wow,” you say, genuinely impressed. “You know so much about this place. It’s fascinating.” He smiles, a little bashful. “I guess I’ve always had a thing for history. There’s something about understanding where we come from that makes me appreciate the present more.”

You both move to the next exhibit, a collection of personal items donated by long-time residents. There are old letters, pieces of clothing, and even some tools that were used in the early days of the town. Each item has a story, and Seonghwa takes his time explaining the significance of some of the more interesting pieces.

“This letter,” he says, pointing to a yellowed piece of paper under glass, “was written by one of the first schoolteachers here. She talks about the challenges of teaching in a one-room schoolhouse and how the children were so eager to learn despite having so little resources and space.”

You lean in closer to read, feeling a strange connection to the past through this small window into someone’s life. “It’s amazing to think about how much things have changed, yet some things stay the same. Like how the desire to learn and grow is still here.” Seonghwa nods thoughtfully. “Exactly. That’s what I love about history. It shows us that despite all the changes, there are fundamental things about being human that never change.”

As you continue to explore, you reach a display about traditional festivals and celebrations in the town’s history. There are photos of past festivals, similar to the one you’re attending, with people in traditional clothing, dancing, and celebrating. “Look at this,” Seonghwa says, pointing to a black-and-white photograph of a festival from the 1950s. “It’s amazing how festive and vibrant these events have always been.”

You smile at the picture, noticing the joyful expressions on the people’s faces. “It’s nice to see that some traditions continue. It kinda makes you feel connected to those who came before us.” There’s a comfortable silence between you as you both absorb the stories and artifacts around you. The air is filled with a sense of nostalgia, and for a moment, it feels like you’ve stepped back in time.

“This is proving to be worth the while. I’ve lived here all my life, but I’ve never taken the time to really learn about the town’s history,” you say softly, turning to Seonghwa. His eyes soften as he looks at you. “I’m glad you’re enjoying it. It’s nice to share something I care about with someone who appreciates it.”

There’s a brief moment where your eyes meet, and you feel a flutter in your chest. The connection you felt earlier seems to deepen, and you’re suddenly very aware of the closeness between you. It’s not quite romantic, but it’s undeniably charged with the possibility of something more. You clear your throat, breaking the moment. “Shall we move on to the next exhibit?” you suggest, trying to steady your voice.

Seonghwa nods, his own composure returning. “Oh, uh, right.”

As the sun begins to set, casting a warm, golden hue over the festival, Seonghwa leads you towards the towering Ferris wheel. The giant, illuminated structure stands as a beacon against the twilight sky, its lights twinkling invitingly. Seonghwa turns to you, his eyes reflecting the soft glow of the evening. “How about a ride on the Ferris wheel? The view from the top is spectacular.”

You nod, your excitement evident. “Sure, that sounds amazing.”

You both join the line, which is surprisingly short at this hour. The anticipation builds as you inch closer to the front. Seonghwa's presence beside you is comforting, and you find yourself stealing glances at him, appreciating how the soft light accentuates his features. Finally, it’s your turn. The operator opens the gate, and you step into one of the small, enclosed cabins. Seonghwa follows, and as he sits down opposite you, the cabin gently rocks, adding to the thrill.

The door closes, and with a slight jolt, the Ferris wheel begins its ascent. You lean back, watching the ground slowly fall away, replaced by a breathtaking panorama of the festival below. The lights, the music, and the laughter all blend into a vibrant mixture of color and sound. “Wow,” you breathe, eyes wide with wonder. “This really is incredible.”Seonghwa smiles, his gaze fixed on you more than the view outside. “I’m glad you like it. I thought this would be a perfect way to end the day.”

You share a quiet moment, the only sounds being the soft hum of the Ferris wheel and the distant murmur of the festival. The higher you climb, the more the world below transforms into a magical scene. You can see the entire festival sprawled out beneath you, every booth and ride lit up like stars in the night. The soft rays of the golden hour color your face as you lean towards the window to look at the scenery painted in front of your very own eyes. “It’s beautiful,” you say softly.

Seonghwa’s gaze radiates fondness, and he leans slightly forward, his eyes focused on you.

“Yeah… it really is.”

The cabin reaches the top, and for a moment, it pauses. You both take in the breathtaking view. The horizon stretches out, painted in shades of purple and gold, while the festival below looks like a miniature wonderland. The quietness of the moment feels almost sacred. As you sit there, suspended high above the ground, the gentle swaying of the cabin creates an intimate bubble. There’s a comfortable silence between you, filled with unspoken thoughts and shared glances. Seonghwa shifts slightly, his knee brushing against yours. The brief contact sends a jolt through you, and you feel a blush rising to your cheeks. You catch Seonghwa’s eyes again, and for a moment, the world seems to hold its breath.

“Today felt… different, somehow,” Seonghwa says, breaking the silence. “I’ve been to this festival so many times, but this is the first time I’ve truly enjoyed it. You know, I think it’s because of you.” His words catch you off guard, and you feel your heart skip a beat. "Oh… really?” you pause, unsure what to say next. If only you could telepathically send Wooyoung a cry for help.

You then decide it’s time to stop holding back and just express what your heart yearns to express. “Well, if that’s the case, then I’m glad I could be here with you.”

The Ferris wheel starts its descent, but the moment feels far from over. You both sit in comfortable silence, absorbing the experience. As the cabin slowly lowers, you find yourself wishing the ride could last just a little longer. When you reach the ground, the operator opens the door, and you step out, the cool evening air a refreshing contrast to the warmth of the cabin.

You clutch the bunny plushie in your hands, turning to look at Seonghwa with a bright smile on your face. “Well, that really was a perfect way to end the day.”

“Glad you think so as well,” he says, looking around the place. “Thanks for playing a huge part in making my day better.”

Seriously, when was he going to stop with the unexpected heart-stopping comments?

As the night deepens, Seonghwa keeps his promise and walks you home, both of you reminiscing about the day’s highlights. The conversation flows easily, filled with laughter and shared memories. You recount the funny moments at the shooting gallery, the unexpected camaraderie at the food stalls, and the magical experience on the Ferris wheel. Each memory cements the bond growing between you.

Finally, you reach your apartment building. You turn to Seonghwa, feeling slightly nervous. Gathering your courage, you say, “I wouldn’t mind hanging out with you again.”

Your confidence wavers slightly, but then Seonghwa’s smile brightens, and he replies warmly, “Neither would I.”

You do your best to hold back your excitement until you reach your apartment door. Opening it, you’re greeted by the sight of Wooyoung lounging on your sofa, engrossed in a movie. The moment he notices you, he quickly sits up, his eyes brimming with curiosity.

“Well?” he demands, unable to contain his excitement. “Tell me everything!”

Boy, was he in for a ride.

****

The next few days pass by in a blur. Seonghwa stops by every day to help with the decorations, his presence becoming a comforting constant. Sometimes Yunho and Wooyoung join in, turning the task into a fun, collaborative effort. With each passing day, your bond with Seonghwa deepens. His kindness, his humor, and everything else about him you’ve grown to be fond of makes you realize something profound: you’re not just harboring a crush anymore.

You are head over heels in love.

Valentine’s Day finally arrives, and you can hardly contain your excitement to see how they’ve placed the decorations. Seonghwa mentioned a special occasion at the café that evening, piquing your curiosity, but he remained tight-lipped about the details. All you know is that you’re in for a surprise.

As the afternoon progresses, you call Wooyoung over to help you decide what to wear. “Alright, let’s see what we’ve got,” Wooyoung says, rifling through your closet with a critical eye. He pulls out a few options, laying them out on your bed. “What’s the vibe tonight? Romantic, casual, or somewhere in between?” You bite your lip, considering. “I’m not really sure what to expect. Seonghwa didn’t give me any hints about the event. He just said it’s special.”

Wooyoung smirks, raising an eyebrow. “Special, huh? Sounds like he’s planning something big. You might want to go with something that says ‘effortlessly stunning.’”

He picks out a chic, knee-length dress that balances elegance with a touch of casual charm. “This,” he declares, holding it up. “And maybe those heels to go with it. What do you think?” You nod, a smile spreading across your face. “Perfect. Thanks, Woo.”

As you start getting ready, Wooyoung searches the internet for a matching hairstyle. “How about this?” he suggests, showing you an image on his phone. “It’ll complement the dress without looking too overdone.”

After showering, you open the bathroom door to find Wooyoung meticulously laying out the outfit on your bed. He turns to you with a playful grin. “Fashion designers should be glad I chose to be a dancer.”

You laugh, shaking your head. “You’ve definitely got an eye for fashion. Maybe you missed your calling, Edna Mode.”

You take a deep breath, feeling a mixture of excitement and nerves. “I hope it goes well.”

“It will,” Wooyoung assures you. “Seonghwa wouldn’t go through all this trouble if it didn’t mean something to him. Now go knock ‘em dead.”

Before you leave, you sit on the bed and sigh exasperatedly. Wooyoung, noticing your sudden change in demeanor, asks, “What’s the matter?” You take a deep breath, the words tumbling out before you can stop them. “I’m feeling so nervous.” Wooyoung furrows his brow. “Nervous? Why?”

You bite your lip, torn between keeping your plan a secret and confiding in your best friend. But then again, you could never keep your mouth shut—especially not around Wooyoung. Finally, you blurt out, “I’m planning on finally sealing the nail in the coffin and confessing my feelings to Seonghwa.”

“Well, it was about time, anyway,” he says, shrugging. “If anything, I’m pretty sure he already knows. Do you even know how painfully obvious you are?”

You land a harsh hit on his shoulder, making him wince in pain. “Ow! Okay, okay, sorry! But seriously, you’ll be fine. If things don’t go as planned, I’ll be here for you.” You let out a heavy sigh, shaking your head. “I really don’t think I can do it, Woo. I mean, what if it’s all in my head? Like, what if every moment we’ve spent together is all but a walk in the park for him—what if it all holds no meaning to him? I don’t want to embarrass myself, but if I don’t confess my feelings sooner, I swear I’ll go insane.”

“Wow, you really are head over heels.”

“That’s all you have to say?!”

“No, but seriously,” he adjusts his sitting position on the bed turning to face you, “I really don’t think you should let your concerns get the best of you—not tonight. Think of it as a now or never moment. Just let go of all these worries you’re carrying with you, okay? We might not know what his answer may be for sure, but whatever happens, I promise you it’s always better to express your feelings rather than to bottle it up.”

You sigh, staring up at the ceiling. Then, all of a sudden, a light bulb appears above your head. “Hey, Woo,” you start, turning your head towards him, “maybe you could just come with me there?”

“Are you saying you want me to be your emotional support for the night?” he asks, tilting his head.

“Well, yeah, kinda.”

“I mean,” he shrugs, “The outfit I’m wearing is too stylish to just be wasted on rotting in your apartment, anyway.”

“Is that a yes?” you beam, eyes lighting up with a smile just as wide.

“Yeah. I’ll be sitting at a different table, though—just so you can have your moments with Seonghwa.”

****

You both arrive at the café, and it is nothing short of beautiful. The decorations you and Seonghwa painstakingly crafted are perfectly placed throughout the space—you really should give yourself a pat on the back. From the outside, you notice a flurry of activities. Notes are plastered all over the windows, and you can faintly see a photobooth backdrop at the very back. “Woo, we totally have to take pictures there before the event ends,” you say excitedly.

“Absolutely,” Wooyoung grins. “Let’s make sure we get some good ones.”

You both step inside, and Wooyoung keeps his promise, separating from you. “Catch you later,” he says, spotting Yunho sitting at one of the tables and immediately heading towards him. Left alone, you feel a wave of anxiety as you scan the room for a vacant seat, suddenly self-conscious about your appearance. You take a deep breath, smoothing your outfit and hoping you look as good as you feel. Just as you’re about to continue your search, you hear someone call your name from the counter.

You turn your head towards the sound, and your breath catches in your throat. Seonghwa stands there, framed by the warm, ambient light of the café. His dark hair is perfectly styled, soft strands falling just right to accentuate his sharp features that gives him the kind of face people would go to war for if combined altogether. He’s wearing a tailored shirt that fits him like a glove, highlighting his broad shoulders and lean frame. The soft smile on his lips, combined with the sparkle in his eyes, makes your heart skip a beat. For a moment, everything else fades away into the background, and you’re completely entranced by his beauty. The way he effortlessly exudes both charm and warmth leaves you momentarily speechless, and you can’t help but feel a rush swelling within you.

He starts walking towards you, and for a moment, you debate on whether you should shamefully leave and make a run for it or shoot your shot. But then, Wooyoung enters your line of sight, his gaze immediately setting your priorities straight—it’s the latter or nothing.

“You look beautiful,” is the first thing Seonghwa says, and you swear your knees almost give up on you. You manage to compliment him as well, and he leads you to a table. Not just any table—you recognize it as the one you were sitting at that time he gave you your order and you awkwardly said, “thanks, you too.” You joke about how he probably chose the table on purpose.

What you didn’t expect was for him to actually confirm your joke. “I did,” he says with a smile. “I reserved this seat just for us.” For a moment, it feels like you’re both a couple on their nth date and not two people navigating the waters of a budding romance. As you sit down, you compliment the way they incorporated your decorations into the café. “The interior looks amazing,” you say, glancing around. “You guys did a great job.”

Seonghwa smiles appreciatively. “Thank you for your effort. This event wouldn’t have been possible without you.”

It’s funny, because he has no idea he’s the sole reason behind your unwavering determination to finish all the decorations without procrastinating at times in between.

You place your order, and Seonghwa jokes, “It feels weird not serving you and instead actually sitting across from you. I’m not used to this.” You raise an eyebrow. “Not used to what exactly?”

He clears his throat, brushing off the question. “Just... not used to this kind of setting.”

From a distance, you catch sight of Wooyoung and Yunho engrossed in a conversation at a faraway table. Wooyoung suddenly wriggles his eyebrows while looking at you, making you blush and clear your throat. Seonghwa notices and asks, “What’s the matter?”

For a moment, you feel your worries get the best of you, but you immediately brush them off, deciding to follow Wooyoung’s advice to let your feelings show. “I just feel a bit nervous,” you admit, looking down at your hands. Seonghwa immediately becomes concerned, flashing you a look of worry. “Why?”

Just as you’re about to answer and confess your feelings, his manager calls for him from the back kitchen. “I’m so sorry,” Seonghwa says, standing up quickly. “I’ll be back in just a minute.”

While he’s away, you shift closer to the window, drawn to the heart-shaped notes stuck on it. As you read them, you notice each note begins with a capitalized letter written in red, while the rest of the words are in black. You begin reading them one by one:

Sometimes, my heart beats faster just thinking of you.

Every moment with you feels like a precious gift.

Over time, I’ve come to cherish you more than I can say.

Never have I felt so alive as when I’m with you.

Glimpses of your smile light up my world.

Holding onto these feelings, I hope you feel the same.

With you, I see a future filled with happiness.

And every day, I fall in love with you even more.

As you finish reading, you feel a surge of courage. You glance back over the notes, this time paying attention to the red letters. Slowly, it dawns on you. The capitalized red letters spell out: SEONGHWA.

Seonghwa returns just as you connect the dots, and you turn away from the notes on the window to look at him. He sits across from you, and for a moment, neither of you say anything. The air feels charged with an overflowing tension.

“Seonghwa, is this...?” you start, your voice showing hints of hesitance.8Seonghwa takes a deep breath, his eyes locking onto yours. “Yes, it is,” he says softly, a shy smile evident on his lips. “I’ve… been wanting to tell you this for a while.”

He pauses, gathering his thoughts before continuing. “You know, it all started when we played the whisper game with Yunho, Wooyoung, and Yeosang. I remember watching you laugh, your eyes lighting up when you realized the keyword was the Gingerbread Man, and something about that moment stuck with me. I couldn’t get it out of my mind. After that, I just found myself unconsciously looking forward to seeing you around, noticing the little things that make you who you are. Like, you know, the way you scrunch your nose when you're focused, or how your eyes sparkle when you talk about something you love.”

Seonghwa’s voice grows more tender, his emotions clearly surfacing. “And before I even realized it, I was falling head over heels. Every interaction, every smile, every word you spoke, it all just… drew me in deeper. I was in a tough battle with my feelings, unsure of how to approach you, worried about ruining the friendship we were building, worried about making you feel uncomfortable.”

“But during the festival,” Seonghwa continues, “when we rode the Ferris wheel and you were looking out the window with that beautiful smile on your face as the golden hues of the sunset painted you... that’s when I knew. I knew I was really in love. I saw you bathed in that light, so serene and happy, and it hit me like a speeding truck just how deeply I felt for you.”

He leans forward slightly, his gaze softer than the calm waves of the sea. “You’ve made my life so much more colorful, and I don’t think you even realize it. Your presence brings a kind of warmth and joy that I hadn’t felt in a long time. Every day, I find myself looking forward to the moments I get to spend with you, even if it’s just for a little while. You have this incredible ability to make everything better, just by being, well, you.”

Seonghwa sighs, running a hand through his wavy hair. “I couldn’t keep battling with my feelings any longer. I’m into you, like seriously, really into you. I’m in love with you, and I really, really want to be yours.”

You both stare at each other, unsure what to do next. You couldn’t believe what you just heard.

“Can you step on my feet below the table with your heel, please? Just so I know that I’m not making this all up in my head,” you say, and Seonghwa laughs.

“You’re not,” he starts, and for a moment, you nearly assume he was actually going to step on your feet. Instead, he reaches for your hand laying down on the table. “See? This is as real as it can be.”

His touch is warm and reassuring, and it washes all your worries away completely. You take a deep breath, feeling a wave of courage wash over you. “If this is what we’re doing, then I have something to tell you, too.”

His gaze focuses on you, ready to listen to whatever you have to say. Nervousness was written all over his face—what would your answer be?

“I’ve… I’ve actually liked you all along. Well, at first, it was just a silly little crush. You know, admiring you from afar and thinking you were just really handsome and kind.” You see his eyes widen slightly in surprise, but he doesn’t let go of your hand, his thumb gently stroking the back of it.

“But then,” you continue, “I started talking to you, getting to know you, and it became so much more. I started to fall deeper and deeper, and before I knew it, I was in love. Every time I see you, it’s like the day just brightens up. Your presence makes everything better, and I can’t imagine my life without you in it.”

“I’ve been in a pretty bad place for quite a while,” you admit, your voice softening. “Losing my mom... it left me feeling so lost and hopeless. I used to wake up feeling like there was a gray cloud over me, like the world had lost its color. But then, you came along. Your presence brought a warmth and brightness that I didn’t even realize I was missing. With you, the world started to seem vibrant again. Your smile is like sunshine breaking through the clouds, your laughter like music that drowns out the silence of my sadness. Every moment with you adds a splash of color to my life, turning my grayscale days into something beautiful and vivid.”

Seonghwa’s eyes glisten with emotion as he takes in your words. He squeezes your hand gently, his smile radiating warmth and affection. “I had no idea,” he whispers, and you wonder just how oblivious exactly he is, because you swear you’ve accidentally aired yourself out more than you’ve successfully hid your feelings for him.

“But hearing this from you... it makes me so happy. I’m glad I could bring some light into your life because you’ve done the same for me.”

For a moment, the world seems to stand still as you share the moment, both of you still in shock over the fact that your feelings are mutual. The air around you feels charged with unspoken promises and perhaps even the beginning of something beautiful. Seonghwa smiles, a mixture of happiness and anticipation in his eyes.

“So, where do we go from here?” he asks, a hint of playful curiosity in his voice. You think it’s cute how he sounds so excited.

You smile back, looking forward to the future just as much as he does—perhaps even more. “Wherever this journey takes us,” you say. “Together.”

“Together,” he echoes.

As you both bask in the moment, you glance over Seonghwa’s shoulder and catch sight of Wooyoung and Yunho across the café. They’re watching you with proud smiles and teasing looks plastered on their faces. You can’t help but snicker, causing Seonghwa to turn and see what’s up. He sighs in amusement upon seeing Wooyoung and Yunho’s expressions.

“You know,” you say, turning back to Seonghwa, “I think I finally get why Valentine’s Day is such a crowd favorite.”

He laughs softly, his eyes never leaving yours. “Yeah, I think I do too.”

And in that moment, surrounded by the warm ambiance of the café, the festive decorations you both worked so hard on, and the comforting presence of Seonghwa, you feel like you’re exactly where you’re meant to be.

🪞 — lividstar.

[xyvyl]

One More Race - Chapter 1 - Y/N

Summary: New to formula 1, Dutch driver Y/N L/N. F2 and F3 world champion, now racing for Lamborghini in F1. The only woman racing in F1 right now.

Chapter song: Legend - The Score

Word count: 1375

Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2iH7vTDNnObb2HMBDuRhrY?si=9ec8ffb7ec164637

A/N: taglist open!

---------------🏎️---------------

Lights out and away we go!

The words ring in my ears as I start driving. Starting from P4 isn't bad, but George, Charles and Max were in front of me. Max obviously sped off, Charles following close behind.

I managed to pass George after turn 1, but Charles and Max already had a big gap between us.

After 5 laps I managed to catch up to charles and almost pass him, but turn 13 fucked it up.

“How much time is between me and leclerc?” I ask through the radio. “0.7 second, keep it up, you're almost in the DRS zone.” “copy.”

I do my best to keep this distance until the DRS zone, once in I manage to pass him with ease, putting me in P2.

Luckily Charles couldn't pass me, except for when I pitted, but i quickly regained my spot.

---------------🏎️---------------

“P2, P2. good job!”

I sit in silence for a while, driving in the car. P2? In the first race of the season? First race of my career in f1? P2?!

“Y/N?” I hear my engineer, shaking me out of the daze I was in.

“P2? Are you serious?” “very”

“WOOOO! P2 BABY!” I yell in excitement as I pull up to the p2 stand, getting out of the car.

I quickly take off my helmet to see who I ended up on the podium with.

“Max? Natuurlijk ben jij P1!" (of course you’re P1!) I congratulate Max, turning around to see Charles’ car pull into the p3 stand.

“Charles! Congrats man!” I walk up to his Ferrari, hugging him as soon as he climbs out of his car.

“Congrats Y/N you did amazing!”

I smile and run to my team, “P2 baby!” “Where did Logan end?”

“He got P8.” My mouth drops, p8? That's such an improvement from his time with Williams!

---------------🏎️---------------

The cooldown room was quiet when I entered it, probably because Max and Charles were too busy chugging their water bottles.

I sigh in contentment and grab my own water bottle, drinking every last drop.

“Congrats on P2 in your very first F1 race, Y/N.” Charles claps me on the back, making me almost choke on my water.

Max laughs in the background and I glare at him as I swallow my water.

“Thanks Charles, you did a great job as well! And Max?”

“Yeah?”

“I hope you choke on your water” I smile at him, making Charles burst into laughter.

“Wow! Okay! What happened to, ‘beetje medelijden voor een mede-Nederlander'?" (A little compassion for a fellow Dutchman?) Max fakes being hurt as I stick my tongue out to him.

---------------🏎️---------------

Standing on the podium feels the same, yet so different from F2 and F3… nevertheless, it's an amazing feeling. Standing there, the trophee in my hands and champagne next to me and millions of people watching me stand there next to Max and Charles. The Dutch national anthem in the background.

I laugh as I put the trophee down and grab the champagne, already being targeted by both Charles and Max.

I launch the bottle down to the floor as the liquid starts spraying everywhere, mostly at Max and Charles, but also my team who are below the stands.

Everything seems to go in slow motion as I put the bottle to my mouth and drink the liquid, Max and Charles doing the same.

The first woman to stand on the F1 podium..

---------------🏎️---------------

“Y/N!” I turn around and see Logan running up to me.

“Logan! Congrats on P8!” I give him a hug, smiling.

“I was going to ask you if you wanted to come with us to get dinner, to celebrate.” He smiles when I nod.

“Wait, you said ‘us’ who else is going?” I question him.

“You, me, Max, Charles, George, Lando, Lewis, Carlos and Oscar.” He smiles, making me smile.

“Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!” I exclaim as I run to my black lambo, Logan following closely behind.

The ride there wasn't too long, since the restaurant was almost next to our hotel, which isn't too far from the track either.

“We're here, ready to celebrate?” Logan grins as he turns the car off.

I nod, a huge smile on my face as I get out of the car.

I wait for a hot minute to wait for Logan as he gets out of the car.

“Let’s go!” I exclaim as I speed walk into the restaurant. As soon as I enter I see the others sitting at the reserved table.

“Hi guys!” I smile as I sit down next to Lando, who smiles at me. Logan takes the seat next to me.

“We thought you guys weren't coming.” Max jokes, making me stick out my tongue at him. “Ha ha, very funny Max, why wouldn't we come? We had amazing results!” I laugh, making the rest of the table laugh too.

“Have you seen twitter lately?” Lando asks me, “No, why?”

“You're getting mixed responses to being the only woman on the grid..” His response made me look at him confused.

“I take it I shouldn't look at it?” I smile, already knowing the answer.

Lando only confirmed it by nodding his head. I put my phone back in my purse and grabbed the menu.

“Did you guys already order?” Most of the table shook their heads.

“We wanted to wait until you two were finally here.” Lewis smiles at me.

The waiter comes and we all order. After we got our food and started eating, I took a second to look around the table.

All talented male drivers, and me, a female driver who somehow got a seat with Lamborghini..

I sigh and Carlos notices, looking at me with a look that says, ‘are you okay?’, to which I nod. When I start eating I notice in the corner of my eye that Lando is looking at me, but I pay it no mind and enjoy the food in front of me.

---------------🏎️---------------

After we all finally finished our food, we paid separately and went on our way. Me, Lando and logan staying behind for a little.

“So.. how was your first ever F1 race?” Lando asked and I could sense the awkwardness in his voice.

I smile, “Amazing, the whole grid is nice, our team is great! The car is just… wow, I don't have enough words to describe this feeling.” Logan and Lando smile at that as the valet comes out with Logan’s car.

I give Lando a hug and we get in the car.

“How was your food?” I ask Logan, trying to make conversation.

“It was good, yours?” okay.. We're both awkward..

I nod and look out the window, enjoying the view.

---------------🏎️---------------

I dropped myself on my bed, the hotel we're staying at was amazing, comfortable beds, huge bathroom, just amazing. 

Logan's room isn't far from mine, literally next to mine.

I sigh, a smile on my face as I look towards the giant window overlooking the race track. A ping comes from my phone. It's Logan,

‘Plane leaves at 8, meet at my room at 6?’

I quickly reply, ‘I'll be there!’

8 am.. So early…

I roll my eyes at the time.

I get up from the bed and walk to the bathroom, getting ready for bed.

When I return I see my phone on my bed, exploding with messages, both from messages and twitter.

I remember what Lando said at dinner, ‘You’re getting mixed responses to being the only woman on the grid..’ 

I pick up my phone and decide to look at the messages first, seeing messages from almost the whole grid, but mostly Lando and Logan.

‘Don't listen to whatever they say’ -Lando

‘If you want to talk, i'm here’ -Logan

‘Twitter doesn't know anything, you're an amazing driver and friend’ -Lando

‘I think they might be blind, you got p2 all on your own’ -Lando

‘You're an amazing friend, teammate and driver and you're a world champion in f2 and f3! Don't listen to them!’ -Logan

Their messages put worry in me and I hesitated clicking on the twitter icon..

But I eventually did and what I read and saw…

[01zfan]

vice | p. wb

stylist!wonbin x actress!reader | 5.7k words

why was this so fun to write LMFAOOO maybe i’m insane for real you guys. this was a request kinda but i went off on my own. needy lil freak wonbin we love you.

contains: metaphors and allusion to drugs, power imbalance (wonbin works for the reader)

at first to wonbin you were like dessert. a sweet treat for the end of the night to take the edge off of his long days.

he first met you after a long bout of unemployment, something that was common in his line of work. stylists were in an abundance these days, and each time wonbin thought he had a gig it fell through. because of his desperation for work, he ended up agreeing to take a job offered to him by his friend. the pay was shit, the photoshoot was in a studio that would take an hour to get to on public transportation, and wonbin was taking a professional step backwards by joining the team as an assistant stylist. he knew he couldn’t afford to say no so he agreed, not even bothering to ask who the subject of the photoshoot was.

when wonbin arrived the next day, he was greeted by the friend that got him the job. like always, wonbin got the rundown of the day and heard that several things had already gone terribly wrong. he nodded and followed closely behind shotaro, trying to understand what the concept of the photoshoot was and what brands they were allotted to use.

wonbin saw you for the first time when shotaro guided him behind the wall where he saw flashing lights and heard camera shutters. he barely got a glance at you, his view obstructed by a photographers and the makeup team that swarmed you between each camera click. wonbin was amazed at the amount of people, nothing like the low-brow photoshoot he was expecting. when he finally weaved through the crowd of people he caught up to shotaro and asked him who you were.

shotaro was taken aback by his question. wonbin saw his friend stop going through the clothing rack to turn towards him with his eyes wide. wonbin was informed through a tight-lipped whisper that you were an up and coming actress, one of the biggest new names on the scene. shotaro told wonbin that he was lucky to land such a good gig and if he was able to get a permanent role on the team he would be more than well off. wonbin looked back to you as he got a fast explanation and rundown of all the things you were featured in. he could see your side profile, how your hair blew in the artificial wind of the fans. 

“you know i don’t watch movies.” wonbin said, still looking towards you. 

“i suggest you at the very least watch hers.” shotaro looked back to the clothing rack, pulling the next outfit off its hangers to have it ready. “she’s pretty talented.” shotaro says.

wonbin found himself more interested you the longer he looked. you knew your angles, working them well for the camera as the raw photos appeared on the prompter. wonbin watched each one come out flawless, how you took the photographers pointers and acted on them immediately. he had seen too many actors in his time know nothing about posing for a camera, treating every photoshoot like it was a movie. but you did it well, maybe a little too well.

wonbin was only pulled away from you when he heard the director of photography call for the next outfit. wonbin turned to shotaro quickly, recalling all of his prior experience as the assistant stylist. shotaro carefully laid the clothes across wonbin’s outstretched arms and wonbin made his way over to you. 

when you looked up at wonbin from the white block you posed on, he was taken aback. he could admit he wasn’t the best judge of character but something about you just seemed to pull him in. you tilted your head and thanked him for the clothes, motioning for him to lay them beside you. wonbin complied immediately, letting the clothes rest in the free space before bowing away back to shotaro. 

the rest of the day was spent like that. wonbin running around like he was a newbie again, doing everything shotaro needed. the only relief he felt was when he would steal your attention for a moment and when he would be your only focus for a second. each time you thanked wonbin he could feel the heat across his cheeks. he didn’t know what it was, everyone else seemed to be fine around you. you had even built up a rapport with shotaro and the rest of the crew. but when it came to wonbin he was a mess, reduced to deep bows and nods of acknowledgment anytime he got your attention.

wonbin pat himself on the back when the work day was over. he came to the conclusion that being in your presence was inherently embarrassing, that he would never be able to overcome his reddening cheeks or hesitant movement when it came to you. wonbin was excited to go, but when shotaro asked him to come in the next day per your request, something in his mind shifted. he suddenly remembered your lingering looks, the way you grazed his hand and said a shy sorry afterwards. wonbin agreed faster than he should’ve, reasoning that he was just grateful to have a job for another day.

when wonbin first saw you outside of work he was experiencing another late night scouring job listings and watching youtube videos to play in the background. you came on his television due to autoplay, something only slightly related to what he was watching prior. regardless, you came on his screen bright eyed with a wide smile, and a bubbly lift to your voice as you introduced yourself to the camera. 

wonbin tried to ignore you at first, to banish your voice to the backburner of his mind as he focused on more important things. you were meant to purely be white noise to occupy his overactive brain but he kept hearing you. the sentences wonbin typed into his job applications turned into whatever you were saying on his television. so he took a break, closing his laptop as he turned his attention to you. he watched a full thirty minute video of you breaking down scenes of a movie you were in. wonbin watched the whole thing intently with zero prior knowledge of the film. the way you spoke was sweet and expressive, the complete opposite of how you treated him. 

he reasoned with himself that he pulled out his phone to figure out more about you. shotaro’s advice to watch a movie of yours played in his mind as he saw the prices to rent your most recent film. he spent twenty dollars he didn’t have to rent it, and he watched the whole thing curled up on his loveseat.

he was becoming obsessed and before he knew it, wonbin’s whole day started revolving around you. the next day wonbin came to work early with a new appreciation for you. he found himself desperately wanting to make a good second impression, to show you that he was really grateful for the opportunity to work under you. wonbin didn’t know why he wanted to show the good side of himself to you so badly, but he arrived to the studio long before your team came. he found himself lingering outside of the studio waiting for shotaro to park his car, but his friend was forgotten when your sleek black car pulled up to the curb. 

wonbin watched you hop out of the car in an outfit to match. he watched you walk through the parking lot with your entourage huddled around you like fans. you were unbothered with your black shades that you only lifted when you made it past the entryway of the studio. you casted a glance to wonbin at the last second, and he continued to turn his head to follow you. he understood in that moment why you were up and coming, you had something that could only be described as it. wonbin realized the second day how refined you were, how much you advocated for yourself. you could wear anything, from the all black street style to the colorful designer brands they had you dressed in for the photoshoot. 

when he got home after working for you he would scour the internet looking for things about you. in an effort to figure you out wonbin had seen your entire filmography within the month and he could recite almost all of your interviews. it had gotten to the point that you were getting in the way of the work he was trying to do and he was almost alarmed that he didn’t care in the slightest. he was lucky that he had been offered a position as your permanent assistant stylist after shotaro put in a good word for him.

as time went on, whatever wonbin had with you had gotten out of hand. he was able to convince himself that he was just learning about you, but he found that he needed more and more. niche interviews didn’t cut it anymore, he was searching the internet high and low for deep cuts of you. that’s when wonbin began to admit to himself he never had much of a sweet tooth. something as sugary as icecream sated his need after a bite or two. if he had to compare his relationship with you now he would compare you to the bottles of liquor or the powdery white substances that he always saw at the parties you steered clear from. you were something he got hooked on and by the time he realized it was too late.

he couldn’t blame you for being addicting, you were simply existing the same way all vices did. if anything it was wonbin’s fault. he wasn’t diligent enough, he didn’t administer you in small doses. drugs weren’t necessarily was bad if you did it in moderation. but your personality and proximity to wonbin made that impossible. he was all in, up to his neck in you and he was only sinking lower and lower.

you were just so much like him and you didn’t even know it. wonbin blamed it on the fact that he couldn’t wear the clothes he actually wanted to wear at work. he had to make sure that he was comfortable, that he could move the way he needed to when gathering clothes or running around on set. what wonbin really wanted to wear to work was the clothes he had in his closet that you also happened to own. he was able to convince himself that it was always completely by coincidence that the clothes you would wear would appear in his closet in his size. like there was someone else blowing his paychecks to have your exact wardrobe. but wonbin wore it well, and he believed that you would agree with him. 

you were mysterious just like him, a little off-putting but alluring nonetheless. you were his carbon copy—if only he could get the words out to tell you that. wonbin was only able to confess to you in his moments of solitude, when your face would flash through his mind like a bolt of lightning. he got used to whispering your name over and over again at night, just to take the edge off. you were all consuming and you didn’t even know it, the same way all vices were. wonbin believed that if he didn’t have you it would only be something worse. 

as wonbin stayed on your team as a stylist, you eventually took off. you booked important movies projected to be blockbuster hits, you were constantly booked for photoshoots and interviews. he was able to stave off his addiction to you by working for you. he was forced to be the most respectful version of himself to be in your good graces. he was lucky you had taken a liking to him to the point that he became your personal assistant. this meant wonbin got the privilege to follow you around all day like a lost puppy, doing your chores and walking your dog when it visited you on set. he fetched your food when you didn’t feel like getting up. wonbin had become your servant, and he didn’t want anything else. 

being your servant meant he got to see the most intimate aspects of your life. he knew who was in your phone, what you wore and where you ate. he was able to see the things you shared in common and the things he suddenly felt himself taking a liking to. 

the best perk was that he was able to sit in your trailer with you while you napped. after everyone else on the stylist and makeup team was shooed out of your trailer for lunch he had the unspoken permission to stay. truthfully it was because you needed someone to be there to wake you up in time. but you were nice enough to let wonbin take a nap on your tiny couch. you retreated to your bed in the back of the trailer while your manager reminded wonbin what time he needed to be back on set. wonbin nodded gently, settling deeper into the couch as his phone vibrated in his hand. 

right as the door closed wonbin slid down his notifications bar to see what it was. a new interview of yours had just dropped, a picture of you in thumbnail smiling wide with your things spread out in front of you. wonbin looked into your area of the trailer over his shoulder. he saw your feet gliding across the mattress as you laid in bed. he wondered if you were on your phone watching videos like he was. whatever you were doing, he just hoped you were distracted enough.

wonbin knew better than to watch your videos while you were in the other room. he had picked up the nasty habit of losing himself when you appeared on the flat dimensions of his phone. it was like you were in the palm of his hands, the adrenaline of feeling you talk right to him made him lose all self control. he would’ve been able to talk himself out of doing something so bold especially when you were less than a yell away. but that’s what happens when people have addictions—they do stupid things because enough is never enough. that’s why even when wonbin was on the job where you were the topic of every sentence you weren’t talked about enough. in the moments when he would literally on his knees fixing your garment he wasn’t worshipping you enough. he needed his fix and he couldn’t wait another moment. so while wonbin chewed on the nail bed of his index finger he clicked on the video with his thumb.

the orientation lock was already off from the night before and automatically went to landscape mode. the intro music crackled through his speakers in the split second it took him to turn it all the way down. wonbin looked behind him quickly to see that your motions had ceased on top of the bed. he sunk further into the mattress and spread his legs trying to keep up appearances for the invisible audience in front of him. wonbin was solely just doing his job, looking closely at your eyes to make sure the makeup came out well on camera and that your hair was styled right. he cursed himself for letting his bluetooth earbuds die, he needed to hear your voice even though he had been hearing it all day. he was forced to settle for the subtitles and reading your lips. glossy and plush, drawing into a smile each time you sheepishly explained another item in your bag. wonbin felt the urge to look over his shoulder again but he didn’t want to miss a moment. 

he abused the rewind ten seconds button while he pushed down on the tent that always formed in his pants like muscle memory. he brought his leg over the other when he saw you pull out the same sunscreen he owned.

wonbin was always in a negative feedback loop when it came to your videos. he would find a part he liked the most, a little moment of you looked at the camera with big eyes when you were asked a question or a small reaction where you would chew on your lip while in deep thought. no matter how short it was wonbin became obsessed, he would rewind it again and again. he saw you look up to the staff behind the camera for approval a million times, rewinding the video just to have it seared into his eyelids. he watched your delicate hands fiddle with each item as you pulled it out of your bag, how you took the time to sincerely explain each one.

he was too distracted by you that he didn’t know you were right behind him, watching him rewind the same part over and over again. as soon as he felt like something was behind him he heard your voice right next to his ear.

“you really are obsessed with me, huh?” you said.

wonbin instantly let his phone drop to the ground and yelled. it was the loudest he had ever been, the sound bounced off of the walls of your trailer and even made you jump. wonbin stood up from your tiny sofa quickly, rubbing his sweaty hands down his pants as he tried to think of an explaination.

“i was just making sure…” wonbin stammered.

all the excuses he had made up in his head for this exact moment were leaving him. he couldn’t think of anything when you cocked your head to the side with that knowing smirk.

“just making sure what?” you mocked.

wonbin felt red hot shame bloom over his entire body. his eyesight felt like it was blurry even though he wore his glasses and he felt short of breath. he was sure you saw the tips of his ears turn red and his hands instinctually clenching. 

you only watched him, not saying anything else as wonbin pathetically tried to think about anything else other than the churning feeling in his stomach. being underneath your scrutinizing gaze only made everything worse. when wonbin tried adjusting his pants your eyes immediately flickered down to what he was so desperately trying to hide.

he didn’t have the time to decipher the look in your eye. he just knew he had to get out of there as soon as possible. wonbin got up from the couch and headed to the door, pulling down his sweater as low as it would go.

“wait.” you said calmly.

wonbin turned around to see that you held his phone in your hand. he could see your video still playing on his screen, your demeanor on the screen completely opposite of your expressionless face. you held out wonbin’s phone slightly, moving it back and forth for emphasis.

“don’t forget this.” you said casually.

when he reached for his phone you let it fall from your hand. wonbin watched his phone fall to the floor, making a dull thud when it made contact with your carpet. he looked up to you, trying to figure out what you wanted from him. the shame coursing through his veins turned to fire as he watched you settle into the same spot wonbin was in on your couch. his phone was right by your foot, a silent dare for him to come closer.

wonbin wasn’t sure if he was still reeling off of you causing his mind to make up things. was your hand that moved to rest on your knee beckoning to him? were your eyes staring at him with intent or disgust? he didn’t know what to do anymore. he felt himself getting weak, getting closer and closer to the ground until he was on his knees in front of you.

he couldn’t mistake the smile that spread across your face as your eyes followed him all the way to the floor. wonbin remembered seeing that exact smile in the first interview he ever watched of you. it was even more intoxicating in person, the different intent in your curled lips made the churning in his stomach worsen. you looked down quickly to his phone that was by your foot and back to his widened eyes.

“come here wonbin.” you moved your foot to lightly hit the edge of his phone where the video of you still played. “come get your phone.” you said.

your words were innocent and you had genuine curiosity across your face when wonbin stayed in place. you’re one hell of an actress wonbin thought to himself. you played the role of someone who was as non-assuming and confused. he tried to figure out what his role in all of this was, who you needed him to be in your movie. he remembered that he was your loyal servant who heeded your every request. so wonbin slowly started closing the space between his body and his phone, crawling on his hands and knees slowly.

when wonbin was close enough to reach his phone he was beside your leg. he kept an eye on you the whole time, now afraid to move an inch underneath your gaze. when you leaned back on the couch wonbin drew in a breath. you opened your mouth and his body straightened and his eyes widened. 

“what do you want to do to me?” you ask.

when wonbin didn’t have the words you tilted your head to the side and batted your eyelashes. you looked so perfect from down here. pure and unsullied like snow. wonbin wanted to lean forward and take you in deep through his nose.

“i want to smell you.” wonbin sniffled.

when you spread your legs further wonbin couldn’t stop himself from shuffling forward on his knees, almost falling to his hands in desperation. before he could touch you, you put up a hand. wonbin stopped instantly, his shaky gaze going up to you.

“you have to be quiet.” you said, holding up a single finger to show that was your one rule.

when wonbin went back on his haunches to nod eagerly. you waited a beat before nodding to wonbin, hands creeping up your legs until they rested on your waist.

instantly wonbin closed the space between your legs and his body. he attached himself to one of them, kissing your jean clad knee before breathing you in deeply. he couldn’t stop himself from groaning, knowing exactly which perfume you had over your body.

“you smell like me.” wonbin murmurs.

“no.” you lift wonbin’s chin so he looks up at you. you see the blush across his cheeks when you shake your head. “you smell like me.”

you lean back on the sofa and wonbin lets his head drop, cheek resting on your knee. you can hear the whimpers bubble from his mouth, how they turn into whiny little groans when his crotch makes contact with your leg. 

“i can’t tell if you wanna fuck me or be me.” you scoff.

wonbin knew he was told to be quiet but he couldn’t help himself. not when he could feel the patchwork of your jeans rub against the most sensitive part of him. he remembers scouring the internet high and low for your pants only to find out they were custom made, one of a kind. something that was previously so unattainable was in the palm of his sweaty shaking hand. 

wonbin pressed his fingers deep into your leg as he shuffled forward to straddle your foot. he felt your skin dimple underneath his grip and you hissed before jolting your leg. the sudden movement made wonbin cry out pitifully, the pleasure of your leg moving against his crotch was so intense it was nearly painful. he moved his head to hang between your two knees as he stilled to catch his breath. he panted while pressing his forehead into the cushion of your sofa, trying his best to regain his composure. you only watched him and laughed, reaching down to manually loosen the white knuckle grip his fingers had on you.

“don’t leave a mark.” wonbin instantly loosened his fingers at your order. “i have a photoshoot tomorrow.” you said.

wonbin nodded because he knew. vogue italia. you were going to be on the cover, you and your costar were going on the spread. they were dressing you in missoni. the direction was were going for was young and fresh, marking a new generation of actresses and you were the leader. he knew and here he was, holding onto you so tight you could break.

“sorry.” your hand wedged between wonbin’s chin and the couch cushion to lift his gaze again. he looked into your dark eyes, having to swallow to try and mend his meek voice. “sorry.” he repeated.

wonbin didn’t move his hips against your leg again as a way to punish himself. he wanted to show you he had some semblance of control, that he was able to follow orders. he didn’t mind acting becoming your dog—by the way he was panting and whining he was already half way there.

“it’s okay.” you said after a beat. 

he was positive you liked torturing him. the glint in your eye never went away, and your lips were stuck in a permanent smirk at his state. wonbin was sure you tsked at him just to see the dejection across his face, that you responded only after short silences to see his pupils shake. he was sure that you unbuttoned your shirt just to watch the color drain from his face and to see his adam’s apple bob as he swallowed nothing. you took the underside of your chest in your hands, pushing them upwards for wonbin to see. 

you were making a show of it just to see him become even more pathetic. you started slowly raising and lowering your leg and pressed your shin into wonbin’s crotch. he looked down at your moving leg, resisting the urge to move his hips by biting his lip.

“keep going.” you said after planting your feet into the ground.

you leg went back to not moving, but wonbin didn’t mind. he made up for it three times back, dragging his crotch on the bottom of your foot and then against your shin. 

it wasn’t long before wonbin was unraveling again, humping your leg like the dog you were turning him into. he didn’t remember what he was like before this, if he was always this desperate. he didn’t remember ever needing something as bad as he needed you. even though he would eventually get off he could tell that he would need more. you opened wonbin’s world simply by sitting in a chair, he knew that he would leave your trailer he’d be thinking about his next high.

the thought of you declining something like this happening again made wonbin want to savor it. he listened well this time, one of his hands clutched the armrest of the couch and the other gripped the cushion between your two knees. he looked away from your chest, afraid that too much of you would lead to an overdose. with his cheek pressed into your knee again wonbin started rutting his hips against your leg, trying to find any stimulation possible. 

“look at me wonbin.”

he brought his chin to rest on your knee, eyes closed as the even tone in your voice made him feel even more pathetic. it was as exhilarating as it was embarrassing, wonbin switched from rutting is hips back to the slow circular motion he started out with. the pain in his pants made him shudder, his straining dick had at some point made it out of the fly of his boxers and pressed into the cold metal of his zipper. he needed to keep his eyes closed, atleast long enough to focus on only one sensation so he didn’t start crying.

“i said look at me, bin.” you ordered.

wonbin opened his eyes, he could tell they were watery by the stinging feeling of tears threatening to break past his waterline.

his face must’ve been pitiful, because he saw the smirk go away as you tilted your head affectionately. you even looked at wonbin like he was a helpless dog. your hands went to his face, and wonbin preened his head off your knee towards your hands to feel your touch faster.

“i bet you would’ve fucking killed anyone who got the job if it wasn’t you.” you cooed.

wonbin closed his eyes to remember the feeling of your fingers holding his face then opened them just as fast. he was nodding at your statement even though your question was fuzzy in his mind.

“that’s what you wanna hear?” wonbin nodded again, not sure what he was agreeing to—he just needed you to keep talking “you probably shouldn’t even be near me.” you say.

for the first time wonbin found himself disagreeing with you. he didn’t know where he was meant to be, he lived day to day and paycheck to paycheck as a freelancer in a highly competitive profession. but he had no doubt in his mind that he was where he was meant to be, desperately humping your leg in your hotel room biting his lip to stay quiet. he just wished he could’ve articulated this to you—or at the very least shook his head. but wonbin was so caught up in that familiar tightening in his stomach that he continued nodded as he started rubbing against your leg faster.

wonbin nestled into your soft hands. he could smell the shae butter and the minty smell of the medicated ointment your coated on your nail beds. he took in another shaky deep breath that he let out when you tucked a piece of hair behind his ear.

“i can’t deny that you’re cute though.” you said.

you pulled your hands away from wonbin and propped your elbows on your thighs. you looked down at him, how he was so close to tears. you could see his large eyes begging you for more, not even bothering to hide it. there was no way this was the same quiet, elusive, and mysterious wonbin shotaro talked about constantly.

wonbin watched you lean forward until chin rested in your hands. his breathy pants got louder and he dug so hard into the cushion he felt his nails starting to bend. as you leaned closer wonbin strained his neck to get closer to your face before letting it fall back to your knee. you were testing him by bringing your face so close. wonbin could see the blemishes in your skin and the eyebags that were beginning to set it from lack of sleep. wonbin wanted to reach out and caress the apples of your cheeks that glowed in front of him.

“you’re beautiful.” your voice is sweet, and wonbin’s eyes look like they are shimmering for you. “you’re the prettiest thing i’ve ever seen actually.” you coo.

wonbin kissed your knee and you can see the drool seeping past his lips in between his heavy moans. you can tell he’s close, his desperate hips move even faster than before and you can see his knuckles turn white from the way he grips the cushion. you rack your mind for the final blow, trying to think of the thing wonbin needs to hear to get him to make a mess in his pants. he parts his swollen lips, a tiny exhale slipping past before he strings his declaration together.

“i’m close.” he whimpers.

“mhm.” you lean close to wonbin, adjusting yourself off the couch so you can whisper directly into his ear. “we’d make a pretty cute couple, don’t ya think?” you smirk.

almost instantly, a prolonged whine erupts from wonbin’s throat. it’s high-pitched and bounces off the walls of your trailer. you feel his hips still against your leg, and wonbin pulls away from you to press his face into your leg. he muffles out the rest of his whines in your denim, and you can feel the drool filtering through the thick fabric to wet your leg. you would tell wonbin that they’re custom made and he needs to be careful, but your sure he already knows that. you only pull away and lean back into the couch to watch the man get lost in pleasure. he gives your leg a few final thrusts, and then he slumps completely against you. 

when wonbin pulls away from your leg to look back up at you, his eyes are still blown out and glassy. his chest rises and falls quickly, but he doesn’t move himself from against your leg. you start buttoning up your shirt and you can tell so clearly that wonbin wants to help you. when you let your hands rest at your sides wonbin gets the hint quickly. he stands up from his spot on the ground with shaking legs, and puts his fidgeting hands to your blouse. he focuses on the fabric as he buttons up your shirt, and you laugh at wonbin finally showing you a shred of shame. when you look up to him you purposefully bat your eyelashes and bring your hands to gently hold his bicep. he freezes against your hand and bites on his bottom lip quickly. when his unsteady hands successfully button your blouse he pulls his hands away quickly and stands in front of you. you can see the small dark splotch in the front of his pants. you motion towards the spot and wonbin looks too, awkwardly shifting on his feet when he notices.

“do you want me to send you home early?” you ask.

wonbin shakes his head no and adjusts his pants but pulling at the material gathered at his upper thigh.

“i’m okay.” wonbin says.

“you know.” you cross your legs and look wonbin up and down. you’re sure you could eat him whole and you’re positive he would let you. but you’re better at hiding your desperation behind smirks and shoulder shrugs. “maybe if you’re good we can do a little more next time.” you say nonchalantly.

wonbin adjusts his pants again when there’s a knock at your door. a moment later your shotaro comes in, takes a look at the both of you and checks the time on his phone.

“lunch is over, are you ready?” he says.

you get up quickly, shaking yourself off and casting one more look to wonbin before looking to shotaro.

“i’m ready.” you say, grinning ear to ear.

[purel6mbie]

'𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬' .. !

𖥻 calcharo x reader

𖥻 angst, fluff

𖥻 been feelin insecure so I wrote this. sorry for being ia nd not writing abt scar .. cw for talks of body image, wrote this with an afab reader in mind, .. dunno life sucks pookies ..

you looked at your reflection in the mirror, at the flesh hanging from your belly, your thighs, your arms, like weights you could never let go of, burdening you each second of each day. you hadn't realized you were crying before one of your tears landed on your chest. your chest .. so terribly flat and unlovable. so repulsing. if only i could rip it all off, change my skin ..

'dearest ?'

you turn around like you got caught stealing, new hot tears springing to your eyes the moment they meet your lover's confused ones. calcharo strides over to you with heavy steps, leaning slightly, gloved hands cupping your cheeks tenderly. 'is something wrong ? are you hurt, darling ?' he inquires, his usually deep and loud voice a mere whisper that fans over your wet cheeks.

you shake your head no, sobbing as you struggle to catch a proper breath. you must look so pitiful right now .. 'im s-sorry' you manage to stutter out, aggressively wiping your tears away before crouching to pick up your clothes. that skirt looked horrible on you. guess you'll just gift it to yangyang or something .. it would flatter her way more anyways.

'would you prefer if I gave you some space for now ? I just came home but I can leave and be back later if that might h—' calcharo stops when you once again shake your head. he walks closer, grabbing your wrist gently with his slender fingers. 'then could we talk it out, please ?'

calcharo was far from being a talkative man, even with you. this was just proof of the deep worry gnawing at his heart at the sight before him. he wouldn't —couldn't— bear it.

you slowly let your walls fall down, shoulders slumping in defeat. soon, two buff arms are holding you close to a broad chest, a chin resting on top of your head. you don't exactly know how long you stayed like that, but not once did his hold on you weaken. your lover held you like an anchor, unwavering, and you finally sighed deeply from exhaustion. hating yourself was a full time job you took very seriously, and it was as draining as any other.

'i feel so utterly ugly, calcharo .. so unlovable,' you breathed, eyes closed.

his first answer was a soft kiss planted on the crown of your head. some moments later though, he talked, 'a star in the sky never knows how bright it shines.'

silence. he inhales deeply before pulling away, instead holding you at arms length. calcharo doesn't pressure you into looking at him in the eyes, he knows better than that. he knows you better than that. and he knows what you need to hear from him right now.

'you are my entire cosmos, dearest. everything.' your eyes lock with his, slightly wide and already glistening with brand new tears. his voice doesn't waver as he ends : 'and i love all of you. always.'

your eyelids flutter shut, translucent pearls hanging on your lashes. warmth blossoms where his cold lips seal his words on your forehead. you sigh once again and let that heat take over your numb limbs for today, arms moving to hug your lover to you, to never let him go. 'i love you. i adore you. my knight in shining armor.'

you tilt your head to kiss the his chest, where his golden tacet mark would be under his uniform, and his hold on you tightens. 'all of you. always.'

©purel6mbie 2024 | do not copy, translate, repost !

[cherllyio]

The Hypocrisy/Irony of Li Jing

Li Jing is an antagonist who quite literally dresses himself up as the "Hero", and whom is a weird mix of both the Lady bone Demon and Azure Lion.

First of all his colour scheme turquoise, is a colour often related to The Celistial Realm.

Notice how in the monkie kid crews "celistial realm outfits", the only colour they all have in common is turquoise.

Not even The Jade Emperor dressed himself in that much turquoise (he didnt even wear it at all). Which just goes to show how Li Jing views himself.

He even plans to become The new Jade Emperor, and will not have ANYONE stop him. (even if they arent even trying to stop him in the first place-)

Hell, as i talked about in my theory of how he might have impriossoned Nüwa, he and the rest of Celistal Realms biggest flaw is their intense focus on order.

Nezha's intense work habit in season 3 - 4 is big example of this, mixed with how accurate Azure was about the whole celistial realm system.

But honestly Li Jing just takes it to another LEVEL.

I swear, if he starts talking to Nezha about how he has: " Left his job in the Celistial Realm for the monkie kid crew"(aka leaving his "destiny"), we can very well perspectiv it back to THE LADY BONE DEMON, and her intense focus on "ORDER".

But as @lunamikobrony2 mentioned in my theory mentioned earlier:

The villians (aka. LBD and Azure Lion), have this way of wanting a "new and perfect order".

But as we saw with espically Azure Lion: Power corrups.

Azure Lion turned so quickly from: " The Jade Emepror is a fraud" to "Kneel before your emperor", in a matter of MINUTES.

Li Jing is very clearly going to do the same thing. He might even kill things he viwes as "imperfect", if we really want to make it 100% clear, that this man is A LOT like LBD.

And thats just the Hypocrisy.

The thing that honestly first caught my attention was how ironic his characther was set up VS the actual villians of the show.

Because even though both the 9 headed demon, and the 100 eyed demon were both shown in the trailer, LI JING, was the one clearly shown as the most "villianous", or atleast "antagonistic"

He is literally shown WORSE than two DEMONS. And some demons with some quite horrifying designs too i must say.

It honestly reminds me of how Belos, from the owl house, was also set up this way.

If you dont know, The Owl House takes place in quite literally the closest thing we got to Hell.

But is the scariest monster a demon, or a powerful evil witch?

No, the scariest guy is white cishet man from the 1600, dressed in the gold, who also thinks he is quite literally the messias. But in the end he becomes quite literally "The King of Demons."

(Watch a video about Belos it here, its amazing)

But, what is my point with this post? What do i want to tell?

Well my entire point with this is to point out how their is such a faint line between good and evil in this show.

And this is just scratching the surface of it. Because if this keeps being proven right in season 5, I will make an entire analysis video about this after the new season is out.

Where I will also be looking at Wukongs journey from an anti-villian to a hero.

The Celistial Realm VS The Mortal Realm VS The Underworld.

Nezha's philosophy vs Li jings philosphy and their entire relationshsip.

And a lot of other stuff, and how this is the reason for why this show is so amazing.

[rammstein4ever]

I love my bf to death but sometimes he makes me want to pull my hair out. He just started a new job but it turns out it sucks and he applied for a different job and immediately got a job offer. I called him because I was excited for him and like, I wanted to talk to my fucking bf bc he's one of my best friends but after 5 minutes he says he needs to go bc he was watching something. Like wow excuse me from getting in the way of you watching something that's too damn important to talk on the phone with your gf for more than 5 fucking minutes

[crystalkitty1220]

Might have to scrap a fic idea because I thought the panic that came with time moving too slowly or too quickly was a universal thing, but now I'm realizing I probably have chronophobia and the fic might not feel the same to other people. Don't want it to drag on or feel rushed if readers won't get the same kind of anxiety the character's getting.

[valleydoli]

𐙚 Ao3 Fics I’ve read and love 𐙚

𐙚 infidelity by @tawus (completed)

gojo x fem reader

Your marriage to Gojo Satoru lost its initial excitement, since your husband spent all his time either at Jujutsu Tech or on exorcism missions across the world. To ease your loneliness, you picked up your favorite pastime from your student years — clubbing — behind his back. Too bad that on Satoru’s most recent mission he spots his wife dancing in a nightclub with a bunch of guys in the skimpiest dress he has ever seen on her…

𐙚 desert rose by @sadistic-kiss (on going)

all jjk men x fem reader 😭

Toji Fushiguro finds you during one of his hitman jobs. With no idea what to do with you he decides to bring you home to his house of misfits. They weren’t picture perfect but neither were you.

𐙚 mascara by @/softstellars (on going)

geto x fem reader

You've never been a particularly good person, you're self-aware enough to know it. It's your only flaw, and recently you've actually been working to better yourself. For example: paying for a 30-dollar Uber so you can take your friend home only for her to ditch you for some guy when it comes down to it. Although you’re pissed, you decide to try and make the best of it instead of get into a screaming match with her. It's an easy thing to do when Getou Suguru is offering you everything to do just that. Everything a party entails: liquor, weed, and sex with a perfect stranger. And Getou knows perfectly well you have a boyfriend, so it's not like he'll want anything serious.

𐙚 a pearl by @lemonlover1110 (completed and posted on tumblr!)

toji x fem reader

The Fushiguros needed a nanny, and the pay was too good to not apply, especially since your family needed financial help. You were the perfect nanny for the kids, they loved you as if you were their own mother. Slowly, you built up the perfect relationship with the family. Especially with Mr. Fushiguro. A man who would constantly visit you after dark. A man who you thought had sincere intentions but at the end of the day didn't care about you. A selfish man who just saw you as a tool to make his wife mad. A man who didn't care about you but didn't want you with anyone else. A man that took away your ability to know what a healthy relationship was. You couldn't speak up about it since all the fault would fall at your feet and would be deemed as the "homewrecker".

𐙚 you, my angel and my saint by @lemonlover1110 (completed and posted on tumblr!)

toji x fem reader

sequel to a pearl!

After having an affair with your boss, you're left to deal with the consequences, those being: two exhausting new jobs and a child. A child that he never got to know the existence of. Now all you had to do was keep her hidden, which should be an easy task, right?

𐙚 rings by @/bungeemum (on going)

toji x fem reader

you divorced the man in front of you for a reason. so why was he standing on your doorstep, guilt plastered on his face, and eyes glinting with hope?

𐙚 a dangerous game by @/anaoyuo (completed)

gojo x fem reader

geto x fem reader

Both men agreed to a game about who fucks you first, but they didn't play their cards right. Gojo and Geto changed the course of the game when they decided to keep you around for way longer than intended, making you fall for their sweet way to deprave you, and now you have to face the consequences in a gamble that they call their life.

𐙚 fate’s gamble by @/anaoyuo (on going)

gojo x fem reader

geto x fem reader

sequel to a dangerous game

缘分— a story about predestined affinity, set in a world where the intoxicating thrills of wealth intertwine with amorality.

𐙚 him & i by @pharixden (on going)

gojo x fem reader

toji x fem reader

sukuna x fem reader

A cheating husband, a widowed bodyguard and a malevolent fling of the past who owes a favour isn’t a combination for the faint of heart, but not every girl is a damsel in distress.

𐙚 changes by @lemonlover1110 (on going also on tumblr!)

gojo x fem reader

From childhood friends to lovers to mere strangers. Your love story with Satoru Gojo was one from a fairy tail, until it wasn't. When you were twenty-one, Satoru left you without an explanation. Five years later, you meet again but nothing is quite the same. Too many things need to be explained, especially the fact that there's another Gojo that Satoru has yet to meet.

𐙚 the man in apartment 381 by @lemonlover1110 (completed also on tumblr!)

toji x fem reader

Looking for a new beginning after the death of your husband, you move away from town. That's when you meet him, Toji Fushiguro, a widower with a three-year-old son. You two understand each other, which draws you close. Except you two don't realize that feelings would eventually develop, and neither of you want that. Feelings are the last thing you two want after finding out the great damage that they can cause. When you two discover this, it's too late.

𐙚 4th avenue viewing by @/softstellars (completed)

nanami x fem reader

Nanami Kento is intelligent, serious, reserved and can easily catch someone in a lie. It's his job to do just that, he's renowned for it. So when he comes to your university to offer up an internship, it's quite the opportunity. Anyone would jump at the chance, except for you. But no, you just had to be the one caught in a lie.

𐙚 forgotten souls by @/killerpoultry & @/bebobopobo (completed)

sukuna x fem reader

You and Sukuna have been married for years. Even though he is brash, mean, and sadistic, you love him more than anything. While he may not show it much, he truly loves you too. One day you get into a terrible car accident and lose all your memories. You learn to live once more while Sukuna must now get you to fall in love with him all over again.

𐙚 love kills by @/sourome (on going)

i actually don’t know 😭 i think toji x fem reader

The wealthy and successful Zenin family, well respected and seemingly perfect. But all that glitters is not gold. Toji Zenin, CEO and face of the Zenin Group acts like a gentleman but is a vile creature that has ruined many lives, such as yours. That married man dared to play with your mother’s heart many years ago, destroying her sanity and her life and ultimately killing her. Now years later and being all grown up you decide to seek revenge, he deserves to suffer that same destiny and die of love. With the help of a few friends you plan to become a part of his life and his every thought but you didn't take into account his son, that man had the potential to turn your plans upside down.

𐙚 the black swan by @uselesslydamaged (completed)

sukuna x fem reader

Loving someone is easy, but experiencing it is harder.

𐙚 bodyguard by @/succybuss (on going)

toji x fem reader

Your Grandfather, a man involved in unsavory businesses that has taken you under his wing, has informed you that you will be under the care of a full-time Bodyguard. Unhappy with your grandfather's decision, you decide to go out for a night of drinking for your last night of freedom. There, you encounter a man you planned on taking home, but life had other plans in store for you...

𐙚 violet lights by @septembersummer (completed)

gojo x fem reader

In which you're at a party that you should've skipped when you capture the attention of a boy who looks like an angel and grins like the devil. He looks beautiful in the neon lights, and maybe you just want to make your ex-boyfriend jealous, but trouble with a tongue ring does sound like fun, just for tonight. What's the worst that could happen, you know?

𐙚 starboy by @septembersummer (completed)

gojo x fem reader

sequel to violet lights

After your ex-boyfriend gets arrested on national television, you find yourself realizing that you really didn’t know much at all about Gojo Satoru. Well, he’s better known in the Yakuza as The Six Eyes, not that he ever told you that.

𐙚 sweet little lies by @/mooglepaws (on going)

toji x fem reader

Megumi Fushiguro is the perfect Fiancé. Caring, loyal, successful, devastatingly handsome and crazy in love with you. So how and why do you end up fucking his Dad? As your wedding looms and the consequences of your affair unfold, you have to make a choice between the Fushiguro men.

This is a Toji x Reader x Megumi but the smut is almost exclusively Toji x Reader focusing on their affair.

𐙚 the twist of a knife by @darkcat23 (on going)

gojo x fem reader

This world is dull, colourless in your eyes. You are just trying to keep going with your life, not bothering anyone, trying to support your mother and yourself. So what happens when you agree to help your ex one night? And what if you catch the attention of a certain white haired assassin? And he shows you just how colourful this world truly is. or, a story of a girl with a violent mind and a boy with violent tendencies, finding each other, intertwining, and feeding off one another. perhaps it is fate that has brought them together. or perhaps it's something more sinister, something more cold.

𐙚 untameable waves by @/circedemedici

(unknown i guess hopefully i can let you know)

has been taken down i dont know if it’ll come back but if it does i’ll link it! but i’m leaving it here because it was most definitely my favourite :(

please let me know any other fics you’ve read because i love reading fics with a LOT of plot and also let me know if you end up reading any and you enjoy them as much as i did! :3

i think i used every tag known to man LOL 𐙚

[nachojaehyun]

like a part 2 where the reader just keeps on acting nonchalant like nothing happened and wonwoo gets more and more riled up. cause “why am i the only one going insane here” type of feelings. and he just ends up taking here in a dressing room or something cause damn they need to fuck

she’ll ride the dick like a carnival

pairing. idol! wonwoo + new staff! fem reader!

summary. since that one fateful night at his apartment, jeon wonwoo realizes that he is fucked. but not really, since he can’t seem to get you in his bed.

warnings. [PLEASE READ] dom/sub dynamics, slight dom wonwoo, dirty talk, use of nicknames, THICK dick and lowkey desperate wonu, reader is VERY nonchalant, implied mirror sex, riding, wonu almost cries… AGAIN, sloppy kisses on the tits, subtle jizz play — 18+ MINORS DNI!

note. desperate sex that turns steamy and passionate is my favorite genre holy shit 😭 first time answering an ask! hope you like it :)

find part 1 here

jeon wonwoo could only watch you from across the waiting room as you pranced around in a midi skirt, chatting happily with the staff.

he wanted to cuss you out.

shifting in his chair, he pushed his glasses further up his nose, angrily sniffing.

how could you act like this?

how were you so nonchalant? so unbothered about the fact that you had him seeing stars merely 72 hours ago?

it had been 3 days since you had sucked the soul out of his body. 3 days since he couldn’t stop rutting his cock into his fist to the thoughts of you. 3 days since he had become insane.

he tried to get your attention, he really did. the poor boy would keep trying to pry anything out of your mouth that gave him a hint about your feelings.

but you were unpredictable, just as he had thought.

your face was like a wall — completely emotionless. any thought that passed through your head could barely be understood and wonwoo wanted to smash his head into the concrete at that realization.

“jeez, what’s got you this tense?” mingyu sits down next to him, adjusting his costume as he stared at his best friend. “i’m just… worried about the performance, nothing else.”

mingyu knew that wonwoo was lying.

hell, even wonwoo knew he was lying.

but none of them seemed to question each other as they sat in silence, each immersed in their own thoughts.

“wonwoo-ssi?” your voice called out to him. the boy singled out you and your sound amid nearly 50 people in the room, surprisingly springing to his feet as he walked towards you.

“your outfit is ready, follow me.”

the man silently walked behind you, striding toward the secluded attached room in the corner.

he pulled the curtain and stepped inside, and he was immediately handed his clothes. the outfit was simple— a sleeveless shirt and some baggy white jeans.

“i’ll be outside,” you nodded, bidding him farewell as you pulled the curtain.

sighing, wonwoo turned to look at himself in the mirror. his hardened cock stared at him in the face— a haunting image of the effect you had on him.

how am i the only one who is this riled up? he wondered. i can’t be the only one… right?

he wasn’t.

you would be lying if you said your panties weren’t glued to your core since you walked in. the sight of him had your head spinning, wanting nothing more than to strip him down and pull his dick into your throat.

but of course, you were not some depraved whore.

you set boundaries after that night. he was your client, and you were his stylist. of course you weren’t supposed to suck him off!

the fitting next morning after the incident had made you lose your self control. you recall how you had to get yourself off in the bathroom, relishing in the thoughts of seeing wonwoo in a tight fitted suit.

but of course, you would never voice these thoughts out loud. being in the same room as him was punishment enough to remind you of your sins. you wondered if applying for a styling job for a different member would work—

“uh?” wonwoo’s deep voice cut off your lewd thoughts, making you shake your head to clear them out. “a little help?”

“you good?" you sighed. “i’m coming in,” sucking in a breath as you stepped inside the small box.

wonwoo was leaning against one of the mirrored walls, one leg up on a stool in the corner. “what’s wrong?” you searched for a solution in his face.

“i seem to be stuck in a seemingly hard situation.”

one look down to his hands, you immediately realized the problem.

wonwoo’s dick was hard, the bulge over his boxers made that evident. the problem? the sheer size of his chub was not allowing the zipper of his jeans to zip up.

the man had a small waist but also had weirdly broad hips. his pants always had to be altered so that they suited his body type.

however, this was a problem that no other stylist had ever had to deal with.

“what do i do?” wonwoo whined, pouting his lips as he pushed up his glasses.

“wonwoo-ssi,” you spoke. your voice remained surprisingly stable, despite the fact that you could feel your pussy pulsating.

“i think you need to solve this problem on your own,” you looked into his eyes, almost feeling bad at how he panted.

however, before you could turn around and leave, wonwoo pushed his glasses up his nose and caged you between his arms.

your back hit one of the mirrored walls, as a surprised gasp fumbled from your mouth.

“wonw—”

“for the love of god woman, do you not see what you do to me?”

the desperation in his voice made your knees buckle as you stared into his eyes, gaze alternating to his lips as he bit them.

wonwoo heaved as he inched closer towards your face. “give me one good reason why you shouldn’t take care of my problem. you’re the one that caused it after all.”

hearing him voice out his thoughts, you turned your head to the side, embarrassed by the effect his voice had on you. how was this even your fault—

but with a harsh grip, jeon wonwoo grabbed your chin with his fingers, forcing to you look at him.

“can’t think of anything can you?” his head dipped down, tracing his teeth along your neck. the sensation made you hiss silently. “help me, please. what would carat think if i went out on stage looking like this?”

“sit,” is all you managed to say, voice enamoured with need.

you all but pushed wonwoo onto the iron stool in the corner, hauling yourself onto his lap as you crashed your lips into his.

fuck, your lips were way better than he had ever imagined. they were soft and pillowy as they engulfed his mouth, tongue grazing against his own as you ground down on his crotch.

wonwoo’s free hand pushed your head impossibly close as he licked into your mouth, wanting to memorize every crevice.

spit dribbles from your connected mouths, sloppy and wet kisses sounding obscenely loud in the secluded area. the man does not care that drool is now staining his tank top. he could never get enough of this.

his other hand gripped tightly onto your ass, groping and fondling the fat. after a second, he pulled away from you, glasses foggy and lips swollen as he tried to catch his breath.

“shit baby, i can’t take it anymore,” he whisper-screamed, tears coating his lashes. you wished you could burn this image into your head for the rest of your life.

you could only nod, ready to sink to your knees before wonwoo stopped you, tutting. “pull your panties to the side, doll,” he commanded, chest heaving.

the change in his tone had your thighs tingling. you pulled your midi skirt up, tucking the ends into the hem as you exposed yourself.

at the sight of your baby blue cotton panties, jeon wonwoo nearly growled.

the material was thoroughly soaked and ruined, a deep blue patch staining the cloth. as you pulled them to the side, he noticed how slicked up your heat was, a string of arousal connected your folds to the cotton.

you gripped onto his shoulders for support in your half-sitting position as he glided two fingers against your folds.

“so wet for me already, huh? don’t even need to work you up for my cock,” he smacked his lips. “filthy girl.”

wonwoo strained his ears to listen for any footsteps near the area as he sucked his dampened fingers into his mouth. your taste was making him dizzy, breath faltering as he rolled his eyes to the back of his head.

without wasting any more time, you pulled his cock out of its confines, sliding his boxers down just enough to free his length.

the sight of him always made you salivate. however, it was clear that he didn’t want that happening today.

steadily, you positioned yourself over him, hovering before you finally pushed his fat tip in.

the sensation had you moaning out loud— before he slapped his hand over your mouth. “shh! don’t be so loud baby, they will hear us,” he cooed.

you nodded frantically, slowly inching downwards as his dick began to fill you up. once he was bottomed out, you couldn’t help but sob into his palm.

“i know baby, i know. feels good yeah?” he smirked, shushing you with sweet words as he let you adjust to his size.

wonwoo’s thick dick was buried up to your hilt, and you felt so incredibly full. your poor walls clenched around his cock, nearly making him bust.

without a word, the man beneath you grabbed at your waist, moving you up and down on his length, slowly. with him pistoning in and out of you, you could feel your senses going into overdrive.

wonwoo tugged your top down with his teeth, suckling along the valley of your breasts to keep himself quiet. your pussy felt incredibly tight, creaming him for all he was worth.

his strong arms continued to guide you, until your legs automatically adjusted to the pace. your body began to move on its own accord— tits jiggling in wonwoo's mouth with each bounce.

"f-fuck!" you whimpered, beginning to lose your mind. for a moment, he looks up at you through his glasses, smiling widely from between your breasts.

the bastard's cheeky grin has you forgetting your own name as he lapped his tongue around your skin like he fucking owned it.

"already going dumb on my cock? shi— you ride so well baby."

your bounces show him just how stretched you were, making wonwoo's stomach clench as he split you apart. you tease him a little by slowing down, grinding down on him as he bites his lips and throws his head back.

as his hands grab onto your cheeks to spread them, he accidentally catches a glimpse of your back in the mirror opposite to you two.

god, you looked so fucking hot.

without knowing why, you felt him twitch inside. "not gonna— oh shit! — last very long now baby."

at the sound of his confession, you bring a hand down to rub at your clit. taking the hint, he begins to rut back into you, using all his strength to fuck into your heat.

"p—please wonwoo hah! cum inside, please please please,"

you're not sure why you beg, but you're too cock drunk to process anything but the fact that you want him filling you up, stuffing your cunt full with his release.

"you su— fuck fuck fuck—" wonwoo whispers, biting down on your right tit to subdue the moan that was about to leave his throat.

with that and a grunt, he cums inside your pussy, filling you up to the brim. his length twitches inside you, shooting out excess spurts. feeling himself soften, wonwoo pulls out of you. you whine at the sudden sensation of feeling so empty.

the boy stays mesmerized at the way your cum mixes together, escaping your spent hole in small globs.

as a pathetic attempt, he uses two fingers to plug the release back inside you, making you whimper again at the sudden intrusion. "sorry," he apologizes, before placing your panties back where they belonged.

with a fluid motion, jeon wonwoo tucks himself back into his calvin klein boxers and then zipping his pants up, meeting your dazed eyes with another cute smile. "see? it fits now."

you can’t help but smile back at him, panting to catch your breath.

your thighs hurt from the awkward position, but you were sure that you would never have it any other way.

so, that's how you end up walking around the rest of the working day— wonwoo's cum safely filled up inside you, as you and him exchanged comically wide-eyed looks every few minutes, a shade of pink grazing your cheeks.

© nachojaehyun, 2024.

[buckyalpine]

Pick Me

Bucky x reader 

The new recruit has her eyes set of a certain set of super soldiers. Especially your super soldier. 

warnings: jealously, Angsty bangsty, but also so fluffy fluffy and smutty, clueless Bucky, he really means no harm, go easy on him.

A/n - editing to add: when I first started writing this I loved the concept and wrote a large chunk but then I left it for months cause I struggled to actually finish writing it. This wasn’t even the original ending I had planned but I just wanted to finish it so yes Bucky should’ve done way more, pretend there was a time jump where he does a better job with earning forgiveness 🥲

-

“Everyone, meet Nicole, our newest recruit for the field agent training program” Tony walked into the common room where you were sprawled out on the couch with Nat, Sam and Wanda while a young woman walking confidently behind him. “She’s going to be staying with us for a couple of months to train before she goes onto the the field” Tony turned back to her, bringing her to his side. 

“I’m sure you know everyone but let me introduce you to them anyway. This is the very Natasha, Wanda, Sam and y/n” 

“Hey Nicole” You gave her a warm smile, happy to welcome her while everyone else also got up to greet her. “Nice to meet you” 

“Oh, ew, just call me Nic! I don’t really go by Nicole” She scrunched her face at the sound of her full name, her eyes scanning the room, clearly looking for someone. “Don’t suppose the very Captain America and Sergeant Barnes are here?” 

The hopeful uptick in her voice made it clear that’s who she’d been searching for. Right on cue, the two super soldiers walked into the living room on their way to the kitchen after a morning run. 

“Speak of the devils and I do mean devils” Tony snorted beckoning the men to meet the new recruit. “Rogers, Barnes, this is Nicole, preferably Nic” 

“Hello handsome” She gave Bucky a bashful smile before turning to Steve and batting her lashes, “and handsome” 

“Nice to meet you” Steve reddened at the way she gripped onto his hand before slinking over to the brunette, purposely sticking out her left hand so he’d shake with his metal one. “And you Sergeant” 

Bucky gave her a smile and quick shake, excusing himself to get some water while Steve quickly trailed behind him. Tony went on to take her to her room which was on the same floor as yours, all the other spare rooms occupied by a few others who had already started training. Nicole returned to the living room moments later with sweats and a hoodie, her hair tied up, plopping down onto the sofa beside Sam. 

“Hey, were doing a girls night, movies, junk food, wine, you wanna join us?” Nat offered with a smile hoping to make the new recruit feel more welcome even though a part of her was wary. 

“It’s a lot of fun, I was just about to get some snacks for tonight, let me know what you like” You add with a smile, only to be met with a scoff.

“Mmm, hard pass on that, wine isn’t really my thing, thanks though” She gave the group a tight lipped smile before turning back to the two super soldiers who had also joined at some point, scrolling through phones they finally knew how to use. 

“What are you boys up to tonight” She threw them a smile while laying back on the couch and kicking her feet up, letting her hoodie ride up in the process. 

“Bucky and I were actually just going get in a work out, nothing much tonight” He said with a smile, not noticing the way Nicole’s eyes lit up. 

“Oh wow I actually haven’t been by the gym yet but I guess it’ll be where I spend most of my time for the program” 

“You could join us if you’d like, we can show you around” Bucky offered, also missing the smirk that crossed her face, only seeing her bounce right up with an enthusiastic nod. 

“Really? That would be great, I’d really appreciate it!” 

“Of course, anytime. We’re just about to head down soon” Bucky stretched as he got up, along with Steve, waiting for her to change before heading down. She got up and went off to her room while you picked at the skin on your fingers. You felt a pang of something at the pit of your stomach at Bucky’s offer but you knew he was just trying to make the girl feel like she was part of the team. He knew more about feeling left out than anyone else; of course he’d never want anyone else to feel the same way. 

Still.

Something was off.

You shook off the inkling of insecurity you felt, not wanting to over think his intentions. You and Bucky were not official yet but everyone knew there was tension and a clear unspoken dynamic between you both. It was just a matter of time. Unless he had his sights on the new girl...

No.

He wouldn’t do that. 

Right?

*****

“She’s getting really comfortable around those two” Nat cocked an eyebrow watching Nicole have a field day sparring with the two men, throwing herself onto Bucky in particular, giggling when he’d help correct her stance or catch her before she slipped. Every since she joined them at the gym, she made a point to only work out when they were both there, finding excuses when anyone else would offer to help her train. 

“I guess they are really experienced, so it makes sense...” Your voice trailed off, trying to reason why she was practically glued to their side, again ignoring the uneasiness you felt when Bucky picked her up with ease and set her back on her feet. 

“Uh-huh, we’re all experienced” Nat rolled her eyes, plastering on a fake smile when the three finished up on the sparring mat, making their way over to the both you. “You three have a good workout?” 

Steve blinked, noting the iciness In Nat’s voice though Nicole seemed unbothered. 

“They’re great, can’t beat having the two best soldiers train me” She drawled out, giving them a wink. Bucky couldn’t help the blush that spread to his cheeks, not used to being praised and you couldn’t help the jealously that started to gnaw at you again. 

No.

Relax. 

“Anytime, Nic” He shrugged while Nat retched internally, deciding to cut through that conversation before it went further. 

“You know, if you come by in the afternoons, Agent Hill hosts a great self-defense workshop for women, great way for you to do some networking as well” Nat gauged the way Nicole’s nose scrunched, shaking her head. 

“Women’s workshop, sound’s like a drama fest waiting to happen, honestly most of my friends are guys, makes life easier, thanks though” her eyes didn’t leave the brunette, placing herself perfectly between both soldiers. “Besides, I’m pretty good with self-defense already, that's why I got these two helping me with a little extra” 

“Anyway! Y/n and I were talking about the event Stark is hosting later night. You’re both coming, right?” Nat looked at the two men before her, purposely avoiding the Nicole but it didn’t seem to matter. 

“Are you coming as well?” Bucky asked her, her eyes lighting up again, quickly recomposing herself after. “You could meet a few of the other agents too, get to know some more people” 

“Uh sure, I could come by for a bit” She shrugged, coming off as indifferent while shaking with excitement on the inside. “Thanks, Sarge” 

You sucked in a breath at the name she kept calling him, always dropping a suggestive tone in her voice. Or maybe you were over thinking it. It was perfectly plausible she was just being nice to the person who was making an effort to make her feel welcomed. Maybe she had bad experiences in other places that made her wary of women, hence why she only stuck to all the guys on the team. You tried to wrack you brain for answers that would make you feel a little better but came up short. 

But you didn’t want to be petty. 

You were more mature than this. 

“We have plenty of dresses if you want to come by and get ready together” You offered again, mustering a smile, making a final attempt to befriend the new recruit but she didn’t even look your way, fully focused on the brunette. 

“Uh- not really the dresses and heels type. I’m more of a sneakers girl to be honest” She tossed her pony tail over her shoulder, missing the way Nat’s eyes nearly rolled out of her head while you nodded, watching her sway her hips as she walked off. “I’ll drag myself over if I’m feeling it” 

“Oh-okay, then we’ll just see you there!” You called after her while Nat dragged you off, uninterested in your constant attempts to be friendly. 

“C’mon, lets get you ready. I’m going to make you look so hot, Barnes ends up on his knees” The red head smirked while you squeaked, feeling your face heat up.  “We’re putting you in that red dress, the one that makes his pants feel too tight, don’t think I didn’t catch him adjusting himself the last time you wore it”

“Nat!” You hissed, hoping he didn’t hear, the both of you in a fit of giggles as you made your way to your room. “Oh my god” you hid your face while she dug through your closet, pulling out the tiny dress that hugged your body perfectly, the red color making you stand out in the best way possible. 

“Go shower while I get all the make up out, I’m tired of miss pick me trying to get a buy one get one free deal with those two” 

You snorted, hopping into the shower, letting the hot water destress your muscles, feeling a little more hopeful with the dress choice you were going with. Nat didn’t waste any time; as soon as you were out, your hair was styled, make up done and heels strapped. You knew you looked good when both Sam and Tony did a double take, letting their eyes shamelessly linger on you with low whistles. 

“Y’know if you’re done playing games with terminator, I’d be happy to take his place” Tony wiggled his eyebrows while you giggled, taking a seat on the plush couch of the lounge where everyone else sat. 

“What are you ladies drinking” Steve came over with a tray of drinks from the bar, already well aware of what each person liked to typically order. 

“I’m good with a beer” Nicole shrugged, rolling her eyes when you took the pink drink from the tray, “Ugh, I don’t know how you drink those, they’re so sweet, do you even taste anything at that point?”

You shrugged, quietly taking a sip of the raspberry lemonade while she gulped her beer, signaling for another after slamming her bottle down. 

“You guys took forever to get ready, this is why I can’t deal with makeup and dresses n’shit” she snorted, directing her comment mostly at you, “That’s a pretty bright color, I thought tonight was supposed to be lowkey?” 

“Well I think you ladies look beautiful” Thor boomed, not catching the snark in Nicole's voice, his smile wide and voice completely sincere. “Especially you, Lady y/n” 

“Thank you Thunder” You smiled, though the giddiness you felt initially had taken a second hit for the night. He beamed, setting down a bottle of Asgardian mead, searching for the two soldiers.  

“Alright, where are the two that need this” He looked around for Steve and Bucky, since they couldn’t get drunk off of regular alcohol. Bucky strode in clearly dressed to kill, in all black from head to toe. Steve joined his side, their faces lit up like it was Christmas day seeing the crystal decanter in the God’s hands. Bucky’s eyes flicked back to you, his breath hitching in his throat, seeing you in his favorite dress. 

“Fuck sweets, you look- 

“C’mon Sarge, how about a little competition” Nicole nudged Bucky, cutting off the trance he had on you, her shoulder pressing into his, biting her lip and eyeing the alcohol, “Let’s see how many shots we can do” 

“This might be a lot to handle doll” Bucky chuckled while you froze hearing what he called her. Her eyes lit up again, quickly glancing over to you, her eye brow quirking before leaning into him more. 

Since when did he call anyone else doll. 

You felt your stomach sink, taking another long sip of your drink instead, but nothing distracted you from the banter that was taking place before you. 

“Ugh, finee, I’ll stick to regular vodka, c’mon Buckyyy, lets gooo!” She practically clung off him waiting for him to pour shots, inches away from crawling into his lap as he grabbed the bottles. You couldn’t tell if the flush from his cheeks was from the alcohol or the constant giggles Nicole made whenever he spoke but either way, you didn’t want to watch any longer. 

“Where are you going” Nat grabbed your arm as you got up to leave, though you didn’t need to say anything for her to understand. Her green eyes glared at the tipsy solders who were now busy with a game of pool, surrounded by the rest of the team, Nicole practically crawling up Bucky’s legs each time it was his turn. “For fucks sake-

“They’re just having fun, don’t worry about it”  You stopped Nat before she stormed over, shaking your head. As much as you wanted to red head to have her way with any of the three at this point, you couldn't be bothered. You were not about to fight for Bucky’s attention; if he wanted to give it to you, he would...

Right? 

You thought things would go back to normal at some point. But it didn’t. Nicole made a point of training twice a day, anything to get her hands on the brunette. Anything to feel the cool metal of his hand on her. In fact she’d taken up most of Bucky’s time outside of just training, always finding ways to tag along with Steve as well, all while avoiding the rest of the team.

*****

“What's wrong sweets” Bucky could tell something was on your mind while he stroked your back, his body still warm from the way he took you apart at least 3 times before filling you up till you were dripping and soaking his sheets. He had finally gotten an afternoon off, tossing you over his shoulder when he found you in the kitchen, not letting you get a word in as he shut the door behind him. You wanted to argue back that he couldn’t just have access to you any time he felt like according to his convenience, but as soon as his soft lips were on you, you melted, turning into a moaning mess seconds later. 

“I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages” You shrugged, toying with the corner of Bucky’s blanket, starting to feel more like you were just a body to warm his bed than someone he actually wanted to be with. “We haven’t really hung out recently” 

You had let yourself relax into his hold only for him to curse under his breath a second later after he noticed the time. He shifted you off him, making his way over to the closet to pull over his jeans and Henley before scrambling around for his wallet and keys. 

“Bucky, what are you-

“Sorry doll, I forgot I promised to take Nicole to the corner diner, showing her around a little bit cause she’ll be staying for a few extra weeks”

Fantastic.

“You spend a lot of time with her” You didn’t want to come off as jealous, keeping your voice even, though you were close to tearing someone's head off. Bucky didn’t seem to notice, humming in agreement while sitting at the edge of the bed to pull on his socks.  

“Yeah, she’s fun!” Bucky said casually, which only made the weight in your stomach feel heavier. “She almost beat Steve in MarioKart, just when he thought he was unstoppable”

“Hm” You didn’t bother saying anything else while Bucky threw on his jacket, patting down himself to be sure he didn’t miss anything. He caught the way your face had fallen, his cool metal fingers slipping under your chin to tilt your face up. 

“How about we hang out after? Around 7, we’ll watch a movie together, okay? I’ll grab dinner for us. Promise doll” He kissed your forehead before jogging off, closing the door behind him.

You were ready by 6, too excited to wait till 7, having showered and changed into something comfy, laying out Bucky’s favorite snacks and adding a few more soft pillows to the bed. You knew it was still early so you didn’t mind lounging around for a bit, anxiously checking the time as it neared closer and closer to when he was supposed to show up. 

An hour later, it was 7. 

Then 7:30. 

And then 8.

By 9, you had left everything as is, blinking back the hot tears that wanted to spill, retreating back to your own room, not wanting to see him at all, even if he did have a good excuse for not showing up, which was highly unlikely. You shut the door, throwing on an oversized t-shirt and crawling into bed, burying yourself under the covers, no longer bothering to hold back the tears that began to soak your pillow. 

****

Bucky cocked his head curiously, seeing his bedroom door left ajar, wondering why it was open when he definitely closed it before leaving. As soon as he stepped in, his heart dropped to his stomach seeing the pillows that were propped up against the headboard, his favorite snacks piled on the fluffy blanket, your fuzzy bunny slippers left behind beside his bed. 

He cursed under his breath when he realized the time, remembering his promise to you, running straight to your room, only to find it closed with the lights turned off. He tried knocking only to be met with silence, carefully turning the handle and letting himself inside. 

“Doll?” He felt his heart break further seeing the small lump under a mountain of blankets, curled up into a ball “Oh, doll” He strode over, sitting at the edge of your bed, careful not to wake you if you were asleep, his hand gently tucking a strand of hair from your face. 

“What” Your voice cracked, hoping he’d think its from sleep and not the fact that you had been crying. 

“I’m so sorry sweets, we lost track of time, we went out to grab food and then Sam suggested we check out that new arcade just down the street” 

We were supposed to do that you thought to yourself, swallowing down the lump in your throat, refusing to let your emotions get the better of you. 

“And then Steve and Sam had to leave half way cause they had a mission early in the morning. Nicole wanted ice cream so we went by Carla’s before coming back-

“You took her to Carla's?” You cut Bucky off, your heart breaking further. That particular ice-cream shop always felt like something special you shared with Bucky, the place he took you to when neither of you could sleep. It was the place you shared your first kiss with him, the place where he said he felt something between the two of you. It’s not like you owned the store but it felt like the final straw, your resolve finally breaking. 

“Yeah, I-

“Just go Bucky” There wasn’t a hint of iciness in your voice; just disappointment and defeat, both far worse than you being angry. Bucky froze, pulling your blanket away from you, only for you to push his hand away, burying yourself further into the sheets. 

“Doll?”

“Don’t call me that” It was the indifference in your voice that left him hurt and confused, mouth opening and closing, “Please leave” 

“Sweets, I can make it up to you, I promise-” 

“It’s fine James” You shrugged, pulling the sheets higher up, not willing to speak anymore, knowing you’d burst into tears again if you did. Bucky reluctantly decided to let you sleep, figuring you’d hear him out the next day but no.

How wrong he was. 

You avoided him in the morning. 

And the day after that. 

Nearly a week had gone by and you didn’t spare him a second glance, always finding an excuse to evade him whenever he trailed behind you. It didn’t help that Nicole attempted to stay glued to his side, not giving him chance to get you alone. 

*****

“What’s with you” Sam watched Bucky slump down onto the sofa, where everyone else lounged around, his face sullen from a lack of sleep, grumpiness amplified because why were you avoiding him so much? 

“Y/n isn’t talking to me” He shrugged, while Nat glared at him. 

“I wonder why” the red head mumbled, rolling her eyes at his confusion. 

“When was the last time you guys spoke” Steve inquired, equally concerned about why you were ignoring his best friend. Bucky was the last person to share stories about his love life but at this point he was desperate. He recalled the events of the last time he spoke to you, promising a movie night, going out with Nicole, taking her for ice cream, running late, apologizing to you afterwards, where did he go wrong? 

“I didn’t mean to forget- 

“Bucky!” Nat slapped him upside the head while he yelped, looking at her with puppy eyes. 

“What did I do?”

“Barnes, you absolute doorknob, you took her to all the spots you take y/n to, you’ve been spending all your time making little miss I’m one of the guys feel comfortable, you’ve made y/n seem invisible and you’re wondering why she’s not talking to you?” Bucky blinked while Nat continued, her annoyance only growing when she saw a message from Nicole pop up on Bucky’s phone. 

“You treat Nicole like your girlfriend. Imagine some new guy joins us, makes a point of eye fucking y/n the entire time, finding ways to constantly flirt with her and touch her, you’d be fine with it? Imagine he avoids hanging out with the guys but makes all the time in the world to chase after anything with breasts. On top of that, how would you feel if y/n went out of her way to make said guy feel more welcomed when he clearly just wants to get into her pants. You’d be fine with it?!”

Bucky shook his head, though still not fully understanding because Nicole was just a friend, not someone he’d even be into. Plus, its not like she was into him like that, right? 

“But Nicole doesn’t want to-” Bucky started, shutting his mouth when Nat nearly hissed, staring at him while he did the mental math, “Nicole wants to get into my pants?” Bucky looked at Nat wide eyes, ducking the cushion she was about to whack at his face, all the pieces finally clicking together. He groaned, running a hand over his face, realization hitting him like a ton of bricks. Just as Sam and Steve were about to hum in agreement with Nat, she glared at them, their eyes growing wide.

“And you” Nat turned to glare at Steve, his shoulders slumping when he realized he wasn’t in the clear. He squeaked when Nat pulled his ear, giving it a squeeze, “What were you thinking. You didn’t once think it was weird she only trained with you two? Haven’t any of you noticed Nicole doesn’t hang out with any of us, Just you?” Nat waved her hand at the men that sat before her, their dumb stuck faces only adding to her annoyance. “Idiots” 

As much as Bucky wanted to hit his head onto a brick wall, he didn’t have time to waste, immediately springing up from the couch to look for you. He checked everywhere he could but you were nowhere to be found. He was so desperate, he found himself shuffling outside of Tony’s lab, hoping FRIDAY would give him your location. 

“You’re asking for a lot Barnes, y/n might add my name to the hit list if I tell you where she is” 

“Please” Bucky was ready to beg on his knees while the billionaire huffed, watching the former assassin look like a lovesick puppy. He cocked an eyebrow, noting the glassiness of Bucky’s eyes on his desperate face, nodding before calling for FRIDAY to look for you. “Also, I need another favor...” 

****

“Y/n, babygirl” He’d never felt such relief before, seeing you make your way to your room, coming back from your hiding spot from the roof, the scowl on your face clearly showing you weren’t trying to talk to anyone one your way over. 

“Oh, I’m babygirl now? Has doll now been reserved for Nicole” You couldn’t hold back the sneer in your voice, walking away faster, ignoring his calls. 

“Baby, please!”

No. 

“Baby, wait!” Bucky chased after you, not willing to let another day go by without you knowing exactly how he felt. He managed to get hold of your hand, gently tugging you towards his chest and spinning you till your back was against the wall, his chest nearly pressed to you. “Please, I-I need to talk to you, tell you how I feel” 

“There’s nothing to talk about”

“Yes there is” His voice was earnest, baby blues searching your downcast eyes, his finger tilting your chin up to look at him, “There’s so much to talk about, I adore you” 

“Do you also adore Nic?” You scoffed, while Bucky’s cheeks warmed with embarrassment, the pink spreading up to his ears.

“There’s no Nic or Nicole, theres just a y/n, my y/n, only you doll” You rolled your eyes at his response, trying to move away but Bucky wasn’t having any of it, keeping you pressed against him, “I’m sorry darling, I didn’t realize what she was doing or get her intentions. I thought she just wanted to get to know the team better”

“Wow” you huffed under your breath, wishing you had the space to flick the super soldiers forehead. 

“I know, I’m an idiot, and I’m an even bigger idiot for not making it clear I’m so utterly and desperately in love with you” Bucky bit his lip as soon as the words left his mouth, he’d said everything under the sun except those words before. But they were true and he’d kept it inside long enough. “I love you, I love you, fuck, I love you”

You squeaked in surprise when he scooped you up in his arms, tossing you over his shoulder, walking over to his bedroom, smiling when he felt your small fists hitting his back, your butt wiggling to be put back down. 

“Barnes, put me down, you can’t just say you love me and then carry me away like a complete ogre!” He set you down, kicking the door shut behind him before wrapping his arms around you tightly again, falling more in love with your irritated pouty face. 

“I love you sweet girl. God, I’m so in love with you”

“You’re an absolute idiot”

“An idiot who is in love” 

“You’re so cheesy” You willed yourself not to smile, ignoring the butterflies that fluttered at his words and love struck eyes. “you’re still a dick”

“I know. M’sorry angel, I didn’t realize what I was doing, I never wanted to hurt you. I should’ve known something was up when all she wanted to do was train 24/7 but I guess I misunderstood her intentions cause I didn’t see her as anything else. I’ve only ever had eyes for you baby, you have my heart. You always will” 

“Where is she right now anyway?” You melted into his chest, closing your eyes at the feeling of his lips pressing a kiss to the top of your head. “Isn’t she supposed to be leaving soon?” Bucky didn’t respond, his hands starting to wander your body instead, slipping up your shirt, rubbing soft circles on your hips. Without warning, he picked you up again, tossing you on the bed and pouncing on you, peppering your face with kisses. 

“Bucky what are you doing” You giggled feeling his beard tickle your skin as he started to trail kisses down your neck. 

“I may have requested Tony to have her stay an extra night” Your face twisted in confusion at his words but the devious look on his face made your tummy flutter. 

“And he happily agreed because...”

“Because...?”

“I want her to hear how good I can make the girl I picked feel” Bucky smirked as he crawled off you, stripping his clothes off before tearing yours off immeitedly after. “M’not gonna waste another second, gotta let the whole compound know who my best girl is” 

****

“OH G-GOD J-JAMES FUUCCCKKK” 

“That’s it pretty princess, that’s it, cum on my dick baby, my good girl, fuck you’re so good to me, look at that, God you’re soaked baby”

“Jesus Christ” Nicole huffed, no longer able to ignore the moans coming from Bucky’s room while the rest of the team pretended to be none the wiser, your loud love making carrying all the way down the hall. Bucky happily disabled the sound proofing in his room before pushing his cock in as deep as it would go, railing you into the mattress. 

“Baby you look so pretty when you’re all stretched out like this, c’mon you can take more, spread those legs for me baby, open up, c’mon, lemme in” 

“HNG PleasepleasepleaseJames” 

“So perfect when you beg, cock’s all yours mama, m’all yours, go on and use me, that’s it, ride this dick, you own me” 

“Bucky, gonna-c-cum, gonna-cum!”

“Cum for me princess, God I love you” 

“You want a snack?”

“Nick?”

“Uh-Nicole?”

“Huh?” Nicole whipped her head around to where Steve was innocently holding out the bowl of popcorn, while Sam stood up to grab more snacks before the movie started. She stared at everyone surrounding her acting as if they couldn’t hear the way you were screaming your vocal chords raw, the super soldier moaning louder than you, “N-no, I’m fine”

Tony cocked an eyebrow at the way her jaw clenched, mindlessly scrolling through her phone while Bucky’s thrusts punctuated with each word. 

“Y’feel so. Damn. Good. baby, could spent my whole life like this making love to you” 

“Fuck, I love you James” 

“Ugh- they’re so loud” Nicole rolled her eyes again in hopes that someone would feel the same but all she got were blank stares back. 

“I mean, terminator is practically in love with her” Tony shrugged while the others nodded in agreement.

“They’re cute. It’s about time they made it official, don’t you think?” Nat asked sweetly staring directly at her while Steve tried to chime in as well, his cheeks burning hot pink between the sounds of skin slapping and moaning. 

“They sound so happy together” he stuttered out while Sam snorted, choking from laughter. 

“Oh God, oh god, fuck-Jamie-JAMIE” 

“Yup, real happy”

“I-I think I’m actually gonna call it at early night, stay at the recruiting center tonight instead” Nicole headed straight to the main doors without looking back, the rest of the team giving each other satisfied smirks. 

Bucky collapsed beside you, panting, his short locks clinging to his forehead, a thin sheet of sweat covering his body. He truthfully stopped caring about what Nicole could or couldn't hear half way through, meaning every single word he said as he took you apart over and over again. You giggled at his shy smile when he pulled you into his chest, pulling the sheets over you both, kissing your forehead. 

“I love you pretty girl. I love you so much” 

[waughymommy]

Diaper Discipline Guide

Emma & Henry

My boyfriend of 4 years has always had regressive and sub tendencies while I’ve wanted to talk more control in our relationship. We tried several bdsm activities including smacking and bondage but the occasional nature wasn’t really doing it for me.

After finding out more online about Female Led Relationships I came across DD, initially dismissing it. But the more I read, the better and better the idea appealed to me. After some planning I decided to confront my partner and say I wanted to add an element of control and domination into our relationship, by saying I hadn’t decided how to do it yet we had a long discussion without diapers being mentioned where he agreed in principle to “lifestyle dominance” as long as it could be kept between them and not impact his job, friends, etc. 

This guide was invaluable to me to plan the rest and it solidified my decision. It took me two weeks to discreetly buy the required supplies, getting them delivered to our apartment on days he was at work. I decided that I wanted a high initial level of DD where he’d be in diapers 24/7 at home.

I decided to start on a Friday night after work. He’d known that I had been preparing for something and I started the conversation by saying my proposal was weird, reassuring him that it wouldn’t be painful/harmful and nobody else would find out but you wanted him to agree to try it for at least 6 weeks.

Although nervous he also seemed excited by the prospect and agreed. We moved to the bedroom where I told him to get undressed before I diapered him for the first time. There was a lot of objections at this stage but I talked him round and the agreement to try it for 6 weeks was helpful.

To make the shock less I started with a medical diaper which wasn’t too thick and let him wear his normal pjs over it. I left him to explore it on his own while going to make dinner. After dinner it was time to tell him all the rules, the main one was that the toilet at home was now banned and he’d be in diapers whenever he’s at home. I kept the baby elements to a minimum and said he’s have to also wear out the house sometimes but I’d make sure nobody could tell and never when he’s at work or with friends/family. I’m not going to lie and say this didn’t involve an argument, especially when he realised that no toilet meant #2 as well but we got through. We ended up watching a movie which was a good way for him to calm down.

He wet his diaper for the first time after the movie which was funny to watch as he was so nervous it was going to leak everywhere. Even though it wasn’t too wet I did change him straight away and made his change extra special too. That night he slept in a diaper for the first time.

Over the first weekend he did get more used to wearing and I allowed him to use the toilet for a bm on Saturday. Sunday however I decided to fully enforce the rules and he messed himself for the first time. I didn’t change him this time and he took a shower. There was a lot of protests again but I said it was none-negotiable. The smell did seem to be the biggest thing that bothered him so I bought some Devrom tablets which had been recommended, it took a few days for them to arrive and a few more of taking them but now his messy diapers hardly smell and the protests have stopped. I’d actually recommend you use these from day 1 to make the transition easier.

The first week was tough but we got through it and I’m happy to say we’re now 7 months in to him being in DD. Over that time I’ve moved to thicker abdl diapers, he wears onesies regularly around the house and the toilet has remained unused by him with only a few exceptions.

We both work mainly from home so I’ve gotten used to checking and changing his diaper but thick diapers + devrom has meant he generally only needs a change after waking up, sometime in the early afternoon and before bed. I’ll also let him change himself if I’m busy or cba. 

The best news is after an initial rocky patch, our relationship feels stronger than ever! He proposed to me 5 months in and I can’t see his DD ending any time soon. I’ve increased elements overtime and now the toilet is banned even when out of the house together. Public wearing did take him a while to get used to but actually it’s easy. 

I’m sure DD is not for everyone and is much more involved and hard work than other lifestyle changes but for creating a caring bond between you and your partner I’ve found it to be great!

[hanjisungs-bigtittyg0thgf]

Sugar

best friend!san x fem reader

Trigger warnings: none that i can think of

Content warnings: names (sweetheart, baby, sugar), oral (m&f receiving), choking (briefly), breeding, dacryphilia (kinda?), san’s got a big dick (what else is new) and is down horrendous for mc.

Summary: your best friend just can’t keep his hands to himself

Word count: 5.7k

A/N: hey babes! i finally finished it!!! its unpolished as fuck but it’s done!!! it’s only taken me forty-seven years 🥴 not saying this is a full comeback as i’m still dealing with some personal shit but i hope i’ll have something else for you relatively soon. anyways, pls reblog if you enjoy the story!! 🥰🫶🏻

Tags: @bahng-chrizz @foxinnie8

Smut below the cut

Most likely to remain high school sweethearts. That’s the yearbook superlative you and your best friend had been awarded your senior year of high school. The kicker? You had never dated him. The thought had just never crossed your mind. You were content being the hot best friends that everyone either wanted to get with or wanted to be. He wasn’t, but you didn’t know that.

Choi San had harbored the biggest crush on you since the two of you were fifteen. He’d gone through a hard breakup back then, his ex spreading rumors and lies all through school, and despite claiming he was fine because he was a player, he was heartbroken. He had been in love with the girl and she’d broken his heart and tried to ruin his reputation. So when you comforted him and confronted his ex, which ended in a cat fight in the hallway that got both of you suspended, he began to fixate on you. He dated around to keep his mind busy and off you, but he was infatuated with his best friend. With the girl who would throw down with anyone who wronged him.

He’d been heartbroken when he found out you were going away for college instead of staying local, even more so when he realized the school you’d chosen didn’t have the major he wanted. He was distraught at first, thinking you’d be too far apart to visit often. Every school he looked at seemed so far away from yours until he found the school where he was currently enrolled. This one was only an hour drive away from you and he was relieved to find that your schedule at your part time job still allowed for you two to take turns visiting each other every weekend.

You were oblivious to his feelings. You often noticed how he had trouble sleeping at your apartment but whenever you asked, he claimed he’d developed insomnia. He hadn’t, he just couldn’t sleep because of the thoughts that filled his mind from knowing you were in the next room. He felt guilty to be honest. He was constantly having dirty thoughts that normal people didn’t have about their best friend. Your mere presence reduced him to little more than a giddy, horny teenager.

You also noticed that he became more clingy after the two of you left for college but you never addressed that. He was always an affectionate person and adjusting to college life was definitely hard, so you figured it was probably that. That was part of it. But really, he just missed you. It was that simple. He missed his best friend and his heart leapt every time you opened your door or he opened his. Seeing your face made everything so much better.

Today was no different. He lit up like a neon sign when your door swung open to reveal you in a cropped white hoodie and a pair of black yoga pants, a bright smile on your face. “Sannie!” You held your arms open and he immediately stepped inside, wrapping his arms around your waist and hooking his chin over your shoulder. Everything that had been bothering him up until that moment melted away as you hugged him, your grip tightening right before you stepped back. Oh how he loved your hugs.

You led him inside and motioned for him to sit on the sofa as you grabbed the bag of goodies you’d bought the night before. “I got your favorites.” You grinned as you rejoined him, opening the bag to show him the snacks, sodas, and alcohol you’d purchased. “Oh, also, my roommate is staying with her boyfriend this weekend so you can yell at the tv all you want, we don’t have to be quiet.”

He managed to conceal the excitement he felt at your words, knowing you didn’t mean what he was thinking. “Noted.” He hummed as he settled in. “Are we picking back up where we left off on that anime?”

“We can. I think we can finish the next season if we stay glued to the couch all weekend.” You hummed as you began to stage the snacks on the coffee table, only then realizing you’d forgotten glasses for the alcohol. “We can watch something else if you don’t want to watch that though. I’ve got some other streaming services if you wanna watch a drama.” You shrugged as you got up, heading to the kitchenette.

When you came back, he was sprawled out on your couch. His arms were resting on the back and he had the full man spread going on. He kind of resembled a starfish like that and you rolled your eyes as a smile tugged at your lips. You froze when he let out a low groan as he stretched, throwing his head back. Suddenly, images of you getting him off flashed in your mind. “Let’s watch that. We can watch a drama next weekend.”

You cleared your throat a bit and nodded as you recovered. “Okie dokie.” You singsonged as you joined him, sitting close enough that you could feel his body heat but still leaving enough space that you didn’t have those thoughts again. Where the fuck had that come from? You grabbed one of the bags of chips and settled in, his arm sliding down from the back of the couch to rest on your shoulders as you pulled up the show.

The episode started and you opened the bag, offering it up to San, who shook his head. “I’m good right now, sugar.” You shrugged and leaned into him, pulling your legs up underneath you. He tensed when he realized he’d called you something he’d only imagined calling you but you didn’t seem to mind so he forced himself to relax.

What you didn’t address was the surge of arousal that flooded your body. You were a bitch for pet names and he knew that. You weren’t sure why you were turned on by his words, though. It was San. Sure he was beautiful but he had never affected you like this before. Clearly it had been too long since the last time you’d slept with someone.

Your eyes locked on the screen and you focused solely on that for four episodes before you became aware of the ache in your joints. You’d managed to sit perfectly still for two hours straight and now your body was screaming at you to move. You gently shrugged San’s arm off your shoulders and stood as the fifth episode began, letting out a soft groan of appreciation as you stretched your muscles and cracked every joint you could.

The sound of your voice caught San’s attention and his eyes locked on the exposed portion of your back, wondering what it would feel like to press kisses there. Should I try and find out? Absolutely not. Why the fuck would you even think about that? Fucking dumbass. He shook his head and let out a sigh just as you turned to ask him if he needed anything from the kitchen. “What’s wrong?” You asked softly, noticing how irritated and distressed he looked.

“Huh?” His head snapped up and his jaw dropped slightly before he recovered. “Nothing, I’m fine.” He gave you a warm smile and you responded with a confused but playful wrinkle of your nose before heading off to grab a water. That was fucking close.

You opened the bottle and took a big gulp as you reentered the room, finding him sitting up properly now. He patted the spot next to him and you plopped down beside him, leaning back into his side, this time with your back to him. You brought your feet back up on the couch and took his hand, guiding his arm around your neck in a hug and tipping your head back to rest on his shoulder.

As you once again became enthralled with the show, his fingers absentmindedly traced shapes on the side of your neck. You shuddered at his touch every few minutes but didn’t register any of it as you focused on the tv. You whined a little when he moved his arm back to the back of the sofa but didn’t protest further, too invested in the show to care too much. You shifted to rest your head on San’s lap, grabbing one of the throw pillows to lay on.

With you stretched out like this, San was struggling to focus on the show. He was fixated on your exposed belly and began to discreetly drop his arm off the back of the couch towards your waist. He bit his lip as his hand made contact with your warm flesh, trying to appear focused on the show like you. You glanced up at him and took a moment to admire the view of his jawline before poking his chin. He looked startled and almost guilty when his gaze met yours. “What’s up with you today?” You asked in a teasing tone. “You seem extra cuddly and touchy-feely.”

“What, I can’t be touchy-feely with my best friend?” He grinned down at you and something in you shifted. “I just missed you. We used to see each other every day and for the last two years we’ve only been able to see each other on weekends.”

“Simpler times.” You sighed and turned your attention back to the screen, not bothering to move his hand. It felt nice.

He was surprised that you hadn’t swatted him away but he certainly wasn’t about to complain when you were delicately tracing shapes on the back of his hand. His heart was pounding and he was thankful you hadn’t continued with that line of questioning because he wasn’t sure if he could form a coherent sentence at this point. He should’ve known better than to start to get comfortable though. The second his hand wandered a bit higher, you grabbed his wrist and he froze. Fuck.

“That’s more than touchy-feely, San, that was almost my titty.” You didn’t appear to move your attention from the tv but all you could think about was just how close his hand was to your chest. What had gotten into him? And why were you so affected by his touch? You were just friends…right?

“Oh…sorry.” He mumbled, trying to appear nonchalant despite his internal panic. You didn’t buy it though and looked up at him again, taking note of his flaming cheeks. Cute.

“Seriously, San, what’s actually going on with you?” You hated how harsh your voice came out. You hated the way he flinched at your words. You weren’t trying to scold him, you wanted to put out feelers.

“Nothing.” He shook his head and refused to look at you. You thought for a moment before biting your lip. You clearly didn’t buy it and wanted to ask if he was thinking what you were so suddenly thinking. You were about to speak up when he continued. “I’m just tired. Come cuddle.” He opened his arms.

“Tired already?” He nodded. “Must suck to be any woman you fuck.” You snorted.

“I’ll have you know I have excellent stamina, thank you.” He fired back instantly and you laughed. There he was.

“I’ll believe it when I see it, gramps.”

“Is that an invitation, sweetheart?” You were almost taken aback at his tone, as you’d only heard him use it when he was actively trying to bed someone.

“San-” He just laughed and shook his head as if to assure you he was only teasing. Somehow that bothered you more. Desire had already begun to pool between your legs. You gave a little huff and released his wrist, which you’d been holding this whole time, abruptly sitting up as you swatted his hand away. You turned to look at him as the pillow you’d been resting on toppled from his lap, exposing the semi he was rocking. So he actually did want you. “Yeah, actually, it is.” He sat in stunned silence and you bit the inside of your lip to hide the smile tugging at the corners of your mouth, only speaking once you had successfully concealed your grin. “What? Did you think I’d get flustered and back off?” You raised an eyebrow and tilted your head to the side, your tone almost mocking.

“Yeah, kin-”

“Cute.” You cut him off and placed a hand on his thigh as you leaned towards him, your gaze flicking towards his lips for a brief moment before lifting back to his eyes, which still refused to actually look at you. “Tell me, Sannie, how long did it take you to work up the courage to try and feel me up?”

“I wasn’t-”

“Oh come on.” You rolled your eyes, your hand trailing a bit higher on his thigh as your voice dipped a bit. “You’re already half hard, clearly you were trying to get something out of me.” He squirmed at both your words and your touch, suddenly trying to squeeze his thighs together as he avoided eye contact in favor of staring at your hand, which he felt was far too close to his crotch for him to properly think.

He didn’t get a chance to respond before you spoke up again. “It’s never crossed my mind before, but now that I’m thinking about it, there’s so many things I could do to you, Sannie.” You whispered as you moved your hand away from the swell in his gray sweats and moved to straddle his lap. “What do you think? Should I?” You rolled your hips, grinding against his hard on, and he nodded far too quickly for his liking.

“Please do…” He whispered back, finally meeting your eyes. “Anything you want. ‘M all yours.” You got the feeling he wasn’t just referring to the current moment but you weren’t in any state to be asking for clarification.

You weren’t sure if you were prepared for the ramifications of fucking your best friend but you would have to deal with that later. The ache between your legs required immediate attention. You carded your fingers through his hair before turning your hand into a fist and tugging his head back. Your other hand rested on his neck as you caught his lips in a demanding kiss. The whimper that slipped past his lips went straight to your pussy and you shivered, leaning into his touch when his hands moved to your ass.

He was short circuiting. He was finally getting the chance to touch you and you weren’t pushing him away. In fact, you were the one initiating it. He licked over your bottom lip but you refused him entry, taking the chance to nibble on his lip instead. He gasped against your lips and you smirked, subconsciously tightening your grip on his hair.

“I never pegged you as the submissive type, Sannie.” You teased and he frowned against your lips, clearly pouting. Despite being a switch, he was more dominant than submissive. He was just following your lead because he’d dreamt about this for ages and he didn’t want to get ahead of himself. “Don’t worry, I’ll be nice to you. I’ve been told I’m almost too gentle.”

He whined at your ribbing and you chuckled softly as you pulled back, moving to sit on the floor between his legs. His eyes followed your every movement. You sat on your knees and pushed his oversized tee up a bit to admire his toned stomach before hooking your fingers in the waistband of his sweats. You tugged them down, his now-fully-hard cock springing free and slapping against his belly. “No underwear? Must’ve been real confident things would play out like this, huh?”

“No, actually. I just rarely wear them.” He rolled his eyes and you made a face. He seemed to be getting bolder and you weren’t sure how you felt about that. You were having fun with him. If he decided to take over…well, you doubted that would happen but you might have a brat on your hands.

You didn’t respond, just finished pulling his pants to his ankles, took his dick in your hand, and licked the head. His head tipped back as he let out a surprisingly deep groan and your previous visions came rushing back to you. He looked and sounded just as pretty as you imagined when you took him in your mouth.

“Holy fucking shit, y/n…” He groaned, one hand moving to rest on his belly, holding his shirt up while the other curled into a fist on the sofa. You hummed at his reaction and continued, taking him as far as you could manage. You gagged a little around him and he hissed, his hips jerking a fraction of an inch before he could stop himself. “S-sorry. ‘M sorry, y/n. Didn’t mean to.”

You giggled softly at his apology and he bit his lip, looking down at you. You bobbed your head as your gaze met his and he damn near lost his mind. You looked so pretty with his cock in your mouth. He wanted the image burned in his memory for the rest of his life. Who knew when or if he’d get the chance to do this again?

Given how you responded to his accidentally fucking your face, he decided to experimentally roll his hips. He almost met God when the tip slipped down your throat and you gagged around him, swallowing harshly as you tried but failed to relax your throat. You’d never deepthroated before and it showed as you tried to recover, tears filling your eyes and quickly overflowing to your cheeks. He gently pulled you off and wiped your cheeks, cooing at you as you coughed. “Breathe for me, sugar.” You nodded and took a deep breath, letting him dry your face. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what possessed me to do that. Are you okay?”

You nodded again and offered a small smile. “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? I don’t wanna go full send and hurt you or-”

“I’m fine, Sannie. I promise.” He finally nodded after a few beats of silence and you tilted your head, eyes narrowing as you studied him for a moment. “Now, what’s with the name? You said it earlier too.”

He looked panicked at first before a grin crept onto his face. “Well, I would call you honey since you’re so sweet, but I feel like that’s a bit overdone, don’t you agree?” You shrugged in agreement and he leaned down, taking your jaw in his hand and jerking you closer. He was a breath away and you were going haywire. “I wonder if your personality is all that’s sweet.”

“What are you saying?” You asked quietly, surprising both of you at just how quickly you’d folded with a single rough touch. So much for him not taking over.

“I wanna taste you, y/n.” He moved to whisper in your ear and your breath hitched. “Every. Single. Inch.” He punctuated his words by kissing and licking up the side of your neck, then biting down softly on your earlobe and drawing out a tiny whimper.

You squeezed your thighs together and closed your eyes for a moment. You grounded yourself with a deep breath before opting to respond by simply tugging at his cock, teasing the head with your thumb. The groan he let out scratched an itch in your brain you never knew existed and his grip on your jaw grew tighter as he inhaled your scent.

“Get up.” You blindly followed his command, standing when he backed away. He didn’t speak as he kicked his pants the rest of the way off and stood with you, hauling you over his shoulder before starting for your room. You squeaked in surprise but didn’t fight, a smile creeping across your face.

You couldn’t stifle the giggle that slipped out when he kissed your side. It shouldn’t have tickled as much as it did.

San had an idea of the things you liked, you’d both talked about your escapades enough, so it came as no surprise to you when he gently placed you on your feet only to grab you by the throat and push you back onto the bed. Still, a thrill ran through your body as you wrapped your hands around his wrist. You sucked in a gasp just before he began to apply pressure to the sides of your throat, your eyes rolling back.

You felt his breath on your face as he leaned down to crash his lips against yours. Your hands left his arm and moved to his shirt, pulling him as close as possible. As he slipped his tongue into your mouth, he slowly relieved the pressure on your throat, allowing blood flow to return to normal and give you a head rush. You moaned into the kiss and wrapped your legs around his waist in a desperate attempt to keep him close when he started to pull away.

“I’ve always wanted to do that…” His voice was a low rumble that made your panties uncomfortably wet. “Always wanted to try everything you mentioned being into. The choking, the biting, the breeding…everything.”

If you weren’t aware of your panties sticking to your folds before, you were after that. “Please do.” You exhaled, trying to pull him back in even as he righted himself between your legs. “All of it. Whatever you want.”

“Whatever I want?” He raised an eyebrow as his hands moved to rest on your hips and you nodded. “Anything?”

“Anything.” You nodded again and bit down on your bottom lip when he rocked his hips, the blunt head of his cock smearing precum across your yoga pants as he rubbed against you. “Please…”

He didn’t speak as his hands slid up your sides, fingers inching under the hem of your hoodie and ghosting over your cool skin. He reached higher still until his hands cupped your breasts. “No bra? Must've been real confident things would play out like this, huh?”

You rolled your eyes and tried not to laugh as the conversation from only a few minutes prior repeated itself. “No, actually. I just rarely wear one.”

“Take it off.” He groaned in response, pushing your hoodie up so your chest was entirely exposed. You sat up, which took a bit of effort given your legs were draped over his thick thighs, and pulled the surprisingly-thin material over your head. He immediately knocked you back and caught your lips in a feverish kiss, propping on one arm while his free hand wandered along your belly.

Your arms wrapped around him, one hand moving to his back while the other tangled in his faded pink locks. He’d dyed his hair magenta a few weeks back and it had since lost its vibrancy - though not before staining a few towels and his pillowcase. You gave his hair a gentle tug and he groaned into your mouth, sending a wave of electricity down your spine.

He began to trail kisses along your jaw and neck as his hand cupped your breast, his thumb swiping back and forth over your nipple. You pushed your chest into his touch, head tipping back as your back arched. Your breath hitched when he brought his kisses to your chest, lips encasing your nipple as his tongue flicked back and forth. “Sannie-” You gasped, your grip on his hair tightening. His hand gave your other breast equal attention, lightly pinching and rolling your nipple before swapping sides.

You couldn’t say you’d ever been curious about what it would be like to sleep with San but you were certain his skills would exceed his reputation if he already had you drenched with minimal effort. You wondered if he could feel the wet patch between your legs, starting to soak through your yoga pants.

He could. He found himself eager to bury his head between your legs despite being determined to take his time with you. He worried he’d disappoint you if he moved too quickly but he still began his descent, peppering sloppy kisses down your belly as his fingers hooked in your waistband. He took your pants and panties both in one go as he moved off the bed. You didn’t miss his sharp inhale.

“Y/N…” Your face flushed red as he knelt between your legs, gaze locked on your glistening cunt. You wanted to tell him not to stare, to urge him along, but you couldn’t seem to break your silence. Finally, you lifted your head and he met your eyes, his own eyes widening in something akin to adoration, though more intense. “Is this all for me, sugar?” There was that name again. You nodded eagerly but he shook his head. “Words.”

You frowned a bit, annoyed that he was making you speak up when he could just take one look at you and know. Of course, you knew he wouldn’t give in so you gave a soft whine before speaking. “Yes, Sannie, it’s all yours.”

You didn’t know why you were so against speaking up. The sound he made the second you did respond made you clench around nothing. He noticed, of course, and let out a low groan as he hooked your legs over his shoulders and kissed your thigh. “May I touch?”

“Please do.” You whispered and caught your lip between your teeth.

He continued to litter your thighs with messy kisses and soft bites as his fingertips teased their way up to your pussy, never once breaking eye contact. Your head fell back to the sheets as soon as you felt him run a finger through your folds, gathering up some of your arousal. He moved torturously slowly, rubbing feather-light circles on your clit before easing one digit into you.

“You’re drenched, baby…” His voice, though painfully sexy, was full of wonder and amusement.

“Your fault…” You mumbled and he chuckled softly.

One finger wasn’t enough. You needed more. He could tell and you felt him smirk against your skin as he curled his finger. You let out a soft sigh at the action but he wasn’t satisfied and so he added another finger, and another when you still didn’t give him the response he wanted.

“Fuck this cunt’s gonna feel so good-” He sighed.

Now three fingers deep, he began his search for your g-spot. It didn’t take him very long if your embarrassingly loud moan was anything to go by. “So fucking pretty, baby.” He groaned, suppressing another sound when you clenched around his fingers. “You like it when I call you pretty? Or was it ‘baby’?” He teased.

“Both.” It was all you could muster as he leaned in and flicked his tongue over your clit. You immediately brought a hand up to your mouth to stifle your sounds but he pulled back and nipped at your thigh.

“Let me hear.” At that point, you had no fight left in you. You just wanted him to touch you and you’d do anything to get your way. You gave a nod, a small ‘okay’ slipping from your lips, and he slowly leaned back in, lips closing around your clit. He sucked and you let out a soft curse, bringing your hands to your chest to knead at the soft flesh of your breasts. He groaned in appreciation and set a slow pace, working you up with his fingers while his tongue traced different shapes over your clit.

You suddenly felt ridiculous for never having wondered if he truly lived up to his reputation. He was proving to you just how good he was and you were cursing yourself for never having thought about having his head between your legs. “Sannie- oh-” You keened, one hand flying to tangle in his hair once more as he pressed against your g-spot at the same time as he sucked on your clit. You wouldn’t last long like this. He was too good.

Your toes curled as he brought you closer and closer to the edge, his tongue dipping into you occasionally in place of his fingers. Your muscles ached with the tension that was building but you knew you wouldn’t be relaxed until he made you cum. Hoping to encourage him to get you off faster so he’d fuck you, you began babbling praises, only inflating his ego.

He made sure you felt his appreciative groan before pulling back for a quick breath then diving back in, tongue flicking with vigor. His cock throbbed as he inhaled your scent and his eyes rolled back briefly. He wanted more of you. All of you. So when you announced you were close, he backed away entirely and smirked. “Not yet, baby.”

“Sannie, what the fuck?” You whined indignantly, lifting your head when he sat up between your legs.

“Decided I want you to cum on my cock instead.” He shrugged, moving up the bed to catch your lips in a kiss. You were surprised by how sweet the kiss was considering how feral he’d just been acting over your pussy but you welcomed it, tugging him closer with a soft groan as you tasted yourself.

“So fuck me then.” You whispered between kisses, lapping your juices off his lips a moment later. The whole scenario was filthy and intoxicating.

“You mean like this?” He grunted as he slid into you with ease. Your jaw dropped and you gasped at the stretch. He fit perfectly, like you were made for each other - a thought that both terrified and intrigued you. He wasted no time in setting a slow, deep pace, each thrust driving you up the bed with the force.

“Just like that, Sannie.” You nodded furiously, wrapping an arm around his broad shoulders while your other hand twisted the sheets by your head.

San was on another planet. He finally had you. You, the girl of his dreams ever since he was fifteen. He was finally fully sheathed inside your warmth and he never wanted to leave. He’d give anything to stay with you.

He hadn’t intended to babble that out loud and realized his error when you responded.

“Yeah? Anything?”

“Anything.”

“Then fuck me harder and treat me like the most precious thing you’ve ever held.”

It was an easy ask. He had no problem cherishing you. Even as his hips began to snap harder and faster, the sound of skin slapping filling the room, he showered you with kisses and words of adoration. “So fucking good, baby. Do you have any clue how long I’ve wanted to feel this perfect little pussy? To make you fall apart on my cock?”

“Tell me, Sannie. Tell me how long you’ve wanted me.”

“God- ever since we were in school. It was so hot the way you fucked her up for hurting me and I’ve wanted you ever since.” His admission sent a thrill rushing through you and you clenched involuntarily, earning a low groan from him.

“And you held it together for that long? Fuck, Sannie, you- oh-” The tip of his cock just barely kissed your cervix but it was enough to make your thighs squeeze his hips.

“Shit, baby, you keep that up and I’ll cum…”

“Then keep fucking me just like that.” You demanded, back arching as he dipped his head down to lick and suck on your chest. He caught your nipple in his mouth and allowed his teeth to graze the stiff peak, grunting against your skin when your walls fluttered in response. “Want you to cum inside as many times as you can until you make me cum.” It wasn’t a demand or a plea, it was just a simple fact but he was eager to comply with your wishes.

“Christ, y/n, you’re killing me…” San groaned, resting his forehead on your chest as his hips pistoned relentlessly. He pulled back just enough to look up at you and you could tell by his expression just how close he was. “You really want that? Want me to breed you like a good little cocksleeve and keep filling you up over and over until you fall apart for me?”

Your nod and whimper were the only convincing he needed. He let go instantly, stars dancing behind his eyes as he pumped you full of cum. This was all he’d wanted for the better part of a decade and he was on cloud nine over finally getting you.

He briefly pulled out and flipped you over, taking a moment to watch a bead of cum drip down your folds before he slammed back into you. He might regret this later given how sensitive he was but he needed to give you anything you asked for.

Your back arched as he hit your sweet spot and you let out a soft cry. “There! Just like that!”

It didn’t take long before he felt another orgasm building. He warned you and you demanded he continue, begging him to give it to you. His cock twitched and he let go at your behest, filling you all over again.

Before he was finished, he reached around to roll your clit between his thumb and forefinger. He delighted in the squeal you let out and did it again, tears welling in his eyes from all the sensation.

“Oh god, Sannie, I’m so close!” You cried, your thighs trembling as your orgasm threatened to wash over you.

“Cum for me, sugar.” His voice was a low rumble in your ear, hoarse with unshed tears, and you couldn’t hold back. You let out another squeal as he toyed with your clit, tipping you over the edge. Your high hit you like a bus and you let out a sob of ecstasy as your pussy clamped down on San’s leaking cock.

You felt a tear fall on your back and gently pushed him back, forcing yourself to roll over. “You okay?” You asked softly as you pulled him to you, still buzzing with the aftershocks of your orgasm.

“‘M fucking perfect.” He offered a lazy smile as he leaned down to capture your lips in a sweet kiss.

“Mm then what’s this?” You teased as you pulled back, wiping a tear from his cheek.

“Proof that I’ve met my match.” He chuckled softly and wiped his face dry. “Seriously, that was…fucking amazing.”

“It was. Can someone explain to me why we didn’t do this sooner?”

“Who knows.” He shrugged and flopped down beside you, then pulled you to lay on top of him. “But I say we do this every weekend, sugar.” He laughed deeply when you swatted his chest in response but deep down you knew this was more than a one time occurrence.

[outsideratheart]

Healing (Alexia Putellas x reader)

A/N: This took me a lot longer to finish than I hoped but it’s done. Grab a drink and get comfy because it’s a long one, in fact I think it’s my longest fic to date.

The world had its questions and you were well aware of the headlines.

Y/N Y/L/N quits football.

Where is Y/N Y/L/N? Here's what we know.

The best in the world has vanished.

If you find Y/N tell her Sarina is looking for her.

The last twelve months had been the hardest in your life. You thought you could prepare for it, that it would easier because you knew it was coming but that wasn't the case. The day it happened was the day your heart broke and as you buried her you knew you were burying part of yourself too.

You left the world speculating as to why you didn't extend your contract with Lyon, why you never signed for another club and more importantly people were wondering where you had disappeared to.

Both your club and country team mates knew about your personal life and the tragedy that happened shortly after the euros. 

You missed football, of course you did, but you also needed to take time away to process what had happened. A return date was never set but then the world cup happened. You watched your team mates cry after losing to Spain and you couldn't help but feel partially responsible. The game might have ended differently if you had played.

A decision had been made. It was time to return to the pitch. You had offers before and after the euros. The only question is what teams would still want you? 

The sun was setting in Barcelona as the team finished up a late training session. Most of the players stayed behind to take advantage of the free food given they knew once they got home they wouldn't have the energy to cook themselves.

“Lucy your phone is ringing” Ona shouts over to where the English defender is filling her plate. 

“Who is it?” Lucy replies. 

Ona’s face floods with guilt. Almost as if she shouldn’t be looking at the phone. This sparks interest of those around her but no one more than Keira who sees the name on the screen. 

“Y/N” Lucy all but ran back to table after hearing Keira say your name “is everything ok? Where are you? Yes I’m with Lucy. Before I hand you over promise me that you’re ok? Good” 

Keira hands over the phone and watches Lucy’s face as she tries to figure out why you called and what you are talking about. 

“Yes there are people around me. Ok, I’ll ask” 

When you hang up the phone Lucy does as you ask or at least she makes the first step. 

“Alexia” Lucy walks around to where the captain is sat with Mapi and Ingrid “Who would I talk about signing a new player?”

“It’s not our job to recruit players but if you know something that might help the club then tell me and I will ask” Alexia wasn’t stupid. She heard your name and now Lucy was asking this. It wasn’t a coincidence. 

“I can’t. This is a sensitive subject” 

“Vale. Talk to Jona and if he thinks the player is right for the club then he can set up a meeting” 

Alexia left the training facility that night thinking of you. You were at the peak of your career, many people considered you the best in the world and if she is being honest she thought you would win the Balon d’Or, not her. That night Alexia watched your highlights for hours, even the ones in the games against her. You really were a once in a generation player which makes it that much harder for Alexia to understand why you walked off the pitch at Wembley and hadn’t been seen on one since. 

The next day at training the energy felt different. Lucy and Keira had a sense of happiness that their team mates hadn’t seen before. They would gather around Lucy’s phone but then hide it when somebody came close to them. 

Jona came walking into the gym with Xavi Puig right behind him and called over both Keira and Lucy. A couple of players watch the conversation unfold and tried their hardest to read their lips.

“Ingrid, what are they saying?” Mapi nudges her girlfriend.

“They’re talking about Y/N Y/L/N” Alexia was stretching on the floor playing no part in the eavesdropping.

“How do you know?” Ingrid asks her.

“She called Lucy yesterday and then Lucy talked to me about the club signing a new player. I can’t know for sure but that’s what I think is going on”

A couple of days later you landed in Barcelona, greeted by the warm weather and your two England team mates who kept a low key appearance in the arrivals hall. You stop when you are a meter away them. You didn’t know what to do, you hadn’t seen them in almost a year. 

“Come here” Lucy throws her arms around you followed by Keira.

“We’re so happy to see you Y/N. We really have missed you” 

You remain quiet as you walk to the car. Both of them fill you in on what the team is like and you make sure to remind them that you haven’t officially signed yet.

“Jona mentioned that. You want a trial training session?”

“It’s the right thing to do” you didn’t want any special treatment. You wanted to earn the right to play for the club and not just be handed the contract.

“You could have not played football for 5 years and still run rings round all of us” Lucy knows you the most having played with her at both club and country. You were too humble in her eyes so she took it upon herself to remind you of your greatness from time to time.

“I never said I haven’t played football. That has been the thing to get me through the past 10 months” you didn’t mean to be a downer, in fact you didn’t know what you were saying until it was too late.

“How are you doing?” Keira asks from the front seat and you see Lucy eyeing you up in rear view mirror.

“Some days are harder than others and no day has been easy. She would be happy that I’m here though. She always said that if I didn’t go back to England then she’d want us to come here”

You couldn’t bring yourself to say her name. 

“She always did hate the french winters” Lucy laughs at the memories she shared with your wife.

Your mind goes back to just a couple of years ago. Lyon were playing at home and the weather was awful. You saw Natalia in the crowd shivering but still she cheered you on, she always was your biggest fan. Come rain or shine, your girl was in the audience. You hated the thought of playing without her being in the crowd but you also knew she wouldn’t want to give up your career.

“Y/N” Keira gently nudged your knee. It was obvious that you were taking a trip down memory lane and she didn’t want to scare you.

“Huh” you quickly wiped away a tear “Oh we’re here” you grabbed your backpack and jumped out of the car leaving them in the front not knowing what to do.

“Let’s leave her be. She knows we are here and will come to us when she’s ready”

You were in awe as you walked the halls of Joan Camper. The things the team has achieved were that of greatness. It was a club that created legacys and you found yourself feeling something that you hadn’t in a long time; excitement.

Lucy and Keira lead you to the locker room just as they were instructed to. The rest of the team were already out of the field which was part of the plan. There hanging in a corner locker was a training kit for you. You didn’t expect it and you definitely didn’t expect to have been given your number.

“You did this?” You ask the pair.

“Salma did. The team knows you called Lucy and when Salma heard to locker room rumours of you joining she insisted. Between us she is a big fan of yours, bigger than Luce”

“Not possible” the defender joked.

The boots were fastened and you were ready, well almost ready. There was one thing you wasn’t prepared for. You looked down at your necklace. It was a simple gold chain that held two rings: yours and Talia’s.

“I can’t do it” you slumped down in defeat and bury your face in your hands.

“Hey” Lucy crouches down in front of you “they let us wear jewellery for training, you can keep them on”

You walked out onto the field and all eyes fell on you. You felt like a spectacle and you hated the attention. They didn’t know the current version of you, they had only met the old Y/N so you channel her and introduce yourself to them during the next drinks break.

“I know some of us have met as opponents but this is different. I’m Y/N, it’s a pleasure to meet you all, I hope I can keep up” you make a joke hoping to avoid the elephant in the room.

“We’ll see about that. I’m Alexia” She is the first person to you.

“Lovely to meet you Alexia” 

It’s hard to explain the feeling when you’re playing football. It’s as if you mind switches off whilst also been completely focused. It take a few attempts to get into the rhythm that is Barcelona football but you catch on quickly. It comes as no shock to the rest of the team that you play in complete sync with Lucy and Keira. The two of them even stay back at the end to work with you on some movements that you weren’t pleased with.

Some players go shower but a few stay behind, albeit out of sight, and watch you. 

“She has a gift” Alexia says to nobody in particular.

“Nobody has seen her in over a year and this is how she is playing. Look, she is running rings around them. How is that possible?” Patri adds.

“Does anybody know where she was?” Pina asks the small group.

“No but I could ask Ingrid or Caro to ask Ada. They are best friends and surely you would tell your best friend where you are going” Mapi forms a plan in her head, one that she will soon find out to be a bad idea.

“Do it” Alexia tells the defender “We are a family here and if she joins us then we have a right to know where she has been”

When Barcelona posted a photo of you signing a contract on their socials the world went crazy. The media were relentless and the fans were quick to show their support for you even though some were skeptical about your sudden reappearance and new team. 

You ignored them for the most part as they had no idea what had happened. You fit into the team almost right away and was enjoying every game with Barcelona. You scored on your debut and had been involved in a goal every game since. Months had passed and much to your surprise you had only been asked about the missing year once or twice. 

Caro refused to ask Ada about you and Ingrid only did when her girlfriend became obsessed with finding out the truth. Ada’s answer was simple ‘I won’t tell you and if she doesn’t want you to know then you should respect her wishes’.

You remained a mystery though and for the most part the team seemed to forget about your missing year. 

When the second international window came that is when things changed and you felt like you made a friend. Mapi still wasn’t representing her country so she reached out and asked if you wanted to meet up for a coffee. 

Anybody could easily be intimidated by the blonde but you liked her. She had this energy that made you know accepting her invite was a no brainer. That and you had questions of your own. 

“How did you know?”

Mapi places down a a small coffee in a glass; a cortado. 

“I asked Keira what you ordered”

A comfortable silence took over as the two of you sipped on your coffees. You found it funny the way Mapi looked at you then her coffee and back to you again. You recognised the signs; you were making her nervous. Why though you had no idea.

You decide to make the first move and you get straight to the point much to the defender’s surprise.

“I spoke with Ada”

This got her attention. You had your suspicions but the look on her face confirmed it. Still, she played along.

“That’s nice. You’re very close, no?” Mapi tried her best to look innocent but you weren’t having any of it and the look on your face told her that.

“She had an interesting conversation with Ingrid. Do you happen to know anything about this?”

She did. You know she did. 

“No” you got a sheepish look from Mapi and you wondered if she knew how unconvincing she was being.

“I think you did. I think you got Ingrid to ask Ada about me”

“Lo siento”

“Here’s the thing I don’t understand. I know you all want to know, you’ve been whispering about me for months yet not one of you has come to me and asked me directly. You have been going behind my back trying to dig up information about a time that I clearly don’t want to talk about”

Mapi dips her head. She truly thought that her and the team were been careful but obviously not. 

“Maria, I want you to put yourself in my shoes. Would you want to talk about it with strangers when you barely talk to your best friends about it?”

The defender thinks about it for a moment. You had barely left Lucy and Keira’s side but she hadn’t really heard you talking, you were always listening to what they were saying and replying when necessary.

“It was bad wasn’t it?” She asks. 

“The worse year of my life” you confess and you can your throat close at the thought of the months in question.

“We are in jail?” 

You cannot help but chuckle at her words.

“No, I was not in jail”

“Did you kill somebody?”

“No, I did not kill anybody”

“So no crimes were committed?”

“Is that what you have all come up with? That I broke the law?” 

“Most of us, yes. Aitana think’s you were in the hospital because you were sick”

Her response came at the worst time possible. You spit your coffee out when you hear the midfielder’s suspicion. 

Technically she was right. You were in the hospital but you weren’t in the hospital.

“I wasn’t sick” 

“Clearly. Look at you, you’re huge. I mean you are big. No, you are strong”

“Calm down Mapi, I know what you mean. Thank you” 

The two of you stay in the cafe for another hour. You take this time just the two of you getting to know one another. You ask Mapi about her tattoos and she learn’s you have a few of your own which are hidden on your back. When she asks for their meaning you promise you will tell her the stories another time. 

You both walk to the metro station and by coincidence you end up of the same train. You get off before her and just before the door opens, Mapi grabs your hand.

“I’ll get them to stop. You don’t owe us an explanation, Y/N” 

“Thank you Maria” 

You’re not sure what the tattooed defender said but the whispers stopped or so you thought. They stopped whispering in front of you but little did you know the speculations were still going on behind your back. It is early in December when things come to a head and you snapped. 

“What do you mean she is staying Spain?” Alexia asked Salma. 

“That she is staying her in Barcelona. She said she might go to Valencia for a few days but that’s it” the forward wasn’t sure what to say or if she should have said anything at all.

“And you don’t think that is strange? This is woman who used to love England. The fans called her Queen of England, por dios. How can she be apart of this team if we know nothing about her. She is lying to us” Alexia ranted on and who knew how much longer she would have continued if not for Lucy interrupting her.

“Alexia, that is enough!” Lucy slams her fist on the locker before turning to her captain “She has come to this team and done nothing but good. She plays well for us and gives it her all on the pitch. Off it she makes the effort and yes sometimes she says no to things but isn’t that her right? You stand there as our captain but look at you, you’re nothing but a bully. I am ashamed to say i’m your team mate right now. That girl has been through hell these past couple of years and since coming here all you keep doing is reminding her of what has happened. You are obsessed with her. Look around, no one else is digging for information. No one is making her uncomfortable on a daily basis”

“She is lying to us. She won’t tell us where she was for over a year. She is hiding something and that isn’t fair on us” Alexia tried to defend her actions.

“Isn’t fair? Are you really that self centred? You have no right to talk about what is and is not fair. I don’t care if you are my captain, I won’t stand by you while you treat my best friend like she has done something wrong. You, Alexia, are a —“

“Lucy” The whole locker room turns upon hearing your voice “I have given up on Alexia, it’s time you do too”

“No! I won’t let her talk about you that way. You don’t deserve this”

“No I don’t but —“

“Y/N” Lucy begs you to let her fight you case.

“Walk away Lucy” 

A stare down takes place between you and Lucy. A few seconds later the defender grabs her stuff and leaves the room. To everyone else you are calm and collected but Keira recognises the look in your eye, you are furious.

“I want everyone to listen to me and listen good. My past is none of your business. To those who have let the obsession go, thank you. To those that haven’t” you look Alexia dead in the eye “I want nothing to do with you. I will remain civil on the pitch. Other than that I ask you to stay away from me. That’s if you can respect my wishes. I know it has been hard so far”

You quietly gather your things and try to ignore the multiple sets of eyes on you. With each second you can feel your chest getting tighter and you know it is only a matter second before you will no longer be able to control your breathing. You just needed to get out of there, away from prying eyes.

The hallway is the furthest you get. Your mind was filled of flashbacks, the moments that you tried so hard to bury. The past was not a pretty place, not the last year, but you know that it was only a matter of time before it came crashing down on you. 

“Y/N, are you ok?” Mapi and Ingrid are by your side, clearly the couple had left just after you.

“Natalia, she, she” 

Ingrid and Mapi shared a look, who was Natalia? They had never heard you mention a Natalia before. Both of them didn’t know what to do. Whilst you had become friends with the pair, they didn’t know you well enough to cope with this moment. 

Luckily for them Keira appears out of nowhere. The English woman clearly equipped with what to do.

“Get Lucy, now!” She whisper shouted and Ingrid goes running hoping to catch the defender before she leaves.

“Keira—Natalia”

“I know, I know. We can talk about her later if you want. Right now, I need to focus on me. Can you do that?” 

You nod your head as tears flow down your cheeks. 

“What happened?” Lucy rushes over to you.

“We found her on the floor. She kept talking about Natalia” 

“She told you?” Lucy asks shocked. She knew you wasn’t ready to tell them team but in a state of panic you might be let it slip.

“No. She only said her name” Mapi says. She couldn’t take her eyes off you. This wasn’t a panic attack, no she had seen one of those before. This was something much more intense.

A few minutes pass and Keira manages to keep your breathing under control but you’re still not ready to move. Lucy, Mapi and Ingrid stay close making sure to tell anyone who passes to keep moving.

“What is going on?” Alexia asks with concern, a concern that doesn’t reach Lucy in fact her asking is the worst thing she could have done.

“Get away from her” Lucy is up on her feet and pushing Alexia backwards. She would has fallen to the floor if not for the wall behind her “This is all your fault. You see this, you see her, this is what you have done to her”

“Lucy” you reach up and take her hand. The defender used her strength to pull you up. 

You, Lucy, Keira, Mapi and Ingrid walk towards the exit of the stadium.

“Y/N” Alexia’s voice is soft and it is only now that she realises she might have taken things too far.

You turn around to face the Catalonian. For the first time since arriving you make no effort to hide the pain you have felt on a daily basis.

“I want nothing to do with you Alexia”

A week had passed and Alexia started to worry about you more so than she wanted to let on. Lucy and Keira were visibly worried about you and kept an eye on you at all times. She was confused at how things got this bad. Yes, she knew that maybe things had been taken too far but you didn’t show rage, your energy radiated nothing. You were numb. The Barcelona captain had no idea how to make things right with you.

You wore a smile on your face in front of the cameras and fans but behind closed doors it’s liked you switched your emotions off. Alexia asked Mapi about you but it seemed that even her closest friend was on your side. The zaragozian and her girlfriend had become close with you since the incident and Alexia didn’t understand why.

One night she found herself knocking on Mapi’s door hoping to find out how things got so bad.

When the captain was let in there is an evident scowl on Ingrid’s face which Alexia did not expect. The Norwegian excuses herself stating that she needed to go to the supermarket.

“Mentiroso” Alexia says to herself.

“Watch it Alexia. She has her reasons” Mapi jumped to her girlfriend’s defence.

Mapi leads Alexia over to the kitchen table and gets a glass of water for the two of them.

“You’re here about Y/N, aren’t you?” her captain nods “I don’t know what to tell you. What happened in the locker room was bad Ale. We didn’t leave the stadium when you thought we did. Y/N used everything in her to make sure Lucy didn’t do something she would regret. I don’t know what happened during those months but whatever we think it is, it’s so much worse. I shouldn’t be telling you this but she kept mentioning Natalia, I don’t know who that is but I think something happened to her”

Alexia thought she felt guilty about the way things went down with the two of you but that failed in comparison to how she was feeling now. To think that you were grieving someone and her questions were it worse for you, well it made her feel ashamed. 

She knew that she hadn’t been the most welcoming. Yes, you and her got a long on the pitch and yes, you were ok at training but she hadn’t made the effort she should have to make you feel at home in Barcelona.

“I don’t know how to fix it Mapi. You know I like her, I think she is amazing—“

“You were her biggest fan” the blonde teased

“But what if I’ve ruined any chance for being friends with her? What if what I’ve done is undoable?” Alexia ignores Mapi comment seen as though she knows she cannot deny it.

Mapi was at a loss for words. She always has had her friend’s back but there was something about you which made her want to protect you and Alexia was someone that you needed protection from.

“You need to give her space Alexia. This week alone I have seen you walk towards her then walk away at least 6 times. Y/N even asked me why you were doing it. You’re making the girl feel uncomfortable” 

Alexia mentally scolded herself for her behaviour which in her defence she did not think anyone noticed. 

“So space?” Alexia asks.

“Space” Mapi confirmed.

Alexia found it hard at first because she wanted nothing more than to make things right with you but she did as suggested, she gave you space. She saw you start to come out of your shell a bit more as December rolled on. The day game before the Christmas break you were playing in Madrid and that is when Alexia heard you discussing your winter plans with Keira.

“Keira, that’s a sweet offer but I’m sure. I’m going to stay in Barcelona, it is my home now”

The Catalonian took a little comfort in knowing you had grown the love her city despite the hostile behaviour.

“Y/N, it’s Christmas. She would want you to be home for that” your friend asked.

“I don’t know if I can handle going back for Christmas. It would hurt too much”

It felt wrong for Alexia to eavesdrop on your conversation so she leaves out of respect.

“She wouldn’t want you to avoid England. The two of you spent years in France and both of you said coming home to England was your favourite thing to do”

“Keira, stop. It was our favourite thing. There is no more our, no us. It’s just me”

Keira could see your hands shaking. This is the first sign of your panic attack so she drops the subject. She does suggest you going away with them for new years and you said you would as long as it isn’t in the UK or France. 

The team had one last recovery session before the winter break and it’s safe to say when it was done everyone was more than happy to go home. You wished everyone a Merry Christmas and without knowing it, Alexia is included.

“Feliz Navidad Alexia, por tu y tu familia” 

“Gracias Y/N” 

To Alexia this was a gift in itself. Maybe you were opening up to idea of forgiving her. After that you quickly grab your stuff and run off to where Ingrid was waiting for you.

After that interaction, Alexia couldn’t stop thinking about you. She also thought she was hallucinating when she saw your name appear on her phone screen. In the rush of leaving the training facility you picked up the wrong bag, only realising when got home a few hours later and your shirt had an 11 on instead of a 7. You texted Alexia asking if you could meet up to get your stuff back. Alexia, at that point was already at her mother’s house so she sent you that address and told her mum that you were coming over.

You tried to ease your nervous as you drove to your captain’s mother’s house. It was going to be awkward, this much you knew but regardless of the place you and Alexia were in, you wanted to make a good impression on her family. 

The knock was gentle as you stop on the door step.

“Y/N, hola. Adelante”

You didn’t know that word meant but you put two and two together and guessing in meant come in so that is what you did. Eli leads you to the living room after telling Alba to go get her sister. Eli headed back into the kitchen and left you in the living room. You didn’t want to take a seat, it wasn’t that kind of visit so you looked around and a wall of photos gains your attention.

Alexia couldn’t have been more than 7 years old. She was adorable. Next to her stood her younger sister and behind her, her parents. You didn’t recognise the man so you assume Alexia’s father works away a lot as you have never seen him at a game.

“That’s Jaume, Alexia and Alba’s father” Your cheeks flush in embarrassment at being caught stooping.

“And your husband” you turn to face the woman “I haven’t seen him around, does he work in a different city?”

“Jaume passed away a little over ten years ago” 

She is a widow, like you. That is the first thing you thought. In that moment you had so many questions for her but this is a woman you had only just met. It’s not exactly the small talk she would be expecting. The two of you go quiet and you guess she is thinking about her lost love, just as you are thinking about yours.

Alexia comes downstairs, your bag in hand but stops at the door was upon seeing you in conversation with her mother. Alba nudges her forward but she doesn’t move. The two of them watch you.

“Does it ever get easier?” The question was out of your mouth before you could stop it.

The two sisters share a look. They had no idea what you were talking about and by their mother’s response, she didn’t either.

“Que?” As expected, the question catches Eli off guard.

“Living without the person who promised you forever” you turn to face the older woman with tears falling down your cheek.

“Oh Querida, come here” 

You feel comfort in her arms and for a brief few seconds you forget that she is a stranger. In this moment she is someone who understands your pain and that is more than enough for you. When you pull away you see Alexia and Alba, you feel extremely exposed.

“Hi. You must be Alba” you wipe the last of your tears and extend your hand towards the younger Putellas.

She swats away your hand and pulls you into a hug.

“So formal” Alba laughs “you’re even hotter in person” 

“Alba!” Both Eli and Alexia scold her.

“What? I’m being honest” 

“Thank you, I think. Is that mine?” You point the bad Alexia is holding.

“Yes. Sorry for the mix up” 

“No, no. It was my fault. I was running late for dinner with Ingrid. I left yours in the hall as I wasn’t sure where to put it”

Alexia stared at you almost as if frozen in place.

“Was I not suppose to do that? I can go get it for you”

“This is the most you’ve spoken to me since joining” Alexia was honest with what she was thinking.

“It must be the Christmas air” you laugh a little “speaking of, you three clearly have plans so I will leave you be” 

Eli tries to get you to stay but you can’t. The woman knew too much and even though shared the same pain, you knew it was only a matter of time before the pity eyes came. You also didn’t know how much the two sisters had heard.

Alexia asked and asked what the you and her mother were talking about but the woman refused to tell. The only answer Alexia got was to be careful with you and that not all is as it seems. It seemed to be enough for Alexia but she wasn’t giving up on you, not just yet.

She kept an eye on you over the Christmas break and just as you said you stayed in Barcelona. Alexia all but stalked your Instagram and even went as far as texting you some recommendations. You felt something towards the midfielder and it made you think that you might have been a little harsh on her. You made a mental reminder to speak to her once the break was over.

The first game back was away to Bilbao and it brought you the perfect opportunity to speak to Alexia as the two of you were roomed together. It was late by the time you got there so everyone went straight to their room. 

“Oh Y/N I don’t know what happened” Alexia says as she swiped the room key. 

“What are you — oh I see” 

There was only one bed, albeit a large double bed. 

You hadn’t shared a bed in almost a year and you wasn’t sure if you were ready for it. Now you had to find  a way to explain this to Alexia.

“I’ll sleep on the floor” Alexia suggests and even though you weren’t ready, you also knew you wasn’t going to let her do that.

“Alexia you are one of the most important players on the team. I cannot let you sleep on the floor. Take the bed, I’ll take the floor”

“Y/N, you are important too. You are our highest goal scorer. I am taking the floor, don’t argue with your captain”

She refused to take no for an answer and you hated it. When you came out the shower Alexia was on the floor and it looked awful. It was almost funny and you couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Don’t say anything. Bed” Alexia laughed along with you.

The room was dark except from the street lights then peaked through the curtains. Sleep wasn’t coming easy to you and by the sounds of tossing and turning, Alexia was struggling too. 

“Alexia, come sleep in the bed” The thought of having someone sleep next to you wasn’t something you necessarily wanted but Alexia sleeping on the floor wasn’t fair.

“I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable” 

There was something in her tone. She wasn’t talking about sharing the bed with a team mate, she was talking about sharing a bed in general. 

“She told you” Eli had to have told alexia about your conversation. 

“Who?” Alexia asked even though she knew you were talking about her mother. 

“Your mother. She told you about what I said”

“I asked but she didn’t tell me anything. I’m sorry that something happened to your friend” 

You sat up upon hearing her condolences. 

“My friend. What are you talking about?” 

Alexia, now sat up too, looked at you as if saying you know what I’m talking about.

“Natalia?” 

She said her name. Nobody had said her name. They knew it would cause too much pain. 

In that moment you are brought back to the last time someone said her name. It was the 5 November 2023 in a hospice not to far from your shared home in London. Natalia was the strongest woman you knew and no one would ever come close to her in your eyes. Yet just after Euros she told you that her time was coming, that the cancer was starting to win. You begged her to fight, you weren’t ready to lose her but you knew that you had been on borrowed time for many many years. The last person to say her name was a nurse as your wife took her final breath before she was called home.

“She was my wife” you could feel your nose twitch as a ball of emotion built in your throat. You knew the day was coming when you talked about her but you didn’t think it would come in Bilbao with Alexia now sitting at the foot of your bed.

The Catalonian knew she heard you correctly but she still sat in disbelief. She had no idea you were dating anyone let alone you were married. Alexia could do nothing but watch as you bury your head in your hand as your body racks with sobs. She wants to hug you, to hold you and to tell you to let it out but you weren’t that close. 

When you aggressively wipe your eyes you notice Alexia looking prettified and you cannot help but burst of into a fit of giggles.

“I’m going to go get Lucy or Keira or anyone else who isn’t me” your captain panics and makes a bee line for the door. She is stopped in her tracks as your hand grabs her wrist.

“You don’t have to”

She didn’t believe you and that was made obvious as her eyes dart back and forward between you and the door. 

“Isn’t this what you have been wanting? To know why I walked away” you pat the side of the bed next to you.

You saw the hesitation is Alexia’s eyes. In that moment she wanted to respect your boundaries and you appreciated that but for the first time in a while the thought of talking about Natalia didn’t make you feel like you would break. 

Once she sat down you turn to face you and you saw the look many people had given you. She felt sorry for you. 

“I didn’t know you were married” 

“Not many people did. We never hid anything. If you look you’ll see her in a lot of photos, she always supported me” you get comfy knowing that this is going to be a long conversation “I’m a private person and all I ever wanted to do was protect her” 

In that moment Alexia understood for she too was a private person. She knew that she was in the limelight but she still kept herself to herself off the pitch. 

“How did she—“ Alexia stopped talking as soon as she realised what she was about to ask “sorry, I shouldn’t have said that” 

“Leukemia” you closed your eyes, took a deep breath and counted to three “she first got it when she was six. We used to take the day off school to go to the hospital. She would call me her emotional support friend” you laugh as you remember the way she made you wear a badge “she won the battle only for it to come back when she was 16 then again at 28. The third battle was the hardest for her and it was the one she lost” 

Alexia caught the way you couldn’t look at her whilst you talked about the hardest times of your wife’s life. 

“She sounds like a strong woman” 

“Oh she was the strongest. She went through so much yet you never would have known it. Natalia had this heart that was big enough to like up the whole world. I wouldn’t be where I am today without her. She supported me in the youths teams, was in the stands when I made my Arsenal debut and moved to France with me when I signed for Lyon. She said she’s followed me everywhere because she knew I’d be lost with her” 

When Alexia sees you laughing, she joins in too. 

“Things got bad just before the euros. I was so close to withdrawing but she begged me to go. She wanted to see me lift that trophy and I did, I did it for her. I didn’t know how bad it was until afterwards and I made the decision to be by her side. We did all the things on her bucket list. A couple of months later she couldn’t fight it anymore. Her strength was gone and the light was barely there. I was able to be by her side as she took her last breath” 

Alexia didn’t stop you as you got off the bed and made your way towards the window. She could tell by the way your hand went straight to your face that you were crying. 

“You wanted to know why I walked about?” You turned to face her and in that moment, knowing what she did, Alexia felt guilty. Guilty for reminding you of the loss you had suffered. 

“I walked away because I didn’t feel like I had a purpose. For so many years I played for her. I scored to see a smile on her face and I won my trophies so that I can give her my medals. I couldn’t return to Lyon without her and it felt wrong being in England” 

“Y/N I’m —“

“Don’t tell me you’re sorry. You didn’t kill her, the cancer did” 

You hated it when people told you they were sorry for your loss. Why? Why are they sorry? You heard it so many times that it made you numb. 

Alexia could tell that you were feeling a lot right now. She wanted to be there if you wanted to talk more about Natalia but she also knew the importance of changing the subject when it’s needed. 

“Can I ask you a question?” She looked at you with a sincere gaze.

“You can. Is it about Na—“ 

Alexia shakes her head.

“Why Barcelona?” 

It is a question that she had been desperate to know. You have now told her why you weren’t ready to go back to Lyon but plenty of teams would have offered you a contract if you announced your return.

“I said it wasn’t about her but turns out it was. Talia loved Spain and Barcelona was her favourite place. I honestly thought I would retire at Lyon but she always said that if she could pick a team I play for them she would choose Barcelona. When I decided to come back, it felt right to sign for Barcelona. Also, Lucy and Keira are here. As you have seen, I have depended on them quite a bit and I knew that it wouldn’t be easy so having someone who knew made everything easier”

You could see Alexia processing what you had told her. 

“I’m happy you don’t play for Lyon anymore”

“Yeah, you might be able to beat them now”

Alexia stared you down and you wondered what her next move would be. Turns out you didn’t have to wait long because a pillow soon smacked you in the face.

You both burst into laughter when the pillow fight turns competitive.

“We really should be getting some sleep” Alexia says as she stands.

You took a second to think. 

“You can sleep in the bed Alexia. I won’t freak out you know”

“Y/N I can’t. Not now”

“Oh stop. I’m not some fragile little doll that will break if she shares a bed with someone. Now get in bed” 

You pull the duvet back and pat the bed. It is only when Alexia gets in that you realise she is on your side and you are on Talia’s.

“You know this is my side of the bed” Alexia says as she gets comfy.

You had your reasons for sleeping on that side. You want to be closest to the door in case someone broke in. You wonder if Alexia has a reason.

“Got to make sure no one comes in and kidnaps you. Buenas noches Y/N” 

You fall asleep that night with ease. You no longer feel the weight of keeping your emotions at bay and having Alexia knowing the truth makes you feel at ease around her for the first time since you joined the club.

From that day on things were different between you and Alexia. You found yourself spending more time with her than you did with Lucy and Keira. The two of them found it strange but didn’t question it. Whilst the defender was still very much protective over you, she did see a change in her captain which lead to her giving her the benefit of the doubt. 

Life in Barcelona was finally what you imagined. Even in January the sun was shining and the sky was blue, unlike the weather you have been used to. The pain in your heart was still there but for the first time in a long whilst you felt happy or at least the closest thing to it that you could feel. Alexia has invited you to family dinner which happened after every other home game. Her mother and sister made you feel welcome. You had become rather close with Eli as she would often reach out to talk to you and check in with you. She didn’t need to say much, the fact that she could understand was more than enough. 

Alba was quite the character and there was never a dull moment with her. She would relentless tease her sister and it had you holding stomach with laughter.

You had received some calls that made you think about a few things. You thought about talking to Lucy and Keira about it but you knew their decision would be biased so you confided in Alexia one night as the two of you walked Nala along Barceloneta.  She helped you work though the feelings that the question brought up and by the the time you arrived back to your apartment, which you learnt was in the building opposite to hers, you knew what your decision would be. 

During the game against Atleti there was a certain Dutchwoman in attendance. It was the second to last game before the Nations league semi final, a game that England has got to by the skin of their teeth. Barcelona came away with a 2-0 win and a lot of the players stayed out on the pitch afterwards to greet the fans that came to support them.

Sarina stood near the locker room and praised the team as they entered. 

“Are you here for Lucy and Keira?” Aitana asked as she walked down the hall.

Behind her walked the two English women, along with Alexia. The latter knew to expect her, it made sense for her to come see you in person. The other two clearly had no idea that their national team coach was coming.

“She isn’t here for them” 

Alexia’s words cause Lucy and Keira’s heads to turn in surprise. 

“Y/N’s still out on the pitch. She is playing with Irene’s son Matteo, shall I go get her?”

“No, I can wait” 

Just as three of them were about to enter they hear your voice followed by a child’s laughter. You walked down the tunnel with Irene and her little boy. Sarina saw just how happy you were and for a brief moment she regretted coming. She questioned whether or not this is what is best for you.

“Gaffa” you saw the look on your team mates faces and chuckled. Surely they knew it was only a matter of time before Sarina came knocking “Let me get showered quickly and we will go” 

“But we’re going out tonight. It’s team night” Aitana sulked.

“I’ll meet you guys there” 

Alexia and you shared a look. She knew what this conversation was going to be about and she was pretty sure she knew what the outcome would be and she was worried. You squeezed her shoulder and smiled before going into the locker room.

It was over 3 hours later that you finally enter the restaurant that the team were eating at. 

All heads turned to you as you walked through the door. The seat reserved for you happened to be next to Alexia which you don’t think was an accident. Lucy and Keira were sat opposite you and you see the look of suspense in their eyes. They hadn’t officially been told what you and Sarina were talking about but they had very good guesses. 

The rest of the team were having their own conversations and you didn’t want to make a scene so you nodded your head and that was enough confirmation for them.

“Yes!!” Lucy stood up suddenly and slammed her hands on the table.

“Holy fuck. Lucia, sit down”  

Lucy does as her told.

“Our captain is back” Keira said to herself. 

You tried your best to include yourself in the conversations around you but your mind kept wandering. You found yourself staring off into the distance. It is only when you feel a gentle hand on your thigh do you realise just how spaced out you were.

“Is everything ok? Did your coach say something because if she did then—“

“Stand down Ale” Alexia’s eye soften at the nickname. It wasn’t a new one for her but you had only just started calling her it and she loved it “I’m just thinking is all. What if I’m not good enough? What if I don’t have a place in that team anymore?” You lean into her and whisper.

“Y/N, they are your team. Yes you took some time away but you lead them for a long time and you told me they knew your reasons. It might take some time to get back into things but you will soon be back to how you were before. Besides if things go well for both of us then we will have a World Cup rematch on our hands and I want to see what might have happened if you played in the summer” 

Oh you didn’t think about that. You hadn’t given your upcoming opponents a second thought. Alexia was right. If England beat France then they will face Spain in the national league final. 

You thought there might be some awkwardness when you walked through the doors at the England camp but you couldn’t have been more wrong. Each player welcomed you with open arms and the players that you didn’t know as much treated you like everyone else did.

There were a few moments when you got pulled aside by Sarina for what she called her mental health checks. She promised that nothing said between you would be told to anyone else and you chose to believe her. You were honest about how heavy the shirt felt when it had the England badge on and you told her of the nerves you were feeling about playing for your country again.

Alexia had kept texting you to check in and for the most part you told her the truth. It was the day before the match when you got overwhelmed and instead of lying, you chose to ignore her. You knew it wasn’t fair but wanted to stay focused. You could bury your feelings for 24 hours. Alexia on the other had wasn’t going to give up on you.

“Alexia” Jenni nudged her friends leg “Earth to Alexia” 

The woman in question had her eyes glued to the her phone as you sent you yet another message.

“What do you want!” Alexia snaps.

“Hey, don’t snap at me. Who you texting? Is it a girl?” Jenni peaked over her shoulder.

“No” Alexia pulled her phone closer to her chest “It’s Y/N”

“Y/N Y/L/N is a girl last time I checked” Jenni couldn’t help but tease.

“She but I don’t like her like that, well I do. Wait! I don’t” Alexia slumps down in her seat  “Oh Jenni, I don’t know how I feel”

Jenni hasn’t seen her friend like this in a long while. Normally Alexia knows what wants and isn’t afraid to go for it. This though is different. It’s almost like she knows what she wants but she is hesitating and Alexia doesn’t hesitate.

“It’s ok not to know but something is clearly bothering you. What is it?” 

“She is ignoring me”

“Last time I saw you you told me she didn’t want anything to do with you”

So much had changed since then and she didn’t know how to explain it. In the end she told her everything she could without going into the finer details. Alexia confesses her feelings and explains that she cannot get a hold of you and that none on your team mates were answering either.

“Alexia, I may not know why she stopped playing football but I saw the way she played, she loves the sport. Her playing for England again is a big deal. Everyone is talking about her press conference she did this morning, it’s all over social media” 

Alexia wasn’t aware of a press conference. She never goes on social media the day before a match because it is quite often a distraction. Jenni picks up on her friend’s obliviousness and gives alexia her phone so she can see what is being said.

Jenni was right. You are everywhere. 

Y/N Y/L/N makes her return but what does it mean? Why now?

Sarina Weigman confirm Y/N is the captain of this team despite turning her back on them.

Beth Mead ruled out for Semi final, should be back for final if England are successful.

World Cup rematch? Y/N says that Spain wouldn’t have won if she was playing.

Alexia read headline after headline, article after article. She was beginning to feel overwhelmed so she couldn’t imagine what you must have been feeling. The last headline made the Catalonian laugh because she too had thought about what the outcome might have been if you were playing.

“I think the last one is a stretch” Jenni mumbles.

“We will never know” Alexia is ever more determined to get a hold of you. Just as she was about to call you again, a message comes through.

Hi. Sorry I haven’t been around, it’s been a lot. Thank you for checking in on me Alexia, I promise you I’m ok. Good luck in your match tomorrow.

“She’s ok” Alexia tells Jenni as if the forward was the one who was worried about you.

The next day you wake up and are ridden with nerves. It’s not a familiar feeling and you know that you need to calm down before the game or things will end badly. 

Despite protests from your team mates, you will start the game on the bench. It’s the right decision and you make sure to tell Sarina just that. Whilst the team’s recent performances have been spotty to say the least, you refuse to walk back in like nothing had changed. You know you need to earn your place on the pitch with the lionesses.

Spain’s game has an early kick off and finishes just after yours starts. The team get back to the hotel and have organised to watch it the hotel bar. Much to Alexia’s dismay she is called for Media seen as though Spain won and have qualified for the Olympics. 

When she finally joins the team she knows that the first half is over but that’s it.

“What’s the score?” She asks anyone who is listening.

“2–0” Ona says.

“That’s—“ Alexia is cut off before she can finish her sentence.

“To Germany” Jenni knows that Alexia would have wanted England to win if for no other reason than you “Y/N is going on for Toone” 

She cannot help the smile that tugs at her lips as your number goes on the subs board. 

The world watches as Mary runs over to you and gives you the band.

“Welcome back skipper” Mary pushes the band up your arm before you can stop her because she know’s that is what you’ll do. She was there in the captain’s meeting when you told Sarina that you didn’t deserve the captaincy.

“Game on, Maz” 

It felt right being on the pitch and wearing the three lions crest. You allow yourself to take in your return but only for a couple of seconds before you turn your attention to the game and the challenge that you face. 3 goals was a lot to ask for when Germany are playing as good as they are. It wouldn’t be easy and it would take everything you had but you never shied away from a challenge and you wasn’t about to start now.

After about ten minutes you found your rhythm and England were playing the type of football they are known for. It doesn’t take long for LJ to make a run and dance around the opposition. You have faith in her but follow her anyways in case she loses the ball. She doesn’t but Frohms does save her shot, she doesn’t save your rebound though.

“Get the ball” You shout to the Chelsea player. 

When the match restarts, the lionesses are on the hunt. Shot after shot is taken but somehow the ball stays out the net. England get a corner in the 80 minute and you’re lurking on the edge of the box, ready to make your run. Popp is the one marking you because she has studied you new way of play since joining Barcelona. Chloe’s corner is pin point and no amount of research in the world could stop you from getting the second goal and tying the game.

Alexia finds herself up on her feet with Ona and a couple of your team mates when you get your brace.

“Vamos Y/N” she says.

“You do realise that we will face them if they win” Misa reminds her.

“Right now, I don’t care. She deserves this and I’m celebrating my team mate” Alexia didn’t care if she might face you in the final.

“She told you” Aitana whispers as she pulls her captain down to the sofa “That is why she doesn’t hate you anymore and why you’ve stopped interrogating her”

Alexia does nothing but nod. Her fellow midfielder didn’t need to know anything else and she doesn’t ask for it either. She accepts that the reason must be valid if Alexia has dropped her questions.

There are 4 minutes announced of stoppage time. 

When you look up the the score board and see the number you get flashbacks on the euros final. You have been in this position before and came out victorious. Today was going to be no different. 

It was huge mistake by Germany when Gwinn takes down Hemp about a meter outside the box.

In the past you have found yourself stood over the ball with Beth but this game it’s Alex who stands beside you.

With her hand over her mouth she gives you strict instructions.

“You’re taking it” 

It’s not a question and you don’t argue.

“You have saved us tonight, now get your hattrick”

The amount of faith Alex had in you did wonders but it didn’t settle every nerve running through your body. Free kicks were your specialty, this wasn’t nothing new and the pressure was a familiar feeling. 

As soon as you strike the ball you know it’s going in. It’s a hard feeling to describe but many call it shooters instinct, it had never been wrong and it wasn’t now. The ball floated over the wall and went in the further part of the top corner. The shot was unsaveable. You ran over to the bench, more specifically to Sarina, to celebrate with the woman who gave you space and welcomed you back with open arms. 

“It’s like you never left”

Her words caught you off guard. For a brief moment you agreed with her but you got hit by the feeling of grief, you looked towards the family section and there was no one supporting you. Maybe some things hadn’t changed but a lot certainly has. When the full time whistle was blown your team mates ran towards you, all of the congratulating you on your performance and your first game back.

It was a weird kind of celebrations that night. The team was split, half wanted to celebrate getting through the final and the other half knew the job wasn’t done, they knew that the biggest task was yet to be faced. Spain had beaten them before and on the greatest stage, the UEFA national league final could either repeat history and England could rewrite it.

The team travelled to Madrid that night, only hours after the game. Upon arrival almost everyone went to their rooms but not you. You knew sleep wouldn’t come easy so you decided to wander the streets of Madrid. It had become a habit of yours, you would walk around and people watch. Every human had their own story to tell and it made you forget about yours.

You had no destination planned yet you found yourself stopping outside a hotel, the one you know from your text messages with Alexia, was the one the Spain team was staying at. 

A lot of feelings were running through you and you saw this as the universe’s sign that maybe you should talk about them. You have confided in Alexia since Sarina first reached out to you, she knew more than anyone how you really felt about returning and you talked about this very moment, the hours after your first game when the past is very much present in your mind. You remember the words she told you ‘when that happens you call me’ so that is what you do or at least that is what you go to do.

“Y/N” you hear a familiar voice say. You turn to see Jenni, Irene, Laia and Misa walking towards you.

“Hi guys” your voice is quiet, shy almost and you cannot help the way your eyes scan for Alexia knowing full well that these are the people she spends the most time with.

“What are you doing here?” Misa asks you. The two of you hadn’t formally been introduced but you had scored a brace against her in the El Classico.

“I’m—“ 

“Here for Alexia” Jenni says with a knowing look and you cannot help but feel like she knows something you don’t.

You can only nod. Apart from Irene, you didn’t know these girls very well and the version of yourself that you show to strangers is very different to the one that your friends see.

‘I can take you to her. We are roommates” Jenni seems sincere with her words but you feel a pang of jealousy. Everybody knew that the two of them used to date, it shouldn’t bother you, you had no right to be jealous yet that is exactly what you were feeling.

You think about it and Jenni can tell you are thinking about it.

“She hasn’t stopped talking about you and I know she will want to see you. She was your biggest fan when we watched the game” Jenni added hoping to create some sense of comfortability.

“She watched my game?” You asked in disbelief. You thought you had no one but maybe you did, maybe Alexia was the someone that was cheering you on but instead of the family area she was cheering you on from the hotel you were currently standing outside of.

“She did. I think she forgot she was Spanish for a minute” Irene says which causes you to laugh.

“I doubt that but I appreciate the support. You know I shouldn’t be talking to you, you guys are the enemy now” 

“Yet you came here for our captain, she will be your enemy too. Come on, I’ll take you to her. We wouldn’t want you to be spotted outside our hotel, just think of the optics” Jenni once again says.

“Ok” you nod your head a few times to solidify your answer.

The girls lead you through the hotel but only Jenni and Irene stay with you, Misa and Laia walk ahead. The longer you walk the more you begin wondering if this was a good idea. What if you are overstepping your boundaries. You had no right to be here and could easily be turned away at any point.

You enter the lounge area of the hotel which holds the majority of the Spanish national team yet your eyes search for only one. She see’s you before you see her and is walking over to you with a worried look on her face.

“Estas bien? What are you doing here?” Alexia’s arm rests on your shoulder.

“It was an accident. I was out for a walk and I ended up here” you explained.

“She was asking for you” Jenni says even though technically it wasn’t true. In her eyes she wanted to play matchmaker after it was made evidently clear that Alexia was hesitant to peruse things with you even though she had feelings for you.

“Is this true?” Alexia asks and you nod.

“We won, I returned, I scored, wore the armband and I didn’t have anyone is stands” you whispered so only she could hear you.

The look in your eyes changed. For the first time that night you showed your true emotions. Alexia didn’t need to hear anything else. She grabbed your hand and escorted you to the outdoor seating area. She sat down whilst your paced the patio.

“Y/N, come sit down” Alexia pats the seat next to her and you comply “Are you ok, really? What made you come here to me?”

“I’m not ok but I’m more ok than I thought I would be. It’s been quite a day, that game was —“

“Incredible. You changed the entire play” 

“It felt right. I belong on the pitch with the girls, I should never have left” You didn’t register that you felt guilty about your absence until you said the words out loud to Alexia.

“You needed to. You had to process your loss and you returned when you were ready”

Alexia was very understanding, you had to give her that. 

“That answers my first question but the second” the Catalonian didn’t want to push but there had to be a reason and until she heard the truth she was filled with worry. You had been walking the streets of Madrid, alone, at almost midnight.

“Why am I here?” You repeated it. Maybe you hoped that hearing the question again would help you figure out an answer, it did “I wanted to celebrate…….with you. I was surrounded by my team, people I consider family yet you were the one I wanted to call and tell about the game”

You dipped your head when you felt yourself getting emotional. You were suppose to be happy but with everything you were feeling you were overwhelmed. On top of what you were feeling you couldn’t ignore the way your heart beat twice as fast because Alexia was sat opposite you with her hand now resting on your thigh. 

When you looked up Alexia noticed the the tears in your eyes and was quick to wipe away one when it fell.

“I shouldn’t be feeling this way Alexia, it is wrong” you met her eye as you made your version of a confession.

“You can be happy about playing football again Y/N. Natalia would have wanted you to be”

“Don’t say her name, not now” you shook your head and Alexia’s hand fell back to its prior place on your thigh.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to overstep. I can give you space if that what you need” the blonde stands, ready to leave you be but you grab her hand and pull her back down.

“I don’t want space and that is the problem. I wasn’t talking about the game Alexia. I shouldn’t be feeling this way about you” you shook your head in disbelief. You were sure that your shot of happiness died with your wife but you have developed feelings for Alexia and could no longer deny it.

“Y/N” Alexia cupped your face so that you would look at her but when you did, her hand didn’t move.

“Ale” you melted into her touch. That very touch gave you butterflies and you enjoyed the act of intimacy.

The two of you went silent but each of your thoughts were very loud. Alexia glanced at your lips, you knew what she was about to do and you didn’t stop her. Maybe you should have, maybe you should have pulled away but you didn’t. You didn’t move when her lips hovered centimetres from your own, you let her kiss you. You froze in the moment, like a deer in headlights. It was only when you closed your eyes did you realise what was happening. The kiss felt like you were cheating, it felt wrong yet felt so right.

“You shouldn’t have done that. We can’t do this. It was wrong” you pushed Alexia away and stood up hastily.

You stormed away before Alexia had the chance to speak. All eyes were on you as you walked through the sea of Spanish players. Their eyes went from you and then to Alexia who was running through, trying to catch up to you. She was hot on your heels until you turned to face her. She waited a couple of seconds before taking steps towards you.

“Stop” you say but she doesn’t “No!” you held you arm out to further imply your seriousness.

After that she can do nothing else but watch you walk away from her. Her hazel eyes stayed on you until you were out the lobby doors and onto the streets of the Spanish capital.

Alexia was frozen in place. She has ruined everything by rushing but she felt something when she touched you, she felt a spark and that wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t feel the same thing she did. You told her that had feelings for her, you came all this way to see her. Those things meant something but maybe she had read it wrong, maybe it had all been in her head.

“Alexia, are you ok? You’re crying” Irene appeared in front of her. The woman in question was quick to wipe her eyes in hope that no one else would see her tears.

“I’m fine. It’s getting late, everyone should go to their rooms. We have a final to prepare for and we need to be at our best” Alexia walked away.

The two of you were very quiet in the upcoming days and were laser focused on the task at hand. Beat the opposing team and being the first even UEFA Nations League champions. Both of your team mates could tell something was wrong but they didn’t know what to do. Your team mates wasn’t aware of your late night adventures until Aitana texted Keira to ask if you were ok and told her that Alexia wasn’t after you showed up at their hotel. The English midfielder kept this to herself given that Lucy has only just got started talking to Alexia and there were a few players on the team who’s protectiveness could rival the defenders.

By the time the day of the final came around there was plenty of reason for concern but both teams knew that this is what you had been working towards. Yes, a trophy was on the line but it was the previous trophy that was the topic of conversation. 

The first time Alexia saw you was when they arrived for the pitch inspection. You were near the goal with LJ, it has become a new pre match routine for the two of you. Well you did it the game a couple of days ago and you won that so the two of you gravitated towards the goal today. 

Alexia wanted to go to you and that is what she was going to do until she felt a hand grab her wrist.

“Alexia” 

She turned to face Keira.

“Leave her be”

“I didn’t mean to upset her. We were talking about feelings and then I kissed her, I couldn’t help it. It felt right in the moment” Alexia couldn’t stop talking. It’s like was making a confession and Keira would be the one deciding whether or not it was a sin.

Meanwhile the English midfielder couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Sure she had suspected something was going on between the two of you but she also had a strong sense that you wasn’t ready for anything knew. In her eyes you were still healing.

“You kissed her?” Keira whispered as not to bring attention to their conversation.

Alexia was about to explain further but Keira stopped her as she sure her other team mate coming towards them.

“Lucy is coming. I will talk to you about this later” 

It was as if Keira flipped a switch. Her look of concern was replaced with a smile and she even put on a fake laugh so Lucy wouldn’t arrive to an awkward silence. Soon enough it was a gathering of Barcelona players yet Alexia could stay focused on what her friends were saying for you were beginning to walk towards her.

In your eyes you wanted to talk to Alexia and you knew you needed to. The other night was a lot for you to process but you did owe her an explanation for leaving, that much you did know. She looked good as you watched her enter the pitch. You let your eyes linger in the most discreet way possible. 

“You and Putellas?” LJ asked you. She wasn’t aware of what happened, nor did she know you were married. In her eyes, you were hiding something and she wasn’t wrong.

“We are friends…..I think. It’s complicated” you admitted knowing that Lauren wouldn’t push you further.

“Uncomplicate it” she suggested.

“If only it was that easy. Let’s head in and get ready”

You felt the change in heartbeat again as you got closer to where Alexia was standing. Your head might have been all over the place but you heart was being very clear in what it wanted only you weren’t ready to admit it.

“Y/N” Alexia shouted to you as you walked past her.

“Hi” for whatever reason, you pulled her into a hug “Good luck today, you’re going to need it” 

You both started laughing at the quick change of energy.

“I don’t think it’s us that need luck. We beat you in the summer” Alexia was cocky but she wasn’t confident.

“You didn’t beat me though” you couldn’t help but smile at her.

Your smile was genuine and that is something Alexia took great hope in seeing. Maybe you weren’t mad at her, maybe you just needed a little space.

What you said next doubled that hope.

“Come find me after the game”

Then just as quick as the hope was there, it wasn’t.

“We need to talk”

Those 4 words struck fear in Alexia but she didn’t have the chance to say anything because you were already down the tunnel by the time she came to her senses.

Your was brought up several times in the Spanish locker room and each time all eyes fell to Alexia for she is the one that knew you most. She had learnt how you think, what plays you are going to make before you make them. In her team’s eyes she knew how to stop you. Only it wasn’t that easy. Alexia did knew how you play but that style changes when you are hungry, like you have a point to prove and this game brought both of those things.

“Stop focusing on Y/N! If you focus on how to stop her then you’ve already lost. Focus on stopping her from getting the ball” That is the last thing she said before heading out into the tunnel. 

The lionesses were waiting for her, she expected it. It was an intimidation tactic. You weren’t there and that was a surprise, she would have bet good money that you would be in the starting 11. Mary stood opposite her and smirked when she saw the look of bewilderment on the opposing players face. 

Alexia wanted to say something, she kept looking back at the team. If she was paying attention she would notice that there was only 10 players on the England side of the tunnel. With her eyes now facing forward she didn’t see you walking towards the front of the line. The sound of your cleats fell on deaf ears.

Her head shot to the side when she caught a glimpse of you standing next to her with the pendent in your hand.

“Capital Y/L/N, nice to see you back where you belong” Alexia covered her mouth, her being well aware that there were cameras on her.

You shake your head at her greeting.

“Captain Putellas. You’re going to wish I wasn’t” you had one last attempt to get in her head.

“No I won’t. Win or lose today, this is something the world, myself included, has been waiting for” 

You thought you would get a smart remark not a reply that was genuine.

“Alexia” 

“Y/N” 

Those were the last words spoken except from a good look after the coin toss.

You called a huddle before everyone got into place. This game was important, not only because of the trophy on the line but it was the lionesses chance at redemption. To prove that it was only one game.

“I want you all to do something for me. Play for right now, not for the past. You cannot change what happened in the summer, no matter how hard you try. Winning today won’t get you the star on the shirt but it can be the reset you guys have been wanting. That loss has been haunting you, I can see it by the look on your faces and I promise you here today that if you play with revenge in your hearts then you will fail. Yes, this is Spain but we are England. We don’t stay down, we get up and fight. We stand together as a team, a pride. We go out there and leave everything on the pitch” 

Each player is hooked on every word as you give Mary the signal. 

“England on three” 

You all come together one more time before getting in position.

Alexia tries to do the same by most of the team is watching you.

“She is going to make it hard” Olga tells her captain.

“She is going to make our lives hell for the next 90 minutes but that’s not to say we can’t give it back. Look at that star on your shirt, we got that by beating this team. Yes, Y/N wasn’t playing but she is one player. As good as she may be, we are better. You’ve seen what everyone is saying, they are calling our World Cup win a fluke, that we didn’t win but England lost. We may have qualified for the Olympics but our job is not done. We have a trophy to win. Vamos Espana” 

Just like England did, Spain come together before readying themselves for the game.

The game which starts in the worst possible way for the away team. It seems the your players might be a bit more nervous that they are letting on. Inside the first 15 minutes Salma gets through on goal and sends Spain up 1-0. It wasn’t ideal but it didn’t mean the game was over either. You were playing safe, as a way to get the most out of the team around you. When the first half is done with you haven’t take a single shot on goal. 

Spain entered the tunnel happy and England entered it less so.

The atmosphere was eerie in the locker room and you could see the self doubt radiating off your team mates.

Sarina takes the floor and explains all sorts of strategies but nobody is listening. They are in their own head.

“Do you mind?” You walk up to Sarina hoping to have a talk with your team. The coach happily steps aside.

“How many of you are thinking about the World Cup? Raise your hand” nobody does and you decide to call bullshit “You’re lying and I won’t have that. You are telling me none of you are out there thinking of the summer? the picture of them lifting the trophy that should have been yours?” 

One by one players begin lifting their hands.

“I can stand here and say I haven’t been good enough. I need to be better and I will be better. In 45 minutes we will be crowned champions. The question is are we going to do it in style or are we going to make it harder for ourselves? We know what we need to do and we will do it” 

You leave the locker room and go back out onto the pitch. You are the first one out there and you take a minute to look at the score board. 1-0. You hated to lose but more than that, you hated to let people down. You made the decision to come back and you didn’t do that to come second.  You returned to be a champion and to make Natalia proud, you wasn’t doing to let her down. You had spent the past couple of days trying not to think about her and maybe that was the problem. She was your greatest strength, your biggest supporter and she may be no longer with you, you may be beginning to move on but that doesn’t mean you have to forget about her. No, you need to play for her just as you always did.

The first ten minutes of the second half it was like a different team was on the pitch. England were pushing and pressing and Spain were struggling. In the 67 minute was when the game was made even once again. You and hempo were tiring out the defence and it made them vulnerable. On one counter attack they couldn’t keep up. Irene was the only player standing between you and Cata but she could see Hempo running up beside you. She found herself in a lose lose situation so she stuck with you in hopes that the pressure would work, it didn’t. You pull her in just enough to give hempo enough space. At the last minute you passed to your left and she fired the ball into the back of the net.

Game on.

Spain were beginning to tire and the one touch football that was known around the world began to work in favour of England. They were unable to play out from the back because you, Alessia, Hempo and LJ was pressing the defence. It was mind play and it was working. 

It was during a corner where things got interesting.

“Keep going!” You clapped your hands to rally the team “we are in their heads, now we end it” 

“You’re not in our heads” Alexia says as she chooses to mark you. It was a tactic they hadn’t done yet, so far Jenni had marked you.

“Just you saying that is proof that we are but feel free to prove me wrong” you had a minute to talk as the ref walk talking to Lucy and Irene.

“I will. Let’s make it interesting. You score right now and I’ll buy you a drink later”

“So that means I’ll be taking the trophy and your money? Oh you’re on” 

Alexia followed you are you walked around the box as you got into position. You would end up in one or two places; front post or in the middle. Never did she think you would make a run for the back post and swap positions will Lucy. The change caught Alexia out and when the ball hit the back of the neck she shook her head in defeat. 

She had played right into your hands. You had pulled her in with your words and left her hanging when you celebrated what would go on to be the winning goal of the game.

You had to take a moment when the game was over. Everyone was celebrating but you and Lucy made the effort to congratulate your club team mates of a game well played.

“Ay, Capi. You’re predictable you know that?” Lucy threw her arms around the Catalonian.

“Lucy!” You slapped her on the back of the head “What she meant to say is you guys played a good game and that we will see you in Paris”

“We’ll see them in Barcelona” Lucy tried to correct you.

“I mean on the pitch as opponents, idiot”  

Alexia was to focused on what the defender said first to hear the bickering that was now taking place between the two of you.

“What did she mean?” Alexia asked you.

Lucy gave you a look before leaving the two of you be.

“You once told me that in order to see yourself as the best, you had to beat the best. Tonight you wanted to beat me”

“No, I —“ 

“You did and that’s ok. I wanted to beat you too. It’s our competitive nature. That need you had allowed us a way in. I didn’t know it would come from a corner, only that in at least one part of the game you will stick to me just so you could say you got the upper hand”

“I should have dropped you off, let Irene pick you up and followed Lucy” Alexia understands the error she made.

“You should have but don’t beat yourself up about it. That wasn’t our first plan or second. Our plan was for Hempo to tire Ona out and for Lucy to get inside Olga’s head. Without those two things happening, we wouldn’t have got the corner in the way we did”

Alexia didn’t know whether to be pissed off or impressed that you read her and her team so well.

“You deserve the win today. Go celebrate with your team” 

“I will but remember you owe me a drink. I’ll text you the address of wherever we go. Invite the girls too”

Alexia watched you walk away but there was one more thing she wanted to tell you only she feared it would do more damage than good. In the end she bite the bullet and ran to you.

“Y/N” 

“Hi again” you laughed “Do you want another explanation of our strategy? We can always watch the game back when we in home in Barcelona” 

Home in Barcelona. There is something about the way you said it that made alexia feel warm and fuzzy inside.  She quickly shook her head to rid herself of those thoughts and the overthinking that came with them.

“I just want to say that Natalia would have been proud of you today. Not just today but the other game too. I know it’s not my place to say that because I didn’t know her but you should know that. You—“ Alexia began rambling.

“Breathe. Thank you for saying that. I know she is looking down on me right now with a huge smile on her face and truth is if I think about her too much then I think I might cry so I don’t want to go into that right now. Thank you though” 

Alexia couldn’t help but feel like she shouldn’t have said that.

The ceremony went by in the blind of an eye. One minute you are waiting for Spain to collect their medals, the next you are raising the trophy with Mary. Back in the locker room you find yourself staring at the medal on your neck. Never in your professional career had one stayed on your neck for this long and never has the gold felt so heavy. It felt like it was weighing you down so you take it off and stuff it into your back. You would talk about that means with your therapist if you had one. 

Later on in the night you found yourself at the hotel bar with the rest of the team celebrating. You tried your best to be happy and part of you truly was but you life off the field was becoming more complicated and hard to ignore.

“Excuse me” you tell the group that included Leah, Georgia, Keira and Lucy. 

“Should we be concerned?” Georgia asks.

“Yes but let her have a moment. These past ten days have been a lot for her” Lucy tells her friend.

They watched as you paced back and forth on the balcony. To the English it was warm outside but there was still a chill in the air and you weren’t wearing a jacket. Keira kept looking at her watch asking herself how long is long enough before she goes out to you. 

Some of the Spanish team arrive about an hour after the lionesses. Some of them go to the bar, some go to friend but Alexia, well she only had one interest and she couldn’t it or more specifically couldn’t find you. Her eyes scanned the room one, twice and third time. She had her phone out ready to call just as she sees you. 

Leah catches her walking towards you and wants to stop her.

“What is she doing” The blonde asks defensively “Y/N doesn’t want anything to do with her”

The Arsenal player has heard about you bust up when Keira visiting England over Christmas. 

“Things are different now but I’m not sure this is the right thing to do. Alexia!” Keira shouts her club captain over.

“Hola. Congratulations again. You guys sure know how to party” she tried to be polite even though she had no interest in a conversation with anyone who wasn’t you.

“Thank you” Leah seems genuine “Were you going to see Y/N?” 

Alexia nods.

“That might not be the best idea right now. I think she needs a minute to herself. It’s been quite the day for her”

“I know. That’s why I want to talk to her” Alexia knew that you might be been struggling but to her that was all the more reason for her to talk to you.

“She won’t even wear her medal” Georgia adds earning her a shove. As far as the English players are aware, Alexia didn’t know anything.

“That isn’t surprising. Every tournament until this one she has given her medal to Natalia” Alexia says as if it is the most obvious thing but your friends didn’t put two and two together.

“Wait” Lucy says “She told you about her?” Again, Alexia nods.

“When? She hasn’t talked about her since she passed” the defender added.

“After Christmas” Alexia explains but goes no further.

“That’s why she went to you the other night but then you—“

“Keira, I won’t talk about that right now. I just want make sure she is ok and I can’t do that if I am being interrogated by you” 

With that Alexia leaves your friends speechless and makes her way towards the balcony.

As quietly as possible, Alexia slides the door open and closes it behind her. She didn’t want to startle you so she watched from a distance. Your face wasn’t puffy so you hadn’t been crying but your posture was stiff so you were stressed.

“They’ve spent the past hour burning holes in the back of my head from their staring yet you have come straight out” you turn to see Alexia resting against the door. 

“I owe you a drink and —” 

“And yet your hands are empty” you point to Alexia’s hand which as you stated aren’t holding a drink “You can come closer you know. I’m not going to blow”

“I know it’s just that—“

“The last time we were along I ran away crying” you laugh as you think back to that night. Things were going really well until they wasn’t.

“Are you going to let me finish a sentence or are you going to keep talking for me?”

You mumble an apology and signal for her to continue.

“Your friends know I know and I accidentally told keira we kissed” 

“Figures. She has been hovering” 

The two of you go quiet. It’s not awkward, it’s comfortable but even then it’s not what either of you wanted.

“You said we needed to talk” Alexia didn’t want to push things and you had told her this before the game.

“We do. What happened the other night it—“

“Shouldn’t have happened”

“Who is finishing the other’s sentences now” 

“Lo siento”

“As I was saying” you send her smirk so she knows she isn’t in trouble “The other night was very overwhelming for me, not because I didn’t like what happened but because I did. I told you that I had feelings and those feelings are for you Alexia. You make me feel things that I thought I’d never feel again. I promised my heart and love to her Alexia and to feel these things for someone else is like an act of betrayal. It feels wrong but I don’t want those feelings to stop. You kissed me and I knew it was going to happen yet I didn’t to stop it. I shouldn’t have ran away like that”

“It was a lot for you, I understand that” Alexia tried to reassure you that it was ok.

“It was but I should have stayed. You wanted to talk to me and I didn’t give you the opportunity. Just because I lost someone doesn’t mean that it’s only my feelings that matter. I’m sorry Alexia” 

Alexia couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Since you said the words ‘we need to talk’ she has been trying to think of all the things you could have said, an apology was not one of them.

“Can I say what I would have that night?” Alexia asks and you nods your head whilst closing the distance between you.

“Those feelings you talked about, I feel them too. Things changed between us after you told me and I couldn’t ignore it, trust me I tried. I was also aware of your loss and that this might not be something you are ready for so I talked to my mum one night. She is the only other person I know who has experienced the same loss you have. I told her that I had fallen for you and that I wanted to act on my feelings. You know what she told me? She told me that time heals all wounds but no amount of time is the same. If I wanted to prove to you that I truly liked you then I would need to take it slow so that is what I am willing to do. If you want to pursue this then we will take it slow, as slow as you need. You said it feels like an act of betrayal and I respect that. I won’t push you into anything you’re not ready for”

Alexia reached out for you and noticed once again tears were falling down your face.

“I have made you cry again. I shouldn’t have said anything. Y/N I am so sorry”

“Alexia, these aren’t sad tears” you reach for her hand  “I can’t promise you that this will be easy. When Natalia died she took a lot of my heart with her and I don’t know how much is left but I want to share what I have left with you. Please be patient with me Alexia because I don’t know how to do this again. For most of my life it has been her and I but now I get the chance at happiness again, with you. We can take this slow?”

“We will go as slow are you want. I have nothing but time for you Y/N”

Alexia knew what to say and for the first time in a long time you found yourself leaning forward. Just as you were about to kiss her she moves and kisses your cheek.

“Slowly Y/N” Alexia winked causing you to chuckle “How about we go for dinner when we return to Barcelona?“

“I would really like that”

“Me too. Now if I remember correctly I owe you a drink” Alexia holds the door open so that you both can rejoin the party.

“That does seem to be the case. Make it a double. It’s not every day you pull one over on La Reina to score the winning goal” you shoved her playfully.

[luna-has-some-thoughts]

Danny accidentally becomes the Ghost king, The president and the BIGGEST threat to Bruce's social status.

Pt 1 Danny becomes the Ghost king

"Fenton's were never allowed to have a "normal" life, we are either extremely successful or extremely unsuccessful, there is no in between. Maybe a spirit cursed us back in the days, but who knows, but one things for sure, all Fenton's will definitely make the news."

-Grandma Fenton from whatever generation

Danny's starting to believe that now. He used to think that it wasn't true, but now? He used to wish to have a normal life, be a good normal son with good grades an be an astronaut one day.

But like they said, a Fenton is either EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL OR EXTREMELY UNSUCCESSFUL.

He was EXTREMELY UNSUCCESSFUL in that.

Instead of a normal life he turned a half ghost teen superhero. But oh well, the Fenton's were also known for their ability to go with the flow

But how in the world did the flow get him here???

In Danny's defense, he wasn't really expecting this. The only thing in his mind at the moment was keeping his town and his people safe from pariah. He just wanted to get rid of the rotten fruitloop. He was EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL, so successful in fact that he ended up becoming Ghost king.

The fudge????

But okay, sure, he didn't wanna become king but if he also didn't want to give up the crown for others to take, what if an evil person becomes king and attacks amity again?? Fine, he'll be king, he'll figure it out. Just go with the flow.

Surprisingly, not only did he get the crown, he also got THE MONEY. as in literal gold and silver bars, coins and jewelry. Appearantly, one the kings a long long time ago, before at least two generations before pariah had an obsession with MONEY. So the king made a Permanent Royal Degree (a law that cannot be changed by any future kings) that when someone dies and becomes a ghost, 20% of the MONEY that they've acquired in their entire life. (The money turns into an equivalent of ghost currency in the realms but is still physically in the living. Kind of like how the soul is in the realms but the body is the earth. Also, the only reason money exists in the realms is for convenience and a sense of normalcy, it doesn't really have that much value unless the ghosts brings it to the living) would belong to the ghost king.

Basically, it's ghost taxes that only have to be paid once for the entire afterlife. (Or is it more of an entrance fee???)

But anyways, hes got the MONEY.

He's rich now and he thinks, "I have so much money it's disgusting"

So first things first, getting rid of some of it.

By this point, his parents know he's phantom and have changed their opinions on ghosts, instead of attacking they are now looking at ghost like they're equals and try and help them as an apology for hurting them.

They are also looking for a new project to spend time on. A new purpose

So Danny thought, why not give them the money then? Danny proposed to his mom a project to make things that can benefit both ghosts and humans.

Next thing he knows is that he's appearantly funding, building and making:

A ghost job agency

A human job agency

Ghost proof buildings (ghost can't pass through walls, it won't hurt them, just keep em out.)

Ghost proof clothes (overshadowing proof!)

A practical fashion line for ghost and humans (Bullet proof, blast proof etch. Borderline vigilante clothes that look like a civilians day to day outfit)

Homes for ghost and humans

A ghost obsession help center where they can ask humans to help with their obsession.

A school for both ghost and humans.

Liminal 101 because apparently because of the whole, pariah dark and, living in the ghosts kings haunt situation, everyone is liminal now

An entire line of technology that can be used by both ghosts and humans.

A fight arena where ghost and humans can fight for fun.

And so many other things , he can't remember

HIS NAME IS EVERYWHERE . His parents didn't even bother hiding the fact that their son somehow has enough money to fund these projects, everyone knows him now.

He ends up basically owning most of amity park.

And here he thought he wouldn't be the kind of king that expands their territory.

He was extremely UNSUCCESSFUL in that.

[sflow-er]

So many thoughts on the fabulous Barbie film, but especially on how anyone who thinks it’s “hateful towards men” clearly isn’t getting the message.

SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT

[Credit for both gifs goes to their makers!!]

I mean... Ken’s arc is secondary to Barbie’s, and rightly so. This is her film, and her message deserves to be the main takeaway.

That being said, I just find it really sad that the people who could’ve definitely used the point of Ken’s arc just let it go right over their heads. Maybe it’s because they aren’t great at reading subtext, or because they just balk at anything presented as feminist, I don’t know.

Because to me, Ken’s arc is about as far from “hateful towards men” as you can get. It’s a multi-layered depiction of how restrictive, outdated views of masculinity can hold men back and make them susceptible to harmful ideologies that promise easy solutions for all their problems but only make those problems worse and hurt others around them.

The first layer is an allegory for real men don’t show their feelings. In the movie, this is represented by Ken’s need to look tough and cool all the time, and to keep his insecurities and sadness bottled up. Barbieland is a utopia where being happy is a social norm, and the main Barbie also starts to struggle with that. The difference is that she eventually tells her friends, and they all support her. Ken just puts pressure on himself not to look weak - in front of Barbie, or in front of the other Kens.

Which brings us to the second level: a competitive and inherently hostile view of the other Kens, aka. toxic male relationships. Some of them are friends, and all of them work together for a while to build the Patriarchy, but they don’t actually bond for real. Even their boys’ nights are mainly about getting back at the Barbies for all their girls’ nights (which really were about bonding). When push comes to shove, the Kens still see each other as competition, which is one of the reasons why the Barbies are able to play them against each other.

Another reason is the third layer: the idea that Ken only has value if Barbie loves and admires him. It starts out as unrequited love that makes you feel sorry for him...until he turns bitter. He basically starts on the path that could lead him down the incel/mra rabbit hole and into a mindset where Barbie owes him love and admiration and the relationship he wants in exchange for his devotion to her. He decides that everything would be better if Barbies were subservient to Kens, but of course that’s not true. None of the Barbies’ newfound admiration for their Kens is real, and his own Barbie still rejects him.

All this is of course underpinned by the final layer, which is Ken’s lack of self-respect and sense of purpose. He’s got a pointless job, he’s not particularly qualified for anything, and he just feels kind of lost in Barbieland - a society run by successful Barbies who are living up to their full potential. That’s why he gets so caught up in the idea of the Patriarchy, which is supposed to make him successful, get others to respect him, and give him a sense of purpose. (This can be generalised to all kinds of harmful ideologies in the real world, e.g. the alt-right movement.)

However, the success he achieves is superficial and not based on any real passion; he even admits that he wasn’t happy in his new position and already lost interest in the ideology. The (forced) respect of others does feel good for a while, but it only goes so far. At heart, the whole thing is still mostly about his feelings of inferiority and unrequited love for Barbie, and instituting this harmful new system did not resolve those for him.

So what does? In essence, breaking out of all these harmful patterns and internalising the idea that he is enough.

He ends up reflecting on his feelings, finally puts them to words (or rather, song and dance), and manages to connect with the other Kens through those feelings. He even cries in relief and acknowledges that it doesn’t make him weak. He and Barbie finally have a proper talk, he lets go of their (non-)relationship, and he listens when she says he needs to figure out his real self. He starts to see himself not through his job, his girlfriend, or even his competition with the other Kens, but as just Ken, who is enough.

I honestly can’t think of a less hateful message to send men and boys.

[redstarwriting]

shit happens

spider squad x platonic!reader

request?: yes

request: “Okokok, first of all CLASH WAS SOOOO GOOD OMGGI come bearing a request only if u want to. Teen!spider!reader who is Miguel’s favorite because they don’t cause him trouble. But it’s only because they get severely anxious when they break rules (I’m not projecting, you are). So he assigns them to go on a mission with the problem children hoping they’ll rub off on them, but the problem children just corrupt them. I just need more spider children being chaotic together and tired spiderdad MiguelMwah mwah love ur writing )pls only write this if u feel like it)”

requested by: anon​

word count: 2k

genre: platonic

Warnings: language, anxiety, Miguel being unrealistic with his expectations, electrocution, spider squad gettin thrown around

A/N: omg wait no bc same HAHA as someone with diagnosed severe generalized anxiety i get so anxious to break the rules even though my spirit always tells me to lol, i hope you enjoyed this anon! thank you for the request :)

───────────────────────────────────

You were the golden child. There were quite a few teens in Spider Society, but you were by far Miguel’s favorite. And that’s all because you did what he said. Now did that mean you never questioned his authority? Of course not, you questioned him all the time. But you were too nervous to go against him. You were too nervous to go against anyone. It’s proven a problem in your job since the police are not your biggest fans, but luckily you befriended a nice police captain who eases your fears every now and again. Your weekly visits with Spider-Therapist have been helping with the problem, too. Which is great for you. But you still did what Miguel said. Mans could be scary.

And that’s how you ended up here. With Hobie Brown, Gwen Stacy, Miles Morales, and Pavitr Prabhakar. There was an anomaly that needed taken down in Hobie’s world, and Miguel stuck you with the four of them. To say you were nervous was an understatement. “Right, so anyone got a plan?” Hobie asks, in his thick accent. “What? What do you mean, dude, we’re in your world,” Miles says, and Hobie shrugs. “So? Not my villain, dunno ‘ow to stop ‘im.”

“Okay, well we know that he’s an electro variant, so… what can we do with that?” Gwen asks, and Pav sighs. “Be electrocuted,” he says sadly. “Miles can handle that,” Gwen says, and Miles snaps his head toward her. “Miles cannot handle that! Why are we saying Miles can be electrocuted?!” Miles yells, and the other three shush him. “’ow ‘bout you, mate, any ideas?” Hobie asks you, and you shrug. You look around before pointing up to the water towers on the roofs of the multiple buildings in New London. “Water,” you suggest, and they all look where you’re pointing. “Smart,” Gwen says with a nod. “How do we get the water to him, though?” Pav asks, looking at you again. You frown. “I… actually didn’t think that far.”

“Well, ‘at’s, easy. We just bust ‘em. Get ‘im to fly near one and,” Hobie makes an explosion noise and uses his hands to imitate an explosion. “What? But what about all the people who will lose water?” you ask, and Miles cocks his head to the side. “It’ll get fixed fast, probably. It’s our job to fuck shit up and then have other people fix it cause if we don’t fuck shit up, shit gets fucked anyways,” he says, and you sigh. “But Miguel said to try and not cause too much of an issue—”

“Oi. Who gives a flyin’ fuck what ‘e said. Not me. And this is my bloody world, I’ll cause as much damage as I want to,” Hobie says, and you look down. “Sorry.”

“You don’t gotta apologize for nothin’, mate,” Hobie says, and you mumble another ‘sorry.’ “You know what? I think Electro can wait a minute,” Hobie says, turning towards you, “More important matters to figure out ‘ere.”

“Like what?” you ask, and he shrugs. “Why are you so nervous?” he asks, and you gulp. “I-I’m not, I just—”

“You definitely are,” Gwen says, and Miles throws in a ‘yup!’ with a nod. “Is it us?” Pav asks, a hint of sadness in his voice. “W-What? No, that’s not it,” you say, waving your hands in a frantic way to say no. “I just am nervous in general. It really isn’t that big of a deal, guys, we should be focusing on—”

“Nope. You’re not gettin’ outta this, you been in ya ‘ead this ‘ole time.”

“I’m always in my head, it really isn’t that big of a deal—”

“Is ‘at why you try to avoid everyone? Don’t talk to no one?” Hobie asks, and you gulp. “I-I talk to some people…” you mumble, and a small frown forms on Gwen’s face. “The therapist in Spider Society doesn’t count,” she says, and you look down. “Well, why not…? He’s a person...”

“Because he’s like 40, and you’re our age,” Pav says, “you’d get along better with us, bro.”

“Miguel said that if anyone could make us not as ‘moronic’ it would be you, but I feel like he just kinda takes advantage of you instead of recognizing the pressure he puts on you. I have some experience with that,,” Miles says, and you sigh. “He scares me, okay? If I break the rules then I might simply pass away from him yelling at me,” you say, and Hobie shakes his head. “Love, the rules are all bollocks. Made by people who just wanna control your life.” Gwen nods. “Miguel is cool, sure, but if anyone can get away with anything… it’s you,” she says, and Miles chimes in. “And if you’re really that scared, remember he literally chased me around his world and destroyed a train because of me. You’ll never piss him off to that point.” You stay silent, playing with your fingers. Pav reaches out and grabs your hands. “Rules are meant to be broken, (Y/n), I learned that from Hobie. And besides, the villains we face are the biggest rule-breakers imaginable,” Pav assures, and you nod slightly. “And rules are such rubbish. ‘ey’re always different anywhere ya go. Try not to put so much weight on your mind ‘bout it, breakin’ ‘em ain’t a big deal,” Hobie says. You do actually kinda feel better. Hobie brings up a good point. Rules are different everywhere you go, so breaking one every now and again isn’t that big of an issue. In fact, it can be kind of encouraged. “Besides, breaking rules is almost like challenging ideologies, you know? Like, in breaking a rule, you challenge a system in place that is telling you not to break them. No one likes that. Where would we be if people didn’t break rules?” Gwen says. “That was deep,” Miles says, and Pav nods. “'at was a wicked way a’ puttin’ it, Gwendy.”

That’s a good point, actually. You think for a bit. If you look at it as challenging a system, or even doing what’s right, who’s to say it’s a rule that shouldn’t be broken? Hobie smiles underneath his mask because he knows they’ve gotten through to you. “So, whaddya say we go blow up some water tanks, eh?” Hobie stands, rubbing his hands together. “Okay,” you say. Gwen and Miles fist bump, and Pav does a little clap. The five of you jump into action, immediately starting to taunt and lure Electro to get him close to the towers so you can douse him and put him out.

The plan was going pretty well for the first two attempts, but he eventually catches on to what the five of you are doing. Which makes it harder. Miles does, in fact, get electrocuted. As does Gwen and Hobie, and coming in as no shock to anyone, Miles is definitely the least affected. You were able to dodge all of the attacks. “You’re doing great, (Y/n)! Mind telling me how the fuck your spidey sense is so strong?!” you hear Miles yell. “MILES LOOK OUT!” Gwen screams, but it’s too late. He gets electrocuted again. “Ouch, bro! That one looked like it hurt!” Pav yells, and Miles, who is now lying face down on a roof, raises his hand up in the air, flipping him off. You snort, and then see Hobie fly past you, landing on another water tower. “Hey! Dumbass! Over here!”

“Oh, please. You expect me to fall for that? I know what your little plan is, and I’m not about to be put out,” Electro says, firing some electricity out at Hobie. Unluckily for Hobie, it breaks the water tower and electrocutes him and the water that pours out of it.

You land next to Hobie, who is now just laying on the rooftop, but he grunts and mutters some British slang that you wouldn’t understand even if he explained it to you. So, you know he’s fine. “I have an idea,” you say, and he nods. “Yeah?”

“Yeah. But we need to make sure no one is on the street.”

“What’s the goody-goody plannin’ on doin’, huh?” he says, standing. “You’ll see, just make sure there are no civilians or anyone who will get hurt. And keep him distracted.” With that, you leap and go to another one of the water towers. You take a deep breath, thinking back to what Miguel said before the five of you left.

“Try not to destroy the city while you’re at it. (Y/n), I trust you’ll keep them all in line,” Miguel said, and you timidly nod. You’d love to not destroy the city, but it’s so hard doing that as a Spider-Person. But you also don’t want him to yell at you for going against his orders. Now you’re conflicted. “No promises, Miguel. We’re gonna do what we gotta do,” Miles says and Miguel sighs. “If anyone can reign the four of you in, it’s this one. Don’t let them pressure you into acting up, okay?”

You frown. Fuck that. Miguel is pressuring you into not doing your job right. You can’t always be perfect and careful. And lucky for you, the four of them were really good at distracting villains. You web two of the support legs, yanking them and breaking them off the water tower. It starts collapsing, but you catch it. “Shit, you’re heavy,” you grunt, but regain your balance, holding it on your shoulders. You twist your body, ripping the other supports off and making the water tower completely free. You get Electro in your sight and take a deep breath. You lift the water tower, tossing it up in the air before leaping out of the way and towards Electro. You shoot webs from both hands, connecting them to the water tower and yanking it towards you. You swing it around, connecting it with Electro’s body. Sure enough, it knocks him down and explodes on impact, drenching him. And you. And Hobie, Miles, Gwen, and Pav; but hey, you did it.

You land on a roof and look down. Sure enough, Electro is knocked out cold and completely out of electricity. You swing down, placing him in one of the technological cells that Miguel developed specifically for Electros, and nod. “That… probably could have gone better,” you mutter to yourself. Your self-deprecating thoughts were cut off immediately. “That was AWESOME, (Y/n),” Gwen says, giving you a thumbs up and hug. “Yeah, little Spider, that was bitchin’,” Hobie says, giving you a fist bump. “You made it look so easy! How did you do that, you have to teach me!” Pav says, clearly excited and impressed. “You were out here talking about how you didn’t wanna break rules so instead you broke an entire water tower? That’s cool, why don’t you try being less cool next time for the sake of us,” Miles says giving you a pat on the shoulder. You smile. “Thanks, guys.” Their praise was enough to make you feel better for completely and totally wreaking havoc.

But when the five of you return, soaking wet, Miguel pinches the bridge of his nose. “I said… to not destroy the city…” he mutters, looking at you with disappointment. You look down. “City’s still standin’, mate. (Y/n) kicked ass,” Hobie says, and the other three make sounds of agreement. “Y-Yeah, Miguel. All I did was break one water tower, it’s not that big of a deal,” you say, and he sighs. “One? You all broke four water towers on four different buildings! And you flooded an entire street! You’re supposed to be the responsible one.”

“Dude. I’m a teenager. Shit happens,” you say, a sudden burst of confidence from being around the group of four allowing you to speak out. Miguel puts his hand on his jaw, sliding his hand down. “Remind me to never team the five of you up again,” he mumbles, and Hobie elbows you. “Nah, we’re a band now. Sorry ‘bout it,” Hobie says, motioning everyone to leave Miguel’s sight. You all follow. When you’re out of Miguel’s office, Hobie bumps your shoulder. “See, that wasn’t all that bad, was it?”

He was right, it wasn’t that bad.

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