Tumgik
#fwl project
uaejobs2030 · 5 months
Text
Tumblr media
فرص عمل خالية في طيران الامارات لكل الجنسيات
رواتب عالية
بدون وجود خبرة
مزايات مغرية
التفاصيل والتقديم : https://wp.me/pcz2Eb-fWl
#recruitment #وظائف #jobs #recruiting #توظيف #careers #hr #السعودية #job #search #وظائف_الشرقية #وظيفة_شاغرة #التوظيف #وظيفه #وظائف_اليوم #وظائف_الرياض #hunting #توطين #وظائف_إدارية #الرياض #طاقات #saudi #ساعد_تتساعد #riyadh #الموارد_البشرية #بنك_الرياض #جدة #عاجل #الامارات #عمان #هام #humanresources #قطر #خبر #وظائف_السعودية #الدمام #وظائف_عمان #كلمني_عربي #السلطنة #humanresources #وظيفة #اللغة #qatar #oil #work #banque #petroleum #people #الطب #energy #الطيران #amazon #development #الصحة #markets #hotels #accorhotels #hospital #الأبحاث #egypt #airlines #oilandgas #insurance #microsoft #oilgas #university #power #pwc #middleeast #bank #canada #deloitte #medicine #aviation #الطاقة #health #education #التسويق #إدارة #الهندسة #team #investment #engineer #projects #devops #remotework #engineers #azure #design #india #management #digital #opportunities #engineering #culture #china #microservices #infrastructure #agile #java #kubernetes #software #cloud #python #network #experience #linux #docker #bigdata #softwaredevelopment #programming #sql #reference #finance
0 notes
softlyjiminie · 4 years
Text
to hold a dragon’s heart | k.t.h
Tumblr media
⇢ pairing(s): dragon prince!kim taehyung x warrior princess!reader,
⇢ word count: 19.1K.
⇢ rating: 18+, mature.
⇢ genre: smut, angst, fluff,  forbidden romance, dragon shifter!au, royalty!au, enemies to lovers!au.
⇢ summary: two kingdoms, two hearts and the world between them. your whole life has been a challenge,  never an easy moment on your road to becoming queen but will one decision, one encounter with the man you were destined to hate, change the fate of your worlds, forever?
⇢ warning(s): please read! major character death, violence ( torture scenes + fight scenes ), war, cursing, alocholism, unrequited love, arranged marriages, failing marriages,  imprinting, painful sickness, unexpected pregnancies, slight prejudice against mythical creatures and women, heavy smut, unprotected sex ( please wear protection ) , virgin + dom!taehyung, virgin + sub!reader, multiple orgasms, overstimulation, oral sex ( male + female recieving ), nipple play, light degredation + dirty talk, breeding kink, cumplay, creaming, cunnilingus, slight exhibitionism, male masturbation,   taehyung has a two-headed penis (with spines), teaehyung has charcoal flavoured cum— i may have gotton carried away…
⇢ author’s note(s): hello everyone! this is my contribution to the @ficswithluv​ Love Library project! i was a part of the fantasy category with @jamaisjoons​ !! i worked really hard on this fic, and it’s probably my biggest work, i’m so proud of it so i really really hope you guys enjoy and leave some feedback <3
⇢special mention(s): i would like to thank my baby, miss gia of @fantasybangtan​ for helping me muse and giving me inspiration to complete this fic, as well as giving me feedback on this hefty boy n making it’s beautiful banner !! ( also i named the sea after you ) anddd my little babie @fantasyjoon​ for letting me name a kingdom after her teehee. I wuv u guys <3
Tumblr media
two kingdoms, two hearts and the world between them. your whole life has been a challenge,  never an easy moment on your road to becoming queen but will one decision, one encounter with the man you were destined to hate, change the fate of your worlds, forever?
on opposing sides of the enchanted forest, lay two kingdoms. one, painted with magic and mystery, from the soils to the creatures that rules the skies. the other, a land blessed with human life, cultivation and opportunity.
the Avalerian dynasty, land of the mystical and the Phantis empire, land of the man. both peaceful kingdoms, until war struck.
when you were young and with a curious mind, when tales of battle between warrior and warlock were used to put your infant heart to rest, you would ask questions. many of them, but one always seemed to snub the minds of your elders. 
“why do we fight the war? why did it start?” you would beam curiously up at your mother, Queen aadaya. she was a beauty, hair dipped in the white snows of the Huntcan tip mountains, laced with the silver moon at its highest. her skin was smooth, illuminated by starlight and her heart, as pure as any gold. but queen aadaya was a warrior, trained in the arts of her people, like her mother and her grandmother before that. she had hoped to one day, train yourself and your siblings as well.
your mother shuffled over on the bed, squishing your eldest brother, hoseok and yourself, while pulling your younger sister—tamarae, into your lap. 
you remember so clearly, your mother tilting her moon crescent eyes and brushing back the hair on your face. “we fight for safety, of you and all children.”
lies.
you had yet to learn, as a naive little five year old, what war could do to innocents such as your mother. such as your people. war was not kind to anyone it met, it’s  raging scent of death and decay and blood reaching every corner of your once ethereal home until nothing was left. nothing but sadness, loss and a hole in your heart. 
you lost your mother by order of assassination on the night of your eighteenth birthday. they say, as a revenge attack, for the death of the dragon king but it was then that you learned that war took no prisoners, it had no mercy. war was not like the lullabies and stories your mother told. that day, the kingdom mourned the loss of their queen, and you mourned the loss of your mother, the safety she promised, a lie on the ghost of her lips. 
hoseok was drafted into the war not a year later, his own doing. he trained hard but not as good as yourself, you would joke. he was to keep hold on some land by elvin territory and whilst it wasn’t much, it was everything to your brother. hoseok could do something to avenge his mother. the day before his deployment, you sat with your siblings on your bed like you would as children, sneaking snacks from the chef’s daughter that hoseok promised to wed on his return. the three of you giggled and smiled and reminisced, ending the night with tears and tight grips on each other, praying that your family would be together again.
years later, you sit aged twenty one in front of the royal court. with hoseok gone and your father unfit to rule, you were next in line to inherit your mother’s throne. the chair itself, towering with a twisted golden design, was forged from the molten treasures of the dragons themselves. tamarae sits to your left, poised in a lesser dramatic chair and gown and to the right of you, your advisor, jungkook.
“why have you come?” your voice drifts through the throne room, eyes narrow on the pathetic excuse for a man before you. your father rises from his kneel, watching you with pleading eyes. in the years between now and your mother’s death, any relationship with your father had dwindled. he grew power hungry, gambling away any riches in hoping what he earned would replace the loss in his heart. he drunk whatever he could find, rendering himself ill. you often wondered why your mother ever allowed such a man to father her children. 
“i come, with but a suggestion, daughter.”
tamarae looks to you, worry struck on her young, delicate features. yet, your steely gaze remains in line with your father’s, an anger brewing in your stomach. it was not uncommon for your father to want to challenge you in front of the court, undermine your power as you made your road to queen. you had yet to prove yourself, according to the court but you hand an inkling feeling that was your father’s doing.
 “a suggestion, pray tell?” you jest, replacing your glare for a delicate smile. a giggle bubbles from your lips, making the lords and ladies flinch. “my people and armies are fed, the livestock and farms are thriving, we have hold on all land claimed by men and yet, dearest father, you continue to doubt me.” like your mother, you had many who doubted your role as a women in power, you learned to be kind but ruthless, in order to survive. 
the man himself, withered to the bone with sagging old eyes and a wheeze in his chest, rises from his knees with a dark glint in his eye. “my grace, whilst i mean you no disrespect, but by royal decree you are still unfit to rule,” he explains, gesturing to the court with wide arms. “you lack one thing.” 
narrowing your eyes, you lean forward in your throne as your jewellery glitters and rustles around your neck. the tension in the room is thick, a knife would barely be able to cut it, “like, what?” 
“a king.” 
you rip your body from your seat, sister following suit along with your royal guard. how dare he? the sick man, run along and say you needed a king to help guide you as queen. your mother had managed just fine on her own, taking the throne from a young age and resisting the temptation of men. until she met your father, a lowly bread maker and made him the man he is today. 
he had always envied her power, much as he did with yours. 
“a king? a king like you? pathetic and on his knees like the drunk bastard he is. i digress,” you seethe, much to the amusement of your court. but your father knows your wit, knows your weakness, after all he is the man who raised you. 
“it is by royal law, for a young queen to marry, my dearest YN...” the man begins, tilting his head up at you as he basks in the support of the lords and ladies around him. “and if you want to prove yourself worthy to the court, i suggest you start, with accepting a suitor.” 
“ridiculous!” 
an advisor from beside you, the predecessor to jungkook, steps forward wordlessly and blinks to you as if he’s asking permission to speak. “with all do respect, your highness, your father does have a point...it is required of you by law to...” 
their words are silenced with a quick glare, your nostrils are flaring from how angry you are and suddenly the blue silk gown that you wear is too tight and too fitting. tamarae places a hand on your shoulder to help calm your nerves, your little sister had always been in tune with your emotions, much like your mother had.  the young princess even resembled the queen, with tumbling wisps of snow white hair and kind eyes. 
“breathe,” she whispers to you, helping you fix your poise. “you’re doing just fine.” 
standing up talk, you ease your shoulders and smile smugly at your father. “since the men of this room, seem to doubt my ability to lead... i will prove the council before me, wrong,” your grin only widens when they ask you how, and you feel your sister’s worrisome stare burning into your cheeks. “by bringing you the heart of a dragon.” 
“don’t be ridiculous, your highness!” 
a lord from goodness knows what county calls, you only roll your eyes, making your way down the steps to pass your father smugly. the court has broken into a series of whispers, anxious, excited and concerned. the men around you have grown complacent, too comfortable with the idea of overthrowing you and making you weak. 
“silence!” you bellow, turning to address every being in the room. you hum in satisfaction as the quieten down, letting your mantle made of the finest cotton, trail behind you. “no man, no king has ever brought the heart of the dragon to this kingdom. if i am to prove myself worthy to you, then this is how it shall be. laugh if you must, doubt me if you will. but i was born and raised a warrior and in my mother’s footsteps, i shall follow.”
with that, the meeting is concluded and your father is left gobsmacked, once again. 
Tumblr media
“don’t do anything stupid, YN,” tamarae mumbles to you that evening. you stand in her quarters, dressed in traditional fighting gear. the pants are a dark grey, patterned with swirls of a lily flower and embroider with your kingdom’s emblem of a crystal lily. the top matches, only this time you wear padding to ensure your protection. “and make sure you don’t get hurt.” 
you scoff, shuffling on a cloak and pulling the hood over your head to disguise your face. royalty wasn’t allowed out of the palace after dark, due to the risk of unexpected assassination. the council put the law into place after the tragic loss of their beloved queen. “as if I’d ever allow myself to experience any form of pain.” you tut, twirling around to locate your sword.
the weapon had been a gift from your mother, on the day of your eighteenth. she had deemed you a  worthy warrior, fit for battle after many years of training. it was a shame that she would not be able to see  you use it now. 
“you know what i mean, YN,” your younger sister sighs, pushing herself to stand and handing you the sheathed sword. a bright smile pulls at your lips and you lean down to press a kiss into her moonlit hair. “what if you don’t bring back the dragon heart? you’ll call yourself a fool and beat yourself up about it.”
“i won’t, i promise,” you hum, shaking your head down at tamarae. she was young and she worried for your recklessness, much like a mother would for her child. guilt was deepset within you, despising how your sister grew up barely remembering the woman who gave her life. “now if anyone asks...” 
“you wish not to be disturbed.” tamarae gives you a soft smile, manoeuvring her hands to grip yours. she gives them a gentle squeeze before backing away.
you give your sister a quick nod of the head before sliding out of her window and slipping into the night. 
Tumblr media
the enchanted, Mailtaria forest was nothing like you had imagined. 
according to fairy tails, it was full of beasts and blood and gore but instead, you found twisted oak trees forming the shapes of hearts, soil that illuminated beneath your feet. the air was crisp, yet some how, warming and scented with the faintest of flowers. 
roses. 
you know in your heart, that if the war was nothing but a myth, yourself and your siblings could play here for hours on end as children. as you walk, your mind drifts to hoseok, wondering if he’s safe. the eldest of your siblings had been determined to fight the war ever since your mother’s passing, a headstrong boy who was fast on his feet but not with his mind. 
the crack of a snapping branch in the distance kicks your senses into overdrive, making you duck in anticipation of a sudden attack. with a hand hovering over the sheath of your sword, you inhale deeply through your nose to keep your heart rate steady. there is no time for nerves, YN, no time for hesitance. 
dragons were not creatures of remorse. 
you ease yourself out of the bushes, mindful of the ruffling leaves that glow with some kind of fluorescence, magic that you’d not once laid your eyes on in your entire life. had you not been in the deep wood of the enchanted forest, to find and kill the dragon prince, you would have admired them more. 
“why do you come, bearing a weapon?” 
perhaps you may have spent too long, admiring the glistening petals.
you gasp, whipping out your sword and holding its point to the throat of the boy before you. slowly, your eyes trail upwards, shock connecting in your irises as you realise that he’s...floating. the boy has the hair of the silver moon, eyes as deep blue as the rough and raging Gialara seas, his lips are the colour of a blood rose with small and pearlescent fangs resting comfortably against their plumpness. he also wears a loose silk shirt that hangs simply from one shoulder, exposing his pale and slightly scaled skin. his pants are also lose, black in colour like the night sky to match his shirt. you note, that while he floats upside down, head tilted back towards you and body arched, he is also barefoot. 
this must’ve been him, this must’ve been. “the dragon prince,” you hum cooly, steeling your eyes and reaffirming your stance. “i’m here to kill you.” your brows furrow in concentration, and the boy’s, in confusion. the dragon prince, pushes his bottom lip into a pout as he twists his body to face you fully. he sets himself down, against the plush grass and uses a single finger to flick your sword to the side. 
“you have found me, yes,” the boy nods, giving you a tilted and faint smirk after his curious stare fades away. “i am kim taehyung, son of Veles and prince of the dragons...” the dragon watches as your stance falters, mouth open in shock at his strength to manipulate your mother’s sword. your palms begin to sweat at the sound of his full title, the name of the dragon king reminding you of the loss of your mother. “and i know, you will not kill me. i sense your being is far too compassionate to kill a living thing.”
you huff, dropping your arms and sending the vile thing a seething scowl. “you don’t know a thing about me-“ 
“my apologies, princess YN, i’m afraid i don’t,” taehyung interrupts you, stepping forward to inspect you closely. it was almost as if he had never seen a human before, but then again he was nothing like what you expected, especially in a dragon prince. before you can blink, you have been cornered into a tree, completely vulnerable and in the open. if he wanted to, taehyung could kill you right then and there, for the first time that night, a sprinkle of fear and adrenaline pumps it’s way through your veins. you  glance up at the regal creature, shocked that he even knew such detail about yourself and bite your lip. “in that case, might you enlighten me as to, why you seek to take my life?”
taehyung is not what you expected at all, the question bouncing softly from his lips, as you begin to loosen up. his eyes shift to yellow under the light and you start to feel warm, as if you can trust him. “my father wants proof, that i would make a great and honourable Queen.” you explain bluntly, unsure of why the words feel foreign when mentioning it.
“interesting,” the prince comments, quirking  a brow and smirking down at you as he rises off of his feet. “humans and their need for death and honour, i will never understand.” 
and with that, taehyung disappears into the darkness of the forest. a chill runs up your spine, confused at your meeting but left wondering, what more was there to the dragon prince?
Tumblr media
“...and then there’s the marriage proposal from prince seokjin, from the shatus kingdom overseas, would you like me to accept or deny?” jungkook drawls, feeling accomplished as he skips over the final sentence with a light frown. his heart clenches, but he doesn’t say anything further.
“yes, very good jungkook.” 
“YN...”
“mhm...”
jungkook sighs, closing his book before tucking it under his arm for safety. he wouldn’t have been so annoyed if you were at least, half listening to him. tapping his foot in annoyance, the young advisor furrowed his brow deeply. “well in that case, i’ll spread word to  the royal bakers that you will be requesting a cake made of pigs slop for the wedding party?” 
“sounds wonderful,” 
“...we’ll even give out small favours of their droppings too...”
“i’m sure the dukes and duchesses would love that, jeongguk...”
“i’m sure the whole kingdom would be delighted to know that you’re marrying kim seokjin.” 
you slam your palms down on the windows, whipping your head to look at jungkook in shock. an amused grin tugs at his lips, as he approaches you to ruffle your hair fondly. now you were paying attention. “i will do no such thing!” you protest, pink painted lips forming a pout as you make an effort you lay down your tundra of wild locks. “me? marriage? what a preposterous idea. i should have you executed for that.” 
“maybe now, you’ll learn to listen to me, your highness?” the raven haired boy titters, giving you an exaggerated bow. “you could never do such a thing to your oldest friend, YN.” yourself and jungkook had been acquainted ever since you could walk, a beautiful friendship blossoming over the many years. his father, had been your mother’s most trusted advisor during the war, he too passing away after the loss of your queen. it seemed that fate had its own twisted way of keeping yourself and jungkook together, for he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps, much like you.
shaking your head, you push at his shoulders with a hidden grin and listen to the chime of his medallions as he sways. the silver lily on his chest, the symbol of the royal court, glistens much like the eyes of the man you met last night. taehyung’s beauty had entranced you so much, that the task at hand had been forgotten. of course, no one in the castle expected you to bring the head of a dragon back straight away...but something in you longed to see the awe, the shock and the respect on their faces when you did. they would learn to see you as their queen. 
but something about taehyung, made you weak in the knees. an inexplainable feeling, a shy tint to your cheeks and a beat in your heart. he was different, not at all what you expected. walking away from jungkook, you pivot on your heel, the flush to your cheeks becoming more obvious by the second. “there will be no more marriage proposals from now on, jungkook. make that clear to the neighbouring kingdoms.” you remark, nodding your head with the wisps of a smile against your lips. 
one of things, about having known you so long, is that jungkook could read you like an open book. the advisor could tell you were distracted, softer. it was almost as if his soon-to-be queen’s resistant and hard exterior had crumbled. this wasn’t your usual rejection of proposal, whereby you would growl and grumble so much so that the Huntcan tip mountains would quake in your presence. no, this was much like the time where the baker’s eldest son, yoongi, had snuck some treats up to your room when you were children. you had developed an infatuation for yoongi throughout your early teenage years, until he left the kingdom to open his own bakery, kissing you behind the rose bush in the royal garden on the night before he left. 
this was fascination, this was admiration. “you like someone,” jungkook teases lightly, a knowing smile tickling at the corners of his lips. “did you find a compatible suitor, is that it?” 
“the throne is my only object of affection,” you sigh, zealously. you twirled, a bright twinkle igniting stars in your eyes as the thought of taehyung’s silver lined ones and you can feel the excitement build in your veins. “a suitor? perhaps not,” the corner of your lips twitch up into a mischievous grin. “but the throne...it is a rather large one, is it not? awfully big for just one person.” 
jungkook raises an eyebrow, seemingly unimpressed while his jaw tightens and his tongue pokes into his cheek. “i see, i’ll be sure to have the staff engage in some...extensive cleaning of the throne room. we can’t have her highness leaving messes.” he states, lips falling into a flat line. tilting your head, the glint in your eye dissipates and thick somber feeling fills the room. 
“jeonggukie?” you question with a quiet voice, swallowing thickly at his unexpected change in mood. 
the advisor shakes his head, tussled locks falling over his eyes. jungkook turns, shrugging with the book still tucked under his arms, prepared to leave the room. “if i may be excused, princess, i have duties to attend to.” 
“ah yes, of course...duties.” the whisper falls from between your lips, as you watch him go with an aching chest.
Tumblr media
the view at castle ashwyn was one not to be taken for granted. the skies were daubed with gradients of apricot, papaya whip, and cherry blossom pink with dusting of baby power white as cotton candy clouds. the breeze was fresh, tinted with mint and rose, carrying the scents of the many flowers that twirled along the turquoise marble pillars of the castle. 
the grass outside was freshly cut all the way up to the village, where creatures of all kind walked amongst each other. pixies, werewolves, elves and all, living together in harmony and if you squinted hard enough, over the towering trees, you could see where they lived. the humans. 
taehyung hated it. 
the sickly sweetness that constantly surrounded himself and his people, where all that was in the human world was death, despair, greed and power imbalances. he hated the falsities that engulfed his father’s death, how everyone pretended. 
that there was no life of suffering outside of his own.  
it was beautiful here, life touched every corner to cover the illusion of the war beyond these walls. the prince felt trapped. he wanted to break free of all expectations, experience the world and see the legends he had been told as a child. taehyung was not a fool to the whispers, the taunts and teases from the royal courts. they had always doubted him for his optimistic view on the simple things, on them, for humans had taken his father and so he was destined to resent them for the rest of his life. 
“taehyung, my love, what preys on your mind today?” 
taehyung’s mother, the dragon queen, was a soft spoken and wise woman. ever since the death of his father, there had been many attempts to overthrow her from many kinds...including the sirens. and yet, they never once succeed as only royalty of dragon’s blood can bestow the crown. dragons had ruled the land of the Avalerian dynasty since the dawn of time, forging the first crown from the molten minerals buried deep beneath the castle’s soils. they were the most powerful of all creatures, dominating the earth as their large majestic forms but the dragons were also prime game for hunting, their scales and horns could go for up to a hundred gold coins. so the dragons learned to adapt, becoming shifters with a half human form, this allowed them to retain their abilities as dragons whilst allowing them to walk free amongst the humans.
the queen was stunning, and perhaps that is where the young prince inherited his charming look. her scales were of a deep cherry, shimmering under the lights like the brightest of diamonds. her black hair had curled tendrils that spiralled down her back and her skin was tanned by the golden suns of apollo. with piercing, aquatic eyes, queen elantris tilts her head to look at her son, she had always known his shifts in mood and thanked her maternal instinct for being able to read her ominous child.
“it’s nothing, your highness,” the young prince muses simply, turning to his mother with soft eyes and an awkward smile. smiling fondly, elantris shook her head and approached her son, wrapping her arms around him in a warm hug. her tail swishes behind her, in her half shifted state, the castle being too small to accommodate for the large size of royally bred dragons. taehyung spares a glance to the older, and shorter woman, squinting carefully to see the diamond-slit irises in her yellowing eyes. it was almost laughable at how well dragons were able to shift between states, taking on a human form is completely desired. that is how they killed the human king. mastering the art of disguise. “perhaps, i am exhausted, i had a rather gruelling night.” 
“deep in thought again, my love dear?” elantris chuckles, brushing back  the fading ashy locks from her son’s forehead. taehyung sucks in a calmed breath, closing his eyes at his mothers warm touch and allows himself to shift too. he is much more relieved to have is tail free, blackened and swishing behind him. his ears become pointed and irises shift into diamond slits. elantris beams as her child transforms. “you’ve been keeping yourself hidden, i see.” 
“i needed to be out, some fresh air to clear the mind, mother...” the prince whines and stretches, shivering as his ash scales form over his skin and hair fades from grey to black. 
taehyung pouts under the gaze of his mother, what a sight to see. the most regal prince, pouting under the amused gaze of his parent. “away with your thoughts, as you always have been, my prince...” elantris lilts and lets go of the boy, moving towards her seat on the throne. the seat itself is glorious, spiralling toward the ceiling with peaks in its molten crystal. “what preys on your mind?” 
the young dragon, ruffling out his hair and adjusting his clothes. he wears a jewelled black jacket, a gradient of white pearls to obsidian diamonds. he adorns a fitting pair of black pants and boots with heels. taehyung shift his gaze to the diluting pink skies above and breathes heavily. “humans...why is that we despise them?” 
taehyung’s mother sucks in a breath,  tongue swiping over the ruby of her lips. the prince turns his body to look at the queen properly, tilting is head and poking his own tongue into his cheek as he eases a brow, awaiting his mother’s answer. “dragons are stubborn creatures, most unforgiving...it is not easy for us to forget,” elantris explains noncommittally, keeping her voice study and demeanour controlled.
“what is there to be forgotten? how did this all start?” 
“that is what we have yet to learn my son, this conflict has been raging on for centuries now, words and swords alike...twisted,” the dragon queen pauses, looking her son directly in the eye. “twisted into lies and fatalities...”
“and so...we fight?” taehyung prompts, his stomach bubbling with unease at his mother’s cryptic words. 
elantris nods, head held high. “and so, we fight.” 
Tumblr media
“you are forgiven, you know.” 
you look up from your flower crown, fluorescent roses and tiger lillies woven together by their grass green stems and frown. taehyung is sitting in the trees, his hair is now the colour of a teal tinged with blue while his eyes simmered a warm amber in the cool night. 
meeting taehyung had been nothing but a coincidence, yet you found yourself becoming grateful for your accidental meetings. the clearing you shared with him had followed you to your dreams, being with him under the moonlight now brought you to ease.
“forgive me for what? do tell.” you probe tartly and turn your body in the grass to ask why. the dragon prince drops from the tree and you screw your eyes shut in fear of hearing the sickening crunch that often accompanies broken bones. but instead the prince floats above you, face but mere inches from yours as a taunting smirk touches lightly at his lips. a rosey hue tickles the apples of your cheeks as you look away, cursing the creature from under your breath. 
taehyung smiles and settles himself on the ground, sinking to his knees to aid you in making some flower crowns. “for being human,” the dragon shrugs nonchalantly and picks up a completed crown, leaning forward to place it stop your hair. his lips are a breaths width from your skin, and a warmth bubbles in your chest at the prospect of feeling them against yours, eyes closing. when you open them, you gasp at the proximity of they prince, blinking rapidly and blushing. he’s so close that it seems like he was watching you. “mother says dragons must learn to be forgiving. so here i am, forgiving you.” 
“what makes you think, that you are not required to seek my forgivenesses well?” you counter as a slight aggression weaves it’s way into your question, tilting your head upwards with stern eyes. taehyung bites his lip, slit tongue poking out to wet them at their swell. “should you not owe it to me? while my people die fighting against your best men, do you not believe that an apology from yourself, would be quite fitting?” 
you chose this moment to shuffle away from taehyung, turning to face the trees
in the distance as you pat the heat away from your cheeks. “your people have magic, powers. and mine? nothing but a bare chest, swords and a shield. yet, you do not hear me forcing the forgiveness of my people upon you,” you point out— almost too harshly, twirling a piece of grass between your fingers. “you sit, protected in your realm while only your most powerful touch the bloodied soils. you kill, as do i. i do not seek your forgiveness, but the life of my people instead. the life of young boys,” a pause in your speech allows your mind to flicker back to hoseok, your fingers how clenching the grass within your disgust. “barely fit to fight, that are drafted into the war. women and children who are torn apart. please, forgive me, for not wanting to accept your so called forgiveness.”
“how do you know this? that we only send out best?” taehyung queries nervously, his tone quiet as his feet come into your blurry field of view. he senses in his chest that you’re hurt, scared and in pain. this is what the war did, not to his people but to the humans. it hurt you. everyone. 
the laugh that passes your lips, is cold and cynical. your eyes possess a glassiness, glittering with fresh tears as you look to taehyung with anger painted against your face. “you have just told me.”  
guilt washes over the dragon as he crouches down before you, placing a finger under your chin to tilt your head up to face him. his thumb brushes the tears that spill from the corner of your eyes as his lips form the words that whisper, “i’m sorry.” 
he is sorry for your pain, he is sorry for the burden that you bare on your shoulders. he is sorry that he cannot make it stop, he is sorry. 
Tumblr media
the following weeks bring you back to the clearing, where taehyung desperately tries to erase his night of ignorance. you would meet nightly, under the sky with glittering constellations and stars that told a thousand and one stories. you were away from the world where lives were torn apart and the cloud of death was ever growing. 
you were alone and happy.
taehyung would show you many of his tricks, how he could birth a flame just by the click of his fingers. how he could make smoke rise from his ears and nose and how the colour of his hair changed with his mood. the prince had become your friend, a regular occurrence to your life that you could not deal without. 
but tonight, you would be prevented from such luxuries. 
the tips of your fingers dabbed lightly at your lips, buffing the ruby red into your flesh. a maid worked by your side, primping and prepping locks of your hair so that they shone under the crystal lights. your makeup was light, yet fierce, shades of mint and green spreading across your eyelids to match the fitting ballroom gown you wore. it was lace that curled into silver lily flowers,  from the shoulders and down to your hips, twisting into a wide tule skirt that was painted with frosted blues and mint green fading into white. a necklace of pure diamonds rested just above your breast,  a matching crown woven into your tamed hair and a pair of earrings, your mother’s earrings to go with. as you sit still, letting the maids pretty you for the evening to come, you recall a time where you would have loved to be in a dress like this. times where your mother would only faintly dust your cheeks with blush whilst your father readied hoseok in the other room. tamarae was but a twinkle in your mother’s eye back then.
the girl in the mirror stares back at you, the trace of queen aadaya on her skin. closing your eyes, you take a deep breath to calm your aching heart and hum in agreement when the doors to your quarters open. tamarae beamed at you as her own maids helped her inside, she was a gown less bold than your own but equally pretty as fuchsia pinks spiralled soft lavenders. dresses like these were reserved for special occasions, to impress guests from outside castle walls, making a sick shiver crawl down your spine at the thought of elder dukes and lords and men vying for the attention of yourself and the young princess. 
of course,  the banquet for tonight was your father’s doing, in an attempt to find you a suitor right away. he claimed that you had failed to prove yourself in the last weeks, with no trace of the dragon’s heart in your possession. so with nothing but the grace of the queens before you, you accepted his invitation to host a banquet.
“you look beautiful, sister...you’ve grown so well,” you stand slowly, lifting your skirts to make your way over to the young princess. she bows her head in a small curtesy for you causing you to chuckle fondly. you allow your finger under her chin to tilt her head up, smiling softly at the girl, the spitting image of your mother. “now now, you are my sister, tamarae. formalities are not required for tonight, even if it is a special event,” you tease with a whisper in her ear, causing the younger to giggle slightly. “for you and i both know we shall be sneaking into the royal kitchen after the night is done!” 
tamarae tucks a white lock of hair behind her ear, giggling happily as her small hands clasp onto yours. “big sister, we both know hoseokie would have made me take watch if he were here,” she remarks in response  and pokes your nose, ignoring the glares of maids who had spent hours perfecting your look. 
as a young adult— becoming a queen, the ballroom was often a reminder of simpler days whereby warm summery breezes wafted through the large french windows, carrying soft scents of the fresh lemons and oranges that grew in the royal gardens. hoseok would have been chasing you down, playing the role of big bad dragon whilst you pulled a fumbling two year old tamarae behind you. your parents would always come running in to save the day, mother playing the knight that took hoseok down and your father the one who saved his two princesses. 
those were happier times, better times.
before you knew it, you were seated on the throne with the best view of the entire room. the ballroom had towering white pillars sprouting like flowers against a mahogany glossed wooden floor, the walls are splashed with an egg-shell blue with small cherry blossoms contrasting against the colour. accents of gold decorate every nook and cranny of the room and the ceiling paints a picture of fairytale creatures dancing amongst the man. men gallop across the hall with blushing ladies in their arm, those who aren’t dancing are stuffing their faces with the array of sweet treats and savoury delights that are positioned precisely against white sheet banquet tables. 
introductions pass without you paying any mind, distracted by thoughts of taehyung whisking you away to your clearing in the forest, playing with the many creatures there. you slip back to reality when a sudden pain spreads across your left rib, making you scowl at the culprit...tamarae. the younger smiles sheepishly and points to the man apparoaching your throne. 
his hair is a soft, candy pink, contrasting with the black blouse and dress pants he wore. when he bows to yourself and your sister, you catch a glimpse of his dark, misty brown eyes and find yourself curious to search them more. “he’s handsome,” tamarae teases you, moving to stand up as he steps forward. her gaze flickers up to your stoic face as she giggles. “don’t you think?” 
“he looks like he’s full of himself.” 
the man eyed you darkly while you held out your hand for him to take. “namjoon, kim namjoon...” his voice sends shivers down your spine, good or bad , you’re not sure. his skin is golden like honey and his tone drips with the same smoothness. “of the Kevimore kingdom.” 
namjoon gives you a dimples smile, taking your hand in his and bringing it to his lush lips for a gentle kiss. tamarae giggles by your side as you watch the man through your lashes, humming in content. it was always nice to see a man bend his will for you. “you may address me, as princess YN of the Phantis Empire,” you say, equally as smoothly whilst you tilt your head to the side. namjoon straightens his posture, bowing in respect. “i do hope you enjoy your stay here, tonight.” 
with your final word, you turn your gaze to the crowd and watch as they twirl about in tune with the orchestra but smile when you catch the eye of your beloved advisor. you had not danced at a ball like this, since you were a child and back then, hoseok had always been your partner but he wasn’t here now, he was fighting a war that wasn’t his. your sister delivers a sharp elbow to your side, causing you to grunt as you ready to scold her into next year. “ahem,” she whispers, jabbing your side again and nodding her head in gesture to namjoon. “he’s still here.” 
“i’m aware,” 
“that means he requires your attention.” 
“attention that i do not have for a man, tamarae.”
“YN, he’s right there!” 
“and he can hear you...” namjoon interjects with a small chuckle, poking his tongue into his cheek while his lips form an amused smirk. he taps his ear while a light flush rises beneath the skin of your cheeks, much to the prince’s delight. 
you duck your head, imagining that the prince before you gets off at the thought of making you blush. “is there anything i can help you with, prince namjoon?” 
he nods once, pink locks falling into his eyes as his dimples smile appears once more. “a dance, with you? my queen?” 
blinking, your lips part in shock. the only person to ever acknowledge you as the soon to be queen was jungkook, and that was often a joke between the two of you. but for a split second, it seemed— that namjoon’s dark, stormy eyes saw past the extravagance and diamonds— and saw you. the queen you were meant to be. 
“she would love to,” you sister answers for you, pushing at your shoulder to force you to stand. you rise to your feet,  unsteady on them and almost toppling forward. namjoon quickly catches you by the arm, offering you an earth shattering smile with dazzling eyes as he chooses that moment to lead you onto the ballroom floor. following namjoon, you turn around and give your younger sister a faux frown, sticking your tongue out at her. the maids around you gasp at your behaviour, while tamarae giggles and mocks your face.
upon reaching the dance floor, namjoon skilfully pulls you into his arms, pressing his chest to yours to guide your steps into the waltz. “you’re light on your feet, are you sure you’re not a dancer?” he chuckles quietly into your ear, making goosebumps arise across the planes of your skin. 
you turn with him, taking the lead from his grasp and smile cheekily. “i’m trained to fight, being light on my feet is part of the battle.” but your grin quickly falls upon seeing jungkook turn away with disappointment, what was going on with him? 
“ah, i see.” the prince falls silent at your words, offering you a quiet noise of agreement as the pace of the music rises and you start to speed up your dance. 
namjoon is a handsome man, his terracotta lips seem warm and inviting, his eyes although dark make you want to lose yourself in him. the prince is tall, at least a head or so taller than you and his arms that hold you are firm and large. namjoon is attractive but...
but he is not taehyung. 
the pink haired prince dips you, face hovering over yours as he takes a moment to tuck a fallen hair behind your ear. your cheeks heat up at his proximity but you swallow down your nerves and stutter out. “n-namjoon...i,” 
“you’re beautiful, my queen,” he says simply, running a thumb over your bottom lips before he pulls you back into his chest. “what i wouldn’t give to have you ruling by my side.”
“e-excuse me?”
“you’d make an excellent wife, YN.” 
gobsmacked, you try to rip yourself away from namjoon but his grip on your waist is too tight and suddenly he no longer looks charming and gentle, a sinister stare taking over his features. “let me go, namjoon. by order of the princess i demand that you let me go!” you scoff at him through gritted teeth still struggling in his grip. “if you believe that flattery will get you my hand in marriage then you are severely mistaken, my prince. i am a queen born to rule without a man, and i shall do so, just fine.” 
namjoon tilts his head in a sympathetic fashion, pressing you closer to him. “oh but princess, we are already on the path to being wed,” he hums, his lips ghosting over yours as you squirm away from his touch. “by order of your father, i am set to marry you three weeks from now, since you failed to bring the head of the dragon prince.” 
“no that’s not, it can’t be...he wouldn’t...he wouldn’t do that,” you mumble, feeling panic rise in your chest and lodge itself in your throat. your perfect world suddenly shatters, your view for the future torn to shreds. your father had sold your soul away to namjoon, who you now saw as a man who yearned for power. “he can’t.”  
“then your father is not the man you believed him to be.” namjoon concludes. “now put on a pretty face and smile for our loyal subjects, my queen.”
you gasp with tears beginning to flood your field of view, your eyes searching in the crowd for someone, anyone to tell you it’s not true. who’s face falls at your wounded expression, he knows, you think. jungkook knew and he didn’t think to tell you. your heart shatters into a million pieces and all you can think is out out out. you need to get out. 
but for now you turn to namjoon and give him a dazzling smile through your tears, as jungkook watches you with a guilty gaze.
Tumblr media
running.
they say that running is able to clear your mind. but instead all of your thoughts and fears ran wildly beside you as you bolted through the forest. you could feel them, all of your worst nightmares crawling up your spine and scratching at your skin as you tumbled through the forest. 
by the time you reach the clearing, you’re clawing at your throat and desperately gasping for air through your choked sobs. you can’t marry namjoon, you won’t marry namjoon. your body trembles with the sobs that wrack your tiny frame, the dress that you wear is suddenly too tight and all you can do is wail for an escape. 
“YN! you have returned, i have to admit i missed you dearly-“ taehyung starts to ramble, just having come from a flight amongst the canopies. the dragon cuts himself off when he notices you collapsing onto your knees and tearing at the dress. “princess YN? YN, are you alright?” he drops to his knees beside you, tilting your head up to look him in the eyes. the prince hates the way your chest is heaving, how a wild panic has spread through your darling eyes. “breathe for me princess, it’s alright, i’ve got you.” 
your eyes stay with his as taehyung coaches you through, his ice like irises calming you down as they watch you with concern. the dragon prince brushes a hand through your hair to soothe you as you hiccup and sniff, attempting to ease your panic. “off, i want it off, all of it...” you grumble moving to tear at your gown. taehyung follows your movements, using a  shifted dragon claw to shred off the remains of your skirt and help you out of the tight fitting corset until all that remains is your sheer and tule petticoat. 
“better?” your companion asks, pulling you into his silk shirt. taehyung is warm, much morse so compared to the cool evening, you remember him explaining that dragons have a heart of coal. meaning that the blood that flows through them is heated and molten. 
you nod shakily and move to hold his hand as a wave of comfort washes over you. “much, thank you taehyung.” 
“are you going to tell me what happened?” the prince presses gently, not wanting you to hold it in. if there was anything taehyung had learned about you in the last few weeks, is that you never had an outlet. you were closed off from the world, locked away and never let anyone see the vulnerable sides of you and yet...you somehow found it in you to trust him. 
nodding slowly, you turn and bury your face into his firm chest, fisting at the silk of his new azure blouse. “my father...” you sigh, letting your breath even out as you stumble to find the words. “he betrayed my trust...he turned the court against me and made them promise me to another man...” you feel taehyung’s breath hitch as his chest moves. quickly, you move to look up at taehyung and all you can think to do is kiss him but you can’t, not when you’re now promised to another. “i don’t love him, i could never be in love with someone so horrible.”
the now raven haired, dragon prince says nothing, instead choosing to squeeze you closer into his broad frame. he doesn’t look at you, mind racing a million miles an hour. you were to be married. and it wouldn’t be to him. so it is with a waking start that taehyung realises he is deeply, sorely in love with you. his chest rumbled at the thought of another man’s hands on you, kissing you and touching you, touching what was his. without meaning to, you place your hands on taehyung’s chest and grab at his attention. his usual ocean eyes flash with yellow and his primal senses are suddenly full of you. all he can see is your face under the light of the moon and stars, all he can feel is your touch on him and all he can smell is the sweet scent of lilies, of you. 
“tae...taehyung?” you whisper, sniffling as you lean up and tilt his head to look at you. “i will be alright, i refuse to let this stop me from seeing you.” 
he ignores your words, pulling you to stand with him. “lets go for a fly.” the prince says with bright eyes, staring at you.
“a fly? taehyung have you lost your mind-?” 
“it’ll be fun, i promise you. it’ll clear your head.” 
you slowly tear yourself from taehyung’s grip, holding your hand to your chest with a nervousness swirling in your stomach. flying. taehyung had told you that he was able to fully transform into a dragon, with all the same abilities as well. he called it shifting, and that meant he was able to breathe fire, roar like a mighty beast and fly. “i’m scared...” you admit, sheepishly. “what if...what if i fall?” 
“do you trust me?” taehyung asks sternly, stepping towards you and holding his hand out for you to take. 
“i...what?” 
“i said, do you trust me?” 
you hesitate before closing your eyes tightly and nodding, taking taehyung’s hand. “i trust you.” 
your eyes remain screwed shut as the crunch of bones fills the unoccupied silence of the woods. you flinch at the sound and the slip of taehyung’s hand from yours, whilst his heaves and groans become growls and roars. away from the warmth of taehyung’s body, you realise how cold the forest is in just your petticoat but you’re shivers are quickly ceased when a puff of hot hair surrounds you and a large head nudges your body. opening your eyes slowly, you gasp at the large beast before you, the taehyung that you know has been replaced with an oblivion black dragon, hints of silver and blue illuminating his scales under the shimmering night sky. the dragon presses it’s head to your hand, making you reach out hesitantly as you stare deep into its amber irises. 
‘do you trust me?’ 
you remember taehyung’s words as the majestic beast bows to you, you chuckle and watch as the dragon moves back, stretching out to spread its wings. you imagine that the wings themselves must be as wide as the west wing of your castle back home. when the dragon returns to his original position, you’re met with a puff of warm air, strong enough to blow locks of your hair away from your face. “impatient creature, aren’t you?” you giggle to yourself and clamber up onto taehyung’s head, making him shake it in response. 
with a deep breath, you hold on tightly to the spines feathering taehyung’s neck and close your eyes once more, listening to the sounds of his wings flap as he lifts you both off of the ground. the next time you open your eyes, you’re up in the air, soaring above the clouds. the pair of you are so high that the colour of the sky fades from a soft pink to the deep blue below, the beginnings of the sun shining in the distance. 
then taehyung makes a nose dive. 
the air rushes through your hair as you squeal, heading face first for the land beneath you. taehyung spirals his body as you throw your hands into the air, squealing loudly with happiness, you can feel every fear and doubt that clogged your mind and body rush away with the wind in your face. the dragon prince evens out his body, spreading his wings as you drift across the night sky, watching the world go by with you above it. you lean forward and rest the palms of your hands on taehyung’s, stroking it lightly as you fly past the stars.
when the clearing reappears in your field of view, taehyung tilts his body and begins the descent through the clouds. he flies low, letting you reach your hand out to touch the glistening water below. “w-woah, tae...taehyung!” you cry in amusement, feeling him shift beneath you, his bones realign as he grows tired and reverts back to his human form. his wings somehow manage to remain as the prince’s familiar face returns and he beams up at you. his wings encircle you as you make a crash landing into the clearing. the pair of you roll and tumble out onto the illuminated grass below you, taehyung’s wings protecting you and softening your fall. you manage to uncurl in his grip, landing beneath him as his palms flatten out by your head to stop himself from crushing you. 
“hi...” you pant, looking up at the dragon prince with glittering eyes. your hand reaches up to touch at taehyung’s soft face, his eyes still golden glowing irises and his curled hair now a faded black. he’s beautiful, he always has been but in this moment, you feel like you have finally see him. you can finally see that you love him.
taehyung looks down at you through hooded eyes, moving to run a thumb over your pinkish bottom lip, his breath uneven from the flight. “hello, my queen.” he says simply, face nearing yours. you feel your lashes against your cheeks as your eyes flutter shut, taehyung nosing your cheeks until his soft lips reach your own. hands in your hair, the prince tilts his head and kisses you. his lips mould perfectly against yours and you can feel your heartbeat wildly in your chest as your arms wrap around his neck and fingers curl in his wavy locks. taehyung kisses you like you’re his, and only his and all you want is to feel is him.
taehyung’s hands use a tentative touch as they slide down to your sides, slipping under your petticoat to smooth over your bare skin. you gasp as his lips venture out into the junction at your neck, curling your fingers in his hair as his hands push further and further up your clothes. he roams your skin like foreign terrain— fingers dipping at peaks and the curve of your body.  “taehyung...” you whimper breathlessly, pushing your head back into the lush grass below. 
the dragon freezes at the sound passing from your lips, moving to pull away. “are you hurt? did i hurt you?” taehyung asks worriedly, honey  eyes boring into your soul. you sit up, confused as you shake your head no, wondering if your eagerness to kiss him has driven him away. “i’ve never...i haven’t done this before...” the ravenette adds, gesturing between you both. never done...what? 
oh...
“been with a women before?” you ask gently, sitting up and leaning your chin on taehyung’s shoulder. you tilt your gaze towards him, smiling softly and move to cup his cheek. “i have never...been with a man either...you would be my first.” you whisper shyly, you had little time for courting as a princess, your royal duties taking up much of your time. but here you were, curled up with taehyung on possibly the most beautiful place on earth, feeling more ready than you had ever been.
“let me have you, if you will?” the prince asks lowly, warm breath fanning over your lips.
“you have me, all of me...” 
that was all it took for taehyung to crash his lips against yours once more, this time his tongue tracing over the seam of your own as he pleads for entrance to your mouth. you happily oblige, welcoming his warm tongue with your own in a battle for dominance, dancing together while his large hands pulled at your under clothes. you arched your back, letting him tug the tule garment off of you and spreading your thighs as he nudged them apart. 
“you’re so beautiful,” taehyung murmurs, pulling back from the kiss to admire you. his amber irises darkened to a dark gold as he drunk in your naked body, leaning down to ghost his lips over your neck. “i want to mark you...” he added, biting down on your supple flesh and sucking hard enough to leave a bruise. “fuck you, breed you. would you like that princess?” he growls. 
you arch your back as his hands come to cup your breast, squeezing them between slender fingers whilst he works a trail of purples down to your chest. “god, please...taehyung!” 
chuckling deeply, using his  dragon abilities, the prince blows a gust of hot air over your left nipple once his mouth reaches its destination. his snake like tongue pokes out to lick a stripe over the perky bud before he takes your breast into his mouth harshly, biting down and letting his primal instincts take over. even if he was a virgin, being a dragon, taehyung was genetically programmed to please during breeding seasons. he knew what he was doing, especially when you moaned aloud. 
a hand slips down your sides and into your panties, circling over your clit to spread your wetness as it glistened under the moonlight. “you’re soaking, my princess,” taehyung hums, still squeezing your breast as he sucked your nectar off of his fingers. “may i taste you?” 
“yes, please...” you gasp.
taehyung raises an unimpressed brow, pinching your nipple causing you to whine. “please what?”
eyes rolling, you moan out the only title you can think of, hoping it will urge the dragon on. “please...my king.”  
the prince with obsidian hair curses under his breath, making quick work of tearing off your panties and shuffling onto his belly on the grass so that he nears your entrance. taehyung spreads your lower lips widely, chuckling at the juices that flow from your flower. “so pretty, petal.” he says, watching you writhe under the night air before locking eyes with you through his curled locks. the air that hits your pulsing heat, is cool but taehyung’s breath is hothothot. his lush lips suckle on your clit before his burning tongue swipes over the length of your pussy, heated from his dragon’s core. taehyung sweeps at any of your sweet nectar that gushes from your hole, humming in content before pushing his tongue past your entrance making you cry from pleasure and curl your fingers in his hair. 
“look at you, absolutely dripping just for your king,” taehyung growls against your burning cunt, the vibrations sending your eyes rolling back in your head. desire burns brightly in the pits of your stomach, as you start to rut your hips into his face, the prince having neglected your wetness in favour of whispering foul words into your thighs. taehyung flicks at your swollen clit, making your legs wobble and threaten to close around his head. not that you would mind the view. “such beautiful sight, baby.” 
he dove his tongue into your tight hole, as arousal fogged your senses and his instincts to your body heightened. the world between your sweet thighs was slick, tasting of the most luxurious of treats to taehyung and he could tell he was becoming addicted to you. a finger slipped past your entrance, along with his tongue, thrusting inside of you and catching on the walls of your pussy. you wriggled against the grass, spread out in the open nature whilst taehyung claimed you with his tongue. “m close, m close!” you squealed when taehyung added another finger, fearing that your high was coming to soon. the prince was giving you pleasure that you had never felt before, that couldn’t be achieved with your own hand or imagination. you weren’t sure that you wanted it to end.
nimble fingers gripped at taehyung’s mop of sooty hair as he lapped faster and faster at your sensitive bud, the knot in your stomach becoming tighter and tighter until suddenly...it snapped. “cum for me, princess, reward your king.” 
white flashes behind your eyes as your release crashes over you, signs of your arousal painting taehyung’s chin and face. he licks over his bottom lip, chest rumbling at the taste of you before he moves between your thighs to and up to your face. he kisses you sweetly, once...twice... allowing you to taste yourself on his tongue before deepening the kiss. the pair of you become a pile of limbs, entangled in the grass as teeth and tongue clash together. your hands wind down the path way of the prince’s body, stopping above his belt loop hesitantly. 
taehyung forces himself to pull away from your onslaught of kisses, pressing his forehead to yours— eyes closing with a pant falling from his lips. “you don’t have to...” he mumbles, lips ghosting over yours while he noses your cheek.
 taehyung’s hair brushes softly over your forehand, his eyes tightly shut away from the world as if, when he sees you again, he won’t be able to control himself. you stare up at him, taking in his every mole and freckle that dots his face. you trust him. “i want to, please— let me, my liege.” you insisted, a neediness sparking in your eyes.
“fuck...the things you do to me, princess,” hisses hotly, his cock twitching in his briefs as you rolled him over. the dragon prince quickly stood, helping position you comfortably on your knees before letting his hands fly to the buckle of his breeches. watching him closely, you felt your mouth water in anticipation— you’d never in your life seen a man in full glory before, let alone a mythical creature such as taehyung. you suspected him to be girthy, but your expectations were exceed as he proceeded to roll down his breeches and undergarments in one. 
taehyung’s cock was not only thick and girthy, but lengthy as well, so big that for a brief second, you were unsure that your own two hands would fit around it, let alone your mouth. your jaw dropped in awe as your eyes observe him. “well...uh, there’s something about us dragon’s that.... that perhaps i failed to mention-“ taehyung but his lip with nervousness, his confident and dominant aura suddenly wavering. 
“you have two heads-“ you blurt out, gaze trained on the second head of his forked member. “there’s two!” 
the prince blushes, running a hand through his curled hair and swallowing thickly. “for mating purposes, it increases the success of a female carrying...” taehyung pauses is breathe explanation, frowning deeply as you touch curiously at his cock. “—carrying offspring, princess.” 
the pet name comes out as some what of a warning, making you smile sheepishly at the man above you. “it’s got spines, taehyung...you cant expect me not to touch you!” you defend yourself,  watching him closely. “it’s hot too.” 
“for pleasure purposes, dragons are also naturally hot.” 
“do you think it will fit? i’ve not been with a man before i-“
seemingly sensing the nerves that stir in your stomach, taehyung leans down to grip your chin and tilts your head upwards to catch your eye. “i’ve got you, petal,” he whispers and presses a light chaste kiss to your lips. “do you trust me?” 
“yes, more than anything.” you breathe, settling back onto your knees as taehyung guides your mouth towards his pulsing cock. your eyes trail up his body as he tugs off his shirt from above you, his skin is glazed with a layer of sweat and desire pours through your system like the molten lava that intertwines with his dragon blood. you imagine that he tastes sweet, like the finest wines of the Ubeozia dynasties. 
leaning forward you shakily take taehyung’s tips past your lips, sucking on it hesitantly while he starts to groan. the dragon sucks in a breath from the night air as you take him further into your mouth, looking up at him with sparkling doe eyes. “you’re doing so well, my darling  princess, so good for me.” he sighs.
his cock his hot against your tongue, forming tingling sensation at your lips while you work on bobbing your head. curses fall out from underneath taehyung’s breathy moans whilst his eyes flash golden like Apollo’s sun. his large hands thread between your loosened locks as they tickle at your exposed shoulders, encouraging you to give him more. 
your hands sit small on the base of his girth, fisting at what you cannot fit making a wetness pool between the apex of your thighs as you think about being stuffed full of him. taehyung lets out a small moan, closing his eyes and throwing his head back to face the stars as he shallowly thrusts his length into your welcoming mouth. your tongue works circles around his cock making taehyung’s fingers curl in your hair, massaging your scalp as he gently pushes your hot mouth further down on his pulsing, red hot cock. 
he hisses and grunts when you’re tongue glides over his slit, abdomen clenching as he feels himself fall into his high. you gasp as the dragon paints your tongue with a smokey release, his cum is a foreign feel against your tongue but brings you satisfaction as he quivers through the after shocks of his orgasm. softly, you let go of his member, sliding your tongue over your bottom lip to capture the rest of his cum— keeping your eyes trained on him. 
“how does it taste?” taehyung asks darkly, sinking into his knees to cup your face.
you hum for a moment, parting your lips gently as his thumb brushes over them. “salty, no...ashy.” you conclude, breathing lightly. taehyung quirks a brow, leaning forward to press a searing kiss to your lips, his tongue swipes over your bottom one as he gradually pushes you back into the lush grass, positioning himself between your legs.
“that’s because our release is fuelled by the fires that burn in our hearts,” the prince explains, pulling away from your lips to whisper in your ear. now that you’ve tasted me, it’s time i mark your beautiful little cunt.” 
you gasp as the tips of his thick cock brush as your entrance, instinctively locking your thighs around his hips. your chest rises and falls with the anticipation of having taehyung, the man you love, claim you. you’re in love, you love taehyung with all your heart and now he was to make you his. sighs of adoration fill the air between you as taehyung slowly pushes into your virgin hole, of course, having more than one tip would make it hurt, but only just— making your nails dig into the skin at taehyung’s shoulder. 
he stops is movements, the prince knows that it will be difficult for your tiny human body to handle his stamina and size, after all, you had already cum once and were nearing exhaustion. “i’m sorry, my petal...my queen, i know it hurts,” he cooes, nosing at your neck to ease the pain. one hand curls in taehyung’s thick locks as he fully enters you with one tip of his cock, the second slowly slipping past the lips of your cunt. the dragon prince drops a hand to your clit, slowly rubbing in circles until the pleasure overrides the sting where you bleed. “you’re doing so well for me, taking all of my cock like the good queen you are.” 
taehyung waits for you to adjust as he continues to lazily flick at your bud, while you slowly start to open up for him like the roses at his mother’s place. “please...move taehyungie...move!” you mewl, throwing your head back into the soft grass as pleasure begins to overwhelm your senses.
the prince smiles down at you, taking in the the twisted look of delight against your delicate features and the curve of your breast as you arch your back. taehyung bottoms out inside of you, gently thrusting his length within your tight, dripping walls and closes his eyes at the sound of your sweet moans. you feel like you were made just for him, for him only and when he opens his eyes, he can’t help but lean down and claim your mouth, slipping his tongue past the barriers of your lips when you part them. 
“look at you, princess, so tight for me— your king,” he praises tenderly against your hips, dropping his face to your neck as you tighten around him involuntarily. “you’re mine, made for me and my cock. you got that princess?” 
“yours, yours my king.” you pant, fingertips dancing across the expanse of your lover’s freckled back.
taehyung deepens his thrusts, the spines on his cock catching against your slick walls as he reaches deeper inside of you. he sucks a little of bruises into your neck, purples, pinks and burgundies painting a picture of his love for you while he works their. your hips lift to match his thrusts, sucking him in as you both move together under the moonlight. the sounds of love filled moans and groans fills the cool air of the forest, long forgotten as taehyung pounds into you, letting you feel every inch of his cock. his grunts send shivers down your spine, making you arch your back into him. taehyung pushes your hips down, pushing his member into your sweet spot causing more of your juicies to gush down your wobbling thighs. 
you bite your lip in an attempt to silence your cries, an unexplainable wave of pleasure coursing through your veins as taehyung yanks your hips down to his. “s’good…please don’ stop,” you slur pathetically into the night, a sheen of sweat dousing your skin, the sound of your desperation making the head’s taehyung’s length twitch inside of you. he wasn’t sure how long he would last, with the way your virgin cunt clamped down on him like a vice. the tightness was almost unbearable, each thrust bringing him closer and closer to the edge. “need you, need you m-my king!” 
taehyung’s mop of hair drops to your collar bones as he bites on them to silence his growls of possession. “fuck me, princess, fuck,” he slurs, his cock swelling as if he’s about to burst. the first head of his member stimulating that special spot, while the other fills your needy hole. “wonder what your courts would say if they saw you like this, princess,” taehyung pants into your neck, one hand sliding between your bodies to stimulate your clit while the other grips your breast, as he leans against you, pressing his hips into yours. “saw their queen spread out for the dragon king so desperate and needy for his dragon cock...fuck baby, what would they say?” 
“t-they’d be ... ashamed!” you squeal, arching your back and lifting your hips to meet taehyung’s thrusts. 
he smirks, fucking into you harder, until you’re full to the brim and you can feel him deep in your womb. “but i wouldn’t be, m’ so proud of my princess for taking me like this...” taehyung pants, looking deep into your eyes, sweaty hair falling over his own amber irises. “cum with me, my love.” 
you grab and pull at taehyung, touching at skin hair and lips as your release starts to creep up on you. the pace of taehyung’s hips never slow but start to become sloppy as your senses become overwhelmed with him. the tips of his cock brush at your spot once more, making you scream with pleasure as the damn finally bursts and you cream on his member, painting him with your release as the first spirts of his cum fill your hole. “taehyung, tae..please,” you cry, soft tears springing in your eyes as he locks his gaze on yours, hips slowing to a grind as he pumps his thick, hot seed inside of you. there’s so much, never ending as his release gathers within your cunt, searingly hot as lewd sounds of your wetness’ mixing fills the air. “i love you...”
your words are barely above a whisper, tears of warmth and happiness spilling from your eyes as taehyung cups your cheeks and swoops down to kiss you lovingly. “i love you so much, more than anything.” he responds, never ending his onslaught of kisses. 
taehyung doesn’t soften inside you, making another wave of neediness wash over your body. he loved you, he loved you just as you did with him. the kisses become sweeter and sweeter, like the finest honey against your tongue and you smile against taehyung’s lips as he lifts you into his arms. “you love me.” it’s more of a statement than a question, but taehyung answers regardless, brushing strands of hair away from your face.
“i will always love you, beyond my dying breath.” 
the dragon scoops you up, carrying you to a nearby tree and leaning back against it, refusing to put you down despite your giggles and protests. you notice, from over his shoulder that moon lillies grow in place of the spot you made love in. “what’s that?” you ask quietly, as taehyung sits, turning you around gently in his lap and barely lifting you from his cock. 
he watches darkly as only small traces of his charcoal black cum seep from your cunt before he follows your gaze to the flowers. “those, moon lillies appear when a dragon has found his or her mate, in place of where they have mates for the first time.” he mumbles shyly, hiding his face in your neck and kissing the back of your shoulder. 
“let’s... let’s make more,” you whisper and admire the flowers that act as a symbol of your love. although your thighs still shake from your last two releases, you pull your hips forward and drag them back against taehyung’s lap, twitching around his length from the overstimulation. your turn your head to face the dragon prince from over your shoulder, watching as his chest heaves with pleasure. “make love to me, dragon king. make love to your queen.” 
taehyung’s hips twitch at your words, the ghost of his fingertips settling on your hips  before gripping them harshly, helping to move you back and forth against his cock. “as you wish my queen,” he mumbles, starting to move his own hips in time with yours. “you’re going to be the death of me, love.” 
taehyung bites down harshly on your shoulder as you begin to mewl, lifting yourself off of your cock and slamming your hips back down. the spines on taehyung’s cock stimulate your spasming, cum soaked walls, catching on each ridge and causing you to shiver. the forest is once more filled with the sound of skin slapping on skin, and a mixture of lost words and moans and ‘i love you’s. you are lost with taehyung, in a world of your own as he claims your cunt over and over again with each thrust. 
you circle your hips, clenching around the thick cock that stretches you open and gasp when one of taehyung’s heads slip out from your tight core. biting your lip, you take a finger and coat it in the remainder of your last orgasms and smear it against taehyung’s tip, thumbing it hardly. the prince groans, hips stuttering as he lets out a loud moan, thrusting into you at a faster pace and circling himself inside of you. “princess, please...fuck me.” 
“forever, my sweet.” you whisper, slapping the head against your cock before pushing it back into your entrance. you rock yourself back and forth, tears of pleasure stinging the corners of your eyes as your sensitive pussy pulses with want. you know, you will not last as long as the previous rounds, indicated by your throbbing clit and collapse forward against taehyung’s legs. the dragon takes this as an opportunity to slap his palm against your bare ass, watching the flesh jiggle at the contact. 
you squeal at the spank, sinking your fingers into the grass as taehyung repeats his ministrations on each of your cheeks. his cock swells with every desperate moan that passes from your lips, stretching your tight cunt open to accommodate for his cum. he wants to breed you, fuck you full of all of his dragon seed and watch your stomach swell at the heavy load. he wants you to have his children. with new found motivation and his orgasm closing in on him, taehyung grabs your hips and forces them down against his cock, slamming into you every time you come down against him. your abused hole drips with newfound wetness and remainders of taehyung’s hot seed as he pushes it further inside of you. 
the pace is wild, and heat flares up between you both as your bodies move together completely uncontrolled. “m gonna cum again...” you gasp as you feel taehyung pound repeatedly into your g-spot. “please, please fill me up.” 
“gonna cum with you princess, gonna breed you with my dragon pups,” taehyung practically whimpers, mumbling an i love you into the air. “gonna fill you up and fuck my cum deep inside you.” he rambles now as his thrusts become erratic. having his length nuzzled inside of you is what pushes taehyung over the edge, beating the feeling of endless hours of pleasuring himself during breeding seasons. he had never held or touched a woman in the way that he did with you. you were his first, and that was what made his heads fill you once more with a heavy load of his seed, shooting further into your cunt as you cream against him once more, pushing your hips down while his cum smears against your clit. “
“taehyungie!” 
you collapse against the grass, panting shakily as taehyung pulls you into his arms again, turning to lay on his side as he pulls you into his chest. he doesn’t remove himself from your body, keeping himself inside you as more of the glowing blue flowers begin to bloom around you. taehyung’s hand settles on your belly as his arms wrap around your waist, rubbing it in circles while he kisses your hair. everything is perfect, just as it is meant to be. you’re in love with the man you had dared yourself to kill, but could now only find it in you to lay with him under the stars. 
“i love you taehyung,” you say for the millionth time that night, drawing patterns into the hand that rests on your stomach. “i won’t ever love anyone else. i am yours and you are mine.” 
“we are one, YN.” taehyung adds, sweetly, holding you closer as you feel yourself start to drift into a sweet slumber. “and i will love you forever.” 
forever. 
you smile at the word, placing his hand over his as you finally fall into sleep. you stay with taehyung, in forest for a night or two, loving each other under the moon.
Tumblr media
“and you will see to it that the dragon is captured and killed, immediately?” 
jungkook hesitates, a pause in the air at the prince’s request. when namjoon and the king had asked the young advisor to follow his queen out into the woods, he had never expected to see what he did. the nights where you would disappear for hours on end, coming home with scorch marks and ruffled hair all seemed to make sense now. you were with the dragon prince, the one who’s heart you had promised to capture. except, only you could not do it, you had been soft in the heart. a trait that lay with your deceased mother. 
jungkook had seen you take round after round of the dragon’s cock, wishing that he could be in place of the beastly creature. he hated how that thing claimed you like he had been trying to for years, he despised how he fisted himself to orgasm behind the trees as he watched you cum for the dragon, moan for the dragon, love for the dragon. jungkook hated himself for betraying you due to his own jealousy, he wanted to see the dragon pay for what it had done to his queen, his love. and although, the advisor was unsure of what namjoon planned to do with the information, jungkook knew the least he could do was set you back on the right path. 
he had already owed you this debt, in where he failed to warn you about namjoon. perhaps, he would make it up to you by freeing you from the dragon’s grip. 
“jungkook...”
“yes my liege, we will send our best troops to their location and have him captured within the next week or so...” the boy explains, rubbing a thumb over his knuckles nervously. why does guilt rein free in his mind? he was doing what was best for you. 
prince namjoon nods proudly, nodding his head and standing from his seat to leave the dining room. the prince had moved into the palace due to your absence over the last three days, presumably to take over rule as your father was too sick to do so. namjoon was brought in to have you wed before your father’s passing but the courts knew you were more than capable of doing so on your own. 
they just hated to see a women in power.
“you are dismissed, jungkook.” 
the young advisor nods his head gratefully, running a hand through his wavy locks and massaging his scalp to calm his guilt ridden mind. “what the fuck, jeon?” he mumbles to himself, starting walk back his quarters. he needed to be a lone, he needed time to convince himself that what he had done was right. jungkook could pretend that everything would be fine and maybe it would be. 
he paces down the twisting and winding halls of the castle, chest squeezing as he begins to feel trapped within the walls and lies. jungkook doesn’t even hear the call of his name. 
“jeongguk!” tamarae gasps, catching up to the young advisor. the boy freezes, the princess much resembled the queen before YN, her features her sloping and graceful and you could see shift in her eye colour of the light hit them just right. everyone had been in awe of tamarae since she was born, but she was no YN. he looks down at the girl, just a year younger than jungkook himself, and parts his lips to speak. they were aquatinted well, but never spoke more than a passing hello when YN was around. 
but he never gets a chance to speak. 
the princess’ hand falls sharply against his cheek, the connection is enough to send his head to the side. it is now, for the first time, that jungkook really looks at the young princess. her snow white hair is dishevelled and slightly out of place, dark eye bags beneath her usually glowing eyes and her skin has paled significantly. “how dare you?” tamarae seethes, stepping closer to jungkook and pointing a finger in his face. he flops guiltily, his actions coming to haunt him. “how dare you, give my sister’s location to that treacherous prince?”
“i’m doing what is in the best interest of our queen.” 
tamarae opens her mouth in shock, casting a glance up and down jungkook’s frame before taking a breath to calm herself. “what would you know about her best interests?” she begins, now poking a thumb into the firm of the advisor’s chest. “she is happy there, out in the woods in her clearing. he makes her happy.” a breath, “— but you’re so foolishly and selfishly in love with her, you would do anything to make her love you back. well, jeon jungkook...now she will never.” 
“tamarae, i—“
“and you slept with me, i let you wrestle me to bed in your quarters and make a woman of me,”  the princess starts to feel tears form in her eyes, breath becoming shaky and anger rising within her chest. “just so...so you could find where she is. i didn’t tell you, for you to hurt her. i told you because you’re her best friend...” 
jungkook is left, trembling with guilt as the princess turns away and heads back in the direction she came. 
he was desperately in love with you, but was too blind to see the love he was given too.
Tumblr media
the feeling beneath taehyung’s skin is nothing like he has ever felt before. it’s a bristling pain that jabs at his flesh, pinches at his every fibre and burning away at his heart. 
it hurts, it pains him and he doesn’t know why. 
the servants strip him of his shirt, sweat licking his honey dipped abs as they douse him with cold spurts of water but nothing helps and the pain doesn’t cease. one places a stick between his teeth for him to clamp down on as they rub at his skin, trying to massage the pain away. instead the supposed, soothing feeling is replaced by a thousand small stabs to his flesh, almost to the point where tears pool in his ocean eyes. 
the double doors to his bedroom open suddenly, Queen elantris making an entrance as maids and servants alike withdraw from the heaving prince. his stares over at his mother as she dismisses all other personnel in the room, dropping his head back into his tangled sheets while he pants, eyes falling shut. 
“mother...”
“shh, my boy, you are in a lot of pain,” elantris hums quietly, brushing her son’s curled charcoal locks from his paling face.  the prince whines like a young dragon pup, the hurt becoming too much to bare. elantris looks down at her child, seizing the moment to rub a cooling herb mix against his chest, despite the growls and roars that emit from taehyung’s lips. she coos at him gently, once she’s done, whispering sweet words into his hair as he shivers in a cold sweat. the dragon queen had seen this once before, never as severe. her child was sick with a deep poison, known as love. 
“what’s happening to me?”
the tone of fear rings in taehyung’s voice as he roars, scales reappearing across his skin and eyes darkening into their golden state. his mother leans down and noses taehyung’s cheek, trying to ease him through the pain and coaches him through it despite the groans he lets out.
“you’ve imprinted, my love,” elantris whispers, linking their hands. “you’re in love, taehyung, with that human girl.” 
the boy gasps through his pain, feeling like a pup being caught stealing from the kitchen like when he was young. taehyung had known that he had always felt strongly towards you, felt strongly for the way your eyes sparkled under the moon and the way your smile shone brightly whenever the dragon had a new trick to show you. taehyung had known, all along, that he was in love with you. “how, how did you know?”
“i could smell her on you, taehyung,” elantris chuckles and releases her child’s hand, helping him to sit. “i may be old but i am not a fool. you have learned to forgive, unlike those of our ancestors. you must go to her, the girl and the closer you are to her, the less pain you will be in.” she hums. “you just go to her.” 
the prince stretches his limbs, a cool slick sliding over his skin. “i will, i love her.” 
Tumblr media
the clearing.
when you thought of the clearing, you thought of happiness and love. your love, with taehyung that bloomed solely under the night of the stars but another that grew strongly inside of you. the news you had for taehyung sent a series of fire works bursting in your chest, coursing through your veins— this could be it, could be what could end all the suffering and consequences, letting yourself and your prince be together. 
the familiar sent of sweet moon lily fills your nostrils, easing your nerves as you approach the clearing, your love. the sky is clear above your head, milky pink like the roses your mother used to weave into your hair. you like to believe, that she would be excited for you, looking down at you from the constellations above with joy.  this was not always your plan, but you would not let this get in your way of becoming queen. 
you take care with your steps, unlike times before this, wearing your traditional warrior fit makes the journey easier.  you want to be careful and prevent any harm to what is to come — but suddenly, the air around you feels different, thick with smoke and heavy with  an eerie vibe. something is off, something is wrong. 
peeking through the leaves you spot several men, heavily armed with swords and arrows, in a uniform you do not recognise. upon closer inspection— you notice the emblem on the crest of a soldier from your kingdom . these are your people, men from your army. 
in your clearing. 
rushing forward, you burst from the trees and slap a hand over your mouth at the site. the dragon prince, fully shifted into his beautiful dragon transformation is hooked to the ground with thick metal chains that rub at his skin. taehyung roars, in pain, in fear, you cannot tell and panic begins to rise in your chest, clawing at your throat and tearing at your insides. 
they had found him.
the beast sniffs the air once, twice, the bones in his back cracking as he fights to stand—pulling the men that held him back, off of the ground. yellowed eyes tilt towards you, barely hidden in your precious spot as the prince tries to rip free and expose you. he could sense your presence, your emotions and desperately needed to be with you, he needed you to know about the imprint. 
but before taehyung can reach you, a guard calls and has you on your knees in a second, many others spearing your lover to get him under control. tears sting in your eyes as the first drops of his blood hit the pure grass beneath your knees, where you had made love for the first time, where you were supposed to be safe. 
“taehyung!” you scream, attempting to rip yourself away from the men, your men... that hold you down. it’s almost as if you can feel every pierce of taehyung’s flesh as he roars out for you. yanking your arm free, you attempt to stand, but your pathway is blocked by a pair of black boots and a talk slender figure.  your wobbling lip turns to a sneer, gaze darkening as you look to him. “you...”
namjoon smirks, kneeling down to your height as your own men hold you down. “hello, my queen,” he hums, eyeing your sweat streaked face and angry expression. the man lifts your chin with his forefinger, tilting your head to look up at you. taehyung’s chest rumbles possessively as the latter male’s hands slip to clip your jaw tightly. “you seem to be right on time, love. you’re about to witness the true harvesting of a dragon heart.” 
a flare of outrage ignites in your chest as you lunge forward, biting at namjoon’s finger so hard that you draw blood, while vexed tears cloud your vision. the pink haired prince pulls back, holding his hand tightly in pain. “unhand me.” you breathe heavily, staring up at the men beside you, holding you down and betraying you. “unhand me by order of your princess.” you muster up a stern expression, although your lip wobbles and your eyes water as the pain of your lover courses through your veins. you had not known it was possible to feel so connected, so in tune with someone before. but you understood now, that this was love. love was not your mother and father arguing during nights, where hoseok would cover yourself and your sister’s ears, love was not tolerating and suppressing your bitter hatred for your father. love was not war. love was taehyung. 
the men look to namjoon for guidance as you thrash within their grip, he simply shakes out his wounded hand and stalking towards you, before landing a harsh slap across your face. your head whips to the side, your chest heaving in shock while your lover growls in the distance.  
“i’m afraid they cannot do that your highness,” namjoon spits, pushing you down into the soil. you clutch at your stomach protectively, glowering at the prince. “you father has handed all authority over to me, after your absence for the last two nights. the court has ruled you, unfit to rule until we marry.” 
the prince then turns to the dragon, signalling for his minions to tighten the chains around taehyung. “and he shall be executed in consequence of your action. for imprinting on our queen, like the filthy creature he is.” 
it feels like your world is collapsing, and you are falling underneath the surface. but you cannot give in, you cannot give namjoon the satisfaction of your favour without a fight. you cannot lose taehyung. you close your eyes and swallow thickly, remembering what your mother had instilled in you. every battle has a way to be won. 
“unhand me,” you repeat, steadying your breath. “and i will go with you willingly.” namjoon only chuckles deeply, shaking his head so you take action. ripping yourself from the men behind you, you kick your leg out and take the men down by swipe their feet out from underneath them. elbowing a soldier in the nose and snatching your sword from its sheath, burying it in the chests of two traitors. rolling your shoulders back, you kick down two more men and stay light on your toes. 
you aim for the prince next. 
taking a running sprint, you thrust your sword towards him, barely slicing his cheek as you pant heavily. “release the dragon, and i will spare you,” you seethe through gritted teeth, watching your wounded lover from over namjoon’s shoulder. “don’t be a foolish man, my prince.” you mock, venomously.
“i see that carrying a child has softened your mindset, princess YN,” namjoon comments softly, pushing the blade away from his throat. how could he know? who could have told him? your confident demeanour falters slightly, but you do not allow yourself to slip, holding up your blade again. “the castle maids talk, you show early signs. disgraceful, how you are willing to bare the child of the beast that killed your mother—“ the prince remains cool and collected whilst your resolve starts to crumble, he wins. taehyung wails for you in the background, weakening as you begin to shake. “you will marry me, tomorrow at sunset if you wish for child to be speared. i feel no remorse for ending two lives tonight.” 
the world around you begins to spin lightly, taehyung calling for you to stay strong. namjoon had won, he had you exactly where he wanted you, and there was nothing more you could do. “very well,” you whisper, dropping your gaze along with your mothers sword. “we shall be wed.”
Tumblr media
you had never been to a wedding, if you had, you may have been too young to remember. sometimes, if you were lucky enough to hear, your mother would tell you of her own, her white dress and wolf furs, her pearl crown imported from across the sea. when she explained to you, brushing your hair and tying it neatly before bed, she had never smiled, never grinned at the thought of a royal feast. her face had always been void. 
you now, realise why. 
today you would marry, to a man you bared no feelings for. today you would marry out of duty and out of the love you had for someone else. you realise, being older and less naive, that your mother, the queen— married your father as a debt to her kingdom. 
“you look beautiful, YN...” your sister offered, taking over for the maid in weaving flowers into your hair. orchids. the national flower of namjoon’s kingdom. the smell was too sweet, sickly to the point where you felt you would heave. they were everywhere, in your hair and your bouquet, in gifts given by royals from other kingdoms— you hated it. a constant reminder of what you had to lose. tamarae notes your silence, stopping her hands that move to fix hair that has already been tucked into place. “please, say something...”
you blink twice in response, parting your lips as if the words will come on their own — but you’re hollow inside, a ghost of who you once were. there were no more tears to cry, or screams to let out. all of those had passed in the cold night, when your sister held you as you cried because your child would grow without the father they needed. because you were going to lose your love. tamarae sinks to her knees before you, creasing the sweet powder blue dress that she wore. her hand take yours, squeezing it gently as if to remind you that you’re still a person, you still feel. 
“you don’t have to do this,” she whispers hoarsely, white hair falling over her face to shield her from the world. her bottom lip trembles as tears slip down her cheeks— she had lost her mother, her brother and now her sister. what more could she lose? “you don’t have to...”
for the first time in hours, you make a movement...your face twitches into a sad smile as you cup your sister’s cheeks and hold her close. tamarae’s face finds the tule of your wedding dress, trying her best not to stain the expensive fabric imported from namjoon’s kingdom, not that you cared much for it. “i have to, for you and for the people. our people. they have lost faith in me, and they need me—“ you swallow sharply, no more tears. “they need me to show them i care for our people, i care for this war...”
“i don’t want to lose you...”
“you won’t.”
the door bursts open, yourself and your sister jumping apart at the sudden entrance. jungkook inhales deeply, eyes flickering between the two princesses before tamarae scoffs and parts ways with you but not before pressing a kiss to the crown of your head.
she shoves past the boy, maids flurrying after her, leaving yourself and the advisor alone. he is the first to speak. “YN, my queen, you’re stunning-“ 
“no,” you interject, looking up at your old friend, coldly. “don’t speak. you don’t get to speak today or i’ll have you executed for treason.” you punctuate your every word, begging yourself to keep it together because if you cry now, jungkook will be the only one to comfort you. your best friend, the man who betrayed you, silences himself, before it’s too late. “you don’t get to say a word, not after what you did to me. not after betraying my trust.” 
“YN, i-“ 
“please,” you hiccup this time, the air in your lungs being sucked away from you with every passing second. jungkook is here to walk you down the isle, towards the man that will only abuse his power of you and your people. jungkook is the reason you are walking this path. “please don’t say anymore. have you not said enough? given away my secrets, out of love you say?” jungkook falters, every fibre in his being screaming out at him to comfort you, but his love for you did this, he destroyed the strong girl he once knew. “then your love is truly misplaced- i have loved you, jeongguk...but only ever as a friend. you used that against my sister, which i truly cannot forgive. so please do not say anymore than you must, for your words only ever hurt us.” 
jungkook bites his lip and nods, offering his arm to you to lead you down to the ceremony. he watches you with sad eyes, but a kind smile, sighing heavily when you return his with a watery one. 
if he had not loved you, this would not have happened. if he had not loved you, he would still have his friend.
Tumblr media
the sun is coloured a shade of honey, ribbons of its light casting a warm hue against your skin. sunsets like this are rare, beautiful and not to be taken for granted— they remind you of sweet days with taehyung, his curled hair buried in your neck and his soft giggle filling the air. sunsets reminded you of your love for taehyung.
you watch the sun dip it’s toes into the navy blue of the water, just behind the prince’s head at the end of the isle. namjoon had wanted a wedding by the sea, with enough room for all of your people along with visitors from kingdoms far away. he wanted sea air and a fresh breeze, he wanted open waters, clear enough to see the dye of taehyung’s blood when he executed the dragon prince after the ceremony. he wanted it all, and you wanted to escape. your stomach twists and turns, as the orchestra begin to strum a wedding tune. this isle was not a path to happiness, but one to your death. 
to the people of your kingdom, saw you as a beautiful bride but you saw yourself as a ghost of a human being. jungkook holds you by the arm, steadying your steps as he walks you towards your doom, your own funeral. your own father couldn’t even give you away, too drunk to even stand. you scowl at him as you pass his pew, accompanied by your sweet sister. 
if you had it your way, it would be taehyung at the end of the isle, dressed in his kingdom’s traditional fits as he gave you that toothy grin. his eyes would light up as your brother gave you away, and your mother’s light shined on you from above. taehyung would take your hand firmly in his, slip on the ring and tell you how much he loved you. the dress that you wore would be off at the end of the night, as you made love to one another. but now, here you were, reaching the dreaded prince namjoon, as he smirked at you greasily. 
jungkook gave you a tight, apologetic squeeze before handing you over to namjoon, shielding his face once he joined the rest of the crowd. your gaze slowly shifts to namjoon, hating the way he looked at you, when the ground beneath your feet starts to shake and you hear the pained cry of your love. “taehyung...” you whisper, standing on your tip toes to find him. over the shoulder of the prince, you spot the dragon shivering from pain behind the alter. 
he spasms in his chains, wrists red and sore whilst purple bruises litter his tanned honey skin. he whimpers our for you, causing tears to well in your eyes. all you can do is watch helplessly as the dragon steadies his laboured breathing. small tears slip down your cheeks, streaming through the layers of make up that you wore— the pink haired prince lowers his lips to your ear level. “take a good look, my princess, for this will be the last chance you will ever get.” the prince chuckles, pouting at you mockingly. 
with watery eyes, you glance back at the dragon prince, watching as he falls weak at namjoon’s proximity to his imprint. the injuries taehyung sustained over the time had weakened his dragon transformation, the scales that patched his skin were becoming dull as he bled from wounds here and there. the only way for him to heal would be to be near you again. 
sucking in a deep breath, you blink away the oncoming tears and replace them with a bright smile. smile for the people, smile for your family. “of course, my king,” you say with wobbling words. be strong, you chant. 
the ceremony begins with namjoon’s consent, rushing by with your mind focused on your lover. he’s hurting, in pain and all you want to do his hold him, ease him through it all. you cannot focus, sick to the stomach of what is to come, will you live out the same fate as your mother?  bare beautiful children from the seed of a hateful man. will he ruin your kingdom? what your mother had worked hard to build? this couldn’t be your legacy. 
“and do you, princess YN LN of the  Phantis empire, take prince namjoon of the Kevimore kingdom— to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health...as long as you both shall live?” the minister’s words fly over your head, your mouth suddenly feeling dry and the air in your lungs no longer present. 
namjoon leans down to whisper into your ear, warningly. “YN...” 
“i-“ you hesitate, saying yes would mean taehyung would be executed sooner and you couldn’t bare to lose the only love you’ve ever had. namjoon’s arms snake around your waist, pulling you into him, causing taehyung to fall to his knees behind your shoulder, ocean eyes full of tears. he can’t lose his soulmate, not now, not ever. “i’m...”
the words formulate on your lips, the pressure weighing down on your shoulders. 
“stop the wedding!” 
you clutch at your chest, relief flooding through you as the crowd turns their attention to the oncoming voice. an armoured soldier and his men, enter the ceremony eliciting gasps and stares of the congregation, you take the opportunity to slip from namjoon’s slimy grip, while they create a distraction. 
“who do you think you are?” namjoon scowls, stepping forward and pointing an accusing finger at the intruder. “interrupting an officiated ceremony, what authority do you have over a drunken king and his weak daughter?” 
the soldier dismounts from his horse, stepping forward to the middle of the isle and removes his helmet— revealing the similar sloped and heart shaped features of your elder brother. “hoseok,” tamarae calls, stealing the words from your very lips. you watch as your younger sister rushes into his arms, the reunion warming your numbed heart. 
the red heard clutches your sibling close, pressing a kiss to her hair in a protective fashion before glaring daggers into namjoon. if looks could kill the prince would be five miles under. the soldier’s namjoon has under his rein, bend the knee to their rightful prince, giving you time to make a dash for taehyung before he collapses to his side. 
“prince hoseok... what—what are you doing here?”
the man in question raises a brow, ordering his men to take namjoon into custody. “the war is over, with word of my sister’s union with dragon prince-“ hoseok nods his head over to you, smirking as the latter male is brought to his knees in front of the entire court. “— spread across the battle field, man and mythical creature alike have found a way to bring peace,” the eldest sibling makes his way toward the pink haired prince and drawing his sword up to the other’s chin. “and next time...you will think twice before treating my sister, thinking you have power over us all. she is stronger and a much better leader than you will ever be. so stand, take your men and leave before i have your head.” 
namjoon nods vigorously, clearing himself and the ceremony up as you sniff thankfully, turning your attention to the dragon prince. as soon as you hold him in your arms, taehyung collapses, barely breathing as you come into his field of view. his perfect lips are dry and slightly cut, a gash along his brow that will surely scar and purple, burgundy bruises just under his ribs where his wings would be. he looks bad, but your dragon has never looked better. “t-tae...my love, it’s okay..hold on for me, please?” you whisper, brushing his hair back as his eyes flutter open and closed. “please don’t go, don’t leave me now...”
the dragon prince open and closes his mouth, head rolling as you move it into your lap. biting back tears, you brush your curls through his now silver locks, faded from the pain most likely. “don’t leave us, taehyung. don’t you dare.” you add, hoseok ordering servants and men to help give you the medical help that you. you can’t bare to part from your love now, chest heaving with your cries as the dragon slips in and out of consciousness. 
“you’re with a child...” he manages to mumble, gripping your hand tightly as his lips form a slight smile. “i could never leave my soulmate, my imprint behind.” 
your heart lifts, taehyung had told you tales of imprints only once— when his mother and father met, they couldn’t stand to be away from one another... in far too much pain. the story helped you believe in love. an imprint is when a dragon finds their mate, their one true love...and taehyung had found that in you. 
“i love you, taehyung.” 
“and i, love you.” 
you let go of his hand, allowing hoseok’s men to whisk your dragon prince away before going to reunite with your siblings. pulling off your veil, you open your arms to join hoseok and tamarae’s hug, nuzzling into them. “we’ll be okay, right?” your little sister asks, nearing tears.  this would be the first time, the three of you have held each other since hoseok left for war.
“we will be,” your brother promises, kissing your hair sweetly. “we always will be.” 
Tumblr media
a year later, you find yourself dressed in another gown. the same fabric as your mother’s from her own coronation, emerald green silk made by those in the village embroiled with crystals from the caves of taehyung’s very own kingdom. your smile shines brightly as your younger sister fixes your hair around the crown you wear, diamond encrusted, silver plated, like the one your mother was. “sister, if you don’t stop moving, you’re going to miss your presentation to the public,” tamarae scolds you, stepping back when she’s finished with her work. “as queen.” 
“queen— that does sound delightful, don’t you think?” you tease, touching at your makeup gently before snaking your lips. tamarae rolls her eyes and pushes your shoulder gently, mumbling something about seeing you out there. over the course of the year, your father had stepped down from his position in the court allowing you to take the lead on your path to queen while you and taehyung reunified the human and magic worlds. after he recovered, you married taehyung in the dead of the night, under the stars in his kingdom, with blessing from his mother and today, you had finally been coronated as queen. 
“incoming!” a voice called, bringing a babbling baby into the room. your smile widened as jimin, the Phoenix and taehyung’s most trusted advisor stepped in, bringing over your daughter of three months. “taehyung is being dressed at the moment, hoseok is doing a cover of the grounds and jungkook,” jimin lists— adjusting cahira, your baby, in your arms. her name meaning, warrior. “he’s setting up things out front on the balcony.” 
“thank you, jimin,” you nod, bouncing your sweet girl before dismissing your husband’s advisor. 
after namjoon was punished for an attempt at overthrow, you managed to salvage your friendship with jungkook, only to the distain of your husband (it took several growling matches and attempts to calm him down before he let your advisor anywhere near you). but nonetheless, you couldn’t help but turn to mush as you watched over your baby, cahira’s eyes were large and bright like yours, taking on the blue colour of taehyung’s. her black hair was curled, with a patch of white from your mother’s side. her nose was most definitely yours, however. taehyung said that from her early months, it was impossible to tell whether she would show traits of a dragon or not, you would have to wait until her first tooth to see. 
but you knew, just by looking at your young princess— she was made to be a queen, just like you and her grandmother before you. 
“i love the way you look at her, like she is all that there is to the world,” your king grins from the doorway, moving over and bending down slightly to play with his daughter’s tiny hands. it truly is a sight to see, a large and mighty beast, cooing at his tiny baby girl. “hi there, cahira...it’s your daddy!” you sweep over your husband, taking in his floppy hair and his tight fitting black blazer that’s spiralled with silver patterns to match your dress. the ash haired dragon preens happily, primal instincts kicking in while he occupies himself with his daughter on your hip, before looking up at you through the curtain of his hair.  “and i must say, i do enjoy the way you look at me as well.” 
shaking your head, you lean down to meet taehyung’s sweet lips, wiping the small smirk off of his face,” a look of adoration, for the people i love most in this world.” you say, standing straight as your lover takes you into his arms, mindful of the giggling baby between you. “i am happy like this, with you.” 
“i am happy with you, completely and utterly in love with you, and my daughter,” taehyung whispers into your hair, kissing it. “we ended the war, and finally received the happy ending that we deserved.”  you stand in the middle of the throne room, just off of the balcony, listening to the chants and calls of your people— both yours and taehyung’s, in the distance. the war had been ended, your love had united the people and your people finally brought together. 
your maids enter the room, opening the doors to the balcony as jungkook comes through to salute you. taehyung separates from you, lacing your fingers together— allowing you to catch glimpse of the wedding rings you both wore. together, for an eternity. 
“ready to face the world, my love?” taehyung asks, taking cahira from your arms and settling her on his hip. “my queen?” 
you stand on your tiptoes, adjusting the matching crown on his head. you thought that you would never rule with a man by your side, and you didn’t need one. but taehyung would never take away from you as a woman, you were his queen and you always would be. you smile brightly, squeezing his palm and nod. “with you, i always will be.” you answer, taking his hand and stepping out towards your future. 
you had once wanted to hold a dragon’s heart, little did you know, he would be holding yours instead. 
Tumblr media
⇢ author’s note(s): hi everyone! thank you so much for reading! I really enjoyed writing this fic, i think im most proud of this project and so, in the future im thinking of doing some kind of spin off seires/drabble collection, let me know what you guys think? feedback is always appreciated :D
3K notes · View notes
vanaera · 4 years
Text
The Heart Holiday | Act 1 | myg
Tumblr media
Synopsis: Valentine’s Day is declared as an official holiday. However, private companies’ standards dictate it’s only for the people who are currently in a relationship. Unluckily for Y/N, she doesn’t have this year’s PRS’ (Proof of Relationship Status) “in a relationship” box ticked – the only ticket out she can have to enjoy one paid week of holiday leave away from her hellish job. And more unfortunately for Y/N, everyone around her is oh so conveniently currently committed in a relationship. Except for one person: Min Yoongi, Y/N’s biggest critic in every pitch meeting, the picky guy who always picks on her, and the most annoying jerk of the century. Desperate for that holiday leave, Y/N strikes Yoongi up with an offer: Fake date each other two weeks before February 14, just enough time for the Department of Relationship Management (DRM) to consider processing your PRSs. After Valentine’s Day, they will go back to their own ways and never speak about whatever that may happen during the plan. Good, plain, and simple. That is until, Yoongi uncharacteristically oh so enthusiastically agrees to Y/N’s offer, leaving her thinking that she may have bitten something too much more than she can chew.
Characters: Yoongi x Female Reader
AU/ Trope: Office AU (Creatives manager!yoongi x PA!reader), enemies to lovers, fake dating
Genre: fluff, angst, comedy (the triple t(h)reat)
Wordcount: 11, 798
Warnings: Lots of curses from two emotionally-constipated characters (PG-15 Rating)
A/N | This fic is in part with FWL’s Valentine’s project, The Luv Library: Romance. I had this premise about a Valentine’s holiday for a while and finally, I got to use it for this fic.
next  | series masterlist
             Ten seconds are enough to look at Min Yoongi. Two seconds to look at his unkempt, unprofessional, and stupid fringes that nonsensically cover his already small eyes. Three to look at his stupid, smug smile. Another two for his overly-confident stance—leaned forward in his chair, elbows on the table, hands clasping together—as if he’s better and of higher power than anyone else around the room when he’s just a measly representative of the day for the Creatives Team. And the last three seconds—they are enough to look at his mocking eyes, his jeering gaze, and the arrogant quirk of his brow.
               This is the same look he gave to Y/N when he got promoted ahead of her. This is the same look he flashed to Y/N when he berated every word choice in her reports. And, this is the same look in his face when he ruined her presentation which could have been her ticket way out from this hellish job. Smug, arrogant, and proud, Min Yoongi is set to ruin Y/N’s life. And all Y/N could do now is glare at him and hope her eyes could set him on fire so it will be easy for hell to swallow him up and—
               “Y/N?”
               Y/N whips her head to her right, “S-sorry?”
               Nancy Kim clicks her tongue, “Why are you just standing there, glaring at the windows? I told you to distribute the copies among the room.”
               “R-right,” Y/N gulps and rushes forward. She hands the copies of last month’s Travel Loca issues among the representative of each department. Gracie from the Marketing Team sneaks her a small smile, which Y/N returns. However, that smile falls into a frown when she reaches the devil himself.
               “Good morning, Y/N,” Min Yoongi greets, chin rested on his palm. When Y/N doesn’t greet back, Yoongi takes it upon himself to wink at her. With a huff, Y/N slams down the copy on the table in front of him, enough for the glossy, firm cover page to hit his pile of notes and cause some pages to fly off the table.
               “Thank you, Y/N,” Nancy calls out, sighing. She waves away at Y/N and the latter takes it as a cue to sit back on her chair. Nancy leans back in her huge black chair, “Okay, let’s get the ball rolling. Now tell me something I don’t know.”
               Y/N seats herself on the chair by the corner of the room, behind Nancy’s chair, far from the round meeting table. Every team representative starts to report their progress last month and their suggestions for the next, next month’s issue. Meanwhile, Min Yoongi is still busy picking up his notes on the floor. When he’s gathered them back, now in a sloppy stack, he looks from his crouched position and flashes Y/N his middle finger. She flashes back a finger at him, grinning. Y/N looks down at her small pocket notebook.
               “Y/N – 1. Yoongi – 0.”
               So far, this morning is really good.
               Y/N hates Min Yoongi, and this is beyond an understatement. She hates him so much that the word “hate” started to become insufficient to describe her tantamount distaste for that man. Y/N blames his last name for that. “Min” should not be how his last name spelled. It should be M-E-A-N because that man is beyond mean.                
               When Y/N first met Yoongi, she knew there’s something off with him. He stands so arrogantly, so prideful as if he deserved every bit of the floor space of Travel Loca’s Main Office when he just got hired because there’s no other job-seeker that has actually applied. Yoongi looks at other people as if he’s any much greater than them. Lazy eyes, far-off gaze, indifferent façade—he just looks at you as if he’s listening when he’s actually just hearing so he can make some witty comeback. And Yoongi talks like a dictator know-it-all. He corrects every word people say here and there, like “Y/N, are you sure it’s ‘demonstrate,’ not ‘visualize’? We can’t physically see something if there’s nothing to see,” or “Y/N, you shouldn’t say ‘Xerox.’ It should be ‘photocopy.’ Xerox is just a brand, our junior high teacher told us so,” as if every word anyone says but him, will always be wrong. Yoongi talks as if no one but him will always be right and that everything around him does not deserve a bit of his attention unless they prove their worth to him.
               And it frustrates Y/N to no end that no one seems to see his real form but her. Because apparently, Yoongi is “amazing.” Yoongi knows a lot of foreign places, having traveled to Malta, New Zealand, Hawaii, and yaddah yaddah, making his first-hand knowledge essential to the Writing Department. Yoongi has a lot of expertise in various editing apps, and he’s willing to teach the tricks and nicks to it to anybody. Anybody but Y/N. Because behind closed doors, Y/N knows his true face:  Min Yoongi is a thick-skinned, double-faced bitch. That even if his name is on the tip of the tongue of anyone around the office every single morning, his quick promotion as manager of the Creatives Team a never-ending topic starter, Y/N knew the real story. Because Min Yoongi started out as Nancy’s Personal Assistant…just like Y/N.
               Nancy Kim is the best photojournalist in the history of travel magazines. God-tier even, because when Nancy is just an intern in The Traveler’s Foot, she wrote the best articles Y/N has ever read. It didn’t matter if they were about a cliché tourist spot that has been featured over and over again or something bizarre that could make anyone wonder someone in their right mind would actually go there. Nancy is the goddess of travel journaling and Y/N obsessively consumed every article she wrote during her entire senior high and college life. So, to be able to get accepted in a company Nancy built, as Nancy’s personal assistant, is a sweet as fuck dream come true. Y/N didn’t care if she has to go home by 12 A.M. or 1 A.M. as Nancy said PA’s always have to leave the office after their bosses left. Nancy just shows the dedication to work one must have. Y/N didn’t find it tiresome when Nancy has to send her back-and-forth for errands both for work and personal life. She’s learning how to be resourceful while being good at time-management all at the same time. She’s learned a lot from Nancy. So, seeing Min Yoongi be so lax at work after getting hired frayed Y/N’s nerves to no end.
               Yoongi doesn’t keep a tab on Nancy’s schedules just like Y/N does. He says there’s no reason for such rush to keep every event on track because Nancy will just cancel or push forward them anyway. It’s true, Nancy does sometimes mess up the week calendar Y/N arranged for her, but still, not tabbing anything on your work diary is still an evident proof Yoongi slacks of.  He even takes a nap in between work hours for God’s sake. Yoongi also likes to talk behind Nancy’s back: of how inconveniencing, overbearing, and unnecessarily over-the line abuser she is as a boss. He tells this to Y/N day in and day out. Yoongi even mocked Y/N’s work ethic as a “willing subservience to work slavery.” He mercilessly reduced her dedication to work as blind obedience to an authority for the sake of monthly paychecks instead of hard, honest efforts to learn the essential skills in travel journalism.
               And, it’s not a miracle no one finds out about this. Because when Yoongi is indeed caught, he finds one loophole in his and Y/N’s dynamic as co-PA’s for Nancy and implicitly, oh so subtly, turns it around against Y/N. Y/N remembers one time when Nancy berated them two for not inserting her friend Rosa’s son’s first birthday party into the 6 PM slot of one Monday in March. After her long sermon, Yoongi apologized for not encoding it into Nancy’s Schedule Work Sheet. Y/N handles Nancy’s Schedule Work Sheet, not Yoongi. Nancy knows this. So, after her 9-12 shift that same Tuesday, Nancy reminded Y/N of her replaceability in Travel Loca during one of the most tension-filled elevator rides in her life. She went home to her flatmate, Mina, in tears which did not permit her to get an ounce of sleep. Y/N turns up the next day at work, red eyes and red nose close to make Rudolph the reindeer run for his title, only to know from the call logs that Yoongi did not receive Rosa’s call because he was sleeping when Y/N outright told him to take over the phone because she needed a bathroom break.
               Min Yoongi is mean and Y/N has seen the last straw of her respectful tolerance to people ticked off by this insufferable man one cursed Thursday night of September.
               Thursdays are horrible. It is always assured to be the worst day Y/N will have in a week. Either an investor will change their mind about a deal with Travel Loca, or Nancy will lash out at her because of stress from stupid shenanigans of her rebellious teenage daughter—Thursdays always have it out for Y/N. Y/N can already tell this so when Nancy called for her at 10:30 P.M. to give her a run-down of her schedule for the weekends and the upcoming week. It is already an established routine that Nancy will have Y/N over to her office to give a schedule report at any time of the day. It’s just happened this day that Yoongi took a leave and Y/N shouldered every task to be done, easily wearing her out in the afternoon.
               Y/N is close to crying right now because of exhaustion and it does not help that Nancy is wearing a sour face. She does not even look up at Y/N from her laptop when she said, “Tell me this week’s schedule.”
               Y/N pulls up her notebook and traces her pen over her notes, “Tomorrow you have an 11 AM meeting with investors from VanTae Apparels. At 1 PM you will have an online meeting with our overseas partners, JM Restaurant Group. We also have to submit the Kim Yuna special feature by 2 PM and at 3 we have the Travel with RM to interview. And–”
               “Push the Travel with RM to 2. We’re holding the Yuna feature ‘til next week because Jennie is writing as if she’s still in college.” Nancy presses a hand over her forehead and huffs, “The Writing Department has been consecutively disappointing me with boring, generic articles. Are fresh pieces non-existent nowadays?!”
               Y/N looks up, eyes wide, hands sweaty.
               Nancy turns back to her laptop, “What else is on my sched?”
               “Um, O-on Saturday 4 PM, you are invited to your friend’s, Rica’s baby shower, and for 5, you are invited to Jungsoo’s son’s 1st birthday party. Then Sunday 2 PM is Hana’s sister’s daughter’s 1st birthday party. You are also invited to Nick and Ken’s wedding on Friday and–” 
               Nancy clicks her tongue, “Cancel them all. I have no time for these parties and meaningless chit-chats that always have these housewives bragging how great their husbands are or their children’s stupid what-nots.”
              Y/N nods and slashes through her notes, “Okay.”
              “So send them my apologies and give them a $300 gift instead.
              “Okay, ma’am.”
              Nancy turns her swivel chair to face her, “Did you get my daughter the unpublished sequel of The Swallowing?”
               “Yes, ma’am,” Y/N smiles, recalling her last week’s adventure and success. Maybe Nancy’s mood will lighten up if she knew how she accomplished such an impossible task. “I got to grab a copy after weeks of talking with R. Lewis’ manager. Luckily, R. Lewis caught wind that it’s for your daughter. So he agreed to give me the copy. I actually have it right now, let me go back to my table –” 
               “You don’t have to. Suzie changed her mind. She doesn’t like The Swallowing anymore. Return the copy and get her the unpublished sequel instead of Bird and Foe.”
               Y/N’s jaw nearly falls as she stammers, “S-sure, no problem.” Deep inside, Y/N cannot help but think to herself, “Yes, Nancy may be fickle-minded and forgetful of differences in company protocols that intervene with such transactions, but she cannot just disregard my hard work! All the money in my train tickets and brain cells have gone all in the drain for nothing—Okay, calm down, Y/N, this is Nancy. Nancy can help you to write the best articles in no time. This is just training for the real deal—
               “Y/N, did you hear me?”
               “S-sorry, what?”
               “I said, where’s the USB I told you to get from my laptop at our home? I need the files for the JM Restaurant Group.”
               Oh shit. The USB. Y/N told Yoongi to get it since he lived nearer to Nancy’s residence in West Street than her. And since, Yoongi’s on leave, the USB is—!
               “And first thing in the morning, I want you to go to the Writing Department to get some fresh stories. I do not want to personally see them or else I will be able to fire one whole department in a day.”
              At this, Y/N fiddles with her fingers. “Umm, I think I have a story.”
               Nancy quirks her brow.
               Y/N wrings her hands behind her back. “I-it’s not yet polished and I still have more to cover on–”
               “So, you’re already telling me it’s bad before you even pitch a formal proposal –”
               Y/N’s eyes widen and she rushes to Nancy. “No! I-it’s about the Write and Backpack Trip Club. The-they’re a club of unpublished writers, usually late 30s, who met on Facebook and decide to travel together to the countries or places their stories are supposed to take place.” Nancy tilts her head and Y/N picks up her tone. Her hands start to quiver with her voice as she says, “People think—people think it’s hopeless. Like, like, they’re wasting their lives on something so trivial instead of focusing on their jobs. But this club gave them a purpose to still reach for their dreams even when people tell them it’s already too late. And I just,” Y/N wipes a stray tear on her cheek–which she doesn’t know if it’s because of her attachment to the club, Nancy’s new orders, or her frustration at Yoongi for leaving all their responsibilities on her–but she sucks them up and breathes out, “I find it really inspiring to have the courage to seek out your purpose when everything in the world is against you.”
               Nancy stares at her, brows furrowed. Another drop of tear falls from Y/N’s eyes. Nancy fixes her eyes back on her laptop. “The USB, Y/N, I need it now. A.S.A.P., capiche.”
               Wiping her cheeks again, Y/N nods, “Ye-yeah, capiche.”
               Y/N could not remember any time she’s rushed out the office as fast as now. Yoongi’s cell is out of reach and nothing is present in Y/N’s mind but to just run out of the building. She needs to clear her mind. She has to think of a solution. She can’t go back to Nancy empty-handed. Nancy’s already unimpressed of her sloppy work for this day, much more at her uncalled emotional breakdown in her office. She will definitely get fired for sure this time.
               The cold dry wind hits Y/N’s face the moment she pushes past the large glass doors of the Rockfort Building. The night sky has blackened into dark indigo and the establishments that dot the neighboring grounds of the building have blurred into monotonous dim shops. With just their solar lights left on, the rest of the complex looked like a washed-out commercial center. The only thing that stands out has to be the small mango tree just a meter away from her—the center-piece and quite the only humanizing element of the harsh Rockfort Complex.
               Okay, this is great. Y/N always tend to get the best ideas and solutions when she’s standing near this tree. She proved this twice. First, when Nancy demanded her to re-do all their presentations for VanTae Apparel. Y/N managed to slay it by getting inspired by the mangoes and editing the templates to look like nature’s rendition of Van Gogh’s starry night, which happened to be the favorite painting of VanTae’s CEO. And second, when Yoongi messed up Y/N’s schedules for Nancy’s personal events by misnaming each invitation, this mango tree provided her peace to quickly fix everything up before Nancy gets to the office.
               Put your thinking cap on, Y/N. What should you do? Should you rush to Nancy’s house now? Oh no, maybe Yoongi already got the USB. Should you go then to Yoongi’s house? Shit, I don’t know his house address—
               “Here’s $25, sir. Thank you!”
               Y/N freezes. It can’t be.
               Y/N turns to her right only for her eyes to land on a man with a familiar jet black mop of hair, standing about two meters before her, talking with a blue-vested delivery man.
               No. No. No. NO. Min Yoongi cannot just swoop out of nowhere and sound so chirpy like that while I have to stress over a problem that I DID NOT create. I cannot get fired in a company I’ve spent my life on for two years just because of this man’s unreasonable incompetence!
               Fueled by the purest form of aggravation, Y/N stomps ahead and brushes Yoongi’s shoulder, making him turn back to her.
               “Oh, hi, Y/N.”
               “‘Hi?!’ ‘Hi,’ yourself, Min Yoongi!—"
               “Oh my God,” Yoongi rolls his eyes, “she’s Adolf Hitler again.”
               “Adolf Hitler?!” Y/N scoffs, “Say it for yourself, Min! You’re Hitler because you’re twisted enough to ruin my career because doing shit in yours is not enough. Where’s Nancy’s USB?!”
               “If you’re going to talk about work again, I gotta leave. If you didn’t know, a ‘leave’ is a leave.” He emphasizes the last syllable as he starts to walk toward the street.
               Letting common sense knock into her, Y/N momentarily disregards her pride and runs after him. When he rounds the corner of a clothing boutique, she slips by his side and places herself in the middle of the sidewalk, blocking him.
               Unlike his usual work attire, Yoongi is clad in a black hoodie and denim ripped jeans, an ensemble that remarkably turned to look horrible in 0.5 seconds just because he’s wearing it. Y/N deduces it’s just Yoongi ruining fashion because he 24/7 looks like an asshole.
               “What, are you just gonna stare at me?”
               Yoongi’s voice brings Y/N back to her purpose. “No, I’m here to tell you, you forgot to do your job—Nancy wants her USB for JM Restaurant Group right now.”
               “Well, I don’t have it, sweetheart. Work hours are already over so practically, I’m in no responsibility to do whatever the fuck Nancy wants,” the man quips back, smiling.
               Y/N cannot help but snap. “Why are you even here in Rockfort, then? You didn’t turn up for work and now you’re just casually strolling in front of our building. You didn’t take home at least a quarter of our tasks and dumped everything on my shoulders like an irresponsible, signature free-loader high school groupmate. And now you think it’s okay to tell me ‘sorry, I don’t have the USB’ when I told you yesterday to bring it today?! I cannot believe what an asshole you can be, Yoongi.”
               Yoongi raises a hand. “Okay, chill, tiger. To answer your question, I am here because my friends and I hung out at a bar near here. Not that you will understand, of course, considering your whole life revolves around work, work, and work. Ooh, and Nancy,” Yoongi grins. “How can I forget you idolize Nancy? Actually no, you worship her.”
               Y/N’s face falls into an indignant scowl, “I do NOT worship Nancy! I respect her. Which you also should do because she employed you, not the other way around. Also, I have friends! Mina is my friend!”
               “Correction, Mina is your only friend at work. And she happened to be your flatmate and college buddy first before you both had luck to also be co-workers. So no, your friendship with Mina is out of the equation.”
               Y/N opens her mouth to tell him Mina cannot be out of the equation when Yoongi beats her, “And second, how could I be a free-loader? A leave is a leave. Our job description did not say we should also take work home. You are the only one who does that because you’re paranoid. So don’t impose your so-called work ethic, that is actually masked obsession, to me because I am a mentally healthy person. I don’t want to have a stick in my ass like you do.”
               Y/N steps closer to Yoongi, making the latter cock a brow at her. “I’m not paranoid, Min. It’s you who is the problem. You don’t take this job seriously. You don’t take on responsibilities like a mature adult. You think you’re so great just because no one told you you suck at something when you were a kid. Well, let me tell you now. You suck at plain human decency, something that should be innate in every people. You’re so high up your ass you think you can just do anything and get away with it and you–”
               “If you’re just going to insult me, can you do that tomorrow? My food is getting cold.”
               Oh no. Nancy’s USB. Y/N closes her eyes and releases a long sigh. She thinks her eyes already did a 360 by the time she managed to fix her composure. She looks up at the man in front of her, currently giving her an amused look. Y/N’s voice cracks as she says, “Yoongi…This is the only time I will ask a favor from you. Please help me with Nancy’s USB. I just want to end this night and go home peacefully without her chewing my head off further more. So please, please, please, can you just help me for once?”
               “Hmm,” Yoongi scratches his chin, “let me think about it first.”
               “Yoongi, please!”
               “Okay, fine,” Yoongi grimaces, “considering you practically begged to me for dear life, I, as a human with pure soul will help you out despite all the shits you said to me—”
               “Just help me out!”
               Yoongi slaps your reaching hands, “Stop, I’m not yet done with my speech. Anyway, considering this as a favor, not a request, I expect a return of favor, too.”
               “Sure, fine, anything!”
               “Okay, I think I may or may not have slipped in Nancy’s USB in my bag,” Yoongi breathes out as he reaches for his black satchel. “Oh yeah, I totally have it,” he says, flashing the orange 32 GB USB in front of you.  
               What the fuck. All this time-!
               “Why didn’t you tell me you already have the USB?!”
               Yoongi nearly guffaws, “Didn’t I tell you a “leave” is a leave? Wait, oh my god, you should see yourself, sweetheart. You’re about to pop a vein.”
               “Min Yoongi, I fucking hate you!” Y/N snatches the USB from Yoongi’s hand and stomps back to the direction of the Rockfort Building. The man doesn’t seem to go on his own way though because Y/N hears him holler “Same sentiment too, Y/N!”
               Y/N doesn’t turn back. She just raises a middle finger up that she’s sure Yoongi will not miss. And he did not, for the man’s faint chuckles only continued.
               The travel back up to the 12th floor seems like the longest elevator ride Y/N has ever been on. Every additional second into the constricted metal box feels like a one-second deduction from her own lifetime. So when the elevator doors open to Travel Loca’s floor, the air is immediately knocked off Y/N lungs. But not because of relief. Nancy stands in front of her, bags in hand, and obviously upset.
               Y/N quickly steps out of the lift. “Nancy, here! The USB!”
               “You took too long. Just e-mail them to me. I have to cram-reading them in the morning anyway because a certain someone forgot to do their job.” Nancy brushes by her shoulder and steps into the elevator. “You know, Y/N, if I’m paying you to make my life easier for me and instead, you’re making it harder, your position in this company is useless.” Nancy presses the button for the parking lot. The doors close in front of Y/N, letting her see the disappointment on Nancy’s face for the last second of the night.
               Y/N goes home twenty minutes later, worn out, and ready to sleep the second she reaches her floor. But when she opens the door, Mina’s smiling face greets her, and she immediately rushes to the sofa next to her bestfriend.
               “Mina, oh my god, I have so much to tell you.”
               “Me, too!” Mina giggles, wrapping her arms around Y/N’s arms, “Can I go first though?”
               “Yeah, yeah, sure,” Y/N smiles, fixing her seat.
               “Well, remember last week when I told you I finally confessed to Mark?”
               “Mark, as in, the café barista Mark Tuan?”
               Mina jokingly hits Y/N’s arm, “Yes, what Mark would I be talking about?”
               “Sorry, you know how I get so spaced out when I’m tired and groggy. Anyway, what happened?”
               “Well, Mark finally said yes!” Mina bursts into a wide grin, arms outstretched in joy. “I finally get to date Mark!”
               “Oh my god, I’m so happy for you, Nana,” Y/N engulfs Mina into an embrace, “I can’t believe you’re finally in a relationship! I mean, who would not want to date you? You’re smart, pretty, and funny. The boys have missed out on you for seven long years. And now, there’s finally someone who has eyes and can see what a gem you are. And damn right, Mark would see that. It’s not every day he can have a gorgeous girl court him for six months after getting rejected twice.”
               “Oh my god, stop bringing that up!” Mina playfully slaps her back and Y/N chortles.
              “Okay, okay, I’m just joking. What I really mean is: Mark is a lucky guy. I’m glad he finally realized what an idiot he will be if he rejects you again for the third time when you’ve been with him through all his problems. He won’t find another beautiful girl willing to ride his motorcycle with him in a huge-ass dress just to help him deliver orders in time. You’re the total package Mina and I’m so happy Mark has realized it.”
              “Oh, Y/N, you’re making me blush,” Mina laughs. She sways the both of them in their hug, “Mark has an impossibly high standard to meet now because of you.”
               “Mark doesn’t have to meet any standards,” Y/N snickers, “You already drool at his face the moment we enter The Daily Bean.”
               Mina detaches herself from Y/N and dramatically places a hand over her chest. “How can you remember that so well and not who Mark is?”
               Y/N shrugs, “Because I’m not staring at Mark and eye-fucking him 24/7.”
               “Oh my god, I do not!” Mina giggles, making you laugh again as she hugs you tight once more. Mina’s fingers card through your hair as she murmurs “But you do know, Y/N, even if I’m in a relationship now, I’m not gonna leave you alone. Even if Mark will start to occupy the top priority in my life, it doesn’t mean you will lose your spot in the top-pest part of my list. You know you’re still and will forever be my number one, right?” Y/N hums at that, closing her eyes from the head massage Mina is currently giving her. She feels Mina nod, “Right, you should because you’re practically my baby.”
               “No, I’m not.”
               “Yes, you are! Who would wash the red stain on your pants and underpants in the girl’s CR while you prance around the cubicle only in a top because you bled through your bottoms during your period, much more, on our Christmas Party, other than me?”
               Y/N grimaces, “Oh god, you didn’t have to bring that up.”
               “You hit right through me when you said I eye-fuck Mark so yeah, eye for an eye, bitch,” Mina cackles as she finally unlatches her arms around her friend. “Anyway, I’m finished with my story of the day. Your turn. What happened tonight?”
               Y/N bites her lip, unconsciously easing an inch between her and her bestfriend. Mina is in a good mood today. Y/N doesn’t want to ruin it by ranting off about how horrible Yoongi is again. She knows Mina. She will listen to her rant about another bullshit done by her co-PA and she will also indulge in an insult-fest against the man. That’s just their dynamic: Y/N’s enemy is Mina’s enemy and vice versa. So as Y/N looks at Mina’s smile which doesn’t do much covering up her dark eyes, which have grown from staying up late to wait for her to come home for multiple nights on end, Y/N decides it’s enough negativity for the day.
               “It’s nothing, Mina,” Y/N shakes her head, forcing a smile on her face, “just another tiring day from work.”
               Mina tilts her head, “Are you sure?”
               “Yeah,” Y/N flashes her another smile as she heads for her room, “I’m totally fine. Just tired. Congratulations to you and Mark again.”
               “Yeah, thank you,” Mina replies, but the look on her face tells Y/N she’s unconvinced of what she said. Seemingly aware that her friend needed space, Mina turns back the TV. Before Y/N closes her door, she hears Mina chuckle to a punch-line in the airing sitcom.
               Y/N flops on her bed face down. If Yoongi didn’t put much of a fight and just handed her Nancy’s USB when he knew he already had it, then maybe this night won’t be so horrible. Y/N would have given Nancy her USB in time, and her boss could have acknowledged it as a peace offering to her unremarkable work performance that day. Y/N would have totally rejoiced with Mina with her full heart into it and not force a smile on her face when such an announcement deserves much more celebration.
               Y/N releases a stifled scream into her pillow. Thursdays are really the worst and it’s all Min Yoongi’s fault.
               However, what Y/N didn’t expect is that the following week will get much worse. The Writing Department is late in their deadline, causing the online publication of the September issue to be pushed in the first week of October, a big deal late to the releases of their magazine competitors. Thus, Nancy became more pissy and naggy, giving Y/N a cold shoulder for the longest streak in her work life. Nancy became more frigid when Y/N failed to get Nancy the copy of the unpublished sequel of Bird and Foe. Y/N tried her best, she really did. It’s just that the publishers of Russell Park refused to give another copy because they said they cannot give out two unpublished copies at the same time. Of course, this turned out as a lazy excuse to Nancy, making her dump additional workload on Y/N’s already staggering pile. But that was not what made Y/N’s last week of September the worst week she’s ever had. It was Min Yoongi getting promoted as a staff member to the Creatives Team after giving Nancy the unpublished Bird and Foe sequel.
Tumblr media
               Ringing phones, staff members running to- and fro- the beige faux wood office floor, and the occasional requests for coffee from the break room–Travel Loca is buzzing with life as usual. But not for long though, because the clock hands are currently on 12:49 P.M. At 12:57, it seems everyone on the floor have gone silent. Almost everyone taps their foot against the floor. All eyes were set on the digital wall clock. Some have even glanced on their own wristwatches to check if the wall clock was right. The hands start to move. Everyone gulps.
               The hands hit one o’clock. Everyone scrambles off their swivel chairs. Some have bee-lined for the break room.  Meanwhile, a huge mass had created a bottle-neck of office workers at Travel Loca’s main door. No one is left on the staff chairs, except for one: Mina Young.
               The accountant slides her swivel chair to the left. Her hands meander through her large file cases and when she feels a cold, ribbed metal surface on her index, she smiles. Mina pushes the on-button and immediately, the then-silent office space has now become a replica of her own flat.
               “Good morning everyone! Today seems an extra sweet day than yesterday because you know what? I can smell and see the sweet aroma of those dark, chewy chocolates and those pretty pink balloons surrounding our streets. That’s right folks, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! Which also means–drumroll for me, Alexa–Holidays are about to sweep in! It’s just three weeks to go, folks, note that! So, for our dear, sweet listeners, I hope you already got your hotels booked and your plane tickets ready so you can finally have that amazing buffet, relaxing spa, or a fun tour around places you’ve never been with your very lovable significant others! I’m sure all of you will have that wonderful, exciting, and pleasurable rendezvous away from school, work, and any responsibilities. Just make sure to channel in on our station if you want the best playlist to get you in the mood for some steamy, passionate, and intimate time–”
               “Mina, will you turn off that radio?”
               The short-haired brunette frowns at her friend, whose also frowning at her. Mina pushes up her glasses on her nose, “Why? You know I always listen to this station during break time. Plus, Nancy is not here.”
               “Still, it doesn’t excuse how irritating that DJ sounds.” Y/N rolls her eyes as she plops herself on another swivel chair. “His voice sounds like there are two styrofoams gyrating each other in a sweaty club.”
               Mina’s jaw drops as she turns off her portable mini-radio on her desk. She faces Y/N with a frown this time—actually a scowl now. “Kim Seokjin’s voice is like creamy velvet to the ears! Also,” she scrunches her nose in disgust, “you did not just sexualize non-living objects so casually as if you’re not aware that the mental image you’re painting is so disturbing.”
               “First off,” Y/N turns to her, swivel chair squeaking in her abrupt movement, “you’re already seeing Mark Tuan for you to have any weird fantasies about Kim Seokjin and his voice or how cute his laugh is when it literally sounds like he’s an old man dying on a choked-out old joke. And second, sexualizing objects is not illegal by law and even if it so, I did NOT sexualize them. They are just the perfect representation of how Seokjin’s voice sounds.”
               Mina purses her lips and props her elbow on her desk to cup her face. “Cut to the point, Y/N. Just tell me what is with you today. You barged in furious in here for no reason, threw a fit at the break room, and now you’re ruining lunch by insulting Seokjin for something so trivial.”
               “Trivial?! His voice is fucking irritating! Just because he’s handsome does not mean his voice will also sound good on the radio. It’s like listening to a whale dying while making mating calls–”
               “The point, Y/N?” Mina cuts you with an unamused look.
               You deflate in your seat. “Fine, it’s Min Yoongi. He made it a point that he is more intelligent and capable than me in our 10 AM meeting with Nancy for this month’s spread. Said he knows more about weird facts and trivia about Sweden because I never got to travel outside this fucking country when I damn well know he only uses some advanced search engine to look for info like the computer whiz that he is! I went so many times on his Facebook to know he posts nothing in his wall but his work achievements—and his dog! Of course, if you went outside the country, you will post pictures in your wall, ‘cus social media sites are just platforms masked as an outlet for free expression when we damn well know it’s just a place where you can brag and be not called out for being arrogant. And damn hell, Min Yoongi does not have any out-of-the-country pictures posted there. What only comes close is his picture of that gumbo he said he made—yeah, quotation marks—because it looks too good to be made by his ugly crooked hands and even if it’s got this aesthetic background not expected to come from this fucking country, I still think he just photoshopped it.” Y/N crosses her arms, “Bet that gumbo did not even taste good.”
               Mina scrunches her forehead, “Are you the only flawed person Min Yoongi sees? Why does he always have to nitpick every single bit of your work? He just criticized your last week’s report because of your ‘poor articulation.’”
               “Right?!” Y/N leans back on her chair. She groans, “I still remember how he sabotaged my files for Nancy’s professional and personal events. Who in their right mind would change the contact names to mythical creatures? Rica’s 2nd baby shower was named ‘Merlin’s Demon Baby’s Party?’ It’s a baby event for God’s sake!” Y/N looks at her friend, “I swear Mina, one day I will get a brain hemorrhage because of Yoongi’s shits.”
               Mina winces, “Please don’t. I don’t want to be the one to tell your mother you already died before you even managed to pay your housing loans.”
               “Hey! Don’t attack me like that,” Y/N slaps the back of her friend’s chair. Mina, choking on her spit first, erupts into a fit of giggles.
               Unfortunately, it seems lunch’s fun will be cut short as Y/N hears Nancy’s megaphone’s speaker start up, “Calling for Y/N to come into my office. A.S.A.P!”
               Y/N scrambles from her seat as Mina sees her off with a sad wave. Pushing through Nancy’s glass door, Y/N could see the lines of ridges forming on Nancy’s forehead before the latter can even eye her.
               “Y-yes, Ma’am? You called for me?”
               Nancy pins her a look, “You’re asking me if I called you? Are you deaf? Did you not understand what I said?”
               “Yes!—I-I mean on the understanding part, yes, not about being deaf or something hehe-“
               “Y/N,” Nancy clasps her hands on her table, “I called you here because I have something important to tell you.”
               Y/N nears her table, pulling up her notebook and pen.
               “I need you to work in the Creatives Department for the next two weeks.”
               Y/N’s fingers freeze. She looks up at Nancy with eyes as wide as a goldfish. And before she can brain-filter out her words, they’ve already escaped her mouth. “What do you mean I have to be in the Creatives next week? I’m your personal assistant, not Min Yoongi’s!”
               “Y/N, I didn’t say you will work for Yoongi. He’s not the head of the Creatives. Steven Spielberg is,” Nancy gives the girl an unamused look, waving her off from her desk. Y/N bites her lip as she takes two steps backward. She didn’t know she’s rushed up too close to Nancy’s table just at the prospect of Yoongi and her working together came from her boss’ lips.
               Nancy leans back on her chair, “I know you two have this petty children-in-the-playground fights ever since the start of October last year. I get that your differences are too great to be bridged anytime soon, thus the reason why I grew tired telling you to stop doing your cat and dog thing because I know you two wouldn’t listen anyway. You two just like to bang heads whenever you like—”
              “But, it’s Yoongi’s fault-”
              Nancy raises a finger, “But, Y/N, this is really important. I will be out-of-the-country for the next three weeks for both some business and family matters. Hence, why I cannot bring you with me as usual. And why I will need you to work under Steven for the meantime: to report to me about any of their progress. The Creatives’ current designs will have us late into this month’s deadline and I do not want this business going down anytime soon because of a weak holiday cover. So, as my PA, you will report everything about their progress to me, and you will report my feedback to them. At the same time, you will tame your childish fights with Yoongi to a minimum so Travel Loca will function as well as it can be while I’m not physically here. Understand?”
               Y/N nods, “understand, Ma’am.” She doesn’t have a choice even if she wanted to object. Whatever Nancy dictated is already set in stone.
               “Also,” Nancy looks at Y/N, “since I will be off the next three weeks, my schedules for the weeks in my absence will be pushed and packed on the following week. So, I expect you to still work on your station—and work even harder after I came back. Understand?”
               More workload? Y/N internally groans. She doesn’t like work getting reduced early into the week then doubling into hell in the latter part of the month. She likes them evened out—everything is balanced, familiar, and predictable. Nevertheless, Y/N only nods, “yes.” “No” doesn’t exist in Nancy’s dictionary.
               Nancy returns to her laptop and waves her off, “Okay. Then, capiche.”
               “Yes, ma’am, capiche,” Y/N makes a quick bow and scampers out of her boss’ office.
               When Y/N reaches her station, she sinks herself into the cushion of her seat. First, Min Yoongi belittles her researching ability in the morning meeting. Then now, she will work with him for the majority of three weeks. After that, another hell will start because of Nancy’s incoming packed schedules.
              Y/N’s eyes land on her laptop and she immediately sees her calendar. January 16, 2020. Thursday.  Y/N releases an inhumane groan. Of course, the goddamn Thursday curse. When will she ever live?
.
               “When will I ever die?” Y/N sobs into Mina’s shirt. Her friend keeps her arms around her tight as she cards through her hair.
               “Hey, don’t think so negative,” Mina coos, “Think of this as an opportunity to finally have Nancy off your back.”
               “Yeah, as if working with Min Yoongi is better than that. He already ruins my life when we only physically encounter each other in meetings and breaks and lunches. Imagine working with him for a whole fucking day!”
               “Okay, okay, I’m sorry, I take that back,” Mina hugs her friend tighter.
               Y/N continues, “And after enduring all that, my workload will quadruple when Nancy comes back after three weeks! I already experienced this during her daughter’s debut last year. When Nancy said a pile of work will come, it fucking means four metal file cases of work. I spent the last two weeks of August plunging myself into an abyss of papers. I did not sleep for two weeks straight! And now— I will have three weeks-worth of hell work to come after spending three weeks working with the personification of Satan. Can the world just eat me up?!”
               “Wait, wait, wait, wait,” Mina pulls away to hold her bestfriend at arms-length, “What did you say will happen in three weeks?”
               Y/N closes her eyes, “Another hell will come because a shit-pile of work is coming in three weeks! Mina, I’ve been telling you this since morning-”
               “Y/N, after three weeks, it’s Valentine’s Day.”
               Y/N’s eyes immediately shoot open, “What?”
               “Look,” Mina clicks on her phone and flashes Y/N her calendar app. “Today’s January 17. Exactly after three weeks is the Valentine’s week.”
               Y/N’s jaw drops ajar, “Oh my god.”
               “Yes, Y/N, oh my God. It’s the fucking Heart Holiday.”
Tumblr media
              “…The country’s long-time problem with their low birth rate has driven the government to build another department that will help its citizens build, manage, and maintain healthy relationships. The Department of Relationship Management was established in 2015, and ever since then, there have been impressive developments in our country’s birth rate. One of the best programs of DRM behind this wonderful growth is the Heart Holiday, the holiday held in the week of Valentine’s Day. It grants any person employed in a private sector one week of paid holiday vacation leave as long as they are currently in a relationship. Meanwhile, education establishments and students are given one week off their academic calendars without regard to their relationship status. Isn’t that sweet? The only downside to that, folks, is that government employees can only have two days of paid holiday leave on the 14th and 15th. But, still, a holiday is still a holiday! So for our lovely listeners, start planning your vacation trips and hangouts! Especially when Cloud 10 Airlines is there to make your holiday week even sweeter with their 70% discount on local trips! Just contact 675-9859 and 568-987—”
               “Mina, can you turn off the radio?!”
               “Again?!” Mina heaves, “What’s with your aggravation streak these days against Kim Seokjin’s voice?”
               “It rattles me,” Y/N half-screams, plopping into the swivel chair next to her friend’s cubicle. “Yesterday, he already announced that goddamn timeline of the DRM and ‘all hailed’ importance of the Heart Holiday. Why does he have to repeat it again today? In that overly-enthusiastic voice, too, as if he’s never read of that script again and again?!”
               “Y/N, it’s how broadcasting works. It’s one of the most awaited holidays in the year, so of course, they will nab as many advertisement deals as they can.”
               “Well, I don’t like how they work!”
               “You cannot just tell a radio company to stop working,” Mina turns in her chair to face her friend, “Also, stop venting your frustration on Seokjin. He doesn’t even know you hate his voice. Routinely doing this noise pollution doesn’t do anything at all. Just tell me what made you upset today.”
               “It’s Yoongi!” Y/N scowls. “He won’t explain to me the technical editing terms on Steven’s report for Nancy! He said a five grader can even know what they are. I went through fifth grade, Mina, and I did not freaking know about any photoshop shit!”
               “Well, that’s because you’re old.”
               Mina looks up and sees Yoongi hovering her cubicle.
               Y/N’s scowl deepens, as she turns her chair to the direction of the intruder.  “As if you’re any much younger. From what I know, you’re four years older than me, dumbass.”
               “Well, at least I know what Steven is talking about,” Yoongi props his chin on Mina’s cubicle.
               Y/n rolls her eyes, “Because it’s your freaking line of work! Of course, you’ll know about it!”
               “Well, you’re now working most of the time in the Creatives Team and you don’t know it. What does that make you, then? I’ll give you a hint: It’s what you called me three seconds ago. Starts with the letter ‘d’ and ends with the letter ‘s.’”
               “What? You think you’re so smart now just because you know that vector-mask-thingy?! News flash, Yoongi, you did not graduate with any Latin honor. I did! So, who’s the real dumbass?!”
               “You damn well know Latin honors doesn’t actually have any effect on real life. Practical knowledge has—especially knowledge about terminologies used in digital designing. Which you need because you won’t be able to report anything to your god Nancy. Because, well: You. Don’t. Know. Anything. Like. Always.”
               “Min Yoongi, fuck you–”
               “Guys, guys, guys, can you stop?”
               Y/N gives Yoongi another glare before fixing herself back in her seat. Mina puffs, “Yoongi, can you leave us alone for a while? We’re talking here and you just invited yourself in our conversation.”
               Yoongi chides, “Well, tell your friend that if she wants to shit-talk a person just a meter away from her without the said person barging in the conversation, she should keep her voice on the down-low. Not screaming around like a crazy ape.”
                Y/N’s jaw drops open, “What crazy ape?! You’re the crazy ape! You look like a fucking gorilla who accidentally get dwarfed by a tooth fairy and-”
               “Min Yoongi, just leave us alone,” Mina gives the man a pointed look.
              Yoongi shrugs and detaches himself from her cubicle. He heads back to their office but he doesn’t completely leave the room without giving Y/N a middle finger.
               Y/N’s mouth drops open in disbelief. She turns to Mina. “See? Isn’t it obvious he just wants to make me the bad man to Nancy again? What kind of person are you to not cooperate with your co-worker like a goddamn adult? I don’t get why no one sees this bitch’s true face but you and me! I just want to freaking tear off his face, make him wipe it in his ass, then place it back on his head since he’s such a literal ass—”
               “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Mina clasps a hand over your shoulder, “don’t get too homicidal. What you just said, aside from disturbing, is very disgusting.”
               Y/N slumps in her seat and crosses her arms.
              Mina sighs. “Okay, yeah, I know, Min Yoongi is the worst. But I don’t want you to do anything stupid so let’s not talk about him for a while, ‘kay?” Y/N nods. Mina leans back in her seat with the nth sigh for the day. “Okay, I got some update from Jaehyun.”
               Y/N leans forward. “What did he say?”
               Mina gives you a sad smile, “He already has a fiancé.”
               “So soon?” Y/N scoffs. “He was just courting me two months ago.”
               “Yeah, well he’s getting married this week. Whatever,” Mina waves off, “I don’t like him for you anyway. He dresses like a college fuckboy.”
               “Okay, what about Dahyun?”
               “Already married.”
               Y/N’s eyes widen, “and she didn’t tell us?”
               “Yeah, I already nagged her on the phone. She said it all kinda happened too fast–her and Sana. And the marriage was in New York. We’re too broke for out-of-the-country trips to attend anyway if we were informed.” Mina smiles, “She said she’s gonna invite us to the Christening of their baby.”
               “Okay, I’m glad she still cared about us. Oh,” Y/N pipes up, “what did Jackson say over the phone?”
               Mina gives you a tight smile. “Getting married, too. And guess what, the invitations were already in our mail box when I went to get our bills.”
               “Momo?”
               “Engaged. She and Heechul just broke out the news a week ago.”
              “Sam?”
               “Married. And 4 months pregnant.”
               “Jongdae?”
               “Engaged. Also has a baby in way.”
               “Hana?”
               “Engaged.”
               “Changmin?”
               “Engaged.”
               “Jaebum?
               “Engaaaaaged.”
               Y/N throws her hands in the air, “Why is everyone getting married?!”
               “Well, we’re in our late 20s. It’s the “marrying age” they say. It got more enphasized when DRM’s programs had succeeded in encouraging hundreds of people to marry in the recent year. Even my mom already expects Mark to propose by next month. We’re just dating for 6 months!” Mina cringes. She pulls Y/N’s chair closer to her to hold her hands. “Y/N, I’m really sorry. It kinda slipped my mind that we always apply together for the Heart Holiday every year. It’s just that Mark and I—”
               “Hey, hey, don’t blame yourself. You’ve been pining after Mark for about two years and now look at you—together, stable, and in-love half into the year! I don’t want you to fret having a relationship with the boy you liked for so long.”
               “Yeah, Y/N, I know,” Mina closes her eyes. “It’s just sad and unfortunate everyone we know are already in relationships.”
               “Yeah…” Y/N nods and the two fall into silence. Why is everyone conveniently in a relationship just in time with the Heart Holiday? What, the whole world suddenly knew the loophole in DRM’s program? Y/N and Mina studied that for a whole year! This is unfair. Y/N cannot be the only single person out there who’ll miserably work in the office while everyone gets to have the time of their lives—wait.
               Y/N grabs Mina’s hands. “Hey, Nana, I know we said co-workers are off-limits because Nancy will definitely know it’s a ruse. She’ll block my application form before it can even have the seal from the HR. Especially when she found out our lesbian “relationship” was fake after you and Mark updated your civil statuses.” Mina winces and opens her mouth to apologize again but Y/N cuts her with a finger to her mouth. “Nancy will definitely call me a liar and grill my head if she finds out what we’re planning to do now. But look, Nancy’s out of the country. Teddy is the general supervisor and she’s the next in the hierarchy. We damn well know her 45-year-old heart is soft for some nicely-woven romantic story. Even more, in an office setting—the bane of every middle-aged woman’s sappy romantic heart. So, what do you say?”
               Mina lets out an exasperated breath, “That crossed my mind, too, you know. But, Y/N, the thing is—the whole Accounting Department is in a relationship. And the same goes for the Writing, Marketing, Logistics, and HR.  All of them are either in a relationship, married, or getting married.”
               “What?” Y/N’s eyebrows curve up high, “How come I didn’t know this?”
               “Uh, because you’re busy working for Nancy day-in and day-out?  Also, I just happen to be friends with Jisoo from HR. She’s in charge of the company’s relationship records. Sometimes, she slips in everyone’s stories while we listen to WWL Radio during break time.”
               Y/N bites her lip. This can’t be happening to her. Not now. Not when the most un-objectifiable reason for a break from Nancy is about to slip through her fingers like fine sand.
               Mina scratches her nape, “I…may have someone in mind though.”
               Y/N’s eyes look straight into Mina’s. “Tell me.”
               “Well, the entire Creatives Department is either married or engaged save for one.”
               Y/N holds Mina’s hands tighter. “Who?”
               “Min, Yoongi.”
Tumblr media
               Y/N must be going crazy. She thinks she must be growing a nest of vultures in her brain now, the mother routinely picking on her numerous dead brain cells to feed to her young. It doesn’t help that the bags under her eyes have started to droop like a waterfall, forming a sad saddle of grey on her cheeks. She cannot even remember the last time she had a decent meal. All she remembers is the finger foods Mina hands to her station every once in a while.
              The universe is being unfair to her and it is all taking a toll on her body. They weren’t kidding when they said adjusting to a new environment is an entire whole work in itself. The Creatives Team runs a completely different routine. Large monitors crammed with multiple editing softwares Y/N cannot understand surround the studio-size office space. There are drafted papers and previous issues scattered in every possible corner, some even gathering dust by the floor-to-ceiling windows. Y/N is not even sure if anyone has re-arranged their desks in the last few months. The Creatives’ work ethic is loosely bound on schedules and everyone seems to be doing everyone else’s job.  Except for Y/N, because Steven is the only one willing to share their team’s progress to her. But that alone is not enough for her daily report to Nancy because Steven is always busy in his computer. More unfortunately, everyone is wary of her. Y/N’s sure she even saw Kim Myungsoo clutch their design folders closer to his chest when her eyes glanced at his cubicle.  
              Sure, Y/N expected everyone will have their guards up on her. Who wouldn’t be when they know Nancy still has eyes on them even if she’s countries away? But still, it doesn’t lessen the pain on Y/N’s self-esteem and the stress on her back. If Y/N can’t get someone to talk to her, she won’t be able to provide a more substantial report to Nancy more than just reading Steven’s printed reports verbatim.
              Y/N is desperate to find a workmate to discuss everything happening in the Creatives with her, but unluckily for her, she only has someone she wishes to not even breathe the same air with. Of course, no one in the Creatives wants to talk to her except for Min Yoongi. He’s an insufferable ass who doesn’t know when to shut up.  He welcomes Y/N every single day with an annoying “Yo, Y/N” and an unneeded commentary about her outfit, like how yesterday he told her “I know retro is in but I didn’t know grandma blouses are deemed stylish again.” He blabbers about his unnecessarily extensive general knowledge about every South Asian country, even if Y/N countlessly told him she didn’t care.  He brags about the cover designs and templates he did in the previous issues, flipping the pages too close in Y/N’s face while he speaks about colors and mixing like Y/N is an imbecile about basic color combinations high school students used in their PowerPoint presentations. Yet despite them all, Yoongi still refuses to explain to her the jargon in Steven’s reports.
              Y/N tried her best to keep herself from bursting and giving Yoongi an earful of sense. Yes, everyone knows she does not like Yoongi but Y/N doesn’t want them to know to what extent she can go to express them, afraid of embarrassing herself.  But in her defense, three days into the first week without Nancy, Yoongi has gone as far as to chip a small bit off Y/N’s mug in the break room. The mug with the “creative juices” in cursive printed around its body—Mina’s gift from college. Y/N’s patience meter was blasted off the roof. It will be safe to tell that at the end of the day, Y/N has screamed the hell out of Yoongi that everyone can be sure the latter’s ears may have fallen out of his head. Steven was close to reporting to Teddy what just happened. It was just Y/N’s remaining luck that helped her successfully and implicitly begged Steven not to do so by telling him calling Yoongi “a mean, inconsiderate, self-absorbed jerk who should eat his shit because people are what they eat and he is obviously the biggest shit in her life,” is just her “unique” way of expressing co-worker appreciation to the man.
              Aside from putting up with Yoongi’s Satanic attitude, Y/N has to endure Nancy’s intermittent calls with her forever pissed voice coming in first thing in the morning until in the late, ungodly hours. And despite Teddy’s patient guidance over Y/N’s “transition” to the Creatives Team, Y/N’s still close to digging a six-feet deep hole in her station. No, not because of Teddy or Nancy. It’s because she poured her remaining effort dedicated for work by spending the entire week going through every staff member of Travel Loca. Y/N thought Mina must have overlooked a face. That it’s possible Jisoo skipped on a detail she told to her friend. But despite learning Lee Minyoung from the Writing Department is going to call it quits to her boyfriend just after Valentine’s, or how Michael Park from Marketing is about to pop the ring to his girlfriend just right on Valentine’s Day, the looming fact Y/N dreads presents itself on January 24, two weeks before Valentine’s: No one else in the office is single but her…and Min Yoongi.
              Of course, it didn’t surprise Y/N, Yoongi must be single. With that know-it-all façade and condescending tone wearing you out like a 24/7 walking instruction manual no one even asked for, who would even like to date him? One week with him as a co-worker alone already makes Y/N want to throw herself into the flaming hot pit of the nearest volcano.
              But it’s only two more weeks before Valentine’s and Y/N is desperate and desperate times call for desperate measures. Y/N did a last-minute check-up on her and Mina’s lists of contacts—phone, social media, e-mails, everything under the sun—only to come up with nothing. Mina’s “marrying age” theory must be true because everyone, every single one, of their acquaintances are already married or getting married. Y/N then changed up her game.  She started to opt for resources she never thought she will ever use in her life: dating apps. Tinder, Bumble, The League, Grindr—name it, Y/N had made every account for every conceivable dating site. She even spent the most of her break time this week hiding her phone beneath her desk and swiping right. But even this last considerable option proved to be pointless as all the replies she received are either honest “sorry, not interested,” rude “you’re no fun,” or out-right salacious “suck my dick.”
              This then left Y/N no choice but to consider the most unspeakably horrendously unfortunate option she didn’t even want to have. Min Yoongi is her only choice left. And for that, Y/N spent two days making an elaborate plan. She can’t afford any loose threads or plan-holes that can further make her at the mercy of the infuriating jerk. However, even if she made everything as seamless as it can be, Y/N knows it will be the worst decision she’ll ever make in her life. Mina also expressed the same concern, even apologized for planting that small information about Yoongi in her friend’s mind. But even her friend’s day-by-day discouragement to push through with her plan is not enough to deter Y/N.
              Because even if just thinking about the plan makes Y/N feel the world is about to crumble and swallow her down in its unending, fathomless depths; even if it makes her want to set up an appointment with an exorcist, Y/N knew she won’t back out. It’s not viruses or bacteria, it’s a seeded idea that is the most contagious living entity that can take hold of any human being. And the moment Y/N realized there’s no other ticket way out of her dilemma but Yoongi, she knew this thought will haunt her for nights on end.
              This is the reason why Y/N’s currently standing by the corner of the Creatives’ office when it’s already 6:46 P.M. while almost everyone has left the office. Almost, because Yoongi, apart from her, is the only one left in the office as Steven requested him to finish a color palette by tonight. Y/N gulps a thick blob of saliva. Sweat runs thick on her forehead. God, if Mina could see what Y/N’s about to do, she will be already by her side, yelling for her to just give up. Y/N shakes her head. This is Mina’s fault anyway. If she didn’t plant the idea in her head, she wouldn’t have to do this. She wouldn’t be creeping behind a door like a disgusting stalker. She wouldn’t be profusely sweating in an air-conditioned room like a guilty murderer. She wouldn’t be-
              “What the hell are you doing behind the door?”
              Y/N shrieks and jumps a half-foot away from her spot.
              “The hell—what’s gotten into you?!” Yoongi frowns, “And why are you even here?”
              Y/N’s brows meet together in her forehead. But before she can speak, Yoongi’s snickers drown out the words in her throat.
              “Wait, don’t tell me you’ve come as far as spying on my work. I didn’t know you’re going to be this petty,” Yoongi sighs and puts his hand on his waist, “Well, if you think going through my work laptop will get you to understand Steven’s report, I’m sorry to say you won’t get anything, little girl.”
               Yes, it’s true. The words did die out in Y/N’s throat. It’s just flames of anger sweeping in the valleys of her mouth. Y/N surges forward, fists clenched tight, “‘Little girl’? I am not a fucking little girl!”
               Yoongi grins, “Then what should I call someone who’s a foot smaller than me?”
               “What fucking ‘foot’?! We’re just inches apart! Have you ever seen yourself in a mirror? You’re not even that tall!”
               “Says the one who’s looking up at me just to level her eyes with mine,” Yoongi raises his brows, “and who’s now standing a little too close to me because apparently, standing a socially-decent foot away won’t enable her to see my face.”
               Y/N’s eyes widen and she immediately takes a step back. She doesn’t get how easy it is for Yoongi to rile her up that she instantly forgets how to control her body. When she looks up at him, the man is smirking at her. Her mouth aches to tell him he actually looks stupid with that lopsided smile if he thought doing it will make him a tad bit inch sorry excuse of “sexy.” But then, Y/N remembers she has a purpose tonight. She didn’t just waste an hour waiting in the excruciating office space of the Creatives Team just to get nothing done.
               Y/N closes her eyes and breathes out. When she opens them again, she looks at Yoongi in the eyes. “I’m not here to fight with you, Yoongi. I’m here to make an offer.”
               Yoongi scoffs, “An offer? You? Are you hearing yourself right now? In case you weren’t informed, I don’t need anything from you. And I didn’t—”
               “You’re single right?”
               Yoongi gawks at her, “W-what?”
               “Well, I’m single, too. And Valentine’s week is coming in two weeks.”
               “So?”
               Y/N tries not to grit her teeth, “So, that means the Heart Holiday is also coming. Nancy is bound to come back during that time, too, with an obvious incoming large workload to come for me. I can’t afford to hole myself up in this office while everyone gets to enjoy a paid holiday week. And since you have an affinity for disliking your job, I figured you also wouldn’t want to go to work during Valentine’s week.” Y/N crosses her arms, “So I’m here, Min Yoongi, to give you an offer: Fake date me for two weeks to make it to DRM’s PRS’ application deadline. When our application gets approved, we part ways and never speak about what happened in these two weeks. It’s a win-win situation. I don’t get to work during Valentine’s. You also don’t get to work, and we both will still get paid. So, what do you say?”
               Yoongi just stares at her. Y/N could feel cold sweat running from her scalp and down to her back. Why is he looking at her like that? Why is he being so silent? Is he about to make fun of her and bring it up to work tomorrow? Oh God, Y/N shouldn’t have even gone through with this plan. This is a bad idea. A bad, bad, bad, idea that should have never been entertained and buried in a trunk of embarrassing memories, never to see the light again—
               “I’m in.”
               Y/N freezes, “W-what?”
               Yoongi takes a step closer to Y/N. He leans forward, closing the distance between their faces into mere six inches. Y/N doesn’t need to crane her head up anymore because this time, their eyes are finally leveled with each other.
              Yoongi smiles, “I’m telling you, Y/N, I’m in in your plan.”
              Y/N looks at him. She just looks at him. Five seconds have already passed. Yoongi should be laughing in her face right now. But the man did not, and takes a step back away from her. He fixes his satchel on his shoulder and closes the Creatives’ glass door behind him shut. When Yoongi looks back at Y/N, he gives her a shrug, “Hey, if you’re not going home, I am.” He heads for the main door, hands dug into his pockets. Y/N’s eyes just follow his figure. Before Yoongi completely gets out of the office, he hollers, a hand cupping over his mouth, “I said I’m already in in your plan. You can go now. See you tomorrow.” He sends Y/N one last smile.
              It takes Y/N five more seconds before she breaks her frozen stance. What did just happen? Yoongi didn’t laugh at her. He didn’t put up a fight. He….agreed? Just like that? This is impossible. This cannot happen! Yoongi doesn’t agree, he argues! Always! And he just doesn’t bid her goodbye and “see you tomorrow.” Yoongi annoys her with one last hit of “goodbye, grandma.” And Yoongi doesn’t smile. He smirks. He just pulls up one side of his lips, squints his eyes, and snorts. Y/N must be going crazy. This is not Yoongi!  A whole different man has suddenly appeared before her. This cannot be!
              But despite all the things going back and forth in her head right now, there’s only one looming thought on top of them all that had Y/N release a staggered breath:
              What the fuck did she just get herself into?
next  | series masterlist
Tumblr media
Disclaimer: This first chapter is based on Netflix’s Set It Up (2018), particularly Nancy’s briefing scene and the USB scene. Netflix’s Set It Up (2018) is the inspiration for this fic and so I based Ms. Nancy’s personality on Lucy Liu’s portrayal of Kirsten Stevens! Ms. Lucy Liu was fantastic in her performance! That being said, all scenes and references from the movie used in this story are the property of its respective owners. The rest belongs to the author. This work is for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement is intended. Anyways, if you wish to watch the movie, don’t worry about encountering any spoilers in this fic!
A/N pt. 2: Hi hons! I decided to cut this fic into parts as this will be very long (hello banter dialogues). Writing a 25+k wordcount (so far, this is my assumed final wordcount) may overwhelm a lot of readers and make them not want to read this anymore ☹ Anyway, the succeeding parts will be released soon as I already have a detailed storyboard and outline for this mini-series so you don’t have to wait that long. Thank you for giving this fic a chance, hons. Also, feedback is more than appreciated. Tell me what you guys think!  ♡♡♡ \(> u
Taglist: @fangirls94​​ @ditttiii​ @chogiyeol-utopia​​
All Rights Reserved 2020 © Vanaera. Reposts, modifications, and translations of content are not allowed.
584 notes · View notes
ficswithluv · 4 years
Text
The Luv Library: Culinary & Cuisine
Tumblr media
A flash of flame, the sizzling of meat on a grill, wafts of spice and seasoning filling your senses. Whether a professional kitchen in rush hour or home baking on Christmas morning, there’s something magical about food, something that brings us all together. Flavour combinations are infinite, you could stay here forever just trying every single one, experimenting and revelling in perfect pairings and surprising contrasts. It’s so easy to get lost in the focus of perfecting a culinary delight, and the best part yet is getting to enjoy the delicious reward. Want to delve into this bookshelf?
⇥ This is part of ficwithluv’s ‘The Luv Library Project’
Tumblr media
❥ all you knead is love ⤑ knj
      ↳   @interludemoonchild​ 💌
« Stumbling upon a help wanted sign and desperately needing a job, Namjoon walks into your small bakery shop. After tasting your bread and god, how it melted in his mouth, he insisted on being your assistant. You wholeheartedly agreed, not realizing the dimpled man was a klutz. And that’s the nicest way you could put it. »
Tumblr media
❥ chicken and waffles ⤑ kth
     ↳   @megahwn​​ 💌
« Your life never seems to stay on course. From school to work to your love life, nothing goes according to even your best-laid plans. The one thing you can always count on, however, is that Taehyung is always willing to share a meal with you. »
Tumblr media
❥ if you can’t take the heat ⤑ ksj + knj
    ↳   @joonsrack​​ 💌
« Celebrity chef Kim Seokjin needs to salvage his reputation after being dragged in the newspaper as a heartless monster out to make people cry. Enters his agent with the worst idea ever and one Kim Namjoon, the worst cook ever. »
Tumblr media
❥ kimchi helps the heart heal ⤑ myg
     ↳   @seokjinlovebug​ 💌
« Being dumped weeks before valentine’s day is not the best feeling. Sulking and chocolates are the only obvious medication. But your best friend is set on fixing you up and showing you how much more you truly deserve. Innocent kimchi jiggae dates or are there deeper feelings behind your and Min Yoongi’s weekly meals? »
Tumblr media
❥ mon petit choufleur ⤑ pjm
     ↳   @heyitsmeee2​
« You’re not a pastry chef, that’s for sure. Your speciality is coq au vin, not lemon meringue pie. So why is the cute baking and pastry major keep talking to you? »
Tumblr media
❥ seoked in sweetness ⤑ jhs & ksj
     ↳   @joopiterjoon​ 💌
« Your voice is scratchy as you chuckle. Anniversary. That’s not the right word for it and they know it, too. How you ended up snuggled in their bed most mornings was a much more gradual process than something defined by a date. Especially one as cheesy as Valentine’s Day. »
Tumblr media
❥ single no sugar ⤑ jhs
     ↳   @bangtiddies​ 💌
« Last year, you spent Black Day drinking black coffee and flirting with a handsome stranger in the café. This year, you meet the handsome stranger again at the same café. »
323 notes · View notes
joopiterjoon · 4 years
Text
Seoked in Sweetness: Valentines
Tumblr media
Pairing: Seokjin x Hoseok x Reader
Genre: PG-13, Fluff, slice of life
Warning/Tags: established relationship, poly, explicit language, doggos, Seokjin and Hoseok babying the reader
word count: 3.2k
Songspo: “Easy 60s” playlist on Spotify
a/n: this may be the only sfw fic I ever write; it’s kind of an epilogue/prologue to the whole story. Big TY to @joonsrack​ for the banner which fits the fic’s light and cutesy mood so well.
Read on Ao3
329 notes · View notes
bangtan-dreamland · 4 years
Text
Golden Crowns, Silver Lockets
Tumblr media
Pairing: kth x reader
Word Count: 18.3K
Genre: e2l, medieval!au, modern!au, reincarnation!au, genie/fae!Taehyung, some angst but mostly fluffy!
Warnings: none I can think of?
Summary: This is the story of the princess who held the crown and carried its weight at an age too young, and the genie who made her into an excellent queen… 
or
You are only twelve years old when you mourn your parent’s death, and, in an attempt to become a worthy queen, you call upon the genie trapped in your locket, V.
A/N: This is part of @ficswithluv​‘s ‘The Luv Library’ project, one of which I had a lot of fun being a part of- I finally had that push to finish an actual fic! Though admittedly this isn’t really that good to be included in the list lol but I spent a month working on it and I’m mostly content with how it turned out. Now I’m off to actually make the first chapter of another series that popped into my head the other day...
Masterlist
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
In the daytime, the castle ruins are bathed in a solemn atmosphere. The sunlight gently streams in through the cracks that serves as their roof- flowers here and there add a touch of peace and calm to the scenery, making the place feel otherworldly. There is a word for the feelings you get from these type of places, you think to yourself. Desolate is not quite the right word- wistful, perhaps? Hiraeth seems to be a good word to sum it up as well.
The camera on your neck swings a little from side to side as you walk around, and you admire the engravings on the walls. So far you’ve been content with just walking around, not having particularly planned out a route. The castle grounds, big as though they may be are still easy to navigate through… somewhat. And besides, it isn’t as though you plan to follow any staircases leading up and/or down, so, really, you should be fine.
Your eyes light up with awe when you step foot inside the last room.
It is- huge, the first word that comes to your mind. Second is beautiful, its charm and the pull it has on you even greater than the previous rooms. Here you find yourself standing still, awestruck at the leftover parts of what must have been once a grand ballroom.
There are the broken down remains of chairs and tables scattered around, as well as pieces of torn fabric, faded and ripped.  Scorch marks litter the room, from the floor to the walls, and grass in random places where dirt must have gotten blown in the wind. You walk around slowly, mesmerized, before you stop at hearing a slight rustle.
You’re alone. You have to be. You haven’t seen anyone, since you stepped into the ruins, and you think you would know if someone has been here before you, but you don’t see anything and-
Oh. It must be an animal. Right? You are near the woods, so it would make sense, if an animal was in the ruins. Right?
You hear the rustling again and look around, now curious to find out what it is making the sound, before you finally pin it down to a small clearing a dozen or so feet away from you. You ready yourself, clutching the bag by your side should you need to swing it, before approaching. When you’re only a feet or so away, you take a deep breath, and go.
You take a step closer and- oh.
Oh.
There is not a wild animal as you thought, but instead a man seemingly around your age, sleeping peacefully on the grass. Even though he’s wearing a turtleneck and pants, you aren’t even sure if he’s a human- there is something very much ethereal about him, his beauty transcendental and you feel as if you are intruding on something sacred.
You take in his features- dark, curly hair that ends just above his eyes, unblemished skin, lips softer than anyone you’ve ever seen… his features that seem to be sculpted by the gods (how else could he be so beautiful?)
A part of you is itching to take a photograph of him- surely one wouldn’t hurt, right? How could you pass up such a beautiful subject? More than that- there is something about this stranger that draws you in…
You catch yourself just before you turn on your camera. Beautiful as he may be, you couldn’t just take someone’s photo without their permission. And waking them up for that- if you were shameless, maybe you could do that. Even now the words seem to burn against your tongue, painting your cheeks red. You turn around, willing yourself to walk away no matter how much every part of you seems to be begging you to stay with him.
“Are you lost?”
The baritone voice that suddenly echoes through the small field makes you stop short. Surprise runs through your veins at not only how deep they are, but how familiar they seem to be. You look back- the strangely familiar-but-not-familiar stranger seems to be looking at you, a small, inquisitive smile playing at their lips. You’d say it’s one of excitement, but it can’t be. Why would he be excited to meet you? And you know you’ve never met him before.
He raises an eyebrow at you- you realize that you haven’t replied to him or anything.
“Uh-“ you stammer the words out, flustered to be caught watching him sleep. “Well, no? Maybe- um.”
You pause, gathering your words. “… I was just wandering around… I’m sorry. Did I disturb your rest?”
At your reply, the stranger (you really should get his name, it doesn’t do to keep calling him stranger in your head. You could call him Mr. Handsome, but… yeah, no, you don’t want to call him that and then accidentally call him that out loud to his face later on) smiles even more, softer this time. “No, not really. It’s fine,” he stretches his arms, sitting upright afterwards and you can’t help staring at the minute flex of his muscles. When he speaks again, you flush at the knowing look in his eyes and the smirk that has overtaken his smile. He cocks his head at you. “You seem much more interesting compared to taking a nap, so I don’t mind.”
“And you seemed otherworldly when you were resting, so I didn’t want to wake you up, lest I incur your wrath,” you jokingly reply. You copy his action and tilt your head at him, smiling at him in a teasing way. “Though I guess you must hear that a lot- the otherwordly part, I mean.”
“I do, but coming from you it’s different,” he chuckles. “My name is Kim Taehyung. It’s nice to meet you- and you?”
You tell him your name, and you know it’s not just your imagination this time when he looks at you, even for just a split second, with eyes full of love and longing. It’s over like a flash though, and then there remains the friendly smile on his face.
“If you’re not in a hurry, stay and chat with me? You’re the first person I’ve seen here at the ruins. Just take it as a small break if you like.”
You tilt your head, considering his words, breaking out into a smile of your own. “Alright, I guess I can take a break.”
It should alarm you, you think. But this man- Taehyung, for whatever reason he seems to be reacting to you as though you are an old friend, it doesn’t raise any suspicion or fear within you. Instead there is the blooming of warmth and a lighthearted sort of giddiness. So when he pats the space beside him, you sit down- he leans back on the grass and you notice with a degree of amusement that his hand has ‘magically’ appeared close to yours. Note the quotation marks.
“So… a tourist, huh?” He casually brings up. You nod your head, then remember he can’t see you.
“Well, I guess you could call me that. This was where my family used to live, from our ancestors- until my mom and dad moved to a new city and began a new life away from here,” you tell him. He looks up at you, the interest in his eyes more visible than before as is his silent urging for you to speak.
“And you came back here to…”
“To look at the town I would have grown up in another life, I guess,” you finish for him.
“What difference do you think you’d have with the other you?” He asks. You chuckle at the odd question.
“Well, I’d probably be more into photography instead of the course I’m taking right now. Have you seen this town? It’s gorgeous,” you say, grinning.
“It is beautiful,” he agrees, before nudging you softly with his foot. “Are you staying here then?”
“For the summer, I guess,” you reveal. “I’m staying over at our old family house- the one near the woods, with-“
“-the big gate?” He finishes, before grinning. “We’re neighbors then. I live in the next house over- the one with the huge garden.”
You gasp- you’d seen that garden on the way to the ruins, and it had been as huge as it was gorgeous, no doubt well taken-care of. “You’re the one who owns that garden? It’s the most beautiful one I’ve ever seen!”
A pleased smile appears on Taehyung’s face, cheeks pinkening a little. “It’s just a little something I picked up for someone. Though she was more keen on enjoying the flowers than taking care of them.”
You feel disappointment wash over you- of course he’s already taken. Kind, sweet, gorgeous and attentive… although he never stated it outright, you had a feeling he was talking about a lover.
“Wouldn’t she be jealous then?” The words leave your lips before your mind processes them, and you backtrack on your words hastily. “Uh- not that I mean anything by what we’re doing, it’s just- um.” You freeze- Taehyung lets out a laugh.
“Nah, it’s okay, she wouldn’t mind it at all,” he says, shuffling closer to you, until there is less than a feet between the two of you. “I’m pretty sure she’d be happy if she knew, actually.” Red blooms across your cheeks again, and not for once since starting to talk to him that you find yourself wishing the ground would open up and swallow you whole.
“That- someone, I mean, she must be lovely.”
“She is,” he hums, eyes softening at the very mention of his beloved. “I’m lucky I got to be with her before...”
“Before?”
“We got separated,” he reveals, sorrow and loneliness entering his eyes, before he closes them. When he opens them moments later, the darkness is gone, and he shrugs and says in a much more lighthearted tone, “but I know we’ll be together again, eventually. I just have to wait for her.”
“Oh…” You look at him with confusion. What does that even mean? What was she to him? But before you fumble for words- the previous topic having unexpectedly gone down a dark path, Taehyung speaks again.
“But that’s enough about me- since we’re going to be neighbors, why don’t tell me about yourself.”
“If you ask me that, then I wouldn’t know where to start,” you mumble, before adding with a self-depreciating laugh, “besides, I don’t know if there’s anything intriguing about me.” He hums again, making you feel at ease, oddly enough.
“That’s alright. You can tell me anything- even what you’re thinking right now, I’d still find it interesting.”
You don’t know if it’s the way with which he utters the request- soft, pleading, or the way he looks at you- captivated, as if he could drink in your attention, or the way it feels as though you could weave out the minute fabrics of your life and he would find it as the most intricate tapestry that has you spilling words, but you find you don’t mind.
It’s strange. It’s really strange, and if Taehyung was another person you would never believe you could be like this- careless, some might say. But Taehyung is different, which is perhaps why you speak.
You tell him about what made you decide to come- the sense of wonder and curiosity you’ve always held for this place when you were young, but the fact that your parents never had the time to come back to this town held you back. You talk about finishing your semester, finally getting a break for a few months without schoolwork to keep you occupied. How you decided to come here, the journey, arriving here and arranging your stay. Hearing about the castle and making an impulse decision to explore. When you finish speaking, he is silent, attention still solely focused on you, and you quirk up a smile for him.
“… And then I encountered you and the rest is history, you could say.” You take a small drink of water before continuing, the hours of talking having made you thirsty. Even then Taehyung watches you, though you don’t feel anything but subtle contentment from being under his full attention.. “I’m glad I came here. This place… it has this feel to it- like I’ve stepped back in time. The good kind.”
You take another look around the ruins, at the way it seems to have stayed through countless decades with little to no human interference, remaining tranquil and unbothered. It isn’t long before Taehyung speaks again.
“This castle is always a huge point of interest to new people,” he agrees, before adding, “Though no one from the town really comes around these parts of the castle ruins.”
“I noticed that, but, do you know why?” You blink, eyes wide before you ask curiously. “I mean, this seems like a beautiful place, even if you argue that’s all that’s left are ruins.”
“It’s rumored to be haunted,” he shrugs, and you raise an eyebrow in response. There’s nothing that indicates the castle is haunted- when you think ‘haunted’ you picture a heavy sense of gloom, a sense of uneasiness and fear and you find none of those staying at the ruins.
“Haunted?”
“There’s a story behind the fall of this castle- it’s an old folktale around these parts at this point,” he explains.
“An old folktale, huh? I’d like to hear it myself… No one would tell me anything about this place,” you admit, remembering the way the residents had looked uncomfortable with a mention of the old palace ruins.
“… If you want, I still remember the story, somewhat,” Taehyung offers, chuckling at the way your eyes light up at his words. “Though, it’s a long one. It’d probably take me a few hours to tell you the whole story. Considering it’s early afternoon by now, I could probably tell you the story on the way home- hm, have you eaten anything yet today?”
“Not if you count a milkshake for lunch.”
“I have food with me- I can tell you the whole story, we can have a snack, and then I’ll walk you back home in the evening?” There’s a hopeful look in his eyes that makes you smile shyly- the next words slips from you so easily.
“That’s fine by me.”
“… Aren’t you wary being alone with essentially a stranger?” Taehyung’s next words are laced with amusement and disbelief, and you avert your eyes before replying.
“I would,” you fumble with the bag you’re carrying as you speak to him, the way your cheeks redden at the implications behind his words making it impossible to look straight at him. “But… for some reason, you’re the exception.”
“I’m the exception,” he echoes, voice softer, and you refrain from looking up, too embarrassed to look at his reaction.
For a few moments, you hear nothing but the chirping of birds far off in the distance, but then the grass rustles beside you and you see a hand offered to you. You take it- Taehyung tugs you down into lying on the grass with him, and, smoothly intertwining his hand with yours (and pretty much making your heart beat triple fast at the same time), he starts talking, his voice hypnotic.
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
Centuries ago, when kings and queens still ruled the land, there lived a girl. She was crowned heir to be at the young age of twelve, as her parents fell under their untimely deaths. Her uncle, the king's brother, took over as regent, trying to shelter her from a truth she knew all to well- too young to truly be a ruler, and under heavy grief as well, the kingdom held little expectations for her.
Truly she would have, too, had she not had her mother’s locket, one rumored to grant wishes. One night she opened it- and out came a genie.
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
His first thought of you, his new master is of not much worth- only that this time, he is under the beck and call of a human younger than anyone he has had before. There is nothing about that you that he finds special and he knows not why or how you were able to become his master when your predecessors have tried and failed. Still, it matters not to him in the end. This, he thinks, will be like every other encounter he has had.
You are the one and only child of the late royal couple, and it shows in every way. Decked out in nothing but the finest silks and jewelry that he remembers is from a queen who married into the throne centuries ago, you were, he suspects, one heavily doted upon by your parents. A pearl in the palm of their hands, so to say.
It would explain the heartbroken look you wear as you sit on your bed. The exhaustion evident in your movements, as well as your wan appearance. Beautiful eyes offset by the dullness of your gaze, pallor skin that reveals your lack of sleep, and the tear tracks on your face that are barely visible in the dim light of the candle…
And then you raise your head, and though surprise flits upon your face, it is soon replaced by a touch of hope, and then hesitation. You recognize him, what he is. You speak- he prepares himself for work.
The princess first asked for her parents back.
"No," refused the genie. "Death is irreversible."
“The myths are true, so it would seem, as there stands a genie right before me.” There is no fear or hesitation in your voice. It sparks a small amount of intrigue from him, as there is the lack of greed or lust for power as well.
“They are.” The gaze he sets upon you is with little emotion. He watches you slowly take in the fact that there stands a magical being in your room, a captured fae, able to grant your wishes.
“And you-“ here you pause, wariness and desperation warring against each other as you look at the supposedly magical being in your room. “You are to turn my wishes into reality?”
His lips curl in distaste and he prepares himself for whatever whims you force him to grant. “Only three.”
You look at him carefully, and then decide to throw caution to the wind- there is a fragile hope in your tone when you speak. “Then I would like my parents brought back to life, as they were days before.”
“I cannot grant you that wish.”
You chuckle bitterly, tears threatening to make a reappearance on your face. “Of course. And why not?”
The bite in your tone is thick at the instant answer he gives, the way you phrase your words a demand. It sparks an age old indignation in him, but the way your small frame curls up in disappointment makes him bite back the harsher words he would have said. Instead, he sighs and looks upon you with a little pity.
Death is never kind. Humans may be egotistical, selfish beings, but grief is special yet in the way it brings out the worst in anyone- a fact that he should know.
“Princess,” he starts. “Magic may be powerful, however, even magic in all its glory cannot bring back the dead. Were you to ask any other genie in regards to your wish- all that they will be able to give you is an illusion that they are still alive. And even then, it would only be for a short while. … I advise you to pick another wish instead.”
The princess cried out angrily. "Then what use are you, if you cannot do your job?"
The genie laughed angrily. "I, who have been and under rulers greater and grander than you, do you think I would choose to serve the likes of you?"
“I do not desire for anything else. All I want is my family back,” your voice wobbles, bitterness and frustration thick in your tone. You glare at him over your tears. “Are you truly a genie, if you cannot even grant my wishes?”
He sneers at you, sympathy for your situation vanishing like mist.
“And you are of the belief that I want to grant your wishes? That I chose to serve some selfish brat who believes them free to use magic without repercussions, out of my own volition?” His gaze darkens as he remembers the humans that set out to capture and enslave his kind, burning down forests and using sacrifices and rituals, all just to use them as inexhaustible tools of power. Hunted and secreted like shiny jewels- made to kneel in front of selfish, greedy, filthy mortals. It sickens him, even to this day, to think what has become of his brothers. Genies, they called them, merely another term for the fair folk captured and bound to human possessions- turned into human possessions. “Believe me, princess, I do not want to be in your presence as much as you do mine.”
You falter at his sudden change of attitude, before going on. “What does that have to do with anything?”
He purses his lips. “… Nothing. Is that really all that you wish for, is there nothing else? Toys, perhaps, or jewelry? The ability to read minds? Though it seems the latter is of little use considering you barely use your own.”
“Is that any way to talk to your master?” You scoff at him, and, in an attempt to get back at his comment you find yourself grabbing at a small detail. “If you cannot remember, then I will remind you- the moment you came out of that locket, you were bound to me as my servant.”
He hisses at the words, rage burning bright and true for a moment at the stark reminder of what he has become- the resolve with which he maintained to be civil with you disappearing. He comes close to you instead, the glare on his face glacial.
“Take heed of this, princess,” he growls, taking vindictive pleasure in the way you flinch back from him, fear crossing your face before you try to hide it by tamping it down. “I have been a fae longer than you have been a human, longer than this kingdom even existed. I have ruled and I have been with rulers for as long as time has been immemorial, and I will even after you die. Believe all you like that your position offers you protection, but I will not tolerate your disrespect towards me.”
A sudden sense of pressure bearing down on the room robs you of your breath- making it feel as though there is something pressing down on your whole body. Your genie’s voice softens as he continues, though there is no denying the amount of anger hidden in it. “My power may not reverse the laws of nature, but a twist of my fingers is all it would take to make you suffer. Do not test me.”
“You would never hurt me.” You barely get the words out with the way your voice shakes. He chuckles at the way you so obviously try to seem brave.
“Is that so, princess?”
“No, you would not,” you confirm, your voice becoming steadier as you continue, determined not to give in to his intimidation. “For the reason that if you did, you would be hurting yourself. Or have you forgotten about our contract?”
Silence follows your words, though the way he bristles is enough of a reply. The unnatural pressure vanishes so quickly, the air you greedily take in seems like heaven as you right yourself on your bed. Still when you regain your composure, you find him staring at you with equal amounts of disdain and hatred. Fair enough. You steel your gaze, look him in the eye, and click close the locket that lies on your neck.
“Leave. I have no wishes that need granting right now.”
At once he disappears, and you are left alone with your thoughts.
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
Animosity instantly festered between the two of them- the princess, sunk in grief and the heavy weight of responsibility that came so suddenly, and the genie, in a permanent state of apathy and hatred. But as the princess realized the impossibility of her wish, she sent him back. All would have returned to normal, were her parents to come back to life, but the present was set in stone and instead she was to be the heir to a throneless kingdom.
Oh, her uncle tried to help her, but the princess was wise and clever, and she knew her situation. With little to no support from power hungry nobles, she struggled under their scrutiny. The crown was surrounded by enemies, ones that sought to use the death of the king and queen as a way to do whatever they wished, never minding how the smallfolk suffered, letting criminals and corruption fester in the kingdom.
But the princess’ most defining trait was how she cared. Family. Duty. Honor. She strove to become an excellent queen, instead of collapsing underneath the pressure. She set her mind to preventing the kingdom from falling into chaos, and instead create an era of peace and stability for everyone.
So out came the genie once more, and this time, she made her first wish.
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
You find yourself opening the locket only a month after your disastrous first meeting.
“I am in need of your help.” You hope the words come out as you intend them to- calm, confident, even if the words speak otherwise. The genie- your genie, floats in front of you with a neutral look on his face, no ill feelings flashing across his face that might remain from your first meeting. You continue. “That is to say- I request you to teach me about my country.”
And isn’t it frustrating, to have to ask a genie, a captured, bounded fae, of all… beings, to ask for help? What would he know? Yet even so you are aware of how close you are to the edge, how much you need his help.
With the death of your parents, you understand that the kingdom has fallen into chaos- nobles of all ranks vying for power, and the citizens under their rules left to suffer. Oh, it may not be obvious now, you acknowledge with a grim look, but already plans have been set in motion to sabotage and replace certain people working under the crown.
Including you.
The moment the bells tolled, you knew you lost most, if not all of the people you could trust. And how could you not? The way your parents died… were murdered, it could only have been by being betrayed by someone they fully trusted. The lack of evidence all but proved that.
So here you are, hoping for the protection and knowledge of a genie (a fae, your mind corrects, a fae trapped by your kind, that hates your kind, and is it not ironic how you are asking them, in a way, to save your people?)
“Is that your wish? For me to give you knowledge on your country?” He raises an eyebrow at your wish- there is a gleam of surprise that flashes across his face all too quickly. To wish for knowledge is not unusual- that the knowledge will not serve you directly in power is the difference. Spells, weapons, servants- to those who wish for them, he is familiar. To history, however, he is not. Living as long as he has does not mean that he knows nor remembers what happens around him- he has never held a desire to stay and see the destruction wrought by his masters, regardless of his involvement. No matter though, his magic will see to it that the wish is fulfilled anyway.
“Make me into an excellent queen,” she asked of him. Under their bond of master and owner the genie complied, and though unwilling he taught her everyday what her tutors could not, in place of the king and queen who could no longer impart their knowledge to her.
You tilt your head and refute him without a second thought. “No, I do not believe that will suffice for a wish… if you must take it as so, then I ask you to teach me all you know in managing a kingdom.”
He looks at you in surprise, for once showing something other than indifference or displeasure. “And here I thought the princess had the sense to not act on our mutual hatred,” he drawls.
“Whatever gave the impression that it was mutual?” You counter back easily. The cold stare he gives you in turn, as if asking ‘is that so?’ makes you shiver, but you hold your ground. You swallow back your fear and go on. “Besides… as much as it pains me to admit it, you are the only one I can trust and are knowledgeable enough. Do you acknowledge my wish or not?”
He cocks his head to the side, amused and yet confused as well. Who asks a genie whether they will comply to their wish or not? There is steel behind your words that declare you will be heard one way or the other, but all the same, it is not a demand, but a request. Something seems to have changed since your first meeting, but a master he can at least tolerate is not something he will question.
“Two years,” he states, but you shake your head firmly. Two years is not enough- then again, how many years must pass before you are? However, you know you need all the time you can bargain for. You have been given the opportunity to ask for a mentor greater, if not at least on par with your (parents, you miss them, but they’re gonegonegone and you would be lying if you denied spending every night curled up in your bed, shivering from the lack of a warmth so familiar to you) would-be mentors.
“Ten years.”
“Four years.”
“Until my coronation in six years, then you are allowed to go,” you negotiate, fixing him with an unimpressed look. “Or am I asking too much of your abilities? So much for your ‘having accompanied many rulers’.”
He scoffs at your blatant attempt to bait him into accepting, even if all the same he agrees. “Deal.”
He snaps his fingers- there is no visible indication that your first wish has been placed into effect, however, you can feel magic heavy and warm settling around you like a cloak. A part of you knows that it is what binds you to him- you cannot quite see it, but you can feel it. How wonderful. Note both sarcasm and relief.
“Now where do we begin…?” He muses, for the first time a smirk breaking out on his features. Snapping his fingers again finds you suddenly sitting on your chair, a perfect distance from your desk. Another and several stacks of books appear to the side, a heavy thud indicating their presence. You feel a part of you quiver in fear at the sight, but you steel yourself.  Your genie, it seems, senses your apprehension anyway, because he chuckles low and long, the smugness evident.
“The first step to becoming a capable ruler, is discipline,” he says, smirking, before he tilts his head to the side. “Ah- before we start, little princess, you may call me as V.”
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
"Do you not wish for anything for yourself?" He once asked her. The queen declined the genie's offers for riches grander than any other, for power so great that it was untold.
The princess smiled wryly. "I am to be queen- I live and die for those who serve underneath me."
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
“You’re still studying, I see.”
It is late- you do not know exactly what time it is, though you wager it to be somewhere in the middle of the night. The moon rising overhead offers you little light, but the candle on your desk provides an ample amount that you are thankful for.
The warm glow of the flame illuminates your genie at the corner of your eyes- V, floating alongside your desk. There is the mask of indifference on his face as always. Though it sometimes slips, and you see him visibly smile or frown sometimes. Tonight though, it seems as if he has donned it tighter, closer, until you cannot tell where his mask begins and ends.
“Yes, I suppose I am. One cannot simply learn the trades of a market without seeing how it works,” you state, attention half on him, the other half remaining on the book you are reading. You do not see him study you with open puzzlement on his face, that underneath the ever present hatred for humanity he feels, there is something else making itself known. “Though the fact that every book I’ve gotten so far gives only examples and never explanations on how the barter system works in detail is a point of frustration.”
You turn your full attention back on the book as silence greets your answer, a confused frown coming on your lips at the complications listed in the book.
“Studying so much- what is the use of it?” Just as you wonder if he’s back in the locket, you hear his voice next to your ear. “In the end, all your position will ever amount to is a figure of power. Human men have hardly changed since the beginning of time- believing that the world runs around them, that a woman’s power will never equal theirs. Your advisors and generals… given your word, they would run the country on your behalf.”
“I would have to trust them first to give them even a fraction of power,” you scoff. V it seems takes your words as they are, falling silent for a while before speaking again.
“Wish on me then, princess, and I will give you the utmost loyal of servants. What would you desire for them to have?”
“V-“ you sigh out his name, a serious look in your eyes that compel him to hold his tongue. “Everything that I can accomplish by myself, I will. Am I not already under your guidance? Your wishes, on the other hand, I would rather keep them safe until I truly need it. For one, if a plague beset my people, I would use a wish to ensure their safety.”
Although you cannot see him, you can sense the magic in the air wavering, thick and heavy. The book on the table is forgotten, at this point, your attention fully diverted to the genie by your side. There is a look of frustration on his face, as well as confusion. “For your people? What do they matter in comparison to you?”
You consider your next words carefully, wanting to tell him nothing but the barest truth for some unknown reason. It has been half a year since your first meeting, and during this period you have grown to know more about V, as well as the limits placed on both of you through your contract. He is bound to you in every way, he cannot harm you, he is to give you three wishes, of which afterwards the locket will never open again until a new master has received it. It is these three facts that have allowed you to loosen and relax, knowing you are under no threat from V.
With that, lessons with him has allowed you to see more than the bitter fae bound to the locket you hold near to your heart, instead seeing him as a respectable figure. From what you have heard and guessed, it is not a surprise to learn of the hatred he holds for humans… you have accepted it. People with power often go mad, as they say.
Furthermore V grants you your wish without fail- and when he teaches you, it is riveting. He teaches you not by telling you what or what not to do, but by giving you examples, small pieces of history lost to everyone but him, of kings and queens past that have ruled over kingdoms far bigger than yours. Although they have all fallen now, their lessons still remain, and you find yourself with a growing amount of respect for V. Perhaps, that is why a part of you desire his respect as well.
You close the book gently, and speak slowly. “Someday, I will be queen. But even before that, I am a princess. A royal. I do not live for myself- I live for the people I rule over, and when the time comes I will die for them too.”
V looks at you with an indescribable emotion in his eyes, before he says a small ‘I see’. You do not know if your words reach him, the underlying meaning in your answer evident enough for him, but if it is, he shows not any sign of seeing it.
He asked less, after that. But what once was sharp, cutting words grew softer, and he stopped giving her undue grief from his mischief.
The next day, when you wake up you find a book lying by the table on your bed. There is no title that gives a clue of the content inside, though flipping it open reveals statements and stories of alleged merchants, on trading and travelling and bartering. You grin.
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
As she grew up, her love for her kingdom and her subjects only grew even more. From the little that she could experience under her uncle's strict care, she made the most that she could, taking in every moment that she could see her subjects.
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
Today is a good day, you think to yourself happily. The sun is shining, the clouds plenty, and the wind just right- even the weather decrees it so to be perfect. The people around you currently yelling, squealing, happily dancing in the full view of everyone around- the music drifting across the street and enticing people of all ages to dance… yes, it was a good decision to sneak out of the palace and wander around the festival. You always were interested in the kingdom’s festivities, though two years ago you would have been cooped up in the palace, playing, separated from the merrymaking. And although the past year has been filled with grief and suffering, life moves on, and so eventually when the festival’s date drew closer, you found yourself contemplating options previously locked to you before.
And although you would have liked to attend the festival with your parents… you look to your right, finding V with the usual mask of indifference on his face, as though he thinks little of the merrymaking. You smile widely anyway, moreso when he catches you smiling.
“Remind me again why I was persuaded to accompany you on this dreaded activity of you humans,” he grumbles. You beam at him, the bubbly joy of the people around you infecting you.
“Would you not agree it necessary for a ruler to know their subjects? More than that, today is a day of celebrations!”
“What is there that you do not know about this festival,” he rebuts. “Or shall I remind you of how the meetings for this festival planning occurred?”
“Perhaps I merely want to see for myself what it’s like up close,” you shrug. He raises an eyebrow at you, ignoring the slight flush to your cheeks.
“Why is it so hard for you to admit that you want to join the festival?” He mutters, fixing you with a dry look. “Even more, having me come along as your ‘bodyguard’ when I could protect you from inside the locket.”
You find yourself momentarily struck speechless at his words. “You say that as though it is a crime to ask you to accompany me,” you huff, a frown forming at your lips. “But if you really disdain it that much-“
“No need to be so aggravated,” he interrupts you, waving a hand in the air as a smirk forms on his face. “Human you may be, but you’re not that bad for company. That aside, so this is what you wanted to see so badly you asked me for help in escaping the palace today.”
You roll your eyes at him- would anyone from the palace see you, they would scold you at how unrefined you are right now, but the thought only spurs you to let yourself loosen up even more. Today, you are not the princess, the queen-to-be, you are merely a commoner girl wandering around the festival, followed by your good friend, an older brother of sorts.
Or so it would seem to other people, not being able to see underneath the magic that V has woven around the two of you to appear normal to other civilians.
It never fails to amaze you, how V’s magic is wonderfully intricate. It seems there is no end to the uses magic provides, from the smallest tasks such as straightening your clothes, untangling your hair or rearranging your books, to big ones such as teleportation and invisibility. It took you a long time of bartering- you never wanted to use up a wish for something so menial such as this, but all the same you wanted to roam around and experience the festival for yourself. It was only when you baited V again that he finally relented.
A child passing by with their mother brings your attention back to the festival, and your eyes widen- the two of you have walked straight into the main street of the festivities while you were unaware. The people milling around everywhere, coupled with the activities and the decorations turning even the drabbest house colorful- it is a mess of sensations that makes you quickly look around, trying to get every detail in.
“Awestruck, are we?” V chuckles even as he shields you from the crowd, a teasing note in his voice. Another thing that has changed recently- V, it seems, has taken to lightly teasing you, though you let it slide as there is no malice or ill will to be found in his tone. It seems as if he has taken you as someone he can look upon favorably- or at least with some degree of comfort, to joke around with you.
“Of course not,” you deny. “Just- so many people surround us…”
V tilts his head in contemplation, before nodding. “Ah, yes. You’ve never left the palace, now have you?”
It seems as though today brings you another surprise, when you feel the warmth of another hand envelop your own. You cannot help tensing up, eyes wide as you look at him. He raises an eyebrow at you, as if the thought of him initiating contact with you is not something that should be made a big deal of, before speaking. “Don’t misunderstand. If you get hurt because your attention is all over the place, that will reflect back on me through our contract.”
“Uh-“ you stammer. “Right. I… I suppose that makes sense.”
He nods and assumes his mask again, though his hold on your hand tightens. “In any case, since the little princess has brought me out for protection, then perhaps you should use what remaining time you have to fully immerse yourself in and learn about the culture of your own people firsthand,” he offhandedly suggests. You feel your lips curl into a grin at the way he plays along with you and excitedly nod your head.
This time, when you look around, you let yourself fully take in the joy of the people, the activities that surround the two of you.
There are stalls on the side, offering various kinds of food, and music from bards and singers all around. There is no end to the list of new things you are only seeing today.
You stop at a particular stall- the flowers bright and colorful, yet blending into the scenery as well. You scan the display, brightening when you find a certain flower.
V only raises an eyebrow when you talk to the merchant, several coins leaving your pocket as you exchange it for what a few stalks of small, blue flowers.
“Thank you!” You call out- there is a skip in your step as you bring the flowers close, inhaling the sweet scent they emit. You then place them in your pocket, careful not to press them or destroy  them.
A brief glance at V reveals him looking at you with interest in his eyes- you smile shyly. “Forget-me-nots are my favorite flower, just from the name and its meaning. Besides that… I thought it would be a good token to remember today by,” you admit.
“Should you not get more then, rather than a few?”
“Even if I did, I wouldn’t be able to place them anywhere- forget-me-nots are rare here, and would anyone see they would probably spread rumours of all kinds,” you say, laughing at the thought.
V furrows his eyebrows slightly. “Still, the flowers will be in a poor state from this crowd.”
“I guess so, but… any later and there might not remain any more to buy… if it truly is in pieces when we return, then I suppose I will just have to let it be,” you shrug.
The two of you resume walking, and you find yourself falling in love all over again with the kingdom you live in. What truly takes your breath away though, is the presentation currently happening in the middle of the plaza. There, in the midst of the crowd, is a group of young men and women, seemingly dancing to the beat of a tune louder and heavier than the others. There synchronization in their movements amazes you, the grace with which they execute their actions a thing of beauty itself, not to mention the aura they seem to exude. 
You take a step closer, just to get a better look at them, but find yourself rooted to the spot as V’s attention seem to be elsewhere. You huff, waving a hand in front of him, but he does not react at all and you finally resort to pulling him close to the crowd of onlookers with you. Once you are as close as you can be- and with a clear view of the performance, you find yourself even more excited by their brilliance.
“V, look!” You tug on his sleeve repeatedly with your free hand, immediately pointing at the dance with your head when he turns to look at you, attention back from wherever he has previously been. The furrow in his eyebrows tells you your efforts were successful, though he seems to be irked. His next words come out in a grumble.
“I may have asked you to hold onto my hand as protection, but that doesn’t mean you can just drag me around-“
“Your mind seemed to be off elsewhere,” you chide him. “Besides, won’t you come watch- woah!”
You see for yourself with wide eyes the sudden, beautiful way the group seems to throw themselves up into the air, before landing with practiced movements, the easy cooperation with which they move spellbinding.
“Beautiful…” you breathe out, mesmerized. V rolls his eyes, though you cannot see it at the moment.
“You truly consider that stunning? I have seen casual street performances held by elves that hold more flair,” he dryly states.
You turn to him, a spark of exasperation and annoyance evident in your posture before you admonish him. “Can you not just appreciate it for what it is? You-”
The sudden fierce mumbling of the crowd grabs your attention and you look back at the group.
The problem is evident as soon as you look. One of the members performing seem to be struggling- though they push on the performance, and, throwing the other in the air, they prepare to catch them, but they trip-
You gasp, as do the people around you, before somehow, by some miracle, the catcher finds themselves with renewed strength as they correct themselves and catch their fellow performer. The crowd breathes out sighs of relief in unison, but your breath is still taken away, and you turn to V-
“You just-“ He scrunches his face in annoyance, scoffing as he interrupts your sentence.
“If they got hurt, it would only ruin the performance. No need to let something lackluster become even worse,” he huffs.
You tilt your head with a smile, biting back the giggle building in your throat. “Alright, whatever you say.”
The rest of the day proves to be less exciting, though still as enjoyable, and when the two of you return to the castle, it feels as though it is over all too soon. That the flowers you bought at the start of your excursion has been bruised so, well, you try not to let it dampen your mood too much. You leave it by your bed, unwilling to throw it away.
You find yourself smiling at the pressed flowers, forget-me-nots preserved and yet somehow the color still so bright, the aroma strong, lying by your bed the next day.
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
Her heart, though it was tempered by steel, remained kind as ever- never turning away those who needed help, and holding a compassionate and fair mind when dealing with any problems that arose.
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
“How is it that you still have paperwork?”
You release a heavy sigh as you look over the documents in your hand, a weary look on your face.
“A drought recently struck the western province. One of the barons near the border has volunteered to provide relief goods, but it’s still necessary we check over the supplies to know if it will be possible or not…”
‘You could leave it to your retainers to organize this problem’, he wants to say, though he knows it would be useless. He already knows what you would reply. Something so important- a drought, delivering supplies to those unfortunate to have been living there- left in the hands of incompetent, scheming, corrupted fools? There would be no way you’d agree to that.
“I do not live for myself- I live for the people I rule over, and when the time comes, I will die for them too.”
It is exactly that phrase that forced him to acknowledge you are different. It was that moment that he thought, ah, you recognize sacrifice, the kind that consumes your very being, the kind that goes hand in hand with love and determination, the kind that you should never know fully of, because it means that you have understood the suffering that begets it. At so young an age, at only fourteen years old you already understand and accept the heaviness of the crown, a ghost upon your head as it may be for now.
Not for once he curses the fact that you are in such a precarious position, loathes the circumstances that led you to where you are, and maybe even hates you a bit too- why do you have to care, so much? Here you are, running on fumes and still you insist on performing duties that should be underneath you.
You care too much, and even he cannot deny that he’s come to care for you too, too much as well. He had long resigned himself to hating humanity, to burying deep inside any remnant of the fae he once was, before everything changed. But you bring out all the parts he has done his best to forget.
Your head droops a little as a lapse of exhaustion washes over you, but you pinch your leg- there is only a few days before the paperwork is due, and you cannot waste a single moment.
Although your head aches terribly- you struggle to remember which line you were reading, before you feel magic envelop you, and in a moment the fatigue in your body eases. You shoot a look at V, who only utters a, “move over.”
You scoot over to the side and give him an inquisitive look that he ignores. V slides into the seat next to you, half a foot of distance remaining between the two of you, and you feel yourself relax from being in a closer proximity. Not for the first time you wonder if it’s because of the bond between the two of you, but your sleep deprived mind urges you to return to the issue at hand. Snapping out of your thoughts, you turn back to your paperwork, ready to review the next piece-
The mountain of paperwork on your desk stands a little more securely halved. The other rests on V’s side of the table, with the genie himself reading over the reports. You raise an eyebrow at him, surprised, but V only says in a matter of fact tone, “Leave the logistics to me, while you handle the situation reports. If all this is left up to you, you’ll get not a single wink of sleep tonight.”
“I do not believe I would take that long,” you hum, although there is no denying the smile on your face.
“You place as one of the most meticulous masters I have ever served under,” he drawls. “Dawn will break before you finish- and you would be in a poor condition come morning.”
“Then you would not be in any state to learn from me, and what would your wish have been for?” He finishes with a scoff, even as your smile grows wider. It’s ridiculous, how happy you suddenly seem to be. All the more so that his own mood improves with your own.
“Alright, alright, I concede your point,” you chuckle, before playfully leaning your head on his shoulder. In a soft voice you whisper a thank you to him, and try as he might, he cannot deny how his heart (and oh, he thought it was already dead, buried away forever, but like everything else you bring it to life) skips a beat.
Too much, indeed.
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
"I could make them disappear," the genie told her. "With one word from you, a flick of my finger could turn them into willing servants."
The queen laughed. "No, thank you. What would come after then? I do not wish to rely on your magic."
"You are unlike any other master I have ever had," the genie said, the tone in which he said it conveying how odd and fascinating he found her. Yet still there was respect in his tone as well.
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
“If you wished it of me,” V’s voice is low, barely a murmur- indistinguishable to everyone but you in the room. “I could erase all traces of corruption. I could turn them into people devoted to the future of their queen and country.”
You keep up a docile façade as the people in front of you- dukes and marquis speak over each other in chaos, insults and barbs laid throughout their speech as though somehow putting down the others will prove them better than the other. As usual, the yearly councils lead nowhere, nothing but bickering achieved. Truly petty, and more than that, your time wasted when there could be better use for it- for one, reviewing documents. Instead here you are, with a dull throbbing in your head from the noise and what would you not give for some peace right now?
When I am queen, truly queen, I will do something about this, you promise to yourself. A heavy exhale leaves your lips as the men seem to forget your presence, voices becoming closer to shouting, no matter that you are the highest ranking in the room.
“No, thank you,” you instead respond to V, deeming it safe enough to at least whisper to him- no one is paying attention to you after all. “Besides, let us say I allowed that. What then of the next generation? Or should I wish for that too? Will your magic be strong enough to account for every future noble then?”
“Of course not,” he says, a raised eyebrow in place. “I doubt even magic can hold back human greed.”
“Then there you have it,” you tilt your head to the side to look at him better, a wry smile on your lips. “I do not wish to use your magic on something that needs to be solved by us humans.”
“It was merely a suggestion,” V shrugs, and you close your eyes in relief as you feel magic sweep over your body and your headache, disappear. As the ringing in your head disappears, you realize as well that your surroundings seem to have been muted a little, the voices on a level easier to handle.
When you open your eyes, you find V looking at you with a soft smile, one that you wonder if he knows he’s making right now.
“You are the strangest master I have ever had,” he murmurs. “Perhaps even the strangest human I have met as well.”
You feel a smile bloom on your face, the first one you hold all day. “Is that a compliment?”
V raises an eyebrow. “Does it matter if I say yes? You seem to take it as one anyway.”
You stifle back the laughter bubbling in your throat, and turn back to the meeting- it would not do to seem absentminded, after all, in case someone would glance at you.
If you feel V’s presence though, unseen but felt solidly next to yours, a warmth around your body and whispers in your ear that makes the meeting bearable, well, that’s for no one but you two to know.
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
With the genie, too, the years eventually brought them close together, as comrades. What once was hatred and prejudice turned into grudging respect.
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
“Do you think- if they saw me right now, would they be proud?”
On the third anniversary of your parent’s death, you find yourself reminiscing over old portraits of the three of you, looking over old possessions that you found hard to even touch- the grief too strong then.
And although the grief is still there, a heavy weight on your soul, you find it easier to deal with- the raw edges smoothened, even if the hole in your heart remains so.
In their room, untouched by anyone (you’d forbidden it so, and who would deny the wishes of an orphaned child, to leave their deceased parents’ rooms so?), it feels as though nothing has happened- everything is the same as it was years ago. The only detail that would say so otherwise would be the thick dust that has settled over the room- though one snap of V’s fingers had seen to that.
“Yes, you have grown to be a fine princess under my tutelage after all.” That V is sitting so close to you is perhaps the only reason you are not currently weeping, his presence offering comfort, a reminder that not everyone you love, you have lost. After all, he still remains, and the feel of his hand on yours- an anchor, it keeps you grounded.
“I miss them,” you whisper. V holds your hand tighter, and, throwing caution to the wind, you lean on his shoulder. The warmth that he emanates helps you keep your tears at bay, especially when you hear his voice a gentle murmur.
“I know.”
And with respect came tentative trust,
“Have you ever had family before?” The fact that fae apparently have cool bodies is a hidden blessing you always make sure to take advantage of, pressing close to V in order to escape the dreaded summer heat that has currently befallen the kingdom, worse than the previous ones. You close the book shut- the forget-me-not in your hand having long been a wonderful bookmark.
Rarely do you ever take a break from your duties- but this is an exception, the heat too much for you to focus on anything. Therefore here you two are, sitting in a pavilion situated somewhere far off from the castle (V had rolled his eyes as he magicked the two of you here, and scoffed that it would be easy to do the same when you declare it time to return, why use the castle rooms where there was still a chance of people overhearing you?), for once you turn the topic of conversation to V, curious about him. Three years and then some- it had been surprising to realize how little you know of him.
“I once had six brothers,” V reveals, after some time of deliberation, an eyebrow raised at your sudden question. “I was the second youngest.”
“Six? You had a big family then,” you muse, trying to imagine it. You tilt your head at V- focusing on him. Would his brothers have looked a lot like him, you wonder, with features that were too beautiful to pass as human? “How are genies even born, I wonder?”
“How should I know?” V replies, a bemused look on his face. “Besides, it isn’t as though we were bound by blood as humans are. Fae simply come into existence- the brothers I mention of ones I’ve been with my whole life.”
“Childhood friends in a sense, then,” you murmur, before you ask him again, softly. “If it’s okay with you- what were they like?”
V looks away from you with an indescribable emotion of his face- for once, after years of being by his side you find you cannot read him. But then he takes a deep breath and turns back to you- there is nothing but a soft nostalgia on his face, and the tender way with which he speaks his next words makes your heart ache for him.
He tells you about his brothers- Jin, their eldest, always there with a smile and a laugh, who always looked after them, who came up with the worst jokes and was like what a mother would be to them. Suga, their second eldest, stoic and seemingly grumpy, but always ready to help them, soft inside even as he talked and acted otherwise. J-Hope, their third eldest, who radiated happiness and warmth like the sun, who was always there to cheer them up when they needed it. RM, fourth eldest, always a source of calmness and tranquility, ready to offer impartial advice and obscure knowledge when asked. JM, third youngest, their angel and fairy, who never failed to be there for them, love spoken through the many little actions he did for them, renowned as the best gift giver among them- JK, their youngest, mischievous but so so loving, always starry-eyed and a source of laughter from the endless amount of times he’d do the strangest thing just to get them to laugh and be happy, his adoration of them all so clear and plain to see.
And him- V, second youngest. He stalls a little, words petering out as if confused, and there is a blank, bordering on dazed, look on his face that makes you wonder if he has simply forgotten what he used to be like before he became a prisoner trapped in your locket. After a few moments he simply regales you instead with the other small details that he can remember, the few that remain.
And you listen. You listen as he tells you about the years they grew up together in a community of only supernatural creatures, how they found each other and created a bond so close that was unheard of even with other fae, the days they spent laughing and having fun, before they realized their own dreams, their goals, what they would dedicate their whole lives to.
V trails off when he reaches the end of their hundredth birthday, but it takes little to figure out the reason why, and the far-away look in his eyes makes you long to pull him into an embrace, comfort him like he has done for you. Instead you squeeze his hand- I’m here, you see, I’m not leaving, and hope that it comes through to him.
All too soon you notice the sky darkening into shades of pink and violet, dusk well on its way, and reluctant as you may be, you know you have to go soon. But when you look at V- at the wistfulness that can be openly read on his face, you find another set of words dying on your tongue.
“Speak up,” V says, “One look at you and I know there is something you want to say.”
“I’m sorry for what happened to you and your family,” you softly say. Perhaps you do not, and will not ever know what it feels like to have your kind be hunted and used, but losing your family, feeling as though you are trapped and surrounded by enemies… that you can relate with. It hits you for the first time, seeing V stare off into with a distant look in his eyes, that he has lost much more than you have, and it makes your heart ache to think of all that he has gone through.
When he speaks next, it is as if you can feel the emotions rolling under his voice, thinly masked by a layer of restraint and forced disconnect.
“Humans have always been power hungry, them coming for us was only a matter of time.” He closes his eyes, as if doing so will make whatever image in his head disappear, and you press closer to him, almost pulling him into a hug, I’m here, I’m right here. V leans his head against yours, and when he opens his eyes again you see the vulnerability thick in his gaze, though he still doesn’t look at you. “However, it isn’t as though you’re part of those who wish to harm and use us… so don’t be sorry.”
Dusk blends into night well before the two of you retreat back to the castle, the stack of paperwork sitting on your desk a perfect distraction, and if the morning after finds you with your bodies laid haphazardly across the bed (collapsing on the soft mattress after working on so much seemed absolutely tempting and V was not immune to it either), well, it only elicits laughter from you, moreso when you notice the (not the first time, but to this extent, perhaps) messy state your genie is in.
- and a steady friendship-
“You need a break.”
“You say that as though it is anything new,” you idly remark, a part of you wishing you had something sweet to drink right now- a cup of milk appears near you, steam wafting off the surface. You raise it and take a sip- the drink exactly how you prefer it to be. “Thank you.”
You feel V’s presence near you- he leans over your shoulder, and you need not turn to the side to know that he’s raising an eyebrow at the papers in front of you. “No need to mention it- what are these, anyway?”
“My suitors,” you explain, before amending it. “Or, well, people I might be betrothed to in the future.”
V nods understandingly. “Ah, the human intricacies. That a woman cannot be in power without a man to guide her.”
“Rightfully so,” you let out a chuckle at his words, though a part of you remains frustrated at the situation. “It is what it is, though,” you shrug, before a thought comes alive in your head.
“Tell me- do genies marry?”
“Marry,” V’s words are tinged by bemusement, making you chuckle again. “A human tradition.”
“Do the fae not hold concepts of romance?”
“We do,” he says, “Though not like you humans do. When we decide to mate, we swear our hearts to each other, and thereafter hold a ceremony by magic to keep our souls together. Much more meaningful than swearing on nothing but rings and to an audience of loyalty and faith.”
“Far better than the ones we hold, then,” you agree. V smiles at your response, before continuing.
“Quite so. Grand affairs too, with merrymaking that lasted for days on end and laughter everywhere.”
The thought brews in your mind. What would it look like, you wonder? Thinking of everything that magic has shown you over the years, and the little things that V tells you about his time as a fae, it does nothing but heighten your curiosity.
“I would have loved to see one,” the words spill from your lips easily, a sigh accompanying it. More than beautiful- you don’t doubt it would have been one of a kind, besting any wedding by humans. Still, it isn’t as though you can ask anyone to show you one, now can you? The thought pulls you back into reality, and you sigh as you turn back to the papers on the table, the task seeming even more uninteresting now.
It’s only when you pick them up that you find yourself surprised as your surroundings seem to melt away into nothing, being replaced by a sudden wave of colors that settle and-
Oh, you find your breath taken away at the dazzling display of magic and wonder- looking around shows that you are (somehow) in a clearing, surrounded by trees that are decorated with lights and tables and chairs and oh, (how? It must be by magic, you conclude, but it doesn’t take away the curiosity and awe in your reaction) the fae (they have to be, you have been talking about nothing else) fluttering around with laughter in their smiles and happiness in their eyes. It’s easy to get swept away, lost in the moment- a warm hand covers your own and you look at V with dazed eyes.
“Come on,” he hums, a smile spread across his face as your reaction is open for the world to see. “My magic can only hold up for so long, and all this is is a memory, but still- I hope it suffices.”
“Suffices?” You echo, flabbergasted. “More than that, this is beautiful though, what is this? V, did you-“
“This is far better than reviewing the profiles of men whose worth will never measure up anywhere near yours, I assure you.” V’s smirks, one that you cannot help returning with a chuckle as one fae in particular breaks into dance.
“Alright,” you concede, letting thoughts of other men disappear from your mind, determined to enjoy this present as much as you could. It’s the right decision, the best decision, you think, as you witness V beam radiantly at you. “Thank you.”
The two of you spend the evening dancing, laughing, singing and your dreams that night are filled with magic and wonder. When daybreak comes, you awaken to find yourself holding the locket in your hand, a smile on your face- not even the babbling of the nobles who have come to see you for some trivial matter can make the bubbly feeling in your chest disappear.
- lastly came solid affection.
It’s currently early morning- too early, some might say. There is not even a hint of the sun’s warmth or light, the only hints that it would be coming soon the twittering of the birds outside. The coldness of the night has not left yet, and so you feel the blanket covering the two of you is more than heavenly- it feels right, somehow.
V is warm against your skin- a detail that had made you giggle notoriously as he denied using magic to change his body temperature so, after you remarked that it would be nice to have a fireplace in the room- something you could not have as there were simply no space in your room for any, nor were there any fireplace built there in the first place.
When had the two of you gotten to this point, you wonder? Lying in bed with each other, your bodies pressed close to each other- V holding you tightly (he always does, though he denies it in the morning) to his chest, arms wrapped around you and a leg thrown over you as well (it will never fail to amuse you remembering the journey he took in knowing how to use legs and feet again, it may have been the one and only time he’d needed your help as a helpless babe did, as being a genie he only floated on air). The tips of his hair (of which you can still scent the rose oil he’d washed your hair with, and then you for him- V’s hair is luxuriously, puzzlingly, infuriatingly soft and you really should order more oil) tickle your shoulder from where he is nuzzling your shoulder, and surrounded by this, surrounded by him, you find that you cannot care at all, for once, what others might think.
V makes you feel like yourself, and the thought that this- blessed normalcy, that it might disappear soon fogs your head with dark thoughts. You find yourself shifting until you turn around, and, reciprocating V’s embrace with your own, you softly speak against his chest.
“There are still two years before my coronation.”
“I know.” V’s voice is a deep rumble, especially first thing in the morning, the raspness of his voice evident as well. His hands don’t pull you closer, but they stay where they are, a solid imprint of warmth on your back against the cold of the morning.
“And even after that, I still have my two wishes,” you continue, voice still a faint murmur.
“I know,” he repeats, and you curl deeper into the hug, hoping that actions will send your message across where your words may fail.
“Even when I am crowned queen, I would still need you, even if my wishes should remain as for reserve. Meaning- you cannot leave me then, even after I have become queen.”
V sighs, and you are struck with a sudden fear that you’ve overstepped some sort of boundary, although you know not what it could be. However, he only rubs circles against your back, making you instantly hum softly at how relaxing it feels. “Obviously, now go to sleep.”
You don’t answer, but the way your hand, curled against the shirt he is wearing, loosens is an answer in and of itself and he himself falls back asleep soon after.
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
Still, as she grew, so did the corruption escalate, and whispers of crimes committed in secret grew worse. The princess tried, she did, but the result of her investigations only proved a horrible truth she did not want to know- the root of the corruption was from her very own uncle. From her parent’s death, to the suffering of her citizens, it was a bid in ploy to control her kingdom and remain a ruler in the shadows. It broke the princess, torn as she was between family and duty.
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
The glass falls to the ground, the sound of it shattering echoing loudly in the room. You stare dully at the scattered pieces, your mind repeating the information you found out on a loop.
He never held any remorse, any remnant of guilt, and perhaps that was what made it worse.
“What happened-“ You look at V blankly as he materializes from your locket- previously still asleep from the heavy amount of magic he consumed the day before, hair mussed and clothes wrinkled, but his eyes alert and looking over you for any sign of a problem.
“I should’ve known,” you croak out instead, remembering the meticulous way your… their murderer (oh, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts and it feels like your body is shaking from the force of the tears you’re holding back and you just want it to stop) had discussed their deaths, the plans he made for them, for you.
“You couldn’t have.” The only thing keeping you grounded in reality is V’s hold on you, his embrace warm, and were it any other time you would find yourself embarrassed, but, now, all you do is lean into his embrace, your tears soaking his shirt.
The realization that V knows not what happened makes a part of you want to laugh, despite the situation. A larger part of you, numb, explains calmly that you should tell him, V must be confused, even if he doesn’t seem to be so should you not speak up already.
“All the evidence was there- my-“ you pause, a heavy shudder runs through you from the weight of the tears, “regent, my uncle, I heard him, he was the one who planned it, why was I too blind-“
“You couldn’t have known,” he says firmly, holding you tighter, as if doing so will make you tears stop flowing. You hiccup and grip him just as tight, the thoughts in your head never letting up.
“Why did I let myself be fooled for so long? All the clues were there, but whenever the thought would appear in my head, I pushed it down… because I was afraid of what would happen if it turned out to be true.”
“And it is,” you bitterly laugh. “You know what the worst part is too?”
“I still love him.” V remains silent as you choke the words out, his presence your anchor to reality. “I hate him so for what he’s done, but I still love him. I’m a horrible person, am I not? To still consider a killer family.”
“He is your uncle,” he finally says. “Someone you have known your whole life. Someone you have loved your whole life. Whatever it is that you are feeling right now… it is alright. You can love someone and hate them too. It is what makes you human after all.”
“I wish I did not feel so anyway,” you whisper. V smiles wryly in response, though you cannot see it.
“Perhaps not, but I do not think feelings work that way, princess.”
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
In the end, though, she chose duty.  She chose justice. And as her day of coronation grew nearer, she planned for a rebellion- one that would fully clean the roots of corruption in her kingdom.
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
“You chose him?”
V levels a dry look on Sanha- your lips twitch into a smile at his unimpressed look.
“Yes- do you not approve?”
“Would you not want someone more suited to ruling a kingdom?” He bluntly states as Sanha almost trips over his own feet, the packages he’s carrying falling from his hands, but thankfully enough being caught before it hits the ground. Sanha lets out a sigh of relief- another man, one he has never seen before but presumes might be Cha Eunwoo rights him back up, and, laughing, helps him deliver the packages in his hand.
A servant. You found a servant of one of the prominent noble families serving under you to be the leader and your successor- there is no more surprise to be found from him at this point, he thinks.
“All that is needed is someone to guide him,” you explain, giggling at the deadpan look on V’s face, before you smile a little softer. “Besides, what I find most important to me is how they see the kingdom and how they treat the people. Sanha sees them as family, and he treats them as one too. He will be a wonderful king with training.”
V remains silent for a while, watching as the two men are happily greeted by almost everyone they come across, and the enthusiastic way the duo reply. “Not as wonderful as you though,” he eventually grumbles. “After all, you were taught by me.”
“No, I guess not,” you laugh.
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
Her second wish was thus for her kingdom once more- to secure that the rebellion would happen without a hitch.
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
“My second wish,” you murmur into the wind, though you are still sure that V can hear you, his chin propped on your head. Down below you can see the soldiers dragging Park Jin Woo’s family out, the yelling of the people you serve reaching even where you are, on a balcony several stories high. Your gaze lands on Jin Woo, and as you see his expression turn stony and hateful, you close your eyes. It begins, you think. “I want for you to fake their deaths- give them anonymity to everyone but Sanha.”
“Understood.” And with a flick of his finger you feel the world around you shift, the air stilling and everything, for a brief moment, blurs, before it becomes clear again. Below you, the scene has changed- although it seems to be the same for everyone, you can clearly see the faint shimmer around Jin Woo and his family, the only sign that they are constructs of magic. Jin Woo will wake up in Sanha’s bedroom, incorporeal, unseen and unheard to everyone but Sanha, who you have also already put plans in motion for, to guide him into being the leader of the rebellion.
You mourn for them, for the innocent boys you will be taking away and replacing with soldiers and tacticians. But duty demands it so, the rebellion is a necessity and you cannot let the responsibility fall to any other. Sanha- the highest ranking servant of the Yoon family, a charismatic and determined individual, trusted intimately by almost everyone. Even in the family he serves he is adored (to the point that he holds their surname, a highly irregular thing for a commoner) and you do not doubt that were he to lead, the Yoon family would follow. A person from both worlds, uniting the nobles and commoners- you can only hope it to be enough.
“You will be unanimously hated by your people after this.” V’s voice brings you back to the present, as the two of you watch the crowd of men and women all but fight the guards who do not hesitate to fight back, leaving injured civilians bleeding. Thankfully no one is dead- you have forbidden them to kill.
The screaming crowd is a testament to the influence that Park Jin Woo holds, as a peasant scholar famed in the kingdom. Having served many years as a sort of middle person for both nobles and commoners, if there is anyone who knows about the corruption and schemes in this kingdom, it is Jin Woo. Not only that, he is tenacious, and his loyalty fierce. You could not have picked anyone better, really.
“I know,” you affirm. “I accepted all those when I decided this.”
“You really will be all alone, at least until after it’s done,” his sigh is faint, but still you hear it. You smile a little, turn around and press your forehead to his- silly V, really, shouldn’t he know-
“Not true. I have you, do I not? You would not leave me alone, would you, V?” V smiling, slight as it may be will never fail to make you feel warm inside, moreso when he nuzzles his nose against yours and your smile grows wider, sadness and guilt alleviated for the moment.
“No, I suppose not.”
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
The night of her 18th birthday, there was a festival held by the kingdom. The princess, soon-to-be-queen, looked over her kingdom then- the weight of responsibility settled over her like a shroud she gladly bore, one she was fiercely proud of. As queen, she would do her best by her kingdom, over the people she ruled.
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
“Envious, are we?”
You bat away V’s hands as they prod against your cheek, presumably to pinch them. His resounding chuckle is something you hear over the noise of the festival below- but only barely, and you feel his arms rest around your waist, you roll your eyes.
“Not really,” you clarify. “Just- it reminded me of the festival we went to years ago.”
V raises his eyebrows. “You still remember that, do you?”
“Of course I do! You were still so cold back then,” you protest, before grinning back up at him as you remember fondly the past. “I never knew then, what to make of you. I mean, of course, you looked and talked as if you didn’t care all the time, however, your actions always said otherwise.”
“What care would I have for humans, before and even now,” he scoffs.
“And yet I remember you helping that little girl,” you point out cheekily.
“I’m pretty sure I already told you that was for the performance.”
“Oh, whatever you say,” you laugh. “I would be lying if I were to say that I am not mad at myself right now. I should have thrown caution to the wind then, taken their offer to dance back then.”
“You speak of it so- what, pray tell, is so interesting about dancing anyway?”
“What?” You raise an eyebrow at V, who sports a bemused look on his face. “Is dancing truly unfamiliar to you? Have you never danced before?”
“Genies have no need to dance,” he says with a huff. “But if you must know, I’ve partaken in activities that included dancing a few times in the past, though mostly for celebrations.”
“Huh.” You scrunch your nose, trying to imagine V dancing. “Do you miss it?”
“No. And certainly not dancing like that.” He grumbles. You pout at his swift refusal, casting an envious gaze at the people down below.
Joining them is impossible- even if you were to use V’s magic to disguise yourselves so, you find it hard to relax among people anymore, especially in places so crowded. More than that, you find it hard to relate to them- the festivities and celebrations tempt you to join so, but you know that were you to step into the streets, you would only find yourself feeling out of place, suffocated.
Still, it does not diminish the feelings of wistfulness, the idea of joining- of being, of belonging, and you wonder, not for the first time, what you would have been like, were you not to be queen.
But that was a dangerous road to travel.
You shake your head to get the thoughts of your head, and then you are surprised as you hear someone loudly clear their throat- you turn around to find V, bowing, with a hand outstretched to yours, eyebrows raised.
“Well?”
You stared at him in surprise. “Are you… asking me to dance? But… I thought you considered dancing beneath you.”
“I do,” he drawls. “But further thinking led me to realize that this is not entirely a bad idea, if only because otherwise it would be a waste of your having dancing lessons.”
“You were not even the one who gave them to me,” you point out quietly, a smile growing once more on your lips.
“Does it matter?” He raises an eyebrow at you, his eyes flickering from your face to his hand as if to say ‘come on.’ “Well, what are you waiting for, princess? Dance with me.”
You let out a laugh as you take his hand- he smiles, raises his hand, brings your knuckles to his lips and gently pulls you into a dance.
What seemed to be a good idea at the moment turns out to be not so good though, when you step on V’s feet a few times. There is nothing on his face that gives away how irritated he must be- you wince and say a few words of apology anyway. “Apologies… I find it hard without music,” you admit.
V sighs- you flush, embarrassed, but then a soft melody surrounds the two of you, fireflies seemingly coming out of nowhere and providing a dreamy glow to the balcony. Your eyes widen as you look around in awe- V grins and whispers in your ear.
“Satisfied?”
“Very much so,” you grin.
“Don’t be arrogant,” he says, flicking your nose, ignoring the squawk of indignance you let out. He holds out forget-me-nots to you afterwards though, making you smirk as he waves his hand, and the flowers settle on your hair like stars crowning the night sky. “Tonight is merely because I was feeling generous for once.”
You stifle back the laughter building in your throat- would it kill him to admit he cared for you so? Instead, you lean your head against his chest, the dance taking a more intimate, vulnerable turn.
This is nice, you think. Under the endless expanse of stars in the sky, dancing with V (your closest, most important friend, no matter if he’s not human), it feels as if for once, you are being given a brief respite from the duties that bind you so.
Tomorrow, you will have to return to reality- return to the fact that you are trying to save a dying kingdom by setting it alight with the flames of a revolution. To the reality that tells you you are surrounded by no allies from either nobles or civilians, all of them hateful of you (because you hold the power, for the nobles who wish to obtain it, and to the civilians who want for nothing but a secure life but have to deal with the greed of nobles, who think that perhaps it is because of the princess that they run rampant so.) The thought of returning to such a thing is disheartening, and you cannot help wishing, even if only to yourself, that the night would never end.
“When I opened the locket- I find myself being thankful everyday for that moment. Meeting you is a blessing- thank you for staying,” you mumble into his chest. A pause descends on the two of you- he sighs and pulls you in closer, his reply so faint you almost miss it.
“You say that as if I would leave any moment- where else would I go, if not by your side?”
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
"Have you ever wished to be anything else?" The genie asked.
"This again," the queen sighed, though she remained silent. After a while, she spoke.
"To be normal- perhaps, once or twice, I desired to be without responsibilities and care," the queen wistfully replied, but then she smiled. "Though it matters not in the end. As a commoner, I would not have had the chance to meet you, and I love my kingdom so. Those are what is most important to me in the end."
The genie laughed. "So you admit you need me."
"Perhaps," the queen replied.
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
“A question I asked you countless times.” V’s voice is like honey to the ears, you think absentmindedly to yourself. Sweet, velvety, deep and the way his fingers run through your hair makes you feel melting into his lap, though if the way he looks at you is any indication then it must be pretty obvious. He pinches your cheeks, as if to say ‘pay attention’, and you scowl at him- but you try and force yourself not to fall asleep anyway. “Though not once have you ever given me an answer.”
“Is there truly nothing you have wanted in your life for yourself?”
“You say that as though I want for nothing,” you say, sighing.
“You seem close to it, though, that sometimes I wonder if you do,” he grumbles. “You never seem to have any that you would be willing to wish for, anyway, and those that you do I cannot accomplish.”
“Have you ever thought that maybe I am, perhaps, already content with what I have?”
He scrunches up his nose at your response. “Alright then, let me amend my question. The confines of the crown- is there truly not a single time you wished to be free of it?”
“You- are truly insistent,” you grouse, but you take in a deep breath and try to sort out the words in your head. When you speak, your voice is low, but firm.
“Countless times I have wished to be anyone but the person I am right now. To be a commoner, with less responsibilities and cares, to live how I want to,” you admit, before you place your hand on V’s cheek and pull him closer. “But in the end I’d always choose this life, even if I were given a chance to change it.”
You look straight into his eyes, and think, yes, I choose this life, I choose you, though you would never admit so out loud. “After all, I have you, do I not? And though I loathe the days my duties tire me so, I still love the people I serve.”
“After all, I have you,” V repeats, smirk growing wider on his lips, though the distance between the two of you remains so. “So you finally admit my magnanimity, how fond you are of me?”
“Perhaps,” you laugh.
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
Finally, the day came for her coronation. It was the day she planned for the rebellion to happen, as most if not all of the nobles that were corrupt in her kingdom were in attendance. The procession was grand- the following celebration even grander. It hurt her to know that she had planned for the deaths of people who she once thought were family, but she chose duty and duty demanded justice, retribution for all the crimes they committed.
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
“You will do no less than amazing.”
As you stand in front of the mirror, you find yourself running a critical eye at the woman reflected back at you. Clad in a pristine blue gown, the intricacies and design of which makes you look like a figure of power, you wonder if the woman in the mirror is true. Are you a queen deserving of this kingdom?
V comes to stand beside you- the hand around your waist a comfort you greedily take advantage of, leaning close and surrounding yourself in his scent.
“You believe so?” Your voice, when it comes out, is small and quiet. V interlaces his fingers with yours, aware that this is the first time in months, perhaps years, since the vulnerability in you is as clear as day.
“I know so. There exists no finer queen than you in the world.”
“I know, I know. Because you taught me,” you huff, a slight smile appearing on your lips, but V only turns you around, and, looking into your eyes, he cups your cheek and says solemnly.
“All the magic in the world could never change a person’s true personality. You were always made to be a ruler.”
And with that, he presses a kiss on your forehead, a small wreath of forget-me-nots placed on your head. “I will be by your side the whole time.”
In the midst of the party, the nobles were surrounded by the servants. The nobles, suspicious from the unrest, sought to leave early- and so, the plan was set into motion far earlier than intended.
Fighting broke out in what once was the elegantly decorated ballroom, turning it into an arena. The citizens, greater in number and no less trained in the art of fighting than the nobles, began to win.
“V!”  You cry out his name, a whimper leaving you as you cradle his body in your arms. “No no no no…”
All around you, the fighting is no less intense that it had been when it broke out- though, you know, now surrounded by V’s magic, dwindling as it was, no harm would come to you.
“Must you really cry? You know I never know how to comfort you when you cry…” You ignore his words, your tears falling like rain on his face, and you hurriedly pull out the locket in your hands.
The queen, though, was left in the middle of the celebration, surrounded by swords and knives and spears. In an area too thick with the highest seated nobles, she found herself at grave danger. Though she tried to escape, she found herself in the direct path of an arrow- she awaited her death, but then...
Instead, magic, raw and wild lashed out around her and she found her dearest friend, the first one she made, closest to her heart and the one she trusted most out of anyone, lying over her.
In front of them, lay a cracked locket that she immediately tried to fix, but to no avail.
“It’s impossible-“ V hisses the words out, pain (oh god, never have you heard him be in pain before, no no no no), “once broken, it will remain broken.”
“What do you mean, ‘impossible’!?” You burst out, fear (for him, for you, for the two of you) hate (for the people who came after you, for yourself, maybe even for him) and deep-seated panic (because V cannot leave you, he cannot die because if he does, so will your heart) raging inside you “I wish- I wish- for you to heal, be okay, don’t die, please, V.”
“My apologies,” V’s voice is a faint murmur now. “My magic is too weak for so big a wish.”
The queen wept. She had come so far, planned for almost everything, but none that foresaw her without her the one closest to her heart.
It was then that the forces of rebellion noticed the flaw in their plan too. For all that they had foreseen every detail, they failed to notice that their enemy had a failsafe, one that they used immediately in the time of distress.
At once, the grand castle was set on fire.
“Should you really stay,” his voice a faint whisper now, strained. “Nothing but death awaits you if you do not leave.”
“And go on living without you?” You say, furious that he would even suggest doing so, before the heat leaves you and you brokenly ask him. “Do not suggest that, please.”
The crowd around you is long gone- having left in a stampede to leave the fiery inferno that the ballroom has turned into. All around you there is fire, but even then you know without a doubt that should you choose to do so, V’s magic will protect you as you leave.
But, sitting on the base of the throne that for so many years cast a shadow on you, V’s dying body in your arms, even if you are given a choice, you would always choose to stay. Pressing a kiss to V’s forehead, you grip his hands.
V levels a soft smile on you, nothing but warmth and love in his eyes, and you blink back the tears that never seem to stop. “Really now princess, was it not you who begged me to teach you how to be a queen all those years ago? What of the rebellion? What will happen to your kingdom if you are not there to lead them?”
“I made those plans because I assumed you would be with me the whole time!” You yell at him, your blurred vision offering nothing but his gentle smile. You hate it- why does he have to look so accepting of what is to come? You sob. “I cannot do this without you.”
“I love you in all the ways my heart will let me,” he says instead, an apology and a goodbye in one. The admission of love, put into words, even after both of you have declared it so in so many little ways, in a situation where you are forced to realize saying it back will lead to no future between the two of you anyway- it breaks you.
The queen was forced to watch her love wither away- and as the locket in her hand crumbled, so did her heart.
Servants and nobles alike scattered, the remaining forces of the rebellion swept up the ones that tried to escape.
But no one saw the queen.
The forces of the rebellion surrounded the castle instead, and as morning dawned, the ruins of what once was a glorious palace offered nothing but ashes and rubble. But nobody knew what happened to the queen. Some say that she died in the fire, while others say that she escaped with the help of her genie.
In the middle of what was the ballroom, they found the remains of a metal locket and a wreath of forget-me-nots, side by side.
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
“Are you alright?”
It’s only when Taehyung asks that you feel the tears dripping down your face, and you hastily brush them off, unsure of when you even started crying.
“What? Oh, no, I mean…” you trail off, eyebrows furrowed as you try to gather your thoughts. “It’s just, it’s sad, I think. She did all she could to save her country, but she died before she could see it happen.”
“You think so?” Taehyung’s lips quirk up into a secretive smile. “She did have her third wish though, she could have wished for her to escape.”
You frown at his suggestion. “And leave V alone? That doesn’t seem like what the queen in the story would do, in either version.”
“True,” he nods, before falling silent. You wipe discreetly at your tears in the meantime, stewing over the ending in your head. Is that really what happened in the story? No wonder the townspeople left the castle alone. Knowing that such a beautiful site holds such a sad history, you would’ve… well, it still wouldn’t have kept you away, you would have come anyway in the end, but… you would’ve been more respectful, you think. More appreciative, knowing now the history, the stories that envelop the castle.
You don’t know how long the two of lie there by the ruins, watching the night sky turn brilliant, decorated by the endless stars above. The silence between the two of you- it leaves you sorting out our thoughts, the chaotic mess that the day had turned out to be.
“I should probably go home,” you say regretfully, your heart still heavy after hearing the ending.
“You should,” he agrees, though he makes no move to get up as well for a while. It’s only when the two of you hear an owl hooting in the distance that he tugs you to your feet as well- you startle when you realize the two of you have been holding hands the whole time. “Come on, I said I’d walk you home, didn’t I?”
“Alright then,” you mumble. “Thank you.”
Taehyung’s eyes crinkle as he smiles, one that you can’t help returning easily- is it really so surprising to say that today has been one of the best days you’ve had? You can’t remember feeling so- so content, for a lack of a better word. Just his touch makes you feel calm and happy, as though all is right with the world. As if you’ve regained a missing part that you didn’t even know you had been missing.
“You know, there’s another version of the ending that I know,” Taehyung suddenly says as the two of you walk along, the moon bright enough that you can see the road clearly. Your hands stay connected anyway.
“Is it better?” You ask, tilting your head, and Taehyung’s smiles turns softer.
“I hope so.”
“Well, go on then, tell me about it.”
“She had her third wish, of course. But she couldn’t bear to leave him behind, and he was on the verge of dying- and in the first time of her life, she wished for something that was wholly for her and her only.”
“She wished for him to marry her.”
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
“You promised to stay with me no matter what, did you not, V?” You grip him tight, unwilling to let go- your next words ringing out sure and determined. “If your promise still counts, then… marry me.”
“What?”
“Marry me. Only a few more minutes remain until this place collapses, and so I would prefer it if we get onto it,” you say, staring into V’s eyes- wanting him to see that you are nothing if not serious. “The kingdom will be fine. They have Sanha as the next king, and Jin Woo will be there to help him if needed. They will be okay without me… but I would not be okay in any sense of the word without you.”
“I.. I’m not in any state to hold a marriage,” he says, stunned. You grin, widely, even as the world around the two of you rages, fire burning high and bright.
“Then,” you declare. “I wish- to marry you. Let magic bind us together. You are the only one I wish to be with, even in my next life, and the next.”
“You have-“ he laughs. “ You have the strangest wishes.”
“Perhaps, but this one is the best yet, isn’t it?” You say, winking at him, before you squeeze his hand playfully. “A marriage in human and fae traditions- with magic binding us… if only I remembered to bring my parent’s rings.”
For a few seconds he does nothing but look at you, as though to make sure that you are certain about this- you look straight back at him. A smile as wide as yours breaks out on his face, and you feel magic, faint but true and solid, wrap around the two of you. The wreath of forget-me-nots on your head are quickly taken off, repurposed into rings and the symbolism makes you blink back tears.
“A fae’s true name is known only to the fae themselves… you already know the stories of how much power a name holds,” he murmurs, before he intertwines his fingers with yours. “Too much time has passed- I barely remember my own true name.”
“Still I swear to you, not as V, but as Taehyung, to love and cherish you even into our next lives. Whatever burden you carry, I will carry alongside you- and even in our darkest moments I will never abandon you. As a friend, as lover, as the only one that makes me feel alive, with just your existence. There will never be another after you, should we be separated- no matter how many lifetimes come and go, I promise to love you still.”
Taehyung slides the ring onto your finger and you feel your heart swell with his declaration, before you repeat the vows. When you finish, you put the ring on his finger as well- you press your forehead to his and eagerly press a kiss to him. The barrier disappears, the flames instantly drawing close, loud and angry. You do not mind the blaze anymore, and if the look on Taehyung’s face is anything to go by, neither does he.
“I will see you soon- in our next life, and the ones that follow.”
───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───
“That seems wonderful,” you sigh in awe.
“Isn’t it? A wedding by magic that bound them together.” You don’t see the way Taehyung looks at you- asking, pleading, for what you might ask if you knew, the grip he has on your hand tighter, though his voice remains even. “They say their souls were intertwined so, that even after death and beyond, the queen and her genie are still together.”
Together… Taehyung’s words reminds you about the person he grew flowers for- the thought that he’s already taken makes you feel hollow. You can’t even get angry at yourself for hoping that this someone is only a friend, family, and not a wife or a lover like you first thought. It’s only been a few hours since you met him, that’s true… but there’s a pull to Taehyung that you find yourself gravitating to.
You feel guilty for holding hands, but the larger part of you is wholly satisfied by the way his grip on you is tight, as if he doesn’t want to let go. Neither do you, admittedly. You can’t help the sigh that leaves you when you see your house- only a minute or so before the two of you have to part.
“I like that version better,” you say, as you finally take the last few steps to your gate.
Taehyung hums. “I hoped so. I do too,” he admits. You smile at that, the two of you standing still in front of your house, neither of you making the first move to separate. When the moment lasts too long, though, you finally, reluctantly, let go of his hand, turning around to open the gate- before you gasp and turn around.
“Wait! I… will I see you around?” You ask him, cheeks red but the words sincere.
“I’ll always be here,” he promises, grin wide. “But if you want, I’ll come over in the morning with coffee.”
“Okay,” you say happily, finally stepping into the gate. “Tomorrow then. … Goodnight, Taehyung.”
He raises a hand to wave goodbye- when you enter your door, you turn around and see him finally moving from his spot, making you giggle, and in turn you watch Taehyung walk away until you can’t see him anymore.
It’s only when you get ready for bed that night that you discover a wreath of flowers on your head, beautifully crafted and intertwined together. You look at the flowers in surprise- bright blue, and the strong, sweet scent they emit makes you wonder if these are made from labs, not to mention you never even noticed them on your head.
Maybe Taehyung placed them there. Your mind jumps to the story of the queen, of her genie, of the ruins that lie as proof- you wonder if that makes you his queen, and Taehyung, the genie. You laugh at the thought, even as it makes you feel warm and you shake it off- placing the wreath near your pillow, you eventually drift off to sleep.
When you dream that night you see desks and parchments, a never ending sea of faces, and a locket on your neck- and when the flames swallow you whole, you wake up with a gasp.
356 notes · View notes
se0kie · 4 years
Text
kimchi helps the heart heal– myg (m)
Tumblr media
pairing: yoongi x reader
genre: angst, smut, lil dash of fluff
bestfriend!yoongi, unrequited love, f2l
this is for @ficswithluv​‘s luv library project, do check out the other fics they are absolutely amazing and I had such a fun time with the other authors :) 
warnings: angst, unhealthy eating habits, no eating d*sorders but reader is super careless about her diet so if it’s potentially triggering pls be careful!!, dirty talk, vanilla smut really, sliiiightly rough, little to no foreplay (yikes sorry) unprotected sex but reader is on contraception (wrap ur dingdongs)
summary: being dumped weeks before valentine’s day is not the best feeling. sulking and chocolates are the only obvious medication. but your best friend is set on fixing you up and showing you how much more you truly deserve. innocent kimchi jiggae dates or are there deeper feelings behind your and min yoongi’s weekly meals?
Tumblr media
Life is pain. Love is a lie.
There’s no way in hell Rose loved Jack, that bitch just let her man drown. That’s what people do, pretend to love you and then throw you away like some used gum.
Man I hate Eunwoo.
I’m hungry. Should I order? When was the last time I ate something from other than out a takeout box?
These were just some of the thoughts running through your mind. You had just been dumped by your boyfriend and to say the least, you were not taking it well.
You were excited for your first Valentine’s day with an actual valentine, you had been looking at options of restaurants to go to when your then boyfriend Eunwoo abruptly let you know that he in fact did not want to stay together.
No explanations, no excuses, not even breakup sex. You were annoyed and shocked to the point that he left your house and you couldn’t get a single word out in protest. 
You may not have been as upset about losing a boyfriend than you were at the fact that you couldn’t give him a piece of your mind, even angrier because yet again another romantic holiday would pass you by and you would be utterly alone.
Sad.
Pathetic and sad.
You didn’t know why you were so affected by the incident, it wasn’t like you were in love with Eunwoo, yeah sure he was cute, sure he had the body of an angel.
But the only reason you had even started dating him was because... well that didn’t matter right then.
You had fallen into a routine. Waking up at 1 in the afternoon, ordering some or the other greasy, unhealthy food from the large collections of takeout places in your neighbourhood, watching terrible romcoms and ignoring your friends.
They had made multiple attempts at trying to reach you and get you out of your hobbit hole but you tried your damnedest to not give in and suffice to say you had succeeded.
You were caught in one of your usual blank periods of contemplating what was so wrong with you that all your relationships failed, why you couldn’t just satisfy anyone you dated and what the hell would you order for dinner tonight?! You were leaning towards fried chicken and cheese when the bell rang and you were whisked out of your reverie.
You got up from your seat and peeked through the hole in the door.
Somebody was standing outside with bags and bags of groceries, to the point that you couldn’t see their face behind the brown paper bags they were carrying.
You opened the door and without waiting for a word from you the figure rushed into your home and then into your kitchen.
You let out a squeal of shock and followed the intruder, angry and ready to put your second grade karate lessons to the test. But before you could go ahead you heard the man speak, it was a voice you knew more than your own, your best friend since middle school Min Yoongi.
“What the hell Yoongi?! You can’t just barge into my house.” You were furious. Not really, cause it was your closest friend but still you were annoyed and you had been known to be a drama queen of sorts for all your life.
“No Y/N, don’t you ‘what the hell Yoongi’ me. What is wrong with you? Where have you even been?! D’you have any idea how worried we’ve been?! How worried I’ve been??! All I knew was that Eunwoo said something and then left.” 
Yoongi was going off at you and all you could do was stand there and listen to him, after all you knew you were in the wrong, Yoongi was the one person you always stayed in touch with and not speaking to him for a whole week is a never before happened situation. You sighed as he continued with no sign of stopping, “I didn’t know if you were alive, if you died, what Eunwoo did. If he had abducted you and killed you? You’re not replying to your texts or taking any calls, I even emailed you! You have any idea how desperate someone is when they fucking email as a form of communication??!” He finally stopped to gasp for breath after his long ass speech, seeing as you at least had the decency to look sheepish he chose not to continue his tirade and you were grateful for it. Yoongi had a serious parentlike reaction to mistakes and you always felt like you were 5 again being chided by your mom.
Taking his silence as an opportunity you started, “Look I know I was wrong to ignore you but I just needed some time to myself okay? Eunwoo dumped me.” 
Your voice was small and Yoongi felt the sudden need to wrap you in his arms and hold you for hours, comfort you and give you the love you needed. But he knew he shouldn’t test his boundaries so instead he made a little noise in his throat as if to brush away all the explanations he knew you were about to give. He chose to instead divert the topic and make the atmosphere lighthearted , “Whatever, we don’t need to talk about it right now. Anyways I know you’ve probably been eating shitty food and neglecting your health—” You were about to protest when Yoongi had cut you off. “Do not try to deny it Y/N I know you like the back of my hand” 
He really did know you like the back of his hand.
He continued, “I’ve brought groceries, some veggies and fruits and I’m gonna make you dinner for the next few days okay?” You nodded in agreement. This wasn’t new for you. There had been times when you looked for comfort in unhealthy food and habits and your best friend had come to your rescue to nurture you back to normalcy, besides, Yoongi was an amazing cook and even you were getting tired of the greasy pizzas and pints of ice cream. You knew your body needed Yoongi’s cooking to recover from your junk food spree.
Not waiting for any further conversation, Yoongi went back to the kitchen and you could hear him rustling around pulling out ingredients for dinner. You went to see him and poked your head from the side of the doorway into the kitchen, exactly like you used to when your mom would cook dinner when you were a child. He was cutting pieces of chicken into little cubes and his face had the cutest little look of determination. You couldn’t help but coo internally at how sweet he was being. He was bobbing around soaking noodles in water and mixing sauces together, he looked so domestic and it suddenly hit you just how much he cared about you. Unlike anyone else ever had.
 “What are you making for dinner?”
 “Kimchi jiggae and chicken stir fry. Is that alright or do you want something else?” You hummed in agreement.
Your tastebuds salivated at the thought of it, Yoongi’s chicken stir fry was something you had been eating for years and it only tasted better each time you tried it.
You felt warmth flood at the sight of your friend taking care of you, “Hey Yoongi.”
“Yeah, Y/N?”
“Thanks for caring about me.” You said with a small smile.
Yoongi smiled with a little sigh. You knew it was enough reciprocation.
After a few minutes of comfortable silence though he chimed up, “Hey Y/N why don’t you go take a shower while I get dinner ready? You stink.” 
You scoffed at his statement but you knew your hair was greasy and your body had been subjected to a whole week of sad eating. It was time to get your shit together. So you obediently went to take a much needed shower, letting the warm water roll over you and release the tension from your back and shoulders. You had lost count of how long you had been under the water when you noticed your fingers beginning to prune.
You got ready and left with restless steps towards the kitchen, which was now smelling deliciously of soy sauce and chicken. The dinner table had been laid with plates and heaps and heaps of delectable dishes. Kimchi jiggae, some japchae, chicken stir fry and rice. You sat down opposite Yoongi and mumbled a thank you before digging in. 
Yoongi looked at you fondly as you ate. He hated when you retreated away from him during times you truly needed a friend, he always wanted to be there for you but it was hard when your first instinct was to isolate yourself and drown in junk food. He ate silently with you, chuckling every now and then at your squishy cheeks full with noodles.
After you were both done and the dirty dishes had been cleaned the two of you sat down on your couch, Yoongi insisting on having a talk that was long overdue. He sighed, “Tell me what happened between you and Eunwoo, Y/N.” You looked at him with wide eyes. It’s not like you would hide it from him but the truth is you were embarrassed of what had gone down. “Eunwoo dumped me. There’s not much to it. We were sitting on the couch having a normal evening when he just randomly tells me he doesn’t love me. That he couldn’t be with me knowing that our relationship would go nowhere.” You said with a sad smile. Its not like you were deep in love with him either, but you were excited about being with him. It was your first real relationship as an adult and you were looking forward to being cheesy and going on Valentine’s day dates. What a waste.
Yoongi gave a sigh of understanding, moving quickly to your side and wrapping his arms around your shoulder, pulling your back to his chest. He murmured into your ear, “Oh Y/N, you should’ve told me. I would’ve come over as soon as possible, you had to go through that all alone. Oh sweetie I’m so sorry. He’s an asshole.” You chuckled dryly, “Well I’m more disappointed about the fact that I’ll once again be alone on the wretched day. Can’t believe my one chance at Valentine’s day roses and chocolates is over.” Yoongi scoffed at your bluntness, “It’s okay I’ll be there with you on Valentine’s. Who needs relationships when you can have a best friend, right?” You nodded slowly at his words, basking in his familiar warmth. 
You were grateful Yoongi had barged into your home, that he had taken the first step and extended his arms towards you. You needed him, you truly did... but you were just too scared to reach out.
Tumblr media
It had been a solid week of Yoongi coming over to your home and spending the evenings with you, cooking dinner and then watching trashy movies together. Your house had been smelling deliciously all week, Yoongi had been thoroughly pampering you, with his food and attention, suffice to say your ego along with your stomach were well fed. You and your best friend had fallen into a weird rythm together. He would always show up to your house in the evenings, cook dinner that left you fantasizing about it well after it was eaten and watch movies with you that would obviously be ignored so that you could gossip like you used to when you were kids.
You could also feel yourself slowly slip into the feelings you had before you got with your ex. You had always had a massive crush on Yoongi. He was your senior in school who had taken you under his wing, the two outcasts of Daegu High, it had always been you and him. But you knew that your friendship and bond with Yoongi outweighed your otherwise romantic feelings and you learned to ignore them whenever you were around him, so every single waking moment.
You were getting carried away with your thoughts when you heard the usual ring of the doorbell, you got up from your seat at the couch and opened the door to a red cheeked Yoongi, walking into your home to escape the cold. Not wasting time on pleasantries, that’s just how you two were, he removed his coat and went to the kitchen that now felt more like his than yours. 
“I was thinking we could have some steak tonight, huh Y/N? Feels like a steaks and potatoes kinda night, doesn’t it?” 
You could hear Yoongi’s voice amidst the clanging of pots and pans, you replied, “Yeah I could go for steak. I have some really great wine too,” walking into the kitchen to show him your treasure, “I got it from Eunwoo’s friend when they came over for dinner this one time.” 
You gazed at the dark sheen of the bottle. Eunwoo was useless but at least his friend was still helping you days after your breakup. 
Yoongi nodded, “Yeah sure, as long as you don’t get a wine headache and beg me to massage your head.” You feigned annoyance, “Min Yoongi! How dare you?! You’re the one who gets wine headaches, not me. Do not accuse me of things I’m not guilty of.” Yoongi laughed at your antics, gummy smile on display. You could feel your heart skip a beat at the way his face glowed, it was a feeling you hadn’t felt in a very long time.
And just before you could turn on the full fangirl mode, Yoongi cleared his throat and said, “Help me with the potatoes now, we’ll get done faster if you put your ass to work Y/L/N.” You gave him a dirty look and set out to find the potatoes and peel them.
You found the ingredients you needed for the mashed potatoes and started peeling the skin off while observing your friend spearing the cuts of meat and rubbing them with seasoning. You had always admired how great he was with food, he never cooked for just anyone. You had to be special, someone who Yoongi truly cared about, for him to cook for you. And that’s why you loved it so much that he was always making you something or the other to eat and munch on. It seemed like you mattered to him, like you were someone worthwhile of knowing and being friends with. Surprisingly, it was a feeling you weren’t well acquainted with. 
Not wanting to think about depressing things during such a sweet moment you instead chose to focus on how Yoongi caught his tongue between his teeth while handling the meat, how he peeled the garlic and seared the steaks in the oil. His face had a look of utter concentration and you were sent back to being 13 and making papier-mâché volcanoes for your eighth grade project with Yoongi. Some things never changed.
Tumblr media
Having deemed you useless in the kitchen Yoongi banished you to the living room after you accidentally sprinkled sugar into the potatoes instead of salt, his exact words were “Y/N you are a hazard to our dinner, please leave and let me be.”
Not like you were hurt or anything, pssh.
You watched a show on Netflix while waiting for Yoongi to finish up which was thankfully not very long. You set the dinner table with the cutlery as he served the steaks and potatoes, a delicious smell wafting from your plates. You cut a piece of the meat, seared on the outside and perfectly pink in the middle. You moaned at the taste of the garlic and beef as it spread through your tastebuds. 
Yoongi asked as he watched you, “You like it?” 
“Mmhmm.” You could only hum as you savoured the flavours, an enthusiastic nod confirming your feelings. A small smile made its way to his face as he felt his ego swell at the blissed out look of appreciation on yours. The two of you ate in comfortable silence punctuated with mindless remarks here and there and random questions thrown in. It would have been awkward for anyone else, anyone else but you and Yoongi.
Yoongi swallowed his morsel before saying, “You know Y/N I never really liked Eunwoo. Ever since I met him I always had a bad feeling about him.” 
You set down your fork at having finished your meal and asked, “Seriously? I didn’t know that I just thought you didn’t want to get too involved in our relationship.” You gave a sigh of realisation. This was news to you. Yoongi continued, “No, yeah I didn’t like him at all. He was always so shady, too nice to people’s faces I didn’t think he was genuine at all.”
“Wow, well you know I can understand. He was sort of an asshole. He was always nice to people but he rarely ever said nice things about them when they weren’t around.” You continued, “Guess I got lucky then, huh?” “Yes definitely. You’re too good for that snake.”
“But still it would’ve been nice to have him as my valentine. He might’ve been a reptile but he had a reaaaaally long–” 
“Y/N!! Shut up! I don’t wanna know!!” he squealed.
 You laughed at Yoongi’s horrified expression. It was so easy to rile him up you couldn’t resist it.
“Jeez loosen up grandpa. No, but really I hate being dumped, especially when the dumper is so ruthlessly gorgeous. Ugh.” You sighed. Life was cruel to you, it was decided, you were sure.
Another moment of silence ensued. You glanced at Yoongi and caught him already looking at you. Big brown eyes boring into yours. You were reminded of all the times you had sat across from him like this. You didn’t know what came over you but you found yourself suddenly saying, “Hey Yoongs, you wanna know a secret?” Yoongi hummed in response. A nod followed.
“I used to like you before I dated Eunwoo.”
A pin could have dropped and you would’ve heard it, it was that quiet. Yoongi just continued to look at you, a peculiar expression on his face that you couldn’t quite decipher. Something bordering on frustration and hesitance. “Oh...” All you could do was glance at him and your fingers on the table.
After a moment of mulling over it, he said, “Why are you telling me this? You’re not kidding, are you Y/N? Cause this would be a really cruel joke.”
“No! Of course not! I’m not messing around, I promise. I really don’t know why I said that I’m so sor—”
But before you could get another word out of your mouth his face smoothed over. “Thanks for the lovely evening Y/N but I think I need some time alone. I’ll see you tomorrow.” he said with a sad smile. He gathered his things from the seat beside him, and then he got up and left.
Tumblr media
To tell the truth, you were not expecting to be greeted by Yoongi’s face at your door the next day. You thought you had messed up your friendship for good. Or at least for a few weeks. So suffice to say you were thoroughly surprised to see Yoongi once again barge into your house without an invite and carrying on preparing tteokbokki and samgyeopsal for dinner.
Silence reigned for minutes as you gathered enough courage to face him in the kitchen. You walked into the tiny space of the kitchen and leaned against the doorframe, waiting for him to speak his mind. You were just about to start when he cut you off and said, “I’m sorry for last night.”
“Oh- No it’s okay, Yoongi. I know it was a shoc-”
“No it’s really not okay Y/N. You just shared something with me and I obviously blew it out of proportion. I shouldn’t have walked out on you.” He looked at you he said this, sincerity gleaming off his face.
“It’s okay Yoongs, I wasn’t mad. In fact I should’ve kept it to myself.”
“No!” He said suddenly, cheeks reddening at the realisation that he was way too quick to correct you. Sheepishly, he continued, “I’m really glad you told me Y/N. Thank you.”
Although you didn’t entirely know why he was thanking you, you just went along with it. Not wanting to cause further awkwardness you left him as you usually did, bustling around looking for pots and pans while he entered his own little world right there.
Tumblr media
Dinner had been amazing, as it always is when Yoongi was cooking. After polishing everything off your plates you and Yoongi were now watching Clueless on your laptop, huddled together to keep the chill out. Yoongi’s arm around your shoulder and yours latched across his waist. 
To an outsider this would seem like an intimate position for a pair of ‘just friends’ to be in but you and Yoongi had always been like this. Affection and skinship weren’t things that were openly (or ever) shown to the both of you when you were children, so it only made sense that the two of you looked to the other as a source of comfort. You were never afraid of being your childish self in front of him. One time he had taken care of you when you were drunk off your ass and although you barely remember that night, Yoongi had made sure to tell you had puked on his new trench coat. If it were anyone else in the world you would be mortified, but it wasn’t anyone. It was your best bud Yoongi.
 Not knowing how to deal with this intense nostalgia and appreciation you resorted to what you always did when you didn’t want to get too emotional.
Pillow fight!!!
You reached for the blue throw cushion to your right and smacked Yoongi square in his face. He blinked, registering what had just happened. And then in a split second he had ripped the pillow out of your clutch and thrown it behind him. His arms flew out to trap your wrists in one of his hands as he yelped, “Hey! What was that for? Usually you notify me before smacking me in the face.” You rolled your eyes at how cheesy he sounded, “I’m boorrrreed Yoongi!” 
“Oh well are you still bored now?” He says as he hits your shoulder with the cushion he had apparently been hiding behind his back the entire time. You squealed at the sudden impact and grabbed a pillow of your own, face scrunched up at the soft blows that you were landing on his platinum blonde head.
While the both of you went at each other with all your might you had somehow ended up on top of Yoongi, hitting his chest with a too small cushion that you knew wouldn’t hurt him. Your legs had slotted around his waist and you were currently sat on his thighs. The warmth from his skin soaking into yours.
Limply the pillow you were holding fell out of your grasp as you and Yoongi breathed heavily, staring into each other’s eyes while trying to catch your breaths. Your eyes scanned his face, brown eyes boring into yours, lips soft but slightly chapped, tantalisingly red like cherries smeared upon them. You felt an overwhelming urge to just lean down and peck him. 
Would he taste as sweet as he looked? Yoongi looked at you as you focused on his lips. Waiting with bated breaths to see if you would do what he ached for you to do. He had always been scared of being the one who approached you, the one who put his feelings out in the open for you to accept or reject. He had instead chosen to let you come to him if you felt similarly, he wanted you to be with him only if your heart said so and not because of any obligation you felt towards him. He wanted you heart, not your calculated decisions.
Right when he thought that maybe he was looking too much into it you bent your head down to his and captured his lips in yours.
You could taste Min Yoongi. Soft, slightly rough from the cold and sweet from his strawberry lip balm. You held your position for a few seconds, scared to move in fear of him not wanting it when you felt something below you. Something hard and poking into your shorts, definitely not the TV remote. Unexpected heat flooded through your stomach at the thought of what you had done to Yoongi. Surely this was your doing, you could feel Yoongi starting to kiss you back when he stopped abruptly. A soft “fucking hell” leaving his lips as his gaze flicked downwards to where your core sat upon his. His eyes flew back to yours, strangely apologetic. If only he knew that you frequently dreamt of being in this exact position.
But the last thing you want is for Yoongi to feel uncomfortable around you so like the good, responsible best friend you are you unmount from his lap and put some safe distance between your bodies.
“Yoongi I am so sorry.” you say softly.
Confusion paints his face, “What? Why are you apologizing?”
“I don’t know what came over me, I should not have done that. I’m sorry if I made you feel uncom-”
“Y/N fucking stop apologising for a second.”
You clearly looked shocked at this point you were sure of it, you were expecting the sudden change in tone. “Fine, I just...it wasn’t my intention to come at you without any warnings. Let’s just pretend that didn’t happen.”
Yoongi scoffed internally at your words, what the hell were you saying? Did you not want to kiss him? Or were you worried about what he would think of you? Because he sure as hell did not want to forget about it, it being something he had spent hours fantasizing about. Yoongi felt sudden irritation fill him, you were still rambling about how you weren’t thinking clearly and it was a mistake. All of which was just contributing further to Yoongi’s annoyance.
“Y/N I think I should leave. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He said simply as he picked up his coat and gave you an unexpected kiss on the forehead. A simple brush of his lips against your skin and you knew you had fucked up. You should’ve just stayed shut and let him speak about whatever he was obviously wanting to say.
 Once again you cursed yourself for your inability to read people’s emotions. The last thing you had wanted was to make Yoongi feel uncomfortable but you had failed to consider the fact that maybe he had wanted to kiss you too. As you heard his footsteps slowly die down into the hallway outside your apartment you let out a groan of frustration at your own thickheadedness and burried your face into the blue pillow in your lap. What were you gonna do with all these damned emotions?
Tumblr media
You woke up bright and early the next day, your mood significantly better than it had been the past month. And then you were rudely met with memories of the previous night. Everything flashed past you as you recalled kissing your best friend and the ugly debacle that followed after. You were about to dwell on your stupidity and how naive you had been to think that maybe, just maybe, your friend of more than a decade would somehow return your feelings when your phone rang. You scrambled to find the gadget which had been lodged under your pillow and checked the caller id. It was your colleague Irene. She never really called, preferring to talk over text so you assumed it must be important. Busy conversing with your friend you missed the familiar jangling of the keys at your front door as you made your way into the kitchen to prepare your ritualistic morning cup of coffee.
Unbeknownst to you Yoongi had slipped into your living room, depositing the bags of grocery on the table. He could you hear you giggling in the kitchen and just faintly made out the words you were saying.
“I can’t come Irene, I have...plans.”
A pause, he assumed said Irene was speaking. His brows furrowed as he took in what you had said. Who could you possibly have plans with on Valentine’s? Unless you had struck up a date and hadn’t told him. His heart ached, totally unnecessarily but he was used to it by now.
“I would love to get piss drunk on Valentine’s Irene, trust me, but I have plans with someone and I really can’t ditch.” Another pause and then you were saying, “I mean I don’t really know if it’s a date? We haven’t discussed it yet. But enough about me, you go and have loads of fun for me, okay? I’ll talk to you later, buh-bye!”
He stood near the door, not having moved an inch since he entered.
You were absolutely not prepared to be greeted by Yoongi’s figure as you left the kitchen. You let out a yelp of shock at seeing him. “AGH!! Yoongi?! What the hell? You have got to stop entering my house without a warning, you scared me half to death.”
“Oh stop being so dramatic Y/N I told you I’d come over for breakfast today. And since I know you’re such an early bird I just let myself in instead of waking you up.”
“Oh. Right, of course.”
 After a moment of contemplation you said, “Listen Yoongs, should we, y’know, talk about last night?”
You noticed his eyes widen for a split second and then a mask of composure, smooth and swift, so Yoongi.
“Let’s not. We can discuss it after breakfast, sound okay?”
You hummed in agreement, nodding at his statement.
The both of you stood in the silence. When had things become so awkward between you?
“Hey Y/N?”
You looked at him, telling him to go on.
“I couldn’t help but overhear and uh...are you planning something for Valentine’s Day?”
“Uhh, yes. Duh. You promised to spend it with me, remember?”
Yoongi felt the blood rush to his cheeks, face reddening at the implication of your words. And then those familiar twinges of pain puledl at his heart. He couldn’t bear to keep doing this. Falling back and forth into these weird spaces of loving you and hoping to be with you and then turning back into the mature best friend.
“Y/N I don’t think I can spend Valentine’s with you.”
Your face an image of confusion at his words, “What? Why? Did something happen?” As a new theory dawned on you, “Oh my god, is this about last night? I’m sorry, I really am I shouldn-“
“No! It’s not about that. I just...”
“You just what?”
“I have a date that night. I came to tell you that over breakfast.”
“Bullshit.”
Yoongi’s face easily gave away his lie, he may know you better than yourself but you knew him too. He would never keep something like a date a secret from you.
“Tell me really why you won’t spend Valentine’s with me. It’s about the kiss, isn’t it? See, I knew it, I really am sorry Yoongi. Don’t shut me out because of that I promise it won’t happen ever agai-“
“Damnit Y/N! It’s not about the fucking kiss okay! I loved it. I loved kissing you and that’s exactly where the problem lies. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t keep pretending like I don’t love you. I can’t act like maybe, just fucking maybe you want me the same way I want you. So I’m sorry but I can’t spend that damned day with you, Y/N. It kills me to hurt you like this but I need to do this for myself.”
You were speechless. Words rushing through your mind but none settling on your lips. You really needed to practice how to control your mouth when you were shocked, so many troubles could have been prevented if you’d just. fucking. say something.
But of course, fate would have Yoongi walking out on you. Something that he had been doing increasingly since the past few days. And you, dumbstruck, standing in your living room. Mixed feelings of joy, confusion and sadness rendering you voiceless as you stood and watched your best friend, your childhood crush and the person you loved the most step out of the threshold with faint, glistening tears in his eyes.
Tumblr media
It had been three days since Yoongi’s outburst/confession. You had texted him non stop, called him at least 50 times and yes, even emailed him. You were that desperate. 
But Yoongi was surprisingly resilient, he had ignored all your advances and completely shut you out. You felt stupid and frustrated and stupid yet again, after a point you lost count of how many times you had kicked yourself for being a brainless jellyfish while your first love walked out on you. After confessing that he loved you too. 
Your life was like the worst romcom with all the comedy and none of the romance. 
You sighed, once again forgetting how many times you’d repeated that action.
Finally after a somewhat convincing pep talk (it wasn’t convincing nor a talk, you had watched Marley & Me and cried thrice and then decided to just fuck it all and go for your crush, but let’s pretend it was a pep talk) you decided to take your chances approaching Yoongi. 
You threw on your most flattering sweatshirt and pyjamas and speed walked to the corner take out store that sold your favourite pork ribs and fried rice, placed your order and then thrummed your fingers agitatedly against the counter for the agonising time period of ten whole minutes.
Take out bags in hand you were feeling quite like the prince in a fairytale out on an adventure to woo his princess. Except you weren’t a prince and the only adventure at your hands was finding a damned taxi ready to take you to Gangnam on freaking Valentine’s evening. Yoongi did fit the part of the brooding young maiden sulking in her tower. Oh gosh you were rambling to yourself, the nerves had truly gotten to you.
Finally a cabbie decided to take you to Yoongi’s neighbourhood, surely alarmed at your expression that looked dangerously close to tears.
You tapped your feet inside the taxi, driving the man in the front seat to madness while he drove you to your soon-to-be beloved’s skyscraper apartment. As you reached your destination you shoved a few bills into the driver’s outstretched hand. You rode up the elevator to Yoongi’s flat and hoped with all your heart that he would be home. If you knew your best friend, and you thought you really did, he would be wearing his brown pyjamas binge watching Friends.
You quickly reached his door and sure enough, you could hear the faint shouts of Ross claiming ‘they were on a break!!’
 You smiled to yourself, and rang the bell. Feeling a strange sense of deja vu, you realised that you were in the same position as Yoongi had been in the past few weeks. Bags in hand, ringing the doorbell to the other’s house in an attempt to reach out after days of no communication. 
With horror setting in you thought, what if he didn’t open the door for you at all? What if he was mad beyond repair and you would be left out there in his hallway as he completely ignored you even after you’d shown up at his front door? You were once again, dangerously close to tears when the door flew open, revealing a suspiciously red-faced red-eyed Yoongi. Had he been crying? You felt your heart crush at the thought. You wanted to wrap your arms around him and hold him close and never leave his side.
But first, explanations.
“Hey Yoongs.”
“Hi Y/N.”
You were expecting him to say something, anything. Scream, shout, ask you why you were here. You were completely unprepared for the silence.
“Uh...can I come in? If you don’t mind?”
“Oh yeah, sure come in.”
He stepped aside to let you into his oddly familiar apartment. You had spent countless days and nights here. It had been way too long since you’d visited you realised as you took in the new furniture arrangement.
“I brought pork ribs.” you said with a weak smile as you raised the now cold bag of take out.
“Thanks. Just put it on the counter.”
You did as he said and sat down on the stool opposing the couch.
You started as he sat facing you on the white couch, “I think we need to talk.”
Yoongi chuckled drily, “Yeah I’d say so.”
“You said your piece, but I didn’t really get a chance to say mine. Is it okay if I speak?”
“Listen Y/N you don’t have to coddle me okay? Just say you don’t like me like that and go, don’t dig at the already salted wound I’m jus-“
“Yoongi shut up for a second, please.” you said firmly, you needed him to just shut up and listen for once.
“You’ve been doing a whole lot of walking out on me, right now I need you to just listen to me, okay?”
Yoongi pursed his lips, and after a few seconds nodded, gesturing at you to continue.
“I’ve liked you ever since we got stuck together as outcasts in high school. I’ve liked you since the first time you got into a fight for me, since you started taking care of me and cooking meals for me. I’m so, so deeply sorry I couldn’t say this to you before. I was so afraid of losing your friendship I just couldn’t bring myself to confess.” You could feel fresh tears sting at your eyes, your gaze trained at your fingers that laid in your lap. Briefly you panned your eyes to Yoongi’s face and you were sure his expression was mirroring yours. With a renewed breath of determination you continued, “But i’m not going to sit by and watch you slip through my fingers anymore. I like you, Yoongi. I like you and love you and want you. So much so that it hurts from the sheer need to have you around me. The only reason I could even think about dating Eunwoo was because I was afraid I couldn’t keep up the facade anymore. I love you and I’m all yours, if you’ll have me.”
You breathed, trying to control your uneven heart rate. The muscle pumping like crazy in your chest you were scared he could hear it.
And just like that Yoongi was getting up from his seat and wrapping his arms around your shoulders, his face buried in your hair as you clung to his figure and hid your face in the crook of his neck. He spoke with his voice muffled by your hair, “You won’t believe how relieved I am to hear you say that, my love. I love you, Y/N. I love you, I love you, I love you so so much.” 
“I love you too, Yoongs.” you murmured into his neck. It felt good to say that, as if the invisible weight you’d been carrying for years as unrequited love had just been lifted.
The two of you stayed like that for minutes, hours, you don’t even know.
But now Yoongi had brought his face down to your neck, nuzzling it with his nose and pecking the sensitive spot at the base of your throat.
You could feel the change in the atmosphere, the air charged with electricity, heat flooding your body as the man in your arms sucked bruises onto the smooth skin of your neck and collarbones.
“Let’s go to my bedroom.” Yoongi rasped, voice husky with need.
You stumbled your way to his room, not wanting to take your hands off each other, Yoongi tearing at your clothes trying to undress you.
You broke away for a second and a whine left his lips in annoyance, you giggled at how needy he sounded. Taking off your top and pants you settled into the fluffy blankets of Yoongi’s bed as he hovered over you. Apparently Yoongi was more dominant than you had thought him to be. He continued lapping at your neck, butterfly kisses at your jaw and rough hands on your hips.
“I’m gonna mark you up, gonna let everyone know you’re mine. You’re mine, aren’t you, angel?” He kissed you again but this time it was with more force and urgency. As if he was afraid of you being a hologram, afraid that you would disappear if he didn’t hold on tight enough.
“Yes, only yours Yoongi.” you gasped as he nipped at the spot below your ear. You felt wetness gush through your sex as his rough, calloused fingers swiped at your slit. Prodding at your leaking hole and giving an experimental rub at your swollen clit. A moan ripped through your throat at the feeling. You had been deprived of sex for way too long, along with your heightened emotions at being with the one you loved you were wetter than you’d ever been. 
And Yoongi knew this. “How are you so wet, angel?” he marvelled at the copious amounts of slick you were producing, his cock standing tall with pride knowing he had done this to you. “Yoongi please, I can’t wait anymore please fuck me.” you pleaded.
“Tsk-tsk Y/N. I need to prepare you first baby, I don’t wanna hurt you.”
“I’m wet enough Yoongi please, I need you so so badly please.” You were sure you looked close to tears, Yoongi looking at you with equal amounts awe, adoration and lust.
“Are you sure, sweetheart? I really wanted to taste you before fucking you.”
“We can do that anytime else Yoongi please, please fuck me please!” you would’ve been embarrassed at how whiney you sounded any other time but right then you felt like you would die if another second passed and Yoongi wasn’t stuffed balls deep in your sopping cunt.
“Okay fine, angel lemme just grab the condom.”
“I’m clean, and on birth control. You can cum inside me but just fuck me please, I’m gonna die if I don’t feel you inside me!”
Yoongi groaned at your words, “Fuck, Y/N you’re gonna be the death of me. You’re talking like such a cumslut wanting me to fuck my cum inside you. You want my cum, don’t you?”
“Yes, yes Yoongi I do, please I want your cum so bad.”
“Well what my baby wants,” he says as he lines his cockhead against your cunt, “My baby gets.” He thrusts into you with unimaginable vigour, you feel stuffed and oh so full. Every ridge of his perfect cock pressing into the walls of your pussy. You wrap your legs around his waist and dig your heels into his plush ass. “Yoongi please move.”
He pulls out of you all the way until only his tip rests inside your cunt and then slams back in with an animalistic growl. “You look so beautiful, my perfect little angel, my babygirl.”
You clench around his cock at the nicknames he showers upon you. He pulls out all the way to the tip and thrusts into you again with a jolt, sending you both slamming against the pillows. He does it once, twice, thrice and then you’ve lost count, forgotten your name and who you are as only one names lies on your tongue. Yoongi.
“I’m close Y/N, I want you to cum with me baby, come on angel.”
His hand reaches down between your conjoined bodies to where your clit meets his pubic bone as he thrusts mercilessly into you. Fingers rubbing furious circles against your clit, the squelching sounds of your juices making the scene even more perverse. And with a final thrust you’re cumming with a loud scream of his name as you feel spurt after spurt of hot cum rush deep inside your belly. You pant together as his cock softens inside you and his thick cum leaks out of your battered pussy.
But that can be overlooked for now because you’re in love and together and his arms feel like home when they pull you close to his chest.
You are at the brink of falling into deathlike sleep when you hear his soft voice flow to your ears, “This isn’t a dream, is it Y/N? You’ll be here in the morning, won’t you? Promise me you’ll be here.”
Your chest tightens at how unsure and meek he sounds, wanting to speak a thousand words and kiss him a hundred different ways to show him that you’re real. But in your tired state you settle for kissing the arm that’s around your chest and saying, “You can’t get rid of me even if you tried Min Yoongi. I love you. Now go to sleep and you’ll find me in the morning right here. In your arms.”
261 notes · View notes
Text
Peach (Lobotomy) - Part One
Tumblr media
Pairing: Hoseok x Female Reader
Word Count: 4.6k
Rating: G
Genres: SFW, Soulmate AU, College AU, F2L, Angst, Fluff
Summary:  In a world where there is no limit to the number of possible soulmate connections, you've become obsessed with figuring out what yours will be. While walking to class one day, you find a ring on the ground. A ring that will finally lead you to your soulmate.
Warnings: this is only part one! this is slightly angsty, but there is fluff. 
A/N: Proud to be part of the Luv Library Collab! This is the first part of my first soulmate fic. Part two will be coming before the end of the month. I may also do a NSFW one shot later this year. I’m excited to continue working on my soulmate series (one for each member). They are all based on songs by Waterparks, check out Peach (Lobotomy). Big shout out to @megahwn and @joonkookiemonster​ for beta reading, @namluve​ for this beautiful banner, and to @ho-baebae​ and @lovely-literati​ for always being supportive. Love y’all! 💜
~~~~~~~
You've seen it happen a million times before. When someone meets their soulmate for the first time, it’s like watching magic happen. It's just a moment, a spark, and then that person's entire life changes.
There are countless types of soulmate connections out there. From color blindness and red threads to timers and birthmarks. Some people can write to their soulmate and the words will appear on their skin, no matter how far away they are. Some people can hear the thoughts of their soulmate or taste what they're tasting. It's exciting, waiting to meet that person who is everything you need. The person made just for you.
But it's terrifying for those who don't have an obvious connection to their soulmate. It's terrifying for people like you. You weren't born with a special mark, you weren't born with colorblindness or someone else's thoughts in your head. There's no obvious way for you to connect with and find your soulmate, and it often keeps you up at night worrying.
Being the optimistic person and hopeless romantic that you are, you've done your best to stay positive. You know that there is someone out there, there's someone for everyone. So you've spent the first 21 years of your life keeping your eyes wide open. Waiting for the sign, the connection.
When you were in high school, you were sure that your connection must be eye contact. You walked around constantly looking people in the eyes, probably looking like a psychopath
The summer before college, you spent the summer abroad in Spain. Part of you hoped you would meet some rugged Spaniard, but the other part of you knew that your Spanish was mediocre at best. 
Freshman year of college you had a persistent craving for pickles and you were sure that had something to do with finding your soulmate. But then you met Hoseok and he helped you figure out that you were just dehydrated and you needed electrolytes.
You actually met Hoseok in line at the dining hall. Your request for an entire bowl of pickles on the side disgusted him. He followed you to a table, confronting you about your strange eating habits.
“An entire bowl of pickles? That’s disgusting.” Hoseok joked. 
“Well I’ve been craving them non-stop. Hopefully this is my soulmate connection.” You replied as you sat at the last open table, trying to avoid touching the various sticky spots on the table. 
“You hope? As you don’t know what your soulmate connection is?” Hoseok questioned, mouth full of french fries. 
“No, not for sure. I don’t have a mark or anything.” And as if he could sense your dejectedness, he cheerily followed up by telling you that he doesn’t have an obvious connection either. Of course your mind immediately goes to the possibility that he is, in fact, your soulmate.
It doesn’t help that he is gorgeous. Dark hair, chiseled jaw, bright smile hidden behind soft lips. Lips that you really really want to kiss. 
Unfortunately Hoseok isn’t your soulmate. The two of you spent almost everyday together for the semester and no connection ever presented itself. Eventually the urge to kiss him dissipated (for the most part) and you gained a really great friend. Every time you feel miserably alone, he’s there to comfort you. He's been there for every missed connection, every failed attempt to find your soulmate.
There are still days that you wake up with The Feeling. The feeling that tells you it’s finally the day you’ll find your soulmate. And today just so happens to be one of those days. When you woke up, you didn't feel tired. You were able to get up and out of bed and ready for class in time to stop to get coffee for you and Hoseok. 
The Feeling leaves you on edge. You keep your phone in your pocket instead of scrolling through your daily rotation of socials. Making sure to keep a small smile on your lips, you try to make eye contact with as many people as you can.
Surely people think you are a crazy person, but you won't miss an opportunity to meet your soulmate for the first time. Unfortunately, none of the customers in the coffee shop or the Baristas are your soulmates. But that's okay! There is still plenty of time left in the day.
"Today's the day Hobi! I can feel it." Hoseok is leaning up against his car in the parking lot waiting for you as usual. The two of you have the same math class every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning. 
"Yeah I'm pretty sure you said that about last Wednesday too." Hoseok playfully nudges you as he accepts the coffee you've brought for him.
"Okay yes, but I feel REALLY good about today. Maybe I've just been missing him by a few minutes." 
"I wish you weren't so obsessed with this, Y/N." Hoseok pauses, adjusting the strap of his backpack. "You always end up disappointed and I hate seeing you upset."
"Wow thanks for believing in me." You turn away from him and continue down the sidewalk path, rapidly approaching the Mathematics Building.
"It's not that I don't believe in YOU, I just hate watching you obsess over this, can't you just enjoy life and let your soulmate come to you?"
"LET MY SOULMATE COME TO ME? Hoseok didn't you hear about the girl who WAITED for her soulmate to find her and ended up finding him in a COMA? I CAN'T RISK IT!"
"Y/N you can't assume the worst just becau..." And you don't hear the end of whatever Hoseok was going to say. Because in that moment you see something shiny on the ground a few feet in front of you.
You jog ahead of Hoseok, and you see a gold ring abandoned on the sidewalk. You bend to pick it up. Hoseok has now caught up with you. He's trying to get your attention, but all you can focus on in this moment is the ring. You have the same giddy feeling you always do. Butterflies flitting around in your stomach. It’s your soulmate's ring, you're sure of it. 
"What is it Y/N?" Hoseok leans over your shoulder to see the ring you're turning over in your fingers. It's a fairly simple gold ring. There is a simple design carved around it and an inscription inside it. Two initials. You can feel your heart swell, your pulse begins to race.
"It's my soulmate's ring Hobi. I knew today was going to be a good day." You can read the skepticism in his frown and knitted brow. He doesn’t refute you though, maybe he can sense the certainty you’re feeling.
“We’re gonna be late for class.” He huffs, continuing down the path at a pace you struggle to keep up with. 
~~~~~~~
The lecture on Inverse Trigonometric Functions does not hold your attention very long. All you can really do is turn the ring over in your fingers imagining the man that it belongs to. He’s probably got dark hair, tan skin, glasses. He probably looks so sexy in glasses.
“So I guess you’ll be borrowing my notes later then?” Hoseok whispers and motions toward your blank notebook. “Of course, you’ve got something more important to do than take notes, don’t you?” 
“Yeah I’ve got to track down my soulmate.” As soon as you finish the thought, reality begins to sink in. “Hobi?” You whisper back at him, shoulders slumping. “How am I going to find him?”
Hoseok sighs, settles himself back into the seat, and continues taking notes. Absentmindedly, you pick up your pen and begin doodling the initials “JW”. Your pen traces over the letters, darkening them with each stroke. 
“We’ll find him.” Hoseok places his hand over yours, stopping the obsessive movements of your pen. When he pulls his hand back you look up at him. He’s looking forward, jaw clenched. And you know that just like every other time, with every other potential soulmate, he’s determined to help you. 
~~~~~~~
Hoseok asked you to sleep on it, give yourself some time to process before beginning the process of finding the owner of the ring. 
It was a nice idea, sleeping on it. But in practice it proved to be very difficult. After tossing and turning for half an hour you began mentally designing a Found: Gold Ring flyer in your head and planned where to put them up around campus.
Now your mind has wandered elsewhere. You find yourself browsing social media, looking at the University’s page. Scrolling through the followers and stopping at every J and W you find. 
You: I'm never going to find him. [4:12am]
You: Do you know how many JWs there are in this city? [4:12am]
You: And what if he's not even on social media? [4:16am]
Hoseok: Everyone is on social media. [4:18am]
You: Oh no did I wake you? [4:18am]
Hoseok: Yes. Please tell me you have not been awake all night. [4:18am]
You: I have not been awake all night. [4:19am]
You: 😬 [4:19am]
Hoseok: I have an idea. [4:20am]
You: 👀 [4:20am]
Hoseok: I have a friend who works as a student assistant in the registrar's office, maybe he can help us. Let's meet at 8 instead of 8:45 [4:23am]
You: okay 🥺 [4:24am]
~~~~~~~
"What do you mean "no," Namjoon?" Hoseok is standing at the front of Namjoon's desk.
"Hoseok I am not breaking FERPA for any reason." The blonde boy leans back in his chair, crossing his arms. Government policy prevents him from sharing student’s personal information, but this is bigger than the government. It’s fate, the Universe, call it what you want, but it’s more important than FERPA. 
"Namjoon, I need to find my soulmate, I have to track him down!" You're about to start crying, peering around Hoseok. You had only seen Namjoon once before at a party, he was drunkenly debating the finer details of Platonism with a girl who was clearly only interested in taking him upstairs.
“If I were to give you a list of all the names and phone numbers of students that go to this University, I could be fined thousands of dollars!” He uncrosses his arms and hits his hand on the desk to emphasize his point. 
That’s when you notice the timer on his wrist. Counting down to the moment he meets his soulmate. 
“Namjoon, look at the timer on your wrist. You know exactly when you are going to meet your soulmate. But I have nothing.” He looks down at his wrist, the timer silently ticks closer to zero. “I have no timer, no mark, no connection except maybe this stupid ring.”
You tug at the ring you placed on a chain around your neck for safe keeping. It shines under the fluorescent lighting. Namjoon looks at the ring then back at your face. You’re sure it’s blotchy and red, but you hope that he understands how important this is. 
“Can you help us Joon?” Hoseok asks, pulling a small flash drive from his coat pocket. The only response is a deep sigh, but Namjoon grabs the flash drive and quickly downloads the data. 
“If anyone finds out about this, I’m going to say you hacked into my computer.” Namjoon says, stopping short of handing the drive back to Hoseok.
“I owe you one.” Hoseok winks before he grabs the drive out of Namjoon’s hand.
Hoseok heads out into the hallway and you follow closely behind him, turning back to mouth a ‘thank you’ at Namjoon who responds with a curt nod. 
~~~~~~~
After a trip to the library and $25 worth of printing, the two of you are holed up in your apartment.  Take-out, two bottles of wine, and 250 pages of student names and phone numbers are set out on the coffee table, an R&B album playing on the stereo. Hoseok watches as you flip through the large stack of pages on the coffee table.
“Wait why did you print every name?” Hoseok wonders while he picks at the remains of the food in his container.
“You said it would be easier to have a hard copy.” You huff, dropping the pages on the floor in front of you. Hoseok can feel the frustration radiating off of you. 
“Yes, but maybe we should have sorted out the Js and Ws before printing...” He sets down his food and motions for you to hand him the pile. 
Hoseok begins thumbing through the pages, wondering to himself how long it will take to narrow down the pool of potential soulmates. He locates the Ws and sets the rest of the pages aside. 
“Here, let’s just start here and see what we can find.” He says, splitting the smaller stack in two and handing you half. Hoseok begins reading through each name on the page, pausing only to highlight a name or take a drink from his wine glass. 
After about half an hour, Hoseok has highlighted two dozen names on his portion of the list. You're huddled over the pages, flicking the corners of it absent-midnedly. He can tell that you’ve lost steam, possibly from the two very full glasses of wine you’ve had tonight. 
“Are you almost finished?” Hoseok sets his pages down on the floor next to him and leans his head back against the couch behind him. 
“Oh yeah I finished, I just wanted to go back through to be sure.” You lean back from your hunched over position and lay flat against the floor. 
“I’ve got about two dozen names, how many did you get?” Hoseok yawns and rubs his eyes.
“I found thirty.” You manage through a yawn of your own. It’s barely 9:00pm, but the mundane task of finding matching initials mixed with bellies full of take out and wine makes for a couple of very sleepy friends. 
There’s got to be something he can do to reenergize the two of you. He knows you’re excited to find your soulmate. But after being by your side through so many failed attempts in the past few years, he can tell you’re starting to feel discouraged. 
“Get up.” Hoseok says, an idea brewing in his mind. You look up at him, eyes narrowed. “Come on.” Hoseok gets up and moves to put himself toe to toe with you. He reaches into his pocket for his phone and scrolls through his playlist. 
An upbeat song begins playing through the speakers and Hoseok extends his hands out to you. He can tell you’re fighting a grin and that makes his own smile double in size. You finally give in and grab hold of his hands. Hoseok quickly pulls you up off the ground and twirls you around before letting go. 
“I’m not doing this Hobi.” You stand still, covering your face with your hands while the beat of the song fills up your small apartment. Hoseok’s body is moving to the music. He’s always been a dancer, effortlessly contorting his body, hitting each beat perfectly in time. 
Hoseok knows you aren’t a good dancer, but he loves seeing you try. Loves watching you be silly. So he reaches for your hand once again and pulls you toward him. He uses his hands to guide you, gently shaking you to loosen up your joints. Your awkward movements make him laugh, but he’s happy to see you smiling again. Swaying along to the music with you, Hoseok feels good. The stress of the day melting away. 
He twirls you away from his body as the song is ending, but instead of letting go he tugs on your arm, silently asking you to twirl back into his arms. You’re giggling when you fall back into his arms. His face is only inches away from yours and for the first time in a long time he finds himself wanting to close the distance. 
When the two of you first met, he felt a pull to you. At first he had hoped that you were his soulmate. You were beautiful, funny, silly, and just what he had been looking for. There was no magic moment between you though. No signal that your connection to him was meant to be something more than friendship. 
Before he can think too much about how your lips still look so soft, you pull away from him. Hoseok pauses to catch his breath, shaking his head to clear out the thoughts. 
“Okay I do feel better.” You announce, moving to the kitchen to pop the second bottle of wine. Hoseok sits down on the couch, picking up his laptop. He logs onto Facebook, trying to occupy his mind by searching for the first guy on with the initials J W. “Alright, this is it.”
“What is it exactly?” Hoseok replies, distracted by a video of goats screaming to the tune of Taylor Swift’s latest single. 
“We’re about to find my soulmate Hobi!” Your beaming smile is almost enough to quell the unsettled feeling growing in his gut. 
“Right, right. Here goes nothing.” Hoseok types the name of the first guy on his list and begins scrolling through his available pictures. He is scrutinizing the stranger, his clothes, the way he poses for the pictures. Soulmate or not, is this guy really good enough for you?
“What should the game plan be?” You say, almost startling Hoseok. “Should we just do a quick round looking for the ring in the pictures?” 
“Yes let’s do that, and then we can go back through if we don’t find the ring on anyone.” Hoseok nods moving to the next name on his list, silently hoping that he isn’t the one either. 
~~~~~~~
It was very easy for you to get distracted looking at these potential soulmates. Of course, based on their social media profiles it was also pretty easy to rule some people out. Several of the men had their soulmate’s in the profile pictures. Some had visible soulmate marks or timers in their photos. But there were still a large number of men who could be the one. And you took your time sizing each one up. 
Jason Williams is clearly athletic, plays for the university soccer team, and recently ran a marathon. It’s good for him, but you hope he won’t mind you sitting on the sidelines of the next marathon rather than participating. 
Jaylen Williams has no photos available for viewing, but it only takes three seconds on his profile to realize that his views on feminism leave much to be desired. 
Jesse Williams is a nerd, to put it lightly. His profile picture is a loveable picture of him dressed as Spiderman at last year’s comic con. Many of his posts are related to the Marvel Universe and you can tell that he takes it very seriously. According to his profile, he is studying physics. 
Joshua Wilson seems nice. He’s playing guitar in his profile picture. His beanie and flannel shirt make you wonder if he considers himself a hipster. His latest post is about the inadequate coffee served at the local cafe and how he should just do it at home. Maybe he makes a good cup of coffee, you could get into that. 
James Wilt is handsome. He’s hair smoothed perfectly back, facial hair trimmed neatly. Just as you’re about to scroll down to look at his posts, Hoseok interrupts you.
“Y/N?” He says quietly. “I think I’ve got him.” Your heart jumps into your throat. Setting the laptop down on the coffee table, you scoot over to look at Hoseok’s screen.
Jackson Wang. He’s gorgeous. And he’s clearly wearing the ring. 
“Hobi...” You don’t really know what to say, but he seems to understand. He puts his arm around you and slides his laptop from his lap to yours. You begin scrolling through and seeing pictures of him surrounded by friends, they look like fraternity brothers. It’s not quite what you were expecting out of a soulmate, but as you continue looking through his profile you learn that you are actually quite compatible. 
He has a similar taste in music, loves his family, he’s on the university fencing team, and he might love cheese even more than you do. 
“I... I don’t want to be the one to say it, but all we know for sure is that it’s his ring.” Hoseok says sheepishly. You want to roll your eyes, but he’s right. Just because you had a feeling about it doesn't guarantee that Jackson is your soulmate.
“There’s only one way to find out.” You say handing Hoseok’s laptop back to him. 
“Right.” Hoseok nods before tilting his head. “Wait what?” 
“I’ll send him a friend request and I’m going to message him. I’ll have to meet him in person.” You say as you begin typing out a message on your computer. 
“You are NOT going to meet him in person Y/N. He’s a total stranger!”
“Hoseok he could be my soulmate!” You pleaded. There’s a long silence stretching between you. Hoseok is thinking, scanning your face. He’s spent the day helping you track him down and now suddenly he’s so concerned about you meeting him?
“I’ll go with you.” He mutters followed by a sigh of defeat. He sinks back into the couch as you finish typing out your message to Jackson and attach an image of the ring.
You: Hey, are you missing your ring? I found one that looks like it outside the Mathematics building. [9:13pm]
“And now we wait.” You sigh as you hit the send button. The tension between you and Hoseok is still palpable, but you reach for the remote to turn on the television. Luckily for you, Hoseok’s favorite movie is playing on one of the channels and it doesn’t take long for the tension to relax into a comfortable silence.
~~~~~~~
Hoseok wakes to a ping on your phone. The two of you had fallen asleep on the couch during the movie. The TV screen is now dark, credits slowly rolling through. Your phone is shining brightly from it’s spot on the coffee table. 
Against his better judgement, Hoseok reaches for your phone.
Facebook: Jackson Wang has accepted your friend request. [11:46pm]
Facebook Messenger: Yeah wow! I’ve been missing it! [11:48pm]
Hoseok sets your phone back down and looks over at you. You’re fast asleep, head resting on the arm of the couch. It’s getting late.
“Y/N.” He whispers, nudging your foot with his own. You don’t stir, so he decides to get up and carry you to your bed. He carefully pulls back the throw blanket that covers you and hooks his arms under your body. The walk to your bed is short, but he trips over a pair of your shoes, almost dropping you. How are you still asleep?
When he reaches your bed, he sets you down gently and pulls your quilt over your shoulders. He gazes down at you. Once again feeling the pull to your lips. He leans down, brushes a few stray hairs off of your forehead and lightly brushes his lips against the skin of your forehead.
A warm sensation, tingling in his lips, a shiver down his spine. Hoseok pulls away, wide eyes staring down at you. But you don’t wake up. Though he would swear that he saw a smile pulling at your lips as he slowly backed out of the room.
~~~~~~~
As you slept you dreamed about meeting your soulmate. The warm feeling radiated throughout your body, all was right in the world. And when you wake you are happy to see a response from Jackson.
Jackson: Yeah wow! I’ve been missing it! [11:48pm]
You: Okay, wanna grab coffee and I can give it to you then? [9:23am]
Jackson: Haha, sounds great. Maybe tomorrow around 10? [9:56am]
You: That’s perfect, you know The Bean just north of campus? [9:59am]
Jackson: Yes I love that place. [10:01am]
You: Okay great! [10:01am]
You: Kind of a random question... [10:17am]
Jackson: Shoot [10:23am]
You: Do you know what your soulmate connection is? [10:24am]
You: I’m only asking because I don’t know mine. [10:27am]
You: And I thought maybe... [10:27am]
Jackson: Do you think you finding my ring could be... our connection? [10:30am]
You: I had a really good feeling about it when I found it. [10:31am]
Jackson: I don’t know mine, so maybe this is it... [10:34am]
You: I guess we’ll find out tomorrow, right? [10:35am]
Jackson: It’s a date. [10:39am]
~~~~~~~
The Bean is bustling today. Lots of people in and out, dozens of students working on projects and papers, so Hoseok has to sit a few tables away from you. The smell of the freshly ground beans 
“I won’t be able to hear you that well.” He shouts across the cafe. 
You’re too nervous to respond with something other than a shrug of your shoulders. Fiddling with the hem of your dress, you watch the door carefully waiting for him to walk in. The latte in front of you is still steaming, too hot to drink. 
The bell above the door chimes, ringing out over the chatter that fills the coffee shop. And there he is. Jackson Wang. Walking toward you with a self-assured smile. 
“Hi.” You mumbled, standing from your seat to greet him. He’s glowing in front of you, he’s all you can see. Jackson opens his arms you fit perfectly in them. You can feel butterflies in your stomach. It’s not as strong as you expected the soulmate bond to be, but it’s there. 
“I guess this is yours.” You tug lightly on the ring you’ve been wearing around your neck. 
“Well maybe you should wear it for a little longer.” Jackson replies, motioning for you to have a seat. “If we’re soulmates, that is?”
“Did you feel it too?” You ask shyly, tucking your hair back behind your ear. Jackson nods and reaches out to grab your hand across the table. The Feeling is here, just like it was when you picked up the ring, and you never want it to go away.
~~~~~~~
Hoseok watches the two of you chat for over an hour. He sees the exaggerated reactions you give to whatever story Jackson’s telling you. Just by the way your face is lighting up, he can tell you’re already falling hard.
Thinking back to the night before, Hoseok questions what happened. Was it just the wine going to his head? The two of you had been friends for so long now that he assumed it couldn’t be possible that the two of you were soulmates. Surely any hidden connection you had would have been realized by now. Maybe he’s just feeling jealous that you’re finally meeting your soulmate and he’s still alone.
But that kiss was unlike anything he had ever felt before.
Deep in his thoughts, Hoseok doesn’t notice when you and Jackson stand from the table and walk over to his.
“Hobi, this is Jackson.” Hoseok jerks his head upward, met with a confident smile from Jackson. Hoseok quickly stands and extends his hand. 
“I’m Hoseok, nice to meet you.” Jackson firmly shakes his hand. The two hold eye contact for just a little too long.
“She’s already told me so much about you. Thanks for helping her track me down.” Jackson chuckles. Hoseok looks over at you and notices that you are holding his other hand. 
“Thanks for helping me find my soulmate.” You chirp happily. Hoseok narrows his eyes, looking back and forth between you and Jackson. 
“Soulmates? Are you sure?” Hoseok questions you.
“Hoseok!” Your exclamation is accompanied by a slap on the arm. “Of course I’m sure!” You give a quick and embarrassed apology to Jackson.
The way you’re already clinging to Jackson makes Hoseok’s stomach twist. The look in your eye when you stare up at his face makes Hoseok want to shut his eyes. He can tell you’re smitten, but he’s got a bad feeling. Despite your obvious certainty that this is your soulmate, Hoseok can tell that something is just not right.
~~~~~~~
See you soon for Part 2! Comment to be added to the tag list! <3
Check out my Not Warriors Soulmate Series Masterlist!
165 notes · View notes
limjaeseven · 4 years
Text
Queen Of Hearts
Tumblr media
Pairing: Jimin X Reader ft. Jaebum
Genre: Smut
Word count: 8,276
Summary: Being the biggest pornstar in the industry, your company hands you the yearly special valentine's Day project. Each year you work with a new budding star and this year's one is particularly famous for his pretty face and perky ass.
Or
Jimin is an up and coming pornstar who lands the biggest project of his life and the opportunity to work (or fuck) his biggest inspiration, you.
Warnings: switch!reader, switch!Jaebum, sub!Jimin, dom!Yoongi, dom!Jackson, shameless smut, pegging, name calling, mommy kink, sir kink, mistress kink, threesome, polyamorous relationship, bondage, spanking, sex toys, punishments, sex work, porn industry etc.
[a/n]: I apparently love piling work on myself cause I literally had no time to finish this so apologies if it's terrible. The title has no correlation to the fic, I just couldn't think of anything. Hope you enjoy over 8k words of pure, shameless smut.
Tumblr media
"Cut" The director shouted and signalled to wrap up the shoot. Jinyoung rushed to you with a bathrobe, a bottle of batter and pack of wet wipes as you shook hands with your costar of the day. Your company had been wanting you to experiment a bit more in the BDSM space as you grew to be one of the most popular and loved porn stars in the adult industry.
"Thank you, Jinnie" You said as you chugged the bottle of water and cleaned yourself up. You couldn't help but stare at Jackson's ass as he walked to his own manager who helped him clean up. Jackson Wang was an up and coming star, one who had been recruited by your company when he was gaining popularity as a camboy, and was an excellent submissive. The best part about him was he looked like such a dominant but was a total baby boy at heart.
The scene was pretty simple, it was a mommy Dom, baby boy scene with a lot of edging and sounding and teasing. The sound of Jackson begging was just so pleasing to your ears. Jackson was actually more popular in the gay porn genre but had agreed to work on the project as soon as he found out you were his costar. You see, working with you is a one way ticket to success and no one wanted to pass up on it.
"See anything you like?" Jackson cooed. It was a running joke amongst the actors to say the cheesy pick up line whenever someone was caught admiring their bodies. You glanced at Jinyoung who was also staring at Jackson's ass and smirked.
"Not really but I'm sure Jinyoungie here things your ass is cute" Jinyoung choked on the water he was drinking as his face turned red and both Jackson and you burst out laughing. The fact of the matter was, it wasn't you who had requested for Jackson, it was Jinyoung. Your manager had a not-so-subtle crush on the actor and just wanted an opportunity to ogle at the man's naked body, live.
"Aww really? Tell 'Jinyoungie' over here that I'm taking him out for lunch tomorrow at 12 and also remind him to give his number to Youngjae over there. Also let him know that if he actually ever wanted a show, he should ask me for it cause I'd give it to him free of charge" Jackson said, winking before pointing at his manager. As soon as the man turned away, you received a slap to your arm.
"Ouch" You murmured as Jinyoung lectured you for a minute about how inappropriate that was but you just smirked at him and called Youngjae over for him to take Jinyoung's number. You headed to your green room and changed into normal clothes before checking your emails.
As soon as you saw the words 'Valentine's project 2020' a smile bloomed on your face. You opened the mail to see the usual paragraph telling you that you were going to be the female lead in the three part project. Under the heading of costar was the name 'Park Jimin'. Park Jimin was a little bit of a legend amongst the actors in your industry.
The 20-something year old boy had started off as a camboy just like Jackson and ended up being scouted by you company for a competition that it held every year in which amateurs competed to create a single video that would get the most number of views. Jimin had won that year with the widest margin in the 8 year long history of the event.
You would be lying if you said that you hadn't looked up the man before out of curiosity. He was really good looking, maybe not as good looking as some of your other costars, but he still had really pretty lips and he had a cute ass. You had watched a few of his cam videos and you found them amusing. As a pornstar, you had seen your fair share of adult videos but Jimin had such an innocent charm to him that he almost made it feel like you totally weren't watching him jerk off.
You had a few shoots before the Valentine's shoot so you called Jinyoung up the next day to ask him for the scripts. When he picked up the call though, you could feel something weird on the other side of the line. Jinyoung was panting, his heavy breathing clear through the phone. You suddenly sat up, worried about your manager's health.
"Jinyoung? Are you okay?" You asked, your voice full of concern. You started imagining the worst case scenarios. Did Jinyoung hey in trouble? Was he sick? Your mind was racing when Jinyoung cleared his throat, pulling you out of your head. He knew you well enough to hear your cogs turning from the other side of the phone.
"I'm alright, y/n, just a little busy. Is it something important?" Jinyoung asked. You suddenly heard a loud sound from Jinyoung that sounded weird. Was he moaning? You heard a lot of squelching and finally put two and two together.
"Are you with Jackson?" You asked, amused. You could feel Jinyoung blushed as he choked out a 'yes'. You pulled the phone away from your ear and hit 'record' on the call. A familiar voice spoke from Jinyoung's end.
"Hey y/n, we're actually in the middle of something, can Jinyoungie talk to you later?" You chuckled at Jinyoung and asked him to not pick up the call the next time he was fucking on of your coworkers. You cut the call and laughed loudly before texting Jinyoung the audio clip from the call. You officially had blackmail material on your best friend, you thought.
You headed over to Jinyoung's office which was right next to yours, to find the scripts for the shoots. Park Jinyoung, being the absolutely meticulous man he was, had a folder on his desks labelled 'scripts' and inside the scripts for your films were arranged in the order of shoots.
You picked up the top three and were about to leave when you saw a note on Jinyoung's desk. It looked like the noted he usually wrote down while taking on the phone. Reading through it, you realised it was about a concept discussion for the Valentine's Day project.
Usually, as part of the project, a single film was shot but that year, they were planning a three parter. The date for the meeting for discussion was written on the paper which was about three weeks from that day so you decided to come up with some concepts of your own for the shoot.
Meanwhile, you worked on your other shoots. The first one was with your best friend Yoongi. He was one of the only men you liked being submissive to. He was really hot, with his lean body and sharp eyes. His deep voice both taunted and praised you as in the scene you were supposed to be bratty and you would be trained by your dominant.
Working with Yoongi was always a pleasure. Over the years, you both had built a perfect chemistry. He knew your body at the back of his hand and you knew all his buttons and when to push them. It showed on camera as well and that was one of the reasons why you two were one of the industry's most well loved duo.
The set was fairly simple-a bedroom with red walls and black sheets. Both of you preferred darker aesthetics so it was on brand. Harnesses and cuffs all make of steel and leather. A few floggers decorated the walls along with a spiked paddle. You were tied to the bed, dressed in a black soft corset with your hands above your head and your legs spread apart, fastened to the bedposts.
The shoot went pretty smoothly and before you knew it, Jinyoung was, as usual, running over to you with a robe and a bottle of water. He looked a little distracted lately. He had been constantly birdied in his phone and was always a bit lost which was totally unlike Jinyoung.
"Who are you texting?" You enquired. Seeing the way his cheeks turned red, you figured it must have been Jackson. They had hit it off pretty well, at least that's what you assumed because Jinyoung wasn't a guy who would have sex on the first date but he did. You loved teasing him about Jackson, loving the way he got flustered everytime you mentioned the Chinese man.
"Jackson really can't back off now that he's gotten a taste of your cute ass, huh? Classy, prim and proper Park Jinyoung falling for bad boy Jackson Wang's big dick, who would have thought that was possible?" You commented and Jinyoung threw his almost empty water bottle at you as you laughed.
"He's a nice guy okay? His big dick is just a bonus. I'm just mad you got a taste before I did" Jinyoung said.
"But wasn't it you who scheduled the shoot because you were busy drooling over his cock on screen and wanted to do it in real life? Jesus Christ, stop blaming me for things that you got me to do" You replied and Jinyoung shot you his iconic death glare.
The next shoot was with Kim Taehyung. It was your first time working with him as his genre was quite different from yours. He was known for his signature art film feel to his work. You had never delved into that market but when he requested you to be his costar, you were quite intrigued and decided to give it a shot.
The film was actually one that the man had been planning for a while as the center point for his multipart series. It started off Taehyung sitting in front of a canvas, dressed in nothing but a long trench coat and you kneeling on the floor between his legs, cockwarming him. As you slowly grew impatient, you were to morph it into a proper blowjob, followed by passionate love making involving some amount of random body painting in the middle.
It was surprisingly easy to understand Taehyung's vision for the film. You just followed his rythm and it turned out better than you expected. Due to the film being super artsy, there were no dialogues meaning the only sounds were those of moans, grunts and skin against skin. Fortunately Taehyung's baritone was more than enough to compansate for the lack of words.
When the shoot was over, you weren't greeted by Jinyoung but instead, Jungkook, another manager in the company helped you get dressed. When you asked him why Jinyoung didn't come, he passed you a note that he had given Jungkook, saying that there was an important event that he couldn't miss and asked him to fill in.
"Hey y/n, sorry for being unable to accompany you for the shoot. Jackson's having some problems with the company and he's having dinner with his boss to discuss his future prospects in the industry and he really needed some moral support so he asked me to accompany him and I just couldn't say no. Also I know the script for the next shoot doesn't have your costar's name on it and that was on purpose. Check your recent texts and you'll find out who it is. I'll see you tomorrow, dinner is on me. Love, Jinyoung" The note said.
You checked your phone to see a text from Jinyoung and one from an unknown number. You checked Jinyoung's text first and it was just to check up on you and ask about the shoot along with an additional apology. You sent him a quick text telling him that the shoot went well and that he needed to stop apologizing, saying that you didn't mind. You sent an extra text last minute to tell him to say hello to Jackson before checking the other text that almost made you drop your phone.
"I'm shooting with THE Lim Jaebum, are you actually kidding me?" You exclaimed as you are dinner with Jinyoung in his living room he next day. Jaebum had been your biggest inspiration/celebrity crush ever since you joined the industry. He was the biggest male star and it was next to impossible, even for you, to get a shoot with him.
"I got a call from his manager two weeks ago asking for any date that you were free on because apparently, Jaebum had been keeping an eye on you for a while and finally decided it was time to work with you" You couldn't believe what Jinyoung was saying. The shock that had set it when you read the text saying "Good evening, I am Kim Namjoon, Mr Lim Jaebum's manager and I just wanted to confirm that you are infact available to shoot on the 4th?"
The day of the actual shoot you were so nervous that you had Bambam, your close friend and fashion designer, style you. When you reached the studio, you met with the director who guided you to the changing room. You slipped into your outfit which was compromised of a black lace lingerie set along with matching stockings and garters. A sheer black wrap completed the look along with strong eye makeup.
You stepped out to be met with the cold air conditioning which made you shiver. You suddenly felt warmth enveloping you as someone placed a jacket on your shoulders. You turned behind to see Jaebum dressed in a white Valentino t-shirt, black slacks, a Gucci blazer, a Chanel belt and Louboutin dress shoes. His hair was down, his bangs covering his forehead. He looked like a million bucks and if you weren't quick enough, he would have definitely have caught you drooling.
"Pretty cold, isn't it?" He said and you dumbly nodded. Before you could embarrass yourself, you heard Jinyoung call your name and you stepped away from Jaebum and walked over to your manager. He showed you the set and finalised things with the crew before you were told to get on the bed to start the shoot.
The set had a king size bed with an intricately carved wooden headboard and emerald green sheets. The walls were a light grey and were decorated with simple sconces which gave the dull set a bit of warm yellow light. You sat at the edge of the bed waiting for Jaebum. You heard the director shout 'action' and your costar calmly walked towards you, his hands in his pockets. He placed his hand on your chin and pulled it up to make you look him in the eyes.
"You know why we have to do this right?" Jaebum said and you nodded. He let his hands slide down to your sides, running them up your arms. He told you to go ahead and you palmed him through his trousers. He hissed as you unbuckled his pants and took his already hard cock into your mouth. From the get go he controlled the pace, twisting his fingers into your hair and throat fucking you.
It was without a doubt the best shoot of your life. Jaebum was such a sweetheart on set. During breaks, he made sure to take your feedback to improve when you two got back on, when you were doing close up shots, he made sure you were comfortable with the angle and he touched you softly even when he was in character to ground you. You were about to go full fangirl on him but fortunately you had Jinyoung to keep you same.
After the shoot, Jaebum invited you to his greenroom once you got changed into normal clothes. He had already asked his manager to get you both some drinks and snacks. He ended up getting your favourite tea along with some of your favourite snacks. When you asked him how he knew what you liked, he openly told you that he had asked Jinyoung.
"I had a lot of fun today, y/n. I hope we get to work together again" Jaebum said.
"Do you say that to all your costars? Do you pamper all of them like this?" You asked and Jaebum chuckled. His eyes became thin lines as his smile grew and his beautiful laugh filled your ears.
"As a matter of fact, no I don't usually do this. You are actually the first person to get this treatment" Jaebum confessed, his eyes wavering almost as if he was nervous. You couldn't believe your ears. You had never imagined Jaebum to be shy, you'd always imagined him to be confident and smooth but this side of him made you more comfortable around him.
"Really? I don't believe it. You'd have to take me out for coffe to prove that to me" You said, winking at him. You actually had no clue if this was going to go anywhere so you decided to give it a shot yourself. If he was to reject you, it would be fine but you were not going to pass up an opportunity to go one a date with your biggest inspiration.
"You had to beat me to it, didn't you. I was just about to ask if you'd ever be free for coffee but you had ruin everything. Give me your phone so that I can give you my number first at least" He said before unlocking his own phone and passing it to you. You have him your phone and you both quickly entered in each others contact details into the respective phones. You quietly snapped a cute selfie and saved the contact.
When you got your phone back, you realised that Jaebum also had gotten a similar idea and there was a adorable picture of him as his contact image. You bid him adieu after he promised to text you because you had a long day ahead of you the next day. It was the day of the meeting to finalise the Valentine's project.
You dressed yourself in a white shirt and grey suit for the meeting. After a few hours of discussing the possible concepts, three were finalised, one that you suggested, one that Jimin suggested and one that the company wanted to make.
Speaking of Jimin, the first thing you noticed about him was his ass. It wasn't your fault, when you walked into the conference hall, Jimin was reaching across the table for a pen, leaving his ass on table for your eyes. He had a really pretty face too, with pillowy lips and soft eyes.
His sweet voice sounded as if it were laced with honey and he had an almost angelic feel to him. But as pure as Jimin looked, he was just as kinky. He was the one who suggested the more out of the box, kinky concepts. He was clearly a submissive though, and he made it clear that he would prefer not to dom.
The first shoot was of the concept he came up with which was supposed to be a simple one to ease the viewers into the mini series. It basically was that you and Jimin were a couple who just wanted to explore sexually and Jimin, who usually was the dominant one in the relationship, asked you to dominate him.
Since it was such a concept, Bambam, whom you'd requested to help you with the styling for the project, styled you with a pair of denim shorts, a crop top, fishnets and calf high boots. Underneath, you wore baby pink lingerie. Your hair and makeup was done by Bambam's boyfriend Jungkook. He curled the ends of your hair and did light makeup as it was going to get messed up once the shoot started.
The set looked like a plain bedroom with a bed with baby blue sheets and blue and while decide around the room. The director spoke to you, getting your final opinions about the angles and everything before you were asked if you were ready to begin. You nodded and Jimin stepped onto the set before the director shouted 'action'.
"Hey baby, you said you wanted to talk about something?" You asked Jimin, putting on an innocent tone and looking him in the eyes. He patted at his thigh, motioning you to sit down. You sat on said thigh with your legs between his. Taking a moment, you admired his outfit which comprised of a plain white button up, a skinny black tie and black slacks. The look, though simple, really suited Jimin's pale skin and pretty face.
"You know how we always try to experiment with new things right? I was wondering if you'd be willing to, you know.. top?" He said, trying his best to look shy. You cupped his face with one hand as you recalled the script for your next line. You placed a soft kiss on his nose before smiling.
"If you want me to, we can try. Strip and lay back on the bed for me, baby" You said and Jimin quickly scrambled to take his clothes off before settling onto the pillows. You threw your crop top off before undoing the button and zip of your shorts but left them on.
Crawling into the bed, you threw one leg overe Jimin, straddling his waist. You worked quickly to undo the buttons of Jimin's shirt and he raised his torso to let you throw it off his body. Soft fingers skimmed his taught abs as you positioned yourself over them. Leaning over, you grabbed the tie that Jimin had discarded.
You grabbed his wrists and fastened them to the headboard with the tie. Lowering yourself over Jimin, you placed a chaste kiss on his lips before diving in for a deeper one. Tounges danced as you felt the sparks go off in your head. You pulled away from his face before littering his neck with small kisses. Jimin let out a gasp as you mouthed at his nipple.
You circled the hardened bud with your wet tongue before sucking on it, going back and forth between both nipples. As per the script, you started grinding your clothed core against Jimin's midriff, making him whine. You quickly pushed off of him to take your shorts off before placing both palms flat on Jimin's chest and grinding shamelessly against his hard abs.
"Baby please don't tease" Jimin whined and you smirked at him. Pushing yourself lower, you stopped so that your core was right over his clothed erection and grinded hard. A soft moan escaped Jimin's lips as you continue your ministrations. You played with his nipples ones more, before capturing his lips in yours. The kiss was needy and hot as you pulled one moan after another from Jimin's mouth.
Jimin's pants were swiftly discarded by you after which you settled between his legs and placed small kisses along his inner thighs. Jimin squirmed under your teasing so you held him down by pushing down on his thighs. You finally gave attention to his weeping cock by rolling your tongue just around the tip, causing Jimin to gasp.
Heavy pants left Jimin's lips as you lightly gripped his length and kitten licked around the head. He struggled with his restraints but tried his best not to move. You took half his length into your mouth, bobbing your head and hollowing your cheeks around him before pulling out quickly.
"Please stop teasing me, baby" Jimin groaned as you stuffed most of his length into your mouth, past your gag reflex and worked the rest of his length that didn't fit into your mouth with your hand. You could hear Jimin's moans increasing in pitch as he neared his release and you immediately pulled away.
"Aww does my baby boy want to cum? Does he want Mommy to let his pathetic little cocklet cum?" You cooed and Jimin tried his best to blink away the tears from his denied orgasm.
"Mommy, please. Please let me cum" Jimin begged and you shifted back up Jimin's body to placed another wet kiss on his lips. You discarded your panties and made a show of ripping your fishnets around your pussy. Leaning back, you revealed your core towards Jimin and the camera man ran in to get a close up.
You sucked on one finger before letting it tease your lower lips open. Jimin could do nothing but stare as you slowly worked yourself open. The camera slowly zoomed in on your fingers thrusting and scissoring your pussy. You brought your other hand up to your mouth and sucked the tips of two fingers before bringing them down to rub your clit.
"Mommy's about to cum, baby boy. Would you like Mommy to cum around your little cock" You moaned and Jimin merely nodded. You let out a whine as you came, the camera capturing your pulsing lips. You got onto your knees and grabbed Jimin's painfully hard cock before guiding it into you.
"Your cock fills up Mommy so good, baby. But remember you're not allowed to come till it let you" You reminded Jimin as you started to bounce on his length. The camera man asked you to lean forward a but as he used to opportunity to get behind you and get a good shot of your wet pussy devouring Jimin's cock.
You chased your high as you continued lifting yourself up and thrusting down. You pulled another needy whine from Jimin and kissed him. He mumbled something about being close. You slapped him lightly across the face, making him look up at you.
"Use your words if you have to say something, slut" You gritted and Jimin nodded. He was barely able to stutter the word close before you picked up pace. A broken moan left Jimin's lips as he tried to hold back his orgasm.
"Cum for Mommy, baby boy. Fill her cunt with your cum" You said and Jimin almost immediately came, his mouth open in a silent scream. The warm feeling of cum in your pussy made you cum as well. The camera took one last shot of Jimin's softening cock falling out of your messy cunt before the director shouted "cut".
You immediately leaned over and unfastened Jimin's hands, making sure there was no bruising. Since the tie was skinny, there was a bit of a mark but nothing too bad. Jinyoung rushed to you with the usual robe and water as you got cleaned up. You checked your phone to see a text from Jaebum asking you out to go for coffee and you told him that you'd meet him at the café.
While you left the set early due to your date, Jimin lingered there for a while processing what had happened. He had put on this confident face all through the meeting and shoot but in reality, he was absolutely starstruck. You were one of the reasons Jimin got into camming in the first place. You were his biggest inspiration. When he got the email telling him that he got accepted for the Valentine's project, he legit screamed at the top of lungs in pure disbelief.
You were not only beautiful and seductive, you were also a kind and nice person. The professionalism you showed on set and in the meeting was nothing like he'd ever seen before. Usually, with all the stars he had worked with, they were all arrogant about how popular they were. You on the other hand, one of the biggest stars in the industry, were humble and down to earth. Jimin had to try very hard not to fanboy like crazy in front of you.
Jaebum was waiting for you at a table in the café when you arrived. He asked you what's your like to drink and ordered for the both of you. Hours went by as you both decided to head to a local bar for a proper drink. After two beers though, you decided to call it a night because you had a shoot and didn't want to be hungover. Jaebum drove you home and you thanked him for the fun time and asked him to text you before you got out of the car and got inside your house.
The date had been even better than you had expected. The true gentleman that Jaebum was, he made you feel so comfortable the entire time. He insisted on driving you home even when you said that you were okay catching a cab. You texted Jinyoung the moment you got home. He may have been your manager, but he was also your best friend. As soon as things hit off well with Jackson, you were the first person he talked about it to.
"How was the date?" Jinyoung asked the next day over coffee. Your shoot had gotten postponed by a day due to some scheduling issues so you had the day off and decided to spend it chilling with Jinyoung. With your hectic schedule, both of you barely got any time to hang out as just friends.
"It was absolutely amazing. Jaebum is really sweet. How's it going with Jackson?" You asked back and Jinyoung blushed. You knew that both of them had quite the active sex life with their extremely high libidos. Jinyoung didn't look like a sex freak but he totally was. Both of them were insatiable as seen by the rounds in cramped bathrooms during meetings and shoots that your have had to drag your manager out of.
"He's an absolutely sweetheart and has a massive dick. What else do I need in life" You choked on your drink, which caused Jinyoung to smirk. Your manager was something else only. He went from a total prude to a freak in a matter of seconds. Jinyoung's face suddenly lit up as if he remembered something and he pulled something out of his bag.
"I know you already have the script for the next shoot, but this is the script for the final one" He handed the file to you and you quickly looked through it. One thing stood out to you immediately. You rechecked the script a few times before turning to Jinyoung.
"There is a third person in this script and no one has been mentioned as the third actor" You noted and Jinyoung smiled. Something was going on that Jinyoung wasn't telling you about.
"The company asked for the final film to be a threesome but didn't have anyone in particular to be your costar so I recommended someone, guess who?" You finally realised what your manager was talking about.
"Did you ask him?" He nodded and showed you a text on his phone. You couldn't believe this was happening. You read through the script a few times. Whoever wrote it was a genius, you thought. You finalised the time for your next shoot and caught up on life with Jinyoung before heading home.
You arrived at the shoot ten minutes early because you knew you would take some time to get ready. Jimin was already changing by the time you got your costume. Bambam outdid himself with your outfit. It comprised of a black brallete with straps going around your torso, a black leather corset that had elastic instead of boning so that you would be comfortable, a pair of black Christian Louboutins and black crotchless panties.
Jungkook tied your hair up into a high ponytail before braiding it. Black and silver hair accessories were fitted into the braid finished the hairstyle. He also gave you a black lip and a smokey eye with you eyes tightlined with khol. By the end of it all, you looked liked a textbook dominatrix.
"Wow you look amazing. By the way, Jimin I looking for you, Mistress" Jinyoung winked as he guided you out of your change room towards Jimin's room. You wobbled a little in the heels as you hated those things and weren't used to walking in them.
"You wanted to see me?" You say as Jimin turned around from his dresser to look at you. You couldn't help but admire his outfit for a minute as he did the same. He was dressed in a leather harness that complemented his pale skin along with a pair of tight fitting black boxers and a leather collar with a big metal hoop attached to the front center.
"Yeah I just wanted to talk about for a bit but you rushed off set in a hurry last time so I was hoping you'd be free after shoot today?" He scratched the back of his neck, looking rather nervous. You couldn't help but coo at his cuteness. You told him that you'd stay after the shoot to talk before taking his hand and walking out of the room, towards the set.
The set this time was much different from the previous set. It had a dungeon theme with whips and paddles hanging off the black walls. A chain decoration covered one wall and a large black metal St Andrew's cross sat in the middle of the room.
"Stand on the cross" Jimin, who was kneeling by your feet, got up and climbed up onto the foot rests on the legs of the cross and held his arms up. You had him remove his boxers before fastened the restraints against his ankles. Getting up on the plank that connected the two foot rests across the cross and fastened his wrists in place.
The cold lube coated your fingers as you poured the cold liquid onto your hand. A single digit was pressed against Jimin's hole before being pushed in smoothly. You took your time working the man open, letting whines tumble out of his lips. Once his hole was nice and loose, you grabbed two small metal balls about the size of large marbles.
"Keep these in till I'm done with you and I'll reward you, drop them and I punish you" Jimin nodded as you pushed them past his rim, making sure than it was loose enough that the balls could easily fall out. Jimin's hole clenched around your fingers as you pulled them out. You stepped off the cross and picked up a few toys from the steel cart near the cross.
"Speak when spoken to, address me as Mistress and also keep quiet or I will gag you, understood?" You said and Jimin just nodded, causing you to chuckle. You slapped him once, making Jimin's head turn to the side.
"Yes Mistress" He gritted as you fastened a pair of nipple clamps on his already hardened buds. The clams were the normal hinge types, but had screws to tighten them and were attached together by a thick chain which added some weight to the contraption. Jimin tried his best to hold in a moan as you tightened the clamps but count help a whine escape. You gave him another slap as a warning and tugged strongly on the chain once for good measure.
Jimin's cock leaked precum as you wrapped a hand loosely around it. Giving it a few long pumps, you teased it for a bit before stepping off the cross once more. Jimin let out a confused moan as you pulled away, forcing you to pick up the black ball gag and tie it around his head.
It happened so suddenly, Jimin's mind could barely process it. You sneakily pressed a vibrator against his perineum and turned it on, massaging the skin there with it. The sudden stimulation made his hole clench and one of the balls fell out. His eyes widened as he heard the sound of the ball bouncing against the wood and rolling across the floor.
"One more to go" You said, your voice laced with lust. You turned up the vibrator, bringing it up to Jimin's balls and the base of his cock. Muffled moans escaped the boy's pretty lips as he neared his orgasm. He was jus about to cum when you turned off the vibrator and squeezed his base tightly. Tears welled in his eyes because of his denied orgasm, causing an almost evil smirk to bloom on your face.
You tugged harshly on the nipple clamps once more before moving the vibrator up to the head of his cock. Precum bubbled at the tip, which you spread around Jimin's cock using the end of the vibrator. Stroking him at a fast pace, you pushed the device header onto the sensetive tip, which made Jimin's orgasm wash over him. As he came on your hand, a loud noise interrupted his climax. The second ball fell to the floor before rolling off.
"Looks like someone's in trouble" You snickered before untying Jimin's hands and legs. You locked the wheels of the steel cart full of toys and quickly cleared the top. You gave him a moment to roll his shoulders to get some feeling back into them. Telling him to bend over the table, you grabbed a flat leather paddle off the bottom shelf of the cart.
"Count, and make sure to thank me each time" You said, pulling the ball gag out Jimin's mouth and letting it hang around his neck. A loud crack was followed by a broken moan as you started aiming well timed blows to Jimin's ass and thighs.
"Fi-fifteen, thank you Mistress" Jimin stuttered and you threw the paddle to the ground. Bending down next to the cart, you pulled out an "L" shaped double sided vibrator and eased one end of it inside your cunt before harshly thrusting the other end inside Jimin.
"You're not allowed to cum till I let you, understand" You gritted and Jimin said a weak 'Yes Mistress'. Slapping his already red ass a few times with your palms, you turned on the vibrator and started fucking him. Your pace was firm and steady, pulling out loud whines from the boys lips.
Sweat rolled off your forehead as you put your entire body weight into fucking Jimin. His pitch increased as he grew closer to his orgasm. You wrapped your hand around his weeping cock and stroked lazily. You could hear the silent sobs that left the boys lips due to the overstimulation.
"I-I'm close" Jimin whined. You gripped his cock tighter but maintained the pace, coordinating your thrusts with the strokes.
"My little slut wants to come? Then beg for it" You gritted.
"Please M-mistress, please let me c-cum, please, please, pl-please" Jimin's speach was barely coherent as you turned the vibrator up to maximum, sending both you and him over the edge. You helped him ride out his orgasm before turning the vibrator off and pulling out.
"Don't move" You told Jimin, your voice soft. Jinyoung rushed to you with your usual wet wipes and robe and you took a moment to help Jimin get cleaned up before turning Jim around and making him sit on top of the cart. The poor boy was quite tired after two strong orgasms back to back and you asked Jinyoung to get him a robe since you knew that at his level, it was rare to have a personal manager to help you out.
"Help me take him to my dressing room, he needs some rest before I'll be confident enough to send him back home" You told your manager and the both of you guided his boneless body to your room. Setting him down on one of the couches, you asked Jinyoung to go grab Jimin's clothes while you changed yourself.
"Here, drink some water" You offered Jimin who quietly grabbed the bottle and chugged it down in a matter of seconds. His chest was still heaving as you used a towel to help wipe off the sweat on his forehead. You thanked Jinyoung for the clothes and told Jimin to get dressed.
Preparing three cups of instant coffee using the kettle in your room, you gave one to Jinyoung as he was leaving the set. He still had a couple of meeting to attend to finalise things for the last shoot. The second cup you handed to Jimin before settling down into the couch next to him and sipping from the third.
"You wanted to talk?" You prompted. A good fifteen minutes had passed since you got the boy back to your room and he still hadn't uttered a word. You gave him some time to compose himself before he nodded and looked at you.
"There's nothing in particular, I just never got the opportunity to thank you for working with me on this project, it means the world to me" He said cutely. You felt a sudden urge to pinch his cheeks and coo at him as he half hid his face in the collar of his sweater.
"Well, I'm glad to be working with you. This project is always a highlight of the year and this time I am getting the opportunity to work with someone who I've always been curious about" You replied honestly. Shock was evident on Jimin's face as he processed your words.
"You, y/n y/l/n, were curious about me?" He asked.
"I'd heard a lot about you from my coworkers and I had seen some of your work before so yes, I was curious about you" The blush that coated Jimin's cheeks made him look so adorable that you could feel the butterflies in your stomach.
"I know I might be crossing some professional boundaries here, but would you mind joining me for a cup of coffee tomorrow evening?" Jimin asked. He stared at his hands as his fingertips played with the end of his sleeve. Since Jaebum and you weren't anything official yet, you didn't feel the need to say no to Jimin.
"Sure, why not?" You told him. Both of you exchanged numbers before you left. You, being the transparent person you were, let Jaebum know that you were going out for coffee with Jimin, making it clear that it wasn't anything more than hanging out for the time being and also let Jimin know that you were in fact seeing Jaebum. Neither of them minded the news which made you feel a little relieved.
The 'date' or whatever you call it was fun. Jimin was a real treat to be around, a completely different vibe as compared to Jaebum. The former was extremely submissive, which let you take the lead and make him flustered. The way Jimin blushed a bright pink at your compliments and giggled at your jokes made you feel a certain way.
That night, you got a call from Jaebum asking how the 'date' went. You told him honestly that you had a soft spot for the boy. You said in passing that it would have been nice if Jaebum liked Jimin then all three of you could have dated.
Jaebum, whom you had expected to brush off the idea away, actually found it interesting and told you that they should talk about it after the last and final shoot. And yes, the other costar that Jinyoung had recommended for the shoot was, in fact, Jaebum.
Three days later, you stepped out of your dressing room, dressed in an almost sheer, silver minidress, navy blue panties and silver high heels. You hair was straightened and the makeup was more on the galm side. You looked like you were leaving to go the club all thanks to Bambam and Jungkook.
The concept for the shoot was that Jimin and you were dating and met Jaebum at a bar and decided to call him home. Due to the nature of the concept, instead of having a studio set, the three of you were taken to one of the floors on top of the studio were they had furnished apartments for which shoots. Cameras were set up both inside and outside the door.
"Action!" The director shouted and you opened the lift door from inside. The three of you tumbled out of the lift, purposely trying to act a little drunk. Jaebum pinned Jimin against the wall next to the apartment door and kissed him while you unlocked the front door. Once you got it open, you grabbed Jimin's wrist and dragged the both of them inside.
Clothes were discarded here and there as you made you way towards the bedroom. Jaevun threw Jimin on the bed and the director asked you for a moment to readjust the lighting before he told you to continue. You kneeled on the bed and captured Jaebum's lips with yours. While his hands wandered up and down your body, you let on of your hands wander around Jimin's.
Once all three of you were naked, Jaebum told you to sit on his face. Jimin took the opportunity to settle between the older man's legs and stroke start sucking him off. Lewd sounds filled the room and Jaebum wrapped his lips aroujd your clit and Jimin wrapped his around Jaebum's cock.
Your moans were loud as Jaebum ate you out like a starved man. Gripping onto his hair, your legs shivered as you neared your orgasm. After a few well timed thrusts with his tongue, you were tipped over the edge. Jaebum quickly threaded his fingers through Jimin's hair and pulled him off before he came.
"Now what? Two cocks for babygirl?" Jaebum asked and you chuckled.
"Unfortunately, Jimin's cock is not meant for fucking. Have you ever taken a cock in you ass?" You asked Jaebum. The man looked conflicted for a moment before he shook his head.
"You interested? If yes, I'll let you fuck him and I can fuck you" You proposed. After a bit of consideration, Jaebum nodded. That man was a really good actor. He genuinely looked like he had never taken cock up his ass even though you know very well that he had.
"Here, open the boy up while I work on you, Jimin, lay down on your back" The younger man scooted up the bed and rested against the pillows as you handed Jaebum a bottle of lube. Jaebum settled between the other man's legs and you pushed him onto his kneels and elbows.
Once Jaebum started fingering Jimin, you spread the former's cheeks open and licked his hole. The camera zoomed in on you eating Jaebum's ass as he worked Jimin open. Jimin's high pitched moans and Jaebum's rough growls filled the room. Once you were done, you passed the older man a condom before moving to the nightstand to grab a strap on from the drawer.
You told Jimin to get on his hands and knees. Jaebum then slowly entered the boy, talking him time to let Jiminget used to the stretch. Once he was all the way in, you kneeled behind them and pushed Jaebum down a bit so that he was leaning over Jimin and entered him carefully.
Pulling back a bit, you allowed Jaebum to fuck himself on your cock and simultaneously fuck Jimin. The younger boy moaned uncontrollably as he was impaled over and over again by Jaebum's cock. You told Jaebum to get Jimin off and while he stroked the younger, you took the opportunity to fuck his ass harshly.
The thrusts made Jaebum go deeper inside Jimin which threw him over the edge. Jimin collapsed onto the bed and you pressed Jaebum onto his hands and knees over Jimin and fucked him till he came.
After cleaning up and getting dressed, Jaebum casually asked both you and Jimin out for a coffee and though it looked spontaneous, you knew that Jaebum was actually considering the proposition you had made a few days prior.
The three of you hit it off really well, your personalities complimenting each other's. You guys hung out together a few times before you and Jaebum finally decided to have a conversation with Jimin about entering into a polyamorous relationship and surprisingly, Jimin was quite excited about it. He confessed that he had developed a little bit of a crush on both of you and that he would love a three way relationship.
February 14th rolled around and you stepped out of your limousine onto the red carpet. You were followed by your two boyfriends along with Jinyoung and Jackson who accompanied you to the press conference. Being one of your company's most important projects, they held a press conference followed by a huge gala every year.
The press conference went smoothly, the reporters enjoying the chemistry between the three of you. A few questions were asked about Jaebum's involvement in the project and he happily thanked you for giving him the opportunity even though he clearly didn't need it at his level of popularity.
Afterwards, you guys headed for the gala where you bumped into Yoongi. He asked you to dance with him and you told Jaebum and Jimin to join you guys too. The four of you danced for a while before grabbing some drinks and settling down for dinner.
You spoke to Taehyung for a bit who thanked you for being a part of his project before the CEO of your company stepped onto the stage to make a speech.
"This year's Valentine's Day Project starring y/n y/l/n, Park Jimin and Lim Jaebum has officially become our most popular project of all time. A big thank you to the cast and crew and also to Park Jinyoung you wonderfully managed everything for us. We hope to see our wonderful stars continue to be parts of such successful project and films and reach new heights! Goodnight!"
Tumblr media
166 notes · View notes
uaejobs2030 · 5 months
Text
Tumblr media
فرص عمل خالية في طيران الامارات لكل الجنسيات
رواتب عالية
بدون وجود خبرة
مزايات مغرية
التفاصيل والتقديم : https://wp.me/pcz2Eb-fWl
#recruitment #وظائف #jobs #recruiting #توظيف #careers #hr #السعودية #job #search #وظائف_الشرقية #وظيفة_شاغرة #التوظيف #وظيفه #وظائف_اليوم #وظائف_الرياض #hunting #توطين #وظائف_إدارية #الرياض #طاقات #saudi #ساعد_تتساعد #riyadh #الموارد_البشرية #بنك_الرياض #جدة #عاجل #الامارات #عمان #هام #humanresources #قطر #خبر #وظائف_السعودية #الدمام #وظائف_عمان #كلمني_عربي #السلطنة #humanresources #وظيفة #اللغة #qatar #oil #work #banque #petroleum #people #الطب #energy #الطيران #amazon #development #الصحة #markets #hotels #accorhotels #hospital #الأبحاث #egypt #airlines #oilandgas #insurance #microsoft #oilgas #university #power #pwc #middleeast #bank #canada #deloitte #medicine #aviation #الطاقة #health #education #التسويق #إدارة #الهندسة #team #investment #engineer #projects #devops #remotework #engineers #azure #design #india #management #digital #opportunities #engineering #culture #china #microservices #infrastructure #agile #java #kubernetes #software #cloud #python #network #experience #linux #docker #bigdata #softwaredevelopment #programming #sql #reference #finance
0 notes
bangtiddies · 4 years
Text
Single, No Sugar
Tumblr media
Pairing: Hoseok x Reader Genre: Fluff, Strangers to Lovers AU, Coffee Shop AU Rating: PG13 Words: 2k Warnings: swearing, this is very cheesy i’m sorry
Summary: Last year, you spent Black Day drinking black coffee and flirting with a handsome stranger in the café. This year, you meet the handsome stranger again at the same café.
Note: unedited cause I’m a fool. Tagging @taehyung-me-down @solarjeon @hobisbeautifulass and @thinksshesawolf​ because I love them and also because they always give me support when I need it.
Part of the Luv Library Project
Tumblr media
The café you frequent is quiet and gloomy today, bitter singles sitting by themselves or with friends and drinking black coffee that they probably don’t even enjoy. You’re one of them too, although you admit that you quite enjoy black coffee, especially if there’s no sugar in it. What’s better than being a bitter single on Black Day with bitter black coffee?
You sit alone in your usual spot, black coffee comforting you while you think back to the call you had with your mother a while ago. She had asked you about your relationship status, pestering you about how she’s getting older and she wants to see you with a boyfriend soon. You almost yelled at her when she compared you to a cousin your age, who’s already married and pregnant with their first child.
The problem you have with dating is that despite society evolving, traditional standards around dating still seem to be relevant today. That life isn’t important unless you find that perfect someone. As if you’re living only to fall in love with someone, get married, and live happily ever after. And it sucks because as much as you’re a hopeless romantic, you’re also angry at how high everyone’s standards are. How you’re brought up to believe that romance is supposed to be a specific way. Dating becomes hard when fantasies don’t mix well with reality.
So here you are, celebrating Black Day as a bitter single. Only this year, you’re not joined with your friend Nari, who started dating Yoongi four months ago. This year, you truly feel alone and single on Black Day.
You continue to drink your coffee, looking out the window and watching those who pass by, dressed in all black. You can tell who’s single and who’s not today, just by the way that they’re dressed. You wonder what Nari’s doing today. Probably eating jjajangmyeon with her boyfriend.
You’re too busy people-watching and being bitter that you don’t notice someone walking toward you. When you hear the shuffling of a person taking a seat on the chair in front of you, you finally notice them.
When you recognise the person, your eyes widen.
It’s him.
He smirks. “Fancy seeing you here again this year.”
Tumblr media
You met Hoseok on Black Day last year.
Dressed in all black, you were drinking black coffee to represent your bitter single status, like you did every other Black Day. Last year, you were with Nari at the café you frequent, bitterly muttering to each other about unfair dating standards. You don’t usually but Black Day is an exception – a special day for being bitter and single.
Nari was talking about someone she had met recently, some guy named Yoongi. You were half interested, half not, staring at your half empty cup of coffee and nodding your head once in a while to what she was saying. You knew what Nari was like. She would talk so much about guys she was interested in, only to lose interest a couple of months later.
You finished your cup of coffee, remnants  of the dark beverage leaving a brown stain at the bottom of the ceramic coffee cup. Damn. You were already out of coffee.
Excusing yourself from her stories about Min Yoongi, you told Nari that you were going to go order yourself another cup. Taking your empty coffee cup with you, you lined up by the busy counter. The café wasn’t usually busy but there was always an exception for specific holidays.
Coffee cup still in hand, you stood behind a guy with black hair, wearing a black leather jacket clad with black skinny jeans. He was sort of dressed like a rock star, fake earrings and all, and you were impressed. It was always exciting to see people get creative with Black Day.
Maybe you stared at his back for a little too long because you noticed that there were black stains on his neck. Huh. Maybe he had dyed his hair black recently. You raised your eyebrows - you weren't expecting to encounter someone who took Black Day so seriously.
When the person in front of you reached the counter and turned toward the cashier to order a Black Day Special Black Coffee, you were taken aback by his handsome side profile. Wow. You thought his style was good but you didn't expect him to be so good looking. You knew that you were staring at him but you couldn't help it.
You realised that you were staring at him for a little too long when he turned to you and gave you a wink after he completed his order. The wink took you by surprise, your eyes widening and a blush coming close to your cheeks. No. Stop. You didn't want to be blushing on Black Day of all days. In your thoughts, you cursed his handsome face.
Quickly turning to the counter, you tried to ignore the handsome stranger standing beside you, waiting for his order while you gave the cashier yours. After handing the coffee cup in your hands to the barista to reuse, you realised that you had left your wallet on the table with Nari. Fuck.
"Um, I've left my wallet at my table," you laughed nervously.
You were about to ask if it was okay for you to dash back to your table to grab your wallet, but noticed that the girl behind the cash register looked annoyed. And, after noticing the line behind you, you realised that you'd probably be yelled at by some upset single person who wanted their fourth fix of deep black coffee. Feeling the nervous sweat at your armpits, you tried to figure out what to do. You flicked your eyes back to your table, where Nari was still sitting, hoping that you'd catch her eyes. But she was staring out the window, probably dreaming about that Min Yoongi guy. How typical of her.
"Here, I'll pay for it," the guy who was in front of you suddenly said, stepping to you and digging through his wallet. Your eyes widened and you shook your head.
"No, you shouldn't--"
"It's fine," he interrupted, before flashing you a grin. His teeth almost blinded your eyes. "You can pay for my next one."
You blushed at his flirty tone and, since you didn't really have a choice considering that Nari was still staring out the window, you let him pay for your coffee. After paying, he sent another wink your way. You cursed him in your thoughts again.
It took only a few minutes for your coffee, waiting by the counter for picking up your coffee. In those few minutes, the stranger next to you kept glancing back at you, sometimes with a smile, sometimes with a soft chuckle. He was getting on your nerves. Why did he have to be so handsome and confident? You wished that you had the same confidence to give him a nice and lovely fuck you. And maybe send a flirty smirk his way too. And maybe kiss the living daylight out of him. Ugh.
Your coffee finally arrived, the handsome stranger still standing by you, despite already having his coffee in his hands.
"Oh, that's right," you said out loud, realising that he had paid for your coffee. "Let me get my wallet from my table. I can pay you back."
Before he could say anything, you walked back to your table, your coffee in your hands. You put your coffee down on the table, finally getting Nari's attention from her daydreaming. You grabbed your wallet and she frowned.
"Wait, how--"
You don't wait for Nari to finish, already walking away from her and toward the handsome stranger. What you didn't notice, was that he had followed you. You almost bumped into him.
"Woah, easy there tiger," he laughed, saving his coffee from spilling all over you and himself. Eyes wide from shock, you stared at him, and then looked down at his arm around your waist that had stopped you from losing your balance.
"Oh my god. I'm so sorry," you stuttered, jumping back to release yourself from his grip. Your thoughts went wild, mind not removing the image of his arm around your waist. How nice it felt. How you wanted him to wrap an arm around you again. You tried to shake those thoughts away.
"Are you okay?"
You looked back at him, blinked, and then nodded to answer his question. "Uh, yeah. I'm okay."
He smiled. "That's good."
You smiled back, before looking down at your hands and seeing your wallet that you were still holding. Remembering, you quickly opened up the wallet and pulled out some cash. "Here, um, thank you for paying for my coffee earlier."
"You're welcome. Although, I said you could pay for my next coffee."
You smirked, confidence suddenly appearing out of nowhere. "But that would mean that we'd buy a coffee together."
"Oh, would you look at the time!" Nari said all of a sudden, standing up from her seat and getting your attention. "I promised I'd meet my mother today and I completely forgot! I'm sorry, Y/N, I'll have to leave you alone!"
You knew she was lying, and was about to say something snarky to her about it, but she quickly gave you a look, flicking her pupils to the handsome stranger. Oh. You tried to give her a look back, to tell her that there was nothing going on between you and the handsome stranger, but she managed to leave before you could. You awkwardly stared at her retreating figure as she walked out of the café.
"So," the stranger said after you turned back to him with an awkward attempt of an apologetic smile. "Is it okay if I ask for you to join me in drinking coffee today?"
He gave you a flirty smirk, enough to make alarms go off in your head but fucking hell, he was hot and Nari would probably whack you if you had left and let this opportunity pass.
"Sure," you smiled. His smirk turned into a genuine smile, heart shaped and hitting you with cupid's heart shaped arrow. You wanted to shoo cupid's arrow away. It was supposed to be Black Day, not Valentine's Day.
"I'm Hoseok, by the way," the handsome stranger said, sitting down on the chair that Nari was sitting on earlier. You took your own seat again, coffee still sitting on the table. Hoseok took a sip of his coffee, raising an eyebrow at you, waiting for your name.
"Oh, um, I'm Y/N," you said, recomposing your confidence so you could give him a flirty smile. "Nice to meet you, Hoseok."
Tumblr media
(You stared at the stains on Hoseok's neck. Now that you were spending Black Day with him, you decided that you might as well ask him about it. "Did you dye your hair for Black Day?"
Hoseok blinked, eyes looking confused for a second before realisation dawned upon him and he started laughing. He nervously scratched the back of his head, and you found him a lot more attractive after seeing how shy he looked.
"I actually did this with a friend this morning as a joke. He chickened out so I left him on his own to spite him."
You laughed with him.)
Tumblr media
Hoseok smiles at you, hair a lighter brown this year. He suits it, he looks softer and approachable. You wonder if this is the same Hoseok you met last year. You know he is - he's wearing the same leather jacket he wore last year, still looking hot enough to make you swoon.
"How are you," he asks.
You smirk. "Bitter and single."
He smirks back. "That makes the two of us."
Today, however, after flirting and laughing over many cups of coffee, you don't leave the café at the end of the day without Hoseok's number. He asks to exchange your numbers, admitting that he regretted not doing so last year.
"Why didn't you ask to me last year," you ask him as the two of you jot your numbers into each other's phones.
Hoseok blushes, "I don't live around here, so I was worried that I'd get too attached to someone I just met who lives far away."
"Then what changed your mind this year?"
"My friend," Hoseok says, handing your phone back to you and you give him his. "He just got a girlfriend recently, and apparently they lived far from each other but they were messaging and keeping contact for ages. I... I really liked being with you last year and I thought about how I wanted that kind of relationship with you."
His words take you by surprise, your eyes widening as a blush paints your cheeks. "What if I was snatched by someone in the last year?"
"I would've regretted not asking for your number even more," he says with a sad smile.
"Then, you're lucky I'm single," you say, giving him a smile. "I guess I can say that I thought about wanting some kind of relationship with you as well."
Hoseok smiles, mouth shaped like a heart, a relieved chuckle escaping his lips. "Can I ask you out on a date?"
"Sure," you say, heart skipping a beat.
"How does tomorrow sound?"
You smile. "Tomorrow sounds great."
Tumblr media
You get a text from Hoseok later that night.
Hobi: Do you have a specific order for coffee? I'll bring you a cup tomorrow morning 😊😊 [20:24]
You send him a text back.
You: Black, no sugar 😉 [20:25]
156 notes · View notes
milkygcf · 4 years
Text
All the King’s horses, all the King’s men
Tumblr media
Pairing | myg x reader
Genre | Mystery, thriller, angst, slowburn, e2l, Gang Leader!reader, Detective!yoongi
Warnings | Graphic scenes, use of alcohol, use of drugs, gang violence, explicit language, slightly sexual scenes, social issues, major character death.
Summary | ❝ Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall- Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. Even with all the King’s horses and all the King’s men, Humpty could not be put back together again. ❞
or
❝ An ambitious man caught in thorns, drowning in the delicacy of what the world truly is - a whirlpool of chaos and terror. There, he finds his bitter downfall. ❞
Word Count | 3.1k
Tumblr media
Author’s Note | Hello! I wanted to make a quick note about this oneshot before it actually starts. Firstly, I’d like to advise whoever’s reading this that this is just a summary of the actual fic which I will be releasing - however, I have not finalised a date. Secondly, it’s a tad bit rushed and messy and I apologise if it does not reach standards. Due to my personal life, I found that it was quite difficult to find the time to write as much <3 
To end everything, I would like to thank @ficswithluv​ for welcoming me into this wonderful project! I hope you enjoy reading <3
The delicate stomping of your feet upon the gravel startles the ravens sitting by. You stop in front of a familiar tombstone, your infamous surname nicely engraved in a fancy font. Before it lay a multitude of flowers, all speedwells as to symbolise loyalty towards the man buried six feet under. It's Valentine's day, and unlike the ravishing hues of blues and purples, you had bought roses to celebrate the event. If anything, you were always the odd one out when on with your business.
You set a few speedwells down, politely placing them into one of the empty jars left out beside the other swarm. It's overwhelming, the very site of your father's name placed in such a lowly place, finally resting beside your mother. It's overwhelming how in only a small amount of time, events took a wicked turn and brought along unnecessary chaos.
You face the neighbouring slate of stone set on the right side of your family's. This one's much duller and greatly lacking in vibrancy, attention. It brings a frown to your features. It's lonely, devoid of any proper affection that one needs in order to stay remembered.
Yet, even though it's desolate, it makes you reminisce. The sight of it doesn't bring you grief - neither does it bring you melancholy. Instead, it fills your train of thought with old memories that you either want to cherish or banish completely. Where forever was once a long time, it’s now a memory. Where pinky promises were depicted as something precious, you now notice that they were nothing but white lies to conceal the truth.
You’d learned this the hard way.
It’s truly surprising how so much can happen in the span of a year, how so many things are able to change and leave dead skin behind. The world is a delicacy of chaos and terror. Time offers only to take. It’s an ancient form of evil and you’ve grown to despise it for it works.
Now you’re left empty, shattered and dull. No longer do you symbolise the purity of a child whose eyes shimmered with innocence, with colour. When you thought you had already grown, you put yourself through trauma. And with a series of unfortunate events, you’ve finally, truly come to understand the world for what it truly is.
Beside you, a wounded soul whom you haven’t seen in such a long time laces his fingers with yours. He draws soothing circles into your skin and you finally breathe. Through thick and thin, you find yourselves here, together, breathing.
Maybe, there is hope for blemished souls like yours.
You met the unusual man at a bar. Although back then, you had no idea what really lied underneath the thick layer of skin that he dawned. The bartender had offered the both of you drinks, pointing out how utterly exhausted the two of you looked. That sparked up small talk – simple, small talk.
Until you were both sharing breaths in a bathroom stall, holding onto each other almost as if your lives depended on it. Every touch of his that settled on your skin burned, the pieces of fabric that your body dawned felt way too heavy. Your fingers were tangled in his hair, teeth biting down on his lip. His hands were on your hips, pulling you closer and closer onto his body until the warmth that was radiating off him made both of you break out.
Both your minds were hazy, your mouths tasted like a mixture of vodka and whiskey. It left a bitter feeling on your tongues. You were so lost in the feeling, the warmth that spread through you and shut out all your concerns.
His hands were playing with the zipper of your dress, fumbling hastily as to waste no time. It was almost funny how men could get so impatient. You were both speaking in tongues, merely pulling back to catch your breaths. His left leg was pushed right against your core making you more sensitive than your own good. You were grinding down on him, moans tumbling out of your mouth as they were muffled into the kiss.
Maybe it was just a moment’s talk, but even though you were barely doing anything, the feeling was euphoric.
He was trailing wet kisses down your neck, giving you the chance to finally catch your breath. Your skin was bruising, your core was pooling, and you were losing sense of reality. His hands were running all over you, making you feel something much greater than pleasure from a simple touch.
It all came to a stop at the sound of his phone ringing aggressively in his pockets, leaving you huffing out in annoyance. He didn’t just leave it and continue with his business; he fished the phone out of his pocket and stormed out of the stall while fixing himself up. There was no “excuse me,” or “I really have to take this.” He just stormed out of the room as if nothing was going on. It left you livid.
Park Jimin, your right-hand man, had to pick you up that night – helped you with your frustrations and worries, held you until you slept and didn’t wake up until dawn.
You were glad to think that you wouldn’t ever see him again, just a one-time failed fling in a population full of many. But your career begged to differ, as about a month or so after, he turned up to a meeting you held, custom-made for new recruits. Never will you forget the surprise on his face, when he found out that you were, indeed, the leader of the cartel. You, a normal woman at the bar, drinking her sorrows away in hopes they’d simmer and give her peace.
Although, you’d like to think there was something else beneath that surprise.
“A woman, as the leader of the sickest cartels in all South Korea?” One of the recruits spoke, a bitter tone hanging on his tongue. “How the fuck is it supposed to stay put?”
It was true that you had no idea how things were supposed to go in the industry – your father never really let you merge yourself with his world. But now, your father lay in a casket six feet under after being found dead in a ditch. You couldn’t really put it in a simpler way, but the only thing you could really say is you refuse to recreate an old nursery rhyme your mother used to tell you when you were just a toddler.
Nothing will stop you from reigning and getting back at whoever slaughtered your plans. You weren’t ready to tolerate anything in your way.
Hence why you didn’t hesitate to make Jimin shoot a bullet through his head, even if it terrified you just the slightest bit. But that was a different story.
Of course, it was no surprise. Women were still thought to be such fragile beings, not being able to handle anything. Once you stepped on top for the throne, you refused to let that put you down. “If any of you dimwits even so much as think about saying stupid shit like that again, I won’t hesitate to decapitate you.”
Jimin always kept his word. Because for the next year or so, whoever even uttered a single word about your command in the cartel faced death. You were never there to see it – Seokjin and Jimin made sure you knew everything that occurred, though.
On the other hand, there was that man you met at the bar. If it was possible, he would’ve disintegrated under your gaze. The dislike you had towards him was surely something grand, and to glitter it up a bit, he seemed to share the same feelings towards you too. Of course, in your defense, he had no reason to.
You weren’t the one who ditched in the middle of a make-out session.
Min Yoongi – he was something. A no one, but something, nonetheless. Ever since you saw him lined up with the other recruits, you’ve had your eye on him. As dumb as he acted, the man was cunning. Just what the cartel needed. Despite acting scared, like everything is all new, you felt as if it was nothing to him – almost as if it was all just a mask to conceal his true intentions. Although, you had no proof to this, so you let these accusations simmer.
His tale was cliché. He needed money but he didn’t have the qualifications to get a job. So, he joined the mafia, a very dirty place to get what you want. You ran background checks on him, just in case, and you found nothing of danger to all of you.
With a few weeks of training, Yoongi was fully accepted into the group and was one of Seokjin’s right-hand men.  
Passing by him in corridors, sitting in the same room with him, even hearing his name made your blood boil. It was unexplainable, but the feeling was mutual. Back then, if he disliked you, then it would only be fair if you disliked him as well. 
The tension was incredibly thick between you two, much that it left others uncomfortable whenever you were in each other’s presence. It was unbearable.
There was this incident once – you remember it like the back of your hand.
Seokjin had sent him to your office to deliver the newest packages that would determine how briskly your newest job was going to go. Despite begging the elder to send someone else as to avoid the awkward tension, the man refused.
The next morning, the raven-haired man was waiting by your door, box in hand. It took you a minute or so of plainly staring at him, observing the way his fingers twitch on the item, the way his eyes squint at you almost as if you were going to swallow him whole. It was quiet. No one said a word until you both entered your office.
“I didn’t think I’d see you again, as a fucking mafia leader.” he said.
“Ta mère ne t'a jamais dit de ne pas faire confiance aux étrangers?” you responded fluently, the accent rolling down your tongue briskly. Yoongi had no clue what you said, hence why you huffed and translated for him.
“I’m pretty sure your mother has warned you about strangers at least once in her life, no?” Your tone was calm, soft and delicate.
“She has. I didn’t think it’d happen with you though.”
You crossed your arms over your chest and rested against your desk. “Oh? I apologise then, even though I don’t recall being the one who’s acting arrogant.” As someone below you, he had to show decency, or he’d be thrown out with the dogs. “Arrogant?” he snarled lowly, plummeting down on one of the cushioned chairs placed in front of your mahogany desk. “You’re the one who’s been acting like a bitch all this time.”
“Best watch your tongue before I throw you out,”
“Do it then.”
He was faced with a gun to his head. You glared; finger firmly set on the trigger as you stared directly at him. No way were you going to let him get away with such a disrespectful attitude. He didn’t flinch, neither did he blink. He just stared back at you, slowly shoving his hands in the pockets of his tattered jacket.
“Don’t test me, Min.”
“You wouldn’t do it.”
Once those words tumbled out of his lips, you stiffened. Of course, you’d do it, why wouldn’t you?
“You put on a strong, independent persona but you can barely manage yourself.”
His words are what water is to fire. How dare he talk to you like that? Had he no fucking decency? Did he really want a bullet to pierce his skin in order to start seeing some sense?
“I have no idea what you’re saying.”
“Oh, I think you do. That’s you, isn’t it?” His head bobbed towards the painting behind you – the Ses Peines Pleurant Es, a painting your mother had created back in her days. It depicted the both of you against the world, against the pure wickedness you were forced to grow up in. There’s darkness, but in contrast to it, there’s you as a new-born dawned in white.
“What makes you think that?”
The metal felt cold against his skin and Yoongi couldn’t help but shiver. “That painting’s been missing for years, and now that it’s here, it has to be yours.” he spoke calmly, “And frankly, I don’t think I’ve seen someone wear that much white before.”
You looked down at your clothes, all white with no signs of any other hue. It was crazy, truly, but you don’t remember wearing any other colour growing up. Your mother always dressed you up in just white, telling you that you look best in it. You just never really took mind to the resemblance your fashion sense had with the painting.
“Must be a coincidence,” you hummed, lowering the gun down to his chest. “For which I think is none of your business.”
Yoongi only hummed in response. There was a strict silence between the two of you then, before you sent him back to whatever duties Seokjin set on his shoulders. That was one of the encounters you had before things started taking a slight twist.
An infiltration in the Children’s Medical Clinic of Seoul, where one of the doctors was the main leads to what exactly brought your father’s downfall. You remember how ruthless Yoongi was that day, mercilessly shooting at the man without hesitation, without sparing a single breath. It was crazy, hell, it was mad, but you enjoyed it. That only meant strength to the cartel, and that’s exactly what you wanted.
Although, you won’t ever forget the pained screams of children roaring in panic, the sudden stiffness in Min when the man dropped dead and painted the bleached tiles red.
From then on, the hate you harboured towards each other started to simmer. Seokjin and Jimin had noticed this when Yoongi started becoming more obedient, less cocky with the way he formed his words.
To you, this was relief.
But then things started to advance, the two of you started getting closer and before you knew it, you were having affairs late at night. When everyone else was at their respective homes, you were under silken sheets, legs entangled with Yoongi’s. You’d play with his soft locks as he told you his deepest, darkest secrets. He’d tell you his fears, what he’s always wanted to become ever since he was a toddler.
And you’d listen. You’d listen intently until both of you fell asleep, and you’d rake your brain until you unraveled what all the information you ate up meant.
Jimin started getting suspicions – he found pills in Yoongi’s house. There was no labelling on them, and you didn’t think asking him would somehow enlighten the situation. To make it far more interesting, later you found a multitude of phone numbers scribbled on a piece of paper in his pockets.
Yoongi started becoming strange.
He’d tell you things you were skeptical of, he’d do things you deemed abnormal. And then, he started telling you how someone was out to get you, and how one day he would be famous, people would talk about him wherever he passed by.
You’ve known Yoongi for a year – enough to tell that he was not the man he was before. He wasn’t so mental, he wasn’t a paranoid freak, neither was he so ambitious. Yoongi was just a normal man who needed something to do.
But then, he started talking in his sleep. Words tumbling out of his mouth one by one, telling you who he truly was, the man behind the façade he’d been showing you every day.  Jimin was never one to lie.
There was someone out to get you and it was him. He’d been a wolf in sheep’s clothing, getting closer to you in order to gain information to bring your very downfall. He revealed every little plan, every hidden camera scattered across the base, all managed by none other than the police department.
Humpty Dumpty had the King’s men to aid him, piece him back up and help him up the wall. But you, you had no one.
The man who had shown you what white truly meant, what innocence and happiness felt like, what being normal truly tasted of. Your first and your last love. Min Yoongi, the man who wrapped his hands around your heart and took advantage of what was bare.
Perhaps that was why your mother always teased you about being careful when dealing with boys.
You reminisce how it all went down on Valentine’s Day. How the waves hugged the shore lovingly, being complimented nicely by the dim light of the moon dawning on your silhouettes hand in hand. He felt cold. Yoongi felt distant.
A sweet, passionate kiss was shared that night. It filled you with false hope, chills. It painted a faulty picture in your head of what could have been but hadn’t been. That night, you held him close and held him dearly.
“I love you,” he whispered.
Your toes curled in the damp particles of the sand. Your fingers fell limp. “I love you most,” You muttered back, your lips trailing faint kisses across his neck. When you pulled back, you observed him. Yoongi had never looked so vulnerable in all the times you’ve faced him. Although, even if he was torn, in that very moment to you he was beautiful.
You remember the screeching of birds once you pulled the trigger, your skin and dress then painted in crimson. You remember the sheer surprise scattered across his face until he offered you a gentle smile and collapsed.
“Jour de la Saint-Valentin heureux, mon amour.”
You no longer wore white.
 ---
His name is engraved quite nicely on his tombstone. It still saddens you how barren it looks, devoid of any attention. Hence why you gently set the bouquet of flowers down, bowing your head in respect towards the man who brought you to a new world.
You’ll cherish his presence in your memories instead of forgetting them.
Even if Yoongi left without truly accomplishing his mission, without truly becoming what his desires were, he was deemed dead in vain.
Macbeth let his ambition eat him whole and it led him to his very downfall – the terror of seeing himself crumble and lose power.
Yoongi also was too over-ambitious for his own good. He let himself succumb to the control you were merely lending him, only to suffer the consequences and face his own undoing.
After all, Humpty Dumpty could never really be put back together again.
 “Happy Valentine’s day, my love.”
106 notes · View notes
ficswithluv · 4 years
Text
The Luv Library: Fairytales & Fantasy
Tumblr media
In a secluded forest, sequestered from the rest of the world and brimming with the vibrant essence of magic and wonder, live the fairies. Wandering through the forest, they simply look in on the different lives of the people and creatures who inhabit in the forest. From the knights who come to save their princesses from their towers and the dragons that protect them; the mermaids who lurk in the deep, to the witches who would enchant or hex you; the fairies observe them all. And sometimes, if you wish it hard enough, the fairies will tell you the story of a life they have witnessed. Want to delve into this shelf?
⇥ This is part of ficwithluv’s ‘The Luv Library Project’
Tumblr media
❥ black swan ⤑ pjm
 ↳  @rkivenamu
« An injured warlock was the last thing you expected to come across one afternoon on your way home from town. Let alone being drawn into his fight against an arch fae wanting to destroy the peace that had surrounded your small town for the last three years. »
Tumblr media
❥ blood is thicker than water ⤑ myg + jjk
  ↳  @shadowsremedy 💌
« Sink your teeth into a morbid fairy tale within the deep and dark vampire society of the victorian era. »
Tumblr media
❥ broto hjarta ⤑ knj
  ↳  @thatmultifandomhoe​
« When a magical storm threatens to wipe out your home, you venture into the forest in search of someone – anyone – to help end it. But when an Elf takes you in after getting injured, you learn that those who live in the forest, are not the monsters your town has made them out to be, but victims. »
Tumblr media
❥ the dragon’s princess ⤑ jhs
  ↳  @jamaisjoons 💌
« with your mother’s death, and your father remarrying, came your abandonment in a tower - under the pretence that you’d be saved by a prince when you were older. now, it’s been over a decade and the princes come in droves to save you from the dragon that guards you. but you don’t want a charming prince. no. you prefer sweet ferocious dragons. one sweet, ferocious dragon in particular. »
Tumblr media
❥ golden crowns, silver locket ⤑ kth
  ↳  @bangtan-dreamland​
« This is the story of the princess who held the crown and carried it's weight at an age too young, and the genie who made her into an excellent queen... »
Tumblr media
❥ monachopsis ⤑ knj x ksj | mxm
  ↳  @ddaenggtan 💌
« seokjin knows - has known, for years - that his life will be like this forever. there is no more sea, there is no more swimming, there is no more of anything he used to know. this is life - wake up, go to a shoot, try not to piss giho off, go home, sleep, wake up again. because he was caught. because giho owns him. because he can’t. but then he meets namjoon. and seokjin starts to realize that maybe…just maybe. he can. »
Tumblr media
❥ to hold a dragon’s heart ⤑ kth
  ↳  @softlyjiminie​ 💌
« two kingdoms, two hearts and the world between them. your whole life has been a challenge,  never an easy moment on your road to becoming queen but will one decision, one encounter with the man you were destined to hate, change the fate of your worlds, forever? »
Tumblr media
❥ wisteria ⤑ ksj
  ↳  @heyitsmeee2​
« Unicorns aren’t all rainbows and sunshine. When you are banished from the 🦄 Kingdom, a 🐉, unicorns’ mortal enemy, takes you in. He’s different. He’s willing to help you. But the time to help you is running out and the 🐉 👑 is looking for you. »
304 notes · View notes
ddaenggtan · 4 years
Text
monachopsis | knj x ksj
Tumblr media
seokjin knows - has known, for years - that his life will be like this forever. there is no more sea, there is no more swimming, there is no more of anything he used to know. this is life - wake up, go to a shoot, try not to piss giho off, go home, sleep, wake up again. because he was caught. because giho owns him. because he can't. 
but then he meets namjoon. and seokjin starts to realize that maybe...just maybe. he can.
pairing | namjin
rating | sfw (some swearing & violence, so T for teen)
wc | 5.7k | cross-posted to ao3
warnings | mild violence, allusions to violence and physical abuse, a very brief depiction of said abuse, non-sexual choking, non-sexual slavery in a way, selkie!jin, aquarium worker!joon, marine biologist!joon, model!jin
a/n | hi this is for fwl’s Luv Library project, for the Fantasy & Fairytales section, and its also the first mxm i’ve ever posted so it might be a Little Rough but i am very attached to these characters and also i Love Selkies SO you get selkie jin!!! special super shoutout to @personawife​ for reading through it and also giving me the title!!!! im luv u!!! i hope u like the surprise ending that you didn’t get to read bc it was a surprise!!!!!!! ALSO added shoutout to user @jamaisjoons​ for the SUPERB banner she made!!!!!!!! im in love!!!!!!!!!! sol i do not deserve u!!!!!!!!!!
Tumblr media
 He misses the sea, sometimes. 
He misses the refracting light and the weightlessness and the bubbles. He aches for the days he could swim, for miles and miles and miles, without getting tired. He misses the way his hair would move in the water, the way it felt to lay in the sun to dry off, the warmth that came with it all. 
Seokjin wraps his sweater more tightly around his torso and forces the thoughts away. Remembering gets him nowhere, he scolds himself. This is his life, now and forever, and he’s got to accept that if he wants to survive long enough to see the sea once more. He can do this. He’s strong enough for this.
The chill of the winter air is strong, too; it seeps into his bones and roots in them, lingering long after he’s made his way inside the studio. Giho is already there, berating some poor girl for her outfit choice. When he sees Seokjin he stops, waving at the intern. She runs out without even looking up. 
“You’re late,” Giho says with a sneer. They both glance at the clock on the wall. 11:55.
“You said noon,” Seokjin responds. His tone is neutral, a carefully constructed skill that has saved his life many times over the years. 
Giho tsks, likely because he can’t outright smack Seokjin with so many people around. Still, Seokjin can feel the old man’s eyes on him as he strips out of his clothes. 
The cold is prominent against his naked skin, and it doesn’t ebb as he slides the new clothes on. Giho is already yelling again, at the stylist this time, and it’s a familiar background noise. It’s still going on when he gets on the set, face in the perfect mask that everyone seems to love. 
The photographer barely needs to direct him; he and Taehyung have worked together for months now, and it only gets easier. Tae knows his best angles, his best lighting, how to highlight the cold expression he wears in shoots so the audience can interpret it their own way. 
Seokjin doesn’t know where Giho found this kid, but Tae is lucky the old bastard can’t keep him.
“To the left,” Tae mutters, and Seokjin does so without a word. 
The hours pass quickly. Between outfit changes and makeup retouches and actually shooting, the day flies. Before he even knows it, the clock is striking ten, and everyone is packing up. 
Jin changes quickly back into his sweater, the ever-colder air chilling him once more. Giho is off to the side with Taehyung and the Artistic Director, Hoseok, all three of them conversing quietly as they look at the photos from today. There’s no need for Seokjin to look; he knows how he did because Giho’s hands are kept to themselves. 
Checking again that they’re all suitably distracted, Seokjin turns to leave. He promptly stops, because he runs almost directly into someone coming through the door. Hands dart up to catch him, big and strong and warm as they wrap around his elbows for a second longer than they should, and there’s a muttered “Sorry,” from the guy in front of him. 
“Careful, hyung,” Taehyung’s voice calls. “Don’t damage the moneymaker.”
Seokjin’s eyes meet the man’s - a warm brown, one that reminds him of chocolate and muddy snow and love - before he physically pulls himself away. He doesn’t have to look at Giho to know what he’s thinking, what his paranoia is telling him about, and Seokjin needs to be able to eat tonight.
“It’s fine,” Seokjin says in the same unaffected voice he always uses around sets. “Barely touched me.”
The man frowns - probably because Seokjin is lying - but he lets it go, and Seokjin is thankful for it. Small mercies. 
“Jin,” Giho calls. He stops and turns. “Eleven, tomorrow.” He nods and leaves, ignoring the exhaustion in his bones and the familiar sorrow that fills his chest as he passes the all-too-familiar trunk by the door.
In the studio he leaves behind, Namjoon shares a look with his brother, who very minutely shakes his head. Namjoon knows that look, created that look to warn Tae off the ones that were more trouble that he could handle. Namjoon always wondered why his little brother never listened to that look. 
As he and Taehyung head to dinner, passing billboard after poster after billboard with Jin’s face on it, Namjoon thinks he might understand. 
Tumblr media
The guy shows up more often. Seokjin knows his name, has said it a thousand times in his head over the weeks, but he won’t let himself acknowledge it. He can feel the guy’s stares on him, every time he arrives to get Tae at the same time Seokjin is running out the door after a shoot. He feels the interest, he’s intimately familiar with how it feels to have someone’s eyes running up and down his body, and he knows exactly what kind of danger that puts the both of them in. 
Giho sees it too, he’s sure. That’s the most dangerous part of it, the thing that could be the end of them both. He hasn’t said anything - yet - but Jin is positive as he switches poses for Taehyung that Giho can tell. 
He can tell that Namjoon - the guy , Jin corrects himself - is showing up earlier and earlier, more and more often, often hanging out beside the photo monitor and talking to Hoseok while he waits. That his eyes linger, long after the model is gone, and that they wonder, about everything. That he’s interested . 
Seokjin doesn’t like to remember what happened to the last man that was interested in him. 
Tumblr media
It’s pouring rain. There’s a fog over the city that clouds vision and hushes conversation. There’s damp in the air, a wetness that seeps into each breath and covers the earth in its scent. It’s like a blanket over everything, making it all grey and dark and quiet, and Seokjin lives for it. 
It reminds him of the sea. How it would churn and darken and crash before a storm. The way the salt spray would hit the ice, the smell of the lightning in the air, the way he could just let it carry him wherever it wanted him to go. 
He stands outside the studio. Giho left hours before, for some important networking dinner. He’d tried to drag Seokjin along with him, until Taehyung offhandedly mentioned needing to reshoot a couple things. Giho had sneered and stormed out and that was that.  
Now he stands outside, in the rain, with his back against the building. The trunk is just on the other side of the wall; it lingers in the back of his mind, taunting. He can feel it. He knows it’s there. 
It’s a testament to how thorough Giho is in his punishments that Seokjin doesn’t attempt to claw it open and instead just tips his head back, eyes closed, basking in the water soaking his sweater and the pull he can feel in his stomach. 
He should be swimming.
“Do you need a ride?”
Seokjin doesn’t even open his eyes; he knows the voice. Has spent too long hearing it murmur on the sidelines of photoshoots, has watched its owner as his lips form words he isn’t supposed to listen to. 
He should ignore it. That’s what Giho would warn him to do.
“Jin?” 
He flutters his lids open, casting a glance at where Namjoon and Taehyung stand. Taehyung has his camera out, and Seokjin has no doubt he’s already snapped a few photos of their surroundings out of habit. 
“I’m fine,” he says softly. His voice is slightly hoarse from disuse, but Namjoon doesn’t even flinch. Taehyung is fiddling with his camera, oblivious to the way Namjoon’s eyes search Seokjin’s face for the lie he won’t find.
The rain is the only solace that Seokjin gets; he cherishes these nights. He won’t cut it short, especially not for a human.
“I’m fine,” He repeats. Against his better judgement, he continues, “I enjoy the rain. It’s refreshing.”
“Refreshing…” Namjoon echoes quietly. Neither of them speak, for a long moment; Namjoon continues to look for any sign that Seokjin is lying, and Seokjin continues to pretend the streaks on his cheeks are from the raindrops. 
“Walk Jin home.”
They both turn at that, to where Taehyung has his camera pressed to his eye as he frames some shots. When he’s finished, and there’s been no response, Taehyung looks at them both. 
“It’s bad weather,” Taehyung explains, “On a dark night. It’d be rude of us to let you walk home alone when anything could be lurking in the shadows.”
Namjoon looks at Seokjin, practically begging for him to agree. He should say no. He should walk himself the ten blocks to his apartment, and pretend neither of them ever said anything, and continue on with his life. Giho would go berserk if he ever found out, would never allow it, would do everything he could to prevent it. 
“Sure,” Seokjin says. He’s tired of doing what Giho wants. He’s tired of being without the sea, being kept landlocked with just the rain to remind him of home. “It’s this way.”
Namjoon and Taehyung share a look, but Seokjin pays it no mind as he heads down the street. 
The rain is coming down in sheets, and his clothes are soaked. They rest heavy against his skin, and it just makes Seokjin miss the ocean more. He misses how it felt to be weightless, constantly; to feel so powerful and strong and capable. He never feels that way on land. 
“How long have you been a model?” Namjoon eventually asks. For a moment - a split second - Seokjin considers ignoring him. It’s what Giho would demand he do. 
“Too long,” He says instead. 
“You don’t enjoy it?” Namjoon asks, surprised. Seokjin shakes his head, just slightly. 
“I do, it’s just…” He searches for the words. He can’t tell anyone about it, has no one to talk to, no one that would believe him. He’s never even felt the urge to share it. Until now. “It’s not what I would have picked for myself.”
Namjoon is silent beside him, and Seokjin can feel the question on the tip of his tongue. He’s going to ask why he does it, why he would bother being a model if it isn’t what he wants to do, and then Seokjin will be forced to come up with an excuse. 
“What would you have picked?” Namjoon asks instead. 
It brings all of the thoughts in his head to a standstill; all the worry and anxiety and stress stops, distracted by the thought that he had wanted, once upon a time. It takes a long time for Seokjin to find words, to find something that could translate into human language. 
“To swim,” He says simply. “To be in the ocean, or with my family. Something.”
“You aren’t with your family?”
“No.” He debates how much to say, but eventually, Seokjin decides, fuck it . He’s been quiet for long enough, and something about Namjoon is comforting, and soothing, and encouraging. “I lost them, when I was very young.”
“I’m sorry,” Namjoon says, and Seokjin thinks he actually means it, even if he doesn’t know the real truth of the matter. How Seokjin strayed too far from them, despite the warnings he’d been given his entire life. How he wanted to stretch human legs and snuck away and got caught by someone that recognized the coat drying on a rock and what he was. 
How Giho locked it away, for years, and forced Seokjin to be his ticket to wealth. 
“So am I.”
Tumblr media
It becomes an irregularly regular thing, Namjoon walking him home. 
He can’t do it every night. They’re both too aware of the way Giho watches them, though for different reasons. Namjoon doesn’t know what Giho has done to others in his position, the lengths he’s gone to ensure Seokjin stays his. 
But the nights when he can, when Giho leaves for some dinner or event or something and Taehyung can come up with a believable excuse...those are the nights that Seokjin starts looking forward to. 
He learns so much about Namjoon - that he studied marine biology in school, got his doctorate in it as soon as he could; that he visits his parents’ grave every Wednesday morning, leaves flowers for them when he has the money; that he wants to travel the world and help endangered species everywhere, wants to take Taehyung with him as a nature photographer; that he’s the best man Seokjin has ever known with the biggest heart and the most patience that he’s ever seen. 
Namjoon doesn’t question why Seokjin only ever gives vague answers, or skirts around mentions of where he comes from, or why he doesn’t have a phone. He doesn’t ask Seokjin to let him up into the apartment, or answer his questions, or explain why he stays at arm’s length despite leaning closer because Namjoon is warm. 
He doesn’t question any of it, and it makes Seokjin’s heart flutter dangerously in his chest, and it means that when Namjoon asks if he has a free day anytime soon, Seokjin only hesitates for a second before he responds. 
“Giho has a business trip coming up,” he tells Namjoon. “As long as we have three full shoots, he won’t suspect anything.”
“Will you come with me?” Namjoon asks. “I just want to distract you for the day. I’ve seen your life, what you do, so much. I’d like to show you mine, if you’ll let me.” 
He should say no. He shouldn’t go with him, he should say no, and stop letting Namjoon walk him home, and let Giho move them across the country again.
“Sure.”
Tumblr media
The day comes. Seokjin dresses nicer, though he’ll never admit it. A nice button-down, black slacks, hair styled, sunglasses to combat the glare in the sky. Giho is gone for three days - three marvelous, liberated days - and Seokjin can use that time to come up with a believable excuse if he’s recognized.
Namjoon looks like he always does - warmth and welcome and strength. It settles in Seokjin’s chest the second he sees Namjoon, and he wonders if this is what people meant when they say they found home in someone.
He doesn’t ask Namjoon where they’re going; just follows him onto the subway, and off, and on, and off again, listening to him talk about this cafe and that bookstore and the busker on the corner. He gets the full experience of Namjoon’s commute, and he couldn’t be more in love with him. 
With it. He’s in love with it , the commute, seeing what other people do each day. That’s all, because that’s all he can let himself have. 
When they arrive, Seokjin stares. He doesn’t know why he didn’t know, why he didn’t put the pieces together from all the times Namjoon has mentioned his work and his degree, but he didn’t...he didn’t think , didn’t even consider, and now he stands on the sidewalk, staring at the large building, and Namjoon is waiting for him. 
“Seokjin?” He asks softly. “We can turn around right now.” 
He looks at Namjoon - really looks at him. Takes in the nice turquoise shirt and the cuffed slacks and the dress shoes, the glasses that are so thick Seokjin wonders how he sees without them at all, the way there’s already disappointment clouding the acceptance in his eyes. 
“No,” He says. “No, it’s fine. Let’s go.”
He shouldn’t be here, his mind tells him throughout each exhibit. Not just because of Giho this time, but for himself. 
Namjoon is so excited about each exhibit, telling him about each creature as they go through. He mentions how each one has its own name, though they get confused sometimes for the larger populations. How so many have been released into the wild successfully, how so many have been rebuilt and are on the brink of non-endangered status. 
He talks about the sharks, and how Louise and Wheein haven’t been getting along, but that Yari and Chainsaw are expecting a pup soon; he talks about the penguins and how Potato keeps stealing extra fish but he does it to give to Frenchie, so they let him get away with it; he talks about the jellyfish, and the rays, and the octopuses, and everyone and everything, and it’s nearly too much for Seokjin, but he manages. 
He gets through nearly the entire aquarium, exhausted but content with the happy grin on Namjoon’s face, but he stops, because Namjoon has mentioned Maple throughout the entire trip, has talked about her before. Seokjin knows Maple’s history better than his own, almost, but he never realized…
Now he does. He watches as Maple dives back down off the landing, flipping and turning in the water. They stand in a viewing area, a room long and tall and tinted blue with the water at the bottom of the tank. It gives way to land halfway up, is more than generous for the lone animal that dances through the water. 
“Isn’t she beautiful?” Namjoon asks. “She’s the one we’re working hardest with. Hawaiian monk seals are critically endangered, so when she was brought in as a pup, she took first priority. We’re doing everything we can to get her back up to breeding standards. She keeps getting sick, though, and no pregnancy has been viable so far.”
Seokjin doesn’t answer. He doesn’t even blink. He doesn’t know this seal, not really; she’s just a seal, she’s not like him, she’s not even the same species, but a human wouldn’t know that. Especially not a human like Namjoon, completely out of the loop on all of it. 
“She wants to be free.”
He can see it when Namjoon turns to look at him, confused. Watches the reflection in the glass as closely as he watches Maple’s mourning dance. 
“Her environment is larger than most,” Namjoon says. “She’s got plenty of room to swim and we’ve got activity sets throughout so she’s mentally stimulated as well. She eats, probably more than she should, and-”
“A cage is still a cage, no matter how pretty it is.” Seokjin can see it, can hear Maple’s call, can feel it in his very soul as the urge to respond grows. She spots them standing there and swims closer, and Seokjin places a hand on the glass wall. “She wants to be back in the ocean.”
“It’s dangerous for her there,” Namjoon says quietly. He says it like he knows, like he’s always known, what she needs, but doesn’t want to admit it. “There isn’t enough food, humanity keeps taking their territory...she’s sick. She wouldn’t survive out there.”
Better to die free than spend eternity in a cage, Seokjin thinks bitterly. He takes a breath and reminds himself that Namjoon cares. He’s helping, in the only way that he knows how. 
Maple spins when she spots Namjoon, clearly excited, but when her eyes land on Seokjin, she stills. 
“Ah, she’s not always friendly to strangers, so…” Namjoon trails off. His reflection shows his jaw slack, open in a surprised o , because he’s wrong, this time. 
Maple lets out a whistle - long, and low, and haunting in the stillness of the building. Her nose is nearly against the glass, she’s so close, and she looks straight into him. She sees him, recognizes him for what he is, and uses the call. 
Seokjin can feel the snap as his soul breaks; what little was left of him shatters, into pieces. He can’t return her call, he can’t tell her that he sees, that he knows what she’s feeling and will do what he can to help her, because he can’t . He can’t help her, he has no way to save her from her cage because he’s stuck in his own. 
She must see it, somehow, because her song trails off, and Seokjin hates himself. He hates himself for being here, for allowing himself to get close to Namjoon when he can’t, for not being able to even hear her song the way it deserves to be heard. 
“Hey,” Namjoon calls, soft and quiet. His thumb brushes hesitantly along Seokjin’s cheek, carrying a tear with it. “I’m sorry, I didn’t…”
“I’m fine,” Seokjin tells him. “I’ve got to be up early tomorrow, to do the shoots, so I’m gonna head home.” 
“Do you want me to go with you?”
He turns on his heel and walks out, ignoring Namjoon’s question entirely. He can’t lie right now, he does want Namjoon with him, but he can’t. It’s too dangerous, and seeing Maple just reminded him of it. 
He can’t let Namjoon get hurt just because he makes Seokjin feel marginally better. 
In his wake, Namjoon sighs. He turns to Maple, wishing he was up top in his wetsuit so he could run his fingers through her fur the way she likes. Her eyes are big and sad, more so than usual, and Namjoon thinks maybe he understands her for the first time. 
“I’ll try,” He tells her. “I’ll try.”
Tumblr media
Weeks pass. Months fly by. Shoot after shoot after shoot gets published, and Giho rakes in the cash from them. Seokjin stays in his small apartment, watching the light reflect rainbows through the window pane. He stopped letting Namjoon walk him home when Giho got back, and nearly ripped part of Seokjin’s hair out with fury that he’d gone out. 
The only reason it wasn’t worse is because Seokjin managed to convince him that it was promo for the upcoming swimwear collection, and good press about the humanitarian efforts of the label. 
It doesn’t matter anyway, because Namjoon stopped showing up after a few days. Seokjin refuses to ask Taehyung why, because he shouldn’t care. He can’t care. Not with Giho hovering over his shoulder at every turn. 
One day, for some reason, things change. Giho gets less certain, more fidgety. Starts looking over his own shoulder. Stops threatening Seokjin with every glance. 
Stops glancing altogether. 
It just makes Seokjin worry more; if the one in charge is afraid of something, everyone else should be as well. That was the first lesson his mother taught him. 
Seokjin gathers his things. Packs them all back into his suitcase, keeps a single change of clothes out and starts washing them every day. Giho looks ready to run, and Seokjin knows by now that he needs to be ready when it happens if he wants to keep any of his things. 
Then Giho disappears. 
Giho disappears for a while . 
He doesn’t take Seokjin with him. He just disappears one night, when everything is quiet and still. The calendar is still booked with shoots, so Seokjin just keeps working. One night, he and Taehyung go out for Korean BBQ. The entire week after that, Seokjin expects Giho to pop up and berate him for doing anything that isn’t working, but it never comes. 
A few weeks later, they go on a day trip to a mountain and walk the trails together while Taehyung takes pictures. Neither of them mention Giho or Namjoon or anything except the way the leaves fall. 
Life goes on. For months, Seokjin begins tiptoeing across the line. He goes out more often. The time between shoots gets longer and longer, and Seokjin begins to enjoy things. He goes to see movies, and shopping, and eating, and travelling. He starts doing the things he wants to do. 
He sees Namjoon again. 
They get dinner together, whenever they’re both free. It starts with Taehyung inviting him for drinks, and turns into them meeting each other at the cafe on the corner that makes the good boba. They talk for what could be hours, or what could be minutes. Seokjin never knows, because everything else seems to stop when he’s with Namjoon. 
He says as much as he can, as much as he dares, but it never seems like it’s enough. Namjoon takes what Seokjin gives him, more than happy to be included again, but they both know that there’s a time limit on it. Still, Seokjin fools himself into thinking that it’s become an if , instead of being a when . 
He fools himself into thinking that this can be his life. 
Tumblr media
It takes almost four months. It’s been nearly a year since Seokjin first met Namjoon - he refuses to acknowledge that he remembers the day. Giho returns in a whirlwind. 
He interrupts the shoot, throws the clothes around, breaks some mannequins, it’s all out war on the set, and they all watch silently. The only thing that keeps him from breaking Taehyung’s camera is the look on the younger’s face when Giho goes for it. 
But of course, nothing lasts forever. He spots Seokjin, sitting as still as a statue in the makeup chair, and that’s the beginning of the end. He recognizes the feral rage in God's eyes, has seen it barely contained too many times before, and he’s clearly not holding back this time. 
He has Seokjin on the ground, under his shoe, with a cane against his throat when the door opens. The others have tried to help, but Giho is surprisingly adept with a cane when he wants to be, and as such, no one has gotten close. But Seokjin can guess what time it is, he knows in his bones who just walked in, and he refuses to let this happen.
“You,” Giho hisses. The pressure on Seokjin’s throat disappears as Giho stands; the model coughs, several times, choking down air even as his hand darts out to wrap around his owner’s ankle. 
The elder crumples to the ground, kicking at Seokjin’s steel grip, but it’s useless, because Seokjin is tired. 
He is tired of being afraid of a bitter old man. He is tired of being without the sea. He is tired of not allowing himself to be happy. 
He’s on top of Giho before he even realizes he’s moved, prying the cane from his hands and holding it steady over Giho’s windpipe. He doesn’t press down, not yet; just holds it there, like the threat it is.
“You will not hurt him,” Seokjin commands. “And you will run, as far as you can get. You will run to the ends of the earth, and then, God willing, you will run further. You will leave your wealth and your fame and everything I have made for you, and if you dare to show your face among humanity again…”
“What?” Giho spits, a smirk growing on his face. “What is a defenseless little pup like you going to do?”
Seokjin leans down, letting the cane choke the man below him as he drops his voice. “I will find my brethren, and I will tell them what you have done. They will spread your story far and wide, across every ocean, over every continent, and when they find you, they will remind you why we are considered predators.”
He sits back, letting the cane go and allowing air back into his lungs. He stands on his own two feet, the legs that have carried him for so long, and he looks around. 
“This shoot is over,” Seokjin says. “Everyone get out.” 
The people scramble, even Taehyung gathers his things to leave, and the room is empty in seconds. Only he and Giho remain. 
The elder lies on the floor, still catching his breath, as Seokjin tosses the cane across the room. He looks around, spots an old iron trash can from a shoot last month, and starts toward it. 
“It won’t do you any good,” Giho says. Seokjin ignores him and hefts the can up, carrying it across the room. “You won’t get anywhere. You can’t just disappear, not when the world knows your face.”
“Maybe so,” Seokjin says as he positions himself. “But at least I’ll have the choice.”
He brings the iron can down with all his strength. There’s a colossal crash as it connects with the old padlock, and it only gets louder with the next one. It takes seven hits for the lock to break, and the sound of it clattering to the floor isn’t one he’s likely to forget.
When he opens the trunk, however, it’s empty. 
“I told you,” Giho hisses triumphantly. “It won’t do any good.” 
Seokjin resists the urge to curse under his breath and forces himself not to sob as he looks back at Giho. 
“Then it won’t do you any good either.”
Tumblr media
The sand is warm beneath his feet. The setting sun paints the sky a myriad of colors, orange turning into red bleeding into purple shifting into blue curling into black, all of it reflected in the cool water below. The tang of salt wafts in with every breath he takes, and just confirms that this is right. 
“Thanks for meeting me,” Namjoon says from behind him. Seokjin didn’t hear him approach, but he didn’t need to. He knows Namjoon won’t hurt him. 
“Thanks for calling,” Seokjin responds. He feels the tide tickle his toes, and he knows that this is best. “I actually wanted to tell you something.”
“I think I should go first,” Namjoon’s voice is firm, but hesitant. Like he doesn’t want to say what he’s saying. Seokjin turns, frowning slightly when he sees the other. Namjoon looks troubled, looks like he would rather be anywhere else, and that doesn’t bode well for Seokjin. 
Still, he gestures for Namjoon to continue.
“Tae pointed it out,” Namjoon eventually says. “He mentioned how you looked at it, and thought maybe...maybe it had passports or something inside, something you could use to get away. So when he left, and we thought he might not come back...I opened it.”
A weight settles in Seokjin’s throat. 
“Opened what?”
“The trunk,” Namjoon says. “I broke in and I picked the lock and...I didn’t know it was...I didn’t think he had it….” He sighs and pulls his hands from behind his back, and there it is. 
Seokjin’s coat. 
It’s silky and smooth and soft and perfect and exactly as he remembers it. It’s bigger now, grown with him, and the sight of it in the light is enough to bring tears to his eyes. 
“He had some kind of alert on the trunk,” Namjoon continues, “So when I opened it he knew. That’s why he came back. I didn’t know he would come back.”
“Namjoon…” Seokjin looks at him, eyes wide and tear-filled, and for the first time since they met, Seokjin is scared. His life is here, right in front of him, but he doesn’t know if he can have it. 
Because now Namjoon knows. He knows what Seokjin is, he’s fully aware that Seokjin can’t leave without the coat in Namjoon’s hands. He could keep him forever, just as Giho intended to do. 
“I didn’t know,” Namjoon says again. “Or I wouldn’t have taken you to the aquarium. I wouldn’t have done that to you, I wouldn’t have hurt you like that, and I am... so sorry, Seokjin. I’m so sorry that I did that to you, I-”
“Namjoon, you didn’t know-”
“But now I do.” Namjoon sniffles slightly, and his hands shake, but he extends them, holding the coat out to Seokjin. “And I’m sorry.”
Seokjin’s fingers curl in the fur, almost reverently, as he takes it. It’s still warm, and it feels like water in his hands, and it’s everything he’s missed in his life. 
“Namjoon, I…” He trails off, because there’s nothing he could say. No words fit this gift, this release; there’s nothing he could say that would properly convey the emotions building in Seokjin’s chest. 
“I know,” Namjoon says. “You’re not in a cage anymore. You’re free to go and do what you want to do.”
Seokjin strips his sweater off and wraps his sealskin around his shoulders. It’s the perfect size for him, exactly what he needs, and when he crashes waist-deep into the surf, it keeps him warm. 
He turns, though. Namjoon stands on the shore, just out of reach of the tide, and watches him. There’s a smile on his face, small and sad, and Seokjin wants nothing more than to wipe it from his lips, but he can’t. 
Because he’s free. 
He turns, wrapping the skin tighter around his shoulder. When he gets under the water, he can feel it in his hair and he can feel the water against his tail and he’s almost home. 
But something is missing. 
There’s warmth and weightlessness and the setting sun painting the water a rainbow , but the buzz in Seokjin’s chest isn’t full. There’s something not right, something not quite perfect about this moment that he’s been dreaming of for years, and he can’t figure out what. 
Tumblr media
Namjoon stares at the horizon, wondering how far Seokjin has already gone. He sends up a small wish, a hope, that Seokjin can live his life, free and happy and himself. That he can find his family, see his pod again. 
His heartbeat turns painful, something constricting his chest and making it difficult to breathe, so he turns away. The crash of the waves covers the sound of his shaky breath, because of course, of course , he would find love in a man that couldn’t stay. 
Fingers tangle in his own and Namjoon turns, shocked, to see a wet Seokjin, hair damp with his sealskin around his waist. 
“W-What-”
“I can’t,” Seokjin says softly. “I can’t go back, I can’t find them, I don’t know how to do that without…”
He trails off and Namjoon stares because this is it, he thinks. This is everything he’s been waiting for his entire life, here, right in front of him. He just has to let himself have it. 
Seokjin’s hand pulls away from his and Namjoon mourns the loss for the brief moment it takes for the selkie to pull his sealskin off and place it carefully in Namjoon’s arms. 
“Namjoon,” He says, voice hushed and serious, “I want you to...because I…” 
He’s never Seokjin this unsure, this at a loss, and the way he keeps starting sentences that have no end is undeniably endearing. But he can feel Seokjin’s growing frustration at his inability to articulate his thoughts, so he just smiles. 
“I know,” Namjoon says. He takes the coat and places it back in Seokjin’s hands, covering them with his own. The heat from their skin combines and warms Namjoon straight to the core. “And I love you too.”
Tumblr media
80 notes · View notes
joonsrack · 4 years
Text
Tumblr media
+Pairing: Kim Seokjin x Kim Namjoon
+Genre: SFW (this chapter), E2L, attempt at crack, slow burn, WIP
+Word count: 1.2k (this chapter)
+Chapter: Prologue | 1 | ?
+Rating: General audience (this chapter; rating might go up as story progress)
+Warning:  No warning for now, except maybe the fact that i’m trying my hand at crack
+Summary: 
Celebrity chef Kim seokjin needs to salvage his reputation after being dragged in the news paper as a heartless monster out to make people cry. Enters his agent with the worst idea ever and one Kim Namjoon, the worst cook ever.
(Or: Jin is a Korean Gordon Ramsay and Joon is the bane of his existence.)
+A/N: Hello. This is for the Luv Library Collab - Culinary & Cuisine, which was due like ten days ago.... anyways. This was supposed to be a one shot but i realized i wanted to explore this plot more, so it became a WIP. I’m really proud of what the prologue came out like, heres to hoping i can pull this off during the whole thing :P
Tumblr media
Seokjin slaps the paper down on his manager’s desk, looking like the perfect picture of confusion and exasperation. The phone is ringing in the background, as it has for the past twenty-four hours, slowly dragging him ring by ring down into insanity.
“Why are you showing me this? How is that any different than all the other times?”
Yoongi sighs deeply, not looking away from the new lamp on his desk; the fifth one this month.
Some people stress-clean, some stress-bake; Yoongi stress-shops light fixtures.
“This,-” he stresses, “is very different than all the other times” He purses his lips for a moment, finally sparring him a look after wiping away at an imaginary dust from the lampshade. “You made Jeon Jungkook cry.-”
“ Allegedly! ”
“- He’s the nation’s baby. The public wants your head” He says, picking up the magazine and waving it lethargically around for emphasis. “There will be blood to pay”.
He throws the magazine back at Jin, Jin catching it in extremis. On the first page is in big bold yellow letters: Celebrity chef Kim Seokjin bullies nation’s sweetheart Jeon Jungkook. Then in smaller characters: Has fame gotten to his head? There’s a screenshot of the tweet taking up most of the front page, looking very dramatic for what it really is.
“He asked me to rate his cooking and showed me dog vomit, what was I supposed to do?!” Jin asks, voice reaching high proportions. He doesn’t whine. He’s an adult. 
“Not asking him if this was the digested version would have been a good start.”
“And be kind to someone with an anime profile picture? In which universe?
“Couldn’t you see the little blue verified sign by his name?”
“ Anime. profile. picture. ”
Yoongi doesn’t answer, and Seokjin can’t hold back a groan. All of this happened because of the devil that is Jeon Jungkook. He knew exactly what he was doing, faking those tears during that live. Now his fans are onto him, making his life miserable.
“I merely told him his food looked like shit, but his fanbase- they’re” He pauses, shivers. Yoongi gets this unfocused faraway look in his eyes, probably going through some serious PTSD of all the time Jin set off idol’s fans. 
The phone rings, cutting through what probably is some very violent flashbacks. Yoongi fiddles at the lamp switch nervously, turning it on and off a few times to help keep his calm.
It’s the ring too many, and Jin rips the cord out of the phone in a flare of exasperation.
Under Yoongi’s startled stare, he lets his body sag on one of the couches, using the magazine to shield his eyes. Artfully, mind you; he’s not being dramatic, he’s being emotionally expressive. This situation is emotionally draining, and he needs to lay down for a sec. This probably the biggest crisis since he started gaining popularity, bigger than the time he accidentally asked Brad Pitt for nudes on twitter (Accidentally meaning he was drunk. Or so that’s what the public believes).
There’s a stretch of silence, both men contemplating every decision that led them here, in this office, with this pesky problem that is Jeon Jungkook faking tears on one of his lives to get back at Seokjin for calling his food ‘ animal regurgitation ’.
“Do you think this is the right hue for my office?” Yoongi asks distractedly, breaking the contemplating silence.
Jin sits up, letting his weight rest back on his elbow. “In all honesty it makes your head look big.” 
Yoongi’s eyes go sharp, taking badly to Jin’s criticism. He purses his lips, eyebrow arching to complete the look.
“Anyways, I found a solution.” he says, an evil glint appearing in his eyes.
“You did?” Seokjin asks, fully sitting up as confusion and worry mix in his guts. His agent waited all this time to bring it up, that just can’t be good.
Yoongi nods slowly, a mean smile stretching his lips. “I was unsure if it was the right one until now, but I think it just might be the thing to help us out of our little situation.”
“Oh?” Jin says, gulping loudly.
    “Oh, no.” Namjoon says, looking quite pale. “Absolutely not. I’ll get sued. We’ll get sued.”
“Come on now, Joonie. Think about it. It would be a good opportunity to promote your new album-”
“Playlist.” Namjoon corrects Hoseok, who ignores him.
“-Plus it’ll make you look relatable in the public’s eyes.” 
“How is me being an agent of destruction in the kitchen relatable in anyone’s eyes?”
“Look, all you have to do is go there, try not to chop your fingers off, make sure at least one of your dimples is visible at all times, and then you’re done.”
“Ok but what about my dignity? How can I ever rap about having an automatic dick if the whole nation learns I’m a useless adult.”
“Oh baby,” Hoseok says, a playful glint in his eyes. “You broke three pair of sunglasses in front of your fans last month. They already know.”
Namjoon grimaces.
“This is on a whole other level of public humiliation, Hyung. Me, in a kitchen, cooking.”
Hoseok sighs, rounding his desk he was leaning on to ruffle through the papers covering it. He’s usually a neat freak but they’ve been very busy with his last release. He grabs something from under a pile of paperwork, letting out a victorious ‘hah!’.
“There,” He says, holding out a brown envelope to Namjoon. “-It’s the proposal. Read it, and think about it, but I sincerely believe this could be a good way to promote your album.”
“Playlist.” He corrects, more resigned this time. 
His album hasn’t been doing too well; not bad, but not good either. They’re having trouble gaining traction, his agency on the smaller side and struggling to be taken seriously. He’s grateful for everything Hoseok is doing, and this is no exception. He knows he needs to do this, dignity or not.
Until something catches his eyes in the first few lines. There’s the title of the show, the producer name, the dates of filming, a slight summary of what the show is about, and then:
MC: Kim Seokjin
Because life hates him. 
His heart goes double his regular rate, hands becoming sweaty under half a second. His clothes seem suddenly too tight, too warm.
He can still remember, on that faithful pre-debut evening, lounging in his bunk bed while watching his favorite youtuber talk about himself.
It was before Kim Seokjin went mainstream and landed himself his own cooking show. Back when Eat Jin, his channel, had under 400k subscribers, and it was mostly videos of him cooking his favorite food and then gorging himself. This particular video was a Q&A, and for some reason he couldn’t understand, Namjoon was fascinated by this man, so of course he was watching it attentively. He was funny, handsome, charmingly witty in his answers. 
But it only took one sentence from Jin for Namjoon to finally understand exactly why he was so obsessed with the man:
“I like it. When my mouth is full of food. Because when I swallow, a large amount of food goes down and it feels like I’m almost going to choke- I really like that feeling.”
Namjoon had dropped his phone from the top bunk, too busy having an epiphany to even notice the sound of it smashing on the floor.
His sexual orientation was never the same after that night. 
And now he was going to lose his dignity in front of his gay awakening catalyst.
61 notes · View notes
daemour · 4 years
Text
Mon Petit Choufleur
Part of the Luv Library project - Culinary.
Part 1 (this) - Part 2 (coming soon)
Jimin x Reader
Strangers to Lovers, culinary school au, fake dating au, SFW
Summary: You're not a pastry chef, that's for sure. Your speciality is coq au vin, not 🍋 meringue pie. So why is the cute baking and pastry major keep talking to you?
Warnings: Cursing in French (because I'm fancy like that)
"You need some more excitement. When people eat your food, you want them to feel special and to know your dish on a personal level. Right now, it tastes like a coq au vin starter pack that you can buy from a supermarket. Add some more saveur, and I'm not talking about spices. I'm talking about your desire, what you want your dish to taste like, mon petit chat."
"Mon chat, I'm so proud of you. You are my darling, my child, my love. I believe in you."
Merde. You panic in your seat as the waitress delivers your drink and soup. You stare at your computer screen, deliberating on whether to open your grades for the semester. "What are you doing?" Jumping in your seat, you bang your knee against the table.
"Sorry, are you all right?" You nod and massage your knee. "I didn't mean to scare you."
"It's all right. I wasn't paying attention." You glance up at the offender, Jimin. You are in his baking and pastry class. You weren't friends with him, but everyone in your college knows each other.
"Are you sure? Let me get you some ice." Jimin offers, and before you can stop him, he's already at the café's counter. When he returns, he offers you ice in a plastic bag. You hold it against your knee and Jimin beams. "What were you working on, anyway?"
"I was checking my semester grades." You say, returning to your computer and glaring at it.
"Well, do you mind if I sit with you?" You nod and gesture to the seat next to you. Jimin peers over at your computer after he seats himself. "You got an A on your culinary exam and practical exam? That's awesome!"
"My pastry and baking scores aren't very high, though."
"They're average." Jimin pouts at you, and you ignore that.
"C is not good enough."
"I think you did fine, considering that pastries and baking is not your concentration."
"Thank you." You smile at Jimin, who smiles back kindly. A girl runs up to him, beaming. She reminds you of a ballerina.
"Jimin! Sorry you waited a while." She notices you and gives you a once-over. You suddenly feel self-conscious in your green pullover. "Who's this?"
"I am (Y/N). I am in Jimin's class." You smile at her, and she tilts her head at you.
"I'm Seoji, and I'm Jimin's girlfriend. Thanks for keeping him company, but we need to talk." She grabs his arm and steps closer to him defensively. You can get the hint.
"I am sorry for taking up your boyfriend's time. Enjoy your date, you two," you apologize, gathering up your laptop. After you stuff it into your bag, you head out.
"Wait-"
But you were already gone.
———
"You don't need any more help, right, Jungkook?" You are exasperated and tired. It's not like you have something against Jungkook, but you just want some ramen and coffee.
"I don't need help," Jungkook begins, and you brighten up, "but I want you to try this recipe my mom sent me." You sigh in resignation but agree. Jungkook beams and runs to his kitchen, returning a few minutes later with mac and cheese...and there's shrimp on top of it? You take a hesitant bite.
"It's delicious," you say as you wince, "but did you put hot sauce in it?"
Jungkook nods. "My mom always does that. I really like it. But you're wincing."
You swallow. "I don't like spicy food," you choke out. "Can I have some milk, please?" Jungkook nods, dashing into the kitchen and presenting you with some banana milk. "Thank you."
As you chug the milk, you hear the door open. "My roommate is back!" Jungkook grins. "He's good at cooking. Do you want to stay for dinner?"
Before you answer, you hear a familiar voice. "Oh, hello, (Y/N)! I didn't know you knew Jungkook." Jimin. You nod up at him with your mouth full of banana milk. Jimin chuckles. "I assume Jungkook got you to try another one of his mother's recipes?"
You agree. "Maybe leave out the hot sauce next time," you direct towards Jungkook.
Jungkook groans, putting his hands in his head. "This is why I'm doing management, not culinary services. I don't know how you two do it."
You shrug and chuckle. "Hey, (Y/N), didn't you say you're good at making coq au vin? Can you teach me, and we can have it for dinner tonight?" You're surprised at the request.
"I can, but I wouldn't want to intrude on your dinner."
"Don't be silly," Jungkook laughs. "I invited you to dinner."
You pause, and Jungkook gives you puppy eyes. Darn his cuteness. "Alright." Said boy grins and jumps up off the couch and runs into the kitchen.
"I have all the ingredients ready!" he yells from the other room. You share a look with Jimin.
"Did he buy all the ingredients for coq au vin before he even asked me?" Jimin nodded. "This kid is a pain."
"How do you think I feel every day?" Jimin mutters, and Jungkook scoffs.
"I can hear you two."
"Good!" Jimin yells back, and you continue sitting on the couch, amused. But not for long.
You can hear Jungkook mutter, "Where's the hot sauce," and you spring up.
Vaulting over the couch, you run into the kitchen and stop him. "Jungkook, if you dare put sriracha into the coq au vin, I will personally microwave your ankles." Jungkook laughs evilly, and Jimin watches from the door.
"Why don't you try putting grapes in it?" You and Jungkook look up at him from your position on Jungkook's back and pause for a long second. After that silence, you fake-vomit and Jungkook shudders.
"Ew. Fuck. No." Jungkook shudders, and you shake your head furiously.
"Absolutely not. Mon Dieu, pourquoi ça."
"Okay, I don't know what that means, but that seems to be an insult." Jimin glares at you.
"Like that's much better than Jungkook saying 'ew' and calling you a seal."
"What?" Both Jimin and Jungkook stare you, and you stare right back.
"Phoque. That's seal in French." You mime seals.
"No, that's a swear word," Jimin explains. You laugh.
"I know." You busy yourself looking at Jungkook's attempt at coq au vin, embarrassed at your attempted joke. "Jungkook, why are you mutilating the mushrooms?" Jungkook immediately stops laughing at you to defend himself from you.
———
The three of you enjoy dinner, which isn't bad for Jungkook's first attempt. There's no sriracha, so you don't have any banana milk near you. As jokes are flying around the air, knocking sounds on the door. Jimin stands to get it. When he opens the door, Seoji peers in. "What are you doing here?" You stare at her like a deer caught in headlights.
"Um, Jungkook is-" Jimin's girlfriend interrupts you before you can finish your sentence.
"Oh, he's your boyfriend. Sorry I was so cold to you at the café! Jimin gets a lot of girls trying to date him." she smiles, and you decide to forgive her. You kick Jungkook, and he looks at you. You glare at him until he gets the hint.
"Yes. I am the boyfriend of (Y/N)." You choke at his strange tone and kick him again. "Hello, darling seal." You are ready to commit some murder, and Jimin looks on bemused and amused at the same time.
"Okay, Casanova, call me that again, and you'll say goodbye to your ankles." Seoji laughs.
"You two are cute together." Jimin nods, smiling gently at you, and you look away quickly. Seoji turns to Jimin. "Right. Jimin, my power is out. Do you mind if I join you three for dinner?"
Jimin nods, and Seoji goes to the kitchen to fetch a plate. "You two are dating?" He whisper-yells at you, and you and Jungkook are about to explain. Unfortunately, Seojin walks back in with a plate.
"Ooh, this looks good. Who made it?" You and Jungkook point to each other.
"They did," Jimin says to reduce Seojin's confusion. "They helped each other."
"That's so cutesy!" The dinner resumes with an extra person.
"How did you two meet?" Seoji asks you and Jungkook.
"He was failing his culinary class," you tell the truth, and now it's Jungkook's turn to kick you. You ignore him. "I offered to help him. He sure needed it. I thought he was cute and asked him out."
Jungkook groans. "Don't lie. You thought I was a pain in the ass, but I won a bet, and you and I started dating."
"What bet?" It was Jimin asking the question this time.
"If I get an A on my culinary exam, then (Y/N) would have to go on a date with me." Seoji giggles.
"Aw, that's, like, the perfect way to start dating. How long have you dated?"
"Two months."
"Three months." You and Jungkook stare at each other for a second. "Well, I think we started dating when she started helping me with homework, and (Y/N) disagrees." Jungkook manages to save your asses.
Seoji smiles warmly, and the dinner of lies goes on. After it ends, all four of you are seated on the couch. Seoji is squished up to Jimin, who looks very slightly uncomfortable.
"You two don't have to be embarrassed about sitting closer to each other." You and Jungkook jump at Seoji's words.
You and Jungkook scooch closer to each other. Seoji raises an eyebrow, and you want to avoid getting caught in the lie. Jungkook tentatively places an arm around you, and you smile at him while your eyes scream at him. "It's getting a little late," You say after about 30 minutes of Seoji initiating small talk. "I should probably head out."
"I'll walk you to your dorm." Jungkook stands quickly, and you nod.
"Thanks."
———
"So, why did you need me to be your fake boyfriend?" The question does not surprise you.
"Yes, about that. Thank you, by the way, for going along with my plan." Jungkook nods but waits for you to continue. "I met Seoji earlier at a cafe, and it appeared she didn't like me. Probably because I was with Jimin. I didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable."
Jungkook smiles. "I see why that's a problem. How long do you think I'll have to be your-" he air quotes the last word "-boyfriend?"
You shrug. "It does not matter. You can break up with me at this moment if you want." Jungkook laughs, but it sounds a little like a scoff.
"Yeah, that's believable. Let's make it a week."
You shrug again. Jungkook confuses you. "Okay."
"Plus, I'd feel bad for you having a boyfriend for forty-five minutes." You punch him in the arm.
"I'm not that hopeless. Let's talk about how you've never had a girlfriend instead."
Jungkook glares at you playfully. "That's not true. I've had one."
"Yeah, sure. Who?" You nudge him.
"You."
"You fool, that doesn't count!" You laugh loudly. "Fake girlfriends aren't real."
"In that case, you haven't had one either!" You fall silent, and Jungkook senses some awkwardness. "I mean, I wouldn't know."
"No, it's okay. I don't talk about it. My first and last boyfriend cheated on me. What a surprise." You laughed bitterly, and Jungkook's eyes soften. "Oh well. It's not my loss."
"It really isn't. Jean Jaques Cousteau is really missing out."
"Contrary to popular belief, the eighty-seven-year-old dead man was not my first boyfriend." Jungkook snorted at your deadpan retort. "Anyways, this is my stop."
Jungkook looks up. "Oh." He pauses. "Well, let me know if you need anything, fake girlfriend."
"Okay, fake boyfriend." You head up, and Jungkook watches you leave.
"Fake boyfriend." He leaves after muttering your last words of the night to him.
———
In the morning, you go through your daily routine. Wake up, sit in bed for twenty minutes, get out of bed, make breakfast, eat breakfast, brush your teeth, and change. At least, you would've changed if Seoji didn't knock on your door. "Hi! Jungkook gave me your address." You're not surprised at that.
"Hello, Seoji. How can I help you?" Seoji scoffs, but not meanly.
"You talk so formally! Come on, we're friends, right?"
You pause at that, but let her in. "I have to change. Do you mind sitting on the couch?"
"Actually-" Seoji stands "-that's what I'm here for. I planned a double date with you, Jungkook, me, and Jimin. I'll help you choose an outfit." You pause.
"Um, I have an appointment." Not a lie, but your appointment is tomorrow, not today.
Seoji glances at your calendar. "You mean the dentist visit tomorrow?" You falter, and Seoji giggles. "Oh, don't worry. It'll be fun! Now, where's your room?" She grabs you by the arm and pulls you down the hallway.
"Has anyone ever told you that you're very bold?"
"Oh, at least twice a day." You resign yourself to your fate. If that many people tell Seoji about her brashness and she hasn't changed, you stand no chance.
"Lead the way." At your words, Seoji grins and somehow drags you into your room with even more force than usual.
"Wow, your room is so neat!" You look around at your laundry on the foot of your bed. You notice the hangers on the dresser drawer handles.
"It is? That's a surprise," you remark. "I think the last time I cleaned up was a couple months ago."
Seoji laughs but doesn't comment. Instead, she just opens your closet and starts rifling through your clothes. "Why do you have three copies of the same sweatshirt?"
"We don't talk about that." Seoji giggles and tosses you the sundress from your cousin's wedding.
"Here. Put that on, and we'll go."
"It's winter. I am not wearing this without at least leggings and a coat."
Seoji sighs. "Fine." She consents.
"I'll take it." You pull on a tan coat and some black leggings. "Let's go."
"Not without some makeup."
"Absolutely not."
———
Seoji drives you to the meeting spot, but not without blasting some of her favorite songs. You swear you're never listening to Night5 again after hearing them for ten times in a row. While Bitter Order is ending, you arrive at your destination. A smoothie place. The exact smoothie place you met Jungkook in. "What."
"I thought it would be cute since that's where you and Jungkook met! He told me that's where you started your tutoring sessions." Smart kid. "Did you know Jimin and I also met here?"
"I did not. I assume this place is popular?" Seoji nods emphatically.
"Yep. This is the hot spot for our university." You 'ahh' in understanding. "I go here all the time with Jimin."
"I've been here a couple of times because of Jungkook, as you know." A lie. You've been there once, and that was when you were looking at your semester grades. And by that, you've been there once, when you first met Seoji.
"Oh, yeah." Seoji nods. "Well, let's head in then." She climbs out of the car, and you follow suit. As you two walk into the building, Jungkook leaps up and runs over.
"(Y/N), Jimin's bullying me!" Jungkook whines, and you giggle.
"What did he do know, Kookie?" Jungkook huffed at the nickname but continued with his story.
"He keeps saying that I'm a baby compared to him since he's dated for longer than I have."
"Tell him that he has a babyface, so it evens out." Jungkook pouts.
"I can't do that, he'll tell my mother."
"Fine, I will." You walk over to Jimin. "Hello, Jimin."
"Hello, (Y/N)." Jimin smiles up at you from his seat. "Here to belittle me for making fun of your boyfriend?"
"I'm just here to ask why you're teasing him. He's not the one with a babyface." Jimin scoffs, mock offended.
"How dare you. My face is the talk of the town," Jimin jokes.
"Oh, sure. It's the talk of the town that you look like you're ten." Jimin can't take it anymore and bursts out laughing. His laughter is contagious, and soon you are giggling.
"Oh, I see Seolji! Here, take my seat. I'll get Jungkook to come over and sit with you. I recommend the açai mango smoothie bowl; it's amazing." You chuckle at his excitement, and he rushes off as soon as you sit. True to his word, Jungkook comes over.
"Jimin and Seolji are going to have some grown-up adult conversation, and it's boring."
"Jungkook, you do realize you're twenty-two, right? That qualifies you as an adult." Jungkook shrugs.
"Yeah, but I'm enjoying my youth. Jimin acts like he's fifty, sometimes." Jungkook smiles at you. "I ordered the pitaya smoothie bowl. What did you get?"
"I didn't order yet," you say, "and I don't do smoothies. I might get some tea."
"But smoothie bowls are great! You can try some of mine when it comes." Jungkook pauses to take a breath. "I don't think I asked yet, so how did your semester go?"
"Oh." You quiet down. "It was okay. I didn't do well in pastries and baking. Guess I'm not going home this summer," you say lightly. You draw out the 's' in 'guess,' and the server gives Jungkook his smoothie bowl. "Why does that look like the pink face scrub my mother uses?"
Jungkook rolls his eyes and flicks you in the forehead. "It's a smoothie. Let Berry Cute exist in peace."
"Oh, ew, it's called Berry Cute?" You cringe, and Jungkook scoffs playfully.
"Don't make fun of the pun. Hey, that rhymed! I should be a poet." Jungkook sits back in his booth, happy with his self-proclaimed poetry skills.
"Okay, Hemingway." You rise from your seat, and Jungkook looks up in alarm.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going to order something." Jungkook relaxes, and you head over to the counter. As you wait in line, you can hear Seolji and Jimin talking.
"What do you mean?" "You are so stupid." "Why are you going to do this?" "I don't like this." "Neither do I." You don't know who's speaking, but you have to order now. You turn your attention from that to the menu.
"Hi, can I get the açai mango smoothie bowl?" The cashier nods.
"Anything else?"
"A cup of water, please."
"Of course. That will be nine dollars." You reach into your back pocket. Before you can grab your money, Jimin is by your side.
"This one's on me," Jimin mumbles, and you turn to look at him in surprise. "Don't give me that look. Seoji had to go home. I felt bad because she dragged you out here and didn't even stick around."
You sighed, but Jimin already took the receipt from the cashier, so you let it pass. "Why did Seoji go home?"
Jimin ignores your question, takes the table marker the server hands to him, and heads to the table Jungkook is sitting at. "Seoji went home because we broke up." You and Jungkook stare at him, wide-eyed, and Jimin winces. "You don't have to look at me like that."
"But you two were together for three years!" Jungkook yelped, and some of the patrons threw him dirty looks because of his volume. Jimin rubs his eyes with his hands.
"Yes, I am aware, Jungkook, thank you." Jungkook quiets, and you shoot him a small smile.
"Why'd you break up?" Jungkook didn't learn from his previous question, and you lightly kick his shin. He shoots you a look, but Jimin answers his question.
"Seoji and I had conflicting opinions and goals, and so we thought it would be best if we weren't in a relationship together anymore." Jungkook looks crestfallen.
"Well." You look at Jungkook, silently telling him that you're going to tell Jimin of the lie. "Jimin-"
"You two are lucky to have each other. Don't forget it." Jimin stands and leaves before you and Jungkook can explain to him. The two of you share a look.
"When should we tell him?" Jungkook breaks the silence first, and you sigh.
"I would hate to tell him that we were just pretending. Let's fake breakup during finals. That's two and a half months away." The two of you agree on that, and part ways. Ten weeks isn't a lot of time, and usually not much happens then. But life has a way of making you hate it.
———
You want to slam your head into a bookshelf. You know you brought it upon yourself when you volunteered at your local library. But. If you get any more questions on where the young adult section is when you're standing next to a big old sign that says 'young adult section,' you might die. "Hello!" As soon as you hear someone speak, you plaster on a fake smile.
"Hi! Yes, the young adult section is straight through here." You see who it is. Jimin. "Oh, hi."
Jimin chuckles. "I was just stopping in to return a book when I saw you. You work here?"
"No, I volunteer." You turn and see another volunteer glaring at you. "Go return your book. I have to get back to work." Jimin turns to leave, but not before saying something mysterious and leaving you confused.
"Jungkook is looking for you."
What.
You mull over those words as you continue working, and even after your shift ends. In fact, you are currently at a table in the library, pretending to read, as you think about what Jungkook would want from you. Well, if you just sit around, you won't find out anything.
You stand from your seat and turn around hurridly. Standing right in front of you is Jungkook, and you sit down again. "Hi," you murmur.
"Hi." Jungkook looks nervous. "I need to ask you something."
"Shoot."
"Let's say, hypothetically" You don't like where this is going and sit back nervously. "my friend's girlfriend was a cheating bit-"
"Language." You cut him off, and Jungkook glares at you before continuing.
"As I was saying. My friend's girlfriend cheated on him, and now he's heartbroken. I want him to get with one of my other friends, but that friend is dating someone else. How would I do that?"
"What is this, some soap opera?" Jungkook socks you in the arm lightly and glares at you. "Okay, okay. Well, for starters, is the friend who's dating someone else's relationship toxic?"
"It's fake, that's for sure." You sigh.
"That's going to be the hardest part, I feel. But Jungkook, you also have to take into account everyone else's feelings. Your friends might not appreciate you making them break up with each other or trying to get them with someone so soon." Jungkook slumps in his chair.
"Alright. Thanks for your help." You smile at him.
"That's alright. Now, get out. I have a class soon."
"What class?"
"It's some health and safety regulations class. I don't like the professor, Mr. Han."
"Oh, Jimin's in that class too."
"Nice." You have nothing more to say, and leave Jungkook in the library, looking for a book.
———
"Remember, cross-contamination should be avoided at all costs. If there is any cross-contamination in the kitchen, you must remake the meal." The professor keeps staring in your direction, and you busy yourself in the textbook. Jimin looks at you worriedly. Somehow, he had managed to snatch the seat next to you.
"Are you alright?" You nod up at him.
"Yeah, I just hate this class because the professor knows my parents."
"Ah, so you're scared he might snitch on your grades to your parents." Jimin is joking, but he struck a small nerve.
"Something like that." You give a vague answer.
Jimin returns to his textbook, and you continue hiding behind yours. When the class ends, the teacher begins heading up towards you, and you dashi run run run right out there real fast. Jimin follows, confused. "What was that about?"
"The professor was approaching me, and I didn't feel like sitting through one of his monologues." You roll your eyes. "If I have to hear him talk about how my parents were amazing at food safety, I might have to cut my ears off."
"But what if he was going to ask you about an assignment?"
You level your eyes at Jimin. "Then he can just email me about it. Don't see why that needs a face to face meeting."
Jimin runs his hand through his hair. "You're incorrigible." You smile proudly, and Jimin laughs. "That's not something to be proud of."
"What do you mean? Of course it is." You nudge him with your elbow jokingly, and Jimin smiles.
"You know, Jungkook keeps trying to cook cauliflower pastries in the microwave. I love cauliflower a lot, but this is really out of hand."
"What." You are utterly befuddled. "The kid's trying to cook a freaking pâtisserie de chou-fleur? In the microwave? This man's delusional."
"A pastry de what now?"
You laugh at him. "Pâtisserie de chou-fleur is french for cauliflower pastry," you explain kindly.
"Chou-fleur is a cute word." You nod absentmindedly.
"Sure, it is. Jimin, my mom's coming to visit soon, so I have to get back to my dorm."
Jimin nods and leaves. You begin the trek home, passing by your favorite ice-cream stall and the library you work at. You can see Jungkook in there, reading what seems to be a cookbook. You hope he's not planning another out of this world recipe. (He probably is.)
As you climb the stairs, you feel sick to your stomach. You're not ready to see your mother again, after however many years of not interacting. You approach the door and unlock it after a minute of trying to find your keys and swing the door open. Inside is your mother, staring down at you with piercing eyes. "Mother! I didn't expect you until later!" Your mother tsks.
"Well, I'm here now. Why haven't you been answering my calls?"
"I've been busy with college," you excuse, "but I've been meaning to call you."
"Yeah, sure." Your mother doesn't believe you. "Anyways, I went looking in your cabinets to see if you're eating healthy. What is this?" She gestures to your squirrel plate that she presumedly placed on the table.
"Ah, that. I saw it at a flea market and thought it'd be a kick." You play with your fingers, and your mother raises an eyebrow.
"We don't do flea markets." Thankfully, she drops the topic. Unfortunately, she moves on to a different subject. "I was talking to Mr. Han." You stiffen.
"Of course you were."
"Don't give me that lip, young lady." You resist the urge to roll your eyes, and your mother continues. "He told me that you're not really paying attention in his class."
"That's absolute connerie." Your mother gives you a sharp look, but you refuse to back down. "I've gotten straight-A's in that course." Your mother scoffs.
"That's not good enough. I also talked to Mr. Bang, and he says in your pastry courses, you got a C plus in the practical exam." Your mother taps her foot. "That is disappointing." Your mouth drops open in shock.
"You don't even like pastries," you accuse, and your mother narrows her eyes.
"I may not like pastries, but a C is unacceptable. Not for any child of mine. If you continue this kind of performance in school, you are getting pulled out immediately."
"A C is average! Every other time I've gotten A's. What's so bad about one measly C? I didn't even go to the college I wanted, I went here because you told me to! And a C is unacceptable?" Your mother slaps her hand on the table, and the squirrel dish rattles a little.
"I don't like your tone."
"I don't like your ideas on schooling." Your mother scoffs, but you turn on your heel. "I'm going out, and I think you should probably leave as well." Your mother squawks as she follows you out the door.
"I'm not finished (Y/N)!" You spin and glare at her.
"Mother, I've done everything you ever asked. I've never said no to your demands. I went to a culinary school, and I do my absolute best at culinary school. And you come here and have the audacity to tell me that I can never get a C in my life? And if I do, you're going to pull me out just like that? That is beyond unreasonable."
You storm off, and your mother watches your retreating form. You find yourself at the dorm of Jimin and Jungkook.
"Oh, sorry, Jungkook's not back from the library yet," Jimin says to you, and you sigh. "You can come in to wait if you want."
"Thanks," you say, and Jimin steps aside to let you in. "Hey, do you know of any cheap apartments?" You look at Jimin, and he pauses.
"Why do you ask?"
"Just wondering." You lie, and Jimin nods.
"I get it. Sometimes I over plan too. But you know, relaxation is healthy. I always just bake when I am stressed."
"Sounds like...fun?" You don't know how to respond to that. "I'm glad it helps you out."
"Want to try?" The offer startles you. You look up at Jimin, confused.
"Right now? You want me to make cookies?" Jimin laughs.
"Maybe not cookies, but if you want, you can use the kitchen." You perk up.
"You wouldn't mind?"
"No, just as long as I can eat the food too." You smack his shoulder, laughing.
"Agreed." You and Jimin head to the kitchen. You're unsure how this will pan out, but you're kind of excited. You don't even know why you're so happy. Something about Jimin just makes you smile. Maybe it's his endless energy, but you can't seem to stop smiling when he's around.
Before you can think much more, Jimin has pulled out sixteen different types of pots. "What are you planning to make?" he asks, a big smile on his face.
"I don't know. Cauliflower bread?" Jimin oohs.
"We have cauliflower!" Before you can do anything else, Jimin pulls out some cauliflower. "What next?"
You smile at his puppy-like enthusiasm and begin preparing to cook. Jimin was enthusiastic about everything as you teach him how to bake cauliflower bread. To be completely honest, you don't even like cauliflower. But for some reason, your heart loves it.
Time flies when you cook. As you put the loaf pan into the oven, the door swings open. "There's Jungkook," Jimin says. But instead of Jimin, it is Seoji who steps through the kitchen doorframe.
"What are you doing here?" She questions you strictly, and you have a feeling she's interrogating you.
"I'm make bread." You reply cautiously, and Seoji glares.
"Then were's Jungkook? He's supposed to be here with you, not Jimin." Your mouth drops open in shock at her forwardness.
"Jungkook is studying at the library, and last I checked, ex-girlfriends don't have the right to complain."
"I'll tell Jungkook you're cheating on him." The threat means nothing to you.
"You go ahead and do that. Who's Jungkook going to believe? His best friend's ex or his girlfriend?" Seoji shuts her mouth. "I thought so."
"Why are you here, anyway?" Jimin breaks in.
"I wanted to apologize to you and get back together." You hold back a scoff. It's been a week since they broke up, and Seoji is back already.
"That's not going to happen." To your surprise, Jimin shoots her down immediately. "Nothing can fix that, Seoji."
"Jimin, it was a one-time thing!"
"That's not what you said when we broke up," Jimin snaps, and you start to put two and two together.
Jungkook said that two of his friends broke up because of cheating. Was that couple Jimin and Seoji? Then who was the friend Jungkook wants Jimin to fall for? You don't know that many of his friends, only you and Jimin. Oh, and that guy who sits next to you and Jungkook in culinary services. What's his name again? Taeyong? Taehyun? You turn your attention back to the argument. It's still going strong. "I'll leave," you say, and everyone else's head snaps back to you. Seoji grins triumphantly, but Jimin reacts differently.
"No, you can stay. Seoji can leave." Seoji huffs but makes no move to leave.
"Sorry, but I can't. I don't really want to sit through this argument." You start to grab your things. "Pull the bread out of the oven after about forty or forty-five minutes." Jimin grabs your wrist, and you look up in shock. Seoji makes a disgusted face.
"No, no, please stay." It appears that was the last straw for Seoji, and she storms out of the dorm. You and Jimin watch her go, and someone else walks in. There's Jungkook, finally.
"Care to explain what's happening?" You yank your wrist away from Jimin, who seems slightly hurt.
"I was just heading out. I made cauliflower bread. It's in the oven, but still baking." You pat Jungkook on your shoulder and whisper in his ear, "I know who you were talking about when you were talking about your friends who were affected by cheating." Jungkook's ears turn red, and you leave. Hopefully, your mother is gone.
66 notes · View notes